It was Thursday lunchtime and Wanganui Intermediate was rocking.
A rock band of four 12-year-old lads had their large student crowd mesmerised.
Even though there wasn't a seething mosh pit and it was the first live performance of ``Truth and Dare'' _ in the words of their colleagues _ these
guys really aced it.
And they have only been learning for two terms from pupil/mentor Peter London.
They were having a try-out before playing at an Arts Festival in two weeks on September 28, at 7pm at the Royal Wanganui Opera House.
This biannual event celebrates the Performing Arts at the school, showcasing large numbers of students in performances including kapa haka, rock music, ukulele, guitar, choir, dance (including swing, hip-hop, salsa, funk, and rock `n' roll) as well as drama pieces and song and dance routines.
On the sports front the WIS soccer team arrived back this week from the central North Island championships. The kids on the science block came home from the Robo-Cup National Champs in Wellington two weeks ago, winning first, second, third, fourth and fifth for their superb robots.
It doesn't end there.
The WIS cooking team featured on television in a national cooking competition with many flattering comments from the judges.
And a group of magnificent young art students taught by Jocelyn Pomeroy all won awards in the prestigious Waimarino Arts Awards this year.
Principal Charles Oliver said his well-resourced school staffed with very smart teachers also operates also at very high level academically.
Opportunities for learning here are uppermost, he said.
``We encourage all our students to do well and if they are, we extend them. So there are no bounds _ we want them to do well, we help them to do well ... it works because we have so many amazing kids here.''
Mr Oliver came to WIS 10 years ago from Hawkes Bay.
He always worried about the negative aspects found in all schools _ chiefly bullying.
However, in 2006 he discovered Papatoetoe Intermediate in South Auckland was having incredible results ... they had no bullying, they had no suspensions and no expulsions and hadn't had any for a very long time.
``So [I] contacted the principal up there and asked how they had done it.''
When he was told they had set up a dedicated pastoral care team and had never looked back, Mr Oliver sent a senior teacher to Papatoetoe to look at what they were doing and to come back and set it up at WIS.
His teacher Lisa Clark became the Pastoral Dean, and set up the WIS pastoral team. They never looked back, Mr Oliver said.
``This year we have had no suspensions and we don't expect to. The school culture has been markedly better since the pastoral team was installed.''
As Dean, Ms Clark even visits new enrolments at their primary schools before they start intermediate and is involved with all social agencies.
She establishes very quickly whether there are any problems and works with the new pupil and their parent or parents.
It really works, it's all about caring, she said.
``We have had so many successes and all the students know they can always come and talk to us. Or often their home teacher will refer them.''
Wanganui Intermediate dates right back to 1933.
``It is the third oldest intermediate in New Zealand,'' Mr Oliver said.
The first intermediate school opened in 1922 in Auckland and was known as junior high, an American-flavoured title, the WIS 50 Jubilee book says.
It was known as a ``middle school'', but in the 1930s became an intermediate school after the first Labour Education Minister Peter Fraser championed recommendations made in a report by renowned New Zealand educationalist Clarence Edward Beeby about the attributes of an intermediate school system, the book says.
Beeby's ethos was ``every person regardless of background or ability had a right to an education of a type which they are best suited.''
His report and later work as Director of Education showed intermediate schools were best suited to those bridging years in a child's life between late childhood and adolescence.
It was this educational climate in which Wanganui Intermediate was founded in February 1933.
Mr Oliver believes the intermediate age of 11 to 13 is challenging, interesting and exciting.
``Kids are marvellous at this age they are making some great decisions for themselves _ I find them very stimulating.''
Or as Mr Oliver puts it: ``It's all about support and everyone in this school has support ... no one is isolated, everyone is included.''-->-->-->
WANGANUI INTERMEDIATE SCHOOL Corner of Victoria Avenue and Dublin St. Staff: 35; 25 support staff. Pupils: 570 Decile: 4 Principal: Charles Oliver