John Lewis

M-Slaks members have never had any formal dance training.

Increasing pressure on New Zealand schools is beginning to take its toll, says Paddy Ford, President of the New Zealand Principals Federation.

It was a case of "slowly but surely wins the race" for John McGlashan College geography pupil Andrew Dysart when he won the individual category of the Maatangi Whenua National Geography Competition in Wellington last weekend.

Pupils at Forbury School in Dunedin now have an incentive to get to school early, and it is a healthy option.

The Second Pierre de Manchicourt international organ contest is a week away, and though Dunedin organist Rachel Swindells has no idea of the quality of competitors, she has plans for the prize money.

The man responsible for the world stage shows Bombay Dreams, Elephant Man and the Lion King is in town for "quality control" on his company's latest show, Whisper the Wind.

Spending six days a week rehearsing a hip hop dance routine, while coaching another hip hop team three nights a week, would be enough to hip hop some people right over the edge.

Julia Matheson, Emma Hutton and Yani Hung have three things in common - they are former pupils of Columba College, like to go shopping, and later this month all three will begin their studies at England's prestigious Oxford or Cambridge Universities.

"We've all been inspired by the Speight's billboards, but I'm afraid the reality is very different for the majority of leisure horse riders on the Taieri," Dunedin Riding Centre owner Victoria Watt says.

Talk about Winston Peters and Owen Glenn got sidelined yesterday while Prime Minister Helen Clark squarely focused her attention on Otago's elite secondary school pupils at the 2008 Otago Daily Times Class Act awards.

A horse was spooked by a passing truck on Saddle Hill during the weekend and had to be euthanased due to its injuries.

Logan Park High School pupils have proved you do not need brawn to win the national final of a football tournament - you just need brains.

"One good thing about my past - it's given me a lot of material for my writing."

A projected decline in Otago school rolls is one of the issues which has prompted Dunedin's secondary schools to form New Zealand's first urban videoconferencing teaching network.

Swapping the cosy confines of the cafe culture in central Paris for the Orokonui Ecosanctuary was a daunting experience for French engineering student Loan Venkatapen.

Staff at Jonathans Camera and Video are keeping their jobs after a national chain of photography stores bought the business from the liquidators.