2009: (Year 50)

  • The 1st March roll was 996 and 1st July 965. Higher Year 12 & 13 numbers due to a tight job market.
  • Mrs. Jude Barnes is appointed a Deputy Principal to replace Mrs. Baker.
  • The senior Gateway programme continues to offer great work experience for over 70 students.
  • The International Language School had 45 overseas students and 12 residential students.
  • The Sports Institute is in its 3rd year.
  • Origin Energy donates most of the $15,000 of costs to establish a "Sensory Garden" for the Special Needs students. The project was developed by an SNU teacher Mr. Ian Leonard.
  • On the night of Friday 5th June, the $85,000 near-new Year 13 common room was destroyed by an arsonist ( an ex-pupil now living in Napier).
  • A major issue developed with the College heating system due to 50 year old pipes
  • Cultural:-Dave Harre, Canaan Pauro and Liza Noble are the Kapa Haka tutors. Whanau Hui are held on the 3rd Monday of each month at 5.30pm. Toioraroa Ngeru won the Pei Te Hurinui Jones Senior Maori section at the Manu Korero regional speech competition at Wanganui. This was the 3rd year in succession that Toioraroa had won a regional section. In September he competed at the national finals in Rotorua. Te Huatahi Te Ngeru finished 4th in the Junior Maori section. In late August the senior Kapa Haka group travelled to an international cultural festival in Lai'e, Hawaii. 
  • For the third year in succession a Spotswood College teacher directed group won the Taranaki regionals of the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival with Simon Coles (Year 13) winning the Most Outstanding Actor Award. The group attended the nationals finals in Wellington in June. Our  group performed an excerpt from "The Merchant of Venice" with Matthew Taylor (Year 12)winning the "Most Thought Provoking" performance award.
  • Music:- The College bands (Hatrix Jazz band, Concert band, Chamber Music group, all had successful years. This year in Term 2, we again hosted the Taranaki Orchestra day.
  • At the Taranaki Rockquest regionals our bands finished 1st, 2nd and 3rd with our group (including Waitara HS students) "Blau-pa-chow" won the award for the Best Song.
  • In the national "Play It Strange" songwriting competition Spotswood had three entries in the Top 40, an outstanding feat for one school to have more than two.
  • The Brass and woodwind instrument sections are having difficulty in recruiting students and suspending the Year 9 Band class in 2007 has not helped. Too many students were wanting to play Guitar and drums.
  • In March, we hosted 16 students from Mishama, Japan- the NPDC sister city.
  • The YES company was called "Evolve" and produced an information guide with the book being called "The Taranaki Adventure". 
  • The Year 13 Geography students did a field trip to the Bay of Plenty region.
  • The Mooting team won the Taranaki regional competition and made it through to the North Island semi-finals that were held in Hamilton.
  • The Year 10 Maths team won the TSS Methanex Mathematics quiz.
  • The Year 10 Science team won the TSS Science quiz for the second year running.
  • Our 5th "Spotty Idol" evening was again an outstanding success won by Emily Wilson.
  • Sports teams:- Badminton, 3 Boys' & 5 Girls' Basketball; 1 Boys' Cricket; Equestrian; 1 Boys' & 1 Girls' Hockey; 6 Netball; 2 Boys' & 1 Girls' Sevens Rugby; Skiing; 2 Boys' & 1 Girls' Soccer; Boys' & Girls' Volleyball, and Waka Ama.
  • On Monday 4th August, we hosted 2 Rugby teams from Reading High School, Berkshire, England. The First XV won and the Under 16 lost.
  • Bethany Lowe (Year 13) won the Rebecca L. Lynch memorial scholarship worth $39,000 to attend the University of Idaho, USA.
  • In November, the Principal(our 4th) for the last 7 years(2003-2009)- Mr. Graeme McFadyen resigned to take up an educational consultants position in Qatar in the Middle East.
  • The Alumni preparations for the 50th Jubilee continue.