Carlos Reed was the first principal at Otangarei School – now Te Kura o Otangarei – which opened in 1955. When he passed away in 2004, he left a legacy for the students he had worked for over many years. The Carlos Reed Fund provides scholarships, through Northland Community Foundation, for students at the kura who want to attend boarding school.Otangarei 12-year-old Tainui Kaipo is the latest student to be awarded the Carlos Reed Scholarship, valued at $10,000. Administered by Northland Community Foundation, the scholarship will help to support Tainui through five years of boarding at Mount Albert Grammar School (MAGS). A keen rugby player, Tainui has already applied to join the MAGS rugby academy next year and is hoping to join the kapa haka group, too.
Danelle Unuwai, principal at Te Kura o Otangarei, when recommending Tainui for the scholarship, described Tainui as “a quiet, humble student” and said that “Tainui is goal driven and has been aiming towards attending boarding school in year 9 to better his education. He has the desire to do well in high school and wishes to gather knowledge and learning experiences that will not only benefit him but also support his Whānau in the long term.”Tainui has learnt through Māori Immersion instruction for most of his primary school years, and recently transitioned into English instruction. His teacher, Api Nathan, said, “He has taken on any language challenges with determination. I cannot think of anyone more deserving.”Tainui was presented with his scholarship by Sophie Lane, Chief Executive of Northland Community Foundation, during the school assembly at Te Kura O Otangarei on Friday 17th November.We wish Tainui well in his journey to boarding school and look forward to hearing about his experiences over the coming years.
