While it opened for Term 2 earlier in the year, the Auckland campus official opening was amalgamated with the end of year ceremonies, adding even more fanfare and celebration to the event.
Beginning with a traditional Maori karakia, the school was then declared officially opened by The Deputy Prime Minister, the Honourable David Seymour, whose leadership has paved the way for charter schools like The BUSY School, many official VIPs, Board Members, staff, family members and students, bonded together over this highly moving event.
In the first year, six Auckland students graduated and the majority of Year 12 students will be returning to complete Year 13 in 2026.
The very powerful speech delivered by Principal, Moana Va’aelua, spoken to the family members of Year 12 students, held the audience captive and left many reaching for their tissues.
“Today we celebrate not just the achievements of our young people, but the incredible strength of the families who have walked every step of this journey with them. We acknowledge that this journey started before you found us. Our Year 12s have pushed through challenges, rebuilt confidence, rediscovered purpose, and shown real determination to reach this point. We are immensely proud of everything you have been able to achieve this year.
But I want to speak directly to our whānau for a moment.
We know this road has not always been smooth. There have been days filled with pride and joy — and days filled with exhaustion, frustration, sadness or worry. There have been moments where hope felt strong and moments where it flickered. And still, through every twist and turn, the love you have for your young person has never wavered.
Your faith in your child — even in the hard seasons — is what has brought them here. Your courage to seek out something different, something better, is why they are seated in front of us today. Many of you gave education another chance after experiences that left you disappointed or disheartened with parts of our education system. You opened that door again. You chose to trust.
I know some of our whanau think today reflects what this school has done — and yes, we take immense pride in the mahi we do. But a school is not a school without children and it cannot thrive without the love and determination of the families who send those children through our doors.
You entrusted us with their learning, their wellbeing, their confidence and their future. That trust is one of the greatest gifts we have received this year. So, to our whānau thank you. Thank you for showing up repeatedly. Thank you for believing in your young person and for believing that education still has something valuable to offer them. The pleasure has truly been ours — to teach them, to know them and to watch them grow this year.
Our Auckland students celebrated their achievements in 2025!