Foundation Pupils Award for All Round Excellence 2024

The Foundation Pupils Association is a past pupils group limited to pupils who attended Cashmere High School in the first 5 years. It is through this group of Foundation Pupils that the Cashmere High School Foundation was established, to ensure Cashmere High School was supported by its past students well into the future. Many years ago the Foundation Past Pupils set up a Year 13 award of $1000 for the graduating student displaying All Round Excellence in curricular and co-curricular areas. 

Tom Freedman

Tom is described as a motivated and diligent student, who works consistently well in all of his subjects. He ranked 1st in Economics, 1st in Japanese, 3rd in History, 5th in Classical Studies and 6th in Chemistry in 2024.

Tom has been recognised for his exemplary leadership and unwavering commitment to the Sustainability Council throughout 2024. An exceptional organiser, he has also shown a dedication to engaging the council in a wide range of impactful projects within the school and broader community.

Examples of this are his contribution to the submission to Environment Canterbury’s Long-Term Plan, representing the school at the Waitaha Youth Conference for Canterbury, and being selected to participate in the Blake Inspire workshop. His efforts in expanding the native planting along the school stream, continuing the predator control and trapping on site and promoting litter reduction and organizing the inaugural House Clean-Up Competition have significantly advanced the council’s sustainability goals.

With a collaborative approach to leadership, Tom has created a positive and inclusive environment within the council.  It has been a pleasure to work alongside him, and we extend our gratitude for his outstanding service and contributions to sustainability efforts at Cashmere High School. Tom has also been a Peer Leader, a Japanese prefect, and has tutored younger students in Japanese.  He has taken part in the Health and Wellbeing Council Relay for Life and has attended the School Strike for Climate.

In terms of co-curricular activities, Tom is an open water swimmer, coming 2nd in the South Island Championships for 2000m in the Male 16-19 year category.  

Congratulations to Tom Freedman, a very worthy winner of the Foundation Pupils All Round Excellence Prize for 2024.