CACTUS

At Dannevirke High School, we are proud to run the CACTUS programme (Combined Adolescent Challenge Training Unit Support) – an intensive eight-week physical and mental military style training course designed to challenge and grow our rangatahi.

Now in its 10th year of operation, CACTUS is a powerful initiative that focuses on fitness, discipline, teamwork and leadership. Held during Term 2, students from Year 9 to Year 13 rise early to take part in rigorous morning sessions, often beginning before sunrise. Whether crawling across frosty fields, navigating team challenges in the rain, or taking on leadership roles, students are pushed outside of their comfort zones and into new levels of personal development.

Working alongside instructors Senior Constable Wayne Churchouse (Mouse), Moana Beveridge, and the rest of the dedicated CACTUS team, our students gain real-world skills in resilience, self-reliance, grit and respect for themselves and their team. Returning participants often step into mentoring roles, modelling CACTUS values and helping guide newer students through the challenges as GI’s.

The programme makes the most of our local environment, with sessions held in the school gym, Wharekai, on the fields and throughout our community streets with the support of amazing locals. These physical experiences build not only strength and stamina but a lasting sense of achievement and pride.

We look forward to continuing this tradition of excellence and can’t wait to see who steps up in the next round of CACTUS.