Wanganui Collegiate School celebrated a long-held tradition at the weekend.
Collegiate weekends happen three times a year and each weekend's focus is on a different part of culture - sport, music, tikanga.
Alec McNab has been helping to organise the Athletics Event at Cooks Gardens during Collegiate weekend for more than 45 years but the event surpasses this.
For students, Collegiate weekends do not just give the opportunity to be a part of something contemporary but help to recognise the history of the school.
Past Collegiate families often join to watch during the weekend, current parents come to cheer their child on, and this year the school invited prospective families to come and experience the unique culture of Collegiate.
Every student, day and boarding, is assigned a house.
There are four boys' houses and two girls. Roll calls, morning teas, and activities are all assigned through the houses.
House system at Collegiate means that every student, day or boarding, is included and a part of a smaller community within the larger community at Collegiate.
Throughout the year individual houses train together in various aspects of Collegiate life (sport, cultural/music, tikanga) to compete against each other in a friendly competition during Collegiate Weekend. Students dress in their house colours, learn the historical House cheers and take pride in the reigning titles within the houses gained through Collegiate Weekends.
Friday swimming competitions are held at the on-site pool, Saturday's Athletic competitions takes place at Cooks Garden.
The grandstands become alive with excitement.
Mr McNab said "it's a remarkable moment to stand back and see the friendships that have formed after only a few short weeks and the encouragement for each other through cheers, high fives, and overall excitement.
"The weekend isn't about one person winning, it's about everyone taking part and working together as a house which mirrors Collegiate's philosophy of mandatory participation in sports and cultural programming.
"The top athletes encourage the less athletic students all within an environment without peer pressure or embarrassment."
Next Collegiate Weekend is house music beginning June 30.