Nuku’alofa, Tonga — Tonga High School was honoured on Wednesday morning, 19 August 2026, to welcome Her Royal Highness Crown Princess Sinaitakala Tuku‘aho and Mayor Webster Lincoln of East Palo Alto, California, USA, to the school grounds at Faa’imata.
The distinguished delegation was formally welcomed by Acting Minister of Education and Training Hon. Hu‘akavameiliku, the Acting Principal of Tonga High School, the President of the Ex-Students’ Association and shareholders.
The delegation first paid a courtesy visit to the Tonga High School Library, where a brief meeting was held, before proceeding to the School Hall for a special assembly attended by staff and students.
The formal programme was presided over by Rev. Dr. Feke Mafi and featured a welcome address by Acting Principal Mr. Solomone Tavalea Takai.
Mayor Lincoln then delivered remarks and introduced members of his delegation, which included a number of Tongans, to the delight of the school community.
The programme concluded with a vote of thanks delivered by Head Boy Prefect Mafi-Ta-E-‘Uluafi.
Following the assembly, Acting Minister Hon. Hu‘akavameiliku and the Acting Principal hosted a morning tea in honour of the visiting delegation, providing an opportunity to further strengthen the valued relationship and collaboration between the two communities.
For the staff and approximately 1,400 students of Tonga High School, the visit marked a particularly special occasion. Among schools across Tonga, prestigious Tonga High School was honored to be selected to receive the distinguished delegation from its sister city.
The school expressed its deep gratitude and pride at hosting the Crown Princess and the East Palo Alto delegation, describing the occasion as an important opportunity to further strengthen the enduring people-to-people ties between Tonga and the United States.
The visit also highlighted the shared relationships, initiatives and cooperation that continue to connect the two communities, with Tonga High School looking forward to building on those ties in the years ahead.
