Make a Difference group teaches texting to Aged Concern
On Thursday April 26th 10 Lynfield College students from the newly formed MAD – Make a Difference group went to St Ninians Church Hall in Avondale to teach people over 60 how to use their mobile phones. This was a joint effort between Age Concern and Lynfield College and is the 5th time we have run one of these workshops. Both the students and older people enjoyed themselves.
Below are some of their comments.
Older People's Comments:
• Today the workshop was perfect
• I was very happy with my Buddy and would like to congratulate Age Concern & Lynfield College for their efforts in this project
• A very supportive workshop – got me started – Thank you
Teenagers' Comments:
• The time was awesome. Should do this more often
• I enjoyed teaching my buddy about all the things they could do on a phone & chatting once finished
• The feeling of teaching someone something new and watching her write her own message was very enjoyable.
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Home Economics Dept - a taste of Anzac
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 Staff and students in Home Economics have honoured the men and women of our Armed Forces in their own special way.
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Lynfield Remembers the Fallen on Anzac Day
 The student executive from Lynfield College attended the morning ANZAC day service at the May Rd War Memorial Hall. The service was very well attended by the local community on a beautiful autumn morning. The service was led by Richard Barter, chairperson of the Puketapapa Local Board. Also in attendance were Mr & Mrs Phil Goff and Dr Jackie Blue. Above : Students with principal, Steve Bovaird. Right : Head students Maddie Hughes and Jonathan Feki approach to lay a wreath at the cenotaph. |
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Trophies for Lynfield at World Robotics Champs
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All three Lynfield teams moved into the Division elimination play offs, two making it through to the Division finals and Justin winning a plaque as the “Division Champion” – well done Justin and team 2915B! Unfortunately Jack’s drive chain broke before he finished the challenge so he could not complete and his placing remained the same - but still in the top 10 which was a great score and he received his trophy for making it that far.
Both the Principal Mr Bovaird and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees Mr Cadzow are in LA to support our teams which is a real encouragement – they have been introduced very rapidly to the intricacies of the game, the strategies and the stresses of world championship robotics.
With the world championships finished and two trophies in the suitcases, our students and staff revert to tourist mode for a couple of days before returning home.
Robotics Teams in Anaheim
Staff and students report from the World Robotics Championships..
What an exciting day with all the drivers, coaches, scouts (and the battery charger!) working flat out. It was the first day of competition games and although there are two days to go all our teams got off to a great start after some good practice at the start of the day
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Steve, Grun Wua, Robert and Nick won both their games and the only reason they are not higher up on the rankings is that most of the other middle school teams have played a third game. The games tomorrow will keep the pressure on!
Justin, Max and Harry have also started well but in one game their opposition was disqualified just before the start (their robot was oversize) so Justin had to play by himself – he only just lost and it is still early in the competition so he is very positive about tomorrow.
Jack, Nadia and Akash have won all their games and LCR A is currently at the top of the ranking for their division. Wow – what a start!
It has been great having Mr Bovaird joining us today – he was able to watch all the games that included Lynfield teams and can see first hand the high standing our teams have in such a massive field of competitors.
The Vex judges have already interviewed some of our teams as they rove around the pit area.
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I (Mr Black) was interviewed by a reporter from the Orange County Register – a local paper for the area – check out their report on the start of the competition on http://www.ocregister.com/ and click on the VIDEO:Robotics World Championship converges on Anaheim
We will be back at the Convention Centre again 7.15 tomorrow morning – we know the route pretty well now and which bumps and hollows to keep the robot trolleys out of. At the end of the day it was just too tempting for some team members to want a limo ride back to the hotel –it wasn’t to be but it was worth a photo for a truly American image!!
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Musicians Shine at Tauranga Jazz Festival
On Easter Friday 14 students and 3 staff travelled to Tauranga for the National Youth Jazz Festival. On Friday night we attended an amazing concert featuring the Rodger Fox Wellington Jazz Orchestra with two top American Jazz artists: Eric Marienthal (Lead Alto Sax with Gordon Goodwin) and Grammy Award winner Kurt Elling (Vocalist).
On Saturday the students (Yr 10 - 13) competed in the Youth Compeition with both groups performing brilliantly. The Lynfield Jazz Combo directed by Mr Paul Norman won a GOLD award and the Lynfield Jazz Band directed by Mr Matthew Flockton won a SILVER award.
Our next goal is the KBB Music Festival in August where the Big Band (20 piece Jazz Band) has won a GOLD award for the last two years.
And also for your listening pleasure - the Jazz album which was recorded late last year, featuring the Big Band and Jazz Combo, should be available during Term 2. This will coincide with a CD release concert details of which will be well advertised closer to the time.
Mrs Ro Lange Leaves Lynfield
Students and staff at the college have fondly farewelled Mrs Ro Lange, who leaves after 17 years as Guidance Counsellor and Leader of the Student Services Faculty.
A highly-respected member of staff, Mrs Lange has led a number of initiatives, for example the Safe Schools' Programme, the Peer Support Programme, Travellers Programme, and the stand against Bullying in Schools. Anti-Bullying strategies and support are a major focus for her and over the last several years she has completed her doctorate on this issue.
Relinquishing her position at Lynfield is in the interests of concentrating more on counselling and Mrs Lange's new role at Diocesan School will be that of Guidance Counsellor.
We wish this special person the very best at her new school.
China Tour Photos
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Swimming Success
Congratulations to the Intermediate Boys' Relay team who competed at the Champion of Champions Meet at the end of Term 1.
Even qualifying for this event is a major achievement as only swimmers with the top eight times over the four Greater Auckland Zone Meets are eligible to compete. The team qualified for three events, including the Open butterfly. They gained 5th placings in both the Intermediate Boys freestyle and medley races.
Well done! Team members: Leland Clarke 10CN, Matt Roach 11HT, Brecon Rose 10MK and Kieran Sumner 11KM.
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Cultural Festival Performance Photos
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Our German Exchange Students On Tour
We have welcomed 25 students and 4 staff from our German partner school Ernst Haeckel Gymnasium in Werder, Germany.
The group are spending 3 weeks in New Zealand and our students are enjoying hosting the visitors Photos below show the group prior to leaving Germany and then their arrival at Auckland Airport.
After touring the North Island for 7 days the German students will spend this Wednesday at Lynfield College with their homestay hosts.
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Colourful Cultures on our Special Day
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Our annual Cultural Festival attracted hundreds of students, families and members of our local community. All were able to sample foods prepared by the various cultural groups in the college, and to watch the talented performances by these students. Performance images will be available soon; meanwhile here are shots of some students in their cultural dress. |
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More New Zealand Sporting Honours
So proud! Further to our news last week we congratulate the following students and wish them well when they represent New Zealand at upcoming sporting events:
Jordan Maher and James Schuster- New Zealand Under-18 Basketball Team to compete in Perth.
Shee Nathan-Wong - New Zealand Under 15 Girls' Touch Rugby Team
Taine Murray - New Zealand Gymnastics Team to compete in the Australian National Championships in Sydney
Sewing with Vision
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Lynfield College soft materials technology teacher Claire Tagaloa, left, has been helping Year 9 and 10 Technology (soft materials), including students Bethany Edmonds, Monique Pace and Pooja Vyas, make quilts for communities in Niger and Cambodia. |
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The most recent quilt, gifted to an African village in Niger, has been received by a drama group.
Soft materials technology teacher Claire Tagaloa asked her class to consider different countries and the students were able to spend time researching them.
Each student had to design a square for the quilt with a message of hope. She says the class settled on Africa because of the extreme poverty there. Ms Tagaloa says the sewing class also had a visit from World Vision where a representative spoke to them about the work the organisation carries out. |
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The second quilt, now complete, will be given to a community group in Cambodia when World Vision country manager Rob Vos next travels there.
World Vision spokesman Dylan Quinnell says the organisation's 40 Hour Famine is coming up in May.
"We had a team visit Niger in West Africa, a focus country along with Mali, to see what the current situation with their serious food crisis is and to gather photos and video footage.
They took with them a bit of New Zealand in the form of a great quilt made by year 9 and 10 sewing classes at Lynfield College. The teacher in charge has done it for a few years running and donated them to World Vision to give to a poorer community."
Lynfield College Learning Charter
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Senior students have continued to introduce students to our new Learning Charter. Head Girl Maddie Hughes explained to assemblies what the book symbol means to her:
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"The book is a universally known symbol for knowledge and the transmission of ideas. According to the charter the book represents, that we as Lynfield College students, are inquisitive and creative. We seek knowledge to make informed decisions. This really relates to the idea of research. When thinking about books I instantly create an association with libraries. I have spent my fair share of school life in a library getting out books for assignments and research projects. I know that it is now just as easy to “Wikpedia it” and copy the entire page of information and call it research. But the term research means to look at something in close detail, and not from one source.
We can use this concept in everyday life. Some of you could be in the same boat as me, in which you are having some difficulty deciding what you really want to do when we finish our time here at Lynfield. It’s daunting because there are so many choices. Well guess what? That’s where research comes in. So that’s what I did; I have researched, and not the Wikipedia kind either. I have been to see Mrs Keir at the careers office, been to university open days, looked at university entrance criteria for particular courses, talked to family and friends as well as investigating possible jobs that result from degrees. All to better prepare myself for when the time comes to make my decision. I am currently considering whether to enrol in a Communications Degree at AUT or a Law Degree at Auck Uni.
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So the idea of the book is to represent how we as students take initiative and try to better prepare and inform ourselves. The key to this entire process is to ask questions, because without questions there will never be answers. As a fellow student I encourage you to ask those questions, not only may it give you the answers, but it will guide you towards making the right choice for you as an individual."