September 2014

Festival Awards Evening Highlights
 

Held at a new venue, Eden Park, and attended by senior students and families, this annual awards evening held Tuesday 23 September was the first marker that the end of the year is approaching and celebrations of high achievement in 2014 are underway.

The Student Leadership team opened the evening with an impressive karanga and haka powhiri,

The guest speaker at the function is always a former student who has excelled in a sporting, arts or cultural field, and this year we welcomed back Stephanie McKenzie, New Zealand track cyclist. Stephanie spoke about the challenges, physical and psychological, of competing at the elite level, but also of the rewards, the camaraderie and the teamwork. Importantly she also advised the students of the wisdom in always having a Plan B; Stephanie has continued her studies whilst pursuing her cycling dreams.

Above :  Students Leaders' haka

Above :  Jazz Combo performing Right : Guest speaker Stephanie McKenzie

The evening also included musical items, tributes to the Sports Captains, Arts and Culture Captains and House Captains, thank yous to students, staff, families and coaches, and a video montage capturing many moments of the extra-curricular life of Lynfield College 2014. The evening's primary purpose however was the presentation of an array of awards, the most prestigious of which are detailed below.  The video montage can be viewed at http://vimeo.com/106914749 

Left Grace Kukutai   Dux Ludorum Kathleen Tomacruz  Dux Artium Eddie Kennedy  Dux Ludorum

Dux Ludorum (Boys) - Eddie Kennedy
Eddie is a gifted all round athlete whose love of sport has been obvious since Y9.  During his time at Lynfield he has been a member of the top Touch, Tag, Rugby and Basketball teams and has also represented at Western Zone Athletics.  Eddie is a natural leader who has always chosen to lead by example and displayed outstanding sportsmanship.  He has captained several teams and was Zoricich House Captain in 2013.  In rugby Eddie is awarded Colours with Honours as a valued member of the 1^st XV for the past 3 years, and this year he narrowly missed selection to the Waitakere U18 representative team.  As well as being captain of our Senior Boys’ Touch team, Eddie is Most Valuable Player and earned Colours for this sport.  He has chosen to give back to Lynfield sport and is coaching the Junior Boys Touch team.  As a member of our Premier Basketball team for 2 years and a key player in our top U19 team this year Eddie is awarded Colours with Honours for Basketball.
 
Dux Ludorum (Girls) - Grace Kukutai
Grace is an outstanding sportswoman whose commitment and dedication to Lynfield Sport are unquestionable and unshakable.  She always aims for perfection and it is this attitude which is fundamental in her approach to sport.  During her time at Lynfield she has been House Captain, Road Race Champion and has represented us in Touch, Tag and Athletics.  Grace is our 2014 Senior Girls Athletics Champion receiving the McMahon Cup.
 
However, it is in netball that Grace truly excels.  She has been a member of our top senior netball team since Y10 and is now captain of our very successful Prem 1 and UNISS netball teams, receiving Colours with Honours for netball.  Grace has had outstanding sporting success at both regional and national levels.  In 2014 she was:

• Captain and MVP of the Netball Waitakere U17A Rep team
• Named in the NZ U17 tournament netball team
• Selected as the Netball Waitakere Senior MVP
• Captained the Auckland Maori U17 netball team
• Selected for the NZSS netball team

 Grace has just won selection to the Waitakere NPC team and has her sights firmly set on Silver Fern status. 
 
Dux Artium - Kathleen Tomacruz
Kathleen is a gifted musician and an outstanding leader.  Her musical talents include playing cello, guitar and percussion in both classical and jazz genres.  A member of the multi-award winning Big Band, Jazz Combo A, Concert Band, Orchestra (where she has been the principal Cellist since 2011) and School Production, Kathleen performs to an exceptionally high standard and in 2013 and 2014 she was selected to perform with the KBB Honours Orchestra.  Kathleen receives Colours with Honours for the Big Band, Orchestra and Jazz Combo A.  She is named Most Outstanding Performer in the Chamber Orchestra for which she receives the Excellence in Music Cup.
 
Kathleen is also a Peer Support leader, a Student Ambassador, a Safe Schools Committee member, and a tutor for both beginning and intermediate musicians.  She has also been a long standing member of the SE Asian and Filipino groups.  An outstanding Arts and Cultural Captain, Kathleen receives the LC Arts and Culture Leadership Cup.
 
Runner-up to Dux Ludorum (Boys) – Dale Pitout
 
Runner-up to Dux Ludorum (Girls) – Shee Nathan-Wong
 
Runner-up to Dux Artium – Gavin Feng

Most Outstanding Sports Performance of the Year (Proctor Cup) - Grace Kukutai   Lynfield College Arts & Culture Scholarship - Craig Hebblethwaite   Lynfield College Sports Scholarship - Shee Nathan-Wong

Year 12 Sportswoman of the Year – Jocelyn Katu
Runner-up – Alice Neville-Smith
 
Year 12 Sportsman of the Year – Cree Braithwaite
 
Year 12 Performing Arts Person of the Year – Jake Krishnamurti
 
 Year 11 Sportswoman of the Year – Holly Harrison
 
Year 11 Sportsman of the Year – Kiriffi Leilua
Runner-Up – Alastair Maisey
 
Year 11 Performing Arts Person of the Year – Lyu Kodama
 

Group Achievement Award - Lynfield College Big Band The Lynfield College Big Band continues to build on its legacy of success, performing consistently at an extremely high level. The members that make up the Big Band are dedicated, hardworking, committed, and passionate.  This focus and dedication along with musical direction from Mr Paul Norman has once again proved a winning formula for success.  The Big Band won a Gold award at the Auckland Jazz and Blues Club’s Secondary Schools Jazz band competition, edging out the other groups to take out first place and for the fifth year in a row.  They received a Gold award at the KBB music festival, and were invited back to perform in the Gala Performance, placing them in the top four in the Auckland Region.

Team of the Year - Premier 1 / UNISS Netball Team (below)
This has been awarded in recognition of this team’s outstanding success in the West Auckland Secondary Schools Competition and Upper North Island Secondary Schools Netball Tournament.  Lynfield UNISS Netball team played their first year in A Grade where they faced the top secondary schools teams from Taupo northward.  Exemplary reliability, commitment and determination of these girls, both on and off the court, have been instrumental in these outstanding achievements.
 Winning House Award - Lewis House 

Junior sporting, arts and cultural achievement will be recognised at our Junior Festival Awards Assembly on Friday 5 December.

Lynfield Students Prominent in Goethe Society Exams

Lynfield students have again been well-represented in the awards following this year’s Goethe Society exams. 26 students out of 37 participants were invited to the official prizegiving at the University of Auckland  which is a very pleasing result.

Congratulations to the following students:

Year 10

Jessica Zhang	Second Prize
Rachel Clarke	Prize of Distinction
Maddy Freeman	Prize of Distinction
Aleece Monkman	Prize of Distinction
Angela Zhang	Prize of Distinction
Tanya Aggarwal	Diploma of Excellence
Andrew Isdale	Diploma of Excellence
Ashleigh Pinner	Diploma of Excellence

 
Year 11

Deenisha Khatri	Prize of Distinction
Maghana Moturu	Prize of Distinction
Elysa Negi	Prize of Distinction

 
Year 12

Hannah McIntyre	Prize of Distinction
Claudia Paine	Prize of Distinction
Annabelle Larsen	Diploma of Excellence
Holly MIlls	Diploma of Excellence
Vahishta Patel	Diploma of Excellence
Alice Purdie	Diploma of Excellence

 
Year 13

Ellie Davies	Prize of Distinction
Anna Stringfellow	Prize of Distinction
Thomas Woodbridge	Prize of Distinction
Casey Crooks	Diploma of Excellence
Adam Dewar	Diploma of Excellence
Charlotte Gutteridge	Diploma of Excellence
Andrew Kim	Diploma of Excellence
Levi Rusden	Diploma of Excellence
Anton Stuart	Diploma of Excellence

 

Student Art at Pah Homestead
 

School Group Flies Out to Shinagawa

 

 

Showtime in the Technology Faculty - 25 September -date for your diary.

Social Scientists out in the Field

 

1. A Visit to Volcanic Ground Zero - Level 1 Geography

One hundred and fifty-three people died. Visiting the site of the Tarawera eruption more than 100 years later, the experiential learners from three Geography classes visited the ruins of the Buried Village, near Rotorua.

Gathering case-study information for their Extreme Natural Events assessment, students learned that people at the time didn’t understand what was happening or how to respond. With the benefit of hindsight, a presentation at Rotorua museum - helped by a shaking movie theatre -  explained what happened that night.

Following a luge-riding experience on Mt Ngongotaha, the group visited a dairy farm to learn about the environmental impacts of milk production,so  equipping them for their Sustainability internal assessment.

2. Adventure Jet Blast - Years 12 and 13 Tourism

Several students got soaked! Ripping across Waitemata Harbour in a jetboat was bound to splash a few people. However, it was the 360 degree spins that threw  the Year 12 and 13 Tourism students together and left them screaming and dripping. This activity is typical of the adventure tourism that visitors to New Zealand expect and which helps provide around ten percent of the jobs in this country. Next stop was the observation deck of the Sky Tower, from where students watched Skyjumpers leaping off the platform. A Sky City staffer explained the jobs available within the tower and the career progression of several employees. Visiting the headquarters of our tourism course provider also gave students an insight into further training and careers that can follow school.

3 .12,000 jobs. Apply here. Years 12 and 13 Tourism

Auckland Airport provides more jobs than many whole towns do. From frontline aircrew through retail, accommodation, management, freight and security, more than 12,000 jobs exist at the airport.

It is here that the Year 12 and 13 Tourism students visited, to see first hand some of the workplaces and hear people in the industry describe their jobs.

At the Travel Careers and Training campus, students experienced the simulated cabin of a wide-body jet, where cabin-crew trainees were in class. They learned to assemble the canopy of a liferaft and visited the cockpit of a Boeing 737. Security is a huge issue in airports, and an aviation security consultant gave a talk on security careers and some anecdotes about strange items that people try to get through the border.

Hospitality careers were discussed at the Novotel Hotel, where students were given a tour of rooms and suites.

Individual Sporting Achievements
 

Congratulations to these students who have performed exceptionally well in their chosen sport:
 
Michael Carswell (Y11) finished 3^rd overall in the U17 Boys NZ Individual Cycling Championships.  This is an exceptional result!  His placings were:

• 3^rd in Time Trial
• 4^th in the Hill Climb up Mt Wellington
• 6^th in the Criterium
• 3^rd Overall

 
 Shantael Ligaliga (Y11) competed in the NZ age group golf championships:

• 3^rd NZ U19 Golf Champs
• 2^nd U17 NZ Golf Champs

 
Esmeralda Ligaliga (Y12) has recently returned to golf after 6 months break from her golf clubs.  She also competed in the NZ age group champs and finished 2^nd Nett overall U19 NZ Golf Champs.
 
Matt Roach (Y13) competed in the NZ Short Course Swimming Championships in Wellington last week.
 
Max White (Y13) competed in the National Surf Lifesaving Pool Champs 29 - 31 August.  He had great success winning several medals: 3 gold, 2 silver and 3 bronze.
We wish him luck for the Northern Region Champs later this month.
 
Grace Kukutai (Y13) was named in the UNISS A Grade tournament team.
 
Josh Head (Y11) is a keen motorcycle racer who has the Victoria Motorcycle Club Championship (Manuwatu and Wellington) in sight!  With the second to last round at Manfield Motorsport Park, (Fielding) coming to an end a few weeks ago, he remains 1st in the championship standings for the 150-250cc class

 

NZ's Next Top Engineering Scientist 2014

 

Now in its sixth year, this annual competition is a problem solving event for teams of three to four secondary students, organised by the Department of Engineering Science at University of Auckland. A question was posted online at 9 am and students had to compile a report and email it to the organisers by the 6pm deadline.    2014 question: If Mount Taranaki erupted, how much would it cost the aviation industry?   This year, we had five Year 12 and three Year 13 teams in this competition. The judges at the university are now going through hundreds of reports and the results of the competition will be released early next term.	Above : Making sense of the question	Above and below : Lynfield students attack the problem and construct a solution.

 

Students' Quilts off to Bangladesh

 

On Monday  September 1  Danielle Aldridge came in from World Vision to be presented with the quilts students produced in Terms I and 2 during Year 9 Soft Materials Technology. Students chose a multi-cultural theme and used applique, decorative stitching and hand stitching. This year the quilts will be going to Bangladesh.

 

Trash to Fashion Finals

As previously reported Lynfield College had 10 finalists in the Auckland Councils Trash to Fashion competition. Well done to all the girls who made it through and for all their hard work and commitment to the show.
 
Congratulations to Kayla Rousselle (centre below) who received Highly Commended for her Aesthetically Asian category and took out the Young Emerging Designer. Kayla won a $2000 scholarship for future study and a fashion mannequin.  Her  garment ‘Sweet and Sour’ was made from recycled fabric, egg cartons and knitting needles.
 
 ‘Dressed to Kill’ created by Albert Ama, Priyanka Anand (model), Leon Bartley, Rebecca Fleming-Yates, Nicolette Half, Sophia May and Lena Zhang-Harrap(model) also won the Special Achievement award. Their  garment was made from recycled fabric, cardboard boxes, Christmas baubles, chocolate wrappers and sequins. The Trash to Fashion competition also provides the learning support students with the opportunity to be present and actively involved within the community and to receive recognition for their skills that they have to contribute within society.

 


Word Up Winner – Rebecca Gandhi
 

On Friday 5 September the Auckland Word Up competition final was held at the Corbans Estate Arts Centre in Henderson. The competition is open to youth aged between thirteen and twenty years. All work had to original and categories included the forms of rap, songs, poetry and spoken word performance.
The competition was judged by Mark Williams and Dietrich Soakai, both of whom have international reputations in the worlds of broadcasting, music, rap and spoken word. There was a tough field of twenty acts that presented the judges with the difficult task of deliberating the runners up and overall winner.

Congratulations to Rebecca Gandhi for being awarded the overall winner! with her spoken word piece entitled ‘Oddity’in which she explored personal ideas around cultural identity. Watch and hear Rebecca on YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AD1tjucrbJI&feature=youtu.be

Rebecca received a recording opportunity at Tonewheel Studios, publication in the online literary journal, Blackmail Press, an interview on basefm with Mark Williams, and automatic entry into the final of the Going West Readers and Writers festival poetry slam held in the Titirangi War Memorial Hall this coming Saturday September 13th. Rebecca made a short speech upon receipt of the award on the night, telling the audience that one of her inspirations for writing had come in the form of a personal inscription to her from her favourite poet, Anis Mojgani , who had inscribed in the front of his book of poems bought for her by some friends; ‘you are a wondrous orchard’. Rebecca has taken this statement to heart and is bearing fruit from the orchard of her self in the form of her beautiful poetry. When asked later about the experience of winning the competition, Rebecca responded with; “I liked being in the environment because everyone was so warm. And it wasn’t about being there to compete, it was more about sharing the things that are inside of you. I also now feel much better about speaking in front of people.” If you would like to see Rebecca perform and support her in the Going West poetry slam, do go along this Saturday to the Titirangi War Memorial Hall at 7.30. General admission $10 Alternatively, you could tune in to basefm on Thursday September 11 at 9am and listen to her interview with broadcaster-DJ and Word Up judge Mark Williams. I know where I will be this Saturday night. Susan Allpress English Department Photo of Rebecca taken by Yon Ankersmit, Arts Faculty Leader

 

Fashion and Design Students Creating their Competition Entries

 

The Year 12 Fashion and Design Class enjoyed their two day trip to DAS Training Sew Tec Academy - a chance to work in a tertiary environment. During the visit they were taught how to adapt a dress block and operate the industrial sewing machines. They were then given the challenge of adapting this dress block into their own creation for the SewTec Junior Designer competition. The top best 10 designs will be shown during their fashion show on the 5th December and the winner will receive a cash prize and the school will get two mannequins.

 

Hockey Teams Taste Success

This season has proved that Lynfield Hockey is definitely on the move - UP!  With several key Y13 players leaving at the end of 2013, this year was always planned to be one of re-building for both boys and girls teams.  Under the guidance of some excellent coaches our hockey teams have had some great successes on the turf, both in competition results and sheer enjoyment of the game.  Congratulations to all team members whose commitment to their teams has been outstanding.
 
2 teams won their grade:
1^st XI Girls finished the season undefeated and 1^st= in the Open C Championship after an exciting final against Rutherford which resulted in a 0-0 draw. (Coached by Karen Tattersall and Gabrielle Clark.)
U15 Girls won the U15 Central/West competition.  Many of these girls had not held a hockey stick before this season so this result is outstanding!  (Coached by Peter Oakley.)
 
Other teams also performed very well:
1^st XI Boys finished 4^th/7 in the Open Boys B/C which is excellent given that this is a very young team containing only 1 Yr13.  (Coached by Raj Chauhan.)
2^nd XI Boys finished 2^nd/5 in the Open D Boys Central/West competition.  This team was composed of Y9 – 13 students, some of whom were beginners.  (Coached by Ben and Shane Isdale.)
2^nd XI Girls improved considerably throughout the season finishing 5^th/8 in Open D West.  (Coached by ex-students Merlyn Lobo and Bonita Wong.)
 

		left: 1st X1 Boys
Right: 1st X1 Girls and 2nd X1 Boys
		Left: 2nd X1 Girls

Above :                          Under15 Girls

 

Annual Sports Exchange with Mt Maunganui College
 

For many students this event is a much anticipated highlight of the school’s sporting calendar. The two colleges have been meeting across a number of sporting codes every year since the 1960’s.  What for many years was a two day event with local students billeting their visitors, has now become a one day event with the colleges taking it in turns to travel.
 
Two trophies are at stake – one for rugby and the other for the school that wins the most matches.  Lynfield has this year retained both trophies, after a day that included some nail-biting matches and a superb game of netball between the premier teams which ended in a draw.
 

	Lynfield College	Mt Maunganui College
Basketball - Girls	28	10
Basketball - Boys	44	45
Golf	4	0
Waterpolo - Mixed Team	7	16
Netball premier 1	28	28
Netball Premier 2	21	20
Rugby 1st XV	40	8
Football 1st X1 - Boys	8	1
Football 1st X1 - Girls	3	2
Hockey 1st X1 - Boys	1	0
Hockey 1st X1 - Girls	3	1
Debating	won

 

Hospitality Students Sample the Finest Foods

Adeleena Lee-Hussien Year 12, reports..
 
Year 12 hospitality classes were given the amazing opportunity to go to the Fine Food New Zealand exhibition held at ASB show grounds.

We were fortunate enough to observe the New Zealand and Australian culinary team prepare and serve us a three course meal to a very high and satisfying standard.  All of the students enjoyed this experience thoroughly as they got to learn the ways of the hospitality industry including the right ways to serve customers, table setting and food presentation.

Companies were also there to sell their products and we got to sample a variety of foods to enlighten our taste buds such as frozen yoghurt, gelato, gluten free banana bread, organic smoothies and many more.  Students also got to see numerous creative and extraordinary foods on display.
This day was a great learning experience for students that will help us to achieve the standard we are currently working on. We would like to thank Mr. Davis and Mrs Townsend for taking us on this trip and to all the chefs, waiters and friendly staff for the exceptional food and welcoming service.