July 2017

Lynfield is now a Green-Gold Enviroschool

On Tuesday 25 July, Lynfield College was awarded Green-Gold Enviroschool status by the Puketāpapa Local Board Chair Harry Doig, on behalf of the Enviroschools programme and the Toimata Foundation.

This award is an acknowledgement of the environmental initiatives carried out and the leadership shown within the College, working towards a more sustainable community and future. It recognises Lynfield College as an example of good practice and sound judgement, an educational facility that values its place in the world, in light of the bigger world picture.

At the award presentation, Mr Doig mentioned some of the highlights of Lynfield’s Enviroschools work:

You have made a longstanding contribution to developing sustainable ecosystems in your community which includes regenerating the stream in Margaret Griffin Park, pest eradication in the local bush, growing your own living landscape with your own plant nursery.
Your respect for culture and diversity has been a great strength and a focus for action and events building on the messages of the cultural garden built by students and staff many years ago.
Your student leaders have developed and grown to coordinate the school in local actions like the beach clean-ups, Travelwise, Wai Care – also linking these to global issues like climate change, consumerism, and equity.
The technology department has modelled sustainable waste reduction with composting and growing vegetables.

Lynfield College and Enviro Group students, both past and present, can be very proud of this prestigious achievement.

Breaking News from Lynfield Debators

With the conclusion of the preliminary rounds of the Russell McVeagh Auckland Schools' Debating Competition, the top winning teams advancing to the final rounds have been announced. For the very first time, Lynfield has a team that will advance (or break) in all five ASD grades. We are the only school in the whole of Auckland to do it in 2017, which is a massive achievement!

The teams who made the 'break' move to their grade's final rounds, in the hope that they may reach the Grand Final. In the Junior, Senior and Advanced Open, the top 16 teams compete in the Octofinals. In the more competitive Junior Premier and Advanced Premier, 8 teams compete in the Quarterfinals.

The season comes to a close with the Grand Final of the Premier Advanced grade (and Prizegiving) at St Cuthbert's College. Lynfield's reigning champions, the Premier Advanced team, (who won their grand final last year) are looking for a repeat performance this year.

We wish our breaking teams all the best in their respective final rounds and will keep you posted as to how they go.

Here is a rundown of the 'Break'

(Grade 1) PREMIER ADVANCED, RANKED 4TH: Jia Dua, Karan Kalsi, Kitty Sun and Harry Ashley
COACH Karan Kalsi, MANAGER: Mrs Wagner and Mrs Wiggins

(Grade 2) JUNIOR PREMIER, RANKED 2ND: Michael Howell, Raymond Feng and Kyus Rodger
COACH: Karan Kalsi, MANAGER: Mrs Wagner and Mrs Wiggins

(Grade 3) ADVANCED OPEN, RANKED 4TH: Nicole Johnson, Aleece Monkman and Kieren Murphy
COACH: Chris Bangs

(Grade 4) SENIOR OPEN, RANKED 5TH: Marnsi and Mahima Sharma, Nicole D'Souza, Eve Gabor and Shreya Singaraju
COACH: Catherine Christie

(Grade 5) JUNIOR OPEN, RANKED 12TH Tanvi Kher, Roshni Bhatti, Vibuhti Patel, Isha and Aashish Ramanlal
COACH: Junior Premier members, Mrs Wagner and Mrs Wiggins

Lynfield Chefs win 'What's Your Flavour' Burger Battle

The Rio Burger

Saahil and Dylan in action

Aspiring chefs and deserving winners

Our thanks to Auckland Council for the use of their photos

Marinated pork and lamb patties, a burger roll topped with black bean spread, chimichurri, avocado-chilli relish and chipotle mayonnaise?

These South American ingredients and flavours were the influence for the Rio burger that won over judges in the final of Auckland Council’s What’s Your Flavour burger battle and crowned Saahil Bali and Dylan Fernandes, students from Lynfield College, Auckland’s Secondary School burger building champions.

They were competing in the final of Auckland Council’s What’s Your Flavour Burger Battle. The annual challenge gives secondary school students an opportunity to cook for and impress professional chefs. It also allows students to explore career opportunities within the hospitality industry. Teams of two had just one hour to create a healthy burger with a cultural twist. First runners up were Westlake Girls High School and Rosehill College took third.

Guest judge and Ōrākei Ward Councillor Desley Simpson says she was impressed with the students and the quality and variety in the burgers they produced.

“You could actually see Auckland’s cultural diversity on a plate.”

“The idea is to get students engaged in creating their own twist on a family favourite and it helps develops skills needed to cook wholesome food at home. Some of these students go on to consider careers in the industry, which is great as we know there is very strong demand with the growth of tourism in Auckland.”

What’s Your Flavour is delivered in partnership with the NZ Chefs Association and sponsored by New World. The final was held at the ASB Showgrounds in Greenlane as part of the NZ Hospitality Championships.

Hillary Outdoors Education Centre Tongariro

In Term 2, 74 Lynfield College Year 13 Physical Education students spent a week at the Hillary Outdoors Centre in Tongariro National Park. This camp formed the practical component of an achievement standard looking at issues in safety management in the outdoors. While at the camp the students were split into groups and spent the week under the guidance of highly skilled and inspirational outdoor instructors. The days consisted of an assent of Mt Tongariro, abseiling, caving, tramping, high and low ropes courses, kayaking, rock climbing, skills for outdoor survival and an overnight expedition.

The ethos at Hillary outdoors is ‘challenge by choice and the students certainly were challenged! For many, this was their first experience in an alpine environment and sub-zero temperatures. The students were pushed out of their comfort zone both physically and mentally and learnt the value of working as a team to overcome the challenges put in front of them. An overnight expedition was the culmination of the week and tested students’ leadership, endurance, safety management and teamwork ability.

This camp was a once in a lifetime learning experience, both in the outdoors and also for what the students themselves were capable of achieving under adversity. Their PE teachers were extremely proud of the ways in which the students represented the school. They rolled up their sleeves, accepted the challenge and embraced the College motto
‘Learn to Live’.

National Chamber Music Composition Winner

Congratulations to Stefenie Pickston (Y11) who is the Auckland winner of the National Chamber Music Composition contest (junior section) for her string quartet Bolero: A Short Piece for String Quartet.

Composition adjudicator Michael Norris said Stefenie Pickston’s composition was a "really interesting take on the bolero dance" and he commended her references to Ravel’s Bolero, "the suave little chromaticisms, the playfulness of the rhythms and the gradual building of textural density".

Stefenie is justifiably pleased and proud with her win. She was originally asked to write a piece for a school ensemble to perform in the contest, but the ensemble didn’t eventuate so Stefenie entered it into the composition section herself. It was the first time she had entered the composition section of the contest, but has been composing music for some years. Stefenie mostly plays clarinet, but also violin and was inspired by hearing a piece at the KBB Music Festival which had string players using a range of different techniques to create music and rhythm including using their hands to ‘swipe’ across their instruments. She is interested in the idea that a bow can be used in lots of different ways to create music.

Quilting for a Cause

Working in groups of 4 – 6 students, the Year 9 Soft Materials classes have been focusing on quilt-making. After first choosing a target audience and developing a theme, the students have produced beautiful appliquéd quilts. The completed work will be donated to Foster Hope and given to children in care.

Australian International Festival 2017 an Outstanding Success

On 9 July, 36 of our Lynfield College musicians travelled to Sydney to participate in the Australian International Music Festival. Highlights of the eight-day tour included performing at the Sydney Opera House, workshops at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, sightseeing and dinner at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Lynfield College won two GOLD AWARDS! Congratulations to the Jazz Combo and the Festival Band.

As promised here are some photos of the highlights.