Senior Te Reo Māori Classes Visit Rangiriri
Our Te Kahui Kaiako Reo Māori cluster in Tamaki continues to grow. We currently have eight kura across Tamaki represented at our various hui, supported by Ako Panuku. Kaiako think it is important to develop a space for our akonga to whakawhanaunga (develop positive relationships) in an environment which collaboratively supports Reo Māori, Kaupapa Māori including Te hitori o Aotearoa, Kapa haka and Mahi toi and on Wednesday 30 June we travelled to Rangiriri. Here are some of the comments from our Lynfield akonga:
- I learnt about Rangiriri and what had happened to our ancestors.
- It broke everyone’s heart because of what our Maori ancestors suffered from.
- How we must appreciate what we have today.
- The Māori made deep trenches there and did a very good job defending against the British.
- It was great to learn and experience what happened at Rangiriri. I enjoyed learning more about what happened to our people and also what happened on that land.
- I believe the stories about Rangiriri should be told more to inform everyone about the true history of Aotearoa.
Pictured below are Kura representing Waitakere College, Henderson High School and Lynfield College at Rangiriri.
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Women in Health Network (WiHN) Visit
On Monday 28 June a team of four from the University of Auckland Women in Health Network (WiHN), visited Lynfield to empower the future generation of health professionals.
WiHN was founded by a team of future wāhine health professionals who study across health disciplines spanning medicine, health sciences, nursing, optometry and pharmacy at the University of Auckland. Launched in October 2017, our non-profit organisation has been brought together by common passion to support all women in the health sector to achieve their individual versions of personal and professional fulfillment.
It was great to see a past Lynfield student as part of the team, who is graduating from Medical School this year. The 42 students attending stated that they gained a lot of useful information and tips from the presentation.
Despite the health-sector being a women-dominated field, gender disparities in the form of pay gaps, uneven opportunities for advancement, and unbalanced representation in leadership and decision-making persist. According to the 2013 census, women comprised 81% of people with health qualifications, but had a median income that was $60,200 less than that of male professionals in the health sector (excluding nursing). WiHN believes that by creating networks of support for emerging women in health, inequities can better be addressed.
Further information can be found at this link: www.wihn.org.nz
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| 2021 Women in Health Mentoring Team |
9IL ECE Powhiri Event
On the 28th of June, class 9IL welcomed the Lynfield College Community Early Childhood Centre, over to the Ringa Awhina Marae (MCC) to perform a powhiri, teach some traditional Māori activities and have some tasty kai. It was fun to interact with the little kids, teach something to them, and experience some nostalgia of how it was like when we were little back then.
Preparation
During the preparation we as a class were practicing our school Haka and our school Waiata until we had mastered it to the best of our ability. As a class we split up into five groups and started to practice our different choice of activities which included Rakau, Poi, Haka, Matariki stars, and Kai. Each group chose what they wanted to do with the kids. For example, The Rakau group had chosen to let the kids jump over the Rakau because the traditional game would be difficult for the little kids since they are young.
Powhiri
We first started off by doing the Haka, everyone was well involved. We then had a person from our class speak and thank our guests for coming. He introduced himself with a Pepeha. Next we received a very generous gift from them as a sign of respect to our Marae. We sang the school Waiata and they sang us a Waiata too. After all the activities they ate a kai we had prepared for them.
Sessions/Activities
After we had welcomed the kids with the haka and the waiata we started the activities and split into our groups. The kids would get separated into their own little groups to rotate round all the stations, the different activities were the Haka, Stars, Rakua, and Poi. The haka, when the kids rotated and got to this station they would learn a few moves of the school haka and do it as a group with the others. Stars, this activity was to colour in one or two stars and stick them on a coloured piece of paper, the kids would learn what all the different stars of Matariki are called and write down what they were grateful for on the back of the paper. Rakau, Rakau was a game that the kids learned in this station. They didn't know they left and right so they just learned to jump over the sticks and clap after the caller said pakipaki. Poi, during this time the kids would listen to a backing track of a Māori song and learn to spin the poi with the beat.
Conclusion
Overall, having the little kids over was enjoyable. We learned to compromise certain things for all sorts of reasons, some of which were for fun and for the safety of the kids. We had the kids draw, learn a bit of a haka, learn how you can play with the rakau and taught them how to do the poi. Having the kids over was eventful and it was a great opportunity for us as a class to show the little ones a little glimpse of the Māori culture.
By Aryamaan, Selena, Nimisha, Matilda, and Leora.
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Junior Quizzex 2021
Last Friday, the Academic Captains worked extremely well to host our annual junior quizzex event!
Our junior students had the opportunity to battle it out using only their brains and teamwork to answers as many questions correctly.
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Pacific Island Leaders of Tomorrow
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Pacific Island Leaders of Tomorrow PILOT 2021 Year 12 Polokalama took place at Massey University Tuesday 22 June. The programme focuses on fostering skills and leadership within the young PI community. The background of the name PILOT comes from the past, that Pacific Islanders ancestors were PILOTS OF THE OCEAN. The ocean was their waterway to each other, and their route to the rest of the world (Ha’uofa, 1993).Ten Lynfield students were connected with other Oceanian young people, participating in activities around the theme of LEADERSHIP “Our ancestors were incredible LEADERS, who conquered the Pacific Ocean”. Year 12 Student comments: |
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“The guest speaker Arizona Leger known for her passion for human rights, really had an impact on me and it made my vision for my future clearer”.
“I was able to adapt to the vision that our pacific ancestors once had. Our ancestors are the reason why we are her today”.
NZ Secondary Schools Cloud Skills Challenge
The bleeding-edge of digital technology was no problem for the three Lynfield College students, who have taken out the top places in the national NZ Secondary Cloud Skills Challenge for 2021!
Kaelem Chandra (1st overall), Rielly Moore (2nd) and Harbour Wang (3rd) were among hundreds of secondary students who participated in the first NZ Secondary Schools Cloud Skills Challenge, a challenge which consists of technology learning modules aimed at IT professionals and university students trying to enter the rapidly growing cloud computing space. The Lynfield College students, gained the highest scores in the national competition, which tested their knowledge and creative thinking skills in across multiple disciplines such as Artificial Intelligence, Microsoft Azure, Microsoft 365 Administration and Automation.
Participants had to complete advanced learning modules provided by the Microsoft Learn network, complete exercise labs and then independently validate their knowledge by sitting a Microsoft Certified Fundamental exam which is an internationally recognised industry certification used to prove an individual has the adequate skills for employment.
The competition was hosted online by New Zealand Industry Qualifications (NZIQ) and Microsoft NZ. According to Jonathan Jansen of NZIQ, the decision to include a secondary school division was a last minute decision.
“Microsoft have hosted Cloud Skills Challenges internationally throughout the year and seen some great engagement at a university level. When we proposed running a Secondary School Division, we really weren’t sure how high school students would hold up against the advanced material.” he says.
“We were incredibly impressed with what New Zealand students were able to achieve. In a rapidly emerging industry the demand for cloud skills is already immense. The quality of all participating students from across New Zealand was very encouraging and shows that our students are prepared to challenge, innovate and create for the future.”
Principal Cath Knell, said she was delighted that Lynfield College students had achieved so highly and that these results would surely inspire even more students to participate in the future.
Their prizes were presented at the Year 11 assembly on Friday morning by Jonathan Jansen, Managing Director of NZIQ (New Zealand Industry Qualifications). |
| From left to right: Jonathan Jansen (NZIQ), Rielly Moore, Kaelem Chandra, Harbour Wang and Principal Cath Knell |
12 OED to Tawharanui Peninsula
The Outdoor Ed camp took place over two days at Tawharanui peninsula. Luckily, the weather was clear apart from a couple of little showers. Meaning setting up camp was a lot easier and a lot dryer. We took a bus from school (too) early in the morning with both classes aboard.
The plan for the first day was to set up camp and split into the two classes. One doing the navigation and the other doing the tramp. My class was doing navigation first which involved walking to the top of a hill and doing grid references with a map. We then had to point out the spots on the map we found that we could see around us.
That night both classes went on a night walk to see glow worms. There weren't too many glow worms but we were lucky enough to hear kiwis.
The second day it was our turn for the tramp. I was already tired from the first hill but there were many other steep hills to come. When we got to the top of the peninsula most of the class walked down to see seals while myself and a few others stayed back to rest in the sun. Near the end of the track walking along the beach, we saw Hilary Barry randomly.
At the end of the day both classes united and splashed around in the gorgeous beach there.
Izzy Mason
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Our 1st XV Rugby Team in Action v. Avondale College
It was always going to be a tough game, with the harsh conditions earlier in the morning contributing to the pressure that the boys were starting to feel prior to the game. As the rain settled and the sun started to come out, our boys were ready to take on the challenge laid down by the opposition. The whistle blew, and the boys did really well to weather the storm that was the Avondale College forward pack. The first chance we got, we took advantage of the numbers on the outside for our backline to set up Rodney Funganitao with his first try of the season.
We came in, reset and kept on pushing through. Our vice captain Tyler Quigley-Biggs scored his first try of his 1st XV career by taking advantage of the penalty we had, as he caught the oppositions defence off guard and scored in the corner. As the game went on, Paea Tupou came off the bench to score two tries, one of which he weaved through the defence to score a screamer in the corner to which he knocked over a nice conversion from out wide. Just when we thought we had finished the job, out comes Tom Tuipulotu with a run away try from inside our 22 to seal the deal with the first win of the season (29-0)! Happy with the victory the boys went home with a huge smile on their faces.
Photo credit: Ron Delgrosso |
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Pat Hanly Awards
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Lynfield College Road Race 2021
On Tuesday 15 June, despite it being a drizzly, grey day - the lack of a raging torrential downpour meant our annual Road Race was on!
Staff always work hard preparing for this event in order to meet the health and safety requirements that ensure the public and especially our students are safe while this event is being held. Two staff members run with the students and a College van drives the course to provide support for any students with injuries or to collect those who are unable to finish.
Entry into this race is entirely voluntary for students. Juniors completed a 3.3 km course while a keen group of seniors ran 5.4 km, within strict time limits.
Great to see so many of you out there working hard to earn house points and individual honours. Well done to all who finished and especially to the winners!
Thanks to Ron Delgrosso for his excellent photos.
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RACE RESULTS
| YEAR GROUP Year 9 Girls Year 9 Boys Year 10 Girls Year 10 Boys Year 11 Girls Year 11 Boys Senior Girls Senior Boys |
FIRST Janine Robinson Dylan Tearle Fiona Siaopo James Liggett Charlotte Lai Neel Kumar Shreeya Prasad Kartik Malik |
SECOND Amelia Lovie Timothy Truc Daisy Chen Jack Jia - Keegan Menezes - Atticus Waddington |
THIRD Elise Hackett Kailash Karthik - Calum Bint - Owen Massey-Borman - Angad Bhatt |
HOUSE POINTS
| FIRST Zoricich (25) |
SECOND Lewis (22.5) |
THIRD Reid (20) |
FOURTH Fatialofa (17.5) |
FIFTH Faumuina (15) |
SIXTH Bray (12.5) |
Education Perfect World Championships Awards Ceremony 2021
On Friday 11 June, Lynfield College International Languages Department held the 2021 Education Perfect World Championship Awards Ceremony, and celebrated the success of the 38 Award winners. Students answered a staggering 381,321 questions over the course of the competition and came 1st in New Zealand for Chinese, 2nd in German and 19th in Japanese. This is an astonishing accomplishment and clearly shows the strong value and status that learning languages has at Lynfield College.
Following some encouraging words by our Principal, Cath Knell, the students indulged themselves in some well-deserved food which was sponsored by the Education Perfect Team.Our international language teachers, Heike Zimmer (German), Jay Kim (Japanese) and Judy Fang (Chinese) have made a great contribution to the success of our students. We are now looking forward to the challenge of next year’s World Championships and hope to improve further on the success of this year.
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