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2023 National Spelling Bee Competition Years 9-10
Aotearoa New Zealand Spelling Bee runs a national spelling bee for Year 9-10 students who love language and a challenge. They will learn new words that will benefit their academic studies and have some fun testing their orthography skills against their school friends and other like-minded students around the motu.
Congratulations to the following students who have qualified for the 2023 Aotearoa New Zealand Semi-Finals Spelling Bee sponsored by The Wright Family Foundation:
Breanna Liu-Flowers, Nittya Bapat, Frank Ave, Stuart Gibbs, Michelle He, Aashna Puri, Evelyn Tang, Arina Moghadam, Harshal Joshi, Tom Dobbs, Nevaeh Tan, Meghna Malik.
These students are among the top year 9 -10 spellers around the country to advance to this next stage. It is a huge achievement. The cut off mark was 33 out of 50. This year 70 secondary schools registered and students from 60 did the 2023 Aotearoa New Zealand Spelling Bee Test.
Shave for a Cure 2023
Cancer is a horrible illness that has affected everyone at Lynfield College in some way or another. It is something that no one should have to ever go through, and we are lucky that there are organisations like the Cancer Society, who we can provide such a range of support.
As such, the Head Students decided to raise some funds for Daffodil Day on the Friday 25 August because every single cent counts in the fight against cancer. With the assistance of the Year 12 Student Executive division, they handed out ribbons and hosted a ‘Shave For a Cure’ event, where several students and staff had their heads shaved.The Head Students thank them deeply for their bravery and courage, as the day would not have been the same without their participation. In the end they managed to raise over $600. This money all goes to the Cancer Society in the hopes that one day, cancer will be eradicated from the world.
Thank you so much to everyone who donated, had their head shaved, or just came along to watch. You have all made a difference! Head Students 2023
Photo credit: Vini Laga'aia and students
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Fan Club's Win at New Found Sound
Emma Wagner (Year 11), Caleb Young (Year 13), Tilly Wells (Year 11) and Thomas Christie (Green Bay High) aka Fan Club competed in the National Final of Raise Up’s New Found Sound at The Tuning Fork Saturday 26 August.
They took out the win for the Band category, impressing the judges who were looking for that ‘ex-factor’. Having won the Audience Choice award at last year’s event, they were happy to do one better by taking out the win, which includes a half day at Crescendo Studios where they get to record one of their original songs.
The Crescendo judge remembered them last year and noted how much they’d improved in their performance in just one year, and said that the judges all agreed that they truly had a ‘New Found Sound’ that stood out from the competition.The band would love for you to follow them on Instagram and Spotify, and look out for their next release.
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Shinagawa Summer School Sayonara Party
After three years of being unable to host Shinagawa summer school students we were able to again welcome them for three weeks of learning and activities.
The students spent their time at Lynfield College improving their English skills, mixing with Lynfield College students, and experiencing the culture of our school. They visited many Auckland educational locations and had fun with the learning activities.
The students had a great time, ending their trip with a Sayonara Party which was held on Friday 18 August at the Maungakiekie Golf Course. They and their host families had a wonderful time at the party, full of laughter and tears, and they gave us a wonderful colourful performance at the end of the dinner.
All the best to these students as they continue their studies back home. We look forward to welcoming a new group next year.
Photo credit: Vini Laga'aia
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Talent Quest 2023 | Dance
Lunchtime on Wednesday 23 August in the Hall was the second session of Lynfield College's annual Talent Quest - the dance performances. The supportive, deafening audience saw two energetic Kpop solos, a beautiful contemporary piece and two vibrant Bollywood group performances. In the end, Penina with her mesmerising choreography took the top spot with the 'Bollybabes' coming in second and the 'Bollyblokes' coming closely in third.
Talent Quest 2023 was a huge success and a wonderful event filled with incredible talent and support from everyone involved. One of the best ways to end the year for the Arts and Cultural Team!
Arts and Cultural Captains (Riya, Caleb, Nitya and Mei)
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Talent Quest 2023 | Music
Lunchtime on Tuesday 22 August saw a packed Hall for our school’s yearly Talent Quest featuring a range of musical performances from students. From soulful melodies to energetic beats, the stage was a platform for the diverse talents in this school. John Mahe stood out with his skillful performance of ‘Tennessee Whiskey’ earning the winner's title. Horizon secured the second runner-up position with their dynamic set. The much anticipated dance section of Talent Quest will occur tomorrow, Wednesday 23 August.
Nitya Kumar, Assistant Arts and Culture Captain |
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Meredith Connell Visit
Students on the Te Kuhunga law in schools programme thoroughly enjoyed the recent trip to the MC Offices in the Auckland CBD. This included Q&A sessions with MC partners and young lawyers, as well as a tour of the new multi-level offices. The Court Room practice area was exciting to experience for our students.
The next phase of the annual programme is the free Law Open Day, Saturday 16 September 2023. The day starts at University of Auckland Law School 9am and ends at AUT University Law School 2.00 pm with meals provided. Students will attend mini law lectures, meet lecturers and current law students, experience problem solving and a Moot. Contact Mrs Keir in Student Services if you require the programme or wish to register.
The Te Kuhunga Scholarship will open to applicants at the end of term 3.
Students commented on their MC experience:
“I learnt about the career options available with a law degree, and how it doesn't limit me to one path but is useful in many different career pathways.” Bill
"Through the visit at Meredith Connell, I learnt that law isn't just about complicated cases with big corporations, law can also be about helping the community to solve legal issues that could change the course of someone's life. To me, the multi-facet of a law degree is what attracts me the most to this field of study". Anna
“My favourite part about our visit was seeing the progression from junior lawyers to partners, showing us that studying law leads everyone to different places that suit the individual.” Tammy
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Lynfield College Premier 2 Win!
| The Lynfield College Premier 2 Netball team have had an unforgettable season this year, with the girls embracing every challenge that have come their way. Their commendable team spirit and hard work was clear on the court each week. On Tuesday 22 August, the team was excited to be entering into the finals of the WASSC Senior B grade undefeated - going against Avondale College Senior Black team. At the end of the 4th quarter, the score was a nerve-wracking 15 each. The teams then went into a 3 minute overtime which lead to Lynfield College Prem 2 team being victorious with the final score being 18-16.
Huge congratulations to Sitaita Latuila, Kiara Milich, Dhruvi Visnagara, Nyah Jarvis, Cheyenne Taviono, Vajra Patel, Ateliana Manuha’apai, Brookelyn Afaese, Jessica Howell, Kalana Longopoa and Matisse Brake! |
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VEX Robotics Tournament (August)
We hosted another fantastic VEX Robotics Tournament in the Hall on Saturday 19 August. There was a huge turnout of enthusiastic competing students with their teachers and families. 28 VRC teams, Y10 – Y13 and 14 VIQ teams, Y6 – Y9 competed in their respective competitions.
Lynfield College teams were in the winning alliances for both competitions. We look forward to hosting another tournament later in the year.
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Wa hono Project Day
Year 10 students had the opportunity to explore problem-based learning during the Wā hono Project Day held on Friday 18 August.
Students designed solutions for situations such as increasing shelter around the school, designing rubbish receptacles, and helping seeds spread more effectively.
Wā hono is an example of students using their classroom learning in different contexts while also developing their time management, collaboration and communication skills.
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Music Department Performances
It’s been a big few weeks in the Music Department, with both the Auckland Jazz and Blues Competition and the KBB Music Festival taking place. This involved about 100 music students across eight different groups, with some great successes in both competitions.
KBB Music Festival 2023
KBB is always a busy time of year, with a huge number of students being involved in the three groups that enter. This year saw the return of the Concert Band to the competition, alongside the Chamber Orchestra led by Mr Sue, and the Big Band led by Mr Isdale. All three groups sounded fantastic and should be proud of their performances. We walked away with one Silver and two Bronzes for the performances.
Also to be congratulated are Daisy Chen (12PSD) and Ailis Su (13KMJ) who both represented Lynfield College in the Honours Orchestra playing 1st Violin.KBB Results | Big Band: Silver, Chamber Orchestra: Bronze, Concert Band: Bronze
CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
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BIG BAND
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CONCERT BAND
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Auckland Jazz and Blues Festival 2023
Six groups competed at the Auckland Jazz and Blues at the end of Week One, but we had to wait until the end of Week Three for the results. Lynfield came away with 2 Gold, 3 Silver, and 1 Bronze award for the groups, a fantastic result after missing the competition last year! Also thanks to everyone that came along and supported the students, it was great to see a packed audience for the lynfield session.
Auckland Jazz and Blues Results | Moa Combo: Gold, Whekau Combo: Gold, Big Band: Silver, Stage Band: Silver, Pouakai Combo: Silver, Huia Combo: Bronze
If you would like to hear any of these groups, and a whole lot more, then come along to the Music Department Showcase on Tuesday 22 August!
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| Danny Dong | Shanaya Pallawela Kasturiarachchi |
Lynfield 9 Gold Win!
| Our Lynfield 9 Gold Team took on Western Springs College 9 Gold in the Grade 2 Final playoff for 1st and 2nd on Saturday 12 August at Te Pai Netball Courts in Henderson.
Lynfield went through the second half of the season with no losses BUT the last time they played Western Springs they drew. Each player knew it would be tough but they rose to the challenge and threw everything they had into the game. Shooter Grace Kora was in great form. Unfortunately one of the team’s best defenders was injured in the first quarter, then they lost a key mid court player in the third quarter. Sheer determination saw the team rally together to overcome the loss of these two strong players, and take the win 15-13. |
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Photo credit: Kate Morgan
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Kevin Zhang Bronze Medal
Kevin Zhang has won a Bronze medal in the Men's 200m Individual Medley with a time of 2.04.42 at the 2023 Youth Commonwealth Games held in Trinidad and Tobago.
Kevin's other results are as follows:
200m Freestyle 5th | 100m Freestyle 7th | 100m Breaststroke 4th
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Aotearoa NZ School Library Week 2023
The school library is part of your school’s teaching and learning environment. It provides resources and services that support students, staff, families and whānau. Your library’s resources, physical space, and staff have tremendous potential to make a difference to students’ achievement, educational equity, and their social and emotional wellbeing.
Your school library encourages curiosity, innovation and problem-solving. It is integral to the cultural and social life of the school. The school library is a central point for all kinds of reading, cultural activities, access to information, knowledge building, deep thinking and lively discussion. Research shows the significant difference well-resourced libraries can make to student learning outcomes.
Library staff are valuable members of curriculum planning and instruction teams within the school. They have a broad knowledge of inquiry models, information texts and tools, and literature to suit students at all levels. They also work with individual staff and students to understand their particular information or reading needs, then help them access the materials they need.
LET’S CELEBRATE OUR AMAZING SCHOOL LIBRARIES TOGETHER IN 2023!
Aotearoa NZ School Library Week Activities 2023
School Library Association of New Zealand Aotearoa, SLANZA - Te Puna Whare Mātauranga a Kura
Maths Week 2023
Maths Week is a major event that is held each year, having been first held in 1998. Sponsored by the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Association of Mathematics Teachers, a number of resources are written and made available to teachers and students in Years 1 – 11.
Maths Week 2023 will be held between Monday 7 August and Friday 11 August.
Maths Week is free, and is available on-line to teachers, home educators, students and anyone else.
Student activities will be OPEN on-line here https://mathsweek.co.nz/ from Monday morning for the whole week, so please feel free to explore the activities and games during Hui Mai time.
It’s sooooooooo exciting!
The aims of Maths Week are:
- To encourage students’ interest in mathematics and statistics
- To give teachers resources that they can use in the classroom, particularly material that requires some research and which may not be readily available to them, or that can be used electronically in class
- To show the pleasure that mathematics can provide and some of the everyday places where mathematics and statistics can be used
- To give teachers material that can provide extension.
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NZ Engineering Science Competition 2023
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.
The 2023 competition was held on Saturday 5 August at school. The question was posted online at 10.00 am and students had to compile a comprehensive report and email it to the organisers by the 6.00 pm deadline. The 2023 question was:
How much electrical power will be required due to NZ’ers adopting the use of generative AI?
The question is meant to be open ended so to encourage critical thinking, use of a multitude of problems solving skills and mathematical modelling to support the teams’ argument.
Our Lynfield team was Shubham Bokil, Akhil Mathur, Ishnoor Singh and Neel Kumar. The level of enthusiasm and eagerness to come up with a solution to the open-ended question was maintained as in the previous years. The judges (comprised of PhD students and lecturers), at the university are now going through hundreds of reports. The results of the competition would be released early next term.
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| Making sense of the question!!! | L-R: Shubham Bokil, Akhil Mathur, Ishnoor Singh, Neel Kumar |
Welcome to our Shinagawa Summer School Students
Shinagawa Summer School students were given a warm welcome at a special powhiri by our Kapa Haka. This was followed by refreshments with a distinctly New Zealand flavour, giving our visitors the opportunity to sample some of our favourite treats.
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| Above: Shinagawa Students with Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson, on their day trip of Auckland City. |
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Cook Islands Language Week 2023
This year’s theme for ‘Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani – Cook Islands Language Week is 'Ātuitui’ia au ki te au peu o tōku kāinga Ipukarea, which means, "connect me to the traditions and culture of my homeland".
The 2023 theme focuses on deepening our people's connection to their culture, and ultimately, their language. It focuses on connecting Cook Islanders to the traditions, cultures and dialects of their many islands.
Setting the theme for Epetoma o te reo Māori Kūki ‘Āirani has never been about stringing together beautiful words. It has always been about intentionally deepening the bonds of our people to their language through their familial ties, through the cultural traditions of their enua/vaka, and the songs, dance, and pe’e’s of their family.
Together, these are the pillars that empower Cook Islanders to be proud in their culture, language and identity, ultimately reinforcing this year's theme of 'Ātuitui’ia au ki te au peu o tōku kāinga Ipukarea.
Watch this offical website page for a calendar of activities and events to be held through Aotearoa to embrace and celebrate Cook Islands Language Week: https://www.mpp.govt.nz/programmes/pacific-language-weeks/cook-islands-language-week/
Or visit the official Cook Islands Language Week Facebook page.