Rangitoto College Issue 28 Term 4 2014 A world class ...€¦ · Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel...

VistaIssue 28 Term 4 2014

A world class educational experienceRangitoto College

VISTA | Rangitoto College 01

7 ways parents can help their children do well in school

This article is an attempt to translate aspects of recent research in the field of cognitive science into some straight forward simplistic guidelines for parents who want to help their children do well at school. The books from which the ideas are taken are listed at the bottom.

1. Do whatever you can to get your child to read.“Books expose children to more facts and to a broader vocabulary than virtually any other activity.” Research also shows that people who read for pleasure gain huge lifetime benefits for the brain. There are wonderful books on every topic at almost every reading level. The school or community librarian is an expert that can help connect any child with the right books.

2. Talk to them about anything and everything.The more you know the easier it is to learn new stuff. Students who have a wide general knowledge will find comprehension easier. They will also find memorising new material easier. When faced with a problem cognitive science tells us that what we are most likely to do is immediately search for a solution in our memory. The more ideas and facts we have stored away to base our thinking on the more likely we are to come up with a (new) solution. Parents who take time to talk to their children about the things going on around them are filling them up with important knowledge on which to base new learning and thinking.

3. Tell them what they learn in school is important.We remember things that we have paid attention to and we pay attention to things that are important. Not only that, an essential ingredient to storing something in the memory is to think about it. We think about things that are important to us and pass over those that aren’t. Parents who reinforce constantly that school, and what you learn in school is important, help their kids to do well because it will motivate them to pay attention and think about what they are being taught and thus aid their ability to recall and use important knowledge.

4. Help them organise homework and study times.“A general ‘law of least effort’ applies to cognitive as well as physical exertion. …. Laziness is built deep into our nature.”

PRINCIPAL’S REPORTTo study requires effort and will power. We will naturally apply the ‘law of least effort’ to our studies especially if it is challenging or requires careful thought. Overcoming this is much easier if the student is well organised and they know there are set times when they must do their school work. Students who have consistent expectations and times set aside for schoolwork find the discipline to get on with it much easier.

5. Make them do their homework and get them to learn important information by rote.Homework often involves two things: revision and practice. Both are critical to learning and the ability to think. The experts tell us we have an almost infinite amount of long term memory but a finite amount of ‘working memory’. To be really good at thinking, we need to be able to quickly drag material from our long term memory into our working memory. Revision and practise both play a major role in getting material into our long term memory and storing it there ready to use when needed. Rote learning means that you can call on things almost without effort. (Think of the times tables.) When effort and energy is not going into recall it can be applied to the situation at hand.

6. Praise effort not ability or outcomes.If you tell a child they’re smart, they’re liable to stop learning at a quick pace. Why? Because the last thing a child who’s consistently labelled “smart” wants … is to be seen making mistakes. Making mistakes, they figure, is what dumb kids do. Children accustomed to the “smart” label become cautious in the face of challenges; they avoid tough tasks so they won’t be seen making “stupid” mistakes. Intelligence has malleability – it can improve. You improve it through hard work and persistence. If a student thinks that in getting something wrong they are ‘dumb’ then they stop trying. Instead use the magic words: “You must have worked really hard.”

7. Help them set small achievable goals (and the big ones will look after themselves).We often try to get our children to set long term highly aspirational goals along the lines of: “Aim for the moon and even if you miss you’ll be among the stars”. We say these things to motivate them and get them into good habits. However, Neuroscience research shows that the brain is resistant to change. If faced with too great a challenge or too great a change in thinking or behaviour it will automatically resist. If you add fear of failure into the mix then you have a huge demotivation factor and there is a likelihood that the child may shut down altogether. The researchers tell us that what works best is small, very visible immediate goals that set up good habits and eliminate the bad ones.

Sources:Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel KahnemanWhy Don’t Students Like School (A cognitive Scientist answers questions about how the mind works and what it means for the classroom) Daniel WillinghamNurtureShock: New Thinking About Children Po Bronson & Ashley MerrymanHow the Brain Learns David A Sousa

Term One: 4 February (first day of full timetable) – 2 April Term Two: 20 April – 3 July Term Three: 20 July – 25 September Term Four: 12 October – 11 December

*Dates correct at time of publishing

Please see insert page for 2015 Opening Procedures information

Contents

Principal’s Report 01

Academic 02

Arts 05

Achievements 08

International 10

Sports 11

Staff News 15

Events 16

Service 17

Activities 18

Alumni 20

02

1809

05

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#1: The Premier boys and girls basketball teams at nationals. #2: Duo Ao Sun is awarded Dux.#3: Louisa (Xiaoyu) Wang is awarded Dux.

#2 #3

#1

Front Cover Photo Information

564 East Coast Road, Mairangi Bay, Auckland 0630, New Zealand Phone: (64 9) 477 0150 Fax: (64 9) 477 0077 [email protected] www.rangitoto.school.nz

A world class educational experienceRangitoto College

For up to date information about events please visit the Rangitoto College website.

2015 Term Dates*

13

02 Rangitoto College | VISTA VISTA | Rangitoto College 03

Dux 2014 (shared)

ACADEMIC

Proxime Accessit 2014 Darren KingDarren is an outstanding academic student who accumulated an incredible 145 Level 3 credits at excellence and 10 at merit, giving him an overall grade point average of 98.4/100. Among Darren’s numerous notable achievements were his selection by the Royal Society of New Zealand as one of five representatives to attend the World Science Conference in Jerusalem, he came 3rd in the Economic Monetary Challenge and he was selected for the Auckland Model United Nations.

Darren has shown real leadership this year in his student representative role and has helped lead the Amnesty International group. Culturally, Darren has helped organise events for the International Department including the BBQ and cultural performances. He has also been a volunteer for St Vincent de Pauls.

Louisa (Xiaoyu) WangLouisa is an exceptional student, a top academic, a talented musician and a skilled debater. In both Level 1 and 2 Louisa was one of the top 20 Rangitoto academic students. Last year, she won an Academic Award in all of her six subjects. This year she completed two university papers in the first semester (Maths at Auckland University and Stage 2 Japanese at Massey University) and is currently doing a second Japanese paper.She has made a valuable contribution to the school. Louisa has been a Student Representative for the last two years and helped organise Chinese night. Louisa is an extremely accomplished violinist, has passed her Grade 8 exams with Distinction and plays in the orchestra as well as a number of Chamber groups. She went to New York with our Performing Arts group last year and then returned on exchange to St Ann’s, an alternative performing arts school, over our summer holidays. Louisa is a charming and courteous young woman who has a remarkable ability to assimilate new knowledge, is incredibly well organised and totally motivated to succeed. She has the enviable ability to explain complex ideas in a simple and clear way, is a fearless questioner and a real asset to have in class.

Duo Ao SunDuo is a perceptive and intelligent student who has consistently achieved at the highest level and was one of the top 20 Rangitoto scholars in Year 11 and Year 12. This year, he studied six subjects, including three at Scholarship level, to add to passes in Scholarship Physics and Scholarship Calculus that he did when he was only in Year 12. Duo is a global citizen with a world perspective. He has been very involved in the Model United Nations, representing the Republic of Korea in the New Zealand MUN. He had such an influential manner that he has been selected as NZ representative for the Hague International Model United Nations. He has also represented New Zealand in the 8th Asian Science Competition and participated in the NZ Chemistry Olympiad Training Camp. Duo has a remarkable capacity for involving himself in the co-curricular life of the school. As a Student Representative, he spear-headed “Shave for a Cure”, which raised over $4,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation. He played in the school orchestra and sung in several choirs including the multiple award winning Fundamentals and was a Prince in “Into the Woods”.He is an exceptionally mature young man with a strong empathy for others and on top of it all has a delightful sense of humour. He thrives on setting himself challenges and has the motivation and determination to achieve any goal he sets.

Summa Cum Laude 2014 Courtney BassettCourtney is a talented and perceptive student with outstanding skills in writing. She has won both the Panorama Senior Prose competition and the Panorama Senior Poetry competition during her time at Rangitoto. She has also won several awards for academic excellence and, this year, Courtney received 99 credits at excellence, giving her a grade point average of 96.9/100. Over and above this she passed two NZQA Scholarship subjects: English and History (as a Year 12 student). She has been a valuable member of the Creative Writing Group, Senior Open Debating Team, Philosophy Club and the “Into The Woods” cast as well as a personable Student Representative and peer support leader.

Kieran BursellKieran’s determined nature and academic ability has been evident throughout his five years at the College. He was a top 20 Rangitoto student in Years 11 and 12 and at our 2013 senior prize-giving he gained an academic award in all six of his subjects. This year, he was a national finalist in the NZ Environmental Entrepreneurship Competition and he was the National winner of the University of Otago Senior Science Quiz. He has had considerable involvement in the wider life of the College. He has been a member of Rangitoto College’s Big Band, Symphonia, Amnesty International, and is the captain of the school’s premier badminton team who placed 2nd

in the Secondary School National Competition.

Didier CheneDidier is a diligent and motivated student. He was placed in the top 20 Rangitoto College students in Year 12 with 100 credits at excellence. Didier’s particular strength is in languages. He speaks four languages: English, Tahitian, Japanese and French. The pinnacle of his language success is that he was 1st in the World in the Language Perfect World Championships this year. Didier has also been awarded a $4,000 NZ Institute of International Understanding student exchange scholarship and was 3rd in the Year 13 AUT Japanese Speech Competition. In addition he was 3rd overall in the ANZ Massey Economics Challenge and a regional finalist in the Monetary Policy Challenge.

Jason (Hoi Yin) YeungJason has consistently been one of the top academic students at the College, selecting four scholarship subjects. It is in the Sciences that Jason has particularly excelled. In 2013, he was placed in the top 10% for New Zealand in the Australian Science Competition and was also selected for the Rotary Science and Technology Forum as well as the training camp for the International Biology Olympiad. Jason has taken on a variety of opportunities including being elected as a Student Representative and he gained his Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. Jason has a passion for music and was a member of the award-winning Chamber Orchestra and Orchestra. He was in the duet that placed 1st in the college’s Instrumental Competition.

ACADEMIC

Achievers’ BreakfastThis term we acknowledged the excellent achievements of Monique Gainsborough-Waring, Seoyoung Lee, Didier Chene, Isabelle Kwek, Jane Ip, Matthew Yang, Lukas Fritsch, James McLean, Ella Fotu, Tayla Foster and Rosalind Crickett.

The students heard from Brett Taylor, former South African Junior-Welterweight Champion. Brett inspired the students with his numerous accomplishments including; running Comrades ten times, competing in the formidable and gruelling Duzi ten times and summiting Kilimanjaro.


ACADEMIC

Technology Vocational Awards

In Term 3, the third annual Technology Vocational Awards for Hospitality, Construction and Engineering was hosted by Curriculum Leader of Materials Technology, David Hook, in the school’s staff room. The event recognised student improvement, attitude, practical ability and the overall top student from each

class, and showcased student work from hard materials. A mouth-watering array of food was supplied by the Hospitality students. Deputy Principal, Mrs Julie Strang, presented the three awards to students for best effort, improvement and practical; followed by Principal, David Hodge, presenting the awards for top in class. Thank you to Cypress Saw Mills for sponsoring these awards.The final three presentations were to the very best overall student in Engineering, Construction and Hospitality.

Top Student in Engineering Matthew Franks Sponsored by Blackwoods Protector

Top Student in Hospitality Maria Schosser Top Student in ConstructionKurt Sheppard-Larson

General Excellence 2014 Hyun Young ParkThe award for General Excellence is one of the college’s most prestigious awards. To be superior in one endeavour is uncommon, but to be so in a range of spheres is extraordinarily rare and this year’s winner, Hyun Park has achieved such success. Hyun is academically gifted having achieved NCEA with Excellence in Years 11 and 12 and in doing so has been in our elite group of top scholars in both years. This year, she has a grade point average of 94, having achieved excellence in 22 of her 28 standards. Hyun is a talented musician having consistently been awarded Distinction in the Royal School of Music singing exams and last

year in grade 7 she gained 1st place in New Zealand. She is a leading member of two of our award winning choirs and played a lead role in this year’s school musical. She is also an exceptional pianist and cellist, playing in the orchestra and a number of chamber groups. Her award of the Zigliani Cup recognises her excellence in the Performing Arts. This year she was elected Head Girl. On top of the demands of this role, she has led the Cultural Group where she was pivotal in the success of our celebration of cultural diversity. She has been a Peer Support Leader, a Library Assistant, played netball, and been a member of the Premier Senior Debating team.

ARTS

Rangitoto Instrumental CompetitionCongratulations to the winners of each category:

Wayne Lu (guitar) – Intermediate Section Performing “Wind Song” – Kotaro Oshio

Jessica Yun (flute) – Advanced Section Performing “The Great Train Race”– Ian Clarke

Alisha Kwon & Jason Yeung (violin) – Duet Section

Performing “Etudes Caprices” – R Wieniawski

Chloe Hur (piano) – Student Accompanist Award Performing “Praeludium & Allegro” – Fritz Kreisler

Junior Performing Arts Showcase

Our annual Junior Performing Arts Showcase was held on Thursday the 6th of November. With 24 fifteen minute performance slots for dance, drama and music performed across three venues, students and parents were easily able to appreciate

the vast range of talent in the junior school, the huge number of students involved, and the variety of disciplines and styles catered for across the Performing Arts curriculum and the extra-curricular programme. The evening was a great success and the audience really enjoyed the flexibility of being able to come and go as they pleased and to choose which performances they attended.

18th Annual Rangitoto Piano CompetitionCongratulations to the winners of each category:

Paul Cha – Junior Section Performing “Nocturne in C sharp minor” Frederic CoplandYiming Li – Senior Section Performing “Sonata in A minor, Op.28”Sergio ProkofievSamantha & Ben Gailer – Duet Section Performing “Ma mere l’oye” Maurice Ravel


Arts Awards

Once Upon A Time was the theme for the 2014 Arts Awards, and it truly was a magical evening. The auditorium

was transformed into an enchanted wonderland, with 160 students being recognised for their service and achievement across the arts disciplines. Around 450 family, friends, special guests, staff, performers, and awardees gathered to enjoy this special tribute to Rangitoto College Arts and we congratulate all the students who received Merit, Arts and Special Awards. A special mention must go to our three top performers for 2014 – Lukas Fritsch & Hyun Young Park (joint recipients of the Zigliani Cup for Excellence in Performing Arts) and Daniel Waterson (Performing Artist of the Year). All are outstanding students in so many ways, and we thank them sincerely for their invaluable contribution to Performing Arts at Rangitoto College.

ARTS

Hyun Young ParkSpecial Award: Zigliani Cup for Excellence in Performing Arts – Shared

Special Award: Vocal Trophy

Significant Contribution to Performing ArtsExcellent Achievement in and Outstanding Service to OrchestraExcellent Achievement in and Outstanding Service to Chamber OrchestraExcellent Achievement and Outstanding Service to Chamber MusicExcellent Achievement in a Musical ProductionExcellent Achievement in The FundamentalsExcellent Achievement in SOSExcellent Achievement at North Shore Performing Arts Competition Merit Award for Achievement in Advanced Premier Debating TeamMerit Award for Service to DebatingSpecial Achievements:Winner of the North Shore Performing Arts Championship (16-17 Years) and recipient of the M.N. Gibson TrophyNomination for “Best Female In A Supporting Role - Musical” as Cinderella in Into The Woods

Lukas FritschSpecial Award: Zigliani Cup for Excellence in Performing Arts - Shared

Special Award: Big Band Trophy - Shared

Significant Contribution to Performing ArtsExcellent Achievement in and Outstanding Service to Big BandExcellent Achievement in and Outstanding Service to Jazz ComboExcellent Achievement in Concert BandExcellent Achievement in Chamber MusicOutstanding Service to Mainly MenMerit Award for Achievement in a Musical ProductionMerit Award for Achievement in Advanced Premier Debating Team.Merit Award for Service to Chamber MusicMerit Award for Service to DebatingSpecial Achievements: Trophy for Best Saxophonist at the Tauranga Jazz FestivalTrophy for Best Combo at the Tauranga Jazz FestivalPlatinum Award for Jazz Combo at the Auckland Jazz & Blues Club CompetitionNational Finalist (top 5) at the New Zealand School of Music Improvisation ContestChosen as Lead Alto in the NZ Youth Jazz Orchestra

Daniel WatersonSpecial Award: Performing Arts Achievement Cup - Performing Artist of the Year 2014

Special Award: Big Band Trophy - Shared

Significant Contribution to Performing ArtsExcellent Achievement in and Outstanding Service to Big BandExcellent Achievement in and Outstanding Service to Jazz ComboExcellent Achievement and Outstanding Service to RockOutstanding Service to The Fundamentals (Accompanist)Outstanding Service to Mainly Men (Accompanist)Outstanding Service to Sound and LightingMerit Award for Achievement in The FundamentalsSpecial Achievements:Trophy for Best Drummer at the Tauranga Jazz Festival Trophy for Outstanding Young Jazz Musician at the Tauranga Jazz FestivalTrophy for Best Combo at the Tauranga Jazz FestivalPlatinum Award for Best Combo at the Auckland Jazz & Blues Club CompetitionTrophy for Best Drummer at the NZ School Of Music Combo CompetitionTrophy for Outstanding Young Jazz Musician at the NZ School Of Music Combo CompetitionChosen as Drummer for the NZ Youth Jazz OrchestraWinner of Regional Rock Quest Competition (North Shore) with Paradise Stone and National Top 20

What’s Coming Up Next TermTerm 1, 2015MUSIC TUITION ENROLMENTS for 2015 will take place during the first two weeks of Term 1, 2015. Students can collect tuition enrolment forms at the Music Office from Day 1. Please email Sarah McConnell if you have any questions regarding Music Tuition for 2015. [email protected]

ARTS


ACHIEVEMENTS

Rangitoto College’s 2014 production, Into the Woods, won three categories at the prestigious I-Ticket Showdown Awards held at Sky City Theatre on the 5th of November. The Showdown judges visited 36 plays and musicals across the greater Auckland

area, and nominations were made across the various production departments.

Congratulations to Carla Camilleri - winner of Best Supporting Female in a Musical for her role as the Witch, Mark Terei and Markus Fritsch - winners of Best Set Design in a Musical for their spectacular set, and finally to every single person involved with Into the Woods, as the show received the greatest accolade of all – the award for Best Production 2014. The college also received 15 other nominations.

ACHIEVEMENTS

Other nominations were as follows:

• Best Costume Design in a Musical - Shelley Vos / Jane Larsen - Into the Woods

• Best Properties in a Musical - Anna Taylor and team - Into the Woods

• Best Lighting Design in a Musical - Rick Senekal / Jonathan Palmer - Into the Woods

• Best Sound Design in a Musical - Rick Senekal and team - Into the Woods

• Best Performed Choreography (whole cast) - Into the Woods

• Best Performance by a chorus (whole cast) - Into the Woods

• Best Female in a supporting role (Musical) - Carla Camilleri (Witch) / Hyun Park (Cinderella) - Into the Woods

• Best Male in a leading role (Musical) - Cole Johnston (Baker) - Into the Woods

• Best Female in a leading role (Musical) - Lauren Collins (Baker’s Wife) - Into the Woods

• Best Choreographer - Sarah McKay - Into the Woods

• Best Musical Director - Kay Robinson / Jonathan Palmer - Into the Woods

• Best Director (Musical) - Jane Larsen - Into the Woods

• Best Male in a supporting role (Play) - Ryan McMillan (Shakespeare) - All's Well That Ends Well

• Best Male in a leading Role (Play) - Pierre Beasley (Shakespeare) - All's Well That Ends Well

I-Ticket Showdown Awards

ACHIEVEMENTS

Young Designer Awards (YDA)

Several of our talented Art and Design and Visual Communication (DVC) students have successfully gained impressive results in the Young Designer Awards (YDA).

Please congratulate:• Ethnie Xu 1st place in “Living Environments: Commercial Architecture – Senior”• Katherine Song 3rd place in “Visual Arts Design:

2D Drawing and Painting – Intermediate”• Eda Tang 2nd place in “Living Environments: Furniture Design – Intermediate”• Ji Won Heo 2nd place in “Living Environments: Landscape Architecture –

Intermediate”• Xiaoling (Selin) Cheng 1st place in “Living Environments: Furniture Design –

Intermediate”

Young Enterprise

The Young Enterprise programme has come to a close for the year and what a year it has been! Two of our teams won awards at the North Shore

Regionals with year 13 group Illuminationz (soy wax candles) taking home the prize for teamwork and Year 12 group Elpis (charitable lip balms) winning four awards for: Excellence in innovation, Business management, Company of the year (highly commended) and Entrepreneur of the year for CEO, Eunsol Choi. Eunsol’s acceptance speech on the night summed up the year really well. “This experience has been the best. I now know what I want to do with my life and I am so grateful to the Young Enterprise scheme”. Well done team!

HP Ambassador programme

Joshua Ellis was one of 5 year 13 students who took part in the Hewlett Packard ambassador programme this year.

“The HP student Ambassador programme offered me an insight to the real, practical world of business.”

“We gained the opportunity to further the theory that we have learnt in school by applying it with the help of our mentors within this multinational company. I have experienced meetings, trade shows and product testing within HP and this has helped me to decide on the career opportunities that I want to follow. There have been so many experiences that are going to help me into the future and I would recommend this programme to everyone”.

Selin (Xiaoling) Cheng’s entry for “Living Environment – Furniture”

Xiaoling (Selin) Cheng’s entry for “Living Environment – Furniture”


INTERNATIONAL

Charlie Wang – Student Representative Board of Trustees

We are very proud to say that one of our International Students, Charlie Wang, was elected by his peers to the Board of Trustees as Student Representative. Charlie will be Year 11 next year and shows a lot of promise for his

years ahead! Here is a short interview we conducted with him.

Why did you decide to go in the running for Student Representative?I thought this was a very good opportunity to make decisions for the school and for the students from a student point of view. The Student Representative on the Board is a very important role in the school to govern both students and staff members. This is not only a title, but there is responsibility behind it. I am passionate and willing to communicate with students. It is a very good experience to know not only what I see in the school from a student perspective but also what decisions I can make and what I can do to make the school more suitable for students as a board member.

How did you feel when you were elected?I was very excited as anyone else would have felt. But also I was moved and motivated by how many students actually voted for me and put their trust in me to hold such an important position. They are not just solid votes but they are my very strong backups. I won’t let Rangi students down. I will let all the students know I will do my BEST to help them reach their full potential in academics, sports and cultural activities in the school.

What qualities do you think you will bring to the role?Communication is the most important quality in this role. I need to talk to a lot of students to know what they think. I must be well-organised and planned. The board members make a lot of decisions together so decision-making will definitely be a good quality for the job. There may be many problems along the road, so problem-solving skills will help me solve problems and make better, more effective decisions. I will learn how to make mistakes but never make the same mistake twice.

What are your future goals?My goal is to make school more suitable and more comfortable for students to maximise their potential. To achieve this, I will talk to the students from different year groups and get their opinions about school’s facilities, staff, subjects and what they think school should have. I will also work closely with Year 12 and Year 13 student representatives and regularly attend assemblies to hear students’ voices in different year groups. My personal goal is to learn the skills and qualities from others and bring them to the role over the next year. The decisions I will make on the board are by the students, from the students, for the students. I hope Rangi will have a successful year ahead!

Sportsman of the Year 2014

Tai WynyardTai has had an amazing year in basketball. He not only is a dedicated member of Rangitoto College’s Premier Boys Basketball Team (who this year won the premier grade Auckland wide competition, regionals and placed 3rd at NZSS), but he was also the youngest ever player to be selected for the Tall Blacks. Tai was also invited to attend the Junior Tall Blacks Camp, became a member of the NZ Breakers Academy and selected as a development player for the NZ Breakers.Furthermore, Tai is a member of the Supercity Rangers who play in the NBL, he was chosen for the NZ U20 Team and was part of the NZ U18 Team that went to the Australian State Champs. Tai was the first New Zealander to be given the fantastic opportunity to travel to New York and be part of the Michael Jordan Brand Classic International Selection Team and was selected for the Adidas Nations Tournament. Following this, he was one of five members selected from Australia/NZ Secondary Schools to attend the Nike All-Asia Camp in China. At both these events, Tai gained valuable exposure to coaches from US Colleges and a lot of interest has been shown in him to go and play basketball in the US with a view to making the NBA in the future.

Sports Awards: In Term 4, Rangitoto College celebrated the superb sporting accomplishments of Rangitoto College students. Among those acknowledged were an amazing forty eight students who are New Zealand Representatives.

Sportswoman of the Year 2014

Bryony Botha Bryony has excelled in the track cycling velodrome and on the road over the last few years. She has placed 1st at several events including the NZ U19 Omnium at the Track National Championships, the 2000m Pursuit at the NZ Elite/U19 Track Champs, the Points Race at the Oceania Track Champs and 1st overall at the NZSS Individual Road Cycling Championships (U20). She was an individual rider and a team rider at the Junior World Championships in Korea. Bryony and her team of four finished with a bronze medal and the next day she narrowly missed out on a medal (was 4th) in the individual pursuit to a vastly more experienced and older rider. At just 16, Bryony was the youngest rider at the Championships so her achievements are remarkable. Her short term goal is to attend the Junior World Champs again and win gold as well as break the world record of 2 minutes 22.9 seconds. She is also targeting

future success at Olympics, World Championships and Commonwealth Games. We wish her all the best in reaching her goals!

SPORTS


SPORTS

Cycling

On the first weekend of the Term 2 holidays, members of the cycling squad and their families travelled to Cambridge to compete in the NISS Road and Track Cycling Championships. Our students enjoyed success in the individual road cycling events and the

new Avantidrome track cycling facility provided the perfect venue for the inaugural NISS track event. During Term 3, the cyclists competed closer to home in the NZSS Individual Road Cycling Championships. A fast-paced Time Trial is followed by a dash up Mt Wellington in the Hill Climb. The following day, students competed in a Criterium. Bryony Botha and Rebecca Gumbley both set age-group records during this competition. The NZSS Road Cycling Championships was held on the first weekend of the Term 3 holidays in Palmerston North. Although the Road Race was cancelled due to extreme weather, Rangitoto had four top five placings in the Points Race on the third day. Congratulations to all of the cyclists who competed!

The Open Boys, coached by Jim Rameka, won the Harbour Competition and then went on to win the Greater Auckland Basketball

Tournament. This was a well-deserved win and one we are very proud of. The win would have promoted the boys to the Premier League next year if we didn’t already have a team in that league.The Premier Boys also had some great wins at the tournament, placing 3rd overall after being beaten in the semi-finals by the eventual winners, Otago Boys High School. Yuat Alok was named in the tournament team. A big thank you to Coaches Kenny Stone, Dan

Mandic and to our managers Julie and Naera Brooke for all their help. The Girls Premier Team also had some very good wins at Nationals and finished the Competition in 6th place. With over half the team being in Year 9, there is a solid base to build on for the future. Ella Fotu was named in the tournament team. We have really appreciated the hard work of Coaches Angela Perrott Hunt and Dilshan Perera and the Manager Nimalee Perera. We thank Denhym Brooke, Joseph Nunag, Harrison Cutfield, Vishan Perera, Ella Fotu and Sanja Kondic for their huge contribution to the premier teams over the years and wish them all the best for the future.

Orienteering

Sixteen students attended the Rogaine Orienteering competition at Shakespear Park in Whangaparaoa on the 24th of September. It was a tough

competition with a muddy, mountainous terrain and a high level of expertise was shown by those who took part in the event. We competed against many other schools and came out with some great results. Congratulations to Scott Carswell and Eric Hodge who earned silver medals for the junior boys’ competition.

Basketball

Weightlifting

We i g h t l i f t i n g started as a kiwi sport initiative in Term 3. Four boys in total have learnt

the basics of weightlifting and are attending coaching sessions twice a week. Together with Cameron Moss and Mike Can these young athletes represented Rangitoto College at the Secondary Schools Olympic Weightlifting Championships. As a team, Rangitoto College finished 3rd overall, while Cameron Moss finished 1st in the 62kg weight class, beating the NZ youth record for clean and jerk! New lifter, Kieran Hempsey, has shown great potential and has been handpicked out of 100 young New Zealanders to attend a special training camp at the Oceania Weightlifting Institute in New Caledonia in December.

The New Zealand Indoor Skiing Championships were held at Snowplanet on the 18th of October. Eve Aspinall claimed a convincing win in the Ladies U16 category and was awarded the championship title in the ladies’ class. That win means that she is

now the reigning Womens National Indoor Champion beating

a strong field of competitors. At the North Island Secondary Schools Snowboard Championships (NISSSB), held at Turoa ski field in September, Josh Harden came through victorious in his heat, quarter and semi-finals to take the bronze medal in the Boys Border cross final.

Snowsports

SPORTS


SPORTS

Rugby Sevens

Rangitoto College entered four sevens teams into the annual North Harbour Secondary Schools Sevens Competition. The U15 girls team performed superbly and went on to be crowned champions after beating long bay

college by two points in the final. This team will compete in the National Condors Sevens tournament in late November as well as an invitational north island tournament. Our U15 boys team came into the competition very confident but were unfortunately knocked out in the semi-finals by Rosmini. They too have qualified for the National Condor Tournament later this month. There were two senior boys teams entered, one of which won the bowl competition.

Congratulations• On Thursday the 20th of November the ASB College

Young Sports person Of The Year awards were held at the ASB lounge of Eden Park. Rangitoto College achieved 5 category award winners Tai Wynyard (Basketball), Ella Fotu (Basketball), Bryony Botha (Cycling), Jacob Garrod (swimming) and James Mclean (Water polo). Sophie Bond was one of four female athletes recognised as an All Round achiever for her performances in Basketball, Netball and Orienteering. Tai Wynyard and Bryony Botha were also named as overall finalists. Other finalists (top 3) in their respective categories were: Samantha Baldwin (Athletics), Issac Davidson (Basketball), Kiri Graham (Softball), Jane Ip (Swimming), Mikayla Enosa (Touch), Kayla Reed (Touch) and Rachel Gunn (Volleyball). Well done!

• We are thrilled that five of our players have been selected to travel to Australia as members of the New Zealand beach development team. Congratulations to Antonia Harrison, Georgia Park, Maddie Park, Bella MacDonald and Devon Toi.

• Six Rangitoto Colllege teams gained podium positions at the North Harbour Beach Volleyball Championships, with our Junior Girls team, Hayley Flatz and Renae Watson, winning gold. Congratulations!

• Year 10 student Jaden O’Dea placed 2nd at the Brasilian Jiu Jitsu National Championships. Well done!

• The Gumbley sisters both placed 1st in their respective categories at the Junior Tour of Southland in the October school holidays. Hannah Gumbley won the U20, while Rebecca Gumbley won the U15 category. Rebecca has also been selected for the U17 NZ cycling development team for 2015 and won the Points Race at the National Secondary Schools in Palmerston North. Hannah placed 3rd in the National Secondary School Points Race in Palmerston North and was 2nd in Elite Open Women’s Road Race in Masterson in September. Well done girls!

STAFF NEWS

Mr Clive Bartleet

Clive was a student teacher, of Mary-Beth Martin, in 1974, and started in earnest at Rangitoto College in 1975. Clive possesses a

true enthusiasm and commitment, for all things visual. As the ‘Assistant to the HOD Visual Arts’, Clive became an advocate for Photography Education. He has been instrumental in co-ordinating and writing the Level 2 and 3 NCEA Photography Programmes within the College and the more recent addition – the International Diploma of Photography (DIP) course,

for short and long-term students. Clive was instrumental in setting up SPENZ (Society for Photographic Education in New Zealand). Clive’s passion for and knowledge of photography has been communicated to thousands of students in the last 39 years. Clive has been heavily involved in the Peer Support Programme and Students Against Driving Drunk (SADD) Programme for many years. He co-ordinated a mentoring programme aimed at improving the achievement of boys. In more recent years, Clive has been the major force in gaining safety measures installed at the front crossing. He sets the standard for care at this duty. Clive is a passionate and competitive petanque player and is a New Zealand representative. He established this sport in the College.

We sincerely wish Clive all of the very best in his retirement and commend him for his sustained efforts and inspiration over the years. Kia Kaha!

Sport TIC of the YearThis year the nominees for TIC of the year were Melanie Van Ansem (Cycling and Multisport), Mitch Furi (Touch and Rugby League), Wendy Light (Badminton) and Rachael Nugent (Rugby). The drive and enthusiasm of each nominee was reflected in the number of students participating in each of their sports. The winner for 2014 TIC of the Year was awarded to Wendy Light for her organisation, personable manner towards players, parents and game officials along with her “make it happen” attitude. She organised both the weekly social badminton (which had over 150 players) as well as the interschool competitive badminton where her senior A Boys won Bronze in their division.

Staff Profiles

Ma t h e m a t i c s teacher and TIC of Statistics, Mr Doug U d y - B o t h w e l l , was awarded the

Wolf Fisher Fellowship by Dr Nigel Evans. Woolf Fisher Fellowships provide overseas study and travel for outstanding secondary school principals and teachers, polytechnic senior managers and, most recently, primary and intermediate school principals. To date, nearly 1,100 Fellowships have been awarded. Mr Udy-Bothwell was awarded a three-week study visit to Australia in 2015. The MOE supports the award by providing for the cost of the relief teacher.

Mr Doug Udy-Bothwell


EVENTS

The Year 13 Ball

The Year 13 Ball was held on Friday the 26th of September and was a superb evening. The students should be commended for their behaviour.

Special Olympics Swimming

On the 29th of October Reuben Voss, Albert Luttig and Shanae Jennett, went to Special Olympics Swimming at Stanmore Bay Leisure Centre. We competed in

freestyle, backstroke, butterfly and breaststroke. We achieved several firsts in the heats, with a few close finishes. It was such a fun day to cheer each other on and compete against other schools.

Junior Shakespeare

One of the highlights of the year for the juniors is the annual Junior Shakespeare evening. Keen teachers and eager students work for

weeks to create imaginative and interesting interpretations of some of Shakespeare’s greatest works. This year Macbeth, Much Ado About Nothing, King Lear, Henry IV part 1 and A Midsummer Night’s Dream were performed for an enraptured audience along with Shakespeare-inspired dances by eight talented junior girls. We can’t wait to see what next year has in store.

SERVICE

Cambodia Trip

Students spent the spring holidays in Cambodia where our main purpose was to build eight houses for eight families who were living in intense poverty. The houses we built were on high concrete stilts, safe from potential floodwaters. House Building Day was incredibly hot, tiring and endlessly rewarding. Nothing has ever felt quite as special as seeing

the grateful faces of the children in the village as they watched us build their new homes. Along with visiting orphanages to paint the walls and donate our money and time, the humanitarian aspect of this trip was by far the most enjoyable and rewarding part. I would encourage any interested students to definitely look into going on one of the future trips. It was truly the experience of a lifetime. Cambodia is a beautiful country with wonderful people, sights and opportunities to help others, and I’m hugely grateful Rangitoto College offers this trip. Written by Student Representative, Courtney Bassett

Gold Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award

Julia Adams and Leo Jaffrey have recently achieved the Gold Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award, reflecting an outstanding commitment to community service and to their own

personal development. Congratulations also to Louise Low, Ji Won Yoon, Isabella Kim, Tayla Baldwin, Tina Zheng and Isabelle Kwek for their achievement of the Silver Award. Annaliese Boot, Alice Thompson, Joanne Low, Gabriela Phan, Eunice Kim, Hannah Scott, Katrina Bennett, Xanthe Ellet and Anna Meuli have been awarded the Bronze Award this year. In addition, 31 Year 10 students took part in expeditions to the Pinnacles in Coromandel and to Motutapu Island this term. We look forward to many of these students completing their Bronze awards early next year!

The Student Representative Service Group

The Student Representative Service Group has had an incredibly busy and successful year. Consisting of eight student leaders who attend weekly meetings, the committee organises

events that benefit the school and wider community. The group coordinated five mufti days, placing an emphasis on encouraging their peers to donate generously by speaking about the charities at assemblies. One of the committee’s

proudest achievements was organising Rangi’s involvement in the Cancer Society’s Relay for Life which took place in Term One. Every member was delegated jobs to ensure that the twenty-four hour event ran smoothly. The Service Group has also spoken in assemblies, offering advice to their peers. On top of this, they ran Geek Week which helps senior students to prepare for their Entrance Exams. Written by Head Girl, Emma Barnes

The Frank Tucker Trophy for Leadership and Service – Sam Bell

Sam is an exceptional young man who is always prepared to use his energy and drive to help others. This was evident with the College’s inaugural Relay for Life event. Sam set about drumming up ‘running’ support, co-ordinated and organised the whole event liaising with the Millennium Institute, bringing together all the

equipment. As Deputy Head Boy, he has given very selflessly of his time to make the College a better place. He tutored junior students by attending a Junior Science class in his study periods, was an outstanding Peer Support Leader and was an amazing help organising over our annual Open Day. He also coached our Junior Premier Volleyball team for the last three years. His interest in Volleyball has also extended to refereeing. His refereeing is to such a high level that he has been given both Junior and Senior National Finals and he went to Canberra as a New Zealand Delegate Referee. Rangitoto College was very fortunate to have such a versatile and committed young man in the student body serving the school.Several students were honoured at this year’s Senior Prize Giving for their service to the school and the wider community. Service awards were given to Reuben Cowley, Michael Gianan, (Hoe Kit) David Leong and Xaine Winter. Congratulations!


ACTIVITIES

The 4.30 Show “School Bust-ins”

TV2’s The 4.30 Show has launched a new segment called ‘School Bust-Ins’ where they go to a variety of high schools around the country to profile outstanding students or groups at the school. The students showcased were:

• Year 9 student, Zoe Fifield, who was selected from over 650 young girls to play the role of Annie

• Year 13 Chemistry connoisseurs, Louisa Wang and Duo Ao Sun, who conducted an experiment with the show’s host

• Year 12 Basketball superstar, Tai Wynyard, who was the youngest ever player to be selected for the Tall Blacks Team

• The choir, The Fundamentals, who were awarded Gold at the Big Sing Finale

The students did an amazing job representing Rangitoto College! Special thanks go to Drama and Dance teacher, Ashlee Morgan, who was the teacher profiled. The segment went to air on Friday the 28th of November and will also be available online.

Stage Challenge Viral Campaign

A group from AUT called Outside the Square were engaged by Stage Challenge to

promote the national event and increase involvement. One of the elements of the promotion campaign was to put together a challenge video and they asked the boys from Rangitoto College, who took part in Stage Challenge, to get involved. The purpose behind the video was to show that Stage Challenge can be a lot of fun and it isn’t just for girls.

ACTIVITIES

The Book Club started in Term 1 this year to enable students who have a love of books and an enthusiasm for favourite authors, to get together. Our aim is to let them share their enjoyment of books and reading, and

to have fun! The members are a diverse group of students from Year 9 – 11, so the book discussions are always enlightening and entertaining. We look forward to seeing what direction the Book Club takes as we steadily grow and progress.

Gateway Placement

For my Gateway Placement I was lucky enough to work at Happy Paws Dog Day Care and Training. My work involves a variety of duties; behaviour management, playtime, ‘quiet time’, puppy training and training for new dogs to the Day Care. The reason I chose this industry is because I love animals,

especially dogs and I wanted to develop my knowledge and experience with them. The challenges that I have faced on placement are; new situations that I am not used to, going outside of my comfort zone and ‘coming out of my shell’. I am using social skills through interacting with the staff and practical skills relate to the dogs training and activities that they do. What I enjoy the most about my placement is working in a ‘homely’ environment, developing my knowledge and skills with the dogs and learning about working in new environments. Would I like to do this as a career? I am not 100% entirely sure, but it is an idea for me to have in the back of my head.Written by Jodie Beardsmore, Year 12 student

Book Club

20 Rangitoto College | VISTA

ALUMNI

Former Rangitoto College student and Head Boy, Finn Lowery, was awarded a Rhodes Scholarship in early November. The Rhodes Scholarships are postgraduate awards supporting outstanding all-round students at the University of Oxford

and providing transformative opportunities for exceptional individuals. Finn has also been the recipient of other significant scholarships including the Russell McVeagh Scholarship,

Sir Alexander Johnstone Scholarship and the University of Auckland Scholarship. In 2013, he also received the New Zealand Law Review Prize and First in Criminal Law Honours. He is also a valuable member of the New Zealand Men’s water polo team, and in 2012 was runner-up for both the Auckland University Witness Examination Competition and in the NZLSA Junior Mooting. Finn was assigned the role of Legal Intern for the United Nations International Criminal Tribunal. He worked under the lead defence counsel in The Prosecutor v Perišić. He conducted evidence analysis, assisted drafting the final appeal brief and drafted an amicus curiae submission for filing at the International Criminal Court. While at Rangitoto College he achieved amazing results. He was in Rangitoto College’s top five students in both Year 11 and 12 NCEA examinations, achieved Level 3 with Excellence, represented the school at the mock united nations and captained the Premier Boys Water Polo Team. Not surprisingly, Finn won the school’s premier award for General Excellence. Congratulations, Finn!

Rhodes Scholarship – Finn Lowery

Alumni Get Together 1956–58

A group of sprightly alumni met with each other over Labour Weekend. For some this was the first meeting since 1958. The mix of Foundation students, including our ex Property Manager Ian Harris, along with two teachers, spent a sunny

afternoon together in Browns Bay sharing stories of their lives since leaving Rangitoto College. They also shared delightful stories of time at the college. They look forward to meeting again to celebrate the 60th anniversary in 2016.

Does anyone have news of the teachers of that era: Edmund Meijers, Denver Carter, Mr Leek, Mr Francis, John Harre and of any students from that era? Please contact: [email protected]

The articles contained in this magazine are contributed on a voluntary basis. Every effort is made to ensure that the contents are accurate.Vista is edited by Ms Nicola Henderson and published by Spacific.

ISSN 1170-9383

Rangitoto College students have received the support of the following companies during Term 3 and 4. We ask all our parents to support them, as they support your children.

If you are interested in sponsoring Rangitoto College, please contact the Director of Communication on: [email protected]

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)As we end another brilliant year at Rangi, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to you all. Parents, caregivers, teachers, the Board of Trustees, the College, community leaders, businesses, and sponsors have made a tremendous contribution to the lives of our teenagers and for that we can all be very proud.This term we have celebrated being able to make a significant donation to the college auditorium. The PTA has donated $20,000 for some incredible upgrades to the technology in the auditorium. This now means among other amazing things that the sound is significantly improved and that sound, lighting and productions can be controlled from anywhere through iPads which have been purchased as part of the upgrade.The iPads are connected to the college network which also means that for the first time ever, it is possible to broadcast live on the auditorium screen from any device in the college that is connected to the network. This is going to open up amazing opportunities for increased communication and connectivity across the college body.On Monday the 3rd of November, we held a great evening in the auditorium, where, over much cake, coffee and conversation, we were treated to a great demonstration of the upgrade by Markus Fritsch and Rick Senekal and how it all practically works. It was tremendous for parents to see first-hand the opportunities that this will open up for students who are keen to gain first-hand experience with state of the art technology.On the 21st of November we celebrated the end of the year with a great potluck dessert evening for all parents and teachers.

Panorama outlines our full and rich year of inspiring events and activities. On the 25th of November we have our AGM and are voting in a new PTA Executive to take us through 2015.The summer brings second hand uniform sales and a great opportunity for parents to come together to run the sales and to make new friends and enjoy being part of the Rangi community.We welcome all new faces and would love to have extra help, even for a couple of hours over the summer. Please do drop off uniform that you no longer need and check out the sales for some great second hand bargains.Here are the dates for the second hand sales over the summer to be held in Prefab H4, round the side of the Rangi Centre overlooking the rugby field:• Sale (& drop-off) days: 10am - 2pm - Fri 12 and Sat 13

December 10am - 2pm - Wed 14 and Sat 17 January• Extended lunch-times: 12pm - 2pm - Fri 23, Wed 28 and Fri

30 January 12pm - 2pm - Mon 2, Tue 3, Wed 4 and Thu 5 February (Friday 6th is Waitangi Day)

Finally, on behalf of the PTA, I would like to wish you all a very happy Christmas and New Year.

https://www.sites.google.com/site/rangitotocollegepta/home Please connect and join our Parent Community. We have regular newsletters, a Facebook and LinkedIn page and many opportunities to get involved.Jayne Albiston, Rangitoto College PTA President

AFL NZAlbany ToyotaAnnah StrettonAuto LabAutoland North ShoreBabcock NZ LtdBNZ partners –

Constellation DriveBody ShopCampus Security CLOROX / Glad / ChuxCreative EyeCut AboveDanny BlakemoreDavid McKeownDavina Waddell StablesDNA Electrical

East Coast Bays Engineering

East Coast Bays Rugby Club

Edible BloomsEmotional RescueFarro FoodsFrank CaseyGed MartinGray Builders Greenhithe KindergartenHappy PawesHarcourts Cooper & CoHarcourts, AlbanyHouse of Hair and

BeautyInternational Panel &

Paint

JanbellsJMV Chartered

AccountantsKent HairdressingKings Plant Barn

SilverdaleKnights AutoworksL’OccitaneLee Robinson, Central

RealtyMalcolm’s Take Note Media Scene, PrintersMichelle Moir,

PhotographerMighty ApeMischief ShoesMitre 10 Mega, Albany Murrays Bay Childcare

Centre

Murrays Bay Intermediate

New World, Browns BayNew Zealand Home

LoansOaktree KindergartenPalmer’s Cocoa Butter

FormulaPalmers PlanetPinehill PrimaryPixies Doggie HotelPowered on VideosQuadrant HotelRadiessenceRapid RadioRevlonRhythm HouseRik, Photographer

Rotary Club of East Coast Bays

Ruapehu Ski ClubServillesSpencer on ByronSubwaySynergy HomesTaratahiTarget Road PrimaryTeak ConstructionTeenceuticalsThe LanghamThe Phoenix Wood CoTom KellyTorbay Rest Home and

ApartmentsWilson and Co

Thank You!

Rangitoto Col lege wishes al l students, parents and

fr iends of the school a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Rangitoto College Issue 28 Term 4 2014 A world class ...€¦ · Thinking, Fast and Slow Daniel...

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