Olympian`s visit - Takapuna Grammar School

Ad Augusta
February 2013
A NEWSLETTER OF TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
IN THIS ISSUE...
Principal’s Report
2
BOT3
School News
4
2012 Prizegiving
6
School Trips
9
Sport
12
Art
14
International Baccalaureate 16
10
Juliette and TGS Rowing Club Captain Max Burney.
Juliette spoke of her early days rowing for Takapuna
Grammar School and also of her success at the 2012 Olympics.
Olympian’s visit
Juliette and her former teacher Mr Ian Lissette.
In December, Olympic rowing medalist, Juliette Haigh, came to speak to
the TGS Rowing club. Juliette is a former deputy head girl and generously
gave up her afternoon to spend time inspiring and educating the current
TGS rowers on what it takes to succeed in this very challenging sport.
Juliette spoke of her early days rowing for Takapuna Grammar School and
also of her success at the 2012 Olympics, in London. The students were lucky
enough to be able to touch and wear her Bronze medal. The students asked a
lot of questions and learnt a lot about rowing, training and the right nutrition to
help them become successful. Juliette tweeted about the visit the next day and
included a photo of her and one of her former teachers, Mr. Lissette.
Ad Augusta – February 2013 | 1
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Dear Parents and Guardians
Welcome to the first term of 2013. It is with great pride that I
have watched our students settle so quickly into school. Thank
you to all those parents who have put in the effort to prepare
your children for school, we very much appreciate it.
We particularly welcome the new students and their parents
to the school in Year 9 and those new students who have entered
the school as in -zone students at other levels, we look forward to
getting to know you as you progress through the school.
We have received great results from the 2012 academic year.
We expect the national data very soon from NZQA, but already
note strong improvements in student achievement results at all
three levels. As soon as we have the national comparisons we will
be pleased to communicate these to you. At this stage we know
that a higher number of students have gained Merit and Excellence
results and the associated endorsements. This is a real credit to the
students, staff and parents who have worked hard to gain these
results and they should be incredibly proud of this achievement.
We also celebrate the start of the inaugural delivery of the
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at the school.
We have 23 students enrolled in this programme, representing
some of the strongest enrolments in an inaugural year for
the Diploma programme in the experience of International
Baccalaureate of the Asia and Pacific Area. Already we are
preparing for the programme delivery of 2014 and look forward
to seeing students realise great results, as already evidenced in the
NCEA Assessment programmes.
You will have noticed the scaffolding alongside the Main Block.
This is remedial work to secure the water tightness of the roof on
the Western wing. This initial work is due for completion at the end
of next week and will be followed
by major renovation works on the
Main Building.
I am in discussions with the
Ministry of Education to secure
exact timeframes and details of
this later project. We remain
determined to ensure that the
Main Building is given the
necessary attention to ensure its
longevity. I will keep you posted
of developments as they occur.
To you all, particularly those
parents who are new to Takapuna Grammar School, I look forward
to seeing you at the school and encourage you to make contact with
us if you have any concerns or questions. If you are unsure who
to make contact with you are welcome to use my email address,
[email protected].
Welcome back.
Kindest regards
SIMON LAMB
Principal
Takapuna Grammar School
Attendance Matters
If your son/daughter is going to be absent from school, please
notify the school that day by phoning the school (tel 4894 167,
press to report an absence) or by emailing a.soh@takapuna.
school.nz If you leave a voicemail message, a follow up note is
required for the school’s records.
This will greatly assist the Deans when following up absences.
Similarly, if your son/daughter needs to sign out during the day
for any reason, s/he needs to bring a note and get an exeat slip
2 | Ad Augusta – February 2013
from SSC (during form period, interval or lunch) which he/she
will then show the class teacher at the time of departure. Any
departure from school during the day for reasons of ill health
must be done through the school nurse in the Health Centre. It is
unhelpful for us when students contact their parents directly in
this situation. It is important that these procedures are followed
for reasons of Health and Safety and to comply with Ministry of
Education requirements. Thank you for your support in this.
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
From the BOT chair
A very warm welcome, to the 2013 academic
year at Takapuna Grammar School. We
especially welcome those students and
parents who are joining the TGS community
for the first time. You join a school that
strives for excellence in everything it does
and has the results to prove it.
Over the summer break you would have
seen that the remedial building work at the
school has started. This is a long term project
over several years, funded by the Ministry of
Education. Disruption to school life will be
kept to a minimum by undertaking significant
work during school holidays. In the meantime,
the Board is planning for a new building to
add capacity for our staff and students. Both
of these works will lead to modern learning
environments, improving upon those existing.
This is our first year teaching the International
Baccalaureate: our teachers and students are
ready for this exciting challenge and we wish
them well in their endeavours. This term we
will be consulting with you regarding setting
the school’s three year Strategic Plan. There
will be online surveys and focus groups to
gather the views from the community and
help form our plan: we will have more on that
SNAPPED!
Max Burney,
Deputy Head Boy
(left) and Mark
Horner, Head
Boy (right) with
the Rt Hon John
Key at the North
Harbour Club
Luncheon to hear
his state of the
nation address.
over the coming months. Thank you for your
participation in the uniform review, some
seven years after the current uniform was
introduced. Some changes have been made to
the regulations about footwear and the school
is exploring the options to introduce some
more functional garments at a cost effective
price, in response to suggestions. These will
be introduced at the earliest opportunity as
an option to purchase this year, and as part of
uniform regulations for 2014.This year is also
election year for the Board of Trustees. This
is a significant role to undertake and requires
a commitment for three years. The election
date is 30 May 2013. I’ll be making more
announcements in the run up to the elections
and both Simon Lamb and I will be available
to discuss what it entails to those thinking of
standing for election.
Enjoy your year at Takapuna Grammar
and seize all the opportunities it has to offer.
We have a great professional and enthusiastic
staff at the school whose passion is to help our
students, with your support, achieve their best.
Mark McCall
Chairperson, Board of Trustees
Protocols for students
around deadlines and
hand-ins for assessments
Procedures:
• Timely subject deadlines for submission
of work will be fixed and notified. These
deadlines once established are required
to be met by all students. Students who do
not meet internal assessment criteria with
regards to deadlines will not be withdrawn
but will be recorded as Not Achieved.
• Students who do not attend regular
classes in order to complete an
assessment submission are deemed
to have not met the assessment
requirements. Students who are away on
the days immediately preceding a hand-in
day must produce evidence of genuine
absence. In most cases this will be a
medical certificate. Taking time off school
for assessment purposes will be regarded
as academic dishonesty and will mean a
Not Achieved.
• All internal assessments in the form of an
electronic or paper submission are due
at 9.00am on a Monday and that deadline
will not be extended. Some subjects
will require students to submit their
assessments via a secure drop box.
• Where students have been timetabled
into a class throughout the learning of a
standard or activity, they will be assessed
and receive a grade. This does not apply to
optional credit assessments.
Ad Augusta – February 2013 | 3
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
SCHOOL NEWS
New staff
for 2013
2013 Contacts
Telephone: 489 4167
Senior Management
Terry Holding, Associate Principal
Year 10
Brian Wynn, Deputy Principal
Year 12
Kim Basse, Deputy Principal
Year 11
Carol Bashford, Deputy Principal
Year 9 & 13
2013 Deans / Student Support
HOD Student Support Ext 9292
Mary Pottinger
[email protected]
Ext 9620
Year 9
Katie Dobson
[email protected]
Steve Mouldey
[email protected]
Year 10
Ext 9621
Kelly Manning
[email protected]
Stephen Smith
[email protected]
Year 11
Ext 9622
Matt Curry
[email protected]
Melita Tuisila
[email protected]
Year 12
Ext 9623
[email protected]
Alison Jenkins
Matt Cade
[email protected]
Year 13
Ext 9624
Rhys Hodson
[email protected]
Rosemarie Close
[email protected] International
Ext 9258
[email protected]
Lauren Baker
Student Absence Reporting
Pauline Cheng (Ext 9240) [email protected]
[email protected]
Anna Soh (Ext 9247)
Takapuna Grammar School welcomes the following
new staff members for 2013.
Top row: Mr S. Lilly (English).
Second row: Miss H. Kelly (Social Science),
Mr J. Chapman (Languages).
Third row: Miss H Stewart (Technology Graphics),
Ms C. Bradly (Social Science), Ms F Simpson (ESOL),
Mr M. Helas (Property Manager).
Fourth row: Miss K. Douglas (English),
Mr C. Pattison (Technology), Mrs N Phillips (Science),
Mrs D. Walsh (Library).
Musical theatre success
This is the 4th year of our Musical Theatre
course. Students have enjoyed considerable
success in performances such as Fiddler on the
Roof, Into the Woods, West Side Story, The Brolly
Project, The Gumboot Project and The Alice Project.
This year’s combined year 12 and 13
Musical Theatre class are well into rehearsals
4 | Ad Augusta – February 2013
for the Stephen Schwartz musical Godspell to be
performed from Sunday 14th – Tuesday 16th
April in the school hall. This year it is directed
by Rhonda Daverne and Musically Directed
by Jane Horder. Tickets will be available
for purchase in March so mark this on your
calendars as it will not disappoint.
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
SCHOOL NEWS
Meet your 2013 Prefects...
L-R: Mark Horner (Head Boy), Tessa Hubbard (Deputy Head Girl), Claudia Brick (Head Girl) and Max Burney (Deputy Head Boy).
An amazing achievement
As reported in stuff.co.nz one of our
students has had an amazing adventure.
Onetangi resident Max Bainbridge was
offered a trip of a lifetime for his 13th
birthday by his father Brendon and as a 13
year-old may be the youngest Kiwi to climb
Mt Kilimanjaro.
Gill Alcock of the Waiheke Marketplace
wrote about Max’s adventure:
“He picked Africa, hoping for a safari. His father agreed
but added a twist. How did Max fancy climbing one of the world’s seven highest
peaks? Max and his father had enjoyed a few hikes together before but nothing
on this scale, yet he still agreed. They spent a night in Erbegan at the base of the
mountain before starting the eight-day climb on September 24 using guides and
porters. The wildlife and trees disappeared below them after three days.
“It looked like a lunar landscape,” Max says.
The pair and fellow climbers used existing camps each night. They had a bowl of hot
water to wash off the layers of dust that comes off the scree.
A highlight was a cup of Milo for breakfast every morning.
Max says the ascent was hard “but in different ways than
you might imagine”.
“It was very cold and very high. On the fifth day we were
like ‘we can’t do this’ and for the last three days it was
hard to breathe.” He threw up and suffered dehydration on
the last push to the top.
“We went to bed at 5 p.m, started the final ascent at 10.30
p.m. and got to the top about 8 a.m. We were going so
incredibly slowly you could crawl faster.”
The peak wasn’t quite how Max imagined it would be.
“I was looking forward to old wooden signs and was disappointed by the green ones.”
Max describes the achievement as “the biggest challenge of my life” but didn’t realise
how hard it would be. He hasn’t been turned off.
He has now applied to do the Duke of Edinburgh award at Takapuna Grammar
School where he is a pupil and has other treks in his sights like Machu Picchu.”
Ad Augusta – February 2013 | 5
PRIZEGIVING
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Junior Prizegiving 2012
Junior Prizegiving was held on Friday 7 December. The following awards were made to Year 9 and 10 students in the School Hall.
Year 10
Special Awards
Junior Sportswoman of the Year Junior Sportsman of the Year All Round School Spirit Academic Diligence in Year 10 Academic Excellence in Year 10 – Liana Dance
– Donald Coleman
– Lily Macdonald
– Janvi Patel
– Liesbet Vercruyssen
Sports Awards
– Bobby Barker
Junior Boys Volleyball Most Improved Player Junior Girls Basketball Most Improved Player – Tyla Cunningham
Jnr Boys Waterpolo, Most Promising Junior Boy Waterpolo Player
- Mitchell Donnelly
Intermediate Girls Athletics, Cross Country Champion
– Lucy Jacobs
Skiing – Olivia Koller
– 7th Grade
Junior Boys Rugby, Best Junior Rugby Team – Eden Lydon
Most Improved Player Junior Sport Netball Intermediate Girls Athletics, Athletics Champion – Lily Macdonald
Junior Boys Volleyball, Most Valuable Player – Tim Magele
– Jessica Neves
Junior Girls Volleyball, Most Valuable Player Junior Boys Athletics, Cross Country Champion – Adam Rundle
Junior Girls Volleyball, Most Improved Player – Meg Stott
Junior Girls Netball, Most Promising Netball Player
– Shawnee Tekii
Citations for Personal Excellence
– Liana Dance
Waterpolo Synchronised Swimming – Katie McDougall
– Tessa McNair
Cycling and Multi Sport – Ellie Cowan
Cycling – Gabriel Raubenheimer
Cycling Rock Climbing – Erica Gatland
Cycling – Meg Stott
Rugby and Cricket – Donald Coleman
Enterprise Education Winners of Dairy NZ Career Challenge
– Mera Conger, Danielle Desvaux de Marigny, Jiwon Kim and
Charlotte Sellars
Enterprise Education Runners Up Dairy NZ Career Challenge
– Amy Colebourn, Lucy Hill, Lucy Jacobs and Lily Macdonald
6 | Ad Augusta – February 2013
Junior Girls Barbershop Quartet
– Phoebe Johnson, Ella Cornfield, Connur Warhaft and Augustine
Morgan-Guthrie
Cultural Awards
Excellence in the Performing Arts at Junior Level – Ella Cornfield
Excellent Achievement in German Language Studies – Tina Price
– Piers Mrkusic
Year 10 Speech Competition Winner Most Improved Junior Option Musician
– Lucy Johnston-McGregor
Leadership in Sport – Tim Faimoa Magele
– Vicki Bridle
Junior Citizenship Award Special Education Subject Awards
– Connor Bessell
Physical Education and Health – Fiona Bongartz
Mathematics Mathematics – Alesha Brokenshire
Art – Jake Cahill
– Caitlin Chapman
English – Guk Won Chung
Mathematics – Donald Coleman
Physical Education and Health – Mera Conger
Drama, Enterprise and Financial Literacy – Tia Conley
Enterprise and Financial Literacy Enterprise and Financial Literacy, Social Studies – Ciara Connolly
– Tyla Cunningham
Technology Food – Ethan Demmer
Enterprise and Financial Literacy French, Social Studies – Danielle Desvaux de Marigny
French – Caoimhe Fidgeon
– Daniel Finnemore
Science Art – Sam Fraser
Science, Social Studies – Tingyao (Helen) Fu
– Sarah Han
Technology Hard Materials
Physical Education and Health – Stanley Hannington
Social Studies – Jack Hay
ESOL – Steffi Hiew
Drama – Brighid Hurtubise
Graphics, Social Studies – Yu-Wun (Wendy) Jian
Enterprise and Financial Literacy, Mathematics – Xiao Xuan Jiang
English – Phoebe Johnson
Dance – Hibiki Kato
– Jiwon Kim
Japanese, Mathematics, Science AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Enterprise and Financial Literacy – Olivia Koller
Art – Tegan Lawrence
Technology Hard Materials – Kevin Lee
Physical Education and Health – Ross Lewis
Music – Patrick Liu
Physical Education and Health, Te Teo Maori – Lily Macdonald
Graphics, Mathematics, Science – Tafadzwa Mudapakati
Technology Soft Materials – Amanda-Jane Mueller
Physical Education and Health – Leon Naisbitt
Physical Education and Health – Jessica Neves
English – Mariko Newman
Technology Soft Materials – Lily Palmer
Social Studies, Enterprise and Financial Literacy – Janvi Patel
English, Science, Social Studies, Technology Food – Dhriti Patel
English – Hannah Patterson
English, Mathematics, Science – Dexter Peffers
German – Tina Price
Art
– Lynn Reynolds
Physical Education and Health
– Ellen Rowlandson
Physical Education and Health, Sports Institute – Adam Rundle
Social Studies – Kelsey Schutte
Science – Emilie Sedelmayer
English – Charlotte Sellars
Enterprise and Financial Literacy – Amanda Shameem
Social Studies – Hayley Smith
Mathematics – Minjae (Andy) Song
English, Science – Imogen Spray
Technology Food – Evie Standley
Graphics – Sam Stevens
Physical Education and Health – Matthew Strain
Science – Francis Talbot
Enterprise and Financial Literacy, Mathematics
– Liesbet Vercruyssen
English, Enterprise and Financial Literacy, Science, Social Studies
– Jobeth Vergara
English Mathematics PRIZEGIVING
– Rose Wallace
– Alexander Zhao
Year 9 Awards
Special Awards
All Round Excellence and School Spirit in Year 9 – Max Griffiths
Academic Diligence in Year 9 – Iverson Chan-Tung
Academic Excellence in Year 9 – Adele Zhao
Sports Awards
Junior Girls Athletics Cross Country Champion
– Katherine Badham
Most Promising Junior Cyclist – Katherine Badham
Junior Girls Athletics Champion – Emily Couchman
Junior Girls Swimming Champion – Holly Ford
Junior Girls Netball Most Improved Netball Shooter– Neve Jervis
Girls General Netball Best Team Spirit and Morale – Issy Kelsey
Junior Boys Athletics Champion
– Edward Lotawa
Junior Boys Swimming Champion – William Lotawa
Junior Boys Basketball Most Improved Player – Keejon Sloan
Junior Girls Netball Most Improved Year 9 Netball Player
– Tayla Smith-Tohu
Citations for Personal Excellence
Cross Country Dualthlon Service to the Library Service to the Library For Debating Subject Awards
Technology Mathematics, Science, Social Studies Mathematics French, Technology – Katherine Badham
– Marijke Geerkins
– Bijoux Nortje
– Henry Watts
– Daniel Adamson
– Vincent Allen
– Charles Anderson
– Evie Atkinson-Willes
Continued over page >
Ad Augusta – February 2013 | 7
PRIZEGIVING
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Physical Education and Health, Science
– Aidan Aubert
Science – Katherine Badham
Art, Social Studies – Chris Bentley
Mathematics – Mia Bigalk Shanks
French, Science – Francis Bilham
French – Thomas Block
Social Studies – Olivia Boniface
Physical Education and Health – Jack Buchanan
English, Social Studies, Physical Education and Health, Science,
Sports Institute – Iverson Chan-Tung
Physical Education and Health – Emily Couchman
Spanish – Sol Cranna-Smith
Technology – Eliza Dawbin
Spanish – Francesca Edmonds
German – Peter Eissing
Technology – Jazz Farrell
French, Spanish, Technology – Alexandra Fleming
German – Marijke Geerkins
Social Studies – Shamal Gomes
Mathematics – Max Griffiths
Spanish – Ella Halstead
English, Physical Education & Health, Science – Ella Hill
German – Yuka Isozaki
English, Physical Education and Health – Lily Jervis
Science – Eleanor Johnson
Physical Education and Health – Isabel Kelsey
Mathematics – Jinhyok Kim
Music
– Matthew Knowles
Mathematics – Alisa Kogiso
Art VAE, Technology – Taekwan (Matthew) Lim
English, Physical Education and Health, Te Reo Maori, Technology,
Music – William Lotawa
Physical Education and Health, Drama
– Edward Lotawa
ESOL – Lishan (Lucy) Luo
Physical Education and Health – Max MacDuff
Technology – Scott Moore
8 | Ad Augusta – February 2013
Mathematics – Aidan Nicholas
English, Mathematics, Science – Bijoux Nortje
Art – Felicity Oh
Te Reo Maori – Te Aniwaniwa Patterson
Music Performance – Deborah Peng
Technology – Elise Power
Technology – Bella Purcell
English, German – Taija Renker-Darby
Social Studies – Andrew Richardson
Drama – Elizabeth Ricketts
Social Studies – Amy Robertson
English, Social Studies, Dance – Storm Robertson
French – Sam Ross
Dance – Sophie Russel
Spanish – Mathew Sherlock
Dance – Annabel Smith
Technology – Chamonix Stuart
Spanish – Nicholas Su
English, Mathematics, Technology – Madeleine Teesdale
English, Science, Social Studies – Mary-Anne Thatcher
Japanese – Zhangfurong (Selena) Wang
Drama – Nicholas Warmington
Japanese – Hanna White
French, Social Studies – Sarah Winder
Mathematics – Chanwoo Yang
English, Science – Adele Zhao
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
SCHOOL TRIPS
Waitangi Day
Celebrations
By Tessa Hubbard
2013, commemorates the 173rd signing of the Treaty of
Waitangi. While most of Auckland headed to the beach to
escape from the scorching summer heat, three members of
the school had a slightly different day planned. The Deputy
Principal, Ms. Basse, along with Head Girl, Claudia Brick
and Deputy Head Girl, Tessa Hubbard, attended a Garden
Party at Government House, in Auckland to celebrate
Waitangi Day.
The Governor General, The Right Honourable Sir Jerry
Mateparae, gave an address that acknowledged the past, while
showing how far New Zealand has come as a nation since the
signing in 1840. His Excellency also spoke of Women’s Suffrage
and his theme for the year, of celebrating New Zealand women.
Claudia and Tessa managed to interact with, and get to
know other prefects from different Auckland schools, as well as
snagging a photograph with not only His Excellency but also
Len Brown, The Mayor of Auckland. The Garden Party was a
great way to venerate Waitangi
Day and the history that was
made by New Zealanders all
those years ago and all attendees
spoke about the day with
pleasure and satisfaction.
Prefect Leadership
Training Camp
By Mark Horner
While technically still being on ‘holiday’ the 2013 prefects headed
off for a two day training camp. Situated in the picturesque
scenery of the Leigh Coast, the new prefects camped for two days
in the vicinity of Valhalla, a house owned by the Danish Society.
Led by Mrs. Basse, Mr. Hodson, Mr. Raela and Mr. Holding the
prefects learned about the different types of leadership, the goals
of the school, team building, and the school Powhiri. We were also
given time to set our goals as prefects for the year. This included
general goals as well as goals for our different portfolios. We also
visited the Auckland University marine reserve in Goat Island for a
presentation by one of the researchers.
On top of all of this, we managed to squeeze in an Amazing Race
around Valhalla’s beautiful grounds, an awesome coastal walk in to
Leigh for ice cream, and a swim in the sandy bay below. Not only
was this a leadership course, it was a time for the prefects to bond
and grow as a team. All in all it was an amazing two days!
Ad Augusta – February 2013 | 9
SCHOOL TRIPS
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Duke of Edinburgh Gold
By Claudia Brick
It had been planned for months, and in January, it finally
eventuated. Five TGS students - Claudia Brick, Hannah Spurdle,
Aless Smith, Sophie Renouf, and Courtenay Giles - working
toward their Duke of Edinburgh Gold award - journeyed to
Nelson to tramp through an area that is home to some of the
most beautiful beaches in New Zealand, Abel Tasman National
Park. We packed our swimming gear and summer clothes,
envisaging clear blue skies and hot days spent relaxing on the
beach with a bit of tramping on the side.
Our hearts sank as we flew into windy, rainy Nelson (ironically
nicknamed the sunniest place in New Zealand) and were forced to
bundle into raincoats and polypropylene layers to make the short
trip to the supermarket and restaurant for dinner. The first night
was spent in a Backpackers, in Nelson, willing the heavy rain and
thunderstorms to miraculously clear before we started the Abel
Tasman coastal track the next morning. Despite our best efforts,
it remained slightly windy and overcast as we drove to the start of
the track in Marahau, where we tucked into a huge cafe breakfast
before gritting our teeth and starting out into the drizzle.
Fortunately the rain cleared over that afternoon and four hours
later we arrived at Anchorage Hut to begin what would become a
nightly routine of unpacking, exploring the beach around the hut,
swimming, playing cards, and making our pasta and freeze-dried
dinners. The next day, and every day after that, we woke to blue
skies and crisp south island air, and the usual Auckland traffic noise
was replaced by the snoring of fellow trampers in the bunk rooms.
10 | Ad Augusta – February 2013
Each day brought more stunning, untouched scenery and white
sand beaches, along with more of the less-welcome mosquito bites
and blisters. One afternoon included an extremely worthwhile
side trek to Separation Point, where we spent half an hour peering
over the cliff faces and exclaiming loudly at the sleek black bodies
sunning themselves on the rocks below and performing elaborate
twists and turns in the water. The source of our amusement was
a seal colony, and the rest of that afternoon included many very
bad seal puns, courtesy of Aless. By the last morning everyone felt
that our week in Nelson had gone far too quickly, and it was with
a sense of satisfaction and achievement that we boarded our plane
back home. A huge thank you must go to Ms. Basse and parent help
Gavin Smith, as without you the trip could not have proceeded.
This is the second consecutive year that the Duke of Edinburgh
Gold award has been offered at Takapuna Grammar School. A
step up from the preceding Bronze and Silver Levels, it is designed
to challenge students and push them outside their comfort zones
during the expedition. Unlike the other levels, students are
required to plan their own trip. Once back home, candidates must
complete 12 months of community service, a skill, and physical
recreation as well as completing a five day residential project in an
unfamiliar environment.
The achievements of those
who have completed their
gold award are recognised
in Wellington, where the
award is presented by the
Governor General.
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
SCHOOL TRIPS
A great adventure in the holidays
By Piers Mrkusic
On a crisp early Sunday morning, in late January, a group of
groggy yet adventurous students and staff journeyed to the Sir
Edmund Hillary Outdoor Pursuits Centre (OPC).
All were keen to hone their outdoor skills and knowledge and
to push their own boundaries. Arriving at their new home for the
next five days, the crew were whisked into a briefing from the camp
director. The students were excited by the long list of activities
like caving, rock climbing, the high ropes course, flying fox, team
challenges, tramping and overnight camp outs.
The team was amped up and ready for action but unfortunately
the night consisted of only a quick game with the other schools
and bed. We were soon grateful for our early bedtime when the
human alarm clock, Mr. Salt, came knocking at a painful 6 a.m.
Unfortunately, every day kick-started at this early hour, although
this enabled the team to cram as much as they possibly could into
every day. The time at the camp flew by, each day packed full of
exciting activities and new valuable skills, such as map reading,
learning cool knots, navigating from bearings and rope skills.
A huge thank you to Mr. Gowling, Miss Broughton, Mr. Salt and
Mr. Curry for being such casual, enjoyable company and taking time
out of your holidays for us.
Ad Augusta – February 2013 | 11
SPORT
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
Rowing 30 year anniversary celebrations
Rowing began, for this school, in the 1940s, and Takapuna
Grammar School crews were competitive. For some years
however, the club was in recess, until its revival in 1983. Since that
year the club has been strong and currently there are 61 registered
rowers, including 20 Novice Boys.
Many remember the heydays, in medal terms, during the 1990s,
when numbers exceeded 80 rowers most seasons and North
Island and Maadi medals were numerous (49 from North Island
championships and 34 from the Maadi Cup regattas).
The absolute dedication of parents, committee members, coaches
and crew managers enabled rowers to train hard and race well. The
club has been ‘based’ at different times at Westhaven, Bayswater,
Mercer, Greenhithe, Fort Takapuna, with training on the Waikato
River at Mercer, the inlet off Rame Road, Auckland Harbour, Lake
Pupuke and out of Epworth Camp.
Every rower has memories of the best and worst stretches of
water, the toughest and the kindest coaches, the best wins and the
sad, hard luck stories of gear failure, the endless bus and minivan
rides to regattas, leaving before sun rise and often returning after
12 | Ad Augusta – February 2013
sunset. It is time for former rowers, coaches, Presidents and parents
to get together and reminisce. To mark the 30 year anniversary there
is a Celebration dinner to be held in the School Hall on March 2. All
details and ticket enquires can be found on the website –
www.tgsrowing.org.nz . Numbers are limited, so do not delay.
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
SPORT
Get2Go Grand
Final 2012
Brooke Stilwell
(Tainui/Ngati Tuwharetoa)
“Wahine Tu, Wahine Ora
Wahine Noho, Wahine Mate”
“A woman who is proactive is a woman who succeeds;
A woman who does nothing will not.”
Brooke deserves congratulations. She has been named in the
New Zealand Girls’ U17 Softball team, after participating in
the national tournament held in Auckland, in January.
Playing for the North Harbour U17 team, Brooke has been
selected to be a utility outfielder. She also played for the Hawke’s
Bay U19 team at their National Tournament, following the U17
tournament.
Brooke has been playing softball since she was four years old.
Her early years were spent developing her skills and learning
about the game at the Navy Sports Club. She is currently
playing for the Hibiscus Coast Softball Club. Her role models
and sports women who inspire her are Ngamoko Hiku, and
Jackie Smith, (both ex TGS students). Both of these women
have played for the New Zealand Women’s Softball Team. One
of her goals is to follow in their footsteps.
Brooke is certainly a young woman who is “aspiring to her
personal excellence” (“Whaia to iti kahurangi”). Congratulations
again and kia kaha - “Whaia to iti kahurangi”.
Term 4 2012, was a term of training hard for the team that
qualified for the Grand Final on Great Barrier Island in
December. Get2Go is the sport of Adventure Racing and it’s
the toughest weeklong event students can do at Year 9 and
10 level in this sport. Run each year by the Outdoor Pursuits
Centre of NZ, TGS was luckily enough to qualify for the
third year in a row and the expectations were high for the
team to step up from our 2011 result which was 6th overall
out of 12 teams.
This event’s added bonus was the presence of the Erin
Simpson Show film crew which will air the finals week on its
show early in 2013.
Our team had an exciting but physically demanding week.
The first challenge was a kayak and run race, which they did
very well. The next two days were based on problem-solving
activities. Wednesday was a huge nine hour day on the rafts,
kayaking to rogaine points around the Island, and the final day
included a half marathon up Mt Hobson, followed by an added
run section and a kayak back to camp.
The team had a number of injuries throughout the week but
pulled through to finish 5th overall. Many thanks to Phillip
MacDonald and Sharon Davies for taking the time out to be
with the team for their week long adventure.
L to R: Geoffrey Sims, Adam Rundle, Jack Lochhead, Max Griffiths,
Lily MacDonald, Tessa McNair, Kathryn Badham, Lucy Jacobs.
Ad Augusta – February 2013 | 13
ART
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
ART
Celebrating
our level 3
painters
These pages feature paintings from
those students who were awarded an
Excellence grade for their Level 3 Paint
folios in 2012.
There were 18 students who
submitted Paint folios, so we were very
proud of the fact that 9 of them recieved
this top grade. Congratulations to
Michelle Kim, Yu Jin Nah, Katherine
Lorimer, Natalie Yu, Aaron GibbPearson, Seon Hwang, Janetha Rainbow,
Jodie Catterall and Anna Minegishi.
The last five students were also awarded
Excellence for their Design folios.
A big thankyou to their teachers Jana
Bishop - who left in Term 3 to have a
baby- and Sandra Cammell who carried
on the great teaching.
14 | Ad Augusta – February 2013
Ad Augusta – February 2013 | 15
INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE
AD AUGUSTA – TAKAPUNA GRAMMAR SCHOOL
The International Baccalaureate is designed to educate students in all areas of their lives, to create
citizens fully developed emotionally, socially, personally and intellectually, and who contribute to a global
society in an innovative and positive way.
International Baccalaureate
By Lauren Henderson, Year 12 IB
The International Baccalaureate Learner Profile integrates
into the TGS philosophy of Knowledge, Connecting, Relating,
Supporting.
Inquirer. Knowledgeable. Thinking. Communicator. Principled.
Open-minded. Caring. Balanced. Reflective. Risk taker. These are the
ten traits that embody the International Baccalaureate learner profile
and the school’s ‘KCRS’ focus.
The International Baccalaureate is designed to educate students in
all areas of their lives, to create citizens fully developed emotionally,
socially, personally and intellectually, and who contribute to a global
society in an innovative and positive way.
Put simply, the aim of IB is for students to end the two-year
Diploma developing all the traits of
the IB learner profile in depth. Each
element of the learner profile encourages
students to develop in different areas of
their lives, to give, for example, ‘Inquirers’ a
focus on the development of natural curiosity and ‘Communicators’,
as another example, a focus on understanding and expressing ideas
in confident and creative manners, in more than one language. These
values are part of the teaching and learning programme at Takapuna
Grammar. It is our aim over the next ten issues of Ad Augusta to
look at each learner profile element in depth and to
look at how we can see it in practice at school,
at home and in the community. We believe
we can achieve a sense of personal well-being
for ourselves and others if we understand the
importance of the intellectual, physical and
emotional balance in our lives.
Term One Dates 2013
February
Thu, 21
Assessment Information Evening, 7.00pm, School Hall
March
Tue, 5
Winter Sports Muster, 5.30 – 8.00pm, School Hall
Thu, 7
Achievers’ Breakfast, 7am at McHugh’s, Cheltenham
Fri, 8 –
Sun, 10
North Island Secondary Schools Rowing
Mon, 18 –
Maadi Cup Rowing Regatta
Sun, 23
Term Dates 2013
Tue, 19
Rugby Muster, 5.30 – 7.30pm, School Hall
Fri, 29
Good Friday, Public Holiday
Term 1, 2013
Wed, 30 January – Fri, 19 April
April
Term 2, 2013
Mon, 6 May – Fri, 12 July
Mon, 1
Easter Monday, Public Holiday
Term 3, 2013
Mon, 29 July – Fri, 27 September
Tues, 2
Easter, School Holiday
Term 4, 2013
Mon, 14 October – Fri, 6 December
Fri, 19
End of Term One
16 | Ad Augusta – February 2013