Upcoming Events
- Skiing Mt Hutt – Friday 30th August
- RAMs Training – Wednesday 11th September
- Skiing Mt Hutt – Friday 13th September
- Ao Tawhiti School Formal – Saturday 14th September
- Practice Exam Week – Monday 16th – Friday 20th September
- Last day of timetabled classes term 3 – Thursday 26th September
- IEMs – Friday 27th September
- School Holidays – Saturday 28th September – Sunday 13th October
- Production Performance – Thursday 3rd October – Saturday 5th October
- IEMs – Monday 14th October
- First day of timetabled classes term 4 – Tuesday 15th October
- Mahi Toi – The Ao Tawhiti Art Exhibition – Friday 18th October
- RAMs Training – Tuesday 22nd October
- Labour Day – School Closed – Monday 28th October
- Ao Tawhiti Film Festival – Monday 4th November
- NCEA Exams – Tuesday 5th November – Friday 29th November
- Staff Only Day Years 1-6 – Tuesday 12th November – School Closed for Instruction Years 1-6
- Staff Only Day Years 7-13 – Thursday 14th November – School Closed for Instruction Years 7-13
- Canterbury Anniversary – Friday 15th November
- Graduation – Friday 29th November
- End of Year Community Picnic – Friday 13th December
- Summer Holidays – Saturday 14th December – Sunday 26th January
- Staff Only Day – Monday 27th January – School Closed for Instruction
- IEMs – Tuesday 28th January – School Closed for Instruction
- IEMs – Wednesday 29th January – School Closed for Instruction
- Staff Only Day – Thursday 30th January – School Closed for Instruction
- Friday 31st January – Mihi Whakatau – 9am. Year 1-6 all students in HB 10:30am – 3:00pm. Years 7-13 NEW students in HB 10:30am – 12:20pm. Years 7-13 All students in HB 1:00pm – 3:00pm.
- Normal Timetable Begins – Monday 3rd February
- Waitangi Day – Thursday 6th February – School Closed
Message From Anita
Kia ora e te whānau
Every week in our staff newsletter we include a whakatauki to support our understanding of Te ao Māori and tikanga Māori. The whakatauki that we have included over the last couple of weeks is exemplified by the wonderful contributions of our hapori (wider community) to our kura. The contribution made by our caregivers, whānau, external services and local businesses is invaluable and appreciated.
The whakatauki is written below:
Ki te kotahi te kākaho, ka whati;
Ki te kāpua, e kore e whati
If a reed stands alone, it can be broken; if it is in a group, it cannot
This newsletter is a great archive of our hapori standing as a group and working together to support our tamariki and rangatahi.
Welcome to Kelly who has joined Beth on the front desk.
Thank you to Sam Buchanan who has been filling in while Mattias was on leave.
Emergency Planning
We have updated our emergency management plan. This plan ensures that we are prepared in case of emergency situations.
In any emergency we will communicate with caregivers via school apps, social media, texts, email and publish updates on our website. We will do this as soon as possible after the event, but our first priority will be ensuring the immediate safety of the students.
Earthquake
If we experience a big quake on site, then we will evacuate the school to Hagley Park, opposite Hagley College. If it is wet and cold, and safe to do so, then we will shift the students into the gym at Hagley College while we wait for students to be picked up by their caregivers.
Students and staff on trips outside the classroom will be advised via text message and caregivers might have the option of picking their child(ren) up from the location of the school trip.
Fire
In a fire we will evacuate the school to Matai Common. We will then follow the advice of the emergency services.
Serious threat on site
The students and staff will evacuate the school and head to Hagley Park, opposite Hagley College. Emergency services will be contacted immediately. If it is wet and cold we will evacuate to the gym at Hagley College while we wait for students to be picked up by their caregivers. Students and staff on trips outside the classroom will be advised via text message to stay at their location until advised otherwise.
Lockdown or shelter in place
A lockdown will be initiated if there is a threat directed to the school. The school will be locked and all students and staff on floor one will move up to floor two. Emergency services will be contacted. Caregivers will be contacted and advised that a lockdown is in place, however you will not be able to come to the school during a lockdown. You will be advised as soon as you are able to pick up your child(ren).
A shelter in place will be initiated if there is a threat near the school. The school will be locked and all students and staff on floor one will move up to floor two. Caregivers will be contacted and advised that we are sheltering in place, however you will not be able to come to the school during this time. You will be advised as soon as you are able to pick up your child(ren).
Students and staff on trips outside the classroom will be advised via text message to stay at their location until advised otherwise.
Home Base Learning Advisors will be talking through the emergency plan with students over the coming weeks, including lockdowns and a serious threat onsite. They will take their Home Bases through a practice evacuating the school and walking down to Hagley Park, opposite Hagley College. Be in contact with your child’s Home Base Learning Advisor if you wish to be present during this conversation and evacuation practice, or if you wish to have your child excused from this. We will have an earthquake drill in term four, as well as our termly evacuation drill for fire.
I know that it can be upsetting thinking and talking about, worst case scenarios. However, if we can prepare for emergency situations, by planning and practising, then we are better able to keep our community as safe as possible.
Anita
Messages from Senior Leaders
PINs
PINs is back! For those of you who don’t know (or remember…) what PINs is, it stands for Passions, Interests and Needs, and is an opportunity for our whānau community to offer workshops that address the passions, interests and needs of all of our ākonga in Y1-13.
Here is the form for you all to offer an amazing workshop that students will sign up for. There are some suggestions on the form of things they would like to have offered, but please don’t be limited by that. Maybe you have a great recipe to make giant bubble mixture, or you love photography and want to inspire some students. Maybe you can sew, or crochet, or love a sport you’d like to share with our ākonga. We’d love lots of you to brave and offer something that you think our students would love to experience . The only caveat is that we are challenging these PINs to be cost-free. We are sure you can come up with some good ideas – as Ernest Rutherford said, “We haven’t the money, so we’ve got to think” (thanks for the quote, Jenny Ward!). Any pātai, please get in touch with me.
Niki Stephenson
Listening to Families
Listening to Families videos provide answers to everyday questions about health and wellbeing challenges facing children and adolescents. Many of these challenges can affect overall attendance. The questions the videos answer are real – they come directly from families. The answers are provided by trusted specialists.
· ADHD – Parent Program https://www.listeningtofamilies.co.nz/adhd/parent-education Hania Wagenvoort-Social worker, Jan Hassan-Educational Psychologist and Christchurch Methodist Mission talk about
the ADHD Parent program.
· Adolescent and Young Adult (AYA) Cancer https://www.listeningtofamilies.co.nz/adolescent-and-young-adult-aya-cancer Mia, Nic and Toihi share their journeys with Louise Sue-AYA Cancer Keyworker (CNS) and Sean Macpherson-Consultant Haematologist.
· Allergies and Anaphylaxis https://www.listeningtofamilies.co.nz/allergies-and-anaphylaxis Aimee Mackey-Clinical Nurse Specialist in Eczema/Allergy and Emily Templeton-Public Health Nurse, answer questions.
· Coeliac – a conversation with dietitians https://www.listeningtofamilies.co.nz/coeliac-disease/a-conversation-with-dietitians Anna Richards-Dietitian and Sophie Hall- Paediatric dietitian, have a conversation about coeliac disease.
· Eczema https://www.listeningtofamilies.co.nz/eczema Aimee Mackey-Clinical Nurse Specialist in Eczema/Allergy, answers families questions.
· Parent Education programs https://www.listeningtofamilies.co.nz/parent-education-programs Becky Voisey and Jonathan Crosbie-Kaiarahi Team Leaders from Mana Ake, Julie Forman-Counsellor and Presbyterian Support, answer questions about parent education programs.
· School attendance Years 9 to 13 https://www.listeningtofamilies.co.nz/school-attendance/yrs-9-to-13 Billy Brice-Wellbeing Coordinator and Jo Chapman-Attendance and Engagement mentor from Canterbury Secondary Schools answer parents questions.
Anita Yarwood
Playground
When students saw the fences up around school this week, they asked me if it was for the playground. I am sad to say it is not, and ashamed enough by the questions to start up again with fundraising and talking about the playground. There will be online huis about the playground and fundraising the $60,000 we need to get phase one completed:
Tuesday, 27 August · 7:30 – 8:30pm
Wednesday, 28 August · 9:30 – 10:30am
Thursday, 29 August · 10:00 – 11:00am
If these times are no good, but you are keen to be involved, please get in touch with me and I will arrange a different time. We need to consider trying to do as much of the playground ourselves to keep costs down, as well as looking into fundraising and potential sponsorship. I look forward to seeing lots of you on Monday and having the playground at the forefront again.
Playtimes
With the scaffolding and hoarding up while the remedial work is being completed on the balconies for the rest of the term impacting our play space outside, we would love some whānau to come in and offer to support our tamariki during their play times, particularly at lunchtime. You might take a group to the basketball courts on St Asaph St, or along to Matai Common or support some play/art activities inside. Some of the LAs are running a club, and the student council are going to ask the tamariki what they would like. If you can help in any way, please turn up with your ideas and we will find you a space.
Niki Stephenson
EOTC and RAMs training
There are three more RAMs sessions scheduled for this year. These sessions cover the basics of supporting off-site activities as a whānau volunteer. Dates for the remaining RAMs sessions are: 2:30 – 3:00pm, Monday September 16 8:30 – 9:00am, Tuesday October 22 2:30 – 3:00pm, Wednesday November 20 Please complete the RSVP form, if you are intending to come along. https://forms.gle/KvrJVWtPrMTWQis28
Huge thanks to our parent volunteers for your continued support with Education Outside the Classroom.
Megan Taylor
Term 4 for Year 7-10s
Term 4 will be a game of three thirds for Year 7 – 10 students. We will soon be publishing the descriptors for the colour block classes which will run at the start of term. These will be short 3-week courses which will take us through until the senior students begin their exam leave. From November 4th, the timetable will be slightly different (see below) and we will run two further 3-week blocks. Wednesdays will be a full-day class, with many of the offerings involving students heading off-site. On Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, Year 7-10 students will have Homebase, numeracy and literacy classes running in the mornings. After lunch they will have a different 2 hour class each day.
We would love to have some involvement from whānau during these afternoon slots. If you have a passion or skill you would like to share with students, please think about offering a workshop. It could be a one-off, or a series of 3 workshops, and it could happen on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday or Friday. Please get in touch with Ian, Megan T, or your HBLA if you think you might want to get involved.
Ngā Toi o te Ao Tawhito mo te Ao Tawhiti – Arts of the Old World for the Distant World
During 4.2 and 4.3, the last 6 weeks of term, we will also have an amazing programme run by Marlene and based at the Climate Action Campus. The programme will run all day on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, and offers a chance to extend students in Ngā Toi Māori/Māori Arts. Students will be learning the language, the culture and some of our Māori Arts to help them in their artistic creations. On Wednesdays students will return to our Ao Tawhiti campus for Homebase and a blue block class of their choice. We’ll be sharing more details about this great programme soon.
You can expect that students will choose their classes for 4.1( the first 3 weeks of Term 4) in the next few weeks. They will choose their classes for the rest of the term during the upcoming IEMs.
Ian Hayes & Megan Taylor
News/Notices
HB Kiwi Art Exhibition
At The Art Exhibition
By Lola Peters, age 7
When I got to the University where our art was, I felt a little bit nervous because I have never had my art displayed before. When I saw my artwork on the wall I felt welcome!! My artwork was a landscape. I cut out the leaves and I gently put them down and that’s how I made it.
When we made it we blended up some silverbeet and then put it into bowls to strain it. We strained it again to get the foam out .Then we put it into separate containers, we had buddies that shared a pot of silverbeet ink each to paint the paper.
At the Art Gallery, Frankie’s friends asked me questions like what leaves did I use and how did I make the landscape. It felt good to see my artwork in the gallery!
Plant Prints
By Charlie Maguire, age 8
The third time we met Frankie we made our second prints, this is how we made it.
First we pulled the green stuff off silverbeet, second we blended it. We each got about 30 seconds with the blender. Then we strained it to get the juice. Then we got into buddies and we poured the green juice into a pottle. Then we got a flower squash [press] and paintbrush and a piece of paper. We dipped our paint brushes into the green ink pottle and painted our paper all over where we were going to put the plants. After that we blow dried it repeatedly so we could do more layers.
Then we chose the plants we wanted to use and put them on the green paper. We put the transparent top of the flower squasher on. We put them in the window so the sunlight could get through. The sunlight makes the ink fade, but where we put leaves the ink stays, that’s where the shape of the leaves comes from. That’s how we made our flower prints!!
We did it so we could learn something new and so Frankie could have a go at teaching kids. Thanks, Frankie!!
The Art Exhibition
By Harvey Evans, age 7
When we went into the university I went straight to my art, missing the food,(and the food was GOOD, I ate some later, I RAN to the cookies!) It looked so weird, the design I’d made for my painting. I got to see Frankie’s office where she does her own printing and photography. I felt proud to see my artwork on the wall! It was finished and up there with artworks by other artists, real artists who spent weeks and months making their art! I felt good to see my artwork there. Mum said she thought it was cool she got to see my artwork there, too. I am happy I got to go.
Ivan’s drawing of the HB Kiwi art process:
Mel Fisk
Literacy and Numeracy Co-requisite Tasks: Week 8, Term 3
In week eight, many of our year 10 and senior students will be sitting some or all of the new co-requisite tasks in reading, writing and numeracy. These assessments will be taking place in schools all over the country, and are now the recommended pathway to the literacy and numeracy requirements for NCEA qualifications. The next sitting of these assessments is likely to take place in Term Two, 2025 with a second session towards the end of next year. We wish our students all the best in these assessments. Kia kaha!
Kate Armour & Michelle Verkaaik
Kōwhai Fan Fest: Cosplay Event for Jan 2025
Kōwhai Fan Fest Round 3 – Help Us Return For 2025! KFF is a volunteer-run, community-centric expo-style event celebrating cosplay, pop-art, performance, and more. After successful events in 2021 and 2022, we are back for round three. The following are our overarching goals for the event: – Promote local talent, businesses and beautiful Christchurch City. – Champion inclusivity, represent the diversity in our community and maintain low barriers to entry. – Grow our community, inspire our attendees, and help fans from all walks of life make real connections. We have been fundraising in collaboration with Japan Fiesta. This crowdfunding campaign will help us close the gap to fully fund our next main event: https://www.pledgeme.co.nz/projects/8036-kowhai-fan-fest-round-3-help-us-return-for-2025
We are on the hunt for the following! – Cosplayers to attend – obviously! – Passionate speakers, panelists and workshop leaders in the industry (design, arts, gaming, photography). – Performers of any kind. – Artists, makers, and creators of nerdy goods to table in our mini artist alley If you’re interested in participating in any of the above, give us a follow at @kowhaifanfest on instagram, tiktok and facebook, where we will be posting all the deets about how to get involved. We can only accept people on a volunteer basis, but we aim to make it a fun experience and collaborate with you on your goals too.
Daisy-May Hanley
Ao Tawhiti Production 2024
This year’s production is The Importance of being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. The play tells the story of two men, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, who both assume the identity of a fictional man named Ernest, leading them both to fall in love and find an assortment of problems along the way. Our wonderful cast has been working hard all year, and we’re looking forward to bringing this show to you on the 4th – 5th of October!
Further information about tickets will come to your emails soon.
Charlotte & Eva
Practice Exam Week
Students, please check the above timetable. Please note that we are not running level 1 practice exams during exam week. They will take place in class. Therefore, level 1 classes continue to run during practice exam week.
Year 12 and 13s will be on study leave during the week. Please only come to school for your exam sessions. No Level 2 or 3 classes run during practice exam week.
Year 10s or 11s who are on an NCEA Level 2 or 3 programme are allowed study leave. If you are in year 10 or 11 and have some NCEA Level 2 or 3 exams, you are allowed 2 days study leave prior to each of your exam sessions.
Please ignore the numbers in brackets.
Any questions, please let Brent or your subject teachers know as soon as possible.
Brent Silby
Climate Change Plus Course
River Clean Up
Volunteering class at Climate Action Campus
- Moved log rounds into Copper Boulder Butterfly habitat for seating
- Mulched around fruit trees
- Tended to the chickens
Rob Miceli & Anne-Marie Hampton
Spring Market at the Climate Action Campus
Medications at Kura
Please encourage your child to register any personal medications with the school office.
We have a secure medication administration process in place. When your student needs medication, at school, please chat with us. We will complete a medication form and create a plan to ensure safe storage, communication, and administration.
While it might be convenient for students to carry medications including over-the-counter medications like ibuprofen and antihistamines, we require all medications to be securely stored in the first aid room. This helps prevent accidental medication ingestion or misuse.
By following this policy, we can create a safer and healthier learning environment for all students. Thank you for your support.
If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to contact jonelle.matthews@aotawhiti.school.nz
Jonelle Matthews
Mobile Music School
Please send expressions of interest to the email address below if you would like this programme considered in 2025.
Canterbury Science Teachers Association Quiz Win!
Counsellors Corner
What is Anxiety?
Anxiety happens to everyone. It is an important response that helps keep us safe from threats. Anxiety can also be a response to the anticipation of a threat. It is the name for a way of feeling and behaving, not a diagnosis of mental illness.
For some people, anxiety can start to affect them so badly that it dominates their life and gets in the way of them going to school or doing other activities.
It is important that we support young people to learn strategies to cope with anxious feelings. Having coping strategies helps us to be the boss of anxiety and not the other way around. Coping strategies are most effective when kids/young people practise the strategies at home and at school. If your young person is experiencing anxiety, building a partnership between home and school is very important.
Anxiety and Exam Stress
With the end of the year and NCEA exams and assessments approaching fast many senior students experience increased stress and anxiety. Building in some structure and routines for study is a great way to manage increased demands. Mapping out the number of weeks until the exams and what tasks are due can be a helpful way to reduce stress. Good sleep routines and nourishing food also help with stressed brains as does regular movement and activity especially outside in the sunshine.
Maintaining a connection with routines and coming into school regularly is also an important part of supporting young people to manage their anxiety. The counselling team here at Ao Tawhiti are available to support young people as they navigate challenges and develop coping strategies.
Signs of Anxiety
- Clinginess and problems with separation
- Constantly seeking reassurance
- Irritability, lashing out or screaming when asked to do something
- Being tearful or worried
- Difficulty going to school, being late for school
- Reluctance to speak, withdrawal because of fear, running away, freezing
- Ongoing sore stomach, nausea, headaches (where there is no medical cause)
- Increased toileting, sweaty hands, feeling out of breath, racing heart
- Poor sleep
Helping Your Child with Anxiety
- Headphones with soothing music
- Going outside/fun movement/activity
- Belly breathing, 478 breathing, 54321 grounding activity
- Use positive self-talk, e.g. “Feelings pass. I am going to be OK.”
- Make a plan
- Talk to your young person’s Home Base teacher, School Counsellor or Mental Health Nurse
- Celebrate moments of success when your child stands up to anxiety
Some helpful links:
https://www.healthinfo.org.nz/index.htm?helping-my-child-with-anxiety.htm
http://Grounding 5,4,3,2,1 Method
https://sparklers.org.nz/activities/glitter-timers/
If you would like to discuss concerns about your young person’s anxiety you can contact one of our team for more information or support.
Bridget Scott, Counsellor, MNZAC Level 2, ph/txt 027 829 4485 bridget.scott@aotawhiti.school.nz
Miriam Denney, Counsellor, MNZAC Level 4, ph/txt 021 795 309 miriam.denney@aotawhiti.school.nz
Susan Ayson, Registered Nurse, Mental Health Advisor, ph/txt 021 916 067 susan.ayson@aotawhiti.school.nz
Thriving Minds Conference
The Thriving Minds Conference was held this week. Thriving Minds provides talented students with the tools necessary to cultivate critical thinking, analyse complex problems, and innovate. Here is our very own Rhys Lewis (year 12) speaking at the conference.
Brent Silby
Yr7-13 Project class in Yellow
Once again the project class has been popular. This Term Libby and myself(Craig) are having a great time supporting students as they turn their passions and ideas into projects. There are loads of things on the go. These photographs capture just a few things including, Cooking AI generated recipes, making clanimals to sell at an upcoming Market, Beanie knitting, prototyping a multitool and video game development.
Craig Perry & Libby Boyd
Visions Unveiled
On August 1st, Ao Tawhiti had its very first Visions Unveiled, a Wearable Art and Cosplay event at Tūranga. It was simply a brilliant night! The Ao Tawhiti community loved sharing in all the creativity and witnessing the kaha and determination of our students. Students who used imagination, problem solving, time management, collaboration, and creativity! Students who sew, construct, and create.
The beautiful Visions Unveiled outfits stunned us all! I feel very proud of the students and their whānau and look forward to continuing this event in 2025! Thank you to all of those who supported us!
Jenny Ward
Smart Christchurch Innovation Expo
We’re excited to announce that the Smart Christchurch Innovation Expo is back for 2024.
If you’re new to this annual Christchurch City Council initiative, it’s a showcase of our thriving innovation ecosystem, with interactive exhibits, workshops, and speaking sessions – led by inspiring local and international innovators.
The two-day expo is a free event at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre on Friday 27 and Saturday 28 September, from 9am to 5pm.
Discover a future full of possibilities
We’d love for your school to be part of this event to see the latest innovations, and to learn how innovative solutions and approaches are shaping our future. On Friday 27 September we have an education focus, with the theme ‘Inspire Tomorrow’s Innovators’.
The Innovation Expo will energise and inspire both your students and teachers with new ideas, innovative solutions, and hands-on experiences. This event offers an opportunity to fuel the curiosity and passion of your students and teachers, while providing insights into potential career paths and opportunities for our rangatahi. Check out the 2023 highlights.
Discover Innovation: School Experience (limited spaces)
We’re running a programme for school groups, pitched for Year 7–10 students.This is a fantastic opportunity to inspire and foster innovation among your students.
Included in the three-hour (approx.) experience are bespoke workshops – one facilitated by Inspiring the Future Aotearoa and the other led by a leading innovator. You’ll also be supported by our event crew with guidance throughout the experience.
Matt Parkes
Ao Tawhiti at the Climate Action Campus Ōtautahi
This term we have enjoyed having our regular Ao Tawhiti tamariki visiting the CAC and getting up to all sorts of different things.
We have had students repairing and setting up Emerald Lodge again in the chicken whare. They are VERY pleased with it and it is now one of their favourite spots to lay eggs. (Remember that you can purchase eggs from us, $10 a dozen and $5 for ½).
Our bikes have been getting lots of use from year 5 and 6 students as well as the Hapori group that come each Tuesday.
Taking advantage of goodies found at the Trash to Treasure, some tamariki have converted an old buoy into a great tree swing. This has been a big hit with children of all ages who visit the campus.
Thank you to Simon for supporting the building of chicken entertainment ideas from Ethan, Eva, Ivan and Sophia and Oliver.
Moa homebase have created some delicious pumpkin pies with pumpkins and zukamo grown on the campus earlier in the year. We are however short on a few items of kitchen equipment. If anyone has any muffin trays they would like to donate we will be very grateful!
Our water collection system is underway with Nehemiah working closely with Will Robinson and a few younger participants to utilise the funding from Woolworths to build this at our Boulder Copper Butterfly and skink habitat.
Our Friday volunteers have been hugely supportive with their time and mahi moving log rounds for seating, mulching the food forest, weeding the herb garden and sorting and delivering recycling on our new cargo bike donated by Julie. d.
Seed sowing is well underway- thank you Clay and Lachlan, our work experience AoT students, for all your mahi helping Sandi with this on Fridays.
Our chickens have all received names from Ao Tawhiti students this term- ranging from Chuck Norris to Sunny to Bruce the Beloved (named after the seniors mascot Bruce the Zukamo who has quite a following on Instagram). Other hei hei now go by the names of Nora the Eggsplorer, Olive, Maeve and Florence. All the chickens can be identified by their colourful leg rings- you will find signs with their names written on attached to the chicken enclosure when you visit the campus.
The Mātauranga Ngahere group is chipping away at their bike track and rongoa garden. They have almost a ⅓ of the track created already.
One of the highlights of the term so far has been the 678Climate students work coordinating a PJ Day and Can Drive to support Delta Food Services, based on Campus. A huge thank you to everyone who contributed food for this. The can drive was a huge success and Delta are so appreciative of your support. Our students worked really hard to organise this and they couldn’t have done it without you. This mahi was part of a Level 2 Social Studies assessment they have been working on.
We continue to host free Community Courses most weekends. Hop on to our facebook page to see what ones we have coming up. We love being able to provide education opportunities for the whole whānau, not just the children.
Looking forward to Spring we are delighted to host our annual Spring Market again on the 12th October. We have a number of student stalls booked in by Ao Tawhiti students and home bases as well as over 60 local artisan, sustainable businesses. We would love for you to join us on the day.
Requests:
We require any of the following for our sewing room:
Table lamps, haberdashery items eg domes, buttons, zips, thread etc and for the kitchen muffin tins.
Climate Action Campus Ōtautahi team
Debate Team 2024
Ao Tawhiti has junior and senior debaters who meet after school on Wednesdays to practice argumentative skills and have mock debates. Twice a term the teams participate in an inter-school competition where they debate topics such as nuclear power, drinking from the fountain of knowledge, reality TV shows and the Olympics. The competition is over this year, and we’ve had a few wins and a few losses. We’re always looking for more team members keen to hone their public speaking skills and their ability to think on the spot.
Kate/Benjamin/Stephen
AOT & NZIS Coaching/Leadership Course
This is an exciting opportunity for students in Y10-13 to participate in a Sports Coaching/Leadership course run by the NZ Institute of Sport. This is an exciting course all about coaching! Students learn to create coaching sessions to meet the needs of clients, make ethical decisions, and develop and apply strategies for coach and athlete protection. They also learn to demonstrate and apply knowledge of rules and regulations as a coach in a selected sport.
Anne-Marie Hampton
Noho Marae August 2024
Te Runanga o Waihao is in the Canterbury plains close to the coast and near the Waihao River. The weather was spectacular for the 16 ākonga, 3 māmā, 1 pāpā and 2 Kaiako and 1 mokopuna who spent 4 days and 3 nights learning and being together on the marae.
During the noho Kandace taught us some things about rongoā and we went on a hikoi to find some medicinal plants. We visited Kelseys Bush, a scenic reserve close to Waimate and had a cool time exploring the reserve and enjoying the scenery and waterfall. It wasn’t so nice for one of us who fell over in the freezing stream though.
Those who wanted to had an opportunity to do some carving into rock, led by Marz who had brought her rock collecting and carving equipment. We also visited Te Ana Maori Rock Art Centre in Timaru and learned a lot about the Maori rock art in the area and other traditional Maori art forms.
It was a very special noho for those lucky to go. Taylah did an awesome job of organising this noho and the ākonga, whānau and Marz made the experience so welcoming and warm.
Libby Boyd
HB Eastern Moa
There’s been a lot going on in HB Eastern Moa.
We’ve had trips around the city to places like the Botanic Gardens and Turanga. We’ve been regularly to the CAC where we’ve baked, sewed, and built various things like chicken coops and watering systems; we’ve mulched, weeded, and picked up rubbish; we’ve swung, biked, climbed trees, played games and all the rest. We hope to have our Climate Champion Passports completed before the year ends. Our time in nature is important to us!
We often run workshops to share our knowledge with others – we show lots of whanaungatanga. Some of our HB tamariki showed kaha in representing Ao Tawhiti in the Primary Schools’ chess tournament. We’ve investigated physics, made costumes, met an Olympian, explored dance, done weaving, created sculptures, and crafted a whole new galaxy of planets (and their inhabitants) that we found after we’d travelled through a worm-hole in deep space….
It’s been a great big adventure and it’s not over yet!
Suze Keys
Other Notices
