Strata Issue 31

STRATA

Issue 31 December 2016

The ACG Strathallan Magazine

Young Designers Scoop Awards Every year our students excel at the Young Designer Awards (YDA) and this year is no exception, with nine students being awarded first or second place in their category. YDA is a major national design competition for secondary and intermediate school students throughout New Zealand which provides a great opportunity to celebrate the success of our young designers at a national level.

Students are encouraged to explore their creativity through independent learning. Design and Technology teacher, Michelle Le Vesconte, credits the high calibre of students that we have at Strathallan and their self-motivation for this success. “The students display high levels of enthusiasm and have a real passion for the creative arts,” she says. “The standard of work and level of achievement is something that both students and staff take pride in.”

Our award winners are: Matt Penney Y13, 1st Place Photography (Senior) Monique Joyce Y13, 2nd equal Photography (Senior) Scarlett Stapleton Y13, 2nd equal Photography (Senior) Stephanie Marshall Y13, 1st Place Furniture Design (Senior) Jayna Patel Y11 1st Place, Lighting Design (Intermediate) and 2nd Place, 2D Drawing and Painting (Intermediate) Gemma Bishop Y7, 1st Place Wearable Arts (Junior)

“Art is not what you see, but what you make others see.” - Edgar Degas Page 1

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2016 Sports Awards

Winter Tournament

You only have to look at the sports represented at our 2016 Sports Awards evening to see how much sport has grown at ACG Strathallan. From Orienteering and Rowing to Cycling and Gymnastics, ACG Strathallan offers a range of sporting opportunities for our students, many of whom compete not just in local competitions, but also at national and even international level. The awards evening celebrates the sporting achievements of our students and acknowledges the incredible support from our coaches and managers. This year, we were fortunate to welcome airline pilot, Everest mountaineer, adventurer and extreme marathoner, Mike Allsop, as our guest speaker for the evening. Mike inspired us all with tales of his adventures and shared his philosophy that we can all achieve our dreams and ambitions by overcoming the fear of failure and breaking each goal into a series of smaller steps. If you believe you can, you will.

For five years now, ACG Strathallan sports teams have been representing the school well in the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ winter tournament. This year we sent four teams away to various venues across the North Island.

Regional Team of the Year: ACG Strathallan Boys 2nd XI Hockey team

Junior All Rounder of the Year Award: Elizabeth Murphy

Gareth Hall, Lachlan Davidge, Chris Ewart, Jitesh Patel, Mathew Shields, Charlie Deng, Sam Davidge, Viraj Patel, Ronan Ross, Bronson Clark, Thomas Hancock, William Cornish, William Young, Rowen Cropper, Ben Wilson

Season highlights:

Season highlights: Winners of the 2016 Counties Manukau Hockey Boys B-grade Championship; qualifiers for the 2nd round A-grade competition in Counties Manukau; season statistics - played 13 games, won 10, drew 2 and lost 1.

Bronze medallist at NZ Juniors 200m Individual Medley and placed 4th in 200m breaststroke, 5th in 100m fly, 5th in 100m breaststroke and 10th in 50m fly; Year 8 College Champion in Swimming and Athletics, breaking five long-standing College Year 8 swimming records and two records at Counties Zone Swimming; placed second in the Franklin Triathlon for 11-year-old girls; Captain of ACG Strathallan Gold Netball Team, Captain of Runciman Tennis Club Gold Team and Captain of Fulton Amateur Swim Team.

Senior All Rounder of the Year Award: Riley Fromont

Premier Team of the Year: Senior Boys Orienteering Team Matthew Whyte, Ian Laing, Riley Fromont, Ethan Nelson Season highlights: The first Orienteering team to represent ACG Strathallan at both North Island and NZ Secondary schools champs, placing 4th at the NISS Orienteering Champs in the team relay event and placing 11th at the NZSS Orienteering Champs.

Season highlights: Assistant coach of U15 and U17 Basketball teams; Captain and Most Valuable Player for U19 ACG Strathallan College team and Franklin basketball representative team; member of the ACG Strathallan Senior Boys Orienteering team placing 4th at the NISS Champs, competing at the NZ Secondary Schools Champs and selected to attend the NZ Orienteering Junior Camps in December; Runnerup 2016 Snr Boys Athletics and Snr Boys Swimming Championships; current holder of the Snr Boys Triple Jump and Snr Boys High Jump records at ACG Strathallan.

Junior Sportsperson of the Year: Ella Chitty Season highlights: Awarded silver medal for All round Level 6 in both the Auckland Secondary School Gymnastics Competition and the NZ Secondary School Gymnastics Competition; placed 1st All round in all her club and regional competitions and has gained numerous 1st, 2nd and 3rd placings in her apparatus finals; named AucklandManukau Champion for the fourth year.

Sportsperson of the Year: Grace Schroder Season highlights: Achieved a Silver medal at the New Zealand Secondary School Champs Rhythmic Gymnastics (International) and at the Auckland Secondary School Champs Rhythmic Gymnastics (International) she achieved a Gold; achieved Gold at the Pacific Rim RG Trial in Auckland and again at the Extreme Champs, Auckland; represented New Zealand at the Sofia World Cup Junior Division, Bulgaria and Emerald Cup, Greece; at the Pacific Rim Champs held in Washington State USA she achieved a 9th overall position.

“Gold medals aren’t really made of gold. They’re made of sweat, determination, and guts.” – Dan Gable Page 2

The ACG Strathallan 1st XI boys’ hockey team took part in the Founders Cup competition in Masterton. The team was put in a very strong pool but their tremendous determination throughout the week saw them score three wins, two draws, and one loss, finishing ninth out of 16 teams - a very good result.

Captain, Tate Henley, was named ACG Strathallan player of the week and also scored the third most goals (7) of all players at the tournament. Team coach, Hugo Fourie, had high praise for the efforts of the boys throughout the week: “Both on and off the turf, our team was complimented for their behaviour as well as their high level of sportsmanship. As coach I could not be more proud of this team.”

Meanwhile, our girls’ premier netball team stayed closer to home, camping out at Waiau Pa and spending their days on court at the Papakura Netball Centre with more than 120 other upper North Island teams. Playing ten games in five days made it an exhausting week for the squad, but their indomitable team spirit saw them retain their smiles and the local advantage meant that the girls received lots of support from family and friends. Unfortunately, this tournament was the last for co-captains Julia Nicholson and Kate Hurst (Player of the Team), however, the week’s performances showed that there is real hope for this team to continue to grow and strengthen in years to come.

The 1st XI boys’ football team travelled to Taupo where they faced some tough competition from the 32 teams competing in the Rex Dawkins competition.

With powerhouses such as Christ’s College and Lindisfarne, it was always going to be a challenging week. Despite this, the boys demonstrated tremendous spirit and remained committed and focussed throughout. Team manager, David Lowe, commended the boys on their “fortitude and resilience which was of the highest order” and while acknowledging how well the squad have performed as a team all year, “many of the younger players in the squad exhibited levels of skill, technique and physical maturity that will serve the College well on the field in years to come.”

Our 1st XI girls’ football team were just up the road in Rotorua. The girls competed well throughout the week and showed tremendous sportsmanship and camaraderie, remaining positive and energised during some very close games. One highlight of the week was the naming of Sara-Jane Moore as Most Valuable Player of the tournament. But the other highlight had to be the final game against arch-rivals Papakura High where the team came from being 2-1 down to winning 5-1, scoring three of those final goals in a staggering three minutes.

Of course, none of these experiences are possible without the support of parents, coaches and managers who work tirelessly behind and in front of the scenes to make sure the students are fed, transported, cared for, mended and supported. It is thanks to them that tournament week has become and will continue to be such an integral part of our sporting calendar.

“You can’t put a limit on anything. The more you dream, the farther you get.” – Michael Phelps Page 3

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World Challenge — Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands It was 18 months in the planning but finally in the July holidays, 16 students, two teachers and one World Challenge leader left Auckland for Ecuador and the Galápagos Islands to take part in our third World Challenge expedition. The team spent three weeks exploring this amazing part of the world, challenging themselves physically and personally while at the same time developing a raft of skills and improving their Spanish language.

The group flew into Quito, Ecuador and spent a few days acclimatising, including a visit to the equator, before embarking on the first ‘phase’ of the expedition, a challenging five-day trek through the Andes and ascent of the dormant volcano Mt Chimborazo.

Oliver: The hardest part would have to have been the trek phase, and the climbing of Mount Chimborazo. At 6310m it’s the highest peak in the world if you measure from the centre of the Earth. We climbed up to 5000m above sea level over a period of five days and it was an amazing accomplishment.

Shivana: The challenge was more than any of us had expected and at times required a lot of inner strength. Dealing with the difficult terrain and lack of oxygen pushed us to our limits but it was well worth it.

Ben: It would be one of the most challenging things I’ve done. The physical conditions were tough - it was really windy and on one day you couldn’t even see in front of you. Walking at altitude also meant loss of breath and headaches but Ian and I managed to climb to 5200m which was a great achievement.

Phase two of the expedition was the Community project, for many the most satisfying part of the journey as this was an opportunity to really experience Ecuador’s vibrant culture and to connect with its people. The team worked with the people of Guanabana, becoming part of the community, and were able to contribute the $2000 they had fundraised themselves towards much-needed building materials and resources for the local people.

Julia: The community project was fantastic as we were fortunate enough to be the first team to work in the Guanabana community. They were so hospitable and all got involved in our work which included painting the school and church and building a community kitchen.

“A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions.” – Oliver Wendell Holmes Page 4

Hannah: For me the personal highlight of the trip was helping the community and learning their way of doing things, and interacting with all the kids was such an amazing experience.

Oliver: Playing football against the children (with them winning of course!) was one of my favourite experiences on the trip!

The final ‘rest and relaxation’ phase was perhaps the most anticipated – exploring the Galápagos Islands. The team were able to visit two islands, San Cristobal and Isabela, where they learned about current conservation projects, visited the Charles Darwin breeding centre and snorkelled.

Julia: The Galápagos Islands was the best ‘R and R’ phase a team could wish for! Everything was organised for us which gave us a real break after all of our hard work, and the sights and scenes of the beautiful islands were truly unforgettable!

We were so lucky!!

Hannah: The most amazing part of the trip was definitely the Galápagos islands where we snorkelled with seals, sting rays and turtles.

Ben: The Galápagos Islands were amazing. We had established such good friendships so it was fun to go out for walks and bike rides together and discover lizards and seals in the middle of the road!

The team returned to New Zealand elated and exhausted and all agreeing that this was the trip of a lifetime.

Oliver: The World Challenge trip was truly the most amazing experience of my life, so far. From the pre-departure planning and training to the final rest and relaxation phase on the beautiful Galápagos Islands, the entire adventure was simply breath-taking and is something I will never forget Mckenzie: I survived nearly a month away from the comforts of home without the privileges of hot running water and the use of a cellphone. But I realised that we were all able to adapt to the lack of technology just like the Galápagos Island Finch has adapted its beak to survive in its natural environment.

The expedition has given all the students who attended a new skill-set ­– resilience, empathy, leadership and the confidence to take on the world. As Hannah says, “I have achieved so much on this trip and pushed myself beyond my limits. The whole trip was an experience that I will never forget and will cherish forever.”

“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” – Henry Miller Page 5

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STRATA A theme of tutor group sessions and assemblies at ACG Strathallan is Positive Education. This is a strand of Positive Psychology that promotes resilience, optimism and a sense of purpose through being mindful and by finding meaning in everything we do. In writing this article I acknowledge the material supplied by ‘The Learning Curve’ who provide the content for our Student Handbooks.

Dr Barbara Fredrickson has written a number of books based on her research into positive emotions. She tells us that it is the frequency of positive emotions, not their intensity, which builds our wellbeing. When we educate our students about the amazing benefits of adopting an optimistic outlook on their lives they are far more likely to achieve what they set out to do. The trick for teachers is to provide some tools for students to use in order to be positive and stay optimistic.

This is an example of one such tool which uses a simple mnemonic MARBLES.

M

O for Olympics The Olympic Games provided plenty of learning opportunities for our senior preschool students this semester. It all began with some discussions about healthy eating and healthy bodies. The children were interested to learn how the food choices we make can make a difference to how our bodies work. This led to some stimulating learning about the different functions of our bodily organs. Harold the Giraffe was even brought in to help out, teaching the children about what our organs do. The students were fascinated to learn that the heart pumps blood around the body, our lungs help us breathe and our stomach digests food. Students then had to reach inside a mystery bag of ‘organs’ and place these in the correct place on the outline of the human body. According to preschool manager, Rosie Wells, “the children have become quite knowledgeable about the functions and names of the body parts as they had been learning about them at group times which are a great opportunity for extending on topical knowledge.”

To make their learning more topical, links were then made to the Olympic Games where healthy eating and healthy bodies resulted in some very welcome medals for our New Zealand athletes. The children had fun participating in many Olympic events and activities such as hurdles, shotput, beam and weightlifting, and even took part in a soccer coaching session led by preschool parent Hudson Dahlberg, with the children competing for different countries. Nutrition, Biology, Physical Education… there is lots of learning happening at our preschool.

Metacognition

recognising when you need to change the way you are thinking

A Attitude R Respect BL Body Language E Effort S Smile

having can-do, want-to and growth mindsets

believing you and other people matter

being mindful of how you are seen by others

building your efforts to overcome challenges

living your day with a happy smiling face

The letters are a reminder to students. If they focus on each one frequently they will strengthen neurological pathways that bring about habits that create an upward spiral in their lives.

Other tools that help students to develop a positive approach to life and enhance their wellbeing are introduced through the programmes at ACG Strathallan. If you are a student or a parent, simply take a close look at the student handbook to find out more or go to learningcurve.com.au.

Robin Kirkham, Executive Principal

ACG Strathallan, Hayfield Way, RD1, Papakura, New Zealand 09 295 0830 | strathallan@acgedu.com acgedu.com

“To the uneducated, an A is just three sticks.” – A.A. Milne Page 6

“Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see a shadow.” – Helen Keller Page 7

ACG Strathallan thanks Giltrap Volkswagen for their generous support of our Equestrian Team

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