EDUCATION: WESTLAKE GIRLS
Creative writer wins with futuristic tale of gene-editing Whoever developed the left-brain, right-brain theory clearly hasn’t met 15-year-old Sydney Brandolino. The Year 11 student has plans to study neuroscience, but it’s the creative side of her brain that has won her accolades in recent times. Sydney has had her original story It’s Only Natural – about geneedited children – included in the Young New Zealand Writers 2021 Anthology, following her success in the Write Off Line competition. Her work was one of a handful of original stories selected from more than 700 entries across 100 New Zealand schools. “I’ve done a few other small competitions, but this was my first big win, so it’s definitely a bit of an encouragement,” she says. “My mum told me about the competition, and I thought it would be fun to give it a try.” Sydney already had a story idea brewing, which luckily fitted the prompt. It was while riding the bus that It’s Only Natural started to form. “The story takes place in a world where almost every child is
gene edited, and the ones who aren’t often work as labourers. The richer you are, the better gene editing you can afford, and the smarter and prettier your kids will be. The protagonist, Cris, is a (somehow) switched-on gene-edited kid, and the first gene-edited student at her prep school. The story follows her Sydney Brandolino. running away with her best friend, Alma, after they’re falsely accused of murder.” Sydney is Deputy Editor-In-Chief of Westlake’s Parallax literary and arts journal, after joining the creative team as a foundation member in 2019. While she is planning on a career in neurochemistry or neuroscience, she wants to continue writing as a hobby.
Westlake introduces Māori translation into its logo We are delighted to announce that WGHS has officially adapted its logo to incorporate a Māori translation. Te Kura Tuarua o ngā Taitamawāhine o Ururoto translates to Westlake Girls High School, and aligns to Westlake Boys, which uses Te Kura Tuarua o ngā Taitamatāne o Ururoto. Our wider Westlake community was involved in the change, led by Mātua Eddie Hudson. The logo incorporates a more formal title than had previously been used when referring to Westlake Girls in Māori. “We moved from Te Kura Tuarua Kōtiro o Ururoto which was commonly used, and formalised words such as ‘Kōtiro’ which means girls,” says Eddie. “Instead, we settled on ‘Taitamawāhine’ which addresses our students more formally as young women.” The logo, in vertical and horizontal formats, is being rolled out as collateral is updated across the school.
Open Night Tuesday 27 July 2021 4pm and 6pm WESTLAKE GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL 2 Wairau Road, Takapuna For more information visit westlakegirls.school.nz/open-night
88
Issue 121 - July 2021 www.channelmag.co.nz
