4 minute read
Kristin School
A team of Kristin students recently won the New Zealand Secondary School Case Competition, a business competition requiring students to develop and present a solution to a global business issue. Each team was given ten minutes to present their solution, followed by a ten minute question and answer session with the judges. Students were assessed on the practicality, creativity, presentation, quality of their answers, knowledge of business, and integration of awareness on ongoing economic trends into the proposed business solution.
Forty teams from New Zealand secondary schools competed, and Kristin’s team of three students, Helen Jeong, Isabella He and Katrina Huang, were one of the five teams who won the first place in the preliminary round, before competing in the finals and winning the National Championship. 2022's case study was on Les Mills International, and our students were assigned an 18-page Les Mills International Business Report to identify further direction of the company (omni-channel or niche) and post-pandemic strategy with reasonable return on investment. They presented a comprehensive target consumer segmentation strategy (to widen the spend of income-generating population for children and parents) with details embedded on current Les Mills programmes, as well as high-end branding with flagship stores in countries with growing post-pandemic economy and GDP.
The competition was judged by Chief Executive Director of Les Mills International, the New Zealand Head of Marketing, and the Merchandise Planning Manager of Bunnings – who were very impressed with Kristin’s presentation. Congratulations team!
Phillip Mills, Executive Director of Les Mills International with Kristin’s winning team, Helen Jeong, Katrina Huang, and Isabella He.
Sarah Wakeford, Azaria Eddy and Anna Harrison (our Enviroschool facilitator) next to our newly updated Enviroschools sign. Azaria Eddy, foundation member of Kristin’s Council of Sustainability, and Enviroschool champion.
Senior School students take a tour in the Junior School garden, planting our winter veggies together. Enviroschools Reflection Team mulching Kristin’s gardens.
Kristin becomes a Green-Gold Enviroschool
Green became golden, when on 6th July 2022 Kristin School was officially recognised as a Green-Gold Enviroschool. The five guiding principles of sustainable communities, empowered students, learning for sustainability, Māori perspectives, and a respect for diversity, are now embedded throughout Kristin.
Kristin’s journey towards Green-Gold Enviroschool status began in 2019, when a dedicated student-led team of 30 students from our Junior, Middle and Senior schools, led by now Year 13 student, Azaria Eddy, a foundation member of the Council of Sustainability, embarked on our Bronze Enviroschool reflection. Azaria says “From this experience it has been remarkable to witness a schoolwide commitment to make these changes and to continue to do so, honouring sustainability across all levels of Kristin School”. Azaria has driven many initiatives, surveyed students and staff, and promoted understanding of Enviroschools at Kristin. Her efforts have been central to our Green-Gold success.
In 2020, we undertook a “Tread Lightly” campaign, where Kristin whānau raised the funds for solar panels and rainwater harvesting tanks for Tūrama, our new undercover court building. This success was followed by the creation of a NCEA Year 12 and 13 environmental science course, with students pursuing a range of sustainability projects, including a successful pest control programme. Annual waste audits from the Dr Jane Goodall ‘Roots and Shoots’ waste team led to a proposal to invest in a composting system. Over 70% of Kristin’s waste is now compostable, and we now have “We Compost” bins helping to divert this from landfill. Other notable projects include an EKOS Carbon Report, new climate action and the successful social enterprises being developed by our Make a Difference team and Young Enterprise students.
A special part of our Enviroschool journey lies in our growth in the guiding principle of Māori Perspectives, and Kristin’s students and staff are experiencing the true value of these connections. Our connection with Te Herenga Waka O Orewa, our local mana whenua, is helping us feel a sense of whanaungatanga to our place. Students from our Bicultural Leadership Team and Year 8 and Year 9 Tikanga courses, recently led a moving powhiri (named Powhiri ki te Rōpu Ngā Kura Kaitiaki) as we officially welcomed four members of the Auckland Council Sustainable Schools team onto our school grounds as part of the reflection day.
Our reflection day was not just about celebrating what we have achieved, it has also helped us see where there is room to grow. Some exciting new goals have emerged, including the desire to plan for a future school farm, a school marae, fully electric bus transport, 100% waste free lunches, more ‘buddy’ systems, the ambition to plant 10,000 trees a year and lots more!
The Enviroschools kaupapa is about creating a healthy, peaceful, sustainable world, through teaching and learning together. We are proud of our achievements, but also where our new sustainability initiatives will take us. “He waka eke noa” - We are all in this together!
Sarah Wakeford
Service Learning Coordinator, Kristin School
