Commerce

At the start of the year, we welcomed two new teachers to the department; Grace Love in Economics and Business Studies and Jan Campbell in Accounting. We also welcomed back Dianne Purcell to Programming and Digital Technology.

Despite another year affected by Covid-19, we were fortunate enough to be able to include trips to Chelsea Sugar Refinery and the Waihi Goldmine for our Economics students, and for our Business Studies students to take part in market days at the school, in Browns Bay, in Takapuna, and in Coatesville.

Year 9 and 10 BEC

During Term 2, the Year 10s enjoyed learning about the decisions the Government makes in regards to taxation and spending. With the annual budget being announced in May, the timing of the topic led to some very heated discussions.

Our Year 9 students got a good taste of our three commerce subjects this year. Financial capability was also a popular part of the course. Students explored the concepts of income, spending, borrowing, and budgeting. Searching for a flat on Trade Me and budgeting for living costs was an enjoyable project for students.

Year 9 DGT

The Year 9 Digital Technology course is into its second year and students continue to develop creative digital outcomes such as animations and digital infographics inspired by the context of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. We have been pushing ahead learning and acquiring new capabilities using the BBC Micro:bits. Inspired by the challenges brought about by Covid-19 and social distancing, students developed programs on the Micro:bits to warn each other when they got too close to each other using Bluetooth signals. Year 10 students have been further developing their understanding of computational thinking while learning to code in JavaScript to create interactive quizzes. They have also been channelling their creativity into designing their own games through industry standard software.

Accounting

As well as reporting financial information for a sole trader, our Year 11 students covered personal financial decision making. They spent time planning for a skiing holiday at two NZ destinations— researching their costs, preparing a cash budget, and using financial and non-financial information to make an informed decision about which holiday option to choose.

Year 12 students learnt to use Xero accounting software to set up an accounting system, record transactions, and generate financial reports for a fictional business. Xero was also used to illustrate the accounts receivable and inventory subsystems, and how an accounting system can be used to manage these vital parts of a business operation.

Our Year 13 students focused on partnership, job cost, company, and management accounting. They also examined the profitability, liquidity, cash management, and share market performance of Restaurant Brands. They factored in the current and possible future economic environment, and then made an investment recommendation regarding shares in Restaurant Brands.

Business Studies

Students in Business Studies continue to have opportunities to develop their academic and business abilities. The Year 13 Business Activity, which is run over three months, has had some phenomenal products this year, including personal alarm kits for shift workers, at-home make your own bubble tea kits, reading glass cleaning kits, and fidget jewellery, specifically designed for individuals with ADHD.

Year 11 and 12 students put their manufacturing, sales, and marketing skills to the test in market days. Year 11 students rose early on a sunny Saturday to offer refreshments to football and rugby fans at the school, while Year 12 students sold at local community markets. Successful products included candles, dog treats, cheeseboards, wax wraps, and jewellery. Students have also interviewed friends and family on marketing, motivation, and recruitment in order to gain a deeper understanding of how businesses conduct themselves. This has allowed students to have practical knowledge of how businesses can prepare in the ever-changing commercial landscape of the future.

2021 has been another fascinating year for the New Zealand economy with a particular focus on its economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and, as a result, our senior Economics students have enjoyed some fanastic discussions.

The year commenced with a day trip to the Oceana Gold Mine in Waihi for our Year 13 students. The purpose of the trip was to learn about gold production and its negative side effects on the surrounding town of Waihi. Seeing the open-cast mine was a highlight for students and they were able to collect valuable information for their internal assessment on market failure.

A highlight of the year for our Year 11 students was a trip to the Chelsea Sugar Refinery during Term 1. Here we explored the concept of interdependence, observing how Chelsea has mutual reliance with all sectors of the economy.

In June, the University of Auckland Economics Competition was sat by some of our senior students. Dino Trieu, Samuel Wong, Jasmine Jared, Daniel Gover, Oliver Zhang, Richard Li, Ella Lin, Ethan Quach, Jinju Schwarz, and Youngju Jung all received High Distinction awards, placing them in the top 10% of participants across the country.

Additionally, Jasmine Jared of Year 12 was selected for the team to represent New Zealand at the International Economics Olympiad. Only 5 students were selected for the team and Jasmine was the only female and Year 12 student to be selected. Covid-19 meant that the team could not travel to Latvia and instead got up at midnight each day for 5 days to take part. The Olympiad concluded on 1st August and New Zealand came in 9th position out of a total of 44 nations.

ICT & Programming

This is the first year for our new Level 1 Digital Technology course where students have had the opportunity to explore a wide range of skills and knowledge in multimedia and programming. Earlier in the year they developed elegantly designed websites, followed by programs written in Python. They then followed their preferred specialised pathway in Digital Technology.

Senior ICT students have had the opportunity to explore a wider range of multimedia projects including 3D modelling of industrial design concepts, such as a design for solar powered car. Year 12 programming students this year have been learning computer security and encryption. During the year they were given the opportunity to set up their own local networks to enable multiple players to host connect to community games.

Our Level 3 students have been learning about formal languages, network communication protocols, and big data. We had a range of senior students participate in the NZ Informatics competition. One of our Year 13 students came third while one of our Year 12 students was selected as one of the team to represent NZ in the International Olympiad in Informatics.