TEEN PICKS

Honour Mitchell: Teen Picks Ponsonby picnic and hang out spots

Summer, ahhhhh, and with daylight saving well underway think long, sunny evenings and lazy weekends relaxing outdoors.

And so many gorgeous green havens, sandy nooks and glorious views to take advantage of right here in Ponsonby. Whether out picnicking with friends, taking a walk, or on the hunt for a place to clear your mind, there are oodles of places to choose from!

I will share just five of my favourites:

1. Herne Bay beaches - these beaches, dotted along the shoreline of Herne Bay, can be found at the end of Herne Bay Road, Cremorne Street, Wallace Street, Sentinel Road and Hamilton Road. There is an excellent range to choose from, but my ultimate favourite is Herne Bay Road beach. I’ve been going there since I was two. Sitting on this gorgeous little patch of sand with the sun setting and a parcel of fish & chips is like living the Kiwi dream. Normally the beach is not too crowded but at some points in the summer you will find quite a few visitors paddle boarding, taking a refreshing dip in the sea or sharing a delicious picnic with family and friends. Nevertheless, there’s always room for locals and anyone dropping into the neighbourhood.

2. Brown’s Reserve - located on Brown Street, just a stone’s throw from the amazing Ponsonby Central, is a petite park with lush greens, lots of seating and a couple of swings. My friends and I have found this to be an ideal place for a weekend lunch picnic after a busy morning shopping. Just pick up some delights from Ponsonby Central and eat them in the quiet comfort of a relaxing, natural setting.

3. Salisbury Reserve - located at the end of Salisbury Street in Herne Bay, is a green paradise. Growing up next door to Salisbury Reserve has meant it’s like an extension of my backyard. It is huge with loads of space for different activities. Over the years it has provided me with a perfect little kid’s playground, trees to climb, a safe place to ride my scooter and bike and roomy spaces for school picnics and birthday celebrations. And now the more private areas offer a secluded zone to have a picnic with friends or read a book. It is also home to Auckland’s main Petanque club, which can be rented out for functions. I am so lucky to have such a diverse, beautiful park over my fence.

4. Westhaven Marina - located at the end of Curran Street in Ponsonby, is a fantastic waterfront park and a path with seating, which also doubles as the beginning of a walking track that meanders around the marina. Looking out towards the water you can see the Harbour Bridge close up, and in the distance the charming Chelsea Sugar Refinery resplendent in tones of dusky pink, (a perfect accessory to the sunset!). It is a lovely calming view which can be enjoyed from dawn to dusk. Come down here for an early run or bike ride, perhaps a nice evening stroll, maybe a bit of ‘me’ time, or even some fishing. And if you come at night to watch the sunset, when the sky has darkened the bridge lights up in pretty colours!

5. Cox’s Bay - located in West End Road in Westmere is another park that is a great place for some action-filled fun (think frisbie, cricket, soccer or any frivolous casual game). There are also multiple tracks for walking, running, biking or exercising the dog (I remember plodding these paths from primary school cross-country days.) But it’s also perfect for chilling with friends. Bring down some blankets and watch the sun set over the stunning view of the bay. It’s a pretty social place, so you might even bump into someone you know! (HONOUR MITCHELL)  PN

Toni Jarmin is a deputy principal at Grey Lynn School.

How long have you been at Grey Lynn School? I joined Grey Lynn School in 2015. Prior to Grey Lynn, I was teaching and living in Clevedon. I have enjoyed being on the journey with the Grey Lynn team and community as we moved from single-cell classrooms to our new collaborative learning spaces. It has been exciting to see the changes that we have had over this time. Our school looks amazing!

Tell us about your deputy principal role. My role varies and no two days are the same. I work alongside a great team to support and grow our teachers and learners.

What do you enjoy most about your job? The children - their energy and enthusiasm. I am passionate about creating a love of learning in all children, especially in the junior years as they transition to school life.

Tell us about your school’s vision for the future. To grow thoughtful empowered, and independent learners who have the dispositions, skills, and attributes to navigate their way in the world. I love our school vision ‘Learning today we shape tomorrow - Mo tou ma, mo tou kainga, mo tou’. Our goals: learning Ako - growing potential - dreaming big, collaboration Mahi Tai - together we go further and future-focused -Te Ao Hurihuri - creating my place in the world.

Everything we do is underpinned by our vision and values. It takes a village to raise a family - and our GLS learners are at the heart of all we do and this is what I believe makes GLS so special. Everyone is encouraged to contribute to the journey.

What do you do in your leisure hours? Haha, that can be challenging to fit in a work-life balance. I love spending time with my family. It’s always full of fun and lots of laughs. I also enjoy reading, crocheting, and relaxing at the beach. I Love Lucy Book Review: The Erasure Initiative Lili Wilkinson 14+ ‘I don’t remember getting on the bus. I don’t remember who I am. I don’t remember anything.’ When I walked into the bookstore this book immediately caught my eye. Its cover was awfully intriguing, and its name, ‘The Erasure Initiative’, pulled me in like it was a black hole! I’m a real sucker for psychological thrillers, so this book was right up my alley. The story follows a teenage girl who wakes up on a self-driving bus with no memory. There are six others on the bus, all in the same position as her. Her name-tag tells her that her name is Cecily, but that doesn’t seem to be ringing any bells either. Soon begins a sequence of tests where every passenger needs to decide on an outcome. Have you ever heard of the trolley problem? It is a series of thought experiments where there are different scenarios, and you have to decide whether to throw one person under the bus (quite literally in this case) to save a larger group of people. However, secrets are uncovered and things escalate; will Cecily discover the truth about who she is, will she survive, and most importantly, who is behind all of this?

What do you like about being part of the Kahui Ako O Waitemata? Working collaboratively towards a shared focus enabling positive within the Kahui and it provides a wonderful opportunity for connecting and sharing to learn from and with each other.  PN

educational pathways for all students. There is a wealth of knowledge

While I think the idea is very original, I found the plot hard to follow at times. I like to read a few books at once, but this one definitely required my full attention. All in all, I enjoyed this book. I rate it a three out of five cats. (LUCY KENNEDY)  PN out of 5! Available at www.dorothybutlerbookshop.co.nz www.lucykennedywriter.wixsite.com/reviews instagram @ilovelucybooks

Year 1 Teacher and Dean Nathan Calvert enjoying some woodwork time with some of his past students Starting School

Starting school is one of those important moments in our personal journeys.

It marks the beginning of a relationship with the formal learning structures that will ultimately shape the knowledge, skills and values we will take with us into adulthood. It is no surprise then that everyone involved wants it to be a positive start!

How do we make that happen? We know that humans are hardwired to learn. Babies are constantly observing, mimicking. Toddlers explore, experiment and are naturally curious about their world and those they share it with. Once young children begin to speak, their ability to process and think about ideas increases exponentially. There is plenty of advice given to parents about “how to make sure children are ready for school”.

But if schools really understand the science of learning, then then shifting seamlessly into a numeracy lesson?

shouldn’t the question be “how is school ready for the children that are joining?” When choosing a place for your child to embark on their school experience, consider some of the following factors:

What is the adult to child ratio? achievement for years to come as they move through school. Children individual already knows and can do, rather than looking for “gaps”

Will your child’s teacher have the time to really get to know your child as an individual and give them the attention they deserve?

How big a jump is the environment from Kindy to “school”? Do the teachers of 5-year olds have any experience with Kindy, so that they understand where the children are coming from?

What are the opportunities for outdoor experiences? Is there a designated playground for this age group? Are there regular “bush walks”, with a teacher, to connect to and learn from the environment? If you are in the process of trying to decide where your child should

What message does the classroom set-up send? Is this a space where the objects out on display provoke wonder and curiosity? Is children’s work celebrated and displayed proudly? Or are the walls covered in generic posters? Is this a room that children take pride in? Are there areas for children to work alongside others;

How does the teacher respond to the children and their family members? What does the teacher do first? Connect or correct? How do they greet the children and their families?

Year 4 Enrichment Teacher Dale Connell with some of her students

Who is teaching what? Is the class teacher expected to be a master of all trades, changing into PE gear to lead a PE lesson one minute, taking Music the next,

Targeting resources to create the strongest foundations possible has been proven to reap huge benefits for children; impacting their starting school benefit from time working with their teachers in very small groups, to ensure they get the individual attention they need at this age. Their learning experience needs to build on what each to fill, and getting everyone to the same level. Each day should be filled with engaging and thought-provoking activities, both inside and outside of the classroom.

to dress up and role-play, or construct larger scale models? start school, these questions provide a good starting point for weighing up your options for the next step in their learning journey.

Jayne de la Haye Principal of Junior School and Early Learning – Kristin School

At Kristin, the Kindergarten Manager is also Dean of Year 0 / New entrant classes, overseeing a well-established transition from Kindergarten through to the Junior School. Children transition to Junior school with a teacher who has already spent at least a term teaching them in Kindergarten. Additionally, PE, Te Reo Maori, Chinese, Library, Art and Music are all taught by additional specialist teachers.  PN