Below are some of the ebooks Year 7 students have created in Science this year.
Year 11 Prize Winners
Year 11 Prize Winners
Year 11 Prize Winners
Year 11 Prize Winners
Year 11 Prize Winners
Year 9 Class Photos
Year 9 Class Photos
English Language Learners
Bullying Free Week
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Our Counsellor, Vicki Tanner, led the school in bully free week. There were lots of activities to support the week, along with a lot of laughs and friendship.
Brain Busters Television Show
Devon
Emily
In term 1 our Year 7, 8 and 9 students were invited to complete the online quiz for a brand new television programme called Brain Busters. It is a quiz show for kids and they choose their main topic - maths, spelling, memory and more.
Two of our students were successful in getting through to the live recording days -
Emily Hough and Devon Cootes, both Year 9. They each spent a day at Whitebait Studios in front of the cameras, being recorded and getting a first hand experience of the inner workings of a television programme. It was a great experience for them both and they loved it, plus won some prizes!
Guidance Department
Support at School
What an interesting year 2020 has been! Our role is to support students, remove barriers to learning and encourage well being across the school. We also support staff and whānau/families when students present with concerning/difficult behaviours. Therefore we warmly welcome any contact from parents/carers if there are any concerns about a young person.
To get in touch please ring 982 0100 ext 822, email ig@linwoodcollege.school.nz or call in at the front office and ask for Sue Ingle.
The Guidance Department is made up of a team of qualified counsellors, a registered nurse, Partnership Community Worker (PCW), 24/7 Youth workers, Social Worker in Schools, Mana Ake workers, a part time qualified social worker and a full time qualified social worker.
One counselling position is shared between Esther Dunstall (9820100 ext 820) Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, and Tina Hartwell (9820100 ext 820) Thursday and Friday. Vicki Tanner (9820100 ext 821), a fully registered teacher and counsellor with full NZAC membership works full time. Carolyn Bickerton, a registered social worker joined the team this year on Mondays and Tuesdays as part of the Covid response support.
This gives students a wide opportunity to find a Guidance Department member that is the ‘best fit’ for the young person.
Emma Peek is the PCW who supports students and their whānau/families to access primary health care. Emma’s contact is 021 906 919.
Our Nurse Maude Registered nurse Donna Southorn is available on 982 0100 ext 805. The Nurse works closely alongside the students and their whānau/families and offers medical and emotional support. She also carries out HEADSS assessments for all Year 9 students.
We also have in our team enthusiastic 24/7 Youth Workers from Strengthening Linwood Youth Trust lead by their manager, Alexis Stocks, who can be contacted on 03 379 8463. Alexis is handing the managing role to Brooke Agnew.
Kristin Frost works onsite 4 days a week for the Graeme Dingle Foundation and organises the STARS programme which is a peer mentoring programme between the Year 9’s and Year 12/13’s.
Members of the Guidance Department work alongside the students in the Teen Parent Unit and Alternative Education, both of which are off site.
There have been many great opportunities for students to experience success and learning outside of the class room with some of the local agency run programmes.
Mana Ake is an initiative which Linwood College, along with the Tamai Kahui Ako, had significant input into at the fledgling start. The role is to support Year 7 and 8 students to help them engage in their learning and strengthen their well being holistically.
Nga Maata Waka Whanau Ora workers walk alongside some families to offer extra support when needed.
Waipuna run adventure therapy programmes on a termly basis. The students who attend these programmes experience our great outdoors, cold rivers, bush walks, rock climbing etc. They learn to understand themselves, to organise themselves, to communicate effectively, navigation skills, maths, and journal every day.
Coast to Coast Rangers are a group of sporty students who are training regularly with Jess Moffat with the view of the 16 year olds competing in the February Coast to Coast. This activity is heavily subsidised by a variety of generous sponsors and both Matt and Jess give of their time for Linwood College.
Nurse
He Waka Tapu run a weekly hour long programme on a Monday, based around ki-o-rahi and other sport for some boys in a programme called WeRTane. They not only participate in sport, but gain an understanding of their own identity, set goals, discuss life issues, grow in their understanding of interaction, participation, support, self-management and other invaluable skills.
We are very fortunate to have such a strong connection within the wider Linwood Community to these various supports for the students. We all count it a privilege to work in the lives of young people and their whānau/ families and help them navigate through the teenage years.
Jemima Jackson from Selwyn House
Linwood College students were the recipients of sports gear donated by a team of people organised through Jemima Jackson from Selwyn House School.
Jemima is a very special young person with a warm and caring heart, and also a practical manager that makes things happen.
We are very appreciative to her and her team and thank her for thinking of us and helping out.
Tzu Chi Scholarship
The Tzu Chi Foundation is a non-profit, non-governmental, charitable organization founded in Hualien, Taiwan by Dharma Master Cheng Yen in 1966. It was established in New Zealand in the year 2000 and offers scholarships to deserving high school students. Scholarship winners must demonstrate good attendance, good grades, and evidence of achievements in sport, cultural, or community participation. This year Linwood College is proud to announce that 24 of our Year 10 students were awarded a full scholarship. Congratulations to the following students;
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Lara Galey Marsden
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Lili Hulse-Sixtus
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Paige Martin
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Razia Ghazizada
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Saviour Walters
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Sophie Hiku
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Te Hawkins-Nepia
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Tiana Taylor
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Blake Williams
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Apphia Rabuku
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Ali Wahidi
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Dylan Bruce
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Carangel Gurden
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Deijara Shardai
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Devon O'Hara
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Jordan McGaughey
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Gerzey Ashby
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Jesse Buchanan
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Kody Wilson
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Keiarah McQueen
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Rafael Pohio
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Remco Raedt
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Neihana Reihana
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Liam Kennedy
The award ceremony took place on Saturday 22 November.
24/7 Fun Day
Our fabulous 24/7 youth workers arranged a fun lunch time for our students with bouncy castles and ice blocks. Our students certainly had a great time.
KiwiKaha
KiwiKaha is the first step of a journey that takes young people through Graeme Dingle Foundation programmes at different stages in their schooling.
The workshops set a foundation of values and life skills that the students take with them through school and into later life. Each week our learners enjoyed a positive, uplifting environment that encourages self-belief and confidence. This year we were lucky to have the KiwiKaha programme operating at LCŌ. This programme is run in our Tāhuhu space for our amazing Year 7 and 8s.
The programme covers such topics as respect, role models, good choices, and many other interesting subjects to support our young people.
Hayley and Owen are our kaiako who come in each Friday and have lots of fun and learning with our ākonga.
Stars Peer Mentors
In 2020 Linwood College entered it's third year running the Stars peer mentoring programme, delivered by the Graeme Dingle Foundation Canterbury.
Stars is a 12 month mentoring programme that supports, motivates and positively reinforces Year 9 students during their first year in secondary school. The students participate in weekly sessions lead by Year 12 and 13 students in the role of peer mentors.
The Stars programme provides an effective platform to:
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help Year 9 students successfully navigate the transition to secondary school
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develop self-confidence and resilience
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promote a team culture and develop mentor and leadership skills for senior students
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facilitate caring relationships with students, and between students and teachers
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develop a sense of responsibility and connectedness to the school and the wider community
This year Stars has 21 peer mentors who each bring their unique talents and abilities to work alongside and support the Year 9s, developing their own leadership skills along the way. During the lockdown period, the peer mentors continued to connect with each other and their Stars Coordinator, showing great strength and resilience in uncertain times.
Stars is underpinned by this whakatauki:
Tukua kia tu takitahi nga whetu o te rangi
Let each star in the sky shine its own light
This video clip shows the main community project our peer mentors were involved in.
Stars Peer Mentor - Orion, Year 13, Prefect
“I wanted to become a peer mentor because I believe that this is a good way for me to learn helpful skills that would help me later in life. I found being a peer mentor last year was a lot of fun. It definitely helped me get to know a lot more people at Linwood as well. That’s why I wanted to do it again this year. I think that this programme is really important for the Year 9s because transitioning into high school can be quite nerve-racking, and having the extra support helps them heaps.”
Stars Peer Mentor -Tanisha, Year 13, Prefect
“I wanted to become a peer mentor because I wanted to challenge myself, and step out of my comfort zone, and make a positive difference to the Year 9s through out their time at Linwood College. I was really nervous when I applied for the Stars peer mentoring role because I didn’t know what to expect from this experience. I really want the Year 9s to learn some thing from the sessions. At first there were many challenges for me, but slowly I was able to overcome those challenges. I really enjoy my role as a peer mentor because I get to learn something new every session. The Year 9 group are really amazing, and I believe we have a long way to go. But as a team we can do anything if we work together.”
Online Learning During Lockdown
The following articles were written by students during Covid-19 lockdown.
Enjoying Our Time in the Bubble
Written by Abdullah Wahidi, 25 April
Hi everyone, I am Abdullah Wahidi, a Year 13 student. I am from Afghanistan, my family and I came to New Zealand two and a half years ago as refugees. I joined Linwood College almost two years ago. I am a house prefect at Linwood College and I do have a part-time job at KFC as well. New Zealand has been a great country for me and I think I was lucky to get out of all those wars back in my own country and come to New Zealand and start a new journey full of hopes and wishes.
Though New Zealand is going through a tough time right now, I believe that we will get out of this soon. Our government has done their job against Covid-19 far better than many countries around the world and for sure this could not happen without all New Zealander's help to stay home and save lives. This lockdown has been pretty decent for me, because I have been able to do the things that I wanted to do for a long but couldn’t find the time. I have been learning Spanish, helping my mum to cook and bake some new Afghani cakes.
The lockdown didn’t affect my sleeping schedule, I go to bed by 11pm and wake up by 7am as usual. I believe most of the people are happy as well with this lockdown because they get heaps of time to spend with their loved ones now, which wasn’t possible in our normal lives. Our teachers at Linwood are doing their best for online learning while we are in lockdown, they make sure to email us and respond to our emails as soon as they can. I think online learning makes me learn more than many classes that I used to attend because I get to do more research and work hard to learn from a topic.
I am enjoying the lockdown and hope you do as well. Spend time with your loved ones, do a lot of fun stuff and try to learn something new while you are in your bubble, and the most important thing is to make a schedule of what you will be doing throughout the day. We will soon get out of this pandemic and start our normal lives again, but for now, stay home and save lives.
Keeping productive
Written by Patricia Pangilinan, 24 April
Kia ora! I’m Patricia Pangilinan, and I’m one of the house prefects. I can see that there’s a lot of people that find this lockdown so boring, but I’m trying to make this lockdown a productive one. I’m doing so many things like cleaning the house, doing my assessments, and making myself better by preparing healthy meals and focusing on myself more.
I’m also able to bond with my family by watching Netflix movies and series that we don’t usually do because we’re busy with work and school. Having online classes is new to me, and I’m really enjoying it because we have fun quizzes, but at the same time, it’s a bit competitive because there’s a small prize that will be given once the lockdown is over.
You Are Not Alone
Written by Paigan-Lilly Hall, 24 April
Kia Ora, Kamusta, Bula, Talofa Lava and Hello to our Linwood College at Ōtākaro family and our wider community.
My name is Paigan-Lilly and I am one of the Head Students for 2020 at LCŌ.
I hope that you all had a great school holiday and that you are all well.
I know that the past few weeks have been pretty hectic with what is going on at the moment but with that put aside, I hope that you’re all managing to settle into term 2 nicely, through online home learning.
During this lockdown I have gotten up to quite a bit!
Not only have I been completing the school work my teachers have set for me but I have also been using this time to spend some quality time with my family and going on walks within our neighbourhood and even picking up a new skill, baking!
Something I am enjoying most about online home learning so far is being able to spend as much time as I would like in certain subjects where I think I need it. Another thing I have enjoyed would be Google Hangout calls with the class teacher and my classmates.
This is a new learning environment for all of us, including our teachers! With this new way of learning is going to come issues...technological, personal, and so on. But just know that you’re not alone and there is always someone that is willing to help you. Whether it be someone at home, one of our amazing School Counsellors, your Ako Teacher, even your Dean. Just don’t be afraid to ask!
It is important that we stick together and help each other through this tough time. If you can stay home and continue distance learning please do so. Stay safe.
Ngā mihi, Paigan-Lilly
Online Learning
Written by Mario Cvetkoski, 24 April
Kia ora koutou. Talofa. Kia Orana. Malo e lelei. Bula. Fakaalofa atu. Namaste and Kumusta. Greetings everyone at Linwood College and our wider LCŌ Community.
I hope everyone is doing well as we are settling into the new school term. I know that the past few weeks have been a large paradigm shift for all of us, so I just wanted to say a few words on the current online learning situation. The best advice I can give
you during these times is to learn at least one thing a day. Nobody is expecting that the amount of work that one can accomplish will be the same as before the lockdown. There can be technological issues, family issues, or even just personal issues during this lockdown that will impact how much you can learn, and that is fine. We are all in a new learning environment (even the teachers), so do not feel bad if you can not do 100%. If you are having any issues with any of your subjects, reach out to your teachers, they will understand your situation and help you work around it.
If you are feeling overwhelmed with the amount of school work, just attempt to learn something, because learning something is better than learning nothing. For me personally, I am quite self-motivated and can learn quite well by myself, but not everyone is like that, and there is nothing wrong with that. This learning environment is a difficult situation for everyone involved, so do your best. So everyone, especially any juniors needing to go back to onsite supervision learning shortly, make sure to stay safe. We will get through this.
Cheers, Mario Cvetkoski
Online Learning: A Teacher's Perspective
Written by Madison Burnett, 25 April
Madison Burnett joined the English Department at LCŌ this year. She endeavors to give us her perspective of a teacher navigating this new world of online learning.
If you had told me at the start of the year that I would be teaching online, with video conferencing, I would have scoffed and laughed at the idea. But, as I sit to write this, I am able to reflect on how quickly the world around us can change and how wonderful we are at adapting. Not to blow my own trumpet, or the trumpet of the collective, but students and teachers should be proud of their efforts during this time.
You’ve probably seen a wealth of information from teachers, principals, the Ministry of Education, and the Prime Minister herself on what online teaching is like. But here, I want to provide a partial-nonsense, totally accurate, look into the life of a teacher at LCŌ during the Covid-19 crisis.
The New Workday
My day begins with three things: checking emails, checking tasks, and a small intention setting exercise I found on YouTube. It resembles a guided meditation and helps me get into the head space for work. After I figure out what my day is going to look like, I head for my first coffee. It’s instant. For the rest of my morning, I am responding to student questions and checking in with my tamariki. My afternoon is where I try to get the bulk of my planning and marking done, this sometimes bleeds into my evenings or the early hours of the morning if I get on a good roll. Somewhere during my day, I find time to eat, go to the toilet (which I can now do at almost any time of the day - woohoo!), and check-in with my own whānau. When 5 pm rolls around I try to put my laptop away and have some ‘me’ time.
While my life has changed, and my bedroom is now also called my home office, there are so many things that have stayed the same. I still leave cold coffee cups everywhere, I still get to hui with other staff, but most importantly, I still see ākonga trying their hardest, connecting to those around them, and smiling and laughing. Logistically, school looks different, but I still feel the same buzz and excitement that comes with learning.
Online Learning
Everything happened so suddenly. We were at school and then we weren’t. Shifting online brought with it many challenges, but new, unexpected positives arrived too. The most obvious challenge is student access to devices and the internet. These were known challenges and everyone is working hard to overcome these issues. Engagement is also a struggle. A lot of thought has gone into how to make activities fun and engaging enough to ensure tamariki don’t succumb to the pull of social media, movies, or video games. But, by collaborating with others and listening to student feedback, more and more students are engaging with the work! The last major challenge for me (and surely others) was my own technological limitations. Some of the online learning platforms I’d never used before, which made that first week feel a bit clunky.
Despite its challenges, there is a wealth of positives. For me personally, I now have a handful of new programs added to my kete. These new programs bring a new way to connect with ākonga, and to continue to develop relationships. And although I was feeling nervous at the start, I now feel a lot more confident - practice truly does make perfect!
I have been keeping exclusively to Google platforms, mostly utilizing Google Classroom and Google Meet. Google Classroom is a home-base for all of the work. I can set a task, with a due date, and students can complete it and submit it to me. It’s extremely user friendly for those of us who are… not so technically minded. Google Meet is a video conferencing program designed for remote meetings. It is easy to use and allows teachers to see all of their ākonga on one screen at the same time. It also has a present feature, one that allows everyone to see what is on my screen, so I can easily talk through tasks and answer questions.
However, the most positive thing for me to come from distance learning, is that I am reminded not to take life too seriously. The Google Meet hui’s have become a real source of entertainment for me now. When we have our staff hui, there are various staff dressed in silly hats or costumes, for example, Head of Science Helen Mora always has a silly pair of glasses on. I have even done a photo series of my own, showcasing the different ‘looks’ I’ve been wearing during the lockdown. Altogether, this silliness has reminded me that we are capable of making the best of a bad situation and when times are tough throwing on a ridiculous costume or even a hat can be enough for a good laugh or two.
While I am enjoying aspects of learning from home, I am missing the ‘normal’ school life. Why? Because there is an abundance of things to miss: student-made coffees, school sport, the various clubs, chess lessons I was receiving from ākonga in the library, and the many weird and wonderful stories that young people have, just to name a few. When school resumes at the LCŌ site and classes are full and noisy again, I think this experience will help me appreciate just how lucky we are.
School Notices Go Live!
Every Friday the weekly notices are now broadcast to Ako classes.
The morning announcements were created by a team of students with the help of Mr Russell, the Head of Music Department. This program's main focus is to inform the school of what is going on and keep the students up to date with school news. These announcements also are providing a humorous, fun way to deliver the school notices.
It started off with two students reading the morning notices in their Ako class and soon grew in popularity leading to this idea of having recorded announcements for the whole school. After many practices and test runs, the team finished their first couple of videos. These videos took plenty of effort, including setting up a studio space and painting a green screen. These videos have been pretty successful so far. Morning announcements are a way of encouraging school spirit and a fun way of delivering our notices to everyone, creating a fun experience and helping forge bonds between students. It could also encourage students to thrive in more technological and media influenced learning paths.
Currently, Linwood has a full production of students ranging from Year 9 to 11 and is welcoming to any student wanting to join and help out. Some of the positions available in the morning announcements include presenting, video recording, editing, mixing sound, and research. It's a lot of fun and a great learning opportunity for everyone who is involved.
Pride Week
Further to the diversity of our community, the rainbow flag pictured was flying from our school flagpole in support in Pride Week during August. To give the full name, it is National Schools' PRIDE Week. Originally this was to be in June but there was a Covid postponement. A wonderful group of students asked Mr Edmundson if LCŌ would support this week and be part of the national opportunity for schools to celebrate and support their rainbow communities and his reply was instantly yes. Our own LCŌ rainbow community. Inclusion.
Jazzcats Awarded
Bronze at Jazzquest
Click on the links to hear two of their amazing pieces. No wonder they did so well, they are awesome!
On Sunday 2 August, the LCŌ jazz band played at Ara’s Jazzquest, held at Ara music building on High Street.
The band started playing at 10 am and played a 20 minute set in front of a panel of 3 judges and a full crowd of family and fans. Going on was slightly nerve-wracking, as it was the first show the band had played as an ensemble this year. It was an enjoyable experience. The Jazzcats were awarded a bronze (not for third place, just a grade), and they all look forward to playing more shows and improving their groove.
Ski Trip
It was a cold, dark Friday morning when 19 intrepid students met before sunrise to start their adventure to Mt Hutt. Travelling in the nice, new school vans to Methven was quiet and comfortable but the excitement started to bubble as we transferred to the Mt Hutt shuttle bus.
On arrival, we quickly got our skis, boards and helmets and headed to the snow. After initially familiarising with our equipment and the snow we moved to our lesson. Screams of, “this is hard” and “I can’t get up” were soon followed by, “look at me” and “this is so much fun."
A whole day was had at Mt Hutt with some students venturing to the top of the mountain either just for the views or for a trip down on their boards or skis. Needless to say, the trip back to school was a quiet affair and thankfully the trip was on a Friday so tired and aching bodies had plenty of time to recover.
Yummy Hot Soup
The Rotary Club of Ferrymead have very generously supported students from Linwood College at Ōtākaro. During the cold days of term 3 they have been supplying hot soup every Wednesday at lunchtime.
A busy and dedicated team have been creating the soup and some of these, or other volunteers, have come to meet the students and serve them.
Students have claimed that the pumpkin soup is the best, followed by chicken. Some were reluctant to try and were not used to a hot lunch. Others were asking for two portions to share with their friends.
Children who are fed well and are satisfied are likely to settle more easily into their learning. Linwood College at Ōtākaro is very grateful for the difference the efforts of the people within the Rotary Club of Ferrymead have made to our young learners.
School-Wide Reward System
In term 2 we introduced a reward system at school. Students gain hiranga points (excellence points) for upholding our school values in class and around the grounds. These are easily achievable and recognise and reward our students for consistently doing the right thing.
Here are a few details about our reward system:
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Points can be gained in and out of class. This could be for good participation in class, great test results, consistently wearing the correct uniform, working hard and asking good questions, putting litter in the bin, showing kindness and so on.
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Points are handed into the student’s Kaiārahi during Ako time each day and cashed in for vouchers to be used at our school canteen.
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When students gain 200 points they are awarded a hiranga/excellence certificate by the Principal at a whole school assembly. They will also go in a prize draw. If they win this they will choose a friend to celebrate with. Prizes could include movie vouchers, a pizza voucher, tickets to Flip Out etc. All students who gain 200 points are invited to the end of term shared lunch of pizza.
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Teachers send home postcards in recognition of great things that students have done.
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If students go above and beyond what is expected, they may be awarded a values certificate and additional points.
We have awarded a huge amount of canteen vouchers to students who consistently do the right thing.
At the end of term 4, all students who had gained 200 or more hiranga points were invited to a reward pizza lunch and could bring a friend. They were also awarded a certificate of excellence at the junior prize giving in recognition of consistently being caught doing the right thing at school. These students were:
Ebony Burchett
Bryson McKenzie
Luke Fortune
Cooper Atherton
Pheonx McLaughlin
Carlee Ramsay
Troy Wilson
Thaylla Silva
Summer Pool
Isaiah Ramsay
Reca Brimon
Reimana Ruri
Caleb Beckley
Devon Cootes
Lucas Whitworth
The EPRO8 Challenge
Proved Challenging
In July our Year 9 and 10 students competed in the regional competition held at Hillmorton High School. All teams competed strongly, with the Year 9-10 team being in the top 4 for most of the competition but were unable to make the top 3. The Year 9 team not only demonstrated team work, but how to enjoy themselves as well - especially when the going (or challenge) got tough.
Teams:
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Year 9: Luke Toone, Jesse Mulligan, Tyler Tabart, Ryan Mackay
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Year 9-10: Cooper Artherton, Spencer Cull, Riley Inglis,
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Sam Thompson
