EGGSPRESS 2013
1 July 2013
Epsom Girls Grammar School
INTERNATIONAL DEPARTMENT STAFF
From the left: Mrs Sarah Kerr (International Student Administrator), Ms Sharyn Goodall
(Accommodation Coordinator), Mr Peter Verner (Deputy Principal and Director of International
Students) and Ms Andrea Harborne (Dean of International Students)
Mr Peter Verner Ms Sharyn Goodall Deputy Principal and Director of Accommodation Coordinator
International Students
Ms Goodall is responsible for the placement
Mr Peter Verner, Deputy Principal and Director
of International Students has responsibility for all
aspects of the International Student Programme,
and is supported by the Dean of International
Students and the Accommodation Coordinator.
Ms Andrea Harborne Dean of International Students
Ms Harborne has overall pastoral care of
students and is responsible for the enrolment and
progress of students, informing students of course
requirements, advising students about subject
choice and liaising with parents/guardians when
required.
Tel:64-9-970-6813
Email:[email protected]
of students with suitable homestay families, the
collection of students on arrival and transferring
them to their homestay family, and liaising with
students and families.
Tel:64-9-970-6757
Email:[email protected]
Mrs Sarah Kerr International Student Administrator
Mrs Kerr is the Enrolment and Administration
Secretary for International Students. She helps
students with all admin and enrolment queries. For
example, visas and insurance.
Tel:64-9-970-6716
Email:[email protected]
July 2013 2
Epsom Girls Grammar School
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMITTEE
Hello girls! We are the International Committee
leaders for 2013. Our role within the International
Committee is to make your journey through Epsom
Girls Grammar as stress-free as possible. You
may find settling into a large community where
cultures and habits differ to your usual custom
may be overwhelming at times but that is
why we are here! Our role as a part of the
International Committee is to make things
easier and more comfortable for you as you
transition into Epsom Girls. We understand
that some of the differences you might find
here in New Zealand may be hard to adjust
to at first, so we encourage you to attend
the weekly activities that we hold. These
activities give you the opportunity to meet other
international students and gain lasting friendships
and special memories here at Epsom Girls
Grammar School.
In Term One we held an activity for the girls
every weekend. Some of these activities included
a picnic in the beautiful Cornwall Park, swimming
at Parnell Baths and a Moroccan themed dinner
at Mrs Harborne’s house. Throughout this year
we plan to organize more weekly activities and
events that you can come to and participate with
other international girls as well as the International
Committee. These activities and events include
bowling,
trips to the movies,
dining at restaurants in Auckland and
meet ups with other International Students from
other schools such as Dilworth and Auckland Boys
Grammar. We hope you’ll come along to these
weekend activities so make sure you look out for
the emails regarding more information on any
upcoming events, we can’t wait to see you there!
And lastly we hope you make the most of your
time here at Epsom Girls Grammar and enjoy
being a part of such a great school!
International Committee Leaders for 2013 - Elza
Bashota and Claudia Edwards
FROM THE INTERNATIONAL STUDENT DEAN
As we have passed the shortest day we now look
forward to Spring and to welcoming our new
group of International students. This time it is a
large group of about 30 girls from around the
world. They come from China, Germany, Russia,
France and Mexico the latter being a relatively
new market.
Now, with more direct flights by this airline to
Shanghai and with our Government’s focus on
looking at new and upcoming markets overseas,
New Zealand is aiming for more recognition.
Like Air NZ we, here at Epsom Girls, are proud of
our school. We also want the world to be more
aware of the attractions of New Zealand and
what our school has to offer overseas students.
It is interesting that Air NZ has decided to change
the colour of their planes and to go for a black
and white look which will “make Kiwis proud”. We wish all our International Students the best of
It will be a bold and distinctively New Zealand luck for this year.
look and those planes will stand out at overseas
Andrea Harborne - International Student Dean
terminals.
3 July 2013
Epsom Girls Grammar School
year 13 ball
If I was asked to describe the Year 13 ball, I
would say it was fantastic, marvellous and
exciting especially as it was my first ball ever.
It was so extraordinary! The time before and
during the ball were both enjoyable so I would
like to share this with my international buddies
here.
Before the ball, I went to do my make up at my
friend’s house. After that, I had a pre-ball party
with more than ten girls - taking photos, chatting
and of course eating snacks! (I recommend not
eating too much at this stage so you can leave
some space for the food at the ball). After our
great pre-ball, we arrived at the Pullman Hotel
where we found people arriving there by school
ball buses, luxurious limos and more. We were
warmly welcomed by friendly teachers, deputy
principals and the principal at the entrance
of the ball which was elegantly and grandly
decorated. A very awesome start of the ball
right?!
During the ball, I had a great time with my friends
and teachers. We took heaps of wonderful and
memorable photos and had a delicious buffet
with nice desserts. The highlight of the ball was
the dancing! There was a small dance area in
the middle of the ballroom and because of the
limited space there an unexpected huge amount
of people squeezed in and were crazily dancing
together. The atmosphere of excitement was
beyond my expectations. Dancing with other
people was gorgeous. Also, the international
students attending the ball and our International
Dean Mrs Harborne and Deputy Principal Mr
Verner took a lovely group photo as well.
I can only say that if I had not gone to the Year 13 ball, I would have regretted it. It was the most
stunning and unmissable school event. As Year 13 is our last year of high school, we should grab every
available opportunity to enjoy this year with our friends. If you wish your school life at Epsom Girls
Grammar School to be fulfilling, I highly recommend you join the Year 12 or 13 ball. This is not just a
normal social occasion but an extraordinary and memorable experience you have with your buddies
before you graduate high school.
Best wishes and make it your best time here. I am sure you will since I did!
Melanie Ho - Year 13
Epsom Girls Grammar School
July 2013 4
5 July 2013
Epsom Girls Grammar School
MY SOUTH ISLAND TRIP
During my 6-month long stay in Auckland I have
visited many beautiful places in New Zealand. I
went with the International Department of EGGS
to Devonport, my hostfamily took me to Tauranga,
where I saw to the most amazing beach, and I
took part at the South Island Trip, organized by
NZET (New Zealand Educational Tours).
On Tuesday, the 23rd of April I went to the
airport in Auckland, to fly to Christchurch. When I
arrived in Christchurch a bus was already waiting
for me and other international students from all
of NZ. We stayed the night in Christchurch where
we all got to know each other better.
On the first day we drove from Christchurch to
Kaikoura to visit a wonderful waterfall, where we
got to see a seal colony. We were able to go
really close to them to take photos, because they
weren’t
shy at all! We stayed the night in
Kaikoura, and we got up early in the morning on
the next day. We could decide if we wanted to
go to swim with the dolphins or watch wales, and
I choose to go for a swim with the dolphins. A
boat took us out to the sea, and we got told how
to use the snorkeling-gear and learnt a lot about
dolphins. When we went into the cold water, the
dolphins swam right under us, I could almost touch
them! Because of the snorkeling gear I wasn’t cold
at all, and I could stay under water as long as I
wanted to, to watch the dolphins. We stayed the
night in Motueka, where we went for a Kayak trip
through the beautiful National park the next day.
We also had time to relax and swim at the beach.
The next day we drove to Franz Joseph. The
drive took us through the spectacular West Coast,
and we got to see the Punakaiki Pancake Rocks.
We had a stop in Hokitika where we visited
the Greenstone Factory where we could buy
gorgeous bracelets and nickels. In the evening
we arrived in Franz Joseph
and we relaxed in
the Pure Hot Water
Glacier Pools, which
were amazing! The
next day we visited
the world famous
Fox Glacier and we
walked to the base
of frozen glacier river
which was formed
thousands of years ago!
Epsom Girls Grammar School
July 2013 6
From there we travelled to Wanaka, where we
had the chance to sky dive! We stayed the night
in Wanaka, and drove through the Fjordland
National Park to the “Milford Mariner” where
we went out to the open sea. We could watch
dolphins from the boat, go for a kayak trip to
watch seals and go really close to the waterfalls,
or go for a quick swim in the cold water. After we
had an amazing dinner, we stayed the night on
the boat which was really exciting!
The next day we travelled to Queenstown,
where we had a lot of activities on offer, and
I chose to go para-sailing! We had a wonderful
free day in Queenstown where we stayed two
nights. On the last day we drove from Queenstown
to Twizel. On the way to Twizel I got to see the
beautiful Lake Tekapo. In Twizel we enjoyed the
Jet Boat Ride and we visited the famous church
of the Good Shepherd. We stayed the last night
in Twizel, and the next morning we got dropped
off at Christchurch Airport to fly back home. In
those eleven days I visited many new places and
I made a lot of new friends!
Julia Hornef – 11CU
MY experience in new zealand
My name is Milena and I am an International Student from Hamburg in Germany. I have been here in
Auckland for about a year now and I will be going home soon.
During my stay here I have travelled a lot like most other International Students do too. When my
parents visited me over the long summer break we travelled from the northern tip, Cape Reinga to
Christchurch in the South Island. When you travel in New Zealand you experience the breathtaking
nature firsthand. Young people, especially, from all over the world come to New Zealand to see for
themselves what all the praise is about. Whether you go skydiving or paragliding in Queenstown or
whale watching and swimming with dolphins in Kaikoura, it is worth every cent. Some adventurous
souls decide to travel by backpacking
while others choose the slightly quicker
option by car. Taking a plane trip over the
Bay of Islands in northern New Zealand
is a beautiful way to see 90 Mile Beach.
The trip over 90 Mile Beach lets you see
mesmerizing white beaches and maybe
even a wild horse.
While traveling you learn a lot about the
Maori culture in New Zealand, and a trip
to Auckland and Wellington museums is
recommended. The world famous movies
The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings, as
90 Mile Beach
7 July 2013
Epsom Girls Grammar School
Cape Reinga
well as some scenes from the Narnia series were shot
here in New Zealand and capture the fascinating scenic
views that the country has to offer.
Whale watching in Kaikoura
While nature is a great reason to come to New
Zealand, as a student I can speak from experience and say that attending a school like Epsom Girls
Grammar is a marvelous thing. The students there instantly accept you into their group with open arms
and everybody can find a place there. Students are encouraged to join after school activities like
the Spanish, African, Malaysian, Indian, or the French group to name but a few. I have also collected
wonderful memories from sports groups like Field Hockey and Lacrosse. All together New Zealand can
offer you a wonderful year and give you a second home.
Milena Huetter - 12FE
CHINGLISH
Have you ever heard about “Chinglish”? Some
of you may hear it several times a day. What is
Chinglish exactly? Well, Chinglish is using Chinese
grammar or accent to speak English. In other
words, to speak English in the Chinese style.
Why does Chinglish exist? Because unlike English,
there is no grammatical tense in Chinese. For
example, the English verb “do” becomes “did”
to express past tense, but Chinese verbs do not
change in this way. The only verb to express past
tense is “Le”. In English, if you want to say you eat
something in past tense, you say “I ate something.”
In Chinese it is easier. You just add the verb “le”
after the verbs which are in present tense, like “I
eat something le” and “I drink something le”, see?
You do not have to think what the vocabulary is
for the past tense of verbs. That is also the reason
why Chinese students can’t learn and speak
English well at first, because sometimes they
forget to use past tense and perfect tense.
Another aspect of Chinglish is the Chinese accent.
Some students say that the pronunciation is difficult
for them to overcome. In my opinion, it is easier
for students from European countries to speak
English accurately, because they have similar
language systems. However, many full Chinese
syllables (such as pang, xiong and dun) are not
found in English. Likewise, consonant clusters (such
as those in train, backed, and thread) are never
found in Chinese.
What does Chinglish sound like? As you know,
Chinglish can consist of grammar mistakes and
Chinese accents. I am going to use a classical
accent of some Chinese people, that is, when
speaking the word ends of “t” and “d”, they
sometimes don’t say the “t” and “d”. For example,
the sentence “I like cats”, will become “I like ka”.
Epsom Girls Grammar School
July 2013 8
On the other hand, because students are told
to speak words clearly while taking exams in
China, some of them will over-emphasize the “t”
and “d”, so the sentence becomes “I like caTS”. I
have to admit that it is interesting to hear some
of my friends speak Chinglish, but Chinglish can
also make students feel embarrassed and even
reduce their confidence when talking to people.
and if you make some kiwi friends, you will
improve your English faster. Another thing to do
when trying to improve your English is to accept
that you have the ability to change, because the
environment that you are in doesn’t speak the
language of your country. If you want to adapt,
you have to accept it. Another important factor is
to be positive while studying English.
Although Chinglish doesn’t affect daily
communication between people, it is still a
linguistic mistake. How can I improve my English? I
once asked one of my local friends this question,
because when she came to New Zealand, she
knew nothing about English. She couldn’t even
understand what the teacher was saying. But,
now she can speak English fluently. She said that
reading books is a good way to study English
In conclusion, you don’t have to feel embarrassed
to have an accent. Everyone makes mistakes and
the only thing you need to do is be more confident
and practise your English. Even learning some
local slang is good for improving your English. To
end I would like to use a sentence from my father,
“If you can’t change the environment, change
yourself.”
Yolanda Gu - 12SK
A week of adventure and relaxation in rotorua
Rotorua is a city on
the southern shores of
the lake of the same
name, in the Bay
of Plenty area of
the North Island of
New Zealand. The
city is known for its
geothermal activity
and hot mud pools. We went to Rotorua
during the end of term holiday and we had a relaxing
and adventurous week. Our adventures included
Rafting, Mud Spa, Skyline and Luge.
One of the activities we participated in was ‘White Water Rafting’. We chose the most thrilling level
‘The Grade Five’, which falls down from a 7 meter waterfall. One of the definite
favorites that week was our amazing day at the Mud
Spa. After the Mud Spa, people always feel relaxed;
the mud can make your skin fine and smooth. However
my favorite activity was the Skyline and Luge. Luge
is a three wheel cart and they are gravity fuelled
by using a unique braking and steering system. All
we have to do is pull back on the bars to stop, push
forward to go and enjoy the ride. Skyline and Luge is a
fun, fast-paced family activity that everyone will enjoy!
Cherry Yang - 12MC & Phoebe Wang - 10HR
9 July 2013
Epsom Girls Grammar School
FROM MEXICO TO NEW Zealand
My name is Lily Aguilar Ramirez and I’m from
Celaya, Mexico. I would describe my year in New
Zealand as the best year of my life. I have met
a lot of amazing people with different beliefs,
perspectives and cultures. These friendships have
made me think differently and grow as a person.
Epsom Girls is culturally diverse. This is one of the things I
loved most about the school. The multicultural environment
is amazing. In Mexico we don’t have this kind of diversity.
It is pretty cool to have friends all over the world so I can
visit them later on. Everyone at school is very friendly and
you never feel alone. I have loved New Zealand. It is such
a lovely, green country, with a lot of extreme adventures to
do. The two most exciting things I did in New Zealand were
skydiving and competing in the World Triathlon in Auckland.
Both of these were amazing experiences I won’t forget. I will
take a lot of great memories and friendships back with me to
Mexico and the best experiences ever!
Lily Aguilar Ramirez - 13JH
LEARNING TO SWIM
Hi! My name is Dora Zhang. I have been studying in Epsom Girls Grammar school for the past 4 months.
I enjoy going to swimming classes. Before I came to New Zealand, I never learnt to swim because I
was afraid of water going up my nose. Everyone told me that learning to swim is a very important
skill to have and I must try my best. I began
learning in the shallow swimming pool. I didn’t
know how to hold my breath underwater so I
just walked across the pool. Then the teacher
taught me how to hold my breath. I knew I was
bad at it but I tried to do what the teacher
said. Gradually, I realized swimming was
not as hard as I thought. Although I am not
really good at swimming, I tried to swim in the
deep pool. Sometimes I swallow a lot of water
but I never give up learning. I like swimming
because it’s interesting and fun. I hope one
day I will learn to swim very well.
Dora Zhang – 9RP
Epsom Girls Grammar School
July 2013 10
bring it on
Eleanor Roosevelt once said,
“People grow through experience
if they meet life honestly and
courageously. This is how character
is built.” I cannot agree with her
more about the significant changes
experience brings into our lives
and the contribution it makes to
shape who we are today. My name
is Lina and I consider myself as an
outgoing and enthusiastic learner,
and I believe that Bring It On has
played a huge role with this. For
those who aren’t aware, Bring It On
is the biggest national secondary
school dance competition in New Zealand and it
has become one of the greatest aspects of my
high school life.
It isn’t just about a dancing competition, but the
journey that I shared with 50 other Epsom girls
which has created a family bond within the
group and now we proudly call ourselves sisters.
As Bring It On is extremely multicultural, it has
provided me opportunities to meet so many
people from different cultures and backgrounds,
who I would’ve never been able to meet if I
wasn’t part of the crew. The highlight of Bring It
On is not only the pumping adrenaline we get to
feel on stage, but to physically understand that
‘Hard work will always pay off’ and to be able
to break out of our comfort zone to carry Epsom
Pride away from the school.
I strongly recommend every single one of you,
yes, you, to go out there and see how many
extraordinary things the world can offer; and
joining diverse extra-curriculum activities at
Epsom Girls Grammar is definitely one of them.
Lina Lee – 12DL
QUEENSTOWN
Dani, Jenny and I had a fantastic trip to
Queenstown in the Term One holidays. On the
first morning we met at Jenny’s house. Her parents
drove us to the airport. It took 2 hours in the air
and then we safely arrived in Queenstown with
excitement. On the way to the hotel, the taxi
driver was very warm-hearted. He introduced
Queenstown to us and he recommended we
bungee jump here. When we finished checking
in, we walked along the Wakatipu River. That
was very beautiful. There was already snow on
the mountain top which is the mountain by the
lakeside. We took a water taxi to the city centre
for a walk, shopping and booked activities for
the next day.
11 July 2013
Epsom Girls Grammar School
We had a nice sleep
to welcome the second
day. In the morning
we did jet boating. It
was really amazing
and we all got wet.
Then we took the
skyline to the top of
mountain so that we
could have a bird’s
view of Queenstown.
However the cloud
was thick so it was
not very clear. We
had a buffet at
the top of the mountain. We came
across two friends and they bungee jumped in good
weather. We had a delicious dinner in lakeside
together.
The next day we were tired so we decided to have
a bus tour to
Arrowtown which
is a place that is famous for panning gold.
Queenstown is not only a great place to travel, but also a nice
place to live in. There will be many people skiing here in the
winter and we all look forward to travelling here again! We
enjoyed it!
Vicky Zhou – 12SK
MY FAVOURITE SPORT
My name is Star Yu. I think I am lucky. Why I
think I am lucky is because I have my favourite
sport, shooting. I don’t know when I began to like
shooting. Maybe it was just because my father
likes to shoot and he wanted me to learn how to
shoot a rifle. When I was young, I went to the park
and played with a toy gun. I think that’s fun. The
first time I went to the shooting place to shoot my
rifle, I was 11 years old. I first thought shooting
was boring, very boring. Nobody talked. Some
people spoke very quietly. After about 3 or 4
months I learnt how to shoot but I didn’t have any
cartridges in the gun. But I think maybe shooting
is magic because I can’t stop. I want to keep
learning. I have learnt shooting for about 4 years.
Epsom Girls Grammar School
July 2013 12
In my 4 years I had a lot of difficult things. One day my shooting was bad. I cried but I never thought I
should stop my shooting! Now, I can shoot very well. I have been in some competitions. I am very happy!
I think I can’t leave my shooting. I love shooting. Shooting, like a teacher, taught me a lot of things. If you
like or want to do something, just do it! Believe in yourself and never say never. You can do very well!
Star Yu – 10KW
A Dream Come True
I have wanted to go to Thailand for a long time. South East Asia was in
my mind as a fairy tale destination, especially the Kingdom of Siam. A
beautiful, exotic culture so different from Eastern Europe.
At last I got a chance to go on an adventure and spend two weeks
travelling in Thailand. I was very happy. After only 12 hours on a
plane I landed in Bangkok – the amazing capital of Thailand with
millions of people. I liked the weather in Thailand. It was hot, very hot!
In Bangkok it is easy to find your way. In the Skytrain, English signs are
everywhere so if you are not familiar with the Thai language it was
not a problem.
I also travelled to the far north to Chiangmai, the northern capital,
where my Thai friends live. I became friends with them when we
were both studying in New Zealand. After another hour on a plane, I
arrived in Chiangmai. Chiangmai is famous for its hundreds of temples.
As it was Sunday, my friend took me to the Chiangmai night market. It was amazing with so many
souvenirs you couldn’t choose what to buy. There were lots of traditional Thai street food available
and it was impossible to try everything. Everything I managed to try was delicious and fresh. It was
an unbelievable feeling to be in the night market in the centre of an old city. It is impossible to forget.
Later that week, my friend took me to see famous temples, elephants, waterfalls and orchids. There
was so much to do in Chiangmai and of course a week is not enough time to see everything. We also
travelled south to Huahin. At Huahin, I swam in a river and tried a banana boat trip which is something
that everyone should try at least once.
13 July 2013
Epsom Girls Grammar School
However, this wasn’t the end of my trip as next we went to Phuket. It had the most beautiful ocean I had
ever seen before in my life. We had a trip to the Similan Islands where I tried snorkelling for the first
time and swam with a sea turtle! On my last day in Phuket we did a Bungee Jump. I jumped from 50m
high. It was so scary but also very exciting. I can’t believe I did it.
I was only in Thailand for two weeks but it was one of the most amazing holidays that I have ever had.
There is so much more to see and do there. I can’t wait to go back.
Alex Kiseleva – 13JH
King Penguins at
Kelly Tarltons Sea Life
Aquarium, Auckland
Epsom Girls Grammar School
July 2013 14
GRADUATION
Julia Hornef – Germany
Anna Zhang - China
Milena Huetter - Germany
Lilia Aguilar Ramirez - Mexico
Homestay Families
It has been good to complete the homestay visits for the first half of the year and understand your
thoughts on how your student has settled in to your family, their studies and school activities. We
really do appreciate your comments and the support that our students receive from their host family.
As we have a very large intake of new students starting next term, I have been visiting many new
families and do welcome you to hosting International Students for EGGS. Please do call me (Sharyn
Goodall) on 970 6757 if you have any queries. Sarah Kerr 970 6716 will assist your student with
getting her own Internet and Visa/Insurance/Travel matters. Andrea Harborne is the Academic
Dean and has overall responsibility for Pastoral Care – her number is 970 6813.
If you have an Emergency please call the International Emergency phone on 027 226 8568. We
hope you enjoy your time with your International student this year.
Sharyn Goodall – International Accommodation Coordinator
15 July 2013
Epsom Girls Grammar School
Term 3 calendar
WEEK 1
Mon 29 Jul
Tue 30
Wed 31 Jul
Thu 1 Aug
9:20
Start of Term 3
Careers Evening – tertiary providers
Late Start
Junior Report Conferences
WEEK 2
Tue 6 Aug
Wed 7 Aug
Thu 8 Aug
Fri 9 Aug
6:00pm
9:20
Korean Night
Late Start
Senior Options Evening for years 10, 11 and 12
year 12 Ball
WEEK 3
Mon 12 Aug
Wed 14 Aug
9:00am
7:00am
9:20
Morning Melodies Concert
Father Daughter Breakfast
Late Start
Last day for year 10 option forms to be handed in
Teacher Only Day
Band and Orchestra Showcase Concert
Thu 15 Aug
Fri 16 Aug
7:30pm
WEEK 4
Mon 19 Aug
Wed 21 Aug
Thu 22 Aug
Fri 23 Aug
9:20
WEEK 5
Wed 28 Aug
Sat 31 Aug
WEEK 6
Mon 2 Sep
Wed 4 Sep
9:20
Winter Tournament Week
Late Start
Tue 10 Sep
Wed 11 Sep
9:20
Senior Exams begin
Late Start
WEEK 7
WEEK 8
9:20
International Languages Week
Late Start
Hypnotist Night Fundraising Evening
Last day for Year 9, 11 & 12 option forms to be handed in
Wed 18 Sep
9:20
Thu 19 Sep
WEEK 9
Tue 24 Sep
Wed 25 Sep
Thu 26 Sep
Fri 27 Sep
9:20
Late Start
Chinese Extravaganza (31Aug & 1 Sep)
Last day Senior Exams
Late Start
Year 10 Business Studies Market Day (19 & 20 Sep)
Epsom Music Competition
Late Start
Arts & Cultural Awards Evening
Last Day Term 3
2013 term dates
Term 3
29 July - 27 September
Term 4
14 October - 13 December
2014 term dates
Term 1
30 January - 17 April
Term 2
5 May - 4 July