Edgewater
College
Newsletter
April 2016
From the Principal
by
Allan Vester
We are very proud to have had a strong representation at
the recent ASB Polyfest where our Maori, Samoan and
Tongan groups all performed with distinction. This was the
first time that a Samoan and Tongan group representing the
school had taken part in the festival. What made me
especially proud was the commitment to practice that all
these groups exhibited.
With the exception of the day before their main-stage performances, no class time
was used for practice. After-school and weekends were when all the many hours
of practice occurred. It was also really encouraging to see each group receive
such regular parent support. The pride displayed by both students and parents at
the fiefia nights before Polyfest was absolutely brilliant!
Well done to all concerned.
I would like to take this opportunity to introduce William Pua, our newly
appointed Whanau Liaison. We know how important positive engagement
between teachers, students and parents is and William will be working with us to
make it both easy, and a great experience, for parents and whanau to work closely
with the school in ensuring the best educational outcomes for their child.
William has a Bachelor of Social Work, a Graduate Diploma in Teaching and has
completed Post Graduate Education papers including Adolescence and Youth
Development. William comes to us with a range of advisory experience and we
know he will be a really positive presence at school.
And finally, my thanks to all the staff who helped in many ways to make our
Cultural Festival Evening a success. It was great to see students, ex-students and
parents providing support and encouragement to the groups. The mix of
performances, and especially the mix of students on stage, was a pleasure to
watch. Mr Milton, MC for the evening, said it was something that makes
Edgewater special and I agree.
Special thanks to Tu Edwards for his hard work behind the scenes and for his
enthusiasm for the festival; a key factor in our ability to hold such an event.
Come on Board!
Interested in playing a vital role in
working together to make important
decisions about the school?
Would you like to get involved and
make a difference?
Come and talk to us about getting on
Board!
Nominations are invited for the
election of six parent representatives
to the Edgewater College Board of
Trustees.
You are welcome to attend a
meeting, either 18 April or 23 May,
or feel free to contact our Returning
Officer, Mrs Bayley, at school on
Tel: 576 9039 Ext: 832 if you are
interested in the election process.
Nomination forms are available from
the school office.
Term Information
Friday 15 April
Last day of Term 1
Monday 2 May
First day of Term 2
Term Dates 2016
Term 2: 2 May to 8 July
Term 3: 25 July to 23 September
Term 4: 10 Oct. to 15 Dec. (TBC)
Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees will meet at
6:30pm on Monday 18 April in the
Boardroom.
32 Edgewater Drive Pakuranga 2010 | Tel 576 9039 | [email protected] | www.edgewater.school.nz
Circumnavigating Ponui Island
During week five Ms Benjamin and I had the
pleasure of taking the Outdoor Education
students from year 12 on a three-day sea
kayaking adventure…
On the first day the students had the chance
to paddle from KawaKawa Bay to Apuapu Bay
on the eastside of Ponui Island. The weather
was calm and sunny making for great paddling
conditions. We hugged the coastline enjoying
bay after bay of Pohutokawa fringed beaches.
The evening was spent swimming in warm
water, skimming competitions and a variety of
deep conversations spanning over a wide
range of topics in the best place possible,
under the stars…
The second day we were greeted by yet another stunning
day. We paddled up the channel between Waiheke and
Ponui and then battled some slightly rough seas to make a
landing on Rotoroa Island for lunch. After lunch we decided
to make a mission out of the day and try to make it all the
way to Home Bay on the South side of Ponui.
On the way we enjoyed weaving in and out of rock gardens,
good conversation and a yummy lunch at Waterfall Bay. The
highlight of the day would have to have been paddling
through huge schools of Kahawai, Kingfish and Koheru with
Gannets dive bombing into the water all around us.
They were happy with the situation until I made it apparent
that without a doubt Bronze Whaler Sharks would be hanging
around beneath the schools chasing the Kingies to the
surface!
We made it to Home Bay by the afternoon and enjoyed
doing bombs off the pontoon and sharing good stories over
some games of cards.
On the final day we were greeted with calm water for the
paddle back to Kawakawa. We paddled through literally
thousands of sea birds and enjoyed a leisurely pace for the
end of our journey. We arrived at the boat ramp exhausted
but filled to the brim with happy memories that will last a
lifetime.
Since the excursion, the students have been reflecting on
the risk management strategies used on the trip, creating
infamous RAMS forms and making a kayaking safety video in
order to complete the theory side of 2.7!
Until next time…
Mr Windsor
TIC Outdoor Education
French Department
Ten French language students, two teachers and one parent are travelling to
France in April/May. They will visit Normandy, Paris and northern France,
and will live in a homestay for a week. This will give them the opportunity to
immerse themselves in French daily life and improve their spoken French.
We would like to thank everyone who has supported us in our fundraising for
this very special trip.
Mrs Macpherson
Right: Year 10
French Department
students enjoy
making and
sampling Frenchstyle Crêpes.
Left: Les kiwis
en France!
32 Edgewater Drive Pakuranga 2010 | Tel 576 9039 | [email protected] | www.edgewater.school.nz
Whanau Sports Day
Sports Day was a great success with lots of colour,
costumes, competition and clowning around.
Students and teachers alike got into the spirit of the
day by representing their different Whanau’s with all
sorts of body paint, banners, dress ups, wigs and
brightly coloured t-shirts.
This year there were some great costumes that
included Big Bird, Kermit the Frog, Winnie the Pooh,
and Eeyore.
The competition was just as exciting as the costumes
with students competing in 400m, long jump, shot
put, ball throwing and relays.
There were some great feats of athleticism on display
by the students, but above all everyone that
participated in the day had a great time.
A memorable moment was watching Mr Rosie run the
400m with Kermit the Frog running close behind giving
Mr Rosie some encouragement with his size 10’s to
make him run faster!
This year for the first time we welcomed Sommerville
School into the festivities. The students had an
awesome time and gave 100% to all the activities. We
hope they will join us again in 2017.
While athleticism was important in Whanau success
on the day, every student that participated in an event
received points towards their Whanau’s grand total
which would decide bragging rights for the rest of the
year.
Congratulations to Hillary Whanau for winning best
banner and for taking out the competition.
Well done everyone!
Ms Benjamin
PE Department
32 Edgewater Drive Pakuranga 2010 | Tel 576 9039 | [email protected] | www.edgewater.school.nz
Cultural Festival Evening
The 2016 EC Cultural Evening was temporarily delayed
when an anticipated storm rolling in on the original date
forced us to postpone to the Wednesday after Easter.
What a blessing this was given the beautiful day that
presented itself on 30th March!
The upgrades to this year’s Cultural Festival evening
included the inaugural use of a permanent outdoor stage,
three groups fresh from their Polyfest performances and
a new group called “African Continent”.
290 performers from 22 different countries, performing
in 9 very different and exciting cultural groups took to the
stage. They performed in front of 780 parents, siblings,
whanau, teachers, ex-students and community
neighbours.
The traditional Karanga of the Powhiri set the tone of the
evening as we all engaged in this emotionally touching
ritual that calls upon all present, “seen and unseen”, to
unite as one to celebrate the uniqueness and beauty that
is inherently who we are as a person, a school and a
nation. This was immediately followed with a Karakia for
the evening and the group leader’s presentation.
Our Kapahaka Roopu included students from Howick and
Pakuranga Colleges which really was a reflection of our
wider community. Their poise, harmonies, synchronised
actions and strong performance set alight the start of a
wonderfully entertaining evening.
The petite Filipino group brought a wonderful contrast in
cultures, elegantly led by Alexandra Barron, while the
Tongan Girls and Boys group brought big smiles, colourful
costumes and enthusiastic singing combined with graceful
movements, to the stage.
In true K-pop style, the music for this group was up-beat
and the movements looked like fun on adrenalin, while the
Japanese group brought their own unique style of
movement.
The Food stalls had tasty delights from the Islands and
Japan.
Our new group “African Continent” definitely delivered a
display with their fresh vibrant beats mixed with
enthusiasm and strength – it would have done all of
African proud on the evening.
Finally, the fabulous Samoan Group packed our stage to
capacity with their amazing plumage, sweet harmonies and
simple supple movements. They brought our wonderful
warm evening to a close.
Huge thanks to all the staff for doing a great job in making
the festival happen. Thanks also to Alex and his youth
team who helped park everyone safely.
This truly is an amazing evening where we celebrate our
cultural differences and enjoy our togetherness at
Edgewater College where “everyone cares”.
Tu Edwards
Sports Department
We extend very special thanks to Bunnings Botany for providing our Sports Department with drink bottles for students to
use to stay hydrated during their games and activities throughout the summer sports season.
Ms Benjamin
Entertainment Books
Support our Sports Department and order your new Entertainment™
Membership from us today. 20% of each one sold goes towards the Sports
Department fundraising for 2016!
The book is just $65 and is full of 2-for-1 offers and 20% off deals for
activities, entertainment, accommodation, restaurants and cafés.
Be entertained! If you would like to have a look at what is in the book, check
out this link: entertainmentbook.co.nz/books/278#FLICKBOOK
The book is available in either hard copy or digital.
You can either purchase through the school from Ms Benjamin or via this
link: entertainmentbook.co.nz/orderbooks/95733q
Thank you for your support.
Ms Benjamin
32 Edgewater Drive Pakuranga 2010 | Tel 576 9039 | [email protected] | www.edgewater.school.nz