MOUNTMOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMARROSKILL SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013 GRAMMAR SCHOOL

APRIL 2013

From The Principal’s Desk

This term I have talked at assembly about having the right stuff for success. The message has been about students taking responsibility for their attitudes and habits. Steps to success include excellent attendance (every lesson counts), setting specific goals (aim high), having a plan that shows assessment dates (know the road), and backing good attitude with everyday actions (getting serious). We are supporting our goal to improve attendance by providing live attendance information to families through the parent portal on the INSIDE THIS ISSUE school website. We have also begun School Charter …………...... ………….. 2 Philharmonia Scholarship ……….3 to send text messages to families School Trustees Elections ...... …………...3 when we have attendance concerns. Attendance has improved NCEA Excellence Awards Evening …………. 4 this term and we look forward to reaching our target of over Chemistry Olympiad ...... ………….. 5 90% attendance during term two. Genesis Energy Science Award Winners ...5 ASB Polyfest…………...... ………….. 6 Mahurangi Sports Exchange ...... ………….. 7 Thank you to everyone who came along to the Year 11 and 12 Senior Classical Studies Trip ...... ………….. 8 Language Perfect World Championships .. 8 mentoring meetings. Over half of all families attended the Mentoring ...... ………….. 9 meeting, a great turn out on a working day. Thank you for sup- Indiking Dance Competition Winner ……... 9 porting your child’s learning! Parent report evenings were also Sports ...... ………….. 10 ‘Being Roskill’ Documentary DVD …………… 11 very well attended. School Production Term 2 ...... ………….. 12 YWCA Future Leaders ...... ………….. 12 General Reminders and Information …….. 13 Last week an outstanding former student of MRGS passed Diamond Jubilee ...... …….…... 14 away. Afano Fa’alogo was a school prefect who had muscular TV Show—call for families ...... ………….. 14 dystrophy. At the 2009 school prizegiving Afano was recog- School Ball 2013 ...... ………….. 15 nized for his excellent leadership and the way he lived out our Prefect Projects ...... ………….. 15 Japanese Restaurant Visit………………………. 15 values and was presented with the Vic Butler Trophy and a NZQA Exam Fees Collection …………………… 15 Maori and Pacific Island Scholarship. He was fun loving, caring Gateway Department ………...... …………… 16 and wise beyond his years and hugely resilient. Our thoughts Shopping Saver Offer …………...... ………….. 16 Sponsorships for Roskill Team ………………..16 and prayers are with the Fa’alogo family. ASB Referral Scheme ……...... ………….. 17 Students have completed a full and busy term with a smile. We Community Education Term 2 ………………..18 Early Childhood Centre ……… ...... ………….. 19 look forward seeing them returned refreshed for term 2. Dates for Your Diary ………...... ………….. 19 Principal: G. Watson, MSc (Hons), MEd Admin (Hons) Frost Road Phone: 621-0050 Website: www.mrgs.school.nz Auckland 1041 SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

2 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

School Charter Towards the end of last year we consulted with the community to inform the development of our school charter. Families of Mount Roskill Grammar School and contributing schools, students and staff contrib- uted by survey and focus group discussions. This consultation has resulted in 5 areas of strategic intent. The school’s charter, including a summary of the priorities identified by each consultation group can be viewed on the website at www.mrgs.school.nz Thank you to everyone who contributed to the develop- ment of the charter. We are excited about working towards achieving the goals set. Strategic Intent 2013 - 2017

Ensure High Achievement through a Powerful Learning Culture Excellence and engagement in learning are our priority. As we become powerful learners progress and achievement will increase. Pathways that connect to valued next steps must be available for each student. We must monitor the progress and achievement of students and be responsive to identified needs in every learner. We want all students to become equipped with dispositions, capa- bilities and qualifications to enable future success. We will Equip students with powerful learning capabilities and dispositions. Develop programmes pathways and partnerships that lead to valued next steps beyond school. Set and report on annual achievement targets for all students and for Maori and Pacific students.

Develop School ICT Infrastructure for E-Learning and Communication ICT supports the development of the learning powered classroom and digital citizenship. Digital liter- acy or the ability to understand and fully participate in the digital world is fundamental to future citi- zenship. It is the combination of technical and social skills that enable a person to be successful and safe in the information age. When families have current knowledge about student progress and achievement they can support their next steps. Our ICT systems need to be designed to enable effec- tive access for families to information about student learning. We will Strengthen capability to communicate with and provide current achievement and attendance in- formation to parents and caregivers electronically. Grow digitally literate citizens who use technologies to participate in educational, cultural, and economic activities.

Strengthen Partnerships with our Community Partnership with parents, caregivers, whanau and the wider community enhances learning and achievement. The location of the school within a campus provides the opportunity for a seamless learning experience. Partnerships with families, educational institutions or businesses can provide resourcing and opportunities for student learning. We will Develop partnerships with families and community focused on supporting student learning.

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

3 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

School Charter - Strategic Intent 2013 - 2017 (detail continued) Develop Facilities to Promote Quality Educational Experiences School facilities influence and shape learning. Modern learning environments promote student learning. The whole school environment including the grounds should provide learning opportuni- ties. We will Develop classroom learning environments and school facilities to shape and support powerful learning. Ensure new buildings are modern learning environments with sustainable environment design.

Develop and Promote Centres of Excellence Excellent achievement and performance promotes the school attracting staff, students and funding, and motivates students in all areas of school life. Centres of excellence can be developed by building on existing strengths of the school and passions of the staff and students. We will Enhance the relationship between the Roskill Campus Schools. Identify, develop and promote academic centres of excellence.

Auckland Philharmonia Secondary School Scholarship - Aminiasi Latu Aminiasi Latu a student at MRGS has been awarded one of the 7 APO Scholarships this year. The student will receive a series of 8 mentoring sessions from a Philharmonia mu- sician in preparation for performing in concert with the orchestra. The education con- cert by the APO is called “Kiwi Capers” and will be performed in August 28th and 29th. The sessions will start in June with Samy from Finland who is action section leader for the orchestra’s flutes. Aminiasi will be able to experience all aspects of the professional orchestra environment in the course of his mentoring and performance.

MRGS School Trustees Elections In May this year the School Trustee Elections will be held. Board members are entrusted by the commu- nity to ensure the success of our schools and a bright future for our children. We need an education system where all children are expected to succeed and one where we all take shared responsibility in ensuring this happens.

Key Dates  8th April Call for nominations  15th April Evening for our current Board to meet prospective candidates at 4.45pm in the Conference Room (main Administration Building).  10th May Nominations close  17th May Voting papers issued  21st May Meet and greet the trustee candidates 7.00pm in the school Library  30th May Midday voting closes  5th June Votes counted and results declared

6th June New BOT takes office

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

4 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

NCEA Excellence Awards Evening At the end of March the school held its annual Excellence Awards evening when our high achievers in last year’s NCEA examinations were congratulated. In a packed hall all those who achieved an Excellence Endorsement at NCEA Level 1, 2 or 3 were given a special certificate and badge by our guest presenter RT Hon. Phil Goff—MP for MT Ros- kill. It was a proud evening as over 250 family members joined the 140 award winning students. The event opened with a rousing Haka Powhiri for our guest who was brought into the hall by Greg Watson the Principal. Mr Goff was invited to speak to the gathered audience and he gave some rous- ing words of congratulation to both the students and the school. He reminded all those present of the primacy of learning and achievement and re- called his long association and support of the school and the wider Roskill community. Each achiever was then called up to receive their awards from Mr Goff . The evening concluded with a supper where students and families were able to share their moment and have their picture taken with Mr Goff and the Principal Mr Watson. Each of these students have gained 50 or more credits at Excellence level to achieve their endorsement award. At all three levels of this qualification our results exceed national figures and at levels 2 and 3 we achieved our best results ever. These figures are a tribute to the powerful learning focus of our seniors and the school as a whole.

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

5 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

Three Roskill Students in Chemistry Olympiad Training Squad Three Senior students, Victor Xie, Cindy Ou and Mark Yep have been chosen to take part in the final selec- tion process for the Chemistry Olympiad Team. They will join 25 other students in a squad selection process which will produce a final team of four to represent New Zealand in the 45th Chemistry Olympiad in Moscow in July. Each year a group of around 30-35 secondary school students is selected to form a Training Group. The selection is based upon performance in a selection test held at the end of Oc- tober, or the beginning of November. The selection test assumes knowledge of only Year 12 (NCEA Level 2) Chemistry. The inclusion of this year’s three students continues a tradition of Roskill involvement over the years.

Previous Roskill students selected for the final team:- Tim Vogel and Wenyi Yi 2008

2011 Aaron Li (Reserve ) 2004 Tony Chiu, Aritra Ray 2008 Tim Vogel, Wenyi Yi 2003 Aritra Ray 2007 Chuan-Zheng Lee 2002 Peter Lam 2005 Daniel Chan 2000 Dony Wong

Mount Roskill Grammar Student wins major Science and Technology Award

Sohail Abdullah a year 12 student was awarded the American Ambassador’s award at the Genesis Energy Realise the Dream awards function in Wellington at the end of last year. The award, one of those celebrating the most talented New Zealand secondary school science students, gives Sohail travel and accommodation to attend the Intel International Science Fair in Phoenix, Arizona next month .

Sohail was one of 20 students selected nationally by the Royal Society of New Zealand to be finalists in this prestigious event. He had designed a robot that cleans windows. The inspiration for his work was seeing his father struggling to clean windows at home and this led to his invention that he hopes may be adapted for use on high rise buildings in the future. Another Mount Roskill student Conor King was also selected to attend the event for his cellphone linked database, ‘blurb’, which enables your cellphone to com- municate information on areas like your music preferences or shoe size to a shop that you enter. He hopes that his design will allow people to have their own choice of music played by retailers rather than random tunes. Roskill grammar was the only Auckland school to have two representatives at the award ceremony. Their work is a tribute to the strength of Electronics at the school and the support and dedication of teacher Mr. Bill Collis.

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

6 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

ASB Polyfest In week 7 of this term the months of practice and support came to a successful conclusion with our cultural groups’ performances at Manu- kau in the ASB Polyfest. Throughout Term One, students, families and tutors worked long and hard to rehearse and perfect their performances. Throughout the week the gyms and whare of the school echoed to the sound of each of the groups going through their paces with the usual Roskill resilience and enthusiasm. Many Satur- days were given over to intense work and the expert guidance of the many tutors. In the eve- nings before their competition appearances the Maori, Samoan and Tongan groups demonstrated their talent in front of parents and the school community in a series of Fia Fia events. These drew large appreciative audiences which packed the school venues and sent each of the groups off to Manukau invigorated by good-wishes and congratulations.

Every group went onto the ASB stages in a positive mood and they performed with enthusiasm at the event being warmly received by the large crowds.

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

7 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

Mahurangi Sports Exchange Last week Roskill’s Premier Teams took part in the annual exchange with Mahurangi College. This tradi- tional fixture heralds the start of the Winter sports season and gives both schools the opportunity to

field their squads in a variety of disciplines in advance of the term two inter-schools programme. Mahurangi travelled from Warkworth and were welcomed to the school with a haka powhiri at which team members and coaches spoke with anticipation of the events to come. In perfect conditions our 1st XI Boys’ and Girls’ football and hockey, 1st XV rugby, Senior Girls vol- leyball, Premier netball and U19 Boys basketball took on the counterparts from Mahurangi. The compe- tition was fierce but fair, and at the close of the day Roskill were victorious by 5 wins to 2. After the on- field competitiveness both schools’ players and coaches enjoyed lunch together and a closing ceremony of thanks and congratulations when Roskill regained possession of the commemorative shield as a result of their success. We then said farewell to our opponents as they set off back north.

Results vs Mahurangi College Rugby - MRGS won 43-5 Volleyball Girls - MRGS won 2-0 Football Boys - MRGS won 7-0 Hockey Girls - Mahurangi won 1-0 Hockey Boys - MRGS won 6-0 Netball - Mahurangi won 44-21 Basketball Boys - MRGS won 58-30 Football Girls - Draw 1-1

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

8 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

Senior Classical Studies Trip to Sydney Earlier this month 20 students and 6 teachers made a weekend trip to Sydney to see the exhibition on Alexander the Great. Alexander was the leader of Macedonia, a country to the north of Greece, in 400BC. While he was in power, he took his armies and conquered over half of the then known world – Turkey, Persia, Egypt and a large part of India. Since then stories have developed around Alexander’s ability as a military leader, his personality, and his qualities as a decisive yet merciful man. These stories have inspired over the centuries a great deal of art in many forms: painting, tapes- try, drawing, coins, sculpture in various mediums- stone, gold, bronze, brass, ivory and bone. People have treasured this art and a museum in St Petersburg, Russia, has put together an extensive exhibition of these works. This outstanding collection has been brought to Sydney – giving us an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see it. The group arrived at for their flight at 6.00am on a Friday morning (no one was late!) and a bus delivered them to the Sydney Youth Hostel at the Rocks by midday. They caught the ferry across the harbour to Manley where many swam in the surf. On the Saturday morning they walked to the Alexander ex- hibition and after lunch went to the market in Paddington. Jewellery, clothes, souvenirs, food and presents for family/friends drew money out of all their purses. After some relaxation at the hostel they later went to dinner in Circular Quay followed by a walk around the Sydney Opera House. Sunday morning was spent in the Westfield Mall in Pitt Street looking at the expensive shops. The group walked home through the market at the Rocks spending the last of their money. The bus delivered them to the airport and they arrived home slightly late at 10.30pm Sunday night. The trip, organised by the Classical studies teachers of MRGS was a great success and as ever the students were positive, friendly and represented us with pride and humour.

Language Perfect World Championships

The dates for this international competition are 20th - 30th May 2013. Students of languages are remind- ed to pay their entry fee as soon as possible at Accounts. Language Perfect also offers pupils the possibil- ity of a full year membership of the site which contains a lot of material added by MRGS teachers for our language courses.

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

9 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

Mentoring 2013 – Lifting student achievement Thank you so much to all of our families who made it a priority to come into school to meet with their child’s mentor. We are delighted with the keen interest you have shown and are pleased to report that we had the majority of our Year 11 and 12 families coming in to meet their child’s mentor. We have also appreciated the positive feedback you have given about this programme and look forward to meeting with you again next term. The date for our family/mentor(teacher)/mentee (student) conference in term is Thursday 20th June The focus for this meeting will be: To identify learning gaps from the subject assessments/examinations To draw up a calendar of assessments to be done for the remainder of Term 2 and all of Term 3 To set learning/achievement goals for the final 3 weeks of Term 2 and for Term 3 Each Year 11 and 12 student has a mentor and if your child does not know who their mentor is please phone our school office. We look forward to continuing to strengthen our mentoring programme as we work with you to raise your child’s achievement over the next two terms. Julie Small- Deputy Principal

Indiking Dance Competition Success for Roskill Student Earlier this term Roshan Nama competed successfully in an all males dance competition “Indiking”. He performed a contemporary Bollywood dance with back-up from his dance group ‘Indiance’. His compelling performance earned him 1st place and he was crowned ‘Indiking of 2013’; a title which his efforts thoroughly deserved. Next year he will be competing in the ‘King of Kings’ competition against other previous winners. Roshan has donated his prize money towards his Dance show and their forthcoming production in July.

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

10 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

Sports - Dragonboating At the end of March on Lake Pupuke our Dragon boat team competed at the Auckland Regional Secondary School Championships. After a difficult season due to a number of students being involved in many different sports and activities limiting training opportunities they fought our way through qualify- ing to make the highly competitive plate final. Despite the wind picking up through the day, in the final they managed to produce their fastest time of the day. Unfortunately it wasn’t enough and the team were beaten into 4th place by 0.5 seconds. The girls were a little disappointed but they they raced well and put a great effort in. Overall it has been a great sea- son, as their coach says “it’s been a lot of fun, the team has improved their fitness and a number of new paddlers have learnt good technique which will help us go faster in the future”. Cricket The 1st XI Boys Cricket team had a mixed term, however this was not the case for some individuals in the team. Karan Banker started the year strongly scoring two big centuries (184 not out and 163) in all com- petitions and taking wickets to aid the bowling attack. Also Kashyap Choudhary’s bowling proved to be valuable after a 5-wicket haul and some very tight spells against good opposition batsmen. A mention has to be made for Oyishik Chakraborty who stepped up to play 1st XI cricket this season and has been a frequent opener and solid foundation for the MRGS middle order. The 2nd XI will be hoping they can continue their excellent form when the season restarts after winning their last 4 games. Shayne Quadros deserves special mention after hitting 93 for the 3rd XI and after being promoted to the 2nd XI scored a century the next week. Both the Junior Boys and the 3rd XI deserve a mention for their attitude in train- ing even if the results weren’t going their way. The 1st XI Girls team enjoyed a good season and finished it off with a hugely successful tournament played at Keith Hay Park in which the team showed great team spirit, resilience and ability to finish the season on a high. Volleyball The Senior Girls team had a successful season finishing third in the Central Zone. The team were led ably by Rosalina Toleafoa. Thank you very much to Fale Malifa for coaching the girls this year.

8M8’s Term 1 saw the launch of 8M8’s, an exciting new social sports programme after school on Monday’s. After a lunchtime launch with demonstrations of the sports, led by professional coaches and giveaways from The Edge Roadrunners, the first actual session was after school the same day as the launch and proved successful with students participating in a relaxed and active environment. 8M8’s aims to pro- vide informal sporting opportunities to students who do not play regular sport for the school. The em- phasis is on having fun with friends and being physically active students. The programme continues throughout Term 2 with two different sports played each Monday after school.

Academies Preseason training for the Hockey, Football and Netball Academy teams has been progressing well. All of the teams are looking forward to another good season and qualifying in the top grade for their age groups.

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

11 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

‘Being Roskill’ - New Documentary Explores Links Between Sports, Academic Success, and Values Education. A unique documentary mini-series about a group of Mt Roskill Grammar soccer players is now availa- ble on DVD. Season One of Being Roskill consists of 6 episodes – with a total series running time of 70 minutes – and chronicles the school’s first ever summer training programme. Far from just a focus on on-field action, the documentary shows the unique ways that the players are linking their sport with other curriculum areas – principally the English classroom. Players write essays, read and present on books, and deliver speeches about hardships in their lives. The players also undergo training in theatre and drama, take Portuguese classes, and receive mentoring by a multitude of figures – namely University of Miami American Football players, and an ex-student of their school Maksim Manko who is currently playing soccer professionally in Costa Rica. The series also spans continents, with footage from New Zealand, North America, Costa Rica and Ar- gentina. Season Two is currently in the planning stages. However, we have zero budget so are always looking for sponsorship! Being Roskill is available on DVD for $10 from three locations  TradeMe  Wooden Board Kitchen Restaurant located 2/4 Upper Queen Street.  Mt Roskill Grammar School (contact [email protected] to arrange pick up)

The team is raising money to go towards a 1st 11 football pre-season camp in the Coromandel. ‘Like’ the Facebook page www.facebook.com/BeingRoskill and watch the trailer on YouTube (search for 'Being Roskill trailer'). To hear the coach and documentary co-maker speak with Kim Hill on National Radio’s Saturday Morning show, search on Google for ‘Kim Hill Roskill Soccer Skills’.

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

12 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

School Production Term 2 - The Wizard of Oz – May 16, 17 & 18

We're off to see the wizard! Mt Roskill Grammar's 2013 musical production is The Wizard of Oz, based on the novel by L. Frank Baum.

The cast and crew have been working hard on creating a magical experience for their audience, and are looking forward to having big crowds to perform to on Thursday 16th at 7pm, Friday 17th at 7pm and Saturday 18th May at 4pm.

Please call 621-0050 to buy your tickets early and secure a seat in Oz for you and your whole family.

YWCA Future Leaders This year, we have been lucky enough to have a new group of YWCA Future Leaders start, in addition to our current Year 12 group. This is a wonderful opportunity for young women to develop confidence and skills, and have an amazing array of experiences with their mentors. We are grate- ful to the Auckland YWCA and all their sponsors for continuing to support our girls in their growth.

Our new Year 10 YWCA Future Leaders are: Nancy Gafa, Nola Finau, Sammie Lee, Shania Leong, Claire Wyeth, Mohana Kolli, Caitlin Johnson, Mary-Kate Fonua, Jocelyn Choo, Lavpreet Mushiana and Aashna Saxena.

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

13 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

General Reminders and Information

Uniform To be ready for the winter terms, please use the holiday period to check that your child has the correct school uniform. The complete uniform requirements are available on our school website.

Uniform Shoes Only full-foot, plain black leather, low-cut lace-up school shoes are allowed. Boots, ballet slippers, slip- ons, canvas, or suede shoes are not school uniform shoes. If you are unsure about which shoes are allowed please contact Mrs Barker before making your purchase.

Uniform Shop The MRGS uniform shop will be closed for stock-taking over the April school holidays. It will re-open Monday 6th May at 8.00am and remain open at the start of the school day until customers have com- pleted their purchases. Normal operating days and hours are Mondays and Thursdays from 8.00am to 9.00am and 3.00pm to 4.00pm.

Attendance and Punctuality One of our school goals for 2013 is to improve attendance and punctuality. With the winter terms ap- proaching we would appreciate your support in getting your child to school by 8.30 so they can get themselves organised for the start of the school day. If you have any concerns about attendance or want to report an absence, please phone Mrs Hyland, Attendance Officer, on 621 0069 or email [email protected] Please phone on the morning of your child’s first day of absence.

Parent Portal The Parent Portal providing a link to your child’s attendance record is now ‘live’ so you are able to see lesson by lesson whether your child is present at school. If you require another copy of your username and password please email [email protected] to request that information.

Communication of Absences by Text Where you have provided us with your cellphone contact details, we aim to send a text message if your child has been marked absent for the first two lessons of the day. Thank you for your responses so far to this new attendance communication initiative.

Contact Details If you have a new address, phone number, cellphone number or email address please pass this infor- mation through to the school: [email protected] Emergency contact details should also be kept current so please update the school when either the person or their contact details change.

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

14 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

Diamond Jubilee Celebrations This year is the sixtieth anniversary of the founding of Mount Roskill Grammar School. The school opened in 1953 with a total roll of 363, 183 boys and 181 girls, under the princi- palship of Mr V.C. Butler. The buildings were still works in progress and it wasn’t until the begin- ning of the second term ( in what was then a three term year) that a science laboratory, art, food technology and technical workshops were available for use. Under Mr. Butler’s leadership and the guidance of those who have succeeded him the school grew. The Board of Governors became the Board of Trustees, and the co-operation between schools on the campus and the involvement of the community increased. To celebrate this history, we intend holding a day of celebration on Saturday 17th August. Organisation of the events is being led by Mr David Lett, ex Deputy Principal . Plans are to hold an open day for past pupils with visits around the school and a morning tea. There will be sports fix- tures, displays and reminders of six decades of change and development for the school. A Jubilee Dinner is planned for the evening at Alexandra Park. There is more information on the school website and past pupils can register their interest at [email protected]

Families Needed for New TV Show Could you, or someone in your family, give a chef a run for his money? Do you have a family recipe to share? Would you like Food Truck chef Mike Van de Elzen to cook for you and your family at your house? If so, then TV One love to hear from you! Two Heads TV production - makers of TV One’s The Food Truck - are searching for families to participate in a new show with chef Mike Van De Elzen. Families need to be fun and lively - with a recipe to share that’s ‘world famous’ in your household. If this is you - and more than one person in your family or extended family can cook your recipe - then we’d love to hear from you! Please send a paragraph about your family and their recipe, and a photo- graph to [email protected] with your name in the subject line. The show will be a celebration of family and food and will screen on TV One later this year. Applications would be best sent by Friday April 26th 2013. SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

15 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

School Ball 2013—Term 2

The School Ball this year will be held on the 8th June at the Pullman Hotel. To celebrate our 60th jubi- lee year the students have chosen the theme "Like a Diamond". Tickets will cost $105 and go on sale on the 22nd, 23rd and 24th of May. The expectation is that all course fees are paid and books re- turned to B1 before a ticket can be purchased. If you have any queries or concerns please contact the Year 13 academic deans - [email protected] or [email protected]. The ball committee will be speaking weekly in assembly to keep students up to date with our progress towards this event.

Prefect Projects The prefects are involved in a number of leadership projects this year. These include: 1. Fundraising for a sports honours board 2. Promoting awareness of mental health issues 3. Working with the community to celebrate the 60th jubilee 4. Celebrating cultural diversity 5. Providing design skills for promotion of events and leavers' gear Japanese Class Visit to Nishiki Restaurant On the night of the 28th of March amidst the bustling environ- ment of the Nishiki Japanese restaurant, 11 students of the MRGS Year 12 Japanese class plus their teacher Miss Kojima enjoyed a delicious authentic Japanese meal. The set menu was attractively presented and offered the opportunity for every individual to taste the various delights of Japanese cui- sine. On offer were of course trademark Japanese foods like sushi, teriyaki chicken, takoyaki (on a stick!) and other different items like a lightly grilled beef tataki , salmon and avocado spring rolls and many more! Not to mention a choice of ice cream for dessert! Many chose to opt for either green tea or red bean, both quintessential Japanese desert flavours. Overall the memorable culinary experience was Sugoi! (Super! in Japanese) and many left with their taste buds wanting more!

NZQA FEES COLLECTION 2013 All senior students and 1001 students must pay their NZQA Fees (compulsory) to the accounts office between Wednesday 15th May and Friday 17th May. These fees must be paid so that any credits a stu- dent achieves through either Unit or Achievement Standard assessments will be recorded on a stu- dent’s record of learning. If not paid, the credits will not be released to the student. The Fee for the majority of students will be $76.70. However financial assistance is available to students whose parents/guardians receive a Work and Income Benefit or have a Community Services Card. Financial assistance forms can be collected from the front office, accounts office or from Mr Parratt in the Commerce Department next to H6

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

16 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

Gateway Department We are pleased to welcome Alison Payne to the position of Gateway Coordinator. Alison has joined us from TVNZ where she was working in Human Resources. Alison brings a wealth of knowledge about employment and we look forward to her working with our students. Applications for a Gateway placement are currently being processed and our first group has started on The Warehouse Red Shirt Programme. If you have any questions regarding the Gateway programme you can contact Alison on 621 0050 ext 826, or [email protected]

WIN UP TO $500 FOR MRGS AND FOR YOU Shop, save money, save time and raise funds for the school. Simply go to www.yourfastshop.co.nz, select Mt Roskill Grammar School and start browsing your favourite stores. No queues, No parking problems, No aching feet! Save on petrol costs. Over 50 online stores to choose from including electronics at Apple, fashion at Ezibuy, books at The Nile, toys at Mighty Ape and so many other gifts. Your shopping is dealt with directly by your chosen online store. Please go to www.yourfastshop.co.nz to see how you could win up to $500 for you and MRGS. We also automatically provide extra funds to your school. Treat yourself to easy shopping and help your school fundraise. Sponsorship For Roskill Sports Team The school would like to acknowledge the sports sponsorship provided for 1st XI Girls Football by the following individuals and organisations:

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

17 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

ASB Sponsorship Referral Scheme ASB is again running its scheme which will give the school a $250 donation for every school staff member/ parent/family/friend associated with the school who draws a new home loan with the ASB bank. The de- tails are in the flyer below.

The following special offer is also running in conjunction with the ASB Referral Scheme

SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

18 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

MT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL ADULT COMMUNITY EDUCATION - TERM 2 2013 Frost Road, Mt Roskill, Auckland 1041 www.mrgs.school.nz (click on Community Education) Phone (09) 621 0051 Email: [email protected] Fax: (09) 620 9467 Office Hours: 9am-3pm Monday to Friday. Extra enrolling night: Wednesday 8 May 6-8pm.

GUITAR CLASSES MONDAY starts 13 May 7-9pm unless stated START Thursday 16 and Friday 17 May Arabic for Travellers 7 wks $98 *Fantastic tutor. Bring own guitar. Spaces limited

Ballroom Dancing for Beginners 7-8pm 6 wks $55 Beginners – Thurs 7-8pm 7 wks $75

Basic Car Maintenance 6 wks $90 Intermediate - Thursday 6-7pm 7 wks $75

Building a Website with Weebly 1 wk $30 Intermediate - Thurs 8-9pm 7 wks $75 Cake Decorating – Celebration Cakes 7 wks $95+ Intermediate - Friday 6-7pm 7 wks $75

Computer Maintenance & Repairs – Intro 4 wks $70 Advanced - Friday 7-9pm 7 wks $125 Computer Maintenance & Repairs - 4 wks $70 SATURDAY CLASSES & WORKSHOPS Advanced *starts 17 June Chinese Yum Cha: 9.30am-12.30pm, 22 June, Defensive Driving *Held Mon and Tues 2 wks $175 1 wk, $35 +$20 ingredients Furniture Making & Design 6-9pm 7 wks $139+ Makeup for Special Occasions 10am-4pm, 16 March, Indian Cooking – An Introduction 4 wks $70+ 1 wk, $65 *Fee includes first night’s ingredients MYOB, 9am-4.30pm, 9 & 16 March, 2 wks, $135 Indian Cooking: Street Foods & Snacks 4 wks $70+ *Starts 17 June. Fee includes first night’s ingredients ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE Painting with Oils 7 wks $95+ *Non residents pay 30% extra Sign Language 7 wks $50 Welding 6.30-8.30pm. Only 4 spaces 6 wks $200+ DAY-TIME CLASSES

Yoga 6.45-8.15pm *Bring mat 8 wks $76 Conversational English and Grammar – starts 6 May Yoga – Prenatal 6.45-8.15pm 7 wks $67 Mon, Wed & Fri 9am-12noon 10 wks $395

Beginners/ Elementary Level 1 TUESDAY starts 14 May 7-9pm unless stated Pre-Intermediate Level 2 Badminton 7 wks $85 Intermediate/ High Intermediate Level 3 Bollywood Dancing 7.30-8.30pm 7 wks $70 IELTS Academic & General Preparation – starts 7 May

Bootcamp 6.30-7.30pm 7 wks $49 Tues & Thurs 9.15-11.15am 10 wks $265 Building a Website with Weebly 11 June 1 wk $30

Digital Photography and Photoshop 6 wks $85 NIGHT TIME CLASSES

Floristry/ Fresh Flower Arranging 7 wks $89+ Mon & Wed classes - start 13 May

House Renovations 6.30-8.30pm 3 wks $56 *2 nights per week, 6.40-9pm, 7 wks, $99

Indoor Soccer – Men 7.35-9pm 8 wks $76 Beginner/ Elementary

Indoor Soccer – Women 6-7.30pm 8 wks $76 Pre-Intermediate/ Conversational English Mediterranean Cooking 4 wks $70+ Intermediate Moroccan Cooking *Starts 11 June 4 wks $70+ High Intermediate *Includes first night’s ingredients Tuesday classes – start 14 May Picture Framing *Bring item to frame 7 wks $95+ *1 night per week, 6.40-9pm, 7 wks $50 Pilates 6.30-7.30pm 7 wks $65 English Speaking and Pronunciation

Samoan for Beginners:Level 1 6.45-9pm 7 wks $50 Advanced Grammar and Vocabulary

Stress Busters: Tools for Relaxation 4 wks $70 IELTS Academic preparation Class – starts 14 May Speechworks Public Speaking 5 wks $195 *Tues and Wed (2 nights), 6.40-9pm, 7 wks , $170 IELTS Preparation Class – Advanced – starts 13 May Woodwork & Furniture Restoration 8 wks $95+ Mon 6.40-9pm, 7 wks + Sat 15 & 22 June 9am-4.30pm, $170 SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS

19 MOUNT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL NEWSLETTER APRIL 2013

MT ROSKILL GRAMMAR SCHOOL ADULT COMMUNITY EDUCATION - TERM 2 2013 ( DETAILS - CONTINUED )

WEDNESDAY starts 15 May 7-9pm unless stated

Advanced Car Maintenance 6 wks $115 Aerobics – Please note: A “+” after a price indicates that there Pump 7.30-8.30pm 7 wks $49 may be further material costs involved. Cake Decorating – Sugar Flowers 7 wks $95+ You must be a minumum of 16 years old to join these classes Dressmaking - Intermediate 8 wks $85+ HOW TO ENROL: French for Beginners & Travellers 7 wks $98 By phone with credit card – ph 621 0051 GST Returns & Small Business Taxation 3 wks $30 Indoor Soccer *Starts 8 May 10 wks $95 In person at the office. Eftpos available Italian Cooking 4 wks $70+ *Fee includes first night’s ingredients - Extra enrolling night – Wed 8 May 6-8pm

Raw Food *Starts 12 June 4 wks $70+ - Download an enrolment form from our website www.mrgs.school.nz, click on *Fee includes first night’s ingredients

Samoan for Beginners:Level 2 6.45-9pm 7 wks $50 “Community Education” Spanish for Beginners *Starts 8 May 10wks $140 Email: [email protected] Woodwork – Beginners to Int 8 wks $95+ Post: Mt Roskill Grammar Community Education, Frost Yoga 6.45-8.15pm *Starts 8 May 10wks $95 Road, Mt Roskill, AK 1041

Early Childhood Education

Mt Roskill Early Childhood Centre

60 Somerset Road, Mt Roskill PH: 629 0732 www.mountroskillearlychildhood.co.nz

Our Centre caters for children aged birth to five years in a purpose built Centre. We have separate environments for children aged under two and over two. We currently have vacancies for children aged under one with immediate starts available. Please contact the Centre directly for more infor- mation. Dates for your Diary TERM TWO

May 6 Start of Term Two June 12 Junior Reports Issued May 16—18 School Production ‘Wizard of Oz’ June 13 Pukekohe Sports Exchange May 24 Team Photos June 25 Junior Report Evening May 30—June 7 Senior School Examinations July 5 Senior Reports Issued June 3 Queen’s Birthday Holiday July 11 Senior Report Evening June 8 School Ball July 12 End of Term Two SUCCESSFUL, POWERFUL LEARNERS …. ACTIVE AND RESPONSIBLE CITIZENS