NIWA SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY FAIR

Young scientists from 14 South & East schools gather at Howick College to showcase their work.

The 2024 NIWA South and East Science and Technology Fair, hosted by Howick College on Friday, 23 August, was a remarkable showcase of young scientific talent and innovation. The event, held in the Bill Dimery Performing Arts Centre, featured 122 projects from 14 schools across the South and East Auckland Zones.

The fair highlighted a diverse range of entries, with judging covering a broad spectrum of STEM fields, including Living World, Physical World, Technology and Innovations, and robotics. Students from Years 7 to 13 presented their impressive projects, demonstrating creativity, expertise, and depth of research.
Students engaged enthusiastically with industry judges from various STEM fields, discussing their projects and gaining valuable insights. The event not only celebrated the achievements of our young scientists but also provided a glimpse into the future of science and technology.

Well done to the following Howick College entrants:
Rylee Barrett (Y11): Shell We Break the Ice
Eva Malez Ocampos (Y11) Mushroom Mania
Chloe Ronberg and Lilia Kavanagh (Y9): Salty vs Sweet
Leila Sowersby and Vienna Russel (Y9): Which Drinks and More Corrosive to Teeth?
Ethan Loo and Ethan Potgieter (Y9): VermiCompost: The Root of Plant Growth
Fiza Khan and Arsh Kaur (Y9): Global Warming
Ariyashka Kamal and Ash Cristie (Y9): Bacterial Growth 
Harshveer Duley and Devin Marshall (Y9): Plant Insulation

Winners of the fair will be announced at the prizegiving ceremony on Monday, 2 September, at Sommerville Intermediate. Thank you to everyone who supported and attended the fair. Your involvement played a key role in making this event a success and showcasing the bright future of our young scientists.

YOUNG ENGINEEERS SHINE AT EPRO8 FINALS

The Junior EPro8 Team (from left): Ben Hannaby, Devin Marshall, Nathaniel Smith and Olivia Hargreaves-Judd.

Howick College's junior and senior EPro8 teams took on the region’s best, competing against the top 12 teams at the EPro8 Challenge Grand Final, held on the 22nd and 23rd of August at Papatoetoe High School. This inter-school science and engineering challenge, known for its rigorous testing of students’ engineering and problem-solving abilities, provided both teams with an opportunity to showcase their skills.

Our junior team (Ben Hannaby, Olivia Hargreaves-Judd, Devin Marshall, and Nathaniel Smith) delivered an outstanding performance, earning SECOND place in a tightly contested competition. Their excellent problem-solving skills and teamwork clearly demonstrated their capabilities. Meanwhile, our senior team (Harry Gan, Kieran Gawn, Ethan O'Meara, and Jack Want) also gave a solid showing, taking eighth place in a highly competitive field. Their strategic approach and technical skills were evident throughout the two and a half hour event.

Congratulations to both teams for their strong performances throughout each stage of the competition and for representing Howick College with pride at all times.

NZ PROGRAMMING COMPETITION

Team Penguins (from left): Ethan Beale, James Burt and Joshua Briones.

On 17 August, eight Howick College programming students participated in their first-ever programming contest at the University of Auckland, competing against 56 Auckland high school teams. The contest was an intense five-hour challenge where teams worked on a single computer to solve complex problems using languages such as C#, C++, Java, and Python.

Team "Penguins," our top-performing team, finished in 29th place - an impressive achievement considering the stiff competition from more experienced teams. They demonstrated remarkable perseverance, particularly when tackling a challenging problem that took nearly half their time to solve. Once past that hurdle, they went on to successfully solve three more problems, demonstarting their growing skills and determination.

This experience provided our students with valuable insights and a strong foundation to build upon for future competitions. We're incredibly proud of their courage and commitment, and we look forward to seeing their continued growth in the world of programming!

PINK RIBBON BREAKFAST

Staff enjoy a delicious Pink Ribbon Breakfast prepared by our Food Tech team Premier Netball squad.

Our annual Pink Ribbon Breakfast took place bright and early on Monday, 26 August. Mrs Roberts, Mrs Willemse, and the Food Technology team, assisted by our Premier Netball squad, provided a fabulous breakfast for the many staff members who attended. Thanks to Mr Douglas and all those who helped raise around $1,000 to support the Breast Cancer Foundation in its vital work. The money will go towards funding research and medical grants, as well as supporting patients and their families through their treatment and recovery.

MINERVA HOUSE GETS BEHIND DAFFODIL DAY

Minerva House representatives along with our six House Mascots prepare to make their Daffodil Day deliveries.

On Friday, 30 August, Howick College celebrated Daffodil Day with a heartwarming initiative led by Minerva House. The team delivered 100 daffodils and accompanying notes to students and staff, brightening their day. For $3, students and staff could have a daffodil delivered to someone special or for $5, they could send a daffodil, note, and a song.

The event raised $428 for the Cancer Society, with hopes to double this amount next year. All proceeds support vital cancer research and patient care.

YEAR 9 CAMPS 2024 REGISTRATIONS 

All Year 9 parents and caregivers should have by now received an email about the Year 9 camps at the end of term 4. If you have not yet received an email, we recommend checking your junk/spam folder.

These successful and popular camps will take place at our Outdoor Education facility at Waharau Regional Park between Tuesday 19 November and Sunday 1 December. These 3-day camps not only provide an important opportunity for students to acquire valuable skills and learning outside the classroom, they are also an extremely enjoyable and memorable experience.

As you will appreciate, there is a great deal of planning required to make Year 9 camp the successful event it is each year. Therefore, it is very important that you register your child's attendance by completing the Consent and Medical Form, as soon as possible so we know how many students to plan for. 

Payment of the camp fee is due by Friday 25 October.
For more information regarding Year 9 Camps, please visit the Year 9 Camp page of our website. 

STUDENT BOARD REPRESENTATIVE ELECTION

Nominations are open for the election of ONE student representative to the Howick College Board for 2024 - 2025. Nominations close at 12 noon on Tuesday 3 September 2024. Students on the school roll as of 2 September 2024 can nominate themselves or another student, but the candidate must sign the nomination form and complete the eligibility declaration attached to the form. Nomination forms can be downloaded here or collected from the student office. ​ Voting will take place on Thursday 19 September 2024.

LITERACY & NUMERACY CO-REQUISITE EXAMS

The next opportunity to gain literacy and numeracy credits will be in weeks 8 and 9 of this term. There are some preparation tasks available in the Literacy & Numeracy classrooms for those students who still need to pass these tests. There will also be some extra workshops during lunchtimes to help with test preparation.

YEAR 10 - 13 STUDENTS
Reading: Monday lunchtime in A3
Numeracy: Tuesday lunchtime in A1
Writing: Wednesday lunchtime in A3

SENIOR STUDENTS ONLY
Literacy & Numeracy preparation P5 Wednesday in A4

If you have any further questions please contact: 
Mrs Baljeet Saini (Numeracy) at [email protected]
Mrs Leah Nairn (Literacy) at [email protected]

COMMUNITY SURVEY - DAILY TIMES 

We are currently reviewing the times of the school day at Howick College and have emailed survey links to all parents, caregivers, and students earlier this week. If you haven’t received the email, please check your spam or junk folder. Your feedback is crucial as we consider potential adjustments.

We encourage everyone to complete the survey and share their perspectives, as your input will help guide our decision-making process. Thank you for taking the time to contribute.

PHOTOLIFE TEAM & GROUPS PHOTOS

All parents and caregivers should have received an email with their child’s unique Key Code to view and purchase the 2024 School Team Photos online. Please note that free delivery is available until midnight on Sunday, 15 September. We encourage you to check your email, including your spam or junk folders, to ensure you have received the Key Code. If you have not received it, please contact Photolife, and they will assist you with the necessary information.

SPORTS NEWS

Premier Netball Makes Howick College History

An elated Premier 1 team with their coaches and managers.

Our Premier 2 team with competition runners-up, Mount Albert Girls' Grammar.

What an incredible week for Howick College netball! Our Premier 2 team began with a dramatic win in the Auckland Secondary Schools Premier 2 Competition Final, clinching the title in extra time with a nail-biting 41-40 victory over Mount Albert Grammar on Saturday, 24th August.

The excitement continued on the 28th of August, when our Premier 1 team claimed their first-ever Auckland Netball Secondary Schools Championship title, defeating Avondale College 40-37 in a thrilling final. This historic double victory also marks the first time Howick College has won both the Premier 1 and Premier 2 grades!

A huge thank you to our supporters, whose presence meant so much to our girls. Special thanks to our teams' coaches and managers: Premier 1 coach Mrs Adelita Sotutu, Assistant Premier 1 coach and Premier 2 coach Tania Tuinukuafe, Premier 1 manager Mrs Amy du Plessis, and Premier 2 manager Lisa Ransom. Their dedication to the sport and unwavering support for the players are outstanding.

Congratulations to both teams for their hard work and commitment. You have set a new standard for excellence in Auckland secondary school netball.

1st XV Rugby Girls Through to Top 4 Competiton

Coach Waisake Sotutu offers the team words of advise and support.

We are thrilled to announce that our 1st XV Rugby Girls have qualified for the NZ Rugby National Top 4 Competition in their inaugural year!

The team secured their place in the national competition with a decisive 42-14 win over North Harbour champions, Westlake Girls. Leading 17-7 at halftime, the team found their rhythm in the second half, with standout performances from several players. Marica Tukana excelled once again, scoring two tries and setting up additional opportunities with her explosive runs. Maddison Motuliki also made a significant impact with her dynamic open-field running, scoring one try and assisting wing Taylor Bennett with another. In the backs, Jaedah Hansen delivered a reliable performance at fullback, expertly handling Westlake's kicking game and sparking counter-attacks from turnover ball.

Their impressive performance has earned them the right to represent the Blues region as the top girls' rugby team. They will now compete with some of the best teams in the country, including Christchurch Girls' High School from the South Island, Manukura High School from the Hurricanes region, and Hamilton Girls' High School from the Chiefs region.

The team will head to Palmerston North next Thursday morning for the NZ Rugby Top Four competition. They will face Christchurch Girls on Friday, while Manukura High School will play Hamilton Girls' High. Depending on the results, Howick could face either Hamilton Girls or the current champions, Manukura School, in matches determining positions from 1st to 4th.

We wish our 1st XV Rugby Girls the best of luck as they compete at this prestigious national competition!

College Sport Underwater Hockey Awards

Senior Open Team - Silver Medallist 

From left: Kendra Scully, Kuen York and Rhyan Galloway

Howick College did extremely well at the College Sport Underwater Hockey prizegiving held at the Manurewa Pool and Leisure Centre earlier this week.

Congratulations to the follow award recipients:
SS Underwater Hockey Competition Silver Medallists - Howick College Senior Open Team
Most Valuable Player (Boy) - Rhyan Galloway
Most Valuable Player (Girl) - Kendra Scully
Outstanding Junior Boy - Kuen York
Outstanding Senior Girl - Kendra Scully
2024 Coaches Award - Joel Samuel 

These achievements highlight the hard work and dedication of our students and coaches. Well done to all award recipients for their exceptional contributions to their sport!

 Waru Impresses at Babe Ruth World Series

Nikau Waru (Year 11) recently had the trip of a lifetime, competing in the Babe Ruth World Series baseball tournament in Branson, Missouri, USA. His Pac-Men 16U team proudly represented New Zealand for the first time, competing against 20 teams from around the world. Nikau's dedication and long hours of training paid off with an outstanding pitching performance in Game 4 against Sarasota, Florida, one of the tournament's top teams. He pitched a complete game of six innings, delivering 76 pitches, 57 strikes, six strikeouts, and maintaining an ERA of 3.0. In addition to his pitching, Nikau contributed defensively at third base with two double plays, five putouts, and seven assists. Offensively, he also made his mark, hitting an RBI against Mexico. The trip was an incredible experience and provided. Congratulation Nikau on your with a fantastic opportunity to compete against high-calibre teams on an international stage.

Follow Sport @ Howick College

For sports draws, results and the latest sports news, follow Howick College Sports on Facebook and Instagram or visit the Sports page on the Howick College website by clicking on the icons below.

      

COMMUNITY NOTICES

Please Help Our Z-Club Support Woven Earth 

Woven Earth is an Auckland-based frontline charity that supports female victims of domestic violence and their whanau by setting up and furnishing their new homes. Completely free of charge, this marks the first step to help them rebuild their lives. The Z-Club Community Pantry will be open until the end of week 8, 13 September, and we would gratefully appreciate donations of the following: Sanitary products(pads, tampons etc) Preloved household items in good condition e.g. cushions, blankest, rugs, toys, books etc Non-perishable packaged food e.g. rice, canned food, dry pasta etc. Other household items including cleaning products, toilet paper, wet wipes, etc. All donations can be delivered to the community pantry located in the Student Office.