Journey to the Bays: Writing Competition Success
Throughout Term 1, classes in Year 9 Social Studies focused on understanding our local histories and their places within those histories. Students learnt about the how the land in Lynfield and the surrounding areas have been used since it was settled by iwi through to today, how Tāmaki-Makaurau has developed over time and how the make-up of the population has and will continue to develop and change.
In association with the Blockhouse House Bay Historical Society, selected students had their assessments for this topic entered into a competition run by the society which tasked entrants with recording the history and contribution of well-known members of the community or of their own families/community members.
We were pleased to have members of the Blockhouse Bay Historical Society attend our Year 9 Assembly to present our entrants with their certificates and to announce our award winners.
Congratulations to all those who were entered and to the following award winners.
1st Place Equal | Faris Alsaudi | Stephen Thorpe (short essay)
2nd Place Equal | Dhyana Solanki | My mum, Dilesha Solanki (short essay)
Highly Commended:
Aanya Reddy | Kiri Te Kanawa and her journey through Blockhouse Bay (short essay)
Arden Horsford | A family’s journey to Blockhouse Bay (short essay)
Mahi Ali | The journey to the Bays (short essay)
Riya Kumar | Zena Abbott (photographic timeline)
Anya Smith | Paul Hewson (short essay)
Thank you to the members of the Blockhouse Bay Historical Society for offering this amazing opportunity to our students. Keep an eye out for the displays of students work at Armanasco House, local libraries and online on the Blockhouse Bay Historical Society Social Media: https://blockhousebayhistoricalsociety.com/
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From left to right: Krystene Vickers (BHBHS), Bevan Kumar, Riya Kumar, Dhyana Solanki, Yoyo Zhang, Faris Alsaudi and Anne Bell (BHBHS)
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Year 9 Innovative Learning Theme:
TŪRANGAWAEWAE – FINDING OUR PLACE In Term 1, our 9IL students explored the theme of Tūrangawaewae—Where We Belong, beginning each day with a Karakia to establish the idea of community. Daily reading is a routine they began as well. In English and Technology, students integrated an "Around the World" theme, practising travel writing and ballads and delivering presentations on the Manga genre. They practised sewing skills through the creation of sugar skulls. Their learning also took a delicious turn as they prepared dishes from various continents.
In Humanities and Physical Education, the focus remained on identity and heritage. Students explored the history of Aotearoa through Polynesian migration and constructed Waka Hourua models from repurposed materials. This cultural exploration extended to the field, where students researched indigenous games from around the world. They took on leadership roles by teaching these games to their peers and practised giving constructive feedback using various communication models to support one another's growth.
In Science, the term started with laboratory safety and the mastery of bunsen burners before moving into ecology and biodiversity. Students explored how organisms are specialized for their environments and are currently collaborating on a project to design and justify their own imaginary organisms.
Meanwhile, Mathematics focused on strengthening numeracy foundations, covering place value, rounding, and operations with fractions and decimals. The term concluded with an introduction to algebra, focusing on variables and equations. Throughout all subjects, it has been a joy to see students grow in independence and collaboration, utilizing tools like Education Perfect and Google Classroom to enhance their learning journey.
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Rajal Sharma (Year 13)
New Zealand archers delivered a commanding performance on home soil at the 2026 World Archery Oceania Target Championships in Auckland, topping the medal standings across multiple disciplines and team events.
Ten countries from the Oceania region participated in the World Archery Oceania Championships 2026 from 16-19 April at Pulman Park, Takanini.
83 Archers from Fiji, Samoa, Tonga, Vanuatu, New Caledonia, Papua New Guinea, Tahiti, Solomon Islands, Australia and New Zealand battled strong winds and severe weather conditions during the four-day tournament.
Rajal Sharma represented New Zealand in the U21 Men Compound division and had some great results:
- Silver in the WA720 championship ranking round
- Silver in the Individual Matchplay
- Bronze in the Doubles Team Matchplay where he was teamed up with a Tahitian archer.
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