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| Lynfield College past student Maddi Wesche claimed bronze at the World Championships in Tokyo. Photo credit / Getty Images | Copy credit / New Zealand Herald (adapted). |
Well Done Maddi!
On Sunday 21 September, at the World Championships in Tokyo, Maddi Wesche was leading the shot through the first five rounds with her 20.06 metre equal PB in Round 1. In the final round, she was bettered by Jessica Schilder (Netherlands) and immediately afterwards by Chase Jackson (USA). Maddi tried to respond but her final impressive effort was a foul.
Maddi has proved to be the quiet New Zealand achiever - the bronze follows her Paris Olympics silver last year and the Commonwealth bronze in 2022.
Olympic silver medallist Maddi led the competition through the first five rounds after opening her series with an equal-personal-best distance of 20.06m. She looked on track to clinch an extraordinary third gold for New Zealand at the championships before being surpassed by two throwers.
Dutch star Jessica Schilder – who was fifth until that point – threw 20.29m to take gold while American Chase Jackson reached 20.21m to snare silver and push Maddi into third place. Maddi produced a huge throw on her final attempt, which looked like it could reclaim top spot, but it was ruled a foul.
Maddi took a positive attitude to the outcome. “I’m still a little bit speechless, sitting in first place for most of the competition was a little bit foreign to me,” she said.
“To throw 20 metres on my first throw and then over 22 metres on my last [a foul] shows that all the training my coach, my team and I have been doing is paying off. “I’ve got bigger goals and bigger distances to come, those are my aspirations in this sport.
Lynfield College at the World Athletic Championships 2025
It is a big week ahead for past student Maddison-Lee Wesche, who attended Lynfield College from 2013 to 2017. She is currently preparing to compete at the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo, starting this weekend. Maddison will take part in the Women’s Shot Put on Saturday 20 September, with qualifying at around 1.00 pm (NZ time) and the final scheduled for 11.00 pm that night.
Maddi is of course no stranger to success at this level. She has consistently reached finals in major international meets and is regarded as one of New Zealand’s brightest medal hopes at these Championships. We still remember Maddi’s outstanding performance at the Paris Olympic Games last year, where she brought home a silver medal for New Zealand – a moment of immense pride for her whānau, and our school.
We wish Maddi all the very best and look forward to watching her compete on the world stage again. Coverage of her event can be followed through the World Athletics website: worldathletics.org/worldathletics-plus
Congratulations to our Newly Elected Student Representative
The Student Board Representative Election closed on Thursday 18 September. Mr Waddington our Academic Advisor and Returning Officer declared that Mahant Agrawal was elected to the Lynfield College School Board Congratulations Mahant.
This link takes you to the official results: Student Representative Declaration of Results 2025
Congratulations to our Newly Elected Board Members
Following the elections which closed at 4.00 pm on Wednesday 10 September, the results of the 2025 School Board elections were announced on Tuesday 16 September. Congratulations to the following nominees, who were elected to a three-year term:Sarah Fleming, Linda Potauaine, Maria Foy, Melanie North and Zahir Ahmed
The Lynfield College School Board wishes to thank all those nominees who stood in our School Board elections and who put themselves forward to support the Lynfield College community. We greatly appreciate your willingness and hope that you will remain involved.
We must also thank those board members whose terms ended: Luke Jackson, Geetika Aulakh, John Maka, Ravi Nyayapati and Kristelle Varney. We are very grateful for the considerable time, expertise, support and enthusiasm you gave to the School Board, and especially to Lynfield College.
The new Board will have its first meeting on Monday 10 October 2025.
This link takes you to the official results: Declaration of Results 2025 |
Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori 2025
This September is the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) from 14 – 20 September 2025. The week grew from a single ‘Māori Language Day’ set up in 1972. The seeds of a full week dedicated to te reo Māori were planted in 1974. By 1975 Te Wiki had found its footing and was off! Its growth and gains are what we celebrate 50 years on.
Every year since 1975 New Zealand has marked Māori Language Week. This is a time for all New Zealanders to celebrate te reo Māori (the Māori language) and to use more Māori phrases in everyday life. In 2024 Māori Language Week runs from 14–21 September and the theme is ‘Ake ake ake – A Forever Language’.
Te reo Māori is undergoing a resurgence and more people speak the language. There are Māori-language schools, Māori radio stations and a Māori television channel. There was a time when some people objected to hearing Māori greetings such as ‘Kia ora’. The campaign to revive the language has been a long one.
The future of te reo Māori was the subject of a claim before the Waitangi Tribunal in 1985. The tribunal’s recommendations were far-reaching. Māori became an official language of New Zealand in 1987. Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori was established in the same year to promote te reo. Along with the Human Rights Commission and Te Puni Kōkiri, it plays a key role in the annual Māori Language Week.
The struggle for the survival of te reo Māori is told on the Stories of te Reo website. It is the first time a timeline of this sort has charted the pivotal moments in the assaults on and revitalisation of our indigenous language.
A Buzzing Visit for 9IL
On Thursday 4 September, as part of our sustainability studies this term, we were lucky to host Ken Brown from the Auckland Bee Society, who shared his knowledge about the importance of bees in keeping our ecosystems thriving.
Ken arrived fully kitted out in his beekeeper suit and brought along a real beehive (without the bees!) for students to explore. He explained how bees work together, their vital role in pollination and food production, and even shared some of their more humorous and quirky behaviours.
The visit gave students a deeper appreciation of how important bees are for both our environment and everyday lives, linking perfectly to our current classroom learning. It was a truly engaging session that left students buzzing with new knowledge! http://www.aucklandbeekeepersclub.org.nz
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Assessment / Exam Weeks
Weeks 8 and 9 were an extremely busy time for our Year 12 and 13 students as they sat derived grade practice exams or attended practical assessment workshops. Practice exams give students an opportunity to identify gaps in their learning before the external NCEA exams in November. Most students were well organised and prepared. However, this is a timely reminder that students need to arrive 10-15 minutes before an exam begins, ensure they have all the equipment they require (including a charged laptop if sitting a digital exam) and follow the instructions given by supervisors. NZQA have very strict rules around exams and students can potentially lose grades if they are caught breaching assessment rules.
Note: A derived grade is only provisional and can only be applied for should a student have a valid reason. The final decision is one NZQA makes and is only confirmed in January when results are released.
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International Students Visit Piritahi Marae, Waiheke Island
On Tuesday 2 September, our international students had the wonderful opportunity to visit Piritahi Marae on Waiheke Island. The day began early with a journey by bus, train, and ferry.
At the marae, the students were warmly welcomed with a pōwhiri, where Giorgio Guicciardi (Italy) proudly spoke on behalf of his peers and Lynfield College. Throughout the morning, students deepened their understanding of Māori culture, traditions, and the history of the marae. A particular highlight was learning two new waiata and an action song, which they embraced with great enthusiasm.
In the afternoon, the group explored Waiheke Village, enjoying a short walk through the local shops and soaking up the island’s relaxed atmosphere before making their way back to Auckland.
The trip was a wonderful blend of learning, fun, and cultural connection.
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Individual Sports Honours
Ashwin Gupte, Year 13Ashwin has been selected to represent Auckland at the Junior Squash Nationals from 26 – 30 September. These will be held at the Henderson Squash Club. |
Shiv Patel, Year 13Shiv is a talented Cricketer and has recently been selected as a part of the Western Hub U19 Regional Development Programme. This runs from 23 August to 11 of October. Shiv will be attending workshops around strength and conditioning and nutrition - an incredible opportunity. |
John Wu, Year 13John Wu is an extremely talented Table Tennis athlete. John was the 2nd seeded player in the competition held in Hamilton on 27 of August. John played and won 5 matches to make the final where he unfortunately went down 3-1 in a best of 5 to the No.1 seeded player. We are extremely proud of John’s Silver medal! |
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Chinese Language Week 2025
New Zealand Chinese Language Week is a Kiwi-driven initiative launched in 2014 by Chair Jo Coughlan and Raymond Huo. NZCLW is designed to increase Chinese language learning in New Zealand. The first of its kind in any Western country, NZCLW seeks to bridge the cultural and linguistic knowledge gap between China and New Zealand by delivering fun and practical initiatives that assist Kiwis to learn Chinese.
Now a popular event in the national calendar, we have many communities involved including school children, government officials, politicians (including the past three Prime Ministers), and business owners. If you would like to support us or be involved in the Week, please do not hesitate to get in touch!
Introducing the 5 Days, 5 Phrases Challenge 2025
From 1 September, NZCLW will be sharing a new phrase each day in Mandarin and Cantonese. Join in for your chance to win some awesome prizes:
Post yourself saying the daily phrase across the five days for a chance to win prizes.
Tag #5Days5Phrases2025 or Follow @nzchineselanguageweek