NIWA Auckland Science and Technology Fair
On the Friday 29 August, nine of our students proudly represented our school at the 2025 NIWA Science Fair after months of preparation, experimentation, and research. This annual event brings together over 22 schools, more than 300 students, and around 200 projects. It is a demanding day, with judges thoroughly evaluating each project and interviewing participants before reaching their final decisions.
Our students rose to the challenge and achieved outstanding success, collectively winning $1200 in cash prizes. We are incredibly proud of their achievements and the dedication they showed throughout this journey. We hope to see even more of our students take part in 2026, with the potential for even greater success.
Congratulations to our prize winners: Mahe Chaudhary, Manha Mirza Sadat, Ranna Tanvi, Isaac Sun, Kira Treanor
Highly Commended: Saira Unni Jogi Deyyani Aarush Duvvuri
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Daffodil Day 2025 | Friday 29 August 2025
1 in 3 New Zealanders will get cancer in their lifetime. Cancer impacts so many of us in New Zealand, with a heart-breaking 74 people diagnosed each day. The Cancer Society helps and support people with cancer and their whānau. With your support, every dollar raised for Daffodil Day will go towards cancer care for patients and their whānau, education and awareness programmes, and life-saving cancer research.
1 in 3 is a lot of us. Daffodil Day is our country's chance to work together and change the experience of cancer for every New Zealander. We all know someone affected by cancer and the toll this takes on them and their friends and whānau.
Cancer does not discriminate. Unfortunately, many New Zealanders are touched by it regardless of their age. Here are some statistics over the last year that show how your donations have made a difference:
- 3,600,000 dollars directed to cancer research.
- 1,000,000+ kms driven by volunteers taking patients to their treatment
- 11,000+ people benefitted from our Supportive Care Services
- 52,892 accommodation nights provided
- 6,395 calls received to the 0800 CANCER information helpline.
Cancer impacts so many of us in New Zealand, with a heart-breaking 74 people diagnosed each day. The Cancer Society is the largest private funder of cancer research in New Zealand. Research is vital to finding a cure and improving outcomes for the approximately 28,000 New Zealanders diagnosed with cancer every year.
In the past ten years, the Cancer Society has invested over $50 million in cancer research, that has improved the prevention, detection, and treatment of different types of cancer.
This research aims to save lives and help New Zealanders live longer following a diagnosis. All through August give all you can to help fund our brightest and best cancer researchers.
Copyright © 2025 Cancer Society New Zealand, all rights reserved.
CONGRATULATIONS to Year 9 student Daniel North
XP Gymnastics Nationals Competition Selection
CONGRATULATIONS to Year 9 student Daniel North who has been competing across the country to achieve qualifying scores for selection to the team that will represent Auckland at the XP Gymnastics Nationals Competition during the upcoming school holidays, where he will be competing in all eight competitions as a member of the Auckland Level 5 Team and an Individual athlete. https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16ziC7Dv3m/
Daniel's achievements during the qualifying season include:
Counties Championships: 1st on Horizontal Bar, 1st Team, 6th All Around
Tri Star Championships: 1st Team, 2nd on Pommel, 5th on Horizontal Bar
CSG Classic (Christchurch): 2nd on Rings, 2nd on Vault, 2nd Team, 3rd on Floor, 3rd on Horizontal Bar, 3rd on Pommel, 5th All Around, 5th= on Parallel Bars. HIGHLIGHT: Over 600 athletes were in attendance and Daniel was the only gymnast in his grade to achieve a placing in all eight competitions.
North Harbour Championships:1st All-Around, 1st on Horizontal Bar, 1st on Parallel Bars, 1st on Pommel, 1st= on Vault, 1st Team, 4th on Floor, 5th on Rings. NORTH HARBOUR HIGHLIGHT: Daniel won the title of 'MAG Level 5 North Harbour Champion'.
Auckland Manukau Championships: 1st Team, 1st on Horizontal Bar, 2nd on Parallel Bars, 3rd on Pommel, 4th All- Around, 6th on Vault
Debating Wrap Up
| The Impromptu Cup Debating Tournament 2025 was held on Saturday 23 and Sunday 24 August at Marcellin College. It’s a two-day tournament run by Auckland Schools Debating.
Students compete in teams of two, and are given five minute preparation time for their debate. Speeches are also five minutes long, with no points of information. Three Lynfield teams competed and one team emerged victorious in the preliminary rounds winning all of their four debates, breaking in 2nd place and qualifying for the final rounds held on Sunday at Auckland University. Alina Murumkar (left) and Mishti Saha (right), reached the quarterfinals and Mishti was named 2nd Best Speaker in the tournament. |
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Senior Debating Wraps Up for 2025 while the Juniors Hope to Snatching Title!
It’s been a very busy year for Lynfield Debating, despite missing out on the Mount Maunganui Exchange Debates, Lynfield has participated across Auckland Schools Debating grades (Junior Open, Premier Junior, Advanced Open and Premier Advanced) as well as 4 tournaments (Seasonals, Auckland Regionals, Junior Champs, and Impromptu Cup) and one of our debaters, Mishti Saha, competed at Nationals (see article above).
We had some good success with our Seniors reaching the Quarterfinals of Seasonals, Premier Advanced Grade and Impromptu Cup and our Juniors reached the Quarterfinals and we have one team, Lynfield 2 in the Semi final of the Junior Open Grade which will be held this Monday at St. Cuthbert’s College. We wish them all the best!
We also look forward to reporting on Auckland School’s Debating Prizegiving and seeing which speakers make the Top 10 Speaker Awards and possibly one title (no pressure)!
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Junior Open Lynfield 1
L to R: Jewel Queen Cyril, Chelsea Silveira, Isaac Sun, Shresta Reddy (Quarterfinalists) |
Premier Advanced L to R: Huda El-Sharief, Sumedha Singaruju, Mishti Saha, Alina Murumkar (Quarterfinalists) |
Junior Open Lynfield 2 L to R: Olive Kean, Mallesh Chetty, Susana van Niekerk (Semi-finalists) |
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| Lynfield Debating 2025 |
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Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga
Tonga Language Week
Celebrated from 17 - 23 August 2025
Tongan Language Week / Uike Kātoanga’i ‘o e lea faka-Tonga is an annual event that exists to celebrate the culture and language of Tonga, a Polynesian kingdom of 169 South Pacific islands.With a population of over 100,000 people as well as thousands of people of Tongan descent living in New Zealand, the existence of Tongan Language Week holds great importance. It is celebrated through language, song, dance, cultural displays, and community events.
Tonga is a Polynesian kingdom of 169 South Pacific islands, located roughly 1600 miles northeast of New Zealand. 70% of Tonga’s 105,000 population reside on the island of Tongatapu, which also happens to be home to Tonga’s capital Nukuʻalofa.
Unlike other islands in the area like Samoa, Tonga was never formally colonised by the British. Instead, between 1900 to 1970, Tonga had British protected-state status. Under a treaty of friendship, Britain agreed to look after Tonga’s foreign affairs without having to relinquish any sovereignty.
About Tongan Language
Tongan is a Polynesian language that roughly 200,000 people are native speakers in. It’s the first language for most of the Tongan islands’ population of around 105,000 inhabitants. As of 2018, it was the 13th most widely spoken language in New Zealand, where 35,820 (0.76%) speak it.Tongan has a lot in common with other Polynesian languages such as Hawaiian, Tahitian and Māori. That being said, they are not mutually intelligible and are different in a myriad of ways. That is to be expected, having been separated from one another by vast stretches of the Pacific Ocean for centuries and centuries.
Tongan Language Week gives people of all backgrounds the chance to learn some basic Tongan and gives students who speak Tongan the opportunity to share their knowledge in the classroom. Community events take place across New Zealand to celebrate it.
Information Credit: https://www.hewakatapu.org.nz/community/tlw-2025
Secondary School
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Trash to Fashion Show
Highlighting Students’ Creativity and Sustainability
On Friday 15 August, the Sustainability Committee hosted a Trash to Fashion competition, an event that celebrated both innovation and environmental awareness. A total of 13 impressive entries were presented, each showcasing the creativity and commitment of our students.
The competition featured a diverse range of garments, with some students working individually and others in collaborative teams. Considerable time and effort went into the projects, with participants dedicating hours during after-school workshops as well as working independently at home throughout Terms 2 and 3. Students demonstrated ingenuity by constructing garments from a variety of unconventional materials, including bin bags, garage carpet, newspapers, and old pillowcases. Each design reflected a thoughtful approach to sustainable fashion, transforming everyday items into striking wearable art.
In addition to the competition entries, the event also featured a display of upcycled projects completed by Year 10 soft materials classes. These works, produced as part of their classroom learning, further highlighted the value of reusing and repurposing materials in creative ways.
Congratulations to all students involved for their outstanding efforts and contributions.
Most innovative use of material: Izzy ConnorBest construction: Milla Mclean, Saffron McGoram, Siobhan Wong
Biggest wow factor: Jenifer Jala, Shravya Dabasam
Highly commended: Laurene Tagaca, Athena Jin, Leisha Hettiarachchi, Emily Qi, Richelle Dawson
Highly commended: Eloise Martens, Anna Pareja
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Lynfield College Big Band make the KBB Festival Gala!
On 12 and 13 August, three of the premier music groups from our school, Big Band, Concert Band, and Chamber Orchestra, travelled to the Holy Trinity Cathedral to compete in the 2025 KBB Music Festival. Both the Concert Band and Chamber Orchestra performed well, and the Big Band surpassed our expectations.
Mr Isdale received a call on Friday night, to inform us that we were in the Gala Concert, which is a showcase of the top four bands in each category from the competition. This was a great achievement, and the band played amazingly, going on to receive a Gold Award. As well as this, massive congratulations to Phoebe Jin and Doris Tan, who represented Lynfield College in the Honours Orchestra and Concert Band respectively. Huge congratulations to all those who played, on your achievements! Madeline Fleming
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Jazz and Soul Evening
On 20 August the Lynfield College Jazz programme wrapped up the year with another great night showcasing the incredible talent in the school. A massive thank you to all of the tutors involved, the students for their dedication and committment and of course the families for putting up with all of the hours and hours of practice that go into putting together a successful performance! Bring on 2026!
Lynfield College Annual Community Survey
Next week, the link to our annual community survey will be emailed to you. We really appreciate your time and input to let us know how we are doing.
In 2024, our community strongly believed that the school provided opportunities for their children to succeed, and that their children were happy at school. The school was also successful in respecting the wide range of cultures at the school, and that the teaching meets children’s needs. This year, we have expanded the range of courses available to meet student needs. These include:
- A specified pathway to University of Auckland Engineering for Year 13s
- The introduction of Samoan language and Psychology for senior students
- New options for Year 10 that start pathways for senior study, and
- Teachers have had support in co-teaching strategies that support student learning in our new C Block.
We have taken on board the feedback that parents were less confident that they felt in partnership with the school. To build that partnership, we have included termly reporting on academic progress with the engagement reports and evaluated our processes around teachers contacting families so that teachers are more regularly reaching out.
Lynfield Celebrates 40 Years of Partnership with World VisionLast week at the Year 13 assembly, we had a special guest Joel Titus, one of World Vision’s youth ambassadors. He spoke about the incredible impact Lynfield College’s recent fundraising efforts in the 40 Hour Challenge will have on Pacific communities facing water shortages and the effects of climate change. He thanked all the students who took part in this year’s Challenge, highlighting the dedication and compassion shown by our Lynfield community. A special mention went to Sumedha Singaraju, who raised the most money as an individual – an outstanding achievement! |
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| Joel also presented a special plaque to Ms Knell and our World Vision ambassador coordinators, Nessa Isaac and Jonathan Mar, in recognition of Lynfield’s 40-year partnership with World Vision – a legacy that began back in 1985. This plaque is a testament to our students’ ongoing commitment to making a positive difference in the world. We look forward to continuing this important work and taking part in the 40 Hour Challenge again next year. |
Quizzex Lunchtime FunOver the past two lunchtimes, students gathered in the hall for our much-anticipated annual Junior and Senior Quizzex event. With rounds ranging from English to Pop Culture, the event was packed with energy, teamwork, and a healthy dose of friendly rivalry. Congratulations to all participants for bringing their A-game — and to our winners for their impressive knowledge and quick thinking! We hope everyone enjoyed the event and we look forward to seeing you all at our next event!Academic Captains: Ayush Swarnapuri, Sumeedha Singaraju, |
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Welcome Shinagawa Summer School 2025
It might be winter but our student group from Shinagawa, Japan were warmly welcomed following their arrival on Wednesday 6 August. They are with us until 22 August and will make the most of their time in Auckland.
We hope they enjoy their ESOL (English as a Second Language) classes, as this is a great opportunity to improve their English language skills, and to take part in some memorable excursions that include visits to Auckland City Council, the zoo, and a ferry trip to Devonport. We hope they are enjoying every moment of their New Zealand adventure, creating memories to treasure and a lasting fondness for Auckland.
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2OED Whatipu Camp
From Wednesday 6 August to Friday 8 August our Level 2 Outdoor Education students travelled to the wild west coast for an unforgettable camp at Whatipu.
The adventure began with the Omanawanui Track, a steep and challenging hike rewarded with staggering views looking over the Manukau Harbour, the Waitākere Ranges, and the rugged black-sand coastline. Students dug deep, showing determination, teamwork, and plenty of encouragement for one another as they made their way along the mountain ranges.
A big part of the experience was applying the risk management skills we’ve been learning in class. Students assessed potential hazards on the track, made smart decisions about pace and footing, and looked out for one another to ensure everyone stayed safe. This mindset carried through to our next challenge, exploring the Whatipu Caves. Armed with torches, careful planning, and an awareness of their surroundings, the group uncovered the caves’ fascinating history and unique geological formations. The camp was a perfect mix of challenge, learning, and fun building resilience, strengthening friendships, and creating memories that will be talked about for years to come.
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Student Leadership Expo
On Tuesday 5 August, Lynfield College held its annual Leadership Expo during lunchtime in the quad outside the hall. This event was a chance for students to explore the many leadership opportunities available at our school for 2026.
Current students in leadership positions from a variety of roles including cultural, sports, academic, arts, Pacific Pride and Young Māori Leaders were on hand to share their experiences, answer questions, and offer advice. Students could learn what each role involves, the skills they could gain, and how leadership can make a positive impact on the school community.
The Expo encouraged many to consider stepping up and making their mark as future leaders of Lynfield College. Aziz Mookhtiar, Board Student Representative
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Cook Islands Language Week 2025
From 3 to 9 August we celebrated Cook Islands Language Week. The theme for this year was "Ātui'tui'ia au ki te raurau a tōku matakeinanga," which translates to "Connect me to the offerings of my people'". To start the week off our Young Māori Leaders, Galaxy and Akeelah, introduced the week to kaiako in morning staff briefing. The Young Māori and Pacific Pride Leaders prepared a slideshow which was shared to the Hui mai classes. On Wednesday some of the students prepared Cook Island donuts to give out at the Marae.
Thank you to all who contributed and supported this kaupapa.
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Lynfield College School Board Election 2025
We have received 28 nominations for our School Board. A Meet the Candidates evening for our community and whanau to meet and speak to candidates will be held on Tuesday 27 August from 5.30 - 6.30 pm in the Staffroom.
The candidates statements can be read at this link: School Board 2025 Candidates Statements
Voting papers and profiles will be issued on Wednesday 13 August. These will be sent out by email. This will include information about what to do and how to put your vote forward electronically. Those without valid email addresses will be mailed voting papers. We will provide a courier bag to school to receive any votes that are brought into Reception at Lynfield College.For those voters that haven’t received voting papers please let Reception know immediately. Election Pilot will reprint those and email them back to the school. Papers are barcoded, pin numbered and have a unique identifier to ensure voters cannot vote twice.
Dates to Remember
A 'Meet the Candidates Evening' will be held in the Staffroom
on Tuesday 27 August from 5.30 to 6.30 pm
Election closes at 4.00 pm on Wednesday 10 September
Votes will be counted and the results declared on Tuesday 16 September
Global Encounters Festival 2025Last month my group, ‘EmpowHER - Care for a new generation’ and I were honoured to showcase our performance to over 40,000 people at the Global Encounters Festival 2025 in Dubai.Our journey began two years ago, when we first performed our piece at the ANZ region showcase and emerged victorious over 30 other performances. We feel very proud and grateful to have had this amazing opportunity and look forward to the next Festival! Khushi Somjee Year 13 |
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