Action, Service and Fun for Middle College
Action, Service and Fun for Middle College
November 30, 2018 at 4:33 PM
To end the academic year, our Middle College students were given the opportunity to take part in a series of challenging activities both on and off campus. Each year group, from Year 7-10, enjoyed a range of tasks that required the them to step out of their comfort zone, engage in learning, work in teams and to serve others.
The Year 7 Decathlon challenged the younger students in fun-filled days of quizzes, projects and sports that tested their communication and collaborative skills. In conjunction with Presbyterian Support North, they also prepared almost 400 Christmas food hampers for families in need.
During the Year 8 Challenge Week, visitors from ‘Artz on Show’ ran a day of workshops, including dance, gymnastics, acting, yoga and cheerleading stunts. Over the two weeks, students also rotated around mountain biking in Woodhill Forest, a fact-finding treasure hunt at the Auckland Museum and participated in ‘Top Town,’ working in teams through a variety of physical challenges. They also were put through their paces, army-style, at Laser Combat and were encouraged to think creatively and work collaboratively to build a Cardboard City.
Over four days prior to Home Centre, the Year 9 students took part in the new Fusion Programme, which focused on making cross-curricular connections between Mathematics, English, Social Studies and Science. This was a chance for the students to develop their skills in problem solving, curiosity, critical thinking, creativity, communication and collaboration. The students spent a full day on each core subject, unravelling and investigating different crime scenarios, using newfound skills as a part of this year’s theme, ‘Partners in Crime’.
They also took part in a range of service activities which involved helping at a retirement home, visiting local, low decile primary schools to help in the classrooms, and also took part in a clean-up of the Tamaki Estuary. The students also enjoyed fun, team building activities that included waterslides and bumper balls!
The Year 10 students were split into two groups for their ‘rite of passage,’ Field Centre. In addition, they also spent two extra days of activity either prior to leaving or on return, visiting Mataatua Marae and taking part in a Saint John First Aid Course.
At the Marae the students were introduced to the formalities and protocol of a traditional welcome, heard Maori myths and legends, and enjoyed learning a haka and new waiata.
The first aid course prepared students to respond to emergencies, and they also learnt how to use a defibrillator and perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. They were evaluated at the end on their performances and knowledge.
Whether engaged in the Decathlon, Challenge Week, Home Centre or the Year 10 programme, each provided learning opportunities that were embraced by our students – and of course, being the end of year, they also enjoyed some fun!
