TE RĀ NUI KI WAHO

Room Toroa from St Joseph's Cathedral School took Kavanagh College by storm yesterday at The Big Day Out. From start to finish, the group's enthusiasm for learning and general awesomeness never wavered. Teacher and deputy principal, Mrs Erin Doleman, accompanied her class and loved the experience also. In the Minecraft challenge it was wonderful to see the teacher and students in full 'creative mode' while creating together a traditional Māori kāinga (village). Year 6 students Mana McCombe, Quincy Makiiti, Eden Breen, Jackson McLaughlain, Cassie Forde and Brayden Alridge produced some exquisite work. Did you know the largest sea bird in the world, the Toroa or Northern royal albatross is a graceful giant with a wingspan of over three metres? We are very fortunate here in Ōtepoti (Dunedin) to have a nesting area at Taiaroa Head on the Otago Peninsula.

After the digital technology session it was off to the Christian Brother's Gymnasium for a high-energy Physical Education lesson with 7OCN. The students showed off their skills in a basketball game called Golden Child and loved exercising with the Year 7s. Mrs Sharon Cowie (who runs the canteen and is one of the nicest human beings on the planet) and her team again delivered a stunning pizza lunch. Thank you Sharon for your manaakitanga (hospitality)!

Pūtaio or science was the afternoon's agenda with super teacher Mrs Kerron Thomson. In the laboratories, the students conducted a number of combustion and melting experiments before flying back to the Elm Row nest. Lastly, I would like to thank Year 7 mentors Annie Duncan, Charli Innes, Cole Skipper, Alex Rouston, Esther Koudayah, Jesse Paulsen, Aaron Chinula and Year 9 legends Isabel McEwen and Joseph Brennan for their support.

Ka toroa ka mai i te kātaha, nōnā te takutai. Ka toroa kai i mātauranga, nōnā te ao.The albatross that eats the herring, theirs is the coast. The albatross that consumes knowledge, theirs is the world.