On Monday, we recognised the incredible achievements of our students throughout Term at Honours Assembly. From sporting triumphs to cultural excellence, alongside leadership, service, and academic awards, these students have showcased our HEART values and plenty of dedication, talent, and hard work. Congratulations to all who were celebrated at this week’s Honours Assembly.

The week so many of our cultural groups have been waiting for is upon us! If you haven't grabbed your tickets for Polyfest yet, make sure to purchase them here first. It's a big festival so knowing when to show up for the right performance is essential! Take note of when our Avcol groups are performing below: Thursday 19 March (Manukau Sports Bowl) Samoan Stage 11:00am : Samoan group Friday 20 March (Manukau Sports Bowl) Diversity Stage 10:05am: Chinese 10:15am: Filipino

In this Issue From the Principal Upcoming Events Avondale College Shines at ASB Polyfest 2026 Science class in action Taikaka - Hot off the Press! Finding Our Voice: Spoken Word Workshop Family Connection (FACTS) - new interface in online portal Sports News Noticeboard

Former student Lex Revell‑Lewis continues to make waves on the international athletics stage, shaving one‑hundredth of a second off his own New Zealand 400m record at the Adelaide Invitational. Running from lane six, Lex delivered an impressive 45.87s, finishing second behind Australian Luke van Ratingen. This performance builds on his historic achievement last year, when he became the first Kiwi man to run under 46 seconds for the distance. Just a week earlier, he defended h

On Wednesday 11 March, the Year 11 and 12 Drama classes went to see Waiora - te Ūkaipō - The Homeland at the ASB Waterfront Theatre. Presented by the Auckland Arts festival with Auckland Theatre Company and Kawata Productions, this was a revival production of Hone Kouka's classic work first performed in 1996, and set in 1965. It tells the story of a Māori family who have recently moved from Waiora in Tairāwhiti to urban Christchurch. Their sense of displacement raised questi

Jazz Lounge – Saturday 28 March Avcol Atrium | 1:30–5:00pm Join us for an afternoon of smooth, live jazz as our talented combos and Big Band showcase their repertoire in preparation for the National Youth Jazz Competition in Tauranga. This relaxed event is the perfect chance to enjoy great music and support our young musicians as they fine‑tune their sets. All welcome! Line-up: 1:30pm – Birdland 2:00pm – Blue Note 2:30pm – Rob's Dogs 3:00pm – 52nd Street 3:30pm – Five Spot 4:

From the Principal Launching new uniform item - 'ie Lavalava Fiafia Nights a sampling of what's to come Reminder: Year 13 Independent Study Day this Friday Jazz Lounge Displacement & identity: Drama Students experience Waiora Avcol Alum Lex beats national 400m record in Adelaide Behind the Bee: Arlo stars as VP Panch! Careers Notices Sports Notices Notices

Dear Parents and Caregivers, Many of you will be aware that this week is Polyfest Week, and many thanks to all of the families who have been supporting our groups over recent weeks. Due to some unfortunate scheduling, almost all of our groups will be performing on Friday, and the cohort of students with the highest number of students involved is Year 13. In addition, due to the scale of the event, a large number of teachers will be away from school on Friday to accompany our

Please find the Cambridge Resit Exam Schedule for 2026:

To mark International Women's Day (8 March) this year, our Girls in STEM group came to school wearing their hair in plaits. Plaits symbolise resilience and solidarity, and are often worn to honour ancestral roots or as a sign of strength.

Avondale College's Environmental Group recently took ten students to Lynfield College to attend a sustainability conference called Green Jam. The day was filled with a range of engaging workshops and hands-on activities designed to promote environmental awareness and action. Students had the opportunity to make seed bombs - small balls of soil mixed with native seeds that can be thrown into bush areas to help grow native plants. They also experienced a virtual reality tour of

Tickets to the Avcol production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee officially go on sale today! Spelling Bee is the story of an eclectic group of teenagers vying for the spelling championship of a lifetime. While candidly disclosing hilarious and touching stories from their home lives, the teens spell their way through a series of (potentially made up) words, hoping never to hear the soul crushing, pout inducing, life un-affirming ‘ding’ of the bell. The show is di

Year 12 Biology students have been studying the biological phenomenon of 'zonation,' specifically looking at the distribution of organisms found in the intertidal zone. Venturing out to Long Bay Beach, they set up rope transects and quadrant grids along the rocks at even distances, moving from the high tide mark to the low tide mark. Black nerites - small, dark sea snails were immediately obvious, dotted across the rockpools in large numbers. Other species took a little more

In this Issue From the Principal Exploring life between the tides Spelling Bee tickets go on sale today! Green Jam: Growing the seeds of sustainability Plaits for power, professionalism, and parity! Don't miss a beat: Avcol Polyfest times confirmed Adventures abound on first Taurewa trips Sports Notices Notices

Avondale College will finish at 12:30pm for all students on Tuesday 10 March 2025. This will allow us to hold the Junior Academic Mentoring sessions from 1:00pm to 7:30pm, where Year 9 and 10 students will meet with their parents/caregivers and home room teachers. In the afternoon, students are required to study from home, and independent study tasks will be set by their classroom teacher. Please note that Senior Subject Teacher Meetings with parents will take place on Tuesda

Alumna Congratulations to Avondale alumna Mariam Sesiahvili who has just won first place in the JSANZ (Japanese Studies Aotearoa New Zealand) Tertiary Japanese Language Speech Contest for her talk "The Importance of Learning about Other Cultures." The aim of the contest was to encourage learners who are studying Japanese to showcase their language skills in a challenging context. Hearing about the win was an incredibly proud moment for Ms Ishihara, who taught Mariam in Year 1

Gateway students at Bunnings Warehouse Gateway is a work experience programme designed for Year 12 and Year 13 students, primarily focused on trade and vocational pathways. It allows students to gain industry experience while continuing to work towards their NCEA qualifications. Students develop practical skills and explore their chosen career pathway through structured workplace learning, spending up to 10 days in a real business. Gateway has taken off with a flying start in

Ms Khan’s Year 12 Hospitality and Catering students have been busy turning theory into (delicious) reality as they work toward their practical assessment for Unit Standard 13283: Prepare, assemble, and present salads for service . The roast vegetable, feta, and candied walnut salad they made last week was as tasty as it was colourful on the plate and earned successful students two credits. Ms Khan says the value of hands on, practical work in food technology cannot be underes

At the Parthenon, Greece Planning is underway for our next Classical Studies trip to Italy and Greece, which will take place in April 2027! The proposed itinerary includes six World Heritage sites, where students will have the opportunity to experience the culture, history, art, and architecture of the places that are significant for our understanding of the world. While in Greece, students will be able to explore the birthplace of democracy and visit famous landmarks such as

The bees have been busy! The cast is confirmed, the musos are strumming and drumming, and set production is under way for Avondale College's production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee ! Student Assistant Stage Manage Abi Haughton, who shares the role with fellow students Hiero Backhurst-Pretty and Nell Taylor, says the actors have been extremely dedicated practising dance routines, singing numbers, and their American accents. "The sense of community is very stro