Regular attendance is one of the strongest indicators of student achievement and long‑term success, and at Avcol we’re fortunate to have Christina Esau-Elu in our Attendance Office who champions this every day. Christina and her team work in E Block where they process students signing out, and ensure accurate record keeping of absences. Planned departures during the school day (such as for doctor's appointments) need to be documented before a student leaves school: Parents can send a written note with their child explaining the reason for the absence, or they can complete the E‑form on Family Connection, or email the school directly on absences@avcol.school.nz . If they don't have a note they must visit their Dean, a Deputy Principal, the nurse, or a counsellor to have the absence approved before signing out on the tablets at the Attendance Station. Phone calls aren’t accepted for planned absences, as written documentation ensures everything is properly recorded. If a student becomes unwell during the school day, the process is just as important. They receive a yellow pass from their teacher to leave class and then head to the nurse, who assesses them and signs them out if they need to go home. From a legal and health‑and‑safety perspective, the school is responsible for students while they are on site, so it’s essential that the person collecting them matches the information in our system. This ensures every student is accounted for and safe. Christina says helping your child to grow good habits around attendance is extremely important for their future: "Showing up each day on time is a life skill that they take to work. Being self‑managed and self‑propelling around their own routine is important. Your child is worth it.”

Year 12 student Anas Zara has taken an exciting new step in his athletic journey. He recently relocated overseas and signed with Al-Salt, a professional football club competing in the Jordanian Pro League. The official Al-Salt page describes Anas as possessing strong technical skills and distinctive attacking abilities, making him "a promising addition for the future of the team." His mother, Lina, shared the fantastic news via email: “We would like to express our sincere thanks to you and the entire Avondale College community for the care, guidance, and encouragement [our children] have received over the years,” she wrote. “Their time at the college has been truly special, and they have both deeply enjoyed being part of the school community.” A sporting all-rounder, Anas was part of the Avondale College Sports Academy and Junior Boys A Football team in Year 9, and played football for the school's 1st XI side in Year 10 and Year 11. He also took part in fencing, orienteering, table tennis, squash, and lawn bowls. Last year Anas won the College Sport Auckland Young Sportsperson of the Year (YSPOTY) award for Lawn Bowls. We wish Anas continued success as he embarks on this new chapter in his sporting career.

Ms Filimoehala conducting the Avondale College Symphony Orchestra at KBB Music Festival last year One of our music teachers and conductors, Ms Linda Filimoehala, has returned from an extraordinary professional development experience, one that placed her among just five associates selected nationwide to train with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO). The programme consists of three intensive workshops, with the first taking place over four days in February. It opened with the unusual challenge of a silent conducting session. “There was no music, no orchestra - just you, your score, and your own sense of movement,” she explained. “The mentors focused on the gracefulness of our gestures and whether our cues were actually meaningful. You don’t need to be so ‘beaty.’ You need to bring something that adds value to the music.” On the second day, the associates worked with a small group of five string players. Conducting only part of the ensemble forced them to listen differently and communicate with precision. It was during this session that Ms Filimoehala received a memorable piece of feedback: her face was so expressive that the mentors asked her to conduct without using her hands at all. As a euphonium player with an extensive background in brass bands, where precision is essential, she initially focused on marking every beat and every entry. In the world of symphony orchestras, she discovered, a different kind of leadership is required. “In an orchestra, you need to bring players in early, sometimes two bars before their entry. It’s all about connection. You look them in the eye and let them know they’re part of the moment.” This shift in perspective was transformative. She learned that conducting is about leading with the feeling of the piece. The culmination of the workshop was the chance to conduct the full New Zealand Symphony Orchestra - a first for her. “It was the most profound musical experience of my life. From the very first movement, the music pierced my heart so deeply that I found myself just crying and conducting. It felt like I wasn’t standing in front of the orchestra, but within it. Like we were all breathing the same air, sharing an understanding of how the music needed to be felt and we were completely in it together and then the players start tearing up with me. I was so Mafana [Tongan for a warm emotional state]." We're excited to see how her this experience benefits the students under her conductorship!

Athletics Day was a time for the whole school to join together and support each other to try something new, whether it be gumboot throwing, sack racing, javelin, discus, shot put, relay racing, long jump or high jump! Year 13s dressed as polar bears, unicorns, superheroes, fairies, Super Mario characters and more, which added even more fun to the day. The 2026 Athletics Day Champions are as follows:

The first day of Performing Arts Academy 2026 was filled with energy, excitement, and a real sense of whanaungatanga as students came together to begin their creative journey. The teachers focused on building connections through a series of fun icebreaker games, setting expectations, and sharing stories about the opportunities that have arisen out of the Academy from last year's members. The strand leaders, Miss Kettley, Ms Stone (Drama), Mr Robinson (Jazz Music), Miss Hewitt (Classical Music), and Miss Twentyman (Dance), were thrilled to welcome students back and begin an inspiring new year together. beginningsor Performance Academy members

Toby Barrett playing alongside our student saxophonists Alumni musicians Tyler Diprose, Toby Barrett, Max Crook, and Feiyang Wu returned to Avondale College last week for a day of mentoring current student saxophonists, drummers, guitarists and keyboardists. The mentoring opportunity came about through a timely reconnection at the Auckland Jazz and Blues Club, where Avondale’s jazz teacher Mr Robinson met alumnus saxophonist Toby Barrett during his visit to New Zealand. Toby, who is now based in Melbourne, offered to support the Avondale College Jazz Programme while touring the country to launch his debut album, "Carthasis." . On tour Toby will be joined by fellow alumni Max Crook on drums and Tyler Diprose on upright bass. Drummer Alex Hutchinson-Jones (Year 13) thoroughly enjoyed learning valuable techniques from musicians who once stood where he stands now. “To have alumni come back to mentor us bridges the gap between teachers and the students,” he said. “Having someone who has real-world experience but also understands what it’s like to be an Avondale College student allows us to clearly understand what’s needed to become better musicians.” The Music Department looks forward to continuing to foster these alumni connections. Max Crook mentoring our young musicians

In this Issue: In this issue From the Principal Upcoming Events Congratulations to our 2026 Scholars Athletics Day a time for giving it a go Echoes of excellence: Alumni musos mentor young musicians New beginnings for Performance Academy members Beyond the Beat: Ms Filimoehala’s NZSO breakthrough From Sport Academy football to the big league! Meet our Attendance Officer Sports Notices

Home room class photos and ID photos will be taken across Wednesday 18 February and Thursday 19 February, as per the schedule below:

Monday's Scholars Assembly was a celebration of excellence as we recognised students who achieved top results nationally in Cambridge International exams last year, and those who achieved NZ Scholarships - placing them in the top 3% of New Zealand secondary scholars. An extra round of applause goes to Yi Feng (Feng Feng) Chen who received a national Outstanding Scholar Award in recognition of his achievements in the NZ Scholarship exams. Feng Feng achieved six NZ Scholarships, two at Outstanding level, placing him amongst the top overall scholars in New Zealand. He will be presented with this award at a special ceremony in Wellington later in the year. Of the 57 scholarships, 24 were achieved by Year 11 or Year 12 students; an incredible achievement. Including Feng Feng, ten students achieved more than one scholarship. Congratulations to: Alan Wang (5 including 1 Outstanding) Shrihan Bobbala (5) Farjad Habib (4 including 1 Outstanding) Rudra Patel (3) (Year 12 student) Finley Hooper (3) Charmaine Bhavnani (4, including 1 Outstanding) Sabrina Wang (2) Noor Al-A'raj (2) (Year 12 student) Oscar Cao (2) (Year 11 student) A point of celebration for the school is that the scholarships were achieved across 19 different subject areas. These included English (10); Media Studies (2); Calculus (7); Physics (5); Statistics (6); Chemistry (4); Drama (3); Biology (3); Painting (2); Japanese (2); Digital Technology (2): Design (2); History (2); Psychology (2); Religious Studies (1); Music (1); Geography (1); Classics (1); Technology (1). In addition to recognising the top Cambridge scholars and NZ Scholarship recipients, Monday's assembly also recognised teachers who had taught these students last year. Other teachers received an Excellence in Teaching Award, which recognised those who had enabled the achievement of demonstrably outstanding results for a student, class or across classes in the previous academic year. Congratulations to all who were acknowledged at this Scholars' Assembly! A full list of recipients can be found below:

We have a team of caring, highly skilled Guidance Counsellors to support your child when life gets tough. Leading the team is Mr Jin Tai, who has been at the College for 19 years. Students see a counsellor for a range of issues, including low mood, anxiety, grief, and struggles with adapting to a new environment or culture. The service is free and non-judgemental. "Throughout life, there's going to challenges, so it's about learning coping strategies to manage them," says Mr Tai. "Seeing a child get from point A where things feel heavy, to point B where they see hope and potential and start reaching for it... that makes this job really fulfilling." Booking an appointment Students can book an appointment by emailing one of the Counsellors or by contacting them via Teams message, or putting a message under the door. If a referral is needed to a psychologist or psychiatrist, this can be arranged. L-R: Trudi Gwillim, Tessa Bennett, Jin Tai, Jane Falkiner, Sia Sinisa Mr. Tai's top tips for mental health while at Avcol: Eat and drink healthily Sleep well Connect - stay in touch with people who fill your cup Always talk to yourself the way you'd want someone you cared about to talk to you!

If you’ve been wondering what’s been happening behind the scenes of our Performing Arts Centre project, we’ve been hard at work refurbishing the building to make it watertight and fit for the future. We've taken the opportunity to transform the theatre foyer area into a larger, modern space that can also be used for events. The theatre is on track for completion in 2027, while our refurbished Music rooms will open in the next few weeks. Below are the artist’s impressions of what the finished space will look like:

Most of our student body poured into the Atrium last week for our Join In @ Avcol event, keen to have a look at the vast array of activities, groups and clubs we have on offer at Avcol, including: We had an incredible number of sign ups! Co-curricular activities are a great opportunity for students to meet like-minded peers and to challenge themselves to something new. If your child didn't attend Join In @ Avcol event, or they have decided to sign up to an activity or group after this event, it's not too late for them to sign up via Student Hub.