Coming back to school after the recent lockdown, many of our students have been putting in extra effort to complete assessments or get extra help from their teachers during tutorials. It has been heartening for teachers to see so many students taking up the opportunity to get extra help to achieve their academic goals and qualifications for this year. It has also been impressive that so many students have used this week to complete unfinished assessments and set themselves specific goals around their achievement – some gaining more than fifteen credits by completing work started earlier in the year. We are very fortunate to have such a dedicated group of professional staff who are passionate about their students’ learning progress and academic success and we thank them for going the extra mile to help our young people to be successful this year.

Held on 6 August 2020, Avondale College's Jazz & Soul night was a spectacular evening of music by some of the College's very best performers. The evening included items from our Jazz Academy students, a number of jazz combos, the Dale Soul band, the Avondale College Stage Band, Big Band, Gospel Choir and more! For many students, this was the first real opportunity they have had to perform this year, given the cancellation of events such as the Tauranga Jazz Festival, the Auckland Schools Jazz Festival, the KBB Music Festival - and it was clear that much hard work has been taking place in practice rooms, classrooms and at home throughout the year! ​ Congratulations to the more than 100 performers who took part, and to Head of Jazz, Mr Mike Robinson, and the other dedicated music teachers and tutors on putting on such an entertaining evening! ​ Enjoy just some items from the night in the video clips here.

Avondale College would like to thank Dazhonavah Faamu, for the significant contribution he has made to Avondale College over the past year in his role as Student Representative on the Board of Trustees. "He aha te mea nui o te ao? He tangata, he tangata, he tangata." "The Student Representative on the Board of Trustees is a crucial role to ensure the student body is heard and listened to. The Student Rep takes the requests and needs from the Student Council to the Board. Where necessary, changes can be made. I wish all the best for those putting themselves forward to champion student voice." - Dazhonavah Faamu, Current Student Representative, Avondale College Board of Trustees The election process has now begun for finding our new student representative to the Board of Trustees. Students who are interested should visit the College library for more information.

As students have returned to school after the second Covid-19 lockdown, they all need support to reset, and refocus on what they want to get out of this year academically. We want to help students to take ownership of their learning and their progress from now, and for the rest of the year. On Monday, alongside the ongoing focus on measures to ensure students’ wellbeing and health and safety, home room teachers gave students an update of where they were at academically and spent time with them setting goals for the next four weeks. Students should all now have specific learning and achievement goals, along with a plan for how they will achieve these. Teachers are running additional tutorials and students are encouraged to make the most of the opportunities to get help at school if they need it, in order to achieve their goals. Parents are encouraged to ask their young person what goals they have set for the next four weeks and monitor their specific steps towards achieving these goals.

Reconnecting with friends, getting back into a routine, and having face-to-face interaction with teachers are some of the best parts of returning to school this week, according to an informal survey of a number of Avcol students today. Some expressed their underlying concerns around keeping healthy; others were actively minimising risks by wearing masks and making the most of the classroom hand-sanitiser supply. Many noted how significant the return is for their ongoing academic success. Here's what some had to say: "Reconnecting with teachers means assignments are easier to understand and complete." - Maddison "I sometimes feel very wary when in a large group of students due to not knowing who they have been in contact with. The best thing about being at school is being able to do school work in class with the assistance of the teacher; and being able to see friends." - TJ "I'm confident in the ability of the school to close and contact trace quickly and effectively if needed." - Aaron "Working online was really challenging. Being back at school has been really good because I can communicate better with my teachers and fellow students." - Elizabeth "I appreciate all the extra measures being taken to ensure our safety. Being at school means being able to get in-person support so that I can gain my 60 credits for Level 3 and UE." - Eleana "The best thing is hanging out with my friends. Being back at school gives me more motivation to do work - teachers being there helps me to learn a lot more than I would at home." - Lauolive

The enrolment deadline for Avondale College has been extended from 26 August to 2 September.  All out-of-zone enrolment applications (regardless of priority level) must be received by Avondale College by 4pm on 2 September, in order to be eligible for our ballot which will be held on 9 September. Documentation can be emailed to datateam@avcol.school.nz. or delivered to the Avondale College reception between 8:00am and 4:00pm, Monday to Friday.

School buses will be operating at usual times. However, Avondale College will start at the later time of 11:30am on Monday 31 August. Any students arriving between 8.50 and 11.15 must register at the Attendance Station. Masks must be worn on public Auckland Transport services. They are not compulsory (but recommended) for school buses. Payment should be by Hop Card ​on AT buses. For more information about buses, please contact the company directly.

All Avondale College students have the opportunity to make their contribution to the College by participating in our student representative election. To nominate yourself for election, firstly check that your name is on the roll in the Library. If you would like to find out more about being a Student Representative, take a look at the Student Trustee Guide in the Library. Nominations open on Monday 31 August 2020; if you wish to stand for election and have checked your name is on the roll, visit the Library from Monday 31 August to complete a nomination form. Key Dates: Roll opens for inspection in the Library: Monday 31 August Call for nominations: Monday 31 August Supplementary roll closes: Wednesday 9 September Nominations close: Friday 11 September Voting papers distributed (available from your home room teacher): Wednesday 16 September Poll Closes: Friday 25 September Election results: Thursday 01 October Candidate takes office: Friday 02 October If you are nominated, you will be contacted and invited to attend a meeting with the Principal and Board Chair to develop your statement. The option to submit a postal vote will be available. Please see your home room teacher with any questions and keep an eye on the Daily Notices for further information.

Year 12 Avcol student Leo Spykerman has won the Smokefree Rockquest APRA Lyric Award for 2020 - and his four-piece band, Ragaire, has taken out the top prize in the central Auckland division of the nationwide competition! Smokefree Rockquest moved online this year, with performers submitting videos of their original songs. "The competition gives musicians an amazing opportunity to express themselves on stage and experience the New Zealand music industry in a way which can be quite hard to recreate outside of the competition," says Leo. "You get to play in front of hundreds of people which is such an exhilarating experience." Winning the APRA Lyric Award for his song Close Your Eyes, See Again is the icing on the cake for the 16 year old bass player, who says composing songs is one of his favourite art forms. "Songwriting is such a versatile and unique way to express oneself. I write lyrics (mostly in brief blurbs to get random ideas down) almost every day - especially nowadays with lockdown boredom!" he says. "The most satisfying aspect of writing is listening back to a rough demo you recorded at home and hearing all those riffs and pounding rhythms coming together, starting off as a simple idea and growing into something that makes you just want to get up and move." Formed in 2017 with friends from Glendowie College, Leo's band draws inspiration from a diverse range of genres - particularly blues, psychedelic, grunge and alternative rock. They are well-seasoned performers and are looking forward to playing more gigs once it's safe to do so. "We also have some plans to record some of our jams to put up on Spotify over the summer so keep on the lookout!" says Leo. Follow them here: Instagram: @ragairetheband Facebook: @ragaireofficial Finally, Leo has some words of wisdom for fellow students: "Don't hesitate to start a band of your own if you feel like doing so, even if you're a beginner! All you need is the passion - all the other stuff can be learnt along the way." View Ragaire's entry here: (Click on More Videos and scroll to 19. Ragaire) https://smokefreerockquest.co.nz/auckland-central/?jwsource=cl Ragaire, with Leo Spykerman (right of picture)

Since first opening its doors in 1945, each year Avondale College has produced Taikaka, the College yearbook. This special magazine captures all the highlights, events and activities of the year, including clubs, sports, departments and more, as well as all aspects of school life. Previously funded by the school donation, for the first time this year, Taikaka will be available for purchase by our whole College community. Taikaka is a high-quality production, with over 190 professionally designed colour pages, packed with photos, artwork, articles and memories, and will be a keepsake (and conversation starter!) for years to come. The price will be kept as low as possible, with the aim of just covering the costs involved (probably around $30 to $40). More details of how to order will be shared with our College community in the next few weeks.

Tamanna Srivastava's dream of a career in the music industry is one step closer, thanks to her being named as a finalist in a nationwide songwriting competition. The talented Year 13 music student's original song, Before I'm Wide Awake, caught the attention of the Play it Strange judges, earning her not just the kudos and a Rock Shop prize voucher, but also a professional recording studio session valued at $1000, and a place in the 'Play it Strange' album for 2020! Tamanna entered the competition after having composed a song as part of her Level 3 Music course. "I thought it will be a good platform for me to showcase my work and get to learn from some of the experts in the NZ music industry," she says. Not only did Tamanna compose and sing the song for her recording, she also played the acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass guitar, and piano! She says Before I'm Wide Awake is about how one can imagine true love. "It's about the thought of a person who will keep you happy," she says. "This song was originally an acoustic piece where I came up with chords on the guitar followed by the melody and lyrics. After that, I went in to a professional recording studio to record my song, and transform it by creating my very own backing track. After that, I had my final, recorded product ready for the competition." Tamanna began writing songs within the last two to three years and has taken songwriting lessons privately which, she says, has helped develop her skills. "I enjoy coming up with chords for the song and a melody. These are one of the first things I do when writing a song. One of the challenging aspects of writing songs is coming up with lyrics that fit with a specific topic/theme and stick to that specific topic/theme. However, it is a great way to express some of your feelings and it gives immense pleasure when the final outcome is produced." Looking ahead, Tamanna says in the short term, she'd like to create her first album. "As a long-term goal, I would like to reach out globally and showcase my music. Travelling for music is something that I aspire to do in the future." And judging by this competition success, she's well on her way. The Play it Strange 2020 album will be available for free downloading and/or streaming later in the year. In the meantime, you can check out Tamanna's Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/tamannasmusic/?modal=admin_todo_tour or listen to Before I'm Wide Awake here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lPkncToM5NM&feature=share&fbclid=IwAR3d-MrKwieoIYlbxqZXVOAo7TM5nWJ0eMgHndD0PpGfCrf7WFL4BIP86dE

26 August 2020 Dear Parents and Caregivers I hope that you, your families and friends are staying well in your bubbles. Thank you to all of the families and students who are going to great efforts to support each other, and thank you for your ongoing efforts to support your children with Distance Learning. Normal lessons will resume at 11.30am on Monday 31 August, when school reopens as Auckland moves to Alert Level 2. Students should report to their Home Room Class at 11.25am. Any student who needs to attend for the whole morning should report to the Attendance Office in E block at 8.50am. I am confident that our systems and processes to manage the requirements of COVID-19 Alert Level 2 are well established. School has been thoroughly cleaned over the past week, and we will continue to prioritise hygiene, health and cleaning requirements. In regards to health, below you will find a letter from Auckland Regional Public Health which provides an update about the recent case of COVID-19. Masks in schools are not required, but anyone who wants to wear one may do so if they wish. Bandanas may not be worn. Students / families may purchase masks at cost price in the College Shop (single use mask: 75c; reusable mask: $5). Schools are not considered public places, and as such many of the Level 2 restrictions do not apply to us. We will follow our Alert Level 2 safety plan and adopt a ‘common sense’ approach, as we did when we returned to school at Level 2 in May: · we will not have whole school assemblies · where possible we will try to be one metre apart, with desks separated in class · hand sanitiser and cleaning fluids will be easily available for all. We are aware that having missed Term 3 exams during lockdown, senior students need opportunities to practise doing exam-style assessments, and to get the feedback that follows. These opportunities will be given within normal lesson times, and details will be provided by subject teachers and Directors. Teachers are committed to maximising students’ opportunities for success in their learning, assignments, assessments and exams over the next term and a half. If you have any questions or concerns, please speak to your child’s teacher or Dean. There is a great deal of further information regarding the return to school in this week’s Heartbeat newsletter: click here to view. We are very much looking forward to welcoming students back to school. Yours sincerely Mrs L Watkinson Principal