In this Issue From the Principal Upcoming events Te Pō Angitū - Māori Success Evening What does Te Wiki o te reo Māori mean to you? Witnessing history at the Koroneihana Top Up Together - Mental Health Awareness Week The challenges and the joys of Niu Sila TYP Finale full of storytelling delights 21 Nominations for Little Shop of Horrors Deputy Head Librarian's 5 years of service Unveiling our 2026 Show: Final clue Noticeboard

Our Year 11 and 12s put on their version of Niu Sila on Thursday night. The audience was captivated by their raw, challenging and heartwarming performances!

Year 10 football star Luke Carter has returned from the Solomon Islands after helping New Zealand to successfully defend their title at the OFC U16 Men’s Championship. Playing in intense humidity, the team pushed through to secure a goal-less draw against New Caledonia, a 5-0 win against Samoa and an 8-0 win against the host nation (you can watch the highlights of this game here ) in the group stage matches. In the final, New Zealand faced New Caledonia again and secured a 2–0 win. This victory marked New Zealand's seventh consecutive OFC Under 16 title. "It was an amazing feeling with all the hard work we had put in together as a team," says Luke. "It definitely felt rewarding and it was really cool with all the locals supporting us, and all the support we got back in New Zealand." Both finalists, New Zealand and New Caledonia, along with Fiji, earned qualification for the 2026 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Qatar. Luke's determined to work hard to secure his spot on the team so he can represent New Zealand once again on the world stage. "The feeling of qualifying for the Under 17 World Cup is like no other I've experienced. The World Cup will definitely be a lot tougher but it would be an amazing experience versing the top players from around the world."

Come down to Eden Park this Sunday (14 September) for an epic day of rugby AND support Avondale College Rugby at the same time! Thanks to Auckland Rugby, every ticket sold through our special link gives $10 back to Avcol's rugby teams. Game Day Lineup: 11:35 AM – Auckland Storm vs Canterbury 2:10 PM – Auckland NPC vs Manawatū You get free AT train travel with your ticket Street parking is available AND there are kit prizes from Hart Sports + halftime giveaways from Paladin! Get your tickets here: https://tinyurl.com/5e8j3wh6   Rally your whānau, bring your friends, and let’s pack the stands in support of our teams!

Ava 'Uhila, Maddie Tomilap & Lily 'Uhila Avcol students were among those who performed at Eden Park ahead of the Springboks vs All Blacks match on Saturday. As part of the Auckland Pasifika Secondary Schools Choir, Ava 'Uhila, Maddie Tomilap and Lily 'Uhila sang the New Zealand national anthem, and the South African national anthem "Nkosi sikelel' iAfrika". South African media have been full of praise for the group, and one South African fan was quoted on the Stuff website as saying their rendition “was the best I ever heard in my entire life." "It was really cool to have people from the other side of the world announce how good we sounded," says Ava. "It was truly amazing to perform in front of national TV, especially at Ardie Savea's 100th test match." A dance group made up of students from Avcol, Mt Albert Grammar, Rangitoto College, Massey High also performed a routine choreographed by Saintzup Performing Arts and Entertainment. Avcol dance leader Asa Heenan (Year 13) said they were invited to be a part of the group by an Avcol alumna whose parent works for the troupe. "It felt like a truly historic moment for us, a one in a lifetime type of experience," he says.

Avondale College’s Year 13 Pasifika Celebration Dinner was a wonderful evening dedicated to recognising and celebrating the success of our senior Pasifika students. Families, friends, and staff gathered to honour the hard work, resilience, and achievements of the graduating class. Guests enjoyed a delicious buffet dinner of Pasifika food, while the programme featured Pasifika performances and inspiring addresses from special guest speakers: alumna Professor Jemaima Tiatia-Siau, Pro Vice-Chancellor Pacific at the University of Auckland, and Hon. Carmel Sepuloni, MP for Kelston. Their words of encouragement and wisdom were a highlight of the evening. The event also marked the presentation of the inaugural Mauga Family Award, recognising students who have consistently served at Avondale College’s Pasifika events and programmes for three years or more. Recipients of the Mauga Family Cup were celebrated for upholding both the school’s HEART values and key Pasifika values of respect, love, and service throughout their journey at Avondale. Congratulations to Nick Hanipale and Apiisaloma Mauga, the first award recipients. The evening was skilfully MC’d by alumnus and former Head Boy Matthew Manukuo, whose warmth and humour added to the celebratory atmosphere. Overall, it was a memorable night of pride, connection, and culture as we farewelled our Year 13 Pasifika students and wished them every success for the future.

In this Issue From the Principal Upcoming events School Board Election about to close Year13 Pasifika Celebration Dinner Avcol students delight crowds ahead of All Blacks game Luke returns triumphant from OFC U-16 Championship It's a big fortnight for College Drama! Planning for 2026 5 Tips for Topping Up Together - at home Unveiling our 2026 Show: Clue #4 Careers Noticeboard Noticeboard

Dear Parents/Caregivers,   The Avondale College Parent Board Representative Election close on Wednesday 10 September at 4:00pm. Please ensure to post or drop off your voting envelope to the school Reception.   We can accept postal votes up until Monday 15   September - ideally it would be great to hand in at Reception.   Thank you!

A group of Year 13 students had the chance to visit one of NZ’s largest law firms, Meredith Connell. Here we heard from lawyers and other staff about their journeys into law and their day to day lives, as well as advice and guidance for our aspiring lawyers. Meredith Connell staff shared information about the Te Kuhunga Scholarship available for our students to apply for (that one of our Avondale College students actually received last year), before touring their incredible offices and visiting their simulation court room. We are very lucky to have this connection with Meredith Connell and look forward to the opportunities ahead for our students.

Stepping into the spotlight with flair and feathers, the Pink Ducky Club, captained by the ever-charismatic Finn Hall, hit the stage alongside teammates Arlo Lorien King, Liam Presling, and Mia Mave. Representing Avcol Theatresports with pride, the squad opened their campaign with the blind round challenge, drawing “Furniture”—and what a wild ride it turned out to be. They missed an early offer, a stumble out of the gates, but came storming back after Liam dropped a wallet—literally and figuratively—and the team pounced to turn the moment into comic gold. Next up: their first-choice game, “X Words.” It was a gritty round, with tight constraints, tense beats, and a grandmother in the mix who just wanted to watch the footy . Despite the pressure, Avcol held their ground, navigating the word limit like seasoned pros. Then came “Open Scene”—and things got wild. Cheese fondue! Mystery illness! The Pink Ducky Club pushed hard, improvising their way through strange symptoms and stranger snack cravings. It was fast, it was chaotic, it was improv magic. The second half brought in serious competition, with Onehunga and St Kents entering the fray full force. Crowd pleasing rounds of “New Choice” and “Curfew Endowment” turned the heat up even higher. It was neck-and-neck the entire way, and at the final whistle— you wouldn’t believe it —we had a three-way tie. That meant only one thing: Sudden death. The final decider? A sudden death round of “Story, Story, Die.” Representing Avcol, Arlo Lorien King and Liam Presling stepped up to the plate. But the stakes were brutal—just one “and” or “but” could end your story…and that’s exactly what happened. A slip of he tongue, and they were eliminated. What a match. What a team. The Pink Ducky Club brought heart, humour, and high- stakes hijinks to the stage—and win or lose, they left it all out there. Ms Stone, Director of Drama TYP Final match: Friday 12 September, 7pm in the Avcol Drama rooms

From Friday 15 to Sunday 17 August, a team of Year 13 Media Studies ākonga entered the 48HOURS Film Competition. This nationwide event provides entrants with a genre and a list of elements which they must shape into a film by the end of the 48-hour period. It's the perfect opportunity for our budding filmmakers to showcase their passion, creativity, and talent for screen arts. We were based here at school in the staffroom, brainstorming, scriptwriting, storyboarding, filming, and editing throughout the entire weekend. From choreographed fight scenes in the rain, to green screens and tongue-twisting voiceovers, our man vs. machine film, "A Spanner in the Works" truly features something for everyone. While judging takes place over the next few months, we are unable to share our film or reveal too much - except that it was a triumph! A huge thank you to all students, staff, and whānau, especially the parents who kindly took time out of their weekend to drop boxes of Lego and prop swords to us! Everybody involved made the weekend not only possible, but a successful and unforgettable experience. Students involved: Catalina Baird, Isabella Brown, Joachim Cleator, Alys Edlin, Lewys Evans, Finn Hall, Fred Hamilton, Isla Hanlan, Finley Hooper, Arlo Lorien-King, Jed O'Brien, Liam Presling, Florence Rowland, Ranuga Udugala, Maisy Wilson. Miss Rive, Head of Media Studies

Mr Stephen & a representative from World Moving & Storage Te Wiki o Te Taiao is New Zealand Conservation Week   (1-7 September 2025) is a great opportunity to do something good for nature, and show others how they can too. The Environmental Group got in early to celebrate with two wider school events.  First was the 'Clothes Drive' which was a huge success. The main driver of this activity was recycling clothing - this reduces our impact on the planet as fast fashion has a big toll on our precious resources! For a couple of weeks in advance, the group had been stockpiling donations coming from students, staff and outside organisations. A huge thanks must go to Mrs Lynne Van Etten and our school nurses' team for their huge donations. Also, a massive thank you to Wendy Perese from World Moving & Storage , an Avondale storage facility that are passionate about reusing, donating & reducing waste. Wendy and her team collected and dropped off x8 boxes of new and used clothing for the event and we appreciate the donations so much.  With more clothing than anticipated, we were nervous about what we would do with it all. However, on the back of organisational skills and wide promotion of the event, engagement across the school was huge and students cleared out 80%+ of all the donations received. 100's of students filtered through the classroom across lunchtime to find themselves some new threads - all free of charge! The remainder of the items have found homes with relevant items going to Taurewa, the Auckland Hospital Emergency Department, the Fashion Technology classes and local Op Shops.  The next activity on the cards was a bake sale, which you might ask "how is this focused on conservation?".  The group wanted to do some fundraising to contribute to conservation efforts and Give a Trap  was identified as the organisation for the funds to go to.  Give a Trap is primarily focused on the Predator Free 2050 mission that aims to reduces pest species that make it harder for our native wildlife to flourish. Environmental Group students contributed some amazing themed goods and ran a smooth operation with the bake sale raising around $400. This money will purchase traps and trapping supplies for community groups operating across the West Auckland and Waitakere Ranges. Congratulations to all Environmental Group students for their display of kaitiakitanga and action in the conservation and sustainability areas. We encourage everyone to be altruistic and do something beneficial for the environment across Te Wiki o Te Taiao. Whether it is picking up some rubbish that isn't yours, or helping to improve a natural habitat, every little action counts! Mr R Stephen Clothing Drive Bake sale in the atrium