Kia ora koutou,

Term Three has been a whirlwind of activity, filled with memorable experiences and student achievements. From outdoor adventures to cultural celebrations, our students have had the opportunity to grow, learn, and make lasting memories.

Our Year 8 students embarked on an unforgettable camp at Deep Cove, where they forged new friendships, challenged themselves in outdoor activities, and explored the breathtaking scenery of Doubtful Sounds.

The Murihiku Polyfest was another highlight, showcasing our students' incredible talent, creativity, and cultural diversity. The mesmerising Kapahaka and Pacifica performances were a testament to their hard work, dedication, and passion. Congratulations to all who entered the Polyfest Art Competition. The artwork that was created was fantastic, and this was reflected in the number of awards.

Our Special Olympics team represented Aurora College with pride, showcasing their athleticism, sportsmanship, and determination. Their participation in these events inspired others and fostered a sense of pride in our school.

The Aurora Got Talent show was a fantastic display of our students' diverse talents, from singing and dancing to feats of strength by Southland Strongest Man. It was a wonderful opportunity for our students to showcase their abilities and entertain their peers.

I want to acknowledge our students' hard work and dedication to their studies. Congratulations to the Year 10 and 11 students who took on the challenge of the CAA. Their commitment to their academic pursuits is a testament to their resilience and perseverance.

The dedication of our students to achieving NCEA credits is a testament to their hard work and commitment to personal growth. Their success reflects their dedication to their studies and their determination to succeed. The number of students who have already achieved NCEA Level 2 is impressive.

Our students' achievements reflect our school values of respect, whanaungatanga, and citizenship. By respecting each other, you've created a positive and inclusive learning environment where everyone feels valued and supported. By fostering a sense of whanaungatanga, you've developed strong relationships with each other and a deep sense of belonging to our school community. You've demonstrated a commitment to being responsible citizens and contributing positively to our school and community through your actions.

I am truly humbled by our student's achievements this term. Their hard work, dedication, and perseverance inspire us all. They have made our school proud, and I am confident this will continue next term.

I wish our students and their whanau a wonderful break, and I look forward to seeing you all back at school next term.

Nāku, nā 

Craig Taylor

 PRINCIPAL

It has been a very busy term for sport at Aurora College with a lot of highlights!

Let’s start by wishing Ashton Gregory-Hunt all the best as he heads to Korea to represent New Zealand in the 2024 World Taekwondo Junior Championships.

A few of the highlights included:

• Our U18 Girls Combined Rugby team winning the Southland Secondary Schools Competition. This is the first time in 13 years that a school other than Southland Girls High School has won!
• The Aurora/Verdon 1st XV also won the U18 Boys Rugby Competition after a great season with 15 wins and only 1 loss.
• We had a very successful ski trip to Coronet Peak in August.
• Our Year 7 and 8 Netball teams competed at Moffet Cup.
• We had two teams compete at the Southland Secondary Schools Ki O Rahi Tournament.
• We invited several of our ex-students back to play a game of basketball against our 1st V. This was a great game with the 2024 squad winning by 2 points.
• Olympic Medallist Alena Saili came to school to talk about her Olympic experience and show us her medals.
• We had a Senior Boys Team compete at the Southland Secondary Schools Badminton Championships.
• During Winter Tournament Week we had our Senior Football Team competing at the Linwood Cup where they played very well. We also had two boys join in the Verdon U15 Rugby Team who travelled to Christchurch. To finish the week off we organised a 3 x 3 Basketball Tournament at the ILT Stadium that attracted 63 teams from schools all over Southland!
• Several of our students took part in a Diversity Festival where they got to try rock climbing and pickleball.

Thank you to all the coaches, both adult and student, who have enabled our teams to take part in all these events.

Next term we have the following sports on offer:

- Ki O Rahi

- Summer Football

- Touch Rugby

- Year 7/8 Basketball

- Girls Cricket

- Year 9/10 Adventure Race

Please register online at www.auroracollege.school.nz if you would like to play any of these sports.

A talented group of budding Agriculture students participated in the first-ever Telford Clash of the Colleges. The competition is aimed at students showcasing their farming skills and for many an introduction to the career of farming. Schools were invited from all over Otago to participate.

We entered a junior and senior team into the event. Each team participated in a rotation of tasks such as break fencing, beekeeping, drenching, wool properties and crop identification just to name a few.

Our students were in boots and participated in cooperative teams, even strategising based on their skills to ensure the best outcome for each task.

In the end, our senior team took the prize for the best out-of-the-box thinking in crop identification. Our junior team took out a spot prize for teamwork.

Next year we plan to take a minimum of four teams to represent our school showcasing what our students are capable of.

Te Mūranga a Rangi, kia kaha e hoa mà!

This year's camp at Deep Cove was certainly something. We all boarded the bus for a long ride and stopped at a park in between for a break. When we arrived, we met Bruce, who shared his knowledge of Deep Cove. 

A cheeky kea decided to steal a hat from one of the students' bags. On the first night, camp competitions were held to earn camp money, which could be used for bidding at the end of camp. Numerous competitions took place, my personal favourite being when the participants could only use their mouths to find some Maltesers in a bowl of spaghetti. 

We went on many walks, the longest being up and down a waterfall (everyone's feet were soaked, except for Hunter’s). The view was worth it, and Mrs Cameron and Miss Jenkins took a selfie together.

 The loud weka kept us all awake at night. Niall and Sara from RealNZ took us on a night walk to find kiwis and glowworms. On the wharf, people went fishing. 

Tarl thought it would be a lovely idea to lie down in the freezing cold water. Mrs Cameron played a prank on Tarl, and as well-deserved payback, Tarl soaked her with water from his bottle (after Mrs Cameron surrendered).

We went on a cruise on the last day and had some kids from our school perform some beautiful waiata. The auction was finally held, with Mr Mac becoming Judge Judy, complete with a loud booming voice, a wig, and a gavel. I think I got the best prize—a rotten banana! 

Year 8 Deep Cove camp was a great opportunity to learn new things, and a huge thank you to the teachers and parent helpers who made it happen.

Rhiannon Newman

On Wednesday 25 September, two teams of Year 10 students competed in the 2024 Smac Maths competition at James Hargest. They faced tough competition against the 18 other teams from around Southland and Eastern Southland. A massive congratulations to Team Aurora 2 (Leo & Max 10PK, Chas 10AB and Jake 10HW) for placing 10th. Our second team competing in Team Aurora 1, were Yutaka 10WA, Jess & Andrew 10LN & Kahu 10AB.

We can all be extremely proud of these students. They were dressed beautifully; their manners were exceptional and their energy and enthusiasm for the event was sensational and noticed by staff from other schools.

Here are some examples of what the students have been up to in one of the  Friday programmes. 

A number of students have managed to make 2 or 3 taonga and there are more in the progress stage. 

A few photos below of our end of term assembly held on Thursday 26 September. Congratulations to all the students that received certificates for their hard mahi this term.

Always great to get trophies, but nothing beats the satisfaction of working hard with your mates and succeeding together.

We conquered a pretty gruelling adventure challenge, and got to do this with our whanau from Haeata and Mawhera Service Academies. 

Very proud of our crew for the mahi put in to complete this and the mahi done back at school.

Well done on your awesome achievement team!

Staff Sonny

Academy Director