In today’s ANI Guild we have the following:
All-Star Showdown
On the 13th of November, the ANI choir & vocal ensemble went to the Holy Trinity Cathedral to participate in the Eden Albert concert. Our Vocal Ensemble and our ANI Choir had practised for decades for this moment. For the ANI Choir, they had already had one performance at Kids Sing, but for the ANI Vocal Ensemble. Before our actual performance, we were able to head to the cathedral in vans for a dress rehearsal.
Once we got there, we were placed in rows for the big night. We ran through all of our songs including: Titanium, God of Nations, The Greatest Show, Blackbird, Better when I’m dancin’, Aotearoa and Colour the world which is written by our conductor, Roddy Alexander. There were soloists who sang in the songs Aotearoa and The Greatest Show in which our own William T sang a solo in The Greatest Show.
Later, in the evening, everyone headed there again for the performance. The rows of chairs were filled with the audience, and everyone was backstage, waiting nervously. It was a grand evening, everyone was holding their breath as everyone got introduced onto the stage, but as soon as we started singing, all the nervous energy seemed to melt away. We had several songs to sing with the rest of the schools, and the ANI choir performed a solo of Titanium and quietly left the stage as the show continued with more amazing performances.
The songs seemed to flow by in a perfect motion. The rain that had briefly started at the beginning had stopped to a small drizzle. The audience was eager to listen to the majestic songs, the voices of the many students carried and still held their melodic tune. The vocal ensemble had been practicing for this moment for a while- they had many songs to memorize leading up to that day. Ms Smith & Mr Gleeson worked hard – they supported the Vocal Ensemble throughout the year.
Overall, it was a successful night filled with joy and excitement, from both the performers and the audience. A great day for everyone and a fun thing to have in the last term of the year.
Written by: Snowey, Yume & Avni
Edited by: Ms Chowdhury
Photos by: Snowey
Garden to Table
We, ANI, have officially created our very own garden outside the 10TS. Where we grow a wide variety of celery, radishes, silverbeets, potatoes, spinach, tomatoes, herbs, beans (some being broad beans) and much more.
Over the past 3 weeks, the year 8’s have been using the beetroot and spinach to make their dishes for Food Tech! But before anything else, let’s take you back to when we started growing our vegetables.
This all started 3 weeks ago when we started making the planter boxes from scratch. Mr Pocock supported us and brought a team of students to Bunnings to buy supplies and materials for the plantar part of the garden. Then, we started to build. After struggling with constructing the boxes, we started selecting a few different plants and vegetables for the garden. The sustainability team planted and watered the plants once or twice a week…
Everything contributed to the worm farm right next to the pool. The scraps from the food tech classes were thrown into the compost and would start to decompose. Making healthy and fertile soil for future plants.
The vegetable garden matured over time, which meant that we would be able to start using it. Mrs T took her food tech classes to harvest everything and use it in baking and cooking. The dishes included beetroot brownies and mini quiches.
Big thank you to the PTA and Ms Redshaw and Mr Christie for organizing and funding the garden to table. It wouldn’t have been possible without you!
Written by Selene, Snowey
Edited by RJ
Photos by Selene, Snowey
Onwards!
Only last year were we looking at 2024 and thinking ‘That’ll take a lot of time’. We thought that it’s so far away, that 2025 won’t come until it feels like an eternity. Now we have come this far, we’ve been on a learning journey that has traversed many areas: a leadership journey, a friendship one, and an academic journey. But this is not the end of the road. In this article, we will be looking back at what the year has entailed. For those in year 7, your journey is not over – it’s a legacy to be continued.
Starting with Term 1, the beginning of a year. Full of opportunities and contests. Of course, a recap has to begin from the start of the start and that means the first day. For the Year 8s, another day in the office, but the school has been buzzing since the arrival of the new Year 7s. The ANI Olympics kicked off the same week we started school and multiple Central Zone events took place – tennis, orienteering and many more! Year 7 Camp was another major event – however some didn’t have great weather. Adding onto all of this, there was also the exciting Year 8 camp, something to look forward to from your first year at ANI.
Term 2 saw the students diving deeper into their academic and extracurricular pursuits. As the year progressed, each term brought its own set of challenges, triumphs, and unforgettable experiences. The school was going crazy with the excitement of the many events this term – including the school Science Fair, the formation of the Orchestra, Chess tournaments, multiple Central Zones, and of course, the Speech Competition. The yearly market day was an unforgettable experience. Students showcased their talents and creativity, making their mark in various events. The camaraderie and competitive spirit were widespread as everyone strived for excellence.
Fast forward to Term 3 and the actors within the school flourished as the Addams Family musical started this term off with a bang and was a huge success; the school was buzzing with outstanding actors and backstage roles. As well as that, another massive event occurred: EPRO8! A recent update is that our Year 7 team was lucky enough to progress into the regional semi-finals. A huge treat for the enjoyers of studies was the arrival of ICAS. All the academic lovers surpassed the average bar and went beyond their capacity! We had also celebrated World Book Day as a school, and we had dressed up as our favourite book characters! Towards the end of Term 3, we had celebrated Daffodil Day to help support the cancer patients all around NZ.
It’s finally time for it all to come to a close. Term 4 was full of excitement- we started off with some practice exams and moved on to more engaging experiences. Athletics day leads to Central Zones then Pool Day as well. Bake sales and fundraisers popped up during the last few weeks for the Year 8s exhibition and clubs continued on as normal. The last weeks of school are filled with excitement – Exhibition was presented, classes started packing up – less studying (woo!). We had the Amazing Race for the Year 8s too! Of course, our year could not be complete without a massive send-off for the Year 8s. This was accomplished by the Graduation and End-of-Year assemblies – another set of memories that will linger in our minds.
The end of the year has come, the end of a year filled with momentous times. For those leaving, good luck. For those coming, welcome. And for those staying, keep up the hard work!
Written by Leo
Edited by RJ & Avni
Photos by Snowey and ANI Staff
Let’s have a SPLASH!!!
As we reach the end of a long and exhausting year, the entire school was shipped off on buses and sent to the Panmure Pools for an amazing, wet, fun-filled day in the pool. With the peak of summer heading our way, and the end of the year just around the corner, what better to do than have a swim to refresh ourselves, and prepare us for the last week of the year.
The day started off with us getting up bright and early to make sure we don’t arrive late. After classes did their rolls and notices. We started heading down to the buses, it was around a 25-minute bus ride full of karaoke to the Panmure pools. Then we did all the briefings and safety expectations – boring but important! Then all the fun began. A lot of the people started rushing to the hydro slides as it was a huge attraction. Then came the inflatable, where you had to attempt to run straight to the end. It spanned a little over half the length of the main pool! Some fell at just the first couple of steps (unfortunately that some people were us) and some reached the end.
The hydro slide was expected to have a humongous line, and it definitely exceeded expectations by a landslide. A lot of people enjoyed the slide the best because of the wetness and the slippery part of the long tube. (That was my favourite as well!) Some people came out upside down or the wrong way, which was pretty funny, but they all managed to get themselves in trouble.
A lot of people went to try the diving board, which required a lot of confidence. Some people took a long time to jump, and other people jumped off very quickly and confidently. The diving board was definitely a great big, scary attraction on the day.
Just like last year, the pool’s cafe was very busy and business was booming for them, probably reaching record sales. The sodas and hot chips were definitely fan favourites thanks to the blazing hot weather that day. At 1: 30pm, everyone had to hop out and get changed before heading back to school. What a fun-filled and exciting day we got to experience!
Once again, we are all so very thankful for the Parent Teacher Association for their sponsorship of the event! Have a great rest of the year.
Written by Selene and Yume
Edited by Griffin and Leo
Old People’s Home for 12 Year olds
In Week 8 of Term 4, Mrs Dillon and Mr. Wilson’s Inquiry group (Contributing to the Community) visited the Oceania Retirement Village, where we visited our penpals from this term. Our Inquiry group had set off to learn about how we can help support our community’s elderly by providing them with friendship and kindness.
First, we sent a letter to the retirement village, without knowing who our pen pal would be. Then, at the village itself, their representative would randomly distribute the letters to the residents of the home. They then sent a reply to us, answering some of our questions. Once again, we then sent a message thanking them for their reply.
Our first activity of the day was building a catapult. Using 8 popsicle sticks, several rubber bands, and a spoon, we had to build a catapult. We were judged on height, distance, and design. We had many intricate designs, with triangles for support, sturdy structures, and powerful launches. Using teamwork, all teams managed to build an amazing catapult, but there could only be one winner. The catapult was a fun and interesting challenge, which got everyone smiling.
The second challenge was a multi-topic quiz. There were 5 categories: History, Christmas, New Zealand, Modern Slang, and Movies. Each category had 5 questions, each giving one point. However, each team could choose one category to double, meaning doubling the amount of points you got in that category. It was a rollercoaster, especially the Modern Slang category, where the youngsters got to teach their penpals some Gen Alpha language! Overall, it was an amazing experience, with everyone laughing along the way.
The trip to the Oceania Retirement Village was an amazing experience, and the feeling of filling someone else’s bucket ( Making them happy ) is extraordinary. We are very grateful for the opportunity to visit the retirement village, and it was spectacular. A major achievement, with everybody smiling, fulfilled the big lead-up to our contribution to society.
Written by Kushaell