In today’s ANI Guild we have the following:
● Bruises, passes, serves
● The Finale of Our IB Journey
● Racing Under the Sun
● William Pike Challenge
● Student leader application
● It’s that time of the year
● Totora goes wild
● To the Pinnacles and Beyond!
● A Contest Like No Other
● Cultural Union
● Jubilee Raffle
● Kauri trip to the tip
● Bookworms United
● Community
Bruises, passes, serves
On the 16th of October, the keen volleyball players travelled to Central Zones Volleyball at Eventfinda Stadium. All the practices and training led up to this moment, a moment for all of the volleyball players to show off their skills and beat the other schools. With 6 games in a day, all of the volleyball players were really tired from trying their hardest. All of the amazing players left their hearts out on the court, fighting for the first-place prize. Their determination and courage were valued by anyone who watched them play, and their amazing skill led them to get 12th out of 14.
After all their hard work, practice, and determination, our ANI volleyball players have really done our school proud, coming 12th out of 14 teams. One of the most exciting parts of the day was playing against all the other teams, because it challenged everyone as a team and collective. This Central Zone definitely was one to remember.
Written by Soleil, and Scarlett
Edited by Selene
The Finale of Our IB Journey
The students are inquiring, Investigating, creating and taking action! It’s finally the time of the year that the Year 8s have been waiting for… EXHIBITION!
Every year, ANI has had the privilege of being a part of Exhibition as an IB League School. Exhibition is a learning opportunity that allows students to showcase many of the learning skills they have developed throughout their time at ANI (specifically Year 8). The students collaborated with their peers, took initiative on their chosen UN global goal, demonstrated independence and showcased their research and presentation skills with their project.
This year’s theme was ‘Art as Action’ and it was up to the students’ perspective to decide what that would look like and how they would spark change with art. Students chose between 4 art forms: Music, Dance, Visual Arts and Drama. They had to pick one of the 17 Global Goals that they would like to present with their chosen artform. And from there, the students took off on their amazing journey to learn, lead, and grow.
The exhibition was a two day showcase, in which the first evening (Tuesday 14th October) was primarily for parents and our community and the second day (Wednesday 15th October) was for the Year 7 students to get inspiration for their Market Day as well as their own Exhibition project that will take place next year.
To conclude, the students’ hard work and dedication truly paid off in the end! Everyone’s great mahi was shown through the powerful and unique projects displayed vividly throughout their exhibition classes. The ones which stood out the most were displayed in the Library for people to look at. Exhibition was surely an experience that our year 8 students would never forget.
Written by: Saanvi R
Edited by: Lucja W, Yume F, and Kayla Y
Racing Under the Sun
Athletics day is a time filled with fun, excitement and strength. Every year, ANI goes to Mt Smart Stadium to execute an entire day of athletics.
Although many students may doubt the importance of this day, it boosts your physical health, strength, endurance and even your confidence. And even though it might seem stressful, the main objective at the end of the day is to get active, work together, and have fun!
Upon arrival at the stadium, at around 9:15, the bleachers filled with multi-coloured outfits representing different houses (ahi, wai, te hau, and whenua), and the events commenced. Sprints, long jump, high jump, discus and shot put all took place simultaneously. Track events took precedence over their field counterparts, and students had to participate in a minimum of 5 events, and at least 3 of those had to be on the field.
Competitive field games took place on the east, while people who were just giving it a go had their events on the west. For track, the competitive went first, racing as fast as they could, while the non-competitive waited patiently for their turn. All the students tried their best to win in order to go to central zones. The winners for all the events are:
Shotput: Y8 Girls – Hannah , Y8 Boys – Baringer, Y7 Girls – Charlotte , Y7 Boys – Aaron
Discus: Y8 Girls – Imogen, Y8 Boys – Baringer , Y7 Girls – Harlow , Y7 Boys – Aaron
High Jump: Y8 Girls – Valentina , Y8 Boys – Hunter, Y7 Girls – Charlotte, Y7 Boys – Theo
Long Jump: Y8 Girls – Imogen, Y8 Boys – Rico , Y7 Girls – Hesara , Y7 Boys – Reece
100m: Y8 Girls – Imogen, Y8 Boys – Shan, Y7 Girls – Emilie, Y7 Boys – Leo
200m: Y8 Girls – Valentina, Y8 Boys – Luca, Y7 Girls – Kaitlyn, Y7 Boys – Leo
400m: Y8 Girls – Imogen, Y8 Boys – Luca, Y7 Girls – Kaitlyn, Y7 Boys – Rafa
800m: Y8 Girls – Imogen, Y8 Boys – Luca, Y7 Girls – Kaitlyn, Y7 Boys – Theo
1500m: Y8 Girls – Imogen, Y8 Boys – Luca, Y7 Girls -Kaitlyn , Y7 Boys – Theo
Written by: Saanvi M, Libby T, Riya S, Callum T
Edited by: Yume, Callum T
A Rocky Journey To The Top Of The Mountain
With only a term left in the school year, our adventurous William Pike Group set off once again on the 9th of October for their second-to-last outdoor activity. We arrived at Birkenhead Leisure Centre, some of us eager to start, while others were ready to conquer their fear of heights by challenging themselves with an 8 metre wall.
We kicked off the day with some important rules and steps that we had to follow in order to be safe when climbing. Although it was slightly confusing, everyone was taught how to belay and how to be a backup belayer. Once everyone got into their group and managed to get the hang of belaying, students took turns climbing up the different walls. Some of the walls had a massive overhang, which made it harder to cling on and keep going up, and some had flat walls, which were easier but still challenging depending on the colour you climbed.
After a while of climbing, falling, eating, and belaying, our instructor announced that we could give bouldering a go. Bouldering was slightly different to top-rope. When bouldering, you climb more side-ways than up. Instead of having a rope to catch you on an 8-meter wall, you have a big blue mat to catch you on a 5-meter wall. It can be quite scary, but knowing the right way to fall makes it fun and exciting. Some students preferred to stay on the walls with their harnesses, while others decided to give the new challenge a go. As we climbed, we realised that bouldering required a lot of upper body strength, strategy, and motivation.
Overall, everyone had a really good time, whether they were rope climbing, bouldering, or even both! Rock climbing proved to be a tough challenge, pushing people to conquer their fear of heights or requiring students to use upper body strength to hang on for dear life.
Written by: Chloe, Selene
Edited by: Yume
Future student leaders
This term has been jam-packed with work for Y7 and Y8, but thanks to the student leader’s help and involvement in all these activities, the school runs as smooth as butter. But we must say goodbye to the old and say hello to the new as the Year 7s soon turn into Year 8s. Needing students to fill in for the position of student leader, Mr Gleeson and Mr Markham have opened up the applications for the 2026 lineup of student leaders.
Student leader applications are flying fast, hundreds of applications, but only the best of the best of Year 7s will take up the mantle as student leaders. Mr Gleeson and Mr Markam are looking for the ideal student for this role, students who show all school values in and out of ANI and with lots of badges. These requirements narrow down the applicants, pushing the best applicants for success.
With the applications open, all Y7s can apply to be in the very important student council. The first step of being a student leader is filling out the application forms. Each form asks you questions about why you want to be a student leader, what changes you would make as a student leader, times you have shown leadership, and, of course, who your two teacher endorsements are. Endorsement, in its simplest form, is having a staff member behind you who will recommend you for the role of student leader. With 100+ forms submitted by the deadline of Thursday,16th of October, and only 42 year sevens shortlisted, most of the applicants were disappointed that they didn’t make the cut. Out of the more than 100 year seven students who applied to be student leaders, sadly, only 42 students got shortlisted to have a group interview with Mr G and all of the other SLT members.
So, good luck to all the students who got shortlisted and are prepping for their interviews. We wish you the best of luck. For those of you who sadly didn’t get in, we wish you the best for other forms of leadership, whether they are in your time at ANI, High school, or your general life, and remember, you can be a leader without the badge. For the students who end up being chosen, we at the Guild know you’ll be an amazing addition to our school’s student council. Whether you get in or not, anyone who applied is more than worthy of our leaders. To those who did apply, you have helped with the process, which is amazing, and we cannot thank you enough for your contribution to our school’s history. Because of you, in years to come, children will look back and see all these people who applied for the student council years ago, and you’ll be one of them.
Thank you.
Written by: Tejbir, Scarlett, Soleil
Edited by: Rona, Soleil
It’s that time of the year
It’s that exciting time of year when the SLT and student leaders interview the future Year Sevens of ANI. The interviews, or koreros, took place on Thursday 6th November; Friday 7th November; Monday 17th November; and Tuesday 18th November. Year 6 students and their whānau explored their soon-to-be intermediate school, getting a glimpse of what lies ahead.
Future students from a variety of primary schools gathered in the tuck shop, eagerly, or sometimes nervously, waiting for their interviews while they enjoyed the warm, comforting beverage of hot chocolate, which helped cool the nerves down. The students tensely waited for their names to be called and then made their way to the library, which had been rearranged to create a welcoming and friendly space for conversations. Interviewers asked questions about their friends, favourite subjects, and books. After the interviews, students were guided to the exit and left with their bucket full of excitement and positive vibes.
Written by: Saanvi.M
Edited by: Saanvi.R
Totora goes wild
On Monday, 10th November, all of the joyful Totara Team Year 7 students travelled by bus to Auckland Zoo for a fun and educational trip outside of the classroom with friends, teachers, and classmates.
What a great day it was, full sunshine and only a light shower on the bus ride home. Although some of the zoo was closed due to maintenance on the car park, everyone was very excited to spend an entire day learning about different animals and hanging out with friends. Due to the maintenance, fewer people went to Auckland Zoo, meaning that the Totara team had the entire zoo to themselves. Even though it felt a bit empty, the excitement of ANI filled up the beautiful space.
The day started with all the Year 7 students jumping on a bus for the short 20-minute drive to Auckland Zoo. As soon as they got inside the zoo, they got a humorous briefing from the zoo guides- (Koha Kahui-McConnell, and Teresa Mallard) about how to treat the zoo with respect so they could fully enjoy their day at Auckland Zoo.
Afterwards, they split into their groups and looked around the zoo. From the African safari to the Australian bush track, there wasn’t a moment when people were bored or had nothing to do.
An additional bonus to the already exciting day was that a small turtle was being x-rayed right there in the Vet hospital, creating yet another fun thing to the day. Not only did they have an entire day to roam around the zoo, but they also had two very informative talks from experienced zookeepers.
The New Zealand tour and the Spider Monkey tour. Both talks/tours went into full detail about the animals and their habitat, meaning that at the end of the talks, students were fully educated about them.
All in all, Totara’s trip to Auckland Zoo was one of the highlights for most Totara students. I mean, an entire day outside of the class to just do whatever you want at the zoo. You gotta admit, that’s pretty cool! Here’s the padlet that students worked on after their zoo trip!
Written by: Scarlett and Soleil
Edited by: Scarlett, Rona, Charlotte, Soleil
To the Pinnacles and Beyond!
On Friday, the seventh of November, the William Pike Challenge participants travelled in the school vans to the Kaueranga Kauri Trail.
After a long, tiring journey, we had finally arrived! We ate our lunch in the small campsite and did a few safety checks, and even some teambuilding exercises (Not that we needed it!). Each person had a safety partner, whom they would check in with every so often on the long journey to come. This person would be your “Food Buddy” who you would share a meal with later. Once that was out of the way, we moved to the trailhead – the journey was about to begin!
We began walking along the trail, slowly but surely, inching closer to our final goal of the Pinnacles Hut. Grey clouds were approaching, but luckily the weather was kind enough and decided to be sunny. The late morning sun streamed through the canopy, creating a dappled pattern of light and shadow on the mossy trail as we continued forward on our hike.
Finally, after a 4 hour journey with breaks in between, the hut came into view. A sudden motivation took over and everybody speed walked through the last 200 meters of the trail and finally arrived at the place we would stay over for the night.
Once the whole crew arrived, we were told by the ranger in charge – Rob – the rules of the hut. When everyone settled, some of us decided to go and take a freezing cold shower while others decided the cold was not worth it. We were given free time before dinner, so everyone sat down on the outside picnic tables and played some snakes and ladders, Uno and card games.
We were given the instructions to bring dinner outside (if you were the food buddy that had it) at exactly 5:30. For dinner, we had some pasta that everyone ate with no complaints.
Even though not everyone got the best sleep, we started the day off strong and all got up by 5:30am and started the last 50 minutes of the hike to the very top of the Pinnacles. The view was breathtaking to say the least. The sky slowly transitioned from a pink to purple gradient to a red to orange one as we climbed. After a bit of a scramble up the rocks, we stood at the top, feeling accomplished as we took in the picturesque view that stood before us. The scene in front of us was a view that can never be forgotten. On one side of the lookout, a long, fluffy cloud that stretched as far as the eye could see. The beauty of the morning light illuminating the few green hills that penetrated this blanket of cloud was just impeccable. On the other side, a small pointy section of rock stabbed into the sky like a spearhead, and clouds enveloped the land as far as the eye could see. The sun, now fully visible from this side, transformed the scene, turning the pearlescent white of cloud to a vibrant golden shine. After a few minutes to take in the spectacular view, we proceeded to descend the very steps we had just climbed, but with something new. No, not Charlie’s latest walking stick. This time round, we were filled with a remarkable emotion not unlike the golden light of the sunrise: an unbeatable sense of achievement. We had done it! We had made it to the top, and now it was only the return journey to complete.
The trip back to the van was filled with chatters of excitement as everyone had their own motivations to get back to the bottom. Some were motivated by the thought of some Maccas on the way back, some thought of being able to be back in their own beds and others were motivated by the thought of sharing all their achievements with friends and family. Either way, everyone had a great time, made strong bonds and created long-lasting memories for life. A huge thank you to Mr Pocock and Miss Hughes for joining us on this journey – we really appreciate your guidance, help, and leadership. And to the crew – well done on this amazing achievement and everything else you’ve accomplished on the William Pike Challenge – you truly make this group incredible!
Written by: Chloe and Griffin
Edited by: Griffin and Leo
Photos by: Griffin and Miss Hughes
A Contest Like No Other
Below the surface, something has been developing. A competition known as EPro8 has taken place, with ANI hosting for 2025. This year’s EPro8 contest has drawn to a close, with ardent competitors walking away satisfied with their efforts.
For those who are not yet familiar with EPro8, EPro8 is a competition which includes and stimulates engineering, problem-solving, and innov[8]tion. Teams from various schools compete to win the Grand Trophy by completing challenges involving engineering, construction, electronics and many other aspects. These earn teams points, which are key to gaining a competitive position in the contest. Before teams qualify to the Interschool competition, a small internal contest is held to determine the two teams to compete in the quarter-finals.
ANI has done excellently this year, with the two teams involved (Specialised Engineers and The Eggs) placing 3rd and 8th respectively in the Interschool. Specialised Engineers moved on to the Semi-Finals, where they placed 1st. The Grand Finals were a day later, and the Specialised Engineers landed in 8th place.
EPro8 is a competition unlike no other. For those who are going to be at ANI for 2026, please consider signing up for 2026!
ANI’s success at EPro8 could not have happened without the priceless support and encouragement of Mr MacNaughtan and Mr Markham. Their constant and tireless efforts to better ANI’s team have been extremely beneficial to their progress and advancement. As a collective, thank you.
Written by Leo S, Callum T, and Tejbir S
Edited by Leo S
Cultural Union!
On the Thursday 23rd of October, friends, family, and ANI alumni gathered in the MPS to watch the cultural spectacle take place. Celebrating many various aspects of the arts, the Cultural Festival was an amazement in its own.
The Cultural Fest was organised by Miss Astrella to bring ANI’s diverse culture together and to unite the community. The night was full of entertaining performances such as the ANI school Orchestra and vocal ensemble led by Dr Wei, Kapa Haka, Indian dance, Sri Lankan dance, Samoan dance, Cook Island dance, Chinese dance, and many more. The audience thoroughly enjoyed the evening, leaving the hall with smiling faces.
As the performances progressed, the MPS cafeteria was active, selling snacks and refreshments for the audience, proving to be quite popular with the crowd.
A huge thank you to Miss Astrella for organising such a wonderful event for the school and taking her time to celebrate the culture of ANI. We couldn’t have done it without you
Written by: Yume Fookes
Edited by: Leo Swash
Jubilee Raffle
It has been 80 years since Auckland Normal Intermediate first opened its doors. Back then, students walked through the open gates, excited and a little nervous for what lay ahead. Since those early days, ANI has grown into an amazing school that offers fantastic education, opportunities and much more. In 2025, we celebrate 80 years of learning, friendship and beautiful memories at ANI!
This year, our teachers have given us a task – to sell raffle tickets that will be given out to our community. Each ticket sells for $5.00, or $12.00 for three tickets. These tickets will be put in a container and will be drawn out one by one to find the raffle winners of A.N.I’s 80th jubilee, which took place on the 14th of November. Each student is expected to sell at least one booklet of tickets, which contains 12 tickets. They can sell them to family, friends, neighbours or anybody willing to support our school. If a student sells two booklets, they earn a fundraising shield for their hard work.
The competition isn’t just about helping the school; there is also a big reward for those who sell the most books! Top prizes go to the student who sells the most amount of tickets in school, and year seven and year eight prizes go up to $500 worth of vouchers. There are ten places for year eight and year seven raffles. We congratulate the lucky people who worked really hard and won some prizes.
The student who won the top prize being a Westfield voucher, was Ian Z from RM 17, who sold 14 booklets. After the assembly, the visitors who attended went around the school to see what ANI looked like after many years from being there. Thank you to the many people who helped make this day successful.
Written by: Renee, Tejbir and Sumaiya
Edited by: Libby T
Kauri trip to the tip
On Monday 11th November, Kauri had the advantage of going to a zero waste centre filled with so many fascinating tools and learned a whole lot of knowledge.
This trip connects with our IB unit, which is “Sharing the Planet.” We all enjoyed the part where we peddled hard on the cycle and water appeared from an obstacle like a fountain, with the water we made pretend soup and some of us had a contest on who could peddle faster and make the fountain overflow. Some of the cool facts that we learned are that the rubbish that comes in the trucks within a week can fill the whole of Eden Park! Worms have five hearts and so much more! It was such a blast, full of entertaining activities and tasks.
Block one:
First block we were learning about sorting our garbage into the proper bins E.G. plastic that can be recycled have a triangle with 1,2 or 5 in it then we learned how our food scraps get taken away (first you take your food scraps bin to the road then the truck comes with ONE person in it and they put the scraps in the truck then they take them to a metal digester to be turned into fertilizer to grow grass to feed cows that produce meat and dairy that probably means you are eating your food scraps!) We played a game to learn this cycle. (it was really competitive) We were lucky enough to see a truck dump the rubbish, it was surprising that the majority of them could be recycled!
Block two🪱
One of the highlights and slimy parts of the day was the worm world… We learned about the fascinating critters (our composters). Some of us were very disgusted, but others held a whole bunch of worms in our hands. Our challenge for this wormy task was to find worm eggs. We learned about the different compartments of the worm bin and their food.
Overall ,this amazing, entertaining day was filled with fun and knowledge. We learned a lot of new, surprising tips and facts. We would love more cool entertaining trips like his one with facts that we can carry home and educate others with!
Written By: Subi and Christian
Edited By: Sumaiya and Leo
Bookworms United
2025 has brought massive changes for ANI, one of which is the arrival of ANI’s new librarian, Ms Olivia, who has massively improved ANI’s library.
Before the renovation, the library was relatively loud, the selection of books were outdated, and the range of genres were just not enough.
Now, ANI has a variety of new books ranging from graphic novels to non-fiction, fiction, and even diverse books in other languages.
Another change was the environment. Our library has gained new shelving and has been rearranged to be more efficient. The library now has strict rules about silence, and librarians no longer tolerate rowdy readers. The layout had also changed, with the booths against the back windows, the non-fiction against the wall furthest from the circulation desk, and fiction lined out in the middle.
It has changed from a loud, rowdy place where people ran around, to a calm, quiet place to read, draw and even crochet. This change is benefiting everyone by creating a calm space for students who just want some peace and quiet for a change.
Written by: Saanvi M and Lucja W
Edited by: Saanvi R
You and your gumboots matter
On Friday, the 7th of November, ANI is recognising a heartwarming and considerate fundraiser for mental health. It is called Gumboot Friday.
On Friday, the 7th of November, ANI is recognising a heartwarming and considerate fundraiser for mental health. It is called Gumboot Friday. Mental health should never go unnoticed and should always be treated seriously because you never know what someone is going through. Mental health should be recognised in every country, state, city and town. Our youth are very lucky to be in New Zealand, where we have multiple resources for ones struggling with mental health.
Mental health issues should always be prioritised, no matter the age of the person struggling, but often they occur commonly in the youth. It impacts their academic performance, social lives and self-confidence. Globally, it is estimated that one in seven (14.3%) of 10-19-year-olds experience mental health conditions, yet these remain largely unrecognised and untreated. As a result, suicide is the third leading cause of death in adolescents. People can have smiles on their faces while deeply struggling inside. It’s important to acknowledge those who are struggling and let them know that help is always available.
Organisations like Movember and the National Alliance on Mental Illness are key leaders and supporters. More and more organisations are being created to help keep everybody well and safe.
Gumboot Friday, an initiative from the I Am Hope Foundation in New Zealand, provides free counselling for young people struggling with mental health. This foundation and many more are so kind to provide these services for those who may not be as fortunate/able to afford counselling/therapy.
Gumboot Friday is celebrated on 7th November, and all people who wear gumboots are supporting mental health counselling for people 25 and under. Gumboot Friday is named because it is a representation of people living with depression and mental health issues. You might not win your battle at first, but you’ll always win the war.
You and your gumboots matter!
Remember that your problems matter and you do too. If you’re struggling with your mental health or need help, you can talk to a trusted adult, a teacher, a counsellor or use the help line resources below. When it’s raining, gumboots can help you, but you can reach for a human umbrella.
Links:
Youthline
Written by: Rona, Charlotte, Charlie, Arie
Edited By: Ms Chowdhury
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