This year’s School Sustainability Challenge, held at Long Bay Regional Park, was one to remember. Carmel College entered seven teams, all made up of Year 7 and 8 students. We raced through creeks, climbed steep tracks, hunted for checkpoints, and pushed ourselves through every muddy, rocky, uphill moment. It wasn’t just a race; it was an adventure that tested our teamwork, resilience, and ability to laugh even when our shoes were full of water.

We would like to congratulate Juliette Goffinet, Orlaith Burns, Willa Dinwiddie, and Carys Angove, members of one of the Carmel Year 8 teams, who placed first overall out of 126 teams from schools across Auckland. They won some native plants that will be planted on the school grounds.

Thank you to all of the parents who chaperoned this event and almost blew their hearts out of their chest, just to keep up with their group. A very special thank you to Mrs Dickson who organised this event. We hope to see lots more people sign up next year so our Carmel community can continue having fun while learning about sustainability.

 – Michaela Buchanan, Alessandra De Martin and Bianca Arnott – Year 7