Wings of Inspiration: 7JGR Artwork Installed at Carmel
To finish the 2025 year, 7JGR (Mrs Green’s form class) worked together to create a beautiful piece of artwork for the school. It reflected the Religious Education topic “Inspiring People” and celebrates the gifts and talents of our students. Our wonderful groundsmen, Darryn and Kamal, cut the wings out for us and mounted it on the wall outside the RE Department. It is ready and waiting for our Carmel community to take their picture in the wings!
Empowered and Equipped: Year 9s Master Self-Defence with Sandy Tippett
Over the past few weeks, our Year 9 students swapped their usual health and PE routines for something incredibly empowering. As a practical extension of our ‘Keeping Ourselves Safe’ health unit, we were thrilled to welcome renowned safety and self-defence expert Sandy Tippett to the school.
While the classroom lessons focus on recognizing risks and understanding personal safety, Sandy’s sessions brought these concepts to life.
Sandy’s program focused heavily on situational awareness, confidence, and the power of verbal boundaries. Students were taught how to read body language, trust their instincts, and use a strong, assertive voice to de-escalate potential conflicts before they even begin.
Of course, building a physical toolkit was also a major highlight. Under Sandy’s expert guidance, the Year 9s practiced:
- Boundary-setting drills designed to help them stay calm and focused under pressure.
- Effective release techniques from various holds and grabs.
- Strategic striking and blocking using pads to build muscle memory and physical confidence.
It was inspiring to watch our students grow in confidence with every session. They walked in curious and walked out feeling empowered, resilient, and equipped with vital skills to keep themselves and their peers safe in the real world.
A massive thank you to Sandy Tippett for her passion, energy, and invaluable expertise. Parents, be sure to ask your Year 9s to share some of the top safety tips they learned!
Carmel Students Explore the World of Neuroscience at the University of Auckland
On Wednesday, 24 June, eight Carmel College students who progressed to Round 2 of the Australian-New Zealand Brain Bee Challenge (ABBC) were invited to visit the University of Auckland’s Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences. Congratulations to Kiera Longerstaey, Natalia Gonzales, Elliot Hou, Zoe Gan, Sophia Zhao, Aoife Kernaghan, Aanya Mohan, and Addison Prenty on this outstanding achievement.
This year’s competition saw 266 students from 34 North Island schools complete the initial quiz, with just 149 students advancing to Round 2. While Carmel did not place in the top 10 of the individual finals, we are proud to celebrate the success of our team of Kiera Longerstaey, Natalia Gonzales, Zoe Gan, and Elliot Hou, who achieved an impressive equal fourth place in the team competition. The individual title this year was awarded to a student from Epsom College.
During their visit, students toured the AMRF Learning Centre and research laboratories, gaining a fascinating insight into the world of neuroscience research. They also had the opportunity to meet leading scientists and technicians from the University of Auckland, who shared their work and career experiences in medical and health sciences.
The visit was both educational and inspiring. Our students engaged enthusiastically, asking thoughtful questions and gaining valuable insights into the exciting possibilities within neuroscience and biomedical research. It was a memorable experience that has undoubtedly sparked further curiosity and enthusiasm for science.
SAVE Enviro Group: Nurturing Lake Pupuke
The SAVE Enviro Group took meaningful action at Lake Pupuke, partnering with the Pupuke Birdsong Project for a dedicated weeding event on Sunday 21st June. This community-based organisation is committed to environmental restoration in the Takapuna North area, working tirelessly to bring back native birdlife through habitat protection by tree planting, predator control, pest plant control, water quality improvement and other community-led environmental projects.
13 of our students gathered on the shores of the lake to help remove invasive weeds, in particular, Tradescantia (Tradescantia sp.), Montbretia (Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora) and Alligator weed (Alternanthera philoxeroides ).
These plants are introduced and highly invasive and will smother our native plants that are being established there. Our native plants are taonga and need our care till they become established.
This hands-on effort is a beautiful reflection of Carmel College’s mission to develop young women who “see the need and make the difference.” By participating, our students lived out our core Mercy values in a practical, impactful way.
Through Manaakitanga (Care), the group demonstrated a profound ‘Care for Creation’ by protecting the local ecosystem. Furthermore, they exhibited Awhinatanga (Service) by giving generously of their time to the community to ensure the lake remains a healthy environment for all.
Aroha Meals with Young Vinnies and Rosmini College
On the 22nd of May and the 19th of June, twelve Carmel Young Vinnies students joined students from Rosmini College for two Aroha Meals evenings. Together, we prepared spaghetti bolognese, which was donated through the St Vincent de Paul Society to people experiencing homelessness and others in need throughout our Auckland community.
Throughout the evening, everyone worked together in different roles, including preparing the meat sauce, cooking the pasta, mixing everything together, and packaging the finished meals. It was great to see how each job contributed to the final result, with everyone working as a team to prepare as many meals as possible.
The evenings were a rewarding way to give back to our community while also learning more about food insecurity and the challenges that many people face. They reminded us how fortunate we are to have regular access to food and the importance of helping those who don’t. It was a great opportunity for service which allowed us to work alongside Rosmini students and meet new people while making a positive difference.
If you’d like to get involved, we’d love to have you join Carmel Young Vinnies! We meet every Week B, Tuesday at lunchtime, where we play fun games, spend time together, and learn about important issues such as homelessness and food insecurity. Whether you want to make a difference, meet new people, or simply get involved in school life, everyone is welcome!
– Scarlett Lendrum (Year 12)
Reader’s Cup 2026
A fabulous team of Carys Angove, Maria Nistor, Tiwonge Shoniwa and Annabelle Smith were in the regional competition for this event held on June 24.
Reader’s Cup is a New Zealand wide reading competition for Year 9 students. The team read 6 novels and then compete against 15 other local high schools for a chance to be in the national competition. There’s a lot of reading, note taking and discussion and the girls worked really hard at this event.
Year 11 Market Day Success
This term, our Year 11 Business Studies students held their annual Market Day. With beautiful weather adding to the atmosphere, students showcased their creativity, collaboration, and entrepreneurial spirit as they designed, promoted, and sold their products.
Market Day gave students the opportunity to apply their business knowledge in a real-world setting. They gained valuable experience in teamwork, communication, customer service, problem-solving, and financial decision-making while learning what it takes to run a successful business.
A big thank you to all the students, staff, and members of the school community who supported the event. Your enthusiasm and encouragement helped make the day such a positive and rewarding experience. We look forward to seeing our young entrepreneurs continue to develop their skills in future projects.
Year 10 Career Day Inspires Future Pathways
On Tuesday 30 June, our Year 10 students participated in Career Day, a valuable opportunity to explore future pathways, discover potential career options, and reflect on their individual strengths and interests.
The day began with our popular “Guess the Guest” panel, where we welcomed 12 women from a diverse range of professions. Through a series of questions and clues, students learned about the guests’ career journeys, qualifications, and experiences. This session provides valuable exposure to a wide variety of career possibilities and helps students broaden their understanding of the opportunities available beyond school.
Students then took part in a workshop focused on career planning and subject selection. They explored key career and pathway websites, investigated areas of interest, and discussed how subject choices from Years 11–13 can support future study and employment goals. Students were encouraged to begin mapping out their own subject pathways as they consider their next steps.
The day concluded with the Carmel Challenge, a team-based activity centred around John Holland’s personality and career interest theory. Through a series of practical challenges, students worked collaboratively while identifying their strengths, interests, and personal attributes. The activities encouraged students to reflect on the types of careers that may align with their individual skills and preferences.
