A Visit from Author Joanna Lei
Last week, our Year 12 and 13 Chinese students welcomed local author 雷琼(Joanna Lei), writer of The Voyage of Molly, for a conversation about her book.
Students had read the novel beforehand, and the discussion was warm and wide-ranging. They talked with Joanna about home, culture, and the Chinese characters and stories that have shaped them.
They also explored their own “voyaging selves”, the force that pushes each of them forward. For some it’s curiosity that leads the way; for others, the resilience to keep going, or the thrill of setting out into the unknown.
It was a lovely reminder that language learning is never just about vocabulary. It’s about discovering what carries you forward, and finding your own story in someone else’s.
L3 Tourism & Geography Trip
The Level 3 Tourism and Geography students visited Rotorua for 2 days to immerse themselves in one of New Zealand’s premier tourist destinations. The Tourism students’ focus was on possible future jobs and went behind the scenes to experience how the Novotel is run. The focus for the Geography students was to experience the operation of the cultural process of Tourism Development, studied for an external examination. Highlights for all included learning about Canopy Tours and their eco-tourism attraction, competing in the Carmel College Mini Golf Championship, visiting the new Wai Ariki Spa, Whakarewarewa Living Maori Village and the Skyline luge. A big thank you to Ms Ferens for joining us and Mr Bassett for organising the trip.
Girls Chess Success
On the 21st July, girls from the Carmel College Chess Club attended the annual Auckland Girl’s Chess Competition organised by the Waitakere Chess Club, held at Mt Albert War Memorial Hall. The competition was an individual six-round tournament, and we were able to play against other girls from many different schools across Auckland.
We achieved excellent results, with Cathy Zhang coming first place in the Under 14 age category, winning 4.5/6 games, and Yu Na Lim placing third equal champion overall, winning 5/6 games.
It was a really great experience for everyone to further develop their playing skills, and we really enjoyed the competition.
The Chess Club meets every week on Wednesday lunchtimes in C07, and all year groups and skill levels are welcome. So feel free to come along if you are interested in chess and would like to take part in exciting competitions like these!
– Yu Na Lim, Chess Club Leader
Year 7/8 Narrative Writing Competition Winners
This year, Year 7 students wrote narratives exploring the theme Justice/Tika, while Year 8 students used The Hero’s Journey as the structure for their stories. Students produced a wide range of imaginative narratives, demonstrating creativity, thoughtful ideas and developing control of narrative writing techniques.
Congratulations to our 2026 winners:
Year 7
First Place
Gretel Moleta – 7KDU
Runners-up
Izzy Boggs – 7ABR
Ella Nel – 7CBA
Year 8
First Place
Poppy Weekes – 8BSO
Runners-up
Hanna Dyresen – 8KBO
Samara Allemann – 8KBO
First-place winners received a $100 Whitcoulls gift voucher, while the runners-up each received a $30 Whitcoulls gift voucher.
Thank you to our Heads of Academic, Maya and Romy, who gave their time to read and judge the entries. We appreciate the care they took in selecting this year’s winners.
The winning stories will be published in a future Carmel newsletter, giving our wider school community the opportunity to read the students’ work.
Well done to everyone who entered the competition, and congratulations to our six prize winners.
Pictured below: Hanna Dyresen, Poppy Weekes and Samara Allemann
Year 11 Health Students Bring Healthy Habits to Life at Kindercare Milford
Last week, our Year 11 Health class stepped out of the high school classroom and into the vibrant world of early childhood learning with an exciting visit to Kindercare Milford. As part of their practical coursework, the students spent weeks designing custom, age-appropriate health resources tailored specifically for children aged 3 to 5 years old.
Armed with colorful handmade storybooks and interactive learning games, our students took on the challenge of making essential health concepts engaging and easy to understand for young minds. Story and activity topics ranged from practical dental hygiene routines in Keith Brushes His Teeth to vibrant nutrition guides like Eat the Rainbow. The preschoolers were thoroughly captivated, listening intently to the stories before jumping into interactive games that reinforced the health messages through play.
“The students showed remarkable maturity and creativity, translating key health knowledge into fun, memorable experiences for the younger children.”
Throughout the morning, our Year 11 students represented the school exceptionally well. They showed impressive leadership, warmth, and patience, effortlessly adapting their tone and energy to encourage active participation from every child. The staff at Kindercare commended our students for their outstanding behavior, thoughtful preparation, and genuine connection with the children.
A huge congratulations to the Year 11 Health students for their hard work, creativity, and for serving as wonderful role models in our local community!
