Scrubs On! Students Experience Anaesthetic Technology First-Hand
A group of 21 of our Year 12 and 13 students visited the new Totara Haumanu NS Hospital facilities on Saturday and took part in a Anaesthetic technician showcase. The students donned scrubs and participated in surgical scrubbing, airway management, PACU procedures, CPR and AED protocols and Ultrasound IV cannulation. We are very thankful to Julie Bromley and her team who volunteered their time and knowledge to give these students a wonderful hands-on experience.
2026 Australian Mathematics Competition
Over a hundred students from year 7 to year 13 sat the 2026 Australian Mathematics Competition in early August. This competition allows students to compare their mathematical problem-solving skills against students from many other countries.
34 Carmel students achieved very pleasing results including 27 Carmel students who gained credit certificates.
Congratulations to Hayley Jung (Y10) who was awarded a High Distinction, and to the following 6 students who were awarded Distinction certificates:
- Harriet Rankin Year 7
- Sophia Zhang Year 8
- Sammi Zhao Year 8
- Cindy Wang Year 9
- Jiwoo Suh Year 10
- Amelia Zhang Year 10
New Zealand Maths Week Quiz Winner Announcement
During the recent Maths Week, which took place from 10 to 14 August, our students at Carmel took on the challenge of solving a series of daily mathematical puzzles. Junior students participated in activities in their maths classes from the Maths Week website and all students were encouraged to participate in our Maths Week competition run by the Mathematics Department. The event brought together everyone, offering a fun and engaging opportunity to test problem-solving skills, think critically, and embrace a bit of friendly competition.
Throughout the week, students worked diligently to crack each problem.
Atawhai prizes go to Mrs Michele Dickson’s class M2, who submitted an impressive 12 correct entries, and Ms Kathy Giles’ class K8, who achieved 10 correct entries.
Making Their Case: Carmel Students Take on Legal Mooting
This year, Carmel entered two teams into the Auckland Schools Legal Mooting Competition (ASLM). This gave us all valuable experience and insight into real-life legal cases as well as the environment of a courtroom.
Before the competition, we attended two training sessions at Baradene College led by the Auckland University Law Association, who organise this event, and the top speaker from last year’s competition. The two sessions covered the roles and the responsibilities each person would take, while also teaching us how to prepare our arguments, how to effectively argue our case and court etiquette. This was extremely helpful for some of us who were going into our first year of mooting, giving us a glimpse into what we could be expecting to do in our moots over the next few months. For those who had previously done mooting, it served as a good refresher going into the new year of debating.
There was definitely a degree of anxiety for us when time came to enter the actual competition, but the experience of taking on an actual court case and preparing a full defence or prosecution case was highly valuable, especially as many of us look to pursue a career in Law in the future.
Kriya D’Sa, our coach, helped us prepare for each case. She assisted us to write speeches, and also mentored both teams weekly in relation to how the law was applicable to each case. Her expert coaching helped us comprehensively grasp all the case information, which then allowed us to fully utilise it during each moot. We are so grateful to have had Kriya’s help. Her knowledge and experience with Auckland Schools Legal Mooting was invaluable, from helping us write our statements, to understanding the many intricacies involved with each case study. Without her insight, we wouldn’t have had the success we did. At the completion of the 2026 competition, both the Year 12 and Year 13 teams were awarded “Accomplished Council” Awards.
We would also like to thank Ms Larkin for all her hard work and the assistance that she gave both mooting teams. Without her, we would not have been able to compete, let alone travel there and back, practice in her classroom, or generally feel supported and encouraged through the entire process. She was a key part of our experience, and we are all endlessly grateful.
– Year 12 and 13 Legal Mooting Teams 2026
Carmel Students Represent at the New Zealand Linguistics Olympiad
On Saturday the 12th of September, Anushka Gonsalves and Nakisha Wood represented Carmel College at the New Zealand Linguistics Olympiad National Final at Massey University.
The day began with a two-hour individual examination, where we solved five linguistic problems using logic, pattern recognition and deduction. No prior knowledge of the languages was required, so we had to work out the patterns from the information provided. It was a challenging but rewarding morning.
After the exam, we attended a linguistics talk exploring Tokelauan by Dr Jason Brown from the University of Auckland. We then took part in a Team Linguistics Challenge, where we had 30 minutes to solve a problem before presenting our findings to a judge. This was a great opportunity to meet students from other schools and learn to work collaboratively.
Overall, the Olympiad was a really interesting and rewarding experience. We were grateful for the opportunity to represent Carmel and take part in such a unique competition.
International ‘Royal High’ Party
On the 11th of September, Carmel’s international students had the opportunity to attend the Baradene’s International Social Party with the theme of ‘Royal High’. The event brought international students from various schools across the North Shore, including Carmel, Rosmini, St Peter’s, Sacred Heart, St Mary’s and Marist. This created an amazing opportunity to meet new people, socialise, and build connections outside of our own school community. The evening began with a series of games and quizzes with groups consisting of students mixed from different schools. After a shared meal, we were all invited onto the centre floor for the main highlight of the evening, the dance party! Following the lead of the DJ, the energy was lively and everyone got involved. It was a memorable night filled with laughter, music, new friendships and plenty of fun. It was such an amazing experience for Carmel’s international students to come together and connect with the wider international student community.
– Makayli Ye and Calia Angela Duenas, International Representatives
Learning Beyond the Classroom: Year 11 PE Camp
Recently, 51 Year 11 Physical Education students headed off to Tui Ridge Park for an unforgettable outdoor education camp. Designed to build a practical understanding of outdoor safety, the trip challenged students to reflect on how their actions impact both themselves and others in high-energy environments. Above all, it gave the girls a fantastic opportunity to step beyond the classroom walls, form deeper connections, and experience hands-on learning in the great outdoors.
The camp delivered a perfect mix of challenge, teamwork, and adrenaline. Throughout the trip, students pushed their boundaries across a range of activities: taking a brave leap on the giant swing (pictured), testing their strength and skills on the rock-climbing wall, thinking strategically during archery, navigating during orienteering, and confronting their fear of heights on the flying fox.
The learning continued back at the lodge, where the girls did a fantastic job taking charge of cabin life, cooking meals for themselves, and joining in on entertaining evening activities. Rivalry was friendly but fierce during the ongoing Camp Champs competition, with ultimate bragging rights going to the overall winning team, InnerDuckLit (pictured)!
A huge thank you to PE staff members Ms Giles, Ms Perkins, Mrs Peek, and Mrs Neal for making it all happen.
