by Sequoia Thomson, Year 13 Student, Kaipara College
Only a few months in, and it seems the year is already steamrolling forward, with or without us. While the students are slowly acclimatising to our back-to-school schedule, as predicted, it has still been quite difficult. I know from personal experience that these first few weeks have left me suffering from what I personally like to call summer withdrawal. A self-decided schedule and no work due was quite addictive after all!
On Friday, the 13th of February, the school celebrated Valentine’s Day, and our wonderful PSSP (peer sexuality support programme) sold some chocolate hearts at $1 each during interval and break, alongside the student leadership, who sold some plastic roses, (also $2 each) as a collaboration with PSSP to inspire connection with our fellow students. I must say, manning the booth and seeing how many students enthusiastically bought and gifted hearts and roses was a very ‘sweet’ reminder of the love not only couples, but friends share too - in fact, I think we sold more gifts for friends than anything!
This links into one thing I think many single folk need to remember in general - love comes in many forms, whether it’s your relationship with a friend, your pet, your parents, or a partner, love is for all of us! As Gandhi said, “where there is love, there is life!”. This coming month, remember to appreciate the small things you usually brush by, a handmade lunch, a friend’s compliment, or a mothers morning hug.
Another love-related celebration also occurred over February - Pride! A month that historically celebrates the 1969 Stonewall uprising in Manhattan, but also promotes LGBTQ+ acceptance, rights, equality, and diversity. A time of joy and happiness, which is not just for those who are LGBTQ+. Pride month is for everyone who celebrates and supports the community, and the Auckland pride parade which occurred on the 21st of February was a great example of this, with a huge, and very colourful crowd showing up to celebrate.
On a more sports-related note, with the integration of the vertical Tira houses, Tauihu, Taurapa, Takere and Te Ra, we also had our first Tira tabloids Sports day. This is a day full of fun, with groups of students from each Tira house competing against each other in individual games to win points, which are added to the overall tally. We also had our year 9 have a go day on Friday 20th February, in which year nines tried an array of different activities - Tira points were also collected from the winners of these activities too. At the end of the year, the Tira house with the most points (from all the different events) will win! I myself am vouching for Tauihu (my Tira), but I am a little biased…
