EDUCATION: Takapuna Grammar
Takapuna Grammar School
– An Inspirational International Experience 2016 has heralded a year of change at Takapuna Grammar School as we farewelled Simon Lamb after 12 years of leadership and welcomed new principal Mary Nixon. Mary is an enthusiastic supporter of the International Student Programme at Takapuna Grammar School, which is of particular importance given the current climate of increasing internationalisation of education in New Zealand. Students from around the globe choose to come to our fantastic school. They look forward to the innovative and creative educational experiences we offer which are often very different to what they have at home. The International Education sector in New Zealand is booming and Takapuna Grammar School’s success at surfing this wave is reflected in the diversity and quality of students we attract. Demand for places at our school is stronger than ever due to the excellent academic and co-curricular programmes we offer including a dual pathway NCEA or International Baccalaureate option for senior students, our new foundation course which fast tracks high achieving International Students into university, and our Academic Preparation Programme which familiarises new International Students with kiwi culture and the teaching and learning practices of the New Zealand classroom. We are proud of the longstanding high-achieving academic record Takapuna Grammar School continues to uphold and are once again looking forward to some outstanding academic results from both our domestic and 2015 Proxime Accessit Liu Muyu international students in NCEA (Naomi) and LiJun Qiu Chinese and IB this year. Counsellor. Naomi gained an IB score of 44 out of a possible 45 points. At Takapuna Grammar School new markets and opportunities for both exchange programmes and international programmes are always being explored. The consolidation of the Latin American market continues, we welcomed our first student from Bolivian students Liam Hanley, Maximillian Von Bergen and Juan Ecuador in Term 3 of this year Velasco Uribe. and our second intake of students from Bolivia charmed us in Terms 1 and 2. We have been lucky this year to have several visiting school groups including 18 students from Nishinomiya Senior High School who were with us for Nishinomiya Senior High School 10 days. In that very short time Group 2016. they enjoyed sampling our Kiwi culture, classrooms and cuisine. A great time was had by all and they returned home with glowing reports, fabulous photos and happy memories of Takapuna Grammar School to share with their families and friends in Japan. In less than one generation New Zealand has become the most ethnically diverse country in the world. The Auckland demographic our high school students are being educated in is a very different one to what their parents experienced. All students at Takapuna Grammar School benefit from the global community we have created and nourish, allowing our teenagers to share the
Mary Nixon and students, Spring 2016.
life experiences of students from 30 countries across the world. Going to school every day in such a diverse cultural environment enables our students to accept and understand the new ethnic reality of living in Auckland in 2016. Visiting students get involved At Takapuna Grammar in local tennis. we encourage International Students to immerse themselves in the school and in our community. As well as joining school activities many of our Internationals this year have joined local sports clubs, playing golf, interclub tennis Local and International students and joining local football unite over football. teams. Our students have also volunteered their time helping with reading and maths programmes at local primary and intermediate schools. The welcome our students have received from the clubs and schools in our community has been Leilana Harder from awesome and students Germany takes flight. tell us this community involvement greatly enhances the positive experience they have whilst in New Zealand. Young adults are by nature thrill seekers and the International Students at TGS are no exception, taking every opportunity they can to have adventures around our amazing country. We are looking forward to 2017 when a new group of excited teenagers fly in from all over the world to join our school family, make new friends and enjoy an inspirational New Zealand education at Takapuna Grammar School.
www.channelmag.co.nz Issue 71 - November 2016
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