TRANSITION
NPBHS CONCERT BAND Row, left to right: Travis Cottam, Adam Young, Jared Hill, Aneel Hay. Mtddle ~ow: Andrew Wtlson, David Butler, David Bremner, Paul Wolfram, Ashley Taylor, Simeon Theobald Jonathon Somers Mr Don Boyd (Dtrector). ' ' Front Row: Daniel Rea, Jae Lee, Gavin Bromfield, Sam Hazledine, Matthew Crawford, Edmond Wong, Craig Cochrane. B~ck
1993 has been another excellent year. We were given new quarters alongside Guidance. Next year careers will be included in the suite. We inhabitthe tasteful peach coloured rooms at the north end of Cramond Wing. The new larger classroom holds classes of 20 peale rather than 13, though full size classes regularly visit to watch videos in comfort. The Transition classroom has become a favoured place for meetings for all sorts of groups. Form three students get a map, information booklet and an orientation tiki tour around the school at the beginning of tne year so they can identify their teaching areas and all essential services such as the tuckshop, toilets and the used clothinq room. Are you aware that a! 3.30pm on Wednesdays a thriving trade goes on in outgrown umforms so all boys can be kitted out in correct uniform at extremely reasonable rates? Sports uniforms and formal uniforms are rented out. This means that any boy from any background can be on any sports team and attend away functions on equal terms. _New boarders are taken around the city in the school minibus and g1ven t~e1r own map so they can become familiar with the many 1nterestmg features of New Plymouth. They are kept informed of c1ty events and encouraged to participate during their leisure time. Form four: In term three we have a week of alternative studies where Transition introduces the boys to Lifeskills and LINK. F1fth form boys learn lifeskills in areas such as health drugs sexuality, social development, money management a~d con~ sumer nghts and responsibilities. We also teach goal setting time man_ agement and study skills to help students to be effective in mak1ng the most of their education and show them how to apply it to something useful. They learn how to make a good telephone call and present themselves well for an interview in which they sell themselves convincingly to an employer. Good self-esteem and self-motivation are crucial to this process. Service clubs have been generous with their time and have interviewed all form five boys plus enterprising form six and form sevens who requested an mterv1ew. Fifth formers learn ~boutfire and water safety, tramping safety, personal safety and f1rst a1d. Next year I would like to run a Red Cro~~ cou~se for seniors so plan on applying for this. A first aid cert1f1cate IS most useful when applying for jobs. One of our ar~as is the typing of CVs. We are the only school 1 am aware of wh1ch offers th1s serv1ce free of charge. This year we have put them onto separate computer diskettes at a cost of $2 so students can update their CV as often as necessary. I believe we have pioneered that too. . We have run 24 Link courses at Polytech and Education House 1n order to extend the boys'. experience. _They enjoy LINK very much, and ga1n a useful cert1f1cate to put 1n their CV. Transition has the Quest - Rapuara Careers programme which ena~les students to research potential careers and the necessary tra1m~g. Th1s h~lps them to c~oose the right school subjects. Third form IS a good t1me to start th1s process as it takes time to come to well-considered decisions. Fourth formers should all check with the ~omputer and ta~e some suitable printouts for parents to consider when choosmg School Certificate subjects. Seniors, if you haven't used the computer yet, what is the hold up?
Boys' High students in Mishima.
in Japan. Michael has already won a trip to Japan this year by being one of two New Zealand students to attend an International Youth Peace Symposium. For this, he had to write an essay on 'World Peace'. Others_uccessful students include those who took part in speech competitions at Massey University and in New Plymouth at the Jap_an Week. Students who won prizes at Massey are Bevan Sm1th and John Tan both of form four. At the other competition Alan Malcolm (form six), Andrew Lynch (form five) and Bevan Smith (form four) won prizes. During Asia 2000 Week the Japanese classes to form six visited the display of telephone cards from Mishima at the Public Relations Office. These cards were beautifully displayed, depicting" many aspects of Japanese life. The Japanese cooking option during Thursday's Utility Period gave many boys, most who don't study Japanese, the opportunity to learn about, cook and eat 12 different Japanese dishes. Miss Sai~o did ~ wonderful job of planning and running the course . M1~s _ Sa1to has been at New Plymouth Boys' High since the beg1nnmg of 1992 and her two years helping Mrs Lilly with the Japanese classes is almost at an end . Her assistance has been mas~ valuable and she will certainly be missed next year . Wntlng to penpals, hosting Japanese visitors at school and in some students' homes; visiting the Japanese Tea House in W~ngan~i, the International Pacific College at Aokautere; and onenteenng around town have also kept the students actively involved in the language and culture of Japan.
BALL COMMITTEE 1993
JAPANESE
NPBHS ISLAND BOYS' CHOIR Back Row, left to right: Justin Raine, Jared Hill, Shanan Dick, David Bremner.. _ Middle Row: Mr Don Boyd, Ronald Viviani, Richard Simbolo, Solomona Leuelu, Charlton Leo, Nick Kilmister, Robertson Szetu. Front Row: Vincent Yu, Albert Seluka, Antf)ony Kenneth, Karam Meuli, Obed Timakata, Ronald Warsal, Andy llo. Page 74
Once again this year the activities of the Japanese department have ?~en many and _varied. Term one was dominated by fundra1s1ng for the May tnp to Japan by Mrs Lilly and students from both Boys' High and Waitara High Schools. Many people contributed to the success of this trip either through supporting these efforts or helping out by making paper cranes. These cranes, 1000 in total were laid by the group at a monument which remembers the children w~o di~d as a res~lt_of the atomic bomb drop of August 6, 1945 on H1rosh1ma. The v1s1t to the Peace Park and museum in Hiroshima was a sobering experience for all of us. The group also met up with the three Old Boys: Jason Brown, Jason Renau and Chris Bougen, currently studying at universities in Japan. All are m_ aking _the most of the opportunity and while they have some le1sure t1me, mostly they concentrate on their studies. Two of this year's seventh formers Matthew Birch and Kelvin Coley, both s~ent 1992 in Japan at differ~nt high schools. They too, along with M1chael Frampton, hope to JOin the Jasons and Chris by winning the same Japanese Government Scholarship for University study
Back row, left to right: T. Philp, R. Asi, C. Feather, D. Bremner, B. Herbert, K. Meu/i, R. Washer, P. Avery. Front row: P. Busing, R. Taylor, A. Eagles, C. Twigley.
'The Taranakian' acknowledges with gratitude sponsorship from MOORE BUSINESS FORMS Page 75