Our Year 7 students have survived their first seven weeks at college. So, what have they been doing and how has it all felt? We asked students in Miss Jessica Phayer and Mrs Veronica Sowerby’s class to share their thoughts.

Students from 7PHA

Olivia Lilly

On the first day of school I felt really scared of this massive scary school. After being at Aquinas for a little bit it is probably one of my favourite schools. I feel really happy and lucky to be going here. My favourite subjects are probably food tech and music.

Tommy Lumsden

I have enjoyed Aquinas a lot so far and all of my teachers. On my first day of school, I was very nervous but excited. I'm feeling good and excited about my first couple of weeks here. I really enjoy peer support and my leaders because they are there for me when I need to talk about something with them.

Anonymous

On the first day of school I was worried because I came from a small school and all my other friends went to different schools. In the morning I quickly got everything ready and was gone in a flash. I felt pretty good because my brother goes to the school and he says it's really good. But the most fun thing for me is that there are so many options around the school like music, cooking and physical education.

Caitlin Schofield

On my first day here, whilst my mum was driving me to school, I was so tense and anxious, but I was also so thrilled for this new school. We first had a welcome mass that was so hot it almost cooked me alive!

After my first couple of weeks at AC, I am feeling confident and am excited to meet all of the teachers here! I am really happy that Aquinas has a lot of good extracurricular programs to do the stuff I love and am passionate about!

Prisha Sharma

At Aquinas there is always something going on like chalk and talk or the drama club. I have joined a few clubs like book club, drama club and knitting.

Mina Aaifou-Olive

On my first day of school I wasn't that nervous because I had friends from my old school. I didn't really want to make new friends, but somehow I ended up making them. During the welcoming there was a kid who shook me and my friends hand, his name was Alex. Little did I know we would become great friends.

Right now my favourite subject so far has to be P.E because I am very active. This term we are working on running, jumping, throwing and catching. We did this thing called the star run, I had done way better than I thought I would. Not too long ago we had athletics day, it was very fun and Cluny won!

Abel Albin

On day five I was sad because it was the last day of a fun week. We played some PE and we did food tech in period 3 and 4. We made cookies but they were so bad so we threw them away.

Audre Aloria

The first day of school was very exciting because I had to meet my old friends and make new friends. It wasn't as scary as I thought it would be, but I was so amazed by the whole school! As I was walking outside the buildings, I noticed a very cool painting, well I wasn't sure if it was a painting or an abstract. But it was the butterfly painting/abstract near the science block.

It has been 4 weeks of school, and I feel really comfortable now. I know where to go, I know where the gym is, I know where my homeroom is at.

Jono Dalton

I have enjoyed the Awhi Awhi program because there are lots of cool things to do during lunchtimes such as dodgeball in the gym, games on the field, knitting and more!

After my first 3 weeks of school I was enjoying school and was happy. I had made lots of new friends. I had found everything I would need for the rest of the year and I am happy with the turnout.

Lucy Evemy

I love the morning tea and lunch times because I love to play with my friends and getting involved in the Awhi Awhi at lunch and morning tea. The Awhi Awhi is so much fun. I love how I can get to know so many more Year 12-13’s.

I like interacting with older students as they are role models of our school and made me feel safe in my transition to Aquinas College. I love how they play many games and how the Year 13’s are kind and caring with me. Peer Support has helped me feel so safe in Aquinas College and made me feel like I can do anything I want to do in school.

I want to be a role model for the younger students and to be proud of my academic achievements by always giving a helping hand and always being a hard worker. I am hoping to be a head girl and a house leader. I want to watch the Year 13’s now and be like them when I am year 13. I love Aquinas College so much.

Ben Fearn

On my first day at Aquinas I was very nervous and felt sick inside.

But when I met the people and teachers I was not nervous at all or worried and I had a very good first day at Aquinas.

The best subject would be food tech because we get to cook all types of things like scones and cookies. My most favourite food we have made would be the big cookies we made. During the class I have learnt lots of things about different methods of cooking like boiling or poaching. In food tech I also enjoy learning the most easy way to make food.

In the future at Aquinas I hope to win a cup or have a leadership role. At Aquinas I also would like to get a trade with a building company. I also wish to be a rugby player for a rugby union team.

Niamh Gallacher

I am feeling great after my first couple of weeks at Aquinas, because I got to know a lot of people, and have a lot of fun. My favourite subject is obviously English.

Peer support is helping me be able to talk to other people more. It has helped me connect with my classmates. I am looking forward to my C.I.C. program, because it is a lot of fun. I want to have achieved becoming the best writer I have ever been, and become an author.

Lucy Hertnon

It all ended well because I have some friends in my class and have also made a lot of new friends. I love my class and I don’t know why I was scared to go to aquinas.

The first week of school was very tiring. Most of our classes are in home room except for food tech, music, PE and sometimes TeReo. I like having those classes outside of homeroom. My favourite class is homeroom, but I hope we get to do some structured literacy because that’s my favourite subject.

I am most excited about trying new things, But most importantly hockey in winter apparently the hockey at Aquinas is on Friday night. I’m excited for that because getting up really early every Saturday morning was annoying. I am also looking forward to doing art and hard tech. I love to make things and be creative so I think it will be fun.

Piper Horton

Moving to a new school was scary for me, because I knew no-one at Aquinas. After being here a few days I started talking to people, it was still scary though but I reckon it paid off. Now that I have been here for more than a week, I don't know why I was scared of moving schools.

Now that I am at Aquinas my mindset about school has been completely reversed. I thought that my school mindset could never be changed but here we are. I actually enjoy school now with all my favourite things in one place is awesome! Some of my favourite things include, Food Tech, P.E., English, Science, Music and more.

A lot has changed for me, for example my primary was muffty and I never wore shoes, absolutely never! But still, Aquinas is a school to go to in my opinion.

Laria Howse

I know Aquinas College has incredible opportunities, and a good range of sports all year round. I like all the teachers at this school. My first few days at Aquinas were a bit tricky finding out where to go. But I finally know my way around the school. My favourite thing at Aquinas so far was athletics. I know I tried my absolute hardest at every event, because I was super exhausted afterwards.

On my first day at school, I was overexcited, and looking forward to meeting my new teachers. That day was AWESOME! Beginning the year, year sevens do peer support. I enjoy our year eleven leaders. It's always fun doing activities with students at the school that were not long ago our age.

I'm very happy that I'm going to Aquinas college. I know it's a great school, because everyone here loves it!

Greta Kirkland

How did I feel after the first couple of weeks? I felt settled in, and I also felt like I knew my way around the school, I didn't need to worry about new friends. On the first day I didn't have a clue where anything was except my own classroom. As the days went by I got more confident and I knew where everything was.

I was a little nervous at first but when we had our first lesson for peer support I loved it because in the future if I ever need someone to talk to I know with all my heart that I can trust the peer support team. My goal this year is to open up to people and new things. I want to try new things when they come my way, instead of not trying them cause they look scary, or not doing it because I have never done it before.

7SWB

Jaemi Vicente

At the start of the term, we were introduced to a new program called Peer Support. Peer Support was like having therapy with a group of people from our class and three year elevens. Once every two weeks, we would meet up with three year elevens, who would then start us off with some games.

As a scared year seven with no people that I know in the group, I barely said anything. I didn’t talk unless I was spoken to. Thankfully I had three nice year elevens as my peer support leaders. Their names are Annie, Liz, and Riley.

Every peer support we have, I learn something new about our leaders. Their little games, like stuff about ourselves, really helps. For example, on the first day of peer support, our leaders got us to partner up with each other. I ended up with Catherine. Then our leaders told us to tell each other three things about ourselves. Catherine and I turned to face each other, she told me that she is Korean and liked gymnastics and cheerleading.

After telling one another three things about ourselves, our leaders told us to turn to the group and tell them what our partner had said. I learned things like, Liz is from the Philippines, Cinbay is Chinese, and Annie had a little sister named Emily who goes to Aquinas College as well.

I’ve been enjoying peer support, it's always what I look forward to every two weeks of learning.

It’s been fun, and entertaining.

I'm sad to know that it’s ending, but I'll still remember three year elevens named Annie, Riley, and Liz who helped us through our first weeks of school.

Emmett Farrel - My First Day of School

Have you ever had the feeling of excitement from your parents, well, that's what happened to me. As soon as I woke up, I knew that I was starting a new journey.

I slammed the door shut behind me with excitement and sprinted to my friends and also hung out with them until I saw my Mum next to a kid that looked really shy. His Dad said he didn’t know anybody here so I apparently became his first friend. His name is Justin, and we hung out all day long.

To the whare we go, with a nice powhiri welcome, I calmly sat down on the smooth ground next to Justin. We quietly waited until some Aquinas staff members talked to us, followed by the principal as well. We all marched to the garden and waited until we all got called out for what class we are going to be in. Justin and I both got into Mrs Sowerby’s class. In our tutor class we were in Mr Synge’s class.

Eventually, we went to our tutor class which was class 19, then we went to Mrs Sowerby’s home room 20, we also introduced ourselves to each other.

A couple minutes later it was first break, Justin and I both went to the handball court, then we went to the library. The library was bigger than I thought, it was way bigger than St Mary’s library. It was forty metres wide and thirty metres tall. I walked to a seat with a book and it was pretty good, and very calm.

Riiinngg… The bell rang so loud, I got a fright. I knew it was the next period , so we went to our home room to keep learning about each other. I think we even had a sheet.

After being in the home room it was my second break. I met a boy named William, and liked reading, so William, Justin, and I all went to the library. We like going to the library because it is peaceful, quiet, and there are so many interesting books to read.

Assembly time, it was a time to pray , to sing, and us year 7’s got another good welcome from staff members from the school.

It was now the last period, and we were all just doing the all about me sheet. We did all that for about an hour, then it was time for a tidy up, and pack up.

It was not hometime and just for the first day, I made two very kind friends. I enjoyed talking to my Mum and Dad about my first day of school.

Anonymous

Something great happened in week two that changed the next three weeks of school for me. This was of course, was peer support! This is a program that school runs. Year twelve kids come and teach us year sevens teamwork. I was put in a group of about seven. Almost everybody in this group was in Browne house.(Which is excellent because Browne is the best house!)

In the first session the peer support leaders explained what the program was about. AJ spoke the most out of the three. There was also Maggy and Daniel. They said their goal was for us to strengthen our teamwork skills and make friends.

Over the course of the sessions we have played many games, and done many activities. A few really stood out to me though. Such as the straw game. It was quite challenging but it really taught me something. Communication is the key to teamwork. There was also another activity where we drew a waka. Inside of the waka we put what we loved inside, and what we disliked outside. This taught me to be grateful for what I have and not focus on the negative.

I really enjoyed hanging out with the Peer support leaders, they were kind and cool. They also know how to work as a team.

Overall this is a highlight for me in school. This was definitely an excellent thing that happened in week two. It has really changed school for me because it has strengthened my friendships, and taught me lots.