Our students at Ormiston Senior College had some memorable learning experiences through discovery and exploration in 2022.

Making solargrams at the Whau River 

Solargrams capture the suns light as it travels across the sky, often over weeks. To make solargrams, our students made their own pinhole cameras using empty fizzy cans loaded with photosensitive paper.

With their homemade cameras they photographed the Whau River in West Auckland, near our Kelston Campus, capturing the often-overlooked elements of life on earth, such as moss and fungi. Students fell in love with the much-maligned mangroves and admirable cordyline australis.

Installing the final artwork

Working with a local artist, Jenny Tomlin, students explored the biodiversity of Ken Maunder Park and leapt at the chance to participate in some of Jenny's workshops. At the end of the project students shared their work in an exhibition on a bridge over the Whau River.

This body of work ticked all the best education boxes! The science of the universe and light, the technologies of metal, paper and chemistries, the arts of digital postproduction using scanners and photoshop, real-world engineering of adhesives, balance, attachment, and the social skills of inquiry and teamwork.

Through this incredible opportunity, students learnt more about their creative expression capabilities. They enhanced, developed and learned new digital skills. They now have an appreciation of the history of photography.

Art is vital in extending connections for young people with what is good and right, expanding their perception of the need to understand others and our environment, and creating a desire for action in them. (John Dewey, American Philosopher and education reformer)

Rescue Ready at Ormiston Senior College

A two day First Aid course at the end of September was an absolute blast for our turi ākonga. Students learnt basic First Aid skills such as assessing a patient, recovery positions, bandaging, making a sling, and identifying and differentiating between medical scenarios. We covered a variety of emergencies and life-threatening medical conditions ranging from cardiac arrest, poisoning, and jellyfish stings to seizures.

They also learnt practical skills like CPR, management of airway obstruction, and management of emergencies for infants. The most memorable part of the course was having fun with the props which included severed limbs - some of which even squirted fake blood!

Thank you to everyone involved in the process, especially Tash and Cam at First Training. Tash and Cam learnt New Zealand Sign Language so that our turi ākonga were fully included in all activities.

We're also grateful to Andrea Dally at the Ormiston College Careers Department for her liaison work which made it all possible.