In the last week of Term 3, we took a large group of 42 Year 12 and 13 Textiles and Fashion Design and Computer Science students to Wellington to experience all the awesome creativity and innovation that New Zealand has to offer.

We spent 5 days exploring the capital, visiting the amazing exhibitions at Te Papa, participating in modeling and leather workshops at Weta Workshops, and seeing the World of Wearable Art show, which was the absolute highlight for all. 

One of the main reasons we visited Wellington was to learn more about both Victoria and Massey University design schools and courses. This was an invaluable experience for many of our students who are considering their study options, and getting to meet the lecturers and seeing the teaching spaces and amazing resources readily available was incredibly informative.  

The Computer Science students visited Trademe and Deloitte and met with young female employees to learn about their jobs and career pathways. We all felt very inspired and reassured that there are many ways into rewarding careers in the tech sector and that what we learn in class is so relevant in real life. 

The Textiles and Fashion Design students hit the local stores on Cuba Street for plenty of window shopping and learning about the creative design scene in Wellington. They also met with a local fashion designer who spoke with our students about her journey finding a gap in the market and setting up a business. 

Another major highlight was the train trip from Wellington to Hamilton. The scenery was stunning, the commentary was fascinating and we got to meet John Cambell who was interviewing passengers for a TV piece. 

This trip was a fantastic success and we hope to repeat it on a biannual basis! Thank you so much to Paula Gundry and Maria Grason, the brave parents who joined us for the week and were both awesome support. 

Fiona Lochhead, Leader of Learning for Technology, and Grace Jensen, teacher in charge of Computer Science.  

Student Highlights

Amelia Grason - Seeing all the creative aspects of the World of Wearable Arts show - modeled outfits, technical lighting and music performances, etc.

Natalia Jourdain - My highlight was going to the World of Wearable Arts show and visiting the different universities in Wellington.

Catia de Oliveira - My highlight of the trip was visiting the World of Wearable Arts show. It was cool to see the different designs. 

Reinlyn Sebio - My highlight is when we went to see the World of Wearable Arts show seeing the different creations of each person. Another highlight was when we went to the universities and learned about the different major courses they teach. 

Sierra McDaniel - My highlight was going to the Universities and seeing the spaces they work in and hearing the personal stories of the students to understand what it’s like to study there.

Sammy McILwee: My highlight was seeing all the different employment opportunities and all of the different courses that were on offer at Massey and Victoria (0 waste pattern making and that awesome pattern-making program)

Ena Tsujitani - My highlight was going to the WOW show. Outfits, music, lighting…everything was awesome.

Paige Leeson - My highlight was going to the WOW show, going down the slide in Trade Me, and visiting Te Papa