We are having a triennial election for our Board of Trustees in September this year. It is imperative we have accurate email and postal addresses for every eligible voter. If you have recently changed either your physical or email address and have not yet notified the school, can you please email office@somint.school.nz by Friday 1 July 2022, with the updated information. Please put 'Change of Address' in the subject line.

Nomination forms for this election will be posted by Friday 15 July and nominations close at 12.00 noon on Friday 5 August 2022. If you do not receive a form and are a parent, legal guardian or immediate caregiver, please contact the school. Nomination forms will also be available at the school office from the start of Term 3.

Please consider putting yourself forward to be a Board of Trustees member as it is a great opportunity, and a very fulfilling role, to be involved in supporting the governance of our school. We value the important input of our board and if you believe you have skills to offer, we would encourage you to consider nomination.

If you would like further information on the role of a trustee, please click here or alternatively, you are most welcome to email me directly at: yfranke@somint.school.nz.

Parent Election Notice 

Nominations are open for the election of three (3) parent representatives to the school board.

All eligible voters will receive a nomination form. Use this form to nominate yourself or someone in your community. You will also receive a nomination cover letter calling for nominations. Information on who is not eligible to be a board member is provided with the nomination form.

If you need more nomination forms, contact the school office.

Nominations close at noon on Wednesday 3 August 2022. You may provide a signed candidate statement and photograph with your nomination.

The electoral roll is held at the school and can be viewed during normal school hours.

As nominations are received, there will be a list of candidates’ names kept at the school up until election day, which you can view.

Voting closes at 4pm on Wednesday 7 September 2022.

Signed

Hayley Russell

Returning Officer

Under 45kg

The South Eastern Zone Rugby tournament was held at Lloyd Elsmore, Pakuranga Rugby Club on Thursday 9 June.  Somerville sent two rugby teams, U45 kg and U55 kgs.

For many of our players it was the first time playing 10 aside rugby and the more experienced players in our team were challenged throughout the day, to play in positions that were new to them.

Our first two games were tough losses against Sacred Heart and Farm Cove. The team morale was low, however sportsmanship and determination was still strong. We decided to hit the reset button on the day and turned the day around with a very convincing win against Glendowie.

The day finished with the U45kg placing 3rd in the SEZ tournament. The team went home with smiles on their faces and positive memories from the day of rugby.

Under 55kg

On Thursday 9 June, our Under 55kg rugby team competed in the South Eastern Zone tournament at Pakuranga Rugby Club.

Our first game was against Howick Intermediate. After a tough start, we ended up winning comfortably 35 - 12. Next we faced the always formidable St Kents team. However, we quickly ran away with the game, scoring 44 points to zero. After a 20 minute break we faced Bucklands Beach Intermediate. We knew that if we won this game we would be in the final with a chance to go to the Auckland Championships. This was a closer game which we ended up winning 27-7.

In the final we were up against the well coached and skilful Sacred Heart team. Confident in their own talents and abilities, the team took to the field positively. The game swung back and forth; we scored then they scored… When the final hooter went we were leading 15-10. Surprisingly, the referee added a minute of extra time on and from a Sacred Heart scrum their halfback scooted down the blindside beating our defenders and scored in the corner. At 15-15 they needed the conversion to win the final. Unfortunately for us their kicker slotted it between the posts and won the game.

As coach I couldn’t be more proud of the boys. They showed determination and resilience, not to mention amazing rugby abilities. Although we didn’t win, we earned a place at the Auckland Championships.

Auckland Champs 2022

The U55kg Rugby team attended the Auckland Rugby Championship tournament on Tuesday 21 June held at Marist Rugby Club in Mt Wellington.

Our first pool game was against Howick Intermediate. We made a good start, running in a couple of tries in quick succession. This gave us confidence and momentum and we ended up winning comfortably 29 - 0. Papatoetoe Intermediate was next. They were a tough team with hard running forwards and fast backs. We scored 3 tries in the first half but they came back at us in the second. We were ferocious on defence and only let them in to score once. The final score was 17 - 5. In the third pool game we faced Sacred Heart. We were confident that we could win after coming close to beating them in the South Eastern Zone final. However, they ran away with the game 29 - 14.

In the final we faced Sacred Heart again. After a good start with our forwards making ground up the middle and our backs ranging wide, they counter attacked and found some gaps in our defence. We valiantly fought back in the second half but unfortunately ran out of time to close the gap. Sacred Heart won the final 22 - 12. 

As coach, I am very proud of the boys. They showed terrific skills, resilience and determination throughout the tournament and should be very satisfied with their achievement of being the second best team in Auckland. 

Thank you to Mr Whatman for helping to organise and coach the team and to our amazing parents who have supported us throughout the two tournaments.

It was also an opportunity to strengthen the bond between Somerville Intermediate and the Marae.

The Kapa Haka group started the day with a Powhiri. The students were then organised into two groups. They spent time with Whaea Tiani to learn about the Marae and Matariki. All of the students were asked to introduce themselves and many remembered their pepeha and were able to share it with the group. They learnt about the seven tribes and where the lands of each tribe are currently located. They also heard the story of Matariki and the stars in the constellation.

Students also spent time in the museum to learn about the seven waka that came to New Zealand and the history of our local iwi Ngai Tai, and how they came to be located in East Auckland and in Opotiki. They enjoyed a small bush walk in the beautiful reserve behind the wharenui to learn about some of the native trees and plants, especially the kawa kawa plant which the students learned has many medicinal properties and tastes a bit like pepper.

The Kapa Haka group showed their appreciation for the visit by performing two items. These were really well received and all of the leaders at the marae complimented the behaviour and knowledge of our students.

Each Whānau and classroom has engaged in this learning in various ways through the learning of te reo māori, learning about tikanga (protocols), reading/writing about the rich myths surrounding Matariki and engaging in opportunities to build Manu tukutuku (kites) or create art.

On Thursday, our learning and celebrations culminated in an opportunity for students to fly their Manu tukutuku (a tradition that marks the beginning of Mānawatia a Matariki) and many students opted to purchase and enjoy some delicious kai with our hotdog lunch (based on the tradition of sharing food with whānau and friends). We are very proud of our tauira and their passion and participation in marking the beginning of Mānawatia a Matariki.

{loadmoduleid 476}

The students travelled to Omana Regional Park, where the team from Outdoor Experience put them through a series of activities that tested both their problem-solving skills and their ability to work as a team. Thank you to all the parents who attended to support on the day, it would not have been possible without you.

{loadmoduleid 475}

We were specifically looking at how we can improve the following: 

• Leadership pathways/development 
• Structure and mentoring opportunities
• Meaningful leadership portfolios 
• Leadership roles: What are our leaders responsible for? 
• Raising the profile of our leaders: How do they stand out? 
• Empowerment: What’s their legacy going to be? How do they want to be remembered? 

Tauira at Somerville Intermediate were presented with a new leadership programme and couldn’t wait to apply. There were a total of 165 students across the school who applied to become Somerville Intermediates’ inaugural Whānau Prefects for 2022. 

This initial list was then shortlisted to just 12 applicants per whānau. All shortlisted candidates went through an interview process to discuss their skills, present ideas and showcase why they believe they would be a good role model as a Whānau Prefect. These interviews proved to make the final decision very tough, however, we are proud to announce the following 32 students as our Whānau Prefects for 2022:

We would also like to extend our congratulations to all students who applied, or were shortlisted. We encourage you to continue pursuing your ambitions in leadership. There will be many opportunities in your life. Remember that leadership is more than a title. A leader is someone who acts with thought and clear purpose and passion, for a cause they care about. You are a leader in your own right and can be a part of the change you want to see in the world.

Whāia te iti kahurangi, Ki te tuohu koe me maunga teitei
Pursue that which is precious and do not be deterred by anything less than a lofty mountain.

Year 7 Girls

14 girls were selected for the Year 7 Girls' SEZ Football team. Some girls weren't able to play because of Covid, so we had a new goalie, new midfielders and a new striker.

An interesting fact was that our goalie was NOT actually a football player but was a netball player!

We won our first and second games but unfortunately lost our third game against St Kents 1-3. We won two out of the next four games.

Even though we lost some games, we were still really happy and proud of the way we played. We stayed to hear the winners at the end and were surprised to hear we won 3rd place overall! BBI were 2nd and St Kents won the tournament.

We all really enjoyed the day and enjoyed playing as a team. It was a great experience and a lot of fun!

Year 7 Boys

On Thursday 26 May, the Somerville Y7 Football boys played in the South Eastern Zone Tournament, hosted by Saint Kentigerns. We started confidently, winning our first game against Howick Intermediate 8-0.  We then went on to convincingly win our next 3 games, scoring a whopping 40 goals for, and none against. In our semi final against Beachlands, we had another convincing win, 7-0.  We met St Kents in the final. They scored an early goal but we applied pressure throughout the game. We got a late penalty in the second half and levelled the game. We went straight into a nervy penalty shootout, winning 4-3. What a great team effort!

Coached by Mr Dayalan Pillay, Somerville Intermediate have won another South Eastern Zone tournament and they will shortly be playing in the Auckland Champs.

Year 8 Girls

On Tuesday 31 May, the Year 8 girls' football team went to St Kents for their annual South Eastern Zone tournament. The team played really well together and were able to come away from their pool, victorious. When they moved up to the next round the girls dug really deep to play two fantastic games against the other two top teams. They came away with a draw against St Kents and a win against Beachlands. They then progressed to the final against St Kents. After a nail biting two halves, the game finished at a draw. The girls then found a second wind to continue playing out the golden goal, which also finished a nil all draw. It came down to penalties and the team just lost out to St Kents for a well deserved, hard fought second place at the 2022 SEZ tournament.

Well done to all the girls who persevered and maintained a great attitude for the entire tournament.

Year 8 Boys

On Tuesday 7 June, the Year 8 boys' football team participated in the South Eastern Zone tournament held at St Kents. Our first game was against Ormiston. The game was tight but we kept fighting. The match concluded in a late comeback, which gave us a 3-1 win. We had a bye next. We then played a great game against Pakuranga Intermediate, scoring heaps of goals. The final score was 6-0. Next up was a close game against Beachlands, which ended in a 2-0 win for Somerville. The last match of our pool play was against Howick Intermediate. This was the most important game for us, as the winner would top the table. The first half came and went without any goals. In the second half we lifted our game, with some fantastic finishes, resulting in a 3-0 win for us. We came first on the table! Although we couldn’t celebrate for too long, because the semi-finals were next. We were up against our rivals, Bucklands Beach Intermediate. We scored an early goal, giving us the lead. After this, we went defensive and were determined not to let them score. After lots of perseverance and brilliant work from our defenders, we won the game 1-0. We were going to the final!

In the final we played St Kents who were the favourites to win. Unfortunately we lost 3-0. Overall, we were really happy with what we had achieved, and had lots of fun from the experience.

Thank you to Mr Knight and Mr Pillay for coaching the team. Also, a big thank you to Mrs Sokolich for helping out and providing transport.

Somerville students achieved excellent results, winning 25.5 points against Sancta Maria College and Mission Heights Junior College. The team will now progress to the Auckland Regionals in Term 3.

Congratulations to Arush Gupta, Austin Wang, Aiden Park, Luca Dreaver and Ethan Loo, who have now achieved automatic entry into the Chess Nationals and all the best for the champs.

Mayin delivered his winning speech at the ANZAC Day Dawn Service on Stockade Hill. This is an outstanding achievement Mayin - Well done!

The medal is only awarded to students who have gained the highest score throughout New Zealand, in any given subject.

Well done Rick on an outstanding achievement!

Showquest is Aotearoa's biggest performing arts competition involving shows from all across the country.  It is a stage performance involving music dance and non-spoken drama elements to communicate a message or theme.  This performance will take place in the last week of Term 2 and involves many students across all whanaus and both year levels.