SVA Youth Volunteer Week May 2024
During Week 4, staff were asked to email the SVA committee in school jobs that student volunteers could do during their lunchtimes or after school. We promoted the National SVA Youth Volunteer Week along with an in-school Whare competition.
A Google Classroom was set up so students could sign up for jobs and be informed about where, when, and which staff member to make contact with.
Jobs ranged from sorting uniforms and props, cleaning the stream at the College boundary, clearing fridges, scanning resources, emptying bins, resetting posters and resources in classrooms, weeding, pumping balls, and organising books and survey papers.
A big THANK YOU to all the staff who offered and supervised our students throughout the week. Over 30 students volunteered for in-school jobs, and many others continued volunteering in the wider community through coaching, supporting charity organisations like the Red Cross or Salvation Army, gardening, and babysitting.
We are proud of the growing volunteerism culture in our kura. The top Ōtūmoetai College student volunteer for the SVA Youth Volunteer Week is Hannah Richards from 10AKS. Hannah logged over 15 hours through activities like baking and cleaning for the homeless and needy through a Tauranga organisation called Under the Stars. She also helped a teacher clean and sorted out their classroom, along with shredding and binning paper for a department. Awesome effort, Hannah, and the other 30 students who logged their hours for the nominated week.
The Whare Competition was won by Pūwhenua, only 1 hour ahead of Karewa. Manunui came in 3rd, Maunganui 4th, and Ōtanewainuku finished 5th.
This was our inaugural year for promoting in-school volunteerism, we are aiming for more activities along with more students involving themselves and logging hours.
QUOTE: VOLUNTEERS ARE NOT PAID BECAUSE THEY ARE WORTHLESS BUT BECAUSE THEY ARE PRICELESS (Sherry Anderson)
Mauao Field Trip
Last Friday, the two Level 2 Earth and Ocean Science classes spent the morning investigating the geology of Mauao Mount Maunganui.
It was a beautiful day on Mauao and students learnt about the 2.35 million year old rocks that make up our special maunga, including how they formed and how they have eroded into the rock formations we see today.
