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Hawthorndene Choir in Christchurch, October 2006. |
On 31 October 28 11-12 year olds, 3 teachers and 2 parents from Hawthorndene School arrived in Christchurch.
Highlights of their itinerary were:
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South Hornby & Hawthorndene combined choirs. |
"These choir visits between Hawthorndene and ourselves are part of the Sister City programme. It is now self funding and generates lots of excitement between our communities. It has been going since 2002 and will continue to grow. Children and families who first travelled to Adelaide in 2003 still keep in contact and still visit each other which to me is an important part of the sister city programme."
Lindsay Penman, Principal, South Hornby School
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Pupils from Direk School in Adelaide. |
11 children and 11 adults, including three teachers arrived in Christchurch on 11 October from Direk School in Adelaide. During their 12 days here they will be home hosted by families at Oaklands School. The schools have undertaken annual alternate exchanges since 1990.
On 12 October the children and adults were welcomed to Oaklands School by a large number of children, teachers and parents at a special assembly in the hall. There was an excellent performance by the school kappa haka group, followed by a speech of welcome by Acting Principal Richard Wethey and a reply from the principal of Direk School.
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Oaklands Kapahaka group welcomes the Direk School visitors. |
During their time here they will have a wide range of exciting activities, including visiting Arthur’s Pass, the Antarctic Centre, QE11, Akaroa Museum, ice skating, mini golf, canoeing on the Avon, a marae visit – the list goes on!
Every year since 1990 between 11 and 44 pupils have taken part in this very successful exchange programme.
25 children and 8 parents and teachers arrived in Christchurch from Hawthorndene School, Adelaide, on 17 November for seven days. They were home hosted by children of South Hornby Primary School. The children comprised Hawthorndene school’s choir, which won the Adelaide schools competition this year.
This visit is to reciprocate that of the South Hornby Primary School choir, the ‘South Hornby Swingers’, to Adelaide last October. During their time the choir sung at Branston and Templeton Schools, went for a swim at QEII Park, met with Councillor Sally Buck at Civic Offices, had a barbecue and did all sorts of other interesting and exciting things.
This reciprocal exchange between South Hornby Primary School and Hawthorndene School means that firm friendships have now been forged between the schools, with a lot of the children in regular contact.
Twenty four Year 5 and 6 pupils from South Hornby School and their families fundraised relentlessly from January to September and raised $28,200 to enable the group to fly to Adelaide to meet their penpals at Hawthorndene School, who homehosted them for five days and showed them the local sites. The pupils, members of the South Hornby School Choir, sang at Highgate School, Blackwood School, Hawthorndene School and at the Adelaide City Council.
"The visit increased the children's confidence to speak and sing in public situations, and rubbed off on other children, with huge numbers trying out for the choir the following year. Their tremendous fundraising effort brought together all sections of the community."
The choir sang at the NZ Sister Cities Conferenc at the Christchurch Convention Centre 26 March 2004. Their 'Visit to Adelaide' entry into the Sister Cities Air New Zealand Awards 2004 was awarded first prize in the education section.
Read the report on the trip [228KB free PDF reader]
South Hornby School has initiated email links with four Adelaide schools over the last few months. The Adelaide schools are:
224 children at South Hornby School are involved in emailing and it it hoped that this will lead to further exchanges, such as tele/video conferencing and letter writing.
For 11 years there has been a sister school link between Christchurch's Oaklands Primary School and Direk Primary School, Adelaide, with the intention of fostering an understanding between senior primary school pupils of both the similarities and differences between New Zealand and Australia.
The biennial exchange programme has involved over 200 pupils, parents and teachers from both communities. Year Seven and Eight children visit Adelaide every second year for learning experiences, involving learning about cultural aspects, history, flora, fauna and lifestyle.
From 18 to 28 September 2001, 11 Oaklands pupils, two teachers and three parents visited Adelaide. Read the children's impressions, and see some photos of their trip.
The inaugural Sister Cities World Environment Day ‘virtual debate’ took place on 2 June 2000.
Christ's College, the region's top high school debating team, represented Christchurch against Christian Brothers' College, Adelaide's top high school debating team. Christ's College were voted the winners in the live video conference debate, opened by Adelaide’s new Lord Mayor and Christchurch’s Deputy Mayor. Due to the success of the virtual debate it was proposed that it become an annual event.
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Back L to R: Hamish Flanagan, Canterbury Speaking Union, Vincent Chew, Chairman, Christchurch-Adelaide Sister City Committee, Viv Milson, Christ's College Debating Coach Front L to R: Bryan Hawarden, Colin Fife, Danie Beukman |