Smart Money Talks

Money Week took place from Monday 3 to Friday 7 August, giving students the opportunity to learn more about financial literacy, money management, and making smart financial decisions for the future. This year’s theme, “Smart Money Talks”, focused on encouraging students to have conversations about money and develop practical skills that they can use in everyday life.

The week was organised by the Commerce Club, with a range of activities and guest speakers planned throughout the week.

On Monday, we kicked off Money Week with Andrew De Boyett and Bhagjot Singh from the University of Auckland Business Navigators Programme. Students had the opportunity to hear about business, university pathways, and the importance of developing skills for their future.

On Tuesday, students were introduced to the theme of Money Week through a video and PowerPoint presentation during Whānau Assembly, which provided practical information and ideas on making smarter financial decisions.

Wednesday was all about getting students involved, with Kahoot and money-themed games held during lunchtime. This gave students a fun, interactive way to test their financial knowledge while learning new things along the way.

On Thursday, we announced the winners of our Shark Tank-inspired competition. Students had spent time developing their own business ideas and preparing presentations to pitch their concepts. Congratulations to our winners, and a huge thank you to everyone who took part!

We finished the week on Friday with Andre and Alexis Khoo from the University of Auckland’s SavY Charitable Trust. They spoke to students about financial literacy and encouraged them to think about developing positive money habits for the future.

Overall, Money Week was a great opportunity for students to learn, participate, and have conversations about money in a fun and practical way. A huge thank you to everyone who supported the week, especially our guest speakers, staff, Commerce Club members, and students who got involved.

Let’s make smart money talk!

~ Sukhjot Kaur 13S4, Commerce Club Leader

School of Rock follows Dewey Finn, a struggling musician who impersonates a substitute teacher and inspires his students through rock music. Brought to life over three nights, the 2026 production was a memorable experience filled with laughter and dedication.

From mouthing the dialogue backstage to grabbing random hands in the darkness during scene changes, every rehearsal and performance created memories that will last long after our makeup was removed.

The cast, made up of students from Years 9 to 13, became a tight-knit group through shared snacks, green room dinners, and learning “Stick It to the Man” together.

After months of uncertainty, the production ran from 27 to 29 July, and the audience’s laughter and applause made every challenge worthwhile. Although the curtain has closed and our team’s chat is filled with messages of gratitude, the memories, lessons, and friendships we formed will stay with us for years to come.

~ Charlotte Bell 10K6

As usual Picnic Day was a lot of fun and it was great to see staff and students alike getting in to the spirit of the day. We had almost perfect conditions, not too hot and a bit of cloud cover. Lots of energy was out there on the field with everyone giving it their best shot in the classic Picnic Day games such as the Sack Race, Egg and Spoon race, Sponge Relay and Cornhole.

Congratulations to SPIRIT who were the overall winners on the day!!

After the picnic day activities, students enjoyed a shared lunch with their whanau before they made their way to the courts to perform the school Haka which they have all been practicing. Each whanau went in turn, then came together at the end for one huge Year 9 and 10 Haka. It was really awesome to see!

Congratulations to all our students who were recognised with certificates and prizes at Year 11 Prizegiving on Monday 18 November. A special congratulations to our trophy and cup recipients below:

The Myriad is a new inter-whānau event held at lunchtime. Due to its success, it will become an annual fixture for the Whānau Shield. With half of the student body cheering them on, each whānau competed in relay form in:

• Basketball
• Soccer juggle
• Rubic cube
• Hula hoop
• Reciting Pi
• Reciting the periodic table
• Hiragana alphabet
• Corn hole
• Piggyback tennis ball balance
• Tennis ball juggle
• Volleyball set
• Run

Congratulations to Blake whānau who were the winners for 2025.

Kate Sole 13J5 and Georgia Sole 13J11 participated in the Regional NZ Secondary Schools Culinary Challenge (NSSCC).

For this, they had to produce two identical entrée portions of a dish containing lamb loin, kumara, two locally grown vegetables and one rescued kitchen product.

The dish that they produced was: Herb crusted lamb loin, on cauliflower purée served with hand-crafted kumara gnocchi, tossed in a sage-infused brown butter. Accompanied by peas, broad beans, parmesan tuile, walnuts, and blue cheese.

Winning the Regionals has earned them a spot in the national finals being held Thursday 28 August, where they’ll compete against the top five teams from around the country! We’re beyond proud and wish them all the best.

While Kate and Georgia’s achievement is remarkable, it’s important to recognise the other talented students who also participated in this year’s Regional NSSCC; Taki Chen 13E8, Lily Chisholm 13J11, Miley Hoo 13K18, Thalia Loo 13J17, Angus So 12S16 and Erin Van Schalkwyk 12J5. Their dedication and culinary skills contributed to an exciting and competitive event.

On Wednesday 11 June, the Pasifika Council hosted our first Fono for 2025. We gathered to talanoa, share kai, and connect with our students and whānau. The aim of the Fono was to provide an opportunity for whānau to express ideas and thoughts regarding the future aspirations of our Pasifika students at BDSC.

The evening began with a warm welcome, an opening prayer, and some icebreaker activities. We then shared a presentation on the council’s goals for the year. In 2025, the Pasifika Council aims to strengthen the presence of Pasifika culture at BDSC, establish cultural dance groups, and ensure that the achievements of our Pasifika students are celebrated. We also highlighted some impressive sporting, cultural, and academic successes of our Pasifika students.

As a council, we were excited to prepare for Pasifika Languages Week—an event that celebrates the rich cultures of the Pacific. The council’s responsibilities included decorating each whānau whare, preparing performances, and serving food at the stalls.

Our aim is to raise the visibility of Pasifika culture at school and inspire pride in our Pacific identities.

We would like to extend a special thank you to Bernadine Russell, who generously taught and helped us create the beautiful kahoa we proudly wore on the night.

The support we receive from our Pasifika community is deeply appreciated, and we look forward to hosting our next Fono in Term 4.

~ Aleisha Coleman 13D9

Each year, our school proudly celebrates Cultural Week. This vibrant event is a highlight of the school calendar, showcasing the rich diversity within our community.

Throughout the week, flags representing various countries are displayed across the school, and a range of cultural performances took place under the bridge during lunchtime. These performances, delivered by different cultural groups, are always a hit with students and staff alike, creating a lively and inclusive atmosphere.

Cultural Week is a time to celebrate diversity, embrace different cultures, and take pride in our heritage. In addition to the performances, the week features a cultural mufti day and whānau cultural displays.

This year, cultural mufti day consisted of students dressing in cultural attire to earn points for their whānau as part of the ongoing competition for the whānau shield.

The theme for this year’s whānau cultural display was ‘Legacy’, focusing on the unique legacies of each whānau. Every whānau cultural team contributed to decorating and setting up displays in their respective areas. These displays were judged by the senior management team, and the most outstanding display was awarded the cultural cup.

We are proud to announce that the 2025 Cultural Cup was awarded to Discovery whānau for their exceptional creativity and representation of their cultural legacy.

A huge thank you to all students, staff, and whānau who contributed to making cultural week a meaningful and memorable event. Your creativity, pride, and teamwork truly brought our school’s values to life.

~ Mrs G Kaur, Cultural Co-ordinator

Congratulations to all our students who were recognised with certificates and prizes at Year 11 Prizegiving on Monday 18 November. A special congratulations to our trophy and cup recipients below:

Earlier this term we welcomed ninety students and staff from our sister school (Lelean Memorial) in Fiji. As part of the choir group tour, they spent three days with us sharing their culture and attending classes.

Lelean Memorial School and Ģ����Ƶ College have been sister schools for seventeen years. During this time, we have travelled to Fiji six times with a focus of providing service activities and our last trip was in July last year. This was Lelean’s third group tour to our school.

Our school kapahaka group led by Whaea Roimata welcomed our sister school with a formal powhiri. During the three days at BDSC, Lelean students and staff were given a tour of the school, attended some classes and enjoyed the hospitality provided. It was great to see how well the students from both schools got on together.

The choir group performed to a houseful on Thursday night and the audience was treated to some great songs and hymns. Prior to the performance, our school hosted a dinner for our visitors. Students and staff of our school were treated to another amazing performance by the choir group on Friday at lunchtime. As we said our goodbyes, the BDSC first fifteen team farewelled our visitors with our powerful school haka followed by a moving performance of the Fijian farewell song Isa lei” from our sister school choir group.

My thanks and appreciation go to staff and students who helped with hosting students and staff from Lelean Memorial School.

~ Dip Achary