Pakuranga College
Encyclopedia
Pakuranga College is a secondary school in east Auckland
, New Zealand
. Since mid-2009, the current principal has been Michael Williams, following the departure of former principal Heather McRae to Diocesan School for Girls
.
There are a number of other buildings throughout the school, given generic names.
native tree
: Kauri, Rimu
, Totara, Pohutukawa
, Nikau
and Matai
. Each house is represented by a different color and mascot as well as having its own dean and assistant dean, who deal with the day to day management of the house, such as disciplinary issues and student management. Each house consists of 12 tutor groups. Each tutor group is led by an individual teacher and each tutor group contains approximately 30 students, of all year levels (Years 9-13). Until the end of 2007, tutor groups would meet for 20 minutes before the commencement of the regular classes, however, this meeting time was moved until the completion of second period, 20 minutes before the start of interval, the tutor group maintaing its original length.
During tutor group time students have their names taken and are read the daily notices to see what activities are on that day. This time provides an opportunity for students to mix with others from all year levels.
, a blackcurrant fruit juice drink sold in 100ml ready-to-drink containers contained very little Vitamin C
, contrary to advertising for the product. Approaches by the two teens to the company did not resolve the issue but the matter was publicised on national consumer affairs television show Fair Go
and came to the attention of the Commerce Commission (a government funded 'consumer watch-dog'). The commission's testing found that Ribena contained no detectable vitamin C. On March 27, 2007, GlaxoSmithKline
pleaded guilty in an Auckland District Court to 15 charges relating to misleading conduct, and was fined $217,000.
Auckland
The Auckland metropolitan area , in the North Island of New Zealand, is the largest and most populous urban area in the country with residents, percent of the country's population. Auckland also has the largest Polynesian population of any city in the world...
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. Since mid-2009, the current principal has been Michael Williams, following the departure of former principal Heather McRae to Diocesan School for Girls
Diocesan School for Girls (Auckland)
Diocesan School for Girls is a private girls' school in Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand. It is consistently a top-achieving school nationally. The school is Anglican-based and was established in 1903. It caters to international students and has accommodation for 35 boarders at Innes House...
.
History
The school was built on part of an old dairy farm that was known for its swampy soil in winter. This continued to be a problem for winter sports until good drains were added. The first principal did not take his position when the school opened as he was ill. The school was run by acting principal Wattie Flemming for the first year. Ken Rae continued until his retirement in 1966. The first school house system consisted of 4 mythical animals from Greek mythology including Pegasus and Argus. After about 20 years the system was changed. All students wore uniform from the start. The school colour was green. The girls were initially required to wear both gloves and hats when outside of school. Boys all wore caps out of school. Year 12 and 13 students (called sixth form and upper 6th in the 1960s) had a different green uniform. Prefects wore green blazers with emblems showing school awards and a metal prefects badge. From 1969 male prefects wore long trousers,white shirts and green ties. After Ken Rae the princpals were: Earnest Rive till 1977, Stan Seagar till 1986, Pamela Stone till 2003, Bali Haque till 2006, Heather McRae till 2009 and Michael Williams (present)School buildings
Pakuranga College has traditionally named its blocks of classrooms after past principals and staff. This is evident in all the principals from Mr Rae to Ms Stone having classroom blocks named after them:- Rae Block - a general purpose block, with a strong focus on the social sciences.
- Rive Block - a general purpose block, containing science classrooms, computer labs and the languages department.
- Seager Block - the mathematics block, containing all the mathematics offices.
- Pamela Stone Block - the English block.
- Jill Sweeny Block - the most recently built science block, containing most of the schools' science classrooms (Chemistry, Biology and Physics). The block is named after the former science teacher and head of department, Jill Sweeny, who contributed a lot to the science department.
There are a number of other buildings throughout the school, given generic names.
House system
There are six houses in Pakuranga College, each named after a New ZealandNew Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
native tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
: Kauri, Rimu
Rimu
Rimu can mean the following:*Dacrydium cupressinum, also rimu, a tree endemic to New Zealand*Rimu, Southland, a locality in Southland, New Zealand*Rimu, West Coast, a locality in the West Coast region of New Zealand...
, Totara, Pohutukawa
Pohutukawa
The Pōhutukawa is a coastal evergreen tree in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae, that produces a brilliant display of red flowers made up of a mass of stamens. The Pōhutukawa is one of twelve Metrosideros species endemic to New Zealand...
, Nikau
Nikau
Nikau is a palm tree, the only palm endemic to New Zealand.-Etymology:Nīkau is a Māori word; in the closely related Eastern Polynesian languages of the tropical Pacific, it refers to the fronds or the midrib of the coconut palm.- Distribution:The Nikau palm is the only palm species endemic to...
and Matai
Prumnopitys taxifolia
Prumnopitys taxifolia is an endemic New Zealand coniferous tree that grows on the North Island and South Island. It also occurs on Stewart Island/Rakiura but is uncommon there....
. Each house is represented by a different color and mascot as well as having its own dean and assistant dean, who deal with the day to day management of the house, such as disciplinary issues and student management. Each house consists of 12 tutor groups. Each tutor group is led by an individual teacher and each tutor group contains approximately 30 students, of all year levels (Years 9-13). Until the end of 2007, tutor groups would meet for 20 minutes before the commencement of the regular classes, however, this meeting time was moved until the completion of second period, 20 minutes before the start of interval, the tutor group maintaing its original length.
During tutor group time students have their names taken and are read the daily notices to see what activities are on that day. This time provides an opportunity for students to mix with others from all year levels.
Ribena exposed
As part of a school science project in 2004 at Pakuranga College, two 14-year-old school girls (Anna Devathasan and Jenny Suo) discovered that RibenaRibena
Ribena is a British brand of fruit-based uncarbonated soft drink, carbonated soft drink and fruit drink concentrate produced by GlaxoSmithKline. The original and most common variety contains real blackcurrant juice.- History :...
, a blackcurrant fruit juice drink sold in 100ml ready-to-drink containers contained very little Vitamin C
Vitamin C
Vitamin C or L-ascorbic acid or L-ascorbate is an essential nutrient for humans and certain other animal species. In living organisms ascorbate acts as an antioxidant by protecting the body against oxidative stress...
, contrary to advertising for the product. Approaches by the two teens to the company did not resolve the issue but the matter was publicised on national consumer affairs television show Fair Go
Fair Go
Fair Go is a New Zealand consumer affairs television program now co-hosted by Gordon Harcourt and Alison Mau. First aired in 1977, it is one of New Zealand's longest-running and highest-rated programmes, frequently placed high in the New Zealand TV Guide list of most viewed programs.Fair Go...
and came to the attention of the Commerce Commission (a government funded 'consumer watch-dog'). The commission's testing found that Ribena contained no detectable vitamin C. On March 27, 2007, GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline
GlaxoSmithKline plc is a global pharmaceutical, biologics, vaccines and consumer healthcare company headquartered in London, United Kingdom...
pleaded guilty in an Auckland District Court to 15 charges relating to misleading conduct, and was fined $217,000.