Empowered Students

What have been our key area of progression?

New student teams collecting data and monitoring our resource use
New student clubs promoting environmental action - e.g. climate action
Increased student opportunities to contribute to building planning and development of new learning spaces.
New leadership roles in the JS
More connections between communities of students
Increased student sharing of sustainability stories through publications and website

Our students are leaders and enablers - they truly lead our sustainability projects...

In the Junior School, there are lots of service opportunities available for students like the Junior School Student Council. This group meets weekly and lead projects suggested by their peers and organise events. We also have House Captains who lead house events along with the house teachers. This creates positive school spirit.

In addition to that, all Junior School students are given the opportunity to help others. An example is the harvest festival, where students bring in fresh produce to give to those in need.

In Middle school, opportunities like being a class captain are widely available and are encouraged. Students in Year 8 take part in the William Pike Challenge. In year 10, we can join any of 18 different leadership teams.

The Senior School offer lots of opportunities like becoming a prefect in Yr13 and the Council of Sustainability. Students who do the IB curriculum are required to CAS, which is creativity, activity and Service.

By Jocelyn Ho - Yr 7 student

Tangata: Our new Climate Action team

Kristin Climate Action Team (CAT), is a renewed Roots and Shoots sub-group here at Kristin. Our team aims to improve our school's total carbon output from various ways to result in a overall reduced harm to our climate. Importantly, it provides willing students the opportunity to take climate-protecting actions that would not only benefit the school but as well the society when the student grows into senior members of the society. Personally, I chose to step into the role of being a CAT member as I strongly believe that climate is the most vital issue society is facing. Some of our successes include constantly publishing videos about Climate protecting ideas, designing posters to assist with energy monitoring. As a team, we are facing the challenge of finding vital solutions that would actively reduce our energy usage, as thus it will greatly reduce our carbon footprint. - Written by Yr 11 student Byron Gao

Community Projects - Enviroschools.mp4

Kaupapa Ako: Community Projects - student agency

Every year, Year 10’s take part in Community Projects. Through this, students follow their passions to serve the community. The process is invaluable to Kristin students as they can “learn how to do something I’m interested in”, collaborate with group members, and make a genuine difference in all areas of our community — anywhere from beach clean ups to tutoring junior school members. Students interviewed said “It was fun and enjoyable but it was also challenging”. They also learn many new skills like public speaking and how “people accept you doing acts of kindness more than you would think.” - Written by Alyxia Jaccard and Marina Stowers - Yr 10

Tikanga: Energy Monitors in the MS and SS

Led by MS Students Alyxia and Marina - representatives in every MS class - plans to move into the SS and JS later in the year!

_Power Audit Report 2022.pdf

Training Presentation Power Monitors.pdf

This term, we have trained up middle school students from various homerooms and tutor groups to become Energy Monitors. Once having undergone training, these students monitor their assigned classrooms’ energy intake (in particular lights, projectors and air conditioning). Apart from the obvious energy savings, this initiative will educate students and teachers on various aspects of power — most notably all the small things they can do that will eventually add up. We are very much in the beginning stages of this initiative, but it’s exciting to see how we can grow the Energy Monitors into other areas of the school.

Written By Alyxia Jaccard and Marina Stowers - Yr 10 leaders

Tangata: Our brand new Bicultural Team

This year for the first time we have a Bicultural Committee. It is hoped this is the beginning of more student led projects that promote Māori culture and values. This year the team was involved in. organising Matariki activities at lunchtime (along with our Cultural Committee that has done this for the last few years) but more importantly, they have helped create the powhiri we are holding for the Enviroschool reflection. The Bicultural Committee have visited and established meaningful links with our local marae as mana whenua - Te Herenga Waka o Ōrewa. Kaumātua Kereama Nathan has visited Kristin many times in the last 18 months and we are about to share a cultural narrative with our Kristin whanau with their support.

Tangata: Growing our JS Leadership roles - a bigger Student Council

Everybody in the Student Council chooses a project (or action) to each do for the term. They have to validate the project with Mrs Ashley. Examples of projects are Lunchtime or Morning tea groups and raising awareness about problems. The Bird Feeder group is an example. My project (and Hera’s) has been EnviroSchool actions.

As part of our Student Council Semester 1 project, we year five students started a bird feeder group during Morning teas. We found that birds have lower chances of surviving in the Winter, and do not get as much food supply. Giving them more food would help their reproduction rate. Using all the information we found, we came up with an idea to create bird feeders using recycled plastic bottles and hang them in the trees, to help the birds in our Kristin community.

By Vivie Gohier (Yr 6) and Kate Le (Yr 5)

One of the leadership activities in the Junior School is Playground Champions. We make sure the playgrounds are fun and safe places for students in the school. We walk around the playgrounds during lunch, solving conflicts between other students. Our responsibility is to help students understand the rules and make fair decisions. Our aspirations are to make the playgrounds a better place. Written by Kate and Chloe - Yr 5 students

Prefect Team

The Prefect Team is an opportunity for Year 13 students at Kristin to show leadership, through helping assist with running key aspects of school life, providing a voice for the students and acting as a role model. The Prefect Team is also empowered to take on a project of their choosing that benefits the Kristin or Wider Community.

This year the Prefect Team has conducted a can drive within the Middle School raising food for Auckland City Mission in face of the rising cost of living. Furthermore, we are also creating two murals that will be put into the Junior School. The Junior School Students have not only been an integral part in the planning and designing of the murals but also in the creation. Within these murals we have tried to celebrate the students our school and the diversity within it The unique aspect of this year's Prefect project is that we have worked with both the Middle and Junior School, interacting with our school community and working together to make a difference. Written By Azaria Eddy - Prefect

220321 Kristin Music Block participatory design seminar (1).docx

Tikanga: More student voice on our new building designs...

The reason we are looking to involve students more in the design of our buildings and property developments is firstly because most of these buildings are being designed for students to use. Who better to advise on the requirements than our students. Secondly, students such as those on our Sustainability Council are amongst the best informed in the school about the impact we can have on our environment, both positive and negative. I also hope that by involving students we can give them some learning insights about design and some of the competing factors that can come into play when designing buildings. - Written by Nigel Wilkinson - Business Manager

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