Valentine's Day

This post was from our lovely Dominion English School Christchurch.

It is with sadness that I write to confirm that Dominion English Schools Christchurch will not reopen for a foreseeable future. Our building is still inaccessible and we have decided to cut our losses. This is specially sad when you look at the photos above. When the earthquake struck, Dominion Christachurch had just celebrated its 20th birthday. We were lucky that no-one connected in any way to the school was injured, apart from shock. We miss the school and working with wonderful staff that showed such responsibility and courage right up until the very sudden end. Many thanks to them for building such a warm, friendly high quality school.

Martin Wall - Principal, Dominion English Schools

Valentine’s Day

Sunday February 14

We had some fun & celebrated (2 days early) on Friday 12 Feb.

 There was a Valentine’s Post Box in the office for students to put secret valentine messages & gifts for other students/teachers. They were delivered to the classrooms on Friday morning. 

From 3 – 4pm there was a Valentine’s Day speaking activity instead of the usual conversation class. At 4.00pm the names of 2 lucky men & 2 lucky women were drawn to have a fun group “date” at the Dux de Lux with a $50 voucher paid for by Dominion. Students had to join the activity to win! 

Thanks Tomoaki for the homemade chocolate you shared with us at Farewells.

Istvan's Card

Former IELTS student Istvan Bessenyei from Hungary sent us this wonderful email and card!

He wrote, "During the IELTS course breaks Rachel and JK would draw caricatures of themselves and some of their other classmates as well as Fay, our teacher. Based on their original illustrations I made a small card for the group just to say hello and to wish them all the best for the year of the Tiger. And, I also thought that you would be glad to see it!"

Below: The IELTS class of July 2009. Can you spot the who the caricatures are?

Thank you Rachel and JK for your caricatures and Istvan for creating and sending us the card!

5 Free Things About Auckland!!

There are many things to do in Auckland, but, how many things are free these days?! Turns out there are a few things that you can do in Auckland that won't cost you an arm and a leg!

1. The City Circuit Bus

The free City Circuit bus travels clockwise in a loop around key inner city destinations such as: The Edge entertainment area, The University of Auckland, Sky City, Britomart and Queen Street.


The bus runs in a clockwise direction, every 10 minutes, from 8am to 6pm every day, including weekends.

The City Circuit service is operated by NZ Bus and funded by the Auckland Regional Transport Authority (ARTA), Heart of the City and Auckland City.



Visit: http://www.maxx.co.nz/how-to-travel/take-the-bus/other-bus-services.html for more information.

2. Music and Movies in the Parks



The four Auckland councils each organise and hold events in parks in their areas. From Jazz concerts to blockbuster movies! And all for FREE!! These wonderful family events can be found on the respective council websites.

Visit: www.aucklandcity.govt.nz for information on events in the Central Auckland City parks.

3. Waiheke Island

Auckland's Hauraki Gulf is speckled with beautiful picturesque, little islands, one of which is Waiheke Island.



Known for it's artisitic community, local shopping, gorgeous beaches and numerous vineyards, Waiheke is an idyllic weekend escape from the hustle and bustle of city life.

The return ferry ride for an adult costs a measely NZ$32 return, while students can get a tertiary discount.

4. Parks and Walkways


Auckland City offers more than 800 parks and reserves and that's not even counting the ones in the North Shore, Waitakeres or Manukau!

It's easy to find somewhere different to play, explore and be inspired! Best of all, they cost nothing to visit.

Auckland is notable for it's many extinct Volcanic Cones! The city and it's surrounding suburb sits on top of a large volcanic field that has produced around 53 volcanic scoria cones in the last 140 thousand years.

These cones now form a wonderful sloping green back-drop to the city vista and are now parks for the public to enjoy.



Some of the more prominent peaks like Mt Eden and One Tree Hill still have remnants of historic Maori 'pa' sites. Evidence of terracing, food pits and house sites can still be seen by park visitors.

There are many walkways within Auckland for any type of trekker. There are hours of long scenic treks to short 'culture' or heritage walks.

The Coast to Coast Walkway is 16 Km long and takes 4 - 6hrs! It spans Auckland's narrow isthmus taking in volcanoes, ocean views, ancient pa sites, kauri villas, parks, gardens and rock walls. Interested? You can pick up a self-guide brochures from the Auckland City Council or visit http://www.aucklandcity.govt.nz/.

For information about regional walkways and tracks phone 0800 Auckland (0800 282 552) or visit Tourism Auckland website.

5. Beaches

The Waitakeres' West Coast, black sand beaches are famous for their surf and wildlife, while, the East Coast beaches are favoured for their close proximity to the city, shopping & restaraunts and tend to be family friendly.


Some beaches to visit in the West are: Piha, Muriwai, Kare Kare, Te Henga and Anawhata.




Eastern beaches to visit: Takapuna, Mission Bay, Buckland's Beach, Brown's Bay and Cheltenham Beach.



So, next time you are visiting the City of Sails don't forget to experience these freebies!

February Magazine

 

 Auckland

Christchurch

February Dominion Schools magazines are now available in our schools. Christchurch and Auckland students have already received a free copy. Colour copies are $2.50.

To receive a Christchurch copy, please e-mail Laura at study@dominion.school.nz..

To receive a Auckland copy, please e-mail Joelle at reception@dominion.school.nz.

Dominion English Schools - Maori Haka

The Haka is a traditional Maori dance. You may have heard it or watched it before because the All Blacks perform it every time they play an international game.

Peter Ward is a former Dominion Senior teacher. He now lives in Japan but is teaching at Dominion while back in New Zealand for a short time. He kindly performed a fabulous version of the Maori Haka to wish leaving students good travels and welcome new students to Christchurch.

Auckland Afternoon Skills Class Survey Reports

Auckland's afternoon Skills class conducted a survey as part of a class project. In groups of two they invaded Queen St harassing unsuspecting passers-by to partake in their individual survey topics. At the end of the day they submitted their reports and the best 2 reports were chosen to grace the pages of our blog for all to enjoy!

1. Report About 'Fur & Fashion's" Survey by Barbara and Anthony

The purpose of the survey was to ask people about fur and fashion.

Most of the interviewees think that wearing clothes made from fur is fashionable. However, if the majority could buy some fur clothes, they wouldn't because it's not fair on the animals.

On the other hand, kiwis do not agree with killing animals for fur, but they agree to kill possums because they are a pest in New Zealand since they destroy the environment.

It is important to highlight that our interviewees eat meat. They were very confused when we asked why they think that it is fair to eat meat but not to wear fur, because all of them think that eating meat is very healthy, never-the-less they agree that lots of people can live without eating meat.

People usually don't like wearing fur because it's not fair to kill animals just to be fashionable. However, they eat meat because it tastes good and is healthy.

2. Survey - Beauty / Cosmetic Surgery by Sunock & Roman

Introduction
Our teachers forced us to do a survey about beauty and cosmetic surgery. We randomly asked people on Queen Street.

Results
The results of the survey were as following:
Surprisingly only 1 out of 8 people would consider undergoing cosmetic surgery.
As a matter of fact this person was the oldest woman we had interviewed (50).
For the question about which part of the body is the most attractive one, the majority of the people answered, 'hands and eyes'.

Conclusion
Every person interviewed had their own point of view about beauty. To leave you with one last thought: beauty is in the eye of the beholder!