GUESTS

Christina England, Deputy principal, welcomed everyone on behalf of Jonathon Tredray, Principal of Northcross Intermediate School. A special welcome was extended to our valued sponsors: Michael Holderness (Advanced Application Engineering Specialist) at 3M, Bruce Morrison (Registered Surveyor), and Mrs. Judy Peace.

Special thanks were given to the members of staff from the participating schools for their continued support of their students.

A warm welcome was also extended to the prize-winners; this was their special celebration of achievement. Congratulations of your achievements.

Unfortunately, our NIWA guest speaker was unable to attend the event.

Helen Haine, co-convenor thanked Christina for her words of welcome and presented her convenor’ report.

Convenors Report

It is my pleasure to report as co-convenor of the 2024 NIWA North Harbour Science and Technology Fair.

Once again, the students have delivered an impressive array of innovative and thought-provoking science and technology projects. Completing these ambitious undertakings demands not only creativity and curiosity but also dedication and persistence. This process is made possible with the unwavering support and encouragement from both parents and teachers, whose commitment and countless hours are essential. We extend our deepest gratitude to them, as well as to the participating schools for enabling these projects, despite the demands of their rigorous curricula and bustling school lives.

This year ten North Harbour schools participated in the Fair with a combined submission of 136 projects undertaken by more than 170 students. This is over 30 projects higher than last year and a 60% increase in two years. We are now solidly back to our pre-Covid levels of entries. Schools fielded a complement of teachers for judging in the morning, assisted by judges from our sponsor companies and a contingent of University students studying for Science and Engineering degrees. A team of committee members and the Chief Judge then completed the afternoon moderation session. The open viewing session the following day had a large number of attendees.

The overall standard of entries remained exceptionally high, particularly in the ever-growing technology section. The quality of these projects highlights the strong science and technology education being fostered by schools, encouraging students to explore their curiosities through inquiry. Judges commended the high calibre of work, especially noting the strength across various fields, including technology. Looking ahead, we hope to see an increased number of submissions in the Earth Science category next year.

This year the students once again produced thought-provoking, high-quality science and technology projects. To complete such projects takes creativity, curiosity, commitment and perseverance. This requires support and encouragement of both parents and teachers and equates to many hours of dedication. We sincerely thank all the teachers and parents for this support. ln addition, we acknowledge the commitment of participating schools for supporting individual science investigations to take place as part of their rich and busy demands that curriculum and wider school life demand.

We extend our deep gratitude for sponsorship from NIWA, and the North Harbour Middle Schools Principals group. Continuing to have the Science Fair treated as a zone day and held during the school week gives recognition to science as an important part of the curriculum. Release of teachers on the day meant students felt supported, and the judging teams complete. We recommend that this continues next year. While the students waited for judging they enjoyed a morning of science talks and demonstrations. With this exposure to “real scientists’ it is hoped students will be inspired to choose a science-based career and pursue their curiosity in scientific fields.

The Science Fair Committee would like to publicly express our gratitude to Albany Junior High School for hosting this year’s event. They were generous with both their facilities and their provision of staff. We greatly appreciate the time volunteered by their exceptional staff as speakers and demonstrators for all students attending the fair waiting for their projects to be judged. Particular thanks go to Martene Matthews and Sue Skull who designed and delivered the programme students underwent. We also thank all the teachers at AJHS who flexed their timetables and teaching plans while we used their spaces.

We would like to thank the many judges from education and industry who gave their time to the fair on the 20^th September. A big thank you to Anna Haine from the University of Auckland who organised and then liaised with all the volunteer University Student judges to ensure they were well briefed and supported. Special thanks to our team of moderators who were led by our Chief Judge Sarah Allfrey. Thank you also to all the members of our committee who contributed towards a successful day.

We would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank our sponsors. Particular thanks goes to NIWA. Financially, the fair was possible again this year because of significant sponsorship from NIWA. The ongoing sponsorship by NIWA has been a significant boost to the fair, and we hope this collaboration will continue into the future. Thank you also to: 3M, Bruce Morrison, Registered Surveyor, NZ Statistical Association and Statistics NZ, the Baking lndustry Trust, Ballance Agri-Nutrients, The Auckland Science Teachers Association, The New Zealand Society of Soil Science and the Peace family.  Our sponsors contribute more than money. We were delighted to welcome Dr Henry Lane and Finn Barry from NIWA, Michael Holderness from 3M, and Bruce Morrison from Bruce Morrison Quantity Surveyors who were active participants at the fair, and generous with their time and expertise.

Thank you, Northcross for hosting tonight’s Prize Giving event. Your ongoing support of the Fair is deeply appreciated.

Finally, we would like to thank all the committee members this year for their hard work. I especially want to acknowledge the dedication and many hours spent by my co-convenor Mike Wade. His considerable effort ensured this year’s fair went ahead successfully. Thank you, Mike.

Helen Haine

Co-Convener 2024