Izzie Newton-Cross
Izzie is Hauraki’s super talented Arts Prefect. Where do we even begin with all the amazing things she’s created over lockdown? Let’s start with these. A Shrek hat for herself, and a Yoda hat for her dad for Father’s Day!
And then there is her Shrek painting. Izzie says “Arts Prefects held a ‘Friday Lunch Livestream’ on our Arts Prefect instagram page (@wghsartsprefects) and we all decided to paint something. Here’s my Shrek painting I decided to make haha! Keep in mind that my artistic abilities lie firmly in the performing arts and fashion, not really the painting or drawing side of things.”
Let’s not forget her collection of handcrafted masks …
… or finally, her amazing corset top – whipped up in one night from material she had “lying around”. We hope Anna Wintour is watching!
Caitlin McConchie
Meet wonderful Caitlin who leads the Pupuke House team of Tuakana.
What’s something new or different you have tried during lockdown?
I have been playing the game Garticphone with my cousins and my youth group fairly often over Zoom, which has been so much fun and lots of laughs.
What’s the third thing you are most missing (aside from friends and school)?
I really miss just being out in the world, people-watching, visiting places and travelling to beautiful parts of the country such as Glenorchy or Dunedin. Many times I wished I could be amongst the beauty of our world, both in the community of it and the beautiful views.
What creative way have you found to counteract what you are missing?
Seeing as I am unable to leave my bubble, I have taken to exploring a world in a very different way – studying Professor J.R.R. Tolkien’s works.
I have been reading many detailed books, learning about Elvish, watching documentaries, and of course, watching the LOTR films – because it is a way to exploring and learning about such a fantastic fictional world that one man was able to create in his head. The depth and breadth of his imagination continues to astound me the more I research into it.
Judy Zhang
Judy is another of our amazing Tuakana Coordinators, leading the team for Onewa House.
What’s something new or different you have tried this lockdown?
With all this extra time being stuck at home, lockdown has given me the chance to get back into embroidery. It’s a pretty time consuming hobby but the whole process is really fun and therapeutic. Because there isn’t much fabric lying around at home, I’ve been embroidering on my jean pockets and tote bags – it’s a great way to personalise things too!
What’s the third thing you are most missing (aside from friends and school)?
The third-most thing I’m missing is being able to take walks at the beaches, bushwalks, and reserves outside of my suburb (closely rivalled by missing the different cuisines of restaurant food).
What creative way have you found to counteract what you are missing?
The good thing about “exercising local” is that I’ve now figured out all the possible walkways around my neighbourhood, haha! Even though the routes are the same, you can still treat it like an expedition. There are new and interesting things to be spotted every time… such as soft toys in windows, looking at your house/street from afar, and the chubby calico up the road.
Amy Morrison
Amy is one of the most upbeat Prefects we have! She’s the Sports Prefect for Pupuke House, and you might remember her from an earlier story in Te Reo o Te Roto, when she spent time on The Spirit of Adventure.
“The most active thing I have done during this lockdown has been my football trainings. This has always been a large part of my weekly schedule prior to lockdown, so it has been important for me to keep that part of my routine, especially as I am currently training towards a tournament set to go ahead later this month in Napier.
“Whether this is practicing and learning new skills or general fitness, I am trying to make the most of it, however, my team and I do have our fingers crossed that we can be back training all together soon.”
Mia Thomas
Mia is Wairau House’s creative and talented Arts Prefect. “During lockdown, I like to spend my time painting as I find it a great stress relief and nice way of expressing my emotions and creative visions onto a canvas,” she says.
“Here are a few of the paintings I have done in lockdown, that I am planning to give away.”
While she loves art as a hobby, Mia plans on studying communications and focusing on the film and media industry.
Scarlet Hur
Scarlet is the amazing Arts Prefect for Pupuke House. “I haven’t really done anything creative but I did bake some teddy bear cookies! The YouTube tutorial said it would take only 30 minutes so I thought I would give it a try. I ended up baking for 3hours 😅 (I’m not usually a baker)”.
They look awesome Scarlet!
Izzy van der Ent
Izzy is the incredible Sports Prefect for Akoranga House.
“I aim to exercise everyday, whether that’s a walk, run, a workout or a combination. I normally workout and run in the morning then go for a walk with the family after school.
The furthest run I have done has been around 8km. One of my favorite active moments was when I climbed up Mt Victoria and watched the sunset.”
Danica Madeira
How’s this for a Lockdown Legend?
Danica Madeira made these amazing cupcakes for the staff at the vaccination centre when she got her second dose recently.
Well done Danica – we’re sure they were very appreciated!
Zoe Ziting Wu
Zoe is the awesome Akoranga House Arts Prefect. Here’s how she has kept herself challenged creatively.
“Lockdown can be a difficult time for creative minds and though it has been hard, I’ve been trying to challenge myself by drawing something everyday, even if it’s small and insignificant.
“This practice helps retain a flow of creativity, as each day can bring forward new ideas and inspirations. I can start afresh every day without looking back or getting bored of whatever I was drawing yesterday, which is often what creates a creative block.
“I’ve also been experimenting with drying flowers and plants from my backyard and arranging them in glass jars – these add a nice touch to any room!”
