Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls students took part in an Amazing Race challenge. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls students took part in an Amazing Race challenge. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Bottle flips, TikTok dances, folding paper planes and solving tricky crosswords were all on the timetable at a Taranaki school this month.
Taranaki Diocesan School for Girls students enjoyed an Amazing Race challenge on Wednesday, August 16 as part of the school’s St Mary’s Day celebrations. The school,which until 2018 was called St Mary’s, always celebrates the Feast of the Assumption of St Mary, says acting principal Maria Taylor.
“St Mary’s Day is an opportunity for our school to remember the remarkable life of Mary, the young woman for whom our chapel is named. It is an important day for Taranaki Diocesan because it links us to our traditions, values and beliefs. It reminds us that, while we have the privilege of education, we need to use this for good and remember to take the time to appreciate the good things in the world around us.”
The Amazing Race was one of several events planned for the day, says Maria, with a chapel service, a special assembly and a lunchtime “feast” also enjoyed by the school whānau.
For the Amazing Race part of the day, students were put into teams of three to five to complete a series of challenges.
Year 9s, from left: Lisa McArthur, 14, Rylie Marshall, 13, Elizabeth Maindonald, 13, and Samara Dorn, 14, solving a crossword puzzle. Photo / Alyssa Smith
Year 9 Samara Dorn, 14, found the crossword challenge the easiest.
“It was pretty fun. We worked together to find all the words.”
Fellow Year 9 Libby Johnston, 13, says she found the guess the drink challenge the hardest. For the challenge she was blindfolded and had to identify four drinks according to taste.
Year 9 Libby Johnston, 13, taste tests different drinks while fellow Year 9s Macy Murphy, 13, and Izzy Dawson, 14, write down their guesses. Photo / Alyssa Smith
“It was quite fun but difficult to guess the colours of the drinks based on taste alone.”
Other challenges included identifying a word in sign language, using te reo and playing The Floor is Lava. Annabella Aldridge, 13, says the Amazing Race had a good range of challenges.
Year 9s from left: Sharnie Nicholas, Mckenzie Naylor, Poppy Hastie and Annabella Aldridge, all 13, attempt to bottle flip. Photo / Alyssa Smith
“Some were easier than others. It was a good variety of pretty fun challenges.”
Maria says the Amazing Race event was focused on fun, while also recognising Aotearoa New Zealand’s uniqueness.
“We had a te reo Māori challenge, a dance challenge (very popular), taste testing and students had to demonstrate sign language skills, so the race covered all three languages of Aotearoa. Students loved the unofficial competitiveness of the event - but yay for the Year 13s who won!”
