Engineers Week Celebrated at School
The field of engineering will play a critical role in shaping the future of the world we live in. In an industry with a current skills shortage, every engineer is worth their weight in gold, especially women who are under-represented and in high demand.
As a kura, we’re committed to inspiring students to embrace STEM. Last week, our Mathematics Department and our Crimson Careers and Pathways Strategist reinvented Maths Week to celebrate engineering, organising activities to spark interest in this vital field. With engineers researching, inventing and refining processes across a wide range of fields including medicine, transport, electronics and much more, most of what our students see around them was designed by an engineer somewhere!
Activities included students collaborating together in teams, entering the New Zealand Engineering/Science competition and the NZAMT Senior Mathematics competition. Both are national competitions, and we recognise the strength and courage of ākonga who chose to participate. We were extremely privileged to have Letitia Drury, Executive Director at BECA, speak to all our Year 12s, as well as an open lunch session. She was joined by three young women from her firm, all enthusiastic in their enjoyment of their new careers. Last Wednesday the Year 13s were treated to a group of young women engineers from DETA Engineering, who challenged the students to come up with practical ideas for enhancing plant health, and for eliminating food waste. An in-school Cantamath competition also took place, where the contest for bragging rights was fierce; our Year 10s blitzed the field, with a ‘stacked’ staff team coming in second. Year 12s also organised a fun lunchtime engineering activity where students had to build a construction made of spaghetti and marshmallows.
Whilst we are celebrating all things STEM, it should be noted that this year Rangi Ruru has a record number of students studying Level 3 Calculus. Students appreciate the self-development skills and preparation for higher level tertiary study that succeeding in this course develops. A student who is successful in Level 3 Calculus is ready to thrive in any future academic challenge.
The mathematics department continue to run twice weekly tutoring sessions before school, and these sessions are well-attended by our calculus level students and other ākonga who understand the benefit of individual teacher assistance.
We are also very proud of the six students studying the STAR Mathematics course at the University of Canterbury this year. They do this independently, attending regular lectures and tutorials, and experiencing university examinations.
It is never too late to apply yourself to mathematics study if you are prepared to practice, practice, practice, and to seek help when it is needed, and act on the assistance and advice with more follow-up practice.
