Reading Week

You know it's Reading Week when the Old Convent falls quiet and you find a student cosied up with a book and a warm mug around every corner. A lot of reading has taken place in the past few days, but we've been busy with much more than just that!

On Tuesday, I (Kristen, SLC) led a homemaking session on papermaking. Using laundry lint and office paper as our pulp, we created a handful of homemade sheets. Maybe you can expect a handwritten letter home from one of these fine new paper-makers!

Emma (Left, Berry), Jenna (Center, Wheaton), and Becca (Right, Dordt) each did a great job making their first ever sheet of paper.

Later in the week, we went out to the peninsula for an afternoon of volunteering with the Department of Conservation (DOC). They were in need of some gravel paths within the Hutton's shearwater enclosure, and we were the right bunch for the job. Hutton's shearwaters are an endangered bird special to Kaikoura; the Kaikoura mountains are the only place in the world where these birds breed! The mammal-proof enclosure on the peninsula keeps them safe from invasive threats they face today and provides them with a more secure future. Since the adults are all on their way back from Australia, we were just in time to get the project done.

CCSP's volunteer day with DOC

Something new and exciting to Reading Week was the Te Reo Maori course. Two students, Rob and Diane, and four staff members were able to participate in this course as an introduction to the Maori language. By the end of the week, we were all able to count to 100, tell time, greet one another, sing a few songs, give a mihimihi, and, everyone's favorite, perform a haka! It was great to be able to learn about the Maori culture through their beautiful language.

Rob (Messiah), Diane (Westmont), Adam (SLC), and Kristen (SLC) performing a haka

Next week, we'll be away in the Wellington area to see how members of these communities are making strides in sustainable living and community-building. We look forward to telling you all about it!