Best of the West:
Manaakitanga - Kindness:
We will not name names, but I want to personally and publicly acknowledge the kindness and goodness of our community. Quite often, over previous years, parents have paid for senior camp for their child and donated an extra payment to cover a disadvantaged child who would not otherwise be able to attend. This is outstanding kindness and has brought a number of families to tears when they have benefitted from this generosity.
Last week, a mum donated $500 to support families struggling to afford the high cost of camp. Our Pōhatu Tūmu focus for this year is Manaakitanga - Kindness - and this is a perfect example of this value in action. Sincere thanks to all our kind families.
A huge thanks to parents from Lauren Nummy for encouraging your kids to bring in coins for World Vision. We managed to raise $303. A shout-out to Julie in the office for taking the time to hand-count all the money for us! If there are any extra coins, please send them to Room 3.
The World Vision 40-Hour Challenge is a fun way for young people to make a positive difference. Western Heights collectively raised around $900.
Thanks to the sponsorship of our participants and their friends and family, they have helped vulnerable children around the world.
We’ve helped World Vision “regreen” our future by restoring forests and fighting the impacts of climate change.
Room 20 raised the most money and won a pizza lunch.
As a PS, I see so many examples of parent kindness in action every day. Gordon Chen and his wife Evonne go out of their way every day to support members of our Chinese community, particularly, but also all members of our school whānau. Gordon did a huge amount of work to support our visitors from 'I Wish' school in China. He even postponed a business trip to Sydney to be there for our visitors on their final day with us.
To all those parents who go out of their way to say a kind word, show they care, make connections, and show appreciation, your support means the world to all of us.
Sincerely, thank you.
Asian and Ethnic Health Services & Ember present Coffee Chat Time
Indian Mums Coffee CircleWelcoming space for Indian mums to connect, share experiences, and enjoy a cup of coffee together.
This is a very cool initiative. The hope is to extend this to other ethnicities soon.
2nd Aitutaki Tik-Tok - Charlotte, Nadia and Jessie:
Jyotsna is one of our lovely—and talented—mums. Tuesday through Saturday, she works as a barista at the Mobil Station at the end of Lincoln Road, almost at the motorway.
Recently, she was named Barista of the Year at a nationwide competition.
As someone who is passionate about good, strong coffee, I will definitely call in as soon and often as I can. Congratulations, Jyotsna.
On The Topic Of Local Award Winners - A Definitive List Of Where To Grab The Best Pies In West Auckland:
Mince and Cheese
Gold Award: Mrs Theara Keo, Taste Bakery and Roast 226-250 Lincoln Road, Henderson, Silver Award: Mr Kaing Sok, My Bakery Cafe 6/4055 Great North Road, Glen Eden
Steak and Gravy
Silver Award: Mr Kaing Sok, My Bakery Cafe 6/4055 Great North Road, Glen Eden
Potato Top
Gold Award: Mr Kaing Sok, My Bakery Cafe 6/4055 Great North Road, Glen Eden
Chicken and Vegetables
Highly Commended: Mr Kaing Sok, My Bakery Cafe 6/4055 Great North Road, Glen Eden
Vegeterian
Highly Commended: Creamy Spinach and Vegetable Mix with Camembert, Mr Kaing Sok, My Bakery Cafe 6/4055 Great North Road, Glen Eden
I tried their Mince and Cheese (with Chilli), and it's definitely of award-winner standard.
