Adult Learners Week September 2009

RANGITOTO COLLEGE COMMUNITY EDUCATION NEWS  September 2009

During Adult Learners Week (7-13 September) only five awards are offered each year for outstanding learners, providers and programs in adult learning.

Adult students from Rangitoto College Community Education won two awards this year:

– Pamela Jennings - Singing With Style!

Pamela Jennings has regularly attended the Rangitoto College Community Education “Singing with Style” night class for close to five years. Pamela says that she has received incredible benefits from this class. Prior to starting the class her singing was limited to the shower. However the training she has received from the tutor, Julie Jackson-Tretchikoff, has enabled Pamela to develop her singing skills in a supportive environment to a point where she has performed on stage in amateur productions.

- The Recorder Group

The Rangitoto Recorder Ensemble has been playing together as a night school class for close to ten years under the tutelage of Jessica Shaw, a gifted teacher, recorder player and musician who teaches full time at the University of Auckland. They are a group of mixed-ability, eager, keen, motivated and friendly people who have often inspired new members to join the group and stay! Some class members also travel significant distances, one drives from Henderson while another buses in from Point Chevalier.

Our Tutors are enthusiasts who enjoy their subjects and Community Education offers a variety of courses to suit a range of tastes and interests.

If you would like to join a Community Education class, please call 477 0075 or visit our website at www.rangitoto.school.nz to enrol.

Cheers to lifelong learning and learning for life!

Answering the Community Call - Lifelong Learning in the 21st Century

Rangitoto College’s new community education programme offers a colourful and varied treasure trove of interesting courses and activities. Their professionally presented brochure depicts a dawn view of Rangitoto Island with the sun rising behind it. Stunning..and a taster for what is contained behind the brochure’s cover.

Their programme is a real example of how to encourage lifelong learning and learning for life while emphasising the importance of enjoying the learning experience. Mauveen van den Berg, Director of Community Education at Rangitoto College, says the aim is to present a programme that not only responds to the needs of North Shore’s adults, but also provides courses that have been tailored to meet the community’s interests. This willingness to appeal to a wide section of the community can be seen in the range of subjects offered. These extend from hobbies and practical activities to vocational, career and business oriented courses.

Importance is given to making affordable, accessible and relevant courses available. Providing opportunities for up-skilling, not only within the workplace but also for those who wish to return to paid employment, is highlighted. This is reflected in the comprehensive array of computer courses. How many of us, for example, wonder how to cope with the mysteries of cyberspace? We sit, scratching our heads, behind a computer screen. Now there’s an
opportunity to develop computer skills under the guidance of trained, skilled, friendly and experienced tutors.

If you’re already computer literate now’s your chance to step out from behind that desk, stretch those legs, put on your dancing shoes and swing! Rangitoto’s programme offers Latin American and Ballroom dancing. You can already dance? Then enrol in Tap , the very latest craze to make us want to move our feet. Inspired by that delightful film ‘Happy Feet’ tap dancing is fun, rhythmic, addictive and easy to learn!

All that exercise will lift the appetite. For those interested in international cuisine and home entertaining the choice is wide. Thai, Japanese, Indian and Mediterranean delicacies are proudly and expertly taught by tutors from the countries concerned. So before you go off on that Asian or European trip, go along and find out what the locals like eating!

You might also wish to pick up a bit of language to help make your overseas trip even more enjoyable. Renowned for its teaching of foreign languages, Rangitoto College Community Education has classes in Arabic, French, Hebrew, Italian, Mandarin New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) and Spanish.

Photography courses such as Black and White Photography, Understanding Your Camera and ProShow Gold will teach you how to develop, adjust, beautify and save those captured memories.

For more information on some, any or all of the above contact 477 0075.

Dog Behaviour

LOVE ME, LOVE MY DOG
Lucille Cooper, lifetime dog lover, owner and experienced trainer, will be running a dog behaviour class at Rangitoto College. The course includes training in understanding dog behaviour, obedience and agility, and will help you see your pet with new eyes. You will learn how to turn your dog into your best friend and in return you will be rewarded with loyalty and pleasure for the rest of your life.

When dogs try to understand their owners’ behaviour confusion often reigns. The cause of this confusion is that the beings involved are playing the same game but following different rules. Humans believe their pets will understand their wishes and this frequently creates misunderstanding. When a dog does not comply, the owner assumes deliberately naughtiness. This is usually not the case. Dogs often behave badly because they’re unable to correctly interpret their owner’s signals. This means the human is not giving correct signals for the dog to recognise and respond.

For dogs, instinct overrides changes in fashion and differences in breed, locality and language. All dogs work to the same set of rules. These rules provide them with their understanding of any action or command and send a clear message about the expected behaviour. Dogs really do like pleasing their owners but they need to be taught how to do this. They have to be given clear messages about what behaviour is required. Patience is a virtue that has little value if there is no mutual understanding and, as in any relationship, it takes time to build rapport.

A regular East Coast Bays’ beach walker, Lucille observes many situations in which a lack of understanding results in people feeling unhappy or intimidated by other people’s dogs. Lucille says, ‘We have such amazing opportunities on the North Shore to walk our dogs throughout the year. This will only continue if people control their dogs in an acceptable way. When a dog causes upsets, people often feel inadequate, become defensive or just hope things will change for the better in time. However, action is required to overcome boisterous or nuisance behaviour in a dog and success requires patience and communication between owner and dog.

The purpose of this course is to present information about dogs, to view the world through their eyes and to improve their behaviour. A happy owner will have a very happy dog and the world is a joyful place when the two are in harmony. For more information and enrolment please call 477 0075.

New Zealand Sign Language

In April 2006 the New Zealand Parliament declared New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) to be an official language. This was the culimination of a 20-year battle by the deaf community, and a true hallmark in the recognition of their native language.

New Zealand Sign Language (NZSL) is:

• the language of New Zealand’s Deaf community
• a wholly visual language with its own grammatical structure
• the most accessible language for Deaf people.
• a real language in its own right.
• able to communicate a full range of ideas and to serve a wide range of functions just like other languages
• essential for effective daily communication and interaction by Deaf people.
• different from Braille, which is the English language in code.

Recorder Rocks

Jessica Shaw is a gifted teacher and musician. In fact, so great is her love of the recorder that she travelled to the Netherlands, recorder capital of the world, to further her studies.

On Tuesday evenings Jessica shares her knowledge with a class of adult students. She refers to them as eager, keen, motivated and friendly people. Indeed, some of these enthusiasts travel significant distances to attend her course. One of them comes from Henderson and another from Point Chevalier. So dedicated are they to playing the recorder that the group even meet during the holidays to practise.

When this close knit group were asked why they had been willing to brave the elements for five years to attend the course they made the following comments:

• For the challenging experience of playing music in an ensemble.
• For fun and socialisation and for the opportunity to learn under the expertise of Jessica Shaw, an excellent and inspiring musician.
• The sheer joy of hearing and participating in the making of beautiful music with a beautiful instrument.
• I am new to Auckland and the recorder has made the difference between existing in this vast city and being at peace in this vast city.
• I used to play twenty years ago and it’s good to be back playing in a social group with great people.
• Lots of laughs and great tuition
• My brain is so challenged I can’t sleep after the class. It’s wonderful!
• A chance to share music with like-minded people, to learn new techniques and enjoy the camaraderie.
• Beats the crossword for keeping Alzheimer’s at bay!!

The Wonderful World of Woodturning

The North Shore Woodturning Guild was born when a talented band of lathe owners got together twenty-three years ago to talk about their craft These woodturning enthusiasts had two objectives in mind: firstly to further the art of woodturning and secondly to help each other. The group is still going strong and its members are involved in teaching their craft to others. This mixed group of enthusiasts is made up of people from all walks of life. They include professional woodturners, dedicated amateurs, experienced woodturners and others who are enthusiastic beginners.

For many years guild members met every week at Rangitoto College to discuss, practise, learn, encourage, observe and help each other with woodturning. Earlier this year they moved the guild into its own premises in Glenfield where, as part of Rangitoto College’s Community Education programme, members offer a Woodturning is Wonderful course. If you want to learn how to fashion beautiful gifts for family and friends then this is definitely the course for you. Project demonstrations and practical workshops will teach you skills in tool sharpening, lathe maintenance and, very importantly, where to buy your equipment.

For further information please call 477 0075.

Hang in There! Reach your Financial Goals!

As a person who has successfully made it back from the financial brink Brenda Whitehead, financial adviser, knows what she is talking about when she tells her clients to persevere with their goals.

Brenda openly admits that it took her years to come to grips with being a solo mother. “I responsibly decided to wait until we had a home of our own and could survive on one income before having a family, so it hit me hard when I found myself on my own with three children to care for.”

It was perseverance and a focus on being the best parent she could be that saw Brenda through. Planning and budgeting became a large part of her life and she soon decided to pursue a career working with numbers. She worked as a secretary/treasurer for the local play centre and then the rugby club and also did the book keeping for a local caterer. As if working and raising a family weren’t enough, Brenda also completed an accountancy paper through correspondence school.

Nine and a half years ago Brenda’s youngest child started university and she realised that this was her chance to do something for herself. She knew that she attained the most pleasure in life through helping others. At the time, she was working as a client services assistant for Money Managers in Whangarei, and had found that she could use her skills to help others obtain financial independence.

The highly driven Brenda became a financial adviser within a very short period and then transferred to Money Managers Orewa office to pursue a financial planning qualification. She studied extramurally through Massey University, completing her graduate diploma in financial planning in just three years, whilst working fulltime.

Brenda is now the proud owner of a Money Managers franchise and is pleased to say that her qualification and life experience have given her confidence and made her a better adviser. “I may have taken the long road”, she says, “but I hope that my story will encourage others to achieve their personal goals. It is never too late. I am now 55 years young and the best years of my life are ahead.”

As part of Brenda’s commitment to helping others she has allocated one day each week to doing something for the community. In October she will be starting classes at Rangitoto College through their community education programme. “If I can encourage one person to budget, set goals and look at the bigger picture, then I will have achieved a great thing”, she says.

Brenda Whitehead is a financial adviser. For information about her community programme contact 477 0075.

Husband and Wife are Lovers of Lifelong Learning

Winner of this year’s award for Outstanding Adult Learner is Russian-Australian Dimitri Tretchikoff. The award was presented to him by North Shore’s Deputy Mayor Diane Hale at a celebratory dinner held at Massey University on Thursday 6th September.

After graduating from high school in New South Wales Dimitri studied at technical college and then at universities in Australia and Canada. Graduating with a Bachelor of Science in pure and applied chemistry he was all set for his chosen career in industrial chemistry.

Over the following decades, he gained formal qualifications in management, public speaking, sales, marketing, and in nutritional science. On top of this he undertook a course in stocks and shares trading. Then, feeling in need of a little variety, Dimitri studied for a Diploma in Real Estate and became a licensed real estate agent in New South Wales. In 1994, he was appointed a Justice of Peace in New South Wales.

In 1997 Dimitri and his Kiwi wife Julie moved to New Zealand, where he again enrolled in a series of computing courses, this time through Rangitoto College’s Adult and Community Education programme. He began with basic computing, then continued to advanced levels. He went on to develop skills in touch typing, Excel and Microsoft Word and also learned how to use the internet and design his own website.

Dimitri says that he ‘became mindful of his leisure and spiritual needs,’ and therefore undertook courses in Petanque, Yoga, Dayskipper and Open Your Mind. As a lifelong learner he feels all the courses he has followed have been practical, useful and life-changing, and he strongly promotes adult and community education to friends and acquaintances.

In 1997 Dimitri and his Kiwi born wife Julie returned to New Zealand and settled in the East Coast Bays. While Dimitri busied himself with learning, Julie Jackson-Tretchikoff started teaching a course called Singing is Fun. She offered this through Rangitoto College’s Adult Community Education programme. It proved to be so popular that she was asked to start a second singing class and Singing with Style was born! This very successful course has built up an enthusiastic band of followers. Their repertoire includes pop music, standards, jazz, opera and musical theatre and has participants whose ages range from 18 to 80.

Talented Julie also composes and last year she wrote a musical melodrama entitled Chloe’s Christmas for her students. Suitably costumed and rehearsed, they performed at the Selwyn Village Theatre. The evening was a great success and a huge credit to the group, especially as for many of them this was their first time on stage. Their enjoyment of each other’s voices and company is obvious and they demonstrate a tremendous feeling of camaraderie.

Like many baby boomers Julie has had a variety of careers, but feels that teaching singing is her all time favourite. As she says, it gives her great pleasure to see the joy on the faces of adults who find they have a voice and can sing in tune.

Julie is currently studying for a doctorate in music through Auckland University. She believes music transcends all barriers and is a wonderful way to learn about, appreciate and understand other cultures. She hopes that one day we will teach the whole world to sing and by doing so promote world peace.

If you’re interested in the wide variety of courses offered through adult and community education then telephone 477 0075 for information and advice.

Liz de King - Talented Tutor and Amazing Artist

Liz De King, teacher of Spanish and Abstract Acrylics at Rangitoto College Adult Community Education, is the inspiration and driving force behind the recently created Rangitoto Art Club. Vibrant, energetic and refreshingly positive, Liz loves tutoring. Bubbly, vivacious and dedicated, Liz has taught at Rangitoto for a number of years and is valued by staff and students alike. In fact Liz’s reputation is built on such solid foundations that learners from suburbs across Auckland flock to her classes.

Born in Colombia, Liz comes from an indigenous and Spanish heritage and has a background that’s as interesting as her paintings. She grew up in South America where she studied Architectural and Engineering Design. Then when she was in her early twenties Liz moved to the United States where she met her husband Bob at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. At that time she was teaching English to children from various Latin American countries. Liz acknowledges that, ‘This experience, and the sharing of mutual cultural backgrounds , later influenced my career as a language teacher and as an artist.’

In 1982 Liz, Bob and their three children moved to New Zealand. Then in the 1990s Bob’s work took him to Kuala Lumpur and Liz went with him. While there she continued exploring the arts and followed a course in Batik printing. On returning to New Zealand Liz had the opportunity to take courses in print making, acrylic, fabric and encaustic painting, stone sculpting, glass fusing and pottery. Liz ’s painting career was born.

She incorporates abstract interpretations of the cultures of the indigenous peoples of the Andes in her work. This is apparent in her use of bright colours, grainy textures and mixed media which she sets against the background of her life in New Zealand. Liz has been selected to participate in many exhibitions and her paintings have been sold throughout Europe, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

We leave this busy wife, grandmother and artist to make her own comments about her work: ‘My paintings are spontaneous creations of shapes, textures, and colours which flow together to bring out and express what I have discovered in life. Many times I see representations of my cultural background which I would like to share with others, especially those things that are quite often hidden from day to day view. I love using vibrant colours, mixed media, unusual perspectives, and subjects that I have seen in my travels, or in my childhood. I would be very pleased if people can sense the same mood and emotion that I try to put into my work.’

For further information about Liz’s classes please call Rangitoto College on 477 0075. You can also view a selection of Liz’s paintings on her website at http://www.lizdeking.com.

Tickle your Tastebuds

Our culturally diverse communities have given us new friends and neighbours, and have introduced us to an array of exotic foods. The growing number of ethnic restaurants on the North Shore, Thai, Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Malaysian and Indonesian, to name but a few, demonstrates just how much we enjoy experimenting with new tastes.

This interest in exotic aromas and flavours is reflected in the number, variety and popularity of cooking courses now being offered by Adult Community Education (ACE) across the Shore. A wide range of international cuisine is on offer, and increasing enrolments indicate our willingness to be flexible, adaptable and above all adventurous in our eating. Food is our common ground, a universal focal point and we enjoy experimentation.

Have you ever spent a lazy afternoon in a Chinese restaurant, sipping tea and feasting on the vast assortment of delicacies that make up Yum Cha/Chinese Brunch? Dim sum will be offered. Literally meaning "to touch your heart," dim sum consists of a variety of dumplings, steamed dishes and other goodies.

Originally a Cantonese custom, dim sum is tied to the Chinese tradition of "yum cha" or drinking tea. Travellers journeying along the famous Silk Road needed a place to rest, so teahouses sprang up along the roadside. Today, dim sum is served throughout the world. There's no ordering; instead you choose from a wide assortment of snacks that waiters bring out on carts and trays.

The best way to enjoy dim sum is with a large group; otherwise you'll fill up on a few items and miss the opportunity to sample what’s on offer. You'll find everything from spareribs, steamed buns and roast pork, to utterly divine prawn dumplings and crispy squid. Vegetarians are catered for too; deep-fried treats include mini spring rolls and a type of taro turnover. Finally, there's dessert! Custard tarts are a must and you may also have a choice between mango or almond pudding. All these delicacies can be enjoyed with green tea, a healthy, fresh and satisfying accompaniment.

Going to Yum Cha and enjoying dim sum is a great way to sample a large variety of tastes and flavours without feeling overly full. Somehow the typical Sunday brunch - consisting of eggs, sausage, bacon and various other dishes - just doesn't reach the same level of culinary art that you'll find at a dim sum restaurant.

For those without time for a sit down brunch, the Japanese have given us the light but satisfying taste of sushi! With its modern day clean and healthy flavour the popularity of sushi is greater now than ever. Sushi is low fat, loaded with nutrients, and easy and quick to make. For instance, a typical serving of sushi consists of 8 to 10 pieces, which is around 350 to 400 calories and, because of the fish it often contains, sushi is high in protein and an excellent source of Omega 3 fatty acid. The seaweed and rice used in sushi also make it rich in iodine and comple carbohydrates. If you have never eaten sushi, you will probably be surprised at how delicious it is!!

The balanced nature of Indian food has made it very popular in our communities and the food pyramid used in Indian cooking is similar the one we’re familiar with in New Zealand. Grains, vegetables, fruits, meats, milk, fats, oils and sweets are used to provide a well rounded diet.

Most Indian dishes are delicately spiced to enhance the flavour of the main cooking ingredient. Fresh, ground spices are important and chosen according to the nature of the dish. Masala, literally meaning a blend of several spices, is a familiar word in any Indian kitchen. Garam (hot) masala is the most important blend and is a mixture of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper. There are, however, many varieties of garam masala and in India each state has its own blend and families and cooks have their own favourite mixtures.

Shore´s Super Speed Readers

Can you imagine speeding up your reading, comprehension and recall just by being coached though a free novel? Is it news to you that a course offered through Rangitoto College’s Community Education programme has been turning out some of our country's fastest readers?

The course trains average readers, those between 100 and 400 words a minute, to read and grasp and remember text at a rate that’s twice or three times faster than their normal speed. Course records show that participants who started with an average speed of 250 words per minute (wpm) were able to read 514 wpm at their final Speed Reading session.

Careful analysis of results reveals that neither age nor IQ determines who learns rapid reading best. It's all a matter of personal motivation and practice, but on average participants managed to double their reading, comprehension and recall. One person, for example, practised hard enough to go from 255 wpm to 1255 wpm - a staggering improvement of nearly 400%! In fact 11% of course members went beyond 1000 wpm, while the best participant read the free book at 1697 wpm!

These superb speed readers could easily join the world’s top ten reading champions. In their everyday lives, most now enjoy twice as many novels a year. Also, having followed the course, some school and tertiary students state that they can now deal with two or three times more homework than previously, and many business people have discovered managing in-trays and report loads has become easier and much less stressful.

So, if you come across a reader who seems to be turning pages twice or three times as fast as others, you have probably caught up with one of Rangitoto College Community Education’s super-readers! If you wish to improve your own reading, grasp and recall of printed material, there is a Speed Reading course waiting for you.

For more information phone us on 477-0075.

Viva Italiano

Bruno Silvestri, a passionate, popular and enthusiastic teacher of Italian offers classes at Rangitoto College Community Education. Bruno is a talker and that’s what he wants his students to be able to do - in Italian - after completing his seven week course. Bruno inspires his students and encourages them to visit his beloved Italy and practice what they have learned. Using music, song, talk and laughter students receive much more than a survival kit of Italian! They learn to communicate.

Communication is embedded in Bruno. He completed his education in post war Italy and, after finishing his studies, emigrated to South Africa. There he became a language learner, absorbed English and became a fluent speaker. He also met the woman who was later to become his wife. Bruno, a lover of music, the arts and language set about teaching his wife and children to speak Italian.

Bruno never lost his love for Italy and held his country close to his heart but, having lived in South Africa for forty one years, he followed his wife and daughters to New Zealand. He started to put down roots, but the call of Italy remained in his ears, as did the requests of many within the East Coast Bays’ community to learn Italian at intermediate level. Always gentlemanly and courteous, Bruno agreed to their wishes and accepted the challenge.

If you’re interested in Italy and things Italian, you may also wish to tempt your tastebuds while learning the language. Chef Potito Cuccinello will be teaching a two session Italian Cooking course on Saturday mornings, while Marina Vaccaro will offer an Italian Vegetarian Cooking class. For more information about any or all of the above please phone 477 0075.