SchoolGen

	Schoolgen is a programme developed by Genesis Energy to bring the concepts of solar energy, sustainability and environmental awareness to life for children across New Zealand.
	Welcome to the Term 4 2009 edition of the Schoolgen newsletter. In this issue, we take a look at schools which have recently had panels installed tell you about the launch of the Sister School and Buddy School, programmes, look at what it means to be in a Lead Team, tell you about a research project that excited Paraparaumu students, and introduce you to an incredibly inspiring student from Raglan Area School.		Index: Genesis Energy brings solar power to Manawatu/Wanganui, Schoolgen Sister School programme launch a great success, Te Uku School and Raglan Area School become buddies, Developing leadership with the Schoolgen Lead Teams, Thumbs up from teacher and students, Powering ahead, Switch your students on to science

Genesis Energy brings solar power to Manawatu/Wanganui


	Hokowhitu School students at the Schoolgen assembly.

We are very pleased to welcome nine schools from the Manawatu and Wanganui regions to Schoolgen.

The nine schools to have solar panels installed on the roof of one of their buildings are: Hokowhitu School, Newbury School, Wanganui Intermediate, Kimbolton School, St Johns Hill School, Aokautere School, Awahou School, Mount Biggs School and St Anthony's Primary School. This brings the total number of Schoolgen schools in New Zealand to 42.


Students from Kimbolten School outside the Green RIG.

A special launch was held at Hokowhitu School in Palmerston North on Tuesday 20 October. Genesis Energy Chief Executive Albert Brantley was among those at the launch as well as principals and students from the other participating Manawatu/Wanganui schools. Hokowhitu School students gave an excellent performance that explained the importance of solar power through acting and song.



	Hokowhitu School acting principal Wendy McTaggart and students celebrate the launch of Schoolgen. The solar panels are on the roof of the classroom behind them.

'Hokowhitu School Acting Principal Wendy McTaggart says, "Hokowhitu School is proud to be one of the first Schoolgen schools in the Manawatu/Wanganui region. The launch of Schoolgen in our area was a wonderful occasion and a real celebration for the selected schools. Our twelve panels are installed and we are generating energy. Our students are now involved in collecting the data and looking forward to learning more about solar energy and sustainability. We would like to thank Genesis Energy for the opportunity to be involved in this programme."

The Green RIG was also present at the launch. The Green RIG, which is sponsored by Genesis Energy, is Horizons Regional Council's big semi trailer that takes the message of environmental awareness and sustainability to the Manawatu/Wanganui region. It features interactive exhibits and displays.

Back to top

Schoolgen Cluster programme launch a great success


	The launch of the Schoolgen Cluster programme was a great success according to feedback from students and teachers. Abigail Orr (left) and Jesse Pool enjoyed meeting students from other schools and learning new things about solar energy.

Fifty North Auckland students from 12 different schools attended the launch of the Schoolgen Cluster programme, which was held at Greenhithe School on 1 September. During the day the students took part in a series of activities related to solar energy.

The Schoolgen Cluster programme is a new initiative that will allow students from a number of schools to gather together at a Schoolgen school in their area for combined learning.

"The aim of the Cluster programme is to empower schools that have received the solar panels to become a lead Schoolgen school to neighbouring schools by utilising the school network or 'clusters' system," says Katie Jones, Schoolgen Co-ordinator.

Jesse Pool and Abigail Orr from Oteha Valley School enjoyed the day, and said it was fun to meet students from other schools, to take part in interesting activities and learn new things.

"I really enjoyed doing technical stuff with the solar panels and getting to see how light works," says Jesse.

Schools in the Northern Auckland 'cluster' that attended the launch were:
Greenhithe School, Coatesville School, Sherwood School, Oteha Valley School, Glamorgan School, Albany School, Torbay School, Long Bay Primary School, Dairy Flat School, Albany Junior High School, Ridgeview School, Kristin School.

If you would like to know more about our Cluster school programme please contact us at info@schoolgen.co.nz.

Back to top

Te Uku School and Raglan Area School become buddies


	Te Uku School and Raglan Area School are the first to work together under the new Schoolgen Buddy School programme.

A special assembly was held at Te Uku School on 16 September to celebrate the new Schoolgen Buddy School programme.

A buddy school is one that has shown strong interest in the Schoolgen programme and is situated in the same local area as a Schoolgen School. A buddy school doesn't receive solar panels; instead they use the solar electricity data from the lead Schoolgen school that it is partnering with.


Raglan Area School head boy Whirinaki Maniapoto made a special presentation at the assembly. Whirinaki is the Schoolgen leader at his school and he is also a former pupil of Te Uku School.

"It's an ideal way to embrace more schools in the Schoolgen programme and, as a result, more students will benefit," says Schoolgen Coordinator Katie Jones.

Te Uku School and Raglan Area School are the first to work together under the new programme and the partnership is proving to be a great success.

"Raglan Area School had solar panels installed at their school in 2008. They are now working with Te Uku School to support their learning about solar energy. It's a great opportunity for both schools to develop that relationship and to combine learning," says Katie.

Back to top

Developing leadership with the Schoolgen Lead Teams


	The Schoolgen Lead Team at St Peter Chanel School in Hamilton.

Schoolgen Lead Teams are being created at all of our Schoolgen schools.

A lead team is a group of about ten students that has been selected to work with Schoolgen Environmental Educator Maggie Twaddle. The lead team takes part in an intensive extension programme that enables them to take on more advanced learning about solar power and renewable energy.


The Lead Team at Bayswater School, North Shore, Auckland.

The students receive extra presentations about the various aspects of electricity generation in New Zealand and look at the changes to renewable energy that are happening around the world.

Maggie, who has already started working with the first lead teams, says the extra learning helps students to develop their leadership skills.

"What I've found is that the students become excited and involved in higher level learning," says Maggie. "It's something that they can share with their peers, but also take into their own lives going forward."

Back to top

Thumbs up from teacher and students

A group research presentation assignment on solar power was given the thumbs up by Paraparaumu Collage Year 10 students.

"I assigned four groups some research tasks based on resources in our Schoolgen kit," says teacher Graeme Richardson. The students had to analyse the solar panel performance, explain how the solar panel system works, investigate factors that affect the electricity output of the school's solar panels, and find out how much electricity the solar panels generate and what this could operate in a house. They had two weeks to research their project, prepare booklets and present their work to the class.

"The students seemed very excited by the task," says Graeme. "It beats the old 'research an electrical appliance' assignment we used to give them. The winning team received Crunchie bars and Schoolgen caps and t-shirts provided by Genesis Energy."

"I was blown away with the depth of understanding and enjoyment that they gained from the experience. The four groups produced models, booklets and posters. After their presentations I asked them how they felt about the assignment. The biggest benefit they recalled is the motivation they found working in a group. One boy who usually takes a minimalist approach said that he didn't want to let the team down and so gave 100% effort. He was rapt to get his first ever excellence grade. They also like being able to contribute their own skill area to the project; be it model making ICT presentation or poster design."

Student Georgia says she was pleased with the work they did and agrees they worked a lot harder because they didn't want to let the rest of the group down.

"I much preferred doing the project in the group instead of by ourselves, because we all had to work together. The students who wouldn't normally even attempt a project by themselves made an effort and did their work. Being put in groups instead of choosing our own made us interact with students that we wouldn't usually associate with. I think that the quality of work was so high because each individual in the group had their own strengths and weaknesses which the other members of the group compensated for."

Back to top

Powering ahead


	Adam Lai with his Sol Woka.

Adam Lai, a Year 13 student at Raglan Area School, is fascinated with solar power and inventing.

"What started off as a class challenge to come up with a totally new invention led to me realising that there are still - and perhaps always will be - opportunities to invent something new that can help people or improve our lives."

Adam has entered the Waikato Science Fair five times and he has won numerous prizes. His inventions include an electric surfboard, an electric fishing reel, a solar-charging backpack that charges your phone as you walk and a SCAB (Solar Compressed Air Boat).

"The Science Fair has opened my mind to different aspects of science and has led to me studying Year 13 Science at school and Year 13 Physics through correspondence."

His most recent invention is a solar powered waka, called Sol Woka and it received two prizes at the 2009 Waikato Science Fair.

"The primary use of the Sol Woka would be to serve as a single or two man yacht tender that produces its own energy whilst being tendered at larger boat moorings."

Adam says he really wants to keep his projects 'green'. "There are many advantages of using solar energy. It's a renewable energy, it costs nothing to run (excluding the cost of solar panels), and there is no maintenance (apart from occassional clean)."

Adam is now planning on entering Realise the Dream and is interested in pursuing a career in engineering.

Raglan Area School is a Schoolgen School and an Enviroschool.

Back to top

Switch your students on to science

The Schoolgen team believes that teaching science matters.

'Ecological Sustainability - Caring for the Environment' is one of the values to be encouraged and, as a result, more and more teachers are using the web-based Schoolgen programme because it embraces this concept.

"Schoolgen enables teachers and students to embrace learning about solar power as a key source of renewable energy, which is valuable information for our future decision makers. Our programme can ensure this aspect of sustainability is easily included into existing New Zealand school curriculum," says Schoolgen Environmental Educator Maggie Twaddle.

The programme is ready to use for every school, at all levels.

"Our focus has been to create resources with everything teachers might need," says Maggie. "All teachers have to do is download the age-appropriate link to the research documents and lesson plans. The units of work are there in a format you can insert into your own planning, with templates already designed for using with your class. Students can compare the live data from schools that have solar panels in different parts of the country."

Paraparumu College Head of Physics Graeme Richardson says his students tell him they prefer this style of learning. "These assignments fit so well with the new curriculum 'Managing Self' key competency. Thanks for the opportunity."

If your class is using the Schoolgen resources then we'd love to hear from you or from your students. You can contact us at info@schoolgen.co.nz

Back to top

	genesisenergy.co.nz www.schoolgen.co.nz Email: info@schoolgen.co.nz Unsubscribe: I do not wish to receive the Schoolgen Newsletter

	© Copyright 2009 Genesis Energy This information has been compiled by Genesis Energy for information purposes only. While reasonable endeavours have been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, Genesis Energy does not warrant the accuracy or completeness of the information. Genesis Energy does not accept any liability or responsibility for any error, inaccuracy or omission in the information or for the use of such information by any person for any purpose. The Ministry for the Environment does not necessarily endorse or support the content of the publication in any way.