John Lewis

Six months ago, Tavita Nielsen-Mamea's diet and exercise regime consisted of sitting in front of the television with about 10,000 kilojoules of "chips, takeaways, lollies and more chips".

The last set of cups come off the cows at the milking shed as the sun ambles its way west near the end of a stiffling hot Saturday afternoon.

There was a sense of pride but certainly no prejudice when Emeritus Prof Jocelyn Harris learned she had been awarded a CNZM for services to education in the New Year Honours list.

At a time when the global economy is slowing, yachting may be just the thing to put some wind back in the sails of the New Zealand economy, Emirates Team New Zealand chief executive Ross Blackman says.

The number of senior pupils leaving Dunedin secondary schools to join the workforce next year is expected to drop dramatically in light of a down-turn in the economy, principals say.

There's something about bugs that gives most people the jitters. But there's no place for insecticides in Morgan Shields' life - he loves creepy crawlies.

A fine voice plus a sense of adventure have equated to a position at one of the world's top 10 cathedral choirs for a Dunedin maths teacher.

Installing security cameras on school grounds is one of several measures being investigated by the Taieri College board of trustees in response to allegations of bullying at the school.

School trips are being cancelled and claims for financial assistance are on the rise as parents begin to feel the pinch of the present financial climate.

While health and safety concerns and increased costs are prompting many schools around the country to cancel the traditional school camp, Otago schools are bucking the trend.

After three years' teaching at Kings High School, Lawrence Tagaloa is taking his work behind bars.

Ben Mulholland's iPod Super Dock may have been nothing more than "a means to an end" when he started building it, but the invention has won the Taieri College pupil a trip to the International Science and Technology Fair in Taiwan.

There was not a little green man in sight when Port Chalmers pupils had the photos from their upper atmosphere developed yesterday, but they did capture New Zealand from a height.

Children's log, star date 13-12-08: Port Chalmers School pupils have taken one giant leap for primary education and sent a probe to the final frontier - space.

"All in all, it's just another coat of paint on the door."

Seldom does a silver award qualify you to say you are first. But Otago Girls High School showed it could be done at the Otago EnviroSchools Awards ceremony at the Skeggs Gallery yesterday.

The New Zealand Principals Federation has labelled the Government's bid to set national literacy and numeracy standards "totally unnecessary" and wants to work with the Ministry of Education to make sure no extra testing is put in place.