NCEA literacy practice

Kōwhai Corner Café is a busy family-run café on Victoria Avenue. We are known for our homemade pies, fresh scones and friendly service. Because our summer season is starting, we are looking for two keen people to join our weekend team.

Position: Weekend kitchen hand and counter staff (two positions)

Hours: Saturday and Sunday, 7.30 am to 1.30 pm, from 6 December until the end of February. Extra shifts may be offered during the school holidays.

Pay: $25.00 an hour, plus a free meal on every shift.

What you will do: wash dishes and keep the kitchen tidy; prepare simple food such as salads and toasted sandwiches; serve customers at the counter and take payments; clean tables and restock the food cabinet.

What we are looking for: You must be at least 16 years old. You do not need café experience, because we will train you. However, you must be reliable, polite to customers and happy to work fast when it gets busy. A food safety certificate is useful but not required. You will need to wear closed-toe, non-slip shoes in the kitchen.

How to apply: Drop off a short letter about yourself at the café counter, with the name and phone number of one referee (not a family member). Applications close at 5 pm on Friday 21 November. We will contact people for a short interview the following week. Please do not phone the café about the job, as our staff are busy serving customers.

Harbourview District Council is planning a new protected cycleway along Tōtara Street, between the Marine Parade roundabout and Riverside School. We want to hear from people who live, work, shop or travel along the street before we make a final decision.

Why a cycleway? In a council survey last year, 62 percent of Riverside School families said they would let their children bike to school if there was a safer route. Tōtara Street is currently the only direct route, and it carries about 9,000 vehicles a day.

What would change? A two-way cycleway, separated from traffic by a low concrete kerb, would be built on the eastern side of the street. To make room for it, 38 on-street car parks would be removed. Fourteen new car parks would be created in Pōhutukawa Lane, behind the shops. The speed limit on Tōtara Street would drop from 50 km/h to 40 km/h.

When would it happen? If the plan is approved, work would begin in March next year and take about five months. Footpaths would stay open during the work, but some lanes would close between 9 am and 3 pm on weekdays.

How can I have my say? Fill in the online form on the council website, pick up a paper form from the Harbourview Library, or come to a drop-in session at the Riverside Community Hall on Wednesday 19 November, 4 pm to 7 pm. Feedback closes at 5 pm on Friday 28 November.

Kahikatea Beach Surf Life Saving Club patrols the beach every weekend from late October until early April, and every day during the summer school holidays. When the club is on patrol, you will see red and yellow flags on the sand. Always swim between the flags, where lifeguards are watching.

Please note: patrol times can change because of weather and surf conditions. If the flags are not up, there is no patrol, even if the table below says there should be.

Safety tips: Never swim alone. If you get caught in a rip, stay calm, float on your back and raise one arm to signal for help. Children under 10 should always be within arm's reach of an adult in the water. In an emergency, call 111 and ask for Police.

A weedy section on Mataī Road in Kererū Heights has been turned into a thriving community garden, thanks to a group of neighbours and a $4,000 grant from a local trust.

The Mataī Road Community Garden opened on Saturday with a sausage sizzle and a planting day. More than 80 people came along, and by the end of the afternoon, 300 seedlings were in the ground.

The idea came from retired builder Hemi Walker, 68, who walked past the section every day. 'It was full of rubbish and gorse,' he said. 'I kept thinking, this could feed people instead.' Mr Walker contacted the owners, the Lam family, who agreed to lend the land to the community for ten years at no cost. 'It's the best thing that has happened to this street,' he said.

Volunteers spent four months clearing the site, building 20 raised beds and installing a water tank. Students from Kererū Heights Intermediate built a worm farm and painted the signs.

Anyone can help in the garden on Saturday mornings from 9 am. Vegetables are shared between volunteers, and any extra produce goes to the local food bank. Garden coordinator Lisa Fong said the group hoped to add fruit trees next winter. 'Our goal is that nobody in this street goes without fresh vegetables,' she said.

Not everyone is happy. One neighbour, who did not want to be named, said she was worried the garden would attract rats. Ms Fong said compost bins would be sealed and checked every week.

Kia ora koutou, and welcome to our end-of-season newsletter! What a year it has been for Rimu Valley Football Club. We had 214 registered players this winter, our biggest number ever, across 18 junior teams, two youth teams and two senior teams.

Player of the Year: Congratulations to Sione Taufa (14), who has been named the club's Player of the Year. Sione scored 21 goals for the Under-15 Blues, but coaches said it was his attitude that stood out. He arrived early to help set up the goals every Saturday and often stayed late to help coach the Under-7s. Sione says his dream is to play for New Zealand one day.

Prizegiving: Our prizegiving will be held on Sunday 16 November at 2 pm in the clubrooms. Every junior player will receive a certificate. Please bring a plate of food to share. Drinks will be provided.

Lost property: We have a large box of jackets, drink bottles and one left boot (size 6). Unclaimed items will be given to the hospice shop after 30 November.

Summer futsal: Indoor futsal starts on 3 February at the Rimu Valley Events Centre. Teams of five play on Tuesday evenings. Registration costs $45 per player, and it is open to players aged 10 to 16.

Volunteers needed: We are looking for a new club secretary and two people to help run the canteen next season. Without volunteers, the club cannot run. If you can give a few hours a month, please talk to our chairperson, Karen Mills, at prizegiving.

By Jordan Reti, Year 10, Kōwhai Ridge College

This year, our school council decided to hold the Kōwhai Ridge College fete on a Friday afternoon instead of on a Saturday, where it has been for over 20 years. In my opinion, this was a big mistake, and the fete should go back to Saturday next year.

The first reason is simple: fewer people came. Last year's Saturday fete raised $11,200 for new sports gear. This year's Friday fete raised $6,400. That is a drop of almost half.

Second, Friday afternoon is when most parents are still at work. The fete is supposed to bring the whole community together, but how can it do that when mums, dads and grandparents can't come? My own parents both missed it, and so did most of my friends' families.

Some people say a Friday fete is better because students are already at school, so nobody has to give up their weekend. But surely one Saturday a year is not too much to ask. Everyone knows that the best fetes are always on weekends.

The school council also said that a Friday fete was easier to staff, because teachers were already on site. I understand that. However, a fete that raises half the money is not easier in the long run.

I am asking the school council to listen to students and families and bring the fete back to Saturday. Let's make next year's fete the biggest one yet.

Worth every cent (Priya S., Hamilton)

Rating: 5 out of 5

I bought the Kauri Flask 750 for my son's school bag after his third plastic bottle cracked this year. Six months later, it still looks brand new apart from a small dent where he dropped it on the netball court. It keeps water icy cold all day, even when his bag sits in the sun at lunchtime.

The lid clicks shut and has never leaked, which is a relief because his schoolbooks live in the same bag. At $39.99 it is not cheap, but I think it will last for years, so it works out better value than buying a new $8 bottle every term. My only complaint is that it is heavy when full. Overall, I would recommend it to any family.

Looks great, but... (Liam T., Dunedin)

Rating: 2 out of 5

I wanted to love the Kauri Flask 750. It comes in great colours and feels solid. But after two weeks of cycling training, the rubber seal in the lid started to smell, even though I washed it every night. The company's website says the seal should be replaced every six months, but a new one costs $12 and has to be ordered online. I emailed the company about it, but nobody had replied a week later.

The bottle also does not fit in the drink holder on my bike, which was the main reason I bought it. It does keep water cold, I will give it that. For $39.99, I expected better. I would tell people to look at other bottles before buying this one.