22 July Tight tussle for students July 22, 2020 By Pam Fraser Sport The Rangiora High School 1st XV took on Shirley Boys High School on Friday, at Linfield Park, in the UC Championship. Shirley Boys piled on the pressure early, and Rangiora succumbed to a try, which was successfully converted. Rangiora worked their way back into the match, and towards the end of the first half, they were the side exerting the most force. The Shirley Boys team could not withhold the strain, and close to the line, the North Canterbury lads found the hole they had been searching for. They too converted their try, and the match was tied up 7-7 going into halftime. The second half was again a constant battle between two very evenly matched sides. Unfortunately, Rangiora missed a penalty opportunity midway through the second half, and late in the match Shirley Boys High School were able to convert their one and only chance. Shirley Boys finishing the winners 10-7. In the local division one competition, Kaiapoi dropped their first points of the season, losing 27-0 to Glenmark Cheviot. They were probably ruing some ill-discipline, as Brook Retallick slotted five penalties, alongside two tries from Harnett, and Keane. Oxford had a narrow win over Ashley 29-26. Saracens got up over Hurunui 25-10. And strugglers Woodend were defeated 0-45 by Ohoka. In the women’s grade, Kaiapoi romped home 55-0 over Celtic B. Related Articles North Canterbury Business Connecting Students to Literacy Program During Lockdown A North Canterbury educational resource provider is aiming to provide a free login to its literacy development program to every school-aged child in New Zealand during the COVID-19 lockdown. The Learning Staircase, based in Rangiora, designs and retails top quality educational resources and software for learners of all ages including adults and learners with specific learning disabilities. Their StepsWeb online program lets learners improve their literacy, vocabulary, comprehension and verbal reasoning via research-based tools, games ... North Canterbury Outclass The Students The North Canterbury women’s basketball team totally outclassed the University of Canterbury side in the latest round of the Premier competition. The led from start to finish, amassing more than double the points of their opposition, in their 80-38 win. Esra McGoldrick top scored for the local girls, with 24 points. The men’s premier side also picked up a win in their competition albeit much closer, defeating Checkers 85-80. Nat Connell top scored with 16 ... First day back at school Small numbers of students returning to school for their first day back after moving to Level 3 restrictions was the case for most schools in Waimakariri on Tuesday. Woodend School Principal Adrienne Simpson reported eleven students with the likelihood of an increase to 20 next week as more employment opens up. Any staff members with children were able to work from home and six bubbles, including an office bubble and a staff one, allowed for the ... Sponsorship boosts Cust School’s agricultural event Students at Cust School enjoyed hands on learning at their recent agricultural day thanks to a community sponsorship initiative by Waimakariri Irrigation Limited (WIL). Teacher Eleanor Smith says being able to provide prizes and extras such as a giant pumpkin seed for each student to take home and grow really made the event stand out. “It was fantastic to have WIL sponsor the event because we were able to provide ribbons for each prize winner, along ... International award for the culinary school in Kaiapoi The International Culinary Studio based in Kaiapoi is confident the demand for their online education business will gain a boost in the sweeping changes to lifestyles brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Studio’s head office might be situated far from a city or centre for hospitality, in fact its sits between a funeral-director and a dog parlour on Williams Street, but as Director of Studies, Cheryl Nesbitt, says, “Online education is the way of ... Lockdown sparks expansion opportunities for Eco Educate After cancelling of her all upcoming school environmental workshops due to Covid-19, Lesley Ottey of Eco Educate has leapt outside her comfort zone to connect with a global audience via technology. Eco Educate specialises in sustainable resource education and provides hands-on workshops for hundreds of preschools, primary schools and high schools across Canterbury. The organisation works alongside Waimakariri and Ashburton district councils. Even before lockdown hit, Lesley was closely monitoring overseas developments and anticipated that her ...