MRGS APEX 2014 Settling Retreat 21-22 feb Jon Riki

We just had our APEX retreat for the new group of year 9’s, the group was a mix between past Sportzlife boys from Waikowhai Intermediate and from Mount Roskill Intermediate. The retreat is to help the year 9’s we and other youth workers have identified as at risk and in need to provide transitional support into high school, The group follows on to the APEX program which runs for the whole schooling year. Before the program starts there is a settling retreat at the beginning, a overnight stay with school staff and ourselves. The settling camp this year worked but wasn’t overly great, and don’t think that there was good learning or refection but if all the aim was to create belonging within the group and school at least I feel we achieved that. This year was the first time i have run a camp or retreat by myself and  i learnt a lot from the experience. What i have learnt will help next year will benefit my own work and better the retreat for the young people involved. 

MRGS Apex Graduation Camp 2013 - Jon Riki

The apex program has been running since term 1 with a group of year 9 boys from Mount Roskill Grammar school and focuses on the four stages of the Circle Of Courage (Belonging, mastery, independence, generosity) a model based on building resilience within young people.

This year has been filled with memorable experiences and growth for the young people involved and was all wrapped up with a graduation camp at windy ridge camping ground in Warkworth.

There was no actual structure to the camp but to go and reflect on the year to start looking towards the next year. Between the typical duties there was a lot of time for us to spend with the boys and debrief how the year has been. The camp was a success and left the boys wishing it was a bit longer which was something to keep in for mind for the next year 9’s. Although the camp was only overnight it was important to have some closer to the program.

With all the boys moving on to their second year of high school it was great journeying with them and ending the year with a camp. 

praxis graduation 2013

2013 was a proud year for our team with Sagele Palaamo graduating with his Diploma in Community and Youth Studies and Siua Tupou completing his first year.


-top left is siuas family celebrating
-bottom right is all auckland graduates
-top right and bottom left is the leadership program team working hard in the kitchen

leadership wrap up

2013 was a productive year for the Leadership Program. its started with a hiss and a roar at the Molley Green Community day and ended with a great break up at Mission Bay. Mixed in between was a retreat, leadership summit, community projects, the whats normal road show, contribution to the Puketapapa Youth Council and a good solid effort serving the community in many creative ways.
A highlight for me was how committed the boys have been to serving the homeless on a Wednesday Night's outside The Salvation Army Auckland City Corp. Above are two photos from our break up. I am looking forward to pushing on this year with the leadership crew to see what we can learn and achieve.

Michael Smith

Roskill South Raiders Sports Academy 2013

Reflection: Jon Riki - Academy Manager

The Roskill South Raiders team this year was by far the most involvement and support by the community. The number of players at training ranging around 50-60 boys enough for two teams and subs. On game day with a playing squad of 30 plus boys depending on how many we could transport not including managers, coaches and supporters the support from everybody was overwhelming. We still have had the same committee running the team for the past three years with the same amount of core players.

We ended up only having one official team in a comp but we also ran a state of origin comp with a close organization who works with similar young people in the community next to ours. this meant we could play our U17 and U14 teams to great success especially because the games were close to the hood.

 However this year interest was sparked by the idea of a open age team which attracted a lot more boys. There were many groups who played a part in the success of the project including Auckland Council, the competition organisers (Auckland Tongan Sports Association), Mark Roiall from Langi Sports and The Salvation Army and most importantly the Roskill South community.

If you noticed anything around the community after the raiders season has ended all the people involved are alot closer, it has given the chance for the boys in the community to connect through a common interest and build new friendships as well as strengthen existing relationships. The relationships built has not only worked within a certain age group but connected young and old as well as culturally. 

The biggest long term effect that has come from the project would be the connections they are strong now and through other things going on in the community will be maintained. 

This year was a successful season in terms of community and youth development for Roskill South, but as for everything there was some things that could be improved on for the next season of the Raiders. The grounds where the competition was held in Takanini was quite a travel from Roskill South which meant we were not able to fit everybody in our vans but thanks to the financial support and fundraising there was money for gas for the following cars to make numbers.

Peak Journey (blue mountain adventure centre) 16-23 dec 2013

Youth Worker Reflection (Sagele Palaamo).

Late last year I went with 5 of the boys to BMAC and were apart of the PEAK JOURNEY for one week . it was a long and challenging trip with many different activities, that started from national park and went all the way to new Plymouth. The fist day started with a mountain bike ride through the 42 triverse track which didn’t start of to well with one of the boy poping their tyres and then another crashing and bukling his frount tyre which was pretty funny, but then we had to turn around and go back to change the tyre, then had to road bike right round to owhanga where we camped for the night,  when we arrived everyone was tired. Every night we got to choose a leader for the next day who was responsible of waking everyone up and making sure everyone was ready for the day, and were safe during the activites. One of the activities that  I will remember was canoeing, it was hard. In the past most groups had done this last leg of the journey in three days but the boys were determined to finish it in two so we could get home early. on the Saturday we canoed all afternoon right until eight at night. We stopped and set up camp on the side of the river. The next day we got up at about four in the morning just so we could get a head start, and finish. Along the way we got to see a lot of the country and a lot of goats where we stoped sometimes and tried to chase down and catch but were unsuccessful but was good fun. Overall it was a really good experience looking back on it now, and when we got our maps of how far we travelled, it was good to see it on papper, we covered 270km in five days, after going through it, I see why its called the journey.

Robert - Peak Journey Participant:We did canoeing, road biking, mountain biking and rafting. I enjoyed the stuggle of waking up early in the mornings to do more adventures an also doing new obstales. I learned that you can never do things alone and how having people to support is good and not been weak. Also that there are hard things in life that takes focus and determination to succed. I think I now see God in nature too that used to be weird for me.

Amos - Peak Journey Participant: 

Doing Peak Journey at BMAC was a very great experience for me because the hard work you put in was worth it when you get to the finish. We all got skinny from the exercize and now have bigger limits to what we can achieve. This trip has helped me feel confident in my future as part of the ARU development program.