No offensive words on your shirt, and wear shoes.
Ayala: Fine.
N: Hmm. Tell me three things that are completely different about this school to your previous school?
A: There's a lot more kids. There's a concert band. I walk there.
N: I love how succinct you are in your answers. Excellent. Next question! What are three things about your new school that are the same?
A: Well, one, the class size is the same. I see the same people all day which is a good thing. Two, we are learning the same thing in science - chemical reactions. And number three, I have a sort of advisory class called Rōpū, which is in Māori - the language of the indigenous people.
N: What does Rōpū mean?
A: I don't know.
N: Okay great.
A: 🙄
N: Okay. In the Commonwealth, schools typically have uniforms. What's it like for your school?
A: We don't have one. The dress code is: No offensive words on your shirt and wear shoes.
N: Wow. Do people tend to keep that dress code?
A: I think?
N: Great... So what grade are you attending and how many students are there in the grade?
A: I am attending year 10 which is ninth grade back home but we started the new year because school here starts in January. There are about three hundred and fifty kids in my grade.
N: And what does the school look like?
A: Like, the school is very big and it's really confusing to get around. I can't find any of my classes.
N: So you just don't go?
A: People show me where to go. Yeah and each of my English classes are in different rooms. Every class I have is in a different building.
N: How many minutes do you have between classes?
A: None. They don't really care if you're late.
N: Is there a bell?
A: No, just a fire alarm.
N: Does the fire alarm ring after every class?
A: No it was just ringing on the first day.
N: Aha... Who is your Rōpū teacher and what's one interesting fact about them?
A: My main teacher is called James. His last name is Prince-Taylor. He's also my English teacher. He has long hair and a beard.
N: What are you reading in English?
A: The same book we read at OHDS in English. 12 Angry Men.
N: What a classic! You mentioned there is a concert band. What kind of music classes will you have?
A: So I get to choose two "choice" classes and for those classes I chose media studies and music. Music is not the band - I have to also sign up for the band. But in music I get to learn about music theory and, um, writing music and stuff like that.
N: Any new classmate connections to share of?
A: Um... the girls in my class are really nice to me.
N: Did they grow up in Wellington?
A: Most of them. One of them was born in America and moved here a couple years ago.
N: What is media studies like?
A: I learn about, like, movies and also like journalism and stuff.
N: What is the food like at Wellington High?
A: The cafeteria is fully vegan which is great. Because I can eat everything but there's really long lines because there's like 2,000 kids.
N: What item of stationary did you get that you're most excited about?
A: I don't know?! All the notebooks have weird names. A regular size notebook is called like a 1B4 or something like that and like a math one is called like a 1J5 or something... and then you can get like a little mini notebook, that's like a 3B4 or something like that... I don't really know it's really confusing.
N: What else about living in Wellington can you share with us?
A: There's shops in the city that you can walk to. You can also walk to the beach - the harbour - it's a long walk but you can walk there. It's really nice, and we rented those six person bikes and we biked around and that was interesting experience.
N: Any other fun family activities to recount?
A: There's a nature reserve next to our house that we went on the hike in.
N: Cool... What was Shabbat like?
A: Um, we go to a big shul building with not very many people. So, usually the men's section is on the bottom and the woman on the top, but since there's not enough people, the men are on one side of the men's section and the women are on the other side of the men's section.
N: Lovely.
A: There's a Jewish girl that goes to the shul and my school, but I have no classes with her, but I talk to her on Shabbat. She's really nice.
N: Wonderful. It's just about time to go. Anything else you want people to know about Wellington that they may not already know?
A: The thing about it being the windiest city in the world is true. Don't come here if you don't like wind.
N: Wise words. Thank you for speaking with us today. How do they say "see you later" in Wellington?
A: G'day
N: No - that's Australia.
A: Kia Ora?
N: Nope. That's hello.
A: OK. Bye.
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