Latest news with #Tessa
Scoop
21-05-2025
- General
- Scoop
Open Polytechnic Study Helps ‘To Shape' Christchurch ECE Graduate
One hundred and five graduates from the South Island graduated at the Wigram Airforce Museum in Christchurch, Ōtautahi this week (Tuesday 20 May 2025), to receive their qualifications from Open Polytechnic, New Zealand's specialist provider of online learning. Christchurch-based Bachelor of Teaching in Early Childhood Education graduate, Tessa Karati was the student speaker at the ceremony. Tessa, who identifies as Cook Island and New Zealand Māori, commenced her speech in te reo Māori before thanking God and those people who had contributed to her success. During her speech, Tessa acknowledged the impact that studying with Open Polytechnic has had on her life. 'I thank Open Polytechnic, for sensitively, but boldly calling us up and out to be advocates, and for helping to shape not just who I am as a teacher, but who I am as a person,' she said. She likened her learner journey to a 'relationship' with her degree as she went through the five stages of attraction, romance, disillusionment, commitment and acceptance. Through her studies, Tessa realised how disconnected from her culture she had become and discovered that she had absorbed stories about her culture that were rooted in deficit, and how and why that was. 'It generated a deep sense of responsibility to do better for our future generations and enable them to thrive,' Tessa said 'I still have a lot to learn, but even so, I know my role as a kaiako is more than teaching, it's advocating for our tamariki (children), ensuring they grow up hearing positive messages about themselves, knowing that they are valued.' Tessa finished off her speech by thanking her tutors, friends and family, before congratulating her fellow graduates. 'Be proud. You are smarter, wiser, more resilient, more persistent, courageous, and hardworking,' she said. During his speech, Executive Director Open Polytechnic Alan Cadwallader congratulated the graduates for their commitment to completing their studies. 'Choosing to study at distance and online is a learning experience which takes discipline and determination,' he said. 'It takes your self-motivation to set time aside to work through your online course materials, absorb the learnings, and then successfully complete assessments. I commend you all for completing your qualification while also navigating the responsibilities of whānau, work and other life commitments.' Alan told the audience that it was a privilege and honour to be able to lead a world-class learning institution that puts learner achievement at the forefront of everything it does. 'I'm pleased to be able to say that in our most recent student satisfaction survey, 94% of our learners said they were satisfied with their overall experience with Open Polytechnic,' Alan said. 'This level of satisfaction can only be achieved by an all of organisation effort to ensure our ākonga (learners) have the teaching and facilitation, feedback, services and tools they need to succeed in their studies. ' Alan also acknowledged the importance of having a support network to help. 'I know your study journey will not always have been easy, and I would like to thank those in the audience that have supported you, your friends, family, whānau and supporters,' Alan said. 'It's your practical means of support, your words of encouragement, and your guidance throughout your graduate's study journey that has also contributed to their success.' The graduates at the Christchurch ceremony were awarded a variety of diplomas and degrees, including early childhood education, primary and secondary education, social work, social health and wellbeing, funeral directing, business, accounting, applied management, legal executive studies, library and information studies, psychology, web development and design, information technology, architectural technology, and construction. The Christchurch ceremony was the second of three for Open Polytechnic in 2025, with the final ceremony to come in Wellington on 27 May. Including those awarded in absentia, around 1150 graduates will receive their diploma or degree from Open Polytechnic this graduating year. About Open Polytechnic As New Zealand's specialist provider of open and distance learning, Open Polytechnic enrols more than 35,000 mainly part-time students per year. The majority of students are adult learners, combining work and study.
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Trust praised for 'excellent' brain tumour care
A Leeds hospital trust has been recognised for its outstanding treatment of brain tumours. Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust has been announced as a Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Centre of Excellence - one of 14 nationally. The award recognises centres that provide excellent treatment, care and research opportunities for patients with brain tumours, with services measured on several criteria. The trust was originally recognised in 2021 but had to reapply last year. More than 12,000 people are diagnosed with a primary brain tumour in the UK every year, according to the Brain Research UK charity. Ryan Mathew, associate professor and honorary consultant neurosurgeon at the trust, accepted the formal accreditation in a London award ceremony on Thursday. "Our patients walk into this hospital and are given an awful diagnosis, but know the care they are going to receive is the very best," he said. The trust was singled out for streamlining its procedures to decrease the time from when a patient is diagnosed to when they have surgery. The Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Centre for Excellence was established in 2020 to help ensure the best standards for patients. Dame Tessa, who died in 2018 aged 70, played a major role in securing London 2012 as culture secretary and later campaigned for the availability of further cancer treatments through the NHS. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. New cancer care approach 'tip of iceberg' - researcher Keyhole op used to remove head tumour in UK first Brain cancer treatment trial led by uni experts Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust
The Courier
14-05-2025
- General
- The Courier
Tribute to David Merrie: Blairgowrie man who ‘lived breathed and loved' nature dies aged 89
Blairgowrie resident David Merrie, who passed away on the morning of April 9 after a short stay in Ninewells Hospital, is being remembered as a passionate adventurer and outdoorsman who 'lived breathed and loved' the natural world all his days. David, who was 89, fought old age and failing health with courage and determination after a life filled striding the hills with his binoculars, cycling the glens and many an outdoor adventure. Fittingly, his final resting place is a natural burial in a Cairngorms birch wood close to the flora, fauna, animals and birds that he so loved. Paying tribute, daughter Tessa said her father would be remembered 'as a fountain of knowledge especially of birds and the natural world, for his great physical fitness, inventiveness, dry humour, creativity, energy and love for life.' A passionate ornithologist, he was also an engineer, mountaineer, adventurer, photographer, botanist, gardener, artist, cyclist and an enthusiastic lover of classical music and the arts. Scottish country dancing was another passion, as was curling, cooking and being a good neighbour and active member of his community. 'He was very bold – doing things that other people might just think about,' said Tessa. 'He was a birdwatcher and a keen mountaineer who did all his Munros. 'As children, he took us on so many adventures – camping and walking in the Highlands and to the west coast. It is a priceless legacy. We loved him very much and will miss him greatly'. Born in Bristol where he grew up during the war, David's passion for studying wildlife was inspired by his grandad and mum. Winning a scholarship to Clifton College, his school encouraged his interests in nature too, allowing him to help with the creation of an herbarium. David and his good friend William took up birdwatching and would cycle up to 100 miles in a day on birdwatching trips. He went on to study mechanical engineering at Peter House, Cambridge. David's interest in birds and nature continued to grow. It should be no surprise then that his life was full of trips, expeditions and travelling to explore the natural world. He first visited the west coast of Scotland, travelling by bus at the age of 20, equipped only with a blanket roll and tarp and no knowledge of midges. Despite that, he fell in love with the country, moving to work in Glasgow with Barr & Stroud initially. He commuted from Cardross where there was less smog. In 1963 he met Heddy, a Dutch nurse. She was working in Scotland and staying with friends in Helensburgh when they met in a pub. They both loved the outdoors. But to be sure, they spent a night in an abandoned eagle's eyrie and then one in a tent on the windiest point of the Mull of Kintyre before he proposed. They married in Wassenaar in Holland in 1964, going on to have two children. They were well matched, sharing interests, intelligence and a sense of adventure. David was in Glasgow until 1967 before moving to work with BP at Grangemouth. The family lived in the basement of Airth Castle for nine months before moving to Dollar where they lived for 10 years. Later David's work took the family to Aberdeenshire. In the 1970s he was involved with golden eagle surveys, helping to raise awareness amongst landowners and conserve the species. He also founded the Stirling branch of the Ornithologists Club. He used to give bird talks and lessons to people. David's biggest project was to build artificial islands for Red and Black Throated Divers, to stop the decline of the population on the west coast. The first islands were built in 1977 and they are still being built and maintained today. He co-established the North Sea Bird Club which ran for 40 years. Surveys were done of the migrating birds landing on oil rigs. After Aberdeen he lived and worked in Egypt for 2.5 years, returned to Glasgow for a time. Then in 1987 they got a cottage in Perthshire, near Blairgowrie, before moving to Craigie where he'd been since 1995, using it as a base to further explore. He even appeared in The Courier in 2019 calling for an investigation into a 'plague of flies'. Daughter Tessa said she and brother Arend were grateful to their dad for passing on to them both, and to his grandchildren Izzie and Rory, inquisitive minds and a love of adventure. 'Holidays were enjoyable expeditions, from camping in the campervan to walking in the mountains of Scotland and later Switzerland and The Pyrenees and beyond,' she said. David's adventures included a seven day trek across one of the more remote parts of Scotland, eating mainly Ryvita, completing 13 Munros and arriving home seven days later, and 7kg lighter. On another occasion, with a friend, he rowed a rubber dingy across Rannoch Moor, hauling it from loch to loch, capturing sunsets, birdlife and the wildflowers in photos. On a family trip to the Pyrenees, after trialling the tent in the Cairngorms and plotting the intended route on a map with minimal contour markings, they found themselves unexpectedly on a 1000ft cliff ledge at one point. David was enthusiastic about his adventures and explorations, and he was supportive too of those of others, including his children. Retirement and old age never daunted David who continued to adventure with trips round the world. He cycled his bike until he replaced it with an electric bike at the youthful age of 84, cycling up to 50 miles a day. He was also a member of Blairgowrie ProBus Club, walking with them until last year. In this final year of his life, David kept going in the face of pain and discomfort, one day making it all the way up to Pinecone viewpoint above Dunkeld with his walker. Family take comfort from knowing he lived a full and inspirational life, working hard and passing on to others his incredible enthusiasm for the world around him. David, who is predeceased by his wife Heddy, is survived by his children Tessa and Arend and grandchildren Izzie and Rory.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
The Young and the Restless Recap: What Did Mariah Do?
Here is the latest The Young and the Restless spoiler promo: A Deal With The Devil: Victor (Eric Braeden) meets up with Phyllis (Michelle Stafford) and asks what information she has for him. She refuses to reveal anything until he promises her something in return. A Marriage in Turmoil: Tessa (Cait Fairbanks) and Mariah (Camryn Grimes) are in trouble. Tessa begs Mariah to forgive her and maybe go to family counseling so they can work through their issues. In tears, Mariah says it isn't Tessa who needs to be forgiven. It's Party Time: Claire (Hayley Erin) tells Nikki (Melody Thomas Scott) and Victoria (Amelia Heinle) she wants to throw a party to help change Victor's mind about Kyle (Michael Mealor). Previous The Young and the Restless (YR) Promo: What are you looking forward to next week? Sound off in the comments! Watch the video clip below and keep checking back for the latest The Young and the Restless spoiler promos!
Canberra Times
09-05-2025
- Science
- Canberra Times
Google is rolling out its Gemini AI chatbot to kids under 13. It's a risky move
My research team has recently examined a range of AI chatbots, such as ChatGPT, Replika, and Tessa. We found these systems mirror people's interactions based on the many unwritten rules that govern social behaviour - or, what are known as "feeling rules". These rules are what lead us to say "thank you" when someone holds the door open for us, or "I'm sorry!" when you bump into someone on the street.
