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"Our commitment to continuous improvement has served our College well with outstanding outcomes across many areas in the last 10 years including consistently improving academic results."
Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou katoa. Ngā mihi o te tau hou.
I hope everyone enjoyed a good holiday break. The last two weeks have been busy around the St Andrew’s College campus with many staff ensuring that everything is ready for the new school year. A number of projects have readied our campus for the return of ākonga this week.
A special welcome to all new whānau. Our total school roll is at capacity with 1608, 442 in the Preparatory School (Years 1–8) and 1166 in the Secondary School (Years 9–13). We have welcomed new ākonga this week with a mihi whakatau in the Secondary School and we hope all will develop a sense of belonging in the coming weeks. Preparatory School ākonga were welcomed with a waiata from the Kapa Haka group. Six new kaiako (five Secondary and one Preparatory) and five new support staff have joined the College this year and we are delighted with the calibre of these professional, committed people who will contribute to our educational programmes at St Andrew’s.
Over the holiday break a number of students have enjoyed activities including:
Across the College many staff, including classroom teachers, are committed to assisting your child to settle quickly into appropriate routines. Teachers, tutors, and Deans will play a special role in ensuring each has an adult looking out for them, particularly those who are new to St Andrew’s this year.
Boarder conferences took place on Tuesday and Wednesday, and day student tutor conferences in the Secondary School took place on Thursday and Friday. Setting up or renewing a relationship with your child’s classroom teacher (Preparatory) or tutor (Secondary) is critical at this time of the year as they are the people who will oversee your child’s well-being and academic programme throughout the year.
NCEA RESULTS
We are delighted with our NCEA results released this week. This outstanding set of results demonstrate commitment from both kaiako and ākonga to achieving personal excellence. Many ākonga have achieved outstanding success with 263 Excellence endorsements across Levels 1, 2, and 3. There were many Merit and individual subject endorsements, and more detailed statistics will be provided in coming weeks. To have achieved these results from a year which was so disrupted from COVID-19 is a credit to all.
|
NCEA Level Results |
Excellence endorsements |
Merit endorsements |
|
99.1% at Level 1 |
94 at Level 1 |
80 at Level 1 |
|
100% at Level 2 |
94 at Level 2 |
83 at Level 2 |
|
97.6% at Level 3 |
75 at Level 3 |
68 at Level 3 |
|
86.1% at UE |
|
|
|
|
263 total at all Levels |
231 total at Levels |
The names of those who achieved an Excellence endorsement are listed further on in this newsletter. Scholarship examination results are expected to be released on Wednesday 8 February.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK
New parents to the College will not yet be familiar with our Strategic Framework, Framing our Future 2019–2023. Last year we delivered comprehensively upon the 2022 goals, and 24 new goals have been established for 2023.
Our commitment to continuous improvement has served our College well with outstanding outcomes across many areas in the last 10 years including consistently improving academic results. We look forward to progressing our 2023 goals supported by all staff who are committed to our six strategic priorities: High Performance, Opportunity, Partnership and Social Responsibility, Celebration and Community, Well-being, Place and Space.
Well-being for all remains at the heart of our vision for the next phase of St Andrew’s development in the belief that our collective endeavours will support all to flourish.
SUPPORT OF YOUR CHILD
As your child begins a new school year, you will have contact with new teachers and staff. Sometimes it can be difficult to know who to contact should you have a concern. Usually, the right person will be your child’s classroom teacher in the Preparatory School, and tutor or Dean in the Secondary School. Alternatively, it may be the Head of Middle School, Head of Senior College, Head of Secondary School, Principal of Preparatory School, Head of Guidance, or the College Chaplain. Staff can be most easily contacted via email.
If your concerns cannot be resolved by any of the above, someone from Executive will be available to you.
The 2023 Executive team is:
I look forward to meeting up with you at whānau evenings scheduled over the next few weeks.
Ngā mihi mahana
Christine Leighton
Rector
We have been blessed with a wonderfully warm summer this year in the South Island, the place to be. I hope that Christmas was a special occasion for you and your families and an opportunity to recharge the batteries after another extremely challenging year. Let’s hope we do not have any unpleasant surprises this year; masks, isolation, cancelled events, etc. My best wishes to current staff, students, and families, and a warm welcome to all of you who are joining the College this year.
Student Leadership Team
Congratulations to all students who have been appointed to a wide range of leadership roles for 2023. Over 100 leadership positions have been filled by Year 12 and 13 students. Leadership is both an opportunity and responsibility. Fortunately, we are once again able to have our annual Leadership Assembly in the first week of school, one of my favourite celebrations. The tradition of ‘Leadership’ remains strong and all the leaders for 2023 have big shoes to fill and no shortage of talent and commitment with which to do so.
NCEA Excellence Endorsement Summary – Congratulations!
The NCEA examination results for 2022 are incredibly pleasing considering the challenges we have had over the last three academic years; our Year 11 students have only known learning in a disrupted COVID environment in high school.
To have nearly 100 per cent pass rates at all levels is testament to the hard work and commitment from both the students and the teachers. I was also delighted with the number of Excellence endorsements (260+), our second-best result ever. It was so heartening to see so many students continue to aim to be the best they could be despite the many challenges presented in 2022.
NCEA overall achievement results
99.1% at Level 1
100% at Level 2
97.6% at Level 3
86.1% gained UE
Excellence Endorsements
94 at Level 1
94 at Level 2
75 at Level 3
263 total at all Levels
Merit Endorsements
80 at Level 1
83 at Level 2
68 at Level 3
231 total at all Levels
Please click here to view the names of students who achieved an Excellence endorsement.
The start of the school year is now upon us, and this will have prompted students to reflect on what they achieved in 2022; their successes and what they might have done better. Coming back to school is always filled with a mixture of excitement and anxiety, catching up with friends, new teachers and subjects, new sporting and cultural opportunities. Fortunately, we have plenty of support and guidance available as students start the new academic year.
Our commitment to student and staff well-being and resilience continues in 2023. Student wellness is recognised as being a key component of their success both in and out of the classroom. We will continue to hold seminars and presentations for parents that focus on the issues our adolescents currently face, well-being and positive education, and how you as parents can help their children.
The highly regarded Parent-Student-Tutor Conferences will be taking place are taking place this week. These conferences will allow you the opportunity to speak directly with your child’s tutor who has the primary responsibility for their overall pastoral and academic well-being. For the Year 12 and 13 conferences this will be an opportunity for your child to reflect on the feedback they received after the Preliminary examination and the subsequent action plan they implemented to best prepare for the NCEA examinations held in November. The plan and its implementation were the main discussion point of the Academic Conference which took place at the end of Term 3 of last year.
The Mihi Whakatau or ‘Welcome Assembly’ will start the formal proceedings for the year. The Mihi is a formal way of respecting people by acknowledging their mana and tapu and requires the current staff and students to formally welcome the manuhiri, all those who are ‘new’ to the College.
We will continue to use the Fortnightly Notes to keep you updated with how your son and or daughter is contributing to their learning through their attitude and effort in class. Access to these scores is via the Parent Community Portal from the College database, which also provides assessment and attendance information. Instructions on how to access the Portal will be sent out to you prior to the first set of Fortnightly Notes. Please note that the criteria for 2023 will be a little different. You will receive information with respect to the changes nearer the time when the first lot of Fortnightly Notes are available.
The College said farewell to several teaching staff at the end of 2022. These included Ms Jacq Gilbert (HOD English), Mr Lyndon White (Mathematics), Mrs Lesley Palmer (Food Technician and Teacher), Mrs Diana Wing (Social Science), Ms Grace Ottley (Social Science), Ms Jacqueline McLeod-Spencer (Visual Art), Mrs Melissa Seddon (Health and PE), Ms Anne McNamara (Mathematics). Both Mrs Heidi Koning and Ms Nicole Kilbride will be on maternity leave this year and Ms Fariya Naseem is taking a well-earned sabbatical from teaching.
We welcome a number of new teachers to the College for 2023. Once again, I was delighted at the exceptional quality of applicants, we are truly blessed with such a wonderful group of new teachers.
I would also like to extend a very warm welcome to all new families joining us this year. I hope you quickly come to be part of the College ‘family’ and understand that together we will do all that we can to both support the academic learning and overall well-being and development of your son or daughter, and to ensure that they grow into positive, resilient, and well-informed young adults.
We have very high expectations of our students with regards to their conduct and appearance and we appreciate your assistance in setting and maintaining a high standard. We make our expectations very clear to the students and I thank you in advance for your support. Head of Senior College, John Ruge, and Head of Middle School, Mikae Tuu’u, have both sent out information of our expectation to both parents and students. We will remind the students of our expectations on their return to school, especially with their appearance, we will contact you immediately if there are any issues.
I wish every student in the Secondary School all the best for the year ahead.
Kind regards
Evert van Florenstein
Head of Secondary School
Deputy for Rector
FEBRUARY
3 Prefects' Investiture and Leadership Assembly, 8.25am
6 Waitangi Day observed – College closed
9 Year 9 Information Evening, 6.00pm
16 Year 11 NCEA Information Evening, 7.00pm
17 Academic Awards Assembly, 8.25am
24 College Athletic Sports Day
26 Middle School Chapel, 7.00pm
27 College Swimming Sports
MARCH
17 Founders' Day Assembly, 11.15am
23 Year 10 Information Evening and Te Waka Departure, 7.00pm
APRIL
2 Senior College Chapel, 7.00pm
Please view the fixtures on the College intranet for more upcoming events. The intranet is updated daily.
Visit the College intranet, StACNet >
The PTA Second-hand Uniform shop is located beside the College Shop – Thistles, next to the Normans Road car park and is open every Tuesday and Thursday, 3.00pm–4.30pm.
If anyone is keen to volunteer in the shop, please click here to complete the volunteer sign-up form.
We urgently require parent volunteers to assist in the College cafeteria for the year.
We do rely on parents to assist us to help keep costs down, which will ensure our profits will go back into the College.
Hours are between 9.00am and 1.30pm (approximately).
Please email Cafeteria Manager Linda Kohing LKO@stac.school.nz.for more information.
I hope this finds you well, refreshed, and optimistic about the year ahead.
I’m sure we all have been in a place of vulnerability. Being vulnerable is not the most comfortable place to be in but it has many advantages that open our lives up to new experiences and learnings that grow and mould us into more relatable and connected human beings.
At the Christmas Eve Service last year, I spoke on the ‘Gift of Vulnerability’. I began the service by showing the UK’s John Lewis Christmas advertisement. In it a couple prepare to host one of the most vulnerable in our society – a child who goes from foster home to foster home. The male in the relationship is learning to skateboard in preparation for his guest, and he isn’t particularly good. He injures himself and makes a fool of himself in the process.
But, when the child comes to their door on Christmas morning, holding her skateboard as tightly as ever, nervous, and anxious, it is the sight of a skateboard in the host’s house and the acknowledgement from the man of his injured wrist learning to skateboard that brings a smile to the girl’s face. The release of anxiety on her countenance is obvious.
The scripture texts I referenced at our Staff Chapel were Philippians 2:3–9 and James 3:13–18. They speak of treating others as you want to be treated, of looking to the interests of others as we would our own, of doing good deeds in humility, and of dying to self.
Each of these actions require vulnerability, to put ourselves in the place of others and to respond as we would like to be responded to. This takes us to a place of having to be honest with ourselves and those we interact with. Honesty is our Developing Positive Relationship Value to Term 1.
We constantly hear of the struggles of others in our community and further afield. I often find myself thinking about how I would want others to treat me if I were in their situation. Every time, I think of the kindness, compassion, generosity, and love I would hope I might be the recipient of.
In the Old Testament farmers were instructed to leave 10 per cent of their harvest for those who could not provide for themselves. In the New Testament followers of ‘The Way’ were encouraged to give 10 per cent of their earnings so that others less fortunate would not go without. This practice ensured people just didn’t hear words about God’s provision but experienced it through the love and generosity of those who claimed to follow Jesus.
The amazing thing about generosity and sharing resources with others is that it gives us the opportunity to be vulnerable and, in the process, open our lives to having something significantly meaningful and life-giving deposited back.
A helpful analogy is a money bag that is full to the brim and overflowing. To receive more, we need to give some away, so room is created for more to come in. Yes, we could get another money bag and start filling that one, but I believe we miss an opportunity to develop our humanity if we keep our resources for ourselves. Generosity of spirit towards others means we make ourselves vulnerable, we acknowledge the grateful position we are in, and we are responding to others as we would like to be responded to. Holding our resources with an open hand allows for meaningful interactions that develop life changing connections.
I believe our society has created an element of desire to want more, get more, and have more stuff. But this closed minded and tight-fisted approach to life has not served our mental health or our relationships well.
I am constantly encouraged by so many of our staff, students, and parents who have a desire and willingness to be generous towards others less fortunate, and I must remind myself each day of the privileged position I come from.
In Tom Fletcher’s book Ten Survival Skills for a World in Flux he writes of one of these skills as simply ‘being kind’. He makes several helpful points that engage us in the spirit of generosity and being kind.
In March this year ‘So They Can’ – a charity we as a College have committed to supporting, is running an event called ‘One Human Race’. This can be a wonderful opportunity for staff, students, and families to gather in teams to practice kindness, look for the needs of others and respond as we would want to be responded to. (More information will be available in coming weeks.) This process opens up our lives for meaningful and life-giving experiences to be deposited back into who we are. By being generous we make room for the gifts of contentment, purpose, love, and hope to come to us. The things money cannot buy but the giving of it can.
God bless your 2023.
Rev. Paul Morrow
College Chaplain
Kia ora koutou,
A very sincere and warm welcome to the 2023 year. Welcome back to those of you who were here last year. I hope you all had a restful festive season and are ready for the new school year. There are a significant number of you who are new to the College, so a very warm welcome to you all. I am looking forward to meeting and seeing many of you over the coming year.
I am excited about what this year will bring, as we leave behind a number of challenges faced over the last three years. I am going to be reinforcing to the Middle School students that we are back into things, including whole school events, co-curricular activities, and normal classroom learning. ‘We’re Back’ will be a catchphrase that I will be using. With this, I will be encouraging all students to get stuck into the various events throughout this term, many of which form a key part of the culture of St Andrew’s College.
We are also doing a real push on our expectations from students, both inside and outside the classroom. Staff are being asked to be really firm on behaviour and standards. I ask that you please support us with this, should any issues arise.
I am very excited to be working alongside a wonderful team this year to ensure that your child has the best possible start to the 2023 school year. Please see below a list of the Middle School team and their contact details should you wish to make contact.
As parents, we ask that you support the College to ensure that your son/daughter’s time here will be positive and successful. Assist them to be at school for every lesson and that they are there on time. Please ensure that they attend the College dressed correctly and tidily, and that they have everything necessary for learning. Please click here to refer to the Middle School Handbook for specific guidelines.
If you know any reason why your child may be absent from school for three or more days, please write to me to seek permission by using the online form (which can also be found on the College intranet, StACNet), or for urgent issues if it is on the same day please ring the Middle School Office before school. Click here to complete the Special Leave Form. Absence from class is one significant factor which leads to underachievement. We ask that parents do not take their students out of school for holiday breaks other than the regulation ones.
When dropping off your child, or collecting them from school, please do not drive into the carpark in front of the Senior College and wait, as this causes traffic congestion. Please collect from the designated drop-off zone on Normans Road. Once again, I wish you all a warm welcome back as part of the St Andrew’s family and I look forward to seeing you all throughout the course of the year.
I wish you all well for the upcoming 2023 school year.
Mikae Tuu'u
Head of Middle School
Communication is the key to maintaining a strong partnership between home and school, and ensuring students are given the opportunity to meet their potential in all respects. We always value your input and support and thank you for ensuring messages at school and home are consistent regarding attendance, promptness, completion of assignments, and respecting others. I welcome all comments and suggestions for improvement and urge you to read the important information contained in each issue of On Strowan.
It is also very important that you inform us of any changes to your contact details, so that we may update our database. If your details are changing, please contact the Records Office on records@stac.school.nz.
This handbook contains important information about College policies and procedures, and we ask that parents and students make themselves familiar with it. Please keep the handbook as a handy reference during the year. I ask parents to read the handbook and as actively as possible support students, especially around attendance, uniform, personal appearance, and respectful behaviour.
Lockers will be issued by tutors during Orientation Week. Every new student to the Secondary School will receive a locker, as well as returning students who opted to have one. Students are to bring their own locks.
This is a friendly reminder that the Middle School remains a mobile-free environment between 8.25am and 3.20pm. This includes both during lessons and at break times.
Please click here to refer to our StAC Unplugged webpage for further information.
At St Andrew’s, we ask that students respect our standard of uniform and wear it with pride. It is a part of our identity as a College community that we maintain a smart level of dress and grooming. We want our students to be proud to be a part of our family and we would like their uniform to reflect this. Please refer to the Middle School Handbook for uniform guidelines. A couple of areas that I really would like to focus are with regards to the following:
If students have not met these requirements, they will have two school days to rectify the matter and a letter will also be sent home to parents.
We are looking forward to running parent evenings this term. Please see below when the parent evenings are for each year group.
Year 9 – Thursday 9 February, 6.00pm. Centennial Chapel (students in the Quad). Whānau will hear some messages from us, as well as meet the tutor and fellow whānau. This will be followed up with some drinks and nibbles in the Senior College. NB: For 9O whānau, we may consider an alternative week for this to take place due to your child’s camp running at this time. We will be in contact about this.
Year 10 – Thursday 23 March, 7.00pm. The Te Waka Departure Cremony also takes place on this evening, either before or after the information session. Your child’s Te Waka teacher will have further information on this.
Year 11 NCEA Information Evening – Thursday 16 February, 7.00pm. This will also be recorded for our boarding whānau who cannot attend.
Welcome back! Warm greetings to you all, with a special welcome to the new students who have joined our Year 12 and 13 cohorts. It’s always daunting making the move to a new school, but I’m confident that our new students will find St Andrew’s a very welcoming place. The Senior College is once again bulging at the seams this year, with over 450 students. The positive side of this, of course, is that we have so many more vibrant, exciting young people who can contribute to building the special culture that exists in the Senior College. I look forward to seeing many of you from the College community over the coming months and hope you will stop by and say hello if you are passing through.
I am very excited about what lies ahead in 2023, particularly as we work to bring our vision to life:
By the end of their secondary schooling, Senior College students will be equipped to be both independent and socially responsible young adults, with the skills to flourish in an ever-changing world.
This vision is expressed in the Senior College through our culture, our Well-being programme, and our focus on learning. Each year level has a key theme which serves to focus the specific programmes that we deliver. In Year 12 we encourage students to ‘Work Together’, expressed in the Māori whakataukī: Whiria te tāngata (weave the people together). In Year 13 we want students to ‘Step Up’, expressed in the whakataukī: He tangata anō te tangata ki tōna kāinga, ā, he ariki ki tōna iwi (a person within the village, a respected elder within the tribe). These themes are the foundation of our Pastoral Care and Well-being programmes.
We have a superb group of students in the Senior College again this year. The student leadership team are committed and full of great ideas about how they can lead the school, and the student body have the potential to add so much to the life of the College. We will be working with our students over the next couple of weeks to develop their goals and visions for the year, and I look forward to keeping you up to date with what is happening in the Senior College through this publication and other channels.
By the time you receive this newsletter you should have received the link to the online Senior College Handbook, along with other generic information – click here to read online. Please do take the time to have a read through all of this information. Our senior students are given increasing levels of freedom and personal accountability, but these need to be exercised within the context of our wider community here. The handbook sets out both the privileges and responsibilities that are relevant to Year 12 and 13 students and it is important that both students and parents/caregivers know what those are.
I am very keen for our students to start the year looking proud of their uniform and appearance. There are some very simple guidelines further on in this Senior College section – please make sure you and your child know about these requirements and that all students arrive at school on Thursday looking the best that they can be.
John Ruge
Head of Senior College
Head of Senior College – Mr John Ruge, JRU@stac.school.nz
Year 13 Dean – Ms Donna Jones, DJS@stac.school.nz
Year 12 Deam – Mr Riley Gain, RGA@stac.school.nz
Senior College Office Manager – Mrs Jocelyn Simmons, seniorcollege@stac.school.nz
Careers and Tertiary Advisor – Mr Richard Webster, RWB@stac.school.nz
Vocational Education & Training/GATE – Ms Ellen Hampson, EHA@stac.school.nz
Head of Guidance – Mr Tom Matthews, TMA@stac.school.nz
Senior Learning Support – Mrs Shelley Broad, SBA@stac.school.nz
Director of International Students and Exchanges – Mr Palē Tauti, PTU@stac.school.nz
The College expects all students to wear their uniform with pride. You must wear a blazer to and from school. Your uniform should be neat and tidy and your shoes should be clean.
Your appearance is also important. The following specific requirements are important as we start the new year:
Boys’ hair:
Boys’ hair must be off the face, i.e., no lower than eyebrow level and not touching the collar of your shirt. Hair must be of a uniform length, i.e., no mullets, dreadlocks, mohawks or insignia. In all areas, including back and sides hair must be no shorter than a number two cut.
Girls’ hair:
Girls’ hair must be tied up at all times if it is longer than shoulder length.
Jewellery:
You may not wear any jewellery on your wrists, hands, or ankles. This includes rings, bracelets, and chains. Only watches may be worn on the wrist. Girls are only allowed to wear one single stud or sleeper in your ear lobe.
Make-up:
Make-up is not allowed at the College. If you are wearing any you will be asked to remove it.
If you have not met any of the College’s uniform or appearance requirements, you will have two school days to rectify the matter and a letter will also be sent home to your parents.
During the first two weeks of term a number of student photos will be taken. They are
As these photos are used for one or more of reports, College database and historical framed records, students are required to be on time, wearing the appropriate uniform and with their appearance meeting College expectations. Students who do not meet our request may find themselves excluded.
The College has a process for applying to bring a vehicle to school. It is outlined in the Senior College Handbook.
We are aware that not all of our students want a locker. If your son or daughter would like lockable storage for the year then they need to advise the office (either by email or in person) by 8.30am on Friday 10 February. Students who have a locker will need to provide their own padlock. The office will have bolt cutters available for emergencies!
While we are currently living in uncertain times, we are still all looking forward to another vibrant year at St Andrew’s in sport and co-curricular activities. The College is committed to offering a wide range of activities with the opportunities for students to go on and extend their skills and confidence in their chosen options.
Middle School Athletics Prelims
The Middle School Athletics Prelims are on Thursday 2 and Friday 3 February for Year 9, 10 and 11 students. Middle School students must bring their sports/PE gear for Athletics prelims where they will attempt to qualify for the 100m, 200m, shot put, discus, long jump, javelin, and high jump events on Athletics Day. Entries for the 400m, 800m, 1500m, 3000m, and triple jump take place in tutor time. Students are to meet out on the front field in front of the Sports Pavilion at 12.50pm and await further instruction. Participation and involvement is emphasised at the preliminary competition and students will earn standard House points for their events based on their performance even if they do not qualify for the final in the event. Students are to have sunblock applied ready this day due to the lack of shade on the front field, and bringing a hat is also recommended as we will be out on the field for up to three hours. Some sunscreen will be available.
Athletics Day is a fun-filled House event and all Middle School students compete in graded 100m races. Students are encouraged to strive to achieve personal goals, beat their Prelim marks, and get involved on the day. Senior College students enter events within tutor group, and prelims will be held for sprint events for seniors the following week. Students in Year 12 who qualify for the intermediate grade and wish to compete in sprint finals must also run a time during that lunchtime.
Athletics Day is on Friday 24 February on the front field starting at 9.00am.
Students have signed up for their chosen activities at the end of last year. These choices are on the database. Teachers in charge of activities will now use this information to plan for the forthcoming year. It is an expectation that all students up to Year 11 are involved in a co-curricular activity throughout the year, and Year 12 students must do at least one sport or activity during the year.
Students will see a summary of selections in tutor time in the first week. To choose or change a sport from the start of term students must indicate this to their tutor teacher. Staff will be having meetings and trials with all students who have signed up for sports and activities in the first couple of weeks, so it is important that students attend scheduled meetings and trials to avoid disappointment. The daily notices that can be found online on the intranet are a good check as to what is planned, along with the Sports notice board next to the main Gymnasium and the Music notice board in the Music Suite.
All staff have high expectations in terms of students attending their co-curricular options and being where they need to be on time. Students will get so much out of being fully involved in the programme and, as staff, we take great pleasure in seeing students flourish in their chosen areas.
Congratulations to the following students on their respective successes:
In early December, the St Andrew’s athletics team travelled to the New Zealand Secondary School Nationals in Ingelwood. The Nationals were held over three days in atrocious weather that would have had cricket cancelled on every day! However the athletes showed their hardiness and fought through the torrential rain to complete their chosen events. At the end of the competition the St Andrew’s team came away with two medals – Couper Killick won bronze in the Senior Boys’ shot put competition and Jonah Cropp won gold in the open 3 km walk. Jonah also broke his personal best time in the event by a massive 32 seconds.
Cricket had two teams competing in two different tournaments in January. One team went to a tournament in Queenstown that was played at the Event Centre, Jack’s Point and Millbrook. Twelve teams took part in this event and the St Andrew’s team performed exceptionally well with only one loss in a 20/20 game. Notable performances with the bat came from Tim Richardson (85* and 63), Will Carrodus (50*) and Josh Nicolson (53), and with the ball was Fletcher Mason (4–40) and Sam Jaspersmith (4–30).
The other team went to Wellington where they competed in the Quad Tournament with Scots College from Wellington, Geelong College from Melbourne, and Scotch College from Adelaide. The team played some good cricket and while they only won one game they were beaten twice on the last ball of the match. The notable performance for the week was from Alex Rippon who scored 82 not out. At the end of the tournament the St Andrew’s side was awarded the Spirit of Cricket Award as selected by the umpires for their on-field behaviour and sportsmanship toward the other teams – a great effort.
These tournaments were of great value leading into the new season and will provide the coaches with key information as they look to select the first and second XI for the 2023 year.
The St Andrew’s College rowing squad has had a successful start to, what looks to be, another exciting season. This year the squad has 80 students, 58 of these being Year 11–13 students and the other 22 being Year 10 students. Over the summer holidays the squad has been in Twizel for a number of camps and regattas. We were gifted with exceptional weather for each of our three camps in Twizel so our rowers took advantage of this with our senior rowers rowing around 160 km in each of their two camps.
Our first camp of the summer was from 8 – 16 December. This was an opportunity to have our full squad in Twizel together for the first three days. This only happened three times a year due to the size of our current squad being so large. It was great for our novice rowers to have their first taste of a regatta in Twizel as the Otago Rowing Championships were held on 10 – 11 December. Our senior rowers, in particular our Captain of Rowing, Amy Hughes, along with other Year 13 students and coaches showed their leadership by showing our novice rowers the ropes. We were fortunate to have two uninterrupted days on the lake. The squad competed in 23 A finals and 10 B finals, with three first, three second and three third place crews. A highlight of the event was having two novice girls’ quads fighting it out in the B final to come second, and third respectively. After the regatta, our return rowers stayed on and showed great improvements on the water leading into our Christmas break.
Our second camp (13 – 20 January) started by coinciding with the Canterbury Rowing Championships held on Lake Ruataniwha from 14 – 15 January. This was an opportunity for our return rowers to shake some rust off before a tough week ahead at training camp. Prior to arriving in Twizel, the squad participated in a 2 km erg test to measure progress after the Christmas break. Director of Rowing, Guy Williams, commented on how well the rowers had kept up their fitness, mentioning it was one of the better efforts by a team returning from the break in his 20 years in the sport! This put us in good shape for the regatta where we had crews compete in 25 A finals and two B finals with two first, one second, and two third place results. With a number of crews rowing out of their grade, the squad has shown promise for our championship regattas.
Lastly, our novice squad have spent time in Twizel without the company of our return rowers between 23 – 27 January, with our return rowers joining them on 27 January to compete in the South Island Club Rowing Championships. This is one of our championship regattas and at the end of the regatta St Andrew’s had crews compete in 24 A finals and six B finals with one first, four second, and six third place results. A great effort to finish off the holiday events.
As we set our sights towards the South Island Secondary Schools Rowing Championships (10 – 12 March) and the Aon Maadi Cup (27 March – 1 April) the squad has a month of training which will put them in a good place to succeed in these regattas.
The Senior Mixed team attended the New Zealand Secondary School National in early December. The team had high hopes of doing well in the tournament. St Andrew’s made a great start to the tournament winning their first four matches comfortably getting them through to the next stage of the tournament. In their next four matches the team won three of their four matches which took them through to the semi-final round. In their semi the team came up against a very good Botany Downs College team. The match was hard fought, but eventually St Andrew’s went down by 6–9. This put them into the third/fourth playoff against Mahurangi College. St Andrew’s again fought hard in the match but sadly on the day the opposition got over the line. The team ended up fourth in New Zealand which was a great result.
Sixteen students and four staff embarked on a five-day volleyball trip to Whakatāne and surrounding places. This was a great chance to play some tough volleyball as well as getting some unique experiences in a place many students had never been to before. We were fortunate to have the Senior A coaches, Maia Westrupp and Kalani Ruri, Whakatāne locals, show us around this beautiful place.
The students played games against Otumoetai College, Western Heights A and B, Whakatane A and B, Trident High School, and against some senior women’s players. The level of volleyball was very high and a great chance to hone their skills in preparation for the season ahead.
Off the court, the students had a vast range of experiences, including:
Overall, it was a wonderful experience both on and off the court, and will no doubt set our Senior A and B Girls’ teams up well for the season ahead.
The Pipe Band are very excited to start 2023 with two main events in Term 1. On 25 – 26 February the A and B Bands will be in Blenheim to compete over two days in the Provincial Championships. This is our first trip as a band for almost two years.
The New Zealand National Pipe Band Championships are being held in Christchurch on 10 – 11 March in Hagley Park. The national championships have not been in Christchurch for a number of years with pipe bands coming from Australia to compete too. It would be great to have as many supporters as possible to help cheer on members from the A, B and C Bands over the two days.
2023 Ballet Summer School:
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19, our annual Ballet Summer School took place in late January where dancers enjoyed a two-day programme of ballet, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, national, and choreography with our St Andrew's ballet tutors and three guest tutors. A wonderful jump start to the dancing year.
St Andrew’s College Ballet Diploma:
Congratulations to our graduating 2022 Year 13 dancers, Charlotte Brown, Milly Christie, Tara Kinajil-Moran, Moana MacDonald, Lucy Rule and Brianna Sloper, for gaining their St Andrew’s College Ballet Diploma – achieved by completing our Five-Year Ballet Academy and Company programme. We wish them all the best on their next adventure and thank them for their commitment and dedication to the Ballet Academy. Good luck to Tara as she embarks on her dance career with acceptance into the Brent Street (Sydney, Australia) to undertake an Advanced Diploma of Professional Dance in Elite Performance.
Welcome back to the start of another exciting year for the Performing Arts at St Andrew’s. Many students have already been involved in Music, Dance and Drama over the holidays.
HELEN BALCH - SPEECH AND DRAMA TEACHER
It is with great sadness that we note the passing of Speech teacher, Helen Balch.
Helen has been offering lessons in Speech and Drama for many years and numerous students have had great success under her tutelage. Helen was very involved in the national community and local competitions. She will be missed around the Preparatory School where she taught.
Itinerant Music lessons will begin in weeks two and three of this term. Music Department Handbooks, with online sign up, are available online. On Wednesday students in Years 4–9 attended a music demonstration by the tutors to pique interest in learning an instrument. Students continuing with tutors will need to ensure they have contacted their teacher and filled in a form for the year. Please note there are some age restrictions for some instruments.
There are over 25 Music groups that students can join at St Andrew’s, including choral, instrumental, jazz, and rock groups. All information about signing up and auditions (if required) will be in the notices and via class tutors. We welcome all new musicians to the department and look forward to working with you. A timetable of all groups will be in the Music Department.
The senior students are starting rehearsals for Bright Star. This is a beautiful musical with a moving story. The cast will begin rehearsals next week. The cast will be heading away for a camp at Hanmer Springs at the start of March.
Tickets will be on sale later this term.
The members of the choirs and orchestras will be heading away at the end of February for a short camp. This camp is one of the highlights of the year and is a really fun time of rehearsal, performance, hanging out, and swimming!
Any new musicians to St Andrew’s College should come and see Head of Music, Duncan Ferguson, about this as soon as possible please.
Students can take part in extra-curricular dance classes in jazz and hip hop. Students work towards the annual Dance Revue. Information about these classes will be available in weeks two and three.
This is an exciting option for students who wish to learn the art of improvisation. Students later form teams and are able to compete at the Secondary Schools’ Competition.
For further information please contact Liz Gormack at LGO@stac.school.nz.
For further information about co-curricular groups, itinerant lesson options, sign-up forms, and tutors please contact one of the following:
Term 1
2~ 3 February: Choir voice placement workshops and VOX16 auditions
24 ~ 26 February: Orchestra Camp and Choir Camp
26 February at 7.00pm: Middle School Chapel Service
3 ~ 6 March: Production Camp
Please view the fixtures on the College intranet for more upcoming events.
Visit the College intranet, StACNet >
