"Our students are well into their winter activities, and it is a busy time for co-curricular programmes. The extent of our co-curricular programmes at St Andrew’s College are an important part of our school culture and the Board of Governors commit significant resource to providing these experiences for our young people."

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Kia ora koutou katoa

The first five weeks of Term 2 have flown by. Our students are well into their winter activities, and it is a busy time for co-curricular programmes. The extent of our co-curricular programmes at St Andrew’s College are an important part of our school culture and the Board of Governors commit significant resource to providing these experiences for our young people. All teachers at St Andrew’s support these activities in some way on top of their classroom teaching commitments, and we are very grateful for the extra time they give. The Head Prefect theme ‘Blue and White, do it right’ is evident in the way our students conduct themselves in competitive situations and embrace our sports values of Respect Legacy; Take Responsibility; Show Courage; Stay Engaged. The recently proposed Sports Framework for St Andrew’s aims to keep these values firmly in the minds of our community.

Last week was our third Board meeting for the year. At the beginning of the year, we welcomed three new Board members; Jamie-Lee Tuuta (OC 2005) is a practicing barrister, and Alan Merry and Peter Armstrong from an engineering background, bring expertise to the Board table. All our Board members contribute their skills and time as volunteers in support of the strategic direction of the College, and we are well served by Board Chair Felicity Odlin, Deputy Chair Nick Letham, and the Board.

Key focus areas for 2023 include:

• sustainability both from an educational and business perspective;
• Ka Hikitia – St Andrew’s College Māori Education Strategy;
• Health and Safety; risk management – systems and processes for education outside the classroom; College events and curriculum design, contractors, volunteers, construction and site safety;
• completion of the new Performing Arts Centre, including the Gough Family Theatre;
• well-being including student voice, resilience, engagement, and belonging.

After a recent tour of the Performing Arts Centre construction site, I reflected upon the development of our campus over the last twelve years. As over 60 Old Collegians returned last weekend for their 50 Years On Reunion, most commented on how much the campus has changed since they last gathered ten years ago. Most of those who attended, last returned to the College for their 40 Years On Reunion. They were amazed at the transformation of the campus and the facilities our students enjoy today. The vision and commitment of successive Boards has overseen these developments for the benefit of today’s students.

Two weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak to a number of delegates from Australasia attending the Learning Environments (LEA) Conference at Te Pae Convention Centre. Over 30 delegates, the majority of them architects, signed up to a two-hour visit to our St Andrew’s College campus. Our multi award-winning Centennial Chapel was a draw card for the visitors and I once again reflected upon the progress from the earthquake of February 2011 to the Centennial Chapel opening on 25 October 2016. It is interesting to note that our current Year 13 students were in Year 6 when the new Chapel was opened in 2016.

• February 2011 – Earthquake;
• End 2011 – Decision to rebuild the Chapel;
• 2012 – Community consultation period;
• 2012 – Design brief prepared;
• March 2013 – Architectural competition and selection of Architectus;
• November 2013 – Project control group engaged detailed design;
• March 2015 – Laying of the Foundation Stone;
• 2015–2016 – Buy a Brick Fundraising Campaign;
• 2015 – September 2016 – Chapel build;
• 25 October 2016 – Dedication of Centennial Chapel.

Thirteen years on from February 2011 most students have no memory of the Memorial Chapel. The Centennial Chapel has become central to their school lives, and it is here they gather to celebrate, learn, worship, sing, listen, reflect, mourn, and give thanks. It is a place that withstands the change of time and draws people together in sadness and joy.

In the words of the Foundation Stone:

Te toka tū moana, arā toa rongonui
Your strength is a rock, standing in raging waters

Looking back in time gives us a perspective on what we enjoy today. We are all a moment in time and the beneficiaries of those who have gone before us. The decisions and actions we make today creates the legacy of what we leave for those who come after us.

 Ngā mihi nui

Christine Leighton
Rector

Winter has arrived in the best possible way, cold mornings followed by lots of sun and clear blue skies. 

The term started with our annual House cross country competition, which is always such a colourful and fun event. Congratulations to all the students who ran their personal best and those who won their respective age groups.

Supporting our players on the sideline is a highlight of my job as it not only allows me to see the students taking part in something they are passionate about, but also gives me an opportunity to meet parents.  Our co-curricular programme continues to be a cornerstone of the St Andrew’s College educational experience. Taking part in co-curricular activities develops or enhances many of the social skills of our students; commitment, resilience, teamwork, communication skills, etc., which will help them lead a healthy and fulfilling life. Thank you to all of you who attended the recent StACTalks evening run by Sports Leadership and Development Specialist John Haggart. John presented on our proposed Balance is Better framework which is an evidence-based philosophy to support quality sport experiences for all young people, regardless of ability, needs, and motivations. It is about young people staying involved in sport for life and realising their potential at the right time. Thank you also to all of you who provided feedback on this initiative.

This has also been a very busy term for our performing arts students; the highly acclaimed Senior College production of Bright Star, special concerts where our student singers and musicians were able to showcase their talents followed by a music tour. Moreover, our musicians and singers are spending huge amounts of time preparing for their respective Chamber Music and Big Sing competitions.

The first set of reports will be made available to you over the next month. Your child’s teachers have spent a considerable amount of time into giving feedback on what is going well and what the next steps need to be. Can I please encourage you to have a conversation with your child on how they may learn from the feedback and, where appropriate, make some changes. We will of course start next term with our very popular Parent-Student-Tutor Conferences. We are hoping to provide both the in-person and online experience for this important meeting.

Interest for places at St Andrew’s College remains strong, especially at Year 9 2024. A considerable amount of time has been invested into interviewing families who have no previous connection with the College. I am so excited about the quality of the applicants and being able to invite them to join our wonderful St Andrew’s community.

The drop-off zone continues to be extremely busy in the morning and especially after school when the weather is cold and wet. We have significantly increased the number of staff and student helpers supervising this high-risk area. To reduce the traffic issues experienced at these times can I ask you to park down the road or down one of the side roads and arrange to meet your child there.

The presentation and appearance of our students continues to be very important as it remains a statement about who we are and the pride we all have in being a member of the St Andrew’s community. I have been very pleased and delighted with the way most students continue to wear their uniform at school, however, please remind your child that they must wear their blazer when they leave the school grounds. Please click here for our uniform and grooming expectations in the Middle School and click here to read the same for the Senior College.

Evert van Florenstein
Head of Secondary School
Deputy for Rector

“Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” Matt 6:34

You might be reading the last sentence of this verse and saying to yourself, that is certainly the case for me – yes, each day has enough trouble of its own.

So, what might these troubles, concerns, and problems look like for a 13-year-old or a 17-year-old, and those in between.

For 13-year-olds they may have worries and be confronted with problems to do with school-related stress, social acceptance, body image and self-esteem, bullying, family issues, future uncertainties, and peer pressure.

For 17-year-olds in New Zealand their concerns and worries can revolve around education and future prospects, social relationships, independence and autonomy, financial concerns, mental health and well-being, peer pressure and substance use, current events and societal issues.

So many potential problems and things to worry about! The good news is that for the average person 40 per cent of things they worry about will never happen, 30 per cent are things in the past that can’t be changed, 12 per cent are of things about criticism by others, mostly untrue, 10 per cent about health, which gets worse with stress, and only 8 per cent about real problems that will be faced.

So, what do you do with those problems? For this advice Kobi Yamada has written a beautiful children’s book titled, What do you do with a problem?

In the story the character encounters a problem, a problem they didn’t ask for and yet it appeared in their lives. The more they thought about their problem, the more they tried to make it go away, the more they worried about it, the bigger and scarier their problem became. Finally, they couldn’t take it anymore. In the realisation that they may have been contributing to making their own problem bigger than what it really was they decided to face up to their problem and tackle it face-to-face. In challenging their problem, they discovered something beautiful inside and this beauty was created in the opportunity that was presented in self-discovery and the good that comes from facing difficult situations.

This book reminded me of so many past difficulties that I had prolonged and procrastinated about confronting because I was worried about way more than I needed to. The more I have come face-to-face with the problems in front of me the more I have realised the beauty within them to change me; the opportunity to restore the misunderstood, to grow in character and understanding, to grow in resilience.

It is important that our young people understand that resilience develops in the battle of engaging and confronting our problems. I would say my greatest achievements and my most deepening of relationships have come in confronting and overcoming my greatest challenges, because the process produces so many beneficial outcomes.

When you are away from home and out of your comfort zone the number of things to worry about can be compounding. One of my daughters has recently moved to San Francesco and in the short time that she has been there she has been confronted with many problems and challenging circumstances. I had a scripture printed on an ID-type card for her before she left. This scripture was the same scripture that I memorised, and recited as mantra many times during my overseas experience at her age.

Philippians 4:6-7 reads:

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

A central theme within the Christian faith is prayer, it is an important aspect of this passage, the call to pray. Paul instructs the Philippians to bring their requests to God, both through prayer and petition. Furthermore, he encourages them to approach God with thanksgiving, for being grateful changes something in us for good.

Whatever your beliefs there is significant research to show substantial well-being factors associated with prayer, particularly with reference to dealing with problems. For some, meditation might be something like prayer. So, what are its benefits?

• prayer gives individuals a sense of connection to their beliefs and a higher power. This often translates to a sense of comfort, guidance, and purpose;
• prayer reduces stress and anxiety through promoting feelings of calm and relaxation;
• prayer increases one’s feelings of gratitude and this in turn improves mood and overall well-being;
• prayer is shown to improve self-awareness and reflection, this gives individuals a better understanding of self and their emotions;
• prayer can also enhance one’s sense of community. It can be a communal experience, allowing individuals to connect with others who share their beliefs and values.

The final key aspect of this passage is the promise of peace. The peace that God gives is not merely the absence of conflict or trouble, but rather a deep, abiding sense of calm and contentment. So, when a problem comes into your world know that there is a peace available to you, a peace that is beyond human comprehension, it is a supernatural gift made available to those who believe. This has been my experience, and my prayer is that when you face any problem in life you would not fear it but see it as an opportunity to grow in character, grow in resilience, grow into being the best you!

Blessings

Rev. Paul Morrow
College Chaplain

I would like to start by saying thank you to all the rangitahi in the day school who have made me feel so welcome in my new dual role. Whether it be by way of a handshake and introduction, a congratulations, or just a friendly smile and hello as we cross paths, it has really made a difference. It is a great advantage knowing so many through boarding or classes I have taught, and it has been invaluable to already have a good feel for what St Andrew’s is all about. This has all helped to make this first month a smooth transition for me.

Thank you to all who have passed on your congratulations or asked, “How are you managing the workload?” It has been busy, there is no denying that! But, as we adjust to the new structures in the Middle School and Boarding offices, things are beginning to settle for me personally. It is wonderful to have appointed Liz Gormack and Struan George as Assistant to the Middle School and Assistant to Boarding respectively. I feel grateful to have such competent and skilled people to work alongside in my teams. This extends to the wider Middle School team who have filled in the gaps for me too. Liz, along with Year 10 Dean, Lucy Curtis, and Year 11 Dean, Dayna Stirling, do huge hours tending to the pastoral and academic needs of their cohorts and I am enjoying working with them as we refine systems and share ideas.

What I have learnt over my career is that growing up is about continual learning. We all make mistakes from time to time, especially when we are young, but it is how we respond afterwards that shows our character. In an address to students at the start of the term, I talked about the importance of reputation and the concept of ‘using their OAR’ and ‘getting out of BED’. Someone who operates ‘above the line’ will Own their actions. They will be Accountable for what they have done and take Responsibility to repair the damage. These people are great to work with. They mess up, fess up, fix up and make up. They show growth and learning.

I believe in ensuring expectations are clear and allowing young people a chance to meet these first and foremost. My short-term focus will be on students who impact the learning or well-being of others, impact on the teaching environment for staff, or generally fail to meet the expectations we have of all our ākonga. Through fortnightly feedback, classroom expectation data, and other teacher feedback, I will challenge those who continually operate below the line – those who choose to ‘lie in BED’. These people try to Blame others, make Excuses, or Deny that they have done anything wrong at all. My challenge to all students is, and will always be, to rise to the expectations, try and stay above the line, to use their OAR, and to avoid lying in BED. This applies to all aspects of school life. Whether we are talking about behaviour, efforts in the classroom, or contribution and involvement in co-curricular challenges that they face, the above the line/below the line way of thinking can always be applied.

So, what are some of the daily expectations we have for our ākonga in the classroom?

The following expectations have been developed to help students show our classroom standards, with data being collected each lesson. We also have processes in place, supported by tutors and Deans to help students to meet these expectations. As parents you will see any recurrences or trends related to your child via our fortnightly feedback.

READY TO LEARN

• comes to class prepared, with materials necessary (books, pens etc);
• meets deadlines;
• completes learning tasks thoroughly and thoughtfully.

DEVICE READY

• has a charged and ready for use device;
• teams chatting for class activities only;
• using device for learning tasks only (i.e., not checking emails, using Teams chat, googling, etc) during class.

CLASSROOM BEHAVIOUR

• respecting the learning opportunities of others (disrupting others);
• show respect to others;
• communicating appropriately (not talking at inappropriate times, making inappropriate noises);
• use appropriate language (i.e., not swearing);
• not eating in class (gum, other food).

UNIFORM AND GROOMING

• hair tied up;
• hair off the collar and tidy;
• shirt tucked in;
• appropriate jewellery;
• clean shaven.

All students have had these expectations communicated to them. I will be recommunicating these messages to them over the coming weeks in various formats.

Matt Parr
Head of Middle School

On Thursday evening last week, we held our first Senior College Showcase Evening. While there were only a select number of parents able to attend, the Senior College team and I enjoyed the chance to give an update about what’s been going on, and some of our strategic priorities. As one person attending said to me afterwards, the biggest problem with the evening was that we have so many amazing things happening that it’s hard to choose what to highlight!

I hope to be able to share a recording of the evening with you as soon as it’s available. In the meantime, you can look forward to seeing:

• an overview of our Senior College philosophy, and how we integrate teaching students to be independent with working in community together;
• some timely advice about how best to help your child navigate making decisions about what to do when they finish school;
• insights about what our amazing Deans are doing, along with the highlights and challenges of the year so far;
• updates from some of our key student leaders about their goals and successes in 2023;
• a performance from one of our Rockquest bands, who have just been named as regional finalists for Canterbury/Waitaha.

I hope you enjoy seeing some or all of the speakers and performers. We have a lot to share and are proud of the culture and achievements of all of our Senior College students.

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou

John Ruge
Head of Senior College

With the winter sports season now upon us this is a good time to remind everyone of our expectations around the sporting conduct for players and spectators. It is important that, as parents, we all continue to role model the sporting behaviour we want from students particularly around the area of respecting the officials and keeping the game in context. If we all work together and make sure that we adhere to the following expectations, then St Andrew’s will set the standard for other schools to follow.

Expectations of our parent community

1. Applaud the performance of both teams.
2. Be positive with the officials and acknowledge their efforts.
3. Let players play their game, not your game.
4. Praise efforts, not results.
5. Set an example to the players.
6. No spectators/parents on the field at any time.
7. Use appropriate and acceptable language.
8. Spectators/parents are not to approach a College coach prior to, during, and after the game. They have a role to carry out.
9. Concerns regarding the game can be discussed in writing or by appointment with the team manager or staff member in charge of the sport in the first instance.
10. A formal meeting that results from the discussion in point nine will involve the student concerned where appropriate.

I would ask you as parents to also talk to your child around the following expectations that the College has of them. While we always try and reinforce these expectations during trainings and at matches, having you back this up would help a lot.

Expectations of our students

1. Play hard but fair.
2. Play by the rules of the game.
3. Be committed to your team. Attend all practices and matches.
4. Never argue with the referee. Control your emotions, display a positive attitude.
5. Respect the authority of the coach and manager.
6. Be a good sport. Acknowledge all good play whether by your team or your opponent.
7. Use appropriate and acceptable language.
8. Always wear the full and correct sports uniform.
9. At all times act in a manner that brings credit to yourself, the team, and the College.
10. Respect the rights, dignity, and worth of all participants regardless of their gender, ability, cultural background, or religion.

Mark Lane
Director of Sport and Cultural Activities