"It is a fact that sport is competitive, but the best thing about sport is that there is a place for everyone and enjoyment for all. While some choose to play at a highly competitive level, for others enjoyment comes from the personal satisfaction of seeing improvement in personal skills and fitness and playing with friends."

Dear Parents and Caregivers

Kia ora koutou katoa.

The last five weeks have continued at the busy pace set at the beginning of term, with a highlight being the participation of 168 students in Summer Tournament Week. The various successes in national and South Island tournaments and events have been well recorded in Rector’s Comment and later in this newsletter, and we are very proud and delighted for the teams who won a top three placings in any of these events. At a recent assembly we focused not only on this achievement, but also on the valuable life lessons and important attributes developed throughout such experiences.

It is a fact that sport is competitive, but the best thing about sport is that there is a place for everyone and enjoyment for all. While some choose to play at a highly competitive level, for others enjoyment comes from the personal satisfaction of seeing improvement in personal skills and fitness and playing with friends.

This of course is also true in cultural pursuits and this term we also have celebrated the success of our Pipe Band winning the Juvenile Grade at nationals and coming second in Grade 2, the performances of our choirs and orchestras at assemblies, and the anticipated opening of our Senior Production, Legally Blonde, early in Term 2.

During the term break a number of our students are enjoying overseas trips to Greece and Italy, and Cambodia, plus various competitions and tournaments. Also during the break is the annual ANZAC Day Service. While our Year 12 students will pay tribute to our St Andrew’s Old Collegians who lost their lives in service during World War II, our 1st XV rugby team will be participating in the ANZAC Service in Howick, Auckland, along with other 1st XV players from Saint Kentigern College, Lindisfarne College, and Scots College, who are all gathering at the 34th Quadrangular Tournament for Presbyterian Schools.

Below is my message which has been recorded for the St Andrew’s College ANZAC Day Service in the Centennial Chapel.

Rector’s Message – ANZAC Day Service 2024
As you gather together this ANZAC Day in the St Andrew’s College Centennial Chapel, I am doing similar at the RSA in Howick, Auckland. With me are members, coaches, and management of our StAC 1st XV, along with the players for the annual Presbyterian Schools 1st XV Tournament, now in its 34th year. Young men from Saint Kentigern College Auckland, Lindisfarne College Hastings, Scots College Wellington, and St Andrew’s College Christchurch, are gathered together to remember those from their schools who have served their country in conflicts and many who lost their lives in such circumstances.

It is poignant to see these young men together, many in their final year of school, and remember so many of a similar age in the 1940s whose lives were tragically cut short in fighting for their country. Also on this day, five St Andrew’s students are gathered at the Monte Cassino Cemetery in Italy along with teacher, Ian Morrison, at a service to remember the Battle of Monte Cassino fought in March–April 1944, 80 years ago.

Seven years ago in January 2017, our College Centenary year, I had the privilege of joining a group of St Andrew’s College students and staff at Monte Cassino Cemetery where we paid homage to the four Old Collegians, who lost their lives in this battle. It was a most moving experience which will be forever remembered by those present. Our respects, a poppy and a St Andrew’s badge, were laid down by the crosses of the fallen: Gerald Morrison, Thomas Middleton, Neville Barker and Richard Heney.

The annual ANZAC Day Service is a special day on our St Andrew’s calendar. The stories told on ANZAC Day remind us that inclusivity and diversity of thought and belief are vital for the preservation of peace and understanding. I am proud of our StAC students who, I believe, will make their voices heard to keep these values alive in the hearts and minds of the future generation.

Lest we forget.

Christine Leighton
Rector

The College continues to invest in cybersecurity measures as part of its overall risk management strategy. The ICT team, in collaboration with a third-party consultant, have made significant progress in a cybersecurity project over the past few years. This project is based on an established framework and maturity model, guiding our efforts to reduce the risk of compromising digital assets and the supporting technological infrastructure.

Like most organisations, the College heavily relies on accurate and up-to-date information. Our datasets are increasingly spread across disparate systems and services. Integrating these systems and providing user-friendly access to the underlying data while incorporating necessary security measures pose a complex challenge.

Although much of this complexity remains unseen by the wider College community, it is not solely the responsibility of the ICT Department. All staff members at the College recognise their role in safeguarding our information and securing our infrastructure. Regular professional development on cybersecurity threats equips our staff, benefiting both their professional and personal digital lives. Recently, the College’s Cybersecurity Incident Response plan underwent testing with key stakeholders during a facilitated tabletop exercise. This practical evaluation helps heighten readiness for emergencies.

Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving challenge, and we are not resting on our laurels.

Dave Hart
Chief Information Officer

Autumn has arrived early this year with cooler and overcast days, and the changing colour of the leaves. It has been a very busy and successful term with students making the most of the many opportunities on offer at the College.

One of the perks of my job is to support our sports teams at various venues around the country twice a year during Tournament Week. It is always such a pleasure to see students at their best, taking part in something they love to do.

I was so fortunate that I was able to support our Girls’ futsal team win their final in overtime in Wellington, and then next being able to support our Girls’ volleyball team lose their semi, a match that could have gone either way. I was very impressed with the way the team bounced back the next day to easily win their third and fourth playoff match.

I am always surprised when I get asked by parents from other schools why make students take part in co-curricular activities, I thought this is self-evident. Studies have shown that co-curricular activities enrich the educational journey by nurturing the whole person – mind, body, and spirit. It not only keeps you physically active but also shapes your character, fosters connections, and contributes to overall well-being. Co-curricular participation complements academic learning, making education more fulfilling and impactful.

Providing co-curricular opportunities for our students does not happen by itself, it requires a whole team of people to work together to make it possible. Thank you, parents, for always turning up to support your children in such large numbers, they may not appreciate it now, but they will later. It is very noticeable how you always support your child in such a positive and encouraging manner, allowing your child to express themselves on the field without judgement.

I was so delighted with way the students stepped up to host our prospective families on Open Day, and how they presented in such an authentic way for the Year 9 Information Evening last night. Our students are our best advertisement and there is no doubt that they are contributing enormously to the continued interest we are experiencing with regards to the number of applications from families who wish their children to be part of St Andrew’s College.

The combination of online and in-person Parent-Teacher interviews conducted in the last three weeks proved to be enormously successful. The feedback from both teachers and parents would suggest that this model works extremely effectively. The interview sessions were extremely well attended. On behalf of the College, I would like to thank you for making the time to meet with your child’s teachers online to discuss what is going well.

As you are probably very aware, the area in front of the College at drop-off and pick-up times is extremely busy and hazardous and is therefore a real danger zone for our cyclists. With winter fast approaching it is even more important for you to encourage your child to wear something ‘high viz’ when navigating this area.

At the beginning of next term, we will be required to implement and enforce the government’s ban on cell phone use while at school. This means students will be allowed to have phones on them or in their bag but may not use them unless instructed to do so by their teacher. This has already been the case for our Middle School students since 2019, however, this is a slight change from our policy for the Senior College where students are currently allowed to use their phones during interval and lunchtime in the Senior College Common Room.

The Heads of Department have informed me that they are very pleased with the progress they are making in implementing the changes to NCEA Level 1. All teachers are working very hard to ensure that your child will have the very best educational experience despite the challenges change always brings. What we learnt from participating in the English and Agriculture pilots last year is proving to have been of enormous benefit for the other departments to learn from.

This has been a very busy and successful term and I know that staff and students alike are looking forward to the holiday break.

Evert van Florenstein
Head of Secondary School

Over the Easter break I came across a ‘Charlie Brown’ comic that said, “The happiest people don’t have the best of everything, they just make the best of everything they have.” As I was reading this, I felt compelled to text a friend and let him know how much I appreciated his friendship. I genuinely feel grateful for the friendships I have, and the people in my life who intentionally make connections with others.

At the Thursday chapel service after Easter, we had the honour of having The Rt. Rev. Rose Luxford speak. Rose is the current Moderator of the Presbyterian Churches of Aotearoa, New Zealand. She spoke about the theme of Authenticity and coming into everything ‘You’ are to be. In her words, “Being the best you, because everyone else is taken.”

As I reflected on this, I was reminded of the power gratitude has in allowing us to make the best of everything we have, and to give us the confidence to be our very best selves. It is in this place we encounter genuine joy and contentment.

Easter has just passed and Christians around the world remembered and celebrated the Life, Death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ. For Christians participating in the Crucifixion and Resurrection today is to die to self so that something much greater stands in its place. Dying to self allows us to engage with a much broader span of humanity, dying enables a resurrection.

C S Lewis said, “He didn’t come to make bad people good. He came to make dead people alive.”

In resurrection you no longer fear what death can do. You come to understand that, as Christian thinker and writer Rob Bell puts it, “Death is the engine of life.” You don’t need to fear it.

Think about seasons for example, in the winter everything dies, and then in the spring it comes back to life.

When someone dies doing something heroic, like rescuing someone in trouble or standing up to injustice, we say that their death was inspiring. To inspire means to breathe in life, to give life.

“Death is the engine of life. All around us, all the time. This death-and-rhythm is built into the fabric of creation.”

For life to flourish, something must die. Easter is a marker in time that shows us the reality of death and resurrection and provides an example of what can be achieved relationally, when we choose to do the same.

The resurrection gives humanity the greatest hope and therefore, allows us to make the best of everything we have, even through the most difficult of times. In my experience, the happiest people, the most content people, the most hopeful people are those who die to self and in this place find a reason, much bigger than themselves, to live.

May you all find this hope. Have a wonderful and safe holiday.

God Bless

Rev. Paul Morrow
College Chaplain

It is hard to believe that we are in Week 11 of Term 1! When I look back on this term, I reflect on what has been an action-packed time with lots going on. The Easter break served as a great recharge for many to head into the last nine days of term. I also feel a sense of pride and gratitude at the way students have taken on the challenges they have faced, both inside and outside the classroom. With many House activities, sport, and cultural events going on, I am in no doubt that it is time to refresh over the holiday break.

Parent-Teacher interviews have provided a great opportunity to connect with teachers to discuss ways to help support your child’s learning. Reports will be coming out next term, which will be a good way to get an insight into the progress each student is making. I also trust that Fortnightly Feedback results have provided you with a good marker of your child’s effort and progress in the classroom.

A new initiative was launched in Week 9 to support student well-being. One of the College well-being goals for 2024 is to develop a way to measure student well-being to inform our strategy in this space. Komodo allows us to do this with Year 9–10 students by having students complete a fortnightly survey. Their responses feed into a personalised algorithm which displays to their tutor, Dean, and I in a simple dashboard. Not only does this tool teach our young people to check in with themselves, an important part of maturing and building healthy habits, but it provides a safe platform for them to request a check in, report a concern or, most importantly, provide staff with another opportunity to start conversations and build relationships. I have used Komodo in the boarding space for a number of years and truly believe in the benefits of it. If you would like to learn more about how it works, I will be looking to host an information session next term. In the meantime, this video provides a nice overview of how Komodo works.

I hope the students are able to switch off from school and spend time doing things they enjoy and connect with people they love and care for. I look forward to seeing you all next term.

Matt Parr
Head of Middle School

Tēnā koutou katoa

This week is the final one in what has felt like a very long Term 1 for our Senior College. I have commented to students on several occasions that I have particularly appreciated the way they have supported each other and worked together as a community over the last eleven weeks. We have also appreciated the day to day encouragement and support that comes from parents and caregivers as we have navigated the ups and downs of our busy lives.

In the spirit of acknowledging students who have contributed positively to our Senior College and wider school culture this term, we are recognising a number of our Year 12 and 13 students with awards and letters of commendation this week. The first of these awards has been instigated by our Director of Sports Strategy, John Haggart. John has developed the thistle metaphor for our sports framework, incorporating values of whanaungatanga (show respect), rangitiratanga (take responsibility), kia māia (show courage), and whai wāhi (stay engaged). Students who have shown one or more of these values through Term 1 were nominated by staff, and we are thrilled to be able to acknowledge them in year group meetings for the attitudes they have demonstrated on and off the sports field.

The second awards acknowledge students who have achieved an average of 4.0 or above in Fortnightly Feedback this term. This recognises students who are consistently engaged and focused in class in a way that is well above the basic requirements that we expect of all students. We have 15 Year 12 students and 27 Year 13 students who will receive letters congratulating them on their hard work and great attitudes in class so far this year.

I hope the holidays will provide you and your family with an opportunity for some rest and reflection after a long and busy term. Safe travels for those of you who are travelling around New Zealand (or possibly beyond), and I look forward to seeing all our amazing young people back at school on Monday 6 May. Please note that classes start at 8.30am with tutor meetings on the first day back.

Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou.

John Ruge
Head of Senior College

It has been a vibrant term in the co-curricular area. Students have embraced the many sporting and cultural opportunities on offer, and this is enriching their learning experience at St Andrew’s. I had the pleasure of watching our athletics at the Canterbury championships held recently, and it was pleasing to see the students take on new challenges, demonstrate character strengths, and in many cases achieve personal best performances. Across our summer sports and cultural activities our students are demonstrating faith, truth, excellence, inclusivity, and creativity in their preparation for performance.

During Summer Tournament Week there has been a great sense of pride and school spirit resulting from witnessing our teams achieve their goals. Over 150 students achieved significant results in athletics, touch, futsal, rowing, cricket, mountain biking, basketball, water polo, triathlon, tennis, and volleyball in tournament competition.

Congratulations to all students who have participated so enthusiastically in their sport and cultural activities this term, and to staff who have given freely of their time to make these opportunities possible.

After all of the highs of Summer Tournament Week and regional sporting competition we now set our sights on a successful winter sports season full of participation and achievement.