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"As the new Rector, my initial focus is on building positive relationships and understanding the context of St Andrew’s College – such as what is its key point of difference and what is working well."
Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou katoa. Ngā mihi o te tau hou.
I am delighted to be providing you my first edition of On Strowan to communicate with our wider St Andrew’s community and families, what has been happening, and especially what is coming up.
Firstly, my sincere thanks for the very warm welcome and friendly support as I have settled in as the new Rector of St Andrew’s College. Everyone has been extremely kind and generous with their support as I get to meet and know our students, parents, staff, Old Collegians, and wider community.
I am very grateful to follow on from the outstanding leadership of Christine Leighton over the last 17 years, which has positioned St Andrew’s College in such a strong and healthy position to move forward and confidently embrace the future.
SUMMER HOLIDAY HAPPENINGS
Over the holiday break, a number of students have enjoyed activities including:
ATHLETICS
December: New Zealand Secondary School Athletic Championships in Timaru –
achieved two silver medals in relay and two bronze.
TOUCH
December: New Zealand Secondary School Touch Championships in Rotorua –
Senior Mixed team runner-up.
CRICKET
December: One Day Local Competition – 1st XI champions.
January: Quad Tournament hosted at St Andrew’s – Scotch College, Adelaide, The Geelong College, and Scots College, Wellington. Visiting teams stayed in boarding and St Andrew’s came second on run rate.
January: King’s School from Sydney. 1st XI played a touring team in 50-over match – a convincing win with Tom Simpson and Liam Costeloe (both Year 12) scoring a century.
BASKETBALL
January: USA Tour to Los Angeles and Arizona. The team had a successful trip playing in a tournament and local secondary schools, visited UCLA for a training session, and watched an NFL game.
FLAG FOOTBALL
The flag football team, made up of six Preparatory School and four Secondary School students, is currently competing in Florida representing New Zealand.
ROWING
January: Canterbury Rowing Championships Regatta, Senior Rowing Camp and Novice Camp. Group of 85 rowers and coxswains took part in training camps. At the regatta, the team made 22 A finals and seven B finals, of which eight crews gained a top three placing in an A final.
NCEA 2024 RESULTS
Once again, we are delighted with our provisional NCEA results released last week. This outstanding set of results demonstrate commitment from both teachers and students to achieving personal excellence. Many students have achieved outstanding success with 212 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.
|
NCEA Level Results |
Excellence endorsements |
Merit endorsements |
|
98.7% at Level 1 |
68% at Level 1 |
111 at Level 1 |
|
97.9% at Level 2 |
79% at Level 2 |
89 at Level 2 |
|
95.2% at Level 3 |
65% at Level 3 |
67 at Level 3 |
|
84.1% at UE |
|
|
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 Tuesday 11 February.
START OF SCHOOL 2025
Our new Year 9 boarding students arrived on Saturday 25 January, for their orientation weekend with a welcome BBQ for students and parents that evening. Having previously run a boarding school for boys at St Peter’s School, Cambridge, with my wife Judi, we understand the added value boarding can bring, particularly the strong bonds of friendship that add to our young people’s overall schooling experience.
Yesterday, all our Year 9 students had their orientation programme into the Secondary School, led by the Year 9 Dean, Dan O’Reilly, and Year 9 tutors, followed by our annual Year 9 Whānau Welcome and Peer Support BBQ that evening
This morning, the full school commenced, officially starting the year with a very special formal pōwhiri/welcome for our new students and new staff on the school’s front field, with all our Preparatory School and Secondary School students and staff in attendance.
As research confirms the quality of our staff is the critical factor in the success of every school, and any business for that matter. At St Andrew’s, we are so blessed to have such high-quality people, strong retention, and a well-established and ongoing Professional Development programme.
SUPPORT OF YOUR CHILD
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 child has an adult looking out for them, particularly those who are new to the College this year.
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. To support this, our Boarder Parent-Student-Tutor Conferences took place yesterday, and day student Parent-Student-Tutor Conferences in the Secondary School will take place today and tomorrow.
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.
To view all staff email addresses and the key staff page, please click here.
If your concerns cannot be resolved by any of the above, someone from Executive will be available to you.
The 2025 Executive team is:
MY STRATEGIC FOCUS FOR 2025
As the new Rector, my initial focus is on building positive relationships and understanding the context of St Andrew’s College – such as what is its key point of difference and what is working well. I am committed to delivering on the 2025 strategic objectives, including some big projects such as changing our school management system (SMS), introducing a new HR and payroll system, supporting an exciting pilot programme across Years 7–9 trialing a new digital learning platform, Toddle, and assisting with a new school taskforce group exploring future options for our Years 10–11 curriculum and assessment.
I will then be working closely with the Board of Governors on developing a new Strategic Plan for 2026–2030. This will seek to set our future direction and will inform the development of a new property master plan. Lots of exciting work ahead, which we will be keen to engage with our students, staff, and parents to inform this future planning.
In the meantime, I look forward to meeting up with you at scheduled whānau evenings, around our beautiful campus, and on the sidelines of sports fields over the next few weeks.
Ngā mihi mahana
Mark Wilson
Rector
It’s incredible how swiftly the summer break has come and gone. I hope you had a wonderful time relaxing and connecting with family and friends. As we face the multitude of opportunities in the year ahead, I extend my best wishes to our current staff, students, and families, and a heartfelt welcome to all new families joining the College this year.
Student Leadership Team 2025
Congratulations to all students who have been appointed to a wide range of leadership roles for 2025. Over 200 leadership positions have been filled by Year 11, Year 12, and Year 13 students. Leadership is both an opportunity and a responsibility, and at our annual Leadership Assembly tomorrow, we will commit to supporting these leaders as they serve, initiate, inspire, and empower for the good of the students at St Andrew’s College. The tradition of ‘Prefectship’ remains strong, and the Prefect team for 2025 has big shoes to fill and no shortage of talent and commitment with which to do so.
2025 Prefect and Leadership Team >
NCEA Results
We are once again delighted with the results for NCEA, especially at Level 1. 2024 was the first year of the new revised assessment requirements, which included passes in Numeracy and Literacy and higher ‘Excellence’ thresholds. Having a 100 per cent pass rate for Literacy and 99.5 per cent meeting the Numeracy requirements is a real credit to the Mathematics, English, and Learning Support Departments. The excellent results were once again contrary to the negative national trends publicised by the media. I am incredibly thankful and appreciative of the extra effort staff went to in ensuring students were well prepared for their NCEA examinations.
We will be holding our special Academic Assembly on Friday 14 February, where we will celebrate the success our students attained in 2024.
NCEA Excellence Endorsements Summary 2024 >
The start of the school year is now upon us, and this will have prompted students to reflect on what they achieved in 2024; 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, and 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 2025. 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 have taken place. These conferences will have allowed 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 Prelim 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 points of the academic conference which took place at the end of Term 3 of last year.
We started the school year with a pōwhiri. The pōwhiri 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. It was a very special way of welcoming our new Rector, Mark Wilson, staff, new students, and their whānau to the St Andrew’s College community.
We will continue to use the Fortnightly Feedback to keep you updated with how your child 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 in Week 4.
The College said farewell to several teaching staff at the end of 2024: Bryan Botting (Music), Heidi Koning (Health & PE), Nicole Kilbride (English), Christa Jellyman (Health & PE), Ian Morrison (Travel and Tourism), Stacey Williams (Social Science), Heidi McIlroy (Science), Liga David (Counselling), and Kirby Streeter (Mathematics) who has gone on maternity leave.
We welcome a number of new teachers to the College for 2025. 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. Last week, I sent out information about our expectations to both parents and students. We will remind the students of our expectations on their return to school, especially with their appearance, and 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
JANUARY
31 Prefects' Investiture and Leadership Assembly, 8.25am
FEBRUARY
6 Waitangi Day observed – College closed
13 Year 11 NCEA Information Evening
14 Academic Awards Assembly, 8.25am
23 Middle School Chapel, 7.00pm
28 College Athletic Sports Day
MARCH
10 College Swimming Sports
14 Founders' Day Assembly, 11.15am
16 Senior College Chapel, 7.00pm
20 Year 10 Information Evening and Te Waka Departure, 7.00pm
Please view the fixtures on the College intranet for more upcoming events. The intranet is updated daily.
Visit the College intranet, StACNet >
I hope this finds you well and in good spirits for the new year ahead. I know we all come from different places in life and with very different circumstances, some challenging and others encouraging. Whatever your circumstances are as you embark on a new year, 2025 can I encourage you with these three words, ‘Perspective Changes Everything’.
A young woman attending college wrote to her parents after not being in contact for a lengthy period of time. She apologised for her thoughtlessness in not being in touch but mentioned that her letter was to update them. She goes on to tell them that her dormitory caught fire, she had jumped out of the window fracturing her skull, that she had been in hospital but was much better now. Although, she was still having sick headaches a couple of times a day. She mentioned that a service station attendant had seen her jump out of the dormitory window at the time of the fire and took her to hospital and visited her until she was well. The young man had offered her to stay with him in his basement apartment as her room was burnt out. They had fallen in love and were going to get married, before her pregnancy showed, yes, she was pregnant. Her boyfriend was not educated but was ambitious, he was of a different race and religion to them, but she knew that their expressed tolerance would not permit them to be bothered by this. Her letter went on to say that ‘Now that I have brought you up to date, I want to tell you that none of the above is true, but I have failed all my exams, and I wanted you to see this in its proper perspective.’
If the young woman had just told her parents that she had failed her exams they would not have been happy, as they were most probably supporting her and assisting her financially, but once they hear that she has failed her exams after what could have been, the failing of exams seems like nothing.
Author, Wayne Dyer wrote, “If we change the way we look at things the things we look at change.”
Perspective is everything and how we choose to see things will impact upon how life will be for us and those who we interact with.
Charlie Mackasy writes, “One of our greatest freedoms is how we react to things.”
Over the holiday I got frustrated with a family member. With loved ones I can be like a bull at a gate when dealing with conflict, and like a bull when the gate is opened, with its head down I can focus in on the target and charge, without too much consideration about how my approach would impact. My concern is often about getting my frustration out and off my chest, without too much consideration as to how this comes across. Unfortunately, in the process, I would fail to understand, ask questions, or gain the perspective of the other side. This approach would mostly end with both sides wounded.
With this frustration I was able to hold my tongue and wait for a time that would be more amicable. A time came when I was able to share my concern, this family member apologised and gave a perspective that humbled me and gave me great empathy for the situation that I was frustrated with. My heart changed and I felt overwhelming admiration and compassion. Seeing the bigger picture broadened my understanding and helped me view my frustration more objectively.
“Life is 10 per cent what happens to us and 90 per cent how we react to it.” – Charles R. Swindoll
This year as you deal with your own family, as you interact with the St Andrew’s College community may you seek perspective. May you seek a bigger picture of the puzzle to get a clearer picture, may we seek to ask and listen to get a mountain top perspective. And for the circumstances that continue to overwhelm you may you seek God’s peace, a peace that is beyond understanding but very tangible and very real. And remember: Perspective changes everything.
Important Chapel dates for Term 1:
February
Sunday 9 Boarders’ Chapel, 6.00pm, Week 2
Sunday 23 Middle School Chapel Service (Years 9– 11), 7.00pm, Week 4
March
Sunday 9 Preparatory School Chapel Service, 5.00pm, Week 6
Tuesday 11 Boarders’ Combined Chapel, 6.30pm, Week 7
Sunday 16 Senior College Chapel Service, 7.00pm, Week 7
April
Friday 25 Anzac Day and Year 12 Chapel Service, 10.00am, (Week 3 holidays)
God bless.
Rev. Paul Morrow
College Chaplain
Kia ora koutou.
A very sincere and warm welcome to the 2025 year. 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 special welcome to you all. I am looking forward to meeting and seeing many of you over the coming year.
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 2025 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 child’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 2025 school year.
Matt Parr
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.
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.
Kia ora koutou e te whānau. Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou. Warm greetings to all of you, our Senior College whānau.
A special welcome to our new students and their families who have joined us in Year 12 and 13. It can be daunting to make the move to a new school, but I’m confident that you will find the Senior College at St Andrew’s a very welcoming place, and we look forward to getting to know you over the coming days and weeks.
The Senior College is once again very full this year, with over 450 students, and I’m excited about what lies ahead, particularly as we work to bring our vision to life. Our whole school vision statement at St Andrew’s is ‘Together, building better people, for life’, and in the Senior College we recognise that the final one or two years of school are crucial for both ‘building better people’ and for doing this ‘together’. Our focus is on developing each student’s independence, their ability to manage themselves and be ready for whatever comes in the next phase in their lives, but to recognise that we are doing this within a community. We want our young people to graduate from school as independent but socially responsible young adults, with the skills to flourish in an ever-changing world.
This is a challenging mission, but we are blessed with a hugely capable staff team, and a vibrant and talented student leadership group. There is a real sense of focus and energy as we move into the new year, and I hope to be able to introduce you to a few of the key people involved in our mission as the year unfolds.
Our Deans are a key part of the work we are doing. Lucy Curtis (Year 12) and Dayna Stirling (Year 13) are working with a highly capable team of tutors at each level to deliver pastoral care and academic oversight of our students. They have translated our mission statement into a theme for their year level, reflecting what they see in their own group of students.
At Year 12 the theme is ‘Step Up’ – encouraging students to recognise that their move to Senior College is a transition to taking more control, being responsible, getting ready for leadership, and proactively adding to the culture of our community.
In Year 13 the theme is ‘Look forward; Give back’ – alluding to this crucial year of making big decisions about the next step beyond school, but acknowledging that they have received a lot during their time at St Andrew’s, and encouraging them to leave a legacy at the end of 2025 which will shape what our College looks like once they are gone.
Lucy and Dayna are highly effective leaders and pastoral care experts, and I will report on their work as the year progresses.
It was great to see our Prefect team working together at their planning day last Friday, where they also discussed how to bring a theme of ‘community’ to life this year, and I am looking forward to seeing how they lead the rest of our student body to find ways to build on our culture of looking after each other.
By the time you receive this newsletter you should have received a link to the Senior College handbook, along with other generic information about the start of the year. Please do take the time to have a look 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 that you and your child know about these requirements and that all students arrive at school looking the best that they can be.
I hope to see many of you at our Senior College information evening later this term. It will be a privilege to be able to journey with you all over the course of this year.
John Ruge
Head of Senior College
Head of Senior College – Mr John Ruge – JRU@stac.school.nz
Year 13 Dean – Ms Dayna Stirling – DST@stac.school.nz
Year 12 Dean – Ms Lucy Curtis – LCU@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. They must wear a blazer to and from school, and their uniforms should be neat and tidy with clean shoes.
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 their 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:
Students may not wear any jewellery on 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 their ear lobe.
Make-up:
Make-up is not allowed at the College. If students are wearing any they will be asked to remove it.
If students have not met any of the College’s uniform or appearance requirements, they will have a short period of time to rectify the matter, and a letter will also be sent home to their parents.
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 child would like lockable storage for the year, then they need to advise the office (either by email or in person) as soon as possible. Students who have a locker will need to provide their own padlock. The office will have bolt cutters available for emergencies!
We are 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.
The Middle School Athletics Prelims are on Thursday 30 – Friday 31 January 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, 3,000m, and triple jump take place in tutor time. Students are to meet out on the front field in front of the Sports Pavilion at 1.00pm 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 sun block 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 28 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 noticeboard next to the main Gymnasium and the music noticeboard 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.
The benefits of physical activity and playing sport are far-reaching. For participants, research shows that sport is a form of recreation that makes us remain active, and be happier, healthier people. At a community level, we know sport is a great connector.
Playing sport encourages us to feel included and supported; we often play sport because it gives us a sense of belonging, helps us to feel proud of our community, improves our mental health, and facilitates many different areas of personal development. In fact, the benefits of community sport, and physical activity in general, are hard to overstate.
For the committed armies of volunteer administrators, managers, coaches, and helpers within our school sports programmes, sporting clubs, and youth sport organisations – the people who serve and support community sport and recreation at every level – these factors are super important. And, in these uncertain times, it is worth pausing to recognise, respect, and value their contribution.
Tony Philp, New Zealand Rugby’s High Performance Sevens Manager, puts it well: “Playing sport helps our communities come together to connect, communicate, and care.”
And these benefits are not limited to those who play sport; adults often volunteer to help organise and deliver community sport for the personal fulfilment and the enrichment they gain from being part of a community – a collective of athletes, parents, coaches, and other stakeholders – beyond their homes and workplaces. Indeed, the sense of inclusion and cohesion that’s intrinsic to so many community sport programmes and institutions is arguably their greatest success. Ultimately, the benefits of sport far exceed the (still incredibly important) benefits most commonly associated with physical activity.
In difficult times, volunteering within sporting clubs and community sport organisations becomes a source of well-being akin to other forms of recreation, especially if volunteers have lost jobs, are dealing with personal losses, or are struggling with the challenges of a changing environment. The benefits of sport are not limited to playing sport; volunteering in community sports programmes can help individuals to remain active, engage in personal development and the learning of valuable life skills, build their self-esteem and self-confidence, and feel a sense of social inclusion within the communities in which they participate.
Participation in community sports gives volunteers contact with the outside world while, on a micro level, enabling them to serve their local society. They become part of the team. It may not be their initial aim, but, by helping to sustain invaluable forms of school and community sport, physical activity, and recreation, these committed volunteers don’t just support local children and young athletes; they also support themselves.
While children benefit greatly from playing sport, and other forms of physical activity, it also produces huge benefits for our network of community teams, clubs, organisations, and volunteers – the people who support these crucial programmes so that young people have the opportunity to play sport and experience the considerable benefits of sport. “Connecting to our community is critical to the mental health and well-being of our society, especially in times of uncertainty,” says Tony. “Connecting through sport provides all people – athletes, coaches, administrators, and volunteers of all ages – with a sense of identity, gratitude, belonging, and even joy. People need that self-fulfilment, pride, and connection.”
Tony’s comments align with the Value of Sport study – the results of which state that being physically active creates happier, healthier people, better connected communities, and a stronger society within New Zealand. In fact, 88 per cent of respondents believe that playing sport, and other forms of physical activity, provides them with opportunities to achieve, and helps them build confidence, thereby improving their mental health; 84 per cent believe that participation in sport and physical activity brings people together and creates a sense of social inclusion and belonging; and 74 per cent say that physical activity and playing sport benefits society by helping to promote vibrant and stimulating communities.
As Tony says, the theme that keeps recurring when discussing the benefits of sport and physical activity is the importance of connection. “Connection also provides opportunities for people to help each other out, whether on a personal level, such as ‘How are you?’, or a professional level. It opens up connections to areas that may help with personal circumstances, such as job opportunities, and gives people the ability to have conversations with others about their challenges – which will no doubt help in the long-run.” Essentially, Tony explains, the development of social capital that community sport often fosters can benefit participants – both volunteers and athletes – in their lives well beyond the context of the playing field.
The follow-on from connection is massive if our communities are to care for each other again, he continues: “If anything, COVID-19 has reinforced to people the importance of volunteering their time within their community, in order to help with their mental health and well-being. Contributing to something like community sport helps them know that they still have value and worth.”
Sport – particularly through community sport and youth sports programmes – has a huge array of benefits. Playing sport, like other types of physical activity, is a form of recreation renowned for boosting mental health and well-being; there is the endorphin buzz from exercise, as well as that sense of pride in achieving something. Team sports in particular enable people to feel a sense of belonging and, in some cases, provide them with ‘safe’ environments to be themselves.
Many of the psychological and social skills that we learn through playing sport are also important life skills. For example, participation in sport will often help us to build resilience when times are tough – for instance, when we lose a game, don’t get picked for a team, experience injury, or need to work out how to overcome difficult challenges – in ways that many other types of recreation do not. Whether through school physical education classes, recreational grassroots programmes, or competitive sport, access to organised physical activity can provide children invaluable opportunities for personal development.
There is no doubt that community sport creates a culture that helps to grow people’s identities, senses of belonging, and connections to their communities when they participate. “It really does help people to feel like they are contributing to something bigger than themselves and allows them to have a sense of pride and gratitude for making a difference to others and the community,” says Tony.
It’s also worth noting that, given the limited funding that many youth clubs and community organisations receive, a significant number of community sport and recreation opportunities are dependent upon the support of volunteers.
Furthermore, Netball Wellington’s Sue Geale says that, if we take community sport away, some community volunteers would also find it difficult and feel isolated. “They would be worried about their physical well-being. And, mentally, not having that contact with the group that they normally experience each week could have a real negative impact.”
According to Geale, being involved in programmes for sport and physical activity doesn’t only help community volunteers remain active; the sense of belonging and feeling of giving support to others provides them with a real lift and improves their overall mental health. “Community sport gives them a sense of purpose and a feeling of being valued. Being around youth sport can also help the adult feel younger and more energetic, and they can find it rewarding to see athletes grow and develop. By working with a club or team and helping children to stay involved in sport and physically active, our volunteers can also feel as though they’re keeping them busy, off the street, and out of trouble. It’s a win-win.”
We know that there are many benefits to playing sport, especially for children: we want our young people to remain active; undergo important physical development (such as the development of co-ordination and fundamental movement skills) through physical activity; learn crucial life skills, like how to win, lose, and be resilient when facing adversity; and enjoy the diverse social experiences that can accompany youth sport environments; when they play sport or engage in other forms of organised physical activity, they enjoy all of these benefits and more.
But, as mentioned, the benefits of community sport extend beyond the young people who play sport. Participation as a volunteer can arguably be as beneficial to the volunteers themselves as to the sporting communities they help to support.
We believe the top six benefits for volunteers who involve themselves in community sport are:
This is a good time to remind everyone of our expectations around sporting conduct for players and spectators. It is important that 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.
In Term 1, the Pipe Band are working towards the National Championships in Invercargill with a competition weekend two weeks prior. For the first time in the Pipe Band history, we have entered a ‘C’ Band in the National Championships which shows the growth in our programme over the last few years. The students and tutors are looking forward to this exciting period.
These events are free to attend and everyone is welcome.
Welcome back to the start of another exciting year for the Performing Arts at St Andrew’s College. Many students have already been involved in Music, Dance and Drama over the holidays.
Itinerant Music lessons will begin in Week 2 and 3 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 members of our large orchestra will be heading away at the start of March for our annual camp in Hanmer Springs. 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.
The members of the two choirs will having an internal ‘camp’ at St Andrew’s College in mid-February. This is a great time to make new friends and receive specialist workshops in singing technique and general musicianship from expert tutors we bring into the school. Any new singers to St Andrew’s should come and see Arts Co-ordinator, Ginnie Thorner, about this as soon as possible please.
Rehearsals begin this week for the senior musical production of Twelfth Night, a funky contemporary musical adaptation of Shakespeare’s classic romantic comedy about mistaken identity and self-discovery. Twelfth Night opens on Sunday 4 May and tickets will be available later in the term.
Those new students wishing to be part of productions are encouraged to join the choir, D-cubed, and StAC Dance as a way to prepare for these groups.
This is a lunchtime drama group for students wanting to upskill in drama and theatre. This is a fun group for Year 9–10 students only and is led by our senior theatre students.
All welcome.
Students can take part in extra-curricular dance classes in jazz, musical theatre, and hip hop. Students work towards the annual Dance Revue. Information about these classes will be available in Weeks 2 and 3.
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. More information will be out early Term 1.
For further information about co-curricular groups, itinerant lesson options, sign-up forms, and tutors please contact one of the following:
