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We have made it to the end of Term 3. It is fair to say the children and staff are tired. It has been a full-on term, from start to finish. Congratulations to the children for the way they have embraced every opportunity to be active learners, and for being proactive participants in the plethora of activities on offer over the last 10 weeks.
I also acknowledge Library Manager, Tracey Hull, for co-ordinating a wonderful and engaging Book Week. The parade this afternoon capped off the effort, enthusiasm, and engagement of the children and staff – it was great fun!
The End of Term Awards Assembly will be held tomorrow, Friday 27 September, at 11.00am in the Centennial Chapel.
See the list of Award Winners by clicking here >
We have completed acceptances to the Preparatory School for next year. Our current students and the new students will be placed in their 2025 classes by the start of next term. The classes are generated by information provided by all parents and teachers. It is important, therefore, there are no changes to these classes once formed, as changes can alter connections to other children, and cause issues.
If you have not already done so, please let me know before the end of this week if your child will not be attending the school next year, by emailing JBI@stac.school.nz. The College requires a term’s notice for a student leaving, and particularly at this time of the year, when next year’s classes are being formed, this is an important procedure to follow. It will also mean there is no fee penalty for late advice.
Classes for 2025 will be shared with students as per our usual timeline, Week 6 or thereabouts next term.
Preparations are well advanced for Grandparents' Day on Friday of the first week back next term. This special occasion will commence with entertainment in the Centennial Chapel at 10.40am. Following the entertainment everyone will leave the Centennial Chapel and meet up with the Preparatory and Secondary School children waiting in anticipation outside. There will be a photographer available to capture this special day for those who would like this option (no charge). Pre-school grandparents will walk to the Pre-school where the children and staff will be waiting.
Visitors on Grandparents’ Day need to register to attend and to ensure the children are released from class to meet with them. Please use the link below to register for this special day.
GRANDPARENTS' DAY REGISTRATION >
Regards
Jonathan Bierwirth
Principal of Preparatory School
Deputy for Rector
Staff and students have spent a busy week full of learning and fun celebrating the best of children's literature. This year our theme was 'Reading Is Magic', focusing on stories that lift our imaginations, and spark creativity and dreams.
Celebrations began early with a visit from award-winning author Steve Mushin. Steve’s book Ultrawild: An Audacious Plan for Rewilding Every City on Earth is a mind-bending collection of plausible and often hilarious inventions that could save the world. Students and staff were gripped by his entertaining and stimulating presentation, and our Future Problem-Solving Team had an opportunity to develop some ideas of their own at a workshop later that same day.
Meanwhile, our younger students were entertained by local author Jennifer Somervell who shared her stories of life on the farm, her latest picture book Curly Cat, and some amazing advice on how to be a great writer.
The main event as always was our spectacular book parade today. Lead by piper Alice Glover, all of St Andrew’s College Pre-School and Preparatory School staff and students paraded across the campus dressed as our favourite book characters. A spectacular sight. Thank you to all of those who came to cheer us on our way.
Throughout the week, library sessions and lunchtimes were filled with literary quizzes, competitions and creative activities that kept us entertained. Our Book Club hosted a lunch in the library with storytelling and fun games, whilst our Year 7 and Year 8 students got to grips with Spine Poetry, with some fabulous results.
FLICKR >On Tuesday, 41 students from the Preparatory School Drama group, D-Squared, attended a tour and workshop at the Court Theatre. Hosted by Ben Limmer and Ben Freeth from the Court, students got a behind-the-scenes look into theatre-making, as well as a great workshop on the importance of voice on stage. Students were very curious and asked many questions. Thanks to Teacher, Jo Cordner, and the two parent helpers for assisting with this trip.
FLICKR >
The Preparatory School recently marked its third consecutive appearance at the prestigious Mike Greer Homes Upper Clutha Schools Race held at Cardrona Alpine Resort in Wanaka. This event brings together schools from across New Zealand. St Andrew's College fielded two primary teams and one intermediate team.
Our Intermediate team, featuring William Patterson, Elliott Harper (both Year 8), Isabelle Greer and Imogen Brooks (Year 7), delivered an outstanding performance, securing an impressive second place overall.
Meanwhile, the Primary team, consisting of Alessandria Greer, Archer Bryant (both Year 5), Francesca Greer (Year 4), and Emilie Bryant (Year 3), also achieved remarkable success. Competing in a Years 1–6 category while having racers only in Years 3–5, they showcased incredible determination and skill, finishing second overall. This achievement highlights the exceptional talent of our younger students and their ability to rise to the occasion, even when faced with older competitors.
Isabelle Greer (Year 7) earned the title of 2nd fastest Years 7–8 Girls and finished 4th overall.
Alessandria Greer (Year 5) secured the 4th fastest Years 1–6 Girls' spot and finished 6th overall.
As we look forward to next year, we are excited to build on this success and inspire even more students to join our racing teams. Congratulations to all our athletes for their remarkable efforts and achievements at this year’s event!
During the upcoming school holidays, the season of A Doll's House will open at the Court Theatre. This is a famous Ibsen play and a very moving piece. Annabelle Laurenson (Year 6) successfully auditioned for a role as one of the children in this show.
Kelicia Rui En Purcell (Year 7) competed in swimming at the AIMS Games in Tauranga. She was in a highly competitive 12-year-old age division, which contained 30% of the 484 swimmers at the meet.
Kelicia qualified and raced 13 events, achieving many personal bests. She was the fastest Christchurch 12-year-old Girl in 200m breaststroke and 100m butterfly, with New Zealand placings of seventh and 11th respectively. She also received a Mercury Wonderful Energy Award for outstanding commitment to having a great attitude and positive energy. This was earned through her help setting up seating, cheering her teammates and other Christchurch swimmers, through to staying late to pack the chairs away.
A group of Preparatory School students competed in Rotary Speech Finals on Thursday evening.
This year, Grandparents' Day will be held on Friday 25 October. This special occasion will commence with entertainment in the Centennial Chapel at 10.40am. Please note, the PTA’s very special Christmas cake will be present to sample before going into the Chapel. Cakes can also be ordered at this time.
Following the entertainment, everyone will leave the Centennial Chapel and meet up with the Preparatory and Secondary School children waiting in anticipation outside. There will be a photographer available to capture this special day for those who would like this option.
Visitors on Grandparents’ Day need to register to attend. This will ensure that the children are released from class to meet with them. Please use the link below to register for this special day.
GRANDPARENTS' DAY REGISTRATION >
Music Performance Concert details: Monday 11 November, 3.45pm, Preparatory School Music Room
Any child in the Preparatory School is welcome to perform in this afternoon performance concert. It is expected that the Music Scholar students will take part in this concert. This is a wonderful opportunity for children to gain experience and confidence performing in an informal performance setting. There are only 20 performance slots available on a first come, first served basis. Please note that there is an accompanist available to play for this concert. There is a fee of $50.00 should your child require an accompanist. You will be expected to provide the accompaniment music for the accompanist.
Enrolment information needs to be completed online by Monday 28 October.
Complete the online entry form by clicking here >
As part of our ongoing commitment to enhance our sports programme, we launched an annual sports survey last year. This initiative falls under the umbrella of the College's sports framework, Balance is Better @StAC. The primary goal is to gather insights from parents/caregivers about their child’s experience in their respective sports during the current season, and then measure this against their experience from the previous year(s).
We are now interested in the thoughts and feedback from our parent community around winter sports for 2024. This information is critical as we continue to improve the St Andrew’s College sports programme under our Balance is Better approach. The College is committed to improving participation, enjoyment and performance of all those who play sport at St Andrew’s.
If you have more than one child at the College playing sport, or wish to complete this survey for multiple sports/teams in which you child participates, you can complete this survey multiple times. Please discuss these questions with your child to assist you in providing a wider and informed perspective on this.
COMPLETE THE PARENT/CAREGIVER WINTER SPORTS SURVEY >
Step back in time with us for a delightful twist on the classic Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale, The Princess and the Pea. First gracing Broadway in 1959, Once Upon a Mattress has charmed audiences for decades. In a distant kingdom, Queen Aggravain has decreed that no one may marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, finds a suitable bride. Many princesses have tried and failed to pass the Queen’s rigorous tests. But everything changes with the arrival of Princess Winnifred the Woebegone. Will she succeed where others have failed…? Join us for an evening of laughter, music, and enchantment as we bring this beloved story to life!
When: Wednesday 30 October – Saturday 2 November, four shows, all 7.00pm–9.00pm
Where: St Andrew's College, Gough Family Theatre, Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre
Tickets: Adults $35.00 | Students $17.50
Delicious Christmas goodies, locally made with the highest quality ingredients. The perfect gift for Christmas or to treat your own family! All proceeds will go towards the PTA 2024 fundraising drive.
This year the PTA are introducing a new offering to tempt your tastebuds:
Beautifully presented in a gift box, the full range of products on offer this year includes:
More information about each of the PTA’s Christmas Goodies, including the ingredients list, can be found at the link below.
Closing date for orders: Friday 1 November 2024.
Cake collection
Orders will need to be picked up from the College Second-hand Uniform Shop (there is no delivery option) from 3.00pm to 4.30pm during the following dates:
The online sales for the following 2024 photographs are now available:
Details of how to order the photographs can be found on our website using the button below and you will need to log into StACNet using your St Andrew's College login.
If you have any questions relating to this service, please email photography@stac.school.nz.
For any illness, students should stay home if unwell. Any student should also feel free to wear a mask if they wish to do so while at school.
For any absence, whether ill-health (including COVID-19) or otherwise, the College’s preferred platform for reporting this is via our online form which can be found at the button below:
If you are not able to report your child's absence using the online form, please report their absence via the relevant email address below. If you cannot get through to us via the form or email, please call our attendance line on +64 3 940 2031 (term time only).
