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Sincere thanks to everyone who donated to last week’s Melanoma campaign. I have been contacted by Melanoma New Zealand and they are delighted with the spike in donations. Our amount raised was well over $1000 earlier this week. If you didn’t get around to donating, you can still do this if you would like to: Please click here to donate.
Melanoma NZ believe our efforts can inspire others, and they would like to feature our school’s response in some way. I’ll keep you informed.
Last Friday, Year 4–8 students and staff travelled to Ngā Puna Wai for the Preparatory School’s annual Athletic Sports Day. This facility provides the opportunity for the children to experience a quality athletics track. Congratulations to the children for the way they embraced the day and represented their House with pride. There was obvious enjoyment and full participation.
Sincere thanks to Preparatory School Head of Physical Education, Isaac Leota, for organising the event so meticulously. Thanks also to the staff for capably and positively running the various stations. There were many wonderful results and personal bests.
On Tuesday, a large contingent of our children were back at Ngā Puna Wai competing in a range of events. Many of them qualified for the upcoming Canterbury Primary Schools’ Sports Carnival.
The winner is Erwin House! There will be a casual wear day for Erwin House students, with a little or lot of red, on Wednesday 20 November.
Regards
Jonathan Bierwirth
Principal of Preparatory School
Deputy for Rector
Our Beach Education experience at New Brighton on Tuesday was an exciting blend of learning and fun, designed to equip students with vital skills for staying safe in and around the water as we head into the summer months. We started the day with a tour of the surf club’s new facilities, where students got an up-close look at IRBs, surf rescue boards, and the first aid room. Next, we moved upstairs for a session on surf and sun safety, followed by an enthusiastic round of ‘Beach Ed’s Got Talent.’ After a quick lunch, we headed to the beach, where adults braved the cold 16-degree water to form a safe zone where the students had a chance to body surf and play on the body boards. It was heartwarming to see even the most hesitant swimmers having a blast. A big thank you to the lifeguards and parent volunteers for giving up their time to make the day such a memorable and positive experience for all involved.
The Year 5 students enjoyed an exciting three days at Living Springs Camp. They kicked off their adventure with a visit to the farm park, where they had fun feeding the animals and studying the fascinating water creatures in the stream. The days were packed with energetic activities, including archery, bouldering, initiatives and swimming, all fueled by delicious meals. The children particularly loved riding the monorail and exploring the vast open spaces, making unforgettable memories together.
Flickr >
The Preparatory School Years 7–8 flag football team are national champions, after putting in an outstanding performance to win the NFL Flag Football National Championship, without losing a single game. Sponsored by the NFL, the trip to Wellington was fully funded, allowing the team to put all their focus into their performance. With their undefeated record, the team have the honour of representing New Zealand at the Pro Bowl Games in Orlando, United States in 2025, where they’ll face off against 13 other national champions from around the world. The team qualified for the nationals after an earlier unbeaten run in the Canterbury competition. The team’s coach, Preparatory School teacher, Mason Shaw, says the students trained relentlessly every lunchtime to perfect their understanding of the game’s schemes and formations. “Their commitment to mastering each play and preparing for high-level competition showed in their remarkable performances. Now, they’re set to take on the world stage with the same resilience and skill that brought them this far,” he says. The students in the team are: Frank McHarg, Liam Gravley, Austen Fraser, Mila Rule, Jack Ellwood, Patrick O'Byrne (all Year 7), Levi Currie, Olivia Quane, Joshua Stewart, and Edward Park (all Year 8).
On Sunday 10 November, paint me – the 2025 New Zealand Poetry Society anthology – was launched at Tūranga. With an incredible 18 St Andrew’s College students featured in this year’s anthology, this was an important occasion for creative writing. Alfred Lash (Year 6), along with Secondary School students: Hanxi (Cicy) Chen (Year 10), Annalie Marshall (Year 11) and Ellie Zhou (Year 11) read their poems at this special event.
In the VEX IQ Competition the Preparatory School fielded two teams into the VEX Rapid Relay Competition. Team 88397F with their robot Terry just missed out getting into the finals, finishing fifth. The team, made up of Alex O’Neill, Jacob Brinch, Ethan Waines and Harry Kempthorne (all Year 8) are getting better with every scrimmage. Team SCP173 decided to have a rebuild of their robot four weeks before the Nationals in Palmerston North in early December.
Two teams of four (a girls’ and a mixed team) competed at Wilding Park on Monday 11 November in the Canterbury Years 7–8 Tennis Championships. Both teams successfully won their pools undefeated and met in the final. The Girls’ team of Elly McHarg (Year 7), Sabine Waghorn, Kaia Hartstonge, and Scarlett Dunbar (all Year 8) beat the Mixed team of Frank McHarg, Elina Wang (both Year 7), Hudson Blyde, and Rico Cantwell (both Year 8), by one game to take out first place, with the Mixed team coming in second.
Chenxiao Leo Yang (Year 7) showcased his talent performing in The Rising Stars concert, held on Wednesday at the Great Hall in the Arts Centre. Leo's performance was marked by remarkable poise and captivated the audience throughout. His outstanding performance left a lasting impression on everyone present.
The Preparatory School Kapa Haka students have worked hard all year to develop their skills and are now in the last preparation stages for their performance on Saturday 23 November in the Christchurch Town Hall.
Book your spectator tickets for the 10.00am Ngāhau Concert. Performers do not require a ticket. Purchase tickets by clicking here.
Travel Arrangements
Students will meet at the Performers’ Entrance on Kilmore Street by 9.25am. Teachers will be there to meet the students and take them to their allocated seats. After the performance finishes, students can be collected from their teachers. Students must stay for the whole event – we watch the other schools perform.
This year the St Andrew’s College Ballet Academy proudly presents The Nutcracker. The Nutcracker is a timeless holiday classic and one of the most beloved ballets around the world, enchanting audiences with its magical storytelling and unforgettable music. Set on Christmas Eve, the story begins at a festive holiday party where young Clara receives a special gift—a nutcracker doll. That night, as the clock strikes midnight, Clara is swept into an enchanting adventure where the Nutcracker comes to life, leading her on a journey through a battle with the Rat King and into the dazzling Land of Sweets. With its blend of joy, wonder, and fantasy, The Nutcracker captures the magic of the holiday season, making it a cherished tradition for audiences young and old. We hope you enjoy the beauty, grace, and excitement of this ballet, which continues to inspire and delight with its timeless charm.
When: Friday 29 – Saturday 30 November 2024 (four performances)
Times: 2.00pm–3.30pm and 6.30pm–8.10pm (Friday), 1.30pm–3.10pm and 4.00pm–5.40pm (Saturday)
Where: Gough Family Theatre – Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre
Tickets: Adult $35.00 | Student $20.00 (student ID may be requested on entry)
We will be running a Sport Holiday Programme for Year 1–8 students in January 2025.
Dates: Monday 20 – Friday 24 January 2025 (final week of the holidays).
Programme: the sessions will be run by a variety of staff. The sports included are invasion games, frisbee golf, basketball, backyard cricket, futsal, pickleball, and more.
To register, and for more information, please click here.
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).
