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We are delighted to advise the following students will be receiving an award at our End of Term Assembly tomorrow:
Award Recipient List >
Please do not park in the Pre-school carparks if you do not have a child attending the Pre-school.
Health New Zealand recommends everyone over six months old gets immunised against influenza each year. If you have a tamaiti (child) under nine years old, talk to your vaccinator about whether they may need one or two immunisations (four weeks apart) depending on if they have had an influenza vaccination before.
There has been significant discussion this week about the heart-wrenching Netflix drama Adolescence, particularly around the pressures young people and parents face in the digital age. In response, the College has put together a blog post for parents, offering guidance on how adults can support young people in an increasingly complex world.
Read the Well-being Blog >
Alex Kelley – Deputy Principal: Alex is relinquishing his role as Head of Preparatory School Sport, as he will take on additional responsibilities within his remit as Deputy Principal. The roles of both Deputy Principals have grown considerably over the last 2–3 years, and Alex’s move will strengthen the Senior Leadership Team. He will spend more time within the pastoral care space, as well as leading the transition to Structured Mathematics within the Preparatory School. Alex will also support the Year 7 team as an additional Mathematics Teacher.
David Ermerins – Head of Sport: Dave has been appointed to the Head of Preparatory School Sport position, which will run alongside his role as a Year 7 classroom teacher. He has a strong background in sport and is looking forward to carrying on the positive and proactive work that has been done previously, whilst adding his own stamp to the programme. This is an exciting opportunity for Dave.
Our Years 4–8 Preparatory School Cross Country will be held on Monday 12 May, in Week 3 of Term 2.
The children’s School Reports will be posted to the Community Portal after 4.30pm today. An email will be sent out to you once these are available.
The MacGibbon children celebrated last week’s win with a lot of yellow today!
Regards
Jonathan Bierwirth
Principal of Preparatory School
Deputy for Rector
This week, the Preparatory School Chapel Service welcomed some very special visitors. In celebration of Easter, Teacher Bridget Roth arranged for two real live bunnies to sit calmly on stage in an Easter basket. The sight of these adorable visitors sparked high excitement, especially among our youngest students. Following this, several Year 8 students shared presentations on their recent learning about Easter, including its history, symbols, and global celebrations. For the finale, two more Year 8 students demonstrated new actions to one of our popular hymns, I’ve Got Peace Like a River. Ka pai to everyone involved.
The Junior Department welcomed Easter with a bright and joyful celebration this morning. It is never too early to put on bunny ears and explore the arts and crafts on offer, with your friends across the whole department. Some of the exciting options included making paper chain bunnies, pop-up cards, Easter baskets and focusing on amazing eggs in nature. The Junior Department sends best wishes for a Happy Easter to you all.
Flickr >
The excitement was evident last Friday as the Junior Department students arrived ready for their annual Athletics Day. Everyone was pleased to see the clear skies and sunshine, creating the ideal environment for participating in tabloids, followed by a baton relay and sprints. The Year 1–2 students rotated between their events: Fill the bucket, Ladder relay, Basketball throw and Hurdles, while the Year 3 students moved between Vortex throw, Shot put and Long jump. Everyone enjoyed watching the Year 3 students complete their baton relay, determination and effort evident on their faces as they raced around the track. The students ran in sprint heats and finals in their year groups and their effort was obvious as they crossed the finish line. House spirit resonated around the field as sportsmanship, participation and our StAC-Up values were clear to see while the students cheered for others. Thank you to all the teachers, supporters and Year 8 students who helped the day run smoothly and well done to the Year 1–3 students for their efforts.
Congratulations to the winning house, Thompson, followed by Erwin (second), Rutherford (third), and MacGibbon (fourth).
Flickr >Georgia Gregg (Year 8) danced in Oxford last Saturday, winning three trophies. These were for: Highland Reel U16, Seann Triubhas 12 and Under, and the U14 Irish Hornpipe Cup.
After two club races, Zongze (Aaron) Li (Year 7) came second place in the Canterbury Karting Club Championships in the VMR class, and second in the 2024 club points VMR class.
Liam (Year 4) and ChlöeAnn Botha (Year 7) both swam at the Makos South Island Country and Town Competition. Liam swam in nine races in the Boys’ 10 and Under category, making six Personal Bests and placing top 5 in seven of his races. He achieved: 3rd – 50m Breaststroke; 3rd – 200m Freestyle; 2nd – 200m backstroke (dropping 14.92 seconds off his original time). ChlöeAnn swam in the Girls’ age 11–12 category, making six Personal Bests out of her seven races, and placing in the top 5 in five of these.
A number of students have achieved success in creative writing endeavours this term:
All are welcome to attend the St Andrew’s College Anzac Day Chapel Service on Friday 25 April, in the Centennial Chapel from 10.00am.
St Andrew's College proudly presents Twelfth Night, a vibrant and modern musical twist on Shakespeare's cherished comedy, created by Shaina Taub. Join us as our talented senior students bring the classic tale of mistaken identities and romance to life in a fresh and exciting way.
This musical adaptation blends Shakespeare’s sharp wit with a bold, contemporary soundtrack. Featuring an eclectic mix of folk, pop, and soul, the performance will have you tapping your feet and humming along to the tunes long after the final bow.
Step into a world brimming with mischief, love, and witty wordplay. With dazzling performances, vibrant choreography, and a unique musical score, Twelfth Night promises to be an unforgettable experience.
When: Sunday 4 May – Saturday 10 May (no show Wednesday)
Where: Gough Family Theatre, Ngā Toi – Performing Arts Centre
Tickets: Adults $35.00 | Students $17.50
The Pipe Band Department is proud to be hosting the Pipe Band Ceilidh (pronounced “kay-lee”) for 2025 – this year as a family-friendly social event with the call to “Gather Your Clan” to enjoy this special evening together. Expect a relaxed occasion with family, fellowship, and fun at the forefront. This is an alcohol-free event; however a range of non-alcoholic beverages will be on offer, along with delicious spit-roast food with dietary requirements catered for. Aligning with Scottish community tradition, fun will be in the form of a Ceilidh (Kay-lee) dance, Address to a Haggis, Highland Dancing and Pipe Band performances. Auction items, spot prizes and mystery prizes are up for grabs.
So, Gather Your Clan for Sunday 18 May!
PURCHASE TICKETS >The 2025 Prizegiving ceremony will be held on Saturday 29 November, rather than on a Sunday as in previous years, due to a scheduling conflict at Venues Ōtautahi. More information will be communicated in due course.
From Sunday 31 August – Friday 5 September 2025, the A netball team, Girls’ A hockey and Boys’ A hockey teams will compete at the annual AIMS Games in Tauranga. Over 11,000 Year 7 and 8 students from over 360 schools have competed at these games in a variety of sporting codes in the past.
There will also be a number of individual sports available. However, due to the limited group accommodation available in Tauranga, we are unable at this stage to include individuals as part of our official tour. If you would like your child to compete at the games and you are able to travel, care for, and get them to and from the events, then Deputy Principal of Preparatory School (Operations) and Head of Preparatory School Sport, Alex Kelley, can complete and forward the entry on your behalf. In travelling to and competing at the AIMS Games, your child would be included in any activities offered to the tour group and tour apparel will also be available. You should only consider this option if your child is an elite performer in their chosen sport. The individual sports offered are: badminton, BMX, canoe sport, cross country, golf, gymnastics, hip hop, indoor bowls, mountain biking, orienteering, rock climbing, squash, surfing, swimming, table tennis, tennis, and yachting.
If your child is in this category and you would like to consider this option, please email AKE@stac.school.nz for further information. You can also access the AIMS Games website which provides further information on each sport offered, visit www.nzaimsgames.co.nz.
In Terms 2 and 3, the Preparatory School Pastoral Care team is organising several lunchtime clubs. These will be overseen by a teacher, with support from our Senior students. There is no registration required for clubs, with the exception of Code Club and Dance Club. For Code Club parents can enrol online by clicking here. Code Club students from Term 1 roll over into Term 2 – only new students need to sign up. For Dance Club – email Jillian Fenton at JFE@stac.school.nz to register your child’s interest.
Monday 12.50pm – Vex Robotics (Mrs Kamo) Years 7–8
Tuesday 12.50pm – Dance Club (Mrs Fenton)
Wednesday 12.50pm - Coding Club (Mrs Pettit) Years 5–8
Wednesday 12.50pm – Minecraft Club (Mrs Feller) Years 4/5
Thursday 12.50pm – Chess Club (Mrs Gilray) Years 4–8
Thursday 12.50pm – Drawing Club (Mrs Meyers) Years 4–8
Friday 12.50pm – Stitch Club (Mrs Cronan) Years 4–8
Years 7–12 parents/caregivers are being offered the opportunity to attend the six-week Emotion Coaching course, Tuning into Teens (TINT). The programme will be led by Julie Forman (Counsellor/Mediator) from Āwhina Mai and College Psychologist, Kate Scott.
You will learn how to manage your own and your adolescent’s emotions in ways that help you to remain close and keep communicating. By learning these skills, you are less likely to have as much conflict within your family and your teen is more likely to talk to you about the challenging issues they face. These are factors that have been found to reduce the risk of mental health and substance abuse problems.
When: Six-week programme on Mondays, 9.00am–11.00am, starting on Monday 12 May until Monday 23 June .
Where: St Andrew’s College – Thompson Boarding House common room.
Booking: email Kate Scott at KSO@stac.school.nz, 14 places available. In the event of excess numbers, places will be allocated on a first come, first served basis.
Cost: $200 for the six-week course (individual) and $250 for a couple.
The following 2025 photographs are now available to purchase online:
Class photos for 8T, 8C and 6T will be available for purchase before the end of term.
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).
