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Rector's Comment

Thursday 6 April 2023

Dear Parents and Caregivers

The coming break will give everyone a good chance to rejuvenate after what has been an incredibly busy term. The positive attitude of our rangatahi has made it a pleasure to attend their many events and activities, and once again I extend my gratitude to the teachers and staff who work hard to provide the many opportunities available at St Andrew’s College.

On Tuesday evening, the Secondary School held the second event for prospective parents and students, the Year 9 2024 Information Evening. Stories shared by several students gave a real insight into StAC life from a variety of perspectives. The very full chapel reflected the very strong interest in places for next year.

Last night was the second Board meeting for Term 2. Two senior staff, Head of Teaching and Learning David Bevin and Data Analyst and Mathematics Teacher Sarah Exon presented impressive information on student achievement, and how we as a school identify the ingredients of best teaching practice, using data to inform our decision-making around course structure, student support and curriculum design.

All tamariki have experienced an Easter Chapel Service this week, and it has been good to be reminded of the significance of this.

I am delighted to report a total of $6000 has been raised by the Community Service team and students for the One Human Race Appeal, supporting So They Can. This is another example of generosity from our community. Thank you to our College Chaplain Rev. Paul Morrow and the Community Service Leaders, Jessie Logie and Guy Daniels (both Year 13).

At today’s Middle School Chapel Service, I was able to announce the appointment of Mr Matt Parr as the new Head of Middle School. Mr Parr will retain his responsibility also as Director of Boarding. The applause from the students represented the positive response to this announcement.

This morning’s Preparatory School End of Term Assembly celebrated a busy and positive ten weeks of learning and activity for our younger tamariki. Coming together to acknowledge achievements is an important part of being a community.

In the upcoming break, students will be involved in a variety of activities. Two key events on our campus are the Presbyterian Schools 33rd Quadrangular Rugby Tournament where our 1st XV will compete with Scots College, Wellington, Saint Kentigern College, Auckland, and Lindisfarne College, Hastings, in a traditional tournament.

On Tuesday 25 April, we will hold our traditional ANZAC Service in the Centennial Chapel at 10.00am. I highly recommend this to families as a very special service and a way to honour all those who have served our country in times of need.

Best wishes to all for a blessed Easter season and a good term break wherever you may be.

Ngā mihi o Te Aranga
Nāku noa, nā 

 

Christine Leighton
Rector

CLT 2023
Production Video

BRIGHT STAR SENIOR PRODUCTION TEASER VIDEO

Get a sneak peek at the talent that will be on display at the performances of Bright Star in Term 2.

Get ready to be transported to another time and place with the thrilling New Zealand premiere of Bright Star, presented by St Andrew's College! Based on a true story, and written by comedian Steve Martin, this epic tale of love, loss, and heartbreak will have you on the edge of your seat. Set against the stunning backdrop of North Carolina, Bright Star takes us on a journey through two eras, 1925 and 1945. The ‘Bluegrass’ musical score will have your toes tapping and the sweeping story will tug at your heartstrings. So come and experience the magic of Bright Star. This is a truly original show that celebrates the enduring power of human connection and relationships, and it's a performance you won't want to miss!

When: Sunday 7 May, 5.00pm | Monday 8 – Saturday 13 May, 7.00pm (no Wednesday show)
Where: St Andrew's College Gym 1
Tickets: Adults $35.00 | Students $17.50

Purchase Tickets >

Around the College

SUMMER TOURNAMENT WEEK ROUNDUP

The final results for Summer Tournament for the tournaments which finished over the weekend are summarised below.

New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Maadi Cup – Our squad finished the 2023 Aon Maadi Regatta on a high with more podium finishes on the final day. In the Girls' U18 Single Sculls, Freddy Todhunter (Year 13) kept her cool to power her way to take the gold. This is our first U18 title since the Maadi Cup win in 2017, so it was a special day for Freddy and our squad. The last medal win came from the Boys' U17 Coxed Four. The crew of Cameron Scott (Year 13), William Long, Benjamin Ashman, Jack Pitts and Jonty Pye (all Year 12) came back in a thrilling final from 3/4 of a boat length down on a strong St Bede's College crew to beat them over the line by 0.11 of a second. The final medal tally was three golds and one silver. Maadi Cup Flickr >

SUMMER TOURNAMENT WEEK FINAL RESULTS >
MaadiCup IMG 3906 COMBINED TOURNAMENT FLICKR >

New Zealand Secondary School’s Basketball Championships – This year four teams travelling to Auckland to compete in the 3x3 championships – two Senior Boys’ teams, one Senior Girls’ team and one Junior Boys’ team. All teams played well and their courage on the court was great. The Senior Girls’ team and the Junior Boys’ team were our most successful teams, placing fourth in their respective competitions. Basketball Flickr >

New Zealand Junior Secondary School’s Cricket Tournament – Our Year 10 team won their final game against a very good Tauranga Boy’s High School team, which meant they tied for second place in the tournament. Spencer Hair was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the tournament.

South Island Secondary School’s Water Polo Championships – The Senior A Boys’ team had a great tournament, finishing third with only one loss throughout the tournament. The Senior Girls’ team had a much tougher time being put up to the Grade A competition, however, they fought in every match and never gave up. Water Polo Flickr >

New Zealand Junior Secondary School’s Futsal Championships – After the Senior A Girls’ finished in 17th place in New Zealand, the Senior Boys’ team ended their campaign with a narrow loss to Hutt Valley High School to finish in 29th place.

South Island Secondary School’s Athletics Championships – A group of nine athletes attended the South Island Secondary School’s Athletics Championships last weekend, winning three gold, three silver and two bronze medals. Athletics Flickr >

SeniorCollegeChapel D72 3986 FLICKR >

SENIOR COLLEGE CHAPEL

Senior College students and their families enjoyed a wonderful service together on Sunday 1 April. VOX 16 and Staccoro presented two beautiful choral items, Sea-Am Thompson (Year 12) showed his talent on the Centennial Chapel organ, and Rev. Paul Morrow delivered a challenging reminder about the wide-ranging evidence that exists for the resurrection of Jesus. The event was another reminder of the spiritual and cultural taonga that we have at St Andrew’s through our Centennial Chapel and our Christian heritage.

PREPARATORY SCHOOL SACRISTANS' INVESTITURE

On Tuesday morning, the Preparatory School celebrated Holy Week with an inaugural student-led service. The nine Year 8 Sacristans retold the Easter story as part of their induction. After the service, the Sacristans were recognised individually and awarded their Sacristan badges.

PrepSacristans IMG 2969 FLICKR >
PrepT1Assembly 046A3990 FLICKR >

PREPARATORY SCHOOL END OF TERM ASSEMBLY

Today, the Preparatory School held their End of Term 1 Prizegiving Assembly. The students and community were treated to performances by the Pipe Band, Year 6 Ballet dancers, Year 4–6 Kapa Haka , and a stunning individual flute performance by Hao Bo (Terence) Yang (Year 8). The Year 8 leadership group were recognised, as well as the Year 7 road patrollers who were acknowledged for their service to the school. Academic and cultural awards were also presented and those who achieved highly in swimming sports were also presented with certificates. A lovely finish to the term as the students look forward to a three-week break.

PRE-SCHOOL EASTER EGG HUNT

On Wednesday morning, the Pre-school were visited by the Easter Bunny and some of his helpers! While the children listened to a story about how Easter egg hunts came about, the Easter Bunny hid some eggs for them to find in the playground. After they finished their egg hunt, the Easter Bunny even came inside, and the children got to meet him! A huge thank you to Zaria’s Mummy and Daddy, and Val and Ben Eves, who arranged for the Easter Bunny to come and visit.

Easter Egg Hunt FLICKR >

KEY FACTS ABOUT CONSENT

This term, all Year 11– 13 students attended a presentation about the topic of consent delivered by Jessica Tyson from BraveNZ. Her key messages reiterate the important information delivered by our Health and Te Waka teachers as part of the New Zealand Health curriculum. It is important for our students to receive this information from multiple sources during their education and we urge parents to also engage in discussions on this topic. This resource from BodySafe NZ outlines key facts young adults need to know about cultivating consensual, safe and respectful sexual relationships: Consent - Body Safe New Zealand

BASKETBALL

On Wednesday Judd Flavell from the Canterbury Rams, Mainland Eagles and Tall Blacks was invited to give a presentation to students who play basketball. His kōrero was on 'What coaches look for at the next level.' This served as a great lead-in to the upcoming basketball season.

ModelUN IMG 0003

MODEL UN CONFERENCE

Fifteen students enjoyed two days of academic extension at the University of Canterbury this week acting as delegates to the United Nations. The Model United Nations Conferences include a range of programmes run throughout New Zealand and the world, with the goals of furthering understanding about the United Nations, educating participants about world issues, and promoting peace and the work of the United Nations through cooperation and diplomacy. This year’s event was expertly managed by Xavier Dickason (OC 2020).

ECO ACTION PROJECT

This week, the Sustainability Council has had a strong focus on the EcoAction Project as they prepare for our next instalment of 2000 seedlings. Gemma Lewis (Year 13), Elliot Graves and Luke Skinner (both Year 12) lead this group of 25 hard-working students. Thanks are extended to these students for their time and energy in supporting one of the College’s leading projects to aid carbon sequestration.

Student Successes

TRIATHLON

Two students competed in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Triathlon Championships last week in Glendhu Bay, Wanāka.

  • Sophie Lampe (Year 9) had a great race, winning first place in the U14 Girls’ event.
  • Cohnor Walsh (Year 10) placed 11th in the U16 Boys’ event and finished 10th in the Aquathon the next day.

PIPE BAND

Tayla Eagle (Year 11) has just returned from a 10-day experience at Haileybury College in Melbourne. During her stay, she competed with the Haileybury College A Pipe Band in two competitions. The first was the Melbourne Highland Games and Celtic Festival where the band won Grade 4A and was runner-up in Novice A. Last Sunday, Tayla had the opportunity to compete at the Victorian State Championships where Haileybury College won Novice A and Grade 4A overall.

Tayla PrefectsInvestiture 2S5A8128 1
K ZHang

GYMNASTICS

Kalisa Zhang (Year 8) competed at the Canterbury Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships last weekend in the Stage 4 category, placing first in Free, Hoop, Ball, and Club, and was first overall.

DRESSAGE

Sixteen students participated in the Canterbury Interschools Dressage Competition this week. Our StAC A team, captained by Gemma Lewis (Year 13) placed sixth overall.

Equestrian IMG 0021
Ballet

BALLET

A group of 20 dancers took part in the Preparatory School Performance Awards last Sunday – learning, mastering and performing a new dance before an external examiner (and large audience) in just four weeks. The examiner was very pleased with the quality and musicality of the dancers on the stage, and the gorgeous costumes.

Old Collegians

RUGBY

Richie Mo’unga (OC 2012) will play his 100th game for the Crusaders this evening.

Richie Mounga
Benji Freeman

BASKETBALL

Benji Freeman (OC 2021) has signed with the Taranaki Steelformers Airs basketball team for the 2023 Sal’s New Zealand NBL season.

RALLY DRIVING

Robbie Stokes (OC 2013) won the opening round of the 2023 Mainland Rally Championship held on the first of the two-day Otago Rally, on Saturday.

Robbie Stokes

Good Luck

Good luck to all students who are representing the College over the holidays in sports and cultural activities over the holiday break including:

  • U18 rugby camp;
  • ANZAC hockey tournament Girls’ 1st XI, Auckland;
  • Pre-season netball tournament;
  • Presbyterian Rugby Quad Tournament, at home;
  • Silver and Gold Duke of Edinburgh Practice Journeys, Castle Hill,
  • ANZAC tournament Boys’ 1st XI, Timaru.

Notices and Upcoming Events

covid19govtnz

COVID-19 UPDATE AND RECORDING A STUDENT ABSENCE

We seem to be in a good space with regards to COVID-19 at the moment, with staff and student absence related to the virus very low. However, it is important that we keep a close eye on the situation and as such we please ask that you continue to report to the College any COVID-19 related student absence using the same process as for non-COVID-19 related absences. Ākonga (students) who are household contacts but test negative and do not have COVID-19 symptoms, should continue to attend school.
Parent Guidelines >

Ākonga Absence and Ill-health
A polite reminder that any ākonga who are unwell should not attend school. For any absence, whether ill-health or otherwise, the College’s preferred platform for reporting this is via our online form below.
Recording a Student Absence >

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).

STACTALKS: CREATING A CULTURE TO ENHANCE THE SPORTS EXPERIENCE

Join us for an informative evening focused on how we can create an environment that enables our young people to have quality experiences playing sports.

Our guest speakers at this StACTalks session will include an advocate for resilience, Jake Bailey, our Director of High Performance Sport and Rugby, Rod McIntosh, and Sports Leadership and Development expert and Senior Rugby Coach, John Haggart.

We will also hear about personal experiences and lessons learned from participating in sports from the student and parent perspectives. The College has been working on a Sports Framework to provide guidance for our students, which we will share and welcome feedback on. This is an opportunity to learn from experts and contribute your ideas to this important conversation.

When: Monday 15 May
Where: Centennial Chapel
Time: 6.30pm–8.00pm

REGISTER >
StAC Talks 2x1 Session 4
Online Photography WIDE 2023

2023 PHOTOGRAPHY ONLINE ORDERS

The online sales for the following 2023 photographs are now available:

  • individual student photographs;
  • Secondary School tutor group photographs;
  • Preparatory School class photographs;
  • whole year group photographs for Year 9 and Year 13.

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.

ORDER PHOTOGRAPHS ONLINE >

PIPE BAND CEILIDH: TICKETS ON SALE NOW

The very popular Pipe Band Ceilidh fundraiser (pronounced “kay-lee”) has returned for 2023 and celebrates St Andrew's proud Scottish heritage. Come along to a good old-fashioned Scottish knees-up for a friendly, fun and energetic night of haggis, music, drams and dancing in a relaxed atmosphere. Bring your dancing shoes and wear a touch of tartan!

It’s a wonderful way to celebrate our Scottish heritage and help support the Pipe Band get to Scotland for the World Championships this August this year.

Date: Saturday 27 May, 7.00pm
Venue: St Andrew's College Gym 1
Tickets: $69.00 (drink on arrival and light supper)

PURCHASE CEILIDH TICKETS >
Ceilidh 2x1 Tile

COLLEGE SHOP – THISTLES: CHANGE TO OPENING HOURS

Starting next term, the College Shop – Thistles, will be open from Monday to Friday during term time only. The opening hours will be 7.45am–9.45am and 12.00pm–4.30pm. On Wednesdays, the Shop will close at 3.30pm due to school finishing at 2.30pm.

Starting this term break, the Shop will only be open on the first two days of Week 1 (Monday and Tuesday), 9.00am–3.00pm, and on the last three days of the last week (Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday), 9.00am–3.00pm. These holidays the Shop will be on 11, 26, 27 and 28 April only.

Please note, due to differing lengths of the school holidays, the Shop will be open during Week 2 of the Term 2 break and Week 3 of the Term 1 and Term 3 breaks.

Community Directory 1

COMMUNITY BUSINESS DIRECTORY

The Community Business Directory is on our website under Alumni & Community and represents over 100 parent businesses. Please do take a look at how many businesses you can support locally.
The St Andrew's College Community Business Directory >

If you would still like to register your business, complete the following form.
Community Business Directory Registration >

KEY DATES

  • Friday 7 April – Monday 1 May – Term 1 holidays
  • Tuesday 25 April – ANZAC Day Chapel Service, 10.00am, Centennial Chapel
  • Monday 1 May – Staff Professional Development Day
  • Tuesday 2 May – Start of Term 2
  • Sunday 7 May – Saturday 13 May – Bright Star (Senior College Production)
  • Saturday 27 May – Pipe Band Ceilidh, 7.00pm, Gym 1

For a full list of upcoming school events, please refer to the fixtures page on StACNet.