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Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou katoa.
This morning’s annual Prefect Assembly was a great way to finish the week. All students from Years 7–13 saw the ‘production’ which was staged in Gym 1 – decorated as a crime scene. With an entertaining variety of scenes, the prefects combined serious with hilarious moments including speeches, dance, film, song, Team of the Week Challenge and DPR Awards. The prefect team rose to the challenge of creating a meaningful and entertaining assembly which was enjoyed by all. Congratulations to Year 13 Prefect, Lauren Whittaker, who presented the thought-provoking Morning Comment which is well worth a read (click here), and to the two winners of the DPR Awards, Madison Wallace (Year 11 – Middle School) and Sophie March (Year 13 – Senior College). Thank you to the prefect team, who were so ably supported by the Film and Media crew, for a fantastic assembly.
Prefects' Assembly Flickr >
Today, at Kaiapoi High School four St Andrew’s College students competed in the Ngā Manu Korero competition. Lily Champion-Smith, Penelope Taulafo (both Year 13), Charlotte Galvan and Metua Cranwell (both Year 10) all gave wonderful speeches and were supported with waiata from our Māori and Pasifika group. Thank you to the Teacher in Charge of Te Reo/Māori, Pete Westrupp for his leadership and encouragement of this group.
This week has also been busy with a variety of sports and cultural activities. Eleven boys’ teams travelled to Timaru for the annual exchange against Timaru Boys’ High School, and the Preparatory School girls enjoyed the Rangi Ruru Girls’ School exchange. Seven chamber music groups competed in the chamber music competition, with two special awards presented to our two Preparatory School groups. At the Big Sing, our specialist senior choir won the award for Best Mixed Choir. Three St Andrew’s bands competed in the regional final of Rockquest, with The E.C.H.O. featuring Hayden Lam (Year 12), Ethan Lam (Year 10) and Oliver Woodgate (Year 12) coming third, which progresses them to the national final.
On Wednesday evening, the senior Festival of the Spoken Word showcased some exceptional talent. It is heartening to know that language and oral communication continues to be highly valued and celebrated at the College. All contestants are to be commended for their efforts. Congratulations to the overall winner of the Mark Ellerm Cup for Senior Public Speaking, Isobel Forsey (Year 12).
Every so often we receive some news of exceptional achievements of our recent Old Collegians. Be sure to read the Old Collegians’ section in this newsletter to read about a physicist, a New Zealand water polo representative, a discus champion, a rugby player in France, a Tongan netball representative and an internationally ranked photographer!
Finally, congratulations to the students who organised and supported the focus on Pride Week. Five years ago, in our new strategic plan, Inclusivity was added as one of our five values. We are learning to become a more aware and inclusive community. Our commitment is to make St Andrew’s a safe place, which enables all who work and learn here to feel they belong as valued and supported members of our kura.
Best wishes for a good weekend and to our Year 11 students who have their Semi-formal on Saturday evening.
Ngā mihi nui
Christine Leighton
Rector
June is Pride Month, and this week was Schools’ Pride Week, which gives us the opportunity to recognise the positive impact LGBTQIA+ people have had in the world, provide a time to celebrate and affirm rainbow identities and help increase a sense of belonging and reduce the experiences of bullying for rainbow youth.
Led by our Rainbow Group, the College celebrated diversity and our value of inclusivity and colour was evident around the campus. Rainbow flags flew proudly outside the Middle School Office and on the main flagpole. The Library celebrated the month with a book display Out on the Shelves. On Monday, staff and students wore colourful socks and tights and alongside our Rainbow Group members, prefects and our student Well-being Committee also provided hot chocolates to kick off the week.
Thursday’s chapel message was delivered by Assistant Chaplain, Ben Hughes, who covered the theme of “taking off our masks”. He unpacked the idea that it is easy to pretend to be something we are not, but that it is freeing and courageous to be real about who we are and what we represent.
On Thursday, students swapped their uniforms for the colours of the rainbow with donations going to Qtopia, an organisation that supports Rainbow youth in Ōtautahi and the wider Waitaha /Canterbury area.
On Saturday night the bi-annual Hoop It Up gala dinner was held as a fundraiser for the St Andrew’s College basketball programme. A record number of guests were privy to a phenomenal panel of speakers – Tim Bateman, Tessa Boagni, Shane Bond, and Jack Salt. The support from the community was great to see and the Teacher in Charge of Basketball, Ben Eves, thanks everybody who helped make it a successful evening.
The Year 12 Agriscience students went on a field trip to the Xcell breeding centre in Woodend on Tuesday to prepare them for an internal on reproduction. Students were engaged in a number of observations around the centre, including seeing different reproductive structures under microscopes, as well as seeing a semen collection occur from bulls for artificial insemination. Thank you to Greg and the team at Xcell for the tour, the students were very inquisitive and took a lot away from it that will help them for their internal assessment.
The annual NCEA French Immersion Day was held at the University of Canterbury on Friday 12 June. Students enjoyed the chance to join other Christchurch secondary schools for a day of French activities and learn a little more about the possibilities of tertiary language study and career options. They also enjoyed hearing from “Le Rugbyman” Adam Whitelock who spoke in French about his time playing rugby in France and the value of learning French. The students did a range of activities designed to encourage speaking and practice of language skills required for each level of NCEA, followed by a fabulous performance by the primary students from the French bilingual unit at Burnside Primary School who also shared insightful and valuable comments around the value of learning French.
Following lunch, the Year 11 students took part in a treasure hunt around the UC campus and the Year 12–13 students enjoyed an escape room challenge. The day finished with a giant Kahoot on a rugby theme – James Anthony first and James Steel third (both Year 11). Students also enjoyed tasting brioche, provided by Thierry from the Ilam Village Bakehouse.
This morning Preparatory School students from D-squared came to the Music Studio to record their song for the upcoming Arts in Action evening. Singing to a backing track and getting the timing correct was a tricky task. The group were recorded by Head of Music, Duncan Ferguson. For many of the students, it is their first time seeing the recording studio we have at St Andrew’s College.
BASKETBALL
Our Senior A Girls’ and Boys’ teams continued their Whelan/Thomson Trophy seasons on Tuesday evening. Unfortunately, opponents Cashmere High School were unable to play the Whelan Trophy fixture due to an exchange game earlier in the day. In their absence, the Senior Girls’ team played a full game against the St Andrew’s Junior Boys’ Blue team. Lauren Whittaker (Year 13) scored 32 points and 18 rebounds, in a closely contested encounter. The Junior Boys’ team won by a very slim one-point margin.
The Senior Boys’ team played at Middleton Grange School in the later game. Facing an opposition crowd, the first half was exceptionally close. Behind the steady play of our usual senior leaders, the boys pulled away in the second half for an 81–63 win. This sets up a game against St Bede's College next week to see who will take second place in the competition.
FOOTBALL
The St Andrew’s Girls’ 1st XI played a strong Villa Maria College team. The first half started evenly with both teams creating many chances in the final third. The St Andrew’s offensive transition paid dividends when Kyra Lazor (Year 13) scored her ninth goal of the season to give the team a 1–0 lead. Kinda Khanafer (Year 13) and Amber de Wit (Year 11) followed up to close the game with a 3–0 win. St Andrew’s are the only undefeated team in the competition.
The Boys’ 1st XI started the second round of the competition against a strong Papanui High School team. Papanui’s attack and transition to attack were too strong for the St Andrew’s defence, with the team going down 0–4. The team now has dropped to eighth place in the competition but is looking to bounce back next week.
HOCKEY
Last Friday the Girls’ 1st XI played Lincoln High School with St Andrew’s controlling most of the game and possession. St Andrew’s scored three goals were scored in the first quarter, followed by two in the second. Lincoln scored a goal just on half-time from a penalty corner and again in the third quarter, however, St Andrew’s proved to be too strong and found their form again in the final quarter scoring another three goals to take the 8–2 win. Holly Gilray (Year 13), Lila Waghorn (Year 10) and Kaylee McDonald (Year 13) each scored two goals and the single goals went to Henrietta Nation (Year 12) and Rylee McBride (Year 11).
The Boys’ 1st XI played rivals St Bede’s College on Friday night. St Andrew’s struggled to get into the game early on, however, the team managed to keep St Bede’s scoreless for the first three quarters but went down two goals in the final quarter. The boys tried their hardest to come back but unfortunately left their run too late with the game ending 0–2.
RUGBY
The 1st XV played Timaru Boys’ High School in an away fixture on Monday 12 June for the Milliken-Williams Cup and put in a gritty, physical performance. St Andrew’s went into the half-time break with slim a 12–7 lead and in the second half they increased their tempo and played for more territory through a smarter kicking game. The forwards set a solid platform for the exciting backline to attack from, and the team scored some great tries, winning 33–7 and gaining the bonus point.
NETBALL
With sickness and injury, the team was depleted for their Premier 2 game against Halswell A on Saturday. St Andrew’s started well with the first quarter finishing up two goals and fought hard to improve this lead with a final score of 51–47. Charlotte Galvan (Year 10), who was called in at the last minute as a replacement, had a brilliant game defending every ball. Thanks also go to Year 9 students Makenzie Disher for her shooting and Maniah Taefu for stepping in. St Andrew’s finished the end of the first round in the middle of the group.
Wednesday’s game was against Marian A. The team started with great determination and had a lead of eight points by the end of the first quarter. Molly-Belle Morrow (Year 12) and Libby McNee (Year 12) worked well together in the shooting circle, ensuring that turnover balls were scored. The final score was 52–19 to St Andrew’s.
On Tuesday the Festival of the Spoken Word was held in The Green Library and Innovation Centre with the following finalists:
The winners were:
The speeches were fantastic, and students demonstrated courage, confidence, vulnerability and humour.
Last week our three choirs performed at the regional Big Sing competition, which involves schools from across the Canterbury region. During the day each choir shared their competition set of three songs and in the evening they joined all other choirs who each shared one song from their set. It was an enjoyable evening with a wide range of music, with VOX16 winning Best Mixed Choir.
The regional finals of Smokefree Rockquest were held on Saturday. Out of 80 bands at the heats, 18 bands were chosen to compete in the regional finals, including three bands from St Andrew’s College. Of these bands, The E.C.H.O., placed third and has now been invited to submit a music video of three original songs for the national finals.
The Canterbury District round of the 2023 NZCT Schools' Chamber Music Contest took place on Monday and Tuesday this week. Seven groups from St Andrew's College took part this year, the largest number yet. This included two groups from the Preparatory School (pictured). One further group also had a St Andrew's student in its line-up.
The groups all gave very good accounts of their pieces. Special mention should be made of Yutian (Tianna) Chen (Year 8), who stepped in to cover for an unwell student with less than 24 hours’ notice, and of the high quality of musicianship from the members of 9 Valves 3 Bells, and Trio de l'Aube. Pickle (whose members include Hao Bo (Terence) Yang, Alexander Allan (both Year 8) and Cong (Zilong) Chen (Year 7)) received the Best Newcomers Award. Hidin' In Strowan (made up of Baizhen (Tony) Chen, Lexie Dong and Ethan Waines (all Year 7)) received the Adjudicators Award. This is the first time a St Andrew’s group has received this award in over a decade.
On Monday 11 teams from the Secondary School travelled down to compete in the annual sports exchange against Timaru Boys’ High School. The weather in Timaru was sunny and perfect for a great encounter. All the St Andrew’s teams battled hard to win the exchange seven matches to four.
Shey Doerner-Corson (Year 10) travelled to the North Island last weekend for the final two rounds of the Yamaha New Zealand Championship, where he raced over 240km in wet, muddy and slippery conditions to place second overall in the Junior Class (from an eight-round North and South Island series).
Ethan McBreen (OC 2021) also competed in this event, finishing in first place overall which makes him the 2023 New Zealand Enduro Champion.
The following students had their stories longlisted in the National Flash Fiction Day international flash fiction competition 2023 and have been invited to read their stories at Tūranga on National Flash Fiction Day. It is an incredible achievement to have been selected out of so many entries from across the world.
It was a great afternoon of sport for the Preparatory School, with students at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School for the annual exchange on Wednesday. Thanks to the Secondary School Teacher in Charge of Badminton, Jonathan Hoh, the Preparatory School fielded its first badminton team who won as many games as they lost. The 12th Grade (Year 7) football team won a penalty shoot-out against a strong Rangi Ruru team after the score finished 2–2 after extra time. The A netball team continued their unbeaten season playing in the top Saturday section and the Girls’ A hockey also had a comfortable win.
On Monday the Preparatory School hosted the ISSA Basketball Tournament. St Andrew’s College entered a team in all four divisions. The Years 7–8 Girls’ and the Years 5–6 Boys’ teams were very dominant in their matches, winning by large margins and restricting their opponents to zero points. The Years 7–8 Boys’ team successfully overcame their opposition by a similar and convincing margin. In the game of the tournament, our Years 5–6 Girls’ team tied their match with Selwyn House School, resulting in a golden point finish for the title. Unfortunately, Selwyn House scored first with our team having to settle for second. Having won their divisions, the three teams will now compete at the Canterbury Indoor Tournament in Term 3.
Gemma Lewis (Year 13) and Georgia Lewis (Year 10) were selected to represent New Zealand at the recent Pony Club International Dressage Show. This was a ‘virtual’ competition, where the team had less than two weeks from selection to submit a video of their dressage test, which was then judged by international judges. New Zealand riders were competing against riders in 11 other countries – UK, USA, Canada, Australia, China, Cayman Islands, Hong Kong, Ireland, Malaysia, Zimbabwe, and South Africa.
Gemma, riding Ruanuku R, was selected to compete at the highest level for the competition (NZ Level 5) and scored 72.02% to win her class by a 5% margin. Georgia, riding Madison Grey, was selected to compete in the Prix Caprilli class (Dressage with jumps) and came first equal.
Jack Aimer (OC 2018) is one of just nine recipients nationwide to receive a competition William Georgetti Scholarship from Universities New Zealand. Jack will be leaving in August this year to study for a Master of Advanced Studies (MASt) in Theoretical Physics at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. Read more by clicking here.
Chanel Hall (OC 2023) was this week awarded her Gold Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award, having left St Andrew’s at the end of last year as a Year 12 student.
Romania’s capital of Bucharest will host Lochie Frazer (OC 2021, second from left) who is part of the New Zealand squad for the World Aquatics Men’s U20 Water Polo Championships 2023 from 10-17 June 2023.
Three hundred emerging elite water polo players representing 20 junior national teams are set to take to the pool for nine days of competition culminating with the global men’s age-group water polo crown.
Genevieve Henstock (OC 2020) has just landed a job as a Production Assistant for the upcoming Avatar 3 movie, due out in December 2024. As the Head of Media at St Andrew’s College in 2020, Genevieve has followed her passion and will now work on Avatar alongside the legendary James Cameron and an ensemble of A-list actors.
Tapenisa Havea (Head Girl 2021) finished 19th in discus at the 2023 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Austin, Texas this week, the annual collegiate track and field competitions for athletes representing Division 1 institutions organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) in the USA.
International full-back Telusa Veainu (OC 2008) from Stade Français Paris Rugby, has signed with UK side Sale Sharks, on a one-year deal for the 23/24 season. Telusa has been in France since 2020 having spent five years in the Premiership with Leicester Tigers.
Lose Fainga’anuku (OC 2021) has been selected for the Tonga world cup netball team.
Tom Rae (OC 2022) has been featured in the press again this week, highlighting his wonderful rise to being named amongst some of the world’s best astrophotographers. You can read more about his journey by clicking here.
Good luck to all students who are representing the College over the weekend in sports and cultural activities.
Please continue to report to the College any COVID-19 related student absence using the same process as for non-COVID-19 related absences.
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).
Please be reminded about bike parking security and bike parking on campus. To minimise bike thefts, please ensure students use the designated bike parking areas, and keep their bikes securely locked while not in use. We ask that students do not leave bikes on campus overnight or during the weekends.
This weekend is this year’s World Vision 40-Hour Challenge to change everything for kids who urgently need clean water. Every day in Malawi, 11 children under five die from diseases related to dirty drinking water. Together, we can change that. Last year, World Vision reached more than 100,000 people with clean water. This year, they can reach even more. St Andrew’s College is taking part in the 40-hour Challenge and invites you to donate via the link below to help us reach our goal!
DONATE NOW >
On Wednesday 21 June, half of the Years 7–8 classes will share some of the work they have been doing in Dance, Drama, Music and Visual Arts over the semester.
This evening will focus on sharing the process of Arts learning, and you will see a snippet of the kind of work that we do within the Arts classrooms in the Preparatory School. Some of the work is at a working rehearsal stage and some is complete. Some students are new to Arts learning, while others will share their expertise in this area. This event is free, and we hope you come along to support the students.
The event starts at 7.00pm in the Centennial Chapel and has a running time of approximately 75 minutes.
A Secondary School Cultural Showcase event is being held on Tuesday 27 June at 7.00pm in the Centennial Chapel. Join us to be entertained by various cultural performances, all organised by our Cultural Captains, Mia Walker and Marco Leighs (both Year 13). The performance will last about an hour and entry is by donation, with all proceeds going to Christchurch-based charity Full Bellies.
When: Tuesday 27 June
Where: Centennial Chapel
Time: 7.00pm
Join us for a fun and entertaining evening with coaching legends Andy Ellis, Stephen Fleming, Marianne Delaney-Hoshek and Shane Bond, who will provide insight into their experiences and what it takes to be a high-performing athlete, both on and off the field. This event will end with a Q+A session open to all guests who attend. Raffles and auctions will be held throughout the evening. The proceeds from this fundraiser will support St Andrew’s College rugby and cricket.
Date: Friday 23 June, 6.30pm
Venue: St Andrew’s College Gym 1
Tickets: $75.00 (drink and refreshments included)
During this technology-focused presentation, St Andrew’s College staff and members of the College wider community will discuss the topic of technology and adolescent well-being. They will present their ideas about the positive and negative impacts of technology use and will reflect on the approach St Andrew’s has adopted in response to research about technology, pornography, teaching and learning and social media.
The evening will conclude with a panel discussion where parents will have the opportunity to ask questions, provide feedback, and consider strategies they can adopt at home to promote positive technological use and prioritise well-being.
Date: Tuesday 20 June
Time: 6.30pm–8.00pm
Location: Centennial Chapel
Experience the thrilling sounds of StAC Attack 2023! A St Andrew’s College Pipe Band event at the prestigious Christchurch Town Hall – James Hay Theatre, this highly anticipated showcase guarantees an unforgettable evening of traditional Scottish entertainment and an opportunity to see our A Band in action before they travel to Scotland to compete at the World Pipe Band Championships in August. Immerse yourself in the rich harmonics of the bagpipes, the infectious beat of the drums, and the flair of the Highland dancers as they take the stage. With talented St Andrew's College students from Years 4–13 showcasing their skills, StAC Attack promises to be an action-packed performance.
With special guests New Zealand Champion Pipe Band – Canterbury Caledonian Society.
When: Sunday 30 July, 5.00pm–7.00pm
Where: In the Christchurch Town Hall – James Hay Theatre
Tickets: Adults $49 | Children $29
We invite you to follow the official St Andrew’s College social media accounts through the links below:
Instagram: @standrewscollegenz
Facebook: St Andrew's College
By following our accounts, you will have access to photos and the occasional video showcasing the events, latest news and activities taking place around the College involving our students and staff.
The online sales for the following 2023 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.
ORDER PHOTOGRAPHS ONLINE >
The Community Business Directory is on our website under Alumni & Community and represents over 100 parent businesses. Please 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 >
For a full list of upcoming school events, please refer to the fixtures page on StACNet.
