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Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou katoa.
The Pipe Band students have been back in school this week after an exhausting but satisfying day competing last Saturday at the World Championships. Their third place out of 45 teams in the Juvenile grade came off the back of an outstanding performance in March, Strathspey and Reel, which left them knowing they had given their absolute best.
The 2023 Championships saw 15 countries represented with 190 bands taking part, comprised of 9000 pipers and drummers. It is reported there were also over 35,000 spectators over the two days. This makes the result of our St Andrew’s College band placing third in the world an amazing achievement.
Congratulations to all the students who travelled as part of the band. Not only were they disciplined and focused on their performances, but they were all a delight to be with – thoughtful, inclusive, positive, and grateful to those who were there to support and assist.
A huge thank you to Pipe Band Director, Richard Hawke and the band’s tutors and instructors whose skill and dedication have developed our St Andrew’s Pipe Band into being competitive on the world stage. Thank you also to the staff members who travelled with the team to provide support and assistance over the two weeks of travel and competition.
Congratulations also to the band staff who also competed in Grade 1 as part of the Canterbury Caledonian band. In this highly competitive grade of the top 19 bands, the Caledonian band came a very creditable 10th place. The ‘Cale’ band included Richard Hawke, Graeme Bryce, Jamie McEwan, Tiffany Gilchrist and Brady Swann, plus many other Old Collegians and Jamie Hawke (OC 2006) as the Pipe Major.
Back in Christchurch, there has been lots of other great news as the winter sports season draws to a close. Highlights this week have been the success of the Girls' 1st XI football team and the Girls' Senior Blue basketball team, each winning their Canterbury final. Both these teams have dominated for the last few years and worked tirelessly throughout the season to maintain their position.
The Girls' 1st XI hockey and Senior A netball teams worked equally hard, narrowly losing their finals to take a well-deserved second place, also in the top tier secondary grade of their sport. The Boys’ 1st XI football team also had a great win in their Division 2 final this week, gaining the Mainland Championship title.
There are many other successes to be celebrated by many other teams as detailed below. What is very gratifying is that whatever the grade being played, St Andrew’s teams are fronting up, enjoying their competition, and growing both skill and character.
Other exciting news this week is that two Year 13 students, Drew Castles and Jonah Cropp, have been named as finalists for this year’s National Schools Poetry Award. This places them in the top 10 Year 12–13 writers in the country. Drew and Jonah are travelling to Wellington this weekend, where they will claim their prizes and attend a poetry masterclass at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University.
On Tuesday evening in London, I hosted a St Andrew's College Old Collegian event. Sixty-five Old Collegians, ranging in years from leavers of 1958 to 2016, gathered at the Caledonian Club and met up with old and new friends. It was great to see the variety of positions and careers these young people are pursuing and to note their enjoyment of a continued association with each other, and St Andrew's College. I have no doubt these connections will continue to be important in the years to come.
Old Collegian’s London Reunion Flickr >
Best wishes to all. I will be back in New Zealand in just over a week.
Ngā mihi nui
Christine Leighton
Rector
This morning our Senior College students attended their annual Well-being Assembly. The Student Well-being Committee organised and led the event, creating an uplifting and engaging programme. Heads of Well-being, Radha Vallabh and Jack Satterthwaite introduced the assembly, reflecting on what well-being means and why it matters. Laai Tausa (Year 13) was the guest speaker and presented an inspiring message about how his family, culture and school experiences have shaped his values. He encouraged students to consider what values they take forward after school as a compass for their decisions. The chapel was full of energy as the students sang Classic by MKTO, led by Hugo Ranken and Edward Pitts and a superb rap performance by Jack Flanagan (all Year 12).
A key aspect of this assembly is the presentation of the highly respected Mahia te Aroha Awards. These character awards celebrate the students who put values of kindness, inclusivity, and compassion into action. Voted for by their peers, the Senior College recipients were George Apse, Dara Ballard, Edward Pitts (all Year 12), Ben Schelp, and Sophie Hayden (both Year 13). We value these students as bringing our College values to life in their actions.
FLICKR >
With the tutor reminding the boys in 11HFL about their haircuts, William Gibson and Connor Frew decided to get a haircut and raise money for charity. The boys next set up the fundraising page for Child Cancer and persuaded the other five boys in their tutor group to also get their haircuts for the charity.
By morning tea today, the day of the haircuts, the group have raised over $2000. If you wish to donate, please click the link below.
Donate to the 11HFLTutor Group Child Cancer Foundation Fundraising Initiative >
On Thursday, the Year 9 French class had an opportunity to sample some French fare. Croissants and pain au chocolat were on the menu, accompanied by bottles of the incredibly famous French drink Orangina. Learning a language should always include a focus on culture, and food is such an intrinsic part of French culture. Bon appétit!
This week, the Sustainability Council leaders Gemma Lewis, Elliot Graves and Kate Simcock met with UC’s Sustainability Manager, Matt Morris, to discuss UC’s waste management system. The students were specifically interested in waste management practices that could be emulated at the College. Gemma, Elliot and Kate are contributing to a St Andrew’s staff group focused on a whole school goal of using the sustainability goals (UN) to develop a strategy to reduce carbon footprint and initiate sustainable practices and decision-making across the College.
Last Sunday, the annual Year 8 Communion Service was held in the Centennial Chapel. This service is designed to give our students an experience, insight and understanding into one of two sacraments practised within the Presbyterian Church. There was a wonderful gathering of parents who joined this special service. The message focused on the sacrifice, forgiveness and grace of God through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. There was a beautiful duet sung by Year 8 students Matilda Atkins and Jacob Triplow and while Communion was being serviced, Hao Bo (Terence) Yang (Year 8) played the piano.
FLICKR >On Wednesday, teams from the Preparatory School travelled the short distance to St Margaret’s College to take part in the annual Winter Sports Exchange. Despite the competitive nature of the teams involved, all games demonstrated fantastic fair play and mutual respect for each other. The Exchange resulted in six wins, one draw and one loss for St Andrew’s.
For the past six weeks in Science, all Year 7 and two Year 8 classes have been involved in discovering the amazing phenomenon of electricity and how it is generated, moved, and used across Aotearoa. Each class has collaborated twice a week with a STEM professional who is currently employed in the local Engineering industry. With their expert support and knowledge, students have gained invaluable learning opportunities.
Six local engineers, Mitchell Davis (OC 2018) and Oliver McArdle from Deta, Susan Paul from WSP, Alex Gillon from Stantec, Tim Preston from GHD, and Stuart McGirr from ElectroNet, have supported our budding STEM enthusiasts to design, build and test their wind turbines. The students have worked as a team to light up a mini town using the power of renewable energy.
Today, the Pre-School tamariki and kaiako celebrated Daffodil Day, an event that supports the Cancer Society’s important work in cancer care and medical research. Tamariki and kaiako came to Pre-school wearing yellow and decorated the learning spaces with yellow balloons and bunting, and the daffodil-inspired art the children have been creating throughout the week. The children also baked and decorated yellow cupcakes to eat together for morning kai.
FLICKR >Our Senior Girls’ basketball team travelled to Cowles Stadium on Tuesday night in search of their fourth consecutive Whelan Trophy title. After a hot start from St Andrew’s, Rangiora High School came back strong through the second quarter. St Andrew’s took a 40–26 lead into the half, behind strong contributions from Lauren Whittaker (Year 13) and Ophelia Powell (Year 12). Kavanah Lene (Year 13) sparked a third quarter run with a trio of three-point makes, pushing the lead to 62–43 going into the final quarter. Although Rangiora battled valiantly, St Andrew’s pulled away for an 82–61 win and another Canterbury Secondary Schools Championship. Lauren Whittaker was named Whelan Trophy Finals MVP with a massive 25-point, 21-rebound, eight-steal stat line.
FLICKR >
The Girls’ 1st XI has won the School Premier 1st XI football competition and are the Champions for 2023, after beating Avonside Girls’ High School convincingly 5–0 at English Park on Wednesday evening. Goals were scored by Kyra Lazor (Year 13) (three goals), Amber de Wit (Year 11) and Alyssa Sanders (Year 10). The team has completed the so-called ‘threepeat’ having been awarded three titles in a row.
FLICKR >The Boys’ 1st football XI played in the Championship final against Middleton Grange High School on Wednesday afternoon. The first half was a tight affair with both teams having chances early on. At half-time St Andrew’s were 1–2 down but scored twice in the second half to take the title.
FLICKR >
Last Friday, the Girls’ 1st XI competed against Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in their first-ever SSP final. The girls were nervous but excited and were overwhelmed by the support of friends, teachers and family who came to watch. Rangi Ruru came out strong and put pressure on early. In the first four minutes of the game, they scored a goal off a stroke and went 1–0 up. St Andrew’s fought back, and each quarter improved and settled into their game having a few key moments and attacking shots on goal that narrowly missed. At the final whistle, the score remained 1–0 to Rangi Ruru, who were deserving of the win. The St Andrew’s girls were immensely proud to make it to the final and to make a legacy in St Andrew’s history.
FLICKR >The Boys’ 1st XI played Shirley Boys’ High School for fifth and sixth place last Friday. St Andrew’s scored the first goal in the first quarter and the team’s ball retention throughout the match was an improvement from the match last week, with St Andrew’s dominating possession. St Andrew’s won 3–0 to finish fifth in the Premier Boys Competition for 2023.
It was a big week last week with the final games for all teams – seven out of 10 hockey teams in the playoffs for the top four, including the 1st XI Girls making St Andrew’s hockey history playing in the final of the SPL grade.
Saturday’s netball semi-final was against St Margaret’s College. Having already played them during the week, the girls knew it was going to be a tough game. St Margaret’s started well, putting the St Andrew’s team under pressure. With determination, St Andrew’s fought back to try and reduce the gap. However, in the third quarter, a team collision meant that two St Andrew’s players had to be taken off due to injury, which then left some players out of their normal positions. All players worked hard together and while they won the third quarter, the final score was 66–48 to St Margaret’s College.
The Under 15 Open rugby team are the joint winners of the Division 1 U15 rugby title in 2023. The final score was 27–27 in an epic game against Christchurch Boys’ High School. The U12 rugby team had a good victory against Medbury School in the weekend, winning an exciting encounter 29–10.
Over the past two weeks, our St Andrew's College A Pipe Band have been in Scotland to participate in the Pipe Band World Championships, visiting Stirling Castle, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo in the first week of the trip. The band also visited the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral, where Rector Christine Leighton shared the rich history of St Andrew’s College and the significance of our school song. A special highlight was their performance at the Cathedral Ruins where they played for a supportive audience.
During the North Berwick competition, the band secured victory in the Juvenile drumming and an impressive second place overall. At the Perth Highland Games, the drum corps clinched another victory, and the band achieved second place in the Juvenile event.
The culmination was the Pipe Band World Championships in Glasgow, a day the band had dedicated over two years of preparation. With 190 bands and 5000 competitors at Glasgow Green, our band stood as New Zealand's sole representative in the Juvenile A Grade, facing fierce competition. The band played exceptionally well in their six-minute performance, placing third in the world – a remarkable achievement and an incredible experience for all involved.
FLICKR >
A group of six students were awarded their Silver Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Awards at the Senior College Well-being Assembly this morning. Thirty-three students have now completed Silver this year.
Bianca Marshall (OC 2022) also gained confirmation this week that her Gold Award is complete. Bianca will receive official recognition at one of the up-and-coming award ceremonies hosted by the Governor-General of New Zealand.
On Wednesday evening, three Year 9 and three Year 10 teams competed in the prestigious Cantamath event at the Wolfbrook Arena. With the top Year 10 team being the 2022 Year 9 Cantamath champions, expectations were high.
In the Year 9 competition, StAC1 took an early lead, but Rangi Ruru Girls’ School eventually pulled ahead. StAC1 made a comeback and finished third following a rapid finish from the Shirley Boys' High School team. Only these three teams managed to answer all 20 questions correctly, within the time limit, to score 100 points and be awarded a golden ticket. StAC2 (85 points) and StAC3 (40 points) also gave impressive performances.
In the Year 10 competition, StAC1 were the first to advance through the early questions, but Christ's College matched them. Halfway through the competition, most teams were struggling to get past Question 12 and Christ's College were the first to get it correct. With ten minutes to go, StAC1 made a comeback against Christ’s College’s two-point lead; meaning both teams were on the last question together. Christ's College were moments ahead and got their 100 points to win a golden ticket. StAC1 finished with seven minutes to go, followed by Cashmere High School. StAC2 and StAC3 both finished on 85 points and were among the top-performing teams in the competition.
Last Sunday, St Andrew’s entered two teams in the Canterbury Impromptu Competition. This is a very intense tournament, with only five minutes to prepare speeches. StAC 2, made up of Harry Anderson (Year 13) and Jayden Okeroa (Year 12) did well and finished the tournament on 2/4 wins. StAC 1, consisting of Luke Wylie (Year 13) and James Hart (Year 12) went undefeated through the tournament, to advance to the finals against Riccarton High School. In the final, they negated the motion that ‘The responsibility for the global refugee crisis should be shared equally amongst the world’ and won the final convincingly. This is the fifth year in a row that St Andrew’s has won this tournament and the second year in a row for Luke. Luke and James were also named as the top five speakers in the tournament.
On Tuesday, the Programming Māori and Pasifika Potential (PMP) Haumi team pitched at the regional finals at Ara. This competition is about promoting and enabling Pasifika and Māori students to learn business skills, such as Lean Canvas, to develop a solution to solve a social or environmental problem. The St Andrew’s team of seven, ranging from Years 9–13, were mentored by Chante (Botica and Raiha Campbell). This team needed to pivot close to pitch time, choosing to address the problem of falling sports participation by developing an application (App) that could be sold to a telecommunication provider. The pitch involved the App providing enhanced supporter engagement with sports stars and teams, more camera, zoomed-in camera packages, commentator conversations one-on-one, and statistics. The team pitched well and finished second, a great outcome for their first attempt.
St Andrew’s College entered two teams of Year 13 Economics students into the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s 2023 Monetary Policy Challenge, with the team of Lachlan Odlin, Finlay Fairweather-Logie, Jedd Bright, Luke Wylie and Thomas MacLean winning second place. This Challenge asks students to suggest what the next direction of the Official Cash Rate (OCR) should be and when that should take place. The teams had to prepare and submit a presentation outlining their ideas and the Economic principles behind it. Video submissions were judged by RBNZ Chief Economist Paul Conway, Economic Advisor Marea Sing, and Analyst Andre Castaing.
National Schools Poetry Award 2023 – Drew Castles and Jonah Cropp (both Year 13) have been named as finalists in the National Schools Poetry Award 2023, placing them in the top ten Year 12 and 13 writers in the country. Drew and Jonah will travel to Wellington this weekend, where they will claim their prizes and attend a poetry masterclass at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University.
New Zealand Poetry Society’s 2023 anthology – The following students have had their work selected for publication in the New Zealand Poetry Society’s 2023 anthology:
Publication in Toitoi, Journal For Young Writers and Artists – Georgia Blyde (Year 3) has had her poem ‘Lake Benmore’ published in Toitoi.
Cohnor Walsh (Year 10) entered the Forest Run Fest half marathon over the weekend at Bottle Lake Forest, finishing fifth in a time of 1:26:53, against a field of 1001 competitors.
On Tuesday, a group of 30 students from Years 0–8 participated in the annual ISSA Schools Ski Race at Porter Heights, all determined to retain the College’s 2022 championship. The Co-Ed Primary team of Isabelle Greer (Year 6), Luke Russell (Year 5), Alessandria Greer (Year 4), and Francesca Greer (Year 3), exhibited exceptional skills and emerged victorious as the fastest Co-Ed Primary team. The Intermediate team of Estelle Russell, Theo Smith (both Year 8), Edward Park, and William Patterson (both Year 7), also won the fastest Co-Ed Intermediate team. Alessandria Greer also won the prestigious award of the Overall Fastest Girl Years 1–6 and unofficially was the fastest female skier among all Year 1–8 participants on the slopes that day.
At the recent Ashburton competition, Adelyn Abrahamson (Year 5) won runner-up Most Points U10 and Iaera Abrahamson (Year 3) won runner-up Most Points U8. Iaera also won the U8 Highland Fling trophy.
Isaac Matulewicz (Year 11) has been selected for the Canterbury U16 Development Team.
Harry Withers, Tom Rae and Meg Bowden Cooke (all OC 2022) will be exhibiting from Hereford Street to the High Street Atrium with ArtStart 2023. This exhibition opens doors for young artists and kickstarts their art career and runs from Saturday 2 – Saturday 16 September, open daily from 10.00am–6.00pm, free entry.
Benji Freeman and Tanae Lavery (both OC 2021) played in the New Zealand U23 National Basketball Tournament at the weekend. Benji's Taranaki team defended their title and Tanae's Canterbury team placed fifth. Benji was also announced in the tournament team.
Good luck to all students who are representing the College over the weekend in sports and cultural activities.
Effective from 12.01am Tuesday 15 August, the seven-day mandatory isolation period for positive COVID-19 cases, has been removed. The Ministry guidance is to stay at home for five days if you test positive for COVID-19, but this is not a requirement. However, 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.
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).
Our next free StACTalks event will focus on the issue of teenage vaping, as well as touch on the impacts of alcohol. This presentation will equip parents to help, teach, and support teens to navigate vaping and alcohol. Ultimately, we want to give our students the skills and the confidence to continue to successfully navigate these issues when we are no longer around. We will hear from members of the St Andrew’s College community who have experience in these issues, as well as expert Leigh Hogg, from the charity organisation, Tūturu, who will speak about the current risks and what research suggests our best approaches are to mitigate these.
The evening will conclude with a panel discussion where parents and caregivers will have the opportunity to ask questions, give feedback and consider strategies they can adopt at home to promote positive open conversations around vaping, drugs and alcohol.
Date: Tuesday 5 September
Time: 6.30pm–8.00pm
Location: Senior College Common Room
The Independent Schools Encore Choral Festival is taking place on Wednesday 13 September, at the Christ’s College Assembly Hall, 7.00–8.00pm. Hundreds of Year 7–11 students from St Andrew’s College, Christ’s College, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, St Margaret’s College, The Cathedral Grammar School, and Medbury School will perform in this special festival concert. All are welcome to come along to support these talented Music students. Entry is by koha donation, which will go towards the Christchurch City Mission.
Please join us for the annual St Andrew’s College Film Fest on Friday 15 September from 7.00pm in the Senior College Common Room.
This is a fun, family-friendly event where we celebrate our talented St Andrew’s filmmakers, so please support by coming along to celebrate with them. Prizes will include Best Film, Best Director, Best Cinematographer, Best Actor/Actress, and many more, including some cool spot prizes.
Tickets are $5.00 (no door sales).
BUY TICKETS ONLINE >The St Andrew’s College annual Dance Revue is back! Containing an eclectic range of dance styles including Jazz, Hip Hop, Ballet, Musical Theatre and Contemporary, this fast-paced evening of dance will have something for all to enjoy. Performances will come from St Andrew’s College Ballet Academy, StAC Dance, soloists, groups, and guest artists. Come celebrate dance!
When: Saturday 16 September, 7.00pm–8.30pm and Sunday 17 September, 2.00pm–3.30pm
Where: St Andrew's College Gym 1
Tickets: $15.00
The Pipe Band art show is back! Showcasing the work of talented professional artists, the art sale offers you the chance to own remarkable local art while supporting our Pipe Bands. With many wonderful artists from all over New Zealand contributing artwork, this is a fabulous opportunity to snap up a unique piece for your home or office.
Your purchase will directly contribute to our Pipe Band 2023 World Championships and 2024 National Championships fund. You will also have the chance to win $500 towards a piece of your choice with our Art Show raffle – entry forms will be available in the Centennial Chapel throughout the Art Show.
Join us for the StAC Agricultural Show on Wednesday 20 September. Students can enter a number of fun events, such as baking, art, flower arrangements, and Lego creations, with placings from first to third place receiving a ribbon, and all first-place winners will also receive a prize.
There is something for everyone at this A&P Show-inspired event. Come along to Gym 1 to experience all the art, baking and other pet entries as well as the petting zoo – get set for a day of Agricultural fun!
Entries: Cost: $3.00 per category entered (viewing the entries on the day is free). Entries close Friday 15 September 2023. To enter your child/ren into the StAC Agricultural Show, please click to complete the relevant entry form/s below:
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.
