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LogoutDear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou katoa.
The excitement this week has been building as we have received updates from Alex Kelley about the progress of our Year 7–8 Preparatory School girls’ hockey and netball teams. The AIMS Games is a massive tournament involving 370 schools and 12,000 students. Our St Andrew’s College teams were very competitive, and at the time of writing this, the Preparatory A netball team have just recorded a come from behind win over Highlands Intermediate to finish 35th overall out of 144 schools.
The Girls' A hockey team played St Cuthbert’s College (Auckland) for the bronze medal, winning 3–1. This is a fantastic achievement by both teams and the girls have performed to a high level both on and off the playing field!
In the Secondary School, various sport codes are beginning to hold their end of season prizegiving and staff are turning their minds to summer sport.
Last weekend our St Andrew’s jazz bands played to an appreciative audience and showed their depth of talent in the variety of music played.
A highlight of last weekend were the two magnificent games played by our Girls’ 1st XI hockey (Christchurch) and Senior A basketball (Invercargill) at the end of Winter Tournament Week.
The hockey team played their hearts out to a draw 1–1 at full time with St Cuthbert’s College from Auckland – then to lose in a penalty shoot-out 3–0. After the initial disappointment, their smiles said it all as they realised what they achieved – a top 2 placing in New Zealand!
The Girls’ A basketball team completed an unbeaten South Island Tournament playing Rangiora High School in the final last Saturday with a score of 73–54. This is the second year in a row the St Andrew’s girls have been South Island champions.
Congratulations to all involved (see more details on Tournament Week below).
On Wednesday this week, our NCEA students studying NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3, and Scholarship, are sitting their prelim examinations. Best wishes to all. These exams are an important benchmark in the lead-up to NCEA, with the end of the year coming up fast.
This weekend, Board Chair, Felicity Odlin, four other Board Members and three senior staff are at the Independent Schools of New Zealand (ISNZ) Conference in Auckland. With the theme of ‘Here for the Good’, the keynotes will explore the ways independent schools can play a pivotal part in positively shaping society.
Congratulations to teacher Ginnie Thorner, who was presented as one of 10 staff members from the Independent Sector with an ISNZ honours award this morning at the conference in Auckland. Minister of Education, The Hon. Jan Tinetti presented these awards and recognised the significance of teachers' contribution to the future of New Zealand. Ginnie's influence on the lives of thousands of students in her 20 years at St Andrew's, and her contribution to communities beyond our school, was acknowledged in her award for Service to the Performing Arts.
Best wishes to all for a good weekend with hopefully time to enjoy signs of spring.
Ngā mihi mahana
Christine Leighton
Rector
This week, over 70 parents gathered at our latest StAC talk event, StAC Talks: Vaping and the Party Season to learn strategies to support their children through the risks associated with vaping, alcohol, and the partying season. In this blog post, Head of Well-being, Kerry Larby summarises the key messages speakers focused on during the evening. She also acknowledges the ways St Andrew’s College is embracing evidence-based research to support our young people in navigating the challenges of modern life such as alcohol and vaping.
READ THE BLOG >On Monday, students represented the St Andrew’s Preparatory School at the Canterbury Primary and CAIM Schools Duathlon. This was a much-awaited event due to it being cancelled the last two years.
Top 50 Finish
Top 30 Finish
Top 20 Finish
Top 5 Finish
The Year 8 Navy netball team defeated Technical in the Year 8 Division 3 final to win the competition. A great effort by the team with a particularly strong performance in the final.
This year saw the revitalisation of the Academic House Competition. Held in the quad, the contest saw fierce competition. A Cantamath-style challenge showed not just brain agility, but also athletic prowess as each House jostled for the marking table. The general knowledge competition results suggest geography and flags are ably recognised by many. Academic Captain Daniel Robertson (Year 13) was MC for the event as well as a key organiser. Assisted by Annika MacDonald and Gemma Lewis (both Year 13), the event was a triumph. The eventual winners were Erwin House, with Thompson coming in second, followed by Rutherford and finally MacGibbon House. Thanks to the completely random group of judges (all from MacGibbon House) for their time in making the event a success.
Our Symphony and Concert Orchestras had a wonderful time at the Aurora Orchestra and Concert Band Festival on Monday. They performed pieces by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky (amongst others) and saw the conducting debut for Sea-am Thompson (Year 12). After their performance they had a workshop with Pablo Ruiz. Thanks to Conductor, Mark Hodgkinson, for all his efforts in conducting the orchestras.
FLICKR >The annual Jazz Club was held last Saturday at Fat Eddie’s in central Christchurch. The jazz groups performed a two-hour programme for friends and family in a very full venue.
FLICKR >On Sunday the team shot at Waihora, in their final competition before Nationals. There were some impressive performances and great shooting all round. In Single Rise Mikaere Cescon (Year 10) shot 19/20 to go into a shoot-off, finishing second in the Junior contest. Having won the skeet competition outright with the highest possible score of 25/25, Kurt Lilly (Year 10) went on the scoreboard 57/60 in Points Score to take third place in Juniors. In Single Barrel Kurt and Mikaere both shot 8/10 and finished second and third, after a shoot-off. Addison Williams (Year 12), despite having played outstanding hockey in the 1st XI Girls’ Hockey all week, was on amazing form and won the Single Barrel competition after scoring 10/10 and winning a shoot off. Together with Lucie Hood (Year 11) and Maggie Hood (Year 13), the girls won the Ladies Points Score Competition. Maggie Hood is the 2023 Canterbury Skeet Champion and St Andrew’s, once again, took out the Skeet two-person team contest.
Well done to all our Ballet Academy dancers (Years 1–13) for their wonderful Ballet examination results, and congratulations to Femke McLean (Year 9), Neve Aitken (Year 10), Charlotte Kyle (Year 10), and Siara Clarke (Year 12) for also receiving a Scholarship Nomination. This is a special acknowledgement, awarded by the examiner, to a select few considered to be amongst the top level of New Zealand ballet dancers. Nominees are then given the opportunity to compete in Wellington at the National Scholarship Awards event.
We also congratulate Hannah Drury, Chloe Fraher, Ursula Grant, Kate McFerran, Sophie O'Connor, Poppy Rumble, and Ella Withers (all Year 13) for successfully achieving their Ballet Company Graduate Diploma. Taken in Year 13, this is their final examination event, and the pinnacle of achievement in the St Andrew’s Ballet programme.
Artem Kutovoy (Year 7) participated in the New Zealand Short Track Championship last weekend and was awarded a silver medal in his age group.
Alicia Smith (OC 2019) and her team from University of Canterbury Aerospace are coming back to earth after building and launching a winning rocket 10km into the sky at an international aerospace competition. Alicia’s team won their category and placed third overall at the recent Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico, the United States.
Alicia, who works at Dawn Aerospace part-time, will finish a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Aerospace Engineering, at the end of this year. She has already lined up a full-time job at Rocket Lab in Auckland starting next year.
Marcus Armstrong (OC 2018) has just been re-signed to Chip Ganassi Racing to a multi-year contract extension. Marcus currently leads the Rookie of the Year standings in his debut NTT INDYCAR SERIES season and has competed exclusively in road and street course races. Throughout his first 11 races in the series, he has recorded three top-eight finishes and led the field for five laps. He will now be expanding his driving duties to compete on ovals with a full season beginning next season.
Good luck to all students who are representing the College over the weekend in sports and cultural activities.
Join St Andrew’s College and Te Herenga Waka University Press to celebrate the launch of our Writer-in-Residence Kerrin P. Sharpe’s new poetry collection, Hoof.
When: Thursday 19 October, 6.00pm–8.00pm
Where: Rentoul Senior College Common Room
Kerrin will read from Hoof along with St Andrew’s College students who will also present their poetry. Light refreshments will be served following the launch. Hoof will be available for purchase for $25.00 (cash or EFTPOS).
We hope you will be able to join us. Please RSVP your attendance to this free event by Monday 16 October at the link below.
Complete your RSVP here >Delicious Christmas goodies, locally made with the highest quality ingredients. The perfect gift for Christmas or keep to treat your own family! All proceeds will go towards the PTA 2023 fundraising drive.
This year the PTA are introducing two brand new offerings outside of the cake category:
The PTA is also again offering a range of Christmas cake options, all beautifully presented in a gift box:
More information about each of the PTA’s Christmas Goodies, including the ingredients list, can be found at the link below.
Between Wednesday 6 – Friday 15 September the Prelim examinations for Year 11–13 students will take place. These examinations are a formal, ‘dry run’ for the November NCEA and Scholarship examinations and, along with providing an important practice opportunity for students in each of their examination subjects and the associated feedback from teachers, the results will provide the all-important derived grades in each subject for those November examinations.
Students received their confirmed examination timetable by email and have been receiving ongoing information from the Head of Teaching and Learning, David Bevin, about the Prelims (especially for the process regarding absence from an examination). This year several students will be doing at least one examination online and are expected to be ‘device-ready’ for the relevant examination/s; forgetting one’s laptop for an online examination will be a real problem! For the duration of the Prelims, no classes for Year 11–13 students will run, with all classes recommencing on Monday 18 September. If a student wishes to study at school, Year 11 students may study in PB08 (Mrs Bigford-Fleming’s classroom) and Year 12–13 students may study downstairs in the Senior College. Whenever a student is at school, for an examination or study, they must be in normal school uniform. Boarders will do supervised study in two Arts Block classrooms for the duration of the examinations.
We are delighted to share this version of Hans Christian Andersen's most well-known classic story of Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’. Come and join King Triton's daughter, Ariel, along with her colourful friends from under the sea as she meets Prince Eric from the world above. Our incredible cast, crew and creative team will be joined by our fantastic live 18-piece orchestra. Immerse yourself in the magic of this beautiful love story for all ages. Book your tickets today and be part of a truly magical experience!
Where: St Andrew's College, Gym 1
When: Wednesday 25 October – Saturday 28 October, 7.00pm–9.30pm (all shows)
Tickets: Adults $35.00 | Students $17.50 (student ID may be requested on entry)
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.
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.
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
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 Music Department’s upcoming Vocal Concert is a celebration of the incredible musical talent within our College community. It is free to attend this showcase, which will involve Secondary School and Preparatory School choirs, boys’ Barbershops, and a range of fantastic solo items. We look forward to sharing this memorable musical experience with you. See you on Wednesday 20 September, 7.00pm, in the Centennial Chapel.
This year, Grandparents' Day will be held on Friday 20 October. This special occasion will commence with entertainment in the Centennial Chapel at 10.45am. Following this, everyone will leave the Centennial Chapel and meet up with the Preparatory and Secondary School students waiting outside. There will be a photographer available to capture this special day for those who would like this option. Please note, there is no morning tea this year. The number of people attending Grandparents’ Day has risen beyond what can be safely accommodated.
Visitors on Grandparents’ Day need to register to attend. This will ensure that the children are released from class to meet with them. Please use the link below to register for this special day.
GRANDPARENTS' DAY REGISTRATION >
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 >
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).
For a full list of upcoming school events, please refer to the fixtures page on StACNet.