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Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou katoa.
It was a busy morning in the Centennial Chapel this morning with both Preparatory School and Senior School end-of-term assemblies. There was much to celebrate in an eventful term and Board members Felicity Odlin, Rob Woodgate and Alan Merry were in attendance, assisting with awards presentations. The combination of celebrating service to the College, five Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards, and success in cultural and sporting pursuits made for an excellent way to complete the term. I also want to acknowledge all our classroom teaching staff for the commitment they make to the teaching of our tamariki with their diverse learning profiles, interests, strengths and personalities. I see them giving 100% every day and know the coming break will be a welcome reality from the busy St Andrew’s schedule.
Rector’s Address > Awards PDF > FLICKR >
Yesterday was a vibrant day around the campus with students at all levels dressed in costumes of favourite book characters (Preparatory School), ‘something blue’ (Secondary School) fundraising for Snug Up Rug Up charity, and where you see yourself within ten years (Year 13 students Theme Week).
Over this last week, a number of events have kept students busy, and no doubt parents too! Tuesday night was a celebration for seven rock bands and Wednesday saw around 120 students participate in the annual Vocal Concert, with a combination of choirs, and solo items. Last weekend featured the creative and entertaining annual Film Fest and Dance Revue, which featured over 50 dancers from the Ballet Academy and the student-led St Andrew’s College Dance Programme. Wednesday was the much-enjoyed StAC Ag Show, with the highlight being the petting corner, and Thursday was the colourful and highly anticipated Preparatory School Book Parade and celebration of reading.
Thank you to those who contributed to the Māia Health Foundation appeal for a new youth mental health facility, promoted in Rector’s Comment last week. I am delighted our community will be donating $3,000 to this most important cause.
Yesterday, our Year 13 community service leaders, Jessie Logie and Guy Daniels, spoke at chapel about the projects for 2023. Donations through student fundraising efforts have raised $51,339 to support a variety of causes across Christchurch. These efforts raise the consciousness of our students to those in need and encourage them to develop a spirit of generosity towards others. Izzy Logie (OC 2021) spoke to Senior Chapel about her continued community service beyond school while a student at the University of Canterbury. Izzy’s story and commitment to helping others was inspiring for our students to hear.
On Thursday, I shared morning tea with the recipients of our annual Mahia te Aroha Character Awards led by the Student Well-being Committee. These Year 9–13 students were recognised by their peers and teachers as being compassionate and bringing our school’s value of inclusivity to life. It was a delight to share conversation with these students and the Head of Well-being, Kerry Larby, who through our Well-being Programme highlights the importance of character development, compassion and kindness.
Chloe Evans (Year 9), Olivia Radcliffe (Year 10), Sophie Burnett (Year 11), George Apse, Dara Ballard, Ted Pitts (all Year 12), Sophie Hayden, Ben Schelp (both Year 13)
That wraps another week at St Andrew’s and now a three-week break for all. Best wishes to the various teams in competitions, especially Senior A Girls’ basketball and Senior A Girls’ netball both competing in the premier national competitions during the break. Also best wishes to the Cricket 1st XI for their tour to Sydney, and the clay-target shooting team competing at the National Championships in Hamilton.
Wishing all a safe and refreshing term break.
Ngā mihi mahana
Christine Leighton
Rector
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.
In this blog post, we hear from Director of Sports Strategy, John Haggart, about the importance of acknowledging everyone’s contribution as a team and not just the prize winners, together with the valuable life lessons and skills gained through sports participation.
Today, the Preparatory School celebrated the achievements of the winter terms, Terms 2 and term 3. Entertainment was provided by a solo ballet performance from Year 8 ballet dancer, Cameron Lyons, the School Concert Orchestra, Alexander Allan (Year 8) on the clarinet, and the Australian Tourists school kapa haka, representing the wide range of talent at St Andrew’s College. The pipe band once again set a high standard to begin the assembly. Congratulations to all of the students who were acknowledged at the assembly, it was great to have the chapel full of students and whānau.
FLICKR >Last Friday was a busy sports and cultural fiesta during the Activities Day for Year 9–10 students. The students broke into House groups, then within those House groups put into mixed groups of 12–15 students, so plenty of new friendships were made. There were six activities spread out over the course of the day: basketball, word puzzles, charades, bench-ball, football and a quiz. Much laughter, some competitiveness and lots of inclusion occurred as they all made their way around the variety of games. The day finished off with House singing in the Centennial Chapel, where the roof was raised by vigorous vocals. It was an excellent day outside of the classroom.
FLICKR >
The Art Show Pipe Band fundraiser returned this year after a hiatus. The foyer of the Centennial Chapel was decked out with over 300 pieces of art from New Zealand artists, predominantly local Canterbury artists. The Thursday night opening night was a huge success, with the foyer packed with people. There was live music, food and wine to entertain all those who perused the fine selection of art. As a fundraiser, the weekend's sales were a huge success raising funds towards taking the band to the National Pipe Band Championships in Auckland in March 2024.
FLICKR >The annual Film Festival last Friday evening was a triumph, showcasing the talent of St Andrew's College aspiring filmmakers. The evening was hosted by the charismatic duo of Marco Leighs and Jeremy Kent (both Year 13) and was not only a showcase of talent but also a celebration of classic cinema, with attendees donning amazing costumes that paid homage to the silver screen's golden era. It was a night filled with laughter, camaraderie, and, most importantly, a whole lot of fun.
One of the standout moments of the evening was the impressive remake of the final scene from Casablanca, which left the audience in awe. Bede Miller's (Year 13) labour of love in recreating this iconic moment was a true testament to his technical prowess and dedication to the craft. A further highlight this year was the inclusion of the budding talent of our Year 9–10 filmmakers for the first time, with Louis Tappin (Year 9) deservedly winning the Best Junior Film award for The Caller. Portia Bennie (Year 13) walked away with several well-deserved prizes, including the prestigious Best Film award. Portia's achievement is all the more impressive considering this was her first foray into filmmaking.
Last weekend, audience members were treated to two stunning performances at the annual Dance Revue. With over 50 dancers involved in the show, it was slick, eclectic and lively, showcasing the massive talent of dancers from both the St Andrew’s Dance Programme and Ballet Academy. Special mention must be made of student Heads of Dance, Sophie March (Year 13) and Sienna Spark (Year 12), who have led Dance well in 2023; the quality of Dance Revue is a testament to their dance abilities and leadership.
FLICKR >On Tuesday night, the second annual Rock Night was held at The Rolling Stone. Seven of our College rock bands performed a set of two original songs and one cover. It was a superb night that once again proved to be one of the musical highlights of the year. There was a wonderful crowd of around 200 friends and family in attendance supporting the 48 students performing, making it an incredibly fun night. The quality of the rock programme has gone from strength to strength and this year the influence of tutors, Georgie Clifford and Michael Sumner, was especially apparent with some wonderful original melodies in the songs, and some killer guitar tones.
FLICKR >
The 2023 Netball Prizegiving was held on Monday lunchtime and was an opportunity to recognise individuals and teams for their achievements and contributions in netball over the season. Overall St Andrew’s College netball has had a very successful year. Of particular note is the success of our three teams who attended South Island Tournaments. The Senior A team came fourth in the A Grade, 10A came second in the Year 10 Grade, and 9A team came first in the Year 9 Grade. All three are fantastic achievements and show the depth of talent playing netball at St Andrew’s College.
Good luck to the Senior A team for the National Netball Championships in Auckland which will be held at the start of October, where they will play against the best 16 teams in the country. Over 200 teams play in three regional qualifying competitions each, year so qualifying is an outstanding achievement.
The annual StAC Agricultural Show, held on Wednesday, started with a wee rumble and proved to be a resounding success, drawing in an enthusiastic crowd and showcasing the remarkable talents of students and staff. This year's event brought together individuals from diverse backgrounds who shared a common passion for agriculture, art, and creativity. One of the highlights of the Ag Show was the competition for the best animal videos. Charlotte Donovan (Year 7) emerged as the Supreme Winner in this category, captivating the audience with her heart-warming video. The Art section of the Ag Show showcased a plethora of artistic talent. Sabine Waghorn (Year 7) stood out as the Supreme Winner, impressing the judges and attendees with her exceptional flower-arranging skills. Attendees had the opportunity to pat friendly greyhounds and interact with a petting zoo featuring adorable baby lambs, goats, bunnies and other animals, creating unforgettable memories. There was also an abundance of art exhibitions, baking displays, flower arrangements, and LEGO creations. These exhibits showcased the creativity and talent within the community. The Ag Show was not only a celebration of talent but also a testament to the strong sense of community and collaboration among the participants and visitors. The event provided a platform for individuals to come together, share their passions, and support one another in showcasing their skills and achievements. Thank you to our generous sponsors for their support.
On Wednesday evening, the annual Vocal Concert was held in the Centennial Chapel. The concert featured four St Andrew’s choirs, two barbershops and nine soloists. The performers were applauded by an appreciative audience and the evening was full of enthusiasm. It was evident that the 100 students involved love to sing.
FLICKR >
The 10 ACEE class visited the Teece Museum this week to support their current Anthropology Unit. The focus of the visit was social anthropology including an exploration into the life of Alexander the Great; his powerful reign and how he carefully curated his image to maximise his success as a future leader by emulating Apollo. The students were treated to an ‘up-close viewing’ of ancient artefacts including a lip-cup used for wine drinking at ancient symposiums, also known as drinking parties. This lip cup was dated as 550 BCE. The highlight of the visit was holding a silver tetradrachm. This tetradrachm was minted during the latter years of Alexander the Great’s kingship and produced on the island of Cyprus, conquered by Alexander in 333 BC. The Teece Museum educationist commended the students for their articulate questioning and accrued knowledge.
All Year 9 Religious Education students have created an artwork this term related to a research topic they chose. Their topic had to be a person or a place that has or had, Christian significance throughout history.
Through their research, they explored the history and impact of their topic and then produced artwork that linked to their findings. There were some exceptional art pieces created this year and the photos below show some great examples that were submitted in recent weeks, by the following students:
Thank you to parents who attended the Academic Conferences with Year 11–13 tutors over the last two afternoons. These are a valuable way of enabling your child to share the feedback they have received from their subject teachers after sitting preliminary examinations and know what their next steps are. We are confident students will have clarity about their strengths and work-ons as they head into NCEA examinations in early November.
This term a Year 9 Dodgeball Competition was run by our Middle School Leaders. Over two Extended Tutor Times, all the Year 9 tutor groups competed in some nail-biting bouts. The final this week was down to Ms Lawrence’s tutor group versus Mrs Simcock’s tutor group. Fraser Walls (Year 9) did his very best to put the opposition off their game, but Ms Lawrence’s tutor group were not to be swayed and won the final, thereby winning the coveted prize of Roses chocolates.
Year 7–8 Science students were treated to a masterclass demonstration recently of a fish dissection by Emily Craig (OC 2008) from Fish & Game New Zealand, who gave a presentation analysing the external and internal anatomy of a farmed salmon. Students watched a step-by-step procedure of how to dissect a fish for scientific observation. They learned about the internal organs and their functions, viewing the heart, liver, spleen, gall bladder, gills and digestive tract using a hand lens. It was an enthralling experience and they coped well with the scientific process of it. Adding to this new experience, all Year 8 classes undertook their own fish dissection in pairs last week, utilising newly purchased dissection kits and tech trays in the Science lab. An essential part of each session was for students to follow cultural customs by opening and closing with a karakia (blessing). A karakia is required to acknowledge the tapu, mauri, and wairua of the species and the associated atua.
FLICKR >Some key overarching learning outcomes of the last three weeks in the Year 7–8 Science unit, ‘Marine Ecosystem and kaitiakitanga of our aquatic environs’ have been to build knowledge of marine reserves and raise awareness of their current situation. Students have interacted with people who are involved in caring for our waterways and oceans and learned how we can also contribute to a positive future for our aquatic and marine environments. Students participated in a 60-minute Virtual Reality (VR) experience below the surface of the ocean with BLAKE (The Sir Peter Blake Trust) in a virtual field trip. Students engaged with several underwater experiences through 360˚ videos that compared and contrasted different marine environments, including learning what causes ocean damage and what actions can be taken to protect the marine environment. Students gained a deeper understanding of kaitiakitanga and practical actions they can take to help protect the environment. In Sir Peter’s final log on board Seamaster, he wrote “We want to restart people caring for the environment…through adventure, through participation, through education and through enjoyment.”
Staff and students in the Preparatory School have spent a fantastic week full of learning and fun, celebrating the best of children's literature. This year’s theme was 'Who’s Your Hero', focusing activities on those book characters we admire for courage, strength, leadership and kindness. The week got off to a great start with a visit from award-winning New Zealand author, Maria Gill. Maria captivated the students with stories of New Zealand wildlife and real-life New Zealand heroes, and she also shared her secrets for writing wonderful creative non-fiction stories. Another highlight, as always, was the spectacular Book Parade; with the spring warmth upon us, staff and students paraded across the campus dressed up as our favourite book characters.
Throughout the week, classes, library sessions and lunchtimes were filled with literary quizzes, competitions and creative activities that kept us all entertained. Our Book Club hosted a lunch in the Preparatory School Library with storytelling and some particularly difficult book challenges, and our Year 7–8 students were invited to place their Uber Reads orders for some great reads chosen for them by the library staff.
FLICKR >
It’s been Dress Up Theme Week for our Year 13 students, so to let everyone else in on the act, the Middle School had a non-uniform day yesterday to support the charity Snug Up Rug Up. It was an excellent way to fundraise for the Clothed in Love organisation which helps families in need with warm clothing for the winter season. The theme was to wear something blue, or winter woolly. Students were asked to donate a gold coin or to find an old winter garment. One of the amazing organisers for this day, Aria Wilkie (Year 12), dropped off two big containers of warm clothes to the Clothed in Love team. The students raised just over $500, and the Middle School doubled that to a $1000 donation. Thanks to everyone who donated on the day. You can still donate via their website: clothedinlove.org.nz.
This week, Year 13 students enjoyed their annual Theme Week. The entire year group got involved with each day's theme: things beginning with the first letter of your name, decade throwback, favourite character and where you see yourself within ten years. With a large variety of colourful costumes and outfits, it was certainly a highlight for Term 3 and a great way to celebrate the end of prelim examinations.
FLICKR >At the Pre-school, we support and encourage our tamariki to be kaitiaki (guardians) of our natural environment. To help further build our knowledge in how we can be protectors of marine creatures, today we were visited by Jennifer, an educator from Project Jonah. Project Jonah is a marine welfare charity that supports stranded whales and dolphins. Jennifer led a mat time where we learned some fascinating facts about whales and dolphins, and then we headed outside where the tamariki helped ‘rescue’ a life-size inflatable whale by pouring water over its body, just as they would at a real stranding. The children will definitely know what to do if they ever come across a stranded whale pod!
Mia Walker (Year 13) has gained her ATCL in Musical Theatre with Distinction, which is a fantastic achievement requiring hours of dedicated work.
Congratulations to Austen Fraser (Year 6) who recently won the Year 6 Division finals of the Rotary Speech contest.
The following students passed their Academy of Highland and National Highland Dancing examinations with wonderful success:
Term 3 has concluded for the Pipe Band with preparation for the start of the New Zealand pipe band season in Term 4 underway.
On Saturday 16 – Sunday 17 September two solo competitions were held – the Highland Piping Society of Canterbury and the Canterbury Drummers Club. Both events were hosted at the College in the Spiro Science Block. Well done to all competitors.
Georgia Eagle (Year 13) has been appointed Drum Sergeant for the New Zealand Police Pipe Band.
Three students competed in the Canterbury Secondary Schools Duathlon Championships last Sunday in Southbridge, achieving the following excellent results:
First-time Speech and Drama student Oliver Wallace (Year 10) recently gave an outstanding recital of The Old Bull by New Zealand poet, Janet Frame. This was Oliver's first time at the competitions and his first-year learning Speech and Drama. The audience listened with complete engagement as Oliver skilfully shared this poem about an old bull standing and watching the world go by. Oliver was completely surprised and humbly overjoyed to be awarded first place and be the winner of the Christchurch Competitions Prize for the Own Poetry Selection, category 14–U16.
Congratulations to competitors in all age categories, for the courage to face an audience on their own and the high standard of performance and presentation skills displayed.
On Tuesday, 11 skiers and snowboarders from the Preparatory School travelled to Wānaka to participate in the Mike Greer Homes Upper Clutha Schools Ski Race held at Cardrona Alpine Resort.
The primary ski team, comprising Isabelle Greer (Year 6), Alessandria Greer, Archer Bryant (both Year 4), and Francesca Greer (Year 3), secured the top position as the fastest overall primary Years 1–6 team. Isabelle Greer was the Fastest Overall Skier across Years 1–8 and Alessandria Greer was the Fastest Years 3–4 female skier on the day.
Our intermediate snowboarding team, featuring Harry Hitchon and Ryder Townshend (both Year 8) along with Jet Townshend, were the second-fastest snowboarding team of the day. Ryder Townshend was also the second-fastest snowboarder among all participants. The intermediate ski team, composed of Theo Smith (Year 8), Will Patterson and Edward Park (both Year 7), demonstrated remarkable sportsmanship and determination amidst challenging opponents. Edward Park was the swiftest Year 7 male participant, while Theo Smith was the fifth fastest Year 8 male skier in the competition.
Gemma Thomas (Year 10) travelled to Auckland last weekend to compete in the New Zealand National Karate Championships. This event coincided with the New Zealand National Secondary Schools Karate Championships and Gemma competed in both events. Gemma achieved four silver medals out of the five events: U14 Kata and U14 Kumite in the Secondary Schools’ Championships, and the 14/15 years Kumite (+59kgs) and 14/15 years Open Kumite in the National Championships.
Last week, Penelope Taulafo (Year 13) was named to the New Zealand U18 Māori rugby team and will play the New Zealand Barbarians in October in Auckland.
Robbie Manson (OC 2007), Ben Taylor, Thomas Russel and Zack Rumble (all OCs 2017) have been named in Rowing NZ's 2023 New Zealand Summer Squad which sees a focus on the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Harri Silcock (OC 2021), at 20 years of age, was jointly the youngest competitor in the Ashley Forest Rallysprint held at the weekend. Harri competed in a 1982 rear-wheel drive 4AGE engined Toyota Starlet and a Semog Cross Car with a GSXR 750 engine. After an error in the Starlet qualifying for top three run-off, he didn’t place but backed it up with a stunning time of 1.02 minutes in the cross car finishing third overall in the Cross Cars class.
Good luck to all students who are representing the College over the holidays in sports and cultural activities, including:
Year 11 (Weeks 1–2): All Year 11 students are required to complete a Clearance Form before they leave for the year. This will be done over Weeks 1–2 of Term 4 during tutor time. Their tutor group will visit The Green Library and Innovation Centre to return overdue books and/or any computer equipment which may have been borrowed. Students are also expected to totally clean out their lockers if they had one this year. They will be getting new lockers next year, in Senior College, so it is imperative they leave nothing behind, including their locks.
Year 9–10 (Weeks 6–7): All Year 9– 10 students are required to complete a Clearance Form before they leave for the year. This will be done over Weeks 6–7 of Term 4 during tutor time. Their tutor group will visit The Green Library and Innovation Centre to return overdue books and/or any computer equipment which may have been borrowed. Students are also expected to totally clean out their lockers. No one gets the same locker next year, so it is imperative they leave nothing behind, including their locks. It is optional for next year’s Year 10–11 students to have a locker, and notification has already gone out to students to apply for one. If there are any issues they can contact Middle School Office Administrator, Robyn McIntosh, at RMT@stac.school.nz.
With international borders well and truly open and the movement of people across boarders back to normal. We have the privilege of having international students join us at St Andrew’s College to enrich their learning journey.
We are looking for families who are willing to host international students in their homes in the following three capacities:
For more information, please contact Director of International Students and Exchanges, Pale Tauti, at PTU@stac.school.nz.
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.
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.
