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Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou katoa.
Although it has been a short week there has been a great deal to fit in before our seniors leave. Teachers of those in Years 11–13 have been focused on final preparation before seniors leave next Monday for examination leave.
Last weekend the Jazz Bands performed at the Christchurch Big Band Festival, showcasing their extensive repertoire. Those who braved a chilly Saturday morning were not disappointed by the entertainment provided.
A highlight of this week has been the Middle School production, The Little Mermaid. The sold-out show delighted audiences with a much-loved story, incredible stage choreography and dance, exceptional vocal talent and a polished accomplished young orchestra. Congratulations to all involved. Thank you once again to Ginnie Thorner, Duncan Ferguson, the production team, and parent helpers, for another memorable show.
Tuesday was the annual Boarders’ End of Year Dinner. The 158 boarders enjoyed an elegant meal prepared by Catering Manager Russell Gray and his team, served by parent and staff volunteers. The quality of the speeches was excellent, and I was very impressed with the leadership shown by the Year 13 leavers. A memorable address was delivered by Jono Oxley (Deputy Head Boy 2012) who has worked as a Boarding House Tutor for the last eight years. The theme of his address was “You will be remembered by others not for what you said or achieved, but for how you made them feel”. Tuesday was also the Preparatory School Athletic Sports Day held at Ngā Puna Wai. This well-organised event showcased some strong talent amongst the students, with good participation in House events.
Wednesday evening, I, along with Head of Well-being, Kerry Larby, and Assistant Head of Secondary School (Academic) Helaina Coote, accompanied nine Year 11–13 girls to the National Council of Women’s event, The Future of Women. The girls enjoyed listening to an address from ex-mayor Lianne Dalziel, a panel Q&A from three young Christchurch women, and a round-table discussion about challenges for young women as we head towards 2040. I was incredibly impressed with the poise and engagement of our students and received many compliments on how they interacted with other attendees.
The St Andrew’s representatives were:
Today’s final Secondary School regular assembly for 2023 recognised the many successes since the end of Term 3. Academic, cultural and sporting awards celebrated individuals and teams. Four particularly notable individual achievements were Christine Jeon (Year 12) first in New Zealand for PACANZ – Performance Music Awards; Sienna Stowers-Smith (Year 13) named in the New Zealand U21 netball team; Jake Wilson (Year 10) first in the World Finals Jet Ski competition in Arizona; Georgia Eagle (Year 13) fifth in the Juvenile Section 5 World Solo Drumming Championship in Scotland.
Congratulations to Harris Steel (Year 12) and Penelope Taulafo (Year 13) who both won first place at the Zonta Awards last evening. The Senior A Girls’ basketball and Girls’ 1st XI hockey both achieving a Highly Commended recognition – full details in the newsletter.
The Senior Boys’ Barbershop delighted the audience with an entertaining and surprising version of Old MacDonald Had a Farm. Megan Simpson and Jack Flanagan (both Year 12) presented their reflections as the 2023 Robert Burns Scholars and their recent four-week tour of Scottish schools. Certainly, a memorable time for them as great ambassadors for St Andrew’s College. Congratulations to all who were recognised in assembly today.
At the end of the assembly, I shared a message from Richie Mo’unga (OC 2009–2012) and All Blacks No. 10. This message was a reply to a good luck message I sent to Richie and the All Blacks on behalf of St Andrew’s College. In Richie’s words “Thank you so much for the message, really appreciate it. Always waving the StAC flag, wherever I am!” Go the All Blacks!
Best wishes for a good weekend.
Ngā mihi nui
Christine Leighton
Rector
In this latest Well-being Blog post, Head of Well-being, Kerry Larby, considers the important role that character development plays in education. Drawing from evidence-based research, Kerry explores the effective strategies St Andrew’s has adopted for nurturing character in our young people.
READ THE WELL-BEING BLOG >
Many production students over the years have been excited to wear costumes designed and made by Sylvia Campbell. Sylvia always goes above and beyond, paying attention to the comfort of the students, plus she has taught many how to care for clothes and hang suit pants correctly. On Thursday, after the company warm-up, she was presented with a seat which has been named in her honour in the new theatre. The donation was raised by past and current production students and Sylvia was very surprised and grateful.
The annual Boarders End Of Year Dinner and Awards evening was held on Tuesday night in Strowan House. The 158 boarding students, who hail from around New Zealand and abroad, gathered to celebrate the year and pay tribute to departing Year 13 students, other departing students, and boarding staff. All guests were treated to a wonderful three-course meal from Catering Manager Russell Gray and his team which included the volunteer service staff (consisting of College staff, PTA and other parent helpers).
Hosted by Heads of Boarding, George MacLeod and Freddy Todhunter, the evening provided a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the year as a residential student. Several Year 13 students prepared and delivered excellent speeches of thanks to the many people involved in the boarding operation. Fergus Sidey (Year 13) made an excellent toast to the College and country, and Holly Maraki (Year 12) made a lovely toast to the Year 13 students. Thanks also to Year 13 students Penelope Taulafo, Marshall Stokes, Emily Ung, Hayley Nolan, Gus Preston, Jessica Bayley, James Anderson, Portia Bennie and Lily Champion-Smith who played important roles and delivered their messages superbly during the evening.
Departing Boarding House Tutor Jono Oxley was the guest speaker and gave an enlightening speech about his time in boarding. The key message was around how people will remember you for how you made them feel, not what you achieved. Reminiscing on the various experiences he has had with boarding students over the years, Jono highlighted that there is so much to be gained from putting your phone down, getting involved and including others.
A number of boarders were recognised for their consistent efforts and contributions to being exceptional individuals within the community. In all categories, staff considered a number of deserving candidates which highlights the quality of young people we have. Well done to Rutherford Sports House who won the Dianne Needham Trophy for the boarding sports house competition.
The ‘Gallery 347’ annual Technology exhibition celebrated the 3D design work of Level 2 and 3 Design and Visual Communication (DVC) and Textile Technology students, displaying over 50 different projects. Held in The Green Library and Innovation Centre, this was the combination of hundreds of hours of work, and it was great to see so much support from the St Andrew’s College community for the event.
The Fabric Technology projects were based on developing a conceptual design for a wearable art costume, to promote a charitable organisation. The Level 2 DVC work was based on chair design, with very elegant and sophisticated designs developed. In the Spatial Unit, the students were asked to design a shipping container house based on three large and one medium-to-small container. The Level 3 students developed their brief, which saw some amazing concepts being developed in the product and spatial design area.
FLICKR >
Last Friday the basketball programme’s annual Prizegiving was held. With over 100 people in attendance, it was great to recognise the individual, team, and character achievements of our ākonga, whilst thanking our kaiako and whānau for supporting our students on their basketball journey.
FLICKR >Christ’s College hosted the Gillette Cup semi-final last Saturday. Winning the toss, College decided to bat first on a good wicket. The St Andrew’s bowlers toiled away and maintained pressure with good lines and length, backed up by some good fielding. Fletcher Mason (Year 13) 3/49 and Timothy Richardson (Year 12) 2/34 bowled well, restricting College to 211. A good solid start by Jack O'Rourke (Year 11) and James Anderson (Year 13) laid a good foundation, but the loss of three quick wickets gave College a window of opportunity. Tom Turner (Year 12) 38 and Toby Smith (Year 12) 52 swung the momentum back to us, but some poor options by our batsman put St Andrew’s under pressure and the team lost wickets at crucial stages, falling 19 runs short of the target.
Following a three-year hiatus of the annual two-day match against Saint Kentigern, the cricket team finally travelled to Auckland. Losing the toss, St Andrew’s was put into bat and accumulated 177, with William Carrodus (Year 12) making 61 n.o. A very solid bowling performance saw St Andrew’s make Saint Kentigern work hard to get the runs, but they eventually got them in their last over eight wickets down. Rain interrupted proceedings for about an hour, but the team were able to bat for 35 overs and made 138 with Joshua Nicolson (Year 11) 32 n.o. This left Saint Kentigern 132 to get in 35 overs, which they did seven down in the last over. It was a very tight contest and played in great spirit.
The Preparatory School Athletic Sports Day was held on Tuesday. Students from Years 4–8 competed at a range of events including 1000m/1200m, high jump, long jump, shot put, high jump, discus and relay. One record was broken this year, with Samuel Hoshek (Year 7) throwing the shot put 8.18m, replacing the former record by Montgomery Scott-Lysaght (now Year 10) in 2020. Overall, it was an excellent day with strong leadership demonstrated by staff and all of our Year 9–10 student leaders. The winning House was Thompson.
AGE GROUP CHAMPIONS > FULL RESULTS >
FLICKR >
On Wednesday, the Preparatory School welcomed Waihi School to St Andrew’s College for the annual Summer Sports exchange. Waihi defeated the St Andrew’s 1st XI despite a solid bowling performance by the team, restricting Waihi to 145 from 30 overs. Unfortunately, the 1st XI was unable to chase down the runs required. The Preparatory Tennis A team had a convincing 9–0 victory.
FLICKR >The Preparatory School held a Theme Day today in support of National Melanoma Awareness Week. Classes this week have been talking about how to be SunSmart and counter the harmful rays of the sun.
Please click here to donate to Melanoma New Zealand >
FLICKR >
Jake Wilson (Year 10) was crowned World Champion in the Amateur Ski 4-stroke event at the World Finals in Arizona, USA. To qualify for the World Finals, he had to compete in the International Cup where he won the Amateur Ski 4-Stroke event (open age event) and came second in the 2-Stroke Junior 13–15 years competition. Alongside his World Championship win, Jake also came fifth in the world in the Junior Ski Lites (13–15 years) and fourth in the world in the Junior Ski 4 Stroke Lites (13-15 years).
Christine Jeon (Year 12) won first prize at the National Young Performer Awards (PACANZ) in Palmerston North last weekend. This multi-discipline award represents eight of the art forms traditionally covered in the competitions movement and is the pinnacle of achievement for many musicians giving them a unique opportunity to perform at the national level.
Georgia Eagle (Year 13) placed fifth in Juvenile Section 5 at the World Solo Drumming Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. Georgia was competing in the top juvenile group of 19 competitors.
Last night at the Hornby Club, the 32nd Zonta Sports Awards took place to celebrate Secondary School sport in Canterbury in 2023. This year St Andrew’s had 12 individuals/teams named as finalists, with the following receiving Highly Commended or winners of their category.
On Thursday, the Girls’ 7s team competed in the Crusader region Condor Qualifying event along with Christchurch Girls’ High School, Craighead Diocesan School, St Margaret’s College, and Rangi Ruru Girls’ School. In tough conditions, the girls represented the school with pride and competed incredibly well to make the final, where they unfortunately lost to Girls’ High 19–22 in a very close contest. Along the way, they beat Rangi Ruru 31–7, Craighead 20–5, lost to Girls’ High 10–22 (round robin) and beat St Margaret’s by default. Canterbury Rugby has offered the team a wildcard place to compete in the main Condor Tournament, which will be hosted in Tauranga in December. This is something this group of girls have been working towards for two years and may be a first for girls’ 7s at St Andrew’s College.
The team will next compete in the South Island 7s Tournament this coming Saturday, where they will rematch Craighead and play St Hilda’s Collegiate School before a likely encounter with Girls’ High if successful on the day.
FLICKR >
Samantha Bilton (Year 9) won the New Zealand Highland Dancer of the Year U16 Championship in Nelson over the last school holidays.
Leonidas Swainson-Whaanga (Year 9) led his Eastside Academy team to the championship of the SAS Australasian Slam. The team went through the tournament undefeated.
At the HoopNation Classic in Tauranga, there were some superb results, highlighted by Ophelia and Rafferty Powell’s (both Year 12) team taking out the 16U title. Also in the team were Year 9 students Makenzie Disher and Maniah Taefu.
There were several key solo piping and drumming events over Labour Weekend. The Silver Chanter was also held on Saturday and Sunday on the College campus then the South Canterbury Championships was held in Timaru on Monday with two of our students making the trip.
Isobel Forsey (Year 12) was placed first overall in the St Andrew’s College Secondary School Creative Writing Competition for 2023, as well as first in the Prose category. Judge and St Andrew’s College Writer-in-Residence, Kerrin Davidson, described Isobel’s submission as “ambitious and literary” and praised her writing as “brave and intriguing, with a strong voice.” As the overall winner of this year’s competition, Isobel will be the recipient of the Kerrin P. Sharpe Cup for Promise in Creative Writing at this year’s Prizegiving. Runners-up in prose in this competition were Chantelle Xiong (Year 12) and Grace Kempthorne (Year 12) and receiving a special mention in prose was Dixel Vallabh (Year 12). First in poetry was Ellie Zhou (Year 10), whose poetry submission Kerrin praised as “crafted and memorable”. Runners-up in poetry were Jenna Howell (Year 12) and Vivien Kuziel (Year 13), and receiving a special mention in poetry was Emily Watt (Year 10).
Emma Geddes (Year 9) won a silver award in The Royal Commonwealth Society’s Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2023. Mabel Hart (Year 8) and Matthew Kenyon (Year 10) won bronze awards in this prestigious competition.
In the 2023 Vancouver Haiku Invitational International Haiku Competition, James Knowles (Year 9) received a Sakura Award for his haiku, petals scatter. Receiving Honourable Mentions in this competition were Heidi Smith (Year 9), with at the wedding, and Ella Withers (Year 13), with after the funeral.
The following students have recently passed the International DELF French examinations. The diploma is the official French-language diploma awarded by France's Ministry of National Education. It is recognised around the world as proof of proficiency in the French language. Special congratulations to Emily Keith (Year 13) who achieved an outstanding score for her B2 examination, which is the required proficiency to study at a French-speaking university. Félicitations!
Azaniah Roebeck (Year 11) was selected to play in the New Zealand Rugby League Representative Whaanui 16s team over the weekend. This involved attending a three-day training camp in Auckland and finishing with a game against an Auckland Invitational U16 Boys’ team, combining Auckland/Counties Manukau’s best players. Azaniah played well on the wing and his team won 20–14 in a very physical and competitive match that featured the top talent in this age group from around the country.
Sienna Stowers-Smith (Year 12) has been named in the New Zealand U21 netball squad following the New Zealand Secondary School Nationals. The team are working towards the World Youth Championships in 2025.
Molly Spark (OC 2021), and her team FEAR Youth, placed ninth at the 2023 Adventure Racing World Championship on the Eastern Cape of South Africa. They completed the 840km course in 150 hours and 32 minutes and were the youngest team competing against over 100 4-person teams from around the world.
Good luck to all students who are representing the College over the weekend in sports and cultural activities, including:
With senior students departing campus next week to prepare for external examinations, starting on Monda 30 October, the Sports Department will be offering an additional slot in the Fitness Centre, 11.00am– 1.00pm, to support student well-being. These slots will be fully supervised to help support our students.
Operating Hours
Monday – Friday: 6.30am – 8.00am, 11.00am – 1.00pm, 3.30pm – 5.45pm, 7.00pm – 9.30pm
Saturday: 9.00am – 11.00am
Sunday: 9.00am – 12.00pm
End Date: 28 November 2023
Our next StACTalk is a must-attend event designed to equip parents with essential knowledge and tools to navigate the digital landscape alongside their children. This is a hard-hitting, eye-opening and often hilarious in-person event presented by filmmaker, author and speaker, Rob Cope. Don't miss this opportunity to stay informed and engaged in your child's digital journey. The following topics will be covered: Cyberbullying, social media, gaming, online predators, pornography, smartphones, filters and boundaries. Please note: this event is aimed at supporting our parent/caregiver community and is not suitable for students to attend.
Date: Thursday 9 November 2023
Time: 6.30pm–8.30pm
Location: Centennial Chapel
The Community Service team is helping organise the College’s contribution to the Christchurch City Mission’s Christmas Appeal. Students and their families are invited to help disadvantaged children by donating gifts for children aged 3–14. The unwrapped purchased gifts can be taken and placed under the Christmas tree in the Centennial Chapel. This is a great opportunity to help our wider Christchurch community during the Christmas period, which can be a tough time for families, so we hope you all get involved. For more information, please contact communityservice@stac.school.nz.
Please bring in your donation by Wednesday 6 December.
Come along to a gathering in the Scottish Highland tradition. Hosted by St Andrew’s College in partnership with the Canterbury Caledonian Society Pipe Band, join us for this free event as we celebrate all things Scottish, with a hint of Christmas cheer! Featuring piping, drumming, Highland dancing, Scottish country dancing, and a Pipe Band contest. With a bouncy castle, food vendors and a licensed bar, there’s something for everyone to enjoy at this fun, family day out!
When: Sunday 3 December, 9.00am–5.00pm
Where: St Andrew’s College Field
This is a free, non-ticketed event, no bookings are required.
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 Director of International Students and Exchanges, Pale Tauti at PTU@stac.school.nz.
After a lengthy break from exchanges due to COVID-19 and re-establishing connections with old and new exchange schools. We are now able to provide exchanges for our Year 12 and 13 students in 2024.
Applications are now open, please discuss with your child if they are suitable for a challenging but rewarding experience which can help them to develop and grow their skills and awareness about themselves.
Please contact Director of International Students and Exchanges, Pale Tauti at PTU@stac.school.nz for the application form and any questions or queries. Applications close on Thursday 26 October.
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.
