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Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou katoa.
There is always a great sense of anticipation at the end of a term. Students are ready for a break from school routines and teachers are looking forward to a respite from the busy school life. As we head into the break, we are grateful to staff who have chosen to spend this time with school related activities including the Classics and History trip to Greece and Italy, and a service trip to Cambodia. Closer to home, some of our sports teams are competing in tournaments; 1st XI Boys’ Hockey in Hamilton and the Senior rugby squad participating in an Auckland tour, which includes the 34th Quadrangular tournament to be played at Saint Kentigern College in Auckland. Over this coming weekend our Senior Girls’ 3x3 basketball team is competing in Auckland, at the Secondary School Nationals.
Last evening, around 250 parents and students gathered in the Russley Golf Pavilion for the end of year Rowing Prizegiving. There was certainly much to celebrate! Student representatives from all teams delivered their team reflections most eloquently and some were recognised with major awards. The Rowing Club is sad to be losing Director of Rowing Guy Williams and his wife, coach Rachel Williams, from their positions at St Andrew’s. We are grateful to have had them for the last five years and recognised the incredibly positive influence they have had on the StAC rowing programme.
A highlight of this week was the announcement from Rev. Paul Morrow that the Community Service One Human Race campaign to support So They Can through the month of March was met with incredible student support. Over $20,000 has been raised through tutor group donations, fundraising events and other donations. Thank you to everyone for your generosity. The Community Service Leaders set an ambitious target of $18,000, so to exceed this was a real achievement.
This week I was pleased to meet with some of our international and exchange students. Maja (Germany), Nea (Finland), Amina (Germany), Kalina (Canada) and Lenia (Germany) are enjoying their experience at St Andrews and making comparisons with school back home.
Today was the official handover of our new Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre and Gough Family Theatre. The students involved with the Senior Production were the first to grace the stage after school today. It was great to see their wonder and excitement! They will be busy rehearsing for the first show in the new theatre over the term break.
This afternoon a number of Preparatory School students have received awards at their End of Term 1 Assembly, along with the presentation of the Year 8 student leaders. Congratulations also to the students involved with the Ballet and violin performances in this assembly.
As we finish this term, I sincerely thank all parents who have supported our activities throughout the very busy past 11 weeks. Your attendance at events, Parent-Teacher interviews, sports competitions, and support of other activities, is truly appreciated.
Best wishes to all for the next three weeks.
Kia naumaru i te wā whakatā (Stay safe over the holiday break)
Ngā mihi nui
Christine Leighton
Rector
Thursday proved to be a very busy day with Parent-Teacher interviews and the annual House Cross Country both taking place in the afternoon. The afternoon proved to be ideal running conditions for the students, and they made the most of the event running with enthusiasm and speed. The support from the students was great and it proved to be another successful House event.
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Senior College Chapel for Term 1 was held after Easter this year due to Easter being earlier than normal. The attendance from the students was high, with a number of friends and family joining them. Technical problems at the start caused some nervous energy, but the students were overwhelmingly understanding and sang the first verse of Amazing Grace without the words on the screen, in outstanding voice and enthusiasm.
The two choir items performed by Staccoro were of a high standard and beautifully directed by our new Choir Director, Dr Jared Corbett. Rev. Paul Morrow’s message, The Resurrection – dying to self to fully live, was themed around Christ’s death and resurrection, and that we too are called to die to ourselves so that we can fully live, free from comparison and judgement of others. In the place of unity and unconditional love, diversity is seen as something that is treasured and valued. A total of $515 was raised for So They Can in the offering at this service. Thank you to Music teacher Bryan Botting, Sea-am Thompson (Year 13) and Performing Arts Co-ordinator Ginnie Thorner for their contributions to the music at this chapel service.
flickr >On Wednesday, the basketball season started with our annual 'Kai, Kit, Kōrero' gathering. This year, we were fortunate enough to have Stevie Cozens, Co-Founder of AirTime Scouting, speak to our akōnga about the pathways that basketball can open, both within and beyond secondary school. We were also able to recognise the recipients of this year's basketball ties which are awarded to those who have played two full years of Senior Blue basketball or played competitive hoops for all five years in the Secondary School. This year's recipients are Year 13 students Ophelia Powell, Rafferty Powell, Molly-Belle Morrow, Carter Rhodes, Benjamin Ashman, Hugh Kenny, Marcus Isitt, and Samuel Ferguson.
On Tuesday evening we welcomed just under 400 guests to an information evening designed to showcase and inform about what St Andrew’s College has to offer. A group of 17 students presented on various aspect of school life and their experiences in learning from them, and, as always, they were great ambassadors for the College. Many guests chose to remain behind to mingle and chat with the senior staff who were present.
This week, Cultural Captains Jenna Howell and Xanthe Pearce, along with the Cultural Council, organised a wonderful first Cultural Showcase of the year. The Big Band opened the night with some New Orleans styled work. Other performances were from singer songwriters, StAC Dance, Year 10 Drama and the Senior Choir, Staccoro. All performers were fantastic and provided a snapshot into the things that are happening in the College. The evening was well supported, and entry was by koha, going to the So They Can charity.
Last Friday, the Preparatory School welcomed Saint Kentigern College from Auckland to the campus for a cricket and tennis exchange. The rain just about stayed away as 40 students competed across the two sporting codes. Excellent fair play was displayed by all teams and, even though the results were in favour of Saint Kentigern, the competition was appreciated by all those involved. The students shared an afternoon tea after the games before the visiting students headed to the airport to fly back to Auckland. Thank you to those involved in the exchange.
Students in Class 8T learnt about the geological history and formation of rocks at Halswell Quarry. They had to identify and classify different rock types, and their uses, throughout Canterbury. Students also found out about the history of the quarry and discovered what daily life was like for the quarrymen in the longest-running commercial quarry in Australasia with a hands-on building challenge. Over in the wetland, students discovered how resources were traditionally used in the past and explored how to protect and enjoy our green spaces today.
On Monday, Health and Safety Manager, Art Preuss, had the opportunity to talk to our Pre-school children about road safety. They talked about the importance of using our eyes and ears when walking on the footpath, and how important it is to hold a parent/guardian's hand when crossing the road. Photos of other children wearing the right protective gear were shared and the children enjoyed wearing the protective gear themselves, with some scooters helping to re-enforce the positive messaging.
There were plenty of smiles, laughs, and good questions with three children winning their own small hi-visibility vest (pink, orange and yellow) for their positive engagement during the session.
Music is an integral part of the learning programme at Pre-school – it helps the development of numeracy, literacy and emotional skills, inspires creativity, and is fun. To help fuel the children’s passion for musical learning, they often look for opportunities to invite musicians into Pre-school to lead music sessions. On Thursday they were visited by ‘Loopy Tunes’, a musical duo consisting of sisters Lea Williams-Partington and Siu Williams-Lemi. A te reo version of Baby Shark, Pēpi Mako was a definite crowd favourite amongst the waiata shared. To add to the fun, they were also joined by Mrs Wylie’s Preparatory School class – what a high note to end the term on!
This afternoon, the Preparatory School held their End of Term 1 Assembly in the Centennial Chapel. In addition to the acknowledgement of consistent performers in the Junior School, service roles, Ballet performance and the Preparatory School Term 1 swimmers, the 2024 Preparatory School Leaders from Year 8 were formally inducted, and congratulated by Rector, Christine Leighton. Those present also were fortunate to watch Ballet dancers, Iaera Abrahamson and India Chima (both Year 4) perform a National duo, and Georgia Gregg and Georgia Minson (both Year 7) perform a classical duet. Later in the assembly, music scholar Baizhen (Tony) Chen (Year 8) played Hoe-Down, by the American composer Aaron Copland, on his violin.
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Four titles were won by our athletes at the South Island Athletics Championships in Timaru last weekend. Miah Taylor (Year 13) and Orla Motley (Year 12) started the weekend off on Friday afternoon with wins in the Senior Girls pole vault and hammer events. Orla also placed third in the javelin the following afternoon. On Saturday, Melenaite Havea (Year 11) won the Girls’ U16 shot put and finished second in the discus. Sophie Lampe (Year 10) won the Girls’ U15 3000m, with Abigail Scott-Douglas (Year 11) third. Sophie also placed second in the 1500m on Sunday morning.
Second placings were achieved in the Senior Girls’ 3000m by Hannah Hughes (Year 13), Boys’ U15 400m by Oliver Jackways, Boys’ U16 javelin by Jock Sidey, Boys’ U16 long jump by Beau Robertson, and Boys’ U15 800m by Kupa Rule (all Year 11). Amelia Cody (Year 10) finished third in the Girls’ U16 200m hurdles, as well as Molly Michael (Year 9) in the Girls’ Open Walk. The Boys’ U16 4x400m relay team of Kupa Rule, Oliver Jackways, Samuel Cook (Year 11) and Hugo Millar-Bell (Year 10) also finished third to finish off a successful weekend for St Andrew's athletes.
FLICKR >A team of 26 swimmers competed at the Canterbury Secondary Schools Swimming Championships on Thursday 4 April at Jellie Park. In the individual events, the team achieved 14 top three placings (two in first place, eight in second place, and four in third place), plus five top three placings in the relays. Five of the top seven were in the Freestyle events across the age groups. This was a very successful day, and the swimmers are now preparing for their National Age Groups in April, the Div II Competition in May, and then the National Secondary School Championships in July.
Our Senior and Junior Canoe Polo teams play at Lake Rua on Wednesday afternoons competing against other Canterbury Schools. Around 70 students play in teams of five, representing 8–10 schools in Canterbury. Due to injury, we did not have a full junior team and Ethan Lau-Berger and Archer Simpson (both Year 10) made a combined team with students from other schools. Both of our teams made it into the top 4 to compete in some hotly contested semi-finals and finals. Our Seniors were against Cashmere A and after starting strong, it looked like the game was ours. However, Cashmere fought back, and it was very close. The team dug deep and were victorious to become Canterbury Champions. Our Juniors beat Cashmere B to take third place. Both results are a huge achievement for the students concerned and show that all of their hard work and dedication has paid off. Thank you to our coaches Nick Burnett (OC1994) and Justin Randall (OC1989) whose passion, enthusiasm and excellent coaching have had a hugely positive impact on our players.
On Wednesday, a team of eight riders competed in the annual Canterbury Interschools Show Jumping Championship, supported by two grooms, Martha McRae and Sophie Barnes (both Year 11). Our StAC Blue team placed ninth overall and individual riders with top placings were as follows:
Thank you to captain Lily Ellis for her leadership on the day and to her mother, Kyla Dimmock who managed the team.
FLICKR >Last weekend at the South Island Junior Swimming Championships in Richmond, Catherine Shao (Year 9) came first in all her individual events and first in her relay. Her relay team broke a Canterbury West Coast record by two seconds. Kelicia Rui En Purcell (Year 7) competed in 13 events, placing fourth or higher in every event with four first places, four second and two third.
Georgia Lewis (Year 11) has experienced highs and lows during her Speedway 1/4 midget season with a couple of rollovers, but gained some solid results in large fields, with a win and a second last weekend.
Year 8 student Cong (Zilong) Chen has achieved some outstanding achievements in Mathematics this term:
Eleanor (Ella) Nortje (Year 2) won the Novice Highland Fling trophy and the Runner Up Most Points 6 and Under last Saturday at the Christchurch Caledonian Competition.
Roma Tuimaunei has been named as a regional U16 basketball representative in addition to the students reported in the Friday 28 March issue of Rector’s Comment.
Zak Foulkes (OC 2020) has just been selected to represent the Black Caps to play in the upcoming Twenty20 International in Pakistan, where the team will play five games.
Good luck to all students who are representing the College over the holidays in sports and cultural activities:
Starting from the beginning of Term 2, neither of the College shops will be accepting cash payments. Our decision to transition to a cashless system has been led by a natural decline in cash payments, as well as to streamline operational administration tasks, and making transactions more efficient – thereby reducing waiting times for customers.
PAYMENTS ACCEPTED AT COLLEGE SHOP – THISTLES: The preferred payment method in Thistles is for items to be charged to student accounts. Credit cards (except Amex) and debit cards are also accepted.
PAYMENTS ACCEPTED AT THE SECOND-HAND UNIFORM SHOP: The Second-hand Uniform Shop accepts credit and debit cards (except Amex), and students are also able to pay by direct deposit to the College's bank account. The preferred payment is by card, due to ease of reconciliation for the PTA volunteers who manage the shop.
The online sales for the following 2024 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
The StAC Careers Expo is being held on Wednesday 8 May in the Senior College Common Room, 5.00–6.30pm (the first Wednesday of Term 2). Over 25 Tertiary and industry representatives from around New Zealand will be in attendance. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to find out more about pathway opportunities beyond school.
Learn more about the Expo on the StAC Careers website by clicking here.
Get ready to be tickled pink! Our dazzling production of Legally Blonde is a high-energy, heartfelt production that will leave you cheering for girl power. Follow Elle Woods, the ultimate fashionista, as she trades her designer handbags for law books and takes Harvard Law School by storm. With catchy tunes, hilarious antics, and a dash of romance, this show celebrates empowerment, friendship, and the colour pink. So, grab your shades, slip into those stilettos, and join us for a legal drama where fashion is always in session! Recommended 13+ (a few sexual references).
When: Sunday 12 May – Saturday 18 May, 7.00pm (Sunday Theatre Opening event for donors only, no Wednesday show)
Where: St Andrew's College, Ngā Toi – Performing Arts Centre and Gough Family Theatre
Tickets: ALL SHOWS NOW SOLD OUT
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.
For any absence, whether ill-health (including COVID-19) or otherwise, the College’s preferred platform for reporting this is via our online form which can be found at the button below:
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).
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.
