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Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou. Ngā mihi aroha ki a koutou.
At the end of a difficult week, this afternoon’s service in our Centennial Chapel was a significant time for many of our students as we supported Lucca’s family and friends in remembering a much loved and respected young man. Our heartfelt sympathy and prayers remain with his family and friends.
It is widely recognised that “we are defined not by the events that happen, but by our response to them.” I believe we can take heart that our school community has supported each other and found collective strength through compassion and understanding in the grief we have felt in recent days. I am grateful that our College, founded on faith, and our Centennial Chapel, are both a constant in our lives at St Andrew’s. These give us a message of hope and strength at this time. We know that carrying on with our own lives and routines is important in challenging times and I also thank and recognise those students and staff who did just that when there has been so much sadness.
This week started with some great news from our Future Problem Solving students who have been competing in Indiana, USA. Details are provided below, but we are excited to celebrate the “third place in the world” for the combined Years 8–9 team. There were 72 teams in their division, so this result was exceptional. Thank you to Preparatory School teachers Kelly McBride and Sonia Lewis for their preparation of the students and organisation of the trip.
This has been a big week for our chamber music groups with the regional heats of this significant competition. Nine groups represented St Andrew’s, with three groups selected for the regional finals on Thursday evening. Congratulations to all groups involved. Another highlight of the week was the annual final for our Years 9–10 speech competition, Festival of the Spoken Word. The six finalists were outstanding in their presentations – the enthusiastic audiences of over 400 students were entertained and appreciative of the level of skills on display.
On Thursday evening we hosted our first whānau hui at the College, to connect with our Māori ākonga and whānau. A shared time together gave a time for introductions, discussion, and kai. Kaiako Wiremu Pickering, and Mary Leota lead our Te Ao Māori strategy which has developed our understanding and confidence over several years. I recognise our rangatahi and staff who also strengthen our commitment to our Te Ao Māori values of Whanaungatanga, Manaakitanga, Kaitiakitanga, and Te Reo Rangatira.
Finally, best wishes to all our Year 11 students who have been looking forward to their Semi-formal on Saturday evening. Thank you to all our whānau for our continued support.
Noho ora mai i wiki tūturu.
Ngā mihi nui
Christine Leighton
Rector
A group of 11 Year 8–9 students travelled with Preparatory School Future Problem Solving coach, Sonia Lewis, and Preparatory School teacher Kelly McBride to the International Future Problem Solving Competition held at Indiana University Bloomington, USA. The teams qualified in the New Zealand national finals in October 2023 while in the Preparatory School.
The Year 9 Future Problem Solving team of William Nicolls, Sophie Schouten, Genevieve Bainbridge-Smith, Alyssa Geddes, Alexa Collis (all Year 9), and Maja Clark (Year 8 leaver 2023), won third place in the world in the ‘Presentation of Action Plan’ category. The Boys’ team of Cong (Zilong) Chen, Benjamin Edward, Louie Hyland, and Emmett Lawler (all Year 8) won ninth place in ‘Global Issues’ and the judges commented that they were an “exceptional team.”
On Thursday and Friday last week, Metua Cranwell (Year 11) and Holly Maraki (Year 13) represented the kura at the Ngā Manu Kōrero Secondary School Speech Competition, which was held this year at the Haeata Community Campus. Both wahine toa spoke with conviction and were poised all the way through their kōrero. They talked about themes of discrimination, racism, identity, and history. There were powerful and strong messages from both, who showed they are examples of mana wāhine for others to follow. Metua Cranwell placed third overall in the Senior Māori Impromptu section.
Two St Andrew’s choirs were awarded for their wonderful performances at the Big Sing last Friday. Staccoro won The Jubilate Singers award for an outstanding recital performance by a Mixed Voice Choir, as well as the Outstanding Performance of a Contemporary Art Composition award. Stacchorus won the trophy for The Christchurch Youth Choir Audience Impact award. Thank you to choir directors Jared Corbett and Bryan Botting, accompanists Singing Lin and William Ernest, choir manager Ginnie Thorner, and Margot Button who stepped in at the last minute to conduct Stacchorus.
FLICKR >On Saturday night two St Andrew’s College bands, The Awthentix and The E.C.H.O., performed at the Rockquest Regional Finals. The bands performed two original songs and were well supported by a wonderful crowd of fans. The E.C.H.O. won the award for Best Song and the Musicianship Award went to their bass player (who goes to Papanui High School).
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The Canterbury District Final of the NZCT Schools Chamber Music Contest took place last night at The Piano, with three groups recalled.
The Acousticks were awarded Highly Commended, and the three groups will find out shortly if they have made it through to the Southern Regional Final on Saturday 22 June. In addition, One Gold Two Silver (trumpet trio with William Ruge (Year 13), and sisters Yuxin (Alice) (Year 10) and Yutian (Tianna) Chen (Year 9)) have been awarded the Woolston Brass School's Trophy. This is the seventh time since 2008 that St Andrew's College has won this cup.
The English Department held its annual Junior Festival of the Spoken Word on Tuesday for Year 9 and 10 students in the Centennial Chapel.
The Senior Festival of the Spoken Word takes place on Wednesday next week.
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Holly Hembry (Year 9) competed in the New Zealand One Dance Ballroom Dancing Championships over King’s Birthday weekend in Wellington. She won 23 out of 24 of her Recreational Single events in the Teen and Adult sections (having moved up an age group), resulting in receiving the Champion of Champions trophies for both. She also won all four of her Pro/Am Teen Latin events. Holly made the final in two dances out of four in the Adult Open Ballroom events, placing fourth in the Quickstep, against competitive adult couples much older than herself.
Cong (Zilong) Chen (Year 8) has achieved High Distinction with a perfect score in the Australian Maths CAT Competition. The Computational and Algorithmic Thinking (CAT) competition gives students the opportunity to develop their problem-solving skills through algorithmic thinking. The competition incorporates unique ‘three-stage tasks’ that encourage students to develop informal algorithms and apply them to test data of increasing size or complexity.
On Tuesday 4 June, 44 students from the Preparatory School competed at the Independent Zones Cross Country (ISSA). Several students placed in the Top 3, 6 and 10 in their respective age groups.
Top 3 and qualifying for the Canterbury Primary Schools’ Cross Country:
View all Top 3, 6 and 10 results by clicking here.
See full results here: Canterbury Independent Zone Cross Country (2024) Results | SportSplits
FLICKR >On Monday, the Preparatory School organised the ISSA Basketball Tournament for 2024. Due to the number of teams involved, the tournament took place at Bishopdale, with schools from the ISSA, Selwyn House School, Medbury School, The Cathedral Grammar School, St Michael’s Church School and St Mark’s School, fielding teams in four separate divisions –Year 5–6 Boys, Year 5–6 Girls, Year 7–8 Girls and Year 7–8 Boys. All four St Andrew’s College teams went through the tournament undefeated despite some tough games against Selwyn House and St Mark’s with some great basketball on display. All four teams now qualify to play in the Canterbury Primary Schools Basketball Tournament in Term 3.
Siblings Chloe (Year 6) and Jacob Wang (Year 7) competed last week at the Timaru Invitational Swimming Meet, recording new personal bests and won their age group categories.
The student directors of ‘Simply Her’ met with Board Chair of the Christchurch Aunties, Bernie McCarthy, to discuss their business venture. ‘Simply Her’ is a Year 12 Business Studies team consisting of Gemma Wong, Ava Law, Caitlin Stowell, and Ruby Allan, who make homemade jewellery and plan to contribute 50% of profits to the Christchurch Aunties charity. Bernie spoke with the team about the specific items, including toiletries and linen, which are needed to assist woman and children experiencing abuse in Ōtautahi, Christchurch. They also spoke about more ways to promote the Christchurch Aunties throughout the College, such as giving Christchurch Aunties badges to customers who buy the girls’ jewellery. CEO, Gemma Wong, said “we had a lovely lunch with Bernie, learnt a lot about the charity and business strategies that would help us in our venture.”
Year 12 Agribusiness students visited the Rangiora Vet Centre on Monday, to explore the future proofing techniques used by the business to maintain the success and viability in the future. The students were shown around the companion surgery, 24-hour clinic and equine surgery, while the staff discussed their plans for the business with the students.
On Monday, Timaru Boys’ High School travelled to compete in the annual Winter Sports Exchange, with seven different sports played. Competition was fierce but fair, with Timaru winning the exchange 8–6, with one draw.
Results: Badminton won 8–1; Basketball (U15) lost 82–87; Basketball (Senior A) won 88–65; Chess won 7–2; Football (Junior XI) lost 0–8; Football (1st XI) lost 2–3; Hockey (Colts) drew 2–2; Hockey (2nd XI) won 2–0; Hockey (1st XI) lost 2–4; Rugby (U14) lost 19–55; Rugby (U15) lost 17–51; Rugby (U16) won 17–49; Rugby (2nd XV) won 55–0; Rugby (1st XV) won 29–0; Trap shooting lost 383–384.
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On Wednesday, the Preparatory School welcomed Rangi Ruru Girls’ School to the campus for the annual Winter Sports Exchange. Despite the sunshine, it was a chilly afternoon, however supporters and students were buoyed by the quality of performance on display and the wonderful sportsmanship demonstrated.
On Thursday, Preparatory School students were treated to a wonderful performance by the New Zealand Opera (NZO). They performed an adaption of The Elixir of Love, by Donizetti. The opera was fast paced and peppered with lots of slap-stick humour. Year 8 teacher, Mason Shaw, made a star appearance in the role of marriage celebrant. At the end of the performance the students had the opportunity to ask the opera cast questions, including a demonstration of the highest singing note that could be sung by the female lead. The NZO visit has become an annual event and is eagerly anticipated.
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FOOTBALL
The Girls’ 1st XI had a great 3–1 win over Christchurch Girls’ High School at the United Sports Centre. St Andrew’s dominated from the first blow of the whistle, with Amber de Wit (Year 12) scoring all three goals within the first 16 minutes of the match.
The Boys’ 1st XI played St Bede’s College in a tight match. Samuel Cook (Year 11) scored first, but St Bede’s ended up eventual winners 3–1.
NETBALL
It was a busy weekend, with two games in the Premier 2 netball competition. Saturday’s game was against Technical B team. At the end of the first quarter, both teams were locked in an even score. The teams’ evenly matched skills were on show with the lead going between the two teams. In the end, despite a valiant effort, the final score was in Technical’s favour 54–49. In Sunday’s game against Kia Toa B, our team had a slow start, with the final score 68–51 in Kia Toa’s favour. Thank you to Gemma Hawker (Year 11) and Caitlin O’Donnell (Year 11) for stepping in to cover for injuries.
Wednesday’s game against Villa Maria College started well, with St Andrew’s ahead at the end of the first quarter. Each quarter the girls built their lead to win 48–25.
BASKETBALL
On Tuesday, the Senior Girls’ and Boys’ basketball teams travelled to play Rangiora High School. The St Andrew’s girls played the hosts evenly in the first half, then pulled away for a 75–41 win. Niamh Chamberlain (Year 13) led the way with 20 points. The Boys’ team struggled out of the gate, with a tough shooting night, resulting in the first loss of the season, 65–87.
RUGBY
The 1st XV had a fantastic win over Timaru Boys’ High School in Round 3 of the Miles Toyota Cup. Playing with the wind for the first half, the 1st XV built some good phases and applied pressure to score some great tries. Both backs and forwards combined to put in a strong physical performance played in front of the home crowd. Team captains Macklan Robertson and Aston Saunders (both Year 13) led from the front and helped drive the team around the pitch. The team also secured a valuable bonus point from this win.
The team were excited to have ex-All Black, Richie Mo’unga (OC 2012), at school to present the jerseys and to share a few words of wisdom around his time at St Andrew’s and experiences playing against Timaru Boys’ High.
BADMINTON
The Boys’ Premier team came up against an incredibly good Burnside High School team on Wednesday. The boys fought hard but were just not good enough on the day, going down to Burnside 2–7.
The St Andrew’s College Old Boys Association welcomed its first president back in 1920. William Johnston, a Senior Master at the College from 1917 to 1919, had an esteemed reputation among the students which led the first Old Boys to elect him as the inaugural president of the association. St Andrew’s became co-educational in 1992 and the name was changed to Old Collegians Association. Our current president, Sam Crosbie (OC 2009), is the 70th to hold the position of President and he is set to pass on his responsibilities at our Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 14 August.
The Presidents’ Dinner is a biannual gathering of past and current OCA presidents, and, on Friday night, we held a wonderful event for 20 presidents from 1968 to 2024. The group were also joined by past Board Chair, Garry Moore, and Current Board Chair, Felicity Odlin. Neil Thomson (OC 1957) expressed his gratitude to Patron Christine Leighton for her dedicated service to the OCA for her 17-year tenure.
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Four Old Collegians are applying their Media skills at exciting high-profile sporting events around the globe. Rupert McKee (OC 2011) has been serving as the onsite Engineer in Charge (EIC) for the Formula E World Championships. He is soon to commence work at Wimbledon for ESPN, before heading to the Olympics, where he will be involved with swimming and water polo. Tim Murdoch (OC 2004) is currently at Roland Garros (French Open), working as an EIC for ESPN’s coverage. His future engagements include the LIV Golf in Spain and the UK, as well as the US Open tennis. Steve Hartley (OC 2001) is presently in Berlin, constructing two studios for ITV’s coverage of the UEFA Euros. He will head to the Olympics to lead a team of six other audio engineers from New Zealand at the sailing event in Marseille, producing the world feed coverage for Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS). Following this, he will be the Head of Audio for America’s Cup Media at the America’s Cup. Blake Morgan (OC 2013) is responsible for the technical delivery of Sky’s coverage of the Summer Olympics. He will be stationed in Paris at the International Broadcast Centre (IBC), alongside broadcasters from around the world. Here, they will receive event feeds from various sports, curate a plethora of content, and then deliver these feeds back to New Zealand for the home viewers.
Head South, a film directed by Jonathan Ogilvie (OC 1979) is set to kick off the Ōtautahi Christchurch season of the New Zealand International Film Festival on Thursday 15 August. This comes after its successful run at the Sydney Film Festival, where it had sold-out screenings. Parts of the film were shot at the College and among the credits, you will find names like Lee Hubber (OC 1979, Executive Producer), Chris Sinclair (OC 1988, Sound Designer), and Dougal Holmes (OC 1979, Stills Photographer).
Good luck to all students who are representing the College this weekend in sports and cultural activities, including:
Our actions and our words make a difference. June is international Pride month and next week’s Schools’ Pride Week Aotearoa (17– 21 June) is a week to celebrate diversity, uphold our value of inclusion, and support our LGBTQIA+ students, staff, and whānau. This is important, as people who identify as LGBTQIA+ continue to be disproportionately over-represented in bullying statistics. Pride Week is an opportunity to actively build a sense of safety and belonging for all in our community.
Monday 17 June will be an opportunity to celebrate diversity and our commitment to our College value of inclusivity. Students have been asked to wear coloured accessories with their school uniform and can grab a hot chocolate and sticker outside Senior College before school to show their support. Students can check out the ‘Out on the Shelves’ display and enter a colouring competition throughout the week in The Green Library and Innovation Centre. Rainbow pins will also be available for a gold coin donation. Friday’s Quad activities will take on a special flavour as students boogie to a playlist of LGBTQIA+ artists.
This year, the winter clothing drive Snug Up Rug Up is back. Last year we were able to make such an impact by donating over 300 pieces of winter warms to the charity Clothed in Love. We thank everyone who supported us last year. There are two collection bins located in the Senior College office and the Middle School office to place warm winter clothes in. We are hoping that students will work together with their tutor groups and collect clothes as a class to donate. There will be a pizza lunch prize for the tutor group that donates the most winter warms. The collection bins will be onsite through to mid-August.
The annual StAC Ag show will be held on Wednesday 25 September. Pre-school, Preparatory and Secondary school students can enter several fun events such as baking, art, flower arrangements and Lego creations, with placings from first to third receiving a ribbon. They can also submit a video of a furry or feather pet to be judged or a lamb for the handling and turnout classes. More information regarding timing and entering will be made available at the start of Term 3.
At this stage, we are looking for members of our StAC Ag community that may wish to donate a small prize(s) for the different classes. This could be a gift voucher, or a physical prize associated with your business, such as coloured pencils, soft toys, lolly bags, animal products, etc. This event will be for our Pre-school and Preparatory School.
Please contact teacher Natasha Cloughley on NCY@stac.school.nz for further information.
Experience the thrilling sounds of StAC Attack 2024! A St Andrew’s College Pipe Band event at the prestigious Christchurch Town Hall – James Hay Theatre, this highly anticipated showcase guarantees an unforgettable evening of traditional Scottish entertainment.
Immerse yourself in the rich harmonics of the bagpipes, the infectious beat of the drums, and the flair of the Highland dancers as they take the stage. With talented St Andrew's College students from Years 4–13 displaying their skills, StAC Attack promises to be an action-packed performance.
Be a part of the magic at StAC Attack 2024!
When: Sunday 28 July 2024
Time: 5.00pm – 7.00pm
Venue: Christchurch Town Hall, James Hay Theatre
Tickets: Adults $49.00, students/children $29.00 (student ID may be requested).
The Aurora Stone is a mystical crystal that fell from the sky and brought peace to two fighting realms. After a mishap with the stone, three children must find out if they are the chosen ones to return the stone and help the people of Norina. Will they be able to fulfil the prophecy?
Come along and see this delightful show performed by all Year 7 and 8 students. This musical script and lyrics have been written by Preparatory School students, with music written by Year 13 Music students.
When: Monday 24 – Thursday 27 June 2024 (four shows)
Time: 7.00pm–8.00pm
Venue: Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre – Gough Family Theatre
Ticket price: $22.00
Are you a proud supporter of St Andrew’s College? Whether you’re cheering on the Pipe Band or braving the elements at a sports event, our St Andrew’s College branded Blunt Metro Umbrella is your perfect companion. The St Andrew’s College Pipe Band has teamed up with Blunt Umbrellas to bring you this stylish St Andrew's College-branded, Blunt Metro Umbrella in our iconic navy blue. At just $139, it’s the same price as Blunt’s limited edition Metro umbrellas. Every purchase directly contributes to supporting the St Andrew’s College Pipe Band. Funds raised will help us purchase new equipment and cover expenses for the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships in 2025 (Invercargill) and our next World Championship trip to Scotland!
Collection Information:
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
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.
