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Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou.
It has been a positive start to Term 3, and we look forward to another busy term. Over the term break a number of students participated in sporting competitions. The Preparatory School Girls’ Sports Tour to the Gold Coast returned last night after a number of challenging delays but had a great experience. Details of this will be shared next week.
Clay target shooting, Boys’ U15 hockey, and Year 9 and 10 netball enjoyed significant success as detailed below, plus several Secondary School students represented Canterbury in National or South Island events. Highlights were the Year 9 netball team coming second in the South Island Secondary School Junior Tournament, U15 Boys’ hockey team came third out of 16 teams at The Tanner Cup Hockey Tournament, and the success of clay target shooting team, especially Kurt Lilly (Year 11) who was overall individual champion at the North Island Championships (see full details below).
In cultural events, Sea-am Thompson (Year 13) was named as the Overall Winner of the Original Composition category in the 2024 NZCT Chamber Music Contest. Ethan Lam (Year 11) won Best Guitarist award and Hayden Lam (Year 13) was nominated in the Top 3 Best Drummers in the National Battle of Bands (top 14 bands in New Zealand).
In creative writing three St Andrew’s students took out the three top placings in the haiku section of the New Zealand Poetry Society’s International Poetry Competition. Five Pipe Band students had a fantastic time playing with the New Zealand National Youth Pipe Band in Canada and competed in a number of events. There have been a number of other outstanding individual student achievements as referenced below. Congratulations to all who took part in these various competitions.
With several staff involved with events and competitions over the term break, and a number of staff attending subject conferences, it was important that we had Monday’s Staff Only Day to address whole school goals and curriculum work. Thank you to parents for accommodating this day which is a particularly important time for staff to turn their attention to things which are over and above the busy life of school classroom and co-curricular responsibilities. The demands on teachers’ time are ever increasing and these staff only days are important for us.
This week has been the first of our Year 10 camps and 10H have enjoyed their time at Castle Hill. It looks like next week’s group may experience some winter weather and perhaps snow! This weekend is Rugby Club Day when all StAC teams are playing throughout the day here at home. Our 1st XV team play Shirley Boys’ High School at 2.30pm. StAC Attack is on at the James Hay Theatre at 5.00pm on Sunday. Best wishes to the band and tutors who have been working hard towards this much anticipated and sold-out event.
Today our Ladies’ Circle held their 66th AGM. Formed in 1958, this group meets every month in the Centennial Chapel. A friendship group who enjoys camaraderie and guest speakers, had asked me to speak today. I enjoyed the opportunity to share my personal journey and the influence of schools and teachers on shaping who I am, an interesting exercise.
Ladies’ Circle Flickr >
Also, this weekend is our 50 Years On Reunion, with 47 Old Collegians (Secondary School from 1974–1978) gathering this evening for a cocktail event and Saturday evening for their traditional reunion dinner.
Best wishes to all for a good weekend.
Ngā mihi nui
Christine Leighton
Rector
The trap shooting team of Kurt Lilly, Marcus Ferguson (both Year 11), Ethan Higgs, Mitchell Twentyman, Konnor Chamberlain (all Year 12), and Logan Gardner (Year 13), participated in two events over the holidays – the Hamilton Boys' High School Invitational Shoot, and the North Island Secondary School Trap Shooting Championships. At the Hamilton Boys' Shoot, the St Andrew’s team came second in the overall teams’ event, narrowly missing the top spot by a count back against Palmerston North Boys’ High School. The next day at the North Island Championships, the Skeet team of Kurt Lilly and Ethan Higgs came second, one point behind the eventual winners. Kurt Lilly’s performance in the three individual DTL events earned him first equal in the points event, single barrel event, individual skeet event and overall champion (hitting 113 out of 115 targets).
An U15 Boys’ team competed in The Tanner Cup Boys Hockey Tournament hosted by St Paul’s Collegiate School in Hamilton. Sixteen of the best hockey schools in New Zealand were involved over four days of competition. Pool play saw the boys competing with both of last year’s finalists, with Whangarei Boys’ High School and New Plymouth Boys’ High School, as well as a traditionally strong Tauranga Boys’ College. The first two days saw wins over Whangarei (4–1), New Plymouth (3–0) and Tauranga (5–1), ensuring the team’s qualification at the top of their pool to play John McGlashan College in a quarter final on day three. John McGlashan scored early in both the first and second halves to lead 2–0. It took the boys until the end of the third quarter to score, finishing the game with a win, 3–2. The semi-final against King’s College from Auckland resulted in a 2–5 loss to a particularly good King’s team, who went on to win the tournament. The boys’ final game was a rematch against New Plymouth, who had narrowly lost their semi-final. The boys won this game 6–1 to take out third place in the tournament.
The St Andrew’s junior netball teams recently competed at the South Island Secondary Schools Junior Netball Tournament. The Year 9 team's accurate shooting, excellent defence, and mid-court turnovers led to an unbeaten streak during three days of pool play. Winning their semi-final against Christchurch Girls’ High School, they then met a strong St Margaret’s College in the final. Fighting hard throughout the final, they secured a well-deserved second place, with a final score of 22–27.
The Year 10 team had mixed results during pool play, with four wins and two losses. However, their resilience paid off on playoff day. Their two wins included a 24–17 victory over Craighead Diocesan School, and they finished in ninth place.
Flickr >
Over the holiday break, several senior students attended Basketball New Zealand (BBNZ) U18 Nationals. Logan Righton (Year 12) was solid with multiple double-doubles. Niamh Chamberlain, Ophelia Powell, and Rafferty Powell (all Year 13) led Canterbury to a bronze medal finish, with Ophelia selected in the All-Star 5.
Six students were invited to trial for New Zealand U15 teams (FIBA U17 World Cup 2026). Their trial concluded at the BBNZ U16 Nationals. Final results for both groups:
Roma and Ava were both also named in the tournament All-Star Star.
Cultural Captains Jenna Howell and Xanthe Pearce (both Year 13) hosted a fantastic gathering on Monday night for our musical theatre community. ‘Dream Role’ invited students to share songs from roles they would love to perform. There were some excellent performances, much hilarity, and a great group number at the end of the event.
On the final Friday of the holidays, the cast of the upcoming Middle School production had their first rehearsal. The group arrived in high spirits and are already demonstrating a great work ethic. We are looking forward to getting into the weekly rehearsals this term. The show for 2024 is Once Upon a Mattress, which is a musical of the story of The Princess and the Pea. This will be held in Term 4, more information about tickets will be released later this term.
On Thursday, the Secondary School Ballet Academy dancers had their final session with Neve Pierce (Royal New Zealand Ballet (RNZB) Dance Specialist), working to perfect their newly choreographed piece to be premiered at the upcoming Ballet Winter Showcase (Sunday 11 August, 5.00pm. See ticket information below in the notices). This special class took place in the new Gough Family Theatre, which was an absolute delight to work in. The dancers especially enjoyed the improved stage performance space.
Flickr >
FOOTBALL
In a highly anticipated clash, the Boys’ 1st XI emerged victorious against Burnside High School with a 3–2 win. The match was tightly contested from the outset, with both teams showing determination and skill. Luca Hawkesby, Samuel Cook (both Year 11), and Noah Cole (Year 12) showcased their effectiveness, scoring a goal each. Burnside fought bravely and managed to score twice, keeping the game tense until the final whistle. However, the St Andrew’s team resilience and strategic play secured them the well-deserved victory.
RUGBY
On Saturday 6 July, the St Andrew’s College 1st XV rugby team took on Christ’s College 1st XV at Hagley Park, in the biggest traditional fixture of the year for the College. St Andrew’s conceded the first point from the kick off, and Christ’s College dominated both territory and possession. An intercept try from a loose pass then led to the next points for Christ’s College and it was looking like it would be a tough day the St Andrew’s College team. Macklan Robertson (Year 13) broke the game open with a decisive run, splitting the defence to score a fantastic solo try. St Andrew’s went into the half time break behind on the score board 5–19. The team lifted in the second half and scored directly from kick off. The ball was then moved to the wide channel for Toby Smith (Year 13) to score a try in the corner. Samuel Mustchin (Year 13) then kicked a few vital penalties to create score board pressure. Both teams attacked the break down and tried to secure vital field position from which to build pressure. Macklan Robertson stepped up again to score again after a great attacking platform was laid by his hard-working forward pack. With time up, St Andrew’s defended their goal line, repelling over 20 phases from Christ’s College to close the game down in a truly inspirational team effort. St Andrew’s played with pride and determination, showing some real grit to secure the victory, 25–19.
NETBALL
On Saturday 6 July, the netball team played University of Canterbury A. The first quarter was keenly contested, but in the subsequent three quarters, St Andrew’s took the lead, securing a final score of 64–49 in our favour. The girls demonstrated determination and executed the strategies they had practiced, working together as a team.
In a close encounter last Saturday, the team played Kia Toa B. Despite a challenging start, the team rallied in the second and third quarters, showcasing a comeback. However, Kia Toa B demonstrated resilience and skill, managing to claw their way back into the game to win 57–50.
In the second round of the SuperNet games, the team played Cashmere A. The team had a good start, quickly establishing a lead of 12–3 by the end of the first quarter. The girls brought lots of energy to the court to end with a final score of 35–16 to us.
BASKETBALL
On Tuesday, our Senior Boys’ and Girls’ basketball teams travelled to play a pair of deferred games against Cashmere High School. The boys played first and although they started well, they fell behind at the half and could not claw back, dropping another Thomson Trophy match-up. The girls followed, with a balanced performance across the board leading to another convincing Whelan Trophy win.
Sea-am Thompson (Year 13) was awarded the Winner of the Southern Region and Overall Winner of the Original Composition category in the 2024 NZCT Chamber Music Contest. His composition, Piano Trio No 2, written for violin, cello, and piano, captivated the judges. Composition adjudicator Michael Norris was impressed by the craft of the winning work, which “went beyond a core technical facility into the realm of real imagination. It used a wide range of string registers to great expressive effect, complex, sophisticated harmonies, unusual and original rhythmic elements, organic developmental structures, and colourful idiomatic techniques.” The last person from St Andrew’s College to win this award was Isaac Shatford (OC 2014) 10 years ago. Sea-am will be performing an hour-long free organ recital in the Transitional Cathedral on Sunday 4 August, 2.00pm.
St Andrew’s College has again been superbly represented in the 2024 New Zealand Poetry Society's International Poetry Competition. Our student writers took out all three top places in the haiku section of this competition – an incredible achievement in an international competition of this scale and calibre.
First place was awarded to Violet McInnes (Year 9) for after the strike. As well as a cash prize, Violet is awarded the Jeanette Stace Memorial Award, which is given to the overall best haiku in the competition. Second place was awarded to Shey Doerner-Corson (Year 11) for outside the cabin. Third place was awarded to Alexa Collis (Year 9) for wrapped in layers. Daniel Officer (Year 12) also received a Commended Award for his haiku, late evening.
Students who took part in the Open Junior section of the same competition needed to submit an ekphrastic poem, which is a poem that responds to a piece of art. St Andrew’s students attained three Highly Commended awards in this poetry category: Ellie Zhou (Year 11) for Under the Scrutiny of Sunbeams; Hanxi (Cicy) Chen (Year 10) for Ribbons; and Daniel Officer (Year 12) for The Sensation of Dreams. Attaining a Commended Award in the same category was Sarah Waddington (Year 12) for her poem, Fluff & Privilege.
All winning poems (and subsequent editor’s choice selections) will be published in the next New Zealand Poetry Society (NZPS) Anthology. This is a truly incredible set of results from a remarkable group of student writers.
During the holidays, Cheryl Teng (Year 10) participated in the 2024 Hutt Valley Performance Art Competition, class 14 orchestral string for 14 years and over, winning second place. Cheryl also attended the Aroha String Quartet International Academy for a week in July, where she received tutoring from Haihong Liu, Donald Armstrong, David Chickering, Belinda Veitch, Sasha Gunchenko, Robert Ibell, Zhongxian Jin, and Konstanze Artmann. The Academy included daily chamber group and orchestra practices, as well as two performances.
Tamaroa Connelly (Year 13) was a finalist in the 2024 Peace Song Competition with his song titled, Peace On? He has won a professional recording of the song.
After getting through the Battle of the Bands Christchurch heats, semi-finals, and finals, The E.C.H.O. made their way to Wellington for the national finals. Over two days, 14 bands from across the country played their 25-minute set at Valhalla. The E.C.H.O. played their set of five originals and one cover. Ethan Lam (Year 11) won the Best Guitarist award for the national finals and Hayden Lam (Year 13) was nominated in the Top 3 Best Drummers.
Tavé Stuart (Year 12) competed in the New Zealand Dance Awards National Finals, receiving first place in Ballet and first in Contemporary, gaining national titles for her age divisions (16 and U21, and 16 years), and also second place in Lyrical. In all three categories she received an Elite Gold Award, meaning she scored 98–100 from all three judges.
A group of 1st XV players participated in the recent U18 Crusaders Knights Rugby Development Day on 12 July – Aston Saunders, William Voice, Charlie Sullivan, Macklan Robertson, Samuel Mustchin, Tom Turner, and Thomas Heffernan (all Year 13).
The South Island Short Course Swimming Championships was held over three days in early July.
Sophia Molnar (Year 13) competed in the Woman's 17 and Over category: 1st 200m butterfly; 2nd 200m individual medley; 2nd 50m Breaststroke; 3rd 100m Breaststroke; 3rd 100m individual medley.
Rylee McBride (Year 12) also competed, breaking two records and achieving the following results in the 15–16 Woman category: 100m backstroke – 1st; 50m backstroke – 1st; 100m butterfly – Silver; 100m individual medley – Silver; 50m butterfly – Gold; 200m backstroke – Silver; Overall open South Island champion – 50m backstroke (new Canterbury and South Island record).
Louis Smith (Year 9) came seventh in the New Zealand Schools KartSport Championships over the holidays.
Over the first week of the school holidays Alexander Black (Year 12) was a referee at the U14 and U15 Christchurch International Cup. He was appointed to referee the U15 final.
The following students performed at the Highland and National Dancing New Zealand Championships, held in Ashburton in early July.
A large number of Speech and Drama students gave up the first four days of their holidays to take part in the Christchurch Speech and Drama Competition. The students performed wonderfully, showcasing their talents. For some this was their first competition and for others this is a longstanding highlight of the Speech and Drama calendar. The competition emphasises performance, personal growth, and community in The Arts.
Artem Kutovoy (Year 8) competed in the 2024 South Island Short Track Ice Speed Skating Championships, which was hosted in Dunedin during the last weekend of the holidays. Artem achieved a very commendable third place in his grade in short track speed skating.
Kelicia Rui En Purcell (Year 7) competed in the 61st Wharenui Winter Olympics last weekend. This is their annual pinnacle meet which was established in 1963 with qualifying times required to enter. Kelicia raced 12 events over four sessions in the Girls’ U12 category. She achieved six personal bests and also a Division II qualification time, with the following top three results:
Elina Wang (Year 7) has had success with a number of tennis achievements in 2024:
During the term break, five of our pipe band members Lucas Paterson (Year 13), Harry Justice (Year 13), Tayla Eagle (Year 12), Sam Foote (Year 11) and Danel Liu (Year 11) travelled to Canada with the National Youth Pipe Band of New Zealand. The band performed in concert and competed at the Penticton Scottish Festival winning the Grade 2 pipe band event. The festival also hosted a series of solo piping and drumming events with students winning the following prizes:
The youth band then carried on to the long-established Piping Hot Summer Drummer school at Silver Star Mountain, BC, where the students enjoyed tuition from world class tutors in a fantastic setting. The school also offered plenty of opportunity for our students to network with other students from North America. Harrison Justice won a scholarship to attend again next year.
Our best wishes go out to the five incredible Old Collegian Olympic athletes: Olivia Brett (OC 2019, Canoeing), Taiko Torepe-Ormsby (OC 2021, Swimming), Robbie Manson (OC 2007, Rowing), Sam Lane (OC 2015, Hockey) and Ben Taylor (OC 2017, Rowing) as the Paris Olympics begins. You can follow our reporting on their progress by following the St Andrew’s College Old Collegians Facebook page.
oLD COLS FACEBOOK LINK >The following Old Collegians scored themselves a cricket contract for the 2024/2025 domestic summer season:
Couper Killick (OC 2022) and Lucas Te Rangi (OC 2023) have both been named in this year’s University of Otago Under 19s wider squad.
Will Stodart (OC 2021) has been signed for the Highlanders 2025 Super Rugby season.
Quinn Ojala (OC 2018) has been nominated for the Silver Fern Farms Outstanding Emerging Chef in the Restaurant Association Canterbury Hospitality Awards. Quinn is a chef at the fabulous Christchurch restaurant Inati. The winners will be revealed at an awards ceremony hosted at Te Pae on Monday 19 August.
Good luck to all students who are representing the College over the weekend in sports and cultural activities, including:
Please note a new date has now been confirmed for the annual Ballet photo for all dancers Years 1-13.
Friday 20 September, 8.00am-8.35am in Gym 1.
In support of the Boarders’ Assembly on Friday 16 August, the Agriculture Committee will once again hold Gumboot Day to support and raise money for youth mental health charity, ‘I am Hope’. Students and staff can wear (clean) gumboots to school. The gumboots are to be worn with the children’s school uniform. To donate $3.00, please text BOOTS to 469.
Term 3 will see all Year 9–12 students who are returning next year making their academic course selections for 2025. A series of events, presentations and, in particular, the publication of the annual online Curriculum information will take place during the first half of this term leading up to the deadline for students’ selections of Wednesday 21 August. Please note, along with the academic course selection process, students who are returning in 2025 will also be making their co-curricular selections.
On Friday 9 August, 3.30pm–5.00pm, we will run our annual Course Selection Expo in Gym 1, when staff representing the different subject areas will be present to meet informally with students and their parents to talk about courses next year. This annual event is for students in Years 10–12 and both students and their parents are encouraged to attend; the conversations with staff are invaluable in the decision-making process for students.
Please join us for the annual St Andrew’s College Film Fest on Tuesday 20 August from 6.30pm in the Gough Family Theatre – Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre. 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, with door sales available too. Don’t miss out, grab your tickets now!
PURCHASE TICKETS >Join us for an enchanting evening at the Ballet Winter Showcase. Our Secondary School Ballet Academy dancers will perform a captivating collection of classical, jazz, lyrical, national, and contemporary works. The event includes Performance Awards, NCEA Dance work, and a special premiere of a new Royal New Zealand Ballet performance piece, choreographed for Secondary School dancers by RNZB Dance Educator, Neve Pierce. Junior and Intermediate Company dancers from the Preparatory School will also showcase their new repertoire.
When: Sunday 11 August, 5.00pm–6.00pm
Where: Gough Family Theatre – Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre
Tickets: General Admission $20.00 (open seating)
Year 12–13 parents and caregivers are warmly invited to an engaging evening presentation. 'Supporting Your Child's School-to-Life Journey' is a free, comprehensive event that will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to confidently guide your child through the crucial transition from school to the next stage of their life. Key topics we will cover include school-to-life transition: NCEA vs tertiary education; scholarships, halls of residence, and tertiary applications; funding tertiary study; addressing student anxiety; pathway options beyond St Andrew's College.
When: Tuesday 30 July, 6.00pm–7.00pm
Where: Gough Family Theatre, Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre
Registrations close at 3.00pm, Monday 29 July.
An aviation industry information evening is being hosted at St Andrew’s College on Tuesday 6 August, 7.00pm–9.00pm, for interested students and their parents from St Andrew's College, St Margaret's College, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, and Christ's College. Industry Engagement Lead, Allan Moulai, will open the evening with a brief welcome and the evening will be supported by Airways New Zealand (employer of Air Traffic Controllers and others), International Aviation Academy of New Zealand, Christchurch Helicopters, Air New Zealand Learning Institute, New Zealand Air Force, Association of Women in Aviation, and Christchurch Engine Centre.
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.
