Kristin School

Mini NSSP 2021; Middle Row, far left Isla Sangl; Front Row, furthest right Rebecca Weatherly. Isla Sangl and Rebecca Weatherly.

Shakespeareans soar at Kristin

Over the last few years, Kristin students have played dozens of characters from a wide range of Shakespeare’s plays; they have created striking and original interpretations of scenes; they have learned a great deal and they have also enjoyed great success at the regional and national SGCNZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festivals.

Kristin students have been recognised with regional awards such as Best 5 Minute Scene at the Auckland West SGCNZ University of Otago Regional Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival in 2019, 2020 and 2021, and Most Promising Actor in 2019 and 2020. The direct entrant (one of only 24 across New Zealand) to the SGCNZ National Shakespeare Schools Production (NSSP) has been a Kristin student in 2018, 2019 and 2020. 2022 has proven to be another successful year at the Auckland West Regional Festival, with Kristin students being recognised for Best Connection Between Two Performers (Isla Sangl and Rebecca Weatherly) and as the Best 15 Minute Scene (Kelea Wendelborn, Naomi Harwood, Millieke McKay and Olivia Sewell). It is thrilling that these students will now have the opportunity to share their work with a much larger audience at the national Shakespeare Festival.

In previous years our students have also been recognised at the SGCNZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn National Shakespeare Festival with awards for Outstanding Student Direction, Best Vocal Projection, Outstanding Presentation from a Tragedy, and Most Promising Actor in 2019 and Best Connection with the Audience in 2020.

In 2018 and 2019, Kristin students were also selected to join the Young Shakespeare Company, representing New Zealand through training and performing at The Globe Theatre in London, and now this representation is set to continue following the most recent iteration of the National Schools Shakespeare Production (NSSP).

Unfortunately for all performers based in Auckland, the Level 4 lockdown and border controls meant that no Auckland-based students were able to take part in the event.

Not to be thwarted, SGCNZ instead created a mini-NSSP that took place in Wellington from 23rd – 27th January, and two of our Kristin students were invited to attend. Isla Sangl and Rebecca Weatherly travelled to Wellington to take part in a range of workshops delivered by industry-professional tutors, and to rehearse for a public performance of ‘Wars of the Roses’.

Workshops and activities during the five-day programme included an introduction to the history of the Globe Theatre and its unique connection to New Zealand; an intimacy workshop with Lori Leigh; learning and rehearsing SGCNZ’s waiata and haka, and a mystery tour made even more mysterious by the imposition of the Red setting of the Covid Protection Framework the day after the participants arrived in Wellington!

Despite the many challenges faced by the group, including a lastminute change of venue due to Covid restrictions, their performance on Thursday 27th January was delivered with confidence and joy. Both Rebecca and Isla played a range of roles and enjoyed the challenges that each different role brought.

Following the public performance, we were thrilled to find that both Isla and Rebecca have been selected to join the 2022 SGCNZ Young Shakespeare Company.

This is an immensely prestigious and exciting achievement for Isla and Rebecca, and it is even hoped that they will be able to travel to The Globe Theatre this July! Whenever they do go, they will travel with a group of talented performers from across New Zealand to learn from the outstanding tutors at Shakespeare’s Globe, before performing on the magical Globe stage. They will also have the opportunity to explore theatres and other iconic sites and activities in London and Stratfordupon-Avon.

It seems clear from the recognition that Kristin students and groups have received so far that they bring great commitment, creativity and talent to their work. Kristin’s students have overcome many obstacles to achieve such great success and we are confident that they will continue to soar.

Best Presentation from a Tragedy - National Festival. Theo Kleiman Canizares as Citizen 3, Jamie Clumpas as Citizen 1, Kester Sykes as Citizen 2, Cam Scott as Brutus

2022 has proven to be another successful year at the Auckland West Regional Festival, with Kristin students being recognised for Best Connection Between Two Performers (Isla Sangl and Rebecca Weatherly) and as the Best 15 Minute Scene (Kelea Wendelborn, Naomi Harwood, Millieke McKay and Olivia Sewell).

A whale of two tales

Our Junior School students have created an extraordinary work of art – a mini Whale Tail! Our Year 5 students were given the opportunity to explore designs within set criteria. The final work is a compilation of ideas from several designs, painted in small groups, and tells the following story:

The front of our whale represents our blue planet – healthy and serene. The sky on the fins heralds a new beginning, with Matariki glowing proudly among her sister stars. The water colours flowing below were influenced by images of earth floating in outer space. The koru lines are fluid and interconnected, to represent kaitiakitanga – a reciprocal guardianship and protection between man and earth.

However, the underbelly of our whale tail tells the sobering story of global warming and our earth in crisis. In contrasting warm colours, a glowing sun beats down, cracking and fragmenting the earth below it.

Our whale tail calls out to the viewer, to make the right choice for our home planet, before it's too late. Will you answer that call?

Tikanga Day at Kristin

Manaakitanga is all about nurturing relationships, looking after people, and respecting how others are treated. Manaakitanga is a critical component of Māori culture. The principles and values attached to it underpin all tikanga Māori. Manaakitanga is always considered necessary, no matter what the circumstances. Manaakitanga focuses on positive human behaviour and encourages people to rise above their attitudes and feelings towards others. The aim is to nurture relationships and respect other people's mana no matter what their standing in society may be.

With manaakitanga very much at the centre, our Year 8 cohort recently were fortunate to have the experience of a tikanga Māori experience, held right here on the Kristin campus. The students all had the opportunity to experience a day of different activities, including poi, haka, waiata, and hāngi. A big thank you to all the staff who put this fantastic opportunity together, especially Mr Carl Murray, who was on campus in the very late and very early hours laying down the hāngi for the students to experience this unique cooking method.

Kristin is a school grounded in the power of relationships, and as a values-based school, manaakitanga flows through just about everything we do. At a time in world history where all around us, manaakitanga is being challenged, whether in Aotearoa New Zealand or the wider world, the lesson for us is that nurturing relationships, looking after others and being respectful is always the right and proper things to do. As this well-known whakataukī says:

He tāngata takahi manuhiri, he marae puehu

A person who mistreats his guest has a dusty marae

Dave Scott

Middle School Principal, Kristin School