Kaleidoscope l Issue 59 - May 2014

I S S U E

Farewell Mr Clague

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INSIDE: Our New Junior School Art Space Disconnecting to Reconnect Academic Distinction in the Senior School Les Misérables!

I S S U E

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From the Executive Principal

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From the Board

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Whole School News

5

Alumni

7

International News

8

Camp Week

11

Junior School News

18

Middle School News

25

Senior School News

32

Performing Arts

38

Sports News

44

Advertising

56

Publishing Kaleidoscope is published by the Department of School Relations of Kristin School and distributed to the wider school community.

For all advertising and general enquiries please contact the Editorial Team: Pamela Peryman and Lucy Wilson Telephone: +64 9 415 9566 Email: kristin@kristin.school.nz Design and Artwork: Anne Vindriis, Benefitz Telephone: +64 9 477 4700 Printing: Benefitz Web: www.benefitz.co.nz Cover Image: Motion Sickness Studio

AUTUMN / WINTER 2014

Road Improvements It would be impossible not to have noticed the work being done along the school’s road frontage between Gates 1 and 2 over the last few months.

The development of a new school entrance, internal road layout and a new medical centre mark some of the biggest changes to the school’s grounds and access-ways in recent years.

The first stage of this complex project began in Term 4 last year, with the preparation of the area around the Gate 1 gravel car park. While tree removal and drainage systems were a significant part of this work, this stage also included the resealing of the driveway from Gate 1 to the Chapel. For the hundreds of cars who use this road daily, the new surface was a welcome improvement to the rocky road they had known previously.

During the summer months we also relocated the old grounds sheds to a new building at the bottom of the football fields on the Bass Road entrance and readied the old site for construction of the new medical centre. Situated directly in front of the roundabout on Albany Highway, the rapid construction of this new building has been easy to observe, and with its construction comes the first in a series of major changes to the school’s road frontage.

Scheduled for completion in June, the medical practice will relocate in July, at which point the school will take over ownership of the new building.

Families can expect to see the next stage of developments commence at this time with the removal of the current medical centre. This will open up the space that will be developed for the new main entry/exit off the current Albany Highway/Rosedale Road roundabout. This entrance is expected to be operational in Term 1 2015, at which point Gate 1 will be closed to all traffic.

The new entrance will ultimately become a signalised intersection as a part of Auckland Transport’s Albany Highway upgrade, but this will not be the case immediately.

The Albany Highway upgrade involves the widening of the road to provide a traffic lane and a peak-hour transit lane in each direction, as well as cycle lanes and footpaths on both sides of the road to address the significant congestion and safety issues currently impacting users of the highway. This work is scheduled to commence in September with an expected completion date of March 2017. The area directly outside Kristin will be completed during the latter stage of the project.

While we expect there to be delays for all users of Albany Highway while the widening project is under way, we look forward to when this work is finished and our students and families are able to travel safely and with ease, regardless of whether they choose to travel on foot, by car, bike or bus.

principal from the

executive

Branching Out I don’t often confess to having ‘hobbies’. part of New Zealand life, sentinels that To me, it’s a word that conjures up stand quiet and patient, constant despite our images of lonely men with train sets or dramas. Often we are not even consciously overly eager stamp collectors. Truth be aware of how they colour our world and known, though, I do have things that I frame our perspective, shielding our secrets enjoy when I’m not wandering around and lifting our eyes. in a suit. My heart is in the wild places In a country somewhat lacking in ancient of this country, walking, paddling and human artefacts, trees are an everyday link hunting through its mountains and rivers. to our past as well. Trees reach back through Actually, I’m less of a hunter, more of a time, but they also bend towards the future. heavily-armed tramper. It is the forest I enjoy the unending cycle and try to play my that draws me, not the game. All those part. For every tree I carve, I plant five more. years in the bush have nurtured a love of So it is in the bush. A tree that falls opens a native trees in particular. I have become a hole in the canopy: light towards which the fervent, if somewhat bumbling, botanist. next generation will grow. Everything good With more error than trial, I have learned survives if you pay it forward – it’s as true in to grow natives from seed collected on life as it is in nature. my travels. My first babies, a stand of In my 15 years at Kristin, I have tried to tanekaha in suburban Pakuranga, are make the best contribution I could to the now majestic in their thirties. Heading students of the day, but have always been south, I sometimes detour and drive conscious that I was also a steward to past, peeking like a proud parent. future generations. Perhaps my most lasting By extension, I have come to love the contribution will prove to be the creation timber in all its forms and, in an equally of the kauri walkway or the planting of the amateur fashion, I have taught myself carpark pohutukawas. They were certainly to build and to sculpt with wood. In amongst the most secretly satisfying. I like fact, I should probably just come out the idea of strangers enjoying something I and confess to being a woodturner laboured over. In the hills, I always try to be (suddenly stamp collecting doesn’t sound the bloke who left more firewood in the hut so naff). Turning a bowl on the lathe is than I found when I arrived. On the lathe, a therapeutic pastime though. To take I whittle away time and shavings, knowing Fragile young miro seedlings in need of a lump of wood that may have grown that a piece I create may pass through hands nurture, fiesty kanuka saplings jostling hundreds or thousands of years ago and that I will never know. The thought slowly fashion something new is both each other for position, a shaggy old totara pleases me. creative and cathartic. Woodgrain is the As I say goodbye then, let me plant one last wise on a ridge – there is a whole school story of a life and a careful chisel can seed. My love of metaphor is equalled by my community in the forest. reveal its inner beauty, sensory in scent fondness for a good quote, so let me finish and texture. Better still, if you know the this, my last editorial for Kristin, with my allprovenance of the wood. The candlesticks time favourite. It is a nod to my hobbies, an in our Chapel were once the flowering cherry trees which used to line the elegant analogy. It is also the very essence of what it is to be an educator path to the Auditorium. The Performing Arts trophy was carved from a and the creed by which I try to live. panel which was once a stage floor.

“The true meaning of life is to plant trees under whose shade you do not Happily for the teacher in me, trees also provide an endless source expect to live.” Nicholas Henderson of metaphor. Fragile young miro seedlings in need of nurture, fiesty To all who I have had the privilege to serve over the past 15 years – my kanuka saplings jostling each other for position, a shaggy old totara sincere thanks for your trust and support. wise on a ridge – there is a whole school community in the forest. At its To all who are yet to journey through this school, may you find enough roots, all education is a process of explaining new ideas by comparing kindling stacked to keep you going and a solid trunk against which to them to familiar concepts that are already understood. And everybody prop yourself. understands trees. From a young age, we all learn how they grow and Peter Clague branch around us. No matter where or how we live, trees are a ubiquitous Executive Principal

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ISSUE No. 59

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board from the

A Farewell to Peter Clague

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s the end of Term 2 is almost upon us, it is time to mark the end of an era at Kristin.

In 2000, when Peter joined us as the Senior School Principal, Kristin was a very different place - no Science/Technology Block, Library Information Centre, Middle School Block, Hockey Turf or Dove Theatre. No state-of-the-art, whole-school wireless network. No national recognition of the International Baccalaureate qualification and no school other than Kristin offering it as a qualification in New Zealand.

In 2000 the school roll was 1,100 compared to our current 1,570. The capital works programme, which began in 2000 under the leadership of the then Executive Principal, Marge Scott, has added assets of at least $24 million and provided world-class facilities for our students.

Over the last 15 years, Kristin has transformed itself in the scale, complexity and the quality of what it delivers. Change of this scale and significance is a team effort and Peter Clague has been a key driver of this transformation.

When Peter accepted the role of Senior School Principal in 2000, he became the catalyst for change within the Senior School that enabled it to be handed over to his successor in 2006 with a strong roll, outstanding academic record and a student body whose members had become proud to call themselves Kristin students.

Peter gained a Masters of Business Administration (Distinction) from Massey University in 2002 and his strong business skills have been a huge asset to the school. He has implemented important changes to the way the staff are managed within the complex three-school structure. His innovations in people management were often unique and it is a credit to him that he has been asked to provide advice to schools that are looking to make similar changes.

One of Peter’s passions is the harnessing of the latest technologies to enrich each student’s classroom experience. In addition to beginning a capital works programme for buildings, in 2000 Kristin also began a programme of investment in IT which put our school at the cutting edge.

The Performing Arts is also another passion of Peter’s. Over the years he has been a tireless worker behind the scenes as producer of the Senior Production, not to mention the constructor of many wonderful stage sets.

Peter is held in very high regard by his colleagues in the education profession and has held a number of positions of responsibility. He is the current President of the Association of Heads of the Independent Schools of NZ and the Chairman of the NZ Heads of IB Schools Caucus. Looking beyond the shores of New Zealand, he has been a member of the World Heads Council of the International Baccalaureate Organisation from 2011 and a member of the IB Asia Pacific Regional Council from 2013. It was a great honour for Peter and Kristin for him to be appointed by the Minister of Education to the Aspire Scholarship Selection Panel.

Peter is a gifted communicator. Few (if any) can hope to attain the clarity of thought, the wit, the self-deprecation and the intellectual curiosity which Peter demonstrates whenever he climbs onto a public platform.

He has been at the helm of Kristin through challenging economic times. A school is a frighteningly complex, busy, chaotic place in which the school’s leaders are expected to show clarity of direction and determination. Peter has been a tireless and firm hand on the tiller.

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Peter’s appointment as Principal to the highly regarded school of Bromsgrove (in the UK) represents an opportunity for him to look beyond our shores and embrace fresh international challenges. As I have written before, for almost 15 years Kristin has been the benefactor of the talents of one of the finest educationalists New Zealand has to offer, who has taken Kristin to a whole new level of excellence.

We wish Peter the very best and express our gratitude for all he has done during his time with us.

Peter will hand leadership of Kristin over to our highly skilled Principals to manage collectively on an interim basis in Terms 3 and 4, with our new Executive Principal, Mr Tim Oughton, making regular visits to begin the transition process during those terms prior to formally commencing his role in 2015. We are fortunate that Peter will hand Kristin to his successor at a time when it is operationally strong, enjoying a vibrant and positive culture, and educationally highly successful.

Philippa Fee Chairman

We will be holding a series of events to farewell Peter Clague over the coming weeks. Families and friends who are unable to attend the Farewells or who wish to contribute to a collection of farewell messages, are invited to do so by emailing their message in confidence to peterclague@icloud.com

A Financial Health Check for 2013

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n last year’s May edition of Kaleidoscope, the Board reported to the Kristin community the key elements of the school’s financial position once the external audit of Kristin’s financial statements had been completed. This was positively received by parents; we now provide you with an update of the school’s financial performance for the year ended 31 December 2013.

Key Elements • The Board’s strategic financial goal remains similar to last year’s, namely to operate the school in a manner which achieves a prudent operating surplus, consistent with the Trust’s charitable objectives of delivering an education of the highest standard.

• With the front-of-school capital works under way (including the completion of the medical centre, new front entrance, and traffic management plan) capital investment for 2013 and 2014 will need to be higher than in 2012.

• At the end of the 2013 year, Kristin had assets of over $74m, including fixed assets (land and buildings) of $71m - an increase from last year of approximately $4m.

Kristin’s term liabilities reduced from last year by $1.5m and trust funds increased.

Kristin has substantial equity and long-term financing arrangements in place.

Health Check Snap Shot

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Current Liabilities

Current Assets

Fees Received in Advance 6.131M

Accounts Receivable .319M Stock .425M

Employee Entitlements 1.605M Prepayments .324M

Borrowings - Current Portion 1.829M

Accounts Payable and Accruals 1.267M

GST Receivable .248M

Cash 1.618M

Current Liabilities 10.832M

Current Assets 2.934M

Term Liabilities 23.314M

Trust Funds 40.046M

Total Trust Funds and Liabilities $74.192M

Fixed Assets 71.258M

Total Assets $74.192M

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• This year, as in previous years, current liabilities exceeded current assets but the excess includes fees received in advance. These become revenue soon after year-end so they are not required to be settled in cash. Accrued staff entitlements when paid out are replaced by new accrued entitlements.

• For the financial year to 31 December 2013, Kristin generated an operating cash surplus of $2.922 million. This is the difference between operating cash receipts and operating cash payments.

• The operating cash surplus was used to repay loans ($1.4m) and Kristin Education Bonds ($0.1m), invest in fixed assets ($0.5m) and to increase cash reserves to provide us with the resources to fund the capital projects under way in 2014.

As you can see from these results, Kristin’s financial position remains sound. We are cautiously optimistic that the challenges experienced by the independent school sector after the GFC may be behind us and that Kristin’s sound financial position will become even stronger in future years. We thank all parents for their continued commitment to a Kristin education.

Philippa Fee Chairman

Operating Cash Surplus Government Grants 2.461M

GST .078M Interest 1.317M

Suppliers 8.450M

Tuition Fees and Other Income 28.313M

Employees 18.007M

Operating Cash Receipts $30.774M

Operating Cash Surplus $2.922M

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Loan Repayment $1.397M

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Operating Cash Payments $27.852M

Kristin Education Bonds $.122M

Capital Expenditure $.482M

Increase in Bank Balance $.921M

news whole school

Digital Communications Workshops

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he new Digital Communications Workshops, held in Term 1, were a hit with the 80+ parents who came along to the Tuesday and Wednesday sessions. The interactive and informative workshops covered the many digital platforms and communication channels utilised throughout the school.

The sessions opened with a demonstration of the students’ learning management system, myKristin. Launched at the beginning of term, parents were shown how students collaborate and learn interactively online. It also provided a spotlight for parents to better understand the delivery of homework, revision and learning activities of their children.

A quick guide to the new-look website included a step-by-step tutorial on how to subscribe to Kristin’s Google calendars, as well as an overview of the myChild system where parents can view detailed individual academic results data for their children.

Social media is always a hot topic and parents were encouraged to connect to Kristin’s four official Facebook pages to keep up to date with activities and events around the school. If you’re not yet connected, simply visit www.facebook.com/kristin.school.nz and click the ‘like’ button on the Facebook page. (Make sure you’re signed in to Facebook first!)

School Tours We are very happy to organise tours for prospective students and their families. Please visit our website for scheduled tour times or contact the Registrar, Linda Teagle, admissions@kristin.school.nz or 09 415 9566 ext 2324 to arrange a personal visit.

Enrolling now for 2015 and beyond.

Traditions within our Community

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s I begin my fourth year as Kristin Family and Friends (KFF) Chairman I have been reflecting on the wonderful annual traditions we have here at Kristin. New Parents’ Dinners, Grandparents’ Day and the Family Picnic are just a few of these events that have taken centre stage as Term 1 has flown by, and each of them has been a celebration of the special people we have in our school community.

I was delighted to attend the wonderful Lunch on the Lawn last term at the home of Delys and Michael Thornton. One hundred and twenty ladies (and a handful of gentlemen) boarded the KFF bus to the Whenuapai home and after a sumptuous lunch we all enjoyed a tour of this magnificent home. Pamela Peryman and her team did a magnificent job ensuring the day flowed faultlessly.

In March we had a bevy of wonderful parents serving morning tea for Grandparents’ Day. The event was configured slightly differently this year, with morning tea stations dotted throughout the Junior School, a change that proved to be very popular. Our special guests were each able to linger at the classrooms to enjoy the experience of sharing in their grandchild’s day.

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Whole School News

Towards the end of March we welcomed our new families to Kristin with two New Parents’ Dinners. It was a privilege to be present and to get to know our new friends over an excellent meal, as well as to hear from each of the Principals who spoke with such passion about their respective schools. These evenings are just one of the many ways we try to help new families settle quickly and comfortably into life here at school; however, we are aware there are often many questions that arise. It can sometimes be a challenge to put your finger on the right answer when you need it and so we have set up a Frequently Asked Questions page in the KFF section of the Kristin website. Check out the site and please feel free to help us add to the resource. If you have some questions that you think we could add, then let us know.

It was wonderful to see so many parents come along to the first KFF meeting of the year to listen to our Head of eLearning Innovation, Barry Baughan, speak about how Kristin is embracing technology in the classroom. Parents were fascinated to hear how the school is at the forefront of digital learning and how it greatly adds to our children’s learning experience. Our second meeting was the KFF AGM, held on 2 April, at which the new executive committee was elected. I am so grateful to the women who juggle work, home and family commitments, and yet are so very willing to put their names forward to be part of KFF. This year I look forward to working alongside Nicky Shave (Deputy Chairman), Faida Sami (Secretary) and Ava He (Treasurer). Immediately following the AGM we enjoyed a fascinating talk from Phillipa Green, a Kristin parent who is the General Manager at the Breast Cancer Research Trust. Phillipa gave us practical tips on organising events such as children and teenagers’ parties, after which a lively discussion flowed with numerous tips being shared.

With so many events during these early months of the year, I am reminded of the importance of support and friendship in our school community. I would like to thank everyone who contributes to the KFF in this way. The countless groups of parents and friends who come together through these networks make Kristin a wonderful place to belong to.

Priscilla Collins Chairman, Kristin Family and Friends (KFF)

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Family Picnic Wonderful weather added to the fun and festivities of this year’s Family Picnic, held on 7 March. Cream pies, flying sponges, sumo wrestling courtesy of the Japanese Club and the giant inflatable obstacle course were all in hot demand, as was the Middle School’s annual Spooky House.

A special thanks must go to the parents who together spent many hours preparing food for the stalls, be it cakes, dumplings, pineapples or cupcakes.

These delicious treats were served up, devoured and enjoyed by guests of all ages. As the biggest community fundraising opportunity for our many school sport and cultural groups, the support shown by the numerous volunteers and the hundreds in attendance was a huge help, enabling them to plan for some great activities and service projects this year.

alumni

Kristin’s Global Family Just over 30 UK-based Alumni came together on 28 April for our 2014 London Reunion. The views from New Zealand House provided a stunning backdrop for the evening during which past students enjoyed good company and a little slice of home. Executive Principal Peter Clague hosted the evening alongside special guest Sir Lockwood Smith.

Events such as this have become an important part of our Alumni programme. Not only do they offer the chance for classmates to reconnect, but with growing numbers of Kristin Alumni choosing to study, work and live in the UK, the networking opportunities are a great help to our younger Alumni as they establish themselves in a new country. Many of the guests at this reunion discovered classmates who are living just around the corner, or fellow Kristin faces studying just across campus.

We’ve also enjoyed catching up with our Kristin community in Christchurch and Dunedin with the annual reunions bringing together almost 100 Alumni across the two nights. Guests enjoyed a relaxed drink and good company at Morrell & Co. and the Lone Star Café & Bar, hosted by Peter Clague and Senior School Principal Mr Brendan Kelly. We would like to extend a special thanks to Fraser Bainbridge (PY 2012) and Sophia Dawson (PY 2011) who were a great help in organising these events.

White Water – Jake Willett Towards the end of last year we had the pleasure of catching up with Jake Willett (PY 2011) who was back in Auckland having just completed a Diploma in Outdoor Instruction and Guiding at Tai Poutini Polytechnic on the West Coast.

By his own admission, Jake had a tough time getting motivated in most of his subjects at school. Outdoor Education with Mr Jono Taylor was the one exception and he still remembers his Outdoor Ed camps as the highlights of his Kristin experience. It was through Mr Taylor’s guidance that Jake enrolled in the Tai Poutini course, and while initially sceptical about how he would find it, Jake quickly found his calling.

From the beginning of his first semester, Jake was engaged in the programme and achieving brilliant results. “The first year is really skills based, and to be honest, it was a bit of a shock to find that I was coming top in our assessments. It motivated me to keep pushing myself.”

He gained experience in instruction through the running of outdoor programmes with local schools and a nearby military camp, and has reconnected with Mr Taylor to assist in the Outdoor Education camps for Kristin students over the past two terms.

Whether the focus was kayaking or rafting, leadership or instruction, Jake found himself achieving at consistently high levels. And while most of his learning was measured through assessments, one of his most important tests came unexpectedly on a Sunday morning in his first year of study. Jake was body boarding at Cobden Beach with a friend when a policeman alerted them to a boat that had capsized on the Grey River Bar. They quickly headed out to support the two men, one of whom Jake had to pull from the vessel as they were both pounded by heavy waves. It was a successful rescue and Jake’s bravery was recognised by Surf Life Saving New Zealand.

Although quietly understated when speaking about his achievements, Jake was also the recipient of the Tim Jamieson Memorial Medal for Excellence in Kayaking, one of two academic awards presented to graduates of the course.

Jake feels the specialist skills he has gained through the Diploma, coupled with his knowledge and experience as an instructor, has helped prepare him for leadership in a way he hadn’t expected when he was at school. Now qualified as a Grade 3 kayak instructor, the world has opened up for him and he intends to make the most of it. “I’ve now got an internationally recognised qualification and will be able to work almost anywhere. Part of it is the people you know, but mostly you just need to show that you know your stuff and that you are willing to do the work.”

After returning to assist with one more kayaking trip for the Outdoor Ed Year 12 Camp, Jake has now set off to discover new rivers and new opportunities, kayaking in the USA.

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news international

Exploring Paris on a

Dovetail Exchange On 29 November last year, we travelled to Paris, France, for six weeks as part of an exchange with the Ecole La Source school.

Initially our emersion into the French culture was daunting but it quickly became exciting, as we were constantly meeting new people and trying new things. For example, taking Art History and Economics in French was interesting, to say the least.

Also, we were presented with plenty of opportunities to improve our knowledge of the French language and its culture.

Each week, we were able to spend time by ourselves exploring Paris and, despite losing our way a few times, it was a highlight of our trip and the best way to see the city and find our favourite spots such as Marais, Pompidou. Getting to know the metro system and being versed in its dangers made us feel like real Parisians. In addition, we were even lucky enough to be taken to Strasbourg, Normandy and London with our host families.

La Source is a school that is very different to Kristin, and this place alone really emphasised the cultural and social differences between Paris and Auckland.

Staying with our host families was a fascinating experience; it was interesting to see how they live and it gave us many opportunities for laughter as we attempted to conquer the language barriers.

We would thoroughly recommend this trip to anyone thinking of applying for next year’s exchange, as it was an invaluable experience. We had an amazing time in Paris, and can’t wait for our exchange partner, Solene, to arrive in New Zealand later in the year so we can reciprocate the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Isabelle Collins and Laura Townend

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Discovering the

Kiwi Way of Life When preparing to come to New Zealand, I knew I would experience a totally different culture, but sincerely I wasn’t expecting so many differences as what I found.

After 16 years of living in such a crowded and urban city as Buenos Aires, I am used to a dynamic routine. So it was kind of a turning point in my life, coming to New Zealand and getting to know its people who have no hurries, no stress and nearly no worries.

Possibly it is this kind of relaxed way of living that has shaped the New Zealand personality.

It stands out when one goes to a shop and the lady who works there receives you with a smile, glowing with politeness, all good humour and kindness.

Although I ‘used up’ my holidays by attending Kristin School, it was more therapeutic than if I had stayed in my city in Argentina, which I love but which sometimes triggers the need for a break from its agitated life with its agitated people (myself included).

I enjoyed my experience in this country for so many reasons that would not fit on this page, but one of the main reasons was the local people, particularly my host family.

Martina Grané St George’s College Quilmes Over the space of four weeks I have had the amazing opportunity to experience some of the New Zealand way of living, which is totally different to in my country. For example, having dinner at 6.30pm, going everywhere by bus or ferry, leaving school at 3.20pm, and having a more relaxed atmosphere, great people and a different culture. All of these factors contributed

to making this experience unexpected and unforgettable.

The Kristin student with whom I did the exchange is Lucy Clumpas, who, along with her family, kindly received and hosted me in her home. I also made new friends with people even two years older, which at first provoked uncertainty about whether they would accept me or not, or if they were going to have any interest in someone much younger than them coming from abroad. But now I can say that Kristin students are incredible from every point of view. I got to know people from every part of the world, from Hong Kong to Germany, each one with their own interests and kindness, and all very nice.

I realised the diversity that Kristin School offers and I’m still amazed. I learned many things.

Going back to August 2013, I still remember my curiosity when this chance was offered.

And now, if the St George’s Headmaster asks if anyone is interested in another exchange to New Zealand, I would apply once again.

I’m sad that the exchange is soon coming to an end. I head home with lots of nice memories and experiences, and a great number of wonderful pictures in my mind.

I want to deeply thank the Kristin students and all the staff for making this opportunity the best experience of my life, as well as Lucy and her warm family. I hope this was my first but not my last time at Kristin.

Isabella Sterinzon St George’s College North

Meine Zeit in Deutschland (My Time in Germany)

Une Aventure Française

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n 11 April, 23 Kristin students of Years 10 to 12 French departed from Auckland International Airport for Paris, France.

It is safe to say that everyone was buzzing with excitement and eager to soak up some experiences that one could otherwise only dream about having. With many famous places on the agenda, such as the Eiffel Tower, L’Arc de Triomphe, and generally the opportunity to go shopping in France, there was a lot to look forward to. So, we set off to discover the beautiful country.

After spending three days in Paris, we headed down to Dijon, Montpellier and Nice before returning to the capital. Although we stayed for only one night there, Dijon was a highlight for us due to the quaint enclosed streets and bustling shops. All we could think about was how much mustard we should be bringing home! Another stand-out for us was the opportunity to soak up some sun, strolling around the flower market of Nice, near the lovely pebbled beach and the famous promenade des Anglais.

Through a brief survey of the group, we found that we had rave reviews about the Montpellier homestay. Over the course of five days and four nights we were able to immerse ourselves into everyday life with a French family to gain an understanding of their way of living and use our knowledge of French in an authentic situation.

The cooler rain of Paris was a reality check having experienced the sunny weather and the warm air of southern France, and a reminder that we would soon be returning home to a New Zealand autumn. Needless to say, nobody wanted to part with the sights and food of France.

All in all, we had a very successful trip filled with visits and events that will stay with us and both encourage and inspire our study of the French language and culture. Over the course of the three weeks, friendships were formed and experiences recorded in our diaries to be reminisced about later on in life. France 2014 was a journey with many enjoyable memories to treasure.

Maya Hay and Bianca Lloyd

I departed New Zealand on 29 November, ready for my six-week adventure to Germany. On the flight, my nerves got the better of me and consequently I hardly slept. I was nervous and anxious about a range of things: what the parents would be like, what the school would be like and what my partner would be like and so on. However, these thoughts were redundant, as everybody was nice to me and I truly felt like a part of their community.

I had a big surprise when I arrived in Germany and I saw that my host family had spent time to make me a welcoming sign. From there on it got even better. Before we even reached their house, they showed me some of the jaw-dropping sights of Heidelberg: the Neckar (river), the Castle and the old bridge, to name a few. Over the next six weeks, I got to see many of the sights that Germany is famous for: Schwarzwald (Black Forest), Munich and the Heidelberg castle. Not only did I have the chance to see these great sights but I also participated in many fun activities such as tobogganing down a mountain.

One of the most interesting parts of my trip was experiencing Christmas in Germany. A German Christmas has two parts: St Nicholas Day and Christmas Day. On St Nicholas Day, children put a shoe out which is then filled by St Nicholas or, as you probably know him, Santa Claus. Christmas Day is celebrated on 24 December; the Christkind (the baby Christ) decorates the Christmas tree with the help of the mother and father. All German families put up a real Christmas tree and some decorate it with real candles, and wooden and glass baubles. Mostly no tinsel is used in the decoration. The main Christmas meal varies from place to place but, generally, they don’t have roast meals.

Whilst I was in Germany, I attended the Elisabeth-von-Thadden School for four weeks and I found it to be a very exciting experience.

Something that surprised me quite a lot was that I found it easy to talk about media in the English language (TV programmes, music and films); this allowed me to really connect with the other students as we had common topics to discuss. I found it strange but weirdly relaxing to not wear a school uniform, instead being able to choose what to wear.

Another difference between our two schools is that students in the Thadden take many more subjects than we do and have ten 45-minute periods a day, dispersed with many more free periods. This means that each day can be varied in its length, because students don’t have an obligation to attend free periods, so they are able to leave home late to get to school or come home early, or even go home for lunch in the middle of the school day.

Something that I struggled with whilst in the German school was understanding and comprehending what was being said in the lessons.

I think this is because they used a lot of unfamiliar jargon that I found difficult to understand. However, I think that my understanding of the German language improved significantly over the course of my trip, because I was immersed in the German language.

In all, I found my experience very enlightening. I learnt a lot (not solely about Germany and its language) and I gained a real insight into another culture. I would recommend this opportunity to everyone, because I believe it changed my life for the better.

Rohan Naik

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International News

Service and Action in Ladakh It is crazy to think that only a few weeks ago we were almost 14,000 kilometres from home in northern India, isolated from the familiar, our families, and 3G. I went on the Ladakh trip with 32 of my fellow Kristin students and three respected teachers: Mr Churches, Ms Paul and Miss Simpson.

Every day, we were challenged physically and emotionally with new experiences, from climbing to our highest point of 4,920 metres in altitude to educating the students of a local school about dental hygiene. We stayed in a small village called Stok, surrounded by tranquil farms and rugged mountains. When people ask me to describe the people of Ladakh, I tell them that the Ladakhi people are the friendliest I have ever met. Walking around Stok we were always greeted by smiling faces and their equivalent of hello: Julley!

To be honest, I was nervous, particularly about the five-day trek into the Martho Valley and

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surrounding mountains because I was worried that I would be too slow or get too cold.

However, our Sherpas, Nirku, Bim and Sham, steadily guided us through the snow and up the mountains, all the while carrying our water and other necessities. The food was always hot and delicious, something I think we all appreciated after a long walk. However, in saying this, some of us will not be eating potatoes again for a long time! For me, this was my first time camping in snow; so, one night when the temperature was -10 degrees I woke up surprised to find that the water in my camelback had completely frozen.

It is impossible for me to sum up this journey in a few hundred words; however, I can say that these experiences in Ladakh were so unique and there are so many more to discover. This trip is the opportunity of a lifetime, and if you get the chance, I recommend that you take it.

Sophie Smith

CAMP WEEK Camp Week is one of the biggest student experiences on the school calendar and is looked forward to by the more than 1,200 students who simultaneously head out into the mountains, the beaches, the islands or the wilderness.

While Year 3 students explored the local bush reserves of Albany, Year 4 set up camp in Huia and Year 6 journeyed to Hunua. Middle School students were dotted up and down the North Island, from the beautiful coast of Waipu to the stunning landscape of Tongariro National Park. Year 11 students embraced their House colours at Whananaki, Great Barrier, Motuora and Slipper Island, while their older counterparts took on the challenge of the Tongariro OPC, the mighty Mohaka River or the urban landscapes of New Zealand’s major university campuses.

Year 3 - Kristin

Year 4 - Huia

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Year 6 - Hunua

Year 7 - Waipu Cove

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Year 8 - Raglan

Year 9 - Coromandel

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Year 10 - Tongariro National Park

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Year 11 - Slipper Island, Motuora, Whananaki, Great Barrier

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Year 12 - Great Barrier OPC, Tongariro OPC, PE

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Year 13 - Futu re

s, Outdoor Ed

, Surf & Serve

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news junior school

We Are Learning Too In the Junior School we are constantly reviewing our teaching methods to ensure we remain at the leading edge of primary education and abreast of any new research. This continual assessment of our teaching practices allows us to improve our strategies and support the learning of our students in the best possible way. Over recent months our writing programme has benefited from this ongoing review with the inclusion of WALTs, an acronym for ‘We are learning to…’

WALTs, which can now be seen throughout our Junior School classes and in our students’ writing workbooks, explicitly remind the students of their learning intention. Along with each WALT comes corresponding success criteria, which summarise the key steps or ingredients the students need in order to fulfil their learning intention.

As teachers, we cherish the joy our students get from writing. As well as helping them become better writers, we also enable them to develop a desire to want to write and to love what they’ve created in words. By providing a clear framework and utilising two key components of formative assessment – feedback and feedforward – our students understand what is required and engage with their own learning goals.

Harvest Festival

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arvest Festival is an exciting time in the Chapel when we come together to help our local community with the collection and donation of fresh fruit and vegetables. Once again we have witnessed the incredibly generous spirit of our Junior School families, with boxes and baskets of bright and colourful produce filling the front of the Chapel at each Harvest Festival service.

This year the produce was donated to three different charities: the Auckland City Mission, Glenfield Salvation Army and Windsor Park Baptist Foodbank. These organisations distributed the food parcels to needy families in the community.

It is a great joy to be able to make a difference and bring happiness to so many families. Our thanks go to everyone who donated to this year’s harvest.

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When asked their thoughts on this new framework, Year 5 student Logan Fleming said: “Having the success criteria helps me to know exactly what I need to have in my writing. When I edit I can check I have the things I should have.” Mabel Ma said, “I like having the WALT and success criteria because these focus my writing and help me make it the best it can be. I know my teacher is going to talk to me about the success criteria, so I know exactly what is expected.”

In writing, our feedback and feedforward responses are directly related to the learning goal for a particular piece of work. Our feedback provides students with information about their progress and suggests actions they can take to come closer to the expected standard. Our teachers then use assessment data to plan future instruction and ensure learning conversations are held with each child so they are aware of their next steps.

Streamlined from Kindergarten to Year 6, this programme has been designed so that the children move seamlessly from one year level to the next with the same language for learning. This provides a consistent and familiar platform from which they can develop confidence in their work and, in turn, a love for the written word.

Chantel Ashley and Jude Griffiths Junior School Literacy Co-ordinators

The Art Space

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isual Arts is a vital part of our curriculum. Through engaging in creative works, our students learn so much more than technical skill: they develop their creativity, problem solving, perseverance and confidence, as well as an understanding of how art and culture are intertwined. The arts have always been celebrated here at Kristin, but this year has seen one of the most significant changes in the way Visual Arts is delivered in the Junior School.

From the beginning of Term 1, the Visual Arts programme has joined Instrumental Music and Movement and Vocal Music and Drama on a term-by-term rotation for Year 1 to 6 students in Creative and Performing Arts. The area formerly know as the Tech Suite has been converted into a light, spacious and creative venue where all aspects of Visual Arts can be explored with our new specialist teacher, Mrs Timea Willemse.

The aim of this new programme is to provide students with an enduring understanding of the elements of art and how these can be applied to artistic principles. Each year, students will focus on a different element and explore it in the context of their own work, as well as that of historical and contemporary artists. To this purpose we are looking at the artistic elements of line (which is our focus of inquiry this year), colour and hue, texture, shape and form (including tone), and space, and the artistic principles of movement, unity, harmony, variety, balance, rhythm, emphasis, contrast, proportion and pattern. There will also be a focus on skill development and experience with a wide range of media, and the central ideas at each year level will usually reflect a unit of inquiry that the students are studying in class.

In this new programme, students will attend Visual Arts for one term of formal learning a year, and for those who have discovered a passion, new art clubs have been set up across all age groups.

A Tuesday lunchtime Art Club has welcomed Year 2 students throughout Term 1, Year 3 students in Term 2, and will be inviting Year 1 students to join up in Term 3. An after-school option for older students has been offered on Wednesdays, and we’ve had a great team of Year 5 and 6 students take part in a digital photography course, making the most of the Indian summer of Term 1. A ‘wetmedia’ course will be running for these students throughout Terms 2 and 3.

So far, the Year 1, 2, 3 and 6 students who have taken part in this new rotation have responded with great enthusiasm. Our new Art Space is full of innovative and colourful creations from our students and a new appreciation for artistic principles is being infused into the classrooms of our young art lovers. The doors of The Art Space are always open for parents to visit and see firsthand the work of our young artists, and photographs, videos and support material are available on myKristin via The Art Space course.

Under the Sea Kelly Tarlton’s Sea Life Aquarium is a wonderland of sea creatures, which the Year 3’s were excited to visit in support of their unit of inquiry in Term 1. Their mission was to learn about the factors threatening various sea creatures and to discuss ways in which they can help to prevent species from dying out. The excited students had the thrilling experience of holding a shark’s jaw open, moments after seeing a shark swimming in the tank above them. The octopi, stingrays and penguins proved to be highly entertaining and a huge highlight of the day. Fifty-five very tired students returned to school, having had a remarkable experience.

Introducing Mrs Timea Willemse Timea Willemse was born in Budapest, Hungary, and grew up in South Africa, where she gained her degree in Bachelor of Architectural Studies from Witwatersrand University. After immigrating with her family to New Zealand in 1998, Timea completed her primary-school teaching qualifications at Massey University, where she trained alongside our very own Jeannette Verster. She has taught across all year levels in her time at Greenhithe, Pinehill and Sherwood primary schools before joining us here at Kristin. Timea has written and published over 40 teaching resources in Mathematics, Literacy, Inquiry and Visual Arts.

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More Time for Fun in the Kindergarten Significant changes have been welcomed in the Kindergarten this year with the introduction of new extended hours. Now open for 10 hours a day from 7.30am to 5.30pm and throughout the school holidays, many Kindergarten families are taking advantage of the new timetable and students are revelling in their extra activities.

Made possible by the Government’s 20-hour Early Childhood Education (ECE) funding, the extended operating hours have made pick-up and drop-off much less stressful times of the day for parents, and students are benefiting from the chance to consolidate their learning through fun and engaging activities with their friends.

The afternoon programme has been particularly popular, with parents appreciating the opportunity to miss rush-hour school traffic. Diane Zhang remarked, “When I speak with other parents we all comment that we feel much better that our children can stay at the Kindergarten until later in the afternoon.

It can be very hard to find a park at 3pm and by coming later we don’t have to rush, plus the children are having a great time and don’t want to go home.” Junelyn Agcaoili echoed

these comments; “A later pick-up time means things aren’t so busy, so the children are safer with less risk of accidents.”

The popular after-school programme usually begins with a few songs and stories, before forming smaller groups for a series of planned activities. The atmosphere is very relaxed and often the children choose to move from one station to the next. These activities are frequently linked to the current units of inquiry and are designed to build upon the other learning that has taken place during the school day. So far this year, the children have enjoyed experimenting with air, water and colour.

They have learnt origami, become brilliant at Snakes and Ladders, proudly completed many number-related worksheets and developed their cutting skills during challenging arts and crafts activities. Those who stayed for the first holiday programme at the end of Term 1 even discovered a mountain of snow outside the Kindergarten one morning!

It has been a pleasure to see the excitement and curiosity of the children before the start of each session, with their happy laughter, interest and enthusiasm testament to the success of this new programme.

Auckland Lantern Festival Language learning at Kristin is offered by way of a programme that introduces students to Chinese culture and traditions, as well as developing their oral and written language skills. We are lucky to have the support of many of our Chinese parents, who are willing to assist with strengthening the cultural aspects of the programme.

This year, the school was offered the opportunity to be part of the Auckland Chinese Lantern Festival. A group of young Kristin artists was invited to prepare two large banners with images and patterns that promoted the relationship between China and New Zealand. The students chose to focus their designs around the iconic Kiwi and Panda, and wove the ‘Year of the Horse’ into their compilations. The completed banners

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were on display in the Asia–New Zealand pavilion at the Festival and caught the eyes of the many thousands of people who attended this weekend event.

On the Saturday afternoon a talented troupe of dancers took to the Albert Park stage, in front of a large audience. If our young students were nervous, it certainly didn’t show! The girls performed three traditional dances, namely Happy Chinese New Year, the Little Mushroom Girl and Moonlight Over the Lotus Pond. The Chinese Dance Group is one of the many extracurricular activities offered to students at lunchtime, to enrich their school life and promote a greater understanding of Chinese culture. They were resplendent in their colourful costumes, but it was their beaming faces that stole the show.

Junior School News “The children’s smiles were particularly priceless as they learned to scrub, twist and wring out clothes...”

A Day Trip to the Past A long-established tradition for Junior School children at Kristin is to visit the Howick Historical Village. This is a ‘living museum’ where the children are able to take part in a wide range of activities, authentic to the mid 19th century.

For Year 2, the trip was the culmination of an inquiry into how their lives and families have changed and what traditions we have. The day was a huge success, from the excited shrieks as everyone arrived at school and admired the costumes to the silent handwriting in the school lesson. The children’s smiles were particularly priceless as they learned to scrub, twist and wring out clothes in tin tubs for wash day.

This year the school lesson was held in the Village’s old church after Cyclone Lusi brought down the roof of the schoolhouse. It was an added challenge to balance the slates on the back of the pews while trying to write, but the children managed admirably.

As always, the most popular activity was the opportunity to play with the toys, and it proved most challenging to get the boys off the wooden hobby horses for the return trip back to Kristin. We love the fact our children get such pleasure and wonderful learning from this annual event.

Barbara Taylor, Year 2 Dean

Water Blast The last week of term in the Junior School was water-soaked and fun-filled as the Junior School Student Council ran a series of Water Blasts for each of the year levels.

Monday lunchtime was the turn of the Year 1 and 2 students and they came in droves, dressed in their togs, clutching their towels and bursting with excitement. Once they were divided into their teams, they began a series of activities: zooming down the water slide,

tossing water balloons, splattering monkeys, catapulting water bombs, running with leaky bottles and squeezing water out of sponges by sitting on them!

Another whistle, another activity – there was so much fun to be had. Throughout lunchtime there were many delighted squeals, thrilled screams and excited laughs to be heard across the field. Everybody most certainly had a Water Blast!

Kindergarten Enrolments 2014/2015 Kristin Kindergarten is the entry point to our Junior School.

As part of our enrolment process, our Junior School team is currently meeting with children who will turn four years of age later this year or in 2015. If you have not already done so, or if you are aware of friends who would like to enrol their children at our Kindergarten, please note that applications should be submitted as soon as possible.

We encourage you to bring your children to visit our Kindergarten. For enrolment information or to organise a visit, please contact Linda Teagle, Registrar, admissions@kristin.school.nz or 09 415 9566 ext 2324.

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Reuse, Reduce & Recycle Year 3 has been working on a unit of inquiry entitled Something Fishy. In this unit the transdisciplinary theme was ‘Sharing the Planet’, based around people interacting with and valuing the natural environment. As a provocation the students watched a video called The Great Pacific Garbage Patch. The following is a collaborative piece of writing by the children in class 3K.

Did you know that out in the ocean there is something called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch? It is the size of Texas and it is made of tiny pieces of plastic. The winds and the currents push it all together. The animals eat it because they think it is food. The plastic fills up their tummy but they can’t digest it. If people don’t recycle, the sea becomes polluted. We need to reuse, reduce and recycle so that the sea will stay clean for the future. A person can destroy an animal’s habitat just with one plastic bag! Please take your own reusable bag to the supermarket or reuse the plastic bags you have already.

Travelwise

Workshop

D

uring Term 1, a group of Year 4 and 5 students from our Kristin Travelwise team attended a workshop conducted by Auckland Transport. This workshop was designed to help students generate new ideas and support the current initiatives of the Travelwise team at Kristin.

The workshop itself was based around five stations that focused on leadership skills, problem solving, scooter safety, booster seats and high-visibility jackets. The activities at each station were very well received by the student representatives and they have come back to school with lots of ideas to share with the other members of the Travelwise team. Like our annual Car Free Day and weekly Sustainable Transport Challenge, the new ideas generated from this workshop will be shared with the wider community through the year.

Michele Barrell, Teacher-in-charge, Travelwise

Learning Expression through Fine Art In Week 3 of Term 1, Year 5 visited the Auckland Art Gallery as part of their How We Express Ourselves unit of inquiry.

Through a series of activities, the students explored different attributes of the paintings on display, including the many ways that artists express movement. This began by observing a piece of artwork and looking at how the artist showed movement, and then using their own bodies to demonstrate what type of movement they thought it was. They then went into a practical art studio where they were challenged to paint movement without drawing any particular object, simply using lines and shapes to express the motion they

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wanted to convey.

Finally, the students were able to enjoy the beautiful sunny day as they explored neighbouring Albert Park, using clues to identify the many sculptures and installations in the area.

Throughout the day the students recorded their adventures on their iPads, producing short videos to demonstrate their learning once they were back at school. It was a hugely popular trip and many of the students are keen to visit the Auckland Art Gallery again with their families.

Follow this QR code to take a look at what class 5M got up to in the art studio.

Junior School News

Grandparents’ Day Grandparents play a special role in the lives of children and it is always a delight to welcome them to Kristin. For many of our students, and the staff, Grandparents’ Day is a highlight of the school year. Students of all ages take great pride in taking their grandparents by the hand, introducing them to their teachers and their friends, showing them their favourite place in the playground, working alongside them in the classroom and sharing morning tea.

There were many happy faces around the school as grandparents delighted in the skills, abilities and confidence of our young people.

Some of our youngest students showed their technological prowess, whipping up quick iMovies on their iPads to record the special day, while the talents of many of the Junior School students were on display at the special assembly. Technology also assisted some grandparents in the United States; unable to attend in person, Skype allowed them to visit

the classes of their grandchildren and to enjoy the assembly presentations. And thanks to the incredible generosity of spirit, innate to all grandparents, even those children who were without their own were able to share the special attention of caring grandparents that morning.

Once our students and guests were seated in the Auditorium, our student leaders introduced themselves and their role in the school – House Captains, Student Council representatives, and members of the Chapel team, the Enviro Club, Travelwise and other student-led service committees. We were then treated to beautiful performances by our choirs, musicians, dancers and film-makers.

There were special hugs and kisses exchanged as grandparents departed, as well as another set of fabulous memories now shared by all and the promise of a return visit next year.

Castor Bay

Rock Pools

One of the most highly anticipated days in the Kindergarten arrived as the Transition to School group went to Castor Bay for their rock pool inquiry.

The children were excited to identify the many rock pool creatures they had been learning about.

An important part of the inquiry was to develop a code of responsibility towards the rock pool creatures, the environment and themselves, which they clearly demonstrated on the day. Once their investigation was complete they all enjoyed a picnic lunch, played fun games and flew the kites they had made.

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Junior School News

Glowing ERO Report

Dog Etiquette

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n Wednesday 25 March the Kindergarten were very lucky to have Heather from Bark NZ join us. Bark NZ is a charity organisation that aims to help children be safe around dogs.

Through fun chants, books and DVDs, Heather taught the young students some key safety tips. The highlight, however, was her dog Dyson, who was very gracious in accepting a pat from 20 children! This task gave the children the perfect opportunity to practise what they had learnt throughout the session. Firstly, that you should always ask a dog’s owner if it is OK to pat their dog. Secondly, you should always introduce yourself to a dog in an appropriate manner, with the back of your closed hand held out for the dog to sniff.

Dyson felt very safe when the children patted his chin, and thanked them for their kind and responsible behaviour by showing his best trick: sliding down the Kindergarten slide and landing on his feet!

NCEA Success for Year 5 Scientist

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While most nine-year-olds are yet to fully understand the notion of examinations and the NCEA Achievement Standards that will define their school years in the future, Iain Lam has excelled well beyond his age group, achieving remarkable results in NCEA Level 1 Science.

Now in Year 6, Iain has been studying advanced Science since Year 3 when his classroom teacher identified his exceptional talent for understanding scientific concepts and, in consultation with Mr Rod Fee, the Junior School pastoral team established a programme that would allow Iain to expand his science skills while supporting all areas of his development and learning.

Through weekly lessons with science teacher and Senior School House Dean Rebecca Simpson, and regular maths tutoring, Iain’s knowledge and understanding quickly developed, allowing him to officially join the NCEA Level 1 class at the beginning of Year 5 under the guidance of Dawn Sullivan, Head of Kristin’s Science faculty.

After a year at this level, Iain achieved 16

The Kindergarten has received a glowing appraisal following its recent review by the Education Review Office. In the official report released in February, ERO stated that the Kristin Kindergarten is very well placed to promote positive learning outcomes for children, placing the school in the highest category of Early Childhood learning providers.

The review found that our students “enjoy their day at the kindergarten. They enjoy the company of other children, making friends and responding to their teachers. They fully engage in the many interesting and varied learning activities provided. Children are encouraged to think about their learning, inquire, set goals and take risks. They delight in acquiring new knowledge, extending their skills and sharing what they know with others. They are confident, competent learners.”

It is hugely rewarding to see that the work being done by our exceptionally skilled Kindergarten team has been recognised by this national authority on early childhood education. The full report is available from the ERO’s website.

credits in Level 1 Science, 12 of which were with Merit. Iain stays with his Junior School class for all other literacy subjects and, more importantly, still enjoys his social life with his peers in the Junior School.

This model, which brings together teachers and support staff from all three schools, has proven to be a very effective way to support the academic and pastoral needs of gifted children such as Iain.

Junior School Principal Mrs Diana Patchett believes that students such as Iain can benefit hugely from a multifaceted approach such as this. “We pride ourselves on offering a differentiated programme in all classrooms, so that there is an appropriate level of challenge in place for all students to extend their learning. Where we identify students with exceptional abilities, we are able to mobilise resources within our community to develop their unique skills while taking care to ensure a balanced approach to their overall well-being and education.”

Iain is now taking part in NCEA Level 1 Further Science this year.

news middle school

KTV Checks out TV3

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n 5 March the KTV Year 10 Leadership team went to the TV3 studios to learn how a news story is produced. The Auckland Bureau Chief for MediaWorks, Keith Slater, took us on a ‘backstage’ tour of the whole of TV3.

We learned about issues they had come across over the years as well as the everyday things they do, like how they control the airing of programmes. KTV also had a go at presenting the 6 O’clock News in the actual studio just before the news went live to air, which was amazing. We saw the reporters in action and we met some of them. We were also able to meet and talk to Paul Henry, Mike McRoberts and Hilary Barry.

Thank you to Mrs Clare Brown from TV3 and Mr Gurney for organising this amazing, once-in-alifetime experience for all of us. We will all remember it.

Jasmine Bryham

Making a Difference for the Auckland City Mission Towards the end of last year the 2013 Auckland City Mission team created and held an exciting new event in the Middle School to raise awareness about their cause.

As part of Jane Goodall’s Roots and Shoots programme, this group is dedicated to “fostering respect and compassion for all living things, to promote understanding of all cultures and beliefs, and to inspire each individual to take action to make the world a better place for people, animals and the environment.” Previously we had visited the Grafton Road Auckland City Mission Distribution Centre and helped the volunteers by sorting out clothes and blankets to go to charity second-hand stores, and in Term 4 we decided to throw a quiz for the Middle School students, to educate them and spread awareness of the Auckland City Mission’s cause.

A modern quiz was displayed on the screen in the Middle School Atrium, attracting curious students to take part in the challenge.

Numbered balloons were unexpectedly released from the second-floor railing, inviting the students to each collect a balloon. At

this point, we were all nervous as to how our quiz would be received. The numbers on the balloons dictated which question a student could answer, and if he or she answered correctly, a delicious candy treat would be won. It was a huge success. With every round, new students rolled in to take part and ultimately learn a bit about Auckland City Mission. Laughs were had from both the quizzers and participants. We all had a tremendous amount of fun hosting the event.

What we took out of our time supporting Auckland City Mission and hosting this quiz event is that change isn’t an abstract thing.

Personally, I thought when joining the ACM and Roots and Shoots teams that it would only be a step in the right direction, but over my time working with my friends in the group, I was privileged to experience change firsthand. Seeing the supplies we helped sort be packed up and ready at the distribution centre, and seeing our fellow Middle School students really enjoy the quiz we set up made every ounce of effort we put in throughout the year worth it.

Laith Bayan

Personal Project Exhibition The MYP Personal Project Exhibition was on display in the Atrium over the final two weeks of Term 1. This coincided with the Personal Project Parent Information Evening and provided parents attending Parent Teacher Interviews the opportunity to see some of the amazing assignments completed last year.

The projects on display ranged from Mangas to busking for charity and environmental awareness, from fitness training programmes to published books and self-built computers. They represented the projects that received the highest grades and were there to inspire the current Year 10s for their future Personal Projects.

Everyone in Year 11 should be very proud of their work, as each student has put a lot of time and effort into their Personal Project, displaying creativity, determination, inquiry, passion and perseverance.

Rebekah Dangerfield

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Polyfest

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ur 2014 Polyfest trip was my third visit to the festival, and it seems that each year it gets bigger and better. We were lucky this year as Mr Ah Sam was able to secure a VIP pass, which allowed us to park closer to the venue. As we were moving through the crowds, Mr Mataio bumped into several past schoolmates and friends. The very first person was near the Samoan stage entrance; he welcomed our school after chatting with Mr Mataio. It turns out they went to school together. He held a portable microphone and appeared to be inviting the visitors.

I’m not sure what it was, but Friday was probably the busiest day of the Polyfest ever. Maybe people had sensed that the Saturday was going to be rained out due to Cyclone Lusi. Every stage and viewing area was full to capacity.

Students competed on five stages, performing traditional items from the following cultures: Cook Islands, Maori, Niuean, Samoan and Tongan. There was also a Diversity stage featuring performances from a range of cultural groups including Fijian, Tokelauan, Chinese, Korean and Indian. There was a total of 223 groups from 62 schools: 9,000 performers. That is staggering!

But probably the highlight of the day for me would have to be the food. Popular, as always, were the ice-cream-filled watermelons and pineapples but my special favourites were the Cook Island doughnuts. There were always queues at this stall.

James Thornton

Disconnecting to Connect

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ith mobile coverage now available in 97% of the places New Zealanders live and work, it is now relatively infrequently that you find yourself ‘out of range’. As a result, 2.5 million Kiwis now utilise smartphones to access broadband.

Given these statistics, perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised to hear that in this era of increasing technology dependency, a new acronym has emerged: MAIDS – Mobile and Internet Dependency Syndrome. A UK study of almost 1,000 people reported some staggering figures that clearly illustrate the emotional impact and risk associated with becoming dependent on mobile devices.

• 63% admitted concern when they leave their mobile at home • 3% admitted feeling ‘freaked out and panicky’ without their phone • 72% worried if they were unable to check their mobiles for a day • Those aged 16 to 24 were found to be most dependent on their mobile devices Participants identified the reasons for their anxiety to be the worry that people wouldn’t be able to get hold of them, they would be missing out on something, group plans would change and they would be left out of the loop, or the fear of missing important social calls or invitations. In a fast-paced school environment where we are surrounded by socially alert teenagers, it is easy to see how our young

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people can become so susceptible to these feelings.

Sherry Turkle, a Professor in the Social Studies of Science and Technology at MIT, studies the social impact of this technology, which she recognises as a double-edged sword. In her book Alone Together, Turkle explains how long-distance friendships, once difficult, are now seamlessly buoyed via Facebook updates, while at the same time this technology can hinder social development.

Using the example of a gathering of teenagers who encounter a lull in conversation, for generations this moment would be navigated, if somewhat awkwardly, by the people in the room who would reach for any subject to bridge the gap. Now, however, phones are instantly pulled out of pockets and their devoted users check out of the real world to check in to other friendships, embracing the distraction until the moment has passed. Such is the penetration of social media that Turkle suggests we now need to teach our children to be alone to avoid them always being lonely.

Considering this significant behavioural shift, perhaps additions to the common household rules such as ‘no technology at the dinner table’ are needed. In the context of school, digital devices have become essential tools in today’s classrooms, offering new and innovative ways for our students to collaborate and learn.

However, it has also become important for us

to create time where our students experience disconnection for a sustained period.

In 2013, 16 Middle School students visited Samoa for the Pasifika Project and somehow managed without digital communication devices for 21 days, an experience that will be repeated with a second group in July of this year. In addition, a 21-day Odyssey paddling the length of the Whanganui River is planned for September. Once again our students will be disconnected from digital communication for three full weeks. During this period they will not have a diversion in times of awkward silences, they will endure periods where sustained eye contact is expected and they will be clueless of their online status or pending invitations.

These trips are not an attempt to depose technology. They will simply empower our students with perspective via the contrast of living for a sustained period without technology.

As the Odyssey students reach the mouth of the Whanganui River they will each be asked to spend one night alone, reflecting on the trip. Whilst just sufficient distance apart to feel alone and never far from safety, we expect this experience to be, at first, confronting then highly memorable as our students discover that aloneness and loneliness are worlds apart.

Adam Heath Middle School Principal

Middle School News

Studying our Coastline In Year 9 Humanities we have been studying natural coastal processes and human impacts on our coastal environments, so on 18 March a field trip saw all classes venturing out to various North Shore beaches to investigate. My class started at Milford Beach where we worked in our groups, gathering evidence and data to support our inquiry question. This involved studying the environment (coastal erosion, litter or pollution), interviewing members of the public who were using the beach, and recording our findings on our digital devices.

Milford Beach was an interesting start point as the river that runs through the Wairau Park industrial area flows out into the beach.

We all were surprised at how much litter there was and started filling our rubbish sacks. After lunch we walked along the beach and around the rocks to Takapuna Beach, finding more rubbish along the way.

It was a great experience to look at our local beaches from a different perspective.

Taylor Dunn

Behind the Red Shield The familiar red shield greets our entrance to the Salvation Army, reminding us of the long-lasting relationship the Student Council has had and will continue to have with this organisation. The door shuts. A vast room, a small reception area, then, a voice calls to us.

Sarah Fordyce, our guide and door to the charitable world of the Salvation Army, briefs us on our duties, including a mixture of preparation jobs all in aid of our community. With vigour, we jump to our posts, all pitching in to help complete the task. We know that with every baked bean can labelled, and every chair carefully placed, someone on the other end of the line will benefit. By the end we have labelled hundreds of cans and packed them into at least a dozen boxes, as well as packaged rice into individual bags, all bound for families in need living in Auckland. We have set up a selection of activities for children visiting the centre and placed tables and chairs in preparation for a meeting later that day. We have also cleared litter and weeds from the exterior of the building as well as dusted cobwebs from the windows. Finally, we set up two flags, which will welcome visitors arriving at the centre.

With all tasks taken care of and extra time to spare, all 16 members of the council, along with Mr Haslam, assemble in the great hall, which is the heart of the building. A red box full of supplies sits towards the front of the room and we are told its purpose is to cater for any unexpected issues relating to the threat of Cyclone Lusi. It is such selfless acts as this that make up the responsibilities of the Salvation Army. All sorts of people coming to seek their help and services have been assisted, whether having issues with social life, health or jobs. The Salvation Army has not only given them momentary sustenance, but also taught them long-term methods of dealing with their problems. The youth branch, which holds holiday programmes, was of particular interest to us.

As with all good things, our visit to the Salvation Army was finally over. With a successful establishment of our friendship, we said farewell. The 2014 Student Council will maintain its relationship with the Salvation Army with three more visits planned for the year.

Oliver Denny

Middle School Enrolments 2015 Interviews are well under way for new students to enrol in our Middle School next year. We look forward to receiving your child’s application and including them in our enrolment process.

For a Middle School tour or enrolment information, please contact Linda Teagle, Registrar, admissions@kristin.school.nz or 09 415 9566 ext 2324.

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Crowns Up for Houston Year 10 student Houston Murray is living her dream, competing with her hip-hop crew, the Duchesses, out of Parris Goebel’s The Palace Dance Studio and winning a spot at the World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Las Vegas.

A gruelling rehearsal schedule, intense competition and absolute dedication and focus have become a part of everyday life for Houston since she was selected for the newly formed crew at the beginning of the year. Auditions for the five Palace dance crews drew applications from across the world, from as far away as Brazil, Ireland, Spain, the USA and throughout Asia and Australasia.

Originally vying for one of eight spots in a Varsity division crew – the largest and arguably most competitive of all divisions with dancers aged between 13 and 18 – Houston made the cut for what turned out to be two squads of eight. There wasn’t much time for celebration with only four days between the auditions and being named in the crew, and then only three days before their first practice.

The group immediately entered into intensive training sessions in preparation for the Auckland Regional Championships. “It is quite intense but my crew is great. We bonded together really quickly, like family. We had to, spending so much time together!” Daily three-hour sessions during term time and 12-hour days in the holidays helped the young crew learn, refine and finally nail their choreography, taking 2nd at regionals behind their Palace cohorts, Sorority. In addition, Duchesses earned the highest performance score across all crews at the Auckland event. It was a highlight for Houston, scoring her first-ever 8 from the judges.

With the ultimate goal being to win the world Varsity title, Houston and

the Duchesses had one more major hurdle to overcome before they could focus on their dream – nationals. A brilliant set from the crew had them finish 2nd on 8.11, earning the judges’ award for the best performance of the night and catching their ticket to the Worlds.

On a roll with her crew and with big dreams for the future, Houston is revelling in what’s ahead of her while keeping her feet on the ground.

“Words can’t describe this. Every New Zealand hip-hop dancer and so many from around the world would do anything for this opportunity. I remember going to the Palace, watching them and wishing I could be like them. Now I’m in a Palace crew and it is amazing!”

This won’t be Houston’s first trip to the Worlds. She made the trip in 2012 to compete in the junior division with a different group, but something feels different this time around. “The crowds in America are huge and the atmosphere is amazing. I feel confident because I have experienced the crowds once already, so I will be able to really focus on our performance.”

With the World Champs in August, Houston has two busy terms ahead of her. As a member of the Middle School Student Council, she works hard to balance her responsibilities at school, her class work and rigorous dance schedule, leaving little time in the day for much else. “The teachers are really great and Mr Haslam and Mrs Murray are awesome; they help me balance my workload. I end up doing a lot of my homework in the car and I’ve had to learn to use my lunchtimes wisely.

“Dancing [in a Palace crew] is intense. We put in a lot of hours, and work very hard but working with these people is so inspiring. They’re the best…

I love it. Performance is what I want to do.”

Mouth-watering Yum Cha From 25 November to 2 December, the much-awaited, mouth-watering trip across the road took place to nowhere other than the Yum Cha restaurant!

This was organised as part of the Year 9 Change in China unit in Humanities to help us develop a greater awareness and understanding of Chinese culture.

This trip did most certainly broaden our horizons, with so many of us focused, wide-eyed, on the abundance of delicious dishes set down in front of us.

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There was a variety of familiar and new foods to try, including fried rice, lemon chicken and sweet and sour pork, and we all enjoyed experiencing the unique flavour of each dish.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Mrs Cowell, all the Year 9 Humanities teachers and the parent helpers, without whom this trip would not have happened.

Victoria Gancheva

Middle School News

Community Service in the Avocado Orchards of Whangarei On Friday 22 November the Year 9 Community and Service team, along with some Year 10 Student Council members and two Senior School students, took a trip to Whangarei to help a local organisation - the WOW Charitable Trust, which supports underprivileged youth and families.

Our day began just outside of Whangarei in the avocado orchards. This job required us to climb trees, pick the avocados, and then sort them into categories of their quality – firsts and seconds – ready to be boxed up and sold to raise funds for the WOW Trust. After picking about 1000 avocados, we headed to the community gardens where we did some maintenance work in the garden that the Student Council planted earlier in the year. While we were there we also had the

opportunity to plant some more vegetables to help feed local families and to enjoy a delicious barbecue lunch, including produce from the garden.

The last place we visited was the Octane Youth Health Centre. This is the branch of the WOW Charitable Trust that we were supporting on this day, and where all the proceeds from the avocados will go. We were talked through the medical, social and psychological support systems the trust is putting in place and how these will affect their community. All in all we had a great day that enabled us to have new experiences and help a community while growing closer together as a team in preparation for next year.

Bailey Dobbs

Forces and energy at

Rainbow’s End

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n Wednesday 26 March, the Year 9’s and their teachers took to the skies and waterways of Rainbow’s End to explore the scientific world of forces and energy.

Armed with many science questions, the 160-strong team of Year 9’s was spinning, climbing, bumping and racing on most of the rides that the Rainbow’s End theme park had to offer.

Mr Gurney and Mr Haslam were often seen ‘testing’ the rides to help the students answer their questions. Mr Sole even took his accelerometer on the roller coaster to collect data to take back to the classroom. Despite the Pirate Ship and FearFall being out of action, students were able to use their science knowledge to decide which energies would come into play while they were on The Invader, and which technologies used the understanding of forces to protect them from harm on the Corkscrew Coaster.

The sunny day provided high levels of thermal energy to dry students off after the log flume and Bumper Boats, while candyfloss and hot chips renewed the chemical energy for many.

Scorpion Karts provided a favourite way to convert the most kinetic energy, but sound energy was definitely detected at high levels by those brave enough to face the Power Surge. The staff and students finished off the day demonstrating who had the most momentum to get people the wettest on the Bumper Boats; all had a great time and learned lots to take back into the classroom.

Andrea Tong Middle School Science Curriculum Manager

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Teaching us a

Thing or Two

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n the Thursday of the last week of Term 1, the Lady Allum House was visited by an enthusiastic and slightly anxious group of Year 10 students from the Student Council. The council has had a strong relationship with the rest home for over 10 years, and our members spent an afternoon sociably chatting with the residents, learning a lot more than they could have imagined.

After a short bus ride and a quick moment for introductions, the 16 students made their way into the lounge where their welcomers were waiting. However timid the group had been to begin with, they were very soon made to feel comfortable by the warmth of the people who greeted them and the friendly environment in which they conversed. It was not simply the longevity of the people the council spoke with that impressed them, but their wisdom too.

Whether it was a new and effective Connect Four strategy or a story behind a memorable photo, everyone who entered that room came away with something that will remain with them.

The mood was contented when the time came to leave. This will not be the last visit of the Student Council to the Lady Allum House, as other trips are already planned for throughout the year. From this particular occasion, though, the Student Council was made aware of how much there is to learn from these friendly, generous people who have lived in such different times.

Oliver Denny

Music in the Bay of Islands On Monday 2 December, members of the Middle School Choir and Orchestra, along with Ms Douglas, Mrs Collings and Mr Richardson, met at the Music department, ready to leave for the annual Bay of Islands trip.

The trip north took us four hours, with a short stop in Whangarei to eat our lunches. A jet-boat ride was next on the menu, with one of our groups experiencing a close encounter with a group of dolphins on the way. The choir sang some of our favourite songs in a cave off the coast, next to the aptly named ‘Hole in the Rock’, which we later went through to see natural carvings on the other side. After the jet-boat ride, we all went back to the hotel where we would be staying for the next three days, to enjoy a swim, some water fights and a barbecue dinner.

The next day, we were woken at 7.30am by a rowdy Ms Douglas rapping on our doors, before we met together to have our breakfast.

We then journeyed to Kerikeri Christian School where we had our first performance of the trip. Although there were only 27 primary-school students, we all had a great time and they really enjoyed themselves (or so they said!).

Next on the list was a trip to Bay of Islands International Academy, where we were all reunited with Mr McDermott; many of us had had the pleasure of being a student of his in the Junior School. We performed at the local marae, where the students and parents of the International Academy, as well as some other locals, enjoyed the many songs and pieces from our choir and orchestra.

That evening, we all dressed up and journeyed to a local restaurant at Russell called Sally’s, where we had a lovely dinner and dessert, before performing some choral songs and solo pieces to the public who were having their meals there also. We were all pleasantly surprised to discover that they had, in fact, booked to see us perform.

The next day was, sadly, our last day in the Bay of Islands, and we were

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delighted to have our final performance at the Retirement Centre, in front of dozens of residents.

We all had a really great time and will definitely be returning next year!

I would recommend it to anyone interested in singing in a group or playing in an orchestra. It’s really fun and the trip is a great way to end the year.

Catherine Harris

Middle School News

VEX Robotics Nationals

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he Kristin Robotics team competed at the New Zealand VEX Robotics National Tournament at the Vodafone Events Centre in Manakau over the weekend of 28 February to 2 March. All four teams competed well during the three full days of non-stop activity. Coming straight from a tiring Camp Week, they can be proud of an excellent effort.

Team 2919W, led by Finn Beavis, had a very tough match schedule in the seeding rounds and was unlucky to miss getting into the final rounds. Team 2919S, led by Matthew Officer, worked hard throughout and finished midfield.

Nic Ackland and Adam McLeod in Team 2919H worked incredibly hard on a brand new robot and had it running well by the end of the tournament.

The senior team of Jerry Fan and Marco

Tyler-Rodrigue, assisted by Adam Murley, put in an outstanding performance, reaching the final rounds in an alliance with two Strathallan School robots. They progressed through to the tournament finals where their alliance lost in two very close matches to the top-seeded alliance.

This team was also very close to achieving a World Championship Qualifying slot in the Design Award category. While they missed this top prize they did receive the Amaze Award, which is essentially placement as the Design Award runner-up. They impressed judges throughout the numerous visits and interviews and were great ambassadors for Kristin.

Martin Allen Teacher-in-Charge, Robotics

Year 8

Base Day As I arrive at school I know that it’s not a normal day because we’re all in our PE gear. That’s because it’s Year 8 Base Day. Weren’t we the lucky ones to be at Long Bay in the blazing sunshine, and not a cloud in sight! Our focus for the day was on the ‘Golden Rule’ – treat others as you would like to be treated.

One of our thought-provoking tasks was to decide, in our groups, which 10 people out of 15 would be saved from a sinking ship. Then we had to make a tower out of dry spaghetti and marshmallows. The towers were not exactly skyscrapers, but close enough. The last and my favourite game was a team relay with a difference. Instead of running races we did activities that were much better.

In one activity we had to eat half a dry Weetbix and in others we had to spin around 10 times, complete word puzzles and throw a shoe into a hoop. This was Base Day 8.2.

Alex Crook

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news senior school

IB Top Scholars The academic successes of our highest-achieving IB students from last year were celebrated at the annual IB Top Scholars’ Awards Ceremony at Government House, Auckland, in February.

Now in its third year, the Top Scholar Awards Ceremony honours the New Zealand candidates who achieve a score of 40 points or more, out of a possible 45, in the prestigious IB Diploma. Students who attain this score are ranked in the top 6% of students worldwide. One in six of Kristin’s recent IB Diploma graduates achieved this result.

The ceremony, hosted by His Excellency, Lieutenant General the Right Honourable Sir Jerry Mateparae, Governor-General of New Zealand, was attended by New Zealand’s top IB Diploma students, their families, IB Heads Caucus of NZ, School Heads and academic dignitaries from throughout the country. His Excellency addressed the guests and presented the awards.

Isobel Campbell received special recognition for being one of eight individuals to achieve a perfect score of 45 in her Diploma – something achieved by only 0.2% of IB Diploma candidates worldwide.

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Academic Distinction The 2013 external examination results, released in January for NCEA and the IB Diploma, were cause for much celebration in the Senior School, with great results seen across both qualifications for students at all three year levels.

Our NCEA results demonstrate the consistent level of academic excellence that is now expected from students in such a high-achieving environment. With an overall NCEA pass rate of 94%, Kristin’s commitment to our national qualification is celebrated throughout the school. Of the 350 students sitting NCEA, over 70% were awarded Merit or Excellenceendorsed certificates – an outstanding achievement from a talented and hard-working group of students.

Our IB Diploma students have achieved at exceptional levels once again as well, attaining a 99% pass rate in 2013. With the largest number of Diploma candidates of any New Zealand school, Kristin’s IB students have consistently led the way for many years and this latest cohort was no exception, with one in six achieving at a national scholarship level.

While these results warrant celebration in their own right, we also congratulate the students who were awarded financial scholarships towards their tertiary study. A staggering $250,000 was awarded to our 2013 graduates from universities in New Zealand, Australia, the USA, UK and Asia – a fantastic reward for the efforts of these talented individuals.

These students, along with their families, were invited back to Kristin in Week 3 of Term 1 for our Academic Awards Assembly. This was a wonderful opportunity to formally acknowledge the successes of last year’s external exams. Presentations were made to those who had recently been awarded NCEA Level 3, University Entrance and the IB Diploma, and special awards were made to top students at all levels.

Ninety students received awards for achieving Excellence-endorsed NCEA Level 1 or 2 certificates and 15 for achieving Excellence Endorsed NCEA Level 3. Distinction Awards were presented to Sorina Casvean-Muresan, Celina Chang, Louis Harden-Bull, Isobel Hunt, Jinny Kim, Lingshu Liu, Nadia Sussman, Holly Thomas, Andrew Wetherell, Alec Xie, Tabitha Yeoh (40 or more points in IB Diploma) and Honours Awards to both Lucy Bayliss and Mack Lee (44 points in IB Diploma) and Isabel Campbell (a perfect score of 45). We extended our special congratulations to Isobel Campbell, winner of the International Cup, and to Olivia Tustin, winner of the National Qualifications Trophy, for being the highest-achieving Kristin students in their respective qualifications in 2013.

Through our focus on academic mentoring and tertiary futures planning, we have seen these students graduate with a great confidence in themselves as successful learners. They have been able to customise their qualifications towards their tertiary aspirations by taking control of their learning and choosing an academic format to suit their learning styles. We look forward to celebrating their future successes as they continue onwards to make their mark on the world.

Head Prefect Leadership Conference On 14 May, we hosted a Head Prefect Conference for schools across Auckland.

There were 42 students from 18 schools in attendance, along with our Prefect team and a number of staff.

The first part of the conference featured guest speaker Dr Sven Hansen, who gave an hour-long presentation on the resilience of an effective leader. Dr Hansen is world renowned, specialising in the application of resilience in leadership. His talk covered a range of topics, many most of us hadn’t thought directly related to leadership; physical condition, mental stamina, organisational techniques, stress management, the understanding of emotions and their influence, and the need for balance were all mentioned. Through his presentation we gained valuable insight that will undoubtedly help us to perform better as leaders, as well as benefit us in our everyday lives. Dr Hansen is a very engaging speaker and we were very fortunate to have him join our conference. We hope that he can return one day to share his insights with future Prefect teams.

The second half of the conference comprised exchanging ideas, initiatives, processes and characteristics from each other’s schools. To start the process we highlighted the power of the mind through a clever exercise that showed the ability of influence on our subconscious actions. After some experimenting with the activity we split into small groups to discuss

our schools and communities. Service, cultural, sporting and academic aspects were all covered, with much gained by everyone involved. The idea of a joint service project between schools was one in which many have an interest and something we hope to develop and make a reality in the future.

To close the conference, we ended with an adapted game of Cranium. Here, we asked the two representatives from each school to come up with a word that was linked to our core word and idea: leadership. The aim was to say the same thing at the same time, although few succeeded! However, we were left with a mind-map demonstrating what leadership is to all of us, much of which had grown from Dr Hansen’s presentations and our subsequent discussions.

This conference was the first of its kind to be organised by Kristin Prefects, and we hope it can continue each year. With talk already of fellow students hosting a similar event, we look forward to developing these relationships with prefects from other schools and seeing where this may lead us. Our thanks to Deputy Head Prefects Christian Silver and Olivia Barker for helping on the day, and a special thank-you to Dr Hansen for offering his time and services to make our conference so successful.

Idris Jones and Kirsty Sutherland Head Boy and Head Girl

CAS Concert for Syria In late 2013, I had the pleasure of working with both UNICEF NZ and my musically skilled friends to create an event that showcased the talent of Kristin School whilst raising money for UNICEF’s Syrian Children’s Fund and fulfilling the IB criteria for one of my CAS commitments.

A UNICEF advertisement on television initially sparked my curiosity about relief programmes for children in Syria. It was this interest that set me off brainstorming on how to make a genuine difference to increase awareness and to raise funds. I began to think of the assets and talents that I am so exposed to in daily life and settled on an idea that encompassed a variety of my interests and would help others.

Following in the footsteps of Live Aid, I set out to create an excellent night with an incredibly talented group of Kristin students performing both original material and covers, ranging from The Beatles to Beyoncé. Vector Arena donated the use of their small venue, The Tuning Fork, for our use. Charlie’s Group Ltd donated drinks and Kristin students helped with the bar and raffles. The event was a total success with over $1,300 raised for Syrian children and a wonderful evening of quality music from some fresh, new talent, which was enjoyed by over 100 people.

Lucy Clumpas

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Operation Quiz Night

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n the night of Saturday 10 May, the Senior School’s Prefect team transformed the Common Room into the Kristin Hospital Emergency Ward for the annual Quiz Night. Guests were encouraged to dress to the medical theme, resulting in half the room dressed as characters from M.A.S.H! Meanwhile the Prefect team looked ever-so-professional, dressed in matching operating theatre scrubs.

The evening kicked off with an arresting display of emergency medicine as one of the team had to be resuscitated. With this drama over, the Prefect Interns were able to care for their assigned wards or work on vital support operations behind the scenes. Our wonderful MCs, Kirsty Sutherland and Idi Jones, guided the guests through the many rounds of questions and provided entertainment with an assortment of medical puns. A thrilling live auction capped off the night, with a private helicopter ride and lunch at Cable Bay Vineyard being the top prize.

The student-run Quiz Night is held every year to raise money for the Prefect Project. This year the Prefect Project has two parts. We will be working to help schools in both Rarotonga and South Auckland. Our aim is to improve the health of children, as we believe this is a keystone for a great education. In Manukau we are looking specifically at Rheumatic Fever, a Third World illness affecting children on our doorstep.

We were so amazed by the generosity of the Quiz Night guests and sponsors who took part in the evening with enormous enthusiasm. The Prefect team would like to thank everyone who attended or contributed to the success of the evening. We enjoyed ourselves immensely and are very excited to embark on this project with the funds now in place to do something really worthwhile.

Olivia Barker Deputy Head Girl

Riding for the Disabled - A Rewarding CAS Service Commitment

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ne thing that I don’t mind getting up early for on a Saturday morning is volunteering at the North Shore Riding for the Disabled (RDA). Despite the early mornings, I enjoy everything about it from grooming the horses to talking with the riders as we walk alongside them.

My involvement with the North Shore RDA began when they borrowed my pony for a few months and I would come down and help on the weekends so I could get to see her. I have now been volunteering every Saturday during Terms 1 and 2 for the past two years, and at the beginning of 2013 completed my first volunteer training course.

A typical day for me at the RDA involves going out to the paddock with our small group of volunteers to bring all the horses into the barn. We feed them, brush them and tack them up before heading out to the

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arena for a warm-up. At about 9am the first group of riders arrive and the volunteers do whatever jobs we are assigned to do with each rider. We generally stay with the same riders because it creates a more comfortable environment for everyone, but it does change a little from week to week.

Sometimes I will be leading one of the horses; other times I will be a ‘side-walker’ for the rider. This involves staying alongside them, holding them steady if necessary and just talking to them about their week or what they plan to do over the weekend. After the two Saturday groups have been through we will groom the horses once more and finally put them back out in the paddock for the night for a well-deserved rest.

What got me interested in RDA in the first place was the opportunity to work with the horses, but now I love working with the riders just as much. Helping at the RDA is such a rewarding experience, especially when you see how much the riders are enjoying themselves - that in itself is enough to make me want to continue volunteering!

Georgia Paterson

Senior School News

Switched on to Huntly

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hile other classes may have had to endure beaches, penguins or Spanish restaurants at the conclusion of Term 4, we of IB Physics were rewarded with an excursion to the Huntly Power Station to further our understanding of the Climate Change topic.

Although our initial impression was of a glorified Genesis Energy ad, the tour was actually very interesting. Huntly is one of the largest power stations in the country, burning mainly coal and providing the North Island with over 500 MW at peak times. After a rundown of the station’s history, we suited up in the snazziest outfits: orange jackets to remind us we were being safe, safety glasses to shield us from the debris, and next-level helmets with attached ear defenders.

Aptly dressed, Team Physics moved out to the power station proper. We got a good look into the control room, and the many, many screens. Admittedly, most were showing Windows XP screen savers, but it was still impressive. To be honest, considering the number of stairs we went up to get to this place, it was a little anti-climactic. But my feelings of envy towards the other classes’ field trips were soon assuaged by what came next.

Our next port of call was the inside of the station, by the furnaces, grinders, boilers and generators, which magically transmute dead organisms into electricity. What I did not realise is that these stations are really, really loud. Walking in, it became swiftly apparent why we needed ear protection: the noise of the machines was deafening. Another interesting feature of the generator that never really twigged with me before was how big these places are; the sheer scale of the machinery was awesome. Our tour guide took us through the whole place, vaguely mouthing things none of us could hear but seemed interesting. In all seriousness, being able to actually see where all the pieces of the power station fitted together helped to really get it into our heads how all these processes mesh and turn heat into electricity.

Speaking of heat, my favourite part was the furnace. Not entirely unexpectedly, it was pretty hot, and the challenge to spend a couple of hours in the tight space under the boiler wasn’t met with much enthusiasm. Suddenly the idea that a power station could only be about 35% efficient because of wasted heat and sound energy made a lot of sense.

So, all in all, the day was fantastic. Lots of physics, lots of learning, lots of ‘oohing’ and ‘aahing’ at big machinery. To future IB-physics-learners, you’ll have a great time - just be sure to pack lots of cooling beverages.

Arun Rodgers

Knee-Deep in Data On a sunny Tuesday in mid-March the Year 13 NCEA Geography students enjoyed a field trip to the Waitakere River near Bethells Beach to collect information and study the discharge of water in a river.

We went out into the river at three different locations with the hypothesis ‘discharge increases downstream’ in the backs of our minds. There were different aspects of the river that we had to measure, including the width, depth, wetted perimeter and the velocity, and this meant getting in and getting wet – some were wetter than others.

The trip gave us some great insight into the natural process of water discharge in the Waitakere River and this helped us to develop our knowledge in preparation for our internal assessment.

Samantha Sinclair and Hilary Munro

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Tiritiri Matangi: Environmental Systems

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n Thursday 13 March, the Year 12 and 13 IB Environmental Systems and Societies students headed out to the island sanctuary of Tiritiri Matangi to learn about various environmental systems and interactions.

We were shown around the island in three groups, led by some fantastic volunteer guides.

They were incredibly knowledgeable and many had taken part in the original regeneration of the forest and bush on Tiritiri Matangi. It was really interesting to learn about how the island had changed and developed over the years, and who had been involved in the formation

of the sanctuary - it turns out that many exKristin pupils lent a helping hand! Thanks to our amazing guides we learnt a great deal about various flora and fauna species and their interconnections, both with each other and the mainland. We were especially lucky to see some kokako birds up close. We were also educated about organisations that were involved with the maintenance of the sanctuary, as well as certain things we ourselves could do to improve conditions for our native animals.

Near the end of the trip, one of the Friends of Tiritiri Matangi gave us an interactive

NCEA Level 2 Biology Field Trip On Monday 10 March the NCEA Level 2 Biology students had the opportunity to take the theory they have been learning in class about ecology, and apply it to a rockyshore community at Wenderholm Regional Park for an upcoming internal assessment. The weather was perfect and everyone was ready to get their feet wet (minimising our impact as much as possible, of course) while they counted the numbers of cat’s eye snails and Neptune’s necklace seaweed, and spotted the odd hermit crab or two. Students were able to see firsthand the adaptations of different species and the interrelationships and links between the organisms within a rocky-shore community.

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demonstration about the impact that litter has on the sea life surrounding the island, and how products that contain plastics such as micro beads are very damaging to sea life as they are washed straight into the ocean without being filtered out of the water flow.

Our trip was a great opportunity to learn about a restored ecosystem and highlighted how with a little bit of foresight and lots of hard work we can really make a difference.

Courtenay Burt and Gracie Scott

Senior School News

It’s About Teamwork for the Sports Committee

Kristin Students at

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TedxYouth

ed Talks have become a global phenomenon with thousands of the world’s best thinkers using the platform to share their thoughts and ideas. At October’s TEDxYouth conference in Auckland, two of our Senior School leaders were challenged to give the presentation of their lifetime.

Senior School Prefect Elspeth Carroll is an aspiring filmmaker. Passionate and determined, she set up her own company, Fluffy Socks Films, in 2011, and already has a steadily growing list of film credits to her name for acting, direction and production.

Her energy and determination were evident in her TEDx presentation, which detailed her experiences so far and her plans for her future. “Everyone is interested in something, and when you find what that is for you, don’t let anything stop you from creating, doing or fulfilling that interest… I have set myself a goal of becoming a renowned producer. No, it hasn’t happened yet, and no, I don’t expect it to be just around the corner. But when you have a goal, nothing gets in your way.”

Elspeth’s energy and determination in the pursuit of her dreams is unwavering. Already she has plans for how her filmmaking will fund her continued education, growing her portfolio and expanding her understanding of the world around her.

Deputy Head Boy Christian Silver also has a vision: to make programming more accessible to youth. Through his own experience as an aspiring programmer, Christian recognises the impact of our consumer culture on the

way technology is absorbed by society and, in turn, on the skills and interests being developed amongst so-called digital natives.

He also identifies a lack of engagement in education as one of the contributing causes to the shortage of passionate developers amongst the younger generations.

Citing the drastic decline in participation numbers in ICT and programming courses worldwide, Christian believes that while the problem lies in education, so too does the solution. “I decided that I wanted to do something about this myself… Computers aren’t that hard but they seem hard for some people. I thought, what we’ve got to do is take that seeming complexity and decode it into a human-understandable language, so that people can see it for its simplicity, and its beauty.”

It was from this that Christian set up Decode: an experimental workshop and web-based hub for passionate young developers of all skill levels to learn, connect and share. While initially he found himself taking on the teacher role as he introduced his participants to the languages of the web, Christian has seen passionate programmers begin to develop quickly, and now, armed with a proof of concept, he has expanded his workshops into the local community.

Now that it is up and running, Christian has a very clear vision for decode.org.nz: to connect and motivate young developers, providing a forum for collaboration, for recognition and as a means for aspiring programmers to pursue whatever path they choose.

In the week before Term 1 started, the Sports Committee took part in an eventful two days of team building and sports leadership training, both at school and on the high ropes course at Unitec.

The first day was full of physical and mental challenges as we were pushed out of our comfort zones. Balancing precariously on a suspended swinging bridge with nothing to hold on to and jumping off a platform to catch a trapeze hanging metres above the ground were just some of the tasks we faced.

Everyone had lots of fun and, although tiring at times, it was a great opportunity for the committee to get used to working together in order to achieve our goals.

The highlight of the day for many was the Giant’s Ladder where four people at a time attempted to make their way to the top of a giant swinging ladder, slowly but surely, with the distance between each rung getting larger and larger as you climbed up. This really was a whole team effort as everyone who wasn’t climbing was involved in relaying the climbers from the ground and, after the first few rungs, it was clear that the only way we were going to make it to the top was if we all went up at the same time and helped each other progress to the next rung.

The second day was more classroom based.

We learnt about different types of leadership and leadership styles and then applied this information to sporting situations. The last few hours were spent discussing various ideas that we had come up with for the rest of the year with some help from the instructors, and working on how these could be developed and improved. We also made a head start on the planning of some big events that we’re organising as a team this year. The knowledge, ideas and experience that we gained over these two days will be invaluable to our committee and we were all left with lots to think about for the remainder of the year.

Georgia Paterson

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arts

performing

Sleeping Beauty

T

he Junior School’s Term 4 production of Sleeping Beauty was a joy from start to finish. Every child from Kindergarten to Year 6 experienced a magical moment on the stage and, collectively, the cast excelled. The key characters worked with confidence and enthusiasm as they helped weave the spell of this classic fairy tale.

Thanks to the generosity and support of everyone involved the production was a spectacle and our students were able to carry away precious positive memories of this celebration of Junior School Performing Arts.

“I want to congratulate all the children and staff involved in the [Junior School’s] Sleeping Beauty production… We were extremely proud… It was a nice touch that each child in the school got to take a bow during the show – how exciting for them all to have the opportunity to get up on the stage and be part of something so colourful and full of life.” – Lucy Chilberto, proud Junior School parent Lorna Rood Director of Performing Arts

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Co-Curricular Dance

T

his year has seen the introduction of a brand new structure for Co-Curricular Dance at Kristin.

Building on the success and popularity of dance groups from previous years, seven new after-school groups are now offered: four of these in the Kindergarten and Junior School, two more in the Middle School and the first new Senior School troupe. With 11 different classes operating every night of the week, the dance studios have been absolutely buzzing.

Year 9 and 10’s lyrical dancers trained intensively to produce a performance for the Middle School Easter and Foundation Day Service in the last week of Term 1. The dance featured complex patterns of movement and duets that the students helped to choreograph themselves. Named ‘Freedom’, the piece represents the freedom that comes from placing your faith in love and God. The students thoroughly enjoyed learning from their tutor Jessie McCall, and were thrilled to be asked to perform their dance in the Junior School Easter and Foundation Day Service as well.

Meanwhile, on Fridays, an energetic group of Year 9 and 10 students gather to learn hip hop. You would never guess that these students had just concluded a long week at school - their energy, precision and sense of fun have all impressed their tutor Lona Mafaufau. Prior to this class, the Middle School’s Boyz Crew also rehearse with Lona. Fast footwork, body isolations, popping, acrobatics and freestyle have all featured in these lessons that focus on cool moves and styling.

Year 7 and 8 students are treated to the choice of three classes on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays. During Term 1, the Tuesday class enjoyed learning a range of street-jazz combos from tutor Hamish Mouat. Melana Khabazi teaches the Wednesday and Thursday classes. On Wednesdays, we’ve seen impressive footwork and tricks, and even some partner work with lifts!

The Thursday group fired through sets of self-choreography and learning contemporary technique in preparation for Term 2.

Our youngest dancers from the Kindergarten and Year 1 and 2 have explored the sea, becoming crashing waves, delicate and expressive sea creatures, and all with the use of wonderful props and music. They have also learned about how to create imaginative still shapes, how to balance on one foot, and different ways of travelling around the room. The Year 3, 4, 5 and 6 dancers have enjoyed the different journeys that they have pursued each week. Extensions, leaps and twirls have featured strongly amongst these groups as they grow in confidence to express themselves through dance. Junior School tutors Clare Battersby and Rose Philpott have thoroughly enjoyed witnessing the enthusiasm and joy that these young dancers bring to their lessons every week.

Each dance group in the school is working towards an item to be performed in Dance in the Dove, Kristin’s popular annual dance showcase in Term 3. If the passion, talent and energy displayed by the dancers in Term 1 are anything to go by, this show is set to be spectacular.

Teresa Lauago Teacher-in-Charge, Co-Curricular Dance

Commedia dell’Arte Early in Term 1, the Year 11 Drama students were fortunate to take part in a workshop with Commedia dell’Arte expert and teacher Lisa Brickell.

The workshop began with a small performance

by Lisa that clearly showed just how powerful

the art of Commedia could be. Shortly after we were introduced to Lisa, she made a sudden change from teacher-figure into Pantalone, a greedy old man who seeks only wealth and women; the rapid transformation was incredible.

Over the rest of the workshop, we studied the history of Commedia and met and performed

Annie’s Orphans Almost 630 girls from throughout New Zealand auditioned for a role as an orphan in the UK production of Annie, to be staged at The Civic theatre in Auckland. In those crowds were two Kristin students, Alice Hanson (Year 9) and Rachel Harding (Year 7), who turned heads and were both called up for the roles of orphans.

The auditions involved several rounds of singing, dancing and acting. We were given a number to wear and had to perform on the stage, both on our own and in groups. It was a great experience but quite stressful while waiting to hear your number called - to find out whether or not you had made it through to the next round. We feel privileged to have been chosen to be in this amazing production out of so many talented girls. We have started rehearsals and are really looking forward to meeting and working with the professional cast and crew from the UK. Alice Hanson and Rachel Harding

as some of the characters whom we had been reviewing in class. It was amazing to devise under the instruction of Lisa, who has been studying this art for many years. Everybody enjoyed themselves while also gaining insight into the history of this Italian theatre style.

Grace Neely

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Three Standing Ovations for All My Sons

O

ur students have a huge reputation for delivering spectacular performances in the Performing Arts; however, expectant audiences were blown away by the powerful delivery and professionalism of the students who took on Arthur Miller’s awardwinning play, All My Sons, in our inaugural co-curricular Senior School Play.

An intense and provocative drama, the 1946 play presented the nine Year 12 and 13 performers, and one up-and-coming talent from Year 7, with many challenges as they brought their complex characters to life with sensitivity

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and depth. Their talent and commitment were rewarded at the conclusion of each show when the Dove Theatre erupted in spontaneous applause, each performance earning a standing ovation from the 200 audience members.

This was the first time that any show in the Dove Theatre has received a standing ovation for every performance, and it is testimony to the exceptional efforts of every cast member and the superb teamwork by students behind the scenes. I could not have agreed with Mr Clague more when, in an address to the performers, he said, “Your talent, commitment

and incredible emotional depth made for one of the best pieces of theatre I have ever experienced.”

The cast of All My Sons included: Laith Bayan as Joe Keller; Elspeth Carroll as Kate Keller; James Collyer as Jim Bayliss; Isabella Wicks as Sue Bayliss; Cameron Stables as Frank Lubey; Alex Tunui as Lydia Lubey; Lucas Hinton as Chris Keller; Michael Martin as Bert; Andrew Lee as George Deever; and Anna Townend as Ann Deever.

Lorna Rood Director of Performing Arts

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L

es Misérables continues to inspire millions around the world as a landmark in contemporary musicals. Victor Hugo’s universal message resounds in every note and lyric of Boublil and Schönberg’s masterpiece. The iconic songs speak to the heart of an audience, so to take on such a classic is no easy task for a team of young performers.

With only a few short months in which to prepare, the cast and crew of Les Mis devoted hours to rehearsals, rehearsals and more rehearsals to produce a show that would enchant audiences, and would live on beyond the barricade to be remembered as one of Kristin’s greats.

The passion, dedication and hard work put in by the whole team paid off tenfold when Les Mis opened in the second week of Term 2. Our talented 150-strong cast, crew and orchestra worked tirelessly to honour the integrity of this epic piece of theatre and the resulting performances left audiences in rapture.

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There are so many people who contribute to the staging of a show such as this. As well as the performers and backstage teams, my thanks go to the generous group of parents who provided unstinting support, and to our skilled production team for whom my respect and admiration have never been greater.

Les Misérables marks the end to a very special time for Kristin Performing Arts as we bid goodbye to Peter Clague who has been our resident Producer and Set Builder for many years. His contribution will be remembered for many years to come.

As Molière said of theatre, “All you need is a platform and a passion”; Peter has provided the platform on which Kristin’s proud reputation in the Performing Arts has been built.

May Les Misérables linger in your memories - way beyond the barricade and long after the final curtain call.

Lorna Rood Director of Performing Arts

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news sports

Champions of Track and Field Athletics is a major focus of Term 1, with our Year 9 to 13 Athletics competition taking place in Week 3, followed by the North Harbour, Auckland and North Island Secondary Schools’ Championships. Kristin has been incredibly well represented across all of these events and the hard work of our athletes has resulted in some exciting and well-deserved results.

Kristin Athletics - Year 9-13 Event Junior

Intermediate

Senior

Result

Boys

Girls

1st

Tim Wang

Grace Hickson

2nd

Sam Wouters

Georgina Dibble

3rd

William Parker

Olivia McTaggart

1st

Connor Petrie

Anna Selak

2nd

Matt Fenn

Jocelyn Rooke

3rd

Ben Kennedy

Annabel Lister

1st

Remy Gasston

Kirsty Sutherland

2nd

Daniel Marsden

Sarah Doyle

3rd

Taylor Delmont

Lucy Josephson

Junior Track Champions William Parker

Grace Hickson

Junior Field Champions

Sam Wouters

Olivia McTaggart

Intermediate Track Champions

Connor Petrie

Jocelyn Rooke

Intermediate Field Champions

Matt Fenn

Anna Selak

Senior Track Champions

Remy Gasston

Kirsty Sutherland

Senior Field Champions

Daniel Marsden

Rachel Segar

Senior Girls’ Discus

Sarah Doyle

37.26m

Senior Girls’ Shot-Put

Sarah Doyle

10.38m

Intermediate Boys’ Discus

Matt Fenn

38.58m

Intermediate Boys’ Shot-Put

Matt Fenn

12.52m

Senior Girls’ 1500m

Lucy Josephson

Senior Boys’ Discus Senior Boys’ Shot-Put Senior Girls’ Javelin

New School Records

Greater Auckland Athletics Championships Following an excellent North Harbour Zone event, we had a strong group of athletes qualify for the Greater Auckland Athletics Championships, held at Mt Smart Stadium on Thursday 20 March.

The members of this group continued their strong form across the board, with every one of them producing brilliant results to finish in the top 10 in Auckland.

Of particular note were Sarah Doyle, Hannah Lunday, Grace Steele and Kirsty Sutherland who earned podium finishes in their individual events, and the Senior Girls’ 4x100m Relay team of Jocelyn Rooke, Grace Steele, Kirsty Sutherland and Grace Tobin who took out 1st place in an impressive fashion, winning the title with daylight between them and the 2nd-place-getters.

Track Remy Gasston

10th

Senior Boys’ 400m (54m.96s PB)

5m 37.06s

Kirsty Sutherland

2nd

Senior Girls’ 400m

Daniel Marsden

37.97m

Senior Girls’ 4x100m Relay

11.70m

Senior Girls’ Relay Team

1st

Daniel Marsden Rachel Segar

20.65m

Field 2nd

Senior Girls’ Shot-Put

Sarah Doyle

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4th

Senior Girls’ Discus

Matt Fenn

5th

Intermediate Boys’ Javelin

Hannah Lunday

2nd

Open Girls’ Pole Vault

Daniel Marsden

7th

Senior Boys’ Javelin

Grace Steele

1st

Open Girls’ Pole Vault

2013 New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Athletics Champs A small but dedicated team of 13 travelled with Mr Dennis Brown, Mr Jared Riseborough and Miss Sarah Diekema to Hamilton for the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Champs, in late Term 4.

The weekend brought a variety of successes, including a Silver medal and personal best for Grace Steele in the pole vault, and top-10 finishes for the Senior Girls’ 4x100m (Jocelyn Rooke, Grace Steele, Kirsty Sutherland and Grace Tobin), the Junior Boys’ 4x400m (Matthew Fenn, Ben Kennedy, Connor Petrie and Rory Sutherland) and Ben Kennedy in pole vault and Junior 100m hurdles. Hannah Lunday ended up with a fantastic 4th place in pole vault despite an injury and Rory, Connor and Ryan Le Gros all achieved personal-best times.

Graeme McKinnon Sport Manager, Athletics

North Island Secondary Schools’ Champs The athletes carried on their successes from the Auckland Champs and exceptional results were achieved against some of New Zealand’s top athletes at the North Island Secondary Schools Championships in Masterton at the end of Term 1.

Results Sarah Doyle

Ben Kennedy

Kirsty Sutherland

3rd

Senior Girls’ Shot-Put

3rd

Senior Girls’ Discus

3rd

Intermediate Boys’ 100m Hurdles

4th

Open Boys’ Pole Vault

4th

Senior Girls’ 400m

Graeme McKinnon Sport Manager, Athletics

Surf Life Saving Nationals Kelsi Boocock, Hattie Jones and Rebecca Pearce all achieved great results at the NZ Surf Life Saving Championships, held in Whakatane in March.

Hattie’s U16 Orewa Women’s team placed 1st in the Beach Sprint while Rebecca’s U16 Red Beach Women’s team placed 1st in the Taplin Relay and 2nd in the Board Relay. Rebecca placed 1st in the U16 Women’s Board Rescue and 3rd in the U19 Women’s Ski Race.

Sixteen-year-old Kelsi attained three Bronze medals in the U19 age group, was selected into the NZ Youth team to compete at the World Champs in France in September and has been re-selected in the NZ Development Squad.

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Cross-Country

A

cool, clear autumn day was a blessing for the Middle and Senior School runners at this year’s Cross-Country Day, held in the last week of Term 1. A brilliant show of House pride engulfed the Auditorium field with vibrant colours and flags declaring allegiance to the various Houses. Whether competing for top honours or individual success or simply for fun, all participants were cheered on by Housemates and supporters as they made their way along the final stretch to the finish line.

The excitement continued into the afternoon for Senior School students with the second annual House Carnival providing many opportunities to claim victory, whether it was on the inflatable obstacle course or the wet and soapy Slip ‘n’ Slide.

Overall, the day was a huge success and our competitive runners achieved some great results, setting new school records in four of the ten categories.

Event

Result

Boys

Girls

Year 7 (2.8km)

1st

Diogo Oliveira

Yasmine Knight

2nd

Jett Thompson

Tess Porter

3rd

Connor McBeath

Ayla Hall

1st

Mitchell Davern

Sylvie Porter

2nd

Alex Crook

Kaitlin Windmeyer

3rd

Fraser Brant

Maya Paul

1st

Connor Gauld

Megan Bruce

Year 8 (2.8km)

Junior (2.8km)

Intermediate (4.0km)

Senior (5.2km)

2nd

Stewart Komie

Georgina Dibble

3rd

Zachary McKee Wright

Sophie Katavich

1st

Connor Petrie

Annabel Lister

2nd

Haoting Ma

Clodagh McCullough

3rd

Edward Campbell

Eleanor Dewer

1st

Remy Gasston

Olivia Kitson

2nd

Idris Jones

Hannah Ostick

3rd

Harrison Stone

Lucy Josephson

NSW State Fencing Championships Following a big year for Kristin Fencing in 2013, a number of our fencers were selected to travel to Sydney in November to compete at the NSW State Championships in the Koala Mini Challenge. With growing numbers of Kristin students taking up the sport, it was a great opportunity for our young athletes to develop and hone their skills against the talented Aussie competitors.

Event

Name

Placing

U9 Foil

Chantelle May U9 Team (Captain)

2nd 2nd

U11 Foil

Lena Jacob U11 Team

3rd 1st

Olivia Roberts U11 Team (Captain)

12th 1st

Sally Zhang U13 Girls’ Team (Captain)

12th 3rd

Anriena Zen U13 Girls’ Team

14th 3rd

Cameron Grimwade U13 Boys’ Team (Captain)

26th ??

New School Records Year 7 Boys

Diogo Oliveira

11m 39s

Year 7 Girls

Yasmine Knight

11m 56s

Tess Porter

11m 56s

Year 8 Boys

Mitchell Davern

11m 28s

Senior Girls

Olivia Kitson

22m 19s

Graeme McKinnon Sport Manager, Cross-Country

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U13 Foil

Sports News

Swimming

Year 7 and 8 Swimming Gala

Y

ear 7 and 8’s had eager smiles on their faces as they bounded into the pool for Swimming Sports, ready to rock and roll! As the races started everyone cheered for their House. There were fun races, competitive races and a big bouncy castle.

As lunchtime came around Saturn was in the lead, with their team chanting loudly. During lunch we all sat outside and caught up with our friends, sharing stories about the morning’s amazing events. Then we all got a wonderful surprise as we were invited to go on the bouncy castle!

With huge grins each House had an attempt at the obstacle course.

After lunch came the finals. The top swimmers raced to victory. We also had the class relay; the awesome VJO won that one! The amazing day ended with a House and Staff relay. At the end of the day Apollo won overall, Saturn came 2nd, Mariner 3rd and Jupiter 4th. Congratulations Year 7 and 8’s, for all getting so involved. It was an amazing experience with the top swimmers hoping that they would get a chance to compete in the Inter-schools.

Ava Unwin and Anna Wallace

Event

Result

Boys

Girls

Year 7

1st

John Quirk

Ayla Hall

Year 8

2nd

Hunter Jackson

Lucia Doak

3rd

Angus Syminton

Lena Jacobs

1st

David Park

Claudia Morgan

2nd

Dylan Brooke

Aleisha Chalmers

3rd

Sam Shotter

Nora Zhang

Year 7

Year 8

1st

JBD

VSO

2nd

MBE

SUN

3rd

LHD

NHA

Class Relays

Swimming Year 7 and 8 North Harbour Zone Champs A rather loud and rowdy bus trip to the Northern Arena Swimming Pool in Silverdale started off what proved to be an enormously successful day for the Kristin Middle School swimmers at the recent Inter-School Zone Champs. The noise on the journey translated into some fantastic performances in the water, with all the swimmers proving their mettle against 12 other schools from the area.

With some fantastic swimming in the heats, we had more swimmers than ever who were competitive in the finals, which were made up of the top-eight swimmers on the day.

Dylan Brooke placed 2nd in the 50m Backstroke and Nora Zhang qualified for the 50m Breaststroke final, which means they both advance to the Year 7 and 8 Greater Auckland Swimming Championships. Claudia Morgan performed well also, finishing 4th in the 50m Backstroke final, as did Sam Shotter who placed 4th in his Freestyle final. In addition, Curtis Blanchard made it into the Freestyle and Backstroke finals.

Ayla Hall swam her way to 5th place in the Freestyle final and Hunter Jackson managed 6th place in the 50m Breaststroke final.

The Year 8 Boys’ 50m Freestyle relay team, made up of Curtis Blanchard, Dylan Brooke, Hunter Jackson and Sam Shotter, placed 1st in their heat as well as placing 2nd in their Medley relay.

Andrew Tudhope

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Junior School Swimming Sports A whistle. Take your marks. Get set. And with a beep they were off.

Race after race, swimmers ploughed and glided to the other end of the Northern Arena Pool for the Kristin Junior School Swimming Sports. Lots of laughter, House chants and cheers could be heard all day as swimmers blitzed the times and enjoyed taking part.

As well as the joy of swimming, earning House points and achieving success in the heats and finals, our swimmers had a great treat when Dean Kent, Silver Commonwealth Games Medallist and three-time Olympian, swam against the teams in the House Relays.

Fiona Ackroyd Junior School PE Specialist/Sports Co-ordinator 9 Years and Under

Year 9-13 Swimming Sports

Event

Result

Boys

Girls

Junior Champions

1st

Zachary McKee Wright

Sarah Swanepoel

2nd

Caleb Brooke

Tegan Knightbridge

3rd

Max Boocock

Sarah Dixon

1st

Taylor Gauld

Olivia Williams

2nd

Oscar Gunn

Liana Dance

3rd

Alex Kiechle-Cornish

Britt Kindred

1st

Jacky Cheng

Kelsi Boocock

2nd

Daniel Marsden

Sarah Doyle

3rd

Bruno Gentile

Grace Tobin

1st

Jupiter

2nd

Apollo

3rd

Saturn

4th

Mariner

Senior Champions

House Relays

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Result

Boys

Girls

1st

Luke Swanepoel

Chantelle May

2nd

Cam Collett

Kylie Holgate

3rd

Remo Lock

Claire Liang

1st

Luke Swanepoel

Chantelle May

2nd

Remo Lock

Kylie Holgate

3rd

Sean Gulliver

Caitlin Tobin-Vile

1st

Logan Chalmers

Chantelle May

Backstroke

After being selected to do a demonstration dive (with no time to change) I managed to get my PE gear soaked before the day even began. It wasn’t a great beginning so I can’t say I was overly positive about Swimming Sports to start with. However, we were in an excellent venue with two pools and plenty of seating, and I soon found I was really enjoying myself in the water.

The two pools allowed for an option of competitive swimming, and some fun events, which was great as many (myself included) cannot claim to be like fish when it comes to jumping into a pool and swimming as fast as possible. The diving boards, although closed, provided an unexpected attraction also, as people gazed upwards and marvelled at the height of them and yearned to hurl themselves off the platforms.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day and was certainly rather weary as I climbed onto the bus back to Kristin, this time in my dry togs as my PE gear was wet through. Many thanks to Mr Murray, who started all of our many races, and to Mr Gurney and Mr Haslam who superbly co-ordinated the event.

Ben Kennedy

Intermediate Champions

Event Freestyle

Breaststroke

Butterfly

2nd

Luke Swanepoel

Kylie Holgate

3rd

Daniel Wyber

Cara Bouwer

1st

Luke Swanepoel

Chantelle May

2nd

Sean Gulliver

Kylie Holgate

3rd

Theodore Karim

Keira Spilling

Boys

Girls

10 Years and Under Event Freestyle

Backstroke

Breaststroke

Butterfly

Open Freestyle

Result 1st

Larry Lambourne

Grace Kingsnorth

2nd

Cole Tetro

Georgie Shotter

3rd

Kenneth Kim

Milla Brooke

1st

Hudson Taylor

Grace Kingsnorth

2nd

Kenneth Kim

Georgie Shotter

3rd

Larry Lambourne

Christelle Blanchard

1st

Larry Lambourne

Grace Kingsnorth

2nd

Kenneth Kim

Georgie Shotter

3rd

Jai Patel

Milla Brooke

1st

Kenneth Kim

Grace Kingsnorth

2nd

Larry Lambourne

Georgie Shotter

3rd

Hudson Taylor

Milla Brooke

1st

Larry Lambourne

Grace Kingsnorth

2nd

Cole Tetro

Georgie Shotter

3rd

Luke Swanepoel

Allegra Bouwer

Sports News World Cadet Karate Championships

North Island

Dressage Success

T

he Kristin team of Sophie Alexander, Vianne Coleman, Lucarne Dolley and Gia Hughes achieved great success at the North Island Dressage Championships on 28 March, finishing in 3rd place overall in the Open Championship.

Special congratulations go to Lucarne Dolley who won both the Level 3 and 4 tests in Section C and to Sophie Alexander who won the Level 3 test in the pony section.

More than 20 teams were entered in the competition so the girls should be commended on this excellent achievement and also for their exemplary attitude when representing Kristin throughout the day.

Gaenor Clarke Teacher-in-Charge, Equestrian

Intermediate Schools’ Ribbon Day In the early morning of Monday 10 March, the sun was just starting to make an appearance through the mist as we set out for the Intermediate Schools’ Ribbon Day. An hour later, when we had arrived at the Clevedon Showgrounds, the excitement was building. More and more horse floats and trucks kept coming through the gates until, at 9.15am, the competition began.

The morning’s Flat classes were extremely successful with Georgia Alexander winning Reserve Champion, Peta Kuluz winning Champion and Supreme Champion on the Flat, and Olivia Dalton and Sam Doak doing extremely well also and with many placings.

After a short lunch break, the jumping classes began. The Kristin team did exceptionally well in these too. At the end of the day, the Kristin team was placed 2nd: an excellent result. Everyone had a fantastic day, filled with fun.

Peta Kuluz

Last November, Year 12 student Isaac Hoshi travelled to Spain to compete in the 8th World Cadet and Junior Karate Championships in Guadalajara. Held every two years, the 2014 championship was arguably the most difficult to date, with top athletes taking part from over 80 countries.

Isaac spent months preparing for the tournament, travelling to Japan three times to learn from a world champion, and training with top Karate students from all over the world. His planning, preparation and incredible motivation paid off when, despite facing the eventual gold medallist in his first round and bronze medallist in his last, Isaac finished the tournament ranked 7th in the world for the Cadets Kata division, winning all but these two bouts.

His hard work and well-earned success has continued this year with two gold medals at Australian tournaments, and another at the New Zealand Open Karate Championships. Representing Kristin, Isaac picked up the Gold medal in the Open Male Kata at the Australia School and University Championships on 11 April, before securing a second win the following day in the Junior Male Kata division of the AKF Australia Open Karate Championships for his club. Two weeks later and the Junior Male Kata Gold medal was Isaac’s again, this time at the New Zealand Open.

These are exceptional results and the consistency of Isaac’s success is a testament to the dedication he gives to his sport.

Cherry Webster Director of Sport Kata is a type of Karate where two competitors perform techniques in front of a panel of five judges, one wearing a blue belt and the other, red. For each round the judges hold up a blue or red flag to indicate which competitor they judge to be the winner. The decision as to who progresses to the next round depends on which of the athletes is able to show the better Kata.

Both mental and physical aspects of the performance are important. In tournaments such as this, the correct attitude, use of power, good balance, rhythm, co-ordination and proper breathing are essential, as well as showing a clear understanding of the principles that the Kata contains. Each part of the Kata must be done in the correct order and on the correct line of movement.

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Record-Breaking Weightlifting

Southwell

Summer Sports Exchange

T

his year’s summer exchange with Southwell School from Hamilton was held at Kristin on a beautiful sunny day at the end of Term 1. Our teams demonstrated great sportsmanship, learnt new skills and hosting etiquette, and had lots of fun with our visitors from Southwell.

The results were an 8-0 win for our two Tennis teams, a 0-3 loss for the Touch team and a hardfought win for the Cricket boys.

The Cricket was played using Kiwi Cricket rules, which aim to develop more players and provide an environment in which all participants gain more time at the crease and have the opportunity to bowl.

It has been encouraging to see this team develop under the keen eye of Richard Harle and to see them train with passion and interest. Their superb result reflected the team’s hard work, winning the game by four runs. A prior cricket

agreement ruled us out of contention for the cricket component of the Kristin vs Southwell Cup, but we can be proud that the overall result was a draw with one win to each school for tennis and touch.

Cricket team: Liam Bradly, Jack Crook, Lewis de Seymor, Samuel Gradowski-Smith, Sean Gulliver, Dylan Harle, Alex McKay, Wilson Nye-Hingston, Mark Thompson, Mitchell Tucker Tennis team: Cristelle Blanchard, Finn Burridge, Larry Lambourne, Claire Liang, Nicholas Sparg, Kevin Wei, Edward Xu, Arthur Zen Touch team: Boston Caldwell, Cam Collett, Kylie Holgate, Kenneth Kim, Grace Kingsnorth, Mitchell Orchard, Jai Patel, Luke Swanepoel, Hudson Taylor, Albie Thomas Ambassadors: Digby Eele, Gina Kim, Jason Yang Fiona Ackroyd Junior School PE Specialist/ Sports Co-ordinator

Royal Racing Year 11 students Oscar Gunn and Leonard Takahashi were selected by Emirates Team New Zealand to sail with the Duke of Cambridge on the Royal visit. Three boys and three girls were selected to sail on the old America’s Cup boats, along with Team New Zealand sailors and some crew from the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron. The boys sailed with William and the girls sailed with Kate.

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Cameron McTaggart has continued his great Weightlifting form this year as he has been preparing to qualify for the Youth Olympics, breaking records as he goes.

In his first event of 2014, Cameron competed in the U69kg bodyweight division, where he broke a total of seven national records. On his first three lifts, the Snatch, Cameron had successful lifts at 100kg, 105kg and 107kg, breaking the previous record of 96kg on all three lifts and increasing the record by a massive 11kg. He then went on to the Clean and Jerk, having successful lifts at 121kg and 125kg, and just missing an attempt at 128kg. His overall total of both lifts (Snatch and Clean and Jerk) was 232kg, a 16kg increase on the previous record.

Although it is only possible to officially break records in one weight division per competition, Cameron’s lifts also broke all three U77kg records (by 4kg) and the U85kg Snatch record by 3kg.

Following on from this success Cameron went on to make his mark at the Auckland Olympic Weightlifting Championships in March, where he moved up to the 77kg class for the first time.

Here he broke a total of five national youth (U17) records, opening with a successful Snatch of 100kg. Cameron then moved up to 105kg and broke the national record, which was set in 2010. He then pushed the record further, completing his third Snatch of 108kg. In the Clean and Jerk, Cameron opened on 115kg, and then moved his second lift to 121kg to break the total record of 228kg, also set in 2010.

In his final lift he successfully lifted 125kg, breaking the Clean and Jerk record and increasing the total record to 233kg. Cameron took out 1st place in this senior competition to achieve his first championship title for the year. He now holds a total of 16 national records. His next major competition is the Oceania Championship in May, to be held in New Caledonia.

Cherry Webster Director of Sport

Sports News

Orienteering Gold Since forming as a club last year, our Kristin Orienteers have been making their presence felt on the Auckland Orienteering Sprint circuit. Throughout the opening six rounds of competition, a number of our athletes achieved wins or top-three placings: Name

Result

Paige Bell

1st, 2x 2nd, 2x 3rd

Junior Girls

Megan Bruce

1st

Junior Girls

Georgina Dibble

1st, 4x 2nd, 3rd

Intermediate Girls

2nd

Senior Girls

Sophie Katavich

2nd

Junior Girls

Tegan Knightbridge

2x 1st, 3x 2nd, 1x 3rd

Senior Girls

Annabel Lister

1st

Intermediate Girls

It was an excited group who prepared for the Auckland Secondary Schools’ Orienteering Sprint Finals in April having shown such consistent form throughout these initial races. Even after an injury reduced the team to seven, our runners were ready for the challenge. Held at two courses, each runner’s times were combined for an overall score. Tegan and Georgina both achieved a podium finish, and Megan finished in the top 10: a brilliant achievement considering she is new to the sport.

Result

Tegan Knightbridge

1st

Junior Girls

Georgina Dibble

3rd

Junior Girls

7th

Following on from these great results a number of our orienteers took on the challenge of the North Island Orienteering Club Championships.

This event was held over some of the most difficult courses the girls had encountered; Megan Bruce, Georgina Dibble, Sophie Katavich and Tegan Knightbridge did exceptionally well to each achieve a top-three finish.

Most notable was Tegan who won the Sprint, Middle and Long Distance races to claim the title of North Island Club Champion across all distances in the W14 grade.

Name

Result

Tegan Knightbridge

1st

W14 Sprint

1st

W14 Middle

Georgina Dibble

Name

Megan Bruce

Club Championships

Sophie Katavich

Junior Girls

The North Island Secondary Schools’ Champs in Hamilton offered the Kristin athletes the opportunity to take part in a much bigger event, with more than 400 students taking part. Tegan placed 2nd in the Sprint Distance and 5th in the Long Distance, and it was pleasing to see newcomers Sam Bedford and Jack Wallace gaining some valuable experience, racing over different and much more challenging terrains to what they have experienced before. A special thank you to Mrs Kay Knightbridge for her tireless efforts transporting and managing this team of Kristin Orienteers.

Megan Bruce

1st

W14 Long

3rd

W14 Sprint

1st

Open Middle (Yellow)

7th

W14 Sprint

2nd

Open Middle (Yellow)

3rd

Open Long 4

4th

Open Middle (Yellow)

2nd

Open Long 4

Tegan followed up this success by competing at the New Zealand Club Championships in Manawatu. Coming off an injury, it was a mixed bag of results for Tegan but she placed a credible 2nd in the Middle Distance W14, 5th in the Sprint Distance W14 and 9th in the Long Distance W14.

Nigel Messervy Clubs Manager ISSUE No. 59

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Hawke’s Bay Cricket Tour

W

ith the first competition game of the season always played on the Saturday before Term 1 begins, it is very often a challenge for our 1st XI Cricket team to shake off their summer slumber and hit the ground running. This is particularly the case when we welcome new and young players into the team for the start of the year. To ensure the boys were fresh out of the gates for 2014, a pre-season tour was arranged in the Hawke’s Bay in January.

The tour included three matches against local teams as well as other team building activities and it contributed to a brilliant start to the premier boys’ season.

Game one was a 20/20 fixture against Lindisfarne College. The match began on a scorching-hot morning amongst the apple orchards and Kristin, batting first, scored 140/6. Dinesh Fonseka top-scored with 46 and was well supported by younger brother Sharn with 36. Lindisfarne batted sensibly and managed to chase the total down with two overs remaining. The remainder of the day and night was spent at the NZ v India One Day International at McLean Park. This was a thrilling match and great to see a quality team performance with the bat and ball from New Zealand. Probably the most memorable aspect of the match, apart from Corey Anderson hitting the ball out of the park a couple of times, was the class century by Anil Kohli – a real highlight and a privilege to see live.

Game two was a 45-over match against the Brendon Bracewell Academy (BBA). This team consisted of players from around the world aged from 19 to 23 years. BBA, batting first, got off to a flyer of a start and had 84 after 15 overs. Kristin, however, continued to pick up wickets at regular intervals and eventually bowled BBA all out for 197 in just 35 overs. Kristin’s batting effort concluded at 166 all out. John Shaw showed some real grit and determination (after getting hit in the helmet from a short ball) scoring a fighting 35. Sam Macintosh showed defiance, also scoring a well-compiled 35.

Game three was against Hastings Boys’ High School. Hastings batted first and scored a very defendable 211 from their 45 overs. For Kristin, Thomas MacFarlaine picked up four wickets and Marko Garlick had two. John Shaw was by far the most economical bowler, going for just 20 runs from nine overs and also taking one wicket. Kristin again fell short in their turn at bat, eventually all out for 179. Only Sam Macintosh put his hand up and battled his way to 69, his highest score for Kristin.

Although the tour resulted in three loses, it provided the opportunity for the team to get some much-needed intensive training and game time under their belts and set some common goals and expectations for the upcoming season. Also it was a great way to introduce two young players into the 1st XI culture.

The first competition game of the season was against St Peter’s 2nd XI. Watching from the boundary, it was a surreal to see Kristin as they batted first and amassed a huge total of 394/3 from just 45 overs.

Joseph Mayes had 96, his highest score for Kristin. Dinesh Fonseka had 72. Edward Henning led all scorers with 149 not out from just 72 balls. This included 13 sixes and 14 fours, and Ed brought his 100 up in just 50 balls! St Peter’s also batted well to finish their 45 overs with 240/2. It was victory for Kristin by 154 runs and a brilliant start to the season.

Simon Mesritz Sport Manager, Cricket

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NZ Rowing Championships Zachary Engle, Emma Haldane, Amelia Vincent and Sophie Wallace recently represented the North Shore Rowing Club at the North Island and New Zealand Rowing Championships, both held at Lake Karapiro in February.

After months of intensive training and multiple regattas leading up to their first-ever national competition, each achieved impressive results in their Novice categories by making it into one or more of the finals.

Emma Haldane (coxwain)

A Final Women’s Quad Scull A Final Women’s 8

Zachary Engle

B Final Men’s Double Scull B Final Men’s 4

Amelia Vincent

A Final Women’s 8

Sophie Wallace (coxwain)

A Final Men’s Quad Scull B Final Men’s 4

Sports News

World Junior Tennis Finals for Macsen

Y

ear 9 student Macsen Sisam will be representing New Zealand at the World Junior Tennis Finals in Prostejov, Czech Republic, in August following a great performance at the Asia/Oceania final qualifying round in India with his NZ World Junior Tennis U14 boys’ team.

Drawn in Pool A, the seventh-seeded Kiwis were up against top seeds Korea and unseeded Kazakhstan and Lebanon for the first rounds of the tournament. They got off to a great start with the boys seeing off Kazakhstan 3-0 on day one.

The boys won both Singles in straight sets before Macsen paired up with team-mate Finn Reynolds for a straight-sets Doubles win.

Their second day of competition brought some disappointment with two Singles losses in straight sets against Lebanon, but once again Macsen and Finn were able to secure a valuable point in the Doubles.

Coming into the round with Korea the Kiwis were sitting in 3rd position. The top seeds took the win 3-0, but a 2-1 win for Kazakhstan over Lebanon put the Kiwis through to the Quarter-Finals where they would face third seeds and home-town favourites, India.

Premier Girls Strong at Nationals Right from the start, the Premier Girls’ Water Polo team knew it was going to be a tough tournament when we made the trip to Wellington for the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Championships in May. In previous years there has always been one stand-out team; this year, however, everyone was a contestant for the Gold. Nobody knew who would take the title this year.

On Monday morning we came up against Queen Margaret School. It was a slow start, but we were 2-0 up at half time before we pushed through to win 11-1.

Our second game was against Baradene from Auckland. This was a tough match and at some stages we found ourselves trailing, although we united as a team and came together to win 11-10. Everyone was happy and confident to be going into the second day with two ticks beside our name.

The next day our morning game was against John Paul College from Rotorua. We had control throughout the match and continued our winning streak, winning 12-7. Our next game was going to be one of the toughest as we were to face Westlake Girls. At the end of the first quarter we were up 4-2, but a few hiccups and a loss of one of our key players meant we ended up going down 9-5. We were disappointed about this loss, but it fuelled everyone to play stronger and harder

Macsen was up first for New Zealand. He dropped the opening set against his Indian rival, but with great skill and determination Macsen battled his way back into the match to take the second, finally winning the match in three sets.

Team-mate Finn followed Macsen’s lead to win his match, and together their results pushed New Zealand into the top four, thereby gaining qualification for the Worlds.

The tournament didn’t end there for the boys.

They then were matched up against Thailand in the bottom half of the semi-final draw, while Korea took on Chinese Taipei. It was a day of upsets with both the Kiwi and Chinese Taipei players recording 2-1 victories to go through to the final.

The final battle was a close-fought encounter with both Kiwis recording unfortunate losses, ending the tournament in 2nd position. This is a brilliant achievement for both Macsen and Finn and we wish Macsen all the best as he prepares to challenge the world’s best at the World Junior Tennis Finals in August.

Simon Mesritz Sport Manager, Tennis

going forward.

On the third day we were first up against Diocesan Girls’. We were toe to toe throughout the whole game, eventually coming up with a draw to put us 2nd in our pool going through to the quarter-finals, where we were to face St Cuthbert’s. This was another tough battle which brought many challenges and resulted in a 9-5 loss. This result meant we would be playing off for 5th and 6th on the final day.

In our last game against Mt Maunganui College we all came together to play extremely well, but what was to be the deciding match finished in a draw, resulting in our two teams sharing 5th equal. This is a massive achievement for us, especially considering this is only the second year Kristin has had a Premier Girls’ team and last year we finished 8th. Throughout the whole tournament we lost only two games, which were against the top two teams in New Zealand.

Overall it was an amazing tournament and everyone had fun, both in and out of the pool. We united as a team to play the best Water Polo we have played all year. This championship allowed our younger and less-experienced players to step up to the challenge, to play strong defence and shoot some amazing goals. Our team will stay together at the end of the season and, as we won’t be losing any players, we can only get stronger and fitter with even better skills. Already, we all have our eyes set on the Gold next year.

Grace Tobin

ISSUE No. 59

53

Taking on the world We may be only partway through the year, but already we have seen many of our Kristin athletes be selected for national representative teams to compete overseas, or gain entry into World Championship events. We recognise the immense dedication and hard work that is required to balance a challenging academic programme with the high demands of elite sport and we congratulate these students one their well-earned success.

Cheerleading Poppy van Loghem ICU World Cheerleading Championship, Florida

(1st Elite Co-Ed, 1st Elite All Girl) Gymsports Ethan Dick Samuel Dick Bronte Heath Dasha Ruzich

Queensland State Championships, Australia (1st Overall Level 8) Queensland State Championships, Australia (3rd High Bar Level 8) NZ Sub Junior Group, Australian Gymnastics Championships, Melbourne, May NZ Sub Junior Group, Australian Gymnastics Championships, Melbourne, May

Karate Isaac Hoshi

Australia School and University Championships, Australia - see page 49 (Gold Open Male Kata) AKF Australia Open Karate Championships, Australia (Gold Junior Male Kata)

Sailing Lachlan Grimwade

Jackson Keon Jack Rogers

Laser 4.7 Youth World Champs, Japan, August Sail Brisbane Regatta, Australia (1st 4.7 Laser) NZ team for Optimist World Sailing Championship, Argentina, October SL16 Open World Championships, France, July ISAF Youth Sailing World Championship, Portugal, July (Multihull SL16 Crew) 29’er World Championship, Canada, July

Snowsports Samuel Christie

Mitchell Davern Laura Jackson Eden McKay

Selected to represent NZ at the Junior World Cup, Italy Volcom PB Rail Jam (15 and under), Mammoth, USA (1st) Völkl World Rookie Finals (14 and under), Austria (3rd) Burton USA Open qualifiers, USA (25th) Mammoth Revolution Tour, USA (20th) USASA Unbound Series, California (2nd Halfpipe, 3rd Slalom) NZ team for Whistler Cup, Canada National Points Race, Hoch-Ybrig, Switzerland (1st Slalom) National Points Race, Airolo, Switzerland (1st GS) National Points Race, Andermatt, Switzerland (3rd GS) Codex Cup, Swiss Nationals (4th GS, 4th Super G, 6th Slalom)

Surfing Britt Kindred

World Junior Surfing Champs, Ecuador - see page 55

Surf Life Saving Kelsi Boocock

NZ Youth team, 2014 Lifesaving World Championships, France, September - see page 45

Synchronised Swimming Katie Meadows NZ Combo team, Oceania Championships, Auckland, May Tennis Macsen Sisam

World Youth Tennis Finals, Prostejov, Czech Republic – see page 53

Water Polo Liana Dance NZ Water Polo U17 Women’s team, World Youth Champs, Spain, August Henry Dick NZ Water Polo U16 Boys’ team, Hawaiian Invitational Tournament, Hawaii, August Daniel Marsden NZ Youth Men’s team, World Youth Water Polo Championships, Istanbul, August Jessica Marsden NZ Water Polo Girls’ Cadet (U16) team, Hawaiian Invitational Tournament, Hawaii, August Grace Tobin NZ Water Polo U17 Women’s team, World Youth Champs, Spain, August Cherry Webster, Director of Sport

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St Peter’s Summer Sports Exchange

B

right and early on a beautiful summer’s day in mid March, 60 Kristin athletes and staff boarded two buses headed for Cambridge to compete in the annual St Peter’s School Sports Exchange. This year it was the codes of cricket, tennis and touch who were vying for the prestigious St Peter’s/Kristin Summer Trophy.

While we were dominant in the 1st XI Cricket and had draws in both the Boys’ Tennis Singles and Doubles, this year it was St Peter’s who took the remainder of matches and the Summer Trophy.

Team Cricket

Tennis

Touch

Result 1st XI Boys

Kristin

Year 7/8

St Peter’s

Junior (Year 9/10)

St Peter’s

Girls’ Doubles

Kristin

Boys’ Doubles

Draw

Girls’ Singles

St Peter’s

Boys’ Singles

Draw

Senior Girls

St Peter’s

Sports News

Top-10 Result for Premier Boys’ Water Polo Having finished 6th in both the Auckland-wide and North Island Water Polo competitions, Kristin’s Premier Boys’ team travelled to Wellington to compete in the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ tournament where they were to face the best teams in the country.

The boys encountered the Australasian champions and subsequent tournament winners, Sacred Heart, in their first game. This resulted in a heavy defeat; however, the team managed to bounce back with a fantastic 7-2 win against a Palmerston North team who had caused them trouble in the past.

Day two of competition saw this good form continue with a comfortable 9-6 win against Scots College, before facing Westlake Boys who just proved too strong, defeating the Kristin team 13-3.

The draw didn’t get any easier for the Kristin boys, who suffered narrow defeats to the much-improved King’s and St Kentigern sides. This resulted in our team making it into the plate final in a play-off for 9th/10th position. This was a very hard-fought contest during which the Kristin boys dominated for the majority of the game; St Peter’s College played extremely well in the fourth quarter however, winning the game 8-6.

Congratulations to all the players for finishing 10th overall in New Zealand to conclude a season that outweighed all expectations. A special thanks goes to coach Nick Payne and manager Claire Anderson for all their hard work and commitment throughout the season.

Graeme McKinnon Sport Manager, Water Polo

Top-20 Result for Britt at Worlds Fifteen-year-old Britt Kindred has earned her spot among the world’s elite surfers after her success at the World Junior Surfing Championships in Ecuador in April where she finished in 16th position in the U18 Girls’ Division.

Her first time competing overseas, Britt was up against the world’s best age-group surfers, many of whom came armed with years of experience in the international arena. Her competition started on a high when she was tasked with carrying the New Zealand flag on stage for the opening ceremony – a vibrant celebration of the 36 nations taking part in the event.

In her opening round, Britt was up against France and Uruguay. Good waves were hard to come by, so it was a matter of being in the right place at the right time. In this battle it was the French surfer who managed to get the best wave, taking 1st place convincingly, but Britt was able to work her magic to secure 2nd with ease.

In her second qualifying heat Britt was up against powerhouse nations Australia, USA and South Africa. Unfortunately she had to settle for 4th position in this bout, only 0.5 points behind her South African rival.

Heading into the repercharge rounds Britt secured a 2nd place, quickly followed by a win against South Africa and Portugal. Her final battle was a tough one against France, Australia and Japan in which she was dropped to 4th position in the final 40 seconds, to finish the tournament ranked 16th in the world.

Looking back on the event, Britt is grateful for the opportunity and the support she has had for her campaign. “I surfed through six rounds against the world’s best from 36 nations. It has been a great experience and as it is my first year in the U18 division and I’m only 15, I will hopefully have two more years to work on my results. I would like to thank everyone who has offered so much support and helped me to have this amazing experience.”

Cherry Webster Director of Sport

ISSUE No. 59

55

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