Kaleidoscope 10.2016 Issue 63 by Benefitz

10.2016

ISSUE 63

IN THIS

ISSUE 63

ISSUE

New Board Members

10.2016

Music in the Classroom

Service in the Community

Alumni Reunions

From the Executive Principal

Student Overseas Exchange

From the Board

Toorak/Scotch College Exchange with Kristin

Fiscally Ready - Our Financial Update

Excursions and Field Trips

Kristin Family & Friends

Kristin Youth Ambassador

Your KFF Executive Committee

Cross-Country Successes

From the Director of Development Bequest

24 Swimming 25

Visit from Lord Byng

Kristin Sails Away with Trophies

Kristin Successes...

Exceptional Results for Kristin’s Top Scholars

Music in the Classroom at Kristin

Music and Education in the Blood

Kristin Service in the Community

Mothers’ Day Grandparents’ Day

Camp Week

Kristin at...

Research Confirms Value of IB

Community News

Family Picnic Thrives on Sunshine

Alumni Reunions

Foundation Day

Alumni - Engineering Performance

Hairspray Senior Production

Alumni - Human Stories

FROM THE EXECUTIVE

We believe in strength through community, with love at its heart so there are no barriers to learning.

KRISTIN COMMUNITY

• Providing developmentally appropriate opportunities for autonomy and influence – giving students a voice to assist citizenship and democracy

PRINCIPAL - A COMMUNITY OF PEOPLE WITH SHARED BELIEFS One aspect of Kristin that I particularly admire and respect is that of its strong sense of community. The partnership between our school and our families is built on positive relationships and good communication. These are two critical factors identified in our community wide “culture capture” survey last year. Students entering a school for the first time have many things on their minds: questions such as “Will I make friends here? “Will my teachers like me?” “Will they care about me?” Or “Will I be smart enough to handle the work?”. Such questions illustrate basic psychological needs – for emotional and physical safety; for close supportive relationships and a sense connection or belonging; and for a sense of self-belief in that they are capable of coping with the teaching and learning programmes offered.

FUNDAMENTAL NEEDS These fundamental needs shape human motivation and have significant implications for learning and development and when a school meets these needs, students become increasingly committed to the school’s norms, values and goals. I believe Kristin students have a very strong sense of connection and belonging to our norms, values and goals enabling the seamless establishment of a strong sense of community. There is an abundance of research confirming the benefits of building a sense of community in a school. Students in schools with a strong sense of community are more likely to be academically motivated, act ethically and altruistically, develop superior social and emotional competencies and avoid a number of problem behaviours. These benefits are often lasting and embedded for life.

COMMON SENSE APPROACH In an article on educational leadership I read recently it was suggested that schools can strengthen students’ sense of community by adopting feasible, common sense approaches. Four approaches were identified as being particularly beneficial: • Actively cultivating respectful, supportive relationships among students, teachers, and parents • Emphasising common purposes and ideals – along with high academic expectations the development of qualities essential to good character and citizenship (e.g. fairness, personal responsibility) are practised regularly and effectively • Providing regular opportunities for service and cooperation – contributing to the welfare of others

If I reflect on those four approaches, and the level of Kristin adoption, I think we would score very highly on a scorecard for each element. I can certainly draw on several recent examples. • Hairspray, our phenomenally popular and successful Senior Production, was a wonderful example of a community working together; parents with staff and students, students with professional make up artists, choreographers and musicians and most importantly students collaborating with each other in such a positive way. Six months of real community dedication to a produce one of the finest examples of school entertainment that I have ever had the pleasure to watch. • I have always had a passion for things nautical so it was no chore to support our sailing team over the summer season. Their placing of second (and it was a very close second!) in the National Team Sailing regatta was our best result ever and the sailing community can take a bow for the dedication and effort that went in to achieving such a commendable result. Parents worked tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure equipment was reliable, people got to the right place at the right time, sailors were fed and watered, and a positive atmosphere was maintained. • Along with our Alumni Manager Lucy Wilson, I attended alumni reunions in Christchurch, Dunedin, and Wellington. Their fond memories of their Kristin experiences made for reassuring and entertaining listening. Alumni are critical components of the Kristin community; they are advocates for the Kristin offering and they are very interested in any current developments within the school judging by the very large number of Facebook “hits” we get on a weekly basis. I had many good-news stories to relate to them but then that is never difficult in the Kristin community. Our alumni are great examples of the benefits of building a deep sense of community in a school. These examples illustrate where we are today relative to where we want to be, and the work that is continuing to ensure a prosperous future for Kristin relative to our shared beliefs. It is an exciting shared journey.

TIM OUGHTON

EXECUTIVE PRINCIPAL

10.2016

FROM THE

BOARD Some changes which are important for the future have already begun and we are excited about the challenges ahead.

OUR STRATEGIC PROGRESS THE KRISTIN DIFFERENCE OUR PEOPLE AND COUNTRY TAKE FLIGHT WITH A VALUES-BASED EDUCATION At the beginning of this year the Board made progress in outlining Kristin’s strategic direction for the short, medium and long term. This followed work throughout 2015 when the Board and senior leadership team undertook and completed an extensive ‘culture capture’ and review of the school’s performance and planning. This work was facilitated by external consultants and supported by feedback from all stakeholders. The review process was comprehensive and afforded the opportunity to develop strategic direction and refine priority projects for the school. From this process, we identified key areas for development and investment. The review also enabled us to look more holistically at our school culture. Today’s Kristin holds true to our founders’ vision of providing an exceptional level of education within a connected community with shared values. As parents, Kristin’s founders wanted their children to leave school as good people, ready, willing and able to contribute to the wider world. They believed a holistic, values-based, independent education was the best way forward - a belief that still resounds within today’s Kristin families. As a school we are optimistic and look forward to the future with a sense of excitement, confidence and anticipation. At the same time, we know we have an opportunity to address some of the tougher issues that affect not just Kristin but our society more broadly, and to be a leader in resolving these. In the spirit of our pioneering beginning, we will not be holding back. We have developed a robust strategy to guide our focus and to ensure that Kristin students continue to benefit from the outstanding educational offering for which the school is renowned. 2

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We will continue to prioritise the well-being of our community; growing and caring for our people. This includes the need to attract, engage and develop those who will deliver high quality outcomes for our students, families and staff. Community is at the heart of everything we do here at Kristin and, therefore, we are committed to sustaining and nurturing the healthy collaboration of our stakeholders. It is critical, too, that we maintain and develop the appropriate infrastructure to support these strategic objectives. We must build dynamic information systems to optimise processes and outcomes, and cultivate our business model to embrace opportunities that secure the future of our school. In each of these regards, we are clarifying our identity, executing on process and growing our community. As we proactively realise this potential, our focus must remain on our primary objective: to prepare our students to be responsible global citizens, who think creatively, reason critically, communicate effectively and learn enthusiastically throughout life. Our strategic direction was captured in the Future Ready document forwarded to the community early this year. Some examples of this strategic direction included proposals for Kristin Sport, Marketing and Engagement, Performing Arts and Technology Faculties, Communications, LittleDoves, the Kristin Education Think Tank and the Campus Master Plan. This issue of Kaleidoscope captures progress on some of that direction. I hope you enjoy this publication and look forward to continuing to provide the community with updates as we progress on our aspirational way.

PHILIPPA FEE CHAIR

FISCALLY READY - OUR FINANCIAL UPDATE

WENDY CHEN

ANDREW GAZE

RICHARD WILKS

NEW BOARD MEMBERS Earlier this year we called for Expressions of Interest to join our Kristin Board. We sincerely thank all of those who put their names forward. The Board appointed Ms Wendy Chen as an Alumni Governor and Mr Andrew Gaze as a Parent Governor effective 20 June 2016. In addition, Mr Richard Wilks agreed to become a trustee of the Kristin School Charitable Trust at the end of 2016, on the retirement of an incumbent trustee. During this transition phase, Richard will participate in Board matters in an observer role. Ms Chen is a Kristin alumni, having graduated in 2000 as Head Girl. She currently provides legal counsel at Air New Zealand holds a Master of Laws (Hons), a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and a Bachelor of Commerce and is fluent in Mandarin. Mr Gaze has two daughters who attend Kristin and is currently Head of Global Sales at Tru-Test Ltd. He is a board member of Hockey New Zealand and worked for the adidas Group for 13 years both in New Zealand and internationally in senior sales and marketing roles. He was on the board of UWCSEA, Singapore, - a leading International School. Mr Wilks is a long term North Shore resident married with four children - three of whom attended Kristin. He has a 30 year career in corporate banking and has held a number of senior executive roles with ANZ National Bank, Standard Chartered Bank, Citibank Australia, Westpac Trust and Citibank New Zealand. He is currently a director of Rangatira and Maxwell Farms Ltd; and Chairman of Rainbows End Ltd. We warmly welcome this new talent to the Kristin Board. The Board is very lucky to have such talented and altruistic individuals within the school community, willing to commit their time for Kristin’s benefit.

In last year’s edition of Kaleidoscope, the Board reported to the Kristin community the key elements of the school’s financial position. We now present an update of the school’s performance for the 2015 financial year.

KEY ELEMENTS • The Board’s strategic financial goal remains to operate the school to achieve a prudent financial surplus, consistent with the Trust’s objectives of delivering the highest standard of education. • At the end of 2015, Kristin had assets of over $88M – an increase of more than $5M from last year. We repaid bank debt of $1.8M and trust funds increased by $7M. Kristin has substantial equity (62.5%) and long term financing arrangements in place. • Kristin generated an operating cash surplus of $3.5M. This was used to invest in fixed assets ($1.0M) and repay loans ($1.8M). The results show Kristin continues to be in a sound financial position and is well placed to develop the strategic objectives that were communicated with the community at the beginning of this financial year. The operating results for the year include a large one-off accounting cost of around $500,000 related to the reconditioning of exterior and cedar walls which will enhance the life of the buildings. Final accounts also include the effect of changes related to prioryears treatment of some salary costs and employment benefits. A major project underway is the development of the Little Doves early childhood education facility scheduled to open in 2017, with a capacity for 75 children aged 3 months to 3 years. The new architecturally designed building, to be located at the old Gate 1, has been designed by Phil Smith Architects and work relocating phone and power lines has already been undertaken. We will continue to prioritise our financial objectives to maintain and develop the appropriate infrastructure to ensure Kristin students continue to benefit from the outstanding educational offering for which the school is renowned. We look forward to keeping you updated as this work progresses.

An artists impression of the Little Doves development.

The Board also wish to warmly thank and publicly recognise the two retiring Parent Governors, John Bishop and Theresa Allen, for the very significant commitment they have shown to the school during their tenure on the Board. Details of all Board members are on the Kristin website.

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KRISTIN

FAMILY & FRIENDS KFF sincerely thanks every contributor. The nature of the sacrifices you have made, for other individuals and for the school as a whole, is truly special.

KFF’s timeless culture of service continues, to foster meaningful support to Kristin at the grass roots level. A history of loyalty and optimism has enabled significant community progress to be made consistently over time.

KEY GOALS In 2015, Kristin Family and Friends reexamined who KFF is and the value of its role in the Kristin community, outlining 5 key goals. • • • • •

To connect with one another. To access support from the Kristin community. To help with school related activities. To grow engagement. To improve accessible opportunities to foster participation of all parents.

One year on, Kristin Family and Friends is going from strength to strength. New initiatives such as the Creative Arts Workshops, the Cultural Outings Group and the Fathers’ Project Group all use KFFs solid base as a launchpad to offer greater services to an increasingly broad demographic at school. This work can be measured by a notably increased level of engagement at all KFF events with over 400 parents offering service to school to date this year. For example, KFF, in partnership with individual families, has hosted 5 parent morning teas in parents’ homes in varied locations around Auckland with well over 280 parents attending to date. The Creative Arts Workshops, designed to draw parents of all cultures together, to get to know each other better and produce lovingly made gifts to generate profit for the KFF Fund, has been attended by 125 parents already this year. In an effort to further recognise the needs of working parents, 4

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KFF designed an inaugural city presentation in Term 3 this year. KFF has worked hard to take into consideration location, timing and networking opportunities for working parents.

CONCRETE OUTCOMES KFF’s proven ability to walk the talk, coupled with school management’s belief in KFF as a promising partner in community action, has enabled KFF to deliver concrete outcomes that we can be justifiably proud of as a parent body. KFF well recognises the value of its parent contributors. There are truly great people here at Kristin and individual benefactors are certainly prized by us all. Countless parents collaborate with school to develop our vibrant community. The work that these parents undertake is often not seen by many of us, yet the gifting of their time or resources quietly, steadily strengthens our foundations. Of equal value, groups of parents such as the Class Coordinators, the Kristin Cultural Groups, the Prayer Group and the KFF Working Group, now numbering over 350, all continue to work tirelessly with the KFF Executive towards a common purpose. These parents are believers in the tenet that a vibrant, robust, established community potentiates a healthy, happy school. JP Kretzmann (2014) understood this notion when he wrote, “Healthy schools support educational excellence and excellent schools are the best guarantee for any community’s future”. Safe in the knowledge that the present is marked by substantive support from school management and a sustainable level of energy and unity from community members, KFF chair Nicky Shave believes KFF is coming of age. Nicky notes that “the years of investment in community connectedness has made it possible for the current KFF Executive to shift their gaze towards a more altruistic

pathway forward.” This year, the Executive has more often looked toward investing in our community’s future. This progress can only be achieved with active support from all community members. Each time a parent or grandparent attends a KFF dinner or purchases one of the handmade Kristin Gift store items, they help support the KFF to grow the KFF Fund.

ICONIC SYMBOL The newly refurbished KFF caravan is an example of future thinking. The 1950s caravan is an iconic symbol of what it means to be a part of our community. It embodies old fashioned family values yet it will enable future Kristin families to have a unique place to be over the next two decades. The caravan is KFF’s symbol of the Kristin factor. It defines Kristin’s Kristin-ness. She (who is yet to be named) is distinguished by whom has remade her and

by her current flexibleness, portableness and her ability to foster connectedness. KFF hopes that she will be used as often as she can by all members of the community when she is unveiled and in the future. Without doubt, KFF has thoroughly enjoyed the growing sense of altruism within our parent body. Parents, across all cultures and stages at school, are willingly giving even more of themselves to further develop community spirit. The parent body has a big heart. KFF sincerely thanks every contributor for their benevolence. The nature of the sacrifices you have made, for other individuals and for the school as a whole, is truly special. It has created another layer of Kristin-ness and whilst it has made such a positive difference to school life daily, it is the single most important factor that has enabled KFF to look forward to a very bright future.

YOUR KFF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Chiara Gauld - Middle School

Nicky Shave - Chair Christina Hoseason - Deputy Chair

Rodd Eddy - Middle School

SUB COMMITTEE Jane Liu - Chinese Cultural Keren Wallace - Special Events Antony Thimbleby - Fathers Rep Claire Abel - Kindy to Senior School and Performing Arts Sarah Amos - Kindy/Junior School Ella Clarkson - Junior School Julia Wei - Middle School and Cultural

Morag Fryer - Middle School Patricia Holden - Middle School

Mi Ran An - Korean Parent Committee Chair Nely Golovkova - Russian Parent Committee Chair

Jeneen Harris - Middle School/Senior School

KRISTIN MANAGEMENT REPRESENTATIVES

Loraine McInnes - Middle School/Senior School

Tim Oughton, Mark Reynolds, Nigel Wilkinson

Pip Edgar - Senior School Jo Bell - Senior School Paul Stables - Senior School

CULTURAL COMMITTEES Jane Liu - Chinese Parent Committee Chair Noriko Woods - Japanese Parent Committee Chair

If you would like to know more about Kristin Family and Friends please email Nicky Shave on scottshavefamily@gmail.com or call 027 270 2736.

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FROM THE

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Our students and families do set a great example when it comes to community giving

1976 Garden Party

AN INSPIRED FOUNDING COMMUNITY

ANNUAL GIVING – EVERY GIFT COUNTS

Kristin is a school built on philanthropic giving. It’s hard to believe now but a number of our foundation parents mortgaged their homes and sold pizzas and cakes to raise the funds to buy the school land and build classrooms in Kristin’s early years. We no longer ask parents to go to those extremes but we do appreciate your support with our fundraising initiatives.

Last year, we reintroduced Annual Giving for the first time in many years and are pleased to announce that the bronze commemorative plaque for the Anzac Garden has now been installed and the garden extended to provide a suitable space for the laying of wreaths. Our students participate in a large number of Anzac Day ceremonies and it is fitting that we now have a place of commemoration on our own school grounds.

Our students and families do set a great example when it comes to community giving; so far this year in excess of $30,000 has been raised for a range of service projects including the Prefect Project, Ronald McDonald House, Fiji’s Cyclone Winston Appeal to name a few. This year’s events included the Fashion Show and a Mid Winter Dinner in conjunction with Kristin Family & Friends and in October will be our Art Sale, renamed ‘Atelier’. Each event provides opportunities to raise funds for the KFF and for the school. We will be continuing to host Tim’s Breakfasts and Lunches for small groups regularly throughout this year, these give both parents and Tim a unique opportunity to connect personally in a relaxed and informal setting. Guests are selected randomly however any parents particularly wanting to attend should feel free to contact me.

In addition, donations from Annual Giving and pledges to the Foundation Scholarship Fund brought in over $110,000 which was a very clear indication of how much our families value the commitment we have made to the scholarship programme. Our sincere thanks to all families who did support Annual Giving last year and I invite all members of the community to consider supporting this important philanthropic initiative in the future.

PAMELA PERYMAN

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

BEQUEST

AVING

This year I am pleased to introduce our new Bequest programme. If Kristin has made a difference to your life and to that of your family and you feel strongly about ensuring the school flourishes far into the future, then planning ahead and leaving a legacy in your will is a special way to make a significant and lasting contribution.

LEGAC

If you would like to learn more about our Bequest programme or receive information about the next steps in planning a bequest, please contact me for a confidential, obligation free discussion. Pamela Peryman, Director of Development pperyman@kristin.school.nz

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EXCEPTIONAL RESULTS FOR KRISTIN’S TOP SCHOLARS

Marko Garlick achieved the perfect score of 45, placing him in the top 0.3% of candidates worldwide.

Marko Garlick

A proud record of academic excellence is one of the leading drivers for families who choose a Kristin education for their children and this tradition has been upheld with another set of exceptional examination results. The Dual Academic Pathway, which allows Kristin’s Senior School students to choose between the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and NCEA, is one of the many features that differentiate the school and the 2015 results are evidence of the strength of both qualifications at Kristin.

When asked to share his advice for those entering into their

With a 100% pass rate, Kristin’s 82 IB Diploma students have achieved at levels that are truly outstanding. Marko Garlick achieved the perfect score of 45, placing him in the top 0.3% of candidates worldwide, and 24% of Kristin candidates achieved a score of at least 40. These students will be recognised by the Governor General at a special IB Top Scholars’ Awards Ceremony at Government House in February.

of academic excellence that is now expected from students

The average IB score of Kristin students was 37 points, compared to the New Zealand average of 34.58. The maximum score of 45 includes six subjects that are graded out of 7. A total 64% of grades awarded to Kristin candidates were 6s and 7s, compared to the global average of 28%. With 26 years experience in teaching the IB Diploma, Kristin has the largest number of candidates of any New Zealand school in the November session. Marko was the only student in New Zealand to receive a perfect 45, and one of only 81 students worldwide to do so. The news came as a big surprise for the 18-‐year-‐old who spent his final year at school managing the demands of the rigorous IB Diploma alongside his responsibilities as a Senior School Prefect and member of the school’s 1st XI Cricket and Football teams. “When the results first came in I was really taken aback, but now I’ve had time to reflect on it and I’m really proud. When I was in the thick of it I just took it subject by subject, assignment by assignment and task by task. I didn’t have time to look at it as a whole, but I can see now that it was consistency that got me there.”

final years at school, Marko says the most important thing is to build your confidence. “When I reflect on the course I can see that there were a lot of us who did things quite differently but got similar results. When it came to the final week of exams, the ones who believed in themselves were the ones who did well.” Kristin’s NCEA results also demonstrate the consistent level in such a high achieving environment. With an overall NCEA pass rate of 94% (Level 1: 95%; Level 2: 93%; Level 3: 91%), Kristin’s commitment to the national qualification is celebrated throughout the school. Of the 177 students sitting NCEA Level 1, 82% were awarded Merit or Excellence endorsed certificates Kristin’s Senior School Principal David Boardman has been impressed by the results. “The students have, once again, surpassed all expectations,” he said. “The results are brilliant across the board in both the IB and NCEA pathways, which is testament to the hard work and dedication of each and every student and their teachers. It is a fantastic way for the students to cap off 2015 and it bodes well for the year ahead.” Executive Principal Tim Oughton is also incredibly proud of the students’ achievements. “To see such a consistent level of achievement across all three year levels, and within two academic pathways, is truly exceptional; even more so when considered alongside the many accomplishments that the students had already accumulated throughout the year. I am delighted and proud of each and every one of them.” Kristin’s 2015 graduates were invited back to the school for the Academic Awards Assembly early in Term 1 where their achievements were recognised by the school community. 10.2016

MUSIC IN THE CLASSROOM AT KRISTIN Imagine if scientists discovered after decades of research that there was an activity that improved our cognitive function, improved problem solving abilities, made us better learners of literacy and languages and enabled us to moderate our emotions? Well over the last decade there has been development in neurological studies that shows music is such an activity, says Kristin’s Head of Faculty Visual and Performing Arts, Nick Duirs. Mr Duirs says these neurological benefits are some of the reasons why Kristin feels it is important for children to be involved in music in the classroom and other activities. To reflect the evolution of the curriculum in relation to creative fields, the Arts and Technology Faculty at Kristin was split into two from 2016 with Mr Duirs leading leading the Faculty for Music, Drama, Dance, Art, Photography and Painting. Mr Duirs says a music curriculum classroom gives skills that tie directly to skills that are needed for the future. “Music education and engagement is valued highly at Kristin, and features at all levels of the school in a variety of forms,” he notes. The New Zealand Curriculum identifies five key competencies: • • • • •

Thinking Relating to others Using language, symbols, and texts Managing self Participating and contributing

The National Association for Music Education identifies many benefits of learning an instrument and musical training including: 1. Musical training helps develop language and reasoning: Students who have early musical training will develop the areas of the brain related to language and reasoning. The left side of the brain is better developed with music, and songs can help imprint information on young minds. 2. A mastery of memorisation: Even when performing with sheet music, student musicians are constantly using their memory to perform. The skill of memorisation can serve students well in education and beyond. 3. Students learn to improve their work: Learning music promotes craftsmanship, and students learn to want to create good work instead of mediocre work. This desire can be applied to all subjects of study. 4. Increased coordination: Students who practice with musical instruments can improve their hand-eye coordination. Just like playing sports, children can develop motor skills when playing music. 5. A sense of achievement: Learning to play pieces of music on a new instrument can be a challenging, but achievable goal. Students who master even the smallest goal in music will be able to feel proud of their achievement. 6. Students stay engaged in school: An enjoyable subject like music can keep kids interested and engaged in school. Student musicians are likely to stay in school to achieve in other subjects. Other benefits of music include emotional development, pattern recognition, intellectual curiosity, relaxation, discipline, creative thinking, special intelligence, teamwork and risk taking.

Music enables all of these competencies and activates:

Mr Duirs said the benefits of music in the classroom are well summed up by a quite from Professor Mark Henaghan, Dean of Law at the University of Otago

• • • • •

“A number of our best law students have studied music to a senior level. I have no doubt that the discipline required to study music and the brain development which the study of music enhances are a major asset for studying law and other disciplines.”

The ears The brain The heart The body and The imagination

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MUSIC AND EDUCATION IN THE BLOOD The following article is an abridged version of a story published in EducationHQ – a specialist news site for education professionals. It is republished with their permission. Opeloge Ah Sam has been a music teacher at Kristin School for the past three years and the composer says it takes some special traits to be an effective and influential music teacher. “Good teachers especially in the arts need to leave their egos at the school gate,” Ah Sam says. Caring for all students is essential, as is being good at playing your instrument of choice. “Kids in music can get inspired by what the teacher says, but they get more inspired by what they see the teacher can do, as in walk - the talk. “I was inspired by teachers who I used to watch give fun and awesome performances - it made me want to go home and practice.” Music and education have pulsed through Ah Sam’s blood throughout his life. “I never had a backup plan if I wasn’t doing music - it was always going to be something to do with music, and nothing else. “So if I wasn’t teaching, performing and composing music, I’d be teaching, performing and composing music,” Ah Sam quips. Becoming a music teacher was a natural progression and journey in life through music, he adds.

Watching students discover the joy of music and understanding the power of music in their hands to help others are the most rewarding parts of his job. Ah Sam’s grandfather was a teacher, his mother was a teacher and principal and Education Review Office (ERO) inspector - so education has been something he has always been around. “My mother (Apulu Le’emo Ah Sam) is my inspiration in terms of teaching,” he says. “She was a tough teacher and principal facing lots of challenges as a female teacher and principal in Samoa and then New Zealand. “She dealt with challenges very strongly and well. I always admired that.” It is Ah Sam’s third year teaching at Kristin School, and it has been an enjoyable journey so far. Throughout his years teaching, technology has become more and more integrated in the classroom. It changes some of the things he has to be aware of - and things to teach and accept, he says. “I think technology has been both positive and negative to music education - positive because of the many tools we have to compose and record music and negative in that I think it makes kids a little lazy to learn the core elements of music education.” Ah Sam knows how much joy and satisfaction comes from both playing and listening to music. Watching students discover the joy of music and understanding the power of music in their hands to help others is the most rewarding part of his job, Ah Sam says. “I want my music to help others, and I try to teach my students that.”

Opeloge Ah Sam

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KRISTIN SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY

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Service learning is an opportunity to explore significant issues in our community and undertake projects that can make a positive difference.

Kristin believes in strength through community, with love at its heart so there are no barriers to learning. Service learning is an opportunity to explore significant issues in our community and undertake projects that can make a positive difference. Each term, hundreds of volunteer hours outside of the classroom are undertaken by Kristin students, alongside many different organisations, demonstrating initiative, dedication and compassion for those in need. Mercy Hospice, Salvation Army, Red Cross and Ronald McDonald House are just some of the many organisations that have already benefited from our student efforts this year.

JUNIOR SCHOOL - AUTUMN HARVEST IS A BUMPER CROP THIS YEAR This year’s Harvest Festival filled three van loads for the Salvation Army, who were able to distribute hundreds of bags of healthy fruit and vegetables to families in need in Whangaparaoa, Northcote and Glenfield. Students, supported by staff and families, all bought boxes of food as part of our Harvest Festival celebrations. Claire Mushrow from the Salvation Army was overwhelmed by the generosity of our junior students and praised the energy and efforts that went into the presentation of the food.

MIDDLE SCHOOL - LEADERS IN LEADERSHIP With over 19 leadership groups making an impact, there have been a huge range of service activities in our community already. In April our Alliance Team were involved in the Hampton Downs Race for Life, a Mercy Hospice event for patients. Students assisted with catering, providing the morning tea and lunches to over 150 patients and volunteers involved in the event. Highlights for those involved included rides on a Ducati and a helicopter. The Ronald McDonald House has continued to be supported by our Event Team, who spent an evening cooking food for families and playing with children at the Starship hospital. This is a termly event and one that highlights our student’s ability to be creative in both the kitchen and in the art room. Lady Allum Village was also visited in Term One by the Student Council, with a storytelling and performance event that was entertaining for all the elderly living at the centre.

SENIOR SCHOOL - KRISTIN STUDENTS TAKE OVER ONEPOTO For the second year, Year 13 students Queenie Yong and James Erskine, spent part of their Term One break organising a “Take Over Day” at Onepoto Primary School, a Decile 1 school on the North Shore. Queenie and her team of 25 Kristin student volunteers created a day of interactive activities for the primary school children. Face painting and a range of sports games were all part of the day, to promote positive healthy activity, collaboration skills and have fun in the process. One Onepoto teacher commented “they all enjoyed themselves and were participating, sharing, helping and motivated - I am grateful for the opportunity to experience a day when they displayed their potential and acceptance of others”. Queenie and James’ efforts built on a 2015 event showing a commitment to the school and helping their students build confidence and achieve more.

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CAMP WEEK “This is something I hope to stay with me for the rest of my life, and for which I am truly grateful.” 12

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EDUCATION OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOM A KEY FEATURE OF KRISTIN Education Outside the Classroom, or EOTC, is a key feature of a Kristin education. Taking students outside of the comfort of their classroom encourages them to embrace situations and challenges to promote personal growth and development, as well as team building. Early in the school year, students take part in Camp Week. A myriad of situations and challenges faced during this experience help students to gain new knowledge and understanding, learn new skills, discover abilities and share attitudes. Key outcomes expected fromvthis week include: • Providing students with opportunities for enjoyment, adventure and challenge, both close to home and far away. • Developing students’ skills so they can move with confidence and safety in urban, rural and wilderness settings. • Helping students develop respect for themselves and others by providing them with opportunities for personal and social development. • Developing independence and interdependence, and to provide opportunities to strengthen links between students and staff. Every Kristin Student has a Camp story. This is just one of them, from Elvis Ludvich, who attended Year 12 Camp at Tongariro

TONGARIRO CAMP STORY “For Year 12 Camp 2016, approximately half of our year level attended the Hillary Outdoors Education Centre (HOEC) Leadership Course in Tongariro. We were put into groups of seven to ten students for the week. Over our time there the theme was leadership. We were all given turns at being the leader, and making decisions for our group. This was one of the biggest changes from my camp the previous year, and meant that we had to be constantly aware of what was going on. Being a member of a group in this way was a powerful experience – a sense of belonging to something greater, and more important than just yourself. It is something that stays with you for a long time. For the first couple of days, most groups started with problem solving exercises, such as crossing rivers using only milk crates etc., designed to get us working together as a team. From there, we moved onto physical and psychological challenges.

The camp had an emphasis on conquering fears, and many of the activities reflected this; such as the “high ropes” course, caving, and even many public speaking opportunities. Because the groups had significant input in planning the activities, there were many different variations on the weekly timetable. Some common activities included kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, abseiling, and hiking. The last night of the week was devoted to the “overnight” expedition, in which we camped in tents in the bush (after hiking, travelling by boat, or climbing to get there) and then travelled back to the main camp in the morning. This was an opportunity to experience New Zealand’s true natural landscape. If I am honest, I think that one of the most memorable experiences I will take back from camp is the tranquillity of nature. My group was very fortunate in our amazing instructor, Joel, who drew our attention to the outdoors, and exercise as a means of freedom; a way of clearing the mind from the pressures and stress of the school year. This is something I hope to stay with me for the rest of my life, and for which I am truly grateful.

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RESEARCH CONFIRMS VALUE OF IB The benefit of an International Baccalaureate (IB) programme in primary year schools has been highlighted in a study by the Faculty of Education at the University of Auckland. The extensive research, which Kristin School participated in, shows that achievement in schools that offered IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) exceeded achievement among other high decile, like-for-like schools. Diana Patchett, Principal of Kristin Junior School, notes this is unsurprising, given that the PYP framework builds on the natural curiosity and wonder of children. “Inquiry based learning confronts students with real life problems that are relevant and interesting to the learner, thus provoking them to figure out ways to solve them. We all do this naturally, especially children.” “Gone are the days where learning is the rote memorisation of facts and figures, and a good memory is all that is needed to achieve good grades. For students to be ‘future ready’, they need a toolkit of skills and attitudes to relish any challenge in front of them.” While the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC) and PYP are compatible, there were a few points of difference, according to the university study. Notably an emphasis on internationalmindedness, inquiry and action in the PYP. The University of Auckland researchers highlighted a number of key findings that set the PYP schools apart, specifically the emphasis on inquiry-based learning, a constructivist approach to knowledge and global/local interactions. Students also displayed a great deal of control and independence in their own learning.

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A key component of the research explored PYP achievement on standardised tests. Achievement data from high decile schools nationally was compared with data from five of the 14 PYP schools in New Zealand. Inquiry-based learning was judged to be integral to teaching and learning in each of the PYP schools. One researcher noted, “this is also one of the impacts of the PYP: it pushes the kids to inquire rather than assume, because questioning leads to learning, and learning leads to student agency, clarity and knowledge.” Over the course of the evaluation, the researchers observed teachers serving in the primary role of knowledge and learning facilitators. Teachers moved fluidly between facilitative, coaching and instructional roles. Teachers were constantly adapting their teaching methods and roles, and discussing this among themselves. The university researchers observed that in classrooms, students shared control of much of the process of knowledge generation — under varying degrees of direction from teachers. “Overall, students seemed to be in control of their knowledge base, which was evidenced through their research and attention to data collection during units of inquiry. Observations indicated that knowledge was being developed rather than simply reproduced, the university researchers said. The researchers rarely saw students working with teachers to solve their group conundrums and there was ample evidence of student autonomy. One student commented on how the IB programme prepares students for life and university in that it helps them to negotiate their learning, explaining that “the IB is teaching how to learn instead of just the answers.” At Kristin School, inquiry-based learning is at the heart of the PYP and is a vehicle for ensuring that from a very young age, Kristin students are developing skills that will play a key role in their life-long learning. Delivered alongside the NZC and the New Zealand Early Childhood Education Curriculum, Te Whariki, the PYP provides an educational philosophy and methodology that ensures children maintain their natural curiosity and love of learning throughout their Junior School education. A copy of the full report is available at: www.ibo.org/en/about-the-ib/research/

FAMILY PICNIC THRIVES ON SUNSHINE Sunscreen, cold drinks and shade were in high demand as more than 1,000 members of the community enjoyed the many activities and offerings of the picnic stalls. Some balmy summer weather meant there was a large turnout at the Kristin Family Picnic earlier this year. Sunscreen, cold drinks and shade were in high demand as more than 1,000 members of the community enjoyed the many activities and offerings of the picnic stalls. From face painting and doughnut-eating competitions, through to musical performance from students and the usual fun of inflatable towers and dodgem cars -there was something for everyone at the picnic. One of the features of the Kristin Family Picnic is that it enables groups to showcase and raise funds for Kristin community groups, so thank you to everyone who supported the many groups that were on show this year. A special thanks to the Russian parents who donated their takings of $120 to the Fiji Appeal. (The tea from the wood-fired Samovar was delicious). Also thanks to the Korean parents who donated their takings as well as buying Korean language books for the library A broad range of homemade food was on sale by student groups and the KFF, with teams of parents and students working hard ahead of the picnic and through the evening to keep everyone well fed and entertained. It was a great way to establish and strengthen relationships in the Kristin community. Thank you to everyone who contributed to the success of the picnic. 10.2016

FOUNDATION DAY The assembly commemorated 43 years of Kristin’s existence and Executive Principal Tim Oughton acknowledged the selfless and visionary work of the original steering committee who established the school.

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Kristin celebrated Foundation Day with a Whole School assembly. The assembly commemorated 43 years of Kristin’s existence and Executive Principal Tim Oughton acknowledged the selfless and visionary work of the original steering committee who established the school. He noted Kristin remains true to its original mission and the school community continues to believe in creating a world led by good people, who are invested in making the future better. “We believe in strength through community, with love at its heart so there are no barriers to learning,” he told the assembly. Guest Speaker at the assembly was Nigel Parker, a Kristin Alumni of 1994. Mr Parker, who was Director of Development Experience at Microsoft New Zealand, spoke of how powerful the Kristin mission has been in his life. The Kristin mission - Progress with vision - integrity and love, continues to hold true and has been a source of inspiration, Mr Parker said. As is tradition, Kristin’s youngest and oldest students joined in the lighting of the Foundation candle. They were joined by Brian Peak, a foundation parent and former Board member. The Foundation Day was also marked with a special gathering of Alumni, including Staff Alumni.

HAIRSPRAY SENIOR PRODUCTION RECORD AUDIENCES GIVE ROUSING RECEPTION Record audiences of more than 2,500 people attended the Kristin School’s performance of Hairspray, the Broadway Musical. The show opened to a rousing reception on 12 May and shows on on 13-14 May were close to a sell-out.

The incredible talents of Kristin students are showcased in major theatrical productions each year. Michael Ball. She arranged for four wigs used in the West End production to be sent to New Zealand for the school’s use. Charlie came out to NZ in 2014, overseeing hair and make-up for the British National tour of Annie. She fell in love with New Zealand when she came back to the country, with her partner Tom, for an extended holiday

Kristin’s Senior School Principal David Boardman described the performances in Hairspray as outstanding, saying: “This is as good a production as you will see anywhere.”

“What made me fall in love with the place was the enthusiasm of the children and the enthusiasm of the parents,” she said. “Everyone’s busy in their own job and in their own time they’re also working on the production.”

More than 130 talented senior students of Kristin were involved in the cast, crew and band of Hairspray.

Oswin said the school production was just like the multiple professional shows she’s been involved in.

Lorna Rood, Artistic Director of Productions noted the show was a community effort.

“To me it never felt any different to working on a professional show,” she says.

“Warmest thanks from the production team to all students, staff and parents in the community who had a hand in creating the phenomenon that was Hairspray at Kristin,” she said.

The incredible talents of Kristin students are showcased in major theatrical productions each year. Kristin School productions are renowned for their consistently high levels of performance, music and stagecraft, and are enjoyed by families throughout Auckland.

Executive Principal Tim Oughton said Hairspray was simply outstanding and the superlatives could roll off his tongue endlessly. “Congratulations for creating the best school production I have ever seen (and there have been a few!). I think the extended standing ovation at the end said it all,” he said.

OTHER MAJOR 2016 PRODUCTIONS AT KRISTIN

The production benefited enormously from the skills of Charlie Oswin, a professional hair and make-up artist from the U.K. who was a member of the make-up and wig team for the West End production of Hairspray when it starred

The Lion King Jr. - Junior School Production 18 November

Shrek the Musical Jr. - Middle School Production Took place 2-3 September

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STUDENT OVERSEAS EXCHANGE

Nadia Shivlani

Mio Yamamoto

Kristin School has an International Services programme that covers two areas; International Students enrolled at Kristin for varying lengths of study, and our International Dovetail Exchanges, developed through arrangements with partner schools around the world. Recognition of Kristin as a leading institution with superb facilities and courses, together with quality specialist pastoral care, has attracted an increasing number of overseas students to the school, either as fee-paying students or reciprocal exchange participants through the Dovetail Exchanges. Gains in cultural diversity and empathy and the development of an international perspective are a wonderful benefit enjoyed by the whole school community. Kristin is a signatory to the Ministry of Education Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students. Featured here are two comments from Dovetail students about their time at Kristin.

ARGENTINE RECOMMENDATION

JAPANESE OPPORTUNITY

I really enjoyed these 3 weeks I spent at Kristin School as an exchange student. I was really nervous at the beginning but at the end I had an amazing and unforgettable time. Being far from St Georgeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s College and from my friends was not an issue as everyone was very nice to me and I felt really welcomed at all times.

I stayed in New Zealand as an exchange student from Japan for 6 weeks.

Spending classes with different students gave me the chance to become friends with many people and spend a wonderful time with them inside and outside school, which made this experience so incredible and memorable.

Having conversations about various topics (culture, politics, hobbies) with my host and my friends was my favourite part of school life.

This trip also gave me the chance to adapt myself to the different customs, overcoming the difficulties that the differences between our cultures might bring. Last but not least, I highly recommend Kristin students to go on an exchange either to Argentina or any other country, as it is a once in a lifetime opportunity that they will really enjoy and remember for the rest of their lives. NADIA SHIVLANI, ST GEORGEâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S COLLEGE ARGENTINA

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At first, I was worried about making new friends, understanding classes because my English is not good. However, after my first day at Kristin, I was much less worried. Teachers were very helpful even though the IB classes are difficult, and I was able to make many new friends with my classmates. At school everything we learnt was new and interesting every day, we did many different things compared to Japanese school.

This was an opportunity to think about New Zealand and how it is different from Japan and I decided about what I want to study at university, and what I want to do in the future. I had lots of great experiences in 6 weeks, like swimming and surfing in the waves, hiking in the forest and visiting many beautiful places. I like the New Zealand lifestyle, the multicultural society, and all the freedom teenagers have here. Studying in native english country has been very different from studying in the textbook, I have a learnt a lot more - and not just about speaking English. I am so happy how this exchange has turned out. Finally, I want to thank my host Joe, his family, friends and teachers. Thank you so much for giving me such a great opportunity. I hope I can visit New Zealand again soon. MIO YAMAMOTO, RITSUMEIKAN UJI HIGH SCHOOL, KYOTO, JAPAN.

TOORAK/SCOTCH

COLLEGE EXCHANGE WITH KRISTIN In June Kristin welcomed 28 students from Scotch College, Adelaide and 30 students from Toorak College, Melbourne. The students were involved in sport and cultural activities. Our Year 6 and 7 girls are participated in Football, Hockey and Netball matches against the visitors with local teams also invited to to make up round robin tournaments.

On Monday evening an excited Scotch College group arrived, geared up for their first sports exchange with Kristin. They all met their billets and were warmly welcomed into their allocated homes. Prior to meeting their hosts, many emails had been exchanged between the students. On Tuesday morning, the exchange kicked off with a hockey tournament between Kristin, Scotch College and some local teams. The games were played in good spirit. On Tuesday afternoon Toorak College arrived for their tenth exchange ready for a week of sport and cultural activities. They too had gotten to know their billets via email, Skype etc. Wednesday morning started with a Powhiri (an official Maori greeting) and a Haka for Toorak and Scotch College. They enjoyed witnessing the Maori culture first hand, but were a little frightened by the Haka! The sportsmanship never slackened during the football, and spirits were high despite the adverse weather conditions in some of the games.

The sportsmanship never slackened during the football, and spirits were high despite the adverse weather conditions in some of the games.

For the rest of the day the Toorak and Scotch College students were either playing golf or on the climbing wall. The netball girls were buzzing with excitement on Thursday morning as it was their turn to compete. They took part in a six game tournament where good teamwork and sportsmanship was exemplified constantly. That afternoon, the two visiting schools again took part in either golf or climbing wall activities. Friday was the cultural activities day. Toorak and Scotch College participated in flax weaving, Maori singing, dancing and stick games. In the Junior School Matariki Assembly, Toorak College performed two songs from their recent performance of The Lion King. It was very exciting seeing a little taster of the show the Junior School will be performing later in the year. On Saturday the hosts showed their billets around Auckland. Many people met up at the Sky Tower to enjoy the spectacular views, toured around the city and indulged in sweet treats like ice creams, before heading off back to their homes. On Sunday the hosts said fond farewells to their billets as they got on the bus. As their bus pulled out of Kristin we all waved good-bye. The Toorak/Scotch College Exchange was a great experience for all of us in which we made happy memories and many lifelong friends.

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EXCURSIONS AND FIELD TRIPS Excursions and field trips are an important part of the students’ learning across all subject categories. Visiting relevant places of interest brings learning to life and allows students to make significant connections to their school-based studies. This applied learning takes students in directions that expand understanding and encourage deeper and more meaningful exploration. Here, Kristin students share their EOTC experiences.

YEAR 10 GIRLS BUILDING BRIDGES By Alyssa Chia, Anastasia Golovkova, Swati Puri, Christina Min, Olivia Milsom and Jaqlin van Schalkwyk Year 10 We were all really excited to be able to go to the Aurecon Bridge Building Competition this year. Last year was the first year we participated and we didn’t do that well. However this year we had lots of new ideas and our goal was to improve. We had created a bridge from 300 Popsicle sticks, string and PVA glue. There were 15 schools and 40 teams. Kristin had two teams competing. Nervously we waited and watched as team-by-team competitors were called up to load their bridges with weight until they smashed. It was nerve wracking and very exciting. We were not only being marked on how much weight our bridge could hold but by the design, technique and ideas. Kristin Team 2 held the third highest weight of 170kg.

OVERCOMING “SHAKESFEARE” Elinor Graham (centre) of Year 10 shares her experience of attending the Auckland Writers’ Festival:

We all improved and were happy with the results. We also learned about different types of bridges. The different types of engineers and what they do in their jobs. Overall it was a very fun day and we say good luck to the Y9s and 10s being picked to go next year!

The Auckland Writers’ Festival was a wonderful experience for all when two English classes and a handful of selected students travelled to the Auckland Town Hall to hear words of wisdom delivered by a number of talented writers and literary enthusiasts. We were treated to advice from celebrated author of the ‘Gone’ series Michael Grant, three performances from slam poet and short story writer Maxine Beneba Clarke, illustrations and tales of story development from Edward Carey and Jonathan Gil Harris’s advice on overcoming our generation’s ‘Shakesfeare’. Each speaker gave us new ways of writing to consider and ideas to ponder as we listened carefully to their detailed explanations of their different techniques and views on writing. I believe it is safe to say that no one returned to school without having learnt more and broadened our minds where both writing and authors are concerned. We can’t wait to try out our newfound skills. Our Shakespeare study will also be undertaken with renewed interest as we ponder the differences between prose and poetry. It was a thoroughly enjoyable and educational day that made us rethink what we had learnt about creative writing and appreciate the works of the great authors even more. 20

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MUSEUM EXPERIENCE “Pacific Islanders tell stories through music,” Mama Pira told Year 1 when they visited the Auckland Museum. The students visited the museum to further their understanding of the central idea, “Cultures express stories in different ways and for different purposes.” After learning about how the beat, words and actions of a song can tell a story, students learnt a traditional Samoan dance called a Sasa and performed the dance together. The students also enjoyed seeing a Māori cultural performance and exploring other parts of the museum.

Chenyang Zhao with No Mai the elephant.

KRISTIN YOUTH AMBASSADOR Year 13 student Chenyang Zhao travelled as a Youth Ambassador with the Global Volunteer Network foundation. Here she relates her experience of the project. The main purpose of this project was to increase our understanding on the mistreatment of elephants in Thailand’s tourism industry and what we could do as future leaders on a local and global scale. As a group of 17, we spent a week in Surin (a remote elephant village in Thailand) living with a lovely Thai family. This week was definitely one of the craziest and most informative weeks I have experienced. We were faced with a different challenge/adventure each day, whether it be from the culture difference upon arrival in Bangkok and our guesthouse in Surin or the harvesting of bamboo in a field many red ants, we experienced it all. I flew from Auckland to Sydney where I met the group, and together we flew to Bangkok. After a 9 hour flight, we landed in the humid mid-30s degree heat of Bangkok. The following day was spent predominantly on the road from Bangkok to the town of Surin. The next day we were off again, this time in an open truck to our guesthouse located in the Surin elephant village. The living style of our guest family was definitely a unique experience as our beds were thin mattresses placed on the ground with a sizable mosquito net covering the entire room. The bathroom featured a meter’s deep tub filled with water, to which our first response as foreigners was “it’s an oversized bathtub”. However it was a tub to scoop water out of to take your bucket showers or to wash your hands etc. Activities in Surin Village ranged from bamboo harvesting, making and learning about elephant dung paper, painting the primary school wall and spending time with the primary

children, which was overwhelming as we learnt the majority of these children would never go beyond primary school education as their families were not financially able to fund this. During the week, we were also fortunate enough to talk to Tongdee Salagnam (a 53-year-old man who’s spent his life training and caring for elephants). He not only taught us an extraordinary amount about the elephant industry but also gave us an insight on the life of a Mahout (elephant trainer). The highlight for me were the stories he told us about the elephant’s personalities and emotions, in particular, the incredible friendship and bond each elephant will form with their Mahouts, grieving like humans would at the loss of their Mahout. The second to last day was the day we had the opportunity to each choose one of the 17 elephants to walk down to the river and bathe with. My elephant’s name was “No Mai” translating to Bamboo shoot. All in all, this week was filled with the most incredible experiences and was unquestionably an eye-opener to how different each and every one of our lives are. The Surin Elephant Village are doing an amazing job with the resources they have to give their own and rescued elephants the lives they deserve, these people devote their lives to taking care of elephants and making sure they live a good life. Coming back from this trip, the 2016 Ambassador team are ready to give back to the community that gave us so much by raising money to build a new home for the elephants where they will have more space and comfort. CHENYANG ZHAO 10.2016

CROSSCOUNTRY SUCCESSES Congratulations to all who accepted the challenge on the day, earned their house points and completed the run.

JUNIOR SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY 2016: JUNIOR SCHOOL KINDERGARTEN â&#x20AC;&#x201C; YEAR 6 BOYS YEAR 1 1st Riley Peat, 1S 2nd Samuel Shen, 1C 3rd Jerry Zhao, 1S

Lucy Jack, 1S Tamarah Messervy, 1C Sonia Zhao, 1S

YEAR 2 1st 2nd 3rd

Nikolina Stulich, 2D Lexie Freeman, 2D Hannah Poon, 2D

Hamish Duggal, 2H Josh Li, 2T Jarred Ferguson, 2H

A buzz of anticipation, a shower of rain and the Junior School Cross-Country was underway. Water, mud, hills and wind added to the recipe for the day, challenging many runners to complete their run successfully. Congratulations to all who accepted the challenge on the day, earned their house points and completed the run. BOYS 8YRS OLD & UNDER 1st Reuben Clancy 2nd Jayden Wang 3rd Kevin Tian 9 YRS OLD 1st 2nd 3rd

Thomas McKnight Blake Dyer Elliot Harris

10YRS OLD & OVER 1st Max Gulliver 2nd Leo Clancy 3rd Cooper Clague

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GIRLS

GIRLS Hazel Hall Kate Wyber Helena Thompson Magic Hogg Claire Bachmann Rachel Poon Keira Spilling Maya Harrison Wendy Wen

MIDDLE SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY A glorious day greeted the Middle School for the annual House Cross-Country Championships. It was a grand sight to see all the students across the Middle School in their House Colours competing in year groups for the honour of winning and scoring points for their house. Congratulations to the top 3 in each year group and to all students in the Middle School who made the event something special. BOYS YEAR 7 1st Karl Wallace: Apollo 10.51 2nd Nicholas Sparg: Jupiter 11.00 3rd George Rush: Apollo 11.32

GIRLS YEAR 7 1st Pippa Plummer: Jupiter 11.41 2nd Kylie Holgate: Jupiter 13.09 3rd Arabella Thompson: Apollo 13.28

YEAR 8 1st 2nd 3rd

Jack Unwin: Saturn 10.51 Thomas Wallace: Saturn 11.31 Lucas Bennett: Jupiter 11.33

YEAR 8 1st 2nd 3rd

Grace Kingsnorth: Mariner 11.46 Laura Hooper: Saturn 12.27 Nicole Yong: Jupiter 12.33

YEAR 9 1st= 1st= 3rd

Jett Thompson: Jupiter 10.44 Luca Seerden: Jupiter 10.44 Adam Sharp: Saturn 11.22

YEAR 9 1st= 1st= 3rd

Ayla Hall: Jupiter 11.43 Yasmine Knight: Mariner 11.45 Megan Kennedy: Saturn 12.53

YEAR 10 1st 2nd 3rd

Angelo Yelich-Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Connor: Apollo 15.24 Alex Crook: Jupiter 15.25 Reid Rusholme: Jupiter 15.38

YEAR 10 1st 2nd 3rd

Aleisha Chalmers Apollo 17.38 Ava Unwin Saturn 18.18 Jenna Sprag Jupiter 18.24

MUDDY NORTH HARBOUR INTERMEDIATE CHALLENGE

SENIOR SCHOOL CROSS-COUNTRY RESULTS

In August Kristin Year 7 and 8 students competed in the North Harbour Intermediate Cross-Country at Sanders Reserve. This is the first year the Cross-Country was held at Sanders Reserve and all the athletes found it a challenge to complete two laps of the intense muddy and hilly course. It was a tough competition with many intermediate schools attending from the North Shore. Congratulations to Pippa Plummer who took out 5th place in the Year 7 Girls race. Also and amazing effort by Nicholas Sparg, George Rush (Year 7 Boys), and Nicole Yong (Year 8) who all placed in the top 30. Congratulations to all the students that competed and represented Kristin School.

BOYS GIRLS YEAR 11 1st Jake Lyons Katrina Miehlbradt 2nd Joshua Sampson Sophie Katavich 3rd Jacob Bradaczek Annabella Simmons Mariner YEAR 12/13 1st Connor Petrie 2nd Rhys Kimber 3rd Haoting Ma

Grace Dibble Natasha Windmeyer

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SWIMMING JUNIOR SCHOOL SWIMMING SPORTS A total of 187 keen young competitors entered the Northern Arena Swimming complex buzzing with excitement with the fun day ahead of them. House results showed Jupiter and Apollo both doing well on the day, with Jupiter winning the girls house relay and Apollo winning the boys. There was a tight finish in the final relay race of the day, between the staff house leaders team and the students mixed house teams. The student competitors showed composure and focus, while the staff team didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t quite rise to the challenge as the students edged ahead of them! Total house points overall this year, including finals, was a resounding win to Jupiter. Congratulations to these age group champions: 8 YEARS AND UNDER Hazel Hall - 1st in 25m freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly Dominic Lock - 1st in 25m backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly 9 YEARS Kaelyn McGhie - 1st in 25m backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly Hisashi Ariga - 1st in 25m freestyle, breaststroke, butterfly, 50m freestyle open 10 YEARS AND OVER Keira Spilling - 1st in 25m freestyle, backstroke, breaststroke, butterfly, 50m freestyle open Sam Logue - 1st in 25m freestyle, butterfly 24

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MIDDLE AND SENIOR SWIM MEET All Middle School students, along with Senior School swimmers, headed to the National Aquatic Centre to compete in the Kristin School House Swimming Championships for 2016. There was some great competition across all the age groups. The day was completed with some keenly contested House and class relays. It was great to see the House spirit and also the chance to watch our top swimmers compete against each other. Congratulations to the following swimmers: BOYS YEAR 7 1st Kevin Wu 2nd Remo Lock 3rd Indy Hubbard YEAR 8 1st 2nd 3rd

Cole Tetro Thomas Wallace Larry Lambourne

GIRLS Chantelle May Pippa Plummer Kylie Holgate Grace Kingsnorth Milla Brooke Georgie Shotter

JUNIOR U14 1st Clara Simmons 2nd Jade Bowater 3rd Aurora Kilfoyle

David Park Angus Syminton Dennis Yang

INTERMEDIATE U16 1st Zach McKee Wright 2nd Josh Sampson 3rd Tiernan Keane

Nora Zhang Sarah Swanepoel Clodagh Weir

SENIOR 1st 2nd 3rd

Alex Kiechle-Cornish Olivia Williams Oscar Gunn Jess Marsden Flynn Smith

VISIT FROM LORD BYNG In all the years the home team had never won the fixture. Kristin set about changing this with a very good 31-11 win.

Kristin’s friendship with Lord Byng, a public school in Vancouver, goes back a long way and there is a proud heritage of competitive rugby between them. We have had the privilege of hosting them at Kristin again this year. The Lord Byng boys and staff were ‘blown away’ by the beauty of Kristin and the generosity of the families that hosted them. The Kristin hosts were equally impressed with the Lord Byng boys, one parent saying that they were a “credit to their families, school and country”. When it came to the all-important game of rugby there was a statistic that needed to be corrected. In all the years the home team had never won the fixture. Kristin set about changing this with a very good 31-11 win over Lord Byng. Lord Byng had most of the territory and possession in the first half with Kristin staying in the game through dogged defence. In the second half the Kristin boys started to get the upper hand and eventually running out easy winners. The Lord Byng boys left with fond memories of Kristin and a group of Kiwi blokes they can call friends.

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KRISTIN SAILS AWAY WITH TROPHIES It has been a vintage season for Kristin sailing. Kristin became the first school to win the Auckland Fleet Racing Title, Harken Title and podium finish at the Team Sailing Nationals in a calendar year.

Kristin Team: Lachy Grimwade, Josh Berry, Jack Rush, George Rush, James Baker, Thomas Crook, Ben Gentry, Digby Eele, Carrington Brady, Claude Loomes, Henry Elsworthy.

AKSS FLEET RACING REGATTA

HARKEN YACHTING REGATTA

The Kristin Yachting Team secured the overall title for a second year in a row at the AKSS Fleet Racing Regatta. The weather was beautiful but conditions were quite challenging at times with variable winds. The event was packed with a who’s who of top young Auckland sailors, with a number of multiple-championship winners in the lineup. The event accumulates points across several classes and in many cases our students were racing in a class with limited experience. This can-do attitude was vital to securing valuable team points, more so given that several of our more experienced sailors were involved in other regattas.

The Kristin School 1 team (Henry Haslett, Oscar Gunn, Leonard Takahashi, and Lachlan Grimwade) won the 2016 Harken Schools Regatta in dramatic fashion.

The sailors whose ‘results’ were used to make up Kristin’s winning total were:

The team had to work hard to fight back into the top spot. Hard on their heels was second overall Kerikeri High School who sailed consistently well with a first, two seconds and a third in the first four races leaving them two points clear ahead of Kristin.

• • • • 26

Lachy Grimwade (winner overall Laser Radial) Josh Berry (4th overall Starling) Jack Lee Rush (7th overall Starling) George Lee Rush (3rd overall Optimist) 10.2016

After staging a dramatic recovery from a seventh in the first race of the day the team took line honours in the next three races and a second in the final race to win the Championship. During the first race, sailing upwind, the Kristin School team lost their spinnaker over the side and the time it took to recover it they were stuck in seventh position.

In the final race Kristin needed to finish two places ahead

Congratulations to Year 13 student Oscar Gunn and his teammate Francesco Kayrouz in winning the National title. This outstanding result reflected their consistency and discipline.

of Kerikeri to have any chance at winning the regatta. Around the top mark Kristin lead but were caught on the run by the Auckland Grammar B team who claimed first place in the final race. Kristin School were second across the line and Kerikeri were back in sixth place so Kristin was crowned the winner. Congratulations also to the Kristin 2 team (Thomas Crook, Ben Gentry, James Baker, and Josh Berry) finishing in a tie for 1st in the Silver Fleet, sadly placing second on count back. The team deserved to do better and all sailors are eager to prove themselves again next year. Kristin School is now one of few schools to win the regatta twice (2014 & 2016).

NZSS TEAM SAILING NATIONAL At the NZSS Team Sailing Nationals the Kristin team of Leonard Takahashi, Lachlan Grimwade, Josh Berry, Jack Rush, James Baker, Jackson Keon, Thomas Crook and Ben Gentry, and coached by Laurie Jury, finished an outstanding 2nd behind Kerikeri and ahead of Wentworth College.

29ER NATIONALS The 2016 29er Nationals were sailed across four days at Murrayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Bay Sailing Club, there was a fleet of 26 boats on the start line including three from Australia. With the current Australian National Champ, the 3rd ranked Australian team and the New Zealand helm from the last Youth Worlds in attendance, the competition was always going to be a tough one to win. Congratulations to Year 13 student Oscar Gunn and his teammate Francesco Kayrouz in winning the National title. This outstanding result reflected their consistency and discipline.

AUCKLAND 29ER CHAMPIONSHIPS The Auckland 29er Championships were held at Kohimarama on 1 February. Jackson Keon and teammate Tom Fyfe placed 1st under testing conditions, ranging from no wind to 20 knots!

This result secured Kristin Yachting with a place in the 2016 Inter-dominion School Team Racing Championships (Australia v New Zealand). 10.2016

KRISTIN SUCCESSES... FLYING SCHOOL Year 13 student Simon Driessen was awarded “The Rowe Scholarship” for an Outstanding all round student at the Walsh Memorial Scout Flying School held in Matamata during an intensive two-week course. After just over a week, Simon completed his first solo flight. As well as clocking up over 7 hours of flying time, more than 70 students at the school commit to theory lessons, huge amounts of revision and study, and of course exams that require a minimum 70% pass to complete the course. At a special awards dinner Simon was chosen for the $1000 award. The money is to be used for further flying lessons and will help in his ambition to gain his private pilot’s licence.

NZ IB TOP SCHOLARS’ AWARDS The IB Schools of NZ Top Scholars’ Awards Ceremony was held last Thursday evening at the Auckland Museum, recognising students who achieved 40 or more points in the IB Diploma in 2015. Twenty Kristin graduates of 2015 are now officially IB Top Scholars and, while several were unable to attend the ceremony due to university schedules, Kristin’s representation was such that our strength as an IB school was unmissable. Marko Garlick received special acclaim as the only student in New Zealand last year to achieve a perfect IB score of 45.

SILVER AT WORLDS FOR JACKSON Kristin sailor Jackson Keon capped off 2015 with a fantastic finish at the Youth World Sailing Championships in Langkawi, Malaysia over the summer break, bringing home the Silver medal in the Boys’ 29er competition. Jackson and his racing partner Nick Egnot-Johnson demonstrated incredible form across the five days of competition, winning five of their 13 races and claiming top-five finishes in all but four. This tremendous result comes on the tail of a very strong year for the pair who also won the UK 29er Nationals and claimed 7th in the Open World 29er Championships. Jackson also won the ASB Young Sportsperson of the Year award for Yachting and was a finalist in the Massey University Harbour Sport Excellence Awards in the International Performance of the Year category. 28

06.2015 10.2016

YOUNG PHYSICS TOURNAMENT Kristin participated in Auckland region’s 9th New Zealand Young Physics Tournament. Twenty-one schools across Auckland participated and this year a school from Hamilton also entered for the title of the Regional Champion. The tournament was a proving-ground of physics understanding and teams helped each other realise their strengths and weaknesses. There were many excellent presentations thanks to rigorous data collection and analysis that fully explained the phenomena. This year, Kristin’s Year 13 team of Tina Zhang, Hyeongjin Kim, Yilan Sun and Jimmy Xu (reserve) earned a respectable 13th place and the Year 12 team of Dhruv Ohri, Christina Yu, Jaffar al-Sakini and Felicity Qin (reserve) came 16th.

NORTH ISLAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS ORIENTEERING CHAMPIONSHIPS Congratulations to Tegan Knightbridge, Georgina Dibble and Megan Bruce on winning the Senior Girls relay title (racing up from Intermediate Girls grade). Also to Tegan for placing 3rd in the Senior Girls Long Distance Championship and Georgina for placing 3rd in the Intermediate Girls Long Distance Championship.The following students travelled to Napier in the final week of the school holidays to compete at the NISS Orienteering Championships: Sam Bedford, Jack Wallace, Tegan Knightbridge, Megan Bruce, Georgina Dibble, Henry Elworthy, Angus Syminton, Pippa Plummer (with Kay Knightbridge, Manager and Renee Beveridge, Coach).

GOLD AND BRONZE AT KIDS SING Our Junior School Treble Clefs Choir won Gold at the Kids Sing competition. Accompanied by Junior School parent Taylor Zhang on piano, Middle School student Claire Lu on violin and Mr Opeloge Ah Sam on percussion, the Treble Clefs attracted top marks for their three pieces. Led by Edith Poon, her incredible talent was certainly evident bringing out the very best in our young singers with her own original composition ‘That’s Me’ and a personallyarranged medley from ‘The Sound of Music’. Following on from our Treble Clefs success at the Kids Sing, our Year 7-8 Choir were awarded Bronze. They were led by Fleur Knowles and accompanied by Nora Zhang (Y10).

DIVISION II SWIMMING CHAMPIONSHIPS Tiernan Keane (Year 11), Josh Sampson (Year 9) and Katrina Meihlbradt (Year 11) went to Invercargill to participate in the New Zealand Division II Swimming Championships. It was the first major competition for these swimmers and they gained some valuable experience for the future. They all performed well and achieved some great results. Tiernan was our top performer and came back with a gold medal, two silver and two bronze medals. Josh won two silver medals and one bronze medal. 10.2016

AKSS SNOWSPORTS CHAMPS Seventeen Year 9-13 students represented Kristin School at the Auckland Secondary Schools Ski and Snowboarding Championships held at Snowplanet. With a bright and early start it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take long for Kristin to be standing on the podium with Juliette Perera taking out 1st place in the Girls Snowboarding Slopestyle event. The Kristin Girls Ski racers achieved great results with four girls, Grace Johnstone, Tess Porter, Billie Partington and Laura Jackson all placing in the top 10 competing against more than 80 other ski racers.The Kristin Boys Snowboarders started off strong with Mitchell Davern taking out 1st place and Samuel Finnemore in 3rd place for boys Slopestyle event. Oliver Whiley just missed out on a podium finish placing 4th in both the Snowboard Slopestyle and race event. Liam Clark finished in the top 10 for the Slopestyle and Zach Pickles in the racing. Connor Gilbert took out 3rd place in the Boyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ski Slopestyle with Lachlan Paterson and Nicholas Paterson finishing in the top 10. The Kristin School Boys topped off the day by receiving the 1st overall plaque for their combined points total.

YEAR 7-8 GOLF SUCCESS After three days of golf, often in wet and windy conditions, the Kristin Year 7-8 Golf team won the 2016 North Harbour Golf Intermediate School Cup, with an impressive score of 8-under (32-34-34). This is the first time that Kristin School has won the Intermediate School Cup. The team, made up of Anna An, Aiden van der Nist, Kevin Wei and Rian Wongsarot, did not let the difficult conditions affect their performance and led the competition from start to finish.

AKSS REGIONAL EQUESTRIAN TRIALS Three Kristin students took part in this event on 14 March at Silverdale Pony Club. Peta Kuluz, Martha Hudson and Tegan Brady all rode in Class 1 at training level. After a very good dressage test from all three riders, Peta and Martha went clear in the show jumping and both Martha and Tegan had clear rounds in the cross-country. Congratulations to the girls for their excellent attitude and team spirit throughout the day.

06.2015 10.2016

MOTHERS’ DAY It was a lovely warm autumn day when we held our Mother’s Day lunch this year on Monday 9 May. The children in the Junior School were excited to spend a special lunchtime with their mothers. They eagerly watched on as their mothers started to arrive and chatted together outside the classrooms with their lunches. The children in 2T wrote similes which they displayed proudly in their mother’s day cards. ‘You smell like a flower’ - Dora ‘You are as pretty as an ocean of daffodils, roses and lots more beautiful flowers’ - HaoHao ‘My mum is as smart as Hermione’ - Cooper ‘You are as soft as a pillow’ - Joel It was a wonderful day where the children were able to discuss with their mothers what they had been learning. Some students took their mothers through their classrooms and invited them to watch them play with their friends on the playground. Our children understand that Mother’s Day is a time to spend making our mothers feel appreciated for all they do for us.

GRANDPARENTS’ DAY The Junior School welcomed 600 visitors for another very successful Grandparents’ Day. There was a twinkle in many eyes as proud grandparents spent time in classrooms alongside their grandchildren. Many were amazed at the application of technology across the school, with iPads out in force. From the Kindergarten students’ demonstration of their photography skills, to the movie making and collaborative work of the upper school students, many grandparents commented on the obvious confidence that the students showed when engaging with these emerging technologies – gone are the days of slates and blackboards! The morning was shared via Skype with relatives in the United Kingdom, Germany, China, Australia, Canada and the United States; with many grandparents getting up in the very early hours of the morning to connect with their grandchildren. The grandparents enjoyed a lovely morning tea before enjoying a special assembly and a showcase of the junior school talents. The harmonic melodies of our choirs and instrumental prowess of individual and ensemble performers delighted the audience, both here and online – with over 70 viewers logged into the live stream. Grandparents play a special role in families and the lives of children, so it is always was a pleasure to spend time with them and share a snapshot of Junior School life at Kristin.

10.2016

KRISTIN AT...

THE LANTERN FESTIVAL Dances and songs presented by Kristin Junior School performers were a highlight of the Auckland Lantern Festival. New Zealand’s largest festival of Chinese culture, the Auckland Lantern Festival, was held at Auckland Domain. Thousands of festival goers were enthralled by the variety of colourful lanterns and entertained by the on-stage performances, which included puppetry, martial arts and live music from international performers. The colourful costumes, fantastic choreography and the enchanting music grabbed the attention of hundreds of audience members. Immediately after the dance, Year 5 students Griffin Kilfoyle and Lucinda Cotton introduced our items with clear and precise Mandarin - drawing strong praise from the audience. The three songs they presented were ‘Where is my friend?’, a song in praise of the friendship between New Zealand and China, ‘Selling Sweet Dumplings’, a traditional song for the Lantern Festival and ‘Congratulations, Congratulations’, a song dedicated to the Chinese New Year. The last item of our performance was the climax of our show. It combined three dances - “Gongxi, Gongxi”, “The Mushroom Girl” and “The Chinese Bride”, together to make a stunning ending of the performance.

THE ROBOTICS COMPETIITON Five Kristin teams competed at the VEX Robotics National Championships. All the teams performed well with 3 finishing in the top 10 teams in their respective divisions. Matthew Officer, Marty Kim, Jouveer Naidoo and Ethan Bull finished in very creditable 5th place in their division of 35 teams. Matt Mazer and Tristram Speedy finished 8th in the same division. These teams went on to lead the 3rd and 5th ranked alliances in their divisional finals. Adam McLeod and Finn Beavis finished 10th in their division to lead the 6th ranked alliance and were joined by Albie Thomas and Jimmy Xu’s team in the final rounds. Cam Scott and Joshua Wu performed well in their first big competition as a team but unfortunately missed alliance selection. The 3 Kristin alliances made it through the quarters to the divisional semi-finals where they were eliminated. The whole team received the Educate Award for development of the VEX IQ programme for junior students and were finalists in the excellence award which is the highest achievement at the competition.

POLYFEST Kristin students had the privilege of going to the Polyfest as part of the Polynesian club. Even though we stuck out in our formal white shirts and ties everyone there accepted us and loved showing us their culture. The happiness the crowd brought to the experience was amazing. We visited each stage ie Maori, Samoan, Tongan, Cook island, Niue and Diversity. Students enjoyed the multi-cultural idea of the Diversity stage and loved seeing all the different dances. Some of the dances had been modernised so they stood out to the younger crowd. The performers were amazing and had so much enthusiasm for what they were doing and understood the importance of where the dancers came from. All different cultural foods were also available. All in all, it was an awesome, fun day and I am so privileged to have experienced it for the second time. SAMANTHA MACRAE 32

10.2016

COMMUNITY NEWS IN MEMORIAM ETSUKO OGATA

TRIBUTE TO DENIS LEMMON

We were saddened to hear the news of the passing of Etsuko Ogata. Her contribution to the school both as a Japanese teacher and her general community involvement was significant. Etsuko completed nearly 20 years of service to the school and for that we are extremely grateful. Kristin School has the Kauri Club which recognises a group of people who have a strong connection to Kristin. It’s membership ranges from founding parents and board members to long-serving staff. We acknowledged Etsuko’s years of service to the school by awarding her an honorary membership to the Kauri Club.

Our thoughts go out to the family of Denis Lemmon, whose funeral was held Friday 26 February.

REMEMBERING VIV MORRISON We remember Viv Morrison who passed away in July. Viv was a teacher at Kristin from 19811996 during which time she was Head of School Primary/Intermediate (with Joan Baker). She was dearly loved by her students (who remember her as ‘Mrs Taniwha’) and has remained a very big part of the school community through the Kauri Club. Earlier this year Viv volunteered her time to help us document and record details of Kristin’s early days.

APOLOGY We would like to apologise that in a past edition of Kaleidoscope we mispelt the names of Vincent Hou and Lewis Tai.

Denis was involved in the formation of Kristin, with the very first meeting to formulate ideas for the school taking place at Denis and Diane Lemmon’s home in Glenfield in September 1972, even before public meetings were held. Through the early days of Kristin both Denis and Diane were heavily involved with the working bees and social events that helped build and support the fledgling school and when Kristin moved to Albany in 1978, Diane Lemmon organised pizza bakes to pay off a loan needed to ensure the school had a kitchen. Denis and Diane have always maintained their interest in the school through their involvement in the Kauri Club, while daughter’s Sue and Joanna Lemmon were second year foundation pupils, with Joanna being the first recipient of the Kristin Spirit cup. In 2008, Sue returned to Kristin as the Food Technology technician. It was fitting that a bunch of white roses from the Kristin Chapel garden were placed on Denis’s coffin.

FAREWELL TUI PARR Our thoughts are with the family of Tui Parr, who passed away on 22 March. Tui was the wife of Patrick Parr who was our Chaplain from 1981-1986.

ANZAC DAY Kristin School was well represented at ANZAC Day services across the region this year. A strong contingent joined the march at Browns Bay with another group parading at Takapuna. Our Prefects played a part in the service at Albany Hall with Toby Ellis presenting a reading. The Coatesville event was again well attended by students across the whole school, with Caitlin Sly delivering a solemn dedication. Feedback from across the North Shore commended our students on their poise, their pride in their uniform and their respectful contribution to the commemorations.

IN MEMORY OF DENNIS BROWN We remember founding parent Dennis Brown, who passed away in April. Dennis was a participant in the early name search for the school and some years ago he recalled how the name came about. “I always liked the name Kristin. I had a boat called ‘Christina’, our neighbour’s daughter was called Kristin and I thought it fitted in with the Christian ethic, so I suggested the name.” We are grateful to you Dennis. 10.2016

ALUMNI REUNIONS

Our 2016 Alumni Reunion programme has been a great success so far with great events in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington and London - and September events in Melbourne, Sydney and the Gold Coast. The Auckland reunion will take place 26 October.

The reunions have provided a fun and relaxed opportunity for everyone to step back from studies or busy work schedules.

The reunions have provided a fun and relaxed opportunity for everyone to step back from studies or busy work schedules, to catch up and reconnect with familiar faces and to hear about whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s been going on at Kristin since they left. This year, a new structure was added to the reunions with Executive Principal Tim Oughton sharing a brief overview of recent changes and his future plans for the school. This information was well received and it was fantastic to see the depth of connection that our alumni feel well beyond their graduation.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO ATTEND FUTURE REUNIONS? Contact Alumni Manager Lucy Wilson, lwilson@kristin.school.nz to register your interest.

The London Reunion

The Christchurch Reunion

The Wellington Alumni Reunion

10.2016

ALUMNI

ENGINEERING PERFORMANCE ELISE BEAVIS (2012) I first tried sailing due to an advertisement in the Kristin newsletter, distributed each week to the “youngest and only” in each family. Over the years, sailing increasingly became a larger part of my life including competing in the Byte CII at the inaugural Youth Olympic Games in 2010. After deciding against the Olympic route, I had dreamed of finding a way to combine my passion for sailing with my strongest academic subjects, Maths and Physics. I pursued a Bachelor of Engineering Degree from the University of Auckland and I have just graduated with a First Class Honours. I was part of the Accelerated Pathway which allows the completion of a BE (Hons) in three years rather than four. As a Kristin ‘Kindy Kid’ I was a bit worried about leaving the safe and familiar world of Kristin. So many of my childhood memories were made there, from the Kindy slide, to the old wooden Senior School playground, to the dismay of the spider web being burnt down one Guy Fawkes. I needn’t have worried; the transition to university was easy. In particular, Higher Level Maths with Mr Beanie prepared me very well for direct entry into Stage 2 Engineering Maths. My degree required the completion of 800 hours of practical work. Through a past sailing coach I was offered

summer work at Pure Design and Engineering for the summer of 2013-14. Pure is an engineering consultancy, primarily involved in the design of composite structures in the marine industry. I returned the following summer, achieving a total of 600 hours at Pure. Both summers I balanced work with two summer school papers and returning to sail my laser radial. One of the directors at Pure put me in touch with the technical director at Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ). I was offered an unpaid internship in the area of CFD (computational fluid dynamics) to complete my hours. I was then offered an ongoing job at ETNZ. Most of my work has continued to be in the area of CFD. Due to my confidentiality agreement I cannot tell you much about my work; however, I can tell you that working there is a dream come true. It has a really positive atmosphere and there is exciting work in progress. Being the only female engineer at ETNZ, I feel fortunate to have such a fantastic job. However, to a degree I believe we make our own luck. If I could offer a few pieces of advice to current students wanting to pursue engineering: do HL Maths, never work past 10pm for IB (11.30pm for university), and sleeping is the best form of study the night before an exam.

10.2016

ALUMNI

HUMAN STORIES TOM MCRAE (2000) To Kiwi journalist and former Kristin head boy Tom McRae (PY 2000), journalism is about finding the human stories that exist at the heart of wider events and situations. The Newshub Live presenter returned to New Zealand earlier this year to take on a new role within the TV3 news team. As a Newshub Live Weekend Presenter, working alongside Melissa Davies, and Senior TV Reporter, Tom is learning the craft of presenting while continuing to draw on his nine years reporting experience. It’s a challenge that provides the best of both worlds, he says. “The job is split in two. I present [the 6pm bulletin] in the weekend and then spend three days a week as a general news reporter. I get to learn the craft of presenting, which is new and different, while also building on my experience as a reporter. It’s good fun.” This exciting opportunity has come on the back of a few big years for Tom who has been TV3’s Sydney correspondent since 2013. During his time in Australia he has covered the Sydney siege, the Cricket World Cup Final and memorable Anzac commemorations. Last year, he was called up with two-hours notice to travel to France to cover the Paris attacks – an experience he describes as incredible and surreal, and an important story to tell. However, looking back on his career to date, the stories that has stuck with him the most has been those of the Christchurch earthquakes. 36

10.2016

Every day is completely different. You’re going into the unknown and you never know where you’re going to end up… “I was living in Christchurch at the time, working for TVNZ, so I was there right through the September and February quakes. Normally, as a reporter, you turn up to a story. You might be there for a week or two but eventually the story moves on, the country moves on, and so do you. But in Christchurch, we didn’t leave. The story was happening all around us and we were a part of the story.” When asked what it is about the job that gets him up in the morning Tom says, “Every day is completely different. You’re going into the unknown and you never know where you’re going to end up… You get to meet so many people and see amazing things, and get paid for it! I can’t think of any other career where you get those opportunities. Of course, sometimes you have slow days – maybe you have to sit through an Auckland Council meeting, for example – but even then you get to interview the mayor and speak to the people who are shaping the city. It is a privilege that a lot of other people just don’t get.” The world of journalism and media is undergoing such rapid change that it becomes impossible to know what is over the horizon. For Tom, that’s no concern. Right now he plans to get settled into his role, develop his skills and learn as much from the opportunity as he can. You can watch Tom on Newshub Live at 6pm on weekends and online at newshub.co.nz

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