Kristin Kaleidoscope 2024

Kaleidoscope

ISSUE 73 • JUNE 2024

Executive Principal

I’d like to share with you some of our vision for being Future Ready in our increasingly complex modern world, especially in this new age of AI and smart technology.

The recent growth in artificial intelligence (AI) has seen predictions of disruption in schooling. There is already a lot of debate, such as what should be taught and how to assess student performance validly. At Kristin, we already have our new framework for using AI across school tasks and assessments in place, which we will continue to evolve.

Such disruption has happened in the past. The invention of the printing press in the fifth century made books more affordable and accessible, leading to increased literacy rates and knowledge dissemination as well as social changes. Automation has been in place for decades, reducing manual labour employment and seeing schools respond with a greater focus on higher-order thinking and more qualified graduates.

The emergence of AI and smart technology comes at a time of increasing awareness of human diversity. This includes an increasing understanding of neurodiversity. I believe this will become more important as we start to redefine human talents in an AI environment, where we increasingly value originality and need talent diversity. This will likely lead to the need for mass personalisation within schools, as we accept that every talent is worth developing and that students can be self-talented if we enable them. With more opportunities for independent learning (using AI), our young people can develop their unique talents, become owners of their learning and connect globally. This will become truly student-centred schooling.

Large-scale personalised learning is possible in schools but will not happen overnight. The solution is not individual online learning or homeschooling – as these ignore the importance of social development and wider school offerings. While there is an increased emphasis on soft skills (e.g. teamwork, creativity), young people still need to master foundational skills around literacy and numeracy. The capacity of most schools to respond to this new environment will be daunting –and only likely to increase the growing divide between schools.

Such personalised learning at Kristin is already well underway, through the benefits of smaller classes where individual students are known and supported. Our specialist staff deliver personalised learning across specific areas such as visual and performing arts, sports, science and technologies. Our International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum provides a globally focused learning framework and rigorous standards for fostering higher-order thinking. Nurturing strong values, character and leadership development will be even more critical in an increasing world needing moral judgments. This all needs to be underpinned by a clear whole-school wellbeing framework.

We have been building this over the last few years to best prepare young people to maintain healthy lifestyles, belonging and their own sense of purpose and a meaningful life.

Our students can have the confidence of being Future Ready, looking forward to their future and the new opportunities it will bring in a world in which personalised strengths and attributes are likely to be more highly valued.

Mark Wilson EXECUTIVE PRINCIPAL

From the Board

It has been an exciting and productive six months for the Board. Following successful recruitment processes, we have welcomed two new parent governors and three new trustees to the Board table.

Unfortunately, at the end of May, our Executive Principal, Mark Wilson, resigned after nearly six successful years leading the school. As we have announced, the Board has commenced a recruitment process to find Mark’s replacement and is confident of securing the right person to drive the achievement of our strategy going forward. Mark is with us until the end of the year and is committed to delivering our goals and objectives during that period.

Our current strategy is firmly in place, and we are confident it enables Kristin to continue to provide outstanding educational offerings to our students. During the next six months, with a now full complement of Board members in place, we will look to endorse the strategy along with making any tweaks considered necessary. The strategy is supported by a robust operational plan. Achieving the operational plan is the responsibility of our Executive Team led by the Executive Principal. This team have targeted projects that are underway to ensure the plan is delivered, such as work on our campus master plan, brand refresh rollout, new payroll and HR systems, and the next stages of implementing our Wellbeing Framework. The Board is pleased with the progress to date on these projects, which in turn means we are confident that after six months, the team will achieve the operational objectives that support the strategy.

Our school operates under a Trust Deed. A key objective of that Deed is enabling students at the school to obtain the highest standard of education. Kristin’s educational framework of the Korowai Ako (Cloak of Learning) sets the key strategies around fostering quality teaching and learning, which in turn sets our priorities and action plans. The Board is pleased with the significant progress made in the area of wellbeing, such as the work done to strengthen clinical supports (e.g. counselling and nursing). The wellbeing of our students is critical to their learning. Mark’s team are now moving to focus on how we teach and equip students and how they deliver the relevant pastoral support (e.g., Deans) across our schools.

Research reinforces what parents already know: there is no greater influence on student outcomes than teacher quality. The Board is committed to ensuring the school recruits, retains and develops the best staff, and we are pleased there are several projects currently underway to enhance Kristin’s employee value proposition.

Another major piece of work undertaken in the last few years has been the development of the comprehensive property master plan to set out the future direction for campus development. This plan is informed by the school’s educational priorities, and a key focus is on upgrading teaching and learning spaces.

The Board will look to confirm this master plan in the coming months.

The Board recently concluded a successful recruitment process, and we are delighted with the appointment of two new parent governors and three new trustees. Our three new trustees are Melissa Cantell, Phillip Doak and Catherine Green. Melissa is a formal pupil of the school and has extensive experience across different sectors, including legal, insurance and financial services. Phil is married to our Head of Library Services Alison Hewett and they have two children who attended Kristin. Phil has expertise in consulting within the financial services sector. Catherine is a former student and is a lawyer with her own private practice which specialises in arbitration and mediation.

The new parent governors are Stephen England-Hall and Cristiano Marantes. Stephen has a child currently at Kristin, and his career background is in marketing and tourism, but he currently works in the energy sector. Cristiano has a child currently attending our school and he has also worked in the energy sector both internationally and domestically.

The Board thanks the continued great work of our staff over the first half of this year, especially with the great success of Camp Week and delivering a wide range of other opportunities to our students through sports and performing arts, including the stunning Senior School production of Grease, all while continuing to deliver high-quality teaching and learning.

The Board are looking forward to an exciting and successful second half of the year.

Richard Sharp BOARD CHAIR

Kristin Board, May 2024

Kristin Family and Friends (KFF) Update

At Kristin, where families founded the school, the central focus extends beyond students and staff. Family has always been at the heart of Kristin. Our community engagement principle emphasises meaningful connections with families, whānau, and the wider community.

A Kristin Parent Committee ‘Friend-Raising' initiative was established in 1973, which progressed to become Kristin Family and Friends (KFF) in 2005. KFF plays a pivotal role in giving every family an immediate connection and sense of belonging through engagement and friendship.

Many talented and hardworking chairs and co-chairs have left their mark, shaping the character of KFF, and we feel privileged to be a part of this journey.

As with all successful organisations, our formula is a collaborative team culture, efficient communication and delegated responsibility. We are fortunate to volunteer with many talented and enthusiastic people – three deputy chairs, 12 sub-committee members, 22 parent liaisons in Senior and Middle School, 36 class coordinators in Junior School, along with a multitude of parents and caregivers who give up their time to help with KFF initiatives such as lost property distribution, school tours and the Second-Hand Uniform shop. The parent liaisons and class coordinators, together with KFF members, meet each term with Kristin senior leadership members to discuss key themes, parent feedback and upcoming events.

The three deputy chair roles were created in 2019. This ensured that there was a member of the KFF team who had an independent focus on overseeing their respective school community and providing the co-chairs with valuable insight. As our children are no longer in Junior or Middle School, we value the deputy chairs' relationships who are integrated into the school’s parent group to ensure strong KFF connections across the wider school.

At Kristin, the parent community creatively raises funds primarily through the sale of second-hand uniforms. By recycling used uniforms, parents contribute to the KFF financial

funds while promoting sustainability. These funds are then reinvested in various initiatives, ensuring that our community benefits. Recently, we have supported the Prefects' Quiz Night and the So They Can #1HumanRace fundraiser, and we have bought stanchions and a red carpet for the school to use at socials and events. Additionally, funds are available to support student-led sustainability initiatives (Dove Seed Fund) and, if required, individual student needs (Dove Support Fund).

During our tenure, we have leveraged our professional experience to further strengthen the governance structure of the KFF. Justine (the strategic co-chair) has created a Book of Knowledge so that KFF procedures and plans are able to be easily followed by the next KFF chair/s. We have enjoyed creating a variety of new opportunities within the school, from a morning tea for Little Doves and Kindergarten parents to the pastoral and sustainability roles within the KFF members.

We have worked to ensure that we have been highlighting the personable and fun attributes of being a part of the KFF committee and the class and parent liaison teams, hopefully encouraging families to volunteer their future involvement in support of the school community.

As we look to end our time as co-chairs at the end of 2024, we hope that some of you might read this, look at our photos, videos, social media posts, and newsletters and consider joining a great group of people working hard to ensure that along with all of Kristin’s other successes, we continue the legacy of a strong and valued ‘Friend-Raising’ community.

Justine Rowe & Megan Richardson KFF CO-CHAIRS

Justine Rowe and Megan Richardson

KFF at the Summer Carnival

International perspectives

We are all aware that cultural adaptability and resilience are increasingly becoming important parts of ‘Future Ready’ skills. Often, the idea of learning to interact with culturally diverse peers and appreciate different perspectives can be challenging. International students at Kristin are here to learn, but they also offer different perspectives to the community.

At the beginning of this year, we welcomed 11 new international students from Austria, China, Korea, Switzerland and Thailand. By August, Kristin will have hosted 41 international students for the year. Most plan to gain a University Entrance Qualification at Kristin, while some are here to gain New Zealand experience during their short-term programme.

We invited Yuqing Ma from China, Vincent Fritsch from Austria, Panos Pornvichitchinda from Thailand and Dohyun Yu and Hayoung Yun from Korea to share their experiences and perspectives of their time at Kristin.

What made you choose New Zealand and Kristin?

"A friend of my father also went to Kristin for an exchange, and she was very positive about the school." – Vincent

"My family chose Kristin because of the friendly and welcoming community and, most importantly, the great academic support in IB education." – Dohyun

"New Zealand’s nature is breathtakingly beautiful and when I watched the All Black’s haka performance in 2019, I fell in love. Kristin offers the IB Diploma programme and a variety of extracurricular activities and events which greatly interested me." – Hayoung

How did you find the transition from your home country to New Zealand?

"The biggest change was the time difference and the temperature. " – Vincent

"The transition was very chill because the school really supported me, especially the International Services staff and my Dean." – Panos

Although getting used to a new culture and educational system was challenging, the International Committee assisted me in many ways, such as helping me make new friends and giving me tips for studying and settling in at Kristin." – Hayoung

What has been the most surprising thing for you about New Zealand?

"The 2023 Camp to Great Barrier Island was my first camp. In the beginning, I was afraid of some camp activities but I learned a lot of outdoor skills, including swimming, and it felt good." – Yuqing

"How calm and quiet it is everywhere." – Panos

Everywhere I go, I see oceans and nature! This is so different from where I lived in Korea. I mostly saw tall buildings." – Hayoung Tongariro camp experience. Walking in the mountains was just priceless – the beautiful vastness of nature and the fact that I was able to experience this first hand." – Dohyun

If you could take one thing (or one person) back home with you, what/who would it be?

"I would take Kristin's yearbook back home with me so I can show my family what I did during the year." – Yuqing

"The fresh air here with no pollution." – Panos

My friend Sehaj. I want to take her on a tour of the entire Korean peninsula, trying all the different regional foods." – Hayoung

Who are some special people you have met, and have they affected you in any particular way?

"All the teachers in the International Department have a great influence on me. Ms. Kim started communicating with me by email before I came to New Zealand. After arriving in New Zealand, she still helped me, not only at school but even in daily life." – Yuqing

My homestay family and friends who support me in every way they can." – Panos

"Mr Lisi from my music class has shown me what it means to be in love with music, which has inspired me greatly in many different ways. Not only do I admire his passion for music, but also his attitude toward something that he truly loves. When he talks about music, his eyes glow with sparkles. One day, I also want to find something I am passionate about and inspire people around me – just like he did for me." – Hayoung

Helen Kim MANAGER

Panos, Yuqing, Dohyun, Hayoung and Vincent

Term 1 - New International students

Moving to Kindergarten with confidence

There is no one prouder than a just-turned-four-year-old trying on their Kristin uniform for the first time and preparing to make the move from Little Doves to Kristin Kindergarten.

At the start of each term, a small group of children ‘graduate’ from Little Doves and transition to Kristin Kindergarten for the next step of their learning journey. They are supported and nurtured every step of the way through a carefully planned process of visits and preparation.

One key factor is making this transition as part of a group of children they already know well, often having been friends since they started at Little Doves as babies. They feel so much more confident and brave with their friends alongside them.

In their last term at Little Doves, they do regular visits to the Kindergarten, spending time getting to know the teachers and other children and becoming familiar with how things work at Kindy.

When it is time to leave Little Doves at the end of their final term, there is a special Graduation Ceremony to send them on their way. Parents and families are invited along to mark the occasion, the end of one era and the beginning of another.

Sarah Jones

LITTLE DOVES CENTRE MANAGER

KINDERGARTEN

Review returns high praise

The Education Review Office (ERO) conducted a routine educational review of our Kindergarten at the end of last year.

We are thrilled to report that ERO was highly impressed with our school's commitment to providing our students with a rich and diverse learning environment. The review highlighted our comprehensive planning documents that allowed for adaptive planning for each child paired with measurable data that informs our pathways forward for each child. Careful observation paired with child voice and parents' input created beautiful opportunities for children as they delved into the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme.

ERO has recognised our Kindergarten for it's rich and responsive curriculum that affirms its unique learners' identity, stating:

“Leaders and teachers are skilled in combining the expectations of the International Baccalaureate programme and Te Whāriki, the early childhood curriculum, in planning high-quality programmes for children. Planning is inquiry-based and multilayered, with a strong focus on children as global citizens. Leaders aim to continue their investigation into a place-based curriculum that seeks to support children as kaitiaki of this land.”

The ERO has informed the Kindergarten that their work with

children is of high quality, so much so that they would like to use the Kindergarten as a future case study for best practices within this sector.

From this review we have been able to reflect on all aspects of the programme and curriculum provided and hold high the value of child voice as we interweave our learning and documentation of their personal progression.

We are incredibly proud of the positive feedback received from ERO and attribute this success to the unwavering commitment of the teaching staff and the partnership of our dedicated families.

We would like to express our deepest gratitude to each and every one of you for your continued trust and collaboration in creating a supportive learning community for our children. Together, we look forward to continuing to deliver a programme supported by in-depth teacher knowledge and skills.

Leila Guillard KINDERGARTEN MANAGER

Nature Space captivates Junior School students

Moss

“Nature is a tool to get children to experience not just the wider world, but themselves.” - Steven

In Term 1, our Junior School students from Years 1-5 spent time in Kristin’s own native bush area bordering Lucas Creek as part of our bespoke Nature Space initiative, designed to have our young tamariki connect with nature and enjoy our bush and wild areas.

During the bug hunt, students discovered stick insects, beetles, worms and even skink eggs.

They created ornate leaf sculptures, observed birds and insects while relaxing in hammocks, and searched for all of the colours of the colour wheel while on a bush walk. They worked in teams to create games for each other and had to collaborate and cooperate to make bivouacs using only natural materials.

These sessions developed curiosity, confidence, teamwork and a greater love of our natural environment. People who develop a love of nature are more likely to want to protect it, and experiences like these are a way to develop a love for the beautiful natural environment we’re blessed to have right on our back doorstep at Kristin.

Managed iPad Programme

An important project got underway this year with the first stage of our Managed iPad Programme in the Junior School.

This programme is part of a three-year plan across the upper Junior School and will see all students from Years 4-6 have a managed school iPad by Term 1, 2026.

This year, every Year 4 student purchased a brand-new iPad, leased from the school. These students will take their iPads with them for the remainder of their Junior School journey through to Year 6, at which point the ownership will be transferred back to each family. From 2026 onwards, the successful delivery of the programme will mean all future Years 4-6 cohorts will have a managed iPad that they will use as a vital learning tool.

Having a managed iPad Programme is not only part of our commitment to being an Apple-distinguished school, but most importantly, it also ensures that we can use Apple Classroom to enhance digital wellbeing safety and optimise the use of technology for educational purposes.

Junior School Principal Jayne de la Haye is thrilled with this programme and describes some of the benefits for our students and staff:

“This is a very exciting and vital Future Ready programme for our students and our teachers. With the latest technology advancements continually developing, we need to make sure we are leading from the front and delivering the best possible educational offering for our students through technology. The managed iPad Programme will ensure we are doing this and will provide essential efficiencies in the classroom, as all students will be working off identical devices and software. With the assistance of our ICT team, we can also manage these devices effectively and safeguard our students from any online risks.”

In addition to this programme, a Junior School digital technology team has been initiated. This team is leading the upskilling of teachers in relation to how they use technology. This will enhance our teachers’ digital technology capacity to harness digital technology’s power effectively when teaching our students and will complement the effectiveness of the Managed iPad Programme.

Gifted and Talented Programme

One of the biggest points of difference at Kristin School is our people.

Our teachers work in partnership with students to create a one-of-a-kind learning environment, following the curiosities of our learners and discovering moments of joy and brilliance together.

Our Junior School teachers, especially our Enrichment Team, are attuned to the needs of individual students and skilled in student-centred strategies. Our school's investment in providing an enrichment teacher at every year level is a significant point of difference.

The Enrichment Team extend our children with countless opportunities to create bespoke learning environments for the gifted and talented. This team, in collaboration with the classroom teachers and Assistant Principals, are able to identify talent and support learning at the highest levels.

Our Enrichment Team in the Junior School, led by Chantel Ashley, has been working closely to ensure a coordinated, school-wide approach that provides teachers with a comprehensive understanding of the needs of the gifted and talented and of the strategies required to meet those needs.

Our Primary Years Programme (PYP) ensures that all our classes have a responsive learning environment, in which stimulating learning experiences take place. This helps to challenge our gifted and talented students and ensure that their special abilities are nurtured, developed, and recognised.

Chantel Ashley

ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

KRISTIN JUNIOR SCHOOL

Grandparents' Day

Grandparents' Day is one of the most anticipated events on our Kristin Calendar. It was so lovely watching our grandparents interact with their grandchildren.

This day reminds us of how special our grandparents are. We reflect on how remarkable they are, with extraordinary wisdom. These special people have raised children of their own. They have learned the art of patience, reflection and giving of their time, energy, and love. They have learned from their successes as well as their mistakes.

As we moved around the Junior School on this memorable morning (in between fire alarms), the unconditional love in the air was palpable. It was shared not only with their grandchildren but with all the students. Families are now often spread across the globe, and children may need to adopt or share grandparents on these special school days, yet grandparents have a generosity of spirit that makes all children feel like the centre of attention.

We were blessed this year with the return of retired Kristin teachers, great-aunts, uncles and godparents who warmly adopted a few Kristin grandchildren for the morning.

Fostering a connection across generations is an important foundation of growing up, learning from the wisdom and past experiences of others, and sharing delight in the wonders of the present.

Grandchildren can be a link to the future for our Kristin grandparents, and for our students, their grandparents are their link to the past.

To our Kristin grandparents, we thank you for the work you have done and continue to do for our young people. We hope that you enjoy this special annual event as much as your grandchildren do. You are a special part of our Kristin family.

Chantel Ashley ASSISTANT PRINCIPAL

Independent Inquiry in Year 3

YR3 TO BE UPDATED

One of Kristin’s points of difference is our ability to cater to the needs and interests of individual students.

In Term 1, Mrs Sherie Murray, our amazing Year 3 Enrichment Teacher, helped a small group of students follow their passions by inquiring into an area of personal interest. The group took regular trips to the library to visit Mrs Jemi Shah, who helped students find the resources they needed to further their inquiry. The range of interests was diverse, with students inquiring into DNA, Gems, K-Pop, Animation, Art, Space and Evolution. As well as books, students used online resources and spoke to experts to learn more. After completing their inquiries, the students reflected on the individual inquiry process:

“I like it because I can inquire into anything I want to. It doesn’t have to be a specific, common inquiry that everyone’s learning about. I can choose to learn about my own interests” – George

“It’s great because I didn’t just learn about what animation is, but I learned how to animate. So now, when I grow up, I can be an animator. It’s not just learning, it’s doing” – Sam

KRISTIN JUNIOR SCHOOL

“I like it because I can learn more about the topics I like. I don’t have a lot of time to learn about this at home, so I like the idea of using my free time to learn more at school” – David

Sam had this advice for other curious inquirers:

If you’re interested in learning more about something, you can do what we’ve done. You can look it up in books, research it on the iPad or talk to people who know a lot about it. When you learn more, you’ll get even more interested. You may even want to use what you’ve learned in your job when you grow up!”

Science Unit of Inquiry

The Science Curriculum is embedded within our Units of Inquiry across the Junior School as part of the Primary Years Programme (PYP). Our aim is to foster a passion for Science amongst the students.

We believe that all students should learn to appreciate that science is all around us, and we aim to provide an enriching Science education across the disciplines of Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Students are encouraged to think analytically and develop skills that will allow them to adapt and contribute to an ever-changing world of science. We believe students should develop practical based skills to supplement their theoretical knowledge and that this should promote an intellectual curiosity and passion for science.

These aims were evident in our recent Year 5 scientific study of physical and chemical change. The children loved the opportunity to conduct exciting hands-on experiments. They looked at three lines of inquiry: the characteristics of matter, the process that leads to changes of state, and scientific processes related to everyday use.

Science is an exciting subject that is constantly changing. At Kristin, we encourage our students to solve problems, observe carefully, debate issues and work as a team. They will learn how to make hypotheses, plan and carry out practical investigations, explore biotechnology, discuss global issues, and, in the Years 5 and 6 areas, discuss the ethics of science.

Trips to external learning environments such as the Auckland Zoo and MOTAT and a Forensics Day in Year 6 are just some of the adventures our children enjoy as part of our curriculum in the various year groups.

Extracurricular activities and STEM clubs provide an exciting place for budding young innovators to explore the world of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics in our Junior School.

Garden to Table Club

Every Thursday afternoon, a collection of budding horticulturist Junior School students put on their gardening gloves and gather at the potting sheds for their weekly Garden to Table Club session.

Garden to Table is a charitable organisation providing this programme and initiative for schools throughout New Zealand, with the motto ‘Grow, Harvest, Prepare, Share’. As the motto suggests, the students get their hands dirty, learn how to grow fruit and vegetables, harvest the produce and spend time in the kitchen discovering how to cook the kai they have created. Other gardening tasks are thrown in along the way, such as weeding, watering, painting garden signs and other garden maintenance activities.

Through these tasks, the students learn to work together while also developing a deeper understanding of the environment and the importance of looking after it. They garner a better understanding of where our food comes from and learn the benefits of eating healthy, freshly grown produce. Most importantly, it gets them outside and having a good time with their peers.

We are lucky here at Kristin that there are great facilities for the Garden to Table Club to thrive, such as the potting sheds, vegetable gardens and our Food Technology classrooms.

Now that the horticulture seed has been planted, these students will hopefully go on to be involved in other environmental groups at Kristin, such as Roots and Shoots or the Lucas Creek Restoration Club. They may study Environmental Science in the Senior School or create their own gardens at home, and in a few years, they may even find themselves helping and guiding future budding horticulturist Junior School students at Garden to Table Club. KRISTIN JUNIOR SCHOOL

The club is championed by Mrs Archana Lal, Curriculum Leader in Chemical Sciences, and Mr Chris McLeod, Kristin’s Sustainability Coordinator and Environmental Sciences Teacher. It is also supported by Senior School students who volunteer their time to assist with the club.

“It is fantastic to see these young students getting excited and getting involved, learning to grow food, being patient while it grows and then being rewarded with the harvest, as well as learning some cooking basics and environmental principles along the way,” says Mrs Lal.

KRISTIN MIDDLE SCHOOL

Students raise $ 35, 000 for So They Can

The Middle School got behind the charity So They Can for their annual #1HumanRace fundraiser this year.

So They Can is led by CEO Cassandra Tredwell, a Kiwi living in Wanaka who, after speaking with mothers in displacement camps in East Africa, decided to start So They Can to improve educational offerings, especially for girls in that part of the world. Their website states, “Education is the driver for sustainable change, and So They Can believe that empowering communities through a quality education is the key to breaking the poverty cycle.” Their mission is to “...provide quality education to children living in poverty through improved learning conditions, teacher training, child development and women’s empowerment through inclusive partnerships with the community and governments.”

Every year, the #1HumanRace campaign encourages as many people as possible to move their bodies (walk, run, swim, bike or scooter) 85km across March, raising money as they tick off the kilometres. Along with the Year 13 Middle School Liaison Prefects, we encouraged all our Middle School students to get involved to help us raise our ambitious goal of $24,000 for So They Can.

The Prefects and Year 10 Student Council offered support and incentives along the way in the form of ice bucket challenges

and the promise of Andrew Balla (Year 13 Prefect) getting a public haircut by a group of students when we reached the $24,000 milestone.

Not only did we reach our goal, but we surpassed it by ten thousand dollars, raising a mighty $35,000!

Cassandra Treadwell has said of our efforts:

“It costs just $600 to prevent a girl in our Baringo community in Kenya from being sold into child marriage and enable her to attend our rescue boarding school for a whole year. I wish more knew this as, I am sure, given the amount, that would mean we could save so many more girls. I am extremely grateful that Kristin understands this and has worked so hard to raise an incredible $35,000 for our #1HumanRace, enabling almost 60 girls to be saved and educated. I am just so proud of the students because this legacy will last for generations.”

We want to thank Prefects Andrew Balla, Ollie Birch, Daichi Iizuka, Uma Chirotarrab and Lily Rushworth for their unwavering support, the Year 10 Student Council, which ran an epic Spooky House at the Summer Carnival and donated all the funds to this cause, and the KFF, who donated $500. We would also like to thank all of the amazing students, families and staff who got out, moved their bodies and raised money for this fantastic cause.

Kate Pollard MIDDLE SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Andrew Balla losing his locks

Spooky House at the Summer Carnival

Prefects: Ollie Birch, Uma Chirotarrab, Daichi Iizuka. Randal Yao and Andrew Balla

KRISTIN SENIOR SCHOOL

Senior School Update

We are only halfway through the 2024 school year, and it has already been action-packed with events, camps, trips, a very successful production and fantastic results across the board.

I am incredibly proud of our 2023 cohort, who posted exceptional results in both the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma and NCEA Level 3. Notably, 36% of our IB Diploma students scored 40 or more points, and we were honoured to acknowledge these students at the IB Top Scholar Awards held at Kristin in early February. Many of our students also received offers from top-tier universities worldwide (see pages 22 and 23 for more).

Building upon our students’ results, Kristin was thrilled to achieve a second-place ranking in the Crimson Education report released in May. This result is further evidence of the excellent, all-rounded education our students receive.

In stark contrast to the wild weather that plagued Camp Week last year, the skies were clear this year, and our Senior School students departed for a week of fun, team building and personal discovery. Year 11 students went on camp with their House peers, with four destinations: Taupō Bay, Motuora Island, Whananaki and Kai Iwi Lakes. Year 12s were in Tongariro or at PE Camp kayaking around the Tawharanui area. Many of our Year 13s were developing their leadership skills by assisting on Middle School or Year 11 camps, but there were also contingents on Outdoor Education, Sustainability or Tertiary Futures expeditions. Camp Week is engrained in the fabric at Kristin, and it was great to complete all our camps safely and successfully.

Our school was founded fifty-one years ago, and as is tradition, it was celebrated on Foundation Day in March. Our biggest Summer Carnival ever (by all accounts) capped off the day, and it was brilliant to hear this event was extremely well attended by the Kristin community, with many funds raised for various deserving groups and organisations.

While the carnival was in full swing on the Auditorium Fields, I was in Daegu, South Korea, for the 2024 International Baccalaureate (IB) Global Conference. It is always important to connect with other IB schools from all over the world to measure ourselves, ensure we are doing the best we can for our students, learn what other schools are doing and work

with them to collectively enhance our educational offerings.

In the Term 1 holidays, a group of Senior School Drama students had the opportunity of a lifetime, travelling to England for the ‘Kristin Goes Global’ trip. The students retraced Shakespeare’s footsteps, completed workshops in the famous Globe Theatre, attended several plays, and returned with extra love and appreciation for Performing Arts (see pages 34 and 35 for more).

Continuing the Performing Arts theme, Grease was the word in early Term 2 for our Senior School Production, and our students delivered four electrifying performances. These productions are massive undertakings that require a tremendous amount of commitment from the many students involved, whether on stage or backstage. Grease was yet another reminder of the extraordinary talent we have here on campus.

On the courts, fields, pools and many other sporting arenas, Kristin has been well-represented, and our teams and athletes have been putting in phenomenal performances. Some have even been selected to represent New Zealand in their chosen field. I want to thank all our students who have been involved in sports so far this year, and I wish you the best of luck as you continue to excel and represent the dove with pride.

I have been pleased with the smooth transition of our newest Senior School students, who have made the step up from Middle School to Year 11, and I am looking forward to working with them and seeing them grow and develop into young adults over the next two and a half years.

There is plenty more to come in what will undoubtedly be a busy second half of this year. I wish students, staff and the entire Kristin community all the best and look forward to catching up with you on campus, at one of our upcoming events or on the sidelines of a sports match.

David Boardman SENIOR SCHOOL PRINCIPAL

Students combating mental health

A pair of Senior School students, Head Prefect Randal Yao and fellow Prefect Matthew Zheng, are leading from the front with initiatives to tackle mental health discussions among students.

Their first initiative is the State of Mind group that they have created here at Kristin. Open to all Senior School students and teachers, the group meets once a week and aims to create a safe space for students to discuss mental health without the fear of judgement. Different perspectives are shared and talked through openly, with many refreshing ideas and outcomes.

For Randal, this is a passion project and something he believes is incredibly important for today’s students:

“There are a lot of issues and complexities in our world today that affect a student’s mental health. Rather than a group therapy session, we wanted to create a place where open discussion can be had without any judgement and help to combat the stigmatisation that surrounds mental health. Mental health is important, and taking care of yourself mentally should be the norm, and hopefully, this group can help to do that among Kristin students.”

Not only are they doing great work here at Kristin, but Randal and Matthew are also working with other schools on a wider mental health-related project called ‘The ASK Project’ – which stands for The Auckland Schools Kōwhai Project.

As part of the ASK Project, they have been collaborating with students from other schools, such as Pinehurst, Westlake Boys High School, Rangitoto College and many others, to provide resource packs and raise awareness among fellow students of the importance of positive mental health.

The project also aims to raise funds for mental health initiatives and has some events in the pipeline, including a speakers' seminar and a concert to assist with these fundraising and awareness-raising efforts. They are also in discussions with established organisations, such as Voices of Hope, to collaborate with.

“We are privileged with our wellbeing services here at Kristin, but other schools aren’t so lucky. By disseminating resource packs, which are now being used and shared at many schools around Auckland, and organising events, we want to ensure the things we are doing here, like the State of Mind group, are being done at other schools to combat mental health,” explains Randal.

Be sure to keep an eye out for events in the near future and get behind these outstanding students who are on a path to better mental health among our students here at Kristin and afar.

Prefects: Randal Yao and Matthew Zheng

Prefect Quiz Nights

Our busy Prefect team organised two fun-filled quiz nights during Terms 1 and 2.

Starting with the Students’ Quiz Night in Term 1, Senior School students attended a night of games and quizzing in the Common Room. There were some fabulous costumes, with many students dressing up as – and doing their best impersonations of – their favourite teachers, which led to plenty of laughs and banter throughout the evening.

Term 2 brought about the Parents’ Quiz Night, also held in the Common Room. A sold-out event with a masquerade theme, the night included a very hotly contested quiz followed by a live auction, where some big ticket items were up for grabs. All funds raised from the night went towards the Prefect Project, which is supporting some superb initiatives.

A huge thank you to our wonderful Prefects for organising these two great events, our auction item donators, the KFF for their support, and all who came along and got involved in the fun!

KRISTIN SENIOR SCHOOL

Prefect Project supporting Birkdale Primary School

This year, our amazing Prefect team is supporting Birkdale Primary School through one part of their Prefect Project.

Kristin has had a connection with the school in the past, so it was a fitting choice to work with them again this year. Birkdale Primary School is a decile five school in Birkdale on Auckland’s North Shore, and it doesn’t always have access to the types of resources and opportunities that are available at Kristin.

The first part of the project involves electives once a term, where our Prefects head to the school for half a day to hold different workshops. These have so far ranged from playing sports and games to making food and running other fun activities to engage with the students.

Head Prefect Randal Yao describes how the project has been going so far:

“The workshops have been really successful and lots of fun. It’s been rewarding to spend time with the students at Birkdale Primary School, form bonds and foster connections with them and offer them opportunities that they may usually not have or experience – things that we are lucky enough to get to do every day at Kristin,” says Randal.

The team has also been working hard to raise funds for the project through events such as the Summer Carnival (where they sold cookie ice cream sandwiches) and the Parent Quiz Night.

With these funds, the Prefect team has been making donations to the school of things that they need, such as stationery, sports equipment and musical instruments.

“We only want to donate things that they genuinely need and things that they wouldn’t usually have easy (or any) access to. Stationery is important so that the students can keep learning effectively in the classroom, but we also wanted to give sports and musical equipment so that the students can learn what these things can offer them.” says Randal.

Head Prefect Lily Rushworth says that their help and involvement has been well received by the students at Birkdale Primary School:

“It has been super successful so far. The kids are really appreciative of everything and are always excited and having a fun time when we come to visit. Seeing them positively engaging in the workshops really motivates us to fundraise as much as we can and help make a real change for them. Helping other people and giving back to the community are key parts of our Kristin values, which I think we are representing with this project.”

The Prefect team are looking forward to continuing this project with the students at Birkdale Primary School for the rest of the year.

Graduating Class of 2023 – Destinations

Graduating Class of 2023 - Destinations

We are very proud of our 2023 graduates. In 2024, 92% of the class will enter tertiary study in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, the USA, Europe, Canada, Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore. 7% selected to take a gap year before they plan to commence their university studies.

Over half of our graduates studying in New Zealand are attending the University of Auckland, with a further 11% attending Auckland University of Technology (AUT). The University of Canterbury, as the second most popular destination, has increased in popularity.

Popular courses of study are Engineering, Law, Commerce, Science, Health Sciences or Biomedical Sciences and a Bachelor of Arts. Other courses include Design, Global Studies, Information Technology, Computer Graphics and Game Design, Paramedicine, International Relations and Philosophy, Politics and Economics.

AUSTRALIA

Nearly one-quarter of our students have chosen Australia for study, with top choices being a move to Melbourne or Sydney:

• University of Melbourne (12)

• University of Sydney (10)

• University of New South Wales (8)

• Monash University (2)

• University of Adelaide (2)

• Bond University (1)

• Torrens University (1)

Congratulations to Jacob Wang (Monash University) and Malika Bakhtiiar (University of Adelaide) who gained direct entry to study medicine.

Further afield, nearly 20% of our graduates will study in the UK, USA, the Netherlands, Canada and Asia.

UNITED KINGDOM

Our students gained offers in the UK at top Russell Group universities:

• University of Bristol

• University of Cambridge

• Durham University

• University of Edinburgh (6)

• University of Exeter

• King’s College London (7)

• London School of Economics and Political Science

• University of Manchester (3)

• University of Nottingham

• University of Oxford

• University of Sheffield

• University College London (2)

• University of Warwick (3)

• University of York

Moving to the UK:

• Arahan Chattopadhyay - Aston University (Politics with International Relations)

• Maya Farmer - University of St Andrews (Chemistry with Medicinal Chemistry)

• Yeon Seo Kim - University College London (English Literature and French)

• Lorreta Wang - London School of Economics (Law)

2023 DESTINATIONS

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Our students received offers to study at the following top 100 US universities*:

• Cornell University

• University of California - Los Angeles

• University of Michigan - Ann Arbor

• Duke University

• New York University

• University of California - San Diego (4)

• University of Illinois - Urbana Champaign

• University of California - Davis (3)

• Brown University

• University of Southern California

• University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill)

• University of California - Irvine (2)

*Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2023

We have ten students confirmed to study in the United States:

• Jason Chen – Cornell University

• Muhan Cui – Hamilton University

• Michael Feng – University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

• Olivia Sewell – The University of North Carolina (Chapel Hill) and Duke University

• Jacqueline Tsui – Northeastern University

• Martin Wang – New York University

• Tongsheng Wu – University of Michigan

• James Zhang – University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

• Lilian Zhang – Rice University

• Richard Zhang – Brown University.

Beyond the UK and US, we have students moving to:

Canada, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, Korea, Japan and Singapore for their tertiary studies, including:

• Vivien Luo – National University of Singapore

• Mike Yan – University of Hong Kong (Politics, Philosophy and Economics)

• Sam Zhang – University of British Columbia (Engineering).

Susan Brosnahan CAREERS AND UNIVERSITY ADVISOR

* All information correct as of May 2024,

KRISTIN SENIOR SCHOOL

Olivia Sewell Secures Robertson Scholarship

Class of 2023 student Olivia Sewell has accepted the prestigious Robertson Scholarship to study at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and Duke University.

The Robertson Scholars Leadership Program funds young leaders from around the world, including New Zealand, each year. The scholarship is valued at about $100,000NZD per year for up to four years and covers the scholar’s study, living and travel costs. Scholars also participate in summer internships, research or international community projects.

The UNC Robertson Scholarship and the Duke Robertson Scholarship look for four key character traits in applicants: purposeful leadership, intellectual curiosity, strength of character, and collaborative spirit. The program is very competitive, with several thousand applicants applying each year, which is whittled down to a few hundred semi-finalists. Even fewer finalists will ultimately compete in the final round of interviews. The final cohort of scholars includes around 27 recipients of the UNC Robertson Scholarship and the Duke University Scholarship.

Olivia sums up her excitement below:

“I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve accepted the Robertson Scholarship to study at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill and Duke University. I went to Robertson’s Connection weekend in early April, where they flew us to North Carolina for three days. I was really struck by how much everyone cared about the potential ‘Robbies’ and how the Executive Team seemed to be such champions of us, even from the very beginning – just like at Kristin.”

Executive Director of the Robertson Scholarship Program, Andrew Lakis, told Olivia:

“You are a perfect Robertson! We are impressed with your

authenticity, vigour for life, thoughtfulness towards others, and impressive academic and extra-curricular achievements. We believe your varied interests in the arts and music will make you a valuable contributor to our cohort and that you are uniquely positioned to leverage all the opportunities our program offers.”

Olivia passed on her thanks to everyone at Kristin who has been a part of her journey and finished by saying – “I’m so thrilled! Life is certainly a daring adventure.”

Business Studies

The year has already been busy for our Business and Enterprise students, with lots of opportunities to apply what they are learning in the classroom to the real world—after all, that is what Business and Enterprise is all about! Here are some of the interesting things that our students have been up to…

Young Enterprise Scheme (YES)

The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) is an opportunity for Years 12 and 13 students to unleash their inner entrepreneur and experience the start-up world first-hand. It is an experiential programme where students set up and run a real business. Each YES company creates their own product or service and takes this to market. There are a series of challenges students must complete throughout the year. This year, we have 11 YES companies competing in this prestigious competition. The products they are developing include hand-crocheted key chains, DIY perfume, ice block smoothies, gourmet cake mixes, and much more. Over the last weeks of Term 1, students were working on Challenge 1, where they were required to validate their products. This involved the development of prototype products and market research to test their ideas and get valuable feedback from the community to inform their next steps. You may have seen some of our students at the Summer Carnival, or out and about in the North Shore community at the weekends. Early in Term 2, students pitched their Business Plans at Shore Junction (Takapuna) to a panel of judges from the Auckland business community.

NCEA Level 2 Business Studies visit to Chelsea Sugar Factory

As part of the NCEA Level 2 Business Studies course, students must apply their knowledge of business operations to a large New Zealand Business. In Term 1, students visited the Chelsea Sugar Factory to get an insight into their production processes and human resource strategies. Students spent one hour on a factory tour where they saw the entire production process, from where the sugar gets unloaded from the ships to the vast array of finished products, most of which are in the form of sugar syrup. They also had a one-hour cooking class where they baked

melting moments, putting into practice their knowledge of batch production. Finally, they spent time in the interactive zone, where they learnt a little about the history of Chelsea from its humble beginnings in 1884. Students will use examples from Chelsea Sugar in one of the NCEA external exams they will sit at the end of the year.

Business Studies visit to Vertical Adventures

Year 11 Business Studies started their course learning about Entrepreneurship and Human Resources. Students visited Vertical Adventures, an indoor climbing facility in Glen Eden, to get an in-depth look at the founder’s entrepreneurial journey. They learnt about his motivations for starting the business, the challenges he faced along the way, how Vertical Adventures evolved in response to external events over the years and some insights into the day-to-day workings of the business. Students were offered the opportunity to climb the unique handcrafted climbing walls in between sessions, an opportunity enjoyed by all. Students walked away with an in-depth appreciation for what it takes to start up and keep a business viable. SUBJECT IN FOCUS

Guest speakers

We were very fortunate to have two guest speakers from the business community come to Kristin and talk with our Business Studies students. Shyr Godfrey, one of the founders of nut butter company Forty Thieves, spoke to a group of Year 11s about her entrepreneurial journey and the humble beginnings of the now very successful company. Students were also very lucky to get some free samples of the premium product that they were able to take home and enjoy with their families. Andes Skoe, the CEO of Trade Me, also gave up his valuable time to talk with our Business Studies students. He shared his experiences in various global companies through to his current position. In addition to the many pearls of wisdom, he was able to share some insights into the marketing decisions of this iconic New Zealand company.

NCEA Level 3 Business Studies businesses

As part of the internally assessed components in NCEA Level 3 Business Studies, students are required to collaborate in planning and carrying out a sustainable and innovative business activity. Students must prepare a business plan, get feedback from their mentors and sell their product to the wider community. Students have been busy developing dog treats, handmade tote bags and much more. At the time of writing, all groups were well underway with producing and selling their goods. The course provides a valuable opportunity for students to develop their collaboration and problem-solving skills – students are truly coming to understand that working with others and running a business is much more challenging than they may have thought!

Helen Berghuis CURRICULUM LEADER BUSINESS STUDIES

SUBJECT IN FOCUS

Outdoor Education

Education in an outdoor environment is a major part of life at Kristin, with many camps, sports and outdoor learning opportunities available to students from Junior School through Senior School. Delving deeper into this is our Outdoor Education (OED) programme, which has a long and successful history as an important and much-loved subject within our curriculum.

Officially starting in Year 9, students can select OED as a subject for two terms of the school year. The Year 9 programme gives students a solid taste for the subject and includes activities such as canyoning, days out exploring and learning in regional parks, snorkelling at Goat Island, knot-tying lessons, shelter building and more. Another part of the Year 9 programme is the ‘Less is More’ camp held in the bush loop area by Lucas Creek. This is a minimalist overnight experience involving bushcraft, cooking and other outdoor activities. The Year 9 programme is popular, with four classes taking part per semester.

As students move through to Years 10 and 11, there are other OED opportunities, with the Sports Studies programme including some OED aspects, but Year 12 is where the fun really begins.

Year 12 OED activities include rock climbing, tramping, sea kayaking and outdoor first aid. Within these activities, students explore the significance of the outdoors and physical activity, examine group processes and social responsibility, and implement opportunities for others in the outdoors. The course strives to contribute to young people’s life journeys through rich outdoor learning experiences.

Year 13 OED builds on the solid foundations of the previous year

and takes things up a notch with more advanced disciplines such as white water kayaking (including a camp in the Central North Island), lead climbing and mountain biking. Risk management, sustainability, personal performance, and philosophy are some of the many theory aspects taught and applied throughout the year. Students also develop their leadership by teaching Year 9 students rock climbing here on the climbing wall at Kristin.

OED isn’t just about getting outside, having fun and challenging yourself; there is a wide range of important life lessons that students learn and absorb throughout the programme, as our Teacher in Charge of Outdoor Education at Kristin Mr Derrick Newton describes below:

“Outdoor Education provides so many rich learning opportunities for our students. Time management, tolerance for adversity and uncertainty, teamwork, character building, conservation, leadership and risk management are some of the major learnings. Students also learn to work with others under tough circumstances, conditions or environments. I believe the OED programme is about extending yourself beyond the classroom and learning realistic transferable skills that can be applied in the real world.”

To tell the OED story further, we caught up with two current Year 13 OED students, Felix Li and Jasmine Fruish, to get their insights into the subject.

What do you enjoy the most about Outdoor Education?

“It is the one place where I can get out of my comfort zone and challenge myself while being safe and protected by the instructors. It is also good to interact with nature and have some time outside the classroom to be myself again.” – Felix

“The extensive opportunities that OED presents. Through experiences in OED, we are able to deeply explore unique physical skills like white water kayaking, lead climbing, offtrack tramping, mountain biking and so much more. These opportunities allow us to grow with our peers and instructors and learn so much about ourselves.” – Jasmine

Why did you choose Outdoor Education?

“For me, it started with Year 8 electives day. I spent an hour in the OED shed baking cinnamon rolls and standing around the fire, which got me hooked on the idea of Outdoor Education. When my short time of OED in Year 9 ended, I knew I would be back again.” – Felix

“I chose to do OED because the subject encourages our growth and development. From my experience, OED at Kristin teaches us skills and life lessons necessary for the transition between high school and life after school.” – Jasmine

What are the key things that Outdoor Education has taught you?

“From the training I have received in first aid, I am now able to protect the people I care about and provide service towards people who need it – I was even able to help a lady who collapsed on the flight I was on due to hypoglycaemia. From someone who used to complain about a tramp in Long Bay to surviving three days in Te Urewera National Park sleeping under a tarp, I am always amazed at the positive change OED has had on my life and is always providing me with new challenges to take on." – Felix

“We learn the importance of patience, trust, how to work as a team and how to deal with complex challenges. OED has taught me how to better understand a group's functions, the needs of my peers and how to problem-solve effectively.” – Jasmine

For more information about Outdoor Education at Kristin, email: dnewton@kristin.school.nz

EVENTS Summer Carnival

The Kristin community came out in force for the 2024 edition of the popular Summer Carnival, held in a real carnival atmosphere on a warm and sunny Friday afternoon as part of our 51st Foundation Day celebrations.

Candy floss, delicious food, fun activities, amusement rides, great music, painted faces and smiles were aplenty; it was fantastic to see students of all ages and their families catching up and enjoying time together.

EVENTS

Chinese Night

The Chinese Night concert at Kristin was a spectacular celebration of Chinese culture, traditions and community, showcasing the incredible talents of our students and staff across the Junior, Middle and Senior Schools.

The diverse range of enchanting traditional and contemporary performances completely captivated the audience and perfectly highlighted the beauty and richness of Chinese heritage.

Punawai: A glorious facility for Music

After a year of hard work for the many involved, beginning with the dawn blessing in April 2023 and continuing through the construction process and completion in May 2024, our brand new music studio building, Punawai, is open and being used by students for itinerant music lessons.

An architectural work of art, the 45-faceted building is a treat for the eye and stands out beautifully, nestled between the Auditorium and the Tūrama sports facility. With floor-to-ceiling glass windows and a large circular skylight in the centre of the building, light pours in as the magic of music is created inside.

Punawai features six individual music studios, and a massive amount of effort and design went into ensuring the soundproofing of each one so that all studios can be used at once and are not inhibited by the competing sounds of different instruments or voices in full flight. Under the skylight, in the centre of the building, is a large atrium area with comfortable seating and plenty of space for students to relax and wait for their lessons to begin.

Head of Performing Arts Nick Duirs is thrilled with the opening of this new facility and says it is a game changer for our Music students:

“The opening of our stunning new building has instantly transformed the music teaching and learning experiences taking place in our itinerant programmes. The attention to detail and investment in a combination of contemporary interior design with future-proof technology, sound-proofing, natural light and climate control means that teachers and students can work with focus and comfort leading to the very best outcomes. The space itself allows for transparency, collaboration and connection between the students and teachers who work in each of the six rooms. The students love seeing ‘who’s playing what’ and also dreaming about which instrument they might pick up in the future.”

As we are a Green-Gold Enviroschool, sustainability was also a significant factor in the design process, with many sustainability-focused students and staff consulted in the planning stages. This clean-green focus has been well represented by the ‘green roof’, which includes hundreds of native plants growing on it. This roof design allows for slow water runoff and means there is no need for gutters, easing pressure on our stormwater systems and Lucas Creek.

Not only does light flow in during the day, but at night, the building looks striking as the energy-efficient lighting shines brightly out. One hundred percent of the demolition material was recycled, low-impact concrete was used for the foundations and surrounding outdoor area, responsibly sourced certified timber was used for the building, and the insulation is made from 11,984 two-litre plastic bottles.

In keeping with the process around naming Kristin's other recently opened buildings Tūrama and Manawa Manaaki, it was decided that a conceptual name would be created that spoke to the function and purpose of the space. Kristin’s kaumatua, Kereama Nathan, crafted several options, with the kupu (word) Punawai being selected as the most fitting title. Puna - means ‘spring’ in Te Reo. This resonated as it recognises the building as a source of musical knowledge and the upwelling of new learning journeys. Most of us recognise the word Waiata as meaning ‘song’; however, wai, in this instance, refers to the flowing of music from performer to listener, hence the connection to wai/water. The carefully considered name Punawai gives the beautiful new building a greater sense of meaning in the minds of our students.

Director of Business Services Nigel Wilkinson sums it up by saying it is fantastic to have this unique project completed and that there are plenty of people to thank who were involved along the way:

“It is really rewarding to see Punawai open and being used by many of our talented students. Everyone involved in the project has done an amazing job, especially as it was a challenging piece of architecture to bring to life. Thanks must go out to Smith Architects, Markplan Consulting Ltd - Structural & Civil Engineering, Kwanto QS and Project Management, N. Cole Construction and Marshall Day Acoustics, as well as to the entire Kristin community for their support in creating this beautiful facility. It will inspire our students and their musical endeavours for many years to come.”

PERFORMING ARTS

Performing Arts Update

Despite having completed just one full term of the 2024 academic year, the level of activity and number of students involved in co-curricular Performing Arts at Kristin School is at an all-time high.

While we may use the term co-curricular to describe the performing arts activities students participate in outside of Periods 1-6, all activities that take place are bedded in an educational foundation, providing students with an opportunity to learn about themselves and the world around them, and also to develop skills and attributes that will be applicable and valued in their futures.

From almost the very first day of Term 1, rehearsals kicked into gear for our choirs, orchestra, concert band, jazz groups, dance troupes, drama groups and production cast.

The end of Term 1 saw several significant Performing Arts events taking place both within the school and in inter-school festivals and competitions.

Our Chinese Night concert showcased a diverse range of Performing Arts, including traditional and contemporary dance, singing, instrumental music, and even comedy. This event involved students from our Junior, Middle and Senior schools, and was extremely well-attended by parents, friends and families from across the Kristin community. And who could forget the spectacular dance from our very own Kristin Lions.

In the same week as the Chinese Night Concert, our two Kristin Jazz Combos, directed by Mr Sam Swindells, travelled to Tauranga for the National Youth Jazz Competition. The staff and students had a wonderful time connecting with other ‘jazz kids’ from around the country and sharing their own musical talents. At the end of the festival, the Kristin groups received a Gold and a Silver award, with Year 9 student Akaal Singh being awarded the festival innovation award for his performance on the Indian Tabla drums.

The end of Term 1 also saw Kristin hosting the West Auckland Shakespeare Festival, run as part of the nationwide Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival. Once again, our Kristin Shakespearian performers participated in large numbers, with several of our students being selected to represent our school at the national competition over King’s Birthday Weekend, performing on the stage of the Michael Fowler Centre in Wellington.

Of course, the start of Term 2 saw all hands on deck for the Senior School production of Grease, the musical. Over 20 per cent of all Kristin Senior School students were involved in the cast, crew and band. The crowds turned out in their thousands and were all treated to an absolutely sensational night out. The nostalgia levels were running high as the cast of the show performed the well-loved songs from the iconic musical with great passion and discipline. It was a joyous occasion.

The buzz of the Performing Arts continues throughout Term 2, with preparations continuing for The Big Sing, school concerts and dance recitals, the KBB Band Festival, the Middle School production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and many more performances both within and outside of the school. ‘Never a dull moment’ would undoubtedly make an excellent motto for the Performing Arts at Kristin School.

Nick Duirs HEAD OF FACULTY VISUAL AND PERFORMING ARTS

PERFORMING ARTS

Grease

Grease was certainly the word around campus this term, as the Performing Arts Department delivered another ‘electrifying’ Senior School Production.

With over half a century of global popularity, Grease brought a large dose of nostalgia into the Auditorium, as the cast brought to life the songs and characters that were thrust into pop-culture phenomena thanks to the 1978 movie adaptation starring Olivia Newton-John and John Travolta.

While Grease stands the test of time from an entertainment perspective, it is clear that the morality of the story is dated in today’s world. It was a joyous experience working with this teen cast, as they discovered how to make their mark on characters similar in age, but distant in personality. The T-Birds and Pink Ladies gangs come across as cruel, hard and tough, but with a little exploration, it is clear that they are misunderstood teenagers dealing with the societal pressures of adolescence and high school. Fitting in for them meant rebelling and acting out. Here at Kristin, our productions are a celebrated and respected entity. Students taking part find their ‘gang’, providing camaraderie and safety that they may not find elsewhere on campus.

Grease involved 108 senior students in on-stage roles, as band members, or in various crew positions such as Lighting, Wardrobe, Set and Props, Front of House, Hair and Makeup, and Sound. Each department serves an immensely important purpose when bringing a show such as Grease to life, and without each member of each team, we would not have a production to bring to the stage. The choreography audiences witness from the cast is matched tenfold behind the scenes as crew members slickly execute scene changes, quick changes and technical effects, creating the seamless theatrical experience that unfolds before your eyes.

Supporting these students in so many ways was our world-class Production Team – staff, parents and community members who tirelessly and generously gave their time to uplift our students and create a professional atmosphere for everybody to be able to excel in ways they could never imagine. Our three flagship productions each year are integral in creating opportunities for students to develop confidence, poise, and self-esteem, and I am proud that this legacy continues show after show.

Bravo, and thank you to all the students, production team members, and volunteers who contributed to the success of Grease in 2024! “A Wop Bam-A-Lu-Mop And Wop Bam Boom!”

Hamish Mouat

Kristin Goes Global 2024

During the Term 1 holidays, 22 Kristin Drama students embarked on the inaugural Kristin Goes Global trip to London and Stratford-upon-Avon.

The group's first stop was San Francisco, where they took a city tour and saw amazing sites such as the Golden Gate Bridge, Fisherman’s Wharf and the Civic Centre, as well as streets that had been home to icons such as Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin.

One more flight later, the group touched down in London and immediately set off to Stratford-upon-Avon, Shakespeare’s birthplace. After settling into their hotel and getting a good night’s sleep, the group started by exploring Shakespeare’s family home. They were very fortunate to be involved in a performance of scenes from Shakespeare’s plays in the garden of the home, which was a fantastic way to begin their tour.

Over the next few days, the group explored Stratford-upon-Avon, took part in a full-day workshop with the Royal Shakespeare Company’s (RSC) Education Department and saw RSC productions of Love’s Labour’s Lost and The Buddha of Suburbia

National Theatre, starring Gemma Whelan; some students chose to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, while others were entranced by Much Ado About Nothing at Shakespeare’s Globe; some students saw Wicked and saw the lead performers afterwards, and some laughed their way through The Play that Goes Wrong

A final workshop at the Globe Theatre allowed students to review everything they had learned during the two weeks of the trip and show some of the moves they had learned in the Stage Combat and Renaissance Dance workshops. Seeing the depth of the learning that students had taken on during the tour was fantastic and underlined the scope of opportunities the students had received.

“Seeing the depth of the learning that students had taken on during the tour was fantastic”

After such an incredible start to the tour, the group moved on to London for more amazing adventures. Seeing Hadestown on the first night was an incredible experience, and this new musical immediately became a favourite for many people.

Over the following days of the trip, the group attended workshops with practitioners from Globe Education, including Approaches to Text, Renaissance Dance, Stage Combat, Puppetry and Voice work. All of the practitioners are worldclass and gave the students invaluable experiences that have helped them develop as performers. Touring the Globe and hearing about its history was also a massive highlight.

A backstage tour at the National Theatre opened the group’s eyes to all of the work that goes into creating shows in the National, and people were delighted to interact with props from various shows.

The group was also able to see a wide variety of shows while in London, including an immersive staging of Guys and Dolls at the Bridge Theatre that allowed the students to mingle with the performers; Underdog – The Other Other Brontë at the

After farewelling their tutors with a waiata, the group headed to their final theatre show: Player Kings, starring Sir Ian McKellen.

This adaptation of Shakespeare’s Henry IV Parts 1 and 2 was a modern take on this story of family, kingship and war. It was an innovative and impactful production, with outstanding performances from the lead actors. Afterwards, a fortunate group of students was able to meet Sir Ian McKellen and chat with him about the show and the theatre as he signed autographs for them.

This magical encounter was an awesome way to finish the trip, as the following day, the students packed up their belongings and headed back to Aotearoa.

The success of this trip has been plain in the growth and learning we have seen in the students and the excited responses to the experiences we were able to offer in the UK.

Huge thanks are due to the teachers who organised the trip, the parents who supported it and the providers in the UK who created such magical memories for these students. Hopefully, this will be the first trip of many.

Sports Highlights

WATER POLO

Year 11 student Paul Skoe was selected to play for New Zealand at the World Aquatics Men’s U16 Water Polo Championships in Malta, 1-24 June 2024. Playing at centre, Paul has been an integral part of Kristin's Senior Boys’ team for two years. Unfortunately Paul is unable to take up this opportunity, but is continuing to train with the team. Not only is Paul handy in the pool, but he is also an exceptional basketballer and currently represents North Harbour on the court. We look forward to watching his multi-faceted sporting progress throughout his Senior School years and beyond.

Our Premier Girls' Water Polo team combined with two Western Springs College students to win the Division 2 North Island Championships. The girls were outstanding and unbeaten in their six games, scoring 63 goals and only conceding 14. The team defeated Diocesan School for Girls B 6-2 in the final. To top it off, Year 13 student Isla Jamieson won the Most Valuable Player award for the tournament. The team then competed in the Division 1 National Schools’ Championship in Wellington, where they placed a respectable 9th out of 16 teams. The Premier Boys’ team also had a solid tournament in Wellington, placing 10th out of 16 teams. The team welcomed back Year 13 student Harry Bailey for this tournament, returning after spending Term 1 playing and training in California and Italy.

TENNIS

Four Kristin teams competed in the Auckland competition, with top results coming from the Premier A2 Girls – Lucy Chang, Hazel Choi, Isabella Gu, Cathy Deng and Jess O’Malley – who finished second. The Girls' Jade team had a very impressive run to their A3 grade final, remaining unbeaten all season and finishing runner-up to ACG Parnell.

Our Premier Boys' – Jamie King, Frank Deng, Edison Jiang, and Mason Aroa, supported by reserves Andrew Chen and Charlie Blackford – displayed great resilience in the face of tough opposition, earning an admirable fourth position in Premier A2.

The tennis season culminated with the two-day knockout College Sport Champion of Champions, which saw the top players from Auckland schools compete. Our students punched above their weight, making semis and finals in their respective age grades. A huge congratulations to Intermediate Girls silver medallist Isabella Gu.

Kristin students achieved outstanding individual success in club, local and national tournaments. Particular highlights were Lucy Chang winning the New Zealand 12U Clay Championships this year and Hazel Choi winning the Tier 2 –Tecnifibre Central Region Open 2024.

Lucy, Hazel and Emily Chen teamed up to represent Tennis Northern in the 12U National Junior Teams event, placing second. Cathy Deng then added her positive attitude and consistent play to our Intermediate Girls' team of Lucy, Emily and Hazel. Each player contributed crucial wins to claim the Intermediate Zone Day Singles and Doubles titles in a nailbiting match against Belmont Intermediate. We are proud of all of our Tennis players, particularly their outstanding sportsmanship. Andrew Chen was awarded Best Adjudicator, and helped his team to second place at the National Junior Teams event, while Hazel received the Sports Award.

Congratulations to all students who participated in Term 1. We look forward to the AIMS Games in September and Tennis in Term 4.

Premier Girls' Water Polo team

Year 7 and 8 Tennis Girls

EQUESTRIAN

Our Kristin Equestrian team – Bailey Benshaw, Jorja Burr, Lili-May Chamel and Kaytlin Forster – delighted with a brilliant team effort at the prestigious Pegasus Cup show jumping event held at the Takapoto Estate near Cambridge. The team placed 6th out of 50 teams and 185 riders and won the coveted ‘Best Presented’ award. Other great results from the event included Bailey placing 2nd in the 1.10cm Speed class, Lili-May placing 3rd in the 1.05cm Speed class, Jorja placing 4th in the 90cm Equitation class and Kaytlin placing 4th in the 80cm Speed class.

HOCKEY

The Boys’ 1st XI Hockey team put in a brilliant early season effort to defeat Mount Albert Grammar School 4-2 at home and to retain their position in the top 8 of the Auckland Schools League. They join the Girls’ 1st XI Hockey team, who also play in the top 8 of the Auckland Schools League. Head of Hockey Dave Green was impressed with the girls and boys interest and effort during pre-season and is looking forward to a big winter Hockey season for all of our teams. Our Girls' 1st XI have already put in some fine early-season team performances, including a 1-1 draw with Westlake Girls' High School.

GOLF

Our Kristin Premier Golf team, comprised of Victoria Xin, Sam Macfarlane, Tony Guo and Richie Liu, was crowned North Harbour Schools 9-Hole Champions. The team defeated various North Harbour schools on their way to the title, culminating in a one-shot victory over Westlake Boys’ High School in the final match of the tournament.

Year 8 student Victoria Xin tasted further success when she won the U13 Girls’ Division at the annual Lydia Ko Golf Tournament at the Pupuke Golf Course. In the two-round competition, Victoria had impressive scores of 71 and 75, which put her at the top of the leader board. Remarkably, her overall gross score of 146 placed her second in the entire field for U19 female golfers at the tournament. Victoria has also been selected for the North Harbour Junior Interprovincial team and women’s squad, and earlier this year, she competed in the Australian and New Zealand Amateur Championships.

SPORTS INITIATIVES –YEAR 12 SPORTS LEADERS

This year we introduced the Year 12 Sports Leaders’ Programme hosted by New Zealand Men’s Hockey coach Greg Nicol. Year 12 students from various Kristin first teams were selected to attend the sessions. Greg, a passionate sportsperson, believes in the importance of developing the whole person and guiding our upand-coming future stars.

Later this year, Greg will review the Olympic Men's Hockey teams’ performance from Paris with the group, whether it was good, bad, or indifferent. This will provide our students with direct insight into highperformance sports and how international teams deal with the big stage. A big thank you to Greg for working with our students and providing expert insight.

HUDL GAME ANALYSIS

We have introduced HUDL game analysis and AI video cameras for all sports. This new equipment will ensure all our sports teams can video and review their performance. It will also provide advanced training and feedback for both players and coaches. All sports can use this technology, and Head of Hockey Dave Green, who is leading this project, will provide training in its use and coaching sessions around how best to complete game analysis and reviews.

Kristin Equestrian Team

Boys' 1st XI Hockey

Victoria Xin - Pupuke Golf Course

HUDL Video Analysis

Lili-May Chamel - Takapoto Estate

House Sports Day

The sharp visuals of green, blue, yellow and red were clear to see as our Senior School students took to the Auditorium Fields and Tūrama for Senior School House Sports Day. In addition to House colours, as is tradition, a few interesting outfits and costumes were on show, which only added to the festive and fun occasion. Twelve events provided great variety for the students to compete and enjoy. Congratulations to Mariner, who came out on top when the final points were tallied!

Middle School Sports Committee Service to Wairau Valley Special School

Over the past nine years, our Middle School Sports Committees, under the guidance of Director of Sport Rob Taylor, have worked closely with Wairau Valley Special School (WVSS) as part of a rewarding service project.

The WVSS students are picked up from their school and brought to Kristin, where our students provide coaching, oneon-one skill development and small-sided games for them to enjoy. The project allows the WVSS students to develop their basketball and other skills and interact with our Kristin students. Recently, Tūrama has been used as the facility for this project and has proved a perfect venue for activities between both sets of students.

The social interaction between these students is also a significant positive contributor to the overall programme. The session is then finished with a shared lunch provided by the Middle School Sports Committee members, allowing all students to relax and get to know each other further.

Director of Sport Rob Taylor is proud of this project and the legacy it is leaving on both schools:

"It is amazing for them to be able to come to our school, use our facilities and be guided by our students. They always have a great time, have smiles on their faces and are active and learning simultaneously. I am also immensely proud of our students for the effort and care they have put into the programme over the years.”

Below is a message received from Wairau Valley Special School Principal Pam King:

“The patience and perseverance of your students when working with our students was admirable and heart-warming. They acted as role models and made our students feel great self-worth. Your students showed exemplary support, enthusiasm and leadership.”

The Middle School Sports Committee will continue to engage in this project in future and is already looking forward to the next session with the wonderful students from Wairau Valley Special School.

SPORTS Sports Star Staff

It’s not just our students who excel in their chosen sports; some of our staff are sports stars in their own right, including two of our Heads of Sport who will represent New Zealand this year.

Recently appointed Head of Water Polo and Swimming Kate Brown qualified for the Women's World Ironman Championships in Nice, France, later this year. At the New Zealand Ironman event, Kate placed fourth in her age group, which qualified her for the World Championships. Last year, Kate also won Gold for her age group in the Aquabike at the World Multisport Championships in Ibiza and she was recently a finalist of three for the Long Distance Age Group Athlete of the Year award at the Triathlon New Zealand awards.

Swimming 3.80km, cycling 180km and running a marathon sounds staggeringly hard, but not for Kate. She loves the challenge, and we wish her all the best when she puts on the black bib in France.

Head of Hockey and Boys’ 1st XI Hockey coach

Dave Green has been selected in the Over 35 New Zealand Men's Hockey team to play in their World Championships in South Africa later this year. Dave has also represented New Zealand men in indoor Hockey, having led the team at the World Championships, also in South Africa, in 2023. He will also lead the team as they take on Australia in the Oceania Cup, where the winner will qualify for the 2025 World Cup in Croatia. No doubt, Dave will learn plenty of new tricks and tips to pass on to our Kristin teams upon his return.

And it’s not just our sports staff representing the country; Year 7 Teacher Heidi Horne has been selected for the NZ Over 55 Women's Masters team and will be taking part in the World Masters Hockey World Cup, held at the National Hockey Stadium in Albany in November.

Junior School Sport

It has been a superb start to the sporting year for our Junior School students, highlighted by some fantastic results in the pool and on the Mini-ball court.

SPLASH POLO

Kristin had five teams competing in the Sunday North Harbour Splash Polo and Flippa Ball Competitions during Term 1. This is an introduction to Water Polo, where children can learn skills and play the game in shallower pools. We have had a number of new players this year at all levels, and it has been great to see them grow in confidence and ability. The Year 4 Seals team performed well, finishing 3rd in their grade with a 4-0 win in their final. The teams have started off their Term 2 competitions well and look forward to another fun term.

MINI-BALL

Kristin runs development sessions during lunchtime for students from Years 3-6. We have two teams competing in the North Harbour Primary Schools Years 5 and 6 League. This competition runs for 13 weeks during Terms 1 and 2, with games played on Wednesday afternoons at Eventfinda Stadium. Year 6 Kristin Heat and Year 5 Kristin Thunder began strong, winning three of their four grading games. Both teams have played tough competitive defence with consistency and are beginning to develop their team play on offence at this early stage of the competition.

SWIMMING SPORTS

Our Junior School Swimming Sports Day provided a mix of fun events as well as competitive stroke races, with the main focus being on participation and House spirit. Saturn took the lead this year in House points with a clean haul of 470 points. A huge congratulations to our age champions for their amazing performances in the pool.

AGE GROUP WINNERS –JUNIOR SCHOOL

SWIMMING SPORTS

8 Years and Under Boys – Marc Zhao

9 Year Boys – Joseph Jia

10 Years and Over Boys – Oscar Zhu

8 Years and Under Girls – Alice Xin

9 Years Girls – Olivia Zhu

10 Years and Over Girls – Cindy Shen

NORTH SHORE SWIMMING EVENT

A group of students were selected to represent Kristin at the North Shore Swimming meet. This involved over 350 swimmers, so it was fantastic to come away with the following results:

Year 10 Boys

Ming En Qiu – 3rd 50m Breaststroke

Year 9 Boys

Joseph Jia – 1st 50m Freestyle 2nd 50m Backstroke

Hector Huang – 3rd 25m Breaststroke

Year 9 Girls

Olivia Zhu – 1st 25m Breaststroke 1st 50m Breaststroke 1st 25m Butterfly

Leah Liang – 1st 25m Backstroke 1st 50m Backstroke 2nd 50m Freestyle

YEAR 9 MIXED MEDLEY RELAY

Hector Huang, Joseph Jia, Leah Liang, Olivia Zhu – 1st

Well done to all of our swimmers for these brilliant results!

KRISTIN JUNIOR SCHOOL

Camps

Camps

KRISTIN ALUMNI

Annie Peng

Since graduating from Kristin in 2021, Annie has been on a mission to pursue a career in computer engineering. Although she hasn’t yet completed her degree, she has already had some incredible experiences along the way. We caught up with Annie, all the way from New York, to find out more.

Tell us what you are currently doing with your studies?

I am a rising third-year student at Columbia University in New York, pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Engineering. My studies focus primarily on semiconductor devices, computer CPUs, hardware, and digital systems. Residing in the campus dormitories in Manhattan, I immerse myself fully in the vibrant academic and cultural life here. During the extensive summer breaks in the US, I take part in internships relevant to my field. This upcoming summer, I will be interning at VIA Technologies Inc., a pioneer in integrated circuits manufacturing in Taiwan, which holds a significant history as a leading independent manufacturer of motherboard chipsets.

What have you been doing since you left school?

In the gap between completing my IB Diploma at Kristin and commencing my studies at Columbia, I attended the University of Auckland, where I enrolled in Law and Statistics courses, enriching my interdisciplinary academic perspective. I have also completed a summer course at Harvard University. My time at Columbia has been packed with rigorous Mathematics, Physics, Computer Science, and Computer Engineering coursework. I have had the privilege of participating in NASA’s Cube Satellites projects and Neutral Buoyancy experiments, as well as completing an internship at China’s premier automotive engineering research institute, where I developed a sophisticated automated six degrees of freedom platform.

You spent time working at NASA! Can you tell us a bit about that?

At NASA, I was deeply involved in the Cube Satellite project, developing operating systems and software for a CubeSat scheduled for launch in 2026 under NASA’s CubeSat Launch Initiative Mission (CSLI). My role entailed integrating a commercial attitude determination and control system (ADCS) into the satellite. This system comprises magnetometers, gyroscopes, and control actuators like reaction wheels and magnetic torquers, ensuring

precise 3-axis control. In another project, the Neutral Buoyancy experiments, our team developed an image recognition system for search and rescue operations that integrates YOLO machine vision models with NVIDIA’s Jetson Nano to identify and relay real-time information on objects near the Orion capsule crash site.

Spending time studying at Harvard must have been awesome. What was that like?

Studying at Harvard was an incredible experience, albeit remotely, due to the pandemic. Originally planned as an on-campus summer course in Constitutional Law, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties, it transitioned online, where I interacted with eminent professors and students passionate about law.

What are some of your best memories at Kristin?

My most cherished memories from Kristin involve the afterschool orchestra rehearsals and my participation in Euphony. Now, as I pursue my degree far from home, the constraints of dormitory living and the rigorous academic demands at Columbia University leave little room for practising music as frequently or freely as I once did. I fondly recall spending entire Wednesday afternoons and evenings immersed in music with close friends, our voices harmonising into the night. Kristin’s Senior School orchestra offered an inclusive environment that nurtured my love for music, where I had the privilege to lead the second violins and occasionally perform solo pieces.

How did Kristin and the IB diploma programme prepare you for your studies and post-school life?

Kristin's IB programme was foundational in developing my critical thinking and analytical skills, which were vital for my engineering studies. The programme’s comprehensive approach, particularly through Theory of Knowledge (TOK), the Extended Essay (EE), and a robust selection of subjects, prepared me well for the academic challenges of university.

KRISTIN ALUMNI

Kurt Peterson

From the Class of 2004, Kurt Peterson has been on an epic journey since taking off his Kristin uniform for the final time. From racing cars to starting up a business with his father, Kurt now has his sights set on his most difficult challenge yet –qualifying for the triathlon at the 2024 Paris Paralympics.

Firstly, tell us about what you have been doing since graduating from Kristin?

Well, I left Kristin at the end of 2004; however, I snuck back to run Cross Country in 2005! I was on the gas pedal to live out my dream of being a Formula One driver and following my heroes, Michael Schumacher and Ayrton Senna. I had this dream since I was seven years old racing go-karts. I achieved top six in the country three times and had just moved to the premier single-seater class (at the time) in Formula Ford.

family situation meant there were no financials to carry on.

After a few other endeavours, I began working for a water bottling plant with my father. I came on as Distribution Manager, and we got things cranking with the ’Water for Everyone’ brand, featuring Dan Carter, Richie McCaw and Ali Williams as our ambassadors.

My father and I then started Vital Zing waterdrops, which has been full-on as I’m now the Production Manager of the growing business. We are now in most New Zealand supermarkets, as well as Australia, Japan and the United States.

“I love progress. I am always trying to better myself every time I train...”

In 2008, I became a fully qualified car mechanic and had just finished fifth against Brendon Hartley and Shane Van Gisbergen in the Formula Ford National Championship, but unfortunately, a

I also got in touch with the Cerebral Palsy Society to help make possible changes to our disability systems in New Zealand, so I helped start and run the Cerebral Palsy Youth Association for a few years.

I returned to Formula Ford in 2017 after 11 years away from motorsport to build Vital Zing's brand exposure. I finished third in the National Championship and second in the South Island series.

When we went into lockdown, I wrote down 42 life goals and set off to achieve them. I started with a half marathon and then moved on to a full marathon, Olympiclength triathlon, half-Ironman and full Ironman. After all of that, Triathlon New Zealand tapped me on the shoulder and said, “Is the Paralympics on your goal list?” and I said, “Let’s do it!”.

Kurt with fellow Kristin Alumni, Trainer Bayley Garnham (Class of 2017)

Over the past year, I have flown all over the world representing New Zealand and getting qualification points for the Paralympics. I’ve even picked up three national titles (triathlon and duathlon) along the way. My goal is to be the first para triathlete to compete for New Zealand at the Paralympic Games. I am also competing at the Duathlon World Championships in Townsville in August.

In April, I won the Male Para Triathlete of the Year Award at the Triathlon New Zealand Awards, a major milestone of which I am incredibly proud.

Among all of this, I am running a disabled motor racing team (where all of the drivers and crew are disabled) – it is the only one in the world!

How does Cerebral Palsy affect you and your competition?

I fortunately only have minor cerebral palsy, which affects the left side of my body, including my brain, so It takes me longer to understand the concept of most things. I have weakness down my left side and much less movement, one of my legs is shorter than the other by about 2.5cm, and I have a curvature of the spine. When competing, I don’t have the same amount of strength and endurance on my left side, I fatigue faster, my balance isn’t great, and when I am running, I tend to drag my feet, as well as having a limp.

What motivated you to compete in Ironman and triathlons, and how did it come about?

I had a friend compete in the Ironman in 2020, and I went there to support him, and I thought, wow, that looks like an incredible day. So, I set my sights on it to show what people with disabilities can do when they put their minds to it; anything is possible.

What do you enjoy most about competing?

I love progress. I am always trying to better myself every time I train, and I love looking back and seeing how far we have come. Always pushing as hard as you possibly can and knowing there was absolutely nothing left in the tank. I’m always striving to get the perfect race, and once you get the perfect race, keep it up consistently.

You are now training to compete at the Paris Paralympics. What do you need to do to get selected?

My classification (grade) of disability is the most competitive of all eight classes, and I need three podiums across three more races before 1 July, which is a long shot. I am currently 31st in the world, and they take the top eight, so we are hoping to get a wildcard spot for the Paris Paralympics at this stage, which we will know in a couple of months once the qualification window closes.

What would it mean to you to get selected and compete in Paris?

It would mean the world. Four years of 4:30am starts and countless training sessions would have paid off. I would be the first Kiwi to compete in the Triathlon at the Paralympics, which would hopefully open the door for up-and-coming para athletes to follow in my footsteps in the future.

You are training with fellow Kristin Alumni Bayley Garnham; how did this come about?

Yes, way back in 2021, I was looking for a personal trainer to take my training to the next level, and Bayley was there at my local gym. I was his second-ever client, and I took a risk on this young man, but boy, has it paid off! It was about a year into our brutal 5:00am gym sessions that we both realised we were Kristin Alumni. He is someone I now regard as one of my best mates and part of my team of four to help me take on the world.

What are some of your best memories from Kristin?

School camps were always a blast, getting the school record for pull-ups and Outdoor Education with Mr Lane was always epic.

Did your school days here at Kristin have a positive effect on where you are today?

Yes, they sure did. I think Kristin was a great school for me to learn and progress. With all the help I needed, there were wonderful peers and teachers to help me along. I also owe a lot to my teacher aids, particularly Margaret Brady, for helping me through. School taught me about organisation and preparation, skills that are crucial for where I am now. Many of the friends I had at Kristin are still great friends of mine now, so that’s pretty fantastic.

You can follow Kurt’s progress and support his journey to Paris via Instagram and Facebook: @AdventuretoParis24

Donate via: givealittle.co.nz/cause/kurts-adventure-to-paris-2024

Kurt also has a documentary created by IRONMAN, which can be viewed on YouTube by searching: Send it Deep | IRONMAN athlete and disability advocate Kurt Peterson's journey to IMNZ.

KRISTIN ALUMNI

Sophie Vincent

Sophie Vincent, ‘Kindy Kid’ and Class of 2016, developed a genuine love for acting and the performing arts during her time at Kristin, so much so that she was inspired to make a career of it. After completing her studies in Australia and the USA, Sophie is now on the fringe of her most exciting journey yet.

Tell us what you are doing at the moment and where you are currently living?

I’m currently based in West Hollywood, Los Angeles, where I have been for nearly two years. My day-to-day is such a mishmash of things. Like most artists, I have a ‘day job’. I work as a nanny part time for a family who works in the entertainment business. One parent is a successful film producer, and the other is a leading news correspondent for CNBC. Since this is only part-time, I can spend the rest of the week rehearsing for my upcoming Edinburgh Fringe Festival play and collaborating with other artists on film projects. I also have a short film in post-production that I wrote, produced and performed in.

What has been your journey between Kristin and now?

In my last couple years of school, I was encouraged by my Kristin music teacher, Mr Duirs, to apply for drama school. This seemed like such a daunting but exciting choice to me at the time. I applied to a few drama schools in Australia and got accepted into ‘The Next Step Programme’ at Actors Centre Australia. I also applied to New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. I had two Kristin friends who had applied for NYU for Music Business and Recorded Music, and they were accepted. This encouraged me to the possibility of going even further overseas than Australia. I moved to Sydney in February after graduation, and two weeks into my 6-month programme there, I was accepted to NYU Tisch Drama. Once I finished up at ACA in Sydney, I moved to New York. It was exhilarating.

NYU Drama has a sort of Hogwarts-type sorting system, where they place you in the studio they think best suits you and your training desires. I was placed in the Stella Adler Studio of Acting. I loved it. It suited me perfectly. I grew more

as a person and learned more about myself than I ever had in my whole life. The beauty of NYU’s drama programme is that after you complete your first two years of ‘primary training,’ you can move to a different studio and try a different training method for your ‘advanced training’. I did three years at Stella Adler and then moved to Stonestreet Studios. Stonestreet is the film and television studio where you learn more about the entertainment business, work on and off camera and get to be on a film set. Stonestreet also taught me so much about creating my own work and self-producing. Stella Adler taught me how to be an actor with a craft, and Stonestreet Studios taught me how to be an actor in the business. I lived in New York for another year, which marked five years of living there, and then moved to Los Angeles.

Any career highlights so far?

I like to think that the best of my career will always be in front of me. I often think about Matthew McConaughey’s Oscar speech, where he says his role model will be him in 10 years – look it up if you haven’t seen it; it’s incredible. I think this upcoming project I’m doing at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the most excited I’ve been creatively in a while, so that’s my biggest career highlight to date.

Tell us about the show you are taking to the Fringe Festival and how that came about?

This play started while I was at NYU. One of my best friends, Diego, had the opportunity to present an original theatre piece. He contacted me immediately, and we got to work. It is a play about a girl named Joan in her 20s who wakes up in purgatory only to learn that she’s dead. She’s greeted by God and must complete the five stages of grief to pass on to the afterlife. We called it If I Only Could. We premiered this first iteration of it online in April 2021, during the pandemic. In August of 2023, Diego reached out to me, ready to dive back into Joan and the world of our beloved play. We decided to take our story to the theatre mecca – The Edinburgh Fringe Festival. We’ve been working hard to get to this point and are deep into rehearsals and creative process at the moment, which has been deliciously rewarding. We can’t wait to perform this play at the Fringe and be in front of an audience again. We’ll be doing 20+ performances this year, some previews in New York City in June and July, and most showings in Scotland at The Space on the Mile’s Theatre over August.

What does taking a show to the festival mean to you?

Was your passion for performing arts fostered at Kristin?

One million percent. I can wholeheartedly say that the Kristin performing arts programme is the entire reason I’m pursuing a career as a creative. My greatest childhood memories, friends and stories come from Kristin’s plays, musicals, choirs, drama and music classrooms. It has entirely shaped my life and I’m endlessly thankful for being able to attend a school that values and supports the arts as much as Kristin does.

What are some of your best memories from Kristin?

“I can wholeheartedly say that the Kristin performing arts programme is the entire reason I’m pursuing a career as a creative.”

As I mentioned – the Edinburgh Fringe Festival is the Mecca of theatre. Anyone in the theatre world knows about it. It’s Disneyland for drama kids. Some of my most admired writers, artists and projects started their careers at the Edinburgh Fringe: Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag and Six – The Musical, just to mention a few. To be a part of the Fringe this year for me is to be a part of the current theatre zeitgeist. The industry I’ve found myself a part of has been struck with hardship over the last few years with the pandemic followed by huge actors' and writers' strikes. The Fringe is an opportunity to reconnect with the theatre community, touch audiences and bring our story to a wider and more significant stage.

In 2015, we did Michael Frayn’s Noises Off, directed by Lorna Rood, in the Dove Theatre. We were a cast of nine with a crew of around ten Years 12 and 13 students. Doing Noises Off is one of my most treasured theatre memories. It was during this show that I decided I wanted to pursue a career in the arts. It was such a challenging and joyous process. I actually attended NYU with my two other cast mates, Livia Wicks and Jamie Todd-Brown. They’re two of the most cherished people in my life; they’re family to me – Kristin and specifically Kristin's performing arts birthed those relationships.

Any advice for our current students wanting to enter the performing arts world?

It may seem daunting, but it’s entirely worth it. If you feel in your heart that you have something to say and that the stage and the rehearsal room are where you feel the most free, then go for it. There is such a magic and power in the performing arts, both for the performer and the audience. I have been forever changed by plays and films, whether I acted in them or silently sat in a dark theatre watching them. Don’t let anyone tell you it’s ‘not a real job’ or that it’s something impossible to chase. If you believe, then who else needs to? The world has enough investment bankers; be an artist! Trust me, it’s more fun.

ALUMNI

Upcoming Reunions 2024

We’re looking forward to bringing our alumni community together at these upcoming reunion events.

You can register your attendance via the reunion event links on: www.kristinconnect.nz

If you would like to receive invitations to alumni events and reunions, simply update your details via our ‘Keep in Touch’ form at: www.kristin.school.nz/keepintouch

DUNEDIN REUNION

Tuesday 13 August

CHRISTCHURCH REUNION

Wednesday 14 August

WELLINGTON REUNION

Thursday 15 August

AUCKLAND REUNION

Friday 1 November

(For the classes of: 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004, 2009, 2014 & 2019)

2024 Reunions

The History of Kristin’s Uniform

Over the past 50 years, Kristin's school uniform has continually evolved to empower students with a sense of belonging, unity and pride.

The emergence of Kristin's uniform in 1974 reflects the unique pioneering ethos that embodies Kristin’s history. As founding Principal Roy Munn described:

“I chose the tealy blue; I had always liked it. I went chasing after material around Karangahape Road…we didn’t have much choice in those days. Dianne Lemmon (founding parent) I think drew up the patterns. I found the blue skivvy in a shop.”

Founding teacher Marion Munn acknowledged uniform ‘teething problems’ and admitted the fabric used for the first girls’ uniform was ‘scratchy’ and the beret ‘rather impractical’. The problematic berets were removed from the uniform in 1978 when the factory that produced them was destroyed in a fire. The 1980s saw the introduction of the iconic teal blazer, and in 1990, soft bow ties appeared as part of the girls’ uniform in ‘an attempt to make it more feminine and attractive’. In the mid-1990s the ‘streetsmart’ bumblebee polo shirt made an appearance creating a casual vibe. Finally, in 2013, the uniform was revamped prioritising comfort and durability. Branded as the ‘New look’ it is still the uniform worn today, ensuring the days of wearing scratchy wool remain a distant Kristin memory.

It is always exciting to receive new donations, so if you have any Kristin memorabilia that would be a valuable addition to the Kristin archives, feel free to get in touch via: archives@kristin.school.nz

Anna Tiedemann ARCHIVIST

Uniforms, 2013

Uniforms, 2010

Roy Munn visit, 1991

Uniforms, 2015

Uniforms, 1994

First girls' uniform, 1974

Boys' uniform, 1987

Uniforms, 2015

Boys' uniform, 1990