The key to scholarship success; Rites of passage

The key to Scholarship success

A combination of students’ hard work and the support and dedication of their teachers resulted in a recordbreaking number of New Zealand Scholarships achieved by St Andrew’s in 2015. So what is the secret behind the success?

Jacqui-Lyn Welch, (Year 13, 2015) who gained New Zealand Scholarships in English and Biology, says the encouragement and support from the teachers made preparation for the exams an ‘incredibly rewarding’ experience. “Dr Curtis’ passion was inspiring and she always encouraged us to excel. Mrs Lomax invested a lot of time in us and was incredibly supportive, giving us every opportunity to do well.” Six out of eight English students who attempted the exam were successful, along with five out of nine Biology students. Dr Jeni Curtis, who heads the English Scholarship programme, says the results were ‘extremely pleasing’, with preparation for the exam starting well before Year 13. “In our extension classes at NCEA Levels 1 to 3 we look at texts that will help the

Dr Jeni Curtis and Alison Lomax look over some Scholarship material.

students be prepared for the broader reading needed for Scholarship. I also run an extra class on Thursday afternoons, which concentrates on Scholarship preparation. The students are also encouraged to attend Ms Asare’s Senior Bookclub.”

Biology teacher Alison Lomax says her students’ achievements were the result of a team effort, with lunchtime sessions every Friday assisting them to reach their goals. She was also delighted with the results. “The students put in so much time and effort and I was thrilled when five of them received Scholarships, the highest ever result for Biology.”

Rites of passage

Watching the dawn break from New Brighton Pier in near perfect weather was a special experience for a large group of 193 Year 10 students. A dramatic sunrise framed Louis Newman (Year 11) as he piped the group down the pier to attend the Calling Ceremony, a highlight of St Andrew’s Te Waka programme, which supports the student’s growth towards self-responsibility. The students were respectful and focused throughout the event and enjoyed throwing childhood messages written on driftwood into the water and releasing group messages on balloons. This successful and memorable event was also attended by Andrew Lines, the creator of The Rite Journey programme, which is an important strand of the Te Waka programme, that links Year 10 students with traditional rite of passage ceremonies, class discussion and self-reflection. The other strands encompassed in Te Waka are the Duke of Edinburgh Award, Health Education, Outdoor Education and Tikanga Māori.

Balloons were released with special group messages. Ella Rushbrook about to throw her personal message written on driftwood into the sea.

The students were focused and respectful throughout the ceremony.