Evergreen Ties - August 2018

August — 2018

Evergreen Ties

Feature

St Cuthbert’s Making Girls Amazing — Plus

Global Citizenship and education —

Also

Insights into Kahunui — And

Meet our Head Prefects —

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Making Girls

Amazing Making Amazing Scholars Making Amazing Athletes Making Amazing Artists Making Amazing Discoveries Making Amazing Friendships — It’s amazing what you will achieve

Evergreen Ties —

Inspiring thoughts about everlasting friendships, everblooming, everchanging and everyone!

Evergreen Ties is published two times a year by the St Cuthbert’s College Communications Office.

EDITOR Joyce & Howse Consulting

Meet our Leaders

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From the desk of Justine Mahon

DESIGN & LAYOUT EDITOR Janice O’Kane TEAM Cheryl Halliday, Andrea Brady, Jenna Edwards communications@stcuthberts.school.nz BRAND DEVELOPMENT “MAKING GIRLS AMAZING” Peter Moore, Claire Beatson, Tony Bradbourne BRANDING AND CREATIVE DIRECTION Tried & True Design FRONT COVER Milana Henderson Photo by Paul Ross Jones

Making Girls Amazing

ADVERTISING Twane Palmer advertising@stcuthberts.school.nz OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION Penelope Peebles PresidentOGA@stcuthberts.school.nz PARENTS & FRIENDS’ ASSOCIATION Catriona Moore parents.friends@stcuthberts.school.nz NEXT ISSUE December 2018

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Creativity in Action

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Sport Snapshot

Featured Stories 2

Hayley Buckley Trust Board Chair

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Student Leadership in the Spotlight

Contents Meet our Leaders 01 — From the desk of Justine Mahon 02 — Hayley Buckley, Trust Board Chair 03 — Student Leadership in the Spotlight

Making Girls Amazing 04 — Unpacking Global Citizenship 05 — Creating Connections at Kahunui 06 — Stepping up to Year 7 07 — Diane Levy on Growing Great Girls

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Unpacking Global Citizenship

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Creating Connections at Kahunui

08 — Creativity in Action 09 — Endeavour Scholarship Programme 10 — Academic Review 11 — Scholars Awards 12 — Our Girls’ Achievements 13 — Sport Snapshot 14 — Thriving Outdoors

Our connected community 15 — St Cuthbert’s Old Girls’ Association President’s report 16 — Parents and Friends’ Association

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Thriving Outdoors

17 — Development Fashion Parade 18 — The Robertson Circle

Follow us on: StCuthbertsCollege

StCuthbertsCollege

StCuthbertsCollege

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From the desk of Justine Mahon

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MEET OUR LEADERS

Welcome to the inaugural edition of our new look St Cuthbert’s magazine, Evergreen Ties.

This is my first magazine as Principal, and I am delighted to be launching Evergreen Ties to our school community, which profiles our beautiful new St Cuthbert’s branding, “Making Girls Amazing”.

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Our motto “By Love Serve” remains at the heart of our school, and will continue to underpin everything we do at St Cuthbert’s and beyond. “By Love Serve” and the values it represents are ingrained in our approach to caring for one another. The way we live our motto will feature on our new website to be launched later this month.

and award-winning month long outdoor education programme at Kahunui, every girl who enters our gates has the opportunity to unlock what makes her amazing.

I believe that “Making Girls Amazing” captures what we offer at St Cuthbert’s, and it reflects my personal vision of “enabling every girl to succeed and thrive – through developing her individual strengths, expanding her thinking, and building her inner confidence.”

At St Cuthbert’s, we understand how to teach students to be successful. While our academic results are stellar, my view is that our girls firstly need to be happy and to feel confident in themselves, to achieve their personal best.

With the many challenges and opportunities facing young women today it is important that we equip every girl with the skills she needs to thrive.

Our individualised approach to every student ensures that she has the right balance of emotional support for her age, and the encouragement she needs to develop at her own pace, explore new opportunities, and to take risks in her learning.

If they choose, our girls will have the confidence to be the leaders of the future, able to negotiate the new fields of scientific and technological discovery, unafraid to speak out to ensure that such advances sit within firmly defined ethical frameworks. Leaders emerging from St Cuthbert’s will be creative, caring thinkers who will have the skills to turn their unique passions and strengths into viable enterprise, making a difference to her community and the wider world. If she wants to, a St Cuthbert’s girl can lead a life changing socially inclusive wealth project such as “Eat My Lunch”, which was an initiative of an Old Girl – a wonderful example of “By Love Serve” in action!

Delivering a leading knowledge-based innovative education with the very best teachers in their specialist areas to support every girl at every level is central to equipping our girls to be successful.

The development of such deep subject and specialist knowledge is a key strategic focus at St Cuthbert’s and it supports critical and creative thinking across all areas of our curriculum. At St Cuthbert’s we have tried to stand apart, recognising that there are no shortcuts to mastering a curriculum with conceptual coherence.

This year we have begun a partnership with Auckland University’s Keru Unit whose researchers are working with us on the implementation of even more rigorous conceptual frameworks across key disciplines. We should not be afraid to assert more firmly that we are a knowledge rich school, where, through the scholarship of teachers who understand a progressive knowledge approach, subjects come alive, and, as a result, girls have a higher level of engagement.

Standing alongside our Knowledge School is our unique Global Citizenship Programme which is profiled in this magazine, and our Personalised Learning Centre to support our diverse learners. Combined with our talented and dedicated teachers, strong pastoral care framework,

At St Cuthbert’s we know that every girl is different, and develops at her own pace. In one of my first assemblies this year, I suggested to the girls they imagine two flowers growing side by side – each will bloom beautifully when it is ready. I am very excited about the opportunity to lead the school I love so dearly. I am committed to ensuring each girl in my care blooms at her own pace, in an environment where she will be supported to have bold dreams, and make life-long friends.

From our Junior School right through to Year 13, I believe that inner confidence grows from a sense of belonging and that a feeling of deep connection to one another and a pride in school and community are powerful and stabilizing forces. The development of such a special school culture owes much to the adults whom the girls observe exemplifying these values.

I would, therefore, like to take this opportunity to thank our Old Girls’ President, Penelope Peebles, Parents and Friends Chair Catriona Moore, and Alex Yang, Chair of the Asian Friendship Group, for all they do for our St Cuthbert’s community. Both they, and their committees, work tirelessly to ensure our girls are supported through our connected community.

I would also like to acknowledge the hard work and support of our Trust Board members. They are all extremely generous with their time and expertise, and it is much appreciated.

I hope you enjoy reading our first edition of Evergreen Ties!

Warm regards Ms Justine Mahon — Principal

MAKING GIRLS AMAZING Making is an active word, it requires us to do, to achieve our dreams.

Girls and understanding girls is at the heart of St Cuthbert’s.

Amazing is encouraging, positive, energetic, and captures the essence of what we all want for our girls. …and as we bring it all together: Making Girls Amazing is our commitment to each girl, and to her parents. It is an active expression of everything we strive to do at St Cuthbert’s. Together with our St Cuthbert’s motto, “By Love Serve” which values service, caring for others, and leadership, we are dedicated to giving each girl the opportunity to be the very best she can be, to discover her very own amazing!

MEET OUR LEADERS

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“

I am excited to be writing this foreword in the first edition of our new look St Cuthbert’s magazine, Evergreen Ties.

College Ties has an important place in our history, but alongside our Principal Justine Mahon, the Trust Board felt it was time to take a fresh look at the way we communicate externally with our parents and wider community. We want to ensure that all our communications authentically reflect the wonderful value of the St Cuthbert’s educational offering for our girls, and our vibrant and connected school community.

Against that backdrop, we felt that it was timely to refresh the look of our College Ties magazine. We have consciously retained the wonderful spirit of College Ties, and I personally feel that the new name, Evergreen Ties, really does reflect the essence of our connected community, and is unique to St Cuthbert’s. The name Evergreen encompasses our St Cuthbert’s colour green and 6

MEET OUR LEADERS

Hayley Buckley Trust Board Chair Above Hayley Buckley, Trust Board Chair.

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captures our evergreen moments – inspiring thoughts about everlasting friendships, everblooming, everchanging, and everyone!

The name Evergreen was inspired by one of our talented year 6 girls, Charlotte Ford, who won the Junior School competition to come up with a concept for our new look Junior School weekly e-newsletter for parents. Charlotte came up with the name “The Green SCCN” – a clever play on words, with the SCCN meaning St Cuthbert’s College news.

Charlotte’s concept of linking our news, and our St Cuthbert’s colour green, formed the basis of the creative development for the weekly e-newsletter “Evergreen” which was launched in the Junior School last term. We loved it so much that we thought it would also be a beautiful and timeless new name for our magazine!

As part of our communications refresh, parents in both the Middle and Senior Schools will begin receiving their versions of our new look e-newsletter, Evergreen, this term, which replaces College Connection.

Also look out for our new St Cuthbert’s College website which will launch later this month. The website will reflect our whole school branding, Making Girls Amazing.

While Making Girls Amazing is at the heart of what St Cuthbert’s and our wonderful staff offer each girl, we couldn’t do this without the willingness of our girls to be inspired, to try new things, and to have their thinking challenged. We see the success of our girls at St Cuthbert’s as being very much a partnership between our incredible teachers, the girls, and their parents. Our Old Girls, Parents and Friends, and our wider school community also play a significant role in that ongoing success. From providing scholarships, to fundraising, to encouraging us to connect with one another, our St Cuthbert’s community enables our girls to continue to receive a leading education, and to develop lifelong friendships and mentoring, that support them throughout their life.

We are living in a significantly digital and fast changing global environment, and our staff are highly focussed on delivering an education that enables each girl to thrive and be successful as she steps out into the world. For girls to be successful, we need to ensure that they are given the opportunities and support they need to discover their personal strengths and passions, and the skills to translate their learning into the real world. As part of our strategic planning, we will be making an announcement shortly about the next phase of our Campus development plan to support those goals, and we will profile this in the December issue of Evergreen Ties.

We hope you enjoy our new look Evergreen Ties. This edition is full of stories about our amazing girls, and vibrant St Cuthbert’s community.

From amazing discoveries in science, the arts, music, sport, technology, to amazing friendships and teamwork, our goal is to ensure that every girl who walks through the St Cuthbert’s gates experiences her very own version of amazing!

2 About Hayley Buckley

Hayley was appointed as Chair of the Trust Board in October 2017, after serving as a Board member since 2015.

Hayley is a partner in the Corporate Advisory team at law firm Wynn Williams, specialising in mergers and acquisitions.

She is also head of its national Corporate and Commercial team.

Hayley has two children, and her daughter Chloe is in the Junior School at St Cuthbert’s.

Warm regards Hayley Buckley Trust Board Chair

MEET OUR LEADERS

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Student leadership in the spotlight

Tiana Willis-Baker and Lucy Heron form a formidable partnership as our 2018 Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl, respectively. Include Emily Couper, Head Boarder, and the leadership team is known as the ‘Three Musketeers’.

Their personalities and skills complement each other perfectly, allowing each to shine as they fulfil their roles representing and advocating for the students of St Cuthbert’s.

Friends since Year 7, they were brought closer together by shared responsibilities when they were appointed to the student leadership roles. Because the three girls work well together, the leadership team is effective and as a result, the school benefits.

The girls work together to strengthen the student community and forge connections that span across year groups. Their overriding objective is to ensure that every girl feels part of the broader St Cuthbert’s community, and through this sense of inter-connectedness, openly contribute to enriching the environment for the future.

During their time at St Cuthbert’s all three girls have consistently demonstrated the values of the school and continue to make significant contributions in terms of enhancing our culture, celebrating diversity in all its forms, and representing the College externally.

It was these attributes that figured heavily in their appointment, following a rigorous application and voting process.

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MEET OUR LEADERS

Below Left to Right: Tiana Willis-Baker and Lucy Heron.

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3 All Year 12 girls are encouraged to apply for Year 13 prefect positions, across several categories. As part of the application process each girl is asked to list their contributions to the school community and demonstrate why they would be deserving of any of these honours. They then present a speech to their house in support of their application, and students vote for their preferred candidates.

The student’s votes, along with teacher’s votes, are reviewed by the senior leadership team and appointments are confirmed in writing. The wait to receive these letters feels like an eternity to the girls, who have each invested heavily in the process and are on tenderhooks waiting to find out if they have been successful. The girls are each called to the office to pick up their letter, formally advising them of their prefect position. They also receive a personal call of congratulations from a member of the senior leadership team.

The top six prefects are advised of their qualification to interview for Head Girl.

Looking back and reflecting on the process, both Tiana and Lucy share a sense of pride for what they have been able to contribute to the St Cuthbert’s.

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When you see all your activities listed on paper, it does make you realise that we are a part of something really wonderful. I came to St Cuthbert’s in Year 7 and got involved in everything.

It was my way of getting to know more people, to feel at home within the College, and to connect myself and ground myself within the school community,” Tiana said.

MEET OUR LEADERS

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Lucy echoes this,

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The more you put in the more you get out. The more involved I got, the happier I was at school. I felt part of the school community. It makes you proud to give back to a school that has given us so much”.

Both girls recognise they are in a position of responsibility and take this very seriously. They represent the College in all aspects of their life. This may range from creating strong connections with Year 9 students to help them settle into Senior School life, supporting our school sports teams, mentoring at Year 9 camp, to hosting a Prefect Luncheon for prefects from other schools around Auckland.

“The most important aspect is looking out for the people I am leading and representing,” Tiana said. “St Cuthbert’s means a lot to

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MEET OUR LEADERS

me but the most important part is the relationships with people across the school. I aim to treat everyone with kindness. It’s not hard to give quality time, and be kind. I’ve seen how much this can mean to the younger girls. It’s about creating a bond that grows over the year. I see their confidence soar with the support of a friendly face.

“Every day this role opens my mind and my eyes to how much bigger the world is. At the heart of it, it is about being the best I can be. I strive to give the best part of me to the role and to the College.

“It is also important to remain consistent across our lives, true to ourselves, and to our values and morals. My parents keep reminding me of this. I ask myself, ‘who is Tiana when no one is looking?’

It is about being authentic and holding myself accountable to the character I have.

“The role itself doesn’t define who I am. Just because I am Head Girl, doesn’t mean that I always get Excellence, I’m just striving to be the best I can be and to stay true to myself. No one can demand more from you than that,” added Tiana.

This dedication, humility and commitment to service will be Tiana’s legacy at St Cuthbert’s. She will also be viewed as someone who has stayed consistent in character, treated people with kindness and brought a real sense of fun to the position of Head Girl.

“I want to come back to St Cuthbert’s in future years and see confident, authentic leaders and individuals and I know our school community is set up to support and nurture this type of growth and development in each girl”.

LEFT Tiana Willis-Baker.

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I was delighted to be selected as Head Girl for 2018 and I am still overwhelmed by the level of support from the school and wider community. I would like to acknowledge our incredible management team who lead by example and are great encouragers of student leadership.

I am enjoying working alongside the Year 13 leadership team, and leaving our mark in 2018.

I am of Samoan and Tokelauan descent and am fortunate enough to be the recipient of a St. Cuthbert’s Endeavour Scholarship. Throughout my years at St. Cuthbert’s, I’ve been surrounded by wonderful role models who have inspired me to think outside the box and to dream bigger.

For me, St. Cuthbert’s has always been an incubator of many dreams. I have a sincere appreciation of all the academic and co-curricular opportunities that school offers. I’ve been involved in various areas of the school, including sport, music, drama and cultural groups. I have learnt the importance of the “By Love Serve” school motto through serving in the community. I believe that the pathway to leadership is through service.

My faith, family and school have been instrumental in developing my character and increasing my leadership capacity. To me, leadership is much more than a title or a position- leadership is an attitude. It is about having vision for yourself and a group of people. I think that good leaders have the ability to encourage and motivate others towards achieving common goals that bring about change for the common good.

My vision for this year is to build greater unity between the Senior, Middle, and, Junior Schools. I want our school to be a place where every girl who walks through our gates feels a strong sense of belonging. House spirit is such an important part of being at our school, I would like to encourage a culture of inclusiveness, to ensure that our school community embraces and celebrates diversity. Each girl is unique and plays a special part in the success of the school.

“He aha te mea nui o te ao?

What is the most important thing in the world?

He tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata” The people, the people, the people Tiana Willis-Baker

MEET OUR LEADERS

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Unpacking Global Citizenship There has been a lot of discussion recently across the political, media, and community landscape about Gobal Citizenship, and people are really keen to understand more about what we mean when we talk about global citizenship at St Cuthbert’s.

Head of Global Citizenship at the College, Libby Giles, is at the forefront of Global Citizenship education in New Zealand. She sat down with us to talk about Global Citizenship and to explain how it helps to develop our girls by providing them with the knowledge, skills, and values to embrace their lives as responsible global citizens.

How do you define the concept of global citizenship?

To understand Global Citizenship, we need to go back and review what it means to be a citizen. Citizenship as a concept, is defined in two parts; the rights, privileges, and duties vested in a person by a state, and by behavioural responsibility to fulfil one’s obligations to society.

In order to be viewed as a member of the society, there are particular duties, obligations and functions that must be fulfilled.

Responsibility is the hidden face of rights and it is responsibility that gives legitimacy to the notion of Global Citizenship.

When we expand this to a globalised view, we have to recognize that as a result of globalisation, nation-states share the

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world stage with non-state actors – including corporate, municipal, international nongovernmental organisations.

We have moved from an industrialised world that is structured and linear into a globalised world that is connected, interrelated and to a certain degree, chaotic. Chaos is not necessarily a bad thing; it simply means that we need to get better at managing in a more complex and connected world.

In terms of existential threats that we face, some, including former US Vice-President, Al Gore and the Stockholm Resilience Centre’s Professor Johann Rocktröm, believe we have moved further forward than predicted 20 years ago in renewable energy and other advancements to mitigate the effects of climate change.

MAKING GIRLS AMAZING

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This is where parterships with non state actors and educators come in and bring about timely change. Nation states can be slow to move, democracy is not great at looking at the bigger picture, rather focussing on the next election cycle. Despite the reluctance to change on the part of some governments, the moral imperative was set out clearly in the Paris Climate agreement of 2015. In the words of François Hollande, “What brings us together is the planet itself”. This is why enterprise, civil society cities, and education are driving new thinking and Global Citizenship.

What does it mean to be a Global Citizen?

A global citizen sees herself as a citizen of the world and operates from a position of shared responsibility and accountability. She understands the world, recognises her place within that world, and takes a leadership role to create a community that collaborates, connects and respects differences.

A global citizen participates in and contributes to the community at a range of levels from the local to the global.

As more and more people identify as global citizens, there is a spirit of “togetherness” that is created – an ability to communicate, travel, gain economic power and “tackle the world’s problems in a spirit of togetherness”.

The ideas of guardianship, connectedness and responsibility to preserve the earth and all that lives on it are the embodiment of global citizenship and are referenced in the St Cuthbert’s motto ‘By Love Serve.’

How does Global Citizenship link with education?

Global Citizenship and how it relates to education is multifaceted. The chief element to recognise is that teaching 14

MAKING GIRLS AMAZING

is changing rapidly. With digital technology influencing everything we do, information is at our students’ fingertips.

One of our principal roles is to open our students’ minds to what else is out there and to help them to understand their place in the world.

Global Citizenship is not a subject to be learned, it is a way of life, a conceptual lens or framework through which to capture all learning.

Global Citizenship education is interdisciplinary and embedded in the ethos of teaching, learning and pastoral care of a school or other educational institution, thus engendering empathy with close and distant communities at the same time as drawing connections between the learning areas that traditionally stand-alone.

Global Citizenship education assists with understanding and acting on local issues in a global context, integrated with global drivers for responsibility such as the Paris Agreement, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, corporate responsibility, and the environmental rule of law.

By challenging students to explore issues that are complex and require complex thinking, they are well placed to take on great challenges as solution-based opportunities. Providing frameworks for ethical decision making is crucial because we have entered an age when we are able to do things at a much faster rate than we can figure out whether or not we should be doing them.

Responsibility is the key word. Students understand that it is their responsibility to seek the truth and to act

upon it, and not to assume the validity of information presented to them. It promotes and develops responsible leadership of the world. Students are likely to gain a better sense of who they are and how they fit into the world.

St Cuthbert’s Goals: Knowledge, Global Citizenship, Well-Being.

Not only is Global Citizenship one of the school’s goals, it is inextricably linked to the others. We want our girls to be life-long, active learners with the values, principles, and key competencies necessary for sustained learning and responsible participation in society.

Global citizenship education connects the knowing and the doing. It is about asking questions and developing critical thinking skills. It is about ethical decision making – deciding how we ought to live. It is about equipping people with the knowledge, skills, and values to be citizens of the world Citizenship requires people to think in an abstract way, to step out of their comfort zones and away from their tools, to critique and “transform oneself and society”. Individual and societal well-being and happiness are promoted when we think of ourselves as a member of the world.

UNESCO, a global organisation with simple and clear educational goals, is committed to the promotion, development and support of global citizenship education and has set goals to achieve by 2030. Goal 4 is Quality Education and target 4.7 relates specifically to Global Citizenship:

By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, amongst others, through education for sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles, human rights, gender equality, promotion of a culture of peace and non-violence, global citizenship and appreciation of cultural diversity and of culture’s contribution to sustainable development.

The goals came into force in 2016 and all countries are expected to report progress towards achieving these goals. Global Citizenship education is more than an idealistic aspiration, it is a requirement.

Why is it important to teach our girls to think differently?

Global Citizenship education does not just belong to schools, but this is a valuable

starting point to lead change. In order to change the world, we need to change our thinking.

The understanding, valuing and inclusion of diverse cultures and the development of intercultural competency skills is essential in preparing St Cuthbert’s girls for their futures.

By participating in the reasoned exchange of ideas in the classroom, our girls develop greater tolerance of and respect for others.

The skills and qualities developed build personal confidence, support good judgment, and encourage participation as responsible citizens in civil society.

Today’s students are the first generation that truly understands their role in the world and their responsibility to make change. This generation is more comfortable with the concepts and language of global citizenship than many adults, but they are able to influence and educate, and as a result, change the behaviours of those around them.

In a sense we are teaching each other.

We want our girls to feel connected and grounded in the world they live in – to know that they belong, that they have great opportunities ahead of them, and that they are excited to explore ideas and share ideas.

We don't want them to feel guilty about the actions of others that impact the world, or living selfish lives. We want them to do good, and do well and to hold fast to all that ‘By Love Serve’ embodies beyond the school gates.

Global Citizenship teaches our girls a responsibility to seek the truth. This couldn’t be more important than now – the era of fake news. They learn that not everything they see in front of them is real and it is their job to go out and explore and find the truth, and tell others.

How is St Cuthbert’s approaching Global Citizenship education?

Global Citizenship education is consistent with the four key principles of the College compass, the requirements and aspirations of the New Zealand Curriculum, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and UNESCO’s five pillars of education: • Learning to know; • Learning to do; • Learning to live together; • Learning to be; and • Learning to transform oneself and society.

St Cuthbert’s is now a UNESCO Associated Schools Network Project MAKING GIRLS AMAZING

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(ASPnet) school and UNESCO plays a strong role in our approach to Global Citizenship education. They have helped with resources and training, teacher education courses, and connected us with a network of 10,000 schools across 180 countries.

Whilst there is a basic framework, we are developing a unique model based on a whole school approach to Global Citizenship education. We have an opportunity to lead in this field by establishing a model that can be replicated by other New Zealand schools.

Our first step is to value what is already happening within the College, to start small and to communicate well.

Wonderful initiatives have already been integrated throughout the College. It is not about learning Global Citizenship, it is about living it, and valuing education beyond assessment.

There has been a strong commitment to our Global Citizenship Programme by the St Cuthbert’s Prinicipal, senior leadership team and Trust Board. It is now written into the goals of the College and implementation is underway.

We’ve created a space in the library that we’ve called the Global Commons, which will be a place the girls can share ideas and develop solutions with the school and wider community. The naming of the Global Commons has a double meaning, literally the space to enage in global issues and projects, and the term that encapsulates all that lies in the planter interest.

The enthusiasm of working together will allow Global Citizenship to become part of the fabric of St Cuthbert’s culture.

Initial feedback demonstrates that our girls love it. We are developing girls who will step up to the world as cosmopolitan individuals, with critical thinking skills and inquiring minds.

This will flow back to continually benefit St Cuthbert’s students. When you develop students with a better sense of identity, self worth and achievement, academic performance naturally increases.

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Recent Global Citizenship activities: Auckland Secondary Student Symposium Libby Giles arranged a student symposium at St Cuthbert’s on 3 August 2018. The focus of the symposium was on the two existential threats of climate change and nuclear weapons, with a solution-based future focus.

From a climate change perspective, this was an opportunity for secondary students across New Zealand to learn more about climate change, how it affects New Zealanders and others around the world, and to discuss what students can do as the rising generation to bring about change.

With respect to nuclear weapons, the discussion centred on the current global situation with regard to nuclear weapons programmes, UN policy, and the potential threat to mankind.

Create1world Conference The Create1world Conference is a youth event and competition, hosted jointly by Massey University and the New Zealand Centre for Global Studies.

The Conference encourages New Zealand high school students (Year 9 to Year 13) to ‘create one world’ through art and creativity – to make a video, write a song, create a drama or speech, or write a poem or short story.

St Cuthbert’s drama groups brought home prizes in 2016 and 2017 for their powerful performance. At the 2017 conference, our Year 12 drama group won first prize for their original performance, Fast Fashion is the New Terrorism.

About Libby Giles Libby came to teaching with a background in politics and philosophy and a Masters in International Relations and Human Rights. After teaching for some years, she joined St Cuthbert’s College at the beginning of 2016 as Head of Religious Studies. That role has explanded to Global Citizenship Education and Philosophy.

She has been actively involved with the New Zealand Association of Philosophy Teachers, first as a member and most recently as President and has worked with Ministry of Education to write the teaching and learning guidelines for philosophy teaching in New Zealand secondary schools. She is a board member of the New Zealand Centre of Global Studies.

In 2013, Libby attended a UNESCO conference on Global Citizenship education in Korea where she connected with other like-minded educators on the topic of Global Citizenship – knowing there needed to be a move from the industrialised mindset to a more global mindset. Since then she has become a frequent speaker at conferences, including UNESCO. She will participate at the third international conference of global citizenship education in Seoul in September.

A full update on global citizenship activities will be provided in the next edition of Evergreen Ties.

A student’s perspective of Global Citizenship

by Tiana Willis-Baker

Being part of the Global Citizenship Programme at St Cuthbert’s has opened my eyes to the fact that it is much more than climate change and global warming. It is easy to focus on these and not think about how connected we all are and how the actions we take, impact on others around the world.

Now, being exposed to the global citizenship concept, I understand that I have been acting as a global citizen without fully realising it. The philosophy is based on everyone looking beyond his or her small circle of familiarity and privileged upbringing, and acknowledging the wider world. It is about us being better citizens of the world.

students, academics, activists, advocates, government bodies, and not-for-profit organisations.

It also happened to be held at the same time that Cyclone Gita was devastating the Pacific Islands. This made the impacts of climate change more real to everyone and was a literal reminder of how connected we all are.

Everything we do today, in terms of how we live our lives and how we impact the world around us, is intricately woven together and climate change is only one strong representation of that.

The conference put a human face to the impact of climate change. And some of those people are my own family. It made the impact more personal and closer to my heart. It is scary to realise that families in Tuvalu and Kiribati are being forced to leave the land as it has become uninhabitable and unable to sustain crops.

Being more aware of my impact on the world has changed the way I act and think on a daily basis.

I’m proactively trying to reduce carbon footprint by catching public transport to and from school. I’m reducing my use of plastics, looking for items with less packaging and refusing plastic bags at the supermarket. I know Mrs Giles is looking at implementing a new waste management system at St Cuthbert’s, and is reviewing the types of food sold at the tuck shop.

The year 10 trip to Kahunui is a great way to reinforce Global Citizenship and a great learning opportunity. With the projects you do there, it is really easy to understand how to reduce household waste and tread more lightly on the planet. And coming back home, your behaviour influences your family and then spreads further into the community.

There are other ways to contribute too. Last year, we participated in a drama competition ‘Create One World’, where we did a performance about prejudice and racism. I realise now that we were contributing to Global Citizenship.

The one activity that has had a lasting impact on me has been the 2nd Pacific Climate Change Conference. In February of this year, I attended the conference in Wellington with Mrs Giles. I was the only secondary student amongst 400 participants – university

This has a big impact cultural diversity. How devastating would it be? Without your homeland, how do you preserve your culture?

After returning from Wellington, I was encouraged to share my knowledge with other students and addressed an assembly to talk about the conference. I asked a friend who is Tongan to share the impact of Cyclone Gita on her own family.

We came up with the ides of fundraising for a community school in Tonga that was devastated by the cyclone, and coordinated a mufti day. We raised $2626 to aid the rebuild of the school. We were able to come together as a school and through our motto of ‘By Love Serve’ and the philosophy of Global Citizenship, were able to implement change.

Mrs Giles has directed my passion and interests, and opened my eyes to issues that affect all citizens of the world. Participating in the conference enhanced my desire to be a better global citizen.

She has inspired me to learn more and share what I know. I’m also encouraged to study law at Auckland University and pursue a career in politics. I want to be at the forefront of change within our nation.

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5

Creating Connections at Kahunui

There is an air of mystery and intrigue surrounding the Kahunui Programme, perpetuated by the fact that students have to wait until Year 10 before they get to experience the magic of Kahunui.

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Those who have been, hold the experience dear. Many describe their month at the riverside campus as one of the most challenging, life-changing, and bonding experiences they have faced. But they are hesitant to say more, in case they influence the expectations of those in the years to follow.

Kahunui is a major differentiator for St Cuthbert’s, and is an experience that helps support each girl to develop her inner confidence, and the belief that “yes she can”.

It prepares them for leadership roles and to confidently face life’s challenges.

Built on the philosophy of education by enquiry, the Kahunui Programme is a month-long residential experience, which immerses the girls into a very different learning environment. They are encouraged to question more, challenge more, and enquire further - to think deeply about the world they live in and delve into problems to develop creative and innovative solutions.

Kahunui aims to advance St Cuthbert’s girls’ academic and social development and help increase their levels of physical, emotional and intellectual fitness.

“Kahunui expands the girls’ outlook on the world and helps them to define their place in it”.

Nestled at the base of the forest of the Kahikatea Range, on the bank of the Waiotahe River, less than 45 minutes from Opotiki, the Kahunui campus is described

by Director Peter Evans as “providing social education in the outdoors”.

“It differs from the more traditional Outdoor Education Centres as the Kahunui Programme focuses on building teamwork, resilience, and self-management through activities in an environment that supports and nurtures the individual.

“

was over 10 years ago when he and his wife were deciding on schools for Sophia.

“We came along to an Open Day at St Cuthbert’s and people kept mentioning Kahunui. We knew nothing about it and were quite puzzled by this distant opportunity. It became obvious it was an Outward Bound type experience.

“We could see that it was a unique opportunity for Sophia, and something that was more common for boys’ schools.

We are really passionate about providing

opportunities for our daughter and it figured strongly in our decision to choose St Cuthbert’s.

“It was quite a selling point, but also quite a distant benefit. We were at Year 0 and this was something 10 years in the future.

“Now that Sophia has finally experienced Kahunui, I absolutely understand the wait.

Year 10 is the most appropriate age and stage. Any earlier would have been wasted.

It wouldn’t have provided the opportunity for Sophia to develop and learn as much as she did,” added Peter.

Our Programme builds life-long connections – connection to the environment, connection to others, and importantly connection to self,” Peter said.

The timing of this experience is also critical for the students’ social, physical, and emotional development. It comes at a time in their lives when they are no longer children, but have not yet fully stretched their wings as independent young adults. Year 10 has been demonstrated as the perfect time for this Programme and students and parents agree.

Sophia Wood, attended Kahunui earlier this year and explains that she wouldn’t have wanted to be any younger. “Kahunui comes at a time when you have got over the transition from Middle School to Year 9. In Year 9 there is so much happening and we need that year to settle in, forge friendships and connect with the school. Year 10 is also the perfect time, as it’s before all the study for NCEA kicks in.”

Sophia’s Dad, Peter, loved the idea of Kahunui when he first heard about it. That MAKING GIRLS AMAZING

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The Kahunui Experience A four-week, enriched education experience at the St Cuthbert’s Kahunui Campus. Building and deepening each girl’s: • Confidence, • Self awareness, • Independence, • Resilience, • Leadership, • Self management, and • Connection to self, others and the environment.

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Run by a dedicated team of eight academic/outdoor instructors and three ground staff, Kahunui welcomes groups of approximately 24 Year 10 students in a number of intakes across the course of the year.

Groups of eight live in and manage their own house, supported by their house tutors. They are responsible for maintaining a household budget and cleaning, laundry, menu planning, purchasing ingredients, and cooking meals.

“We know very little about the girls or their established friendship groups when they walk into Kahunui,” Peter Evans said.

“We mix them up and get them working in different groups for various projects and activities, expanding their social circles and teaching them the skills to work with a range of personalities.”

“We front-load a lot of tolerance and acceptance, and believe that dealing with conflict, if it arises, gives the girls a valuable insight into their own abilities and capabilities.”

Throughout their time at Kahunui, the girls may experience a range of emotions

due to homesickness, friendship tussles, personality clashes or leadership challenges, as well as physical exhaustion and elation. In dealing with any of the challenges, it is their attitude that they have full control over.

Peter Evans is frequently heard supporting the girls with the words “You have the power to choose your attitude and the way you approach a problem or situation”. At the heart of this is self-reflection, a practice the girls are encouraged to undertake at the

completion of most projects and activities, and also at the end of their time at Kahunui.

Peter has developed the programme to bring out the best in the girls. As well as continuing with academic lessons, taught by fully qualified and registered teachers, they enjoy a range of outdoor activities including tramping, sea kayaking, fishing, landyachting and rowing. In all of the activities, there is a subtle incorporation of Te Reo to connect the girls with the environment.

A student’s perspective In a nutshell, Sophia describes her time at Kahunui as “awesome”.

For Sophia, who is an outgoing and energetic teen, Kahunui provided opportunity and challenge, and some valuable lessons in teamwork and planning.

“Kahunui gives us a shared experience, brings us closer, deepens our friendships and gives us a better realisation of the relationships we can have with teachers and peers.

Sophia wholeheartedly embraced the spirit of Kahunui and threw herself into every activity and opportunity that was offered. To the point where one of the tutors had to step in and recommend that she needed to slow down.

Sophia and a small group of housemates decided to get up early one morning and kayak to a small island to watch the sunrise.

After planning the trip, packing up their equipment and setting the kayaks on the bank ready for an early departure, they headed off to bed. They rose before dawn and pushed off towards the island. Once ashore, they set about to cook a breakfast of porridge over their small cookers, only to discover that no one had packed matches to light the cookers. So, as the sun rose over the water, they sat there cold and wet, eating uncooked oats.

“I’ve learnt greater empathy and understanding. It’s opened my eyes to how different people cope in different situations, and how to understand each other’s reactions.”

“It certainly taught me the importance of selfmanagement and self-care,” Sophia said. “I have a busy schedule and I was really excited to be going to Kahunui. I went full out the whole time. It was too exciting and I didn’t want to miss out on anything.

“I am thankful for the tutor who helped me realise that I needed to take time out, and make time for myself, to relax and unwind.

That’s something that has stuck with me and I feel much better.”

They laugh about it now. It was one of those ‘bonding moments’ that they will remember forever.

by Sophia Wood

“

The thing I loved most though was just sitting around the fire with everyone, laughing.”

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The girls also undertake a major guided-enquiry project called ‘Footprint’ which aims to make Kahunui a sustainable living environment. The girls are responsible for identifying an issue, researching this and developing a plan in order to deal with the issue in a way that benefits Kahunui and the community so the place will be better for future generations.

One outstanding example of the issues that have been addressed relates to the shellfish that are collected at the end of the Waiotahe River. It has been documented that bacteria in the water, which can be traced back to cow manure as the source, has poisoned the shellfish.

In order to help clean the river and protect the shellfish, the girls are planting over 1,600 plants along the riparian margin to act as a natural filter and barrier to stop cow manure leaching into the river. The team at Kahunui is also working with the Bay of Plenty Regional Council on this project.

To keep sustainability at the forefront of everyone’s minds, a target has been set for Kahunui to produce 15 percent of it’s own food. Working towards this target, gardens have been built and planted, and the girls are responsible for maintaining the gardens and harvesting produce when they are there.

The houses the girls stay in are designed with sustainability in mind as well. Wetback fires and solar panels heat the water, rainwater is collected in tanks and used to flush toilets, and grey water from the houses is used in sprinklers to dampen down the roads to reduce the dust.

This connection with the environment continues well after the girls leave Kahunui. Teachers at St Cuthbert’s mention the girls become more engaged in geography, outdoor pursuits, and activities relating to climate change and global citizenship.

For those who have experienced Kahunui, the long-lasting memories are of personal achievements, deep friendships, and a love for Aotearoa.

Mahia i runga i te ranigimārie me te ngākau māhaki With a peaceful mind and respectful heart, we will always get the best result.

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Peter Evans Director Kahunui Campus

Kahunui reignited Peter’s passion for teaching. Combining his love of the outdoors with education in a truly magical setting, Peter, Nicola and their family love their life in the Eastern Bay of Plenty. Their roles at Kahunui are more than jobs, they are a passion and a lifestyle.

Both joined St Cuthbert’s Kahunui Campus in 2009, Nicola as the catering manager and Peter as a relief teacher. After a period teaching at Tihoi Venture School, Peter returned to Kahunui in 2014. He became Deputy Director in 2016 and was appointed Head of Campus in December 2017.

Peter oversees the entire programme and is responsible for the girls’ physical, academic and pastoral care. He also manages the campus and the team of academic and ground staff. Nicola’s main role is pastoral care, looking out for and supporting the girls who may be feeling homesick or struggling with the change of routine. She also manages the catering programme.

Peter uses the analogy of walking in front, beside and behind to explain how they relate to the girls whilst they are at Kahunui.

For the first week, they show, teach, and demonstrate. By the second week they are walking beside each girl as they build on their knowledge, step up and display greater leadership skills.

By the end of the month, the girls are well out in front and the team is running to keep up. “At this point, they are demonstrating interdependence and independence and it is wonderful to see.”

Peter also keeps parents and carers up to date with what the girls are doing throughout their four weeks at Kahunui. He encourages the girls to write letters to their parents or carers, and with the help of the Epsom based Kahunui Coordinator, Rachel Simmons, hosts a coffee morning at St Cuthbert’s at the end of week two.

At the end of the girls’ time at Kahunui, Peter coordinates a welcome for family members who are able to come down to pick up their daughters. Family get to share morning tea with the girls, are taken on a guided tour of the houses and grounds, and attend an award ceremony and presentation which celebrates each individual student and their achievements.

Stepping up to Year 7 With the current separation between Year 6 and 7, our girls in Junior School are provided with opportunities to establish leadership qualities and responsibilities. This sees them blossom and by the end of Year 6, our girls are ready to take the next step on their education and development ladder.

As they enter Year 7, they are starting on a journey to progress through to Year 13, in which they have many different choices to make, more specialised teachers, and face emotional challenges as they grow into young women.

Girls in Year 7, generally 10 and 11 years of age, are growing and developing fast. They are becoming independent and starting to form new friendships and push boundaries, yet at the same time their parents are their biggest heroes and most important people in their lives.

St Cuthbert’s has recognised the need for additional pastoral care at this age and stage, and by providing a focused, nurturing environment, our girls’ ability to learn is enhanced.

“The development of girls across this age group is at light speed,” said Margaret Talbot, Head of Middle School.

“Having the right level of pastoral care in place ensures they are supported appropriately and able to cope with the physical, emotional and academic challenges that come as they advance through their school years.”

“At this point in their lives, girls are trying to understand the rapidly changing world around them and find their place in that world. What their friends think of them becomes more important than teachers or parents and more often than not at this age this plays out as friendship tussles. They may also be dealing with body image issues, bullying, or the stress of simply needing to be more self-organised.

“Every child deals with things differently and they are at a vulnerable age, which is why it is important to know each girl really well.”

St Cuthbert’s provides a wrap-around approach to our girls’ day-to-day learning and development.

When St Cuthbert’s girls transition into Year 7, and for those who join St Cuthbert’s at Year 7, their daily routine and learning format changes. Our girls take on additional responsibilities as they start to become more independent. The larger cohort of students, and the addition of new students, also changes the dynamics and friendship groups may change as new friendships are formed.

Our teachers build strong connections with each girl, and they become a ‘go-to person’ for the girls for the hours they are at school. They are acutely aware of what influences and behaviours are playing out in class and in the playground, and are able to work with each girl individually.

Where this really comes into its own is when the relationship is extended to include the family. The bond between parent and teacher is just as important as that with the child. Margaret explains, “A strong relationship with the parent is critical in helping us to fully understand each girl. Things that are happening outside of school will influence behaviours, and good communication with each girls’s parents allows us to provide the appropriate support during school hours.

6 The step from Year 6 to Year 7 is often described as one of the most important in a girl’s education and development.

St Cuthbert’s approaches this step change with a dedicated focus – to nurture and support our girls at a critical time in their development, and set them up for the future feeling happy, confident and ready to take on the world.

“If one of our girls is distracted and forgetting things, or losing things on a regular basis, or perhaps sitting alone at lunchtime, understanding what may be happening at home helps us in our approach. It may be that the family is going through a separation, one parent may be away for work, a new child may be on the way, or two families may be blending.

“We strive to ensure parents are connected to the school community, and the relationship extends beyond the school gates and the school day. There is real power in the positive relationships with parents.”

The personal approach and the extent of the wrap-around is our point of difference.

We work in partnership with parents to give their girls the very best opportunities.

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We work closely with parents to ensure strategies are put in place to support each girl to work at the level we know they are capable of. One-to-one personalised learning support - classes that are integrated into a girl’s day – may be put in place depending on their individual needs, or enrichment programmes recommended.

Some girls present with learning differences - whether it be processing disorders, anxiety, dyslexia, or giftedness.

These girls face challenges as they think differently and can be easily frustrated.

The team works hard to give these girls the remedial support and enrichment they need.

“Personalised Learning Support allows us to adapt a girl’s class schedule in order to provide additional support where needed,” explains Margaret. “Instead of doing a language, a girl may have the opportunity to pick up additional English and Science support. If they are struggling in maths, one thing we have done is split five classes into seven to reduce class numbers, and one class becomes a dedicated personalised learning class.”

We look beyond the ‘quirky kid’ or the ‘kid that just fails tests’ to understand the unique individual.

Some girls have been identified as ‘twice exceptional’ - they may be gifted writers, but are dyslexic and unable to get their ideas on paper. In circumstances like this, the student needs more than writing support. This is where enrichment and creativity combine.

By encouraging these girls to get involved in creative writing classes, they can speak their text and ideas, whilst developing their confidence and ability to communicate.

St Cuthbert’s also runs frequent halfday workshops to bring together like-minded girls to work on very conceptual projects, and explore philosophical or ethical dilemmas.

This creates a sense of community for these girls and assists them to develop their social skills as they interact with others in their year group.

Students who demonstrate unique talents for particular subjects – most commonly maths or languages – also have the opportunity to multi-level, advancing them to a Year 9 or 10 class for example.

Teachers regularly check in with the girls to ensure they are coping, are settling in with a different cohort of students, and not missing out on any other opportunities.

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Play and downtime is critical, particularly in an ever-increasing digital world.

These days, many 10 and 11 year olds have mobile phones and are exposed to a vast array of digital influences. As well as teaching our girls how to stay safe online with a Digital Citizenship Programme, we also have to deal with the added complication that digital connectivity brings in terms of increased anxiety.

The perceived pressure to be connected 24/7 and the ‘echo chamber of social media’ that portrays only the positive aspects of another’s life, and potentially amplifies negative stereotypes, has contributed to a marked increase in anxiety in girls of this age.

A lot of anxiety comes from worrying about the world. Our girls are exposed to news and information from around the world, delivered instantly to their devices, some of which may not be entirely appropriate for their age. They have a very strong sense of justice and often feel helpless and anxious if they can’t change something they perceive as wrong.

To counter this, we aim to provide our girls with a way to make a positive difference.

It starts with open discussion to provide context to the issue, which helps them form a better understanding, and then we explore ways in which our actions can make a positive contribution - individually or collectively.

This approach is under pinned by our school motto and core values of “By Love Serve”, and the social action that comes

out of this is really important. Some recent examples of this include making teddy bears for refugee children, collecting blankets for kids in low socio-economic areas, or baking horse-shaped cookies in the technology room to fundraise for Riding for the Disabled.

We’ve also started a knitting club and yoga classes to help our girls have a different type of downtime.

This holistic approach to learning and development brings the added benefits of a close-knit school community that has opened our girls’ eyes to a diversity of views, cultures, and opinions. They have blossomed in a safe, stable environment. They share a sense of community, and have forged lifelong bonds with new and old friends.

Diane Levy on growing great girls In my family counselling practice, more than ever before, I’m seeing more parents who are struggling to deal with their children’s anxiety levels. This is also reflected in the increase in anxiety that teachers are dealing with in their students.

Children as young as five are showing symptoms of anxiety – which may manifest as exhaustion and meltdowns as well as behavioural and learning difficulties.

As a society we have rapidly moved from ‘girls can do anything’ to ‘girls can do everything’ or ‘ought to do everything’. It sets unrealistic expectations on our girls. We are expecting them to do more, be more and achieve more.

I am delighted by St Cuthbert’s new approach to branding with the strapline Making Girls Amazing. This is a well-rounded approach to education and development, and supports the pursuit of excellence in anything, over excellence in everything.

Play and downtime is critical, particularly in an ever-increasing digital world.

When our daughters start at St Cuthbert’s they will have more opportunities than they can possibly use. They will require all our guidance and wisdom to help them choose which opportunities to take and which ones to let go. Culturally we are not good at letting go, at saying no to things. And for some children this is really tough and may contribute to their anxiety.

In Middle and early secondary school age, when hormones may take over, we expect girls’ feelings to be jumping around all the time, so home needs to be a place of support and

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safety, where they can say what they think and feel, and open up about what is bothering them.

regular time together at some point in the day is important – for both of us.

How we think, influences how we act, and how we feel. All of these elements are interlinked and as Kiwi’s we are extraordinarily bad at dealing with feelings. We fall back on ‘think, do, think, do’. We simply can’t overlook feelings, the impact on our lives and the lives of our children if we try to repress them.

We need to work together to teach our girls to be independent. We can help them achieve this by breaking tasks down into manageable bites, not asking too much at one time from them. It could simply be the process of getting ready for school - help them to be systematic in the way they approach that task and as they work through their checklist for the books and materials they need for the day, allow them the space to work on it themselves by slowly backing off and giving them responsibility for what goes in their school bag.

One of the most important skills we can develop with our children is empathy – to listen and reflect back. Our child needs to know we ‘get it’. And yes, this is extremely challenging. As parents one of the hardest skills is to listen – without leaping to problem solving. Very few of us wait for those magical words “What do you think I should do?”

Time plays a big part in supporting a child through anxiety. As parents, we are working longer and harder than ever before and managing significant workloads and pressures. Few of us have the luxury to be there for our children 24/7. When you add in the expectations of 24-hour access and immediate responses demanded in this modern digital age – where no one ever switches off, we are busier than ever.

We do need to be conscious of what we are modeling, and which behaviours and qualities we want our children to emulate. We need to be conscious of striking a balance in our lives and making time for those we love. It is challenging and difficult. Creating routines where we and our child spend

The school environment must be a safe space, and for girls who are struggling with the social aspect in the playground, the introduction of lunchtime clubs and dedicated workshops, provide our girls with social support and a safe place. We can also complement this by teaching our children different ways to handle social situations.

Sometimes mock drama, sarcasm, or even a quick-witted response can surprise a bully and provide an anxious student with a sense of empowerment.

I believe that it is critical that schools have the appropriate support structures in place – at the student level, at the parent level, and at the teacher level. It is a delight to see the approach St Cuthbert’s takes in both developing and monitoring the appropriate student support across all levels of the school.

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The partnership approach the school takes with both parents and teachers to understand and support the girls is really important – teachers and tutors a re intricately involved in the development of these young minds – socially and academically.

Dealing with or overcoming childhood anxiety requires all of us to rise to the occasion, to work together to ensure our children have the tools to cope in a modern world including the guidance and wisdom of others to support them.

It takes a village to raise a child and as part of St Cuthbert’s College, we certainly have found our village.

Top tips to support our girls, at home and at school • Remember, we are all doing the best we can – parenting is hard.

• If you have an anxious child, emotional support is important – this can come from parents, teachers, and others in the community.

• Sometimes it is just being there and your willingness to listen that means a lot. Be present.

• Aim to find time to connect with your child – during a drive, over dinner, or at bedtime.

• Listen with empathy and without jumping to solutions too soon.

• Set boundaries early with regard to ‘screen time’ and establish rules for social media use.

• Find the right people to support you – teachers or counsellors. Go to talk with them at least twice.

• If that doesn’t work, don’t give up. Try till you find the right person.

• Don’t expect the advice to last forever. Our girls change and the strategies will need to as well.

Above articles by Diane Levy

About

Diane Levy Diane Levy is a highly successful family therapist, counsellor, parenting coach, speaker and bestselling author. Diane’s warm, humorous, practical, and common sense approach to raising children is evident in her writing, her speaking and her private practice.

Diane’s specialty areas include anxiety, behaviour issues, conduct disorders, parenting issues, and parenting hassles.

She works mainly with parents to help them develop strategies that mean they can better enjoy their time with their children as well as help their children to succeed and thrive. Diane is also proud to be a St Cuthbert’s Old Girl and an ex-teacher at the College.

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8

Creativity in Action

From our Junior School, right through to Year 13, our Performing Arts Department is an integral part of school life and developing well rounded girls.

Each year our girls have numerous opportunities to perform or be involved in dramatic productions, dancing, musical showcases, and so much more.

We believe that developing each girl’s creativity supports her to discover her unique passions and strengths. In our dramatic productions, girls have the opportunity not only to perform on stage, but are involved in all aspects of the production – front of house, backstage, and costumes. So far this year, we have seen some wonderful productions across our three schools, and this term is jam-packed full of music and creativity. We will be profiling our leading Performing Arts team and our approach to developing our girl’s in this area in the Christmas issue of Evergreen Ties.

Junior School Dance Extravaganza In the last week of Term 2 our Junior School girls took part in a wonderful, and colourful Dance Extravaganza. The girls were given dance lessons by Ezra Bush, Director of Dances for Schools. Ezra was a huge hit with the girls, who told him he looked like Ed Sheeran! Ezra choreographed dance routines for each year group, and it was fantastic to see how the girls developed during their lessons, and how confident they were dancing in front of all our Junior School parents. It was a wonderful evening and a great way to end the term. The girls particularly loved seeing their parents getting up to dance!

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Our Music St Cuthbert’s was well-represented in the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest, which took place in early June. Over 30 of our advanced musicians took part, with a number of our girls reaching the Auckland District Semi-Finals.

Congratulations to Jenny Yuan (Ewazen Trio), Raewyn Huang and Regina Baek (Revel in Ravel) and the Melomane Trio of Elvina Liu, Vivian Shao and Lucy Zhao. Stephanie Lu and Alexandra Lee also received Newcomers Awards.

Head of Subject (Co-curricular Music), Sally Tibbles, says, “I was so proud of our girls’ playing, deportment and grace over the four days of competition. The inclusion of six of our girls in the semi-finals was extremely well-deserved.”

Regina Baek, Raewyn Huang and Elvina Liu were selected to perform in the District Finals and Elvina’s Pettgroupman Academy is scheduled to play in the Chamber Music Nationals.

Saints Alive also wowed judges with their sound at the Big Sing Regional Awards, claiming the A Capella Award for ‘Best Unaccompanied Performance in any Genre’ and RunnerUp for ‘Best Festival Recital Programme by a Female Choir’.

Black Watch Singers also impressed and was awarded a Highly Commended. Both groups have been selected to perform at the Big Sing Finale in Wellington during August.

Best of luck to our choirs!

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Year 13 Show “Radium Girls”

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Alice in Wonderland

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Shakespeare Showcase for Student Thespians During Term 1, over 230 Senior School students particpated in the College’s newformat Shakespeare Festival by either acting or directing.

The new-look Festival gives student thespians the chance to bring Shakespeare to life in 15 minute teacher-directed scenes, or 5 minute student-directed scenes. For those students who prefer to be involved behind the scenes, there are new opportunities to enter costume design, music composition, or poster and essay competitions.

The Festival also provides our senior girls with leadership and mentoring opportunities as they direct younger performers. For the student-directed scenes, the directors choose the scene, cast the roles and arrange rehearsals, as well as direct and design the stage performance. This year we had two teacher-directed scenes and 52 studentdirected groups. The 12 best studentdirected scenes were selected to perform in the finale on the last night of the festival.

Experienced Shakespeare director, Rita Stone, then selected six student-directed scenes to represent St Cuthbert’s College at the Auckland Regional Final of the SGCNZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival.

Louise Tourelle’s teacher-directed scene from As You Like It with performances by Emma Pitt, Ophira Poratt, Jessica Zhang, Ella Guinness, Irene Moon and Lucy Mortimer also competed at the Auckland Regional Final, winning Best Stage Design, Best Costume Design and Best Use of Music/Song.

A special mention goes to Kanicha Nualkhair who was runner-up for direct entry into the National Shakespeare Schools Production thanks to her outstanding stage performance in a scene from Much Ado About Nothing.

The National SGCNZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival Awards Ceremony was held in Wellington over Queen’s Birthday weekend in June.

St Cuthbert’s College students claimed five placings for promotional activities and essay writing.

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Cybella Maffit • 1st in the SGCNZ/Adam Foundation Shakespeare DVD Cover Design Competition for Shakespeare and the Globe • 1st in the SCCNZ/Ida Gaskin Shakespeare Essay Competition for a piece about the women of Othello Cassia Chau • 1st in the SGCNZ/Adam Foundation Shakespeare Poster Design Competition for the Merchant of Venice Georgia Odlin • 2nd in the SGCNZ/Adam Foundation Shakespeare DVD Cover Design Competition for the Merchant of Venice

Selina Nan • 3rd in the SGCNZ/Tony Catford Shakespeare Costume Design Competition for Goneril from King Lear The girls’ design work will be on display at the Globe in London for six weeks during July and August. Congratulations to you all!

Creative Costuming Recognised Selina Nan is well placed to pursue her passion for the film and television industry after placing 3rd in the SGCNZ/Tony Catford Shakespeare Costume Design Competition.

Selina took inspiration from a King Lear scene she performed last year to design a costume for Goneril.

“I saw Goneril as a really strong character, perhaps not the nicest, but definitely strong,” says Selina. “For a while I’ve had this idea about dressing Goneril in traditional Chinese costume and this was the basis of my costume design submission.”

The competition required Selina to sketch her design, prove her workings with research, source fabric samples and give instructions for wear. Using her Year 10 Textiles Technology knowledge, Selina spent about 20 hours working on her entry in her free time.

“

I’m very excited to have my work go on display at the Globe. I have a real passion for costumes and prop design and this is such a fantastic reward.” Selina MAKING GIRLS AMAZING

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Wonderful Wiz In early April, our Senior School students presented The Wiz, a musical adaptation of the well-known and beloved tale of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.

Our production paid homage to the feast of recognisable characters and tailored the aesthetic to suit our dynamic cast. Packed with witty oneliners, and great music, The Wiz is about courage, friendship and self-discovery.

The story follows Dorothy, our PlayStation playing heroine, as she finds herself in an unusual land of preppy Munchkins and snooty Ozians. Dorothy journeys down the yellow brick road befriending a brainless scarecrow, a heartless tin man and a cowardly lion. Together our band of friends encounters ballet dancing poppies, the mice police and scary flying monkeys.

In order to return home, the Wizard decrees Dorothy and her band of friends must defeat Evillene, the Wicked Witch of the West.

Preparation began with auditions in October last year and expectations were high after the stellar production of Seussical in 2017. Rehearsals began at the start of Term 1 with just nine weeks until opening night.

Industry professionals Cherie Moore and Robin Kelly guided our actors and musicians, whilst Dance teacher Laura-Beth Warne created fantastically energised staging and choreography.

Creative Ambiance provided the professional sound and lighting, with costumes and props sourced by our Junior School resource centre wizard, Sandy

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Burrowes. The Wizard prop puppet was conceived and built

by Senior School students, supervised by Michael Zhang, from our Technology faculty.

Our girls showed significant dedication in memorising lines, learning dance routines and putting in hours of practice at home and school. It was great to see students engaged in all aspects of the production from designing the poster, greeting audience members front of house, to hair and make-up, technical assistance and back stage. It takes many hours of rehearsal and preparation requiring significant dedication by the cast and creative team, with fantastic support and sacrifice from parents and staff.

The annual production is an event all students look forward to, whether they are performing, assisting backstage or in the audience supporting friends.

The opportunity to have fun, learn, and put on a polished and professional performance is an important event in the Senior School.

“

A huge thank you to all those that made The Wiz such a great night’s entertainment.

Aaron Tindell Director of Performing Arts

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Cultural groups on stage at Polyfest Over 200 St Cuthbert’s girls performed at the annual Polyfest event in March, with 10 cultural groups represented, including Vietnamese for the first time.

Our girls achieved wonderful success with our Chinese and Korean cultural groups placing 2nd equal overall. They also received the following accolades for their polished performances:

Choreography Award 1st equal – St Cuthbert’s College, Korean 2nd equal – St Cuthbert’s College, Chinese Interpretation of Theme 1st – St Cuthbert’s College, Korean 3rd equal – St Cuthbert’s College, Chinese Asia Continent Award 1st equal – St Cuthbert’s College, Chinese and Korean Student leaders of the Korean cultural group, Georgia Odlin, Regina Baek and Christine Liu, said it took 13 dancers and three much-valued helpers to achieve the group’s fantastic result at Polyfest.

“Our dancers put in a huge commitment, practicing a minimum of seven hours a week to perfect our routine, which I’m proud to say the girls delivered perfectly on the Diversity Stage,” Georgia said.

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“Our three behind the scenes helpers maintained the groups 15 elaborate fans and assisted with costumes, hair and make-up on the day so that everything looked perfect for the judges,” Georgia added.

The Chinese cultural group expanded to 20 dancers this year, which allowed for a brand new routine. Christina Du and and Yuewen Zheng, Chinese cultural group student leaders explained that most of the dance was completely new so it was challenging to have the right formation and timing, “The routine this year was based on a jasmine flower dance, which involved a lot of fan work and our investment in new costumes and fans really paid dividends,” Christina said.

Yuewen added, “The Chinese cultural group has a tradition where girls who have been with the group for two or more years take centre stage for part of the routine. It was really nice during this part of the dance to use some of the routines we have done previously. Because the routines were familiar, our senior dancers could spend more time in the lead up to Polyfest perfecting updated material and working with our newer members.”

Following Polyfest, the cultural groups perform at St Cuthbert’s Pofiafia Night, which the groups agree was a personal highlight.

Regina explains,

“

At Polyfest you are so busy organising your group and performing - knowing you are about to be judged, and that’s stressful. You don’t have time to watch the other dancers and appreciate their performance.

At Pofiafia the atmosphere is much friendlier and inclusive.”

Christina added,

“

It was very special to perform in front of our friends and family at Pofiafia. The support from the audience on the night, and the teachers in charge throughout the entire process, was fantastic. It makes all the hours of rehearsal so worth it.”

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9

A small group of Endeavour Scholarship students share their thoughts on what the Scholarship Programme means to the St Cuthbert’s Community.

Florida Mataio sees the scholarship programme as an opportunity to bring everyone together to celebrate the range of cultures that are represented at St Cuthbert’s, which is reflective of the broader community of Auckland and a diverse New Zealand.

Sapphire Tutini’s dad is Maori and her mum is from the Cook Islands, and she is proud to share her culture and bring it alive.

Together with her fellow Endeavour students, Sapphire participates in

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Pofiafia Night, a night on the College calendar that brings our ten cultural groups together to perform traditional dance in front of a welcoming audience.

The cultural groups represented at Pofiafia Night this year included Maori, Samoan, Tongan, Chinese, Korean, Tibetan, Mongolian, Thai, Vietnamese and Indian. Pofiafia stems from the word ‘fiafia’ which means ‘celebration’, ‘get together’ or ‘happy’.

As a valuable opportunity

to encourage connections within the Maori and Pacific community at St Cuthbert’s, the Endeavour Scholarship and Aspire Scholarship students are establishing an academic mentoring programme. Senior students (Year 11–13) will mentor younger students (Year 7–10).

This will build on the existing Endeavour morning teas and review meetings, and continue to support students to aspire to excellence.

Endeavour Scholarship Programme The Endeavour Scholarship Programme, launched in 2001, has had a wonderful impact on the culture at St Cuthbert’s, celebrating cultural diversity and providing an enriched learning opportunity for all students.

Up to four scholarships are awarded each year to prospective students of Maori and/or Pasifika heritage who are commencing studies in Year 7, and provide support right through the College.

Our current Head Girl, Tiana WillisBaker, is a proud Endeavour Scholarship recipient and has fully embraced the spirit of the Programme, sharing her cultural heritage with the students and teachers, and adding a richness to College life.

Speaking about how rewarding it has been to share her culture, and teach the underlying values that have been central to her upbringing to girls of other cultures, Tiana is humble, yet very proud.

She holds her hands to her heart as she talks, and you know that her words come from deep within, are rooted in love and compassion, and are shared willingly for the benefit of others.

ABOVE Tiana and Alayna Willis-Baker.

—

“Looking back, I didn’t realise the full extent of what this scholarship would mean to me, my family, the College, and my community.

“The opportunity to share my culture and heritage with others, and at the same time to learn about other cultures, opens our minds to the world we live in. It helps us to find the common aspects that unify us and build a stronger, more tolerant, and respectful community.

“It is much more than shared traditions, and diversity is respected at St Cuthbert’s well beyond the cultural events and activities. What we have created here is the opportunity to contribute to ethical and philosophical discussions about significant world events from a cultural perspective.”

Tiana’s contributions, and those of all other Endeavour Scholarship students has a lasting impact on the College and continues to enrich the lives of our students.

The transition to College life was an initial shock to Tiana, who joined St Cuthbert’s from a small, private Christian school of 100 students.

“I was the only girl in my year group of five students. I moved from a small, extremely intimate environment to a year group that was larger than my entire school.

But the opportunity this has afforded me has been phenomenal. It has inspired me to reach out to others, to share more of me and to give back at every opportunity.

“I feel so blessed to have this support and assistance. Knowing that someone cares enough to invest in my education is wonderful. I can’t describe what that generosity means to me and to my family.”

Tiana’s younger sister, Alayna, followed in her footsteps; in 2014 she was also awarded an Endeavour Scholarship.

Together, they share their Samoan and Tokelauan heritage and bring a unique perspective to College life.

They epitomise our College values –

By Love Serve.

Endeavour Scholarship Programme • Established in 2001 for girls of Maori and/or Pasifika heritage • Awarded each year to up to 4 prospective students commencing studies in Year 7 • Provides tuition support across all years at the College • Application details can be found at http://www.stcuthberts.school. nz /admissions/scholarships/ endeavour-scholarships/

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2017 Student Successes NCEA — Level 1 (Year 11)

97.1 87.9% %

Students who achieved certificate

Percentage of certificates achieved with either Excellence or Merit

Our 2017 academic results were exceptional.

We are very proud of our girls’ results, and would like to make special mention of our Year 13 cohort who gained a total of 86 NZQA scholarships, which is a wonderful achievement!

International Baccalaureate

100 03

53.9% achieved

%

IB students who gained their Diploma

IB Top Scholars received perfect scores of 45 making us the top performing school for IB Over 50% achieved a score of over 40

with Excellence

Level 2 (Year 12)

100 89.5% %

Students who achieved certificate

86

Scholarships awarded.

with Excellence

01

Top Subject Awards (Design)

Students who achieved certificate

Tertiary Education

Percentage of certificates achieved with either Excellence or Merit

98.3 87.6%

Percentage of certificates achieved with either Excellence or Merit

47.9% achieved with Excellence

98.6 40

%

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11 girls gained 3 or more Scholarships.

52.4% achieved

Level 3 (Year 13)

%

Scholarship Awards

Students who received UE

78 12

Tertiary Scholarships offered

International University Scholarships offered

11

2017 Scholars’ Award Recipients

2017 Year 11 Scholars’ Awards Scholars’ Badge Five or more courses endorsed with Excellence Five Subjects Amelia Cai Katie Doar Joanne Kwak Zara Mihlar Emma Moriarty Kayla Nuzum Jian Pan Sophie Parker Crystal Sang Jessica Zhang Lilian Zhang

Six Subjects Elise Bailey Charlotte Ryan Angela Xu

Emily Hacket Pain Samantha Wang

2017 Year 12 Scholars’ Award Certificate Gained a Year 13 Scholarship in Year 12 Isabella Devlin Raewyn Huang Emma Pitt Sophie Wang Sophia Yi 2017 Year 12 Scholars’ Award Scholars’ Badge Five or more courses endorsed with Excellence Ophira Poratt

Madeleine Whiting

2017 Year 12 Scholars’ Award Significant Scholars’ Badge Five or more courses endorsed with excellence for two years Amaani Batra Sophie Dixon Sofia McClelland Claire Rees Joy Tong

BELOW Scholars Assembley —

Cindy Cao Hannah Lu Helen Meng Annie Sun

Double Awards 2017 Year 11 Scholars’ Badge and Certificate Year 11 student who gained a Scholars’ Award and a Year 13 Scholarship Cybella Maffitt 2017 Year 12 Significant Scholars’ Badge and Certificate Year 12 students who gained a Significant Scholars’ Award and Year 13 Scholarship Naushiha Aravinthan Greta Bennett Celine Goh 2017 Year 12 IB Significant Scholars’ Badge and Certificate An IB student who gained a Significant Scholars’ Award Year 13 Scholarship Olivia Donaldson 2017 Year 13 Scholars’ Awards Significant Scholars’ Badge Five or more courses endorsed with excellence for two or more years Olivia Bennett Sophia Yang

Alexandra Briscoe

Year 13 IB Students with Perfect Scores of 45 Joia Che Stacey Tian

Francesca Orchard-Hall

2017 Trust Board Top Scholars Trust Board Top Scholar Year 11 Emily Hacket Pain

2017 Year 12 Scholars’ Award Year 12 IB Significant Scholars’ Badge Top 10% GPA and Excellence in 5 or more subjects in Year 11

Trust Board Top Scholar Year 12 Naushiha Aravinthan

Oris Chen

Trust Board Top Scholar Year 13 IB Francesca Orchard-Hall

Kacy Zhou

Trust Board Top Scholar Year 13 NCEA Alexandra Briscoe

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12 Our girls’ achievements

Budding Leaders Acknowledged Year 8 student Victoria Jagush and Samara Saunders in Year 6 have been recognised for their outstanding leadership qualities with Sir Peter Blake Leadership Awards. The awards are presented to students who work well with others, get stuck into tasks, take on extra duties with a positive attitude and are kind and thoughtful in their words and actions.

Victoria was surprised to receive her award in a special assembly presentation by Dr Rochelle Constantine, an Associate Professor at the University of Auckland and marine mammal specialist who delivered an inspiring speech for the girls.

Samara received her award from sponsors Westpac in another special assembly where Principal Justine Mahon applauded her enthusiastic and supportive leadership style as a Junior School House Leader for York.

Congratulations to both these aspiring young leaders.

Science Badge Bonanza STEM learning is a critical part of our students’ education as they set

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out on the path towards becoming Global Citizens. A great example of this is the Middle School Science Badge programme. Girls in Year 7 and 8 have the opportunity to nurture their science passions through extra-curricular learning in any of 29 science areas from Home Chemistry to Zoology and Optics to Wool Science.

The programme gives particular focus to areas of science beyond the New Zealand Curriculum for intermediate school learners. The girls complete the research and experiments required for each badge in their own time and those who complete four badges receive a bronze award, eight badges a silver award, and 12 badges a gold award.

The girls’ enthusiasm for the programme is evident in the 248 badges the 2017 Year 8 cohort accumulated over their two years in the Middle School. One student who is well on her way to a gold award is Jifei Shao in Year 7, who in just two terms has already completed eleven science badges!

Jifei’s science passions are human biology, chemistry and physics and she loves the hands on learning the science badges offer. She hopes to study in the medical field after school.

community, their perceptions of changing social values and the importance of protest.

Cybella says, “I’m enjoying working with Karyn who as a journalist has a good nose for news, a fantastic asset for a story like this.

My writing style is emotive and considered, not just about reporting facts, which is why I’m taking the time to dig deeply into the worlds of my subjects. I want to be able to bring their stories to life on the page.”

Once complete Cybella will publish her work as a zine, which we, look forward to reading.

Problem Solving for the Future

Proud and Published

the World Scholars’ Cup in May.

Three Middle School students have had work published in Toi Toi, a quarterly journal of art and writing by children aged 5 -13. Ashwini Mahadevan and Erica Liu-an each had artwork profiled in the journal, while Sasha Gabriel had a poem published. The girls were recognised in a special assembly where they each received a copy of Toi Toi containing their work.

“The girls competed in teams of three and did exceptionally well, receiving three trophies, 19 gold and 34 silver medals,” says Libby. “Millie Caughey was named second overall top scholar and five of our girls were ranked in the top 30!”

SS – Top United Nations Honour Seven students will be proudly flying the St Cuthbert’s flag as part of Team Australasia at the United Nations Mock (FerMUN) Conference in Geneva in January next year!

This is the first time New Zealand has been invited to participate in this global youth event, a huge honour for our girls. While in Geneva students will also spend time visiting the World Health Organisation headquarters and the UN High Commission for Refugees, as well as attending French lessons at a local school.

Congratulations to Sarah White, Amber Waymouth, Lola Cox, Roisin Buckley, Ophelia Ge, Isabella Wright and Olivia Haskell who secured the appointment to Team Australasia through a rigorous application process. The girls had to demonstrate their interest and experience in debating, public speaking and the Model United Nations format as well as their ability to speak a foreign language. We look forward to hearing from the girls and teacher Rob Griffiths about their Geneva experiences next year.

Massive Medal Haul at World Scholars’ Cup Head of Global Citizenship, Libby Giles, was delighted that nine students “came home dripping in gold and silver medals, with a few trophies to boot” from the Auckland round of

The World Scholars’ Cup tests student knowledge in six subject areas including Social Studies, History, Social Science, Art & Music, Literature and a Special Area, which is Human Relationships this year.

The girls spent a very intense two days debating, sitting individual and team quizzes and collaboratively writing essays to achieve these results.

Congratulations Millie Caughey, Zoe Robinson, Arzu Baba, Valentyn Santhara, Sammy Cole, Natania Thomas, Ophelia Ge, Zita Short and Grace Mora on this wonderful result.

Author Ambitions Year 12 student Cybella Maffitt is one of four talented secondary school learners selected as winners of the NZ Society of Authors (PEN NZ Inc) Youth Mentorship Programme 2018. She now has a special opportunity to hone her writing skills under the mentorship of Karyn Hay, an author of two novels and a range of short stories, who is perhaps better known as a radio broadcaster.

Cybella applied for the Youth Mentorship Programme after a friend brought it to her attention just days before closing.

She submitted a proposal for an emotive magazine-style feature story exploring the 50th anniversary of Stonewall, an LGBT equality movement started in New York City.

As part of her piece Cybella is interviewing subjects aged 16 – 70 about their personal experiences as members of the LGBT

Amber Waymouth, Arabella Cryer, Grace Mora and Zoe Robinson immersed themselves in US varsity culture during their June trip to the World Future Problem Solving Championships at the University of Wisconsin in the town of La Crosse on the Mississippi River.

Grace says, “The campus felt absolutely huge, like a maze, even though it is one of the smaller US universities. We enjoyed sampling college food as well, with some very interesting offerings like Sprite for breakfast and sugar with just about everything, even fruit!”

Despite the culinary curiosities the girls remained focused to finish 24 out of 65 teams in their division. Over 2,000 school students from around the world attended the event.

The topic this year was the future of criminal justice systems: law enforcement agencies, court systems, and correctional institutions. Before departing for the event the girls were very grateful to hear from top professionals at law firm Meredith Connell, which also provided generous sponsorship to the team, about how future societies need to adapt as norms and cultures change.

Grace explains, “Prisons seem due for an overhaul and a crucial issue will be the way new technology is used to surveil populations and analyse crime.”

The contest itself was intense and a real exercise in teamwork according to the girls. Team members played to their different strengths to write and present thoroughly analysed responses to problems.

The girls also had time to enjoy the sights with a steam boat cruise down the Mississippi and fittingly, a stop in San Francisco with a visit to Alcatraz on the way to the competition.

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13

Sport Snapshot

Participating in sport and being physically active is a key part of a well-rounded education.

Sports at St Cuthbert’s is about giving our girls every opportunity and encouragement to have a go and try new sports, to join teams, and have some fun while being physically active!

With our wonderful sporting facilities, and talented coaches, girls are supported at every level of ability, from high performance athletes, to joining a team to play socially. Sport is part of weekly life across all three schools!

Junior School Sport Congratulations to Scarlett Robb who won 10 medals in 10 events at the New Zealand Junior Swimming Championships, breaking six Auckland records in the process! Scarlett swam in the Girls’ 10 and Under category and will do so again next year.

SWIMMING SPORTS FUN Our Junior School swimming sports is always loads of fun, and this year was no exception. All our girls took part, and enjoyed both the competitive races and the fun events. Special mention goes to Scarlett Rob who broke five St Cuthbert’s records and Isabella Lambie who also broke a record in the Year 5 25m Breaststroke.

Congratulations to our age group champions: Year 4 1st Aimee Bradley 2nd Jackie Xu 3rd Rachel Wright Year 5 1st Scarlett Robb 2nd Isabella Lambie 3rd Scarlett George Year 6 1st Mia Kelliher 2nd Samantha Bradley 3rd Amber Bason

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REMUERA ZONE SWIMMING Year 5 and 6 swimmers Amber Bason, Samantha Bradley, Isobel Denton, Scarlett George, Mia Kelliher, Zoe Knight, Isabella Lambie, Jemma Nesdale, Piera Parkinson, Scarlett Robb and Sophie Yeoman represented St Cuthbert’s at the Remuera Zone swimming competition.

Their amazing results included winning every single girls’ relay event and placing 2nd in the Open Relay against boys and girls teams.

The girls were named 1st in the girls’ competition and awarded 1st team overall. This is the fourth consecutive year St Cuthbert’s has won the girls’ competition. Congratulations to our wonderful Junior School swimmers!

SUMMER FIELD DAYS At the end of March, 50 of our Year 5 and 6 students competed in the Remuera Zone Summer Field Days. The girls played a mini tournament in teams, competing in cricket, touch rugby, softball and tennis. The main objective was to have a go and have fun playing sport, which our girls absolutely did and there were some fantastic results along the way! Year 6A Francesca Wright and Katie Marshall came 2nd, and in 6B Isabella Yuan and Emma Ng came 2nd equal. Year 5B Violet Liu and Christine Fu came first.

CROSS COUNTRY CHALLENGE Our girls had a beautiful, blue-sky day for cross country at the start of Term 2, and it was great to see so many parents there to show their support. It was great to see all the girls at the start line, determined to do their very best. Congratulations to all our girls who took part, and to our podium finishers.

Year 3 1st Coco Alpe; 2nd Coco Renault-Pollard; 3rd Ava Burt Year 4 1st Jackie Xu; 2nd Meher Randhawa; 3rd Amelie Moore Year 5 1st Scarlett Robb; 2nd Ellie Siu; 3rd Scarlett George Year 6 1st Eleora Lau; 2nd Grace Meredith; 3rd Samantha Bradley

CONGRATULATIONS TO...

Zara Toes in Year 5 who won the Women’s 10 Sprint category at the New Zealand Orienteering Championships over Easter at the University of Auckland.

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Middle School Sport DIVING INTO SWIMMING SPORTS Vibrant House colours and giving everything a go were the order of the day at Middle School Swimming Sports in February. Well done to all girls who took part, particularly our year group champions.

Year 7: 1st – Sophie Robb, 2nd – Islay Boyes, 3rd – Lucy Hawke Year 8: 1st – Sofia Kelliher, 2nd – Victora Jagusc, 3rd – Holly Macdonald Our top competitors went on to represent the College at the Year 7 and 8 Central Zone Swimming Championships where Charlotte Goldsmith, Islay Boyes, Bella Knight and Cici Lin took gold in the Year 7 Girls’ 4x25m Freestyle Relay.

TENNIS TRIUMPH Renee Zhang (Year 7) secured 2nd place in the Junior Girls’ category at the Auckland Secondary Schools Tennis Championship. Renee played above her age grade, losing in the final to a Year 10 student.

Renee then paired up with fellow St Cuthbert’s Year 7 student Lily Allen to place 2nd in the Junior Girls’ Doubles event, going down in the final to Year 10 competitors.

ORIENTEERING Year 8 student Ellie Evans achieved impressive results in the North Island Secondary Schools Orienteering Championships, and narrowly missed out on a podium place, coming 4th in both the Year 7 and 8 Girls’ Sprint and Long Distance events. The Year 7 and 8 team placed 2nd overall in the Year 7 and 8 Girls’ category, a fantastic result given the small number of Middle School students competing.

The Auckland Secondary Schools Orienteering Relay event followed in May and our Middle School team of Fiona Chen, Claire Heimgartner and Katelin Toes placed 3rd in the Year 7 and 8 Girls’ grade.

Our Middle School orienteers also put in a good showing at the orienteering Interzone Championship for Year 7 and 8 students. The Year 7 team of Sienna Williams, Alexandra Fletcher, Katelin Toes, Grace McGregor-Macdonald, Zara Ford and Emily Robinson placed 1st and the Year 8 team of Fiona Chen, Kate Carter, Ellie Evans, Claire Heimgartner, Grace Merrilees and Molly Munro placed 2nd. Katelin Toes (Year 7) and Ellie Evans (Year 8) both came 1st on course three in their respective events

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CROSS COUNTRY It was a perfect day for the annual Middle School Cross Country and our girls’ preparation was evident. Congratulations to our six podium finishers!

Year 7: 1st – Sophie Robb, 2nd – Renee Zhang, 3rd – Rosa Cox Year 8: 1st – Charlotte Greenwood, 2nd – Olivia Greenwood, 3rd – Ruby Luxton

CONGRATULATIONS TO: Year 8 tennis sensation Sasha Situe!

Sasha played the global Junior Hardcourt Championships Gold in Melbourne in April. She played in the 12 Girls’ age group and won all five of her games, including the final 6-4, 6-0 against her number three seeded Australian opponent. Well done on a fantastic result Sasha!

Sophie Robb (Year 7) won the First Grade 11 Girls’ 2000m and 1500m events at the Auckland Athletics Championships in March.

Year 7 student Chloe Lam represented New Zealand in the US Kids Summer Golf Tournament over the 2017/2018 Christmas break. She won six out of eight rounds and in the championship game was ahead by 12 strokes. Chloe also represented New Zealand in the recent US Kids Australian Open and took 2nd place. A wonderful achievement Chloe!

Anna Zhou, Year 8, and Annabelle Liang, Year 9, attended the 2018 World Junior Wushu Championships in Brazil during July. They were part of a six-person New Zealand team. Wushu is a form of contemporary Chinese martial arts that emphasises quickness, explosive power and natural, relaxed movement.

Charlotte Goldsmith placed 1st in the First Grade 11 Girls’ Long Jump and 2nd in both the First Grade 11 Girls’ 100m and 200m at the Auckland Athletics Championships. Charlotte also competed in the New Zealand Junior Surf Lifesaving Championships and finished 3rd in the Under 12 Girls’ Beach Sprint Final. Earlier this year she was named co-captain of the Auckland Under 12 Girls’ Representative Touch Rugby team. The team went through the competition undefeated to win the Northern Region Interprovincial Touch Rugby Championships. Well done on these outstanding results Charlotte!

Katelin Toes competed at the New Zealand Orienteering Championships over Easter in her first national event. Katelin won the Women’s 12 Sprint, a challenging race at the University of Auckland that included complex buildings, street underpasses and map flip.

Victoria Chen (Year 7) placed 1st in the Women’s Recurve at the New Zealand Youth Archery Championships.

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Senior School Sport Athletics Action Noise, colour and participation were all on display at the Senior School’s annual Athletics Day at Mt Smart stadium in February. Congratulations to our College champions:

Peyton Leigh 1st Intermediate Girls’ 800m 1st Intermediate Girls’ 1500m

Junior 1st Olivia Power 2nd Equal Charlie Francis and Jaime Lewis

Hannah Stewart 3rd Intermediate Girls’ Long Jump

Intermediate 1st Charlotte Holland 2nd Isabel Allen 3rd Isabella Richardson Senior 1st Madeline Falconer 2nd Emily Hacket Pain 3rd Bernadette Doyle Central Eastern Zone Athletics Our top competitors went on to represent the College at the Auckland Central Eastern Zone Athletics Meet, where they enjoyed phenomenal success.

Charlie Francis 3rd Junior Girls’ 100m 2nd Junior Girls’ 200m 1st Junior Girls’ 300m 1st Junior Girls’ Triple Jump

Georgia Milne 3rd Intermediate Girls’ High Jump 3rd Intermediate Girls’ Triple Jump

Bernadette Doyle 1st Senior Girls’ Discus 2nd Senior Girls’ Javelin Elena Edgar-Nemec 3rd Senior Girls’ Triple Jump Emily Hacket Pain 2nd Senior Girls’ 1500m Claire Rees 3rd Senior Girls’ 1500m 3rd Senior Girls’ 3000m Relays 1st 4x100m Girls’ Junior Relay Charlie Francis, Ella Nesdale, Olivia Power, Sonya Ha 1st 4x100m Girls’ Intermediate Relay Charlotte Holland, Hannah Stewart, Isabel Allen, Leilani Faaiuaso.

RECORD BREAKERS

Sonya Ha 1st Junior Girls’ 100m 3rd Junior Girls’ 200m 2nd Junior Girls’ Long Jump

1st 4x400m Girls’ Open Relay Charlotte Holland, Olivia Power, Bella Browne, Isabel Allen

Jaime Lewis 3rd Junior Girls’ 800m 3rd Junior Girls’ 1500m 1st Junior Girls’ 3000m

The Auckland Secondary Schools Athletic Championships was the next event for 17 of our track and field stars and the girls once again impressed.

Olivia Power 1st Junior Girls’ High Jump 3rd Junior Girls’ Long Jump

Sonya Ha 2nd Junior Girls’ 100m 2nd Junior Girls’ Long Jump

Isabel Allen 2nd Intermediate Girls’ 400m 1st Intermediate Girls’ High Jump

Jaime Lewis 1st Junior Girls’ 3000m

Chloe Browne 2nd Intermediate Girls’ 800m 3rd Intermediate Girls’ 1500m Leilani Faaiuaso 1st Intermediate Girls’ 100m 2nd Intermediate Girls’ 200m Charlotte Holland 1st Intermediate Girls’ 200m 1st Intermediate Girls’ 400m 2nd Intermediate Girls’ Long Jump 1st Intermediate Girls’ Triple Jump 48

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Auckland Secondary Schools Athletics

Olivia Power 2nd Junior Girls’ High Jump Leilani Faaiuaso 1st Intermediate Girls’ 100m 2nd Intermediate Girls’ 200m Isabel Allen 2nd Intermediate Girls’ 400m Charlotte Holland 1st Intermediate Girls’ 200m 1st Intermediate Girls’400m 1st Intermediate Girls’ Triple Jump

Peyton Leigh 3rd Intermediate Girls’ 800m Bernadette Doyle 3rd Senior Girls’ Javelin Elena Edgar-Nemec 3rd Senior Girls’ Triple Jump Relays 1st Junior Girls’ 4x100m Relay – Charlie Francis, Olivia Power, Sonya Ha, Elle Nesdale.

RECORD BREAKERS 1st Intermediate Girls’ 4x100m Relay Charlotte Holland, Isabel Allen, Leilani Faaiuaso, Hannah Stewart.

RECORD BREAKERS 1st Girls’ Open Relay 4x100m Olivia Power, Peyton Leigh, Charlotte Holland, Isabel Allen

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Cross Country World Beaters After excellent national results in 2017 the St Cuthbert’s Cross Country Team was selected to represent New Zealand at the World ISF Cross Country competition in Paris in April.

The team of Bella Browne, Chloe Browne, Emily Hacket Pain, Emma Hamilton, Claire Rees and Isabella Richardson posted a phenomenal result, finishing 3rd in the world in the 3-Person and 6-Person Girls’ Selected Schools team events.

The girls were part of a 24-strong New Zealand team that headed to Paris, and were selected by the New Zealand Secondary Schools Athletics Association on the strength of an entry submission from Middle School teacher Sarah Stevens. Sarah has either coached or managed the College’s distance runners for an impressive 23 years.

There is little doubt that this continuity has played a large part in St Cuthbert’s being named the top New Zealand school in cross country, across both boys and girls, for the past 40 years. The award was bestowed in 2014 and reflects consistently exceptional results, including four national cross country champions in Audrey Gregan, Vanessa Jackson, Rachel Kingstone and current student Isabella Richardson.

Isabella proved her talent again in Paris, placing 23rd in the world in the Girls’ Selected Schools event. The team ran a highly strategic race, with twins Chloe and Bella Browne sticking with Isabella to finish 24th and 25th respectively, giving the girls a good shot at a podium finish. Strong races

by Emily Hacket Pain, Claire Rees and Emma Hamilton who finished 33rd, 38th and 64th secured the bronze.

Manager, Sarah Stevens said, “The girls put in a lot of physical preparation, training individually and together to be in peak condition for Paris, but we knew that mental preparation was also important.

“We discussed strategy a lot. After getting a taste for international competition during the 2016 event in Budapest there was a real hunger for a medal. One of the best ways to medal in the team event is to run close together as a group.

The girls executed this tactic perfectly and it paid off with a bronze.

“Myself and coach Lana Van Hout, who is a top Auckland runner and College Old Girl, are so proud of the girls’ achievement.”

At a College level, all Senior School girls participated in the annual cross country event in early May. Top finishers across the three Senior School categories were: Junior 1st Jaime Lewis 2nd Madeline Leigh 3rd Zara Stewart Intermediate 1st Chloe Browne 2nd Bella Browne 3rd Ruby Gibson Senior 1st Emily Hacket Pain 2nd Claire Rees 3rd Josie Kinnear Central Zone Cross Country Our top finishers have since represented the College at the Central Zone Cross Country Championships where Jaime Lewis won the Junior Girls’ section, beating 76 other competitors with a time of 12 minutes and 9 seconds.

Jaime, Madeline Leigh and Zara Stewart placed 3rd in the Junior Girls’ 3-Person Team event and together with Olivia Power, Avala Ingram and Sofia Toes placed 3rd again in the Junior Girls’ 6-Person Team category.

Isabella Richardson won the Intermediate Girls’ event in a time of 15 minutes and 41 seconds, with Chloe Browne 4th, and Bella Browne 8th. These girls won the Intermediate Girls’ 3-Person Team and then teamed up with Ruby Gibson, Lucy Jefferies and Ella Greenwood to also win the

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Intermediate Girls’ 6-Person Team section.

Claire Rees placed 4th with a time of 17 minutes and 1 second in the Senior Girls’ race, with Josie Kinnear 7th, and Emma Hamilton 10th. These runners placed second on the Senior Girls’ 3-Person Team and were joined by Sarah Peart, Charlotte Holland and Madison Don to come 1st in the Senior Girls’ 6-Person Team.

NZ Secondary Schools Cross Country Several of our runners went on to compete for St Cuthbert’s College at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country Championship.

Isabella Richardson set the pace to win the Junior Girls’ title, combining with Chloe Browne and Bella Browne to take gold in the 3-Person Junior Girls’ Team event. Peyton Leigh, Isabel Allen and Ella Greenwood added their performances to help the girls place 1st in the 6-Person Junior Girls’ Team event.

Jamie Lewis, Maddie Leigh, Tilly Cullen, Olivia Power, Zara Stewart and Sofia Toes combined strong performances to claim 3rd in the Year 9, 6-Person Girls’ Team category. Our senior students Emily Hacket Pain, Josie Kinnear, Emma Hamilton, Elliette O’Brien, Lucy Jeffries and Claire Rees snagged a bronze medal in the 6-Person Senior Girls’ Team event.

Orienteering Bearings 14 St Cuthbert’s students competed in the Greater Auckland Area Orienteering Sprint Grand Final in April. Congratulations to Rebecca Greenwood in Year 11 and Zara Stewart in Year 9 who achieved 1st place in the Intermediate Girls’ and Junior Girls’ grades, respectively.

23 students then travelled to compete in the North Island Secondary Schools Orienteering Championships in Wellington. The College placed 3rd overall in the Top Schools and Premier School competitions, with the following noteable achievements from our girls: Zara Stewart 1st Junior Girls’ Sprint 1st Junior Girls’ Long Olivia Power 2nd Junior Girls’ Sprint Relays 1st Junior Girls’ Relay Olivia Power, Sofia Toes, Zara Stewart 3rd Intermediate Girls’ Relay Rebecca Greenwood, Rachel Denny, Sophia Wood Zara Stewart also competed in the South Island Secondary School Championships during the April holidays. She chose to run in a higher age group, winning both the Intermediate Girls’ Long Distance and Sprint events. Zara also won the Junior Girls’ grade in the recent Auckland Secondary Schools Individual Championships. In the Auckland Secondary Schools Relay event she posted a comfortable 10 minute lead to win with fellow students Olivia Power and Sofia Ties in the Junior Girls’ grade.

Hockey Heroics The 1st XI Hockey team beat their counterparts from Diocesan 2-1 to claim the Parents’ Shield in a thrilling game on Dio’s home turf. Our team then went on to win the Auckland Secondary Schools Girls’ Open Grade Championships.

With such talent on the team, it is little surprise that eight girls were selected in the Auckland Under 18 A Hockey team and one in the Under 18 B team.

Duathlon Podium Places Congratulations to our girls who competed in the Auckland Duathlon Championships. Our Under 16 team of Rawinia Wikaira and Bella Browne placed 1st. Our Under 19 team of Natalie Paris and Chloe Browne, and our Under 14 team of Sophie Robb and Isobel Fletcher both placed 3rd.

Stunning Ski Results St Cuthbert’s College was named the Girls Overall Schools Champion at the Auckland Secondary Schools Snow Sports Championships at Snow Planet. Our skiers were named the schools winners of the Combined Women’s Ski Race and Ski Slopestyle.

Charlie Francis won the Junior Girls’ Individual Ski Race, with Chloe Browne in 3rd. Charlie was also 2nd in the Girls’ Ski Slopestyle, a fantastic individual result.

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Spectacular Swimming Successes Congratulations to our Senior School Swimming Sports champions: Junior 1st Grace Li 2nd Jess Carey 3rd Sarah Lock Intermediate 1st Georgia Milne 2nd Chloe Tattersfield 3rd Amelia Wilby Senior 1st Madeline Falconer 2nd Greta Agnew 3rd Emma Moriarty Zone Swimming In the Champion of Champions Zone Swimming Competition our girls combined well to claim podium finishes in multiple relays.

1st Senior Girls’ 200m Freestyle Relay Bernadette Doyle, Ellie Tomoana, Emma Moriarty, Madeline Falconer

2nd Senior Girls’ 200m Medley Relay Ellie Tomoana, Bernadette Doyle, Madeline Falconer, Emma Moriarty 3rd Girls’ 13 and Under 200m Breaststroke Relay Ella Nesdale, Tiaare Ahovelo, Kate Waters, Jess Carey 3rd Girls’ 14 and Under 200m Breaststroke Relay Amber Waymouth, Briar Ellyett, Georgia Foley, Charlotte Mathews Greta Agnew also claimed silver in the Senior Girls’ 50m Backstroke, while Madeline Falconer put in a strong performance to win the Senior Girls’ 50m Freestyle.

5 St Cuthbert’s Girls Selected for NZ Youth Women’s World Champs!

Congratulations to Bernadette Doyle (Y13), Ellie Tomoana (Y13), Caitlin Mary Parker Allen (Y13), Libby Alsemgeest (Y12) and Georgia Milne (Y11) who have been selected in the New Zealand Youth Women’s Water Polo team for the FINA World Women’s Youth Water Polo Championships in Belgrade, Serbia.

This is a fantastic achievement and is the most St Cuthbert’s students named in a New Zealand Water Polo World Championship team. The team will leave New Zealand on Monday 13 August 2018 and will travel to Athens and Itea in Greece where they will have common training with various National Teams along with an 8-Nation tournament. They will then travel to Belgrade to prepare for the World Youth Water Polo Championships starting on 27 August 2018. We wish the girls all the best!

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Water Polo

Our Premier Water Polo team beat Diocesan 6-3 to win the Delfina Super City Tournament in January. The girls then competed in the North Island Secondary School Championships, but this time unfortunately went down to Dio 6-8 in a nail biting final game.

Well done to players Ella Harford, Libby Alsemgeest, Bernadette Doyle, Caitlin Mary Parker Allen, Tai Nimo, Ella Palmer, Chloe Tattersfield, Georgia Milne, Amber Waymouth and Ellie Tomoana.

Our Premier and Senior A teams both qualified for Division 1 at the Water Polo National Championships in Wellington. The Premier team once again battled against Dio in the final and bravely came back from 4-1 to 4-4 at full time. The nail biting game went to a penalty shoot-out and we lost 5-4. The Senior A team went up against Premier teams and finished 12th, demonstrating incredible sportsmanship and resilience.

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Congratulations to…

Isabel Allen, Leilani Faaiuaso, Sonya Ha, Charlotte Holland, Maddi Leigh, Peyton Leigh, Olivia Power, and Isabella Richardson who all had podium finishes at the Auckland Club Athletics Championships. A special mention to Jaime Lewis who set a personal best in the First Grade Girls’ 13 3000m.

Isabel Allen, Leilani Faaiuaso, Charlotte Holland and Isabella Richardson who were all selected for the Auckland U18 Athletics team, which competed in the New Zealand Nationals in Hamilton.

All four made the finals in their individual events, with Charlotte taking bronze in the Girls’ 400m.

Charlotte also won silver in the Girls’ 4x100m Relay with Leilani, and bronze in the Girls’ 4x400m Relay with Isabel. Charlotte was also recently selected for the Oceania Polynesian Regional Athletics team that will compete in October. Well done on these fantastic achievement girls!

Ruby Sussock in Year 11 for her selection into the Surf Lifesaving New Zealand Youth Squad.

Lancely Yung in Year 12, was one of two talented road cyclists to embark on a sponsored cycling tour of North America with double Commonwealth Game silver medalist and former Olympian Susy Pryde. Lancely travelled North America during July, competing in a number of road cycling races and events.

Ella Williams and Jess Gemmell have been named amongst 23 athletes selected in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Netball Squad for 2018, following the National Development Camp in January. Jess and Ella have recently been named in the Auckland Representative Under 17 Netball Team 1.

Netball players Trinity Pakau and Ruby Sussock have been selected for the Auckland Representative Under 17 Netball Team 2. Mia Gapes was named in the Auckland Representative Year 9 Netball Team 2 and Ofa Vatikani was included in the Howick Pakuranga

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Representative Under 17 Netball Team.

Year 13 students Bernadette Doyle and Caitlin Mary Parker Allen were named in the New Zealand Women’s Water Polo Team for the FINA World League Intercontinental Tournament in Auckland during April. The tournament featured the best women’s water polo teams in the Pan Pacific Region including reigning Olympic champions USA as well as Japan, Canada, China, Australia and Kazakhstan.

Ellie Tomoana, Bernadette Doyle, Caitlin Mary Parker Allen, Georgia Mile and Ella Harford gained selection in the New Zealand Youth Women’s Water Polo Squad, with Ella Palmer, Briar Ellyet and Harriet Cook selected for the Under 15 squad.

Harriet Cook, Briar Ellyett, Ella Palmer and Amber Waymouth played in the Atlantis U14 Water Polo team to win at the Girls’ U14 Nationals in Wellington.

Goalie Harriet was named in the tournament team and all four girls have since been selected for the New Zealand U14 Water Polo Squad.

Rose Luxton in Year 13 has been selected to participate in the talent ID camp for the New Zealand Under 17 Women’s Football Team. From this camp the team to represent New Zealand at the FIFA U17 World Cup in Uruguay in November/December will be selected. Good luck Rose!

Madeline Falconer competed at the Swimming New Zealand National Age Group Championships in April. She won gold in the 17/18 Girls’ 50m Freestyle and 100m Freestyle and placed 1st in the Girls’ 16 and Over 4x100m Medley Relay.

Maddie also made the finals of the 17/18 Girls’ 50m and 100m Butterfly events.

Jaclyn Wang and Ava Fraser both competed in the Auckland Open Taekwondo Championships, gaining silver and bronze medals respectively in their grades.

Thriving outdoors Time spent at St Cuthbert’s Kahunui campus is, without a doubt, one of the highlights of a girl’s time at St Cuthbert’s College. To make sure our girls get the most from their time at Kahunui they are introduced to some of the skills they’ll require as early as Year 3. By the time they arrive at our remote campus in Year 10, they are ready to dive into the full experience.

“While parents are really good at modelling these behaviours for their daughters, it’s good for the girls to have the opportunity to experience these things themselves at this age.”

Head of Junior School, Julie Gifkins, describes the camp programme as a spiral of skills, building each year until the Senior School Kahunui experience.

While our girls learn to work together and learn about tolerance and perserverance, they also have a lot of fun. This is an important factor in helping our girls to overcome personal fears at any age.

The Spiral of Skills model was launched in 2013, introducing a camp experience at each year level. Previously, only Year 5 and 6 girls had the opportunity to attend a camp while at Junior School.

Ella Vickers (Year 4) says, “My highlight of the camp was the giant rope swing because at first it was terrifying.”

“Our Year 3 camp is a classroom sleepover, with lots of wonderful day activities like museum excursions and sculpture walks. Parents play a valuable part of the camp experience, particpating in a family dinner at the College before the girls say goodnight to their mum or dad and get ready for a sleepover with their school friends.”

Our girls learn some of life’s basic skills such as being responsible for their own bags, organising and tidying their belongings, and working out how to carry on when they feel a bit tired.

“As an adult these skills are used on a daily basis, but rarely thought about,” says Julie.

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Year 4 students attend Sonshine Ranch and have the opportunity to go horse trekking, zip lining, kayaking and on an evening glow worm walk.

Feedback from parents also captures the wonderful experiences the girls have at camp, from “losing the fear of trying new things” to “looking after herself independently”, to “working in a team with different people” and simply just “being away from mum.”

Our Year 5 girls get a taste of sea-life with body boarding, kayaking and dinghy games at the Sir Peter Blake Marine Education and Recreation Centre, which is always very well received by students.

The Year 6 camp was previously a trip to Wellington, and while it was very inspiring with visits to Parliament and Weta Workshop, it was quite light on outdoor and life skills.

“

We wanted to unearth our girls’ hidden strengths and talents, so the Year 6 camp transformed from the relatively urban Wellington trip to a week-long camp at Lakewood Lodge, which is far from metropolitan”.

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Year 3 Camp Reflections At Lakewood Lodge our girls have the opportunity to work as a team and cook for themselves for a day. This is great preparation for Kahunui and teaches them valuable lessons about working together and sharing responsiblities. They are also challenged to push themselves out of their comfort zone by taking on activities such as the high ropes course.

“The encouragement the girls receive from their peers is phenomenal. The girls really do come together and they transfer these newly formed bonds back to the classroom, with increased understanding and acceptance of each other,” says Julie.

Year 7 Dean and camp leader, Sue Elgar says, “In Year 7 we have a mix of girls who have been in the Junior School and those who are entirely new to the College. Camp is a great way to break down barriers – we mix up friendship groups so the girls have a chance to get to know others they aren’t familiar with yet and work in diverse teams.

Year 4 Camp Reflections

“The focus on teamwork begins in PE classes at the College and these skills are taken into the physically challenging environment of high ropes, trapeze and other confidence building activities. Year 7 Camp is absolutely a life changing experience for all participants.”

Teachers agree that one of the highlights of camp for them is seeing the girls grow.

In Year 8, the girls head to Totara Springs for a week. They hydro-slide, kayak, inner tube, hike, rock climb, cook over open fires, and take part in an adventure run.

Head of Middle School Margaret Talbot says, “The Year 8 camp is designed to extend and challenge our girls. It reveals skills and strengths, uncovers leadership behaviours, and helps to create lifelong bonds across this year group.

“We hold the camp early in the year, before we appoint our Middle School Leaders, allowing our girls time to explore their leadership potential and gain confidence before applying for leadership positions.”

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Year 6 Camp Reflections

Vroom, Vroom! Finally, we arrived at school again. We were having a family picnic together. My Dad came to the family picnic with me. We ate… Burger King! It was so yummy that I ate so much that my tummy nearly popped. Then we got our beds ready to sleep. We played some bedtime games. Then we had supper. We had one biscuit and two pieces of fruit. Next, we went to bed. I slept next to Isla. The next morning, we woke up, I woke up very early. I had corn flakes for breakfast, some people had cereal and some had corn flakes. After that we got dressed into our uniforms.

Then we went to brush our teeth. Then we got on the bus and then we were off to the… Museum!

Sophie Qu 3GEM

“I was scared before camp thinking some things would be scary, but when I got there and did it all, it was amazing!”

Aisha Mitha 4CLK “On camp I loved seeing my friends happier and laughing.”

Samantha Sutherland 4CLK “I found horse riding challenging, so took deep breaths and held on super tight.”

Ella Vickers 4TYL “Horse riding was like magic getting the horse to move.”

Emma Zheng 4TYL

Camp was awesome! I had so much fun ziplining over the kayakers, building camp fires and sleeping with my friends.

It felt disgusting doing the mud run, mud obstacle course and the Iron man challenge, yet it was exciting at the same time. Camp was a real challenge but I overcame my fears and did everything, I knew it was a one of a kind experience.

Chloé Vickers 6IRE I really liked Survival because we got to make our own fire, cook sausages, make s’mores, do the mud and water run. I really enjoyed making our own fire, who we called Harold. We also won a challenge where we had to make Harold (the fire) have the biggest flame to burn through the rope.

Simran Patel 6IRE

Year 7 Camp Reflections Campfire As we settle down by the campsite, Nature is quiet, silent as the night.

The outside of a marshmallow, a crispy treat, that not one of us can resist to eat.

The only sound to be heard, is the fluttering wings of a passing bird.

Blazing light dances, a look in its eye, before its time to say goodbye.

Crackling fire, smokey air,

Newspaper smothers it, no more to come of it.

all cold weather seems to disappear.

To the song’s beat, we stamp our feet,

Don’t worry, we’re having fun,

Our voices rise and grow, as they echo echo echo…

Katelin Toes and Alexandra Fletcher 7PSN

our time at camp, has just begun…

Year 8 Camp Reflections This year’s camp has left me with will an experience of a lifetime. I abseiled off a REAL natural wall into a stream, I camped out in a tent that I built, I kayaked down a steam and crashed into the trees way too many times and built a raft, that fell apart almost immediately.

On the second day, we had a tramp. We tramped up Butler’s Incline in the Kaimai Ranges which was near Te Aroha. It was a 7 hour tramp! The Butler’s Incline left all of us sweaty and tired. We inhaled our lunches to fulfil our body’s hunger. It was a muddy, steep, fun and tiring journey.

Cloris Zhang 8CRK

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On behalf of the Old Girls’ Association, it is a privilege to be contributing to our new look College community magazine – my first as President.

My heartfelt thanks to our immediate past President Nicky Pennington for her valuable contribution and ongoing support and guidance.

As a multi-generational network of past St Cuthbert’s students, the Old Girls’ Association exists to support our College and our alumnae.

We are extremely proud to be part of the strong, vibrant and diverse community of St Cuthbert’s and to play a part in maintaining that spirit and building life-long connections.

This is how I see St Cuthbert’s – a connected community of staff, students, parents and Old Girls and a place where our girls receive a world class education, and we all build ever lasting friendships.

Together we are forming the next generation of St Cuthbert’s Old Girls and as they graduate and step out into the world to follow their own passions, we can be proud that we have fostered a life-long love of St Cuthbert’s and created a wide and deep community where they will always find friends for life.

St Cuthbert’s Old Girls’ Association About Penelope Peebles Penelope attended St Cuthbert’s for most of her school years and is a mum to two St Cuthbert’s students, Samantha in Year 4 and Jessica in Year 7.

She first joined the Old Girls’ Committee in 2011 as Vice President, supporting Georgina Robertson (nee Gilbert) and then Nicky Pennington (nee Mudgeway), stepping up to President earlier this year.

The Old Girls’ Association plays a valuable role in showcasing the contributions and achievements of St Cuthbert’s Old Girls. The recent Making Their Mark and Old Girls’ Honours Awards reminded us how remarkable our Old Girls are and how they contribute to our world in so many different ways. They take the spirit of our motto ‘By Love Serve’ into their life and work and are an inspiration to each of us, regardless of age.

One of the Association’s other key roles is to raise funds. We make a significant contribution each year with our scholarships, support the College with various capital projects and extra-curricular activities such as the provision of coaches for our sporting teams.

A central focus of the College is the Old Girls’ Chapel, completed in 1993 for our 75th anniversary. Just after our 100th anniversary it seems appropriate to contribute to a refresh of the Chapel and we are about to begin fund raising to purchase a new organ. We will also update the piano and are considering how we can beautify the grounds around the Chapel. If you would like to donate to this project please email me on PresidentOGA@stcuthberts.school.nz The Association awards a number of scholarships and grants each year to current students, members and connections.

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The Kathleen Goulding Scholarship is awarded annually to a student in Year 9 for a period of five years.

The Violet Wood Advanced Studies Grant is awarded annually to a member of the Old Girls’ Association to undertake a period of post-graduate academic study pertaining to their chosen career.

Zelda Sims Recipient of the Centenial Scholarship 2017

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The Centennial Scholarship, introduced in our centenary year of 2015, is awarded every two years for a student with a family connection to St Cuthbert’s for the senior years of Year 12 and 13. This is a wonderful opportunity to support the families of Old Girls.

Scholarship recipients frequently write to us at the completion of their studies and reflect on what the scholarship has meant to them and how it has changed their worldview or reshaped their dreams for their future.

This year we received beautiful letters and I’d like to share excerpts from some of these letters with you. Letters like these make you very proud of the power of the Old Girls’ Association and the wonderful work that you all do to make the dreams of others a reality.

“I promised myself when I received this scholarship, that I would be fearless in my participation, and despite my fear of the unknown, St Cuthbert’s has allowed me to present myself to every opportunity, even in the midst of uncertainty.

“Through this scholarship, I have been able to access the best opportunities available, I have been taught the importance of being not only an independent woman, but a compassionate, brave, and strong woman, who most certainly doesn’t need anyone else to tell her that.

I now find myself beginning my last year of high school, with teachers that want to see me fly, a boarding community so close to my heart that I can’t imagine leaving, and a whole new view of myself, and the world around me. I find myself more confident and sure in myself than ever before – fearless in the face of the unknown and confident in my own abilities. The future no longer terrifies me, it excites me.

Another very rewarding aspect of the work of the Old Girls’ Association is to uphold the tradition of the Graduation Ball by hosting this event each year. This is an important milestone in a student’s life and as past students, it is our honour to recognise the dedication and commitment shown by the graduating students (and parents!) across their years at St Cuthbert’s, and to wish them well for the future. This event acknowledges the central role that St Cuthbert’s plays in our girls’ lives and serves as a stepping-stone to future success.

So from the bottom of my heart, I thank all of you – for not only giving the girl from a rural high school the possibility of a world class education – but for the faith in me, and for teaching me to have faith in myself. ”

We are also committed to ensuring on-going support for recent graduates of St Cuthbert’s and are in the process of establishing a network for those starting out in their careers or at the mid career stage. Feedback from our members has identified the connections we can provide are invaluable to those seeking advice and mentoring, or wanting to come together for networking events and activities. So stay tuned!

Recipient of the Kathleen Goulding Scholarship 2014

I encourage as many of you as possible to take part in upcoming College’s alumnae survey, which is a good opportunity for the Old Girls to share their thoughts on how best the school can support our connected community.

We look forward to welcoming you to future events and wish you well for the rest of 2018.

Kind regards Penelope Peebles President, St Cuthbert’s Old Girls’ Association

If you are interested in any of our upcoming events, reunions, and news of Old Girls, please contact our alumni office by email alumnae@stcuthberts.school.nz

Kassandra Wang “St Cuthbert’s allowed me a place to nurture, protect, and dissect my dreams and the supportive staff have encouraged me to excel in areas that I love.

An aspect of St Cuthbert’s that I am extremely grateful for is the close connection between year levels. I have made friends from all years, and these friendships will be the most memorable part of my time here, Furthermore, the relationships that I formed with my teachers are also deeply cherished. In particular, the music staff were a source of inspiration, guidance, and friendship, and helped me to realise my own love for music.

As I head to University, I will continue my pursuit of a career as the next Freddie Mercury, John Key or J.K. Rowling by studying a Bachelor of Music and Arts conjoint at Victoria University.

My time here helped me realise that being a lawyer wasn’t the only way to change a life, and a doctor not the only way to touch a heart.

I am so grateful for this incredible opportunity that you have offered me, and I hope that I can use it to give back to the world.”

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Old Girls’ Scholarships ZELDA SIMS – RECIPIENT OF CENTENNIAL SCHOLARSHIP 2017

RHONDA AU YEUNG – RECIPIENT OF VIOLET WOOD ADVANCED STUDIES GRANT

Zelda Sims, now in her second year of her scholarship, was the 2017 recipient of the biennial Old Girls’ Centennial Scholarship. The scholarship is offered to Year 12 students with connections to St Cuthbert’s College, who have not previously attended.

Rhonda Au Yeung is a recent Old Girl, attending the College from 2005 to 2009, and since then she has been extremely busy in the world of physics.

Zelda hails from Mangawhai Heads and has immersed herself in boarding and College life since arriving at St Cuthbert’s. She has been part of the Tibetan Cultural Group, Shakespeare Festival, dragon boating and was appointed as Deputy House Captain for Lindisfarne.

Zelda has formed strong friendships at the College and has appreciated how welcoming both girls and staff have been. When she graduates in December she will become the newest St Cuthbert’s Old Girl in her family.

She graduated from the University of Auckland with a BSc (Hons) in Physics and plenty of experience in the University’s ultracold atoms lab. She is now using this experience to carry out a PhD study at the Advance Technology Institute, University of Surrey in the United Kingdom.

Rhonda is in her third year of the doctorate, researching quantum theoretical physics at the highest level. Once completed, her work will link to the UK National Quantum Technologies Programme, which aims to help scientists gain much deeper insights into quantum physics, potentially revolutionising modern technology.

The Violet Wood Advanced Studies Grant is open to Old Girls seeking funds for further, high level study.

For further information and an application form visit www.stcuthberts.school.nz/oga/scholarships.

Key Dates Saturday 1 September 2018:

Friday 22 March 2019:

Bay of Plently Old Girls’ lunch.

12 - 3.30pm at Mills Reef Restaurant Winery, Bethlehem, Tauranga. Everyone is welcome from Waikato, Whakatane, Rotorua, Taupo and Auckland.

Contact: Ingrid (07) 570 1104 or Janeen (07) 552 4210

Decade Reunion Cocktail Party: Peer years 2003 & 2013 6.30pm at St Cuthbert’s College.

Peer Year 2003 will open their time capsule.

Wednesday 19 September 2018: Professional Networking Drinks.

5.30-8pm at Pavillion in the Vero Centre, 48 Shortland Street.

Contact: Penelope Peebles: PresidentOGA@stcuthberts.school.nz

Thursday 25 October 2018: Club 50 Morning Tea. 10am at the Performing Arts Centre Atrium.

Contact alumnae@stcuthberts.school.nz

Saturday 23 March 2019: Old Girls’ Assocation Annual General Meeting.

10am in the Joan Holland Auditorium.

Old Girls’ Chapel Service.

11am in the St Cuthbert’s Old Girls’ Chapel.

Old Girls’ Lunch – special welcome to Peer Year 1953.

Middday at St Cuthbert’s College.

Decade Reunion Dinner Party - Peer Years 1963, 1973, 1983 and 1993.

7pm at St Cuthbert’s College.

For details on all events in 2019 please contact alumnae@stcuthberts.school.nz

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News of Old Girls KIRSTIN SHARPIN, 1993 – 1998 Operatic soprano Kirstin Sharpin recently wowed audiences in London with her performance as Senta in Der Fliegende Holländer, a role that is “horribly difficult to sing” according to Rupert Christiansen, reviewer for The Telegraph. Kirstin rose to the challenge, with superb reviews, including Hugh Canning from The Sunday Times claiming she “easily steals the vocal honours with her big, bright dramatic soprano”.

After graduating from St Cuthbert’s, Kirstin read English Literature and Italian at the University of Auckland before returning to her Scottish roots, joining the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. There she gained a BMus (Hons) in Performance, and graduated Master of Opera with Distinction in 2008.

Kirstin was awarded the First Prize at the 8th Internationales Wagnerstimmen Wettbewerb at Karlsruhe in October 2015 and is the recipient of a Bursary from the 2016 International Opera Awards Foundation.

OLIVIA BENNETT, 2007 - 2017 Olivia Bennett, joint Dux in 2017, has won the prestigious Sir Douglas Myers Scholarship to study at Cambridge University in the UK. She will read Economics at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge – one of the world’s top Universities.

Olivia completed a calculus paper at the University of Auckland last year, while studying for eight scholarship papers at St Cuthbert’s. She topped the College for History, Physics and Statistics in 2017, and was first in History, Spanish and English in 2016.

She was also highly commended as Governor of the College’s Year 13 Reserve Bank team in the National Monetary Policy Challenge.

Olivia said, “Economics will equip me to work in successful and challenging corporations in my future career. It will also assist in my ultimate aim to establish and run a profitable social enterprise”.

Sir Douglas Myers set up the scholarship in 2000 for academically gifted New Zealand students to go to Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge. The late Sir Douglas’ hope was that those students would return home to become leaders in their chosen field. The $60,000 a year scholarship is for university fees and living costs.

COMMONWEALTH GAMES HOCKEY HEROES Three St Cuthbert’s Old Girls played their hearts out to win a women’s hockey gold at the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in April.

Team captain Stacey Michelsen, Liz Thompson and 2017 leaver Madi Doar shut out Australia in the gold medal match, claiming victory 4-1.

It is the first time that the women’s Black Sticks team has won gold in five Commonwealth Games attempts, although they have been on the podium for a silver and two bronze.

All three girls played in the final, with Madi saying, “Wearing the silver fern in the final was an honour and I loved every moment of it. The crowd was packed Aussie supporters, however there was a solid patch of black right in the middle who cheered super loud the entire game, which made me very proud to be a Kiwi. Without a doubt, the moment of the tournament for me was winning the gold medal. It meant so much to our team to do something that hadn’t been done in New Zealand women’s hockey. I am very proud to have been part of this special group of girls and having my family there to cheer me on made it all the more special.”

The path to the final saw the Black Sticks defeat Scotland 6-1 in the first pool game. In their second match against Ghana, Stacey celebrated 250 games for the Black Sticks and Madi pick up a hat trick of goals in a 12-0 win. The girls were then held scoreless in nil-all draws against Canada and Australia before winning in a 2-1 penalty shoot-out against England in the semi-finals, with Stacey scoring the winning goal.

Our Black Sticks Old Girls will be back at the College in August for the Parents & Friends’ Mother and Daughter Breakfast where they will no doubt inspire a new generation of St Cuthbert’s hockey players. Congratulations girls on an outstanding Commonwealth Games performance!

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Old Girls Making Their Mark Our current St Cuthbert’s College students, parents and friends had the opportunity to hear words of wisdom from those who have gone before at the annual Marking Their Mark Awards breakfast in June.

These awards recognise successful Old Girls who take the spirit of St Cuthbert’s forward into their life and work to make a difference. Fashion, law, psychology and science are just some of the areas in which our Old Girls are succeeding, and students were captivated by the experiences of our 2018 Making Their Mark recipients in these fields.

Congratulations to this year’s recipients.

DR SAMANTHA HOLDSWORTH: 1990 - 1994 During her years as a Post Doctorate Fellow and Senior Research Scientist at Stanford University, Samantha was responsible for developing, translating and maintaining clinically useful MRI acquisition and post-processing techniques at the Stanford Hospital and Clinics.

She has received numerous awards and grants for her work and amongst other successes pioneered the Amplified MRI Method, this shows clearer images of brain movement which has the potential to help diagnose diseases earlier.

Apart from her leading academic work at Stanford University, Samantha is also one of the creators behind the proposed Mātai Lab. Her aim is that this advanced medical facility in Gisborne will become a world leading innovator in the field of MRI. Samantha says, “A core research focus for the Mātai Lab will be the diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injuries. Globally this is a multi-billiondollar health issue and my colleagues and I will be working to identify biomarkers that will make it easier to accurately diagnose mild traumatic brain injuries using MRI. “We also want to positively impact the local community by providing facilities, expertise and research funding towards understanding some of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity in Gisborne, such as cardiovascular disease, with the aim of also scaling these discoveries nationally and internationally.”

SANDY COOPER: 1969 - 1975 Sandy founded her company Minnie Cooper in 1989, designing and manufacturing high quality leather shoes and bags in New Zealand. In a difficult market, where fashion leather products were largely being produced offshore, for almost 30 years Sandy has continued to support the shoe-making industry in New Zealand, only recently deciding to close her workshop and wind up the brand.

One of Sandy’s greatest learnings from her years in business is if you treat your employees well, they will be loyal to you. Minnie Cooper was in many ways the last bastion for some of New Zealand’s best cobblers and they brought Sandy’s vision of stylish yet robust, beautifully made shoes to life.

Sandy also touched on the importance she placed on retaining control of the customer experience. She had Minnie Cooper stores in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch, which stocked only her merchandise, later also selling on her website, and she resisted the temptation to retail in department stores. She said, “People will pay for quality and the overall experience I was able to provide from store to the first wear and beyond was a crucial part of this”.

While Minnie Cooper is winding down, Sandy’s following is such that she will continue to produce her Five Star Slippers. For your pair of these cute, cosy and comfy slippers go to www.fivestarslippers.nz.

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KATE DAVENPORT QC: 1970 - 1978 Kate is not just New Zealand Barrister of the Year for 2013 and current President-Elect of the New Zealand Bar Association, she is also a master juggler having parented four children during her 28 years at the Bar. Since her admission to the Bar in 1983, Kate became a Barrister in 1990 and a Queen’s Counsel in 2013. She is a civil and commercial litigator whose cases involve contracts and torts, equity and trusts, insolvency and company law, land law, construction law, relationship property and health law.

When she is not litigating Kate can be found overseeing government tribunals, where she has provided legal opinions for the National Ethics Committee on Assisted Reproduction, Health Disciplinary Boards, the Appeal Board from the Censor, and the Real Estate Disciplinary Tribunal.

An exceptional advocate, we celebrate her achievements, influence and her sense of style.

DR ANN HOOD 1963 - 1973 Ann transitioned to psychology after initially working as a teacher and raising her son Tom and two daughters, Old Girls Anna Hood, and Dr Nina Hood who is currently also serving on the College Trust Board.

Ann graduated in 2006 with a Doctorate of Clinical Psychology, which researched youth suicide in New Zealand.

Since then she has worked with youth at the Whirinaki Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service and Procare Psychological Services. In 2015 Ann was appointed CEO of Refugees as Survivors, a mental health service that promotes the well-being and human rights of people from refugee backgrounds. Ann was moved to take up the role at Refugees As Survivors because of the compassion she feels for people who have been struck by extraordinary circumstances outside their control.

She says, “No one chooses to be a refugee and the label does not define who they are. Refugees flee their homeland because of persecution, violence and conflict. Sadly, returning home is not an option.”

For Ann the most fulfilling part of the job is witnessing the resilience, courage and determination of people coming to New Zealand to forge a better life for their family.

“Inevitably trauma underlines the work we do with refugees. Being forced to leave your homeland, your family and not knowing where you will end up takes its toll. Being resettled in a western country, where you do not speak the language or understand the culture, can be overwhelming.

Top Kate Davenoport QC Middle Sandy Coooper Bottom Dr Anna Hood.

—

“Our aim at Refugees as Survivors is to restore a sense of safety for refugees. We work to create a sense of belonging and connection, as well as restore meaning and dignity, so that refugees feel valued as contributing members of society in New Zealand.”

For further information or to get involved please visit www.rasnz.co.nz.

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The Old Girls’ Honours Board recipient was also revealed at the breakfast, with the honour going to an Old Girl who has made an outstanding contribution to their field at a national or international level. Margaret Merrilees certainly meets the criteria. There are not many people who can claim they are responsible for the birth of thousands of children, but Margaret can.

Margaret Merrilees (Willoughby), 1959 - 1963: Margaret graduated with a BSc from the University of Otago in 1968 and not long after that was, with Professor John Scott, the first in New Zealand to grow blood vessel wall cells in culture; a significant advance in the practise of studying disease.

Not content with finding new ways to learn from disease, Margaret has spent almost 30 years pioneering the creation of life using IVF in New Zealand, Canada and the United States. She was at the forefront of several embryology techniques in New Zealand including early embryo freezing, ICSI (Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection) and Assisted Hatching. ICSI was a major advance and revolutionised treatment for male infertility.

Margaret has been Greenlane since 1999 reproduction has been as laws have raced to Margaret has led.

the Scientific Director at Fertility PLUS in and her expertise in the field of assisted sought at all levels, including governance, catch up with the scientific breakthroughs

Her investment of time and scientific effort has helped countless Kiwis on their journey to parenthood. We acknowledge her enormous contribution and celebrate her collaborative approach, her integrity, focus, commitment and compassion.

By Love Serve was also celebrated at the event with the presentation of the Marking Service Award to Kristina Cavit

Kristina Cavit, 1993 – 2005, MNZM Kristina is the Founder and Director of The Kindness Institute, a notfor-profit organisation that helps improve mental health and leadership capabilities through meditation and yoga. She gently changes lives for the better, including the lives of our most vulnerable children.

She is passionate about wellness and mindfulness coaching and works with individuals, organisations, schools and marginalised communities. Kristina’s work with young people increases compassion and empathy, helping to decrease anti-social behaviour. Through her work she strives to make challenging concepts accessible, fun and transformative.

Kristina’s work has been recognised on many platforms including as a Kiwibank Local Hero in 2014, nominee for Young New Zealander 64

OUR CONNECTED COMMUNITY

of the Year 2018 and as a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2018 for services to youth and community.

Kristina is also the founder of NPH New Zealand, which supports almost 4,000 orphaned and abandoned children in South America.

She lived at the NPH orphanage in the Dominican Republic for two years, working in management, education and development; an experience which prompt her to launch the initiative at home to further support the children she worked with.

Kristina has returned to the College many times in her capacity as a mindfulness coach and each time she brings her boundless positive energy to inspire and motivate our students.

Old Girl Reunions St Cuthbert’s Weekend kicked off with the Decade Reunion Drinks for 2002 and 2012 College leavers. Our Old Girls relished the chance to catch up, sharing old memories and making some new ones.

The following night the Violet Wood Dining Hall was buzzing with Old Girls from the 1962, 1972, 1982 and 1992 graduating classes at the Decade Reunion Dinner.

2012

It was wonderful to see so many former students returning to the College to reconnect with school friends and see the changes at St Cuthbert’s.

2002 OUR CONNECTED COMMUNITY

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1992 1972

1982

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1962

PERTH BRANCH REUNION On a blustery June day, five Perth Old Girls met for lunch in City Beach, enjoying the chance to share memories and a laugh, paired with delicious food.

There were several apologies, but all Old Girls living in or moving to Perth are warmly welcome to attend our annual get-togethers.

Please contact margshorter@westnet.com.au

L to R: Anne Abbott (Hare), Margaret Shorter (Hartnell), Heather Curley (Macarthur), Lynnie Butler (Macarthur) and Pam Murphy (Smith).

WAIKATO BRANCH AGM The Old Girls’ Association Waikato branch met for their AGM in April, enjoying a delicious lunch at The Boatshed on Lake Karapiro, in the company of some special Old Girl guests from the Bay of Plenty branch. Most of the members meet every year and the restaurant was filled with laughter and lots of chatter and hugs.

is now 101 years old, with members meeting for the past 85 years.

The members thanked Sylvia Bethell, who recently stepped down as coordinator for the branch, with Catharine Stuart named as her replacement. The Old Girls’ Association would also like to thank Sylvia for her tireless contribution to Old Girls in the Waikato region.

Guest speaker and Principal, Justine Mahon, made the trip from Auckland with Old Girls’ Association President Penelope Peebles, and Community Development Manager, Sarah Powrie.

If you are interested in joining the Old Girls’ Association Waikato branch please contact Catharine on catharine.basil@kinect.co.nz

Significant news from the Waikato AGM is at long last the Purple Cow Trophy has been located and returned to the College Archives. It was also noted that the Waikato Branch of the Old Girls’ Association

All Waikato members are welcome to the Bay of Plenty Old Girls lunch on 1 September from 12noon - 3.30pm at Mills Reef Winery, Bethlehem, Tauranga.

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L to R: Annette Tapper, Susie Willis, Wendy Gill, Bronwyn Pratt

TOP L to R: Janet Berry, Gill Don, Robyn Bringans, Julie Avery. BELOW Gay Crocker, Barbara Smith

ABOVE Mary Bell, Sally Paine

L to R: Mel Hatton, Kath Thornley, Patricia Canavan, Allanah Steele

L to R: Gillian West, Wendy Gill, Jennifer Matthews, Rosalind

L to R: Jill Bignell, Helen Croskery, Sue Spencer, Jill Kilby

ABOVE: Nicky Pennington, Alice Sharp

L to R: Robin Bringans, Janet Berry, Kirsty Shrimski, Judy Cameron

ABOVE: Sarah Clark, Jo Clark

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ABOVE: Sue White, Beth Bell

d Vyle

Old Girls’ Bridge Day Over 80 Old Girls and their friends gathered at the Remuera Bridge Club for the annual Old Girls’ Association Bridge Day in June. Money raised from the event has gone towards funding six scholarships that the Association manages.

Thank you very much to Jo Clark for generously sponsoring the day’s hireage fee to ensure that as much money as possible was channelled back to current students and Old Girls.

Players enjoyed a light lunch put on by the Old Girls’ Committee and a friendly game of bridge or mah jong for a lovely afternoon out with some fantastic prizes and gifts of homemade fudge.

L to R: Katie McRae, Anna Dunphy, Rhys Hitchcock, Judy McIlroy

In 2019 we are planning to add teams of 500 players.

If you are interested contact Penelope Peebles at PresidentOGA@stcuthberts.school.nz.

ABOVE: Rosalind Vyle and Angela Ashley-Wilson

L to R: Joy Clark, Janet Benson, Jean Kelso OUR CONNECTED COMMUNITY

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By love, we will serve alumnae like you We want to strengthen our supportive alumnae community of Old Girls, and we believe this starts with listening.

As an alumna, you are a vital part of St Cuthbert’s and we hope to have a strong ongoing relationship with you. However, we haven’t asked recently whether we are supporting you in the best way we can.

This last year has been one of change at St Cuthbert’s, and we want to involve you on this journey as a member of such an important community group at the College. We hope you will help us to shape the future of St Cuthbert’s, for both current students and Old Girls, by participating in our upcoming alumnae research. Your thoughts, feelings and ideas will form a key part of our strategy.

We will shortly be asking for volunteers to participate in focus groups followed by a community-wide survey later this year. Having had the pleasure of meeting many alumnae over my last 15 years at St Cuthbert’s, I know you will be open to sharing your views and experiences with us.

Providing challenges and building resilience is important to us at the College, along with our emphasis on caring for others. Your honest views will be valued, respected and taken seriously. We are committed to sharing the results of this research openly with you in the next issue of Evergreen Ties magazine and on our soon-to-be refreshed website.

If you would like to make sure you are part of this study, please do email us to update your contact details at alumnae@stcuthberts.school.nz and follow St Cuthbert’s on Facebook.

Thank you in advance for your contribution to this research. I look forward to sharing our plans to better support the Old Girls’ community with you.

With best wishes,

Justine Mahon Principal and Old Girl

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Family Connections New students with mothers, grandmothers or great-grandmothers who are Old Girls Current Student Mother

Grandmother

Great Grandmother

Harriet Glenie

Barbara Glenie (Beckett)*

Wilma Beckett (Lanigan)* Gwen Glenie ( Gardner)*

Olivia Webster

Rosalind Webster (Ellett)

Jessie (Margaret) Ellett (Johnston)

Jessie Johnston (McCullough)

Rosie Gibbs

Jennifer Gibbs (Innes)

Wendy Innes (Nairn)

Nancy Nairn (Noy)

Talia Gluckman Tamsin Savory

Ann Gluckman (Klippel)* Laura Savory (Young)

Xanthe Hanning Mia Kelliher

Frances Compton (Honorary Life member – Former Principal) Athena Kelliher

Lucy Fowler

Janetta Griffiths Christine Fowler (Chitty) *

Phoebe Burley

Joan Jeffries (Rhodes) *

Estelle Lee

Christine Bowie

Olivia Gillingham

Elizabeth Gillingham (Frankland)

Emily Chapman

Bridget Chapman (Ashby)

Amelia Magee

Jennifer Magee (Webster)

Sarah McGeorge

Amanda McGeorge (Young)

Bianca Pennington

Nicola Pennington (Mudgway)

Sophia Harris Emily Robinson

Dorothy Parsons (Nolan)

Geraldine Ashby (Ambler) Dorothea Flexman (McConnell)

Mary Harris (Postles) * Rebecca Robinson (Chamberlin)

Anne Chamberlin (Glaister) Susan (Sue) Robinson (Cullen)*

Lily Allen

Faye McLeod (Hastie)

Oliva Merrilees

Margaret Merrilees ( Willoughby)*

Amelia McInness

Susanne (Sue) McInness (Parkinson)*

Eva Hanning

Frances Compton (Honorary Life member – Former Principal)

Sasha McKenzie

Kirsten McKenzie (Brettell)

Jessica Wright

Nicola Wright (Stewart)

Willow Chapman

Anna Chapman (Murphy)

Gyllian Murphy (Kimpton)

Rosa Hollister

Jane Bailey

Diana Bailey (Frith)

Emma Corban

Helen Corban (Doouss)

Sarah Lock

Jennifer Corson

Kate Waters

Anna Wylie

Patricia Corson (Macdonald)

Margaret Macdonald (Whittome)

* denotes paternal

FAMILY NOTICES BIRTHS:

To Charlotte (Allen) and Hayden Mackenzie, twin daughters, Lily Grace and Madeleine Rose, on 17 November 2017.

DEATHS:

Romola Donaldson (Hankins) (py 1950) Beverly Edwards (Lamb) (py 1942) Joan Waygood (Whittome) (py 1940)

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Sought by most

discerning golfers Wairakei truly is an experience to remember.

The predator free sanctuary that we have at Wairakei, offers a safe haven to fallow deer and many birdlife including mixed colour pheasants, guinea fowl, pekin ducks, falcon, takahe and our nation’s icon, the kiwi, which are all free to roam around the course.

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Wairakei Drive, Taupo P: 07-374-8152, E: info@wairakeigolf.co.nz , W: www.wairakeigolfcourse.co.nz 72

St Cuthbert’s Parents & Friends’ Association

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The St Cuthbert’s Parents and Friends’ Association held their AGM in March 2018.

A new executive committee for 2018/19 was elected, and the following people appointed: Chair: Cat Moore

Class-liaison: Victoria Amos

Vice Chair: Kathryn Crystal

Committee Members: Elisabeth Bell, Sharyn Catt, Sarah Evangelidakis, Suzi Fan, Kenna Howarth, Denise Pollard, Niqui Taylor, Helen Warren, Maude Wilcox.

Treasurer: Caroline Rolls Secretary: Jenny Reichenbach

From Cat Moore Parents & Friends’ Association Chair I am enjoying leading the team this year as we work to connect the College community, bringing parents, staff, and students together in a range of fun and relaxed activities that offer a good time for all!

Our Hawaiian Quiz Night was a very successful fundraiser and just the tonic for the cold June weather. See page 75 for more about this great night.

We’ve already connected with the Junior School, Middle School and Senior School at the Meet the Teacher/Deans events at the start of the year. These events are always popular with parents keen to catch-up after the summer holidays and to meet new parents and staff.

Our next major event is the Mother and Daughter Breakfast on Friday 31 August and we look forward to seeing mothers from our Middle and Junior Schools spending the morning with their girls. The breakfast will be extra special as we welcome our Black Stick Old Girls back to the College after a gold medal-winning performance at this year’s Commonwealth Games. We will release booking details for the event in Term 3.

During Term 1, our Junior School families were invited to join in the fun of the annual Junior School Picnic on the College field. This year we had a giant obstacle course and slide, touch rugby games, sausage sizzle, candy floss and popcorn on offer, plus a tug of war challenge across all year levels and even a parents’ challenge! A wonderful afternoon was enjoyed by many families.

In April the P&F Association connected with our girls’ grandparents, hosting a morning tea for Grandparents’ Day. We had many helpers busy baking delicious grandma-approved treats and they were clearly a success as leftovers were very scarce. Thank you to all our P&F bakers.

The P&F always welcomes new members. If you are interested in making some new friends at the College and supporting our wonderful events, please contact: parents.friends@stcuthberts.school.nz

Cat Moore Parents and Friends’ Association Chair

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Grandparents’ Day

Parents & Friends’ Picnic

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Hawaiian Quiz Night Eases Winter Chill St Cuthbert’s parents proved they are a hardy bunch, donning swimwear, grass skirts, Hawaiian shirts and jandals on a chilly June night as they got into the spirit of our Hawaiian Quiz Night.

17 Fashion Show

The quiz was highly competitive and together with an auction, raised money to build a new covered seating area in the Middle School. A mechanical surfboard added much hilarity to the night and was even more competitive than the quiz!

The evening was organised by an event committee of Cat Moore, Caroline Rolls, Maude Wilcox, Elisabeth Bell and Hugh Lambie. A big thank you to Trust Board member Anil Sharma for being the MC on the night and to all our sponsors for their generosity.

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The Robertson Circle

The very generous support St Cuthbert’s receives from the Robertson Circle members is an important part of our success, helping us to deliver a world class education and facilities for our girls. In 2017 Robertson Circle members donated $320,635, which was used for a variety of projects including the performing and visual arts, flora and fauna protection at Kahunui, sports coaching and student scholarships. Parents also donated money to the planned building of a Sports Pavilion.

Since the Robertson Circle was formed in 2002, members have generously donated nearly $14m to the College. This support has been instrumental in delivering our awarding winning Performing Arts Centre, our Centennial Centre for Wellbeing, as well as delivering resources for sports, scholarships, the arts, and innovation. On behalf of the Trust Board and the Senior Leadership Team, I would like to thank you all very much for your ongoing support of the College, it is greatly appreciated.

Hayley Buckley Chair, St Cuthbert’s Trust Board Listed below are our new and existing Robertson Circle Members who have supported us since January 2017 - the College is grateful for your generosity: Guardians Clayton Charitable Trust; Andy & Sam Coster; K E Falconer Sports Fund; Fuji Xerox; Duncan & Gretchen Hawkesby; GE & KM Jackson; Sir Robert Jones; Prof John Murray; Old Girls’ Association; Mr Shi Qiu & Mrs Li Quan; Akram & Humaira Qureshi; Drs Ellis Situe & Nina Vasan Fellows Juliet Maclean; Peter & Jenni Merton

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Supporters S & W Bradley; Rosslyn Caughey; Dominion Constructors Limited; J & P Hanson; Leigh Melville, Stevenson Foundation; Rachel Walsh Friends M & J Ballantyne; Jenny & Paul Bradley; Mary and Lee Challis; May Dalgleish Estate; R E Harris & A E Harris; James & Stephanie Kellow; Judy & Veryan Laity;

R & F Paine; Susan & Brent Paterson; Heather Robson; David & Sarah Stewart; Ainsley Walter & Mark Stewart; Jen & Jim Syme; Roz & Peter Vickers; The Waller Family; Anna Wang; Jenny Du Wei & Qiang Wei; Year 13 2017; Y Zhang & H Shao; Wei’s Family Not all donors are listed as some have chosen to remain anonymous.

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