Evergreen Ties Summer 2022

Thank You to all our 2022 donors

Your generosity and support is felt in every corner of our College – be it giving of scholarship to enable education, gifting of products and professional services to fundraise for new spaces and improvements, or contribution towards boats to kickstart our rowing programme – we are deeply grateful for all you do!

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AJ Studio

Elizabeth Alison Pamela Allen Argyle Schoolwear

Auckland MINI Garage Rosie Armstrong J and M Ballantyne Eden Ballantyne

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Clayton Charitable Trust Cook Family Development Committee 2022

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Hilton Auckland Emma and Nick Houldsworth

Jill Tuck Soft Furnishings Ltd

Phoebe Jones K E Falconer Sports Fund

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Michael Lin and Chloe Yu Sarah and Jaime Lock Louise Gray Skincare Luxe Appearance Genevieve Lyne Christine McLaren Merrilees Family Minturn Family Miss Lolo Morris Anna Mowbray

National Youth Theatre Zara Neuberger

Charlotte and Emma Ng Waishing Old Girls’ Association Pandoro Panetteria Parents & Friends Rachel Paris Peneton Bakery K and J Penny Prescription Skin Care Y Qu and T Feng Akram and Humaira Qureshi Caroline Rainsford

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Taiping Supermarket Anne Tattersfield

The Ted Manson Foundation Jessica and Samantha Thomson Through the Garden Wells Trading Company

Year 13 2022

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Evergreen T ies

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

ADVERTISING Judy.Watt@stcuthberts.school.nz

OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION Kirsten McKenzie PresidentOGA@stcuthberts.school.nz

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PHOTOS BWMedia photography St Cuthbert’s Communications Office

NEXT ISSUE Autumn 2023

COMMUNICATIONS TEAM communications@stcuthberts.school.nz

EDITOR

Ella James Suzanne Joyce Louise May Nina Seja Sarah Talaic Judy Watt Sarah Davies If you have an idea for a story, write to us at communications@stcuthberts.school.nz

Design: Janice O’Kane Harriet Booth

StCuthbertsCollege

Meet our Leaders

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Making Girls Amazing

P64 — Our 2022 Appeal P32 — Taking centre stage for the 2022 Dance Showcase

In this edition we celebrate our students and the many ways in which we spend time together as a community. Follow

StCuthbertsCollege

StCuthbertsCollege

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From the Desk of Justine Mahon

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our Trust

Contents

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P30 — “Night with the Stars” P28 — Sing it!

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— Celebrating Senior School Library Week

— Take flight with Language Week

— Junior School STRETCH Programme

— Forward thinking

— Winter Tournament Week

— Success at the Zespri AIMS Games

— Let it Snow!

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From the Desk of Justine Mahon

It was a delightful moment when we assembled our eye-catching Christmas tree in the Atrium, in early November, donated by our Parents and Friends’ Association. Although we knew it was sooner than tradition dictates, we felt the symbolism of joy and hope would be timely, right before we welcomed our new parents for 2023, at our Orientation Day, and just as our girls started their exams.

With the promise of a warm summer season around the corner, I reflect on another extraordinary year filled with tremendous school spirit and achievements, despite a few more pandemicinduced hurdles!

As you know, we were operating in the red traffic light for the earlier part of 2022, which meant that we were, unfortunately, unable to welcome our community on to the campus for the usual events. Even though the College was physically open for lessons, like many schools and organisations, we were managing unprecedented levels of staff absences due to the spread of Omicron, and other illnesses. I’m so grateful to my devoted teaching team, who once again gave their all, to help our girls and their colleagues.

I believe the passion and dedication of our teachers and the wider College community during the last few years, can be measured in part, by the sporting, cultural and academic achievements of the girls, some of which you can read about in this issue of Evergreen Ties.

On the sporting front, I congratulate our Year 8 hockey team who came first in the country when they competed at this Year’s AIMS Games against 100s of schools from across New Zealand.

The number of students selected to represent their country in Senior New Zealand teams, across various codes, is truly inspiring. Our warmest congratulations go to Tiaare Ahovelo, Erika Paterson and Holly Dunn for water polo, Zara Stewart for Orienteering, Emma Irwin in cricket and fencer, Jessie Yan. Moreover, we are thrilled that our rowing offering is going from strength to strength, gaining interest across age groups. We were very grateful for the generosity of some of our rowing parents and the Parents and Friends’ Association, who donated funds towards the purchase of two new boats to support the continued establishment of this national code, at the College.

To all our students, coaches, teachers and parents, who dedicated early starts, weekends, and after-school sessions to training across multiple sporting codes, well done! Your efforts make us all very proud, and I am delighted to see so many students continuing to participate in sport, helping them to keep fit and active.

Notable academic achievements this year include Brena Merz, member of the NZ Maths Olympiad Team and the only girl! The team competed at the Maths Olympiad in July, in Oslo, where Brena received an ‘Honourable Mention’! Year 11 student, Belle Yin, impressed us when she was selected for the New Zealand Team, for the European Girls’ Olympiad in Informatics and travelled to Turkey in October.

When it comes to cultural endeavours, audiences raved about our Senior production, ‘Night with the Stars’. In conjunction with Auckland Grammar, students performed a kaleidoscope of colourful excerpts from various musicals and theatrical pieces. The acting, dance and musical talent of the students was, quite simply, outstanding, and the hard work behind the scenes from staff and parents was very much appreciated.

Heartfelt thanks go to our wonderful Head of Chemistry, Ian Torrie, who is retiring after 30 years of outstanding teaching and service to our students and College community. Ian’s contribution both to St Cuthbert’s and to education at a national level, has been immense. Thanks to his leadership and vision, we’ve had more girls doing chemistry than any other school in the country, and that is a real testament to his tireless promotion of his passion. Having over 60% of senior students choosing Chemistry as a subject, when the national average is in the twenties, is a wonderful legacy, and we wish him all the very best for his retirement.

I am immensely grateful to new Trust Board chair, Leigh Melville and her fellow members for their ongoing support and I would like to particularly thank outgoing Trust Board member, Guy Williams, for his valued service. We are delighted to welcome to the Board, Angela Bull, Adarsh Patel, Donald Reid and Scott Weenink. Their experience and enthusiasm will be a wonderful asset for our College. In this issue, we once again profile another Board face, Fraser Whineray, so you can get to know the team.

As always, I would like to mention our devoted parents, caregivers and wonderful Old Girl network. You all play such an integral role in our community and your active support and positivity has helped hold us together over the last few years.

And, of course, dear graduating students of 2022, the final plaudit must go to you. Despite the many complications the pandemic created, you have remained open, adaptable, and empathetic, acting as superb role models for younger girls. Your teachers have commented on your engagement in your learning, your hunger to know more and your desire to make a difference. As readers of JK Rowling, you know “You do not need magic to change the world, you carry all the power you need inside yourselves already”. We look forward to hearing about your contribution to society, as Old Girls, in the years to come.

To our readers– I hope that you have a restful break over the summer holidays and find time to connect with family and friends.

Ngā mihi o te Kirihimete me te Tau Hou – Season’s Greetings for Christmas and the New Year. Ms Justine Mahon — Principal

It is a privilege to be writing my first Evergreen Ties foreward as Chair of the Trust Board.

The past few months have been a busy period as I have been out and about meeting members of our community in my new role, and with the launch of our 2022–2032 strategic vision and core principles.

The launch of our 10-year strategy has been a key milestone for the College, and, as we plan for the future, I believe it is important to respect our wonderful heritage and traditions while also progressing with momentum to ensure we continue to deliver a world class education to our students.

St Cuthbert’s is 107 years old, with a powerful legacy of excellence in all areas of girls’ education. Our alumnae are confident, resilient and compassionate leaders, and, as we look to build on that legacy, our vision is to Make Girls Amazing.

Message from our Trust Board Chair,

Leigh Melville

Launched in August 2019, Making Girls Amazing captures our focus on delivering the very best, well-rounded education, to grow the next generation of women leaders and change makers. Our vision is underpinned by five core principles: teaching for the future; socially responsible leaders; her mind, body and spirit; outstanding staff; and leading facilities. I encourage you to read more about our strategic direction on our website: stcuthberts.school.nz or by scanning the QR code. Our senior team, led by Principal Justine Mahon, are developing key initiatives to support our strategic direction, reflecting our approach to ensuring every student is supported to fulfil their potential.

In other news, I have really enjoyed attending some key events at the College, after the cancellations and restrictions of the past two years due to the pandemic. Recently I joined the Year 6 families, who were celebrating their graduation from the Junior School, with a Secret Garden evening. It was so special to see the girls

in pretty dresses, celebrating with family. A real highlight has been the morning teas we held to thank our wonderful donors who so generously gave to the College, supporting the purchase of a new organ, and also three new row boats as we look to further develop our rowing programme at St Cuthbert’s. We are deeply appreciative for your gifts, and the difference they will make for our students.

I also attended the Old Girls’ Making Their Mark assembly in October and was impressed by the diversity of experience and accomplishments of the recipients. However, what really stood out to me was how they are all linked by a common thread - their absolute commitment to service throughout their lives. Our College motto ‘By Love Serve’ has been instilled in generations of St Cuthbert’s girls, and we cannot underestimate the importance of continuing with this legacy. During each of the speeches from the award recipients, it was evident that their lives, and the lives of others, have been enriched by leadership through service to others. Our girls are so

The launch of our 10year strategy has been a key milestone for the College, and, as we plan for the future, I believe it is important to respect our wonderful heritage and traditions while also progressing with momentum to ensure we continue to deliver a world class education to our students.

fortunate to have the gift of a St Cuthbert’s education, and it is important that we continue to foster that spirit of giving back, and ensure our students now and in the future, understand that a successful community only exists with the support of those within, and that service takes many different forms. Events such as Making Their Mark play a key role in instilling these values in our girls.

Continuing to build a strong and connected community which we all feel a part of is really important to me, in my role as Trust Board Chair. The College recently held our first Dad’s only gathering since the pandemic; led by Trust Board member, Hamish Firth, this event was a huge success, and well attended across the different year groups. Over 100 Dads gathered at the Northern Club for an evening together, and they heard from sporting legend, and St Cuthbert’s Dad, Scott Styris.

Going forward, I am keen to ensure we arrange plenty of opportunities for us all to gather together. I have been supported throughout my life by the friends I have made at St Cuthbert’s, as a student, Old Girl, and parent. In addition to supporting our wonderful Old Girls’ Association which is dedicated to our Old Girl community, I am keen to also grow our ‘Alumni’ to include our wonderful past and current parents, and staff, fostering a strong sense of inclusivity and togetherness.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Justine Mahon and her incredible team for all they do to support our students to achieve their absolute best. I would also like to acknowledge my fellow Trust Board members for their support of the College. At the end of this year, we farewell Guy Williams from the Trust Board; I have worked closely with Guy since he joined the Board in 2019 and have appreciated his wisdom and sound advice. On behalf of our community, I would like to thank him for his service.

As we plan for the future, including the development of our campus master planning, we have appointed some new members of the Trust Board: Old Girl, and Chief Executive of Viaduct Harbour Holdings, Angela Bull; director of commercial property company, Murchison Group, Donald Reid; company director, and former corporate finance lawyer, Scott Weenink, and director of property finance specialists, ASAP Finance, Adarsh Patel.

These new members bring considerable commercial, legal, finance, and property skills to our Board.

Finally, to our wonderful Year 13 students who will become our newest Old Girls (of which my own daughter Frances is one), I wish you all the very best for your futures; I know many of you very well, and you are all exceptional young women. I know you will go on to achieve wonderful things in whatever field you choose. You leave our green gates with all our heartfelt love and best wishes, and with the confidence and character you have developed throughout your time at St Cuthbert’s.

As the year draws to a close, I know how much we are all looking forward to a muchdeserved break over summer. Thank you for everything you do to support our students, and the College. I look forward to catching up with many of you in the New Year.

With warmest regards

Leigh Melville St Cuthbert’s College Trust Board Chair

Our five stategic principles

Teaching for the future

DELIVER a holistic curriculum which is intellectually rigorous and challenging Socially

Responsible Leaders

DEVELOP young women to be inclusive, compassionate, and engaged Global Citizens.

Her Mind, Body and Spirit

GROW young women who are resilient, and who approach new challenges and experiences with optimism and determination.

Outstanding Staff

FOSTER a dynamic, supportive, and inclusive culture to attract and retain the very best staff.

Leading Facilities

CREATE future focussed facilities which are responsive to our students’ changing needs.

MEET YOUR TRUST BOARD:

Fraser Whineray

Adding to an illustrious CV, Fraser Whineray is a passionate St Cuthbert’s Board member and proud dad to two of our girls. With one of New Zealand’s biggest and busiest corporate roles, we’re pleased to have some time for a chat about what makes him tick.

Fraser’s enthusiasm for St Cuthbert’s is palpable the moment he is asked about his girls. When we sat down with him, he was thrilled to have penned heartfelt letters and cards, “the old fashioned way,” to send to his daughter, Pippa. Along with other Year 10s, she was attending the month-long Kahunui programme, “I can’t wait to be at that gate to pick her up and hear what she has been up to!”

Fraser believes our unique outdoor learning programme is just another example of what makes the St Cuth’s experience so special. “It shows the St Cuth’s difference in preparing girls for their futures.”

An exemplary career

Fraser is currently Chief Operating Officer of the world’s largest dairy exporter, Fonterra, and his trajectory to this point is impressive.

Unsurprisingly, a strong academic grounding has supported his journey, including an MBA from the University of Cambridge, a Post Graduate Diploma in Dairy Science and Technology from Massey University and a Bachelor of Chemical and Process Engineering from the University of Canterbury.

Work-wise, he’s held senior positions at Credit Suisse, Puhoi Valley Cheese and Carter Holt Harvey, and was chair of the Prime Minister’s Business Advisory Council. More recently he served as Chief Executive of Mercury Energy, and was awarded the Deloitte Top 200 Chief Executive of the year, in 2019.

Fraser joined the team at Fonterra just as Covid hit, “It was a stressful time, but considering some people faced serious sickness and even lost their lives in this pandemic, I consider myself fortunate. It’s all about perspective.”

Greener pastures

On paper, Fraser is responsible for Fonterra’s New Zealand manufacturing sites and global supply chain operations, sustainability, IT and safety, quality and regulatory teams. But in less corporate terms, he explains, “it’s essentially all about supporting the nutrition of millions of people in New Zealand and around the world.”

Day-to-day he supports a team of 10,000 people in their management of complex processes to safely deliver more than 20% of New Zealand’s export income. It’s a significant

responsibility that he doesn’t take lightly, “Being part of Fonterra means being part of a unique 150-year-old legacy.”

Fraser is quick to address the topic of environmental challenges that face the dairy industry and Agri sector. “We work with free-range, grass-fed cows, which of course means producing biogenic methane.” He goes on to explain how such sustainability challenges are being addressed and emphasises how nimble the sector needs to be to adapt to major considerations including climate change, nutritional demands, and changing world economies.

Fonterra has recently announced R&D investments in alternative proteins, which will be an interesting journey for New Zealanders to follow. “But we must also remember that both grass and cows are designed by Mother Nature, and she’s incredible! Synthetics need to be an improvement on that,” he adds.

Risky business

We ask Fraser what skills he brings to our Board, which seems like a rather lofty question for someone with his experience, but Fraser talks about some distinct skills.

“I’m now more of a generalist, so I’m just trying to see the diverse connections between things and make sure they come together in ways that are optimal over time. It’s never perfect. I aim to help people find resilient, and sustainable solutions on material opportunities and challenges.”

He also has a raft of experience in risk mitigation. “I have an eye for anticipating and mitigating material shocks that can really affect an organization. Whether it’s a reputational risk or financial issue, substantial errors can hugely undermine the great work of many and impact customers.”

He references some of the topics that a school board looks at, such as asset management and environmental sustainability, “It’s how all these different things come together to maintain the kaupapa (purpose), to survive and prosper.”

Words from the wise

When asked what advice he would you give his 15-year-old self, Fraser is quick off the mark, “Workplaces don’t write you thank you letters after you have left, but your family and close friends will always appreciate you being there for them, and in turn, they’ll be

there for you.” In fact, work-life balance and finding time for peace and quiet, is a key message from this senior exec.

“There’s just so much noise these days – it’s deafening. And by ‘noise’, I don’t just mean sound – but being bombarded with messages and global media, that is often skewed towards imminent dystopia because that sells. And all of that noise must produce unnecessary anxiety for children. I firmly believe their futures will be great. You need to learn to switch off, pause, and quietly unpack your own thoughts.”

When we ask how he manages to do this, with such a weighty corporate role, he talks about his meditative rowing and cycling sessions and how turning off his phone and exercising with friends helps him to clear the mind. That also helps with being genuinely present, particularly with his whānau.

Fraser adds that switching off digitally is another great aspect of the Kahanui programme. Like many parents, he’s concerned about the negative effects that social media might be having on today’s youth, “We’re looking through this fake, digital lens at the lives of other people… FOMO is real, even for adults. Having an environment like St Cuthbert’s that nurtures resilience and builds confidence is so important, so they can deal with all of that.”

He goes on to joke about reminding his girls, “the most memorable, quiet times might just be sitting with their Dad on the couch!” With his engaging style and philosophical outlook, we think he has a good point.

In fact, work-life balance and finding time for peace and quiet, is a key message from this senior exec.

Taking care of business

with luxury, thanks to tremendous wealth gaps in places like Uganda. “We’d go through slums driving to school. It’s very sobering and gives you a profound, raw perspective on life and privilege.”

In Uganda, she also learned to be more adaptable as a teacher and think on her feet, as power (i.e. electrical power) was not even a given. And she recalls being in the classroom when there were embassy warnings not to go outside or leave. “It was quite daunting at times!”

Elisabeth Charsley brings a wealth of knowledge to our classrooms, thanks to 20 years teaching, working in a commercial accounting environment, and intrepid overseas travel.

We chat about her passion for ‘all things commerce’, and discuss how Business Studies can help girls to navigate a successful future. Elisabeth, aka Liz, is Head of Faculty, Commerce and Head of Subject, Business Studies. She is an advocate for academic study mixed with practical work when it comes to business, and a great example was when she was starting out, completing a Commerce Degree while working full time at accounting giant, KPMG. “It was such great experience being so hands on, and it actually helped me decide that I didn’t want to be an accountant!”

It wasn’t that she disliked the experience, it was more the pull of another vocation. “With a mother who was a teacher and some really encouraging friends, I took the leap into teaching,” she says.

With early roots in Te Awamutu, this young Waikato teacher took a huge leap of faith and decided to swap comfortable kiwi life for an overseas experience like no other.

Liz talks fondly of her 12 years overseas, with an exciting journey that saw her teach Accounting and Business Studies in England, Indonesia and Uganda.

“I learned so much, like how to interact with people from anywhere, and appreciate different ways of thinking. This has helped me professionally and privately.”

She reflects on what it felt like to live a ‘double life’, where poverty was juxtaposed

But despite the cultural differences and unpredictability of daily life, Liz said her travels in Africa and Asia were “nothing short of magical”, and it reenforced her passion for teaching Accounting and Business Studies at all levels.

Business Studies at St Cuthbert’s

Liz explains that Business Studies is an exciting area that covers numerous topics in the commercial world, that affect businesses of all sizes. Girls can take Business Studies as part of the NCEA, or IB qualifications.

Students in Year 11 focus more on SME (Small to Medium Enterprise) markets, which is the size of most businesses in New Zealand. “We cover a range of topics, like starting, running and growing a business. It includes areas such as strategic planning, marketing, HR, and finance. It’s broad, but also very practical.”

In Year 12, the focus is more on the macro economy and larger or corporate business in New Zealand, and in Year 13 there’s more of a global context.

Liz emphasises that Business Studies fits well with the other Commerce Department subjects of Accounting and Economics –

but it’s also a great ‘real world’ subject that can complement a variety of disciplines.

Hands on experience

Richard Branson (Virgin Group founder) famously said, “You don’t learn to walk by following rules. You learn by doing and falling over.”

Many successful business leaders will emphasise that real world business experience is key to understanding how to effectively build a business. A fantastic aspect of NCEA Business Studies is that there’s a practical component to it, where students get together to run a real business.

Liz talks enthusiastically about their Market Day for Year 11 Business Studies students, and how Year 13 have to run their own business start-up. “This type of hands-on experience is so valuable to young entrepreneurs,” say Liz, “not only in terms of business skills, but also life skills. Students learn how to operate effectively in a group, make real world management decisions that will affect their bottom line, and be creative and accountable.”

There is also an extracurricular ‘Young Enterprise’ scheme with which many students love getting involved each year.

This year, a number of students had great success at the Auckland Regional Awards for Young Enterprise. The girls represented the school with confidence and maturity and they gained a number of awards. These included the Excellence in Market Validation Award and the One to Watch Award. Sara Jameson (Year 12) won the EY Individual of the Year. The “rejUVenate” team won 1st place for the Auckland Central Region and will travel to Wellington to compete in the National Awards!

Farewell to Ian Torrie

Ian joined St Cuthbert’s in 1993, as our Head of Department for Science and has had a long and distinguished career in science and chemistry teaching. His contribution both to St Cuthbert’s and to education at a national level, has been immense.

Not only has he encouraged a huge number of our girls to study science and chemistry, but his students have also achieved remarkable results, including at scholarship level. His passion for his subject, and dedication to supporting every girl to achieve her absolute best, are deeply appreciated.

Throughout his time at St Cuthbert’s, Ian has not been shy at turning his hand to whatever needed to be done, including designing and overseeing the conversions of the old Junior School classrooms in Rhodes into eight science labs. He has also been a wonderful early adapter of information technology in his science lessons, with students saying how much they have loved his classes, and how he has inspired them to study science and chemistry at a higher level.

Many of Ian’s students have gone on to achieve wonderful things in their careers, thanks to the significant foundation he has laid for them. Always genuinely interested in the girls, he has clearly loved teaching, and follows the careers his former students with great interest when they leave the College.

Ian is a much-loved colleague, and alumni of St Cuthbert’s. His wit, love of people, and the enthusiasm with which he has organised staff drinks every Friday night, for almost 30 years has been much appreciated!

Our College motto ‘By Love Serve’ has guided Ian during his time here, and he has made an important contribution to chemistry at a national level, playing an important role in lifting the standards of chemistry teaching nationally. We wish Ian and his wife Jill all the very best for this new and exciting stage in their life together and thank him for his outstanding contribution.

At the end of this Term, we say farewell to our long serving former Head of Science, and Head of Chemistry, Ian Torrie, who is retiring after 30 years of teaching and service to our students and College community.

Grandparents’ Day of joy

In September we celebrated our special Grandparents’ Day

Being able to welcome our families back onto campus is a delight and after the many cancellations due to the pandemic, events like Grandparents’ Day feel more precious than ever.

On a sunny Friday morning, the Grandparents of our Junior School and Year 7 girls gathered at Clouston Hall for a wonderful programme of performances. Afterwards, our very excited students took great pride in showing their beloved Grandparents around the campus and classroom, pointing out where it is that they love to work and play.

It was a delight to observe the special bonds between the generations and to see such enthusiasm as our grandparents joined in the art and craft activities in the classrooms. Some families had three generations of St Cuthbert’s women together on campus, while other grandparents enjoyed seeing the campus for the first time. Thank you to all those who were able to share this special occasion and to all our performers and teachers who made this day possible.

A magical Mid-Autumn Festival

Hall

This September, when the moon was full, the Asian Friendship Group hosted a magnificent Mid-Autumn Festival.

This special cultural celebration welcomed over 150 guests, who enjoyed a packed and insightful agenda. The traditional dance performances were a real delight, showcasing talent from a range of year groups. We were treated to calligraphy demonstrations which encouraged keen onlookers to have a go themselves.

So much fun is, of course, thirsty work, so the tea ceremony truly went down a treat with all of the guests. Now, it simply

wouldn’t be a Mid-Autumn Festival without mooncakes, so rest assured, there were mooncake making demonstrations and of course, tastings.

Clouston Hall buzzed with excitement all evening, as guests immersed themselves in the festivities. A real highlight of St Cuthbert’s social calendar, we look forward to celebrating the Mid-Autumn Festival again next year.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Nancy Zhang and the Asian Friendship Group, for organizing such a wonderful event.

Mooncakes and more, made for a spectacular night of cultural celebration in Clouston

Dads’ night out

St Cuthbert’s Dads get together for their first post-covid event.

In October, we hosted a Dads’ night out for our fantastic fathers. Over 100 Dads gathered for the ticketed event, held at The Northern Club. Championed by Trust Board member, Hamish Firth, it was a great opportunity to catch up, enjoy a beer and sit down together for dinner. Sporting great and St Cuthbert’s parent, Scott Styris, spoke at the event, which kept all of the guests very entertained.

We look forward to hosting more events like this in the future!

Celebrating our new row boats

Following the successful fundraising of three new boats, we held a thank you morning tea, and a traditional blessing of the boats.

With Coach Kirsty Dunhill at the helm of our Senior rowing club, interest in the sport has never been greater. Now, having secured three brand new boats through fundraising, the future looks bright for our rowing enthusiasts.

We celebrated and thanked our donors with a special morning tea and unveiling of a plaque.

Then, a few weeks later, the boats were launched on the flat waters of the Mercer,

and the excitement amongst students and parents alike, was palpable.

At the traditional launching ceremony, the boats were blessed, and champagne was poured over the boats, signaling the start of an exciting season. Then, the girls took to the water to get acquainted with their fantastic new additions.

Due to the wonderful generosity of our parents and P&F Association, we were able to raise the funds to continue to build this national sporting code programme at the College.

Rise and shine with our Mother & Daughter Breakfast

Weekday mornings are all too often rushed, so we invited our Junior School mother’s to enjoy a slower start to the day, at our Mother & Daughter Breakfast.

At St Cuthbert’s, we understand how much mothers do. So, on a sunny September morning, our Mother Daughter duos arrived at Clouston Hall for a very special start to the day. Our team did an exceptional job at styling the hall – the perfect setting for a lovely breakfast.

Whilst mothers mingled and daughters delightedly gathered with friends, Clouston Hall felt warm and inviting, with the smell of breakfast quite hard to resist. From granola bowls to avocado and halloumi rolls, guests were served a number of options that went down a treat. Of course, no breakfast is complete without coffee, with the coffee cart proving to be a huge hit.

Each mother left the event with a bank of special memories, a bunch of daffodils and a heartfelt, handwritten note from their daughters. It was truly a great start to the day, with no breakfast dishes to clean!

A special thanks to Anna Perry and the volunteers from the P&F, for organising such a special morning.

Credit: Sharlene Ferguson – Focal Point PHOTOS

Creating remarkable one intake at a time

Kahunui Close Up

St Cuthbert’s is the only New Zealand girls’ school to offer a residential outdoor learning programme on a separate campus.

This unique experience is an integral part of our Year 10 curriculum, and Principal Justine Mahon says the programme supports teenagers at a critical time in their development, to better connect with one another, nature, and themselves.

Situated in the idyllic Bay of Plenty, Kahunui is nestled amongst the most beautiful native bush, within tramping distance to rivers, and beaches, enabling us to provide unbeatable outdoor experiences for every girl, in every intake.

Kahunui is a social outdoor education programme, designed to advance students’ social, physical, and emotional fitness. Our students leave Kahunui with new-found resilience, self-confidence, skills, and friends for life – not to mention a deeper appreciation for all their families do for them at home!

We caught up with Justine Mahon and some of the Kahunui team, to unpack what makes Kahunui such a valuable and transformative experience, and one that’s unique to St Cuthbert’s.

“While we spend considerable time building each intake up in readiness for the Kahunui journey, understandably, the girls often arrive at Kahunui slightly apprehensive about the experience ahead. However, by the end of their stay, each intake becomes a close-knit group of friends with bonds built on trust and wonderful shared experiences,” says Justine.

Epsom Kahunui lead, and Iona Dean, Gail Morrison, says, “The Kahunui programme is packed full of adventures such as overnight tramps, kayaking, wharf jumping and learning how to collect firewood and

split kindling to keep warm. While the girls are taught bush survival skills, the programme also nurtures other traits such as being accepting and being tolerant of others, and their differences.

“Students embark on this personal journey at age 14/15, which is a critical time in their development. Helping them to discover how strong they really are, and how capable they are, through the many activities, supports their social and emotional growth. It also connects them to nature and the outdoors, helping them to understand our relationship with the environment through the ‘pay it forward’ initiative, which might see an intake clear tracks, for example, for the next intake to enjoy.”

“With activities like blokarting and survival camping on their doorstep, Kahunui is a broad and exciting learning environment,

like no other. If students are open to the experiences on offer, and are prepared to really give things a go, they get so much out of the experience. ”

Head of Kahunui Campus, Lauren Moyes, who is based on site, and oversees the programme and the girls on the ground, adds, “A key factor in their Kahunui stay is that the girls are split into three groups of eight, with each group living together in a house. The girls must run a fully functioning home, learning to cook, clean and function as a unit together. This part of the experience is really important, as living together for a month means that they must respect and consider the needs of others, equipping them well for their futures.

When asked what else makes Kahunui such a special experience, Justine, Gail and Lauren all agree that the 26-day device detox, really supports the students to separate themselves from technology, and to learn how to better manage screen time when they come home.

At Kahunui they fill their free time with other hobbies such as reading a book on a beanbag outside, running around in the fresh air, writing letters, and reflections, rather than being on a device,” says Lauren.

Reflections from some of our 2022 intake students

We caught up with Kaihikatea and By Love Serve award winners from a some of this year’s intakes: Daniella Van Delden, Grace Meredith and Nuria Hocken Cubi, to reflect on their time spent at Kahunui.

Kahunui reflections from the journal of ‘By Love Serve’ award winner, Nuria Hocken Cubi (Intake 3, 2022)

I am beyond grateful for Kahunui and the great experiences that I probably would never have had, if I hadn’t endd up going. I have so many memories that I have made here which I will never forget, from baking cookies to building bivis with natural resources. Nat and I honestly thought we were going to sleep under the stars that

night or worst-case scenario, get eaten by a possum! When I first came here, I was super excited since I love the outdoors and I love being independent and doing things by myself. But, by the first week, I really wanted to go home because we were loaded with information and most of it went through one ear and out the other, but I did try hard not to get distracted. In the end I have come to love all the activities and opportunities, like sitting in my nice solo area with nothing to do apart from write in my journal. I have been challenged by doing a lot of things.

I definitely work better in groups and in group activities since I have been here and also learned that not everything is about winning or being the best in something. I was really proud of myself when I set up a

tent for the first time. I thought it would be a lot harder, but it turns out it’s not. Also, Natalia and I set up our bivis all out of natural materials and in the end, we did have a place to sleep, I was very grateful and went to sleep with a big smile on my face.

I can’t wait to come back in Year 13, three years away. Overall, my time in Kahunui was so much fun and I am beyond grateful that I came and did all these amazing things.

Kahunui reflections from the

journal of joint Kaihikatea award winner Daniella Van Delden (Intake 6, 2022)

Overall Kahunui has been a crazy experience that I will never forget. There have been highs and the lows, all the rocks in people’s shoes, the running through the bush, the endless amounts of baking,

I came to Kahunui with mixed emotions, but if some of my book worm friends liked it in previous intakes, well then there was hope that I would too. But as I sit in the bush, I have come to realise over the last few weeks that I haven’t just liked it, but I have LOVED it!

Grace Meredith

jumping off the wharf, the tears and the laughter, the pegs in your hair, the tents, the OG house and our perfect 30, bug hotels, the walks, the letters, the waterfall, the swims in the river, night clinic, murder mystery, food refills, morning fitness and Just Dance, my room mates, the quizzes, the communal dinners, house tramp, Moana, Ngahere, survival rogane, the dogs and the instructors – you make the place what it is.

I came to Kahu dreading the idea of it, but now I will leave the bush with thousands of memories and stories, new and stronger friendships that I know will last a lifetime. I have learnt so many new life skills, that I will use forever. Now, I am sitting around this fire and will leave this place in less than 72 hours; not wanting to go back to the real world, wishing that it was still day one.

Kahunui reflections from the journal of joint Kaihikatea award winner, Grace Meredith (Intake 6, 2022)

I came to Kahunui with mixed emotions, but if some of my book worm friends liked it in previous intakes, well then there was hope that I would too. But as I sit in the bush, I have come to realise over the last few weeks that I haven’t just liked it, but I have LOVED it!

From wharf jumping, kayaking, hiking, building bivvys, survival, rogaine, freezing cold river swims and the endless cookies Kahunui has been AMAZING and MORE!

The instructors and the girls in Intake 6 have made this month fly by and so memorable and I can’t forget the dogs! Oh the dogs… Fe, Coa and Red have just made the whole time so much better.

It’s hard to believe that I only have 46 hours left and I will be back home, no longer at this amazing place in the middle of nowhere with my friends and with girls I can now call my friends, from this time together. I now have great memories of staying up late, setting off the smoke alarm from burnt cookies, Ms Coombes braiding our hair, writing and receiving letters, playing games, singing or more like howling in the van, slip ‘n’ slide, bird feeding, and the numerous mosquito bites.

I would do it all over again tomorrow if I could, but in a few days’ time I will be at school and sitting here in the bush will be a memory, but a memory I will smile and laugh about from my experiences and the girls with whom I have shared Intake 6, at Kahunui.

Elizabeth leads our orienteering programme, a team which has incredible results to report this year.

Orienteering has been growing yearon-year in popularity in schools across Aotearoa, and this is reflected here at St Cuthbert’s as well. It’s an attractive sport for many reasons, such as catering to varying fitness levels, and is a fun activity for the outdoors.

And when it comes to being competitive –we are leading the way!

A number of our students represented St Cuthbert’s in July, at the New Zealand Secondary School (NZSS) competition, held in Counties Manukau, where New Zealand’s top orienteers compete for various titles across categories and races.

We are ecstatic that our team was awarded the NZSS Premier Trophy, for excellence across the Senior, Intermediate and Junior grades, in the Sprint and Long Distance disciplines.

“We have been close to this pinnacle many times but finally have our name on the trophy!” exclaims Elizabeth (Liz).

Students Zara Stewart, Maddie Bell and Zara Toes, were selected for the NZSS team to compete against the Australian states school teams in the ‘Southern Cross Challenge’ in Victoria, Australia. The NZSS ‘Invitational Development Squad’ (open to anyone who wanted to race) included Sofia and Katelin Toes.

While in Australia, the students also competed at the Australian Orienteering Championships, another step up in difficulty.

Elizabeth Parsons & Orienteering

Incredibly, all five girls made it onto the podium with a total of 14 podium aplacings between them, across all nine events.

Special mention to Zara Stewart who, in the Australian Sprint Championship (a World Ranking event), won Gold in the W20 Elite category, pulling her world ranking up to 315, in Open Women’s Elite grade. Zara Toes also had a convincing win in the W14A grade at the same event.

To add to these accolades, our 28-strong North Island Secondary Schools team was awarded the Top School cup in its July competition.

“I’m just so proud of the girls,” says Liz. “They all worked extremely hard, and it’s paid off!”

She also points out that another significant result of 2022, is Zara Stewart’s place in the NZ U20 Junior World Orienteering Championships team, which took her to races in Portugal, and the European Youth Orienteering Champs in Hungary.

The great accomplishments of the wider team speak volumes about the skills of our enthusiastic student participants, but also to the leadership of Elizabeth and our external volunteer coach, Jeff Greenwood.

Elizabeth currently teaches Year 7 and Year 9 maths, but loves managing orienteering for a wide range of year groups and skill levels. And she is quick to point out that she couldn’t do it without the support of Jeff.

“Although Jeff’s daughter has graduated from St Cuthbert’s, he still donates his time to train the team. It says a lot about his passion for the sport,” says Liz. “Jeff is the technical lead. He goes the extra mile, and helps to set individualised training regimes and gives

individual feedback to the girls on each race.”

Orienteering parents and students have all emphasised how grateful they are for both Jeff and Elizabeth’s time, enthusiasm and teaching.

Orienteering options at St Cuthbert’s

For many of those unfamiliar with the sport, it’s good to know there are different championship grades. A Grade is usually more experienced and competitive, and B Grade is designed to encourage participation and for those just starting out.

At St Cuthbert’s, there are around 25 students doing A Grade courses, with the others choosing B Grade.

Behind the five girls who starred at the Australian Schools’ Southern Cross Challenge and the Australian Orienteering Championships, there is a group of around 35 students who attend inter-school events, and a core of 20 who are regular and competitive club orienteers.

Girls need to commit to a Sunday once every two to three weeks (for a whole day), but the school provides transport from our College campus, which is handy for many parents.

Students participate in various categories, such as the Sprint (shorter courses often in urban areas), forest racing (which is Long distance), three person relays, or rogaines (done as a pair or team). These school events can take them all over the country to compete.

In terms of training, drawing up a map can be labour intensive, so Elizabeth and Jeff often use club resources for this, or use the College grounds.

Elizabeth Parsons knows a lot about Pythagoras, fractions and rousing our girls with mathematical equations, but she is just as inspirational with a compass and a map.

What does it take to be a good orienteer?

“You can’t worry too much about spider webs, the odd graze, or mud!” jokes Liz.

“But other than that, you can take things at your own pace and be as competitive as you want.”

She also believes it’s a wonderful way to get out of our comfort zone and head outdoors.

“I love seeing the younger girls playing outside in between races, climbing trees, building huts and enjoying the forest.”

You also don’t have to be good with maps or compasses when you start – this is all taught.

Elizabeth explains that becoming a

proficient navigator involves learning a number of basic concepts and techniques, and practising regularly.

“It’s also a fantastic way to build collegial networks at school,” says Liz. “It’s lovely seeing the girls make connections outside of school too, when wider regions come together for comps.”

At competition level, there are many opportunities to shine, such as regional events, North Island champs, the Junior World Championship (for under 20s - where our very own Zara Stewart competed), the World University Champs and the World Championships.

“Recently, at a weekend club event, I was delighted to see a past student with her

What is orienteering?

Think ‘The Amazing Race’ – but with less drama and more smarts!

Orienteering – sometimes called ‘foot orienteering’ can take place anywhere, but usually it’s in forests, parks, or wide urban areas.

Most participants would agree, the more unpredictable and surprising the landscape the more fun and challenging an event can be. Our students competing in Australia ran through old goldmining trenches and large rock outcrops, like Hanging Rock!

But - how does it actually work?

Participants (either in groups or individuals) are given an orienteering map, with a course outlining a start, a finish, and several checkpoints in between. The aim of the game is to get to

the finish line, fastest.

At each checkpoint (usually a flag) you ‘punch’ your sport ident (a small electronic recorder worn on the hand), showing that you found the correct location, and you can use any route you want between checkpoints - whether that’s going over a hill or round it.

If you’re a runner, running against the clock is a familiar experience, but orienteering provides added challenges of a staggered start and deciding your own course.

And if you’re a non-runner, automatic timing from control to control provides a way to measure your navigational effectiveness across routes and compare later with others who made different choices. Good route choice can

social group. This is where I get joy, seeing students take their orienteering beyond a school sport to a life-long recreation.”

Considering signing up?

Whether you’re an experienced hiker, competitive runner, or just looking for a fun activity (perhaps to complement another school sport you are involved with), orienteering is a fantastic way to improve fitness and navigation skills.

Events cater for a range of abilities and experience so everyone can participate and get an appropriate challenge, adventure and sense of achievement.

If you are interested in giving it a go, feel free to contact Helen Fraser: helen.fraser@ stcuthberts.school.nz

often beat raw speed.

Orienteering began in Scandinavia in the 19th century (it’s still extremely popular there) as a navigation training exercise for the military. It soon developed into the competitive sport we know today.

There are a few different forms of orienteering - mountain biking and snow ski orienteering for example – but ‘foot orienteering’ is most popular.

New Zealander, Tim Robertson, is our most successful Kiwi orienteering export, as two-times Junior World Champ, and two-times World Champs medallist

Jumping June

A hop, skip and a jump for a great cause.

In June, our Junior School students leapt at the opportunity to take part in ‘Jumping June’, a month long fun, fitness event run by The Heart Foundation, New Zealand’s Heart Charity. In the name of raising money to help the fight against heart disease, the girls took to the turfed courts to skip as many times as possible.

In the lead up to the event, PE lessons were spent practising skipping skills, and the results spoke for themselves. Our girls took the original $10,000 target and ran with it. The final amount raised was a breathtaking $38,996. This year, St Cuthbert’s raised the highest amount of money out of schools across the whole country, which left us jumping for joy!

The Heart Foundation is leading the fight against heart disease, and the money raised during Jumping June will help in a range of ways, including providing educational programmes to schools to teach children all about heart health.

To show their appreciation for the incredible fundraising efforts, the Heart Foundation visited the Junior School with a very special guest. As you can see, the girls were thrilled to meet the Heart Foundation mascot!

A huge thank you to the staff, all sponsors and of course, our fantastic jumpers!

Music to our ears at the KBB Festival

St Cuthbert’s students shine at the prestigious weeklong competition

August saw the return of the KBB Festival, which each year, attracts some of New Zealand’s finest young musicians. From humble beginnings, the KBB Festival now sees over 4,500 students across 145 groups take part. More than 50 schools across the greater Auckland region, and beyond, participate in the event, which caters for orchestras, concert bands, jazz bands and chamber orchestras alike.

The festival itself is recognised for the quality of the music that the students play, which is a nod to both the commitment and talent of the all of the students and teachers involved. The KBB Festival certainly showcases high levels of skill, dedication and collaboration, and this year, our girls certainly ticked all of the boxes with their stellar performances.

This year, we were lucky enough to have a number of groups able and excited to compete. Our Sebastian Squad and Black Watch Orchestra, both conducted by the fantastic Mark Bennett, performed wonderfully on and off the stage. Under conductor David Edmundson, the Stage Band and B Band both delivered most commendable performances. For the first time, we also entered Black Watch Strings as a non-competitive group. Conducted by Dragana Yelavich, this group was primarily made up of Year 7 and 8 students. It offered the younger participants a great insight into the competition.

Throughout the week, all of our bands performed to extremely high standards which demonstrated perfectly their commitment and flare. As is always the case at the KBB Festival, the calibre was high and competition was fierce, but our groups kept

their cool throughout, and played their way to some outstanding results.

Impressively, St Cuthbert’s secured the top three places. Our Sebastian Squad took home gold with a pitch perfect performance. They were also invited to play at the Gala Concert on the Saturday night, which was an honour. In addition, the Stage Band took away the silver award, closely followed by Black Watch Orchestra who won the bronze. These are outstanding results which speak volumes about the sheer musical talent that we are lucky enough to boast at St Cuthbert’s. To every student and member of staff involved, a massive congratulations, and here’s to next year’s KBB Festival.

The beautiful images, that capture the atmosphere perfectly, were taken by Deane Cohen.

Sing it!

Kids Sing

The Kids Sing was an incredibly exciting occasion for our girls, even our youngest choristers. After numerous Covid disruptions they were finally able to sing in a choral festival with other schools from around Auckland within the stunning acoustics of Holy Trinity Cathedral.

This year, the Kids’ Sing was a noncompetitive festival that spanned two evenings. The choirs were able to present a recital comprising of two pieces of their own choosing, as well as receiving constructive feedback from the commentator, Vanessa Kay.

The combined Junior Black Watch Singers and Junior Saints was the first choir to perform on the day and set the standard for an energetic event! The combined Junior Black Watch Singers and Junior Saints sang ‘The Witch Poem’ by Philip Norman with text by Margaret Mahy and ‘Child of Tomorrow’ by Mark Patterson, Junior Saints then sang ‘A Clare Benediction’ by John Rutter and ‘An Imaginary Menagerie’ by Philip Norman.

All choirs were presented with a certificate of participation and a commemorative badge for each member. The Gala concert in the evening gave Junior Saints the opportunity to showcase one of their own songs and the evening concluded with a beautiful rendition of Pōkarekare Ana sung by the massed choir.

Song Squad, our Year 7 and 8 choir, sang Cuccini’s beautiful setting of “Ava Maria” and performed a fantastic rendition of “Qangle Wangle’s Hat” whcih went down a treat with the audiece.

We were incredibly proud of all of the

choirs who sang beautifully, whilst constantly displaying By Love Serve. A huge thank you must go to Mary Cornish for her dedication in preparing all choirs for the festival.

The Big Sing

Our Year 9–13 choirs competed in the regional competitions of the Big Sing competition at the Auckland Town Hall in June. Black Watch Singers, one of the largest choirs, with over 80 students involved, was placed on the reserve list for the North Island Regionals, while and Saints Alive was awarded “Highly Commended” and “Runner Up Best Recital Female Choir.”

The three day event was held at the newly restored Christchurch Town Hall. As always, Saints Alive represented the College superbly, singing a technically difficult and varied programme in English, French and German. The standard was incredibly high and was live-streamed around the world with thousands tuning in to watch the final of one of the biggest choral events in the world.

There was wonderful camaraderie on display at the Big Sing – not just between our students but between all of the choirs. Each session would begin with a spontaneous eruption of singing from the participants around the auditorium.

Being presented with the Silver Award was the icing on the cake of a hugely enjoyable finale. It was such a privilege to be able to compete, and the girls are already planning the repertoire they will learn in the hope they will be invited to attend again next year.

Congratulations to Saints Alive, their director Denzel Panama, accompanist Juan Kim, vocal coach Na Young Kim for their hard work and their success at the Big Sing Finale 22.

Choral Showcase

Term 3 started on a high note in the music department with our annual Choral Showcase in Week 1, featuring around 250 students from years 2–13, in six choirs: Junior Song Squad, Junior Black Watch Singers, Junior Saints, Song Squad, Black Watch Singers and Saints Alive. With the choir competition season ahead, it was a great opportunity for our competing choirs to perform in front of an audience and for all choirs to share their music with their families and one another.

The evening began with a combined waiata of welcome. This was followed by the first and youngest choir, Junior Song Squad taking the stage. The girls delighted the audience with their onstage antics, including teaching them one of their favourite warm-ups, Tony Chestnut.

The Big Sister, Little Sister ethos of our Choral Programme was visibly on display with Senior girls helping with the Junior choirs as mentors and accompanists and the choirs enthusiastically supporting one another’s performances. Every choir gave a polished recitals of their repertoire which covered a range of musical styles including music from the 16th century, contemporary art music and even the popular hit “Say A Little Prayer” by Burt Bacharach, sung with panache by our biggest choir, Black Watch Singers.

Saints Alive choir leaders, Eloise Page and Claudia Sayers were the M.cs for the evening and the concert closed with all choirs returning to the stage to sing one last song together: John Rutter’s ‘A Clare Benediction’.

The annual Choral Showcase is a real highlight on the Performing Arts Calendar and this year was no exception, not in the least because the choirs had spent most of Terms 1 and 2 rehearsing outside, with masks on. To finally be able to come together and perform to a live audience without masks was a joyful occasion for all. This year’s Choral Showcase left everyone in no doubt that our choral music is going from strength to strength and a disruption like Covid doesn’t quell the universal desire to sing together. With the opportunity to join a choir at any stage and age, it was heartening to see so many students perform: radiant in their enjoyment of singing and committed to excellence in music.

Our girls love to sing and with festivals and competitions back in full swing, they’ve been making some noise!

‘Night with the Stars’ wows audiences

Our 2022 musical, in collaboration with Auckland Grammar, showcased the depth of our performing arts talent.

Combining the talents of St Cuthbert’s and Auckland Grammar School students, it’s little surprise that that ‘Night with the Stars’ was such a hit.

The ensemble cast, comprised of Senior Students from Years 9-13, delivered an exclusive musical revue featuring songs from a number of Broadway’s best-loved musicals including ‘Matilda’, ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ and ‘Guys and Dolls’.

The collaboration between St Cuthbert’s and Auckland Grammar students was fantastic. We even saw a brother and sister duo take to the stage. Madeleine Park (Year 9, St Cuthbert’s) and Jesse Park (Year 12, Auckland Grammar School) took part in the show together.

Madeleine noted, it was “really nice to spend time together. We both found out about the production at the same time, and decided we wanted to be a part of it.”

The polished performance was greatly enjoyed by the sell-out crowds who loved the energy and variety of the show. A huge thank you to our Performing Arts team and all students and parents involved behind the scenes.

Taking centre stage for the 2022 Dance Showcase

After a two year hiatus, the Showcase is back

The Dance Showcase is always a highly anticipated event, and following a pandemic related intermission, the girls were more excited than ever to get back on the stage. The 2022 Showcase was a simply amazing event. Comprised of over 130 performers from Year 3 all the way to Year 13, this really is a showcase that includes and captivates the whole College.

Spotlighting the very best of both our curriculum and co-curriculum dance, the audience really was treated to an evening of extraordinary talent. The beauty of the showcase is the sheer variety of dance genres that the audience get to enjoy. From classical

forms such as ballet, all the way to hip-hop, there is something for everyone.

After a period of cancellations, the girls really did buzz with excitement at the opportunity to once again perform on stage to a packed audience, and the feeling backstage was just as electric as the performances on stage. Friendships were forged through the planning and execution of the showcase, and the enjoyment was palpable.

A huge amount of work goes on behind the scenes, so thank you to Head of Subject, Dance, Laura-Beth Warne, and all of the dedicated staff who work so hard to bring this amazing performance to life.

The Shakespeare Company presents ‘The Fated Sky’

This year, the St Cuthbert’s Shakespeare Company performed ‘The Fated Sky’ – a one hour compilation of scenes and monologues from Shakespeare plays, connected by the theme of Fate.

From ‘Romeo and Juliet’ to ‘Othello’, the scenes were professionally performed by the co-curricular group of committed, self-driven students, who worked through lunchtimes, after school and on weekends, to bring the works to life. The girls delivered dynamic, impactful performances which gave a nod to a number of Shakespeare’s most well known and loved titles.

The Shakespeare Company is an opportunity for year 11–12 students to develop and strengthen their Shakespeare performance skills under the direction of Drama teacher, Rita Stone. Students audition to be part of

the company, which accepts only 12 students each year.

Studying Drama, be it curricular or cocurricular, is a well-rounded experience that has many benefits. As well as strengthening their performing arts related skills, girls also practise empathy, organization, communication, curiosity, confidence and many other skills which benefit them greatly as they pursue careers in later life.

Ava Alpe, Year 12 student says “Being a part of the Shakespeare company was an amazing experience, working with so many incredible people to pull off a

great show. Getting the opportunity to pick which pieces we would perform and having the chance to play around with how we wanted to perform them, with the help of Ms Stone, really made it feel like the show belonged to the actors. I enjoyed every minute of it.”

For the performance of ‘The Fated Sky’, we were fortunate to have well known actress and artist, Amanda Billing onsite taking some breathtaking images of the students. I am sure you will agree that the images perfectly capture the sheer talent and emotion that the girls displayed during the performance.

“Getting the opportunity to pick which pieces we would perform and having the chance to play around with how we wanted to perform them, with the help of Ms Stone, really made it feel like the show belonged to the actors.”

Credit Amanda Billing

Boarding House round-up

Meet our new Head of Boarding, Leisha Slade

Welcoming girls from Clevedon to Korea, the boarding house is a safe, happy and inclusive place that becomes a home away from home for many of our girls.

Newly appointed Head of Boarding, Leisha Slade brings an extensive background and a wealth of experience to her new role. We caught up with Leisha to gain an insight of the key elements which make for a positive and well-rounded boarding experience.

An Authentic sense of community

Leisha knows that any successful boarding house requires an authentic sense of community, and the boarding team strive to bring this notion to fruition, after all, the boarding girls are family. From celebrating different cultures at international dinners, to attending chapel together, the girls experience many activities and routines with a focus on strengthening the boarding community.

Monday evenings at the boarding house are reserved for formal dinner. These dinners encourage our Big sisters and Little sisters to bond, creating friendships that span their entire boarding journeys. Thursdays are family nights and are a highlight of the week for many. Grouped with their boarding families, house prefects organize board games, quizzes or other activities whilst dinner is prepared.

A strong sense of community really is a fundamental value at the boarding house, and it’s often the everyday moments, such as dinner time, which nurture the feeling of community most keenly.

A focus on wellbeing

Naturally, following the pandemic, there has never been a more crucial time to focus on health and wellbeing, especially where young adults are concerned. Boarding provides a positive structure and routine that sees the girls enjoying a number of activities that benefit their wellbeing. From

cooking nutritious meals together, to using the campus sports facilities or crafting and creating in their downtime, we encourage all of our boarders to support their wellbeing with activities.

We understand that this young generation of Boarders can feel pressure from social media. To combat this, we implemented device free time, during which the girls turn to other activities such as reading, art, study, physical activity or simply engaging in conversation. Each night before bed, mobile devices are also safely stored away, so that students can sleep easy without the temptation of social media.

Putting Campus facilities to good use

The beauty of boarding is that you’re never too far away from all of the action. Before the first bell of the day and after the last, our boarding students are able to use a number of the College’s’ fantastic facilities. Living on campus means that our budding sports stars can rise and shine, in time for those early training sessions. As mentioned, boarders also have access to the gym, before and after school, and even on Saturdays. A number of our Year 13s have also been recruited as instructors at the swimming pool, earning extra pocket money and gaining valuable working experience.

The use of College facilities doesn’t just appeal to the sporty types. Many of our boarders spend their downtime at the Performing Arts Centre, where they are able to sharpen their music skills on the many available instruments including the drums and piano.

And we must not forget the academic benefits that the boarding house touts. Tutors are available onsite, every evening, with a focus on subjects including Maths, English and Economics, to name a just a few.

And of course, FUN!

At the end of the day, our boarders are young girls, who want to have fun! So,

throughout the year, our Boarding House boasts a busy, varied, and inclusive diary which brings our girls together, all in the name of fun. This year we’ve enjoyed numerous trips off campus including days well spent at Auckland Zoo, Kelly Tarlton’s Aquarium, the indoor rock climbing centre and even the observatory and Sky Tower.

Back at the boarding house, girls have taken part in activities such as our Talent Quest, baking, crafting, dumpling making, Zumba classes and much more.

The goal is that by putting emphasis on the aforementioned elements, all boarding students leave as happy, confident and self-driven leaders with the ability to understand and accept others. Boarding is a such a unique experience, and with plenty of exciting plans in the pipeline, we look forward to seeing the further evolution of boarding.

Celebrating a successful year

On the evening of Thursday 27th October, we held the Boarders’ Leavers’ Dinner for the lovely Year 13 Boarders and their Parents and Caregivers. It was a wonderful evening filled with some beautiful

performances from our younger Boarders, and lots of heartfelt farewells and thank yous. Sarah Lock, the Head Boarder, shared her reflections on her time in Boarding, remembering fondly one of the Boarder’s reluctance to take part in the Durham Shield when she arrived in Year 11. Over her time in Boarding, she grew to fully embrace this event as one of her favourites of the College calendar. Sarah thinks Boarding has taught her an immense amount, saying that while applying for university this year, Boarding was the focal point for many of her answers.

Leisha Slade, the Head of Boarding, commented on this special occasion, saying “it was lovely to be able celebrate our Year 13 Leavers with their families after a couple of difficult Covid years where we have not been able to connect in person. Being newly appointed, I haven’t spent a great deal of time with these girls, however I admire them greatly and look forward to hearing the amazing things which I know they will go on to accomplish.”

Boarding provides a positive structure and routine that sees the girls enjoying a number of activities that benefit their wellbeing.

Behind our new marketing campaign

With the development of our most recent marketing campaign, there is more than meets the eye.

Chances are, you’ve spotted our billboards around Tāmaki Makaurau, and for good reason. The girls on our billboards exude confidence and happiness amongst other St Cuthbert’s values, but it’s the unique and often unexpected journey behind each image that makes these billboards and other marketing images truly stand out from the rest.

Capturing the College message in a single shot takes hours, days and weeks of preparation and work. So, after revising the weather forecast and planning accordingly, one sunny Saturday morning, the communications team and our very talented photographer, Paul Ross Jones got to work, with the help of some simply amazing students.

Telling the tales

When planning the campaign, the first hurdle we come across is short-listing the stories to tell. Week in, week out our girls achieve amazing things, inside the classroom and outside, and deciding which ones to spotlight in the campaign was an impossible task!

From special groups of friends to unexpected hobbies and outstanding achievements, each of the photos in this

campaign tell a special story, and to make those stories supersized for all to see, was a delight.

Tricks of the trade

Getting the perfect shot is no mean feat, but thankfully, our team of creatives had some clever tricks up their sleeves. If you’ve ever wondered how photographers achieve in motion shots of runners, we’ll let you into a little secret. All you need is a golf cart, our trusty property team and a tennis ball on a string for the girls to chase! The result – an in motion shot that perfectly captures the energy and excitement of our girls when they’re out on the playing fields.

Balancing act

One of our new images had a focus on balance, but not just in the physical sense. In the image on the billboard, one of our students is certainly displaying physical balance in the most impressive way. Whilst the focus is on this student, it’s the help that she is receiving from her peers that makes this shoot so special. The image portrays one student helping another, and this notion continues behind the scenes, too. The incredible balance that the student is holding, is only made possible by the help she receives from

those around her, be it from family, friends, teachers or peers.

Friends for life

One of the most wonderful things about the new photoshoot is the special bond that we see form before our eyes. Girls who may not ordinarily spend much time together, quickly become close friends, laughing and joking with one another whilst on set. These authentic relationships are visible in the images that we captured, and what a joy they are to see! With no shortage of fun on the day, girls shared a sushi lunch, blew bubbles and played games together to fill the time between shoots. Deep into the afternoon when energy levels would ordinarily decrease, the girls brought some noise and kept the whole crew entertained with a selection of chants and songs. At the end of the day, we even heard the girls asking for a last-minute Saturday sleepover with their new friends. How lovely to see these friendships bloom before our eyes, captured forever and displayed as part of our exciting new marketing campaign. You’ll spot the new images on the front cover and throughout this magazine, with billboards popping up from January.

A new chapter for the Junior Library

At the end of May, we welcomed new Junior School Librarian, Lisa Allen to our team. Lisa is a well-known book illustrator and designer, with a catalogue of works which any library would be lucky to have.

Lisa is dedicated to creating a book lovers’ haven, where girls can come every lunch time and during scheduled library sessions, to explore and learn. With a love for children’s literature, Lisa understands the importance of a happy and inviting library and has put her wonderfully creative stamp on the new space, which was the perfect blank canvas. It’s hard to miss the dazzling display wall when you enter the Junior

School Library. The flora and fauna which adorn the walls really give the calico some new life. The inspiration behind the display – an old stack of coloured paper and some torn book pages which Lisa inherited when she took on the role.

Calling upon her network of authors and illustrators, the library is set to host a number of author events. The girls have already had a special visit from children’s author Heather Haylock, who had the girls hanging onto every word.

Ever eager to supply children with the most relevant books, Lisa and the Senior library

team are constantly increasing the local content available in the library, showcasing a growing number of New Zealand writers.

Our girls can look forward to lots more library fun with competitions and book giveaways. There really is something for everyone at our Junior School Library. It’s a calming environment with no end of learning possibilities.

It’s such a joy to have Lisa Allen and the team on board, making the library such a magical place. There really has never been a better time to curl up with a good book.

With a new location and a new librarian, the Junior School Library is the perfect place to read, learn and unwind.

Junior School Book Day

In September, the Junior School got to enjoy a very special book day. With a chock-a-block schedule, filled with amazing activities, it really was a day to remember.

You may well have seen your favourite characters walking to school on book day, all heading to the costume parade which boasted no end of characters. From Harry Potter and a giant peach, to a sea anemone and even Frida Kahlo, the costumes were spectacular.

Ever encouraging our girls to explore new books, all Junior School students were invited to a book swap; what a fantastic way to find your next favourite! Then there were more activities such as a bear hunt, book mark making, buddy reading and even a mystery speaker, all of which brought reading to life.

It was certainly one for the books!

Curious Creatures, Wild Minds was the theme for Book Day 2022, and what a fabulous day it was!

Celebrating Senior School Library Week

With a bake sale, scavenger hunt, writing competition and quizzes a plenty, this year’s Senior Library Week was one to remember. Librarian Natalie Berry, tells us all about it.

“During Library Week, the student librarians and library team organised a wide range of fun library-related activities for students of all ages to enjoy. Our theme this year was ‘Books Around The World’, so we published book recommendations and put up displays promoting books by authors from around the world.

One of the most popular activities we organised was the ten-word horror story writing competition, which delighted and overwhelmed us with the number of endlessly creative and spinetingling responses.

The winning entries came from Amy Tang with: “Trapped like the flickering flame draws the unwary moth. Punishment.”

And Mikayla Sieu with: “She giggles at granny’s pretty doll. It giggles back. Red.”

Another highlight was a challenge to match teachers to the

anonymous book reviews they’d written. We’d like to thank all the staff members who contributed by writing reviews of their favourite books. The scavenger hunt in the library led students to follow clues left in library books, and the tutor group quiz about books around the world, resulted in one knowledgeable (or lucky) tutor group winning a pizza lunch. But what we’re all proudest of, by far, is how we raised several hundred dollars for Malala Fund through the Library Bake Sale. Every student librarian contributed some baked goods, and as a result of everyone’s efforts, we were able to help an amazing organisation which supports the education and literacy of girls and women around the world. The opportunity to give back to others is one of the most cherished and meaningful experiences of Library Week.”

Take flight with Language Week

Celebrating diversity and exploring new cultures.

The school buzzed with the excitement of Languages Week in August as we celebrated the truly diverse cultures that make St Cuthbert’s such an amazing place to study and work.

The entire week was jampacked with activities that offered a deep dive into different languages and cultures. The girls enjoyed flax weaving, soap carving, singing, dancing, a flag hunt, paper cutting and even a pancake flipping competition. Teachers hosted daily challenges and activities with the aim of having fun whilst learning something new about the world we live in. Our Senior School students had a wonderful time visiting the Junior School to show them just how much fun learning a language can be. They really did bring Language Week alive for our youngest students by helping them learn te reo Māori, Chinese, Latin and French.

Learning about so many cultures and languages is hungry work, so we were all too happy to welcome several food trucks onto the Campus for the girls to enjoy. Pizza, churros, and crepes certainly went down a treat, bon appétit!

The highlight of Language Week was the Friday, when all students were invited to come to school in cultural dress. From traditional Japanese dress, French berets and Mexican sombreros to Classic Kiwi Red Bands and Swaandri, it was a delight to see the girls embrace the opportunity to get dressed up and represent a number of cultures and countries.

Hosting Language Week is not only good fun, but it celebrates diversity whilst exploring new cultures and learning new languages. Some of the benefits of language learning include an enhanced cognitive capacity by boosting brain power and increasing memory, a richer understanding of other people and ways of thinking, whilst allowing individuals to foster skills in critical thinking. And did we mention, churros?

Junior School STRETCH Programme

For you, what is the importance of STRETCH?

Victoria: STRETCH is a pivotal part of the Junior School. It gives students a chance to learn new areas which might not otherwise be covered in classrooms. Teachers are also able to extend their own professional learning whilst supporting students in their thinking, too.

Earlier this year, the St Cuthbert’s team welcomed teachers from around Auckland on site, to learn about this very special programme and how it can be adapted for each school. Passionate about introducing these subjects to girls from a young age, our teachers have been proactive in sharing their STEM learning experiences with others.

How are you leading the way with STRETCH?

Nicola Boyens and Victoria Mauala have certainly taken STRETCH in their stride. With sessions every Wednesday afternoon, the forward-thinking programme is an important part of our curriculum. During the sessions, the girls approach coding, robotics, engineering and stop motion movie making, to name but a few topics.

We asked Victoria a few questions to find out what STRETCH means to the Junior School…

So, let’s start from the top! What does STRETCH even stand for?

Victoria: ‘The term STRETCH came from teachers and students wanting to stretch their learning. The name also ties in with STEM and the arts.’

You’ve likely seen many similar acronyms out there, the most mainstream being STEM, which stands for science, technology, engineering and mathematics. STRETCH adds a few more subjects into the mix, which is perhaps what makes our programme so unique.

So, how are we incorporating STRETCH into the lives of our Junior School girls?

Victoria: ‘STRETCH is a standalone subject, done on a Wednesday afternoon. This ensures that the time is sacred and isn’t taken over by other subjects. STRETCH subjects are also referenced to and woven through, other areas of the curriculum. Coding is referenced in mathematics, for example.’

The subjects learnt in STRETCH aren’t typically taught in schools at this level, but the insight that they offer into possible future careers and interests is wonderfully beneficial, especially from such a young age. Since 2015 St Cuthbert’s has offered STRETCH to Year 4 – 6, and following great success, the programme was offered to all girls from Year 0.

How have the girls responded to the integration of STRETCH into their school week?

Victoria: They love STRETCH, it is a favourite part of the week for them!

Victoria: We are leading the way by keeping up-to-date with curriculum changes and trends. STRETCH is a reflective and ever-changing programme which considers the needs of students with a keen eye on the future.

What does the future hold for STRETCH?

Victoria: We will continue to grow and expand the current programme with new resources. We are always looking out for new topics and areas to cover in order to keep growing with our 21st century learners.

With an obvious appetite for the programme, STRETCH will remain an anchored learning opportunity for all of our Junior School girls, who so look forward to their Wednesday afternoons. Ever expanding and evolving, the STRETCH programme remains fresh and exciting. Just months ago, we welcomed a number of new robots to the Junior School on which the girls will learn coding.

Down in the Junior School, our dedicated team is reaching for the stars with their trailblazing STRETCH programme.

Forward thinking with the Future Problem Solving Programme

The Future Problem Solving Programme sets out to arm students with the skillset they need to grapple with some of the world’s most significant issues.

This prestigious international programme is certainly gaining traction, with 83 St Cuthbert’s students from Year 7 to 13 currently taking part. The programme sees students using critical and creative thinking to address future problems across a range of subjects from mining to building sustainably. The students learn a six-step process of problem solving which gives them the ability to think critically and analytically about significant global issues, both individually and as a team.

This year, as a result of their dedication and determination, a number of our students have been successful in qualifying for the Future Problem Solving National Finals. We very much look forward to reporting back with how they perform! The group of finalists is the largest one of St Cuthbert’s students to qualify in the last 12 years.

Year 10 Bonnie Wang is one of the students enjoying and excelling in the programme, and this is what she has to say:

“Future Problem Solving (FPS) is one of the programmes that I have been very fortunate to participate in; it has taught me problem

solving skills that will be worth a lifetime”. FPS is a programme where students are given a scene that is supposedly set in the future, and we have to identify possible problems, and then solutions to those problems using critical and creative thinking. The mission of FPSI (Future Problem Solving International) is to develop the ability of young people globally to design and achieve positive futures, which I think is a skill FPS is really helping me foster. The programme teaches so many critical thinking and analyzing skills through the process of solving situations which could be similar to the ones we might eventually face. Some topics this year have been: Water Supply, Building Green, Insects, and Mining is coming up in the Future Problem Solving Nationals. The programme offers

“Future Problem Solving gets under your skin. Each term is a different topic that you can get your teeth into. Delving into global issues, learning about future trends, the application of a rigorous 6 step problem solving process, striving for accuracy, external evaluators giving comprehensive feedback. This is a competitive, rigorous programme which challenges all. Students tap into their higher order thinking yet

an option of competing as teams of 4 or less, or as an individual. This year I took up the challenge of competing as an individual in the qualifying problem due to a clash with Kahunui, and it has indeed helped me gain so many more analytical skills. The results for this year’s National Finals were extremely impressive; 3 Teams qualified, 2 individuals, and 1 individual for scenario writing.

However, to me, FPS is not just about the results achieved, but rather the experience gained as a whole. It has taught me a series of skills and has given me an insight into what the future might look like. It has opened my eyes to so many career choices and has fostered passions in areas that I wouldn’t have discovered otherwise.”

work within specific parameters. If they are working in a team they learn to understand and appreciate one another’s strengths. Alternatively, they have the opportunity to take part as an individual. Commitment to the programme and to their team mates is paramount. It’s not for the faint hearted but the rewards are immense.”

—Jan Walls and Ilana Tobias (FPS coaches)

The girls dramatise their action plans

Winter Tournament Week

Netball

Our premier netball team competed at a high standard against other teams from the upper North Island. For 12 of the players, it was their first time competing in a tournament of this calibre, and they certainly put their best foot forward. The competition was fierce, with 113 teams competing across the four grades. The girls played incredibly well and finished fifth, securing their place as an A Grade team for another year.

Fencing

Our fantastic fencing girls put on a wonderful display at the Secondary Schools event during Tournament Week. Jessie Yan won first place in the individual event. Maia Smith, Nicole Zhou, Sylvia Xue and Jessie Yan, finished second in the Women’s Epee team event.

Hockey

The Federation Cup was held in Napier this year, where our 1st XI girls found themselves in a hard pool and were delighted to make the top 8. The quarterfinal saw the girls up against Rangi Ruru, in an extremely close game which our team won on shoot outs. The semi-final was against another top Christchurch school, St Margaret’s College. The game was an incredible display of talent in a very close

match, with our team falling short by just one goal! Our girls picked themselves back up for the bronze medal match and beat Wanganui 4–0 to claim 3rd place in the country.

Meanwhile, the 2nd XI were in Taupo for the week, where the girls finished 2nd in their pool. The girls put in a huge effort, learning lots along the way as for many, this was their first tournament within the Senior School. Overall, the team finished 7th, which is a great result!

Equestrian

We had 3 equestrian riders representing St Cuthbert’s at the North Island Secondary School Championships held at the National Events Centre in Taupo.

Xanthe Hanning debuted in the Show Hunter competition and the Trail Ride finishing in the top third of this class. Xanthe then rode three dressage tests, achieving a personal best of 74 percent.

Jaimie Botha returned to competition after a long injury break and competed in the Show jumping and Show Hunter events for two credible 13th placings.

Isobel Hawkins had the bonus of having both a pony and a horse at these champs, and secured a 6th place in her Pony Show Jumping class, plus a 4th and 5th placing

in her Horse Show Jumping division.

Our riders’ results reflect their hard work and dedication plus the efforts of their very supportive families! Thank you to coach Jacque McKinley, for her expertise and encouragement to our team who did us proud in this new calendar addition to the Winter Tournament week.

Football

Our keen footballers put in a great effort at the tournament. Facing fierce opposition from the start, our girls placed 23rd overall which was a great result. Coach Sander Waterland was proud of the girls’ efforts and we all look forward to working on what was achieved this year.

Cycling

The Cycling NZ Schools ŠKODA Northern Tour was held over two days comprising an Individual Time Trial, a challenging hill climb up Mt Wellington and a fast and furious Criterium, racing around a small 1km course.

The cycling team, in particular our two Zaras, put in a sterling performance that saw some encouraging results.

General Classification

10th Zara Blackie 19th Zara Scott

From netball to cycling, our girls represented the College across a number of codes.

Success at the Zespri AIMS Games

Our sporting stars achieved some stunning results during their trip to Tauranga for the Zespri AIMS Games.

With hundreds of schools competing and live coverage being streamed on television, the Zespri AIMS Games are an exciting event in the sporting calendar. St Cuthbert’s achieved some incredible results and had a fantastic time.

Hockey

Our Year 8 Hockey team came first in the country, securing a 4–1 win against Cobham Intermediate School in the final. Getting to the final was no mean feat, but resilience, stellar teamwork and over 65 goals, over the course of the week won them the gold! Watching the girls place first in the Zespri AIMS Games, was a thrill for everyone on and off the pitch. A huge congratulations to this Year 8 Hockey team!

Water Polo

Congratulations to our water polo team who placed second in the girls’ grade. The team had a great week and showed visible improvements from game to game, which ultimately secured them the silver medal.

Netball

Our netball team placed 2nd in B Grade, Division 2. The team played to a very high standard and enjoyed playing against teams with whom they might not regularly compete.

Tennis

Our tennis players certainly had a great week on court. Tracy Liu placed 3rd in the Girls Singles Competition before joining forces with Angelica Zhao and winning the girls Doubles!

Football

Our young footballers played their hearts out winning 5 of their 9 matches over the week, finishing in 17th place among the 30 teams. New goalkeeper Monica Naylor was even named player of the tournament!

Cross Country

We were represented by a very strong team of cross-country runners this year, both the Year 7 and Year 8 races. Well done girls!

Swimming

All of our swimmers achieved some personal bests in the pool, and secured standout results that included our 200m Medley Relay team coming 1st. Additionally, Teresa Sun placed 1st in the 12 Year Girls 100m Breaststroke, 2nd in the 12 Year Girls 200m and 3rd in the 12 Year Girls 50m Breaststroke. Sophie Qu, Cloris Ding and Jackie Xu also made a splash and achieved some excellent results.

Gymnastics

Competing with more than 50 students, our three gymnastics representatives did incredibly well across the age groups. On the Sunday, Elaine Li placed 6th, closely followed by Mia Vinall who placed 7th. On the Monday, Sascha Newland placed equal 13th against 58 other girls.

Yachting

The beauty of the AIMS Games, is that so many sports can participate, including yachting. Beatrix Muir competed in the Opti Gold Fleet over the 2 days, finishing second in the girls’ competition.

Let it Snow!

At St Cuthbert’s, we have a number of incredibly talented skiers who spring into action each winter to achieve outstanding results during the snow sport season. Whether it’s Snow Planet in Albany or the South Island’s Mt Hutt, our girls know how to slalom to success. Students Amelia Huang and Lexi Liu, were even lucky enough to spend Term 3 competing in the South Island. Let’s take a look at some of the season highlights!

365 Schools Challenger Cup

Five of our students competed in this year’s 365 Schools Challenger Cup at Snow Planet. St Cuthbert’s placed 1st in the school ranking for both Year 1 -2 and Year 3 – 4, which is just phenomenal! We also celebrated some fantastic individual results with Charlotte Taylor, Skylar Chen, Arna Liang, Olivia Taylor and Lena Turnball, all placing in the top three in their respective races.

Year 1 – 8 Auckland Primary and Intermediate School Championships

Then, at the Auckland Primary and Intermediate School Championships, our Year 1 – 4 team placed 3rd, as did our Year 7 – 8 team. Individually, the girls also achieved great success, with excellent results across the board.

The Cardrona Freestyle Nationals

Snowboarder Sophia Starrenburg competed fiercely at the Cardrona Freestyle Nationals. Sophia came second in boardercross, third in slopestyle and tied for a ranking of 2nd overall in New Zealand in U16 girls.

The Primary and Intermediate Schools race

Buzzing with more than 260 athletes, the Primary and Intermediate Schools race was a fantastic competition for our girls. Located at Cardrona, the girls were naturally excited and performed

wonderfully well. The combined time of the St Cuthbert’s team secured it the bronze medal. Everyone in the team (Lexi Liu, Ella Gu, Amelia Huang and Arna Liang) zoomed through the course, and really did us proud. Lexi Liu also received an award for being the fastest female from both primary and intermediate schools combined.

AKSS Skiing Championships

We had a strong team compete at Snowplanet for the AKSS Ski Championships. St Cuthbert’s placed 3rd overall in the girl’s competition. A special mention to Dina Ehsankya who placed second in the Junior Girls’ Ski Race Competition on the day.

National Junior Skiing Championships

At this event, Lexi won 2nd in the Year 5–6 division, and Amelia placed 3rd in the Year 3–4 division.

Coronet Peak Junior Interfield and South Island Junior Interfield

Amelia went on to win gold in the Under 10 category. Both girls then competed in the South Island Junior Interfield, where Lexi won gold in both of the giant slalom races and regular slalom races. Lexi also picked up the award for the fastest female in these slalom events. At the same event, Amelia placed 3rd in the Under 10 Girls’ category.

2022 Treble Cone Interfield

Lexi and Amelia both performed well, with Lexi winning silver in both Under 12 races and Amelia winning gold in both of the Under 10 races.

Cardrona Junior Interfield

To round things off for the season, Amelia won both of her races in the U10 grade of this event and won the Under 10 Girls overall trophy for the 2022 season.

What a snow season it has been. Here’s to next year!

Our superb skiers and snowboarders have had a simply sensational season on the snow.

Fencing Success

Our fencing students are putting St Cuthbert’s on the map

It’s been a busy year, with our talented fencers making a name for themselves in tournaments near and far.

Jessie Yan represented New Zealand at the 2022 Oceania and Australian Cadet Championships and Australian Youth Championships. Jessie and her team did the country proud, securing one silver medal and one bronze medal.

At the Fencing North Auckland Secondary Schools Championships, Maia Smith fought fiercely to win the silver medal in the women’s epee event in a close final, which was secured by a single point.

Later in the season, Jessie travelled to London to participate in the Commonwealth Championships. Over four days, Jessie competed in both the Under 17 and Under 20 individual and team events. As you can imagine, the standard of fencing was high, but Jessie still obtained some fantastic results. In the Under 17 epee category, Jessie and her team finished 5th, with Jessie placing 13th in the individual event. Then, in the Under 20 category, Jessie’s team finished 6th, whilst Jessie went on to

place 7th individually. What an incredible achievement at such a well-regarded contest!

Meanwhile back in Auckland this August, a number of students competed in the Fencing North Island event. Maia Smith, who has been fencing for a little over a year, claimed 2nd place, with Nicole Zhou coming in 5th.

In September, with Jessie back on home soil, our fencing team attended the Fencing New Zealand Secondary Schools event. Jessie shook off any jetlag to win the gold, before joining Maia, Nicole and Sylvia for the team event, in which they won the silver.

Most recently, Maia Smith travelled to Christchurch to take part in the Fencing New Zealand National Under 15 Championships. Keeping up the great run of results, Maia won the silver medal in the women’s epee category.

So, as you can well see, our fencing girls are achieving some magnificent results. We look forward to seeing them continue their fencing journeys.

Fashion Forward

Style and flair at the annual Development Fashion Show

Once a year, Clouston Hall hosts St Cuthbert’s most stylish event, the annual Development Committee’s Fashion show in collaboration with Auckland Grammar. This year, the ‘Date Night’ theme was brought to life thanks to a number of incredible sponsors who included Ruby, Rodd and Gunn, iLabb, With Love Bean, Thread Rentals, 3 Wise Men, You Know and Stella Claire.

We sat down with Hannah Williams and Brooke Thompson from the Development Committee to get the behind the scenes scoop on another successful fashion show.

How did you choose the theme ‘Date Night’?

Hannah: The Development committee and I chose the theme ‘Date Night’ because we believed it was an engaging and exciting theme that incorporated both males and females in the show.

How did you bring the theme to life?

Hannah: We brought the theme to life in a variety of ways. Firstly, within the show, our production team designed the set with a range of props related to going out on a date. This included our flower arches,

draping vines and roses. In our marketing campaigns, such as our posters and marketing video, we incorporated ideas such as Love Island to further represent the idea of date night. During the show, our female models handed our male models a rose to signify the date night theme and to show our thanks.

What did you love about the fashion brands that you worked with?

Hannah: One of the main things that we loved was all the generosity and support. All of the brands demonstrated their willingness to help ensure the event was successful by supplying a vast range of clothing which catered to our particular needs. They also helped take time out of their schedule to organise fittings and design outfit combinations for each

model. We also really loved the way many of the brands were so supportive in coming along to the event.

What skills did you learn and strengthen whilst planning the show?

Hannah: I strengthened my skills in leadership, organisation and management. I also learned marketing skills, ultimately securing an audience of approximately 250 paying students.

How did you plan and prepare for the event?

Brooke: The preparation for the event was fairly extensive. As we got closer to the fashion show there were more things we realised that we needed to plan for, for example how the music and lighting would line up with the models. We had to create a promotional video which included writing scripts, planning, filming it, and editing. We

had to attend fittings with the models, pick up the clothes, make up the goodie bags, and set up the stage.

How did the Auckland Grammar boys contribute to the show?

Brooke: The Auckland Grammar boys were a prominent part of the fashion show. They contributed by being in the promotional video, they all turned up to their clothing fittings and the dress rehearsal, the MCs got familiar with their lines, and then they pulled it all off on the day, with their amazing confidence walking down the cat walk!

What were your biggest learnings from the event?

Brooke: Our biggest lesson was that it is never too early to start planning! At the beginning of the year, we thought it was too early to start asking brands but, in reality, the fashion show was a lot closer then we realised. We also learnt that it

would all work out in the end so we had to make sure we enjoyed the process!

What would you like to see in next year’s show?

Brooke: I would love to see next year’s fashion show be even longer! I know this year that a lot of students walked away wanting more! To do this, it we would need to have a wider range of clothing brands and types. It would be super cool to see different clothes from different cultures represented in the fashion show!

From the planning to the final bows, what was your highlight of the event?

Brooke: Our highlight of the event was all of the smiles, especially on the day! It was amazing to see everyone come together to create such an amazing event all while enjoying it and having fun. Another highlight was to see how generous brands can be in supporting St Cuthbert’s College and the Young Achievers’ Fund.

2022 Winter Ball

The annual Winter Ball is a real social highlight, and this year was certainly no exception.

Our Year 12 and 13 girls celebrated in style at the Pullman Hotel. The girls not only looked beautiful but acted beautifully, too, with venue staff communicating just how gracious and courteous they were.

After a period of lockdowns and disappointments, it was just wonderful to witness everyone dancing the night away in style!

The Winter Ball is a memorable event which simply couldn’t happen without extensive help from parents and staff. From purchasing the wonderful dresses and hosting pre-ball celebrations, to styling the venue and providing transportation, we thank you.

Jump Jam!

Created by two time World Aerobic Champion Brett Fairweather, Jump Jam is the aerobic program that our Junior School students enjoy in order to get active! The girls participate in the program in the playground throughout the year, with the opportunity to compete in a national competition at the end of the year.

We know that the girls absolutely love their regular Jump Jam sessions, which is perhaps why they performed so well at the national competition!

Our team, the ‘Tartan Jungle’, placed 3rd nationally in the Year 7 and 8 Ultimate category, whilst also winning a number of additional awards including Distinction in Costume, Distinction in Presentation, Distinction in Creativity and Excellence in Technical Execution.

As you can see, the girls really did look the part, with showstopping costumes, hair and make-up.

A huge thank you to Emily Fisher and Liz Stevens who dedicate so much time to Jump Jam, and to all of the parents who lent a hand with competition preparations.

‘Tartan Jungle’ swing to success at the National Jump Jam competition.

Year 6 Graduation

The Graduation has several enjoyable stages: first, the theme launch and the receiving of the invitations; second, a presentation of a beautiful gift to wear on the evening; and lastly, the Graduation event itself on, 3 November 2022.

In September, girls attended what they thought was a regular Year 6 Chapel service, one Wednesday morning; much to their surprise it was, in fact, the surprise launch of their Graduation. It became evident that this was no normal Chapel service when the girls arrived to

walk under House flags held by the parent committee and saw the stunning decorations of flowers and vines lining the aisle and each pew.

Head of Junior School, Felecia Tomich, introduced the 2022 Year 6 Graduation theme of ‘The Secret Garden’ by recalling key themes from the classic tale by Frances Hodgson Burnett, first published in 1911. Girls were welcomed to the front in their House groups to receive their ‘Secret Garden’ themed invitations.

“Lined up in our House lines, the red flag for Melrose waving in the breeze. Year 6 awaited some exciting news, though we didn’t know what was to come.

After walking across our school grounds, we filed into the Chapel. Our excitement revved, and we looked forward, our mouths open in shock. The Chapel, which was normally a place of worship, had turned into the most enchanted place ever! Lain out before us were beautiful cupcakes, and we knew this was no ordinary Chapel day.

Petals were scattered around, and fake vines were draped over the pews. There was a photographer waiting to take our photos. It was absolutely magical and made me feel so grown up!

Finally, it was Melrose’s turn. Our names were called, and we each marched up enthusiastically. All of a sudden it was my turn... ‘Sylvie Haldane’ rang out loud and clear. My excitement exploded and butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I walked up and shook Miss Tyler’s hand and gasped at the stunning invitation in my hands.

My name was written on the front, spelled out in delicate, cursive font. A red satin ribbon was carefully tied around it, with lavender tucked behind the bow.

We weren’t allowed to open them yet, so we clung to them, knowing that this was our super special graduation reveal!

Each of us grabbed a cupcake and we skipped out of the Chapel, all trying to figure out what could possibly be hiding inside our envelopes. Our photos were taken and we all felt glamorous, beaming as the camera click-clicked away. Holding up our cupcakes proudly, we sauntered back to class, thinking about what lay ahead.

Year 6 has absolutely FLOWN by! The graduation reveal was the best start to graduation we could’ve hoped for. I hope you will love graduation as much as I do!

Sylvie Haldane, reflected on what the launch of the Graduation meant for her…

Our Year 6 students enjoy their rite of passage celebrating the end of their Junior School years as they step up to Senior School.

The invitations featured imagery of a mystical garden, presented inside envelopes which were beautifully decorated in their Housecoloured ribbons and dried lavender, on which their names were beautifully penned in gold calligraphy. Rev. Francois Joubert closed the celebration with a blessing and girls filed out under their House flags. Then, thanks to talented parents, each girl was presented with a lovingly-made cupcake which also had a nod to the Secret Garden theme with butterflies and sparkles. Girls gathered outside the Chapel and on the steps of the Robertson Building for keepsake photos and then gathered to watch the film back in their classroom.

Two weeks before their Graduation, girls were asked to meet in St Cuthbert’s Junior School’s very own Secret Garden. They sat together in anticipation and erupted into squeals when Ms Tomich escorted Gilbert, the ‘By Love Serve’ dog, into the garden. Each girl was called up to receive a jewellery charm, fashioned in the style of an antique key with the St Cuthbert’s crest. Girls were invited to wear it on a bracelet or necklace on their graduation dress. The Committee’s hope is that these charms will remind girls for many years to come about their special years in the St Cuthbert’s Junior School, as well as recalling the Graduation itself.

The Graduation

On 3 November 2022, after a very special build-up, the wait was finally over. Girls attended the Graduation event in Clouston Hall which had been spectacularly decorated thanks to the creative skills of our parent volunteers. Dinner was served by the Year 5 parents, allowing the Year 6 parents to relax with their graduating daughters and enjoy great food, dancing and make memories together.

Year 6 girls, we wish you well as you enter your next St Cuthbert’s College chapter as 2023 Senior students.

Photos courtesy of Belinda Tustin of Capture Photography. capturephotography.co.nz

Serving our Community

With ‘By Love Serve’ in mind, it’s been another busy year of giving back.

Across both the Junior and Senior School, our girls are always happy and willing to dedicate their time to giving back to the community. This year our girls have participated in a number of initiatives and events with a focus on giving back to our local communities and those in need. Here’s a snapshot of the ways in which the girls have given back this year…

Baking for good

The highly anticipated Fairtrade baking competition always proves a popular way to shed light on the importance of choosing Fairtrade ingredients. Students and staff are invited to enter their homebaked goods in the hope of winning a prize for their creations. All cakes are auctioned off, with the percentage of proceeds being donated to Fairtrade, whilst the rest supports ongoing Global Citizenship projects.

Serenading the neighborhood

With so many talented musicians at St Cuthbert’s, it seems only right to spread joy and delight through music. Our girls frequent the Elizabeth Knox Home and Hospital, located just metres from the College gates, where they perform beautifully for the aged residents.

Foodbank fruition

You’ll be well accustomed to the Foodbank appeal which we hold each term. This year, one of the charities which benefited from our donations included the Presbyterian Support Northern, who will distribute food parcels and services to those very much in need.

Down to the roots

Our Junior School students have enjoyed numerous tree planting excursions this year. One of the trips saw our Year 6 students, teachers and parents spending the day at Brookby Equestrian club. By planting trees, they helped restore and preserve the habitat of the longfin eel as part of ‘The Brookby Project’.

Waste not, want not

One service initiative, saw some of our girls collecting chip packets for an organization which reuses them to create quality survival blankets for homeless people across the country. Bins were placed around the campus to make it easier for students to donate their empty chip packets. We love this initiative and how easy it is to save rubbish from landfill whilst helping others!

All cakes are auctioned off, with the percentage of proceeds being donated to Fairtrade.

Every year, each House embarks on a new community service project. Each House chooses a charity to support via various initiatives. This year’s projects were:

Iona – Girls in Need

This involved fundraising to make up hygiene bags.

Iona, with the Donations from Chapel and donations brought in from the girls, packed these bags and Rev Joubert delivered them.

Elgin – De Paul House

This involved a blanket and PJ drive where girls brought in these goods which were delivered to De Paul House along with a donation from their Chapel Service which went towards Appliances.

Durham – So They Can Durham hosted a bake sale at school and alongside their Chapel donations, they raised money to purchase reusable period packs.

York – Presbyterian Support Services

York House researched and designed a natural play area involving local schools and kindergartens. Donations from Chapel went to support this initiative.

Melrose – Painga Trust

Melrose students took part in a service weekend in which each girl undertook an act of service for her Parents/Grandparents/Neighbour. She received a small donation for this which alongside the Chapel funds, was used to purchase Stationery Workbooks for a school in South Auckland.

Lindisfarne

– Manurewa East Primary School

Lindisfarne House raised donations to supply stationery items to Manurewa East Primary School. They accomplished this with their Chapel Donations and a school sausage sizzle.

Kelso – Camp Quality

Kelso House hosted an Art Exhibition at the College over one weekend. They also took part in a service weekend in which each girl completed an act of service for their Parents/Grandparents/Neighbour and with the donation received from this, and the Chapel donations, money was gifted to Camp Quality who run camps for children with cancer.

Dunblane

– Presbyterian Support Services Northern

They donated sports shoes, and other supplies in the way of blankets and clothing and gave their chapel donations.

Trees for Survival

Charitable trust ‘Trees for Survival’ works with over 150 local schools and communities across the country with a focus on planting native trees along waterways and environmentally at-risk sites. This worthwhile programme offers a hands-on opportunity for school children to make a positive impact on the environment whilst learning and having fun outdoors.

A bunch of 22 St Cuthbert’s students travelled to Bombay for the day, to get ‘deep rooted’ into the project. The students planted a total of 739 native plants around a fenced waterway on the property. The species planted included Mahoe, Ti Kouka, Karamu, Harakeke and Manuka.

After a productive planting session, the girls climbed the hill on the property to admire their handy work, knowing that their efforts would have a beneficial and long-lasting impression on the planet.

Caring for the environment has never been more important, and this August, Year 9 Science pulled on their gumboots and picked up their shovels to show their support for ‘Trees for Survival’.

Parenting in a Busy World

Emma has a few roles, one of which is the lead psychologist and content creator for SchoolTV in New Zealand. SchoolTV is a tool which our parent community is finding beneficial as a source of information on tricky parenting topics such as vaping, social media, coping with overwhelm and more. We took the opportunity to talk to her about some of the approaches she recommends for parenting and learned how curiosity, connection and compassion, are key to helping the next generation reimagine their future.

Our world today is in a constant state of flux. From climate change to wars, social media, a rising cost of living, the pandemic, the housing shortage, an increase in awareness of mental health issues and more, it can feel overwhelming staying on top of things as adults, let alone raising well-adjusted children. Emma says parents may need to consider letting go of some of the ways of thinking that were useful, helpful and appropriate when they themselves were young, and move to focusing on what the children of today need to thrive.

One of Emma’s top pieces of advice is that parents need to stop and think about themselves and be more self-aware. What underlies their parenting style? What are they carrying over from their own upbringing? Emma says that a lot of our parenting behaviours and values are largely influenced by our own experience of being parented. Unless we are curious to examine whether that is still fit for purpose ,we can unconsciously replicate patterns which may not be appropriate in today’s changing society. One key area this is evident is that we may be providing too narrow a definition of success for our kids and may need to re-evaluate what success means in a changing world. She says to consider removing a focus on success being limited to financial or material success, or status, which only a few people will attain. This can lead to ‘compare and despair’ for young people, if they feel they don’t make the grade.

Emma says one of the key things to focus on is cultivating curiosity which is the foundation to all innovation and integral in being able to adapt well to, and navigate change. She says it is important to examine how to cultivate curiosity and that parents need to encourage this generation to see the possibilities rather

Renowned Child Psychologist Dr Emma Woodward recently spoke at the St Cuthbert’s staff only day focused on wellbeing.

Dr Emma Woodward

than the pitfalls. She recommends promoting being curious about yourself and your own inner workings and that teaching ourselves and our children to become self-aware and emotionally literate are fundamental to wellbeing. One easy example that Emma herself uses with her four sons is to ask them to focus on something good that happened, each day over the dinner table. This can help train the brain to look for the positives in each day.

Emma says cultivating a connection with children that is genuine and authentic is key. She says when a parent truly connects with their kids, in a way that makes them feel seen, heard, validated and loved, then this will usually result in positive life outcomes, and can act as a buffer against life’s inevitable ups and downs.

Emma says that from a neuro-scientific perspective, a child needs another human being to validate their existence, and show them that they are fundamentally OK as they are. She says at a very basic level, every child needs at least one adult that delights in them, without the weight of expectation that they need to change to be approved of. Through this connection, parents can then help their children understand their own emotions and encourage good, pro-social choices for themselves. She highlights that it is impossible to make good pro-social choices if you see others as a threat or competition to your own success. If our children can change the record and think ‘there is only one me, and this is the best version of myself’, they won’t have that constant pressure of comparison and competition. Our children may then be free to discover what they enjoy doing and are very

likely to be good at, she says.

The third area of focus, says Emma, is compassion. She says compassion is one of the most important things a parent can teach to their children. This is both true compassion for others, and selfcompassion. Research shows that self-compassion, rather than self-esteem, actually pushes people to be their best selves. Selfcompassion gives a person the strength to carry on when things seem tough whereas self-esteem tends to have a comparative element e.g. “I know I am alright because I am doing better than you”, which is tough when that is challenged. Emma explains that self-compassion is when someone knows their values, then tries their hardest and understands that sometimes things don’t work out in accordance with their preferences, but feels they can move on rather than being overwhelmed by a sense of failure.

Emma concludes that when we teach ourselves and our children self-compassion, helping them to know their values and act in accordance with them, unhook them from a defined narrow version of success and connect with and accept our children for who they authentically are. This will provide our kids the ability to feel safe and curious enough to radically rethink the world as we know it. That will be this generation’s legacy.

“When a parent truly connects with their kids, in a way that makes them feel seen, heard, validated and loved, then this will usually result in positive life outcomes”

Dr Emma Woodward is Founder of The Child Psychology Service, a TEDx Speaker, Clinical Director of the NZ Institute of Wellbeing and Resilience and Lead Psychologist and Content Creatorfor School TV.

In memory of Queen Elizabeth II

On September 9th, New Zealand woke to the news that Queen Elizabeth II had passed away.

was defined by “grace, elegance and a tireless work ethic.”

her father to let her get in and help. The royal family had not fled London during the blitz and she finally managed to persuade King George to let her train as a mechanic, learning how to drive and maintain vehicles, in the Auxiliary Territorial Service.

A book was set up in which the girls could write their messages of condolence.

Principal Justine Mahon found the words to perfectly surmise both her sadness at the loss suffered, but also gratitude for having experienced such a remarkable woman on the throne. Addressing the girls at a full school assembly, Justine spoke of the contribution of HM majesty, Queen Elizabeth II…

“Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor came to the throne on the death of her father King George the 6th, on February the 6th, 1952. At the age of 25, she became the sovereign of almost 140 million people. Over her reign of seven decades, she worked with 15 British prime ministers, met a dozen US presidents, 4 popes and other countless leaders. She was the most world travelled monarch in history, undertaking more than 270 overseas trips, including 10 visits to New Zealand.

At the news of her death, tributes have poured in from around the world- President Biden calling her “a stateswoman of unmatched dignity and constancy “

President Emmanuel Macrone hailing her immutable moral authority, stating she was a woman who stood alongside the giants of the 20th century on the path of history.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India defined Queen Elizabeth as “a stalwart of our times, someone who personified dignity and decency in private life”.

Obama and Michelle Obama said her reign

During a conversation that our own Prime Minister had with the Queen, in 2020, during the lockdown, Jacinda Ardern asked Her Majesty how she was passing the time. The queen said she had been listening to radio about a political prisoner and then commented that listening to that, made one feel rather small. Ardern commented that although with some, the role of a leader can make you distant from people, she never got the sense that that had happened to the Queen, which was, she said, extraordinary.

We here at St Cuthbert’s, mourn, particularly, the loss of an outstanding role model, whom some of your generation have called a feminist icon.

Queen Elizabeth was thrust into being a working mother at a time in society when this was unusual, she was very visibly in charge, when not many women were.

When asked how she managed to juggle bringing up children, with so many other responsibilities, she replied that…”you just have to get on “and get on she did, working up until two days before her death.

Her sense of duty was extraordinary and as a teenager during the war, she urged

Attitudes towards women and opportunities for them, changed enormously during the decades of Queen Elizabeth’s reign but she recognized there was still much to be done and when the theme on Commonwealth Day in 2011 , was announced as “Women as Agents of Change”, her speech urged that women should have a greater role, reminding us of the potential in our societies that is yet to be fully unlocked, as we find ways to allow girls and women to play their full part.

Yes, we know that hers was a privileged position in a material sense, but she recognized that this was a springboard from which she must help others, which she did tirelessly, with grace and humour, for 70 years.

“You too, have a debt to pay, in ensuring that your lives are the embodiment of the College motto, By Love Serve, that you use your good fortune to contribute to humanity as Her Majesty did, drawing strength from the light of her outstanding example.”

Mahon

Friday 9 September 2022.

Queen Elizabeth II with St Cuthbert’s students. February 1977. Photo credit: The NZ Herald

Justine

Assembly

Career Breakfast a great start to the day

Mentors (Old Girls and parents) from the College community are invited to breakfast in the Clouston Hall with the Year 13 cohort where they share their career stories and wisdom with the students. Students indicate beforehand a career field of interest and are matched with a suitable mentor who joins them for breakfast, in the ultimate cycle of giving back and ‘By Love Serve’.

The generous donation of delicious pastries from Panetone and fruit platters provided by Taiping Supermarket may have something to do with the students successfully arriving at 7am, but we know how much they gain from this event too. The mentors provide the young people with a sense of hope and a context about what is important to focus on in Year 13. Rhonda Vink gets the students excited well before the event and says “engagement and participation in an event like this, we know, creates wonderful

moments for everyone”. She asks the students to come with lots of questions, curiosity and be open to possibilities.

Ishannita Chaudhuri, Head Girl, had this to say about her Career Breakfast experience in 2022:

“The Career Breakfast was an incredible opportunity to think harder and learn more about our future careers. Hearing about the journeys from those in the industry which we are passionate about, helped us realise that there is no straight path to our dreams; oftentimes we will go off track or turn around. Regardless, we will forge our own way. It brought a great comfort to hear the stories, the triumphs and the tribulations of successful people and how they felt in our position as compared to now. Our understanding of our favoured career path was broadened since we were hearing about it from someone with great experience and expertise.”

The Careers team welcomes your input into the Career Breakfast and other career events. If you are interested in being a mentor or a speaker at an event please contact Rhonda from the Career team at rhonda.vink@stcuthberts.school.nz.

“The Career Breakfast was an incredible opportunity to think harder and learn more about our future career.”

Ishannita Chaudhuri, Head Girl

The annual Career Breakfast is the inspired work of Rhonda Vink, Head of Careers, together with Judy Watt from our Advancement Team.

St Cuthbert’s has partnered with kiwi social enterprise, Supergenerous. This gives our parents and alumni the ability to gift their donation rebates back to the College.

This will enable your St Cuthbert’s donations, from the last four years, to go further - delivering even more impact on students’ learning and lives.

The additional money the College receives thanks to the donation rebates on your original monetary gift, will benefit students in areas including Academics, Performing Arts, Technology, Sport, Professional Development and Student Wellness. Initiatives supporting these areas will be announced in February 2023.

Our goal is to have everyone who supports St Cuthbert’s to register with Supergenerous. Even if you claimed previous tax credits, or have not yet donated, we still invite you to sign up and enhance your future donations by up to 33%.

Have you signed up with Supergenerous?

In less than five minutes, you can join thousands of Kiwis who have signed up with Supergenerous. Their online platform makes it easy to gift your donation rebates. And, Supergenerous does all the hard work by collecting your donation receipts (including donations to St Cuthbert’s!) and making the claim with the IRD on your behalf, year after year.

Did you know?

There are over $1B in donation rebates sitting unclaimed with Inland Revenue. So, there’s never been a better time to sign up with Supergenerous!

Globally, New Zealanders are renowned for their generosity. With more than 27,000 registered charities in New Zealand, there are more charitable organisations here (per capita) than most places in the world! Despite the fact that most donations in New Zealand are eligible for a 33% donation rebate from the IRD, a whopping 3 in 5 Kiwis simply don’t do it.

What if the unclaimed $1B in donation rebates were put to good use?

Supergenerous donors have already gifted $400,000 in donation rebates to benefit charities, religious organisations and schools across New Zealand and that number is growing every month.

Leigh Melville has been one of our generous donors. Since registering with Supergenerous the donations Leigh has made, over the last four years, were eligible for donation rebates. With the help of Supergenerous, Leigh’s donation rebates were gifted to St Cuthbert’s –making her original donations go even further for the students and school. Join Leigh, and other members of the Board and Senior Leadership Team, to register with Supergenerous and gift your donation rebates to St Cuthbert’s.

www.supergenerous.co.nz/st-cuths

Just imagine the extra impact this could have for organisations like St Cuthbert’s .

Can you take five minutes to register today to help deliver even more impact on St Cuthbert’s students’ learning and lives?

generous donations to St Cuthbert’s can go even further!

As 2022 draws to a close, I sit behind my laptop reflecting on my first six months as president of the St Cuthbert’s College Old Girls’ Association. Whilst I underestimated the size and scope of the role, I also underestimated the level of support I would receive from the St Cuthbert’s community. I am so truly grateful. Thank you.

Planning is well underway for a return to normality in 2023. Can we use the word normality? Dates for our traditional Old Girls’ Association events have been diarised, and you’ll be able to find them within these pages. You may have already heard about our industry specific networking events which are also taking place as well as our usual events.

It seems incredible that in 2023 we will also be celebrating the 30th Anniversary of the Old Girls’ Chapel, and we have some exciting events planned to mark the occasion. These will be communicated to the whole College community in the new year, and I can’t wait to share with you our plans. As part of those plans, I had a delightful meeting with Marie Taylor, who headed the Chapel Fundraising Committee thirty years ago. Understanding the history of the Old Girls Chapel is an important part of celebrating its future.

We held our first Old Girls reunion in a retirement village in June, when I attended a lovely morning tea at the Edmund Hillary Retirement Village. The stories that were told! I’m so pleased that our boarding hostels are much improved from the 1940s

versions we heard spine tingling tales about…

The 2nd annual St Cuthbert’s Literary Night went ahead in August, with a panel of six incredibly successful Old Girls. The profits from this event go towards the Old Girls’ Association Scholarship Fund, and it was heartening to see that we sold more tickets this year than in 2021. Word of our success is spreading and panel members for next year’s event are already being secured.

In November, a veritable army of Old Girls descended upon Gibbs Farm for lunch and a tour. This incredible event was the result of many hours of work by Old Girl Association committee member Simran Saseve-Dale, and I want to personally thank her for all her work in making this happen.

Talking of committee members, this year we welcomed three new committee members - Jennifer Jin Ma, Rosanna Wu and Lizzie Judd. Rosanna is taking the lead in organising our industry specific networking events, starting with the St Cuthbert’s law community, which is very exciting. Laura Madden, who joined us last year, is helping plan our Melbourne Cup day in 2023.

In September, together with OGA committee member Minta Smith, our Principal Justine Mahon, and Suzanne Joyce from the Advancement Office, we ooo’h and ahhh’d over the nominations for the Marking Their Mark Awards. As a College community we are truly blessed with a number of exceptional alumni. And

whittling down the nominations to select the remarkable winners was just as hard as sitting in on the scholarship interviews earlier in the year. I want to congratulate the recipients of the Making Their Mark award, the Marking Service award, and the Old Girls’ Honours awardee. You all embody the College motto, By Love Serve. Thank you.

Sadly we have lost a number of Old Girls this year, and I want to pass on my deepest condolences to their families and friends. It was an honour to be able to attend the funeral of my former teacher Gill Hubble.

2023 is shaping up to be exceptionally busy, but in a good way, in a connecting way. Remember how I said in the last edition of Evergreen that one of our goals is to keep Old Girls in touch with, and maintain their interest in, one another and the College? Well, we’ve been working hard behind the scenes to make that happen. Some of you I’ve messaged privately, others I’ve spoken with, and yet more of you, I’ve seen online and celebrated your successes. It’s through these small steps that we’re helping the College build a more connected alumni framework, and I could not be more excited.

Have a wonderful summer break. Don’t forget to upload your personal profiles to the Old Girls’ website, and I hope to see you all in the New Year.

Kindest regards Kirsten McKenzie — President, Old Girls’ Association

Old Girls’ Association President, Kirsten McKenzie with this year’s Making their Mark Award winners.

In memory of Isabel Wilkin

Old Girl, Isabel Wilkin, nee Henderson, sadly passed away recently, a few months short of her 100th birthday. Isabel, a student at the College from 1930-1938, was appointed Head Girl, at the tender age of 15.

A person of integrity and empathy, with a prodigious work ethic, Isabel was an outstanding role model. Intelligent, creative and capable, she enjoyed writing poetry and acting in dramatic productions, but was also a gifted sportswoman, playing in the Hockey XI, the A Netball team and in the College Tennis team.

Isabel lived in Christchurch for much of her adult life where she and her husband raised two daughters and a son. Although sadly, the distance prevented Isabel’s daughters from attending St Cuthbert’s, Isabel retained a keen interest in the College, and, on her return to Auckland, relished again the company of her group of Old Girl Friends, with whom she had retained close ties. She re -emersed herself in the cultural life of the city, often attending productions where her youngest daughter, Catherine, well known New Zealand actor, played many leading roles.

It was a privilege to have met Isabel and to have heard her recount with wit and insight, her days at the College in the 1930s. Isabel is survived by her 3 children and 3 grandchildren to whom we extend our deepest sympathy, at the passing of their mother, our redoubtable and much- loved Old Girl.

—Justine Mahon

Family notices In

Memorial

We sadly farewell the following Old Girls

Emily Joan Fitzgerald 2015

Margaret Kathleen Sinclair (née Millar) 1928

Elizabeth Alison (née Liggins) 1944

Suellen Crabb (née Cunningham) 1961

Dawn Davenport (née Paton) 1952

Jacqueline Hinderwell (née Windsor) 1953

Margaret McMeekin (née Murray) 1952

Claire Reynolds (née Van Staveren) 1945

Ruth Williamson (née Marshall) 1952

Patricia Kay (née Dymore-Brown)

Isabel Wilkin (née Henderson) Melissa Ross

Engagements

Congratulations to Olivia Whiting, peer year 2013 (daughter of Old Girl Victoria Woods) on the news of her engagement to Craig Kamins.

Perth Old Girls’ Reunion

Key Dates

New Old Girl Parent/ Grandparent Evening

22 February 7.30pm, Remuera. Wine and cake

Orsini Ladies Lunch

Thursday 9 March 11.30am, Non Solo Pizza, Parnell. Tickets available soon

Old Girls’ Association AGM and Chapel Service

Saturday 18 March 9am, Chapel. Followed by morning tea service, the AGM, Chapel Service and the unveiling of the 30th anniversary Chapel art

Old Girls’ Decade Reunion Cocktail Party

Saturday 18 March 6.30pm, Clouston Hall.

Edmund Hillary Retirement Village - mini reunion

Conversations at the Old Girls’ Association committee meetings have more recently centred around the beautification of the Old Girls’ Chapel and making the chapel grounds more appealing for the current students. In contrast, the most pressing issue during the war years, was that the bomb shelters (dug in the school grounds during the Christmas holidays after the bombing of Pearl Harbour), filled with water, rendering them unusable. So went one of the conversations at the St Cuthbert’s Reunion Morning Tea at the Edmund Hillary Retirement Village in June 2022.

Tickets available February 2023 Year Groups: 1944–1947, 1954–1957, 1964–1967, 1974–1977, 1984–1987, 1994–1997, 2004–2007, 2014–2017

Old Girls’ LinkedIn Evening

Thursday 4 May, Frances Compton Library, 7pm

St Cuthbert’s Literary Night

Thursday 10th August, Joan Holland Auditorium, 7.00pm. Tickets available July 2023

Club 50

Wednesday 7th June, Old Girls’ Chapel, 10.00am.

Followed by morning tea in the library

Old Girls Chapel 30th Anniversary Chapel Service November.

Followed by wine and canapés on the Chapel Lawn

Year 13 2023

Graduation Ball

Friday 8th December, 6.00pm Ellerslie Racecourse

Do you have news to share?

Send your news to alumnae@stcuthberts.school.nz.

We love featuring the stories of Old Girls: snapshots of overseas adventures, notable achievements, additions to your family, reminiscences of school and more!

Go online to the Old Girls’ Association website to submit your profile. We love hearing all news. oldgirls.stcuthberts.school.nz/submit-your-profile/

Old Girls’ Melbourne Cup Race Day 2024

Ellerslie Racecourse, November 2024.

LEFT TO RIGHT: Pru Smith, Anne Abbott, Margaret Shorter and Lynnie Butler (standing), Blanche Rice, Heather Curley

On Saturday 11 June 2022, six Perth St Cuthbert’s Old Girls met for a delicious reunion lunch at Bistro Guillaume, Crown Casino in Perth.

It was a dark and stormy night…

It begins like this… It was a dark and stormy night, as nearly one hundred Old Girls, friends and family battled their way through driving rain, into the Joan Holland Auditorium for the 2nd Annual St Cuthbert’s Literary Evening.

Carrying on from the success of the 2021 Literary Evening, the St Cuthbert’s College Old Girls’ Association once again hosted a spectacular evening celebrating Old Girl literary success. The 2022 panel featured a cook book author, a historical fiction author, a screenwriter, a parenting guru, a social media influencer and an awardwinning children’s book author, ranging in age from mid 20s to late 80s.

This year’s line up was very special, and it was an honour to have these women on the St Cuthbert’s stage. Perhaps your daughter begged you to read her one of Pamela Allen’s books as a bedtime story? Or you spent an evening online watching Our Flag Means Death without realising screenwriter Simone Nathan’s St Cuthbert’s connection. Possibly you’ve cooked from a recipe you found in Sarah Tuck’s Dish magazine, or you’ve devoured an article about a Northland eco-retreat without recognising Lindy Davis’s byline. We suspect your Instagram scrolling would have paused at Cassandra Grodd’s beautifully curated feed. And undoubtedly, you’ve either heard, or uttered, Diane Levy’s immortal line of, “Of course I love you, now go to your room.”

We also welcomed Year 7 student Lilah McDonald to the stage. Lilah is already a social entrepreneur and environmental campaigner as well as a published author, with her work appearing in Toitoi magazine - a rare feat, with very few young authors

selected each year. Lilah enthralled the audience with a reading of her Toitoi piece – The Dance Lesson

Simone Nathan, who has an MFA from the Graduate Dramatic Writing Program at Tisch, New York University, had the audience in stitches with her stories of working with Amy Schumer, and filming her own semi-autobiographical series Kid Sister (now available on TVNZ On Demand). She shared how her school reports said, “She was a delight to have in class, but extremely distracting.” Simone explained how she took every cultural opportunity, filling every hour of her school life, and it was those experiences which shaped her into the person she is today. She also shared entertaining advice about cv preparation, which is best not to be published!

With over 31,000 followers online, Cassandra Grodd is a certified social media influencer. With two published books detailing her experiences of surviving and healing from a range of eating disorders and mental health issues, her book Bully is one of the only New Zealand poetry books to debut in the Amazon bestsellers list. Cassandra generously donated copies of her books to the Frances Compton Library, and it was a best seller on the night. Carrying on from the night, Year 9 student Jetta McKenzie, placed 3rd in the 2022 Year 9 Speech Finals with her review of Cassandra’s book Bully

Not only is Sarah Tuck the author of the cook books, Coming Unstuck and Stuck Together, she is also the editor of Dish Magazine. With a background in recipe development for Annabel Langbein, food styling, blogging and photography, her ethos is based on the principle that food is at the centre of what binds us together. She is also the Editorial Director of Good, a bi-monthly magazine for wellness-conscious readers. Sarah’s career path has not been linear, and her career history was a valuable lesson for any student struggling with the decision as to what to do after graduation. Life is rarely a straight path, and sometimes the perfect opportunity comes along when you least expect it.

Sarah’s quote of the night was, “Luck is when preparation meets opportunity”.

Pamela Allen is the perfect example of seizing opportunities. Pamela, a graduate of Elam School of Fine Arts, was a young mother, recently relocated to Australia for her husband’s work, when she first approached a publisher offering her services as an illustrator. They turned her down, but suggested that she write her own books, which is how she ended up writing and illustrating over fifty books for preschoolers. In 2004, she won the Margaret Mahy Medal, New Zealand’s top children’s literature prize, and was appointed a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to children’s literature in 2005. The audience was treated to Pamela reading aloud one of her books, before she donated copies of her whole back catalogue to the Junior School

Library. An incredibly generous donation. Thank you.

Carrying on with the theme of entertaining children, Diane Levy is the bestselling author of parenting books, a successful family therapist, counsellor, parenting coach and speaker. Diane’s books include Of Course I Love You . . . Now Go To Your Room!, They Look So Lovely When They’re Asleep, and Time Out for Tots, Teens and Everyone In Between. Diane started her career in a family therapy centre before realising that parents would be better served if they had access to parenting advice before therapy was needed, which was the evolution of her first book, and her career took off from there. Despite the plethora of conflicting parenting information online, Diane is a big supporter of making your own judgements of what matches you, and more importantly, what matches your child.

Lindy Davis’s career path is as diverse as that of the rest of the panel. She started out in journalism, working briefly in the Radio Pacific newsroom, before finding her niche in print media, where she worked for the next twenty-five years titles such as NZ Herald, Fashion Quarterly, Destinations, NZ Outlook, Style, Good and Mindfood. Lindy then turned her hand to writing historical fiction for middle-grade readers, with her books The Golden Scarab and The Golden Scarab’s Secret. Lindy’s books have recently been translated into braille for Blind Low Vision NZ (formerly The Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind).

Lindy’s latest offerings are her cook books

The Quay to the Cove and Global Kitchen, which have been described by reviewers as contributing to New Zealand’s “Food Tourism” – a possible new career path right there.

The evening was punctuated by many laughs, recollections of school days and stories of career paths veering wildly off course, but ending happily ever after. For an article which started off with a dark and stormy night, ending on a “happily ever after” seems most fitting. But there wouldn’t be a story without the incredible St Cuthbert’s staff, both past and present. The Old Girls’ Association would like to specifically thank current St Cuthbert’s staff member, Ros Ali for all her encouragement and support of this event, and for her wonderful mentoring of past and present students.

The evening was once again sponsored by Invivo Wines, and we thank them for their generosity. We would also like to thank the many Old Girls, staff and family members who supported the event on, what can only be descried as, an inclement night. We look forward to hosting this event again in 2023, with a whole new panel of successful alumnae.

The 3rd Annual St Cuthbert’s Literary Evening will be held on Thursday 10th August 2023 in the Joan Holland Auditorium. This event is a fundraiser for the Old Girls’ Association Scholarship Fund.

Making Their Mark 2022

The Making Their Mark Awards are held annually to celebrate our inspirational Old Girls. The Awards recognise Old Girls who are ‘making their mark’ in their chosen field, they have the courage to take on significant challenges and possess strong leadership qualities.

‘St Cuthbert’s Old Girls are trailblazing entrepreneurs, community advocates, quiet achievers, caring friends, high-powered executives, frontline heroes, generous volunteers, loving family-centered women and much more. Your success and passion deserve to be celebrated – and the Making Their Mark, Marking Service and Old Girls’ Honours Awards are just one way St Cuthbert’s recognizes your achievements and shares your inspiring stories within the community and beyond.’

—Justine Mahon

Every year, we celebrate the amazing Old Girls who go on to achieve great things in their careers and communities. It is always a pleasure to be joined in person and virtually, to take time to congratulate these outstanding women. Held in Clouston Hall in October, we were honoured to name the four award winners. After the assembly, guests enjoyed a morning tea in the library with their loved ones.

Marie Taylor

Old Girls’ Honours awardee

After leaving school in 1950, Marie studied Bacteriology at Auckland Hospital Laboratory. She married in 1954 to John Haywood Taylor who became an O&G specialist in London in 1959. They have 4 adult married children and 11 grandchildren.

Three daughters and four granddaughters all went through at St Cuthbert’s, which is a wonderful continuation of Marie’s association with the College. Her eldest daughter, Susan Paterson, was a St Cuthbert’s Board Member. Marie was on the OGA committee for many years and was also President for some years. Later, she convened the committee fundraising to build the OG’s Chapel in 1992–3. As well as her involvement with St Cuthbert’s, Marie was Young Wives and Fellowship leader at St Aidan’s Church, Remuera, and later became the Auckland Diocesan President and NZ President of the YWCA. Part of all these activities involved membership of the National Council of Women, which has led to a strong involvement with the women’s movement throughout NZ, chairing the NCW Centennial Fundraising Committee and convening the Suffrage Centennial celebrations for Greater Auckland in 1993. In 1994, Marie was awarded the Queen’s Service Order for Community Service.

Celebrating Old Girls achieving remarkable things.

Let’s take a look at this year’s award winners…

Nominations close 29 April, 2022 – find out how to nominate a fellow Old Girl on our website old.girls.stcuthberts.school.nz

Arnja Dale

Making Their Mark awardee

Dr Arnja Dale BSc., GDHE, MSc., MSc (Hons), PhD, is the Chief Scientific Officer for the SPCA. Previously she was a Senior Academic in Applied Animal Behaviour and Welfare Science at Unitec, where she was the Programme Director of the Certificate in Animal Welfare Investigations and also taught animal behaviour, animal welfare science and ethics for the Bachelor of Applied Science. Arnja is also the Chair of First Strike and Chair of the New Zealand Companion Animal Council. She is an Honorary Patron of the New Zealand Animal Law Association.

She has also been on a number of government task forces.

Annette Jones

Making Their Mark awardee

Annette Jones is an architect and urban designer. She has whakapapa linking her to the iwi of Ngāpuhi in Te Tai Tokerau/ Northland. She has over 30 years’ project experience with a wide range of traditional urban design, architecture, cultural heritage planning and management. She is recognised for her skills in masterplanning, infrastructure design, design leadership and true partnership with mana whenua in her work.

Through a wide range of project typologies Annette has had a people centric approach to built environments including working alongside alongside mana whenua, with the application of Te Aranga principles into tangible outcomes. This has culminated in continued learning in the regenerative design approach, which brings system-based thinking to design as well as study with the Wananga o Aotearoa to increase her cultural competency.

Belinda Storey

Making Their Mark awardee

Making Their Mark awardee, Belinda Storey began her career as an analyst for the Ministry of Labour after completing a BA in Political Science with Honours at University of Canterbury, but quickly moved to Human Resources roles for Fonterra who chose her in 2000 as their nomination for the New Zealand Institute of Management’s “Young Executive of the Year”.

She moved to New York in 2004 and completed an MBA in Finance at Columbia University. After consultancy roles in New York, she returned to New Zealand where her passion for the environment and concern for the planet’s future drove a very brave decision to completely re-train in science and begin her groundbreaking work on climate disaster, risk and resilience. This research has continued throughout her PhD work at Victoria University, focusing on the impact of escalating hazards on property prices and insurance availability, and the development of a new model for valuing property under climate change called “climate leases.”

She is now a principal investigator with Deep South Challenge and is managing director of the Whakahura Extreme Events and Climate Sigma. Belinda has just been named the 2022 winner of the Wellingtonian of the Year – Science and Technology category.

We welcome your nominations for 2023.

Designing for New Zealand’s Future

As designer and founder of Eva + Archie, a range of New Zealand-made merino baby clothing, Linda’s story is one that is woven into family life.

Linda (née Boswell) launched Eva + Archie in December 2020, a time when her daughters were both grown and leaving home, and Linda was caring for her ageing parents. It was during this period that she needed a creative outlet and flexible new job. Linda considered an area of considerable need – of the 65,000 babies born in New Zealand every year, 5,000 are born premature. Linda (peer year 1984) says, “Some of these babies were going home cold, to uninsulated homes with little or no heating and very little warm clothing. So, I found a solution to create a small collection of garments that can keep newborn babies warm when they are most vulnerable.”

“Our New Zealand hospitals in South Auckland, Wellington, and Dunedin have been asking the public for help by knitting woollen clothing or hats for newborns. I thought, if I could create clothing that could fit these little prem ones, maybe we could reduce the cycle of babies going home from hospital cold, getting sick, only to return to hospital.”

The adorable clothes include onesies and cardigans, and there’s a clever kimono wrap design, and a cute panda patch on the onesie bottoms. Softness, warmth, and being easy care are some of the standout features of the Eva + Archie line, which has grown to four sizes: prem, newborn, 0–3 months, and 6 months. The garments are loved by women of all ages, new mothers, friends and aunties, grannies and even great-grannies. Linda shares, “At the Baby Show recently, mums and dads to-be remarked on how cute, practical, and clever the designs were.”

Next on the horizon for Linda is finding a sponsor to take Eva + Archie to the next level and supply vulnerable little ones in the early stages of life with woollen garments. Linda brings special knowledge to the designs. “As a mother, I understand the importance of warmth, convenience, and practicality for new mothers and their babies. Eva + Archie is luxuriously soft and warm merino, with easy-to-put-on layers and the bonus of being machine washable. Babies always need to wear at least one more layer than we do.” Linda says, “I love telling new parents about the qualities of merino, and how babies find it hard to stabilise their body temperature until they are about 18 months old. Its moisturewicking qualities make merino suitable all

year round, keeping bubs cool in summer and warm in winter.”

Eva + Archie’s merino has many impressive qualities. It’s guaranteed to be of New Zealand and Australian origin and meets the RWS (Responsible Wool Standard), which means that the wool farmers treat their sheep with respect and follow ethical practices. Merino fibre can stretch over 30% and still recover to its natural shape. Merino wool’s natural durability makes it an ideal choice for babies clothing. Linda says of just some of the features, “The exceptional softness of merino wool clothing often takes people by surprise. It doesn’t feel like wool at all, but it is. Merino is UV resistant with a sun protection UPF of at least 50.”

The expertise of midwives also plays a central role in Linda’s creative process. “They are an integral part – they have the ultimate baby knowledge, of what works and what doesn’t. They also share new protocols, such as safety sleep recommendations, which assist my designs and makes my product the best for babies it can be.”

Linda has a background in designing children’s clothing. She shares, “When my girls were young, I created a children’s

Old Girl Linda Wood’s skills combine a design aesthetic for a very special group, a celebration of New Zealand and Australian materials, and a belief in making the best start in life for all.

clothing range called Beach, a range of towelling jackets designed to keep children warm after swimming. My girls were water babies, but they used to get cold, swimming in the pool or at the beach. The towelling jackets were a redesigned throwback from the ’70s.”

Her daughters and sister are very helpful with modern technology and supporting the business.

Making Linda’s company even more special is its name. “Eva was the grandmother I never met as she passed away when my mum was seven, and Archie was my muchloved grandfather,” Linda says. “I thought it fitting to have a story behind the brand name, and I loved their names. It’s also a lovely tribute to my mother, Judy, who recently passed away, as she loved babies and adored being a granny.”

Linda’s love of little babies has a meaningful history. “It probably stems from our infertility journey. We were lucky to have success, with two gorgeous daughters. So, creating clothing for babies when they are vulnerable, a simple collection of welldesigned and New Zealand-made merino garments, seemed to be the solution to the problem. My girls were both close to full term but small at 6lbs – they would have fitted my prem size.”

Linda has fond memories of her time at St Cuthbert’s, especially studying French and Latin, and she always loved Clothing & Sewing and the pool and diving board (Linda was a great swimmer at school). She also loved her family history of going to the same school as her mother and aunts (and subsequently her niece). “I went to St Cuthbert’s just in the 3rd form as we went to live in Singapore, at the end of my 3rdform year.”

By Love Serve has also played an integral part in Linda’s personal life. With her mother having advanced Alzheimer’s before her passing, Linda’s husband suggested Linda leave her job (this was before the creation of Eva + Archie) to spend more time with her mother. That was six years ago, “when her memory was fading fast, and she was forgetting who we were.”

Linda’s mother had moved just opposite St Cuthbert’s into the Elizabeth Knox Private Hospital after having a fall, and she needed daily physio and full-time care. “I spent a lot of time with her talking, walking in the park or at the beach, singing or listening to her favourite music, or even dancing – she loved moving to music – or just having cups of tea or looking at photo albums with her.” Linda reflects, “I suppose I didn’t want her to be alone or unloved. And later when her memory of who I was, was gone, we would walk and I would talk, telling her all about my girls, something new I had bought, a holiday we were planning or a problem I had. She wouldn’t reply but by the time we had walked, and I had talked through my troubles, we had sorted it together – just having her there, was the best.”

Family continues to be the cornerstone of Linda’s life. When she’s not working, she’s keen on exercise, walking early most weekdays with her sister, who lives next door, and with her husband on the weekends, often finding a café for coffee on the way. There’s also swimming, tennis, and gardening, with an impressive 37 fruit trees trimmed to fit their small garden. “We also recently renovated our 100+year-old house we have lived in for 22 years. I really enjoyed making all the decisions to make it better.” And there is, of course, that all-important time spent with family.

News of Old Girls

Charlotte Mackenzie

A globally minded medical specialist

After two years living in Canada, Charlotte Mackenzie (née Allen) returned to New Zealand in August to work at Middlemore Hospital as an orthopaedic consultant, becoming the first female surgeon to join the Middlemore orthopaedic department.

On graduating from the University of Auckland School of Medicine in 2009, she received the Sir Carrick Robertson Prize in Surgery and went on to train in orthopaedics.

In 2020, accompanied by her husband, two-year-old twin daughters and twomonth-old son, Charlotte (peer year 2003) left New Zealand to take up a foot-and-ankle fellowship at St Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. She was only the second New Zealander to have been awarded this sought-after fellowship.

While in Vancouver, Charlotte also studied towards the Graduate Certificate in Global Surgical Care at the University of British Columbia, which focuses on the disparities in surgical care in low- and middleincome countries, as well as disaster recovery.

With her daughters starting at St Cuthbert’s in Term 4 as new entrants, Charlotte is looking forward to renewing her connections with the College.

“The exceptional softness of merino wool clothing often takes people by surprise.”

Linda Wood

Seizing every Opportunity

Her experience in our Young Enterprise Programme inspired a passion for business, marketing and social enterprise – following in the footsteps of her famous whānau.

Jemima is deep into study for her end of year exams towards a conjoint Arts and Commerce degree, at The University of Otago. Thankfully for us, she still has tonnes of energy to chat enthusiastically about volunteering, marketing and … her grandad!

Jemima loved being involved in Business Studies and Young Enterprise groups St Cuthbert’s, even with the challenges of Covid lockdowns. She was part of a Year 12 group that developed ‘youandi eyewear’, that created and marketed blue lightblocking glasses, helping combat negative health impacts that come from staring at screens all day. The product was, or course, perfectly timed for release during lockdowns.

The enthusiastic team were awarded Auckland Central Regional Champions. “It was incredible – we broke-even on the first day of sales!” she says. “We went to the finals in Wellington and meet some

incredible professionals.”

Then, in Year 13, the team forged a partnership with Barfoot and Thompson to produce and promote a children’s book illustrated by ex-All Black, Keven Mealamu – as a fundraiser for Starship Children’s Hospital.

Like all Young Enterprise students, these experiences offer a taste of real-world business, and Jemima particularly loved marketing and public relations. “Our generation obviously embraces social media, so I think I could really add value in this space in future.”

She doesn’t know exactly what she will do after uni, one thing is for sure - Jemima will remain open to opportunities and give everything a go.

Business in the blood

Jemima was extremely proud to stand-up at a black-tie event recently and present an award to businessman Graeme Hart, as he was inducted into the The New Zealand Business Hall of Fame. The awards recognise people who have made significant contributions to economic and social development.

The evening was inspiring for Jemima

in many ways, as she mingled with the nation’s most successful business leaders. But it was also extra-special for because Hart is her beloved grandfather. “It was a moment I’ll never forget. I’m so proud of him and what he’s achieved.”

In his speech that evening, Hart encouraged young adults to take risks and reach for their goals. “You can do exactly what I have done,” he said. “I had a preparedness and an appetite for risk - that is really important.”

Jemima is aware that she’s lucky to have the active encouragement of her family, yet it’s clear that she has jumped on every opportunity with gusto and is forging her own independent path.

By Love Serve in life and business

When she reflects on her 13 years at St Cuthbert’s, Jemima talks fondly about the values she has carried into the next chapter of life.

“I’m volunteering for IHC down here - part of a programme called iFriend. I’m keen to get more involved and learn more about managing and embracing neurodiversity in our everyday lives.”

She’s inspired by the many Old Girls working in the social enterprise and volunteer space, and her mum, also an old girl, who previously worked for Starship Children’s Hospital.

Jemima emphasises that she’s grateful for the life-long friends and the wealth of opportunities at every turn. “It’s not just about academic things at St Cuth’s, it’s also life skills, arts, social causes and of course sport,” she says. “It’s why I’m also training with a rugby team down here. It’s all about balance!”

“If I had to give only one piece of advice to St Cuthbert’s girls, I’d say snatch up every opportunity! You will learn and grow so much.”

It was clear from her Senior School years that Jemima Hawkesby was an innovative entrepreneur.

Leading an Army

She attributes her passion for social causes to her parents and formative school years at St Cuthbert’s.

From next year onwards, if you lose a tooth, order dentures, or need a crown – you may find yourself sitting next to Paris Fan. After five busy years of study at The University of Otago, Paris is tackling the final hurdle in pursuit of a Post Graduate Diploma to make her a Clinical Dental Technician.

Paris has managed to gain excellent grades, maintain a fun social life, and represent her peers as an executive for the NZ Dental Students’ Association. While this would be enough for even the most ambitious student, she has also stepped up to lead the Otago branch of the Student Volunteer Army (SVA).

By Love Serve in action

SVA is a nationwide charity with an aim to empower the next generation of volunteers. They facilitate volunteering opportunities for primary, secondary, and tertiary aged young people, and work to gather regional networks of volunteers to respond to crises.

The popular not-for-profit just celebrated 10 years in existence and has gained loads of publicity for their mahi across Aotearoa, in response to natural disasters and social issues.

SVA started when Christchurch was struck with a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in 2010.

University of Canterbury student, Sam Johnson, created a Facebook group called the ‘Student Base for Earthquake Clean Up’

to help local residents with non life-saving tasks.

Sam and leaders of several UC clubs then joined together and formed the SVA - a collective movement of 11,000 young people to help clean up the city. The organisation grew rapidly and now has the backing of numerous corporate sponsors.

Paris’ role as local president has been hectic, particularly around Covid lockdowns, where hundreds of students mobilised to deliver groceries to people in need, around the region. “We helped to facilitate things like transport and trainingso managing this was a big responsibility,” says Paris. “I learned the difference between leading and managing.”

Paris explains that although there’s no obligation, most people who give it a go once, stay on to help with further activities.

“I think the experience is eye opening for young people, then they get the ‘bug’ of giving, which I love to see”.

School science labs to professional dental labs

When Paris graduated in 2017, she chose to head to the deep south, “I wanted to challenge myself to open up my world more, although I knew I would miss my family!” she says.

Paris decided on a dental career while studying her undergrad degree, Health Science, where she did work experience at a dental clinic. “I loved interacting with people and seeing the outcomes of dental work.”

Paris believes the role of a dental technician is a fusion of science, technical ability, and sculpture. “I wasn’t good at art at school - but I seem to be good at molding teeth! This role encompasses a lot of different skills though. I think you need to be a good communicator too. School set me up for all of this,” she reflects.

At St Cuthbert’s, Paris’ senior study pathway was grounded in science, “but with some humanities and French for balance,” she says.

Paris emphasises that going to Kahanui was a life changing moment. “Before this I think I was quite introverted. I learned to have the courage to push myself more, look out for other people, and go for opportunities even in the face of fear.”

She is extremely grateful for her time at St Cuthbert’s. “There’s no doubt it grew my potential – although you don’t always see it at the time! I considered myself an average student at school, but I took a lot of learning, not just academic, into the real world. This has given me the confidence to step up, apply myself and dare to lead.”

Paris also attributes her empathy and drive to help other people, to her parents, who certainly miss their daughter, but are extremely proud and supportive.

Once Paris gets busy in her first full-time role as a registered clinician (she has already been offered a position based in Wellington), we she hopes to continue ambitions in the volunteer space, “I’m not willing to ever let that go. It’s what By Love Serve means, right?”

Here at St Cuthbert’s, we also have a number of Senior School students who are part of theStudent Volunteer Army, a national organisation that promotes volunteering. As a member of the Student Volunteer Army, the girls give their free time to volunteer. Volunteering can range from helping at care homes to coaching badminton, and girls are rewarded for their time with special pins.

Paris Fan is in her final year of an intensive post graduate course, yet still found the time to lead the Student Volunteer Army and play a leadership role for the NZ Dental Students’ Association.

Sarah’s career story is one of service, and beauty, and is anything but average. After winning almost all of the art prizes during her time at St Cuthbert’s, she graduated from the Auckland University of Technology with a degree in Nursing & Midwifery, becoming one of New Zealand’s youngest midwives. A Master’s degree from Massey University in Health Services/Allied Health/ Health Sciences, soon followed, as well as another degree from Auckland University of Technology, this time as a Diagnostic Medical Sonography/Sonographer and Ultrasound Technician

Sarah worked for the Auckland Hospital as a midwife for a number of years before specialising in high-risk midwifery, and working as the first research midwife with the University of Auckland, and aided in publishing a number of papers in medical journals.

After a move to the United Kingdom, she took up a role with Schering Health Care, managing Primary Care Trusts (PCTs) and Primary Care Organisations (PCOs) within the greater London region. That role paved the way for Sarah’s return to New Zealand, where she took on roles as the Sales Manager for Roche and then CSL Biotherapies, before becoming the National Sales Manager at CSL Biotherapies. During her time with CSL, Sarah was part of the team that launched Gardasil, a vaccine which can prevent most cases of human papilloma virus (HPV), thereby reducing the impact of cervical cancer, and other cancers.

Sadly, Sarah’s mother died from endometrial cancer, which became the catalyst for Sarah’s next career change, and her long involvement with volunteering for the New Zealand Gynaecological Cancer Foundation (NZGCF), including time as their general manager.

In 2008, Sarah launched Orsini Fine Jewellery in Parnell, alongside a custom jewellery workshop. Sarah imports jewellery, predominantly from Italy, as well as designing custom made engagement rings for her clients.

Through the Gemmological Association of Australia, she became a certified diamond grader, with additional qualifications from the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) in Diamond Essentials. These qualifications certainly become essential, when in 2012, New Zealand designer Kathryn Wilson asked Sarah to help craft the most expensive shoe in the world.

Featuring 21.18 carats of quality white diamonds, the “Diamond Shoe” is a one-ofa-kind work of art worth $500,000, which took Sarah more than 50 painstaking hours to make. Sarah worked under the beady eyes of two security guards whilst crafting the fairytale shoe, before it was put up for auction to raise funds for Ronald McDonald House.

Sarah’s appreciation for fine jewellery, and its impact, came from her mother and from her father-in-law, former jeweller Peter Hutchings, who inspired her husband Kent to introduce her to the Vicenza Jewellery Fair in Northern Italy, sparking her ongoing love affair with fine Italian jewellery.

In July 2022, the Urban List included Orsini Fine Jewellery in an expose on the best jewellers in Auckland, highlighting their use of ethically sourced diamonds. And in 2020, the NZ Herald lauded Sarah for her business partnerships with brands such as Kathryn Wilson, Storm & India Tea Sisters and Non Solo Pizza, and her commitment to partnering with brands who shared similar values, an imperative in today’s climate.

Every year, (pandemic allowing), Sarah and Orsini Fine Jewellery sponsors the St

Cuthbert’s College Ladies Lunch at Non Solo Pizza, with a portion of the funds raised going to NZGCF, and the balance to the Old Girls’ Association. Mark your diaries, because this event is back in 2023, on Thursday 9 March. The lunch will feature the launch of St Cuthbert’s alumna Caitlin Crisp’s new season collection, combined with the Orsini’s jewellery and a number of incredible auction items.

Although Sarah and her husband Kent couldn’t have any children, despite many years of fertility treatment, Sarah has remained an engaged member of the St Cuthbert’s Old Girls’ Association, and it is through that association that Sarah’s beautiful designs now grace the fingers of well over a thousand St Cuthbert’s girls.

Sarah has been designing and producing the St Cuthbert’s College Graduation rings for the past six years. And after the 2021 Graduation Ball was cancelled due to Covid restrictions, she designed a beautiful pendant for the 2021 graduates as a way to hopefully lessen the disappointment of the cancellation of this rite of passage.

This year, Sarah has expanded the range of St Cuthbert’s jewellery. The St Cuthbert’s range at Orsinis now includes a beautiful diamond crest ring, the traditional graduation signet ring, a By Love Serve band and a Faith/Hope/Love pendant. These are available for everyone to purchase, not just graduates. Sarah donates a portion of the sales of the St Cuthbert’s jewellery, for which we are incredibly grateful.

Sarah’s ethos of service and of giving back to her community, as well as her contributions to women’s health, cannot be quantified. Sarah is the embodiment of the school motto, By Love Serve, and she so perfectly illustrates the importance of finding a career that you love. www.orsini.co.nz/

When Sarah Hutchings (nee Barker) walked out of the St Cuthbert’s College gates in 1987, she never imagined that her future would be so intimately entwined with so many St Cuthbert’s girls.

In loving memory of Emily Joan Fitzgerald

This October, our dear Year 1 student, Emily Joan Fitzgerald, passed away. With her kind, gentle and inclusive personality, Emily was loved by all who knew her. A ray of sunshine, Emily will always be remembered.

Nikki Boyens and Emily Fisher had the immense privilege of teaching Emily during her time at St Cuthbert’s, and share their fond memories.

“Emily started school by joining 0BOY in Term 3 last year. Right from the start, the other girls went out of their way to help and welcome Emily to school. Emily made friends quickly, with her kindness and gentle actions of friendship towards others. One of my favourite memories was when Emily would pick a buddy to leave class a little bit early to start the journey to either music, PE, swimming or down to the library. Emily would hold their hands and immediately start chatting away regaling them with one of her stories.

We were only at school for a few weeks before going into lockdown. Emily fully participated in our Zoom School and was often the first one to arrive to our lessons each day. She quickly learned to independently manage her own zoom by muting and unmuting herself during lessons, as she loved opportunities to share stories and ask questions. We knew exactly what everyone in her family had for breakfast, what she was looking forward to for lunch, the latest funny thing her brother Patrick had said, and she loved showing us around her bedroom and sharing her favourite toys with us.

With her family’s help, Emily participated in all our online activities like planting a scrap garden, making a very cosy looking penguin enclosure and turning herself into an astronaut. Everything Emily did was done with great enthusiasm and she had such pride in sharing her creations with the rest of the class. I think her favourite unit though, was on mythical creatures where she could share her knowledge and love for unicorns.

Emily, I am going to miss all your warm hugs, your funny little stories and your smile.”

— Nikki Boyens

“Emily was the happiest little girl and always arrived at school with the biggest smile on her face. She was a social butterfly who loved being in class with her friends. Emily gained a lot of independence during her Year 1 year at school and made some amazing progress. I will miss the “guess what Miss Fisher” moments and the “you’re never going to believe this…” when she had something funny to say. Emily had a lovely sense of humour and loved being able to make her friends laugh. One of Emily’s favourite parts of the school day was news time. Whether it was her news day or one of her friends, she was always so engaged and her hand was always the first one up with a question or comment to share. Another favourite part of her school week was dressing up. Emily loved engaging in play and loved getting dressed up as her favourite disney princess. Her face was always lit up as she and her friends were drawn into the magic of make believe.

Emily had an incredible sense of empathy. She always noticed when someone was sad or hurt and always went out of her was to comfort them and say something to cheer them up. Emily was very complimentary and would constantly tell her friends how much she loved their work and would notice little things such as someone’s smile or beautiful eyes. She would often be heard saying “I love your drawing…do you like mine?” I have so many special memories of Emily, but I think the one I’ll always hold closest to me was her little hand reaching for mine each time we lined up to go somewhere, and her sweet little voice chattering away as we made our way to wherever we were going.”

—Emily Fisher

“We feel immensely blessed to have been Emily’s teachers. She will always be remembered and will always have such a special place in our heart.”

— Emily Fisher

Ivy League Dreams Realised

Her determination and growth mindset, likely influenced by her sports training, are the first giveaway. Violette was a New Zealand youth representative in both water polo and athletics – with a focus on discus throwing.

She also exhibits an incredible work ethic, partnered with natural ability, offering her academic prowess across a variety of subjects, from science to economics.

But perhaps it’s her courage to try new things and leap into the unknown that has thrust her to great hights, to reach her full potential internationally.

Decisions, decisions

In her final year at St Cuthbert’s in 2020, Violette was accepted into six out of the eight Ivy League schools in the US.

“There wasn’t much difference between those options, they were all going to be amazing opportunities, so I decided to follow my instincts and pick the one that had the most like-minded peers and be a good cultural fit.”

After a year, she’s happy with her choice, having made life-long friends with a diverse range of students and immersing herself in Yale’s legendary culture.

“There are certainly some surprising networking opportunities,” she says. “At a recent family open day, I spotted Stephen Colbert, Jeff Bezos and Conan O’Brien who all have kids here, which was rather crazy!”

Despite the excitement of celebrityspotting, Violette is very focused on making the most of the incredible academic and sporting opportunities. She is pursuing track and field where she is, focusing on discus, as well as water polo.

“Water polo is a really popular and highly competitive sport in colleges throughout the US, so it’s great sport to play if you have ambitions to study overseas,” she says.

An all-rounder

Violette moved to Christchurch at age eight, with her parents and two siblings, and spent her last two years of high school boarding with us at St Cuthbert’s.

A scholarship student, she excelled in chemistry and other academic subjects, competed in water polo and athletics, and to top it off, she plays three instruments! When we ask how she does it, she simply says, “It’s all about giving stuff a go and working hard!”

Violette believes Ivy League recruiters look for students who are involved in various activities. “It’s not all about academic marks or being a protégée in one sport. It’s more about being a committed all-rounder.”

Open to possibilities

It turns out that Violette’s sights weren’t always set so high, “I mean, Yale?! There’s no way I would’ve thought that could happen!” she jokes.

It wasn’t until she came to St Cuthbert’s that she believed an international college of this calibre was in reach.

“Rhonda Vink and my coach Oliver Gibb were a huge inspiration – and my classroom teachers! They helped me believe it was possible. I couldn’t have done it without them!”

The admission process to Ivy League schools is notoriously complex. “The timelines, testing, interviews and preparation are confusing,” says Violette. “There’s a large industry in the US focused on assisting students navigate this process – but the personalised help I got at St Cuth’s was amazing.”

What does the future hold?

“We don’t have to choose a major until next year, so I’m just trying lots of things. There’s so much inspiration around me here!”

Violette originally thought she might take the path of biomedical engineering – but she has become interested in computer science. “It was a bit left-field for me as I’ve never studied it, but I suddenly found myself enjoying coding, so who knows!”

Violette’s journey is great example for other students wishing to follow in her footsteps – and she offers great advice, “Just try new things, do the mahi, and step out of your comfort zone!”

Violette Perry is in her second year of a four-year degree at Yale University in New Haven, and after a few minutes chatting, it’s clear why she was accepted into one of the world’s top tertiary colleges.

“Just try new things, do the mahi, and step out of your comfort zone!”

Violette Perry

Shooting for the Stars Shooting for the Stars

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Georgia (peer year 2018) and Kady (peer year 2018) are creating an impact as members of the USYD Rocketry Team at the University of Sydney. Georgia shares, “We recently built an experimental sounding rocket from scratch, and launched it 9.1 kilometres in the sky at the Spaceport America Cup intercollegiate rocketry competition in New Mexico, U.S.”

The team had great success, winning all three major awards at this competition: Winner of the SDL Payload Challenge, Category Winner (30,000 ft/9.1 km) (Commercial Off-The-Shelf Rocket), and Winner of the Overall Competition.

The project required a tremendous amount of work over the course of a year. Georgia says, “We have both been really involved in the team, with Kady working as an aerospace engineer on the team and spending 20 hours a week

coordinating all the logistics to get us to our launches and competition, while I was electronics engineer and played a big role at the competition in the U.S. We are very proud to share our results.”

Georgia and Kady reflect on how St Cuthbert’s played a critical role in their scientific and engineering journey. “We have been privileged that we attended a school that supported all our STEM endeavours and pushed us to pursue engineering.” They encourage other young women to participate in the field and hope that their success can be “an example to Years 11–13 St Cuthbert’s students that engineering is absolutely an option for them to pursue and requires a wide range of skills, not just maths and physics.”

LEFT: Georgia Odlin RIGHT: Kady Zhou

Georgia Odlin and Kady Zhou

“We recently built an experimental sounding rocket from scratch, and launched it 9.1 kilometres in the sky at the Spaceport America Cup intercollegiate rocketry competition in New Mexico, U.S.”

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