Community and service

Daffodil Day

Pre-school tamariki and kaiako held a ‘Wear Yellow Day’ in honour of Daffodil Day, an event that supports the Cancer Society’s important work in cancer care and medical research. They also enjoyed face painting, and created daffodil-inspired art.

Donations to Tonga

Rutherford House Assistant Manager, Maxine Shepherd, and Relief Assistant House Manager, Sandy Mathieson, organised a donation of goods from the boarding houses towards the Tonga Disaster Relief, following the volcanic eruption and tsunami the country experienced earlier this year. Donations from the College included 24 mattresses, 60 pillows, and other assorted household items.

Eco-Action Project

In August and September, St Andrew’s students took part in two Community Planting Action Days as part of the Eco-Action Project. This is a collaborative project with 22 schools managing satellite nurseries, growing on up to 2000 trees per annum. St Andrew’s has been a member since 2019. On the first community planting day the students helped to plant 3500 trees in the Christchurch Red Zone, and on the second day, led by Gemma Lewis (Year 12), Jack O’Neil (Year 11) and the Sustainability Council, 3000 native plants were planted in the Chimera Crescent Red Zone. Four Sustainability members, Corin Simcock, Toby Harvie (both Year 13), Gemma Lewis (Year 12) and Elliot Graves (Year 11) were awarded a Certificate of thanks and appreciation at an Eco-Action function for their generosity of spirit to the project.

Gumboot Day

The St Andrew’s College Gumboot Day was introduced in 2021 by the Agriculture Committee to support ‘I Am Hope’ which provides mental health support to young people in Aotearoa. This year’s fundraiser was linked with the Boarders’ Assembly, which saw many students and staff wear gumboots to school.

StAC Ag Show

Students and staff enjoyed a fantastic day of agricultural fun at the second annual StAC Ag Show, an A&P Showinspired event, held in Gym 1 on Wednesday 21 September. There were lots of creative entries in a variety of competitions, including baking, art, and Lego, with all placegetters receiving a well-deserved ribbon. The petting zoo was a highlight, with students enthralled by the cuddly lambs, a piglet, rabbits, goats, and guinea pigs, brought to the event by Pony Parties Ltd. A popular sausage sizzle and basketball fundraiser ran alongside the StAC Ag Show, which was superbly organised by the Agriculture Committee.

Year 13 Prefect and Parent/ Caregiver Evening

On Thursday 25 August, a Year 13 Prefect and Parent/Caregiver function was held in the Centennial Chapel. This was an opportunity to welcome parents back on campus and celebrate the excellent contribution of our prefect team in this challenging year. Cindy Xiong (Year 13) gave a wonderful rendition of her song Colourblind, one of the finalists in the Lion Foundation Play It Strange Competition. Grace Lawrence and Harry Withers (Head Prefects) delivered a wrap up of the prefects’ activities over the last seven months.