R
RREGULUS EGULUS NOVEMBER2023 2023 NOVEMBER
Contents Leadership and Governance
2 From the Rector 4 From the Board 5 St Andrew’s first dedicated
Health and Safety Manager
NOVEMBER 2023
Editor/Writer: Jo Bailey Photography: Sue Oxley Anna Turner Richard Justice Lori Haisty Christine Leighton Christina Fitzgerald Marlene van Der Bent Craig Morgan Sarah McCook-Weir Mary Leota Lee Malzard Jasmax
Printing: Caxton
Published: November 2023 General correspondence should be addressed to:
Teaching and Learning
6 Agriculture goes from strength to strength
7 Out in the field 8 Country comes to town 9 Encouraging Māori and Pasifika entrepreneurship
11 New Assistant Head of Middle School 12 Academic successes 13 Te Wiki o Ngā Pukapuka – Book Week
14 The magical influence of music 15 The wonderful world of bees 16 Success on the slopes 17 Switching on to electricity Resources and Environment
18
Unsung heroes work under the radar
Head of Communications St Andrew’s College 347 Papanui Road Strowan Christchurch 8052 New Zealand
Values and Culture
Telephone: +64 3 940 2000 Email: comms@stac.school.nz Website: stac.school.nz
23 Robert Burns Scholars 24 The Little Mermaid 26 Leaders in boarding inspire 27 Boarders’ Assembly;
Find us online: Facebook YouTube Instagram
(Cover) The Pipe Band visited the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral, Fife, Scotland. Photo credit: Richard Justice
20 Pipe Band third in the world 22 Otaki Scholars visit; StAC Attack
Well-being Assembly
28 Cultural Week and Assembly 29 International Assembly; Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week
30 Community and service 31 Giving back at StAC
32 Film Fest;
Year 13 Theme Week
33 Christine Jeon to study in Auckland; Launch of poetry book, Hoof
34 Dance Revue;
Jazz students’ success
35 Year 10 Exchange students visit Sydney
36 Cultural catch up 38 13 Years On 40 Grandparents’ Day 41 Leavers’ Assembly 43 New Zealand Representatives 2023 44 Winter Tournament Week 46 Sports round up Old Collegians
52 Message from the President; Events
53 Events 54 Class notes 55 Gone but not forgotten; Upcoming Events
56 Welcome to the world; Just married
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13
20 28
46
34 40
From the
Rector It was great to reinstate the Robert Burns Scholars tour this year, with Megan Simpson and Jack Flanagan (both Year 12), visiting 11 schools across Scotland. There is no doubt spending time and making friends in other school communities has a profound impact on the development of our students and we look forward to reintroducing more student exchanges in the coming years.
Term 4 is always an incredibly busy term, with celebrations, farewells for our leavers, academic examinations, the start of summer sports, Middle School and Ballet productions, and Prizegiving. Add to this annual reports, strategic review, staff performance reviews, and goal setting and recruitment of staff for next year and there do not seem enough hours in the day. However, it is important to take time to reflect upon what we have collectively achieved, and to celebrate the many positives. A highlight for me in August was the opportunity to join the Pipe Band in Scotland at the World Pipe Band Championships. I never cease to be amazed at the focus and ability of our young people to perform in high stress situations. Their passion and dedication be it in sports, music, dance, academic study, or other personal pursuits is impressive. I am sure this develops strong character traits which set them up for future opportunities and challenges beyond school. The Pipe Band placed third in the world in the top Juvenile section which was a wonderful achievement. While in Scotland, I had the opportunity to meet with a number of school principals. St Andrew’s College has a long standing connection to schools such as St Leonards (at St Andrews) the High School of Dundee, Gordonstoun School, Robert Gordon’s College, and Strathallan. These connections have been re-established following the travel restrictions over the last three years.
Once again, at the end of this year we are farewelling our senior leavers – a group of 212 students from Year 13 and 12 from Year 12, who are confident, accomplished, thoughtful and compassionate with bright futures ahead of them. As our leavers say their goodbyes and thank yous, they impress when they show genuine gratitude for what their school teachers and parents have provided for them. During their time at St Andrew’s they have learnt many important life lessons. One that I believe will stand them in good stead is the ability to make the right choices and decisions in often complex situations, choices which support the collective good and each other in challenging times. After the recent election, it will be interesting to see what new policies and initiatives will impact education in the coming years. There is no doubt that some serious consideration needs to be given to improve our children’s proficiency in literacy, numeracy, and supporting the large numbers of students increasingly disengaged from their schooling. We are grateful that at St Andrew’s we are able to make choices, decisions, and provide resources that keep our students motivated and engaged. In a school environment we make multiple decisions every day. The role of staff is to make good decisions which will enrich student’s experiences, keep them safe, and help them to achieve their full potential. Students will not like all the decisions which staff make but leadership of a school, or indeed a country, is not based upon what is popular but what is right. This is true for students as well as for adults in
leadership roles. One of the challenges is to consider the roles, perspectives of others, the greater good and whether the decision aligns with our personal and school’s collective values. The impact of social media and the power of algorithms to create our own echo chambers, sometimes makes it difficult to seek or recognise perspectives which are different from our own. As our students leave their school environment we want them to feel confident to seek and engage with others who may have a different point of view. This seems to be critical to future global stability and understanding. The emergence of a peaceful and sustainable future will require co‑operation, collaboration, and solidarity as we grapple with the effects of climate change, the economy, technology, and geopolitical concerns. Our education goals must include individual and collective well-being, as we equip young people to make decisions which will support a peaceful and sustainable future for them and their children. I have no doubt St Andrew’s graduates will be leading the way to build this future. Included in this edition of Regulus are the many stories of student successes, College initiatives, staff contributions, and a wide variety of opportunities. Some recent highlights were the outstanding success of the Girls' Senior A basketball team coming second in New Zealand at the Secondary Schools National Finals in the September break. Also outstanding was the selection of Lauren Whittaker
(Year 13) for the national Tall Ferns basketball extended squad. A third phenomenal success in November was Sebastian May (Year 13) winning the New Zealand Men's Amateur Golf Championship, outstanding!
Best wishes to all for the end of 2023 and a blessed Christmas season.
Christine Leighton Rector
Obituary
George Feilding Hight
Thanks to our Donors
from the Development Team Gold Note – Theatre Anonymous
In October, the St Andrew’s College community was saddened to learn of the passing of George Feilding Hight, a special man who leaves a lasting legacy at St Andrew’s through the George Feilding Hight Scholarship. George’s generosity stemmed from his feelings of gratitude towards St Andrew’s, where he spent 11 years, arriving as a five-year-old in 1943. So important was St Andrew’s in cementing George’s values and work ethic, which made him successful in life beyond school, that he wanted to give back. In 2013, I met with George and his late wife, Merrilyn, to discuss the idea of setting up a scholarship to enable young people from a rural community to benefit from a St Andrew’s College education. The scholarship was established under the College Foundation with a new student added each year. At any given time there are now five students on a full tuition scholarship studying at the College thanks to the generosity of George and Merrilyn.
I took great pleasure hosting George in my study each year, along with the current group of George Feilding Hight scholars. George loved to have his photo taken with the group and took delight in the letters they wrote to him twice a year. He also took pleasure from attending Prizegiving and seeing many of his students receiving awards. In turn, the students got to know George and his generous heart. George and Merrilyn set up a gift that will last in perpetuity. Every year a new student will be added to the current list of 11, and come to know who George was and what he stood for. St Andrew’s College is so very grateful to George for his generosity and big heart. When George and Merrilyn set up the scholarship it was in his words – “our hope the students would grasp this opportunity, do the best they can and become complete citizens at the end of it”. We are sure each George Feilding Hight Scholar will continue to do just that in George’s memory.
Congratulations to Dance and Drama Specialist and Performing Arts Co‑ordinator, Ginnie Thorner, who received an ISNZ Honours Award at this year’s Independent Schools of New Zealand Conference for her service to Drama and the Performing Arts. The award recognises Ginnie's influence on the lives of thousands of students in her 20 years at St Andrew's, and her contribution to communities beyond the College. Congratulations to Christine Jeon (Year 12) who recently won first place at the National Young Performer Awards – a competition for top young musicians under 21. Christine leaves St Andrew’s at the end of this year to study music at the University of Auckland.
New Strowan Member Anonymous
Thank you to those who have supported the Development office with donations this year. In the final phase of raising funds to support the Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre and Gough Family Theatre your generosity has reduced the amount of debt to be serviced by the College in the coming years. We look forward to celebrating with you at the official opening in April 2024.
Marco Leighs, Poppy Rumble (both Year 13) and Katherine Simcock (Year 11) fronted the latest fundraising campaign.
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Left: The late George and Merrilyn Hight Right: Rector, Christine Leighton, with the current George Feilding Hight Scholars back row, Fergus Sidey (Year 13) Jiutaisa Manumanuniliwa (Year 10), front row Emily (Milly) Gjelstad (Year 12), Maria (Masha) Pospolitak (Year 11) and Sophie Lampe (Year 9).
Theatre Seats 2 Anonymous Jack and Helen Allan David Anderson Blake Family – James and Jackson Sam and Shelley Broad Tom Charteris Bridie Connell B and E Fleming Brent, Sarah and Clara-Jane Long Hayley Nolan Murr ay Rose Scanlon Family Michael Zhang and Family
Leadership and Governance
Silver Note – Theatre Kingsbury Family
From the
Board One aspect both Lachie and we are grateful for is the genuine care, encouragement, and belief his teachers have shown. The balance between imparting knowledge, guiding inquiry, encouraging personal growth, and looking out for student well-being has been carefully considered. St Andrew’s recognises the importance of each student being guided towards their own individual success.
Titiro whakamuri, Kōkiri whakamua Look back and reflect, so that you can move forward In September, we attended our last ever tutor group conference as a parent with Dr Young-Wook Song. It was a memorable meeting and one in a number of ‘lasts’ as our youngest child’s time at Secondary School draws to a close. It’s hard to believe that our days as school parents are finishing. Many of you may be in the same position. Young-Wook has been a terrific tutor, teacher, and social basketball coach to Lachie and his classmates. An Old Collegian himself, he spoke warmly at our conference of his memories from his school days and the pleasure he takes from his ongoing involvement at St Andrew’s. He emphasised to Lachie how grateful he should be for the experience and opportunities an education at St Andrew’s has given him. The many different aspects of these experiences will allow Lachie to forge his own way and flourish while always remaining a part of the St Andrew’s College community.
But perhaps as importantly as this personal development are the good friends and relationships that come along with it. A St Andrew’s education brings many chances to form strong and lasting friendships through common experiences in sporting, cultural, and academic activities. We have appreciated the opportunity for both of our sons to do this in competitive and social settings. In each case, their social basketball teams have been a significant part of their friend group. And, in each case, the support and involvement of a key staff member, parents, and the team themselves has struck just the right chord. When Lachie walks across the stage at the Leavers’ Dinner, he will be presented with a pin from the Old Collegians President as a welcome into the Old Collegians Association. Young-Wook highlighted to Lachie that this amazing school experience is something that always stays with you. Wherever you are in the world, or whatever you do in life, you will always be part of the St Andrew’s community. At a recent reunion in London, over 65 Old Collegians attended, still connected by the common bond of their time at school. Formal and informal reunions and just school mates getting together is a common theme in the Old Collegians’ community.
While we were sad to leave our last tutor group conference, we also reflected that we have a tremendous amount to be grateful for over the last nine years. A number of Board Members attended the Presbyterian Church Schools’ Conference and the Independent Schools of New Zealand (ISNZ) Conference a few months ago. These events are always interesting, address current issues and provide the opportunity to meet with our counterparts from other independent schools. At the ISNZ Conference, Dance and Drama Specialist and Performing Arts Co-ordinator, Ginnie Thorner, received an ISNZ Honours Award. These awards recognise and celebrate outstanding contributions made by staff from ISNZ member schools. Only a select number of awards are given each year. The Board is delighted to congratulate Ginnie, who received the award for her dedication in the education of Performing Arts at St Andrew’s and beyond our school gates. In her 20 years at St Andrew’s, Ginnie has fostered a vibrant, welcoming, and inclusive Performing Arts environment as well as having a pivotal role in the crafting of our school productions. We look forward to seeing the Performing Arts continue to flourish in their new home when the Performing Arts Centre, incorporating the Gough Family Theatre, is opened early in 2024. All the best for a great finish to 2023 and an enjoyable summer with family and friends.
Felicity Odlin Board Chair On behalf of the Board of Governors
St Andrew’s
Manager
St Andrew’s College has appointed its first dedicated Health and Safety Manager, Art Preuss, who has an extensive background in health and safety management systems with a range of national and global organisations. This is Art’s first foray into the education sector and he is enjoying the opportunity to provide support and guidance in a completely new environment. “I’m impressed with what St Andrew’s has been able to achieve without a dedicated health and safety resource to date, and am excited to bring my skills and craft to improve and refine the College’s safety management systems. Having a well-engineered and streamlined process leads to safer environments for all our people, especially our tamariki.” Although working in education is different from Art’s previous roles with Enable Fibre Broadband, NZ Post, Health Alliance (Health New Zealand), Cushman and Wakefield, Countdown, and TNT Express, he says the safety risks are similar, including traffic and pedestrians, construction and worksites, hazardous substances, contractor management, events (both off and onsite), and the ‘people factor’, including well-being and mental health. During his first few months in the role, Art has made significant strides, with his initial focus to connect with key internal and external stakeholders, review the College’s
hazard and risk register, create a new hazardous substance (chemical) register, and develop a new risk assessment template. “Several risk assessments have already been completed for areas like the Drop-off Zone, Preparatory School driveway, Cleaning Department, and St Andrew’s vehicles.” Art is enjoying the fast-paced environment at St Andrew’s, where he says no two days are the same. “One day I might spend time in the Science labs, then walk around with the cleaners to see how they keep themselves safe, and the next I might be off to Castle Hill. I love the fact I touch lots of different areas of our College.” Keeping staff, students, contractors, and the worksite safe during the construction of the new Performing Arts Centre and other building developments at the College is another key part of Art’s role. The various onsite and offsite events run by the College, the lease and hire of its equipment and facilities, and various student trips, including to overseas destinations, also keep Art busy. “After a year at St Andrew’s I’m sure I will have encountered as
New Health and Safety Manager, Art Preuss
many events as I have in my entire working life to date.” Art has also presented to a group of Year 10 students about the importance of assessing and managing risk in the school environment. “Having the ability to share real life experiences to support the learning and development of our students, is really important to me.” Originally from Samoa, Art was raised and schooled in Auckland and spent most of his career there. He and his wife, Charlotte, and family moved to Christchurch in February 2020, pre-pandemic. At the time Art was the Safety and Well-being Manager for NZ Post. He was then Health Safety and Well-being Manager at Enable Fibre Broadband for two years before joining St Andrew’s. Art enjoys being part of a ‘great team’ led by the People and Business Manager, Justine Scott, and getting to know new people in the St Andrew’s community. The ultimate aim of his role is not to ‘wrap students in bubble wrap,’ he says. “If health and safety is involved right from the start we can control risk and provide a safe setting where students can enjoy the experiences they need in order to learn and thrive.”
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Health and Safety
Leadership and Governance
first dedicated
Agriculture goes from The exciting opportunities for young people entering the primary sector are reflected in the large numbers of students currently taking Agriscience and Agribusiness classes in the Secondary School, says Teacher in Charge of Agriculture, Natasha Cloughley, who works alongside teachers, Liam Smith and Steve Hamlin. “We have 12 Agriscience and Agribusiness classes across the year groups, with many students attracted by the wide range of career and study options available to them. Some of our former students have gone into veterinary school, food technology, animal or plant research, engineering, marketing, finance, have become farm consultants, fertiliser reps, and more.” Throughout its long history, St Andrew’s has been closely aligned with the rural sector and many current students come from farming backgrounds. However, they are not the only students taking Agriculture subjects, says Natasha. “Our students have a great mix of backgrounds, from all sizes of farms, to lifestyle blocks, and true city kids. We have a good gender balance too, with a 60/40 mix of boys and girls on average across the classes.” The Agriculture Department has produced a Kaupapa Mātāmua, which sets out its key goals, and provides a guideline and study theme for each year group.
strength to strength
It all starts with Discovery for Year 9 Agriscience students, who are provided with an introduction to the New Zealand primary industries with a focus on animal breeds and uses, agritech, farm management, and bees. The Year 10 Agriscience classes work to the Foundation theme, looking at soil, plant and animal science, along with farm management, and meat, milk, and wool product development. “The students get to create their own food product and come up with a marketing campaign for it. They also visit the National Trade Academy where they do eight practical modules,” says Natasha. In Year 11 under the theme Principles, Agriscience students learn a number of practical skills with their studies focused on the interaction of soils, plants, and animals to produce quality products which consider sustainability. When students reach Year 12 (Details) and Year 13 (Systems) they can choose between Agriscience and Agribusiness, or take both subjects. Reproduction and livestock growth is a key component of the Year 12 Agriscience course, with students enjoying the opportunity to incubate, hatch, and raise chickens in their classroom. In Year 13, students look at high production primary
products, and investigate how to produce a desirable product that meets consumer demands but is ethically and environmentally sustainable. Agribusiness students in Year 12 look at growing value in New Zealand primary products through innovation, science, technology, management, and marketing. There is a similar focus in the subject in Year 13, with students looking specifically at the honey industry, dairy industry, and Agribusiness sustainability. “All Year 12 and 13 classes enjoy regular field trips to large primary producers and agricultural businesses, and complete class-based practical activities which reinforce the learning,” says Natasha. As well as preparing students for study and careers in the primary sector, there are some fun events initiated each year by the Agriculture Department. “We hold Gumboot Day, in association with the Boarders’ Assembly, to raise money for I Am Hope; the student-voted Ag Awards; and the StAC Ag Show, which is our main event at the end of Term 3. These events are a great way to bring the wider St Andrew’s community in closer contact with the Agriculture Department and St Andrew’s rural legacy.” Year 9 Agriculture students Jairo Senio, Cameron Sharpe, Charlotte Bax, Sophie Paterson, and Sophie Lampe
Out in the
field
The following former Agriculture students are putting their learning to good use in study and careers beyond school.
(OC 2018) Chase Jordan y year at Masse
Abbey Stokes (OC 2019)
Abbey Stokes says taking Agriculture at St Andrew’s felt like a natural step after coming from a strong family farming background and growing up on a deer farm in Springfield. Today she is putting the skills she learnt in the subject to good use, as part of the Ministry for Primary Industries Graduate Development Programme, where she does six-month rotations through three different teams. Abbey is currently working in the Plant Exports team, which collaborates with industry to increase market access for horticulture products and deal with any issues that arise at overseas borders. Abbey says the broad range of topics covered in Agriculture at St Andrew’s helped her to see the many different career opportunities in the sector. Gathering accurate information from a wide range of sources, and interpreting and communicating this information were skills central to the Agriculture curriculum, which have served Abbey well at university and in the workplace, she says. Abbey singles out Head of Agriculture, Natasha Cloughley, for believing in her and going above and beyond to help grow her academic skills and confidence. She enjoys working in the horticulture space, and would love to explore future career opportunities in this area.
Coming off a dairy farm, Georgia Spark has alw ays been surrounded by hard wo rk and animals. Agriculture wa s her favourite subject at St Andrew’s, and has set her up we ll for her ter tiar y studies at Lincoln University, where she is in the second year of a four-y ear Bachelor of Agricultura l Science degree. She says there are many things that have come up at university she wo uldn’t have understood withou t her knowledge from St An drew’s. Georgia says her Agric ulture teachers at St Andrew’s were passionate about the sub ject, encour aged her to work hard, and were always availab le to have a chat and provide sup por t. She par ticularly enjoyed the practical aspects of the Agricult ure course, including the field trip s which helped to expand her ski lls and knowledge. She also appreciates the opportunities and con nections outside of school she gai ned from the Agriculture pro gramme. Georgia’s degree at Lin coln University includes 28 weeks of practical on-farm wo rk, which is giving her a tas te of dif ferent farming types. She is keen to work on-farm after she graduates, most likely on a high countr y station, worki ng with sheep and beef and usi ng horses and dogs for musters.
Teaching and Learning
Georgia Spark (OC 2021)
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Country town comes to
The annual StAC Ag Show in September was a resounding success, drawing an enthusiastic crowd of spectators and participants, who enjoyed the competitive fun of a traditional A&P Show, and the opportunity to interact with some adorable animals. The Ag Show’s keenly contested competitions saw the artistic, baking, flowering arranging, and even LEGO talents of St Andrew’s students and staff on full display. One of the highlights, was the Best Animal Video category, with the Supreme Award won by Charlotte Donovan (Year 7) for her heart-warming video of her dog. The exceptional flower-arranging skills of Sabine Waghorn (Year 7) saw her named Supreme Winner in the Art section. Teacher in Charge of Chemistry, Santhia Hamburg, was named top baker in the staff baking category. A petting zoo, featuring adorable baby lambs, goats, bunnies, and other animals, was hugely popular, along with the opportunity to pat friendly greyhounds. Head of Agriculture, Natasha Cloughley, says with common threads of agriculture, art, and creativity at the StAC Ag Show, there was something for everyone. “We are grateful to the sponsors and St Andrew’s community for their support of this event. It was great to see the excitement and enjoyment people got out of entering and viewing the various competitions, and connecting with the animals.”
New Christchurch City Mission Food Bank, Transitional Housing and Cafe
Encouraging M ori and
Pasifika entrepreneurship During the 10-week programme, which is a hybrid of a hackathon and start-up weekend, the team, comprising Evangeline McNeill, Te Koha Ware, Elijah Hyde, Portia Bennie (all Year 13), Pippa Witehira, Ruby Beynon (both Year 12) and Hanaatia-Te Kane Hakiwai (Year 9), were mentored every Tuesday morning before school, by Chante Botica with assistance from Raiha Campbell. “We were so fortunate to have Chante. She is an experienced business consultant who together with her husband, Renata Hakiwai, founded the PMP Programme, after seeing the need to encourage more rangitahi into the business and technology sectors,” says Steve. Each session started with a karakia and breakfast, with manaakitanga wrapped around the programme,
Hanaatia-Te Kane Hakiwai (Year 9), Portia Bennie (Year 13) Ruby Beynon, Pippa Witehira (both Year 12), Evangeline McNeill, Elijah Hyde and Te Koha Ware (all Year 13).
he says. “Promoting our culturally diverse students is one of the ways we live our College value of Inclusivity.” As well as exploring entrepreneurship, problem-solving, and digital product design, the students gained exposure to various digital technology programs, including software for brainstorming, meetings, and Lean Canvas, a collaborative tool to help create a business model. Steve says with significant growth in the Māori business world, the benefits of the PMP Programme can’t be underestimated. “Our rangatahi have learned valuable business skills they could apply to their own businesses in the future. They have been enabled with the software, skills, and confidence to push themselves into the Māori business space once they leave school.” With PMP gaining momentum at St Andrew’s, Steve expects it to continue next year. “The Year 12 students involved in the programme will become our leaders next year, and we know of several other students who will be a great fit for the programme. It is only going to grow from here.”
Teaching and Learning
Programming Māori and Pasifika Potential (PMP) is a business incubator established to encourage Māori and Pasifika rangatahi to take a plunge into the world of entrepreneurship. The task for each team in the nationwide competition was to create a digital solution to a social problem. Steve says the team’s original idea didn’t quite fit with all the team members’ passions, so a couple of weeks before they were due to pitch, they switched to a completely new idea. “The team decided to address the problem of falling sports
participation by developing an app which provides enhanced supporter engagement with sports stars and teams on the field, more cameras, zoomed-in camera packages, one-on-one conversations with commentators, and statistics. It has the potential to be sold to a sports broadcaster.”
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Even with a late pivot to a new idea, a group of seven students in the Programming Māori and Pasifika Potential (PMP) Haumi team finished second in the regional finals at Ara, which was a great outcome for a first attempt in the competition, says Teacher in Charge of Business Studies, Steve Aldhamland. “The team pitched really well, and only just missed out on a spot in the national finals.”
TOP STUDENT
SUCCESSES
Congratulations to our students for their outstanding successes across sports, cultural and academic areas.
ACADEMIC
BASKETBALL:
2023
UNIVERSITY SCHOLARSHIPS: 68 awarded
GOLF:
New Zealand Amateur Men’s Champion
ICAS:
2 Medals – Year 7 Writing and Spelling Bee
MATHEMATICS:
Year 12 CMA Competition Winner Year 10 Cantamath Runner Up NZPMC Junior Competition Winner 2 Peter O’Halloran Awards (Top Marks) Australian Mathematics Competition
BUSINESS AND COMMERCE:
RBNZ Monetary Policy Challenge Runner Up PMP Regionals Runner Up
Girls Senior A Runner Up NZSS Junior Boys and Junior Girls Winners SISS
JAZZ BANDS:
Big Band Gold Award ARA Jazzquest Soul Band and Jazz Orchestra Silver Award ARA Jazzquest Best Bassist ARA Jazzquest
DEBATING:
NETBALL:
Senior A NZSS Top 13 Year 9A Winner SISS Junior Tournament Year 10A Runner Up SISS Junior Tournament
FOOTBALL:
Girls 1st XI NZSS Top 7, Winner Canterbury SS
Canterbury Senior Regionals Winner Canterbury Impromptu Cup Winner
FUTSAL:
BALLET:
CRICKET:
Senior Girls Winner Mainland SS Championships Runner Up NZSS Junior Tournament
National finals – 3 first, 1 second, 1 third
5 NZAMD Ballet Scholarship Nominees 2 NZAMD Ballet Award Finalists – 2nd place 5 NZAMD Ballet Distinctions 2 NZSOD Associate Dancer 10 Excellence Awards 7 Senior Ballet Diplomas
MEDIA:
HIGHLAND DANCE:
U18 NZ Champion of Champions 7 Years, 12 Years, U16 Highland Dancer of the Year
TRIATHLON:
Best Cinematography International Youth Silent Film Festival
VEX ROBOTICS:
DUKE OF EDINBURGH’S HILLARY AWARD:
Nationals Top South Island School
16 Gold Awards
CHESS:
NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTATIVES:
SPEECH:
Ngā Manu Kōrero: Senior English Runner Up Rotary Contest Year 6 Division Winner
FUTURE PROBLEM SOLVING:
Canterbury Schools: Secondary Runner Up
DECATHLON:
Year 9 NZ da Vinci Competition Runner Up
NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTATIVES: 1 Recipient
CULTURE
Girls and Boys Team Runners Up SISS
ROGAINE:
Senior Mixed Team Winner NZSS U14 Girls Winner NZSS
ROAD RACE:
Year 9 Girls, U16 Team Winners Canterbury SS
SKIING:
SPORT
Winner CSS Mixed Team Winner Mike Greer Homes Upper Clutha Schools Ski Race Primary team, Primary Fastest Girl Winner ISSA Primary Team Co-ed, Intermediate Team Co-ed, Primary Fastest Girl Winner Primary and Intermediate Schools Cups
ROWING:
SWIMMING:
12 Recipients
CREATIVE WRITING:
National Schools Poetry Award Runner Up x 2
TENNIS:
Girls 18 1x, Girls U15 4x+, Boys U17 4+ Gold NZSS Boys U17 8+ Silver NZSS SISS Championships – 2 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze
HOCKEY:
Girls 1st XI Runner Up NZSS Federation Cup Girls Preparatory School Bronze AIMS Games
PIPE BAND:
CSS Championships 7 podium finishes NZSS Championships 8 podium finishes
ATHLETICS:
NZSS Championships – 1 gold, 1 bronze (Dec 2022) SISS Championships – 3 gold, 3 silver, 2 bronze
CROSS COUNTRY:
U16 Boys Winner SISS Championship
World Pipe Band Championships: Juvenile Third Place
TOUCH:
ORCHESTRA:
Mixed Team Winner SISS
6 students NZSS Symphony Orchestra
TRAP SHOOTING:
STRINGS:
Ladies Skeet Champion North Island Ladies Skeet and 2-person Skeet Team Champions SISS
Winner National Young Performer Award – Cello (PACANZ)
ZONTA AWARDS:
ROCK BAND:
Winner – Category 1 and 6 Highly Commended Category 5 – Girls Senior A basketball and Girls 1st XI hockey
National Finalist Battle of the Bands
NEW ZEALAND REPRESENTATIVES: 18 Recipients
College Productions Trilogy (Ballet Academy) The Little Mermaid (Middle) Bright Star (Senior)
Outstanding Cultural Celebrations Music Festival // Film Fest
New Assistant Head
Middle School demands of being a Dean alongside full-time teaching and provide support where I can. This could be anything from helping students work through issues, to running restoratives, and contacting parents if needed.”
Liz was appointed to the newly created position in Term 1, to support Head of Middle School, Matt Parr, who has also continued as Director of Boarding. “My new role is the culmination of 30 years of teaching and putting everything I’ve learnt into practice around education and student well-being. Being a parent is an added benefit, as I can put myself in everyone’s shoes, from students, to their parents, and teachers.”
This year, Liz is also helping English teacher, James Jenkinson, to prepare for the role of Year 9 Dean in 2024. “It is a big job to come into. James and I have been working closely together for some time to make his transition as smooth as possible.”
Alongside her leadership role providing operational support to Matt Parr, Liz has continued as the Year 9 Dean this year. She says the switch from being a full-time teacher to having just one Year 9 English class to teach, has been transformative. “I’ve lost two classes, which has freed me up significantly. I’m able to provide the necessary back up for Matt and the other Deans and can deal with any issues that arise much faster.” A key aspect of the role is supporting Year 10 and Year 11 Deans, Lucy Curtis and Dayna Stirling. “I understand the
Liz says becoming a Dean at St Andrew’s is a ‘wonderful opportunity’ for teachers interested in pastoral care. “Each year, a new person starts as the Year 9 Dean and stays with the same cohort of students right up to Year 13. The College recognises people who are good communicators, have a good sense of humour, take the initiative, and have the ability to recognise pressure points.” Liz started as a Year 9 Dean in 2017 and in 2021/22 had two years in a row with Year 13 students, after their previous Dean, Sarah Bishop left. “You get to know the students really well over their entire secondary schooling, and it’s exciting to see them ready to fly by Year 13.”
With three years’ experience as a Dean in the Senior College, Liz brings a unique perspective to supporting Middle School students who might be struggling with future academic or career pathways. “Having a holistic overview means I can sometimes suggest options in the Senior College a student may not be aware of, or can give examples of how we helped other students in a similar position when they were in Year 12 or 13.” Liz’s career at St Andrew’s began in 2014, when she joined the College as an English/Media teacher. She has enjoyed working under leaders like Head of Senior College, John Ruge, and former Head of Middle School, Mikae Tuu’u, and is relishing the opportunity to work alongside Matt Parr. “Matt and I go a long way back, as he was a student at Christchurch Boys’ High School when I taught there, and we were later both involved with boarding at the school. Now I teach Matt’s son which is quite a turnaround. Matt is a fantastic communicator and working with him, and the rest of the Deans is great. I love my job.” New Assistant Head of Middle School Liz Gormack (second left) with incoming 2024 Year 9 Dean James Jenkinson, Year 10 Dean Lucy Curtis, and Year 11 Dean Dayna Stirling.
Teaching and Learning
With over three decades as a teacher, including seven years as a Dean at St Andrew’s College, Liz Gormack brings a wealth of experience to the Assistant Head of Middle School role.
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of
Academic
successes
Academic House Competition There was fierce competition in the Cantamath-style Academic House Competition. Academic Captain, Daniel Robertson (Year 13), was emcee for the event which he organised alongside fellow Academic Captains, Annika MacDonald and Gemma Lewis (both Year 13). The event was a huge success and was won by Erwin House.
Brain Bee James Anthony and Daniel Officer (both Year 11) were part of a composite team that placed third at the 2023 South Island Brain Bee at Otago University.
Cantamath Three Year 9 and three Year 10 teams competed in the prestigious Cantamath competition. The Year 9 StAC1 team finished third and was one of only three teams to be awarded a golden ticket for answering all 20 questions correctly. In the Year 10 competition, StAC1 finished second and also won a golden ticket.
Chess Samuel Rijpma (Year 5) won the Year 5 category at the Canterbury Individual Interschool Chess Competitions.
Creative Writing Drew Castles and Jonah Cropp (both Year 13) were named as finalists in the National Schools’ Poetry Award 2023, placing them in the top ten Year 12 and 13 writers in the country. Drew and Jonah travelled to Wellington to claim their prizes and attend a poetry masterclass at Te Herenga Waka, Victoria University. The following students have had their work selected for publication in the New Zealand Poetry Society 2023 anthology: • Charlotte Galvan (Year 10), with her poem Tangaroa; • Luke Manson (Year 10), with his poem The Game Goes On; • Charlotte Bull (Year 11), with her poem Strange Symphony; • Xanthe Ward (Year 10), with her poem Painting with Tangaroa; • Cherry Zhou (Year 12), with her poem The Mouse and the Lion;
• Freddy Todhunter (Year 13), with her haiku earthquake; • Bede Miller (Year 13) with his haiku the river flows fast. In the New Zealand Poetry Society International Poetry Competition 2023, the following students were awarded in the Haiku Junior Section: • Runner-Up: Jenna Howell (Year 12), with stage lights blind; • Highly Commended: Cameron Scott (Year 13) with almost sundown; Rylee McBride (Year 11) with one last breath; • Commended: Amy Hughes (Year 13) with flower to flower; Charlize Smith (Year 11) with walking home; Daniel Dolan (Year 13) with phone battery low; Alfred Lash (Year 5) with a flit and a flot; • Commended in Open Junior Section Primary/Intermediate: Heidi Smith (Year 9) with Medusa. The following students had writing accepted for publication in Toitoi. Sam Wilton (Year 9) for Rugby Practice, Katrina Wallis (Year 9) for Dad, and Georgia Blyde (Year 3) for her poem Lake Benmore. Thomas Butterfield (Year 13) and Luke Manson (Year 10) had poems published in the National Poetry Day Given Words Competition. Tom’s poem, rainbow like the trout, was judged in the Adult category, while Luke’s poem, Non-Euclidean Geometry was judged in the Youth section. Radha Gamble (Year 9) had a haiku published in Rattle Young Poets Anthology, the most prestigious American publication for children’s writing. Taylor Gordon (Year 10), Hanxi (Cicy) Chen (Year 9) and Georgia Blyde (Year 3) won silver awards in The Royal Commonwealth Society’s prestigious Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition 2023. Luke Manson, Charlotte Galvan, Katie Chan, Liam Symes, Alice Howard and Oliver Barker (all Year 10) won bronze awards in the same competition.
Debating At the Canterbury Impromptu Debating Competition, StAC1 comprising Luke Wylie (Year 13) and James Hart (Year 12)
James Hart (Year 12) and Luke Wylie (Year 13)
were undefeated, beating Riccarton High School in the final. This is the fifth year in a row St Andrew’s has won this tournament. At the Canterbury Junior Regionals Tournament, StAC 1, comprised of Joshua Adams, Olivia Bloom and Cameron Aldridge (all Year 11) finished an impressive third, narrowly losing in the semi-finals. Joshua Adams was named a top-five speaker at the tournament. At the Canterbury Secondary Schools’ Debating Competition, the StAC White team of Luke Wylie, Emily Keith (both Year 13) and James Hart (Year 12) beat StAC Blue (Harry Anderson, Mia Fraser (both Year 13) and Liam Hackston (Year 12) in the semi-final to qualify for the final against St Margaret’s College, which was eventually won by St Margaret’s.
Economics A team of Year 13 Economics students, Lachlan Odlin, Finlay FairweatherLogie, Jedd Bright, Luke Wylie and Thomas MacLean, won second place at the Reserve Bank of New Zealand’s 2023 Monetary Policy Challenge, which asked students to suggest what the next direction of the Official Cash Rate (OCR) should be, and when that should take place.
French Isobel Forsey (Year 12) won the Alliance Française Year 12 French Speaking Competition for Canterbury.
Mathematics Alex and Luke Manson (both Year 10) competed in the South Island Finals of the New Zealand Physics and Mathematics Competition (NZPMC). In the Junior category (Years 9–11), Luke came first, and Alex came fourth. Joshua Exon (Year 10) achieved a top 30 placing in New Zealand in the University of Otago Junior Mathematics Competition, out of 4800 Year 9–11 students throughout New Zealand. The StAC A team of Bryan Cooper, James Hart, Aaron Moore and Chantelle Xiong (all Year 12) won the CMA Year 12 Mathematics Competition.
The best of children’s literature was celebrated in the Preparatory School during Te Wiki o Ngā Pukapuka – Book Week at the end of Term 3. This year’s theme was ‘Who’s Your Hero’, and focused activities on book characters admired for their courage, strength, leadership, and kindness. The week got off to a great start with a visit from award-winning New Zealand author, Maria Gill, who captivated the students with stories of New Zealand wildlife and real-life New Zealand heroes. She also shared her secrets for writing wonderful creative non-fiction stories. Another highlight was the spectacular Book Parade which saw staff and students parade across the campus dressed as their favourite book characters. Throughout the week, classes, library sessions, and lunchtimes were filled with literary quizzes, competitions, and creative activities that kept everyone entertained. The Preparatory School Book Club hosted a lunch in the Preparatory School Library with storytelling and some particularly difficult book challenges. Year 7–8 students were invited to place their Uber Reads orders for some great reads chosen for them by the library staff. Overall It was another wonderful week of literary adventures, which was enjoyed by all.
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Book Week
Teaching and Learning
Te Wiki o Ng Pukapuka –
Pre-school children and teacher, Ashleigh Gargiulo (left), enjoying the Loopy Tunes session with Leah Williams-Partington and Siu Williams-Lemi.
The magical
influence of
The Pre-school children loved their time with musical sister duo, Leah Williams-Partington and Siu WilliamsLemi of Loopy Tunes, who visited in Term 3, says Head of Pre‑school, Mandy Jenkins. “The tamariki were super engaged and focused during this fantastic interactive session. The children were invited to sing along, use props, copy actions, sing in te reo, and use sign language, with lots of opportunities to get up and dance. Seeing how engaged they were has encouraged us to continue to incorporate lots of music into our daily rhythm.” Music is already an integral part of the Pre-school’s learning programme, and is one of the first things the children experience on their arrival each day. “We usually start our shared group time in the morning with a song or dance. The children also love to explore musical instruments together. As well as being enjoyable, fun, and engaging, music has so many benefits. It encourages the children to be expressive and creative, supports their language development, and provides collaborative learning opportunities.” Music also provides a link to home cultures and other languages, including te reo Māori and sign language, she says. “As a team, we have been committed to learning more sign language and a number of songs together, which we pass on to the tamariki. It’s just one example of how our kaiako are lifelong learners and embrace the challenge of building their confidence in integrating music into the learning programme.
Teacher, Emma Richards, is a singer and did a Performing Arts degree before going into Early Childhood Education. She is passionate about introducing new musical experiences to the Pre-school. “Not only does music spark joy for the children, it is such a great learning tool. Sometimes we sing instructions to children rather than say them, as they often respond better to the repetitive nature of a song. Music also helps them to develop memory and social skills, creativity, and encourages teamwork,” she says. Emma has reintroduced nursery rhymes for the younger children, which is having positive benefits, says Mandy. “Nursery rhymes almost fell out of favour in the teaching world, but now speech and language therapists and other experts have recognised the value in these traditional rhymes and songs, and how beneficial they are in supporting language development in young children.” Music is Emma’s speciality as part of her Professional Growth Cycle, which is an opportunity for all kaiako with a particular passion for something, to bring their authentic self into the learning programme and share their enthusiasm. Emma undertakes regular Professional Development on music initiatives, says Mandy. “We often find our kaiako’s Professional Growth Cycle passions widen into whole-Pre-school goals which are enthusiastically embraced by all. This is definitely true of Emma and her love of music.”
Yejun, Katie and Huxley having fun with musical instruments.
The wonderful world of
bees
Key learnings during the inquiry included the life cycle of a bee, labelling the parts of a bee, identifying the three different castes of honeybees, different types of bees including native bees, pollination, describing how bees make honey, and discussing the different roles bees play. There were lots of practical opportunities for the children during the inquiry. They enjoyed trying on bee suits, tasting different types of pollen and honey, learning about the different Year 3 students Jasper Hao, Benjamin Baddeley, Iaera Abrahamson, Geneva Walker, and teacher, Marlene Van der Bent in the hive enclosure at the Climate Action Campus.
Year 3 teachers, Marlene Van der Bent and Isaac Leota, took their classes to the Climate Action Campus to conclude the bee inquiry where small groups of children at a time were kitted out in full PPE to see the bees and hives up close in the hive enclosure, and learn more from Kathryn Jer. “It was a special experience that the students, parent helpers, and teachers will never forget,” says Marlene. Year 3 student, Iaera Abrahamson, said she was a bit nervous when she first went into the bee enclosure but soon found it fun. “The bees landed all over me, but I felt well protected in my bee suit.” Year 1 teacher, Anna Wylie, says learning about the critical role of bees has changed the children’s viewpoint of them. “The children may have seen bees as scary things that sting before, but now they understand the bees’ bigger purpose, they are more likely to say, ‘thank you bee’.” Head of Junior Department, Heather Orman, says the whole-Department focus has been one of the best things about the inquiry. “We’ve had a shared focus as a teaching group,
Top: Year 2 students performing during the assembly (from left) Sebastian Swettenham, Alexander Whitehead, Zoe Johnstone (obscured) and Tyler Wan. Bottom: Year 1 students during their performance at the special bee inquiry-related Junior Assembly.
resulting in so many learning conversations. It’s been great for everybody and there has been a nice buzz in the department.” Now the children understand how critical bees are for people and the planet, the final stage of the inquiry was to consider how we can help the bees, says Heather. “It was important for us to come away with some actions to ensure we are looking after bees into the future.”
Teaching and Learning
The inquiry, which took place throughout Term 3, was supported by apiarist and teacher, Kathryn Jer, of Clever Little Bees, who visited the Junior Department for several personalised sessions with the different year groups. “On her first visit, Kathryn brought a live observational hive for the children to see, which really ignited the inquiry. During this session we discovered what the children already knew about bees and what they would like to know. They asked some really great questions, which fuelled the direction the inquiry eventually took,” says Head of Junior Syndicate, Heather Orman.
parts of a beehive, and examining some of the other equipment used by beekeepers.
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Bee facts, songs, rhymes, and even PowerPoint presentations were shared excitedly by Year 1–3 students at a special assembly in the Junior Department in mid-September, following a highly engaging bee inquiry.
The Preparatory School ski team on the slopes.
Success on the slopes The Preparatory School ski team had one of its most successful seasons ever in 2023, with some significant individual and team results, including Fastest Girl, Boy, and Team titles at multiple events. The Middle Syndicate has made a big contribution to the team effort, with 13 out of 30 team members being Year 4–6 students. Year 6 teacher, Lori Haisty, took over the management of the team in 2022, following the retirement of Art Specialist, Pip Dinsenbacher, who managed it for several years. “I’m thrilled with the results. We have some brilliant young skiers from Years 0–8 in the Preparatory School who are already training most weekends. It’s great to have them represent the school as well.” Lori is a passionate skier and snowboarder herself and has enjoyed being on the slopes with the children at the various events. “It’s great to spend time with the children in a different environment. We’ve encouraged quite a few of our more social skiers to join the team this year and they’ve done really well.” Two Middle Syndicate stars of the team are Alessandria Greer (Year 4) who was the Overall Fastest Girl in her age group, and the fastest of all Year 1–8 skiers, at the both ISSA Schools’ Ski Race at Porters Ski Area and the Primary and Intermediate Schools’
Ski Race at Mt Cheeseman; and her sister Isabelle (Year 6) who regularly won her age group events and was the fastest of all Year 1–8 skiers at the team’s final competition at Cardrona. The girls teamed up with their sister, Francesca Greer (Year 3) and Luke Russell (Year 5) to win the fastest Co‑Ed team in their age group at Porters Ski Area. The three sisters won the same event at Mt Cheeseman with Rhys Seath (Year 6) and Archer Bryant (Year 4), and with Archer Bryant at Cardrona. At the South Island Giant Slalom Championships at Mt Hutt, Alessandria Greer won the U10 event, and Francesca Greer won the U8 event. Alessandria and Isabella Greer have also won three National Schools’ titles between them this year. Alessandria Greer says she has been skiing since she was 18 months old, and entered her first competitive race in 2021, when she was in Year 2. She is excited about her results this year and enjoys being part of the Preparatory School ski team. “It’s good because we get to see our friends when we are competing and that helps to take my mind off it if I get a bit nervous about racing.”
Lori says the ski team offers many opportunities for students, particularly from the Junior and Middle Syndicates, who have fewer opportunities to travel with their sports. “We have an awesome team environment. The older students help the little ones, and we get great help from parents, who also enjoy getting to know each other at the events. Everyone supports each other and makes some new friends along the way.” Year 6 teacher, Lori Haisty, with (from left) Isabella Greer (Year 6), Alessandria Greer (Year 4), Francesca Greer (Year 3) and Luke Russell (Year 5)
electricity
In Term 3, all Year 7 classes, and two Year 8 classes took part in the dynamic and competitive Power Challenge, which taught them about the wonderful world of electricity, says teacher, Christina Fitzgerald, who runs the Practical Science programme in the Preparatory School. “The students really enjoyed the programme. It is part of Engineering New Zealand’s Wonder Project, which aims to spark wonder in students from Years 5–13 and get them excited about a future career path in STEM, which has a current skills shortage across the country.” During the six-week Power Challenge, the students learnt about electricity, how it is generated, moved, and used across Aotearoa. Their task was to design and build a wind turbine and use the electricity it generated to light up a mini town, which featured on an LED board. One of the unique aspects of the programme is that Engineering New Zealand partners with STEM
professionals to visit schools and work directly with teachers and the students to grow their skills and confidence. “We had six incredible and inspiring local engineers work with our budding STEM enthusiasts to build and test their wind turbines. One of them was Old Collegian, Mitchell Davis (OC 2018), currently an engineer with DETA, who also shared with the students how his experiences learning Science at St Andrew’s helped to shape his future career path.” Oliver McArdle from DETA, Susan Paul from WSP, Alex Gillon from Stantec, Tim Preston from GHD, and Stuart McGirr from ElectroNet were the other engineers involved with the programme. “Each class collaborated twice weekly with their STEM professional, either in the classroom, or during a Teams session with the engineer in their workplace or even out in the field. With their expert support and knowledge, the students gained invaluable learning opportunities,” says Christina.
Left: Year 7 students Pippa Crozier, Chelsea Li and Addison Fleming with STEM professional, Susan Paul from WSP. Right: STEM professional, Tim Preston from GHD with Year 8 students (clockwise from top) Sarah McCarthy, Kalisa Zhang, Spencer Sanderson and Maja Clark.
Year 7 student, Frederick Williams, enjoyed the interactive nature of the project, and planning and building the wind turbine. Freya Manuel (Year 7) said it was fun to be part of a team and coming up with their own designs to generate the most power. Year 7 student, Levi Currie, said he learnt ‘a whole lot of new concepts’ for powering the next generation of New Zealand. As well as learning about renewable and non-renewable energies and potential STEM career options, the Power Challenge programme gave the students hope for the future, says Christina. “The students could see how lucky we are in New Zealand in terms of the natural resources, which could sustain us in the future if we continue to move down the renewable energy path.”
Teaching and Learning
to
The engineers helped each group to design, build, test, and refine their wind turbines. The sixth and final session was called Power Up, when each team’s turbine was tested to see which could generate the most electricity and light up the largest part of the mini town. “All the teams were successful in generating electricity, and most were able to light up six to eight buildings. The students enjoyed figuring out how to modify their turbine blades during the programme to get the best results.”
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Switching on
Unsung heroes work
under the radar
St Andrew’s is renowned for its stunning environment, with impressive buildings and teaching and learning centres, nestled on 13 hectares of beautiful park-like grounds. People and Business Manager, Justine Scott, says a huge amount of work goes on behind the scenes to keep the campus in tip-top shape, and functioning at its best for students, staff, and the community. “With a significant number of buildings including 120 classrooms to maintain, and the high standards that are expected of our grounds and gardens, Facilities Manager, Mark McGregor, and his team do an amazing job keeping the campus looking and performing at its best. They are among the College’s unsung heroes.” Mark McGregor joined St Andrew’s as the Facilities Manager 10 years ago and says the continual development of the campus over that period is a highlight. “The campus is very impressive, and we haven’t stopped building since I’ve been here. I enjoy being part of the planning and design phase of new
projects, attending site meetings, and acting as a liaison with the contractors during construction.” The Grounds and Facilities team has six permanent staff with two very distinct roles – grounds maintenance and facilities maintenance. Mark oversees both sides of the operation, but in his day-to-day role, is more practically involved with the College’s vertical infrastructure. He is well supported by Head Groundskeeper, Mike Seaward, who manages the Grounds team. “Mike has just clocked up over 30 years at the College and does a fantastic job . As well as keeping the grounds highly presentable, the Grounds team look after the sports fields, which is a significant ongoing project. College Custodian, Mike Johnston, supports the team by doing a lot of great work on the cricket wickets. Mike Seaward has introduced lots of new initiatives which have really improved how we operate in the grounds maintenance space.” The College is fully irrigated to optimise water efficiency. All gardens are on controllers and a drip feed system comes on at night to minimise water usage. In 1996, 72 popup sprinklers
Heads Groundsperson Mike Seaward; Property Maintenance 2IC Perry Storr; Contractor Grounds Ady Simmons; Grounds and Maintenance Team Member Ryan McEwan; Contractor Gardens Bridget Tempero; Building Maintenance and Grounds Team Member Robbie Lange; College Custodian Mike Johnston; Facilities Manager Mark McGregor Absent: Grounds and Maintenance Team Member Sally-James Houlahan
were introduced on the front fields, and an Aquaflex monitoring system was introduced in 2009 to take accurate soil temperature and moisture readings. In 2022, this was replaced with a new satellite image system, which monitors moisture, temperature, salinity, and soil fertility. “The present irrigation system on the front field is being updated with new more efficient and reliable sprinklers, which can be operated by Bluetooth to improve water control. We’ve also introduced the latest technology in wetting agents with excellent results” says Mike Seaward. Contract arborists assist the Grounds team with tree maintenance. The health and maintenance of Strowan Stream is also looked after by the Grounds team. Mike places a big emphasis on sustainability, and health and safety, especially when it comes to the
The boarding houses add a level of complexity, given they are regularly leased out during term breaks, says Mark. “There are lots of challenges, but we all work in together with College and Boarding management to get the work done.” The Facilities team uses the latest technology to provide efficiencies including the Frankie maintenance request system, says Mark. “Any
Mark and his team are responsible for all the buildings’ Warrants of Fitness at the College, and also at Castle Hill, where they maintain the buildings and do a lot of work to ensure building compliance. The new Drop Zone area for picking up and dropping off students was another project that fell under the Facilities team, which has resulted in a ‘massive gain’ from a healthy and safety perspective. In the facilities area, Mark is supported by 2IC, Perry Storr. “Perry is my right-hand man on the buildings side and does a lot of the contractor engagement work. He is also the driving force behind the purchase, maintenance, and safety of the College’s vans and trailers,
Facilities Manager, Mark McGregor and Head Groundskeeper, Mike Seaward are instrumental in keeping the St Andrew’s campus looking and operating at its best.
and is really proactive when it comes to recycling around the campus.” The Grounds and Facilities teams also look after the various houses owned by the College, which are lived in by House tutors and staff, both on campus, and in the nearby vicinity. Mark says doing their work ‘under the radar’ is the way it should be for the Grounds and Facilities team. “We are lucky to have such great staff who are passionate about the College and presenting the campus and buildings to a high standard. We couldn’t do it without them and are very lucky to also have such great support from College management.”
Resources and Environment
Carrying out building maintenance on a large, bustling campus with over 2000 people moving around, takes careful planning, says Facilities Manager, Mark McGregor. “It’s definitely a challenge to do the work alongside student activity. During the school terms we do a lot of planning, so we can complete most of the maintenance projects during the term breaks, unless there is a safety issue, then we figure out how to get the job done straight away. We’re lucky to have a loyal, long-term contractor base, who understands our work environment and accommodates that.”
issues come in via the system, are processed by us, and allocated to contractors or staff via the Frankie app. All our new builds and most of our existing buildings have a building management system (BMS) which controls when the heating and external lighting are turned on and off, which has resulted in power savings and extends the life of the mechanical plant in the buildings.”
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products used in various areas of the campus. “All products are organic and safe for the operator as well as pupils and the environment".
Pipe Band third in the
Facing fierce competition, the St Andrew’s College Pipe Band played exceptionally well at the Pipe Band World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, to finish third in the Juvenile Grade (Under 18). It was a remarkable achievement to finish in the top three out of 45 Juvenile bands competing at the World Championships, against the ‘best of the best’. St Andrew’s was the sole New Zealand representative in the Juvenile section and was one of only five bands out of the 45 to qualify for the top Juvenile grade, against four seriously competitive Scottish bands.
world
After an outstanding performance of their March, Strathspey and Reel, the band knew they had given their absolute best, and the third placing was an exciting reward, says Pipe Band Director, Richard Hawke. “The band played incredibly well on the day. It is made up of a very talented group in both the pipe and drum sections, albeit on the younger side compared to our Scottish competitors. With the cancellation of our trip in 2020, this meant it was first time competing in Scotland at the World Championships for all our students. It was an adventure into the unknown, and I thought everyone performed under the pressure of the occasion extremely well. After a great performance it was fantastic to end up a very close third behind George Watson’s College who finished second, and the clear winners, Dollars Academy.”
“For all of us, life has presented its challenges over the past three years with many events being restricted or cancelled due to COVID-19. As a band, we have adapted and continued our strong Pipe Band teaching programme at the College. An event like the World Championships provided the tutors with strong motivation to keep developing our individual students to the best of their ability. The team really had no idea of the scale of the event they were about to be part of. To perform as they did and to be so well rewarded is a true testament to this amazing group,” says Richard. Rector, Christine Leighton, who was with the Pipe Band at the World Championships, says the third placing was a ‘truly phenomenal’ effort. “The competition was fierce, and the band played superbly, giving a top-level performance. When they finished their piece, you could see they were thrilled with their performance and there
were grins all round. Not only this, but the band were also an absolute pleasure to be around for the whole trip. They were inclusive, helpful, disciplined, and focused, having fun, and grateful for the great trip that was organised for them. A huge thank you to Pipe Band Director, Richard Hawke, and the band’s tutors and instructors whose skill and dedication contributed to St Andrew’s being superbly represented on the world stage.” Overall, it was an exciting two weeks in Scotland for the Pipe Band and their supporters, who combined sightseeing with the business end of the competition. During the first week, the group visited Stirling Castle, the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and the Edinburgh Military Tattoo. The band also visited the ruins of St Andrews Cathedral, where Rector, Christine Leighton, shared the rich history of St Andrew’s College and the significance of the School Song. A special highlight was the band’s performance at the Cathedral Ruins where they entertained a large crowd with a bracket of tunes as the sun shone down on the spectacular surroundings. In their warm-up for the World Championships, the band competed in the North Berwick competition, where they secured victory in the Juvenile drumming and an impressive second
place overall. At the Perth Highland Games, the drum corps clinched another victory, and the band achieved second place in the Juvenile event. The St Andrew’s Pipe Band staff and the 40 or so parents who went on the trip also had a superb time. A core group of staff worked incredibly hard looking after the students’ meals, washing, organising, and providing support. This wasn’t the only success for the St Andrew’s touring party at the World Championships. Several band staff competed in Grade 1 as part of the Canterbury Caledonian Band. In this highly competitive grade of the top 19 bands, the Caledonian Band came a highly creditable 10th place. The ‘Cale’ band included Pipe Band Director, Richard Hawke; Pipe Band Manager, Graeme Bryce; drumming tutors, Jamie McEwan and Tiffany Gilchrist, and casual drumming tutor, Brady Swann, plus many other Old Collegians including Jamie Hawke (OC 2006) as the Pipe Major. “While we didn’t come home as World Champions, we take great pride in knowing we are among the best in the world. The lasting memories of the different places we visited, the friendships formed, and the cutting edge of pipe band competitions will be with us all for a very long time.”
Values and Culture
The Pipe Band students, along with Richard Hawke, and the band’s tutors and instructors, had dedicated over two years in preparation for the championships. The event itself was a real spectacle, with over 35,000 spectators over the two days of competition to witness 5000 competitors in 190 bands, from 15 countries performing.
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Otaki Scholars visits St Andrews’s College has a longstanding relationship with Robert Gordon’s College in Aberdeen, Scotland, and for many years has been visited by its Otaki Scholars, boys chosen by the Scottish school to spend six weeks in New Zealand visiting various schools.
In 2023, St Andrew’s was pleased to host Otaki Scholars past and present, starting with a visit earlier in the year by Graeme Reaper, who had spent time at St Andrew’s when he was the 1968 Robert Gordon’s College Otaki Scholar. Graeme enjoyed touring the College, and connecting with Rector, Christine Leighton, Head Prefect, Torin Ward and Deputy Head Prefect, Lachlan Odlin. In early August, Rector, Christine Leighton, and the Head Prefects hosted the current Otaki Scholars, Anish Subramaniam and Matthew Cranfield, who visited nine schools as part of their six-week adventure touring New Zealand. “The boys were great company and enjoyed being shown the sights of Christchurch, and the friendship of our four Heads of College and two Heads of Boarding,” says Christine.
The best of Scottish culture and performance was on full display at a packed James Hay Theatre on Sunday 30 July, when StAC Attack returned to the Christchurch Town Hall. There was a brilliant atmosphere as audience members enjoyed spectacular performances from 108 Pipe Band students from Years 3–13 (including two Old Collegians from 2022) supported by 20 St Andrew’s College Highland dancers, and the New Zealand Champion Grade 1 Pipe Band – Canterbury Caledonian (over half of whom are Old Collegians). It was the biggest group of performers yet for this highly anticipated annual event. There was fantastic feedback from audience numbers, with many commenting on how much they enjoyed the items with the combined Pipe Band and Highland dancers; and seeing the learners perform. StAC Attack was a wonderful warmup for the senior members of the Pipe Band, before they headed off to perform and compete at the World Pipe Band Championships in Glasgow.
StAC
Attack
Jack Flanagan and Megan Simpson (both Year 12) at Robert Burns’ grave at Dumfries, Scotland.
Robert Burns
Scholars
St Andrew’s sent its first scholars to Scotland in 2006, and since 2018, the programme has been named the Robert Burns Scholars in recognition of the beloved 17th century Scottish poet. Rector, Christine Leighton, says Jack and Megan returned with warm tales of Scottish hospitality, a greater appreciation of St Andrew’s Scottish heritage, and they were ‘great ambassadors’ for the College. After arriving in Scotland, Jack and Megan separated to visit the first five schools on their individual itineraries. This saw them visit various parts of Scotland, including Edinburgh, St Andrew’s, Elgin, Crieff, Dunblane, Aberdeen, Perth, and Dundee. They met back in Edinburgh at the end of the trip to attend George Heriot’s School together. During the adventure, they enjoyed a mixture of homestays and boarding, which was a new experience for them both, says Megan, who is one of the College’s most talented footballers, having represented New Zealand. “I boarded at Strathallan and Gordonstoun which are both international schools.
There were 29 different languages spoken in the boarding house at Gordonstoun, and I got to know people from many different backgrounds. I also participated in a load of different activities that I wouldn’t normally, like coast guarding, water polo, rock climbing, and netball, because they were all run onsite.”
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Megan says the ‘conversations, connections and memories’ she made with new friends was also a highlight of her experience. She particularly enjoyed visiting Edinburgh, where she visited her grandparents who live in the city, while a trip to Stirling Castle with her billets was another highlight. “Stirling Castle was incredible. It was crazy to think of the history and who would have stood in the exact same place hundreds of years ago.”
Values and Culture
“Life-changing”, is how Year 12 student, Jack Flanagan describes the three-week adventure to Scotland he and Megan Simpson (also Year 12) experienced as the 2023 Robert Burns Scholars. “I’ve grown a lot of confidence, knowing I can go to the other side of the world pretty much alone and visit a completely new school and meet new people every four or five days. There were so many highlights, but the connections and friendships I made for life were the most special.”
Jack, who is a gifted actor, singer and musician also enjoyed the opportunity to try new things, including water sports, haggis, and theatre. “I went to all the Drama classes, saw the Dracula show in Edinburgh, which was incredible, and had a private tour of a theatre.” Another highlight was their visit to the Robert Burns Centre at Dumfries, as well as seeing Burns’ grave, former home, and farm. Jack and Megan enjoyed dinner at The Globe with the presidents of various Robert Burns clubs and societies, shared stories, and exchanged poems, including Jack singing a rendition of Burns’ classic poem, A Red Red Rose. “We both did the school haka, and the evening ended with traditional Scottish singing and dancing of Auld Lang Syne,” says Megan. Both students are grateful to all who contributed to the scholarship, particularly Director of International Students and Exchanges, Palē Tauti; Rector, Christine Leighton and Rob Bruce-Barron (OC 1953) whose generosity in sponsoring the scholarships makes the trip possible.
Top: Megan Simpson (Year 12) with homestay family members at Stirling Castle. Bottom: Jack Flanagan (Year 12) with members of his homestay family in Dundee.
and youngest student orchestra he has conducted during his 25 shows at St Andrew’s. “I cannot overstate what a challenge this show was for these young musicians and the immense amount of work they put in to being able to learn the complex score and perform it so well. It has been a privilege working with such talented, dedicated, and hardworking young musicians.”
There was unprecedented demand for the Middle School production of The Little Mermaid, which sold out five weeks before the show opened. The anticipation was well-founded, with the performers enjoying a lengthy standing ovation and wildly enthusiastic cheering from the audience at the end of the show’s epic first night. The Little Mermaid is a much-loved tale, first published by Hans Christian Andersen in 1837, and in more recent times, reshaped by Disney as both a film and stage show. Director, Ginnie Thorner, says it is a story of family, love and finding the courage to follow your
dreams, stand up for what you believe in, and support others as they follow their calling. “For our team, courage was taking very young musicians and believing they could play this challenging music, along with students stepping into roles backstage and on the stage – some of whom had never been involved in a show before.” Gym 1 was transformed into a magical underwater wonderland, with a vivid set and stunning, colourful costumes created by Costume Designer, Sylvia Campbell, creating a treat for the senses. The fun, fast-paced, and often challenging choreography created by Hana Pearce (OC 2019) brought the infectious musical numbers to life. Along with incredible performances from the young cast of Years 9–10 students, the live music played by The Hot Crustacean Band, made up of students from Years 6–12 was a highlight. Musical Director, Duncan Ferguson, says this was the largest
Ginnie says staging The Little Mermaid was a mammoth task for many other reasons. “The show had so many moving parts, costumes that had to be designed and created from scratch, rehearsal spaces for dance and acting that were nothing like the final space we worked in, and of course, the show taking place in Gym 1. The creative team, volunteers, and parent helpers were unwavering in their dedication to go above and beyond for the students to ensure what the audiences saw onstage exemplified both creativity and excellence.” The result of all the hard work was a sell-out run of fabulous shows which immersed audiences in the magical, mesmerising world of Disney.
The entire cast, including the Ensemble, and six students from the Preparatory School, gave their all and did a wonderful job bringing the show to life. The musical numbers, including fan favourites, Part of Your World, Under the Sea, Kiss the Girl, and Poor Unfortunate Souls, had the audiences’ toes tapping.
Eden Taylor (Year 9) was exceptional as Ariel. The maturity and strength of her voice, combined with her incredible stage presence and portrayal of Ariel’s bravery and vulnerability, meant her performance could have graced any professional stage. Scarlett Ryan (Year 10) shone as the scheming sorceress, Ursula, who convinced Ariel to trade her beautiful voice for a set of legs so she could be with Prince Eric above the sea. Scarlett did a wonderful job playing the devilish character and sang beautifully. She was well supported by her slick electric eel sidekicks, Flotsam (Miran Yamada – Year 10) and Jetsam (Piper Stone – Year 9) who had great voices and inhabited their characters with clever fluid movements. As Prince Eric, Cooper Fleming (Year 10) was perfectly cast. He had a lovely mellow singing voice and was totally believable in his character’s quest for true love and a desire to follow his own path. Charlie Bisphan (Year 10) also did a great job as Eric’s guardian, Grimsby.
Some of the show’s quirkier sea creature characters stood out – particularly Edward Keenan (Year 9) who was brilliant as the crab, Sebastian, tasked with the impossible job of looking after Ariel; George Ranken (Year 9) who was delightful as Ariel’s lovelorn friend, Flounder; and Scarlett Oulsnam (Year 9) who was hilarious as the scene-stealing seagull, Scuttle. The over-the-top slapstick number Les Poissons, featuring a wonderful Sylvia James (Year 10) as murderous Chef Louis was another highlight. Jinyang Zhang (Year 10) had a commanding presence and impressive singing voice as the stern but good King Triton. Alyssa Huang (Year 9), Isla Kempthorne (Year 10), RuoLin (Lauren) Li (Year 9), Zuzu Connelly (Year 9), Isabella Cutforth (Year 9) and Emily Watt (Year 10) displayed great comic timing as Ariel’s six sisters, and harmonised beautifully in their song and dance numbers. With the evil villain finally vanquished and true love prevailing, audiences were treated to the perfect fairytale ending to an incredible show.
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The story of The Little Mermaid follows the classic Disney formula of star-crossed love. Ariel, a spirited red-haired mermaid who is the daughter of King Triton, and Eric, a handsome sea-faring prince, fall for each other. However, their path to true love is never going to run smoothly, given they are from different worlds, and have Ariel’s scheming sea witch aunt, Ursula to contend with.
Values and Culture
Young performers excel
Leaders in boarding Student leadership in boarding continues to go from strength to strength, with many boarders embracing the opportunity to take on leadership roles, including in the wider College, says Director of Boarding, Matt Parr. “We’ve been deliberate about boarders stepping up to lead and are definitely seeing the results. From our cohort of 38 Year 12 boarders, 20 have applied to be College prefects in 2024, which is fantastic. We are hopeful a good number of them will get in.” The Heads of Boarding and House Leaders have a significant impact in boarding, organising and leading a wide range of events, including the Boarders’ House Weekend at the start of each year. “All of our Year 13 boarders are regarded as kaiāwhina, and are expected to role model good behaviour. They also do a great job of organising the highly anticipated Boarders’ Assembly each year.”
inspire
A popular House event, called Smarts, Arts and Jocks, was run by the House Leaders and Year 13 leaders in August. It was a fun way for the boarding houses to accumulate points for the sought after Dianne Needham Trophy, awarded to the winning house at the end of the year. “A quiz, TikTok style challenge, and multi-sport contest were run at the same time by different sets of leaders. It was a great way to cater for everybody’s needs.” Matt says many of the Year 12 boarders are inspired by the student leaders of the past and the initiatives they have introduced to boarding. These include the Kaitiaki project to promote greater interactions across years levels in the boarding houses, which was introduced by the 2020 Heads of Boarding, Mini Toga and Libby McKinnel; and the whakataukī, Te taki tino ma, and the symbol of two koru, created by 2021 Head of Culture, Tamati Frost, and
Heads of Boarding, George MacLeod and Freddy Todhunter, during Boarders’ Assembly.
House Leaders organise a number of fun House events throughout the year.
Heads of Boarding, Sophie Innes and Jake Jackways, which gives boarders a special identity in the College. “Some of our Year 12 boarders are keen to expand on these initiatives in 2024.” In preparation for more significant leadership roles in Year 13, Year 12 boarders have been in charge of organising focus groups, bringing together students across all year levels in the three boarding houses. Some of the fun initiatives include trips out for coffee or gelato, discussion groups, and interhouse events. Two student representatives, a male and female from each year level, sit on the Boarders’ Council, chaired by Portia Bennie and Marshall Stokes (both Year 13), which gathers feedback from boarders, has regular meetings, and puts forward students’ suggestions to boarding management. The Council also leads community service initiatives for boarders doing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Awards. “Boarders put themselves up for selection on the Student Council and are elected by student vote. It gives students at all year levels a taste of leadership,” says Matt. George MacLeod and Freddy Todhunter have been outstanding Heads of Boarding in 2023, says Matt. “They both have packed schedules yet fit so much in. Their addresses to boarders in chapel have been really meaningful and they’ve sent some great messages. George and Freddy are superb leaders and will leave a strong legacy for future leaders to follow.”
Boarders’
Assembly
Values and Culture
The group of 25 Year 13 boarders cleverly adapted a theme of ‘News and Seven Sharp’ to share their perspective on life as boarders with the Middle School and Senior College at the Boarders’ Assembly. Expertly filmed videos of ‘Life on the Farm’, golfing in Queenstown, and Kiwiana icons made for great entertainment, alongside the traditional boarders’ dance items and challenges. Lambs, chickens, dogs, and even a cow made an appearance, with Portia Bennie (Year 13) delivering an entertaining Morning Comment, sharing her thoughts on boarding. The Heads of Boarding, George MacLeod and Freddy Todhunter, and the Year 13 boarders did a great job of creating and organising the assembly, which was an excellent reminder of the routines, joys, and extra challenges of life as a boarder.
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Well-being
Assembly
The Student Well-being Committee organised and created an uplifting and engaging Senior College Well-Being Assembly, which was introduced by Heads of Well-being, Radha Vallabh (Year 13) and Jack Satterthwaite (Year 12). Laai Tausa (Year 13) was the guest speaker and presented an inspiring message about how his family, culture, and school experiences have shaped his values. The students sang Classic by MKTO, led by Hugo Ranken and Edward Pitts, and enjoyed a superb rap performance by Jack Flanagan (all Year 12). Winners of the highly respected Mahia te Aroha character awards, voted for by their peers, were George Apse, Dara Ballard, Edward Pitts (all Year 12), Ben Schelp and Sophie Hayden (both Year 13). Mahia te Aroha character awards were also presented in the Middle School Well-being Assembly to Chloe Evans, Max Kinney (both Year 9), Nixen Casey, Olivia Ratcliffe (both Year 10), Sophie Burnett and Timothy Gooby (both Year 11).
Week CulturalAssembly and
Cultural Captains, Marco Leighs and Mia Walker (both Year 13), and their team did an impressive job organising Cultural Week, in mid-August, which highlighted the many ways culture is expressed at St Andrew’s College. Students enjoyed the opportunity to showcase their talents, take part in some fun activities, and enjoy a variety of performances and cultural celebrations. Each day had a different focus, including Māori and Pasifika Day, Drama Day, Dance Day, and Art and Music Day. Throughout the week there were hot chocolates on offer,
performances by various individuals and groups, workshops, and the annual StAC’s Got Talent competition, with students from all areas of the Secondary School joining in the fun. The week ended with the Cultural Assembly, which included a passionate address from the Cultural Captains, an outstanding opening item performed by Senior Music and Drama students, along with performances from the rock band, Afterglow, and the Soul Band. A fun House Art competition held during the assembly was won by MacGibbon House, and a wide range of cultural awards were also presented.
International
Assembly
After a four-year hiatus, the International Assembly took place as part of the Years 9–10 Assembly on Friday 15 September, and was a great celebration of the diversity of the St Andrew’s community. Flag bearers represented 11 countries from Asia, South America, the Pacific, and Europe. They provided a welcome and introduced themselves in their native tongue. A prayer in Mandarin was delivered by Makayla Dai (Year 13) followed by a karakia from Hanaatia-Te Kani Hakiwai (Year 9).
Values and Culture
Tim Hellmann (Year 12) from Leipzig, Germany gave an entertaining talk, which highlighted the differences between New Zealand and Germany, with a twist of humour. Cartier Barrett-Rawiri and Milla Hooker (both Year 10) presented a recap of their Presbyterian Ladies College, Sydney student exchange. The last item was a high energy K-pop performance from Yinan (Vivian) Lu (Year 11) and RuoLin (Lauren) Li (Year 9).
M ori Language Week
A number of activities were held throughout the College to celebrate Te Wiki o te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week. The week began with a whakataukī, phrase, and Kupu o te Rā (Word of the Day) challenges which were introduced to the students each morning. Later in the week, a Tutor Group Te Reo Quiz Competition across the Secondary School was a fun way for students to test their knowledge on the whakataukī, phrases, and words they had learnt during the week. Head of Māori and Pasifika, Holly Maraki (Year 12), began the weekly chapel service with a karakia and whakataukī, and the International Assembly was opened by a karakia delivered by Hanaatia-Te Kani Hakiwai (Year 9). In the Preparatory School, celebration include a daily karakia, waiata, and students encouraged to use te reo in their everyday language. A scavenger hunt and enjoying new stories and music in te reo were other highlights of the week, which culminated in a whole school gathering for waiata and haka, followed by singing with Matua Steve. Rector, Christine Leighton, says she is proud of the efforts at St Andrew’s to provide opportunities for ākonga to learn and appreciate the significance of Te Tiriti of Waitangi and the obligations we have as New Zealanders to uphold its principles. “This means each of us engaging with learning more te reo Māori, becoming familiar with our history of Aotearoa and the impact this has had on today’s society, understanding and becoming confident with tikanga customs and practices, and celebrating the unique perspective and influence of our Māori people on future society.”
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Te Wiki o te Reo M ori –
Community and
service
Snug Up Rug Up Clothing Drive and Fundraiser During Term 2, a group of Year 12 students organised a clothing drive to support local charity Clothed in Love, which helps Christchurch families in need of good quality pre-loved or new clothing for children. After winning a friendly competition with the Senior College to see who could donate the most clothing, the Middle School students had the opportunity to dunk Head of Middle School, Matt Parr, in water as their prize. In Term 3, the Middle School held a non-uniform day to support Snug Up Rug Up, raising $500, which the Middle School doubled to a $1000 donation.
Sustainability
Back: William Martin, Samuel Richardson, William Gibson, Connor Frew, Theo Thomas, James Walker, Luke Watson (all Year 11), with their barber, Michael Vaivai (Year 12), seated in front.
Cancer Fundraiser With the tutor reminding the boys in 11HFL about their haircuts, William Gibson and Connor Frew decided to get a haircut and raise money for charity. The boys set up a fundraising page for Child Cancer and persuaded the other five boys in their tutor group to also get their haircut for the charity. Michael Vaivai (Year 12) did a great job of the haircuts and the group raised over $2000.
Eco-Action Planting Day A group of students braved the frost and sub-zero conditions to plant trees in the Red Zone as part of the Eco-Action project in late July. This was another spectacular success, achieving close to 5000 trees planted in two hours, with the help of over 300 students and community volunteers.
EcoAction Project Sustainability Council leaders, Gemma Lewis (Year 13), and Elliot Graves (Year 12) were commended by the EcoAction Trust for their efforts around maintaining St Andrew’s College EcoAction nursery and contributing to planting days. Daniel Robertson and Harry Anderson (both Year 13) managed the College nursery this year, accumulating a combined 120 hours of community service.
Gumboot Friday Gumboot Friday was a colourful and compassionate display of support for young people’s mental health. A vibrant array of gumboots adorned
the feet of students in the Pre-school, Preparatory School, and Secondary School, united in their commitment to raising funds for the I Am Hope Foundation, and to spread awareness about the importance of mental well‑being. A delicious sausage sizzle at lunchtime added a savoury touch to the event, raising further funds.
Hair Donation During the holiday break, Sophie Hayden (Year 13) cut off her hair to donate to Freedom Wigs, raising money for Melanoma New Zealand.
The Ladies Circle celebrates 65 years At its AGM in July, the Ladies Circle marked 65 years since the group was first instigated by Betty Galloway, the wife of the then Rector, Ian Galloway (1962–1982). For 65 years a dedicated group of women, mothers, grandmothers, ex-staff, and wives of Old Collegians has met in support of St Andrew’s, and they continue to serve in the best interests of the College.
Sustainability Council leaders, Gemma Lewis (Year 13), Elliot Graves (Year 12) and Katherine Simcock (Year 11), met with UC’s Sustainability Manager, Matt Morris, to discuss UC’s waste management system. The students were specifically interested in waste management practices that could be emulated at the College. Gemma, Elliot and Katherine are contributing to a St Andrew’s staff group focused on a whole school goal of using the sustainability goals (UN) to develop a strategy to reduce carbon footprint and initiate sustainable practices and decision-making across the College.
World Vision Leadership Summit As one of New Zealand’s top-performing secondary schools in the 2023 World Vision 40-Hour Challenge, St Andrew’s secured a coveted spot at the prestigious World Vision Senior Scholarship Summit. The scholarship has been awarded to Samuel Ferguson (Year 12), a dedicated Community Service leader who will participate in a three‑day programme encompassing global education, leadership development, and social action training, hosted by World Vision in January 2024, alongside 35 other students from around New Zealand.
Youth Future Thinking Four student well-being leaders, Radha Vallabh (Year 13), Aria Wilke, Jack Satterthwaite and Elliot Graves (all Year 12), attended an inspiring workshop at the University of Canterbury, focused on future thinking and leadership. They participated in teams with students from other schools and used the future thinking framework to create and present ideas to community leaders from around the city.
Giving back at
StAC Rector, Christine Leighton, says these endeavours raise the consciousness of students to those in need and encourage them to develop a spirit of generosity towards others. “During Senior Chapel in Term 3, we learnt from Heads of Community Service, Jessie Logie and Guy Daniels (both Year 13), that $51,339 had already been raised this year to support a variety of causes across Christchurch and outside New Zealand. This is an outstanding effort.” Major initiatives in 2023 include raising money for the Red Cross to help in the response to Cyclone Gabrielle; supporting So They Can’s One Human Race Challenge, to
Current and former Heads of Community Service, Jessie Logie (Year 13) and her sister, Izzy (OC 2021), spoke about the importance of giving back at a Senior Assembly.
raise funds for vital education and empowerment projects which support girls in Kenya; and participating in World Vision’s 40‑Hour Challenge. A wide range of local charities have also been supported through various initiatives including Child Cancer, Full Bellies, Qtopia, Christchurch City Mission, I Am Hope, Snug Up Rug Up, and Clothed in Love. Jessie Logie says the St Andrew’s community enthusiastically gets behind the Community Service team’s initiatives. “We really appreciate everyone who donates to the different causes, and especially those who have volunteered and given back in some way to the community. We encourage students to maintain a mindset of generosity and selflessness right until the end of the year.” Jessie has followed in the footsteps of her sister, Izzy Logie (OC 2021), who was also a Head of Community Service in her final year at the College. Izzy, who is in her second year at the University of Canterbury, studying towards a Bachelor of Science, was a special guest at the Senior College Chapel, where she spoke about her continued community service involvement beyond school.
Head of Middle School, Matt Parr, being dunked as a prize after a student competition to donate the most clothing to charity, Clothed in Love.
Izzy told students that community service was an integral part of her life at St Andrew’s, and her experiences at the College have inspired her to keep giving back. “The concept of helping others from the goodness of your heart will always remain a meaningful part of your journey. It is people and community that really make the world go around. Your career and money will do its thing, but life wouldn’t be the same without people looking after people.” At the university, Izzy is a member of the Student Volunteer Army, and is part of the Lads Without Labels club, which organises an annual Run72 event for mental health awareness. She has a part-time job as an environmental co‑ordinator and culinary supervisor at Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre and is a member of the organisation’s Corporate Social Responsibility group. “A significant part of our work involves selecting a charity to support throughout the year and organising opportunities for our staff and the organisation to volunteer their time in support of local causes.” Izzy says no matter where students end up once they leave the College, the opportunity to make a positive impact on the world and in the community will always be present. “Helping people in need is not only a good thing to do and will help to lift them up, but it also fills your cup too.”
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St Andrew’s has a long, proud history of giving back to the community, with many wonderful initiatives and fundraising campaigns run by the student-led Community Service team each year.
The highly anticipated Film Fest, on Friday 22 September, was another triumph, showcasing the talent of St Andrew’s aspiring filmmakers. The evening was hosted by the charismatic duo of Marco Leighs and Jeremy Kent (both Year 13), and was also a celebration of classic cinema, with attendees encouraged to wear costumes that paid homage to the silver screen’s golden era. Portia Bennie (Year 13) walked away with several well-deserved prizes, including the prestigious Best Film award. Portia’s achievement is all the more impressive considering this was her first foray into filmmaking. A standout moment was the impressive remake of the final scene from the movie Casablanca, which left the audience in awe. Bede Miller’s (Year 13) labour of love in recreating this iconic moment was a true testament to his technical prowess and dedication to the craft. A further highlight was the inclusion of Year 9–10 filmmakers in the awards for the first time, with Louis Tappin (Year 9) deservedly winning the Best Junior Film award for The Caller.
Award winners were: • Portia Bennie (Year 13): Best Film, Best Screenplay, Best Sound Design – The Band Plan;
• Tamaroa Connelly (Year 12): Best Supporting Actor – Sins of the Past; • Flynn Rhodes, Jenna Howell, Shaun Cooper (all Year 12): Best Director – The Party Hat;
• Bede Miller (Year 13): Best Cinematography, Best Costume and Make-Up – The Swap;
• Flynn Rhodes (Year 12): Best Editing – The Party Hat;
• Ewan Hamer (Year 13): Best Actor – The Band Plan;
• Louis Tappin (Year 9): Best Junior Film – The Caller.
Year 13
Theme Week
In the final week of Term 3, the Year 13 students enjoyed their annual Theme Week. The entire year group got involved with each day’s theme: things beginning with the first letter of your name, decade throwback, favourite character, and where you see yourself within ten years. With a large variety of colourful costumes and outfits, the week was a great way to celebrate the end of preliminary examinations.
Christine Jeon
to study in Auckland
Christine joined St Andrew’s on a Music Scholarship, and says she is ‘grateful and privileged’ for the support of the College. “Attending St Andrew’s has been my biggest pride and joy and I am so grateful to
Christine Jeon (Year 12) with her National Young Performer Award.
have been part of this bright, inclusive community. Without the support of my teachers and friends, I wouldn’t have been able to achieve the things I have. St Andrew’s has not only supported me as a musician, but also shaped me to become a stronger and more determined person who also knows how to enjoy each moment.”
Launch of poetry book, Hoof On Thursday 19 October, St Andrew’s College hosted the launch of Writer-in-Residence, Kerrin Davidson’s (writing as Kerrin P Sharpe), new poetry collection, Hoof. After being welcomed to the Rentoul Senior College by Teacher in Charge of Writing for Publication, Rebecca Ball, the large crowd were treated
to readings from Kerrin’s poetry students – Georgia Blyde (Year 3), Alfred Lash (Year 5), Hanxi (Cicy) Chen, Heidi Smith (both Year 9), Chantelle Xiong (Year 12), Lucas Te Rangi and William Russell (both Year 13). Rector, Christine Leighton, spoke about Hoof and officially launched the book, before Kerrin read a specially selected range of poems from the collection. The crowd were thrilled to hear some of the history and local connections in Kerrin’s poems, several of which featured staff members and other guests present
on the night. Kerrin was then joined by Christine and Assistant Head of Secondary School (Academic), Helaina Coote, to cut the cake, which was beautifully decorated with the front cover of Hoof. Guests were treated to elegant kai created by Catering Manager, Russell Gray, and a music performance by Sea-am Thompson (Year 12) and Music Teacher, Michael Lawrence. Rector, Christine Leighton, said Kerrin has been an inspiration to hundreds of students at St Andrew’s in their creative writing endeavours and it was a privilege to host her book launch.
Values and Culture
Christine already has a glittering array of musical accomplishments. These include being awarded first prize at the 2023 National Young Performer Awards; winning the New Zealand Chamber Music Contest in 2021; winning third prize and the People’s Choice Award at the 2022
National String Competition, along with the Strings Open Age category at the Melbourne International Piano and Strings Festival. In 2023, Christine was second in the American Virtuoso International Music Competition, which gave her the opportunity to perform at Carnegie Hall in the USA. This year, she also performed a stunning solo in the Young Artist Showcase with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra at the Michael Fowler Centre; staged a solo cello recital in the Great Hall as part of the Rising Stars Recital Series; and won an Inspire Scholarship.
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Christine Jeon (Year 12), one of the most accomplished musicians to have attended St Andrew’s College, is leaving at the end of the school year to study cello at Auckland University. This will hopefully be the first step towards a successful international career, she says. “My goal at the moment is to go to Europe to study and learn the history and culture of classical music, while my greatest aspiration is to become a cellist who travels the world, sharing my music with many people.”
Dance
Revue
Audience members were treated to two stunning performances of the annual Dance Revue in mid-September. The slick, eclectic, and lively performances from over 50 dancers, showcased the incredible talents of students from both the St Andrew’s Dance Programme
Jazz students’ success Jazz students at St Andrew’s enjoyed an array of performance opportunities leading up to Ara JazzQuest, an annual competition showcasing some of Christchurch’s top secondary school jazz bands and musicians.
and Ballet Academy. Heads of Dance, Sophie March (Year 13) and Sienna Spark (Year 12), have led Dance well in 2023; and did a wonderful job of organising the Dance Revue, which was a testament to their dance abilities and leadership.
During July, the four St Andrew’s jazz bands did a tour to Nelson where they performed at five primary schools and three evening venues, with support from jazz bands from Waimea College and Nayland College. Head of Music, Duncan Ferguson, says the students’ eight performances during the Nelson Jazz Tour, were very well received. “The musicians performed with wonderful style. They enjoyed joining Nayland College and Waimea College and forming a surprise new trio at one of the events.” The jazz musicians carried their great form into Ara JazzQuest, where the Big Band won a Gold Award, and the Soul Band and Jazz Orchestra both won Silver Awards. In September, the jazz group performed a two-hour programme at the annual Jazz Club event, at a packed Fat Eddie’s on the Terrace. “The growth in the jazz bands over the last 18 months has been immense with a lot of very young but very strong musicians coming through. The musical maturity they are developing is very impressive and this has been borne out through their excellent performances both in the public gigs and in competition,” says Duncan.
Year 10
Exchange students
visit
Sydney
With international travel restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic finally lifted, it has been wonderful to rekindle the Student Exchange programme at St Andrew’s, says Director of International Students and Exchanges, Palē Tauti.
Values and Culture
“This year, we sent four of our Year 10 girls to Sydney for the traditional exchange with PLC Sydney. We decided to re-start the programme with an exchange close to home, so if anything urgent happened in regards to COVID-19, the students were only one flight away. The girls all had a fantastic time and ‘got on like a house on fire’ with their exchange sisters.”
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Caitlin O’Donnell (Year 10) enjoyed an ‘incredible’ month long exchange to PLC, which resulted in many personal benefits. “I was a little unsure at the start, but as the month went on, got more comfortable with my host family, and the way they did things in their day-to-day life became mine too. I met new people, made new friends, engaged in sport and education in a different country, and experienced a new culture. I thoroughly enjoyed my time in Sydney. It made me a more independent person and has shaped me to be more grateful for opportunities like this.” Also taking part in the PLC exchange were Sophia Goodwin, Milla Hooker and Cartier Barrett-Rawiri (all Year 10). Sophia says the first week in Sydney was at the end of the holidays, which was a great time to get to know her host family and the city before spending three weeks attending PLC alongside her exchange partner. Visiting famous landmarks, art galleries, zoos, and beaches were other highlights. “I would definitely recommend this exchange as you get to see other cultures and meet the most amazing people.” Students exchanges are often transformative, providing students with cross-cultural experiences and personal enrichment opportunities, says Palē. “Exchange students are exposed to different cultures as they live with a new family in a new country and go to a whole new school. They learn to be independent, grow in confidence, and often realise they are more than capable of doing things they didn’t think they could do. The students’ time management, organisational skills, and social skills also tend to improve, especially their ability to meet and engage with new people outside their usual friendship group. It all is a huge confidence boost when they come home.” With international travel opening up again for College trips, a more extensive Student Exchange programme is being planned for 2024, including some exciting new opportunities,
says Palē. “We hope to have all our Scottish Years 12–13 exchanges up and running again, as well as a couple of new ones, hopefully in Singapore. We hope to restart our traditional exchange with Lakefield College School in Toronto again next year, and are looking at possibilities to extend the programme to schools in Japan, and possibly some other countries too.” After her positive experience, Caitlin O’Donnell says she would definitely recommend the Student Exchange programme to others. “I am thankful for the chance and strongly encourage future students to grasp the opportunity and give it a go, because you never know what you might get out of it.”
Cultural catch up
Art Aiden Jia (Year 5) won gold at the H. C. Andersen International Art Exhibition in the Junior group.
Aurora Music Festival The Symphony and Concert Orchestras had a wonderful time at the Aurora Orchestra and Concert Band Festival where they performed pieces by Beethoven and Tchaikovsky (amongst others) and saw the conducting debut for Sea-am Thompson (Year 12). After their performance they had a workshop with Pablo Ruiz.
Ballroom Dancing
Highland Dance
Holly Hembry (Year 8) competed at the top-level Ballroom Dancing Examinations, Oscars. Holly achieved an Honours level pass in all three types – Ballroom, New Vogue, and Latin, which is the highest pass mark able to be attained.
The following students passed their Academy of Highland and National Highland Dancing examinations with success:
Battle of the Bands
• Elementary: Merit Plus – Charlize Blakely (Year 11);
Rock band, The E.C.H.O., consisting of Hayden Lam (Year 12), Ethan Lam (Year 10), Oliver Woodgate (Year 12) and Cadence Zhou from Papanui High School, played at the national finals of the New Zealand Battle of the Bands competition in Wellington in October. They competed in three knock-out rounds against many established adult bands to qualify for the finals, playing a 25-minute set consisting of six original songs and a cover.
Ballet In her first year of major competition, Alyssa Geddes (Year 8) competed in the South Island Ballet Awards, where she was one of the youngest dancers. Alyssa made the semi-finals against tough competition and was awarded the Associate Intensive Program Short-Term Scholarship at Melbourne Academy of the Arts 2023/2024. Alyssa also won a trophy for her Neoclassical this season.
Ballet Academy dancers (Years 1–13) achieved wonderful Ballet examination results, with Femke McLean (Year 9), Neve Aitken (Year 10), Charlotte Kyle (Year 10) and Siara Clarke (Year 12) also receiving a Scholarship Nomination. This is a special acknowledgement, awarded by the examiner, to a select few considered to be amongst the top level of New Zealand ballet dancers. Tavé Stuart (Year 11) achieved High Distinction for her RAD Advanced 2 Ballet examination. This examination is usually taken by 18-year-olds, and it is difficult to earn a Distinction.
• Intermediate: Merit Plus – Gemma Lewis (Year 13); • Irish Stage 3: Honours – Charlize Blakely (Year 11), Siara Clarke (Year 12), Hayley Nolan, Gemma Lewis (both Year 13); Merit – Madison Hughes (Year 12); • Sailors Hornpipe Stage 2: Honours – Siara Clarke (Year 12). Georgia Gregg (Year 6) was runner-up U12 Most Points Overall at the Ashburton Highland Dancing Competition. At the same competition, Adelyn Abrahamson (Year 5) was runner-up Most Points U10 and Iaera Abrahamson (Year 3) won runner-up Most Points U8. Iaera also won the U8 Highland Fling Trophy.
Hayden Lam (Year 12) of The E.C.H.O.
Two St Andrew's College Highland dancers had outstanding success at the Highland Dancer of the Year Competition:
Choral
• Iaera Abrahamson (Year 3): Overall Champion 7 Years;
Sea-am Thompson (Year 12) was one of nine choir members to sing in the first Choral Evensong service to take place in the Christchurch Cathedral since the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. This was a oneoff service until the Cathedral is repaired and opened in 2028, and only members of the choir and clergy were allowed into the Cathedral for this experience.
Encore Choral Festival
Alyssa Geddes (Year 8)
• Grade 5 and Irish Stage 1: Honours – Charlotte Kyle, Emily Brook (both Year 10), Samantha Bilton (Year 9);
In mid-September, hundreds of Year 7–11 students from St Andrew’s College, Christ’s College, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, St Margaret’s College, The Cathedral Grammar School, and Medbury School performed at the Independent Schools’ Encore Choral Festival in the Christ’s College Assembly Hall. This included three group pieces as well as each choir singing two pieces. It was a delightful evening and celebration of song.
Film Bede Miller and Jonah Cropp (both Year 13) were nominated for the International Youth Silent Film Festival (IYSFF), a global competition that challenges young filmmakers from the USA, Australia, The UAE, and New Zealand to create a three-minute silent film, set to one of 10 musical scores composed especially for the festival. As well as being selected as a Top 16 finalist, Bede’s film, The Swap, won Best Cinematography and was nominated for Best Director, Best Shot, and Best Production Design, with Jonah nominated in the Best Actor Category for the same film. The top three winning films will compete in the Grand Final to be held in Portland, Oregon, USA.
• Sarah McCarthy (Year 8): Overall Champion 12 Years.
Music Mia Walker (Year 13) gained her ATCL in Musical Theatre with Distinction, an achievement requiring hours of dedicated work. The following Preparatory School students successfully auditioned for representative groups in the 2023 Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival: • Junior Representative Choir: Annabelle Laurenson, Jessica Whitehead, Ruby Richards (all Year 5), XiaoYa (Cynthia) Zhou (Year 6); • Senior Representative Choir: Joy Zuo (Year 7), Matilda Atkins, Jacob Triplow (both Year 8); • Symphony Orchestra: Chloe Sha, Jacob Wang, Yunze Li (all Year 6), Ethan Waines, Ethan Zhao, Lexie Dong, Cong (Zilong) Chen, Baizhen (Tony) Chen (all Year 7), Annie Zhang, Anthony Song, Jaden Jia, Yutian (Tianna) Chen (all Year 8).
Pipe Band Georgia Eagle (Year 13) has been appointed Drum Sergeant for the New Zealand Police Pipe Band. Georgia also competed in Juvenile Section 5 at the World Solo Drumming Championships in Glasgow, Scotland, placing fifth against the top Juvenile group of 19 competitors.
• Georgia Eagle (Year 13): third A Grade March, Strathspey and Reel, Hornpipe/ Jig and third overall A Grade aggregate; • Connor Higgs (Year 13): first B Grade March, Strathspey and Reel, Hornpipe/ Jig and first overall B Grade aggregate;
This year’s Pre-school Art Exhibition was a little bit different, aligning with the College-wide goal of moving towards more sustainable practices. All art pieces created by the children had an element of recycled or reclaimed materials. On Friday 15 September, Pre-school whānau and other special guests were invited into the Pre-school to view the children’s creative efforts.
• Ethan Lam (Year 10): first C Grade March, Strathspey and Reel, and overall C Grade aggregate;
A group of 11 Preparatory School students took part in the annual Papanui Rotary Junior Speech Contest for Years 5–8 at Heaton Intermediate School, with 77 students from nine schools competing. The following students were selected to appear in the finals in their age group:
• Daniel Liu (Year 10): first C Grade Compound March; • Matthew Bluck (Year 10): first Novice Drum Pad; • Hunter Donnithorne (Year 6): first Novice Drum.
• Austen Fraser (Year 6) won the Year 6 Division;
Tenor Drumming
• Harrison Justice (Year 12): first Intermediate March, Strathspey and Reel, first Intermediate aggregate;
• Eva Crawford (Year 8) was third equal in the Year 8 Division;
• Lucy McIntyre (Year 12): first Intermediate Hornpipe/Jig.
Bass Drumming
• Quenn Lovatt (Year 13): first Open Bass March, Strathspey and Reel, Hornpipe/ Jig, first Open Bass aggregate.
• Jessica Whitehead (Year 5) was Highly Commended in the Year 5 division. Pre-school art exhibition
Rock Night
• William Nicholls (Year 8): first C Grade Strathspey/Reel;
Seven St Andrew’s rock bands performed a set of two original songs and one cover at the second annual Rock Night at The Rolling Stone. It was a superb night with a large crowd of around 200 friends and family in attendance. The quality of the rock programme has gone from strength to strength, with this year’s tutors, Georgie Clifford and Michael Sumner, having a big impact.
• George MacLean (Year 9): first D Grade Novice.
Speech and Drama
New Zealand Young Piper of the Year
The following students won major prizes at the Christchurch Speech and Drama Competitions:
Highland Piping Society of Canterbury
• Lucas Paterson (Year 12): first B Grade Piobaireachd; • Sam Foote (Year 10): first C Grade Piobaireachd, 2/4 March;
A group of 15 St Andrew’s College pipers competed at the New Zealand Young Piper of the Year 2023, winning several podium placings. Those to finish in the top three were: • Lucas Paterson (Year 12): third U21 March, Strathspey and Reel; • Cooper Gallagher (Year 11): third B Grade 2/4 March, third Hornpipe/Jig; • Sam Foote (Year 10): third B Grade Strathspey and Reel, first C Grade Strathspey and Reel, third C Grade Hornpipe/Jig; • Maggie McConnochie (Year 9): third C Grade Piobaireachd, second 2/4 March; • Toby Cammock-Elliot (Year 13): first C Grade 2/4 March; • Emily Brook (Year 10): third C Grade 2/4 March; • Williams Nicholls (Year 8): third C Grade Strathspey and Reel, second D Grade Strathspey and Reel; • Alice Glover (Year 7): second D Grade Piobaireachd, second 2/4 March.
At the Christchurch Speech and Drama Competition, Violet Winterbourn (Year 3) won gold in four U8 categories and silver in two U13 categories. She was joint winner of the Trinity 125 Jubilee Cup for poetry recitals and won the Ann-Maree Bateman Cup for overall success in her age group. Ben McKendry (Year 6) was awarded the highest number of medals in the U12 category at the Christchurch Speech and Drama competitions – the Louisa Williams Cup, five gold medals, two silver medals, and one bronze medal.
37 Austen Fraser (Year 6)
Theatre Showcase
• English Speakers Union Scholarships: Aneel Bartlett (Year 6) Teresa Steiner (Year 10).
Year 12 students, Xanthe Pearce, Tamaroa Connelly and Jack Flanagan, organised an event for the College musical theatre community called Miscast. Students from Years 9–13, plus one staff member, sang songs that they would not usually be cast in. There was an enthusiastic turnout, with some fantastic performances, including a whole-group singalong at the end.
Junior Competition
Vocal Concert
Senior Competition
• Christchurch Competitions Prize Own Selection Poetry: Oliver Wallace (Year 10);
• Christchurch Competitions Scholarship and Christchurch Competitions Prize: Hudson Blyde (Year 7); • Gay Balch Scholarship: Anton Zhang (Year 9); • English Speakers Union Scholarships: Aneel Bartlett (Year 6); • Christchurch Competitions Prize Test Poem and Prize Light Verse: Reva Bartlett, Violet Winterbourn (both Year 3); • Christchurch Competitions Prize: Kevin Nguyen (Year 7); • Christchurch Competitions Prize Original Poetry: Jake Triplow (Year 8).
Values and Culture
Canterbury Drummers Club Snare Drumming
Pre-school Art Exhibition
The annual Vocal Concert was held in the Centennial Chapel in September. The concert featured four St Andrew’s choirs, two barbershops, and nine soloists. The performers were applauded by an appreciative audience, and the evening was full of enthusiasm.
Regulus
The following students won top placings at the following competitions:
13
Years On 2010/11–2023
With primary, intermediate and secondary schooling on campus at St Andrew’s College, each year, there is a special group of Year 13 leavers who have enjoyed their entire schooling at the College. This year, 12 students who arrived in Year 1 in 2010 and 2011 will walk out the school gates for the final , time, with seven of these students h, wirt Bier ian Finn , Maddison Barr Hamish Ecroyd, Chloe Fraher, Anthony Gower, Connor Higgs g and Nikkita McIntyre, also attendin ol. scho Preege Coll ’s the St Andrew We asked the students to share what their time at St Andrew’s means to them.
Finnian Bierwirth
My 13 years at St An drew’s have been formativ e in my development. I starte d as a three-year-old at the Pre-school where I was cared for by kind teachers. Relationsh ips with committed, caring, and invested staff continued throu ghout the years and have had a big influence on me. I wo uld like to thank the staff wh o have encouraged and su pported my adventures with both my education and hocke y along the way. It was a gre at privilege to play for the 1st XI in my final year. I know the clo se friends I have made will be lifelong, and the connections and friendships with all my peers are valued hig hly.
Hamish Ecroyd
I have made many good memories and met a lot of great people during my time at St Andrew’s. I joined the Pre-school at the age of two, and St Andrew’s is the only school I’ve ever known. I think the best thing about the College is not necessarily the quality of the education, but the culture and values that are instilled from a young age, it means that the people around you are respectful and overall decent people. I know the friends I’ve spent most of my life with at St Andrew’s will be lifelong, and that is something special that few schools are able to offer.
Toby Cammock-Elliott
Maddison Barr
My 13 years at St Andrew’s College have been incredible. The opportunities and experiences I have been given inside and outside the classroom have shaped who I am today. I have made many amazing memories and friendships that will last a lifetime. Special thanks to the teachers who have supported and challenged me with my learning. I will be forever grateful for my parents who have provided nothing but support and love throughout my years at St Andrew’s.
During my time at St Andrew’s, I met many new people and enjoyed exploring the various groups and extr a-curricular activities the College has to offer. I’ve seen the College change dramatically, such as the building of Gym 2, the movement of the Junior Department, and the establishment of StACFit fitness centre. I really enjoyed being involved with the Pipe Band, VEX robotics, and many other activities open to students. I look to the future with excitement as I enter my tertiary education, equipped with the skill s, mor als, and discipline to guide me through the adult world.
Chloe Frahe r
I have been lu cky to have spent all my schooling at St Andrew’s College. I rem ember the excitemen t of moving fr om the Pre-scho ol over the fe nce to the Junior Depar tment, then moving into th e almost bran dnew Preparat or y School in Year 4, and finally th e transition in to the Secondar y Sc hool. Throug hout all my years at St Andrew ’s, I have been a part of the Ballet Ac ademy. This has been special beca use it’s unique to have the same activ ity and teacher ever y year fo r many years. St Andr ew’s has been a really specia l place to grow , and I’ll be sa d to leave it.
Anthony Gower
Telling people I’ve been at St Andrew’s for 13 years plus the Pre-school always generates a surprised expression. You could say my years here have been rather eventful, starting with the earthquakes, and later the COVID-19 lockdowns, and ending with things returning to a new normal. Attending St Andrew’s has been a privilege which has laid strong foundations for the person I am today. I’ve been encouraged academically, physically, and culturally to become a better me. Thank you to all who have provided guidance along the way. Thanks to my tutors, teachers, coaches, classmates, and friends. Your encouragement and suppor t has been invaluable.
I've been at St Andrew’s since Year 1, an d it’s been an incredible jour ney filled with opportunities. The best part of my time at th e College is al l the friends an d memories I’v e made. Some of my highlights include social basketball, th e time Makayla fell in the river at school camp, and the College formals. I’m so grateful to my parents fo r sending me to St Andrew’s and to all the teachers who have helped m e personally, an d dedicated so much time to helping ever y student to thriv e.
39
Kinda Khanafer
Hugh Thoma s
Nikkita McIntyre
Some could say St Andrew’s in College raised me, given I star ted I have the Pre-school at the age of two. made many memories, met lots of . people, and learnt to love and learn have and kes hqua eart the ed I experienc as watched the school thrive and grow hers teac my from ort supp The a family. helped me to achieve academically t and athletically, and I know I wan to to live a life where I can give back .I need in e thos help and ity commun for I am most grateful to my parents zing their hard work to give me this ama opportunity, and to Mr Barron who worked tirelessly to get me through three years of Physics.
Values and Culture
Connor Higgs
Chelsea Jenk ins
Regulus
My 13 -year journey at St Andrew’s has been noth ing short of extr aordinary. The opportunities and invaluab le experiences I’ve encountere d have not only propelled my academic achievements but also my sporting prowess, laying a strong foundation for my futu re endeavours. The dedicated educators and staf f have bee n instrumental in crafting the se years into an enriching and gratifying chapter of my life. The cherished memories and lasting bonds formed here will always evoke a sense of gra titude. I have made many memorie s and connections and will look bac k positively at my time spent here.
I have enjoyed ever y moment at St Andrew’s. Moving throug h all the stages at the College has never gotte n old. Finding a passion for su bjects is possible at this school. Having great teachers attracted me to Science and De sign. Science was made poss ible by the encouragemen t of my Year 8 teacher, Mr Fa rmer, and Desig n by Mr Kerrison. Both had a huge influence on my learning . St Andrew’s ha s provided me with the opport unity and suppor t to succ eed.
Luke Wylie I have been fortunate to enjoy 13 incredible years at St Andrew’s. It seems like only yesterday I arrived as a tiny Year 1 with an oversized blazer, but time has truly flown by. I am extremely grateful for the variety of opportunities in academic, sporting, leadership, and cultural endeavours that St Andrew’s has offered me. I’d like to thank my teachers and classmates for making the past 13 years so incredible, but most of all I’d like to thank my parents for giving me the opportunity to attend such a fantastic school.
Grandparents’ Day A record crowd attended Grandparents’ Day, with over 600 guests gathering in the Centennial Chapel on Friday 20 October for this popular annual event. The grandparents and other special guests were entertained by wonderful items from various groups and individuals, before being escorted on a tour of the College. It was wonderful to see rangatahi of all ages sharing their learning environments and highlights of the College campus with these very special family members. Preparatory School Principal, Jonathan Bierwirth, and his team did another fantastic job of organising this highly anticipated occasion on the College calendar.
Structural Integrity made here in Christchurch
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Leavers’
Assembly
2023 Leavers
Two Year 13 musical groups performed, and there was a breathtaking solo cello performance by outstanding musician Christine Jeon (Year 12) who is leaving at the end of 2023 to study Performance Music at the University of Auckland. Rector Christine Leighton says the Leavers’ Assembly and other annual leavers’ events are an important time to show gratitude to whānau and to celebrate the accomplished, considerate, well‑rounded individuals the students have become. “I congratulate our leavers who have been a respectful cohesive group. They have showed gratitude to their teachers and staff who have guided them over the years, contributed significantly to leadership and community service, and brought their many wonderful talents to co-curricular activities.”
41 Regulus
The day began with a delicious breakfast in the Strowan House dining room, before the leavers made their way to the Centennial Chapel for the assembly. Highlights included the presentation of Special Awards, Academic 30s, Academic Greatest Movers, and Tertiary Scholarship Awards. Speakers included Deputy Heads of College, Lachlan Odlin and Poppy Rumble, who reflected on their time in the Secondary School, and Head of Secondary School, Evert van Florenstein, who paid tribute to the teaching staff also leaving at the end of the year.
Values and Culture
On Monday 30 October, a group of 212 leavers from Year 13 and 12 leavers from Year 12, were farewelled at the traditional Leavers’ Assembly, marking their last day at St Andrew’s College.
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New Zealand
Representatives 2023
Future Problem Solving – RuoLin (Lauren) Li (Year 9) was selected to represent New Zealand at the Future Problem Solving Program International (FPSPI) competition at the University of Massachusetts, USA.
Cultural Highland dance – Siara Clarke (Year 12) was selected to perform with the Highland Dance Company of New Zealand at the Virginia International Tattoo, held in Norfolk, USA. Orchestra – Christine Jeon (Year 12) performed with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra as a soloist as part of the NZSO’s Young Artist Showcase Series. The following students were selected for the 2023 New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Symphony Orchestra: Ary Son (Year 9), Selena Zhang (Year 10), Hansen Hong (Year 11), Jasmine Hooker (Year 11 – Principal Cello), Miu Kim (Year 11 – Principal Flute). Pipe Band – Georgia Eagle, Connor Higgs (both Year 13), Sam Foote (Year 10), Lucas Peterson (Year 12) and Tayla Eagle (Year 11) were selected for the National Youth Band of New Zealand.
Basketball – Lauren Whittaker (Year 13) has been named in the Tall Ferns basketball squad.
Rugby – Radford Powell (Year 13) was selected for the New Zealand Schools’ Barbarians rugby team.
Kavanah Lene (Year 13) was selected for the New Zealand Women’s U16 team.
Lucas Te Rangi (Year 13) was selected for the New Zealand U18 Māori rugby team.
Equestrian – Gemma Lewis (Year 13) and Georgia Lewis (Year 10) were selected to represent New Zealand at the Pony Club International Dressage Show.
Penelope Taulafo (Year 13) was selected for the New Zealand U18 Māori rugby team.
Fencing – Zuzu Connelly (Year 9) represented the New Zealand U15/U17 fencing team at the Australian National Championships. Football – Amber de Wit (Year 11) was a member of the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ football team which played in the Dallas International Girls’ Cup. She was also in the New Zealand U17 team which played at a World Cup qualifying tournament in Tahiti. Hockey – Penelope Taulafo (Year 13) was selected for the New Zealand Māori Women’s U21 hockey team. Netball – Sienna Stowers-Smith (Year 13) was a member of the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ netball team which toured Australia. Rock Climbing – Spencer Menzies (Year 11) represented New Zealand in the Youth Boulding team.
Rugby Sevens – Findley Curtis (Year 10) was selected for the New Zealand U15 Sevens team which won the Heritage Cup in France. Sailing – Gabriella Kenton-Smith (Year 13) represented New Zealand in the International Laser Class at the ILCA 6 Youth and Men’s World Sailing Championships.
Values and Culture
Academic
Sport
Speed Skating – Antony Kutovoy (Year 11) represented New Zealand at the Junior World Cup speed skating event in Europe. Tennis – Alvin Na (Year 9) represented the New Zealand U14 tennis team in Europe in July, and Florida in November, sponsored by the Grand Slam Player Development Programme and International Tennis Federation.
43
Touch – Anna Lewis (Y8) was selected for the New Zealand Barbarians touch team to compete at the Queensland All Nations Touch Tournament in December. Water Ski – Katrina Wallis (Year 9) represented the New Zealand U14 water ski team in the Aussie Kiwi Challenge in Australia.
Back row: Christine Jeon (Y12), Sienna Stowers-Smith, Radford Powell, Connor Higgs, Gabriella Kenton-Smith (all Y13), Sam Foote (Y10), Lucas Te Rangi (Y13), Findley Curtis (Y10), Kavanah Lene (Y13), Lucas Paterson (Y12), Tayla Eagle (Y11). Bottom row: RuoLin (Lauren) Li, Ary Son (both Y9), Jasmine Hooker (Y11), Katrina Wallis (Y9), Gemma Lewis (Y13), Siara Clarke (Y12), Georgia Lewis (Y10), Amber de Wit (Y11), Penelope Taulafo (Y13), Miu Kim (Y11), Selena Zhang (Y10). Absent: Anna Lewis (Y8), Zuzu Connelly, Alvin Na (both Y9), Hansen Hong, Spencer Menzies, and Antony Kutovoy (all Y11), Georgia Eagle, Lauren Whittaker (both Y13).
Regulus
Congratulations to the following students who were selected to represent New Zealand in Academic, Cultural, and Sports pursuits in 2023.
Winter Tournament Week
A record 19 teams from St Andrew’s College competed up and down the country during Winter Tournament Week, a highly anticipated annual event for secondary school sports in New Zealand. It was exciting to see the results coming in as the various tournaments progressed, with St Andrew’s teams achieving some outstanding results at a national and South Island level. Girls’ teams were centre stage, with the Girls’ 1st XI hockey team the standout performer, winning silver at the national Federation Cup Tournament. The Girls’ 1st XI football team finished seventh in their national tournament and was the top South Island team, while the Senior A Girls’ and Junior Girls’ basketball teams won South Island titles. Others to finish the week as South Island champions were the Junior Boys’ basketball team and the Senior Combined ice hockey team. Success at this level doesn’t happen without enormous commitment, not only from the team members but also from the teachers, coaching staff, and parent support.
St Andrew’s Girls’ rugby team
Rugby Four rugby teams represented St Andrew’s at various competitions during Winter Tournament Week, with highlights being the Boys’ U15A team finishing second at the South Island Secondary Schools’ U15 Rugby Tournament, and the Girls’ rugby team finishing second at the Buller 10’s Tournament. The Boys’ U15A were unbeaten in their three matches before the final. They played a strong Southland Boys’ High School team in the final, going down 14–26. The girls’ team was also unbeaten until their final against Waimea College in the final. It was a close game, won by Waimea 12–17. The U15 Development team finished in ninth place at the South Island Secondary Schools’ U15 Co-educational Rugby Tournament, and the 1st XV had no formal placing in their Quadrangular competition following three losses.
Hockey The St Andrew’s Girls’ 1st XI hockey team wrote themselves into the record books, making the final of the national Federation Cup Tournament for the first time in the College’s history. They stormed through the pool stage, winning their three games convincingly, and advancing to the top-eight crossover. A decisive 3–0 victory against St Hilda’s Collegiate paved their way for the quarter-final against Villa Maria College. This was an intense local battle that ended in a 2–2 draw leading to the team’s first shootout of the tournament. Some great work by goalkeeper, Hannah Hughes (Year 12), helped to secure a 3–1 shootout win. The semi-final against Westlake Girls’ High School, saw the team head to another shootout after a 1–1 score line at full time. The St Andrew’s team displayed nerves of steel, winning 4–2 in the shootout,
with Hannah Hughes again pivotal, making three crucial saves. The final against powerhouse St Cuthbert’s College was a tightly contested match that resulted in another 1–1 draw, leading to yet another dramatic shootout. St Cuthbert's won the shootout 3–0 resulting in the only loss for the Girls’ 1st XI, who played outstanding hockey during the week to secure the national silver medal. The Boys’ 1st XI also had a good national tournament finishing in sixth place in the India Shield at the Rankin Cup Tournament. The Girls’ 2nd XI was 10th in the Chris Arthur Cup competition. The history-making Girls 1st XI hockey team celebrate their national silver medal.
Basketball The Girls’ Senior A basketball team continued their great form from local competitions to once again be crowned South Island champions. The team won every game comfortably, including a 75–58 win over Columba College in the quarterfinal, and an 82–41 victory over Kaiapoi High School in the semi-final. This set up a final against old foes, Rangiora High School, but St Andrew’s was never really tested, taking the South Island title with a strong 73–54 victory. The Boys’ Senior A team had a four-win, three-loss record during their tournament, to finish in seventh place overall, after beating Christchurch Boys’ High School in the playoff match for seventh and eighth. Both the Junior Girls’ and Boys’ basketball teams performed extremely well to go unbeaten throughout the tournament, claiming the respective Junior Schools’ Zone 4 South Island Championships.
Netball
Equestrian
The Senior A netball team had three strong wins in pool play at the South Island Secondary Schools’ Netball Championships before facing St Hilda’s Collegiate School in a tense quarter-final. After narrowly winning that match 33–30, the team faced St Margaret’s College in the semi-final. It was a repeat of many of their battles in the local competition, with St Margaret’s coming out ahead 43–31. This put the Senior A girls into a playoff for third and fourth with Christchurch Girls’ High School, which was won by the opposition in another tight match, 30–35.
Between them, the St Andrew’s equestrian team had three first placings and five second placings at the South Island Secondary Schools’ Equestrian Championships, which saw the team finish 13th overall.
Golf
45 Regulus
St Andrew’s golfers finished midfield in both their individual and team competitions at the South Island Secondary Schools’ Golf Championships.
Values and Culture
The Junior Girls’ and Junior Boys’ basketball teams were both unbeaten on their way to becoming South Island champions.
Girls’ 1st XI team member, Amber de Wit (Y11)
Football The Girls’ 1st XI had great success at their National Premier Girls’ Football Tournament. After being unbeaten in pool play, the team lost 1–2 in a close quarter-final match up with Baradene College. This was followed by their only other loss of the tournament, 2–3 to Rangitoto College. This put the girls into the playoff for seventh and eighth against Napier Girls’ High School, which they won comfortably, 8–0. The Boys’ 1st XI also started well in the Division 2 Malcolm Cowie Tournament, winning their pool play matches, however three losses at the end of the tournament saw them finish in 12th place overall.
The Senior Combined ice hockey team on the way to winning the South Island title.
Ice Hockey The Senior Combined ice hockey team had a great week at the South Island Secondary Schools’ Ice Hockey Championships, winning all their matches to win the South Island crown. The quarter-final against King’s High School was a one-sided affair, won by St Andrew’s 10–2, putting them into the semi-final against Cromwell College, which the team won comfortably 6–1. It was a closer match up in the final against Burnside High School. However, a 3–0 win to St Andrew’s secured the title.
Sports round up National competitions It was another highly successful winter sports season for St Andrew’s, with several teams winning local, regional, and South Island titles. Basketball The Senior A Girls’ basketball team played outstanding basketball during the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Basketball Nationals to make the AA Girls’ Grand Final, finishing as the second-best team in the country for the second year in a row. Their formidable opponents in the final were defending champions, Westlake Girls’ High School. It was a closely contested game that kept spectators on the edge of their seats. Lauren Whittaker (Y13) showcased her commanding presence on the court, contributing an impressive 18 points and securing an astounding 19 rebounds. Adding to the team's collective effort, Rafferty Powell (Y12) contributed 12 points and nine rebounds. Niamh Chamberlain (Y12) added eight points to the scoreboard, while Ophelia Powell (Y12) made a valuable contribution with seven points. Kavanah Lene (Y13) demonstrated her defensive prowess with four crucial blocks. Despite the final score favouring Westlake Girls’ High School, 67–53, the Senior A Girls displayed unwavering dedication and determination and can be incredibly proud of their results.
Mountain Biking
Trap Shooting
A group of over 10 St Andrew’s students competed in downhill, enduro, and cross-country events at the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Mountain Biking Championships in Blenheim. The riders did their best across all the events during the four days of intense and competitive racing.
The St Andrew’s trap shooting team performed well at the North Island and National Secondary Schools’ Clay Target Championships, held over three very wet days in Hamilton. On day one, the St Andrew’s female team of Maggie Hood (Y13), Lucie Hood (Y11) and Addison Williams (Y12) were second in the Ladies’ team championships. On day two, in the National Championships, Kurt Lilly (Y10) achieved the highest possible score in Single Rise but following a shoot-off missed out on a medal. Mitchell Twentyman’s (Y11) high scores gained him a spot in the North Canterbury regional team alongside shooters from Lincoln High School and Christ’s College, which finished second in the Regional Teams’ match. In the North Island and National Skeet Championship on day three, Maggie Hood maintained her impressive form to become the Female Skeet Champion.
Netball The Senior A netball team enjoyed the opportunity to compete in the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Netball Tournament in Auckland in early October. It was a tough start for the team, with extreme weather cancelling flights, and a player having COVID-19, which meant there were only seven players able to start the tournament. Makenzie Disher (Y9) joined the team, to make a team of eight. The girls showed perseverance and resilience. Ella Sharpe (Y12), who had played in the attack all season, willingly played defence and did a fantastic job. When the usual team was back together later in the competition, they beat Villa Maria College 40–30 and fought valiantly against Napier Girls’ High School, before losing a closefought battle 31–35. The team then beat New Plymouth Girls’ High School 33–26, after their initial 26–41 loss to them. The girls did themselves and the College proud, playing with a lot of heart and team unity to place 13th in New Zealand.
Girls’ Senior A basketball team. Back row: Kavanah Lene (Y13), Molly-Belle Morrow (Y12), Lauren Whittaker (Y13), Niamh Chamberlain (Y12), Maniah Taefu (Y9). Front row: Ruby Beynon, Rafferty Powell (both Y12), Charlotte Seddon (Y13), Ophelia Powell, Ella Sharpe (both Y12).
The Senior A netball team. Back row: Lily Champion-Smith (Y13), Savannah Caulfield, Ella Sharpe (both Y12), Charlotte Galvan (Y10), Ruby McPhail (Y11), Ruby Beynon (Y12). Front row: Molly-Belle Morrow, Holly Maraki (both Y12), Saige Maraki (Y10), Sienna Stowers-Smith (Y13).
Lucie Hood (Y11), Addison Williams (Y12) and Maggie Hood (Y13)
Local competition round up Basketball
Netball
The Senior Girls’ basketball won their fourth consecutive Whelan Trophy title (Canterbury Secondary Schools’ Championship), after a strong 82–61 win against Rangiora High School. St Andrew’s took a 40–26 lead into the second half, with strong contributions from Lauren Whittaker (Y13) and Ophelia Powell (Y12). Kavanah Lene (Y13) sparked a third quarter run with a trio of three-pointers pushing the lead to 62–43 going into the final quarter. Although Rangiora battled valiantly, St Andrew’s pulled away for the win. Lauren Whittaker was named Whelan Trophy Finals MVP with a massive 25-point, 21-rebound, eightsteal stat line.
The Senior A netball team made it to the semi-finals of the CNC competition against old foes St Margaret’s College, who they had previously met in the final of the SuperNet competition. St Margaret’s College won the semi-final in a tough game, 66–48. Five St Andrew’s netballs teams competed for topthree placings, with the U17A team, and Year 9A team both winning their
It was another great season for St Andrew’s football, with the Girls’ 1st XI winning the Schools’ Premier 1st XI football competition. The 1st XI beat Avonside Girls’ High School convincingly 5–0 in their final to complete a ‘three-peat’ winning three titles back-to-back. Kyra Lazor (Y13) scored an incredible three goals in the final.
The Girls’ 1st XI football team
The U15 Open rugby team were joint winners of the Division 1 U15 rugby title following an epic 27–27 draw against Christchurch Boys’ High School in the final.
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Hockey The Girls’ 1st XI made history by making it to their first-ever SSP final, facing Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in a tight game. In the first four minutes, Rangi Ruru Girls’ School went 1–0 up, and despite lots of attacking shots and narrow misses by St Andrew’s, at the final whistle, the score remained 1–0 to Rangi Ruru. The Boys’ 1st XI won their playoff for fifth and sixth in the Premier Boys’ competition. It was a successful season for St Andrew’s hockey, with seven out of the 10 College teams in playoffs for top-four positions in their various grades.
Rugby
Values and Culture
Football
grades. The Year 9A team had a highly successful season, claiming the South Island and School Sports Year 9 Championships as well.
The Year 9 netball team
The U15 Open rugby team won the Division 1 U15 rugby title.
Basketball New Zealand U13 Regionals over the Term 3 holidays. Leonidas Swainson-Whaanga (Y9) led his Eastside Academy team to the championship of the SAS Australasian Slam. Four St Andrew’s students, Ophelia Powell, Rafferty Powell (both Y12), Makenzie Disher and Maniah Taefu (both Y9), were in the team that won the U16 title at the HoopNation Classic in Tauranga in October.
Canoe Polo Preparatory School Girls’ A hockey team. Back row: Tom Glover (Parent Coach), Alice Glover (Y7), Isla Ratcliffe, Zoe Harbrow (both Y8), Kaia Hartstonge (Y7), Vicki Pettit (Manager). Front row: Genevieve Bainbridge-Smith, Maja Clark (both Y8), Tayla Ford, Sabine Waghorn (both Y7), Mia McHarg, Chloe Monk (both Y8), Kelsey Williams (Manager).
AIMS Games On 3–8 September, 20 students from the Preparatory A hockey and netball teams, and five staff from the Preparatory School travelled to Tauranga for the annual AIMS Games. With over 12,000 students and 377 schools involved, it is the largest competition of its kind in New Zealand for Year 7– 8 students. The group was also fortunate to be accompanied by College piper, Alice Glover (Year 7), who piped the teams onto the playing field. The girls represented the College with distinction, with the Preparatory Girls A hockey team finishing third out of 30 schools to secure the bronze medal, and the Preparatory A netball team finishing in their highest position, 35th out of 144 schools.
Athletics Against a field of 1001 competitors, Cohnor Walsh (Y10) finished fifth at the Forest Fun Fest half marathon at Bottle Lake Forest.
Badminton Competing alongside her Canterbury team, Yirui (Elly) Li (Y13) was first in the Women’s Singles at the 2023 Badminton Canterbury Open for the fifth year running.
Basketball The Senior A Girls’ basketball team had a successful unbeaten tour to Tāmaki Makaurau to play a trio of top
Preparatory School Senior A basketball team
Auckland teams. A late withdrawal from Rangitoto College led to the girls playing against the replacement D-League team, Auckland Dream. The team beat Westlake Girls’ High School 72–49; Auckland Dream (D-League) 86–79, and Takapuna Grammar School 78–51. Lauren Whittaker (Y13) was named as one of five Most Valuable Players at the BLIA Cup University Basketball Tournament in Taiwan, where she played for Lincoln University. Lauren averaged 25 points and 17 rebounds per game and was one of the youngest players at the university tournament. Lauren has also been named in the Tall Ferns extended squad for the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament. The St Andrew’s Years 7–8 A basketball teams competed in the inaugural one-day Canterbury Indoor Basketball Tournament, where the Girls’ A team won all their pool games convincingly and were crowned Canterbury Champions following a 13–4 win over Kaiapoi North School in the final. The Boys’ A team finished in the top eight in the competition. Kavanah Lene (Y13) represented New Zealand in the Junior Tall Ferns at the U17 Women’s Oceania Championships in Papua New Guinea at the start of October. Molly-Belle Morrow (Y12) was named as a nontravelling reserve. Kavanah also helped lead the New Zealand U17 Women’s team to silver at the FIBA Oceania Qualifying Tournament. Kavanah was the team’s highest scorer and thirdleading rebounder across their five games and was named in the FIBA All-Star 5. Leonidas Swainson-Whaanga (Y9), Hayley Stowell, Anna Lewis (both Y8) and Aurelia Ashman (Y7) competed in Canterbury basketball teams at the
For the first time in 10 years, St Andrew’s competed at the South Island Secondary Schools’ Canoe Polo Tournament with the following results: • the Senior Open team had draws against the eventual third and fourth placegetters and a close loss to the competition winner, Shirley Boys’ High School, to finish fifth overall; • the Junior players combined with players from Hillmorton High School, who after a close semi-final loss beat the top seeds to win bronze; • the Senior Girls combined with other schools to make a composite team, which finished runners-up after a 2–3 loss in the final to Middleton Grange School; • Sophie Burnett and Riley Thomson (both Y11) were selected for the tournament team.
Cricket Gillette Cup The 1st XI cricket team’s Gillette Cup campaign got off to a good start, with a win against Timaru Boys’ High School at St Andrew’s in windy conditions. Chasing 206 runs, St Andrew’s reached the target with three balls to spare. Christ’s College hosted the semi-final and decided to bat first on a good wicket. The St Andrew’s bowlers and fielders performed well, with Fletcher Mason (Y13) 3/49 and Timothy Richardson (Y12) 2/34, helping to restrict Christ’s College to 211 runs. Jack O’Rourke (Y11) and James Anderson (Y13) laid a good foundation but the loss of three quick wickets gave Christ’s College a window of opportunity. Although Tom Turner and Toby Smith (both Y12) swung the momentum back to St Andrew’s, the team lost vital wickets at crucial stages, and fell 19 runs short of the target, to be knocked out of the competition. During the Term 3 break, the Boys’ 1st XI cricket team travelled to Sydney, playing six matches over seven days against five GPS schools and an I-Zingari team, made up of various cricketers from around Sydney. The team had two wins, a draw, two losses,
Daisy Thake (Y10) was selected for a South Island Girls’ U15 cricket team to tour Dubai early in 2024.
CPSSA Winter Tournament Four Preparatory School teams took part in the CPSSA Winter Tournament after qualifying from the zone tournament earlier in the term. Each competition was out of 32 schools, with the Preparatory A netball team finishing third overall, the 1st XI football team finishing 11th, and the Years 5–6 netball and Girls’ A hockey both finishing 17th.
Cycling
At the Mid-South Regional Secondary Schools’ Fencing Championships, Noah Grossmith and Victor Sherborne (both Y12) were third in the Teams’ event and placed seventh and ninth respectively in the Men’s Individual Épée.
Football Amber de Wit (Y11) was a member of the winning New Zealand U17 team that competed at the U17 World Cup Qualifiers, hosted by Tahiti. New Zealand won every game, and Amber scored three goals. New Zealand will compete at the 2024 World Cup, hosted by the Dominican Republic.
Golf In early November, Sebastian May (Year 13) won the biggest title of his career – the 2023 New Zealand Men's Amateur Championship. This was an incredible achievement for the 17-year-old, who beat Auckland’s Steven Van Heerden 6&5 in the 36‑hole final on the appropriately named St Andrew’s Course at Hamilton Golf Club. His name has been etched on the impressive trophy alongside some New Zealand golfing legends.
Cohnor Walsh (Y10) finished in second place for King of the Mountain at the Skoda Southern Tour Cycling Race in Blenheim after accumulating points in various disciplines.
Duathlon A group of Preparatory School students competed at the Canterbury Primary and CAIM Schools’ Duathlon, with the following students achieving a top-20 finish: • Isabelle Greer (Y6): third in Year 6 Girls; • Kobe Ford (Y6): 18th in Year 6 Boys.
Equestrian Georgia Lewis (Y10) was selected as the non-travelling reserve for the New Zealand team competing at the International Mounted Games Exchange in Australia. Gemma Lewis (Y13) and Georgia Lewis (Y10) represented St Andrew’s at the South Island Interschools’ Mounted Games Pairs Competition, placing a creditable fourth overall. At the Canterbury Premier League Dressage Championships, Gemma won Champion Level 7 and Reserve Champion Level 1. She also won the 80cm U21 class at the National Three-Day Event competition.
U12 National Championships. The Spiders finished the competition fourth out of 21 teams and were the top Canterbury team.
Ice Skating Artem Kutovoy (Y7) won a silver medal in his age group at the New Zealand Short Track Ice Skating Championships.
ISSA Winter Tournament St Andrew’s College hosted the ISSA Winter Tournament, with over 300 students from independent schools of Christchurch competing in football, hockey, and netball. The St Andrew’s Year 7–8 teams won each of their respective competitions going through unbeaten. The Years 5–6 netball team were joint winners of their tournament. All four teams qualified for the Canterbury Primary Schools’ Tournament.
Jet ski Jonte Butterfield (Y12) raced in two major competitions at Lake Havasu, Arizona, USA. At the Jet Ski World Finals, he placed third in the Amateur Ski 2 Stroke Lites. At the International Cup, Jonte was second in the Ski 2 Stroke. Jake Wilson (Y10) was crowned World Champion in the Amateur Ski 4 Stroke event at the Jet Ski World Finals in Arizona, USA. Jake also came fifth in the world in the Junior Ski Lites (13‑15 years) and fourth in the world in the Junior Ski 4 Stroke Lites (13‑15 years).
Sebastian May (13)
Hockey Penelope Taulafo (Y13), Henrietta Nation (Y12) and Luke Slee (Y13) were named in the New Zealand Future Blacks Sticks squads to attend a super camp held in Hamilton at the beginning of October.
Ice Hockey Carter Summerfield (Y6) and Ming Macarthy (Y4) were in a team that finished third at the Canterbury U12 Ice Hockey Tournament. Hugo Harris (Y10) represented Canterbury at the New Zealand U15 Ice Hockey National Competition in Dunedin, where he won a bronze medal. Archer Bryant (Y4) represented the Canterbury Spiders at the New Zealand Ice Hockey Federation
Jake Wilson (Y10)
Karate Gemma Thomas (Y10) competed in both the New Zealand National Karate Championships and the New Zealand National Secondary Schools’ Karate Championships in Auckland. Gemma achieved four silver medals out of the five events: U14 Kata and U14 Kumite in the Secondary Schools’ Championships, and the 14/15 years Kumite (+59kgs) and 14/15 years Open Kumite at the National Championships. Gemma also won silver in Kata 14/15 years Premier level and silver in Kumite 14/15 years Open Premier level at the Canterbury Cup Karate Competition.
Values and Culture
The Girls’ 1st XI cricket team competed in the Gillette Venus Cricket Competition against other Canterbury teams. After losses to Craighead Diocesan School and St Margaret’s College 1st XI, the girls ended day one with a win over Cashmere High School. On day two, they had a close loss to St Margaret’s College 2nd XI and had a good win against Rangiora High School in the final game of the competition.
Fencing
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and a match called off due to rain. The successful tour was great preparation for the boys’ Gillette Cup campaign.
• South Island U18 Boys Māori team: Lucas Te Rangi (Y13); • South Island Scorpions 16S Boys Squad: Azaniah Roebeck (Y11); • South Island Scorpions 16S Girls Squad: Metua Cranwell (Y10); • Crusaders Knights Squad: Radford Powell, Cylas Tauti (both Y13), Samuel Mustchin, Macklan Robertson (both Y12); Gemma Thomas (Y10)
Netball The Senior A netball team played a strong St Margaret’s College team in the final of SuperNet competition. The first quarter was tight, but in the second quarter, St Margaret’s scored five goals in a row to take the lead. The last two quarters were also close with goals being traded in both quarters. St Andrew’s gave their all to try to close the gap, but the game ended with St Margaret’s winning the title and St Andrew’s finishing runners-up. The Year 8 Navy netball team defeated Technical in the Year 8 Division 3 final to win the competition. Sienna Stowers-Smith (Y13) was named in the New Zealand U21 netball squad following the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ National Championships. The team are working towards the World Youth Championships in 2025.
Rugby Findley Curtis (Y10) was a member of the New Zealand Condor Sevens rugby team which won the Sevens Tournament at the Rugby Heritage Cup Pontlevoy 2023, in France.
• Canterbury U16: Lucca Gibbons, Charlie Sullivan, William Voice (all Y12); Fynn Harris, Jonty Lang (both Y11); • Canterbury U16 Development team: Isaac Matulewicz (Y11); • Ellesmere U18: Tom Turner (Y12); • Canterbury U18 Girls: Lucia Croft, Savannah Caulfield, Holly Rossiter (all Y12), Penelope Taulafo (Y13). 50 Caps in the 1st XV Lucas Te Rangi and Cylas Tauti (both Y13 and co-captains of the 2023 1st XV rugby team) were joined by their families as they became part of a very special club, being awarded a Blue 1s XV cap for playing 50 games for the team. Their 50 games were amassed over four years in the top team, and is a significant achievement, attained by only a handful of players in the rich history of the College. Both boys entered St Andrew’s in Year 9 and have come through the College’s rugby development pathway. They have both flourished academically, are prefects and leaders, and are senior members of the College’s Māori and Pasifika Group. Lucas and Cylas have worn the thistle with immense pride, are humble and caring citizens of St Andrew’s, and leave a positive legacy of their time in blue and white.
Rugby League Azaniah Roebeck (Y11) was selected for the South Island U16 Scorpions rugby league team, which won the New Zealand regional competition. Azaniah was invited to attend a New Zealand Rugby Age Group camp and was selected to play in the New Zealand Rugby League Representative Whaanui 16s team against an Auckland Invitational U16 Boys’ team. Findley Curtis (Y10 – right)
The following players have been selected for representative teams: • New Zealand Schools’ Barbarians: Radford Powell (Y13); • New Zealand U17 Māori team: Lucas Te Rangi (Y13); • New Zealand U18 Māori team: Penelope Taulafo (Y13);
Rugby Sevens In October, the Girls’ 7s team competed in the Crusader region Condor Qualifying event. After three wins and a loss in the round-robin, the team met Christchurch Girls’ High School in the final, narrowly losing 19–22 in a close contest. Canterbury Rugby offered the team a wildcard place to compete in the main Condor Tournament, in Tauranga in December 2023.
St Andrew's Girls' Rugby 7's team
Skateboarding Elliott Harper (Y7) competed at the New Zealand Skateboard Nationals in Gisborne, exceeding expectations by qualifying for the finals. She placed in the top 10 Open Women and was eighth overall.
Sailing Gabriella Kenton-Smith (Y13) won Second Female Laser Sailor in the New Zealand 2023 Youth Championships, despite very rough sailing conditions.
Gabriella Kenton-Smith (Y13)
Snow Sports The Canterbury Slopestyle Championships were held at Mt Hutt. The sport is not for the faint-hearted, with competitors showcasing grabs, spins, switches, forward and backward flips, and more. In the Years 9–10 competition, Edward Bull (Y10) placed third overall and in the Years 11–13 competition, Campbell Searle (Y13) was sixth. A squad of 23 from St Andrew’s competed at the Canterbury Ski and Snow Board Championships at Mt Hutt on 10 August. The previously night’s southerly dropped 18cm of new snow onto the mountain, making it a ‘bluebird day’ for the competitors. St Andrew’s squad members achieved some excellent results:
• Girls ski team – fourth in Canterbury: Cherry Zhou (Y12), Gemma Thomas (Y10), Holly Thomas (Y12), Mia Fraser (Y13);
• Harry Hitchon (Y8): third in Year 7 and 8 snowboarding.
• Macully Greer (Y9) – Fastest Boy Skier; • Cherry Zhou (Y12) – Fastest Girl Skier; • Frank Roberts (Y12) – Fastest Boy Snowboarder. At the South Island Giant Slalom Championships at Mt Hutt, Alessandria Greer (Y4) won the U10 event, and Francesca Greer (Y3) won the U8 event. A group of 30 students from Years 0–8 participated in the annual ISSA Schools Ski Race at the Porters Ski Area. The Co‑ed Primary team of Isabelle Greer (Y6), Luke Russell (Y5), Alessandria Greer (Y4) and Francesca Greer (Y3), emerged victorious as the fastest Co-ed Primary team. The Intermediate team of Estelle Russell, Theo Smith (both Y8), Edward Park and William Patterson (both Y7), won the fastest Co-ed Intermediate team. Alessandria Greer also won the prestigious award of the Overall Fastest Girl Years 1–6, and unofficially was the fastest female skier among all Year 1–8 participants on the slopes that day. A group of 20 Preparatory School skiers and snowboarders competed at the Primary and Intermediate Schools’ Ski Race involving 32 schools from the Canterbury region. The Years 1–6 team was once again the fastest Primary School team, with the top five performing racers being Isabelle Greer, Rhys Seath (both Y6), Alessandria Greer, Archer Bryant (both Y4) and Francesca Greer (Y3). The Intermediate team was the fastest Years 7–8 team, with the top performing skiers, Theo Smith, Ryder Townshend, Harry Hitchon, Katherine Morris (all Y8) and Edward Park (Y7). Students to achieved individual placings in skiing and snowboarding were: • Emilie Bryant (Y2): first in Year 1 and 2 Girls and first overall in Year 1 and 2 category; • Alessandria Greer (Y4): first overall in Year 3 and 4 Girls, and fastest overall skier Years 1–8; • Francesca Greer (Y3): second overall Year 3 and 4 Girls, third overall in Year 3 and 4 category; • Isabelle Greer (Y6): first in Year 5 and 6 Girls, first overall in Year 5 and 6 category, second fastest overall skier Years 1–8;
• Ryder Townshend (Y8): first Year 7 and 8 snowboarding;
A group of 11 skiers and snowboarders from the Preparatory School travelled to Wānaka to participate in the Mike Greer Homes Upper Clutha Schools’ Ski Race held at Cardrona Alpine Resort with the following results: • Isabelle Greer (Y6), Alessandria Greer, Archer Bryant (both Y4) and Francesca Greer (Y3) were the fastest overall Primary Years 1–6 team; • Isabelle Greer (Y6) was the fastest overall skier across Years 1–8; • Alessandria Greer (Y4) was the fastest Years 3–4 female skier; • Edward Park was the fastest Year 7 male skier; • Harry Hitchon and Ryder Townshend (both Y8) along with Jet Townshend, were the second-fastest snowboarding team of the day; • Ryder Townshend (Y8) was the second-fastest snowboarder among all participants.
Swimming A team of 11 St Andrew’s swimmers competed at the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ National Swimming Championships winning eight medals with many swimmers achieving personal bests. Medal winners were: • Rylee McBride (Y11): Gold – Girls 15 Years 50m butterfly, 50m backstroke, Silver – 100m individual medley, 100m backstroke, 100m butterfly; • Sophia Molnar (Y12): Bronze – Girls U16 100m breaststroke; • Joshua Exon, Iona Garrett (both Y10), Irina Westerink (Y9), Sam McAlister (Y11): Bronze – 15-year-old 4 × 50m freestyle relay 4 × 50m mixed medley relay. Two students competed in the 16-yearold Woman category at the New Zealand Swimming Short Course Championships with the following results: • Rylee McBride (Y11): gold – 100m individual medley; silver – 100m and 50m backstroke (New Canterbury Record – previously held by Sophia Batchelor (OC 2011)); bronze – 50m butterfly; • Sophia Molnar (Y12): bronze – 50m and 100m breaststroke. At the 2023 Swim Timaru Open Meet, Yunze Li (Y6) won five medals in the
10 Years and Under age group – gold: 200m freestyle, silver: 50m freestyle and 50m butterfly, bronze: 100m freestyle and 100m backstroke.
Tennis Alvin Na (Year 9) represented the New Zealand U14 tennis team in Europe in July, and Florida in November, sponsored by the Grand Slam Player Development Programme and International Tennis Federation.
Touch Anna Lewis (Y8) was selected for the Canterbury U14 Girls’ Black touch team.
Trap Shooting In their final local competition before nationals, the trapshooting team delivered some impressive performances: • Mikaere Cescon (Y10): second in Junior Single Rise, third in Single Barrel; • Kurt Lilly (Y10): third in Junior Points Score, second in Single Barrel; • Addison Williams (Y12): first in Single Barrel; • Addison Williams, Lucie Hood (Y11) and Maggie Hood (Y13) first in Ladies Point Score; • Maggie Hood is the 2023 Canterbury Skeet Champion; • St Andrew’s won the Skeet two-person team contest. At the Waihora Trap Shooting Competition, Marcus Ferguson (Y10) won the Single Rise. He was also second in the Triples at the Canterbury Provincial Trap Shooting Championships.
Zonta Sports Awards The 32nd Zonta Sports Awards held on Thursday 26 October celebrated Secondary School sport in Canterbury in 2023. St Andrew’s had 12 individuals and teams named as finalists, with two students crowned Category winners and two teams winning Highly Commended Awards: • Harris Steel (Y12) – rowing: winner of Most Valued Contribution to a Team by a Young Sportswoman or Sportsman; • Penelope Taulafo (Y13): winner Best All-round Sportswoman or Young Sportsman who has Achieved in more than one Sporting Code; • Senior A Girls’ A basketball and Girls’ 1st XI hockey were both Highly Commended in the Award for the Most Outstanding Team of Young Sportswomen and Sportsmen, or Mixed Team.
Values and Culture
• Edward Park (Y7): third in Year 7 and 8 Boys;
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• Mixed ski team – first in Canterbury: Macully Greer, Oliver Connolly (both Y9), Luke Skinner and Georgie Veronese (both Y12);
Old Collegians
Message from the
President
It has been just over a year since I was appointed President of the Old Collegians Association. Time has certainly flown by and I have enjoyed reminiscing over recent events. On Wednesday 9 August, we held our Annual General Meeting where we said farewell to two dedicated, long-serving members of our Executive, Mark Mulholland (1973) and Jonathan Wells (1987). Both Mark and Jonathan have contributed significantly to the OCA and we look forward to staying connected with them for years to come. Our OCA Annual Dinner which was a delightful evening, featured entertaining speeches from our three remarkable award recipients. It's always a thrill to discover the incredible paths our Old Collegians have taken since their College years. If you or any fellow Old Collegians have exciting stories or achievements to share, we'd love to hear them.
Obituary Apology
Douglas Barry Shaw (Barry) We sincerely apologise for the oversight in publishing the wrong photograph with the obituary of former Musical Director of the St Andrew's College Pipe Band, Douglas Barry Shaw (Barry), in the August issue of Regulus. The photograph used in error was of Colin McGregor. We thank the Shaw and McGregor families for their understanding, and now run the correct image of Barry.
1st XV
Rugby Reunion 2023 On a bitterly cold Saturday 22 July, a group of 80 Old Collegians gathered for our annual 1st XV Rugby Reunion, with teams from 1953, 1963, 1973, 1983, 1993, 2003, and 2013 welcomed. It was wonderful to have 1953 team members, Euan Hilson (1954), Don Sloss (1955) and Geoff Millar (1956) in attendance. Don Sloss, Paul Le Lievre (1963), Guy Gardiner (1973), Duncan Anderson (1983), Clark McLeod (1993) and Mikae Tuu’u (2003) delivered powerful speeches to the current 1st XV before their highly anticipated match against Christ’s College. In atrocious weather, St Andrew’s pulled off a hard-fought 12–10 victory, much to the delight of those gathered.
In October, we celebrated the Gentlemen's Luncheon together with the 65 and 70 Years On Reunions, which brought together a remarkable 114 attendees, with ages spanning from 73 to 96. The event featured various musical performances, including the Boys’ Barbershop, an exceptional cello performance by Christine Jeon (Year 12), and a captivating piece by guest organist Daniel Cooper. On a personal note, I recently joined a local rowing club and have jumped back into a double scull rowing boat. Rowing has been a long-lost passion since my school days. My St Andrew’s College rowing suit might be a tad more snug, but it’s heart-warming to see Richard Storey (2006) fitting into his with ease. Richard and I are enjoying being back on the water and are proud to see that St Andrew’s rowing is in strong spirits. Sam Crosbie (2009) President Old Collegians Association
London Function 2023 On Tuesday 22 August, around 70 Old Collegians and partners, ranging from leavers of 1958–2016, gathered at The Caledonian Club in Belgravia, London hosted by Rector, Christine Leighton. It was great to catch up on everyone’s career and life paths, and to see the Old Collegians’ enjoyment of a continued association with each other and St Andrew’s College.
Old Collegians Association
Annual Dinner award winners were presented. The Alister Newton Cup for Service went to Dr Hugh Wilson (1962) for his services to botany and conservation in New Zealand, in particular his development and guardianship of Hinewai on the Banks Peninsula. Tainui Stephens (1975) was awarded The Cockram Cultural Award for Excellence and Service to Culture. Tainui has been involved in Māori
Old Collegians
On Friday 21 July, the OCA Annual Dinner was hosted at the College. It was very well attended with a nearfull house of 135 guests gathering for the special event. The evening started with a rousing Address to a Haggis, delivered by Jonathan Wells (1987), ably assisted by John Reid (1956) and Bruce Nell (1967). The dinner was emceed by OCA President, Sam Crosbie (2009), and three deserving
television and film production for many years, including producing the 2022 movie, Whina. The Maginness Cup for Excellence in Sports was awarded to Queensland-based Blair Stockwell (1967). Blair’s distinguished career in cycling saw him compete at three Commonwealth Games and one Olympic Games, in various cycling disciplines. He won a bronze medal at all three Commonwealth Games and was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in 1982 for Services to Cycling. It was wonderful to have all three gentlemen present to accept their awards, and they each made uplifting and insightful speeches about their lives during and since their time at the College.
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Gentlemen’s
Luncheon
The Gentlemen's Luncheon on Friday 13 October was a delightful and memorable event, with a gathering of 114 Old Collegians, ranging in age from 73 to 96. The day began with morning tea in Strowan House, followed by a wander to the Centennial Chapel where Rector, Christine Leighton, extended a warm welcome. The guests were treated to various musical performances, including renditions by the Boys’ Barbershop, an exceptional cello performance by Christine Jeon (Year 12), and an organ piece by guest organist Daniel Cooper. Then it was back to the Strowan House dining room, where guests enjoyed a feast of steak and kidney pie followed by sticky toffee pudding. They were welcomed by OCA Executive
member Dr Greg Reynolds (OC 1973) who was joined by his father Graham (OC 1949), both pictured middle. The event provided an opportunity to honour the milestone anniversaries of the Classes of 1958–1962 and 1953–1957. Dr. Ron Jones (OC 1957) said Grace, while Stuart Fox (OC 1962) delivered a heartfelt toast to absent friends, and Neil Thomson (OC 1957) raised a toast to the College. Barrie Hunt (OC 1950) regaled the attendees with humorous anecdotes from his school days and generously donated a copy of his memoirs to the College. The event fosters a sense of community and shared memories, making it a cherished annual tradition for our Old Boys.
Class notes Intrepid mountaineering field guides, Mike White (1953) and Jim Wilson (1954), were recognised for their ascent of Antarctica’s Mt Terror more than 50 years after their expedition. They were the first to summit the 3262m (10,702ft) extinct volcano on the eastern side of Ross Island during a three-month expedition in 1958–1959. The men, part of New Zealand government efforts to map the frozen continent, travelled to the ice aboard the USS Staten Island icebreaker, a trip expected to take four days, that instead lasted 29 days because of the weather and ice conditions.
ensure the future of kiwi and other native species. Beginning by converting his own property into a wildlife haven, Mike expanded his efforts, forming the Tutukaka Landcare Trust in 2003 and being its driving force for two decades. He is the current Chair of Kiwi Coast. Richard Lemon (1968) was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in June for his services to the Agricultural and Pastoral industry. Richard has been involved in Agricultural and Pastoral (A&P) events in the Canterbury and Ashburton region since 1976.
Jaxon Lane
Richard Lemon with King Charles III
Mike White and Jim Wilson
At the Rotary Club of Papanui’s 65th Anniversary celebration, Euan Hilson (1954) received a long service award for being a club member for 56 years – the equal longest serving member ever.
Euan Hilson (centre) with fellow club members, Gordon Shields (1959 – left) and Bruce Charles (1958 – right).
Mike Camm (1962) picked up the Outstanding Contribution to Te Taiao Award at the Northland Regional Council Whakamānawa ā Taiao – Environmental Awards, which recognise the people and organisations making a difference for Northland’s environment. This conservation hero has spent 25 years on a mission to
Mike Camm
Jaxon Lane (2012) was part of the Melbourne Mustangs ice hockey team who took out the Goodall Cup in the Australian Ice Hockey League in August.
Dr Richard Musgrove (1978) is a freelance science and business writer based in Far North Queensland, Australia. Richard has been a Senior Researcher at the South Australian Research and Development Institute, and Operations Manager at Northern Gulf Resource Management Group, in Far North Queensland. His career has taken him to deep-sea trawlers in the Great Australian Bight, Tokyo’s Tsukiji Fish Market, and the Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, as well as cattle stations in FNQ’s Dry Tropics, and the stage at South Australian Science Communicators. Liam Connell (2005) received his PhD from the London School of Economics and Political Science. The title of his thesis was ‘Loyalty more personal and fervent: Australasian imperial identities, 1892–1902’. Robbie Manson (2007), Ben Taylor, Thomas Russel and Zack Rumble (all 2017) were named in Rowing New Zealand’s 2023 New Zealand Summer Squad with a focus on the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the Rowing World Championships in Belgrade, Serbia, Ben Taylor qualified for the Paris Olympics in the Men’s Pair. Logan van Beek (2008) rewrote the record books in June with an astonishing display of power hitting in his Netherlands side’s famous ODI win over the West Indies in Harare. Following a dramatic tie in Harare, Logan clubbed 30 from six Jason Holder deliveries before taking on bowling responsibilities and claiming two for eight.
Hamish Dalzell (2013) has been selected to play the 2023–2024 rugby season for the Nippon Steel Kamaishi Seawaves in Japan. Hamish previously played for the Crusaders, Canterbury and Auckland NPC teams, the Japanese team Panasonic Wild Knights, and Rugby New York’s Ironworkers. He also represented the New Zealand U20 rugby team in 2015–2016. Martini Talapusi (2013) was selected for the pre Rugby World Cup Manu Samoa squad. Sam Williams (2014) visited the College in August. Sam was Head Sacristan in 2014 and had served in the Chapel in a sacristan role for five years. Sam spoke in chapel about ‘Loving God and Loving your Neighbour’. He gave personal anecdotes of his time at the College and gave some practical insights into how one might do this. He challenged the students, no matter what their beliefs, to constantly consider what they can do to love others and bring about unity. Sam is preparing to be a priest in the Church of England and resides in Oxford. Britney-Lee Nicholson (2017) was selected for the New Zealand Futsal Ferns, which played Indonesia in Manila as part of the PFF Women’s Tri-Nation Invitational Tournament. Britney-Lee scored the Ferns’ only goal of the game. The tournament marks the beginning of the Futsal Ferns’ preparation to qualify for the inaugural 2025 FIFA Women's Futsal World Cup. Marcus Armstrong (2018) has been re-signed to Chip Ganassi Racing to a multi-year contract extension and was announced as 2023 IndyCar Series Rookie of the Year in his debut in the NTT IndyCar Series season. He has competed exclusively in road and street course races until now and will now be expanding his driving duties to compete on ovals with a full season beginning next season. Tom Rance (2018) was named in the 2023 New Zealand Barbarians U85kg rugby team.
Harri Silcock (2021) was jointly the youngest competitor in the Ashley Forest Rallysprint held in September where he finished third overall in the Cross Car class. Earlier in the season, Harri placed second overall in the Cross Car category and third Overall for the New Zealand Hillclimb Championships weekend in South Otago.
Rhys Mariu (2019) was contracted to the Canterbury Cricket Men’s team.
At the TYR Pro Swim Series in the US in August, Taiko Torepe-Ormsby (2021) equalled the New Zealand Open record in 50m freestyle with a time of 22.11. His time was 0.01 inside a world championships qualifying standard.
Alicia Smith (2019) and her team from UC Aerospace built and launched a winning rocket 10km into the sky at an international aerospace competition. The Te Whare Wānanga o Waitaha | University of Canterbury (UC) student team won their category and placed third overall at the Spaceport America Cup in New Mexico, United States. Alicia, who works at Dawn Aerospace part-time, will finish a Bachelor of Engineering with Honours in Mechanical Engineering, with a minor in Aerospace Engineering, at the end of 2023. She has already lined up a fulltime job at Rocket Lab in Auckland.
Pippa Henderson (2022) was selected for the Volley Ferns tour to Chile in June, and has joined Navarro College volleyball in Texas, USA. Scarlett Kirby (2022) competed as part of the 2023 New Zealand U21 Squad in the 2023 IKF U21 AsiaOceania Korfball Championship in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The team finished sixth.
Gone not but
forgotten
Jeff Steel (1947) John Musgrove (1948) Peter Thompson (1948) Douglas Thomson (1950) Alan Hampton (1951) Julian Kerr (1951) Bruce Macdonald (1952) John Atkinson (1953) Stewart Elms (1953) Barrie Peez (1953) Clive Butler (1955) George Feilding Hight (1955) Neil Lambie (1955) Maurice Mather (1955) Graeme Ryde (1955) Bill Allen (1957) Mac Hamilton (1957) Peter Campbell (1958) Tony Johns (1959) Anthony Jensen (1960) Dennis Alsop (1961) Bryan Robertson (1963)
Old Collegians
Olivia Brett (2019), along with Dame Lisa Carrington, Alicia Hoskin and Tara Vaughan, won gold at the Canoe Sprint World Championships in Germany to become the first K4 crew from New Zealand – male or female – to win a world title. The result in their 500m final qualifies the team for next year’s Olympics.
55
Scarlett Kirby
Alicia Smith
Cameron Wilson (2019) completed a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology at Victoria University and is a diver and aquarist, working at the National Aquarium of New Zealand in Napier. Karina Ahn (2021) won a bronze medal at the ICN Body Building Competition. Benji Freeman and Tanae Lavery (both 2021) played in the New Zealand U23 National Basketball Tournament. Benji’s Taranaki team defended their title, and he was named in the tournament team. Tanae’s Canterbury team was fifth in the tournament, and his Lincoln University Men’s basketball team placed third at the BLIA World Cup in Taiwan in August. Isaiah Armstrong-Ravula (2021) was selected to join the Swire Shipping Fijian Drua team for the 2024 Shop N Save Super Rugby Pacific season. Isaiah played for the Manawatu Turbos in New Zealand’s National Provincial Championship this season.
Milla Newbury (2022) competed at the New Zealand Ice Figure Skating Championships at the start of October, winning bronze in the Adult Interpretive – Gold 1 Women’s event. Tom Rae (2022) won the Artstart 2023 Waitaha McCormack & McKellar People’s Choice Award for with his photograph 'Vast'. Artstart 2023 Waitaha was an exhibition made up of the top artworks shortlisted from a group of over 1500 submissions across Canterbury Secondary Schools. Luke Zhu (2022) has departed for Harvard University to undertake his first-year tertiary studies. Luke played a pivotal role in the Mathematics Department after first arriving at St Andrew’s College as a Year 7 student. He initiated the student‑led Mathematics Club and provided tutoring for a wide range of students within the College and across other Christchurch schools. Tineke Hinton (2023) won bronze at the Trinbago 2023 Commonwealth Youth Games in the Women’s Beach Volleyball.
Charles Wiffen (1966) Christopher Butler (1968) Ewan McDonald (1968) David Evans (1976) Andrew Ferguson (1979) Mervyn Gatenby (1987) Myles Huston (1998) David Buick (1999)
Events
for 2024
60 Years On, Class of 1964–1968 8–9 March OCA Golf Tournament Waitakiri Golf Club Friday 5 April ANZAC Day Centennial Chapel Thursday 25 April 30 Years On, Class of 1994–1998 Friday 10 May
Regulus
Peter Williams (1964)
Welcome to the world Henry Francis Box
Son of Elliot Box (2005) and Gemma Box, née Payne (2007), born 20 July 2023.
Daisy Kate Bradford
Daughter of Philippa Bradford (2004) born 25 July 2023.
Summer Louise Daniel Daughter of Anna Nesbit (2010), born 19 June 2023.
Lucy June Storey
Daughter of Indy Storey, née Kraal (2008), and Richard Storey (2006), born 19th March 2022.
Just married Tash Adams (2009) and Ollie Wall (2011) were married in Vanuatu on 31 March 2023.
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