JUNIOR, MIDDLE & SENIOR SCHOOL
Contents Opening Remarks
2
Junior School
16
Current Leaders
3
Pre-School 17
Leading the Way
4
Arts 18
Foundation 5
Sports
20
Singin' in the Rain
6
SMCOGA 22
Boarding Life
8
The Way it Was
23
A Day in the Life Of
9
Old Girls' News
24
Middle School
10
Old Girls' Events
26
Senior School
12
From the Archives
28
Out & About
14
In Closing
29
Opening Remarks
Gillian Simpson – Executive Principal
Spring brings light and hope with each day as we watch bulbs emerge from winter sleep. Blossom and leaf buds promise new life. Children and lambs frolic in warming sunshine and we look to spring clean our homes. Perhaps we need to spring clean our minds and bodies too! Everywhere we are bombarded with messages about wellbeing and mental health as major issues for the Western world. Post earthquake Christchurch has its own issues around Post Traumatic Stress and we are still seeing evidence of this in our SMC community. We appear to be in search of a hedonistic "happiness" which is often material, superficial and fleeting. There is much current research that indicates that true "happiness", which is deep and sustained and leads to lifelong well being, can be attained only through living a life in gratitude and compassion for others. We worry for the wellbeing of our young women in a world where they look for instant gratification, constant reassurance and affirmation in their search for perfection. Social media has contributed to the rising anxiety and feelings of inadequacy for many vulnerable teenagers. Social media has provided another vehicle for unkind and negative behaviours to damage our young women's self esteem. As a society we are facing unpredictable and disturbing emotional impact on human beings who are striving for "happiness" and mental wellness in an exponentially changing digital world. Pastoral care and wellbeing programmes are challenged in all sectors and St Margaret's is constantly reviewing and adapting practices and programmes to best support our students, parents and staff to live well and to thrive. We are currently undergoing a full review of our Wellbeing systems and programmes. We keep teachers abreast of latest trends, research and best educational practice and the new SMC website has a link to a Parent Resource page where we share helpful and supportive links and ideas with parents. The SMC Graduate Profile attributes have been developed by the staff and the Trust Board and identified as important to wellbeing and success, empowering our young women to "live and lead". A message for our young women ........just try these simple things: "Take time to breathe and feel your life-giving breath. Take time to grieve and feel the pain - that's OK. Take time to heal and regain your strength. Take time to listen to your heart and to others. Take time to think and reflect and learn. Take time to be brave and stand for what you believe. Take time to give and to serve others as it is in giving that we receive. Take time to love as it is in loving that we are loved. Take time to be thankful for true gratitude brings peace and happiness. Take time to find the positive and the beauty in this world. Take time to just "be" the beautiful girl you are. You make this world a better place for your being in it. Love yourself unconditionally."
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SMC GRADUATE PROFILE
In order for each girl to have a deep sense of well-being and happiness hauora/eudaimonia we must support her to be: • Compassionate / empathetic • Confident • A lifelong learner • A self manager • An effective communicator • Resilient • Collaborative • A flexible critical thinker • A responsible citizen • Demonstrating holistic personal growth • Academically successful
Current Leaders
Georgia Lund – Deputy Head Girl
This year’s theme “Capture the Moment” has given us all the opportunity to reflect on the numerous, colourful and fulfilling opportunities that surround us, both within our St Margaret’s community and beyond. Who we are and what makes us healthy, happy and successful is made up of many components. We are required to be balanced individuals yet encouraged and tempted with so many phenomenal opportunities especially at the school we are privileged enough to attend. What I have learnt throughout my time at St Margaret’s and especially this year, is the importance of wellbeing and taking time to look after yourself. Without feeling physically and mentally content we are ultimately unable to achieve or perform. The most important aspect of wellbeing and one that St Margaret’s girls can struggle with is the concept of balance. It is so vital to maintain a healthy balance between all aspects of our lives including academic, sporting and social involvements. Involving yourself is important but knowing when something is stopping you from being able to maintain that balance is crucial. While school work can be overwhelming, to maintain a healthy wellbeing you need to take time for yourself, learn when to say no and have some fun! As responsible citizens, if we are not able to maintain our own personal and physical wellbeing we will not be able to capture our moment.
SPRING 2017 3.
Leading the Way Community Survey Results
Every two years, parents, students and staff participate in a comprehensive survey to review the effectiveness of our current strategies and to gain feedback on our performance from all areas of our community. We’re happy to report that we scored over 80% satisfaction from students, parents and staff alike; but what was even more valuable was the feedback we received to help us increase this level of satisfaction in future years. We’ve put together a snapshot of the findings below: • Parents overwhelmingly (88%) stated that SMC has a welcoming and supportive culture and that each child is encouraged to achieve to the best of their ability. Similarly, the girls stated that they are proud to be students at SMC (92%) and staff are proud (90%) to work here. Our goal of staff, parents and students feeling connected and part of a family has been achieved, and we continue to work hard to maintain this. • Wellbeing continues to be a priority within St Margaret’s and this is reflected in the feedback from both parents and students. 81% of parents are confident their daughter is receiving the emotional and pastoral support they need. Since the Community Survey, we have also undertaken a Wellbeing Survey. This will be reported on in the next issue of Evergreen and the results of the survey are already being acted on. • We can communicate better! This was highlighted in all areas and we have already put steps in place to resolve this including a new web site and the introduction of Linc-Ed to all three schools – Junior, Middle and Senior. We are continuing to work on the reporting system and have plans for a new improved newsletter and calendar system. New social functions for parents have also been introduced, including the successful start-of-year “House Warming”. • Another area highlighted for attention was the provision of careers advice. We have appointed a new Careers Advisor, Jenni McLaughlin, at the start of this year who has since implemented a new careers web page at: stmargarets.careerwise.nz. She has also connected with Old Girls through Linked In, inviting them to talk to the students about their career pathways and how to negotiate the university process. There are also plans in place to extend the careers advice teaching programme to younger year groups. • Finally, academic excellence is the main reason school parents choose St Margaret’s. We have high expectations from our students and staff which delivers outstanding results. However, the community also sees our all-round ethos as our strength with many opportunities for co-curricular sports and arts involvement and personal developing sitting alongside academic excellence. We’d like to take the opportunity to thank everyone who completed the survey. Your feedback is well received and the resulting learnings invaluable.
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Foundation
Katie Hinsen – The Power of Giving
Katie Hinsen, a St Margaret’s Old Girl who has worked with Peter Jackson and has been on Academy, Oscar, BAFTA and Emmy award winning production teams, has experienced first-hand the power of giving and is doing her part to pay it forward. After receiving a scholarship to St Margaret’s, the harsh reality that that scholarship would still not be enough to enable her to attend St Margaret’s was not something Katie was prepared to accept. She fundraised and worked several part time jobs to cover the excess costs her family could not afford. That was, until part way through her 6th Form year; Katie’s teachers, unaware of her predicament, suggested she stop working and focus on her school work. Though determined and committed to staying a St Margaret’s girl, Katie was left with little choice and recalls the day she walked into principal Claudia Wysocki’s office to tell her she would be leaving St Margaret’s. It was then that Claudia, who had previously been unaware of Katie’s situation, offered to pay Katie’s St Margaret’s fees. This act of generosity allowed Katie to stop working multiple jobs, focus on her school work and most importantly stay at St Margaret’s College. Since leaving school Katie has become an international recognised finishing artist with credits on over 80 major productions. She has worked as an engineer, editor, VFX artist, Stereoscopic 3D artist and colourist on commercials, documentaries, television, music videos and feature films. Katie is incredible passionate about her industry and has worked tirelessly to get to where she is today but she is the first to admit there have been occasions where she has just been lucky enough to be in the right place and the right time. Reflecting on the many opportunities she has taken advantages of and has been fortunate enough to receive, Katie wanted to find a way to give back to her community and provide opportunities for others in her industry. With this in mind she established The Blue Collar Post Collective - an accessible and focused grassroots initiative that supports the younger generation of post-production professionals.
“Careers are not ladders. It’s rock climbing. It’s hard. It’s not straight up. You have to make your own path."
It hasn’t always been easy going and as Katie returns to New Zealand after seven years in New York, the future is perhaps more unknown than ever. Driven by her passion and her desire to provide opportunities for others, she is, like always, up for the challenge. And for the times when it doesn’t go to plan? Katie reflects on a quote that has helped guide her career; a quote from the book ‘Lean Out’ by Dom Deguzman: “Careers are not ladders. It’s rock climbing. It’s hard. It’s not straight up. You have to make your own path. You have to have a great support system. You have to trust yourself – there are a lot of risky moves. Sometimes you have to go a couple of steps backwards in order to find a better route. The point; there is no one way up but there is a way to the top.”
SPRING 2017 5.
Singin' in the Rain
A musical and visual extravaganza of a production in partnership with Christ's College
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SPRING 2017 7.
Boarding Life Community Giving
The Boarding Community embraces our 2017 theme of ‘Capturing the Moment’ with the wonderful care and commitment they are providing to the wider Christchurch community. This year the girls have baked for the emergency workers involved in fighting the Port Hills fires. They certainly enjoyed and appreciated the delivery of some homemade cookies and muffins. Our Year 11 and 12 girls have continued our ‘Cooking with College’ programme but we have given this a new flair. Instead of the groups having shared cooking lessons and then eating the goodies they produce they now have two sessions where they learn to make a sweet and a savoury dish. From each session students then deliver lasagne or bacon and egg pie with cookies or muffins to the very appreciative recipients at the Christchurch City Mission, Ronald McDonald house and Daffodil House. The ‘Community Cooking with College’ has been a great success and a positive and rewarding change to this shared program. The Year 13 Boarders have continued the tradition started last year with our Rowley/ SMC partnership. Our girls capture many wonderful moments with the delightful children at Rowley School. Each term we make some special food items and share a lunch or morning tea at Rowley school. Greeted with songs and smiles the children eat and then share playtime with our girls. The Year 13s fundraise during the year to be able to provide something special each term for these children they have become so fond of. A very simple act has developed a truly special bonded friendship. The Rowley outing each term is a popular date on the boarding calendar and one the girls take a great deal of pride at being involved with. They have designed and produced the special badges pictured here that they wear on their uniform and will be gifting one to each Rowley School child later this term. Nicky Langley – Head of Boarding
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A Day in the Life Of Victoria Murray–Orr – Director of Community Relations
What does your role at SMC involve? As the Director of Community Relations, I oversee the school’s external communications including the PR, marketing, advertising and the publications for the school. I also oversee the Foundation and the Old Girls’ Association. All the fun stuff! What did you do before coming to SMC? I was the Global Marketing and Communication Director for Challenge Family – a German company that organises long distance triathlon festivals in 28 countries across the globe. I also ran Challenge Wanaka Triathlon and was lucky enough to be awarded "New Zealand Event Professional of the Year" last year for my work in the industry. What do you love most about your job and about working at St Margaret’s? I love that my job is so varied – I never get stuck doing the same thing for too long, I get to work with so many amazing people and there is a great mix of working with staff, students and the wider community. It’s a very rewarding job and it is such a privilege to be part of the St Margaret’s community. Working at St Margaret’s you really are working towards a purpose and it is incredibly special to be part of educating the next generation. Being a part of these girls’ lives, even if only a small part, is a real honour. It really is an amazingly warm environment, with such a talented team of people who are focused on one thing – the education and wellbeing of the girls. I love it and I feel very lucky to work here! What is the most challenging aspect of your job? Having enough time to do everything I want to do! When you get really involved in a job you have so many ideas
and you want to do all of them but I have to remind myself that there are only so many hours in the day and sometimes you just can’t do everything. Learning to prioritise is essential – as with many jobs. How do you spend your free time? Running and shopping! And of course spending time with my husband and daughter and crazy boxer dog! If you could travel anywhere, where would it be and why? France. It is my absolute favourite country; from the mountains, to the beaches to the cities – you can’t beat it. I love the language, the food, the culture – I speak French too so that helps! Do you have a role model? I was lucky enough to work with an amazing man, Arthur Klap – a Kiwi who runs Winter Games NZ, among other things. He taught me a great deal about working with people, how to get the best out of people and how to lead. He is an incredible man who is very kind and fair, hugely dedicated and was a dream to work for. He leads by example and demonstrated not just how to succeed as an individual but how to succeed as a team. If you could only give one piece of advice to your daughter, what would it be? Make the most of the opportunities you are given and learn to follow your gut feeling. Really learn to listen to your gut, if something feels wrong it often is. Equally if something feels really right, it usually is. But if it feels right and there are barriers or roadblocks in the way, try and find a way to overcome these and make it happen because there is every possibility it could turn into something remarkable!
We love it, you will too BOOK YOUR PERSONAL TOUR NOW
Please contact Lizzie Dyer T: 03 353 2563 E: enrol@stmargarets.school.nz stmargarets.school.nz
JUNIOR, MIDDLE & SENIOR SCHOOL
SPRING 2017 9.
Middle School
The Importance of Service
Service; the act of doing something for someone else without expecting anything back is something we value at St Margaret's College. This year in the Rite Journey our Year 10 students knitted over 500 baby beanies for children in Africa. We also actively support a charity called "Special Friends" created by former pupil Anneke van Heyningen. This charity that provides activity packages for children in hospital. Last year 100 bags were provided with activities such as design a t-shirt and make a scrapbook. The Year 7 group raised over $700 for the SPCA by making and selling cupcakes and the Year 8 students each completed 20 hours of service during their William Pike Challenge Award. Research suggests that by being involved in selfless acts of giving one's sense of purpose and one's own wellbeing is enhanced. As the famous Anne Frank once said, “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” How wonderful that our Middle School students are improving the world one beanie, one cupcake or one hour of giving at a time. Kathryn Gray – Head of Middle School
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To create a sense of belonging to a community that has shaped our lives. Classic Memories Jewellery brings you the first ever St Margaret’s College necklace made from quality sterling silver. Available online at https://classic-memories-jewellery.mystorbie.com/ or from Maggie’s Shop for $85. CMJ are five St Margaret’s Young Enterprise Scheme students. We have chosen to donate $2 of every necklace purchased to the Educating Girls Globally charity to with hold our values of helping the wider community.
SPRING 2017 11.
Senior School
Antipodeans Abroad – A Journey of Discovery
During the April school holidays a group of 16 Year 11 and 12 students, together with their teachers Kathryn Gray and Lisa Williams, travelled to Thailand and Laos for team building, trekking, charity work and of course lots of fun! As the girls travelled through bustling cities and tiny remote village, they also learned the skills of smart travelling and living on the go from the Antipodeans Abroad leader. The trip was divided into three sections, trekking, community project and exploration, all created by a student-led itinerary. First stop was Bangkok with its iconic sights such as the Royal Palace and Reclining Buddha. Then it was time to leave the hectic city and head for northern Thailand for a bamboo rafting experience through the jungle. The girls experienced sleeping in local village homes and were taught by locals how to cook the local cuisine. They bathed in the river with the village buffalos, met the community spirit man and learnt local tribe languages. This section of the trip wasn’t without it’s drama when Ms Williams took a tumble and got a broken leg for her trouble – not that it stopped her tho! Heading back into civilisation and the bustling city of Chiang Mai, the group encountered water, water and more water, with the Thai New Year celebrations of Sakram where the whole city has one big water fight. It was a highlight of the trip for all. Feeding and bathing mama and baby elephants was another exciting experience before moving
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onto Chiang Rai where they visited tourist sites such as the Golden Triangle, where the borders of Thailand, Laos and Myanmar all meet. A two-day boat down the famous Mekong River led to Luang Prabang, Laos and the girls’ community project, two hours away from the city. In this small village, the girls were greeted with flowers and singing and spent the nights in local homestays. It was an eye opener for everyone to see how these people live such a simple life yet are so happy and kind to each other. It was a challenge to live in a home where people don’t speak your language. The purpose of the community project was to build a water tank to supply clean, running water to the village which was struggling with the water demand. The girls worked alongside the locals to make this happen, as well as playing with the children and attending local home cooking lessons. The last part of trip was spent relaxing in the beautiful Luang Prabang - stunning sunsets over the distant mountains, a bustling night life in the night markets, local temples, as well as the famous Kuang Si Falls were a great end to the trip. “It was an amazing experience for all of us, and we speak on behalf of everyone that we will remember it forever, and have learnt important life and travel skills which we will use for the rest of our lives" said Maddi Dalgety & Kate Marfell (Y11).
SPRING 2017 13.
Out & About
Descendants' High Tea
Business Club Launch
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Out & About House Day
Senior Ball
SPRING 2017 15.
Junior School Curiosity
Curiosity in learning is everything! Creating that curiosity is key. This year, every student in our Junior School has experienced many curious moments in their learning. More often than not, this is not experienced behind a desk or a computer screen but provided by rich learning experiences and generous experts that give us their time and expertise and opportunities. If we look at how we generate these curious moments, we have a lot to be thankful for in our community. Parents and whanau have played a major role in providing fabulous learning whether that be through their subject areas, careers or passions and hobbies. We are extremely grateful to the many parents who have helped give our girls a curious moment or two. These include parents and whanau who have taken lessons, sports teams, given their time to allow classes to go out into the wider community to learn and
explore, or provided equipment and places to visit to help with learning. It does take a village to raise a family. At SMC, the Junior School has many avenues to call on when needed, from older students, to parents of the whole community, grandparents, friends and work colleagues. Next term, we are looking forward to presenting a Junior School production. For many of our new students, this will allow another curious moment and experience! This production is written and produced by a very dedicated group of teachers and supported by our community. We are very fortunate to have such a wonderful village. Julie Calder – Head of Junior School
Poems and Sparkles for Maggie Bear Illustrations by SMC Years 3 and 4 Poems by Julie Hutton An interactive poetry book with recordings $14.95 – online at www.stmargarets.school.nz/store/ or at Maggie's Shop Proceeds to EGG and the SMC Foundation
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Pre-School Storytelling
This term we are encouraging the children to become more creative and expressive in their storytelling. To achieve this, the teachers are providing lots of different props for the children to experiment with, and opportunities to listen to other people’s stories. The teachers have shared stories of their own childhood experiences, favourite toys and special things. This has given some of our children the confidence to bring in their own special items and tell their own story. Others have been narrating their own stories, which we have published so they can revisit, share and revise if they wish. And some are happy to find a comfy spot, away from others and relax with a good book. Sue Gleeson – Director of Pre-School
They say you shouldn't take yourself too seriously, and at Sweet Revenge we don't – fun is paramount!
That being said we take taste very seriously, and only sell what we know is delicious to the last bite. 03 352 8815 • www.sweetrevenge.co.nz
www.facebook.com/sweetrevengechch
SPRING 2017 17.
The Arts
The Art of Community Spirit
We are just back from Auckland and the National Finale of The Big Sing, New Zealand’s very prestigious secondary school choral competition. Our Chamber Choir are to be congratulated both for their Silver award and for their impeccable behavior as ambassadors for their school. It is a privilege and a joy to accompany them on a trip such as this and reaffirms our belief in our girls. SMC girls are representatives in national choirs, orchestras, debating teams, dance and theatre companies, and are winning awards in all areas of the arts. At the end of this term we will be presenting some of our Seniors with Honours and Pocket Awards in recognition of their skill and service and it is worth remembering that not only do we honour their incredible achievements but also their leadership initiatives, teamwork and dedication to supporting others. Each term we take part in a plethora of arts events in and out of school. While some of these are competitions, so many others are events that are held to celebrate and enjoy the talents of our students with the community, and often used as platforms to raise funds for those in need. The mufti day from a fun-filled Arts Week, organized by our senior Arts Council, provided funds for St Johns and our Twilight Concert, showcasing all school performing arts groups, raised money for our charity EGG (Educating Girls Globally) while the Middle School Cushion Cabaret, put together by the Year 8-10 Arts Committee, helped support Year 9’s Maddie Collins, fighting kidney disease. Our Eggsfactor concert this term has been the most successful of such events, raising thousands for EGG but successful for other reasons as well. This kind of show, where students and staff work together for a greater good, where staff are the nervous performers and students the encouraging mentors, where the auditorium is packed to the rafters and standing ovations are the norm, where morale is boosted and problems are forgotten, this kind of gig is the kind to be truly proud of.
"Art is to the community what the dream is to the individual" Thomas Mann
Mary Davison – Arts Facilitator
100 Fendalton Road Christchurch (03) 351 7980 jennyburtt.florist@xtra.co.nz www.jennyburtt.co.nz
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SPRING 2017 19.
Sports We’ve had a busy winter embracing the joy of sport in our lives with some fantastic success from teams and individuals at all levels. Hockey players enthusiastically wrapped themselves in cool, sometimes wet weekday nights demanding that hard white ball do what it was told. Netballers, no more likely to be warm, fought the frost or braced themselves against the southerly for a chance to display their prowess with the ball, bringing cheer and camaraderie to Hagley. Basketballers bounced into gyms across the city and leapt at a chance to get that elusive three-point shot. At the badminton, shuttlecocks flew, sent on their way by a sharp flick of the wrist and out on fields footballers had their feet work their magic. And all this exhaustion happens essentially because we want to have our lives enriched with the fun that comes from being with friends. Friends who share the same ambitions and can help us realise ours. They entertain us, challenge us, support us, commiserate and celebrate with us. We win and lose together and we tell stories that defy belief just to make it all the more enjoyable. As both individuals and as teams the better we become at what we do, the more fun we have and the more meaningful is our success, irrespective of what the scoreboard says. With this success comes a strong sense of wellbeing that gives us the confidence to make each day our own. Helen Belcher – Director of Sport
“Happiness is not something ready-made. It comes from your own actions.” Dalai Lama XIV
Key Winter Sports Results • 1st XI Hockey - retain Pat Barwick Shield and finished third in the AON Federation Cup • 2nd XI Hockey - runners up in the Chris Arthur Trophy. In the 10 years of the Chris Arthur Trophy's history, SMC has been in the final eight times • Senior A Netball - finished third in the SISS and qualified for Nationals. They received the highest goal average of the tournament for the fourth year in a row • SMC was the only school to have teams in both the Netball Supernet Final and Connectics Secondary School Hockey Premier League Finals • Netball 11A won the Patsy Tainui Trophy for U17 Division 1 • Netball 13A won U19 Division 2 • SMC Climbing Team came second in SISS 35 Papanui Road, CHCH Ph: 0800 400 026 www.ashfordmotorlodge.co.nz Email: reservations@ashfordmotorlodge.co.nz
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SPRING 2017 21.
SMCOGA
Message from the President
It is a challenge to ensure that all members of the St Margaret’s College community both locally and globally are valued and that relationships are created and nurtured. We have so many exciting initiatives planned both in New Zealand and globally and quite simply we can’t connect and nurture relationships if we don’t know where you are! To be successful in this task, we have launched the “Where Are You?” campaign, and we are ecstatic with the response. To date we have had over 1,000 Old Girls update their details. However, let’s not stop there! It’s easy to update your details. Just go to www.stmargarets.school.nz/where-are-you/ I look forward to being able to keep you in the SMC loop. With Reunion Weekend fast approaching, we’d like to invite all Old Girls, regardless of their year, to the Chapel Service, held in the school chapel, on Saturday 28 October, at 9:30am. Gillian Simpson, our Executive Principal will be sharing as part of this service, her presentation of the journey St Margaret’s has been through post-earthquake. As this will be Gillian’s last chapel service with us as Old Girls, all old girls are invited and very welcome to attend. Anne Zwart – President - SMCOGA
OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION
ST MARGARET’S COLLEGE OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION NOTICE OF MEETING – ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING St Margaret’s College Chapel, 12 Winchester Street Saturday 29 October 2017 12.30pm
OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATION
Catch up and reconnect with other “Margaritas” who left between 2006 – 2016 Thursday 30 November 2017 • Old Girls’ Atrium • 6.00pm – 8pm RSVP: Wendy Groves by Friday 24 November T: 963 2645 • E: smcoga@stmargarets.school.nz
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The Way it Was Ruth Leslie (nee Collins) was just 12 when her father told her she would be going to boarding school in Christchurch; nothing too out of the ordinary for a young girl today but this was 1940 – the world was at war, Ruth was living on the Chatham Islands with her family, Christchurch was almost a four-day boat ride away and St Margaret’s College could not have been further from the world she knew. As the daughter of an Anglican vicar her family lived a simple life. At that time, there was no power on the island, no indoor toilet in their home, no cars. They rode horses to get from ‘a-to-b’ and had no shops to speak of. They cooked on a coal range and Ruth recalls her mother ordering enough food to last them 12 months at a time as she never knew when the boat would return. Within a matter of weeks Ruth’s whole world would be turned upside down. She travelled with her Father to Christchurch and when they arrived he took her to Ballantynes to be fitted for her school uniform. He then took her to St Michael’s Church where he broke the news that they had adopted her at birth, a few days later he travelled back to the Chathams – Ruth would not see her mother or father again for four years. “I was a very scared and naive 12-year-old – completely out of my depth. Not that anyone was ever unkind to me it was just that I really didn’t fit in. There was a lot of wealth and privilege – a completely alien world to me.” After her father left, Ruth created a ‘new normal’ for herself, but she always found it hard, particularly during the holidays when the other girls would head home. She recalls how they would return to school with home baking from their mothers and tales of ski trips, beach-house holidays and family time. “When I wasn’t in class I was at the boarding house; there were rules, the house mistresses were strict, we weren’t allowed to walk on the grass, we wore our uniforms every day (Saturday and Sunday included) and we cleaned the brass in the school chapel in the weekends – that’s just the way it was” Ruth says. “It was a different time – we didn’t have fire drills instead we practised for air raids there were even trenches behind the boarding house in case of a Japanese invasion.” Together with her husband of 66 years she has lived through unimaginable change and progress from cooking over a fire, to hiring a TV to watch the Commonwealth Games…in black and white, seeing the first man land on the moon to the internet. Ruth has two children, two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. The shy quiet girl who started at St Margaret’s in 1940 is nowhere to be seen. She is vivacious and energetic, she has an infectious laugh and a wicked sense of humour. Ruth has lived an amazing life and she’s certainly isn’t finished yet!
Ruth, pictured at the bottom
SPRING 2017 23.
Old Girls' News 2017 October
Friday 27 & Saturday 28
Reunion Weekend
Saturday 28
AGM
November
Thursday 30
Margaritas
December
Wednesday 6
Leavers' Ball
2018 May
Saturday 12
Cranmer Lunch
Tuesday 22
Bridge Tournament – Christchurch Bridge Club
Deceased 2021 Audrey Paton (Thacker)
5355 Biddy Kelland (Stapleton-Smith)
2606 Judith Wood (Peddie)
2364 Joan Freeman (D'Arcy)
2072 Kathleen Moris (Hawkins)
2087 Margaret Blandford (Penrose)
1637 Pamela Hammond (Wreaks)
2044 Judith Walker
1349 Ruth Young (Falkinder)
1563 Dorothy Sim (Virtue)
3069 Kay Ballentine (Scott)
1574 Beverley Preston (Amyes) 4140 Daphne Pierce (Hinks)
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Old Girls' News Rebecca Christeller – 2009 Rebecca was recently awarded the Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Latin America 2017. This will allow Rebecca to take up an internship opportunity in Medellin, exploring how technology can be used to provide social value and banking opportunities for Colombia’s emerging economy. Rebecca is very grateful to everyone who has supported her on her journey and in her words, “my success is a complete reflection of the endless love and encouragement you give. Aqui vamos!”
Rebecca Christeller
Caroline Coates – 2009 Caroline has started her PMSLA (Prime Minister’s Scholarship for Latin America). She is very proud to be promoting her country and university in Chile and to promote Latin America to everyone back in New Zealand. Catherine Drayton – 1973 Catherine was recently announced as the first Chairwoman of Christchurch International Airport. Catherine is a professional director for companies and organisations including Ngai Tahu Holdings Corporation, University of Canterbury Council, Beca Group, Southern Cross and PowerbyProxi. She previously had overseas management experience as a senior partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, leading the assurance and advisory practice for central and eastern Europe from 2001 to 2004. Jan Corfield – 1963 and Olivia Waken – 2004 Jan was recently guest speaker at the New Zealand Women's Association in London. Coincidently, another Old Girl, Olivia was demonstrating flower arrangement at the event. Olivia is the manager of an exclusive London flower show, 'Scarlet & Violet'. According to Jan, "Olivia was a delight, so informative and amusing with her tales of becoming a florist in London!".
Caroline Coates
Catherine Drayton
Olivia Waken
SPRING 2017 25.
Old Girls' Events Connections Dinner
Old Girls, past and present parents gathered for a fabulous Connections Dinner last term with inspirational speaker, Chessie Henry who received a standing ovation. An Old
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Girl, Chessie is a very talented emerging author. The evening was a great opportunity for our female business community to network, renew friendships and create new ones.
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Old Girls' Events Cranmer Lunch
Words: Our three Cranmer Square events for the year all had great turn-outs. The Cranmer Chapel and Cranmer Assembly were both followed by morning tea. At the Cranmer Lunch, guests were entertained by Julie Cunningham speaking of her time as one of the first women in New Zealand broadcasting. Jenna Borthwick (Y9), who is the recipient of the Jean Crosher Scholarship, also spoke and there wasn't a dry eye in the house as she spoke of what the scholarship means to her.
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SPRING 2017 27.
From the Archives A journey into one of the many boxes in the archives office yielded an almost perfect run of prefect photographs from 1921 to 1960. We are missing original photos for 1910 to 1920, 1923, 1943 and 1944. If you have any of the above years and would be happy to part with your copy, we would love to take care of it for you. If you have a copy but would like to hold on to it, we would happily arrange to scan the photo and return it to you when done. This kind of visual history is a very important part of St Margaret’s College history. It gives us an opportunity to show today’s students that in a lot of ways they are not so different from past students. Also how times have changed, not only in uniform and style, but in technology, photographic processes and simple things like including names and years on the photos making another archivist’s job in another 100 years’ time a whole heap easier! With new buildings around us, sometimes it is very hard to remember the wonderful history that is associated with our school. Being able to find these photos, get them scanned and ultimately printed onto a medium that can be displayed in high traffic areas of the school means that we can bring our rich history to the forefront of our current students’ minds. It may even start a conversation or two about the “olden days” and the moment that was captured all those years ago. A huge thank you must go to Amber Gazzard, an Old Girl who has spent hours with me in the archives office sorting through dusty boxes of photos. Another project underway is the restoration of the brass plaques that were made for the seats of the 1959 chapel. This has been a project supported by SMCOGA, Amber Gazzard and Janice Smith. Through their kind donations we have been able to rescue the plaques from storage and have them restored. The next step is to have them mounted in protective frames above the altar from the old chapel in the Old Girls’ Atrium. Again, a wonderful visual cue for our current students to think about and appreciate the extensive history of their school. Some of the names on the plaques will be instantly recognisable, others may not, but all names may spark an interest in those who have gone before our current girls. Vickie Ward – Digital Archivist
Before digital restoration
28. EVERGREEN
After digital restoration
In Closing
Peg Riley – Chaplain
Standing peacefully in the sun, out of the cool spring wind, a gang of galloping girls goes by laughing with joy. I am astonished by the image of wellbeing as both individual and relational. This flows on beautifully in our community Chapel life. When we seek to improve the wellbeing of individuals, we must create opportunities for the wellbeing of the community to strengthen, to build positive relationships within the community. The six Houses are an important element in the tradition of St Margaret’s College. Within the House system, we have groupings of students from Year 1 - 13 involved in many different aspects of community life throughout the year. In the pursuit of creating closer, stronger relationships within the school, we look to have meaningful and positive events. At the beginning of the year, we introduced House Warming evenings, where staff, parents and students of each House came together in the Gym to meet new staff and families, reacquaint ourselves with each other in a less formal setting. It is revealing to see all the preparation that goes into creating positive, informal events! In appreciation of the success of those House Warming events, we held House Services with all students from Year 1 - 13 included and their families, followed by supper. This is to provide time again for people to connect.
"Kia noho te Wairua o te Runga Rawa ki a tatou. The divine Spirit dwells in us."
SPRING 2017 29.
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