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Weather wise, it was a shame Thursday’s school day was cancelled across our region by the extreme weather warnings. We trust you and your families have stayed safe and look forward to welcoming the children back to school on Friday.
The information for the event has been emailed to parents. Though temperatures may not be too hot next Tuesday, please ensure your child leaves home with water and with sunscreen applied. More sunscreen will need to be applied during the day. There is some wet weather forecast, should it be postponed, you will be notified and we will move to the postponement date. If you hear nothing, then please assume it will go ahead.
Regards
Jonathan Bierwirth
Principal of Preparatory School
Deputy for Rector
On Tuesday, Year 6 students had the unique opportunity to engage with a new educational resource developed by E-learning teacher, Wilj Dekkers. In collaboration with the Education team from the Antarctic Heritage Trust, students explored a companion app designed to enrich the Discovery Hut Virtual Reality experience. Discovery Hut is a historic explorer base built by Captain Robert Falcon Scott in 1902. The session included hands-on learning activities delivered through Minecraft Education, allowing students to immerse themselves in a virtual recreation of the historic site. This innovative resource deepened their understanding of Antarctic exploration, and also showcased the power of digital tools in enhancing curriculum delivery.
Highland dancers have completed their examinations, and competed in a number of recent events, with the following results.
Highland Dancing September Examinations:
Highland Dancer of the Year Competitions, Nelson 27 – 28 September:
Canterbury West Coast Centre Championships, 18 October:
Ellesmere Highland Dance Competition:
Theodore Nortje (Year 5) competed in the 4 Paws Marathon. His dog, Bodhi (a Bernese Mountain Dog), was not able to run with him as after completing a course of chemotherapy, his lymphoma has recently returned. Theo gave it his all on behalf of Bodhi and came third overall in the kids dash 2.5km race.
The Preparatory School Athletics Sports and House Event for Years 4–8 will be held on Tuesday 28 October at Ngā Puna Wai Athletics Track. The four Houses – Erwin, MacGibbon, Thompson and Rutherford – will compete to become the House Champions of Athletics for 2025.
The purpose-built venue gives the students the experience of what it is like to compete on a professional athletics track, and also prepares those students who may qualify to compete at the ISSA Championship (Zone) and CPSSA event (Canterbury).
VIEW THE ATHLETICS DAY PROGRAMME OF EVENTS HERE>
LOGISTICS
We will transport the students to and from the College to Ngā Puna Wai on the day. These events are optional, and the participating students have already registered.
ATHLETICS DAY INFORMATION
Please ensure your child has their hat with them and sunscreen has been applied at home. The children wear their sports gear, including tracksuits (no uniform is required for the day). Children are welcome to wear their House colours also, so long as it is a plain t-shirt and not branded. Sorry, no face paint is permitted. The children cannot wear athletics singlets due to the length of the day in the sun.
The aim of the day is to encourage the participation of all students. This is an opportunity for them to try a range of events and gain points for their House.
In the case of inclement weather, you will be notified of the Athletics Sports postponement date and it will be held on-site at the College.
A Christmas Holiday Programme will be held at the St Andrew’s College Preparatory School from Monday 8 – Friday 12 December 2025. Children will enjoy a week of engaging activities both at the College and off-site, planned and supervised by staff. These will include sports, games and craft.
For further information and to register, please click here: https://stac.nz/HolidayProgramme.
The registration form will close at 5.00pm on Friday 21 November.
Please ensure medical information is up to date for your child in the Community Portal, by clicking this link: https://stac.nz/Details. Please indicate if there are any specific medical requirements or considerations we need to be aware of to assist in your child’s participation.
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Musical is a lively stage adaptation of Jeff Kinney's popular book series, bringing Greg Heffley's middle school mischief to life on stage. The musical explores Greg's attempts to navigate the social landscape of middle school, his quest for popularity, and the complexities of his friendship with Rowley, all while battling the dreaded "Cheese Touch." Featuring our talented Year 9 and 10 performers, this show is full of fantastic song and dance, heartfelt moments, and fun for the whole family.
Please note: Thursday's show has been postponed until Saturday 25 October, 7.00pm–9.30pm. All ticketholders for Thursday's show have been emailed information about the postponement, including how to self-refund their tickets if required.
When: Tuesday 21 – Friday 24 October 2025 (four performances), all 7.00pm–9.30pm
Where: Gough Family Theatre – Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre
Tickets: Adults $35.00 | Students $17.50 (student ID may be requested on entry)
Buy Tickets Online>Step into a world of enchantment, where fairies weave spells, a kingdom slumbers under a wicked curse, and true love awakens with a single kiss. Set to Tchaikovsky’s breathtaking score and brought to life through exquisite choreography, The Sleeping Beauty is a timeless ballet that blends grace, grandeur, and a touch of magic. Join Princess Aurora, the Lilac Fairy, and a cast of fairy tale characters in this radiant celebration of beauty, hope, and the triumph of love.
Dates and times:
Where: Gough Family Theatre – Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre
Tickets: Adult $38.00 | Student $20.00 (student ID may be requested on entry)
You are warmly invited to attend our next StACTalk: Tricky Chats with Jo Robertson. We need a strong turnout to make the most of this rare opportunity and we encourage you to priortise attending.
When: Monday 3 November, 6.30pm–8.00pm
Where: Gough Family Theatre
Tea and coffee available from 6.00pm in the Old Collegians Foyer, Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre.
StACTalks is a series of parent evenings where we kōrero about issues our young people are facing. This free session features guest speaker Jo Robertson, sex therapist and international presenter, whose 'Tricky Chats' course supports the Preparatory School's Hold the Line 'til Year 9 technology well-being initiative.
Jo will offer practical strategies and resources for navigating the online world with your child, covering topics such as: screen time, social media, gaming, pornography exposure, grooming and exploitation.
Supervision Available: This event is just for parents and caregivers, but we understand that childcare can be a challenge. If you need support, we’ll have a staff member and some of our wonderful senior students available in the Preparatory School Library to help out. If you’d like to use this service, please indicate this when registering.
Delicious Christmas goodies, locally made with the highest quality ingredients. The perfect gift for Christmas or to treat your own family! All proceeds will go towards the PTA 2025 fundraising drive, supporting the Pipe Band. More information about each of the PTA’s Christmas Goodies, including the ingredients list, can be found at the order link below. The products on offer this year are:
Closing date for orders: Monday 3 November 2025
Cake collection: Orders must be collected from the College Second-hand Uniform Shop (there is no delivery option) between 3.00pm–4.30pm on Tuesday 11 or Thursday 13 or Tuesday 18 or Thursday 20 or Tuesday or Thursday 27 November.
ORDER CHRISTMAS GOODIES>
Join us for a captivating screening of Maurice and I, a documentary celebrating the architectural legacy of Maurice Mahoney and Sir Miles Warren. Featuring rare archival footage and their final interview together, the film explores how their partnership transformed Christchurch’s cityscape. The event will feature a Q&A with the filmmakers, Rick Harvie (OC 1989) – Director/Producer, Belmont Productions, and Jane Mahoney – Director/Producer and daughter of Maurice Mahoney. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear from the creators and reflect on Christchurch’s architectural heritage.
Date: Wednesday 12 November
Time: 6.00pm (6.30pm screening)
Location: Gough Family Theatre, St Andrew’s College
Tickets: $20.00 (includes a welcome drink and canapés)
The following 2025 photographs are now available to purchase online:
Details of how to order the photographs can be found on our website using the button below and you will need to log into StACNet using your St Andrew's College login.
If you have any questions relating to this service, please email photography@stac.school.nz.
For any illness, students should stay home if unwell. Any student should also feel free to wear a mask if they wish to do so while at school.
For any absence, whether ill-health (including COVID-19) or otherwise, the College’s preferred platform for reporting this is via our online form which can be found at the button below:
If you are not able to report your child's absence using the online form, please report their absence via the relevant email address below. If you cannot get through to us via the form or email, please call our attendance line on +64 3 940 2031 (term time only).
