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It has been another actioned-packed week of activities. Years 1–3 swimming will conclude at the end of this week. Hopefully the weather is sufficiently good enough for our home-based Athletics Sports Day for Years 4–8 to proceed on Monday. Wet grass is not our friend.
Yesterday, the College celebrated and acknowledged the 11 students who have completed 13 years at the College. In fact, six of them also spent 1–2 years in the St Andrew's College Pre-school. On Tuesday, there was a special event for these "13 Years On" students and their parents. It was a happy and special event.
Updated information for the Athletics event on Monday 3 November (postponed from Tuesday this week) has been emailed to parents/caregivers. Though temperatures may not be too hot next week, 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, so should it be postponed again, you will be notified. If you hear nothing, then please assume it will go ahead. See more information, including the up-to-date programme, in the Notices.
If your child has lost a scooter in the last few months, please visit the Preparatory School Reception, as we might just have it in our scooter collection.
Regards
Jonathan Bierwirth
Principal of Preparatory School
Deputy for Rector
Benji McBride and Montgomery Fox (both Year 7) competed in the 5KM Huxster Mountain Biking Relay Race last week at McLeans Island. Benji and Monty placed third out of 112 teams.
Georgia Gregg (Year 8) competed at the Rangiora Highland Dancing Competition last Saturday, winning all of her age category events.
During the Term 4 school break, Kelicia Rui En (Kelicia) Purcell (Year 8) represented her club and region at the prestigious New Zealand 2025 National Artistic Swimming Championships, held in Wellington with over 180 competitors. Competing in the Youth Mixed Duet category, Kelicia and her duet partner earned them a well-deserved Silver medal.
The Preparatory School Athletics Sports and House Event for Years 4–8 will now be held on Monday 3 November at St Andrew's College, due to the postponement on Tuesday.
Please note that some of the event timings have changed from the original programme. See the up-to-date event details and location map by clicking the Athletics Programme link below.
VIEW THE ATHLETICS DAY PROGRAMME OF EVENTS HERE>
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.
On Tuesday, all Preparatory School parents/caregivers were sent an email regarding making their child's summer and winter sport options for 2026. Please refer to the email for more information, and to make your child's options selections via the link provided.
Options selections must be completed by Friday 7 November 2025 at 5.00pm.
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>From Monday 10 November we will be holding our annual Scholastic Book Fair in the Preparatory School Library. There will be a fantastic variety of children's books available for purchase and, with Christmas approaching fast, it's a great way to give the gift of reading!
The Book Fair will be open from Monday 10 November to Thursday 13 November, 8.00am–4.00pm. Purchases can be made by credit or debit card only. Please, no cash or cheques.
If you are unable to visit the Book Fair, your child can bring home a Wishlist for your approval. You may then complete your credit/debit card details on the back of the form and return it to the Book Fair with your child to purchase their chosen book/s.
The Scholastic Book Fair is an important event in the Preparatory School Calendar, with a generous percentage of sales from this event used to support our very successful Wide Reading Programme. Recipients of the Gold Wide Reading Award for 2025 will receive their book reward at this event.
Please note that the last day for submitting a completed Gold Wide Reading Booklet will be Friday 7 November.
We warmly invite our school community to participate in a meaningful initiative: Donate a Book for Christmas.
During our upcoming Scholastic Book Fair, we will be hosting a book donation collection box in support of the charity, Kiwi Christmas Books; the charity works to ensure that children and families who might otherwise go without are gifted new books during the festive season.
We encourage families to consider purchasing an additional book at the Book Fair to contribute to this cause. Your generous donation will help bring the joy of reading to those in need and make a lasting impact this Christmas.
For more information, please click the following link: Kiwi Christmas Books
Thank you for your support.
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.
Unlock confidence, creativity, and expressive power through Speech and Drama. This programme nurtures students from Years 1–13, building communication skills, imagination, and self-belief that last a lifetime.
Existing students are invited to pre-enrol for 2026 to secure their place for next year. New students are warmly welcomed, whether stepping onto the stage for the first time or continuing to develop their voice and presence, every child is encouraged to shine. Join a supportive environment where students grow in confidence, connection, and courage – skills that go far beyond performance. Spaces are currently available for all year levels.
For more information, and to register your child for Speech and Drama Tuition, please click here.
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)
The College Shop – Thistles will be open in December with the following summer hours:
Thistles will re-open in 2026 with the following hours:
The final operating day for the Second-Hand Uniform Shop in 2025 will be Friday 19 December. In January 2026, the Second-hand Uniform Shop will be open with the following hours:
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.
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).
