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It has been a productive and successful year for the Preparatory School children. I thank them for the way they have embraced their learning. They have worked diligently and been a joy to have at school.
To you, the parents, I thank you for choosing the St Andrew's College Preparatory School for your children, and for supporting the school so strongly. We are all so fortunate to be part of this wonderful place. There is no doubt the children enjoy their learning and the opportunities available to them.
For most children, learning success and advancement lies in the hands of their teacher. This person is the most important factor for successful learning. We are fortunate to have quality staff who lead and guide the children's learning, day in and day out. On behalf of our school community, I thank all the staff for their efforts and for the wonderful results and achievements across the school this year. I wish everyone the very best for a happy and restful break.
Term 4 concludes at 12.30pm tomorrow, Friday 5 December. Please ensure you have made pick-up arrangements for your children, as there is no After-school Care available.
Please check the clothing rack in the Preparatory School foyer.
School reports will be posted to the Community Portal tomorrow. There are no scheduled parent interviews, but if you would like to discuss your child’s report, please contact the relevant class teacher directly.
Congratulations to the children and staff who participated in Friday’s Prizegiving, a wonderful event that captured the hearts of all those in attendance. On show was a plethora of exceptional talent and dedication. Congratulations to the Year 7–8 children who received awards.
Congratulations to Dr Carolyn Cairns and the Ballet dancers for their wonderful portrayal of The Sleeping Beauty. As expected, the show was stunning in so many ways. The talent and precision were stand-out. Congratulations to everyone involved.
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Next year, Miss Sophie Martin replaces Miss Annabel Morris in Year 7. Mrs Emily-Jane Ullrich moves from Year 4 to Year 2 to replace Miss Caroline Gardiner. Mrs Susan Gaines returns from leave and will fill the Year 4 position. Mrs Jayde Mayberry joins Year 7 to teach the additional class.
Sincere thanks to Annabel Morris and Caroline Gardiner. The school will miss them next year. They have both contributed to the success of their respective teams. On behalf of the College, I wish them every success and happiness for next year and beyond.
I thank Stephen Higgs as the retiring President of the PTA. I have found Stephen most supportive of the Preparatory School, and I thank him for leading this committee so proactively and ably. I wish Tim Gibb the very best as he steps into this role.
The first major event of 2026 is the Preparatory School Meet the Teacher and PTA Wine and Cheese evening on Tuesday 10 February.
Today is my last weekly Newsletter – there have been nearly 1100 in total. Tomorrow will be my last ‘official’ day as Principal, and I finish on Friday 12 December.
Without doubt it has been a massive honour and privilege to lead the Preparatory School at St Andrew’s College. Firstly, I acknowledge the staff who are caring, competent and hard working. What I value most is the way they guide, nurture, and grow the children. They do this in their own special way, but there are common threads. The children’s development is not just restricted to academic learning – it also incorporates personal development. The areas that support the growth of emotional Intelligence. The things that support a healthy, happy, and giving life. Secondly, I acknowledge my wife, Therese, who has always encouraged and supported my fullest involvement in the College.
Finally, I wish you all the very best for Christmas and New Year. Be safe.
Regards
Jonathan Bierwirth
Principal of Preparatory School
Deputy for Rector
The Cobalt Cats, one of the new Year 7–8 rock bands, performed at the College's first School's Out Concert to celebrate the final day of classes for Secondary School. The Cobalt Cats joined three funk and soul Secondary School Junior bands, performing their own original song to an enthusiastic audience.
Flickr >The Year 6 Graduation Ceremony was a special occasion marking the culmination of our students’ primary years at St Andrew’s College. The programme began with a mihi delivered by Reva Bartlett and Hugo Lash (both Year 5), followed by a waiata performed by the Year 4–5 students. Teachers, Bid Constanti and Adam Fleming, then extended a formal welcome to the assembled students, staff, and families, before Louie Hartstonge and Arizona Wallace (both Year 6) offered the Year 6 response. The graduating cohort performed their song and were individually acknowledged as they received certificates, with Teacher, Meg Feller, and five Year 4 siblings of the graduates announcing each name. A spirited performance of Four Chords united the group in song, and the ceremony concluded with the traditional piping out of the Year 6 students. Preparatory School Principal, Jonathan Bierwirth, was formally acknowledged during the ceremony and joined the Year 6 students as they departed, while parents and younger peers stood to honour their achievement.
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The Junior Department celebrated their End-of-Year Picnic with a delightful Tangleby Gardens theme in the learning hallway. Tangleby Gardens is owned by Sue Heazlewood, author of several cookbooks and the enchanting Tails of Tangleby Gardens series. Although the weather prevented visiting Sue Heazlewood’s beautiful gardens in person, the Junior Department children immersed themselves in her stories instead. The children enjoyed reading tales from Tails of Tangleby Gardens, sharing Christmas stories, watching a festive film, and gathering for a cosy Teddy Bears’ Picnic together.
Flickr >The South Island SUPA Interschool Polo Tournament took place on Sunday, at Waireka Polo Ground in Sefton. Sofia Sneddon (Year 8) is a member of the combined Christchurch schools' B team that won the B Grade. Sofia was also named B Grade MVP.
Kora Graham’s (Year 3) Empire Athletics’ Opal cheerleading team achieved third place in their division at the Garden City Championships last month, and second place with a virtual entry at the NZ Super Nationals.
Even though the school year is winding down, it was great to see plenty of teams still keenly building and competing at the VEX Robotics scrimmage held in the Green Library and Innovation Centre last Saturday. All four VEX IQ teams competed enthusiastically at the scrimmage, with two teams qualifying to compete together in the finals. In an upset win against higher-ranked teams, “Mongolian Tree Weasels” (Harvey Kilday, Alexander Nuthall, Wyatt Petre (all Year 7), Cynthia Zhou (Year 8)) and “The Classified Bananas” (George Brandon, Benjamin Carline, Archie Passmore (all Year 7)) won the scrimmage 35–28. This was a great boost for the whole squad as they now make their final preparations before the VEX IQ Nationals in Palmerston North.
Austen Fraser (Year 8) has been selected for the Canterbury Panthers U15 Men's flag football team and will compete at nationals in March.
Francesca Greer (Year 5) has been named in the U12 Canterbury touch team.
Hold the Line 'Til Year 9: Supporting Families to Delay Smartphone Ownership
This year, we proudly launched Hold the Line 'Til Year 9, a community initiative designed to help parents delay smartphone ownership for children. The purpose is simple but powerful: to protect tamariki from the challenges that come with early access to smartphones, such as social media pressures, reduced face-to-face interaction, and potential impacts on mental well-being.
By working together as a school community, we aim to create a consistent approach that reduces the sense of “missing out” and supports children in developing healthy habits before introducing personal devices. When families unite on this, it becomes easier for everyone to hold the line.
Managing Devices During the Holiday Break
The holidays are a great time to reset and reinforce healthy tech habits. Here are some practical tips:
If you would like to sign up or learn more, please use the following link: Sign the Pledge.
Together, we can make a real difference in supporting the well-being of our tamariki. Thank you for joining us in holding the line! We look forward to continuing to promote this initiative and supporting families in 2026.
The Library Team at St Andrew’s College Preparatory School is excited to invite all returning students to take part in our Summer Reading Photo Challenge!
Here’s how it works:
Why join?
Why is summer reading so important?
Reading over the holidays helps prevent the “summer slide” in reading levels and keeps your mind sharp. Plus, it’s a wonderful way to relax and explore new worlds. So, grab a book and read for pleasure this summer!
Project Infinity is a voluntary initiative that assembles Christmas bags for school children in need, and sometimes their family members as well. The group works closely with Bromley Primary School and Opawa Primary School. Both schools have families who are struggling, and Project Infinity provides them with a new school bag filled with clean pre-loved clothing, new socks and underwear, and a small toy. Each year, the children are absolutely delighted with their unexpected gift. Bromley Primary School holds a celebration evening for the children who are chosen, and they enjoy the festivities with their families and then take home their special bags!
Your donation is needed: Community support makes this project possible. Donations of clean, pre-loved clothing for girls and boys aged 5–18 are warmly welcomed. Designer labels are not required – any contribution will be gratefully accepted. Clothing can be dropped off at the Preparatory School reception, with the final collection day being Friday 5 December. Thank you for helping make a difference this Christmas!
The Preparatory School will run a Sport Holiday Programme during the last week of the January holidays (Monday 19 – Friday 23 January).
Who: Year 1–8 students
Time: 9.00am–1.30pm daily (drop-off from 8.30am in the Preparatory School Library)
Cost: $325 for the week (until 1.30pm) or $400 (until 3.30pm, includes supervision)
Daily rate: $80 (until 1.30pm) or $95 (until 3.30pm)
Sports: Invasion games, frisbee golf, basketball, futsal, pickleball, and more!
Lunch: Subway on Mon/Wed/Fri; pizza on Tue/Thu (extra $15 for foot-long option). Students bring morning tea and a water bottle.
Permission form and Subway orders must be completed by Friday 16 January.
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.
As part of Te Whatu Ora Health New Zealand's National Immunisation Schedule, Years 7–8 students will be offered free immunisations at school in 2026. These include:
Gardasil 9 – protects against HPV and related cancers
Boostrix – protects against tetanus, diphtheria, and whooping cough
MMR – protects against measles, mumps, and rubella
Consent forms will be sent home early in 2026 for students who are not fully immunised. Please review the information and return the form to school indicating your choices. Immunisations are also available at GPs and some pharmacies.
For more information, please click here.
For questions or to speak with a nurse, email CA-NPHS-Immunisationphn@tewhatuora.govt.nz.
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:
All 2025 school 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).
