Key Dates
For a full list of upcoming school events, please refer to the Fixtures page on StACNet (filter by "Preparatory School").
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Kia ora koutou
I hope you have all managed to keep warm and dry this week. Despite the sleet, it was lovely to connect with parents and whānau at our Coffee and Catch Ups session on Tuesday alongside our Head of Pre-school, Mandy Jenkins. Thank you to those who braved the weather and took the time to join us.
We were incredibly grateful that the weather cleared enough for the Huntley School Sports Exchange to proceed yesterday. A special thank you to Head of Preparatory School Sport, Dave Ermerins, and Deputy Principal (Operations), Alex Kelley, for their flexibility and problem-solving in making some last-minute field and transport adjustments to ensure the event could go ahead. The level of competition and experience for our students was outstanding, particularly for the hockey and football teams preparing for next month's AIMS Games in Tauranga.
We were also proud of our Year 7–8 Girls' basketball team, who competed in the Primary Schools Canterbury (PSC) Indoor Tournament on Wednesday. The team competed in a tough pool and missed out on the quarter final. They demonstrated great determination and teamwork throughout the tournament, and represented St Andrew's College with pride.
One of the highlights of my week was spending time with students in the Junior Learning Team and hearing about their Science learning focused on light and sound. Students were particularly excited to share their "Duck in a Cup" experiments and enthusiastically informed me that many of them intended to surprise their parents with their creations the following morning. I hope there were not too many households awakened by enthusiastic young scientists!
What impressed me most was the way students could explain the science behind their experiment. They described how friction created vibrations along the string and how the cup amplified those vibrations to produce the distinctive duck-like sound. It was wonderful to see students so engaged in their learning and able to communicate their understanding with such confidence and excitement.
As always, thank you for your continued support of our Preparatory School community.
We look forward to another exciting week of learning ahead!
Ngā mihi nui
Leigh Fowler
Principal of Preparatory School
Deputy Rector
For a full list of upcoming school events, please refer to the Fixtures page on StACNet (filter by "Preparatory School").
Many of our students are currently participating in optional online assessments, including ICAS and the Australian Mathematics Competition. These parent-choice opportunities provide valuable extension experiences for students who enjoy being challenged beyond the classroom curriculum.
For able learners, these assessments encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and the application of knowledge in unfamiliar contexts. Students are challenged to think deeply, persevere through complex questions, and demonstrate creativity and reasoning skills. The online format also helps students develop confidence in digital assessment environments while building important skills in time management, independence, and resilience.
We congratulate all students who have chosen to take part and commend their willingness to embrace challenge, extend their learning, and strive for excellence.
Year 8 students had the opportunity to participate in the annual Life Education Trust programme with Keri and Harold the Giraffe. This will be the final time our Year 8 cohort visit Harold's Classroom before transitioning to secondary school, and it was a valuable and timely learning experience.
Throughout the sessions, students explored a range of important health and well-being topics relevant to the challenges young people face today. Discussions focused on understanding stress, including what stress is, how it can affect our physical and emotional well-being, common causes of stress, and positive strategies for managing it effectively. Students also examined the potential physical, emotional, and social consequences of drug use, encouraging informed decision-making and a greater understanding of the impact substances can have on individuals, families, and communities. Another key area of learning was vaping, an issue of growing concern among young people in New Zealand. Students were provided with factual, evidence-based information about what is contained in vaping products and the potential associated health risks.
As always, Keri and Harold delivered these important messages in an engaging and age-appropriate manner, encouraging thoughtful discussion and reflection. We are grateful to the Life Education Trust for their ongoing partnership and the valuable contribution they make to supporting the health, well-being, and resilience of our students as they prepare for the transition to secondary school.
On Wednesday, the Year 7–8 Girls’ A basketball team competed at the PSC (formerly CPSSA) Indoor Basketball Tournament.
Drawn in a tough pool, the girls battled hard throughout the day. A narrow two-point loss denied them a place in the top playoff bracket, but they responded with great resilience. Adapting their play and working beautifully as a team, the girls went on to secure ninth place. They finished the tournament in style with a dominant 20–0 playoff victory over Marshland School.
Flickr>
On Wednesday 5 August, the Preparatory School hosted North Island visitors Huntley School for a hockey, netball, football, and rugby exchange. A last-minute venue change due to the weather added to an already busy day of sport.
The hockey match was tightly contested, concluding with an exciting 5–5 draw. The football team also produced an excellent performance in damp, challenging conditions, earning a convincing 7–2 win. The rugby team fought hard against a strong Huntley side, but was unable to take the win, while the netball team competed well despite missing two key players, but was beaten by a more accurate opposition. With one win, one draw, and two losses, it was a competitive and enjoyable day in cold conditions.
We thank Huntley School for travelling south and look forward to continuing this valued exchange.
Flickr>ChlöeAnn Botha (Year 8) competed at the Southern Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Dunedin last weekend across two days of competition. On the first day, her performance earned her the Step 6 Unders All-Around Champion title, and first place on Vault and Uneven Bars. She followed this on day two winning silver on Beam and Uneven Bars, bronze on Vault and Floor, and recording her highest all-around score of the season.
As the winter season winds down, we’re now preparing for the summer sports season beginning in Term 4.
The coordinators and their email addresses are listed below for your reference. Should you have any questions, please refer to the Preparatory School Handbook in the first instance. Otherwise, please email Dave Ermerins at DER@stac.school.nz.
Summer Sport Coordinators:
Sport Medley: Monday 28 September – Friday 2 October
More details to come later in the term.
The 2026 StAC Ag Show will be held on Thursday 20 August in Gym 1. Students and families are welcome to visit between 9.00am–1.00pm to attend the Ag Show and view the fun entries on display.
AG SHOW ENTRIES | CLOSE WEDNESDAY 12 AUGUST
Entries close at 4.00pm on Wednesday 12 August. Entry is $3.00 per category, and viewing the entries on the day is free.
RAFFLE TICKET PRE-ORDER | CLOSES SUNDAY 16 AUGUST
This year’s Ag Show Raffle is now open for pre-orders, with funds raised supporting the Ag Show and the Christchurch City Mission. Purchase a ticket for your chance to win an incredible giant lollie bouquet, which will be on display during the Ag Show. Raffles can also be purchased during the Ag Show.
Raffle Tickets: $2.00 each
Pre-order deadline: 5.00pm, Sunday 16 August
Pre-order Ag Show raffle tickets by clicking here.
Get ready for a wild week of reading and imagination! Book Week is arriving a little earlier this year, running from Monday 31 August to Friday 4 September (Term 3 Week 7).
This year’s theme: Critters and Creatures – a joyful celebration of the real and imaginary, furry, feathered, and scaly characters children love in books.
Throughout the week, our library programme will take centre stage, with students enjoying:
The highlight of the week will be our colourful Book Parade which will take place on Thursday 3 September.
The following 2026 photographs are now available to order online:
Details of how to order the photographs can be found on our website by clicking the link 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.
ORDER PHOTOGRAPHS ONLINE>In Terms 2 and 3, the Preparatory School Pastoral Care team will be offering a range of lunchtime clubs. All clubs will be supervised by a staff member, with support from our senior students. No registration is required for these clubs, except for Code Club.
For Code Club, parents can enrol online by clicking here. Students enrolled in Code Club in Term 1 will automatically roll over into Term 2; only new students are required to register.
We hope these clubs provide a fun and supportive space for students to connect, explore their interests, and enjoy their lunchtimes. Please feel free to reach out to the teacher in charge if you have any questions.
All children are encouraged to arrive at school from 8.00am onwards and can access learning spaces from this time.
Before-school Care is available from 7.30am–8.00am for families who need to drop their children off early. As this service has limited capacity and is designed for essential use only, we ask that families utilise it only if necessary.
Before-school Care enables us to provide active supervision, ensuring student safety while our staff prepare for the day.
Children arriving before 8.00am will be taken to Before-school Care. The small cost for this supervision will be disbursed to your child’s College account.
After-school Care continues to operate until 5.20pm each school day.
If your child is unwell, please keep them at home. To report any absence (due to illness or other reason) please complete the Student Absence Form:
If you are unable to use the online form, you may report an absence by emailing the appropriate address:
If you cannot reach us via the form or email, please phone our attendance line (term time only) on +64 3 940 2031.