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Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou katoa.
Sunday evening was an important milestone for St Andrew’s College with the opening of the new Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre, incorporating the Gough Family Theatre and Fife Foundation Dance and Drama Studios.
Following a Blessing of the new facility by representatives from Ngā Tūāhuriri and Rev. Paul Morrow, the opening ceremony included a thank you to the design, construction teams, and contractors, and a thank you to the many generous donors. The new facility was officially opened with the cutting of the ribbon to the upstairs studios by Jack Satterthwaite (Year 13) followed by the ceremonial opening of the Gough Family Theatre by Ben and Pen Gough and their children Thomas (Year 12), Samuel (Year 10) and Harriet.
The wonderful performance theatre, along with the accompanying learning spaces for Dance and Drama, is a testament to collective commitment over so many years of nurturing talent, promoting culture and fostering a sense of community spirit here at St Andrew’s. In our 107-year history, StAC can boast 98 Senior and Middle School productions and a proper theatre, built to support, and encourage development of the Performing Arts, has long been a dream. In this space, young people will be inspired through creative endeavour, finding joy either as participants or as an appreciative audience.
The Gough Family Theatre is dedicated to all students past, present, and future who love to perform, and to those who have enriched their lives beyond school through the enjoyment of the creative arts.
What better way to celebrate the new theatre than with the opening night of this year’s Senior Production Legally Blonde. Right from the start, the capacity audience was captivated by the vibrant and cleverly designed pink set, the talented band, and the meticulously costumed actors, all of whom were accomplished singers and dancers. The 2½ hours of entertainment was fast-paced, joyous, full of humour and astonishment, and wonder that school students could present such a professional show. Over a total of six nights, the cast, band, and crew have delivered this exhausting show to a “full house”, earning a standing ovation for each performance.
Congratulations to all involved, including the StAC production team Laurence Wiseman (Director), Duncan Ferguson (Musical Director), Ginnie Thorner (Production Manager), Hana Pearce (Choreographer), Sylvia Campbell (Costume Design and Construction), Stuart Lloyd-Harris (Theatre Operations Manager), parents, backstage helpers, and contracted assistants. Legally Blonde concludes the season with performances tonight and Saturday night at 7.00pm.
To view a short video of the opening ceremony and opening night performance of Legally Blonde, plus photos, please click the links below.
Theatre Opening Video > Theatre Opening Flickr > Legally Blonde Production Flickr >
Another video showing more of the production Legally Blonde will be produced for next week’s Rector’s Comment.
This weekend is also busy with the annual Rugby Reunion (Old Collegians of 1st XV from 1954, 1964, 1974, 1984, 1994 and 2004) featuring the first fixture for the year StAC 1st XV vs St Bede’s College.
Best wishes to all for the other competitions over the weekend.
Ngā mihi nui
Christine Leighton
Rector
Students across the College have been supporting Bullying Free NZ and taking part in Pink Shirt Day today, proudly doing their part to end bullying by celebrating diversity, spreading aroha, and promoting kindness and inclusion.
If you would like to support Pink Shirt Day and donate to the Mental Health Foundation, you can do so via the link below.
FLICKR >A group of 120 Year 10 and 11 students took part in a Leadership Development session on Monday morning, facilitated by the dynamic, energetic and fun team from BurnBright New Zealand. Students were challenged to set their default mindset to walk toward challenges and consider the ‘win/win’ in difficult situations. They learned to understand the power of building strong relationships to lead. Following that, the focus moved to understanding that leadership is about influence and how they could best consider how their values could shape their actions as a leader.
On Tuesday, Community Service leaders Isobel Bhatia, Madeline Clucas, Benjamin Bolton and Samuel Ferguson (all Year 13) attended the World Vision Leadership Day hosted at The Piano, Christchurch. There were around 30 schools represented from all around the upper South Island. The day involved learning about different aspects of leadership, how we can all advocate for those impacted by climate change, and how we can mobilise our school communities for the 40-hour World Vision Challenge later in the term. Samuel Ferguson (Year 13) shared St Andrew’s College's approach to supporting the 40-hour Challenge in the coming months. It was a fantastic opportunity for the students to learn, connect and get re-energised to support the amazing work that World Vision does globally.
Each year the Cultural Council acknowledges Year 13 students who have given service to five or more productions during their time at the College. Thank you to Tamaroa Connelly, Edward Pitts, Jack Flanagan, Alexandra Shepherd, Dara Ballard, Shaun Cooper, Hugo Ranken, Sea-am Thompson, Matthew Lee, Chantelle Xiong, Hayden Lam, Jenna Howell, and Xanthe Pearce. This group have not only performed in shows but have helped with a variety of tasks for shows they weren't in, including leading vocal sectionals, dance rehearsals, set creation, director assistance, hair, make-up, front of house, backstage and helping younger students learn our kaupapa.
The basketball programme recently ran their annual iPhone Raffle to raise funds for the 2024 season. Congratulations to the winners:
Thank you to prefects, Carter Rhodes, Molly-Belle Morrow, and Benjamin Ashman for drawing the numbers.
An amazing trip was held over the school holiday break involving two different student travel groups, that included 61 Classics and History students and seven staff members travelling to Greece and Italy. The main cities visited were Athens, Chania, Florence, Rome, and Sorrento. A busy itinerary was undertaken, and students were guided through numerous museums, historical sights, and places of significance to New Zealand. The group attended a memorable ANZAC Service at the Florence Commonwealth War Cemetery, and placed poppies on New Zealand soldiers’ graves in remembrance. The main highlights for the students were visiting Nafplio, Crete, the Commonwealth War Cemetery at Cassino, the Colosseum, and the ancient city of Pompeii.
Flickr >This year marks the 80th anniversary of the Cassino battle during the Italian Campaign in WWII. A group of five St Andrew’s College Year 13 students, along with four from Cashmere High School, accompanied tour organiser and Christchurch England Sister Cities Committee member, Teacher in Charge of Travel and Tourism Ian Morrison, to the town of Cassino on ANZAC Day. The students involved were Billie Revis, Holly Thomas, Benjamin Kassel, Brooke Hughes, and Zakiya Smith. All group members had completed research on family members/servicemen who had been part of this battle. These stories were shared on the day before a short, formal service of remembrance was conducted at the cemetery in the middle of Cassino. Wreaths were laid on behalf of the citizens of Christchurch and St Andrew’s College, who have four Old Collegians buried or listed in this cemetery. Students and staff then placed poppies on Kiwi graves and took time to remember those that had made the ultimate sacrifice. It was a time of reflection for all those in the group, but the students were particularly affected seeing many soldiers buried there are not much older than themselves.
FOOTBALL
The Girls’ 1st XI football team kicked off their season with victories in both of their initial matches. In a dominant display against Papanui High School, they secured a 5–0 win. Following up with another commanding performance, they also beat Lincoln High School 7–1.
The Boys’ 1st XI team was also triumphant against Hillmorton High School with a 2–1 comeback after conceding an early goal. Noah Cole (Year 12) rose to the occasion, delivering a last-minute penalty to secure the win for St Andrew’s.
NETBALL
The StAC A netball season has started well in the first four games. The team has shown skill and determination in the Premier competition on Saturdays, securing a victory against Belfast A 61–51 and putting up a good fight in the close matches against St Margaret's College 52–53 and St Nicholas A 49–55. Additionally, their success in the SuperNet on Wednesday with a significant win against Rolleston A was a good start to this competition. Jody McCarthy-Dempsey (Year 12) and Hannah Papali'i Taimalelagi Malietoa (Year 11) who are new members to the group have seamlessly integrated into the team.
BASKETBALL
Our Senior Girls’ basketball team played their first away game this season against second-ranked Kaiapoi High School. After a close first half, the team pulled away for a 30-point win, led by seniors Ophelia and Rafferty Powell (both Year 13), along with a superb 25/16 stat line from newcomer Ava Jones (Year 11).
Our Senior Boys’ team hosted Rolleston College, the top-ranked team in the qualifying pool, for the Thomson Trophy. The team fell behind early, but Bronson Curtis and Logan Righton (both Year 12) kept the team close going into half-time. A strong third quarter saw St Andrew’s surge into the lead, that they held onto to secure a 90–80 win.
Nine students competed in the Canterbury Schools Road Race Championships on Tuesday. Sophie Lampe (Year 10) was a convincing winner of the U16 Girls’ race with Abigail Scott-Douglas (Year 11) in eighth place. Four St Andrew’s College students competed in the U16 Boys’ race, finishing second. Kupa Rule (Year 11) placed fourth, with Hugo Lewis (Year 10) 13th, Samuel Hardy (Year 10) 15th and Sam Wilton (Year 10) 16th. Hannah Hughes (Year 13) was our solo Senior female competitor finishing in fifth place. Elliot Graves (Year 13) was seventh and Cohnor Walsh (Year 11) 12th in the 4km Senior Boys’ event.
Flickr >A number of students in both the Preparatory and Secondary Schools participated in the da Vinci Decathlon this week, which was hosted by Christ’s College. The da Vinci Decathlon began in 2002 and is designed to celebrate the academic gifts of Australian and New Zealand youth by providing a stimulating and challenging competition run in the spirit of an Olympic Decathlon.
Twenty-four Secondary School students competed in teams of eight across 10 disciplines: engineering, mathematics, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography, and legacy. The Year 10 and 11 teams were both placed third overall amongst some very tough competition. Luke Zhu (OC 2022) attended the Decathlon in a teacher’s capacity alongside Liz Gormack and Ellen Hampson to support the marking load and the students.
Eight Preparatory School students in Years 7–8 competed as a team. Despite being some of the youngest contenders, these students dedicated themselves wholeheartedly to each category. Their hard work paid off as they secured top position in cartography, mathematics and chess, legacy, code-breaking, and engineering, culminating in an overall first placing in the Year 8 division. The students were Chenxiao (Leo) Yang (Year 7), Cong (Zilong) Chen, Baizhen (Tony) Chen, Tasmin Wingfield, Louis Hyland, Juno Park, Benjamin Edward, and Emmett Lawler (all Year 8).
Iona Garrett (Year 11) competed in the Division 2 Apollo Projects National Swimming Championships held at Waterworld, Hamilton. She gained personal bests in five of her six events, achieving the following finals results in the 14-year-old Woman category:
Heidi Smith (Year 10) has had her poem, A storm, accepted for publication in the next issue of fingers comma toes.
The following students will play in the South Island King’s Birthday Tournament in Christchurch following selection to Christchurch Netball Centre Representative teams:
Hannah Withers and Ellie Zhou (both Year 11) participated in a recent selection contest to pick the team to represent New Zealand at the European Girls Olympiad in Informatics (EGOI). Although it is intended only for European teams, a limited number of countries from outside Europe are invited and New Zealand is one of them. Hannah and Ellie were selected as two of the team of four to attend EGOI to be held in the Netherlands at the end of July.
Georgia Lewis (Year 11) has been selected in the team to represent New Zealand at the Asia and Pacific Cup for Show Jumping, which is being held in China. She is traveling to Fuzhou next week as part of the team of four 15- to 17-year-olds.
Elly Li (OC 2023) last month claimed the triple crown with wins in the women’s singles, women’s doubles and mixed doubles at the Otago Badminton Open in Dunedin.
On Friday 10 May, we hosted over 50 Old Collegians (from the Class of 1994–1998) and their partners for the first 30 Years On event at the College in several years. The attendees came from all corners of New Zealand and even from far-off places like Bangkok and Australia. The Cocktail Party was made even more special with the presence of both past and current staff members. Among these guests were Barry Maister, the Rector from 1998, Laraine Sharr, Wayne Milligan, who was the Dean in 1998, Mike Woodlock, and current teachers Joe Leota and John Hamilton. Those who took part in the campus tour were impressed by the state-of-the-art facilities now at the disposal of our students. A standout moment was the exclusive tour of the Gough Family Theatre, where guests got a glimpse of our students preparing for this week’s production of Legally Blonde. The event was a tremendous success, with the celebrations apparently lasting until the small hours of the morning. Given the overwhelmingly positive feedback, it’s evident that the 30 Years On reunion will be revived as a beloved tradition in our Old Collegians calendar.
Flickr >
Good luck to all students who are representing the College this weekend in sports and cultural activities,including:
There’s just over a week left until the Black & Bling Ball kicks off at 6.30pm on Saturday 25 May. Tickets have been distributed and the Committee are looking forward to seeing guests for a fun-filled night!
The Silent Auction is now open on GalaBid, an online auction platform. Details on how to register with GalaBid are below. Anyone over 18 years of age can access this platform and place bids, even if you can’t make it to the Ball in person.
There are some fabulous items available for you to bid on, including a variety of holiday home stays in Wanaka, Twizel, Coromandel; a fantastic built-in BBQ; gym membership; a number of delicious food and wine options; beauty vouchers; hockey coaching, Crusaders and Tactix memorabilia and much more. There’s something there for everyone! To view all items, please register through the following process:
Silent Auction Registration
Or register via galabid.com/stac24.
Alternatively, the QR code will take you straight to registration. Happy bidding!
This weekend the 2024 Miles Toyota Cup 1st XV Competition begins, and the St Andrew’s College 1st XV will host St Bede’s College at home with a 2.45pm kick-off. The teams will play for competition points, but more importantly, challenge for the famous Wyllie-Earl Shield (established in the name of two famous All Blacks from each respective school). There will also be an Old Collegian Rugby Reunion happening so there promises to be a great atmosphere. We welcome all players and parents down to support and enjoy the afternoon.
Are you a proud supporter of St Andrew’s College? Whether you’re cheering on the Pipe Band or braving the elements at a sports event, our St Andrew’s College branded Blunt Metro Umbrella is your perfect companion. The St Andrew’s College Pipe Band has teamed up with Blunt Umbrellas to bring you this stylish St Andrew's College-branded, Blunt Metro Umbrella in our iconic navy blue. At just $139, it’s the same price as Blunt’s limited edition Metro umbrellas. Every purchase directly contributes to supporting the St Andrew’s College Pipe Band. Funds raised will help us purchase new equipment and cover expenses for the New Zealand Pipe Band Championships in 2025 (Invercargill) and our next World Championship trip to Scotland!
Collection Information:
On Sunday 9 June, the Preparatory School is holding a Quiz Night at The Elmwood (end of Normans Road) as a fundraiser for this year’s Preparatory School Australian Sports Tour.
Arrival at 6.00pm, the Quiz Night starts at 7.00pm. $20.00 entry per team member with teams of six to eight people.
With raffles, games, and a silent auction this is a night not to be missed! Tickets will sell fast so get in quickly and email Keryn Ford at by clicking here to reserve your team a place.
From the beginning of Term 2, neither of the College shops are accepting cash payments. Our decision to transition to a cashless system has been led by a natural decline in cash payments, as well as to streamline operational administration tasks, and make transactions more efficient – thereby reducing waiting times for customers.
If you wish the PTA to sell uniform items you no longer need on your behalf, please list the item on the new online platform ‘Hand Me Round’, then drop off the items (with your name or copy of email confirmation) at the Second-hand Uniform Shop during opening hours, or alternatively outside of these days/hours, you can drop off items at the College Shop – Thistles.
To list a uniform item for sale in the Second-hand Uniform Shop, please visit the St Andrews’ College Hand Me Round site by clicking here >
Donated items are not required to be registered, but please label as donated when dropping off uniforms. All items must be laundered/dry cleaned.
Please note: The Hand Me Round platform is for selling items only. You do not need to register to purchase items of uniform. To buy items please come to the Second-hand Uniform Shop next to the Normans Road carpark.
If you do have any questions in regards to the new system, please contact the PTA directly at StACPTA@stac.school.nz, or view more information on our website by clicking here.
Our students, like many students worldwide, are having increasingly interrupted and reduced sleep. We see sleep as a major underpinning issue that can both boost and/or hinder our student potential. Dr Kelly Dale is a sleep physiologist and sleep researcher. Currently, she is conducting a number of research projects, looking at interventions to support healthier sleep in different workplaces, such as farmers and in the construction industry. Kelly has a particular interest in young people’s sleep and well-being and has worked with a number of schools and universities, conducting programmes to support healthier sleep in students, staff and families. Kelly also works at the Sleep Well Clinic, seeing patients for sleep conditions, including obstructive sleep apnoea, insomnia and delayed sleep phase.
We invite parents and their students in Years 7–13 at St Andrew's College to join us for this free informative event.
Date: Tuesday 21 May
Time: 6.30pm–8.00pm
Location: Centennial Chapel
The online sales for the following 2024 photographs are now available:
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).
The Community Business Directory is on our website under Alumni & Community and represents over 100 parent businesses. Please take a look at how many businesses you can support locally.
The St Andrew's College Community Business Directory >
If you would still like to register your business, complete the following form.
Community Business Directory Registration >
For a full list of upcoming school events, please refer to the fixtures page on StACNet.
