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Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou.
It has been a privilege this week to have travelled around the country, from Dunedin to Auckland, supporting and cheering on some of our 17 teams. They have been competing in eight sporting codes showcased on the Secondary School sporting stage. It’s always a pleasure to support our students, watching them perform at their best, doing what they love, and representing our school with pride and passion.
National Tournament Week always brings out something special. It’s a time when students step up to lead in their own way, face challenges head-on, and walk away with lessons that stay with them for life. With all this sporting action happening, I’d like to reflect on what sport can offer us, not just in medals and trophies, but in the enduring life lessons it teaches.
Sport is a powerful teacher. It shows us how to win with humility and lose with grace. It teaches us discipline, resilience, teamwork, and the value of hard work. Whether on the field, court, or track, every student who participates is learning something far more valuable than a scoreline.
Here are eight life lessons I’ve observed from this week:
This week, as we cheer on our teams, we also celebrate the collaboration, encouragement, and shared spirit that make our College community so special. Next week it will be our Preparatory School’s sports teams’ turn, with the annual AIMS Games taking place in Tauranga.
To all our young sports competitors: thank you for representing our school with pride, passion, and perseverance. Thank you also to our coaches, managers, staff, parents, and supporters for supporting and helping to grow well-rounded young people.
Ngā mihi mahana
Mark Wilson
Rector
Latest Results> Equestrian Video>
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Maggie McConnochie (Year 11) placed second in the MacGregor Memorial (U22) Piobaireachd Solo Piping Competition at Oban (Scotland). Thirty international players (including nine from outside of Scotland) were selected to play in this very prestigious event, including St Andrew’s College Pipe Major, Sam Foote (Year 12). Maggie qualified from her morning heat (top four from 15) through to the afternoon final (eight players) to achieve this outstanding achievement. Each player submits four piobaireachds of their own choice; the judges select the tune to perform, which is given to the competitor in the final tune-up room, just before they play. Maggie was asked to play the piobaireachd, The Lament for the Lolaire, which she led at our recent StAC Attack Pipe Band showcase. In the final she was asked to play another Donald MacLeod composition, Queen Elizabeth II's Salute.
Maggie McConnochie was awarded an Inspire Foundation Grant in Specialist Instrument for Solo Piping. The Inspire Foundation supports young New Zealanders achieve excellence in their chosen field.
Sam Foote (Year 12) gained several placings in Solo Piping competitions in Scotland last week. Glenisla Highland Games: 1st Juniors (U18) Strathspey and Reel; 2nd Juniors (U18) March. Lonach Gathering: 3rd Juniors (U18) March; 4th Juniors (U18) Strathspey and Reel.
A record number of students received the top grade of ‘Distinction’ and gained a ‘Scholarship Nomination’ in the recent NZAMD Ballet examinations. This is a special acknowledgement for the examination candidate being a top-level dancer amongst the New Zealand ballet community and gains them the opportunity to compete at the National Scholarship Awards event, held in Auckland later this year. Scholarship nominations were awarded to:
Yinan (Vivian) Lu, Matilda MacMillan, and Tavé Stuart (all Year 13) successfully gained their Solo Performance Diploma, the highest NZAMD examinations. Tavé also received a Scholarship Nomination.
The following Year 13 dancers were awarded the St Andrew’s College Ballet Graduate Diploma, which concludes the pre-professional examination series: Charlize Blakely, Yinan (Vivian) Lu, Nadia Marriott, Abby Veitch, Manzhao (Cherry) Xu.
Katrina Wallis, Tom Heiler (both Year 11), and Jinyang (Yang) Zhang (Year 12) have won Highly Commended awards in the Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook student writing competition. Cooper Harris (Year 13) was featured as a guest poet at the Canterbury Poets' Collective young adults' poetry night, Lambing Season.
On Tuesday, 33 Preparatory School students travelled to Porters Alpine Resort for the annual Independent Schools’ Ski Race. The group was treated to a bluebird day, making it the perfect setting for a fun and competitive day on the slopes. In the Primary Co-educational Years 1–6 team category, Isabelle Turnbull (Year 4), India Chima (Year 5), Fletcher Adair and Isabel Ellis (both Year 6) raced superbly to take first place. Olivia Han (Year 4), Violet Winterbourn, Georgia Blyde, and Jack Marsh (all Year 5) also performed strongly, finishing in third place. In the Intermediate Co-educational Years 7–8 team category, George Turnbull (Year 8), Lucia Patterson, Lucas Chima, and Luke Russell (all Year 7) claimed second place, while Millicent Brown (Year 8), Izzy Every, William Keir, and Sophie Jacobs (all Year 7) followed closely in third place. There were also some fantastic individual results: India Chima (Year 5) was the fastest Year 1–6 girl; Alfred Keir (Year 5) was the fastest Year 1–6 boy; Millicent Brown (Year 8) was the fastest Year 7–8 girl.
Kelicia Rui En Purcell (Year 8) competed in the South Island Short Course Swimming Championships in Blenheim last weekend in the 12–14 age group. Kelicia swam well, achieving multiple Personal Bests, and placing in the top five in all but two events. Her 200m Butterfly time of 2:34.35 was the fastest across all female age groups, which earned her the Overall South Island Champion title.
Top three results:1st – 100m Butterfly, 200m Butterfly, 400m Individual Medley; 2nd – 200m Individual Medley.
Cynthia Zhang (Year 4) successfully auditioned to perform in the upcoming Christchurch season of the Royal New Zealand Ballet's The Nutcracker. This is a wonderful opportunity, with Cynthia one of 14 dancers chosen in Christchurch from a very strong group of dancers, who must meet a very high standard to be eligible to audition.
In their final game before Winter Tournament Week, the Senior A netball team faced Technical C in the Premier 2 playoff for seventh/eighth place. The team came out strong, establishing a lead of seven goals by the end of the first quarter. With consistent teamwork and focus, they extended their lead throughout the game, finishing with a decisive 54–35 win. This result secures their place in the Premier 2 Grade for next season.
Last weekend, three teams competed in their grand finals.
Last Friday the Chamber Orchestra and Concert Orchestra, conducted by Mark Hodgkinson, performed at the Aurora Festival – a celebration of school and community orchestral music held at The Auora Centre. The Chamber Orchestra performed the complete Symphony in D by CPE Bach, Clair de Lune by Debussy and Hungarian Dance No.6 by Brahms, earning a Silver Award. The Concert Orchestra performed four pieces, including The Raiders March by John Williams, Pavane by Peter Warlock, a medley of Italian Folk pieces, and Shake It Off by Taylor Swift, also receiving a Silver Award for their focused and disciplined playing.
Our Jazz Big Band and Jazz Orchestra also impressed with challenging repertoire and received expert tuition in a masterclass from Wellington jazz performer and composer, Dan Hayles, who was very complimentary of both bands. You can hear them live this Sunday at 3.00pm at Fat Eddies as part of our annual Jazz Club.
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The 2025 Dance Revue was held last Friday and Saturday, drawing large audiences for the two energetic performances held in the Gough Family Theatre. Led by Year 13 Heads of Dance, Emily Brook and Nadia Marriott, the show featured a vibrant mix of Contemporary, Ballet, Hip Hop, Jazz, and Musical Theatre. The dances were choreographed by Ballet Academy Artistic Director Dr Carolyn Cairns, Royal New Zealand Ballet Educator Neve Pierce, Tutor Sandy Gray, Sienna Spark and Siara Clarke (both OC 2024), Hana Pearce (OC 2019), and Tavé Stuart (Year 13).
Flickr>This week, St Andrew’s College hosted three events celebrating philosophy and ethics. The Senior Philosophy Conference on Monday welcomed over 100 students for a day of thought-provoking lectures and workshops that challenged students to grapple with complex philosophical questions and sharpen their reasoning skills. On Tuesday, the Junior Philosophy Conference engaged more than 170 students in accessible philosophical inquiry. The week concluded with an Ethics Professional Development Symposium for staff, fostering reflection and collaboration around ethical teaching. Together, the events highlighted philosophy’s growing role in encouraging students to think deeply, reason clearly and develop the empathy and wisdom needed to navigate an increasingly complex world.
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Earlier this month, five Year 7 students joined Secondary School players at the Canterbury Interschool Individual Chess Competition. Jack Blyde, Seth Clenshaw, Mason Eastmure, Alfred Lash, and Vitek Mencl rose to the challenge throughout the day, celebrating wins and learning from the losses. It was heartening to see the Secondary students supporting their younger peers and making lasting connections.
Secondary School
The Sustainability Council proudly hosted a Daffodil Day fundraiser today, selling fresh daffodils grown on campus. Thanks to the generosity of our community, both single stems and bunches sold out quickly. All proceeds go directly to Cancer Society NZ to support their vital work. Thank you to everyone who supported this meaningful initiative.
If you’d like to make a donation to Cancer Society NZ, you can do so online by clicking here.
Preparatory School
Preparatory School students wore a touch of yellow with their uniform to support Daffodil Day. All the yellow added to the sunshine, creating a bright and hopeful atmosphere as we stand together for New Zealanders affected by cancer.
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Pre-school
Pre-school celebrated Daffodil Day by having a ‘Dress in Yellow’ day and gold coin donations. Tamariki created daffodil-inspired art, made yellow playdough, and painted their faces with yellow flowers. Throughout the week, they explored, in an age-appropriate way, how some people are affected by illness and celebrating Daffodil Day is a way to support them, as well as the doctors, nurses and scientists that are involved in cancer care and research.
Senior Girls’ basketball coach, Adam Morgan, has been named Canterbury Basketball Coach of the Year for 2025.
Good luck to all students who are representing the College over the weekend in sports and cultural activities including:
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.
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>
Prelim examinations begin next Wednesday and run through to Friday 12 September. Year 11–13 students will be on study leave during this period and return to class on Monday 15 September. Students have received their personalised exam timetables and attended briefings with Head of Teaching and Learning, David Bevin. These exams are a key academic milestone, providing feedback ahead of NCEA exams in November, contributing to end-of-year awards, and determining derived grades for NCEA externals.
Some Year 11 students will also sit NCEA Common Assessments in Writing, Numeracy, or Reading during this time. These assessments are essential for gaining the 20-credit NCEA Literacy/Numeracy co-requisite.
Year 10 students will complete a range of assessments across Weeks 8 and 9. All students will sit the NCEA Literacy-Writing assessment on Monday 1 September, and those needing to re-sit Numeracy and/or Reading will do so on Thursday 4 September. These assessments contribute to the NCEA Literacy/Numeracy co-requisite.
Students have received their personalised timetables, which include NCEA assessments, the MidYis 10 monitoring assessment, and school examinations in Mathematics and Science. Final briefings were held this Monday with David Bevin. A smaller group will sit their school exams in Week 9. Please note: English and Social Studies exams will take place in Week 4, Term 4. Year 10 students do not have study leave during this programme.
Many Prelims and Year 10 assessments will be completed online. Students must ensure their devices are fully functional and can last the duration of each exam. Devices will only be provided in exceptional circumstances. Please note: The Green Library and Innovation Centre devices are not suitable for online examinations and cannot be used.
Students sitting NCEA assessments will access NZQA’s Assessment Master platform using their NZQA Learner Login. Students must remember their login details, as the College does not store them. These logins are not required for Prelim examinations, which will mostly be completed using exam.net.
Families will receive further information about these conferences via email. As a reminder, teachers do not write end-of-year academic reports for NCEA year levels. For more details, refer to the NCEA Newsletter sent in July by David Bevin by clicking here.
The following 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).
The Community Business Directory is on our website 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.
