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Dear Parents and Caregivers
Kia ora koutou.
Well done once again to our St Andrew’s College pipe bands, who once again demonstrated resilience and excellence at last weekend’s Hororata Highland Games. Earlier this year, they faced heavy rain and wind at the national championships in Invercargill; this time, they battled the heat to deliver outstanding performances.
Our Boys’ 1st XI cricket team also showed real character and fighting spirit, bouncing back from last week’s regional Gillette Cup final loss with a strong win over Christ’s College to retain the Fulton Nicholls Trophy.
Providing new environments and challenges to help our young people learn and grow is a key part of our educational offering at St Andrew’s. This week, our Year 5 students went to camp at Living Springs. Camps align closely with our PERMA-V well-being model, fostering positive emotions through outdoor activities and social interaction. Through living and working together they build relationships, while overcoming physical and emotional challenges creates a sense of accomplishment. These experiences help to build resilience and encourage a sense of optimism.
Feedback from our Year 7 camps, held over the last few weeks, with students and parents praising engaging and demanding activities. Amongst the physical activities, a highlight was the new stream study, exploring the science and life of streams. Many thanks to Castle Hill Outdoor Education Centre Operations Manager, Jo Parsons, and her awesome team for delivering these exceptional educational experiences.
In the spirit of learning through doing and challenges, I was delighted to see a Year 10 Physical Education class having fun working with George Read from Cheapskates Skate Skool, learning skateboarding skills and building their confidence.
Leadership development is another cornerstone of our approach. Our Middle School Leaders 2026 selection has just been completed, with 28 appointed. Their Dean, James Jenkinson, is so very proud of his whole year group and sees the great potential they all have. These appointments follow the recent selection of Senior College’s prefects for next year. At St Andrew’s, our values and Christian character underpin the servant model of leadership, which sees our leaders serve their community and think beyond themselves to prioritise the welfare and interests of others.
We aim to foster leadership qualities within all our young people by encouraging them to explore and pursue their own personal strengths and interests, enabling them to can grow, learn, and prosper. In such an environment, students will find opportunities and occasions to lead, and at other times, to be active and supportive team members. We recognise people can be leaders in some contexts and not in others, just as there are formal and informal roles for leadership. We want our young people to know what is right and to live by their values, ensuring they make good decisions for themselves and their community. We believe that having this foundation of strong personal character is fundamental to being a good leader and being a good person.
All the very best for the long weekend with Canterbury Anniversary Day tomorrow. If you are visiting the Royal A&P Show of New Zealand, please stop by the St Andrew’s stand and say hello!
Ngā mihi
Mark Wilson
Rector
On Tuesday, four members of the St Andrew’s College Pasifika Group attended the SPACPAC Pasifika Innovation Day: Iosefo Tito, Lily Proffit, Noah Fihaki and Ana Kamo (all Year 10), accompanied by teachers Connor O’Rourke and James Jenkinson. Students were introduced to entrepreneurs, given business advice, enjoyed dance breaks, and were tasked with presenting solutions to real problems faced by Pasifika businesses in Waitaha/Canterbury and throughout Aotearoa. One featured business was Moana Mortgages, owned by Dante Fyfe (OC 2005), who shared business knowledge and reflected on the growth of the Pasifika group and community at St Andrew’s College.
Music students in Years 5–8 performed at the Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival in the Christchurch Town Hall. This year’s theme, Whānau – friends and family, featured some well-known songs such as You Raise Me Up, and Thank you for Being a Friend.
The audience enjoyed a wonderful night of music from the massed choir, Junior and Senior representative choirs, the Concert Band, and the Symphony Orchestra, all featuring St Andrew’s students.
On Wednesday, Year 6 students welcomed Adelma Matthews from the Antarctic Heritage Trust, who delivered a fascinating presentation about Hillary’s Hut in Antarctica. Students learned about its history and significance before stepping into the world of virtual reality (VR) to explore the hut for themselves.
They navigated the original Scott Base building, hunting for hidden artefacts (including a surprise treat, chocolate!) and watched videos that revealed more about life on the ice. Through VR, students visited Sir Edmund Hillary’s room, the mess hall, kitchen, and radio room, gaining a real sense of what life was like for early explorers. Students then used iPads to complete their Explorer Journals, reflecting on their discoveries about different Antarctic explorers, and spotting some of the wildlife. The day concluded with an exciting Minecraft challenge: designing a vehicle capable of traversing the harsh Antarctic terrain. Creativity and problem-solving were in full swing!
Flickr>Over the weekend, our Junior A Boys’ and Girls’ volleyball teams competed at the Canterbury Secondary Schools Junior Volleyball Championships. It was a fantastic few days of competitive matches, team spirit, and impressive growth.
The Junior Girls showed outstanding development in both skill and teamwork. After entering the tournament with just one win this season, they won all three games on the first day and two out of three on the second, securing a semi-final spot. They fought hard on Sunday and finished in fourth place. Special congratulations to Lucy Blockley (Year 10), who earned a well-deserved place in the Tournament Team.
The Junior Boys also gave it their all, winning one of their three games on the first day. A narrow 14–16 loss in the third set of a crucial match kept them out of the top eight, but they continued to play with great energy and finished 14th in Division 1.
Flickr>
On Saturday, the St Andrew’s College Pipe Band and supporters travelled to Hororata for the annual Highland Games. Despite very hot conditions, the band enjoyed a memorable day with many students competing in solo piping and drumming events in the morning, followed by the Pipe Band competition in the afternoon.
Flickr>Benjamin Yu and Cong (Zilong) Chen (both Year 9) have achieved outstanding results in several national and international Mathematics competitions, among the most competitive in Australasia and the UK. These contests assess advanced problem-solving, logical reasoning, and mathematical proof skills.
Benjamin Yu:
Cong (Zilong) Chen:
The 1st XI hosted Christ’s College on Saturday for the Fulton Nicholls Cup match. Batting first, Christ’s scored 220, with Jack O’Rourke and Aarkin Kesar (both Year 13) taking three wickets each. A solid start kept St Andrew’s ahead of the run rate, with Joshua Nicolson (Year 13) scoring 64 and Austin Earl (Year 13) 38. The team chased down the target in the 45th over, seven wickets down.
Other key performances:
Louis Smith (Year 10) wrapped up his karting season after four months competing against the top racers in his age group and kart class across the North Island and nationally. Events were held in Rotorua, Auckland, Hamilton, and Te Puke, with 25–30 racers per event over two days. Louis finished fifth overall in the series, a fantastic achievement.
Sixty students represent St Andrew’s at the ISSA Athletics Zones at Ngā Puna Wai Sports Hub this week, competing across a full range of athletics disciplines. Qualifying for Zones requires placing in the top two at our Preparatory School Athletics Day, which is a significant achievement. Our athletes performed exceptionally well, earning 28 qualifications for the upcoming Canterbury Athletics event.
Preparatory School students performed very well in Highland Dancing at the Hororata Highland Games last weekend. Nayana Abrahamson (Year 3) was awarded Champion of the Hororata Highland Games and was presented her trophy by the chieftain.
Results:
There was steady hum of activity at the VEX scrimmage in The Green Library and Innovation Centre on Sunday. All four VEX IQ teams competed, and there was lots learned, including the importance of building robust robots and staying resilient when things don’t go as planned.
Congratulations to team “The Terminator” (Jack Blyde, William Keir, George Nicholls, and Carter Robinson (all Year 7)) who reached the VEX IQ finals as one of the top three alliances, narrowly missing the win by just two points. Team “ERROR 101” (Jonathan Armstrong (Year 10), Hudson Blyde, Edward Garbutt, Ethan Waines (all Year 9)) made it to the V5 final with Ao Tawhiti but were defeated by a strong Burnside High School/Christchurch Boys’ High School combination. Teams will now focus on driving and autonomous skills ahead of the VEX IQ Nationals in early December.
The following students selected for Canterbury representative touch teams:
On Friday 7 November, we welcomed back the Class of 2011–2015 for their 10 Years On reunion. This cohort had a uniquely memorable experience, having started just weeks before the 2011 Christchurch earthquake. Their school years were marked by resilience and adaptability, with classes held in portacoms. Boarders relocated to motels, and chapel services took place in the Gym, often seated on the floor.
Returning to campus, many were amazed by the transformation the College since their time here. The Centennial Chapel, whose foundation stone they witnessed being laid, now stands in full splendour, a powerful symbol of continuity and renewal. The group also enjoyed seeing the Centenary Window in Gym 2, gifted as their Leavers’ legacy.
Two distinguished sporting alumni attended: Sam Martin, New Zealand Polo representative, and Sam Lane, two-time Olympian Black Stick and 2015 Head Boarder. Several staff members also joined the event to reconnect.
Flickr>On Wednesday evening, around 70 members of the StAC community gathered in the Gough Family Theatre for a special screening of Maurice and I. This stunning documentary explores the remarkable partnership between architects Sir Miles Warren and Maurice Mahoney, and their fight to save Christchurch’s iconic Town Hall after the 2011 earthquake.
Following the screening, attendees enjoyed an engaging Q&A with filmmakers Rick Harvie (OC 1989) and Jane Mahoney (daughter of Maurice Mahoney). They shared fascinating insights into the documentary-making process, the challenges they faced, and the pleasant surprises that emerged along the way, as well as the reception of this internationally acclaimed film.
It was a wonderful evening, a celebration of two extraordinary individuals and the lasting impact their work has had on Christchurch.
Flickr>
Three Old Collegians have been selected for the 2026 Super Rugby Pacific Championships:
Good luck to all students who are representing the College over the weekend in sports and cultural activities.
We are excited to invite the St Andrew’s College community to join us at the Royal A&P Show of New Zealand from Thursday 13 – Saturday 15 November. You will find us at Site M33, where we will be reconnecting with Old Collegians and welcoming new families. Whether you are stopping by for a chat, to learn more about what is happening at St Andrew’s, or just to say hello – we would love to see you there.
A recent review of near misses from January to September has highlighted that many incidents have occurred around the Drop-off Zone and Road Patrol area. While no injuries were sustained, these situations could have resulted in harm under slightly different circumstances. We have introduced several safety measures over the past year and continue to work with the Christchurch City Council and New Zealand Police to improve safety. Police will provide occasional visits to enforce safe driving behaviours.
How you can help – Road Patrol
How you can help – Drop-off Zone and Carpark
Your cooperation is essential to ensure the safety of our students, staff, and community. Thank you for your support.
If you made a PTA Christmas Goodies order, orders may be collected from the College's Second-hand Uniform Shop between 3.00pm–4.30pm on:
Please note, the final day for collection of orders will be Thursday 27 November.
Thank you once again and we hope you enjoy your Christmas Goodies.
From the St Andrew’s College PTA
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)
PTA meetings start at 6.30pm and are held in the Preparatory School staffroom. Please see below meeting dates for 2026. To learn more about the PTA on StACNet, click here.
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
The College Shop, Thistles, will be open in December from Monday 1 December – Friday 19 December 2025, 8.00am–4.30pm. 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:
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.
