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Dear Parents and Caregivers
Well done to all our students who are actively involved in our many winter sports teams, music and performing arts groups, clubs such as robotics and media and film crews, visual arts, and programmes including Duke of Edinburgh’s Hillary Award. This week’s Rector’s Comment highlights a wide range of activities and outcomes, including the traditional sports exchange recently hosted with Columba College and John McGlashan College.
In supporting students as they consider future pathways, I would like to acknowledge Careers Counsellor Richard Webster for the excellent organisation of the annual Careers Expo. Held last week, it once again saw strong attendance and provided valuable opportunities for students and families to engage directly with tertiary providers and career pathways. Richard is a tremendous asset for professional career guidance and exemplifies the quality of staff we are fortunate to have at St Andrew’s.
As part of our commitment to developing our young people, we continue to engage with research and best practice. A recent Oxford University World Happiness Report 2026 highlights a decline in young people’s well-being, strongly linked to heavy social media use. Encouragingly, the report recognises the important role of schools as key environments for support, where strong relationships, connection, and a sense of belonging have the greatest positive impact on well-being.
These findings reinforce the importance of participation in co‑curricular and community activities. The breadth of opportunities available at St Andrew’s College supports the development of personal skills, connection, and belonging. Events such as this week’s Pink Shirt Day also provide opportunities to reinforce values of kindness, inclusion, and respect.
Today’s Secondary School Assembly celebrated a wide range of student achievement, while maintaining a focus on growth – helping students become the best version of themselves. Success is not just about winning, but about continual improvement through challenge, supported by dedication, hard work, and perseverance.
Rector’s Assembly Address > Assembly Morning Comment > Assembly Awards > Term 2 Assembly Flickr>
Thank you to staff, coaches, support teams, and parents for their ongoing contribution to providing opportunities within a positive and supportive environment, including the recent sports exchange with Columba College and John McGlashan College, and the annual Cross Country events.
Ngā mihi nui
Mark Wilson
Rector
In our Year 1 classrooms, Mathematics is all about building a strong understanding of numbers through fun, hands-on learning experiences. Students explore numbers by counting forwards and backwards, joining and separating groups of objects, and discovering how numbers connect and relate to each other.
Teaching approaches include songs, games, and structured activities that reinforce key concepts in meaningful ways. Students are supported with high‑quality resources that help make mathematical thinking visible and accessible.
As students develop early numeracy skills, they are encouraged to explain their thinking and describe how they arrive at answers. This emphasis on reasoning helps deepen conceptual understanding and supports confidence in problem‑solving.
This term, Year 7 students began their financial literacy programme using Banqer, a New Zealand‑developed platform aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum. The programme provides interactive and realistic learning experiences across topics such as income and expenses, saving, lending, KiwiSaver, tax, and personal finance decision‑making.
Students have started by exploring the concepts of income and expenses, including distinguishing between needs and wants, and making informed financial choices. Within the Banqer simulation, students receive a weekly income and are responsible for managing expenses such as rent, utilities, and services, alongside opportunities to earn additional income through classroom contributions and positive behaviours.
The programme supports the development of financial capability, decision‑making, and responsibility, while providing opportunities for students to apply their learning through activities such as surveys, marketplace experiences, and simulated transactions.
Students across the College marked Pink Shirt Day today, with a focus on the PERMA‑V pillar of Relationships and the role of being an upstander in building a positive and inclusive school environment.
In the Secondary School, tutoring focused on recognising how small actions can support others and prevent bullying or exclusion. At assembly, Lila Waghorn and Jake Farrelly (both Year 13) shared reflections on the importance of speaking up and supporting others. Their address encouraged students to consider how everyday decisions contribute to a culture of respect and inclusion, highlighting that even brief moments of courage can have a significant impact.
In the Preparatory School, ākonga explored the difference between being an upstander and a bystander. Learning focused on recognising unkind behaviour and responding in safe and positive ways, such as including others, speaking respectfully, and seeking support from a trusted adult. Students also revisited a shared understanding of bullying, including the key elements of repeated behaviour, power imbalance, and intent to harm, helping to distinguish bullying from everyday conflict.
In the Pre‑school, tamariki marked the day by wearing pink and taking part in creative activities that reflected the message of kindness. Classrooms were decorated, and students created artwork inspired by the themes of inclusion and care for others.
Pink Shirt Day provided a shared opportunity to reinforce the College’s commitment to creating a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment.
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Last week, Year 7 students engaged in learning for New Zealand Sign Language Week, exploring the role of inclusive communication and gaining an introduction to everyday signs and greetings. A highlight of the programme was learning the New Zealand Sign Language version of the song Pepeha by Six60. Through practising together, students developed confidence while building awareness of the Deaf community and the value of inclusive communication.
The learning experience supported the College value of inclusivity, encouraging students to consider different ways of connecting and communicating, and contributing to a sense of belonging within the school community.
Watch the video >Juan Lee (Year 9) represented New Zealand in the ITF World Junior Team Competition Asia/Oceania Final Qualifier in Malaysia as part of the U14 team. The team recorded ties against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Vietnam. Juan won two of his four singles matches, with a narrow tie‑break loss in his match against Hong Kong.
George Reynolds (Year 11) was selected for the Canterbury squash team and competed at a Quadrangular Tournament against Midland, Otago, and Southland. George won all three of his matches in straight games and was named the leading male junior for the tournament. Canterbury retained the South Island title.
Arielle Swartz (Year 7) and Leona Smart (Year 8) have been selected to represent Canterbury at the New Zealand Artistic Swimming South Island Competition, to be held in Christchurch at Parakiore over this weekend.
Congratulations to the cast, orchestra, crew, and everyone involved in the 2026 Senior production of Anything Goes. The show was a fabulous success, with audiences thoroughly delighted, and many even returning to see it a second time. Every detail, from the music and choreography to the direction and design elements, came together to create something truly special. A heartfelt thank you also to our wonderful parent team for their generous support throughout the production. A notable feature of the production was the inclusion of a full‑cast tap sequence, undertaken by a group with limited prior experience. With only seven students having tapped before, and just four currently taking lessons, the achievement of the whole cast tapping was remarkable. The dedication of both the choreographer, Hana Pearce (OC 2019), and the cast was clearly evident on stage, making it a standout moment of the show.
Flickr >More than 80 Year 10 students participated in a Burn Bright leadership workshop last week, focusing on leadership development, communication, and service. The session explored concepts such as intentional leadership, active listening, and the influence of behaviour on others, providing a foundation for future leadership opportunities.
On Sunday and Monday, St Andrew’s hosted John McGlashan College and Columba College for the annual sports exchange. Fixtures across rugby, football, hockey, basketball, and netball resulted in:
The exchange provided a full programme of matches across College and external venues.
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Yesterday, the annual Secondary School Cross Country event was held across all year levels, with competitive racing across the programme.
FLICKR>Year 4–8 students competed in the Preparatory School Cross Country event on Thursday morning. Events opened with piping from Benjamin Carline (Year 8), followed by House chants. Rutherford House recorded the winning chant with races conducted across all age groups.
Students who place in the top eight of their year group (boys and girls) have qualified for the Independent Schools Zones Cross Country event, taking place at Lake Roto Kohatu on Tuesday 2 June.
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Three St Andrew’s College teams from Years 9–11 competed in the da Vinci Decathlon hosted by Christ’s College. This academically rigorous competition challenges teams of eight across ten disciplines, including engineering, mathematics, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producers, cartography, and legacy. The format requires students to apply knowledge under time pressure while working collaboratively across a broad range of subject areas.
St Andrew’s teams demonstrated consistent engagement across all categories. The Year 11 team placed second overall, while the Year 9 team placed third overall. The Year 10 team recorded first placings in Mathematics, Science, and Poetry, reflecting strength across both analytical and creative domains. The event provided a valuable opportunity for academic extension, teamwork, and applied problem‑solving.
Students from St Andrew’s College achieved strong results in Round 1 of the New Zealand Brain Bee, an international neuroscience competition focused on the study of the brain and nervous system. The competition challenges students to demonstrate knowledge of areas such as brain anatomy, neural communication, and human behaviour through a range of question formats.
Following the South Island Round 1 event, Samuel Hu, Angela Yang, and Louis O’Neill (all Year 11) have qualified for Round 2, to be held in June. Samuel Hu also placed equal third in the South Island. The next stage of the competition will provide further opportunities for extension, with top performers invited to participate in the University of Canterbury Neuroscience Experience Day.
Students participated in a VEX Robotics scrimmage ahead of the Canterbury Challenge Finals. In VEX IQ three teams competed against four other schools. The Kitten Klan (Jack Blyde, Zongze (Aaron) Li, Vitek Mencl, Wyatt Petre – all Year 8) shared first place with Hillmorton High School in a 41–40 match.
In VEX VRC, Syntax Error (George Bissland, Alex Manson, Luke Manson, Hannah Withers – all Year 13) qualified first after undefeated pool matches and finished second overall, going down 31-26.
Nine Senior teams competed in Round 4 of the Canterbury Schools’ Debating Competition. Teams debated economic topics and recorded a range of results across the round.
fLICKR>Year 12 and 13 French students took part in a two‑and‑a‑half‑day language immersion experience in Akaroa. The programme combined cultural activities with structured learning, including a photo challenge around the town and preparation for the students’ internal assessment. Time was deliberately set aside for students to develop and record their interactive assessment, alongside a range of French language tasks designed to deepen their understanding and use of the language in authentic contexts.
The experience also included practical and cultural elements, with students preparing a French meal at the lodge and participating in a cooking session at the Akaroa Cooking School. Additional activities included an Amazing Race around Akaroa, a shared dinner at a local restaurant, and viewing a French film. The programme concluded with students completing their assessment recordings and visiting a French bakery before returning to school, providing a well‑rounded opportunity for language learning through both structured and experiential approaches.
Maggie and Ceci Pugh (both Year 8) competed at the Australian Dance Crew Championships, placing first in their division with their crew UNO, from Ace Dance Studio. They have qualified for the World Championships in Sydney later this year. Ceci was also named Rising Star and received an invitation to attend the Monsterz of Afro workshop in Sydney, an opportunity awarded to only one dancer each year by ADCC.
Zoe Kelso (Year 10) won the Woman's singles and doubles titles at the Edgeware Club Championships and was named Most Improved Female player.
The Waihi Sports Exchange began with two hockey fixtures. The Boys’ A team played a high‑scoring match, with early goals at both ends before the game opened up. Waihi’s pace and finishing created separation as the match progressed, with the final score 14–3. The Girls’ match followed and was more defensively focused. Lila Scott (Year 8) made several key saves to keep the score close. St Andrew’s trailed by one in the closing stages and pushed for an equaliser but were unable to convert, with the match finishing 1–2.
The netball fixture remained close throughout, with both teams trading goals and applying strong defensive pressure. Waihi held a narrow margin to win 14–13. In rugby, Waihi utilised width effectively to create scoring opportunities. St Andrew’s maintained defensive effort throughout the match, with Thomas Franks (Year 6) making a strong contribution. The football team created and converted multiple scoring opportunities, concluding the day’s fixtures on a positive note.
FLICKR>FOOTBALL
The Boys’ 1st XI had a productive week of football, beginning with a 2–2 draw against John McGlashan College during the exchange fixture. The team showed resilience to stay in the match, before backing this up with a 5–3 win over Middleton Grange School in an open, high‑scoring contest. Throughout both matches, the boys demonstrated attacking intent and composure in front of goal.
The Girls’ 1st XI entered the week following a win over Villa Maria College but were defeated 7–1 by Avonside Girls’ High School. Despite the result, the team maintained effort and structure across the match and will take key learnings into upcoming fixtures.
NETBALL
On Saturday, the Senior A netball team opened their season against St Margaret’s College, with both teams evenly matched early. St Andrew’s built momentum through strong defensive pressure, finishing the first quarter on a 10–1 run to lead 20–9. St Margaret’s responded in the second quarter, but St Andrew’s maintained control to win the quarter 14–10 and extend their lead to 34–19 at halftime. The third quarter continued in St Andrew’s favour, 14–7, before a composed final quarter saw the team secure a 64–32 result. Charlotte Galvan (Year 13) and Hannah Radford (Year 12) contributed defensively, while Carley McNee (Year 13) and Emelia Ainley (Year 12) linked effectively through the midcourt and shooting circle.
In their Super Net fixture against Cashmere High School, the opening stages were closely contested before St Andrew’s edged ahead 12–8 at quarter time, supported by defensive intercepts from Hayley Stowell (Year 11) and Zara Kleindyk (Year 12). Strong ball movement through the midcourt extended the lead to 25–14 at halftime. After adjusting to changes in the third quarter, St Andrew’s finished strongly, winning the final quarter 10–2 to close out a 44–23 result. Lucy Cliff (Year 12) was noted for her connection across the court, while Rosie Gaffaney (Year 12) influenced the team’s intensity in the final stages.
RUGBY
The 1st XV played their first home match of the season against Christ’s College. The atmosphere was electric and the team started the match with a lot of confidence. Some clinical execution and direct running saw the team start strongly, with consecutive tries scored in quick succession, to lead 28–0 at half‑time.
Caleb Collins‑Polata (Year 13) completed a hat trick early in the second half as St Andrew’s extended their lead. Christ’s College responded with a late try, the only one of the match, following a period of sustained pressure, before impact from the bench saw two further St Andrew’s tries to close out the match, with the final score 47–7.
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BASKETBALL
On Tuesday, the second home double‑header of the season saw the Senior Girls face St Margaret’s College. Despite missing Nadia De Thierry (Year 13) and Maniah Taefu (Year 12), the team established control through a strong second quarter. Ava Jones (Year 13), Hayley Stowell (Year 11), and Mia Wilkins (Year 10) were prominent in the 113–34 result.
The Senior Boys took on Cashmere High School in a key Top 8 carry‑over fixture. After trailing at half‑time following a strong second quarter from Cashmere, St Andrew’s lifted intensity in the final quarter to regain control. Roma Tuimaunei and Thomas McIntosh (both Year 13), along with Benjamin Marsh, Jai Curtis, and Oliver Kirk (all Year 12), all recorded double‑figure scoring in the 99–90 win.
Flickr>HOCKEY
The Boys’ 1st XI opened their Premier competition campaign last Friday against St Bede’s College. Hugo Lewis (Year 12) scored twice in the second quarter to establish a 2–0 lead. St Bede’s reduced the margin to 2–1, but disciplined defence ensured no further goals, with the match finishing 2–1 to St Andrew’s.
The Girls’ 1st XI faced Cashmere High School in their opening Connetics Premier match. Despite St Andrew’s controlling possession and creating multiple scoring opportunities, the breakthrough came late, with Clara (Sophie) Oberwinter (Year 11) scoring to open the scoring. After Cashmere levelled, Mia McHarg (Year 11) regained the lead, securing a 2–1 win.
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Football – Scarlett Gray and Amber De Wit (both OC 2025) have been named in the New Zealand U20 Women's Squad for their games against Australia. The matches are in preparation for September’s 2026 FIFA U20 Women's World Cup in Poland.
Hockey – Penelope Taulafo (OC 2021) has been named in the New Zealand U21 hockey squad.
Good luck to all students who are representing the College over the weekend in sports and cultural activities, including:
For a full list of upcoming school events, please refer to the fixtures page on StACNet.
Date: Tuesday 26 May 2026
Time: 8.00am–8.45am
Location: The Coffee Cart, inside Ngā Toi Performing Arts Centre
Join Head of Guidance, Tom Matthews, and Head of Well-being, Kerry Larby, for a coffee and kōrero about any questions about mental health and well-being.
Find out more and see all upcoming Coffee and Catch Ups>
Over the three days of Tuesday 19 to Thursday 21 May, Years 10 and 11 students will be completing compulsory online assessments for NCEA in Literacy and Numeracy. All Year 10, and a small number of Year 11, students will complete Numeracy on the morning of Tuesday 19 May and Reading on the morning of Wednesday 20 May. A number of Year 11 students will sit Writing on the morning of Thursday 21 May.
Students are required to use their own laptop and will login to each assessment using the NZQA website and their NZQA Learner Login details. Gaining an NCEA certificate requires students to pass 3 assessments (Literacy – Reading, Literacy – Writing, Numeracy), that are assessed in schools twice each year, with the first opportunity being this month. Each assessment is designed to be completed in about an hour but students may take less time, or longer. Results will be available to students through their NZQA Learner Login as follows:
Tuesday 23 June Reading
Monday 20 July Numeracy and Writing
Because the assessments are online for most students it is very important that their laptops are ready for use and are able to last the full length of each assessment. This year, once again, the College will not be providing a backup laptop for students unless there is an exceptional circumstance on the day of the assessment.
Year 10 students will complete the set of assessments when they sit the Literacy – Writing Common Assessment Activity in September. Those who do not achieve either or both of the assessments in May will have another opportunity to do so in the September assessment period (the week of 7 September).
Saturday 23 May, Gym 1, from 6.00pm to midnight
The Black & Bling Silent Auction is now live on GalaBid, our online auction platform! Bidding is open to anyone aged 18 and over, so even if you’re unable to attend the Ball in person, you can still be part of the excitement and support this fantastic event. This year’s auction features an exceptional range of more than 100 items, including holiday home stays, premium food and wine experiences, beauty vouchers, sports coaching packages, and much more.
Our chamber music students are currently preparing for an upcoming competition, and this Classical Concert offers a wonderful opportunity to hear the results of their dedication and hard work. We warmly encourage members of the College community to come along and support these talented performers on Wednesday 27 May, 6.00pm in the Centennial Chapel.
The following 2026 photographs are now available to order online:
Details of how to order the photographs can be found on StACNet. Parents will need to log in using their St Andrew's College login credentials.
For photography enquiries, please contact: photography@stac.school.nz.
Order Photographs Onlibe>
The St Andrew’s College has a Community Business Directory features over 100 businesses and professional services owned by families of current students. The Directory is a fantastic way to support local businesses, strengthen connections within our St Andrew’s whānau, and discover the range of services offered by fellow parents and caregivers. This year we’ll also be hosting business networking events – keep an eye out for upcoming dates and details.
THE ST ANDREW'S COLLEGE COMMUNITY BUSINESS DIRECTORY>
List Your Business: If you’re a current parent and would like to be included, complete the registration form at the link below, or email development@stac.school.nz to update a current listing.
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.
