Kaleidoscope | Issue 58 - October 2013

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40 YEARS of Kristin Inside... A Year of Celebration!

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Extended Hours in the From the Executive Principal

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From the Board

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40 Year Celebrations

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Alumni

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International News

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Whole School News

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Junior School News

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Middle School News

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Senior School News

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Performing Arts

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Sports News

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Advertising

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Publishing Kaleidoscope is published by the Department of School Relations of Kristin School and distributed to the wider school community.

For all advertising and general enquiries please contact the Editorial Team: Pamela Peryman and Lucy Wilson Telephone: +64 9 415 9566 Email: kristin@kristin.school.nz Design and Artwork: Eddie van den Broek, Benefitz Telephone: +64 9 477 4700 Printing: Benefitz Web: www.benefitz.co.nz

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Kindergarten

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arents of kindergarten-aged children will be interested to note that there are some significant changes being implemented at Kristin from the start of Term 1, 2014.

The Kindergarten will be offering an extended operating period in response to the feedback obtained from a survey of parents with kindergarten-aged children, which was conducted earlier this year. Parents will be able to take advantage of early drop-off and later pick-up times, as well as an additional 11 weeks of class time a year.

From the beginning of Term 1, the Kindergarten will operate for 10 hours daily from 7.30am to 5.30pm, and classes will continue through the holidays with a four-week break over the 2014/15 Christmas period. From 2015 onwards the Kindergarten will be operating for 48 weeks a year.

Our rigorous ‘preparation for school’ programme will continue unchanged from 8.30am to 3pm during term time and the extended opening hours will support this, with opportunities for students to consolidate their learning and communication as well as offer important downtime for these young children.

By adopting the 20-hour Early Childhood Education (ECE) government funding, the Kindergarten will be able to provide additional staffing to cover the extended opening hours without having to pass the additional costs on to parents. There will be no additional charge for taking advantage of the new 7.30am drop-off time, and the same applies if you pick your child up by 4pm.

There will be a charge of $10 per day for later pick-ups from 4pm to 5.30pm.

Full details of the changes will be provided to all Kindergarten families over the coming weeks and we encourage anyone who would like further information to contact Linda Teagle, Registrar, admissions@kristin.school.nz or 09 415 9566, ext 2324.

from the

executive

principal Meet George Jetson

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ot surprisingly, anniversaries cause us to look back. As we celebrated Kristin’s 40th year, I have found myself repeatedly referencing life in 1973. In fact, I have become the resident expert in the tribulations of Norm Kirk’s government, New Zealand yachts protesting against French nuclear testing in the Pacific, car-less days as the result of the global oil shortage and the wondrous arrival of colour TV. For those of us who remember them, such events seemed quite earth-shattering at the time. Today, they seem less so. Throughout the year, I have tried to contextualise the school’s birth for today’s students, but it often comes out sounding somewhat quaint.

I think they think we were all a bit slow and simple back then. Fortunately, I have usually been able to capture their attention by screening images of 1970s’ fashion (I use the word loosely). Vinyl jackets, disco flares and an Afro are guaranteed to raise a laugh.

Perhaps there is another way to consider an anniversary, though. Rather than contemplating yesterday from the perspective of today, what does today look like through the lens of yesterday?

That is to say, has the future turned out the way we expected, 40 years ago? All schools claim to be preparing students for the future, so what future did we imagine in 1973? What did we think life would be like in 2013? What better place to start than The Jetsons?

First screened in the mid-‘60s, The Jetsons was a cartoon sitcom about the lives of a stereotypical middle-class family who inhabited a futuristic world, full of fanciful devices and ultra-modern conveniences.

“Meet George Jetson…” the jingle began and in he flew, ferrying the family about in an auto-piloted flying saucer. They lived in a spaceage apartment, where Jane Jetson dutifully created instant meals from prepared packages, zapping the food into life in sleek kitchen appliances. Daughter Judy spent much of her time communicating with friends on wireless devices while her brother Elroy played with remotecontrolled toys. Even the family dog had bionic implants.

The episodes were comedy, of course, and the central gag was that, no matter how advanced technology became, the same old issues which have absorbed families for centuries would continue to tax us in the future. Despite all the labour-saving inventions, George still had problems with his boss and came home stressed. Jane enjoyed all manner of robotic help in the home, but was just as busy juggling the family’s affairs as any modern parent. Obsessed with boys and bands, Judy Jetson was still as rebellious as teenagers are wont to be, whilst Elroy got into mischief in a lovable and roguish way, despite his

electronic minders. Admittedly the gender stereotypes are a bit cringe-worthy these days, but the central premise was that, even with all the technological advances the producers could dream up, family life is family life – fractious, testing, complex, but ultimately joyful.

So, as a premonition of the future, The Jetsons wasn’t too far wrong. Microwave meals, cellphones, the Internet, databases, remote controls, ubiquitous screens and gadgets galore – it’s hardly sci-fi anymore.

Personal jet packs and driverless cars seem imminent, so how far away is George Jetson’s flying saucer really? And as the scriptwriters correctly predicted, most of the challenges of family life remain largely as they were in the awkward ‘70s.

Relationships, at home, work and school, continue to be central to the contentment we feel with our lives.

Could we, then, play that concept forward?

Could we treat Kristin’s anniversary as an opportunity to look forward 40 years, as well as backwards? What does life in 2053 look like to us today? What is our modern view of the world of the near future, the world that our children will inhabit as adults? Worryingly, it’s quite hard to find a cheerful proposition, even if it was just something as frivolous and spoofy as The Jetsons cartoon. Most TV and movie offerings paint a dystopian picture of a world enslaved or destroyed by technology. Yet, do we really believe that we are sending our kids to The Matrix?

For all that may transpire by the time we commemorate the school’s 80th Anniversary, it’s hard to imagine that relationships and family dynamics won’t still be the prime focus of our lives. Nanotechnology, Cloud-based applications, gene replication, a landing on Mars, brain implants, intelligent clothing – whatever the next generation of innovation, we will be bound to one another intrinsically. Inventive as we are, humans are ultimately a social species.

If Kristin has understood that lesson (and I like to think it has) then it has offered an education which celebrates the fact that, whilst innovation and technological advance can enhance the best things in our lives and reduce the worst, it can’t replace what is at the heart of all future success – namely, the capacity to form and maintain positive relationships and to celebrate the aspirations that all families have for their youngest members. People have always mattered most in this community and no matter how we connect to the school in 2053, by flying saucer, hologram or plasma beam, I’m prepared to bet that that will still be the case.

Peter Clague Executive Principal

ISSUE No. 58

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from the

board Standing on the

Shoulders of Giants

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ccording to the Traditional and Modern List of Wedding Anniversary Gifts, for some reason the heavy responsibility of the Chicago Municipal Library, the appropriate gift for a 40th wedding anniversary is a ruby. Two of the ruby’s natural attributes are its extraordinary hardness and that every ruby has natural imperfections.

This is an apt simile for Kristin, as we look back over our 40 years. Like the ruby’s hardness, the founders of the school needed steely determination, as the idea of buying 50 acres of orchard in the back-blocks of Albany was bold, daring and just a little bit insane.

To raise the equity needed, this small group of parents fundraised by baking cakes and holding raffles and sausage sizzles. The remainder was borrowed from the Housing Corporation. While the purchase price was roughly the same as a modest house in Auckland now, in 1973 it was an intimidating sum of money. The financial risk associated with the endeavour must have seemed daunting.

That courage has carried Kristin through many ‘firsts’: the first school in New Zealand to embrace IB; one of the first to embrace middle schooling; the introduction of compulsory Chinese language in the Junior School; the three-school structure; the integration of laptops into the classroom. The list goes on.

Just as each ruby’s imperfections give it its distinctive character, Kristin has always been fiercely independent, educating its students in a way that is individual and different from the rest. We nurture the individualism of our students, striving to provide education that meets the needs of each student. The lives of tens of thousands of children have been enriched by an education that is both challenging and supportive.

When Robert Hooke congratulated Thomas Newton on his scientific treatise in 1676, Newton famously wrote “[i]f I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants”. It is fitting that as well as expressing pride at what has been achieved we express our gratitude to those whose courage made it possible. The ‘giants’ of Kristin on whose shoulders the current students stand are the educators, students and the parents of previous generations.

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Changes Ahead I would like to pay particular thanks to two giants (metaphorically speaking) who have sat at the board table and who are leaving the Board after many years of invaluable service.

Sean Garelli attended Kristin from 1983 to 1987 and became Head Boy in 1987.

He joined the Board as a Trustee in 2000, having played a pivotal role in the crucial changes to Kristin’s governance structure in the late 1990s. Sean has been a ‘rock’ on whom the Board has depended for his wisdom, judgement and commitment to the school.

Dave Wetherall joined the Board in 2002 as a Parent Governor. He has had four children at Kristin. The Board has been extremely fortunate to have had the benefit of Dave’s business skills, common sense, strength of character and - of course - his infectious wit.

We are pleased to welcome two new appointees.

Geoff Walker joins the Board as a Trustee. The Walker family has had a long association with Kristin and Geoff will be known to many of you. He has had three children attend Kristin. Geoff is a Chartered Accountant and Principal with the national firm of Crowe Horwarth. He was a partner of the predecessor firms (Gosling Chapman and WHK) since 1985.

Garth Sinclair is joining the Board as a Parent Governor. He is a highly regarded commercial lawyer, who has practised since 1987, formerly at one of New Zealand’s largest law firms before setting up Webb Henderson. Garth has three children currently at Kristin.

We are extremely fortunate to have such talented individuals within the Kristin Community willing to dedicate time and energy to the long-term future of the school.

Looking ahead, there are a number of exciting projects on the Board’s agenda for next year. It has been oddly comforting to see the earthmoving equipment on the school grounds working on the traffic and frontage project. While the disruption is not welcome, it is a sign that Kristin is returning to what is almost its natural state – change and development.

That brings me back to Newton. There is no point in standing on a giant’s shoulder to look down at the top of the giant’s head. Looking forward to see further has been the Kristin story for the last 40 years and will continue to be in the future.

Philippa Fee Chairman

Celebrating 40 Years

Foundation Day

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his year Foundation Day was an especially significant occasion as we welcomed founding families back to Kristin to celebrate the school’s anniversary. It was entirely fitting that the day began with a very special Thanksgiving Service and the Dedication of the Harold Clark Memorial Courtyard at the Chapel. Reverend Clark’s daughter, Laurel Nuysink, together with her family, unveiled the plaque that acknowledges Harold’s extraordinary service to Kristin and the special place he holds in our hearts. The foundation students, parents, board members and staff in attendance joined together in the lighting of the Foundation Day candles at the official Assembly. Senior

School Principal Brendan Kelly then highlighted what a unique and special occasion it was to share the stage with people who had been present during those very first discussions, 40 years ago, when the Kristin dream was formed. The Junior School Foundation Assembly held an air of birthday festivities with bright balloons lining the stage and the excitement overflowed when each student was given their very own birthday cupcake to take home.

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Celebrating 40 Years

Kristin vs Alumni

All Stars Sports Day O

ur 40-year sporting celebrations started right back in the first week of Term 1 when we welcomed back our cricket All Stars to face off against our 1st XI in a high-spirited match on the Auditorium field.

The 1st XI fielded first and had the All Stars under pressure after a wicket from the first ball of the match by Thomas MacFarlaine. The All Stars were struggling at 5-56 before Aidan O’Connor consolidated the innings, scoring an unbeaten 46 not out. Some hard hitting from Tom Lynch and Simon Blom towards the end of the innings saw the All Stars finish with 174-9. Year 11 student Marko Garlick was the pick of the Kristin bowlers, taking a fivewicket bag and finishing with figures of 7-22-5.

Chasing 175 for victory, the 1st XI lost wickets at regular intervals and were eventually all out for 116, losing by one wicket and 58 runs. Opening batsman Sharn Fonseka top-scored with a well-compiled 47 runs. John Shaw and Thomas MacFarlaine were the only other batsmen to get a start, scoring 17 and 14 respectively. Zac Watson had three wickets for the All Stars and Douglas Carson and Thomas Lloyd had two wickets apiece.

The second stage of our celebrations took place on Sunday 30 June when hundreds of familiar faces gathered at Kristin for our Winter All Stars matches. As the sun shone, past and present basketball, football, hockey, netball and rugby players competed for their respective teams with integrity and pride. The first game was men’s basketball and the Premier Boys’ team 4

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meant business, displaying some fine skills to lead the Alumni by as many as 15 points as they approached half time. The Old Boys, not to be outdone, showed they still had it, rediscovering long-lost links in the last quarter and sneaking through for a narrow win, 81-78. Tim Wyatt for the Alumni and Liam Jacobs for the students were stand-outs in a basketball spectacular.

The football girls were evenly matched throughout their game, with Rebecca Simpson leading the way for the Alumni with some deft touches.

The students toiled hard, pushing forward relentlessly, but the Alumni ‘ringin’ keeper was a safe pair of hands, denying the students from scoring on many occasions. The final score of nil-all was a fitting outcome in a closelyfought game that was enjoyed by all.

Next up was girls’ basketball, which saw the Premier Girls’ coach Amanda Buck making a guest appearance and using all her experience and nous to control the girls’ offence. Once again Florence Hinder led her team superbly and Alumni Habiba Tawfik and Sarah Strom rekindled their exceptional on-court connections for the All Stars. The game ended with a one-point margin to the Alumni, 53-52. Year 9 player Chanel Brodeur-Muir proved that she has potential to burn and will be one to watch in coming years.

In an exciting game of men’s football where the lead changed three times Continued over page >

“Executive Principal Peter Clague acknowledged the strong community spirit that has always been a vital part of Kristin’s culture.”

Love the Dove

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hroughout the year we have held a number of important events to mark Kristin’s 40th year, but by the time August rolled around it was time to celebrate in style with our Kristin Parents and Friends.

The Love the Dove Ball was a glamorous affair, held at Shed 10 on Auckland’s waterfront. Over 300 guests attended and the bright colours that have come to represent the school’s anniversary were reflected in the vibrancy of the room.

In his opening address, Executive Principal Peter Clague acknowledged the strong community spirit that has always been a vital part of Kristin’s culture. He extended his thanks to the many parents whose willingness to involve themselves in the life of the school reflects the values on which Kristin was founded and is a vital part of the school’s ongoing success.

Local businesses came to the party, with more than 100 items up for grabs in the live and silent auctions, tombola and classic raffles. The excitement grew and all manner of bidding strategies came to the fore as the silent auction drew to a close.

By all accounts everyone had a brilliant night. From the delicious meal served by Austin’s to the live music from Black Salt, the live and silent auctions, as well as the great skills of auctioneer Mr Wayne Maguire from Premium Real Estate, everything and everyone contributed to a wonderful evening.

This night would not have been possible without the generous support of our Kristin families, our sponsors and contributors, to whom we are very grateful.

Pamela Peryman Director of School Relations

“The Old Boys, not to be outdone, showed they still had it, rediscovering long-lost links in the last quarter and sneaking through for a narrow win.” before the final whistle, the Alumni’s wisdom and experience, frequently highlighted by Luke Beadle, eventually shone through for a 3-2 win.

The 1st XI boys played with intensity and skill and were ably supported by several 2nd XI players. The large crowd was delighted and entertained with some classy moves and awe-inspiring shots at goal from both teams.

Meanwhile on the hockey turf a highly spirited and skilful game of hockey was unfolding. Both teams were a mixture of male and female players and no quarter was given by either team. The game was anyone’s for the taking and the lead changed hands several times, ending with a 5-all draw, which saw it finally decided on strokes, 5-4 to the students.

The 1st XV had eight players unavailable and several injuries to contend with; so, in the spirit befitting the day, the Alumni interchanged with the current students to produce a game to remember. Several Alumni, having already participated in other codes throughout the day, were looking a little jaded, but soon found their second wind and pushed on for a convincing 50-17 win.

Ben Paltridge was the stand-out for the Alumni and for the students, Mikhail

Kharitonov was everywhere on both attack and defence.

The final game of the day was netball. Old defensive units were humming with Yve McDowell and Eloise Twaddle making life difficult for the Premier shooters. Middie Sophie Corser was a revelation as goal defence, hunting down and taking some superb intercepts. Anne Simpson was, as always, relentless through the court for the Alumni. The excellent spirit in which the game was played overshadowed the final score of 20-15 to the Premier Girls.

The day culminated in a gathering in the LIC Foyer where students and Alumni and their families had the opportunity to catch up and reminisce about days gone by, before Executive Principal Peter Clague closed proceedings by thanking all those involved in a wonderful showcase of Kristin sport.

Cherry Webster, Director of Sport See pages 70–71 for additional photos!

ISSUE No. 58

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Celebrating 40 Years

“Beautiful weather showcased the school grounds perfectly and for many who had not returned to Kristin for years, the improvements that have been made to the facilities were striking.”

Familiar Faces T

he strength of relationships formed here at Kristin is never more apparent than when past students and staff come together for the annual reunion.

This year we welcomed back record numbers to celebrate Kristin’s anniversary in two events held over one weekend in October; the Alumni Reunion was an evening event where all past students were invited to enjoy a drink and a tour of the school grounds, after which graduates of 1988, ’93, ’89, 2003 and ’08 were invited to attend a dinner, and the Afternoon Tea and Tour was held on the Saturday afternoon for all staff – current and past – and Kauri Club members. Over 150 guests attended the Reunion and 120 made it to the Afternoon Tea and Tour.

Beautiful weather showcased the school grounds perfectly and for many who had not returned to Kristin for years, the improvements that have been made to the facilities were striking. Stories flowed of times spent at Kristin, from the foundation students and staff to the more recent graduates, and particularly from the class of ’88 who had turned out in droves. It appears that no matter whether five, 25 or 40 years have passed by, the intervening time has done little to dampen the overwhelming sense of Kristin pride, fun and laughter which reverberated amongst the reunited guests.

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ISSUE No. 58

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Celebrating 40 Years

Celebrating 40 Years “To get 1,650 people into the right place at the right time is a logistical marathon, but thanks to the exceptional work of Craig Owen and the grounds team who marked the outline of the dove, and the many teachers and staff who helped get everyone in line, all 3,300 hands were in the air and waving when the helicopter appeared overhead.”

We Are

The Kristin Dove

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arly in Term 1, the Kristin anniversary celebrations took off, quite literally. A whole-school photo was arranged to commemorate the landmark year and all students and staff formed themselves into a Kristin dove for the camera.

To get 1,650 people into the right place at the right time is a logistical marathon, but thanks to the exceptional work of Craig Owen and the grounds team who marked the outline of the dove, and the many teachers and staff who helped get everyone in line, all 3,300 hands were in the air and waving when the helicopter appeared overhead. A time-lapse video captured the event. Follow this QR code to share the experience. There are few opportunities where all members of our school can come together in one space to share such a fun display of Kristin pride, so moments like this are particularly memorable for everyone who takes part. The final photo of our school community in the formation of a Kristin dove now marks an important moment in Kristin’s history.

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A Night of

Kristin Stars T

hanks to our reputation as one of the leading Performing Arts schools in the country, over recent years Kristin has had the privilege to stage some of the world’s most popular musicals. The astounding talents of student performers have left audiences spellbound and produced numerous standing ovations, and the experiences treasured during school years have launched many successful careers in the Arts.

The Night of Kristin Stars, held in July as a part of Kristin’s 40-year celebrations, showcased a decade of Kristin’s finest Alumni performers, who presented hits from the musicals that have been staged at Kristin as well iconic songs from world-famous shows. The unique concert was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see our top Alumni performers return to the school’s stage in what was a magnificent celebration of the Arts at Kristin.

If you have ever sewn a button on a costume, used a paintbrush or hammer on a set, worked in the technical or stage crew, performed or simply enjoyed a night as an audience member at a Kristin production – the Night of Kristin Stars was in your honour.

Taking part in the concert were: Gareth Samuels (2003): Ananth Gopal, Kirsten Gray and Catherine Rood (2005); Emily Scott (2007); Sean Topham (2008); Hillary Fee, Christina Orgias and Hamish Polson (2009); Joshua Cramond, Ben Hunt and Eleanor Williams (2010); Taylor Callaghan, Madison Cooper and Hamish Mouat (2011); Matthew Burrows, George Freeman, Hannah Foreman, Joel Granger and Hannah Schunk-Hockings (2012). Together they performed hits from The Lion King, Fiddler on the Roof, Les Misérables, West Side Story, Grease, Fame, Beauty and the Beast, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Jesus Christ Superstar, Cats, Wicked and Phantom of the Opera.

Lorna Rood, Director of Performing Arts

“The Night of Kristin Stars, held in July as a part of Kristin’s 40-year celebrations, showcased a decade of Kristin’s finest Alumni performers, who presented hits from the musicals that have been staged at Kristin as well iconic songs from world-famous shows. “

See pages 54–55 for additional photos!

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alumni

Seven Simple High-school Lessons – Graci Kim

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sn’t time an interesting thing? It’s been almost 10 years since I left Kristin but it feels like only yesterday that I was having lunch in the Octagon with my friends. Reflecting on that near-decade, I feel that I’ve been incredibly blessed to have had such a wide array of experiences. I’ve had the opportunity to study in New Zealand, Spain and the USA, and work has led me to countless places: from the negotiating tables of the World Trade Organization, to multilateral meetings in the sunny winemaking regions of Argentina.

Sometimes I wonder what it would have been like if my High-school self knew the things that I know now. Would I have done anything differently? If I could summarise seven lessons that I’ve learnt since my time at Kristin, I think they might look something like this: 1. Take baby steps.

Thinking about how to achieve your ‘dream life’ can be a pretty daunting task. You feel like an ant at the foot of Mt Everest. How in the world are you going to make it to the top? I like to think of it like a car with its low beams on in heavy fog.

Sometimes you can only see a few metres in front of you, but as long as you know you’re going in the right direction, you trust the low beam and drive ahead. As you’re driving, you will see the next few metres, and then the next – and before you know it, you’re at your destination. As long as you know what mountain you’re climbing, the rest is as good as gold.

2. Share your goals.

Whether it’s an academic, professional or personal goal, I find that if you share them with your friends and family, you become much more invested in achieving them. Ask them to touch base with you in a few months’ time to see how you’ve 10

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progressed. I also keep a whiteboard hanging at the entrance of my house, where I write the goals I want to achieve during the next two to three months. When family and friends come over, they write comments and leave me notes on the whiteboard. That way, every time I come home, I’m reminded to keep chugging ahead.

3. Invest in people.

My mum always said that people and the relationships you foster with them are your biggest assets. My experience so far has echoed her words. No matter where you are, respect those before you, those beside you and those who come after you – because they will, in turn, become the foundation, the walls and the ceiling of the house you want to build for yourself. I believe we are the sum of those we surround ourselves with; so, invest in authentic and supportive relationships and you’ll never go wrong.

4. Make mistakes.

I know I can be really hard on myself when I make mistakes. But the truth is, making mistakes is a must, because it’s the only way we learn how to do things better next time. And it’s what you do afterwards that really counts! As they say, mistakes are merely useful lessons in disguise.

5. Be the change.

No one likes a whiner, but sometimes it’s so easy just to complain about our problems instead of doing something to fix them. The thing is, we can’t change other people and we can’t change certain situations, but we can change how we respond and adapt to those challenging circumstances. Think about it: when we need courage, does the world hand us a plate of courage, or does it give us a situation in which we can choose to be courageous?

6. Say thank you.

Saying thank you is such an easy thing to do, but it is something I find myself forgetting to do on many an occasion. We live in a world where transactions happen at lightning speed, and our contact with people is often limited to five-line emails and texts. No matter how busy you are, there is always time to genuinely thank the people who brighten up your day just by being in it.

7. Smile!

Did you know that if you look at yourself in the mirror and force your face muscles to make an upward grin, your brain gets fooled into thinking you are really smiling and, in response, releases happy hormones that in turn actually makes you smile? This means that if you’re feeling a bit blue, there’s no better medicine than to crack a huge smile. Life is a maze of opportunities and challenges that will take you for a whirlwind ride.

At the end of the day, the most important thing is to not sweat the small stuff, and to just enjoy the ride. So smile, and have fun!

Graci Kim, a 2004 Kristin graduate, is a New Zealand diplomat currently on language training in Taipei. From early 2014, she will be posted at the New Zealand Embassy in Beijing, working to further New Zealand and China’s trade/economic relationship. She has authored and co-produced an interactive children’s book for the iPad called My Sister’s Not Like Other Sisters, which made it to number one on the ‘Top IPad Books’ category in New Zealand, and has co-founded several notfor-profit organisations furthering youth identity and development issues. Graci is also the host of a mood-based cooking show Graci In The Kitchen, which currently airs on numerous TV-On-Demand Networks.

Rosa Kelly –

Ancient Art via Social Media

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ho could have thought taking Classics would lead to this?

Last year, while in Year 13 at Kristin, I decided to start an online archaeology blog called ‘Ancient Art’, initially primarily a way for me to revise for Classics. It allowed me to have easy access to my notes on my phone wherever I went – such as on the bus – without having to lug around all my textbooks and written notes. To my surprise, I noticed that people were starting to follow me.

Since then, I decided to expand it massively; I spent hours finding content every week, looking through the archaeology news, and writing articles. Currently the blog has over 220,000 followers from all over the world, including many Universities, art galleries, and museums – such as Harvard University, the Getty Museum, Smithsonian Libraries, the International Center of Photography New York, Oxford University Press, and author Rick Riordan.

Never could I have envisioned when I started what this blog has become, and it still astounds me how an idea can connect people from all corners of the world through social and online networks.

Social media provides a seemingly infinite means of communication, and has allowed me to reach and share my passion with people from all over the world, as well as forming valuable connections and networks.

In the future, as well as hoping to partner and work closely with various museums and institutions, I intend to also use my blog to launch my career as an archaeologist. I’m currently studying a double major in Anthropology and Ancient History at The University of Auckland, focusing on Ancient Near Eastern archaeology, particularly in Egypt. With the audience and momentum the blog has gained, it has created an ideal platform for me to eventually share my archaeological findings, experiences and research, hopefully creating a name for myself as an archaeologist.

Despite wanting to be an archaeologist as a kid, during Senior School I was extremely indecisive about what to study and which career to pursue – all I knew was that I wanted to make the most of my life, and to have a career which allowed me to do so. When the time came in Year 12 for me to select my options for Year 13, remembering how much I loved learning about the ancient world as a kid, I decided to take up Classics. During my final year at Kristin I rediscovered my love for our ancient past and the prospect of discovery. This is what led to the success of the blog, and I can’t wait to see where it takes me.

Gansu International Fellowship for Kate Mitchell In 2009, when I headed off to the University of Canterbury, I knew I was in for a huge adventure and some challenges but I was also ready for a lot of fun. Despite this, if I had been told what would unfold over the subsequent four and a half years I never would have believed it!

Spending two years in the halls of residence at College House was a brilliant stepping-stone from the structure of school to the freedoms of University.

Living and sharing daily experiences with 150 like-minded students, where no two days were the same, was incredible fun and was where I met many great people who have gone on to become close friends.

Beyond regular classes, University opened doors to incorporate several overseas experiences into my Arts and Commerce courses. In 2012 I spent seven incredible months in the USA; the first two months I was a counsellor at a sleep-away summer camp in New York’s Adirondack Mountains, followed by a semester as an exchange student at the State University of New York at Geneseo. The experience of learning in an education system very different to New Zealand’s was invaluable and the chance to mix study with travel was fantastic!

Undoubtedly, the single greatest influence of my University studies was completing a summer-school business-study tour to China at the end of 2011. Living as a student in a Chinese University about two hours from Shanghai was eye-opening in terms of cultural and certainly lifestyle differences. Spending time in several businesses in Shanghai was hugely inspirational, to see where my study could lead, and it has definitely shaped the direction in which I ultimately want my career to head.

In fact, as I write this, I am preparing to return to China as one of two New Zealand delegates on the Gansu International Fellowship Programme. Fully supported by the Gansu Foreign Affairs office, I will be there for two months to soak up everything China! Based at Lanzhou University with approximately 30 others from around the world, I will undertake intensive language classes, a business internship and travel widely throughout the desert province. The aim is to bring back as much knowledge of Gansu as possible, as the Chinese Government has identified it as a key area to open up for foreign investment. I cannot wait!

Once I return I am very much looking forward to beginning a new chapter, with a move back to Auckland to begin a marketing job in the FMCG [fast-moving consumer goods] industry in early 2014.

I’m excited to continue making the most of opportunities as they arise - a skill I was taught so well at Kristin.

ISSUE No. 58

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Adventure and Opportunities – Steven Utstein (Utting) Our family was very involved in life at Kristin School in the 1980s: myself and my sister both attended; my parents were both teachers. The school prepared me in so many ways for life so far… after Kristin I attended The University of Auckland and graduated in 1991 with a Bachelor’s degree in Music. During my time at Uni I discovered a love for working as a professional musician and the next few years I spent playing in various bands around New Zealand, notably the Billy TK Jr band.

In 1996 I packed up and moved to Chicago where I was fortunate to be a part of some of the greatest Chicago blues bands. I was lucky enough to tour across the USA, Europe, Japan, Canada and other places as a member of the Junior Wells band and the Lonnie Brooks band. I also had the absolute joy of playing shows with Bo Diddley and Buddy Guy. But, the most significant event during my time in Chicago was meeting my wife Amy. In 1998 we moved to Hawaii while my wife pursued a Graduate degree in Theatre. My time there was spent enjoying the sunshine and playing in local ‘cover’ bands around the state. I look back on this period as a time of leisure and a wonderful opportunity to enjoy one of the most beautiful places in the world.

In early 2000 we relocated to Los Angeles where my music work became more studio based, working with producers like Dave Abbruzzese (Pearl Jam), Vince Wilburn (Miles Davis group) and Bernard Fowler (Rolling Stones’ backing vocalist). Additionally, in 2001 my beautiful daughter Maud was born.

The year 2004 saw yet another change, with a move to the San Francisco Bay area and more music, but a gradual yet dramatic shift and reinvention… in 2007 I graduated with another Bachelor’s degree, this one in Nursing. I spent the next five years working as a Critical Care nurse in the major hospital in Berkeley, California – a challenging and rewarding career change. Another major change occurred in 2012 with my entrance to a Graduate programme in Nurse Anaesthesia – a role which doesn’t exist in New Zealand: a practitioner trained to practise all anaesthetic techniques in an independent capacity.

So, I am currently back in school, spending most of my time learning the art and science of anaesthesia; the remaining time is spent enjoying the Bay area with my family and two dogs, with the occasional music show or studio recording session thrown in. Life since Kristin has been exciting, varied and full of adventure and opportunities – I feel that none of the wonderful things I have been a part of would have been possible without the comprehensive preparation offered by Kristin School.

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SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Kristin Golfers Hit New Heights

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he success of the Kristin Golf programme has never been more evident, with two of our top sporting alumni being named 2013 All-American Scholars while studying in the USA on golfing scholarships.

James Beale and Rica Tse (2010) were both members of one of Kristin’s most successful Golf teams who took out the National Secondary Schools’ title two years running in 2009 and 2010.

James, now studying at Mercer University in Georgia, has been showing great form since he joined the University in 2011. In his most recent season, he competed in all 10 of Mercer’s events, finishing the season with a 74.8 scoring average. As well as a couple of top-10 finishes, James was named the Player of the Week for the Atlantic Sun Conference in October last year and then made it on to the Atlantic Sun AllAcademic selection list for the third straight year in June.

Rica studies at The University of Mississippi (UM), majoring in Economics. Her 2012/13 season highlights featured a pair of top-10 finishes, including a share of eighth place in the SEC Championships. Her 76.63 scoring average is currently the all-time fifth best at UM. To be eligible for All-American Scholar status, individuals must meet stringent selection criteria based on sporting and academic results. Only 152 candidates made it to the Division 1 Men’s list, and 405 to the Division 1 Women’s.

But golfing success has not been limited to these two high-achievers. Fellow classmates Jane Lee and Anthony Cope (2010) were offered scholarships to USA Universities also, thanks to their talents on the course, as was Scott McAlpine (2009).

Jane elected to study at Dartmouth College for its academic reputation as an Ivy League school and during her 2012/13 season she has competed in all nine of her team’s events, leading with a stroke average of 78.3. In her 19 competitive rounds, Jane has shot in the 70s or better 13 times, peaking with a 71 during the final 18 of the Dartmouth Invitational, and secured two top-10 finishes.

Anthony obtained a spot on the Golf programme at the University of Missouri-St. Louis while Scott headed to the States also, to attend the University of Georgia.

Director of Sport Mrs Cherry Webster believes that the success of these past students is a credit to their talent and work ethic, as well as proof that early investment in a student’s sporting passion can pave the way for a fulfilling and successful sporting career. “These students were some of the first to benefit from the school’s new golfing facilities in 2004 and our ongoing partnership with the Institute of Golf. After achieving great success during their time at school, they were well-prepared to embrace opportunities and to perform competitively in the USA’s College environment.”

This view is reflected by Mr Craig Dixon, Director of the Institute of Golf (NZ), who believes that by helping students to successfully improve their game – through coaching, combined with mental and physical conditioning – they are able to provide their players with the confidence and skills necessary to succeed in whatever capacity they choose, whether that be pursuing a sporting scholarship overseas or competitive results on the local circuit. With Kiwi superstars like Lydia Ko, Mike Hendry and Peter Fowler on the books, the Institute of Golf are leading the way for performance coaching in New Zealand.

The golfing opportunities available to Kristin students continue to grow. From the Junior School Golf Club to Middle School PE classes, from representative sports teams to social holiday programmes, Golf continues to be a popular sporting choice for Kristin students and their families. Hundreds of students have made their way through the varying levels of the school’s Golf programme in recent years and with Kristin Alumni now making their mark on the international sporting stage, we look forward to continued successes on the green.

Alumni

Spotlight on James Beale

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e recently had the opportunity to catch up with James Beale and congratulate him on his new title of All-American Scholar. While we were at it we asked him a few questions about his secrets to success. Here’s what he told us.

How do you feel looking back on the path you’ve taken: from playing Golf at Kristin, training with iGolf, heading to the USA and, now, making the All-American Scholar list?

It’s amazing to look back at where this all began and realise how lucky I am to be here. I feel like I have put in the hard work and dedication to achieve this, but it’s still crazy to look back on my time at Kristin and think how different it was then. I feel like a completely different person now; my mindset has changed. I know what it takes to be successful in the sporting world, and I know that this is the path I want to take.

I think Kristin was great for me because it was the beginning of something bigger; it was a stepping-stone that prepared me for what was in store over here. Kristin definitely prepared me better than I think another school would have, and I think iGolf is making great progress in what they believe in and how they approach the game. I would definitely not be here if it wasn’t for Kristin and iGolf.

What is it about your approach to your sport and your studies that has enabled you to achieve this success?

My approach has changed hugely. First of all, I had to learn serious time management skills. Coming from a fairly laid-back country like New Zealand, I was used to the slow life; but I had to get used to being active all day, every day.

The most important part of my approach is hard work. I have realised that as humans we are capable of more than we think, and working hard all day is the key to success. Lack of sleep may be painful but it is necessary and it will help you to get somewhere big in life.

My approach is fairly simple: I get done what I need to get done before I have fun, and then I can relax. With Golf, it is a bit different because you can’t exactly finish it; Golf is a never-ending process that you stop when you feel you have achieved what you needed to. So, with Golf, I just spend a lot of time at the course, and focus on being calm and relaxed but working hard at the same time.

Is this the biggest moment in your career so far? What does it mean to you?

Well, it’s hard to say. While I enjoy being awarded for Academics and Golf combined, my real passion lies in Golf and that is where I want to succeed. It’s awesome to be amongst the top students in America and to receive this all-round award, and it is probably the best honour I have been awarded so far. It shows that I have been working hard and I can achieve things which may at first seem a bit out of reach. But I’m still chasing my moment in Golf.

What would you say to other students who are considering pursuing their sporting dreams in the USA? I say: enjoy your time in New Zealand but try to make a conscious effort to work harder than your peers around you. This may sound a bit harsh, but even if you feel like you are working hard, I guarantee you there are hundreds of American kids who are working harder than you already. Some people seem to think that the journey to the USA is unattainable and you have to be the best in your field to come here, but you don’t. Just do well at school and show interest in American colleges and I assure you that there’s a place for you here; it’s not that hard to get here if you want it bad enough. Just go for it!

What next?

I have another year and a half of university to get my degree and to work as hard at Golf as I possibly can! And then, in a couple of years I will see how I feel about my skill level and decide where to go. I plan on trying to become a professional and begin a real golfing career. That’s the goal!

ISSUE No. 58

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A Journey to South Africa – Anna Spence

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hen I began to tell others that I was going to South Africa for volunteer work, the typical reaction was, ‘Be careful. It is a very dangerous place’. This led me to have some misgivings about my choice of OE. Yet, now I can safely say these fears were completely unfounded. My journey to South Africa was unforgettable with experiences that will be hard to match.

The journey was organised through International Student Volunteers (ISV), a company that arranges trips which combine a period of volunteer work with adventure tours for students from all over the world. It offers a variety of choices for both parts of the journey, and for the part of the world. For me, the country was South Africa and my area of interest was wildlife conservation. I took part in two weeks of volunteer work at the Ann Van Dyke Cheetah Centre in Pretoria, followed by two weeks of travelling around South Africa.

This journey interested me as I have always wanted to visit the area and because I love working with animals. I felt it was also a good opportunity to assess my career path as I am currently studying a Bachelor of Veterinary Technology.

During my volunteer work, I took part, along with a group of other students, in feeding and interacting with the cheetahs and the many other endangered animals that the Ann Van Dyke Centre cares for. These include African wild dogs, vultures and hyenas. The work was not too demanding and we had plenty of opportunity to hang out with the cheetahs up close.

The workers were kind and made us feel right at home. It was amazing to feel calm sitting down next to a potential killer. We assisted in preparing

some cubs for Miami and Canberra Zoo and clearing enclosures for new cheetahs. Overall, the experience was surreal. To be able to feed and be so close to so many animals reinforced my choice of career path and stimulated a special interest for large animals.

Following the volunteer work, my group and the other conservation groups with ISV came together for our South Africa Tour. We went to so many places, on such a full schedule that we had only one free day to do as we pleased. We started at Kruger National Park, then to Port Elizabeth and finally Cape Town, travelling mainly by bus. It was so much fun travelling with all of these new people, seeing and doing so much; kloofing (hiking, caving and cliff-jumping), tubing, safaris, zip-lining, bungee jumping and surfing. It was wonderful.

Throughout the month, everything I did was a unique and memorable experience but there were a few things that stood out - firstly, having lunch in the enclosure with the two Canberra cubs that sat and purred while we ate. Another moment would have to be bungee jumping from 216 metres (the world’s highest bridge bungee).

Then, lastly, seeing all of the incredible animals - from a cute spider monkey to the massive endangered Black Rhino. I took nearly 2,000 photos and I am struggling to decide which ones to select for my album. The sky there was blue and full of sunshine every day and I’ve made friends I will never forget.

My journey to South Africa has left me far more knowledgeable about the country and its struggles. Africa has got under my skin and I want to return to work with more of our endangered animals. I would definitely recommend ISV to any students looking for a great overseas experience.

Catching Up in Korea Fourteen recent graduates enjoyed an informal reunion in Seoul this past January, meeting up to exchange the latest news and advice on life after Kristin. Thanks to Hye Ji Kim’s efforts, everyone enjoyed great food and company, with some of the attendees making the trip especially to see their Kristin friends.

Ashlee Kang, Yuik Jung and Jun Woo Kim flew in from Australia and Elizabeth Kook flew in from Hong Kong. Young Woo Chang, Joshua Kim, Justin Kim, Francesco Kook, Daniel Kwon, Ricky Lee, Brian Moon, Kyoung Han Seo and Chris Shin were also at the gathering.

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SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Alumni

Challenge Accepted - Alex Just

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hen I think about 2008, the year I graduated from Kristin, it feels like it was yesterday. Five years couldn’t have flown by faster; aspirations and plans for the future shifted constantly. Sometimes I feel as if almost nothing has changed; however, looking out my window, 20,000 kilometres from Kristin in Lausanne, Switzerland, and back over the past five years, I know things definitely have.

I was clueless as to what I wanted when I left Kristin. Inspired by the TV show Scrubs, doing pre-med at The University of Auckland seemed like a brilliant idea at the time. I eventually chose a different path, a decision about which I am now glad. I have recently graduated from Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL), which is known as the best hospitality management school in the world, and I am working as an associate for Lausanne Hospitality Consulting (LHC) in Switzerland. I am constantly gaining further knowledge and exposure as I work on mandates across all areas of the industry.

Throughout my time at EHL, I got to experience two internships. The first was in Davos, where I worked as a waiter in a hotel catering to the VIPs of the World Economic Forum. During this internship I was able meet (OK, that may be somewhat embellished – more like serve) people such as Bill Clinton, Bill Gates, the Queen of Jordan and Shimon Peres, to name a few. While this was my least enjoyable placement, through my experience I discovered that, no matter what, there’s always an opportunity to learn something valuable.

My second internship was with HVS, one of the biggest hospitality consulting companies, where I worked in Executive Search, essentially headhunting ‘C-Suite’-level executives within the hospitality industry.

During my studies, I was voted the Vice-President of the Fête Finale committee – the largest committee in the University. I was in charge of 120 people for one year, raising funds for the graduation gala dinner and after-party. The experience brought about one learning curve after the other (mostly through mistakes, but that’s life), in terms of people management and leadership. Over the year we raised 500,000 Swiss francs and then invested this into the event for 1,500 people. In itself, this experience taught me more

than any academic course ever could.

I kept myself busy throughout my studies, representing EHL at the Young Hoteliers Summit, playing sport and contributing in committees. I spent many a weekday and weekend working in bars in Lausanne for extra cash and the opportunity to learn French on the job. What free moments I had were dedicated to my dream of one day becoming an author by working on my first Young Adult/Teen fiction novel Echoes of the Past, which I published on Amazon, Apple iBooks and various other platforms. My work continues in this pursuit and I am currently writing the second instalment of the trilogy. Facing graduation from EHL, I felt like I was back at square one again, much like I did when leaving Kristin. The insecurity and trepidation of the decisions one faces following an educational degree were ever-present. The chance to work for LHC was unplanned; the company was offering part-time work on a mandate.

Sick of bar-work and knowing my limited experience would make things difficult, I went for it during my last term of study. Challenge accepted. As it turned out, they were happy with the work and offered me a permanent job.

To those of you preparing to graduate from Kristin, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself. In fact, look for the challenge every time. Be open to opportunities and don’t try to plan everything; as I’ve learnt to say, “Everything works out, one way or another”. Wherever you go, get involved and treat every experience as a chance to learn. Learning experiences are often the most valuable ones and they come from exposing yourself to as many things as possible, not only academic theory. I’d like to leave you with a quirky quote, which I’ve found to be true if you’re not careful: “Life is what happens to you while you are too busy making other plans.”

The future for me? Who knows. One challenge after the other and I’ll see where opportunity takes me.

Surgery on a Shoestring in Rural Zambia - Hannah Collins When we last caught up with Hannah in 2009 she had just completed her Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences degree and was setting out to study medicine at The University of Auckland.

Fast-forward to 2013, Hannah has just secured her first job as a doctor at Tauranga Hospital and she’s had some great adventures along the way: The highlight of my medical studies has definitely been my two-month elective in Zambia, in Southern Africa, where a friend and I worked at a rural hospital as part of the surgical team. We worked alongside two European surgeons (both volunteers) who had to do more or less every kind of operation, from bones to burns to bowels - all with very limited resources.

There were frequent power cuts and routine shortages of medical supplies including two occasions when the entire hospital ran out of surgical gloves. We helped out in theatre, on the wards and ran the surgical clinics when the

surgeons were operating.

There were many heartbreaking moments: seeing the devastating effects of HIV, malnutrition and far more needless death than we’re accustomed to seeing in New Zealand hospitals. We also experienced some wonderful moments: a 12-year-old making an unexpected recovery from complications of typhoid, a sixyear-old coming back from near-death after he swallowed hot okra and his throat closed up.

We also saw some weird and wonderful injuries

from ox-cart accidents, crocodile attacks and the like. I was struck by the strength and resilience of the people we met and felt I learnt far more from them than they could ever learn from me.

There were many times I felt very out-of-mydepth and overwhelmed by the suffering. I hope I can do work like this again when I’m more experienced!

Currently I’m spending six weeks with a GP in a remote central North Island town. While very different to being in Africa, it has its own problems: high rates of unemployment and childhood illness, which really shouldn’t be seen in a developed country like ours, not helped by poor housing standards.

I feel fortunate to have had these experiences and grateful for the education and opportunities that have made them possible. I look forward to putting into action the lessons learnt here and in Africa.

ISSUE No. 58

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Alumni

Making a Difference – Dijana Wolffram (nee Dragicevich)

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t seems like such a long time ago I was in 7th form. In fact, last October I had my 20-year reunion. There are a few solid things I remember of Kristin, one of which was Mr Gifford saying to me, “If you aim for the top of the tree, you’ll never get off the ground; but if you aim for the sky, you’ll at least get to the top of the tree.” He was brilliant, and I have him to thank for believing in me and encouraging me to be my best.

I also remember going to the careers adviser. Unfortunately I can’t remember her name, but I do remember that I was 16. We used a computer program and one of the options that came up was a speech-language therapist. I thought that sounded like me. I wanted to be in a health profession and I wanted to have a job that had meaning for me. I wanted to make a difference to other people’s lives and I have never changed my mind since that day. Now, many years later, I still love my job. I still love getting to work every day and making a difference to people’s lives. I am a Speech Pathologist at the Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, where I work with people who have communication and swallowing disorders.

There are many different settings in which speech-language therapists are involved but I work with acutely ill patients. The Royal North Shore Hospital is a large teaching hospital with specialties in trauma, neurosurgery, stroke, severe burns and spinal injuries. I have been here for nearly three years, and before this I spent 12 years working in two teaching hospitals in London.

Most of my patients have had brain or spine injuries or disorders, such as strokes, motor vehicle accidents, brain or other cancer, fractured spines or damaged spinal cords, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease or other neurogenic disorders.

Some days can be tough: when a patient dies or when a loved one cries on my shoulder. Other days are happy: when a patient is able to swallow something or you find a communication system that is successful. I see patients in intensive care, where they have tracheostomies and are connected to ventilators. I help them to communicate non-verbally during this very scary time of their illness. I will also help them to learn to use their

voice and swallow again and help them to have their tracheostomy tube removed successfully.

Passing on my skills is another part of the job that I love. I am a clinical educator one day a week and have 12 students a year. I also supervise other staff and teach my specialist skills through on-the-job training or group presentations.

The success of each patient is a matter of teamwork so I work closely with a number of other speciality teams. Speech-language therapists (SLTs) assess and treat swallowing difficulties to make sure that a person can eat without the food or drink going into their lungs. Sometimes this means changing the consistency of food and drink so that it is easier for the patient to swallow. When we change the consistencies it often means that nutrition is compromised so we liaise closely with dieticians. We also work alongside occupational therapists (OTs). SLTs work with language and cognition because they are important for communication, while OTs work with cognition as it is important for activities of daily living. We work closely with physiotherapists too, especially for patients who have had a tracheostomy or when we need to maximise its positioning for speech or swallowing. ENT [ear, nose and throat] doctors and neurologists/neurosurgeons are often involved because of the occurrence of communication and swallowing difficulties in their patient caseload.

Working in health is not for everyone. Without mentioning names, I tell my children about the man who drank too much and had a car accident damaging his brain, or the swimmer who dived into shallow water damaging his spinal cord, or the man who ate an infected slug and became braindamaged, or the woman who smoked cigarettes and had to have her voice box removed. My husband often finds it hard to hear about such cases, but this is life, and us doctors, nurses, physios, occupational therapists, social workers and dieticians are there to help these people achieve maximum independence and quality of life after a very awful situation. I’m also hoping my kids might take some of this on board and make smart decisions when they become young adults.

Duke of Edinburgh Gold Awards On Sunday 12 May, six Kristin Alumni were presented with their Gold Duke of Edinburgh Awards at the Governor-General’s residence. They were Anna Guise and Anna Spence (2011), and Kyle Greentree, Cormac McCullough, Daniel Paley and Elizabeth Qiu (2012).

This award is the culmination of four years of commitment to a service, skill and sport as well as a Residential Project, which was an added service initiative over five days. The Adventurous Journey aspect tested their perseverance and endurance.

This is a significant achievement and each of these individuals has displayed the X-factor in their endeavours to complete all three levels of their Duke of Edinburgh awards.

Andre van den Bergh Teacher-in-Charge, Duke of Edinburgh Programme

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SPRING/SUMMER 2013

international

news

A Passion for

Learning at the CTY

International Student Jung Woo Bae (Year 10) travelled to Pennsylvania, USA, to spend three weeks at the Center for Talented Youths (CTY), a preuniversity course for gifted students from around the world. Here are his reflections on the experience.

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hile many may not have heard of the CTY, there are some who can say that it has changed their lives for ever. I am proud to say that I am one of them. CTY stands for Center for Talented Youths and is a gifted education programme set up for students from all over the world who want to explore new, unique academic studies. It is a unique summer camp where students are able to learn while having fun in a tolerant, open community.

There is, however, a requirement to enable you to be accepted into the CTY. All students are required to take the SAT test earlier than College students, and must earn a score higher than the average. The cut-line for SAT scores is lower for academic studies, while it is higher for the intensive studies. Fortunately, I earned a score that allowed me to be accepted into the intensive studies. From there, I was given a wide range of topics I could choose to learn at the CTY. I decided to go with the Introduction to Biomedical Science, since my plan is to pursue a medical career.

When I first arrived at the CTY site, which was in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, within Franklin & Marshall College, I was very shy, I have to admit. My

accommodation was in a dormitory with students about my age. I became friends with them very quickly and I even keep in touch with them today.

The first week of the CTY was a learning stage for me, but with the help of very friendly and caring students, teachers and staff around me, not only did I learn more about this programme, but I fell in love with the CTY. The CTY is not just an ordinary place where you learn new things. It was like home for me. I cannot describe the unique and most enjoyable experience I had. Not only did I receive an intense, fast-paced education, but it also helped me to further enhance my logical and critical thinking. It was truly a wonderful place where you can increase your depth of thinking and academic knowledge, while still having the freedom to enjoy academic opportunities through social activities and traditions of the programme. I found the intensity challenging in the beginning because the lectures were long and the professors expected us to think and learn like adult students at University. I soon realised that with that high expectation came opportunities and a new frontier in learning for me. I am afraid I cannot share all the experiences in words, but I can say that the CTY was home for me. It was where I felt loved and belonged the most. At the start of the camp, I doubted that it could change me. At the end of it, however, the wonderful memories of my CTY experience made me sorrowful to depart. Nevertheless, I left with a smile on my face. What I learned there will stay with me for ever.

Jung Woo Bae

International Welcomes and Farewells In the last two terms, we have welcomed a record number of new International Students into all three schools. While many of these students have joined us from Japan and China to ultimately gain a highschool qualification, a number from Europe and South America have chosen Kristin as a study-abroad destination for one or two terms. On 27 September, we farewelled Hendrik Adler, Petra Balbi and Giorgia Bologna who had been with us for Term 3. Their families and friends in Germany, Switzerland and Italy will undoubtedly be delighted to have them return home, however for the Kristin community their 10-week stay has been far too short.

Our Dovetail Exchanges have seen us also welcome a number of students from our overseas partner schools. After students from Keio Shonan Fujisawa in Tokyo joined us earlier in the year, Tammy de Moel from Carey Baptist Grammar in Melbourne spent five weeks in the Year

10 classes hosted by Charlotte Cowie. Charlotte has been anticipating her own exchange of five weeks in Melbourne during Term 4. Relishing their own adventure, four Kristin students from Year 10 French classes have spent three weeks at Ecole la Source in Paris; Abbey Hooper, Lachlan Grimwade, Declan Marshall and Venice White joined the families of Clementine, Maxime, Benjamin and Naomi, who visited Kristin in March.

Whether it be experiencing camping in Victoria, Australia, or strengthening their French, Spanish or Japanese language skills, our students from Kristin have learnt what it is like to be away from home and to face the many challenges of interacting in a culturally new environment. This experience, in turn, makes them all the more receptive to welcoming new international students.

Jenny Taylor, Director of International Services

ISSUE No. 58

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International News

St George’s Exchange Earlier this year Rebecca French and I set off on our five-week adventure to Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was the first time either of us had travelled alone and it was a very inspiring experience, which matured us both and taught us various lessons for the future.

Argentina is a country with a very vibrant energy that captivates you in its cultural variety, from the Tango dancers at Tortoni to the Boca Juniors football team in La Boca. Rebecca and I were lucky enough to be living with the same family, enabling us to explore Argentina together and learn from each other’s experiences. Although the cultural difference between ourselves and our Argentine hosts was prominent, we managed to learn the ‘kisses on the cheek’ ritual - which was difficult to brush off when we came back to Auckland!

St George’s Quilmes, our exchange school in Argentina, had expansive and beautiful grounds and it was very welcoming. The school is bilingual so there was always a way of communicating with the staff if we were lost or confused at any time. As we were living in the same household, Bex and I had to take turns in boarding at the school we were attending in Buenos Aires. This ensured that we made inschool friends other than our exchange partner, which broadened our horizons and gave us the push we needed to expand our Spanish skills.

Although my host family did speak fluent English, I definitely improved in my Spanish during the trip, especially as I was faced with the everyday task of communicating with native Spanishspeakers at school.

Overall, the experience really helped us become more independent and mature, as well as improving our Spanish skills. It was a riveting experience, with both ups and downs; however, we took the best out of it and we have come back with a richer perspective of the world. It has definitely been the highlight of my year, if not my whole high-school life, and I hope to visit the friends I made in Argentina again soon! Thank you, Kristin, for giving us this opportunity to expand our understanding of the Latin culture.

Dina Veljanovska

Insight to Japan

Keio Exchange

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n elderly women dressed in a full, light-pink kimono yelled “Shitsureshimasu!” then entered our room, bowing as she came into our view. We all stopped unpacking our bags and awkwardly stood and acknowledged her as she entered. We saw she had a tray with four hand-crafted cups and some traditional Japanese snacks. She placed it on the table, bowed once more and walked away. The four boys in the room surrounded the table. We were confused and acted like a group of cavemen seeing fire for the first time.

“What is it?”

“You try it first.”

We soon realised that a cup of green tea and a snack was a typical welcoming upon arrival at a Ryokan (Japanese inn).

At about 6pm that day, we received a call on our room phone from Mrs Ogata, telling us our dinner room was ready and we could eat. Excited, we raced out of our room. We seated ourselves and remained silent as we examined the food that had been carefully laid out in front of us. Throughout this trip, we were amazed several times by food that had been remarkably good. This, however, was confusing. We had no clue what was before us. Small dishes with intricate shapes, topped with finely sliced vegetable garnishes; a small, cooked fish sliced open revealing its bone and filled with meat; soup with rather interesting-looking things floating in it these were among the many courses we enjoyed. The food surprised us in a good way and we soon learned that you must not let your eyes put you off Japanese food.

The whole trip was like our experience with food. This Dovetail Exchange brought countless challenges to each of us. We learned that it is the attitude you take in approaching these challenges that determines how you deal with them. Often, the obstacles that we came across became the most memorable moments in our trip. Staying open-minded and persistent in a new environment is key to being able to succeed in it. This trip has made us realise how culturally diverse our world is and has helped us grow a great deal of respect towards cultures we may not be completely familiar with.

We stayed with Japanese families, went to school with them and lived how they lived. It was definitely an eye-opening experience, very different to living in New Zealand. What they considered a short trip was one hour by train. The cultural exposure and unique lifestyle experience was truly life-changing and we would like to thank Ogata sensei for her support through the process of the exchange.

Ben Cashmore, Rocky Jiang, Declan Weir, Gen Woods

International Anniversary Messages Moritz Gnisia

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SPRING/SUMMER 2013

We were delighted to receive a couple of anniversary messages from past International Students who fondly remember their time at Kristin. Simply follow these QR codes to view the personal messages from Moritz Gnisia and Nathalia Kai (2011).

Nathalia Kai

whole school

news Speaker Series - Celia Lashlie

One for the Blokes

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ver 50 Kristin Dads gathered bright and early for a blokes’ breakfast outside the Dove as a kick-starter to Queen’s Birthday Weekend. Bacon and eggs - fresh from the BBQ and stuffed into butties with onion jam - washed down with good, strong coffee from the onsite Coffee Guy van ensured that appetites were quelled and thirsts quenched.

Curiosity was tweaked by a boys’ toys exhibition: Outdoor Education equipment, a K-Force Robotics scrimmage and a live video feed from a GoPro camera mounted on board a model gyrocopter, courtesy of the Technology boys. The two fully-specked Volvo V40s on display from Roverland gave the lads some impressive tyres to kick. Thanks to everyone who braved the early-morning chill to come along.

It was a pleasure to welcome Celia Lashlie back to Kristin as part of our Speaker Series in Term 2; this time her visit was organised by the Well-being Directorate. More than 250 parents attended and were treated to invaluable insight into the world of boys. Celia’s experiences as a mother, a prison officer, an educator and now a grandmother and her skill as a storyteller kept the audience captivated throughout her presentation.

Celia reminded us that boys’ behaviour is not always bad behaviour. Their energy, propensity to physical movement and their need for processing time may not match social expectations of appropriate behaviour, but they are intrinsic to the physical and emotional capacity of boys and should be acknowledged and respected.

Take-home messages for parents focused on being patient with our boys, not filling their silence with our words and worries, and to find time to enjoy their company. We all share hopes and fears for our children, but it is important for us to not presume that poor choices or lack of motivation during their school life are going to set them up for a poor quality of adult life. Celia encouraged parents to set firm boundaries, maintain high expectations and foster relationships with fellow parents, especially during the challenging teenage years of parenting.

Most of all, Celia offered positive, affirming messages about the good in all boys – their strong values, their pragmatism and their intuition, which (with our love and support) will see them grow from gorgeous boys to good men.

School Tours We are very happy to organise tours for prospective students and their families. Please visit our website for scheduled tour times or contact the Registrar, Linda Teagle, admissions@ kristin.school.nz or 09 415 9566 ext 2324, to arrange a personal visit.

Kristin’s Social Networks Make sure you stay connected within the Kristin community by signing up for the relevant social networks.

Kristin School Kristin Alumni KFF Kristin Futures

www.facebook.com/kristin.school www.facebook.com/kristin.alumni www.facebook.com/kristinfamilyandfriends www.facebook.com/KristinFutures

Twitter LinkedIn Groups

@KristinFutures Kristin School Alumni Kristin School Professional Network

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Whole School News

Kristin Family and Friends

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he highlight of this year for Kristin Family and Friends (KFF) has undoubtedly been the Love the Dove Ball, which was held at Shed 10 at Queen’s Wharf in August. Our fantastic committee worked hard to collect prizes for raffles as well as setting up and decorating the vast space, and their inspiration and dedication to this helped give us all a night to remember.

Our regular meetings have continued to be well attended and we have welcomed a wide range of excellent speakers. Director of Sport Cherry Webster joined us to give an in-depth overview of what sports are available and the recent achievements of our Kristin athletes, and Director of Performing Arts Lorna Rood took parents on a fascinating tour behind the scenes of the school’s Performing Arts department. Communications Manager Lucy Wilson educated us on the hows and whys of the Facebook phenomenon, giving helpful tips on how to take control of your own privacy settings. And finally, Educational Kinaesiology and Brain Gym specialist Janet De Wit joined us to share an outstanding talk on how to help your children when they become stressed.

KFF continues to provide parents with opportunities to have fun together and make friends. After our hugely popular Gibbs Farm trip earlier this year, two more groups of Kristin parents have enjoyed similar trips to this stunning sculpture park, and we recently arranged a Chinese cooking lesson in the home of one of our wonderfully talented mums, Jane Liu. The walking group and prayer group are also growing and thriving, and it is in this continued environment of friendship and camaraderie that we are able to offer thanks for the ambitious vision which was shared by Kristin’s founding families.

Thanks to their belief in the value of a world-class education based on principles of family and community, we now enjoy a vibrant and passionate community numbered in its thousands. KFF is honoured to support the many endeavours of this wonderful group, bringing people together who share a love for this very special school.

Kristin’s New Look As part of our 40-year celebrations there has been a fresh new look on campus for the first time in 15 years as improvements to the Kristin uniform were introduced from the beginning of Term 2.

The most noticeable of the new and improved items include: the Middle School blazer, which now features a navy stripe; the year-round navy pinafore; and improved shirts, ties and sports attire. The new look also features a new range of knitwear that has been incredibly popular across all levels of the school. The striped jersey, cardigan and vest provide comfortable and stylish options, well suited to all weather conditions.

Feedback on the new items has been positive, with parents particularly noting the improved quality of the fabrics, the considerations that have been made for comfort and the smart style of the overall uniform.

As we transition into the new look, both old and new uniform items may be worn together until the end of Term 4 2014, at which point all students will be expected to be appropriately attired in the ‘new look’ items. If you are wondering what to do with your old uniforms, we are accepting uniform donations at the Retail Shop. These will be sorted and sent to our international partner schools and charities.

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junior school

news

PYP Exhibition

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ristin recently celebrated the success of our Year 6 students with the annual PYP Exhibition. Arguably the most important assessment-based event of the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), the Exhibition represents over nine weeks’ work for the students who have each chosen their own subject area to investigate.

The Exhibition requires students to engage in a collaborative inquiry process that involves them identifying, investigating and offering solutions to real-life issues or problems in the context of their local and global communities. It provides the platform for students to display the skills, attitudes and behaviours developed throughout their schooling experience in the IB PYP. A wide variety of print, multimedia, concept and interactive work was produced by the students and displayed in the school’s Library Information Centre for the weeklong exhibition. The subjects and issues ranged from Child Poverty and the challenges of Beef Farming, to the Impact of Technology on the Development of Artificial Limbs, and Professional

Sport. Over the course of the Exhibition, Year 6 students took tours and explained their work to younger students, staged components of their work in two live presentations and celebrated their achievements with friends and family.

This year the Exhibition featured a significant growth in digital media and resources, a result of Kristin’s schoolwide Digital Learning Programme.

Most notable are the QR codes that featured on many of the students’ displays. These simple icons linked viewers to more than 100 digital documents and student-made videos related to their investigations. During the week of the Exhibition these videos were viewed over 2,000 times, and in more than 30 countries worldwide.

While the Exhibition only lasted one week, the expansive work of these students can still be viewed by scanning this QR code.

iPad 2.0 Parent Evening On Tuesday 11 June, we hosted a group of parents of children in Years 4 to 6 who were eager to learn more about the iPads we are using in the Junior School. We shared some tips on how to manage Internet access at home, the importance of digital citizenship, using the built-in Calendar app and how to access student work from home or school. We finished the evening off with an example of the type of activities we do at school. For parents who would like to review the presentation material or who would like to know more about the use of iPads in the Junior School, simply scan this QR code.

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“We now have students generating their own questions, recording their interviews using photos and videos, and then creating a Keynote presentation to share their learning electronically. iPads are now a part of everyday classroom life at Kristin, and the way we use them is continually evolving.”

Digital Learning Evolves

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ith the introduction of iPads across the Junior School in 2013, we have moved ahead in leaps and bounds in the amount of technology utilised in the classroom but, more importantly, in how, why and when the digital tools are used. The iPad revolution has enabled some outstanding learning outcomes with students, creating a wide range of different products across the school.

Year 1 students have spent time moving around the school, discovering who the people are who work here and what they do. By scanning this QR Code you can view a video of the students’ investigations. The key question the students wanted to ask seemed to be ‘Who is your boss?’ - to which they received an Year 1 Inquiry assortment of interesting answers. Not so long ago this task was completed with pencil and paper, and the teacher would record the answers to student questions. We now have students generating their own questions, recording their interviews using photos and videos, and then creating a Keynote presentation to share their learning electronically. iPads are now a part of everyday classroom life at Kristin, and the way we use them is continually evolving.

Presenting work in a variety of creative ways is one of the keys to students understanding their personal learning style and maintaining interest, enthusiasm and engagement with what they are doing. Year

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6 approached the PYP Exhibition this year with gusto. iPad in hand, the students were able to access a far wider choice of resources than ever before. One of the key aspects of this evolution was the integrated nature of the iPads in their search for knowledge and answers. The ability to record conversations and information during visits to primary resources (usually people or places) and then review what was said later ensured that nothing was missed by our eagle-eyed students.

From finding out just who is the ‘boss’ in Year 1 to eBooks about space in Year 3, creating advertisements in Year 5 and stop-motion Lego videos in Year 6, the wide range of work created throughout this year has been amazing. Moving Year 6 Exhibition forward, we are now beginning to share this work with the wider Kristin community in more creative and engaging ways. This QR Code will take you to a short clip of the Year 6 students talking about the actions they took as a part of their PYP Exhibition.

Sharing work that has been completed and having time to discuss and present learning to others is a key part of what we do at Kristin. The introduction of Apple TV devices in all classrooms provides the opportunity to do this wirelessly and with ease. This now means that anything which can be created, viewed or explained on the iPad can be shared with others easily.

Rob Hutton, Assistant Principal, Junior School

Junior School News

An Adventure for the

Senses in Beijing

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ights, sounds and smells – Wangfujing Street had it all.

Twenty-three students and seven teachers visited China’s capital during the Term 3 break, and enjoyed an afternoon in the downtown area of modern Beijing surrounded by skyscrapers and amazing architecture, and the high-end shopping district where Prada and Gucci stores are located. Needless to say, it was a surprise to us all as we turned the corner into Food Market Alley. This was a feast for the senses, but the students were all happy not to have partaken of lunch from these vendors.

The street is only 400 metres long, but offered an insight into the wide variety of food available - from both ends of the palatable spectrum.

The students were enthralled by the wriggling scorpion kebabs, starfish

and seahorses, as well as the different types of dumplings. There was seafood the likes of which they have never seen before, and Chinese sweets that captivated their attention, especially the toffee-covered grapes and dragon fruit.

Erika Bruce and Lena Jabob were agreed on their favourite sight; “There was a man making blow-up toffee animals… they were SO cute!”

It was certainly a popular destination for our group and locals alike, and will be one of the many memories that made a real impression on the students.

Diana Patchett, Junior School Principal

Junior School’s Speech Competition On a Tuesday afternoon in June the Auditorium was packed for the annual Junior School Speech Competition for Year 5 and 6 students. Two finalists from each class presented their speeches and after a considerable amount of thought, our adjudicator - Mr David Shaw from the English Faculty announced the winners. The results and the topics chosen were: Place

Name

Topic

1st Place

Lena Jacob

Time

2nd Place

Bronte Heath

Bullying

3rd Place

Joel Gilbert

Horses

Finalists: Erika Bruce (All the Big Questions), Joshua Daken (Lego), Georgia Gao (The Mess in my Room), Connor Gilbert (Science Fiction and Future Technology), Rachel Harding (Phobias), Megan Kennedy (My Politically Incorrect Guide to Dealing with Difficult Parents), Molly Lewis (Life Isn’t Fair), Zack Robertson (Phobias), Cam Scott (Space Inventions), Christina Yang (Rules), Dennis Yang (How to Trick your Parents).

Rob Hutton, Assistant Principal

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Growing Up Digital Learning to interact with others is part of growing up. Children hone these skills in various places: at home with siblings, in parent-child groups, at school, in sports teams. In all of these situations they are under the guidance and supervision of trustworthy adults. However, today’s youth have a new playground: one that reaches the furthest corners of the planet, where strangers and friends stand side by side and where responsible adults are impossible to recognise.

Kristin School has identified Digital Citizenship as a very important curriculum area. For this reason, class 4C and 5D are currently involved in an international pilot scheme called Growing Up Digital.

4C started by looking at the ‘Rings of Responsibility’ and exploring what it means to be responsible and respectful of offline and online communities. The students identified a great number of situations and online locations where they frequently interact with others and it became evident that they would truly benefit from guidance in this field.

They went on to consider that they may get online messages from other children which can make them feel angry, hurt, sad, or fearful, identifying actions that will make them Upstanders in the face of cyberbullying. As the programme progresses, the students will focus on privacy and security, Internet safety, digital footprints, reputations, self-image and the use of copyright.

The Internet is a jungle of communication and our children are its pioneers.

We have provided them with any number of devices with which to explore it; iPads, iPhones, iPods, laptops, tablets, desktops, X-boxes, PlayStations, Wiis, televisions, etc.

Therefore, it is our responsibility to ensure that they have the skills required to behave responsibly and appropriately in this rapidly evolving digital environment.

Tom Moffatt, Year 4 Teacher

Book Character Day

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ristin looked very different on Friday 9 August. Not a pupil or teacher was in sight. The Junior School was filled with all manner of book characters from Harry Potter and Snow White through to a group of Ninjas in Year 2. The special Assembly, held that afternoon, gave everyone the opportunity to view the wide range of characters that were present on the day and the Senior School Cultural Committee put on a great show to share their own love of books and reading.

As this day coincided with the KidsCan National Fancy Dress Mufti Day, we have donated $250 of the money raised at our last Mufti Day to this worthy cause. What a day, filled with adventure and imagination.

Carol Page-Wood, Year 2 Teacher

Kindergarten Enrolments 2014 Kristin Kindergarten is the entry point to our Junior School. As part of our enrolment process, our Junior School team is currently meeting with children who will turn four years of age during 2014. If you have not already done so, or if you are aware of friends who would like to enrol their children at our Kindergarten, please note that applications should be submitted as soon as possible. It is also important to note that the new operating hours for Kristin Kindergarten will be in place from the beginning of Term 1, 2014.

We encourage you to bring your children to visit our Kindergarten.

For enrolment information or to organise your visit, please contact Linda Teagle, Registrar, admissions@kristin.school.nz or 09 415 9566 ext 2324.

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Junior School News

Junior School Ski Weekend

Sir Peter Blake

Young Leader Award

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t the end of Term 2 we recognised two emerging leaders thanks to the Sir Peter Blake Young Leader Awards. In a special end-of-term Leadership Assembly, Year 6 student Ayla Hall was named as this year’s recipient of the Sir Peter Blake Young Leader Award, with Lena Jacobs as runner up. Both girls are significant contributors to their school. Ayla is a Peer Mediator and Class Captain and is known for the positive and enthusiastic attitude that she applies to her many co-curricular activities. Lena is actively involved in a number of leadership roles within the Junior School also, including that of Peer Mediator and Vice-House Captain, and positions on the Student Council and Chapel Committee. It was the first time that a runner-up for this award has been selected at Kristin. Mrs Patchett felt that both girls deserved to be recognised for the incredible contributions they have made to the school, and this was a decision supported by The Sir Peter Blake Trust. Westpac Bank Manager Mr Gareth Southcombe was welcomed to the Assembly to present the awards.

The last day of Term 2 also saw students throughout the Junior School wearing their red socks in place of their usual school socks, to raise money for The Sir Peter Blake Trust in support of KidsCan. A total of $870 was raised.

Diana Patchett, Junior School Principal

They say that you can experience several seasons in one day in Auckland – that is how changeable our weather is. Well, the same could be said for the area around Mt Ruapehu! On our Junior School Ski Weekend, Saturday dawned with generally fine weather, the snow was fantastic on the upper slopes and blue skies abounded for most of the day. The visibility on Sunday was poor, but this most certainly did not deter our hardened skiers and snowboarders, who, despite commenting that they couldn’t see very far in front of them, were keen to make the most of every skiing opportunity.

From tentative starts on the Happy Valley slopes, to confident approaches on the Rock Garden, T-bars and the western slopes, skills were honed, turns were perfected and the feeling of exhilaration abounded through the students as yet another exciting run came to an end. It was great to see the self-assurance build up in those students who were a little hesitant at the start, and the challenges the more-experienced skiers and snowboarders set themselves. All levels were extended and every pupil rose to the occasion, improving their skills and confidence over the weekend.

Diana Patchett Junior School Principal

Stupendous Stitching by the Year One-derfuls As part of our Visual Arts programme, 1G has been learning how to stitch. Each student had an outline of their first initial and to stitch around this, they used the over/under pattern that they had learned from doing paper weaving.

Tamsin said, “It was hard at first. I needed some help getting the needle in because the wool kept coming out, but then it got easier and easier”; and Mikey thought: “It was so hard, but you have to keep on trying. When you don’t do it on the line you have to try again.”

Not only has the class learnt to stitch, but this has also taught the students patience, perseverance, problem-solving and hand-eye coordination. Everyone tried really hard to keep their stitches neat and even, and the result was something that the students were all very proud of. Reuben said, “It was exciting because it feels fun in your bones.”

Jude Griffiths Year 1 Dean

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Student-Led Conferences

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n Friday 23 August over 90% of the Junior School students hosted their parents for the second of our formal face-to-face reporting opportunities – Student-Led Conferences. Parents were invited to take a tour of their child’s learning, in their own classroom as well as in Performing Arts, Physical Education, REAP and Chinese. This was a great opportunity for students to take control for the day and be in charge of their presentations.

Narrative Writing in 2B Once upon a time in the Junior School there was a very creative class called 2B. After studying geometry the students produced plans of castles and constructed them using many cardboard 3D shapes.

The castles, though constructed well, did not have much of a story to tell. Then the introduction of narrative writing fuelled imaginations and the castles now stood in valleys and on snowy mountains. Characters like ninjas, kings, princesses, witches, dragons and beasts were housed within the castles. Each castle had its own tale of battles and destruction and woe. Some had romance and happy endings. Life in the castles now flourished.

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Olivia Herrmann, from 2P, reflected on her day at school, sharing her learning with her parents: “On Friday, my Mum and Dad came to stay for the whole day! I love Student-Led Conference day. I love August because Student-Led Conference day is in August. My favourite part was picking my book.

I was with my Mum and I went to Chinese and Performing Arts. Then I went to REAP. I think it was the greatest day ever.”

The People on our Doorstep On an outing to explore the school grounds, Sam from Class 1H said, “There really are a lot of buildings”.

The class’ Inquiry focused on the people who help us, and the context for this was Kristin School.

Their investigation took the students through many of the school buildings and introduced them to the people who work here and the varied roles and responsibilities they have.

After exploring from the ground, 1H enjoyed the ‘bird’s-eye’ view of their classroom and school using Google Earth. We played a photo reveal game called ‘Who is the mystery person?’ in which the children’s prior knowledge about each person was recorded, to be compared with what they had learnt by the end of the Inquiry.

The next step in the journey was to prepare questions and interview people who the students were interested in knowing more about, such as our Junior School Principal Mrs Patchett, Executive Principal Mr Clague, the grounds team, administration staff and the teachers. The Year 1 students had great fun experimenting with the use of Keynote on the iPad, and used the video function of the iPad camera to record their interviews. They then worked in pairs to create and then share their discoveries as a Keynote presentation.

Jane Harker Year 1 Teacher

Junior School News

Understanding Advertising

Artistic Explorers

D

uring Week 6 of Term 3, Year 2 visited the Auckland Art Gallery as part of their Inquiry, ‘Art Talks’. In the Learning Centre they enjoyed a range of hands-on explorations including creating things with pipe cleaners, crayon rubbing, viewing the world through strange glasses and exploring the work of Tiffany Singh. The children were intrigued that you could use beeswax to create art and were fascinated by her use of rainbow colours.

We were very fortunate to enjoy a beautiful spring day to explore the sculptures in Albert Park and had a wonderful time creating our own sculptures and statues with our bodies. The children then used clues to find pictures in the gallery and learnt that each picture has a story. They were delighted when they were encouraged to draw what happened next in the story and realised that everyone could have a different idea about the same picture. Some of the artworks were surprising, especially the chair that formed part of a work inspired by the sea. The children had lots of questions and wonderings as they discussed the ideas of the artist.

Finally, the children became artists and created their own imaginative stories based on what they saw in their paintings. The children are excited about continuing to explore a variety of art and the discovery that art is much more than just painting and drawing.

Barbara Taylor, Year 2 Dean

Choices Year 4 has recently been learning about Choices. We opened the Inquiry by working through three scenarios where the children were slowly fed more information with each new choice, gradually being able to make more informed decisions as a result. This activity proved to be great fun and caused much animated discussion.

We then moved on to looking at five more areas for making choices. Using five stations we looked at ‘The Heart’, ‘The Lungs’, ‘Emotional Wellbeing’, ‘Friendships’ and ‘Weight’. Filling in a positive and negative chart, everyone had to comment on what things were positive for each of the stations, and what were the negatives. We then came together as a class to go through all the suggested ideas. The school Counsellor, Mr Houlahan, visited our classroom to talk about strategies that can be used in various stressful situations at school. He introduced the Cool Schools’ Peer Mediation Programme, which encourages peaceful conflict resolutions in school, again helping the students to make the right choices. Following this workshop, the Year 4 classes discussed ‘Self-management Skills’, looking at healthy lifestyle choices, social skills, understanding what behaviour is appropriate in a given situation, as well as communication skills such as listening to directions, listening to others and listening to information.

The students immediately began demonstrating their understanding by making positive choices, which is wonderful to see in children of this age.

Sandy Drube, Year 4 Teacher

Year 5 students have been looking into how advertising influences what we think and the choices we make. We were lucky enough to welcome two guest speakers, Mrs Pamela Peryman and Miss Lucy Wilson from the School Relations office, to share their ideas and thoughts on how they market Kristin.

Pamela Peryman, Director of School Relations, and her team find interesting ways of promoting the school to a wide community in New Zealand and overseas.

Many of us had seen the school’s advertising on billboards and on the back of buses - ads such as Building Greatness, My First School and, of course, the photo of five students from Kindergarten to Year 13 with the word Progress.

Technology allows the team to track who sees the advertisements and on what particular day an advertisement is watched. We had the idea of conducting an experiment to show this data, so Lucy uploaded a photo of the talk to the school’s Facebook page for all of the Kristin families to ‘like’. It was exciting to see over 100 people like the post and that more than 1,200 had viewed it.

The afternoon was extremely captivating, full of information and fun things to think about.

Pamela and Lucy offering the students a competition to enter capped this off.

We could win a prize by creating the best advertisement for which we could choose from four subjects. These were emailed to Pamela and she reported back that there was some fantastic and creative work submitted and the overall prize went to Zach Robertson. There are clearly some budding marketers within the ranks of Year 5.

Yvonne Bull Year 5 Teacher

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Thinking Skills in Action Class 5D has been working on being reflective in their learning. At the end of each week, time is set aside for the students to discuss what they have done well in each subject area and what they need to improve. The children record their thinking on a weekly review, which goes home so that parents have a ‘window’ into what is happening in our classroom.

Thinking questions are used to reflect on each area of the curriculum, helping students to better understand what went well and what didn’t, so they can improve their work; questions such as, what was I expected to do? What did I do? If I did the same task again, what would I do differently? What help do I need? ‘I had fun when...’ or ‘I really had to work hard on...’

The results are some insightful reflections from students who take responsibility for their own learning.

I had fun when I presented my speech about honesty. It was a good feeling. I was pleased with my eye contact and how I hardly used my cue cards. Next time I will put a little bit more expression into the conclusion.

- Wilson Nye-Hingston During Inquiry I particularly enjoyed researching information on the red panda. I really worked hard on putting the information into my own words and answering my questions fully and in detailed sentences.

- Jennifer Wu I felt that my Mathematics was great because I got 10/10 in my times table test. One thing I want to work harder on in Mathematics is, I want to remember to recheck my work and also my aim is to get on the 100% speed test board.

- Emma Hoseason I had fun in REAP when we listened to an interesting story and I was very pleased in my reading session with finishing my cube.

- Gemma Edwards I really enjoyed Inquiry and researching on the jaguar because it is a cool animal. One thing I am really working on is using as many different sources as I can and finding the answers to all my questions.

- Joshua Daken Chantel Ashley Year 5 Teacher

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PYP Exhibition Electives As a part of the Year 6 students’ exploration of How the World Works, a range of electives were run where students could explore the theme in new, creative and challenging ways. The dance group created an original piece of choreography while the creative artists sculpted, modelled and directed Claymation films. The science elective group conducted a wide range of experiments, including DIY lava lamps, and the robotics gurus learned how to programme Lego robots. Below, Mrs Cochran explains how the new Minecraft elective was received by the students.

A

s educators, we are always looking for proven ways to engage and maintain engagement of our students. As we know, many of the jobs our children will be doing someday have not yet eventuated.

With this in mind, and after hours and hours researching, reading and meaningful discussions with teachers from all around the globe, Minecraft (the creative building game) was offered as an elective to Year 6 students to continue to explore ‘How the World Works’. The students were given minimal guidelines for creating a home to live in. Basic instructions included: no more than a 20 x 20-metre square base for their home, only two levels and must include a bed to sleep on. The rest was up to them. During the design-and-build stage, the students would share their progress via the newly-acquired Apple TV. This gave others new ideas that they could utilise and build on. The next part of their journey was to use procedural writing to make a tutorial specifically for a person who has not used Minecraft before, to recreate their design.

The engagement level of these students was phenomenal.

Creating, designing, building, sharing and the ultimate teaching was all in a day’s work for these students. Never, in all my years of teaching, did I get a response of students jumping for joy when it was explained that they needed to complete their tutorials for homework.

Lyn Cochran Year 6 Teacher

Junior School News

Year 3 visits the Museum Towards the end of Term 3, the Year 3 students took a trip to the Auckland Museum to learn about volcanoes. Macy Freeman from Class 3I enjoyed it so much that she wanted to share the experience with the rest of the school through her writing.

Kindergarten

Refurbishment

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hange has been the buzzword in the Kindergarten over recent months. Children and teachers arrived back to the winter term to be met by fresh new paint and a great refurbishment of the Kindergarten building.

The result of three weeks’ hard work left the pupils and staff delighted and amazed. Adding to the change, the big excitement was about the new school uniform. The children proudly wore the updated look and looked incredibly smart in their newly refurbished learning spaces.

There was more to come when everyone returned for Term 3 - this time in the playground area.

A complete revamp of the outside space has been undertaken with outstanding results. New equipment and ground refurbishment have worked wonders. This space has been transformed into a playground wonderland, full of magic and adventure. With both the inside and outside upgrade now completed, it is ‘full steam ahead’ for the children and teachers in this wonderfully bright and vibrant learning area.

Mandy Savage Kindergarten Dean

Ahhhhhhhhhhh!!!! The Volcano Room is scary.

Year 3 went to the Museum. We risked going into the Earthquake House.

When we got out, one girl was crying because she did not like the moving of the house. After I got out of the house I thought it was quite scary but fun at the same time.

Following on from the Volcano Room we went to the Weird and Wonderful Room.

My mum was the most scared of the cockroaches. Our group peered in nearly all of the drawers. We looked at the rats and frogs and geckos and fish and starfish.

Next we ate our delicious morning teas in the Kai Room. After morning tea we strolled over to the Learning Room where we learnt all about volcanic rocks and three different types of volcanoes.

We bussed back to school with our brains laden with new connections.

Macy Freeman

Cybersafety On Wednesday 28 August, Constable Michelle Bluemel came to school to talk to all of Year 6 about cyber-bullying and cybersafety. The key things she talked to us about were: Snap-chat, askFM, Facebook and Instagram. We organised for this presentation to take place as part of our Exhibition action.

The main points we learned from her talk, to help keep us safe online, were: Y +?P?L MB;L? SIOL J?LMIH;F CH@ILG;NCIH IHFCH?

Y 1L?;N ?P?LSIH? SIO G??N IHFCH? ;M MNL;HA?LM

Constable Bluemel said that it is our responsibility to also help keep our friends and family safe.

This includes not sharing personal information with other people and having ‘secure’ passwords on all of our electronic devices.

While we are too young to use Facebook, some children use fake details to create an account.

This can make us vulnerable to cyber-bullying and even worse. However, Facebook does have some protections in place for users between 13 and 17 years of age.

All of the students learnt something valuable about Internet safety and we hope everyone will share this with their families to keep us all safe online.

Fleur Hamilton-Vincent and Lauren Officer

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middle school

news 2nd Place at the Kids’ Lit Quiz Eight excited Kristin representatives headed off to the Kids’ Lit Quiz at St Cuthbert’s College in June. The Lit Quiz was all about using the team’s knowledge of books and literature to answer quick-fire questions.

With over 50 teams from schools all over Auckland, this year marked the highest participation rates in the event’s nine-year history.

After a hard-fought battle to gain a spot at the quiz, Kristin entered two teams of four into the event. There were 10 diverse categories, which ranged from Adventure and Comic Strips to Vegetables. The teams competed well; Team 1 managed to finish 2nd overall and they each walked away with $20 and a book. Even though Team 2 didn’t win anything they still had a wonderful time at the quiz.

Team 1 included Marty Kim, Amber NyeHingston, Sally Zhang and the only Year 7 on the two teams, Joshua Phillips. Team 2 comprised Nick Abel, Chantal Dalebroux, Matthew Officer and Anriena Zen. Our teachers Mrs Hewett, Mrs McDowell and Mr Lockyer were a big support at the event, as were the understudies Benjamin Bramah and Tyra Daruwalla who cheered us on from the sidelines.

Matthew Officer

Bring a Guest to Year 7

H

ow wonderful it is to see our school through someone else’s eyes. This is the experience we had at our ‘Bring a Guest’ morning in Week 6 of Term 2.

Students were each encouraged to invite a guest – a grandparent, relative, parent or extended family member – to spend the morning sampling life in Year 7. The feeling of excitement was tangible as our young people eagerly awaited the arrival of their guests, especially when Angelo Yelich-O’Connor welcomed his big sister Ella, better known to the students as Lorde.

Guests were put through their paces, competing in Humanities quizzes, debating topics like ‘is school better today?’, making cards and learning songs. Looks of surprise and amazement crossed the students’ faces when Mum or Granddad answered the questions correctly. Of course there were hoots of delight when an answer was wrong and had to be rethought out!

A delicious morning tea was most welcome after the challenge of the classroom and, after a second classroom session, guests were escorted to the Auditorium where they were treated to a typical Dean’s Assembly. There they enjoyed sharing in the talents of the students, which included tap dancing, musical items, a character reading and some camp experiences.

The morning ended with a farewell by the students and a ‘gift packet’ to take home. ‘Can we come back tomorrow?’ drifted out the doors as guests departed from their wonderful experience. It is indeed a privilege to be able to share learning across generations.

Colleen Wassung Year 7 Dean

Migration at the Maritime Museum A trip to the Voyager New Zealand Maritime Museum was a marvellous way to start Term 3. During the first week, all Year 9 students spent a day enhancing their knowledge on the migration to New Zealand as a part of their Humanities studies.

My class and I were very lucky to have the chance to take a boat ride across the harbour on a vessel that was styled as if it was in the

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1800s. The day was very exciting, learning about our ancestors and heritage in a fun and interactive way. The moving room was very realistic and gave us all a good insight into what it would have been like migrating from one country to another by ship. A big thanks to all the teachers and parents who made this inspirational day possible.

Vianne Coleman

Everest at Ardmore

A First-hand Account of

the Holocaust

T

wo child Holocaust survivors, Bob and Freda Narev, visited Kristin and shared their memories with Year 10 students during Term 3. The year level have been studying the topic ‘Abuse of Power’, with a strong emphasis on the impact of the Holocaust as part of their Humanities programme. Students were able to hear first-hand accounts of the cruelty and injustice inflicted upon victims and survivors of the Holocaust, as well as the sustained hope for a brighter future.

Bob spent two and a half years in Theresienstadt concentration camp before being sent on a prisoner exchange to Switzerland. He was generally well cared for, though he lost many family members at the camp. Freda was sent to live on a Catholic farm at age three in order to protect her from persecution because of her Jewish faith. Her sister later claimed her and took her to a refugee camp. Freda has had to cope with a loss of identity as she has no memories of her parents or records of her birth date.

Bob and Freda both immigrated to New Zealand with family in 1949. They met at a Jewish youth club and married in 1959.

These two inspiring people feel that it is their duty “not to forget, nor to allow others to forget or deny the Holocaust”. They certainly gave the students valuable insight as to the suffering the people endured and how they went about rebuilding their lives together.

Colleen Wassung Teacher, Humanities

As a reward for reaching their Term 3 goals, a group of ten Year 7 and 8 Everest boys enjoyed a trip to Ardmore Airport in September, thanks to Kristin parent Stuart Clumpas who acted as tour guide for the day.

Mr Clumpas very graciously showed them his planes and hangar, as well as giving a general rundown of how the airport operates. This was followed by the group being taken to the flying school where they were shown how a pre-flight check is performed and the boys were able to sit in the plane and toy with some of the instruments. The flight simulators gave them the chance to experience what it would be like to be a pilot in control of your own aircraft.

A tour of the engineering section allowed us all to understand the intricacies involved in the mechanical and electrical sides of aircraft, and finally the control tower helped us to appreciate the organisation that goes into the successful operation of an airport.

Overall, this was a thoroughly informative and enjoyable day for all involved.

Jared Riseborough Teacher-in-Charge, Everest Programme

Middle School Enrolments 2014/15 Final enrolments are under way for new students to enrol in our Middle School next year and interviews for placements in Years 7 and 9 2015 have also now begun. If you are enrolling your child for 2014 entry, please submit your applications promptly. We look forward to receiving your application and including your child in our enrolment process.

For a tour of the Middle School or enrolment information, please contact Linda Teagle, Registrar, admissions@kristin.school.nz or 09 415 9566 ext 2324.

ISSUE No. 58

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Making a Difference for Children in Crisis As part of our Children in Crisis Humanities unit, we welcomed representatives from the Arusha Children’s Effort (ACE) charity to speak to us about the work they do for children in Africa.

Listening to this enlightening lecture made me think about how lucky we all are to each have shelter, a family and an education.

ACE is dedicated to providing an education for children in Arusha, Tanzania. This education breaks the cycle of poverty for these children and their future children.

Think about how each day you go up the road to buy yourself a coffee. If you did that each day for a year, you would have enough money to give one child a full sponsorship. Think on that! That child would be safe and receive an education - things we take for granted.

Mary Duncan and her mother Vinnie (who run ACE) helped put this in perspective for us; “To the world you may be one person, but to one person you may be the world.”

It also made us realise that how a child grows up has a real impact on their future. The ACE charity does amazing work and it costs so little!

I thought I couldn’t make a difference, but that’s just not true. I can. We all can!

Sammy Allan

Forensic Investigations

D

uring the last week of the July holidays, 120 students from all over New Zealand spent five days at Kristin for the 2013 Forensics@Kristin camp. These students were split into squads on the first morning, and started on solving a murder mystery, created for them by a group of older students known as controllers.

Each detective group had a different case to solve, which led to some interesting dinnertime conversations. Squads spent three days attempting to solve their murders, each making breakthroughs, discoveries and trying to avoid sneakily-placed ‘red herrings’.

For the fourth day, students worked on preparing their case to be presented the following morning in a mock trial. In the evening programme the students had talks from a detective, forensic scientists and a crown prosecutor. Saturday saw parents, friends and family arrive as trial observers, and professional lawyers were promoted to judges for the day.

This year has seen the programme extended to include a one-day Junior Edition for students from Years 3 to 7, with 135 students from schools as far away as Wanaka taking advantage of this exciting opportunity. A mixture of Kristin Junior School teachers and Year 9 and 10 student Controller Directors ran the Junior Edition groups.

Overall, it was a fantastic experience for everyone involved.

Jessica Tucker

Practical Consumer Economics On Tuesday 7 May the Year 9 Consumer Economics class travelled to the Albany Mall to conduct some research for their assessment.

Their primary goal was to investigate how businesses within the Mall use persuasive language and other techniques to entice consumers into their establishments to spend money. Some of the non-verbal techniques to be investigated included the use of mannequins in shop windows, music, videos, scents and the layout of the stores.

The students were asked to select a wide variety of shops from which to gather data, including service providers. They also observed the overall features of the mall such as parking facilities, bathroom and parent facilities, play areas for children, the abundance of natural lighting and the number and location of plants.

At the conclusion of the data gathering the students bought lunch at the food court and applied the concept of economic choice and opportunity

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costs in their selections. The information gathered on the trip was invaluable for their assignments later in the term.

Mark Paterson, Teacher-in-Charge

Middle School News

Year 8 Trip to Auckland Zoo

Sharing the

Written Word

Y

ear 9’s Reading Day on Friday 7 June was all about inspiring our students to read, enriching their English programme and sharing the passion for reading. Brian Falkner, author of 11 books for children and young adults, ran two inspiring and entertaining workshops for the whole year-group.

In his introductory session, he used well-known and well-loved titles to illustrate key strategies for writing stories and there were many moments when the entire Dove Theatre’s audience was laughing at his witty and amusing anecdotes.

After morning tea the LIC was alive with teachers and principals sharing their favourite books and love of reading with the students. Then came the highlight of the morning’s programme: the opportunity for students to read and share their favourite picture books with young children in the Junior School. The little ones were really enchanted with the stories read to them and many reciprocated by sharing their own stories and books with the Year 9’s.

The day’s events concluded with all students returning to the Dove Theatre for an engaging theatre-sports-type competition, which Mr Falkner led on stage, alongside a quiz to test the audience’s knowledge of popular and classical books. Once again, Reading Day was a worthwhile and enjoyable annual event for all involved.

Helen Mansfield Teacher-in-Charge

Arriving at the zoo on a pouring day in June wasn’t the greatest start to our Humanities rainforest trip, but things very quickly turned around in what was to become the best trip ever!

As we arrived, Year 8 split into two groups of three classes. My group went to the education centre first while the other group started on filming their Humanities movie.

Entering the education room we felt like we had travelled to tropical Brazil. The room was completed themed with rainforest animals and vegetation. We learnt more about the rainforests from the unique stations set up around the room and even got to meet two extremely cute and delicate cotton-top tamarins.

We were then released into the zoo. Most groups got their Humanities filming done fairly quickly so they were able to explore.

Even though it was raining, we had a splendid time gazing at all the animals.

Everyone enjoyed the playful sea lions and the cunning meerkats. Some people even had the chance to feed the giraffes.

After a remarkable day at the zoo the Year 8’s headed for the gift shop, bought some unique souvenirs and sadly headed for home. Best trip ever!

Holly Ma

Science and Humanities Combine On an early morning in August, our class 7SBT was joined by 7AGR for a journey into the city to visit the Auckland Museum and Domain. In Science we have been learning about tectonic plates, earthquakes and rocks and in Humanities the subject has been volcanoes. This was the perfect opportunity to combine our learning in one fun and exciting day.

Dressed in our perfect school uniform and gumboots we followed Mrs Jones, our science teacher, around the Domain. We learned about the forming of the Domain’s volcano, the types of rocks that make up the landscape and what the Maori and the Europeans used the area for. The walk was very scenic and interesting and we took notes as we went. We visited many places around the Domain and even had a drawing opportunity. After a nice lunch outside the museum to refuel our exhausted bodies, we went into the volcano exhibition to complete our notes.

The highlight of this part of the day was definitely the shaky house; everybody was very excited to have a go inside. We were then led up to the beehive (classrooms) and increased our knowledge of types of rocks formed by different volcanic eruptions. We then tested our knowledge with a series of fun activities in which we identified rocks by studying their various factors. It was then time to get back on the bus and return to school. The day had flown by in what felt like a second!

It was a very enjoyable and interesting trip and the experience and knowledge we gained was immense.

Alyssa Chia

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Supporting Ronald McDonald House The work of Ronald McDonald House has once again been the focus of a number of Middle School service initiatives in recent months.

In June, the Year 9 and 10 Events team, the Middle School liaisons and representatives from the Student Council took a trip to the home-away-from-home for the families of Starship Children’s Hospital patients, with the intention of preparing a meal and providing light relief for the children in residence. There were 47 families staying there at the time, so to be able to provide food and entertainment was a simple yet rewarding experience for the students.

A second group returned in September, this time from the Year 10 Community and Service team. It was the first time that team member Emma Cadman had taken part in a Ronald McDonald House service trip and after spending the afternoon preparing the meal and talking with the families, she commented: “They were all so positive … Their resilience was admirable and we couldn’t believe the stories we heard. If I have the opportunity to do this again I would raise my hand, without a doubt. It was a very memorable experience.”

While preparing meals is an important part of the Middle School’s involvement with Ronald McDonald House, there have also been other students trying to make a difference. In June the Year 8 Project 13 boys went on a field trip to Britomart to help representatives of Ronald McDonald House raise awareness and collect donations for the cause.

Also raising awareness and funds is Mr Mark Haslam. The Middle School Assistant Principal has been campaigning and training throughout the year to take part in the Auckland Marathon on Team RMHA (Ronald McDonald House Auckland) in November. Through his efforts and thanks to the support of the Kristin community, Mr Haslam raised more than $8,600 for the charity.

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Year 7 and 8 Electives The Year 7 and 8 Electives Day always brings an atmosphere of excitement and fun to the Middle School Learning Centre and this year was no different.

The sun had decided to shine and students were abuzz with all they were about to encounter.

Some were off paddleboarding, others blow-karting or horse riding, still others were staying on site for a day of yoga or to join the School of Rock; 17 activities in total were on offer.

Here’s what Nick Abel thought of the Body FX elective:

A

s soon as I saw Body FX on the electives form, I knew it would be a fun, diverse activity, and I was not disappointed. We were lucky enough to have top body artist Yolanda Bartram taking the course. The day was divided into three sessions: body art, facial art and special FX. Facial art was fun and Yolanda painted our faces with stunning images. Body FX was amazing and we learnt so many techniques and effects. We created wounds, vampire bites, severed thumbs (that one scared Nurse Fleur a little!) and even acne! Body art was also quite cool, painting daisy chains on our arms (not girly!) and merging colours. Using what Yolanda likes to call a “bruise wheel”) we created monstrosities on each of our bodies that made us look like we had been in a very bad accident. Body FX was an amazing elective and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a chance to display their creativity in a really fun, artistic way.

Nick Abel

Middle School News

Busting Myths

about Worship

O

n the Year 9 BASE Day trip to places of worship, we set out to bust myths. Early in Term 2, all Year 9 students had the privilege of visiting the synagogue at the Auckland Hebrew Congregation, the Ponsonby mosque and Windsor Park Baptist church with the aim of gaining understanding, clearing up misconceptions and busting any myths they had about these religions.

Students were encouraged to listen and observe, and then ask as many questions as they could. Prizes were given to the students who asked the best and most thoughtful questions. The ultimate purpose of busting myths was that, through learning about and experiencing these religions, the students would be more open and respectful of different people who make up the rich tapestry of cultures in New Zealand.

We had great presentations from people at the three centres; their warmth and openness resulted in overwhelmingly positive feedback from the students. One of the students, Helena Wiseman, said the following about the tour: “For me, Year 9 BASE Day was an amazing opportunity to learn new things about three religions. I found the day very interesting and it was really cool for me to go to a mosque and synagogue as I’d never been to either one before. The people who took the time out of their day to educate us all about their religions were all enigmatic, happy, informative and amazingly happy to be interrupted by schoolchildren bursting with questions. I went into BASE Day 9.1 knowing next to nothing about Islam and Judaism, and now I know so much more and I’m so glad I do.”

Reverend Rodney Ramsay Chaplain

Careers Day – Year 10 Sports Studies Careers Day for Sports Studies took place on Tuesday 20 August. This is a day where the Year 10 Sports Studies students each spend time in a workplace, experiencing a new environment and shadowing an employee. This year was one of the most exciting and inspirational we have had over the nine years that Careers Day has taken place. The students all enjoyed themselves and had an interesting and worthwhile day. Thank you to the many organisations that took students for the day.

They included Ballistics Retail Takapuna, Common Ground Architects, Designworks, Go Hockey, Les Mills Gym Takapuna, Rebel Sport, Ridgeview Primary School, Silverdale and North Harbour Vets, Snowplanet, The Crowd Goes Wild TV Show, The Millennium Institute, The Warriors, TVNZ One News and Westpac Rescue Helicopter. Juliette Jenkins spent time at Silverdale Vets with a group of students who had the opportunity to watch operations and the daily business of a busy vet clinic.

For Careers Day, I chose to go to the Silverdale Vet Clinic with Clodagh, Hattie and Lucy. I wanted to see what it was like to be a vet and if it is something I could pursue when I leave school.

We were lucky enough to be invited to watch three operations. The first was a miniature schnauzer that was getting lymphomas removed from its back legs, the next one was a female puppy getting spayed and the last one was an older racing dog that was getting its teeth cleaned. These were all very interesting procedures, but unfortunately I felt a bit sick while watching them, which meant I had to sit on the floor for most of the time.

Throughout the day we saw more minor appointments also, such as a dog getting a blood test and a cat having x-rays. I found the x-rays very interesting, as they were very tiny images that they have to produce in a very manual way. I never knew that such a small picture had to go through a long process for them to be clear enough to view.

Overall, I think it was a great experience and I will remember it for a long time to come. Many thanks go to Mr Brown, Mr Goldsworthy and Mr Hayes for organising such a great day.

Juliette Jenkins

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Mathex Mayhem Mathex, as most Kristin students with a proclivity for Maths will know, is a mathematical speed and problem-solving competition for the school students of Auckland. In some remote stadium within the city, each year, at the appointed time in August, a transformation will ensue. What before was a sportsground will be converted into a rather strange arrangement that might belong in a massive game of Scrabble: a floor packed neatly with more than a hundred small desks, set up in a grid formation with no chairs, partitioned by runways marked by cellotape arrows.

Each team of four will be assigned one of these tiny pieces of wood and metal; talking very loudly, they will kneel awkwardly around the table, using school jumpers and whatever else they can find to make the position a little more comfortable, and wait for the fun to begin.

I’ve participated in Mathex for several years now, perhaps even long enough to be called a veteran. Solving Mathex questions is by no means an easy task. For one, the moment the clock starts, you know you will not be the only team that is excited; every team, all 120 of them, is excited.

Guess what 480 young, inspired mathematicians can do collectively in a large stadium under the gaze of at least 100 parents and friends when they’re excited, and when the problems rise in difficulty?

Furthermore, assuming your eardrums somehow remain functional throughout, the problem-solving itself is no easy challenge. We are given 30 minutes to solve 20 questions; to deliver the answer, someone also has to sprint down the length of the arrow-marked runways, turn around, sprint back up to the evaluator and either return with a fresh slip of paper ready for dissecting (success) or else with the same question again (failure). Assuming this poor group member runs the distance and back within 30 seconds, to complete all 20, we must spend less than a minute per question and get none wrong. To win, then, we must complete all the questions in under 22 minutes to beat the champions of 2013: that’s about 30 seconds per question. I’m not quite sure how it’s humanly possible; perhaps they’re actually time travellers from 2078.

That being said, I have to give a sincere congratulations to everyone who braved the pandemonium this year. I don’t think anyone went into this year’s competition expecting victory, but I do think, considering we’re not time travellers, a top score of 90 out of 100 deems us all very worthy of a little satisfaction.

We Year 10s wave a nostalgic goodbye to the bedlam that is Mathex; for the lower year levels, and for any Year 6 people who might be reading this, it’s your job to take our places and maybe even raise the score from 90 to 100. Good luck.

Tina Zhang

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Middle School News

“Dressing up in mufti on day four, everyone from Kristin visited the Healesville Sanctuary where we all had an opportunity to see some native Australian wildlife.”

Toorak Experience

I

n the early hours of Tuesday 16 April, 26 Year 6 and 7 students, accompanied by four staff members, headed to Melbourne for a sporting exchange. We were so excited that we weren’t too worried about leaving our parents. When we finally arrived at Melbourne’s Toorak College, a special assembly was held to welcome us and remind us of the special link that our two countries and schools share. Later in the day we were picked up by our host families and travelled with great excitement to their homes.

On our second day we arrived back at Toorak College to begin our sports exchange.

The day comprised soccer matches of which Kristin were the overall champions!

We were so proud of our soccer team. We had a shared lunch with all the participating schools and had lots of fun hanging out with our new friends.

The next day we had our netball games. Kristin won the early matches but unfortunately lost the final game. Mt Martha and Toorak Junior were the overall joint winners. During the afternoon we splashed around in Toorak’s pools before leaving to go back home for a good night’s sleep.

Dressing up in mufti on day four, everyone from Kristin visited the Healesville Sanctuary where we all had an opportunity to see some native Australian wildlife.

These included kangaroos, koalas, platypus, alligators and snakes (which were pretty freaky). We were amazed at the bird show that we watched and how the birds got trained to do many tricks (such as a parakeet which was trained to mimic the instructor).

On our fifth day, we spent time with our host families and did many different activities. Sadly the end of our trip came too early and the next day we were to leave Australia and head back home. We were sad leaving Toorak as we had made many new friends, but we were happy to have enjoyed such a fantastic and memorable time. It was amazing to stay with our host families and see the sights of Melbourne.

Swati Puri

GATE Philosophy Conference Nine Year 10 students spent one Thursday in May in a series of university-style, philosophy-based lectures at a conference aimed at GATE students, held at St Cuthbert’s College.

The first of the sessions was a talk by Julie Arliss, a lecturer from Oxford University, who spoke about the concept of ‘I think, therefore I am’, as well as about knowledge, the mind and Rene Descartes – a French mathematician and philosopher.

Jeffrey Hodges then talked about The Self Image and its relation to human behaviour, which posed some interesting questions as to how the way we see ourselves in the mirror can have an influence on our lives.

Ms Arliss then returned to the lectern for a very interesting speech that began with the question ‘How many animals did Noah take onto the Ark?’ This is actually an interview question for Natural Sciences at Cambridge University, designed to test how flexible a candidate’s mind is. We were encouraged to look at a range of different answers and the main idea of the lecture came down to the century-old debate: Religion versus Science.

Nanotechnology was our fourth lecture of the day. The general response: cool in many ways, scary in many others. We looked into the impact this technology may have and also the concerns surrounding it. The last part of the day was a debate from the motion ‘This house believes that free will is an illusion’, which also gave us all a different perspective.

All in all, the day was incredibly enjoyable and, judging by the discussions it sparked in the van on the way back to Kristin, very thoughtprovoking.

Jessica Tucker

Middle School

Ski Weekend

S

kiers and snowboarders alike departed for Mt Ruapehu on Friday 16 August. Excitement filled the air as my peers and I rushed around the classrooms grabbing our gear for the long trip ahead. Once in the van, teachers and students began to share various stories and played games to pass the time; singalongs were particularly favoured.

Once at the mountain, we began to unpack and settle in at the Kristin Lodge. Snow was forecast for the next day and it was set to be an interesting adventure.

It was indeed! We soon discovered that we had brought the mighty rain with us from Auckland. It then turned into sleet, and eventually snow.

The fresh snow was a perfect base for us to hit the slopes. We had our morning lesson, 10am till midday, a scrumptious lunch and then our afternoon lesson from 2pm to 4pm. We were then well fatigued and ready for a relaxing night.

When we arrived back at the lodge, we had a few hours to be organised in time for dinner and duties. After dinner we watched a delightful movie and went straight to bed, knowing full well that we still had another day of skiing ahead.

On Sunday the sun was shining, as were our faces as we raced down the slopes for the morning lesson. We had a great run, with many reporting that they were too hot because of the beautiful sun. Then sadly we left the mountain, having had an amazing time, to pick up our bags and head home.

This trip was an amazing experience for all and I feel I speak for us all when I say that we will take away many heartfelt memories of camaraderie and happiness from this weekend. We feel that this would not have been possible without the guidance of Mrs Cowell, Mr De Kock, Mr van den Bergh and Mrs Wassung. We are very grateful to our parents too, who also made this trip possible.

Chanel Brodeur-Muir ISSUE No. 58

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Middle School News

Big Night at

the Formal During the last week of Term 3, the LIC Foyer was transformed by glamorous Gatsby-inspired theming for the Middle School Formals.

The Years 7, 8, 9 and 10 students looked sharp in their best outfits at each much-anticipated year-level event. Anriena Zen reflects on her night at the Year 8 Formal. t seemed like a normal Tuesday night, but something unusual was about to happen. Lights flashed in bright colours across the extravagant decorations of the LIC Foyer. Squeals of delight as Year 8 students rushed in, complimenting each other on how we looked. This was going to be a night to remember.

Initially, we did a few partner dances, such as the Waltz and Salsa.

We enjoyed this immensely. Then, we had free dancing to the latest songs such as Clarity by ZEDD and Roar by Katy Perry.

The food was delicious and the drinks were cool and refreshing. After supper, everyone soon received a big surprise: two talented Ucan2 performers were going to perform the Cha-cha and the Jive. This was truly impressive and we all enjoyed our free dance afterwards.

Many people won prizes for being the best dance couple and the best solo dancer. It was fun and exciting! Thank you to the teachers, parents and friends who made this all possible! Overall, all the Year 8’s enjoyed this formal tremendously, and cannot wait until next year’s event!

Anriena Zen

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senior school

news Leadership Roles

Vertical Challenge

T

he end of June saw fourteen Year 13 Outdoor Education students head down to Wharepapa South for their Term 2 climbing assessment. With a cracker forecast and high spirits, students were met by towering limestone cliffs on their arrival at the Pakeho Crag.

Ropes, helmets, crash pads, route guides, quick draws, webbing, binoculars and a whole host of other climbing paraphernalia were deployed as the students went about their assessment tasks.

Under the guidance of some inspirational instructors students were soon finishing the day with slightly longer arms and some hardened calluses.

The accommodation at Bryce’s Rockclimbing Café & Lodge was outstanding. The night was spent in the bouldering cave (one of the best features of this specialist climbers’ base camp) trying to master the nasty problems that pumped the forearms and made the eyes water with the constant haze of ‘climbing chalk’ in the air. The following day the group split into small teams to utilise the Ahuroa ignimbrite crags of Waipa and Castle Rock where there was a tailored challenge for all.

Personal and group management, leadership, self-responsibility, communication and independence were the outcomes.

The students can be proud of a massive weekend where many challenges were faced. It is a pleasure to work with students with motivated attitudes who can reflect on what profound environments New Zealand has to offer as places to explore and where adventures can be had.

Jono Taylor Teacher-in-Charge

The Prefects leadership extends to many areas of Kristin, including House leadership, school liaison and chairing the senior committees. The 2013/14 Prefects positions are as follows: Head Boys and Girls: Head Girl: Kirsty Sutherland Head Boy: Idris Jones Deputy Head Girl: Olivia Barker Deputy Head Boy: Christian Silver House Prefects: Apollo: Dinesh Fonseka Jupiter: Jackson White Mariner: Nathanael Kelly Saturn: Laura Townend Liaisons: Junior School Liaison: Cannon Cochran and Donna Jiang. Middle School Liaison: Eleanor Lang, James Collyer and Nicholas Thornton Committees: Cultural Committee: Anna Townend. Events and Hosting Committee: Emma Poole.

International Committee: Elizabeth Lunn.

Tertiary Futures Committee: Francesca Jenkins. Management Committee: Stephanie Sole. Publications Committee: Elspeth Carroll. Service Committee: Yee Yee Wang. Sports Committee: Callum McDonald. Well-Being Committee: Calum McInnes.

House Captains: Our House Captains join with the House Prefects to make up the executive team of the House Councils. During 2012/13 they have been instrumental in developing a strong House spirit and we look forward to seeing the work of the new captains in 2013/14.

Apollo: Anna Wingham, Nathan Sycamore and Lucy Clumpas. Jupiter: Hannah Ostick, Susannah Howlett and Samantha Christian.

Mariner: Laith Bayan, Jenny Wang and Jacky Cheng. Saturn: Emma Bower, Jamie Copeland and Grace van Tilborg.

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Handing Over Leadership Prefect Camp 2013

P

refect Camp is a unique tradition of the Senior School where the current year’s Prefects have a chance to debrief on their experience before inducting the new group into the ways of leadership at Kristin.

Set in the rural valley of Ahuroa, near Puhoi, the four days of the camp cover such areas as social styles analysis, developing a vision for leadership, personal style inventory, strengths and weaknesses of our leadership context and managing a Prefect Project. In addition, there are many physical and teamwork challenges that test both team’s ability to work together and solve problems. These include crossing an eel-infested pond, scaling a wall as a group, negotiating a ropes course in pairs and our own version of Race to the Flag, this year suitably following an America’s Cup theme.

As a group of student leaders, our outgoing Prefects deserve much praise. To be a Prefect at Kristin isn’t an easy task. There are many challenges and pressures that come with the role and the jobs they perform are demanding. It is not an easy thing to lead your peers: Kristin students are all strong and capable people, and our leaders have to be skilled and able to draw out the many capabilities of the people with whom they work.

Continued over page >

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Senior School News The Prefects of 2012/13 have never flinched from their responsibilities and have never wavered when faced with a challenge. In part this is because of their own leaders, James Bishop and Phoebe Jasper, who have been courage and determination personified, and Anton Sunde and Nadia Sussman, who have supported them superbly. Strong and consistent, they have been a team who work together without ego and always for the good of the people they serve.

And this then has been the constant theme of this departing Prefects group. They did whatever was needed to accomplish the task in front of them. It may have been making themselves look a bit silly for a Kaos video; giving up a week of their holidays for the Prefect Project; spending time they didn’t really have, to be with their Junior School class; or even having to have a difficult conversation to challenge one of their peers over their behaviour.

These are not easy things yet they have willingly done them, because that’s what leaders do. They put their own comfort in second place and have given of themselves for the greater good.

So it is with gratitude for their work that we farewell our 2012/13 Prefects; congratulations on all you have achieved.

On the last day of Term 3 we were privileged to welcome back the Reverend Iain Gow to Kristin as our guest speaker for the Leadership Assembly. This assembly recognises all leadership in the Senior School and we were proud to announce our Prefects, House Captains and Senior Committees at this special occasion - over 120 positions of genuine delegated leadership. All leaders received their badges of office and enjoyed the warm acclaim of the rest of the Senior School. A very special part of this assembly was the formal commissioning ceremony for the new Prefects team, who received their ties and badges of office from the current Prefects before they left the stage for the last time. This new group of Prefects promises much for the year ahead, and we are confident in their ability to build on the strong foundation of principled leadership that has gone before.

Brendan Kelly Senior School Principal

Parakai Pulse 2013 Prefect Project

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adio broadcasts by the students of Parakai School are now being enjoyed by their local community, thanks to the efforts of our Senior School student leaders and the 2013 Prefect Project. Led by our Deputy Head Prefects Nadia Sussman and Anton Sunde, the project raised over $17,000 from the 70s’ radio-themed Quiz Night, and together the Prefects team dedicated over 650 hours to help the small rural school realise a dream: to produce a student-led radio station, Parakai Pulse 107.4 FM.

From the initial stages of fundraising, planning and project management to manual labour, installation and training, the Year 13 leaders invested their own time and expertise to launch the first community station to serve the local area. As well as getting Parakai Pulse on the air, the Prefects created a planning room for the school’s new radio team, complete with a green screen for the school’s future multimedia enterprises, and a native garden outside the library. At the official opening on Thursday 15 August, the students of Parakai School honoured the Prefects with a moving song and haka before presenting Nadia and Anton with whalebone carvings, handcrafted from a whale that had washed up on Muriwai Beach.

Reflecting on what this year’s project has achieved, Nadia and Anton both feel an immense sense of gratitude towards Parakai School for the opportunity to be a part of their story. “I am grateful that the school had the faith to let a bunch of teenagers loose on their grounds,” says Nadia. “It was one of the most rewarding things I have ever been a part of and it has left me with a resounding sense of optimism.”

Anton says it is on reflection that the scale of the project and the impact of their achievements are most clear. “To be able to see the finished product and compare it to what was there before is amazing. We have seen the project grow from an initial concept to a plan, from a work in progress to a finished product… The greatest aspect of our project has been the ability to give back to a community who could benefit from our help. Words cannot describe the gratification we felt when we saw the happiness on the faces of students as they explored their new radio station and gardens.”

While both Nadia and Anton agree that taking on the 2013 Prefect Project has been their hardest challenge to date, it has also been the highlight of their final year at Kristin and will continue to have a lasting impact on the students’ understanding of leadership and service.

Nadia sums it up simply: “If anything, the project reminded me of the paradox of service – whilst it is about doing a selfless act, engaging in it is possibly one of the most satisfying endeavours.”

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Future Problem Solving International Conference Two teams from Kristin represented New Zealand in the International Future Problem Solving Conference at Indiana University in Bloomington, USA. The Senior School team included Mack Lee, Lingshu Liu, Aidan McNeillage and Christian Silver, while the Middle School team was made up of Hannah Bourke, Matthew Flower, Yezen Kubba and Jessica Tucker. Jessica was chosen to be the flag-bearer for the New Zealand team, which was a great honour.

It was an amazing experience - firstly, to stay on the breathtakingly huge Indiana University campus and, secondly, to meet students from around the world whose high level of academic ability matched or exceeded our own. We competed against the best of the best from each State in America and other countries around the world, 68 teams in all. The two-hour booklet competition and the dramatic presentation were a realisation of how tough the competition was and how we had to be extremely accurate in the application of our ideas. Both teams, although not placed in the top 10, did very well and have learned immensely from this experience.

We will have many treasured memories from our time in Indiana, and will no doubt remember the experience for the rest of our lives. I would like to take this opportunity to thank both Mrs MackwayJones and Ms Casey for taking care of us and for being excellent coaches to both teams.

Yezen Kuba

Brain Research Early in Term 3, the Year 12 IB Psychology students had the opportunity to visit the Auckland Brain Research Centre, where they heard from facilitator Nick Duggan about the Medical School facility. They listened to an interesting presentation from Dr Maurice Curtis who took the time to explain and show specific structures within the brain and their functions, with particular focus on neurogenesis (generation of neurons). He summarised years of research and presented his fascinating findings.

The students had opportunities to ask questions and to look at all of the interesting specimens contained within the facility. There was an impressive variety of examples to learn from and the experience was an informative one for the IB Psychology students.

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Studying the Stars at the Aurora

Astronomy School

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arlier this year I was fortunate enough to be selected as one of the 20 students from New Zealand to attend the Aurora Astronomy School at the University of Canterbury.

Throughout the camp we spent time on campus in Christchurch and at the Mt John Observatory at Tekapo.

During the days on campus, we would have up to six lectures a day. These covered topics such as an introduction to black holes, dark matter, life in the universe and extrasolar planets, and were delivered by the University’s top lecturers who are also leading researchers in each of their chosen fields.

The other students and I were constantly in awe of our surroundings, especially when we went to the Mt John Observatory. It was surreal to think that here we were, twenty seventeen-year-olds, surrounded by amazing astrophysicists and so much unbelievable technology which allows us to see further into the universe. We had the privilege of watching astronomers conducting their research into extrasolar planets and we even got to use some of the telescopes and equipment ourselves, doing observations of stars at night and of our Sun during the day.

This camp was definitely an experience I will never forget.

Every day, I was learning about things that I never knew existed in the universe and I met so many amazing people from all over New Zealand who shared a common interest in outer space.

Alice Todd

Senior School News

Cultural Committee Report Serving on the Cultural Committee over the past year has been a great experience. It has represented a big step outside of the comfort zone for many of our members who have often been assigned jobs that they hadn’t experienced before, such as performing on stage or organising events.

Two of our main events – the Family Picnic and Book Character Day – involved all of the committee members, dressed up in costumes and interacting with students and parents. This really increased our confidence and communication skills, as did our experience with working front of house for all of the school productions.

I don’t think we realised how much hard work and effort goes in to organising events. We have learnt a great deal; however, the most important lesson this year was perhaps how crucial it is to work together as a team. Our Book Character Day performance at the Junior School Assembly was definitely a highlight for all members of the committee. It was a great example of how our group came together and worked hard. We were all passionate about our performance and the result was something that we are all very proud of.

One of the main goals for our committee was to serve the school, whether that was through performance, bringing smiles to people of all ages or helping with the many major cultural events at Kristin.

Our committee members are delighted with what we have achieved this year, and through our various events we have brought joy to the Kristin family.

We hope that the work we have done this year has made a positive contribution to the legacy of previous Cultural Committees, and we look forward to seeing what future groups will achieve.

Gemma Revell Chairman, Cultural Committee

CAS: Sculpting

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s part of a CAS creativity commitment, Lucy McNicoll and I decided to spend part of our holidays taking part in a sculpting course. In the beginning we were both very apprehensive and unsure what to expect, especially considering we had no previous experience with the art form.

We learnt to manipulate the clay, creating sculptures of a model’s head. As each lesson passed we became much more skilled and confident. We found that as we became absorbed into our sculptures, time passed beneath our hands. It was extremely motivating and self-gratifying to see our work evolve as we followed the creative process. We have both found a new appreciation and love for art, as it was very therapeutic. It is definitely something we would do again.

CAS gave us a creative opportunity that we would previously never have considered. It encouraged us to look outside our everyday lives and engage in something new, something that was out of our comfort zones. It expanded our view on art and has motivated us to exercise our ‘creative beings’ more often.

Danielle Froude

Project Loon Saturday 10 August dawned bright and early for a small group of Senior School students.

New Zealand’s Next Top Engineering Scientist competition, the annual challenge organised by The University of Auckland, was on and four Kristin teams competed alongside many others from secondary schools across the country.

This year the challenge was based around Google’s ‘Project Loon’, an ambitious venture to launch balloon-like modules into the stratosphere to broadcast the Internet to places where infrastructure is lacking or damaged. For nine hours, engineering minds toiled to answer this year’s question: ‘How many balloons would it take to provide coverage to all of New Zealand?’

Answering this question was not as easy as we first thought. Despite having Internet access, there was not a great deal of information on how the balloons worked, so a fair amount of our work hinged on educated guesswork. And what little information we could find was not easily located. Somewhat ironically, Google was of little help. Our methods for solving the little problems along the way were hugely varied: from writing complex algorithms to optimally arrange balloons, to sitting with a map of New Zealand and a highlighter, shading in grid squares. By taking part in the competition, we learnt lots and had a great time doing some cool science. And, you know, we got free pizza. #totallyworthit The challenge was designed to test many areas of knowledge, and we felt it did exactly that.

To answer what seemed like a simple question soon developed into a frantic race, combining mathematics, physics, computer science and programming. All the teams felt the pressure and as the 6pm deadline loomed, the panic to get our entries in on time really set in. When it was finally over, everyone seemed pretty happy to be heading home - it was an exhausting day. But it was a great effort on the part of the Kristin teams; so, well done to Zac Al-Alami, Isobel Campbell, Jason Cheng, Jack Dickens, Florence Hinder, Sophie Large, Lingshu Liu, Jane Macfarlaine, Paddy Nicholls, Christian Silver, Nicholas Thornton and Jessie Winder.

Arun Rodgers

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Tertiary Futures Committee Report

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e had a great year as members of the Tertiary Future Committee. Throughout 2013, we have welcomed a number of university representatives to speak to students about all aspects of university life, we have provided information and support to students who have required it and we organised one of the most successful Tertiary Futures nights ever.

Our regular Tertiary Futures presentations featured a wide variety of tertiary providers and areas of study. From Engineering at Canterbury to Law at Melbourne and History at Cambridge, Kristin students have enjoyed the opportunity to explore so many options, and our committee members were always on hand to make sure that everyone had the necessary information. Along with this we endeavoured to strengthen Kristin’s relationships with the various universities. We attended the opening of the new science labs at Massey University, a trip which was one of the year’s highlights.

The biggest event of the year, however, had to be the Tertiary Futures night, which took place early in Term 3. The purpose of the evening was to give students and their families an insight into what possible career and learning options are available for those interested in tertiary study. We packed as many speakers into the timeframe as possible and we introduced a new

feature to the night’s format: inviting Kristin Alumni back to speak about the university lifestyle. It was a great success and more than anyone in the team could have hoped for. I am extremely proud of the work of the committee.

With their hard work, combined with the help and support of everyone else involved, the committee members ensured the event was a memorable and informative evening.

One of the most significant things we learnt from this experience was the importance of information and support when making these types of decisions. It was really important for our committee to make sure we had all of the information that anyone could want readily available, and that we did everything we could to help students realise their tertiary ambitions. We learnt very quickly that people depend on that information being provided to address their questions. As a team, we hope that everyone found what they were looking for, and perhaps discovered tertiary pathways they had not considered previously.

So, it certainly has been a great year for the Tertiary Futures Committee, full of amazing experiences. We have enjoyed the challenge and the opportunity to give back to the school along the way.

Callen Baxter Chairman, Tertiary Futures Committee

Global Kristin

International Committee Report

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ear in, year out, when it comes to internationalism Kristin is always up there with the best.

This year has been no exception. The International Committee had the honour of joining hands with UNESCO this year and weaving together a night of ‘Peace through Harmony’, the International Peace Night of 2013. In recent years the International Peace Night (IPN) has become a wonderful way for the Kristin community to be immersed in all the different cultures that exist in our school. It has given an opportunity for International and exchange students, as well as resident students, from a variety of ethnic backgrounds to each share their culture and heritage with the rest of the Kristin family in a night of bright colours, music, dance and food.

The 2013 IPN was performed over two massive nights, with all proceeds going towards Amani Children and the Child Poverty Action Group, two great organisations working towards improving the future for many children in need of support.

As well as the committee’s role in International Peace Night, we have been entrusted with the responsibility of welcoming and supporting International and exchange students. In the early part of this year we had students join us from Russia, Japan and China; however, more recently joining us have been students from Switzerland, Colombia, Italy, Austria and Germany.

All of our committee members understand the difficulty of coming to live within a new culture, as many of us have all had first-hand experience of moving countries, and for the majority of us English is not our first language. This direct experience has helped us to empathise with the newcomers. We arranged a series of activities to welcome them, ranging from the beach and shops of Takapuna to barbecues and even bowling and skating in the city; the students loved it every time. Although sometimes it is hard to make that initial connection, at the end of their time here it turned out even harder to say goodbye.

It has been a great year for the committee. I am sure it has helped us all develop so much more as individuals, and it has been a pleasure to be in the company of such wonderful people from a such a diverse range of backgrounds.

YuXiang Wang, Chairman, International Committee

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Senior School News

Sports Committee Report

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he 2013 Sports Committee has had a very successful and enjoyable year.

We began operating at the end of Term 3 last year, sharing a pizza lunch with the 2012 Sports Committee to welcome the new members and farewell the old. At this meeting, we also had the hand-over of the traditional Honk Cup. The Sports Committee has involved themselves tirelessly through all levels of the school. In Term 4 2012, we helped teachers with the running of three events: Year 7 and 8 Athletics, Kindergarten to Year 3 Athletics and Year 4 to 6 Athletics. Sports Committee members each gave their time to at least one of these days, which was an awesome way to get involved in the wider school community and provide role models to younger students who have big sporting aspirations.

The beginning of the year saw the action kick-start again. To foster leadership skills and get to know our team members better we attended a two-day leadership programme. The first day was held at Kristin, where we learnt what it means to be a good leader and were taught some basic leadership skills. The following day was more practical as we went on a road trip to Unitec and took on the high ropes challenge, where we had lots of fun and many laughs.

We had a presence in the Middle and Senior School’s swimming sports and athletics days at the beginning of Term 1, and then a few weeks later we had the important task of organising the Cross-Country and the inaugural Senior School Carnival Day. The carnival was an experiment that went off with a bang. The activities we chose to implement - such as the inflatable obstacle bouncy castle, 400m relays, touch, volleyball and various other teamwork challenges - proved popular with those who participated. We received lots of positive feedback, and are pleased to have built the foundation for a really successful event that future Sports Committees can develop further.

Recognition of excellence in sport is another vital role of the Sports Committee. The Honk Cup has been given out every Friday to recognise the top sporting team each week and we have been proud to carry on this tradition. There is always plentiful discussion at each of our Wednesday meetings as we decide which team is most deserving of the honour; this is awesome because it shows that many teams in Kristin have been doing well and are reaping the rewards for all their hard work.

The annual Sports Dinner is our committee’s final responsibility for 2013. Held in Term 4, the event is always an unforgettable evening where we celebrate the many sporting highlights of the year, and this year we were very lucky to welcome Olympic Gold medallist Eric Murray as our guest speaker.

On behalf of the committee, I would like to offer a huge thank-you to Mrs Cherry Webster for her efforts and time with the organisation and support of the Sports Committee, and to Mrs Yvonne Walker who we have missed in the last few months and we wish her well for her new life in Australia.

Ella Stolwerk, Sports Committee

A Year in Print This year some of Kristin’s finest analytical and creative minds were brought together under the 2013 Publications Committee with the common responsibility of maintaining culture, communications and entertainment within Kristin Senior School through media.

Being a part of the Publications Committee is a creatively stimulating experience, which has allowed us the opportunity to reflect on popular culture and current affairs in a manner that is not offered in other areas of school life. It has given us the chance to write for our own age group, and to do so with a freedom from strict conventions.

Make Dove Not War, the student magazine, is a product of the committee that serves as a channel for student-driven and student-directed entertainment. Producing a magazine forces us to consider the role of aesthetics, design and the nature of narrative structures in determining a product’s success. This year’s Publications Committee has been the first to release four editions in a single year. We have also undertaken responsibilities in writing for the yearbook and newsletters, and have designed and distributed the Year 13 Leavers’ book.

Our group has been made to think critically and sensitively in editing and censoring roles. Through our experiences on the committee, we have learnt to develop a reciprocal arrangement with targeted readers, altering new magazine editions based on the constructive feedback from previous issues. We have become familiarised with the processes of producing a magazine and have learnt to take ethical consideration regarding visual and written content. This process has helped us to develop a healthy group-work dynamic and has reiterated to us the importance of working within strict deadlines. Our year as committee members has been a great creative experience. We have encountered new ways of analysing contemporary media and culture and have tested our creative potential in the form of articles and page design.

The skills we have acquired over the past year are sure to resonate in future years, particularly if we choose to follow creative pathways into media, communications, culture and academia.

Holly Thomas Chairman, Publications Committee

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Service Committee Report Service has become a big part of our lives here at Kristin, whether it’s service to the school or to the wider community. This year, the Senior School Service Committee has taken part in many activities that reflect this culture.

The first of the events that the committee organised was for Valentine’s Day; we took orders and delivered roses around the school. It was exciting to see the expressions of students when they realised that someone had sent them a rose. Being one of our first tasks as a committee, this was a great chance to get to know each other and bond together as a group. We raised a total of the $750 from selling the roses and chocolates, which we donated to Starship Children’s Hospital.

The major event that the committee undertook was our annual service project.

After many weeks of discussion, the committee decided to host a ‘Try Out Technology Day’ on behalf of Age Concern.

The Service Committee’s relationship with Age Concern stems back to 2011 when a partnership was formed to teach senor citizens about the latest technology. It had been very successful in the past so we decided that continuing this would be very beneficial to the older people in our community. We welcomed 27 senior citizens to Kristin for the training day and it turned out to be a very rewarding experience for everyone involved; one of our guests even said that learning to use the iPad has changed his life.

The Service Committee also sold daffodils to raise money for the Cancer Society on Daffodil Day (30 August). It was great to see all the students wearing the yellow daffodil, brightening up the Senior School blazers.

Overall, this year has taught us many things.

Our experiences on the Service Committee have been an important part of our final year at Kristin and I know each of us takes away our own newly acquired skills, experiences and memories.

Rebecca Cheng Chairman, Service Committee

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Promoting Wellness Well-Being Committee Report

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ellness has become a talking point in the Senior School this year thanks to the introduction of a new Well-Being Committee.

This student-led group was established at the end of last year to promote the services of the Wellness Centre within the Senior School, making sure that students know how to seek help through the appropriate pathways and offering assistance and support to students on issues of psychological and physical health.

As the first group to take up the mantle, our primary focus was to define the role of this new committee. We needed to set our objectives as a team and to identify what our key priorities were to be. We decided that, as well as promoting the services available to Kristin students through the Wellness Centre, we would try to address the social issues of bullying and school-related stress.

Our first project involved making a promotional video for the Wellness Centre; we took a humorous take on the task and produced a video that explained the function of the centre in a comical way (check out the QR code). Next up we created a ‘Selfies to Stop Bullying’ campaign, which involved getting students to each wear an ‘Anti-Bullying’ sticker and to take a photo. More than 100 of these photos were collected and then made into a collage to be displayed around our school. We hope this becomes an iconic physical representation of the pledge that students took to eliminate bullying at Kristin.

With assessments and examinations looming, Term 3 is traditionally a high-stress time of year. To combat this our group established some ‘bubble-wrap’ stations around the school, offering light relief for strung-out students. We also ran a ‘Free Hot Chips Day’ initiative. We hope that these activities have helped reduce the stress that is synonymous with these final stages of the academic year.

I am proud of the work of the Well-being Committee this year, especially considering we were the first to step into this role. I have no doubt that in future years this leadership group will prosper and continue to make a significant contribution to the health and well-being of students at Kristin.

Mack Lee Chairman, Well-Being Committee

Senior School News

Spirit of New Zealand

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t the beginning of September, I was fortunate enough to journey on board the Spirit of New Zealand, on voyage 652EX. I shared the challenge of 10 days at sea with 39 other trainees between the ages of 15 and 18, who came from all over New Zealand.

We departed from Wellington Harbour and crossed the Cook Strait on our first day together, a daunting task as most of us had never sailed before. We arrived in the Marlborough Sounds just in time for the first of many breathtaking sunsets. The next seven days were spent sailing through the entire Sounds, where we got to enjoy some of the most spectacular scenery in the country.

There were a few aspects that were definitely ‘character building’, such as jumping in the sea at 6.15am when the air temperature was less than 5°C and the wind was blowing over 40 knots; however it was moments like these that made it such a rewarding adventure. Ultimately, I had the time of my life and the cold swims were certainly justified on the mornings when we were swimming alongside seals and dolphins! Other highlights included climbing to the top of the 30-metre mast, sailing the small boats, rowing ashore for tramps and bonfires, and of course learning a vast array of skills, not only in sailing but also in leadership and teamwork.

On day nine, also known as Trainee Day, the trainees took control of the ship. We elected eight crew and I became Second Mate for the day. We worked as a team to sail unaided until we reached our final anchorage of Queen’s Wharf back in Wellington.

The 40 strangers that I met on day one are now some of my closest friends, with whom I established memories that will last a lifetime, and I am so grateful to have had this opportunity.

Emma Bower

Roots and Shoots Over the July holidays, two groups of Year 12s from our Roots and Shoots group volunteered at the Auckland City Mission and Habitat for Humanity.

We chose to volunteer our time at the City Mission as we are aware that this charity fulfils the many basic needs of Aucklanders living below the poverty line. By volunteering, we hoped to assist this organisation in their work, which is heavily reliant upon the goodwill of such volunteers. On the two days that we volunteered, our group sorted the donated clothes at the Mission’s storage warehouse. Although repetitive and boring at times, we had many entertaining surprises and in hindsight, it felt really great to give back to our local community in a way that we knew would make a tangible difference. The experience was definitely a sobering one as we were made to reflect on the poverty within our own city, again reminding us of our privileged positions in our homes and to be educated at Kristin.

Parallel to this, our second group volunteered for Habitat for Humanity, a charity that provides houses for those unable to provide a home for their families.

The students worked throughout the holidays, starting from 8.30am and finishing at 4.30pm, either at the building site or the fundraising store, and were able to engage with people from a variety of backgrounds. Not only did the students immerse themselves culturally, but they also gained valuable life skills, with many students going back several times to help out even more. By the end of their time, the Kristin volunteers had worked on the house, insulation, walls, waterproofing and windows, and much more had been completed so that the build was tracking well ahead of schedule. The charity’s store had also been reorganised after a burst pipe on the first day of the holidays prompted a major clean-up. The overall experience was very humbling and enhanced our awareness of our surroundings, as well as highlighted the importance of shelter to humanity.

Emma Poole and Idris Jones

“There were a few aspects that were definitely ‘character building’, such as jumping in the sea at 6.15am when the air temperature was less than 5°C and the wind was blowing over 40 knots; however it was moments like these that made it such a rewarding adventure.”

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Senior School News

A Winter Wonderland at the Kristin Snowball

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his year the Kristin Senior School experienced its very own ‘Snowball’, held at Vector Arena. Taking advantage of Vector’s large space, the arena was transformed into a Winter Wonderland complete with smoke machines and fairy lights to create the illusion of an icy setting for the annual Senior Ball.

The night began with a buffet-style dinner, specifically created and served by the head chefs at Vector to fit with our winter theme. With a chocolate fountain and icecream bar to end the meal, students exhausted their sugar rush on the dance floor. Throughout the night the students, and even some teachers, danced the night away to the musical talents of Black Salt, whilst others posed for photos that they will, in years to come, look back on to remember their time at Kristin.

The School Ball has become a big part of New Zealand’s secondaryschool culture, and it marks a ‘coming of age’ for students. From primary school we attend discos, socials and formal dances, and we see those photos of older students looking beautiful, handsome and grownup and imagine being at that age ourselves. It is in Year 12 and 13 that we finally become those people who we once admired, and so the Ball’s goal is to make students feel grown-up and special, and aims to live up to the expectations we all held in our younger years.

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With our Ball we hoped to create a night that was magical - one which would create lifelong memories and exceed the expectations of all who attended. On the night, everything went entirely to plan. It was a very special occasion and as a committee we hope that our Snowball lived up to the hype associated with the Senior School’s ‘night of the year’.

When it comes to school-ball afterparties, traditionally things go underground. But in recent years Kristin has established the much safer alternative of a school-run After-Party.

This year more than 200 students attended our After-Party, which was also held at Vector. We gave it an underground, industrial nightclub atmosphere by holding it in the loading bay. Here, students could dance to the Sweet Mix Kids DJs, dress up and pose in the photo-booth, play some foosball or just sit down and chat. The event was thoroughly enjoyed by all who attended, proving that you don’t need alcohol to have a fun night with your friends.

Lucy Bayliss Chairman, Events and Hosting Committee

“With our Ball we hoped to create a night that was magical - one which would create lifelong memories and exceed the expectations of all who attended. On the night, everything went entirely to plan.”

performing

arts

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

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ristin’s recent production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream in the Dove Memorial Theatre proved once more, as only the Bard can, just how ridiculous is mankind and how essential is love.

This effervescent adaptation of the full-length play covered 24 magical hours, one moonlit midsummer’s night in Athens.

Much wooing, playing, sleeping, waking and arguing intertwined into a colourful cocktail of misunderstanding, transformation and magic.

Year 13 students of NCEA Drama and IB Theatre collaborated in this energetic production of one of William Shakespeare’s gems.

Audiences were clearly delighted by the fun of it all, and despite the heated emotions and discord of the forest journey, no one died, no one grieved and, in accordance with Puck’s closing address to the audience - all was exactly as it should be in the Universe.

Lorna Rood Director of Performing Arts ISSUE No. 58

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“The Auditorium Foyer was abuzz with excitement from a host of very proud family members and friends at the conclusion of each performance.”

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ristin’s adaptation of the hit film was a resounding success as this year’s Middle School Production, filled to the brim with stage magic, mayhem and Kristin pride.

Almost 150 Year 7 to 10 cast and crew members experienced a joyous stage journey. Their collective energy and effort radiated through the Auditorium. The skills they learnt, the confidence they gained and the fun they had along the way were wonderful to witness.

The Auditorium Foyer was abuzz with excitement from a host of very proud family members and friends at the conclusion of each performance. Thanks to the support from their families, these young people were able to enjoy a uniquely Kristin performance experience that they will always remember. May the colourful scenes of Agrabah, the magical flying carpet ride and the tuneful songs remain with those who were part of this experience, for a long time to come.

Lorna Rood Director of Performing Arts

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Plugged/Unplugged

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his year saw the introduction of two new whole-school music concerts in the Kristin Auditorium.

Kristin Unplugged showcased many of our choral groups, including the Year 3/4 Choir, Year 5/6 Choir, the Treble Clefs, Middle School Choir, Euphony and Encore. Large music ensembles such as the Middle School Orchestra and Chamber Orchestra performed also. The evening consisted of an hour-long festival of music with wonderful voices and acoustic groups in harmony.

Bringing together more than 200 performers, our Auditorium was full and alive with appreciation for the quality of each group’s performance.

Kristin Plugged was a robust and energetic staging of our key rock and jazz bands in the Middle and Senior Schools. Students from the School of Rock and other student-led bands performed some of the latest hits while our jazz bands performed classic jazz standards to a highly appreciative audience.

Catherine Douglas Teacher-in-Charge

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Euphony’s Golden Year

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uphony has outshone all expectations this year, collecting awards at national and international festivals, gaining confidence and once-in-a-lifetime experiences, and even making it on to breakfast television it the lead-up to the Big Sing Finale.

After winning Gold at the 2012 Big Sing Finale, Euphony was invited to attend the prestigious International Musical Eisteddfod in Wales as the sole representatives from New Zealand. The girls were incredibly honoured to take part in this celebrated event and spent months preparing under the tutelage of their Music Director David Squire.

While a placing at the festival was always their aspiration, it came as a big surprise to the girls when they secured their prize in the more challenging of their two competitions.

Euphony’s first competitive performance at Llangollen was in the Senior Children’s category where they were up against 20 other youth choirs from throughout Europe and Asia. In this event the girls performed beautifully to finish a commendable 7th.

As the only school choir in the Female Choir category, and with some of the youngest singers, Euphony was up against seven extraordinary groups from England, Ireland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and Russia. The girls were the last to perform in the division and, together, the choir members produced a spectacular recital that left audiences spellbound.

It was an anxious time for the girls as they waited for the feedback from the adjudicators, and nothing could have prepared them for the excitement they felt as it was announced that Euphony had placed 3rd in the category, behind the two choirs from the Czech Republic and Russia.

Still on a high from this amazing achievement, Euphony then toured the south of England where they performed at Oxford University, Cambridge, Chester and St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle in London before returning home, ready for the start of Term 3.

The choir’s feet had scarcely touched the ground before they were focusing on intensive preparation for the 2013 Big Sing National Finale, having been named regional winners just prior to heading off on their UK tour. As New Zealand’s top 18 choirs performed at the weekend-long festival, a triumphant Euphony became one of the country’s top school choirs by winning Gold.

Euphony has now won major awards at six Big Sing National Finals since 2007, including four Gold awards and two Silvers.

Lorna Rood Director of Performing Arts

Performing Arts

Lord of the Flies

with the Auckland Theatre Company

I

have recently had the privilege to perform in Auckland Theatre Company’s production of Lord of the Flies at the Maidment Theatre. This is Nigel Williams’s stage adaption of William Golding’s first and most-famous novel. The show demonstrates how culture created by man fails, using as an example a group of British schoolboys stuck on a deserted island who try to govern themselves, with disastrous results.

After nerve-racking auditions, I was given the role of Sam. Rehearsals began in earnest with a mix of characterisation, and learning about the themes and meanings of the play. This was helpful further on, as I continued to work on building my character and interacting with other characters. These rehearsals were challenging as I came to grips with playing a young character, under stress in a very challenging and frightening environment. It was unlike any character I have ever played before.

I had the chance to work with an incredible cast of talented, dynamic young actors, who I have gained a wealth of knowledge from. It was a humbling experience to work alongside such committed and talented people.

This experience will most certainly help me towards reaching my performing arts aspirations into the future. Kristin’s Performing Arts has been a key factor in helping me achieve my goals. I am thankful to all of the teachers and students who have supported me during this rewarding experience.

Mitchell Hageman

Chamber Music Newcomer Award On 8 June, Stephanie Townend competed in The Chamber Music Contest, run by Chamber Music New Zealand. Her quartet, The Westin Quartet, which comprised students from Westlake Girls, Westlake Boys and Kristin, played all three movements of Mozart’s 4th Quartet.

Out of 106 Chamber groups, they made it into the top 16 and so had the opportunity to play in the Auckland District Semi-finals. They were also awarded the Newcomer’s Award, sponsored by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, which is open to any group made up only of players who have never competed in the competition before.

Left: The Lion Foundation Season of Lord of the Flies by William Golding, adapted for the stage

by Nigel Williams. Auckland Theatre Company 2013. Photo: Michael Smith.

Award-winning Strings Already an accomplished musician at Year 11, Gen Woods has once again proven his significant talent as a developing young violinist by winning 1st prize and the Aotea Youth Symphony Orchestra Cup at this year’s Auckland-wide Performing Arts Competition.

He was awarded a Distinction Badge in Music at the recent Senior School Cultural Awards for his efforts. Gen’s success is best summed up in his own words, written directly following the event: I’ve recently performed in the final of the West Auckland Performing Arts Competition’s Concerto Category, competing against many young violinists up to the age of 18. In order to reach the final I had to go through the heats, which were held before the Term 2 break. The compulsory piece of Beethoven’s Romance in

G was to be played by all contestants in the heat and the final.

Finalists, including myself, were given the opportunity to play this piece while being accompanied by the full Aotea Youth Symphony Orchestra. This was truly a unique and wonderful experience, topped only when it was announced that I received 1st prize, as well as the Aotea Youth Symphony Orchestra Cup as winner of the whole series.

The competition was judged by Dr Michael Vidulich - Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra violist and Principal member of the International Viola Society.

This has been an unforgettable experience and I am very proud and thankful to all those who helped me achieve this.

Gen Woods

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A Night of

Kristin Stars Photos – continued from page 9

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“Having the opportunity to present our own choreography was one of the main aspects of the experience that also stood out.”

Synergy

Dance in the Dove

D

ance in the Dove 2013 was an exciting and unforgettable experience. There were many highlights from taking part; however, I think the main one was knowing that all the hard work and hours of perfecting each movement paid off and that we performed as well as we could each production night. Having the privilege of using the Dove Theatre’s dressing rooms as a Senior student made a huge difference.

Some of the challenges we faced included organising various items of costume, which were often shared among the Middle and Senior School students between dances, and, definitely, backstage nerves. However, we all worked through any problems as a group and it certainly paid off.

Having the opportunity to present our own choreography was one of the main aspects of the experience that also stood out. It was a personal achievement to share the effort we put into our original work with an audience. Overall, taking part in Dance in the Dove as a Senior student was definitely a highlight of this school year and, as leaders, we all put our utmost effort into promoting the high standard of dance we enjoy here at Kristin.

Josephine Clarke 56

SPRING/SUMMER 2013

sports

news Football Zone Day

O

ur Year 7 and 8 Boys’ Football teams entered into the 2013 Zone Day with quiet confidence and clear objectives. While the competition brought about a great deal of frustration for the Year 8 team who finished 7th, the Year 7 boys came together exceptionally well and enjoyed a brilliant day of Football. They played eight consecutive games in which they displayed a considerable degree of skill, passion, commitment, teamwork and desire – a combination that helped them reach their goal of making it to the final. This is the first time a Kristin team has achieved this in all the years the school has been participating in this 14-school tournament. Winning the final was not to be and the boys went down to a very strong Murrays Bay Intermediate team. No one could have asked for more from them, as they represented Kristin so proudly.

Congratulations to Matthew Bish, Romeo Dean, Leroy Devereux, Sam Evans, Tim Hassall, Tom Lewis, Alex Marris, Max Osborne, David Park, Cory Peters, Ethan Thomas, Hamish Thornton, Thomas van Tilborg and Max Williamson.

Rob Pickstock Head of Football

North Harbour Primary Schools’ Badminton Day

Kristin Cheerleading All Stars

T

he newly-established Kristin Cheerleading Club has enjoyed an exceptional year since it was established in March of this year. The team, which includes girls from Years 6 to 11, has already attended three major events, bringing home titles and prizes from each one.

Their first competition was the CheerBrandz Rock’N’Cheer Nationals, held at the North Shore Events Centre in June. With only a couple of months to prepare, the inexperienced team produced an amazing result, winning the Level 1-2 Large (School) category and beating some very experienced competition in the process. Next up was the CheerBrandz Schools’ Spectacular in August where the girls had to compete in the Level 1 College category because of their varying ages. Once again the team produced a brilliant display to take out 1st place.

The final feather in the cap of this motivated and hard-working team was the Spring Carnival Championship in September. The girls competed at the higher 1-2 level and again finished on the podium, this time in 2nd place.

The team members have received many compliments about the way they look in their new competition uniforms and how professionally they carry themselves; so thank you girls for the way you represent and promote Kristin on the Cheerleading scene.

Elaine Ford Team Manager

Two teams donned the Kristin colours for the North Harbour Primary Schools’ Badminton Zone Day in May, bringing home the title after a well-fought tournament.

Kevin Wei, Edward Xu, Dennis Yang and Christina Yang were members of the winning team, remaining undefeated throughout the day to snatch the title from Pinehill in the final.

Jonathan Hudson, Chloe Foote, Mabel Ma and Emmanuel Reed took part in the competition also and performed extremely well to finish 8th from the 12 teams.

Simon Mesritz Sport Manager, Badminton

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NZ Cycling Representative Charles Michel Kristin cyclist Charles Michel was amongst great company when he travelled to Australia in June to represent New Zealand at the Australian U19 National Championships.

More than 130 of Australasia’s brightest young male and female cyclists flocked to the Queensland tourist mecca of Noosa for the four-day event.

Accompanying Charles was Kristin Cycling coach Richard Rollinson, who is also National U19 coach for New Zealand.

Charles placed second-best Kiwi in the Individual Time Trial, a race against the clock.

He also put in a tremendous performance for the team, delivering the lead New Zealand rider into what could have been a potentially winning position.

Dean Coker Sport Manager, Cycling

Cycling

Secondary Schools’ Championships

W

hile other parts of the country were experiencing cold, miserable and wet weather conditions in the middle of July, it seemed that the weather gods were shining brightly in the Waikato region of Cambridge for the annual North Island Secondary Schools’ Cycling Champs.

Sunny but cold conditions greeted the two Kristin riders, Rory Geare (U17 Boys) and Charles Michel (U20 Boys), in their respective Individual Road Races.

Rory finished a respectable 31st from 61 riders over the 28km course, in a time of 51m 24s, and Charles led from start to finish with a group of four other riders that effectively closed the race out from the chasing peloton at a speed of more than 40km. In the end, Charles finished an extremely credible 5th out of 59 riders in a time of 1h 03m 58s.

In September the boys were joined by team-mates Thomas Trengrove and Harrison Wulff for the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Champs, held in Mt Wellington. Competing in their respective age groups and in two separate disciplines, the team rode well against some fierce competitors, gaining valuable experience over the weekend. The result of the event belonged to Charles, who placed a very credible 3rd in the U20 Hill Climb and 10th overall.

Dean Coker Sport Manager, Cycling

Golf

North Harbour Secondary Schools’ Teams Competition

T

he Kristin Senior Golf team of Stephen Beale, Sam Conway, Nicholas Cope and Dexin Kong competed in the North Harbour Secondary Schools Intercollegiate Teams event, which was held at the Waitemata Golf Club in May. Our day turned out surprisingly well, considering the weather had been contributing to difficult golfing conditions with the change of speeds on the green. The team managed to finish the round maintaining a solid physical and mental state.

Our scores (Nicholas Cope 77, Stephen Beale 79, Dexin Kong 84 and Sam Conway 89; a total of 240) proved we have some worthy ability, but unfortunately we were not good enough to receive a placing. I am proud of my team’s effort on and off the course however, especially given that our young players still have many opportunities to gain experience and improve their game in the coming years. Congratulations in particular to Stephen Beale, who received a prize for best net (66) on the day.

Nicholas Cope Team Captain

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Sports News

Collecting Titles in Weightlifting

I

t has been a big year for Kristin weightlifter Cameron McTaggart who has gone from strength to strength, collecting national titles as he goes.

In April he travelled to Tashkent, Uzbekistan, to represent New Zealand at the World Youth Olympic Weightlifting Championships.

Cameron was competing in the 62kg weight division, against lifters from 40 different countries, and gained valuable international experience while achieving three personal bests and breaking one New Zealand record with an 88kg Snatch.

Once back on Kiwi soil it was time for the Auckland Champs where Cameron broke that record again, with an 89kg Snatch, and then went on to lift 104kg in the Clean and Jerk, breaking the New Zealand total record.

He finished in 2nd place and was beaten only by a Commonwealth Games representative 10 years his senior - an outstanding achievement.

He was also recognised as the best overall youth lifter of the championships.

In July Cameron travelled to Brisbane to compete in the Oceania Weightlifting Championships where over 300 weightlifters were

competing across all weight and age divisions. He was lifting in the 62kg weight category and, thanks to his great form leading into the event, the 15 year old was competing in the Youth (U17) and Junior (U20) divisions. Cameron performed extremely well, bringing home the Youth Silver medal and the Junior Bronze medal and making a significant contribution to the team’s results of 1st place in the Youth Men’s team competition and 1st place in Men’s Junior team competition, narrowly beating Australia in both age groups.

In addition, Cameron broke five National Records and now holds 14 current National Records, more than any other New Zealand weightlifter, regardless of age or weight!

Unfortunately an injury meant that Cameron was out of competition during the later part of winter, but he used this time to work on his upper body strength and conditioning. We wish Cameron the best of luck as he continues to work tirelessly towards his goal of competing at the Nanjing Youth Olympics next year.

Cherry Webster Director of Sport

Secondary Schools’ Equestrian Cup Six students from Years 9 to 12 took part in the Secondary Schools’ Equestrian Cup at Woodhill Sands on Friday 16 August. This was a very well-attended event, with 45 teams taking part from 41 schools and 187 riders in total. Teams were made up of four riders with two riders in the Showjumping rings and the other two in the Show Hunter rings.

The Kristin Blue team of Sophie Alexander, Clodagh McCullough, Jackson White and Maia White placed 5th overall, which was a fantastic achievement against very good competition.

Jackson made a big contribution to this result with his two Showjumping rounds, winning the 95cm class and taking 2nd in the 1m class. Other excellent results included Sophie’s 3rd and 7th placings in the 90cm and 80cm Show Hunter classes, Clodagh’s 5th place in the 70cm Show Hunter, Caitlin Lally’s 7th place in the 1m Showjumping class and Vianne Coleman, who won 9th in the 95cm Showjumping ring.

Gaenor Clarke Teacher-in-Charge, Equestrian

Going Global Karate The recent success of two Kristin athletes in their respective Karate Championships has earned them both a place in International tournaments.

Sean Chen (Year 6) won a Gold and Bronze medal at the National Karate Championships in Wellington. Based on this performance Sean was chosen as a member of the New Zealand team that travelled Canada to compete in the Commonwealth Karate Championships in October. This was a brilliant competitive learning opportunity for the young athlete who is making great progress in his sport.

Isaac Hoshi (Year 11) represented Kristin at the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Karate Champs in Porirua where he achieved some outstanding results, ultimately winning the title of National Secondary Schools’ Champion for Kata. Isaac was subsequently selected for the New Zealand team in both Kata and Kumite disciplines for the World Junior and Cadet Championships, held in Spain in November.

Nigel Messervy Clubs Manager

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Undefeated Our 1st XI boys’ Hockey team played Rangitoto College in the North Harbour Secondary Schools’ final, a match we went into undefeated for the entire season. We were prepared for a fiery encounter against our season-long rivals.

Rangitoto came out of the blocks early and put Kristin under immense pressure, quickly capitalising on their start by going 1-0 up early on in the match. Kristin gained some momentum back towards the end of the first half and were unlucky not to pinch a goal before the half time whistle. The second half started similar to the first, as Rangitoto defended valiantly and counter-attacked dangerously. With only 10 minutes to go, disaster struck for Kristin as Rangitoto doubled their advantage.

Down 2-0 with only a few minutes to go, Kristin coach Ben Collier made the inspired decision to replace the keeper with another outfielder. The extra man gave Kristin the advantage and soon after, Connor Petrie claimed a goal - making it 2-1. With only a couple of minutes remaining in the game, Captain Alex Hanham flicked in a penalty corner to seal a thrilling comeback for Kristin. The fans were left gasping by the turn round and were forced to watch the final minutes on tenterhooks as Rangitoto piled on the pressure. However, the game finished 2-2 with Kristin able to withstand the pressure and force the title to be shared between the two sides.

Kristin walked away undefeated for the entire season - a brilliant and well-earned achievement for the team. Special mention must be made of Mason Court, Alex Hanham and Finn McCullough in their final competition game for Kristin.

Earlier in the season the team also won the North Harbour Invitational Competition, which featured teams from North Harbour and Counties.

Joseph Mayes The Girls’ 1st XI North Harbour Invitational final appeared a straightforward affair. The team, who flatly refused to concede goals throughout the competition, reproduced that same form with a fantastic 4-0 win. The girls’ strength came from their combinations and inter-play. With quality in every position, it is good to see that the hard work of the players, coach and management was deservedly rewarded with the title.

The 2nd XI Girls grabbed the top spot in their grade as well. Whilst the path there was not as straightforward as that of the 1st XI’s, the ability to grow and adapt owes a great deal to their coach, Claudia Hanham, as well as to the more senior members of the team. A big thanks goes also to a couple of players who were able to step up into the team at several stages during the year, to cover injuries and absences; thank you Paige Bell and Laura Jackson. This win catapults the team up one grade. We are all excited to see what this group can conjure up against new, tougher opposition next season.

Doug Mills Head of Hockey

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Up-and-coming

on the Turf

N

ot ones to let the senior players take all the glory, a number of our younger Hockey teams have enjoyed brilliant results this season.

Year 3/4 Flames What a fantastic group of girls. They took on and beat all comers and finished as Champions in the North Harbour Hockey Year 3-4 B grade.

Huge thanks must go to Juliette Jenkins and Clodagh McCullough for their inspirational coaching and Carla Holgate for her valuable management.

Year 3/4 Mighty Ducks Our Mighty Ducks did exceptionally well in the equivalent boys’ grade.

Eventually finishing in 2nd place, the Ducks epitomised hard work and camaraderie and richly deserved their final placing. Thanks go to Manager Paulette Ramsay and Coaches Thomas MacFarlaine, Jack Ramsay and Ella Stolwerk.

Year 5/6 Diamonds Although the results didn’t necessarily go their way, there were a lot of smiles throughout the year from our Diamonds. There was clear improvement from individuals and their ability to step up and play, unfazed, in a higher grade spoke volumes. With the enthusiasm that resonates from this group, we have no doubt that the results will come before too long.

Thank you to Karen Barry for her stewardship and to Helena Young and Morgan Harrison for their coaching and encouragement.

Intermediate A Obviously not a group to let down tradition, the A girls took home top spot for the 4th year in a row! It got a little tense towards the end of the season but the girls finished strongly with a 5-1 win in the final game to take out the title. Thank you to ‘Team Hanham’ for their management and coaching this year.

Intermediate B An incredible season for our Year 7/8 mixed team. A 2nd place finish was well deserved after a season full of determined team play and individual development. Aside from the fantastic finishing spot, a real testament to the players’ improvement was the call up of so many to the 2013 AIMS team. Thank you to Kyle Greentree and Trudi Petrie for their leadership throughout the year.

Doug Mills Head of Hockey

Sports News

Surf Life Saving Gold Congratulations to Kelsi Boocock who, as part of the New Zealand Development Squad, won a Gold and a Silver medal at the Australian Surf Life Saving Pool Rescue Champs in Brisbane.

Kelsi, along with her three team-mates, won Gold for New Zealand in the U19 Women’s 4x25m Manikin Relay and Silver in the 4x50m U19 Medley Relay. This caps off a great winter season for Kelsi, who also won Bronze in the Taplin relay at the Australian Surf Life Saving Nationals earlier in the year and was named U16 Sportswoman of the Year at the Northern Region Surf Life Saving Awards in June.

Cherry Webster Director of Sport

Yachting’s Next Generation

A

group of Kristin students have been taking to the water to compete against the world’s best in their respective sailing classes.

Jack Rogers (Year 10) headed to Europe, initially for the German Youth 29’er Nationals where he placed 2nd in the U17 section and 3rd overall, and then on to Denmark for the 29’er World’s Open. Out of the 213 boats, skippered by the best young sailors from around the globe, he finished a commendable 64th. At 14 years old, Jack was one of the youngest sailors at the event.

Harrison Hill (Year 11) travelled to Europe also, to take part in three Techno Windsurfing Regattas.

The first was the Italian Nationals at Lake Garda, Italy, in July where he finished 24th; second was the Baltic Cup in Sopot, Poland, where Harrison finished 13th; and third was the World’s Regatta, also in Sopot, in August. With this final event he improved once more, this time finishing just outside the top 10, in 11th place. Harrison is a member of the Wakatere Boating Club, which, over the last two years, has been one of a group of New Zealand clubs collaboratively working to generate the next generation of New Zealand’s windsurfers. Recent growth has initiated support from Yachting NZ and world-renowned coach Bruce Kendall, who provided coaching during the lead up to and at the World Cup. Leonard Takahashi (Year 10) travelled to Australia to participate in a joint coaching camp with the Australian World’s team. While there, Leonard took part in the Queensland Youth Regatta, taking out the top spot before heading to Riva del Garda in Italy for the World Championships. Riva del Garda is usually a stronger wind venue so Leonard had hopes of doing well, even though he was at the far upper end of optimum weight for Optimist sailing. The first day’s racing was in a typical strong breeze but it turned lighter for the remaining days. This is reflected in Leonard’s results, where he went from being 9th overall on the first day to 28th by the finish - not bad, considering he was up against 240 sailors from 49 countries! Leonard was also the first ranked Kiwi at the event.

He now retires from the Optimist class as he moves on to sailing in the 29’er Class. Leonard’s incredible Optimist career has included highlights such as winning the NZ Nationals (twice), the USA Nationals, the UK Nationals, coming 2nd in the Japan Nationals, being selected for the NZ representative team to the World Championships three years in a row and being top Kiwi twice, where he achieved a best placing of 10th.

With so much going on in foreign waters, one may expect things to be quiet back here at home.

Not so. Kate Stewart (Year 10) took part in the Auckland Champs, sailing in the P Class. In conditions that could only be described as light and frustrating, Kate finished a fantastic 2nd overall, only one point shy of 1st, and the top-ranking female sailor in her class. She also took out a 5th overall and 1st female placing in the America’s Cup BIC Open Regatta. Close on Kate’s heels was her sister Greta, finishing as the 2nd-placed girl and in 7th place overall.

In a year that has been dominated by Kiwi sailing excellence, it has been great to see such outstanding results coming through from our Kristin sailing team. It is easy to feel confident about the next generation of Kiwi sailors and the opportunities that abound for such talented sporting stars.

Nigel Messervy Clubs Manager

Reid Harker – Elite Karter Congratulations to Reid Harker, Year 13, who was accepted into the New Zealand Elite MotorSport Academy programme. The Academy brought together New Zealand’s most promising up-andcoming drivers for a very challenging course, a one-week intensive programme of physical and educational training, held in Dunedin in July.

Training focused on the wide range of skills required for high-performance sport and participants had to meet a very high standard of physical fitness prior to commencing the course.

Reid was assessed on strength, endurance, flexibility, heat stress tolerance, reaction times, visual abilities and muscle balance/posture.

With only nine drivers selected for the programme, Reid is in incredibly good company and well positioned to pursue a career on the track. He will now have the support of a tailored 12-month follow-up package thanks to the Academy, to help him retain and further develop the training regimes and educational opportunities demonstrated at the camp.

This year Reid enjoyed a great season in which he finished 4th out of 37 drivers in the 2013 Rotax Max Challenge of New Zealand, competing in the 125cc Rotax Max Light division.

Cherry Webster Director of Sport

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Kristin Fencing Representative Fencing In the first weekend of the Term 2 holidays talented fencer Nicholas Miehlbradt competed in the Auckland U15 Championships and had a 3rd= placing. Nicholas also helped run and referee the Auckland U13 Champs the following weekend.

Kristin Fencing Captain Natalie Dunn enjoyed great success this season as well, in particular her selection into the New Zealand U17 team which competed in the Australian Nationals, eventually placing 3rd=. Natalie also had success earlier in the season, placing a creditable 3rd= in the North U20 competition, 6th at the North Island Champs, followed by a 2nd placing at the Macleavy Open Women’s competition.

Nigel Messervy Clubs Manager

Auckland Secondary Schools’ Teams Competition The Kristin Fencing team of Natalie Dunn, Nicholas Miehlbradt, Anriena Zen and Sally Zhang had a fantastic competition in the finals of the Secondary Schools’ Team Fencing Competition in September. The team just missed out on the A Final when they were narrowly defeated by Epsom Girls Grammar 1. However, in the B Final the team rallied to defeat Saint Kentigern 1, securing a final placing of 3rd. This is a tremendous result for a young team, demonstrating the hard work and dedication the fencers have shown in their training this season.

Auckland Secondary Schools’ Individual Competition As well as the teams’ event, Kristin fencers took part in the Auckland Secondary Schools’ Individual competition series. With many new and inexperienced members joining the sport at Kristin, this proved to be a valuable experience and opportunity to test new skills against talented opponents. Key successes included:

B-grade Champs!

T

he Kristin 6th-grade Rugby Team won their B-grade Final at Mahurangi College on Saturday 31 August. Very few Kristin Rugby teams have been in a position to contest a final, let alone win one, and this was a very special day for all concerned.

Despite the sunny weather on the day, the game was played on a wet and muddy pitch that was not conducive to running rugby, so Kristin had to grind their way to victory. The first half ended with the boys 3-0 ahead thanks to a penalty by Henry Will. This score could easily have been higher as Drew Tait was denied what looked like a perfectly good try. In addition, the referee had decided to move to ‘golden oldie’ scrums due to the slippery conditions, which did not suit the Kristin boys who had been dominant in this area.

This decision was successfully appealed at half time and the boys were therefore able to regain their forward dominance - but not before Rory Sutherland had made a try-saving tackle. Shortly after this, captain Matt Beattie scored his customary try. He was soon followed over by Tom Hine so Kristin was home, despite an excellent late try from Mahurangi, to win 13-5.

This has been an excellent season for the squad of 24 and it bodes well for the future of Rugby at Kristin. Special thanks must go to Head Coach Mahendra de Alwis, Co-coach Carl Murray and Manager Giles Hine who have been simply inspirational all season.

Dean Coker Sport Manager, Rugby

Boys’ Foil Series 1

Nicholas Miehlbradt

9th

Rohan Naik

13th

Series 2

Nicholas Miehlbradt

5th

Series 3

Nicholas Miehlbradt

6th

Series 2

Sally Zhang

6th

Series 3

Anriena Zen

10th

Girls’ Foil

Boys’ Foil (Secondary School Champs) Nicholas Miehlbradt

5th

Rohan Naik

15th

Girls’ Foil (Secondary School Champs) Anriena Zen

7th

Sally Zhang

8th

Judit Fliszar Fencing Coach

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Secondary Schools’ Surf Champs Matt Newdick (Year 8), Britt Kindred (Year 10) and Wade Kindred (Year 13) travelled down to Raglan for the Secondary Schools’ Surf Champs on 27 and 28 August. The competition was held in challenging conditions ranging from one to three metres.

Kristin finished 6th overall in the teams’ event. Matt placed 5th in the U14 Boys, Wade placed 5th in the U18 Boys and Britt placed 5th in the U18 Girls – very commendable results indeed.

Congratulations to Britt on also being selected to represent Auckland at the National Scholastics Champs, held at Piha from 30 September to 4 October.

Britt finished 2nd in the U16 Girls’ Final.

Jan Newbold Teacher-in-Charge, Surfing

Sports News

Netball Intermediate Zone Day

W

hat a beautiful day it was on 6 August when Kristin’s Year 7/1 played in the Netball North Harbour Intermediate Schools’ Zone Day against Murrays Bay and Birkdale Intermediates, Pinehurst and Albany Junior High.

I had so much fun playing with all the girls and getting to know them and their strengths in Netball.

Everyone played strongly throughout the whole tournament even though we were pretty tired by the fourth game.

Claudia, Charlotte and Morgan did extremely well, sinking the shots and being available and alert on attack. Clara, Sylvie, Olivia and Peta did an outstanding job through the mid court, passing quickly and chasing loose balls. Ellie and I played well in defence, boxing out for the rebounds and taking intercepts for our team.

We had a great time cheering on the other Kristin teams who were competing too. Year 7/2, Year 8/1 and Year 8/2 all played some great Netball and enjoyed some brilliant wins on the court. Thank you to our coaches, managers, umpires and support crews for contributing to this most memorable day, spent playing our favourite game.

Alice Steele Year 7/1

Table Tennis Zone Day Congratulations to Jacob Everett on placing 3rd in the Boys’ Singles section at the North Harbour Intermediate Schools’ Table Tennis Zone Day, held on Thursday 27 June. Jacob performed consistently throughout the day and comfortably won his first round and quarter-final matches. The semi-final was an incredibly close and intense match and was eventually won by Murrays Bay, 29 -27.

Hector Fleming and Leroy Devereux also competed in the Boys’ Doubles section.

They won two out of three first-round matches and were unfortunate not to progress into the play-off rounds.

Simon Mesritz Sport Manager, Table Tennis

Combined Points Netball Tournament At this year’s Combined Points Tournament, Senior 1 and Year 10/1 faced a rapid-fire day with games against some skilled opponents, and only a 10-minute turnaround between games.

In their first game, Year 10/1 was up against Sancta Maria College. It was a close game but eventually Sancta Maria came out on top and we had to quickly regroup before facing our next opponents, Selwyn College. In this match we came together well, winning by four goals.

The defence played amazingly throughout the tournament, preventing many goals and intercepting many passes. In the third game, we were unlucky to lose to Mt Albert Grammar, one of the top teams. The fourth game was against One Tree Hill College, which we ended up winning 11-7, and the last game we lost by one point to James Cook High, which unfortunately did not get us through to the semi-finals. The Year 10/1 team had a fantastic day and enjoyed every moment of it.

The Senior 1 team enjoyed an experimental learning-based day in which Coach Anna Harrison tested out new combinations on the court in preparation for Tournament Week. The girls played with boldness and confidence against consistently skilled competition, showing strong links from the defensive unit to the attack and adapting well to reshuffled combinations in the mid court.

Jocelyn Rooke and Natasha Perree

ISSUE No. 58

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Southwell Winter Exchange Out came the hockey sticks, football boots and netball dresses for the eagerly-awaited matches against Southwell School to try and win back the Cup! When Southwell School arrived, Year 6 ambassadors Blake Girardet, Lauren Komie, Zara Lawton and John Quirk met the bus and escorted our visitors through the school.

Matches began at 11am, with student umpires from Year 9 upwards confidently and admirably controlling the games. A special mention for the netball umpires Sheena Vaswani and Danielle Alexander who showed strength and confidence with blowing the whistle throughout their match.

During the games, players had an opportunity to try new playing positions, different formats, engage in longer gametimes or different strategies from their usual ones, and even different-sized fields.

Results were mixed, with convincing wins in both hockey matches. It was a close competition in the netball, and the football went end to end, but unfortunately Southwell took the win in both of these codes.

All in all it was a tie, so the Cup stays with Southwell ... this time!

Well done to the Kristin teams, demonstrating excellent teamwork and sportsmanship, while spending time also getting to know the players in the other teams.

Fiona Ackroyd Junior School PE Specialist/Sports Co-ordinator

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Medals Galore for

Kristin’s Gymnasts

I

t has been a great year with some excellent results for the Kristin gymnasts who have been involved in the Artistic and Rhythmic disciplines over the winter months.

Artistic Gymnast Ethan Dick, who competes at Level 7, picked up numerous medals including a 3rd overall placing at the Victoria State Championships. At the Marlborough Champs, Ethan placed 1st in the Pommel, despite a nasty injury that required stitches. His next event was the Tri Star competition where he placed 1st overall. At the NZ National Gymsports Championships in October, Ethan not only secured the Gold medal for overall performance for Level 7, but he also took out the Howard Hill Trophy, awarded for the Men’s Levels Gymnast of the Year and the David Allen Memorial Trophy for the Men’s Artistic Gymnast of the competition.

Ethan’s brother Sam, not to be outdone, also had a great year competing at Level 6 and placing 2nd overall at the Marlborough Champs and 1st at the Tri Star Champs. Representing Kristin at the NZ AIMS Tournament in Tauranga, Sam delivered a Gold-medal performance, before finishing the winter season with a Silver medal for 2nd overall at the NZ Championships.

Olivia McTaggart competed in four events at the NZ Secondary Schools’ Artistic Gymnastics Championships, finishing 10th overall and notably taking out a 1st place in the Floor and 4th in the Bars events.

Level 8 Rhythmic Gymnast Victoria Gancheva finished 2nd overall at the Wellington Rhythmic Gym Open Champs where she was representing North Harbour. At the Spiralz Competition in Hamilton she fared even better, winning the Gold medal for 1st overall with wins in the Clubs and Ribbon, and 2nd placings in the Ball and Rope.

The highlight of the Kristin Rhythmic Gymnasts’ year was winning the Gold medal at the NZ Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships. Alyssa Chia and Bronte Heath were part of this Grade 3 Kristin Red team representing North Harbour who, by taking the Gold medal, has qualified to compete in the Queensland State Champs. The Kristin Black team, consisting of Iriana Johnston, Leenie Kim and Dasha Ruzich, had an outstanding competition also, taking out the Silver medal in Grade 3. In a testament to the quality of the Kristin programme, run by North Harbour Head Coach Kate Heard, three of our young coaches took out medals in the Senior Individual grades, two of whom are due to be named on the Commonwealth Games shortlist of five.

Kate will work with these gymnasts as they prepare for the trials in May of next year.

Earlier in the season as a lead up to Nationals, the Kristin Black team placed 1st in the Spiralz Competition in Te Awamutu and also in the Shore International Rhythmic Champs. The Red team was a creditable 2nd in both events. At the North Island Grade 3 Champs, once again the Red team took Gold and the Black team edged out other teams and followed up with Silver medals.

Cherry Webster Director of Sport

Sports News

New Zealand Representative Water Polo

Northern Bays Cluster

A

fine forecast on the day of the Northern Bays Cluster at Kristin turned into an hour of freezing drizzle and southerly winds as our athletes contested hard-fought games in hockey, mini-ball, football, rugby and netball. Results spoke volumes, as five Kristin teams placed between 1st and 3rd this year, against 10 visiting primary schools.

Our hockey team romped away to easily win their final, while our mini-ball team held on in a close fight to take the win. The netball girls gained valuable experience by playing in a finals match for the first time in many years at this tournament. The football boys displayed slick skills against top sides and the rugby boys continued to play with courage and determination in every match.

Thank you to the parent coaches and managers for sharing their expertise in all areas, and to the grounds staff team for controlling all the rugby refereeing so well.

Fiona Ackroyd Junior School PE Specialist/Sports Co-ordinator

Sport

Team

Result

Hockey

Kristin

1st

Rugby

Kristin

3rd

Netball

Kristin

2nd

Mini-ball

Kristin 2

1st

Kristin 1

3rd

Five Kristin students travelled to Canberra in the July holidays to represent New Zealand at the World Youth U17 Water Polo Club Championships. The nine-day event hosted teams from New Zealand, Australia, the USA, Singapore, Japan and China in both men’s and women’s competitions.

Anton Sunde (Year 13) and Daniel Marsden (Year 12) were in the NZ U17 Youth Men’s team, who were unbeaten throughout the tournament and proved to be the strongest team in the men’s competition, taking out the Gold medal.

Grace Tobin and Sarah Doyle (Year 11) were in the NZ U17 Youth Women’s team. Their team played very well and came home with a Bronze medal.

Jessica Marsden (Year 10) was in the U15 Girls’ Cadet team who played in the U17 Women’s competition. This young team had a very good tournament and finished in a very commendable 6th place.

Anton and Daniel didn’t have time for a rest on their return from Canberra, as they were in the North Harbour U19 Men’s team who competed in the U19 National Tournament.

The four-day event was held in Auckland with teams from throughout the country competing for the title. The North Harbour Men had an impressive tournament, winning all of their games to secure the Gold medal and the National title.

Grace, Sarah and Jess were in the North Harbour U16A team also and won Gold at the U16 Nationals, which was held in the Term 3 holidays.

Janelle Sunde Manager, Premier Boys’ Water Polo team

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Junior Swimming Champions Late in Term 1 selected students attended the North Shore Primary Schools’ Swimming Competition where many of our swimmers achieved top placings in their races. No finals were held, but recorded times were collated and from these results winners and place-getters emerged.

Kristin’s swimmers featured on many of the final results tables, with the 1st to 3rd place-getters listed below, and we finished 3rd school overall.

Congratulations to all of our swimmers.

Fiona Ackroyd Junior School PE Specialist/Sports Co-ordinator Student

Event

Result

Milla Brooke

33m Breaststroke

3rd

Grace Kingsnorth

33m Freestyle

1st

33m Backstroke

1st

66m Freestyle

1st

33m Freestyle

1st

9-year-old Girls

Swimming 10-year-old Girls

Auckland Secondary Schools’ Championships

Ayla Hall

Three Kristin students made their way to West Wave Aquatic Centre in Henderson to represent Kristin in the Auckland Secondary Schools’ Individual Swimming Championships in August. The team of Kelsi Boocock, Caleb Brooke and Taylor Gauld produced some great results in the 25-metre Short Course events.

Student

Event

Result

Girls 14 and 15 Years Kelsi Boocock

50m Backstroke

1st

100m Backstroke

1st

100m Freestyle

1st

100m Individual Medley

2nd

50m Breaststroke

5th

100m Breaststroke

4th

100m Freestyle

11th

50m Butterfly

8th

50m Freestyle

10th

100m Butterfly

5th

100m Individual Medley

5th

Boys 13 Years and Under Caleb Brooke

Boys 14 and 15 Years Taylor Gauld

New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Championships Three Year 9 and 10 students, Olivia Williams, Oscar Gunn and Caleb Brooke, met the Swimming New Zealand-sanctioned Regional Competition’s time criteria and were eligible to compete during Winter Tournament week at the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Swimming Champs. There were 123 schools and 478 swimmers entered, which provided some fantastic competition. The best result of the day was Caleb Brooke placing 3rd in the 13 Years’ 200m Breaststroke.

Dean Coker Sport Manager, Swimming 66

SPRING/SUMMER 2013

Lucia Doak

Lena Jacobs

33m Backstroke

1st

66m Freestyle

1st

33m Butterfly

2nd =

33m Backstroke

2nd

33m Breaststroke

3rd

33m Breaststroke

2nd

9-year-old Boys Larry Lambourne

Hudson Taylor

33m Breaststroke

2nd

66m Freestyle

3rd

33m Backstroke

2nd

33m Backstroke

1st

10-year-old Boys John Quirk Team Relays 9-year-old Girls

10-year-old Girls

9-year-old Boys

4 x 33m Freestyle

1st

4 x 33m Medley

2nd

4 x 33m Freestyle

3rd

4 x 33m Medley

3rd

4 x 33m Medley

3rd

Sports News

Orienteering Champs!

North Island Secondary Schools’ Championships Kristin’s Orienteers are the North Island Secondary School Orienteering Relay Champions for the Junior Girls’ grade.

The team of Georgina Dibble, Annabel Lister and Tegan Knightbridge beat some very strong and more experienced teams to win the title, in what has been Kristin’s first year in the sport. There were 60 schools represented from Whangarei to Wellington, with three days of competition in which Kristin was on the podium every day. The following are the individual results for our girls: Student

Result

Sprint Final Junior Girls

NZ AIMS Games

T

his year we sent our biggest-ever Kristin contingent to the NZ AIMS Games with 92 athletes, five student referees and 18 coaches, managers and parents making the trip to the Bay of Plenty in September. We entered teams in hockey (girls and boys), basketball (girls and boys), water polo (mixed team), netball, football (boys), tennis, swimming and gymsports.

The spectacular Opening Ceremony was designed to entertain and inspire - so it did! There were 7,274 people attending, which is the largest indoor event the ASB Arena has held since it opened in 2011.

Dillon Boucher, whose basketball career has spanned 20 years, was delighted to speak and shared his sporting experiences with the enthralled crowd. Fair play and hard work were the key themes for Dillon and he encouraged all athletes to make sure that at the end of each game, they shook hands and congratulated the other team, regardless of whether they were winners or not. He commented, “It’s important to be a humble winner and also to be gracious in defeat.” His advice to all the competitors was, “Nothing comes easy, so make sure you work harder than anyone else, maximise your potential and be the best you can possibly be.”

Highlights from the Kristin team included: Maya Paul competed in gymsports, in the Girls’ Junior Open Artistic section with performances on the beam, vault, floor and bar. She was outstanding across all disciplines and finished the competition placing 2nd overall for the Silver medal against 21 other gymnasts.

Sam Dick took part in the gymsports event also, competing in the Boys’ Open Artistic section with performances on the vault, floor, pommel and parallel bars. He was dominant in all disciplines and a level above the other six competitors, finishing in 1st place for the Gold medal. Awesome results from the gymsports team.

The football team upset the 2012 champs, Glen Eden Intermediate, winning 1-0 on day two.

Hector Fleming finished 8th in the Tennis Boys’ Open Singles.

Our water polo team won the consolation play-offs.

The netball team had a great game playing against Apii Avarua School from the Cook Islands.

Angus Shotter competed in the 50m freestyle final with a personal best time to finish 6th=.

Zachery McKee Wright made the final of the 100m Individual Medley, finishing 8th, and the 200m backstroke final, finishing 4th.

All team members showed excellent sportsmanship and performed to their best throughout the week. Many thanks go to the coaches, managers and parents who helped make the week an experience of a lifetime.

Carl Murray Teacher-in-Charge, AIMS

Tegan Knightbridge

2nd

Georgina Dibble

21st

Annabel Lister

23rd of 52 starters

Sprint Final Year 7/8 Girls Sophie Katavich

21st of 40 starters

Long-Distance Junior Girls Tegan Knightbridge

2nd

Georgina Dibble

15th

Annabel Lister

17th of 41 starters

Long-Distance Year 7/8 Girls Sophie Katavich

6th of 20 starters

Nigel Messervy Clubs Manager

New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Championships Kristin performed extremely well at the 2013 New Zealand Secondary School Orienteering Championships, held in Hawke’s Bay during the July holidays. After a painful six-hour drive we arrived in Havelock North ready for action. Our first race was the sprint distance. It was at Splash Planet and was a very technical course. Some parts of the course required you to run through water to get to your control. We had an amazing result with Tegan Knightbridge coming 1st out of all the Junior girls in New Zealand! Georgina Dibble placed 13th in the Junior Girls’ and Annabel Lister 19th, while Sophie Katavich placed 17th in the Year 7/8 Girls’ race. Our next race was the long distance, which was very difficult, covering forest and farmland with some steep hill climbs. This was a great experience, and we had a lot of fun running through a tunnel under the road that had a freezing cold stream running through it! Tegan placed 3rd and Georgina was 5th. Annabel placed in the top half of the field.

Unfortunately, Sophie missed a control on her course so was disqualified in that race. Our third and final race was the relay. Our Junior Girls’ Relay team consisted of Tegan, Georgie and Annabel. We came 6th and were just 7 minutes short of winning. We are very proud of ourselves due to the fact that it is Georgie, Annabel and Sophie’s first year of Orienteering!

Tegan Knightbridge

ISSUE No. 58

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Cross-Country hat would the winter months be without Cross-Country? Every year, our Kristin representatives brave the fickle weather, mud and stiff competition to compete in the school, zone and regional races. This year was no different and the runners achieved some great results across the board.

W

Junior School Cross-Country After hail, thunder, lightning and downpours the day before, the skies brightened just in time to Pos

Student

Pos

Student

deliver us some perfect running conditions for the Junior School event.

All races set off at a blistering pace, stretching out the pack and demanding a determined effort for those fighting to keep up with the leaders.

We saw courageous running, with some students fulfilling personal goals and others gaining podium position, and many more who joined in by encouraging all the participants as they dug deep into their mental and physical reserves!

Congratulations go to these students for finishing 1st, 2nd or 3rd in their year-level races: Pos

Student

Pos

Student

Year 1 Girls

Year 4 Girls

Year 1 Boys

Year 4 Boys

1st

Kate Wyber

1st

Kylie Holgate

1st

Joe Pilley

1st

Nicholas Sparg

2nd

Georgia Hart

2nd

Kate Stables

2nd

Jayden Wang

2nd

Logan Chalmers

3rd

Evelyn Power

3rd

Chantelle May

3rd

Reuben Clancy

3rd

Luke Swanepoel

Year 2 Girls

Year 5 Girls

Year 2 Boys

Year 5 Boys

1st

Zara Preece-Twose

1st

Claire Liang

1st

Lachie Heath

1st

Jesse Harrison

2nd

Katie Brown

2nd

Grace Kingsnorth

2nd

Cooper Clague

2nd

Mitchell Orchard

3rd

Lucinda Cotton

3rd

Bella Johnson

3rd

Ruslan Vassiliev

3rd

Oscar Wallace

Year 3 Girls

Year 6 Girls

Year 3 Boys

Year 6 Boys

1st

Keira Spilling

1st

Ayla Hall

1st

Luke McBeath

1st

Taine Murray

2nd

Maya Harrison

2nd

Tess Porter

2nd

Harry Hart

2nd

Max Johnson

3rd

Hermione Aris

3rd

Yasmine Knight

3rd

Daniel Wyber

3rd

Connor McBeath

North Island Primary Schools’ Ski and Snowboard Champs This year the North Island Primary Schools’ Ski and Snowboard Championships were held over a two-week period on the slopes of Whakapapa. With a strong history in these competitions, Kristin’s participants were aware it was always going to be a competitive event.

As always, we are at the mercy of the weather and the Tuesday racing in each week was fantastic. The weather closed in on the Wednesday and Thursday of both weeks, meaning that not all the events were completed.

The first week saw our two ski teams represent the school with pride and passion, and this provided some great results. The snowboarding in the following week saw some great racing also, with the boys doing well in the Boardercross, with Mitch Davern winning the semi-final only to be disqualified for jumping the start. Many thanks to all those who attended, the support offered from the parents and to Mrs Deborah Plummer for her assistance.

Skiing Results: Students

Result

Senior Boys’ Giant Slalom Rhys Davies

1st

Senior Girls’ Giant Slalom Grace Johnstone

3rd

Junior Boys’ Giant Slalom Harrison Messenger

10th

Senior Team 1 Dylan Brooke, Rhys Davies, Grace Johnstone, Jake Lyons and Harrison Messenger

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2nd overall

Snowboarding Results: Students

Result

Senior Boys’ Boardercross Mitchell Davern

5th =

Senior Boys’ Boardercross Team Mitchell Davern and Oliver Whiley Brent Goldsworthy Teacher-in-Charge, Snowsports

10th

Sports News Northern Bays Primary Schools’ Cross-Country

North Harbour Zone Cross-Country

The Northern Bays event was run in driving rain and chilling wind, and featured the expected mud slurries for all runners to plough through on the course. Our Kristin Junior School team did exceptionally well, finishing 3rd in the interschools event.

Our Middle and Senior School runners ventured out to two separate events for the North Harbour Zone Cross-Country races, with eight Year 7 and 8 runners hitting the ground at Onepoto Domain for the Intermediate event and four taking on the North Harbour Secondary Schools’ Champs at Moire Park in Massey.

Our Year 7 and 8 team was made up of Christina Brand, Fraser Brant, Megan Bruce, Aleisha Chalmers, Connor Gauld, Sophie Katavich, Sylvie Porter and Thomas van Tilborg. The best results of the day went to Thomas and Fraser who came 13th and 15th respectively in the Year 7 Boys’ race.

The Senior team consisted of Ruby Alexander, Simon Driessen, Remy Gasston and Connor Petrie, with Connor taking the result of the day when he finished 5th in the Intermediate Boys’ event.

Dean Coker Sport Manager Cross-Country

Student

Result

8-year-old Girls Keira Spilling

2nd

9-year-old Girls Grace Kingsnorth

5th

10-year-old Girls Yasmine Knight

2nd

Ayla Hall

3rd

10-year-old Boys Taine Murray

3rd

Max Johnson

6th

Fiona Ackroyd Junior School PE Specialist/Sports Co-ordinator

Secondary Schools’ Ski and Snowboard Championships Following on from the successes of the first combined Auckland Secondary School Ski and Snowboard Championships, held at Snowplanet in June, our Snowsports team travelled down to Mt Ruapehu in late September for the North Island Secondary Schools’ Champs. The Ski team was up first and did not disappoint with some fantastic skiing all-round by some seasoned campaigners and those new to the event. It was the super-fast skiing of Sophie Corser and Eden McKay that laid the platform for the team to build on. The freestylers also did not disappoint with the Junior Boys dominating their Slopestyles event. There are certainly some exciting prospects ahead for this developing team.

The next week saw the Snowboarders in action. Again we had some great results. With an understrength Kristin team due to injury and unavailability, it was truly a mix of the new and the old. Despite the extreme weather and an altered format, Liam Whiley stepped up to anchor the team’s success, placing in both the Dual Slalom and Boardercross. These efforts, combined with the rest of the team’s, saw the boys finish a very creditable 3rd overall.

Ski Racing Team 1 did a great job finishing 2nd=, 3rd on countback, one point behind the winning

team: Sophie Corser (1st Senior Girls), Eden McKay (1st Junior Girls), Caleb Brooke, Laura Jackson and Sam Tweedie.

Team 2 finished a creditable 19th= out of 111 teams: Julia Francis, Anna-Lise Hinton, Rachel Segar, Chris Walker and Anna Wingham.

Slopestyles Team 1 finished 3rd: Luke Hughes (1st Junior Boys), Albert Todd (4th Junior Boys) and Matt Bos (4th Senior Boys) Team 2: Lachlan Paterson (2nd Junior Boys), Logan Annand and Chris Walker.

Snowboarding Combined Boys’ Team finished 3rd: Liam Whiley (1st Boy Overall, 2nd Dual Slalom, 3rd Boardercross), Jonathan Brownlee, Sam Hassall, Liam Price and Sam Ross.

I would like to thank all the parents and staff for their support on the trips, in particular Kristin Snowsports sponsors Korbond, and offer a thank-you and farewell to Yvonne Walker for her tireless and never-ending passion and hard work with Kristin Snowsports.

Brent Goldsworthy Teacher-in-Charge, Snowsports

ISSUE No. 58

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Kristin vs Alumni

Sports Day Photos – continued from page 5

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ISSUE No. 58

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Tournament Week Basketball Junior Secondary Schools’ Tournament

T

he Kristin U16 Boys’ Basketball team attended the 2013 Junior Secondary Schools’ Basketball Tournament in Rotorua during Tournament Week. The competition included teams from North, Central and Eastern parts of the North Island in what was a basketball spectacle of talent. Kristin faced some tough games but their development was evident from game to game and they produced some of their best basketball towards the end of the tournament. Two highlight wins for the team were the close-fought victory over Gisborne Boys’ High School and then a strong team performance in the final game to beat Hauraki Plains, a team who Kristin had lost to previously. The team finished in 11th position in the A grade and, most importantly, enjoyed a great developmental experience.

Basketball Boys’ Premierships The Premier Boys’ Basketball team, under the stewardship of their coach Ken Coulson, has finished a great season in 8th place in the Zone 1 Secondary School Premierships.

Kristin beat Mt Albert Grammar in their first pool game, 48-47. This turned out to be the crucial win that elevated them into the quarter-finals and top eight. They also comfortably dealt with Takapuna Grammar and Sacred Heart College along the way. Rangitoto College were too strong in the quarter-final, which meant Kristin would face Massey High School in a critical match, with the winner making the top six and qualifying for Nationals. Kristin trailed by five at half time, although Massey eventually pulled out to a commanding lead and took the win. In their final game, Kristin put in a mammoth effort to push Onehunga High School to double 72

SPRING/SUMMER 2013

overtime, but eventually fell short. Nevertheless it was an exceptional effort to make the top eight. Top performers for the tournament were Year 13 students Andrew Barratt, Liam Jacobs and Mitchell Palmer, who gave their all and finished their Kristin Basketball careers on a positive note.

Simon Mesritz Sport Manager, Basketball

Hockey Marie Fry Tournament The 1st XI Girls’ winter tournament was held in sunny Nelson, where they competed in the Marie Fry Tournament.

The first game started well with Kristin dominating and scoring first after half time when Emily Maclean (Year 9) got a touch on the far post; however, two separate pieces of brilliant individual Hockey from the opposition’s best player meant a tough 2-1 loss for the girls.

The next day brought two must-win games, the first against Nelson. Up 2-1 and again dominating the home side, the girls failed to hold on in the last five minutes, drawing 2-2, with Susannah Howlett and Ella Stolwerk scoring the goals for Kristin. However, the results went our way and we found ourselves facing another must-win game against Tauranga Girls to be into the quarter-finals. Up 1-0 after Susie’s second goal of the day, Tauranga got a goal back in the second half making it 1-all. A questionable call by the ref after a Kristin injury opened the game up again and the opposition scored with five minutes to go.

‘Big Wednesday’ brought with it a few nerves for the pivotal game; a loss would mean relegation. However, a 4-0 victory saw some good Hockey with goals to Clodagh McCullough and a hat trick to Samantha Christian, her Continued over page >

Sports News

first in her three years of 1st XI Hockey.

Building on that confidence, the girls had two 2-1 victories against St Peter’s Cambridge and Otumoetai College putting them in 9th position at the tournament. Sammy continued her goal-scoring form against St Peter’s with another Year 9, Laura McKissock, also sneaking one in on the far post.

Renee Wiltshire and Emily Maclean scored in our final game to ensure three straight victories and, with a lot of girls returning next year, we look forward to seeking revenge at the Marie Fry Tournament 2014.

Jan Lewis Team Manager

Mayhill Cup The 1st XI Boys team travelled to the Mayhill Cup Tournament at the Tauranga Hockey Centre on the back of an unbeaten season. They had won the Inter-city Hockey competition and shared the North Harbour Schools’ title. Surely, this would be their year?

A season-ending injury to our talismanic captain, Alex Hanham, in the final of the North Harbour competition dented the team’s confidence, but such was the quality of the squad travelling to the Mount (including the injured skipper) that hopes of a successful campaign were still high.

The first game of the competition, against Pukekohe High, featured moments of brilliance but not the consistency for which the team had been known throughout the season. By Round 2 the boys had begun to settle down and play some of the Hockey that had been on show during the regular season. Goals came from Tom MacFarlaine, Robbie Capizzi and Mason Court. Results elsewhere in the pool meant that Kristin needed a win to progress through to the top half of the draw and challenge for the title; anything else would see us playing for the 9th to 16th positions. An early PC conversion from stand-in-captain Robbie Capizzi settled nerves; perhaps the nerves were a little too settled as, yet again, a break against the run of play led to an equaliser. A good solo goal from the opposition left us 2-1 down in the second half. A second goal in the game to Robbie squared up the game but it wasn’t enough to see Kristin qualify for the top places. Although deflated, the team pulled together for Round 3 against Paraparaumu College. The Kristin tails were up early again and goals started to flow. Sam Houston got in on the act, deflecting a PC before Henry Will broke his duck and Robbie Capizzi collected another double. Two late goals from Paraparaumu made the scoreline a little more respectable, although for our boys it was a good response to the disappointment of the day before.

Round 4 matched Kristin up with Hutt Valley High School. Kristin failed to cope with Hutt Valley’s energetic and talented centre-half who slotted a penalty stroke (a sign of things to come) and a very expertly-taken individual goal either side of half time. Goals from Connor Petrie and yet

another double from Robbie Capizzi, which included a miracle shot from the baseline, equalised the game 3-3. And so to a shoot-out. All 10 shooters scored, meaning sudden death! Hutt Valley’s centre-half stepped up to make it four strikes for the game. Surely our own top scorer, Robbie, would have no trouble. The ‘clang!’ of the ball hitting the goalpost rang out around the ground, shortly followed by the cheers of the Hutt Valley players and supporters.

Round 5 was the final game and the last day of the tournament. Kristin was playing off for 11th and 12th against St John’s College. There was a sense of festivity about this game, which was encapsulated by the first goal. A penalty stroke was awarded and Mason ‘goal machine’ Court was manhandled to the spot by his team-mates and given the chance to score in his final Kristin game. Mason duly converted the chance and the boys were quickly back into their stride when they returned to the circle, picking up a second through Henry Will, who latched on to a pinpoint pass from scorerturned-provider Robbie Capizzi. Robbie wrapped things up in the second half to take the game to 3-0 and his personal goal tally to eight.

An 11th-place finish was lower than desired for everyone involved. This tournament is famously tough to qualify from, but Kristin benefits from the fact that 13 of the travelling 14-man squad return next year. Huge thanks goes to Shelley Murray, without whom the tournament would fall apart.

Also, thanks to Dean Coker, Dennis Brown and all of the other parents and helpers who made it all possible.

Doug Mills Head of Hockey

Football Rex Dawkins National Tournament The 1st XI Football boys were entered into the Rex Dawkins National Tournament, held in Tauranga during Tournament Week. This was a 32-team tournament with highly competitive groups participating from across the country. Our boys got off to a good start winning all three pool games against Tauranga Boys’ College, St Peter’s (Palmerston North) and St John’s (Hastings).

The team finished pool play at the top of Group A, going on to meet Rotorua Lakes High in the round of 16. This was a tightly-contested game, which ended in a draw. The resulting penalty shoot-out was won comfortably with Marko Nuich making two wonderful saves to make the final result 4-1.

The quarter-final match against Rosmini College was a game of cat and mouse, with both sides threatening early on. Three small errors led to Rosmini taking a 3-0 lead with 15 minutes to play. Rather than succumb, the boys dug deep and fought back to 3-2 with five minutes remaining.

Continued over page > ISSUE No. 58

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Sports News They were relentless in going for the equaliser, but luck was not on their side and, despite having Rosmini on the ropes, the whistle had the final say.

Faced with the disappointment of playing for 5th to 9th position, the boys maintained their high standards and showed great courage and fortitude in making it through to the 5th/6th play-off against Christ’s College from Christchurch. This was once again a closely-fought affair locked at 1-1, but with six minutes remaining Christ’s College scored what would be the winner.

The tournament brought out the best from the boys both on and off the field and their 6th place in this tough event complemented their outstanding 3rd place in the Auckland A1 Division championship in 2013.

Rob Pickstock Head of Football

Netball Netball Senior 1 The Kristin Senior 1 Netball team had a very challenging yet rewarding week, competing in the A grade at the 2013 Upper North Island Secondary Schools’ Tournament in Pakuranga in September.

As we expected, the first two days proved difficult due to the sheer calibre of the teams we were up against. However, the young shooters - Olivia Spratt (Year 10) and Olivia Kitson, Grace Steele and Grace Tobin (Year 11) - worked hard to put up their shots against the tough defence. Strong mid-court play from Sophie Corser (Year 12), Sarah Doyle and Lucy Josephson (Year 11)

ensured stable links between the shooting and defence end throughout the duration of these games.

The next few days saw Grace Tobin showing her versatility, as she changed from the shooting circle to the defensive circle. Hattie Jones (Year 10) switched effortlessly from defensive mid court to the defensive circle, adding to the various options for the team.

Rachel Segar (Year 12) picked up the ball and placed extensive pressure on the opposing attackers. Senior 1 newcomers Paige Harrison (Year 12) and Queenie Young (Year 10) also took the court and slotted into the team play with ease. Unfortunately Paige suffered a bad fall in one of these games, resulting in a cast on her wrist. With Paige no longer being able to play, Lucy McNicoll (Year 13) was added to the team, bringing knowledge and support to our young shooting combinations.

With a few very close games, we found ourselves in a difficult position, trying hard to remain in A grade. Even though we were eventually relegated to B grade for next year, we won our final game in A grade convincingly with an exceptionally strong team spirit.

Our team never gave up and continued fighting until the very last whistle.

There is great potential for this very young team.

Thank you to all the excellent support on the sideline from parents, as well as to Abbey Beaumont and Yvonne Walker for managing our team. Finally, thank you to Stacey Morgan for taking over the coaching role so smoothly and creating a truly memorable Tournament Week.

Natasha Perree Team Captain

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Specialist orthodontic experts, Bachmann Orthodontics, are proud sponsors of Kristin’s Rugby First XV & First XI Hockey Teams’ custom-fitted mouthguard programme.

Contact us today on 09 448 1128 for a free consultation for yourself or your children.

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www.kristin.school.nz