Kaleidoscope
Cover photo: Mamma Mia!
Executive Principal A message from the
Mā te
Kotahitanga e whai kaha ai
tātou | In
unity,
we
find strength. We are driven by the power of togetherness, alone we are strong, but together we are unstoppable.
This whakataukī is a powerful reminder that our collective purpose, shared care and strong sense of belonging to Kristin are at the heart of our community. At Kristin, unity is not an abstract ideal. It is something lived daily in classrooms, on the sports field, in the arts, in service and in the many quiet moments where every member of our community chooses to support one another. Kotahitanga (unity) is seen in action in countless ways at Kristin and is deeply connected to a wholehearted and holistic Kristin education.
In the classroom, students learn to listen, challenge, collaborate and persist together. They work in pairs and groups, share ideas generously and take responsibility not only for their own learning, but for the success of those around them. This spirit of collective effort is especially evident in inquirybased learning, where curiosity and cooperation go hand in hand. Outside the classroom, unity is visible in the teamwork, discipline and encouragement our students bring to all the opportunities they engage in. From House events to sports fixtures, from performance opportunities to service activities, our students have continued to show what is possible when people commit to a shared goal, support one another and celebrate each other’s success.
Kotahitanga is reflected in the dedication of our staff, who work across teams with a shared commitment to excellence and an unwavering determination to consistently ensure that every student discovers themselves. Our staff, whether it be through motivating our students in or out of the classroom, volunteering at special events, their behind-the-scenes acts of kindness, or the gifts of wisdom they offer other professionals in New Zealand and globally, truly embody the spirit of togetherness. It is through the role modelling of our staff that our young people observe the positive impact of unity.
Unity at Kristin is felt through the positive partnerships we have with our families and the many moments when members of our Kristin community come together with a generosity of heart to fulfil a common goal. This is visible at events, gatherings and shared experiences that give us a chance to learn, celebrate, reflect and support one another. Moments such as assemblies, parent master classes, parent gatherings, performances and school-wide occasions have all offered opportunities to come together, reflect on what matters and strengthen the relationships that sit at the heart of who we are. It is evident through the generous gifts of time and wisdom from our parents, for example, our
parents who volunteer to run the Secondhand Uniform Shop, who create the sets for the productions, who decorate for the Middle School Socials, who host coffee mornings and Wednesday Walks and who share expertise on our AI Parent Advisory Council, that we are stronger together.
A truly holistic education recognises that learning does not happen in isolation. It is shaped by belonging, by wellbeing, by purpose and by the relationships that help each student feel seen, known and valued. Kotahitanga speaks to this approach as strength is found not in isolation, but in the relationships, values and shared experiences that surround each learner.
Perhaps most powerfully, Kotahitanga reminds us that our thriving Kristin community is built by many hands and many hearts. Alone, we may be strong. Together, we are unstoppable.
Kim Green Executive Principal
From the Board
Kristin is such a busy, vibrant environment with so many exciting things happening each and every day, and it is our focus as a Board to ensure that the school's governance and behind-the-scenes decision-making are delivered wholeheartedly and with the school's best interests in mind.
This year has already been incredibly productive for the Board, as we work on and guide a range of interesting and rewarding projects that will have many benefits for the school and our Kristin community far into the future.
The first of which is the school's strategic direction project, which we have been working on with our Design Team, made up of students, parents, staff and our external consultants NoTosh. This process is about developing a bold and ambitious strategic vision that will guide us as a school into the future. Following on from our Design Team members consulting and collecting information from the voices of our community, a one-day workshop was held in early May. At this event, which was attended by the Board, Executive Leadership team and senior leaders from across the Kristin community, the voices of our community were shaped into a series of choices related to five questions: “What do you want?’, ‘What are you going to do?’, ‘How are you going to do it?’, ‘What superpowers will you use?’ and ‘What systems will make it work?’ The Executive Leadership team are now working hard to draw on community views and develop a clear roadmap based on the choices made in the workshop, which we are looking forward to sharing later this year.
To dive deeper into how our governance works and to ensure the governance model at Kristin is working effectively, the Board committed to undertaking a Governance Review. Over the course of Terms 1 and 2, an external, independent team has been conducting a review of our school's governance. This has included reviewing documentation, a survey and individual interviews with all Board members and the Executive Leadership Team. We are looking forward to the recommendations that will be provided to us, which will support our journey of continuous improvement.
Kristin is a school built from the generosity of families, for families. For over 50 years, our students, our parents and our alumni community have selflessly donated their time, talent and treasure to make Kristin the special place it is today. The Board recognises that, collectively, our community has, over time, created the incredible school environment we know and love.
In addition, the Board acknowledges that the time has come to ensure that Kristin develops an ambitious, scalable and sustainable advancement programme that will enable future generations to experience the same wholehearted education and community, grounded in Christian values, that has defined Kristin since 1973.
As part of this focus on advancement, the Kristin Advancement Plan was created. This strategy has two key pillars: i) the establishment of a regular annual giving programme that will fund short-term projects that will accelerate the enhancement of our students' learning environment, and ii) the creation of an endowment fund for long-term growth to support the continuation of the Dove Scholarships and contribute to future capital development.
The Board has also approved the reactivation of The Kristin Foundation Trust as the entity that will, moving forward, govern, manage and disburse funds donated to the Kristin School Charitable Trust for philanthropic purposes. To kick things off, we were delighted with the results of our first annual Wholehearted Giving Week, and we send our sincere thanks to our community for their generous contributions and support.
Another major focus for the future that you will all be familiar with is our Gate Two Building, which is now in the critical final design and engineering phases. This building will provide an amazing array of spaces for our students and staff to learn in, work in, and enjoy. We are also thrilled with the sustainability focus of this construction, which aligns with our Green-Gold Enviroschools vision.
While we, as a Board, may not be on campus every day, we are always working hard to lay the foundations for our students and school to thrive, and to ensure the exciting goings-on and endless opportunities, many of which you will read about in the following pages, continue to flow for many years to come.
Richard Sharp Board Chair
Kristin Family and Friends (KFF)
Wholehearted observations in the Kristin community
Kristin Family and Friends (KFF) is the community of adults who support our children as they travel on their journey through Kristin School. It is the whānau, parents, caregivers, teachers and staff who care for our children, provide their emotional safe haven and challenge them to be their best selves.
In my second year as KFF Chair, it is a joy to see and experience an engaged and supportive community of family and friends. Every day, I see parents and staff helping to create a school environment that reflects their values and fosters a deep sense of pride. I see parents and staff who are role models for our children and students being respectful and caring members of our community.
I observe KFF parent volunteers phoning families new to Kristin to welcome them and answer any questions. I observe Kristin whānau attending KFF morning teas and evening gatherings to invest time building kinship with fellow parents. I observe KFF committee members joyfully planning varied activities for parents to join, have fun, get fit and laugh together. I observe whānau showing curiosity and care for other families
with different cultures and traditions. I observe parents and staff respecting the school rules and encouraging their children/students to do the same. I observe parents and staff building rapport and a joint understanding to provide the best educational experience for our children/students. I observe senior staff members devoting two hours each term to meet with Parent Liaisons and Class Coordinators to share vital school-wide information and hear parent feedback and perspective. I observe parents/staff giving time to help get our children/students (and often their friends!) to sports games and music performances on time. And finally, I observe whānau attending school productions and buzzing with pride at our students’ acting and behind-the-scenes talent!
This is what it means to be fully engaged with your community, all moving in the same direction and supporting our children to progress with vision, integrity and love.
I encourage you all to go out of your way to do something caring or courageous in your community today. Arohanui!
Rachel Coward KFF Chair
Wellbeing Friendship ups and downs: growing through change
At the Kristin Wellness Centre, we often support students as they navigate the shifting tides of friendship. These experiences are a normal part of growing up. While friendships can bring laughter and belonging, they can also bring hurt and uncertainty. At Kristin, we view these moments not as crises, but as valuable ‘social classrooms’ where children practice empathy, courage and self-understanding.
The evolving social brain: new research
While foundational research by authors Judy Dunn and Michael Thompson remains timeless, recent 2025 findings from the Our Voices project (University of Auckland) emphasise that school belonging is now more tied to ‘finding your people’ than ever before. Analysing data from over 1,000 young people in the Growing Up in New Zealand study, researchers found that:
• Emotional ‘anchors’: High-quality friendships act as a buffer against modern stressors, but they require significant time and opportunity to develop, something that can be disrupted during school transitions.
• The Transition Gap: Research from the Australian Institute of Family Studies (2024/25) highlights that the move between year levels is a peak time for ‘shifting alliances.’ These aren't failures; they are moments where children are actively recalibrating their identity.
As Michael Thompson reminds us, these changes are opportunities to grow emotional intelligence. When a friendship shifts, a child isn't just ‘losing a friend’; they are learning to navigate a complex social world.
Our wellbeing approach: the five forms of mana
At Kristin, our wellbeing approach draws on the five forms of mana, which help children navigate these social shifts with strength:
• Mana Whānau: Reminds us that relationships are central to wellbeing. A secure foundation at home and school provides the safety net needed to handle social change.
• Mana Ūkaipō: Speaks to belonging and worth. Even when a friendship group changes, a child’s sense of identity remains intact through the steady support of their community.
• Mana Motuhake: Affirms individuality. It encourages children to know their own values rather than seeking approval from every peer.
• Mana Tū: Reflects courage and agency. The bravery to approach conflict kindly and the resilience to reach out to new friends after a disappointment.
• Mana Tangatarua: Highlights adaptability. Recent New Zealand research suggests this ‘social flexibility’, the ability to move between different social worlds, is a key predictor of long-term mental health.
How parents can help:
Based on the latest evidence on student wellbeing, here are three ways to support your child:
1. Listen without rushing to rescue. When a child is upset, start with empathy. New research suggests that ‘active listening’ models Mana Ūkaipō, creating a safe space where children feel heard enough to eventually problem-solve for themselves.
2. Normalise change. Let your child know that friendship shifts are part of growing up. Share stories of your own ‘middle school’ transitions. This reduces the shame a child might feel when a friendship fades.
3. Encourage ‘micro-connections’. The 2025 Our Voices report suggests that co-curricular activities are the ‘glue’ for new friendships. Encourage your child to engage in clubs or sports where the focus is on a shared interest, which takes the pressure off the social interaction itself.
Kellie Carpenter Head of Wellbeing
International Services International students enhancing Kristin’s cultural experience
When a school chooses to engage with the world by including international students, there will be changes – not just for the international students themselves but also for the school community.
We know that having an international programme helps create a truly multicultural learning environment. Building bonds, making connections and learning from each other help us develop the international mindset and openness essential for an era in which globalisation is the very fabric of our daily lives – shaping how we learn, work, communicate and understand the world. It is a blessing and a joy to witness these learning moments happen in real life in the Kristin community.
At the beginning of this year, Kristin welcomed 18 new international students from Austria, China, Germany, Korea, Switzerland, Taiwan and Thailand. These students add not just cultural diversity but also diversity in perspectives within the cultures in our community. We also welcomed Kristin’s first international Cambodian student, and the German Cultural Club was initiated.
At the farewell for Felicitas from Germany, it was beautiful to hear how she was warmly welcomed by her Kristin peers, especially by a group of students who were friends with Sarah, who was also from Germany and stayed at Kristin for two terms last year. One Kristin student plans to visit Germany at the end of this year, and three of them hope to catch up in future. Felicitas also invited her Dean, Mr Buckley, to her farewell to express her appreciation for all the support he had given her.
When I get an email or message from international alumni, I often get asked whether certain staff members still work at Kristin, people they fondly remember for the support and guidance they received during their time here.
During the term break, Kristin received a surprise visit from Vana, an alumni from Thailand, with her two sons and her husband. During the school tour, listening to her stories and sharing memories, it was inspiring to realise how Vana had made an impact on her peers and her homestay family. She spoke about how, 18 years after graduating from Kristin, she is still in touch with her Kristin friends and homestay family. Her life is so much more dynamic and colourful because of them, and there is no doubt the feeling is mutual. She said it’s the people who made her time at Kristin memorable. It’s the experience and time spent together that she treasures the most –friends who opened up to her, teachers who cared about her and a homestay that welcomed her as a part of the family. In return, her Media Studies class benefited from her perspective, and students involved in the International Peace Night concert learned more about Thai culture.
As John van der Zwan, the Executive Director of Schools International Education Business Association of New Zealand (SIEBA) said: “We don’t have international students because we are great schools. We are great schools because we have international students.”
Having international students is not the only thing that makes Kristin great, but it is no doubt one of the important ingredients.
Helen Kim Manager of International Services
Little Doves Harakeke nurtured at Little Doves
Across Kristin, projects are underway to plant harakeke (native flax) along the banks of Lucas Creek at the back of the school, to help stabilise the creek banks and increase plant diversity in the area.
Last year, this project involved students from the Junior School through to the Senior School, raising harakeke from seed, tending and caring for the seedlings, then planting them out and caring for them in their new home.
This year, children at Little Doves are becoming involved in the project as a hands-on lesson in kaitiakitanga (guardianship) and care of the natural world.
A number of baby seedlings, raised from seeds collected locally and in accordance with Māori knowledge, have been brought to Little Doves for the children to repot, water and care for over the winter.
Eventually, these seedlings will be big enough to be planted out around Lucas Creek - but for now, they are
‘our baby harakeke’, and are being tended to with lots of love, fostering a sense of kaitiakitanga/guardianship and care in even the youngest students at Kristin.
While the focus is on caring for the baby harakeke, the children have also been enjoying the rich offerings of fully grown harakeke. Two and three-year-olds have been working together to process and strip harakeke to create muka/flax fibre skirts, which they will proudly wear during Matariki celebrations in July.
Sarah Jones Little
Doves Centre Manager
Kindergarten The magic of wonder
Over the holiday period, Junior School, Kindergarten and some Little Doves teachers spent two days delving into quality inquiry with the amazing education consultant, Kath Murdoch. A key focus was how we can shape our environment, our language and the opportunities we offer so that they elevate our children’s natural capacity to wonder. At four years old, children are naturally curious. They are scientists, storytellers and philosophers all rolled into one. When we slow down to notice their questions, we see that learning is not just about answers, but about the joy of wondering.
This sits right at the heart of our International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP) approach in the Kindergarten. The IB emphasises inquiry, agency and the development of young learners who are curious, caring and reflective, and our programme is designed to foster these attributes from the very beginning. In our daily inquiries, we seek to develop children’s ‘working theories’ and intentionally notice the prior knowledge they bring from home, whānau and community. We prioritise hands-on opportunities to research, test ideas and analyse findings against what they thought they knew, drawing on multiple sources.
Across the two days, we drew on the work of many inspirational educational researchers and practitioners. Kath Murdoch highlighted how we can draw on Reggio Emilia pedagogy, which places inquiry – genuine, child-led investigation – at the centre of learning, aligning closely with the IB’s vision of the child as an active, competent learner. We invite children to explore and ponder through careful questioning and provocations. We may ask, “What do you notice?”, “What makes you say that?” or “I wonder what would happen if…?” These open questions help children learn how to think, not just what to think, and support the growth of key IB learner profile attributes such as thinkers, inquirers and communicators.
Another aspect influenced by Reggio is the idea that the environment is often called the ‘third teacher’, a view echoed in IB guidance and in the Kindergarten's emphasis on creating rich, responsive learning spaces. This is why you will see natural, thoughtfully placed materials, openended resources and arranged spaces in our rooms. We never place items for entertainment only – they are invitations to play, test ideas, consolidate knowledge and collaborate with others. A tray of shells might spark a mathematical conversation about patterns and size; an array of materials may provide the children with the opportunity to create ephemeral art representing a part of nature they connect with as they question their impact and kaitiaki (guardianship) over the land; a light box may
spark an inquiry into light and shadows and how they are formed and change.
Parents play a powerful role in this at home. When your child asks, “Why is the moon following us?” or “How do the flowers know it’s spring?”, try staying with the question a little longer instead of rushing to explain. You might respond with, “That’s an interesting thought – what do you think?” or “How could we find out together?” In these small moments, you affirm that their ideas matter and that curiosity is something to be treasured. By working together, we can protect and extend this precious sense of wonder; the questions your children ask today are the seeds of the problem-solving, creative, compassionate thinking they will need for the future.
Leila Guillard Kindergarten Manager and Year 0 Dean
Junior School From the Junior School Principal
Reflecting on our own school days often brings back fond memories of discovery, the thrill of a new challenge and the pride of achieving what once felt impossible.
At Kristin Junior School, if you take a moment to look closely and listen to what is happening across our campus on any day, you will see those very same transformative experiences unfolding in real time; they are the foundation of every day. Within our vibrant culture, robust academic learning is viewed as a journey of personal growth rather than a race against others; here, every child is encouraged to improve their own ability and actively strive to achieve their personal best.
Our Primary Years Programme (PYP) framework ensures a coherent curriculum in which connections are made across subject disciplines and students' curiosity is actively encouraged and honed. Central to this is the concept of balance. This relates directly to how we create a teaching and learning environment that allows all students to make such excellent growth. A perfect example is how we pair foundational skills, such as our new programme that ensures handwriting skills are explicitly taught, with our use of technology in situations where it can enhance learning. By allowing these approaches to complement each other, we ensure our students develop vital traditional capabilities alongside a future-focused digital toolkit.
This same intentionality shapes the learning environments we create outside the classroom.
Wonder and wellness in the natural world
One of our most enchanting additions this year is the Butterfly House, where our youngest learners witness the quiet miracle of metamorphosis firsthand. This magical experience teaches patience, gentleness and a profound respect for our ecosystem.
This connection expands into our natural bush area, developed under the guiding principle of Taiao ora, tangata ora – if the natural world is healthy, the people are healthy. Here, students find a peaceful, grounding space to breathe and reflect away from the busy modern world. This space is also a place to interact and develop leadership and teamwork skills in a real-life context, outside the classroom. The serious business of play
Of course, a healthy environment also requires spaces for energy and vibrant social connections. At Kristin, academic
work is purposefully balanced with rich play experiences. Play is the laboratory where children develop crucial emotional literacy, personal growth and social fluency.
Our playground areas are intentionally designed to promote both individual challenge and social connection. Whether navigating a tricky climbing frame that requires physical courage or negotiating game rules with peers, students actively build resilience, learn to manage conflict and navigate life's complexities. We are excitedly looking forward to the addition of our new Year 2 playground, which will further enhance these opportunities.
Privilege, responsibility, and the IB spirit
When we couple emotional literacy with academics, something powerful happens. Our International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum focuses on creating learners with the skills and dispositions to make the world a better place through their actions.
We speak openly with students about the privilege of the education they receive here, teaching them that it brings a responsibility to use what they have learned to make a tangible difference. Through our service and ‘giving back’ initiatives, they learn they are never too young to act with empathy and purpose to improve society and our environment.
As you turn these pages, we hope you catch a glimpse of this beautiful, holistic environment. Thank you to our wonderful parents and wider community for partnering with us to grow compassionate, well-rounded human beings.
Jayne de la Haye Principal of Junior School and Early Learning
Junior School The Junior School camp journey
At Kristin, education extends far beyond the four walls of a classroom. Our Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC) programme is a cornerstone of student development, and the carefully crafted Junior School camp experience is a shining example of this philosophy in action. Having had the absolute privilege of seeing both the Year 3 and Year 6 camps in action during the first part of this year, it is inspiring to witness the growth that happens when students step outside their comfort zones.
The camp pathway is intentionally designed to work backwards from the exciting challenges of Camp Week in the Middle School. The goal is to ensure that when students reach that milestone, they are not just ready, but eager and fully equipped to thrive. Confidence, resilience and teamwork are built step by step, year upon year.
The journey begins in Year 3 with a one-night experience in the highly supportive, familiar environment of the school campus. Spending a night under canvas on the school field
(or pitching tents in the gym if the weather decides to be uncooperative) provides the perfect, gentle introduction to nights away from home. Students take full advantage of our incredible on-site facilities, such as the climbing wall, and experience the thrill of a flashlight walk through a bush space they have explored by day.
This strong foundation is seamlessly built upon in Year 4 and 5, where challenge, adventure and leadership are further developed. Students become more accustomed to spending a gradually extended amount of time away from home, moving past the tents to experience the unique camaraderie of ‘cabin life’ with their peers.
By Year 6, camp becomes an integral part of the teambuilding and culture-building process during Term 1, serving as the perfect catalyst for welcoming an influx of new students at this major entry point. The Year 6 camp in Rotorua offers greater challenge and continues a vital focus on personal development and the refinement of leadership skills.
An enterprise of this scale is only possible thanks to the immense dedication of the Kristin community. We are grateful to our incredible staff, who work long hours away from their own families, and to our wonderful parent volunteers, who enthusiastically tackle everything from managing homesickness to unglamorous tasks like washing up and cleaning bathrooms.
By the time the Year 6 students pack their bags at the end of their camp, they have evolved from tentative first-time campers into confident leaders, well-prepared for the wonderful adventures that await them in Middle School.
Jayne de la Haye Principal of Junior School and Early Learning
Junior School A sanctuary for fluttering life: the Kristin Butterfly House
In February, we were thrilled to officially unveil the latest addition to our Junior School Garden –the Butterfly House. This dedicated conservation space serves as a vital sanctuary, protecting our local butterfly populations as they navigate their life cycle from fragile eggs and hungry caterpillars to fully fledged butterflies.
In recent years, our local butterflies have faced mounting pressure from predatory wasp species, which have significantly impacted survival rates in the wild. Our Butterfly House acts as a crucial ‘safety net,’ providing a secure, predator-free environment where these special pollinators can truly thrive.
But this is so much more than just a garden feature; this project transforms our students into active conservationists. By engaging with the Butterfly House, students gain a first-hand understanding of biodiversity and the principle of kaitiakitanga (guardianship). While many of our classes have been visiting to keep an eye on the growing butterfly population, our Year 1 students recently inquired more deeply, connecting to the central idea: The world is shared by living things.
This led them to find out about the life cycle of a butterfly and what our responsibility is for ensuring they thrive. This project was made possible through the incredible generosity and expertise of our community. We extend our deepest gratitude to Kristin Korean Parent Group, KFF Dove Seed Fund, Settlers Lifestyle Village, Restoring Rosedale Park Project and Upper Waitematā Harbour Network (UWEN). Whether through financial grants, resource donations or expert advice, your support has breathed life into this sanctuary. Together, we are ensuring a brighter, more colourful future for our local ecosystem.
Sandy Paton PYP Coordinator
Junior School Action and service: House Captains making a real difference
Giving back is part of our DNA at Kristin. As part of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Primary Years Programme (PYP), all of our classroom inquiries include an action component, where children are encouraged to think about how they can make a difference and contribute positively to the world around them.
Our semester one House Captains have truly embraced this philosophy. During their Leadership Lunch sessions, they were tasked with deciding how they might give back to the community, particularly to those most in need. It was no easy decision, as this empathetic group generated many thoughtful and meaningful ideas for creating impact.
One of their most inspiring moments came when they heard from guest speaker Mrs Lynn Williams, a foundation staff member and, in a special connection, my very first teacher when I attended Kristin as a child. Mrs Williams shared her experiences supporting a school in Kenya, speaking about both the progress made and the work still to be done. The House Captains were deeply moved by her story and proposed dedicating a portion of our annual non-uniform day funds to
supporting the ongoing projects at the Kenyan school.
Closer to home, the House Captains have also turned their attention to supporting those in need within our own community. They are leading efforts for the Dame Valerie Adams Pyjama Appeal, collecting new pyjamas for Auckland children who may otherwise go without warm clothing during the colder months.
In addition, they are supporting the charity Woven Earth by collecting essential items for families in need. The House Captains have taken the initiative to decorate collection boxes and clearly communicate to the Junior School how everyone can contribute to these important causes.
We are incredibly proud of the compassion, leadership and initiative shown by our House Captains. Their actions demonstrate the power of young people to create meaningful change when allowed to lead with empathy and purpose.
As the saying goes, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
Chantel Ashley Assistant Principal, Years
4-6
Junior School The power of play: redesigning our Junior School play spaces
In the Junior School, play isn’t just a break from ‘real’ work – it is the way our students explore and understand their world.
As Fred Rogers said: "Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning." This philosophy permeates from the classroom floor to the far corners of the field. By listening, watching and reflecting on how our students interact with their environment, we’ve started redesigning some of our play spaces to better support the physical and emotional growth of every child.
A playground designed by students, for students
The centrepiece of this vision is the new Year 2 playground, with construction due to begin in the July holidays. This wasn't just a decision made by adults; our students were involved from the very first brainstorm. After reviewing designs from four different companies, Year 1 and 2 students voted on the winner.
The new space is built to support all kinds of play –whether a child wants to be active, social or imaginative. It’s also designed with inclusivity in mind. Features that involve spinning and balancing provide vital sensory input for neurodiverse learners, while a wheelchair-accessible rope spinner ensures that students of all physical abilities can play right alongside their friends. Because the equipment is manufactured locally in Auckland, our students even have the chance to visit the factory to see the engineering and assembly process firsthand.
New spaces for rest and regulation
We’ve also added two new hammocks along the edge of the Year 3 area. While playgrounds are great for burning energy, the hammocks offer a different kind of benefit: a place for quiet reflection and self-regulation. These cosy spots allow students to take a breath, find a moment of calm and reset their sensory systems so they can head back into their learning feeling refreshed and focused. By providing both high-energy play equipment and peaceful retreat spaces, we are honouring the different ways our children grow. Whether they are spinning, climbing or lounging in a hammock, our students are busy developing the social and physical skills they need to thrive.
Nathan Calvert Assistant Principal, Years 0-3
Junior School Taiao ora, tangata ora: connecting with nature in the Kristin forest
"If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it." — David Sobel, Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education.
At Kristin School, we are incredibly fortunate to have a beautiful, forested area right on our campus. Recently, students across the Junior School ventured into this natural classroom for ‘Taiao Ora, Tangata Ora - Healthy Environment, Healthy People’. This immersive experience was designed to deepen our students' connection to the natural world by seamlessly integrating Primary Years Programme (PYP) Units of Inquiry with hands-on exploration.
Guardianship and kaitiakitanga:
Grounded in storytelling, our Year 1 and 2 students listened to Robyn Kahukiwa's Taniwha before hunting for natural treasures (taonga), while Years 3-5 engaged with the story of Rata’s Waka. Acting out the narratives, the students reflected on the vital importance of respecting natural resources. There were also opportunities for active conservation – identifying insect hideouts, searching for evidence of animal pests, conducting a biomes treasure hunt and weeding out invasive plant species.
Shelter building and reflection:
Fostering teamwork and resourcefulness, students collaborated to design and construct bivouacs using raw forest materials. Amidst the building, they used their senses to truly connect with the surrounding environment while relaxing in hammocks.
Creative construction:
Engineering met imagination as students utilised natural objects to craft intricate towers, rockets and hanging mobiles, fostering both creative problem-solving and peer collaboration.
Taking action for the future:
Our Year 6 students took this ethos a step further by focusing entirely on ecological restoration. Demonstrating true leadership, they headed into the bush to take direct environmental action – actively weeding out invasive plant species and planting brand-new native trees to help restore and protect our beautiful school forest for years to come.
Nathan Calvert Assistant Principal,
Years 0-3
Middle School From the Middle School Principal
Twenty-twenty-six has been a hive of industrious activity in the Middle School, which is just how we like it. All of the usual highlights have featured: camps, Cross Country, field trips, sporting events and preparation for our Middle School Production, which you’ll read about in the pages to come. Therefore, in writing this overview, I needed to ask myself what will be the ‘time capsule’ moments that will define this time for our Years 7-10 students and families?
When we look back on this year, it will be marked by two defining themes, which are not entirely distinct from each other. The first is the continuing emergence of AI, and the second is our decision to ask our students to keep their smartphones and smartwatches at home.
AI was not a term we discussed frequently until 2025, and now in 2026, we, as educators, are discussing its presence, power and possibilities almost daily. We have assembled an AI Expert Advisory Panel composed of parents working in the industry to ensure we stay informed and engaged, as the definition of Future Ready is rapidly changing. What I do know is that while there are many efficiencies to be gained from generative AI, it will never be able to replace our humanness, and our students' capacity for empathy, kindness, curiosity and original thinking need to be honed as essential life skills. What gives me hope is that here at Kristin, community partnerships and authentic service have always been at the core of what we do best. I look
forward to continuing to strengthen this as we prepare our students for an exciting next era of technological innovation.
Our decision to make Middle School a smartphone and smartwatch-free environment for students was born out of a sense of responsibility to ensure that our students are focused and engaged in real-world interactions at school.
Smartphones and watches were hijacking many students' attention, and we decided we had a responsibility to keep them safe and as distraction-free as possible at school. Anecdotally, students have reported less peer pressure, more chatting on the bus, and a greater sense of independence, along with an increased need to problemsolve (rather than quickly texting mum or dad). I like to think that our current students reading this in 15 years' time will look back on this decision with gratitude rather than resentment.
Both themes share the idea of balancing technological advancements with human decision-making. Our aim is to provide our students with a wholehearted education. Taking control of where their educational ship is sailing, rather than leaving it to the winds of chance, is a responsibility we take seriously.
Enjoy the coming pages, which offer some great stories about some of our very talented students. I am certainly one very proud Middle School Principal.
Kate Pollard Middle School Principal
Middle School Yuki Gao: Rubik’s Cube world champion
Fast-fingered Year 10 student Yuki Gao is setting the Rubik’s Cube world alight, winning a world championship title and setting incredible records along the way.
Yuki’s interest in ‘cubing’ came about seven years ago when her father taught her how to solve a Rubik’s Cube, and it didn’t take long for them both to realise they had discovered a hidden talent:
“He thought I learned it pretty fast, so we got more into it, and then slowly I became better and wanted to find something I could do with it competitively. That’s when I learned how to solve the 2x2 Rubik's Cube. I learnt algorithms and got a coach, and after four years, I set the female Asian record, which I broke three times at the same competition. That gave me a lot more motivation to practice and get more records,” says Yuki.
Last year, Yuki travelled to the Rubik’s World Cube Association (WCA) World Championships in Seattle, where, against 2000 competitors, she won the female world championship title, an incredible feat. In 2026, she also broke the world record in the 2x2 female average category for the third time. The average category requires competitors to complete five solves, after which the best and worst times are removed and a mean time is created with the remaining three. Her first record average category time was in 2025 at 1.21 seconds, which she bettered in February 2026 to 1.20 seconds, and now holds the record at 1.17 seconds.
At the same competition, Yuki broke her personal record in the single category with an unbelievable time of 0.48 seconds, and is now ranked 2nd in the world for females.
As you can imagine, staying on top of her game requires Yuki to do a lot of practice:
“I practice every day. On school days, I am a bit busier, so I only practice for two or three hours, but on weekends, I can easily sit there for an entire day!” says Yuki.
Yuki enjoys cubing for a few reasons, including the
technical aspects behind the cubing strategy:
“I like that it’s really just a bunch of different combinations. There are over 40 quintillion combinations for the 3x3 Rubik's Cube, and I find it really interesting that there is a number of moves you can always use to solve the cube. For example, the 3x3 Rubik's Cube, no matter how it is scrambled, can always be solved in under 20 moves,” explains Yuki.
Yuki competes around once a month and is even organising her own competition, as well as a Rubik’s Cube Club here at Kristin.
Looking ahead, Yuki will be heading to the 2027 Rubik’s WCA World Championships in Sweden and will be working hard to improve her records:
“This year, I hope to be the first female to average under one second. I was the first female cuber in Asia to get an average under two seconds, which was a really big barrier at the time, but now the goal is one second. I just want to continue to be the best in my events and be absolutely on top,” says Yuki.
Middle School
Adrenaline and speed: Tyler Grant heading to BMX World Championships
We have an adrenaline-chasing speed demon among our Middle School ranks in the form of BMX racer and Year 10 student, Tyler Grant, who has been selected to represent New Zealand at the 2026 UCI BMX Racing World Championships in Brisbane.
Tyler has been BMX racing since he was 10 years old, taking up the sport to keep his fitness up for rugby. It’s not just Tyler who is the BMX extraordinaire in the family; his younger sister, Mia, is also a New Zealand representative BMX racer:
“We actually started at the same time. My mum saw something about BMX racing on Facebook, so we both went and gave it a go. She’s hardcore; she came 4th in New Zealand last year and 6th this year. We even went to America in 2024 because she was racing the World Championships in South Carolina,” explains Tyler.
If you haven’t seen BMX racing before, it certainly is hardcore. Eight riders line up at the top of the track and fly over jumps, around corners and down straights in a quest to be the first to cross the finish line. As you can imagine, this high-speed, congested race track can cause a few wipeouts along the way:
“I’ve had heaps of injuries, lots of gashes and scars, two fractured arms and a concussion,” says Tyler.
Staying at the top of his game also requires plenty of practice, with Tyler putting in three or four training sessions a week on the track and in the gym. But there is one thing that Tyler loves the most about the sport:
“The adrenaline, it’s so good. You come off the track, and you are still just going so hard, it's so much fun,” says Tyler.
Tyler will be racing in the 15-Year-Old Boys’ Division at the World Championships after he was the highest qualifying wildcard in the country, and will also be competing against the Aussies in the Australian State Series in the lead-up. Tyler is, understandably, excited for his World's debut:
“It is really special, and it’s going to be so much fun; there are lots of Kiwis heading over for it too, so it is going to be such a cool experience,” says Tyler.
We wish Tyler all the best for his BMX World Championships debut. Everyone at Kristin is behind him, and we know he will wear the silver fern with pride as he rips it up on the BMX track.
Middle School
Shrek Jr. ready to rock the Auditorium stage
The Kristin Auditorium is turning green in early August when our Middle School Musical Production of Shrek Jr. thumps onto the stage for three unmissable performances.
Adapted from the Broadway hit, Shrek Jr. tells a heartwarming story of self-acceptance, friendship and finding family in unexpected places.
Featuring an incredibly talented all-star cast, the production brings to life all your favourite characters, such as Princess Fiona (Natalie Kwok), Donkey (Buddy Dilworth), Lord Farquaad (Asher Whitehead), Dragon (Juliette France) and Shrek himself (Sam Rajaratnam), just to name a few.
With more than 100 Middle School students set to take the stage, audiences can expect a vibrant, highenergy production packed with catchy musical numbers, spectacular ensemble dance routines and plenty of laughs along the way.
Join us as Shrek’s fairytale kingdom comes to life in an entertaining, ogre-sized musical adventure the whole family will enjoy!
Senior School From the Senior School Principal
The successes of our students across a multitude of fields continue to make me proud each and every day, and there have been plenty to celebrate already in 2026.
At the beginning of the year, our Class of 2025 students exceeded all expectations and secured Kristin’s best results on record across both NCEA and the International Baccalaureate (IB). In IB, the results were highlighted by two exceptional students, Ryan Fan and Jacob Johnston, who achieved perfect scores of 45 out of 45 points. As a whole, 33% of our Class of 2025 IB students secured a score of 40 or more and were celebrated as IB Top Scholars. In NCEA Levels 2 and 3, our students knocked it out of the park, achieving a 100% pass rate, with 87% earning an Excellence or Merit endorsement.
Many of our Year 12 students sat their NCEA scholarship exams at the end of 2025, producing some sensational outcomes, some of which I must highlight. In Drama, Lachlan Robinson was not only awarded a perfect score of 24/24 and an Outstanding Scholarship but was also named the New Zealand Top Scholar for Drama and was celebrated at a special ceremony at Parliament earlier this year. Our Deputy Head Prefect, Sabrina Liu, secured six scholarships, including two Outstanding Scholarships, and was one of just 57 students in New Zealand to receive an Outstanding Scholar Award. And finally, William Huang secured five scholarships, including an Outstanding Scholarship in Physics. To further enhance the gravity of
these students' scholarship successes is the fact that all three are IB students and pursued these opportunities outside their IB curriculum requirements.
We have seen some of our Senior School students being selected to represent New Zealand on the world stage at various International Olympiad competitions, including Imogen Forrester (Geography), Isabelle Ning (Maths), Sophie Xu (Maths) and Sabrina Liu (Economics, International Business and Finance). These international competitions are very prestigious, and the selection processes to make these national teams are nothing short of rigorous. I congratulate these students for their hard work and dedication, and I know they represent their country with pride.
Nationally, our students have also excelled at academic competitions, highlighted by our recent titles in the History Bee and Bowl competition and successes at the Auckland Maths Olympiad, just to name two.
In sport, Kristin offers a superb range of sporting activities that our students can succeed in, with 32 sporting codes in total, and our students continue to succeed in many of them. This year has seen talented students succeeding at regional and national competitions in team and individual sports, including Hockey, Open Water Swimming, Water Polo, Golf, Tennis, Basketball, Yachting, Fencing, Badminton and more, with some students also selected for international competitions.
I was captivated by our recent Senior School Production of Mamma Mia! as our students succeeded beyond all limits on and off the stage. The talent required of all students involved in pulling together this highly professional show is nothing short of remarkable, and for me, their performances and the show as a whole are the definition of success.
These successes – results, selections, victories and performances – do not happen by chance and are down to the immense dedication of our staff, wider community and, of course, the students themselves. I am always honoured to witness our students’ successes and continue to strive to enhance the wholehearted, wellrounded environment that Kristin provides, ensuring our students continue to succeed in whichever endeavour they choose to pursue.
David Boardman Senior School Principal
Senior School SADD students snap speeding drivers
Students Against Dangerous Driving (SADD) is an initiative-based service group that focuses on raising awareness about road safety, especially among our rangatahi here at Kristin. As a group, we work alongside multiple organisations, including SADD Aotearoa and Auckland Transport.
To positively encourage safe road user behaviours among individuals, peers and the wider community, the SADD team uses an evidence-based approach, carrying out multiple projects each year to improve both education and action on the road.
In early Term 2, we participated in Road Safety Week, during which SADD members monitored safe driving around campus. The most important factor in road safety is driver behaviour, particularly speeding, which became the main focus of our research. Working alongside Kristin’s Head of Health and Safety, Dick Thornton-Grimes, and our SADD Team Leader, Raj Nathu, the SADD team split into groups to record the driving speeds and behaviours of parents and guardians as they entered campus. The end goal was to see how people were driving during the peak periods before and after school.
We collected this data in pairs over ten sessions from Monday to Friday between 8:00am and 8:30am, and again from 3:00pm to 3:30pm.
To gather our information, we set up at two locations between Gate 1 and the Main Administration Building. At one location, we used a handheld speed radar device to record vehicle speeds as they approached our pedestrian crossing areas.
The speed limit at Kristin is set at 15km/h. The data that we collected indicates that only just over half of all vehicles travel within the 15–20km/h range, with similar proportions recorded in the morning (52.7%) and afternoon (52.6%). Despite this, a significant number of drivers exceed the speed limit, particularly in the afternoon. In the morning, 38.5% of vehicles were recorded speeding, compared to
47.3% in the afternoon. Additionally, 14.8% of afternoon drivers exceeded 25km/h, representing a higher level of potentially dangerous speeding.
It was certainly an interesting week! Standing out there in our fluorescent vests, with our clipboards and aiming speed radar devices, certainly drew a lot of attention. We received rather obvious stares and even a few concerned looks from drivers who were not quite sure what we were up to. This has also been acknowledged as a potential bias in our data collection process.
Using our data, we intend to analyse patterns, plan our next steps and suggest strategies to keep our Kristin community safe during peak hours. However, we need your help! Creating safer roads around campus begins with a simple step: reducing driving speeds to below 15km/h and staying alert.
We look forward to working together to ensure that every student arrives and leaves school safely.
Your speed matters. Slow down and protect our students!
Laura Dong (Year 12), Vongai Murombe (Year 12) and Sonia Zhao (Year 11)
Driver speeds on campus
Senior School
En pointe: Sabrina Liu, our inspiring ballerina
International competition-winning ballerina Sabrina Liu (Year 13) has been passionate about ballet since a very young age:
“When I was little, I had a DVD of the Royal Ballet. I really loved that DVD, I would watch it all the time and try to mimic the dancers' movements. I begged my mum to put me into ballet classes and it's been a huge part of my life since then,” reflects Sabrina.
She soon started training at Cameron Ballet Academy and took ballet more recreationally, but later moved to Mt Eden Ballet Academy, where training became more serious, and she began competing nationally and internationally:
“A couple of years ago, I competed in the Auckland Caledonian Dancing Society competition, where I was awarded Most Outstanding Solo performance alongside $2000 from the Peacocke Dance Trust, which was really good. Since then, I have focused more on international competitions because there is a much broader range of dancers, and they also offer some amazing scholarships and awards to go to international ballet schools,” says Sabrina.
Earlier this year, Sabrina achieved an incredible milestone in her ballet career, placing first in the Senior Classical Division at the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) international virtual competition. YAGP is very prestigious and is the largest competition scholarship network for ballet dancers, operating worldwide. As part of this win, Sabrina was invited to the YAGP Houston Finals and also received a scholarship to attend the YGP Ravenna Festival Summer Intensive in Italy, a training programme designed to give participants a taste of life in a professional dance company.
It’s not just the stage where Sabrina has found herself during her ballet journey; she has even featured on the small screen:
“When I was in Year 11, I was actually a ballet extra for a TV show, which was really fun,” says Sabrina.
Sabrina is no stranger to the Kristin stage either, where she has shown off her amazing ballet talents at events such as Dance in the Dove and International Peace Night.
As you can imagine, staying on top of her game in ballet is no easy feat and requires a lot of practice and dedication:
“In Year 11 and 12, I would spend a significant amount of time training, doing all sorts of classes and rehearsals, but this year it is a bit less as I am busy with IB (International Baccalaureate) and lots of other commitments,” says Sabrina.
Sabrina is certainly a busy girl, on top of her ballet endeavours and IB, she serves as Deputy Head Prefect. She has also been selected for the five-strong New Zealand Economics Olympiad team to attend the International Economics Olympiad (IEO) in China in July 2026. As if that wasn’t enough, she has also been selected to represent New Zealand at the International Business and Finance Olympiad (IBFO) in Bucharest, Romania, in August 2026!
Academically, Sabrina is a remarkable student across the board and secured an incredible six scholarships in her 2025 NCEA Scholarship exams, including two Outstanding Scholarships. She was one of just 57 students in New Zealand who received an Outstanding Scholar Award, one of only three students in the country to be awarded
an Outstanding Scholarship for Dance, and one of only nine students to be awarded an Outstanding Scholarship in Economics. Even more remarkably, Sabrina is an IB student, so she pursued those scholarship opportunities above and beyond her IB curriculum requirements.
Looking to the future, Sabrina isn’t going to be putting away her ballet shoes, but will be taking her opportunities as they come:
“I always wanted to be a professional ballerina when I was little,
but I also think it is really important to keep my options open. Ballet will always be one of my biggest passions, and even if I choose an academic pathway, I know dance will remain a meaningful part of who I am,” says Sabrina.
We are looking forward to enjoying Sabrina’s ballet talents on the Kristin stage at Dance in the Dove in Term 3 and to following her journey post-Kristin. With her incredible range of talents, we know she has a very bright future ahead.
Senior School Graduating Class of 2025 –destinations
We are proud to celebrate our graduating Class of 2025. With outstanding International Baccalaureate (IB) and NCEA results, 94% of the graduating class have moved to tertiary studies in New Zealand, Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada and Singapore, with 6% either taking a gap year or moving to full-time employment.
Nearly half of our graduates are studying in New Zealand, with 38% at the University of Auckland, followed by the University of Otago (22%), the University of Canterbury (19%) and AUT (12%). One third (34%) of the class moved to study at Group of Eight top universities in Australia, with the most popular universities being the University of Sydney and the University of Melbourne, followed closely by the University of New South Wales (UNSW).
Class of 2025 Destinations
New Zealand Tertiary Study
Australian Tertiary Study
UK/US/Overseas
Gap year
New Zealand institutions
University of Auckland (38%)
University of Otago (22%)
University of Canterbury (19%)
AUT (12%)
Waikato University (3%)
Victoria University of Wellington (2%)
Lincoln University (1%)
Massey University (1%)
NZ Police College (1%)
NZ College of Chiropractic (1%)
Courses:
Australian institutions
University of Sydney (27%)
University of Melbourne (27%)
University of New South Wales (UNSW) (26%)
University of Queensland (7%)
Monash University (5%)
RMIT (2%)
Australian National University (2%)
Flinders (2%)
Curtin University (2%)
• Health, Medical and Life Sciences: Health Sciences, Biomedical Sciences, Biochemistry, Physiology, Biological Sciences, Neuroscience, Genetics, Physiotherapy, Nursing, Chiropractic, Social Work and Speech Pathology.
• Engineering and Surveying: Robotics and Mechatronics, Electrical, Mechanical, Biomedical and Aerospace.
• Sciences and Mathematics: Physics, Environmental Science, Wildlife Conservation, Computer Science, Sports and Exercise Science, Veterinary Bioscience, Earth Science and Applied Mathematics
• Business and Commerce: Commerce, Property, Finance, Accounting, Actuarial, Marketing and Economics.
• Arts, Humanities and Law: Arts, Law, Communications and Media, Screen Studies, English, Criminal Justice, Global Studies and International Relations.
• Arts & Design: Architecture, Urban Design, Fine Arts, Interior Design and Musical Theatre.
• Other: Psychology and Teaching.
Tertiary Offers
United Kingdom
Our students gained offers in the UK at top Russell Group universities:
• University of Oxford (2)
- Law
- Music
• University of Cambridge
- Human, Social and Political Sciences
• Imperial College London (3)
- Mechanical Engineering
- Electrical and Electronic Engineering
- Geophysics
• University College London / UCL (4)
- Architecture and Interdisciplinary Studies
- Mechanical Engineering
- Law
• The University of Edinburgh (2)
- Politics, Philosophy and Economics
- Electronics and Electrical Engineering
• King’s College London (7)
- Medicine
- Artificial Engineering
- Philosophy, Politics and Economics
- Law
- Electronic Engineering
• London School of Economics and Political Science / LSE (3)
- International Social and Public Policy
- Law
• University of Manchester (4)
- Architecture
- Mechanical Engineering with Industrial Experience
- Law
• University of Bristol (2)
- Mechanical Engineering
- Psychology
• University of Sheffield
- Psychology
• University of Warwick
- Psychology with Linguistics
• University of Nottingham
- Mechanical Engineering including an Industrial Year
• University of St Andrews (2)
- French and Psychology
- Psychology
• Cardiff University
- Psychology
• University of Bath
- Psychology
• Goldsmiths, University of London
- Media and Communications
• University of the Arts London / UAL
- Media Communications
• Edinburgh Napier University
- Media and Communication
• London Film Academy
- Film Making
Moving to the United Kingdom
• Matthew Zheng (Grad 2024)
University of Oxford - Law
• Sophie Yu
Imperial College - Electrical and Electronic Engineering
• Jayden Wang
London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) - Law
• Amelie Lewis
Cardiff University - Journalism and Communications
United States of America
Our students gained offers to study at the following top US universities*:
• University of California, Berkeley
• University of Pennsylvania
• Columbia University
• University of California, Los Angeles
• University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
• Duke University
• New York University
• University of California, San Diego
• Georgia Institute of Technology
• University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign
• University of Texas at Austin
• Brown University
• University of California, Davis
• University of Southern California
• Boston University
• University of California, Santa Barbara
• Emory University
• University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
• University of California, Irvine
• University of Virginia
• Purdue University
• University of Rochester
• Arizona State University
• Rice University
• Georgetown University
• Boston College
• University of California, Riverside
• University of California, Santa Cruz
• Northeastern University
• George Washington University
• University of Illinois Chicago
Moving to the United States of America
• Ryan Gao
University of California, Berkeley
• Cecilia Lin
University of Pennsylvania
• Mina Zhang
University of California, Los Angeles
• Daniel Martin
New York University Tisch Programme
• May Peng
New York University
• Mary Zhao
University of California, San Diego
• Keen Leung
University of Illinois UrbanaChampaign
• Mariko Parker
Boston College, Carroll School of Management
• Morgan Thurston
Herb Alpert School of Music, California Institute of the Arts
• Liam Blackford
San Diego State University Weber Honors College
• August Boonsiri
University of Tampa
Moving to Canada
• Béatrice Gohier
University of British Columbia (Sciences Po)
• Sierra Kirkland
University of Alberta
Moving to Singapore
• Liam Robinson Nanyang Technological University (Mechanical Engineering & Data Analytics)
Congratulations to the following students on gaining direct entry to study Medicine in Australia:
• Ryan Fan
Flinders University (Bachelor of Clinical Sciences, Doctor of Medicine)
• Won Kim
Curtin University (B-MBBS Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery)
Susan Brosnahan
Careers and University Advisor
*Times Higher Education University Rankings 2025 (Number in brackets indicates the number of offers for Kristin Class of 2025)
Enviroschools Enviroschools Reflection: Continuing our sustainability journey
It’s been four years since Kristin School was awarded Green-Gold status as an Enviroschool, reflecting our commitment to sustainability. All Enviroschools are required to reflect on their progress every three years, so, in early Term 2, 50 students, staff, parents and Board members gathered together for our Enviroschools Reflection, facilitated by Auckland Council’s Chris De La Mare and three other members of the Sustainable Schools team. We had important questions to ask: Has Kristin moved forward in its journey as a Green-Gold Enviroschool? Are we still putting sustainability at the heart of everything we do?
This event was organised by Year 13 student Jerry Chen and a team of 15 students from across our three schools. For months, they collected stories and ‘evidence’ to show the various new initiatives and developments under the five key pillars of the Enviroschools framework: Sustainable Communities, Empowered Students, Learning for Sustainability, Te Ao Māori, and Respect for Diversity (and we’ve added Wellbeing).
The event had three key goals: highlight our progress, identify our challenges, and generate goals for the next three years. Matua Henare and our Kapa Haka group began the event with a waiata and karakia, and we then shared some sustainability highlights. Ms Hickman from Little Doves shared stories about how Te Ao Māori concepts are enhancing their students' learning and discussed the growth of Matariki celebrations at the centre. The Junior School has a new Butterfly House to celebrate, and they shared their connections with Te Hononga a Iwi – growing harakeke seedlings for the Rosedale Restoration project. We now have more student groups, such as the Marine Society and Garden to Table, and our Prefects are working with Te Herenga Waka o Orewa Marae and volunteering their time for local conservation projects. We continue to grow our use of Te Reo Māori, whakataukī, pōwhiri and our own kōwhaiwhai is now represented on campus signage, honouring our bicultural heritage.
Kai whakatōmuri te haere whakamua — I walk backwards into the future, with my eyes fixed on my past.
'Sustainability at Kristin School means taking care of ourselves, our communities and our environment, now and for our future generations.'
During the event, we highlighted that being a Green-Gold Enviroschool means our whole Kristin community is involved. Kristin Family and Friends (KFF) has been a significant supporter via their Dove Seed Fund, and the recycling of unwanted second-hand uniforms with ImpacTex has shown how a circular economy can work. More solar panels have been installed thanks to generous parent support, and our catering team now composts all food waste through the City to Farm programme.
A range of exciting new goals and ‘blue sky thinking’ were generated and will be used by the Council of Sustainability and our Sustainability Activator in future planning. Ideas include: our very own Kristin farm to produce carbon-zero food for our café and school lunches; being 100% solar-powered; having students generate power while active on the playground; and adopting our local catchment and working collaboratively with other schools to be pest-free and support more biodiversity. We are excited about what the next three years will bring. On behalf of the Enviroschools team, we want to thank the Kristin community for their support of all our sustainability initiatives. Watch this space, as we continue our journey towards being one of the most sustainable schools in New Zealand!
Sarah Wakeford Sustainability Activator
Sustainability One step closer to carbon certification
Kristin has officially partnered with Toitū Envirocare to become a certified Toitū Carbon Reduce organisation. This new initiative is a direct response to our recent Operational Plan, which outlined a commitment to investing in a robust carbon monitoring system to direct future carbon action. We began our journey in 2024 by auditing the carbon-emission sources we could accurately measure and realistically address.
Our Kristin Business Services Manager, Nigel Wilkinson, explains why Kristin partnered with Toitū:
"We knew there was a lot of student-led sustainability activity and the school wanted to support those endeavours organisationally. We also wanted to know if what we were doing was making a difference. Toitū offered a robust way of measuring the impact of our efforts. In time, we plan to show how reducing our carbon footprint is not only good for the planet but also financially sound and a deeply meaningful human experience."
An initial verification audit generated our baseline data, which we will use to set future reduction targets. We collected ‘direct’ emissions data – greenhouse gases released on campus as part of our daily operations – as well as ‘indirect’ emissions, which are generated offcampus but linked to educational activities like flights, electricity, landfill waste and freight transportation. Our annual baseline was recorded at 608 tCO2e, with international air travel accounting for nearly 50% of that total (290 tCO2e). The second largest source was electricity consumption, followed closely by domestic air travel and landfill waste. While we cannot record all operational emissions at present – such as daily bus and car commutes – we are working with transport partners like Bayes to capture this data in the future.
In May, we completed the certification process by establishing clear reduction targets based on our baseline. Reassuringly, our 2025 data already shows promising results: we reduced our total carbon emissions to 523 tCO2e, thanks largely to fewer long-haul flights and increased composting of food and green waste. However, electricity has now become our largest remaining source of emissions at 145 tCO2e. This highlight underscores the importance of the solar panels currently being planned for on our new Gate 2 Building, which will significantly increase our capacity for on-site renewable energy generation.
This achievement marks a meaningful step forward in our commitment to climate action. Now that Kristin is becoming a certified Carbon Reduce organisation, we are excited about the educational opportunities this brings. The programme offers authentic opportunities for students to engage in environmental auditing and data monitoring while carrying out an inquiry into sustainability. Certification signals to our community that Kristin is taking the future seriously, doing our part to address climate mitigation and role-modelling how we all have a responsibility to reduce the impact we have on our fragile environment.
Looking ahead, we can now refine our focus on the ‘big five’ emission areas: international air travel, domestic travel, electricity, landfill waste and fuel consumption.
We will continually work to reduce consumption and improve efficiencies on our campus. Alongside these reduction efforts, we will also embrace campus carbon sequestration – transforming our grounds into a living carbon sink and proving that education and environmental stewardship go hand in hand.
Working with Toitū Envirocare, we hope to inspire our community – even small changes can make a big difference.
Sarah Wakeford Sustainability Activator
Top 10 Carbon emissions (tC02e) by source 2024/2025
Welcome Introducing our new Chaplain, Jordan Henare
Joining us at the end of Term 1 was our new Chaplain, Jordan Henare. Jordan brings a fresh, dynamic perspective to this cherished role within the Kristin community, grounded in tikanga Māori and strong Christian values.
Jordan is very familiar with the school and the area, as he describes, he is a “shore boy born and raised”, growing up mainly in Murrays Bay and attending high school just down the road at Rangitoto College.
Jordan’s dream had always been to become a firefighter, so once he finished his schooling, he worked in the trades to train and prepare himself to become one, whilst also working as a caregiver for children with autism. Firefighting is notoriously difficult to enter, and at the time Jordan was trying, only seven spots were available among about 2000 applicants. In a cruel twist of fate, just when he was on the cusp of being successful, he broke his back in a work accident.
‘I was pretty sad about that. My mum asked me, “Why did you want to become a firefighter?” and I said, “Because I like the idea of saving lives.” She suggested I could try and do that in a different way, one that doesn’t require holding a fire hose. I asked what she meant, and she had circled a degree in youth development. That's where my passion for working with young people began. I remember thinking, “This is actually awesome, working with young people rules,”’ says Jordan.
Halfway through completing his Bachelor of Youth Development, Jordan moved to South Auckland, where he began working in the youth justice system at a residential care facility and also as a bouncer on the side:
“Bouncing was much easier; it sounds funny, but I actually used to do it to relax,” says Jordan.
Part of Jordan’s role was as a transporter, taking young people who had been locked up for the highest level of crimes to their court or medical appointments, as well as working inside the facility. After being immersed in this
environment for a few years, he became frustrated with the broader picture and decided to move into policy, which he did for a few more years.
Jordan then pivoted and began working for Hato Hone St John, first with children's first aid and then with community engagement and also as a member of the major incident support team. As part of that role, Jordan was deployed to some very serious incidents, such as the 2023 mass shooting in the Auckland CBD, as well as the Auckland Anniversary Day floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, all in the same year:
“After Cyclone Gabrielle, I was sent to the East Coast where my role was to teach a whole bunch of people first aid, give them first aid kits and send them out to help as many people as possible,” says Jordan.
As well as his Bachelor's Degree, Jordan also holds a Master's in Professional Practice, where he studied his chaplaincy, and is currently studying to become a priest.
Last year, Jordan and his wife Tylo moved to Whangapāroa to be closer to his parents and family, and after five years with St John, he decided to look for a new opportunity:
“I loved helping people with St John, but I had moved away from helping young people. When I saw the Chaplain role come up here, I was really interested. The students at Kristin are the leaders of tomorrow. We could have a future Prime Minister on our campus right now, so to be working here with these students is really exciting for me,” says Jordan.
Jordan has his own philosophy on how he would like to positively impact our students in his role:
“I am not here to implement rituals or 500-year-old traditions; I am here to support students and teach them values that they wouldn't learn elsewhere. I want
to implement Christian values in a way that honours everyone's beliefs. I want to take the actual values and teachings of the Bible, all that really good stuff like ‘love thy neighbour’, ‘respect those around you’, or ‘respect the environment’, and help to implement those values here in a way that doesn’t force our kids to be Christian,” explains Jordan.
With a proud Māori heritage, Jordan, whose legal name is Hōrano, is also keen to be involved in increasing te ao Māori and tikanga Māori around the school, and is already working with the Middle School Kapa Haka group:
“There are a few Māori students in the group, but the majority are not, which I think is really cool. I am Māori, but when I was at school I didn’t even want to do Kapa Haka!” laughs Jordan.
Outside of work and his priest training, Jordan loves acting and singing and often takes to the stage, including this July, where he is playing a kiwi in the Old Macdonald’s Farm pantomime at the Pumphouse Theatre in Takapuna.
Through Performing Arts, Jordan already had previous connections with some Kristin staff members, including singing barbershop with Justin Stoddard, being in an awardwinning choir directed by David Squire, and having Janelle Pitout as a teacher who also directed him in two musicals. Jordan is also passionate about sports, having played football growing up and is a keen follower of Aston Villa and Auckland FC.
“Yeah, I am all over the place. I can’t dance, though!” laughs Jordan.
Everyone at Kristin is thrilled to have Jordan on our team. Make sure you say kia ora if you see him around campus, or drop by the Chapel for a kōrero.
Events Summer Carnival
Always a cherished event for the entire Kristin community, the Summer Carnival delivered again this year, celebrating our Foundation Day with an afternoon of smiles and fun.
Students and community members of all ages came together to enjoy the festivities, which included delicious food trucks, games, carnival rides, musical performances, the refreshing Tūrama Garden Bar and many student-led stalls offering all sorts of delights whilst raising money for a wide range of incredibly deserving causes.
The sun was shining, and the vibes were high; the Summer Carnival is what Kristin is all about.
Performing Arts Mamma Mia!
The Kristin community could not resist our 2026 Senior School Production of Mamma Mia!, which boogied onto the Kristin Auditorium stage in May for four incredible performances that had audiences dancing and jiving all night long.
Our remarkable ‘Super Trouper’ cast and crew produced a masterful show that enthralled audiences of all generations, showcasing the hit musical’s iconic ABBA hits, including ‘Dancing Queen’, ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’, ‘Voulez-Vous’, ‘Money, Money, Money’, and many others.
From the eye-catching outfits, mesmerising lighting and effects, sensational live music and meticulously crafted upbeat dance numbers to the large-scale stage design, this show was something truly sensational.
Once again, our production team, working alongside 120 students in the cast and crew, pulled together a highly professional and outstanding spectacle, reinforcing Kristin’s position as a national leader in productions and Performing Arts.
In every scene of every performance, it was clear to see that the talented students who decided to ‘Take a Chance’ on being involved in this show and the audiences who came along to soak it all in were genuinely having the time of their lives.
Performing Arts Senior music students tour New York City
From the grand acoustic heights of the Metropolitan Opera to the intimate, historic basements of Greenwich Village jazz clubs, New York City provides an incomparable opportunity for musical inspiration and learning.
This April, a group of 24 Kristin Senior School music students experienced this legendary landscape firsthand during an action-packed 11-day tour. Designed as an extended and varied educational masterclass rather than a standard city visit, the trip offered our students a life-changing window into the heart of one of the world’s greatest musical centres.
New York City is uniquely positioned as the undisputed global ‘one-stop shop’ for the Performing Arts. Nowhere else on earth can students experience the absolute
pinnacle of grand classical opera, cutting-edge contemporary musical theatre, rich jazz heritage and elite world-renowned training academies within blocks of one another. The primary objective of this tour was to expose our passionate musicians to diverse performance genres, introduce them directly to industry professionals and inspire them to return home with a broadened creative mindset inspired by the energy and arts scene of New York.
From the outset, the plan for this trip was to focus on interactive, hands-on workshops and active engagement with professional practitioners, as opposed to simply being spectators. Our students were not merely passive audience members – they stepped directly into the city’s musical arena. At Open Jar Studios, the group participated in a Jazz Improv Workshop with Boston-based group the Boom Chick Trio, breaking down the rules of jazz improvisation under the guidance of inspirational musicians.
The theatrical world opened its doors even wider during two private Broadway workshops. In the Broadway Conducting Workshop, students worked directly with the musical director of Wicked on Broadway, learning the precision and leadership required to steer a live professional orchestra through a complex score. This was seamlessly paired with a Broadway Singing Workshop, where vocal technique, storytelling and stage presence were evaluated by a current cast member of Hadestown, challenging our students to push past their comfort zones. Additionally, attending the New York Philharmonic Young Composers Workshop gave our students a rare behindthe-scenes look at how raw creative concepts are scored and brought to life.
The sheer diversity of live music we experienced was unparalleled. Students straddled centuries of musical evolution, taking in the timeless grandeur of Puccini's La Bohème at the Metropolitan Opera House, followed by the multi-award-winning modern orchestration of Hadestown on Broadway, Buena Vista Social Club, and CATS: The Jellicle Ball. A dedicated tour of the Juilliard School campus allowed students to walk the halls of the world’s elite conservatory, while a late-night set from the Ari Hoenig Trio at historic Greenwich Village jazz club ‘Smalls’ offered an unforgettable lesson in the height of jazz performance.
An intensive trip of this calibre changes a student. By experiencing New York as a vibrant, multi-disciplinary classroom, our senior musicians did not just observe excellence; they lived it. As they returned home to Auckland, they brought back a renewed musical vocabulary, global insights and a lifelong inspiration that will stay with them forever.
Nick Duirs Head of Faculty - Visual & Performing Arts
Sport From the Director of Sport
The arena of character: why team sport is the ultimate classroom.
At Kristin, our commitment to team sports is a deliberate choice. While individual sports and achievements are supported and celebrated, we believe the team's collective environment offers a unique and vital place for character development. In our world, the ability to find a sense of belonging, cultivate a shared work ethic, overcome challenges and build resilience, which are all important life lessons, are all found within any sports team committed to creating a positive sporting experience. And that is our focus here with sport at Kristin.
The long-term impact of this approach is particularly profound for our young women. Research consistently indicates that sport is a primary pipeline for future female leadership; globally, over 90% of women in Chief Executive roles have a background in competitive sports (EY Global Research). By stepping onto the court or field today, our students are preparing to lead the organisations of tomorrow.
Lessons from the ‘Invincibles’
New Zealand has a storied history of teams fostering a sense of belonging by ‘leaving the jersey in a better place’. A landmark example is the 1924 ‘Invincibles’.
During their six-week voyage to Britain, this legendary rugby squad utilised their time with remarkable intentionality. They established rigorous team protocols and fostered an inclusive environment in which every player had a stake in the outcome. They also sought guidance from passengers on the boat regarding injuries, strapping and breathing techniques to manage emotions. Remember, this was over 100 years ago!
Their daily ritual – sitting in a circle to analyse roles and provide honest, constructive feedback – ensured that everyone had a voice. This transparency created an unbreakable team ethic and culture. At Kristin, across all our team sports, this remains a focus for the highperformance cultures we strive to build today.
Testing the standard
Kristin Sport continues to compete at both the regional and national levels. This year, our Premier Boys’ Water Polo team embodied this at the Division 1 National Championships. Competing against traditional sporting powerhouses like Auckland Grammar School, Christchurch Boys’ High School, and Sacred Heart College – schools with centennial histories of sporting dominance – our team delivered incredibly brave performances.
They demonstrated that they do not merely participate; they belong at the elite level. Their involvement at this level stems from hard work, commitment to team training and a unique ‘road cone’ legacy – a symbol of their hard work and collective identity that they continue to honour. They have embraced teamwork and created their own ritual to be passed down. An example of working together and a sense of deep belonging within a positive context that has seen the team perform on the biggest stage and have the players develop into better people.
Our boys' and girls' pre-season Hockey tour to Australia served as a critical part of Kristin Sport, building a platform from which to succeed. Beyond the turf, the focus remained on developing the leadership, team values and cultural alignment necessary to succeed in the intensive Auckland, North Harbour and New Zealand winter season. We look forward to seeing these strengthened combinations put into action throughout the 2026 season.
The practice of leadership
Our Premier Girls’ Netball team over the past two years has been a shining example of how empowered leadership translates into success. Led by exceptional student leaders and supported by a coaching philosophy that prioritises player agency, the team secured back-to-back championships – a feat achieved through resilience, hard graft and tactical unity.
This character was not accidental; it was practised. Many of these athletes are graduates of our Year 12 Sports Leadership Programme, facilitated by Greg Nicol, Head Coach of the New Zealand Men’s Hockey team. Now in its third year, the programme emphasises that leadership must be learned and practised.
When every member of a squad is ‘on board’ and paddling the waka in the right direction, it creates a powerful dynamic capable of overcoming the most intense competitive pressure.
At Kristin, we don't just play sports to win games. We play to build a strong sense of internal strength and teamwork. We aim for a positive sporting experience across all levels. Of course, winning is nice, and we celebrate the wins.
But Kristin Sport is more than that. We often play against schools with much larger student numbers, so we need to dig deep and work hard. These are qualities that, through sport, will ensure our students are in a better place to take on the next chapter in their lives once they leave Kristin. We play to ensure that when our students eventually hang up their Kristin jerseys, they do so as empowered people, motivated to remain physically active and enjoy their sport.
Sport Xin sisters: Kristin's talented golfing masters
The Xin sisters, Victoria (Year 10) and Alice (Year 8), are beginning to take the golfing world by storm, showcasing their spectacular talents at national and international tournaments.
Victoria’s appetite for golf began right here at Kristin in Year 4, trying it for the first time after setting up a golfing club with a friend. She enjoyed it so much that she decided to take it up more seriously. For Alice, her interest in golf was then sparked by her older sister:
“I think I was around seven years old when I first started. During COVID, Victoria was always in the backyard practising her swing. I was quite bored, so I thought I would join her! I have been playing ever since,” says Alice.
The girls clearly enjoy the sport, practising five or six days a week at the North Shore Golf Club and playing on the weekend at Pupuke Golf Club:
“If you practice a lot, you really get to see the results, which I enjoy. I also love how many people you get to meet, especially playing international tournaments, you get to meet people from all over the world,” says Victoria. Living under the same roof, Victoria and Alice spend a lot of time playing and practising together, and as you can imagine, this brings with it some healthy sister-to-sister competition:
“We definitely have some good competition between us. I am not sure if it is a good thing or not, but Dad made up a game for us when we are playing 18 holes together. Basically, we bet money per hole on who will win. It creates a bit more tension and makes it even more exciting and fun!” laughs Victoria.
Both girls have recently been putting their practice into play, securing some fantastic results in New Zealand and across the ditch. Playing against some of the best young golfers from around the world at the Australian Amateur Championships hosted at the Ballarat Golf Club, Victoria finished 4th in the U16 Girls’ Division and 8th overall, while Alice also placed 4th in the U14 Girls’ Division and 23rd overall.
They both then competed at the U16 South Island Championships, where Victoria finished 2nd and Alice 7th, and again at a tournament in Thailand, where Alice was the youngest competitor in the field. In late May, Victoria travelled to New York to play in a qualifying
tournament for the United States Golf Association (USGA) Junior Girls’ Championship at Sunningdale Country Club, where she finished fifth overall, narrowly missing qualification by just one shot.
Victoria has already secured some amazing results in her young amateur golfing career. In 2025, when she was in Year 9, she remarkably won the individual title at the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Golf Championships. Victoria shot sensational back-to-back rounds of 66 (-4) to finish at the top of the individual leaderboard on -8, beating out the best young amateur male and female golfers in the country:
“It was pretty exciting to beat all of them and win. There were so many good players from all over New Zealand, many of them much older than me, so the competition was tough. I think because it was a team event, I was more focused on our Kristin team and trying to score as low as possible; I wasn't really thinking about the individual competition, which put the pressure elsewhere,” says Victoria.
Victoria was already familiar with big wins. You only have to rewind the clock a little further to 2024, when she won the IMG World U12 Championship in the United States of America, shooting impressive scores of 69, 69 and 72 to win the three-round tournament by two shots in a field of over 90 golfers from all over the world:
“I think that one is certainly my best achievement because of the calibre of international golfers and the competitiveness at that tournament,” says Victoria.
When it comes to their favourite golf courses they have played at, Alice picked a beauty: none other than TPC Sawgrass in Florida, which hosts the unofficial fifth golfing major, The Players Championship. The course features the famous island green on the 17th hole, whose surrounding water is estimated to claim over 120,000 golf balls per year, two of which Victoria claims are hers.
Victoria and Alice look up to today's professionals, with both selecting three-time major winner Nelly Korda and our New Zealand superstar, three-time major and Olympic medal winner and LPGA Hall of Famer, Dame
Lydia Ko, as their favourites, alongside men's players Ludwig Alberg and Colin Morikawa.
For any aspiring golfers or Sunday hackers out there fishing for a few tips, the girls are happy to chip in:
“Target practice and distance control. Practice your shots at 20, 30, 40, 50 metres, etc. It will help you become much more precise with your shot windows. Oh, and keep your head down!” says Victoria.
“Work on your swing tempo. If your tempo is wrong, the ball can go anywhere, so it is a good thing to work on, and you can do it anywhere!” says Alice.
Looking ahead, both Victoria and Alice are taking it one tournament at a time, but their overall goal is to attend a college in the USA with a great golf programme, with Alice preferring UCLA and Victoria eyeing Stanford University. However, at the rate these two young golfing masters are progressing, you wouldn’t rule out seeing them competing against Korda or Ko on the world stage in the not-so-distant future.
Sport Pre-season Hockey Performance Tour to Brisbane and the Gold Coast
In preparation for a competitive winter season, 35 Kristin students and five staff members recently travelled to Australia during the Term 1 holidays for an intensive nine-day pre-season performance tour.
This trip was carefully designed to combine highperformance training with international competition, providing our squads with an exceptional environment to hone their skills and build team culture.
Exploring Brisbane
The first three days of the tour were spent in Brisbane, where the group balanced sport with significant cultural and sightseeing activities. The students participated in a live tour of Suncorp Stadium, gaining insight into the operations of a world-class sporting venue. This was followed by a scenic walk to Southbank and a visit to the lookout at Mount Coot-tha. As student Makenzie Nel (Year 11) noted, these experiences were part of "countless adventures" the group enjoyed during their stay.
Elite training on the Gold Coast
The tour then moved to the Gold Coast for five days, where the group was based at a premier High Performance Centre. The professional atmosphere was palpable; our students even found themselves sharing the facility with elite athletes, including the current Olympic High Jump champion, New Zealander Hamish Kerr.
To fully emulate a professional sporting environment, students participated in personal turf coaching sessions, utilised ice baths for recovery and engaged in yoga and mental health lectures. Austin McKay (Year 10), a younger member of the group, found the environment transformative: "It pushed me to step up, connect with my teammates, and make the most of every opportunity on and off the field." These sessions were vital for fostering a high-performance mindset and, as Nidia Singh (Year 11) shared, "brought the squad closer together."
Professional coaching and international matches
The Hockey discipline remained the primary focus throughout the tour, with each squad completing three intensive training sessions and five full games.
Our players benefited from world-class instruction during professional coaching sessions led by South African Olympian Lloyd Madsen and Hockeyroo Olympian Rosie Malone.
The international competition was fierce as our squad faced off against numerous clubs and schools, including Gold Coast representative teams, All Hallows School and Redcliffe Hockey Club. The local climate added an extra layer of difficulty; our students were not typically exposed to such high temperatures and initially struggled with the heat during daytime activities. However, their grit resulted in impressive performances:
• Boys’ team: 2 wins and 3 losses
• Girls’ team: 3 wins and two draws
Memorable moments
Outside of the training at the hockey turf, the group enjoyed the iconic Gold Coast lifestyle with a walk along Surfers Paradise beach, a trip to Movie World and a visit to the Koala Trail to see koalas and kangaroos in the wild. When it came to refreshments, the overwhelming favourite was Yo Chi (a self-serve frozen yogurt and açaí joint), which was quickly voted a major tour highlight.
The pre-season tour was an outstanding success, offering our students the perfect blend of elite training, professional exposure, and team bonding. As Austin McKay (Year 10) concluded, "I came away with more confidence, stronger friendships and a real appreciation for being part of such a supportive hockey group."
Sport Keegan Hall and the rise of Volleyball
Keegan Hall has been coaching our Kristin Volleyball teams for two years now, but this year, he has also taken on the role of Head of Volleyball as the sport is rising among students at Kristin and across the country.
Keegan grew up locally, attending Long Bay Primary School, Northcross Intermediate School and Long Bay College. Following school, Keegan studied a Bachelor of Sport and Recreation at the Auckland University of Technology (AUT).
Keegan's passion for volleyball began when he was in Year 10:
“I was always a basketball player growing up, but in Year 10, the teacher in charge of volleyball said that they would pay me $10 to trial for the volleyball team, so of course I said yes!” says Keegan.
In Year 13, he started taking volleyball
much more seriously, and following high school, he also began coaching the Long Bay College teams. In 2024, Keegan started coaching our Kristin boys’ and girls’ teams and has now moved into the role of Head of Volleyball.
Nationally, Volleyball is currently one of the fastest-growing secondary school sports, with a 35% increase in participation over the last five years. It is also the second-most participated-in sport in New Zealand secondary schools. This trend is backed up at Kristin, with our teams increasing over the past few years to now include nine senior teams and five junior (Year 9 and 10) teams:
“It’s definitely growing. If you walk anywhere around the school at lunchtime, you will see students with a volleyball either playing or just hitting around with their friends. It’s such a good social game,” says Keegan.
Keegan thinks there is one key aspect that makes volleyball such a fun, popular and social sport to play: “I think Volleyball is a great sport in
the sense that it is really an ultimate team sport. In basketball or football, you can have one guy dribble around a whole team and score every point, but in volleyball, you need every single person on the court to chip in and help the team win,” explains Keegan.
Keegan is also an accomplished player in his own right, and is currently in the Volleyblacks (New Zealand Men’s Team) training squad for the Asian Men's Continental Championships in Japan, and has previously played for the New Zealand U20’s team against Australia. Keegan also represents North Harbour in the national competition, as well as playing for his club team, the Raiders, who have won the last two national club titles.
Keegan encourages all students to give volleyball a go, and with the way the sport is growing, it might not be long until we see some of our Kristin students spiking and setting at a national or international level.
Junior School laced up for the Running Challenge
An exciting initiative in our Junior School in Term 2 was the Running Challenge, which served as the perfect lead-up to our annual Cross Country event. The challenge was open to any student in Years 3-6 who wanted to train for the big race or was motivated to earn valuable points for their class.
The rules were simple: one lap of the Bass Road field (approximately 400 meters) earns one point for the class. Points are tallied daily, and the challenge was on offer three times a week.
It quickly became a highly popular way to get students moving during lunchtimes. It offered a fantastic opportunity for extra cross-country training, especially for those unable to practise after school. Our wonderful class teachers did a great job motivating students by sharing the overall daily results, boosting enthusiasm and eager anticipation for the next session. We even had a great turnout on Pink Shirt Day!
Strategy varied across the cohorts: some classes relied on a dedicated group of regular runners who turned out to complete lap after lap, while others saw nearly the entire room
come out together to conquer a few laps each. Whatever the method, students were working hard to earn as many points as possible for their class!
During the Running Challenge, we asked some of the students, "Why do you come out to run during your lunchtimes?", and they had some wonderful insights to share: "So we can practise for Cross Country."
– Lyla Byrne (Year 3)
"So our class can win!"
– Marina Broadhurst (Year 3)
"Because I enjoy running."
– Dominik Trajkovski (Year 4)
"I want to help my class out."
– Aisha Malofie (Year 4)
"We want to practice for Cross Country to get better, and we want to get a little surprise from our class teacher!"
– Bell Wan (Year 4)
"I want to get faster and beat some of the fast boys in Cross Country. I want to come first this year!"
– Patrick Meyer (Year 5)
Rae Jack Junior School Physical Education
Giving Wholehearted Giving Week
Kristin’s origin story is one built on philanthropy, goodwill and the collective vision to create a school where every child is known and seen. In 1973, a small group of parents, bound by a desire to provide an exceptional education for their children and the broader community, mortgaged their homes, purchased land and, with their own hands and hearts, laid the foundations of Kristin.
In many ways, the concept of Wholehearted Giving Week reflects the original vision of Kristin’s founding families. The first fundraising initiative of its kind at Kristin, we sought to encourage as many people as possible to make a gift, no matter its size, and to embrace the spirit of generosity for which our school is renowned.
From 18-22 May, our community had the opportunity to support four projects that aligned with the school’s values of progress with vision, integrity and love. Our Progress project sought to build an outdoor space designed for the physical and cognitive development of our sixyear-olds; the Vision project involved raising money for the installation of solar panels on the upcoming Gate 2 Building to reduce our carbon footprint; our Integrity project asked supporters to trust the school to allocate their gift to the areas of greatest need, which could be anything from creating new learning environments to supporting staff or other general school activities.
We also offered our community the opportunity to help talented students with leadership, academic achievement, sports or Performing Arts potential to join the Kristin community by making a gift towards the Dove Scholarship programme.
Much like the pride our founding families took in uniting to create an exceptional school environment, we hope that, by taking part in Wholehearted Giving Week, you are proud of the legacy that we are creating for our current and future students. Together, we raised over $60,000, with a significant portion of the funds supporting the brand-new Year 2 playground, which you can learn more about on page 12 of this publication.
The true success of Wholehearted Giving Week, however, cannot solely be measured by the amount raised or the progress on a fundraising thermometer. More importantly, the support and participation of our community in this week-long fundraising initiative showed that, together, we are truly living the Kristin value of love by compassionately serving others.
Wholehearted Giving Week may be over for 2026, but there is still time to support the project that is most meaningful to you. Should you wish to discuss making a gift to Kristin, please contact our Head of Advancement, Analiese Jackson, at advancement@kristin.school.nz
Analiese Jackson Head of Advancement
Giving Dove Scholarship Fund providing life-changing opportunities
After finding that her first year of senior school wasn't pushing her academically, Kiara Galliani-Ferrer (Class of 2025) and her mum started searching for a school that would challenge her in every aspect of her school life and give her the opportunities she needed to excel:
"When my family found out there was another option in International Baccalaureate (IB), we started looking at the schools that offered it and discovered that it was mainly private schools. My mum saw that Kristin offered scholarships and was like, 'Oh, that would be cool, wouldn’t it? Let’s just give it a crack,' says Kiara.
Kiara and her mum's tenacity and positive attitude worked, and Kiara was accepted for her final two years of Senior School!
Moving schools ahead of Year 12 would be overwhelming for any student, but Kiara truly took it in her stride. One of the first things she noticed was the positive impact that smaller class sizes had on her ability to learn:
"The difference between Kristin and my old school was huge. The environment at Kristin was really different. I’d been in a classroom with 30 people, several of whom didn't want to be there and were just disrupting the whole class. Moving across, I think my biggest class was like 14 people.
"I remember showing up and lining up outside in my first period and I was like, 'Is this how many people are in my class?' I’d heard the classes were small, but I was like, 'Wait, it’s actually this small!' Being around like-minded people who also wanted to learn was, I think, what allowed me to succeed the most at Kristin," says Kiara. At Kristin, Kiara truly excelled. She participated in football and
Model United Nations (UN) and was even made a Prefect in her final year of school, an achievement that left her "buzzing":
"Without being granted a Dove Scholarship and without the opportunity to push myself academically, I never would have been able to excel as I have. I was able to set myself up with really good study habits, which I think comes down to the environment that has been created at Kristin, and I was even able to get a scholarship to the University of Otago to study Law.
"I would say to anyone who is thinking of giving towards Dove Scholarships to think about the opportunity they’re providing. It might just seem like you’re making a donation so that a kid gets to go to school, but, for me, Kristin wasn’t just about going to class every day. You grow a lot as a person. Kristin really supports you in achieving your goals," says Kiara.
Kiara's story is a powerful testament to how a scholarship at Kristin does more than open a door to a classroom; it creates opportunities that have the power to change lives for the better. With a gift to the Dove Scholarship Fund, you can make an incredible difference to exceptional students like Kiara, who would not have been able to attend Kristin without additional financial support.
To find out more about Dove Scholarships and the ways in which you can support the next generation of Dove Scholars, please email: advancement@kristin.school.nz
Analiese Jackson Head of Advancement
Digital Learning, Innovation & AI From the Head of Digital Learning and Innovation
Firstly, I want to take a moment to say that it is a genuine privilege to serve as Kristin’s Head of Digital Learning and Innovation. My view is that this role is uniquely positioned where the traditional methods of today's classrooms meet the vast possibilities of tomorrow. My focus is on finding a balance: retaining our Kristin identity and what makes us unique while leveraging technology to truly lift the learning experience for everyone involved.
However, there is a fine line we have to walk together. On one side are tools for genuine learning, things we choose specifically to help us think better, create more, be more efficient and navigate complexity. On the other side are tools for ‘cognitive offloading’, or outsourcing our thinking to a machine.
I’ll be honest – one of the hardest parts of this role is saying no to a tool just because it’s the latest trend. When we evaluate a new platform internally, we are beginning to ask ourselves: “Is this making the brain work harder, or is it just letting someone skip the struggle that leads to mastery?” That struggle is the ‘mental gym’ where growth happens. My responsibility to Kristin’s students, staff and families is to ensure technology acts as an accelerator for learning, not a substitute for it.
This leads to a critical point of discussion: determining the appropriate ‘age and stage’ for students to begin experimenting with these tools. While AI is great at offloading labour, it’s up to us to decide when that labour is a blocker to extended, higher-level thinking, and when it is an essential part of the learning process.
The challenge lies in timing: How do we introduce these tools without undermining a student's ability to justify their own reasoning? We believe building these foundational thinking skills is the most critical element of AI adoption. We cannot expect students to navigate an increasingly changing digital world if they haven't first developed the ability to think, discern and defend their own independent thought.
This philosophy is the driving force behind our ‘Future Ready Parent Series’. Our goal is to move beyond the ‘AI hype’ and focus on the reality of the world our children are entering. A vital takeaway from our first session is that we must maintain a ‘human-first’ mindset.
While AI will undoubtedly change the tools we use, it actually makes uniquely human skills more valuable than ever. To thrive, students will need to double down on:
• Curiosity: The drive to ask the right questions
• Integrity: The moral compass to use technology responsibly
• Critical thinking: The ability to analyse and evaluate information deeply.
At Kristin, we don’t want students to just be users of AI technology. We want them to engage with it as a thought partner – a tool to stress-test their ideas and sharpen their own unique voices.
Join the conversation!
This journey isn't one the school can take in isolation; it requires a genuine partnership between staff, students and parents. To keep this dialogue open and transparent, we have committed to two community catch-ups per term:
• The Future Ready Parent Series: Formal evening sessions where we tackle ‘big picture’ questions with insights from international leaders in education and technology.
• Coffee catch-ups at the Pavilion Cafe: These are informal, raw and honest. They are a great way to connect, share ideas and help build a community of informed, engaged families.
I am committed to growing Kristin’s Digital Learning journey to truly make us ‘Future Ready’, but this is only achievable in unity. Mā te kotahitanga e whai kaha ai tātau—in unity, there is strength. By working together, we’ll ensure every Kristin family isn't just ready for the future, but ready to embrace it.
Conor McCoull Head of Digital Learning & Innovation
Digital Learning, Innovation & AI
Exciting developments in Kristin’s digital landscape
It is a pleasure to share some of the exciting developments in our digital landscape here at Kristin. Education today is about much more than books and pens; it is about preparing our students for a world evolving at an unprecedented pace. At the heart of this journey is our commitment to ensuring that technology is used not just for innovation's sake, but to truly enhance how our students learn and grow.
Our focus has been the purposeful integration of tools we use every day, such as the Google Workspace and Apple ecosystems. More recently, our focus has shifted toward one of the most significant changes in modern history: the rise of Artificial Intelligence. In a world where the pace of AI development feels almost dizzying, the Digital Innovation and Learning team have been working behind the scenes to ensure our staff are not just keeping up, but leading the way. We have designed a robust series of professional learning opportunities specifically tailored to upskill our teachers in critical AI usage and strategic digital applications.
We understand that our teachers are incredibly busy, so the team has been very intentional about how this support is offered. To make these sessions as accessible as possible, we have provided two dedicated opportunities every week. These sessions are designed to be practical and hands-on, allowing teachers to experiment with new tools in a supportive environment before bringing those benefits back to the classroom.
This year has also seen the introduction of an informative new weekly staff newsletter titled ‘I never knew I could...’ Shared at the end of each week, this digital update has quickly become a favourite among the staff. Each edition includes a bite-sized tip on productivity and efficiency with Google Workspace tools, often accompanied by quick ‘how-to’ videos that simplify complex tasks. Crucially, it also includes a dedicated AI tip to help teachers explore how these new technologies can assist with lesson planning or administrative tasks, ultimately freeing up more time for them to focus on what they do best: teaching our students.
An open-door policy within the digital innovation team further supports the culture of learning among our staff. We are seeing a significant increase in ‘one-on-one moments’ in which teachers drop in to see us to solve a specific challenge. This personalised support is invaluable, as it enables the immediate application of technology in ways that directly benefit students.
Our commitment to supporting our educators is complemented by direct student programming, ensuring we are looking after and enhancing their needs and requirements. We are rolling out an AI literacy class that every Year 9 student will experience over the course of this year. This course focuses on the fundamentals: exploring what AI actually is and how it works, as well as developing critical thinking around what students need to consider before using it. Our core goal is to equip students with their 'licence' – the knowledge of how the technology runs – so they can engage with AI critically and ethically, ensuring they remain the authors of their own thinking and learning.
The initiatives outlined reflect a holistic approach to digital fluency. Our goal remains clear: to foster a dynamic and responsible learning environment where technology is a catalyst for critical thinking, ethical engagement and deep learning. We look forward to sharing further updates on how our students and staff continue to explore and excel in this rapidly evolving digital future in the months to come.
Donna Golightly Digital Learning & Innovation Specialist
Alumni Amber Baker
Amber Baker (nee Wijnstok) from the Class of 2008 developed a real creative passion for fashion, photography and design in her time at Kristin. This passion has now morphed into a phenomenal career in the magazine world. Working her way to the top, Amber now has her dream job at Remix Magazine. We caught up with the now mother of two to find out how she did it and hear about some of the amazing people she has met along the way.
What did you study once you finished up at Kristin? I went to art school for a few years and got a Diploma in Photography before moving to Dunedin and studying media and communications at the University of Otago.
Tell us about your career journey between your studies and working at Remix Magazine?
After interning as much as I could at any local magazine that would have me (mostly unpaid), I finally landed a role as Deputy Editor of Creme Magazine not long after turning 22. Creme was the candyland of the mag world; think backstage passes, interviews with One Direction and photoshoots out at Muriwai with Cody Simpson. Then I bounced into PR, working client-side for a while, but realised my love of comms lay in the media. I ended up as the editor at Renovate Magazine, an interior/home improvement mag, before being poached for Remix Magazine, where all my favourite things came together - fashion, design, pop culture, celebrities and endless photoshoots. I worked my way up and became New Zealand’s youngest editor-in-chief, a role I held for many years before recently morphing my role into something more flexible.
When did you realise you wanted to work in magazine publishing, and what do you think sparked that desire? Funnily enough, it was actually in the library at Kristin! Back in the 2000’s, the library had a bunch of Girlfriend and Cosmo magazines as well as National Geographics and my friends and I would trawl through them trying to learn as much about the big wide world as we could - we didn’t have Google or social media to teach us anything back then – it was books, movies and magazines.
For those who aren’t familiar, can you briefly describe Remix magazine?
I guess you could say it’s New Zealand’s answer to Vogue magazine. We’re a premium quarterly magazine that probably looks more like a collectible coffee table book.
In addition to the print magazine, we have an influential online platform. We cover the need-to-know in fashion, pop culture, design, lifestyle, art and tech. We also shoot all our own A-list celebrity covers (which is a huge feat for a small mag from New Zealand), from Charli D’Amelio and Kylie Jenner, to Cindy Crawford and even homegrown KJ Apa.
Tell us about your role at Remix Magazine. What does it involve?
My role at Remix over the last eight years has evolved as my lifestyle has changed! I’ve recently gone from editorin-chief to fashion director after having my second baby. This reshaping allows me to focus on the high-level fashion creative aspects I love the most - overseeing international cover shoots, styling and producing local fashion shoots, working on brand storytelling, hosting events and helping produce fashion client activations.
Would you describe this as your dream job?
Oh, 1000%. Being paid to be creative and help shape beautiful content, stories and events is about as good as it gets!
What is it like juggling mum and work life?
There are hard days and easy days! It’s a balancing act of knowing who needs more from you each day, work or your family, and it changes all the time. Priorities shift based on how the week is tracking. I love my job, and Remix is like another baby, but at the end of the day, my kids are my world, so having flexibility and fewer in-office hours, as I do now, is the perfect scenario.
Tell us about some of your personal career highlights so far in your role at Remix.
There are so many. Sitting down with my childhood muse Jessica Alba on the set of our cover shoot in LA was a major moment, but so was flying to Miami as I turned 33 to shoot OG 90’s supermodel Cindy Crawford where she sang me happy birthday over a cake… so was sharing a drink with Jason Momoa, but then so was chatting about party life with Charli XCX in person… so many! I’ve also loved the days when my kids were part of my job; having them on set as babies was actually quite beautiful and so very memorable!
Tell us some of your best memories from your Kristin days? Probably finding my love of film photography in the dark room, watching my work literally reveal itself before my
own eyes. Rehearsing for and performing in the school shows, which I now realise are Broadway quality, might I add. Honestly, just being surrounded by my best friends (who are still my best friends to this day, and now our children are too) every day and growing up together in a very creative and supportive environment.
Any advice for students who want to pursue a career in magazine publishing?
Intern, intern, intern. Do as much of it as you can. It is invaluable - a lot, and I mean A LOT, of junior-level hiring is done in-house based on internships.
Alumni Cam Stables
Carving his own path in the photography and film-making world, Cam Stables from the Class of 2015 is now living the dream, travelling to all corners of the world with a camera in hand, whilst producing epic content for a wide range of awesome organisations. We caught up with Cam to learn more about his unique story.
What did you do once you finished at Kristin?
I chose to study a Bachelor of Screen Arts at UNITEC Institute of Technology. While the course was interesting and taught me many technical skills, I ultimately struggled with the slow pace of the first-year programmes. When a job opportunity to work at TVNZ presented itself the following year, I made the difficult decision to leave my studies and develop my skills and knowledge in the industry through real, hands-on experience. I spent four and a half years working in a variety of different camera roles in the TVNZ studio and got to work on a range of live broadcast programmes, including One News, Breakfast, Seven Sharp and major sporting events. Often working part-time at TVNZ, I would also divide my time between acting and directing in the theatre industry, performing on stage in productions throughout Auckland. In 2020, I moved to the South Island, changing gears slightly and building my own freelance business as a commercial photographer and videographer.
Tell us about what you do now?
As I grew my business, I also spent a lot of my free time travelling and found a passion for documenting and capturing the world around me. Combining travel and filmmaking, I now focus most of my client work towards tourism brands around the world, shooting commercial videography, photography and video production for tourism boards, tour operators, hotels and lifestyle brands, as well as often working with tech companies and automotive brands to shoot campaigns that combine products and travel.
When did you realise you wanted to be a photographer/ filmmaker, and what do you think sparked that interest?
As long as I can remember, I have had a desire to tell stories and document life through a variety of mediums, be it art, photography, filmmaking or theatre. I love the process of creating and constantly find that every step of the journey to build a piece of work is engaging and exciting, no matter how challenging.
Coolest places your work has taken you?
I have been fortunate to work on so many cool and unique projects all around the world. From documenting wild orangutans in the rainforests of Borneo to filming for luxury hotels in Dubai, I get to see some pretty interesting places. I would say my favourite project to date was a documentary I worked on in Namibia. Over 11 days, I was hired alongside a group of fellow videographers to put together a story for Adobe, documenting the creative process of a fellow photographer, set amongst the backdrop of Erindi Game Reserve. What made this so cool was that the reserve had been closed to the public for several years, and we were granted special permission to film there. This meant we had the entire Erindi completely
to ourselves. Just us, our cameras and an extraordinary collection of Africa’s most spectacular fauna to discover and document.
What are the challenges of working freelance?
Nothing is guaranteed. Some months are filled with back-to-back shoots, while others can be quiet, sometimes without a job in sight. I have to trust in my ability to tell stories and my passion for what I do.
What does a normal day look like for you?
No two days are the same in my job. I am fortunate enough to get a lot of variety in what I do. Action-packed travel shoots are often balanced by weeks at the desk editing images and footage, and by spending time pitching or planning future shoots with clients. I spend a lot of time on planes and in airports (76 flights in 2025), and I spend a significant portion of my income on expensive camera equipment and gear. My desk often consists of cafe tables, tiny hotel stools or aeroplane tray tables while I juggle clients in different time zones.
Where are you currently based?
As of right now, I technically live out of my suitcase, doing brief stints back in New Zealand to see friends and family, in between back-to-back shoots around the world. At the time of writing, I am on an island in Taiwan.
What advice would you give to students who want to follow in your creative footsteps?
One of the most important lessons you will learn in the creative industry is that there is no linear pathway. I personally think it’s best to take as many opportunities as possible and lean into whatever presents itself. Pursue something you’re genuinely passionate about and be prepared to put some serious hours into improving your craft.
What are some of your best memories of your time at Kristin?
Kristin was a place that encouraged my creative endeavours and respected those pathways. I found subjects like Media Studies, English, Photography and Drama all played collective roles in what I wanted to ultimately pursue and teachers who respected my interests and ultimately encouraged me to thrive in those environments. The theatre productions were also a highlight. Both onstage and backstage, I began to learn the fundamentals of storytelling and production, as well as the value of creative collaboration. I gained not only rich friendships, but a passion for the industry that I carry with me to this day.
Check out Cam’s website: www.camstables.com or instagram: @cam_snaps to follow his remarkable journey.
Alumni Tim and Luke Burrows
Tim Burrows (Class of 2006) and his younger brother, Luke (Class of 2008), are the masterminds behind the popular plant-based burger joint, Wise Boys. Starting with an idea to simply make something good in the world, the boys took on the food industry with next to no experience. Fast forward to today, and the Wise Boys brand isn’t just making burgers; they are selling sauce like it’s going out of fashion at supermarkets all over the country. We had a chat with Tim to find out the real Wise Boys story.
What did you both get up to once you finished at Kristin?
After school, we both headed to the University of Auckland. I studied Mechanical Engineering and Luke studied Law and Commerce.
Tell us a bit about Wise Boys, the story behind it and how it came about?
Luke and I had wanted to run a business together for ages. We talked about it and decided that if we were going to do something, it had to contribute something good to the world, not just business for the sake of making money. I don't know how we ended up in hospitality, because neither of us had any experience there (except Luke's year or so working at the Pavilion Cafe after school and on weekends!) We figured that burgers are something anyone can cook; you don't have to be a chef. We also decided to go fully plant-based and try to be as zero-waste as possible.
I moved in with my parents for six months, put all my savings into it, and we built the food truck in the front driveway. Luke would come home from work at his law firm and help me build it in the evenings. After running the food truck for a few years, we opened our first store in Grey Lynn in 2019, then Commercial Bay in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic.
You can now purchase Wise Boys sauces and dressings in supermarkets. How did that come about?
The sauces came about because when we started, we couldn't find any vegan aioli — so we had to make our own. People really liked it and kept asking if they could take some home, so we thought, why not? Over the course of 2021, we launched a full range in supermarkets, starting with aioli, mayo and sriracha mayo, then expanding to
six sauces. There are now around 400 shops across New Zealand selling our vegan mayos, aiolis and dressings. It was a classic case of a challenge forcing us to innovate.
What are some of the challenges when it comes to the food industry?
The pandemic has been the biggest single challenge — especially opening our Commercial Bay store right in the middle of it. Cash flow was very tight. But surviving that gave us real confidence. When things get tough, you're forced to innovate and run lean, and those habits stick with you. More broadly, hospitality is an incredibly demanding industry — long hours, thin margins and a thousand things that can go wrong on any given day. Getting into supermarkets brought a whole new set of challenges around manufacturing and scale that we had absolutely no experience with.
On the flip side, being purpose-driven has helped us attract some incredible people to come on the journey. Working alongside like-minded people has been one of the most rewarding aspects. And there's something really special about creating food that people genuinely love — the feedback we get from customers, vegans and nonvegans alike, never gets old. We've even been visited by Kourtney Kardashian and Travis Barker, who came to the restaurant in 2024 and shared it on Instagram — which was quite the surreal moment!
You have now sold the Wise Boys business. Talk us through the decision behind that.
Luke has been running the business largely on his own for the past few years, and it has grown beyond what one
person can manage. So we decided to sell the hospitality side and double down on becoming a more established manufacturer. The sale has given us funds to invest in new machinery and build a brand-new factory, which we will move into later this year.
What are your plans now for the future?
I'm back as an engineer at a consultancy in Auckland and Luke runs the food manufacturing business from our factory space in Henderson. The plan is to keep making great vegan and veggie food. We are keen to keep experimenting with new products and pushing the creative boundaries of plant-based food. We're proud to have always built our offerings around whole-food and locally grown ingredients. Our aioli, for example, is made from around 90% New Zealand ingredients. We plan to start exporting next year, so that will be another big step for us.
What are your best memories from your time at Kristin?
My favourite memories were playing at Rockquest, naming the school magazine (is it still Make Dove, not War?)
Physics class with Mr Buckley and Year 10 Market Day. Also, the ‘man camp’ up in Northland, where we slept under tarpaulins and had to hunt turkeys for dinner.
Auckland Alumni Meet Up
Upcoming Alumni Reunions
We're looking forward to bringing our alumni community together at these upcoming reunion events.
• Dunedin Reunion: Wednesday 19 August
• Christchurch Reunion: Thursday 20 August
• Melbourne Reunion: Tuesday 20 October
• Sydney Reunion: Wednesday 21 October
• Auckland Reunion: Friday 13 November
(For the classes of: 1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2011, 2016, 2021)
You can register your attendance via the reunion event links on: www.kristinconnect.nz
If you would like to receive invitations to alumni events and reunions, update your details via our 'Keep in Touch' form at: www.kristin.school.nz/keepintouch
From the Archives
The story of Kristin’s dove logo
Throughout history, the dove has symbolised peace and love. Its meaning is rooted in Greek mythology and is carried through centuries of religious tradition. Today, it remains a powerful and enduring motif, depicted in both modern art and popular culture. But how did Kristin come to adopt this iconic symbol of hope as its own?
More than just an image, a school logo reflects its values and fosters a sense of belonging. Kristin’s connection to the dove began with its very first logo. In 1974, one year after opening, the school adopted a traditional, stylised letter ‘K’; a formal design that did little to capture Kristin’s caring character and youthful spirit.
It was founding parent Joy Jober who envisioned something more meaningful. She proposed a new symbol to represent what she described as “a beautiful school with dove-like tendencies”. Her inspiration came from the biblical passage: “Be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves” (Matthew 10:16). This message of balancing wisdom with kindness aligned perfectly with Kristin’s newly adopted motto: Progress with Vision, Integrity and Love.
A graphic design company was commissioned to bring the dove to life, but their initial concept proved too complex for practical use, particularly on uniforms. By chance, Dave Wood, a Kristin parent and freelance designer, noticed the concept sketches while visiting Principal Roy Munn’s office. After offering to refine it, Dave took the concept home and, over the course of one weekend, created the simplified dove we recognise today. In 2004, the logo was refreshed, with the eye subtly removed and the outline refined, resulting in the clean, elegant design still in use.
Five decades on, Kristin's dove remains as meaningful and relevant as ever. Woven into daily school life, it has transcended the school uniform to be a living symbol embraced by our community. We wear the dove with pride, gather in the Dove theatre, and nurture our youngest in the Little Doves Learning Centre.
More recently, we even share a laugh while mastering the playful ‘Love the Dove’ hand gesture. Most importantly, the dove continues to reflect who we are and what we value; an enduring symbol of Kristin’s spirit, carried forward with each new Dove generation.
Anna Tiedemann Archivist
Want to discover more about Kristin’s history?
Visit kristinschool.recollect.co.nz – Kristin’s Archive online platform. It’s a fantastic way to explore Kristin’s rich historical past.
It is always exciting to receive new donations, so if you have any Kristin memorabilia that would be a valuable addition to the Kristin archives, feel free to get in touch via: archives@kristin.school.nz
Today's dove logo
Dave Wood's refined logo (1975-2004)
Kristin's first logo (1974) Logo designed by graphic design company (1975)
The Final Shot: Cara Wallace (Year 13) takes her shot moments before scoring a sensational long-range goal for the Girls’ 1st XI.