Piper Issue 56 October 2015

Preschool

Preschoolers Farewell Dr Hastie

In their own inimitable way, the whole Preschool turned out on stage to farewell Dr Hastie and encourage her to ‘Reach for the Stars’ when she left Saint Kentigern to make her way to England to take up a new role as Headmistress of Tavistock & Summerhill School in Haywards Heath, West Sussex.

Preschoolers, parents and invited guests gathered in the Girls’ School hall to hear the children sing three of Dr Hastie’s favourite songs before launching into the action packed ‘Reach for the Stars.’ No sooner had they finished than they sang it all over again – this time with Dr Hastie joining in all the actions in her own equally inimitable style!

Director of the Preschool, Mrs Nash, said that as their ‘number one Preschool fan,’ Dr Hastie was a passionate, professional, fun and enthusiastic educator who would be missed; she will always have a place in the heart and foundations of the Preschool!

No Look, No Talk, No Touch

With stories of children being attacked by dogs; it was an opportune time for our preschoolers to learn about how to be safe around dogs. Annie and her gorgeous dog Sam visited and talked about the three golden rules when first meeting a dog.

1. NO LOOK - Don’t look directly at a dog

2. NO TOUCH - Do not to touch the dog

3. NO TALK - Only use quiet voices

Once the dog is comfortable, then they can be approached. For children who were unsure of dogs – Annie told them to put on their ‘super hero suit’ and every child happily patted Sam.

Saint Kentigern

Police, Fire, Ambulance!

Who do you call when you need help? 111 and ask for help!

The preschoolers learnt about what to do in an emergency during a week that saw visits from the police, fire department and St John’s ambulance. The children learned a great deal about what each service does in the community and really enjoyed seeing the fire truck in action, police dog Iso being put through his paces, having a chance to feel oxygen from an oxygen mask and see how to bandage an injury. The most important thing they learnt was to seek help from a grownup – this might mean ringing 111 themselves.

Bubbling with excitement

What better way to get our Preschool children excited about science than with a giant bubble floating above their heads! The Preschool was bubbling with wonder when the Science in a Van team arrived with its Bubbles Roadshow.

Every good bubble-blowing session starts with getting the mixture right, which was also the first learning point for the children. The effervescent scientists, Alan and Emily showed how water and washing liquid combine in order for the bubbles to form. Alan created small bubbles, then larger ones, then bubbles inside bubbles! Emily demonstrated how some mixtures don’t

combine, such as the separation of oil and water, while others like baking soda and vinegar spark a reaction.

Underpinning the show was the scientific method of hypothesise, test, observe and refine. The children were asked to imagine what will happen when blue solution is mixed with water, watch the two combine, and revisit their guess if it differed from the result. Words such as mixture, separation and reaction are now part of their vocabulary. This was a great initiation to exploring the physical and material world and learning ways to understand how things work.

Celebrating Red Nose Day

The blue and white of Saint Kentigern was put aside on Red Nose Day in August when the Preschool helped celebrate Red Nose Day with a dress in red mufti day. Everyone dressed the part and brought a donation to add to our Red Nose wall. By the end of the day, $745.00 had been raised for Cure Kids. Tiff, whose daughter Eva is the face of Cure Kids, came to collect the donation and said she was really grateful for our contribution.

This is the fifth year in a row that the Preschool has donated to this cause. Red Nose Day enables Cure Kids to raise vital funds for research into serious illnesses that affect many of New Zealand’s children. Conditions such as childhood cancers, heart diseases, Cystic Fibrosis, Sudden Unexpected Death in Infancy (SUDI) asthma, and many more serious illnesses that mean the children affected often miss out on normal childhood. Cure Kids was delighted that we were prepared to get ‘REDiculous’ to help to cure kids.

Fathers' Day

I t was a fabulous morning at Preschool when Dads and other special male role models were invited to celebrate Father’s Day with the children. There was a special treat organised for the day – a visit from Old McDonald’s Travelling Farmyard! Both the children and the adults were keen

Colour Explosion

Wto get up close and enjoy a hands-on experience of farm life. Undoubtedly the highlight was getting to have a ride on the ponies! There was unbridled delight on the students’ faces as they saddled up on top of ponies Bert and Ernie. It was a Father’s Day to remember for the students and fathers alike!

Mothers' Day

There was a fabulous turn out of Mums and other special ladies when the Preschool opened its doors for this year’s ‘Mother’s Day’ event. The morning started with a shared morning tea before the highlight of the morning – a visit from Cornflake the Clown who was very funny and just a little bit silly!

At the end of the show, Cornflake made a flower balloon for each child and then the children presented their Mums with a present; a jar of potting mix and a small bag of flower seeds that they can plant together.

hat better way to learn their colours than to have a fortnight of colour immersion. Each day the staff wore the colour of the day – while the children added something of the colour to their uniform! Art of every colour of the rainbow was soon displayed on the walls – and it looked amazing! Not only did the children learn the colour names in English but also in Maori and French. Great learning for all!

New Beginnings

SGirls' School

aint Kentigern Girls’ School is looking forward, with anticipation, to new beginnings following the resignation and farewell of Dr Sandra Hastie to her overseas posting in England. In any community there is always a sense of loss, of the unknown and at times, of worry when change is announced and yet it is the most natural thing in the world today. It is part of what makes this an innovative, exciting and challenging place to live.

We know that children like routines and respond well to boundaries set and we know we have to prepare them for changes that will occur throughout their lives. At times children can become stressed about the new teacher that they will have at the beginning of each school year, about the fact that the family moves house and friends are left behind, about the fact that parents may separate and new living conditions need to be established. Parents play a vital role in helping children learn how to cope with change, arming them with valuable life skills along the way.

Developing resilience is key for children to learn coping skills. At one time it was thought that resilience was an inherent trait that we were all born with, but we now know that it is one of the most important qualities that parents can teach their children. But how do they learn it? In the same way that they learn many things from adults; by observation.

Some studies have shown that children as young as two will copy the coping, stress-management and thinking styles of the adults around them. They may also sense if parents are anxious or worried and include that as part of their own behaviour development. There are other studies that suggest that strong relationships at home help make children more resilient. And surely the earlier this resilience building begins, the better for the child. For some children it is important not to spring change on them. Talking through the changes early will help them process what is happening and give them the opportunity to ask questions. It is also good to understand that children take time to adapt to change. This is particularly evident when students change schools. There is sound research to suggest that children making a transition to a new school could take up to six months to fully

settle and adapt to their new surroundings. During that time, learning may slow down as adjustments are made to new routines. There may also be a sense of loss, or even a sense of grief as friends are left behind. Such emotion is normal and reassuring talk is key on these occasions.

Schools are places where change is not always welcome but is essential in order to develop new learning, create and encourage new thinking and embrace new technologies. Starting with small but visible changes that make a positive difference is the key. As these small ‘wins’ accumulate, children become more open to trying out new things. If something that is undertaken does not work, or has unintended consequences it is important to say so and indeed let it happen; failure is also a learning experience. Dealing effectively with setbacks is critical if change is going to be an accepted part of a school’s culture and a child’s life. It is part of building resilience for the future.

There are many participants in school education; students of course, but also teachers and parents. The challenge for schools about to embark on change is that all of the above participants have been to school and have a firm view on school structure, teaching methods and curriculum delivery. After all, there have been few changes in school structures in recent times. Children still come to school for the same fixed time, have the same fixed holidays and work in classrooms that are not unlike those that many of their parents sat in, even if the technology that now surrounds them has changed!

At Saint Kentigern Girls’ School, change has been managed in a positive way over the last six years. Much has been added to the teaching and learning programme as well as to the physical environment. In 2016 the school will welcome a new principal, Ms Juliet Small, who will bring new ideas, changes and challenges to staff, students and parents. This we must embrace for our ‘small but mighty’ school to continue to grow and flourish into the future!

Mrs Judith Dobson Acting Principal

A visit to Rangi Ruru

With thanks to Mrs Judith Dobson, Acting Principal

F our years ago a plan was made to visit Rangi Ruru School in Christchurch during which time our students would share a sporting and cultural exchange with the Rangi girls. The devastating earthquakes struck and our plans were put on hold. We had the pleasure of hosting the Rangi girls at Saint Kentigern in the past and looked forward to the day that we could visit them.

At the end of Term 2, the last of the plans were in place, bags were packed and an excited group of students and teachers boarded the bus for the first leg of the exchange. On arrival in Christchurch we encountered very cold but beautifully fine weather.

First stop on the way was at Orana Wildlife Park. Over the years the park has developed into an open range zoo which allows visitors to be close to a wide range of animals. The girls roamed freely in groups and loved the view of rhinos, lions, meerkats; all the while exclaiming at the cuteness of the fluffy creatures as well as admiring the king of beasts. The gift shop also received brisk business as souvenirs for family and friends were purchased.

On to Rangi where we received the warmest welcome from the organising team lead by Helen Joblin. Meeting the billets was so exciting and friendships were quickly forged by all the students as they happily headed away to their first night with strangers.

The first major outing of this tour was to central Christchurch to look at the aftermath of the earthquakes and the rebuild of the CBD. Particularly sobering was standing in front of the ruined Cathedral and trying to understand what this meant to the people of Christchurch. Many of the students had not visited Christchurch prior to the earthquake so were not fully understanding and realising of what had stood in the main square. However, the evidence of cleared spaces and partly reconstructed buildings gave them some inkling of what had gone before. A brisk walk to the ‘Cardboard Cathedral’ where a talk was given explaining how the temporary building had been conceived and constructed was enlightening to the students. This was followed by a Celtic Communion service. Still standing in the CBD is the upmarket store of Ballantynes. Prior to travelling to Christchurch the students had studied not only the earthquakes of the recent past but also the history of Ballantynes. As a result they were eager to check out what this store had to offer to today’s customers. The accompanying school staff were so proud to hear from passers-by that our students’ behaviour was impeccable.

Our final full day in Christchurch involved the girls taking part in team sport and music making. Team sport included basketball and netball. It is with pride that Saint Kentigern girls won the basketball soundly with a score of 71 -12 and one of the netball games 47-16. The other netball game was a close finish. Music was represented with a combined orchestra performance which gave our girls an opportunity to work with a much larger group of musicians. Our Performers’ Choir presented some of their prepared pieces as did the Rangi choir. We rounded off the concert with our now well known, ‘Saint Kentigern Girls’ song.

The trip to Christchurch was a wonderful learning experience for our girls. Living in the home of strangers provides its own challenges so we were delighted to hear from hosting parents how much they enjoyed getting to know our girls. For those girls who were a little anxious about embarking on such an adventure; we were proud of the way they conducted themselves. We are all looking forward to hosting Rangi girls again and sharing our town with them.

Farewell Dr Hastie

Over the first three weeks of Term 2, the Saint Kentigern community, staff and students all had opportunities to say their farewells to Dr Sandra Hastie as she stepped down from her role as the first Principal of Saint Kentigern Girls’ School and Head of Primary. We wished her well as she moved on to become Headmistress of Tavistock & Summerhill School in Haywards Heath, West Sussex, UK at the beginning of their new academic year in September.

In a career at Saint Kentigern spanning over 20 years, Dr Hastie has contributed hugely to the success of both our primary schools. She has been in her current role at the Girls’ School since the start of 2010, prior to which she was a senior member of staff at the Boys’ School for 15 years. There, she served initially as Dean of Senior School and latterly as Deputy Principal.

In the last five years, under Dr Hastie’s leadership, the roll at the Girls’ School, the only independent girls’ primary school in Auckland, has more than doubled. Sound academic programmes have been introduced, together with numerous co-curricular activities. At the same time, she has had oversight of the very successful Preschool that was opened on site in 2011.

Dr Hastie has always had a strong commitment to professional personal growth in education, having earlier completed her Masters in Educational Administration, she went on to pursue and be awarded a Doctorate in Education with the University of Auckland. She has recognised expertise in the design and implementation of programmes which identify, track and develop the progress of students as individuals, and has particular experience working with gifted and talented students.

Dr Hastie can be very proud of the way in which she has contributed to the growth and development of our schools and, in particular, the strong sense of family community that has been built. At each of the events held in her honour, current and former staff, students, parents and members of the Trust Board all spoke of a woman who offers ‘tough love and a warm heart’; a lady with a competitive spirit, professional integrity and a wicked sense of humour! She cares deeply about her students and staff, seeking to develop the very best in each of them.

In the early days of her leadership, following the merger with the former Corran School, Dr Hastie coined the phrase that the developing Girls’ School was ‘small but mighty.’ The school is no longer so small but it is mightier than ever. At the final assembly, Deputy Head Girl, Zara Smith said, ‘Dr Hastie has started Saint Kentigern Girls’ School on a magnificent journey.’

We wish the very best to Dr Hastie, her husband, Bruce and dogs, Skye and Meg as they move on to their new life in the UK. She can be assured that she has left a school in good heart and that she will be remembered with fondness for the enormous contribution she has made to Saint Kentigern.

Dr Hastie’s Official POrtrait

Painted by Craig Primrose, one of New Zealand’s leading contemporary artists, Dr Sandra Hastie’s official portrait in oil is now on display in the Board Room at the Girls’ School. Craig has done a superb job of capturing her likeness and Sandra is absolutely delighted with the finished result. As the first Principal of Saint Kentigern Girls’ School, Dr Hastie is the first Girls’ School leadership portrait to be painted. Similar paintings hang at both the College and the Boys’ School, recognising former Principals and key former members of the Trust Board.

Craig Primrose is known throughout the world for his skilful portraiture, sporting imagery and stunning landscapes which led him to being commissioned to paint Sir Edmund Hillary, in commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the first ascent of Mt Everest in 1953. He was subsequently appointed as Sir Edmund’s preferred artist.

With many private commissions worldwide, especially in the world of sport, Craig has become one of New Zealand’s most sought after artists. His work is on display throughout New Zealand, Australia, Europe, Asia and America.

A Night to Reflect on The ‘Hastie’ Years

As a tribute to Dr Sandra Hastie’s years at Saint Kentigern, many members of the Saint Kentigern community, including current and former staff, students, parents and Trust Board members gathered for an evening hosted by the Parents and Friends to fondly wish her farewell. This was an evening with much laughter, tinged with sadness, as guests reflected on their personal associations with Sandra.

MC for the evening was former Boys’ School parent, Mark Leishman who spoke of the great respect amongst the parents at both schools for Sandra’s work over her many years at Saint Kentigern.

The evening opened with former student, Sharon Hung performing a cello recital. Sharon was a gifted musician during her time at the School and has gone on to become an accomplished cellist.

Trust Board member, Mrs Rosemary Harris was the first to speak. In her role, Rosemary has dedicated much time to both schools over the years, building an enduring connection with Sandra. She said, ‘Sandra is passionate about education and her ability to engage, inspire and lead is legendary. She cares deeply about her students and wants the very best for each and every one of them.’

Chairperson of the Girls’ School Parents and Friends, Rebecca GadsdonGreen and President of the Old Collegians Association, Andrew Morgan both thanked Sandra for her work, presenting her with gifts. The Old Collegians’ Association had arranged for a painting of the School as a keepsake for Sandra.

Key speaker of the evening was former Principal of the Boys’ School, Geoff Burgess, who had a long professional association with Sandra which developed into a lasting close friendship. Geoff has always been a speaker of note and he spoke from the heart with both respect and wry humour, referring to Sandra as a ‘dynamic and feisty educational leader, who has touched us all through her personality and achievements.’

The greatest testimony of the evening came from three of her former Head Girls, Georgia McLeish, Anna Lowther and Emerald Bendall, along with current Head Girl, Moiralisa Ainu’u Anerau. Each of the girls spoke with great fondness for the mentorship they had received; being encouraged to become strong, bold young women with a belief in themselves.

The last words of the evening were given to Sandra who spoke with wit and compassion about the School she was about to leave and how her excitement for new horizons was tinged with sadness for all she would leave behind. She offered thanks in particular to those parents who either stayed or joined the School at the time of the transition from Corran to Saint Kentigern Girls’ School in 2010 when she was first appointed. ‘Your loyalty, positivity and belief in me as a leader helped me in what was a challenging first year.’ She said that she’s learnt that it takes courage and hard work to grow a school. She hopes to be remembered as a principal who cared. ‘Saint Kentigern Girls School has left a permanent footprint on my heart and I am indeed richer for it.’

a Parting gift

During Dr Hastie’s final chapel service, the Year 8 girls were presented with a special farewell present by Dr Hastie. They were the first girls in their final year to receive a Leaver’s Bracelet, made of blue beads and bearing a silver disc engraved with the Saint Kentigern crest. There was hardly a dry eye in the room among the students, teachers and parents as each girl accepted their gift and a giant hug from Dr Hastie!

Tasty Fractions!

During their maths learning, our Year 0 and Year 1 girls have been exploring the beginnings of proportional thinking, introducing division, fractions and the associated languageconsidering the ‘whole’ of an object, ‘part’ of an object, ‘equal parts’ and their mathematical names, notably ‘halves’ and ‘quarters.’

Understanding fractions underpins many of the mathematical concepts that the girls will go on to learn and so it’s important that these early building blocks are well consolidated.

There are many ways to teach fractions, some more successful than others and the final lesson of the unit was most definitely a successful, as well as tasty, one! Learning is greatly helped if fractional analogies are used that students identify with – like the equal sharing of a pizza!

Visual learning greatly helps and having earlier cut paper shapes in half, the girls were already familiar with ‘dividing’ the paper into two. Most children are familiar with the sharing of food and if it’s something tasty, quickly know whether the division has been equal or not! With the help of some willing mothers, the girls went to the Food Technology room to create a pizza between two. A bamboo skewer was laid across the base and measured to make sure it was even before each girl selected their own pizza toppings. It was interesting to note the distinct difference in toppings between the halves!

A patient wait while the mums watched the pizzas in the ovens and then the girls were back to cut their shared pizza, taking their own half and cutting it in half again.

With thanks to Director of Curriculum, Mrs Trudi Edwards

Nowadays, in the age of e-books, iPads and hyperlinks, readers can find out the meaning of a word or read a review of a book with one touch of a screen. While this is a handy tool for leisure reading, it is not a particularly effective strategy for developing reading skills. At the Girls’ School, reciprocal reading is used in Year 5 as a teaching technique to ensure the girls are constantly thinking about what they are reading. The approach allows the girls to double check with their peers about anything they are not sure of, discuss what might happen next in a story, and consider the actions of characters or intention of the author.

Reciprocal reading places students into one of four roles – questioner, clarifier, summariser and predictor – to actively encourage them to think about their comprehension. They take charge of their understanding by guiding and being involved in discussions about set texts. It was adopted at the Girls’ School based in part on the backing of renowned education academic, Professor John Hattie, who ranked it amongst the most effective teaching strategies following extensive research. Such research regarding ways to improve student achievement has empowered teachers to become evidence based in their selection of teaching and learning techniques. The days of ‘I think’, ‘I believe’ and even ‘I reckon’ have thankfully been replaced with ‘I know!’

The process, which is modelled and guided by the teacher until students are proficient with using it independently, ensures students justify and debate responses, therefore engaging higher-order thinking skills through structured discussion about a text. This enables them to develop wellrefined comprehension skills and well-rehearsed critical thinking through

Question, Clarify, Summarise, Predict! ? ?

analysis and evaluation. These skills and the strategies learned are subsequently transferred to all other reading tasks across the curriculum.

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Book clubs are making a big comeback among readers who love having a good natter about their latest bedside tome. Groups of people holding the same book and energetically debating their opinions about characterisation, plot and language is a regular sight in cafés, homes and workplaces. Through the process of reciprocal reading at the Girls’ School, the Year 5 students are getting an early introduction to being in such a club and taking part in literary discussion.

Primary Science Week

Science is one of the eight compulsory learning areas of The New Zealand Curriculum (along with English, the arts, health and physical education, languages, mathematics, social sciences and technology). Encouraging children to take an interest in science as a subject, and as the possible basis for a career, is a key motivator behind the annual National Primary Science Week.

2015 marks the International Year of Light and was the focus for this year’s week of experimentation, discovery and fun at the Girls’ School. The theme was introduced during a ‘hands-on’ assembly at the start of the week, which acted as a great spring board for the week’s activities. Over the course of the following days, all age groups were given many opportunities to ‘have a go’ with a variety of experiments and sciencebased activities that aroused curiosity.

From weather stations to electrical circuits, thinking about shadows and the light from the sun, experiments with colour mixing to robotics and coding, lenses, prisms and refraction of light, to finally tending the vegetable garden, the girls thrived on the exciting daily challenges. They came with keen, enquiring minds and fiddling fingers eager to have a turn – even when it poured down on the last day scheduled for gardening! Raincoats went on and the girls simply got stuck in, ready to get their hands dirty!

A giant pumpkin had taken on a life of its own in the vegetable garden, a product of regular watering and an earlier summer of beautiful sunlight. It provided a great opportunity to divide chunks from the giant into individual herb bags, ready to go home and make soup – giving the girls an appreciation of ‘garden to table’ and encouraging sustainability.

In conjunction with Science Week, NZAPSE (New Zealand Association of Primary Science Educators) organised a competition that focussed on light and photography. Some of our girls took the opportunity to explore the effect of light on photography techniques with some great results.

All in all, it was a fabulous week of activities that the girls took on with enthusiasm!

Linking Science and Service

The girls in Years 4 and 8 were fortunate to host parent, Dr Gretchen Weightman, who spoke to them about the biomedical development of rice. Understanding the nutritional needs of people in developing countries was relevant for the girls, as many of them had recently participated in the World Vision 40 Hour Famine. Dr Weightman discussed the worries about global population increases and staggered us with the fact that that by 2050, the world population would be 9 billion. Because there simply won’t be enough food to feed this population, production of stable food groups such as rice and corn is an important consideration.

Dr Weightman further inspired the girls by explaining her own path into the world of science. She discussed next generation employment opportunities which now exist as a result of technology, the development of the double helix and DNA profiling, and urged the girls to ‘lean forward’ towards global problems as opposed to stepping aside.

The Girls’ School can proudly report that collectively, they raised over $7,000 for World Vision this year.

On with the Show!

The magic of Shakespeare was juxtaposed with the exuberance of rock and roll in the Girls’ School Creative Arts Show, with fantastic singing, dancing and acting talent on display! The show opened with a matinee performance followed by two evening programmes. There was hot demand to see the girls’ on-stage talents, with tickets for two of the productions selling out!

‘We’re glad you’ve come to hear us

We’ve practised for so long We hope that you will cheer us, as we make our debut right here for you.’

After weeks of rehearsing, the time had come for the girls to strut their stuff in front of a live audience, with the school hall full of proud parents and eager supporters. The opening act saw the entire school on the stage to sing ‘On With The Show.’ Every line was belted out in full voice, especially the chorus with its pertinent lyrics.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

The Year 7 and 8 girls put on a vignette of Shakespeare’s comedy ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream.’ Amongst girls posed as an enchanted forest, the mischievous sprite Puck, played by Abigail Mills, was up to his usual tricks. After encountering King Oberon (Zara Smith), Puck was instructed to find a magical purple flower. Meanwhile, in the very same forest, a group of actors were rehearsing a play entitled ‘Pyramus and Thisby.’ One of the main characters, Terri-Jane Warner as Bottom, became another victim of Puck. Bottom was transformed into a donkey! Oberon dropped the juice of the flower upon the eyelids of the Queen of the Fairies, Titania (Addison Peebles), and she woke up to discover that she was in love with a donkey. Much hilarity and trouble ensued, and it was only when Oberon took pity upon his Queen, that the situation was resolved.

Little Red Rockinghood

F rom Shakespeare’s era in the 16th century, the audience was transported to the height of the rock and roll generation for ‘Little Red Rockinghood.’ Written by Jeffrey Leask, the play gives a rock and roll twist to the well-known fairy tale featuring a young girl, her granny and a big bad wolf. It starred the Year 6 students with support from the girls in Years 1 to 5. The Year 3 class was on stage first, singing and dancing an introduction for Red Rockin’ Hood, played by Kate Frazer. When it came time for the refrain, the whole school joined in. ‘little red, little red rockin’ Hood, ‘she could rock ‘n’ roll like nobody could.’

With logistical precision, the singers and dancers exited the stage for the Year 6 narrators to initiate the conflict between Little Red and Wolf O’Malley, who was performed by Amelie James-Power. With long sideburns and dark sunglasses, O’Malley was ‘a real big bopper, but real bad news.’ The Year 1 girls moved onto the stage to sing and dance the ‘Purple People Eater’ song to convey his menace!

Then it was time for Granny (Vivian Pettigrove) to meet the nasty villain. O’Malley drove his convertible car to the soda shop, where some of the Year 5 girls were dancing to ‘Bee-bopa-loola-bop-aloo-bam-boo.’ Wearing brightly-coloured Hawaiian skirts, it was a classic hula scene! Granny stood no chance when O’Malley pounced and put her in the closet. His plan to disguise himself as his hostage was to put into action, with the Year 4 girls giving him a Granny-makeover complete with pink wig, red lipstick and flower boa.

The scheme was plain to see for Little Red though, who exposed the wolf’s true identity with the help of the Year 2 actors.

‘Oh granny, Oh granny, you look so strange! am i right in thinking there has been some change?’

Alongside the rest of the Year 5 girls doing a groovy hand jive, Little Red took O’Malley down just as the police arrived. The only thing left to do was rescue Granny from the closet and cue the happy ending! The entire cast took the stage to close the show – ‘with music, dancing, singing and laughter, they rocked around the clock and rocked happily ever after!’

The Arts Show was a fantastic platform for the girls to show off their theatrical creativity and the enjoyment they gleaned from being on stage was palpable. There was also a positive buzz emanating from the audience after the final curtain as they recalled their favourite parts of the programme. Well done to everyone who contributed to the success of the show!

Speech Competition

Public speaking is often described as people’s greatest fear but that certainly wasn’t the case for the finalists at the Girls’ School Speech Competition. The school hall was a hive of eager anticipation as the contestants waited to take the stage in front of the whole school and supportive parents. In Speech and Drama classes, the girls had spent weeks investigating and writing about their topic then rehearsing and delivering their speeches. The Speech Competition featured the top orators from the Middle and Senior School vying to be named the best in each year level, as well as non-competitive entries from Years 0 to 3.

The show began with the chosen girls from Years 1 to 3 who had an opportunity to display and refine their public speaking skills. What made all of the speeches even more impressive was none of them had notes!

Year 4 kicked off the competitive section with speeches on a chosen skill or activity. Xarya Knox was named the winner for her information-packed speech about the violin. Mary Stanfield was awarded first place in Year 5 for her blow-by-blow account of snorkelling in Tahiti, under the topic of a personal experience or event. The Year 6 students delved deep into their imaginations to forecast what the future of technology will bring. Alexandra McOmish was the winner for her evaluation of the pros – such as fast access to vast amounts of information – and cons – like cyber-bullying – of the proliferation of technology.

Persuasive speech was the brief for the Senior School students, who all provided fervent arguments for their topic. J’adore Harris-Tavita was the Year 7 winner for her passionate claim for why New Zealand should change its flag. Year 8 winner, Zara Smith, used comedy, academic studies and personal anecdotes to support her case for why men should watch less sport on television.

Good Deeds

FThe judge, Mrs Anna Coleman said all of the speakers displayed confidence and self-assurance. The lack of nerves and confident stage presence made her job to decide the winners very tricky!

Well done to the winners from each year group:

Year 4: Xarya Knox

Year 5: Mary Stanfield

Year 6: Alexandra McOmish

Year 7: J’adore Harris-Tavita

Year 8: Zara Smith

reMUera ZOne sPeecH cOMPetitiOn

Our girls were successful in both age groups of the Remuera competition. Congratulations to Zara Smith who went on to win the Year 7 and 8 section and Alexandra McOmish who placed second in the Year 5 and 6 section. Well done girls!

rom helping at-risk Kiwi youth, contributing to an impoverished African nation to helping children to play sport by providing the necessary footwear, Service at the Girls’ School takes a variety of forms. The Girls’ School is an on-going supporter of the Dingwall Trust, a charitable organisation that provides residential care for young people in need. Through our Sharing Shed, the School collects significant donations of toys, clothes, books and other items for the Trust and the girls regularly visit to see how it helps the children at the facility. The Director of the Trust, Tracie Shipton, acknowledged the assistance Saint Kentigern provides with a heart-warming letter. She said, ‘We are constantly overwhelmed with the quality and care given to the donations through the Sharing Shed and this helps us to honour the children and teenagers we support with high-quality items. Please know that you make a difference in the lives of the children we support.’

Presbyterian Support has also recognised the support the Saint Kentigern provides by making the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools the first in New Zealand to become Guardian Angel schools. Through food bank and monetary donations, Saint Kentigern assists Presbyterian Support to deliver services such as social work and counselling, parenting programmes, emergency food parcels and budgeting support to families in need. As well as helping those less fortunate close to home, Saint Kentigern also assists the people of Malawi through our World Vision target project. This year, our community raised more than $134,000 through the 40-Hour Famine, with the Girls’ School contributing $7090.

Year 7 student, Addison Peebles went the extra mile with a wonderful individual act of service. Addison asked the school community to donate good quality secondhand sports shoes. She then organised for the 50 pairs of shoes to go to decile one

primary, Manurewa East School. The Principal of Manurewa East, Mr Phil Palfrey was delighted to accept the donation and was especially excited about the number of football boots as it would allow more of his students to play team sports.

Year 8 winner, Zara Smith

Rapid Progression in Robotics

n a short space of time, the level of skill, understanding and interest in Robotics has grown immensely at the Girls’ School. After being introduced this year in the Senior School, the girls have taken to the subject with gusto and seen their engineering knowhow enhanced greatly. The Year 6 and 8 girls were the first to undertake the engineering programme with an investigation into pneumatics. The girls were given an initiation into robot construction by building systems and small machines operated by air pressure and exhaustion. Alongside this, they learnt about the role compressed air has in engineering, when utilised in the likes of trucks, forklifts, elevators and aeroplanes.

Since this introduction in Term 1, the girls have progressed to coding movements for Lego Mindstorm robots. The first task was to design the code for the robot to follow a predesigned circuit in the shape of a rectangle or rhombus. This involves mathematics such calculating distance for when the robot is travelling in a straight line, and geometry to tell the robot how to rotate around a point. Ultraviolet sensors that can ascertain between black and white materials are then added to the robot and the girls have to programme the machine to follow a black line on the white floor. The latest challenge has been using ultrasonic sensors that emit radio waves and coding the robot to avoid obstacles in their path.

As well as the mathematics, computing and construction skills the girls are learning, robotics is an excellent vehicle to gain problem solving capabilities. When the robot isn’t following a code as intended, the girls have to systemically go through and assess each possible issue until it is corrected. The Girls’ School has a wellresourced engineering laboratory with a robotics set per student, meaning the girls can work independently and collaboratively.

3D Success

As part of the Engineering Programme at Saint Kentigern Girls’ School, the senior students have been designing their own 3D creations. Using a programme called 123D Design, the girls have been letting their imagination run wild as they attempt to build objects.

Year 8 student Stella Ralphs was the first student to successfully design an object. Her koru inspired ‘Capital S’ was initially meant for herself, but when the school learned that Dr Sandra Hastie was departing, Stella saw an opportunity to present the outgoing principal with a gift. ‘Dr Hastie loved it,’ Stella said. ‘She said she was very proud of me and that she’d treasure it and she gave me a big hug.’The shape took several hours to make using 123D Design. Stella used a series of curves to make the closed shape which she then extruded vertically to make 3D. It took about ninety minutes to print at school after being converted to Makerbot Software by Mr Finn.

Maddison Hickling of Year 7 generated a complex Pac Man ghost. This shape required many long and short curves, calculated and grouped together to make the closed shape. After extruding the shape, she added two half-spheres as eyes. ‘It took ages but it was great when we printed it off at school,’ Maddison said.

The girls have learned however that the saying, ‘If you can imagine it, you can build it,’ isn’t necessarily easy to achieve all the time. Because the 3D printer disperses ultra-hot plastic from a suspended nozzle, building items which are suspended in mid-air has proven a challenge. There have been many failures along the way which have all contributed to the learning process. The next phase of the programme will be for girls to generate useful household items such as pencil holders, or to construct an accessory for their Mindstorms Robot.

Silver Award at Kids Sing

F or the third year running, the Girls’ School Performers Choir earned a silver award at the New Zealand Choral Federation’s Kids Sing music festival. The Girls’ School Performers Choir was in its third year competing in the Primary/Intermediate category, having also been awarded silver medals in its first two outings. The choir is an auditioned group drawn from Year 5 to 8, which meets weekly during lunchtime to rehearse.

The requirements for their competition stated that each choir must sing the same test piece as well as two other songs, one of which must be written by a New Zealand composer. The test piece this year was ‘O Wind’, the lyrics of which come from Robert Louis Stevenson’s ‘The Wind’ and the music is by Mary Lightfoot. The girls also performed ‘The Angels Song’

by Chris Artley, who was the last music director of Corran School, as their NZ entry and Benjamin Britten’s ‘This Little Babe’. They were conducted by music teacher Nicola Brown and accompanied by Dr Michael Jenkins on piano.

The competition was adjudicated by well-known choral conductor and composer David Hamilton, who assessed the performers’ intonation, tone and blend, staging and presentation, vocal technique, diction and interpretation. The Girls’ School received 9.5 points out of the maximum 10 for their staging and presentation and were said to have ‘a lot of fine singing across a varied programme.’ ‘O Wind’ had ‘lovely sustained singing’ and ‘The Angels Song’ was a ‘nicely controlled performance’ with ‘good energy’.

Bumper Basketball Season

Our Year 7/8 Basketball Team are the proud champions of their division, following tough competition against local schools. Facing teams with mainly boy players, the girls won the majority of their games by large margins. They also had a fantastic result at the South Eastern Zone championship! The girls finished pool play unbeaten and in first place with wins over Kia Aroha 20-11, Elim 33-4, Farm Cove 23-1 and Bucklands Beach 14-9. In the semi-final they came out on top of a close battle with Mission Heights 27-25, putting them into the final against Sir Edmund Hillary College. In their most physical match of the tournament, the team went down 23-29 to place second overall.

AIMS Games

This was the fourth year we have travelled to the Bay of Plenty to take part in the AIMS Games and it was definitely our most successful tournament. We had 11 girls competing across seven different sports,

including some in teams alongside students from the College. Abigail Mills returned with our first AIMS Games medal, after she earned the bronze in open senior girls trampoline.

Our girls helped the Saint Kentigern Netball team to a top 10 finish, placing ninth out of 96 schools!

Moiralisa Aneru was identified as one of the 12 best players by being named in the A Grade alltournament team.

Well done girls!

Cargill Wins Cross Country

The Girls’ School cross country races were amongst some of the most competitive yet, with two dead heats for places across the year levels!

The Senior School girls raced at the College event earlier in the year competing alongside the College girls. Terri-Jane Warner was first across the line for the Girls’ School and won the overall first place in the Year 8 girls’ race. Well done Terri-Jane!

The Year 4 to 6 girls also travelled to the College to race on a cold, wet day on a challenging muddy track; the underfoot conditions and undulating course putting their training to the test!

The Junior School joined with the Year 0 to 3 students from the Boys’ School on a largely fine day with just the odd sprinkling of rain. There was a lot of encouragement from parents and supporters around the hilly course, especially at the finish line on the top field.

Congratulations to the following girls on their placings.

crOss cOUntrY cHaMPiOns 2015

Year 0

Molly Griffiths (CH) Holly Carnegie (C)

Year 1 Chloe Chester (W) Brooke Rowntree (C)

Year 2

Queenie Lang (C)

Alexi Bower (W) & Sienna Robertshaw (CH)

Charlotte Ray (H) Amie Hilliam (H) Laura Bowden (H)

Year 3 Sienna Hirst (CH) Jing Jing Qiao (C) & Endrica Dhani (CH)

Year 4

Isabella Hughes (CH) Frances Revell-Devlin (W) Kate Green (H)

Year 5 Mary Stanfield (C) Zoe Wong (H) Kate Dryden (W)

Year 6 Coco Hewitt (CH) Verity Ward (CH) Kate Dirks (CH)

Year 7 Kaya Blackler (H) Elyse Tse (C) Florence Dallow (W)

Year 8 Terri-Jane Warner (H) Zara Smith (W) Ellie Lazzaro (H)

Father and Daughter Breakfast

The unique bond between a father and daughter was fully evident at the Girls’ School Father and Daughter breakfast. Nearly 300 doting dads and their girls shared a special morning together at the Ellerslie Events Centre before the school and work day started. They were welcomed by Girls’ School Acting Principal, Mrs Judith Dobson who expressed the importance of the father-daughter relationship. She quoted American author John Sinor: ‘It is admirable for a father to take a son fishing, but there is a special place in heaven for a father who takes his daughter shopping!’ Chapel prefect, Selena Agaimalo said a lovely prayer to grace the food.

The guests enjoyed a hearty breakfast and following the meal, the dads and daughters worked on a fun activity together. Each family was given a rubber-band powered plane to construct as well as an origami jumping frog. There was a lot of competition to see who could be the first to finish the plane, and a lot of instructions being ignored!

Our sincere thanks to Cate Scragg and Rebecca Scoones for organising such a great event! A big thank you also to the Paravicini, Murray Whitford, Wong, Ward and Fleming families for their donations and to the following for their support: Saint Kentigern Old Collegians’ Association, Primal Earth, Abe’s Bagel Bakery, Huawei, Fifth Ave Menswear, Ricoh, Benson Road Deli and Countdown.

Thank You Nigel Latta

J C Chalmers Hall was filled to bursting when TV presenter, bestselling author and well known psychologist, Nigel Latta offered his time, free of charge, to present to our parents. The primary aim of the evening was to continue to raise funds for Sir Ray Avery’s Life Pod Appeal to create infant incubators especially designed for Third World conditions.

Late last year, Sir Ray’s charity, Medicine Mondiale, launched a $2 million global fundraising appeal with the aim to get the high-quality, affordable baby incubators into production for Third World hospitals. Designed for a hot climate where supplies of clean water and power are intermittent, the incubators will cost around $2000 per podthis is compared with more than $40,000 for the models currently available that are not suitable for hot, unsanitary conditions.

Sir Ray has a daughter at the Girls’ School and another at the Preschool and is an avid supporter of Saint Kentigern. Through his connections, Nigel Latta willingly offered his time to talk to our parents in his own inimitable style about the trials and tribulations of raising children in today’s society.

Sir Ray introduced Nigel as ‘the horse whisperer of children,’ with an equally well known penchant for ‘blowing things up!’- referring to his most recent television series.

Nigel’s professional experience spans over two decades with his work reflecting a dual interest in both forensic psychology and working with young people and their families. To most, he is best known for his ‘Politically Incorrect’ guides to raising children. Whether speaking on television or delivering his message in person, his style is upbeat, funny and somewhat irreverent! Above all, he encouraged our parents last night to relax, ‘Kids just need good parents.’ They need to learn how to take responsibility for themselves; to become resourceful and resilient – and understand that ‘their effort is linked to outcome’ and they need to take responsibility for their own actions!

Well over 300 parents attended the function with all ticket proceeds going towards Life Pods. Last year, the Girls’ School committed to raising $20,000 for the appeal and it wasn’t long before all the Saint Kentigern schools came on board. To date we have collectively raised $23,000 for the cause and we sincerely thank Nigel Latta for the part he has played in this.

tee sHirts fOr sale tO raise fUnDs fOr life PODs

The Nigel Latta evening also served as the launch of a tee shirt to help raise further funds for Sir Ray Avery’s Life Pod Appeal. A collaboration between Director of the Preschool, Mrs Sue Nash and Preschool parent and leading NZ Fashion Designer, Yvonne Bennetti, the striking shirts are now available for purchase.

The shirts are available in black or white with a large silver or gold sequined heart on the front and three small hearts on the back to represent the Life Pod slogan to ‘keep little hearts beating.’ Yvonne was thrilled to put her name behind this great cause. Tee shirts can be purchased in girls’ to ladies’ sizes and can be ordered through the Preschool with all profits going to the Life Pod Appeal.

To order a shirt, contact the Preschool at skp_admin@saintkentigern.com.

To read more about Sir Ray’s work or to make a donation to the Life Pod Appeal, visit: https://mondialelifepod.com/

High Tea

I

n the tradition of an old fashioned, formal high tea from the finest establishments of yesteryear, Saint Kentigern Girls’ School held their annual Mother- Daughter High Tea at the Guineas Ballroom in the Ellerslie Event Centre. Such is the popularity of this event, tickets sold at lightning speed! Mothers, grandmothers, friends and sisters joined the students for an afternoon of fine company and fine refreshments.

As guests were shown to their tables, the Allura Quartet played in the background. This is an outstanding ensemble of female musicians who feature prominently in the New Zealand music scene. We thank Charlotte Ray’s family (Year 2) for arranging the opportunity for our girls to hear a professional chamber group of this calibre.

Principal, Dr Sandra Hastie welcomed the guests, acknowledging mothers for all the work they do that often goes unnoticed – the meals, the taxi service, the fixing of ‘things,’ and most importantly, the unconditional support and love they give to their children.

Head Girl, Moiralisa Ainu’u Aneru, offered a grace giving thanks for the food and for mothers in particular. The tables were laid out with a wonderful array of food that was thoroughly appreciated by all. This was definitely an afternoon to set aside any notion of weight watching as young and old tucked into the dainty fare on offer!

We offer our grateful thanks to the many parents who worked so hard to make it such a special event, in particular, the organising committee led by Mrs Barbara Chin and assisted by Aiko and Alistair Stewart, Henry Ray, Kim Gear, Sharon Bluck and Jennifer Duncan.

Our thanks to the following sponsors and donors who supported the event:

Ray Family (Year 2) for arranging for the Allura Quartet to play; Bowden Family (Year 2); Murray-Whitford Family (Year2); Stanfield Family (Year 5); Saint Kentigern Old Collegians’ Association; Boys’ School Parents and Friends Association, Cuthbert Interiors – Anna Cuthebert; I do Photography – Jody Lidstone; Illumina Soy Candles – Jennifer Duncan; South Pacific Books; New World Eastridge, Made 4 Kids Natural Skincare; Mainly Toys.

Boys' School

responsible for bringing in food. From golf course holes, to the Harbour Bridge to Rugby Stadiums, the boys enjoy the opportunity to express themselves! Once collected, our Year 8 students pack the food into the vans and take it to the Northern Presbyterian Food Bank to stock the shelves themselves. Again the message is clear – it is not just about donating, it is getting the boys actively involved in the organisation so that they can see first-hand what happens to the donations we make.

‘To Serve and Lead with Distinction’

When I first arrived at Saint Kentigern almost three years ago, the first thing that stuck in my mind was the very real sense of community that was evident. I quickly grasped that here was a community that lives the values they talk about. Organisations often espouse words that they feel epitomise the values they like to be known for, yet rarely deliver on a regular basis. This is certainly not the case at Saint Kentigern and can readily be seen throughout the school year.

There is no doubting our purpose in education, where we have an organisation wide focus on the core values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Love that create the foundations for our students to grow into thoughtful, well principled and caring individuals. These core values, along with a strong service ethic, reflect the Mission Statement of the Saint Kentigern Trust Board: ‘To provide education which inspires students to strive for excellence in all areas of life for the glory of God and the service of others.’

Parents, staff and our students are always looking for opportunities for our community to actively support others locally, nationally and internationally by responding to disasters or immediate needs. Input from our Values Committee and our Student Council guides our focus and direction to ensure that what we are doing will have a direct impact on those in need or suffering. It is quite amazing to witness what our students can achieve and indicates that being so young in age is not a determining factor.

Mufti Days, once a term, are determined by our School Council made up of student representatives from Years 3 – 8. This group recommends to the Management Team the cause they would like to support and then plan the announcement to the school body. It is not about paying a gold coin for the privilege of wearing mufti, it is about giving from the heart. Visiting speakers and Council members speak at Chapel or Assembly informing our boys of the difference they can make through their support.

Food collections during Terms 2 and 3 see the Chapel adorned with creative and artistic models made of food items designed by the class

Each year we support the World Vison 40 Hour Famine. This is an opportunity for our entire community to get behind a global organisation that makes a difference. Boys again understand what their sponsorship means to a community in need. Regular reports at Chapel and assembly inspire the boys to get involved. Raising over $25,000 each year for the past three years speaks volumes.

In recent years, our School Chaplain, along with the Senior Dean, implemented the Saint Kentigern Boys’ School Service Award where Year 7 and 8 students are encouraged to serve others. Maintaining a record of their service over the two years builds a mindset that helping others is a normal part of our lives. This service element of our Senior School continues to evolve with new initiatives requiring our boys to give of their time. Our association with Wymondley Road School now includes our senior boys travelling out to the school to listen to younger students read each week. This ongoing commitment will be hugely beneficial to all involved.

In 2015, a new initiative was established that saw a group of our senior students, along with staff and parents, travel to Fiji to work on a project together. Boys and parents returned buzzing about the opportunity to work together for the benefit of a community in real need.

Even within our own community, families can suffer hardship or grief that can eased by the simple donation of a prepared meal. Again, our community responds immediately with House groups assigned to fill our freezer each term with meals that can be distributed to families by our Mothers in Prayer group. I think we all understand that hiccups in life do occur and something so simple can perhaps ease the burden.

Shoe drives, bike collections and our Sharing Shed benefit members of our local community where the simple things we take for granted are brought to our attention and where we can yet again offer real assistance.

The key to any act of service, however, is that in all cases both groups must benefit. Those in need get some immediate assistance while those assisting understand that by getting involved, no matter how small their offering, they are able to make a difference. I feel extremely humbled to be part of such a willing and caring organisation that exhibits generosity and genuine concern for the welfare of others. Too often we underestimate the younger generation where, in reality, they are doing far more for others than I can remember in 33 years of teaching. The future looks promising!

Mr Peter Cassie Principal

Offering Service in Fiji

A ‘LIFE-CHANGING’ EXPERIENCE

The students from the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools who left for Fiji at the end of Term 2 were the envy of their classmates. As a destination, Fiji conjures up images of beach-side resorts, warm coral coasts and idyllic tropical islands. Our sixteen students from Year 8, however, were to experience a very different side of Fiji. They took part in the inaugural parent and student service trip to Nadi, Fiji, led by Year 8 teacher, Mr Richard Kirk and Chaplain to the Schools, Reverend Reuben Hardie. The intention of the trip was to complete a medical centre in Nawaka Village and to offer help at two primary schools; Nawaka Village Primary and Arya Samaj School.

On our first day, the container of goods that we had arranged from New Zealand arrived. We unpacked three tonnes of furniture for the medical centre and schools along with other resources including sports equipment, stationery and books donated by our wider Saint Kentigern community. In particular, we would like to acknowledge the generosity of Mondiale Freight Services and parent, Mr Grant Ryder for organising and financing the shipping of the container, as well as the generous donation of brand new furniture by MACVAD Ltd organised by parent, Mr Struan Kingan.

For three days, the Saint Kentigern students and their parents worked to complete the medical centre, painting both the inside and out of the new building. The Saint Kentigern parents proved to be incredibly resourceful - the necessary paints and tools were purchased, curtains were sewn, shelves were constructed and a door was made from scratch.

While some were painting the medical centre, others were involved assisting at the two village schools. The energy and care with which our students engaged with the local school children was outstanding. The Friday turned out to be a public holiday - National Sports Day - the first year the holiday had been held. We had expected to spend this day in the classrooms but we adapted to the change of plan by arriving at Nawaka School with a box of fifty rugby balls that we had been donated by the Auckland Rugby Union. After pumping these up, children from the surrounding village began arriving from all directions and the day was spent playing sport and setting up crafts such as poi making, face painting and other art activities using resources that we had brought.

On touring the village, we were staggered to see the poverty and basic conditions that the people of Nawaka village lived in. The visit gave our students plenty to reflect on.

Finally, with the medical centre complete, the village invited us to a Kava ceremony and special evening meal (lovo) with the chief, where he personally thanked us for our efforts over the last few days. The lovo, like a hangi, proved to be delicious and the students gladly accepted the invitation to return for seconds!

The following day, we were invited to join with the village for their church service. During the service, we heard again about the difference they believed this medical centre would make to the lives of the community and we were told that the final result was better than they could have ever imagined.

On our second to last day, with our time in Fiji drawing to a close, we said an emotional farewell to the villagers and headed down to the Coral Coast to experience some of things that Fiji is so famous for; snorkeling and surfing. It is unusual to spend five nights in Fiji and only an hour or so of that time at the beach - but this is what was so special about a trip like this. The rewards of serving in this Fijian community and making a positive difference to their lives were very real and felt deeply by all members of our team; students, parents and staff alike. As a number of our students reflected at the conclusion of the trip, ‘This was a life changing experience.’

Saint Kentigern

Emerging Leaders Conference

Following on from the tremendous success of last year’s inaugural event, the second annual Emerging Leaders Conference was held at the Boys’ School in Term 3. Leadership is ingrained in the Saint Kentigern vision, which states that our graduates ‘will serve and lead with distinction.’ The conference provided a rare and valuable opportunity for Year 8 students from the Boys’ School, Girls’ School, College and invited student leaders from local schools, to develop their leadership skills from inspirational speakers and purposely-designed activities.

World Vision played a huge part in the organisation and direction of the day’s itinerary, which started with an address from their CEO, Chris Clarke. He emphasised the point that leaders are not born, they are made. ‘The best leaders are those that can lead when times are tough, through the storms that life throws at you,’ he said. An analogy was used of the boat Australia entered in the 1995 Louis Vuitton Cup, which performed well in calm seas and favourable breezes, but when faced with inclement conditions, it sank.

With those wise words fresh in their minds, the students then immersed themselves in a ‘mass simulation’ game in the Sports Centre. The students were divided into four villages and the game involved opportunities to trade for employment, education, food and medicine for their village. The object was for the students to display honest behaviour and good character – necessary leadership traits – in these dealings, and promote the wellbeing of the whole village ahead of themselves.

Next up on the bill of guest speakers were leaders who had been in the students’ shoes not so long ago. Two Year 13 students, Head Boy of the College, Oliver Hadfield and Auckland Grammar School’s Head Boy James Sandelin, both of whom attended the Boys’ School, gave the boys and girls an insight into what is required to be a leader as they progress through their education.

The students then divided into small groups for in-depth sessions with special guest speakers who are experts in their chosen fields. Chief Creative Officer of Les Mills International, Dr Jackie Mills, co-founder and CEO of tourism company JUCY Tim Alpe, highly-regarded print, television and radio journalist Rachel Smalley and managing director of media company NZME’s radio division, Dean Buchanan.

All four of the speakers spoke about the traits which make a great leader, using their personal experiences as well as drawing from the qualities of prominent national and world leaders. The students reported back to their peers about what they had taken on board, with common themes being learn from your mistakes, surround yourself with good people and don’t be afraid to take risks.

Year 11 College student and World Vision ambassador, Isabella Denholm made an impassioned plea for the boys and girls to be mindful in their leadership roles of those less fortunate. Isabella could speak from experience, having travelled to Tanzania, Cambodia and Malawi and seen first-hand the help World Vision is offering the local people.

The significant messages that had been delivered by the various guests were encapsulated in the heroic tale of key note speaker, William Pike. Mr Pike is a living example to people of all ages that overcoming adversity is all about having a positive attitude. In 2007, he was climbing Mt Ruapehu when it erupted, causing life-threatening injuries and his lower right leg to be amputated. Mr Pike shared the values he admires in leadership, which are courage, teamwork, resilience and compassion. Standing on stage with his prosthetic leg, he was a vivid embodiment of his message to not let fear and doubt get in the way of your goals and dreams.

The conference was a motivating and constructive experience for all of the students involved, that provided a chance for the boys and girls to thoroughly examine their leadership behaviours and learn new ones from the guest speakers.

Miromiro team look out for others

I t is now five years since Joe Kemp’s magnificent statue, Nga Manu o Tane, depicting Tane and the miromiro birds, was unveiled outside JC Chalmers Hall.

The work is dominated by a 2.4 metre tall figure of Tane standing for KaitiaKitanga (guardianship), mana (strength and integrity), kaha (power) and Tu Te Tangata (a place to stand with pride). Below the central figure are two miromiro (tom tits); native birds that are extraordinary for their acceptance of orphaned offspring from other avian species, which they will rear as their own. The bird in the foreground is larger, depicting an older brother leading and nurturing its younger sibling as it flies towards the open doors of our community centre, the J C Chalmers Hall. The sculpture resides in a sensitively landscaped area that brings a sense of both strength and peace amongst the busyness of a boys’ school.

When the statue was commissioned, it was intended as a vivid depiction of the values of Saint Kentigern with a link to those who inhabited this land before us.

For the sons of Kentigern who pass in its shadow each day, it serves as reminder of brotherhood and the responsibility of each and every boy to become a bird of Tane, flying with integrity and pride in their journey as servant leaders.

For a number of years, selected senior boys took on the role of ‘peer mediators’ in the playground; a role which watched out for conflict and stepped in to offer ‘conflict resolution’ with the aim to minimise

any opportunities for bullying. In more recent times, however, this role has been re-evaluated to provide more positive role modelling. Rather than looking for problems to solve, the older boys now aim to eliminate the problems in the first place by offering activities to keep their fellow students busy.

The Prayer of Tane and the Miromiro

May you rise like a miromiro in the sight of Tane

Fly compassionately with God’s Love in your hearts, fly strongly with respect in your character, fly straight with integrity as your backbone, fly beside your brothers with service in your hands soar to new heights with excellence as your goal. Go in confidence and humility.

Fides Servanda Est

Adopting their name from the miromiro birds that fly under Tane’s statue, symbolising caring for our younger ones, the Miromiro Teams are groups of boys who take it in turn to don the miromiro shirts and lead a small team to organise lunchtime activities that are of interest to each syndicate group. These activities range from art and craft to sandpit and paper plane competitions, to basketball, touch rugby and handball competitions; ensuring there is a balance of energetic sport and quiet time activities on offer throughout the whole school.

The new programme not only provides supervised activities for the younger boys but also creates a learning platform for the chosen Miromiro Teams to develop their leadership skills. Through planning, communicating and getting to know the strengths and weaknesses of their allocated teams, they are learning how to get the best leadership out of their group as well as the best out of the boys they come to lead.

The former peer mediation role left the mediators out of the action, taking on the role of observer, watching from outside the group. Now in a complete role reversal, they are the big buddies who genuinely want to get to know their younger charges. Working in groups of between 4-6 students, the task and objectives are always met by the whole team pulling together for a common goal; a safe and happy school!

Eminent Scientists Welcomed

The Boys’ School welcomed three of New Zealand’s top scientists to speak at this year’s Science Symposium. Students and their parents packed JC Chalmers Hall from wall to wall to hear from Dr Siouxsie Wiles, Dr Duncan McGillivray and Ms Naomi Altman.

The idea of an evening dedicated to science was inaugurated last year with a view to opening students’ eyes to the possibilities of science as a career. The symposium was timed to support this term’s focus on the Science Fair for the boys in Years 7 and 8. With their work on display, the Symposium allowed the boys to communicate their findings back to their peers and the School community.

To add something special to this night, our three guests were invited to share their thoughts and ideas with the boys and their families, adding inspiration and motivation for our future scientists and citizens of New Zealand.

First to speak, Dr Siouxsie Wiles is Head of the Bioluminescent Superbugs Lab at the University of Auckland. With her team, she makes ‘nasty bacteria’ glow in the dark. Passionate about demystifying science for the general public, she said to the boys, ‘I use my passion to make new medicines. Where will your passion take you?’

Dr Duncan McGillivray is a senior lecturer in the School of Chemical Sciences at the University of Auckland. His research involves looking at the surface structures of biological systems and his projects include designing functional foods that provide a health benefit beyond simple nutrition, such as additives to lower cholesterol.

Final guest speaker was Naomi Altman who is an avionics engineer at Rocket Lab, a New Zealand based company which is revolutionising the satellite launch industry and costs involved. Ms Altman’s work is on the ‘brains’ of the rocket; its navigation, guidance and communication systems. Her question to the boys was. ‘What will your generation put into space?’

Following our guest speakers, two of our own young scientists came forward to share their recent research. Year 8 students, Finlay McMahon and Anthony Gu gave a bubbly presentation that captured the audience as much as their scientific elders! They presented the findings of their investigation ‘Sensations of the Senses.’

The full article may be read on the Saint Kentigern website: https://saintkentigern.com/news/boys-school-welcomes-eminent-scientists/

First Medal for Robotics Team

Robotics was first introduced to the Senior School Options Programme in 2014 and is now a firm fixture in the curriculum. Offering ‘five subjects in one,’ it draws on the boys’ skills in Science, Computer Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics to meet the challenges. Using Lego Mindstorms EV3 Education Kits, the boys work on different challenges each week, collaborating in small groups to design, build, programme and test their robots.

This year, the boys worked in teams towards selection for the Auckland region Robocup, hosted by the College. The teams concentrated their efforts on the soccer section which requires programming a robot to play against an opposing team with the aim of ‘kicking’ an infrared transmitting ball into a designated goal!

Four teams gained selection to compete on the day. Congratulations to Ethan Ivanier, Marcus Findlow, James Pilcher and Quinn Thompson who placed 3rd in the Junior Soccer section. Well done boys!

Sea of Blue at Science Fair!

I t was a sea of blue blazers at this year’s NIWA Science and Technology Fair Prizegiving, as our Saint Kentigern boys scooped up the prizes.

Following on from the Boys’ School Science Symposium, a select group of young scientists from our Senior School presented their science projects for judging in the Auckland City division of the event, held this year in our own Jubilee Sports Centre. The boys’ projects were put on display alongside top projects from almost 30 schools within the central Auckland area.

At last night’s Prizegiving, the judges said that the standard across Year 7 and 8 this year was extremely high so we were delighted that 18 of our boys were recognised with 25 awards. Eight of the projects were singled out for special awards!

In particular, Christian Colenbrander was awarded 1st prize in the Physical World category as well as receiving The University of Auckland Physics Department Award for Excellence in Physical Investigations. A keen hockey player, Christian set about finding the best way to hit a hockey ball, taking in the variables of the ball, stick, player, turf, weather and ways to hit the ball, all with a view to eliminating the problem of ‘stick shock’ for players who don’t own high grade sticks.

Fellow Year 8 student, Michael Hiddleston, caught the attention of two special prize sponsors. He considered whether the depth at which a fish lives impacts on its ability to see UV light. His detailed analysis caught the eye of The University of Auckland Physics Department who gave him the Award for a Project in Medical Physics. He also received the Dodd-Walls Centre Prize for Best Exhibit Involving Optics. Both Michael’s and Christian’s prizes involved a considerable sum of money!

Well done to all the following prizewinners.

Michael Hiddleston - Seeing in the Sea 2nd in Physical World and two Special Prizes Dodd-Walls Centre Prize for Best Exhibit Involving Optics University of Auckland Physics Department - Award for a Project in Medical Physics

Christian Colenbrander - Stroke of luck 1st in Physical World and Special Prize University of Auckland Physics Department - Award for Excellence in Physical Investigations

Xavier Yin - Whegs, Wheels and Legs 2nd in Technology and Special Prize Photon Factory Award for Technology - Years 7&8 - 2nd Place

Jack Webber - Seismic Shift 3rd in Physical World and Special Prize University of Auckland Physics Department - Award for Excellence in GeoPhysics

Zachary Lerner - Labelling Let Down 3rd in Material World and Special Prize NZIFST Award for Food Technology (2nd)

Charlie Glass - Are We Killing Coral Reefs and Shellfish? 3rd in Planet Earth and Beyond and Special Prize Geoscience Society of New Zealand Prize

Jett Robertson - How Polluted is our Harbour? Highly Commended and Special Prize RIMU, Auckland Council Awards

David Allan and Isaac Mellis-Glynn - I Forgot 3rd in Living World

The following boys received Highly Commended: Cameron Blyth & Josh Speakman - Perfect Popcorn; Matt Chandler - Flying Through the Air; Charles Wilkes -The Pressure of Rugby; Hugo Du Temple - What Should You Really be Drinking on the Sports Field?; George Tingey - The Drip Rifle; Charles Swain - The Truth Revealed; Leo Lyndsay Smail - Is your Patty Fatty?; William Hadfield - Death Rays.

We Need Your Help!

With thanks to Year 4 student reporters, Charles Alexander and Sean Trombitas

Our world is becoming more polluted by the second with every tiny piece of rubbish that we put into the bin. It costs a lot in terms of money, land and labour, as it all goes into landfills!

The students from 4RC and 4GK went to the Waitakere Transfer Station as part of our topic of inquiry, ‘Where our rubbish ends up and what happens to our waste products.’ We were shown the process behind recycling and rubbish disposal and what we can do to decrease our carbon footprint.

We arrived at the transfer station and split into two groups. We first went to the classroom where we learnt about recycling and whether we are putting our rubbish into the correct bins. Around half of what we end up throwing away is food scraps that can be turned into reusable compost. By doing this, we also reduce the amount of methane gas created at landfills and, therefore, help to counter climate change.

We next went on a tour around the transfer station to see what happens to the huge amount of rubbish that is collected on a weekly basis. Seeing up close just how much Aucklanders dispose of and the hard work and infrastructure needed to keep the city spick and span gave us a true understanding of the scale of the issue!

We all had an amazing time and learnt more about our carbon footprint and how to ‘Reduce, Reuse and Recycle.’ We have become more aware of the world’s pollution caused by methane and carbon dioxide. If we can convince just one person to change the way they recycle, and they pass it onto one other person, then we can say that 4RC and 4GK from Saint Kentigern Boys’ School are making a change!

Nail-biting Win for Mathex Team!

It was a nail-biting finish to the Year 6 division at the Remuera Mathex competition held in the Jubilee Sports Centre. The sports centre was packed to the rafters as 57 teams from 15 local schools across Year 5 and Year 6 pitted their mathematical – and running – skills against one another. There was a huge amount of anticipation and excitement as the Year 5’s got underway. Cornwall Park were the eventual winners in this division.

The Year 6 competition was closely fought from the beginning right through to the very final nerve-wracking seconds. Towards the end, it looked as if Victoria Avenue had secured the winner’s position but the Saint Kentigern Boys’ A team got their final question in just before the buzzer to equal the scores!

It was then down to a play-off; the winner being the first team to answer three additional questions. Saint Kentigern initially went 2 – 0 up but then the scores were equalled at 2 – 2. It all hung on one final question and our boys were speedy with their calculation and on their feet to get the final question correct ahead of Victoria Avenue to take the Year 6 winner’s title for 2015!

Congratulations to all our boys. A fantastic evening of team mathematical problem solving!

Winning Year 6 team: Jonathan Zhao, Campbell Joyce, Kelven Zhang, Benjamin Poole

Top Science Score in NZ Auckland Champion of Champions!

Year 6 student, George Beca has definitely been on a roll with his speechmaking this year. George was named the best speech maker in Auckland for his age group when he won the Year 5/6 Auckland Champion of Champions speech making competition at Royal Oak Primary School, beating 14 zone winners from around the city. This follows George’s win in both the Boys’ School competition and Remuera Zone Championship, as well as his second placing at the Remuera Lions event. His speech was about tolerance, during which he confidently challenged the audience to change the way they think about other people, to make the world a more tolerant place. He finished by quipping that he’d start with his sister! Well done, George!

Speech Competitions

I n a running race, first past the post wins. No problem. In a mathematics competition, the biggest number of correct answers wins. No question.

But when it comes to the subjective nature of speechmaking, how do you pick a winner?

Judging is not easy, as this year’s adjudicators at the separate Senior School, Middle School and Impromptu Speech Finals will attest! Well done to all the finalists!

Congratulations to Nathan Bailey who has achieved the top Year 7 score in the country for the New Zealand and Pacific International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) Science Test! This is the second time that Nathan has reached this pinnacle, having also been awarded the medal when he was in Year 5!

ICAS, commonly referred to as the University of New South Wales competitions, is conducted annually in Australia and over 20 countries globally. These are independent skills-based assessments and school tests for primary and secondary school students in Computer Skills, English, Maths, Science, Spelling and Writing. In the competition, Nathan’s science skills were assessed in key scientific areas of observing and measuring; interpreting; predicting and concluding; investigating; reasoning and problem solving.

Nathan’s top score achievement qualifies him for a medal from the University of New South Wales along with a medal winner’s certificate which he will receive at a presentation ceremony later in the year.

SENIOR SCHOOL FINALISTS

Adjudicator: Wendy Petrie

Winner: Joe Duncan

Christian Colenbrander, Arden Ongley, Jack Duncan, Ben Humphries, Gabe Ross, Oscar Kingan, Isaac Mellis-Glynn, Jack Sandelin, Charles Wilkes, Quinn Thompson, Jack Webber, Thomas King

MIDDLE SCHOOL FINALISTS

Adjudicators: Kate Hurst and Ben Hurst

Winner: George Beca

Jackson Horton, William Ormond, Sebastian Hardie, Thomas Hiddleston, Matthew Simmons, Patrick Healy, William Tisdall, Harrison Waymouth, Theo Washington

IMPROMPTU SPEECH FINALS

Adjudicators: Kate Hurst and Holly Shervey

Winner: Jack Duncan

Runner-up: Isaac Mellis-Glynn

Middle School Winners

George Beca and Matthew Simmons

Impromptu Speech Winners

Isaac Mellis-Glynn and Jack Duncan

REMUERA ZONE SPEECH COMPETITION

Our students went on to achieve success at both the Remuera Zone and the Remuera Lions Club speech competitions. At the Remuera Zone competition, brothers Jack and Joe Duncan represented the Boys’ School in the Year 7&8 competition and both came away with prizes! Year 8 student, Jack placed second in the impromptu category for his speech on The Best Day of My Life and Joe, who is in Year 7, was third for his prepared speech on ‘Middle Child Syndrome.’ George Beca later represented the School in the Year 5&6 event, winning with his speech on ‘Tolerance.’ The prizes didn’t end there, Joe and George also went on to compete at the Remuera Lions Club competition and both placed 2nd in their age groups. Well done boys!

Senior Winners Jack Duncan, Joe Duncan and Jack Sandelin

Music Extravaganza

Can you imagine a world without music? No songs, no tunes, no rock, no roll, no jazz, no hymns, no pop, no symphonies, no singing in the shower!

Sinatra couldn’t fly to the moon. Elvis couldn’t complain about people stepping on his blue suede shoes. There would be no Rocket Man from Elton John and no Piano Man from Billy Joel. Willie Nelson might go on the road again but it would have to be without his guitar. Brides would walk down the aisle to what? Nursery rhymes would be chanted not sung, and imagine the impact of only reciting ‘Happy Birthday to you.’

In ‘that’ world, school music programmes, choirs, bands and orchestras would have no place. How thankful we can be then, to know that we live in ‘this’ world; a world that has the gift of music!

Those who attended the Middle School Music Showcase and the Music Extravaganza, held on two separate occasions last term, were truly able to enjoy that gift of music; delivered by a range of boys with the gift of musical talent. Each of the evenings was filled with some fantastic solo performances from our more accomplished young musicians, showing a depth and breadth of talent that belied their years. Alongside the soloists, we also enjoyed performances from small and large ensembles and a set from each of our choirs.

The Performers’ Choir performed at the Extravaganza. Twenty four boys from the choir were preparing for a cultural tour to Noumea, to perform in several concerts and attend classes with students at College George Bourdeaux. The soloists and choir members introduced themselves and their pieces both in English and French in preparation!

Life without music is hard to imagine. It adds so much colour and expression in almost every area of our lives. In closing each concert, Principal, Mr Cassie, envious of the boys’ ability to play, commended the boys not only for their talent but also their diligent practice to bring them to this level. He, like the large audience of family members, thoroughly enjoyed the concert, saying that after a busy day, an evening filled with music had the ability to soothe the soul. Yes, life without music is hard to imagine!

Our thanks to Director of Music, Mrs Janet Grierson, fellow teacher, Emma Chatterton and our itinerant music teachers attending on the night, Mr Paul Herbert, Mr Ross Hurley and Mrs Louise Inglis.

Boys Relish Jazz Café

Congratulations to the Boys’ School Jazz Band who were invited to perform at the College Jazz Café, alongside some leading jazz musicians. The boys, conducted on this occasion by College Head of Music, Mr Ross Gerritsen, instantly had the crowd rocking. The youngsters have been rehearsing under Boys’ School Musical Director, Mr Ross Hurley and nailed their performances of the popular numbers ‘Gimme Some Lovin,’ the James Bond theme, and Bill Haley and the Comets’ ‘Rock Around The Clock’.

The highlight of the evening for the boys, however, was undoubtedly the Jazz Café perennial favourite, the chocolate fountain - all twelve litres of it! A first time experience for the boys, they didn’t let a moment – or drop of chocolate - go to waste!

Hamilton wins House Music

Wow! What a fantastic afternoon of song! It’s been 20 years since the boys last competed for the House Music Cup in 1995. In recognition of the passion for music in all its forms at the Boys’ School, the Houses once again took on the challenge to create choirs to sing in unison – not an easy task when 125 boys from Years 0 – 8 take to the stage as one!

Under the watchful scrutiny of guest judge, Mr Lachlan Craig, Choral Director at the College, each House had two opportunities to impress. In the first half, smartly dressed in chapel uniform, each choir took turns to present ‘Sons of Gallipoli’ by Chris Skinner, in honour of the centenary of the landing of the Anzacs at Gallipoli. The boys are to be commended for their disciplined performances and the respectful silence with which they listened to other groups. This is a very moving song, last sung at the Boys’ School Dawn Service prior to Anzac Day. This was beautifully delivered by each of the choirs.

What would the ghosts of our old soldiers have made of the second half? They would probably have loved it! Spirits were definitely raised, albeit in in slightly less tuneful harmony, but with all the youthful exuberance that young boys can muster!

Changed out of formal attire, the boys dressed for their chosen New Zealand song. First up were Cargill singing, ‘Take it Easy’ by Stan Walker. In keeping with the blue of their House, Chalmers took on a nautical theme with Split Enz’s ‘Six Months in a Leaky Boat.’ Hamilton quickly became crowd favourites with their energetic rendition of Fred Dagg’s ‘The Gumboot Song.’ Wishart closed the second half with ‘Love, Love, Love’ by Avalanche City bringing a fantastic afternoon of entertainment to a close.

Judging was no mean feat as the quality of each choir’s performance was fantastic. Judged on dynamics, rhythm, pitch, actions, presentation as they moved on and off stage, and the sheer degree of enjoyment they brought to the stage, it was Hamilton who joyously took the title for 2015!

In concluding, Principal Mr Peter Cassie said it was such an enjoyable afternoon that it couldn’t possibly just be kept ‘in house.’ To the delight of the boys, he announced that the parents would be invited to a second performance at the beginning of Term 4. Be assured, it’s one to look forward to!

Cross Country

The Middle School and Senior School students had a true cross country running experience at the College. After heavy rain on the days prior, the track was especially muddy in patches providing challenging races. The weather was clear but cold on the day for the early events but wind and rain arrived just as the Year 7 and 8 boys were about to start. The conditions failed to dampen their spirits though and everyone strove for their personal best and to earn points for their House.

Fierce determination was in plentiful abundance during the Junior School cross country running races at the Boys’ School. There was strong competition throughout each of the fields, as our youngest runners put on a final burst of energy to cross the line.

BOYS’ SCHOOL CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONS 2015

1st 2nd 3rd

YEAR 0 Harley Evans (CH) Benjamin Durose (CH) Ben Cleaver (W)

YEAR 1 Will McLeod (C) Toby McFarlane (C) Toby Wigglesworth (C)

YEAR 2 Max Trankels (H) Leon Hardie (W) Scott Nel (W)

HOUSE RESULTS 1ST CARGILL 2ND CHALMERS 3RD HAMILTON 4TH WISHART

YEAR 3 James Hiddleston (H) Oliver Hardie (W) Jaden Renault-Pollard (C)

YEAR 4 Sam McLeod (C) Ethan Knox (C) Thomas Hageman (C)

YEAR 5 Brodie Warren (H) Louis Lepionka (C) Antony Gault (C)

YEAR 6 Isaac Wong (H) George Beca (C) Sebastian Hardie (W)

YEAR 7 Vinay Chichester (H) Matthew Larsen (CH) George Barker (H)

YEAR 8 Isaac Chaytor (C) Michael Hiddleston (H) Jack Melhuish (C)

YEAR 5 & 6 REMUERA ZONE

Well done to the boys in Years 5 and 6 who competed at Remuera Zone Cross Country in atrocious conditions! It was very wet and extremely muddy which made for challenging racing – but a lot of fun! Isaac Wong placed second in the Year 6 race and the Year 6 team came first winning by a large margin. Other boys in the top 10 were George Beca 4th, Sebastian Hardie 5th and Eddie Chaytor 7th.

YEAR 7 & 8 EASTERN ZONE

What a difference a day makes! After the Eastern Zone Cross Country was postponed a day by the rain, the Year 7 and 8 runners ended up reaping the benefits of the better weather winning both the Year 7 and Year 8 individual titles!

Well done to Isaac Chaytor who was first in the Year 8 race and to Vinay Chichester who won the Year 7 event. Both boys can be proud of their efforts. The combined points for the Boys’ School runners placed them second overall in both the Year 7 and 8 races. Vinay then went on to place 4th and Isaac 6th in their age groups at the Interzone Cross Country. Well done boys!

Gold for Ski Team!

Despite the inclement weather ‘down the mountain’ curtailing racing, one of the Boys’ School ski teams earned enough combined points to win themselves a team gold medal at the North Island Primary Schools Ski and Snowboard Competition. We sent down two ski teams and one snowboard team and the boys represented our school with pride both on and off the course.

Sadly, due to the weather conditions, only one day of Giant Slalom (GS) racing was able to be completed but the boys managed the challenging conditions well. After the GS time trials, our boys were closely seeded with Ben McCutcheon placing 6th, Joshua Stephan 7th, Max Dudson 8th, Nate Gilbertson 9th, Tom Hope 11th, Miller Stewart 12th, James Stanfield 14th and Jack Beveridge 15th.

Unfortunately the weather closed in and that was all the racing that could be recorded. The boys were disappointed to not be able to race an opponent in the Dual Slalom event but earning enough points for a gold medal well and truly made up for that!

Our snowboarders also did extremely well considering most of them were first timers to the event. They finished 5th overall as a team with Brodey Warren finishing 12th, Thibaud Williams 13th, Hudson Copley 22nd and Abe Paykel 24th. As with the skiers, the weather put an end to any more racing meaning the highly anticipated Boarder Cross event will have to wait until next year!

Halberg Tri Challenge

Our senior boys turned out on mass to take part in the inaugural Halberg Tri Challenge; a charity event that saw teams run, row and cycle in an indoor sports ‘race’ to raise funds for the Halberg Disability Sport Foundation.

The Vector Arena in Auckland was transformed into the ‘Halberg Tri Challenge Stadium’ with treadmills, stationary bikes and rowing machines in the main bowl. Open to teams of three, each member could choose to either cycle, row or run as far as they could for 20 minutes straight. The teams were tracked to get their total distance completed across all three disciplines and the team that covered the greatest distance was named the winner of the Halberg Tri Challenge.

The Boys’ School entered 41 teams of three boys who not only competed against their peers but also celebrities and some of New Zealand’s sporting greats. The focus, however, was not on winning but raising sponsored funds for the Halberg Trust to be specifically used for specialised sports equipment for athletes with reduced mobility.

The Boys’ School has a long history of supporting the Foundation, having hosted a sports day each year at the school for disabled students. The boys also assist at the Halberg Cricket Day. Well done to all those boys who took part who are now gathering in their sponsors’ money for a great cause!

The Burgess Brothers Cup

In recognition of the long association between Southwell School and Saint Kentigern, and the connection to the Burgess family, a new cup is now competed for at exchanges between the two schools. Former Principal of the Boys’ School, Geoff Burgess was also formerly Principal of Southwell School. His sons, Michael and Richard also attended Southwell and Saint Kentigern.

The augural presentation of the Burgess Brothers Cup was made to the Boys’ School by Geoff, Michael and Richard following a successful sporting day against Southwell School. In another first, the top Year 5 & 6 teams were also given the opportunity to be part of the sports exchange, increasing the number of teams fielded on the day.

On this occasion, Southwell won the 1st XV Rugby, 1st XI, 2nd XI and Year 5/6 Hockey while the Boys’ School won the 2nd XV Rugby, 1st and 2nd XI Football and Year 5/6 Rugby and Football. The combined tally of points made the Boys’ School victorious. Well done boys!

Our thanks to the Burgess family for the kind donation of the cup. The boys also really enjoyed catching up with their former Principal!

Auckland Rugby Champion of Champions Event

Well done to the Boys’ School Under 40kg rugby team of Middle School students who had a great day of competition at the Auckland Rugby Champion of Champions event run by the Auckland Rugby Union last term

Held at the Marist Club in Panmure, each of the 10 teams that took part had previously won a tournament in their region of Auckland. Our own Under 40 kg team won the Remuera Zone tournament after beating King’s School in the final earlier in the term to earn a spot at the championship final.

Our boys played outstanding rugby over the course of the day; the standard of rugby was exceptional with each encounter more bruising than the one before! The boys won all but one of their games - losing only to the championship winners by one try!

The sportsmanship and commitment on defense by our boys were noted by spectators, other coaches and the organisers of the tournament. Our boys ended the day with the best defensive record of the tournament having only conceded three tries in all of their games.

This tournament ends a very successful season for our top Middle School rugby team whose only other loss this year was a narrow defeat to Remuera Primary who went on to win the Under 50kg Auckland Championships.

Medals and Praise at AIMS Games!

WATERPOLO

After winning the Winterfest Waterpolo tournament earlier in the season, the Boys’ School Waterpolo team were well poised to take on national competition at this year’s AIMS Games in Tauranga. The AIMS Games is one of the biggest sporting events in New Zealand, attracting large numbers of intermediate students to a tournament aimed at young, emerging sports talent across a wide range of sporting codes. This is only the second time that the Boys’ School has attended the games, winning a national bronze at their first outing last year. This year, they went one better and came with silver medals placing them as one of the top two teams in New Zealand!

The boys initially went unbeaten throughout the week-long competition with wins over Kristin 7-4, Glen Eden 12-1, Albany Junior High 12-2, Tauranga Intermediate 13-4, Aquinas College 5-3 and Bethlehem College 16-0 to finish top of their pool. The semi-final against Mount Maunganui was won 8-1 putting them into the grand final, a rematch against Aquinas College, who won the gold medals last year. The boys fought hard and narrowly lost a tight contest 7-8. This was a top effort for their second time competing at the AIMS Games, the national championships for Year 7 and 8 student athletes.

At the prize-giving, Teague de Jager and Will Bason were selected in the all-tournament team and Will was named the

AIMS Gold For Sailor!

TMost Valuable Player of the competition! Both boys were also recognised earlier in the season at the Winterfest Tournamnent. As well as their fantastic results, the team was also complimented by their opposition for the way they conducted themselves during matches. In the final pool game against Bethlehem College, Saint Kentigern won 16-0 and did so in a way that respected their opponents who were new to the sport. The Boys’ School received this message from the Bethlehem coaches following the match: ‘This was the first time Bethlehem College has entered a team in water polo for the AIMS Games and we clearly were a team of battlers, struggling swimmers, some of whom had no idea at the start of the week as to what the game involved, but the kids had a blast. As coach, I just want to recognise Saint Kentigern Boys’ School for their sportsmanship and attitude towards our team in today’s game. They were not out to humiliate us and they allowed our kids to be involved, feel challenged and provided the ability to have a game with us. Please pass on our acknowledgement to them.’

Well done boys for the great outcome and well-earned praise!

Team: Will Bason, Matthew Shearer, George Falconer, Teague de Jager, William Hadfield, Isaac Chaytor, Adam Tamati, Jack George, Jourdan Klink, Oscar Kingan, Lachie Marshall

he first Saint Kentigern medal at this year’s AIMS Games in Tauranga went to Boys’ School sailor, Monty Alderson who placed first in the Year 7 boys’ yachting to gain a gold medal! As the national sporting championships for students in Years 7 and 8 from around the country, this was a fantastic achievement.

This was the first year that yachting has been a part of the AIMS Games and Monty was up against 19 other sailors from 12 other schools from around New Zealand in the Year 7 boys’ fleet, competing in Optimist boats. The competitors sailed in eight races, with their combined results going towards the final placings. Monty’s total of 38 points was 14 better than second place in the Year 7 boys and put him in fifth place in the overall standings with the Year 8 competitors. Well done Monty!

Bronze International Sailing Medal

Congratulations to Boys’ School sailor, Henry McLachlan who sailed for New Zealand in the RS FEVA world championships in Travemunde on the northern border of Germany. Henry and his sailing partner, Hamish came 3rd in the 13 & under category and 20th overall in a fleet of 162 boats in the 16 years & under.

Representing the Royal Akarana Yacht Club (RAYC), the pair competed in the first ever New Zealand Feva Nationals, hosted by Milford Cruising Club earlier this year before being identified for intense training, which included; starts, boat handling and boat speed skills. At the end of training, the boys were fired up to get out and race for their country! It was five days of intense racing in Germany and the boys are proud of their placing in this fast growing class.

Mothers’ Morning Tea

‘Mum, Granny, Grandma, Nana, Aunty, Taxi Driver, Zoo Keeper, Ringmaster – however it is you see yourself, this morning we celebrate and honour you all, as the mothers of our sons of Kentigern!’

Laura Lane, Chair of the Boys’ School Parents and Friends Association

Whenever the Boys’ School needs assistance to put on an event, it is inevitable that our mothers are the first port of call with a request for help - our Parents and Friends Association galvanise, and the call goes out for ‘all hands on deck!’

Around Mothers’ Day, an idea was born; a team rallied and a special morning tea to celebrate our Saint Kentigern mothers was planned. Chair of the Parents and Friends Association, Laura Lane, along with fellowmothers, Helen Van Shaardenburg, and Nikki Joyce worked with guest speaker, celebrity cook, Allyson Gofton to put the plans in place, but when it came to the ‘hard yards’ – organising food and beverages, unpacking china, setting of the tables, waiting on our guests and cleaning up afterwards - it was the staff and boys who stepped in to give the mothers a break. Even Principal, Mr Peter Cassie donned a pinny to wait on tables!

Office staff, Mrs Sue Bowskill, Mrs Julie Rand and Mrs Janet Harvey, along with Mrs Sally Cassie and parent, Mrs Hilary Chaytor, spent a day transforming a utilitarian school hall into a haven of femininity. Crisp white table cloths, fine china and silver teapots were laid out with young lavender plants finishing the effect.

It’s not often that our parents have the chance to see our classrooms in action and so the doors were opened wide in the morning for mothers and grandmothers to join their boys. Mr Cassie remarked later that there was a distinctly different smell pervading the classrooms – perfume rather than boys’ socks!

As the guests entered the hall, accomplished young pianist, Anthony Gu played. Laura Lane welcomed the ladies before Reverend Reuben Hardie said grace, asking God to bless the special bond between mother and son. No sooner had he finished speaking than a team of Year 8 boys streamed past with tea and coffee pots in hand, ensuring that the 250 teacups around the room stayed topped up! Checked pinny in place, Mr Cassie was not far behind with the hot savouries. The tables were laden with petit fours of a distinctly French flavour in honour of our speaker.

Saint Kentigern parent, Allyson Gofton, has been cooking for New Zealanders for almost 30 years but is probably best remembered for the 5.55pm television slot she held each night for a number of years as the host of Food in a Minute. In November 2012, she and her children, Jean-Luc and Olive-Rose, followed the dream of her husband, Warwick, and immersed themselves for a year in Caixon, a small, rural community in France, armed with little more than a sense of adventure and a very rudimentary grasp on the French language.

Allyson spoke with great warmth and humour as she offered a glimpse into French village life in a remote farmhouse in the Hautes-Pyrenees. A year of quiet country living far from home was not a decision taken lightly and was not without its difficulties, especially where the language was concerned. With her passion for food, however, the most amazing opportunities opened for her to see food grown and produced for flavour which reached the local market stalls ‘with no plastic wraps, no healthy heart ticks, no fat-free labels, just good, honest, fresh food, full of flavour.’ Now back home, her family can reflect on a year that at times seemed hard, yet has left them grateful for the opportunity to experience the joy of living a simple life amongst welcoming locals.

We offer sincere thanks to Allyson for taking the time to share her experiences. Our mothers thoroughly enjoyed her talk and were delighted to leave with a pot of lavender and a copy of Allyson’s latest book, which many took the opportunity to have signed.

Whilst the morning was not intended as a fundraiser, the surplus raised was donated to the Mondiale Lifepods, a project by parent, Sir Ray Avery to build incubators for premature babies in less developed countries. The Boys’ School were pleased to donate $4000

Our sincere thanks to the following sponsors, all of whom stepped forward with no prompting to offer their very generous donations.

David Burton of Jack’s Coffee, The Remarkable Chocolate Company, Macarons by William, Living Herbs, Sculleys, Trilogy, Immuno, Sabato, Penguin Books, Heritage Hotels, Warwick Kiely

Extreme Adventurer at Father and Son Breakfast

Over two consecutive mornings, the alarm clock went off at 4am for a hardy group of parents who had volunteered to put breakfast on the table by 7am. This was no ordinary family breakfast though. When the extended Saint Kentigern family comes together, there are a fair few logistics involved, especially where the food is concerned!

There were tables to collect from the College, chairs to deliver to the hall, and crockery, cutlery, glassware and table cloths to sort. The catering included 585 pieces of homemade bacon and egg pie – with an extra 45 pieces of gluten free and 15 pieces of vegetarian pie - 88 litres of milk, 42 cans of ‘squirty’ cream for 800 pancakes, 40 kilos of bacon, 760 juice bottles, 65 large boxes of cereal, 500 muffins and 40 kg of fresh fruit salad! Of course there was also coffee and tea flowing both mornings for the sell-out event! What no-one could plan for was the torrential rain!

On behalf of the Parents and Friends, Mr Simon Ward and Mrs Laura Lane welcomed the boys, their fathers, and the special guest speaker for the morning, extreme adventurer, Mr Kevin Biggar. Each year, without fail, the parents who take on the organisation for this event have found a speaker who is able to engage both the boys and their fathers. This year’s speaker was no exception as he launched into a fascinating insight of his personal life and the things that motivate him.

If you ever thought you ‘couldn’t do it,’ Kevin’s approach to life may get you reappraising your goals! He is living proof of ‘whatever the mind can believe, it can achieve.’

Kevin has a physics degree from Auckland University and a Masters degree in Environment & Development from the University of Cambridge. He has worked at The Treasury and as a strategy consultant with The Boston Consulting Group and Telecom. He has also worked as the CEO of a small software start-up. But to most, he is best known as the recent host of the TVNZ series ‘First Crossings’ which recreated historic adventures in NZ.

Kevin first left the corporate world to join Jamie Fitzgerald to take on the world’s toughest test of endurance - the trans-Atlantic Rowing race; a 5000km epic between the Canary Islands and Barbados in a 7m plywood dinghy! An unusual choice for anyone - but particularly someone who hadn’t rowed before and was prone to sea-sickness!

Nevertheless, applying the same skills from his business career he took on the challenge and over two years transformed himself into a world record beating endurance athlete. Along with Jamie, the pair then went on to achieve a much tougher challenge in 2007, as the first ever Kiwi team to complete an unsupported trek from the coast of Antarctica to the South Pole – a 52 day, 1,200km journey on foot, towing 160kg sleds in temperatures as cold as -40 degrees C! The perennial question from boys is always, ‘In those conditions, how do you go to the loo?’ Fast is the answer! Principal, Mr Peter Cassie was called on to attempt to zip up a polar jacket in 10 seconds, wearing gloves – while being ‘wind buffeted’ by two boys. He failed!

Using hilarious stories and photos from his adventures, Kevin talked passionately about goal setting and teamwork. Kevin has written two books about his exploits; the award winning ‘Oarsome Adventures of a Fat Boy Rower’ and ‘Escape to the Pole’. This was a morning enjoyed by all and there was a great line up at the end of each morning for Kevin to sign copies of his book.

A special thank you to our parents and sponsors

A special thank you to parent, Mrs Cath Costello for taking on the organisation of the morning along with her team of volunteers including Kirsten Falconer, Roz McLachlan, Jo Rowntree, Denise Pollard, Tamara Willis, Rebecca McLeod and special guest chef on the bacon - Sally Barkman! in addition there were scores of mothers who came during the course of the morning to prepare, serve, then clean up - a fantastic team effort, thank you!

Sponsors

Our thanks to our extraordinary speaker, Mr Kevin Biggar for generously supplying his time and talent at no charge. Also to Mr David Burton (a former student) from Jacks Coffee for supplying the ever-important first morning coffee; the Bason Family for helping with transportation logistics; Pacific Linen for offering a 50% discount on the hiring of the tablecloths; Gattings Catering for kindly loaning us cooking equipment and generous support of our school families for donations for the breakfast feast.

College

ANNUAL GIVING 2015

By now our College families will have received an invitation to continue this tradition of philanthropy by contributing to our 2015 Annual Giving. The College has selected three particular areas of focus for this appeal; that will enhance the learning experiences of our students. These additional resources will directly benefit students in immediate and practical ways.

Library Learning Commons

Building on the investment over the last two years by the Trust Board to redesign and develop the former College reception and administration block into a Learning Commons, this area is now targeted for further expansion with work underway in the next few months to develop the space between Learning Commons and the Library. The Annual Giving funds will be used to provide additional furnishings and resources for enhanced student use.

Performing Arts – Sound and lighting equipment

A Tradition of Philanthropy

When the College first opened its doors in 1953, it was the culmination of over seven years of effort by a small but very determined group of visionary Presbyterian businessmen. From humble beginnings on a muddy site in rural Pakuranga, with a solitary ‘prefab’ and a flagpole marking the first development, the College has grown and changed beyond all recognition - as has the city that now surrounds it. One thing that has not changed over the years, however, is the necessity for supporters of Saint Kentigern to go beyond simply meeting the request for tuition fees.

Saint Kentigern College is founded on a strong tradition of philanthropy which has long supplemented tuition fees and helped provide a first class education and outstanding facilities for generations of students. Thriving Independent Schools rely on their community for additional support in many ways – financial and volunteer assistance being the most common.

Over the years, the College has enjoyed financial support from many, many donors both large and small. One of the first of these was Sir George Elliot whose magnificent gift enabled the College to open Elliot Hall in 1958. The tradition has since continued. As the roll gradually increased, so did the demand for new buildings and resources and since that first day in 1953, many donors have contributed significantly to enable further development of the College facilities.

SIR GEORGE ELLIOT - BENEFACTOR

The number, variety and range of Dance, Drama and Music performances at the College have increased significantly, particularly in the last five years. Once the domain of the Senior School, in recent years the Middle School has put on two annual productions and our dance students also showcase their work, while the number of opportunities for our music students to take to the stage also continues to grow. The Annual Giving funds will be used to provide additional equipment to further enhance the staging of these events.

Hardship Bursary and Scholarship Funds

The Trust provides support in many ways to students and families in financial difficulties by providing targeted Bursaries and Scholarships. Additional donations through Annual Giving funds will enable us to continue to extend the assistance provided.

We appreciate your support of our 2015 Giving Appeal as we strive to provide your children with the best environment in which to grow and learn and to ensure that all our students continue to get the most out of their time here at the College.

For more information on ways that you can donate, please visit the Annual Giving page on the College website.

Thank you for your support.

Mr Steve Cole, Head of College

Sir George Elliot was a benefactor, philanthropist and successful businessman who died in 1956 after a long life of involvement in the work of the community. Born in 1865, he migrated to New Zealand and after running a newspaper in Tauranga became involved in flax-milling before moving to Auckland to enter business with his brother. He was president of the Auckland Chamber of Commerce in 1911-12. The idea of the Auckland Exhibition was mooted in 1912 and its subsequent success was in large measure a tribute to Sir George’s skills and business acumen. The Wintergardens in the Auckland Domain are a permanent tribute to the exhibition and his leadership. His business career was marked by involvement in many companies but notably as director of the BNZ for a period spanning nearly twenty years, including a long period as chairman.

The Sir George Elliot Charitable Trust was established in 1956 to support community work and education. He had long been interested in education, and especially education ‘with a Christian character.’ This had been earlier demonstrated by his very significant donation for the establishment of Elliot Hall. It was characteristic of the man that his donations were often made anonymously and only became public later.

Semester 1 Academic Colours and Honours

At special assemblies last term, Semester 1 Academic Colours and Honours were awarded to our highest achieving Senior School students whilst our top Middle School students received their Academic Honours and Academic Endeavour Awards.

The standard set to gain Academic Awards is high and intended to motivate our top academic students to achieve at the highest levels of excellence.

SENIOR SCHOOL

NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement)

Year 13 NCEA Academic Colours

Year 13 NCEA Academic Honours

Year 12 NCEA Academic Colours

Year 12 NCEA Academic Honours

Year 11 NCEA Academic Colours

Year 11 NCEA Academic Honours

We are extremely pleased that the number of students attaining Colours and Honours is growing each year, showing our students’ commitment to achieving at their personal best; a philosophy we promote to our students. The students who are awarded Colours receive a special breast pocket to wear with pride on their blazer.

Georgina Alcock, Becky Lane, Annie Wang, Andrew Wei, Caitlin Houghton, Rachel Worthington, Keegan Chessum, Jessica Allen, Keshini Ketheeswaran, Sarah Courtney, Tiana Tuialii, Byron Lam, Harry Rillstone, Marieke Kruiswijk, Jeffrey Chan, Meheer Zaveri, Brandon Hoon, Daniel Clark

Amy Oldham, Matthew Swiatek, Lucy Conyngham, Devika Dhir, Emma Hanley, Henry Liu, Mitchell Farmer, Scott Murray, Isabella Richards, Carlos Webster, Oliver Hadfield, Sam Broadhead, Alexander Maehl, Caitlin Dodd

Nicholas Allen, Alex Gordon, Otto Couper, Oliver Whata, Timothy Roxburgh, Thomas Morton, Alexander Monk, Katherine Chang, Maximillian Ballard, Connor Mattson, Samantha Louie

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA

Year 13 IB Academic Colours

Year 13 IB Academic Honours

Year 12 IB Academic Colours

Year 12 IB Academic Honours

Grace Wood, Daniel Ng, William Xu, Martin Huang, Oscar Sims, Hanna Thompson, Kevin Yi

Deborah Cheng, Merry Liu, William Ning, Theresa Yeung, Sarah Zhang

James Brown, Kelly Connolly, Jack Downs, William Eaddy, Ainsley Foster, Alex Grigor, Tessa Hill, Greer Hunter, Spencer Johnstone, Erik Jorgensen, Matthew Kelly, Ryan McEwen, Dylan Morris, Elizabeth Mudford, Jason Owens, Anna Patton, Kevin Reid, Jamie Sinclair-Eagle, Caitlin Walker, Nathaniel Weaver, Nicola Williams, Matthew Wong-Kam, Harrison Young

Erin Meek, David Thibaud, Steven Guo, Anna Wilkinson, Crystal Sun, Tate McGregor, Victoria Tse, Tasma Fulford, Josh Looker, Elise Hinomoto

MIDDLE SCHOOL

Has Brooke, Cameron Low, Kevin Shen

Shuli Arymowicz, Amelia Ayres, Georgia Bennett, Eleanor Buttle, Hannah Coates, Logan Gardiner, Jordana Grant, Adora Husseini, Chris Lee, Jessie Liu, Alexander McDonald, Callum McDonald, Jamie MartiniTibbs, Kendall Mead, Andrew Meng, Lisa Miyaura, Kerry Ni, Ashley Potter, Lauren Pickett, Jason Seto, Yasmin Shakes, Ty Stevens, Matthew Stirling, Sophie Stone, Henry Sung, Patrick Ye, Brendan Waters, Rebecca Worthington

Dominic Devlin, James Hansen, Andrew Hsieh, Joanna Mao, Henry Mellsop, Emily Peart, Lanlie Zheng

Middle School Academic Endeavour Awards

Emma Jorgensen, Karl Jorgensen, Benjamin Shepherd, Emily Donaldson, Nastasha Leishman, Ava McKenzie, Caitlyn McKenzie, Jamie Mudford, Christopher Simonds

Year 7 Academic Honours

Michael Booth, Charlotte Cornwall, Samuel Everitt, Daniel Huang, Emma Jorgensen, Florence Lee, Danielle Mayer, Lucas van den Brink, Campbell Wright, Koa Yoshihara

Year 8 Academic Honours

Rose Arymowicz, Joseph Chan, Luke Creemers, Campbell Jordan, Robbie King, Samuel Ou, Erin Porter, Heeju Rho, Harper Yearsley, Helen Yu

Year 9 Academic Honours

Zac Attwood, Sophia Chiang, Steven Cho, William Feng, Ben Fraser, James Grant, Lucy Hunter, Alex Hynds, Karl Jorgensen, Jann Kruiswijk, Gemma Laverick, Margaret Li, Sam Looker, Isobel Merrie, Gabriel Nolan, Sarah Peart, Venice Qin, Benjamin Shepherd, Siobhan Waters, Sam Watson

Year 10 Academic Honours

Nico Carlier, Ada Chan, Andrew Chen, Dylan Chen, Ben Creemers, Kaitlyn Dalton, Lizzie Ellis, Sam Fletcher, Joy Han, Katie Harris, Natasha Humphries, Daniel Mar, Emily Mellsop, Akshay Mor, Joshua Ng, Ebba Olsen, Laura Porteous, Sam Scott, Juliet Shepherd, Hannah Williams, George Wu, Desmond Yong, Yunfan Yu

Service Trip to Malawi

With thanks to Year 11student reporter, Isabella Denholm

On the final day of Term 2, 18 students and 5 staff headed off with bags packed full of supplies for a country almost all of us knew nothing about. We were going to experience what it meant to be a teenager living in Malawi and to see the impact of the funds Saint Kentigern has raised through the 40 Hour Famine. Three flights and 30 hours later we finally arrived in Malawi - all very excited and eager to get going.

To start our trip we got a taste of Malawi culture. We went on a safari, climbed the breath-taking Mt Mulanje and jumped into one of the most beautiful lakes I have ever seen. We attended a local church service and before we knew it, we were all up the front dancing and singing along in a language none of us knew.

One of the first highlights was when we travelled to Mulanje and met Chief Onga. That night he told us his inspiring story of becoming a Chief. He shared his beliefs on youth empowerment and gave advice on how to become a great leader. It was really incredible – this African Chief from the other side of the world, giving us Kiwi teenagers such powerful and relevant advice!

We then visited several ADPs (Area Development Programmes) that World Vision and Saint Kentigern have been working with. We were always greeted by a sea of energetic children singing, dancing and welcoming us. Immediately we all felt happy to be there.

A lot of our time at the ADPs was simply spent dancing, singing and playing with the children in the different villages. The village kids showed us many of their traditional dances and always laughed at our attempts to join in. This was a definite highlight for so many of us – the amount of joy these kids had was incredible. They had so little, yet they always had the biggest smiles on their faces and their happiness was truly contagious.

Chigodi Secondary School (CSS) is where the majority of our famine funds has been going to. We stayed there for three days, living and sleeping in the village with the CSS students. We were greeted by the students singing their anthem to us and were all in awe of their beautiful singing voices.

Singing aside, we were all soon engaging and laughing with the students. Throughout the day we listened to their lessons, taught some of our own and played sport with the students.

That night we went back to our accommodation which was essentially a small, simple mud hut. We had no mattresses or bedding and were squashed on the floor along with some cockroaches and beetles. We helped our host family prepare the local staple food for dinner called nshima. Eating nshima was definitely a challenge for everyone. Whilst we weren’t fans of it, whenever we asked a Chigodi student what their favourite meal was, they would say it was nshima. We soon came to realise this was because the students didn’t really know any other food.

The following mornings we walked to the pump to collect water and carried it on our heads back to our host homes to cook breakfast. We spent the days re-painting classrooms, attempting to harvest the crops and building desks. We were able to see how Saint Kentigern’s 2014 famine funds has helped through providing goats, desks and much more. One night we played the movie ‘Lion King’ for the students using a white duvet as a makeshift projector. For the majority of CSS students, this was their first time they had watched a movie and they were captivated by it! Before we knew it, it was time to say our goodbyes and we drove out of the school smiling and waving to the newfound friends we knew we would never forget.

Malawi was an amazing trip with so many highlights. We sang, we danced, we laughed, we cried and the villages we stayed in were so rich with happiness, love and generosity.

From this trip we’ve all really learnt how privileged we are here in New Zealand. In this ‘world of opportunities’ we are so fortunate and have so many opportunities that lie ahead for us. Through acts of love, we have the opportunity to have such a big impact on their lives over there. From our experience in Malawi, I think we can all confidently say now, that through one little act of love at a time, we can change the world.

Saint Kentigern

Malawi is among the world’s least-developed countries where there is a prevalence of HIV/Aids, malaria, malnourishment and teen pregnancy.

In Malawi:

• 65 per cent of childhood illnesses and deaths are caused by malnutrition

• 47 per cent of under-5s have had their growth permanently stunted because of a lack of food

• About one quarter of the population are living in severe poverty

• 1.8 million people are affected by a food crisis

Saint Kentigern Raises

$134,000

for World Vision

A ll three Saint Kentigern schools have had a long association with World Vision with the College, in particular, being one of the top fundraising schools in the country for many years. During the 40 Hour Famine this year, students at the College raised a whopping $100,000, which, when added to the equally significant amounts of $26,960 from the Boys’ School and $7,090 from the Girls’ School, has seen Saint Kentigern collectively pledge over $134,000 to this year’s fundraising appeal! Well done students!

Last year, Service Coordinator at the College, Mr Mark Robinson, went on a scoping trip to Malawi in preparation for a student visit to this impoverished African country. The money raised over the last two years will be used to begin Saint Kentigern’s community to community project in a village called Chigodi, supporting both the primary and secondary

school. It will also provide water bores, agricultural support, livestock; chickens, goats and cows for farmers and assist with education.

CEO of World Vision, Mr Chris Clarke attended a special assembly at the College and presented Mr Robinson with the first Platinum Award for a school raising more than $100,000. ‘This is my favourite school assembly of all time', he said. ‘We used to dream about a school raising $100,000 and you guys did it. We are so touched by your commitment to children around the world.’ He told of the confidence and hope that assistance such as this can provide to a community. Donations had helped enable Chigodi families to be given training in small scale irrigation to grow crops in times of drought, gardens had been introduced to schools, and goats had been bought. ‘We consider Saint Kentigern very much in the heart of the World Vision family.’

Habitat for Humanity

With thanks to Year 13 student reporter, Caitlyn Dodd

On a bleak June morning in the first week of the July holidays, fourteen Year 13 students, Ms Cussen, Mr Hart and Mr Stead met at Auckland Airport, ready to undertake the annual Habitat for Humanity trip to Fiji. All of us were anxious but excited at the challenge that lay ahead of us.

Saunaka Village was to be our home for the next seven days. There, we met our host family, who greeted us with open arms and generously shared their home with us for the next week. It was explained to us that the village was quite conservative and that outside of the house, it was essential that the girls wore their long sulu and sleeved tops at all times.

Arriving in Saunaka Village, none of us really knew what to expect, however, I think we were all pleasantly surprised to find that our accommodation had electricity and running water! We were all given a thin mattress and pillow to sleep on. The eight boys, Mr Hart and Mr Stead slept in the living room of the house whilst the six girls and Ms Cussen were given one of the bedrooms to sleep in.

On our first night, the chief of the village welcomed us with a kava ceremony and not wanting to be impolite, we all graciously accepted a bowl. I don’t think many of us will be in a hurry to do so again as, if I’m honest, kava tastes like bitter, muddy water! After officially being welcomed into the village, we were served a dinner of chicken curry with roti and dhal soup, it was delicious. The women of the village cooked all our meals for us and their food became something that we looked forward to.

Every morning, we were woken at seven and after a quick breakfast we had a short drive to Legalega settlement to our building site. Arriving in Legalega for the first time was an extremely shocking and humbling experience as the families we were building for had been so severely devastated by the cyclone in 2013. They were living in literally nothing more than corrugated iron shacks. Our time there was spent building new, more robust shelters for two families which would provide them with protection and extra living space. A highlight of the trip was handing the houses over to the families. Seeing their thankfulness to us was an utterly overwhelming and emotional experience.

Our time in Fiji really highlighted to us how material possessions do not necessarily equate to happiness. The families in the villages we spent time in had relatively little in comparison with us, however, they were some of the happiest people I have ever met. When surrounded by such eternal joy, it is very hard not to feel happier yourself. Even after a few days of living in Fiji, we all had forgotten our own hectic lives in New Zealand. We immersed ourselves in our new routine of building during the day, going to the beach and playing with the kids in any spare moment we had.

We left Fiji, immensely proud of our contribution, knowing that the work we had undertaken would be of real benefit to the families of a quiet Fijian village. Many of us in New Zealand have visited Fiji as a holiday destination and as fabulous as resort life can be, nothing compares to the true hospitality when you are welcomed into day to day life in a true Fijian village.

Vanuatu - a trip to remember

The 15 students who accompanied Mr and Mrs Goebel on the service trip to Vanuatu all felt extremely lucky to have been chosen for a journey that opened their eyes to village life on a Pacific island away from the tourist resorts. In the wake of Cyclone Pam that tore through the island group earlier in the year, they weren’t exactly sure what to expect but they soon discovered Melanesian hospitality and were quickly made to feel at home as they set about their tasks for the week.

Year 12 student, Aimee Blake reports on the trip of a lifetime:

We spent seven days on the beautiful island of Vanuatu with five of those at the Sama Sama Rainbow School. Travelling to the school, we were all shocked at the devastation still left from Cyclone Pam and it was clear Vanuatu still has a long way to go until they have recovered. The van ride was spent in silence as we all felt confronted by what we saw. That afternoon was spent unloading the books, pens, paper, games, and sports equipment we had brought for the school. We were pleased by how much we managed to bring, and realised how much of a difference it would make.

Our living quarters consisted of two classrooms and an office, which we had to clear away daily to teach the children. The school day began at 7.30am with songs and prayers, bringing some of us to tears with the beautiful words the children sang and spoke. The school motto was ‘put God first in learning’, and it was quickly bought to our attention how Vanuatu is a very spiritual place. We taught and had fun with the 50 children that attend the school, who had two classes each day dependent on age and ability.

We distributed the work each day between the group with a variety of activities including building tables and a volleyball court and painting murals as

well as taking the classes. The amount of laughing, smiling and the love we felt over the seven days from the people and children was something none of us will ever forget.

It was so nice to stay on site at the school with Principal Ruth and her family. We were able to form close relationships with them and each night before bed we all gathered together to sing and pray.

The final night at the school came much sooner than expected. It was full of emotion, with singing, dancing, crying and delicious fresh produce Ruth and her family prepared for us. The following days at the resort were good to reflect on our time at the school.

Saying goodbye at the airport was touching. It was truly inspiring to be surrounded by such beautiful, loving, happy, caring people and it was an experience to never be forgotten.. It was a large life lesson to us all, coming from a society fixated on social media and a lot of superficial things. It taught us that we shouldn’t need a lot of possessions to be happy. It was a good reminder for us not to take things for granted and really appreciate what we have in life.

Memories of the Holocaust

Agroup of our Year 12 students sat in shocked and respectful silence when they heard first-hand from Holocaust survivors, Fredja and Shmuel Rothbard about the horrors and hardships they faced as young Jews in Poland during the Second World War. As part of the Jewish Federation of New Zealand’s HOPE 2105 Project, the couple, now in their 80s, were invited from Israel to New Zealand to educate school and university students about the realities of the Holocaust - not from a text book but from the view of those who had lived through the experience and bore witness to the atrocities.

The four classes comprised students studying History for either NCEA Level 2 or the IB Diploma, whose course work includes the study of the Weimar Republic and Nazi Germany from 1919 through to the end of the Second World War. The curriculum also allows students to study the reasons behind the persecution of minorities during the Nazi regime, including that of the Jewish faith, and its outcomes. The visit by the Rothbards gave the students the chance to explore and gain a greater insight into a difficult but important period in history, and to understand the causes, consequences and social impact of such past events.

At each speaking engagement, Fredja and Shmuel have taken it in turns to tell their own story, whilst also touching on the story of the other. At our school, it was Fredja’s turn to speak. The story she told was harrowing. The students heard how from 1941 to 1945, Jews, along with other persecuted groups in Europe, were targeted and methodically killed in one of the largest genocides in history. When this incomprehensible tragedy - the Holocaust - ended in 1945, the Nazis had killed six million Jews. The facts were chilling. There were 1.7million Jewish children in Europe prior to the

war. Fredja and Shmuel were two of the 200,000 who survived – 1.2 million lost their lives. Most of those who survived had been hidden, often separate from their parents. With identities disguised, and often physically concealed from the outside world, these youngsters faced constant fear, dilemmas, and danger. They lived in the shadows, where a careless remark or inquisitive neighbours could lead to discovery and death.

Fredja was born in 1934 in Gorzkow, Poland. She was 5 years old when the war took hold and although she didn’t fully understand, she sensed the fear at home. Her father worried that his family would not survive in the Ghetto and so her younger brother was given away to Polish friends to look after while she and her mother went into hiding, in an underground bunker in a forest, scarcely able to move or speak for weeks. Time and again she was told by her mother that if they were caught, she must deny being her daughter and say she was a neighbour’s child. When they were captured, she lied as her mother had told her; something that was to haunt her for the rest of her life. She always wondered, ‘Could I have done anything else?’ But she was only 7. She was later to witness her mother being murdered –shot in the back at close range by a German soldier.

Following the war, Fredja boarded an illegal ship to Palestine along with thousands of other migrants and after a further period of internment, has since lived a peaceful and happy life on a kibbutz in Israel where she met her husband, Shmuel. His story is equally harrowing but together they have found strength and happiness, raising three children in a world so different to their own childhood.

In this age of plenty, it is almost incomprehensible for a student in New Zealand to imagine a time in a first world society when a child as young as 6 or 7 could be left alone to fend for his or herself, knowing constantly that their life is in danger for no other reason than who they are. Our students were clearly moved by all they heard from the Rothbards. With far-right politics and anti-Semitism again on the rise across Europe, Shmuel and Fredja tell their stories to help encourage today’s generation to think about how they conduct their own lives.

Helping New Mums at Middlemore

Throughout their time at Saint Kentigern, our students are encouraged to consider ways that they can be of service to others both at school and in the community. As they progress through College, service opportunities abound and can be as varied as helping to coach a sports team to building a house for a needy family in Fiji.

Three years ago, when Mrs Xanthe Noble’s tutor group explored how they could offer service, the needs of new mothers at Middlemore Hospital came to light; of note, the girls learnt that many of these young women arrive at hospital with little and leave unable to afford personal hygiene items. In meeting with staff from Middlemore, it was an eye-opener for our girls to hear of their plight and to learn that for those on a tight budget, necessary sanitary items are often a ‘luxury’ purchase.

Three years on and Year 12 tutor group, 12XJN, have continued with the initiative to support new mothers with packs of personal hygiene basics to be distributed to women who require the extra assistance on their return home after giving birth. Over time they have delivered over 500 packs to the hospital.

Shared Love of Horses

A shared love of horses has created a lovely connection between 91 year old, Olive and two College students who visit her regularly as part of Enliven, the Intergenerational Project organised by Presbyterian Support.

Year 11 students, Billie Sims-Fowler and Emma Fuller make regular visits to Olive’s home and enjoy whiling away the time chatting and discovering shared interests. Billie is ‘horse-mad’ and discovered that Olive was a land girl on her parents’ farm during World War II and rode a horse to school each day.

Olive was still independent and active until recently when she suffered a nasty fall and broke her kneecap. Now that she is no longer able to drive, she misses being out and about, although she can still live in her own home, thanks to the help of Enliven support workers.

Olive thoroughly enjoys her visits from Billie and Emma; their company and conversation have helped restore her confidence and the easy chatter makes her feel young again! Anne Overton, the Community Advocate for Presbyterian Support Northern said, ‘From the moment they met, there was a really good synergy between them and a lovely ease of conversation'. Saint Kentigern students, along with students from St Cuthbert’s College have been matched with elderly clients for a number of years through the Intergenerational Project. The pleasure is shared as the students also enjoy the opportunity to have a chat and gain a sense of giving service to their local community.

The girls rely heavily on the support of the Saint Kentigern community, sending out frequent requests for the mini toiletries that are often collected while on holidays. More recently, the request went out for wool to knit baby bootees to add to the packs. The girls would like to especially thank staff members and prolific knitters, Mrs Cheryl Hardie and Mrs Caroline Thomson who have knitted countless bootees for the packs. Mrs Hardie is also sharing her knitting expertise with students who attend the ‘Busy Fingers Club’ run by Mrs Susan Wells after school each week. Here, students, both girls and boys, are learning to knit with the eventual aim of making blankets and scarves for those in need.

The girls delivered their packs to Middlemore, meeting the mums, their newborns as well as the community mid-wives. They returned to College buzzing, discussing ways of how they could be of further help.

Classics Trip to Europe

Seventeen days, 16 archaeological sites, 14 cities and towns, 9 museums, 2 countries and an untold number of unforgettable experiences, tastes and vistas – for the 21 classics and history students who travelled to Greece and Italy during the July holidays, this was an eye-opening, whirlwind tour through the cradle of western civilisation. Visiting the ancient sites and cities, experiencing the culture and food, seeing the architecture and art in person, there was much to take on board and much to learn!

During their time away, the students took it in turns to write a blog for the day and from their writing, it is clear that the journey made a powerful impression and provided an amazing new dimension to their understanding.

A jam-packed first day in Athens saw the group start in Kerameikos, the city’s ancient cemetery; a chance to view treasured relics and Greek pottery. At the Theatre of Dionysus, they learnt about Greek gender roles in drama and how the actors were perceived by society. The day’s highlight was the Acropolis, incorporating the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena Nike and the Erechtheion, followed by a trip to the Agora, the economic hub of ancient Athens, with the day concluding at the Acropolis museum.

The expedition to Mycenae exposed the students to the way in which ancient Greece entombed aristocratic families. The town of Epidaurus and the Theatre of Asklepios gave an insight to the ancient Greeks’ design expertise through its amazing acoustics. The day ended with a stroll through the Nafplio markets absorbing the life of modern day Greece.

The daunting climb to Palamidi Castle high above Nafplio and the Mediterranean was worth it for the stunning views, let alone exploring its many tunnels and vantage points. The students’ comprehension of Nero’s rule was brought to life at Olympia, where they also learnt how Zeus was worshipped, under the 13-metre statue housed in the largest temple at the famous location. The students then laid claim to being Olympians after staging a race inside the Olympic Stadium, the birthplace of the modern Games!

The bus trip to Delphi took in the plain of Iliad and Achaia as well as the impressive 2800-metre long cable bridge across the Gulf of Corinth. Here, the group took in the Oracle, and ruins and artefacts that had been uncovered on the mountainside. The next stop, Eleusis, housed the ruins of the largest structure built in ancient Greece and the only known temple dedicated to Hades.

The final night in Greece was a bit of fun as they staged the first instalment of their own ‘Amazing Race.’ Split into teams and assigned a god/goddess each, they were set four tasks, culminating in dressing up as their deity – with sheets and towels top of the equipment list!

The first destination in Italy was Sorrento, from which the group travelled to a number of villages. Conca provided a diversion from culture to nature during a visit to the beautiful Emerald Grotto, famous for the reflected light underground. The streets of Pompeii transported the students back to life as a Roman 2000 years ago. Witnessing the many casts of those caught by the infamous eruption of Mt Vesuvius, drove home the horror of that day in 79AD.

Rome’s Coliseum provided the stage for tales of gladiators of old, fighting for their lives for the entertainment of others. The Roman Forum, the arches of Titus and Septimius Severus, the various temples of the Vestal Virgins, Julius Caesar, and Augustus, conveyed the political, religious and cultural epicentre of one of the greatest empires on Earth all serving to further extend our students’ knowledge. The trip to the Vatican was enhanced by an enthusiastic guide who took the students through breath-taking hallways, courtyards and rooms full of some of the most spectacular classical art in the world. Ceilings and walls decorated with vibrant gilt patterning and the famous sculptures and paintings of Michelangelo surrounded them as they made their way through the Sistine Chapel and St Peter’s Basilica.

Venice was the final stop where ‘The Amazing Race, Venice edition’ allowed the students to see as many sights as possible in the time available. Equipped with a map and 50 Euro, teams of three students followed clues requiring quick and lateral thinking to get to the city’s landmarks.

Trips such as these that offer untold learning experiences require a huge amount of logistical planning. Our thanks to staff members, Mr Michael Clyne, Mr Steve Broun, Mr Ian Thomas and Mrs Natalie Burridge for leading the tour – one that proved amazing in many ways for the students involved.

Trekking in Nepal

Year 13 student Isabella Ching and commerce teacher David Graham travelled to Nepal as part of the Youth to Everest expedition earlier in the year, for what the pair both describe as a life-changing experience.

‘This was a trip that I have talked about doing for the last 20 years,’ said Mr Graham. ‘The most rewarding experience was watching the growth of the students over the 14 days and the impact that this experience has had on their lives.’

For Isabella, the trek and the devastating earthquake that followed soon after their return home had a profound effect. She reported, ‘After arriving in Kathmandu, we caught a small plane to the mountain town of Lukla, which is known as the gateway to Everest. We got our first real glimpse of the Himalayas up close as we flew through the range. The sheer size of them is breathtaking and we were all in awe of how beautiful they are. With our two sherpas, Tashi and Nawang, we set off through the Khumbu Valley. We ascended for six days, stopping to paint a community house in which the locals would teach dance, English and the Sherpa language.

After our stay, we headed up the second major climb of the trek to the town of Tengboche, where we experienced traditional Buddhist prayer. This opened our eyes to the different ways in which people live in the world, and we got to see other forms of religion we had not yet experienced.

Due to a snowstorm, the decision was made that it was too dangerous to continue climbing so we began our descent. We stayed at a lodge that night and celebrated the birthday of one of our group and the owners, who had so little, gifted him a present. We learnt that no matter what you’ve got, there is always something that you can do for others.

Following the trek, we said goodbye to the country we had all grown to love and treasure. Nepal will continue to hold a special place in all our hearts. Five days after leaving, a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck Nepal, destroying thousands of buildings and killing more than 8000 people. This really hit home as the people who had played such a big part in our trip were struggling so much. We knew we had to do something to give back to the people who had welcomed us so easily into their homes. In some way or another, each person from the group has raised money for the rebuild. Just 17 days later, Nepal was rocked again by a massive earthquake centred near Namche and the Khumbu Valley where we had stayed just a month earlier. We think every day about our friends over there and are trying to support them as much as possible in any way we can.’

Top Science Fair Results

Y ear 7 students from the College have been recognised for their outstanding work at the Manukau regional final of the NIWA Science Fair. Five students were selected to represent the College following on from their in-school competition. The Manukau final pits students from schools in Manukau, Eastern suburbs, Papakura and Counties against one another in a number of categories.

Danielle Mayer was awarded first place in the Consumer Science category. Her project was an inquiry into the make-up of various margarine products. She examined which brands have the highest water content, and the difference between the regular and lite versions within each brand. The results were in line with her hypothesis, which was that lite versions had a higher percentage of water content, some more than 50 per cent. Danielle also received the Special Prize for the Best Year 7 Innovation, Invention or Investigation as well as the Eric Clague Kiwanis Award. In total Danielle won $1000 in prize money.

Xanfira Goulder-Chisholm took out third place in the Consumer Science division for her research into hair conditioners. She built an apparatus which tested the friction on a length of hair as it passed through a comb after having a range of conditioners applied. Her results disproved her hypothesis that a coconut oil product would work best, based on it being a natural substance.

Samiya Patel was highly commended in Consumer Science for her research into the best method for reducing plaque on teeth. Emma Jorgensen was highly commended in the Physical and Material World section for her experiment to determine which foods she should be eating to get the most vitamin C into her system. The judges, who are experts in each of the different categories, were looking for thoroughness, technical skill, presentation, originality and a high level of scientific thought and understanding.

Congratulations girls for your impressive projects and great results!

Year 10 Place at Mathex

Over 200 teams of the best Year 7-10 mathematical brains from schools around Auckland lined up at the ASB Stadium over two nights for the annual Casio Auckland Mathematical Association Mathex Challenge. The competition was stiff but we are pleased to report that the College Year 10A team comprising Andrew Chen, Daniel Mar, Callum Lee, Ben Staite were placed second in their age group of over 100 teams! The College has placed in the top three at Mathex on many occasions over the years.

The College sent two teams in each age group. The Year 9A team scored a full 100% but weren’t quite speedy enough, ending up in 5th place. Andrew, Daniel, Callum and Ben won the Year 9 division last year and were hoping for a second win this week but Auckland Grammar just pipped them on this occasion.

Forces Behind the Fun!

One of the highlights of the science year for our Year 13 physics students is the practical field trip to Rainbow’s End to prepare for an internal physics assessment. To experience physics in action while having a bit of fun was a golden opportunity for the students to learn more about simple harmonic motion, gravitation, the interchange between potential and kinetic energy, momentum, impulse and other physics concepts.

With a vertical and a horizontal accelerometer strapped to their wrists, and a stopwatch, calculator and pen to take measurements and record results, our groups of NCEA and IB Diploma physics students set out at Rainbow’s End to complete a large range of tasks that included a Roller Coaster, the Fear Fall, a Pirate Ship, Dodgem Cars, a Log Flume and the ominously named ‘Invader’ as part of their equipment list!

If you are wondering how a fun park and physics go hand in hand, take the roller coaster as a prime example. More than just a thrill ride, this is an excellent illustration of the laws of physics in operation. Roller coasters are pulled to the top of the highest hill on the track and then released. A coaster gains gravitational potential energy as it is pulled to the top but this changes to kinetic energy as the coaster begins its descent. Gravity and friction control the rest of the ride.

Ideas that physics students might ponder are: ‘Why don’t the cars of a roller coaster fly off the track? Why don’t the passengers fly out of the cars? How high does the first hill of a roller coaster have to be in order to complete the ride? What physical laws determine how many hills, curves, and loops a roller coaster track can have?’

Dodgem Cars bring Newton’s third law of motion into play (for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction). The Fear Fall takes into account Galileo’s classic experiments that led to the finding that all objects fall at the same rate, regardless of their mass, and the Pirate Ship is a giant pendulum exerting forces on the body that require an understanding about simple harmonic motion to explain. As for the ‘Invader,’ students were tasked with calculating the maximum centripetal acceleration!

If you are still wondering about where the unusual choice of classroom fits into the curriculum, rest assured! As soon as the ride was over, groups of students could be seen recording results, arguing their findings and working collaboratively to calculate a result. On descending the Fear Fall – a vertical drop from on high – the students were asked to measure the ‘time taken with uncertainty’ for the car to travel a certain distance using the formula: d = vit + ½ at 2 to calculate the distance (d) with uncertainty travelled by the car during this time. g = 9.8 m s -2, vi = 0 m s-1. Other visitors to the park only stopped long enough to consider whether they’d enjoyed the ride or not!

It could be fair to say, however, that the accuracy of some of the acceleration measurements taken on the Fear Fall or Roller Coaster may be doubtful in some cases - the students needed to have their eyes open, not closed in fear, in order to take accurate measurements! There was no question that the students really enjoyed the experience – and learnt a great deal in the process!

Excelling at Maths

Congratulations to Year 12 student, Kevin Shen who finished second in the prestigious Eton Press Casio Mathematics Competition! After sitting a preliminary paper in May, the top 14 young mathematicians in the country qualified for the national final in Wellington. After the two-hour examination, Kevin was awarded second place. As a Year 12 student, he is still eligible to enter next year!

Kevin won a $600 cash prize and new calculator for his efforts. While in Wellington, he and the other contestants were given a tour of the Beehive and visited Te Papa to view the Gallipoli exhibition. Kevin’s favourite question from the gruelling test was, ‘A stick is broken randomly in 2 places. What is the probability the three pieces form a triangle’? He reliably informs us that the answer is 1/4.

National Medals for College Robotics Team

After great success at the Auckland Robocup competition earlier in the term, our first place winners from the various categories travelled to Christchurch to compete against the best robotics teams from around the country in the National Robocup Competition.

Each of our teams had built different robots to enter the various categories of the competition, applying their engineering knowledge and skills. They not only built robots that could perform the required tasks but also created the programming to precisely control the robot completely autonomously; any modifications to the robots meant altering the computer programme to suit the sensors.

In the ‘Soccer’ competition, two robots need to work together to protect the goal, attack the opposition, gain the ball and score across the field.

In the various ‘Rescue’ competitions, students were given only 20 minutes from first seeing the task to writing a programme that set their own robot on a path to complete a course over various obstacles to find an object and then ‘rescue it’ by pushing it out of the course.

The Premier teams had a more difficult ‘Rescue’ challenge. After completing the course, the robot had to find an object and pick it up to deliver to a platform.

In Christchurch there were a large number of teams competing across the various categories. There were some extremely clever and precise robots in all the categories, especially the Premier Division so congratulations to our entrants on their success!

Our boys returned to Auckland well pleased with their national recognition, and having seen the level of robotics from other schools, are now fired up to do even better next year! Well done boys, a great effort!

NATIONAL RESULTS

Senior Rescue:

1st Place: Samuel Yeung

Premier Rescue:

2nd Place: Daniel Mar, Andrew Chen and Nicholas Scott

Junior Rescue:

3rd Place: Christopher Dirks

Senior Soccer:

3rd Place: Ryan Stickland and Alexander Maehl

AUCKLAND RESULTS

Premier Rescue:

1st Place: Daniel Mar, Andrew Chen, Callum Lee and Nick Scott (Year 10)

2nd Place: Connor Mattson and Alex Monk (Year 12)

3rd Place: Tom Pennycuick, Norman Dines and Techin Jitatisil (Year 11)

Senior Rescue:

1st Place: Samuel Yeung (Year 10)

Junior Rescue:

1st Place: Christopher Dirks (Year 8)

2nd Place: Samuel Ou and Cameron Signal (Year 8)

Senior Soccer:

1st Place: Ryan Stickland and Alexander Maehl (Year 13)

3rd Place: Deborah Cheng and Daniel Ng (Year 13)

Artisan Food Market

One of the world’s most challenging and delicious cuisines was painstakingly prepared and served at a French Artisan Food Market held at the College last term. Year 11 Food Technology students showcased and sold their latest classroom creations, which included pomme frites, macaroons, crepes, croissants and, of course, amazing pastries.

Having successfully made classic puff pastry for their last practical assessment, the students worked on planning and developing their own products in readiness for the market. The brief required them to research food products available at markets and specialty stores around Auckland and use this information to choose a delicacy to develop. They spent 12 weeks fine-tuning the flavour, presentation and packaging to the point where they could confidently produce their carte de jour in saleable quantities.

There were more than 20 stalls offering over 30 different French treats, with many items selling out within minutes!

College Chefs win Silver!

Two of our students, Alex Southwick (Year 12) and Sam Keyte (Year 11) have been named as two of the best secondary school chefs in Auckland after transforming ‘humble kiwi’ ingredients into delicious dishes reminiscent of a fine-dining experience. The talented pair placed second in the Auckland round of the City & Guilds National Secondary School Culinary Competition held at Manukau Institute of Technology during the July school holidays.

The MasterChef style competition saw students from a number of Auckland secondary schools competing to create well designed meals to present to a judging panel. Each team had to prepare, cook and present four portions of an entrée and main course within 90 nerve-wracking minutes.

Beetroot was the compulsory principal component of the entrée, while the main course had to include potato as well as two other fresh New Zealand grown vegetables alongside a chicken breast.

Alex and Sam had spent eight weeks designing, trialling and perfecting their mouth-watering meal.

For entrée they served a vibrant beetroot spelt risotto with goat cheese and fennel. This was followed by a sumptuous French-roasted chicken breast accompanied by pancetta lardons, brussels sprouts, kumara puree, potato rosti and roasted cherry tomatoes. The dishes were judged by industry chefs taking the following criteria into consideration: uniformity, technical ability, mise en place, timing, temperature, plating, taste and balance of flavours.

Alex and Sam prepared some fantastic meals but narrowly missed out on a spot in the national final after taking second place in the Auckland region behind eventual winners, Onehunga High School. The winning teams from each of the 10 regional rounds progressed to a national competition with the national winner going on to represent New Zealand at the International Secondary Schools Culinary Competition held in Tahiti in October!

This was Alex’s second time competing under the watchful scrutiny of professional culinary judges after he and Rebecca Roberts claimed the runner-up prize in 2014.

The competition was founded in 2013 by City & Guilds to help grow hospitality talent and showcase the career opportunities within the industry.

Hamilton Wins Burger Cook-Off

What makes a great gourmet burger? That was the challenge put to the contestants in the final of the SKC Kitchen Rules Gourmet Burger Cook-Off. The chefs, in teams of two, had qualified for the inaugural final following four intra-house heats. They were given 40 minutes to prepare four individually plated burgers for the judges in the white-hot atmosphere of the Jack Paine Centre. On the panel of burger experts were Head of College, Mr Cole and Head of Senior School, Mrs Winthrop, alongside competition sponsor, Winnie Charlesworth and renowned hospitality industry veteran, Bart Littlejohn, owner of Sails restaurant. As well as being specialist taste-testers, the judges were also assessing originality, visual presentation, technical expertise and the team’s timing, organisational skills and hygiene practices. There was a lot of variety in the burgers the teams prepared, borrowing from a number of international cuisines. Jacqueline Chang and Rebecca Roberts (Hamilton) had an Asian-inspired gua bao with hoisin and ginger pulled pork served in a steamed bun. Chalmers’ Zac Attwood and Leon Chaplow went for a Mexican theme with spicy mince patties, guacamole, cuitlacoche (corn fungus) and salsa. Alex Southwick and Ryan McEwan from Wishart used a pressure cooker to get their pulled beef tender and succulent before serving with a smoky chipotle slaw in a slider bun. Cargill’s Holly Foster and Cameron Biland delivered a venison and blue cheese creation, with rocket and pickled capsicum.

The judges were extremely impressed with the quality of the cooking techniques and final products. After a lengthy deliberation, Rebecca Roberts and Jacqueline Chang of Hamilton house were declared the winners of the $500 cash prize. Well done girls!

Dance Showcase

A celebration of student achievement within both curricular and co-curricular dance, this year’s Dance Showcase was an exhilarating display of artistic talent from our senior girls and boys studying dance in Years 11-13.

The Showcase was a student-led production that not only put their performance on display but also their creativity, skill and flair as emerging choreographers. The opportunity to present their work through public performance is an important part of their arts education.

Working collaboratively, the students choreographed, staged and performed 34 pieces that included contemporary, ballet, hip hop, jazz, lyrical and cultural dance. With more than 120 dancers taking part, and more helping behind the scenes, the students combined to create three nights of fabulous entertainment.

The Year 12 dancers took ‘mythology’ as their theme, firstly researching the concept from the perspective of different cultures and time before narrowing it down to a single idea for their own work.

The Year 12 Extension students, a group who undertake their NCEA standards a year ahead, worked to a theme based on inspirational/famous quotes; conveying their response to a selected quote through movement.

The Year 13 class and Extension students based their work on Turangawaewae. With turanga meaning ‘standing place’ and waewae ‘feet,’ it is often translated as ‘a place to stand.’ Turangawaewae are places where we feel especially empowered and connected. They are our foundation, our place in the world, our home. The students brainstormed this idea and what it meant to them and then transformed their ideas into expressive works that communicated layered meanings.

In addition, each class presented a large group dance that had been choreographed for them by their teacher, Mr Geordan Wilcox. To the delight of the dancers and audience alike, both Mr Wilcox and fellow dance teacher, Mr Ichiro Harada took on cameo roles on stage that brought huge applause. Both staff members have an extensive background in dance performance that has brought new levels of experience and opportunity for our students.

We also welcomed two guest choreographers. Livi Obern worked with Year 11 on their signature piece, ‘Uptown Funk.’ Livi graduated from the College in 2009 and has gone on to make a career in dance. Graduating from Edge Performers’ School in Melbourne, she has danced for Zoe Badwi, Microdot, Bridget Mendler, X Factor NZ and corporate events in Australia and NZ.

Another guest choreographer, Justine de Kock, worked with the Year 13 Extension class on ‘Halo.’ Justine was awarded Fellowship status within the Modern Theatre Faculty of the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing. She has many years’ experience teaching at vocational level in the UK, having previously taught at The BRIT School in London, a performing arts school sponsored by the British Music Industry.

The pressure was on both the choreographers and the performers to get every last detail correct as their work was being assessed for NCEA. For those undertaking Dance as an examinable course of study at senior level, there are a number of objectives to be achieved. Achievement objectives at NCEA Level 2 (Year 12) and NCEA Level 3 (Year 13) each have a choreographic element. At Year 12, there is a requirement to ‘choreograph a group Dance to communicate an intention.’ At Year 13, the requirement is to ‘produce a dance for a performance.’ There is also a requirement to ‘perform a significant role in a group dance to an audience.’

To meet these objectives, the senior dance students poured considerable energy into preparing for the Showcase in readiness to present their work for NCEA assessment. In addition, some of our drama (NCEA) and theatre arts (IB Diploma) students were involved with the technical and production aspects of the show.

To produce a show of this calibre requires an enormous amount of work and it’s quite incredible that the rehearsals and performance were largely student led. Each year we see an improvement in technique and performance from our dancers, with each new year bringing a noticeable, new level of sophistication to their work. The choreographers, performers and back stage crew from Years 12 and 13 are to be congratulated for their dedication to bring a show of this quality to the stage. Their themes explored difficult, emotional issues that had a real impact on the audience.

Saint Kentigern

Valuable Insight for Dance Students

The Dance programme at the College continues to gain strength under the leadership of Head of Dance, Mr Geordan Wilcox and dance teacher, Mr Ichiro Harada. Through their extensive contacts in the New Zealand dance

scene, they are able to attract fellow experts to their classes to assist the student dancers with their learning.

During Term 3, the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s Dance Educator, Pagan Dorgan cast her knowledgeable eye over the Year 11 – 13 students’ progress. Ms Dorgan trained at the London School of Contemporary Dance and soon developed a passion for dance education.

As well as looking at the students’ dance pieces and movements, Ms Dorgan also worked on their interpretive and analytical skills. Across NCEA Dance Levels 1 to 3, students are required to learn and use dance vocabulary, demonstrate their understanding of dance elements and choreographic processes, respond critically to dance performances, and research the New Zealand dance context.

The Year 13 Extension class was analysing part of dance called ‘Anatomy of a Passing Cloud’ by South American choreographer Javier De Frutos, with whom Mr Wilcox and Ms Dorgan have both worked personally. Ms Dorgan stepped the students through the piece, which gave them a deeper insight into the choreographer’s intent and have a hands-on understanding of the spacing, pace, rhythm and timing of the dance when it comes to their external examinations. Ms Dorgan said the students moved very well and brought great energy to the lesson.

Go Tell Alice in Wonderland

Oh Alice! Better pay attention

Oh Alice! Better wake up today

‘Cause daydreams sneak up on you

And carry you away

Daydreams can be dangerous

You can lose control

You could wind up on a cloud

IOr down a rabbit hole…..

t is now 150 years since English author, Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, under the pen name, Lewis Carroll, first published the tale of a headstrong young girl called Alice, who took on more than she bargained for when she followed a skittish, well-dressed, talking rabbit down a rabbit hole. Landing in a fantasy world of bizarre characters who seemingly talk endless nonsense; the many-layered story has captured the imagination of readers since 1865.

‘A little bit Disney, a little bit Tim Burton movie and a lot of in between,’ this year’s senior drama production of ‘Alice’ was an adaptation for the Saint Kentigern stage by Head of Drama, Ms Emma Bishop. Like Carroll’s original book, the stage production brimmed with chaos, madness and high jinks, as young Alice observed and joined in the unpredictable antics of the Mad Hatter, March Hare, Dormouse, Cheshire Cats, the Caterpillar, Queen of Hearts and a host of other fantastical creatures, concluding with a frightening showdown between Alice and a Jabberwocky.

As Alice, Year 13 student, Caitlin Houghton remained on stage for almost the entire show and did a sterling job as the often confused but resourceful young girl. The transition from child to adult is never easy and Alice’s travels in this strange land highlighted every child’s frustration - a desire to be older, while retaining the benefits of youth; thinking what adults say is incomprehensible, even though they apparently understand each other; and recognising that what adults say and what they do can be inconsistent. Caitlin captured the role perfectly with a strong performance.

From her first encounter with the harried White Rabbit (Matt Devlin), Alice tried to reason with the creatures she meets for advice and guidance, only to discover that ‘reason’ has no place in Wonderland! In a world overflowing with irrationality and nonsense; it seems that Alice will have to set logic and her matter-of-fact nature aside, and let her imagination steer her onwards.

Her travels do prove a little alarming at times, especially when confronted with a vindictive Queen of Hearts, along with her deck-of-cards entourage, keen to see Alice lose her head! Becky Lane played the despotic ‘off with her head!’ Queen brilliantly; a commanding presence on stage, clearly relishing her role!

The Mad Hatter (Tom Henderson) and March Hare (Joseph Bradshaw) were both an impressive presence at the nonsensical Mad Hatter’s tea party with its fast-flying illogical dialogue between themselves and Alice – while the narcoleptic Dormouse (Amelia Ayres) completed the guest list. Alice soon discovered that riddles need not have answers, and saying what she means and meaning what she says are not the same thing. The dynamic stage set for this scene was much talked about!

An adaptation of such a well-known tale is reliant on being able to evoke the wonder and playfulness of the original story, recreating the strange world into which Alice tumbled. Both the set and the costumes were fantastic. Without the benefit of movies, Alice’s tumble into the rabbit hole and her subsequent need to shrink and grow became part of the stage and lighting technicalities; all handled convincingly, transporting the audience along with the action. In the final showdown with the Jabberwocky, again the technical crew did a fantastic job building the suspense to Erin Meek taking the dance lead for the character.

The 40 strong cast, as always, was superbly drilled, full of zest and energy as they brought the production to life. Behind the scenes there were just as many in support ensuring that every last detail was covered.

Our thanks to Producer and Director, Ms Emma Bishop for her vision, along with her support team of Mrs Jess Acheson (Production Assistant), Mr Glen Mortenson (Technical Manager), Miss Alice Hamilton (Costume Manager), Mr Terry Haffern (Backstage Manager), Mrs Natalie Burridge (Hair and Makeup) and the Art and Technology staff for setting the stage. We also extend our thanks to the many other staff, parents and students who offered their assistance to make this show such a great success.

THE ORIGINS OF ‘ALICE.’

The story of ‘Alice’ has two strands, effectively intertwined: one biographical and one literary. The story began, as every Alice aficionado knows, on a July day in 1862, when the Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson, with his friend Robinson Duckworth, took three little girls, the Liddell sisters (Lorina, Alice and Edith) on a boat trip up the River Thames to Godstowe, two and a half miles north-west of Oxford. Here the party disembarked and ate a picnic tea, while Dodgson, in his Lewis Carroll persona, entertained the others with the bare bones of a wonder tale about a bored little girl called Alice who goes looking for adventure. Alice Liddell, age 10 at the time, asked Dodgson to write it down for her. On 26 November 1864, he gave Alice the handwritten manuscript of ‘Alice's Adventures Under Ground,’ with illustrations by Dodgson himself, dedicating it as ‘A Christmas Gift to a Dear Child in Memory of a Summer's Day.’ This was the start of a tale that was destined to take the world of children’s literature by storm. Childhood reading would never be the same again.

Little Shop Horrors of

Middle School Production

When your flower shop business looks like it’s going down the gurgler and you’re not sure what to do, encouraging a large, ill-tempered, foul-mouthed, R&B-singing, man-eating plant to grow in your shop window, particularly one bent on world domination, may provide a novel short term solution - but it’s probably not the best way to fix your problem long term! Especially when it devours you in the process!

'Little Shop of Horrors' is one of the longest-running Off-Broadway shows of all time. This affectionate spoof of 1950s sci-fi horror movies has become a popular choice for theatre groups, thanks to the highly successful Hollywood film. In a novel twist, this year’s Saint Kentigern Middle School production featured twin brother and sister, Molly and Harrison Griffiths, playing opposite each other in the lead roles!

On New York’s Skid Row, irascible flower shop proprietor, Mr Mushnik (Matthew Farnell), and his two employees, Seymour (Harrison Griffiths) and Audrey (Molly Griffiths), scratch a pitiful living from a failing business. Insecure but well-meaning orphan, Seymour, harbours a hopeless passion for his co-worker, sweet but ‘ditzy’ Audrey, but is far too meek mannered to let it be known – until his discovery of a strange, exotic plant injects new life into the business and brings Seymour a taste of success.

As Seymour’s fame as a celebrity horticulturalist grows, people flock to the store but he is faced with a growing moral dilemma – how far is he willing to go? He hopes to win Audrey away from her abusive boyfriend, sadistic dentist Orin (Rafe McDonald) but there is just a wee problem with this plan; the plant that Seymour has named Audrey II, after the girl he longs for, has grown to a giant carnivore that feeds on human flesh – which the plant demands in ever increasing quantities in increasingly threatening tones!

As the cry, ‘Feed me Seymour!’ becomes more frequent and disturbing, we discover that quiet Seymour is actually capable of terrible things and while he doesn’t actually commit murder, he does sell his soul - as first Orin the dentist, then Mr Mushnik become fuel for the plant’s insatiable appetite!

Year 10 brother and sister duo, Molly and Harrison, proved outstanding in their roles as Audrey and Seymour. Despite not having played lead acting roles on stage before, they rose to the performance and are to be applauded for taking on strong, credible American accents. Molly truly mastered a New York stage accent. Both are strong singers but Harrison, in particular, is a powerhouse vocalist with a wide vocal range – we can expect to see these two in many more musicals to come!

The catchy score is a mixture of popular styles including rock 'n' roll, doo-wop and Motown - and the cast clearly loved singing every bit of it!

Throughout the show, a trio of street-wise narrators, Crystal (Caroline Cross), Chiffon (Venice Qin) and Ronnette (Izzy Bayley) strut and sing, keeping the audience entertained with their view of life on ‘the Row.’ Other soloists gave equally strong performances from Matthew Farnell’s moneygrubbing Mushnik, to the agents who come calling on Seymour, played by Matthew Turner, Beck Robson, Ben Staite, Nicholas Scott and Amelia Elliot. Clad in leather as the deranged dentist, Rafe MacDonald did a fantastic Elvis like delivery of his squeamish dentistry song! Beware the dentist with the rusty drill and a taste for nitrous oxide!

Backing the singers was a troupe of twelve lead dancers who did great justice to the choreography. On many occasions the wider chorus also joined in, clearly relishing their spot in the limelight.

It’s an unusual situation when one of the stars of the show remains unseen! The voice of the plant at the centre of all the attention was played by Sajith Dhambagolla, who delivered all his lines and sings his songs without ever setting foot on stage! Ben Staite and Jacob Borland-Lye took on the work of the puppeteers providing animation to the plant which they said wasn’t easy. Despite a couple of sandbags to assist opening and closing the huge venus fly trap-like plant; it was a real workout for the boys backstage!

As the show headed to its conclusion, Seymour realises he has unleashed a horror he can no longer contain. When his attempts to kill the plant fail, he and Audrey take the only way out they know, and one after the other, they too succumb to the open jaws of Audrey II.

Despite the rather grisly ending, this was a show that left the audience on a high as the young cast all came forward for the curtain call singing ‘Don’t feed the plants!’ Message heard loud and clear!

We thank Producer, Mrs Kim Smith; Director, Mr David Sheehan; Musical Director, Mr Oliver Gilmour; Choreographer, Mr Ichiro Harada; Head of Backstage, Mr Terry Haffern; and Technical Manager, Mr Glen Mortensen, along with their wider team of staff for all their work in bringing this show to fruition. Working alongside the staff was a team of Senior School drama students in assistant roles to the Director and Choreographer with Year 12 student, Sam Elliot taking on the role of Stage Manager.

SUPREME WINNERS

YEARS 9 AND 10: HIDDEN IN THE DEPTHS

Model and Designer: Holly Dashwood

YEARS 7 AND 8: MR MCPAPER

Model and Designers: Tom Harford, Robbie King and Harry MacPherson

HIGHLY COMMENDED

YEARS 7 AND 8

Middle School Wearable Arts Show

Seventy eight perfectly poised models displaying the creative genius of 139 inspired designers along with 54 show-stopping dancers - with such a huge number of talented students involved, it is little wonder that this year’s Middle School Wearable Arts Show was once again a massive success. Launched four years ago by Year 8 teacher, Mrs Leisha Slade, the event is now a major drawcard on the Saint Kentigern calendar, with Elliot Hall full to capacity as parents and other members of our community gather to see the students’ mind-blowing creations.

We once again welcomed professional speaker, Wendy Meyer to MC the show and thank her for her fantastic input introducing each item. The finished creations, seamlessly blending art, design and fashion, were supported by corresponding dances within six categories:

• Kiwiana and Pacifica

• Through the Years – A Look Back in Time

• Disney

• Man’s World

• Preloved Avant Garde

• The Circus

The competition was open to the entire Middle School with separate prizes for Years 7-8 and Years 9-10. The students were privileged to welcome back two esteemed judges from the New Zealand art scene to determine the category and supreme winners. Anne Lohrentz has worked extensively in the clothing industry both locally and abroad as a designer and has also established and run her own label. She has a Master’s degree in Visual Art and lectures on Design and Creative Pattern Cutting at AUT. Fellow return judge, Ros Craw, is the Head of Art at Somerville Intermediate also bringing a keen artistic eye.

At the dress rehearsal, the students were privileged to work with Kiri Whitford-Joynt from ID with Style. The students, especially the models, received valuable advice about their presentation and deportment while on the catwalk. At the same time, the judges had the opportunity to examine the garments closely and interview the designers. The final decision, made especially difficult by the high calibre of designs, was made on the night based on the following criteria:

• Creativity, zest and innovation

• The garment’s relevance to the category

• Originality

• Presentation and construction

Congratulations to the eighteen chosen finalists, and in particular the Supreme Winners. No stranger to the catwalk, Holly Dashwood, Year 10, is well remembered for winning the inaugural show with her giant jelly fish creation. This year’s entry, ‘Hidden in the Depths’ represented the beautiful South Pacific ocean and the legends told about the mythical creatures that live within it. In complete contrast to Holly’s flowing design, ‘Mr McPaper’ by Year 8 students, Tom Harford, Robbie King and Harry MacPherson was a well cut man’s suit, hat and briefcase made entirely from newspaper!

Well done to the Year 11 dance leaders who undertook all of the choreography for the show with assistance from dance staff, Mr Geordan Wilcox and Mr Ichiro Harada. A big thank you to Katherine Chang from Year 12 for designing this year’s logo, PowerPoint, tickets and certificates, and also to Georgia Cook and Gemma Fuller in Year 10 for designing the programme.

And finally, heartfelt thanks to Mrs Slade for her organisation, and Wendy Meyer, Kiri Whitford-Joynt, Anne Lohrentz and Ros Craw for making this fantastic night a tremendous success!

Rugby Gladiator Jacob Spring Bailing Twine Bride Charlotte Cornwall

Sole Sister Sophie Ellet Circus Surprise Emma Jorgensen, Erin McGinity, Florence Lee & Amorangi Malesala

Ocean Princess Emma Savoury

YEARS 9 AND 10 Coke King Luke Creemers, Julian Engelmann, Lenny Creamer Peacock is the New Black Grace Kelly and Izzy Kozak Paper Memories Mackensie Cooper and Maya Keast

Branching Out Emma King Fragment Ada Chan Inner Beauty Kate Armstrong

Roll Caged Bianca Connell

Ultra Violet Sounds Lucy Wienk and Tess Elliot

Nana’s Garden Charlotte Maehl and Molly Griffiths

YEARS 9 AND 10 Paper Joke Danielle Mayer

Fluid Coco Xu

Wishart Win House Music!

TOVERALL RESULTS

1ST WISHART

2ND CARGILL

3RD HAMILTON

4TH CHALMERS

here was scarcely a spare seat in the house when the College community came together to hear and cheer the House Choirs and Bands as they vied for the coveted House Music Cup. Held at the Vodafone Pacific Events Centre in Manukau, the evening was a resounding success, enjoyed by students, staff and families alike!

The move to this larger venue three years ago, meant that the Houses could put forward bigger choirs of up to 200 apiece, allowing for even greater student involvement. Of course, a bigger choir doesn’t necessarily equate with a better choral sound –especially where excited teenagers are concerned! Fully studentorganised, the four College Houses - Cargill, Chalmers, Wishart and Hamilton, along with the boarding house, Bruce House, each presented a large choir as well as a smaller House Band.

The House Choir items are traditionally selected from a category chosen by the Head of Music. This year, prefects were given the task of choosing an original Disney song. Unsurprisingly, High School Musical and Lion King featured twice each with Jungle Book also making an appearance.

Judges for the evening were Josh Clark (a freelance musician, former member of the New Zealand Youth Choir and member of staff with the NZ Secondary Student Choir) and Mike Young (Head of Music at Pakuranga College). Together they had the difficult task of picking the winners according to set criteria which marked tone, tunefulness, diction, presentation, originality of ideas and overall effectiveness for each choral contribution. Wishart’s rendition of ‘I just can’t wait to be King,’ complete with an assortment of ‘onesieclad’ animals holding Simba high above Pride Rock, took the spoils in the choir competition.

Criteria for the House Bands are similar to those of the choirs, however, the introduction this year of movement and dance drove the overall quality up with the bands who combined clever stagecraft with good quality music coming out on top. Whilst Wishart’s visually engaging and musically sound performance of the Jackson’s ‘Blame it On the Boogie’ was expertly crafted, a favourite of the crowd and proved to be the winner; it’s fair to say that with their most talented musicians and dancers on stage, the band performances from each of the Houses this year was fantastic entertainment.

Judging is never an easy task and the first moment of silence all evening came when Mr Clark and Mr Young prepared to announce the winners. Excited cheers from Wishart at winning the House Choir section became absolutely thunderous when they discovered they had also won the House Band section giving them an unassailable lead to win this year’s House Cup!

House Band Results

1st Wishart House ‘Blame It on the Boogie’ by the Jacksons

2nd Hamilton House ‘This Love’ by Maroon 5

3rd Cargill House ‘Uptown Funk’ by Bruno Mars and Valerie by Amy Winehouse

4th Chalmers House ‘My Songs Know what you did in the Dark’ by Fall Out Boy

House Choir Results

1st Wishart House ‘I just can’t wait to be King’ from Lion King

2nd Cargill House ‘We're all in this together’ from High School Musical

3rd Hamilton House ‘What Time Is It?’ from High School Musical

4th Chalmers House ‘Bare Necessities’ and ‘I wanna be like you’ from the Jungle Book

5th Bruce House ‘Hakuna Matata’ from Lion King

Proms Season

t’s five years since the College last staged a ‘Last Night of the Proms’ but the wait for this year’s fantastic concert series in Elliot Hall was worth it!

First staged in London 120 years ago, the ‘Proms’ has a long history. In those early days, concerts were expensive to attend and most people were only able to hear good music when they went for walks in the London parks. Orchestras and bands played in bandstands and most of the music was popular and easy to listen to. Known as Promenade Concerts, people could enjoy the music while they walked about.

The first official Proms concert was the brainchild of Robert Newman, manager of the newly built Queen's Hall in London. His aim was to reach a wider audience than usual by offering more popular programmes, and making standing room available in the concert hall to keep prices low but with seats available for those who could afford it. Over more than a century, this winning formula has gained traction in London, with the number of concerts increasing each season and tickets to the 'Last Night' increasingly hard to come by. One thing, however, has remained unchanged; the aim to present the widest possible range of music, performed to the highest standards, to large audiences and to give up-andcoming young musicians a chance to perform.

Whilst our Saint Kentigern ‘promenaders’ did not have to sleep on the streets to ensure a place, ticket sales for each of the three Proms nights – Choral, Band and Last Night - were nevertheless brisk! On the final night, the 500 strong audience came ready for an evening of great music and were soon decked out in Union Jack hats, handed flags to wave and given streamers to keep at the ready. A brave few went all out and are to be applauded for arriving in some stunningly ‘British’ outfits – who knew you could fashion a frock from a couple of Union Jacks from the $2 Shop!

In true ‘Last Night’ style, the evening was informal and festive. Our concert goers also had a choice of seating – upstairs on the mezzanine or downstairs at tables with food and wine included.

The major attraction of each Last Night of the Proms is always the traditional British pomp and ceremony saved for the end. With the Massed Choir, including staff members, and the Symphony Orchestra on stage, and the audience up on their feet waving their flags and stamping in appreciation, the final section got underway in a mass of colour – it was hard not to miss the portrait of Queen Elizabeth on the cover of every chorister’s songbook! Talented singers, Lili Taylor and Sid Chand took the solo spots in ‘I Vow to Thee My Country’ giving brilliant renditions, before the Massed Choir followed with ‘Jerusalem,’ the ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ and finally ‘Land of Hope and Glory.’ By the time the final song was sung for the second time, the audience was in fine form joining the singing, bobbing up and down, as is tradition, and letting the streamers fly!

National Gold for Menasing

Menasing: (from left to right) James Fisher, Sid Chand, Nicholas MacQueen, Nick Allen, Tom Scott, Liam Braithwaite, Luca Heard, Benjamin Allen, Sam Elliott, Licheng Sun, Isaac Samuels, Desmond Yong, Braydon Robinson, Declan Fisher, Jacob Schubert, Nikolai Siimes. Conductor, Mr Lachlan Craig. Not pictured, Ben Buttle.

Menasing returned from Wellington with a Gold Award from this year's national Big Sing Finale! The College all-boys’ choir spent several days in Wellington competing with 24 selected choirs from around the country. The boys sang two recitals of challenging music which covered a wide range of styles and demanded high levels of excellence.

With a great deal of hard work, passion and determination, the boys were one of only six choirs to receive Gold status. Menasing is now one of only three boys-only’ choirs to have ever reached this standard of choral singing in the long history of the festival.

The students were extremely well received by their peers, bringing the audience to its feet for standing ovations on two separate occasions during the competition. The elite group of 16 singers were commended over the

Kids Sing

The College took a different direction this year with its entry into Kids Sing. For the first time, all of the 120 students in Year 7 performed together to experience the opportunity of taking to the stage in front of a large audience in the opulent Town Hall setting. It was also a chance for three Year 13 students to be conductors, overseen by Head of Choirs, Mr Lachlan Craig.

Each of the student conductors picked a song they wanted to teach the group. Annelise Katz led the young choristers through the famous English hymn ‘I Vow to Thee My Country’ which takes its tune from Gustav Holst’s ‘Jupiter’, Caitlin Houghton conducted ‘God Help the Outcasts’ by Menken and from the Disney movie

duration of the Big Sing for their confidence, vibrant sound and the style and class they brought to a very demanding repertoire.

The competition was streamed live as well as recorded by Radio New Zealand. The Big Sing will be showcased on RNZ’s ‘Young New Zealand’ programme every Sunday afternoon and the entire festival was covered by Maori Television to be turned in to a 12-part series later in the year.

The Gold Award follows on from the success in June of the College Premier Choir, Kentoris who won Most Outstanding Performance of the Big Sing for their NZ Premiere of Ola Gjeilo’s 'Luminous Night of the Soul' and further strengthens the College’s Choral programme as one of the best in New Zealand.

Thanks to College staff Mr Ross Gerritsen, Miss Gracie Francis and Mr Lachlan Craig for their work helping to prepare the students.

‘The Hunchback of Notre Dame’, while Lili Taylor was out front for ‘Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious’, the hit song from ‘Mary Poppins’ written by the Sherman brothers.

Two of the songs featured soloist roles, with Charlotte Parke, Anna Liu, Cameron Evans, Giles Willis, Darcy Woolford and Abby Maddren admirably performing their parts. The singers were accompanied by Year 11 student Luke Iso on drums, Tom Chatterton on organ, Miss Gracie Francis on piano and Mr Craig on bass guitar. Mr Craig received plenty of positive feedback regarding having every student from the year group involved as well as the use of student conductors.

Stage Band Gold!

The KBB Music Festival has been a happy hunting ground for Saint Kentigern College Music groups in recent years. Following four Concert Band Gold Awards in the last decade and a Gold for the Symphony Orchestra in 2014, the Stage Band has risen to the top of our instrumental ensembles in 2015 with both a Gold Award and an invitation to play at the Festival's Gala Concert at the Holy Trinity Cathedral.

Under the guidance of new Musical Director, Mr Paul Norman, the band demonstrated a combination of outstanding clarity, energy, improvisation and unity to win the plaudits of the judges and audience in two outstanding performances.

Several soloists, led by the band’s lead alto saxophone player, Michael Ng, put into action the work that they have been undertaking with the College's improvisation tutor, Dr Mark Baynes. William Xu (Piano), Claire Hofman (Trumpet), Josh Looker (Tenor Saxophone) and Luke Iso (Drums) were all exceptional in the execution of their solo work when called on to improvise. Vocalist, Lili Taylor, was also a leading feature in the award winning programme with two very mature performances.

Those at the Jazz Café earlier in the term will have seen the scope and growth of the jazz programme and will undoubtedly be pleased to hear that the Stage Band’s outstanding work has been recognised outside the College.

The Stage Band was not the only ensemble to come away with an award at this year’s festival. Both the Concert Band and the Chamber Orchestra were awarded Silver in their sections and the Symphony Orchestra came away with Bronze. When added to the Gold awarded to our all boys’ choir, Menasing at the Big Sing National Finale, this was an exciting term for the students and staff in the Music Department!

Pipers Collect Prizes

C ongratulations to the pipers from the College and Boys’ School who successfully competed at the Auckland Festival of Solo Piping. This annual competition is the largest in the region and brings together the best in young and developing players. Our students can be justifiably proud of their achievements in their first solo contest, collecting many prizes in the Novice Class after a day of competition: Matthew Clow (SKC), 1st place in the March event and 2nd place in the Slow Air; Lewis Hoggard (SKC) 3rd place in the March and Highly Commended in the Slow Air; Cameron Dean (SKBS), Highly Commended in the March.

Jazz Café

T he Jazz Café evening at the College is an annual melting pot – literally – of jazz, coffee and chocolate!

Making their debut in the relaxed atmosphere of this popular event were special guests, the Boys’ School Jazz Band, who instantly had the crowd rocking to their set of well-known tunes.

A highlight of the night each year is the special guest performance, this time from Old Collegian, Josh Kelly (2009), now based in Melbourne where he is forging a career as a professional musician,

The other perennial feature of the evening is the chocolate fountain, which had a never-ending line of diners ready with marshmallows and fruit kebabs to be dipped into the delicious flowing treat – all twelve litres of it!

The Kents

‘A night at the movies’ took on its own unique Saint Kentigern flavour at The Kents 2015; the annual awards evening to showcase the filmmaking talents of our Year 13 Media Studies students. This year, the top seven films were shown, drawn from the best work of our NCEA and IB students, along with those that entered the 48 Hour Film Festival earlier in the year.

The students were being assessed on their ability to write, plan, shoot and edit short films of no more than ten minutes in length with students selecting their own chosen genre. They needed to combine creative ideas with practical application, artistic flair with audience engagement, as well possess the technical and organisational skills to run their own production from concept to broadcast. Most of this year’s films had a dark, gritty element with an undercurrent of tension that the students had mastered to the greatest effect. It was noted that, technically, this year’s films were of the highest calibre in the history of The Kents.

On the judging panel, we were pleased to once again welcome back Old Collegians and previous Media Studies students, Jason Hoon, Calvin Sang, Cameron McColl and Ben Elias. Their ‘Judges Choice’ award went to sisters, Becky and Rachel Lane for their film ‘Impaired’ which visited the idea that ‘zombies were once people too.’ Rachel also won the ‘Best Script’ award for her writing. Judge, Ben Elias said, 'Impaired' showed storytelling techniques found at the highest level of high school media. The ‘zombie film genre’ is often riddled with cliche but the team pulled off an innovative take on the genre with skill not often seen at this level.’

As always there was a great turnout for the evening with the largely student audience taking the opportunity to vote for a ‘People’s Choice’ award. This proved a double success for the Lane sisters who, along with Amy Laing, Jack Lockhart, Nick Taylor and Hanna Thompson produced ‘Killegiate’ as their entry to the 48 Hour Film Festival earlier in the year. Again, a very dark production, it focused on school students who go to extreme measures to protect their own perception of school standards! Becky and Jack also picked up the titles for Best Supporting Actress/Actor for their roles in the film.

THE KENTS WINNERS 2015

Script: Rachel Lane for ‘Impaired’

Cinematography: ‘Killegiate’ (Amy Laing, Becky Lane, Jack Lockhart and Hanna Thompson)

Sound: ‘Forgive Me’ (Jackson Calder, Tom Henderson and Steel Strang)

Editing: ‘Forgive Me’ (Jackson Calder, Tom Henderson and Steel Strang)

Music: ‘Road Trip: Shadow of Death’ (Jack Lockhart and Ben Hawkes)

Best Actress: Jana Robinson for ‘Unspoken’

Best Actor: Thomas Henderson for ‘Forgive Me’

Best Supporting Actress: Becky Lane for ‘Killegiate’

Best Supporting Actor: Jack Lockhart ‘Killegiate’

JUDGES’ CHOICE:

Impaired (Becky Lane, Rachel Lane)

PEOPLE’S CHOICE:

Killegiate’ (Amy Laing, Becky Lane, Rachel Lane, Jack Lockhart, Nick Taylor and Hanna Thompson)

In concluding, Head of Media Studies, Mr Ian Thomas said that there is a point during the course of Year 13 that his Media Studies students move from being ‘students’ to becoming ‘film makers.’ We sincerely thank the judges for giving their time to both pre-judging and spending time with the students on the night, and to MCs Steel Strang and Emma Hanley for hosting with style!

SKC’s Got Talent – in Abundance!

There was a great turn out for our own home grown talent show, hosted by Year 13 MC’s for the evening, Alice Purdon and Aaron Leung. Alice and Aaron kept the evening rolling along as they introduced the judges and each of the eight finalists. Old Collegian, Manase Latu returned to judge alongside Head Boy, Oliver Hadfield and Head of Drama, Ms Emma Bishop.

While the judges were deliberating the entries, a final guest performance took to the stage. Jokingly introduced as having missed out on a spot in the finals for ‘lack of musical talent,’ the trio of Dayna Chung, Darius Andreas and Liam Roberts hammed up ‘Stay’ by Rhianna, bringing the house down!

With the wait over, the announced winner for the evening was accomplished Year 12 dancer, Rachael Lewis whose performance was mature and moving, winning her the title, the trophy and $100. Second place went to Year 7 student Daniel Huang on the piano playing ‘Impromptu Op. 90 No. 2’ by Schubert. In third place was Year 9 student, Venice Qin who loves to sing. The bubbly performer who enjoys show music sang ‘Good Morning Baltimore’ from the musical, ‘Hairspray.

And the People’s Choice Award? Appealing to the largely student audience, the vote went to the trio ‘lacking musical talent’ - Dayna Chung, Darius Andreas and Liam Roberts. Although to be fair, Dayna on piano had bucket loads of talent, it was the boys won’t be giving up their day jobs to sing!

Head Girl Wins $11,000 Songwriting Contest!

Congratulations to College Head Girl, Grace Wood who has been named as the winner of the 2015 Lion Foundation National Secondary School Songwriting Competition for her song, ‘Young, Naive and Reckless.’ As winner, Grace received a trophy, a $1,000 NZ Rockshop voucher as well as being awarded the inaugural $10,000 ‘NZ On Air Making Tracks’ grant for recording and making a music video. The judges’ commented that, ‘Grace mastered the match of music and lyrics really well. And her inventive melody/rhythms were cool. It was a song we kept playing again and again!’

Open to all New Zealand secondary school students in Years 9-13, the completion was created to encourage young New Zealanders to develop interests and skills in song writing and musical performance. Each year, 40 songs are selected from the entries for inclusion on the annual Play It Strange CD.

Grace is no stranger to this competition having had one of her songs selected for the CD in 2014. Earlier this year, she joined young musicians from all around the country to perform at the Town Hall as part of ‘A Strange Day’s Night’- a Play it Strange concert. She was also interviewed

along with Mike Chunn, the CEO of Play it Strange, on Radio New Zealand. She was proud to have last year’s entry played on air at the end of the interview.

Grace and the other finalists will now have the opportunity to go into a professional recording studio to record their songs and have them mastered to go onto this year’s Play It Strange double CD. Well done Grace, we’re very proud of you!

Junior Debaters Win Auckland Final

After a ‘season’ of debating that included 108 schools from around Auckland, the Junior Debating contestants were whittled down to two schools for the Auckland School’s Debating Junior Open Grand Final. With so many schools involved in the earlier rounds, to make it to the finals was a significant achievement! Having both won their semi-final round with the

Speakeasy 2015

F acing off in the annual ‘Speakeasy’ speech competition was a selection of Middle and Senior School speech finalists, all competing for the winning title in their division. Organised by Ms JoAnn Wordsworth and the English Department, the competition gave our most talented public speakers the chance to showcase their skills to family and friends.

As the students were encouraged to speak about something they are passionate about, the audience heard a range of engaging performances across topical and societal issues; the content and their messages showed a great deal of maturity. Judging then took place on their ideas, presentation skills, structure and engagement with the audience.

The College welcomed back Old Collegian, Alistair Kendrick as the external judge for the evening. Alistair was College

moot ‘this house regrets the prominence of the Rugby World Cup,’ the two schools vying for the championship title were Westlake Girls’ High School and Saint Kentigern College. Middle School students, Abbie Pool, Ben Staite, Ben Fraser and Nick Kirk were our representative debaters.

The moot, given to teams an hour before the Grand Final debate, was ‘that parents should be held criminally liable for their children’s obesity’ with the Saint Kentigern team taking the affirmative.The young speakers from both sides were confident in their presentations, discussing a range of issues. In a close but spirited performance, Saint Kentigern College was deemed the stronger team, taking the cup and the title of Junior Open Champions for 2015! This is the second time in three years that a Saint Kentigern team has won the Junior event; the last time in 2013. Well done!

Special recognition goes to Year 10 team member, Abbie Pool who was named as one of the Top 10 speakers during the course of the competition. In the earlier senior competition, Year 13 student, Chava Arymowicz was also named as a Top 10 speaker. Well done girls!

Dux in 2010 and is more than comfortable in the public eye having gone on to become a contestant on University Challenge on television. Whilst he has faced challenging moments in front of the camera, he found selecting the winners incredibly difficult as the calibre was so high.

Well done to all the students who took part and our thanks to Alistair for giving his time to be there.

Middle School Winner: Selena Chen

Middle School Finalists: Ben Staite, Samuel Everitt, Esther Schubert, Ella Shirtcliffe and Hannah Williams

Senior School Winner: Eleanor Buttle

Senior School Finalists: Liam Braithwaite, Lili Taylor

The Ceilidh

The Saint Kentigern clan raised their knees and voices to their Scottish heritage at the much-awaited annual Ceilidh at the College. The special event reached a significant milestone this year as it celebrated its 20th consecutive running, with many saying this was the best yet!

A Ceilidh is a traditional Gaelic gathering, with our version incorporating plenty of music, singing dancing, haggis and, of course, good cheer. The shindig attracts all walks of life, with many Scottish ex-pats travelling from afar to share in an authentic slice of home. The money raised from ticket sales and auctions on the night will go towards the Pipes and Drums of Saint Kentigern and its pilgrimage to Scotland in 2016.

On a crisp and clear night, the guests, resplendent in kilts, tartan shawls and tam o’shanter hats, were welcomed into the College by our 2nd Pipe Band. The Pipes and Drums of Saint Kentigern then led them in a Grand March into the beautifully decorated Elliot Hall. Under the orders of the MC for the evening, Mr Duncan McQueen, groups of four entered the hall then formed lines of eight ready to get the merrymaking under way.

It took very little convincing from caller, Bev Young to entice the crowd onto the dance floor for the first number of the evening. To tunes performed expertly by Wee Jock’s Ceilidh Band, the would-be dancers were at first walked through the steps before being let loose. The Ceilidh regulars among the participants were easy to spot, as were those new to the dances! Gauging by the huge smiles and animated laughs, everyone was having an equally good time, regardless of ability!

Considerably lifting the standard of dancing was a group of dance students from the College who performed a contemporary dance ‘Association to the Gael.’ A number of those in the audience commented on what a great addition to the Ceilidh it was. The pipers and drummers also put on a superb display of their musicianship.

The star of the night – the haggis – was then piped into the hall and addressed by Ode Maker and Pipe Major, Byron Lum. Year 13 student, Byron gave an animated and passionate performance of Robbie Burns’ ‘Ode to the Haggis’ to raucous applause. There was no need for General Manager of the Trust Board, Mr Eric Shiels to affect an accent as he blessed the meal with the Selkirk Grace in his dulcet Scottish tone. You had to be fast if you wanted to partake in the haggis as it was soon all gone! Dinner had hardly settled when it was time for another round of dancing, followed by singing that included an energetic rendition of ‘The Flower of Scotland.’ Mr McQueen then became auctioneer extraordinaire for the live auctions and to announce the winners of the silent auctions.

The whole crowd then took to the floor to and sing dance to ‘Auld Land Syne’ before the Pipers assembled on the balcony to play ‘Amazing Grace’ to conclude the evening’s entertainment. No one was in a hurry to leave, nor did the smiles diminish as those assembled chatted with compatriots; old friends and new ones made on the dance floor!

We would like to sincerely thank our parents and staff on the organising committee, and especially to our students and supporters who performed on the night and assisted in the great success and smooth running of the event.

The Pipes and Drums would also like to express heartfelt thanks and appreciation to our sponsors who generously donated goods for auction and families and friends for their participation and support of our 20th Annual Ceilidh!

Saint Kentigern

Gold, Glitz and Glamour at the College Ball

With a nod to F. Scott Fitzgerald’s classic novel 'The Great Gatsby,' the theme for this year’s College Ball was vintage 1920s chic with an unforgettable party for 800 of our Year 12-13 students and their guests.

Arriving in varying style from limousines to party buses, the students made their way to the ballroom at Sky City, lavishly decorated in black and gold, to be greeted by their Tutors. As always, our girls looked stunning in their evening wear and our boys were transformed into smart young men in their formal suits.

Year after year, our College Ball is a well organised event where our students rise to the occasion and enjoy one of the best nights of the year. For the Student Council, whose task it is to bring the evening together, it’s an exciting time as they work as a team to ensure that their ball is, by some small detail, better than the year before. It’s a quite a challenge and yet every year the bar is raised another notch as the students check their task lists and issue the tickets knowing they have done all they can to make sure it’s an evening all can enjoy.

With the decibels turned up, the dance floor was soon pumping as 800 students set about having a great night out with their friends. The official photographers were kept busy at each station, as were the ‘do-it-yourself’ photo booths as students lined up to ‘capture’ the evening. The smell of food arriving drew the hungry to the buffet tables where there was plenty to please every palate!

Early in the evening, after much deliberation by the Student Council, sashes were awarded with much delight to those that ‘caught the eye.’ Best Dressed Male Student, Henry Donald was definitely one of those in his eye-catching bright blue suit adorned with orange goldfish!

King and Queen of the Ball

Prince and Princess of the Ball

Cutest Couple

Best Dressed Female Student

Best Dressed Male Student

Best Dressed Female Teacher

Best Dressed Male Teacher

Charlie Walkley and Thomas Littlejohn

Lana Popovich and Keb Vaetoe

Charlotte Booth and Matt Smith

Amy Laing

Henry Donald

Miss Alice Hamilton

Mr James Went

We constantly delight in our College students and the Ball is a chance for staff to see them in yet another light. Their politeness, positive pride and enthusiasm for the occasion were a pleasure to share.

Our sincere thanks to the Student Council for the dedicated and detailed work they undertook along with, staff member, Mrs Natalie Burridge, in planning the Ball. This is a massive undertaking and one they can be proud of!

Student Council: Jess Boyce (Chair), Jeremy Bakalich, Hannah Thwaites, Harriet O’Brien, Meagan Rawnsley, Lucy Floyd, Zoe Bellingham.

Students Dive the Poor Knights

With plenty of initial practice in the College pool earlier in the year, our Year 12 Outdoor Education students were well prepared to take on the next stage of their SCUBA training as they headed first to Matheson Bay and then on to the Poor Knights Islands off Tutukaka.

Outdoor Education is a relatively new course at the College and is offered at NCEA Level 2 (Year 12) and Level 3 (Year 13). It is not for the faint hearted and prospective students must demonstrate a real passion for the outdoors and be prepared to meet the many challenges! The course aims for students to become actively knowledgeable, skilled and safe in selected activities, with care for the environment a paramount focus. The modules provide a range of outdoor challenges as diverse as sea and white water kayaking, bushcraft, mountaineering skills, mountain biking and SCUBA diving, along with the added challenge of a solo overnight experience. The students examine the concept of outdoor education as a worthwhile, life-long interest as well as its potential for future employment.

And so with their first open water dives behind them, 16 students travelled to Tutukaka to dive with Dive Tutukaka at the Poor Knights Marine Reserve with the opportunity to dive at both Fraser’s Landing and in Reco Reco Cave. For most of the students, this was Dive 4 and 5 of their Open Water dive licence, being examined through Naui, although a handful were completing their Advanced course.

Twenty three kilometres off the Tutukaka coast, the Poor Knights are known as one of the top dive locations in the world and our students were soon to discover why as they experienced first-hand some eye-popping underwater sights! The area is a total marine and nature reserve, and also a pending World Heritage site. The island’s volcanic origins provide myriad spectacular drop offs, walls, caves, arches and tunnels. Above and below water, the Islands are abundantly populated with unique and incredibly varied plant, animal and fish life. It is, however, only the intrepid few – those who venture underwater –who can really appreciate all this area has to offer.

Student, James Delegat combined both his passions on this trip, the love of the outdoors along with his love of photography. The accomplished photographer took many fantastic photos from the depths. Well done James!

Students Test Alpine Skills

Limited visibility and low temperatures combined with wind and rain are normally the least-favoured conditions for a trip to the snow. But when you are there to test your alpine skills, it is the perfect climate. During Term 3, the Year 13 Outdoor Education students travelled to Mt Ruapehu to put into practice their learning about risks within a mountain environment. Accompanied by Mr Dowdle, Mr Robinson and Miss O’Dwyer, the group stayed in Raurimu at the Blue Mountain Adventure Centre.

The first day presented the best weather of the three day trip, as the students got to grips with using ice axes and crampons on Whakapapa. With help from experienced climbing instructors, the students were quickly able to make their way up the peak. The second day was spent on skis and snowboards as the weather started to close in. In 50 - 100m visibility and freezing cold wind and rain on the final day, the students were given a true examination of their ability in real alpine conditions. Working in groups, they were tasked with finding hidden avalanche receivers; eventually successful.

Verdict? Cold, challenging but a huge amount of fun!

Cricket Tour to the UK

The Development Tour to the United Kingdom by our College cricketers provided a valuable experience to improve the players’ skills in the unique surroundings of the sport’s spiritual home. During the July holidays, 15 players and 2 staff members departed for an extensive 17 day tour that included 7 scheduled matches against some of the most prestigious schools in England.

After a couple days of sightseeing to acclimatise to the Northern Hemisphere conditions in London, the team’s opening match was against Hurstpierpoint College in Mid Sussex, where our College 1st XI Cricket coach, Greg Haines previously taught for six years. Unfortunately rain meant the match had to be abandoned, however, the team had formed lasting friendships with their counterparts while being billeted for two nights.

The next match was against St Bede’s in Upper Dicker, where Head of College, Mr Cole had been headmaster for eight years prior to returning to New Zealand. Saint Kentigern made 181 from 47.4 overs, with James Ellis and Aditya Edekar putting together a 60-run partnership. St Bede’s went on to win by four wickets, with Saint Kentigern showing competitive spirit until the final ball.

Kentigern’s total to 218, which Harrow chased down with six wickets to spare.

Back in London, the team attended the Old Collegians’ London Reunion and had an official tour of the famed Lord’s ground.

The venue for the fourth match was Wells Cathedral School, in Somerset. The school was founded in 909 AD and two of its boarding houses are original buildings on the oldest inhabited street in Europe, providing a postcard backdrop.

The match consisted of two 25-over innings each. Daniel Young scored 58 and Angus Anderson 77 to help Saint Kentigern to 193. Anubav’s bowling was outstanding, taking three wickets for four runs from the maximum five overs. Finn then bolted to 61 from 29 balls while Shane produced a classical innings of 51 off 41 balls. With a large lead, Saint Kentigern needed 10 wickets for the outright win which was a tough ask from just 25 overs. However, Sandeep and Simon Keene were superb in taking three wickets each on the way to an incredible and well-deserved victory.

The team then headed to Eastbourne College, founded in 1867 and sporting a magnificent oval set amongst historic buildings. After Saint Kentigern elected to bowl first, Sandeep Patel and Aditya both returned excellent figures from their 10 overs, with 2 for 42 and 0 for 22 respectively. Jimmy Webb took two wickets for 24 runs from his five-over spell, while Callum Mark allowed just 28 runs for one wicket from his seven overs. Chasing 207 in 50 overs, Saint Kentigern finished 45 runs short despite Fergus Ellis posting a well-constructed 46.

The tour’s sense of history was continued at Eton, which was established in 1441. The magnificent architecture filled with famous artwork by master painters added to the excitement of playing cricket at the iconic school. James made a half-century in the total of 250 from 50 overs. Mark Soroka was the pick of the bowlers, taking two for 33 from six overs with Eton winning by five wickets.

Batting first in the next match against Harrow, Aditya displayed class hitting on his way to 50 from 85 balls. Finn smashed 39 from 21 balls to take Saint

The final fixture of the tour was against St Edwards School in Oxford, where College cricket coach, Rex Hooton has spent the last five New Zealand winters as their cricket professional. The highlight of the match, which ended in a draw, was James’ innings of 133 at nearly a run a ball. He became the first person to score a century before the lunch break against St Edwards since 1992 when now England captain, Alistair Cook achieved the same feat.

Across the tour, the players were immersed in a culture where cricket is not just a sport but a way of life. The history, landscape, facilities and hospitality combined to make the tour memorable and rewarding.

We are grateful to the following sponsors for their support of the tour: ATP NZ, GT Radial, Cardiology Consulting Ltd, EPS (NZ) Ltd, CBRE, Land Rover and special thanks to our Old Collegians, and Parents and Friends.

1st XV win Auckland 1A

The 1st XV finished the Auckland 1A round-robin on top of the standings with an eight win, one loss record, including a number of dominant victories. They scored nearly 100 points more than every other team and their for-and-against record was more than 50 points higher than the next best side. The semi-final was an emphatic display of resolute defence as the opposition, Sacred Heart only scored a penalty goal in the 20-3 victory. It was the perfect lead in to the final against Auckland Grammar when defence would again come to the fore. This was the fourth year in a row that these two teams have met in the 1A final and the regular season result – a 12-10 comeback win to Saint Kentigern – ensured that this was another much-anticipated encounter.

Buoyed by a sea of blue and white in the stands at Eden Park, the boys took an early 7-0 lead through a try to fullback Etene Nanai, converted by first-five Carlos Price. Saint Kentigern stayed in front until the stroke of halftime when Grammar scored an unconverted try, to go with an earlier penalty goal for an 8-7 lead. Grammar opened the scoring in the second half to extend their advantage to 15-7. A penalty goal to Carlos Price narrowed the gap but then a horror run of injuries struck. Three of our starting backs – Braydon Ennor, Sali Tukania and Wesley Tameifuna – had to be stretchered off the field after suffering serious knee injuries. The team’s strong leadership ensured there was no panic though, and the game plan was adjusted to the trying circumstances. After a patient build-up through the middle of the field, Sesimani Tupou crossed for a try next to the posts to the level the score. Carlos calmly kicked the conversion to regain the lead for the first time since the opening minutes.

The final 15 minutes was a testament to the team’s commitment as wave after wave of Grammar attack was repelled, often by a last-ditch effort. Grammar was given two opportunities to go ahead through penalty goals but both attempts were wide of the mark. When the final whistle blew, there was a palpable mix of relief and ecstasy as the players and coaches revelled in the hard-fought victory. Dalton Papalii was named player of the match.

Unfortunately, the injured trio, along with first choice, No 10 Dahkota Taimani, were unavailable for the rest of the season. This meant young players had to step up in the Blues regional final against Whangarei Boys’ High, which we won 47-12 to qualify for the National Top 4 Championship. Against the host school, Rotorua Boys’ High in the semi-final, Saint Kentigern was close to overcoming the adversity and opposition, but went down 5-7. They bounced back in the third and fourth play-off, coming from behind to beat Otago Boys’ High 31- 27 to finish the season on a winning note as Auckland champions and number three in the country.

A total of seven other Saint Kentigern teams made it to the semi-finals of their competitions with three going on to the final. The 2nd XV made the final of the 2A competition and lost to Sacred Heart and the 6B team lost to Waiuku in their final. The 2nd XV also attended the traditional Quadrangular tournament at Lindisfarne College in Hastings and came third.

DALTON REPRESENTS NZ

Dalton Papalii received the highest honour in schoolboy rugby by being named in the NZ Schools team, following in the footsteps of a number of Old Collegians. Dalton was selected as one of four specialist loose forwards in the 26-player NZ Schools team. He captained the team to a 20-18 win over NZ Barbarian Schools in their first match and was vice-captain for their three-match tour of Australia as Piper was being printed.

During the season, Dalton, Braydon Ennor, Jerry Samania, Sali Tukania, Wesley Tameifuna and Tanielu Tele’a were also selected in the Blues U18 Development Squad.

Netball Continues Great Form

The 2015 Netball season saw Saint Kentigern cement its place in the top echelon of New Zealand secondary school netball. The Premier team had another successful year, with its only losses being to Mt Albert Grammar (MAGS). Another chapter in the healthy rivalry between the two teams was inscribed during the nationwide College Netball tournament. Saint Kentigern beat Auckland Girls’ Grammar and Sacred Heart (Hamilton) before losing to MAGS 26-35 in their final Upper North Island pool match. In the semi-final, the girls defeated Southland Girls’ High 39-23 to qualify for the grand final, also against MAGS, this time going down 32-43. The team now goes on to the National Championships in Ashburton in October when Piper goes to print. Good luck girls.

The College went through the Auckland Premier tournament roundrobin unbeaten, including a 29-28 victory over MAGS. Despite finishing top of the table we relinquished the Auckland championship won last year with a 34-40 loss to MAGS in the final. Our Premier 2 team also made its final, and pushed MAGS all the way in a 18-20 defeat.

Six of our teams were champions of their division and the depth of Saint Kentigern Netball was also evidenced in our win at the Combined Points Tournament. The Year 9A team won their grade in the one-day competition and the Year 10A and Premier teams were runners-up, which, when combined, earned Saint Kentigern the title for the first time. At the South Eastern Zone tournament, the Year 7 team, featuring College and Girls’ School players were champions and the Year 8 girls were second.

NATIONAL SELECTION

Congratulations to the girls who were rewarded with national selection for their performances across the season. Premier team members Sydney Fraser and Amorangi Melesala were chosen for the New Zealand Secondary Schools team and Kristina Tipene was picked for the Aotearoa Maori Secondary Schools team to play in Malaysia. Keyana Kake and Summer-Jean Motufoua also travelled overseas while representing the NZ Indoor Netball team!

Basketball through to Nationals

The Boys’ and Girls’ Premier Basketball teams both qualified for the National Secondary School Championships after posting solid results at regional events during tournament week. Playing in Rotorua, both teams went unbeaten in pool play with the boys defeating Otumoetai, St John’s and Trident High, and the girls winning against Tauranga and Rotorua. Their fourth place finishes put them into the national championships which was being held in Palmerston North as Piper was going to print. Good luck to both teams!

Top Two for Football

Boys’ Football

The Boys Premier Football team came within a whisker of winning the Auckland championship, going unbeaten until their final match! The boys were on top of the table with one game to go, with eight wins and five draws to that point. Along the way they had impressive victories over Rangitoto 5-0, Macleans 4-0 and scored eight goals against King’s College twice! Going into the final round, we had a one-point lead over the defending Auckland and national champions, Sacred Heart. In a very close encounter, Sacred Heart prevailed 2-1 resulting in a second place finish in the standings. During Winter Tournament Week, the team travelled to Nelson for the NZ Secondary School Championships. After wins over St Thomas 5-0, Tauranga Boys’ 4-1 and Westlake Boys’ 3-0, Saint Kentigern finished top of its pool. In the quarter-finals, we were beaten by home team Nelson College, who went on to become national champions. During the year, goalkeeper Reuben Clark and midfielder Dane Schnell were chosen to represent New Zealand in the U17 team.

Girls’ Football

The College Girls’ 1st XI also went unbeaten in the Auckland premiership with nine wins and two draws. They only conceded two goals in their 11 matches while scoring 63! The fantastic record earned them second place in the league behind Mt Albert, with whom they drew 0-0 midway through the season. The result put them through to the Auckland Provincial Championship knockout tournament. With wins over Waiuku 9-0 and Westlake Girls’ 4-1, the girls qualified for the final but went down to Mt Albert. At the NZ Secondary School Championships, the girls had wins over Sacred Heart 9-0, Nelson Girls’ 4-0, Hutt Valley 10-0, Epsom Girls’ Grammar 7-0 and Baradene 7-3 with losses to Rangitoto 0-1 and Mt Albert 1-3.

NZ REPRESENTATIVES

Sophie Stewart-Hobbs and Isabella Richards were named in the New Zealand U20 team to contest the Oceania tournament in Tonga in a bid to qualify for the U20 World Cup.

KNOCKOUT CUP CHAMPIONS!

The 13th Grade boys’ football team had a season to remember, coming second in their league and winning the Auckland Knockout Cup! The boys were the only unbeaten team in their league and scored the equal-most goals with 36 and conceded the fewest, allowing only five in their nine games. In the Knockout Cup, they beat Westlake Boys’ High 1-0, Rangitoto 3-2 and Auckland Grammar 2-1 to book a place in the final against Mt Albert Grammar, who they beat 4-0!

NZ Duathlon Championships

A number of College students took up the challenge of the run, bike, run event as both individuals and as part of a team in perfect conditions at Pukekohe Raceway. Congratulations to Year 10 student Dylan McCullough who won gold in the U14 boys’ race! Saint Kentigern competitors also won three bronze medals, by Liam Ward in the U19 boys, Anna Wilkinson in the U16 girls and Emma Hannan in the U12 girls. The College was well represented across other age groups with many other top 10 places. It was especially pleasing to see many students putting in strong bike legs due to the strong cycling programme at the College.

Medallists

U12 Girls: Emma Hannan, 3rd U14 Boys: Dylan McCullough, 1st

U16 Girls: Anna Wilkinson, 3rd U19 Boys: Liam Ward, 3rd

Golden Season for Cycling

Over the course of the Cycling season, Saint Kentigern riders became world, national and Auckland champions in both team and individual events! Our Premier Girls’ Team had a fantastic season, winning the Time Trial at the North Island Championships and taking away all the silverware from the Auckland series. The Premier Boys also performed well, finishing second by one point in the Auckland competition and producing several great individual results.

New Zealand Individual Cycling Championships

U20 Boys

James Fouche: 1st in Time Trial and NZ

Record, 1st in Criterium, 1st Overall

Ayden Lamont: 2nd in Hill Climb, 3rd in Criterium, 2nd Overall

Connor Brown: 3rd in Time Trial

U17 Boys

Tom Lott: 3rd in Hill Climb

Liam Cappel: 3rd Criterium

U16 Girls

Kate Fouche: 2nd in Time Trial

U15 Boys

Dylan McCullough: 2nd in Time Trial, 2nd in Hill Climb, 2nd in Criterium, 2nd Overall

Callum Walsh: 3rd in Time Trial, 3rd in Criterium, 3rd Overall

Year 7 and 8 North Island Championships

Gold: Ben Connell, Year 7 Road Race

Bronze: Campbell Jordan, Year 8 Road Race; Year 8 Girls Team Road Race (Emma Hannan, Niamh Bilsborough, Sophie Spencer)

World Medals for Maddie

One of the best performances across all of the sporting codes the College participates in was undeniably Madeleine Park’s double-medal win at the Junior World Track Cycling Championships. Year 12 student, Madeleine won gold as part of the NZ women’s pursuit team, beating Australia by nearly six seconds in the final. The team also set a new world record time of 4m 31.966s! She then went on to win bronze in the 2000m individual pursuit! Madeleine is seeking sponsorship to progress her cycling ambitions, please contact the College if you are able to assist.

Auckland Time Trial Series

Senior A Girls: 1st Overall, 1st Race day Championship, Partridge Cup for fastest time during season

Senior A Boys: 2nd Overall, James Faulding Memorial Trophy for fastest time during season

Junior A Boys: 2nd Overall, 1st Race Day Championship

Junior A Girls: 2nd Race Day Championship

U14 Boys: 1st Race Day Championship

North Island Secondary School Championships

Team Time Trial: Senior Girls, 1st; Junior Boys, 2nd; Year 7 and 8 Girls, 3rd

Road Race: U20 Boys, James Fouche, 3rd; U16 Girls, Kate Fouche, 3rd, U15 Boys, Dylan McCullough, 3rd.

Criterium: U20 Boys, James Fouche, 2nd; U20 Girls, Madeleine Park, 3rd; U17 Boys, Liam Cappel, 3rd; U16 Girls, Kate Fouche, 3rd; U15 Boys, Dylan McCullough, 2nd.

JAMES REPRESENTS NZ AT WORLD CHAMPS

Premier Boys’ Team Captain James Fouché was selected in the New Zealand U19 Team for the World Road Cycling Championships in Virginia, USA! James was one of a six-strong team that also included former College student Mikayla Harvey. James was competing as Piper went to print, we wish him all the best!

Hockey on the Rise

Girls’ Hockey

One of the highlights of the winter sporting season at the College was the Girls Hockey First XI’s inaugural Auckland Championship! It was also the first time the girls had qualified for the final, after going through the season unbeaten. In an exciting match-up against Diocesan at their home turf, both teams scored goals within the opening 15 minutes. The remainder of the match was nail-biting with Saint Kentigern holding their opposition at bay to be locked 1-1 at full time.

With no penalty shoot-out, both teams were named joint Auckland champions! During Tournament Week, the girls were playing in the prestigious top grade Federation Cup for the first time, having qualified to progress from the second-tier competition last year. With three wins, three losses and a draw, the girls did enough to stay in the top grade for 2016, when many of the young team will be back with much more experience under their belts.

Solid Season for Golf

W ith winning results from previous competitions throughout the year, the Premier Golf Team qualified for the National Teams Championships which were played in Wellington at Manor Park during Tournament Week.

The team of Andrew Meng, Tommy Liu, Karan Nalam and Erik Jorgensen battled through the tough Wellington weather conditions to finish in 5th place. Tommy Liu was a class act all season and came close to winning the New Zealand U15’s National Championship title in Wellington that followed on from the team’s event. Due to the high calibre of competition, Tommy settled for 2nd place.

Boys’ Hockey

The Boys Hockey First XI also featured a large number of young players making their debut in the top side and have made great improvements playing against much bigger and more experienceD teams. At the National Tournament, the highlight for the boys’ team was to win the important games to guarantee them a place in the top tournament again for next year.

A number of students this year have made representative teams: Jessica Speight, Ashleigh Cooke (Auckland U18A Girls); Nico Carlier, Kervin Guttenbell, Daniel Loudon, Benji Manning, Akshay Mor, Daniel Woud (Auckland U15A Boys); Emma Hitchcock, Claire Johnston, Emily Mellsop (Auckland U15A Girls); Malcolm Curley, Joseph Blake (Counties U15 Boys); Jayden Lal, Lennox Moss, Thomas Vaughan, Josh Child (Auckland U15B Boys); Bella Thornton, Ashley Potter (Auckland U15B Girls); Dylan Mugglestone (Auckland Hatch Cup team); Pippa Morris, Adelaide Sinclair (Auckland Collier Development team).

National Swimming Medals

Hayden Church, James Hansen, Olivia Overfield, Chelsea Simmons, Ben Morrison and Jonte Wright represented the College at the New Zealand Secondary School Swimming Championships in Hamilton. Congratulations to Hayden and Jonte for medalling at the event! Hayden won gold in the 16-18 years 100m freestyle, winning by half a second in 53.67s. Jonte won silver in the 15 years 100m breaststroke and bronze in the 15 years 50m and 200m breaststroke. Well done boys! The 15 and Under 200m Mixed Medley team of Ben, Jonte, Olivia and Chelsea narrowly missed a medal in finishing fourth as did Ben in the 14 years 100m freestyle, by just 0.08 of a second.

Great results at AIMS Games

The AIMS (Association of Intermediate and Middle Schools) Games is considered the national championships for Year 7 and 8 students in the 19 sports offered. This year’s was the largest tournament since the event was started in 2004, with more than 8000 athletes representing more than 260 schools that were taking part. The College entered four teams in boys’ basketball, boys’ football, girls’ football and netball, as well as in four individual codes, swimming, tennis, yachting and golf. In the Netball and Girls’ Football teams, players from the Girls’ School and College were selected to form the strongest combined squads.

The event provides a great introduction to tournament play for the Year 7 and 8 student athletes. In the majority of the sports contested at the AIMS Games, the competitors have to adapt to playing a number of games over the course of a week, some more than one per day. They also have to adjust to living away from home along with their teammates. It prepares them well for Tournament Week later in their time at the College and gives a brief insight into life as professional sportspeople.

Both of the football teams from the College finished mid-table which is a commendable result given the number of teams entered and the calibre of opposition. The netball team only lost one of their 11 matches to finish 9th out of 96 schools!

In addition to the team results, individual honours are also awarded. College student, Harry Lowe was rewarded for his consistent performances by being named in the all-tournament boys’ football team. Well done to everyone who took part and especially those who won prizes!

Bronze for AIMS Tennis

C ollege students came away with two bronze medals from the tennis competition at the AIMS Games. Year 8 student, Ema Miyaura was third in the girls’ singles competition in a field of nearly 50 competitors! She was deservedly proud to win a bronze medal. Daniel Persson, Year 7, and Sam Allais, Year 8, also won bronze in the boys’ team category for their combined singles results.

7A Netball Win SE Zone!

C ongratulations to the combined College and Girls’ School Year 7 and 8 netball teams who had a fantastic day of play at the South Eastern Zone Netball Tournament. The 7A team won their grade, and the 8A team were second in theirs.

Winners of the Year 7 competition, 7A had great games against Somerville, Ferguson and Howick Intermediates in pool play before facing off against Bucklands Beach Intermediate in the semi-final. A win in the semi brought them up against Ferguson Intermediate once again in the final. This was an excellent game where the girls dominated the court to win 13-6.

HOUSE RESULTS

Hamilton

Wins Cross Country

F

or the third time this year, the Hamilton flag was run up the flagpole for winning a major House competition at the College! Having won the House Swimming event early in the year, followed closely by House Athletics, they completed the trifecta with a solid win at this year’s cross country event.

Despite Hamilton’s outright win, with points gained through both participation and placement, it was Chalmers who dominated the podium with six of the ten first places! But these combined wins were not enough to secure Chalmers an overall win, leaving them placed second followed by Wishart then Cargill. There was some great running by all with impressive wins. Once on the home straight, many runners managed to find it in their energy reserves to sprint the final leg. This made for a last burst of fierce competition between the Houses!

BELLA WINS NATIONAL CHAMPS!

Bella Richards, Grace Wood and Anna Wilkinson were on outstanding form when they took part in the Senior Girls event at the New Zealand Cross Country Championships in Dunedin.

Bella stormed ahead to win first place and be crowned Senior Girls Champion with Grace hot on her heels in third place. With Anna’s points combined with theirs, the girls also won National Gold in the 3 Person Team event. Brilliant job girls, well done!

GOLD FOR GIRLS AT AUCKLAND EVENT

42 runners qualified to compete in the Auckland event, bracing wild weather that dished up sunshine, wind and downpours which resulted in wet and muddy conditions. This was the first time that this event has been run at Pukekohe and everyone enjoyed the challenging muddy track. Saint Kentigern dominated the Senior Girls Race with Isabella Richards, Hanna English and Grace Wood leading from the first lap resulting in gold in the 3 Person Team and 6 Person Team. Dylan McCullough won silver in the Junior Boys. The Senior Boys earned bronze in the 3 Person and 6 Person team, as did the Intermediate Girls who were also awarded a bronze in the 6 person team.

1st 2nd 3rd

YEAR 7 BOYS

Jacob Spring (CH) Ajay Smith (CH) Daniel Persson (CH)

YEAR 7 GIRLS

Sophie Spencer (CH) Kaya Blackler (H) Siobhan Balle (CH)

YEAR 8 BOYS

Tom Downs (CH) Logan Cowie (C) Campbell Jordan (CH)

YEAR 8 GIRLS

Terri Jane Warner (GS-H) Elizabeth Lightfoot (H) Beth Harford (C)

JUNIOR BOYS

Dylan McCullough (H) Callum Walsh (W) Benjamin Shepherd (H)

JUNIOR GIRLS

Sophie Wilkinson (CH) Kenya Ashcroft (H) Gemma Laverick (H)

INTERMEDIATE BOYS

Daniel Whitburn (CH) Louis Poot (C) George Ellett (C)

INTERMEDIATE GIRLS

Hannah Blake (CH) Anna Wilkinson (CH) Claire Johnston (W)

SENIOR BOYS

Cameron Low (W) Liam Ward (C) Caleb Aoake (H)

SENIOR GIRLS

Isabella Richards (C) Hanna English (H) Grace Wood (C)

SOUTH-EASTERN ZONE

Well done to Year 7 College student, Sophie Spencer who came second in the South-Eastern Zone Cross Country! Our Year 7 boys' and girls' teams also placed third.

Boys Team: Jacob Spring, Ajay Smith, Daniel Persson, Max Van de Brink, Harrison Carter, Ethan Chan.

Girls Team: Sophie Spencer, Kaya Blackler, Elyse Tse, Ava Wearne, Andie Clothier, Florence Dallow

Saint Kentigern

Henley@Saint Kentigern Spring Ball

Striped blazers, boaters and ball gowns were the attire of the night when a touch of Henley-onThames came to Elliot Hall on Saturday! High on the social calendar in England, the Henley Regatta is not only an internationally competitive rowing competition but also a highly anticipated social occasion along the banks of the River Thames.

The organising committee did an absolutely fantastic job of transforming the Hall into a spring-like English venue bursting with fresh flowers. As Elliot Hall is not quite so close to the water as the Henley marquees, the boats were brought up to the Hall, to nestle on a river of quivering blue balloons! Although probably not on their list of ‘things to arrange,’ the weather also played its English part by raining as the guests arrived!

Over 150 Rowing Club members, coaches, Old Collegians, family and friends arrived dressed in style and there was much chatter and laughter as the evening unfolded. Drinks were served from a summer gazebo and delicious food was served non-stop throughout the evening by our own College rowers. Dancing eventually got underway to big band, Tuxedo Swing, once MC for the night, Head of Middle School, Mr Duncan McQueen ‘encouraged’ guests to take to the dance floor!

It is a costly exercise to keep our rowers on the water and to keep the Rowing Club assets in tip top condition. Maintenance is an annual on-going requirement and whilst each year, part of the income comes from rowing fees, a significant additional amount is also raised by the parents. Year 12 student, Ed Barry is now in his fourth year of rowing and spoke to the guests on behalf of all rowers. He said he really appreciated all the effort the rowing families make to support the rowing programme at the College and that the students are truly grateful for the fantastic facilities and equipment available to them.

Through the generosity of a number of sponsors, there were some great items donated for auction. Mr McQueen took on the role of auctioneer with aplomb, encouraging guests to shake out their wallets. The Club is delighted that over $10,000 was raised during the course of the evening for new skiffs, oars, coach boats and safety equipment.

The summer rowing season is now underway, with all members of the club training before and after school, and on Saturdays. The Club Opening Day will be held on Saturday 17th October in the rowing sheds, and will include the naming of new boats purchased last season. The first regatta is the following Saturday with the Waitemata Takapuna Regatta on Lake Pupuke. The rowers would love your support

Sponsors

A special thanks to the generosity of the main sponsors Air New Zealand, Top Catch & Pak N Save Glenn Innes, and the organising committee of Greg & Kerry Pool, Christine Johnston, Debbie Swiatek, Kim Church, Gee King, Hiromi Chang & Geoff Strang.

From The President of the Old Collegians

The Saint Kentigern year is flying past and College students are already preparing for final exams and, for some, the end of their school days. As they prepare to leave, their ‘life membership’ of the Saint Kentigern Old Collegians Association just begins. We look forward to welcoming this year’s graduates at the many events held annually both here in NZ and around the world.

London Reunion

The London Annual Reunion was held in late June to coincide with the College Representative 1st XI Cricket team’s UK Tour. London had a brilliant summer this year and during their visit the weather was simply fantastic. I was fortunate to watch the cricket matches at both Eton College and Harrow School, played in magnificent grounds. These were only two of the seven games the College XI played, each at an English private school with a celebrated history. The superb hospitality and friendly welcome from the host parents, the fine weather and the perfect wickets at each school campus certainly will have made this tour a life-long memory for those who were part of the touring team.

After the Eton game, the team attended the SKOCA Reunion Dinner held in St James, all dressed in their formal uniform, and were warmly welcomed by around 50 London based Old Collegians (OCs) in attendance. Several 1950-60 OCs based in the UK also made the effort to attend and support the SKC team at a school closest to their home, and a number I spoke with were clearly proud to be there in support of Saint Kentigern and were impressed with the standard of play.

After 30 years as SKOCA London-Chairperson Danny Gowan has promoted John Shuker (College 1976-1980) to the London-Chair position assisted by Derek Munro, Nigel Catlin and Danny.

1965 1st XV Reunion

The College 1965 1st XV held a reunion luncheon before the SKC vs AGS rugby match at the Normanby Hotel to which 14 of the original team of 18 attended, as well as their coaches Jack Paine and Ron Stone. Organised by team member, Judge Phil Recordon, it was unfortunate that the team captain, Ross Hynds had passed away the month prior. However, it was special to have Ross’s two daughters, Rebekah and Bridie as special guests. The team had beaten AGS 50 years earlier, and following lunch witnessed another fine Saint Kentigern win. It was great to see so many team members reuniting, some for the first time in 50 years at what was a memorable day of Saint Kentigern rugby history. This tradition was started by Don Craig as captain of the 1961 1st XV and is now becoming an annual affair, with William Akel and Don Turner already organising the 1966 team reunion in 2016.

AustRALiAn Reunion

The Australian Reunion was held in Sydney in August to coincide with the First Bledisloe Rugby match. A number of OCs made the trip to Sydney from NZ to join the local group for a dinner on the Friday. Past Headmaster Rev. David Williams attended and spoke of his fond memories of his time at Saint Kentigern, and during the roll-call, boys from the 1950’s - 2000’s recalled both their school number and a memorable incident that had occurred during their years at Saint Kentigern. It is my pleasure to confirm that Scott Beach (1977 College Head Boy) has accepted the position of SKOCA Sydney Chairperson and will be assisted by Regan van Berlo, Rodney Steel and Andrew Clarke (all 2000’s) to organise ongoing Australian SKOCA functions.

FAReweLL to dR HAstie

I attended the farewell function for Dr Sandra Hastie who left the Girls’ School after a total of 20 years teaching at Saint Kentigern. Sandra is the new principal at Tavistock & Summerhill Preparatory School in West Sussex and we wish her and Bruce every success in UK. The farewell was a moving celebration of Sandra’s amazing time at Saint Kentigern Girls’ School and it was my pleasure as President, on behalf of the SKOCA Committee, to present Dr Hastie with a SKOCA diamond lapel broach and to welcome her as a honorary Old Collegian - and also confirm her attendance at the annual London Reunion Dinner! On behalf of SKOCA, we presented Sandra with an Adrien Jennings’ oil painting of the Korinina (Corran) House, to hang in her office in Sussex and remind her of her extended Saint Kentigern family back in NZ.

Please remember to check the SKOCA calendar for the events yet to occur in 2015! We look forward to seeing you there!

Fides Servanda Est

Andrew Morgan, President

The committee welcomes feedback from members so please keep in touch via the website: skoca@saintkentigern.com

MONDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2015

SKOCA GOLF DAY

Time: Assemble at 11.00am

Venue: Remuera Golf Club

Ticket: $100.00 per head. Refreshments provided Corporate hole sponsorship available $600 (plus GST)

(Contact: John Howard)

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com john.howard@raywhite.com

FRIDAY 18 NOVEMBER 2015

AUCKLAND - ROC’S (RECENT OLD COLLEGIANS) COCKTAILS

Time: 6.15pm

Venue: Juice Bar, Windsor Hotel, Parnell

(Contact: James Bennett/Thomas Steel)

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com hacjames@gmail.com

SUNDAY 13 DECEMBER 2015

SKBS - TOUCH RUGBY & BBQ FOR 2010 BS LEAVERS

Time: 3.30pm

Venue: SKBS Sports Centre & No 1 Field

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com sue.bowskill@saintkentigern.com

FRIDAY 12 FEBRUARY 2016

BOYS’ SCHOOL SKOCA GOLF DAY

Time: 12.00 for 1pm Tee-off

Venue: Auckland Golf Club

Tickets: $100 per head. (ROCS’s $60)

Refreshments provided.

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com sue.bowskill@saintkentigern.com

FRIDAY 18 MARCH 2016

SKOCA AGM FOLLOwED BY ANNUAL DINNER

FOCUS GROUp 1960 – 69

Time: 6.15pm: AGM 6.30pm: Pre-Dinner drinks 7.15pm: Dinner - Guest speaker to be advised

Venue: Elliot Hall, College.

Ticket: $70.00 (ROC’S $50 under 26yrs)

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com

WHERE ARE YOU?

whAT DO yOu DO? EVER wOnDERED whAT yOuR OlD ClASSMATES ARE uP TO? EVER ThOuGhT ThEy MAy BE inTERESTED in whAT yOu DO?

These pages belong to you, our Old Collegians. We need your help to make these pages interesting and informative. Write a few lines to fill us in on what you’ve been doing since leaving school, or what you are about to do, a recent achievement, a momentous event or any other item of interest. Alternatively, we also welcome more in depth articles, as appear on these pages. Family and friends, tell us what our sons and daughters of Kentigern are up to nowadays. Pictures speak a thousand words! In this digital age, it’s really easy to provide a photo but please email all digital pictures at maximum resolution. We look forward to hearing from you.

Please direct all correspondence to the Editor: jane.kneale@saintkentigern.com Communication Manager, Saint kentigern Trust Board

Jerome kaino’s Book Launch

Asold-out crowd of more than 200 people were on hand at the College to mark the launch of Jerome Kaino’s autobiography ‘Jerome Kaino: My Story.’ Since he finished at the College in 2001, Jerome has become one of the world’s best rugby players, starring for Auckland, the Blues, and the All Blacks. The 2011 World Cup winner chose to stage the launch of his book at the College as a tribute to where his path to being an All Black great began.

The Pipes and Drums of Saint Kentigern welcomed the crowd, before Jerome was given a traditional Saint Kentigern entrance as he was piped onto the stage. He was introduced by the Director of Sport at the College, Martin Piaggi, who fondly remembers Jerome’s days as a student. ‘My lasting memory will be of Jerome in the 4x100m relay running for Cargill House,’ said Mr Piaggi. ‘When Jerome ran he had presence. He was tall, he was powerful. He oozed athleticism and expelled an air of confidence. You could tell that Jerome Kaino was born to compete and born to win.’

Jerome was then joined in conversation by renowned journalist and sports commentator Scotty Stevenson. The pair delved into all aspects of Jerome’s life, from his early years in American Samoa and then South Auckland, to his time at the College and transition to professional rugby player. Jerome says the College has changed dramatically since he was a student, with the addition of many new buildings. He was part of the first Saint Kentigern 1st XV to win the 1A title, and credited then coach, Tim Connolly as a major influence on him as a player and person. He shared the highlights of his career so far, including the memorable manof-the-match international debut against the Barbarians and the tense World Cup final victory in 2011.

Endurance Swimmers!

Five former Boys’ School students, Angus Falconer, Calum de Jager, Conor Bradding, Leo Tattersfield and Angus Cleland, displayed extreme endurance in July, taking on a series of open water swimming events in the US, UK, Netherlands and France, including crossing the English Channel, as part of a squad of endurance swimmers! The events were made all the more challenging by the fact that each swim was a non-wetsuit swim!

The preparation started more than two years ago, with each team member entering events such as the State Ocean swims in the nonwetsuit category as well two hour hypothermic tests at St Heliers Beach. As the English Channel swim was in a relay format, the boys were expected to be able to cope with the 14-15 degree water temperatures for an hour at a time. The boys also practised night time swimming with glow sticks attached to their goggles!

The itinerary included open water swims in San Diego and Catalina, a canal swim in Holland and a lake swim in France, but by far the most challenging was the English Channel swim with the boys working in relay. With a 2am start, much of the swimming was in the dark and the first dilemma occurred during Conor’s leg as he was brutally swarmed by millions of jellyfish! Had Conor left the water, the attempt would be nullified so he bravely continued on. Late in the swim the current picked up making it hard to move forward but after 10 hours and 36 minutes,

Following the interview, Jerome took questions from the floor, many of which were centred on the All Blacks’ chances in the World Cup. Some lucky youngsters got to take the stage with Jerome to ask their question and receive a signed rugby ball. The night concluded with Jerome giving thanks to those who had helped with the book and its launch. He said it was an honour to be back at the College and host the event here.

it was Conor who finally ran on to the beach and the air horn sounded signalling the end of the mammoth swim. All the boys jumped for joy and hugged each other!

Angus Falconer also swam in a six member team that completed the Catalina Channel swim in California, setting a new U20 record!

Engineering Award for Sarah neill

Our congratulations to Old Collegian, Sarah Neill who has been awarded ‘Outstanding Achievement in Design’ at the inaugural Hays NAWIC (National Association of Women in Construction) Excellence Awards. During the awards ceremony in Christchurch, the winners were hailed by the judges as ‘courageous leaders who are passionate about changing the construction sector.’

After finishing at the College in 2006, Sarah went on to study a Bachelor of Engineering honours degree at the University of Auckland, majoring in Civil and Environmental Engineering. During her studies, she was lucky enough to undertake her work experience for Fletcher Construction, where she worked on the Eastport Golden Bay Cement buildings project in Quay Street, as well as the Victoria Park Tunnel project. She found this experience invaluable in providing her with a good basis of construction knowledge and general building site practice.

After completing her degree, Sarah started as a graduate structural engineer at Beca in Auckland. Beca is the largest employee-owned engineering consultancy in New Zealand, so has a vast spectrum and depth of engineering knowledge. Sarah found this a great place to start as a new graduate as she was able to learn so much and work on a large range of interesting projects. Her most notable projects to date have been the Men’s Correctional Facility at Wiri, which involved the design and construction of 29 buildings within a 17 hectare site in Auckland; the new Park Hyatt hotel in Wynyard Quarter, seismic assessments for Auckland District Health Board and the University of Auckland; as well as a retrofit and a rebuild of damaged buildings in Christchurch.

Sarah says it’s great to have a career that is both technically challenging and creative, but also helps to shape our urban landscape and provide a safer built environment.

At the award ceremony it was noted that Sarah’s win is a reflection of her outstanding achievement in design and her remarkable progress from graduate to leader in a short space of time. Sarah’s referees describe her as a ‘superstar graduate.’ Her work on the Wiri Correctional Facility project as lead structural engineer demonstrates her considerable talent both as an engineer and a member of a wider delivery team. Sarah shines in her ability to develop relationships. She demonstrates a maturity beyond her years in the way she understand her clients and the importance of delivery.

Rob kidd

Rob Kidd was Head Boy of the College in 2006 having been a Saint Kentigern student since Year 1, beginning at the Boys’ School. He was dedicated to his chosen sport of rowing and is well remembered as a kind young man who embodied the values of Saint Kentigern.

Following graduation, Rob studied for a Bachelor of Commerce in Agricultural Management & Rural Valuation at Lincoln Universtiy, and followed this with further study, enrolling for a Masters in Applied Science (Farm Management), graduating with with First Class Honours with his final Dissertation in ‘How can New Zealand Producers increase the level of fine wool production’.

Throughout university Rob worked in the High Country as a shepherd on ‘The Branches Station’ in Queenstown and on completing university he began work full time as a shepherd at ‘Glenmore Station’, Lake Tekapo. Rob says that shepherding is an ‘awesome life’ and he loved being part of growing the world’s best merino wool within an awe-inspiring landscape with magnificent people to match.

Following this, Rob moved to outback Australia, to a million acre station called ‘Millungera’ in North West Queensland to work for Acton Land and Cattle Co as a Ringer. ‘Ringing’ is an adrenaline packed life with close calls, great mates and a wild country. After a horse riding accident at the end of the mustering season, Rob returned to New Zealand for some healing and started working at Auckland Meat Processors (AMP). After a stint overseas in Alaska, he returned to New Zealand and returned to AMP where he was employed as the Chiller Department Business Analyst. Since then he has completed NZ Army Reserve Basic Training and returned to work where he is now the AMP Business Analyst across Production and Further Processing.

Joshua kelly

Old Collegian, Josh Kelly (2009) is forging a promising career from the grounding in music he gained while at the College. Josh went on from Saint Kentigern to study music at Monash University in Melbourne, where he is now based. The saxophone specialist performs as a soloist and in a number of ensembles at events around Australia.

Last year, he was invited to take part in the Australian Art Orchestra’s Creative Music Residency in Cairns, and is now studying towards his Honours degree at University of Melbourne’s Victorian College of Art. He is also a passionate music teacher, offering lessons in saxophone, clarinet, piano, improvisation, theory and harmony. In his final year at the College, Josh made the most of the music opportunities available to him. He was a member of the Concert Band, Jazz Combo, Stage Band and Saxophone Trio. He won the wind instrument section of the KBB Music Saint Kentigern College Solo Music Competition and was selected to tour with the New Zealand Youth Jazz Orchestra. He returned to the College this term as the special guest at the Jazz Café evening, providing a maestro performance on the saxophone as part of a five-piece band.

Three Saint Kentigern Generations

Saint Kentigern is in the Black family’s blood. Neil Black (625) was the first to attend the College, finishing in 1961. He was followed by brothers Graeme (924), William (977), Jim (1102), and Lindsay (2152). All were boarders at Bruce House, with three at one time for a number of years. A second generation followed with Neil’s son Charles Black (5142) attending the Boys’ School and College. Currently Neil’s two granddaughters, Girls’ School students, Anna and Jane McKenzie are the third generation to be part of the Saint Kentigern community.

Neil said that recently he had the opportunity to visit Mrs Betty MacFarlan, wife of the first Headmaster. Betty is renowned for recalling many former students and said she remembered Neil’s mother clearly after all these years and they reminisced about the sermons Dr Reverend Adam MacFarlan would deliver to the boarders.

Of the five of the original generation, four of the brothers played for the 1st XV Rugby Team. Neil has maintained his sporting connection with the College, having been on winning teams at Old Collegians’ Golf and Lawn Bowls tournaments.

At the time the boys were all boarding, Neil recalls his father’s jokes. As a truck and trailer load of fat lambs left the farm his father drily commented, ‘That’s one term’s school fees!’

Tom Elmore

Congratulations to Old Collegian, Tom Elmore who recently graduated from the challenging four-year Mechanical Engineering Honours programme at the University of Canterbury. As part of the final year programme, students are required to complete an extensive research and development project, sponsored by some of New Zealand’s most interesting companies.

As part of his team project commissioned by New Zealand-based company Myphur Ltd., Tom investigated the effectiveness of a wind turbine design idea. Conventional wind turbines are mounted on a tall tower, meaning a lot of weight has to be hoisted high into the air. In contrast, Myphur’s wind turbine idea was to build a hollow tower and place the turbine generator inside. Tom’s team carried out an important mechanical engineering project to explore the technical feasibility of a new idea and to estimate its economic viability.

Now graduated, Tom is spending time travelling and working in North America before returning to NZ to pursue his career.

ian Jarvie

The Jarvie family has had a long association with Saint Kentigern. Ian’s brothers, John and Andrew were foundation students at the Boys’ School and Ian followed them a year later. All three brothers then went on to the College. Andrew was a prefect and has served as President of the Old Collegians Association and Ian was also on the Old Collegians committee for many years. Their sister, Jane Hollier, joined the College staff as a mathematics teacher for three years and is now a Deputy Head at Strathallen College.

The Saint Kentigern connections don’t stop there. The marriage of Andrew’s son, Paul to inaugural Head Girl, Jessie Emmerson was the first Saint Kentigern wedding for two Old Collegians. Their young son, George, is the first of a new generation of Jarvies!

Following College, Ian pursued an engineering and then teaching vocation. During a rugby exchange, a discussion with Headmaster at the time, Reverend Adam MacFarlan, resulted in a role for Ian to introduce Technical Drawing to the College in 1982. He spent the next 14 years on the teaching staff before moving on to complete a number of building projects. He says he was then fortunate to rejoin the College for another four years. He later taught mathematics at Auckland Grammar where he stayed for 10 years before retiring.

Albert Vete

Albert Vete is well remembered from his time at Saint Kentigern for making the most of every opportunity. He was a stalwart of the 1st XV Rugby team but was also equally at home on the stage in dance productions, notably the Fia Fia and Stage Challenge. During Term 3, the College was pleased to welcome Albert back as a student teacher. Albert is in his final year of studying to be Physical Education teacher at University of Auckland, alongside his commitments as a player for the NZ Warriors. Albert recently signed a new two-year deal at the Warriors to keep him at the NRL franchise until the end of 2017. He also made his senior international debut this year, representing Tonga in a test against Samoa in Australia. His Bachelor of Education degree is preparing him for life after rugby league and we wish him well with his studies and sporting pursuits.

Ian says he has thoroughly enjoyed the extended Saint Kentigern family being a major part of his life. Through a very good friend and current teacher, Chris Duncan, and many other colleagues, he is still fortunate to often be included in numerous College outdoor activities. He is very grateful to have had the privilege to teach and be associated with two great schools.

School sport always played a major role in Ian’s life. Following retirement, he found he missed the activity and involvement and so took on the opportunity to volunteer as a Rugby referee. He says that at 60 years old, the body objects a bit – but while he may be past his ‘best-before’ date, he’s definitely not reached his ‘use-by date’ and he certainly finds the refereeing more exciting than a gym treadmill! This information all came to light when Ian was spotted refereeing a game between the Boys’ School and King’s!

Gold Duke of Edinburgh hillary Award Ceremony

Taking on the Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award is a huge commitment in time during the final year at College and such are the requirements of the Award, most students achieve gold status after leaving school. Twenty nine of our 2014 graduates have gone on to receive their Gold Award with those who were able, attending the ceremony held at the Boys’ School where their awards were presented by Sarah Hillary, daughter of Sir Edmund Hillary.

Gold Award Recipients:

Scott Allright, Callum Andrews, Hannah Ashby, Alice Boyd, Ashley Chan, Georgia Clapp, Ishara Dhambagolla, Sophie Dodd, Lucy Eden, April Finni, Rachel Goldstine, Daniel Greer, Jacob Latham, Jasmine Louie, Aimee McMaster, Sam Morris, Yitian Pang, Louis Panszczyk, Courtney Rowse, Rachel Smith, Mena Vaimasenuu, Shuo Yang.

in Memoriam

We express our condolences to the families of these Old Collegians who passed away recently.

GRAHAM LoGAn MCCLennAn

An Old Collegian who proudly embodied the strong values of Saint Kentigern passed away in June. David Ross Hynds attended the College from 1961 to 1965 and had an impressive record on the sports fields. He excelled in athletics and held the College long jump record for 19 years. His foremost passion was rugby, and captained the First XV. A natural leader, Ross, as he was known, was also a College prefect and Head Boy of Bruce House.

At age 22, Ross was involved in a car accident which left him a quadriplegic. His competitive spirit and athletic ability endured, and he went on to become a successful sportsman on the national and international stage. From 1970, he attended 31 consecutive National Disabled Championships, competing in 15 events and setting a number of New Zealand records. He was vice-captain of the NZ team for the 1974 Commonwealth Paraplegic Games, winning gold in the shot put, discus, javelin and slalom and setting a world record in the discus. Having returned to Tauranga where he was born, he was named Bay of Plenty’s sportsman of the year in 1974. At the 1976 Paralympics in Toronto, he was a finalist in the shot put, javelin and discus, in which he won a bronze medal. He attended three further Paralympics, adding three more medals to his tally.

Graham McClennan attended Saint Kentigern College from 1970 to 1974. A boarder at Bruce House, Graham was a fine sportsman involved in his final year in Athletics where he held the College record in Triple Jump and represented the College at the North Island Championships; in Rugby where he played side-row for the First XV; in Team 1 Basketball; and in Senior A Volleyball. Graham was also a College Prefect in 1974.

In adult life, Graham had a long and courageous battle with Multiple Sclerosis, passing away in Auckland Hospital in May this year. His wife died some years ago. Graham’s son Matthew is also an Old Collegian.

RiCHARd (diCk) steVenson stoReY

One of the first students at Saint Kentigern College passed away in September.

Dick Storey #20 attended the College from its inception until 1956 and was also a foundation boarder at Bruce House when it opened in 1954. His large funeral at Te Kauwhata was attended by a good number of Old Collegians including those of the foundation years.

Dick Storey for much of his working life was a farmer in the Taniwha – Waerenga district where he was an enthusiastic contributor to the community life, particularly in his involvement in the Lions Club. Dick was married to Jacqueline for 52 years. Their two sons Shane #4362 and Ian #4510 are also Old Collegians, as is Dick’s brother Geoffrey #103.

In 1991, he was a member of inaugural NZ wheelchair rugby team, and was part of the NZ Paraplegic sailing team from 1988 to 1998, which embarked on iconic expeditions around the world including on the River Nile and a circumnavigation of Samoa. As well as being a competitor, Ross contributed to sport as long-time official and administrator for able-bodied and disabled events including the 1990 Commonwealth Games in Auckland. He is the recipient of service honours from a variety of organisations in the sporting and disabled communities.

What a magnificent record by one who endured huge personal setbacks, yet through fierce determination succeeded and achieved so much. As well as at his funeral, Ross was remembered at a special lunch in July to mark the 50th anniversary of when he led Saint Kentigern’s First XV to its first victory over Auckland Grammar.

ReV BRiAn RAYMond BRAndon

Brian Brandon was a boarder at Bruce House and attended the College from 1957 to 1960.

Brian trained initially as a horticulturist at Massey University and worked as a Department of Agriculture Horticultural Advisory Office and later in Papua New Guinea as Horticulturist at the Christian Leaders Training College.

After training in Dunedin as a Presbyterian Minister, Brian worked in parishes in Wellington and South Auckland, being Minister at St Martin’s, Papatoetoe from 1990 until his retirement in 2008. He also had a leadership role in a number of other Christian organisations.

He was Moderator of the Presbytery of South Auckland in 2001 and 2002. Brian’s son Derek is also an Old Collegian.

AListAiR wHiteLAw

Mr Alastair Whitelaw, a teacher at the College from 1962 to 1969, passed away in July 2015 at the age of 83. A large congregation attended his funeral at St Luke’s Presbyterian Church in Remuera.

The College Magazine of 1969 remarks on some aspects of his time at Saint Kentigern: …his work as a conscientious Form Master – keenly interested in the welfare of all boys under his charge. His supervision of the rowing – an arduous and time consuming task – has also endeared him to many boys in the College. He took a keen interest in the dramatic work of the College and gave invaluable help and encouragement in the rehearsal and preparation of performance. He was also editor of the College magazine for several years.

Like his friend and colleague, the late Rev Neil Dow, Alastair Whitelaw was one of a small group of teachers from a Presbyterian background who had a formative influence on the direction of a new College under the leadership of its founding headmaster, the Rev Adam MacFarlan. Alastair brought his Christian integrity, his sense of scholarship from his own studies in New Zealand and at Oxford University, his willingness to get involved and lead in areas of co-curricular involvement like rowing where he became master in charge, and his energy to get things going.

After his time at Saint Kentigern, Mr Whitelaw went overseas and later became a teacher and Housemaster of St John’s House at King’s College until his retirement.

In 2008 the Saint Kentigern Rowing Club named a new rowing skiff in his honour. Those who knew him well also remember Alastair as a man of generosity, kindness, character and integrity.

RodeRiCk oRMiston wHAtMouGH

Roderick Whatmough (known as Rory) was a boarder at Bruce House from 1956 to 1958. He passed away in Whangarei in July this year.

andrew@lubenz.co.nz

e. sales@lubenz.co.nz