Piper Issue 59 October 2016

October 2016

Wearable Arts Extravaganza!

Saint Kentigern Trust Board

130 Pakuranga Road, Pakuranga, 2010

PO Box 51060, Pakuranga Auckland 2140

Phone: 09-577 0720 Fax: 09-577 0736

Email: trust@saintkentigern.com

Saint Kentigern College

Head of College: Mr Steve Cole

130 Pakuranga Road, Pakuranga 2010

PO Box 51060, Pakuranga, Auckland 2140

Phone: 09-577 0749 Fax: 09-577 0700

Email: skc_admin@saintkentigern.com

Saint Kentigern Boys’ School

Principal: Mr Peter Cassie

82 Shore Road, Remuera 1050

PO Box 28790, Remuera, Auckland 1541

Phone: 09-520 7682 Fax: 09-520 7688

Email: skb_admin@saintkentigern.com

Saint Kentigern Girls’ School

Principal: Ms Juliet Small

514 Remuera Road, Remuera 1050

PO Box 28 399, Remuera, Auckland 1541

Phone: 09-520 1400 Fax: 09-524 7657

Email: skg_admin@saintkentigern.com

Saint Kentigern Preschool

Director: Mrs Sue Nash

514 Remuera Road, Remuera 1050

PO Box 28 399, Remuera, Auckland 1541

Phone: 09 520 8814 Fax: 09 524 7657

Email: skp_admissions@saintkentigern.com

Saint Kentigern OCA

PO Box 51060, Pakuranga, Auckland 2140

Email skoca@saintkentigern.com

President: Andrew Morgan

Vice President: Tom Meek

Secretary: James Bennett

Treasurer: Neville Lyne

Parents & Friends (SKC)

Chairperson: David Courtney

Secretary: Desirée Jenkins-Allright

Treasurer: Sandra Oliver

Parents & Friends (SKBS)

Chairperson: Simon Ward

Secretary: Amanda Wilkinson

Treasurer: Leanne Mitchell

Parents & Friends (SKGS)

Chairperson: Rebecca Gadsdon-Green

Vice Chairperson: Kim McGregor

Secretary: Stacey Colyer

Treasurer: Henry Ray

College

Old Collegians

The Lion King Jr 20

Fantastic season for Cycling  74

Ruapotaka Marae Visit 35

Maori

Framework Future for the

he Saint Kentigern Trust was founded in 1949 by a group of Presbyterian businessmen whose goal was to establish a school for boys based on the precepts of the Presbyterian

Today, the Trust governs four schools on three campuses across Auckland. These schools deliver a values-based Independent Presbyterian education for boys and girls from 3 to 18 years old.

Over more than 60 years, the Trust has taken a conservative and steady approach to introducing change and managing growth. In that time, our schools have seen steady growth. Currently we are experiencing unprecedented demand for places.

A hallmark of the Trust’s governance has been to maintain a strong strategic perspective. Five years ago the Trust adopted

a strategic document, Framework for the Future, which defined key areas of focus for the organisation’s future.

The intervening years have seen much progress being made towards these goals and the Board has now set the goals and focus for the next five years. This document summarises those decisions.

Our Mission to pursue educational excellence for the Glory of God and the service of others has never wavered. It will always serve as the foundation on which we continue to build and strengthen the Trust.

Fides Servanda Est.

Bruce Goodfellow Chairman

Saint Kentigern Trust Board

One Saint Kentigern

Each of the four Schools’ Principals together with the Heads of the College Senior and Middle Schools, is accountable for the successful stewardship of the school they lead. This group forms the Senior Leadership Team in collaboration with Trust Board managers.

The Senior Leadership team is charged with working to deliver benefits in areas of common interest to the Saint Kentigern students and their families. The Trust Board has set the direction for the next five years in the Framework for the Future 2016 – 2021 and the Senior Leadership Team will work together to progress the key areas of focus.

Goal

Saint Kentigern is the first choice in independent education for ages 318 years

Vision

Saint Kentigern graduates will serve and lead with distinction

Our Promise

These six pillars provide the foundation from which we have built and strengthened our organisation.

Mission

The Mission of the Saint Kentigern Trust Board is 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

Our Reputation

Caring, Highest standards of education, Future focused, Holistic education, Nurturing the potential of each student

Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence, Love

Bruce Goodfellow Chairman

Our progress so far 2012-2016

Beginning in 2012 we had four key areas of focus and here’s some of what we have achieved so far:

Focus on being One Organisation

Beginning to align academic standards for Years 7 and 8 to enable academic collaboration between schools

Shared facilities for formal and sporting events

Delivered refreshed reputation strategy, high profile awareness and refreshed brand signature

Delivered more cost effective centralised support services in HR and administration

Streamlined uniform design and purchasing process to improve the experience for each family

Leadership collaboration strengthened One Organisation

Engage with a digital society

Introduced the OLE and the SKApp to provide seamless access to student academic information, and communications for every family

Delivered a digital communications strategy to tell our story in multiple digital channels

Improved technology in the classroom to support student learning

Provided comprehensive training sessions for families and staff on the OLE

Provide best teaching and learning

Delivered comprehensive professional development for middle managers

Recruited more specialist teaching staff and coaches to support the most extensive co-curricular programme in New Zealand

Increased emphasis on Enhanced Learning Programmes so that every student has the same chance to excel

Introduced increased academic subject choices

Explored innovative learning practice

Ensure quality Pastoral Care

Increased focus on comprehensive student leadership programme

Offered parenting courses and speakers annually

Increased service opportunities locally and overseas

We have worked hard to strengthen Saint Kentigern, always with the students at the centre of everything we have done. There is yet more work to be done in the coming five years.

What we will do 2016 to 2021

Provide Best Quality Teaching & Learning

Raise overall levels of academic achievement

Improve individual student outcomes

Attract and develop high quality staff

Explore future focussed education

Reinforce One Organisation

Investigate co-ordination of service programmes

Encourage interschool pedagogy sharing at Years 7 and 8

Investigate further the centralisation of administration

Implement organisation wide fundraising/ development structure

Increase cross-campus opportunities

Encourage inter-school student transition

Enhance a robust & resilient culture

Align leadership thinking

Focus on embracing diversity

Encourage openness to change

Develop change management guidelines

Strengthen collaboration at all levels

Engender a sense of belonging

Deliver Quality Pastoral Care

Prepare students for a changing world

Encourage students to make ethical decisions

Enhance positive staff and student relationships

Strengthen pastoral care appraisal system

Enhance the sense of belonging

Improve & expand facilities to meet changing needs

Develop a model for prioritisation of capital expenditure

From the Chairman of the Trust Board

In August, the Trust Board approved the budget for 2017 for all of the schools. Fees will rise by an average of 2.25% to offset rising costs, in particular increased salary costs. Prior to the end of Term 3, all families should have received a letter by email advising the details of the new fee structure. (If you have not received a letter please contact the Finance Manager). We regret the necessity to raise fees, however, you can be confident that we will continue to exercise wise stewardship of the resources of the Trust, with an eye not just for the coming year but also for the longer term.

There are a number of long term developments – either recently completed or currently under way. At the College, the Goodfellow Centre, which involved a transformation of the ageing library, has been completed. The new facility is much bigger, brighter and more appealing to the modern student with a wide range of options available for both individual and group learning.

Also at the College, Stage 2 of the extension to the Sports Centre is currently under construction. This project is expected to be completed for the start of the 2018 academic year. Disruption to

Farewell Eric

classes is planned to be minimal during the construction period. Upon completion, the new expanded Sports Centre will provide more facilities that are greatly needed to meet the demands of roll growth.

At the Boys’ School we expect to commence the Roselle House project before the end of the year. Apart from mandatory strengthening to bring the building up to modern code requirements, there will be a transformation of the upper floor. For many years the onsite accommodation for the Principal was on the upper floor. This will become the new Learning Commons incorporating the school library. Every boy will enjoy this wonderful addition to the facilities on the campus. If you have not already financially supported this project I would commend it to you – every donation will make a difference!

As we enter the fourth term of the school year, many students will be preparing for examinations and assessments. We trust that when the end of the year arrives that every student will have cause for reflection and satisfaction that lessons have been learned, hard work has paid off and the future is bright.

Fides Servanda Est

Bruce Goodfellow Chairman

At the end of Term 3, Saint Kentigern farewelled General Manager of the Trust Board, Mr Eric Shiels after more than 15 years of loyal service.

Mr Shiels came to Saint Kentigern with considerable experience as both a chartered accountant and business manager having worked in his native Scotland, Canada and then Bermuda before settling in New Zealand in 1986. Amongst other roles, he has spent time as CFO at Presbyterian Support Northern and Business Manager at Auckland Grammar School, before taking on the Saint Kentigern Trust Board position.

A true Presbyterian, Eric was a perfect fit for Saint Kentigern and has spent the last 15 years involved in many facets of life at Saint Kentigern, known for his calm manner and sage advice. He arrived at the end of 2001,, just as it was announced that the College would be accepting girls from 2003. In the space of 15 months, the Elizabeth McFarlan Centre (EMC) was designed, consented, built and commissioned in readiness for the arrival of our first cohort of female students.

Since that time, under his watchful eye, continued development across the campuses has not ceased. In 2003, the former College gymnasium was converted to a Music Centre, Property Services were rehoused and the Astroturf was laid. In 2005, the Science Centre underwent major expansion. Two years later, after much paperwork, a Rotary walkway extended around College grounds. In 2009, the muddy access to water for our rowers was replaced by a floating pontoon, along with major work to provide drainage of the sports fields. The College entrance was also upgraded to gain better access for our growing number of buses. In the same year, the Boys’ School Sports Centre opened to mark their 50th Jubilee. Most significantly, in 2009, Eric played a key role in the merger of the Saint Kentigern and Corran School Trust Boards, with the Girls’ School opening on the former Corran School site in 2010. The following year, our Preschool opened on the same site. In the 60th Jubilee year at the College, the MacFarlan Centre opened and work also began across the campuses addressing the issue of earthquake strengthening. Last year, a new indoor cricket facility opened at the College, while in this, Eric’s final year, the merger of the library and learning commons to create the Goodfellow Centre has been completed, work has started on doubling the size of the College Sports Centre, and it is hopeful that work can commence on the upgrade of Roselle House at the Boys’ School.

During this time, Eric has attended 112 Board meetings, attended all Audit and Finance meetings, attended and latterly chaired all PCG (Property Control Group) meetings, as well as chaired the Senior Leadership Team for all Saint Kentigern schools.

It is fair to say that Eric’s role has been a busy and varied one over the course of 15 years which he has attended to with quiet diligence. Those who have worked alongside him have admired him for his fairness, frankness and ability to get the job done. We all wish Eric and his wife, Raewyn, well as he heads into his retirement.

building growth on campus.

As early as the 1960s and again in the late 80s, the Trust Board debated the need to make an alteration to the Trust Deed to allow for the education of girls at Saint Kentigern College. The amendment was passed into legislation in 1996. Richard had always been in favour of making a Saint Kentigern education available to girls.

Richard’s wife, Marion, sadly passed away ten years ago. Marion was the daughter of Sir William Goodfellow, the first Chairman of the Board. Richard is survived by his daughter, Elizabeth and his son, Murray, six grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren.

In Memoriam - Mrs Elizabeth MacFarlan

It is with great sadness that we record the passing of Mrs Elizabeth MacFarlan, aged 89, whose funeral was held in the Chapel of Saint Kentigern.

Mrs MacFarlan, affectionately known as Betty, holds a special place in the heart of Saint Kentigern College and is fondly remembered as a gentle, caring woman who played an important part in establishing the sense of family within the Saint Kentigern community. As the wife of the founding Headmaster, Reverend Adam MacFarlan, she witnessed more change on campus over the years than any other person associated with Saint Kentigern.

Since the College first opened in 1953, archival records have been diligently kept, recording events and achievements but as many have discovered, when you engaged in a conversation with Betty, all those records only scratch the surface. Much of the real history lies in the personal anecdotes of individuals like Betty and Adam, the early staff and the boys they cared for; those who were here experiencing day to day life as the College took shape on the outskirts of Auckland.

In 2007, a videoed conversation between Betty and Executive Head at the time, Mr Warren Peat, took the viewer back to the early 1950’s when the young MacFarlans left Scotland to take up a new challenge half a world away in New Zealand. There was a sparkle in Betty’s eyes as she spoke of her younger years back in Scotland and how she met the young Adam MacFarlan. When asked what she and Adam knew of New Zealand when the job was advertised, she replied, ‘Well practically nothing really, but my father was a Master in the Donaldson Shipping Lines and he was always at sea travelling around the world. My mother taught us to be independent and it was this spirit of independence, coupled with the spirit of adventure, which made me support Adam’s decision to come to New Zealand.’

It was fascinating to hear Betty’s description of the time when the first Chairman of the Trust Board, Sir William Goodfellow, along with fellow Board Member, Mr Neil Macky, travelled to Scotland to interview Adam at home. The gentlemen wanted to visit the MacFarlans at 9am, ‘Well you just didn’t do that in Scotland! So we managed to put them off till 10am and my mother made some scones. Mr Macky came and interviewed me in the kitchen which I thought seemed a bit strange!’

As Betty went on to point out, in those days you didn’t just book a flight to New Zealand. Adam flew from Glasgow to Ireland, on to New York, then Vancouver and Honolulu before eventually setting foot in Auckland. Betty and the children joined him the following year, travelling by ship. A treasured document in our College Archives is a newspaper clipping with a lovely photograph of the young Betty, recording the arrival by ship of a ‘New Scottish Resident,’ Mrs Elizabeth MacFarlan, accompanied by her small sons Donald and Maitland – to join her husband the Rev AML MacFarlan, Headmaster of a new Presbyterian school in ‘Panmure.’ From that day, Betty played a significant part in this ever-expanding community.

When chatting to Betty, there was no stopping her as she travelled through her remarkable memory for names and faces, and spoke of her life as a wife and the mother of four children, living on campus in the Headmaster’s residence with few neighbours around. ‘When the boarders went home for Christmas, the place was so quiet that we felt like we were living on a big estate of our own.’ She also went on to speak of Adam’s dreams and aspirations for the College and his great sense of humour which helped him to overcome any difficulties he encountered in his career. ‘Adam always spoke about opening the doors of the College for girls, and if he was alive today he would be so happy to have seen this project come to pass.’

The initial conversation between Mr Peat and Betty took so many twists and turns that those listening were in awe of the detail she could recall as she paid tribute to those who had helped establish Saint Kentigern. When talking to the wider community, however, it becomes apparent that Betty, herself, had a significant role to play. Not only was she a wonderful supporter of her husband’s professional life, accompanying him and meeting people at all the special parent occasions and church services, but it was also Betty who was building a new life for the MacFarlan family, themselves, in a new land far from home with all that entailed!

At the time, not only did Betty have her own four children to care for but she also had great fondness for her extended family of boys, especially the early boarders. ‘The boarders were, without exception, from the country and the country was a long way away in those days. They were dead lonely some of those boys.’ Betty took it on herself to make sure they felt part of a family. She would invite them down to share some chores in the garden, staying on for morning tea and a

later in 2013 to open the MacFarlan Centre, the then new administration block named in memory of Adam.

One of Adam’s dreams became reality in 1972, 20 years after his arrival, with the completion and consecration of the Chapel of Saint Kentigern with its motto, Fides Servanda Est – The Faith must be Kept. To farewell Betty in our Chapel had special significance. Betty will be remembered as one of the builders of this community, but more than that, as a woman of faith and adventure, who built her own life in a new community and country. We remember her love for her family, her generosity of spirit, and her life of service to others.

A Life of Service

In any way it can be measured, whether in the number of students involved, volunteer hours worked, causes supported or money raised, the service programme at Saint Kentigern, across all campuses, is the most substantial it has ever been.

Service is inscribed in the Saint Kentigern vision, which states that our graduates will ‘serve and lead with distinction.’ Accordingly, service opportunities exist for all of our students aged 3 to 18 at our Preschool, two Primary Schools and College, with staff and Old Collegians also committed to activities which benefit disadvantaged communities in New Zealand and abroad.

In 2015, Saint Kentigern College became the first school in New Zealand to raise more than $100,000 through the World Vision 40Hour Famine, a feat they matched in 2016. This figure, along with the substantial amount raised by the two schools, makes Saint Kentigern one of the leading contributors to the cause . On top of this, many more thousands of dollars have been raised through other initiatives for causes such as disaster relief in Nepal and Vanuatu. Each year, donation drives are also held to collect essential items such as food, shoes and stationery for causes closer to home. However, service is about so much more than donating funds and goods. We are equally as pleased with the thousands of hours of service that students give to serve others.

Each week, students willingly put in, many, many hours at regular service activities. Groups of students from the College and the Boys’ School make weekly visits to low-decile primary schools to engage with the younger students. The activities include reading recovery to assist young boys and girls to advance their reading skills, and interacting with students with autism and special needs. Our students also raise money and volunteer time to implement Garden to Table programmes at local schools. Funds go towards buying garden boxes, soil, compost and tools and our students plant and raise seedlings on campus before replanting in the receiving schools’ gardens.

College students are also involved with the Enliven programme, run by Presbyterian Support. Our students’ role is in the Intergenerational Project which links students with elderly clients in need of a little extra company. A number of senior students meet each week with their client to give support and encouragement. The students visit during their own time, to engage in conversation, play board games, share music, bake together and assist the older generation to come to terms with new technology - how to use cell phones, computers and programmes such as Skype to connect with their relatives. In total, our College students provided almost 7000 hours of their time to needy causes last year alone.

As well as those close to home, the College service programme extends to helping our Pacific neighbours and as far away as Malawi. Each year, College students undertake service trips to Pacific islands in the July school break. Trips to Fiji or Vanuatu are organised in conjunction with Habitat for Humanity, to construct a new home for a needy local family. In Vanuatu, another group of College students live and volunteer at a bilingual school, where they assist with teaching classes and share playtime with the local students. The College also has a special partnership with the Chigodi region of Malawi, to which our World Vision fundraising is directed. The funds go towards agricultural projects and educational resources for the local high school.

In addition to the record-breaking fundraising during the 40-Hour Famine, a significant amount is also generated on all campuses by the chapel offerings and mufti days. Last year, nearly $30,000 was donated by the College community which went to the following causes: Habitat for Humanity, Tear Fund, Aotearoa Development Co-Operative, Cancer Society, Syrian Refugees and CanTeen. Saint Kentigern Boys’ and Girls’ Schools also undertake a combined annual service trip to Fiji where they volunteer at local village, and deliver donations of stationery, sports equipment and technology. They also actively encourage their own communities to donate clothing, toys and other goods to their Sharing Sheds, which are distributed to children’s organisations that we partner with. Mufti days, chapel services and other events also generate donations of food, funds and other essentials for various charities. Boys’ School students help organisations such as the Halberg Foundation to deliver sports programmes for disabled youngsters, and Girls’ School students regularly visit residents of a local retirement home. Our Preschool assists with fundraising for the service trips, takes part in annual giving campaigns such Jammies in June for the Middlemore Foundation and performs carols for retirement home residents each Christmas.

Service is an integral part of a Saint Kentigern education, encouraging empathetic and generous citizens. The opportunity to be involved in service is invaluable; the students learn commitment and effort, and come to acquire an understanding and awareness of the role of community service in our society. Through this engagement our students gain an appreciation of their own lives in the context of others; they realise that they can make a positive difference in the community, they experience satisfaction from helping others, they develop character and increase their own self-esteem. We hope that by offering service opportunities at each year level, that this awareness and call to action will continue throughout their lives.

We raised $133,470 for World Vision!

All three Saint Kentigern schools have had a long association with World Vision, with the College 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 $100,093.00, which when added to the equally significant amounts of $28,429.00 from the Boys’ School and $4,948 from the Girls’ School, has seen Saint Kentigern collectively pledge over $133,470 to this year’s fundraising appeal! Well done students!

Funds raised this year by the College will go towards their continued support of Chigodi Village in Malawi, whilst the two primary schools joined the wider World Vision focus on providing child-friendly spaces for children in refugee camps from Syria.

Last year, Service Co-ordinator at the College, Mr Mark Robinson, led a student visit to the impoverished African country of Malawi. The village of Chigodi has been the recipient of funds raised by the College through the 40 Hour Famine for the last two years. Funds channelled to the village have assisted their two schools, provided water bores and agricultural support. The aim is to empower local families to lift themselves out of poverty through improved education. Over the past year, with donated funds, local students have been trained in carpentry and building skills with great success. Beginning with desks and chairs for their own school, their skill level is now such that they are able to sell to other schools in the region. Plans for ‘female-friendly’ toilets at the secondary school have now come to fruition, increasing the attendance rate for the girls. The village is particularly proud to have their first two students gain acceptance to university – with the introduction of solar power lighting having extended the boys’ available study hours.

As a rule, World Vision places the focus of the annual 40 Hour Famine on feeding the needy. With a humanitarian crisis unfolding in Syria on an unprecedented scale, there has been a shift in thinking for 2016. Nine million Syrians, from a population of 12.6 million people, have been displaced with many living in stark refugee camps in the Jordanian desert. These families, who once conducted their lives not dissimilar to our own, now live in tents with few amenities available. When the rockets came, destroying their homes, they left quickly with few possessions. Charities cannot stop this war but they can help to improve the living conditions, particularly for the children. The goal of this year’s fundraising is to provide ‘child-friendly’ spaces within the camps where, for a while, the children can forget their trauma and ‘just be kids.’

This year, World Vision asked our primary students to imagine what they would pack in their school bag if they only had five minutes and could they live for an entire weekend with just those contents?

Many students across the three campuses contribute to the cause in their own way and there are always those who go the extra mile. At the College 77 students raised over $500 with Bella Conyngham, the top fundraiser with $7,086.25 and the Denholm sisters, Isabella and Lulu each raising $4,115.00 each At the Boys’ School, 18 students raised over $300 with Gray McGregor raising $1065.00. At the Girls’ School, three students raised over $300 with Chloe McGregor raising $1090.00.

CEO of World Vision, Mr Chris Clarke, along with Dan Matonga, World Vision Malawi Manager and Emma Davison, World Vision Schools’ Coordinator, were in attendance at a College full school assembly and presented Mr Robinson with a Platinum Award for raising more than $100,000. Last year Mr Clarke said that he used to dream about a school raising $100,000 – and now we’ve done it two years in a row!

Education Review Office (ERO) Visit

Every four years, the Education Review Office (ERO) visits all schools and early childhood centres throughout New Zealand to assess their operations, staffing, student climate and effectiveness against set criteria. Our Saint Kentigern schools are always proud to receive positive feedback from the ERO reports confirming that the programmes we run, the rapport between staff and students and the overall morale and sense of well-being at each of our campuses is of the highest order.

During Term 3, it was the Preschool’s turn to receive a visit from ERO. After a comprehensive look at all aspects of our operation, followed by meeting with ERO staff, the Preschool has received their confirmed report - and are thrilled to say that the Preschool is deemed ‘very well placed.’

We were delighted to show the review team our Preschool in action and hear their feedback – and we look forward to their visit again in 4 years.

Some comments from the report…

‘Relationships between families and teachers are responsive and reciprocal’

‘Parents value the care…shown by teachers’

‘Children are settled, focused, highly engaged and positive in their learning’

‘The learning environment challenges and extends children’s play’

‘...seamless learning pathway ...with Transition for moving to school’

‘Teachers are highly collaborative…’

‘The Director is collaborative and her inclusive leadership supports teachers to work as a team and empowers them to use and grow their strengths.’

Sue Nash, Preschool Director

When City Meets Country

The arrival of two (largish) piglets from a farm in Kaukapakapa during Term 3 saw our preschool children quickly become experts on all things ‘porcine!’

The wooden playhouse in the corner of the garden was fully converted with gates and fencing to ensure that the piglets were safe and comfortable in their own space. The children spent hours each day hand feeding them, walking the ‘girl’ pig, cleaning out the pig pen, sitting talking to them and simply observing how a pig goes about its own daily routines.

The enjoyment that our ‘city’ children were getting from the pigs was certainly worth the effort! After ten days, the ‘boy’ pig, Patches was returned to the farm as he was getting a bit big and boisterous, driving the ‘girl’ pig, Porky crazy with his antics! We worried that Porky might be unhappy on her own but far from it! She became a very happy pig and was most content in her ‘posh’ pig palace. There was no shortage of willing helpers to hand feed her biscuits and an assortment of fruit and vegetables. She loved bananas! It was quite a sight to see her going for regular walks in her Saint Kentigern uniform with her harness and lead!

The Girls’ School classes have also been over to show the girls ‘real pigs’ in line with their ‘Living things’ Inquiry and lots of boys from Boys’ School have also been up for visits. Such was the celebrity status that the pigs featured on the front cover of the local newspaper, the Eastern Bays Courier.

With each passing day, Porky would trot around free in the playground with the children, finding a warm spot in the sun to settle down and snooze – so gentle, wellloved and so intelligent was our pet pig that it was sad to see her go back to the farm, after 6 weeks with us, to become the pet of the farmer’s daughter. But - the arrival of new 3 week old baby piglets has made the parting manageable!

Huhu Grub Hotel

The arrival of a big wooden chopping block from Sue’s father’s shed, filled with over 20 huhu grubs caused great excitement for the children – and a mixed response from the teachers! The scientific discoveries made as the children opened the log and grubs of varying sizes crawled and writhed around was fantastic hands-on learning. We soon discovered that the children weren’t in the least bit squeamish. Negative responses to insects are definitely an acquired grown up trait!

The children researched about the life cycle and how to care for them, finding out that the grub can live for 3 years but the beetle for only one day! Holding them gently in their hands, before returning them to their nice wet log to eat some more wood, led to great learning opportunities for our preschoolers.

In the Jungle The Mighty Jungle!

In conjunction with our visit to Auckland Zoo and the trip to watch our Boys’ School production of The Lion King, the children became very interested in ‘all things jungle,’ especially wild animals.

The Lion King show was an absolute hit and our children still talk about the actors and have thoroughly enjoyed re-watching the school DVD of the show – singing along to the songs.

Artwork produced by the children was outstanding and the learning they gained was brilliant. The topic culminated with a hugely enjoyable Jungle family disco.

The disco evening saw almost an 100% turnout of families – parents, grandparents and siblings –with every child dressed in some form of animal costume. Staff and even some parents got into full jungle themed clothing and boogied the night away in the Zoo area! An array of songs saw the dance floor full and by 7.30pm there were lots of very tired children ready to head home for a good night sleep. This was an awesome family social evening for all to enjoy.

How tough are you Daddy?

An inflatable boxing ring with oversized gloves and jousting poles greeted our Dads, Grandads – and other significant males to Preschool for the annual Father’s Day. A huge turnout saw the men spending time with their children, inside and out, before having turns to be pummelled by their children in the boxing ring!

‘Watch out Dad – here I come to bash you!’ we are hopeful it is the only time these words are heard – and with the giggles from the children and the gasps from the men I am sure they are pleased they are only 3 and 4 years old! Morning tea was well consumed by the hungry men before they headed back to work, some Dads delaying departure as long as possible. A gift of a screwdriver, measuring tape or Stanley knife – with a personalised footprint of their child alongside a ‘footprint’ poem was well received.

Pamper my Mum

Mother’s Day saw the arrival of Mums, Grandmas, Aunties, godmothers and all special ladies in our children’s lives come for a morning at Preschool. Some of them may have wondered what they signed up for with a promise to be ‘pampered.’ A vast range of make-up and nail polish – of every colour possible – saw our lady friends transformed into absolute visions of beauty – in the eyes of the preschoolers! Despite some of them ending up looking like a circus act, they all entered into the fun with great enthusiasm!

The children gifted their special people with a terrarium in a glass – a succulent grown in our Preschool garden specially planted. An individual thumb print stuck on a by each child made into a heart with a poem saying… “I’ve made you a heart with my cute little thumb, So you will have this memory for all the years to come.” Quality time, great company and a lovely morning tea was appreciated by everyone.

Flora MacDonald would be proud!

Dressed in tartan accessories and sashes, our Preschool girls had the opportunity to celebrate Flora MacDonald Day with the Girls’ School, marching proudly behind the Pipes and Drums following the ‘big girls.’ Our Preschool boys cheered the girls on as they smiled and waved! The girls marched around the school before heading into the Hall for the ceremony and to sing Scottish songs! Our Transition girls spent the morning with the activities at the Girls’ School – making porridge and a spider were a highlight. What great marching from our girls - Flora MacDonald from Scotland would have been proud!

Snowflakes and Snowballs

In the past, the arrival of 6 tonne of snow has happened early in the morning before the children arrived but this year, the children watched as the truck full of snow unloaded. The squeals from them all as the snow poured into the sandpit turning the Preschool into a winter wonderland were priceless!

Each child had an individual photo in uniform to remember the day it ‘snowed at Preschool’ before changing into suitable snow clothes for a fantastic morning of crisp, cold play.

For the majority of children it was their first encounter with snow! Our favourite quote of the day was from a three year old who asked, ‘Why is the snow so cold? Can you please warm it up so I don’t get cold fingers?”

Snow angels, snow balls flying through the air and lots of fun made for a great day with their friends in the snow.

Preschool gives Service too

The importance of giving service to others is a focus that starts at Preschool. Annual events are held throughout the year where the Preschool children show their commitment to helping others less fortunate than themselves. From donating pyjamas to Kidz First to Red Nose dress up day for Cure Kids, mufti day to raise funds for Lifepod and the Nepal earthquake, the children immerse themselves and get a young person’s understanding of the cause at hand

The response from Preschool families in donating thousands of dollars of goods for Nawaka Village Preschool for the Fiji Service trip attended by Director of Preschool Sue Nash with the Year 8 Boys’ and Girls’ Schools was amazing. The donation of a ready-to-assemble swing frame, donated and made by a Preschool father, was so well received by the village children that the basket swing given by Preschool, has been so well used that more will be sent over!

Run, Run as fast as you can!

Abeautiful sunny morning greeted us as we boarded the bus for our annual Cross Country event at Saint Kentigern Boys’ School. There was a great deal of excitement as 50 of our preschool children prepared themselves for a long fun-run! Our three year old girls started the racing, followed by the three year old boys. A longer course was laid out ready for our four year olds. There was plenty of cheering and clapping as every child completed their race and very proudly showed their place number to their friends. It was so pleasing to see the way our children showed such great support towards their friends.

The highlight in ‘Outstanding Sportsmanship’ was our 2nd place getter in the four year old boys –putting his arm around his friend who came 1st, saying, ‘I’m so proud of you for winning, well done you did great!’

3-Year-Old Girls

1st MacKenzie Porteous

2nd Charlotte Wakelin

3rd Alyssa Wray

3-Year-Old Boys

1st Oscar Hunter

2nd Sidart Naiker

3rd Ethan Godden

4-Year-Old Girls

1st Ninsi Finn

2nd Elsa Taylor

3rd Maggie Griffiths / Willow Carnegie

4-Year-Old Boys

1st Kieran Vaseegaran-Hey

2nd Maddox Bedford

3rd Mark Bai

Strong Minds. Strong Girls.

After my first three terms at the Girls’ School, I have taken time to reflect and consider exactly what is most important to me as Principal. My goal is that our Saint Kentigern girls will be strong, competent young women who know their own mind and who can contribute to society with confidence, generosity and ability. In a world when the messaging to girls is so subtle, especially in this age of digital media, our messages from school must be clear. Our Saint Kentigern values programme taught through Chapel, Christian education and homeroom is extremely effective at ensuring that the girls have clear guidelines and high expectations.

Your daughters are the future. What do I want for them?

• To be themselves.

• To be responsible for their own learning.

• To know that there is no substitute for hard work and give 100% effort accordingly

• To see the best in everyone.

• To be able to get along with everyone in this world. Our Auckland community is increasingly diverse in so many ways.

• To be articulate communicators both written and oral. Excellent communication skills are vital - the ability to make and hold conversation.

• To have a curious mind and ask the questions.

• Creativity is not limited to the arts but is important across all curriculum areas, including science and mathematics.

• To think critically about their world and be discerning about information.

• To be creative problem solvers.

• To discover their real passions and follow meaningful career paths. This generation will probably have 3 or 4 career changes over their working life. Through learning experiences at school, I hope the girls find out what they are good at, what they like doing, what they are not good at, and what they may not enjoy doing much at all. It is through this process of self- discovery that girls will be enabled to achieve their full potential.

• Of utmost importance is the ability to get on with other people. We want our students to be able to build and sustain quality relationships.

We know that the relationship with teachers is very important. It is also vital that the girls feel connected to their class members. These relationships are fostered through group work, presenting their work to each other and co-curricular activities. It is critical to create a positive culture in the classroom to promote effective learning. In addition, if the topics studied are relevant to the girls, they are more likely to be engaged.

What does this mean for our curriculum moving forward?

• STEM subjects remain incredibly important for girls’ learning. STEM, that is Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, open pathways to so many opportunities.

• Further developing the leadership opportunities for our girls.

• Emphasising the importance of resilience and independence across all academic and co-curricular opportunities.

• Rewarding the effort that girls put into their work, not just the achievement.

• Foster inquiry, innovation and curiosity across the curriculum, including design thinking.

• All learning is a contextualised learning experience with clear relevance to girls’ lives

Teaching has proved to be a very satisfying and rewarding career to date. After 28 years I am still working in education because I believe that teaching is so purposeful. I drive to work every day feeling like I can make a difference. I enjoy seeing the great progress made by students; the delight on their faces when they have a ‘light bulb’ moment. As teachers, we are the role models and certainly this is a responsibility that I take seriously. I believe in mutual respect. It is important that the girls respect each other and their teacher. It is of equal importance that as teachers we also show respect to the students.

It is hard to believe that this is my 14th year as a Principal. Saint Kentigern Girls’ School is my third principalship. Each school and each community was quite different. I am able to use the wisdom of this considerable experience to guide our school to make considered curriculum decisions for the future.

Respect, integrity, service, excellence and love. These are the values of Saint Kentigern that we are passing on to our girls. As Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, ‘What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us’.

Ms Juliet Small, Principal

Food from the Heart

At the Girls’ School, we take pride in the strong service ethic that our girls develop during their time with us and their ability to seek and respond to opportunities to provide assistance to those less fortunate than themselves. Their charitable initiatives have and continue to provide real benefit to members of the wider community.

Bringing food to people in our communities during times of celebration or need is an ancient custom. Whilst we are active in the wider community, there are also times when support is greatly appreciated closer to home, amongst our own school families. Whether during times of illness, injury, bereavement or stress, or the joyful yet busy time of welcoming a new baby, the ability to quickly put food on the table can be of huge benefit.

In 2013, the Parents and Friends received donations to purchase a freezer to enable the ‘freezer meal’ initiative to be realised with parents, Lisa Bottaro, Rosie Donnelly, Barbara Chin and Kaila Pettigrove taking turns to organise the contribution and subsequent donation of meals. With many prepared meals offered by class groups over the last two years, the School has been able to help a number of school families during times of stress. The meals are always greatly appreciated.

Quilts for Fiji

Rachel Black and Ruby Akolo represented the Girls’ School on the Saint Kentigern Service trip to Fiji. The trip, now in its second year, was to the Nawaka District in Nadi, where the group of students, parents and staff pitched in to upgrade facilities in the village and volunteer at the schools.

For Rachel and Ruby, their contribution to the trip began well before they boarded the plane. The girls, along with fellow Year 8 students, Charlotte Tse and Tiffany Rodrigo, spent many hours sewing quilt blankets to be donated to the families in need in the village. Working in their own time during lunch breaks and after school, the generous students made a great number of quilts which were packaged with soft toys for the local children. The parcels were gratefully received by a representative of the village to be distributed among the community. Along with the rest of the group who travelled to Fiji, Rachel and Ruby also helped to renovate the village’s medical dispensary, installed raised garden beds and helped at the Nawaka School and Preschool by reading, playing sports and leading arts and crafts sessions.

Shoe Drive

Acall for shoes in good condition resulted in a staggering collection of 306 pairs being brought to school, with Hamilton House going all out by supplying 103 pairs of the total!

From gumboots, to sports shoes, school shoes and dress shoes, the footwear that’s been grown out of at home will be gratefully ‘repurposed’ by families in need who attend schools in Glen Innes. Steve Farrelly, who runs the Breakfast club in Glen Innes schools, was on hand to receive the shoes which will go a long way to assisting families in need with growing children.

Flora MacDonald Day

‘Today is a school day like no other

Today is a day for friendship

May God bless you with great friends

Today is a day for fun

May God bless you with deep and lasting joy

Today is a day for celebrating

May God bless the spirit of our school

Today is a day for all things Scottish!

Scottish dancing, Scottish singing

Scottish shortbread, Scottish kilts

Scottish Pipe Bands, Scottish games

And….Scottish weather!

It only snows in Scotland for 15-20 days of the year.

Well today it snowed – six tonnes of it!

May God bless the traditions of our school

And may you feel like you truly belong.’

Reverend Reuben Hardie

Whena fire in the School Hall prevented Flora MacDonald Day being held in Term 1, the Girls’ School realised that, weatherwise, moving the event into Term 2 could be a bit of a gamble. Wow! Who could have predicted such a perfect day! Cold and crisp with the sun shining down, the scene was set for a day that mixed a taste of tradition with a taste of fun and games, a taste of porridge with a taste of hot chocolate and yes, a taste of snow – a great mound of it piled high on the back lawn!

Founded to honour Saint Kentigern’s ancestry from a feminine perspective, the day is named after an 18th century Jacobite heroine who risked her life to smuggle Prince Charles Edward Stewart –‘Bonnie Prince Charlie’ – from exile in Scotland over the sea to the Isle of Skye. It was on account of her bravery and strength of character that Flora was chosen as a strong namesake for the day of celebration.

No Saint Kentigern function would be complete without the skirl of the bagpipes! As the College Pipes and Drums headed off along the driveway, the clans fell in behind with the girls from the Preschool skipping along in the rear. The Pipes and Drums then flanked the entrance way to the hall as the girls, staff and special guests filed in. The orchestra made its debut performance of the year, opening with Scotland the Brave, setting the scene for Principal, Ms Juliet Small to tell the tale of Flora’s extra-ordinary bravery. She went on to tell the tale of ‘Robert the Bruce and the Spider’ – a tale of resilience in the face of difficulty, that even when the odds seem stacked against you, try, try again and you may succeed.

With the formalities over, the guests were invited for a morning tea with shortbread, whilst the girls readied themselves for a day of activities; a day when the older girls take on a big sister role to the younger students mentoring them throughout the day.

Without question, the highlight was a chance to romp in the snow! As Auckland-dwellers, this was a first for most of the girls bringing a heightened sense of joy – until they went on to discover that a gumboot full of snow can be pretty chilly! But in anticipation of this, a hard-working group of mums were waiting on the side-lines brewing up huge pots of hot chocolate!

Another first was ‘bubble-soccer’ on the lower field. Quite a challenge to kick a ball while enclosed in a giant zorb-like sphere! There was much laughter as the girls wobbled off in pursuit of the ball, bumping into each other – many ending up rolling away head over heels!

Golf in the newly re-opened School Hall brought a taste of St Andrews, as the girls took on an obstacle course with golf club in hand. Other activities saw them make a woollen spider and replica sporran. The final activity was another to warm the soul as the girls measured out and prepared a bowl of steaming Scots porridge oats with a variety of tempting toppings.

Like Celtic Day at the Boys’ School, Flora MacDonald Day is a ‘school day like no other!’ If happy laughter is a measure of a successful day, then this year’s event certainly had the winning formula!

Bake With Words!

Cooking is a fantastic way for students to learn the practice of procedural writing. By reading, following and writing recipes, cooking teaches the need to be specific about word choice, especially verbs – the difference between folding and beating, or boiling and broiling, can have a drastic impact on the final product!

The Year 4 students at the Girls’ School were privileged to have respected Kiwi chef and Saint Kentigern parent, Mrs Allyson Gofton join them in the Food Technology kitchen to bake some delicious treats, while embedding their knowledge of procedural writing.

The students had spent time observing several examples of procedural text. They then worked in groups to come up with suggestions for when procedural writing is relevant. The girls asserted that procedural writing is used everywhere from iPhone manuals, to craft books, and guides about caring for pets. An assortment of recipes were used as exemplars and the students were able to review the layout and the features of the procedures that are found in published forms.

The icing on the cake was inviting Mrs Gofton to spend two sessions working with the girls, to follow the recipe for plaited French bread and chocolate chip cinnamon buns. The girls’ level of writing ability increased significantly as a result of the practical experience. ‘Some features of procedural writing are verbs, adverbs, listing the equipment, the method, and using bullet points and numbering.’ –Caroline Heeley

‘I liked it when we worked with our writing buddies and they made comments on our drafts to tell us what was good and how to improve our writing.’ – Amelie Heeney

Butter Making

The Junior School’s visit to Ambury Farm prompted a fun and eye-opening session of butter making! The girls had been learning about the purpose of a farm by focusing on the products that farming provides. They discovered how milk comes from the cow and ends up in their glass and on their cereal via the milking process. At Ambury Farm, they saw the many types of animals that are farmed in New Zealand, such as sheep, cattle, goats, pigs, lambs and chickens, which provide milk, meat, hides, wool and eggs. These raw materials can then be turned into cheese, gelatin, leather and much more, which led to the opportunity to make butter.

The girls mixed cream and salt in a jar and added a marble. As the jar was shaken vigorously, the marble helped to separate the cream and salt into butter and buttermilk. The buttermilk was strained off and the remaining butter spread on bread and gobbled up! The experience was also used as a literacy exercise as the girls explained what they had done in a piece of procedural writing.

Ruapotaka Marae Visit

The Girls’ School students who visited Ruapotaka Community Marae in Glen Innes have a short personal history. They are between the ages of 7 and 10 years and were born around 2006, when Helen Clark was Prime Minister, ‘Sione’s Wedding’ was a box office hit and Joe Rokocoko and Doug Howlett bookended the All Blacks backline. For some that may seem a long time ago, but the girls certainly didn’t have years of experiences to share, unlike the iwi of Ruapotaka Marae. However, as Daughters of Kentigern they are collectively part of much older community. This they did have in common with the marae elders, and these shared histories were united during this culturally enriching trip.

The 70 girls from Years 4-6, along with 20 parents and teachers, were guided into the wharenui, the marae’s meeting house, with a karanga, or call. During the powhiri, Year 4 teacher, Mr Andrew Finn gave a whaikorero (speech), thanking the kaumatua for welcoming the girls onto the marae and giving them a brief immersion in Maori culture. Mr Finn explained the history of Saint Kentigern and played guitar as the girls sang two beautiful waiata.

The School’s last visit to the marae had resonated strongly with a number of students, and subsequently a kapa haka group was formed. The group now has 40 keen girls involved, with many on today’s trip who were able to lead their fellow students in performing the first song they learnt, called ‘Rona.’ To recognise the special relationship between the marae and the School, and as a show of appreciation for the warm hospitality, a framed photo of the kapa haka group was offered as koha. The formal proceedings were concluded with the girls exchanging the traditional hongi greeting with their hosts. The kaumatua explained that because the girls had been part of the customary powhiri, they are now spiritually connected with the marae and welcome to come back to visit at any time.

The girls then split into two groups to be taught tikanga Maori. The methods and protocol of flax weaving were explained as the girls created their own putiputi (flower). The second group were led through the actions and words of more waiata, which added to their vocabulary and singing repertoire!

The trip provided practical experience to support the girls’ classroom learning. As part of the Middle School social science unit, each class had been studying a different topic of enquiry, such as the history of Auckland and what it means to be a New Zealander. Being on the marae was a special way to reinforce the girls’ knowledge and expand their understanding of our unique Maori culture!

Co-operative, Contemporary Cloak

In support of their trip to the marae, the Year 5 girls worked co-operatively to design and produce a, kakahu – Maori cloak. Having been learning about line and pattern in art, a competition was held to create an overall design, with Charlotte Higgins’ and Zoe Taylor’s designs chosen. Another competition was held to select a colour scheme, this time won by Alisa Iosua.

All of the girls then drew zentangle patterns onto feathers using sharpie pens which were hand coloured with water colour pencils before cutting them out and gluing them onto the cloak. The result was a stunning, contemporary artwork!

Let the music play

With thanks to Deputy Principal, Mrs Judith Dobson

‘Let the music play’ was a line from the opening song, ‘Sing It’ at the first performance of the Girls’ School Musical Soiree season. With a huge enthusiasm, 200 students from Year 0-8 gathered on the stage to open the biennial music festival with this toe tapping piece; setting the scene for a night of great music!

Following the whole school opening number, the orchestra played three magical show tunes: ‘When you wish upon a star’ from Pinocchio, the lyrical show piece ‘Music of the Night’ from Phantom of the Opera, and then wrapped up their section with ‘Raindrops keep falling’ from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.

Actions, movement, stamp, clap and sing were all incorporated into Year 0-2s special song ‘Lean forward, lean back’ after which the Year 4 instrumentalists demonstrated their skills on the violin, recorder and percussion. For the first time ever, we were treated to a world premiere at Saint Kentigern Girls’ School! Year 4 student, Endrica Dhani presented and conducted her own composition entitled ‘Endrica’s Piece’ for recorders and percussion. Well done!

Rhythm and movement were to the fore as Year 5 swung and danced in time to the Latin American music of Cuba, after which there followed an intricate and nimble routine using ribbons, hoops and balls. Both items thoroughly tested the dance skills and athleticism of all these students.

Three part singing and the combination of two songs showed that Year 3 could multi task as they slapped their hands, sung their parts and then cleverly combined the music of two songs to produce a new two part rendition of the songs ‘Shoo Fly’ and ‘Get that Fly.’

Year 6 presented a haunting rap; full of atmosphere and menace which built to a crescendo of ‘We are not alone.’ But who was there? ‘Spiders gathered beneath your bed, shadows lengthen round your wall, wallpaper full of eyes’ were some of the frightening images which made up this moody piece!

Two separate choral groups entertained the audience with a wide variety of music. The Performers Choir executed their two pieces ‘A Joyful Song’ and ‘Daughter of the Water’; sung a capella, which clearly demonstrated why they were a silver medal choir at the Kids Sing this year. The One Voice Singers are a group of singing students who love to sing and entertain at school. Singing songs that are a little different and at times challenging is just the test they enjoy. Adding a dance routine enhanced the performance of ‘Walking in the Air’; one of two songs they presented, and Anastasia Mulcahy provided a beautiful interpretation in dance. The singers other piece was a Liberian folk song entitled ‘Banuwa’ which also featured traditional African sounds in percussion.

Proving that oldies are still goodies, the Year 7 & 8 class orchestras rocked into ‘Little Brown Jug’ and ‘Mango Walk’ finishing with the one of the irresistible greats, ‘Rock Around the Clock’. Toes tapped and hands clapped as the audience showed their love for the golden oldies!

Being mindful of what Saint Kentigern stands for in love and service, it was fitting to conclude the Soiree with the whole school joining together to sing the lyrics of Michael Jackson’s song ‘Heal the World.’ Making the world a better place through love, service and song is so intrinsically bound into the Saint Kentigern Way and the joy of the performance was evident to all in the audience! What a great opening night!

Supporting Wig Wednesday!

All shades of fluorescent hyper-colour; midnight black; platinum blonde; spiky; wavy; curly; bob cuts and Princess Leia buns – the range of hair styles being worn by the Girls’ School and Preschool students for Wig Wednesday left no stone unturned! The inaugural nationwide Wig Wednesday was an initiative of the Child Cancer Foundation to raise funds to help provide practical, financial and emotional support to Kiwi children with cancer and their families. The Girls’ School and Preschool were among hundreds of schools and businesses around the country donning wigs and donating money to support this worthy cause.

The wigs looked particularly out of place with the Girls’ School students formal uniforms as they arrived in the morning! The whole school, including the teachers, then paraded their funky hairdos along Remuera Rd on their way to the weekly chapel session. The strong winds proved to be good test of how firmly the wigs were attached! Reverend Reuben Hardie, looking resplendent in a spiky blue style ala Sonic the Hedgehog, tailored his sermon to the sea of multi-coloured heads in the congregation, retelling the Bible stories which refer to hair: Samson and Delilah, Esau and Jacob, and Mary Magdalene. He said that Wig Wednesday offered a prime opportunity to do a good deed for someone and not expect anything in return, in line with the Prayer of St Ignatius – ‘to give and not to count the cost.’ With the girls unrecognisable under their wigs, that someone may not know who is doing the good deed!

Congratulations to the Girls’ School community for getting behind this cause and helping to raise money and awareness for the Child Cancer Foundation!

Silver at Kids Sing!

Four years competing and four Silver Awards for the Performers’ Choir at the New Zealand Choral Federation’s Kids Sing music festival! The Performers’ Choir was formed four years ago and has now grown to 38 members from Years 5-8, all of whom have auditioned to take part.

The requirements for the primary/intermediate category state 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.

This year the test piece was ‘A Joyful Song’ by Mary Lynn Lightfoot – a two part work incorporating mixed metre which created a catchy rhythm. The girls really enjoyed this piece and rose to the challenge

of singing the difficult Latin vowel sounds. For their New Zealand composed piece, the girls sang ‘Nurse’s Song’ by Janet Jennings.

The text, by William Blake, tells of children begging to keep playing outdoors as their nurse calls them to come home for bed. The girls’ third piece was ‘Daughter of the Water’ by Bid Cousins, which was bravely sung without piano accompaniment.

Following their competitive performance, the choir was invited back to the Town Hall that evening to sing at the Gala Show where they were awarded the Silver Award. The judges viewed their performance of all three songs very favourably. Congratulations girls, you should be very proud!

Cross Country

Fierce determination was in abundance at each of the two cross country mornings this term – one for the Junior and another for the Middle School girls. The girls in Years 7 and 8 raced earlier in the year with the girls from the College.

HOUSE POINTS

1ST CHALMERS

2ND WISHART

3RD HAMILTON 4TH CARGILL

Superb sunshine blessed both mornings as the girls gathered to race, with the Year 4-6 event taking place on the College grounds and the Years 0-3 on the Boys’ School track.

As always, competition was fierce amongst the leading pack as the girls dug in for House points and the chance to represent the School at zone level. Well done to all the girls!

1st 2nd 3rd

YEAR O CHAMPIONS Kasey Wray H Indi Jury H Bella Guthrie H

YEAR 1 CHAMPIONS Amelia Hardie W Violet Lindsay-Smail Ch Queenie Lang C

YEAR 2 CHAMPIONS Sienna RobertshawCh Brooke Rowntree C Elise Leport-Symonds W

YEAR 3 CHAMPIONS Charlotte Ray H Amie Hiliam H Phoebe Wood H

YEAR 4 CHAMPIONS Sahara Knottenbelt W Sienna Hirst Ch Endrica Dhan Ch

YEAR 5 CHAMPIONS Isabella Hughes Ch Frances Revell-Devlin W Kate Green W

YEAR 6 CHAMPIONS Zoe Wong H Bridget Dennis W Cassandra Wood H

YEAR 7 CHAMPIONS Grace Paul C

YEAR 8 CHAMPIONS Elyse Tse C

Verity Ward Ch Lola Wiltshire C

Florence Dallow W

Lily-Belle Sawyer W

Ocean Races in the USA!

After the Girls’ School dominated the National finals of the Soap Box Trolley Derby earlier in the year, Year 7 student, Ocean Scott was crowned New Zealand champion, qualifying her to travel to Ohio, USA to compete in the All American Soap Box World Championships during the July holidays. What an amazing opportunity to compete on the world stage!

Under the watchful eyes of the officials, Team Kiwi unpacked the crate at Derby Downs on the first day and started assembling Ocean’s soap box ready for inspection to ensure it met the race criteria.

Once ‘brake-tested,’ Ocean was allowed only one practice run!

On a scorching hot day, the parade of 489 champions took place in readiness for race day. It was 32 degrees on international race day with Ocean competing against an American and two Canadians. Ocean had two races against one of the Canadians, but was unfortunately eliminated by the Canadian who was the eventual winner of the International title.

The following day was the Super Stock Subway Challenge where Ocean placed first in the first race and 3rd in her next two races, which meant

her total elapsed time was slower than the overall winner, so this meant Ocean was eliminated from the Subway Challenge.

The final day was the World Championship race. Ocean came 3rd in her race, which meant she was eliminated from the event and her racing sadly came to an end but what an amazing experience with so many new people to meet. Ocean would sincerely like to thank the sponsors who made this possible: Auckland East Rotary, Carotrans, Electropar, Saint Kentigern Trust and Parent and Friends.

Welcome to Rangi Ruru!

The strong bond our Girls’ School shares with Rangi Ruru School in Christchurch was plain to see during the eagerly anticipated sporting and cultural exchange. This annual reciprocal exchange has been disrupted in recent times due to the Christchurch earthquakes, and was revived last year with the Girls’ School making a long-awaited trip down south. This year it was our turn to host the Rangi girls, with 47 of their Year 7 and 8 students staying with Saint Kentigern families. The visitors were welcomed to the Girls’ School with a beautiful powhiri. Kapa haka groups from each school performed their waiata before the traditional hongi greeting. The Rangi girls then met their Girls’ School billets, and the early seeds of friendship were sown as they got to know one another. Day two of the exchange kicked off with sporting contests in basketball, indoor football and netball. Home ground advantage came to the fore with our girls winning all of the matches. The girls then engaged in cultural activities, taking part in music and drama sessions. Both schools then demonstrated their musical prowess with a combined concert in the school hall.

The final day commenced with Rangi Ruru attending our weekly Chapel service followed by joining the Year 7 and 8 classes. Too soon for the newly made friends, it was then time for our Rangi counterparts to head home. The connection between the two schools is even more special with former Girls’ School Principal, Dr Sandra Hastie now Principal of Rangi Ruru, and we look forward to the exchange continuing to be an annual fixture!

Top Hip Hop Crew in NZ!

Eight students from the Girls’ School hip hopped their way to an Intermediate School National title at the end of term!

Having earlier won the Auckland regional competition, the ‘Saints Crew’ flew to Dunedin; the only Auckland school to make the competition. With three new members added to the team and only three weeks to learn a new dance, the girls were hungry for a chance at a National title!

Only three of the eight girls dance outside school but clearly this didn’t hold them back. With hair and makeup done by 3pm, it was off to Dunedin Town Hall. The girls performed a 32 count ‘round up’ at the start of the night to introduce themselves, which they did proudly in their Saint Kentigern hoodies before dressing ready for the showdown.

Fantastic AIMS Games!

Itwas a fantastic week of sporting competition for the girls who travelled to Tauranga to take part in the AIMS Games – the biggest sporting competition in the southern hemisphere with over 8000 athletes representing 260 schools!

Students represented the Girls’ School in tennis, with others joining the girls from the College to create a combined netball and a combined football team. The Year 7 &8 girls travel to the College each Wednesday to play sport and firm friendships have been formed amongst the girls. Entered in the tennis event, sisters, Charlotte and Elyse Tse were the first to see success when they were awarded the bronze medal for their combined points in the school team event. Individually, Elyse placed 5th with Charlotte in 12th place out of a field of 46 competitors. Well done to the girls, they played some great games of tennis!

The football girls also played well with the team finishing in 11th place out of 33 teams but it was the girls’ netball team (Tessa Birch, Florence Dallow, Rosie Emus, Rachel Funnell, Mia Harries, J’adore Harris-Tavita, Danielle Mayer, Ava McKenzie, Addison Peebles, Khanye Nonoa) who had a superb run of wins. Out of the 120 teams at the Games, the girls worked their way through to medal contention, eventually beating Bucklands Beach 22-13 for a bronze medal!

Making it through to the finals, their last performance was flawless in front of a crowd of about 700 cheering them on!

Well done girls, a fantastic achievement!

Saints Crew: Eva Colyer, Kate Frazer, J’adore Harris-Tavita, Meletaufa Lolo, Anna Mckenzie, Khanye’-Lii Munro-Nonoa, Addison Peebles, Irava Upu

Speech Competition

In welcoming students and guests to the 2016 Girls’ School Speech Competition, Principal, Ms Juliet Small said, ‘Having the confidence to speak well is such an important life skill.’ Whilst for many, the idea of public speaking may invoke a sense of trepidation, that certainly wasn’t evident amongst the 27 girls who took to the stage to deliver their prepared speeches to a large audience.

The School welcomed Ms Emma Bishop, Head of Drama at the College as adjudicator.

Each year group had an assigned topic on which to base their speech to ensure variety across the age groups with the Year 4-8 competitive speeches interspersed with talks from selected students in Years 1-3. Regardless of the age group, the confidence was astonishing!

Jiya Raj was the winner for Year 4 with her information-packed speech about skiing – it pays to learn how to stop, there’s no brakes on skis! Year 5 student, Xarya Knox notched up her second consecutive win with her humorous personal experience about getting her ears pierced and offered up some tips on how to persuade parents to allow you to get your ears ‘blinged.’ Year 6 was tasked with exposing the mysteries of chocolate, with winner, Julia Koeman explaining the devastating effect of the palm oil industry on rainforest habitats – ‘A chocolate bar lasts a minute but extinction is forever.’ In the Year 7 persuasive speech category, Lola Wiltshire made it quite clear why women make better leaders than men, finishing with two simple words to prove her point – ‘Donald Trump!’ J’Adore Harris-Tavita won the Year 8 section with a worrying, yet humorous look at the amount of time spent on cell phones.

YEAR 4 Jiya Raj Skiing

In summing up, Ms Bishop gave the girls some sound advice. Successful speechmakers don’t only know their words but know how to deliver them, connecting with their audience using expression, pace and pitch to drive their message home. This skill set two students apart. Xarya and J’Adore were chosen to represent the School at the zone competitions. Well done girls!

YEAR 5 Xarya Knox Getting my ears pierced

YEAR 6 Julia Koeman The origins of chocolate

YEAR 7 Lola Wiltshire Women make better leaders than men

YEAR 8 J’adore Harris-Tavita Cellphone addiction

Renowned Author Visits

Poetry Competition

The quality of writing and performances at the Girls’ School Poetry Competition was so high that professional poet, Paula Green would have been proud to have written them herself!

We were privileged to have Paula, who is a regular visitor and friend of the School, adjudicate the winners, which proved to be was an extremely difficult assignment! The girls had been writing, rehearsing and performing their poems in class, with Paula paying a visit to offer tips. She’d emphasised that the students needed to deliver the complete package – a great poem on the page needs to be matched with a convincing and entertaining presentation. In announcing the winners, Paula said all of the girls showed great bravery and confidence. ‘The girls have worked very hard and loved writing which shows in their poetry.’

Congratulations to all of the students who performed and especially to our winners:

YEAR 4 Sienna Haar, ‘My Mum’

YEAR 5 Keeley Berkovits, ‘Lollies’

YEAR 6 Cameron Paje, ‘Tomato the Devil’

YEAR 7 Eva Colyer, ‘Water’

YEAR 8 Rachel Black, ‘The Mountain of Fire’

Here in New Zealand to take part in the WORD Festival in Christchurch, the Girls’ School were fortunate to secure a visit from renowned American author, Nadia Hashimi. Nadia proudly supports women’s and girls’ empowerment and was excited to share more about her latest book and her life with our senior girls. Drawing on her Afghani heritage, she recently released her first fiction novel for teens. Set in Kabul, 'One Half from the East' is a coming of age journey in Afghanistan that explores life as a bacha posh - a preteen girl dressed as a boy. In Afghanistan, boys are valued over girls for many of the same patriarchal reasons that exist worldwide. Some parents without sons feel that their family is lacking and by transforming a daughter into a bacha posh, they are able to restore their honour.

Nadia’s parents left Afghanistan in the early 1970s and from a distance, Nadia watched the life of her cousins as they grew up in their war-torn homeland, where girls lived a life repressed by the Taliban; a very different experience from her own. In writing her books, she wanted the world to know what these girls are going through and the obstacles they have to overcome to succeed. She told the girls that even western society doesn’t always afford girls the same potential as boys and hopes that her books encourage young readers to reflect on their own lives. A very lively discussion ensued when the question was raised as to how men and women are treated differently in the media!

She finished by telling our girls to keep reading, to keep exploring the world, to find something that inspires them and to be inspiring in turn!

Mother and Daughter High Tea

The inspiration for holding our Mother and Daughter High Tea is simple; to give thanks, pay tribute, reward and spend quality time with our mums, grandmas, sisters, aunties and other special women in our lives. This event is one of the most anticipated and popular on our calendar, with the venue changing four times in the last four years to accommodate more and more guests! This year, the afternoon of fine company and refined refreshments took place in the Tasman Room at Alexandra Park Convention Centre, which was decorated to stately standard with colourful balloons and elegant table coverings.

Principal, Ms Juliet Small welcomed the girls and their family members to the occasion by sharing the story of a mother, who when asked her occupation gave the following answer. ‘I am Research Associate in the field of Child Development and Human Relations. I have a continuing programme of research, (what mother doesn’t), in the laboratory and in the field, (normally I would have said indoors and out). I’m working for my Masters (the whole darned family), and already have four credits (all daughters). Of course, the job is one of the most demanding in the humanities, (any mother care to disagree?) and I often work 14 hours a day, (24 is more like it). But

the job is more challenging than most run-of-the-mill careers and the rewards are more of satisfaction rather than just money.’

Deputy Head Girl, Nieve Campbell read a poem which summed up the occasion perfectly, starting with these words:

‘Thank you mother for being the special person that you are, Thank you for your mother’s love that seems to stretch so far,

Thank you for always being there, for the way that you care,

Thank you for the true and special understanding that we share.’

Head Girl, J’adore Harris-Tavita then graced the delicious savoury morsels, sweet treats and hot drinks which were thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Father and Daughter Breakfast

It was an early start for almost 200 fathers and their daughters at this term’s shared breakfast. In her words of welcome, Principal Ms Juliet Small spoke of the unique bond between girls and their dads, reminiscing with fondness about her own father as she grew up. She thanked all the fathers present for supporting the girls in their learning and for being their greatest advocates.

Speaker for the morning, Chaplain to the Schools, Reverend Reuben Hardie, has certainly had some practice at fatherhood! With four lively young boys, it was his greatest joy to welcome his fifth child, a daughter, into the world. He said that ‘daughters are the sunshine of our lives and a gift to fathers!’

He spoke of the ten best things about being a dad ranging from the moment the baby is born to the day they reach out to hold your hand or share in something you both enjoy. A video of parenting ‘bloopers’ were a funny, yet stark reminder to always be vigilant around our

youngsters – that one extra, high push on the swing may not turn out quite the way you imagined!

There’s nothing like giving the last word to the daughters themselves. Rev Hardie filmed the girls after asking what they loved about their dad and what they could improve on. The girls universally loved the hugs, the help with homework and the ‘open’ wallet! Equally universal was the need to do the dishes more, work on their jokes, dance moves, and …um…the delicate issue of excess wind!

In giving thanks for breakfast, Head Girl, J’Adore TevitaHarris thanked all fathers for ‘standing on the sidelines of our lives to cheer us on.’

Educating for the Future/Unknown!

Over the course of many years, I have had the privilege of witnessing tremendous change and growth in students from the moment they start school as a five year old, to the moment they leave school at eighteen, or almost eighteen, ready and raring to go on to the next stage of their life.

Every five year old brings to school different life experiences and varied interests, making the classroom lively, fun, and definitely spontaneous. Children are keen to share their understanding and respond well to encouragement and challenges, and for the most part, are not afraid to get it wrong.

I am continually amazed at how these five year olds respond to school life and how excited they are when they see connections in their learning. To bottle this enthusiasm and natural exuberance for life and learning would change the world and education as we know it.

It is our job as educators to continually look at what we are doing and how we do things to ensure continued enthusiasm, engagement and relevance as students move through our education system. The early years focus is on literacy, numeracy and socialisation; much needed skills that will be necessary for the future of learning how to learn and not what to learn.

Early gains and confidence establish the foundation for successful inquiry learning where students have ownership of their learning. It starts with exploration and questioning and leads to investigation into a worthy question, issue, problem or idea. It involves asking questions, gathering and analysing information, generating solutions, making decisions, justifying conclusions and taking action.

Content knowledge and understanding will always be a part of school life, however, ‘soft skills’ are becoming even more critical in preparing our students for their future and jobs that don’t yet exist!

Critical Thinking and Problem Solving

• The challenge is how do you do things that haven’t been done before.

• Find the solution, don’t pose the problem.

• Yesterday’s answers won’t solve today’s problems.

Interpersonal skills

• The ability to work in teams, relate to people and manage conflict.

Collaboration and Leadership

• Teamwork is no longer just about working with others in your class or school. Technology allows for global connections.

• Leadership offers the ability to influence.

Agility and Adaptability

• The ability to think, be flexible, change, and use a variety of tools to solve new problems.

Initiative and Entrepreneurialism

• Coming up with ideas

• Developing ideas

Communication Skills

• Verbal skills, written skills and presentation skills need to be clear and concise.

• The ability to write or speak to create focus, energy, and passion around the points they wish to make.

Accessing and Analysing Information

• There is so much information available that it is almost too much. It’s not only the sheer quantity of information that represents a challenge, but also how rapidly the information is changing.

• The ability to validate the information available.

Curiosity and Creativity

• Students who learn to ask great questions and have the confidence to be creative are the ones who solve the biggest problems.

Resilience

• Being able to bounce back after a disappointment or set back, big or small, and continue to move onward and upward.

If our students have opportunities to develop these ‘soft skills’ during their schooling, then we are preparing them for life-long learning where they aren’t afraid to give things a go and understand that mistakes and failure are a healthy part of the learning process.

Too often we underestimate how capable our students are and can be guilty of either spoonfeeding or overprotecting them to avoid failure. The environment we provide must not inhibit real learning.

‘Success is stumbling from failure to failure with no loss of enthusiasm.’ - Winston Churchill

Mr Peter Cassie, Principal

Blankets for Project Island Child

Founder of Island Child Charitable Trust, Danielle Bergin once lived in a car and ate in soup kitchens. She knows what it means to be down on her luck, to feel lonely inside, to watch every cent and walk the streets daily looking for free opportunities to sit in libraries and

Supporting our own

Across the Saint Kentigern campuses, we have long given service to those in need in our local community and further afield. At times, however, we need to turn our attention closer to home in support of our own families and staff.

The idea of prepared meals stored on hand for when families need some extra support originated at the Girls’ School, with the concept picked up at the Boys’ School last year; now willingly managed by parent, Mrs Corinne Stillwell.

At a time when tragedy struck a staff member and a school family experienced prolonged parental illness, fellow staff and parents rallied around each family to support them with meals. The experience highlighted the need to have a source of meals on tap for any staff or school family facing life's challenging situations.

With the donation of a freezer to store the meals, a scheme was set in place, sending home empty containers to a House group each term, inviting parents to make a freezer-ready meal or dessert. The meals are then clearly labelled with the meal type, contents, and date it was made and placed in the freezer ready for distribution. Reasons for distributing meals have ranged from the arrival of a new baby, short term or prolonged illness of a family member, family separation,

read the paper, trying to pass time, waiting for the next free soup kitchen dinner before returning to her car to sleep. She remembers that as a transient, no one ever stopped to ask her if she was alright.

Through a change in fortune, Ms Bergin turned her life around and is now helping the homeless herself. She had inherited a small amount of money, just enough to buy a small, run down shop in Panmure. Noticing families sleeping outside in their cars, she invited them in from the cold and started letting people stay in her front room for free. From there Island Child Charitable Trust was formed.

Since 2005, Ms Bergin has helped over 300 families find shelter, taking them in until they can be rehoused. Recently the Boys’ School played a part in assisting her charity, having gathered over 300 blankets and items of linen to help keep families warm. At a chapel service last term, Ms Bergin gratefully received the blankets along with a cheque for $1385, the proceeds of a recent family chapel. She told the boys that in the current housing crisis, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find rental properties and make ends meet so donations such as this help her cause immensely.

bereavement - in fact any event which places particular strain on staff or families. To date, the Boys’ School have distributed 270 meals. These have been gratefully received in times of need.

Help Save Lives

Whether it’s helping at the scene of an accident, taking part in search and rescue or an emergency medical dash to hospital, the Westpac Rescue Helicopter teams save lives. No-one ever expects to need their services but in a time of crisis, those in trouble could not hope for a more professional crew – a crew who are trained to deal with physical trauma, as well as help alleviate the anxiety of those in their care. There is no charge to those who need their services and the majority of funding for this unique service comes from the community, through sponsors like Westpac and people like us.

Each term the School Council at the Boys’ School arrange a mufti day in support of a charity of their choosing. Their recent focus was on the Rescue Helicopters raising over $2,700 on the day in support of the Trust. The Trust’s pilots complete about 30% of their IFR (Instrument Flight Rules) training in a simulator which visited the School. A few lucky boys were able to gain an experience close to flying the ‘real thing’ – an incredibly exciting opportunity!

Offering Service in Fiji

With thanks to Senior School teacher, Mr Richard Kirk

The second annual service trip to Fiji by a combined group from the Boys’ School, Girls’ Schools and Preschool took place during the July holidays. The group returned to the Nawaka District to further strengthen their ties, donating both time and resources to work on its facilities alongside the villagers. Twenty-three students, along with parents and staff travelled to Nadi, after a considerable amount of preparation and fundraising since last November.

As with the inaugural trip in 2015, there were specific jobs that were planned for the village and school community of the Nawaka District. These included upkeep of the Nawaka Medical Dispensary, the installation of playground equipment for the Preschool and the creation of raised garden beds for the benefit of both the school and wider community. A container of donated goods had been arranged to be shipped to coincide with the visit, with a focus on clothing, footwear and stationery to be distributed amongst the villagers.

After transferring to the accommodation, the group made the journey to Nawaka to be officially welcomed into the village by the Headmaster of Nawaka District School and a village spokesperson. Customs issues meant that the container was a couple of days late, but this did not deter the group in any way. Supplies were purchased that enabled work to begin immediately on the first morning, cleaning, painting and digging gardens. At the same time, other members of the group worked in the school undertaking reading, sports and technology-based activities with the Fijian children.

When the container finally arrived, all hands were on deck to unload and allocate items to the appropriate places. Clothing, shoes and some furniture were laid out in the community hall before the villagers oversaw the distribution of the items amongst the community. Boxes of books, stationery, educational resources and shelving units were taken to the school for dispersal by the teaching staff.

The students were then taken to the local rugby stadium where the Nawaka age group sides were playing. Saint Kentigern cheered Nawaka on and this was a fantastic way for us to show support of this community on top of the goods and time donated.

Other major building jobs that were completed were the installation of a swing set and fort at Nawaka Preschool, and installing a gutter system at the medical dispensary. Three raised gardens were also created along with an irrigation system, which the Fijian people were very keen to see in use. Our group was also able to undertake some arts and crafts with the Fijian children, which was hugely successful.

On the final evening in the village, the group returned, after arguably the most physical day of the tour, to be part of a farewell ceremony and share a meal (a lovo) which the locals had prepared. After the formalities, the message came back very clearly that the community felt a debt of gratitude for what we had achieved in a very small space of time. After the meal, the Nawaka community sang and performed a haka for us and in turn Saint Kentigern responded with our national anthem and a rendition of ‘Tutira Mai Nga Iwi’. This was an amazing end to our ‘official’ time in the village.

The next day was spent having some rest and relaxation with a trip to an island for the morning, followed by a cruise back to the mainland in the afternoon. The next morning saw the group return to the village one last time to say their final farewells. Again, thanks and gratitude was offered to the group and the school sang ‘Isa Lei’, a traditional Fijian song of farewell. After we had left Fiji, the chief and leaders of the village had a meeting to discuss the visit and the feedback was very positive about the impact we had had.

Hall packed for Science Talks!

The Boys’ School welcomed two of New Zealand’s top scientists to speak at the 2016 Science Symposium. Students and their parents packed JC Chalmers Hall from wall to wall to hear from cognitive neuroscientist, Dr Kerry Spackman and Dr Cather Simpson, Associate Professor, Photon Factory, Auckland University. Also joining the speakers’ line up was Executive Director of the Fred Hollows Foundation NZ, Mr Andrew Bell. Not to be outdone, we added one more scientist to the mix - Year 8 student, Isaac Mellis-Glynn!

An evening dedicated to science helps students to consider the possibilities of science as a career. The Symposium is timed to support the term’s focus on the Science Fair for the boys in Years 7 and 8. With their work on display on the night, the Symposium allowed the boys to communicate their

findings back to their peers and the School community.

Our first speaker, Dr Kerry Spackman has a background in Formula One racing and working with some of the most successful sportspeople where both technology and science have played a major role in advancing their careers. In addressing the students, he said that they could become the richest people in the world, but to be successful, you have to get along with people and know how to network your ideas. ‘Be a good person, never give up, work hard and follow your passion!’

Our second speaker, Mr Andrew Bell, has a special connection, as he was once Chaplain for Saint Kentigern. In his current role with the Fred Hollows Foundation NZ, science and technology contribute significantly to helping thousands of people around the world regain their sight.

Digging for Science

The realms of scientific investigation can reach into the deepest recesses of the universe, millions of kilometres away, or delve into crevices much closer to home. To celebrate Science Week, a number Year 5 and 6 students and teachers from the Boys’ and Girls’ Schools and other local primaries probed the hidden world right under their feet! Dig a Hole Day offered a chance for the students to get down and dirty with the outermost layer of the Earth’s crust on Roselle Lawn!

First, Dr Iris Vogeler demonstrated how to test soil samples for their properties. All soils contain mineral particles, organic matter, water and air and it is the combination of these that determine the soil’s texture, structure, porosity, chemistry and colour. Dr Vogeler is a soil scientist for AgResearch and led the students in conducting experiments to test the drainage capacity of different types of soils.

Dr Robyn Simcock is an ecologist and soil scientist with Landcare Research.

She specialises in rehabiliting land impacted by major civil works, such as mines and dams and has a particular interest in environmental issues and sustainability. She explained the diversity of soils found around Auckland and how our natural history determines its qualities.

Dr Bruce Hayward then discussed Auckland’s volcanoes and New Zealand fossils. A palaeontologist, geologist and marine ecologist, Dr Hayward has written more than 20 books on everything from archaeology to lichens. The history of Auckland’s volcanic cones was detailed and real-life examples of fossils were passed around for the audience to examine.

The afternoon of fossicking underfoot opened the students’ eyes to the interesting field of exploration lurking just below the Earth’s surface. The event also provided an opportunity for the teachers to rub shoulders with other science experts to enhance their classroom teaching.

Dr Cather Simpson was our final speaker, explaining that the Photon Factory at Auckland University is a multi-user laser facility where students and staff study how molecules convert light to useful energy and exploit short laser pulses in micromachining projects for scientists all over New Zealand.

Dr Simpson along with her two PhD students, made use of UV light to demonstrate fluorescence in some spectacularly 'highlighted lilies' that had been left to absorb highlighter ink up through their freshly cut stems. She encouraged the boys to make a hypothesis, take a risk and if it turns out ‘wrong,’ to learn from it.

Our guests may have been a tough act to follow but Head Boy, Issac Mellis-Glynn is not shy about speaking to a large gathering. Well versed in speech making, he delivered a fantastic presentation about the trials and tribulations of conducting a science project that tested the health of Auckland’s waterways – right down to being bitten by an eel in the process!

Principal, Mr Peter Cassie closed the evening saying that ‘science gives humanity hope; it makes us think about our world and our future.’

Great success at Science Fair

Following on from the Boys’ School Science Symposium, a select group of young scientists from our Senior School presented their science projects for judging at the Auckland Regional Science and Technology Fair hosted onsite in the Jubilee Sports Centre. The boys’ projects were put on display alongside the top 200 projects from 22 schools within the central Auckland area.

At the Prizegiving, the judges said that the standard across Year 7 and 8 this year was extremely high, so we were delighted that 20 of our boys were recognised with 26 awards. Six of the projects were singled out for special awards!

The projects were varied and interesting from Will Tisdall’s project, ‘Growth Spurt’ that looked at the cost of farm fertiliser and investigated a more economical substitute made from sheep dags to Isaac Mellis-Glynn

Prize Winners:

testing for water quality around streams in Aucklandand getting bitten by an eel for his efforts!

Angus Thompson tested house plants to see which would be the best to keep our indoor environment oxygen rich, while Cameron Dean undertook some sophisticated mathematical equations when measuring the calorific value of different kinds of nuts!

As always there was a diverse range of imaginative projects displayed for our judges to ponder but the winning projects were selected on the basis of their rigour to carry out repeated scientific measurements, fair testing, analysis of the results, returning to reflect on the hypothesis and taking into account any experimental error.

Well done boys!

Cameron Dean Nut-trition Material World 1st

Isaac Mellis-Glynn Water’s the Matter Planet Earth and Beyond 2nd and Special Prize

Will Tisdall Growth Spurt Living World 2nd

Tom and Will King Burn Time Material World 2nd

Jack Priddy Get into Gear Physical World 2nd

Zac Lerner The nose knows Living World 3rd and Special Prize

Angus Thompson Carbon Natural Me Planet Earth and Beyond 3rd

Highly Commended: Cameron Adams, Bradley McCarthy (and Special Prize), Jack Webber and Sam Gunn (and Special Prize), Ben Ross and Alex Facer, Lachlan Dean, Andrew Davies and Alistair Campbell, Joe Duncan, Stuart Campbell, Zavier Edmonds (and Special Prize).

Invention Motivation

The motivations for and processes of invention are hugely varied. From the Wright brothers’ obsession with flight, to Alexander Fleming’s ‘discovery’ of penicillin, the course of human creative endeavour can take unpredictable paths. The Year 3 boys studied inventors and the impact they have had on daily lives as part of their social science inquiry. In class, they researched famous inventions and quizzed their grandparents about technological developments that have taken place over their lifetime. The boys were fascinated to learn that bread was once sold unsliced, motor mowers haven’t always been motorised and milk came in glass bottles, and was delivered to your house!

The theme of the past informing the present, and the future, was continued on their trip to the Museum of Transport and Technology

(MOTAT). In the MOTAT classroom, the boys were encouraged to think about what an invention is and what might inspire someone to invent something. By matching old products with new ones that serve the same function, such as a candle and lamp or ink quill and typewriter, they saw how inventions have developed over time and also learnt about the difference between invention and innovation by examining the multitude of shapes and sizes that cameras and telephones have taken over the years, to the point where the two are combined!

Judging by the fervent discussions taking place on the bus back to school, the trip definitely gave the boys food for thought ready to put their thinking hats on for their own inventions!

The Lion King Jr

‘The Lion King’ is familiar to young and old as a most successful, animated Disney movie. Maybe not so well known is that it is also a long-running theatre show. Since it was first staged in London 17 years ago, ‘The Lion King’ has become the highest grossing stage show in history – even surpassing ‘The Phantom of the Opera.’

Wspectacle of African rhythms and amazing costumes, with moments of heart-stopping drama tempered with a huge amount of fun! In short, a perfect choice for our boys!

Shore Road may not be the West End or Broadway, but the Boys’ School version of this mightily appealing show is set to go down in Saint Kentigern history as one of the most visually engaging shows ever!

When Disney first released ‘The Lion King Junior’ as an adaptation for younger students, Director of Music, Mrs Janet Grierson, knew immediately that this was a show that would have huge potential. With its familiar, yet exciting score and the immense design possibilities for costumes and set, the show presented a fantastic challenge to produce an upbeat production with broad audience appeal.

One of the greatest challenges would be to transform young boys into a range of convincing African animals and so talented Head of Art, Mr Tom Barter was called on. With help from parents, the most amazing animal headpieces and props were created to transform the JC Chalmers Hall into a convincing African Savanna!

The story is well-known. The birth of young lion prince, Simba (Leo van Druten), pushes Scar (Quinn Thompson), his evil uncle, back to second in line to the throne. Bitter at his arrival, Scar plots to kill both Simba and his father, King Mufasa (Isaac Mellis-Glynn), opening the

way to proclaim himself as King, but his plans become derailed, when

The show opened with the imposing figure of Rafiki, majestically played by Benjamin Ross calling the animals to Lion Rock for Mufasa to present his new son. Benjamin was an imposing figure with strong vocals who commanded the stage each time he entered. As he sang ‘Circle of Life,’ the stage slowly filled with the most amazing animals from lions, zebras, gazelles and giraffes to a huge grey elephant and many more besides! The performance throughout was backed by a strong, off-stage choir all dressed in a rainbow of African colours.

As Simba grew from a young cub to a lively young lion, his father,

Pridelands, putting the cheeky hornbill, Zasu (George Beca) to watch over him. Along with Nala (William King), the threesome head off, but the young lions shake off their minder as Simba brags, ‘I just can’t wait to be king.’ Leo proves that he has a fine singing voice for this

At the forbidden elephant graveyard, they are cornered by three Davies) who play the part to a tee. As they arrive on stage, we are once again reminded of the amazing work that went into costuming.

Cross with Simba, Mufasa arrives to scare off the hyenas, telling Simba that being brave does not mean being reckless. He tells his son of the ‘Great Kings of the Past’ and how they watch over everything. ‘They live in you’, sung by Mufasa, is one of the more haunting songs of the show.

Scar is never far away and Quinn delivers this role with due malevolence. In a despicable act, he leads Simba to a gorge, trapping him as a herd of wildebeest storm through. As his father attempts a rescue, Scar pushes Mufasa to his death, convincing the young lion that he has caused his father’s death. As Simba flees Pridelands, Scar instructs the hyenas to kill him but even they cannot be that cruel.

Hungry and exhausted, Simba collapses and vultures move in for the kill – only to be scared off by a flatulent warthog, Pumbaa (Regan Nash) and fellow meerkat, Timon (Jack Webber). Regan and Jack bounce off each other in comic levity and also bring strong singing voices to the lively ‘Hakuna Matata’ as they introduce Simba to their laid back lifestyle.

Pridelands suffers under Scar’s tyrannical rule and even though he now has the position he coveted, he is still not happy and alarms Nala when he propositions her. Upset, she vows to seek help and the lionesses and Rafiki offer a blessing as Nala sings the mournful, ‘Shadowlands.’ William is to be applauded for this delivery.

In the jungle, Pumbaa is chased by a lioness, when Simba steps in and recognises his childhood sweetheart, Nala. In singing, ‘Can you feel the love tonight,’ Simba and Nala are brought closer together and it is Nala who persuades Simba to have the courage to finally return and claim what is rightfully his.

The Boys’ School stages a production every second year. With a show as strong as this, two years seems a long time to wait for the next one! Congratulations to the boys involved – over 100 onstage and behind – you were fantastic!

Behind the scenes

Transforming young boys to stage animals was the task of Head of Art, Mr Tom Barton. Discovering that many movie props are made from EVA foam, the material commonly used as camping mats, he’d found the perfect material for the props. The material is light weight, easy to cut and sand, and has the ability to be formed into any shape using a hairdryer.

Over 26 EVA foam animal props and a further 22 props made from felt and construction card were created in the weeks leading up to the play with assistance from parents, Jacqui Higgins, Fleur Baker, Jo Baker, Anna Illingsworth, and Lisa Graham.

It was a thrill for all to see how well the masks and animal props came together with the costumes, music and acting. This made for a truly magical experience for both the audience and the involved in the production!

Speech Competition

Winner of this year’s Elsie Moore Memorial Cup for Senior Speech, Mitchell Eglinton, highlighted an area of growing concern across the globe – the impact that ‘device’ connectivity is having on the very core humanity and our ability to communicate in ‘real time.’ Delivered with poise and conviction, Mitchell was a deserving winner - however, it wasn’t easy to pick!

Middle School winner, Fionn Steel Smith spoke about ‘The Meaning of Parent Talk,’ explaining that what they say and what they mean are not always the same thing!

This year we welcomed professional communicators, Maggie Eyre, Kate and Ben Hurst to adjudicate the competitions. They marked the finalists on speech construction, delivery and presentation, content and engagement, use of language and the overall impact – the winning boys ticked all the boxes!

All the competitors spoke with passion and charisma and truly showed why they were selected to be in the final.

SENIOR SCHOOL WINNERS

First: Mitchell Eglinton

Runner-up: Joe Duncan and Jack Sandelin

Special Mention : Thomas King

Senior School Finalists: Isaac Mellis-Glyn, Thomas King, Will Tisdall, Quinn Thompson, Jack Webber, Louis Eglinton, Jack Sandelin, Akash Mudaliar, Harrison Waymouth, Mitchell Eglinton, Joe Duncan, George Beca.

MIDDLE SCHOOL WINNERS

First: Fionn Steele Smith

Runner-up: Sam McLeod

Middle School Finalists: Benjamin Hardie, William Ormond, Joshua King, Theo Washington, Daniel Haines, Fionn Steele Smith, Sean Trombitas, Sam Paris, Sam McLeod, Patrick Healy.

Musical Extravaganzas

On two occasions this term, musicians from the Senior and Middle Schools entertained parents and friends at evening concerts in JC Chalmers Hall. These were occasions for both emerging and experienced musicians to share their musical programmes.

The itinerant music programme at the Boys’ School continues to thrive with large numbers of boys taking the opportunity to learn an instrument and become part of an ensemble.

The evening concerts are great confidence builders as each boy, albeit slightly nervously, introduces himself and the name of his piece. When they finish playing, it’s fantastic to see their huge smiles knowing that it was a job well done!

At the Middle School concert, Principal, Mr Peter Cassie said, ‘When I see these ‘little angels’ in our choir, I find it hard to believe that it’s the same boys I see rough and tumble on the field at lunchtime!’

Flute Choir Entertain

Boys’ School Year 8 student, Akash Mudaliar regularly volunteers at the Elizabeth Knox Rest Home and Hospital in Epsom. He suggested that it would be nice idea if the Flute Choir could perform to the residents and so five boys from the Flute Choir performed a 20 minute programme of solos and group items to a large audience of appreciative residents and staff.

Following the performance, the boys talked with the residents. For some of the boys it was a new experience to interact with older people no longer able to care for themselves. They rose to the occasion respectfully and politely. The performance was enjoyed by all and the boys were encouraged to return again soon.

Plan – Shoot – Edit

The art of telling stories appears in many guises across the Boys’ School curriculum. It is an explicit part of learning to write, as tales conjured from students’ imaginations are put to paper and keyboard. In speechmaking, students learn to sell the story they are telling with persuasive writing and oratory skills. In the social sciences, students research and retell the stories of early New Zealanders, history makers and people from other cultures. In Christian education, the stories of the Bible provide valuable lessons for the students to relate to their daily lives and behaviours. When they reach the Senior School, the boys who take Media Studies as a course option learn to apply their storytelling abilities to make videos using digital cameras, editing software and a green screen!

The unit starts in Year 7 with the boys learning how to take effective photographs, looking in particular at nature, symmetry, framing, lighting and positioning. Applying these same skills, the boys go on to learn how to use Moviemaker, with the first assignment to work in groups to create a short film with the same premise – a disappointing lunch! Using what they have passively gleaned from their viewing habits, the groups build anticipation and excitement as the lunchbox is opened, then annoyance and frustration as the contents are revealed. They then watch a professional example using

the same idea and analyse the similarities and differences between the two, and how they could improve on their original version.

The boys then research and study how to convey meaning through what they capture on screen. They learn what is implied by the different types of camera shots and angles, such as wide shots to establish setting, close ups to reveal emotion, and low angles to impart power in a character. Their knowledge is further enhanced with an exploration of how reality can be distorted through the camera lens with techniques such as forced perspective, and they also hear from experts working in the field to broaden their sources of information.

With this experience under their belt, the students use film storytelling principles to create a four-minute trailer for a book of their choice. Assuming roles such as director, producer, editor, and cinematographer, the boys work together to storyboard the shots they intend to take. They then execute the plan, while working to solve any problems they encounter, such as continuity if filming over two days with different light conditions. At the end of the unit they are able to demonstrate their understanding of script writing, different camera shots and effects, moving image conventions and editing processes to make media products that can entertain, inform, and challenge. This is supported by theoretical knowledge of how the media operates, and of their own relationship with media so they can be critical, active, informed and responsible citizens.

EPRO8 Challenge

Last term two teams of four students from the Boys’ School, representing Year 7 and Year 8, entered the EPRO8 technology challenge competition.

EPO8 pits teams of students against one another to complete a variety of tasks in a set amount of time. Each team was located at a workstation that contained an impressive assortment of equipment, including gears, wheels, pulleys, weights, tools, aluminium framing, motors and electronics. Working quickly and collaboratively, the teams were required to plan/design and build a model Mars rover, cranes and swing, all within certain specifications and under time pressure. The heat was on!

Competing against seven other schools, the boys were racing against the clock to gain as many points as possible. The Year 7 team just missed out on going through to the next round with their Mars Rover whilst the Year 8 team came first equal with Glen Eden Intermediate School. Congratulations to all the boys for showing outstanding collaboration, critical thinking and perseverance, they did us proud!

Competing against seven other schools, the boys were racing against the clock to gain as many points as possible. The Year 7 team just missed out on going through to the next round with their Mars Rover whilst the Year 8 team came first equal with Glen Eden Intermediate School, qualifying for the semi-final. The boys also won the next round of the competition! Excitement was high for the finals but against stiff opposition they had to settle for 7th place. Congratulations to all the boys for showing outstanding collaboration, critical thinking and perseverance!

Year 7 Team: David Ryder, Ben White, Matthew Vaughan, Alexander Coates

Year 8 Team: Marcus Findlow, Matthew Chandler, Kevin He, Nathan Bailey

Cooking with Science and Design!

Cooking can be described as both an art and a science. The Year 4 students worked on a project which combined the two! The project culminated with a trip to the Food Technology kitchen at the Girls’ School for some hands-on learning.

The theme for the boys’ Science and Technology lessons was that understanding the way materials behave and interact, determines how people use them. In Science, the boys had been looking at the processes of mixing, melting, and dissolving, and applying these to the concept of a fair test. Fair testing is the process of changing one variable of an experiment at a time while keeping all other conditions the same. The boys explored the variables that impact on how sugar can be mixed, melted or dissolved, and showed how heat can speed up a change in some materials.

To complement the Science work, the Technology lessons saw the boys designing suitable containers to store confectionery. They were encouraged to think of food products as a whole, from the original ingredients to the finished packaging. The task was to identify the criteria required to create an effective confectionery box by comparing and categorising existing designs. They then brainstormed a variety of possible plans before selecting one final design that they would create.

The two learning strands came together on the trip to the Girls’ School. With assistance from parent helpers, the students created a number of tasty treats including truffle balls, rocky road and lemon coconut surprise. They then moved into the Textiles classroom to construct the final design of their confectionery box. The test here was to see if the box would transport their food products home safely to be shared with others!

The boys took away practical knowledge of hygiene practices in the kitchen, the importance of measuring accurately and the various processes involved in cooking while developing their conception and design skills.

It must be Spring!

There was great excitement amongst our Year 3 boys when the first of their chicken eggs began to hatch! A set of ten fertile eggs was delivered in incubators to each of the Year 3 classrooms and after a day or two, the bedraggled chicks emerged blinking into the world to soon dried off and fluffed up into healthy looking yellow bundles of life!

The eggs were supplied by the Living Egg company which specialises in providing all the equipment required for a ten day stay in a school classroom. After arriving in a warm incubator, once hatched and ready, the chicks move into a brooder box for their next stage of development. Both boxes have big, clear windows so the boys can observe all the action.

Prior to the arrival of the eggs, the boys had discussed not only about the life cycle of chickens from a scientific perspective, but also about how they would care for them in the classroom to ensure that the young birds had the best start to life. And when the time comes for them to say goodbye, they are happy to know that the Living Egg company will rehome them on free range farms.

Yes, it’s definitely Spring!

Spring was heralded at the Boys’ School when some early spring lambs paid a visit to the junior classes. Former science teacher, Mrs Denise Coleman returned to school with her three pet lambs from her son’s farmlet in Clevedon. Lola, Pebbles and Gracey arrived in nappies to ensure there were no accidents in the car on the way!

The boys had a chance to observe, pet and ask the kind of questions only curious boys can ask, like ‘How come they have the same dad but three different mums?!’ Other questions were easier to answer like, ‘How often are they sheared?’ ‘How long do they live for?’ ‘Why do they have tags on their ears?’ ‘What happens to their tails when they’re cut off?’ And the slightly more tricky perennial boy question, ‘How fast can they go?’

It’s not often that city boys have the chance to interact with farm animals and so this visit was particularly special. Our grateful thanks to Mrs Coleman for coming to visit the boys.

Winter Sports Tour

With thanks to Mr Duncan Grant, Sports Director

The 1st XI Football, 1st XI Hockey and the 1st XV Rugby headed off on their Lower North Island Winter Sports Tour earlier this term, beginning with a flight to Wellington. Wellesley College kindly billeted the boys on the first night and the boys experienced the capital through the eyes of their hosts.

After a visit to Te Papa Museum the following morning, they headed to play Wellesely College at midday. All games were tightly contested. Hockey won 7 – 0. Football played on a state of the art artificial turf and won 4 – 1. Rugby was played on a somewhat tightly marked field but the boys came out winners 34 – 19!

Next was Scots College where the boys were billeted for the next two days. Game day was a true Wellington day with pouring rain and howling wind. Hockey won 10 – 0. Football won 7 – 0 and Rugby won 36 – 19. In the afternoon the boys relaxed with a spot of ten pin bowling and then were hosted by Scots College for the evening.

Let the Games Begin!

On Thursday they packed all their gear and headed off to the mighty Manawatu. After a clean sweep of the Wellington schools the boys were confident in heading into their last fixture against Huntley School. In Marton that afternoon, the hockey proved to be the toughest game of the tour but the boys won 4 – 0.

Boys were billeted all over the Rangitikei district, mainly on farms. A great experience had by all. They awoke to a temperature of 5 degrees and a howling southerly wind with horizontal rain. A classic Manawatu midwinter day! The football boys played first winning 19 - 0. The rugby boys faced a tough battle against a hard playing team in muddy conditions, eventually won by Huntley 6 – 3.

After an action packed and enjoyable week it was on the plane and back home to Auckland. It was an amazing experience for the boys where they played some incredible sport and were absolute true ambassadors for Saint Kentigern.

While the world’s best athletes were competing for Olympic glory in Rio, our own future Olympians put their sporting prowess to the test at the Junior School Mini-Olympics, complete with an ‘official’ opening ceremony.

Divided into countries from the five continents, the boys marched proudly behind their flag bearers as they did a circuit of the Junior School past a crowd of camera-ready onlookers! Our athletes in Rio may have been competing in balmy, tropical conditions but we breed them tough in New Zealand – it was a brisk 6 degrees when the boys stepped outside!

The Olympic flag was carried in, the ‘flame’ was lit and it was left to the student hosts to commence proceedings. MCs for the morning, Cooper Thomas and Jaden Lee, gave a brief history of the games before Frankie Fitness took the Olympic Oath in English, followed by Edward MacCulloch, reading it most beautifully in French! Under a Grecian Arch - of cardboard boxes – Mr Cassie declared the games open!

It was then down to the serious business of competing for medals! The Boys’ School may now well hold world records for paper plate discus, noodle javelin, wheat bag shot put and most artistic roly polies!

Cross Country

Superb

sunshine blessed two fantastic mornings of racing for our boys in Years 0-8 –a welcome relief after the ‘wicked’ weather that has dogged the last two years!

The boys in Years 4-8 gathered on the College grounds in House groups ready to race, taking it in turns with the Girls’ School to line up, age group by age group. Despite the sunshine, earlier rain turned parts of the track to ‘squelch’ resulting in more than a few one shoe finishers! As always, competition was fierce amongst the leading pack as the boys dug in for House points and the chance to represent the School at zone level.

A week later the Juniors hit the track at the Boys’ School giving it their all with the winners proud to take their place on the podium!

Well done to all the boys!

1st 2nd 3rd

Year 0 Champions

Jackson Fawcet W Eddie Robinson H Connor Gillard C

Year 1 Champions

Ben Cleaver W Benjamin Durose Ch Harley Evans Ch

Year 2 Champions

Miki Cronnin W Toby Wigglesworth C Nathan Lindross C

Year 3 Champions

Max Trankels H Leon Hardie W Jacob Hageman C

Year 4 Champions

Oliver Hardie W 2nd = Tom Butler C Ollie Davies C

Year 5 Champions

Ethan Knox C Hugo Wigglesworth C Luca Roberton H

Year 6 Champions

James Ford W Brodey Warren H Oliver Rowntree C

Year 7 Champions

Cole Osborne C Jack Mitchell W George Beca C

Year 8 Champions

Vinay Chichester H Matthew Larsen C Henry Hauser C

HOUSE POINTS

Eastern Zone Cross Country

The best Year 7 and 8 runners went to compete at the Eastern Zone with the top five places counting for the overall team positions. Vinay Chichester and Cole Osborne both came 1st in their race and along with their team mates, both teams placed first qualifying for Inter Zones. Excellent effort boys!

Year 8 Team: 1st

Vinay Chichester 1st, Matthew Larsen 8th, Henry Hauser 10th,Isaac Mellis-Glynn 20th, Charlie Glass 21st, Zachary Hughes 23rd, Charles Swain 30th

Year 7 Team: 1st

Cole Osborrne 1st, Jack Mitchell 4th, Archie Nightingale 10th, George Beca 12th, Luke Hair 13th, Eddie Chaytor 14th, Nicholas Davies 15th, Sebastian Hardie 23rd

Inter-Zone Cross Country

Well done to Vinay Chichester for placing 2nd at the Inter-Zone event! The Year 7 team also placed 1st and the Year 8 team 2nd.

Ten Medals at AIMS Games!

This was the best year yet for our students at the AIMS Games in Tauranga! One of the biggest sporting events in the southern hemisphere, with over 8000 athletes representing 260 schools, this was a non-stop week of competition where the medals came fast, especially in and on the water!

The first medal of the games came early in the week from Year 8 sailor, Monty Alderson. Monty won gold in 2015 as a Year 7 and backed it up with another gold in the Year 8 division this year, also becoming the overall winner of the regatta, against 79 other competitors from 21 Schools.

The fickle conditions ranged from no wind on the first day, to squally westerly winds on the second, where only seven yachts finished. Monty was able to concentrate on his sailing, and watched other rivals fall victim to disqualifications and gear damage to eventually win with ease.

Jourdan Klink’s haul of swimming medals tallied to a gold, four silver and bronze in the individual events with a bronze overall when all the points were added. Later in the week, Jourdan joined his waterpolo team-mates (Joshua Fenton, Adam Tamati, Zach Hughes, Sam Don, Guy Hunt, Jack George, Harry Defour, Oliver Avis) to secure gold in the pool after beating St Peter’s 9-3 in the semi and Mt Maunganui 7-4 in the final. This win was particularly satisfying for the boys after being beaten into silver place by Mt Maunganui earlier in the term at the Winterfest tournament. At Winterfest, Jourdan was noted for his skill and was awarded an Outstanding Player Award. The team also went on to win the Tim Sonderer Memorial Tournament at the end of term beating Sacred Heart 7-3 in the final. In a double, the B team also won their section.

The final medal went to tennis player Max Dickey who won silver in the boys’ singles. Max played well throughout the tournament eventually succumbing in the final to the number 1 seed.

The Boys’ School also fielded a basketball team at the games and four boys joined with the College for a combined football team. While not so successful, they too had a great experience meeting players from all over the country.

Well done to all our competitors, but especially the winners

Ski Threepeat!

With two wins in the last two years at the North Island Ski Championships, this year’s Boys’ School North Island Primary and Intermediate Schools Ski squad were keen to win! This was evident when they got together and spent hours making sure all their skis were in top shape for the week!

The Giant Slalom was on day one.  In this race the boys had two downhill runs around gates to post their best times. All the boys finished within the top half of the field and the A team had four top 10 finishes out of 167 boys. The rankings were: Jack Harman 2nd, Jack Mitchell 3rd, James Stanfield 5th, Tom Hope 9th. This gave them a slim two point lead.

The final day brought still conditions and a flat light making the task hard for all skiers but giving it their all, the A team gained 18 out of 20 points, making the victory certain. The B team also placed in the top half of the field. Well done boys!

Father and Son Breakfast

Asell-out

crowd again this year saw 380 sons and their dads arrive early on each of two mornings for a hearty start to the day. Chairperson of the Parents and Friends, Mr Simon Ward welcomed the special guest speaker for the morning, Cam Calkoen. In his introduction, he said that we may not have heard of Cam but after hearing his words of inspiration, we would be unlikely to forget him.

All of us battle difficult times in life, but Cam has battled things that most of us take for granted – like learning to walk and talk; for Cam was diagnosed with cerebral palsy as a child. Rather than hold him back, Cam has faced life with a positive attitude using the words, ‘Get Awesome!’ as his mantra. Instead of seeing shortcomings in his life, he understood early on that life is what we make it. When we are comfortable with who we are and feel good about ourselves, we can start to live big and think ‘Awesome!’ Awesome is a word that makes us stop, smile and think! What can you do to make your life awesome? Create challenges for yourself and be more than you ever expected yourself to be! Dream big and achieve more!

Principal Mr Cassie, echoed Cam’s words, saying, ‘Boys, take risks, be prepared to fail, learn and move on. Being resilient to these set-backs will set you up for life!’

Our thanks to Cam for sharing his story with us. Our grateful thanks are also offered to Cath Costello and her team of mothers for getting the morning underway. Cath and her organising committee were supported by two teams of 30 mums who came in each morning to assist in the serving, clearing up and resetting of the breakfast feast. A huge thanks to the 44 mums who baked the now traditional ‘Father and Son Bacon and Egg pie!’

Our grateful thanks to the following sponsors: Heather Walton from Ray White Real Estate, Epsom, Martin Smith, General Manager of Collective Hospitality, David Burton from Jacks Coffee and the Bason Family with their Venluree trucks! Thanks also to Pacific Linen, Charlies Juice, Corporate Rentals and Pulse Party Hire for their generous discounts.

The ‘Breakfast Crew’

Our thanks to the committee of mothers who helped: Cath Costello, Becky Routley, Jo Rowntree, Rebecca McLeod, Denise Pollard, Sarah Wilby, Victoria Halford and Michelle Ongley.

Hockey 2nd in Auckland

After an earlier clean sweep at the Eastern Zone competition our Hockey 1st XI progressed to the Auckland Championship tournament, making it through to the top two, final game.

Pool play began with a disappointing loss to Glen Eden 3-1. The boys re focussed for the next game and had a convincing 5-0 win against Sutton Park. The last pool game against the East Counties team resulted in a 5-1 win. The semi-finals game against Mahurangi was a fantastic display of concentration and focus, coming out the victors 2-1. The finals was a rematch against earlier opponents, Glen Eden. Our boys showed great team work and sportsmanship but Glen Eden were the victors, 1-0 but the boys are still proud to be placed 2nd in Auckland.

Building Minds Building Futures

Roselle House is ready for renovation! The rooms have been cleared and the old house is silent after the administration team relocated. We now await the arrival of contractors to begin the extensive renovation project. The top floor of Roselle House will be transformed into a high tech Learning Commons for the boys, including a new Library and modern learning spaces. With an estimated completion time of 12 – 15 months, we are looking forward to moving back into Roselle House late next year.

The Roselle Learning Commons is the first stage in our Building Minds Building Futures campaign. Stage two is the development of a state-ofthe-art Science Centre in the existing Library block. These two projects will provide exceptional facilities to enhance our boys’ learning and enable the latest teaching practices.

Our grateful thanks to the following donors

Can you help?

It is not too late to be part of our Building Minds Building Futures campaign.

Recognition Opportunities

The Tree of Knowledge symbolises the growth, learning and exploration that the Roselle Learning Commons will inspire. The tree will be a crafted work of art – its branches spreading wide across the wall of the main staircase in Roselle House. Donors may purchase a bronze, silver or gold leaf, to be inscribed with their family name, as a permanent reminder of their contribution to the redevelopment of Roselle House.

Inspirational Quotes by famous people will be prominently displayed in both the Roselle Learning Commons and the Science Centre. Donors may select a quote to purchase and will be recognised with their naming details alongside the quote.

Equipment packages

Fit out of Media room/editing suite with film, recording and mixing equipment. The provision of high-end media studies equipment will allow the boys to experiment and create with the latest technology.

For information on how you can help please visit our website or the School. We would love to explain the many ways your family can leave a legacy for future generations of boys here at Saint Kentigern Boys’ School.

Thank you so much to the following members of our School community who have supported our Building Minds Building Futures campaign to date – we really appreciate your willingness to be part of this exciting development.

Anonymous x 10

M & S Acland

Devon, Spencer & Angus

Banks

D Beullens & C Beddoe

N & S Bowden

G Bowkett

Carr family

Nico Catley

Jamie Cearns

P Chandra & S Ludher-Chandra

N & J Cheeseman

P & R Collins

Haemish Crawford

A & K Daly

J & A Dalzell

A & A Dennis

Graham & Sue Don

Durose family

Foley family

Peter & Kristine Fong

Glass family

H Gonzales

Thomas & Jacob Hageman

D & C Haines

Rosemary & Grant Harris

Hatherley family

Anthony & Kate Healy

L Hewes

Hiddleston family

Higgins family

F

Hii & G Shi

Horne family

Horton family

Oryon

Ivanov

R Johnston

P & R Kenna

Thomas & William King

P & N Kirwan

A Kriechbaum

Lane family

K Lawrence

Lepionka family

Jietae Li & Ling He

J & J Love

Lyne Geary family

S & S MacGill

B & Z Matheson

Maude Thomas Trust

J & R McLeod

Mellis-Glynn family

R Mountfort

P & A Nelson

Newland family

Norman/Nicholls family

Ormond family

Paravicini family

J & R Paris;

G & L Paterson

Andrew & Jane Peterson

Poole family

J & P Power

Revell-Devlin family

M & E Roberton

Stuart Robinson & Linda Sun

F & G Ross

S & H Rutherford

Saint Kentigern Boys’ School

Parents & Friends Association

Saint Kentigern Old Collegians’

Association

P & K Scarlett

RDF Simpson

Shearer family

Stanfield family

N & D Starrenburg

Stilwell family

J & N Taylor

Ahryn & Reuben Thomas

R & R Thompson

C & K Tisdall

Sean Trombitas

S & S Walsh

R & K Warren

Waymouth family

B & C Wharfe

Wilby family

B Winstone

David & Sam Winstone

Wong family

Catherine Zhang & Dewin Liu

Eugene Zhang

Y Zhou & W Chen

Setting our Students on the path to Success

pending graduates are preparing for life after College.

The core focus of a Saint Kentigern education is to instil in our young men and women a life-long passion for learning, solid values of citizenship and to ensure that they are equipped with the knowledge and skills required to be successful in their chosen future careers.

Assisting young people to decide what those careers may be is vital in their senior years. Entering tertiary education or the workforce can be a daunting prospect for teenagers, with a universe of options available to them – many more than when I finished high school all those moons ago!

In the years since I finished school, many jobs that once existed have become obsolete while countless new careers have entered the spectrum. As new technologies gain momentum, the rate at which vocations are created and superseded is increasing exponentially with each passing year. In light of these changes, one of the most important assets our students can gain is adaptability to change. With facts on all manner of subjects now readily available at our fingertips, knowledge is being redefined as the ability to apply information to create new ideas rather than simply recall the facts. For today’s students, more than ever, it is essential that they become proficient at skills that cannot be displaced by technology: empathy, grit, character, trust, independence, resilience, collaboration and kindness – the very essence of what it means to be a human being.

The process of students defining a pathway beyond graduation begins long before they enter their senior years of schooling and start to accumulate NCEA credits or work towards the International Baccalaureate Diploma. From the early years of their education, young people are exposed to a wide range of people and experiences that will influence what they choose to do when they leave our care.

After their parents and family, the most prominent of these influences are our students’ teachers. This is why we select teachers who are passionate about their specialist subjects and can inspire the same enthusiasm in their students. As well as sharing their own passions, teachers need to recognise students’ dreams and goals and our staff work hard to encourage and develop these. Earlier this year, a former student of the College, Air Vice Marshall Peter

Stockwell, spoke at our Old Collegians Annual Dinner. Peter spent 41 years in the military, rising to the ranks of Chief of Air Force and Commander of Joint Forces. He revealed his decorated career was inspired by the foundation Headmaster of our College, distinguished war hero, the Reverend Dr Adam MacFarlan.

Students are provided with many opportunities both within and outside the classroom to assist their career choices. Visits to the College by experts from the workforce allow students to discover the types of employment and career opportunities available, as do trips to work environments to see where their chosen pathway may take them. Our Careers Centre has a wealth of information and contacts to help match a pathway to a student’s skills, values, interests and ambitions. The careers advisors are outstanding at facilitating students to answer questions about the future life they want to live, what they want to achieve, as well as opening young peoples’ eyes to the infinite number of career possibilities.

It is of utmost importance that students finish secondary school with the highest level of qualifications they can achieve, in order to compete for places at universities and in the aggressive job market. Career goals and ambitions can change, so young people need to be equipped with the best possible credentials to adapt to life’s journey

The College prides itself on delivering an all-round education encompassing academic, cultural, sporting and service opportunities, to give our graduates the widest possible range of skills to draw from. When knowledge and skills are complemented by an ingrained work ethic, personal responsibility, respect and empathy for others, and an inner self-confidence, young people will have all the tools they require to fulfil their career ambitions and become a valuable member of the workforce.

I have been involved in education for 42 years, including 26 as a Headmaster. In that time, the thrill I receive from hearing from former students who have gone on to realise their dreams has never diminished. I encourage all students to make use of every resource available to them to make the best possible career decisions and wish them all the best in the pursuit of their goals.

Steve Cole Principal

Semester 1 Academic Colours and Honours

In recognition of our students who strive to achieve at the highest academic levels, Saint Kentigern College awards Academic Colours and Honours twice a year. At the completion of Semester 1, the mid-year point; our highest achieving students across all year levels are recognised at a special Academic Colours and Honours assembly. The latter are based on Semester 1 student report results.

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. The students who are awarded Colours receive a special breast pocket to wear with pride on their blazer.

Senior School Awards

NCEA

Year 13 NCEA Academic Colours

Kurt Hawkins, Samantha Louie, Rachael Lewis, Connor Mattson, Alex Gordon, Imogen De Freyne, Nicholas Allen, Ryan McEwen, Nicola Williams, Tim Roxburgh, Spencer Johnstone, Alfie Robertson

Year 13 NCEA Academic Honours

Sabine Clancy, Greer Hunter, Georgia Dakin, Harriet Carter, Erik Jorgensen, Chester Thompson, Claudia Stewart, Elizabeth Mudford, Zac Webb, Aislin McGinity, Alex Monk, Edward Barry, Katherine Chang, Kelly Connolly, Taylor Williams

Year 12 NCEA Academic Colours

Ashley Potter, David Thibaud, Jason Seto, Matthew Stirling, Jordana Grant, Victoria Tse, Georgia Bennett, Alyssa Hatton, Jaymee Brearley, Brendan Waters, Alexander McDonald, Callum McDonald, Ollie Strang, Nick Vyle, Erin Meek, Yasmin Shakes, Lauren Pickett, Alexander Murray, Kendall Mead

Year 12 NCEA Academic Honours

Isabella Denholm, Ty Stevens, James Milner, Samantha Neale, Michelle Zhou, Victoria Hockley, Pavel Pavlenko, Nicola Perry, Ben Sterritt, Stella Taylor, Nick Lyon-Ramsdale, Brooke Wielenga, Rebecca Funnell, Sam McDonald, Kane Cocker, Josephine Crawford, Gabby MacDonald, Alicia Robb, SummerJean Motufoua, Leanne Shen, Tom Lott, Hunter Williams, Bella Conyngham, Jemma Tasman-Jones

Year 11 NCEA Academic Colours

Ben Creemers, Yunfan Yu, Andrew Chen, Desmond Yong, Sam Scott, Daniel Mar, Nick Kirk, George Wu, Joshua Ng, Akshay Mor, Lizzie Ellis, Ada Chan, Callum Lee, Anna Kong, Samantha Fei, Coco Xu, Lydia Zhang

Year 11 NCEA Academic Honours

Noel Argoseputro, Brian Lee, Nico Carlier, Ebba Olsen, Ryan Church, Ben Staite, Joy Han, Kaitlyn Dalton, Mackensie Cooper, Jason Hsiao, Hannah Williams, Douglas Swart, Jaimee Mudford, Kirsten Swindell, Ryan Walker, Sam Fletcher, Jordan Williams, Natalie Yu, Amy Waters, Zachary Chan, Emma Hitchcock

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA

Year 13 IB Academic Colours

Has Brooke, Kevin Shen, Joanna Mao, Henry Mellsop, Emily Peart, Jonathon Lee

Year 13 IB Academic Honours

Dominic Devlin, James Hansen, Cameron Low, John Won, Jerry Yao, Lanlie Zheng, Victoria Zhu, Karinne Moss

Year 12 IB Academic Colours

Joshua Looker, Chris Lee, Tate McGregor, Elise Hinomoto, Olivia Hofer, Laura Smith, Patrick Ye, Steven Guo

Year 12 IB Academic Honours

Emily Horning, Sophie Stone, Crystal Sun, Jessie Liu

Middle School Awards

The Semester 1 Academic Honours and the Academic Endeavour Awards for students in Years 7 to 10 are awarded to students who gained an ‘Excellent’ for the Effort and Homework categories in all subjects on their Semester 1 Reports.

Middle School Academic Endeavour Awards

Will Richardson, Charlotte Cornwall, Danielle Mayer, Georgia Milner, Andrew Sun, Ashlee Graham , Bridget Ivory, Morgan Roberts, Rebecca Stewart, Erin Wyeth

Year 7 Academic Honours

Finn Bilsborough, Jeremy Bright, Jonathan Chan, Max Feng, Ethan Fung, Alissa Huang, Ryan Ling, Bailey Liu, Christian McIntyre, Jesse Wang

Year 8 Academic Honours

Michael Booth, Charlotte Cornwall, Daniel Huang, Emma Jorgensen, Florence Lee, Danielle Mayer, Georgia Milner, Anya Prakash, Riley Hannah, Sarina Wang

Year 9 Academic Honours

Joseph Chan, Grace Chang, Owen Chen, Bay Couper, Luke Creemers, Ryan Cruickshank, Christopher Dirks, Campbell Jordan, Hayden Joyce, Cameron Li, Jose Lu, Ojas Madaan, Chris Manning, Abigail Mills, Oliver Mitchell, Dylan Muggleston, Amelie Murphy, Heeju Rho, Xavier Yin

Year 10 Academic Honours

Sophia Chiang, Steven Cho, William Feng, Ben Fraser, Karl Jorgensen, Emma King, Margaret Li, Sam Looker, Isobel Merrie, Gibson Nevill, Jesse Niu, Ben Shepherd, Samantha Shing, Christopher Simonds, Charlotte Stevenson, Fiona Wang, Sophie Wilkinson, Joshua Wong, Megan Yen, Annie Yu

Four Houses to become six at the College!

For every student currently at Saint Kentigern, and for those who came before, the names Cargill, Chalmers, Hamilton and Wishart run deep. The four original Houses were put in place soon after the College was founded, forming the early beginnings of the pastoral care system at Saint Kentigern. In later years, the House names were also adopted by the Boys’ School, the Girls’ School and most recently, the Preschool.

Prior to the girls first joining the College in 2003, the roll was 1100 boys. Since then, the roll has grown steadily to almost 1950 students in 2016. This has prompted the College to review the pastoral care system to ensure we provide a House structure that serves to both strengthen our existing pastoral care and facilitate any future growth.

Pastoral care at the College is based around our Tutor Groups, encouraging our students to form strong relationships with those around them. There is an average of 14 students per group except

in Years 7 and 8 where the Tutor is the form class teacher with an average class size of 21. Where possible, the students have the same Tutor from Years 9 to 13 so that each student has a close network of fellow students and a ‘significant adult’ in their school life who gets to know them extremely well over the five years.

Every Tutor Group currently belongs to one of four Houses. Each House family has two staff Heads of House, one in the Middle School and one in the Senior School. These teachers have proven themselves as outstanding Tutors with a real passion for the pastoral care of our students. The extended pastoral care team also includes the Heads of Middle and Senior Schools, Head of International Students, Head of Maori and Pasifika Students, Guidance Counsellors, Chaplain, Nurse, Head of Student Services (Careers), Head of Student Academic Development and Head of Boarding. Classroom teachers and staff in charge of co-curricular activities also play a part in the overall wellbeing of each student.

The Original Four Saint Kentigern Houses

DONALD CARGILL (1619-1681)

Green

Donald Cargill was a Scottish minister who lost his life for his opposition to the government and his support of the Scottish Covenants.

Cargill trained at St Andrews University and became a minister in Glasgow in 1655 during the last years of Cromwell’s rule over England, Scotland and Ireland. After the Restoration of Charles II as King in 1660, Cargill criticised the morality of the royal court and the forcible imposition of bishops. This was contrary to the Covenants of 1638 and 1643 which bound the nation to Christ in support of the Reformation Church. In 1662, he was dismissed from his parish and became an outlaw. As persecution increased, he publicly declared Charles excommunicated from the church. The conflict turned increasingly violent and Cargill was wounded at the Battle of Bothwell Bridge in June 1679. He had a price on his head and after several narrow escapes was captured, tried and convicted for treason. He was executed in Edinburgh on 27 July 1681.

JAMES CHALMERS (1841-1901) Blue

James Chalmers was a missionary to the Cook Islands and Papua New Guinea, where he was killed on Easter Sunday, 8 April 1901 while trying to make contact with Goaribari Islanders.

Chalmers was born in Argyllshire and was influenced by stories of missionaries in Fiji and his conversion experience during a revival in 1859. Moving to Glasgow, he worked with the City Mission and began preparation for service with the London Missionary Society who appointed him to Rarotonga in the Cook Islands. He was ordained as a Congregationalist minster and married before leaving. He and his wife were shipwrecked twice before reaching Rarotonga in May 1867. He was a good linguist and worked to train Pacific Islanders as missionary teachers. In 1877, he was appointed to New Guinea where he explored uncharted areas and established mission stations along the coast. He had a gift for friendship, was widely-respected and well-liked. He opposed colonisation and the system of indentured labour. His writings on New Guinea and his adventures were popular and his ethnographical and linguistic studies became important for later anthropology.

PATRICK HAMILTON (1503-1528) Red

Patrick Hamilton was the first to give his life as a martyr for the Reformation in Scotland. Coming from a well-connected family near Glasgow, Hamilton was appointed as an Abbot when he was fourteen in order to help support the cost of his education. He then studied in Paris where he discovered the teachings of Erasmus and Martin Luther. Hamilton returned to Scotland and was at St Andrews in 1523 where he excelled at choral music and became a priest. However, his interest in Reformed teaching attracted unwelcome attention and in 1527 he left for Germany. There he wrote a commonplace book, Patrick’s Places, which was translated and published after his death. Like Luther, he believed that Christians could not earn their salvation by doing good things but only by having faith in Jesus Christ. On his return to Scotland after six months, Patrick’s preaching led to his being detained in St Andrews where he was burnt at the stake on 29 February 1528. It was reported that ‘the reik of Master Patrik Hammyltoun . . . infected as many as it blew upoun’ and the cruelty of his execution only served to promote interest in his teaching.

GEORGE WISHART (1513-1546) Yellow

George Wishart was a teacher and preacher of Reformation ideas who was burnt at the stake in St Andrews Scotland in 1546. Wishart studied at Aberdeen and at Leuven, where he graduated in 1531, before becoming a school teacher in Montrose. He translated the first Helvetic Confession of Faith, written in Basel in 1536, and became known for teaching from the Greek New Testament, which was considered dangerous. In 1538, he was investigated and fled to England but was charged with heresy by Thomas Cromwell and examined by Archbishop Cranmer. He modified some of his ideas and by 1542 he was at Corpus Christi College in Cambridge and then in 1543 returned to Montrose.

In 1544, Wishart became a travelling field-preacher in Scotland promoting the teachings of the Swiss Reformers, Zwingli and Calvin, preaching on Paul’s letter to the Romans, teaching people the Lord’s prayer, the Apostles Creed, and the Ten Commandments in their own language, and speaking out against corruption in the church. He was joined by John Knox and captured near Edinburgh soon after. After a trial for heresy, Wishart was strangled, hung and burnt at St Andrews on 1 March 1846.

CARGILL

CHALMERS

HAMILTON

WISHART

The New House Structure

The new structure will see the number of Houses increased from four to six, adding another two Heads of House at both Middle and Senior School level, therefore, greatly reducing the ratio of students to each Head of House. The new Houses will be called Wilson and Stark after Scottish Martyrs, Margaret Wilson and Helen Stark.

How will this be achieved?

In 2017, new students in the main intake years of Year 7 and 9 will be divided evenly among the six Houses (except for students from the Boys’ and Girls’ schools and children of Old Collegians who will retain their House allegiance). New students at Years 8, 10, 11, 12 and 13 will be divided evenly between the two new Houses unless they already have links to a specific House.

The Two New College Houses

MARGARET WILSON (Unknown – 1685)

During the remainder of 2016:

• Careful discussions will get underway to determine who is willing to change House.

• Current Year 7 and 8 students can opt to change Houses.

• Current Tutor Groups in Years 9 – 12 can request to change House.

• Current individuals in Years 9-12 can also opt to change House where possible.

Wilson was a ‘Covenanter’ which was an ‘early’ type of Presbyterianism. Covenanters were antiroyalists who would not take an oath to the English king and, therefore, by implication, the Anglican episcopal system. Alas, like most church history, religion and politics overlapped. Coventers died a dramatic death by being drowned for their beliefs in Presbyterianism as an emerging movement.

During ‘The Killing Times’ of the Covenanters in the 17th century, Wilson was one of the two Wigtown Martyrs who were executed in 1685 by Scottish Catholics in Wigtown, Scotland. Their story, as told in various sources, tells how the two women were betrayed by an informer. After a month in prison they were tried as rebels and sentenced to death by drowning. Wilson and Margaret Lachlan were tied to stakes on the town’s mudflats to drown with the rising tide. It was hoped that as a young 20-year-old, Wilson might be persuaded to change her mind after watching the older Lachlan drown. The strategy failed and both died. This execution was carried out by dragoons under the command of Major Windram in the presence of Sir Robert Grierson of Lag who held the King’s Commission to suppress the rebels in the South West.

HELEN STARK (Unknown – 1543) Teal

WILSON STARK

One of the earliest Scottish Protestant martyrs, Helen Stark (or Stirke) was executed by ‘drowning in sack’ in Perth, Scotland. She was among a number of heretics, known as the ‘Perth Martyrs,’ who were condemned during the visitation of Cardinal David Beaton, Archbishop of St Andrews, in January 1543.

Stark was charged with having refused to call upon the Virgin Mary in childbirth and having claimed that the Virgin had no special qualities that made her superior to other women. Along with her husband, she was also accused of disrupting a sermon that claimed there was no salvation without intercession and prayer to the saints. The pair confessed the charge, adding that it was people’s duty to bear testimony to the truth and their right not to suffer false doctrine. The townspeople sought to save the accused but to no avail, since the local priests refused to intercede for any found guilty of such crimes. Helen and her husband left several children, including their new baby, to the care of the townspeople.

Helen’s religious beliefs were strong enough to cause her death, and thus give her a prominent place in Scottish martyrologies. Her story is recorded in ‘Foxe’s Book of Martyrs.’

Purple

Year 12 offer service in Vanuatu

With thanks to student reporters, Josephine Crawford and Tom Hyland

The service trip to Eton School in Vanuatu was one that 14 Year 12 students were lucky to be a part of and one we will never forget. Eton is a small coastal village that was severely affected by Cyclone Pam. The village has no power, no running water, very simple shelters and not a lot else. The school is small with very basic buildings, two long drop toilets shared by 95 students and a field not of grass but of crushed coral.

On arrival, we were presented with beautiful leis of local flowers and the students performed two of their traditional school songs. We were then shown to our sleeping arrangements; a concrete-floored classroom each for the boys and girls. For showers, we took a dip in the freezing lagoon or dunked a bucket of cold water over our heads. Having seen the school toilets, we were all relieved to see that Mr Robinson had arranged a portaloo for us. At first, this limited accommodation seemed challenging, however, by the end of the trip we were all willing to give up our home comforts to be able to stay longer.

The team’s first day at the school involved putting ceilings in two classrooms. They were roofed only with corrugated iron causing hot temperatures which were unbearable for learning. After two days, we had completed our task and were amazed at what we had achieved. A few of us worked with Mr Robinson to calculate the BMI (Body Mass Index) of the children in the school. Some were around 13 on the scale which is worrying as a healthy child’s BMI should be between 16 and 23. We also treated around 50 students for boils and infected sores and cuts.

Over the next few days we went into the classrooms to teach the students. The children were some of the hardest working students we have ever seen. We learnt a new respect for our teachers because we found that teaching was not a simple task for any of us. On one occasion we taught them to sing ‘Tūtira mai ngā iwi.’ They picked it up quickly and soon we started hearing the song across the school. We also had them chanting ‘When the Saints go Marching in’ with great enthusiasm!

As a group, we were surprised by how giving, loving and happy the whole community was, even though they had close to nothing. This may seem like a cliché, but seeing the amount of laughter and constantly being surrounded by the locals’ happiness made us think about what we value in life. How important are those luxury items when you look at the little that the people of Vanuatu have and the way they still find happiness?

During our emotional farewell from Eton School, none of us wanted to leave. The school kids didn’t want us to go either. They ran after the mini buses chanting ‘When the Saints go Marching in!’

After six days at the school, we were lucky enough to spend a day on Hideaway Island resort, where we were able to relax and go snorkelling! This enabled us to be able to experience both sides of Vanuatu. It is hard to believe these two extremes exist. Places like Vanuatu are not just a holiday island but it is a home for many people who have close to nothing, but are unfailingly friendly and generous. With the knowledge we have gained from this trip we all want to bring awareness of these people’s lives and their huge potential. This experience has created the feeling that it should be an obligation to do all in our power to be successful with all that we have.

Building a house in Vanuatu

With thanks to Head Boy, Edward Barry

Over the midyear holidays, a group of fourteen Year 13 students, along with three accompanying staff, set off from Auckland International Airport for what would be a moving and extremely memorable trip for all involved. Despite the flight being delayed and our lack of sleep, we arrived in Port Vila at 6am the following morning full of enthusiasm with everyone keen to get going.

Our first port of call was to Vila Chaumieres, a resort owned by Mrs Purdy – a former teacher from the College – and her husband, where we were lucky enough to stay for the morning to freshen up. On the journey through Port Vila to the resort, we could see the lifestyle of those we were here to serve as we passed by in our hired minivans. The small corrugated iron houses, stray dogs and children walking to school barefoot all showed us why we were here.

After our brief stay at the resort, which was a world away from what we had seen on our drive, we were off to our main base of activity for the trip – a small village on Pele Island, a short boat trip from the mainland. Here we were welcomed into the community by the chief and many of the local residents, including a group of children who sang us a beautiful welcoming song after we had received leis and handshakes. It was a brilliant welcome; all of us were truly honoured. This was Friday night. The rest of that day was spent settling in to our accommodation – the lads in a bungalow and the girls in spare bedrooms throughout the village.

We were here to build a house, a task we started early the next day. The building site was a short walk from the main village, about 10 minutes along the beach. Here, for the first time, we met the family who would make the house we were building their home. We battled through the heat that day to erect the frame and put in the foundations for the house.

Sunday proved an enjoyable day of rest in the village. The morning’s church service in Bismali (the local language) was an experience we will all remember; the energy and faith of the local community was an inspiration to all of us. The rest of the day was spent mainly in the ocean, where we fed the fish and found ‘Dory and Nemo’ while snorkelling, and had a great time swimming off a cracker of a pontoon just off-shore! Another local cook-up and a wide array of island fruit awaited us for dinner, where we met our canine companion for the rest of the week who we named ‘Scunge’.

Monday and Tuesday were building days; working to complete the walls and roof and fit the corrugated iron. The house was slowly coming together, which was very rewarding to see. The final touches of cementing the floor, painting and adding the water tank and door were completed on the Tuesday and at the end of that day, we could step back and see the fruits of our labour – a finished cycloneresistant home for the family we had come to know well over our time with them.

That night we had a feast with the elders and chief of the village beside a raging bonfire in the centre of the village. We listened to the elders and Rev Smith speak and exchange gifts on what was to be our last night in this paradise with the people we had become so very attached to.

The next day we attended an emotional hand-over of the house to the family before leaving back to Vila Chaumieres on the mainland for our last night in Vanuatu. The whole experience made us all deeply appreciative of all that we have and just take for granted here in New Zealand but, most importantly, we also learnt that it isn’t materialistic belongings that make us happy. As much of a cliché as that is, learning this first hand makes it is a truth which we will all keep close to us for the rest of our lives.

Biology expedition to Indonesia

With thanks to Mr Simon Walker, Head of Biology

Biology is defined as the study of the living world and one of the best ways to do so is to voyage to Earth’s wildest places and observe life in situ.

During the July holidays, 27 of our senior Biology students and five teachers assembled for a once in a lifetime, two-week adventure to Indonesia; one of the most biodiverse regions in the southern hemisphere. As many of the species of plants and animals are endemic to the region and under threat from habitat destruction and climate change, one of the major aims of our trip was to work alongside scientists to collect data for conservation purposes.

The main research sites are in the Wallacea area, named after the famed English naturalist, Alfred Russell Wallace who was a contemporary of Charles Darwin and independently formulated the theory of evolution by means of natural selection. His work through the Malay Archipelago helped lay the foundations for many areas of modern biology, and it was a great privilege to walk a little in his exploratory shoes in the place that bears his name.

The expedition was divided into two parts, with the first week situated in a remote part of North Buton in Sulawesi and the second on the small island of Hoga in the Wakatobi region. Both these localities are off the beaten track and offered a fantastic chance to see how life abounds in the absence of much human activity.

After flying to the island of Buton, access to the forest camp required a fairly arduous trip. The six-hour car ride was followed by a one-hour boat ride which preceded a two-hour night time hike deep into the jungle! The sounds of the forest at night and the tropical climate made for a night to remember, with the remoteness and exotic nature of the surrounds palpable.

For the following week, we worked with a team of highly dedicated and passionate scientists as they collected data on all manner of flora and fauna. Our students were divided into groups to study bats, reptiles, birds, megafauna, butterflies and amphibians. During the week, they had a chance to climb high into the canopy and learn jungle survival skills from the local people. All of these activities were challenging and did much to develop our understanding of jungle ecology and its conservation. It also consolidated the physical and psychological abilities needed to undertake field biology - which are not to be underestimated! Wild animals do not live within urban limits, so to study them properly, there is a need to travel to their habitat and subject oneself to the wild!

We were incredibly lucky to have Indonesian guides who helped us find our way and supported us during our stay. The tropical jungle is a challenging environment, being very different from anywhere in New Zealand. To have such wonderful hospitality so far from home says much about the Indonesian people. The local people always waved and smiled as we travelled through the countryside.

Making our way from the jungle camp to the offshore island of Hoga was no different. Hoga is located in the coral triangle and is an important site for marine research in the Wakatobi National Park. We made the six-hour journey aboard a boat of classic Indonesian design, enjoying the sun and calm sea from the roof of the vessel.

During our week in Hoga, we received a mixture of lectures on the surrounding marine ecosystems and free-dived out on the surrounding reefs. The island is the remnant of a sea mount with an encircling reef structure abundant in marine life. Like all tropical ecosystems, there was a great deal of productivity which supports species diversity.

The research facility contains wet and dry labs maintained and organised by a team of dedicated biologists. Their primary interest is examining biodiversity and the effect of climate change on species composition. The effect of climate change and our influence upon it is of great concern as the marine ecosystems support a large, indigenous population. There are concurrent projects examining sponges, corals, invertebrates, fish and reptiles (the sea kraits). Humans are a part of the environment, as are all the other species, and as our habits and numbers change there are consequential effects. As we dived on the different reefs, it was easy to see the effect of over-fishing, pollution and coral bleaching. We have to first understand the predicament facing us if we are to make the right corrective steps.

This is why the study of the natural environment, be it the deep jungle or the coral reefs, is of such importance. Missteps are too easily made when ignorant - with knowledge the only sure antidote.

The biologists with whom we worked came from many parts the world. They were English, Dutch, American, Australian, Irish and some who had studied in New Zealand. They come together for the singular purpose of gaining a greater understanding of the natural world; so that we might do our part to preserve it for ourselves and those species with which we share this planet.

Our greatest thanks to all who were involved in making for such a memorable, remarkable and illuminating expedition; the students, the teachers, the scientists and the people of Indonesia. Terimakasi Indonesia.

History Trip to Europe

With thanks to teacher, Mr Simon Johnston

The History trip to Europe provided a chance for 28 students to delve into the past, and also immersed them in the calamity of the present. Best laid plans count for little when power and politics collide, as the tour group found after the Turkish military coup interrupted their itinerary!

The opening stage of the trip was based on the significant role New Zealanders played in WWI. From the Palace of Versailles in Paris, where the Treaty of Versailles was signed to end WWI, we ventured to the fields of the Somme. Looking past the Longueval Memorial, the students could see the exact route our brave soldiers took in their first action on the Western Front after Gallipoli. It was a sobering experience as the students made their way around Caterpillar Valley cemetery, reading the gravestones of so many young New Zealanders. Year 13 student, Thomas Scott’s rendition of the ‘Last Post’ brought tears to the eyes of students and staff and evoked the horrible truth of the ultimate sacrifice made by our troops. At Notre Dame Cathedral, plaques commemorated the NZ efforts in the surrounding area and the enormity of Allied involvement was unmistakeable as we passed Commonwealth cemetery after cemetery.

Our WWI theme continued with a guided tour of Le Quesnoy, the town New Zealanders liberated one week before the war’s end in 1918. The New Zealand influence was everywhere, from silver fern plants to streets named after the All Blacks. On the road to Passchendaele, the students took charge by taking turns to inform their peers of the events of 1917. At the Messines Ridge Memorial, the students could see where the NZ troops stormed ‘over the top’ towards the newly mined land where German trenches once stood.

The Gravantafel Memorial was the starting point of NZ troops’ blackest day. On October 12, 1917, 800 NZ soldiers and 45 officers

were killed with a further 2,700 wounded. The hopelessness of this war came to light here, as we passed thousands of headstones that bear the words ‘Known only unto God.’ Finn Linton and Alex Grigor were chosen to represent Saint Kentigern and laid a wreath at the famous Menin Gate memorial. The group witnessed a tribute that has taken place every evening for the last 87 years. At 8pm, the traffic of the town of Ypres stays still for 15 minutes, whilst the people pay their respects to the 54,000 Commonwealth soldiers who remain missing in the area.

Berlin was a new experience and focus. Our visit to the memorial to the murdered Jews of Europe and the Sachsenhausen concentration camp truly emphasised the horrors that humanity is capable of and it took some time for the students to digest what had happened in the very place they were standing. Berlin also provided our first experience of the effects of the Cold War and how close the world came to mutually assured destruction on multiple occasions. Our tour of the Berlin Wall, an underground nuclear bunker and the Palace of Tears hammered home this reality.

Munich allowed us to explore the birth place of Nazism. We walked among the sites of Hitler’s first speeches in the Beer Hall to his infamous failed ‘putsch’ (coup) in 1923, followed by a harrowing afternoon at Dachau Concentration camp.

We learnt about the military coup in Turkey 30 hours before we were scheduled to arrive there. We swiftly implemented our contingency plan, and ventured to the Bavarian Alps to see Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest, where Hitler planned his invasion of Poland and the beginning of WWII. Our remaining days were spent in Salzburg, visiting the birth place of Mozart and the Olympic park in Munich, where the world witnessed one of the first terrorist attacks on Israeli athletes, otherwise known as ‘black September.’

First-hand Account of Holocaust

Asked how she endured the atrocities inflicted upon her and her family during World War II, Holocaust survivor, Guta Goldstein replied, ‘Hope, pure hope. And imagination. I was always thinking about what it would be like when the war ended.’ Mrs Goldstein had just finished telling her harrowing experience of the war to the Year 10 cohort and NCEA and IB History students. They sat in stunned silence as she told her first-hand account of the persecution of Jewish people under the Nazi regime.

She spoke of her early childhood in Lodz, Poland, memories that proved invaluable during her captivity, as both a source of emotional escape from her brutal confinement and as inspiration to survive. In one day, her whole life was turned upside down. At the age of nine, Guta and her family, together with the entire Jewish population of Lodz, were relocated to a ghetto. Extreme hunger, illness, fear and sorrow reigned as she lost her father and sister, the only remaining members of her immediate family, to disease. In 1944, the Lodz Ghetto was liquidated and Mrs Goldstein was deported to

Auschwitz. She ended up at Meltheuer, a slave labour camp from which she was ultimately liberated in 1945 age 15.

As the number of Holocaust survivors diminishes, face to face accounts such as Mrs Goldstein’s will become a rare historical source. Our students were privileged to have this opportunity, which supported their learning.

Culture and Language Tour to Spain

With thanks to Spanish teacher, Mrs Merxte Martinez

During the July holidays, 27 students accompanied by four teachers travelled to Spain to immerse themselves in the culture and the language of the country.

For many of the students, the trip was a long-awaited dream come true, as they had been studying the language for nearly five years. Finally, they were able to travel to Spain and experience first-hand the culture of the country they had read so much about and put their language learning to the test.

Barcelona was our first destination where we began each day with guided tours of the city, such as the beautiful Gothic and Borne districts. In the following days, we experienced the incredible architecture of the talented Antoni Gaudi while visiting La Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, and Casa Batllo, as well as spending an afternoon on a scenic bike ride and enjoying a team treasure hunt in the city.

The Barcelona Aquarium was the final visit before heading off on a 6-hour train ride to Granada in the south of Spain.

Granada was the first city where the students were placed in homestays for seven nights. The warmth and friendliness of the people made it easy for all the students to feel part of the families. Throughout the week in Granada, the students also took daily lessons at a Spanish language school which greatly helped them improve their Spanish language and conversational skills. Most students would agree that the highlight of their stay in Granada

was the visit to the Alhambra, an old Moorish palace and fortress atop a hill overlooking the city, reminding us that the Moors had once reigned over the city for 700 years. To complete our stay in Granada, we went on a tramp through the wilderness of the Sierra Nevada mountains which contains the highest point of continental Spain at 3478 metres above sea level.

We were extremely lucky to have local Spanish guides in every city we visited which allowed us to gain a deeper understanding of the long history and the cultural aspects of each place. Despite the incredibly high temperatures of 45 degrees Celsius most afternoons, the guides were able to bring to life many of the historical moments that had taken place in the amazing palaces, cathedrals and streets we visited.

We visited a total of five cities in the south of Spain, Granada, Nerja, Cordoba, Sevilla and Cadiz, while also spending five nights in Barcelona as our starting and finishing point. The opportunity of being totally immersed in the everyday life of the families and other places we stayed has certainly changed the way the students see their own country, their traditions as well as their place in this constantly changing world we live in. We will be forever grateful for the hospitality and warmth of everybody we encountered and hope that for many of these students, this trip will become the beginning of many more life adventures.

ESOL Cultural Day!

The foyer of Elliot Hall was transformed into a chef’s kitchen, arts centre, tea house, te reo classroom and concert space for the inaugural Middle School ESOL Cultural Day! The Middle School ESOL students, who come from Chinese, Japanese and Maori backgrounds, shared their cultures with affection and enthusiasm amongst the eager crowd of fellow students. The 14 stalls provided fascinating insights into the students’ heritage, and covered many types of cultural expression. The ESOL students have been learning about other cultures and, as part of a language project, have been preparing to teach an audience about an aspect of their upbringing.

To entertain, there were demonstrations of Chinese chess, ink blowing, paper cutting and mask painting. To teach, there were lessons in te reo Maori, calligraphy, rope tying, origami and chopsticks. Have you ever tried to pick up a table tennis ball with chopsticks? How about an M&M? Some stall-goers found out that it’s not easy! To sate thirst and hunger, the students taught teachers and peers alike how to make sushi, wantons and dumplings, while others brewed guan yin tea. Providing the soundtrack were musical performances on a gu zheng (Chinese zither) and hu lu si (flute).

It was fantastic to see the students thriving in the opportunity to practise their English, while imparting something that is special and dear to them. Inevitably, this led to more in-depth conversations between the stall-holders and their ‘customers’ as they progressed through the demonstrations. Well done to the students who took part for representing their cultures with pride and passion!

Latin Diva!

Earlier this term, Language Perfect, a global language learning website developed by two Old Collegians, Craig and Shane Smith, held its annual World Championship. The competition ran for 10 days with hundreds of schools from all over the world taking part –including Saint Kentigern students. The online competition aims to test students on their vocabulary acquisition and understanding in the language they have chosen to learn. Students are required to translate vocabulary in a digital flashcard format with points for correct answers added to both their individual tally, as well as the school’s overall results.

This year, our Latin students performed exceptionally well and achieved some very pleasing results. As a school, Saint Kentigern placed 1st in New Zealand and 7th overall in the world with some outstanding individual performances contributing significantly to this result. Year 10 student, Lucy Nie was the top individual Saint Kentigern student across all languages and ended up placing 3rd in the world for Latin!

How we loved his coat of many colours!

Middle School Production

One of the happiest musicals to be brought to the Saint Kentigern stage, the Middle School production of ‘Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat’ was a fantastic combination of light, sound and sheer energy from a cast, choir, orchestra and crew that involved over 100 students, mainly from Years 9 and 10.

Not known to many, this light-hearted adaptation of the biblical account of Joseph of Canaan (from Genesis: Chapters 37 to 46), began its life in 1967 as a 20 minute ‘pop cantata’ for an Easter concert at a London school. The popularity of this first performance saw it revived and further expanded in the mid-seventies. With new numbers added, the show evolved, eventually making its way from the West End to Broadway – from where it has continued to circle the globe for over 40 years. Our own lively interpretation charmed our audience in much the same way it has charmed audiences around the world with its irrepressible vitality and most eclectic musical variety!

In the title role, Matthew Turner played Joseph with a polished confidence that belied his age. Bringing great depth to the character, Matthew, provided the moments when the hectic pace of the show slowed down in poignant contrast to the action – he delivered ‘Close Every Door To Me’ beautifully, sung on a stark set with lights casting prison bars across his face. Matthew certainly proved his vocal versatility and his ability to sing was a delight.

The Joseph score provides for a large onstage choir, greatly extending the opportunity for more students to be involved. Sitting on the steps of a pyramid to the side of the stage, their voices rose in choral counter melody in songs such as Joseph’s enduring number, ‘Any Dream Will Do.’

The role of Narrator was split three ways between Amelia Elliot, Scarlett Jacques and Venice Qin. Perfectly matched, they carried the thread from the opening number to the closing chorus, sometimes taking the lead and, at others, singing in harmony. Dressed in modern day black, they blended into the action but also stood in contrast, ‘telling the story’ with great conviction and powerful singing.

‘Joseph’ is ‘sung-through’ show using a plethora of musical styles, giving the performers plenty of opportunity to ‘ham-up’ a number of the songs – something they did with relish! And so it was that ‘One More Angel in Heaven’, with its send-up of an ambling country and western number, set the scene for a show bent on audience appeal!

A calypso that bounced around Pharaoh’s court gave many of our dancers a chance to shine and the fabulous solo performance by River

Morgan, as one of the brothers, in ‘Those Canaan Days’, brought an unexpected touch of Montmartre, through his nostalgic rendition of a Gauloise chanson. Through the range of musical styles, the cast stepped up to the mark, swapping styles with ease to confidently deliver each of the numbers.

One of the focal points of the show was undoubtedly the strutting, hip-jutting Pharoah - via Memphis, Tennessee! Enough to make Elvis Presley himself sit up and take notice, Jack Horsnell brought the best of rock and roll to Egypt with unabashed enthusiasm for the role, flanked by a superb troupe of dancers!

The energy, colour and drama on stage continued to grow to the superb finale which brought every member of the cast on stage to join in the reprise. The joy on the faces of this young cast was clear to see! We’ll look forward to seeing many of them onstage again as they move into their senior years.

Talent may abound on the stage but the unseen commitment of those working behind the scenes is equally huge. Teamwork and dedication from both the cast and crew provided the hallmark for success. From the opening number to the closing chorus, we were left with no doubt that this team had enjoyed every moment of bringing this show to the stage.

‘It was red and yellow and green and brown and scarlet and black and ochre and peach and ruby and olive and violet and fawn and lilac and gold and chocolate and mauve and cream and crimson and silver and rose and azure and lemon and russet and grey and purple and white and pink and orange and blue!’

A TWIST TO THE SHOW

‘Joseph’ was last performed on the College stage in 2005. Then, Mr Ashton Brown, as a Year 13, played the role of Joseph with a young Mr Oliver Gilmour in the orchestra. Eleven years on and the pair, now College staff, took on the role of Director and Musical Director, teaming with another Old Collegian, Miss Morgan Heron, as Choreographer! In 2005, Mr Brown was also joined on stage by Old Collegian and now current College Choral Director, Mr Lachlan Craig who played the role of one of the ‘brothers.’

A Midsummer Night’s Dream

In an age when our communications are fast becoming foreshortened to texts and tweets, with language being simplified by the minute, it was a pleasure this week to watch our Senior School Drama students take on the rich language of Shakespeare and deliver a compelling performance.

One of Shakespeare’s most popular works for the stage, A Midsummer Night’s Dream is generally celebrated for its ethereal characters, forest-bower setting and poetic lyricism. Whilst the poetic lyricism stayed, Saint Kentigern definitely stamped its own mark on the Bard’s famous work!

Making Shakespeare relevant to todays’ audiences and young thespians sometimes needs that ‘extra spark’ and so in recent years, Shakespeare has had a thorough reworking for each of the College adaptations. In 2008, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ was set in a sports stadium and the Capulets and Montagues reimagined as two rival hockey teams. In 2010, ‘Much ado about what you will’ took a walk down Medieval streets where no Shakespearian stone was left unturned. In 2013, ‘The Tempest’ fast forwarded 400 years to a hip-swinging, rock and roll beach setting. The following year, ‘Othello’ was revised for a post-apocalyptic, steam punk, techno-Victorian world.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream has a convoluted plot with multiple twists and turns to keep the audience puzzling, however, few would have guessed the chosen setting for this year’s production. Ancient Greece made way for the brashness of New York’s Times Square and Central Park, with skyscrapers, hot dog stands and a kaleidoscope of billboards. As the actors arrived on stage through a subway entrance, it immediately became apparent that this production was paying homage to the 1980’s, recreating the cultural landscape of Ziggy Stardust and Iggy

Pop; a time when eccentric behaviour and flamboyant fashion defined the counterculture of the time.

Known for delivering fantastic costumes, show Director, Ms Emma Bishop did not disappoint. Juxtaposed against the ‘preppie’ street clothes of the ‘mortals and mechanicals,’ Ms Bishop’s punk-attired fairies delivered a hard stand! There was no fluttering prettily when these Doc Martin, chain clad, ripped and torn, ‘don’t mess with us’ spirits arrived! Matis Ellehaus as the Fairy King, Oberon and Erin Meek, as his queen, Titania, delivered their squabbling roles furiously and faultlessly.

With many strong and challenging parts on offer, the love quartet of Hermia (Isabella Denholm), Demetrius (Alasdair CarmichaelLowe), Lysander (Brayden Bruce) and Helena (Jaymee Brearly) were well-cast putting forward four strong character actors to unravel the course of true love.

In the chaos of the action, a group of ‘mechanicals’ (craftsmen) led by Bottom (Braydon Robinson) and Quince (Callum Bishop) were earnestly preparing a play within a play to perform at the Duke and Duchess’s wedding. Their main role, however, was to offset the lovers’ emotional angst with slapstick humour. Puck, one of Oberon’s fairy clan, played brilliantly by Hannah Lamberton, tries to bring the four young lovers into compatible couples but makes an error of judgement that gives Braydon’s character, Bottom, a second life as a donkey caught in the love tangle. Braydon is well known for his delivery of larger than life characters and once again gave his all to the role.

Bookending the play in the daylight hours, the fourth group, the ‘mortals’ bring calm to the stage. Rafe McDonald as Theseus and the

poised Francesca Armstrong as his fiancée, Hippolyta, give a glimpse of a privileged life attended to by Philostrate (Matthew Farnell) and a trio of assistants (Jordana Grant, Lauren Aspoas and Stephanie Ramlose). Their final appearance brings the chaos of the previous night to a close leaving the last words to Puck.

‘If we shadows have offended, Think but this, and all is mended, That you have but slumber’d here

While these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme, No more yielding but a dream.’

The entire cast and crew loved staging this production. The end result was a faithful reading of the play, skilfully combined with an overlay of the 80’s, with live music provided by Sam Elliot as the Bowie-singing Robin Starvelling. Behind the scenes, visionary director, Mrs Emma Bishop and her creative team are to be congratulated for having the ambition and skill to bring such an audacious adaptation to life!

VOICE WORKSHOP FOR PRODUCTION CAST

When performing Shakespeare, it is imperative for the actors to use all the tools in their arsenal to convey the meaning of the text. To enhance their expertise in these skills, the cast were privileged to receive a workshop from a renowned voice and theatre coach, Donald Woodburn, lecturer of voice at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and also a voice trainer for Fox Sports News in Sydney.

With an extensive background as an actor, director and in broadcasting, Mr Woodburn shared his knowledge and experience with the cast during a week of all-day rehearsals prior to the show.

Using innovative instruction and techniques, he gave sage advice on how the students can use their voice and bodies to full effect on stage. As they rehearsed their scenes, he provided tips on everything from interaction between characters, engaging the audience, posture and intonation, to volume, inflection and bringing the rhythm of the writing into their performance. The session really challenged the students to assess the way they use their voice and bodies to best portray their characters.

Dance Showcase

Our annual College Dance Showcase celebrated the talent, skill and creativity of our Dance students while giving them the chance to perform to a large audience. Held in Elliot Hall, the Showcase was a largely student-led production, with Year 12 and 13 students choreographing dance works for NCEA assessment. The College Dance Academy also presented a portfolio of its co-curricular work. Up to 90 students auditioned to be part of this fantastic event, followed by many weeks of rehearsals.

Year 12 and 13 Dance students develop many different skills through the process of choreographing for the Showcase, from managing auditions and talent, to organising rehearsals and costumes, and working both collaboratively and as leaders. The Showcase also fosters creativity as students develop themes and concepts for their dance works while exploring dance as a medium for expression.

The Year 12 pieces all delved into the theme of family, expressing feelings of love, separation, loss, protection, stability, belonging and companionship. The situations included the love/hate relationship between siblings, how families remain bonded while they are physically apart, the process of growing up and an orphan’s experience of family. Wider themes were interpreted into dance by the Year 13 choreographers, who portrayed issues such as environmentalism, self-confidence, inequality and diversity. The vast range of meanings conveyed on stage by both year levels was a superb display of the choreographers’ research and imagination and the performers’ dancing ability. The energy the dancers exerted was reciprocated by the audience of students, parents and friends with long applause.

The NCEA Level 1-3 students also performed in their class groups under the tutelage of guest choreographers, including Old Collegian and professional dancer, Livi Obern, and the leader of Hopskotch Dance Crew, Kat Walker. Guest choreographers guided the Dance Academy students in hip hop and jazz routines, which interspersed some levity amongst the more reflective student-led works.

Introduced in 2014, the Dance Showcase has been an excellent addition to the Saint Kentigern production season. With 27 dances this year, covering contemporary, ballet, hip hop, jazz, lyrical and cultural genres, the event continues to grow in scale as does the students’ sophistication and commitment. Congratulations to everyone involved, from front of house to behind the scenes and especially the choreographers and dancers. Thank you also to Head of Dance, Mr Geordan Wilcox and fellow teacher, Mr Ichiro Harada for their hard work in mentoring the students to produce a high-calibre and thoughtprovoking show!

Maori and Pasifika Cultural Evening

When we talk about Saint Kentigern’s cultural heritage, we have tended to look to our traditional past with deep ties to Scotland. Each year we celebrate these ties when our Pipes and Drums step out to represent Saint Kentigern, with focus given to our annual Ceilidh at the College, Celtic Day at the Boys’ School and Flora MacDonald Day at the Girls’ School.

After a few years’ hiatus, lthis year we also enjoyed a colourful and energetic evening of entertainment from another key part of our cultural makeup, our College Maori and Pasifika Cultural Group. The group had re-formed early in Term 1, quickly swelling to over 40 active members, representing a diverse range of nationalities from the Pacific Island nations and beyond. The group first performed before a Full School Assembly in Term 2 with a beautiful rendition of ‘Ia Vi’ia Le Atua’ (Glory be to God) followed up with a vibrant fresh Sasa for Samoan Language week.

The evening was the group’s chance to showcase aspects of their cultures in a public performance; a momentum they hope to sustain as they expand their repertoire and work towards Polyfest 2017. This year’s performers were a cross section of ages from both Middle and Senior School who were very proud to perform for family and friends.

The night was hosted by Year 10 students, Caleb Pese and Benji Pauga who did a fantastic continuity job keeping the audience informed and entertained from start to finish, including their great rendition of ‘Island Team’ along with a number of audience ‘ice breakers!’

The show opened with a karanga from Old Collegian, Amorangi Malesela, supported by a Kaikorero from Valance Yates (Year 10) and ended with a Taualuga; a chance to offer koha. In between we saw both solo, small group and large group performances from the islands of Tahiti, Tongan, Hawaii, and Samoa – each bringing a riot of colour, energy and a true sense of pride and belonging to the stage. It was a total pleasure to watch! The audience loved it all and were not shy about vocalising their support!

We also heard from Year 9 student, Selena Agaimalo who spoke with passion about what it meant to be Samoan, later followed by a video of the students who spoke with pride about cultural traditions, family –and good food!

When former students, Amorangi Malesala and Albert Vete returned to College earlier in the year to speak to the group prior to rehearsals, they spoke of the sense of family that their involvement with the Cultural Group had brought for them. This evening was definitely about ‘whanau,’ which was evident when looking at the programme and seeing how many family members came to tutor, dress and provide for the group. It was an amazing experience both on and off stage as the mothers gathered the students together to dress them while instilling that immense sense of pride for both their culture and who they are as individuals.

This year’s Cultural Evening was a wonderful, happy celebration of the mix of cultural backgrounds that make up our student body and was greatly enjoyed by all who attended! Our grateful thanks to all those who supported the evening’s efforts both on and behind the stage – we really appreciated your help!

YEARS 7 AND 8 SUPREME WINNER

A God of Ugly Things

Saskia Dorresteyn

YEARS 9 AND 10 SUPREME WINNER

Industrialise Enchanting

Kate Armstrong

Wearable Arts Show

In the words of MC for the night, television personality, Wendy Meyer, this year’s Wearable Arts Show was ‘just sensational!’

With every single seat in Elliot Hall spoken for, the house lights went down, the stage lights came up and proud parents of students from Years 7-10 were treated to an eye-popping evening of creative talent at the Middle School Wearable Arts Show! Involving almost 300 students, there were 70 models, 133 designers, 14 student dance leaders and 72 dancers giving their all.

The brainchild of Year 8 teacher, Mrs Leisha Slade, ‘WAS’ is now in its fifth season and was a great start to New Zealand Fashion Week! With each passing year, we have seen bolder and more innovative designs, as our Middle School students research deeper for new ideas for garments made from all manner of ‘bits!’ Matched by increasing confidence on the catwalk and edgier dances interspersed throughout the show (choreographed and staged for Year 7/8 by our Year 11 dance students), the evening is a winner. The students’ enthusiasm for the event is totally infectious; it was a pleasure to be there!

The day before the show, ‘people mover,’ Kiri Whitford-Joynt from ‘ID with Style’ put our student models through their paces on the catwalk while their fellow designers looked on, making last minute touches to the costumes. At the Sunday rehearsal, the designers also had the chance to present their garments to the judges. This year we welcomed returning judge, Ros Craw, Head of Art at Somerville Intermediate along with Chrissy Conyngham, former design director at Pumpkin and Ian Bernard who a successful entrant in the World of Wearable Art in Wellington.

The evening showcased garment designs and supporting dance items from six different categories:

• Kiwiana and Pacifica

• Destinations around the World

• Man’s World

• Magic and Love of Books

• Illumination Illusion

• Preloved Avante-Garde

Judges were looking for creativity, zest and innovation, how well the garment represented the category, overall originality and the presentation and construction of the design.

Congratulations to the eighteen chosen finalists, and in particular the Supreme Winners. Designer/Model Saskia Dorresteyn won the Year 7 and 8 section with her weta inspired creation, ‘God of Ugly Things’ in the Kiwiana category. Designer/Model Kate Armstrong won the Year 9 and 10 section with her steam punk inspired garment entitled ‘Industrial enchanting.’ The girls were excited to win but admitted that neither of their costumes were comfortable!

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 Ichiro Harada. Well done to Chloe Haerewa who sang a duet with Mr Ronberg and a big thank you to Katherine Chang from Year 13 for designing this year’s logo and PowerPoint. And finally, heartfelt thanks to Mrs Slade for her organisation, Wendy Meyer as MC, Kiri Whitford-Joynt as the deportment coach and judges, Ros Craw, Chrissy Cunningham and Ian Bernard for making this fantastic night a tremendous success!

TOP FOUR

YEARS 7 AND 8

HIGHLY

COMMENDED

YEARS 7 AND 8

My Heritage Samiya Patel

Seadragonus Giganticus Maximus Sarah Harper, Darcy Woolford

Cyber Warrior Giles Willis, Campbell Wright Web Surfer Cameron Shortt, Zachary Bonnici

Newspaper Bouquet Taniel Diedricks, Harriet Lightfoot, Alissa Huang

YEARS 9 AND 10

Buttoned Together Olivia Bartlett, Emma Savoury Twinkling Tentacles Regina Tao, Florence Lee Bloom Megan Yen Metallica Girl Lara Ambridge Squid in Trouble Emma King Te Tui Karakara Sam Watson

Wilderness Princess Crystal Chen, Sophia Ying

Vintage Cut Maddy Clarke Razzle Dazzle Simran Chand

YEARS 9 AND 10

Vinyl Style Rachell Funnell

Weather Vain Melissa Clegg

National Gold for Kentoris

The rise of the College’s choral programme was substantiated once again by four outstanding recitals at the 2016 New Zealand Choral Federation Big Sing Finale in Dunedin. Culminating in a gold award for the premier mixed choir, Kentoris and a bronze award for the all-comers boys’ choir, Menasing, the competition capped off an exceptional 24 months for the choral programme.

At the regional Big Sing competitions held in June this year, over 10,000 singers from more than 250 choirs took part, with only the top 24 chosen nationwide to compete in the Finale in Dunedin, so the standard is exceptionally high.

Kentoris impressed the Big Sing adjudicators with stellar performances in the competition in both 2015 and 2016. In 2015 at the Auckland regional competition - choosing to present a long work and not the three required to be eligible for Finale selection - the choir won the award for the best performance of a single work. This year they enjoyed unprecedented success winning the award for best

mixed choir beating some Auckland perennial favourites to secure a place in the National Finale.

Menasing won Gold at the Finale in 2015 with a small choir of only 16. A rule change meant that the choir had to increase significantly in size so that both choirs could compete - resulting in it being changed to an all-comers choir including all age groups from Middle to Senior School. Despite the inclusion of less experienced and younger singers the choir was once again selected to compete at the Finale and performed exceptionally well. Their programme was well received - the highlight undoubtedly ‘Poisoning Pigeons in the Park’ by Tom Lehrer and arranged by the College’s Director of Choirs, Lachlan Craig.

The success at the Big Sing Finale capped off an exceptional two weeks for the College Music programme following on from the three golds awarded to our music groups at the KBB Festival.

Speak Easy

Facing off in the annual ‘Speakeasy’ speech competition was a selection of Middle and Senior School speech finalists, competing for the winning speechmaking title in their division. This year we also welcomed two speakers from the Boys’ School, Akash Mudaliar and Jack Sandelin, to join the Middle School students.

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 with the recently redeveloped Goodfellow Centre providing the perfect venue for the event.

As the students were encouraged to speak about something they are passionate about, the audience heard a range of engaging performances from the light-hearted views on manners and procrastination, to deeper societal issues such as human trafficking and homelessness. Judging was based on their ideas, presentation skills, structure and engagement with the audience.

The College welcomed back Old Collegian, Ms Amelia McVinnie as judge. Ms McVinnie was a member of our senior debating team and went on to study a double degree in Law and Arts/Media. She said she thought each of the speeches was of exceptional quality making the final decision a tough one to make!

Congratulations to Middle School winner, Sam Waldin with a ‘spoken word’ poem on the moving topic of ‘Homelessness’. Senior School winner, Natalya Trombitas, spoke persuasively on ‘Cliques’ and the social hierarchy of teenagers. Both students had strong material and delivered it well.

The audience and fellow speakers alike enjoyed hearing the range of topics and seeing the confidence with which our students delivered their speeches. Well done!

Middle School Winner: Sam Waldin

Middle School Finalists: Ava Beca, Sam Waldin, Akash Mudaliar, Thomas Webster, Jack Sandelin, Amelia Elliott, Esther Schubert, Lulu Denholm.

Senior School Winner: Natalya Trombitas

Senior School Finalists: Kenya Ashcroft, Natalya Trombitas, Selena Chen

Triple Gold at KBB

The College Concert Band, Symphony Orchestra and Big Band achieved unprecedented success for the College at this year’s KBB Music Festival, all winning Gold in their respective categories. While all three groups have achieved gold in the past, this was the first time that multiple groups have achieved the feat together.

Held at the Holy Trinity Cathedral in Parnell, the Festival is the largest of any type in New Zealand with over 145 groups performing in four categories. This year, the College was represented by five groups who achieved the following results:

Concert Band Gold

Symphony Orchestra Gold

Big Band Gold

Chamber Orchestra Silver

Sinfonia Fringe Festival Participants

In addition to their Gold award, the Concert Band also won the Peter Goddard Memorial Award. Peter Goddard was one of the founding committee members of the Festival which began in 1983. This award is presented to a group whose performance, presentation or behaviour embodies the values that Peter Goddard held. Current festival committee members nominated the band as a result of their exemplary behaviour, conduct and excellent performance and were ultimately chosen for the award at the end of the week. This award is a fitting reward for the high level of regard and respect College musicians have for the College and the Music programme.

Well done to all the students involved!

Senior School Solo Music

Hosted by Year 12 Academic Music Students, Luca Heard and Victoria Tse, a stellar line up of twelve of the College’s best musicians stepped up to compete for the title of this year’s Solo Music Champion. Selected through earlier audition, the finalists performed to an appreciative audience in one of four categories: Strings, Voice, Wind or Piano.

Unlike the many other ensemble musical performance opportunities during the course of the year, this event put each individual player in the spotlight under the watchful scrutiny of our three guest judges for the evening: Baroque specialist, Wolfgang Kraemer, organist and Radio NZ broadcaster, Dr Indra Hughes, and Director of Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Rachael Brand.

As the winners were announced, the judges conveyed the difficulty of their decision. They were most complimentary about the level of technical and musical proficiency of our musicians but indicated that at competition level, it was not just about playing the piece but the total performance from the time they stepped onto the stage and the connection they made with their audience that counts.

In an evening of exceptional talent, we learnt that there had been a very ‘spirited’ discussion in selecting the winners for each section but one performer stood out and they were universal in their decision to award flaustist, Elise Hinomoto the title of Overall Solo Music Champion. For voice finalist, Sid Chand, this was his third consecutive year that he has won his section. Double bass player, John Moon won the strings section and Selena Chen won the piano section.

Elise Hinomoto (Flute)

String Winner

John Moon (Double Bass)

String Finalists

Ryan Tong (Violin)

Ryan Tourani Rad (Cello)

Piano Winner

Selena Chen

Piano Finalists

Joy Han

Yu Chen Dong

Wind Winner

Elise Hinomoto (Flute)

Wind Finalists

Ethan Blight (Clarinet)

Thomas Scott (Trumpet)

Voice Winner

Sid Chand

Voice finalists

Olivia Nobbs

Emily Young

A visit to the Liggins Institute

With thanks to Biology teacher, Ms Suzie Tornquist

Last term, the Year 13 IB Biology class visited the Liggins Institute Classroom at the University of Auckland; a worldclass biomedical research institute named after Professor, Sir Graham Liggins, whose pioneering work showed how the use of steroids could enable premature new-born babies to breathe independently. The institute is one of the world’s leading centres for research on foetal and child health, growth and development and also in breast cancer, epigenetics and evolutionary medicine. The aims of the visit were to meet some of the scientists involved in research at the institute and to also get some hands-on practical experience using scientific equipment specific to the biomedical world.

The practical experience presented in the programme helped the students to:

• Develop an understanding of how the Polymerase Chain reaction (PCR) and Gel Electrophoresis are used to find out about whether genes are being turned on or off in different situations.

• Gain hands-on experience in how to use micro-pipettes and perform PCR and Gel Electrophoresis.

• Support their understanding of biological concepts.

Zoo Study

• Develop their understanding of what a scientific model is and why these are valuable in scientific research.

• Develop an understanding of how scientists communicate their work, and collaborate within the scientific community.

The day was much enjoyed by the students who valued the relevance of the hands-on experience to their IB Biology Curriculum and in particular genetics. This topic of work looks at genetic modification including the PCR and Gel Electrophoresis techniques and how they can be used in biological applications. The Liggins classroom presents a learning environment where hands-on practical work using medical instruments can be experienced as well interviewing scientists to explore the pathways a scientist can take and the importance of their research to the world.

Unfortunately, after years of College students having access to this opportunity, the classroom visits will no longer be available to schools after 2016 due to a change in government funding. The education sector will miss the meaningful learning outside the classroom at this particular scientific institute.

With thanks to Mr Simon Walker, Head of Biology

We are a recently evolved species with roots that stretch back in time. Our lives are relatively short and it is sometimes difficult to imagine the expanse of time that lies behind us. We are also rather unique, which means we often consider ourselves apart from other animals or special in some sense.

The study of palaeoanthropology and human evolution leads to an awareness that we are only one of the many different ‘human’ forms that have lived on this planet, some of whom were our contemporaries until we became its sole inheritors. Our distant forebears have left imprints in the fossil record and a genetic legacy within us, and in acknowledging that they are gone, we understand that maybe we are not destined to survive forever. History has much to teach us, and ours is a deep history from which we might draw some valuable lessons.

were also able to have a ‘hands-on’ session with the replica skulls of other hominin (proto-human) species and the associated stone tools. Our lineage has come a long way, and what we think of and view as ‘human’ is typically restricted to a narrow window of geological and biological time.

Our senior biology students visited Auckland Zoo as a conclusion to their studies in Human Evolution. We had an engaging lecture on the cranial and sub-cranial features of modern humans and how these anatomical features have contributed to our ability to walk with a bipedal gait. The skeleton of our closest living relative (the chimpanzee) was used as a comparative species, as both we and they share a direct common ancestor some six million years ago. We

We are a curious species, and so we took the time to wander the zoo and observe and consider the wide range of animals in the enclosures. Each has its own evolutionary story from the same distant origins. Tigers, rhino, orangutans, kiwi, tuatara and more. We live at the same time as they - as we once did with other species through our history, which are no more. How many of these endangered species shall remain to coexist with our descendants, and how shall our descendants fare in a rapidly changing climate and an increasingly damaged environment? Homo erectus, Neanderthals, Denisovans and the other hominin all had their day as we are now enjoying ours.

Sharing Published Stories

Earlier in the year, the Year 8 extension English class studied the conventions of children’s literature with the aim to write, illustrate and publish their own children’s book. They looked in particular at ways that rhyme can be incorporated into a story without sounding forced, how to use an engaging narrative arc, ways to infuse a ‘moral’ or life skill into their tales, as well as the use of appropriate vocabulary to challenge and extend young children.

After a workshop from visiting author, Zee Southcombe, the class wrote and illustrated their own stories. Topics range from the

personification of a

a

This morning, the class visited our Preschool and shared their stories aloud with small groups of preschoolers. The younger children greatly enjoyed the enthusiasm of the ‘big kids’ and were well engaged by their stories. The Year 8 students had a genuine audience for their writing and loved the opportunity to visit the Preschool - overall it was a highly valuable experience for both groups.

Gifted Awareness Week photography competition

During Gifted Awareness Week, students were set a challenge to capture a photographic image that represented the theme of ‘Belonging’ – being accepted, included and connected. There were some very strong entries and many different interpretations of the theme across the age groups!

Judged by Gifted Education Advocate, Mrs Catherine Watts and photography teacher, Mr Chris Ashforth, a winner and runner up were selected from both the Middle and Senior Schools.

Well done to all the entrants, especially the winners!

Two wheely cool science projects!

Water was a feature in the two top College Year 7 science projects this year.

Josh Muggleston and Christian McIntyre, both selected the physics category to undertake their experimental work.

Josh’s project, ‘Wheely Cool Water Wheels,’ considered which size water wheel could lift a metal nut the fastest while taking into consideration the flow rate of the water and the height it dropped from.

Still on a water theme, Christian’s project, ‘Which liquid has the strongest surface tension?’ tested various liquid’s to discover which liquid has the strongest surface to enable objects to float the best. Christian determined this was water when compared to cooking oil, milk and detergent.

As always there was a diverse range of imaginative projects displayed for our judges to ponder but the winning projects were selected on the basis of their rigour to carry out repeated scientific measurements, fair

testing, analysis of the results, returning to reflect on the hypothesis and taking into account any experimental error.

After a clean sweep by the girls last year, this year it was the boys who took the top places!

Best of luck to Josh and Christian at the NIWA competition.

Middle School Winners First Prize Crystal Chen Runner up Leon Chaplow

Senior School Winners First Prize Hannah Williams Runner up Elise Hinomoto

zebra in ‘Zara’s Journey’ by Emma Jorgenson and mastering the potty in ‘I need

new Diaper’ by Sarina Wang, to the discovery of identity in ‘Isabell the Odd Bee” by Mia Harries.

EPRO8 Challenge

In a first this term, twelve of our Year 8 College students, divided into three teams, put on their problem solving hats to compete in an engineering competition against teams from other local schools at the EPro8 Challenge held at Howick Intermediate.

EPO8 pits teams of students against one another to complete a variety of tasks in a set amount of time. Each team was located at a workstation that contained an impressive assortment of equipment, including gears, wheels, pulleys, weights, tools, aluminium framing, motors and electronics. Working quickly and collaboratively, the teams were required to plan/design and build a model Mars rover, cranes and swing, all within certain specifications and under time pressure. The heat was on!

Of our three teams, two were placed 3rd equal and will be going through to the Auckland semi-finals. Well done and good luck for the next round of competition!

Medal haul for Robotics!

The Old Collegians Sports Centre was a hive of activity as dozens of Robotics teams from around the region gathered to compete in this year’s Robocup Challenge. The competition involved quickly programming robots to navigate different challenges. Students who undertake robotics are challenged to be creative in their design of programs and to develop excellent problem solving skills. The competition encompasses not only engineering and IT skills but also encourages sportsmanship, the sharing of ideas and teamwork. Our teams put their robots through their paces resulting in a swag of medals!

Quiet Bystanders

The newly re-developed Goodfellow Centre is an open, airy space that amalgamates the former Library and Learning Commons. It is always a hub of activity during busy times of the day. As the students ebb and flow, some quiet bystanders now rest quietly behind – the work of our Year 9 Visual Arts students who have been exploring the nature of three-dimensional work and installation, with a focus on the work of ‘site specific’ artist, Mark Jenkins. The process requires the use of ‘food wrap’ – metres and metres of it! Using each other as the models, the plastic was wrapped thickly round each limb and the torso as separate units then covered in wide clear packing tape. The separate casts were then cut, carefully removed and the joins stuck back together. For obvious safety reasons, a mannequin was used to cast the head! The resulting sculptures are interesting, quirky, funny and definitely a talking point as they take their place in the life of a busy school!

AUCKLAND RESULTS

Premier Rescue:

1st: Daniel Mar, Andrew Chen, Josh Ng

2nd: Samuel Ou and Cameron Signal

Senior Rescue:

1st: Joseph Chan, Owen Chen, Simon Sung, Winston Zhang

Junior Rescue:

2nd: Jacob Attwood, Ethan Fung, James McKelvie

Senior Soccer:

1st: Daniel Mar, Andrew Chen, Josh Ng, Nicholas Scott

NATIONAL RESULTS

Senior Soccer

2nd: Andrew Chen,Daniel Mar, Josh Ng, Nicholas Scott

Hamilton Wins House Music!

Vodafone Events Centre has played host to heavyweight boxing fights, dance competitions, culture expos and stage competitions, all of which were out-hyped by the College House Music extravaganza! House Music is the one event when up to 200 members of each House, including the boarding house, Bruce House, can compete together in a choir competition, with Cargill, Chalmers, Hamilton and Wishart also entering rock bands in the small ensemble category. It adds a muchenjoyed cultural element to the House rivalry, complementing the swimming, athletics and cross country sporting contests. A record House Music crowd of parents, grandparents, fellow students, friends and supporters filled the Sir Woolf Fisher Arena at Vodafone Events Centre to cheer on the performers and root for their House!

HOUSE MUSIC CUP

1ST HAMILTON

2ND CHALMERS

3RD WISHART

4TH CARGILL

The massed choirs rehearsed for weeks under the direction of their House prefects. The choirs’ songs were selected from a category chosen by the Head of Music, with Mr Ross Gerritsen opting for the best of the 1980s this year. We were privileged to have an esteemed panel of judges to adjudicate the performances: Emma Featherston, the Director of Music at King’s School and Professional Teaching Fellow at Auckland University; Jimmy Mac, the keyboardist for international superstar, Lorde; and Andrew Wilson, the guitarist and frontman for successful New Zealand band Die! Die! Die! The trio had the tough job of deciding the winners based on criteria including vocal quality, musical accuracy, presentation and originality, ensemble cohesion and overall effectiveness.

Last year’s overall winners, Wishart House, opened the evening with Rick Astley’s ‘Never Gonna Give You Up’ followed by Hamilton’s rendition of ‘I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll’ made famous by Joan Jett. Chalmers House donned pyjamas to sing ‘Wake Me Up Before You Go Go’ by Wham, while Cargill wore white shirts and gloves to belt out Michael Jackson’s classic, ‘Billie Jean.’ Bruce House’s smaller choir more than made up for its fewer voices with a heartfelt take on the Whitney Houston tune, ‘I Wanna Dance With Somebody.’ Despite all of the songs being released before the students were born, their appreciation and enthusiasm for each of the tracks belied their age!

The Houses are given open slather to choose the song for their small ensemble performance. Most choose to arrange a medley of old favourites and recent hits and incorporate a dance component to impress the judges. While the judges were deliberating the choir, small ensemble and overall winners, a 13-piece staff took the stage to perform ‘Purple Rain’ and ‘Respect’ with teachers, Mr Al Ronberg and Mrs Clo Chaperon on vocals. The delighted students rushed the stage to dance in scenes reminiscent of Beatle-mania!

On behalf of the Judges, Emma Featherston said the performances were ‘absolutely mindblowing.’ ‘It’s great to see New Zealand music is in great hands at SKC.’ The results were dominated by Hamilton House, which won the choir and small ensemble categories to emphatically lift the House Music Cup for 2016! Congratulations to Hamilton and all the performers for a wonderful night of entertainment!

House Choir

1st: Hamilton

2nd: Bruce House

3rd=: Chalmers, Wishart

5th: Cargill

House Ensemble

1st: Hamilton

2nd: Chalmers

3rd: Wishart

4th: Cargill

Creatures of Aotearoa

During Terms 1 and 2, the Year 12/13 Sculpture and Year 12

Food Technology students worked independently on a brief that allowed them to spread their wings and create something a little wild. With an overall theme based on ‘Creatures of Aotearoa,’ the students were encouraged to draw their inspiration from an aspect of New Zealand flora or fauna. It challenged them to forage for ideas, capture their creativity and cultivate their designs before hatching the final product.

The results were an impressive array of creations all stemming from the central theme. The Jack Paine Centre was abuzz as the students from each of the disciplines prepared their work for the launch of the ‘Creatures of Aotearoa’ exhibition, taking immense care with the finish and presentation of their work. It was with pride that they invited parents and friends for a special evening to view the Sculptures and bid on the Food Technology items in a silent auction.

The launch was a fantastic way to celebrate New Zealand’s native flora and fauna through Cake Design and Sculpture and a great opportunity for the students put their creative and technical skills on display!

Year 12 Sculpture

In developing their work, the Year 12 Sculpture students were tasked with applying the NZ flora and fauna stimulus to the design and construction of a ‘creature creation’ for a specific film genre. They researched the forms, content and techniques of their chosen genre, and other artists and designers working in a similar field, to inform the development of their own piece of work.

Using makeable sculpey clay, the students created amazingly detailed three-dimensional busts that paid homage to both the film genre they were focussed on and the inspiration they drew from the natural world. Students were drawn to the colour palettes of plants, the texture of fungus and shapes of flower petals to guide their creations. Their work was required to include sufficient detail for VFX makeup to be developed from it later in the year. The results were amazing!

Year 12 Food Technology

Cake design requires both creative and logical thinking. A successful specialty cake has to balance form and function as it not only has to look amazing, but also taste as good as it looks. It requires the designer to work in three dimensions as they solve structural and aesthetics problems along the way. Functional modelling and testing is crucial, as is working within a budget to optimise presentation and taste.

Our student outcomes from the flora and fauna brief ranged from literal interpretations through to highly conceptual, including Swiss rolls inspired by assassin bugs, cakes based on the octopus stinkhorn fungus and cupcake arrangements in the shape of a blue damselfly!

Year 13 Sculpture

Using New Zealand flora and fauna as inspiration, the Year 13 Sculpture project required the class to investigate and create headpieces. The research included investigating the sculptural opportunities for contemporary adornment, taking note of the sociological significance of the ornamental and functional roles of headpieces – why they are worn, who wears them and how are they stored when not in use. To this end, the students had to investigate how artists and designers present their work in this field. The results cleverly incorporated the demanding brief into a variety of crowns, headbands and mesh headpieces.

Taste of France

The sights, smells and tastes of French culinary fare filled the Jack Paine Centre for the Food Technology Artisan Food Market. The market was the final stage of more than two months of planning and preparation by the Year 11 Food Technology students. Following a research phase which saw them analyse the products sold at markets and specialty stores around Auckland, they conducted feasibility studies to come up with a food item they believed would ‘sell like hot cakes.’

Once their product was decided, they needed to establish the costs of development and production, refine the recipe to produce a minimum of 20 units, create a food safety plan and nutrition

Snapper Food!

information panel, source packaging and calculate a price. All of this work came together on market day as the budding chefs showcased their kitchen creations to a crowd of student, teacher and parent customers.

More than 20 stalls covered the full gamut of market-style treats, including sweet and savoury morsels and hot and cold drinks. There were delicate madeleines and petit fours, mouth-watering cakes and crepes, moreish baguettes and freshly squeezed juice. There was a constantly long line of patrons waiting to enter the JPC throughout the lunchtime sales period, with many vendors selling out well before the bell rang.

Early each morning of the week, while most are just thinking about getting ready for school, the campus is already a hive of activity from down at the Music Centre to up on the Sports Fields.

A new club joined the early morning action last year, growing quickly to 40 members this year. Convening each Friday morning before breakfast in the Food Technology room in the Jack Paine Centre, ‘Snapper Food’ is a collaboration between Food Technology teacher, Mrs Susanna Pattison and Photography teacher, Mr Chris Ashforth. The idea for the club grew out of the considerable interest on social media for posting images of the food we prepare, eat or just like.

The students meet every Friday morning in the ‘JPC’ to prepare and present simple breakfast style foods. The students were then guided in different photographic techniques to show the food to its very best advantage. The catch cry for Snapper Food is, ‘We eat with our eyes first.’ Just as important as how well the food is cooked, is the presentation.

In the last Snapper Food session for Term 2, the group stepped away from the word ‘simple,’ the focus was on delivering a full ‘English Breakfast’ with the theme ‘food as a social mediator.’

Eating has always been a core component of socialising and meals are often a time when people come together to celebrate life, culture and human relationships. In recent years, social media has put a new twist on this as ‘eat and tweet’ has flooded news feeds with mouthwatering food photos. It is no longer enough to just share a meal with those at the table! With the addition of a mobile phone or camera, that same meal can be winging across the airwaves as a visual feast to be shared! Snapping an image of a meal to share has now become commonplace from the fanciest restaurant to the smallest local café.

The special breakfast was a chance for our students to do both, share in person and snap and share. The early morning meeting was a true social occasion as they chatted away while preparing the food and then sat down to enjoy their labours.

Blue Brew

Coffee and Barista skills have become a popular part of the Food Technology programme at the College in recent years. Year 10 students learn the basics of espresso beverages and hone their customer service skills at the Blue Brew espresso bar in the JPC atrium during lunchtimes and College events.

In order to extend understanding of the life cycle of coffee and the transformation of green bean to brew, the Technology department invested in a sample roaster. With a view to developing a signature Saint Kentigern blend, Level Two Food Technology student, Sam Keyte, has been tasked with creating an infographic that instructs students on how to roast coffee to specifications.

Through target market surveys and focus groups, Sam established the profile for the Saint Kentigern blend. He went on to source specialty green beans from Old Collegian and coffee importer, John Burton. Sam is in the final stages of his development and is finalising both the blend and packaging. Sam has worked with the marketing team to ensure he accurately represents the College brand.

The Saint Kentigern Coffee is a blend of four very different coffees from around the world: Costa Rica, Kenya, Nicaragua and Colombia. Sam selected these coffees for the unique qualities they will bring to his blend. He is in the final stages of testing the roast time in order to achieve the flavour profile that best suits his target market. ‘The balance of sweetness, acidity and body, along with specific tastes, complement each other to give the blend its own trademark taste.’

Win at New Zealand Fashion Week!

Soup’s Up!

YMCA

‘Walk The Line’ is NZ Fashion Week’s nod to all upcoming designer talent who may rule the runways of Fashion Week in years to come. The event gives the chance for 60 young designers, each showing one original and well-constructed garment, to have their garment seen on the catwalk.

Year 12 Fashion and Textile Design Technology students, Larissa Mui and Lucy Scarborough, both submitted their original designs for selection and their garments were chosen as part of the line-up at New Zealand’s most prestigious Fashion Show. They had both worked hard to design and produce garments that are creative and beautiful to look at.

Entered in the Open Section of Walk the Line, Lucy’s dress caught the eye of judges and won the section! The dress was hand marbled china silk that was ruffled and sewn in strips onto an A line slip dress. The result was fresh and flowing - reminiscent of coral and tropical waters; a beautiful garment showing creativity and excellent technique.

Larissa’s outfit was white trousers with a sheer orange overlay that was topped off with crisscrossed bands over the hip. The halter top was hand stitched to give the effect of patchwork.

We are very proud of their efforts! This is the second time a College student has been successful with past fashion student, Taylor McDonald being named the overall winner of the Walk the Line in 2014. Well done girls!

There was tasty fare on offer at lunchtime on several days last term when the Year 9 Soup Kitchen opened for business. Vegetable soup, prepared in the Year 9 technology class was available to anyone with a ‘suitable vessel!’ Each class made variations on a theme, all filled with tasty nutrition. There was no shortage of willing volunteers to taste test and quality control the offerings! The extra soup prepared during class– around 40 litres –was donated to those in need.

The Ceilidh

With a birthday cake to celebrate the occasion, Saint Kentigern held its 21st consecutive Ceilidh an event that attracts members of our community, and beyond, to an evening of tradition, pageantry - and hilarity!

The Pipes & Drums first Ceilidh was set up and run in 1996 as fundraiser to help boost the band on its way to its first tour of Scotland the following year. It has remained an annual fixture ever since. At its heart, it is still a traditional community event which attracts grandparents, parents, friends, staff and students who all look forward to a great meal, entertainment, traditional Scottish country dancing and a good sing along.

While the annual Ceilidh has helped the band to travel to Scotland on five occasions, this year, the proceeds have a new focus.

Following the success of the band’s recent appearance in the 2016 Wellington Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, The Pipes and Drums have received an invitation from the Swiss Armed Forces to participate in the Basel Tattoo 2017!

The Basel Tattoo is presented annually in Switzerland. It takes place at the historical barracks in the heart of the city on the banks of the Rhine, and is recognised internationally as the second largest Tattoo in the world. In 2015 the event was staged to an audience of nearly 120,000. Being in the centre of Europe, spectators come not only from Switzerland but also from many other countries such as France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. It is an exceptional opportunity for our students to perform on the international stage and to be a part of something quite unique. If all goes according to plan, the band will be able to travel to Europe via London to firstly take part in the Old Collegians’ annual dinner there.

Despite the lure of an All Black test on the same night, there was a fantastic turnout for this year’s Ceilidh with every seat spoken for. It was a pleasure to welcome the Boys’ School Pipes and Drums to join with the College 2nd Band to open the evening.

MC, as always, for the evening was Head of Middle School, Mr Duncan McQueen who, with the help of an old-fashioned loud hailer, managed to inject some military precision to the chaos of a Grand March that that brought couples into fours, then eights and finally into lines of sixteen across Elliot Hall – in an amazingly smooth manoeuvre this year!

When Wee Jock’s Ceilidh Band struck up, few could resist the urge to take to the floor for the dancing. It was fabulous to see our prefect team and fellow students, right down to the youngest from the Boys’ School, joining in on the floor and seeming to thoroughly enjoy it all

Our drummers stepped to the front to give an amazing display of precision drumming before the haggis was paraded in. Year 13 student, James Milner gave his rendition of Robbie Burns ‘Ode to the Haggis’ before said haggis was put on the dinner table for all to try. Following dinner, Mr McQueen asked for a show of hands as to who had not added haggis to their dinner plate – then suggested they should be put on detention to write lines – ‘I must eat haggis!’

During the evening, Lewis Hoggard, James Milner and William Eaddy each came forward to solo pipe and they were superb in their delivery as was Olivia Nobbs, the soloist who sang ‘Hector the Hero.’

After much fun and laughter, the evening concluded with a spirited Auld Lang Syne. If laughter is a good measure of success, then the Ceilidh surely succeeded in providing an evening of fun-filled entertainment, mixed with a fine meal and a surprising amount of exercise!

A Night in Las Vegas!

The Sky City venue was transformed into ‘A Night in Las Vegas!’ as more than 850 of our Year 12-13 students and guests, equipped with tickets resembling a playing card, entered the stunning setting. Dressed to the nines, they were ready for one of the most memorable nights of their young lives. The Vegas ‘strip’ was seamlessly recreated, with the bright lights of the lavish casinos and neon signs of the grandiose hotels transporting the guests 10,000km to the world famous resort city.

Year after year, the Student Council responsible for organising this event, down to the finest detail, challenge themselves to ensure that the stakes are raised from previous years. This year’s organisers left no stone unturned and implemented some innovations never seen before at the Ball. How could ‘A night in Las Vegas’ not have some casino tables? Using token chips, teachers and students were able to choose red or black in roulette, go ‘all in’ at poker or aim for 21 in blackjack at five tables throughout the night. As always though, the real action was on the dance floor. As well as a DJ keeping the music flowing, for the first time a College rock band was invited to perform in true Vegas show style!

Throughout the evening, canapés and light snacks flowed to keep energy levels high for more dancing. In between, the guests flocked to the photo booths and official photographers with four different backdrops to ensure this ‘night of nights’ was captured for posterity.

In addition to being an evening of ‘double or nothing’ fun, the Ball is also a traditional rite of passage in which the young men and women exemplify elegance, sophistication and maturity. The etiquette on display, in their interactions with their peers and teachers, proved that these students are rapidly growing into confident, responsible and polite citizens. As Head of Senior School, Mrs Winthrop later said, ‘This was one of the best balls ever!’

King and Queen of the Ball

Prince and Princess of the Ball

Cutest Couple

Best Dressed Girl

Best Dressed Boy

Best Dressed Female Teacher

Best Dressed Male Teacher

Chester Thompson & Alice Boyles

Nick Mitchell & Lizzy Denholm

Freddie Turner & Imogen De Freyne

Elizabeth Whyte

Nick Allen

Mrs Suzanne Winthrop

Mr Paul Venter

An unforgettable night such as this would not have been possible without the tireless input of Mrs Lucinda Williams and the Student Council. We thank them for the huge amount of work they put in to plan and execute a wonderful evening.

Student Council: Katy Fowler, Ruby Houghton, Liv Martens, Joseph Field, Brooke Moody, Sarah Weston, Sheridan Bennett, Sophie Mannington

Fantastic season for Cycling

It has been another fantastic season for our College cyclists so far. At this stage we have a World Junior Champion and record holder, New Zealand titles, North Island titles and Individual medals. In particular, the Girls Premier Team have already won the North Island Team Time Trial Championship and Auckland Team Time Trial Series titles, with the Junior Boys and Year 7/8 girls placing in the North Islands as well. Connor Brown was a member of the New Zealand team that won gold in the World Junior Track Cycling Championships in Switzerland, breaking the world record in the process. This is a fantastic achievement. We now wish Madeleine Park the best of luck as she travels to Doha to compete in the World Road Cycling Champs in October.

Auckland Secondary Schools

Team Time Trial Series

Senior A Girls: 1st Overall, 2nd Race day Championship, Partridge Cup for fastest time during season

Senior A Boys: 3rd Overall

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

Junior A Girls: 3rd Overall, 3rd Race Day Championship

U14 Boys: 2nd Race Day Championship

U14 Girls: 2nd Race Day Championship

North Island Secondary School Cycling Championships

Team Time Trial

Senior A Girls 1st - Lizzy Mudford, Madeleine Park, Kate Fouché, Jamie Lindsay, Simone Nightingale

Year 7/8 Girls 2nd - Sophie Spencer, Zara Jancys, Chloe Cox, Finn Bilsborough

Junior Boys 2nd - Dylan McCullough, Callum Walsh, Zac Cantell-Roberts, Jacob Hannan Road Race

Dylan McCullough 1st U16 Boys

Madeleine Park 3rd U19 Girls

Sophie Spencer 2nd U14 Girls

Niamh Bilsborough 1st U15 Girls B Grade

Sam Titter-Dower 1st U19 Boys B Grade

Criterium

Sophie Spencer 2nd U13 Girls

Callum Walsh 3rd U16 Boys

North Island Secondary School Cycling Championships

Team Time Trial

Senior A Girls 1st - Lizzy Mudford, Madeleine Park, Kate Fouché, Jamie Lindsay, Simone Nightingale

Year 7/8 Girls 2nd - Sophie Spencer, Zara Jancys, Chloe Cox, Finn Bilsborough

Junior Boys 2nd - Dylan McCullough, Callum Walsh, Zac Cantell-Roberts, Jacob Hannan Road Race

Dylan McCullough 1st U16 Boys

Madeleine Park 3rd U19 Girls

Sophie Spencer 2nd U14 Girls

Niamh Bilsborough 1st U15 Girls B Grade

Sam Titter-Dower 1st U19 Boys B Grade

Criterium

Sophie Spencer 2nd U13 Girls

Callum Walsh 3rd U16 Boys

New Zealand Individual Cycling Championships

U20 GIRLS

Overall: Lizzie Mudford 4th

Individual event:

GOLD, Maddy Park, Individual Time Trial

2nd Maddy Park, Hill Climb

2nd Lizzie Mudford, Criterium

3rd Anna Wilkinson, Hill Climb

U16 BOYS

Overall: Dylan McCullough 3rd, Callum Walsh 4th, Jacob Hannan 5th

Individual event:

GOLD Callum Walsh, Criterium

2nd Dylan McCullough, Individual Time Trial

3rd Jacob Hannan, Criterium

U14 BOYS

Overall: Ben Connell 2nd

Individual event:

2nd Ben Connell, Individual Time Trial

3rd Ben Connell, U14 Hill Climb

U14 GIRLS

Overall: Emma Hannan 4th

Year 7 And 8 North Island Championships

Year 7 Girls Road Race: 3rd Sophie De Vries

Year 8 Boys Road Race: 2nd Ben Connell

Year 8 Girls Road Race: 3rd= Chloe Cox

Year 8 Girls Team: 2nd Team Time Trial

(Sophie Spencer, Sophie de Vries, Chloe Cox, Finn Bilsborough, Zara Jancys)

World Record for Connor!

For the second consecutive year, a College student has won a Junior Track Cycling World Championship gold medal and set a new world record! Year 13 student, Connor Brown was part of the Kiwi men’s 4000m pursuit team which topped the podium on the second day of the World Championships held in Aigle, Switzerland. After qualifying as the fastest squad on the first day, the team comprehensively beat Australia in the semi-final and went on to beat Denmark, winning by three seconds and making a new world record!

Success continues for Maddy

Knock Out Cup Champions!

Football at Saint Kentigern continues to grow in numbers and the general standard of play has noticeably improved. This season we fielded 18 boys’ teams and 5 girls’ teams, with 12 of the boys’ teams placed in the top 6 of their leagues and 3 of the girls’ teams placed in the top 3 of their leagues. The 13A team placed 3rd in their league, the 14A second in theirs as did 15A.

The boys’ 1st XI fought hard all season to remain unbeaten right up until the 11th round when they played Sacred Heart at a packed Bill McKinlay Park on a Friday night. Unfortunately, they fell short and had to settle for 2nd place in the league. The result in the Lotto National tournament was heart-breakingly similar with the team losing a penalty shootout after the scores were locked at 1-all after extra time. However, the team turned the earlier loss to beat Sacred Heart 3-1 in extra time of the Knock Out Cup to secure a place in the final against Auckland Grammar.

In the final of the Knock Out Cup, the 1st XI once again gave everything they had and this time triumphed over Auckland Grammar 2-1 to win the Cup for the first time in many years. The win was well earned and just reward for a team that really only lost to the one team all year round and one of those in a penalty shootout!

The girls’ 1st XI team acquitted themselves well this season coming 2nd in the greater Auckland league behind a very strong Mt Albert team. Unfortunately they met Mt Albert again in the semi-final of the Lotto National Tournament which they also lost. They did however dispatch Hamilton Girls in the play off for 3rd and 4th. They can arguably claim to be the 2nd best team in the country after Mt Albert dispatched St Peter’s Cambridge in the final.

NZ REPRESENTATIVES

Once again, we have a number of talented players who gained selection for New Zealand age group squads. Dane Schnell, Dylan Morris, Liam Williams Ben Mata and Luke Johnson all made the wider training squad for the New Zealand U20 team. Luke Johnson was named in the final team with Liam Williams named as non-travelling reserve.

Both Hannah Blake and Sophie Stewart Hobbs played in warm up games for the New Zealand U20 women’s team with Sophie being named in the actual side for the World Cup. Hannah has been named in the U17 World Cup Team which will compete in Jordan this month.

Well done to these students for dedication to the game. Your hard work has been recognised.

Already a junior world champion and world record breaker on the track, Year 13 student, Madeleine Park now has the opportunity to add to her success on the road! Madeleine has been named in the New Zealand team to compete at the Junior Road Cycling World Championships in Doha, Qatar, in October. Last year, she was part of the New Zealand women’s 4000m pursuit team that won gold and set a new world record at the Junior World Track Cycling Championships, and she also won the bronze medal in the 2000m individual pursuit. Having switched her focus to road cycling, she is the reigning junior national time trial championship and was runner-up in the road race.

She will be joined in the five-strong team by Old Collegians, James Fouche and Mikayla Harvey.

Duathlon Gold

Rugby Season

The start of the winter Rugby season this year was somewhat disjointed. With no play over the Queen’s Birthday weekend, a number of grading rounds, and an uneven number of teams in some grades creating bye rounds, it was difficult to establish cohesive combinations early in the season.

Once up and running, though, there were some excellent games played and the usual rivalry with sporting stalwarts, Sacred Heart, Auckland Grammar and King’s, continued. It was also refreshing to play some of the North Harbour and Counties Schools in the 5A grade as the traditional boundaries were widened.

The 1st XV bounced back from two early season defeats at the hands of Sacred Heart and St Peter’s in rounds 2 and 3 to then record eight straight wins to lift their standing and finish 2nd in the regular season and secure a home semi-final against Sacred Heart. This was a much anticipated game after the loss earlier in the season but on the day, Sacred Heart were once again victors bringing an early end to the 1st XV season.

Along with the 1st XV, five other teams from across the age groups secured semi-final games: 4A, 5A, U15, 6A and U14. Of these, only the 5A and U15 team made it through to the finals. Both teams lost their final games of the season but were courageous in their defeats.

NZ Secondary Schools Selection

The highest honour in schoolboy rugby is to be named in the NZ Secondary Schools team with players selected from secondary school teams the length and breadth of the country. With so many quality players to choose from, it’s a true honour to be chosen for the squad. At the time of writing, Tanielu Tele’, Carlos Price and Tevita Mafaleo were all named in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Squad from which two teams will be picked at the end of training.

For our multi-sport athletes, triathlon and aquathon give way to duathlon, comprising running and cycling with no swimming, in the winter season. Often with wet and cold conditions, this is a sport for the fit and hardy! The Auckland Duathlon was held in grim conditions at the Pukekohe Race Track with some great results!

U19 Boys Cameron Low 1st, Daniel Whitburn 2nd

U19 Girls Anna Wilkinson 2nd

U16 Boys Dylan McCullough 1st, Matthew Faulconbridge 3rd

U16 Girls Maddy Clarke 2nd

U14 Boys Jack Melhuish 3rd

Year 7/8 Girls Sophie Spencer 1st

Year 7/8 Boys Jacob Spring 1st

U14 Tag Team Boys 2nd (Logan Cowie, Jensen Foster)

Our top duathletes went on to compete at the National event securing a number of top 10 performances. Dylan McCullough continued his dominance in the U16 boys event winning another gold. Sophie Spencer also won gold in the girls’ U12 race. Third places were secured by Daniel Whitburn in the U19 boys’ race, and Emma Hannan in the U13 girls’ race. In the U14 team event, Jensen Foster and Logan Cowie won gold. Well done to these students!

Auckland Netball Champions!

Whata fantastic night! With amazing crowd support, our Premier Netball girls claimed the Auckland Netball Premier Championship title, having last won it in 2014, beating Mount Albert Grammar School (MAGS) 40-35. Buoyed on by very vocal supporters, including an awesome contingent of boarders from Bruce House, the girls went ahead early with a four goal lead and never lost momentum; they looked like the team in control for all four quarters!

Since the team first came together in February, they have been dedicated to every aspect of their campaign including a robust strength and conditioning programme, technical and tactical court sessions and sports psychology. Our full team performance at the Auckland final had every player rising to the challenge. Outstanding defensive pressure allowed us to capitalise turnover ball and our shooting combination of Sydney Fraser and Ashleigh Garner were reliable in their finish. Our total shooting statistics were 90% with Ashleigh shooting 86% and Sydney shooting 94%; our highest statistics to date.

The team is led by Georgia Ropati (C), Mererangi Paul (VC), Tori Kolose and Sydney Fraser. These players are leaders both on and off the court and are integral to our training sessions and decisions made.

Following the Auckland Championships, the team moved on to the Upper North Island Secondary School event during winter tournament week, having a clean sweep through pool play to once again meet MAGS in the final. This time around it was MAGS turn to take the lead by a single goal, 23-22! Special congratulations to Mererangi Paul who was named Player of the Tournament – well done!

The girls are now looking ahead to the National competition in October.

Premier Netball Team:

GS Ashleigh Garner, GA Sydney Fraser, WA Mererangi Paul, C Tori Kolose, WD Tayla Earle, GD Georgia Ropati, GK Lauren Pickett, Hannah Ward, Vilisi Tavuii, Mahina Paul; Viona Silao

Congratulations to the following girls who were chosen for representative teams:

NZ Secondary School Reps: Mererangi Paul, Tayla Earle and Sydney Fraser

NZ U20 Team: Sydney Fraser

NZ Maori U20 Team: Tori Kolose and Mererangi Paul

Year 10 Auckland Champs too!

The 10A ‘Mystics’ netball team had a stellar season starting back in January when selections took place. After grading they were pleased to be undefeated, setting them up well for the season; a momentum they maintained through the first round of games until losing to Mt Albert Grammar (MAGS) in the final game. In the mid-season ‘combined points’ tournament, they met and conceded to MAGS again in the final. Learning from these losses, they went into the second half of the season with even greater determination and were proud to play a strong final against MAGS, taking the lead by 10 points to win the title!

Mystics and Magic Contracts!

What a fantastic achievement! Three Saint Kentigern girls have been contracted to Netball New Zealand teams for 2017! Mererangi Paul has been named as a training partner for the 2017 ANZ Netball Elite League in Mystics team. A midcourter, Mere has been a stalwart of our Premier Netball team. Earlier in the year, she was selected into the NZ Secondary School team that won the final of the International Secondary Schools Challenge in May. She was also a member of the under-20 Aotearoa Maori side and was named player of the tournament at the Upper North Island Secondary Schools tournament. Next year, she will have an opportunity to rub shoulders with some of the sport’s best including Maria Tutaia, Bailey Mes and Anna Harrison!

Despite recent injury, Head Girl, Sydney Fraser has also been contracted to the confirmed Waikato Bay of Plenty Magic team for 2017, along with former Deputy Head Girl and Old Collegian, Amorangi Malesala. Sydney covers WA and GA and will the youngest in the group having made her mark this season as an accurate shooter. She was selected earlier in the year for the NZ Secondary School team but an injury in the build-up prevented her from taking to the court. Former teammate, Amorangi Malesala is also a goal shooter who played for New Zealand Secondary Schools in 2015.

An amazing achievement girls, we’re very proud of you!

Gold Medal for Fencing team!

Fencing has been thriving at the College in recent years with over 40 students across the age groups involved in the sport. The College entered several teams in the Regional Secondary Schools Fencing Competition in August.

Following on from their success last year in competition, the A team comprising Sam Tait, Alex Monk and James Boyd managed a historic, undefeated run, through the poules that secured their spot at the top of the table. In the quarter finals they faced Epsom Girls Grammar who they defeated 45 to 3, followed by Auckland Grammar B in the semis, 45 – 41. Facing Macleans in the final they won once again, 45 – 38 securing a gold podium finish. Well done boys!

NZ Waterpolo Reps

With water polo on the rise at the College, resulting in a fantastic national silver medal finish earlier in the year, it was with great pride that two of the team were selected to represent NZ in the 3rd FINA World Men’s Youth Water Polo Championships in Podgorica, Montenegro. Year 13 student, Dominic Rankin-Chitar along with Year 12 student, Ben Fleming had the incredible opportunity to travel to Europe to compete, playing teams from around the world. The team lost to Croatia, Serbia, USA and Kazakhstan but beat China and then South Africa on the last day to finish 17th in the competition. An amazing experience for the boys!

Congratulations also to fellow Year 13 student, Gabby MacDonald who has been a stalwart of the girls’ team since Year 9. Gabby has been intent on national selection and has worked hard to achieve her dreams representing NZ as an U15, U16 and U17. She is currently a member of the U18 squad, pending later final selection for the World Championship in December.

Golf

After winning the Auckland College Sports Golf Championships earlier in the year, the team then competed in the Auckland Intercollegiate Teams Championships. The team of Erik Jorgensen (Captain) Karl Jorgensen, Karan Nalam, Andrew Meng and Henry Jaio beat off strong challenges from King’s College and Macleans College to win the 2016 Championship by 2 strokes and in doing so qualify for the National Championships in Nelson in Term 3. During Tournament Week, the Premier Golf Team competed in the NZ Secondary Schools teams event in Nelson. After 2 rounds of golf the best 3 scores are taken from each team and the boys finished 6th in NZ.

Equestrian Gold

Congratulations to Year 13 student, Amy Sage who won GOLD with the New Zealand team in the International Riders Challenge in the UK. Amy was 3rd out of 45 in the dressage phase and Reserve Champion overall in the ridden section.

Hockey in Good Form

Girls’ Hockey

After their tour to Melbourne in the April Holidays, the girls’ 1st XI Hockey Team had a good start to the season going through to the semi-final of the Auckland competition unbeaten. They played Diocesan in the semi, resulting in a draw, but lost the game on penalty shootout. They went on to beat King’s in the ¾ playoff and qualified for the SuperCity Competition with the top schools from North Harbour.

The team played well through this competition which took them into Term 3. After a tough pool round of 6 games, they qualified for the semi final for the first time ever! They played St Cuthbert’s and lost 3-1 in a strong performance. In the ¾ playoff with Westlake, the conditions were atrocious with a flooded turf and torrential rain. The girls led 2-1 until the last five minutes when Westlake scored to draw the game and share 3rd place. This was a very satisfying finish to the Auckland season with the highest placing the girls have ever had.

Boys’ Hockey

With a very young team, the boys’ 1st XI wanted to improve on the 2015 season. They started well and ended up placing 4th in the Auckland Competition which put them back into the Supercity competition. This was a very strong competition and although a number of games were very close, the boys were playing off for 5-8. With a very good win over Kingsway, it meant they would play off for 5th and 6th against King’s. The score was even at the end of the game and the two teams decided to do a penalty shoot out which King’s won to place the boys in 6th.

National Tournament

Both the boys and girls teams competed in their national tournaments. The boys finished 16th in Wellington with the following results Scots College drew 1-1, Otago Boys won 2-0, Wellington College draw 3-3, Kings High School lost 2-0, Christ’s College lost 2-1, Westlake Boys lost 1-0, King’s College lost 4-0.

The girls’ team had hopes of finishing off the season on a high but a single loss in pool play meant that they would finish in the bottom half of the tournament. Their results were as follows

Rangitoto won 3-2, Whangarei Girls won 3-2, Iona College lost 1-0, Timaru Girls won 7-1, Hamilton Girls lost in overtime, Sacred Heart won 4-2, St Matthews won 1-0

Representatives

Over the season, 22 students have made representative teams from Auckland and Counties U21, U18, U15,Collier and Hatch Cup teams.

Great effort at Rowing Worlds!

Congratulations to Saint Kentigern College Rowing Club member, Ethan Blight who recently competed in the World Junior Championships in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. He competed in the coxless pair event with Thomas Russell from St Andrew’s College in Christchurch.

The coxless pair event this year was very competitive with twenty five crews entered, which made qualifying for the A final very challenging! Ethan and his partner just missed making the A final which put them into the B final. In their B final they did not have the fastest start but eventually powered their way to the lead with just

100 metres remaining in the race. They won by just a quarter of a boat length, a fantastic result for the pair who were one of the younger crews in the field. Congratulations to Ethan for his performance on the world stage.

Congratulations also to the five U18 rowers, Rhiannon Koni-Webb, Cole Brann, Kieran Blockley, Harry Ramakers and Angus Wilson who were selected in the final Auckland Light Blues crews traveling to Bundaberg, Queensland in September to compete in the Queensland State Championships.

Hamilton Wins Cross Country!

HOUSE POINTS

1ST HAMILTON

2ND CHALMERS

3RD WISHART

With very little rain in the preceding days, the entrants in the College Cross Country, which included the Year 7 & 8 students from the Girls’ School, once again experienced great conditions for off-road running! Firm conditions underfoot and clear skies overhead made for fast times by the competitors, aided by plenty of support from family and friends on the sidelines. Racing on courses ranging from 2km to 6km, depending on age, those who had eyes on the podium places, and the chance to represent the College in wider competitions, had put in weeks of hard training in preparation. For others, the event offered a chance to set a personal best, and contribute to the inter-House championship.

AUCKLAND CROSS COUNTRY

4TH CARGILL

At the Auckland Cross Country Championships held in Pukekohe, the ‘6 person’ Senior Girls team won silver the ‘3 person’ Senior Boys team won bronze. Top 10 results from Maddy Clark 7th (Junior Girls), Dylan McCullough 6th (Intermediate Boys), Cameron Low 7th (Senior Boys).

SENIOR GIRLS Hannah Ward (W) Katherine Chang (H) Lisa Miyaura (H)

SENIOR BOYS Matthew Manning (W) Cameron Low (W) Daniel Whitburn (Ch)

INTERMEDIATE GIRLS Maddy Clarke (H) Kenya Ashcroft (H) Sam Watson (Ch)

INTERMEDIATE BOYS Dylan McCullough (H) George Ellett (Ca) Matthew Falcounbridge (Ch)

JUNIOR GIRLS Grace Chang (Ca)

Emma Hannan (Ch)

JUNIOR BOYS Jaylen Rodwell (Ch) Logan Cowie (Ca)

YEAR 8 GIRLS - SKC Sophie Spencer (Ch)

YEAR 8 GIRLS - GS Elise Tse (Ca)

Ava Wearne (Ch)

Florence Dallow (W)

Beth Harford (Ca)

Joshua Grant (Ch)

Phoebe Mitchell (W)

Lily-Belle Sawyer (W)

YEAR 8 BOYS Jacob Spring (Ch) Max van den Brink (W) Harry Lowe (H)

YEAR 7 GIRLS - SKC Nakoia Ashford (Ch)

YEAR 7 GIRLS - GS Grace Paul (Ca)

YEAR 7 BOYS Jude Sheehan (Ca)

Isabella Campion (Ch) Neve Webster (H)

Verity Ward (Ch)

Lola Wiltshire (Ca)

Christian McIntyre (W) Bailey Liu (Ch)

Medals Galore at AIMS Games!

What a fantastic week of sporting competition for our Year 7 and 8 students at the AIMS Games in Tauranga. Attending one of the biggest sporting events in the southern hemisphere, with over 8000 athletes representing 260 schools, this was a non-stop week of competition.

The College entered teams in basketball, football, netball, waterpolo and hip hop, as well as entering students in individual codes such as swimming, tennis, yachting, golf, gymnastics, cross country, multisport and BMX. In some instances players from the Schools joined with those from the College to form the strongest combined squads.

As play came to a close, our youngest sportspeople were proud to deliver a combined total of 27 medals across the campuses, 16 from the College – our most successful games to date! The biggest haul came from swimming with Brooke Hill, Isabella Campion and Nakoia Ashford amassing eleven medals with a gold for Isabella in the backstroke.

The first medals of the games came from our sailors earlier in the week with Nathan Vince from the College in silver place behind gold medal winner, Monty Alderson from the Boys’ School who won for the second consecutive year.

Tennis medals were won by our College players with a gold for the combined boys’ team (James McPherson, Jack Loutit, Yu Dian Dong, Daniel Persson, Joey Huang, Caleb Mattison) and another gold for James Mercer and Daniel Persson in the doubles.

In the final game day of play, the combined College and Girls’ School Netball team (Tessa Birch, Florence Dallow, Rosie Emus, Rachel Funnell, Mia Harries, J’adore Harris-Tavita,Danielle Mayer, Ava McKenzie, Addison Peebles, Khanye Nonoa) beat Bucklands Beach 22-13 for a bronze medal. This was a fantastic achievement for the girls in an event that fielded 120 schools!

Well done to all the students taking part, especially our medallists!

AIMS Netball - Combined College/Girls’ School Team

Combined SKC/SKGS Bronze

AIMS Swimming - Medallists

Brooke Hill 13 yr old 100m Fly 2nd Silver Medal

100m Free 2nd Silver Medal

200m Free 2nd Silver Medal

Isabella Campion

50m Back 1st Place Gold Medal

100m Back 2nd Place Silver Medal

50m Fly 2nd Silver Medal

100m Breast 3rd Bronze Medal

100m Indiv Med 3rd Bronze Medal

Nakoia Ashford 100m Free 2nd Silver Medal

50m Fly 2nd Silver Medal

50m Free 2nd Silver Medal

50m Back 3rd Bronze Medal

AIMS Tennis - Medallists

Boys combined results

James Mercer, Jack Loutit, Yu Dian Dong, Daniel Persson, Joey Huang, Caleb Mattison Gold Team Win

Boys Doubles

James McPherson and Daniel Persson Doubles Gold

AIMS Yachting - Medallist

Nathan Vince Silver

OLD COLLEGIANS

President’s Report

The rugby season this year saw many close games at the top of the 1A competition. The SKC vs AGS (Auckland Grammar) at College on 25 June was no exception, however, SKC won the day, after which an after-match function was held in conjunction with Ron Stone’s family in memory of Ron, the Saint Kentigern teacher and the Grammar old boy. Ron’s 1955 AGS’s 3A rugby side survivors made the effort to attend to honour Ron, and it was a memorable occasion in memory of a great man, and we thank the family for their kind contribution.

The College 1966 1st XV held a 50th reunion luncheon at Bruce House on 2 July to coincide with the SKC vs King’s home game. Willy Akel organised an excellent attendance of old team mates which included Jack (former coach) and Beverly Paine and Frank Bull as former assistant coach. The team turnout was excellent as was the rugby match after the lunch which saw SKC gain victory over King’s. A number of the King’s 1966 team were also present at the aftermatch to celebrate the game and remember those matches before.

The London Annual Reunion was held at the iconic Tempio Restaurant, off Fleet Street, on Friday 15 July and was well attended with a wide spread of decades, thanks to coordinators, John Shuker, Daniel Quigley and Danny Gowan. For some of the younger members, which included Larissa Pedersen, it was their first attendance, as they had only recently commenced their careers in London. The evening provided a great opportunity to catch up with old school friends after following many different study paths after college.

The Otago ROC’s (Recent Old Collegians) was held on Friday 12 August and our thanks to Josh

SKOCA 2016 Calendar

20 OCTOBER – THURSDAY

SKOCA - Netball

Premier and Senior A Netball versus Old Collegians Girls

Start: Games start at 6.00pm (contact: Kelly Alexander)

Venue: Gym1 and Gym2

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com or kelly.alexander@outlook.com

14 NOVEMBER - MONDAY

SKOCA – College Golf Day

Time: Assemble at 11.00am

Venue: Remuera Golf Club

Ticket: $100.00 per head. Refreshments provided. RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com

18 NOVEMBER - FRIDAY

Auckland - Roc’s (Recent Old Collegians) Cocktails

Time: 6.15pm

Venue: Juice Bar, Windsor Hotel, Parnell

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com

FRIDAY 7 April 2017

AGM and Annual Dinner, Focus Decade 1970-79

Venue: Elliot Hall

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com

Bardell for organising the event. Out thanks to Richard Cryer for organising the Christchurch ROC’s event. These events enable OC’s at the local universities to socialise with other OC’s whether in their first or last year of study, and build the OC fellowship network.

The Boys’ School Annual Dinner was held on Friday 12 August with a focus on the foundation decade of 1959-69. The guest speaker was an old boy of the School, Jamie Beaton, who has embarked on an amazing early career whilst only graduating from Harvard this year. Jamie spoke of his fond memories at the Boys’ School and how he created Crimson Consulting Group, based on his own endeavours to get selected to attend Harvard. His company is now a multi-million dollar success and is now advising students globally and we wish him ongoing success. Our thanks also to the School Jazz band, Peter Cassie, and foundation school old boys, Mike Gowan, Phil Recordon and Peter Nelson for their involvement in making the evening so enjoyable.

The Australian Reunion was held in Sydney on 19 August to coincide with the first Bledisloe Rugby match, and again the weather and rugby were both superb. A number of OC’s made the trip to Sydney from NZ to join the local group of 40 for the dinner on the Friday, with some meeting later for the rugby on the Saturday. It was pleasing to have a number of College foundation decade OC’s attend to join with Michael Braham, who lives in Sydney and is a regular attendee. Our thanks to Scott Beach and Rodney Steel for organising a solid attendance of Sydney based OC’s. My thanks also to Rick Flower and his enthralling ‘story telling’ ability.

Please check the SKOCA calendar for the events yet to occur in 2016 with the SKOCA College Golf Day at Remuera Club, the Netball and ROC’s Auckland and the final event being the Boy’s School 2011 Leaver’s BBQ in December. Fides Servanda Est.

The committee welcomes feed-back from members so please keep in touch via the website; skoca@saintkentigern.com Fides Servanda Est

Andrew Morgan, President of the Old Collegians Association

Past Presidents’ Lunch

Aluncheon is held every two years at the Northern Club to which surviving past presidents of the Saint Kentigern Old Collegians Association are invited, along with the three Heads and Trust Board members. This is a time of fellowship and the chance for the Old Collegians to be updated on many of the advancements that have occurred at the Saint Kentigern campuses during the previous two years.

The Association was originally formed in February 1959, the year the Boys’ School opened and was formerly known as the Saint Kentigern Old Boys Association. This was renamed Old Collegians in the year the girls joined the College. The luncheon recognises 57 years of leadership by former students who have taken an active interest in maintaining the ties to their place of schooling. It also provides a forum to reconnect and maintain the two way flow of information to ensure that the members of the Old Collegians Association have a continued voice at Saint Kentigern.

Current President, Mr Andrew Morgan brought everyone up to date on current activity and explained about the need to encourage a greater philanthropic interest, particularly in support of the Old Collegians’ Scholarships which afford opportunities for the children of Old Collegians and others to benefit from a Saint Kentigern education. The Old Collegians currently support 16 annual scholarships across the campuses and numerous grants for sporting and other endeavours.

Ms Juliet Small, Principal of the Girls’ School, Mr Peter Cassie, Principal of the Boys’ School and Mr Steve Cole, Head of College each gave a report on their campuses. Mr Cole used the opportunity to announce that he will retire as Head of College mid-2017.

Past Presidents in Attendance

This year 21 of the 24 surviving past presidents attended. The attendees included Mark Conelly (2001), Peter Coote (1963), David Corbett (1966), Don Craig (1980), Michael Daniel (1974-75), Rick Flower (1973), David Grove (1976-77), George Grove (1991-92 & 1995-96), Bryan Haggitt (1965), Nigel Harrison (1993-94), Andrew Jarvie (1997-2000), Andrew Morgan (2007-), David McCulloch (1989-90), Bob McMillan (1968-70), John Patterson (1981-82), Grant Plimmer (1987-88), Murray Shaw (2001-03), Garth Stewart (1964), Jim Syme (1971-72), David Thomson (1962), Malcolm Wilson (1978-79)

1966 1st XV Reunion

Members of the 1966 College 1st XV gathered for a 50 year reunion in July. The players and coach, Mr Jack Paine met ahead of the current 1st XV’s match against King’s College. They enjoyed a lunch at Bruce House before watching the match from the Sports Centre lounge and then were joined by fellow Old Collegians at the Jack Paine Centre. The thrilling match was won by the College 24-17 with a try in the final minutes. The 1966 team had a record of 10 wins, 8 losses and a draw, scoring 207 points and conceding 115.

Boys’ School SKOCA Reunion Dinner

Many old friendships were rekindled when former students were welcomed back to the Boys’ School for a dinner held in JC Chalmers Hall. Principal, Mr Peter Cassie extended a warm welcome to the guests, telling them that the School is in good heart. He said that the continued keen interest for an all boys’ primary education sees the projected roll extending to 550 during Term 4. He paid tribute to all former students acknowledging that it is their willingness to live by the values learnt at school, and actively get out into the community and make a difference, that is part of the fabric and success of Saint Kentigern.

Roselle House holds a special place in the hearts of Saint Kentigern boys and guests were told that plans are well underway to ‘bring the boys back’ to Roselle House, which is where many of them started when the School first opened and the Junior classes occupied the upper floor. Planning is in the final stages for a Library and Learning Commons to occupy that space, once sufficient funds have been raised. This is a project that will be watched with great interest!

The traditional ‘roll call’ was then taken before special guest for the evening, former student, Jamie Beaton was invited to speak. At just 21 years of age, Jamie has created a multi-million dollar company. Jamie attended Harvard University and completed a Master’s degree in Finance two years ahead of schedule. He then used his experience of studying towards and applying for prestigious universities, to co-found Crimson Consulting, a tutoring and mentoring service that assists students on the path to entry to Ivy League/Oxford/Cambridge universities. The company has been valued at nearly US$60 million, with Jamie’s stake worth US$26 million.

In addressing the guests, Jamie said that he believed that his foundation years at the Boys’ School set him up to be a true allround student who could thrive in the rigour of an academic world. In referring to the wide range of co-curricular activities, he said he cherished those years that ‘made it unacceptable not to at least try.’ In his current role, he sees himself as an ambassador for the next round of students aiming for a top university. His aim is to ‘help break the glass ceiling’ for prospective students and use his experience to assist others follow in his path.

As Mr Cassie concluded the evening, he told the former students that they are always welcome to visit the School; they will always be part of ‘our family.’

Honours Tie for Hamish Carter

It was with great pleasure that the Boys’ School welcomed back former student, Hamish Carter to assembly to be awarded an Honours Tie. This is the highest honour the Boys’ School can bestow and is given only to a select few former staff and students of the School who have gone on to make a significant contribution to the community.

Hamish attended the Boys’ School for Years 7 &8 in 1983-1984 and went on to Auckland Grammar where he initially took up rowing before turning his full attention to becoming a triathlete. He held the World No 1 ranking when he attended his first Olympics in Sydney but a ‘shocker’ of a race left him trailing out of medal contention. Two years later at the Manchester Commonwealth Games, he finished in bronze position. By the time he earned selection for the 2004 Athens Olympics, his friend, Bevan Docherty had overtaken him as the leading NZ triathlete - but no-one should have under-estimated Hamish’s drive to win! Few will forget the incredible sight of the two New Zealanders crossing the line eight seconds apart with Hamish taking the gold medal and Bevan right behind in silver place!

Hamish won the Sportsman of the Year award that year and was awarded Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the New Year Honours list of 2004-05. Hamish continued to compete until his retirement from competition in 2007. In 2011, he joined the board of High Performance Sport New Zealand.

Our boys thoroughly enjoyed hearing Hamish speak about his years of competitive sport and were left with a true understanding that getting to the top and staying at the top in elite sport requires hard work, focused determination and personal sacrifice.

So proud for Blair!

We were all so proud to hear that Old Collegian, Blair Tuke, with his 49er sailing partner, Peter Burling, were selected as co-captains of the New Zealand Olympic team on the eve of the opening ceremony; the first time in New Zealand history that two athletes have been named as flag bearers. How proud were we as they led the New Zealand athletes into the Maracana Stadium in Rio!

The flagbearer is chosen by the New Zealand Olympic Team Chef de Mission, taking into account a wide range of factors including past performances, ability to lead and inspire New Zealand athletes, competition preparation and performance standards. Blair and Peter’s performances have been and continue to be awe-inspiring!

Four time world champions, the pair were attending their second Olympics, having won a silver medal at the London Olympics in 2012. How proud were we when Blair added an Olympic 2016 gold medal to his winning tally!

Along with Blair, Old Collegian, Marcus Daniell and tennis doubles partner, Michael Venus, were the first Kiwi males to qualify for the Olympics since Brett Steven at Atlanta in 1996. They faced a tough early round, unfortunately ending their Olympic dream.

At the time of writing, Old Collegian, Rick Dodson will be competing in the Paralympics as part of the Kiwi Gold Sailing team. Rick, who was the on-board strategist for Team New Zealand’s successful 1995 challenge and 2000 defence of the America’s Cup, took up para-sailing in 2012 after being diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 19 years ago. By the time this Piper goes to print, we hope he, too, has realised

Old Collegian, Teddy Stanaway was also named in the All Blacks Sevens team for the sport’s introduction at the Olympics but was sadly ruled out of the Olympics after sustaining an injury on the eve of the Games.

Talented Choristers

Alove of singing during their College years has continued beyond the school gates for Sam Downes, Grace Sturgess, Alex Lee and Manase Latu. All four sing with the New Zealand Youth Choir (NZYC). Members of the choir are between 18 and 25 at the time of their audition, which leads to a three year term which concludes with an international tour. As part of 49-strong choir, the four Old Collegians recently competed against 15 European choirs from Russia, Poland, Latvia, and Czech Republic, receiving standing ovations after achieving a clean sweep at the 24th annual International Festival of Academic Choirs in Pardubice, Czech Republic.

After winning all four categories and being awarded a special prize for outstanding vocal culture, they completed their tour by winning the overall grand prize - the Grand Prix. This is the first time a choir has achieved such success.

While the choir focuses on classical music, they also perform contemporary New Zealand music, including Māori waiata. Their music director, David Squire, said, ‘The highlight was when the choir delivered the most intense performance yet of Waerenga-a-Hika, which had audiences and judges in tears.’

Following the competition, the choir continued on to Le Quesnoy, a small town in northern France, which was liberated by the New Zealand Division just four days before the end of WWI to participate in their memorial services.

Hamish Miller - Commercial Rights Broker

From captaining the College 1st XI Cricket and Football teams, to undertaking missions for FIFA around the world, working for the NZ Warriors and being a founding member of the New Zealand A1GP motor racing team – sport has played a huge part in the life of Old Collegian, Hamish Miller. Hamish attended the Boys’ School, where he was a prefect, and the College, graduating in 1983. He was Head Boy of the College in his final year, which coincided with the final two terms of Reverend Dr Adam MacFarlan’s tenure. ‘It was an emotional time,’ Hamish recalls. ‘We all loved ‘Dougs’ and had enormous respect for him.’ As well as his sporting commitments, Hamish and his fellow prefects attended many formalities that surrounded Dr MacFarlan’s retirement. The 1983 Yearbook pays tribute to the way they ‘conveyed an atmosphere of continuity to the year and seemed nearly always to put the College ahead of all else.’

Hamish went on to complete a BCom majoring in marketing at Auckland University. His first role was with a cycle importing company, which maintained his connection with sport. While setting up a division in Australia, he learned the ins and outs of what became a specialist area of expertise, the brokerage and management of commercial rights and sponsorship.

A connection with a fellow Old Collegian, Callum McNair, who was marketing manager for the Auckland Warriors, saw Hamish return to New Zealand and join the NRL franchise as national sales manager in 1998. From there he was involved with the FIFA U17 World Cup staged

in New Zealand in 1999, and was New Zealand Football’s commercial manager from 2000-2004. The success of the Small Whites junior football programme he created and implemented saw Hamish appointed a FIFA Marketing Instructor and subsequent consultancy work around the world advising national football associations on marketing and sponsorship practice. From 20052010, he was a founding member and commercial director of A1 Team NZ’s entry in the A1GP motor racing series. ‘I’ve enjoyed some great sporting experiences in my life but A1GP was particularly special,’ he says. ‘Closing Fisher & Paykel’s sponsorship of A1 TeamNZ at the Paul Ricard race circuit in the south of France remains a highlight. It was a substantial deal concluded in the presence of A1GP series owner Sheikh Hasher Maktoum of Dubai’s ruling family with whom we became good friends.’

In 2010, Hamish re-joined New Zealand Football’s ranks as commercial director for the All Whites’ FIFA World Cup campaign in South Africa. This added to a long association he has had with former All Whites’ captain, Ryan Nelsen. The pair are both friends and business partners and have acquired the rights to the internet domain names .basketball and .rubgy in partnership with world governing bodies, FIBA and World Rugby. Recently, Hamish has been back at Saint Kentigern to lend his expertise on developing opportunities with our business partners. He and his wife, Amylouise, have a nine-year-old daughter Chloe and a five-year-old son, Nelsen.

Rachael Mccormick - Science

After graduating from Saint Kentigern in 2012, I began a Bachelor of Health Sciences at Auckland University. From around the age of 15, my sights had been firmly set on becoming a doctor, so I chose this pathway with the goal of being accepted into medicine at the end of my first year. Despite achieving GPA and UMAT scores that were high enough to get an interview, I didn’t progress any further. I can still clearly remember opening my rejection email two days before Christmas, and battling through constant feelings of disappointment and failure in the months that followed. Despite this, I never once considered reverting to a plan B, and instead pursued with a population health major. I am really thankful that I kept going, as my degree significantly influenced my relationships, political views and academic interests - all of which I believe made me a stronger candidate for medicine. Studying something I enjoyed helped me to thrive academically, and I was blessed with the Senior Scholar Award when I graduated.

During the final year of my BHSc, the idea of studying medicine in Australia was introduced to me. I was still focused on getting in to Auckland via postgraduate entry, but I sat the GAMSAT and preferenced the Australian National University (ANU) in my application papers. After a couple of interviews, I was put in an incredibly fortunate yet difficult position when ANU, Otago and Auckland

all offered me places in their medical programmes.

Based on a gut feeling, I made the unexpected (and controversial!) decision to accept my offer at ANU and move to Canberra. As you can imagine, the stakes were high but within a few days I knew I had made the right decision. I am now almost one quarter of the way through my four year MChD. In a short space of time, I have managed to build incredibly strong relationships within my peer group, which has been instrumental in making medicine a manageable pursuit. Since I made the move, I have also been working as an Education Consultant for Crimson Consulting, mentoring university students who are interested in following a similar path to myself. It is a highly rewarding position, and really appeals to me as I now support graduate-entry medicine almost exclusively.

At school, I took both science and humanities-based subjects - I think this gave me the best of both worlds and helped me to thrive in my essay-based BHSc whilst also retaining a fascination for the human body. With my roots in population health, I see myself working in rural and remote medicine, and ideally with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. I’m not sure if I’ll ever move back to New Zealand permanently, but I appreciate it much more now and will always consider it to be home.

Hannah and Lucy Aston - Shepherds

Twin sisters, Lucy and Hannah Aston are excelling in the agricultural field, working as shepherds on Aratiatia Station in the central North Island. Lucy has recently been promoted to Head Shepherd. The Old Collegians, from the class of 2008, have paved different paths in their budding careers, but their shared dream has culminated in them living and working together on the 2000ha sheep, beef, dairy support and deer farm run by Landcorp. Their love of the land was sown while growing up on the family farm near Pukekohe. After graduating from the College, both completed a Bachelor of Agricultural Sciences at Massey University, majoring in agriculture. Hannah then went into a research role for a fertiliser company, while Lucy entered the Future Farmer programme at Aratiatia, with a desire to move into shepherding.

Lucy’s skills and attitude impressed Landcorp and she was offered a shepherd general role on a farm in Southland, before being promoted to head shepherd back at Aratiatia. Meanwhile, Hannah wanted a more active career than research provided, and she also became a senior shepherd on the station. They are in charge of feed budgeting and planning and are also responsible for training cadets. The pair’s rise through the ranks was featured in Young Country magazine, with station manager, Mark Cunningham singing their praises. ‘They’re very organised with their systems, they’ve got maturity and are very good with the cadets.’

On top of their work commitments, both are completing further qualifications through Primary ITO and have held leadership roles as part of the New Zealand Young Farmers organisation. While at the College, Hannah and Lucy studied sciences, mathematics, accounting and technology, all with a view to assisting in their farming careers. Biology and chemistry gave a base knowledge of animal health and reproduction, soil nutrients, nutrition requirements and chemicals used for weed control. They use calculus and statistics to calculate potential weight gains, lambing and calving percentages, future pasture and crop growth rates, and feed requirements. Accounting helps with the financial aspect of farming while technology comes in handy while building and fixing all kinds of farm infrastructure. The College was also pivotal in giving a foundation of being proud of achievements and striving for success, while building team skills through co-curricular activities.

Calvin Sang and Jason Hoon - Videographers

Calvin and Jason were in same tutor group (11JJS1 with Mr Swart) at College and eventually started working together on film projects outside of school. Since leaving school, Jason went to University of Auckland to do a B.Com in finance and economics and Calvin began freelancing as a videographer and photographer. When Jason graduated, he joined Calvin and their production company, Eyes and Ears was formed. They specialise in bespoke commercial video for companies and agencies, that includes anything on the web, TV advertisements and documentaries.

The pair say that their videos always have ‘heart’ behind them and they believe that’s what sets them apart. They said, ‘Most of our clients are corporate, but that’s not an excuse to avoid crafting high quality artistic content. Every video is individually crafted and we keep things fresh, original and constantly push the boundaries. We’re always thinking and honing what the audience is feeling when they walk away from watching our videos, hence our tagline ‘move your audience.’ We want to move an audience emotionally and move them to take action. If we’ve made them ‘feel’, changed their perspective and inspired them once the video ends, then we know we’ve done our job.’

‘We also pride ourselves on being very attentive to detail, and being honest and reliable. We believe in collaboration and building mutual trust and friendships with all our clients.’

They have had the privilege of working with a range of companies like Rialto Channel, AUT, 20th Century Fox, TEDx, Vodafone Events Centre, Royal NZ Navy – and, most recently, Saint Kentigern. Calvin and Jason worked with the marketing team from the Trust Board to create the College sports documentary, ‘For the Love of the Game’ that now can be seen on the College section of the Saint Kentigern website: www.saintkentigern.com

When they were invited back to the College to work on a documentary project about the winter sports programme, they said they found it to be a fascinating and challenging project as, being Old Collegians, it was something close to their hearts. ‘In a little over 7 minutes we had to capture the passion and ethos of the winter sports at the College. We had to get up very early to catch the early morning practices, stayed late to catch the evening games. This was a small glimpse into their lives and we saw the passion and dedication that students and coaches had for their sports. In this documentary, we hope we have shown our huge respect for the dedication of all involved in sports at the College.’

If you are interested in a video production for your company, Calvin and Jason would be pleased to hear from you: www.eyesandears.co.nz

Photo Credit : Young Country Magazine

Jeremy Kyle - Graphic Artist

Jeremy Kyle’s artistic creations are in hot demand from high-profile clients that include the Chicago Bulls basketball team, the New York Times and the United Nations! After graduating from the College in 2008, Jeremy completed a Diploma in Visual Art and Design at Whitecliffe, where he experimented with a range of media including photography and painting. He then developed his technical graphic design skills at Yoobee School of Design, while also gaining knowledge of how the creative industry operates. He graduated with a Diploma in Computer Graphic Design and Advanced Diploma in Digital Media. His study pathway culminated in a degree in Graphic Design and Animation at Unitec, which cemented his unique style of working with watercolour and ink mixed media. His style is known for its splatters and intricate linework creating highly detailed and dynamic pieces of art.

A chance encounter through his church led to an opportunity to create the artwork for a music album and as his portfolio grew, he garnered worldwide attention for his specialisation in visual communication. He has subsequently been commissioned to produce campaigns for powerhouse brands such as Under Armour, Dior and the History Channel. His work for the Chicago Bulls put him in contact with

his childhood hero, Michael Jordan. ‘I have been in touch with Michael Jordan personally and told him how he is my role model,’ Jeremy told a local newspaper. ‘I do believe that you can achieve the impossible, like he did. I am doing it in my own way in the creative field.’

One of his most recent assignments was to create illustrations for the United Nations’ inaugural World Humanitarian Summit. Jeremy was charged with designing a series of art works to explain Secretary General, Ban Ki-moon’s ‘Agenda for Humanity’ vision. Another meaningful project was collaborating with the New York Times and History Channel to illustrate promotional material for the reboot of canonical 1970s miniseries, ‘Roots.’

With his brand firmly established and his work seen by millions of people around the world, Jeremy is also a passionate public speaker who loves to inspire both students and professionals alike about thriving in the industry. He has been invited to speak at numerous academic and creative settings both in New Zealand and around Australasia where he unpacks his in-depth knowledge, detailing his professional insight and work experience for world brands.

Jordan Noah - Fashion Designer

Earlier this year, fashion student, Jordan Noah was featured in the New Zealand Herald after entering a garment into a fashion show inspired by the ‘Colours of Resene.’ Subsequently, Jordan was privileged to be chosen to receive a Prime Minister’s scholarship to Asia (Indian Textile & Apparel), along with eight other students from Diploma of Fashion class at NZ Fashion Tech.

Jordan reports on her exciting trip to India: I have just returned from studying at the Bannari Amman Institute of Technology in Southern India (Tamil Naidu). I was privileged to receive a scholarship to attend there for six weeks to extend my learning. This scholarship is given to encourage understanding of other cultures and to encourage trade between New Zealand and selected countries in South East Asia.

Prior to leaving New Zealand, I had learnt about the manufacture of textiles in class, so it was amazing to visit the factories that manufacture yarn and lace, and dye all types fabric and silk reeling, as well as attending classes on this subject at the Institute.

While there, I recreated my Resene project for the Bannari Amman fashion show. I chose a hand woven silk sari as material for this. It was the best feeling to see my garment being modelled on a runway for the first time!

We also had the opportunity to sightsee. One of my favourite sights was the Big Temple in Tanjore. It had the most beautiful, carved detailing. Another favourite was the Mysore Palace with its breath-taking interior. The

colours were stunning! I also attended a Yoga camp!

Since leaving Saint Kentigern, I spent a year overseas. I firstly spent time volunteering in Israel with school children and the elderly, spending two months doing basic training for the Israeli army and travelling in Europe. On my return, I studied Fashion design at Massey University in Wellington for two years. Last year I decided I wanted to move to NZ Fashion Tech for a more hands on approach and for more in depth learning in pattern making, construction and the design aspects of fashion in keeping with industry standards, as well as gain periods of work experience.

Next year I am going to pursue a career in the fashion Industry.

When I look back on my time at ‘Saint Kents’ I realise how this has shaped me to always give it my best and to appreciate and make the most of any advantage that has come my way. ‘Saint Kents’ also helped me find my love for fashion and sewing right from the start in my Year 10 fabrics class which has determined my chosen career path.

Photo courtesy of Howick and Pakuranga Times

Chris Farnell - dedicated to service

Chris Farnell is remembered as an active participant across all aspect of College life, including being a member of the Symphony Orchestra and Concert Band as well as captaining the 1st XI Cricket team in his final year. After graduating in 2013, Chris went on to study engineering at Auckland University, however, he soon realised that he wanted a career that offered a more active lifestyle. He was encouraged to apply for the NZ Fire Service last year, and now works out of the Otahuhu station. His life outside of work is also dedicated to service, as an up-and-coming football referee.

‘My Fire Service career began with three months of live-in training in Rotorua. We were taught about fire science – the way fires grow, the different stages, the dangers, and how to spot the signs of backdraught and flashover. We were also trained in search and rescue, hose running, first aid, patient extrication from vehicles, fires safety and how to promote this in our communities. I began working on the trucks in July 2015, and have attended a wide range of incidents. I hold the rank of firefighter and am completing the work to move up to qualified firefighter. From there I will continue to gain more qualifications which require specialist training.

Initially I wasn’t intending becoming a firefighter. I looked into it and realised that the idea of being out in the community and making a difference and the active lifestyle that came with the work we do was the kind of job I wanted. As an 18-year-old, I was about 3-5 years younger than the majority of applicants. I feel that when I got to the interview after having passed all four previous stages that it was my time at Saint Kentigern which had prepared me for this. The opportunities given at Saint Kentigern and the support you’re given to grow and build yourself are what I believe made me stand out from the 300+ applicants for Auckland and be one of the five chosen.

I began refereeing football in 2009. I was playing and coaching football at the time and wanted a greater knowledge of the laws of the game. Over the years I have progressed my refereeing credentials by attending various courses and academies, as well as opportunities to officiate in Australia. At two of the academies, held in conjunction with the NZ Secondary Schools Premier tournament, I was named the top referee and I was on the referee panel for the National Youth League last summer. The highlight of my refereeing career came in June when I was selected to referee an international match between the USA U19 team and NZ U20 women’s teams. This was a nerve-wracking and exciting experience that went really well.

Neala Ye - Food Technologist

Back in 2007, when Neala was in Year 11, she went along to a Careers Evening and met a food technologist who developed new flavours of ice creams and got to eat ice cream all day – to her, this sounded like an awesome job! It was from there that Food Technology teacher at the time, Ms Carolyn Norquay, encouraged her to get involved with other Food Technology activities such as Food Tech Big Day Out and the Royal Society Team Silver CREST/Student Product Development Challenge. The College constantly pushed Neala to go beyond the curriculum and gain an understanding of what Food Technology actually entailed within industry.

Neala graduated from College in 2009 and began her study in a Bachelor of Food Technology (Honours) at Massey University, Albany in 2010. The degree shares many similarities with a Bachelor of Engineering degree, including a summer work component. Neala was fortunate enough to receive a summer internship at Frucor Beverages (one of the largest beverage manufacturers in New Zealand) within the Research and Development (R&D) team over the summer break before her final year of study. Frucor and Neala built on the relationship formed over the summer during her final year, as Frucor sponsored her dissertation project.

Before her final exams, Neala was offered a position at Frucor in the Quality Assurance team, where she stayed for three months before moving into the technical team in R&D. During this year, Neala was working for the International V team where she got to launch V in the USA. The following year she moved into the Product Development team in R&D, where she is developing new beverages for both New Zealand and Australia markets.

Neala is involved in the food industry as a member and Treasurer of the Auckland branch of NZIFST (New Zealand Institute of Food Science & Technology). She is also heavily involved with Futureintech as an ambassador, explaining her job and encouraging students of all

ages (from primary school to high school) to study food technology and food science. This includes being featured in Futureintech posters which are prominently displayed around the College!

Neala has also been involved CREST/Student Product Development Challenge as both a guest speaker and a mentor. This year she is mentoring two Saint Kentigern College teams, helping them develop beverages which are healthier alternatives than those on the market right now.

Neala is getting married to a fellow Saint Kentigern College Old Collegian, Jesse Hart, in April 2017. Their relationship started in April 2006, making them one of the longest standing Saint Kentigern College relationships! After 10 years of being together, Jesse popped the question. Jesse is on the verge of completing his PhD in Mathematics at Auckland University and has been extensively involved with the Saint Kentigern debating program for the past four years.

James Gordon - Actor

After I graduated from the College in 2010, I went on to study Business at Otago University. Graduating after three years of study, I still wanted to learn and follow my passion for the arts, specifically acting. I then auditioned for and was accepted into Toi Whakaari: New Zealand Drama School, where I am in my third and final year.

Drama was my favourite class at College because it was my outlet, giving me freedom to express and explore. Likewise, when I finished studying business, I wanted to be doing something I loved. I came to the realisation that you can get paid to be on camera; from my degree in marketing, I knew that advertisers pay their actors well. I felt that if there was anything I could get paid for that would give me pleasure, it was going to be in front of the camera. I was fortunate to meet well-known actor, screen writer and director, Rene Naufahu, who showed me a taste of what film is. I found my passion right then and there. After that, my father suggested Toi Whakaari. I had no clue what the school was about but I auditioned without a second thought.

I have made it my short-term goal to be working as an actor before I graduate. I am currently finishing my first professional feature film as the lead which will enter the NZ film festivals next year. I am also playing the character Daryl Warwick on Shortland Street, who first appeared in June. I am developing my accent repertoire and working in close contact with my agency, auditioning frequently for roles across NZ, Australia and the USA. My longer term goal is to be working fulltime as a professional actor in the USA by 2019.

If I had anything to say for those who are soon to graduate from Saint Kentigern, it would be this: ‘Wherever your passion truly lies, whatever makes your brain tick most and your heart beat its hardest, there will always be a way to make a living from it, no matter what it is. The worst thing you could do is do the thing you ‘think’ you should do. As teenagers, we spend too much time thinking with our head, that we forget how important it is to think with our heart.’

Toi Whakaari: NZ Drama School. Photographer: Philip Merry.

Old Collegian named in All Blacks squad

Old Collegian, Seta Tamanivalu made his international rugby debut for the All Blacks during the June test series against Wales. Seta was one of six uncapped players to be named in the 32-man national squad for the three-match series, joining fellow Old Collegian and 67-test veteran, Jerome Kaino in the squad.

Seta graduated from the College in 2011. In his final year, he was a member of the 1st XV that won both the Auckland 1A and national co-ed competition. Seta was outstanding in the 1A final, scoring an amazing individual try and setting one up for second-five TJ Faiane. In 2012, he was signed to play provincial rugby for Taranaki and made his professional debut that year. By 2013 he had secured a starting position at centre and was named Taranaki’s most promising player of the year. 2014 was a breakout year in which he helped Taranaki become national champions and was named the ITM Cup player of the year. His form led to his first Super Rugby contract, signing with the Chiefs for two years. His superb skill and fierce commitment has now been rewarded with All Blacks selection. ‘I am excited and pretty proud as well. I have come a long way and the hard work has paid off now,’ he told TVNZ.

Another Old Collegian, Sean Reidy also experienced international rugby after being selected in the Ireland team to tour South Africa. Sean graduated in 2007 and was vicecaptain of the 1st XV in his final year. He is remembered as a totally committed forward and gifted leader. He went on to represent Counties Manukau in the ITM Cup, and has played for Irish club Ulster since 2014.

Three Generations

The McKenzie Family

John McKenzie has written to tell us that the McKenzie family has had three generations on ‘both sides’ attend Saint Kentigern. John’s father’s younger brother, Stephen McKenzie, attended the College in the 1960’s (absent from photo). His mother’s younger brother, Rodney Gray, attended the College from 1954-1960 (Wishart). His younger brother, David, attended Saint Kentigern from 19811987 (Hamilton). John attended Saint Kentigern ‘Prep’ and College from 1980-1986 (Hamilton).

John’s daughters, Anna and Jane, are now at the Girls’ School in Years 7 and 8. Anna is a prefect and has responsibilities for Chapel and Hamilton House. Jane is working hard towards her Service Awards. John says he is delighted with the Girls’ School and the support and care that both Anna and Jane are receiving.

From left: Anna McKenzie (Y8), Jane McKenzie (Y7), John McKenzie, David McKenzie and Rodney Gray

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. The Gold Award alone is the culmination of at least 300 hours of commitment in order to meet the requirements for service, skill, physical recreation, the adventurous journey and ‘residential.’

Saint Kentigern now ranks amongst the top schools in the country with regards to the number of students taking part at all levels. The growth of the award has been enormous at College with 197 students enrolled this year to begin their Bronze award - compared to the 122 students at that level when these Gold recipient students began their ‘Duke of Ed’ journey.

Thirty of our 2015 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 the Governor General of NZ - Lt Gen The Rt Hon Sir Jerry Mateparae.

Gold Award Recipients

Shaan Bone, Isabella Clark, Grace Dalton, Aaron Duncan, Lucy Dunlop, Lucy Floyd, Caitlin Houghton, Claudia Luke, Cameron Mayhew, Harrison Mead, Nick Stanfield, Jaiden Walmsley, Josh Waterman.

In Memoriam

Gold Award Approved

Congratulations to the following students who have had their Gold Award approved but were not in attendance at the ceremony.

Jeffrey Chan, Brianna Garus, Jeffrey Garus, Richard Gourlie, Oliver Hadfield, Ethan King, Merry Liu, Trent Macdonald, Jason Massa, Daniel Ng, Harry Rillstone, Isaac Schanzer, Jordan Service, Sam Ward, William Xu, Theresa Yeung, Kevin Yi

It is sadness that we note the passing of those connected to the Saint Kentigern community.

Nesbit Neil Stanton

Mr Neil Stanton, Bursar to Saint Kentigern College and Saint Kentigern School from 1959 to 1982 and Secretary to the Saint Kentigern Trust Board, died on 11 June 2016 at the age of 91.

Mr Stanton came from an accounting background of experience with the large Auckland Hospital Board. As a well-organised, reliable, thorough and systematic person, his twenty three years of financial administration at Saint Kentigern were invaluable in an era of development and consolidation as the College and School were established on the two campuses at Pakuranga and Remuera.

Neil was a gregarious, cheerful and approachable man, with a great love of sports, particularly tennis. He became involved in major activities around the College and School, and his involvement with staff, Parents and Old Boys associations, as well as the students themselves, particularly those in the rugby teams he coached, were greatly appreciated by the Saint Kentigern community of that time.

Douglas Alistair Hay

Douglas Hay passed away peacefully in Tauranga in June this year. Douglas (known as Doug) #422 was a student at Saint Kentigern College from 1956 to 1963. After his College years, Doug went to university and gained an accounting degree, later becoming an auditor. At a memorial service held in Auckland, Doug was remembered as a real gentleman who was fastidious in all he did.

Doug’s brother Robert is also an Old Collegian.

Malcolm Kurt Hetherington Carruthers

Malcolm (#283) came to Saint Kentigern from Western Samoa as a boarder in the 1955 3rd Form. As the only Polynesian in Bruce House, let alone the College, he must have been incredibly lonely. Quiet and retiring, not a sporting type, he found himself amongst a bunch of farmers’ sons from the Waikato where rugby and rough and tumble was life.

He was given the name ‘Jimmy’ on arrival at Bruce House, as shyness delayed his reply to a brusk ask for his name and ‘Jimmy’ stuck. Always the quiet guy at the back of the class ‘Jimmy’ came to terms with college life in New Zealand - and hockey goalkeeping!

Malcolm had tremendous flair for design. After college he worked for a number of shops – Matiche in Parnell and Milnes, before joining Garlands in Remuera. A furnishing and design shop, Malcolm’s talents blossomed; he devised a stunning showroom and, later, he bought the business.

Malcolm’s designs became legendary, Garlands was an iconic Remuera shop. He ran a top interior team of seamstresses and decorators. An excellent boss and shrewd businessman, he eventually sold Garlands to two of his protégées but continued working for the firm as a designer.

In retirement, Malcolm continued to live in Remuera and regularly attended St David’s Presbyterian Church in Khyber Pass. He died last July aged 74.

The Reverend Robert Matthews

Robert Matthews (#554), a student at Saint Kentigern College from 1957 to 1960, died in July this year after a brief illness. Attracted by the challenges and satisfactions of the Presbyterian ministry, Robert studied at Auckland and Dunedin and was ordained in 1971. Thereafter, he served in parishes in New Plymouth, Kelso, Christchurch, and Epsom.

Robert was much respected for his wisdom, pastoral sensitivity and practical concern. As a chaplain at North Shore and Greenlane Hospitals Robert found a new impetus and direction in his ministry.

Formally retiring in 1995, Robert continued working as chaplain in the Mercy Hospices in Mountain Road and College Hill, Auckland.

Robert is survived by Louise (nee Edgar), whom he married in December 1967, three children, John, Anna and Campbell (#5850) and six grandchildren.

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