Piper Issue 67 June 2019

Trust Board

Old Collegians

Fiddler on the Roof  60 New

Building Saint Kentigern

Masterplan Phase 1 Developments

ONE CAMPUS - TWO SEPARATE SCHOOLS

From the outset, the Trust Board has been quite clear that they are 100% committed to maintaining single gender education for our two primary schools; a vision that is strongly supported by Boys’ School Principal, Mr Peter Cassie and Girls’ School Principal, Ms Juliet Small. Each school will be maintained as a distinct entity with its own Principal, staff, curriculum and ethos, ensuring that the facilities meet the different educational needs of both boys and girls. Operationally and pastorally, each school will remain distinct and separate. The Masterplan for Shore Road is focused on meeting the changing needs of all our primary students, ensuring that both our boys and girls will benefit from new, world class teaching facilities.

THE NEW GIRLS’ SCHOOL

As can be seen in the preliminary design images, the new Girls’ School will be striking, taking advantage of the sloping site to create a completely unique, multi-level, terraced school with its own distinct entrance and presence on Shore Road.

The purpose-built, 19-classroom school will include a new integrated library and learning commons, with associated outdoor recreational and sporting areas for the girls, creating an outstanding environment focused on girls’ teaching and learning.

Girls’ School Principal, Ms Juliet Small is excited by the future, ‘It’s a rare opportunity for a Principal to lead the planning of a new school and I’m relishing every minute of it. In preparing the briefs for the architects, we took many opportunities to explore best teaching practice in both our own and other schools to ensure the final design would enhance the very best in future-focussed teaching and learning exclusively for girls. The preliminary designs indicate that our new school will be a welcoming, contemporary environment encouraging connectedness, collaboration and shared experiences. Our girls ‘were born to fly,’ I am so proud to be part of helping them achieve this!’

Saint Kentigern has come a long way since the College first opened its doors in 1953 as a humble three classroom block on a muddy, windswept site in Pakuranga! Over the years, the vision of our founding Trustees to develop excellence in education, based on the principles of the Presbyterian Church, has been well sustained, seeing Saint Kentigern schools grow in size and stature.

The growth of Saint Kentigern’s facilities across three campuses has been an ongoing process for over 65 years, keeping pace with continued roll growth and the changing needs of our students and their families. We have much to be thankful for!

The latest building campaign, outlined in the Masterplan for the Shore Road Campus (available to view on our website), is the most ambitious building project ever undertaken by Saint Kentigern,

THE NEW SPECIALIST FACILITIES AND BOYS’ SENIOR SCHOOL BUILDING

Housed in one building but with a distinct separation between the two areas, the preliminary indicative images show an exciting new addition for Saint Kentigern. Spanning the area from the original Boys’ School library to the site of the current staffroom, the impressive new building will be built above and down the bank, facing out onto the upper field, juxtaposed to the Jubilee Sports Centre.

The Boys’ Senior School Classrooms

Catering for the specific needs of our boys in Years 7 &8, the 12 new Senior Boys’ classrooms and collaborative spaces will not only provide a purpose-built facility for our senior boys, but it will also release the current Senior School building to be refurbished for the Middle School.

Boys’ School Principal, Mr Peter Cassie said, ‘I am delighted to see our ideas for a new Senior School come to shape. We know we have true strength in our teaching and learning at the Boys’ School, but current facilities are no longer keeping pace. The new technology rich, flexible teaching and learning spaces being developed for our senior boys will allow for greater specialisation as we prepare them to make the important transition to their college years.’

‘But equally as exciting will be the refurbishment of the current Senior School classrooms to breathe new life into the Middle School. The growth in roll in Years 4-6 has meant the Middle School classrooms have been spread across the campus in recent years. Moving them to the current Senior School, once refurbished, will bring the entire Middle School into one location, allowing for greater collaboration for both students and staff within the syndicate, for the sharing of ideas and resources.’

‘As a Principal, I’m truly excited and grateful for the upgrade of facilities that will allow us to do what we do best, even better –deliver an outstanding teaching and learning programme where ‘every boy matters!’

with the initial phase focussed on advancing the construction of a brand-new Girls’ School and building new Specialist Facilities for use by both primary schools, along with the building of new classrooms for the Senior School boys and refurbishment of the existing Senior School for their Middle School students.

During the course of the latter part of 2018, work centred on developing conceptual designs for the new Girls’ School and Specialist Facilities and Boys’ Senior School building. Since they were reviewed and approved by the Trust Board in December, work moved on in the early part of this year to the next stage in the process, the ‘Preliminary Design’ - work that was completed during March.

We are delighted to now share the preliminary, indicative images of how these new facilities may look!

Specialist Facilities

Whilst innovative at the time of their construction, the original specialist facilities at the Boys’ School have become outdated and no longer meet the needs of a changing school curriculum. The new Specialist Facilities will provide significant new amenities for both our boys and our girls. All Specialist classes will be timetabled for access by both primary schools at separate times to maintain the integrity of Saint Kentigern’s single-gender teaching philosophy at primary level. The building will be linked to the new Girls’ School by a covered walkway, with a separate entrance for the girls.

Mr Cassie and Ms Small concur that the economy of building one set of facilities for use by both schools means even greater things can be achieved. Mr Cassie said, ‘This will be a centre of excellence for scientific, artistic (visual and performance), technology (food, hard and soft materials) study and learning, where design, creativity, confidence, and scientific and critical thinking will be explored, encouraged and developed. Currently, both Saint Kentigern primary schools have well-developed programmes in these areas but bringing all specialist areas into new facilities under one roof will serve to allow each school to significantly enhance their offerings for each programme.’

Time Line

We are aiming for completion of the Girls’ School, Senior Boys’ classrooms and shared specialist classrooms by the start of Term 1, 2022. Over the coming months, Principals of both Primary Schools will be seeking input from the community on a range of aspects of the new facilities and look forward to your contributions.

Pakuranga Campus and Preschool

Further information regarding progress on planned projects at the Pakuranga Campus and plans for a new Preschool on the Shore Road campus will be detailed in future updates.

If you have any questions or would like more information about the Phase 1 Projects, please email masterplan@saintkentigern.com

From the Chaplain Communication

The Saint Kentigern motto, Fides Servanda Est – Keep the Faith - presents us with a challenge as we seek to encourage our students to know God and to serve others within and beyond our school communities. As a Presbyterian School, Christian values are an intrinsic part of our special character. Students take part in Christian Education classes and attend weekly Chapel services with either Reverend David Smith (Middle College and Senior College) or Reverend Reuben Hardie (Boys’ School, Girls’ School and Preschool). In addition, once a term, families are invited to join their sons and daughters at Sunday Chapel Services. Here, our Chaplains will take it in turns to share their words…

The following is part of a Sunday evening Chapel at the College…

These days there is a lot of emphasis on communication by social media, but as for two people in the same physical space talking with each other, it’s arguably a bit of a dying art. Now when it comes to healthy communication, a key is the ability to listen well. James, of biblical fame, once said; ‘Remember this, my dear friends! Everyone must be quick to listen, but slow to speak.’ (James 1:19) Indeed, the ability to ‘listen’ well is a skill and a way of loving and communicating that we care. I show you by listening that what you’re saying is important to me and that you matter. And good listening, it not only helps ‘us’ to understand a message clearly, but the communicator to express themselves.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of things that can block us from ‘hearing’ what a person is really saying, or that become ‘filters’ that distort the message in some way. Think about self-centredness, prejudice, prejudgement, tiredness and everyday distractions and emotions such as fear and anger. Good listening, it involves concentrating, and for most of us, it requires practice. There is an exercise based on ‘Aspects of Communication’ that works well. For example, ‘How well do I listen to the other person?’ ‘Well,’ you say to yourself, ‘I’m an excellent listener, so I’ll give myself a ten, on a 1-10 scale. But as for the other, well, they’ve got a bit to learn, so I’ll give them a three.’ But while you are grading them, they are grading you. You then sit down together and compare notes and get to see how you are perceived.

Apostle Paul once said, ‘Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.’ (Colossians 4:6)

And what about ways we try to ‘move’ other people to action, like the old silent treatment? Or have you ever heard it said, ‘You never clean up’, or, ‘You’re always late’? It’s emotive speak and seldom entirely true.

And then there’s ‘body language,’ which apparently makes up to 50% of communication between two people in the same space. Indeed, the only part of the body capable of lying, it would seem, is the tongue. But body language is also very open to misinterpretation and wrong assumptions.

Hugo is doing dishes, Josh comes in and asks; ‘Hey, is it OK if I borrow your car?’ Hugo turns to face him with a frown on his face and Josh says; ‘What are you looking at me like that for?’ But the question is, what does Hugo’s frown mean? That he didn’t quite hear what Josh said? Was it a look of concentration? Or a look of tiredness or worry? Or was it an angry look? Operating on assumptions can make an ass-out-of-you-and-me (ass/u/me). Have you ever asked someone to do something with complete clarity, only later to discover that sure enough, they mucked up? And did you find the experience frustrating? The question is, who had the problem? Perhaps both, but in the first instance you. Why? Because while the instruction was clear in your own mind, you ‘assumed’ it would be equally clear to the receiver.

The trick is trying to be more specific, more detailed. It’s clarifying and checking, and making sure they’ve got it. The thing is, I can never tell you what you have said, I can only ever tell you what I heard. And you can never know what I heard, unless I clarify it.

There is one about ‘feelings’ - for failure to be able to share our feelings well can be a stretch for any relationship. The secret, as the writer to the Ephesians put it, is being able to ‘speak the truth in a spirit of love’. (Ephesians 4:15)

In other words, learning to be straight up and honest, but gentle with it. The

Communication: it’s the art of listening, concentrating, being attentive. Communication: it’s learning to share something of our feelings in ways that don’t hurt or blow each other away.

Communication: it’s being careful when it comes to body language and the making of assumptions.

Fides Servanda Est Reverend David Smith College Chaplain

From the Chairman of the Trust Board Advantages of Independent Schooling

Ispoke recently to the Parents & Friends group at the College about Independent Schools and the feedback convinced me to prepare some comments for Piper on the same theme.

There are four types of schools currently operating in New Zealand: State Schools, State Integrated Schools (331 schools of which 238 are Catholic), Independent Schools (about 46), and Charter Schools. Most New Zealand State and State Integrated schools do excellent work with and for their students, however, by their very nature, they must meet the statutory requirements of the government of the day. Independent Schools are less constrained by these.

The oldest Independent Schools in New Zealand were established by religious foundations or through their own Acts of Parliament. More recently, some, for example the Academic Colleges Group, now operate as commercial enterprises. All Independent Schools are required to register with the Ministry of Education but they are not bound by all of the statutory requirements of State and State Integrated Schools. There is, however, an expectation that Independent Schools will meet the requirements of the New Zealand Curriculum.

Most Independent Schools, including Saint Kentigern, were established as Charitable Trusts with governance structures determined by their trust deeds. They are wholly responsible for their capital works and the maintenance of all their facilities. Independent schools are responsible for the bulk of their funding through charitable trusts, philanthropy, or the charging of fees. They do receive approximately 8% of their revenue from a government grant but this is declining year on year. This compares with State Schools which receive 100% of their operating costs and all their capital works funding from the government.

State Integrated Schools receive government funding for their operating costs (except as related to their Special Character), but they must raise their own funds for capital purposes. We do have Education Review Office reviews but these relate only to our registration as an Independent School on quality of education, and student learning and achievement. These reviews are less than those for State and State Integrated Schools. We are subject to the financial requirements of the Charities Act.

So what are the practical benefits we can see from the nature of Independent Schools?

1) There is more flexibility around curriculum, pedagogy and style of learning, and co-curricular activities and facilities.

2) We have more flexibility around staffing levels, class size, contact hours, etc, and staff remuneration.

3) We can emphasise our special character without restriction.

4) We can have more flexible hours of learning.

5) We can focus more in certain areas and provide specialists in certain areas, for example, sports coaching, EOTC and so on.

At Saint Kentigern, we take advantage of all these opportunities. They provide our staff and our families with a wonderful chance to do things differently and the Trust Board is keen to take advantage of all reasonable opportunities within our resources to provide an education which is world class for our youngsters.

While the current debate around NCEA and the structure of education in New Zealand is of interest to us, we will follow suit if we believe the changes provide educational benefits for our students. For example in our Master Planning, we are committed to providing the best possible classrooms and learning environments for our students and staff rather than follow current Ministry of Education thinking that schools should undertake much of their teaching and learning in large open-plan spaces with multiple classes and multiple teachers simultaneously occupying the same spaces.

Very few State Schools currently offer the IB Diploma programme, which helps put our students into an international context. Being part of the IB family of schools allows us to take advantage of world class teacher development. These opportunities also benefit teachers taking NCEA classes.

As a Trust Board, we continually keep in mind and review our teaching and learning practices, and those of the best overseas schools.

At a governance level we have a flexibility which allows us to explore and to brainstorm with our senior management about the future and what a Saint Kentigern education will look like. We also have the obligation, as defined in the Saint Kentigern Trust Deed, to consider those aspects of our heritage worth preserving as we dream and plan for the future.

Fides Servanda Est

Dr John Kernohan

Chairman of the Trust Board

From the Head of Saint Kentigern

Lifelong Learners More than a Cliché – A Reality

Projections published by GenerationZ.com.au reveal: ‘Based on today’s average teen, today’s vocationally mobile, entrepreneurial and truly global Generation Z will have 17 employers across 5 separate careers, working in jobs that don’t even currently exist.’

The world that our students are going into, demands that they continue to be good learners, way beyond their school age years. In the short term, our students need to get the best grades they can. At the end of their school journey, access to the best tertiary courses are by selective entry and this is not likely to change. Beyond formal education, there is every chance that their life will be one of regular retraining. If you know how to learn then you are going to have a great advantage in not just staying employed but in being successful in your career.

Here are a few key aspects that are important for good learning. They are things that we can all help young people with.

Studying is hard work

An essential truth about effective learning is that it takes a lot of effort. Whenever anyone is trying to master a new skill or learn new material, it takes a lot of effort. In order to fulfil academic potential, learning needs to be both a priority and a habit:

• Making study a priority both at school and at home is a must but it’s not easy given everything else we want our children to do

• At school we have to constantly remind our students, and they themselves, that the main purpose of class time is to learn

• While socialising is an important part of a young person’s development, there is a time and a place. Students need to understand that it’s important to focus on what is being taught.

• We need to have an expectation that young people will listen carefully to explanations. We need to encourage them to ask questions. We need to ensure that they know it is okay to get help and encouragement wherever they can find it. By the same token, they should be encouraged to give help and support whenever they can (quite apart from the essential value of ‘being of service to others’, one of the best ways of truly understanding something is by explaining it to someone else).

Learning new things is difficult and it often means students have to put off doing something they really like, such as chatting with friends or just fooling about, playing sport or gaming, being on Instagram or Facebook, watching Netflix or YouTube. The desire to do ‘fun stuff’ will defeat

most people if they do not find a way to develop the will-power to concentrate on their learning.

Outside the classroom, having a regular timetable of study times is essential. Study must become something students naturally do – a habit. The ‘study habit’ is something that should be gradually developed as students move through the school years. It is often too late to change your ways when, in Year 11, those qualifications and examinations suddenly become a reality.

Read

The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.

Dr. Seuss

Reading is as important to the mind as exercise is to physical health and we should encourage our students to read in the same way we encourage them to be involved in sport or play a musical instrument. Reading also helps to develop a student’s vocabulary. In all areas of study and in all vocations, there is important vocabulary or terms that must be known. Students must be trained to deliberately and explicitly learn the language of their subject. This can be by:

• Copy the word and definition into a file or notebook

• Spelling them out. Learning through repetition. Using the word in a sentence

• They need to be able to test themselves then learn the words all over again.

• Parents can help by encouraging their child to explain to them the new and important words they are learning.

In school and in the workplace, the understanding of important words and terms needs to be exact and automatic.

Develop curiosity

‘… to say we had no special advantages ... the greatest things that we had in our favour was growing up in a family where there was always much encouragement to intellectual curiosity.’

Orville Wright

Curiosity has been shown to be one of the most reliable markers of the successful learner. Parents who answer their children with clarity every time they ask ‘Why?’ help the development of curiosity from a young age. Parents who engage their children in conversations about any or all of the issues of the day, do so likewise.

Memorisation

‘Not only does background knowledge make you a better reader, but it is also necessary to be a good thinker.’

Daniel Willingham. Why Don’t Students Like School.

This idea that we should commit important ideas and concepts to our long-term memory has fallen out of favour with the educational modernists. But the research is clear - good learners need to memorise important facts, ideas, and processes (yes that includes knowing your timetables off by heart). While there is a lot of rightful

If we want to encourage intellectual curiosity, we must place a high value on putting challenging, difficult and novel tasks in front of our youngsters. We should not underestimate their ability to deal with and understand matters that appear complex and, on the surface, too big.

attention given to problem solving, you actually have to have something to problem solve with. Thinking outside the square is great but you have to have the square to start with. It is important to get students at all ages to commit important facts and concepts to memory. This can be done by having them restate the idea using their own words, therefore, forcing the mind to process and understand. Students should be encouraged to connect new material to the things they already know. The more you know, the more you are capable of learning.

Find a mentor

Having the ability to ask for help is a great start in the journey of lifelong learning. Most successful people in any field will speak about the mentors who guided them. We need to encourage our students, at any age, to say, ‘can you help me?’ We need to remove the stigma from this question and set it in the most positive light. (N.B Our response needs to be, ‘I can help you do it.’ Not, ‘Let me do it for you.’)

Finding a supportive mentor is important at any age. It is usually a parent for a youngster, but it might be an older sibling. Later on, it could be a favourite teacher or a family friend. For a teenager who is trying to break away from the dependence on their parents, it will often be a respected ‘outsider’. Every student can benefit greatly from having someone they feel comfortable with and with whom they can talk to about what they are learning. Understanding the value of having a mentor is something that will never diminish throughout a career, or life in general for that matter.

Learn together

There is a fine African proverb that says: ‘If you want to go quickly go alone, if you want to go far go together.’ This works for education too.

One of the great things about Saint Kentigern is that students are surrounded by wonderful peers.

We can all encourage students to work together. Students who share their study with each other feel more motivated and it brings encouragement to everyone in the group. We see this in action all through school whether students are 4, 8 or 18. There is nothing that works better for learning than a group of students talking to each other about the topic they are studying. Parents too can help by facilitating children to talk about their learning with each other and later by hosting study groups at home.

‘Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family.’

Kofi Annan

We welcome Richard Lindroos to Saint Kentigern as the new Director of Development, with responsibility for driving the Fundraising Plan across the Saint Kentigern organisation; this includes commercial sponsorship, fundraising and building a culture of philanthropy.

When Saint Kentigern first opened its doors on the College campus in 1953, it was the culmination of over seven years of effort by a small but very determined group of visionary Presbyterian businessmen. From humble beginnings on a muddy site in rural Pakuranga, with a solitary ‘prefab’ and a flagpole marking the first development, Saint Kentigern has grown to become one of Australasia’s leading educational organisations, now catering for almost 3000 students from age 3 to 18 and 720 employees – a far cry from the first 92 boys and four teachers on that first day!

From the outset, Saint Kentigern was founded on a strong tradition of philanthropy, which has long supplemented tuition fees and helped provide a world-class education and outstanding facilities for generations of students. Thriving Independent Schools rely on their community for additional support in many ways from financial to volunteer assistance.

Over the years, Saint Kentigern has welcomed additional financial support from many, many donors both large and small. One of the first of these was Sir George Elliot whose magnificent gift enabled the College to open Elliot Hall in 1958. The gifting of Roselle House by Martyn Wilson allowed this to become the nucleus of a new boys’ primary school in 1959. The tradition of philanthropy has since continued. As the rolls gradually increased, so did the demand for new buildings and resources, and since that first day in 1953, many donors have contributed significantly to enable further development of Saint Kentigern facilities. As an organisation, we have many people to thank and much to be grateful for.

Richard brings significant senior leadership experience and networks to this new development role, gained from commercial business across charity, corporate, media, education and government industry sectors. He has worked as a General Manager for over 20 years in successful private businesses, as well as global sport management organisations including FIFA, IMG and most recently as the NZ Manager for Supercars. He has consulted to many organisations including the Heart Foundation, AUT, Nike, University Sport NZ, Auckland Council, Sport NZ and Challenge Petroleum Independent Dealer Group.

He is a former NZ sporting representative, Olympic Coach and High Performance Sport Chair, and holds a number of private company directorships. Richard is also a Saint Kentigern parent, with one son in the Middle College and another at the Boys’ School.

Fides Servanda Est

David Hodge

Head of Saint Kentigern

Richard has thoroughly enjoyed his first term meeting a wide cross section of our community. He said, ‘Saint Kentigern has a proud history of philanthropy from its early establishment to the development of the significant buildings we have across our schools. It is important that we build on those foundations, engage our wider community and support our future developments. It is an exciting and positive time for the organisation and I am happy to be part of the team driving the Development Plan. I thank those of you who have made me feel so welcome and look forward to the opportunity to meet many more of you in the coming months.’

For the Love of SCIENCE

Why is the grass green?

Is the moon far away?

How does a volcano erupt?

What will happen if all the bees die?

As we know, every day, minute by minute, there is always a continual flow of questions from our inquisitive 3 and 4 year olds at Preschool! Our NZ Early Childhood Curriculum, Te Whariki confirms that children are born scientists – they are innately curious about their physical environment and constantly seek to make meaning of their explorations and conversations with others. With this forefront in our minds as teachers, we ensure that a basic introduction to all aspects of science is experienced at Preschool.

Young children are motivated to learn about science – it is a natural part of their discoveries in daily life, and with minds ready to absorb new facts and ideas, it is our role to ensure this is capitalised. Eshach and Fried (2005) suggest that positive early science experiences help children to develop scientific concepts and reasoning, positive attitudes toward science, and a better foundation for scientific concepts to be learnt and studied later in their education.

At our Preschool, children experience real Chemistry ( material world) through scientific experiences – mixing colours with water and paint, bubbling volcanoes with baking soda, vinegar and dye in the sandpit, melting and dissolving ice cubes, dancing milk with dye and dishwashing liquid, messy play with various textures – cornflour and water – hard and squishy, baking muffins for morning tea – weight, measurement –how will they rise in the oven, exploring the effects of vinegar and baking soda as a rocket ship explodes in the air, tissue paper and dye, mixing primary to secondary colours – trying experiments whether they fail or succeed is all about trial and error and extending the curiosity factor.

Learning about Biology (living world) entails many things including growing seeds to plant in our garden and watching them grow before picking them to eat for the children’s meals; making lemonade by squeezing and mixing, after growing them on our own lemon tree; sprouting potatoes in the potato plot, feeding our scraps to the worm farm and making compost to be used in the

garden. There are pets and animals we house each year, with the children gaining empathy as they care for them through feeding, cleaning them out and nurturing them. Piglets, sheep, frogs, turtles, leopard geckos, axolotl, life cycles of chicks as we watch them hatch from eggs to chicks. The never-ending quest for learning with a genuine and real hands on approach is paramount. Bugs and creepy crawlies always a delight to young children – with magnifying glasses to get closer to a spider’s 8 legs or the spots on a ladybug as it creeps from its ladybug house on the wall. A real beehive with leaf cutter bees to hatch and pollinate our bee garden of flowers. Essential science process skills like observing, classifying and sorting all begin at Preschool.

The world of Physics (physical world) includes forces, light and sound. Does a light bulb work when the electrons are joined to a potato or only metal? What floats? Will a stone or feather float or sink? Let’s try in a bowl of water. Boats with sails are made in our ‘extension time’ and we take them to the school pool to watch them sail or sink. Magnets pick up ball bearings, while hidden in a box; magnetic sand floats off the end of a magnet wand – all causing squeals of delight from the ever investigative children. Mirrors and reflections, big and small, and images in the crazy shaped mirrors bring laughs and enquiries why?

Geology (planet earth) is continued throughout all facets of the programme – researching ‘dinosaur’ fossils on the internet before mixing plaster of Paris with hidden bones in to dry, before digging them out with tools and safety goggles – real life archaeologists, impromptu trips to One Tree Hill to see the crater and how it is formed with the rocks, volcanoes with eruptions and how earthquakes occur – with regular practices of emergency evacuation drills, putting a practical effect in preparation should this ever occur in Auckland.

Astronomy and the world beyond brings visits to Stardome to experience the observatory and back at Preschool, we learn about planets and stars as we black out an area to represent Outer Space for a life like experience. We research answers to the children’s questions about why we can only see half the moon some nights and then a full moon other nights. We celebrate Maori New Year –Matariki, and learning about the importance of the seven stars with visits to Auckland Museum.

Science is not just an inquiry- based instructional approach at Preschool but an effective, practical, researched and excellent means of ensuring our youngest children understand and are excited by basic scientific principles as they ready themselves for school.

Our teachers LOVE teaching and we teach children who LOVE learning – the future belongs to the curious. The ones that are not afraid to try it, explore it, research it and question it!

Mrs Sue Nash Preschool Director

Budding Young Scientists!

Have you ever seen a raisin dance? Or maybe even milk? Our preschoolers have so much to discover and science is one of the many exciting areas that brings their learning to life. Dancing raisins was just one of many experiments the children have tried. So just how do you make a raisin dance? Ask our preschoolers! They will tell you that if you add an alka seltzer tablet to water, the raisins will ‘dance’ on the surface of the water as the carbon dioxide bubbles attach to them. And, if you want to watch milk ‘dance,’ add food colouring followed by a little detergent -and watch the swirling, whirling action on the surface!

Preschool children are both inquisitive and open-minded - the perfect traits for budding young scientists! The children took part in more than 20 learning activities that introduced different aspects of science, learning how chemistry, biology, physics, geology and astronomy play a part in their everyday world. They enjoyed watching things fizz, pop, explode and slime as they tested their theories using different materials and liquids.

Science continues to be a vital part of teaching at the Preschool as it helps the children to develop important life skills such as problem-solving, communication and research. Maybe there is a budding Einstein, Newton,

Chicken Whisperers!

With the arrival of an incubator to keep fertilised chicken eggs warm, our children kept a close eye on the eggs, waiting for the first ‘pip.’ Within three days, eleven new chicks were born! Placed under a heat lamp, it didn’t take long for the bedraggled newborns to fluff up into very appealing, fluffy wee chicks! Cue chicken whisperers! Our preschoolers moved in keeping watch on the growing chicks, taking it in turns to feed and handle them. As fluff was replaced by feathers, the chickens were ready to be moved outdoors and proved a constant source of fascination for the children.

Caring for animals helps develop a sense of compassion and our young chicken whisperers certainly showed their caring nature as they nurtured the new arrivals. Once full size, the birds were moved on to free-range at Sue’s parents’ lifestyle block in Kumeu. The children are waiting for their first taste of free-range eggs!

AVisit to the Zoo

On a beautiful, sunny day 52 children accompanied by 26 adults boarded a bus for a trip to Auckland Zoo. Whilst many of the big animals were fast asleep in the heat, the children still had a great time spotting animals and learning new facts

From the safari walk with the giraffe, zebra and ostriches, to the cheeky meerkats and beautiful flamingos, and onto the NZ bird enclosure, the children were kept busy. A favourite was watching the elephants undertaking tasks with their keepers, before having lunch in the shade beside the seals.

On return to Preschool, the proliferation of artwork inspired by the trip was amazing! The sleep room became a safari space with monkeys hanging from leaves and birds flying high, with lions and tigers of every size prowling along the walls. It was a very worthwhile trip to extend the children’s learning.

Caring for Piglets

To tie in with the Chinese Year of the Pig, Jacko and Lucy, two kune kune piglets, arrived at Preschool. The children immediately took them into their care, bottle feeding them twice a day, spoiling them with fresh vegetables and fruit, and bathing them regularly.

The children loved having the piglets around and enjoyed playing with them in their outdoor area. After five weeks of caring for the young animals, they returned to their kune kune farm where Lucy became a show pig and Jacko continued to be a pampered pet at the home of the President of the Kune Kune Association.

Who Let the Dogs Out?

Children’s book, ‘Hairy Maclary’ by Lynley Dodd was brought to life last term. Inspired by their passion for books and reading, the children created ‘Hairy Maclary’ art, puppets, soft toys, books and puzzles that filled the Preschool.

A whole area was transformed into a ‘Hairy Maclary dog park’ with amazing artworks on the walls and a series of Hairy Maclary books scattered around for the children to read. The children absolutely loved it and even put together their own Preschool illustrated book of ‘Hairy Maclary from Donaldson’s Dairy.’ Books with rhyme and nonsense words encourage fun and delight for children in the learning of literacy, which is an integral part of our learning at Preschool.

Peace Begins with Me

Our 4-year-olds were part of a special event that focused on the importance of contributing to make a happier and more peaceful world. The Sri Chinmoy Oneness Peace Run International Runners visited the Boys’ School to share their motto, ‘Peace Begins with Me’ and to encourage the students to exercise kindness and love.

Each child made their own peace dove which they held throughout the event and did a number of dove drawings which they donated to the runners to take back to Rome. The event was exciting for both the children and staff as they were able to touch the torch which was carried by Preschool dad and Tall Black, Tom Abercrombie.

Celebrating Autumn!

After a windy autumn night, the Preschool was ankle-deep in brown and red leaves. There’s nothing like the change of seasons! The youngsters raked up the leaves and put them into piles, then scuffed through them, enjoying the crackle and rustle, before throwing handfuls in the air to watch float away on the wind!

Joining in Celebration

Dressed in tartan sashes, our preschoolers enjoyed the Scottish festivities at our primary schools. The girls joined in with Flora MacDonald Day at the Girls’ School while the boys headed to the Boys’ School for Celtic Day, both marching behind the College Pipes and Drums and proudly waving to their parents!

Teaching –A Worthwhile Profession!

How many people can say they have spent the last 36.5 years in the same profession and loved every minute of it.

Iloved school and all that it offered and remembered those teachers who made a difference as well as those who didn’t. I enjoyed Mathematics, English, Science, Social Science and PE, therefore, chose to head down the primary teaching route as a career.

There were three years of Training College study and practicums covering every level before they let me loose in my own classroom. Interesting to note that my first years of teaching were in an open plan co-educational Intermediate (the precursor to today’s modern or innovative learning environments that are the latest trend in teaching). Four teachers and 150 students in a large open space with sliding doors and kneelers instead of desks. Nothing at Training College prepared me for this! We taught as we would in a normal classroom, however, when approaching an inquiry-based topic, each of us would become the master of a topic and the students would move. There were five ‘Blocks’ of teaching pods in the school of 600, each run by a ‘Blockhead!’ The success of each Block was dependent on the teaching team and their ability to work together (collaborate). Not an easy goal when people are put together without proper training and differing personalities and experiences.

In those early days, the classroom was vastly different from what it is today;

• Computers were not available, encyclopaedias were, and you had to know how to spell it.

• Teachers had to earn their 16mm film projector licence to ensure the media could be used in the classroom. VHS brought another dimension where recorded Jacques Cousteau programmes from TV could be used to stimulate writing.

• Tables were drilled in every maths lesson. You learnt how to add, subtract, divide and multiply using algorithms rather than articulating various strategies to get the same answer.

• For Formal English teaching, the text was LUBE – ‘Let’s Use Better English’ from Australia. I always had trouble writing Mt Kosciuszko correctly.

• Chalk and blackboards were the medium and the dust was unbelievable.

• Corporal punishment was legal. It would be fair to say that those who used this form of punishment for classroom misdemeanours often had either lost control or respect.

• Reports were handwritten using cursive writing and if a mistake was made, the whole report had to be repeated.

• The students were expected to regurgitate facts. However, while different there are a lot of similarities…

• Values are important

• Expectations remain high

• Relationships are the key to successful learning and engagement

• The student is at the centre of learning

• Sport and cultural opportunities are evident

Schools today are vibrant spaces that provide amazing opportunities for learning and personal development. Schools must continue to adapt to ensure we prepare our students for the future, whatever that may be.

He aha te mea nui o tea o, he tāngta, he tāngta, he tāngta!

It is all about the people.

We need to turn out people who…

• are great citizens – think of others before themselves

• know how to learn and want to learn

• are IT Literate – can access and validate authenticity of information

• are articulate and confident without arrogance

• learn from mistakes and failure

• are resilient, happy and communicative

• ask questions

• are solution focused

• are relational and personable

• are competitive, yet display sportsmanship

• know their strengths and are prepared to work on their weaknesses

For schools to achieve this we need teachers who…

• care

• are valued

• are passionate about education

• are knowledgeable

• are continuous learners

• are creative, energetic and empathetic

• have humour and are fun

• go the extra mile

As a society, we cannot afford to accept mediocrity. We need to encourage teaching as a worthwhile profession to our graduates, as we want the best of the best to ensure our future is looked after. It is a fantastic career after all!

Mr Peter Cassie, Principal

Boys’ School Prefects Commissioned

On the very first day of the new school year, the 2019 Boys’ School prefects were commissioned during a Chapel service attended by their parents and invited guests. For the newly elected Head Boy, William Ormond, and Deputy Head Boy, Charlie Dickinson, this was a particularly proud day. These fine, young men both have the capability to serve and lead the School with distinction.

Principal, Mr Peter Cassie welcomed Head of Saint Kentigern, Mr David Hodge and Senior College Principal, Mrs Suzanne Winthrop who introduced this year’s College Head Boy, Ben Shepherd and his Deputy, Bec Robson. Bec was also Deputy Head Boy during his time at the Boys’ School. In addressing the new prefect team, Ben said, ‘Leadership comes from your character, your values and your mindset; it is more than a title or a badge. To lead well at Saint Kentigern, you must firstly understand the importance of servant leadership. Servant leadership means to put the needs of others before those of your own.’

Mr Cassie came forward to challenge both William and Charlie with the Prefect Pledge: ‘Gentlemen, do you promise to uphold the values and standards of Saint Kentigern School and to serve its students, teachers and parents to the best of your ability and for the glory of God?’ The boys signed the Prefect Ledger, first started in 1995, then introduced the rest of their prefect team to the School, as they in turn accepted the duties of leadership, committing to serving Saint Kentigern with pride.

HEAD BOY

William Ormond

William started at the Boys’ School as a Year 2 student in 2013. At the end of his first year, he received the class prize for Excellence, showing that right from the outset, William set high standards. At the completion of his Junior School years, William received the Year 3 class prize for Public Speaking. Throughout Middle School, Will continued to excel. He was a School Councillor in Year 4 and received the class prize for Excellence in Years 4, 5 and 6. He was a member of the Middle School A Football team, the Year 5 and Year 6 Mathex team, Kapa Haka Performers’ Group, Kids Lit team in Year 6, Years 5 and 6 NIPS Ski team and a member of the Year 6 EPRO8 Technology team. Moving on to the Senior School, Will’s academic results and continued contribution have been outstanding. Will leads by example and strives for excellence in all that he does, making the most of every opportunity, whilst displaying the core values of our School. We look forward to his leadership of the School during 2019, confident that he will lead with enthusiasm, energy and commitment.

DEPUTY HEAD BOY

Charlie Dickinson

Charlie started at the Boys’ School as a Year 4 student in 2015. In the final term of his first year, he received the ‘Student of the Term Award’. As Charlie got more familiar with his surrounds, his commitment and dedication to all facets of school-life strengthened. By the end of his time in the Middle School, he had represented the School in the A Cricket, Basketball and Rugby teams, had joined the Saint Kentigern Singers and the Kapa Haka All-Comers Group. Last year in Year 7, his commitment continued, particularly his service to the School, gaining his Bronze Service Award and being a dedicated Chapel Monitor. He also made the 1st XV Rugby team which is never an easy feat as a Year 7 boy.

Charlie epitomises the Saint Kentigern Way through his actions and shows his ability to be an outstanding and dedicated leader. Charlie will rise to the challenge of being the Deputy Head Boy and give of his very best in all that he does.

2019 Boys' School Prefect Team

Head Prefect Will Ormond

Deputy Head Prefect Charles Dickinson

Chapel Prefect Cayden Lin-Vaile

Council Prefect Sebastian Lyne

Academic Prefect Thomas Hageman

Sports Prefect Sam McLeod

Cultural Prefect Oscar Horton

Junior School Prefect George Wilby

Middle School Prefect Finn McFarlane

Cargill House Leaders

Ethan Knox

Hugo Wigglesworth

Chalmers House Leaders Max Irwin

Harry Klouwens

Hamilton House Leaders Max Beullens

Ashan Weerasinghe

Wishart House Leaders Amalani Taiala

Oscar Duffy

Celtic Day

Spirits were high and our clans were calling loudly and proudly as they readied themselves out on the field for a day of Highland fun!

Yes, it’s Celtic Day! Without doubt the most favoured day on the school calendar; a day universally acknowledged as ‘the best’ – the only day of the year when the entire Boys’ School timetable is suspended in favour of activities arranged around a Scottish theme, with both fun and learning in mind. It’s a day swathed in House colours, flashes of tartan, streaks of face paint and bright with smiles! This year’s Celtic Day certainly lived up to its reputation, providing tradition, formalities, humour - and a time-honoured taste of something that, more than any other food, has an exceptionally bad reputation! Haggis!

The day began with that curious mix of heritage, as our tartan-clad Kapa Haka group, led by Sam McLeod, laid down the challenge, their voices carrying far across the field, signalling the moment for the College Pipe Band, followed by the Boys’ School Pipe Band, to begin the parade.

This is a day for our oldest students to show leadership and provide care for their junior clan members, knowing what fun lies in store! With their younger counterparts firmly under their wings, our senior boys led the way, as the House Clans followed the Pipes and Drums in a ribbon of colour, as they marched towards the Jubilee Sports Centre for the official ceremony. Old Collegian, James Milner had the honour of piping in the official party and Cayden Lin-Vail led the Prayer of Saint Kentigern.

‘Sit ye doon!’bellowed Principal, Mr Peter Cassie with his best Scottish lilt! ‘The day has arrived, and I am ready and prepared!’ Truth be known, Mr Cassie loves the rough and tumble of Celtic Day as much as the boys!

In this, the 60th year of the Boys’ School, Academic Prefect, Thomas Hageman was invited forward to reflect back on 60 years of growth on the Shore Road campus before senior boys, Quinn Campbell and Freddie Gardner, and juniors, Tommy Chester and Brandon Wang had the honour of cutting a 60th birthday cake. Three resounding cheers echoed around the gym as the boys celebrated the School’s milestone.

Hmmm cake, haggis. Which would you prefer? Celtic Day is not Celtic Day without a haggis! The crowning glory of Scottish cuisine was laid bare by Mr Cassie who described how the ‘less interesting parts of a sheep’ are packed into a sheep’s stomach ready for cooking. Head Boy, Will Ormond was called on to ‘address the haggis.’ Will joined a long line of Head Boys who have taken on the task of learning and reciting Robert Burns’ ‘Ode to a Haggis’ in Gaelic. This year Will was fortunate to have an uncle help him prepare. He not only mastered the fiendishly difficult soliloquy, but he delivered it with immense confidence and spirit. His long applause was well earned!

And so to the business end of the day, as far as the boys were concerned! After the traditional tasting of the Haggis, the boys set

off to enjoy their day out on the field in riotous action, with quiet interludes inside for craft and cooking activities.

From dancing to origami, making damper over an open fire, cooking porridge and oatcakes and preparing the contents of a haggis, to building towers and engaging in a treasure hunt, there was much to enjoy, but nothing quite captures the imagination like the castle siege, as boys set about with wet sponges to attack the cardboard ramparts created by staff and parents. As the day wore on, Roselle Lawn wore out, so those taking on the challenge later in the day found themselves wallowing in mud – including the stoic parents on duty!

By the time the 3 o’clock bell came, the boys were tired, the staff were tired and the parents were tired but all concurred that Celtic Day is ‘the best!’

Celtic Day can be quite an eye-opener for the uninitiated, especially the parents who offer up their services for the first time! As always, we must thank our Parents and Friends Association, led by Vanessa Playle, who did a fantastic job in providing support on the day, from preparing shortbread for the guests’ morning tea, offering haggis to the boys (who let’s be honest, would have preferred the shortbread!), to being at the forefront of the games on the field and in the pool. Our sincere thanks to a wonderful group of wet, muddy parents! Celtic Day could not happen without your enormous contribution! Thank you! You’ve earned a quiet ‘lie doon!’

Address to the Haggis 101

According to Mr

man’s food, declaring it a dish greater than any fine French cuisine.

Each year our Head Boy takes great care to learn all 8 stanzas in Gaelic, performing it with great gusto for all assembled. But beginning with ‘Fair fa' your honest, sonsie face’, what does it mean?

Leading into this year’s address by Will Ormond, Boys’ School Principal, Mr Cassie simplified its meaning for everyone.

The 101 version is: ‘Here’s the haggis. Looks good. Let’s cut it up and eat it.’

For those who like a little more detail: Mr Cassie gave a slightly more detailed insight into the meaning of the eight stanzas!

Verse 1: The Haggis is greeted

Verse 2: Tribute is paid to its size and looks

Verse 3: The feel and smell of the beautiful dish when cut is zdiscussed

Verse 4: An imagined group of diners demolishes the Haggis

Verse 5: Fine French dishes/cuisine are mocked

Verse 6: Those who eat French food are belittled

Verse 7: By contrast, tribute is paid to the formidable nature of Haggis-fed men

Verse 8: God is asked to keep Scotland supplied with Haggis

For those who would like the true meaning, search online for Robert Burns’ Address to the Haggis. Most sites give both the Gaelic and the English translation!

Above and Beyond

F aster, farther, higher and smarter were some of the words used to describe Motat’s ‘Above and Beyond’ immersive exhibition. In preparation for their forthupcoming science unit on ‘Planet Earth and Beyond,’ Year 8 students from the Boys’ School visited MOTAT to explore the evolution of aerospace innovation and technology.

Learning what it takes to make the ‘impossible’ possible, the students looked at how the principles of STEAM (Science, technology, engineering, the arts and maths) have been used to expand the boundaries of our universe over time. Packed with engaging interactives and challenging concepts and facts, the exhibition launched their imaginations ‘sky high,’ stimulating their curiosity.

The highlight of the experience for most of the students was designing and racing their own virtual jet while testing their knowledge of physics. The students also enjoyed taking part in the 3-D ‘Take Flight’ experience which used motion sensors and computer graphics to allow the students to ‘spread their wings’ and fly like a bird. This developed the students’ understanding of the science behind gravity and the breakthroughs that enable humans to take flight.

This was a thrilling experience for the boys who came to understand that the sky is definitely not the limit and that nothing is ‘impossible’ – leaving the endless possibilities of what the future may hold – including possible future careers!

Global Wave of Friendship

Carried around 140 nations over the past 32 years by volunteer runners, the Sri Chinmoy Oneness-Home Peace Run relay torch made its way to the Boys’ School to spread the universal message of kindness and peace.

Students from the Boys’ School, Girls’ School and Preschool gathered to warmly welcome an international team of peace runners, led by Tall Black, Tom Abercrombie. The run is a global relay that symbolises peace and harmony, with runners carrying a flaming torch, passing it from hand to hand, heart to heart.

As the visitors ran the torch onto the field, the Boys’ School Kapa Haka group challenged them with the Haka. Girls’ School Chapel Prefect, Anamia Rangihaeata gave a Karakia before the torch was passed over to the Boys’ School Head Boy, William Ormond.

Principal of the Boys’ School, Mr Peter Cassie welcomed the community and international runners, before William spoke about peace on a world scale, reminding us that we can help spread peace by being kind to others. Girls’ School Head Girl, Jaime Chandler, also spoke about peace and how we should exercise it in our everyday lives. The students then formed a circle around the field as the torch was passed. As a symbol of peace, an olive tree will be planted on the school grounds in recognition of the occasion.

Boys Travel Back in Time

Can you imagine life without a washing machine, a phone, a car or refrigerator? No electricity, no lights…no shops! There was much to learn about life in early New Zealand when our Year 3 boys visited Howick Historical Village. The Village charts the lives of early settlers from life under canvas to the first homesteads and is a real step back in time for those who visit.

Dressed in ‘old fashioned’ clothing to enhance their learning experience, the boys looked the part as they walked around the Village which houses more than 30 buildings from the 1840-1880 period, including Hemi Pepene’s whare, the old mail runner’s raupo cottage, the 1800s Pakuranga School, a courthouse and a blacksmith’s shop. It wasn’t until the students got involved in the first activities that they realised how hard it was to live in the Victorian era.

After inspecting a settler’s cottage with its sparse utensils from the 1800s, the boys pulled up their sleeves and put some elbow grease into washing and drying clothes by hand. Pegging wet clothes on a line was a new experience for some!

They then took off their hats, pulled up their socks and sat up ramrod straight in rows to take part in a short Victorian-style, writing, geography and maths lesson in the classroom. The boys walked away from both experiences feeling relieved that times have changed!

The next two activities entailed games the Victorians played and archaeology. The boys were eager to try stilts, rolling the hoop and the diabolo, which proved to be challenging. They also indulged in an archaeological dig to uncover old objects and learnt about their history.

This was a fantastic outing for the students and helped broaden their knowledge about ‘who we are and where we came from’ –which was their Social Science Inquiry. This trip supported their learning and focused on how technology and lifestyles have changed over time, and just how lucky we are today with the vast amount of innovation and technology available to ease daily living!`

How a School Works

There’s a lot to take on board when you’re only five years old, just starting out in a new school. During the course of their first term at Saint Kentigern, our youngest students learnt about ‘how we organise ourselves’ and how a school is a society that helps us learn and play together.

In a mix of learning about special aspects of the School and its people, our boys put on their reporters’ hats and prepared questions to ask key personnel. Visiting different sites around the school from the school office and sick bay, to the library, the sports centre and even the maintenance sheds, the boys met many different people to learn how each has a specific role ‘to make the school work.’

There is one face the boys are particularly familiar with, as Principal, Mr Peter Cassie makes a point of meeting and greeting our youngest boys at the drive-through in the morning. The boys gathered some pertinent questions, asking what his job entails, which is the favourite part of his job, what he is still learning, does he work hard – and why does he wear a cape?! Mr Cassie’s answers all came down to loving watching the boys learn and making sure that Saint Kentigern is the very best learning environment it can be. And the cape? He assured the boys it has nothing to do with Batman but it’s all about a university degree!

Anzac Service

‘They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old; Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning, We will remember them. We will remember them.’

Laurence Binyon

The impact of war, and especially the First World War, on New Zealand as a nation, has been great. It has fashioned our nationhood and is embedded in our history and culture. Sacrifice has always been a central theme to ANZAC services around the country, as we recall those who served in the many theatres of war over the last century. With reverence, we acknowledge the debt we owe to the many who fought, were wounded and, for a very significant number, failed to return to the shores of our country.

Every year since 1916, dawn services have been held on 25 April as a mark of respect for the fallen. Marking the time of the initial landings at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, dawn holds the symbolism of darkness making way for the light of a new day. These services do not serve to glorify war but to honour the memory of those who, in time of war, faithfully served their country, many sadly paying the ultimate price.

Kim McGregor, and Head of Saint Kentigern, Mr David Hodge, took their places with our choirs under flood lights.

Before Reverend Reuben Hardie made the call to worship, Boys’ School Principal, Mr Peter Cassie recalled the dark days on the Gallipoli Peninsula in 1915, when 2779 New Zealanders were killed during a bitter eight and a half months struggle which failed to achieve any military objectives - yet left a powerful ANZAC legacy. Girls’ School Principal, Ms Juliet Small, followed, reading an ANZAC prayer calling for World Peace.

Students from each of the schools had a part to play in the service. Girls’ School Chapel Prefect, Anamia Rangihaeata led the opening Karakia and Head Girl, Jaime Chandler took the first reading. Boys’ School Head Boy, Will Ormond read the evocative Western Front poem, ‘In Flanders fields the poppies blow, between the crosses row on row’ before Year 8 soloist, Charles Adams bravely sang the first verse of the congregational hymn, ‘Abide with me.’ The Prayer of Saint Kentigern was led by Boys’ School Chapel Prefect, Cayden LinVaile. We also enjoyed a performance of ‘The Band played Walzing Matilda’ by the Geelong College Choir.

Early one morning in the last week of term, as the sun began to rise over the Boys’ School, a large gathering from our Boys’ School, Girls’ School and Preschool communities, joined in remembrance for the fallen. In true ANZAC spirit, we welcomed students and staff from Geelong College in Australia, who were spending a week with our community.

In the early morning light, the Boys’ School Pipe Band played, prior to solo piper, Charles Adams, piping the official party to the field. Representative students and staff from each of the Schools and the Preschool, along with Chairman of the Trust Board, Dr John Kernohan; fellow Trust Board members, Mrs Rosemary Harris and Mrs

Five wreaths were laid - one by Mrs Nash, Director of the Preschool along with preschoolers, Kayla Richardson and Finn Matthews; one by Ms Small with Head Girl, Jaime Chandler; one by Mr Cassie and Head Boy, Will Ormond; one by representatives from Geelong College, Josh Rowbottom and Luke Bird; and the final one was laid by Dr Kernohan and Mr Hodge on behalf of the wider Saint Kentigern Community, both past and present.

The final hymn, ‘Sons of Gallipoli’ brought the congregation and all three school choirs together as one. As the service concluded, Year 3 student Adrian Chan was called on to deliver Binyon’s immortal lines ‘We will remember them’ from his poem, ‘For the Fallen.’ The service concluded with the ‘Last Post’ played by Thomas Davies, followed by silence as we remembered the fallen.

Sing A New Song

In the splendour of the Holy Trinity Cathedral, choirs from each of our campuses, along with a visiting choir from Geelong College, Australia, came together in a celebration of song. Earlier in the week, the Boys’ School had welcomed the Geelong College boys’ choir and together, they spent time in workshops and rehearsals to learn from each other and share their music-making.

Boys’ School student, Oscar Horton and Geelong College student, Ted O’Malley shared the role of MCs for the evening, and did an excellent job as continuity presenters, explaining about each musical item in turn.

Crowded House number, ‘Better be home soon’ was chosen as the opening song by the combined Boys’ School and Geelong choirs, setting the tone for a wonderful evening. The Geelong choir stayed on stage for ‘Innay,’ an Aboriginal lullaby and, taking the Kiwi audience by surprise, the haunting melody was accompanied by Mr Thacker on the didgeridoo! This could possibly be a first for the Cathedral! The second song, ‘And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda’ was a tribute to the ANZACs; a fitting reminder of the hardships of the war at this time of remembrance.

The Girls’ School Kapa Haka group were next to the stage to present two songs: ‘Rona’ and ‘Toia mai te waka.’ The girls gave an exceptional performance. Following on, Year 8 student, Charles Adams was joined by Keiran Lane from Geelong to sing Hine E Hine, a traditional Maori lullaby, in duet. The Boys’ School Performers’ Choir sang arrangements of the ‘Seal Lullaby’ by contemporary American composer, Eric Whitacre and ‘A Million Dreams’ with George Wilby and Oscar Horton as soloists.

Saint Kentigern’s Premier College Choir, Kentoris, has been working with a new Choral Director, Dr Jared Corbett this year. Accompanied by Juan Kim, they sang two songs from their current repertoire: ‘Darling Johnny O,’ a New Zealand folk song and ‘Lullaby’ by American composer, Daniel Elder. They sang in stunning harmony.

The evening finished Yusaf Steven’s ‘Father and Son’ sung by all the students, chosen in remembrance, following a recent loss of a friend to cancer. To honour his memory, proceeds from the concert were donated to The Malaghan Institute for Medical Research, a leading, independent biomedical facility that undertakes cancer research.

The Impact of Good Feedback

With thanks to Head of Pedagogy, Mrs Kellie Carpenter

We know that highly effective teachers can have a profound impact on their students. They have the transformative power to inspire a passion for learning, allow ideas to develop and to encourage deep thinking.

Many of us are fortunate to have been taught by an effective teacher, someone who was passionate about their subject and showed genuine care for their students. The teachers stay in our hearts and minds long after we have left school.

These highly effective teachers can have a pronounced effect on the daily lives of their students, their lifelong educational journey and future career aspirations. Educational research on highly effective teachers supports the fact that good teachers not only make students feel good about school and learning, but that their encouragement also results in increased student achievement.

One important way that effective teachers influence learning and achievement is through feedback. Historically, we might remember feedback as receiving a mark or a grade as a way of providing us with some kind of response to our learning. The mark allowed us to know where we sat amongst our peers but didn’t necessarily give us insight as to how well we were doing or how we could improve our performance.

‘My teacher gives me positive comments about my writing and gives me advice on how to make it better.’

Matthew

Teachers at the Boys’ School know that feedback is not just a mark or a grade but is the process of providing information about a task that, ‘fills a gap between what is understood and what is aimed to be understood.’ (Hattie) Good feedback should be information that we share with our boys to help them close the gap between where they are now with their work, and where they could be. The goal is to provide each boy with insight and strategies that, ultimately, will help them to instinctively understand ways that they can improve their own performance.

What we know is that the timing of feedback is incredibly important and is best without delay. Effective teaching entails planning multiple opportunities for our boys to engage with the content, allowing for misconceptions to be identified, explored and challenged. What we also know is that rather than general, meaningless comments, our feedback is most effective when it reinforces success, corrects errors, helps students unravel misconceptions and provides suggestions for specific improvements.

At the Boys’ School, we strive to create a learning culture in which our teachers are skilled in providing meaningful feedback and our boys are well-equipped to receive it. To develop such a strong learning culture, our teachers know that feedback should always be motivating and develop a student’s willingness to learn. Just as our students continue to learn, so do our teachers, with many

Richard Kirk, Senior Dean

‘Feedback allows me to clarify a student’s understanding and support their next steps to improve. After a feedback session, my students have the tools to refine their thinking in order to approach aspects of the task with greater clarity’

‘Individual feedback is the most powerful. We highlight areas for improvement using our success criteria.’

‘If I write a lot on one day, then my teacher helps me improve my writing the next day.’

Mr Geoff Brown, Year 3 teacher

‘Feedback allows me to give my students the information they need to move forward with their learning.’

Harrison Benton,

‘Feedback helps me understand how to improve. It also helps me understand errors and how I can change them.’

Year 7 student

Gilbert, Year 3 student

Sachin Matheson, Year 5 student

Louise Miles, Year 7 English teacher

opportunities during the course of the year for both professional development, and peer to peer feedback from lesson observation.

Another essential element of this learning culture is the normalising of making an error, as we know that this can be the key to new learning. Ask many a scientist or innovator about the path to their discoveries, and many a time the cliché, ‘we learn from our mistakes’ has rung true! Learning early on that it’s OK to make a mistake and learn from it, helps develop both self-confidence and resilience when moving on to the next stage. Over the course of history, there have been many examples of simple mistakes resulting in life-changing discoveries! Think X-rays, the microwave, pacemakers, Teflon, Super Glue … who knew that Play Doh was originally intended to be a cleaning product?! Yes, it’s OK to make a mistake!

On any given day at our school, you will see highly effective teachers engaging in the feedback process with their boys. Our teachers understand the impact of timely, accurate feedback and see the benefits of this daily through greater student engagement, boys who become passionate about their learning and the ultimate goal, increased student achievement. It doesn’t matter if it’s a Year 1 writing session, a Year 5 PE lesson or a Year 8 Maths lesson, feedback is occurring across the curriculum and is having a profound impact on our boys’ learning.

Reference – John Hattie and Shirley Clarke, 2019, Visible Learning: Feedback. Routledge

Learning Lunch Series

At Saint Kentigern, we recognise that education doesn’t end when a teacher receives their degree. Every professional’s career can benefit from continuing education that helps them to reflect on their practice and develop new skills. Our key focus is always to provide the best quality teaching and learning for our boys. In order for this to happen, our teachers need opportunities to continue to develop innovative pedagogies and practices that meet the diverse needs of all our students. Creating a culture where learning is embedded in our daily teaching practice has been a key strategic focus in recent times.

Over the last two years, a number of ‘learning culture’ initiatives have been offered to our staff to support the development of their pedagogy and practice. Along with ‘teacher to teacher’ observation and shared, ongoing professional reading, we have introduced a series of ‘Learning Lunches.’ Thus far, the Learning Lunch series has featured a diverse range of professionals, working in many different fields. Listening to the stories of others, reviewing current educational research and hearing about new innovations, allows our staff the opportunity to collaborate, reflect and embrace new ideas. Over the past year, staff have been privileged to listen to Forensic Technician and Anthropology Researcher, Ashley Fox; Associate Professor Bronwen Connor, Pharmacologist and Head of the Neural Reprogramming at the University of Auckland; International Humanitarian, Anna Avery; Dr Anna Friis, Health Psychologist; Molly Ireland, Neuro Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner and Instructor (NZANLP); Occupational Therapist, Rick Cheng and most recently to start the new year, ’nomadic educationalist’, Aaron Peters discussing ‘The Art of Failure – how to learn from mistakes.’

As a learning organisation, we acknowledge the importance of supporting a continuous culture of learning amongst our staff to ensure our teachers continue to develop pedagogies and practices relevant to an era of rapid change. Lunch is provided for staff during these sessions, supporting the charity ‘Eat My Lunch’ – for every lunch we buy, a child in need receives a free lunch.

James Hiddleston, Year 7 student ‘Feedback helps you know what and how to improve next time.’

Camp Challenges!

Whilst the boys in Years 1-3 had a taste of the ‘great outdoors’ on Roselle Lawn, the boys in Years 4-8 headed away to camp. No matter what the age group or the location of the camp, all our camps away aim to offer new experiences, develop independence, discover self-confidence and help the boys find success in the face of new challenges. The boys returned to school at the end of their week, brimming with excitement and totally exhausted!

YEAR 5 CAMP

MERC, Long Bay

A week jam-packed with marine-based education and outdoor recreational activities kept our Year 5 boys challenged with a daily rotation of activities that both tested them mentally and physically. Both land and water based, the activities included abseiling, climbing, canoeing, orienteering, a giant’s ladder, slingshot, archery, raft building and sailing.

YEAR 4 CAMP

Peter Snell Youth Village in Whangaparaoa

Orienteering, archery, a Burma trail, bivouac building, wall climbing, rifles, slingshot paintball, slippery slide and an initiative course -the activities were all designed with boys in mind to keep our Year 4 students busy, active, engaged and challenged. And with the beach on the doorstep, there were plenty of opportunities for beach sports and kayaking! For most of these boys, it was their first experience of being away from home in a camp setting –and they were keen to give it their all and be the ones selected as ‘Camp Legends’ at the end of each day.

YEAR 6 CAMP

Kaueranga Valley

Located just outside Thames and surrounded by hill country farms, the acres of terraced grasslands overlooking the Kaueranga River proved to be a fantastic spot for the boys to get away from the busyness of citylife and get busy in the outdoors. With a river running through the camp, there was plenty of opportunity to get out on the kayaks. Go karts, BMX riding, archery and a flying fox also featured. By far one of the most memorable activities for the boys was the mud slide – any chance to get wet and muddy!

YEAR 7 CAMP

Camp Manaia, Whangarei Heads

For the second year, Year 7 headed north to the Whangarei Heads, alternating the 135 boys between two campsites, one in the bush and one in cabins. The boys loved the mix of locations, spending two nights at each but especially enjoyed their nights at Jagger Camp in the bush. This was camping in its truest form with the boys experiencing real bush life. They learned how to start a fire without matches, weave flax to make fishing lines to catch their own food, and cooked bush pizza and damper donuts over an open fire. To add to the experience, the boys slept in hammocks in the trees or in tepees with some boys electing to simply sleep out under the stars!

YEAR 8 CAMP

Tongariro Adventure

For the third consecutive year, the Year 8 boys headed to Tongariro National Park for their annual camp. Spread across three locations, each group had a day on the lake in kayaks or canoes, a local activity day and an overnight expedition that encompassed many fantastic activities. The heart of the camp was the expedition that each team undertook. This involved packing a pack, hiking to various locations, making shelter and undertaking different activities along the way. Caving, abseiling, rock climbing, flying fox, canoeing as well as making camp, cooking their own food and ensuring that all members of the group were looked after were necessary for each student. The boys spent two days and one night out in the bush relying on their own resilience and each other’s before returning to the lodges.

Hamilton Wins Boys’ School Swimming Sports

Clear blue skies reflected off a newly painted pool set the scene for three fantastic days of competitive swimming at the Boys’ School!

From the first day back at school, the swimming programme got underway in earnest, so by the time the Junior, Middle and Senior School swimming events came around, the boys were ready to dive in and give it their best.

There is a huge amount of organisation that goes into these days with well over 200 separate races to get organised, involving marshals to get the swimmers to the starting blocks, race-starters, time-keepers and results recorders and, of course, the boys themselves - every single one of them had the chance to swim!

The Juniors were the first to put their skills to the test, with the youngest making use of swimming aids under the watchful eye of the Year 8 support team, whilst others mastered the full length of the pool under their own steam. Two new fun races were added this year – ‘Bombs and Mines’ had the boys bobbing down the pool to retrieve items off the bottom, whilst the ‘Tee Shirt Relay’ saw some frenzied shirt swapping at the end of each lap!

The Middle School followed the next day with a great day of racing for well-skilled swimmers but it was the Senior School who provided some of the most exciting races of the week, as the older boys powered down the pool with Luca Joint Rotondo, Harry Klouwens, Mark Galloway and James Crosbie breaking seven records between them, Mark taking the lion’s share, tumbling four records!

The final races of the day caught the attention of all the spectators who cheered on two swimmers in particular. James Crosbie and Mark Galloway swam all races ahead of the pack with just a hair’s breadth between them at the finish line! It was an exciting spectacle from two accomplished swimmers.

Well done to all our champion Boys’ School swimmers.

BOYS’ SCHOOL SWIMMING CHAMPIONS

Fantastic Results for Boys at Zone Swimming!

Following on from our School Swimming Sports, our top selected swimmers went on to compete in zone events with some fantastic results!

In the Eastern Zone for boys in Years 7-8, James Crosbie and Mark Galloway dominated the results with Luca Joint Rotondo and Harry Klouwens also scoring medals. Their combined efforts in the Medley Relay saw the Saint Kentigern team placed first. The Year 5 and 6 boys went to the Remuera Zone event and they too collected seven medals between them.

EASTERN ZONE SWIMMING – YEARS 7-8

Year 7 Boys Freestyle

2nd Luca Joint Rotondo

Year 8 Boys Freestyle

2nd James Crosbie

2nd Mark Galloway

Year 8 Boys Backstroke

1st James Crosbie

3rd Mark Galloway

Year 8 Boys Breaststroke

1st James Crosbie

Year 7/8 Boys Butterfly

1st Harry Klouwens

Year 7/8 Boys 100m Freestyle

1st James Crosbie

2nd Mark Galloway

Y7/8 Medley Relay Boys

1st SKBS Team

Five of our senior boys went onto represent the Eastern Zone at the Inter Zone Swimming Championships - a swimming event for the best Year 7 and 8 swimmers from each of the Auckland Zones to compete against one another. This was an extremely competitive event where again, James, Mark and Harry made a clear impression and once again, our Year 7 and 8 boys won the Medley Relay.

Well done boys!

REMUERA ZONE SWIMMING – YEARS 5-6

Year 5 25m freestyle

2nd Hugo Bricklebank

3rd Michael Sun

Year 6 Boys 25m Freestyle

1st Max Trankels

OPEN Boys 25m Butterfly

2nd Thomas Campion

Year 5 Boys 25m Breaststroke

2nd Will McLeod

Year 6 Boys 25m Breaststroke

1st Max Trankels

Year 5 Boys 50m Freestyle

2nd Michael Sun

Year 6 Boys 50m Freestyle

1st Thomas Campion

Chalmers Relay Champions!

Ablaze of sunshine, a sea of colour, determined swimming, spirited chanting and a dancing chaplain were a fantastic way to end this year’s swimming sports. The electric-charged event brought together both the Girls’ School and Boys’ Schools in a friendly morning of relay competition, wrapped up with a good dose of fun! There was no time for energy to drop or spirits to flag as in between races, those watching were set dance challenges – with Reverend Reuben Hardie leading the charge on the timeless favourite, the YMCA. The music and moves were all there – and the parents weren’t shy about joining in either! Well done to House Champions, Chalmers.

INTER-ZONE SWIMMING – YEARS 7-8

Year 8 Boys 50m Freestyle

1st James Crosbie

Year 8 Boys 50m Backstroke

2nd Mark Galloway

3rd James Crosbie

Year 8 Boys 50m Butterfly

1st Harry Klouwens

OPEN 100m Freestyle

1st James Crosbie

3rd Mark Galloway

Y7/8 Medley Relay Boys

1st SKBS Team

Staff Offer Service

To Ronald McDonald House

Saint Kentigern has a strong service ethic and this term, it was the turn of the staff from the Boys’ School to lend a hand. Fifteen staff members, comprising both teaching and administration staff, donned aprons and got to work in the kitchen at Ronald McDonald House, to prepare and serve dinner to families of children undergoing long term care at Starship Hospital.

The Ronald McDonald Houses, in each of the major centres around New Zealand, offer a vital service to support families when their child is in hospital away from their home town. Last year alone, over 4,300 families were assisted with accommodation and support, free of charge, to help relieve some of the everyday stresses they face when their child is unwell.

Families come from across New Zealand and although the average length of stay is seven days, many families will to stay for weeks or even months on end. This can be a very stressful time and the Houses aim to provide a ‘home-away-from-home’, offering families a safe haven to retreat to after a long day on the ward, allowing them to escape the clinical world of medicine, and take comfort in the familiarity and routine of a home-like environment.

Volunteers have an important part to play. On two nights a week, family dinners are provided by volunteer groups, giving families a chance to relax and enjoy a home cooked meal.

With funds collected through our Chapel offerings, the Boys’ School team of volunteers set out to buy the food items required to create a choice of nutritious dinners for all the families staying at the Houseon this occasion, almost 150 people. The team achieved its objective, with dinner on the table by 6pm, after an afternoon spent preparing food in volume. The meal was well received and there were most appreciative comments about the butter chicken and rice, shepherd’s pie, macaroni cheese, roast vegetable salad, green salad and bread rolls, followed by sticky date pudding and ice cream, with ice cream cones for the children.

Whilst dinner was being served, two of our students entertained with Cayden Lin-Uaile on guitar and Ran Yuan on piano.

For those staff involved, it was a most moving experience, particularly when they met with the families and got a real understanding of the emotional impact it has when a child is ill. It was particularly poignant to serve some of the families from the Christchurch Mosque attack. Once the meals were served, our staff joined the families for dinner and had a chance to listen to their stories. The staff returned home with gratitude for their own situations and a sense of purpose for having made a positive contribution for others. Plans are being put in place for staff to volunteer for this cause at least twice a year.

Seeking Donations for Fiji and Vanuatu

Shoes, boots, stationery, medical supplies, sports equipment, kitchenware, bras!

As the Boys’ School, Girls’ School and Preschool teams prepare for their service trips to Fiji (July) and Vanuatu (October), they are busy gathering donations of items to be shipped ahead of time. The container for Fiji leaves in July and the container for Vanuatu in August.

We are working towards opening a community kitchen in Nawaka Village in Fiji and are installing a playground at Etas and Macses school in Vanuatu (donated by Auckland City Council), along with other projects including furnishing three new classrooms built this year. We are thankful to Epsom Girls Grammar, Dilworth College and Victoria Avenue School for donations of classroom tables and chairs.

If our wider community has items you would like to donate in time for shipment, please contact our Chaplain, Reverend Reuben Hardie. reuben.hardie@saintkentigern.com

Morning Tea is Served!

‘The quickest way for a mother to get her children’s attention is to sit down and look comfortable.’

In his address to our mothers, Principal, Mr Peter Cassie set the room laughing as he flashed up statement after statement that most mothers can relate to!

‘If I ever go missing, please follow my kids, they can find me no matter where I try to hide!’

Whenever the Boys’ School needs assistance to put on an event, take a trip or simply needs an extra pair of hands to lighten the load, it is inevitable that our mothers are the first port of call with a request for help. The Mothers’ Morning Tea has become the one occasion where they can step back and let others do the work. It is a chance for our mothers to sit down, get comfortable for an hour or so, and not be disturbed by the demands of parenthood; an occasion where they can go ‘missing’ and be assured of not being ‘found,’ while they have a chance for a cup of tea, something good to eat and some grown up company!

The hall had been transformed the day before with crisp table linen and row upon row of fine china. With an early start, a group of willing dads, organised into action by fellow father, Mr Jimmy McLeod, lent helping hands to get scones jammed up and the cake stands loaded with morning tea fare ready for our guests!

But first, our mothers took the opportunity to visit their son’s classrooms, where activities were set up to share - with much laughter ringing across campus - before they were piped to the hall by Charles Adams. Ran Yuan played the piano whilst guests found their seats. With every single seat taken, our guests settled back to enjoy a moving performance of ‘A Million Dreams by the Performers’ Choir.

More than anyone, Principal, Mr Peter Cassie recognises the value of the contribution by our mothers and so this is the day that he and

his team of Year 8 helpers put their school work aside, dust off their aprons and get down to the serious business of waiting on some very important members of the Boys’ School community! With tea pot in hand, Mr Cassie cheerfully headed around the room, closely followed by Reverend Hardie and Mr Aspinall wielding coffee pots, while the boys with milk jugs followed on behind!

Guest speaker was parenting coach, Yvonne Godfrey who is well known for her sound advice for managing the teenage years. She has a passion to strengthen family life – to see families ‘thrive not just survive.’ One of Yvonne’s leading aspirations is for parents to create a strong ‘family brand’ that sets values for parents and their children to live by. She said that in today’s busy world, many parents are making life more chaotic than necessary. Parents need to focus less on enforcing rules and more on developing their children’s independence to prepare them for life. Yvonne was funny, engaging and gave much cause to stop and think. We’ve all heard of ‘helicopter parents’ but she adds ‘concierge parents’ to the list of parent traps!

With his apron back on the peg, the final word was given to Mr Cassie. Speaking to the mothers he said, ‘I congratulate you all on the fine job you are doing – it is clearly evidenced by what we see in your sons at school.’

We offer our sincere thanks to parent, Mrs Philly Hiddleston for organising the event and to her team of fellow helpers for all their work to ensure the morning ran smoothly with plenty to eat and drink. Donations this year will be made to Victim Support - Christchurch Relief Fund and Womens' Refuge.

Our grateful thanks to the following sponsors: The Gift Loft (Quesnel Family), Sabato and Hedgerow, Remuera for their spot prizes.

Get Involved, Get Doing! GIRLS’

We all hope that our children grow to have the confidence and resilience to cope with whatever may come their way in life.

At Saint Kentigern Girls’ School, we know that confidence is linked to ‘doing’ and ‘getting involved’ in a range of activities. So many of today’s youth live in highly structured environments where they move from adult-directed activity to adult-directed activity with little time to test their own abilities, make their own decisions or even learn to fill the empty space themselves that some may call ‘boredom.’ Our school provides the perfect environment for our girls to test their self-belief and limits, to practise decision making skills and explore new pastimes that may become passions. To ‘get involved’ and ‘get doing.’ Many opportunities present themselves for girls to try new things, to push themselves, maybe fall down and get back up again, or maybe even fall down again. This is all part of learning to become self-confident and resilient.

Over time, we see the difference that an all-girls experience makes to our Girls’ School students. In the single gender environment, the girls can be themselves, free from stereotypes and learn to participate without inhibition. Confidence is encouraged by positive rolemodelling strategies such as our Big Sister/ Little Sister activities, combining the age groups for House Lunches, walking to Chapel with an older buddy, and spending time with other Year groups at special events like Flora MacDonald Day or in Middle School Design Time.

This term we have delighted in the way that the girls have embraced challenges at every level of the school. It’s pretty brave diving into a pool in front of the whole school to race when you are six years old, or being challenged at camp (and organising and eating your own cooking for a week!), speaking at Chapel, presenting the reading at Assembly, taking responsibility for Road Patrol on a busy street, walking into school independently, walking your buddy to Chapel, and meeting and greeting visitors to our school. Some students have even presented their science projects to a full auditorium of scientists at the museum, whilst younger girls presented a soliloquy or a poem or a persuasive speech to the whole school. All these activities

allow the girls, across all age levels, to develop their confidence and resilience. I am inspired every day by the ‘can do’ attitude of our students and their passion for learning. We know that confidence is linked to doing. The single biggest threat to a girl’s confidence is not doing… not trying… not practising.

At the Girls’ School, our girls receive constant encouragement from caring teachers who are supportive, yet expect each girl to strive to do their very best. Because we have specialist teachers who all know the girls so well, a very nurturing environment is created, matched by a real rigour in the expectations for the girls and what can be achieved. We can help the girls take ‘healthy risks.’

If your daughter is a reluctant participant, then encourage her to get involved! If she is nervous about giving something a go, then take time to talk the issue through with her. Here are three great questions: 1. What’s the worst that can happen? 2. Can you live with that? 3. Do you have the resources to deal with it?

The ‘Hands Up for Gender Equality’ report by the Australian Gender Equality Council (2018) has highlighted that unlike in the mixedgender ‘real’ world, where studies consistently show that women are less confident than men, girls in single-sex schools are equally as self-confident as boys in single-sex schools. The ‘Hands Up’ report found that the top three contributors to self-confidence in both girls and boys are travel, team sport and leadership opportunities. Other significant contributing factors include having a part-time job, doing chores, playing a musical instrument, and participating in unsupervised activities. It was fascinating to read that of the more than twenty activities examined for the ‘Hands up for Gender Equality’ report, the greatest detractors from the development of self-confidence were social media usage and computer gaming!

We want the girls to do their best and shine, but it’s important to know that they can also step back from the barrage of media messages and pressure to be successful. This is part of being resilient. We need to give girls this important message ‘You are enough as you are.’ At the end of the day, wherever they have landed, because they are a good friend or good sister, because they sat beside someone who was alone at lunch, because they fed the cat when everyone else forgot to, because they don’t give up when they fall, they are enough. Remind your daughter… ‘You are Enough as you are.’

Reference: ‘Enough as She Is’ by Rachel Simmons

Girls’ School Prefects Commissioned

Chapel, at the beginning of term, held special significance for senior students with the commissioning of the 2019 prefect team. Proud family members and special guests of the Year 8 leaders filled Somervell Church to share the occasion. This was a proud moment for the newly elected Head Girl, Jaime Chandler and Deputy Girl, Keeley Berkovits as they pledged to honour their new roles. These young women both have the capability to serve and lead the School with distinction.

Girls’ School Principal, Ms Juliet Small welcomed Senior College Principal, Suzanne Winthrop and this year’s College Head Girl, Alex Hynds to the service. Alex spoke to the girls about the inspiring leader, Malala Yousafzai, who showed great courage, kindness and resilience, and encouraged the girls to do the same. Alexandra left the girls with a quote from Malala stating, ‘there will always be hurdles in life, but if you want to achieve a goal, you must continue.’

Jamie and Keeley were called on to accept their duties as Head Girl and Deputy Head Girl, followed by the prefect team. Deputy Principal, Mrs Jill Wahlstrom read the pledge, asking the girls to serve Saint Kentigern Girls’ School to the best of their ability; at all times, demonstrating a sense of pride in all they do and with a sense of caring and friendship for all girls and staff.

2019 Girls' School Prefect Team

Head Prefect Jaime Chandler

Deputy Head Prefect Keeley Berkovits

Head of Chapel Anamia Rangihaeata

Head of School Council Xarya Knox

Head of Cargill Audrey Lee

Head of Chalmers Isabella Hughes

Head of Hamilton Sophia Mercer

Head of Wishart Edith Li

HEAD GIRL

Jaime Chandler

Jaime joined Saint Kentigern Girls’ School in 2018 as the recipient of the Academic Scholarship Award. She has a love of learning and is involved in many activities throughout the School.

Jaime demonstrates a passion for music. She is part of both the choir and orchestra and enjoys playing the violin. She is a real problem solver and was part of the Mathex team and the highly successful EPRO8 team, working collaboratively with her peers to ensure a place in the Grand Final. She also enjoys private speech lessons and was in the Year 7 speech finals. Jaime enthusiastically participates in netball, cricket and tennis.

A goal for Jaime this year is to excel in her favourite subject Science.

Jaime is committed to and enthusiastic about her role as Head Girl this year.

DEPUTY HEAD GIRL Keeley Berkovits

Keeley has been part of our community from the very beginning, as a foundation Preschool student. She is confident and passionate, especially in the Arts, where she is an enthusiastic speech and drama participant. She is a competent public speaker and was a finalist in both the speech and poetry competitions, demonstrating her strength in these curriculum areas.

Keeley has a strong sense of community and service to others and coached the Year 3 and 4 flipper ball team, who won their final and attained a gold medal. She also enjoys playing netball and touch rugby.

Keeley’s future goal is to continue to develop and succeed in the Performing Arts.

Keeley demonstrates the values of a student at Saint Kentigern and is a wonderful role model to her peers.

Head of Cargill Audrey Lee

Head of Wishart Edith Li

Head of Chalmers Isabella Hughes

Head of Chapel Anamia Rangihaeata

Head of Hamilton Sophia Mercer

Head of School Council Xarya Knox

Flora MacDonald Day

Did you know, the old Kings and Chiefs of Scotland used Highland Dances to test a man’s strength, stamina, accuracy and agility as a way of choosing the best men for their armies? This was one of many facts the girls learnt at this year’s Flora MacDonald Day.

Flora MacDonald Day is a chance for the girls to understand and experience their Saint Kentigern Scottish Heritage in more depth. 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.

To begin the day, three Year 13 girls from College Pipes and Drums, Kate Pennycuick, Alice Smith and Fayth Doherty, led the Girls’ School clans, special guests and Preschool girls down the driveway in the parade, before leading them into the hall to be seated. Kate and Fayth were the first two Girls’ School girls to learn the chanter.

The orchestra made their debut performance of the year, playing ‘Sutherlands Law’ by Hamish MacCunn, arranged by school accompanist, Dr Jenkins, setting the scene for Principal, Ms Juliet Small to welcome the guests and tell the tales of Flora’s bravery and facts about Highland Dance. Special guest, the diminutive and nimble-footed, Grace Broun was welcomed to the stage. At only 7 years old, Grace recently won regional U8 and U10 Highland Dance competitions and gave a very confident demonstration of the Highland Fling and the Sword Dance.

Formalities were interspersed with one and all joining in song including The School Song, the ‘Skye Boat Song’ and ‘My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean’. The harmonies by the girls were beautiful and there were plenty of smiles from the visitors when the girls bobbed in time to ‘My Bonnie’ – the adults soon joining in.

Eager to get their day of fun underway, the girls readied themselves for the activities, while the guests made their way to the library to enjoy a morning tea of home-made shortbread – looking out with interest at the activities being set up on the field and pool – a giant

obstacle course, a water slide and ‘water walkers’ on the pool

As the day unfolded, it was clear that one of the highlights was learning Scottish Dancing, as the girls danced for sheer joy - and they came to understand how hard it might have been for the clansmen trying to prove themselves in the 18th century! Along with the dancing and energetic outdoor activities, including Highland games, the girls also enjoyed some quiet time, weaving tartan, creating tartan art and tassels – and the favourite, cooking oaty pancakes to top with treats – the non-stop day of cooking groups caused a heavenly smell on campus!

For the girls, it was a fantastic day of celebration – and for the teachers too! The girls won’t forget seeing their Principal and Deputy Principal join them to zoom down a soapy, slippery water slide!

Choir Performs at Anzac Service

To honour the brave servicemen and women of New Zealand, the Girls’ School choir, the Highland Belles, made a special appearance at the Rawhiti Estate Retirement Village ANZAC Service.

The Year 6-8 girls practise weekly and represent Saint Kentigern on many occasions. Having joined the choirs at the Boys’ School ANZAC service at the end of term, they went on to sing at the Retirement Village Service.

Opening with the National Anthem, the choir filled the beautiful auditorium with a well-polished performance. Addressing those assembled, Head Girl, Jamie Chandler and Deputy Head Girl, Keeley Berkovits thanked the Village for inviting them and read John McCrae’s evocative Western Front poem ‘In Flanders Fields.’

Bringing smiles to the faces of residents, family members and staff, the girls were not shy in their performance and went on to perform ‘Lovely Arrangement’ by BD James and ‘Sons of Gallipoli’ by Chris Skinner. It was heart-warming to see the residents join in.

Following the Service, the girls joined the residents for a light lunch, and watched a military drill and stirring haka performed by members of the ATC Military.

We were proud of our girls, it was a wonderful experience and opportunity for them to perform.

Finding Facts and Facing Fears!

Did you know that skinks can blink and geckos can’t?

Did you know that a skink can drop off its tail if it’s scared?

Avisit from ‘Hands on Creatures’ during science, gave our girls in Years 4-6 a fantastic opportunity to witness some of Australasia’s reptiles and their predators at close quarters – even handling some!

As part of their Term 1 study on reptiles, the girls had been discovering the differences between species, and learning about the reptiles’ behaviours and features - the visit helped extend their knowledge. It also created a valuable opportunity for some to overcome the fear of handling unfamiliar creatures; building both confidence and a sense of achievement when others acknowledged their accomplishment.

This was an exciting experience for the girls as these curious animals are rare and unique, and for most, this was their first time seeing and touching a reptile. Amongst the weird, creepy and crawly spiders, cockroaches, rats and hedgehogs, the students faced their fears and reached out to hold or stroke a range of frogs, skinks, geckos and Australian bearded dragons.

During the session, the girls were challenged with questions about the animals, and how they function and survive in their habitat - many hands were raised to ask questions as the animals went around the room. The students learnt that skinks and geckos are the only two native families of lizards in New Zealand, and that skinks can blink and geckos can’t; instead, they lick their eyes to clean them. They also learnt that lizards are cold blooded, that they lay eggs, and scream and bite to defend themselves.

We Love Maps!

Cartography, also known as mapmaking has been a vital part of human history for thousands of years. From cave paintings to ancient maps of Babylon and Greece, through to the Age of Discovery and into the 21st century, people have created and used them as essential tools to help define, explain and navigate their way through the world.

In Term 1, the Year 7 and 8 girls learnt how to use maps and designed their own, that not only showed different countries but also represented a deeper meaning. Using a combination of geography, social science, mathematics and art, the girls created maps that shone light on their representation of the world, and raised awareness around current world or environmental issues.

As part of the task, Nathan Heazelwood and Sarah Allerton from Eagle Technology visited the girls to share their knowledge and expertise on cartography and its history. Nathan showed the students pictures of the Girls’ School over time, discussing how technology has enabled us to create more detailed and accurate maps. He explained how the variety and accessibility of credible maps can help us to model patterns over time, make predictions and help inform choices that governments and groups make. Sarah spoke to the girls about possible career pathways in geography and gave them advice on some of their mapping ideas.

it was wonderful to see the girls fully engaged in the task and really push their creative abilities.

Girls Leave a Playground Legacy

Girls’ School students shared a proud moment at the end of term when they took part in the official opening of the Wairua Reserve Playground that they had helped design three years ago.

Back in 2016, as Year 5 students, they started a social science inquiry on ‘Continuity and Change,’ with a focus on the use of green spaces and natural resources in Auckland. During the process of investigating how communities interact with their local environment, they noticed how under-utilised the Reserve across the road from school was; and so it became the focus of their enquiry.

The students created their own suggested models of development and wrote letters to Auckland Mayor, Phil Goff, explaining their project, and why it would be effective to develop the area.

Left feeling inspired and proud of their designs, the class invited Orakei Councillor at the time, Desley Simpson in to view their projects, in the hope they could become a reality. Ms Simpson was so taken back by the girls’ ideas and reasoning behind them that she sparked a visit from the Deputy Chair of Orakei Local Board, Mr Kit Parkinson, who also visited the girls. After questioning the girls about their ideas, Mr Parkinson presented the ideas to the Local Board who agreed to develop the park, putting $130,000 towards it. Before proceeding, Council members met with the students to discuss designs and what they thought would be appropriate to put in the Reserve.

Across the Miles!

In 2017, Park Central Playground Consultant, Mrs Tina Dyer ran through designs with the students before they agreed that they should utilise the dense trees and open reserve, as it would make for great natural play. Council members then took the design back to the Board to be signed off. Weeks later, three of the girls were asked to design three arches to be built in the park.

Students, Isabella Hayes, Charlotte Massey and Issy Gittos researched and submitted various ideas to the council before deciding they would go with a ‘Kiwiana, natural environment’ theme in conjunction with all things ‘flora and fauna’. The Council liked their ideas and specified the colours they could use: orange, green and yellow. The arches were painted and installed at the Reserve in 2018.

Now, three years later, the park is open for play. What a fantastic way of leaving a legacy! Well done to all the students who were involved. You can now call yourselves playground designers!

Pens, pencils and books were some of the stationery items that the Junior School packed into a box and shipped afar to friends in India last term. At the end of 2018, the girls held a gold coin mufti day to raise funds to cover donated goods for the students at Rajasthan G.S.S. School, India.

The association with a school so far across the world came about from a meeting on a train in India. In 2017, Girls’ School teacher, Mrs Christine Hopkins visited India and made the acquaintance of Mr Dayaram Suthar, a teacher, and his wife on a train. After learning about their school and seeing photographs of their meagre facilities and children in his class, Mrs Hopkins decided to stay in contact with Mr Suthar.

In the intervening years, Mrs Hopkins has sent parcels to India but this was the first time the girls were involved in fundraising. A copy of Piper was included in the parcel and the girls were delighted to receive grateful messages back from India along with photos, including one with a student holding Piper!

Wishart and Chalmers Draw!

The girls were on edge waiting for the Swimming Sports results to be released as they knew competition between the four Houses had been tight! Wishart and Chalmers were first equal with a total of 814 points each, with Hamilton following on 734 points, proving how close the competition was!

There was a mix of nervous and confident faces on the first day of heats as the Year 4-8 students faced up to the competition to determine who would swim in the finals. On finals day, the atmosphere was fantastic, as a sea of colour chanted and cheered from the sides of the pool while racing got underway. The girls displayed great technique as they raced up and down the pool, competing in 100m, 50m and 25m races.

Later in the week, the Junior girls in Years 1-3 took to the pool with the help of the Year 8 leaders for their heats and finals. Our youngest girls were brave and gave the races their all, and then were able to part in some fun ‘noodle races’ – definitely a favourite! It was a day when smiles shone bright!

Congratulations to Amelia Duff who went on to place 3rd in the Year 7 50m Freestyle at the South Eastern Zone event.

HOUSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONS

1ST= WISHART

1ST= CHALMERS

3RD HAMILTON

4TH CARGILL

GIRLS’ SCHOOL SWIMMING CHAMPIONS 2019

YEAR 1 CHAMPIONS

1st= Alyssa Wray HA

1st = Clara MacCulloch CH

3rd Lena Sun CH

YEAR 2 CHAMPIONS

1st Emily Albrecht HA

2nd Chloe King CA

3rd Lola Lepord-Symonds WI

YEAR 3 CHAMPIONS

1st Kasey Wray HA

2nd Eve Van Aalst CH

3rd Farrah Palmer CA

YEAR 4 CHAMPIONS

1st Chanelle Huang WI

2nd Isabelle Qu WI

3rd Lillian Tang HA

YEAR 5 CHAMPIONS

1st Sienna Robertshaw CH

2nd Pieter Spencer CH

3rd Laura Koeman CA

YEAR 6 CHAMPIONS

1st Indy Neshausen CH

2nd Emily Cornaga HA

3rd Louise Beaumont HA

YEAR 7 CHAMPIONS

1st Amelia Duff CH

2nd Emma Wang WI

3rd Priscilla Zhong CZH

YEAR 8 CHAMPIONS

1st Keeley Berkovits WI

2nd Cilla Fa’afua HA

3rd = Tiana Gray WI

3rd= Anamia Rangihaeata WI

Our thanks to parent, Mr Andrew Cornaga from Photosport for sharing some of his photos.

Miles of Smiles at Relays!

In a day filled with laughter, smiles, dancing and cheering, the girls had a fantastic day at the Boys’ School for their annual House Relay competition. The sun was shining as the races got underway in the morning, with teams of four from the Girls’ School racing first in their Houses, while the rest of the school watched from the bank. House spirits rose as the day unfolded and competition became more intense. By the end of the day, both students and parents were on their feet cheering for their Houses and singing the all-time favourite, YMCA, which was led by Reverend Reuben Hardie. Well done to all participants, especially to House Champions, Hamilton.

A Stunning Performance

It is now five years since the Kapa Haka group was first formed at the Girls’ School, following a visit to Ruapotaka Marae. Since its inception, the group has grown considerably under the direction of their teacher, Whaea Vikki Demant. With her extensive knowledge and experience in Kapa Haka performance, both locally and internationally, Whaea Flavell has brought out the very best in our girls.

During rehearsals, emphasis is placed on self-expression and discipline and the girls are also taught the cultural and historical significance in the items they learn. As a result, the combination of their confident stage presence and beautiful voices has resulted in the group giving some commanding performances over the years, including their recent performance in the Holy Trinity Cathedral at the ‘Sing a New Song’ concert. The concert featured works from the Boys’ School and College Choirs, along with a visiting choir from Geelong College, Australia.

HOUSE RELAY CHAMPIONS

1ST HAMILTON

2ND CHALMERS

3RD WISHART

4TH CARGILL

At the concert, the girls presented two songs: ‘Rona’ and ‘Toia mai te waka.’ Rona speaks of the legend of Rona and the moon, whilst Toia Mai te waka nei is the second verse of a song that master carver, Piri Poutapu composed after he was instructed to build seven carved waka representing the people of the seven principal voyaging canoes that arrived in Aotearoa from Hawaiki. Year 8 student, Xarya Knox shone as a soloist and the girls gave a truly exceptional performance.

YEAR 5 and 6 CAMP

Shakespear Lodge, Whangaparaoa

Encouraged to step out of their comfort zone and develop their interpersonal and team building skills, our Year 5 and 6 girls headed to Whangaparaoa to stay at the Shakespear Reserve Camp.

Over the four days spent living amongst native bush with scenic views and beaches, the girls made the most of the outdoors, taking part in a range of enjoyable but challenging activities including, rafting, sailing, fishing, hiking and beach games.

Amongst the fun, the girls also took on a number of responsibilities such as looking after their cabins and helping prepare meals in the evenings.

Camp was a fantastic opportunity for the students to grow a sense of independence while learning new skills in a supportive environment.

YEAR 7 and 8 CAMP

Mclaren Falls, Tauranga

During a week of glorious sunshine amidst stunning scenery, the Year 7 and 8 girls had a fantastic camp away at McLaren Falls in Tauranga.

In a week of adventure, the students were given the opportunity to exercise leadership and service, build on friendships and step out of their comfort zone - the Year 7 students had three days to do this and the Year 8s had four. From the moment the students stepped off the bus, they were challenged with pitching their tents in the heat. It wasn’t all bad when the girls realised the location that they would be sleeping and cooking their meals was lakeside!

Throughout the week, the girls were sent off on a number of activities that tested their collaboration and interpersonal skills. These activities were both fun and challenging, and some were activities that none of the girls had tried before, such as surfing, paddle boarding, cliff jumping and river hopping. They also took part in the Maximus Programme at Waimarino which focused on team building. A highlight of the camp for most was canoeing down the river to see glow worms!

Thank you to all the staff but in particular to the many parent helpers who were able to join us at camp.

Camping Highlights!

Our two camps each year are designed to challenge the girls outdoors, while having fun getting to know their classmates. With glorious weather, both groups had a fantastic time away learning new skills.

Healing Hearts Quilts

Over the years, students at the Girls’ School have worked together in groups to produce some beautiful quilts that are hung in Chapel for special occasions. In the past, guided by Art Specialist, Mrs Diana Roband, the girls have produced a number of ‘seasonal’ panels that were sewn into quilts by her sister, Linda McAdams, who is an experienced quilter.

Following the recent tragedy in Christchurch, a quilting group set up the ‘Healing Hearts Quilt Drive’ and our girls were encouraged to become involved in the project. They joined quilters across the country who were working to set specifications to create 100 quilts for those in the Muslim community directly affected by the terror attack, followed by further quilts for the first responders, and those who have supported and cared for the community in the days since.

Our girls in Years 7 and 8 were pleased to have the opportunity to contribute in the hope to bring some comfort to those who are suffering.

Family Picnic

The sun was shining as families streamed through the Girls’ School gates, to lay down their blankets and set up their chairs to enjoy the annual Parents and Friends’ Family Picnic.

The beautiful summer’s evening was a perfect chance for parents to mix and mingle on the lawn as the youngsters played together. This was particularly a good chance for new families to familiarise themselves with the Saint Kentigern community, meet the teachers, their children’s contemporaries and other parents.

Combining Visual Arts and Technology, the girls designed and created green and blue heart panels, with each block an individual design. The specifications included the colour green as this is significant to the Muslim faith. It was heart-warming to see the amount of thought the girls put into making their individual pieces and the messages behind them, such as love, unity and strength. With the artwork complete, we were thankful once again to Ms Adams for stitching up the quilts. The result was a beautiful piece of work.

The quilts were blessed at a Chapel Service by Reverend Reuben Hardie before joining with other quilts to be flown to Christchurch by the New Zealand Air Force. These are sad times for New Zealand as we reflect on the events of 15 March. Working on the quilts opened opportunities for our girls to discuss ways they can offer help, love and compassion to others.

A group of willing parents got together to prepare and get behind the BBQ, cooking up sausages and delicious burgers for the hungry families, while the youngsters lined up to get their faces painted by the Year 8 students. Families also enjoyed time cooling off in the pool, playing games, sports and running around the playground.

We offer our sincere thanks to the Parents and Friends who did a superb job of preparing and overseeing the evening. We also thank the many parents who helped supervise the pool, manage the food stall and helped clean up. It was a wonderful evening and enjoyed by all!

middle college

Parallel Education –The Best of Both Worlds

I am asked often about the value of single gender classroom learning and teaching in the Middle College.

Since the successful introduction of girls in 2003, we have run a ‘Parallel Education’ model across core learning areas in the Middle College. This decision was based on empirical research from a range of New Zealand and international educational studies, which highlighted the advantages of single gender learning environments for this age group.

The bold decision by the Trust Board and the College Senior Leadership at the time has been supported by our experience over the past decade that students in Years 7 to 10 benefit enormously from a focus on single gender teaching and learning.

There are significant differences between boys and girls in terms of motivation and areas of interest during the adolescent years. Between the ages of 11 – 15, girls and boys mature and learn differently. Girls are generally more mature and articulate, meaning boys can be too fearful of giving a wrong answer to contribute in class. Boys tend to be more physical and would rather move about than talk. Yes, I realise this is a generalisation, but it is true for the most part, as any parent will tell you. To acknowledge and respond to the uniquely different personalities and stages of maturity of girls and boys enables better educational opportunities and outcomes, all the while allowing for the development of important social skills by having both genders on campus.

During their Middle College years, our parallel model enables students and teachers to focus learning on one gender group and it has its advantages, as you will read in the student and teacher voice below.

STAFF: What benefits do you see in teaching a single gender class?

Sasha Howard, Head of Middle College English: In my experience, boys enjoy the challenge of finding out how something works, whereas girls enjoy the experience of learning together and then applying knowledge. The single gender classroom allows for both approaches to be fully explored and, in addition, text choices can be tailored towards specific interest groups.

Kim Smith, Head of Middle College Maths: Generally, when having a class discussion about a new topic, boys and girls have different interests and views. Teaching in a single gender Mathematics classroom tends to make a more relaxed environment, where we can have a discussion that each class is interested in.

Gerard Hodgson, Head of Middle College Science: It is the ability to tailor teaching to suit a gender, using techniques and learning activities that really resonate with boys or girls. Boys have reported gaining a great understanding of concepts when they do activities requiring physical movement, such as representing the human circulatory system by moving around a classroom carrying different items to represent different nutrients and gases. In contrast, girls have reported that valuable lessons often provide a chance to discuss ideas with their peers, clarifying knowledge and determining the correct use of key terms.

Julie Coughlan, Head of Social Studies: I find that boys have a very different learning style and preference to girls. When the two genders are separated, teachers are able to differentiate and cater for these learning styles more effectively, therefore, a more tailored curriculum takes place. Teachers in single-gender classrooms can use methods that might interest their students. For example, in a boys’ class, they can use techniques that draw on boys’ energy, while in a girls’ class, they can offer the kinds of feedback that girls are most likely to accept.

STUDENTS: A sample of Year 10 students were also asked to share their experience of the Saint Kentigern parallel model themselves.

I think that being in single gender class is a good way to do things because it is a lot easier to ask questions and to be yourself, I also think that it is a good idea because it is easier to connect with a class of the same gender. Year 10 Boy

I prefer how the genders are separate in academic classes for Middle College as this allows those in early years to have the confidence to speak up without the pressure of the other gender judging them. But it is good to be mixed in the other classes such as Technology, so we can learn to socialise with the other gender and accept their often differing Year 10 Girl

I much prefer single-sex classrooms in academic subjects. I believe that I am learning better by being in a class with other students who are like-minded to me. Year 10 Boy

To me, the benefits of learning in a single gender class are that I am able to concentrate better in class and can form friendships with other girls who are not in my friend group. Year 10 Girl

At Saint Kentigern College we are fortunate to have the ‘best of both worlds’ across the Middle and Senior College, by offering parallel education in the Middle College and co-education in the Senior College.

Fides Servanda Est

Mr Duncan McQueen

Principal, Middle College

Positive and Successful Co-Education

Saint Kentigern has a unique proposition in the way we have a co-educational Preschool, single gender Primary Schools, a co-educational Middle College with single gender teaching for all core subjects, and the journey finishes in a co-educational Senior College. M iddle College Principal, Mr Duncan McQueen has explained the Middle School parallel education model in his article. I would like to outline the rationale and benefits of our Senior College being co-educational.

Most of my teaching experience has been at co-educational schools. Prior to being employed at Saint Kentigern, I was Deputy Principal at a Year 7 – 13 all girls’ school. One of the pull factors for me at the time I moved to Saint Kentigern, was that I would be part of a Senior Management Team that would introduce girls to a boys-only school. In my first year at Saint Kentigern, there were only boys on the Pakuranga Campus. I, therefore, write from the experience of teaching and leading in co-educational, boys-only and girls-only secondary schools.

All our students are encouraged to develop the ability to be leaders in what they choose as their future sphere of influence, be that running their own businesses, politics, commerce, education, medicine, performing arts, law or any other area of their choosing. Our role is to ensure we prepare them to thrive in their next step after school, by equipping them with the knowledge and the skills to do so. I believe that part of that preparation at school includes being able to work collaboratively with the opposite gender, ready for life after school in tertiary education or the workforce.

It is my experience that friendships develop in a very natural way in co-educational schools. This happens because there are co-curricular activities and clubs in the school in which girls and boys take part in a happy, wellsupervised environment. Friendships develop naturally and genuinely because the mixing is a by-product of the activity. This friendly atmosphere continues into the classroom which provides a platform for young people to express their views openly and assertively.

Life does not keep men and women separate. Your child will move into a coeducational workforce. It is our responsibility as educators to prepare young men and women for the world in which they live. At Saint Kentigern Senior College, all students learn from each other. They begin to understand how different people think and act, as well as learning to appreciate that there is more than one viewpoint. Learning is not confined to the classroom. The successes that they enjoy in sport, in productions or the Music Centre, or when undertaking service, debating, Theatresports or stepping out to take part in a Duke of Edinburgh expedition, will help them to gain the confidence to tackle subjects of which they may be less certain.

Being part of a co-educational school demystifies the other sex. It is true that occasionally relationships can be a distraction to students. What I don’t accept is that relationships at school are somehow more distracting than those conducted outside of school. Often, these can be more stressful and time consuming. If required, in the co-educational environment, staff are on hand to help students deal with their friendships, in an empathic way. As at Saint Kentigern Senior College, truly co-educational schools are gender equal environments that enable students to choose and excel at their chosen subjects and activities.

Co-education provides a more realistic way of training young people to take their places naturally in the wider community of men and women. It can help break down the misconceptions that each sex may have about the other and provides an excellent foundation for the development of realistic, meaningful and lasting relationships in later life.

A co-educational school also challenges sexist attitudes. Many subjects in Senior College allow for considerable classroom discussion and debate. In a co-educational school, both the female and male perspectives may be explored in discussion and this is an important learning experience for all. In so doing, they learn that ‘equality’ does not mean ‘sameness’ but that men and women often have different perspectives on the same issues and that each approach has a great deal to offer

At Saint Kentigern Senior College, we have proven that co-education can be very successful academically whilst also providing social and personal development. In academic terms, both the young men and young women’s academic results are equally high for both genders, indicating that neither gender is disadvantaged by the other. In fact, we have seen the reverse to be true, that both are enhanced by the presence of the other.

Saint Kentigern has chosen distinct models for each stage of a student’s life to ensure they gain the very best education. The co-educational model was adopted at Senior College level 16 years ago and has proven to be successful, preparing our students well for life beyond the College gates.

Fides Servanda Est

Mrs Suzanne Winthrop Senior College Principal

The 2019 College Prefect Team

Ata formal, full school assembly in the first week of term, the College prefects for 2019 were commissioned, with both the Middle College and Senior College students in attendance.

This year we congratulate Alex Hynds and Ben Shepherd, whose leadership skills, hard work and pride in the College have seen them appointed as this year’s Head Prefects. Both Alex and Ben have committed themselves fully to their academic, co-curricular and service endeavours during their college years, both demonstrating their potential to fulfil the Saint Kentigern Vision to ‘Lead and Serve with Distinction.’

Alex and Ben will be supported by Molly Saker and Beck Robson, who have been appointed as Deputy Head Prefects, as well as an extended team that includes Academic, Chapel, Art, Service and Sport Prefects, and House Leaders.

The selection process for prefect roles in the Senior College is lengthy and thorough, to ensure the best team of students, with complimentary talents and skills, are selected to represent the student body. These students are often ‘all-rounders’ who have taken every advantage of our ‘world of opportunity.’ Congratulations to all the students who have been appointed as Prefects for 2019!

House Leader : Sam Ashton

House Leader: Lisa Putt Lucy Hunter, Monique Shervell, Trinity Chung, Valance Yates

2019 Senior College Student Leadership Team

Head Girl Alex Hynds

Head Boy Ben Shepherd

Deputy Head Girl Molly Saker

Deputy Head Boy Beck Robson

Academic Prefect

House Leader : Daniel Thibaud

House Leader : Ben Lowe

HEAD BOYBen Shepherd

Ben has been a Saint Kentigern student since Year 7. He is a focused and motivated young man whose positive spirit and strong work ethic makes him an excellent role model. Academically, Ben is an intelligent and conscientious student who is working towards his IB Diploma. Prior to IB, he gained an Excellence endorsement in NCEA Level 1.

Outside the classroom, Ben fully applies himself to everything he undertakes. He has been involved in a varied range of co-curricular activities, including the Young Enterprise Scheme, Premier Debating, rugby and touch, and was a team member in the Regional World Scholars Cup held in Melbourne last year. Giving service, he has been a student coach for a Middle College Debating team and a member of the Environmental Group.

Ben is full of enthusiasm for both school and life in general. He is a true Son of Kentigern, demonstrated through his caring attitude, his humility, integrity and his servant leadership. He is well-deserving of his selection as Head of Boy.

HEAD GIRLAlex Hynds

Alex joined the Saint Kentigern family in Year 7. She is a confident young woman with well-developed leadership skills who is happy to lead from the front or build capacity within others to lead. Alex loves a challenge and strives to achieve her goals in both academic, cocurricular and service endeavours.

Academically, she is a hard-working student and a particularly talented mathematician. She gained Excellence endorsements in both NCEA Level 1 and 2 and is now working towards her Level 3 qualification.

Outside the classroom, Alex is actively involved in several sports, including netball, basketball and rowing, as well as working towards her Duke of Edinburgh Gold Award; giving service, in this capacity, at the Glenn Innes Primary School Breakfast Club.

Alex is a vibrant and energetic young woman and a true Daughter of Kentigern, demonstrated through her caring attitude, her humility, integrity and her servant leadership. She is welldeserving of her selection as Head Girl.

Deputy Head Prefects: Molly Saker and Beck Robson

Alex and Ben will benefit from the support of two strong Deputy Head Prefects. Molly and Beck are both mature and responsible Senior College students who are both attentive to their academic studies as well as very active in their co-curricular activities. Molly loves sport and plays netball, tennis and touch. Beck, too, enjoys sport, playing both cricket and football. Beck joined the service trip to Vanuatu last year and is currently working towards his Duke of Edinburgh Gold.

Middle College Leaders

Appointed for a full year, the Middle College Leaders and the Peer Support Leaders take on specific roles within the Middle College.

Cargill: Joel Dowie, Campbell Joyce, Marion Mah, Finn Bilsborough

Chalmers: Nicholas Harford, Jacob Attwood, Hazel McDermott, Eva Melhuish

Hamilton: Jaimie West, Brooke Conover, Rory Merrie, Bailey Gibson, Archie Manning

Wishart: Ethan Fung, Christian McIntyre, Oliver Avis, Zoe White, Sophie Culverwell

Stark: Ethan Agaimalo, Kiyaan Manukonga, Jack Arbuckle, Xing Xing Lawrence

Wilson: Caleb Corban, Sebastian Paton, Arwyn Stevens

Cargill: Matt Paul, Jack McKenzie, Keely-Marie Samuel, Millie Eaton

Chalmers: Angus Tucker, Finn Jackson, Mikayla Funnell, Katie Dirks

Hamilton: Charlotte Hayes, Emma Pijnenburg, Ryan Gill, Elijah Wong, Jack Hayward Slattery

Wishart: Cameron Shortt, Tekauru Cuthers, James McKelvie, Hannah

Morgan, Ruby Haddon

Stark: Thomas Joyce, Caleb Archer, Luke Stanton, Jack Buckingham, Ocean Scott

Wilson: Dan Nichols, Jonson Chin, Myah Pellowe

2018 International Baccalaureate Results

A Perfect Score for Andrew: 45/45

With the release of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma examination results in early January, we were absolutely delighted to hear that 2018 graduate and IB Dux, Andrew Chen, scored the highest possible score of 45 out of 45 points, the first Saint Kentigern student to do so.

This is a fantastic achievement for Andrew, who joins five other students in New Zealand who were awarded full marks in 2018. He is one of 327 students to be awarded 45 points, out of over 181,000 students from 3200 schools in more than 150 countries, who completed the Diploma assessment in 16 languages across the globe during 2018. This places him in the top 0.18% worldwide! Andrew has been accepted for a place at Oxford University. He plans to study Mathematics and Computer Science; a course with an intake of only 30 students worldwide every year. We are very proud of Andrew!

In addition to Andrew’s outstanding achievement, a further five of our students scored ’40 points or above’ from the maximum of 45, placing them amongst the elite group that gain 40 or over in the Diploma programme worldwide. These students represent approximately the top 6% of IB Diploma graduates globally.

IB Diploma Top Scholars

Last year, Saint Kentigern had 38 Year 13 students entered in the IB Diploma programme, who gained an average point score of 34. This compares most favourably with the world average of 28.58. New Zealand students punch well above their weight in this demanding, international education programme that is highly recognised worldwide for university entry.

Students who gain 40 points or more represent approximately the top 6% of IB Diploma graduates globally and are recognised at a New Zealand-wide Top Scholars Awards Ceremony.

New Zealand IB Diploma Top Scholars Awards

It was our pleasure to host the New Zealand International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB) Top Scholars Award Ceremony in the Chapel of Saint Kentigern this year. The ceremony recognises students from across New Zealand who score 40+ for the Diploma. To achieve the title of IB Top Scholar, graduates must achieve a score of at least 40 points out of a possible 45 from their final examinations. This feat is achieved by around 8% of IB students worldwide.

It was a thrill to have six of our 2018 IB Graduates recognised for their outstanding achievement: Andrew Chen (45 points), Yunfan Yu (42 points), Liam Scott-Russell (41 points), George Wu (41 points), Akshay Mor (40 points) and Desmond Yong (40 Points).

We were privileged that Old Collegian, Chris Luxon, CEO, Air New Zealand, made time in his busy schedule to present the Awards. In honouring the students, Mr Luxon, said that New Zealand needs

‘people with big brains’ and described the’ 4 Cs’ that the students should aim to develop: Curiosity, Conflict management and resolution, Communication skills and Character.

Andrew Chen 45 points Yunfan Yu 42 points

Liam Scott-Russell 41 points

George Wu 41 points

Akshay Mor 40 points

Desmond Yong 40 points

2018 NCEA Levels 1-3 Results

It is always with great interest that our teaching staff come together at the start of a new year to reflect on the achievements of our Senior College students in their end of year external examinations. Each year brings slightly different rewards but, overall, our 2018 results in NCEA and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma were most pleasing, reaffirming the strength of our teaching and learning programmes.

The majority of our students sit NCEA and we have seen some positive academic gains this year. Highlights include the 100% pass rate at Level 2, and 99.6% at Level 3. Of note is our top performing Level 1

NCEA LEVEL 1

At Level 1 (Year 11) 94.5% of all the students gained their NCEA Level 1 certificates with 37.5% attaining their certificates with an Excellence Endorsement and a further 41.6% gaining a Merit Endorsement. Of note is our top performing student, Josie Lu who earned a GPA of 100%, with Joseph Chan and Owen Chen following with over 99% - an outstanding achievement!

Congratulations to our top NCEA Level 1 students

Josie Lu GPA - 100%

Joseph Chan GPA - 99.3%

Owen Chen GPA - 99.1%

Nicholas Stirling GPA - 98.5 %

Morgan Roberts GPA - 98.3%

NCEA LEVEL 2

student, Josie Lu who earned a GPA of 100%, with Joseph Chan and Owen Chen following with over 99% - an outstanding achievement!

We are pleased with the continued rise in the number of students who have strived for and attained either an Excellence or Merit Endorsement, demonstrating our continued focus on striving for academic excellence. There are many students who can be justifiably proud of their results and the hard work undertaken to achieve them.

89.8% of our Year 13 NCEA graduates gained University Entrance, with our top performing students having excelled at the very highest level to gain a world-class qualification.

NCEA LEVEL 3

Our Level 2 results continue to remain strong with 100% of students gaining their NCEA Level 2 certificates. 25% gained their certificates with an Excellence Endorsement and a further 44.8% gained a Merit Endorsement.

Congratulations to our top NCEALevel 2 students

Misaki Chen GPA – 98.3%

Cindy Yi GPA – 96.7%

Jesse Niu GPA – 96.7%

Samantha Shing GPA – 95.2%

Christopher Simonds GPA – 93.7%

Our 2018 graduates also produced a very good set of results.

99.6% gained a NCEA Level 3 Certificate, while our University Entrance success rate for NCEA was 89.8%. Excellence Endorsements were achieved by 18.5% of these students, with a further 43% gaining a Merit Endorsement.

Congratulations to our top NCEA Level 3 students

Ben Creemers GPA – 97.4%

Ebba Olsen GPA – 96.6%

Samuel Scott GPA - 96.4%

Benjamin Staite GPA – 95.4%

Elizabeth Ellis GPA - 94.6%

Sculpture Board Sets National Standard!

Described as a study that explores the ‘use of lines and shapes to interrupt organic spaces’, Mitchell Clothier’s NCEA Level 3 Sculpture Board has been recognised as one of New Zealand’s best in 2018!

As a part of Visual Arts – Sculpture, NCEA Level 3, students are required to create and present their work in a way that pushes the boundaries of space and scale. This is exactly what Mitchell did to be invited to submit his portfolio as part of this year’s NZQA Top Art Exhibition, which will travel the country from March to September.

Mitchell’s art will tour the country, along with work from 59 other students who achieved Excellence, and will be displayed to the public in a range of galleries, museums and schools. The exhibition allows the public to see the high calibre of work and provides an opportunity for this year’s Visual Arts students to gain an idea of what is required to achieve Excellence themselves.

Mitchell used liquids and solid material to create his artwork, making use of black in every image as he liked its ‘boldness’. He is now studying a Bachelor of Visual Arts at Auckland University, in the hope of fulfilling a career as an artist.

NZQA Scholarship Results

Premier Scholars

The only College in New Zealand with Two National ‘Premier Scholars!’

With the release of the NZQA Scholarship results, Andrew Chen and Daniel Mar had reason to celebrate - both Senior College graduates were named as NZQA Premier Scholars - two of only 11 students across the country to achieve this significant award that recognises secondary school academic excellence of the highest order. Saint Kentigern was the only school with two Premier Scholars.

Andrew and Daniel are both outstanding academics. Whilst Andrew studied towards the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma, gaining full marks (45/45), Daniel undertook NCEA. Both boys also sat NZQA Scholarship exams in seven subjects, remarkably gaining Scholarships in all seven, with each gaining four classed at ‘Outstanding’ level. Andrew has been accepted for a place at Oxford University. He plans to study Mathematics and Computer Science; a course with an intake of only 30 students worldwide every year. Daniel plans to take up a scholarship to The University of Auckland to study Computer Science and Finance – having also been awarded the Price Waterhouse Cooper (PWC) Scholarship. We are very proud of these boys!

Seven Scholarship Awards

In total, 46 of our students gained a total 82 Scholarships across a range of subjects of which 15 were marked as ‘Outstanding’ level. Seven of our students were also awarded an overall ‘Scholarship Award,’ for candidates who achieve Scholarship in three or more subjects. Ebba Olsen, Yunfan Yu, Ben Creemers, Ben Staite, Joshua Ng, Juliet Shepherd and Ben Fraser will each be awarded up to $6000 each towards their tertiary studies.

Top Scholars Congratulated at Parliament

It was a proud moment for parents and Senior College Principal, Mrs Suzanne Winthrop, when the very best scholars in New Zealand were formally congratulated at an award ceremony held in Wellington. In the splendour of the Great Hall at Parliament, Saint Kentigern students, Andrew Chen, Daniel Mar and Christopher Dirks were presented four of the top NZQA Scholars’ Awards given to 2018 Secondary School students.

2018 graduates, Andrew and Daniel, received their NZQA Premier Scholars’ Awards - two of only 11 students across the country to achieve this significant award. In addition, Andrew was also recoginised as the Top Subject Scholar in the country for Statistics and Christopher Dirks was also named Top Subject Scholar nationwide for Design and Visual Communication. Remarkably, Christopher was only Year 11 last year when he took on this Scholarship exam more usually undertaken by Year 13 students.

With an ever-growing focus on academic excellence, as part of Saint Kentigern’s Strategic Vision for 2018-2021, the Senior College set a goal to increase the number of NZQA Scholarships gained by our students. Mrs Winthrop is delighted with the outcome from 2018. It was incredibly rewarding to see that our students more than doubled the number of NZQA Scholarships gained in the 2018 examinations compared to the previous year.

Ebba Olsen Yunfan Yu Ben Creemers Ben Staite Joshua Ng Juliet Shepherd Ben Fraser

2018 NZQA Scholarships by Subject

In addition to the monetary awards noted for our Premier Scholars and Scholarship Awards, students who achieve Scholarship in one or two subjects receive an award of $500 per subject (maximum $1000). NZQA SCHOLARSHIP

Two Top Subject Scholars

In addition to being named a Premier Scholar, Andrew Chen was named as the Top Subject Scholar in the country for Statistics – the second time he has topped this subject, having also achieved this feat two years ago as a Year 11 student!

Andrew wasn’t the only student to come top nationwide. Christopher Dirks was also named Top Subject Scholar nationwide for Design and Visual Communication for his work designing a new train station for Meadowbank. Remarkably, Christopher was only Year 11 last year when he took on this Scholarship exam more usually intended for students in Year 13! Not only did he pass as a Year 11 student, but he was awarded the top mark in the entire country!

Design and Visual Communication is the NCEA subject formerly known as ‘Graphics.’ At Saint Kentigern, the course is known as Spatial Design; part of the Technology curriculum. During Year 10, Christopher indicated to his teacher, Mr Motu Samaeli that he loved the subject, but because he was planning to study for the IB Diploma, he lamented that he would not be able to continue with this specialised NCEA design area in Years 12 and 13.

Recognising Christopher’s outstanding skills, Mr Samaeli proposed the idea that he enter NCEA Level 3 and NZQA Scholarship for Spatial Design during Year 11, two years ahead of most students sitting the exams. The NCEA Level 3 Spatial Design programme is set up so students choose their own design context and work on developing and presenting a design outcome throughout the whole year. A key to Christopher’s success was working within a context that combined his passion for trains with architecture - his brief was to develop a new train station design to replace the existing one at his local train station, Meadowbank.

His project required detailed site analysis at Meadowbank and throughout his year-long work, Christopher fully exploited his digital skills to execute a visual narrative that evidenced his thinking. The final submission entered for Scholarship was truly unique in format and character. He submitted a 55 page concertina book – which when opened out, extends to 23 metres in length! The book is dominated by high quality, digital modelling and rendering.

(Year 13), Yunfan Yu (Year 13)

His final design is a statement piece that embraces the requirements of the site, building purpose and structure, and transcends this to become an extraordinary architectural artwork – especially when you consider he was only Year 11 when the work was undertaken!

Understanding the International Baccalaureate Diploma

International Baccalaureate Mission Statement:

‘The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end, the organisation works with schools, governments and international organisations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.’

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBPD) offers a highly regarded international qualification for entry into higher education and is recognised by universities worldwide. It was developed in the late 1960s in Geneva, Switzerland, by a group of international educators seeking to better prepare students for university level education. After a six-year pilot programme that ended in 1975, the Diploma was established and in the intervening years, the programme has spread worldwide with the number of enrolled students across the world continuing to grow year on year. It is currently offered in over 5000 schools in 150 countries.

Nine years have passed since Saint Kentigern first introduced the IBPD as an alternative qualification pathway. Students entering Year 12 may choose to continue with NCEA or opt for the two-year IB Diploma Programme (Years 12 and 13). Since its inception, Saint Kentigern students have achieved very pleasing results, placing well above the global average.

The aim of IBDP is to develop internationally minded people who recognise their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet. Central to this aim is internationalmindedness; a multi-faceted and complex concept that captures a way of thinking, being and acting that is characterised by an openness to the world and a recognition of our deep interconnectedness to others. The IBDP provides students with opportunities for sustained inquiry into a range of local and global issues and ideas. By learning to appreciate different beliefs, values and experiences, and to think and collaborate across cultures and disciplines, IB learners gain the understanding necessary to make progress toward a more peaceful and sustainable world.

As IB Learners we strive to be:

INQUIRERS

We nurture our curiosity, developing skills for inquiry and research. We know how to learn independently and with others. We learn with enthusiasm and sustain our love of learning throughout life.

KNOWLEDGEABLE

We develop and use conceptual understanding, exploring knowledge across a range of disciplines. We engage with issues and ideas that have local and global significance.

THINKERS

We use critical and creative thinking skills to analyse and take responsible action on complex problems. We exercise initiative in making reasoned, ethical decisions.

COMMUNICATORS

We express ourselves confidently and creatively in more than one language and in many ways. We collaborate effectively, listening carefully to the perspectives of other individuals and groups.

PRINCIPLED

We act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness and justice, and with respect for the dignity and rights of people everywhere. We take responsibility for our actions and their consequences.

OPEN-MINDED

We critically appreciate our own cultures and personal histories, as well as the values and traditions of others. We seek and evaluate a range of points of view, and we are willing to grow from the experience.

CARING

We show empathy, compassion and respect. We have a commitment to service, and we act to make a positive difference in the lives of others and in the world around us.

RISK-TAKERS

We approach uncertainty with forethought and determination; we work independently and cooperatively to explore new ideas and innovative strategies. We are resourceful and resilient in the face of challenges and change.

BALANCED

We understand the importance of balancing different aspects of our lives - intellectual, physical, and emotional - to achieve well-being for ourselves and others. We recognise our interdependence with other people and with the world in which we live.

REFLECTIVE

We thoughtfully consider the world and our own ideas and experience. We work to understand our strengths and weaknesses in order to support our learning and personal development.

The IB Diploma Programme at Saint Kentigern

The IB Diploma programme emphasises high academic standards in the mandatory areas of English literature, a second language, mathematics, humanities and science. Academic excellence is coupled with an emphasis on personal development through the IB Learner Profile, in areas such as international-mindedness, social awareness and tolerance, and organisational and research skills.

It aims to develop students who have excellent breadth and depth of knowledge, emphasising critical thinking, as well as inter-cultural understanding and respect for others in the global community.

The programme is aimed at self-motivated students with a strong work ethic; it is not an elitist qualification, but its rigorous standards and in-depth study of subjects do require commitment, organisation and initiative.

IB Diploma Core Course Requirements

In addition, the programme has three core course requirements that are included to broaden the educational experience and challenge students to apply their knowledge and understanding. All three parts of the core, The Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge and Creativity, Activity and Service are compulsory, and are central to the philosophy of the Diploma.

• Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is an inter-disciplinary study that challenges students to think critically about knowledge itself. It poses questions such as: How do we know? What counts as knowledge? What is the value of knowledge? How does it grow? What are its limits? Who owns knowledge? What are the implications of having, or not having knowledge? There is no examination in TOK. However, students are required to complete a TOK essay and a TOK presentation.

• The Extended Essay is an in-depth study that focuses on analysis, evaluation and reasoning. It provides students with an opportunity to engage in personal independent research on a topic of their own choice, under the guidance of a supervisor. The Extended Essay is presented as a formal piece of structured writing containing no more than 4,000 words; the result of approximately 40 hours of work by the student.

• Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) aims to foster responsible, compassionate citizens by encouraging their participation in artistic activities, sports, expeditions and service projects. It provides an important counterbalance to the academic pressures of the rest of the Diploma. The three strands characterised as: Creativity - Arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking. Activity -Physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle. Service - An unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student. CAS is not formally assessed but students need to document their activities and provide evidence that they have achieved seven key learning outcomes.

Assessment

IB Diploma subjects are assessed by a combination of continuous course work and external examinations at the end of the two-year programme. Each of the six selected subjects is marked from 1 (poor) to 7 (excellent). A further 3 points are awarded for the core subjects making a maximum point total of 45 to gain a Diploma.

For more information about the International Baccalaureate Programmes visit: www.ibo.org

IB Diploma Subjects at Saint Kentigern

IB Diploma students take six subjects (selected from six subject groups) of which three subjects are studied in-depth at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL). The Higher Level courses represent 240 teaching hours and Standard Level courses represent 150 teaching hours.

The requirement to select a subject from each group ensures that the science-orientated student is challenged to learn a foreign language and the natural linguist becomes familiar with the scientific process. Whilst balance is maintained, flexibility is catered for with a student choosing Higher Level subjects to pursue areas of personal interest and to meet special requirements for university entrance. This ensures a breadth of experience in languages, social sciences, the experimental sciences and mathematics. The sixth subject may be an arts subject chosen from Group 6, or the student may choose a second subject from another group.

IB DIPLOMA SUBJECTS AVAILABLE AT SAINT KENTIGERN COLLEGE

Group 1 English A: Literature English A: Language & Literature

Group 2 Chinese French Japanese Latin Spanish Spanish (ab-initio)

Group 3 Business Management Economics Geography History

Group 4 Biology Chemistry Physics

Group 5 Mathematics H/L Mathematics S/L Mathematical Studies

Group 6 Film Studies Music Visual Art

Senior College Academic Colours and Honours

In recognition of our students who strive to achieve at the highest academic levels, Saint Kentigern Senior College awards Academic Colours and Honours. At the beginning of each new year, students are recognised for their achievement in the previous year’s assessments. NCEA students in Year 13 in 2019 are recognised for their Year 12 results, and Year 12 are recognised for their Year 11 results. The International Baccalaureate Diploma programme is two-year course, so at the start of the year, only Year 13 students are awarded.

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.

Early in Term 1, we welcomed their proud parents to a full school assembly, with both Senior College and Middle College students in attendance, as our top performing students received their Colours or Honours.

Misaki Chen, Cindy Yi, Jesse Niu, Samantha Shing, Christopher Simonds, Emily Lott, Charlotte Lindsay Smail, Annabel Shepherd, Hugo Verry, Alice Donald, Olivia Overfield, Gemma Moore and Kate Pennycuick.

Year 12 NCEA

Academic Colours

Josie Lu, Joseph Chan, Owen Chen, Nicholas Stirling, Morgan Roberts, Cynthia Gu, Heeju Rho, James Batten, Catherine Song, Vishakhan Bhakhavan, Grace Chang, Kevin Shen, Celina Tsui, Sophia Ying, Scarlett Jacques, Claudia Beere, Yvonne Jin, Cameron Li, Xavier Yin, Fintan Wong, Wendy Ni and Nicola Stewart.

NCEA (National Certificate of Educational Achievement)

The criteria for Academic Honours and Colours are regularly reviewed. The table below shows the standards required for Colours or Honours in each of our Senior College year groups who study NCEA.

Year 13 NCEA Academic Honours

Harriette Baxter, Samuel Clarke, Trinity Chung, Thomas Coulter, Benjamin Fraser, Claire Hollingworth, Geena Holroyd, Lucy Hunter, Charles Jones, Emma King, Gemma Laverick, Sophia Luo, Samuel Looker, Alexander MacMillan, Connor McKenzie, Annika Sethi, Alice Smith, Harriette Taylor, Theodore Thomson, Jonathan Twyman, Samuel Waldin, Elliot Watson, Oliver Williams, Erin Wyeth and Sanskruti Zaveri.

Year 12 NCEA Academic Honours

Elizabeth Batten, Michael Bebelman, Samuel Chan, Catherine Chang, Luke Creemers, Hugo du Temple, Alexandre Fargier, Campbell Jordan, Hayden Joyce, Sophia King, Ellie Lazzaro, Christopher Manning, Christie Martel, Amelie Murphy, Harrison Orr, Lisa Schulze-Bergkamen, Benjamin Shieff, Victoria Stewart, Selena Thackery, Tony Yu, Ivan Zhang, Richard Zhang and Betty Zhou.

The table below shows the standards required for Colours

Year 13 IB Academic Colours

Margaret Li, Sophia Chang, Jenny Jiang, Ben Shepherd, William Feng, Richard Lu, Cam Nahill, Megan Yen

Year 13 IB Academic Honours

John Hsieh

New Zealand Maths Team Selection!

For the sixth year in a row, a Saint Kentigern student has been selected onto the New Zealand team of six mathematicians to attend the prestigious International Mathematics Olympiad (IM0), to be held, this year, in England. The Olympiad gathers the best secondary school mathematicians from around the world to compete in a series of very challenging mathematical problems from almost any field of mathematics. Year 12 student, Grace Chang, the only girl on the team, will join fellow team members from schools around New Zealand to travel to Bath, UK in July.

Grace has a particular passion for mathematics and started this year being awarded NZQA Scholarships in both calculus and statistics. She was only Year 11 when she sat these exams intended for Year 13 graduates! Whilst focussed on academic achievement, Grace also has a wide spectrum of interests and involves herself in all facets of school life from premier debating to swimming and cross country. Like so many Saint Kentigern students, she understands the value of leadership and service, and so offers her skills and time to coach and mentor others including teaching monthly Maths Workshops alongside the New Zealand Mathematical Committee. She is the student in charge of the Maths Club and Mathex coaching at the College, nurturing young students within our own school community.

We are very proud of Grace’s achievement and look forward to hearing about her international experience in July.

Prefects Honoured to Speak

Thousands of people, young and old, gathered at the Auckland War Memorial Museum to pay their respects at this year’s ANZAC Dawn Service. Saint Kentigern was well represented by Head Boy, Ben Shepherd and Arts Prefect, Venice Qin, who were both proud and humbled to play significant roles in remembering the fallen.

Ben and Venice were honoured with the privilege of speaking alongside Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern and Auckland Mayor, Phil Goff at the service, which drew 16,000 people from around the country and afar. In the early morning light, their voices rang clear across the gathered crowd as they spoke about the veterans who lost their lives in battle and the great sacrifices that were made in the hope to live in a world of peace.

ANZAC Day is and will remain an important and relevant event for our students, as they recognise that so many who paid the ultimate sacrifice were not much older than themselves. Following the service, the organiser contacted the College to say, ‘Venice and Ben were exceptional - young, smart and confident, an unbeatable mixture.’ Well done Ben and Venice for your contribution to this year’s service on behalf of Saint Kentigern.

New Zealand Bronze for Physicists

When Year 12 students, Xavier Yin, Heeju Rho and James Batten, heard about the New Zealand Young Physicist’s Tournament (NZYPT), they were intrigued by the opportunity of putting physics theories they had learned into practice. Months beforehand, they were given seven open-ended complex physics problems, which required them to research, investigate and experiment various physics concepts such as inventing a corona discharge motor from scratch, producing laser shot sounds by tapping a slinky, picking up ping pong balls by blowing through funnels, and investigating how cones amplify the human voice. They had to complete an extensive amount of work outside of school time to solve these problems and spent many days after school testing again and again.

In early March, they competed against 11 other teams in the NZYPT Auckland regional competition and came third place overall, qualifying them for the national final in March. The format of the competition consisted of several ‘physics fights’ in which one team presented their solution to a jury of physics teachers, engineers and former International Young Physicists’ Tournament (IYPT) team members, while the other team attempted to find holes in the presenting team’s solution. Each physics ‘fight’ not only required knowledge of the physics behind the problem, but also confidence in a debate-style discussion and strong teamwork. Their efforts paid off, placing third in the national final!

‘What we have in our Bruce House community is something parents hope for when their children board.’

- Bruce House Head Prefects

Bruce House Leaders Appointed

At the end of the day, when all others have gone home, there are currently 100 students who stay behind on campus and head up to Bruce House to share dinner, do homework and settle for the night. For the 31 girls and 69 boys who board, College life is so much more than a school day – it is a 24/7 immersion! Accordingly, the student leaders of Bruce House have the responsibility and privilege of having a huge impact on their fellow boarders’ lives.

This year, Seloa Keil and Tiaan Tuakipulu have been appointed as Bruce House Head Prefects, having demonstrated leadership, self-discipline, humility, sensitivity and empathy in their time as boarders. ‘Above all,’ said Housemaster, Mr Martin Piaggi, ‘they lead by action and example.’ The pair will be well supported by their fellow Bruce House Prefects: John Kennerley, Hugo Landrey, Valance Yates, Harriette Baxter and Caitlin Dawn-Sugrue.

Already the prefects have been active in welcoming new boarders, and helping new and old boarders back into the swing of a new academic year. The first weekend of each new year is known as ‘Stayback Weekend’ – a full weekend of activities when all boarders stay onsite to work in teams to build new bonds for the year. The prefect team took an active role in organising this fantastic weekend of socialising and building new friendships.

The leaders received their Bruce House prefect badges at the first formal dinner of the term – an evening that was so hot, blazers and ties were removed for dinner! In addressing the boarders, Seloa and Tiann

said, ‘Congratulations to those who have received badges tonight. Though small in size on your blazer, we hope you come to understand and appreciate the significance of that badge. For us, it gives a sense of belonging, of family and home. What we have in our Bruce House community is something parents hope for when their children board. In 2019, we want to build on the spirit we have and help you feel at home, in an atmosphere that is accepting, encouraging and supportive, so you are able to express yourself as an individual and contribute to this community, our Bruce House family, our ‘whanau’, our ‘aiga’, our ‘famili.’’

The Bruce House prefects are well attuned to lead their fellow students and help new students adjust to life as a boarder. They all recall the initial feelings of missing their families but came to learn that the best way to combat homesickness is to get involved. With the College and all its facilities on their doorstep, the capacity for boarders to engage and gain the benefits of our ‘World of Opportunity’ is easy.

Senior College Principal, Mrs Suzanne Winthrop always enjoys attending meals at Bruce House. For her, it’s a return to the familiar, as she was first Head of Girls’ Boarding at Saint Kentigern when girls were first introduced. She told the boarders that every year brings a fresh start as the returning boarders welcome new boarders into their family dynamics – for Bruce House is one big family! Mrs Winthrop particularly thanked Mr Piaggi for all he does for the boarding community.

A Virtual Eye-Opener!

Utter the words ‘ocean acidification’ in company and you may get blank stares. Although climate change has grown steadily in the public consciousness, one of its most insidious impacts – a widespread die-off of marine ecosystems driven by carbon dioxide emissions – remains relatively unknown. Enter virtual reality - a powerful tool for environmental learning and changing attitudes.

In the comfort of the classroom, our Year 9 students experienced the rich biodiversity that exists below the surface of our oceans – as if they were there! How? Through a visiting virtual reality system. Educators from the Sir Peter Blake Trust, in partnership with New Zealand Geographic, took the students on a ‘real life’, one-hour journey through our oceans, comparing pristine and degraded ecosystems.

Wearing virtual reality headsets that gave 360 degree underwater views with a tilt of the head, the students were three-dimensionally immersed via a variety of videos that demonstrated the effects of over-fishing and pollution. For centuries, we have harvested the sea for sustenance and profit and now we are beginning to understand the impact of our fishing on seabirds and non-target fish species, and the cumulative effects on other parts of the ecosystem. The students came to understand that one of the biggest threats to our ocean is the pollution caused by plastics, run-off and sedimentation, and discussed ways this could be changed.

This fun, immersive and educational learning experience connected the students with marine environments that most will never see first-hand. This was a unique opportunity that transformed the way that content is traditionally be delivered in the classroom.

Love Reading, Love Reviewing

With thanks to Mrs Lesley Verryt, Librarian

Fancy a good book to read but not sure which one to pick? Help is at hand!

One of the fundamental objectives of teaching is to create and encourage good readers. Nothing gives access to the world like the ability to read well. It provides entertainment, information, transformation and discovery. In this age of Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, the staff in the Goodfellow Centre at the College are always seeking new ways to engage students in reading related activities.

In a move away from traditional student librarian roles, a recent initiative has encouraged students to sign up as book reviewers. In Term 1, 40 keen readers quickly signed on to read three books and follow up with a written review for publishing on the Goodfellow Centre’s Student Forum page on the OLE (Online Learning Environment). In addition to their book reviews, they were also asked to blog about another aspect related to study, literacy, reading or writing.

This is a multi-faceted opportunity for students; they develop review strategies that don’t spoil the book for the reader and are able to self-publish their written material in a supportive environment. Students are expected to write original work, with due consideration given to plagiarism and attribution, and to edit and proofread their work prior to publication. One of the challenges is also mastering the digital interface of the OLE, so that posts appear in the right area of the Student Forum.

These reviews are a fascinating glimpse into the lives and interests of our students. This particular community of students is very supportive of one another, commenting positively and constructively on each other’s posts. They also read widely and diversely, and their reviews can be intense, hilarious, witty and absorbing. They certainly inspire some must-read lists!

Art And Design Tour to Europe

With thanks to Head of Visual Art, Mr Rodney Stratton

During the April holidays, 21 senior Design, Painting, Photography, Sculpture and Fashion students immersed themselves in a world of Art and Fashion in London and Paris. The stunning range of artworks they saw was not only eye-opening but inspiring and motivating to develop their own best practice. From the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, to the Van Gogh exhibition in Tate Britain and the Louvre in Paris, they were all left in awe of the diversity of all they saw.

They arrived in London and hit the ground running with a full day of events, starting with the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. Here they were encouraged to find not only the big-name pieces on display but also the works that spoke to them personally. After stopping for lunch in Leicester Square, they hopped on the tube to see the world’s longest and tallest tunnel slide at ArcelorMittal Orbit. The stunning looping structure created by Anish Kapoor and Cecil Balmond is an iconic symbol of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and the London Olympics in 2012.

The next day, the students caught the last half of the Changing of the Guards ceremony and walked through Green Park to the University College of London to witness the students in action at the Slade School of Fine Arts. This was inspiring as the head of the school walked them through, talking about the history of the building and how it was the first UK University to admit women. To finish the day, the students had a grisly and gripping Jack the Ripper tour through East London.

Day three was all about the Tate! The students went to Tate Britain first, attending the Van Gogh exhibition where many of his most famous pieces were on display. After that, they went to Dorothea Tanning at Tate Modern to witness the limitless expanse of possibility. In the evening, the students enjoyed observing the talent, set design and choreography at Matilda The Musical.

The V & A, otherwise known as the Victoria and Albert Museum was something else! With over 5000 years of history and its size, it was incredible. With no time to waste, the students ventured off to a Mary Quant exhibition to see the iconic designs of the 1960s and then stopped for lunch in Hyde Park. The day concluded with a visit to the Design Museum.

The last day in London was spent at the Photographers’ Gallery where the students took part in a Camera Obscura workshop. The next galleries they visited were the Southbank Centre and the Hayward Gallery where they looked at the work of Kader Attia and Diane Arbus.

On Good Friday, the students spent the day travelling to Paris and on Saturday went to the Louvre and saw their most iconic pieces like the Liberty Leading the People … and the queues for the Mona Lisa! In the afternoon, they went to the Palais De Tokyo for a guided tour of Amalgam by Theaster Gates.

On the third day in Paris, the students climbed the Eiffel Tower and took part in a guided tour. The students were surprised to discover the Tower use to be red! After this, they went to Pompidou Centre. The work here picked up where the Louvre left off, showcasing a collection of early 20th Century masterpieces.

On the last day, the students went to the Basilique du Sacré-Cœur to overlook Paris. After wandering down through Montmarte and jumping on the Big Bus tour, they went vintage shopping and to the Galeries Lafayette, an exclusive high-end fashion department store. The last activity for the trip was the river cruise along the Seine.

The trip was an experience none of the students will forget! Thank you to the teachers and parents who were involved!

Typeface for Aotearoa

With thanks to Art-Design Teacher, Mr James Wakelin

In this age of computers, phones and devices, where the majority of written words we now produce and read are in digital form, we tend to take having a choice of typeface – the shape and form of each letter or character - for granted, but how are these designed?

Our Year 12 Visual Art - Design students were tasked, over 12 weeks, with designing a typeface for use by a professional organisation. In this instance, the organisation chosen was local iwi, Ngāti Whātua. The students discovered that despite the seeming simplicity, this really was no easy task!

The starting point was engaging with the work of the Bauhaus Design School, looking at their comprehensive approach to industrial design, graphic design, architecture and product design, and the overarching design ethos applied across the disciplines. This understanding of a cohesive approach would later be recognised within local practices. The students then analysed and made copies of existing type examples, learning how to use digital tools and identifying the shapes used to make up the letterforms. An exercise that would later inform some of their own processes.

With their task embedded in ‘Aotearoa,’ a tour to the Auckland War Memorial Museum’s Māori galleries proved valuable to gain a better understanding of how the shapes and patterns seen within taonga are key symbols of narrative and tribal identity. The visit gave our students a better understanding and appreciation of an important part of New Zealand’s cultural heritage. Recognising that these artefacts are informed by, and are part of, an oral tradition, added another layer of ‘complication’ to an already difficult task.

The students went on to create letterforms using flax. The intention being to explore whether the use of the materials seen within their research would result in appropriate typographic outcomes. This investigation continued, looking at whakairo, finding a balance between the Māori traditional carving of wood for embellishment and to convey narrative, and the European heritage of carved letterforms used within printing technologies. Once their woodblocks were carved and their designs printed, they scanned and converted them into digital letterforms which were then refined to create a cohesive aesthetic for their final outcome, all the time annotating their decisionmaking processes.

By the end of their project, each student had produced a full alphabet, including wh and ng characters, to provide appropriate options for their intended ‘client’. Both punctuation and numerals have been given consideration within the projects, which they were then proud to present to a representative of Ngāti Whātua.

Why are we still studying Shakespeare? A New Era of Literacy

With thanks to Head of English, Ms JoAnn Wordsworth

Every year, English teachers are asked, ‘Why are we still studying Shakespeare?’

Here at Saint Kentigern, our Year 13s concentrate on a critical study of Shakespeare’s work, considering aspects of gender representation, patriarchal society and ideas of humanity’s flaws through a lens. Top stream classes, from Year 9 through to Year 13 experience Shakespeare in a range of forms and learn to work in iambic pentameter to try and recreate the rhythm and rhyme of his works. By Senior College, full plays are read aloud, enacted for key scenes and captured in dramatic monologues or static images, highlighting the spectacle and classical allusions in his works. But why? Why over four centuries later, do we still return to his works?

Four hundred years on, Shakespeare remains the most celebrated author in history, whose prolific, creative output entailed 198 pieces, including some of the world’s best recognised sonnets and 38 plays. Written at a time when education was minimal, he was a selfmade writer who enriched the English language so profoundly that it’s almost impossible to truly gauge his impact. He created vivid descriptions and imagery with which to express emotional extremes: hope, despair, sorrow, rage and love. And his ideas still resonate for us, like religious division in ‘The Merchant of Venice,’ the question of duty in ‘Hamlet’ and otherness in ‘Othello.’

So in classrooms when teachers are asked, ‘Why are we still studying Shakespeare?’ it can lead to lengthy persuasive discussions, yet they generally return to one main theme –‘crafting is key.’

Along with absorbing the beauty of his language and the complex messages inherent in it, students who study Shakespeare also have their minds opened to philosophical and theoretical discussions. As literary theorist and critic, Roland Barthes suggested, ‘Language is merely the instrument to communicate,’ it is the crafting of the narrative with spectacle, rhythm and imagery that elevates the text to a rich and satisfying experience.

Experiencing Shakespeare in all its richness is behind our ongoing visits to Shakespeare’s Pop-Up Globe each year. In this full-scale working replica, students who study Shakespeare can immerse themselves in language and staging in a theatre space unlike any other in New Zealand. This year it was ‘Hamlet’ - a character who struggles with existentialist worries and cannot figure out his place in the world.

On the return journey to College, the students were thoughtful; the experience had made an impact and brought their studies into sharp focus. Many noted how Shakespeare is far ‘less confusing when seen live, than when read aloud’ and that the nature of the performance made the story accessible to everyone. The Pop-up Globe may be a temporary structure, but it definitely makes a lasting impact on each cohort of students who attend.

English language and literature continue to be in safe hands at Saint Kentigern. With the current educational spotlight on the need to develop literacy skills in our New Zealand youth, the Senior College has bucked the national trend that has seen the number of NCEA Level 3 English student numbers falling way across the country. This year, over 200 of our Year 13 cohort have elected to stay with English courses as they work toward their secondary qualifications and graduation. Strong ‘Excellence’ rates in NCEA English Levels 1-3 for 2018 were a particularly pleasing outcome for our engaging and responsive teaching programme.

Part of this continued interest in English for those studying NCEA Level 3 is choice. Students can choose to select the traditional English course or the recently added ‘English – Visual Language’ option. For students who engage more with visual texts, such as analysing films, music videos or advertising campaigns, this course allows them to work with more contemporary texts and issues. The option of selecting how they produce their assessments has also built on their renewed engagement with the text types – as options to either ‘present’ their ideas or ‘write’ them are offered. In both the more ‘traditional’ course and the newer ‘visual’ one, students have choices of texts to study and assessments to choose – reflecting the studentcentred approach to the development of our senior programmes.

For the past three years, Year 13 students have been offered a Liberal Arts based course that combines the skills and content of English, Media Studies and Classics. This combination creates a programme that focuses on a context-rich study of texts, with the course work designed to complement the content of each of the other subjects. The Classical Studies discussions of tragedies and critical theories strengthens the English classroom debates about Shakespeare’s tragic and flawed heroes. Alongside this is a Media Studies genre study of Film Noir, with more flawed male protagonists.

The goal is to develop learners who can ‘put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely.’ Once again, even at the heart of modern course design, you will find Shakespeare, because his plays offer us ways to open conversations about ‘being human.’

In 2018, we also introduced a new International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma English course. This is currently working alongside our traditional English Literature course, which involves the study of a broad range of works from Baxter, Mansfield, Ibsen and Shakespeare, just to name a few. The new course, ‘Language and Literature,’ explores the ‘Language of Mass Communication and Identity.’ From one inaugural class in 2018, interest has expanded to fill three classes in 2019, which highlights how the course is meeting the needs of a shifting landscape for this generation of students opting to study English.

Today, media and mass communication dominate our everyday lives to an unprecedented extent. With language so far removed from Shakespeare’s 16th century, today’s students live in a world of nonstop visual stimulation and are exposed to an unrelenting barrage of messages and rhetoric, both of their own making and through TV, news reporting, advertising, radio shows and, most notably, across a raft of social media platforms, with little time to absorb meaning, let alone recognise any bias, before a new message appears.

The new IB Diploma course considers how both the production and reception of messages are shaped by the medium of its delivery and encourages ways to help students become more critical consumers of media.

These are times of unparalleled change and the addition of new courses to the English curriculum acknowledges the need to constantly review and adapt our teaching and learning to best prepare our students with transferrable skills for a rapidly changing world.

English, as a subject, feels the tension in education at the moment. Developing the skills of reading, writing, listening and presenting are our core business – but the last few years have seen a broader professional conversation about these crucial elements, as we strive to become better teachers. Literacy strategies have been shared across departments to allow targeted discussions about student progress, and approaches to thinking and organising ideas are being embedded in our teaching. The transparency of learning and thinking has been moved to the front of teaching as we work towards growing engaged and self-managing students.

Despite our worst fears being realised when an emoji was chosen as the’ word of the year,’ we rallied in the classroom! New course designs, more modes for assessment, as well as more diverse writing voices were investigated as we prepared ourselves to withstand a new generation of texting, Snapchatting (where a picture is worth a thousand words) and emoji communicators who question the value of Shakespeare.

Our response as English teachers has been to evolve. Yet, we will remain to protect the syntax of well-crafted sentences, a sophistication of vocabulary and the joy of reading for pleasure! As players on the stage of life, we want our learners to positively influence the world we live in, and to do this they must be able to communicate.

With the advice, ‘To thine own self be true’ ringing in their ears, following the performance of Hamlet, we can hope that the skills of evaluating, recognising perspectives and forming opinions, whilst exercising empathy, will serve them well as they look ahead to graduation and the world beyond.

So why we are we still studying Shakespeare? Because he continues to be relevant and enriches our English programmes!

Shake the Quad

The Show Must Go On!

There was plenty of rehearsal leading up to this year’s Shake the Quad; the night for Saint Kentigern fans of the Bard to gather with a picnic outdoors in the Goodfellow Quad, ready to watch a series of scenes from Shakespeare’s plays. There was also plenty of prior planning to make sure the scene was completely set for a great night of Shakespeare. There was just one wee problem, adding an element of uncertainty. Maybe it would pass by? But no, as the Year 13 extension group took to the stage with a scene from Hamlet on show night, the rain gently started to fall!

A quick decamp to the Chapel and our large group of young thespians resumed their performances, adapting quickly to the confines of a new stage – and played out their scenes, minus the stage lighting that had been set up back in the Quad!

Shake the Quad is an annual event to showcase student work. Students are involved as cast members and directors, to those working behind the scenes to ensure costumes and props are at hand. The students largely had free rein – the chosen scene could be set in any time, place or costume, there was just one essential, the lines spoken had to be true to Shakespeare’s words! Students chose to take on the challenge of directing their peers, or to be directed. They took on the responsibility to select a cast, attend rehearsals, determine costuming and conceptualise how each piece should be performed, often reflecting the contemporary world. In so doing, they re-connected us with the classic works, but often in a new way – such as the delivery of a scene from the ‘The Tempest’ by boys from Year 8 – all costumed in clear plastic ponchos from the $2 shop! It worked brilliantly!

From ‘Hamlet’, to ‘The Tempest’, ‘As You Like It,’ ‘The Merry Wives of Windsor,’ ‘Much Ado About Nothing’ and ‘Cleopatra’ - whether it was the youngest of our students making their first foray into Shakespeare’s works or our more seasoned actors taking command of the stage, each performance was a joy to watch. We were pleased to see so many students from all year levels celebrating their passion for Shakespeare. Whilst it was prepared for an outdoor stage, the students showed resilience and adaptability when the weather took a turn!

Senior Solo Music Competition 2019

Thirteen of our leading senior musicians stepped up to compete for the title of this year’s Senior Solo Music Champion in one of four categories: Wind, Vocal, Strings or Piano. Selected through earlier audition, the finalists performed under the watchful scrutiny of two adjudicators – this year, accomplished flautist and pianist, Ms Jasmine Sun and opera singer, Mr William King.

Whilst choosing winners in each section proved difficult, they were unanimous in their decision to select Year 11 pianist, Ashani Waidyatillake as the winner of the piano section and overall winner. Playing ‘Los Requibros’ from ‘Goyescas’ by Enrique Granados, Ashani’s skill and poise in front of an audience was clear to see.

Catherine Chang won the wind section on the flute this year, having won the piano section last year! Amelia Elliot is a stalwart of our musical productions and was named winner of the vocal section whilst most capable violinist, Esther Oh won the strings section, having been overall winner at last year’s Middle College event.

In her final words before presenting the Solo Music Cup to the overall winner, Senior College Principal, Mrs Suzanne Winthrop said. ‘I am envious of your talent! Each of you gave an amazing performance and I thank you for all you contribute to music at the College.’

OVERALL

SOLO MUSIC CHAMPION: Ashani Waidyatillake

Piano Section Winner : Ashani Waidyatillake

Wind Section Winner: Catherine Chang, Flute

Voice Section Winner: Amelia Elliott

String Section Winner: Esther Oh, Violin

Solo Music Competition Finalists

Piano Section: Eric Lee, Adam Perry (Accordion), Daniel Huang, Ashani Waidyatillake

Wind Section: Jesse Niu, Oboe; Catherine Chang, Flute; Cindy Yi, Clarinet; Evan Metcalfe, French Horn

Voice Section: Alicia Lynn, Venice Qin, Amelia Elliott

String Section: Celina Tsui, Violin; Esther Oh, Violin

Violinists Play with National Symphony Orchestra

The New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Symphony Orchestra (NZSSSO) has convened annually since 1960, selecting the top students in each instrumental category from around the country. Many of New Zealand’s top professional musicians have taken part in the group which provides a stepping stone to the exceptional National Youth Orchestra.

This year, we are delighted that two of our College violin players, Esther Oh and Celina Tsui, were selected to join the Symphony Orchestra to perform in the 2019 concert held in Christchurch during the April holidays. Esther and Celina spent six days in Christchurch, during which they participated in a variety of practical sessions and rehearsals – culminating in two public performances of challenging full-scale orchestral works. The ‘NZSSSO’ is widely regarded as a significant training ground for young players aspiring to membership of the New Zealand Youth Orchestra and ultimately to a career as a professional musician.

Evan Selected for National Youth Orchestra!

We are delighted to hear that Evan Metcalfe has been selected for the National Youth Orchestra (NYO) for 2019; an amazing achievement for a Year 11 musician!

Evan has been playing French Horn for seven years, has achieved Trinity Grade 8 and has been a member of the Auckland Youth Orchestra for four years. Last year he successfully auditioned for a place in the New Zealand Secondary School Symphony Orchestra (NZSSSO) and achieved a place on the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra (NZSO) National Mentoring Programme, paving the path for his recent recognition.

Evan will be joining the week-long course in June followed by concert performances in Wellington and Auckland in July, premiering works by up and coming NZ composers, as well as significant works from Sibelius and Elgar.

This is a significant achievement by a very talented and hardworking student who has continued to contribute so much of his effort back to the school in ensembles and performances. We look forward to hearing him play as part of the NYO concert on Saturday 6 July, 7.30pm at, Auckland Town Hall.

Two of everything!

Over the years, the Senior College has brought some outstanding musical productions to the Saint Kentigern stage, always delivered with an abundance of both talent and maturity by the student cast, crew and orchestra. With such high calibre performers vying for a leading role, show casting is always a rigorous process! This year, the directors were faced with a conundrum - so many students shone at the audition that they made the unprecedented decision to double-cast the show!

Divided into a red cast and a blue cast, eight of the leading roles were each shared by two students. That was two Tevyes (Jack Horsnell and William Grafton-Howe), two Goldes (Venice Qin and Lily Batten), two Hodels (Scarlett Jacques and Amelia Elliott), two Yentes (Esther Schubert and Greer Webber), two Perchiks (Thomas Webster and Samuel Everitt), two Constables (Jono Do and Max Bennett) and two Shaindels (Saskia Dorresteyn and Holly Simmons) - each role, two apiece!

Each lead performed their principal role on two nights, doubling in the ensemble on the other two nights of the four-performance show. This required some careful logistics throughout the rehearsal phase, to ensure each lead had ample stage time! Two casts also meant two final dress rehearsals -and, of course, two sets of costumes and double the hair and makeup! Yes, two of everything! But it proved worth it!

The show and its songs, long a favourite on Broadway, are iconic; telling the story of life in Anatevka, a Russian Shtetl (Jewish village) at the turn of the 20th century, seen through the eyes of the long-

suffering milkman, Reb Tevye, his wife of 25 years, Golde, and their five daughters, Hodel, Tzeitel, Chava, Shprintze and Bielke.

On the surface ‘Fiddler on the Roof,’ is a light-hearted musical full of upbeat songs about family squabbles, marriage, faith and the traditions of life in a Jewish village, but beneath runs a deep undercurrent - the very real issue of anti-Semitism which was sweeping across Europe at the time, which is why Teyve declares life in the village to be as precarious as a ‘fiddler on the roof.’

With only God to confide in, Tevye contends with unprecedented changes to the life he once knew – starting with his feisty, noncompliant daughters! Teyve is offset by his sharp-tongued yet loving wife, Golde and together, they watch their home life unravel as their three eldest daughters, Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava, decide to break with tradition and not wait for the village matchmaker, Yente, to choose their husbands. Unheard of in their village, they want to marry for love and worse, they have fallen for men who will challenge their parents’ cultural and religious values.

In addition to the family drama at home, Tevye and his Jewish community were facing increasing levels of persecution from Imperial Russia. At the local inn, religious and political tension between the Jewish clientele and gentile Russians hung in the air, as the two groups faced off in ‘To Life, To Life, L’chaim.’ The choreography was brilliant and well executed by the boys!

With tensions rising on all fronts, ‘The Dream’ proved a delightful, comic and visually exciting diversion. Tevye, through a ludicrous dream, persuades his wife, Golde to allow their daughter, Tzeitel and

the tailor, Motel to marry, rather than the Matchmaker’s suggestion of the ageing butcher, Lazar Wolf (Sam Ashton). It features Katherine Fletcher’s dramatic vocals in a ‘visitation’ from the after-life as ‘Fruma-Sarah’ the deceased wife of Lazar. A superstitious Golde agrees to the union and the ensuing wedding is a visual and vocal delight with the cast delivering both ‘Sunrise Sunset’ and ‘The Wedding Dance’ beautifully.’

Teyve’s back down for Tzeitel emboldens his other daughters with Hodel choosing the revolutionary student, Perchik as a husband which Teyve agrees to, but when his third daughter, Chava expresses her desire to marry the Russian, Fyedka, outside of their faith, this is a step too far for Teyve and forbidding the union, she elopes.

Meanwhile, the rumours spreading that Russians were evicting Jews from their villages becomes reality. The villagers of Anetevka are given three days to pack up and leave the town. In shock, plans are made for families to emigrate to Poland or America – their fates determined by their choice of destination, in the foreshadowing of the early 20th century across Europe. Our knowledge of events only adds to the sadness and poignancy of a musical steeped in a sad history.

This was a tale that was both joyous yet raw with emotion and it took a talented cast to give it the depth it deserved. Our students poured themselves into their characters bringing them to life with a maturity well beyond their years. The orchestra did a superb job working with a difficult score to provide the backing, and our backstage crews used their sound, lighting, hair, makeup and organisational skills to ensure an outstanding result.

Hair and Makeup Challenge

Each year, the Senior College musical presents a new challenge for the backstage hair and makeup team, giving this group of keen students new skills to learn. This year, the challenge was the application of facial hair to almost the entire male cast! On set two hours before the show, the logistics were carefully worked out to ensure each male member of the cast had sufficient time to have their beards carefully applied, matching colouring as closely as possible. The next challenge was for the cast to sing with hair glued to their faces!

Year 7 Camp

It wasn’t great…it was fantastic!

Year 7 Camp was held for the 25th consecutive year at Chosen Valley, Ararimu in Term 1. Every student enjoyed a slice of a cake to mark the milestone!

With our increased roll in Year 7 this year, we divided into two camps of three full-on days, with the four boys’ classes attending from Monday to Wednesday, and the four girls’ classes following on from Wednesday to Friday. Auckland’s endless summer meant every day was sunny and hot, making any activity with the chance to cool down and get wet - like kayaking, the waterslide and confidence course - especially appealing!

On Wednesday, the ‘changeover day,’ when all 190 students were at camp together, we held the annual inter-House Tag team relay that involved all students being part of teams that worked together in kayaking, the rope maze, skipping, running, the obstacle course, the waterslide and swimming. Overall, Wishart narrowly beat Chalmers, with Stark in third place.

The students at both camps launched into all the activities with great enthusiasm that was a pleasure to see. It was great to see them showing resilience and perseverance to overcome their reservations and fears, and to see how much they helped each other through the activities, with plenty of words of advice and encouragement.

There were also the thrills and spills of the trolley carts; the skills required for the rope maze, archery and Balance Island; and the team work necessary to negotiate the obstacle course, grass skiing and A-frame walking. Each activity was designed to challenge the students both physically and mentally during their afternoon sessions. The mornings and evenings were a little quieter with a range of creative activities and Mastermind competitions, along with the ever-popular camping skill of cooking food on gas stoves, and the chance to relax on Movie Night.

Year 9 Camp - Term 1 Highlight!

Described as the ‘highlight of the term,’ the Year 9 students, ventured off to enjoy three days at Totara Springs Christian Camp in Matamata.

Year 9 camp is a great opportunity for students to cement new friendships and create bonds in their Tutor Groups. With a new intake of Year 9 students joining those who have already been at the College for Year 7 and 8, the camp is strategically timed to bring new groups together in a week of activities. It is also a good opportunity for students to build confidence and challenge themselves both mentally and physically in a supportive environment. During their time away from home, the students were able to find out more about themselves and others.

Surrounded by 90 acres of native bush, a beautiful river and parklike grounds, the students were given opportunities to step out of

their comfort zones and participate in several indoor and outdoor activities. The activities focused on improving and developing interpersonal and team building skills and challenged the students to work together and support one another. The students enjoyed rock climbing, abseiling, archery and go-kart racing, but the favourite was the downhill, high speed foam slide!

Students were also challenged with building a shelter from supplied materials for a night of camping by the river. Some did a great job and slept through the night, while others weren’t quite so fortunate and were up reconnecting their shelters! This was a real challenge for some, but regardless, fun was had by all.

Our thanks to all the staff and in particular to all the parent helpers who were able to join us at camp and provide valuable assistance and supervision.

Chalmers Wins College Swimming

The sun was beaming and spirits were high as students from both the Middle College and Senior College gathered in a blaze of colour around the pool to cheer on the swimmers at the first House event of the year.

Preliminary heats had been raced during the first days of term to award House points for participation and determine which swimmers would race in the finals. On finals afternoon, the atmosphere around the pool was buzzing as races got underway. House Prefects led the students to cheer on their representatives in the pool and provided great support to the younger swimmers. Once again, we welcomed Year 7 and 8 swimmers from the Girls’ School who put in a strong performance.

To conclude the day, the prefects raced against staff members in the annual relay races which brought some of the loudest cheering of the day!

With results tallied, Chalmers claimed the swimming title!

INDIVIDUAL HOUSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONS

1st 2nd 3rd

Beth Harford (S) Abbey Keyte (H)

Josh Harford (CA) Cam Church (CH)

Isabella Campion (CH) Sophie Spencer (CH)

Will Bason (CH) Danny Weng (CA)

Liv Peebles (CA) Zara Nelson (WI)

Sunny Sun (WI) Marco Lazzaro (H)

Alex Campion (CH) Imogen Perry (WI)

Samuel Boyes (CA) Max Lye (H)

Amelia Duff (SKGS) (CH)

Olivia Kay (CH)

Olivia Kay (CH)

Christina Middelbeek-Harrison (CH)

Sam Clarke (S)

Brooke Hill (CH)

Charlie Bassett (CH)

Olivia Sweetman (WN)

Jack Dempsey (CH)

Claudia Spencer (WN)

Coen Anderson (S)

Emma Wang (SKGS) (WI)

Scarlett Bassett (CH) Hayley Searle (WN)

Jason Zhang (CA) Chris Tong (CH) Sam Armstrong (WI)

HOUSE SWIMMING CHAMPIONS

1ST CHALMERS

2ND HAMILTON

3RD STARK

4TH WISHART

5TH CARGILL

6TH WILSON

Fantastic Results at Zone Events

Our swimmers put up a great show of swimming at the Zone events.

AUCKLAND SECONDARY SCHOOL

CHAMPION OF CHAMPION SWIMMING

13 and Under Girls Butterfly

1st Olivia Peebles

13 and Under Girls Freestyle

1st Olivia Peebles

200m Freestyle Relay 14-15 Age Group

3rd Isabella Campion, Chloe Cox, Brooke Hill, Olivia Peebles

EASTERN ZONE SWIMMING – YEARS 7-8

Year 7 Boys Backstroke

3rd Jason Zhang

Year 7 Girls Freestyle

3rd Amelia Duff

Year 8 Girls Backstroke

2nd Alexandra Campion

3rd Imogen Perry

Year 8 Boys Freestyle

2nd Samuel Boyes

Year 8 Girls Breaststroke

3rd Alexandra Campion

Year 8 Girls 50m Freestyle

1st Alexandra Campion

Year 8 Girls 100m Freestyle

2nd Alexandra Campion

Open Girls Butterfly

1st Alexandra Campion

INTER ZONE SWIMMING

Year 8 Girls Freestyle

1st Alexandra Campion

Year 8 Girls Backstroke

2nd Alexandra Campion

Year 8 Girls Butterfly

2nd Alexandra Campion

Open Girls 100m Freestyle

2nd Alexandra Campion

Chalmers Wins College Athletics

Over two hot and sunny days, students from the Middle College, Senior College and the Girls’ School, with hats, sunscreen and plenty of water on hand, streamed onto the lower fields for two days of field and track competition.

HOUSE ATHLETICS CHAMPIONS

1ST CHALMERS

2ND HAMILTON

3RD WISHART

4TH STARK

5TH CARGILL

6TH WILSON

As the sun beamed down, the preliminary day of competition got underway. Whether the students were actively competing for the top three places or giving it their best shot to secure participation points for their House, everyone had a part to play. With the points tallied across two days, Chalmers secured back the title they lost to Hamilton last year. Chalmers won the House Athletics in 2016 and 2017 and after missing out last year, can put the trophy back in the cabinet for 2019!

Thank you to all staff who stood in the scorching heat to time, measure and record!

INDIVIDUAL HOUSE ATHLETICS CHAMPIONS

1st 2nd 3rd

Senior Girls Cecile Velghe (S) Jaymie Kolose (WI) Lisa Putt (CA)

Senior Boys Ben Lowe (H) Logan Cowie (CA) Cam Church (CH)

Intermediate Girls Neve Webster (S) Charlotte Manley (WI) Natalia RankinChitar (CA)

Intermediate Boys Nick Wales (H) Sam Gunn (CA) Quinn Thompson (WI)

Junior Girls Jade Nomani (WI) Ruby Spring (CH) Olivia Rooney (H)

Junior Boys Brodey Warren (H) Joe Berman (CH) Teare Tunui (WN)

Year 8 Girls SKC & SKGS Alex Campion (CH) Katelyn QuayChin (CH) Cilla Fa’afua (SKGS) (H)

Year 8 Girls Alex Campion (CH) Katelyn QuayChin (CH) Maddie Ballard (CA)

Year 8 Boys Dejaun Naidoo (H) Coen Anderson (S) Ryan Ellis (WI)

Year 7 Girls SKC & SKGS Cleo Hancock (SKGS) (WI) Greer Gilhooly (CA) Sienna Moyle (SKGS) (H)

Year 7 Girls Greer Gilhooly (CA) Anna Ross Ava Quinn (CH)

Year 7 Boys Timothy Wallace (CA) Oliver Mai (CH) Flynn Renall (CH)

History Made at Tennis Nationals!

In the final weeks of term, our tennis teams were involved in both national and regional competitions with fantastic results from both our boys and girls proving that the tennis programme at Saint Kentigern continues to be strong. Of particular note, the Boys’ Premier Tennis team won all competitions available to them in Auckland and New Zealand - an outstanding result for these boys!

NZ Tennis Championships

Premier Boys’ Team

Nick Beamish, Caelan Potts, Jack Loutit, Max Dickey, Samuel Hodges

Premier Girls’ Team

Ema Miyaura , Ana Tamanika, Ela Vakaukamea, Bridget Han , Sofia Shing

Premier Mixed Team

Sean Kelly, James McPherson, Aimee Brown, Emma Anderson Livvie Moulder

New Zealand Champions

New Zealand Runners Up

New Zealand Runners Up

Auckland Champion of Champions

Our premier players, in three age categories, represented the College at the Auckland Secondary Schools Tennis Champion of Champions, competing in singles and doubles. Saint Kentigern was represented in nine of the twelve finals.

AUCKLAND CHAMPION OF CHAMPIONS

Junior Girls

Emma Anderson Singles and Doubles Runner Up

Poppy Loutit Doubles Runner Up and Singles semifinalist

Junior Boys

Dawson Parekowhai-Lage Singles Runner Up and Doubles semifinalist

James Flay Singles and Doubles semi-finalist

Intermediate Girls

Ana Tamanika Singles Champion and Doubles Champion

Bridget Han Doubles Champion and Singles semifinalist

Intermediate Boys

Max Dickey Singles Champion and Doubles Champion

James McPherson Singles Runner Up and Doubles Champion

Senior Girls

Ema Miyaura Single and Doubles semi-finalist

Ela Vakaukamea Doubles semi-finalist

Senior Boys

Jack Loutit Singles Champion and Doubles Champion

Caelan Potts Singles Runner Up and Doubles Champion

OVERALL SCHOOLS TROPHY

Boys’ Team: Jack Loutit, Caelan Potts, James McPherson, James Flay, Dawson Parekowhai-Lage and Max Dickey

Girls’ Team: Ema Miyaura, Ana Tamanika, Ela Vakaukamea, Emma Anderson, Bridget Han and Poppy Loutit

National Tennis Teams Championships

At the New Zealand National Secondary Schools Tennis Finals, Saint Kentigern made history as the first school to ever have a team in each of the three finals – Boys, Girls and Mixed! This was a great achievement for the College and all players performed well, with some great results.

The Premier Boys’ team won the final against Westlake Boys High School 5 – 1 defending the title for the 4th consecutive year to become New Zealand champions. The Premier Girls’ team lost to a very strong Westlake Girls School on a count back of games, after matches and sets were equal at the completion of the tie. This match could have gone either way but on the day, Westlake took the edge, leaving our girls in second place by the closest of margins. The Premier Mixed team were beaten in the final to very strong Macleans College on a count back of sets. A very pleasing result for a young team, with the tie going down to the last doubles match, placing them second nationally.

Auckland Secondary Schools Tennis Teams Championships

At the Auckland Secondary Schools Tennis Teams Championships, the Boys’ Premier Tennis team continued their dominance of this competition, winning it for the 5th year in a row. The Girls’ Premier Tennis team beat Westlake Girls 5-1. An excellent effort as this team lost to Westlake the week before in the National Competition. Our Premier 2 teams also did well in their competitions with both girls and boys placing 3rd.

AUCKLAND TEAMS COMPETITION

Boys Premier Tennis Team: Jack Loutit, Caelan Potts, Nick Beamish, Sean Kelly and Max Dickey

Girls Premier Tennis Team: Ema Miyaura, Ana Tamanika, Ela Vakaukamea, Aimee Brown and Poppy Loutit

PREMIER 2 TEAM COMPETITIONS

Champions

Champions

Champions

Champions

Boys Premier Tennis Team 2: Samuel Hodges, James McPherson, Max Allais, Alex Mirkov, Yu Dian Dong, Sebastian Price 3rd

Girls Premier Tennis Team 2: Bridget Han, Sofia Shing, Emma Anderson, Peata Fatai, Livvie Moulder 3rd

Chalmers Wins Cross Country!

The Middle College, Senior College and Year 7 &8 students from the Girls’ School put their speed and stamina to the test at the end of term, as they raced to the finish line at Cross Country.

With very little rain in the preceding days, the runners were blessed with great conditions for off-track running! Firm underfoot and clear skies overhead made for fast times by the competitors, aided by plenty of support from family and friends on the side-lines.

This annual event, originally a steeplechase, has been held at the College from the year it was founded in 1953, when mud, fences and farmland provided a challenging course. While the fences and paddocks are long gone, replaced by lush sports fields, the mix of steep hills and long inclines still present a stern challenge for even the most accomplished athletes. Those who had eyes on the podium places, and the chance to represent the College in wider competitions, had put in hard training in preparation. For others, the event offered a chance to set a personal best and contribute to the inter-House championship.

Congratulations to Chalmers for defending their title!

CROSS COUNTRY RESULTS 2019

Year 7 Girls (SKC & SKGS)

1st 2nd 3rd

Dorothy Anderson (S) Sienna Moyle (GS) (H) Cleo Hancock (GS) (W)

Year 7 Boys Timothy Wallace (CA) Oliver Mai (CH) Flynn Renall (CH)

Year 8 Girls (SKC & SKGS)

Maddie Ballard (CA) Alex Campion (CH) Clara Cox (H)

Year 8 Boys Coen Anderson (S) Dejaun Naidoo (H) Tomoki Huskinson (H)

Junior Girls Ruby Spring (CH) Olivia Rooney (H) Olivia Steele (S)

Junior Boys Brodey Warren (H) Joshua GordonGlassford (Ca) Daniel Hayes (S)

Intermediate Girls Zara Jancys (W) Neve Webster (S) Bridget Han (CA)

Intermediate Boys Zach Clarke (S) Sam Gunn (CA) Issac Wong (W)

Senior Girls Ema Miyaura (H) Sophie Furness (H) Maddy Clarke (H)

Senior Boys Sam Waldin (CH) Logan Cowie (CA) Leo Ashcroft (H)

Rewarding Multisport Season

The season has been very busy for our triathletes, starting during the summer holidays, with an intense training camp held in Taupo. New skills were learnt and fitness was built. These skills were put into practice over the following weeks in the Kohi Swim series and the People’s Tri series, getting ready for the big championships to come.

Auckland Championships

The students were keen to capitalise on home advantage at the Auckland Secondary School Aquathlon Championships which took place at the College. Our captains for this season, Finian Orr and Maddy Clarke, led by example and both won Gold Medals. Sophie Spencer, Zara Jancys and Isabella Campion completed a Saint Kentigern clean sweep in the Intermediate girls.

The Auckland Triathlon Championships, held in Point England, also used familiar training roads. Another great set of results followed, with 6 individual medals and 4 team medals, 3 of them Gold. Sophie Spencer and Zara Jancys again came 1st and 2nd.

Auckland Secondary School Triathlon Championships

Ruby Spring Silver Junior Girls

Olivia Rooney Bronze Junior Girls

Sophie Spencer Gold Intermediate Girls

Zara Jancys Silver Intermediate Girls

Maddy Clarke Silver Senior Girls

Finian Orr Bronze Senior Boys

Isabella Campion, Emma Hannan, Neve Webster Gold Intermediate Girls Team

Olivia Overfield, Annabelle Waterworth, Ben Shepherd Gold Senior Mixed Team

Will Bason, Jensen Foster, Logan Cowie Gold Senior Boys Team

Alex McNaught , Campbell Jordan , Zach Clarke Bronze Senior Boys Team

Auckland Secondary School Aquathlon Championships

Alex Campion Bronze Junior Girls

Sophie Spencer Gold Intermediate Girls

Zara Jancys Silver Intermediate Girls

Isabella Campion Bronze Intermediate Girls

Finn Orr Gold Senior Boys

Maddy Clarke Gold Senior Girls

Jaimie Wilkinson Bronze Senior Girls

Annabelle Waterworth and Ben Shepherd Silver Senior Mixed Teams

Will Bason and Logan Cowie Gold Senior Male teams

Huw Jenner and Sam Waldin Silver Senior Male teams

New Zealand Championships

The Triathlon team travelled to New Plymouth for the highlight of the racing season, the National Secondary Schools Triathlon Championships. This event is a step up from the regional competition, and everyone in the team raced with passion and pride. The standout individual performance was the Bronze Medal for Ruby Spring in the U14 race. Sophie Spencer raced fantastically but was pipped to 4th place on the line. We had more success in the team competitions. The transition relay was a fast and furious format with only 4 minutes of racing per person covering run/bike/run and then tagging the next person. Whereas the team triathlon the following day had a longer format but without a swim, due to water quality. The U13 team raced together for the first time and walked away with two Bronze medals. The U14’s again proved their talent with Silver for the Girls in both events and Gold for the mixed team in both events. Our U16 superstar girls won both their events too. On the Sunday we watched the professionals in action, and Old Collegian, Sam Ward was the top Kiwi home, standing on the podium in 3rd place with the world’s best. If ever an inspiration was needed, he certainly showed the current young crop where to aim for!

National Secondary School Individual Triathlon

Ruby Spring Bronze U14 Girls

National Secondary School Transition Relay

Maddie Ballard, Rebecca Anderson, Emily Clark, Izzy Bannister Silver U14 Girls Relay

Luke Gibson, Milla Barclay, Lewis Atkinson, Dorothy Anderson Bronze U13 Mixed Relay

Ruby Spring, Olivia Rooney, Coen Anderson, Joshua Gordon-Glassford Gold U14 Mixed Relay

Sacha McLeod, Zara Jancys, Sophie Spencer , Eva Melhuish Gold U16 Girls Team

National Secondary School Teams Event (4 Person Team)

Maddie Ballard, Rebecca Anderson, Emily Clark, Izzy Bannister Silver U14 Girls Relay

Luke Gibson, Milla Barclay, Lewis Atkinson, Dorothy Anderson Bronze U13 Mixed Relay

Ruby Spring, Olivia Rooney, Coen Anderson, Joshua Gordon-Glassford Gold U14 Mixed Relay

Sacha McLeod, Zara Jancys, Sophie Spencer, Eva Melhuish Gold U16 Girls Team

Record Breakers at Athletics Champs!

It was smiles all round at the Auckland Secondary Schools Athletics Championships as records tumbled. The Junior Boys' 4 x 100m Relay team (Teare Tunui, Lachlan Wallace, TJ Paniani and Wyndham Nathan Patuawa) broke the biggest record of the day and won the overall Gold medal. With their time of 46.53, they not only broke the College record standing since 2012, but also broke the Auckland Secondary Schools Athletics Championship record that has stood since 1993. This was an outstanding achievement!

The Senior Girls’ 4 x 100m Relay team (Lisa Putt, Cecilia Vatikani, Charlotte Manley and Cecile Velghe) also performed well and won Gold by .01 second with a time of 49.70 which broke the College record – this was the second time in three weeks that the girls had broken this record, demonstrating their hard work and determination.

Another major record was broken by Natalia Rankin Chitar, who won Gold in the Intermediate Girls Discus with a throw of 43.19m. Natalia broke the College record in the Zone Competitions for this and then

Junior Girls

Jade Nomani

Intermediate Girls

Natalia Rankin Chitar

Relay Team: (Mia Harries, Emma Pijnenburg, Jade Nomani, Caitlin McKenzie)

Cecile Velghe

Lisa Putt

Maddy Clarke

Relay Team:

3rd in High Jump

1st in Discus

1st in Shot Put

in Long Jump

in 200m

in Triple Jump

in Long Jump

in Steeplechase

(Cecilia Vatikani, Charlotte Manley, Lisa Putt, Cecile Velghe 1st in 4 x 100m Relay

Junior Boys

Teare Tunui 2nd in 100m 2nd in 200m

Relay Team:

(Lachlan Wallace, Teare Tunui, TJ Paniani, Wyndham Nathan Patuawa)

Boys

Liam McKenzie

Boys

Logan Cowie

in 4 x 100m Relay

in Hurdles

in 800m

again by 10m at the Auckland event. She also broke the Shot-Put record earlier at the Zones.

Other standout performances were from Cecile Velghe and Lisa Putt. Cecile won Gold in the Senior Girls Long Jump and Silver in the 200m Sprints, and Lisa won Gold in the Senior Girls Triple Jump and Bronze in the Long Jump.

Teare Tunui was awarded Silver in the Junior Boys 100m and 200m races, Maddy Clarke placed second in the Senior Girls Steeplechase and Liam McKenzie also came second in the Intermediate Boys Hurdles. Bronze awards were awarded to Jade Nomani for Junior Girls High Jump, Logan Cowie for Senior Boys 800m and the Intermediate Girls’ 4x 100m Relay team consisting of Mia Harries, Emma Pijnenburg, Jade Nomani and Caitlin McKenzie.

It was a day full of fun, smiles and massive achievements! Congratulations to our 40 athletes who qualified and competed!

North Island Athletics!

After putting in a strong performance at the Auckland Athletics Competition, a small group of athletes made their way to Mount Maunganui to represent Saint Kentigern at the North Island Secondary Schools Athletics Championships. It was a fantastic day of competition as our athletes managed to haul in seven medals, including four gold – a proud moment for all, especially for those in first place! For the third year in a row, Year 13 student, Lisa Putt led the group with the most medals on the day, achieving gold in the Senior Girls Triple Jump, silver in the 4 x 100 Relay and bronze in Long Jump. Year 11 student, Natalia Rankin-Chitar also performed at her best, claiming gold in the Intermediate Girls Shot Put and Discus. Year 9 student, Jade Nomani set the bar high and won gold in the Junior Girls High Jump and Year 10 student, Liam McKenzie took home bronze in the Junior Boys 80m Hurdles. Well done to all who competed on the day!

Boys’ Hockey Preseason Tour

With thanks to student reporter, Josh Child

During the Term 1 holidays, the boys’ 1st XI Hockey squad travelled to Australia for a 10-day tour that included five matches, six training sessions, valuable coaching clinics as well as time to visit the sights of the Gold Coast.

The boys won all 5 games, scoring 46 goals with only 5 against, with a notable contribution from Dylan Muggleston, who got the last touch on six goals against the Gold Coast U18 team. While three of the games were won by double digits, our goal was to maintain our focus and continue to play our style of hockey despite the opposition. We also played two closer games against the Roosters invitational team, first playing a strengthened side who we narrowly beat 2-1. Two days later we came up against a similar but slightly weaker Roosters side who we beat 6-3. These two games were particularly beneficial for our improvement and served us well in terms of preparation for the 2019 season.

The boys would like to thank Sports Manager, Miss Scutt for organising the tour, Team Manager, Mr Bennett and coach, Mr Patel. Their combined effort resulted in five wins, but more importantly an improved team of players leaving Australia to return home for the upcoming season in the blue and white.

Sports Shorts

FUTSAL

The Junior Girls Futsal Team won the New Zealand Secondary School Junior Competition in Wellington. They were unbeaten in all of their games including beating Marlborough Girls in the semi 17-0, and then Wellington East Girls in the final 13-1. Emma Pijnenburg received MVP and Golden Boot for the tournament.

ROWING

The 2019 North Island Secondary School Championships again produced some very competitive racing. Over 1850 rowers competed throughout the weekend where Saint Kentigern College made seven A finals. The boys’ U16 Four were 6th in their A final and the boys’ U16 Eight produced a fantastic fight in the closing stages of the race to finish 2nd to claim the silver medal in their A final.

YACHTING

28 teams, over 200 sailors, 6 days of sailing, close to 500 races completed extremely close racing, wind, no wind, sun and rain… that was the 2019 Secondary Schools Team Sailing National Championships in a nutshell! The College team was seeded in the Gold Fleet. By the end of the competition, the team placed 7th overall, the best result in the last five years; a great result given the young age of the team.

WATERPOLO

Girls: Our Premier Girls have had their most successful season to date, starting the season qualifying for the Auckland Premier grade and then making it through to the top 4 for the first time in College history, then going on to place 9th at the Nationals.

Boys: Our Premier Boys also made it through to the top 4 in the Auckland competition, going on to place 5th at the Nationals.

Presbyterian Quadrangular Tournament

Over three days during the April holidays, the 1st XV travelled to Hawkes Bay to take part in the Quadrangular Rugby Tournament, hosted by Lindisfarne College. The annual Presbyterian Tournament is held between four teams, also including St Andrew’s College from Christchurch and Scots College from Wellington. Bound together by our strong Presbyterian roots with links to Scotland, the tournament is keenly contested each year by the 1st XVs from each school.

In the first round, Saint Kentigern played Lindisfarne and all eyes were on the game as the boys played a wellpolished match, winning 40-14. This put Saint Kentigern in the final against Scots College, which our boys won 31-7, to put the trophy back in the cabinet for another year.

The pre-season round of games has been successful for the team, as they had three victories prior to the tournament, winning, 54-12 against St Peter’s, Cambridge, 51-0 to Westlake Boys High School and 22-12 against Hastings Boys High School. The boys are now looking forward to the challenging Auckland 1A competition with the promise of some stiff competition from Auckland schools.

‘Quad’ is now in its 31st year, with each school taking it in turn to host the tournament. We sincerely thank Lindisfarne College for their hospitality this year. We also thank the parents who travelled to Hawke’s Bay to provide some vocal support for our boys!

New Year Honours for Mr Cowie!

New Zealand Order of Merit for Services to Football

Our sincere congratulations to long-serving staff member at the College, Mr Malcolm Cowie who was made a Member of the New Zealand Order of Merit (MNZM) for Services to Football in this year’s New Year Honours List. Appointments to the New Zealand Order of Merit are made for meritorious service to the Crown or the nation and to those who have become distinguished in their particular field of endeavour.

Arriving from Scotland, Malcolm joined the College staff in 1988 as a teacher of Physical Education. In the same year, Malcolm joined the New Zealand Secondary Schools Football Association (NZSSFA) Executive Committee, later becoming Chairman, a role he held for 18 years until 2013, before being made an Honorary Patron. Under his leadership and as a result of his vision, the NZSSFA has achieved considerable results both on and off the field.

In 2003, under Malcolm’s leadership, the NZSSFA was accepted as a member of the European based FAIB (Football Associations of International Boards) which represents 20 international football bodies. Malcolm’s input into administration, governance and management has arguably provided the real thrust for the NZSSFA. During his tenure, he has overseen the significant growth of the national school football tournaments, including the Malcolm Cowie Cup, featuring more than 150 schools annually. He has been instrumental in developing NZSS Football representative programmes at U15 and U19 levels, including opening opportunities for international tours.

Malcolm has coached football at the College for 29 years. He co-established the West Ham Oceania Academy National Camp in New Zealand in 2015, wherein coaches from London oversee a camp held at Saint Kentigern College twice a year and select the best players to attend the West Ham Academy for a week. Mr Cowie was also a selector and voluntary coach for the Auckland Football Association for many years.

Malcolm has been a long-serving and loyal servant of Saint Kentigern. Alongside his teaching, he was also Housemaster at Bruce House for many years. Since his retirement from teaching, he is still a familiar presence as a relief teacher and is the College liaison for the Old Collegians. But it is his service to football that has seen many young men and women experience some wonderful football opportunities over many years as a result of his hard work, dedication and passion. Malcolm received his medal at a special ceremony held in May.

From the President of the Old Collegians

Another year is well underway and as we move into the programme of Old Collegian events for 2019, it is great to see Old Collegians who have recently finished at the different campuses coming back and involving themselves in some of the events we have. What is also pleasing is that three new members have joined the committee from the graduating class of 2018. I would like to welcome Laura Porteus, Laura Porter and Henry Fitzgerald to the committee, they have already had some great ideas to further engage our Old Collegian network with graduating students.

As of writing, we have had a number of events involving our OC’s and I am pleased to report on these events as follows:

We had a very successful Boys’ School Golf day at Royal Auckland Golf Course early in February. Its always a great day on a superb golf course, and I would encourage all those past students of the Boys’ School to dust off the golf clubs and put together a four with some of your old school mates. The prizes make the entry fee worth it alone!

Staying with the Boys’ School, the annual Wirihana Cup for Cricket was played on March 29th against the current First XI. After being set a very imposing 165 to win by the Boys’ School, I am very pleased to report that the ‘Old Fellas’ got there with a ball to spare in the final over. It was great to see the boys look up to ex-Black Cap, Tim McIntosh who opened our innings. The cup match has become a firm favourite in the sporting calendar and we look forward to competing again next year. Given the success of the Wirihana Cup, we are exploring options of having Tennis, Touch and Basketball games matches as well. Watch this space!

Some College matches have also been played, our Old Collegian XI had another impressive victory against the College 1st XI cricket team, winning for the third year in a row. For the second year in a row, our OC Hockey team played out an entertaining 4-4 draw at Auckland Hockey’s Lloyd Elsmore Park. The OC’s went behind three times in the match, only to come back every time and score the equaliser in the final minutes.

SKOCA 2019 Calendar

20 JUNE - THURSDAY

LONDON REUNION JULY

Time: 6.45pm

Venue: - The Green Room @ Ball Brothers, 10-11 Austin Friars, EC2N 2HG

skoca@saintkentigern.com

26 JULY - SATURDAY

SKC v St Peters - 1st XV Rugby

Time: 2.30pm

Venue: No 1 Field, College

After match refreshments & BBQ provided

We are making a major drive to ‘RECONNECT’ with our alumni. Shortly we will be reaching out to all our current database members with a plea to contact as many of their old SK friends and forward our ‘RECONNECT’ request. This is a major first step in making sure our Alumni contacts are as up to date as possible and allows us to effectively communicate with all of you. Please help us when the

This year we are trying a couple of new initiatives in the form of Year Reunions. We are trying to organise both a 25th year and 30th year reunion. If you started the College in either 1985 (30 years) or 1990 (25 years) then please register your details with:

25th year reunion: Attn Cam Marcroft skoca@saintkentigern.com

30th year reunion: Attn Mark Richardson skoca@saintkentigern.com

e continue to work on our core goals of Fellowship, Scholarship Support, Philanthropy, Special Grants and Graduation Celebrations and welcome any suggestions or enquiries to our committee members, so please keep in touch via the website; skoca@saintkentigern.com

17 OCTOBER - THURSDAY

CANTERBURY/LINCOLN UNIVERSITIES

Time: 6.00pm

Venue: Fox & Ferret, Riccarton, Christchurch

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com

18 OCTOBER – FRIDAY

OTAGO UNIVERSITY

Time: 6.00pm

Venue: Starters Bar, Dunedin

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com

4 AUGUST - SATURDAY

SKC v AGS - 1st XV Rugby

Time: 2.30pm

Venue: No 1 Field, College After match refreshments & BBQ provided

11th NOVEMBER - MONDAY

SKOCA – COLLEGE GOLF DAY

Time: Assemble at 11.00am

Venue: Remuera Golf Club

Ticket: $100.00 per head.

Refreshments provided.

(John Howard)

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com

15 DECEMBER – SUNDAY

SKBS - TOUCH RUGBY & BBQ FOR 2014 LEAVERS

Time: 3.30pm

Venue: SKS Sports Centre & No 1 Field

RSVP: skoca@saintkentigern.com

Boys’ School Golf Day

On a day filled with sunshine, almost 60 players convened at the Royal Auckland Golf Club for the annual SKOCA Boys’ School Golf Day. The golfers enjoyed a day of laughter and camaraderie as they vied for the ‘prestigious’ Mungo Cap and Ron Stone Memorial Trophy, amongst other generous prizes.

Players were surprised, but not deterred when they were confronted with an altered course, due to major developments taking place. With the heat of the day, they were pleased to meet Mr Whippy on the 16th hole to enjoy a cold ice-cream. On the 18th hole, the clubs of yesteryear were brought out as a challenge to golfers to see who could drive the furthest. It goes to say that regardless of the vintage, if you have everything aligned the ball travels well!

The winning team and recipients of the Mungo Cap were Paul Carsen, Gordon Charles Finlayson, Frank Tauveve Matautia and Noel Dryland, and the Ron Stone Memorial Trophy was awarded to John Hooper who displayed ‘the true spirit of sportsmanship.’ Other players were recognised and given prizes for getting closest to the pin (Nigel Smith), and having the longest drives (Tracey Bishop and Simon Rowntree). And for the ‘Blooper’ jacket – a number of contenders were put forward but in the end, Shelley Springford was given the dubious award for racing off in her cart - only to discover further down the track that her clubs had fallen off the back!

Many thanks to all who helped ensure the day ran smoothly and to the sponsors for their generosity.

Our special thanks to the following ‘Hole’ sponsors: Outline Design, Matassa Property Services, Brez Electrical, Ace Care and Boyd Visuals. Thank you also for the range of prizes donated by: Sundown Gin and Hint Vodka, Paper Plus St Heliers, East Imperial, The Gift Loft, Lexel, Abbex, Winger Maserati, Ricoh, Toshiba, Resene, Odyssey Wines, Framingham Wines and Saint Kentigern Boys’ School.

Have you moved? Are you moving? Have you changed your name? Do you know of former classmates, past parents or teachers who no longer hear from us? People are constantly on the move and sometimes forget to let us know. Don’t lose touch, we’d like to maintain that connection, we’d like to RE CONNECT!

project

currently underway

Lucy Broadhead – Boys’ School Teacher

Ientered the gates of Saint Kentigern College in 2007, as a freshfaced Year 7 student. Brimming with enthusiasm and a love for all areas of school, Saint Kentigern College became my second home. The seven years that I spent at the College shaped me – as it truly was ‘a world of opportunity’. Little did I know, the Saint Kentigern community would continue to provide me with opportunity years after finishing high school.

After my time at the College came to an end, I moved to Dunedin to complete my Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Education. During my studies, my passion for education further developed, prompting me to specialise in papers relating to child development, educational psychology and social psychology. These avenues allowed me to recognise that being involved in the developmental stages of a child’s life is a true privilege. This inspired me to complete my Master of

Teaching and Learning during 2018, in order to become a primary teacher. During my final months of completing my Masters, it was time to start thinking about my next move… putting theory to action and entering the teaching world. Finding an advertisement for a teaching position available at Saint Kentigern School for Boys’ was all the encouragement that I needed! I am now proud to teach a class of Year 2 boys at the School.

I believe that to teach is to open doors for children to develop mentally, physically, socially and emotionally – and this alone is one of the greatest gifts that we can pass to the next generation. I am incredibly grateful for the role that the Saint Kentigern community has played in my journey thus far, not only in providing me with my own education, but giving me the opportunity to give back to the community and teach those that will one day also be Old Collegians.

Alice Peacock - Journalist

Igraduated from Saint Kentigern in 2011, after three years at the College. I didn’t have a clear idea of what my career path would entail, but knew it would be in the arts. English, history and classics were my strengths throughout my senior years, with my successes helped along by some brilliant teachers. I enrolled in a conjoint degree; a Bachelor of Law with a Bachelor of Arts at Victoria University. Wellington was an easy choice - it seemed far enough away to gain a bit of independence, but close enough for my parents to visit and take me out to dinner. I was underwhelmed after my first semester of law, so decided to focus instead on my arts degree. I majored in English literature and media and tried out a number of minors, eventually settling on management.

In my second and third years as an undergraduate, I volunteered for Victoria’s Salient Magazine. I’d whiled away many of the free hours in my first-year timetable reading the magazine with a coffee and was keen to give news writing a shot. With the guidance of a Salient’s news editor at the time, I started writing articles every couple of weeks, mainly news with the odd opinion piece. I loved it and started to look into how I could turn the hobby into a career!

After a bit of investigation, I packed up my life in ‘Welly’ and headed to Christchurch in 2015. With an arts degree under my belt, I got stuck into a post-graduate Diploma in Journalism, at the University of Canterbury. As part of the course I dabbled in radio journalism, news reporting for Mediaworks’ RadioLIVE during my break, as well as print journalism - working for The Press.

Choosing between the two was difficult. Radio was fast-paced and opened up opportunities down the track to get into television, while print allowed for more words to get my teeth into a story or issue. After a stint working for RadioLIVE, the Paul Henry show and the AM Show, I switched allegiances.

I’m now working at the Herald, writing for the Weekend Herald and the Herald on Sunday. I’m a general news reporter, meaning I write about a variety of topics. As cliché as it is, this means no two days are the same. I have a lot of freedom to pitch my own stories and have written about everything from wayward freedom campers to bigger features. One of the latter that stands out is a piece about the Wahine disaster, on the 50th anniversary of the boat sinking.

In the ‘work perks’ side of things, I also do the odd brunch review for Canvas, and a bit of travel writing. A recent trip for the Herald’s Travel magazine landed me in Utah for a week of skiing and hiking - not your average work trip! I consider it a pretty privileged career, in which you get to hear the stories, struggles and triumphs of a range of interesting people.

Nick Stenner – Oxford PhD Student

After my time at Saint Kentigern, I studied economics, maths, and statistics at the University of Auckland before moving to Sydney to work as an economist at the Reserve Bank of Australia. After working for a few years, I was fortunate to get the opportunity to study at the University of Oxford. I completed my Master’s in Economics in 2018, and I am currently studying towards my PhD.

My three years at Oxford have been a truly unique experience, not only due to the academic environment but also the broader University lifestyle. Postgraduate students come from a very diverse range of backgrounds, so you get to know some really interesting people. In addition, the University attracts a wide range of prominent individuals who come to speak or debate. For example, I’ve attended talks from past Prime Ministers such as Gordon Brown and Malcolm Turnbull, as well as professional athletes and artists. While most of my time is spent researching, I also tutor undergraduate economics, which has taught me a lot and is something I never thought I would do.

Aside from academia, I have enjoyed getting involved in sport and the College lifestyle. Every student is assigned to a College, which is a community that students often live and eat in and go to for social activities and academic events. For my first two years, I lived in College accommodation with my fiancée. I signed up for the College rowing crew when I arrived, which was a good way to meet people studying other degrees. It had been around 10 years since I rowed at Saint Kentigern, and I really enjoyed getting back in the boat!

I would not have had the opportunity to study at Oxford without the education and guidance I received at Saint Kentigern. For anyone considering studying economics I would highly recommend it. Economics teaches you to think analytically and develop quantitative skills that are demanded by a broad range of occupations and industries.

Sam Rich – Professional Percussionist

After graduating from Saint Kentigern College in 2012, I decided to pursue my Bachelor of Music in Percussion Performance at Auckland University. During that time, I performed frequently with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra alongside my teacher Eric Renick. 2013 and 2014 included trips to Melbourne to compete in the Melbourne Snare Drum competition where I was awarded 2nd and 1st place respectively, earning a mentorship with the Melbourne Symphony. in 2015, I was involved in the New Zealand Symphony Fellowship Programme, frequently travelling down to Wellington to observe rehearsals, get lessons with the percussionists and learn about the management side of a symphony orchestra.

The following year, I began a Bachelor of Music with Honours degree at Te Koki New Zealand School of Music where I graduated with First Class Honours, studying with NZSO’s Principal Percussionist Lenny Sakofsky and Principal Timpanist Larry Reese. During that same year, I spent two months at the ‘Music Academy of the West’ summer festival in Santa Barbara as one of five Percussion Fellows, performing with some of the USA’s best youth musicians. On my return to New Zealand, I won the Principal Timpani audition for Orchestra Wellington which I held between 2016 and 2017.

Feeling the need to return to the USA, I left my timpani position in August 2017, after being accepted into the San Francisco Conservatory of Music to pursue a two year Master’s Degree under the guidance of Jacob Nissly, Principal Percussionist of the San Francisco Symphony. Studying in the USA was only possible due to the generous support I received from both the Patricia Pratt and Kiwi Music Scholarships. My time at the conservatory has been absolutely incredible for my musical education. Working alongside so many talented colleagues and teachers has helped my musical growth immensely.

In March 2019, I briefly returned to New Zealand to audition for the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, who had announced an opening for the Sub-Principal Percussion position. After surviving three audition rounds, I was named the successful candidate and was offered a trial with the orchestra to start in September 2019.

I am currently back in San Francisco, about to complete my Master’s degree, and I will be returning to New Zealand in June.

A University Education Overseas

Each year, the College Student Futures department supports students as they make the transition from College to future tertiary study, employment or chosen gap experiences. The department plays a significant role in the progression of every student as they prepare to move on from school.

Many of our students who graduate with NCEA and IB Diplomas look beyond New Zealand for their tertiary studies and pursue places at some of the best universities in the world. The list below names the former students from recent years, now Old Collegians, who, with the support of the Student Futures department, elected to follow an international tertiary study pathway. These are the ones we know about!

2019

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Hannah Blake - University of Michigan

Is your name on this list? We would love to hear from you!

A number of you have already been featured in the Old Collegians’ pages of Piper over the years, outlining your experiences studying overseas. These articles play an important part in assisting new generations of students to decide whether tertiary studies overseas could be a possibility for them too.

Harry Church - Brown University, Rhode Island

If you are willing to share your story, the editor would love to hear from you!

You’re studying overseas but your name is not on the list?

Did you let us know you had been accepted? A Northern Hemisphere university placement takes place later in the year than New Zealand and some of you may have overlooked telling us that you were successful in gaining a place. Or maybe you chose to pursue your Master’s, PhD or other further tertiary studies overseas at a later stage after graduating from a New Zealand University. If you let us know, we can update our records, and again, we would love to hear your story!

Sam Funnell - Metropolitan State University of Denver

Lachie Harvey - University of Quinnipiac, Connecticut

Jason Hsiao - University of California, San Diego

Leo Liu - University of Wisconsin-Madison

Kieran Richards – East Tennessee State University

Billy Simpson - St Francis College, Brooklyn

Liam Stoica - The Savannah College of Art and Design

Emily Swiatek - University of Notre Dame, Indiana

Joel Vaiangina - Panola College, Texas

Edward Wilkes - Washington University, St Louis

Coco Xyu - NYU

William Zhang – Emory University, Atlanta, Georgia

AUSTRALIA

Leo Chow - University of New South Wales

Emma Hitchcock - University of Sydney

Ryan King - University of New South Wales

Nick Kirk – Monash University

Emily Mellsop - University of Sydney

Sam Scott - University of Sydney

Ben Staite – ANU

Molly Szigetvary - University of Melbourne

Anny Su - University of Melbourne

UNITED KINGDOM

A ndrew Chen – Oxford University

Liang Lawrence – University of Exeter

Akshay Mor - Kings College, London

Abigail Pool - Durham University

George Wu - University College London

Haz Salvesen -Durham University or University of Sydney

JAPAN

Alex McRobbie – Teikyo University, Japan

SINGAPORE

2018

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Josephine Crawford - AMDA College & Conservatory of the Performing Arts

Kayla Yang – James Cook University, Singapore

George Adamson - Columbia University, New York

George Andrew - Grand Canyon University

Cole Brann - Northeastern University, Boston

Freddie Cashmore-Chatwin – McKendree University, Illinois

Matthew Mulyadi - D&E College, West Virginia

Karan Nalam - Florida Atlantic University

Alysha Nowacki -Washburn University, Kansas

Braydon Robinson – Marymount Manhattan College, New

Dane Schnell – Sacramento State University

Charles Spragg –University of Wisconsin-Madison

Shaylee Syme - Hillsborough Community College, Florida

Sam Titter-Dower - SCAD in Savannah Georgia USA

James Uhlenberg – Michigan State University

Gorgi van Lienen – Post University Connecticut

Caitlin Ward – Western Carolina, Cullowhee, North Carolina

Amber Whitley – Middle Tennessee State University

AUSTRALIA

Owen Fan – ANU

Steven Guo - University of Melbourne

Lloyd Hsieh - University of Melbourne

Jimmy Huang - University of Melbourne

Sophie Maehl - University of Sydney

Tate McGregor - University of Melbourne

Max Wang – ANU

Tony Wang - University of Melbourne

Brendan Waters – University of Sydney

UNITED KINGDOM

Julien Landrey -Loughborough University London

Risa Miyaura - Kings College, London

Jim Thorogood - Kings College, London

Lanlie Zheng – Kings College, London

SOUTH KOREA

Chris Lee - Sungkyunkwan University, South Korea

2017

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Edward Barry - University of Pennsylvania

Luke Johnson – Columbia University, North Carolina

Jonathan Lee - University of Pennsylvania

Henry Mellsop - Stanford University

Dylan Morris – Georgia State University

Sophie Stewart-Hobbs – University of Kentucky

Liam Williams – University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Connor Williamson – Winthrop University

Jong Yun (John) Won – Purdue University, Indiana

AUSTRALIA

Has Brooke - University of Sydney

WHERE ARE YOU?

WHAT DO YOU DO? EVER WONDERED WHAT YOUR OLD CLASSMATES ARE UP TO?

EVER THOUGHT THEY MAY BE INTERESTED IN WHAT YOU DO?

Douglas Gibson – University of Sydney

James Hansen – University of Sydney

Andrew Hsieh – University of New South Wales

Cameron Low – University of Sydney

Joanna Mao - University of Melbourne

ABU DHABI

Benjamin Rutherford - University of Melbourne

Alfie Robertson – University of Sydney

Wing Kei Tang - University of Sydney

2016

Victoria Zhu – NYU, Abu Dhabi

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

J’aime Bellingham – Des Moines Area Community College

Reid Burrows – Flager College, Florida

Alex Clark - Bethany College

Hanna English – Saint Mary’s College of California

Joanna Kim - Fresno State

Ayden Lamont – Princeton

William Matheson - Columbia University

Ross McPhie - California State University, Fullerton

Andrew Qi - Carleton College, waitlist, Princeton

Bella Richards – Hofstra University, Long Island

Trent Smith – Xavier University, Cincinnati, Ohio

Matthew Swiatek – Bowdoin University, Maine

AUSTRALIA

Shenny Chiu – ANU

These pages belong to you, our Old Collegians. We need your help to make these pages interesting and informative. Write a few lines to fill us in on what you’ve been doing since leaving school, or what you are about to do, a recent achievement, a momentous event or any other item of interest. Alternatively, we also welcome more in depth articles, as appear on these pages. Family and friends, tell us what our sons and daughters of Kentigern are up to nowadays.

Yi Wen Wong - Boston University, Massachusetts

Shuo Yang - University of Chicago

Sarah Zhang – Cornell University

Deborah Cheng – Monash University

Brad den Heijer - University of Melbourne

Aaron Leng - Monash University

JAPAN

Merry Liu - University of Melbourne

Daniel Ng - University of Melbourne

2015

James Yang - ANU Canberra

Nick Hood - Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University (APU), Japan

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Aditya Arolkar - University of California, Berkeley

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

Kelly Drew - University of Louisiana, Lafayette

Leba Korovau – Missouri Western State

Sarah Li – Colby College, Maine

Pictures speak a thousand words! In this digital age, it’s really easy to provide a photo but please email all digital pictures at maximum resolution. We look forward to hearing from you.

Cordelia Oh - University of California

AUSTRALIA

Edward Ma – ANU

Sian Seeley – Monash University

2014

Arun Prakash - University of California

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Edi Stoica - Wichita State University, Kansas

Adam Carter - San Joaquin Delta College, California

Mack Dalton – Queen’s University of Charlotte

Ben Elias – NYU – Film School

Nicholas Forrester - Butler University, Indiana

Matthew Lieshout – Spring Hill College, Alabama

Melanie Lindemann - Northeastern University, Boston

Max Lowndes – Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island

Jolene Muir – Lipscomb University, Nashville

Lucas Sachs – New York University

Jacob Swiatek – Northwestern University, Chicago

Rachel Swindell – Eastern Washington University

Nicole Tan – Colorado College, Colorado Springs

AUSTRALIA

Rhianna Busler – Monash University

Patrick Gu - University of Melbourne

Jack Gudgeon - University of Melbourne

Mitchell Hill - University of Melbourne

Joe Liu – Adelaide University, Medical School

Gibson Lu – University of Queensland

Paul Park – University of Sydney

FRANCE

HONG KONG

Alexi Carlier – Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, France

Susan Ji – Hong Kong University, Hong Kong

2013

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Carli Davis - Rollins College, Florida

James Gardner – NYU Abu Dhabi

Ryan Henderson – Eastern Illinois

Calvin Opperman - University of Cincinnati

GERMANY

Lorenz Bartsch – Charite University, Berlin, Germany

Wirihana Cup Win – To Old Collegians!

It was a very determined Boys’ School 1st XI that set out in a contest with the ‘old boys’ to try and retain the Wirihana Cup. The match lived up to expectations with a close fought encounter - despite the age gap! With youth on their side, the boys went into play with spirit, giving their older (and in some cases, much older!) opposition a good run! The boys batted first and made 164 off their 20 overs.

The ‘old boys’ team fielded three past 1st XI Captains -Jon Ormond, Harrison Nash and, most notably, past Black Cap, Tim McIntosh. It

was down to the last over when the ‘old boys’ squeaked a win right at the end with a massive six hit by Hayden Butler to take the match by one run - 165 in the 20th over!

Our thanks to Boys’ School Principal, Peter Cassie, for his fabulous BBQ expertise, and to the returning former students and the parents for their support.

Hockey Teams Draw!

As part of their pre-season preparations, the College boys’ 1st XI Hockey team played the Old Collegians – an annual encounter that brings out some competitive play!

The Old Collegians team included a number of recent Old Collegians from the 2018 Rankin Cup winning (National Champion) side. The College team got out to an early lead, however, a hat trick from former captain, Malcolm Curley brought the Old Collegians back to draw the match 4-4. The boys were put through their paces with some high quality performances from Cameron Wilson, Jayden Lal, Adam Alovili, Daniel Loudon, and Sam Crawford, amongst others.

Thanks to Old Collegians liaison, Mr Malcolm Cowie; President of the Old Collegians, Hayden Butler and the College hockey management team of Mr Ramesh Patel and Mr Paul Bennett.

Old Collegians Pip College 1st XI

In Memoriam

It is with sadness that we record the passing of the following members of the Saint Kentigern community. We express our condolences to their families.

Hayden BELL Former staff member

R

ev Denzil BROWN Former Trust Board member

Clyde Gordon CUMMING SKC 1957-1961

Willie GOLDIE Former staff member

David Lloyd MANDENO S KC 1957-1961

On a beautiful, sunny Sunday in March the College 1st XI won the toss to bowl first on a good-looking pitch. The College players took to the field against a very young Old Collegians side, fielding many players who had only recently left the College, including New Zealand U19 representative Sandeep Patel.

The Old Collegians side started strongly with a huge 99 run second wicket stand between Hetal Patel and Sandeep Patel. H. Patel, the younger of the two, brought up his half century in quick time as the 1st XI had no answers for the power of the opening batsmen. The school 1st XI quickly pegged the Old Collegians back with quick wickets. A stand-out performer was Year 11 student Daniel Presland who took 5 wickets for just 13 runs in a spectacular display of spin bowling.

The run chase didn’t get off to the best start, losing early wickets and never really getting going and despite some fight, in the end, the Old Collegians were just far too strong and took the win convincingly winning by 29 runs. Thank you to the three teachers, Mr Ronberg, Mr Sheehan and Mr Clyne who stepped in for the Old Collegians’ side and who also made valuable contributions to the victory.

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