2020 Spring Evergreen

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Contents

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Opening Remarks Current Leaders – Hattie Compton-Moen Farewelling Chris Wyeth She’s our champion – Sophia Van Vianen Five Minutes With...

Foundation Out & About – Senior Ball Out & About – Semi Formal Ball Blake Inspire for Teachers Pre-School Junior School Middle School The Arts Sport Boarding SMCOGA Out & About – Auckland and Wellington Old Girls’ events, Sad Farewells, Old Girl News Remembering Robyn Hewland Alumni Profile – Nicky Wagner Alumni Profile – Laura Chen Alumni Profile – Diana Reaich 110 Year Book From the Archives In Closing

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Opening Remarks DIANA PATCHETT Champions don’t show up to get everything they want, they show up to give everything they have.

Alexander den Heijer The unpredictability of our times has been mirrored in the weather of the season. Shorts and sunscreen on Sunday, thermals and tights on Tuesday, then the clouds part, the southerly abates, the sun comes back out and we are rewarded with the glory of spring. Perhaps Mother Nature is reminding us there are other natural phenomena that are beyond our control and, if we stay the course, this too shall pass.

To say it has been an extraordinary period of time would be an understatement, however, it is in uncertain times that we take comfort from holding firm to the anchors that define us. For St Margaret’s College, that is paying closer attention to the wellbeing of our girls, strengthening our connections and celebrating all that is right with the world.

This spring edition of Evergreen shines a beautiful light on the many recent examples of these historic core values. Our 2020 theme, ‘SMC – She’s My Champion’, continues to focus the attention of our girls on the powerful attributes they are developing, ones that support them to be the best they can be, in school life and beyond. They returned to the campus after a period of remote learning, feeling well supported and on top of their academic work, with a renewed sense of gratitude and school spirit.

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There have been some powerful teaching moments in this time, none more so than the realisation that ‘There is no such thing as a perfect year’, but that the challenges we encounter add a valuable layer to our life experience and strengthen our resolve and resilience.

So, with the first kōwhai blooms emerging on the campus, we turn our attention to the festivities of our birthday. In particular, our glorious publication ‘110 Empowered Women’, a compilation of stories of our alumni spanning the 110 years of St Margaret’s College. As we came to know the individual stories of these Old Girls, we realised the attributes they have in common with our current girls – bravery, curiosity, kindness, inclusivity, pride, respect and spirit. We also discovered so many incredible stories that this publication could easily have been a series!

As a member of our wider family, I hope this edition of Evergreen brings you joy with a glimpse into the special place that is St Margaret’s College.

Mahia i runga i te rangimarie me te ngākau māhaki With a peaceful mind and a respectful heart, we will always get the best results.

Diana Patchett – Executive Principal

Current Leaders HATTIE COMPTON-MOEN SMC deputy-head girl, Hattie Compton-Moen, recognises that everyone’s experience of lockdown and coming back to school has been different. During the time away from school, the prefect team worked hard to connect with every girl in the SMC community. They organised the SMC news bulletins and lots of activities for girls to get involved in as a way of supporting and distracting them from the isolation.

The leadership group also understood that the uncertainty was an anxious time for many, “Coming out of lockdown we really tried to focus quite heavily on supporting the school community in little ways, making sure we say ‘hi’ to people in the mornings and pushing hard those Seven Values of Championship; curiosity, bravery, spirit, respect, kindness, pride and inclusivity, we applied at the beginning the year and they’re even more pertinent now.”

Hattie herself thrived on the opportunity to practice the independent learning required during lockdown as a prelim for her universities studies next year. However, she does admit she missed hanging out with her friends and being in a regular class. Studying IB has been a highlight for Hattie during her time at SMC. She describes her teachers as all being incredibly supportive, “We have consistently engaging classroom discussions and material which makes for a great learning environment, there’s support in every area whether it’s academic or co-curricular. I’m interested in STEM activities like robotics which is one of those more unconventional things, not necessarily accepted, especially for girls which is why I’ve loved being at SMC.” From those interests, since age 11, Hattie has had her heart set on studying mechatronic engineering to pursue a career in robotics but in the past year she has discovered another side to herself, “For my IB extended essay I looked into the impact of social media on hate speech in New Zealand and with that I got a really in-depth look at legislation and the responsibilities of different groups to combat online hate and the implications of data privacy. I’m now pursuing a joint degree in law and science majoring in physics to hopefully open up opportunities like international diplomacy.”

And as we look forward to a more settled 2021, Hattie’s advice for any aspiring future leaders is to play to your strengths and be yourself, “It’s important to recognise that leaders are all different. You don’t have to conform to the idea of what you think a leader is meant to be. You might be thinking - I don’t quite fit the job description, just remember your skill set will be applicable no matter what.”

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Farewelling CHRIS WYETH If change is a constant in schools, Chris Wyeth has seen her fair share of share of it. During her nearly 30 years at SMC and three changes of Principal, Chris has moved from part-time maths teacher to full-time teacher of senior biology, general science, maths and into senior leadership as the current Associate Principal in charge of pastoral care. As Chris prepares for her retirement when the last bell rings on December 2, we asked what stands out from her time at SMC. “I started in 1991 and people didn’t really have pride in the school. Claudia Wysocki arrived in May 1992 and said she would observe and make changes in the new year. She came into a staff meeting in Term 2 said she couldn’t wait any longer!

So in the holidays she organised for desks to be sanded and revarnished, lockers repainted which had graffiti and classrooms were painted even though we had old buildings.

She also introduced the new uniform which was a complete re-branding of who we were. Pieter Stewart was on the Trust Board and Barbara Lee was a good friend so she approached her to think about designing a girls’ uniform. That was really the beginning of her business in school uniforms, we were the first school that she did. That change was huge. It was all part of re-building self-esteem and pride. She had a vision of who we could be and she took us along for the ride.”

Claudia was also instrumental in changing and leading the ‘St Margaret’s way’– as Chris says, she had a vision and changed the way a school in Christchurch – the education capital, stood out from the rest.

“Around 1993, Claudia introduced vertical tutor groups.

Instead of having form year groups she developed what we have today - tutor groups made up of girls from each year.

It made a huge difference in cutting down divisions between year groups and it really started the buddy system – the big sister, little sister idea. It’s the St Margaret’s difference – when you try to define the feeling, people describe it as a family, there’s a welcoming inclusive feel. Our girls own the pride of being an SMC girl and the responsibilities that go with that.

“Significant changes can also be the result of significant events and in February 2011 one event shaped the new SMC. “The earthquakes had a huge impact. We were very focused on the pastoral care of everyone and I think it brought the community close together and showed a huge loyalty towards SMC. I’ll never forget the boarders’ parents bringing their girls back. I was with Gillian to welcome them in that night.

It was one of those moments that brings tears to your eyes,

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that they would bring their girls back into a city that was still undergoing significant shakes. We were in the dining room when there was a big shake and all these strong farmers looked terrified. So for them to leave their daughters here in that situation was a huge leap of faith in us and consolidated that sense of community, that sense of being together.

And look what we got out of it, this amazing campus, all set up for next level education.”

The next level for Chris is retirement and family time.

“I have a daughter and son-in-law and three grandchildren in Dunedin and a son in Canada but I can’t see us getting to Canada anytime soon.

There’s no big plans – I think I’ll just stop and enjoy being at home and connecting with the community. I know I need to be with people so maybe I’ll do volunteer work and Rog and I will travel around the country when we feel like it – I have siblings in Central Otago so we are drawn to the south and may move back there one day."

And what is she most looking forward too?

“Not being ruled by bells!”

Empowering She’s our Champion Girls SOPHIA VAN VIANEN Congratulations Sophia – Your teachers have nominated you for this award because you are a conscientious student who always tries your hardest.

You have been developing in confidence throughout the year and you are willing to take a risk in your learning and have a go, but at the same time know when to ask for help.

You ask outstanding questions and contribute some wonderful ideas to discussions, stretching everyone’s thinking. You actively listen and engage in the flow of lessons.

While your attitude to classroom learning is a strength, you are unfailingly kind and subtly encouraging of others, seeking no recognition. You are very perceptive of the feelings of others and are quick to intervene when you notice someone needs cheering up, thereby supporting the learning of others in and outside of the classroom.

Your patience, empathy and kindness are special. You have been described by one of your teachers as ‘a treasure’. Congratulations on this award.

Year 8 Sophia Van Vianen won the Principal’s Award at last term’s Middle School awards ceremony. When not at school enjoying PE, maths, ENSS, soft materials and technology, Sophia likes hanging out with her sister Chloe and playing with her black and white cat Tommy. She loves mac and cheese and likes to play hockey and the ukulele. Sophia is described by her teachers as ‘a treasure’ so we caught up with her to see what it’s like to receive this great feedback and to get the Principal’s Award.

When Mrs Patchett was reading out about the award did you think it was you?

I didn’t know I was getting the award but I did think I was getting an academic bar because my parents were there.

I thought it did sound a bit like me but I thought it was only for Year 10’s so I thought that Year 10 must be like me.

How did it feel getting the Principal’s Award?

I felt really excited but I was a little bit nervous going down to the front but it was OK once I was there.

You’re described as being patient, empathetic and kind.

What sort of things do you do day-to-day to portray that?

I help my friends if they needed something or if they were worried about something I’d help them out. I’m really patient with my younger sister, if she needs my help with her work I’d always help her out.

When you’re going to help your friends do you wait until they ask?

Sometimes I can tell that they need help if they are sad because most of my friends are quite bubbly so I can usually tell if something’s wrong or they’re upset.

What do you think you want to do when you leave school?

I’ve always wanted to be a teacher. I think I’d like to be a pre-school teacher.

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5 Minutes With...

CLAIRE ROBB

STACY GOLDSWORTHY

What does your role at SMC involve?

My role is to help the St Margaret’s College wider community feel a connection to the past, present and future of the College and to support a culture of philanthropic giving to meet the charitable goals and long term sustainability of the College.

What is your role here at SMC? I teach performing arts and dance to the Pre-School, Junior School and Middle School and have been doing so for the last five years.

What’s the best part of your job so far?

Definitely the best part is getting to meet so many wonderful people and learning more about them, their story and their connections to St Margaret’s College. I am simply blown away by the passion that the school generates in people, not just Old Girls, but the wider school community, it has touched so many lives in so many different ways.

You have some history with SMC, tell us about that.

I am originally from Scotland, however my grandparents were from here in Christchurch. So I had the opportunity to come across to NZ to be the Gap Student here at SMC in 1994/95. I lived in an apartment in Kilburn with other gap students and helped throughout the school, in the office, with sport, in the boarding house, I was even responsible for making the afternoon teas for the rowers. Thankfully I don’t think any stories have got out yet!!

What do you do in your spare time?

Spare time, what’s that??? Our family recently gained a border terrier puppy called Nessie, so we are busy getting her outdoors and enjoying walks in the Port Hills and on the beach.

What’s your favourite food – Scottish and Kiwi?

Favourite Scottish food – hmmm, that’s a tricky one as there are lots, but I have to give a shout out to haggis, I love the stuff!

Favourite Kiwi food has to be something from the BBQ, it’s still such a novelty to be able to BBQ without an umbrella as an accessory! Or pavlova, it’s another firm favourite of mine (so long as there isn’t a feijoa or tamarillo near it.)

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What did you do before you came to SMC? So many things with a few adventures along the way! I did a teaching degree and started working in pre-schools as a reliever which was great as I lived a nomadic life and in between jobs I could travel. I’ve been travelling since I was 14 and always on my own. After working for a bit, I thought it would be fun to work on a cruise ship, so I applied and got an interview for Disney – I didn’t even know Disney had cruise ships! Six months later I was in the Caribbean being Snow White! After doing that for a while I was back in Christchurch and saw a billboard for a circus, I got job as an usher and they asked me to travel with them through New Zealand and Australia – I literally ran away to join the circus!

Of all the places you have been which is your favourite?

I loved Poland but I also love Las Vegas for different reasons.

If I had to pick one place it would be Poland, it was beautiful and I loved the feeling of it. The concentration camps were so incredibly emotional. I would have to say going to Auschwitz was the most surreal and humbling experience of my whole life. In Las Vegas I saw Cher, Barry Manilow and the Eagles which was great but obviously a very different experience.

Is it true that you’re a Disney princess at the weekend?

Yes! I host kids’ parties as a princess at the weekends – being a princess has become my identity. Sometimes I do get to be a superhero which I love, Wonder Woman is my favourite What do you do in your spare time?

Online shopping, ask anyone. I get in so much trouble for all the parcels that keep turning up to school!

Foundation SUPPORTING OUR BUSINESS COMMUNITY

It is fair to say that 2020 has been an extremely challenging year for everyone, not just in Christchurch or New Zealand, but across the globe. One particular demographic that has been majorly affected is the business community, with daily news articles acknowledging those companies, whether small, medium or large, who have been impacted in some way. The knock on effect economically has impacted many people, including those in our wider school community.

St Margaret's College has always worked hard to support the community within which it operates and now more than ever recognises how important it is to support and develop those relationships with the many different businesses it comes into contact with, either because it is linked in some way to an Old Girl, parent or past parent, or because of the strong commitment it has shown towards the school.

For example, earlier this year during lockdown the Foundation published a directory, Support SMC Local, which featured many of the businesses that are owned, operated or are employers of our parent and OG community. Included in this were the SMC Business Club members, who support St Margaret's College through a regular annual membership.

It is these businesses, which employ and support our families and the wider school community, that enable our girls to continue to access all the opportunities that St Margaret's College has to offer, both now and in the future.

Never has there been a more important time for a business to look at how it might raise its profile and increase its

market reach. Developing a relationship with St Margaret's College and the Foundation offers businesses the opportunity to do exactly this.

There are many ways in which a business can develop its relationship with St Margaret's College and the Foundation, including becoming a Business Club member, sponsorship of an event, school activity or team, the promotion of a particular product or service through cause related marketing, making employees accessible for volunteering opportunities within the school, offering up introductions to particular business networks and so forth.

By developing a strong relationship with St Margaret's College a business can link its brand to the strong and high profile status that St Margaret's College enjoys, have access to a diverse and loyal community to increase company profile or market a specific product or service, and also demonstrate its corporate social responsibility towards helping give back to others.

A big thank you to all the businesses, both large and small, who have supported St Margaret's College and the Foundation, in the past and during these difficult times. Please know that St Margaret's College is here to support you too and as we continue to navigate these uncertain times we are excited at the opportunities that working together will bring for the future.

Claire Robb – Philanthropy Development Manager

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Out & About SENIOR BALL

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SEMI FORMAL

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Blake Inspire for Teachers

SOPHIE BEAUMONT Two of our SMC teachers have been chosen to attend the extremely sought after Blake Inspire for Teachers five-day environmental education and leadership programme.

Paulette Double (Year 4) and Sophie Beaumont (Middle School) will join a select few chosen from all over New Zealand to develop a deeper understanding of environmental issues and how to apply environmental education across all subjects.

They will be teamed with world-leading scientists, environmental leaders and experts in their fields returning with practical ideas to encourage environmental action, conservation and sustainability to all at SMC. When Paulette started at SMC there was no such thing as recycling and the boarding house was getting through 44,000 plastic knives, forks, spoons and cups. Fast forward 17 years, much cajoling, many PowerPoint presentations and rubbish audits later, Paulette leads the Enviro Club and has integrated numerous environmental initiatives into her teaching and the daily life of SMC. Among those initiatives was the installation of vegetable gardens - three planter boxes at the back of the Junior School currently growing strawberries, and a garden in the courtyard of the Junior School. “In our courtyard we’ve got vegetables growing year round, they’re on a cycle and I have a group that monitors them.”

Paulette has taken this learning further, her Year 3s along with the Year 1 class learn to cultivate and cook the vegetables in an initiative similar to the garden to table concept. They’ve made cauliflower dishes and cucumber dips amongst others and in the not too distant future they will be able to pick apples straight from the trees – Paulette instigated the planting of 10 heritage fruit trees around school, “I researched the history of the trees, they come from the US, UK and Russia and have different crops, some for stewing and some for eating. They’ll be ready to pick in 2022.”

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PAULETTE DOUBLE From the Blake Inspire for Teachers Programme, Paulette hopes to be able to share ideas with like-minded people and is looking forward to learning how new technology such as virtual reality can bring experiences to the new generations coming into her classroom. “The key is to get children aware when they are young, to give them an environmental conscience and then they know they are doing their bit to help the planet.”

Focusing on solutions rather than problems is Sophie’s approach to teaching environmentalism to her Middle School girls. “The subject can be bit doomsday-ish. A lot of kids are quite jaded about the issues because they’ve had so much of it in the media and it can be quite scary.”

Sophie models her Year 8 girl’s learning around the 17 sustainable value goals outlined by the UN and they make their own personal action plans based on these goals. They then bring these goals to their lives by looking into biodiversity and kaitiakitanga which is the concept of guardianship of the land.

She is looking forward to coming back with fresh ideas from her week away, particularly from a New Zealand perspective.

“I’m hoping to develop some more knowledge around tikanga and more of the Māori concepts that link with sustainability and environmentalism. I use kaitiakitanga a lot and I’d like to bring back some more knowledge on that particularly for my course planning for next year.”

Sophie is active in the outdoor community and does a lot of work around the need to protect our natural environment.

She enjoys tramping and mountaineering and endeavours to live ethically and sustainably. ”That’s what I focus on with my students - you do what you can and small changes are better than no changes. In my role as an educator that’s the best way I can make a difference.”

Pre-School

TRANSITION TO SCHOOL

Children’s experience of, and time at pre-school is more than a waiting room for school. It is a journey and destination in its own right. A place where children will become confident and curious about the world, make friends, communicate ideas and collaborate with others, be independent and take on responsibility for their needs as well as others.

The world outside education is increasingly valuing the ability to learn – knowing how to learn, how to keep learning, how to learn with others – over the ability to master specific bits of knowledge.

In their pre-school years children experience opportunities to develop their confidence and their perception of themselves as learners. “They need to ‘learn how to learn’ so that they can engage with new contexts, opportunities and challenges with optimism and resourcefulness.” (MOE Te Whariki, (2017).

Our ‘school group’ time is a transition to school programme which provides a continuity in the experiences between pre-school and school, where collaboration is the key. This term we have loved being able to join our ‘old’ pre-school friends in the New Entrants class to share some of their experiences, as our oldest children begin their own transition from pre-school to primary school.

Sue Gleeson – Director of Pre-School

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Junior School “Girls can do anything” It’s often a phrase that is replicated and rehashed. It’s almost a mantra that gives girls the permission to give something a go. When you are in an all girls educational setting, the mantra changes from “girls” to “I” can do anything and “I can be who I want”.

In the Junior School, we celebrate all the many different aspirations that the girls have at this age.

The importance of self-worth, encouragement to try different activities, sports, learning opportunities, arts, unleash their creativity is inherent in the learning process and celebrated.

When you are all girls, there is no girls can do anything, it’s more “I can do anything!” I can try anything, I want to give this a go! We still embrace our love of all things feminine, but we also embrace that these are not our limiting factors.

In the future, there will be Junior School Alumni who are leading the way in all walks of life, not because girls can do anything, but because their foundation education fulfilled them with self-belief that “I can do anything!”

Julie Calder – Head of Junior School

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Middle School IF YOU DARE TO RIDE THE WAVE

Claudia Batten talks about the squiggly line of life and how we should learn to enjoy the wave of life rather than trying to turn it in a linear progression. This term we had the absolute pleasure of hosting some young Old Girls to listen to them talk about life after St Margaret’s. It was such a delight to hear from them about where their squiggly line has taken them.

Bella Eaton (Litigation Solicitor at Lane Neave), Chessie Henry (accomplished author), Georgia Voice (truck driver at Wareing’s Transport), Isabella Fanselow ( president of the Student Volunteer Army), and Star Davidson (student at University of Virginia) joined us to share some pearls of wisdom. Chessie spoke about how important it is to find your passion and believe in yourself. She also talked about giving up good jobs in order to pursue her writing so she is living proof that she is living the squiggly line!

Bella endorsed Chessie’s thoughts about believing in yourself because the only thing stopping you is yourself. Star followed this by saying that there will always be people better than you so leave the comparisons to others and be the best you can.

Hearing from Georgia was also fascinating as she spoke about working in a male dominated environment in spite of being the year 2020 there are still challenges for women.

Needing confidence to face these challenges head on has meant she is always ready with a different way of doing things. An example of this would be to use the strength in her legs rather than her arms if necessary.

As I listened to these young women, I couldn’t be more proud to be at St Margaret’s College and to have been a small part of these wonderful young women’s journeys.

It was so reassuring to hear that the lessons learnt at school and the experiences offered helped build the foundation needed to be successful in life after school. Isabella talked about the importance of those essential skills such as time management, as that really is what you need at university when the teachers aren’t breathing down your neck.

Their final pearls of wisdom were the pieces of advice they would give their younger selves: “Stay open to trying new things, be curious and open minded and push yourself to places where you feel uncomfortable.”

– Chessie “Stop fretting and spending all your time worrying – it works out in the end.” – Bella “Chill out.” – Georgia “Find a balance earlier in life.” – Isabella “Be open minded, there are so many different types of people in the world who all have lots to offer.” – Star I hope your daughters in the Middle School enjoyed the assembly as much as I did.

Kathryn Gray – Head of Middle School

SMCOGA

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The Arts

Resilience is described as: an ability to recover from or adjust easily to change; the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties; toughness.

In the last six months our Arts students have proved that they have more resilience than most. These Champions of the Arts have managed to organise a fabulous Arts Week despite the challenges that Level 2 posed, they shone like true stars in the SMC Divas Cabaret Concert all of this while completing their formal assessments and course

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work. Many of these events had to be rescheduled multiple times, Rebound the NCEA Dance Night took place with the restricted audience and the Divas event that was planned as one major performance had to become 3 performances to accommodate everyone that wished to attend.

The photos on these pages provide just a brief insight into the Arts at SMC – one where resilience, courage and strength shine!

Gill Blackler – Arts Facilitator

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Sport Sport NZ’s Value of Sport report highlighted that sport plays a vital role in creating happier healthier people, better connected communities, and a stronger New Zealand.

Physical activity and sport support the development of essential life skills in young people and regular participation in sport, particularly team sport, is associated with improved social skills, social integration, competence, cooperation and teamwork.

Never has a truer word been spoken and more appropriate as this year, as we have been challenged in providing sporting opportunities for our students.

During the lockdown period, when we were all required to isolate at home, many of our students took the opportunity to remain connected to their peers and worked in groups remotely. Challenges were posted every few days and our girls were able to work on them in their own time, post their results to a group page, all the while still feeling connected to SMC and their team mates. They were empowered to relax more, worry less and to develop personal responsibility, time management and organisational skills.

Once we all returned to campus, our girls were thrilled to be able to ‘just play’ the game that they love. They were reminded of how much they enjoy their sport and simply played because they could.

Helen Belcher – Director of Sport

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Boarding

The New Zealand Boarding Schools Association “Boarding Week” was celebrated this year on 14-18 September. This was an opportunity to celebrate our boarders and the truly unique and privileged relationships we have. There is nothing half-hearted about a St Margaret’s boarder, so together last year we completed quite a mission! After deciding to share the love with every boarder in Christchurch, we baked 1000 Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies, individually wrapped them, sealed them with a handmade heart label and packaged them up and delivered them to every boarding school in Christchurch. This was a team effort where we worked together, laughed together and shared the Manawa of our boarding community with our wider community. We wanted to establish this as our Boarding Week tradition but unfortunately sharing food in the community with current Covid restrictions is not ideal.

This project led to the development of our community based project ‘Simple Acts of Sweetness’. Our plan is to select members of our community and thank them with a gift of our freshly baked SMC Boarding double chocolate chip cookies.

To celebrate Boarding Week the recipients of our ‘Simple Act of Sweetness’ were the amazing St Margaret’s College staff. We hope they all enjoyed the little treat we so lovingly prepared for them. (Editor’s note – we did!)

Our boarders enjoy a good celebration and in the cooler months invite the need to get together. For our Mid-Winter

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Christmas celebration, a little bit of preparation was required from each house to learn a Christmas song. The girls performed some very entertaining versions of some classics. The song and dance routine Julius House put together to Jingle Bell Rock was a clear winner on the day.

Winter sport, semi formals, prelim examinations, and sport tournaments have continued, some with some challenging restriction with Covid Level 2 in place. There have been some fun outings on the weekends, making the most of some spring weather. The Antarctic Centre certainly proved to be the favourite place for the last weekend of term outing.

The Boarders’ Birthday Dinner, celebrated as part of New Zealand Boarding Week is when we celebrate everyone’s birthday all together. This year the girls chose the menu, poke bowls and ice cream cake being the definite favourites.

Birthday cake for supper the following night as we continue to make every day of boarding week a celebration about being an SMC boarder.

At the end of Term Three we farewell our very special gap student. Flo has been with us since the beginning of Term Two 2019. We will value the wonderful relationship we have built with Flo, it is very sad to see her go. We wish Flo all the best as she begins her tertiary studies at Durham University in the UK. Nicky Langley – Director of Boarding

SMC Old Girls’ Association MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

From left: Virginia Simcock (Baird), Ju Allen (Booth), Mary Daly (Chamberlain), Val MacKenzie, Susan Mohammed, Ju Manson (Ackroyd), Deb Bowie, Julia Watson (Hurst), Fiona Dunkley

Welcome to Spring 2020! The year seems a bit of a blur in many ways and it’s hard to believe it’s Spring. Seeing the daffodils and blossoms certainly instils a feeling of newness and positivity as we move towards the end of this year and what is always a busy time for the Old Girls’ Association.

While we had to cancel or postpone Margarita events in Dunedin and Christchurch in August, it was heartening to see that our numbers, combined with Christ’s College Old Boys would have exceeded 100. We are hopeful the Christchurch event at least can be rescheduled for the end of November – the website and our Facebook page is the best place to check for updates. Our Auckland Margarita event was held at the end of July and we’ve had great feedback from those that attended. Make sure you come next year!

To date every event for our Cranmer ladies has needed to be cancelled because of Covid and the alert levels. This has been very disappointing. The Foundation is hosting a service in the St Mark’s Chapel to be followed by morning tea for this valued group on Sunday 18 October, alert levels permitting, so fingers crossed this will go ahead. We have had ladies commenting that they are receiving invitations to Cranmer events, despite not attending the school at the

Cranmer site. A few years ago a decision was made by the then committee that upon reaching 70 years of age you would be invited to Cranmer events. Keeping the Cranmer name acknowledges and maintains a connection to the school’s history which we believe is important. At the end of October, the all-important Reunion Weekend event will be held. This is always one of the highlights of our calendar.

Check www.stmargarets.school.nz/old-girls-calendar/ for more information or phone Emma in the Association office if you would like more information.

Finally, you may be aware that the school is celebrating its 110th anniversary this year and to commemorate this wonderful milestone the Old Girls’ Association is inviting all Old Girls’ to attend a cocktail function on Friday 30 October at the school. Details of how to book are on the invitation.

Remember if your contact details have changed to let us know so we can make sure you’re getting information about events in your part of the country.

Keep well. We look forward to seeing many of you at the cocktail party in October.

Susan Mohammed – President

St Margaret’s College Old Girls’ Association

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

Tuesday 3 November 2020 6:00pm St Margaret’s College Staffroom 12 Winchester Street • Merivale • Christchurch

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Out & About

WELLINGTON EVENT

Mandy Steel, Annabel Butterfield

Bindy Forbes, Jo Shackel (McCaul), Emma Bradley

Daphnie Daysh (Parr), Jo Kennington

Jane Parker, Alice Gilroy Margie Carter (Fraser)

Diana Patchett, Annabel Butterfield

Julie Petrie (Allen), Katy Lethbridge (Wrighton)

AUCKLAND EVENT

Christ’s College friends, Di and Geoff Wallingford

Cecilie Rushton, Emma Bradley, Christina Myhre

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Rebecca Davidson, Myken Stewart

Jodie Archibald, Liz Style, Nicky Ward, Delia Beauchamp, Jane Reese

Hannah Walton, Tom Irving

Old Girl News Jacqui Bree (née Denford) 2000 – 2004 I am finishing up my degree in Bachelor of Screen Arts specialising in film studies in Invercargill this year. While studying, I have had some amazing opportunities working on a Netflix TV Show called The Letter to the King, available to watch now. I also worked with a well-known Hollywood screenwriter and I was able to be his script editor for a film that is in development. I have also created short films, including one that I wrote and directed called Welcome Home, which won semi-finalist for the festival, Changing Faces International Film Festival in Toronto, Canada. Right now, I am a Line Producer for a short film being filmed in Invercargill this year as well as working with musicians to create music videos for release next year. I live

now in Southland, with my husband, 14-year-old stepdaughter and my 8-year-old little girl. My little girl was diagnosed with Autism when she was very young and we moved to Southland so we can focus on her therapies. A wonderful side effect of that was being able to focus on our careers and dreams. I was able to study from home to get my Diploma in Digital Film five years ago, before going into Invercargill to start my degree in 2018.

SMCOGA Upcoming Events October November

Friday 30

110 Year Celebration Cocktail Party (open to all Old Girls)

Friday 30 & Saturday 31

Reunion Weekend (1950, 1955, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990, 2000)

Tuesday 3

Annual General Meeting

Friday 20

Margarita Graduation / Time Capsule Opening (2010 Leavers)

A Sad Farewell to...

1265 Margarette Taylor (Lange) aged 100 1517 Margaret Holt (Gibson) aged 96 1630 Mary Dodd (Todd) aged 94 1671 Tessa Veale (Calder) – died in 2016 aged 88 1725 Annette Kibblewhite (Stouppe) aged 91 1727 Prudence Tobin aged 90 1744 John Archibald aged 83 1802 Marjorie Nees (Napier) aged 92 1803 Elizabeth Johns (Newton) aged 94 1905 Shirley Hewitt (Priest) aged 90 1973 Joanne Hart (Edwardes) aged 84 2060 Marlene Lee (Bell) aged 87 2086 Louise Welling (Partridge) aged 88 2116 Olive Smith (Lyons) aged 90 2159 Diana Manson (Fulton) aged 85 2189 Janet Doak (Purchas ) aged 89 2283 Veronica Scott (Fogg) aged 84 2312 Arlene Stanley (Plimmer) aged 85 2380 Diana Grant (Jarvie) aged 85 2544 Maryrose Ansell (Lake) aged 76

2643 Heather McFadyen (McGaughey) – died in 2013, aged 78 2654 Noeline Morgan (Heald) aged 79 2655 Rosemary Beatson (Hill) aged 79 2704 Sarah Newsom (Sundstrum) aged 77 2723 Alison Powell aged 82 2742 Jennifer Hart (Roberts) aged 83 2760 Robyn Hewland aged 81 2761 Anne Carroll (Barton) aged 82 2948 Gillian Ogle (Shand) aged 79 3028 Joy Lund (Hampton) – died in 2006 aged 65 3785 Elizabeth Edmondson (Dendle) aged 71 4330 Sandy McCrostie (Watkinson) aged 67 4433 Louise Smith (Holmes) aged 66 5152 Karen Smith (Davison) aged 64 5492 Fiona Hodgson (Stenhouse) aged 58 6193 Jeannine Edwards aged 46 6571 Sarocha Chesson (Churesjgaew) aged 48 7190 Charlene Boag aged 40

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Remembering...

ROBYN HEWLAND

Robyn Hewland #2760 started St Margaret’s College as a 12-year-old in 1951. At age 10, she had declared her intention to be a doctor and didn’t waver from that goal. During her six years at SMC, Robyn gained her Higher School Leaving Certificate to qualify for no university fees and for a living away from home allowance. At medical school in the late 1950s, women students received many messages that they were not welcome. At their first lecture in 1958, the 10 women in Robyn’s class were told that they were wasting a place that could have gone to a man.

Robyn worked first as a rural GP, and went on to become the first psychiatrist at Sunnyside Hospital to specialise in forensic cases, including giving expert opinions at 26 murder trials. She also worked directly as a psychiatrist at Paparoa, now Christchurch Men’s Prison, spearheading the creation of the Kia Marama unit for sexual offenders.

For around 15 years, she also worked as a child psychiatrist for the Department of Social Welfare.

While completing her psychiatry exams, Robyn brought up her two children, Victoria and Andrew, as a single mother.

Her children described her as a force of nature with a huge capacity for learning and exploring, she was immensely loyal and a tireless campaigner for social justice.

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Robyn was also involved in the Medical Women’s Association in New Zealand and internationally, where she was given

honorary membership in 2019. This position led her into the National Council of Women, where she remained an active member until very recently. She was also a member, and for some years president, of the New Zealand Association of Psychotherapists. Robyn was awarded a Queen’s Service Medal in 1990 for public services. She moved to Queensland in Australia in 1994, where she took up a regional position as the Clinical Director of Mental Health on the Sunshine Coast and continued to divide her time between her Queensland and Christchurch homes until 2014 when, aged 76, she retired from her position on the Queensland Mental Health Review tribunal and from speaking at international conferences.

Robyn remained very close to her children, Victoria and Andrew, and grandchildren, Sam and Maddie Coad, who said their grandmother had always been a huge source of inspiration.

She played a significant role in Sam’s law studies and Maddie’s decision to study psychology at university. They said her amazing stories of working life, her “incredible accomplishments” and her tireless pursuit of positive societal change were particularly inspiring.

Robyn’s work as a GP, psychiatrist and advocate put her at the forefront of medical practice for nearly 50 years. Over the past few months, she received many messages from colleagues testifying that she did not waste her place at medical school.

Robyn passed away peacefully with her children at her side, aged 82 years on Saturday, June 13, 2020. She is remembered as a doctor, psychiatrist, counsellor, advocate, colleague and friend to so many.

Alumni Profile NICKY WAGNER

From a family with two brothers Nicky Wagner was drawn to the sisterhood of St Margaret’s College. Attending from 1959 to 1970 she enjoyed the safe happy environment and the expectation that she could take part in everything no matter how good you were gave her the freedom to experiment with life.

A steadfast commitment to proving people wrong drove her to achieve great things upon leaving school, “I was told when I left school in 6th form to go to university that I would fail, in retrospect I think it was a deliberate ploy because the desire to prove people wrong was a great motivation during my university years and I never failed a thing.”

Nicky’s Parliamentary valedictory speech coincided with an Old Girl’s get together in Wellington recently, although unable to attend herself it was noted by many attending that she is one, amongst many, impressively successful St Margaret’s College Old Girls.

Nicky stood for parliament in 2002 and was elected on the National Party list in 2005, she became the electorate MP for Christchurch Central in 2011, a very impressive feat, as the first ever National MP to do so. In fact John Key proclaimed ‘the most unexpected, the most exciting thing about the 2011 election was winning Christchurch Central’.

Nicky enjoyed 15 years serving the people of Christchurch in Parliament, much of her time was dominated by earthquakes and other disasters including flooding, fires, a mass shooting and now a pandemic. A lot of her work has been around supporting people through these events and this is where she feels she has been able to make her most worthwhile contributions. She has been the Minister of Greater Christchurch Regeneration, Minister of Customs, Minister of Disability Issues and an associate Minister of Health, Conservation and Tourism.

So how does a girl from Cashmere who trained as a secondary school teacher end up in the hallways of power? With young

children, Nicky became self-employed to provide flexibility to raise her family. What started as Kudos, an accessory shop in the Shades Arcade, became two stores which morphed into a marketing consultancy business and then, way before its time, turned into a fashion website. Before she knew it, Nicky was a ‘netpreneur’ in 1997, a time when most people barely had email.

It was this experience of how tough it is to manage a small business that started her career as a politician. Nicky was already part of the Canterbury Chamber of Commerce but wanted to do more, so she rang the local National Party chair and told him she wanted to run for Parliament – the rest, as they say, is history.

Politics can be a brutal game, however throughout Nicky kept her softer side and approachability, she says being involved in the rebuild of Christchurch has made her incredibly proud. The new, safe, people-friendly city that Christchurch is becoming and being able to find the funding and negotiate the rebuild of the Christ Church Cathedral have been personal highlights.

On the home front Nicky credits her 47-year marriage to Billy and producing two sons who have turned into fine young men as her greatest achievements. Both sons have married and Nicky is loving her role as doting grandmother to her gorgeous granddaughters – “After being dominated by males there is a lot of girl power in our family these days!”

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Alumni Profile LAURA CHEN Enroute from Silicon Valley to the City of London financial district, Old Girl Laura Chen called in for a chat. Originally from China, Laura would have started SMC as a Year 9 in 2011 however the Christchurch earthquake put a spanner in the works and instead she started as a Year 10 at the end of 2012. Now it is COVID shadowing her plans as she moves to a permanent full-time job at the Bank of Scotland as an investment banker after gaining work experience in venture capital in the Bay District near San Francisco, the home of Google, Apple and Facebook.

After completing NCEA Level 1 Laura decided the International Baccalaureate Diploma was the path she wished to follow due to how well structured and well-rounded the course is. She also believes this choice has proven to be very useful for her university degree, “With IB you learn to ask the right questions, and that really helped at university because you don’t get the same level of teaching there.”

With an interest in maths and physics, Laura was inspired

by Mr Atkins and Ms Rouse to find a real-world side to her strengths. At Imperial College, London she studied mechanical engineering but found when on an internship it wouldn’t be her plan long term as she enjoyed human interaction more than software and computers, “I decided something that was more of a combination of technical and social would be perfect for me.”

In her second year Laura did an internship in robotics and went to a venture capital summit in the Bay Area, that was where she decided finance and investment was the right choice for her. An internship in her third year at an investment bank and a full-time job offer with Bank of Scotland secured, she decided to take her final year of study out and head to Silicon Valley to work in venture capital.

Venture capital is investment in the early stages of businesses or ideas in technology, also known as start-ups. Laura loved the chilled environment of Silicon Valley, people don’t work long hours, the atmosphere is spontaneous and there is a passion for entrepreneurship. She says, “You go to a café and you hear people talking about their start up or you meet someone and they look really techy in sportswear and then you realise they are a CEO of a really big company.”

Laura’s move to the more structured atmosphere of the City of London and investment banking seems like a strange one but she has a plan, “There is more hierarchy in investment banking, so there is a good level of training and I think that’s a good thing in the early stage of my career. I also love London especially the culture – the museums and art galleries, in the long run I might end up back in the US but for now it’s London.”

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And moving around the globe to gain experience is not new to Laura, “I came to SMC as a 14-year-old and the culture was so different, my English wasn’t that great I could barely understand and it was a shock. But through the boarding house and IB, I connected with people who were not the same – they were a different race or culture but we had shared interests like community service and sometimes the stress!! I am still close to my IB girls.”

Alumni Profile DIANA REAICH

Old Girl Diana Reaich (née Perry) is the newly appointed New Zealand ambassador to Romobubelux. Never heard of Romobubelux? As Diana explains you are not alone, “I’m about to start work as the Ambassador to Belgium, Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova and Luxemburg. Over a few drinks some friends came up with the acronym Romobubelux so I could remember my countries! My kids now proudly tell people I’m the Ambassador to Romobubelux.”

After leaving SMC in 1994, Diana studied a law degree and an arts degree majoring in philosophy and linguistics at the University of Canterbury. After dabbling briefly in the law she moved to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade fulfilling roles in the legal, Pacific, trade negotiations and human resources teams as well as a posting to Geneva as a delegate to the World Trade Organisation. Not following a particular plan but always being open to opportunities as they came along - Diana prefers to focus on what she is doing well rather than positioning herself for whatever comes next. “At times in my career I’ve been willing to step up but also to step sideways. There have been plenty of failures and backward steps too but I do try to turn them into funny stories!”

She is also quick to credit those who have helped – a fantastic husband, three awesome kids and wonderful parents have supported her each step of the way, “My family always come first and for me that meant taking many years out of my career to be with them. That’s not the only way to be a great mum, but it worked for me.”

As a young woman Diana describes a lack of confidence and a tendency to suffer from imposter syndrome. “That’s still something I have to work on but I’m getting better at believing in myself, accepting my own limitations these days and appreciating my own unique contribution. I’ve always

built strong networks and friendships wherever I go, giving and receiving generously and laughing a lot along the way.”

And also along the way Diana and her close knit family have had some amazing adventures, “We have camped in the desert in Israel, sailed down the Nile together, ice skated at the top of the Eiffel Tower, snorkelled in Malaysia and now we have endured 170 days of distance learning in Belgium.

You become very close when you move and travel together.

“Professionally, the opportunity to represent New Zealand is extremely rewarding – doing our little bit to ensure that New Zealand’s interests are protected and promoted on the global stage is fascinating and hugely important, especially at a time when our borders are closed and it is tempting to look inwards and become isolated from the global context we operate in.”

And from her days at SMC Diana remembers an early interest in giving back, the global community and having a lot of fun along the way, “Some of my clearest and happiest memories include the 40 hour famine sleepover in the gym watching Pretty Woman, watching the Berlin Wall come down in social studies, dancing on the desks in English and inevitably falling off, endlessly pranking the poor chemistry teacher (sorry Ms Mills), preparing our usually terrible skits for House Day and lifting high the cross during Founders’ Day services in the Cathedral. I particularly enjoyed the annual school camps to places like Castle Hill – they featured rock-climbing, caving, getting marooned in 100km/hour winds while on a rafting trip, cooking outside and usually some of us fancying the young camp tutors! One year there was a fire in the drying room and we had to evacuate in the middle of the night – waiting endlessly until the local volunteer fire brigade turned up – half drunk! Those weeks were always such a highlight.”

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“Empowered Women” ‘Empowered Women' is a wonderful celebration of the history of St Margaret's College, told through the stories and memories of 110 Old Girls.

This coffee table book is a great read, offering some fascinating insights to SMC life through the ages.

With a strictly limited print run, it is available for pre-sales now on the school website at www.stmargarets.school.nz Delivery is expected by the end of September.

SMCOGA COCKTAIL PARTY

All Old Girls are warmly invited!

Friday 30 October 2020 6pm – 8pm • Tickets: $30 Please RSVP

by Friday 23 October:

smcoga@stmargarets.school.nz or 03 963 2645

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From the Archives School yearbooks are an amazing source of information that ranges from the basics of school life – staff, students and Trust Board, through to national events – natural disasters, to global events – epidemics and war. Looking through the older year books is an interesting insight to the culture and society as it was over 100 years ago. SMC yearbooks start in 1912 with two issues a year until 1917. There is no yearbook for 1918 as a result of the global flu epidemic that shut schools down for an extended time that year. From 1919 on, there is only one issue a year and there are a few interesting characteristics, for example yearbooks were published for the end of the year, this meant the end of year prizegiving information was from the year before. This remained the way things were done until quite recently. Now, the yearbook comes out early the following year with all of the information for the year of that book.

Despite what it might sound like, I do not spend all day reading the yearbooks, I have come to know quite a lot about them over the last few months with a project that I started way back in March. With a potential lockdown looming, I looked around my office and thought, “what can I take home to do that is not dependent on internet, and does not need external input or help?” Digitisation of the yearbooks was an option and after going to see Henri at the IT help desk where he loaded the latest software that would allow me to edit PDFs, I was set to go.

Over the next few weeks I was able to experiment with different options and functionality of the software I was given and the scanner I have. Over the weeks of lockdown and since we have returned, the process has developed, and the resulting scans are readable and searchable to make research into our rich history a lot easier.

Yearbook scans before (left) and after (right) Adobe editing.

However, even though the results are rewarding and add value to what the Archive can offer the extended school community, the process is time consuming. Scanning single pages at a very high resolution to PDF to have an excellent quality image to work with can be tedious and each page takes patience and care to get the best result. Once scanned as a PDF some work with the Adobe suite of software tidies images and words up and Optical Character Recognition (OCR) technology can be used to create a PDF that can be searched for names, dates, prizes, sports and anything else that might have been included in the yearbooks. I am hoping that with later, less delicate books, a lot more of the scanning could be done on bigger, less hands on, copiers so we can create files faster and make them available to our extended community with less work needed to make them readable.

With the older yearbooks the scans often generate a very dark background that can be edited out and replaced with a softer background that makes reading them easier on the eyes. Some of our very early yearbooks are now complete and are available for looking at. If anyone is interested in having a look, please feel to contact me.

Vickie Ward – Archivist

Save the date for our SMCOGA

CROQUET FUN DAY! Come join us for an afternoon of laughter on the green.

Good fun for 11 – 110 year olds – pupils, parents and friends welcome.

Sunday 21 February 2021 • 1pm – 4pm • Registration: $10 (includes afternoon tea) Rangiora Croquet Club, River Road, Rangiora RSVP: smcoga@stmargarets.school.nz • 03-963-2645

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In Closing

Explanation of Gratitude Posters for Essential Workers We have come through a unique period in New Zealand and the world’s history. It has been an ongoing learning experience for us all as the country responded positively as a team of five million to eliminate the virus, to have gotten us to this point, Level 1.

During Levels 4 and 3, many people were called essential workers, they risked their health by being dedicated and willing to do it for us all. We have heard many stories of selfless people who continued to support the whole community. We acknowledge our faith is so important in our SMC community, it unites us in love, inclusiveness and support for one another. We are so proud of these essential workers and wanted to demonstrate our heartfelt thanks with gratitude for all the work that was carried out for our welfare throughout the lockdown.

This is one way in which we can show our gratitude. These bits of coloured paper are our thoughts, comments and expressions of gratitude! Each poster has between 250-450

Celebrate your time at SMC with jewellery Necklace:

$98

Bracelet:

$150

Silver Ring:

$138

(Gold & Rose Gold on application)

Contact Emma Bradley: 963 2645 smcoga@stmargarets.school.nz

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individual thoughtful prayers with words of thanks, gratitude and reflection. The colours reflect the six Houses of our St Margaret’s College community, and they were written by students from Years 1-13 and staff of the College.

There are six posters in all, for the hospital workers, supermarket staff, ambulance drivers, the police, rest home workers and the Christchurch Anglican City Mission. After writing our words of gratitude, the slips of paper from each of the Houses were arranged on the posters, then put into frames and are now being given to the representatives of those wonderful humans, who gave not just of their time, but dedication, perseverance and selflessness.

It is so important to look outside our immediate community and give thanks or all who support us, and their appreciation of our thanks is a generous blessing to us all!

Thank you and many blessings, Peg Riley – Chaplain

Located on the northern second terrace of the Waimakariri and Hawdon Rivers, near the Hawdon Shelter and campground within Arthur’s Pass National Park, Paterson Lodge has been used and enjoyed by many past students and is the perfect location to enjoy some of New

Zealand’s most spectacular landscapes.

Today the lodge is much the same as when opened in 1970. It is warm and dry and set up with a kitchen, bathroom, bunkrooms for 17 and a common space.

Paterson Lodge is available for hire by SMC families and friends.

For more information and to make bookings visit: www.stmargarets.school.nz

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