Rathkeale College Trust House Theatre

Wednesday, April 7, 2021 Wairarapa Midweek

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CELEBRATING THE OPENING OF THE

RATHKEALE COLLEGE TRUST HOUSE THEATRE

OPEN DAY TUESDAY 13TH APRIL 8.30AM

Register online at www.rathkeale.school.nz

After major renovations which included necessary earthquake strengthening, Rathkeale College is proud to announce this facility is open and available for the community.

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Stunning spaces open for business

W

ith its stunning grounds, high quality sporting facilities, outdoor theatre straight out of the classical age, and newly refurbished, state-of-the-art auditorium, Rathkeale College is not only an enviable learning environment, but an invaluable community resource.

This week, the college is celebrating the re-opening of its auditorium, also known as the Trust House Theatre, which has been closed for extensive renovations since May 2019.

The Trinity Schools Trust Board (TSTB) elected to close the building due to safety concerns, after an engineer’s report found it was vulnerable to earthquake damage.

TSTB invested $3m for the renovations which, as well as substantial strengthening work, included extended seating, improved insulation and cooling systems, and updated electronic media systems.

Since its initial opening in 2002, the Trust House Theatre has been a Wairarapa community staple.

As well as playing a key role in Rathkeale school life, it is hired by a wide variety of groups: dance and music studios, iwi authorities, grassroots organisations for AGMs, other schools for prizegivings and concerts, and children’s camps, to name a few.

The wider school campus is also regularly booked for large events, including weddings, retreats, and celebrations, such as the ordination of Bishop Wai Quayle, Following the theatre’s re-opening, Rathkeale is extending an invitation to the

wider community to put the upgraded space to good use.

the staircases as a safety measure.

“In the past, there has been a misconception that the auditorium is just for Rathkeale,” principal Martin O’Grady says.

It has also been re-insulated to maximise comfort and acoustic quality, and a highperformance air conditioner has been installed to bring relief during Wairarapa summers.

“However, the venue closing made us realise just how many people use it throughout the year.

“Groups would be using the auditorium week in, week out, without any fuss – so it was easy to take for granted the value it had in our region.

“For Rathkeale, having this great space available is a way of giving back to the community.”

As per engineers’ recommendations, the auditorium has been strengthened “to a high standard”, meeting the requirements of the New Zealand Building Code.

Its seating capacity has increased from 750 to 845, and the stage area has been increased for added performance space, with handrails added to

One of the most significant additions to the auditorium is $30,000 worth of audiovisual technology: including industry-standard video cameras and microphones, an advanced sound mixing desk, and live streaming equipment.

A large screen has also been added for multi-media presentations.

Martin says the new technology will allow events to be shared far and wide – particularly timely, on account of COVID-19.

“Being able to livestream events like funerals has unfortunately become vital for whanau trapped overseas etc”.

“We’re also hopeful the new tech will be good learning tool

for the students, especially the students involved in performance and drama.”

In more recent years, Rathkeale has been a popular choice for weddings – thanks to its 140 acres of beautiful, park-like grounds.

Wedding parties have many options for a ceremony setting, including the cosy St Martin’s on the Close Chapel, open-air Greek amphitheatre (designed and built by past Rathkeale students), or a marquee on the lawn.

Receptions can be held in the dining hall, with on-site caterers Alliance Catering providing a range of meal options.

For other multiple-day events, guests can stay in the three boarding houses (which, together, sleep 230), and can use Rathkeale’s impressive

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range of sporting and leisure facilities.

These include the highperformance cricket centre and cricket oval, three rugby and soccer fields (and accompanying pavilions), flood lit, all-weather tennis courts, low ropes course, mountain bike tracks, and outdoor pool.

Martin, who lives onsite says the campus is the ideal playground for families.

“It’s a kids’ paradise”, he says.

“We’ve got the pool and the sports grounds, and all this space for biking and running around.

“The Ruamahanga River runs right around the campus, and we’re surrounded by native bush. With all that together, it makes for the perfect Kiwi childhood.”

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OPEN DAY

Celebrating the grand re-opening of the

Tuesday 13th April 8:30 am Register at www.rathkeale.school.nz

Rathkeale College Trust House Theatre

Trinity Schools forge ahead

T

he last 12 months have been challenging for schools all over New Zealand.

drop-off areas.

Recent projects include upgrades to the chimneys, toilets, changing facilities and showers at both the Rathkeale and St Matthew’s campuses and playground facilities at Hadlow and Hadlow Preschool.

However, in spite of COVID-19 and the shifting Alert Levels, Wairarapa’s Trinity Schools community has continued to thrive – and the Trinity Schools Trust Board has kept busy behind the scenes.

One of TSTB’s other main objectives is to ensure the Trinity Schools’ Special Character is upheld: that is, according to its 20192024 Strategy, “enabling an Anglican faith-based environment that empowers everyone in the system to achieve their best self”.

The Trinity Schools Trust Board (TSTB) is the board of governors and proprietors for Rathkeale College, St Matthew’s Collegiate, Hadlow School and Hadlow Preschool – and the owners of the schools’ assets, such as land and buildings.

Among its many responsibilities, TSTB functions as service provider for the schools – making sure their facilities are fit-forpurpose and, ultimately, safe for both pupils and the wider community. Over this year, a large part of TSTB’s work programme has been focused on significant building upgrades at each of the Trinity Schools’ campuses.

Since the Christchurch earthquake of 2011, seismic strengthening has been a high priority for TSTB – with over $5 million spent to strengthen school buildings over the last decade.

This includes the Rathkeale auditorium/Trust House Theatre, which officially reopens this week after two years of renovation work.

The renovations include 26 tonnes of steel and 220 cubic metres of concrete reinforcements, to protect against earthquake damage – as well as improved acoustics, lighting, heating, cooling, and sound systems.

Now the auditorium is complete, TSTB is planning renovations for the Repton Boarding House, which will

include a complete upgrade of the building’s interior.

Other recently completed upgrades to all three campuses include more energy efficient lighting, improved heating, and new acoustic panels in the classrooms; upgraded exterior lighting (for extra safety after dark), and more user-friendly parking and

In 2021, to help children feel more welcome, comfortable and supported in our schools, TSTB has developed an Inclusivity Policy for each of the Trinity Schools.

TSTB Chief Executive Rob Blackett says the policy will align with the schools’ Anglican values, and will focus on “creating a culture and environment that enables young people to feel that they are safe and belong”.

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Open minds, open spaces, open futures

M

artin O’Grady’s philosophy for an education at Rathkeale College is threefold: “open minds, open spaces, and open futures”.

As Rathkeale College Principal, his aim is to nurture an inclusive and forwardthinking culture – where students are challenged in their thinking, appreciate their natural surroundings, and can discover their passions.

“To be honest, it wasn’t really much of a change coming from a co-ed state school to Rathkeale,” he says.

Martin, who came on board as Principal in 2018, has a varied career in education – working across the socioeconomic spectrum, in both co-ed and single sex environments.

“In my experience, regardless of decile, Kiwi kids are very similar. Schools have their expectations, and kids, regardless of background, respond to what is expected of them.”

He says he was drawn to Wairarapa thanks to his rural roots – he grew up on a farm in the small Hawke’s Bay community of Wairoa and has a Bachelor of Agricultural Science.

As an educator, Martin is passionate about helping young people to thrive in an inclusive, diverse society – hence, the “open minds” part of the Rathkeale kaupapa.

He then moved into training as a teacher before heading back to the Hawke’s Bay to work as a secondary school teacher in a range of Hastings secondary schools.

we are running 3 boys to the acre”, laughs O’Grady.

In the last few decades, he has worked at Hastings Boys’ High School and Lindisfarne College (a state-integrated Presbyterian boys’ school) before being principal at Karamu High School and then moving south to Feilding High School (a large state co-ed school).

Under his leadership, Rathkeale has introduced te reo Maori as a compulsory subject for Year 9 (and an option for Year 10 and above), organises powhiri for various events, and

The college has a proud tradition of open-air learning – for example, back in the 1970s, its Greek theatre was constructed by the students of the school at the time.

formed Ngatahi, a music group dedicated to Maori and Pasifika performance art.

As part of their learning, students are encouraged to discuss political, social and world events with their teachers – to help expand their minds beyond their own backyard.

“It’s important that we’re preparing students not for the New Zealand we grew up in, but the New Zealand of today and future”. “To be honest we have no idea what that might actually look like”.

“We want them to be open to different cultures, different experiences, and different points of view.”

As well as celebrating academic achievements, Martin is also focussed on helping students realise what they’re passionate about and, where possible, help them towards a career path in that area.

“That’s where ‘open futures’ comes in.

“Academic achievement can guarantee you options, but there are many possibilities beyond that.

A key part of Rathkeale’s culture is a love for the outdoors: unsurprising, as the campus sits on 140 acres, flanked by the Ruamahanga River and large swathes of native bush. “At the moment

More recently, students have built their own on-site mountain bike tracks, and have carved-out a series of sign-posted bush walks.

As Principal, Martin is keen to nurture the students’ appreciation for the environment – encouraging them to “get off their devices” and go exploring.

“Most nights, boarders head out to the turf and spend time playing sport under the floodlights.

“The kids go swimming, fishing and eeling, and go on hikes in the bush. It’s not uncommon to go for a walk on campus and find one of the English classes doing a lesson by the river”.

“It’s just a neat place to work and learn.”

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OPEN DAY

Tuesday 13th April 8:30 am Register at www.rathkeale.school.nz

Where stars are born

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lighting and sound.

ith several theatrical offerings waiting in the wings, the reopening of the Trust House Theatre is a particularly exciting time for Rathkeale College’s performing arts community.

Lucy Hepburn, Performing Arts Coordinator and Head of Music, says students work “exceptionally hard” on the productions, rehearsing four to five times a week.

“We set high expectations for the kids – and they rise to meet them,” Lucy says.

For Rathkeale students, performance is as intrinsic to the school’s culture as a hard-fought game of football or a good turn on the cricket pitch.

This year’s major production will be Joseph and the Amazing Technicolour Dreamcoat – Andrew Lloyd Webber’s delightfully flamboyant re-telling of the story of Joseph from The Book of Genesis.

Much of the student body is heavily involved in cultural pursuits: from choral music, to musical theatre, to Shakespearean drama, to Maori performance art.

As well as musical theatre, Rathkeale and St Matthew’s also excel at the annual Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival.

One of the jewels in Rathkeale’s crown is its annual major productions, performed alongside St Matthew’s Senior College.

Their renditions of popular musicals receive rave reviews – not just for the students’ acting and vocal chops, but for their involvement in almost every area of the production, including musical accompaniments, costuming, set design,

Several of the schools’ troupes have been selected for the national finals, and individual students chosen to perform with the Young Shakespeare Company at the Globe Theatre in London.

At present, the young thespians at hard at work, perfecting two Shakespearian

excerpts (Twelfth Night and Love’s Labour’s Lost), which they will showcase at the regional Sheilah Winn Festival, held at Wairarapa College at the end of Term 1.

Rathkeale and St Matthew’s are home to several singing groups: including Viva Camerata, the auditioned combined choir, the allcomers’ Boys’ Choir, and the cultural performance group Ngatahi.

Viva Camerata traditionally performs well at the national Big Sing competition, making the finals with their

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interpretations of choral pieces, Maori waiata and popular music.

One of the most anticipated events on the students’ calendar is House Music: where the three houses – Blake, Halberg and Hillary – each form a choir and face off against one another, performing two songs of their choice.

Lucy says the competition never fails to draw a crowd.

“We’ve got some great singers at Rathkeale. There’s this idea that teenage boys are reluctant to sing – but

it’s such a normal part of our school culture.

Another highlight is the House Haka competition – which now, in a new tradition, takes place outdoors at the Greek amphitheatre.

“We moved the competition to the amphitheatre while the auditorium was out of action,” Principal Martin O’Grady says.

“But the boys decided they wanted to hold the event outside from now on. The amphitheatre has amazing acoustics, so it works perfectly for haka.”

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OPEN DAY

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Tuesday 13th April 8:30 am Register at www.rathkeale.school.nz

Rathkeale College Trust House Theatre

The spirit of giving

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o be at ease with oneself, to have awareness of others, to step forward as leaders, and to stand on the shoulders of those who have gone before.

These are the “Four Pillars of a Good Rathkeale Man” – a key part of Rathkeale’s kaupapa and values set as an educator of young people.

It is these values that inform not only the students’ relationships with one another, but with the wider Wairarapa community – exemplified by the college’s long-running service programme.

As part of their learning and pastoral care, all Rathkeale students are encouraged to participate in volunteering and community service – whether that’s riparian planting to protect local waterways, stacking firewood for older people, or helping coach children’s sport.

Rathkeale Chaplain Rev Ben Arcus, who organises the service programme, says community involvement is an embodiment of the school’s four pillars.

“It’s about being kind to yourself, to others, and to the environment.”

“To look beyond yourself, and to do what you can do to meet the needs of others, is good for wellbeing.

It helps the boys feel a tangible connection to their community, which brings a sense of belonging.”

“Having an awareness of others means to strive for fairness and social justice in our community. Knowing the boys are standing on the shoulders of others means being mindful of the tangata whenua of this land – and being guardians of our environment.”

Service is also a key part of the school’s Anglican heritage and ethos.

“That is the core of Christianity: to love and serve others,” Ben says.

“The boys recognise we are privileged here, and that puts us in a good position to give something back.”

In the last few years, Rathkeale students have

assisted with a range of community projects: tree planting at Henley Lake, delivering supplies to the Masterton Food Bank, helping with the restoration of the miniature train at Queen Elizabeth Park, and volunteering with primary schools’ outdoor education programmes.

More recently, students have been particularly involved with conservation initiatives, working alongside the Ruamahanga Restoration Trust (founded by Rathkeale Old Boys) and Pukaha National Wildlife Centre.

The Ruamahanga Restoration Trust aims to restore and regenerate

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streams, wetlands and native bush along the Ruamahanga River – helping protect native fish species and creating bird corridors from Pukaha to Kawakawa.

“And Pukaha have reported there have been higher numbers of tui and kereru in the bush lately, so their efforts are definitely working.”

Earlier this year, Year 10 Rathkeale students helped the Trust plant a variety of native species to help restore the wetland forest areas bordering the Ruamahanga, and create a home for native fish, frogs, lizards and birdlife.

Rathkeale’s boarders help organise the Rathkeale Christmas Fete – one of the most anticipated events in the Wairarapa community, attracting crowds “by the thousands”.

Students have volunteered for Pukaha’s pest control programme, heading into the bush with experienced rangers and laying traps.

“The boys absolutely love it,” Principal Martin O’Grady says.

The fete, which usually features over 100 stallholders, provides an opportunity for local food producers, artists, craftspeople and musicians to showcase their wares in the lead-up to Christmas.

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OPEN DAY

Celebrating the grand re-opening of the

Tuesday 13th April 8:30 am Register at www.rathkeale.school.nz

Rathkeale College Trust House Theatre

Good sports

W

hether they’re dominating the opposition on the cricket oval, shattering athletics and swimming records, or obliterating clay pigeons – Rathkeale College prides itself on its exceptional sportsmen.

Sport has long been an integral part of Rathkeale’s identity.

In fact, participation in sport is compulsory, with students having to take part in at least one sporting code in both summer and winter.

For this reason, Rathkeale tends to attract keen athletes – who not only shine at school sporting events but go on to represent both the college and the Wairarapa region in their various fields.

Neil Perry, Director of Sport at Rathkeale, says the school takes an inclusive approach to sport, offering a wide range of codes for boys to choose from – including some more unconventional options for the students who claim not to be “natural athletes”.

The most popular summer

sports tend to be cricket, athletics, touch rugby, futsal (indoor football), and tennis, while students gravitate towards rugby, football and hockey in the winter.

Those not as keen on team sports can try strength and conditioning training, golf, or mountain biking – using the onsite trails the students built themselves.

Less-traditional options include croquet, motor cross, rifle shooting, and clay bird target shooting.

“It’s important to us to provide opportunities where all types of students can excel at sport,” Neil says.

“We do what we can to involve the boys who want to try something different. If they have a specific interest, we’ll make it happen – provided we can staff it and find coaches with that specific skillset.”

Rathkeale holds several in-school sporting competitions throughout the year, kicking off with swimming sports and interhouse athletics.

This year got off to an exciting start, with several school records broken at both events.

Both Rathkeale and St Matthew’s Senior College students went on to shine at the Wairarapa Intercollegiate Athletics Championship: entering 42 events and winning 27, also gaining 24 second placings, and 14

third placings.

Some of these athletes then competed in the North Island Secondary Schools Athletics Championships with success.

Rathkeale also regularly hosts sports exhanges with other schools, including Hutt International Boys School, Lindisfarne College and Wanganui Collegiate.

Though sporting excellence is the goal, Neil says it is important for the school to foster a culture of sportsmanship.

“Obviously, the students play to win. But, winning isn’t the be all and end all.”

“Sport is very much a learning tool – it’s about growing and developing as people through sporting performance.”

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Forward thinking on the farm

D

igital monitoring of stock, brand new crop trials, and smart phone apps to track fertiliser distribution and pasture growth: Rathkeale College has the future of farming at its fingertips.

which plants perform best near water and can provide riparian protection.

Students have also been able to sample new farming industry software: such as TracMap, which uses GPS tracking to communicate farmers’ fertiliser requirements directly to fertiliser truck drivers; and FarmMax, which can help predict pasture growth and quality.

One of the college’s newest facilities is its Land Lab - a six-hectare production, research, and teaching facility for the primary industries.

At the Land Lab, students are exposed to technologies and inventions used in modern New Zealand farming.

As well as rearing their own livestock, the students also get to explore the wonders of Agricultural Science conducting experiments, with assistance from industry experts, to help inform more efficient, sustainable farming practices.

With many Rathkeale pupils hailing from rural backgrounds, agriculture and horticulture have been part of the curriculum for several years.

However, in light of continuing innovations in primary

industries, the Land Lab is a significant step forward for aspiring farmers.

Coadette Low, Head of Agriculture and Agri Business at Rathkeale, says it’s been encouraging for her students to contact research trials, and see results play out in real time.

“It’s exciting – they get it see real life science happening in front of their eyes,” she says.

“They get to learn about these new tools and see them applied in the real world.

“It’s great to see them put their learning into practice on the farm. It’s not like their family farm – they can make a mistake, and know it’s going to be okay.”

At present, students are maintaining a flock of 30 breeding ewes, each one equipped with an electronic tag which transmits data to the lab’s smart devices.

Students then analyse the data, and use it to monitor the ewes’ feeding and growth patterns over time, and eventually make

cull decisions.

Also making their home on the farm are several calves, which students are rearing in preparation for the Future Beef NZ young breeders’ competition later in the year.

With input from H&T Agronomics, Coadette and her classes have conducted several seed and crop protection trials.

These included growing a more weather-resistant clover as a feeding option and planting a kale crop near waterways – to find out

Rathkeale Principal Martin O’Grady says the Land Lab will continue to focus on and promote more environmentally conscious farming strategies.

“Things are changing – people are now looking at what they buy from the supermarkets and wanting products that have not been harmful for our rivers and streams.

“We want our students to be guardians of the environment.

Even if you end up getting a job in the city, an awareness of an appreciation for the environment will stand you in good stead.”

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OPEN DAY

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Rathkeale College Trust House Theatre

Getting on board: boarding at Rathkeale

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do chores, do homework together in the evenings, and are kept busy over the weekends with organised activities.

athkeale College’s boarders are a diverse crew: some arrive at school after a 12-hour flight, some take an hour’s train trip home for the weekend, while others live two minutes down the road.

Though the senior boards have supervisory roles, especially with homework, there is no stereotypical “hierarchies” between the students.

Since the college’s founding in 1963, boarding has been a key part of Rathkeale’s identity.

From its conception, the college was envisaged as a boarding school. Wairarapa was the ideal location: at the time, farming families were dependent on boarding schools due to travel restrictions, and the short commuting distance from Wellington and Palmerston North meant the school could attract students from further afield.

These days, over half of Rathkeale’s 340 students are boarders: mostly hailing from both rural and urban Wairarapa, around the North Island, and (before COVID-19) several from South East Asia, including Hong Kong, Japan, Korea and Thailand.

“The senior boys are wonderful with the juniors.

They know they have a chance to be real role models.”

Many others, however, are much closer to home – choosing to stay on campus because they enjoy the closeknit community, sense of camaraderie, and supportive environment.

board only in their final year, because they don’t want to leave Rathkeale without having the boarding experience.

“There is a misconception that you have to live far away to be a boarder,” Glenn McIntosh, Director of Boarding, says.

“There’s a very caring culture in the boarding houses.

Everyone gets to know one another: they know what sports they play, if they’re in the choir, what their best subjects are.

“We have one guy who usually lives a few doors down, on Willow Park Drive. We have boys who

The boys look out for each other and encourage each other to work hard and do well.”

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The Rathkeale boarders are spread between three houses - Rugby, Cranleigh and Repton – which each have their own Housemaster and matrons.

The Year 9 students stay together in Rugby House for their first year at college and, from Year 10, are re-located to one of the vertical boarding houses – where they get to form relationships across the different year groups.

Routine is a big part of boarding at Rathkeale – boys

Glenn says boarding at Rathkeale is “a close partnership with parents”.

“Gone are the days when parents would drop their kids off at the start of term, and wouldn’t see them again for a couple of months,” he says.

“Parents will often come and visit and see what the boys have been up to during the term.”

“The kids get to go out for dinner with their families during the week, and go home for weekends.”

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