have taken ownership of this and have proven to be creative and resourceful in how they approach it every year. Student, rather than teacher-driven, always means greater relevance to young people, so we are delighted that cultural diversity continues to be celebrated at College. However, I must confess to missing the annual waiters’ race around Upper and the Quad, and Chris Williams selling snails in garlic butter to boys with more adventurous culinary tastes. These two events were legendary. Over the years, other languages and department colleagues have come and gone, but what has remained constant is the passion of my colleagues for the languages they teach and their commitment to giving the boys the best language experience possible. To all those who have worked in the Modern Languages department over the last 16 years, my sincere thanks. To my current colleagues, Keri Campbell, Steven Everingham, Mike Field and Elaine Tang, my special thanks for your work and support this year. It has not been an easy year, but you have managed it professionally and with good humour. Numbers are robust and the department is in good heart. A personal and special thank you now, to my classes of 2022. As my last classes “ever”, merci beaucoup for such lovely memories to take away with me and to all the boys whom I have had the privilege to teach French over the last 12,852 lessons, merci beaucoup for your enthusiasm, good humour and engagement. Susan Harding HoD Modern Languages PHYSICAL EDUCATION AND HEALTH For certain, 2022 will go down as the Year of Disruption – caused by Covid-19. The new restrictions and regulations that were placed on practical subjects by the Ministry of Education meant the department was busy continuously redesigning teaching programmes, guidelines
and expectations to ensure we were operating safely and effectively within our new norm. Covid-19 restrictions again highlighted the current capacity issues and this was exacerbated in the first 16 weeks of the year when we were unable to teach practically in any inside spaces (pool, gym, fitness centre or table tennis room). These restrictions were compounded halfway through the year with the loss of half of Upper, due to the Upper West building project. In 2022 we saw the start of the new Upper West sports facility. It will provide the department with all the flexibility it needs to evolve its programme and to better meet the needs of our students. Staff changes There were two changes this year. The department welcomed both Claire Nicolson and Liam O’Leary in a part-time capacity to our teaching staff. Claire joined us from the English department. She came in to meet the additional demands of classes because of the College Diploma, while Liam joined us as a new teacher and Immerse & Inspire tutor. Achievement Overall, the boys are still achieving at a good level compared with similar schools, with a high percentage of overall grades at Merit and Excellence level. There was a dip in some areas where students found things a bit more difficult and in the new health standards. Compared to the national average, we are achieving well and have made gains in standards where we have previously not performed as well. The boys continue to work hard and do their best to deal with the demands of a fully internally assessed subject. Around the classroom The junior programme for Year 9 students continued as close to normal as possible. We adapted our scheduling of classes so we had boys outside while we were not allowed to run classes inside. Once these restrictions were lifted, this programme returned to normal.
Years 10–11 saw the introduction of the College Diploma. The course on offer initially in Year 10 covered Fitter Me, Classic Games, and Good Sports. All boys had the opportunity to select either Classic Games and/ or Good Sports, with the Fitter Me being a compulsory component for all. The courses covered a range of activities and the boys were challenged to manage in-class competitions, critique factors that influence individual participation in exercise, look at issues associated with physical exercise in New Zealand, and investigate the role that commodification has on a sport or physical activity. Through it all, the key focal points of building a good skill base, applying good techniques and gaining a better understanding of tactics became the common themes. A change this year resulted in the separation of Health and Physical Education. Boys had a Health class for two periods for one semester. This change meant we were able to better address the needs of the students and explore a range of issues pertinent to their wellbeing. In Year 11, the boys were working on a hybrid model for the College Diploma. Health and PE courses were required to provide the boys with the opportunity to gain NCEA credits. This was because boys would be required to carry over 10 credits from their Year 11 into Year 12. The department offered courses that had a wide range of opportunities and covered a large portion of our curriculum area, ranging from courses in Skill Acquisition, Leadership, and Sport Science, through to Positive Sexuality. In Year 12, the ever-popular classic of Canoe Polo got the boys busy, and they once again did a nice job of coaching different Year 9 College classes in a range of sports. For Year 13, it was a stable year, with both a Sports Leadership and the full NCEA course being offered again, with the purpose of the Sports Leadership course being to complement the existing Year 13 NCEA course and offer a more practical alternative to the content- heavy Level 3 course. Some of the
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Christ’s College Canterbury
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