RELIGIOUS EDUCATION All students in Years 9–11 study Religious Education. In Year 9, this is one period per week for four terms (34 lessons on average); Years 10–11, two periods per week for two terms (35 periods on average). The assessment of student learning progressions was based on completion of, and engagement in, class assignments, and the contribution to smaller group and class discussions. In 2023 in alignment with the aspirations of the College Diploma, a new three-year progression through three strands was implemented. Strand one: Belonging In Year 9, students explored their sense of belonging in a new school. Moses and the Hebrew people’s flight from Egypt was investigated as an archetypal story of communal self- awareness and belonging. At Year 10, students looked at how different religious traditions form and foster community. They explored five major world religions and their contribution and place in a religiously diverse, contemporary New Zealand society. In Year 11, students examined a contemporary social issue (Ordination of Women, The Blessing of Same-Sex Marriages), and the theological initiation and/or response of the Church; with a particular focus on the Anglican Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia. Strand two: Unity and Diversity In Year 9, students were encouraged to engage with the liturgy and form of Anglicanism in its aspiration to hold a middle ground as a bridge across differences. In Year 10, students explored the commonalities and differences across five major world religions. Islam, in the context of historical events in Oˉ tautahi Christchurch, was a key area of focus. In Year 11, students examined the causes of ‘The Reformation’, and the effects of this on society at the time. They assessed the ambition of the Elizabethan Settlement as a model
and performance for our sports programme at College. Overall, the changes to the Level 2 course resulted in the boys covering a wide array of topics like ethics, violence, attraction, motivation, memory, working memory, and attention. With the Level 2 course acting as a foundational course designed to give the boys the basic knowledge and skills of Psychology, the Level 3 course narrowed its focus this year to the theme of ‘men’s mental health’. In particular, issues of stress, resilience, and depression in clinical psychology were the focus. This has proven successful and will remain the course’s focus in 2024. Some schools shy away from studying abnormal psychology through fear of the potential detrimental effects it may have on boys with existing issues. After surveying the boys, they agree it is valuable to learn about these issues because of their relevance for young men. To quote one student who has dealt with mental health challenges he found that from learning about depression “... the attitudes that people had towards depression and other disorders in this class were dramatically changed for the better through this course and it made me feel much more comfortable when being open about my mental health issues”. The overwhelmingly positive feedback from the boys is a sign that the course content is engaging and relevant. With so many boys interested in Psychology beyond College, we went on our annual field trip to the University of Canterbury and sat in on a lecture on forensic psychology and a practical lab on memory reliability. This also was a valuable field trip and we will look to introduce one at Year 12. Due to the popularity of the subject, in 2024 we are set for an increase from 35 to 48 Year 13 students taking Psychology. As such, a second Psychology teacher will be introduced to cover the fifth class. This is an exciting time for the Psychology Department as it continues to grow. Travis Dixon HoD Psychology
for maintaining unity in the face of theological diversity, and how this model might be used in contemporary Aotearoa New Zealand, not only theologically but socially. Strand three: Meaning and Purpose In Year 9, students were introduced to scripture and holy writing, the form and layout of the Christian scriptures, and explored how communities have sought to reveal God’s purpose and meaning in their context, including in the sacraments of the Church with emphasis on baptism and Holy Communion. In Year 10, students explored introductory ethics, human values, motives, and choices. In Year 11, students engaged with ethical models and explored Christian ethics through the lens of CS Lewis’ work, The Four Loves . Students were introduced to the theory of Moral Law, the theology of Grace; and its impact on right and wrong action based on the statement ‘God is Love’, and the commandment ‘to love one another as I have loved you’. The Rev'd Canon Cameron Pickering HoD Religious Education
SCIENCE Biology
Another hectic start to the year with the Year 12 students and full Biology Department off to Temple Basin at the start of week 4. We were lucky with the weather until coming down when the boys got quite cold and wet but the students achieved well overall. About this time we also had the very exciting news that the Scholarship Awards were again very good, including our first-ever Year 12 student, Angus Gifford, and five other awards (JWR Griffin, WMMC Law, GT can Leeuwen, TS Wijesinghe, and JK Lee). This lifts the total to an amazing 41 Biology Scholarships since 2016. We also have one student (Angus Whitteker) who was successful in the first round of the NZ Biology Olympiad and so gained entry to the tutorial programme for 2023–2024 competition.
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