CHRIST’S COLLEGE MAGAZINE
ISSUE 32 SUMMER 2017
ISSUE 32 Contents
Prizegiving
Values
College Dux
04 05 06 07 11 12 14 16 18 19 20 22 25 27 28 30 32 34
Positive Education Conference Acting locally, thinking globally
68 70 72 74 74
Proxime Accessit
2017 University Scholarships
Be Inspired conference enthuses audience Garth Wynne continues his Community Visits
Prizegiving 2016
Senior Prizegiving Photos Sportsmen of the Year
The Centre for Ethics & Spirituality
Heritage
Head Prefect 2017
Deputy Head Prefect 2017
Completion of the Tower Block a milestone
77 78
“We will remember them”
Academic
News & Events
NZQA Scholarship Awards for 2016 College reviews its curriculum
Colin Sweetman retiring after 21 years as Bursar Architect Alec Bruce on Colin Sweetman
80 81 82 83
Te Reo in Year 9
The junior English experience Setting the scene for future learning
Welcome John Quinn
Hamish Thomas heads to Cambridge University 84 A personal memory of Tony Holland from a friend and Colleague 86 Sam Neill drops into College
Extending students’ skills Lifting literacy for Year 9s Outstanding photographer
Student Writing
Exchanges enrich lives
Development Office
Culture
2017 Annual Appeal
88 89 90 91
Campaign begins. For the boys. For our future.
Treasure Island Junior production
36 41 42 43 45 46
Sponsorship
The boys have their say
What College means to me
Chinese dumplings taste so good College debaters success Scape Sculptures on the Quad
The Quadrangle
New rock band tutor Nolan Hungerford
From the President
92 94 94 95 97
Old Boys’ Race
Boarding
Young Old Boys (YOBs) From Christchurch to Kabul
College’s new Director of Boarding and The Centre for Character & Leadership 50 The Centre for Character & Leadership 51 New project to encourage character and leadership 52 2017 Head of Boarding 54
Reunions Reports
CCOBA 2017 Calendar
100 101 102
Events Deaths
Sport
Making a splash
56 61 62
A fantastic athletics spectacle
Summer sport summary
GARTH WYNNE From our Executive Principal
Since the beginning of this year, the College Board and Executive, with input from the wider community, have been working toward the creation of a new strategic plan to direct College priorities toward 2020. Thoughtful respect for the past has been combined with the needs of the present and our hope for the future. Through this process our College motto, mission, and Gospel-inspired virtues have all been re-affirmed and we have articulated that we will work within a strategic environment where “innovation and excellence are wrapped in tradition”. Our vision, the aspiration within and beyond ourselves for now and the future, has been stated in this way: Christ’s College will be a vibrant school community that educates boys to be men of virtuous character who make a positive contribution to society. In the context of College , it is the word “vibrant” from our vision that
stands out for me. A vibrant school is full of energy and life, it is high- spirited, dynamic, vigorous and vital. This publication so captures this in the stories it tells of our boys, staff and community. The words and photographs present a wonderful tapestry of our programme and its celebration of success in all its forms. It presents boys, busy and fulfilled by stimulating environments. It recognises the centrality of relationships as the key to all we do. All of this is achieved through the combined efforts of supportive and helpful parents, wonderful staff and remarkable boys. Please enjoy this slice of our vision in action.
Garth Wynne Christ’s College Executive Principal
Christ’s College Magazine Issue 32, Summer 2017
Director of Admissions, Marketing & Communications: Claire Sparks +64 3 364 6803 csparks@christscollege.com
College Magazine Writer: Kristi Gray +64 3 364 6801 kgray@christscollege.com Graphic Designer: Melissa Hogan +64 3 364 8655 mcurtis@christscollege.com
Change of Address: Admissions Registrar
Sarah Fechney +64 3 364 6836 registrar@christscollege.com
Printing: Caxton
CONNOR LEADLEY College Dux
Science is a passion for 2016 College Dux, Connor Leadley. He was chosen to represent New Zealand at the 2016 International Biology Olympiad in Vietnam, where he won a silver medal, which he says came as a complete surprise.
five academic students in his year group. He has also been a regular feature in assemblies for High Distinction awards in competitions across most subject areas,’’ says Darrell. Connor comes from a farm east of Ashburton. He was not planning on coming to College, but he had skipped Year 8 and decided to take the entrance exam at College to see how he fitted in academically. “While initially I missed my family, coming to College as a boarder was the best thing that ever happened to me. I went from being a big fish in a small pond to being a small fish in a big pond and, though I had never done science in primary school, I soon got into the swing of it all. “The last years were a bit of a different experience as there were no junior boarders coming into Jacobs, but with 20 to 30 senior boarders, we were a very tight- knit community. Some of my most valued moments have been messing around with my mates.’’ Darrell Thatcher says “Connor was always motivated to succeed and was well-respected for his willingness to get involved in House activities. This sent a positive message to younger members of the House about giving things a go and representing Jacobs with pride.’’
“They read out the awards from the lowest bronze medal to the highest gold, so by the time all the bronzes were awarded, I had resigned myself to getting nothing. But in the end, I did come home with my shiny piece of metal after having had an amazing experience.’’ Connor say the Olympiad was the highlight of his time at College. He only took part when a fellow Jacobs boarder persuaded him to go to the Chemistry Olympiad, where he found to his delight that he was “good at science Olympiads’’. “I met all sorts of people from all sorts of different countries. The New Zealand team also became friendly with the teams which were similar alphabetically, which was the way they were ordered for the competition. I made friends with the teams from the Netherlands, Nigeria and Norway. The best thing about the trip was not the sightseeing or the silver medal, but the people I met. There were so many awesome people from all around the world, and I hope I can keep in contact with all of them.’’ Jacobs Housemaster Mr Darrell Thatcher says Connor has been outstanding academically and it is a case of where to start when outlining his successes. “Gold Badges for achieving 100 credits at Excellence level in NCEA Level 1 and Level 2 were topped off by his being awarded a College Gold Tie for being one of the top
“I went from being a big fish in a small pond to a small fish in a big pond.” Connor Leadley
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CHRISTOPHER BROWN Proxime Accessit
One of the biggest successes in the College career of 2016 Runner-up to Dux Christopher Brown was winning a gold medal in the New Zealand Mathematics Olympiad, which made him one of the top 30 student mathematicians in the country.
Another highlight was representing New Zealand at the 2015 International Olympiad in Informatics in Kazakhstan, where he gained a bronze medal, making him one of the the best young computer scientists in the world. Christopher says his father stimulated his interest in computing. “I have been messing around with computer operating systems for a long time, trying to make them run properly. I have also enjoyed reading maths books, including Ian Stewart, who has three interesting collections of maths problems.’’ Housemaster Ben Vink says Christopher is an extremely diligent student who has a great sense of justice and always stands up for what he believes in. His personality has made him an influential member of his year group and the wider school community. “Throughout 2016, Christopher was an academic role model both formally and informally. He was regarded as one of the top academic students that College has had in recent years. He has always worked closely with his teachers to draw on what they know and what they could help him with specifically. I like the fact that he is ambitious,’’ says Ben. Christopher is also a keen biologist and is interested in a future career combining the three subjects he most enjoys – computing, mathematics and biology.
“I am thinking about a triple major at the University of Canterbury,’’ he says. “I am interested in the idea that you can apply both biology and computing to complex problems.’’
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CELEBRATING OUR 2017 University Scholarships
Congratulations to the Year 13 students who were offered university scholarships for tertiary study in 2017.
Tom Botting University of Otago Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship University of Auckland Top Achiever Scholarship Jonty Brakenridge Victoria University Excellence Scholarship University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Entrance Scholarship University of Canterbury College of Business & Law Award for Excellence Christopher Brown University of Canterbury Mathematics and Statistics University of Canterbury Computer Science High Achievers Award University of Canterbury College of Engineering, Mathematics and Statistics STAR Scholarship Matt Cooper Lincoln University Global Challenges Scholarship Jared Chin University of Canterbury Emerging Leaders Scholarship University of Canterbury College of Business & Law Award for Excellence Angus Dysart-Paul Russell McVeagh School Leavers Scholarship Reid Edmond University of Auckland Top Achiever Scholarship Auckland University of Technology (AUT) Vice- Chancellor’s Significant Student Scholarship Massey University High Achiever Scholarship (Academic) Massey University High Achiever Scholarship (Sport) Massey Business School Future Leaders Scholarship Angus Gray University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Entrance Scholarship
Joe Hutchinson University of Otago Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship Young Sung Jang University of Otago Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship Hunter McKenzie University of Kentucky Scholarship and placement University of Alabama Scholarship and placement Connor Leadley University of Otago Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship University of Auckland Top Achiever Scholarship Matthew Moore University of Otago Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship Hamish Penrose University of Otago Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship
Ngane Punivai Lincoln University Sports Scholarship
Rowan Taylor University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Entrance Scholarship University of Otago Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship
Kale Thatcher Lincoln University Sports Scholarship
Hamish Thomas University of Otago Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship
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MAJOR PRIZE WINNERS Prizegiving 2016
Citations from Mr Rob Donaldson – Deputy Principal
Angus Gray
Head Prefect’s Prize and the Ormsby Medal
“The Head Prefect’s role is challenging. He has to represent the interests of his peers, the junior boys and be loyal to the school. He is often called upon at short notice to deal with problems and resolve conflicts. Angus has risen to these challenges magnificently this year. His leadership is founded on humility and integrity and he has never put his own interests ahead of those of others. He has dealt with a hectically busy schedule, as well as personal challenges, with great courage, resolve and maturity. He was in the 1st rowing eight and the 1st XV, but did not allow these commitments to overshadow his leadership role and his academic priorities. He led the prefects with great skill. He was an outstanding ambassador for the school on many occasions. He has treated all boys and staff with respect and has been a role model for aspiring leaders. He has also been very adaptable, has welcomed the enhancement of student voice at College and has fostered a more democratic approach to student leadership.
We thank him for all he has done and wish him all the best for the future.”
Connor Leadley
Wacher Prize for Academic Head of School
“Our Dux this year, as you have seen, has amassed an impressive tally of subject prizes. Furthermore, Connor’s NCEA results are superb. He achieved a Scholarship in Statistics in 2015. This year he was selected for the New Zealand Biology Olympiad team and received a silver medal, coming 66th out of 253 international competitors. He has an exemplary approach to his studies. He has impressed his teachers with his academic maturity, motivation, diligence, self-discipline and scholastic consistency. He has been offered the Academic Excellence Entrance Scholarship for Otago University and the Top Achiever Scholarship from the University of Auckland. Connor has achieved all of this while being involved in the wider life of the school through sport and community service. He has succeeded with cheerful humility and is a role model for those aspiring to be the best that they can be.”
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Christopher Brown
Runner up to the Wacher Prize for Academic Head of School
“The recipient is a fine scholar, with an enquiring mind. Christopher is an outstanding academic role model and is respected by the students for his intellect and achievements. He achieved a Scholarship in Statistics in Year 10 – then again in Year 12, while achieving Scholarship in Calculus in Year 11 and an Outstanding Scholarship in Calculus in Year 12. These results are extraordinary. Other achievements include being in the New Zealand Informatics Olympiad team for three years and winning an Olympiad bronze medal in 2015. He has co-authored four papers for mathematics journals, achieved an A plus for his university STAR mathematics course and achieved outstanding NCEA results. This year he was awarded three scholarships for mathematics and computer science from the University of Canterbury.”
George Blake
Executive Principal’s Prize for Service
“The first recipient has made a huge impact on the culture of the school this year. George volunteered to run the Sports Support Committee and then took a number of initiatives to dramatically improve the quality of sports support at College. These included arranging new supporting chants, as well as chanting rehearsals for the school. Most striking though, was his passion for support and his determination to support teams in all codes, in all conditions and at far-flung venues. He became a familiar sight, dressed in black and white, waving a College banner and urging College teams on with the help of a megaphone. His dedication helped to lift sporting morale and contributed in no small way to our outstanding successes, in many codes, in 2016.”
Jonty Brakenridge
Executive Principal’s Prize for Service
“The second recipient was Head of the Humanitarian Committee. Jonty was also Head of Rolleston House and therefore carried two substantial and time-consuming leadership roles. The Humanitarian Committee supported a very worthy charity, the Cholmondeley Children’s Centre and raised $13,000 for Cholmondeley in a variety of ways. These included sausage sizzles, the Year 10 dance, the Year 11 semi-formal and donations from Thought Leaders’ seminars, where Jonty acted as the student host. The dances required a substantial organisational effort and were a great success. Jonty also organised a food collection for the Anglican City Mission. His committee functioned well because of his excellent organisational skills and ability to delegate. He served the school and community with humility and clarity of purpose.”
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Angus Dysart-Paul
Executive Principal’s Prize for Service
“The third recipient was a Head of House, a Chapel Prefect and Head of the Students Against Dangerous Driving Committee. Angus managed all of these roles with great dedication and skill. He was particularly effective in his Chapel Prefect role and was also a College student representative on the Anglican Synod. He organised community service support for the Christchurch City Mission, as well as for the RSA. He supported the Boarding Committee, the Environment Committee and attended the Environmental Leadership forum for school students. He managed all of this while being heavily involved in the choir, drama productions, debating and Model United Nations. In these activities, he mentored junior students and acted as an outstanding role model. All this, and more, was undertaken with selfless humility and dedication to College’s values.”
Ngane Punivai
Executive Principal’s Prize for Service
“The final recipient is the Deputy Head Prefect. Ngane managed his Deputy portfolio with great skill, supporting the Head Prefect loyally and acting as an outstanding leadership role model to the prefects and other boys in the school. He was chair of the Ball Committee this year and captain of the 1st XV. He provided superb service to the school in both roles. The captaincy provided him with an opportunity to lead a resurgent 1st XV with great mana and humility, while serving as an inspiration on the field. Through all of this, he continued to make an outstanding contribution to Corfe House and to act as an ambassador for the school on public and promotional occasions. He has upheld the values of the school and set a very high standard of service and leadership, to which other students can aspire.”
Rowan Taylor
HM Chrystall Prize for All-round Merit in Sport and Scholarship
“The recipient of this award exemplifies the holistic education that College offers and the opportunities this school provides to excel in more than one sphere. Rowan was in the 1st eight and 1st four which won their events at the Maadi regatta. He was captain of the 1st XI hockey side and played 120 games for this side in his time at College. This team won the Christchurch Schools’ Premier League competition and came 10th at the Rankin Cup. He was awarded the best senior hockey player of the year for College. He has attained scholastic success, having received a Gold Badge twice. He has also been involved in the choir as well as drama productions, to provide balance to his sport and academia. Rowan has been awarded the Otago University Vice-Chancellor’s Scholarship for Academic Excellence as well as a leadership scholarship.”
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Henry Rolleston
Will Burns “The recipient has made an enormous contribution to the life of the school. William was head of the Arts and Cultural Committee. He was also Head of the Chapel Choir and a member of Schola Cantorum. His choral leadership was highly acclaimed and he has been an excellent role model for younger members of the choir. He has made an impressive impact in the arts in his time at College, in junior and senior productions, as well as in the Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival. He also directed the most recent Christ’s College/St Margaret’s film called A Perfect Child and was a member of the successful College Theatresports team. His crowning achievement was the creation of the College Arts Week. He initiated this festival and, against the odds, brought it to fruition. The week was a huge success and enjoyed by all. He even managed to get celebrities all over New Zealand, including the Prime Minister, to wish us well for the event.” Somes Prize for Outstanding Overall Contribution to the Arts and General Scholarship “This recipient is passionate about drama and music and has devoted a huge amount of energy to the performing arts at College. Henry was the lead role in the senior productions of Dr Faustus and Our House . These very different roles were demanding and allowed Henry to showcase his considerable talent. He was the student leader on the Round Square performing arts trip to Malaysia and was the leader of the highly successful College Theatresports team. He was Deputy Head of the Chapel Choir and a member of Schola Cantorum. He has received Honours Ties for drama, choir and theatresports this year and has maintained a good academic record. Henry has been accepted into the prestigious The Actors’ Program, a one-year theatre intensive held in Auckland. Through all of this, Henry has gone beyond a display of talent by providing dedicated service to the arts at College.’’ Maling Memorial Prize for Outstanding Service to the School
Christ’s College Interhouse Competition Trophy The trophy goes to the House which has amassed the most points in interhouse competitions, both sporting and cultural. For the first time, we had joint winners in 2016: Condell’s and Harper (the trophy was collected by Jamie Marshall-Lee from Harper and Matt Durant from Condell’s). In third place was Somes House.
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Senior Prizegiving Photos
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MAJOR PRIZE WINNERS Sportsmen of the Year
“Everything I do is not just for me, but to repaymy family.” Ngane Punivai with loss. It was a learning curve as they had not played the way they wanted and were overwhelmed by the atmosphere on the day. However, Ngane says it gave them a challenge and they just got on with it. NGANE’S HISTORY • Medbury 1st XV in Year 7 and 8 • Canterbury Metro under-65kg team • Year 10 Canterbury under-16 team • Year 11 College 1st XV and Canterbury under-16 team • Year 12 Captain 1st XV • Canterbury Metro under-18 development side (B side) • Vice-captain Crusaders Junior Knights under-18 team • NZ Secondary Schools’ team
2016 SENIOR SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR Ngane Punivai
I enjoyed being part of a different sport, but I loved the physical nature of rugby and I switched back. I made my first rep side in the Hutt under-11 team and, after that, it has been a series of steps up, all of which has given me a real sense of achievement.’’ Goal setting is an important part of family life for the Punivais. At the beginning of each year, the family of six sit down at the kitchen table working out their individual set of “smart goals’’ for the year and reviewing their past achievements. “This is why everything I do is not just for me, but to repay my family,’’ says Ngane. “I think this is an important part of who you are and helps make you a good leader because you want to share this with others. At our camp this year, I was happy to help the team set realistic and achievable goals.’’ He says this helped the team with the loss to CBHS. They had not lost a game during the season so it was a new experience as a team dealing
It would perhaps be an understatement to say that rugby is the main passion of the 2016 Senior Sportsman of the Year, 1st XV Captain Ngane Punivai, but that does not mean it comes at the expense of everything else in his life. He was an excellent Deputy Head Prefect, took part in athletics, plays the guitar, organised the senior ball and still found time to take take part in House activities. Ngane first started playing rugby at the age of four and one of his earliest memories is of running in the sawdust doing drills for the nursery grade team. Both his parents played club rugby and he says watching his father was an inspiration, even though he was not in the top side. “He had no expectations about my playing rugby and I started playing football when I was seven or eight.
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2016 JUNIOR SPORTSMAN OF THE YEAR Nicholas Lidstone
“I like the contest between bowler and bat, and trying to get the opposition out. I like the battle and the intrigue. The best part, though, is off the field when there is camaraderie with the other team and you can chat about the game you have just been playing. I find cricket is not as bruising as rugby and your size doesn’t matter. It means anyone can be good at cricket because it’s about tactics and mental strength rather than physical strength.’’ But Nick has now broken with family tradition, turning his attention to hockey. “Cricket is my summer sport and, for a while, I played football as my winter sport. But then I got a bit bored, and looked for something new, becoming the first one in my family to play hockey. I find the
game really enjoyable and like the fact you can make friends around the country easily, meeting them at national tournaments. “Hockey requires speed and skill, using such a small ball. No two game scenarios are the same and each game is enjoyable because you never know what is going to happen.’’ But sport is not Nick’s only interest. He plays trumpet in the Big Band, French horn in the College orchestra, and also sings in the Chapel Choir and Schola Cantorum. It can be a very long day for Nick, who sometimes does not get home before 9pm. “It can sometimes be a bit of a struggle fitting study in as well as my other interests, but it’s how I like it to be. Each activity has its own group of friends and being with them can seem like downtime.’’
Cricket has long been a passion for 2016 Junior Sportsman of the Year, Nick Lidstone, but he now finds hockey is taking precedence as his main sport. It all makes for a very busy life. Nick started playing cricket when he was four, playing with his two older brothers and cricketing father at the Halswell Cricket Club. This meant, when he was chosen for his age group team in Year 5 at primary school, he knew plenty about the game and was well drilled in game tactics, an important part of the sport. “Cricket is big in our family, with my dad as a coach and my brothers still playing,’’ says Nick.
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BEN MARSHALL-LEE Head Prefect 2017
to focus on achieving some of these ideas this year. • I would like to be seen as a role model, a voice for all boys at school and to be remembered as a leader who could help make changes and improvements. What differences would you like to make in your role? • One of the main changes I would like to make is changing the partial segregation that exists through the House system. I still think the House system is an amazing aspect of the school, but it can keep boys separated from other Houses during breaks. To try and fix this, I want to get the boys out of their Houses at lunchtimes, mingling
How do you see your role as Head Prefect? • I see my role as putting me in a position to help make the school a better place for the boys. This gives me the opportunity to voice my own ideas for improvements, with the aim to leave the school in a better place than when I first arrived. • I believe the boys are one of the most powerful tools I have to achieve this. A great example of this are the newly-formed student senate meetings. After attending the first one, I have already started to develop a picture of how the boys would like to see the school in the future, and will look
with other Houses and year groups. This term, we have been encouraging boys to get out on Upper and kick a ball around or play a game of touch. It has been really successful. • Another change I would like to implement is setting up social sport within the school. At this stage, it looks like touch is the most popular idea for this. • I would also like to continue to develop the emerging student voice. In line with this, I would like to see more opportunities for student-led leadership and events, with more activities such as Arts Week.
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“I urge every boy to embrace all opportunities and seize the moment. It is those who jump on any opportunity in life who build their own pathway to success.” BenMarshall-Lee
What are your interests? • I am really into the outdoors. We do a lot of snow skiing at Treble Cone in winter, and then spend heaps of time in summer on Lake Wanaka water skiing. At school, I am really into athletics (mainly the long distance events), and cross country in the winter. I also like to do multi-sport events when I can, and love to head up into the hills and go mountain biking. What is your background? • I grew up in Wellington and left there when I was seven.
We came to Christchurch and I went to Fendalton Primary School. From there, I had a year at Cobham Intermediate, a year at Medbury, and then started College in Year 9. What is your message for the College juniors? • As junior boys, you will not realise just how quickly your time at College will fly by. I think you should take as many opportunities as possible because I know my time has been made really enjoyable by the experiences I have had
and the relationships I have formed. Most of these have come through school trips and House activities. We are very lucky that College presents us with so many opportunities, but we must not take them for granted. I urge every boy to embrace all opportunities and seize the moment. It is those who jump on any opportunity in life who build their own pathway to success.
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SAM CAMERON-DUNN Deputy Head Prefect 2017
Sam started his education in a small rural school near Blenheim, then followed his two older brothers to College.
“We chose to come to College because of the sporting and academic opportunities,’’ he says. “The school just seemed to be a good fit for my brothers, and it was natural for me to follow in their footsteps. As a boarder, at first it was a bit daunting being away from home, but once I arrived, the caring boarding house staff and positive environment in the House made the transition much easier. I guess it also helped having Tom, my older brother there to support me whenever I needed any help.’’ Both sport and academic work are important to Sam. He has been in the 1st X1 football team since Year 11 and says he has really enjoyed playing for College with such a great group of boys. “I love my sport, but the academic side of College has always been the primary focus for me – balancing Deputy Head Prefect business, NCEA and Scholarship. I have learnt time management is key and I try to keep everything in balance, especially this year, which is the last year with my friends before we all go our separate ways.” Sam enjoys working with Head Prefect Ben Marshall-Lee, saying “I can’t think of anyone better to work with than Ben. We know each other’s strengths and weaknesses well and I think we make a really good team. “I think all boys should aspire towards leadership roles, as through the role you develop great
“I think all boys should aspire towards leadership roles. As through the role you develop great skills for later in life such as public speaking and time
management.” SamCameron-Dunn
skills for later in life, such as public speaking and time management.” So far this year Sam says he has been impressed with the changes being made around the school. “It has been great to see more boys taking leadership with student-led initiatives that push for a stronger student voice in the school. The staff genuinely listen to students
and want to make College the best it can be for the boys. “I’m certainly looking forward to the rest of 2017, as it continues to be another successful year for Christ’s College.’’
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Give me knowledge and I can change the world.
At Christ’s College, every boy is encouraged to have an academic sense of purpose. This is what has motivated me to reach my potential. Our teachers encourage us to push ourselves further, providing us with opportunities to take part in a wide range of examinations. It’s helped many of us win scholarships at some of the world’s top universities. I think it’s all down to the way teachers work closely with each of us, working out how they can best help us as individuals strive to achieve our very best.
Each boy at his best.
www.christscollege.com
ACADEMIC AWARDS NZQA Scholarship Awards for 2016
Congratulations to those students who gained NZQA Scholarship in 2016. Christ’s College students were awarded 39 scholarships, including seven outstanding scholarships.
Christopher Brown Chemistry, Physics (Outstanding), Statistics, Calculus Simon Brown Statistics Tom Botting
Connor Leadley Biology, Chemistry (Outstanding), Physics, Statistics Samuel McGuire English
2016 NCEA Results
In NCEA, Christ’s College boys consistently out-perform students in other decile 8–10 schools, with results that are well above national averages. All College students in each year group sit NCEA. Below is a comparison of combined Merit and Excellence endorsements for Christ’s College compared with other decile 8–10 schools.
Matthew Moore Biology, Statistics (Outstanding), Geography Jack Murison English, Biology Simon Patterson Physics Henry Rolleston Drama Cameron Stevenson Calculus
English, Biology, Statistics (Outstanding), Economics William Burns Drama Benjamin Clark Drama Reid Edmond Drama Logan Finlay Visual Arts (Painting) Harry Holland Accounting Joseph Hutchinson Biology (Outstanding), Young Sung Jang Statistics Samuel Julian Visual Arts (Photography) (Outstanding), Design and Visual Communication Seungje Jung Calculus
Christ’s College
LEVEL 1 89.3%
LEVEL 2 73.3%
LEVEL 3 56.4%
Hamish Thomas English, Biology (Outstanding), Physics, Statistics Michael Williams Physics, Statistics William Win English
Decile 8–10 schools
LEVEL 1 69.8%
LEVEL 2 57.1%
LEVEL 3 53%
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ACADEMIC College reviews its curriculum
In a bid to ensure all learning is relevant and fit for purpose, since 2016 College has been undertaking a curriculum review. Assistant Principal – Curriculum Joe Eccleton has been leading the charge.
“The purpose of a curriculum review is to ensure we deliver world-class programmes and that our teaching and learning is innovative, cutting edge and, most particularly, relevant to the future,’’ he says. “The number one priority we want to ensure is personalisation, so that each boy has his own platform to be at his best. What that really means is we want all boys to come to College, find their passion and pursue it, with our teaching staff supporting them along the way. “We need to ensure we are considering alternative pathways for our students. Fundamentally, we want all boys to develop a love of learning both during their time at College and later on, so they are curious for the rest of their lives.
“We believe the key to success for boys is to have a thirst for knowledge, so they can adapt and be successful in the changing nature of the work force.” Joe says the current curriculum review will lead to the development of key competencies, such as problem solving, critical thinking and adopting a global perspective. “A curriculum review is a long process rather than a quick fix,’’ he says. “NCEA provides us with the opportunity to be flexible in the way we assess students, while still maintaining academic excellence, so we can be creative in what we teach and how we are teaching. “Our focus is about personal excellence. Not everyone gets a Gold Tie or a Scholarship.
“The number one prioritywe want to ensure is personalisation,so that each boy has his own platformto be at his best.” Joe Eccleton They do, however, have the chance to achieve their own personal goals for excellence, whether it’s a Merit or even an Achieved. We want each boy to set his goals and go for them. Reaching those goals is the real achievement.’’
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A NEW PERSPECTIVE Te Reo in Year 9
The aim of the new Year 9 Te Reo programme is to ensure College becomes a school which embraces our New Zealand heritage and diversity.
Teacher Steve Everingham says it is essential to have a Te Reo class, as there is a strong appetite among parents and the community for such a programme. “It is a natural progression to take the three-day Year 9 immersion programme we have been running at the end of each year and to extend it,’’ he says. “Now, all Year 9 boys have two periods a week throughout the whole year, where they can spend more time experiencing Te Reo and Tikanga Maori – the Maori way of doing things. “In most New Zealand secondary schools, it is common practice to have powhiri and, as with the haka, it is important to do this properly and with meaning. By having all boys who enter the school receive a detailed analysis of Tikanga Maori, such as the etiquette of a powhiri, they come to understand the meaning of such ceremonies and the wider
cultural aspects.’’
“I’ve been wanting to get more understanding of Maori culture, especially Maori rights, the place of women, tribes and iwi. In fact, I would like to have a full Te Reo class and learn Maori as, after all, it is one of the languages of New Zealand. I’m enjoying it so much, I wish we could keep up the continuity over the week by having three periods instead of two.’’ For Callum Hackston, the best part has been that previously his study had been whole-class based, but the work this term has delved into how it relates to each boy personally, to his own heritage. “It’s important for us to understand the issues that face all our society, and to be able to be familiar with things such as the stages of a powhiri, to know exactly what is happening when and why, rather than to just be passive observers. Knowing the cultural meaning behind each
Most boys coming to College have some knowledge of Te Reo and Maori protocol from primary school, but the year-long programme aims to also look at wider issues, says Steve. Three Year 9 boys – George Geary, Claude Tellick and Callum Hackston – are enthusiastic about the new programme. George Geary says it has been really good as they have not just started with the basics, as they did at primary school. As well as learning Maori vocabulary and useful protocol, they have been looking at issues such as the Treaty of Waitangi. They have also been focusing on Maori society and how this has been changing over the past centuries. Claude Tellick says he has also been interested in what they have been studying this term.
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part of a ceremony makes it much more meaningful. “I feel it is important to get rid of the feeling of them and us, and being part of a powhiri is one small step towards fully experiencing our bicultural heritage.’’ Steve Everingham says he is impressed with the way the boys have embraced the programme and are so keen to learn. “I’m also impressed with their knowledge of modern issues such as treaty settlements and, on the whole, I think they are aware of the issues around cultural imbalance. By the end of the term, they should be competent to introduce themselves with their mihi and be aware of their tribal identity. We do have boys identifying from South Island iwi and it is also important that we recognise this.’’
“I feel it is important to get rid of the feeling of themand us,and being part of a powhiri is one small step towards fully experiencing our bicultural heritage.” CallumHackston
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ACADEMIC The junior English experience
English teacher Melissa Campbell outlines the current practices in the College junior English programmes.
“We pride ourselves on delivering a programme which encourages each boy at his best. In doing so, we are increasingly shifting our focus towards providing greater differentiation in the junior English courses, thus honouring both the diverse young men before us and the New Zealand Curriculum. As the New Zealand Curriculum argues, this means that making the curriculum accessible for all students may require thinking outside the square in daily practice. This requires College staff to be prepared to do things differently,
to work towards a shift from being a “routine expert” to an “adaptive expert” (Timperley, 2011). “English Department planning is moving towards thinking more flexibly about how to organise teaching and learning. For example, a class may all be working in the same learning area and participating in shared learning activities. However, simultaneously, some students may be working with different content, within different curriculum levels, toward different learning outcomes, or in relation to different assessment criteria.
“English students at College are increasingly invited to contribute decisions on these different approaches in the light of the outcomes that are of value to them. One Year 9 class worked collaboratively with their teacher to decide what they wanted to explore in respect to New Zealand and Pasifika short texts. Given the choice, they showed a genuine interest in exploring questions they wanted to investigate. Close reading skills were taught to enable students to make an independent investigation. One student chose to explore the most popular themes in contemporary
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“The days of only teacher-led learning have long gone. In its place are more collaborative teacher and student learning relationships.” Melissa Campbell
a genuine love of learning and an awareness of their unique characteristics as a learner. “In short, our English students have choice and they have voice. “These are, arguably, two key ingredients necessary to meet each individual’s learning needs.’’
Maori poetry. Another chose to explore expressions about nature in New Zealand poetry. These students also chose how they would demonstrate their learning. The result was greater engagement because of much greater ownership of what each boy wished to learn.
“The days of only teacher-led learning have long gone. In its place are more collaborative teacher and student learning relationships. Creating these relationships takes a great deal of skill, time and effort, but the collaboration is far more effective at ensuring boys develop
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DIGITAL THINKING Setting the scene for future learning
Entering a classroom where boys are taking part in the new digital thinking programme for all Year 9s is to see technology in action as they create music, animation, and web design and coding. The class is buzzing, enthusiastic and eager to learn.
“Down the track, we want to look at introducing Arduinos and involving the boys in making their own circuit boards, rather than using Makey Makey circuits and computers. “Our vision is to cross subject boundaries so we are not just teaching digital and material technology, but can combine these with other subjects so we become truly multidisciplinary.’’ Kevin Harris says parents are fully supportive of these changes and understand the difference between digital literacy, which is using technology, and boys creating their
own digital technology as a means of solving problems, especially in the workplace. “It is so important that we move the boys from being digital consumers to digital creators. That is the key to all the work we are doing.’’ “Our curriculum area is changing so fast that we need to be the drivers of these changes and to extend the boys so they grow and take control of technology, rather than the other way round. A good example of this is applied science and technology in Year 11, run by Arthur McGregor.
HOD Design and Technology Kevin Harris says the new programme he and Eloise Nevin are running has fully engaged the boys. Eloise teaches HTML web design and coding and Kevin explores the world of physical computing and code, using Scratch coding, which he says is good for introducing logic flow and the idea of programming itself. As part of College’s emphasis on specialisation and personalised learning, boys are encouraged to work on their own projects and those with previous experience are extended beyond the current class work. “Our style of delivery is very much that each boy has his own programme which suits his level of experience and style of learning,’’ Kevin says. “Boys immerse themselves in the programme and that is what digital thinking is all about. It allows them be creative and doesn’t bind them to a rigid plan.
“It allows us to look at the important components of coding, then to look at the
human interface. Things are now controlled by code, but we want them to build understanding of the interconnections between the human physical environment and the digital world.
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“Boys now need to have a growth mindset and learn that what they currently see as ‘fixed and the right way’ may have to change, and they need to look for new ways of doing things. Through our project-based approach, we want them to see technology as a part of physics, science, maths and vice versa. They all fit together. “The Year 9 programme will be constantly evolving as we try out new approaches to suit different boys’ needs,’’ he says.” The key to all this work is about boys learning flexibility, resilience and how to solve problems – skills that will be an essential part of all workplaces in the future. “What we are doing now is just the tip of the iceberg of changes that will occur as technology continues to evolve exponentially. What we hope to see in five years is all teachers, especially those in art, music and science, involved in technology. “While we know academic excellence is important, we also need to build in all our students the capacity to meet the emerging needs of the 21st century.’’
“It is so important that we move the boys from being digital consumers to digital creators. That is the key to all the work we are doing.” KevinHarris
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ADVANCED LEARNING Extending students’ skills
Year 13 student Chris Jung is a mathematics and computing expert who has attended the International Olympiad in Informatics and won awards and prizes for his achievements. But Chris is also keen to share his knowledge and, as part of the Advanced Learning programme, is running after-school classes to help those who are also interested in learning computer programming.
For Chris, it is a chance to discuss his ideas with like-minded friends and to undertake further research in new and unfamiliar areas, as inspired by their work. Warren Lidstone is the Teacher in Charge of Advanced Learning at College. “We try to ensure every boy has the opportunity to pursue any subject or interest he is skilled in or has particular talents in. We want to find ways to extend the knowledge of the boys who want to pursue subjects further and ensure they remain fully engaged in class. For example, we had a student who was a talented mathematician and had reached a level where he needed further extension, so we found him a computer programming class at university. Another group of boys are passionately interested in Model United Nations, so we made sure they took part in their debates.’’ Mr Lidstone talks daily with groups of students undertaking Advanced Learning, acting as a mentor and sounding board for their interests. He is keen to get the boys to take responsibility for and to organise ways to extend their own learning. “We recently organised a session where a guest speaker came to
provoke academic dialogue to a group of students from College and St Margaret’s. Our next idea is to have the students lead this concept and come up with ideas that interest them, rather than my deciding what they might be. It’s all about extending the boys interests in ways that suit them.’’ Another initiative involves Year 11 boys working with Rangi Ruru girls to find collaborative learning pathways. Thus creating social as well as intellectual interactions, and opportunities to meet like- minded people.
“It’s all about extending the boys interests in ways that suit them.” Warren Lidstone Mr Lidstone is working with teachers of Year 11 boys to ensure every able boy is being fully extended and to find the best ways to keep them interested, engaged and enjoying learning.
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LEARNING CENTRE Lifting literacy for Year 9s
College is committed to ensuring each boy’s learning is personalised and based on his individual learning needs.
In the Learning Centre, teacher Kate Morris is running a new Year 9 literacy programme for boys who have come to College with either significant learning needs, or gaps in their basic literacy skills. This programme offers expert tuition designed to lessen these gaps and equip boys with the skills they need to become independent learners. Boys with these needs are identified before entering Year 9.
“We have three groups of five boys who, for some reason or another, need a boost to their knowledge and skills. The main areas of focus are reading fluency and comprehension, punctuation, spelling and grammar, all the skills they need to be independent within their wider school classes,” says Kate. “Most literacy programmes remove students from their mainstream
Participants continue with their normal English classes and come to the programme for three periods a week, instead of attending a second modern languages class. Kate Morris is enthusiastic about the work the boys are doing and believes that, even though the programme has only been running for a term, it has already made a big difference for the boys taking part.
Head of Department for Learning Centre & ESOL, Lesley Anderson-McKenna
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Kate Morris running the Year 9 literacy programme
“We give the boys tools to use so they can fully engage in classwork, making sure we troubleshoot each boy’s individual needs...” KateMorris
and work out what is required.
“While we look at rules and phonological approaches to
spelling where necessary, mostly we target high-use words, using dictation to find out which words are most often misspelt. We can help build the boys’ vocabulary to make them more independent writers. Reading is another key focus. We use a mixture of new technologies alongside tried and true reading strategies. Our aim is to increase each boy’s fluency and to increase their overall level of comprehension. “Understanding what you read is, of course, crucial for academic success. In order for each boy to be his best, we need to meet him at his starting point and develop strategies from there.” Kate Morris says the results of the literacy programme this term have been pleasing, and the future of the programme is promising for both College and the boys involved.
not that different from anyone else here at College. Every boy has areas where there is room for improvement. For these boys, that area is literacy. We introduce them to strategies and technologies that they might not have been taught, or had access to, in the past. “We give the boys tools to use so they can fully engage in classwork, making sure we troubleshoot each boy’s individual needs. We give him the appropriate skills to deal with what lies ahead in his learning. If boys are having trouble in one of their classes, they can bring their work along. Usually it’s a matter of not completely understanding what is being asked of them in a project, so we can talk it through
English classes, but we don’t do that, we give them a skills top-up three times a week so they can remain with the rest of their year level doing the same curriculum. “There is no doubt that coming to grips with these skills gives the boys more self-esteem and confidence,” she says. “They say they no longer feel they are out of their depth or they are the only one who doesn’t know things. Being in a small group also helps them realise other people have challenges in their learning and may be just as reluctant to ask for help, or say they don’t understand something.
“We help them realise they are
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