celebrate the Kiwi spirit – rounded out the week on Friday, with the boys encouraged to come to school wearing red socks to show their support for the Sir Peter Blake Trust. There are a number of people who deserve my thanks. In particular, the committee members: Sam Barnett, Toby Beale, Jack Drage, Louis Gunn, Thomas McClean and Max Surveyor. All of these boys took up the challenge of being part of the committee this year and all contributed significantly to its effectiveness. They were very easy to work with and organise, and on numerous occasions made my role that much easier. Of course the impact of mentor and teacher Darrell Thatcher cannot be understated. His organisational skills and commitment to all students at College is unbelievable. I would like to thank him for everything he has done for me in my time at College and in particular this year in my leadership position. I would like to finish by wishing Jack Drage all the best as he takes over the role of Head of Character & Leadership in 2020. I have no doubt he will have a great impact on the committee and College during his tenure. Nicholas Lidstone Head of Character & Leadership ENVIRONMENT The 2019 Environment Committee has been very busy this year. Teacher David Newton has been an inspiration to many students, and to say he is very dedicated to this cause is a huge understatement. The committee has been involved in potting up seedlings in our school nursery, and plantings out in the Red Zone and marshes near Taiora QEII Recreation and Sport Centre. Mr Newton and I set a goal to try and increase student participation in these events this year, and it was certainly a success, with many people taking up the opportunity to get involved.
The opportunities provided by the Environment Committee were mainly in the area of manual labour. Every Tuesday after school, the committee and anyone who was willing to lend a hand, would be out in the school nursery potting up plants and preparing them to be nurtured before being planted out. College boys and some Rangi Ruru Girls’ School students generously gave up to one hour each week to help grow plants from seedlings and look after the nursery. When the plants were mature enough to be planted out, the committee and a large group of Year 10 boys involved in the Immerse & Inspire programme would head across town to put these plants in the ground, which involved digging the holes, watering the plants, and mulching the surroundings to stop weeds growing. The turnout at these plantings was great, with easily over 60 students from College, about 10 parents, and 10 other members of
the public coming to help out each time. With all these helping hands, the plantings were very efficient and a lot of work was able to be done. These sessions were two hours long and happened twice each term, with this initiative resulting in over 2500 plants being planted throughout the year. The goal with our planting in the Red Zone is to bring some life back into the abandoned site. We want to create a flourishing public space where native birds will roam, and the public can sit down and enjoy a picnic in the native bush with some great scenery. The work the committee has done this year was rewarded not only by the sight of seeing all these new plants in the ground, but also by the committee being awarded a $500 “Local Heroes Award” from the Coffee Culture Charitable Foundation. Applicants from all over New Zealand can apply and the awards are given to initiatives
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Christ’s College Canterbury
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