PASTORAL CARE Boarding Programme
Another year has passed within the boarding community, with another raft of activities to keep the opportunities in boarding alive for the boys. We started the year with the interhouse challenge day at the end of the first week, followed by Year 9 students coasteering and Year 10 students on the high ropes on Waitangi Day, and the annual Year 9 trip to Hanmer for jet boating and hot pools at the end of the second week. The remaining students battled it out against each other on trips to paintball that same weekend. These early weekends full of activities are immensely valuable, as they provide opportunities for boys across the Houses to mix and for students who are new to boarding to have a chance to get to know the other boys in a social setting. Standard activities featured this year include numerous trips to the movies, surfing at Sumner, ice skating, trampolining at Mega Air, trips to escape rooms, laser strike, bowling, blow karting and go karting, archery tag, the high wire course at Adrenalin Forest, climbing and abseiling at Clip ’n Climb, and whacking it out at the golf driving range. Activities which really stood out this year include watching the Crusaders climb to the top yet again at a number of Super Rugby matches; trips to Hoyts to wrap up the Marvel Infinity Saga, watching Captain Marvel, Avengers: Endgame , and Spiderman: Far From Home ; a mystery trip to Hanmer Springs in the middle of winter; and trips to Airsoft at two different locations, in the middle and at the end of the year, were a hit with the boys involved. This was the last year for the Year 11 Challenge Day, which was hotly contested yet again, but ultimately
won by Richards House. The Joshua Foundation has been our host for this competition over the last few years, but this is the last year they are able to offer this programme, so we will be finding a new way to award the cup in 2020. With the leadership and assistance of Head of Department – Physics David Newton, College has joined forces with Shirley Boys’ High School and the Avon-O ¯ ta ¯ karo Forest Park network in an ambitious project to replant areas of the Red Zone in Burwood. Twice a term throughout the year the boarding students were given the opportunity to assist with this fantastic conservation project as part of the boarding programme. Some trips involved the preparation of mulch, while other times it was the planting of new seedlings. This was a great project for the boarding community to be involved in during the year, with mostly just junior students taking up the opportunity (due to the compulsory nature
of weekend activities for them). Hopefully, when this project expands further in 2020, more senior students will get involved. The Year 11 agriculture programme through the National Trades Academy continued this year. There were around a dozen students involved in the programme, which helps them develop their agricultural skills and knowledge, while earning NZQA accredited unit standards along the way. A number of students completed the defensive driving course through the AA Driving School again this year, and a small group of students completed barista courses through Ara. As for the other courses we make available for seniors, the majority of Year 13 students had sat these courses in 2018, so we aim to offer them again in 2020.
Scott Franklin Assistant Housemaster – Richards House
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Christ’s College Canterbury
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