SERVICE This year was an outstanding reflection of how committed the students and staff at Christ’s College are, and always will be, to serve others and dedicate themselves to a greater cause without the expectation of anything in return. Although it may not have been the year we wanted, 2020 was the one we got! This year showed the willingness of the school to adapt to challenging circumstances as presented, as well as the kindness and thoughtfulness of staff and students who did not give up no matter what. Service within College started with the Colour Your Day fundraiser on Friday 13 March. This was to raise money for St John New Zealand, which was one of the first responders to the Christchurch terror attacks in 2019. The idea was to wear bright clothing to brighten up the day for everyone, while also commemorating the one year anniversary of the attacks. As a school, we raised $800 for this amazing cause. It was a true sign of love and compassion towards a community that continues to be devastated by this atrocity. Next on the schedule was our Lenten Appeal, for which we were supposed to take part in the Relay For Life. This event required each House to fundraise and have members of the House either running or walking around the Nga ¯ Puna Wai athletics track, relaying with other members of the House to create a total walking time of 12 hours. Unfortunately, it was cancelled due to Covid-19, which put a stop to the fundraiser. We also had a group of boys who were all set to go to Samoa in the July school holidays. A completely life-changing experience, this trip offers participants the opportunity to live within and work on projects to help a Samoan village or community. Sadly it could not take place this year, however, Assistant Principal – Community Engagement and Special Projects Neil Porter hopes it will once again go ahead as soon as it is safe to do so.
diverse every year. The international committee serves as a way for College students to celebrate this and facilitate help with integration when needed – for example, by participating in international student events. Our membership of Round Square enables boys, if they choose to do so, to go further and involve themselves in projects or events with students from across the world. Thank you to the Junior Round Square committee, chaired by International Student Manager Deanne Gath, for running a very enjoyable and engaging Junior Round Square assembly to raise awareness of the Round Square IDEALS, and for setting up an interhouse video competition on what Round Square means to the juniors. In years to come, I hope to see the work of the Round Square committee in raising global awareness decrease at College, as the very need for a body of students to remind us of maintaining a sensitive and global mindset diminishes and it simply becomes just another part of everyone’s lives. However, the work surrounding the IDEALS of Round Square, other than Internationalism – namely Democracy, Environment, Leadership, Adventure and Service – will hopefully become an integral part of school life in the next few years.
Many lunchtime events were held through the week – such as, Tchoukball in the gym, to introduce the boys to a new sport from another part of the world; the fabled cooking competition, where each House put forward their best roll of sushi; and a pub quiz testing general knowledge about the world. The most awaited event of the week was the arrival of the international themed food trucks at lunchtime on Ra ¯ pare, which alongside providing an absolute legendary feed also exposed many boys to new kai they hadn't seen or eaten before. I like to think that the general purpose of this week, exposing boys to a wider global perspective through celebrating the diversity we have at a local level in our school and community, was achieved. Work in this field is never done, however, as Christ's College becomes increasingly
Angad Vraich Head of International & Round Square
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Register 2020 Virtues
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