“It was part of my marriage contract that any sons had to go to College,” he says, only half- jokingly. “Honestly, I think this is the best school for boys in Canterbury. One of the greatest benefits of a College education is small class sizes, which means I can give individualised attention to each of my students. As I get to know them better, I can use that knowledge to help them understand the subject, so they can perform at their best.” While his main focus is academic achievement, David is also looking forward to getting involved in co-curricular activities. He has enjoyed managing a tennis team and will be involved in junior rugby. He also plans to continue nurturing the plant nursery he helped his son James establish, working in association with SBHS to grow natives to revegetate the red zone.
“ Froma Physical Education point of view it's about creating good habits around physical activity and understanding
the numerous benefits it can bring .” Chris Needle
Sian Evans
For Sian Evans, it is a case of coming home – and when she walks in the College gates at the beginning of Term 2, as new HoD English, she will be returning to the role she left in 2012 to move to Australia. Originally from South Africa, Sian came to Christchurch in 2003 and joined College initially as Assistant Head of English in 2008. She remembers her biggest focus being on the Scholarship English programme, with strong results as a consequence. The author of an English textbook widely used in schools throughout New Zealand and Australia and many other academic papers, Sian left College for Knox Grammar School in Sydney. and then Sydney Grammar School, both independent boys’ schools. “I’m very excited to be coming back to Christchurch and to College. I consider Christchurch to be my hometown and I count some of the staff at College among my very best friends, so it will be a homecoming for me in many ways. I'm also excited about the changes – new members of the English department, the new Miles Warren building, and exciting initiatives in terms of culture and technology.”
“From a Physical Education point of view it’s about creating good habits around physical activity and understanding the numerous benefits it can bring. Health and wellbeing explores more intangible but equally important aspects of development, such as what it means to be a good person, interpersonal skills and positive relationships, looking at what’s right and what’s wrong, acceptable and appropriate behaviour, decision making and consequences. It’s about learning how to make informed decisions and how to get the information to make good decisions.” Chris started his career in England, teaching in Sheffield before moving to New Zealand, first to Auckland and then to Christchurch. He comes to College after several years at Shirley Boys’ High School. He enjoys working with boys, appreciates their energy and humour. And while he says his main focus – “given the world we live in and what the boys are exposed to” – is on health and wellbeing at the moment, he can never ignore the pull of the beautiful game. True to his English
Chris Needle
Physical Education and Health is compulsory for boys in Years 9–11, and offered for senior boys as NCEA PE Levels 1, 2, 3 and Scholarship. According to new Head of Department Chris Needle, there is a natural synergy between PE and the new Health and Wellbeing programmes being introduced at College.
roots, Chris has also taken on coaching the football 1st XI.
College Issue 34 2018
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