College – Issue 30

CHRIST’S COLLEGE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 30 TERM 1 2016

ISSUE 30 Contents

Leaders

Sport

New Executive Principal arrives at Christ’s College 04

New development programme for College rugby

40 42

South American Football Tour 2015

Prizegiving

Values

2016 University Scholarships

05 06 07 08 11 12 14

College Dux

Humanitarian Committee

47 48 50

Proxime Accessit

Te Ao Maori

Senior Prizegiving 2015

Volunteering at Cricket Live in Sri Lanka

Christ’s College Interhouse Competition Trophy

Prizegiving Photos Sportsmen of the Year

Heritage

When did it all begin?

Academic

News & Events

A different way of learning

16 17 18 22 25 26

What the boys think

Departing Staff

54 56 57

Inspiring leadership skills in Year 7 students

The Maintenance Men

Broadening Horizons

A New Era Dawns

Studying agriculture at College

Making sense of the world of communication Christ’s College and St Margaret’s film runner-up

The Quadrangle

27 Being smart on the Internet can avoid future issues 28

From the President

Culture

A buzzing Bugsy experience

30 34

Festival Day

Boarding

2015 Boarding Awards Dinner

38 39

Rutherford Cup Winners

GARTH WYNNE From our Executive Principal

The pictures and stories you will read in this vibrant and engaging magazine reflect an interesting period for Christ’s College. It was a time when the community farewelled the most dedicated and committed of headmasters in Mr Simon Leese and experienced the inspiring transitional leadership of Mr Rob Donaldson. In a sense, this College Magazine reflects the combined talents of these two remarkable men. As I take on the role of Executive Principal, I do so in the knowledge that those I follow, above all else, were committed to creating an environment where boys and staff could shine.

I take this rare opportunity to pay my respects to both Simon and Rob. I am privileged to now have the opportunity to follow in their footsteps.

College is an inspiring read. Enjoy!

Garth Wynne Christ’s College Executive Principal

Christ’s College Magazine Issue 30, 2016

Marketing and Communications Manager: Claire Sparks +64 3 364 6803 csparks@christscollege.com Change of Address: Admissions Registrar +64 3 364 6836 registrar@christscollege.com

College Magazine Writer: Kristi Gray +64 3 364 6801 kgray@christscollege.com

Graphic Designer: Melissa Hogan

Printing: Caxton

EXECUTIVE PRINCIPAL New Executive Principal begins at Christ’s College

Mr Garth Wynne has begun the term as the new Executive Principal of Christ’s College. For the last 15 years, he was Headmaster of Christ Church Grammar School in Perth, Western Australia, an independent Anglican boys’ day and boarding school with 1650 pupils from pre-primary through to senior school.

Outgoing Board Chair David Barker says, “He brings a wealth of experience in implementing strategic plans, development of infrastructure, effective financial management, fundraising and professional development for staff. At Christ Church Grammar School he created a Centre for Pedagogy, which focuses on the art and science of teaching, reflecting his commitment to creating an exceptional teaching and learning environment. “He has broadened his knowledge and influence through involvement in a number of organisations. He was a director of the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia, Chair of the Board of the Australian Boarding Schools’ Association. He is currently one of four Australian trustees and Regional Vice-President for Australia and New Zealand of the International Boys’ School Coalition.’’ Mr Wynne is married to Annie and they have three adult children, two living in Australia and one in Chicago. “My first experience of Christ’s College was coming as a billet in 1977 with a school rugby team,’’ he says. “Then later, there were student exchanges between Flower’s House and McKinley House at The Southport School in Queensland where I taught in the late 1990s. This was arranged

Garth and Annie Wynne.

between Brian Le Vaillant and me and was a great success.” “A further link was having worked closely with (former Headmaster) Rob Zordan in his association with Guildford Grammar School, in Perth. I had a chat with him about coming to College, and, with his comments, had complete confidence in taking the position.’’ Mr Wynne says he is looking forward to the challenge of coming to College and the opportunities it offers to further grow in a personal and professional sense.

“It is an exciting opportunity for Annie and I in a new phase in our lives, and I am looking forward to leading New Zealand’s most iconic and internationally recognised school for boys. My philosophy is to be inclusive, forward thinking, respectful of the past, and have a culture where we are restless to improve. Dare I say, every boy at his best in a school that wraps innovation and character development in tradition’’.

Christ’s College Canterbury

CELEBRATING OUR 2016 University Scholarships

Anthony Baker The University of Auckland Scholarship Victoria University Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Scholarship Thomas Cameron-Dunn The University of Auckland Chancellor’s Award for Top Maori & Pacific Scholars The University of Otago Maori & Pacific People’s Scholarship Jack Caulton The University of Otago Maori & Pacific People’s Scholarship Jared Chin Massey University NZ Business Week Scholarship William Currie The University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship Luke Gellen The University of Otago Academic Excellence Scholarship University of Waikato Faculty of Science & Engineering Biology Olympiad Prize Anthony Goh The University of Otago Academic Excellence Scholarship Connor Heap University of California (Berkeley), the Savides Sullivan Family Scholarship (Tennis) Edward Hone The University of Otago New Frontiers Scholarship Daniel Keleghan Russell McVeagh School Leavers’ Scholarship The University of Auckland Scholarship

Ji Woo Kim The University of Otago Academic Excellence Scholarship University of Waikato Faculty of Science & Engineering Biology Olympiad Prize Fraser McKenzie The University of Otago Academic Excellence Scholarship Michael Newton The University of Auckland Scholarship The University of Otago Academic Excellence Scholarship The University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship Thomas Nye The University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship Bryce Park Massey University NZ Business Week Scholarship Jed Smith The University of Canterbury Emerging Leaders Scholarship The University of Otago Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship Samuel Walker Victoria University Excellence Scholarship The University of Canterbury College of Business & Law Award for Excellence Luke Willis Massey University Vice-Chancellor’s High Achiever Scholarship (Academic) Samuel Wilson Lincoln University Global Challenge Scholarship

Patrick Manning receives choral scholarship in UK

Year 13 student Patrick Manning has received a choral scholarship to Chelmsford Cathedral in the UK. The scholarship provides accommodation, a salary and singing lessons. Patrick has chosen to take the position as a gap year and then, either return to New Zealand to study classical performance music or to stay in the UK for further study. “I am absolutely stoked as Chelmsford University was my first choice,’’ Patrick says. “I will only be singing about seven hours a week and be living in the cathedral house, so it will be a great experience.’’

College Issue 30 2016

ANTHONY BAKER College Dux

Anthony Baker has excelled in all subjects and has a particular strength in the arts and humanities. He has won numerous prizes and twice received a Gold Tie award given to the top five students in his year group. He has gained over 90% of his credits at the Excellence level across all three levels of NCEA.

Anthony Baker

thinking. He is a wonderful reader as well as a talented writer; a teaching highlight this year has been reading his beautifully crafted and carefully considered insights.’’ But academic success is not the only area Anthony has excelled in - he also took part in a wide range of sporting and cultural activities. He plays both the piano and cello, was in the school orchestra and the debating team. He was involved in community service activities and helped the environment committee plant trees. His sports include tennis, cross-country and athletics. Anthony says, “I have enjoyed the academic stimulation at College, from both my teachers and peers, and also seized many of the opportunities available, including the amazing two-month- long exchange to Germany over the summer in 2014/2015. I’ve also

made some really strong and deep friendships here which I hope I’ll keep for a lifetime.” However, Anthony admits making time for academic work and his many other pursuits was sometimes a real balancing act. “There is no doubt you have to make some sacrifices to succeed, but at the same time, you do need to maintain balance - that’s crucially important for your health and wellbeing. I made sure never to focus so intently on one thing that I lost sight of the others. Balance often nurtures success instead of hindering it - for instance I’ve found my music has often been a welcome respite from my academic work. “What have been the main challenges? An obvious challenge for all of us was the 2011 earthquake. We were in Year 9 when it struck and Harper House was severely damaged. So after we came back from the two-month long break, we moved into the Chapman Block, then backstage in the assembly hall, and then into some portacoms. We only moved back into the repaired Harper Building through 2013. “Of course, this had the potential to be disorientating, but I think we retained our focus through this tough time, and we emerged more determined than ever and appreciative of what we do have.

Harper Housemaster Matt Cortesi says, “Anthony should be extremely proud of what he has achieved at Christ’s College. He has made the most of his opportunities, but made sure that he has never faltered from the pursuit of excellence. He should be commended on his exemplary conduct and behaviour, and the manner in which he has gone about his work. “Anthony is an outstanding student. Teachers have commented on how focused and motivated he is in class and have been impressed by the mature approach he has to his studies, with an excellent level of content knowledge.’’ His English teacher Ms Chris Rayward says, “In English this year I have been really struck by the depth and originality of Anthony’s

“Another challenge for me

Christ’s College Canterbury

since. An intermediate teacher once commented they were “thick as thieves” and a friendly rivalry has always existed between them. They have both been in Harper House and in many classes together. Anthony Baker says, “I’m absolutely stoked to be academic Head of School and for Anthony to be runner-up. I’m proud of both of us, and know that this is far from the end of our rivalry.’’

personally was that initially at College, as English was my passion, I was disappointed not to be placed in the English class I wanted to be in. Looking back now, this seems a little selfish and petty, but I think it gave me the desire to prove myself and to push myself to really show what I was capable of.” As 2015 Academic Head of School, Anthony Baker has certainly proved himself.

He was awarded a prestigious $50,000 University of Auckland scholarship and will undertake a music and arts degree. He is not sure what career path he will follow, but says, “I want to study something I am passionate about – you have to do what you enjoy and where your heart is.’’ Anthony Baker and Anthony Goh, Proxime Accessit, met when they were at Fendalton Primary School and have been firm friends ever

ANTHONY GOH Proxime Accessit

Anthony Goh has made the best of his time at College - academically, culturally, socially and in the sporting arena.

Anthony Goh

Anthony has achieved an impressive academic record during his time at College.

Harper Housemaster Matt Cortesi says Anthony has excelled in all facets of College life. “He is one of those students who has a great rapport with all members of the school community,’’ he says. “He dedicated himself to settling for nothing less than the best and did it all with respect, professionalism and a smile on his face.” Anthony says he was happy to be in the mix with an “amazing’’ year group of talented students and was delighted to have been named proxime accessit. “However I had a clear goal of what I wanted to achieve in my years at College,’’ he says. “For me, the most important thing was to enjoy myself both in school and out. If you convince yourself that what you are doing is enjoyable, you have fun doing your work and other activities.’’

Mr Cortesi says he was a highly intelligent student who worked hard and, as a result, was one of the top academics in his year group. He was twice awarded the Gold Tie for the top five students in his year, won a number of subject prizes and received three general excellence awards from Harper House. Over 85% of his NCEA credits have been achieved at Excellence level. Cultural activities were also one of Anthony’s strengths, Mr Cortesi says. “He helped lift the profile of debating within the school, represented the school in debating, and adjudicated for junior debates. His dry humour and ability to think quickly were entertaining to watch.’’ Anthony took part in the regional Model United Nations forums where his debating skills came to the fore. He is also an accomplished violinist.

While he played basketball and tennis for College in his junior years, it was fencing where Anthony excelled. He represented New Zealand in fencing for the last three years and gained silver and bronze medals at the Oceania level. Anthony plans a career in medicine and he will take up a $45,000 scholarship award at the University of Otago.

College Issue 30 2016

MAJOR PRIZE WINNERS Senior Prizegiving 2015

Citations from Mr Sutton - Senior Master Academic

Lachlan Stark

The Head Prefect’s Prize and The Ormsby Medal

“Our 2015 Head Prefect, Lachlan, has been the epitome of good leadership. His leadership of the prefect body, the school and the College senior A basketball team, has been outstanding. He has led from the front where appropriate, yet at the same time he has shown enormous wisdom in knowing when to step back and trust others to do their jobs. He has a natural aura of authority, integrity and trustworthiness that inspires and encourages others to do their best. Amidst his busy schedule of prefect and whole school responsibilities, Lachlan has been able to participate fully in his House activities and maintain an enviable academic record of achievement with endorsements at NCEA at Levels 1 and 2. He has been chair of the senior ball committee, sat on the College master planning committee, undertook promotional work for the College, participated in fundraising activities for charities and coached junior sports teams. He has been an outstanding example of leadership through service, and we owe him our thanks for an outstanding year.”

Anthony Baker

The Wacher Prize for Academic Head of School

“This year’s winner of the Wacher Prize has not only amassed an extraordinary number of Excellence credits in each of his past three years in NCEA, but has also demonstrated an amazing breadth of academic talent. He was awarded a prestigious College Gold Badge in 2014 and 2015 and also gained a Gold Tie in each year placing his academic achievement in the top five boys of his year group each year. His academic achievements span the humanities and the sciences, winning subject prizes in English, history, music, languages and the sciences over the past three years. He has awards for writing and debating and is listed as co-author of two mathematics articles published in academic journals. He has also been offered a University of Auckland Scholarship and a Vice- Chancellor’s Excellence Scholarship to Victoria University.”

Christ’s College Canterbury

Daniel Keleghan

The H.M. Chrystall Prize for All-round Merit in Sport and Scholarship

“This year’s winner of the HM Chrystall Prize, Daniel, has been a top contender in his chosen sport of fencing for a number of years. At the age of 16, he was placed first in the Canterbury Men’s Open Fencing Championships and has maintained a top eight national placing in his age groups each year since. Daniel gained his fencing Colours in 2014. He has also competed with success in Australia and, in 2015, he was selected for the national under-20 fencing team to compete in the Junior Commonwealth Championships in which he was a bronze medallist. Daniel has played hockey for the second XI hockey team, which he captained in 2015, has been a member of the sailing team, and has gained top three placings in hurdles events at local and regional levels. His academic abilities have been recognised with Excellence endorsements and the award of the College Gold Badge at both NCEA Levels 1 and 2. Daniel has been awarded the prestigious Russell McVeagh School Leavers’ Scholarship for Law and a University of Auckland Scholarship for 2016.”

Patrick Manning

The Somes Prize for Outstanding Overall Contribution to the Arts and General Scholarship “Patrick has been a member of the Chapel choir for five years, Schola Cantorum for three years and Collegium for two years. He is Head of Schola Cantorum and Deputy Head of Choir. He was head treble in Year 10 and participated in two European tours with the choir. Patrick was involved in Christ Church Cathedral choir for five years, won a Field Dodgson choral scholarship in 2014 and a choral scholarship to Chelmsford in the UK in 2016. He has sung solos in both Big Sing finales with Collegium. He has played the lead in three productions: Mephistopheles in Dr Faustus , Skimbleshanks in CATS and Macbeth in the 2015 Sheilah Wynn Shakespeare Festival. He has been involved in two other productions in small roles. He has been involved in theatre sports for five years and was captain of theatresports in 2015. He has demonstrated significant leadership in House cultural activities as conductor for House music. He has been involved in House drama for four years, as director for two years. He led the Julius haka in 2015 and acted in the winning film for House film festival in 2014 and 2015. He was head of SADD, participated in the staff student debate, won a drama prize in 2014 and acted in the school film. Patrick has maintained this impressive record of arts and cultural achievement while continuing to produce high academic results, receiving an Excellence endorsement at NCEA Level 1 and a Merit endorsement at Level 2.”

College Issue 30 2016

Samuel Walker

The Maling Memorial Prize for Outstanding Service to the School

“Sam Walker was this year’s Head of the Humanitarian Committee. Their impressive record of events under Sam’s leadership saw them once again raise a significant sum of money for a range of worthy causes. He was a member of the Environment Committee and, as a member of the school prefect body, played a significant role in the setup for the senior College Ball. He has been involved in every drama production since 2012 and was stage manager for Dr Faustus in 2015. He has been a member of the debating club since 2013 and was the 2015 head of debating. He has participated in a number of regional competitions and exhibition debates and was awarded an Honours Tie for debating. Sam has been actively involved with the Model United Nations, has participated in many events since 2013 and was awarded best speaker at the Canterbury MUN General Assembly in 2013. He was selected for New Zealand MUN in 2015. Finally, Sam has been a keen contributor to, and competitor in, the College sports scene. He has been a member of the College harrier and athletics teams, gaining placings in both regional and national events. He has been a member of the athletics committee, helping to set up Athletics Day, and assisted in the setup for the ITM Track and Field meet at College in 2013 and 2014. His academic endeavours throughout this time have not gone unattended. Sam gained both NCEA Levels 1 and 2 endorsed with Excellence, and was awarded a Gold Badge in 2013 and 2014.”

Anthony Goh

Runner-up to the Wacher Prize for Academic Head of School

“This year’s runner-up has maintained a fine academic record throughout his College career. His record in NCEA documents is an impressive accumulation of Excellence credits that have seen him gain the coveted College Gold Badge and Gold Tie in both Year 11 and Year 12, and the award of a Scholarship in Statistics at the end of Year 12. He has gained Distinction awards in external competitions in English, mathematics and the sciences, along with a Gold Award for the New Zealand Biology Olympiad and a Silver Award for the New Zealand Chemistry Olympiad entrance examinations. His academic breadth may be judged by the accumulation of additional subject prizes in languages, history and commerce. He was this year awarded a University of Otago Academic Excellence Scholarship.”

Bailen Thatcher

Headmaster’s Prize for Service

“Bailen Thatcher has been our Deputy Head Prefect for 2015. This is always a demanding role and Bailen has risen to the challenge in exemplary style, giving tireless support to Head Prefect Lachlan Stark and the rest of the prefect group in an outstanding demonstration of leader as servant. He has been proactive in pursuing charitable opportunities for the school at large and for the boys of Somes House, and has assisted in organising a range of events for the College. When injury ruled him out of participation at the top level in his chosen sports, he continued to support those teams. He has also provided many hours of mentoring and coaching to more junior boys in sports and, more generally, in their daily College lives. While holding a strong sense of self belief, Bailen shows humility in all that he does and has served as an excellent role model to younger boys.’’

Christ’s College Canterbury

Richard Goodwin

Headmaster’s Prize for Service

“Richard Goodwin has created an enviable record of service to the school over the past five years. He has worked tirelessly learning the craft of backstage technical support for drama and music becoming one of the go to men for matters technical. He was a part of the technical team that stood behind the many outstanding College productions, including Jesus Christ Superstar , CATS and Dr Faustus . Over this past year, he has also been active in helping to pass this knowledge on to younger boys with similar interests. It is little wonder that he has been awarded the Stage Door Trophy for Service to Drama. He has also had a successful career as a College hockey player where, yet again, he has been actively engaged in coaching junior teams. He sat on the Humanitarian Committee which successfully raised a significant sum of money for its chosen charities.”

Connor Heap

Sportsman of the Year

“Connor has been a member of the Senior A tennis side in his five years at College. In that time, the team has won the last three Canterbury School team championships, two South Island titles and had two trips to Nationals. The team finished third at Nationals this year with Connor named MVP after being undefeated as number one in all singles matches and he was also undefeated in the South Island and Canterbury school champs. At Nationals, he conceded only six games in 10 sets of tennis. He has represented New Zealand on a number of occasions and had top national rankings and titles for under-14, under-16 and under-18. All this has seen him awarded a tennis scholarship at the University of California, Berkeley, starting next year. Outside of school tennis, he plays senior men’s tennis in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch and played for his Auckland club side in the Premier Men’s final.’’

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.

This was won in 2015 by Harper House.

Somes House was second and School House was third.

College Issue 30 2016

Senior Prizegiving Photos

Christ’s College Canterbury

MAJOR PRIZE WINNERS Sportsmen of the Year

Connor Heap

world. However he understands that the average age of the top tennis players is 28, and knows he has to be patient. He sees it as a job, says his mother Michele McMaster. “His strengths are his persistence and his self-belief,’’ she says. “He never gives up even when he drops a set. He just seems to go to another gear – in fact he seems to get better under pressure. He also plays a clever game, playing to his opponent’s weaknesses which he seems to suss out early in the game. He focuses fully and says he is not aware of anything other than what is happening inside the four lines of the court. While he was in Year 12, Connor had stress fractures in his back and

was unable to play tennis for nearly a year. He also sustained a shoulder injury at the same time. ‘”It was not an easy time for him as tennis was so much a part of his life, yet he was able to bounce back and after a year, he was right back at the top of his game.’’ Connor is really keen to get to Berkeley as he will be in a situation where he will have tennis coaching on tap seven days a week, she says. “Berkeley was keen to have him because, in comparison with other US or international players, he has had little coaching and training. In the US, they have so much coaching there is often little more coaches can do to lift a player’s game. Connor has also made it clear he wants to be a

Connor began playing tennis seriously when he was six, and now practises on the court for 12 to 14 hours a week, as well as a further six or seven hours a week off court. During the tennis season, he flies to regional fixtures throughout the country where he plays mostly against professional players, many of whom are current or former Davis Cup team members. “Some of the practice was early in the morning, but luckily was largely after school,’’ says Connor. “It got tough when the tennis season was in full swing and I was juggling that with study and exams. I was usually away three days a week so it took its toll trying to keep up.’’ When Connor went to overseas tournaments, he was often the only player of his age who was a full-time school student – most other competitors have been in academies or their schooling is by correspondence. Connor’s long-term aim is to be one of the top 50 tennis players in the

“His strengths are his persistence and his self-belief. He never gives up even when he drops a set, he just seems to go to another gear - in fact he seems to get better under pressure...’’ Michele McMaster

Christ’s College Canterbury

pro and this also has impressed them – sometimes scholarship students just want to go, play lots of tennis, then return home. “Connor is totally focused on getting good enough to have tennis as a career, but he is also realistic. He is serious about his study and will get a good pre med or prevet undergraduate degree as well. He has always been hard-working with a great work ethic. We didn’t ever have to make him train or force him to study. He just got on and did it.’’

Connor’s summer programme in 2016 before starting at Berkeley:

• NZL residentials where Connor played as number 1 player. He made it to the quarter finals. • Under-18 NZL nationals. Connor is #1 seed in doubles and singles

• Premier level interclub tennis in Amsterdam for a season. • Tennis in Asia and Australia, playing at Futures tournaments in pursuit of ATP points.

• Wanaka and Te Anau Men’s open.

Dylan Heap

so patient with Connor and I. We are really grateful she spent so much time sharing her love of tennis with us. “I used to go down to the Cashmere Tennis Club with Dad and hit a ball around, but once Connor started getting good, I started to get more focused on playing. Tennis is now the passion of my life and, if I don’t play, I start to get very bored. “Connor has certainly been an inspiration for me as he has achieved so much at such a young age. He has encouraged me and is always willing to go out and practice with me – he’s a great role model because he has worked so hard, both on the court and at his study.’’ Dylan’s summer tennis programme included the under-18 NZL nationals, the under-16 Canterbury team events where he is number 1 seed, the under-16 hard court NZL nationals

Dylan’s aim is to play plenty of tennis this summer. His short-term goal is to make the 2016 Junior Davis Cup national team which will take part in the Oceania competition for a spot in the World Championships. His long-term goal is to follow his older brother, Connor, and get a scholarship to a top-ranked Division 1 tennis college in the US. “I wasn’t too sure about whether I would get the Junior Sportsman of the Year Award and was really pleased when I did,’’ says Dylan. “I have worked hard at tennis this year and practise two to three hours a day, six or seven days a week.’’ Dylan started playing tennis when he was three. His parents were not tennis players and it was his grandmother who encouraged him to start playing, he says. “She would spend hours hitting balls over a broom in her driveway and has been

and three ITFs in Wellington, Christchurch and Auckland.

Dylan Heap

Prizegiving Citation

the Canterbury school champs for the third year in a row, winners of the South Island schools title and was third at Nationals. His doubles combination with Jack Murison was very successful in all competitions and he also won all but one of his singles matches at Nationals against much older opponents. In the Canterbury school championships, he won the Open doubles and was runner up in the Open singles.

Regionally, he has been a member of Canterbury age-group teams involved in National tournaments. This year he was ranked number one for his Canterbury team which came second and was third in the NZ Masters under-16 championships.’’

“As a Year 10 student, Dylan Heap has already been a member of the Senior A tennis team for two years and is currently ranked number two in the school side. This year he was a member of the team that won

- Mr Rob Clarke Director of Sport

College Issue 30 2016

FOLLOWING YOUR PASSION A different way of learning

Last year, a class of Year 9 boys spent one English period a week doing something really different - choosing something they really wanted to learn about or to create, and setting about finding digital ways to make it happen.

English teacher Ms Marsh who was trialling the programme with her class, says she was delighted with the enthusiasm and the sense of ownership the boys had about their learning. The scheme is based on Genius Hour, which was used originally by Google. Its premise is that if you give employees 20% of their time to either learn something new or to create or find out about something, it can improve performance by 80%. “We are not talking about genius in the intelligence sense, but in terms of its original meaning of developing or creating something,’’ Ms Marsh says. “What I did was give the boys one period a week to create anything they were passionately keen to do.’’ Some of the tasks the boys chose included writing a book, developing an eco-friendly house which was easy to build in post-quake Christchurch, building a bike that runs on a chainsaw and learning to create digital music without any previous musical knowledge. Ms Marsh also took her own learning challenge – to find out more about gaming and how and why boys enjoy it so much. The first stage in the process was to teach the boys about the inquiry process, which is at the base of all English learning – forming a hypothesis, testing it, then finding out what is working and what is not.

“It was about trial and error. If the boys made a mistake, hit a hurdle or something didn’t work, it was how do we fix it, or how do we take it to the next level?’’ says Ms Marsh. “It gave ownership of learning to the boys rather than being teacher- driven or assessment-driven and they really loved it,’’ says Ms Marsh. “While I’m a technology geek, I am not a guru of everything, so my role was to facilitate and to help the boys to become the gurus. We had a collaborative learning environment in which they all used different programs, which they mastered and shared. “In Term 4, the boys taught the rest of us what they had been learning and so they became the teachers. They may be digital natives, but they still had plenty to learn, a lot

of which they did through trial and error. We had mini groups such as a Photoshop group and a blogging group.’’ The boys were doing authentic, meaningful learning, which engaged them at every level and spilled over into the rest of their subjects, Ms Marsh says. “As a teacher we can fight technology, or, by modelling, we can teach the boys to be responsible, savvy digital citizens. The boys found they all had something they were passionate about and were excited that they got to teach it to the rest of the class. They felt transformed that they had been given the freedom to learn what they wanted to and it is phenomenal to see where they have gone with this.’’

Christ’s College Canterbury

The class, which was held in period 6 on Friday, was so popular that boys didn’t want to leave at the end of the sessions and often were still working at 4.30. “The feedback has been phenomenal and many parents have said thanks, saying their sons talked about what they were

creating with so much enthusiasm that many parents wanted to get involved. “Next year, I would like to have more mentors for the boys - gurus who can teach the boys things I can’t. It was would be great to involve our Old Boy community in this,’’ Ms Marsh says.

Ms Caroline Marsh and Ms Christine Rayward have been accepted as members of the International Boys’ Schools Coalition Action Research team for 2016-17, researching Collaboration and the Power of Learning Groups. Their action research will focus on collaborative learning through Genius Hour projects and they will be working with 10-25 Year 9 boys as part of the action research. They will participate in regular guided online discussions and, in June 2016, they will attend the IBSC Conference in Vancouver, Canada for a two-day training programme. They then undertake their own research and present to an international audience at the 2017 IBSC Annual Conference in Baltimore, US.

What the boys think

The boys say that one of the hardest things was choosing the topic, but once that was sorted, it was full steam ahead. All agreed that setting their own learning and researching goals, learning how to use apps and finding a way to solve a problem was the key. All the boys spoken to agreed they were lucky to have had the experience. Zach Gallagher and Jack Elvy decided they wanted to build a bike driven by a chainsaw. Zach had an old chainsaw lying in his garage, and after discussion in class about it, they took it from there. “We started researching the history of dirt bikes and how they began and used elements of this research to make our bike. The end result is we have a bike that moves, although not at a super fast rate.’’

James Goodman and Jamie Marshall-Lee decided to focus on producing a piece of music from scratch. “We researched some musical history, used Garageland, made some loops, created sounds we wanted, edited and produced it. We were proud of what we produced and wanted to share the things we had found out. For us, the best thing compared with normal learning, was we got to feel the creativeness of what we were doing, and were able to work at our own pace.’’

Will Greenslade, who comes from a farm, was interested in the impact that pests such as possums and ferrets have on other wildlife. He chose to share his findings through a Power Point and by writing a speech. “It is great to be able to choose what we want to learn about, especially if it is something that is not covered in one of our school subjects. I found I learnt such a lot, especially about the ways ferrets are causing the extinction of birds and are changing their diets to include kiwi,” says Will.

“The enthusiasm spills over into other subjects and you go into your next period buzzing’’ Will Greenslade

College Issue 30 2016

BE INSPIRED 2015 Inspiring leadership skills in Year 7 students

Christ’s College Canterbury

College Issue 30 2016

College hosted its inaugural Year 7 Leadership Day last term, with the theme of Be Inspired. More than 160 students from 16 primary schools attended the Leadership Day, which was based on the very successful College-run Emerging Leaders Day for Year 12 students.

The students first listened to a motivational presentation from Cam Calkoen, a young man who was born with cerebral palsy, but who refused to let that affect his life. He turned a “can’t do” attitude into a “can do’’ attitude and has become a motivational speaker throughout New Zealand. Next, the students attended two workshops about leadership, looking at how it is achieved and what it really means. These workshops challenged the students to discuss leadership and to find ways to help them face the challenges that being a leader brings.

Organiser Darrell Thatcher says that, while leadership happens at all ages, Year 7 students were a good group to focus on as they were moving into leadership roles in their schools and had probably not thought much about what makes a good leader. “The view of leadership we are promoting is you don’t have to have a title to be a leader,’’ he says. “Leadership is as much about taking an idea and going with it as it is about having a title.’’ After the workshops the students were buzzing, and had clearly been motivated by what they had

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been discussing. Conversations were about what they had learned and experienced at the different workshops and they were keen to share this with others from their school who had been in a different group. Charlotte Murray from Kirkwood Intermediate said the day had been really fun. “I found out different things about personalities and how to use these to work together as a team,’’ she said. “It certainly opened my mind to new things and to think about ways of people working together.’’ Breens Intermediate principal Mrs Nikki Clarke said the leadership day was an excellent way to tap into the growing awareness of leadership in primary and intermediate schools. “As we are an intermediate, we have to watch our Year 7s closely so we can identify potential leaders in Year 8. Our students were really excited about coming to College today and we have been impressed with the diversity of presenters and the tasks they had the students doing,’’ she says.

“Leadership is as much about taking an idea and going with it as it is about having a title.’’ Darrell Thatcher

College Issue 30 2016

STUDENT EXCHANGE Broadening Horizons

A group of College Japanese language students returned from a two-week exchange trip to Japan in the September holidays, full of enthusiasm and with a better understanding of the sights, culture and society of Japan.

A highlight for all the boys, say Jonty Mills, Wilson Cowie and Jack Song, was the home stay with families in the brother school in Kobe where the boys experienced daily family life and a taste of Japanese schooling. Wilson says, “We had loads of fun with the billets, although it was a bit hard at first when we met them at the Seminar House. We had to be alert about how we were talking and acting, because you can’t be disrespectful when you first meet Japanese people. “So we were all very polite in our first introductions, but once we got back home with the family, it was much more laid back. We all stayed with such nice people who really did their best to accommodate us.’’

One of the highlights of the trip was a day trip to the Peace Park and museum at Hiroshima. The memorial building is in the ruins of the Hiroshima Industrial Product Hall that was the only building left standing after the first atomic bomb was detonated. Trip organiser Mr Steve Everingham says it was a sobering experience for the boys. “It was a fitting time to visit as it is the 70th anniversary of the bombing,’’ he says. “I have been telling the boys in class about the bombing and the on-going implications of World War 2, but it was a real experience for them to see and understand the atrocity of war.’’

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College Issue 30 2016

Wilson says, “We were well prepared for the Peace Park, but once we were there, we realised what a sensitive and serious issue it was. You needed to experience it full-on and to see the graphic pictures in the museum to realise what was done to the Japanese. Schools coming through were praying, giving speeches and crying - very emotional.’’ A moving part of the visit was watching a presentation of the release of 1000 origami cranes that have become the symbol of health and peace for children.

Jack Song was amazed at the size of the Ikebukuro Station in Tokyo. “Walking through it gave us a sense of the size of Tokyo with almost four million people commuting through the station everyday.” The boys can’t speak highly enough of the tour organiser Mr Steve Everingham and accompanying teacher, Ms Elaine Tang. “Mr Everingham really put his heart and soul into it,’’ says Jonty. “He is really organised which made it a great experience for us and we sure packed in a lot in the two weeks.

He is really knowledgeable and always has something to say. He talked us through what we were seeing, especially the Peace Park which helped us understand things and added to the experience.’’

“Mr Everingham really puts his heart and soul into it. He is really organised which made it a great experience for us and we sure packed in a lot in the two weeks.’’ Jonty Mills

Christ’s College Canterbury

AGRICULTURE Studying agriculture at College

Christ’s College offers a range of options to meet the needs of students wanting to include agriculture in their studies and adapts these options as boys’ needs change.

Mr Robin Sutton, Senior Master Academic, says in 2016 College will introduce achievement standards into Level 3 agriculture to allow boys to meet the University Entrance requirements. There are plenty of options available and boys taking agriculture courses can accumulate up to 35 credits in one year. These credits count to achieving NCEA at all three levels, as well as adding to a boy’s UE criteria. He says, “In 2013 we met the Vice Chancellor of Lincoln University to explore links with the university and

to find out what they required from students coming to the university. The primary sector needs at least 1200 new graduates each year, but Lincoln and Massey between them can produce only around 400. The demand for graduates covers a wide range of skill sets including pure science, global banking, farm management and actuarial work. “When we asked what we could do to help meet the demand, university staff were adamant that they wanted students with good English and mathematics grades and it did not

really matter what other subjects they had. As long as the students were suitably literate, the university would give them the skills they needed. “They also said the same about farm management skills,’’ Mr Sutton says. “However for boys not intending to go to university or who want to include something practical in their courses, having training in basic farming skills is also useful.’’

What College offers to boys interested in agriculture

For the past 10 years, as part of the boarding programme College has provided a series of night classes delivered by the National Trades Academy. These classes are open to all boys and usually between 25 and 30 boys take the course. They offer ITO-based standards in a range of agricultural areas from Level 1, 2 and 3 on the curriculum framework. For the past five years, a class with between five and 12 boys has offered Level 3 and four ITO based standards, covering both theory and practical skills. Boys usually accumulate between 30 and 40 credits at Level 3 and above. Teams of College boys regularly compete for the Rural Women of New

Zealand Secondary Schools Agriculture Skills Day Trophy which they have won five times in the last 10 years. In 2015, two teams competed in the advanced competition against Christchurch Boys’ High School, St Bede’s, Darfield and Lincoln teams. College’s team of Tim Fox, Dean Gardiner, Will Pinckney and Will Rutherford won the competition which covered six events including quad bike driving skills, mechanical skills, horse handling, stock management, drafting and stringing a line of fixed fencing. The A2 Team was Tom Adams, Tim Macfarlane, George Cooper and George Satterthwaite.

Winning team, from left: Will Pinckney, Dean Gardiner, Tim Fox and Will Rutherford.

College Issue 30 2016

MEDIA STUDIES Making sense of the world of communication

Year 12 student Jack Crossland believes media studies should be a compulsory subject for everyone, especially in our technologically driven age where communications bombard us from every angle.

we are told or shown, it is so easy to influence the viewer with hidden messages targeting the viewer.” “Television channels, too, are often financed by corporations who can skew the news to suit their political views.’’ Media Studies Head of Department Mr Peter Hewson has taught a wide variety of other subjects, but his belief in the value of media studies led him to decide to focus on teaching the subject. “More than any other subject, media studies hooks into a range of other subjects, not to replace any of them in terms of content and knowledge, but to supplement them.” “We learn most about our world from the media, so it is important

he says. Now there is a much bigger outlook on events and so many avenues for people to express their ideas, opinions and values. “Media studies helps us to look objectively at some of the information and opinions we are receiving and to recognise that many people who are not qualified are giving their opinions as if they were facts.’’ Benji Clark says boys who don’t do media studies see it as an easy option, but in reality, it takes a large amount of effort. “Last year we studied modern film and made one ourselves,’’ he says. “It has made me so aware of messages and the fact that, as humans, we are influenced by what

He says media studies has given him a wider view of the world he lives in, more than any of the other subjects he has studied. It has given him a deeper appreciation of how the differing media are trying to persuade and influence him and this has made him less naïve in accepting what is being presented to him as fact. “By analysing the means by which people communicate in our media- driven world, we can understand how much media impacts on all of us,’’ he says. “It influences how we perceive politics, world events and influences our choices. Yet often we accept it all without looking at it critically.’’ Previous generations were informed by the main news media, newspapers, radio and television,

“Now there is a much bigger outlook on events and so many avenues for people to express their ideas, opinions and values.’’ Jack Crossland

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to analyse all forms of media including advertising, much of which we take for granted or accept passively,’’ he says. “Media studies looks at how meaning is created. It may seem to some to be an easy subject, but in fact, there is plenty of rigour at the top level.’’ Last year the boys made their own movies, he says. “We chose this because most boys have seen plenty of films and bring a lot of knowledge of them to class,’’ says Mr Hewson. “However, the real challenge was to

deconstruct the movies we studied so they learnt to be more critical - to understand the messages and how the movie had been put together. They then went on to use this in their own work. “They were not just studying, but actually producing something,’’ he says. “They were challenged to make a film and then to show the results at the College Film Festival at the end of the year. Believe me, it can be quite nerve-wracking to sit and watch the film you have spent ages working on actually being viewed by an audience.

“Boys had to learn the skills of organisation and time management, how to deal with adults, equipment, locations, to write the content, manage the acting and to produce and film the movie. A huge amount goes into making a film and it can be a steep learning curve.” “However it gave the boys a real buzz, a sense of pride and, as a teacher, it sure gave me the same feeling to have helped the boys achieve their goals.”

Christ’s College and St Margaret’s film Connected runner-up at awards in Melbourne

category – animation, music video, documentary and fiction. Amazir says the theme of the film is the impact technology is having on our lives and what can happen when it threatens to take over. He and Meghan Laing from St Margaret’s wrote the screenplay for the film, which took about a year and a half to produce. “I learned it takes a huge number of people and so much time to create a film,’’ he says. “We used the art and

drama department for props and wardrobe. We also had to practise using camera gear, and sound and recording devices. Filming took place in the holidays in a number of different locations – it was very full on. “By the time the production ended, I was over it, but when I sawwe had made it to the finals, I could step back and appreciate the film for what it was. I was stoked to be a finalist because there were so many entries and I felt really proud of what we had done.’’ While Amazir is interested in film- making, his main passion, however, is for photography. He would like to break into the fashion photography industry, so in 2016, he is heading to Auckland to pursue this dream. “I seem to be the only person I know not going to university or straight into a job,’’ he says. “But this is a chance to do what I really want to, to give it my all and see where I end up. It’s a bit scary, but I am really excited to have the opportunity to followmy passion.’’

The Christ’s College and St Margaret’s College film, Connected , was runner-up at the 2015 ATOMAwards in Melbourne in October. Director, Amazir Aknine and producer, Mr Peter Hewson, attended the awards ceremony and were thrilled by the result. ATOM (Australian Teachers of Media) president, Peter Tapp, said it was a remarkable achievement even to have reached the final, considering there were hundreds of films submitted and only four finalists were chosen in each

College Issue 30 2016

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