Community and Service – November 2024

Ag Show

The annual Ag Show on Thursday 26 September was another wonderful success, with a fantastic display of student art and baking entries, from paintings and flower arrangements to edible art. The petting zoo was a huge hit, drawing crowds of excited children eager to cuddle with the fluffy bunnies, goats, and greyhounds.

Build Ōtautahi

A group of Year 9 and 10 students led the Build Ōtautahi event at the 2024 Innovation Expo at Te Pae. The Build Ōtautahi programme involved 240 students aged 10 to 12 and culminated in a Minecraft Education build competition. Our young student leaders also took on key roles, serving as judges, providing lively commentary as shout casters, handling all technical support for PCs, and overseeing the gameplay as game managers.

Fountain of Peace New Zealand

Amelia Cody and Piper Stone (both Year 10) are Student Ambassadors for Fountain of Peace New Zealand, a charity supporting children in Uganda. In September, they organised a fundraising event to raise funds for the care of orphaned babies at the Fountain of Peace, Bethel Babies Home.

Gumboot Friday

Many students across the College traded in their black school shoes for a pair of gumboots on Gumboot Friday, which was run in association with the Secondary School Boarders’ Assembly, to raise money for the I Am Hope Foundation, which provides financial assistance to young people requiring support with their mental health.

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori was celebrated with various activities held across the College, including karakia, waiata, stories, legends, songs and books in te reo Māori in the Preparatory School, and various activities in the Green Library and Innovation Centre and Secondary School Friday Quad. These included the ‘Fush Waka’ food truck offering classic fish and chips, and the junior Māori class running two photo booths, and giving out ice blocks to students who spoke te reo Māori, or for performing pūkana.

Well-being Hui

Heads of Well-being, Olivia Bloom (Year 12) and Aria Wilke (Year 13), collaborated with students from Hillmorton High School to organise a Well-being Hui for secondary school students across Waitaha Canterbury, which focused on ‘actioning compassion’ and creating a support network for students advocating for positive change.

World Vision

Madeline Davidson (Year 12) has been awarded a place at the World Vision Leaders for Change annual summit. She will have the opportunity to attend four days of global education, leadership development, and social action training in a group of 35 students hosted by World Vision over four days in January 2025.

During World Vision’s 40-Hour Challenge, Samuel Ferguson (Year 13) was one of the top ten individual fundraisers in the South Island.

Years 9–10 Activities Day

Pushing their physicality and intellect to the brink, Year 9–10 students competed in teams in basketball, charades, netball, word puzzles, football, and quiz sessions during the Junior Activities Day. In the afternoon, the students practised the school Haka and listened to Dr Kelly Dale, an expert on sleep for teenagers.

Years 9–10 Dance

There was plenty of dancing, jumping, and swinging of glo sticks as the Year 9 and 10 students pulsed to the beat of DJ Zane at the Junior Dance, organised by Deans, James Jenkinson and Liz Gormack.

Year 10 Duke of Edinburgh Environmental Initiative

Every Monday during Term 3, Year 10 classes assisted with the repotting of native plant seedlings to contribute to the College’s sustainability goals via the Eco Action Project, as well as meet their Duke of Edinburgh service requirements.

Year 13 Theme Week

Year 13 students enjoyed a wonderful Theme Week in the last week of Term 3, with the themes including ‘the first letter of your name’, ‘country or country club’, ‘decades’, ‘10 years forward or 10 years back’, and ‘anything-but-a-backpack’. It was a week full of creativity fun and enjoyment, organised by the Senior College Council.