College – Issue 35

College – Issue 35

CHRIST’S COLLEGE MAGAZINE

ISSUE 35 WINTER 2018

ISSUE 35 Contents

Academic

Sport

A fresh look at English

04 06 08 09 10 11 12 13

2018 Winter sport wrap

62

How do our students make career descisions?

2018 UK and Singapore tour an eye opener for players

College hosts Go9 Conference

70 74

There's nothing static about teaching Highlights in and outside the classroom Julie Harris on reflective practice

Inspiration and aspirations

Heritage

Importance of the student voice

Accessing and preserving the past

76

Middle leadership development at College

News & Events

Boarding

One to watch

78 80 81 82 83

Expanding boarding programme a winner Boyle River camp highlight of Immerse & Inspire programme

14

A ribbon of green

Know the risks; be prepared

18

Matters to ponder A perfect ending

Community & Leadership

Development

Sunshine, paint and service in Samoa

24 27 28 30

Worth every moment

2018 Thank you Annual Appeal

86

How our Houses are serving the community Youth politics provide a buzz for Josh

Campaign update 88 Campaign events – sharing the future with parents 90 Gratitude and giving 91 Sponsorship 92

Culture

Turf wars, race relations and star-crossed love Leading role for Dominic in College musical

32 37 39 41 44 48

The Quadrangle

He's cool – and dangerous

From the President It's all about rhythm

94 96 98

Comedy, tragedy and everything in between

A powerful commemoration of WWI Nikki walks the boards in London

Attention, introducing Lieutenant Cosgrove!

Motivation starts here

100

Emeritus Professor Robin Clark gifts papers to College

Internationalism

101 102

College joins the Harvard Research Project Southern drawls and sophisticated manners in Tennessee

50

Reunion reports

Branch & community events 104 Former Headmaster Nigel Arthur Holloway Creese (1927–2018) 107 The mighty totara has fallen 108 What's on 110 Deaths 110

52 54 55 56

New horizons

Kayaks, dolphins and volunteering in Perth

Going global

Wellbeing & Positive Education

Chipping away for a flourishing College Counsellor Wiremu Gray walks the talk

59 60

GARTH WYNNE From our Executive Principal

Two core elements underpin my educational philosophy: excellence and inclusivity.

the same but being themselves, boys being different and being willing to accept and celebrate the uniqueness of others. This is the essence of a collaborative culture. Inclusivity and excellence make for a great school – and it is this I see in the pages of this College magazine. Captured in pictures and words is an eclectic look at our inclusive College community, alongside expressions of excellence across the broad sweep of our programme. There is always so much going on at College, and this is but a snapshot of the wide range of activities and opportunities available for our students, and the depth of experience and talent you can find in our school. I am inspired by how so many of our boys embrace the opportunities before them, either as individuals or alongside their friends and College classmates. It is their willingness to get involved, and the support they receive from teachers and families, that creates our vibrant school community.

While I see excellence as both a pursuit and an aspiration, to think individuals or institutions can be always excellent is naïve, but we can aspire to enable the pursuit of excellence as an acceptable and admirable disposition. Indeed, one of the character attributes of the ideal College graduate is personal excellence: the ongoing desire of the individual to develop and empower their character, gifts, talents and relationships to the fullest, achieving a harmony in how they think, feel, believe and behave. I often speak to the boys about how they contribute to an atmosphere of excellence that enables everyone to be at their best. To be a community of equity and excellence for all, inclusivity – in academic, co-curricular and pastoral programmes – is a key part of the College experience. In the College context, inclusivity means embracing diversity of talent, ability and character. Boys not being

Enjoy College – I know I do.

Garth Wynne Christ’s College Executive Principal

Christ’s College Magazine Issue 35, Winter 2018

Director of Admissions, Marketing & Communications: Claire Sparks +64 3 364 6803 [email protected]

College Magazine Writers: Catherine Hurley [email protected] Jocelyn Johnstone [email protected] Graphic Designer: Melissa Hogan +64 3 364 8655 [email protected]

Change of Address: Admissions Registrar

Sarah Fechney +64 3 364 6836 [email protected]

Printing : Caxton

ACADEMIC A fresh look at English

New Head of English Sian Evans is bringing a fresh approach to what is being taught in College’s English classrooms.

Working with focus groups, including staff and students, she is determined to get the input of as many voices as possible while developing a new direction for the subject at College. “The feedback I’m getting is that people want more variety in English across the school, so that boys aren’t repeating the same basic course outline each year. Boys are keen to have more say in what they study in English, and for there to be clearer links across the curriculum and to the wider world. I have also had several requests for

more focus on academic rigour, and towards making assessments more interconnected and meaningful.” And among the comments she is hearing is a cry for more Shakespeare. Maligned and disregarded in some educational sectors as being too difficult and too removed, Shakespeare is very accessible via modern movies, and a delight to those who choose to be challenged, says Sian. “What I’ve taken away from all of the discussions I’ve had with

teachers, boys and parents, is that we need to embark on a step-by-step process to focus as a department on the New Zealand curriculum and on our big-picture vision of what we would like a Christ’s College graduate to look like, rather than allowing NCEA assessments to determine our programming decisions. We need to be able to identify what the boys should be able to do, so their learning can be more meaningful and successful, and then work backwards from there.”

Christ’s College Canterbury

04

“As we all know there are no laptops in the exam room.” Sian Evans

Other areas will also experience changes. In Year 9 there will be a move to focus on different skills for enhancing reading and writing, and at Year 10 an emphasis on representation, viewing and presenting. Years 11–13 will be centred on critical thinking and interaction with world literature, examining how literature explores what it means to be human, and how it can lead us to enquire more deeply into philosophy, psychology and society. Early in Term 3, English department staff took time to talk through the overarching vision, strategy and course outlines of the revised programme. “We’re conscious about not over assessing as we recognise that not everything has to be assessed to be successful as a learning experience. We have such a wealth of talent and experience and knowledge in our community at College, and we have so much to offer beyond the narrow lens of assessments. NCEA is a tool we use to represent a small part of the learning that has happened in our classrooms, but it should not be allowed to drive the learning itself.” Sian has other plans afoot too, holding more regular poet and author visits; building a richer and more positive reading culture; examining the nature of technology and focusing on getting boys off screens; and rethinking boys’ reliance on laptops in lessons, placing importance on each boy developing a legible, efficient and quick hand writing technique.

Knox Grammar School and Sydney Grammar School, both independent boys’ schools, before returning to College in Term 2 2018.

“As we all know, there are no laptops in the exam room.”

The author of an English textbook widely used in schools through New Zealand and Australia and of many other academic papers, Sian first taught at College as Assistant Head of English in 2008, becoming Head of English in 2010. During this time she also worked as a NZQA examiner and was involved in the revision and redrafting of NCEA Achievement Standards in English. In 2012 she moved to Sydney, where she worked at

College Issue 35 2018

05

ACADEMIC How do our students make career decisions?

The Careers room, located in the Tower alongside the CCOBA and Development offices, is a busy hub for information and advice.

they have been thinking about, and gives them plenty of ideas to talk about with their parents. It can be difficult for Year 10s, deciding which four subjects to select in addition to English and Mathematics, and parents have a huge influence on their son’s choices at this stage. Chris recommends they keep their options open as much as possible, so any change of direction can be handled seamlessly. He encourages boys to keep at least one science, a preferred commerce course (if only one of Accounting or Economics can be taken), and highlights the importance of a language, particularly if this is already a strength. Increasingly, Chris also encourages boys to consider Digital Technologies. Year 11 boys have a subject options session with Chris where they receive a booklet about “Best Preparation” for tertiary courses at universities and polytechnics. This prompts further discussion and one-on-one interviews when requested. In these meetings, career education from the previous year is discussed and Chris calls the boy’s parents afterwards, to ensure communication between parent, student and school is transparent. Year 12 boys either request a careers interview or Chris will make an appointment to see each one. They discuss current

Careers Advisor Chris Sellars has accumulated a vast range of resources and material about tertiary study, apprenticeship pathways and direct entry into the workforce, to help boys make what can be one of the biggest decisions of their young lives. Although boys at any year level are welcome to seek Chris’s advice, he makes sure he sees all students in Years 11–13, speaking to each one individually and following up with a phone call to parents to provide relevant feedback. As well as individual meetings, Chris organises trips to career expos and industry visits, invites speakers from different organisations in, and arranges informal small group mentor meetings – often with Old Boys who generously give their time and share their experience – to make sure the boys are as well informed as possible as they consider their future options. So how does the Careers office really work? College offers a broad range of subjects in Years 9 and 10 – compulsory “core” subjects, plus a number of optional subjects. These “tasters” give the boys the opportunity to explore different curriculum areas, allowing them to “dip their toes” into different subjects and develop their interests and experience, and ensures they have a sound background of knowledge on which

to build in the following years. Before making any decisions about their study pathway, Year 9 boys also have an introductory careers session with Chris. With Year 9 students Chris follows psychologist John Holland’s model of career choice, which is based on areas of interest. While mindful of their age and stage, the boys are asked to rank their interest in the following areas: Realistic (Practical), Investigative, Enterprising (Business), Social, Artistic, Conventional (Structured). They then use kiwicareers.co.nz to look at industry groups, within which are lists of jobs. The >Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116

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