1915 centenary - St Cuthbert's College

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1915 centenary - St Cuthbert's College
en   a ry
ce n t              ST CUTHBERT’S COLLEGE MAGAZINE december 2014

                   Looking Back TO

                   1915
1915 centenary - St Cuthbert's College
en   a ry
ce n t

            Our Centenary is Proudly Supported By:
1915 centenary - St Cuthbert's College
1915 centenary - St Cuthbert's College
na        ry
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Come Celebrate With Us
DATE                            EVENT                                        VENUE                     INVITED

16 February 2015                1915 Picnic Day                              Cornwall Park             Current Families

                                Junior & Middle Schools St Cuthbert’s Day
19 March 2015                                                                Clouston Hall             Invited Guests
                                Service and Club 50 Presentations

20 March 2015                   Senior School St Cuthbert’s Day Service      Clouston Hall             Invited Guests

20 March 2015                   Centenary Girls’ Night Out Cocktail Party    Clouston Hall             Old Girls

20 March 2015                   Past Staff Centenary Drinks                  Clouston Hall             All Past Staff Welcome

21 March 2015                   Old Girls’ Centenary Chapel Service          Old Girls’ Chapel         Old Girls

21 March 2015                   Old Girls’ AGM                               Joan Holland Auditorium   Old Girls

                                                                                                       Old Girls Who Left Prior
21 March 2015                   Old Girls’ Centenary Lunch                   Boardroom
                                                                                                       to 1955

21 March 2015                   St Cuthbert’s Open Afternoon                 College Grounds           All Welcome

21 March 2015                   Black Watch Gala Dinner – SOLD OUT           College Grounds           All Welcome

22 March 2015                   Bubbles and High Tea – SOLD OUT              Clouston Hall             All Welcome

7 April 2015                    Old Girls’ USA Centenary Celebration         San Francisco             Old Girls

21 April 2015                   Old Girls’ London Centenary Cocktail Party   New Zealand House         Old Girls

22 April 2015                   Old Girls’ London Centenary Dinner           The Thomas Cubitt         Old Girls

                                                                                                       Current Students and
28 April 2015                   Birthday Cake and Student Celebrations       College Grounds
                                                                                                       Staff

                                                                                                       All Grandparents
19 May 2015                     Whole College Grandparents’ Day              College Grounds
                                                                                                       Welcome

                                                                                                       Current Students and
June 2015                       Facing the Future – 2065                     College Grounds
                                                                                                       Staff

                                                                                                       Current Students and
25 September 2015               Thanksgiving Service                         Clouston Hall
                                                                                                       Staff

                        Our Centenary is Proudly Supported By:
1915 centenary - St Cuthbert's College
events 2014/15

1915 Picnic Day                           Centenary Old Girls’ Lunch                  On this special day we look forward
Monday 16 February, 2015                  Saturday 21 March, 2015                   to welcoming everyone to the College
All members of the College                We look forward to honouring our          – Old Girls, past and present parents,
community are invited to join us in       very special Old Girls who left St        grandparents, past staff and friends of
Cornwall Park for an authentic 1915       Cuthbert’s prior to 1955 by hosting a     St Cuthbert’s.
picnic in celebration of our 100th year   delicious Centenary luncheon. With
– just make sure you dress in your        assistance from the Archives we will
best 1915 attire!                         bring back wonderful memories of          Old Girls’ USA Centenary
   College staff and students will look   your days at St Cuthbert’s as you         Celebrations
and act the part with traditional-style   enjoy tea with old friends.               Tuesday 7 April, 2015
lessons, apples for the teacher and no                                              Calling all Old Girls, parents and
technology for the day! Don’t miss the                                              friends of the College to please join
procession of girls and teachers down     Old Girls’ Chapel Service                 us for a special Centenary reunion
Puriri Drive accompanied by vintage       and AGM                                   in San Francisco. In every corner of
vehicles and banners as they make         Saturday 21 March, 2015                   the globe you can find St Cuthbert’s
their way to the park for a day playing   The College Chaplain extends a warm       girls and we are proud of the College
traditional games and sampling            welcome to attend our Centenary           education underpinning the success
favourite foods from the era.             Service, for an opportunity to give       of our US residing graduates.
                                          thanks for 100 years of friendship        Reconnect and reminisce with US
                                          and education at St Cuthbert’s, plus      based friends and toast St Cuthbert’s
Centenary Girls’ Night Out                pay tribute to our patron saint. After    100 year milestone with a cocktail.
Cocktail Party                            the service, the Old Girls’ Association
Friday 20 March, 2015                     welcomes you to their Annual General
If you feel you haven’t seen your         Meeting in the Auditorium. Join us for    Old Girls’ London Centenary
school friends for a hundred years,       a retrospective look at the past year     Celebrations
here’s your chance. Let us welcome        and hear plans for the next 12 months.    Tuesday 21 and Wednesday 22 April,
you into Clouston Hall for a night        All Old Girls welcome, but seats          2015
of laughter and celebration as you        are limited. Please register your         Following the tradition of past
reminisce and roll back the years with    attendance on the College website.        reunions, St Cuthbert’s warmly invites
our photographic history of you and                                                 Old Girls and friends of the College
your friends in Black Watch tartan.                                                 to meet in London and celebrate the
   One of the year’s biggest Centenary    Open Day                                  Centenary. Toast 100 years with a
celebrations – 500 of your friends        Saturday 21 March, 2015                   cocktail, reconnect with old friends
have already booked to attend –           College staff and students are looking    and reminisce about days gone by in
so get the gang together and              forward to showing you life at St         New Zealand from the English capital.
book your ticket today for this           Cuthbert’s in our 100th year. Take a
once-in-100-years party.                  tour with a student, who will guide
                                          you through the latest developments
                                          at our campus and enjoy cultural
                                          performances by the girls as you
                                          remember the old and discover
                                          the new.

   Visit the College website www.stcuthberts.school.nz for more information and to book tickets to events.
1915 centenary - St Cuthbert's College
1915 centenary - St Cuthbert's College
Contents
                                                                                4 	From the Principal
   FEBRUARY
   Tuesday 3
                                        Friday 13
                                        • Year 3 – 6 Swimming
                                                                                6 	From the Board
                                                                                                          41
   • Term 1 Begins                        Sports
   Wednesday 4                          Monday 16
   • Photo Day                          • Po Fia Fia Night                      7 	Life in 1915
   Friday 6                             Friday 20
   • Waitangi Day: College              • Girls’ Night Out                      12 Archives
     Closed                               Cocktail Party
   Wednesday 11                         • Past Staff Centenary                  14 Top Students
   • Year 6 Leadership Day                Drinks
   Monday 16                            Saturday 21
                                        • Old Girls’ Centenary
                                                                                20 	Junior School
   • 1915 Day and Picnic
   Wednesday 18                           Chapel Service, AGM
   • Senior School Swimming               and Centenary Lunch
                                                                                23 	Middle School
     Sports                             • St Cuthbert’s Open Day
   Monday 23                            • Black Watch Gala Dinner
   • Senior School Athletics            Sunday 22                                                        26 	S enior School
     Day
   Friday 27
                                        • Bubbles and
                                          High Tea
                                                                                 27                      30 Values
   • Year 7 and 8 Swimming              Monday 23
                                        • St Cuthbert’s College
     Sports
                                          Holiday
                                                                                                         34 Development
   MARCH                                Monday 30
   Monday 2 – Friday 6                  • Senior School Easter                                           38 	S ports Shorts
   • Year 8 Camp                          Service
   Thursday 5                                                                                            42 	Parents and
                                        APRIL
   • Year 4 Overnight Camp
                                        Wednesday 1
                                                                                                              Friends’
   Tuesday 10 – Thursday 12
   • Year 6 Wellington Trip             • Term 1 Ends
                                        • Junior and Middle                                              44 	Old Girls’
                                          School Easter Service                                               Association

College Ties is published three times a year by the St Cuthbert’s College
Communications Team.
Editor: Jenna Edwards, jenna.edwards@stcuthberts.school.nz,
Ph: +64 9 520 8375
Principal Writer and Photographer: Jessie Colquhoun,
jessie.colquhoun@stcuthberts.school.nz
Advertising: Jessie Colquhoun, jessie.colquhoun@stcuthberts.school.nz,
Ph: +64 9 520 4159 ext 7446
Subscriptions: Sarah Powrie, sarah.powrie@stcuthberts.school.nz
Old Girls’ Association: Leigh Melville, leigh@artandobject.co.nz
Parents & Friends’ Association: Jane Sheetz, p.f@stcuthberts.school.nz
Design & Print: Image Centre Ltd, info@image-centre.com
Front Cover: Charlotte Stewart is James Robertson’s great-great
granddaughter and a 4th generation St Cuthbert’s girl. Photo by Cate Rainbow.
Next Issue: April 2015

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                                                                                                               college ties c o n t e n t s   3
1915 centenary - St Cuthbert's College
From the Principal
    A Curriculum for the Future

    In 1914 when the founders of our                school was not identified, although          Spanish, Mandarin, Maori and Latin. The
    College were in the middle of planning          prospective parents were assured that        early Latin teacher at the College would
    their new venture, they undoubtedly             it would be “conducted by a Trained          be gratified to know that there are two
    spent time and thought on the nature of         Teacher and her assistants”.                 Latin classes at Year 9, as it remains a
    the curriculum their new school would              It is interesting to compare that         popular Year 9 option.
    offer; that curriculum offering can be seen     curriculum with the one currently on            Music and Art are key elements of
    as an encapsulation of contemporary             offer to students of the College. Some       that early curriculum, a tradition that
    views of how a woman should be                  elements of that early curriculum offering   persists till today. It is a cornerstone of our
    educated. The results of that thinking          remain unchanged; from Reception Class       curriculum design that students should
    can be seen in the prospectus for               onwards literacy and numeracy – the          have regular, sustained and high quality
    the soon-to-be-opened Auckland                  old 3 Rs – remain the core of students       experiences of visual and performing arts
    Presbyterian College for Young Ladies.          early experiences. In the Junior School      from their first days in the College.
    The prospectus confidently assured              literacy and numeracy learning groups           The sciences were an invisible
    prospective families that their older           use the prime learning time from             element of the 1914 curriculum offering;
    daughters would be offered:                     8.30am to 11.55am; by dedicating the         nature study was probably offered, but
        English in all its branches, Mathematics,   morning to their core skills, we lay the     the prospectus remains silent on this.
    Latin, French, Drawing, Painting , Class-       basis for all future learning. Beyond Year   This is in stark contrast to 2014 where
    singing and Needlework. Special subjects        4 mathematics is a core component            all students take Science courses until
    if required. MUSIC – special attention          of the curriculum, and differentiated        the end of Year 11 and where, thanks to
    will be given to this branch. PHYSICAL          programmes mean that all students take       differentiated programmes, most girls
    CULTURE AND DANCING will be under               mathematics to the end of Year 11, with      take a science course at Year 12 and where
    the management of a thoroughly trained          most continuing into Year 12 and with        Chemistry is often the biggest subject at
    teacher. A private swimming bath has            large numbers taking a Year 13 course.       Year 13. Almost 50% of the 2013 graduating
    been constructed in the School grounds.            That first St Cuthbert’s curriculum       class went to a tertiary STEM course.
    It is to be hoped that all the pupils will      recognised the value of learning a second    What makes this so noteworthy is that
    take advantage of this graceful, health         language with French being taught,           instead of students being split between
    giving and useful exercise.                     as well as Latin to older girls. Today       Humanities and STEM the vast majority
        The curriculum of the preparatory           in contrast the College offers French,       of our students take senior courses that

4   ST Cuthbert’s College magazine december 2014
1915 centenary - St Cuthbert's College
from the principal

value both the Humanities and the STEM          SCRATCH and digital media authoring.
courses. It is common for students to take      In the Senior School students will
Chemistry and Painting or Physics and           have further exposure to these skills,
Spanish or Drama and Mathematics.               developing further programming
It is that balance and breadth that is          knowledge and website development
important to us.                                capabilities as preparation for moving
    The biggest difference however is           to NCEA Digital Technology courses.
in the contemporary focus on digital               As Mrs Philipson outlines, there are
technologies, on developing in our              also digital opportunities beyond the
students the capacity to be creative and        classroom, such as
highly functioning within a digital world.      • Competitions
Led by Associate Director of ILT Mrs              – The MADE Awards (Media and Digital
Klaris Philipson (from next year Head of             Excellence) – Year 1 – 7.
Technologies), the College curriculum             – Film Byte – Senior School film
enables students to engage with digital              competition to showcase creativity
technology from Year 1.                              of digital media product
    Mrs Philipson explains: The Digital           – PC4G – Programming competition
Technology area is growing quickly. In 2015          for girls
our courses are expanding and it is being         – 2015 – RoboCup – Year 7 and 8 girls
introduced formally in the Junior School             compete in teams in a regional
as part of the STRETCH programme, a                  competition programming their
compulsory subject in the Middle School              NXT robots
levels, as part of the Core Technology          • Clubs
learning experience in Year 9 and 10              – 2015 – Launch of the Year 4 – 8 Code       understanding of how the technology
and there is the opportunity for girls              Club (Semester 1)                           works - not just what we use it for.
to study a Digital Media Technology               – Junior Coders initiative continues –          In 2016 we will be moving to a new
course at NCEA Level 2 and Level 3.                  Reception – Year 3 (Semester 2)            curriculum structure, following extensive
    Computational thinking skills are             – Student Techs – Senior School              review of our current structure. This
developed experientially through the                students exploring technology               detailed process has been ably led
Digital Technology course as students               (Raspberry Pi – CodeWorx challenge)         by Ms Helen Robertson and Ms Mary
design and make. The use of reflective,             and supporting other students in            Robinson, and has involved considerable
flexible and creative thinking skills are           building skills and assisting in the ILT    consultation with a range of stakeholders.
encouraged to build understanding                   support centre                              In February we will, via the College
of underlying principles that can be            • Camps                                         survey, be seeking feedback on some key
transferred to different project settings and     – 2015 – #GirlsInnov8 Code Camp –            intentions of the reviewed curriculum
applications. Through practical experience          Year 9 – 13 girls, 3-day residential        from our College family; a number of
it leads students to develop, select and            holiday camp                                changes identified in both the early part
apply technological skills involved in            – 2016 – #JuniorCoders – Year 1 – 6 girls,   of the review and in the last College
designing and producing – the processes              2-day holiday camp                         survey, such as offering Mandarin,
of analysing, planning, producing and                                                           Specialist Science from Year 5 on and a
evaluating a digital outcome.                      Many of these skills have been applied       greater focus on digital technologies have
    In the Junior School STEAM programme        in other areas of the girls’ learning as a      already been implemented as in Stage 1
semester units of work will include areas       result of their experiences in this subject.    of the curriculum review. We look
such as Coding with Tynker, where basic            The future of the subject across the         forward to presenting these new
concepts explored include Robotics              College and the new programmes we               approaches next year.
with WeDo robot kits and product design         envisage implementing, will further                Our reviewed curriculum will, like
leading to 3D printing. Middle School           enhance the girls understanding of digital      the one in 1914, encapsulate our shared
experiences will include robotics and           technology, not just as a tool they use         view of what the future will see as the
introductory programming concepts,              but as a discipline and curriculum area         essence of being a truly well-educated
digital image production and manipulation,      that has its own set of core concepts           young woman.
an introduction to programming, via             to be explored, creating a greater              Mrs Lynda Reid, Principal

                                                                                                      college ties f r o m t h e p r i n c i p a l   5
1915 centenary - St Cuthbert's College
From the Board
    St Cuthbert’s College as we know it
    may not exist if it were not for two things
    that happened over 100 years ago – the
                                                                                   The first St Cuthbert's
    Education Act of 1877 establishing state                                       Board of Directors, 1915
    schools as secular institutions and James
    Robertson having eight daughters.
       The Presbyterian Church of the day
    strongly believed in religious instruction
    in all schools and in 1911 gave their
    support to a bill designed to supersede        M.A. Clark

    the Education Act of 1877.
       The bill failed, so when James
    Robertson – an astute businessman,
    committed Presbyterian and father
    to eight young ladies and one son –
    approached the Auckland Presbytery in
    1914 about the founding of a Presbyterian                                       James Robertson                   Dr Beattie

    school for girls, the idea was seized upon
    with great enthusiasm.
       A committee was formed and
    immediately set about raising funds,
                                                   Rev I. Jolly
    selling 7000 shares for a shilling each
    to source working capital. Unlike
    today, the College was initially run as a
    business with shareholders receiving
    dividends on their investment. When
    in 1944 St Cuthbert’s was established as
    an educational trust the entire Board of
    Directors, henceforth known as the Board
    of Trustees, donated their shares back to                                       Rev G.B. Munro                    Thomas Peacock
    the College, as did half the wider group
    of shareholders – a remarkable act of
    generosity.                                    John Reid
       A year after the initial approach to
    the Auckland Presbytery, St Cuthbert’s
    College opened at Stokes Road in Mt           events including the move to the current           We have also seen two wonderful
    Eden during February 1915, with James         Market Road site in 1925, the introduction       new facilities been built - the Performing
    Robertson as Chairman of the Board            of Black Watch tartan to the uniform             Arts Centre and our Centennial Centre
    of Directors. Mr Robertson not only           in 1936 and the transition to an                 for Wellbeing.
    provided the impetus for the creation         educational trust.                                  The role of the Trust Board at St
    of St Cuthbert’s, but he served the              In the last decade one of the Trust           Cuthbert’s is to provide governance to the
    College diligently. After an initial tenure   Board’s proudest achievements is the             College in establishing strategic priorities
    as Chairman he was replaced in 1916           establishment of our remote campus,              and plans for growth. In this capacity I am
    by another member of the founding             Kahunui, a space where our Year 10               proud to say that the Trust Board in all its
    committee, Dr Beattie, whom our new           girls spend 28 days exploring the                many forms over the past 100 years has
    pastoral care centre is named for.            natural world, taking on new levels of           assisted in growing St Cuthbert’s from a
       When Dr Beattie stepped down from          responsibility, discovering their strengths      school of 190 students in 1915 to one of the
    the Chairman’s position in 1924, James        and bonding with their peers. In short, it       most well-respected independent girls’
    Robertson once again took up the role         is a facility to grow and nurture resilient      schools with a role of over 1400 today.
    and over the next 21 years navigated the      women, something St Cuthbert’s is                Ms Christine Gordon QC,
    College through a number of significant       renowned for.                                    Trust Board Chair

6   ST Cuthbert’s College magazine december 2014
nary
                                       cente

 REMEMBERING
 OUR PAST
       and
 CELEBRATING
OU R
       H E R I TAG E

                       college ties N O w a n d t h e n   7
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    Now and Then:
    A Day in the Life of a St Cuthbert’s Girl
                                                                            Scarlett Featherstone                  Rhoda’s daughters and
                                                                            is in Year 4 and Miss               granddaughters are Old Girls,
                                                                            Lindsay Napier is her               and two of Rhoda’s great-
                                                                            teacher. Scarlett has been          granddaughters attend
                                                                            at St Cuthbert’s since              the College today, making
                                                                            Year 1 and her two brothers         them 4th generation
                                                                            attend King’s.                      St Cuthbert’s girls!

                                                                            Rhoda Robertson was                 We’re celebrating turning 100
                                                                            one of James Robertson’s            and Scarlett has let us show
                                                                            eight daughters and was a           you a day in the life of a St
                                                                            student at St Cuthbert’s from       Cuthbert’s girl in 2014 – and
                                                                            the very first year we opened       how things have changed
                                                  Scarlett                  until 1927.                         since Rhoda was a student
        Students in 1915                          Featherstone                                                  here in 1915!

    In 1914 the committee in charge of
    establishing a Presbyterian school for
    girls in Auckland approached Mary Ellen
    and Alice Bews of Mt Eden College and
    offered to purchase the school, land and
    buildings. The Bews sisters agreed on a
    final purchase of £11,000 and St Cuthbert’s
    was born!

    We opened our doors in 1915 on the Stokes
    Road site in Mt Eden and ten years later
    moved to our current location on Market
    Road. Scarlett loves coming to school and
    says it’s a “happy and fun” place to be.

                                                             Top: Stokes Road Campus. Above: Robertson Building in 2014
                                                             Left: A postcard from Mt Eden College
                                                             Top left: Stokes Road Dining Room

8   ST Cuthbert’s College magazine december 2014
now and then

                                                                                      Scarlett’s mum drives her to school
                                                                                      each day and stops in our ‘kiss and drop’
                                                                                      area outside the Robertson Building. She
                                                                                      gives her mum a hug, kiss and walks to her
                                                                                      classroom.

                                                                                      In 1915 cars were not commonplace in New
                                                                                      Zealand and most St Cuthbert’s girls walked
                                                                                      to school or came by horse. There were
                                                                                      even horse-drawn buses!

  Miss Isobel Macdonald

Miss Isobel Macdonald          When Scarlett arrives at her classroom she hangs her schoolbag and PE bag on her hook
was Rhoda’s principal in       and chats with her friends before the bell rings. When the bell rings Scarlett and her classmates sit
1915. She was an Australian    down in their desk groups and Miss Lindsay Napier calls the roll.
with a first class honours
master’s degree in History,
English and French and
had been teaching at the
Presbyterian Ladies’ College
in East Melbourne. Under
Miss Macdonald’s leadership
we changed our name to
St Cuthbert’s College and
adopted the motto
By Love Serve.

 Mrs Lynda Reid
                                                                                                 Clockwise from top left: Hanging
                                                                                                 up her schoolbag; Friends in the
Scarlett's principal is Mrs
                                                                                                 classroom; Senior students at the
Lynda Reid, who has been                                                                         Stokes Road campus; Senior students
                                                                                                 in 1916; 4NA sitting at desk groups.
at St Cuthbert's since 1996.
In 2014 we also have a
Head of Junior School,
Ms Julie Gifkins.

                                                                                                     college ties N O w a n d t h e n   9
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     Miss Napier is a really good teacher,                the quiz is finished the class answer the
     says Scarlett. “She’s nice, kind and she’s           questions together.
     one of my favourites!” Her classroom
     is colourful and the girls’ artwork is               Teachers were generally very strict in 1915
     displayed all over the walls.                        and Rhoda would have studied English,
         The first lesson for the day is                  French, History, Drawing, Brushwork and
     Mathematics. In Year 4 the classes are               Science. This is very different to Scarlett’s
     small and grouped according to their                 busy day and varied subjects! Rhoda’s older
     level. Scarlett’s class only has 11 students         sisters would have taken lessons in English,
     today, which is great because it gives her           Mathematics, Latin, French, Drawing,              Using the iPad to assist
                                                                                                            learning in class
     one-on-one time with Miss Napier.                    Painting, Class Singing and Needlework.
         To start the lesson Miss Napier holds               Perhaps the most different aspect of
     a quiz with some tricky problems, like               a 1915 classroom is that there were boys!       Scarlett and her best friend
     “If there are two girls and three dogs in            The Kindergarten class accepted boys up         Giselle love using iPads in the classroom
     a room how many legs are there?” Once                to age seven.                                   to help with their learning. She says she
                                                                                                          loves the Mathletics app, where the two
                                                                                                          girls can compete against each other. At
                                                                                                          lunchtimes this term Scarlett and other
                                                                                                          girls from the Junior School have been
                                                                                                          going to special Junior Coders sessions
                                                                                                          with Mrs Philipson in the library. The girls
                                                                                                          each use an iPad and apps to learning
                                                                                                          coding and programming – she says it’s
                                                                                                          so much fun!
                                                                                                             Scarlett finds it “weird” that in 1915 there
                                                                                                          were no iPads, smartphones, computers,
                                                                                                          internet – there wasn’t even whiteboards,
                                                                                                          and Rhoda’s teachers would have used
                                                                                                          blackboards and chalk.

                                                                  DAILY SCHEDULE FOR 4NA:
                                                                  • Mat time
                                                                  • Maths groups
                                                                  • Swimming                              For 1915 Day, 4NA and other classes

                                                                  • Form time                             around the College learnt about what
                                                                  • Morning tea                           school was like 100 years ago. Miss Napier
                                                                  • Literacy groups                       created a ‘dunce hat’ and a chair in the
     Clockwise from top left: Scarlett and Miss Napier;
     Miss Napier helps girls with mathematics; Scarlett
                                                                  • French                                corner of the class for misbehaving girls,
     and Giselle solve maths problems on the mat;
                                                                  • Lunch                                 just like Rhoda would have had in 1915!
     A Middle School class enjoying an outdoor lesson
     at Stokes Road.
                                                                  • Nativity Rehearsal                    In 2014 Miss Napier has special gems
                                                                  • Tidy Up                               that she gives out as rewards for good
                                                                  • Home time                             behavior like teamwork. Each desk group
                                                                                                          likes to earn as many of these as possible!

10   ST Cuthbert’s College magazine december 2014
now and then

“We do pretty much the same
thing at morning tea and lunch,”
says Scarlett. “We eat from our
lunchboxes and then we play.
The playground sometimes gets
boring so we play games in the
Secret Garden.”

In 1915 colourful playgrounds
with slides and swings didn’t exist.
St Cuthbert’s girls played games
outside, some of which are still
played today!

                                                                                                Clockwise from top
                                                                                                left: Scarlett having
                                                                                                lunch; Scarlett
                                                                                                and friends at the
                                                                                                playground; Girls
                                                                                                Playing at Stokes
                                                                                                Road; Teddy Bears
                                                                                                Picnic at Stokes
                                                                                                Road Campus.

                                       Swimming might just be the best part of Scarlett’s day! Our
                                       Centennial Centre for Wellbeing opened in September, which
                                       means girls have been taking aquatics again! For this lesson in
                                       the Main Pool the moveable floor is brought up and the Year 4
                                       girls practice their diving and swimming laps of freestyle.

                                       While St Cuthbert’s had a swimming pool in 1915 it was “as small
                                       as a billiard table” and filled with the garden hose. There’s no
                                       way Rhoda and her friends could swim laps at the same time!
                                       Left: Swimming in the Centennial Centre for Wellbeing.
                                       Below: Bath house at Mt Eden College.

                                                                               college ties N O w a n d t h e n         11
Archives
     100 Years Ago
     MT EDEN COLLEGE, JUNE 26, 1914
     “Dr. Beattie, Dear Sir…
        We are prepared to negotiate for
     the disposal of the property as a going
     concern. There are two asphalt tennis
     courts, a croquet lawn and a good
     vegetable garden. There are classrooms,
     a Drill Hall, accommodation for 10
     resident teachers and 4 maids. There are
     8 good pianos and the beds and bedding
     are in excellent order. The outbuildings
     comprise men’s rooms, storerooms,
     2 horse stalls and there are 2 jersey cows
     included in the price. We graze them in
     the neighbourhood.
        Awaiting your reply,
        I am, Yours very sincerely.”
        Thus the Misses Bews’ Mt Eden College
     was offered to a group of businessmen
     from St David’s Presbyterian Church
     in Khyber Pass wanting to establish a
     Presbyterian Ladies College in Auckland.

     AUGUST 6, 1914
     New Zealand and the world are at war
     in Europe. A war that was to last for four   worked hard to promote the idea of Bible       The start of the Great War did mean
     long years in which millions died and        teaching in all schools in New Zealand      that the gentlemen on the committee
     millions more were decimated by the          but when the idea failed to get through     considered it prudent to purchase an
     1918 influenza epidemic.                     Parliament in 1911 the seeds were sown      established school rather than build
                                                  for Presbyterian schools to develop         a new one. The Misses Bews’ school
     DECEMBER 11, 1914                            separately where “religious teaching        was established in 1895 and had
     The Mount Eden site is purchased and         and moral training of an unsectarian        grown steadily and established a good
     the Committee set about advertising for a    character… would be the primary object”.    reputation in Auckland. It was sited in
     Principal to open the Presbyterian Ladies    (James Robertson’s speech at the opening    Stokes Road, Mt Eden and with very little
     College at the start of the academic year    of Market Road site 1925.)                  change to the site (except for abandoning
     in 1915.                                                                                 the jersey cows as there is no further
        100 years later we may well wonder        1914 – 1919                                 mention of them!) St Cuthbert’s College
     why at the start of the Great War these      Eight Presbyterian colleges for both boys   opened its doors on February 1, 1915 to
     gentlemen went ahead with such a bold        and girls were founded throughout New       190 students, some new, some previously
     plan. There were very few girls’ secondary   Zealand over the next five years. The       attending Mt. Eden College.
     schools in Auckland at the time. Auckland    first were Iona College in Havelock North      The change however, did not please
     Girls Grammar was the only state-funded      (1914), Columba College in Dunedin and      everyone. An Old Girl, who had started
     school and education there was secular.      St Cuthbert’s College in Auckland (1915).   at Mt Eden College in August 1914
     Baradene College and St Mary’s College       Solway in Masterton and Scots College in    complained that, “We suddenly found
     catered for Catholic girl students and       Wellington followed in 1916, St Andrews     ourselves sold lock stock and barrel to a
     Diocesan School for Girls for the Anglican   College in Christchurch in 1917 and John    Board of Presbyterian gentlemen. Nobody
     students. The Presbyterian Church with       McGlashan College in Dunedin and Queen      was enthusiastic… One regret was that
     its strong emphasis on education had         Margaret College in Wellington in 1919.     our attractive MEC gym frocks of navy

12   ST Cuthbert’s College magazine december 2014
archives

                                                                                                              Clockwise from left:
                                                                                                              Miss Isobel Macdonald;
                                                                                                              Mr James Robertson; Selling
                                                                                                              hot cocoa at interval; Stokes
                                                                                                              Road Campus.

blue faced with tan gave way to                cross of which I was to see years later in   and maps were hung in the drill hall and
the conventional navy pleated tunic            the Church of St Mary and St Cuthbert in     campaigns were followed there. The girls
and white blouses as worn by other             Co. Durham”.                                 knitted for the soldiers, sold cocoa at
Auckland schools.”                               Miss Macdonald’s broad education           interval at 1d a cup and made up “billies”
   Miss Isobel Macdonald’s appointment         meant she kept the wider world and           (comfort packs) to send to New Zealand
as the first principal was an inspired         the progress of the war in front of her      forces overseas.
one. She was very well qualified with                                                          1914 was a year where the world
an MA First Class Honours degree in            “We suddenly found                           entered the “War to end all Wars” and the
History, English and French, was an                                                         year where in a city in New Zealand a
experienced teacher and came from a            ourselves sold lock                          school for girls was born – one which has
strong Presbyterian background. It was         stock and barrel to a                        “served with love” in world and domestic
her suggestion that a shorter name for                                                      events for 100 years while establishing
the Presbyterian Ladies College be found       Board of Presbyterian                        traditions of excellence in many fields.
and to use the motto of the Presbyterian       gentlemen.”                                     “Our Impress upon the School, the
Deaconess order “By Love Serve” as the                                                      impress of its first children is indelibly
motto for St Cuthbert’s College. Finding       students in this far away outpost of the     upon it for good or ill. To all who come
a design for the new badge was more            Empire, encouraging them always, to find     within its gates our school should speak
difficult as our ‘Old Girl’ mentions –“a new   ways they could help the war effort. She     of friendliness and welcome; it should
order, a new name, a new principal… and        read articles from the NZ Herald to the      speak also of dignity and of the strength
the promise of a much discussed new            girls at breakfast time. She took senior     and the beauty that come from order and
badge”. Another recalls “we were thrilled      girls to lectures on ‘Women and the War’,    restraint.” Miss Isobel Macdonald (1916).
to receive our new school badge… the           ‘the Dardanelles’ and other topics. Flags    Glenys Griffiths, Archivist

                                                                                                               college ties a r c h i v e s   13
Top Students
                                 Dux                                                          Junior School
                                 Congratulations to the 2014 Dux,
                                                                                              Prizes
                                 Rebecca Holland. Rebecca is a hard-working
                                  student who received subject awards at Prize Giving for
                                  Physics, Biology, Chemistry, French, Mathematics with
                                  Statistics and was also awarded the NZIP Physics Prize.
                                    In both Year 11 and 12 she received a Trust Board
                                  Scholar Award, which is given to the top academic
                                  student in each year level. In 2014 she was awarded a
       Significant Scholar Badge in six subjects, received Cultural Honours for Drama
       and completed her Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award.
         Rebecca has received two tertiary scholarships: a University of Auckland
       Scholarship and the University of Otago R&E Seeyle Trust Academic Excellence
       Scholarship – a very prestigious scholarship only awarded to three students in
       New Zealand.
                                                                                              Stephanie Lu has been awarded the
                                                                                              Junior School Merit Cup for citizenship

     Middle School Prizes                                                                     and all-round excellence. Stephanie
                                                                                              was also the recipient of the 6IR Class
                                                                                              Prize, the Prize for Service to the Library
                                                                                              (joint with Ella Palmer), a Year 6 Science
                                                                                              Special Award and received Excellence
                                                                                              in the University of Otago Intermediate
                                                                                              Schools Mathematics Problem
                                                                                              Challenge.
                                                                                                 The Remuera Lions Club Junior
                                                                                              Citizenship Award was given to Rebecca
                                                                                              Fala, who also got some great sporting
                                                                                              results this year in swimming, netball
                                                                                              and hockey.
                                                                                                 The Year 6 Outstanding Achievement
                                                                                              in Sport award was given to Peyton
     Charlotte Ryan was the recipient             a Year 8 Prize for Excellence in French     Leigh. Peyton was the Year 6 Athletics
     for the Year 8 Prize for Academic            and Music.                                  Champion and placed 2nd in the Year 6
     Excellence. Charlotte was the winner            Emily Hacket Pain and Isabella Gill      College Cross Country. She represented
     of the 8WLS Class Prize, a Parents and       were the joint winners of the Outstanding   the College at the Remuera Zone Cross
     Friends’ Gold Award and is a talented        Achievement in Sport award. Emily was       Country, where she placed 3rd in the
     gymnast who has represented New              the Year 8 Cross Country champion, and      Year 6 category and was a member of
     Zealand. Charlotte was also a joint          received placings at the Central Zone and   the Year 6 team which placed 2nd. At the
     winner for the Trust Board Scholars’         Inter Zone Cross Country Championships,     Remuera Zone Athletics Championship
     Award with Elise Bailey. Elise placed in     the AKSS Duathlon Champs, the NZSS          Peyton placed 3rd in the Year 6 800m.
     the top 7% in the Year 8 University of       Duathlon Champs and the AKSS Tag               Brena Merz received the top score for
     Otago Intermediate Schools Mathematics       Team Triathlon Champs. Isabella was the     New Zealand and the Pacific Region in
     Problem Challenge and received a             captain of the Year 7 and 8 hockey team,    the Year 5 ICAS English Competition.
     high distinction in the ICAS English         which won Central Zone, Inter Zone and      She was also awarded Excellence in the
     competition.                                 NZAIMS competitions. She also received      Year 6 division of the University of Otago
        The Sydney Old Girls’ Award for           placings at Central Zone Cross Country,     Intermediate Schools Mathematics
     citizenship and all-round excellence was     Inter Zone Cross Country and the AKSS       Problem Challenge and High Distinction
     given to Elizabeth Hayman, who also won      Tag Team Triathlon Champs.                  in the ICAS Mathematics Competition.

14   ST Cuthbert’s College magazine december 2014
top students

Sports Colours
                                                               Miranda Stuart                  Millie Macdonald
                                                               Colours for Hockey              Colours with Distinction for
                                                               Tessa Wylie                     Swimming
                                                               Colours for Distance Running    Georgia Marris
                                                               Georgia Zacest                  Colours with Distinction for
                                                               Colours for Swimming            Swimming
                                                                                               Maggie Ngo
                                                               HONORARY COLOURS                Colours with Distinction for
                                                               Rochelle Austin                 Table Tennis
                                                               Honorary Colours for            Sophie Rees
                                                               Kayaking                        Colours with Distinction for
                                                               Anna Blair                      Cross Country
                                                               Honorary Colours for Karate     Tate Renata
                                                               Shelby Brothers                 Colours with Distinction for
                                                               Honorary Colours for            Water Polo
                                                               Synchronised Swimming           Jess Retter
                          Audrey Gregan
                          and Olivia Hay                       Hannah Calderon                 Colours with Distinction for
                                                               Honorary Colours for Artistic   Swimming
                                                               Roller Skating                  Gina Robson
Track cyclist and                  SINGLE COLOURS              SooKyung Choi                   Colours with Distinction for
Commonwealth                       Madeleine Beagley           Honorary Colours for            Athletics
Games medalist Simon van           Colours for Skiing          Taekwondo                       Kate Salmon
Velthooven was the guest           Stef Ferguson               Phoebe Davies                   Colours with Distinction for
speaker at this year’s Sports      Colours for Lacrosse        Honorary Colours for Softball   Orienteering
Colours – an annual event          Katie Hartland              Brooke Hamilton                 Laura Schnauer
that honours the College’s top     Colours for Tennis          Honorary Colours for Golf       Colours with Distinction for
sportswomen.                       Olivia Hay                                                  Trampolining
   Simon believes that in          Colours for Hockey          COLOURS WITH                    Charlotte Valentine
order to succeed at sport you      Kate Herdson                DISTINCTION                     Colours with Distinction for
have to have collaboration,        Colours for Equestrian      Isla Bint                       Water Polo
comradery, learning, belief,       Kate Ivory                  Colours with Distinction for    Holly White
perserverance and sacrifice.       Colours for Hockey          Hockey                          Colours with Distinction for
He shared with our girls the       Lucy King                   Xanthe Copeland                 Cycling
importance of each of these        Colours for Cricket         Colours with Distinction for    Antonia Young
qualities and how they helped      Georgina Llewellyn          Yachting                        Colours with Distinction for
him to reach the top of his        Colours for Equestrian      Natasha Eady                    Water Polo
sport. Simon is now training       Devon Lowyim                Colours with Distinction for
for the 2016 Olympic Games         Colours for Cross Country   Athletics                       TEAM COLOURS
in Rio de Janeiro – maybe a        Zoe Ngo                     Kayla Fairbairn                 Orienteering
St Cuthbert’s girl will be there   Colours for Table Tennis    Colours with Distinction for    Year 9 Cross Country
competing with him!                Caitlin Mary Parken Allen   Orienteering                    Senior Cross Country
                                   Colours for Water Polo      Audrey Gregan                   Table Tennis
                                   Isobel Ryan                 Colours with Distinction for    Water Polo
                                   Colours for Gym Sports      Athletics
                                   Amber Schnauer              Charlotte Hunter                SHERILYN WHITE
                                   Colours for Diving          Colours with Distinction for    SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS
                                   Tahlia Strachan             Athletics                       Audrey Gregan
                                   Colours for Touch                                           Olivia Hay

                                                                                                college ties t o p s t u d e n t s   15
Cultural Honours
     In an opening ceremony          Phoebe Craig                   Amy Wu                              Isabella MacDiarmid
     that reflected the breadth      Debating, Drama and Speech     Debating, Drama and Korean          Indian Culture, Speech,
     of cultural activities at St    Noella Farrell                 Culture                             Re-award Dance and
     Cuthbert’s, Cultural Honours    Cook Island Culture, Drama     Cherry Yang                         Re-award Drama
     started with a performance      and Theatresports              Chinese Culture, Debating and       Crystal Wu
     by Kapa Haka, Saints Alive,     Joanna Ji                      Re-award Music                      Chinese Culture, Dance,
     Chinese Dance Group, Stage      Dance, Drama and Korean        Renee Yee                           Drama and Speech
     Challenge and a poem            Culture                        Chinese Culture, Debating and
     reading. Congratulations        Amelia Kendall                 Re-award Music
     to the 2014 recipients!         Kapa Haka, Music and Writing   Annabel Yu
                                     Gabrielle Maffey               Chinese Culture, Drama and
     TRIPLE HONOURS                  Dance, Debating and Drama      Music
     Francesca Browne                Simone Smith
     Drama, Music, and               Speech, Re-award Dance and     QUADRUPLE HONOURS
     Theatresports                   Re-award Drama                 Lily Leishman
     Kirsty Cameron                  Xiwan Wei                      Dance, Speech, Stagecraft and
     Dance, Drama and Speech         Chinese Culture, Debating      Re-award Drama
                                     and Drama

     Tertiary Scholarships                                          Ruby Seeto
                                                                    Grace Tattersfield
                                                                                                        WAIKATO
                                                                                                        UNIVERSITY
                                                                    Abigail Bridges                     Academic Excellence
     Reflecting the hard             OTAGO UNIVERSITY               Natalie Mirams                      Scholarship for School Leavers
     work and commitment of          R&E Seeyle Trust Academic      Sophie van Waardenberg              Rebecca Jackson
     our girls in their education    Excellence Scholarship         Izzy O’Mara
     is the large number of          Rebecca Holland                Ella Sheetz                         COMPANY
     scholarships they have          Academic Excellence            Tianessa Fabricus                   SCHOLARSHIPS
     been awarded to tertiary        Scholarship                    Shikara Ventura                     Sir Robert Jones Holdings
     institutions. Some girls have   Alexandra Lewis                Lily Leishman                       History Scholarship
     been offered scholarships       Leaders of Tomorrow            Isabella Seton                      Zavara Leva Farquhar
     to more than one university,    Scholarship                    Billie Haddleton                    Rheia Edgar Nemec
     which is exceptional. In        Charlotte Valentine                                                PwC Scholarship
     this circumstance they          Alexandra Lewis                AUT UNIVERSITY                      Caitlyn Blackett
     will choose one to take         Simone Smith                   Vice Chancellor’s Scholarship       Accepted into the PwC
     up for 2014.                    Lily Leishman                  Katie Hartland                      Accelerate Programme
                                     Maori and Pacific Island                                           Isabella MacDiarmid
     UNIVERSITY OF                   Entrance Scholarship           CANTERBURY                          Russell McVeagh Scholarship
     AUCKLAND                        Natassia Peters                UNIVERSITY                          Lily Leishman
     University of Auckland          Tausala Fruean                 High Achievers Award
     Scholarship                                                    Kate Salmon                         INTERNATIONAL
     Rebecca Holland                 VICTORIA                       College of Business and Law         Providence College Athletics
     Cerys Chau                      UNIVERSITY OF                  Scholarship                         Scholarship
     Nadia Schroeder                 WELLINGTON                     Billie Haddleton                    Audrey Gregan
     Faculty of Arts Entry Level     SCHOLARSHIPS                                                       University of Florida
     Scholarship                     Excellence Scholarships        Congratulations to Anna Nementzik   Scholarship for Swimming
                                                                    who was awarded a Scholars’ Badge
     Sophie van Waardenberg          Isabella Ross                                                      Georgia Marris
                                                                    in April but was mistakenly not
     Audrey Gregan                   Isobell Dowell                 included in our previous edition.

16   ST Cuthbert’s College magazine december 2014
top students

Scoping Out Universities in the USA
   Universities Mrs Duston
   visited:
   • Harvard University (Boston)
   • MIT  (Boston)
   • Columbia University (New York)
   • Brown University (Providence)
   • The Juilliard School (New York)
   • University of Pennsylvania
   • P rovidence College (Rhode
      Island)

With more St Cuthbert’s girls                  Mrs Duston and Winnie Wu
                                               at Harvard University
looking to study in the United States, our
Head of Careers Mrs Marianne Duston
was awarded a staff scholarship to visit     for a student to ‘fit’ into the culture.      to behold. The opportunity to meet and
seven universities to find out what they        Personal qualities and character           discuss coaching philosophy with Ray
are looking for, and how our students        are what sets students apart. They are        Treacy, one of the top US middle distance
can stand out and gain selection to these    looking for students who have passion         running coaches at Providence College,
prestigious institutions.                    and talent, for those who will add value,     was also a highlight.
   There is no question that top academic    share and contribute to teams. They want         Many students from St Cuthbert’s
results are one of the key factors in        students who have been leaders, actively      College have been successful in securing
selection. However, the Ivy League           involved in co-curricular activities and      places at top US universities. While in the
universities commented that 80% of           their school communities, and who have        US, Mrs Duston met up with Winnie Wu
students applying for their university       a desire to make a difference in the world    who is studying at Harvard, and Sylvia
would cope fine academically. So when        around them.                                  Jiang who has just started at Juilliard.
a university like Harvard receives 35,000       Universities like MIT value students       Both students commented on how
applications for 1665 places, what makes     who work well with others to find             well St Cuthbert’s had prepared them
an application successful?                   solutions to problems that have never         academically for their university study,
   There are certain points of difference    been solved before. Creativity, resilience,   and they made specific mention about
that each university is looking for. You     practicality, technical expertise and         the quality of teaching they had received.
hear US universities talk about the need     the ability to take risks and cope with
                                             not knowing the answers are important
 Mrs Duston and                              characteristics for successful applicants.
 Sylvia Jiang at Juilliard
                                                Leadership, diversity and independent
                                             thinking are valued by Columbia, while
                                             University of Pennsylvania looks for
                                             those who will take what they have
                                             learned and make an active difference
                                             in society.
                                                A key highlight noted by Mrs Duston
                                             was Harvard’s impressive system of
                                             academic and pastoral mentoring,
                                             providing dedicated care to every student
                                             so that no one slips through the cracks.
                                                The level of talent in music, dance                                  Mrs Duston at
                                                                                                                Columbia University
                                             and drama at Juilliard was something

                                                                                                        college ties t o p s t u d e n t s   17
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Junior School
     From the Head of Junior School
                                                                                                    favour. The House spirit was highly visible
                                                                                                    through the House coloured ribbons
                                                                                                    and banners. Every girl gave their all in
                                                                                                    races, throws and jumps earning points
                                                                                                    for their House. In the finals of the Year 5
                                                                                                    and 6 high jump you could have heard a
                                                                                                    pin drop as the huge crowd of supporters
                                                                                                    eagerly watched our girls strive for new
                                                                                                    heights. There were many Junior School
                                                                                                    records broken this year. My thanks to
                                                                                                    Sports Co-ordinators Hayley Moffitt and
                                                                                                    Melinda Henshaw for their organisation
                                                                                                    for the day with our Sports, PE and Junior
                                                                                                    School teachers. It was great to see so
                                                                                                    many parents cheering and encouraging
                                                                                                    our girls. The day was so much fun!

                                                                                                    New Initiatives in
                                                                                                    the Junior School
                                                                                                    This semester we have introduced
     The Centennial Centre for                           The Let’s Celebrate theme in Year 6 was    attending development in our Junior
     Wellbeing is now in use and the Junior           focused on their graduation this term, in     School. Coding clubs have been engaged
     School girls are enjoying their swim times       the form of the annual Medieval Banquet.      in at lunchtimes with Mrs Klaris Philipson,
     during PE lessons and many girls are             My sincere thanks to our Year 6 girls,        Associate Director ILT (Curriculum).
     attending swimming coaching before and           teachers, specialist teachers and parents     Our girls from Year 1 have been learning
     after school.                                    for this year’s Midsummer’s Eve Medieval      to create algorithms and use logical
        Our Reception – Year 2 classes have           Banquet. This was another fine example of     reasoning to predict the behaviour of
     all been busy in their learning within           a learning community in action. The girls’    simple programs. Our Year 6 girls have
     our Junior School umbrella topic of              learning was highly evident from their        created villages as a base for their game
     Let’s Celebrate. As we move through our          planning, researching, writing, directing,    development within Minecraft, as part of
     Centenary Celebrations this term we have         creating, collaborating, choreographing,      their Reggio investigations. This skillful
     provided opportunities for students to           designing and staging through the key         thread of ILT for our girls is essential
     explore life in the past. Year 2 girls went to   curriculum areas of art, drama, dance,        in developing their use of higher order
     Motat to explore changes in schooling in         writing, group discussions and Reggio         thinking strategies, collaboration and
     the last 100 years, the Reception and            investigations.                               problem solving. This also builds resilience
     Year 1 classes went to the Historic Village         Special mention to our Year 6 teachers     to persevere when solving problems using
     in Howick to explore life in the past and        Mrs Lis Lewis, Ms Shelley Ireton and Miss     a variety of strategies.
     also went walking to the Manukau Road            Angie Cannon for providing an open-to-           Next year students in Year 4 – 6 will
     shops and up Mt St John. The girls were          learning platform for our girls. Thanks too   be involved in a Stretch afternoon that
     amazed at what life was like in the ‘olden       to Gretchen Hawkesby and Lisa Bates who       promotes STEAM (Science, Technology,
     days’. A few girls with great surprise           headed their great team of parents and        Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics). Girls
     told me, “they only wrote with chalk             the organising committees. This inclusive     will be multi-leveled and work in small
     Ms Gifkins, that would have been very            organisation and teamwork meant many          groups with teachers. Girls will select one
     dusty”, “we got to make butter, I didn’t         hands made lighter the work. It was such      Arts and one STEM learning area. Coding
     know you could make butter, it was               a fun and memorable evening and the joy       and game development will be just two of
     delicious.” Providing such experiences for       on the girls’ faces reflected this.           the many STEM options available.
     our girls supports their connections and            Our annual Year 3 - 6 Athletics Day was    Ms Julie Gifkins
     comparisons in learning.                         held in November with the weather in our      Head of Junior School

20   ST Cuthbert’s College magazine december 2014
Junior school

A Medieval Night To Remember The Reception
As the sword slowly struck my
                             – Year 4 Nativity
                                            Stilt walkers walked their way around the
shoulders and I graduated from Year 6,      tables and stunned the village. Cultural
I felt like the whole world was watching    dancers made their way around the world
me. My medal and I walked proudly back      and kings and queens applauded. As the
to my seat and I become a new lady.         bagpipes played, the Scottish dancers
‘“Arise Year 6.”                            moved their feet to the beat. After all this
   My mum says not to play with fire but    entertainment, it was time for the feast
this fair lady was swinging the fire like   and the pots and pans clanged together
it was nothing. Buskers played festive      as the pig’s head met our eyes.
music and parents mixed and mingled.           Saint George rode in on his horse as
My friend and I fought to win the battle,   a knight in shining armour. Then Robin
stabbing each other as though we were       Hood saved the day. Drunken scoundrels
enemies, but then the bells rang, and the   met death. All too soon the plays were
banquet was about to begin. Our teeth       over and colourful ribbons took the stage.
were chattering and our hands were          The maypole was about to start. Plaiting,
shaking. Walking through the drawbridge,    weaving, skipping and more. you couldn’t       On Thursday 27 November, we
I went back in time and felt what it was    take your eyes off these incredible            gathered in Clouston Hall to celebrate
like to be a princess in medieval times.    dancers. We ran off the stage, and the         the birth of Jesus. As our service
   Cartwheels, juggling, stilts and more,   astounded audience fell silent as we           continued, we saw our carousel turn.
the excitement had now taken the floor.     started singing.                               I liked it when all our parents joined in
   The crowd cheered as the performers         As the clock struck ten the night ended,    with five of the wonderful Christmas
stepped onto the stage. Acrobats tumbled    and all the memories rushed back. Sadly        carols. My favorite song was Midnight
on their mats and amazed the audience.      our time machine had taken us back             because it was fun to sing.
                                            to 2014 and our medieval adventure             Georgie Huxford, 4NA

                                            was over.
                                            Alexandria Butler, Ashley Ganda and            Our nativity was joyful and happy.
                                            Olivia Lawgun, 6LE
                                                                                           Everyone was smiling and it felt like
                                                                                           we were all given a hug from God!
                                                                                           Victoria Jagusch, 4NA

                                                                                           I loved the songs and the music in our
                                                                                           Nativity. We are celebrating Jesus like
                                                                                           we are celebrating our school turning
                                                                                           100! I hope everyone will know the real,
                                                                                           special meaning of Christmas. It’s not just
                                                                                           getting presents.
                                                                                           Alexandra Bow, 4MI

                                                                                           The Nativity this year was one of the
                                                                                           most special for me because I was
                                                                                           Joseph. The main feature of our Nativity
                                                                                           was a carousel. It spun and turned until
                                                                                           it finally reached the stable scene. That
                                                                                           was my scene! I tried to smile. I guess I
                                                                                           did because eventually my jaw started
                                                                                           hurting! I loved the Nativity and I believe
                                                                                           that it will become a precious memory.
                                                                                           Elizabeth van Wijk, 4MI

                                                                                                      college ties j u n i o r s c h o o l   21
Junior school

     Junior Coders

     Do little girls know what                       The important part of coding is not
     programming is? How will they react to       the actual programs themselves - as
     the opportunity to learn about coding        they are an end product - but developing
     and problem solving? Can they grasp the      skills to analyse a problem and break it
     key concepts of breaking down a problem      down, often working with a partner or
     into steps and using control structures to   team to strategise the best solution. This
     create an efficient solution?                skill demands that student be involved
        The simple answer is YES. I had           in ‘unplugged’ activities – those that
     underestimated the interest of our girls     teach the concepts without the need for
     in exploring such concepts, originally       a computer at all. Each week’s session
     planning a single lunchtime club where I     generally starts with a short unplugged
     anticipated a few interested girls meeting   activity to introduce the concept that the
     me and coding a little bit on the iPads or   week’s coding challenges will employ.
     their notebooks. But the Junior Coders          The key concepts we have learnt this
     programme was introduced in Term 4           term through unplugged activities are:
     with an outstanding number of interested        • A lgorithm – series of steps to solve         measured by the number of girls who
     little people giving up their lunchtimes           a problem, plant a seed, process              have come back for six full weeks; by
     to come and code with me! We have Year             explored, remove unnecessary                  those who catch me in the playground
     1 and 2 on Thursdays, Year 3 and 4 on              steps, put in the correct order               and tell me that they told their mum
     Fridays and Year 5 and 6 on Tuesdays.           • S equence – make your classmate               about what we did yesterday; and the
        The Year 5 and 6 group are our largest          robot dance with a set of steps that          enjoyment they have shared with me
     with 59 students registered in my coding           you program for them to follow.               in learning about how we can make
     class. I am able to see their progress          • L oop (repetition) – analyse the              computers and iPads do cool things.
     as they work through the structured                chicken dance, four steps repeated               The success of the coding initiative
     sequence of activities on Code.org.                four times over and over again.               will be further explored in 2015. I am
        The Year 1 and 2 and Year 3 and 4            • S election (Choice) – Paper, Scissors,        hoping to offer the girls more and varied
     groups are making use of the class iPads           Rock (Year 1 and 2) and Snakes and            opportunities in the Junior School
     using an app called Kodable. I have over           Ladders (Year 3 – 6): If this is true, then   starting with the new Year 4 – 6 Stretch
     100 registered users across these two              what happens, what do we do?                  programme.
     groups and have 52 iPads in use each            I have been amazed at the success of             Mrs Klaris Philipson
     lunchtime that we meet.                      the programme! Success at this level is             Associate Director ILT (Curriculum)

22   ST Cuthbert’s College magazine december 2014
Middle School
From the                                     Year 8, 2014

Head of
Middle School
100 years old! Fantastic! It is
very exciting to be at St Cuthbert’s as
we celebrate our Centenary. Our Year
7 and 8 girls are learning all about life
100 years ago and I must say it has given
them a whole new appreciation of the
technologies that didn’t exist back then.
   I grew up with an aunt who was a
family friend we called Aunty Morna,
and it turns out that she was a founding     Year 7 present their
student at St Cuthbert’s all those years     cheque to the Make
                                             a Wish Foundation
ago. Murial (or Aunty Morna as we called
her) went on to have one son, Hugh,
and Hugh had three sons, so the St
Cuthbert’s connection was lost in their
family, however it is exciting for me to
know that I spent my formative years in
the company of a founding pupil of the
College. I have fond memories of playing
in her fabulous front yard in Ngapuhi
Road; she had the best trees to climb and
she drove a Triumph Herald with the
original walnut wood dashboard.
   Enough of my reminiscing though!
Some things don’t change, and one of
these is the nature of the friendships
and connections our girls make with
one another in their Middle School years.
Our fabulous Year 7 and 8 mums connect      exciting piece of equipment to many of
as they sit around the meeting table        us. Embracing this century and all that
tying ribbons around the graduation         it offers and at the same time valuing
autograph books our girls will receive to   the traditions of the past means our girls
commemorate their time in the Middle        have balance. We have many tools at
School and to signify their moving on up.   hand for online communication, yet we
   In celebrating the Centenary we have     value connecting face to face. We value
been looking at what school life might      friendships and playing and team sports
have been like over the years. The girls    and quiet times for reading and reflecting.
are interested to hear just how different      Happiness is a goal for all of us and so
school was for us, their teachers. They     service remains a major focus for our girls
look at us somewhat incredulously when      and once again this year our Year 8s have     Make a Wish Foundation. So really on
we tell them that there were no mobile      thoroughly enjoyed making teddy bears         one level, much remains the same whilst
phones, that the internet had not been      for children at Women’s Refuge, and Year      on others, we are embracing and
invented when we started school, and        7 girls have learned all about, and raised    celebrating change.
that the scientific calculator was a very   funds to grant wishes for, children at the    Ms Margaret Talbot, Head of Middle School

                                                                                                     college ties m i d d l e s c h o o l   23
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