Key events in Term 4

As we move rapidly through Term 4, it’s timely to highlight the remaining important dates. 

Monday 17 November–Sunday 23 November – Junior Tournament Week. The junior volleyball (Invercargill) and junior water polo (Blenheim) teams are involved.

Sunday Chapel services 

Sunday 30 November – Advent Service (Years 9–10) – 7pm

Years 9–11 students are expected to attend two Sunday Chapel services during Term 4, while Years 12–13 boys need to attend one service.

Public holiday

Canterbury Anniversary Day – Friday 14 November

Years 9–11 end-of-year programmes

Year 9

The last day of classes is Wednesday 26 November. Students will then undertake a six-day outdoor education programme (Thursday 27 November–Friday 28 November and Monday 1 December–Thursday 4 December).

Year 10

The last day of classes is Tuesday 25 November. Students will then be involved in a three-day Immerse & Inspire programme (Wednesday 26 November–Friday 28 November) and a four-day community service programme (Monday 1 December–Thursday 4 December).

Year 11

Students will have prep examinations (Wednesday 19 November–Wednesday 26 November); a one-day road safety programme (Thursday 27 November); and a prep examination summary day (Friday 28 November). They will then undertake the Finding Your Pathway careers programme (Monday 1 December–Thursday 4 December)

More detailed programme information has been emailed to parents of each year group.

Major end-of-year events

Carols on the Quad – Thursday 4 December, 6pm (compulsory for Years 9–13) Everyone’s welcome to attend.

Prize-giving – Friday 5 December, 1pm, Christchurch Town Hall

This will not be a ticketed event, so any parents and family can attend. We also want to clarify that all College Diploma Silver, Gold, and Gold with Academic Honours recipients will be presented with their awards at this Prize-giving.

Year 13 Leavers’ Chapel Service – Friday 5 December, 4pm

All Year 13 boys, along with their parents, return to the College Chapel following Prize-giving for the Leavers’ Chapel Service. 

Year 13 Leavers’ Ball – Saturday 6 December, 7.30–11pm, Te Pae

Year 13 parents should have received all the details regarding this event. If you have any questions, please contact Darrell Thatcher at dthatcher@christscollege.com.

Testing time for students

Years 12–13 students are officially on study leave. Their NCEA examinations are under way and we wish the boys all the best for ending the year well. Teachers will continue to be available to help during this period but students must arrange a specific time to meet.

Key points

• If boys have any issues, such as illness or emergencies, on the day of their exams, they must contact Dr Craig Aitken as the Principal’s Nominee immediately. He will advise the student on the correct course of action.
• Boys must take their exam slip for every exam (Scholarship exams also require photo ID).
• Boys must have their NZQA login to access digital examinations and results.
• Boys need to read the NZQA rules and regulations provided – and available on Schoolbox – should they be unsure about anything, or reach out to a supervisor or Dr Aitken. 

Year 11 Prep exam dates

Year 11 Prep exams will be held from Wednesday 19 November–Wednesday 26 November. From the end of day on Tuesday 18 November, Year 11 students will be on ‘study leave’ for six days while completing their exams. It is important that boys prepare for their exams so that they can see the results of a year of hard work and focus, and achieve the best outcomes. 

The exam timetable will be available through Houses and also on Schoolbox. All exams will be held in the Old Gym, with the exception of students with special assessment conditions who will meet in the Chapman Room.

To complete the week, Thursday 27 November will be a RYDA Driver Safety Day.

Finally, students will receive feedback on their exam results, and have the opportunity to ask questions on Friday 28 November. 

Dates

Tuesday November 18 – Year 11 study leave begins
Wednesday November 19–Wednesday November 26 – Year 11 Prep exams
Thursday November 27 – RYDA Driver Safety Day
Friday November 28 – Exam feedback 

Marking history

Tēnā koutou katoa.

Peace to you all in the name of God.

Dearly beloved, 

It has been quite the week in Chapel. On Monday, we welcomed The Cathedral Grammar School for their Parihaka Remembrance Service. It is always lovely to have the students and staff of Grammar in-house. On Wednesday, our Chapel Choir sang waiata at the Peace Bell Service in the Botanic Gardens, lending their voices to goodwill and praise. Add to these the brightness of the Junior Production, the Year 10 Trade Fair, not to mention the seniors beginning exams, and the week has felt joyfully alive. 

Friday’s worship brought The Right Honourable The Viscount Cobham and Teresa, Lady Cobham, together with Professor Te Maire Tau (Ngāi Tahu) and Humphry and Debra Rolleston. Lord and Lady Cobham are in Christchurch marking 175 years since the founding of the settlement of Christchurch at Ōtautahi – a story their family helped to begin. 

Our own name – Christ’s – points not to history, but to a living presence. Jesus Christ is not remembered so much as encountered: shaping, transforming, and loving in every generation. 

That truth came home in a small moment this week. As Lord Cobham finished his address and returned to his seat, the printed prayers from the lectern vanished with him. 

Down the nave I went: “My Lord, I believe you have our morning prayers in your pocket.”

There, in that rather hushed and awkward inquiry, it struck me, lay one of my more theological utterances. For in the act of prayer, our hopes and needs surely are, always, in the hands of ‘The Lord’. Psalm 31:15.

May God bless you all,

The Reverend Canon Cameron Pickering

In fine voice for the future

Kia ora koutou,

We are in the middle of my third week at College and I’m very much enjoying working with great (and extremely helpful) colleagues and outstanding choristers in both choirs.

I have already introduced some changes for the choristers: 

• There are no longer choir rehearsals during lunch breaks
• Dinner on Wednesdays has been changed to 5.40pm so the boys have more time to eat and then start choir practice on time
• Schola Cantorum has reverted to a lower voices choir (TTBB). This means juniors have a choir to look up to and aim for as their voices change and mature. (Thank you to those boys who offered their voices to sing treble and alto in Schola this year.) 
• In addition to the Wednesday practice, both choirs now rehearse on Fridays from 3.40–4.40pm.

My thanks to Dr John Linker for his outstanding work with the College choirs, alongside his own role at Christ Church Cathedral. I also wish to acknowledge the support provided by Director of Music Hugo Zanker, Zac Knight, Chris Nye, and Shelley Spang. With their assistance the choral programme has continued and this makes my job easier as I take up my new role.

I look forward to getting to know these talented young men and further developing the strong choral tradition for which Christ's College is so very well known.

Fun and games – Junior Round Square Week

We are celebrating Junior Round Square Week, the culmination of many weeks of planning by the Years 9–11 student committee.

This week we are holding the International Chapel Service, a ‘guess the national anthem’ Kahoot! during mentor time, and a student-led Round Square Assembly. Other activities centre on a series of games – including musical chairs, red light, green light, heads or tails and ‘guess the food’ – with the number of participants falling until the Thursday final.  

We are also hosting three exchange students from two Round Square schools this week. While Adith Jeyasekharan, from United World College Singapore, prepares to leave following his three-week stay, we welcome Thomas Harris and Harry Culhane from Scotch Oakburn College, Tasmania. They are being hosted by Year 9 students Alex Sutton and Charles Button, respectively.

With international exchange applications open for 2026, it’s timely to remind parents of the many benefits and opportunities open to your sons. Our 2026 exchange applications close on Friday 14 November. We will then select a shortlist for interviews.

You’re invited to a Summer Reading Soirée

Student librarians Nitin Keswani and Sean Ma share their novel approach to summer reading.

Student librarians have been hard at work organising a Summer Reading Soirée for all students (and parents) to help get their summer holiday reading sorted. It’s going to be on 4 December from 4pm, just before Carols on the Quad, so you’ll be coming to College already.

There will be games, prizes, Christmas snacks, and, of course, time in the College Library to pick books that appeal to you. We will also personally curate a bag of books and a wee gift for each student who fills in the book selection form before joining the party.

So come on down to the library. Parents, if you’re joining us (and we’d love to see you), please confirm your attendance here.

UPCOMING CAREERS DATES

Christ’s College CareerWise

The Christ’s College careers website, CareerWise, is a rich source of careers information. Parents and students can subscribe to our careers platform to stay up to date with the options and opportunities open to the boys. These may cover career-related events, news, and jobs. For most events, there are links to register. Our Years 11–13 boys and their parents are encouraged to subscribe to CareerWise.

CareerWise articles include:
Future Jobs – Future Skills
Soft skills that make you stand out                                                                         
AI and automation – What jobs will still need humans?
Digital Screen Showcase 2025

Generation Z and the world of work                                                                       

It may be timely to talk to your sons about our changing work world. You can find out more here about how best to prepare. 

University of Canterbury enrolment                                                                     

University of Canterbury enrolment applications for 2026 are open. Boys need to create their myUC account and then apply online as soon as possible. 

Year 13 Leavers – 2025

These statistics reflect our students’ plans for 2026. In all, 87% intend to study at tertiary institutions and 13% plan to work, gain an apprenticeship or take a GAP year.

Tertiary pathways

36% – University of Canterbury
27% – University of Otago
13% – Lincoln University
11% – Overseas universities
6% – Victoria University of Wellington
4% – University of Auckland
3% – Ara Institute of Canterbury and others

Of the 2025 leavers attending tertiary institutions in 2026, the following shows the intended areas of study (figures rounded to the nearest point):

42% – Commerce/Commerce & Law
13% – Science/Science & Law
11% – Health Sciences
9% – Engineering
8% – Arts/Arts & Law
6% – Agriculture/Agricultural Commerce 
4% – Sport/Sport Management
2% – Land & Property Management
2% – Architecture
2% – Surveying
1% – Music
1% – Aviation                                                                                                                           

University of Otago course planning

University of Otago liaison staff will be in Christchurch from Wednesday 3 December–Friday 5 December to help 2026 students with course planning. They will be based at the Otago Medical School at the Christchurch campus, 7th floor, Rooms 708 and 710. Students will need to book an appointment.

Akaroa Health scholarship

Year 13 students who live in the Akaroa Health catchment and plan to study in a health-related field next year can apply for the Biddy Shadbolt Memorial Scholarship. Applicants must live between Little River and Port Levy.

Student Jobs Guide                                                                                                 

For those looking for a summer job, MoneyHub has produced a Student Jobs Guide, with tips on how to make an application and where to look for work.

Job-related guides for students                                                                          

Discover how to prepare a CV and cover letter, along with trying a few interview practice questions.
Student CV template
Student job cover letter
Student job interview practice questions

New School Leavers’ Toolkit                                                                           

Learn about practical skills, and find advice and resources for post-College life in the New School Leavers’ Toolkit.          

2026 stationery

Years 10–13 stationery orders can be accessed here, with parents able to make their own purchases to be delivered directly to their homes. Orders are placed through OfficeMax. Please note that the Uniform Shop does not carry a full range.

Full stationery lists for each year group can be found on the College website.

CHRIST'S COLLEGE & CCOBA EVENTS

One family’s legacy

The Archives receive an array of donations and each item is integral to the larger story of College life – a subject, a passion, a talent, and, most importantly, the people. Many students have trodden the path of their forebears, and often imagine their sons doing the same. 

The Belcher whānau from Waimarama, Hawke’s Bay, has been intertwined with College for many years. Three generations – Seymour Theobald Belcher (3149) 1919–1922, David Seymour Belcher (6991) 1960–1963, and Philip John Seymour Belcher (10962) 1989–1993 – have strong ties to College. 

A box packed with records and taonga formerly belonging to Seymour Belcher reveals his connections right from his first-year timetables in 1919. It also contains a Human History exercise book, a reference from EC Crosse in 1922, endowment fundraising booklets, and CCOBA Hawke’s Bay branch service sheets from David’s time in the 1960s and 1970s. 

Meanwhile, our North Island-based Old Boys often reminisce about the long journeys to Christchurch on the train. David has provided an interesting account of his travels in the 1960s, including the delight of seeing the Nga Tawa schoolgirls join the railcar in Gisborne and then, sadly, leave in Palmerston North.

The Wairarapa boys would join the group before the overnight trip on the inter-island ferry to Lyttelton, when David recalled that the students practically ran this service.

“Once in Lyttelton, there would be a hasty rush in groups of four to bag a taxi to return to College in time for Chapel of the first class.”

David also remembers the suit button rules. First years had to have three buttons fastened and no hands in pockets while second years could leave one button unfastened. Any failure to adhere to these rules would result in 100 lines by the evening’s prep time. 

He also notes the ‘fag’ system – one fag for a House, or a first-year ‘fag’ for Prefects. The duties for those boys included bed-making, shoe cleaning, and caring for clothes.

In David’s time, there were eight Houses – four for dayboys and four for boarders. The House spirit was very competitive, whether in the classroom, during sport or while undertaking outside activities. 

Among the more recent donations from David is the alternative to the College Register – The Christ’s College Rejecter. It features the usual sports reports and Old Boys’ notes, with a satirical spin and will be found on the upcoming online platform of historical Registers.

David maintains a long-standing affection for College, evidenced by his role as CCOBA Hawke’s Bay branch secretary for 20 years.

He firmly believes that “College life and traditions certainly built the true value of camaraderie into my life”.

“To meet any College Old Boy is likened to speaking to a close friend, whether they be a business professional or a man of the land, as the subject of life at College always springs to the horizon.”

Like his father, Seymour, and his uncles, who attended College in the 1910s and 1920s, David, his brothers, and cousins were all students. In turn, they ensured that their sons had the privilege of a College education.

David reiterates the College motto, ‘Bene Tradita, Bene Servanda – Good Traditions, Well Maintained’, adding that “it’s up to us present Old Boys and parents to build on College in preparation for future generations”.

David’s son, Philip, attended College from 1989–1993. An acclaimed artist, Philip’s remarkable carving can be seen in the library stairwell. Initially a 4th Form (Year 10) carving project, the intricate whakairo was completed in 1992. Phil went on to make his mark through his exceptional works of art in Hawke’s Bay. He became widely known for his dedication to Māori art and culture, with special licence to obtain greenstone and other stone from throughout New Zealand for his artworks. Sadly, Phil passed away on 16 February 2024.

“Phil was one of Hawke’s Bay’s most respected artists and carvers and was known for his passion in serving the local community,” his father says. “He was involved in the Pou at Waimārama, the Ātea a Rangi star compass at Waitangi Park, and the restoration of the Wharerangi Marae.”

You can see much of Phil’s legacy in Hawke’s Bay. 

On behalf of Christ’s College, I want to thank David for his generosity and for maintaining the unbreakable bond with College.