Connection in our students’ lives

As we near the end of a busy term packed with opportunities for the wider community to connect through the 175th celebration, community events, and information evenings, it is timely to reflect on the importance of connection for our students.

As the global political landscape rapidly changes and the challenges facing our rangatahi (young people) mount, it is important to consider what we can do to help them make sense of their world.

Adolescence is a time of immense change – physically, emotionally, and socially. During that period, the connections and real relationships our children forge are crucial to their wellbeing. Whether the relationships are with whānau, friends, teachers, or coaches, the support is important so that young people gain the confidence to face their inevitable challenges.

While our boys are discovering who they are, their place in the world, and where they fit, a strong network of people helps to ensure that they are valued and understood. 

College plays a significant role during this time. We constantly reflect on ways our students can find a place of belonging within the wider school and their Houses. This varies from individual to individual. However, the commonality at College is that each student finds a place within the school environment where they feel a sense of belonging and a connection to others. Whether this is through sport or Drama, in class or outside, we need to create the space where they can develop real relationships that support each boy to navigate our changing times.

What's for dinner?

View the Dining Hall menu produced by the talented team at Ovation.

Maths achievement by the numbers

Kia ora koutou katoa.

I am delighted to have joined Christ’s College as Head of Mathematics & Statistics. It is a privilege to lead an experienced team in a school with such a proud academic tradition. I have spent the past 24 years in teaching and leadership roles. Having spent most of my time since 2011 at Otago Boys’ High School, I value boys’ education. Most recently, I was seconded to the Ministry of Education to help rewrite the national Maths curriculum to be taught from 2026. Now, I am excited to be back in the classroom and part of our community to help our young men embrace the challenges and opportunities that this subject offers. It remains a crucial subject to enable choices beyond College.

Our Mathematics Department includes a dedicated group of teachers who bring a wealth of experience and enthusiasm to their classrooms. As a team, we are committed to delivering engaging and challenging programmes, supporting each boy to achieve his personal best. 

It has already been a productive term in our classrooms. Across the year levels, the boys have made an excellent start. Our junior students are focusing on developing strong number and algebraic fluency and problem-solving skills, while the seniors are deep into algebra, trigonometry calculus, and various statistics concepts. These all build towards internal assessments and exams later in the year. It has been great to see the boys’ enthusiasm and willingness to embrace new concepts.

Scholarship preparation has also begun, with our Scholarship Calculus weekly sessions. I have been impressed with the turnout of motivated Years 12–13 boys keen to extend themselves. We encourage boys who are interested in joining to get in touch as it is never too late to start. We are finalising the start times of the Scholarship Statistics programme.

Cantamath preparation is also well under way. Our teams are working hard during Friday lunchtimes, sharpening their skills and collaborating to represent College at this much-loved competition later in the year. It is fantastic to see such strong interest from Years 9–10 boys.

Last week, two teams of senior mathematicians took part in the prestigious annual International Mathematical Modeling Challenge. Thank you to Amanda Lester for organising the boys and all the logistics. We look forward to learning the results in the coming weeks. Such events present a great opportunity for students to test themselves against others in New Zealand and beyond, while also providing valuable experience that fosters mathematical thinking and resilience.

Staying on course for Diploma journey 

With the end of the term fast approaching, and the recent Diploma Information Evening, it is timely to summarise where the Years 10–11 boys should be in their Diploma journey.

As detailed in the presentation on 5 March, the Diploma has two distinct parts. On the academic side, the focus – beyond the desire for each boy to be doing their best in every subject – is to ensure they are respectful in class and putting in the most effort. For the Year 10s – from an academic standpoint – it is this area that is most important as the grades for both characteristics in each IPG round count towards their level of Academic Engagement. For the Year 11 boys, their focus will be in effort and respect AND academic excellence if they want to aim to gain the Diploma at a Gold level with Academic Honours.

On the non-academic side of the Diploma, I expect the Year 10s to know which fronds they will focus on for Silver and maybe have started to put in their bids. This may be the case if they have started their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award or have had a leadership role in their chosen sport or cultural activity this year. Year 11 students should be well on their way to submitting everything that they achieved in 2024 and, hopefully, have plans in place to reach their target award by the end of Term 3. 

Remember, this is a student-led award and the boys should be proactive in finding help if needed by talking with mentors, the Diploma champions in their House, or by contacting me and meeting to discuss their journey. The sooner the boys take ownership of their Diploma journey, the easier it will be to succeed.

It has been good to see greater engagement this year, particularly with the Year 11 boys, and I hope to continue to see more submissions in the coming months. 

The Anxious Generation

I have found an amazing book – The Anxious Generation by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt – that covers the ‘rewiring of childhood’ and a rise in mental illness in adolescents. 

His research highlights how under-parenting in our digital world and over-parenting in our real world are causing a great rewiring of a generation’s social and intellectual development.

Haidt has summarised his book in a 60-minute podcast, The High Performance Podcast, Jonathan Haidt: Here's how we can free the anxious generation.

I encourage you all to listen as it is extremely interesting and relevant to our teenage boys.

An ecumenical matter

Why did Jesus, Moses, the Buddha, And Mohammed (pbuh) Cross the Road? You can discover so much more here about religious identity in a multi-faith world in the reflections of the Reverend Canon Cameron Pickering. 

Library open during College Diploma interviews

The College Library will be open until 7pm on Monday 31 March to coincide with the Years 10–11 College Diploma parent-teacher-student interviews. This is an opportunity for students and parents who are at College for interviews to also visit the library together to borrow books for holiday reading. It is also a wonderful space where boys and parents can sit or browse the bookshelves between their interviews with teachers.

In step to support Shoe Drive

Thank you to the school families who have donated to the recent Round Square Shoe Drive. As a result of everyone's generosity, we have been able to add more than 200 pairs of trainers, and walking and hiking boots (some new) to the Rotary Club’s container for Nepal. This container will be delivered to the Kathmandu Hospital and the contents distributed.

GeoGuessr

Junior Round Square members have started their year of events with an inter-House GeoGuessr competition in the Chapman Room. Two juniors and a senior from each House have battled it out across the globe in this online geography game focused on the Round Square IDEALS of Internationalism and Adventure, with an additional challenge from several staff who have joined the competition. In the end, Flower’s House has won the title, claiming some Shaka Bros vouchers, with School House 2nd and Rolleston House 3rd.

College runs for 1HumanRace 

College boys are gearing up to run the good race at lunchtime on Monday 31 March to support and empower vulnerable girls in Kenya and Tanzania.

Backed by an international non-profit organisation, So They Can, the 1HumanRace Challenge encourages students in New Zealand and Australia to help deliver more opportunities and ensure better outcomes for girls aged nine to 13.

Led by the College Service Committee, the boys will run around Upper, with the aim of raising up to $15,000 for the 1HumanRace Challenge. In a schoolwide effort, each boy will also take up the challenge to claim the House title for the highest fundraising total.  

To back the initiative, donations can be made here to support the boys’ efforts. These efforts will aid school communities in Africa where girls are at risk of dropping out of school and having their futures cut short due to child marriages. This issue and the fact that young girls in these countries are often deprived of an education makes it a great cause to support.

175 Years Celebratory Weekend

You can find all our photos here from our 175 Years Celebratory Weekend, capturing special memories of our remarkable milestone.

Southern Lakes Community Visit

You can see our photos from our Southern Lakes Community Visit hosted at Millbrook near Arrowtown. 

UPCOMING CAREERS DATES

Career interviews for Year 12 students

Next term, I will meet Year 12 boys to discuss their achievements, interests, and experiences, both in and outside school. This meeting will also cover study and career options for 2027 and beyond. I will contact parents to confirm that I have met your son, and am available to answer any queries.

University of Canterbury – preparation for tertiary study

The University of Canterbury’s Best preparation for university study is a useful resource for Years 11–12 students when selecting school subjects. It helps to identify which subjects are vital, recommended, or useful for different degrees.

LETZ LIVE – overseas GAP year and working holidays in 2026

LETZ LIVE specialises in GAP programmes in Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. The LETZ LIVE programmes offer school leavers an opportunity to gain international experience, develop life skills, and immerse themselves in a new culture, including school assistant and activity assistant roles in the UK.

Otago Open Days

Otago Open Days will be held from Sunday 4 May–Monday 5 May. This is earlier than 2024, so it is recommended that travel and accommodation are booked as soon as possible. Families can also contact individual residential colleges for tours at other times. 

Proposed 2026 University of Otago programmes changes

Business Analytics major
A proposed move to make Business Analytics a major in the Bachelor of Commerce reflects the demand for data analysis to support business growth and digital transformation. The main pathway is data or business intelligence analyst, along with marketing, customer relationship management, and financial and human resources analysts.

Data Science programme changes
With the increasing importance of Data Science in a range of disciplines, the university is refreshing the programme to include papers from other areas. The programme will maintain an emphasis on computing and statistics. However, it will also offer Data Science as a major under the Bachelor of Arts, in addition to the Bachelor of Science pathway.

Energy majors changes
The university proposes to merge Energy Management and Energy Science and Technology into a single major – Sustainable Energy Engineering, focusing on energy efficiency and renewable energy. It is a technically focused, applied physics, and mathematics course.

New Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) Software Engineering
The university proposes to replace the Software Engineering major in the Bachelor of Science with a four-year accredited Bachelor of Engineering (Hons) degree. This will include practical project work, contemporary software development, and computer science teaching.

UC School of Product Design Exhibition 5–10 April

How does an idea become a product that people use? Students can find the answer at the School of Product Design Exhibition from 5–10 April in the TSB Space, Level 1, Tūranga (Central Library). Students can learn about the design process, from concept to execution. At the School of Product Design, design, marketing, engineering, and business are united. 

Christ's College umbrella

Ensure that the rain doesn’t stop any sideline play by grabbing one of our striking new College umbrellas from the Uniform Shop. Featuring the full College logo and colours, our new large umbrella now has a comfortable rubber handle and quick-release mechanism for easy opening, along with a stylish updated design. Call in to our Uniform Shop or email uniformshop@christscollege.com.

CHRIST'S COLLEGE & CCOBA EVENTS