Key events in Term 4

Term 4 is already well under way, so please note these important dates in your calendars.

Tuesday 4 November–Saturday 8 November – Junior Production, The Lightning Thief, Old Boys’ Theatre

Monday 17 November–Sunday 23 November – Junior Tournament Week

Term 4 Sunday Chapel services 
Sunday 9 November (Years 9–11) – 7pm
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 holidays
Canterbury Anniversary Day – Friday 14 November

Major end-of-year events

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

Prize-giving – Friday 5 December, 1pm, Christchurch Town Hall
This will not be a ticketed event – all parents and family are welcome to 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.

Focus on finals – NCEA exam countdown 

As NCEA study leave begins, students’ attention may already be drifting to life after College. However, staying focused and making the most of this final push are crucial for exam success.

Key exam information and preparation

NCEA exams kick off on Tuesday 4 November. This year, there’s only a short gap between the last day of school and the start of exams, so being prepared is essential.

Study leave support

Don’t forget that during study leave – the time between classes finishing and exams starting – teachers will be available for tuition. They will be in their classrooms during normal class times. We strongly encourage boys to take advantage of this fantastic opportunity for last-minute help and clarification. Teachers will continue to be available after this period but students will need to contact them to arrange a time to meet.

Check the MyNZQA account

All Years 12–13 students must check their MyNZQA logins. Boys use this account to access:

• Digital exams – if a student is doing any exams digitally, he will need this login to access the NZQA website portal
• External entries and grades – students can check their subject external entries and any internal assessment grades
• Results – boys will need this login to access their official results in January.

Please remind your son to check his login now – sorting out any issues before the exams start next week.

Exam briefing

Before study leave, the boys had a final examination briefing, covering essential protocols, including:

• What to do if a student is late to an exam
• The process if a student is sick and cannot attend
• How to handle an exam clash
• Crucially, what a student is allowed (and not allowed) to bring with him
• Details regarding the release of results.

Students also received their exam admissions slip. These must be brought to every exam.

We wish all our seniors the very best of luck and every success. 

Noteworthy nights for Sedley Wells Awards

We have just celebrated our annual Sedley Wells Music Competition with a record number of entries. So many boys wanted to share their instrumental and vocal skills that we had to run the annual event over two nights.

Thank you to those families and College supporters who joined us in the Assembly Hall on both evenings. We were also fortunate to welcome back former Director of Music Robert Aburn as the guest adjudicator.

Congratulations to our prize winners and all the boys who shared their incredible musical skills. We certainly have an amazing array of talent at College.

New Teacher-in-Charge – Choral Music

We continue to develop and enhance our music programme at College. This week, we welcome Peter de Blois ONZM to lead the Chapel Choir. A well-known educator, adjudicator, singer, and conductor, Peter has led choirs in New Zealand and the United Kingdom. We will look forward to him leading the choir at Carols on the Quad on Thursday 4 December.

A Round Square world of opportunities

Christ’s College recently hosted a Round Square Information Evening for students and families where we explained the many and varied opportunities available to the boys, including international service projects, student exchanges, and conferences. We also detailed the various Round Square committees, collaborations, and Zoom postcard events. 

We explained the links between Round Square and the Christ’s College Diploma, through the elements of Character and Leadership, Community and Service, and Global Citizenship.

While it was a chilly start for our new exchange student, we warmly welcomed Adith Jeyasekharan from United World College in Singapore. Adith will spend three weeks with Year 10 student Joshua Padayachee.

Gratitude, Duke of Edinburgh opportunities, and book returns

We recently celebrated our student librarians, thanking each for his service and farewelling our school leavers. Each received a chocolate biscuit with one of his achievements or strengths written on top. Our student librarians contribute to our culture of reading at College, and their efforts help make the library tick. I hope they also value the skills they gain from their roles. 

Student librarian hours can contribute to Duke of Edinburgh (DofE) or Student Volunteer Army service. Students who already have plenty of service hours can also use their librarian role as a DofE skill, as long as they record their learning each week. The library offers other DofE opportunities, including choosing reading as a DofE hobby. Please encourage your son to check the reading requirements on the College Library Schoolbox page before seeing me.

Finally, a quick reminder that students leaving College at the end of the year must return their books when they are no longer needed. It’s easier to return books when boys are still on campus rather than having to make a special trip back later.

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.

Leaving School magazine

Leaving School is a guide to study and career options for secondary school students in Years 10–13. You can also find copies in the Careers office.  

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. 

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.

StudyLink – student loans and allowances

If boys intend to apply for a student loan or allowance, they should have registered and applied online through StudyLink by now. It can take some time to process applications.

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. They must select a qualification, year of study, and first-year courses. 

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.

Aircraft maintenance

Students interested in a career in aircraft maintenance can attend the national WorldSkills competition for young engineers at the Air Force Museum from 7–8 November. Students will see aircraft maintenance in action and can speak to young aircraft maintenance engineers. For further information, contact Michael Naus at michael.naus@worldskills.org.nz.

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