Boarding makes ground

As this will be the last Boarding Matters I write before moving into my new Assistant Principal role in 2021, it is a chance to reflect on the past four years as Director of Boarding. I would like to think some significant changes have taken place within boarding at Christ's College. Below are three aspects where with the support of the Housemasters and their staff, I believe positive change has occurred.

1. The structures implemented to create consistency across the three boarding Houses – one of my briefs when coming into this role was to create a “common experience” within the three boarding Houses while still preserving the unique characteristics of each House in terms of history and staff. I believe this has happened across a wide range of areas including duty, discipline, leave and prep. While the changes made to create the “common experience” provided some challenges early on for boys and parents, the systems now in place are regarded as normal and expected and have certainly raised the standard of our duty of care.

2. House culture – has continued to evolve in all three Houses including improvements in the way our boarders acknowledge difference and respond to each other in a more positive manner. I have referred to this previously as a healthy hierarchy. I also talked about the words “respectful” and “respect” and the need for boys to understand their different meanings. You cannot expect to be respected if you are not respectful yourself. Similarly, you cannot be a good leader if you do not possess good character attributes. Also, hierarchy should exist in a boarding community but it needs to be considered as a “healthy hierarchy” – which links to each boy “knowing his place”. The days of hierarchy by fear are long gone, replaced by a hierarchy where:

• Juniors are respectful of seniors so should not be cheeky, rude or over confident
• Seniors have earned respect by leading by example in terms of behaviours and expectations
• An environment has been created where all year levels are working together for the common cause of the boarding House, with seniors leading the way and juniors seeking guidance from them

3. Parent Inclusion – having a son in a boarding House can be challenging for a parent. They can feel isolated because of physical distance and not part of their son’s education. Over the past four years an emphasis on better parent communication and involvement has occurred. Social functions for boarding parents have continued in each House – athletics day lunches, the House dinner and shoot weekend and mothers’ functions. Across House events including drinks and nibbles pre-House Music and House Play Festivals have been introduced; and the Mothers’ Morning Tea prior to The Pink Lunch has enabled parents to mix socially across the three boarding Houses. The introduction of “Friends of Boarding” has seen parent education and feedback opportunities. I have tried where possible to send out details from College parent information evenings to those who could not attend. This will progress next year with the introduction of year group parent contacts, another step towards even better parent communication and involvement.

Greek Philosopher Heraclitus said “There is nothing permanent except change.” He also said “Good character is not formed in a week or a month. It is created little by little, day by day. Protracted and patient effort is needed to develop good character and it is important.” I am sure my successor will continue to build on the changes made in the last four years to help develop our boarders as young men with good character and I would like to think the boys will continue to have opportunities within the boarding environment which complement those taking place in their normal College life.

Thank you breakfast for parents of Year 13 Boarders

Friday 4 December, 8.30–9.45am, Dining Hall
We would like to invite you to join us for a special breakfast hosted by Executive Principal Garth Wynne, Board Chair Hugh Lindo and I. It gives us the opportunity to thank you for your support and welcome those families who soon will no longer have a son at College, to our Friends of College community. Please RSVP to lvanzyl@christscollege.com

A job well done

What a year it has been! I will try to avoid some of the overused adjectives that have been applied to events over the last 11 months, although some are indeed appropriate. What I wish to focus on instead is the pride I have in our boys as the 2020 school year draws to a close. They have shown their adaptability, resilience, and focus in a time of constant change.

When we called on them to trust in their teachers and continue to engage in their learning during lockdown, the majority were able to do so. Naturally, while changes had to be made to academic programmes, this did not lower academic performance. Reviewing our assessment data, achievement rates are on track, if not better than previous years and many of our students have already gained Endorsements prior to sitting any external exams. How can we not be proud of them for that?

This is a testament to the value that the boys place on their learning. Not every student is destined to be top of the class, but I have watched the bulk of boys this year strive to be at their best and that is what I ask of them. As we are nearing the end of the exam session, I can attest to the mature and constructive manner in which the boys have approached these exams. I have the honour of “lining the boys up” to enter the hall each day and their commitment to the task at hand is written all over their faces. I beam with pride as I watch them get seated and settled.

And while my exam duties mean I must stay on site, I delight in watching the junior students leave and return each day from their activities. We know that boys’ learning is not confined to the classroom and I hope that the boys are learning from moments outside of their comfort zones, whether it be through outdoor pursuits or service to organisations in our community. As I chat with my colleagues who have been with the boys during the day, the pride our staff also have in boys is apparent.

I hope that the twelfth month of this interesting year only holds positive interests for you all. To those boys that leave us for good at the end of this week, best of luck and go well! I know you have the knowledge and skills to succeed in whatever you choose. For those we have the honour to teach next year, I look forward to welcoming you back in the New Year. In the meantime, relax, enjoy time together and don’t forget to read a few books along the way!

Here we are in the last week of the school year, and so this is the last In Black & White that I am writing for 2020. What a year it has been!

On Friday 27 November, I was delighted to be the sponsor of Ederick He (Year 13 Somes) as Bishop Peter Carrell confirmed him and Mia Wright, a St Margaret’s College student, at All Souls Church in the parish of Merivale – St Albans. Congratulations to Ederick; we wish him God’s blessing into the future.

Sunday’s Advent Carol Service was once again a wonderful event. Thanks to all who were part of that.

I will see many of you, here at school, for Carols on the Quad this Thursday 3 December at 6pm, prize-giving, and the Leavers’ Service.

I also wish you all a blessed Christmas, special time with friends and whānau, and all the best for 2021.

The first 175 and a few more…H, I, J, K, L, M, N and O

Preparations have begun for the 175th celebrations in 2025 and we’d like to know some more about the first 175 boys who attended Christ’s College. Just over 175 names are in the College List up to and including 1862, and there are also those who attended College in Lyttelton. So, over the next few issues of In Black & White, there will be lists of those we’d like to make a connection with. We know that some boys did not have families, but they are included just in case there is a great, great, great, nephew or niece who can help us out. Perhaps you might draw up a family tree and phone the Old Boys’ Alumni Manager Lizzie Dyer (03-364-6862) or email it to her at ccoba@ccoba.com, or email it to the archivist, jteal@christscollege.com or post it to the archivist at Private Bag 4900 Christchurch 8140.

Families are gathered together in the following list, except where the information we have is not clear about a family connection. If this is the case, names are listed separately.

Thomas HALL

Henry Cust HANKINSON

James HARDING

Herbert, Walter, Gerald Samuel and George HARPER

Henry William HARRINGTON

Michael Brennan HART

Francis HOBBS

George Henry HOLMES

Daniel Newman, Augustus Robert and Frederick Richard INWOOD

Francis Arthur, Freeman Rayney and Henry Bower JACKSON

Robert Simeon JACKSON

Edmund JAMES

Archibald JOHNSON

Edward Robert JONES

Charles KIVER

Frederick William LALLY

William and Sydney Chown LAMBERT

John LILLIE

Henry Frederick MASON

Herbert John, Frank, Alured George, Vincent William and Richard Canterbury MATHIAS

Charles John MERTON

William Frederick Paul and John Birch MINCHIN

Thomas Richard MOORE

William Septimus De Septimo MOORHOUSE

Edric Thetis MULLIGAN

Maurice Edward and William Russell O’CONNELL

Wilby Morton, Frank Morton, John Morton, Thomas Morton, Arthur Morton, and Walter Morton OLLIVIER

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