Supporting Flower’s House

I want to take this opportunity to thank the wider Boarding and College communities for their support of the Flower’s House community following the passing of Karen Adams. I also want to thank the Flower’s House boys and staff for being so kind and caring in looking out for each other. For those of us who have had the pleasure of working closely with Karen over many years, we know how giving and kind she has been to so many people. We appreciate the many gestures of goodwill from all areas of our community.

Julius House – Dr Mike Field

It was wonderful to hear how Dr Mike Field was acknowledged by the Julius House community last Tuesday. Throughout his tenure, Mike has been a kind, caring, and attentive Housemaster to the boys under his watch. His work with Julius through the understanding of tikanga and te reo within the House environment has been excellent. He has been a role model, showing true integrity and determination despite the challenges he has personally faced during his seven years as Housemaster. We wish Mike well for his big OE and welcome Josh Kim to the role of Julius Housemaster. 

Exam time in focus

Our Years 12 and 13 students have just a week and a half of learning/revision before they are on study leave for NCEA examinations. While their attention starts to move to their post-College steps, maintaining their focus during exam time must be a priority.

This year, NCEA exams start on Tuesday 5 November, so there is a shorter time between finishing school and the exams. However, throughout study leave – between classes and exams starting – teachers are available in their classrooms for tuition during normal class times. I would encourage the boys to make the most of this opportunity.

Years 12–13 students also need to check their ‘MyNZQA’ logins to ensure that they are able to access their accounts. These logins are required for students doing exams in a digital format as they occur through the NZQA website portal. By logging into ‘MyNZQA’, boys can also check their subject external entries and any internal assessment grades. In January, the boys will need this login to access their results. I advise all boys to have a good look as soon as possible so that any issues can be sorted. 

In the days before they leave, the boys will have a final examination briefing. Although the information can be a bit ‘dry’, it is very important that all boys attend. The briefing ensures that the boys know what to do if they are late to an exam, or sick and cannot attend, or have an exam clash. It also details what to bring – and what not to bring. The briefing also covers results, so each boy must attend, even those who may have no exams. 

I wish all the seniors the best of luck and every success in the examinations ahead.

Teacher-only day

A reminder to our College community that there will be no classes on Thursday 14 November as it is a teacher-only day. 

Christ’s College tops national rankings in school sport

College has been named the national powerhouse in secondary school boys’ sport.

In the recent New Zealand Herald power rankings, College tops the boys’ list – with 12 points – alongside a North Island school. 

“The school’s success is spread across multiple sports,” the Herald says. “The current national basketball champs also won that title in 2022 – the same year that the school collected cricket’s Gillette Cup. They lifted the Maadi Cup in 2021 and finished in the top five in this year’s Rankin Cup (hockey). The oldest private school in New Zealand has a roll of almost 750 boys, making the depth of the sporting success even more impressive. A new $16 million gymnasium will only enhance an already formidable sporting record.”

The rankings formula allocates five points for current national champions, three points for runners-up, two points for third spot, and, if applicable, one point for notable placings. It also acknowledges recent success by giving three points for the previous year’s winner, two points for the year before, and one point beyond that – back to 2019.

Better balance in sport

We are committed to supporting our students’ wellbeing and fostering a positive sporting experience at Christ's College. Starting with the 2025 winter sports selections in Week 3 of Term 4, we are introducing a ‘One Sport Per Season’ policy. This initiative aligns with the ‘Balance is Better’ philosophy from New Zealand Sport, encouraging students to focus on one sport per season while reducing the risk of overcommitment.

Boys will still be required to participate in a summer and a winter sport from Years 9-12, while Year 13 students will need to engage in one season of sport.

Why the change?

Participating in multiple sports within a season can lead to physical and mental strain for students. By concentrating on one sport, boys can devote their full attention to their chosen discipline, maintaining a healthy balance with academics and personal time.

Details

• Winter sport selections: Week 3 of Term 4
• One sport per season: All students must select one sport per season, with exceptions for those excelling in multiple sports.
• High-level athletes: Students who have demonstrated excellence in multiple sports at a high level will be eligible to apply for permission to participate in two sports within the same season.

Application process for dual-sport athletes

Students wishing to apply for an exemption must provide evidence of high-level achievement in both sports. These applications will be reviewed by the Director of Sport on a case-by-case basis. To apply, students should select their preferred sport through the sport selection process and email their application to benn.mcbrearty@christscollege.com.

Thank you for your ongoing support as we make these changes to enhance our students’ sporting experiences. We look forward to a balanced and successful 2025 winter season.

Preparing for exams – helping students to study effectively

With exams looming, hopefully our seniors have already begun revising and are formulating their study leave plans.

Senior students will have access to the College Library from 9am–5pm during study leave, with the upstairs area set aside just for those boys. The upstairs classroom will be available as a silent study space, when not needed for an exam with a reader/writer. For students who want to study in the evenings, we suggest they take a dinner break and then head to Tūranga, which is open until 8pm. Research shows that studying later than 10pm is not useful, so students should make the most of the more productive hours available in libraries.

The College Library has study support packs that seniors can collect this week. These include information on effective study strategies, a questionnaire to help boys plan how to best maintain healthy and productive routines during the study period, and a small treat. If you want to learn about effective study strategies yourself, you can read more here.  

We encourage students to work in study groups, as long as it is productive. It is important to choose the right study buddies and make concrete plans. The shared accountability can make study groups useful. Planning to meet friends at the library each morning to study together is a great motivator to get up at a sensible time and concentrate once you get there. 

In joy and sorrow, we must unite

Tēnā koutou katoa.

Peace to you all in the name of God.

While one cannot say the world of online strategy games fills one with excitement, this past week the main title of such a game has piqued one’s interest. In and about one of the Houses was heard – emanating from a student laptop – what sounded like a Gregorian chant, with embellishments.

On further questioning, it turned out to be the theme of a game titled Manor Lords, released in April this year. The intoned chant which held the main screen was none other than Media vita in morte sumus, though, honestly, I only heard it for Latin chant and could claim no skill in translation. This versicle and response was the work of a 10th century Swiss monk, Notker – with the not so encouraging epithet of ‘The Stammerer’. 

In the 16th century, Archbishop Thomas Cranmer translated Media vita in morte sumus to “in the midst of life we are in death”. It was from Cranmer’s Book of Common Prayer that this was to become a line in The Church of England’s Order for the Burial of The Dead. 

Few select this challenging yet beautiful service for their funeral in 21st century Aotearoa New Zealand. The last time – probably for a long time – you would have heard it was for the funeral of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

As we gathered on Sunday for the Dedication of the Wilson Murray Memorial Window, and as we gathered on Monday and continued to grieve the death of the beloved Karen Elva Adams (6 July 1957–6 October 2024), Matron of Flower’s House, these words are appropriate.

In a fortnight where College has had to face grief head on, and faith has sustained many, we have also welcomed and installed a new Executive Principal. We also have awarded well-deserved Colours to more than 40 boys and continued to strive to create spaces of learning and achievement.

We do well to reflect on these words “in the midst of life we are in death”, not as some fatalistic ‘that’s life’, but rather an exhortation to spend every day loving boldly and extravagantly – to see today and the people we journey with as so very dear and special to us and to God. 

I pray our College continues to be a place where together we can share both joy and sorrow honestly, compassionately, and rejoicingly.

Yours in Christ,

The Rev'd Canon Cameron Pickering

Puffs – Christ’s College & St Margaret’s College Year 9 & 10 production

We hope you will join us for our hilarious new Christ’s College & St Margaret’s College Year 9 & 10 production, Puffs.

A highly entertaining parody, Puffs is for all those not destined to save the world. Puffs features a trio of potential heroes sorted into Puff house as they navigate a school of magic that can be very dangerous for children. Alongside the heroes are the Puffs, loyal outsiders who love badgers. Their epic quest takes the story into a parallel Potter place packed with witty wordplay and crazy characters, amid the halls of wacky wizardry.

Opening in the Old Boys’ Theatre at Christ’s College, Puffs runs from Tuesday 5 November–Saturday 9 November. We invite you to be part of the magic of Puffs by booking your seats here.

Student exchanges

We have recently welcomed Dr William Daughtrey, Head of School of Montgomery Bell Academy (MBA) in Tennessee, to Christ’s College. College has a long-standing student exchange with Montgomery Bell, with two Year 12 boys spending a month in Nashville before hosting two MBA students in return. This year, College students Frank O’Gara and Euan McVicar have been fortunate to attend MBA. 

Meanwhile, Year 11 students Mun Chi Jager and Dylan Jackson have returned from the inaugural three-week Round Square exchange to Dunn School in Orange County, California. We look forward to hearing about their time in California during Junior Round Square Week next month.

Year 13 students Lucas Maguire, Hugo Sudell, and Oscar Compton-Moen have made every day count during their time in Colombia attending the Round Square International Conference. Oscar shares their experiences here.

During the recent school holidays, many of our international students have returned home, while others have travelled around New Zealand. We encourage College families to consider hosting an international student during a holiday period so that they can experience everyday Kiwi life. 

Meningitis protection for boarders and tertiary students

It is timely to remind parents – particularly those who have boarders at Christ’s College or boys heading to university halls – that meningococcal vaccines are free for those aged 13–25 who are entering, or in, their first year of close living. This specifically relates to boarding school Houses, tertiary education halls of residence, and military barracks. Eligible students are funded to receive protection via two vaccines that can be given at the same time. A potentially fatal disease, meningitis can also cause lifelong disabilities.

You can find out more here.

Year 12 – made-to-measure blazer

If you require a made-to-measure blazer for your son moving into Year 12 next year, please ensure that you contact the Uniform Shop as soon as possible to arrange a fitting. All blazer measurements must be confirmed by 8 November.

In order to meet the demand for College senior blazers, we must provide the supplier with the measurement details as soon as possible. The supplier will not be open in January.

Please contact me directly to arrange a booking for your son, and ensure that he brings his previous blazer for reference, if it is also a made-to-measure blazer.

2025 stationery

Years 10–13 stationery lists can be accessed via this link, with parents able to make their own purchases. Orders are placed through OfficeMax.

CHRIST'S COLLEGE & CCOBA EVENTS

Upcoming careers dates

Finding Your Pathway – Year 11

College will hold a four-day, career-focused Finding Your Pathway programme for Year 11 students in the last two weeks of Term 4. It will include visits to Lincoln University, Ara, and industry sites. Boys will also hear from guest speakers at College. It is a great way to end our Diploma programme, in readiness for Year 12.

Talking to teens about careers

It is good to take the time to talk to your teenagers about potential careers. You can find out more here to help guide your sons on their post-College journey.

Generation Z and the world of work

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

University study – having a ‘Plan B’

As boys leave College, they are generally confident about their future study or immediate career decisions. However, some may opt to change direction during their study. For example, we recommend that students who enrol in Health Sciences First Year have an alternative plan in place in case they do not get into their preferred programme. A change is understandable and acceptable.

StudyLink – student loans and allowances

Boys should have already applied – through StudyLink – for a student loan or allowance. As this can take time, it is best to apply now.

Exam preparation

Check out the NCEA resources to help boys attain the best grades and prepare for upcoming exams.

A money guide for students

MoneyHub has published a money guide to provide students with tools and information so that they can develop a great relationship with money.

A guide to apprenticeships

Learn more about apprenticeships in a guide that covers everything you and your sons need to know, including the application process and eligibility requirements.

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

Find out below 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

Studying Health Science or Biomedical Science

Check out MoneyHub’s detailed guide for Year 13 students planning to study Health Science or Biomedical Science at the University of Otago or University of Auckland. 

Experience Ara – Term 4

Check out the Experience Ara opportunities in Term 4.

Computational biologist

Discover what skills students need to become a computational biologist.

Somes House – a history

In 2022, three University of Canterbury students, as part of their course work, undertook an investigation into Somes House.ⁱ They covered matters as wide as the pre-European and European history of the general area and investigated the lives of some of the people who lived in the house.

However, two matters eluded them – the architect and a date for the house construction. Further sleuthing by the archivist has almost solved these issues.

Records show 7 Gloucester Street was originally 280 Gloucester Street. The Christchurch City Council reversed the street numbering in 1912. It has always been Town Section (TS) 360.

The Deeds Index held at Archives New Zealand, Christchurch shows that the ownership of the land followed a familiar pattern for the 1850s and 1860s. The land was transferred from the Canterbury Association, by way of a Crown Grant, through the hands of Henry Sewell. His role was to tidy up the affairs of the Canterbury Association to a point where, in 1865, it was possible for the owner, Church Property Trustees, to lease it to Leonard Harper.ⁱⁱ He also leased Town Sections 358, 361, and 363. He built his house, that we know as 4 Armagh Street, on the latter in about 1865.ⁱⁱⁱ

There is no house evident in the 1877 drainage map of Christchurch^iv, although there is a house at TS 358, the section to the west. This is where William Henry Simms was living with an under lease from Leonard Harper.^v

Establishing when the house was built on TS 360 has proved to be exceedingly difficult. There is a clue in the 1880–1881 Electoral Rolls where there are two individuals named to the east between WH Simms and the corner of Antigua Street (Rolleston Avenue) and Gloucester Street. However, there is a lack of street numbers at this date and James Grossman (jeweller) and Gwalter Palairet (Deputy Commissioner of Stamps) could have been associated with 282 Gloucester Street, rather than 280. Neither of these names match the transfer from WH Simms to a G Thornton recorded by Church Property Trustees.

The most definitive evidence that there was a house in this location appears in the following 1883 advertisement:^vi

Kate Sheppard was seeking help with her son, Douglas, who had been born on 8 October 1880.^vii Through the judicious use of Wise’s Directories and Electoral Rolls,^viii it has been possible to establish that Walter A Sheppard was living there until 1885–1886 followed by:

However, on the night of 16 October 1899, a fire broke out when the lessee, Mrs Marsden, her daughter, Freda, and five female Canterbury College students were in residence.^xiii Shortly after 2am, Mrs Marsden woke to find her room full of smoke. She roused her daughter and the students. Aided by Mr Ross, who lived next door, and a passer-by, Hugh Bateman, the piano and some of the furniture were rescued. Everything else was destroyed, including clothing and lecture notes.^xiv The fire brigade managed to save the houses on either side, but a bag of chaff, which it was established came from Mr Theobald’s shed, was found emptied against the building and was believed to be the seat of the fire.^xv

So, TS 360 was a section once more without a house. Church Property Trustees moved quickly to replace it. Its 1900 report indicated that it had received £300 insurance for the loss and had replaced the building “by a much larger dwelling, fitted with all modern conveniences and this has been let to a good tenant”.^xv However, still no mention of an architect, so it was back to searching the newspapers. This time that date was narrowed between October 1899 and October 1900, and there it was:^xvii

Church Property Trustees had previously used the services of Robert William England. In 1888, he had designed the Mortuary Chapel at the Heathcote Cemetery,^xviii and additions to St Mary’s Church Halswell in 1892.^xix About 1905–1907, he went into partnership with his brother, Edward, and formed England Brothers. The name continues to be associated with some buildings that have survived the 2010–2012 earthquakes, including McLean’s Mansion, Akaroa’s BNZ building, St Andrew’s Church at Rangi Ruru Girls’ School, and additions to Riccarton House. Private dwellings in Christchurch, North Canterbury, and in the North Island were also England Brothers’ design.^xx

So, who has occupied 7 Gloucester Street since the rebuild? The reliable tenant turned out to be Helyar Wedderburn Bishop, who had moved from the Bay of Islands in 1893 as Stipendiary Magistrate for North Canterbury.^xxi 

In December 1903, his daughter, Gussie (Lucy Frances Augusta), married Frederick Frank James Trent. It appears that by about 1910 the married couple were living with the Bishops, possibly because Mrs Bishop was in need of care.^xxiii In 1917, their son, Alfred Wedderburn Bishop (1872), was called up in the 6th conscription ballot. However, he had already left for England where he enlisted in the Royal Hampshire regiment and was Killed in Action on 12 May 1917.^xxiv It was following the death of HW Bishop in November 1918^xxv that Christ’s College began its association with the house.

Although the building was still in Church Property Trustees’ hands, it was occupied by College masters in succession – Arthur Edward Flower from 1919–1928, and Arthur John Dunn from 1930–1933. Mrs AE Busch was the lessee from 1936–947.^xxvi

From 1925, matters become a little simpler, for under the Land Transfer (Compulsory Registration of Title Act, 1924), a new title was issued (CB364/243). It shows clearly the transfer to Christ’s College from Church Property Trustees on 7 February 1947.

In the 1950–1951 Wise’s Directory, it is listed as a Christ’s College hostel and from that date onwards the Directories and the Electoral Rolls are not forthcoming about specific occupants. Certainly, it was the Chaplain’s House until it became Somes House in 2000. It was named to recognise Maria Somes, who endowed the Somes Scholarships in the name of her husband, Sir Joseph Somes.^xxvii

ⁱDilloway, R. 2022 Somes House: 7 Gloucester Street, Otautahi. ANTH 388 Contested Heritage; Politics, Power and Heritage .Finch, M. 2022. 7 Gloucester Street, Christchurch City West HIST372 Contested Heritage: Politics Power and Heritage.  Pikari-Taylor, R. 2022. 7 Gloucester Street, Christchurch City West. ANTH388 Contested Heritage: Politics, Power and Practice.
ⁱⁱ See Canterbury Association Ordinance 1855 https://nzlii.org/nz/legis/can_ord/cao1855323/
ⁱⁱⁱ Teal, FJ  2014 4 Armagh Street In Black & White No 69 
^iv https://christchurchcitylibraries.com/Heritage/Maps/ ATL MAPS ATL-Acc-3158
^v Church Property Trustees Minute Books 1873–1883 Christchurch Anglican Diocesan Archives
^vi The Star 12 January 1883
^vii https://teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/2s20/sheppard-katherine-wilson Advertisements in the The Star 7 March 1884, 13 March 1884, 17 November 1884, 27 November 1884 suggest that Mrs Sheppard was acting as an agent for
others, possibly Mrs May in Riccarton, for a general servant, cook, laundress, and to take charge of a child.
^viii Note: The Wise’s Directories and Electoral Rolls that are available on ancestry.com.au do not cover the years consecutively, based on publication dates and the electoral cycle.
^ix The Star 6 June 1890
^x Thomas Cane was the architect of the building now known as Selwyn, previously Condell’s House and built as the Third Master’s House in 1878.
^xi Overlap of occupants is due to the fact that the publication of Wises Directories was always later than changes in occupants.
^xii The Press 11 March 1898
^xiii See Jane, Philip. 2009. An Historical Survey of the Establishment of an Orchestral Tradition in Christchurch to 1939 PhD Music, University of Canterbury. p431 provides a biography of the violinist Freda Marsden
^xiv Lyttelton Times 17 October 1899; Press 17 October 1899; Lyttelton Times 18 October 1899
^xv Walter Charles Thelluson Theobald lived at 282 Gloucester Street.
^xvi Report of the Church Property Trustees 1900. The Year-Book for the Diocese of Christchurch for the Year 1899–1900.Christchurch Anglican Diocesan Archives
^xvii Lyttelton Times 2 December 1899
^xviii The Heathcote Cemetery, now known as the Rutherford Street Cemetery was jointly administered by the Parishes of Woolston and Opawa. The Chapel then moved to the Jubilee Home and then to Christchurch City Mission. W.
David Morrell in his report on the Chapel at City Mission wrote that the England Bros architectural drawings were destroyed in the 1960s due to lack of interest in the material. See also https://www.heritage.org.nz.
^xix https://www.heritage.org.nz/list-details/3135/3135 St Mary, Halswell
^xx https://www.heritage.org.nz/
^xxi Bishop, Helyar Wedderburn Macdonald Dictionary of Canterbury Biographies, B 468 https://collection.canterburymuseum.com/objects/708463/macdonald-dictionary-record-helyar-wedderburn-bishop
^xxii https://natlib.govt.nz/tapuhi/12957 Low, David Caricatures and Cartoons (c1905–1916) reproduced in The Exhibition Sketcher 20 December 1906
^xxiii Death of Mrs HW Bishop The Sun 3 January 1918
^xxiv Alfred Wedderburn Bishop (1872) at College 1899–1902. Head Prefect, 1st XI 1899–1902 (captain), 1st XV 1900–1901 (captain), barrister and solicitor. Remembered on the Arras Memorial.
^xxv Death of HW Bishop The Sun 11 November 1918
^xxvi This lessee appears to be Alice Elizabeth Busch, wife of Frederick John Busch of Glenroy. FJ Busch died in 1925 and the The Press 5 April 1927 records a clearing sale on behalf of Mrs AE Busch of Hawkins Homestead.
^xxvii See Teal, FJ 2019 Maria founds the Somes Scholarships. College (36); pp 76–79