August, 2015 Tēnā koutou katoa We have been

August, 2015
Tēnā koutou katoa
We have been experiencing a very cold winter spell, with much sickness along with the associated tiredness from the
end of the winter sports season and the increasing pressure of assessments and homework in Term 3. I hope your
household is managing with the young people in your home who may be experiencing all of this. I’m sure this very busy
newsletter will help you to enjoy the exciting opportunities and successes of Columba students over the past month.
I particularly enjoyed joining the girls at the annual Winter Quad Tournament, held this year in Timaru. The tournament
began with a chapel service bringing together the four schools (Columba, Craighead, St Margaret’s and St Hilda’s) in the
beautiful Craighead chapel. I felt this special environment united the four faith-based schools in a way that other
schools cannot provide, and it set the scene for two days of fierce but fair competition, and the development of new
friendships among all of the girls. I would like to thank the accompanying staff and the supporters for your contribution
in Timaru, and especially Mrs Shona Harvey for all of her organisation to get us there.
The Board of Trustees recently received outstanding feedback from the Ministry of Education on its revised Charter
and Strategic Plan for the College. This is much more than a ‘compliance’ document, but one that can now guide our
work for the future. Having met the Ministry’s requirements we can now begin engaging with the document. For me,
this means continuing to listen to all of our stakeholders – present, past and future students and families; staff; and
the Boards – and asking you to help me deliver your hopes and expectations for the future of the College. As a school
rich with traditions and a reputation of the highest standards there is much to be preserved for the enjoyment and
benefit of future generations of Columba students. At the same time there are wonderful opportunities to expand,
build on what we do best, and deliver an exciting, relevant education. Inevitably there will be changes, and this can be
an unsettling thought. There are many voices contributing to thinking about the future, through formal committees
as well as my open door, and I invite you to ensure you feel heard. I enclose the front section of the Charter in this
newsletter, for your reference.
This week the girls in Years 10, 11 and 12 have been
issued with their Course Information Handbooks for
2016, and Years 9 and 10 have their careers module.
This is a very important stage in the process of thinking
about their future. We are encouraging the girls to
select their subjects with the bigger picture in mind:
the pathways the subjects will provide for future study
and career development; their succes s in the
curriculum area; a balanced workload; and their
enjoyment of the subject. I hope you enjoy the
dialogue this will open up at home over the next few
weeks.
I look forward to seeing you at the upcoming family
events this term:
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 PTA quiz night – 3 September
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 Boarding House Midwinter Dinner – 19 September
 College Sunday with John McGlashan College at
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JMC – 20 September 7pm
Juliette Hayes
Principal
The inaugural Columba Rugby 7’s team with
Coach Walden and Mrs Hayes
Uniform Committee Report
The Uniform Committee has been reformed, reporting to both Boards and with representatives from Parents’
Association, Sports Council, COGA, students and staff. Recommendations from the Committee on uniform are now
open for consultation, before consideration by the Boards. The recommendations are:
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Order a greater range of tracksuit sizes for 2016.
Offer a Columba supporters jacket for purchase through the office (the same style as the senior girls’ warm-up
jackets).
Change the Junior School sports shirt to a navy dri -fit polo shirt for boys and girls, to be made available from Term
4 for new entrants and rolled out over 2016. Girls in Year 6 and 7 will have the option of wearing either the junior
or senior sports shirt. The new polo is more suitable in sizing, wear and comfort.
The senior school merino top will not be re-ordered as we are sitting on a lot of stock that is not moving. The girls
prefer the hoodie and rugby jersey.
A more tailored option of the school blazer has been provided by the supplier for our consideration. This is
available in the school office for viewing and you are welcome to provide feedback on this option.
Allow an option of navy woollen tights for winter.
Your feedback is welcome on the above recommendations.
J Hayes
Principal
GATE Term Three
Firstly, I wish to congratulate and welcome Ms Willow Sainsbury as the appointed Assistant GATE co-ordinator. We
both look forward to serving GATE students, their families and staff at Columba to the best of our ability.
The GATE programme at Columba in Term Three is typically full of events and oppor tunities for our dynamic cohort.
The Junior School Years 3/4 and 5/6 GATE students are enjoying Mathematics extension workshops with Senior
Mathematics Lecturer at the University of Otago, Ms Lisa Orloff-Clarke and fantastic Junior GATE Classics workshops
with Ms Willow Sainsbury are also underway until the end of term.
The Intermediate Department are holding an informal Classics quiz next week to determine the two teams who will
represent Columba in the Otago Classics Association quiz later in the term. Many girls are also busy practicing their
incredible ‘Stars on Stage’ performance. Good luck to all!
In the Senior school, we have had groups of Years 11-13 students attending wonderful talks at the University of Otago.
This week five students attended Dr Noel Waite’s Applied Science Department talk about his team's fantastic work in
Dunedin being awarded an official UNESCO Creative City of Literature. Those who attended spoke of what a privilege
it was to hear about this huge ‘coup’ for Dunedin reflecting a collective passion for our city. Additionally, three Year
13 girls went to hear Dr Jennifer Gill (CEO Foundation North, formally ASB Community Trust) deliver an interesting talk
entitled “How did a girl with a BA in Sociology end up running a billi on dollar business?”. We continue to have a close
association with all departments at the University of Otago and welcome their support of our GATE programme at
Columba.
Years 7-10 Tournament of Minds teams are only two weeks away from competition day in Christchurch and working
hard to establish creative problem solving to gain an edge over the other teams competing! French language GATE
girls also competed in the Alliance Française Speaking Competition and the English Department have been treated a
number of exceptional speeches over the past two weeks in the Year Level speech finals. What extraordinary
presence and poise and purpose these speakers had! It was a privilege to hear them.
Finally, Senior GATE girls will be invited to have a quick conferencing session with either myself or Willow during the
term for valuable feedback and tracking.
Keep warm!
Ella Murdoch
GATE Co-ordinator
Pädagogischer Austauschdienst Scholarship
Congratulations to Selena Ballantyne, who has been awarded a
Pädagogischer Austauschdienst Scholarship after a series of interviews
and social events at the Goethe Institut in Wellington. This is a very
prestigious award funded by the German Ministry of Foreign Affairs and
will give Selena an all expenses paid trip to Germany in July, 2016. She
will spend two weeks with a host family, attending school with her host
sister, and then be taken on a tour around Germany with recipients of
the PAD scholarship from other countries. This is the same award that
Modi Deng won in 2014, and is a reflection of the generous support the
German government offers to students of the language, both at
secondary and tertiary levels.
Otago Junior Mathematics Competition
Year 10
Merit
Chenoa Metua
Year 9
Top 100
Merit
Ying Sun
Madeline McCane, Sophie O’Neill and Lara Seaton
Lara Seaton is Year 8 so her result is fantastic as she did a Year 9 competition. Ying Sun has now been selected to try
out for the NZ Junior Olympiad team!
Big Science Competition
Year 12
High Distinction
Distinction
Credit
Selena Ballantyne, Jenny Mi and Annabelle Ritchie
Kara Bethune
Chloe Lai and Baeli Spedding-Devereux
This competition is now optional throughout the school.
ICAS Science
Year 12
Distinction
Credit
Merit
Selena Ballantyne
Jenny Mi and Annabelle Ritchie
Kara Bethune and Chloe Lai
Year 9
Credit
Zola Close, Sophie Gaudin, Audrey Hayes and Meg Sycamore
Year 7
Distinction
Credit
Megan Macdiarmid and Angela Fu
Olivia Charles and Phoebe Jennings
This competition is now optional throughout the sc hool.
ICAS Spelling
Year 8
High Distinction
Distinction
Credit
Merit
Tessa Campbell
Jordan Summers
Honor Bercinskas -Gauld, Cara Busse, Piper Charteris, Hannah Clarke, Isabelle Coe, Allison Le
Buffe, Joanna Liu and Sacha McConnon
Ella Calder, Holly Friedlander and Ruth Huang
Year 7
Distinction
Credit
Merit
Olivia Charles, Cindy Chou, Megan Macdiarmid, Caitlin O’Brien and Georgia Wong
Kennedy Dailey, Anaya Cole, Emma Davis, Angela Fu, Phoebe Jennings and Grace Togneri
Laura Canton, Ella Chafer, Lily Frewen, Kaylee Price and Tegan Wisnesky
Year 6
High Distinction
Distinction
Credit
Merit
Hannah Cole
Sofia McKibben-Reid and Charlotte Wollstein
Brenna Fields, Nicholas Friedlander, Grace Johnston and Vivienne Lau
Xavier Edmond, Lily Ferro, Rosa Lines, Eri Lovegrove and Michael Rietveld
Year 5
Distinction
Credit
Merit
Poppy Henderson, Charlotte Milne and Nath Sirisaowaluk
Skyla Murry and Hannah Wilson
Ella Hou
Year 4
High Distinction
Distinction
Credit
Jemimah McIlroy
Clara Ballantyne and Wei-Hun Loh
Ellice Lawrie and Dristi Singh
Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award
Ellen Richardson and Olivia Adam of Year 13 have earned their Gold level of the Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award. The
Governor General will acknowledge them in a ceremony later in the year. They have worked consistently on their
Bronze, Silver and finally Gold awards since they signed up in Year 10. They are the first Columba College students in
six years to earn their gold award so we congratulate them on their efforts and success.
Ellen would be the first to say that she is not a huge fan of tramping which highlights her resilient and persevering
attitude over the years. Her final tramp had the highlight of being in the snow over the Gillespie Pass in the Makarora
area. Her service has included years of assisting in after school care at Columba College. Her skill has been in playing
the violin and her physical recreation was swimming. To achieve her residential project for Gold, Ellen went on a
Jamboree camp last January.
Olivia has enjoyed her tramping and has become a very good navigator. Her service has involved managing the Duke
of Edinburgh administration for the College whilst her skill has been playing the piano. She has joined Crossfit and
used that as her physical recreation for the last year. Olivia’s residential project was as a very able assistant at the
Edmund Rice Camps.
Olivia Adam and Ellen Richardson
Speech and Drama Success
Congratulations to Gabrielle Bird (Year 8), Georgia
Burgess (Year 7) and Olivia Norris -Heenan (Year 6) who
were recognised as High Achievers at the Trinity College,
London, International Examining Board Awards in Term 2.
Olivia won the supreme award, the Trinity Medal, for
achieving the highest mark (96% Grade 1) across all
Grades 1-4 candidates in both 2014 examination sessions
in Drama and Speech at the Dunedin centre.
Georgia (87% Grade 3) and Gabrielle (86% Grade 4) were
recognised as High Achievers, being in the small group of
candidates who achieved Distinction passes in both 2014
examination sessions in Drama and Speech at the
Dunedin centre.
Congratulations, girls. This is an outstanding effort, your
successes are well-deserved.
Georgia Burgess and Olivia Norris Heenan with their
Trinity High Achievers Awards
Absent: Gabby Bird
Amnesty International Club
Kate Truman and Ellie Munro (Year 10) have been busy leading
and organising various activities to bring attention to the Syrian
refugee crisis. In assembly, they explained Amnesty’s campaign to
double the quota of refugees allowed into NZ. We have learnt
that the current refugee quota of 750 per annum has stayed the
same for over 30 years. The black and yellow Amnesty Mufti day
raised over $690 for Amnesty International and it was good to get
some coverage of our efforts in the ODT:
http://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/351082/show-some-heartrefugees-plea.
Ellie Munro, Kate Truman and
Nirja Selvarajah
On Friday, 14th August, Kate Truman, Ellie Munro and Nirja
Selvarajah volunteered to collect for the national Amnesty
campaign in Fresh Choice, Roslyn. It was great to see the amount
of support the public gave them and the cause. It is also a
privilege to work with students so dedicated to the promotion of
human rights across the world.
Rotary (Dunedin North Branch) presentation to Stephanie Jasperse
Congratulations to Stephanie Jasperse who was presented
with a cheque for $500.00 by the President of the Dunedin
North Branch of Rotary, Mr John Campbell. Columba College is
one of the two schools allocated to this branch and we are
looking at ways of strengthening this relationship. Stephanie
had applied to them to help fund her participation in a Mind,
Body and Soul course at Outward Bound, and the member s
were impressed with her letter and the work she had done to
raise money for the course.
The Dunedin North Branch is looking for ways to strengthen
our relationship with them. Girls from the Volunteer Group
are helping with their collection for Cystic Fibrosis and have
offered to help with future charitable collections.
Mr John Campbell and Stephanie Jasperse
23rd Year 9 Ski Camp
Seventy six students from Year 9 plus our three Strathcona exchange students, six teachers and a number of parents
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spent the week of 10 – 14 August at Coronet Peak. We stayed in the Otago, Vincent and Gobblers Ski Lodges,
which meant just a five-minute walk to the Ski slopes. We had lessons from 9 – 10.20 a.m. then were free to practise
our skiing or snowboarding until 4 p.m., with breaks when needed. The weather and snow conditions were excellent
and everyone made good progress. This was a delightful group of girls and we were impressed at the efforts they
made to support and help each other, especially in the cramped accommodation. Thank-you from all of Year 9 to the
following parents who gave up their time to join us for the week: Ms Ericsson, Mrs Russell, Mrs Stedman, Mrs
Sutherland, Dr Dunn, Mr Foley, Mr Geytenbeek, Mr Hamilton, Mr Hayes, Dr Hill and Dr Th ompson-Fawcett.
DEPARTMENTS
English
Debating Success
Winter Quadrangular Tournament
Congratulations to the team who represented Columba College at Winter QUAD this year – Selena Ballantyne (Year
12, Team Captain), Shanti Girande (Year 11) and Lydia Joseph (Year 12). For more details see the Captain’s Report in
the Sport section of the Newsletter.
Dunedin Schools’ Debating
Senior Division
Congratulations to Columba 1 (Emily Williams (Year 13), Selena Ballantyne (Year 12) and Shanti Girande (Year 11) who
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successfully defended their title as Dunedin Schools’ Debating champions in the final on Wednesday the 12 of
August. They successfully negated the motion that humanity should actively seek to create sentient artificial
intelligence in a 7-0 decision against John McGlashan. The team got to the final having beaten Logan Park High School
affirming the motion assuming it was possible, and could be implemented instantaneously, and without anyone
noticing or remembering, this house would brainwas h the entire earth to become more progressive.
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Speaker prizes were also awarded on the night with Emily Williams ranked 1 overall speaker in the tournament,
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Selena Ballantyne 2 overall and Shanti Girande, best Year 11 Speaker and 10 overall.
Shanti Girande, Emily Williams and Selena Ballantyne
Dunedin City Council Youth Council
Congratulations to Caroline Moratti (Year 12) who has been elected to a role as a Youth
Representative, along with 14 other students from Dunedin High Schools. It is anticipated
that the first meeting of the Youth Council will happen in early September.
2015 Archibald Baxter Memorial Essay Competition
We are proud to announce that Columba Year 9 English students won 1st, 2nd and 3rd place in the Junior Section of
the 2015 Archibald Baxter Memorial Essay Competition.
1st: Sophie O’Neill
2nd: Madeleine McCane
3rd: Victoria Williamson
The girls will be awarded their prizes following the Archibald Baxter Memorial Peace Lecture on Monday
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21 September, which is the United Nations World Day of Peace. The lecture will be delivered by Prof David Tombs
who holds The Howard Paterson Chair of Theology and Public Issues at the University of Otago. The following essay
was highly commended by the English Department.
‘All wars are deeply atrocious and no war can be called just.’
This line, famously quoted by Archibald Baxter, a New Zealand pacifist in World War I, captures an opinion widely held by
young New Zealanders of today. Indeed, following an investigation into the key words of this statement, and the life of
Archibald Baxter, I am convinced that he was right in the context of today. War has taken its toll on New Zealand over the pa st
150 years, and we continue to hear of atrocities in every corner of the world, leading to needless deaths. No war can be called
just, and more brave people like Archibald Baxter should stand up to the war machine.
Archibald Baxter was born on the 13th of December 1881 in Dunedin, and died on the 10th of August 1970 aged 88. Baxter
believed that wars do not solve problems, and he convinced six of his seven brothers to agree with his perspective. During th e
First World War they refused to join the army. In early 1917, Baxter and his brothers were arrested for f ailing to comply with the
law requiring all eligible men to enlist, and were detained to Trentham military camp. Baxter still refused to comply and was
imprisoned and endured punishments such as 84 days of hard labour. Despite their strong stand Baxter and his brothers were
shipped to the war in 1917. Baxter still refused to put on uniform and opposed every instruction given to him. He continued t o
endure punishment, hard labour and humiliation but he stayed true to his conviction. Baxter strongly believed that his position
was true and although he could be shot for thinking this way he continued to resist.
‘War’ is defined as state of armed conflict between different countries or groups within a country (Oxford Dictionary). New
Zealand participated in the first World War because we were members of the British Empire. The Allies in this war were the
United Kingdom, France, Australia, New Zealand and, eventually, the United States. They were fighting against Germany,
Turkey and Austria. 100,000 New Zealanders went to war. 18,000 New Zealanders died overseas and many bodies were never
recovered. New Zealand has also fought in World War II, Korea, Vietnam, and the Malaya Emergency and has then gone on to
join peace keeping operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia, East Timor and now Iraq. This participation has made New Zealand more
vulnerable to other countries considering us their enemies, even though New Zealand is very isolated in the Pacific Ocean.
‘Atrocious’ is an adjective meaning ‘horrifyingly wicked’ (Oxford Dictionary). World War I went from the 28th of July 1914 to the
11th of November 1918. This atrocity continued for four years, three months and two weeks. More than 10 million military
personnel and seven million civilians died because of the war. In 1914, New Zealand had 1.1 million people. This means nearly ten
times the number of New Zealand’s entire population at the time is the number of military personnel who lost their lives in
World War I. In 2015 New Zealand has around 4.5 million people. To put this into perspective, this means nearly double of New
Zealand’s current population is the number of civilians who died in World War I. Further, World War II claimed the lives of
between 60-80 million people, the highest death toll ever in a war. All wars are atrocious because in every war people brothers, sisters, children, parents - die. Whether it is the first person killed to start the war or the millions of military personnel
and civilians who then risked their lives and died to fight a war, it is a h orrifyingly wicked event.
So is war just? ’Just’ means to do what is morally right or fair (Oxford Dictionary). World War I started with the assassinat ion of
Franz Ferdinand, the archduke of Austria-Hungary. The man who killed Franz Ferdinand was Gavrila Princip who was linked to
the secret military group called the Black Hand, which led major European military towards war. As two countries declare war
on each other, more and more countries offer help to the side that can most strategically serve them, des pite killing more of
their own people and making the war worse. 65 million people all around the world went to World War I. No war can be called
just, fair or morally right. The machine guns, bombs, fighter pilots and bayonets are simply different ways to die. War is all
about killing, not reaching resolutions to arguments. War is not morally right. War is not fair.
‘All wars are deeply atrocious and no war can be called just.’ Archibald Baxter put his life on the line believing that this
statement is true and everyone should believe it. New Zealand has participated in World War I, World War II and as peace
keepers in the ongoing wars in the Middle East and all around the world. This has caused New Zealand to be vulnerable to
other countries as their enemies in the future. War is atrocious because 17 million soldiers and civilians died in the gruelling
battles of World War I alone. War can not be called just, war is about death not the resolution of arguments. War is a terrible
time and no war as great as the first and second world wars should ever happen again. This quote by Archibald Baxter is
completely true and more people in 1914 to 1918 should have believed this, as we believe it today.
By Audrey Hayes
Year 9
Poetry Awards
Molly Crighton (Year 10) gained a Highly Commended in the Open Section of the New
Zealand Poetry Society’s 2015 International Poetry Competition for her poem ‘The
Value of Oblivion’. Molly came second in the Dunedin Secondary Schools’ Poetry
Competition as well as gaining a Highly Commended for her poem ‘Sunrise’. Molly
will be joining three distinguished New Zealand poets – David Eggleton, Hinemoana
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Baker and Burns Fellow Louise Wallace at the Dunningham Suite on the 28 of
August to celebrate National Poetry Day and to read her poems.
Molly Crighton
The Value of Oblivion
They told me to tame my wild imaginings
put my demons in a cardboard box
tape it up with facts.
SCIENCE, they screamed
and burnt books in front of me
so little pieces of knowledge fell as ash.
They told me to control the cogs in my mind
rust them up with the dust of everyday life
slow them down.
REALITY, they screamed
and took away my pens and papers
so I wrote with blood and shards of iron.
They told me to fill my ears with candle wax
because the music’s too riddled with memories
to forget.
IGNORANCE, they screamed
and caged me in a sphere of eyes
that face inwards.
They told me to blind myself to beauty
because a flower is prettier picked
and inside.
PROGRESS, they screamed
so I let my flower wither
and die.
They told me
and I listened
and now I’m telling them
because I know now
the value
of oblivion.
Intermediate
EXTRA Spelling Competition
On June 17, seven teams from Columba competed in the annual
inter-school Spelling competition. The girls worked very well in
their teams and all scored well amongst the 60 teams represented
there.
The Year 7 team of Olivia Charles, Megan Macdiarmid and
Georgia Wong came second equal, one point behind the winners,
which was an amazing effort.
Piper Charteris (Year 8) was the recipient of the
Sir Peter Blake Young leader Award.
This award recognises leadership shown amongst
the Years 5 - 8 students and
the contribution made to the school and the
community.
Georgia Wong, Megan Macdiarmid, Olivia Charles
Years 7 and 8 Columba and Balmacewen Sports Exchange
The annual Sports Exchange went extremely well, and was lots of fun. The results were mixed, with Balmac winning
the Basketball and Netball in both year groups and Columba winning the hockey.
We really enjoyed the day, especially because of the good sportsmanship shown by all the competitors and
spectators. It was great to get to know some of the girls who will be coming to Columba for Year 9 next year.
A big thank you to the scorers, referees, coaches, supporters and Balmacewen competitors. Also to Mrs Skerten and
all the teachers that helped make this day possible.
Maia Joseph and Jess Cowie
International
New International Students for Term 3
Year 10
Misuzu Kobayashi (Edogawa high school, Japan)
Haruka Nachi (Edogawa high school, Japan)
Year 9
Joanna Zhang (China)
Year 8
Seonjin Park (Korea)
Welcome to Columba College
University of Otago College of Education presentation
The International Department was invited to present to
the University of Otago College of Education’s Masters in
Teaching programme 2015 on the academic, pastoral and
individual needs of International and ESOL students
studying in both in Dunedin and New Zealand.
During the school holidays Sue Medary (Director of
International Students), Ina Bercinskas and Anne Switzer
(ESOL Teachers), and Ophelia Yeung (Year 12 International
Student from Hong Kong) presented a two-hour lecture
and workshop to the Masters in Teaching Programme.
The presentation covered the Code of Practice for the
Pastoral Care of International students, policies and
homestay requirements, as well as e-learning, assessment,
multi-level teaching and culturally and linguistically
responsive teaching and curriculum design. The highlight
for staff and students was Ophelia’s Yeung’s personal
account of the many challenges she encountered when
she arrived as a Year 7 student, and how teachers can
help (or hinder) their ESOL students.
Thank you Ophelia.
Ina Bercinskas, Ophelia Yeung, Anne Switzer and Sue
Medary
Masters in Teaching Presentation
Level 2 English Speech Competition
Congratulations are in order to Ophelia Yeung and domestic student Heidi Chin on winning Columba College’s Level 2
English Speech Competition.
Speech New Zealand Results
Mrs Jill Walker, Columba College’s resident Speech and Drama teacher has expressed her pride in the results of our
hardworking and deserving International students during the latest examination period for Speech New Zealand. The
following students undertook to be examined against local standards and did exceptionally well – congratulations
girls.
Year 13
See Yoon (Kate) Kim (CoInternational Prefect)
Public Speaking & Communication
Grade 7 Module 1
Honours Plus
Year 12
Aekkawan Tippayaratprontawee
Public Speaking & Communication
Grade 5 Module 1
Honours
Year 11
Aekkarin Tippayaratprontawee
Public Speaking & Communication
Grade 5 Module 1
Merit Plus
Palita Vasanuyothin
Public Speaking & Communication
Grade 5 Module 1
Honours
International Ski weekend
Another fantastic weekend of skiing, eating, and picture taking was had by all at Coronet Peak. The weather was
superb, the cabins cosy, and the snow perfect. A big thank you to staff who assisted with the care and support of our
International students over the weekend: Jenness Riethmaier, Alan Williams, and Jill Walker.
COMING UP for our International student community
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International and Languages Week -– 24 - 28 August
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International Food Day – Wednesday 26 August
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Speech New Zealand OCESOL Speech examinations – 23 September
Languages Department Success
This term has once again brought success to Languages Students of French and
German. We would like to congratulate the following students who passed the
internationally recognised DELF Scolaire examination in French.
Beth Moody and Thirza Smith - Year 10 - A1 level
Chloe Lai and Zoe Si nclair - Year 12 - A2 level
Ania Kowalewski - Year 12 - B1 level
Thirza Smith
Also in French, we were thrilled to learn of Bethan Dunstone-Leitch's success in the
annual Alliance Française Concours Oral – French Speaking Competition. Bethan won
1st place in the Otago section for Year 11 students. Thirza Smith won 2nd place in the
Year 10 section and our warmest congratulations go to these two talented linguists.
To be congratulated also are Claudia Gallagher, Lilli Renner and Amy Waldburger (Year
10) and Isabelle Becconsall-Ryan (Year 11) who were awarded Excellence Certificates.
Bethan Dunstone-Leitch
In German, eight students sat the 'Fit in Deutsch' examination held recently at Otago University. Kate Truman (Year
10) and Katarina Thomson (Year 11) were both awarded Excellence – well done girls! Brittany Bancroft, Clare
Cocks, Isabelle Keeling, Gracie Lamphee, Koei Lui, Nirhjah Selvarajah received Commended certificates. All of these
students will be recognised at a forthcoming school assembly.
Mathematics and Statistics
Tutorials
As examinations draw closer, the Mathematics and Statistics Department would like to remind both students and
parents that our regular tutorial sessions are still running.
Years 11-13 Tuesday 3.45-4.30 pm in S2
Years 9-10 Wednesday 8-8.30 am in S4
Any seniors unable to make the Tuesday tutorial are welcome to attend Wednesday mornings if that suits.
Science
2015 Science Fair Projects
Prizewinners and recipients of Highly Commended Certificates at the Otago Regional Science Fair
Corrie Anderson (Year 11)
Horopito: Antifungal properties of a New Zealand
Native Plant
NZ Institute of Food Science and Technology
Dept. of Botany, University of Otago award
Aurora award
Dairy NZ award
Ella Heffernan and Cierra Reid (Year 8)
Smart and Dumb Sheep
Dept. of Zoology, University of Otago award
ANZCCART Award – Use of Animals
NZ Society of Animal Production
Elisa Maierl and Polo Diep (Year 13)
Cure for Student Scientists?
NIWA award
Aurora award
Corrie Anderson
Clare Cocks and Katerina Thompson (Year 11)
Crazy on Caffeine
Aurora award
Cancer Society award
Hannah Clarke and Sophie Baron (Year 8)
Childproof
Aurora award
Piper Charteris and Jessie Cowie (Year 8)
Disco Plants
Plant and Food award
Isobel Fraser and Isabelle Coe (Year 8)
Running Beats
NZ Dairy award
Maia Joseph and Jordan Summers (Year 8)
Boo you
Aurora award
Work by Ella Heffernan and Cierra Reid
Highly Commended
Year 8 Projects:
Evie Ballantyne and Georgia Tattersall
Parent’s choice or Child’s choice
Lara Seaton and Isabella Su
Squirt
Imogene Maclean and Holly Friedlander
Watch them grow
Tessa Campbell and Sacha McConnon
Effectiveness of Solar Oven
Visual Arts
The Visual ARTS Department is pleased to inform you that Year 12
Painting student, Ruby Whitaker was one of the three selected finalists
for NZ Red Cross Art Competition on family separation. The judges, Dr
Justine Cornwall (Deputy Children’s Commissioner), Charles Ropitini
(NZ Post’s Community Relations Manager) and Shona Moller (Kapiti based artist) were all very impressed with Ruby’s work. Ms Moller
noted that it was technically excellent, while Mr Ropitini and Dr
Cornwall found it very emotionally impacting. Her painting will be
displayed at NZ Red Cross’ National Office and then the Wellington
Service Centre, allowing it to be viewed by a sizeable audience. A big
congratulations to Ruby from the Visual ARTS Department!
The Visual ARTS Department is proud to
announce that our wonderful senior students
from Year 11 to 13 will be exhibiting their
artworks at the Fix Cafe within the next few
weeks.
“Works on Paper” is an exhibition where we can
celebrate the wonderful achievements of
Columba College’s Visual ARTS students. Each
work displays the individual talent and style of all
artists in their senior years at Columba College,
through the medium of Drawing, Photography,
Design and Painting.
“Works on Paper” provides a unique working
experience that will encourage and equip
students who are hoping to work in the
professional ART and Design world. This
exhibition will inform and inspire enthusiastic
ART students in the junior years as to what the
school can offer them in their senior years. This
exhibition also allows our students to have the
opportunity to exhibit their talents in a public
space for all to view.
Columba College Visual ARTS Department staff
and students would like to thank the lovely
people at The Fix Cafe for allowing us to have
this opportunity to display our artworks within
their fantastic cafe.
Junior School
st
On Friday, 21 August we held a Greats and Grands morning. This was a wonderful opportunity for the children to
share in a range of activities in their classrooms and focus on the value of grandparents and other older people who
have a significant role in family life.
SPORTS NEWS
Hills Cluster Cross Country
th
The Hills Cluster Cross Country was held on Thursday, 13 August at Bishopscourt. Participating schools are Arthur
Street, Halfway Bush, Kaikorai, Maori Hill, St Mary’s, Wakari School and Columba College.
Twenty Columba College students qualified for this event from Years 4, 5 and 6. This year 17 students finished in the
top ten placings in their age groups. Mrs Small was delighted with the behaviour and success of the competitors.
Year 4 Boys
rd
3 place – Alex Piebenga
th
10 place – Wei-Hun Loh
Year 4 Girls
th
5 place – Ryan Dailey
th
7 place- Jemimah McIlroy
th
8 place – Zara Pratley
th
10 place – Ellice Lawrie
The following students have also qualified for the
Primary and Intermediate Schools ’ Cross Country to be
th
held at Kaikorai Valley College on Friday, 4 September.
Year 5 Girls
st
1 place – Ella Hou
th
6 place – Emily Ung
th
9 place – Laura Sammut
Year 5 Boys
th
9 place – Sebastian Ferro
Year 6 Girls
th
5 place – Isabelle Lindsey
th
9 place – Eri Lovegrove
th
10 place – Hannah Cole
Alex Piebenga, Third in the Year 4 Boys and
Ella Hou, Winner of the Year 5 Girls
Year 6 Boys
th
4 place – Xavier Edmond
th
9 place – Ben Joseph
Well done to all the competitors.
Cycling
Mila Rollo (Year 8, aged 12years) has won both the Otago CycloCross U17 Women’s
title and the NZ U17 Women’s CycloCross title. Mila also won the U13 category of
the Tour de Otepoti and the Rolling Plains mini tour U13 girls age group in Tinwald.
Hockey
Mila Rolo
Columba Boasts Thirteen Otago Under 15 Hockey Representatives
Congratulations to Isabelle Becconsall-Ryan, Ellie Duncan, Audrey Hayes, Jaime Preston, Andrea Smith, Stephanie
Smith, Savanna Westgate and Charlotte Wheeler who have all made the Otago Under 15 A team for 2015. This is
fantastic having such a large representation from Columba . This team will travel to Whangarei for tournament in
October.
Jaime Preston, Stephanie Smith, Savanna Westgate, Andrea Smith, Charlotte Wheeler, Audrey Hayes, Ellie Duncan
Congratulations to Lucy Duncan, Liv Preston, Sophie Gaudin, Fiona Schultz and Grace Blackie who have been selected
in the Under 15 Development Team.
The following girls have been selected to compete in Otago Representative Teams. This is an outstanding
achievement for Columba.
Collier Team
Emily Brosnahan
Alexandra Cockerill
Holly Friedlander
Ella Heffernan
Cierra Reid
U13 Otago Development Team
Cara Busse
Grace Creighton
Maddy Flaws
Ashleigh McDonald
The girls will travel to Palmerston North for a
tournament on 5th - 10th October.
These girls have a tournament in Oamaru on 6th - 8th
October.
Three from Three in Hockey Finals
Columba boasted three Hockey teams in all three finals at the McMillian Turf on Monday, 24th August with all teams
winning. The First Eleven in the premier Grade beat Otago Girls 3-2. Goals to Ellie Duncan 2 and Laura Becker 1.
In Division 2, Columba Second Eleven won 4-1 over St. Hilda’s B and in Division 3, Columba Seniors won 4-1 over St.
Hilda’s C.
Congratulations to all players and team coaches and managers for a fantastic season. Your dedication and voluntary
commitment to Columba Hockey is very much appreciated.
1st Xl Hockey Team
High Hoops Miniball Tournament
th
The High Hoops Miniball Tournament was held at the Edgar Centre on Thursday, 20 August. The Columba College
Miniball players did themselves proud at the High Hoops Miniball Tournament. We entered both a Years 5 and 6 and
a Years 3 and 4 mixed team.
After a long season both teams showed how much they had benefitted from a season of consistent and dedicated
coaching. We saw great dribbling and lay-ups, awesome blocking, rebounding and excellent sports manship.
nd
rd
The Years 3 and 4 team finished 2 in their section and the Years 5 and 6 team finished a nail biting 3 in their
section. Coaches Abbey Hamilton, Margo Fowler, Hannah Cowley and Brett Dailey were very pleased with the day’s
competition.
Well done to all the players. Many thanks also to the parents who supported their children and to the managers and
coaches who make it all possible.
Rhonda Skerten
Director of Sport Years 3-8
Years 5 and 6 team
Years 3 and 4 team
Netball
Jess Cowie and Maia Joseph have been selected in the Year 8 Dunedin Netball Centre Rep Team
Otago/Southland Secondary Schools’ Ski Competition
The Otago/Southland Secondary Schools ’ Ski Competition took place on Monday, 3rd August at Cardrona Ski Resort.
Columba College made an impressive presence, entering one team of four and two teams of three. The morning
started with the Giant Slalom Race. The girls performed extremely well in testing conditions and the first team
consisting of Bailey Saville, Ember McAughtrie, Lily Rodger and Jodie Llewellyn gained third place in the open team
category. This is an outstanding result for a team from Dunedin, considering first and second place went to Wakatipu
High School and Mount Aspiring College. The second team consisti ng of Grace Heather, Sandy Reid and Charlotte Hall
and the third team consisting of Katie Sewell, Abbey Hamilton and Polly Marshall also competed well in the Open
category. The sun came out in the afternoon in time for the Skier Cross race. Jodie Llewellyn qualified for the final
and gained second place in the Open Women category. Columba could not have performed to the standard it did
without the generous help of Mrs Saville, Mr and Mrs Llewellyn, Ms Riethmaier and especially Mr Williams who was
the teacher in charge on the day and a huge thank you must go to all of them for their efforts.
Jodie Llewellyn
Ski Captain
Soccer
Tessa Campbell (Y8) was selected for the FootballSouth Federation Talent Centre Squad. From this she was selected
for an Otago/Southland soccer team to play at a mainland soccer tournament in the July school holidays but was
unable to do so due to a broken arm. She has recently been selected for the Otago Football 14th Grade Development
team. 14th Grade includes girls up to 14 years old so this is a great achievement given that Tessa is aged 12.
Swimming
National Swimming Success
Cailtlin Deans and Gabrielle Trotter both excelled at the recent National Swimming Championships in the North Island.
This is just reward for the many hours the girls put into training. From us all, congratulations on these outstanding
results at national level.
Gabrielle Trotter (Girls 14 years age group):
Silver
400m Freestyle
Gold
800m Freestyle
Bronze
4x200m Freestyle regional relay
Caitlin Deans (Girls 15years age group):
Silver
200m Freestyle
Gold
400m Freestyle
Bronze
200m Individual Medley
Bronze
Bronze
Gold
Silver
400m Individual Medley
4x200m Freestyle regional relay
800m Freestyle
Open age group for 800 freestyle and broke the Otago record for this race which was set from 2008
Caitlin Deans
Gabrielle Trotter
Gabrielle Trotter and Caitlin Deans
NEWS FLASH
Caitlin Deans has been selected to represent New Zealand in swimming at the Swimming Australia State Teams Age
Group Championships in Canberra. A big congratulations to Caitlin from everyone at Columba.
Sports Council Polar Fleece Blankets
The Columba Sports Council have polar fleece blankets for sale - navy blanket with white Columba College
crest embroidered in centre.
The blankets are two metres square and of excellent quality. They are ideal for sporting events and
already being enjoyed by a number of our students and families. These blankets would also make a great
memento for school leavers. A sample blanket will be available in the School Office for viewing. Blankets
are being sold for $70 each and all proceeds will be used to benefit sport at Columba College.
Please contact Kate Swale - k.j.swale@xtra.co.nz or Kerri Heenan – ka_heenan@hotmail.com for purchase
and delivery of the blankets. They will notify you of online payment details.
Winter Quad Tournament
Debating
The Debating team that went on Quad, made up of Shanti
Girande, Selena Ballantyne and Lydia Joseph, di d very well,
winning all three of our debates. For our first debate we were
against St Hilda's on the prepared topic 'this house believes that
in the face of injustice, individuals are morally culpable through
inaction.' In the second debate on the Monda y afternoon, we
went up against St Margaret's debating the moot 'that
genetically engineered babies are a threat.' The next day, after
a good nights rest, the team celebrated our youngest member,
Lydia's birthday in the morning, before going on to win our final
debate that afternoon against Craighead on the topic 'this
house would make New Zealand a state of the USA.' We would
like to thank Ms Togneri for the continual support for the girls
not only doing debating at QUAD but also all the girls in the club
at school and Quad was a great experience.
Selena Ballantyne
Selena Ballantyne, Shanti Girande and
Lydia Joseph
Badminton
In this year’s Winter Quadrangular Tournament, hosted by Craighead, the Badminton team had a very exciting day
with very intense matches played throughout. In the morning we played St Margaret’s College and walked away with
three matches for each team, the Columba team only losing by one set, therefore losing our tie with them. This tie
was easily one of the most intense we played and included three of the six matches reaching thr ee sets. The second
tie during lunch was against Craighead Diocesan who we were able to beat in a series of games filled with laughter
and fun. The third and final tie was against our home rivals St Hilda’s Collegiate, where we were playing off for third
and fourth as they had been beaten by St Margaret’s with the same scores. It appeared to be fairly even throughout
the tie, however we managed to pull through and walked away with four matches to their two. This left our Columba
team coming second in Badminton for 2015! All of the players worked extremely hard and this is shown by the close
results and long games. The games we played and the overall atmosphere of the matches is something I’ll never
forget, especially the long three set games. The experience was amazing and a lot of fun, it was definitely an
awesome way to end my Badminton career here at Columba! I want to say a huge thank you to the girls in our team;
Kate Hyslop, Maddy Foster and Rileigh Fields for doing so well in all of their games and for being awesome
teammates. I also want to say the biggest thank you to Mrs Bishop for coming with us this year and being an
incredible and supportive coach for us. She definitely got us through the intense matches with her loud support. I
look forward to watching next year’s tournament held by Columba and supporting all of the girls involved!
Amy Logie
Netball
The 2015 Quad tournament for the Senior A Netball team was a good opportunity for the school to play against some
school teams leading i nto the South Island Secondary Schools tournament in September. As the team competes in the
Premier grade on Saturday, we rarely get the opportunity to play against school teams. As the team is a relatively new
team, it was a good opportunity for us to develop some new players and have them play against some quality school
teams.
St Margaret’s being the first opponent on Monday morning, the team was prepared for both a mentally and physically
challenging game, as St Margaret’s are a talented side, winni ng South Island Secondary School’s tournament in 2014.
Columba being the underdogs for this game went out with exceptional determination and hunger and we were able to
win majority of the quarters, and were leading the first quarter by six points. Unfortu nately skilful attacking and a
hungry defence from the St Margaret’s side meant we were not able to finish the game in the lead, and the final score
was 41-50 to St Margaret’s. We were pleased with many aspects of the game both individually and within
combinations, it also highlighted some areas we were going to work on for the afternoon game.
The game following in the afternoon against Craighead Diocesan was a well -played game by Columba College, as we
were able to build in the areas that we had lacked in the St Margaret’s game. We started the game with the same
intensity and determination that we had started with in the morning game, so we were able to push for the lead early
on in the game, through good decision making, both defensively and attacking. A frustrated Craighead team began to
show and Columba was able to capitalise on many of the errors that Craighead had made, being able to continually
push out the lead that we had. The final score was 46-23.
The last game was on Tuesday against St Hilda ’s. Columba had a slow start into the game allowing St Hilda ’s to have an
early lead. After regathering at the breaks we were able to find more determination and hunger to close the gap and
have the scores at level. From here it was a tough fought battle, with each team treasuring their possession.
Unfortunately, we were not able to win this game but it was closely fought with Columba being down by two at full
time with a score of 34-32.
We were pleased with our overall performance at the Quad tournament, with the netball team finishing in third place.
Through both the highs and lows of the tournament we had consistent good sportsmanship, being graceful in defeat
and humble in victory. We would like to thank Mrs Piebenga for coaching us, and also Fiona Nesbit for managing the
tournament. We are excited to be able to further develop our skillsets ready for the South Island Secondary Schools
tournament in September.
Netball Captain
Analise Cowie
Hockey
Quad is always a very exciting time of the year for Columba and especially for the 1st XI Hockey girls being up against
our rivals St Hilda’s, and other top schools teams St Margaret’s and Craighead. This year the girls were looking
forward to having a sneak peak and a warm up game against three other Fed Cup tournament schools in September.
However with the long windy road leading up to Quad with injuries, overseas travels and family commitments the
team had to pull together last minute to present enough numbers to play at Quad. Thankfully juniors players Andrea
Smith, Ella Heffanan, Savanna Westgate and Annia Tomkins were able to step up to the make to play alongside the
st
remanding 1 XI girls. The confidence these girls had playing up gave the rest of them team more confident going into
the tournament without usual players Lydia Shirley, Holly Lang, Laura Becker, Isabelle Becconsall-Ryan, Jaime Preston
and Mia Nevill.
Tough start to the tournament getting a thumping from St Margaret’s 12-0, a stylish game played on their behalf
however credit goes to the younger players in the Columba team for stepping up against this very senior team, and to
everyone in the team for giving 100% the entire game and never giving up till the last whistle. Despite the big loss the
girls pulled together for their second game of the day against Craighead, to come on top with a stunning win of 6 -0. A
huge effort was put in by all girls but especially from goal scorers Tahlia Green, Emma Stackhouse and Ellie Duncan all
scoring 2 goals each. Proud of the days efforts the girls all headed back to their host families ready to take on our
rivals St Hilda’s the next morning.
It was an early start for the girls but the most exciting game of the tournament and everyone was buzzing to go. As the
first whistle blew the game started off tight with a lot of 50/50 balls but it didn’t take the Columba girls long to take
control and put the ball in the back of the Hilda ’s net to score the first goal within the first five minutes. Hyped from
our efforts it wasn’t long to once again crack the St Hilda’s defense and force them into a defensive penalty corner,
which was then scored by a stunning left post deflection by Emma Stackhouse. Not long after that Hilda ’s fought back
and after some messy play in Columba’s defensive circle and managed to score, making the game score 2-1. However
just before half time the Columba girls once again showed their skill and fight and managed to put another one up on
the Hilda’s girls making the score 3-1 at half time. The second half Hilda’s put us under the pump however their
efforts were not enough to crack our defenses and the final whistle blew with the score remaining a 3-1 win for
Columba. After 12 long years Columba were able to make history by beating St Hilda ’s at Quad Tournament, a very
special moment for us all and a good way to end the last Quad Tournament for senior players Rose Johnston, Emma
Stackhouse and Tyla Toheriri-O’Neill.
st
On behalf of the 1 XI hockey girls I would like to thank our super coaches Shona Harvey and Joe Piggot, without them
we would not have been able to play to our full potential and finish second in the tournament. Also a warm thanks
goes out to all parents and supporters that travelled to Timaru for the tournament. The team is now training hard and
looking forward to our schools tournament in Tauranga.
Tyla Toheriri-O’Neill
First Eleven Hockey Team
Final Placings:
Cricket
Kaikorai Junior Cricket Club registration sessions are:
 Sat 1 2 Sept 1 0:00am-12:30pm, and
 Tues 1 5 Sept 6:00pm-7 :30pm
Both days at Kaikorai Rugby Club, Lynn St.
Girls and boy s in school years 1-8 welcome.
 Fun skills sessions for ages 5 -6
 Soft red ball cricket for ages 7-9

Hard ball cricket for older age groups
See www.sportsground.co.nz/KaikoraiJuniorCC
or contact Jarod Chisholm at Kaikorai.Cricket@gmail.com
Five Tips For When Your Child Doesn’t Make the Team
Author: Southern Hockey
How parents react when their child isn’t selected for a team can impact a child’s ability to cope with not only the
immediate disappointment, but the inevitable ones that will follow in his life.
A parent’s reaction can either discourage a child from continuing to pursue the sport they love or foster the resilience
needed to handle such rejections.
Moderate Your Own Reaction
As much as you may want to throttle the coach, reacting angrily will only worsen the
situation. It is important that your child understand that you are disappointed for them and not in them. Becoming
too upset and blaming the coach, saying it is unfair, or challenging the decision will only add to your child’s grief and
send the message that they are not good enough.
Validate Your Child’s Feelings
Allow them the space to feel sadness and disappointment. Sympathise with hurt
feelings. Actively listen. Let them know that it is okay and normal to feel discouraged and depressed. Dismissing the
situation by saying “it’s ok” or “not a big deal” will tend to invalidate their feelings. Take a moment and remember for
yourself what it feels like to be rejected.
Help Your Child Gain Perspective
All the top athletes have missed out on a team at some stage. Our Dunedin-born
Black Sticks have been in and out of the National team, and it is always tough to be left off. There will always be speed
bumps in an athlete’s journey, at any level. How an athlete handles adversity is reflected in his character. Experiencing
defeat will only make future successes more meaningful.
Focus On The Future
Help your child decide what they need to work on to improve. Ask for feedback and advice from
coaches who know your child well at a later date, once your child’s, and your own, disappointment has settled down.
Help them set new goals, and plans of what they are going to do to achieve them.
Teach Your Child to be Gracious
As hard as it may be for your child, encourage them to congratulate their teammates
as well as thank the coach for allowing them to try out. Parents can model this behaviour by congratulating the
parents of their peers. Learning to respond graciously to rejection will build a child’s resilience and boost self confidence. Talking to the coach and touching base with teammates can provide needed closure and dispel any
awkwardness.
This post is adapted from one written by Dr Elizabeth Vantre, a school psychologist and ‘Soccer Mom’ from
Richmond, Virginia for soccerparenting.com.
We hope this article is of some use to you, and that whether or not your child has made the team they aimed for, that
they continue to play and enjoy hockey. If you have any questions or comments regarding this article, please contact
the Community Hockey Manager.
Columba College Charter
And Strategic Plan 2015 – 2017
Our commitment:
With grace and good discipline, all Columba College students will be lifelong learners
committed to personal excellence, ethical behaviour and service to others; and they will
participate and contribute as informed, responsible and compassionate citizens of Aotearoa and
the global community.
‘The life and teaching of Jesus informs the way we live’
We value:
Good discipline
Respect
Aroha
Citizenship
Excellence
Our strategic aims:
acaDemic
pastOral
deVelopment
excEllence
Akoranga
1. Academic:
Whanaungtanga
2. Pastoral
Mahi Tahi
3. Development
Iti Kahurangi
4. Excellence
All Columba College students will
actively engage in the pursuit of their
highest level of academic outcomes,
as underpinned by the NZC and
measured by NS and NCEA.
All Columba College whanau members
contribute to, and are empowered by, a
nurturing, safe environment that
recognizes the diverse nature of Aotearoa.
Together the boards and management
work to continuously improve the capacity
and capability of Columba College.
Students, staff, boards and community
embrace the Columba College tradition of
excellence, with a view to the future, in all
endeavours.
1. Our school is a physically and emotionally
safe, inclusive and happy place in which to
work and learn, with our Values in evidence in
all aspects of school life
1. The financial position of the school is strong
and sustainable through effective stewardship
and business development opportunities.
1. Technology provides a rich and seamless
learning platform for students and teachers who
are confident and connected in the world of
today and the future.
Our strategic priorities:
1. Our senior curriculum maximises
opportunities to meet the learning
aspirations and achievements of each
student, and all students are encouraged
to identify, seek out and achieve
personal excellence in learning, as
evidenced by the NCEA.
2. Our middle school (Y7-10)
curriculum is a unified and
purposeful programme of learning
that prioritises literacy and
numeracy as the basis for all
learning, and builds foundations in
the skills and content required to be
successful students in future
learning, as evidenced in Years 7 & 8
by the National Standards and in
Years 9 & 10 by standardised
assessments.
2. Our students gain leadership and service
skills and experiences in order to contribute to
their school, community and beyond
3. Our M aori and Pacifika students are reaching
their full potential in a culturally responsive
context, in partnership with their whanau,
underpinned by Ka Hikitia 2013-2017.
4. Deans and Form Teachers have the capacity
to deliver their objectives within well-defined
systems, creating a family atmosphere.
5. Families and alumni are connected and
engaged.
2. All communication, marketing and branding
clearly reflects the values of the College.
3. Our community is supportive, involved and
informed, and sees Columba as the school of
choice.
4. Collaboration within the College, with
community stakeholders, and with national and
international partners leads to maximum
opportunities for improvement.
5. Governance is informed, proactive and meets
compliance, as evidence by effective selfreview.
2. Our teachers function as a collaborative
learning community, are developing through
the Registered Teacher Criteria, and Columba
recruits excellent staff.
3. Our resources, facilities and infrastructure
provide a safe, attractive and engaging
environment for learning and working
4. Our school nurtures and celebrates success
through a varied and exciting co-curricular
programme, and everyone is confident to
participate to the very best of their ability
3. Our co-educational junior school
curriculum is balanced and structured,
prioritising literacy and numeracy as the
basis for all learning, and building
foundations in the skills of learning to
learn in a range of contexts.
4. Priority learners (M aori, Pacifica,
students with special needs including
gifted and talented, and those at risk of
not progressing in NS or NCEA) are
identified and supported to
meet their needs and maximise their
potential.
5. As an area school, our curriculum, is
seamless and provides all students with a
purposeful learning journey.
5. Our graduates are well prepared for their
futures and continue to be connected to their
school.