School Wins Gold | Julius Caesar Happiness Week | Senior Dance

Rangi NewsJULY 2015Rangi. For Life.

®

Cover info: Abi O’Regan plays Cassius, one of the conspirators against Caesar in Rangi Ruru’s senior production of Julius Caesar.Photo credit: Horizonimages.co.nz

3 Leadership

3 News from the Principal

5 School Wins Gold in Auckland

6 Board Report

7 Chaplain’s Column

8 Careers

8 Curriculum Matters

9 Around Rangi

9 Boarding House News

10 GATE Coordinator’s Desk

12 Happiness Week

14 Exchanges

16 Young Enterprise 2015

17 Senior Dance

20 From the Director of Theatre Arts

22 From the Director of Music

24 Sport

24 Basketball

26 Durathlon / Equestrian

27 Football

28 Life Saving / Mudrun 29 Orienteering 30 Swimming

32 From the Director of Fundraising

34 Celebrating Our Community

35 Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association

38 From the Community Relations Coordinator

39 PTA News / Preschool News

CONTENTS

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School Wins Gold | Happiness Week | Senior Dance

Rangi NewsJULY 2015Rangi. For Life.

®

www.rangiruru.school.nz

3

www.rangiruru.school.nz Rangi. For Life.®

Upcoming Events Mark these dates in your diary now.

Cultural Concert, Middleton Grange

Performing Arts Centre 19 August

Winter Tournament Week

31 August – 4 September

PTA Barn Dance 18 September

RROGA Reunions 6-7 November

Junior Production 18-21 November

Prize Giving, 2 December

Leavers’ Ball 4 December

3www.rangiruru.school.nz

The ability to collaborate is seen as

a vital skill as we move through the

21st century, and was the theme of

the recent Independent Schools’

Conference I attended. It requires,

however, a change in mindset to

see the benefits of collaboration

among competing organisations and

Christchurch learnt the benefits very

quickly in a time of crisis. SCIRT is one

example of collaboration, with Fulton

Hogan, McDonnell Dowell, City Care,

Downer and Fletcher uniting in order

to give Christchurch the best possible

infrastructure. New Zealand is small

enough for collaboration to happen on

a national basis, and in fact it does so in

some areas, but while at a school level

collaboration is being encouraged and

facilitated, at a governmental level this

is not so much the case, and for obvious

reasons.

It should bother me that I can name

only seven Ministers of Education

who have been in the position since I

began teaching in 1977. On consulting

Wikipedia I discovered I had forgotten

another seven, though Geoffrey Palmer,

who was Education Minister for just

six days, hardly counts. I can’t believe I

forgot Merv Wellington.

Sadly it doesn’t bother me that I

have forgotten so many in a succession

of Ministers, but it does bother me

that some, fleeting and controversial

though their reign might have been,

left questionable but lasting legacies in

what must be one of the most important

portfolios, the portfolio that has so

much influence on the wellbeing and

development, intellectual, physical

and emotional, of our young people

and therefore on the wellbeing and

development of our country.

And it bothers me greatly that such

an important foundation for our people

and our nation can be at the whim of

political patch defining. Political parties

have to be seen to offer choice (which

in itself is a good thing) and because

they are by their very existence driven

by differing philosophies, education, like

many portfolios, can be like a candle in

the wind, blown from side to side. Or

maybe a hot potato is a better analogy,

tossed about from side to side and rarely

lingering long anywhere.

Education is too important for this

approach. Some would argue that more

than education is too important, but the

trouble is that the moment you go down

that path you are in grave danger of

straying from the tenets of democracy,

because democracy is built on a belief

in choice and that involves difference.

There needs to be room for enlightened,

rational, research-based and politically

impartial collaboration and decision

making that objectively puts public

and thus national good at its heart.

Such groups do exist but sit outside the

mainstream of decision making and

are often seen either as lobby groups or

as politically loaded advisory boards. I

suppose this makes me sound both an

idealist and a cynic!

Over the years education has,

unfortunately, been littered with election

driven ideas, some well informed and

some not. Many became reality and

a few were cast aside, often after an

NEWS FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Political Legacies

Bright airy classrooms open into collaboration spaces in Rangi Ruru’s Science Centre.

4

Julie MoorPrincipal

expenditure of time, money and energy.

Among such things, falling into both

the kept and abandoned categories,

have been bulk funding, Tomorrow’s

Schools, 2 year intermediate schools

(an idea other countries abandoned),

performance pay, the recently criticised

numeracy programme, which Rangi

has never adopted, values education,

charter schools, which are yet to prove

themselves amidst widespread doubt,

and of course various approaches to

classroom design – the open plan ideas

of the 60s which were far from a startling

success and lead to the installation of

walls, and now we have the Ministry-

lead design of Modern Learning

Environments. Whilst we certainly have

modern learning environments at Rangi

they are, I believe, much better suited

to flexible and effective teaching and

learning, with bright and airy classrooms

that open into collaboration spaces,

than the Ministry led push for large open

spaces for several classes.

Not all educational initiatives are

flawed, and New Zealand has lead the

way in many instances and we have an

education system that is, compared to

many, excellent. Sometimes it has been

the implementation that has caused

problems rather than the idea itself. The

theory behind Tomorrow’s Schools was

sound, and currently there are some

excellent and collaborative initiatives,

especially around engagement of

students and lifting standards. Education

is a big cumbersome machine and at

any one time there will be aspects that

are not performing or have moved

away from their original direction. The

Integration Act was initially intended to

assist private schools, especially Catholic

Schools, who had traditionally kept their

fees low and who were struggling to

remain viable. But this opportunity was

seized across the country and former

successful private schools have been

able to integrate, some on dubious

grounds.

Funding for independent schools is

another case in point in this somewhat

volatile education landscape in that

it is based not on any set formula but

can change at governmental whim.

Independent schools have in the past

suffered funding cuts under left leaning

governments, despite the clear evidence

of the damage this does, the amount of

money we save the government and the

contribution we make to the economy.

ISNZ, the body to which we belong, has

been consistent in pointing this out to

the Minister and the Ministry and there

are a range of guaranteed options for

funding that would be far more sensible.

Political ideology shouldn’t be the driver.

What would really make a difference

is collaboration at a governmental level

to ensure that we have sustainable, best

practice, objective decision making

that is based on a long tern plan, not a

three year plan likely to be modified or

dropped when the government changes;

a plan that has the best interests of

our young people and our country at

heart and which puts aside political

grandstanding and point scoring. How

good it would be if opposing parties

could agree to not only a long term

vision for New Zealand but how we get

there. How good it would be if those

sitting outside the political spectrum,

but who bring experience, research, a

big view and an objective approach, had

more real say. But, at the end of the day,

democracy requires we have differing

sides and policies, and with coalition

governments this often mean the ideas

of minor parties get not just a hearing

but implementation of some of their

ideas.

Of course New Zealand is not alone in

these issues and despite what I have said,

we do have one of the best education

systems in the world. In a rather typical

Kiwi style we undersell ourselves and

how good our offering is, especially the

ISNZ school sector, which is world class.

We have undersold NCEA, a flexible,

robust, responsive and transparent

assessment system that is far superior to

the overseas systems some New Zealand

schools offer as a point of difference. We

undersell, or perhaps don’t sufficiently

value, our teachers and our curriculum,

which is an extremely forward thinking

document.

But we could always do better.

Charles Darwin commented on the

link between collaboration and survival,

which pretty much sums it up. We are

too small not to be able to work together

for the greater long term good. We could

lead the way.

NEWS FROM THE PRINCIPAL

Scholarships awarded to current

Rangi Ruru students:

Jessie Cook 2015 Music Scholarship:

Karen Hu (Year 12)

Claire McSweeney (Year 13)

McRae Peacock 2015 Scholarship:

Julie Kim (Year 13)

Suyoun Jung (Year 13)

Kitty Hamilton 2015 Scholarship:

Sujin Jung (Year 12)

St Andrew’s at Rangi Ruru Organ Scholarship 2015:

Yang Kun Xiang (Year 10)

5www.rangiruru.school.nz

LEADERSHIP

School Wins Gold in Auckland

Three of Rangi Ruru’s stunning new

buildings have been awarded the top

prize in the Coffey Education and Arts

Property Section of the 2015 Property

Council New Zealand and Rider Levett

Bucknall Awards annual awards on Friday

night in Auckland.

Julie Moor described the win as

“fabulous for the team” as the school’s

Science Building, the Gibson Centre and

the Mana Wahine Building were awarded

Gold just after 9.30pm.

The awards are an annual celebration

of excellence in property development

judged on economic and financial

factors, project vision and innovation

(including degree of difficulty), design

and construction, owner and user

satisfaction, and sustainability and

efficiency of operation.

Julie Moor says it was important

that the projects delivered the very best

for students without encumbering the

school and parents, current and future,

with high debt.

“This was absolutely key in our

planning and execution,” she says. “We

needed to be confident that we were

getting excellent value in terms of

outcomes, for what we were spending.

Quality could not be compromised and

prudence had to be maintained with

regards to budgets and expenditure.”

Ms Moor says the number of buildings

included in the nomination for the Coffey

Education and Arts Property Award, is

testament to the teamwork on Project

Blue Sky.

“Having such a professional well-

tuned team means that everyone got on

with what they do best and achieved the

very best outcomes,” she says. “That’s

what happens when a vision is truly

understood, shared and worked on by

everyone, together.”

Ms Moor says the Rangi Ruru campus

has some of the most outstanding

buildings in the country.

“These are purpose built, modern,

sustainable and just as importantly

I think, really striking. Form follows

function and these new buildings show

what can be achieved when that function

is so well understood by everyone from

the school community through to the

architects, who then design something

that enables that function to be the most

effective it can be – while of course being

so striking at the same time.”

Melbourne Architects McIldowie

Partners are behind the award winning

buildings, Leighs is the construction

company (they were awarded gold in

the Education sector at the recent New

Zealand Commercial Project Awards

Ceremony in Auckland for the Science

Building, General Academic Building

(Mana Wahine) and the Gibson Centre),

and Stewart Barnett is the Project Blue

Sky project director.

Mana Wahine, one of the three buildings awarded Gold in the Coffey Education and Arts Section of the 2015 Property Council New Zealand and Rider Levett Bucknall Awards

Opening of the Gibson Centre in 2014

6

BUILDING AWARD

Board Report

As we have now completed the first

stages of our campus redevelopment, it

is timely that I include some commentary

in this edition of Rangi News.

The Rangi Ruru Board committed to a

capital expenditure budget to redevelop

the campus soon after negotiating and

settling with our insurers. We wished

to ensure that the basic facilities that

are required to educate the girls were

completed and that the school did

not financially over commit itself and

leave the next generation saddled with

unnecessary levels of debt. At the end of

this building programme the school will

have $7.5 million of debt. This is within the

self-imposed debt cap of $8.0 million.

We have completed specialist

teaching spaces such as Performing Arts

and Science. We have resurrected the Art

and Technology block on the corner of

Merivale Lane and Hewitts Road. We have

built the Gibson Centre which houses

our Library and IT support team. Perhaps

most importantly, we have ensured the

future of Te Koraha with a full renovation.

We have been delighted that our

Science, Mana Wahine building and

Gibson Centre have been acknowledged

for various awards. First a prestigious

gold medal in the Education Sector to

Leighs Construction at the NZIOB Awards.

The awards are based on quality of

construction, design and functionality

and value. The three buildings then won

gold in the Education and Arts section

of the New Zealand Property Council

Awards. We have been extraordinarily

fortunate in the teamwork that has

brought about the realisation of this part

of Project Blue Sky.

The next stage is to replace the

gymnasium with a new sports complex

that will sit alongside and incorporate

the current swimming pool. Other

aspirational buildings are envisioned but

will not be entertained until the school

is able to finance them from its own

resources.

The Board does not believe that

current pupils’ parents should carry the

burden of a full school redevelopment

and therefore we have no intention of

including a building charge in addition to

the school fee.

With regard to school fees, the Board

currently foresees that fees will not need

to be significantly adjusted for at least

the next five years as a result of our debt

service obligations. Indeed we have

lowered our Years 7 and 8 fees to $17,250.

Furthermore this fee will be held at this

rate for both Years 7 and 8.

Stuart NattrassBoard Chair

The new Performing Arts Building

7www.rangiruru.school.nz

LEADERSHIP

Chaplain’s Report‘For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope’. JEREMIAH 29:11

It’s a Saturday, a day of the week I really love especially in

winter. The early starts, the frozen ground making my toes

ache, my fingers burning as I hang the towels and the fiddly

bits of washing; it hangs, lifeless statues offending my sense

of artistry and order. The sun will come out I keep reassuring

myself…there is always hope.

All too soon it’s time to head to my favourite park, Nunweek,

where parking is a nightmare and people forget that ‘manners

matter.’ Some people when behind the wheel of a very large

vehicle forget others. Their sense of self grows enormously and

we mere mortals must ‘Keep Calm and Carry On.’ I reassure

myself again that there is always the hope of a great game to

jiggle me out of my fit of pique. The afternoon is disappointing;

the sun afraid to shine scurries away, the clouds a blanket of

grey.

By the time we finally get home, I am ready to sit down to

watch ‘My’ programme. I almost miss the start; Crusaders vs

Brumbies. Will we, won’t we…should I dare hope or offer that

self-serving prayer. I am a veteran of the cause, for years now,

my friends and family have gathered at each other’s homes to

support our team. After many cups of tea and debriefing after

the game, we have each headed home, full of hope, eagerly

awaiting the next encounter.

It’s amazing; when we’re winning everyone is there at the

game to support and cheer; yet when we have a season where

we are struggling; support dwindles. The old poppy destroyers

wait and wait for the head to appear, just daring them to chop

it off. Well, I’m not in the team of tall poppy choppers. It takes a

team to win a game and a team to lose a game.

As I reflect on the game, I turn my thoughts of ‘greatness’ to

Rangi Ruru and consider all who learn here, all who teach and

learn here, those who support each and every one of us here. I

see that it is an enormous responsibility to hold the lives of so

many in our hands and to ensure that each person is seen as

an individual as well as a member of a community and a global

citizen; tall poppies are no exception.

None of us can exist in isolation. Our lives and existence are

supported by others in seen and unseen ways, be it by parents,

mentors or society at large. To be aware of these connections,

to feel appreciation for them, and to strive to give something

back to society in a spirit of gratitude, is the proper way for

human beings to live.

We express our gratitude, our sense of hope, our

appreciation in a myriad of ways. Our Senior Leaders give of

themselves unstintingly. A group of Year 13 students from the

Global Living Community Project has spent weeks and weeks

at Rowley School reading alongside the students. To show their

gratitude, the school invited our girls to be the guests of honour

at their Samoan Day. Our ambassadors sat at the high table,

they were given handmade floral necklaces and they were fed

first…this was gratitude in action, a true appreciation of all their

giving to the Rowley community.

We have had bake sales, mufti days and an entire week of

giving. Our sense of belonging as ‘global citizens’ was given a

huge nudge when Vanuatu and Nepal were recently decimated.

The girls immediately set about planning to raise funds; with all

students wanting to offer hope to nations torn apart by natural

disaster. When fundraising is done with gratitude at its heart

then of course, regardless of the amount raised it is, I believe, a

success.

All of this happening in the space of a term is incredible,

especially when you consider that the mundane must continue.

Teaching staff have been planning, supporting, giving extra and

helping with sport, music, rehearsals for various productions

and of course I could go on. All these things speak of a school in

good heart; a school where gratitude and hope are integral to

who we are. We are a ‘team,’ yes there are tall poppies and they

are celebrated as they should be, but we are also a place where

there is something for everyone.

Regardless of which part of the school each of us works in,

we need each other, no part is able to exist in isolation. So we

celebrate with gratitude that this place of faith grows stronger

each day, that hope is alive and well and that each person’s gifts

are celebrated, as these gifts are without doubt God given, just

as the win for the Crusaders must have been an answer to my

prayer of hope.

‘May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so

that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope’.

ROMANS 15:13

Shalom

Te Rangi marie ki a koutou

A’salaam aleikum

PeaceKirstie McDonald (Rev)Chaplain

8

Careers AdviceHelpful hints for girls looking at tertiary education

It is a big decision to choose where to go for your further

study. Here are some helpful hints to consider:

1. Location - Do you want to stay at home or spread your

wings?

2. What is on offer? – If you want to study a specialised

programme then you may not have a choice but if you

want to study something more general, there are a

variety of places to choose from.3. Can you get in? – Entry criteria varies from programme

to programme. Be sure to check if you need credits in a

specific subject, a portfolio or an interview.

4. The campus environment – Each institution is different

in size and they are all much bigger than school. Think

about whether you want a large busy place to study or

do you prefer smaller class sizes.5. How much will it cost? – The costs vary for each

institution and if you live away from home there are

additional costs for accommodation. Studylink.govt.

nz can provide good information about financial

assistance.6. National and International Rankings – All New Zealand

universities rank very well and you can be sure to

receive a very good degree from any of them.

7. Friends – Remember you will keep in touch with your

good friends regardless of where you go to study. You

will also make lots of new friends too.

Do some research on all your options, talk to people about

the future and make an informed decision, because in the

end, you have to make the choice which is best for you.

Key dates to keep in mind: 1 August Tertiary Accommodation applications open. Scholarship

applications open.

30 August Nursing, Teaching & PE school applications close. Some

scholarships due.

1 September Tertiary Accommodation Confidential Forms must be in to

Ms Nichol.

1 October Pre-enrolment for University opens.

15 October Accommodation acceptance is due. Portfolio for some

design due.

10 December Pre-enrolment closes.

CAREERS / CURRICULUM MATTERS

Curriculum MattersHave we lost sight of learning?

Juliet CollinsCurriculum Manager

In February, the Education Review Office published

its Wellbeing for Young People’s Success at Secondary

School. In this publication, one issue that clearly affects

student wellbeing is assessment overload. ‘Students in

all schools were experiencing a very assessment driven

curriculum and assessment anxiety. Achieving academic

success is a part of wellbeing but is not the only factor.

Very few schools were responding to this overload by

reviewing and changing their curriculum and assessment

practices.’

ERO recommends that schools: ‘review their

assessment programme, in particular the number of

credits available for each year… ‘

New Zealand is the exception rather than the norm

with three years of high stakes assessment in our Senior

Secondary School.

I have said before in this column that learning and

assessment are two very different things. At Rangi we

know that it is vital to separate these two key learning

components and acknowledge that NCEA has trained

many students to value assessment outcomes, namely

credits, rather than to see their assignments as part of a

holistic programme of learning.

It is time that we stood up and addressed this issue.

We don’t have to assess everything that is learned and we

need to train our students not to value only that which is

assessed.

Our students achieve far more credits than the 80 that

they need at Level 1. All of our students achieve Level 1.

None of our students use Level 1 as a qualification in its

own right, they go on to a higher level of achievement.

We are right to question why we are doing so much

assessment at Level 1, in fact, why are we doing Level 1

at all? As we teach our students to lead for the future, we

need to lead change ourselves, be courageous and make

changes that we know are right.

The full report can be found at: http://ero.govt.nz/

National-Reports/Wellbeing-for-Young-People-s-Success-

at-Secondary-School-February-2015/National-Report-

Summary

9www.rangiruru.school.nz

Around Rangi

Boarding House News The first half year in the Boarding

House has flown by already and the

girls continue to fill their days with a

flurry of activity. If they aren’t rushing

off to a production rehearsal for Julius Caesar or Passengers, they are at sports

practices, a game or they are furiously

busy completing an internal or other

homework. It continues to amaze me

how they fit everything in. Added to this,

it has been quite exciting watching our

senior girls prepare for either the Semi-

formal or the Senior Dance. One week

it was beautiful dresses, hair, nails and

makeup and the next week it was sewing

costumes and finding accessories; there

were inflatable bats, plastic babies and all

kinds of weird and wonderful trimmings.

One thing both events had in common

though, so the girls tell me, was the need

for a spray tan!

It has been wonderful having so

many of our day girls come to spend a

few nights or even a few weeks in the

house as flexi-boarders over the past two

terms. This facility, for parents who might

be going away or so that girls can get

to rehearsals or sports practice, is really

becoming popular. The day girls enjoy

the experience of being a boarder, even if

only for a short time, and our permanent

boarders like having someone new in the

house as well.

We were also privileged to have our

Indian Exchange students come to stay

in the house with their teacher for three

weeks. They brought cultural richness

to the house and we loved having them

with us. The girls didn’t want to leave and

we didn’t want them to go. Hopefully this

exchange will continue for many years to

come.

The Boarding House is a community

and as such, we welcomed the Years 12

and 13 mothers and guardians of boarders

to lunch in the house, merely to chat and

catch up in a relaxed environment. This

was a success and will be followed in

Term 3 by a lunch for the Years 10 and 11

mothers/guardians and a cocktail party

for all boarder parents.

On the subject of community, we have

been very lucky to have Izzy Lelijveld

from England with us for the past year as

one of our Gap Tutors. It is now time for

her to return to her home and take up her

place at university. Izzy has been a delight

in the house and I know that everyone

who has come into contact with her will

miss her deeply; both girls and staff. Safe

travels home Izzy and good luck with

your studies!

Treena RuwhiuDirector of

Boarding

The Year 9 girls, Hannah and Grace are off to the Boys’ High dance with their Year 13 chaperones, Sharne and Phoebe.

Our Indian exchange girls and their teacher

Jennifer, Maasa and Nina ready for the Year 11 Semi-Formal

AROUND RANGI

10

Across the GATE Coordinator’s DeskThe term started with such glorious

weather, perfect for our students to

get out and about on trips providing

enrichment and extension. The Julie

Arliss Philosophy Day provided 22

students with a great deal of food for

thought and also asked them to think

deeply and creatively about some

challenging questions. This day out

has become a tradition at Rangi and

is becoming an increasingly popular

choice for those seeking extra challenge.

While we offer many activities through

the GATE service, individual students

are encouraged to self-select the

activities they engage in, based on their

own interests. Below is a snapshot of

what has been happening in the GATE

community at Rangi this term.

Petra DyerGate Coordinator

Philosophy

Café Philosophy: LET THERE BE DOOM!On 17 March Rangi Ruru’s Philosophy

Club hosted the inaugural Café

Philosophy season. Students from

Hagley Community College and

Unlimited explored existential ideas

through a doomsday scenario that

featured in the 2013 film After The Dark. We discussed Camus’ concept of the

absurd and the Myth of Sisyphus over

coffee and fudge. This was followed by

some comic relief with some bite sized

excerpts from the Jean-Paul Sartre

inspired film Existential Star Wars.

There was also some lively discussion

of Nietzsche’s Eternal Recurrence and

the Myth of Prometheus as we finished

the afternoon with a reflection on the

role of art in our lives.

Philosophy on Film: Pizza and Artificial IntelligenceStudents from the Philosophy Club

recently attended the third annual

Philosophy on Film evening. This year

we screened Neill Blomkamp’s 2015

film, Chappie — a film set in future

Johannesburg, where artificially

intelligent machines police the city. In

the film a computer scientist creates a

programme that allows a machine to

develop human-like consciousness.

The Philosophy Club dined on pizza

and discussed the various philosophical

issues raised in the film — the nature of

consciousness and self-awareness, the

relationship between mind and body,

moral questions of robot rights, and the

potential threat intelligent machines

might pose to humanity.

Jay Sloss

Philosophy teacher

Julie Arliss Philosophy Day

The Julie Arliss conference provides

an opportunity for students to broaden

their knowledge and engage in deeper

thinking. This year the discussion topics

that were introduced included; the death

of individuality, sexual ethics as related

to civilisation, and the idea that all great

empires fall.

These subjects each dealt with a

variety of aspects of life, and linked

together things such as big data (the

computational analysing of large amounts

of online data in order to determine

patterns in human behaviour) and

psychology. Encouraging students to

think about abstract issues, and providing

them with tools and examples relating

to these ideas, is one of the consistently

strong points of this conference, and new

themes are introduced each year.

Jeffrey Hodges also spoke about

the topic of the process of thinking.

The ideas he introduced involved

different variations of how people use

and interpret their senses, which, while

less philosophical than Arliss’ themes of

discussion, still provided great insight into

different ways thinking can be used and

interpreted.

A debate was staged between the two

speakers, with an option for the students

to speak on the topic afterwards if they

felt they had something to contribute to

the discussion. The moot was ‘Without

science, civilisation would disintegrate

into barbarism,’ with Hodges representing

the house, and Arliss arguing against him.

After Arliss won the debate, the floor was

opened and some thought-provoking

interpretations of the proposal were

discussed by the students.

A breakdown by Arliss of the Oxbridge

question, ‘How would you break the news

to a farmer that his cow has died?’ was

also presented. Within this, she provided

several intriguing ways of looking at

methods of communication and the

different interpretations of some of the

things the majority of people take for

granted – language and the concepts

behind the words we use every day.

This conference is a great opportunity

for students who wish to extend

themselves beyond their curriculum

and I highly recommend it to anybody

who feels they wish to broaden their

perspective on philosophy centred on

situations relevant to modern society.

Stacey Howman Year 13

From left: Claire McSweeney (Year 13), Grace Leehan (Year 13), Molly Smith (Year 11)

AROUND RANGI

11www.rangiruru.school.nz

AROUND RANGI

Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand’s Annual Conference

On Friday 8 May I

was lucky enough to

be selected as one

of 16 students from

around New Zealand

to attend the Royal

Astronomical Society

of New Zealand’s

annual conference. I am so grateful for

being able to attend this conference. I

would like to thank the ‘Students with

a passion for astronomy’ programme

run by the RASNZ who opened up

entrance to this conference for me.

Georgia Reynolds Year 11

Future Problem Solving

The FPS teams are currently working

through their second booklet, where

they are busy grappling with issues to

do with processed food.

They aim to identify underlying

problems and to create positive

solutions to these issues.

Congratulations to Sarah Lawrence

9Ss, who was placed 6th in the world

for the Junior FPS Scenario Writing

Competition – with her scenario

‘Choices’. Scenarios are evaluated

based on their content, creativity,

and the author’s personal touch. Well

done, Sarah!

Melanie L’Eef Teacher in charge

From left: Emily Davey, Sue Williams (tutor), Abby Croot, and Sarah Lawrence in front.

Trip to Canterbury University Outreach

From left to right: Georgina Curry, Rachel (tutor) Amber Spurway, Arwen Van Pallandt, Sarah Liddell.

Mette Van Pallandt and Emily Davey at University of Canterbury

On Monday 8 June ten students (and

Mrs Dyer) went to The University of

Canterbury for a science trip. One of

the two things we learnt about was

climate change. Did you know that

climate change is measured the most

accurately through glaciers? This is

because mountain ice melts before

other ice and so scientists know that

that will melt into the sea first. We did

a few experiments with three different

types of equipment. We used a Kestrel

Weather Tracker, a Pyranometer, and an

Infrared Thermometer. These three tools

all measure different things such as the

wind, humidity, heat, as well as the solar

radiation that is coming from the sun,

and the energy that the Earth sends back

out; also the heat of an object such as

our bodies or the ground. These were

all really interesting tools to use and we

all had a good time outside using them

and experimenting with measuring one

others’ body heat. One of the things we

did was look at a video clip of a Glacier

changing over time. It showed exactly

how the valley became more unstable

as the glacier melted. Overall, I felt that

everyone thoroughly enjoyed this trip

and I am sure we all learnt heaps.

Arwen van Pallandt Year 9

After the climate change workshop,

we had a lecture on DNA presented by

Rachel van Heuson. Rachel is a post

graduate student who was working with

endangered species through DNA. She

has conducted a study on two different

types of incredibly rare Weta to see if she

could find evidence of crossbreeding

between the two, and talked us through

how she did this without encroaching

on the Wetas’ lives or habitat too much.

Next, we were able to have a try using

some of the equipment. We used a device

called a micropipettor that was able to

accurately measure a very small amount

of liquid, and we practiced with it by

making drops of dyed water on a piece

of rubbery paper. Following this, we had

a chance to extract some DNA from a

mixture of blended split peas, water, salt

and meat tenderiser. The DNA was white

and stringy and quite different to how

we had expected it to look. After this we

were able to use gel electrophoresis to

separate small amounts of DNA out by

size, which is a lot less confusing than it

sounds. Overall, the workshop was very

interesting and we all enjoyed the chance

to have a try of the different equipment.

By Amber Spurway Year 9

12

AROUND RANGI

Discovering WaitangiFrom 18-20 March this year, the Year

13 History class had the pleasure of

travelling to Waitangi, Paihia and Russell.

The trip was jam packed as we visited

many important places. A highlight of

the trip was our visit to the Waitangi

Treaty grounds. It provided us with new

insight as we learnt a great deal about the

signing of the Treaty itself and the events

that lead to it.

Our tour of the Treaty grounds

included an introductory documentary

and a worksheet, which was followed

by access to the outside areas, including

Ngātokimatawhaorua, the Maori war

canoe (waka). It is the largest of its kind

as it requires at least 76 paddlers. Not

only this but after the Queen’s visit in

the early 1950s, it was included in the

Royal Navy, thus, if the navy is ever short

on boats, in theory, it could call upon

Ngātokimatawhaorua for its service! We

were then taken to the meeting house, Te

Whare Rūnanga, where we were treated

to a range of traditional Maori songs

and activities. It was highly interesting

and helped us to develop a deeper

understanding of the traditions of the

1800s.

The next day we caught the ferry

to visit Russell, previously known as

Korerareka or the Hell Hole of the Pacific,

although this of course isn’t the case now

and we had a lovely trip! The museum

was filled with lots of quaint items with

regard to the Treaty and what life was

like in Korerareka. We discovered it was

an awful place, with the early settlers

frequenting grog shops and many

other kinds of services that were rather

unsavoury. We ended our day with a tour

of Russell in a bus. This was a fitting way

to end our activities and research which

we used for our internal assessment.

We were up bright and early on Friday

morning to drive to Auckland to catch

our flight home.

Over all, the Waitangi trip was a

highly enjoyable experience and useful

in more ways than one. We were able

to learn a great deal, which was not

only useful in regard to the internal

assessment we were doing, but also to

inform us of a range of information that

all New Zealanders should know about

our heritage. All girls who partook in

the trip found it to be a highly valuable

experience and will remember it for a

long time.

Theresa Ward Year 13

Members of the Year 13 History class enjoying their trip to Northland

Happiness WeekWhen I think of happiness, I think of

yellow, smiles and a whole lot of fun; and

I couldn’t think of a better way to describe

Happiness Week! This year the Health

Council and I wanted to change things up

a little, and so we introduced Rangi’s first

ever Happiness Week. The theme of FLOB

couldn’t fit more perfectly, as the health

council set up a week where FLOBBING

out was the only way to roll.

Some of the highlights from the

week included: Te Koraha lawn was full

of vibrant yellows and oranges, lots of

giggling at laughing yoga, and the Health

Council were offering up a self-served

brownie, where girls could make their very

own brownie masterpieces.

Tuesday rolled around and the girls

picked up the much anticipated cookie

dough pops before heading into Rangi’s Got Talent, where they all left with smiles

on their faces. The week continued with a

happy buzz, as we had face painting, lolly

scrambles, and the cute wee pre schoolers

coming in for a visit.

But the best day of all had to be

Thursday, where girls came dressed in the

‘Happy Hippie’ theme, as they contended

for best dressed. To top this off the

wonderful Tommy Taco and Blackforest

Waffle Hut came in at lunchtime to serve

up some delicious food to keep the girls

going throughout the day.

My council were waiting outside

Mana Wahine to serve hot chocolates on

a chilly morning as the girls arrived. The

decorations were renewed and the girls

got to enjoy the last of the lawn, with last

minute entries to Guess the Bell and Guess

the Smile. The compliments bucket was

filled to the brim by the end of the day,

with girls raving on about what they were

happy for and who had done something

lovely for them.

I couldn’t have imagined such a

successful week, as photos from the

week kept flying in as girls used the

#happyrangi hashtag to show the world

what made them happy. This week wasn’t

only about girls being happy for a week,

but was to show them how being happy

can make such a difference not only to

yourself, but to everyone else around you.

Priyanka Nathu Head of Health

13www.rangiruru.school.nz

AROUND RANGI

Service WeekThe Service Council’s focus of “We rise

through lifting others” was the notion on

which we based our Service Week “Five

Days of Change.” Our aim through holding

a themed week was to raise money each

day for a different charity. As a school, we

wanted to make a positive change in the

lives of others each day.

We kick-started the week by holding

a charity dodge ball game, Rangi Ruru vs

Christchurch Boys’ High School, to raise

money for Vanuatu. There was a strong

competitive atmosphere, yet the way that

our two schools joined together to help

such an important cause, was exceptional.

Tuesday’s events went down a treat

as we held a PJ mufti day with all funds

going to Nepal. Food trucks also came

in at lunchtime. The following day was

run by the Global Project Committee.

The Committee, which includes two girls

from each year group, held an ice cream

bar stand to raise money. Funds for this

event went to Kids Can. This messy, but

incredibly amusing fundraiser, was packed

with laughter, music and of course, giving.

Thanks to our fabulous Year 13 Edge

interns, we were lucky enough to get the

Edge radio station to come on Thursday.

The “winning wheel” gave the girls a

chance to get involved and win prizes

for themselves and friends. The Service

Council were also fundraising by selling

“make a difference mars-bar-cupcakes.”

It would be fair to say these sold so well

I’m surprised the whole school wasn’t on

a sugar high! On the final day of change

it was Amnesty Day. The Service Council,

along with the Amnesty Council, not only

filled Mana Wahine with petitions, they

also lit candles and sold baked goods to

raise funds for Amnesty International.

This huge effort through “Five Days

of Change,” brought our school together

to make a difference in others’ lives. I was

enormously proud of the generosity of

spirit shown, not only by my hard working

council, but everyone who came together

to contribute in a positive way.

Eloise Crawford Head of Service

Five Days of Change Week

Charity dodgeball match between Rangi Ruru and Christchurch Boys’ High School

Year 10 CampWhat is the one thing that I will remember

about Year 10 camp? Yes, a very hard

question indeed. The huge variety

of opportunities this experience has

presented me with was something I didn’t

expect, and it was an adventure that

taught me the different struggles people

go through in this world. When we were

first told about camp, I knew it was going

to be quite challenging with the inclusion

of many physical activities, which were

most definitely not my thing. My head was

spinning with countless concerns – Who

will be in my group? Will I be able to get

along with them? What if I drag down the

others because of my lack of stamina?

However, during the four days of countless

activities, I came to realise that all these

questions were meaningless, and that I

had underestimated the support we had

for each other.

The activities varied from mountain

biking to cave streaming and even a

staggering seven hour hike around the

mountains. All of us were challenged with

many diverse obstacles and were forced

to use our natural instincts; something

we weren’t used to. These opportunities

enabled me to unleash the knowledge I

never knew I had,

and use them with

guidance from my

team members and

instructor.

A very

memorable

experience for me

was the overnight

stay, where we had

to sleep overnight

under a tarp in

the freezing, rainy

weather. Although

I found this activity

very exhausting and frightening, it really

gave me an insight of the lifestyles some

people in this world are forced to adapt

to. This helped me to understand their

conditions even further, also giving me the

desire to be of support to these people.

Yes, camp was tiring. Yes, camp was

full of bruises, scars and daunting ordeals,

but the different skills along with the vast

knowledge that I acquired was really

worth it. The fact that I have a warm place

to come home to, and a mother who

cooks luscious meals for me is something

that I have learnt to be deeply grateful

for. Year 10 camp is an experience that

should never be underestimated due to

the fact that it was truly an opportunity

that furthered my understanding of

things I had never really fathomed. An

unforgettable camp that I will always

remember.

Yuna Chon Year 10

Preparing for cave stream

14

AROUND RANGI

ExchangesThere has been a lot happening at Rangi

this year on the Exchanges front. As well

as continuing with our existing exchange

programmes, we also entered the second

year of our two new exchanges with

Annie Wright Schools in Tacoma, United

States and Unison World School, India.

Our students are finding that both these

new exchanges offer exciting and diverse

experiences within these two countries

and cultures.

Over the Christmas holidays, two of

our Rangi French students and two of

our German students travelled overseas

to stay with the students they would be

hosting here this year. Olivia Humphrey

travelled to Tahiti and Rebekah Hill

travelled to France. Similarly Tess Epton

and Grace Leehan travelled to Germany

and welcomed their partners back here in

Term 1. As with the other languages-based

exchanges, all four students reported that

as well as having a great time in these

places, they were also able to greatly

improve their French or German language

skills.

In mid-January, Ruby Blake-Manson

and Eugene In, left for the cooler

temperatures of Birmingham, England

where they were on exchange at King

Edward VI High School for Girls. Ruby and

Eugene had some amazing experiences

there and in return, enjoyed hosting their

partners, Hollie Jones and Emma Gilbert,

at Rangi. Both Emma and Hollie said that

they felt very welcome at Rangi and loved

our “gorgeous country!”

At the beginning of Term 1, Georgia

Canning and Georgina Wall hosted

the students they had stayed with in

Argentina last year. Miranda Hochman

and Sofi Bobbio reported that they had a

very enjoyable four weeks at Rangi. They

particularly liked being involved in Kapa

Haka and learning about Maori culture.

In Term 1, we also had two visitors

from our sister school Yokohama

Jogakuin in Japan. Momoko Sekiguchi

(partner of Bing Han) and Madoka

Shinohara (Eden Cotter-Longworth)

both made a great effort to fit into their

life at Rangi. Bing was able to greatly

improve her Japanese language skills

during her time at Yokohama Jogakuin

earlier this term and Eden (who doesn’t

study Japanese) managed very well to

communicate using a mixture of English,

some basic Japanese expressions and

body language and gestures.

During the last school holidays,

Annelise Thompson and Maisie Nattrass

visited Tacoma, USA, for our second

exchange with Annie Wright School. Both

students were fantastic ambassadors not

only for Rangi, but also for Christchurch

as they promoted the links between

Christchurch and our sister city, Seattle

(just near Tacoma). One such link was the

Dawn Service they attended on Anzac Day

in Seattle. Their partners, Emily Harper

and Maria Peterson, arrived at Rangi

just in time to attend the Years 12 and 13

Senior Dance.

Hannah Davies, Eva Parsons, Giovanna

McLaughlin and Cherish Russell, were

excellent hosts for their younger buddies,

Revathy Nair, Rudrashree Godara,

Annapurna Sondhi and Vrinda Saini, from

Unison World School, India. We all enjoyed

hearing and seeing more of this amazing

culture during the girls’ talk at assembly

(where they wore their beautiful saris) and

during their demonstration in the library

of modern and traditional Indian dance.

Ms Stanton, our international Dean, will be

accompanying our girls to India in mid-

July for our second first visit to this school.

I know I speak for all of us in saying

it has been great having these students

here to add to the cultural diversity we

have at Rangi. I have been impressed at

the way many of these students, especially

those for whom English is not their first

language, have stepped up and spoken in

Assembly. It has been nice hearing their

lovely accents too! We have also enjoyed

hearing our Rangi students report back on

their amazing adventures overseas.

Tania Morgan Exchange Co ordinator

Mrs Morgan, Ms Datta (teacher from Unison World School), the Indian exchange students and their buddies in front of Mana Wahine

Maisie Nattrass, Annelise Thompson and their buddies, Maria Peterson and Emily Harper at Annie Wright School, USA

King Edward Exchange one – Ruby Blake-Manson and Eugene In with their buddies, Hollie Jones and Emma Gilbert, in front of King Edward VI School for Girls, England

15www.rangiruru.school.nz

AROUND RANGI

Greek Vases: Up close and personal!

Recently the Year 13 Classical Studies

class were lucky enough to venture out

of the classroom twice as part of our

Greek Vase Painting studies. First was a

trip to behold one of the finest teaching

collections of antiquities in the Southern

Hemisphere, and then we attempted

to create our own Greek Vases at the

Canterbury Pottery Association.

Our first trip on Friday 22 May was

to the James Logie Memorial collection

at The University of Canterbury, which

includes both Greek and Roman artefacts.

It was incredible to be within touching

distance of vases aged between 2000-

2500 years old and bounce all of our

questions off the professionals who

have studied them and continue to

preserve them. Seeing vessels such as the

Athenian White-Ground Lekythos and

Attic Black-Figure Band Cup, was a first

and invaluable experience for the entire

class.

Our next trip on Friday 5 June

was rather fitting as we set off to the

Canterbury Pottery Association and

enthusiastically began our attempts to

recreate the masterpieces we saw at

the James Logie Memorial collection.

Unfortunately this proved to be a rather

unattainable goal as it was a first time

working with clay for the majority of

the class. However, some wonderful

creations were fashioned as well as some

very abstract constructions! We learnt

about where the clay was sourced from,

how to treat and shape it, the stages and

complexities of making the ceramics,

as well as the kiln firing process that

cemented their shape. It was a lot of

fun and very informative, and I’m sure

now all of us have a greater appreciation

of the intricacies involved with such a

process, especially in Ancient Greek times

where the lack of modern technology,

made making such beautiful pottery even

more difficult to perfect.

Rebekah Hill Year 13

Jocelyn Ormond adds handles to her vase Theresa Ward adds final touches to the base of her vase

New Performing Arts Building For Rangi RuruOn Thursday 18 June Dame Malvina

Major officially opened the new

Performing Arts Building.

The music, dance and drama facility

has a 126-seat theatre, dance studio,

teaching spaces, practice rooms and a

recording studio.

The Performing Arts Building is part

of Project Blue Sky, a multi-million dollar

campus redevelopment which started

soon after the 2011 February earthquake.

This is the fourth new building in 18

months to open at Rangi Ruru. “Having

such a professional well-tuned team

means that everyone has got on with

what they do best and achieved the very

best outcomes for our students and wider

school community,” Julie Moor says.

“That’s what happens when a vision is

truly understood, shared and worked on

by everyone, together”.

On the day, the Merivale Lane Theatre,

within the Performing Arts Building,

hosted the preview of Julius Caesar, the

school’s first senior production on site

since the September 2010 and February

2011 earthquakes. This was followed by a

sell-out season.

Dame Malvina Major cutting the ribbon for the opening of the Performing Arts Building

16

AROUND RANGI

Young Enterprise 20152015 has once again seen the emergence

of another cluster of entrepreneurial

Young Enterprise teams, keen to try

their hand at establishing and running a

business venture of their own creation.

Ten teams embarked on their enterprise

project in February.

The year-long programme of

various business challenges presents an

opportunity for Rangi students who are

interested in exploring their acumen for

business orientated studies.

This year, for the second year in

succession, one of our teams – Carton

& Co, producing boxed water – won

the regional business card design

competition, resulting in their receiving

250 business cards, a trip to the printing

company to watch their cards being

produced, with the kudos of being best

design in competition with 30 other

teams in the Canterbury region.

The CEOs who have the responsibility

of co ordinating their teams and passing

on communications, have done an

excellent job, and this was rewarded at the

Dragon’s Den, held at CPIT.

Danielle Ackland, CEO of CookieCakes,

was also selected in May as one of two

students from Canterbury to represent

the region at the Enterprise in Action

competition in Auckland. The winner

will represent New Zealand in the

international competition later in the year,

in Singapore.

Below are the teams and their

respective products:

COWCOA – REGIONAL RUNNERS UPProduct: Chocolait – sugar free chocolate milkDirectors:Maisie Nattrass – CEOHanna Malloch – Marketing & SalesNicole Smith – Finance Maddy Berry – DesignOperations/Production

CARTON & CO – AWARD FOR PITCH AND WINNING BUSINESS CARDProduct: Boxed waterDirectors:Annelise Thompson – CEOGeorgia Hawley – Design Lucy Glass – Finance Jaimee Miller – Marketing & Sales, Operations/Production, Communications

LIT & CO – AWARD FOR BUSINESS PRACTICEProduct: Massage CandlesDirectors:Grace Whiting – CEO and FinanceKarenia Anderson – Design Mackenzie Bruhns – Marketing & Sales, Communications

FORTY WINKS Product: Designer pillow casesDirectors:Charlie Rose – CEO and FinanceHannah Kilduff – Design, Marketing & SalesCherish Russell – Operations/ProductionAlice Luxton – ICT and Communications

INDEX 3Product: UV camera for sun damage indication on skinDirectors:Tess Epton – CEOGeorgia CanningBen Figg (Christchurch Boys’ High School)

STRIKEProduct: Native seedlings potted from the Rangi Ruru campusDirectors:Lucy Thomas – CEO and FinanceMolly Hygate – Design, Marketing & SalesMargot Willis – Operations/Production, ICT and Communications

COOKIECAKESProduct: Cupcakes on a CookieDirectors:Danielle Ackland – CEO and FinanceZoe Swift – Design, Marketing & SalesElla McDonald – Operations/Production, ICT and Communications

PIA BAGProduct: Custom made shoulder bagsDirectors:Pia Petersen – Sole Trader

FRUITAGE Product: Real fruit ice blocksDirectors:Clare Lin – CEO and FinanceRachel Chon – Design, Marketing & Sales, - Operations/Production, ICT and Communications

COIN.&.COProduct: Hand engraved silver coin jewelleryDirectors:Jess Wood – Sole Trader

Jacqui Griffith Teacher-in-charge of Young Enterprise

Enterprise Studies

2015 has also seen the introduction

of Enterprise Studies into the Global

Living programme for Years 12 and 13.

This has provided the Young Enterprise

students with the opportunity to

use two hours per week to develop

their enterprise project as part of the

curriculum and at the same time has

offered them optional achievement

standards to complete in conjunction

with their venture, earning them

credits for their hard work.

They are thus able to put into

practice their exploration of Global

Citizenship by understanding the

culture of the business world.

17www.rangiruru.school.nz

AROUND RANGI

“Yeaaaaaeeaaeaahhhh it’s a party in the

U.S.A!” And a party it was on Saturday

June 13 at the Addington Events Centre

for the annual Year 12 and 13 Senior

Dance.

The Senior Dance Committee spent

many months planning and dreaming

of transforming the Christian Cullen

Lounge into all things American and

that is exactly what they did. As the girls

entered the venue they were taken to

Hollywood. The photographer snapped

the girls as they struck their poses on the

red carpet and headed past the life size

Oscar and under the Hollywood sign.

Then it was through to American

prom, where they could vote for their

very own Prom King and Queen at the

voting booth. The masses then headed

under the patriotic balloon arc to the

dance floor where DJ Jan Holland from

NZDJ kept the American beats pumping

throughout the night. The crowd

favourite was Miley Cyrus’s Party in the

U.S.A., naturally.

It wouldn’t be America without a bit

of NYC, and it was hard to miss the “I

heart NY” centrepiece, made especially

for us by the team at Theme Pro. As you

headed west, the theme continued with a

trip to the Wild West including barrel bar

leaners, lit up cacti and a western sunset

backdrop. The photo booths were kept

busy the whole night with girls and their

partners wanting to get a snap of their

American outfit. A big thanks to our Edge

Interns who were able to win us a free

photo booth, it really went down a treat.

The night would not have been

complete without the awards and the

presentation of Prom King and Queen

as voted by the girls. We were graced by

the presence of girl scouts, cheerleaders

and basket ballers, cotton candy, hotdogs

and the whole Kardashian family so it

was only right that Bruce would steal the

limelight from his daughters in claiming

Prom Queen for 2015.

Libby Vincent Head of Community

Senior Dance

18

AROUND RANGI

Year 11 Semi-Formal

The build up to 6 June felt like a whole

year rather than a few months. As soon

as Term 2 commenced, there were

flurries of chatter about which dress you

were wearing, whether you’d booked

your spray tan and if you were taking

a date. The hype and excitement really

kicked off in the week before; it seemed

as though it had finally arrived and that

it really was happening. Not even a ball,

yet we were all so excited to finally be

going to an event that had taken so

much organising, and that was held in

such high esteem by older year groups.

The Semi Committee did such a great

job; they managed to pull everything

together for decorations, the theme and

ticket design.

Finally the day arrived and before

we knew it, pre-gatherings were over,

and parents were bundling kids into cars

and dropping them off at the Riccarton

Park Function Centre. Held between

7pm and 11pm, it gave us all plenty of

time to get an ample amount of photos,

stage several dance battles and perhaps

manage a conversation in between all the

excitement. The whole idea of being able

to get dressed up, get tanned, get your

make up done, all for a night like ours,

is truly something that happens only a

few times in school life. The photo booth

was an instant hit, and from the moment

people started arriving, there was a line.

Both the mementos that you get to take

away and the novelty of going in a photo

booth with a bunch of fun and quirky

props, really drew people in. The whole

semi was beautifully organised and on

behalf of our year group, I cannot thank

the committee and Ms. Beech enough.

Georgia Woodley Year 11

Walking into the Year 9 dance is like

walking into a snow globe. Fairy lights

are twinkling everywhere, white paper

puffs dangling from the ceiling. There

are girls lining up for the photo booth in

every snow themed costume possible.

Immediately I am swept away by my

friends to chat quietly in a corner as the

boys begin to arrive. They crowd in one

corner and give us all nervous stares.

At first, the DJ has absolutely no luck

getting us all to dance. The situation

was beyond awkward until some cheeky

snowflakes take it upon themselves to

remedy the situation and tip all the guys

off the couches. Finally! The mood lifts

and almost immediately there is a huddle

of girls and guys alike, jumping around

in a circle by the speakers. The DJ had

amazing lights that create rainbow

patterns on the floor and they highlight

the sparkles from dozens of fairy wings

as my friends and I dance the night away.

The dance isn’t just for dancing though.

The continuous flash from the camera in

the corner provides us with a chance to

go nuts in the spotlight and having guys

from different schools also gives us time

to chat to them and meet new people.

At the end of the night, my legs are sore

and I am totally ready for bed. Wool and

feathers are littering the floor in a strange

carpet of fluff and everyone is looking

definitely a little messier than when they

arrived! The snow angels have lost their

wings and the snowflakes have lost some

of their cotton wool snowballs than

when they arrived!

Mette van Pallandt Year 9

A big thank you to Mrs Lidstone, Ms Moor

and the dance committee for making this

dance possible.

Year 9 Dance

19www.rangiruru.school.nz

Take a seat!In fact, make it your own.

“I am thrilled to support the Merivale Lane Theatre and help young and talented performers to achieve their dreams.”

Dame Malvina Major

The Merivale Lane Theatre, within the Performing Arts Building, is a ‘black box’ theatre seating 124 patrons for a variety of performance types, such as plays, music recitals, seminars and other opportunities for the students to display their learning progress. Acoustic treatments, lighting and sound within the Theatre and other learning and collaboration spaces are of high quality and suited to the widely varying activity types, all tuned to showcasing the talent and educational progression of the Rangi Ruru students to the wider community.

This is a unique opportunity to name a seat in the Merivale Lane Theatre for the next ten years. Naming a seat makes an ideal gift, or a special way to remember a loved one, or simply make a seat your own.

Engraved plaques are $300 each and will be fixed to the back of our colourful seats with individual or family names.

The funds raised from this campaign will be used to purchase specialist lighting and equipment for the theatre.

Rangi. For Life.®

TAKE your sEAT in ThE mErivAlE lAnE ThEATrE

For more information go to rangiruru.school.nz/take-a-seat or contact Sarah Wilkinson on 03 983 3728 or s.wilkinson@rangiruru.school.nz

The SmiTh FamilyJane, John,

Josie and Jack

in honour of Mr J Smith

claSS of 1984

in loving memory of jennifer smith

jasmine smith

20

The term began with all the hustle, bustle and excitement

of moving into the new Performing Arts Building. Now that

we are settled in, we realise that it is quite astonishing. This

extraordinary facility really is world-class and those who are

privileged enough to teach and learn here, for many years to

come, will do so in the very best environment where creative

excellence can develop and grow. I know that the staff and

students are extremely grateful to the Board and Management

for their commitment in establishing a place where young

performers can flourish. What a blessing.

In May, our Years 7 and 8s performed in the J Rock - Stage

Challenge at Horncastle Arena. This event is a high energy

dance, drama and music extravaganza that aims to motivate

and inspire students to lead positive pro-active lives, by giving

them a ‘natural high’ without the use of drugs, tobacco or

alcohol. Miss Bell led the girls over several weeks of rehearsals

with a stunning piece entitled, “Be the best you can be” inspired

by Ms Moor’s theme for the year. Our girls performed brilliantly

and came away with three awards:• Excellence Award for Soundtrack

• Excellence Award for Choreography

• Excellence Award for Visual Enhancement

We had two entries in this year’s Shakespeare Globe Centre

New Zealand University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare

Festival: a fifteen-minute ‘Twelfth Night’ and a five-minute,

student directed, ‘Taming of The Shrew Both pieces were

selected to go through to the regional final Showcase, and

‘Taming of The Shrew’ was selected to go to the national finals

in Wellington over Queen’s Birthday Weekend. Ms Bell led the

team of girls at the Wellington nationals. Pauline Ward – Co-director

Harriet Logan – Co-director

Ruby Matheson – Lighting and Sound

Sally Yeomans – Makeup and Hair

Abi O’Regan as Katherine

Pauline Ward as Petruchio

The team went on to wow the national adjudicators and

audiences with their performance. At the awards ceremony,

‘Taming of The Shrew’ won the Russell Armitage Award for

Outstanding Presentation of a Comedy; Ruby Matheson won

the Toi Whakaari, NZ Drama School Award for Best Technician;

Pauline Ward won the Christopher Finlayson Award for Best

Connection with the Audience; Pauline was also selected as

one of 40 students to attend the National Schools’ Shakespeare

Production which will take place over Labour Weekend. From

there 20 students will be selected to perform at The Globe

Theatre in London in 2016. What an outstanding result from an

outstanding group of young women.

There was a rush on tickets for ‘Julius Caesar’ and our senior

production was virtually sold out weeks before it opened. The

inaugural production in our brand new Merivale Lane Theatre

was an all-female take on Shakespeare’s classic tale. Ancient

AROUND RANGI

From the Director of Theatre Arts

Pauline Ward as Mark Antony in the senior production of Julius Caesar

21www.rangiruru.school.nz

AROUND RANGI

Rome was reimagined as ‘Roma School for Girls’ where senators

were prefects and Head Prefect, Julius Caesar, was too popular

for the liking of some of her peers. The assassination of Caesar

was a metaphor for the kind of backstabbing that might happen

in such a school.

With a cast and crew of more than 60 students, the tireless

weeks of rehearsals were rewarded with seven full houses.

‘Julius Caesar’ has been a rewarding experience for all involved

and ample proof that Shakespeare is still as vital and relevant as

ever.

Next term begins with auditions for our junior production,

‘Bugsy Malone.’ This will be presented in conjunction with

Christ’s College at The Old Boys’ Theatre in November.

Robert GilbertDirector of Theatre Arts

Proud Sponsors of

Passengers

Proud sponsors of Julius Caesar

CSB

Thanks to all our generous sponsors and donors

C U LT U R A L C O N C E R TR a n g i r u r u g i r ls S c h o o l

19th august, 7.3Opmmiddleton grangeadults $2O - students $15

a night shift at the

C U LT U R A L C O N C E R TR a n g i r u r u g i r ls S c h o o l

t i c k e t s a va i l a b l e f r o m 2 7 j u l y a t r a n g i r u r u . s c h o o l . n z / s t o re

Cassie Henderson (Julius Caesar) and Pauline Ward (Mark Antony) Abi O’Regan (Cassius), Georgia Noble-Adams (Casca) and Josie Nicholas-McAnergney (Brutus)

22

AROUND RANGI

From the Director of Music

As usual Term 2 has been an extremely

busy one for music girls and staff.

Rehearsals became more intense and

frequent in the lead up to the start of the

season of festivals, competitions and

performances.

The term kicked off with University

of Canterbury Music student Matthew

Everingham sharing his experiences

on writing his composition Fractures, a work commissioned for organ by ex

Cantabrian Jeremy Woodside, now organ

scholar at Westminster Abbey in London. Fractures premiered on 22 February in

Westminster Abby at a special concert to

mark the fourth anniversary of the 2011

earthquake.

Three groups entered Rockquest this

year, with ‘6 Of Us’ being delighted to

learn of their selection to the Regional

Finals at the end of June.

Resolutions and two senior chamber

music groups presented a concert

as part of the Christchurch Music

Centre Afternoon Delights series. A

week later Resolutions and the Junior Chorale took part in the BIG SING

Regional Contest. Both groups gave

stunning performances, and are to be

congratulated, along with their Director

Helen Charlton, on the Junior Chorale

winning the award for the Best Year

9/10 Choir, and Resolutions being one

of 24 groups nationally to be selected

for the BIG SING National Finale, held in

Wellington during August.

The next major event of the term was

the NZCT Chamber Music Contest. This

year Rangi entered nine groups, with

Rangi girls represented in a further two

groups out of a total of 70 Canterbury

groups. The groups all gave a pre-contest

performance to parents and friends

in the Gibson Centre, which proved to

very lovely venue with just the right

mix of formality and informality. The

Rangi groups once again rose to the

occasion magnificently in the contest,

all performing at a level that was at ‘the

best that they could be’. Congratulations

to all girls and many thanks to the tutors

for their tireless work with the groups.

We were very delighted to receive the

following awards:

Winner of District Contest, Winner and Bronze Award Winner at the South Island Regional Finals, and National Semifinalist Jeunesse Élégante Grace Leehan (violin), Karen Hu (cello),

Grace McKenzie (piano)

Highly Commended at the District Contest, Regional Finalist and Bronze Award winner at the South Island Regional Finals

Follow the Lieder

Claire McSweeney (violin), plus two St

Bede’s students

Other District Awards KBB Awards for Woodwind/Brass/Percussion went toOlive and EbonyOlivia Humphrey, Sarah Pride, Lily Li

(treble recorders)

Coup de MaitreGeeny Moon (french horn), plus two St

Andrew’s College students. This group

also won the Woolston Brass Cup for the

Best Brass Group.

Adjudicator’s Choice Award for a

group showing musical promise went

to Nothin’ But Strings (starts around

1min10)

Two very special events were held in

late June for girls in Rangi Players and

Bellbirds. Firstly an orchestral exchange

with students from Cathedral Grammar

School, and secondly a music exchange

as part of the St Kentigern’s visit. Both

mighty successful events involved

workshops and rehearsals followed by

an informal concert to staff, parents and

Year 7 and 8 students from the schools

involved.

There were several other concerts

and events that music groups took part

in during Term 2:

Jeunesse Élégante

23www.rangiruru.school.nz

AROUND RANGI

• Year 13 Music Scholars Grace

Leehan and Geeny Moon, supported

by scholars Karen Hu and Grace

McKenzie, presented a recital of solo

works and chamber music at the

Music Centre’s Outstanding Young

Musicians Series at St Augustine’s

Church on 19 June.• Chamber Music group Dmitrio

performed at a Zonta fundraising

function, and the Junior Chorale and

Bellbirds sang at the Junior Family

Service.• NCEA students completed their

group performance assessments and

their first round of solo performance

assessments.• Rangi’s Contemporary Music students

held a music evening during the last

week of term where they presented

a programme of solo and group

performances.• The Rangi Players, Bellbirds,

Combined Percussion Ensembles and

Recorder ensemble hosted an early

evening Winter Soireé at the end of

term to parents and friends in the

Merivale Lane Theatre.• An Itinerant Music Evening was held

at the end of the term also, providing a

supportive performance environment

for girls who are new to performing in

public.

Next term promises to be just as busy,

with JazzQuest and Southern Jam for the

Jazz Band and Combo, National Chamber

Music Semi-finals and Finals, Cultural

Concert, BIG SING Finale for Resolutions,

the Voices Festival for Concordia and

Junior Chorale, Orchestra Festival, Kids in

Town, and Christchurch Primary Schools’

Music Festival preparation. I look forward

to updating you on these events in the

Term 3 Rangi News.

Individual SuccessesCongratulations to:Geeny Moon, Year 13, who played

the French Horn professionally in the

orchestra for the production of Phantom of the Opera. Geeny, along with fellow

Year 13 student and music scholar Grace Leehan, is also playing professionally with

the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.

Three of our music scholars who

have won positions in the NZSO National

Youth Orchestra. Geeny Moon has been

appointed Principal French Horn, Grace

Leehan Assistant Principal Viola, and

Grace McKenzie to the second violins.

The leadership roles for Geeny and Grace

Leehan are particularly significant, given

that members of this orchestra are aged

25 years and under, with the majority

being tertiary/semi-professional players.

Georgia Saunders, who, after being

selected as a national finalist in the

SGCNZ Morison Music Trust Shakespeare

Composition Competition won second

place and a cheque for $300 in the

section Music Inspired by a Shakespeare Play. Her composition, titled ‘From

Within’, was inspired by Romeo and Juliet. Georgia also won the Women’s

Musicianship Award at the Canterbury

Regional Finals of Rockquest.

Year 7 and 8 students Isabella Carter (Orchestra, violin), Alicia Yee (Concert

Band, flute), and Imogen Park and Julia Stewart (both Senior Choir) on their

selection in the Special Groups of the

Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival.

They will be performing in the three

nights of the Festival at the Horncastle

Arena, 28-30 October.

To see any of these wonderful

performances, please check out our

Facebook page: https://www.youtube.

com/user/Rangimusic1

Janet KingsburyDirector of Music

Girls ready their stall for the much loved International Food Day

International Week

24

BasketballWhat an exciting season we are having

with Basketball this year. With the new

programme up and running with our

Senior and Intermediate A girls, we are

already seeing a huge improvement and

a real sense that we are on the road to

achieving our goal of one day winning

the national championship. It’s not going

to happen this year or even next but the

bones are certainly there for it to happen

in the next few years.

With the assistance of Caleb Harrison

from the Canterbury Development

Basketball programme and the coaching

prowess of Rose Walker, Dave Ermerins,

Amy Gardiner and Sarah Corkery, we are

seeing a structure and an intensity at

I can’t believe I am writing this second

edition of Rangi News for 2015! It feels

like I have only just finished the last

edition! Where has Term 2 gone?

As usual the term started with a rush,

with the whole school Cross Country

taking place on day three of the term.

Holding this event so early in the term

certainly shows up who has been active

over the holidays! And it’s a wakeup call

for girls who haven’t been doing much in

preparation for their winter sports season.

It’s also a fantastic opportunity for the

remainder of the school to get out there

and earn some points for their clan. We

are one of only a handful of schools who

make this event a whole school event and

with the clan colours flying, it is another

example of what our school does so

well………showcase our motivated, fun-

loving and talented young women!

Congratulations to everyone who ran

on the day, not just the champions but all

competitors. Running three kilometres is

a significant effort!

Here are the top ten place getters in

each age-group:

Years 7 & 81st Sarah Kean

2nd Meg Smith

3rd Macy Neale

4th Amelie Spinks

5th Abby Kneebone

6th Sophie Vryenhoek

7th Ava Willimann

8th Brigit Moston

9th Imogen Morrison

10th Alicia Yee

U141st Kate Edwards

2nd Holly Ffowcs Williams

3rd Meredith Seeto

4th Stella Hoeper

5th Lauren Stapylton-Smith

6th Lucia Rapley

7th Brittany Wang

8th Amelia Wilson

9th Isabella Inkson

10th Sophie Nelson

U15 1st Isabella Carter

2nd Marisol Hunter

3rd Eugene In

4th Clementine Rose

5th Vera Goesmann

6th Kate Boyd

7th Ava Morrow

8th Eva Weir

9th Lucy Simpson

10th Claudia Reid

U16.5 1st Kathryn Ford

2nd Millie Mannering

3rd Emma Palmer

4th Danni Ackland

5th Siena Rapley

6th Eva Parsons

7th Gabi Newman

8th Brooke Mitchell

9th Chloe Jenkins

10th Holly Reid

Over 16.5 1st Margo Flanagan

2nd Libby Vincent

3rd Charlotte Arthur

4th Jemima Allison

5th Laura Grigg

6th Goldie Harding

7th Lottie Eglinton

8th Rebecca Wilson

9th Amy Huang

10th Margo Willis

As is the tradition, the top ten girls

in each age-group are invited to run at

the Canterbury Secondary Schools’ Road

Race and Cross Country champs which

take place following our Cross Country.

With the Road Race held over in Hagley

Park, it’s an easy wander for our girls to

leave school for the afternoon to head

over and race.

Our U14 team started well for Rangi,

finishing the teams’ race in 2nd place,

with Kate Edwards our top finisher in 12th

place from over 50 starters. In the Junior

and Intermediate grades we placed 3rd

in the teams’ race with Isabella Carter

finishing 7th and Marisol Hunter 8th for

the Juniors and Kathryn Ford 15th in

the Intermediate race to head the Rangi

teams. Our crowning glory was in the

Senior race which we took out with a

total of 29 points. Margo Flanagan ran

superbly in the strong field to finish 4th

with Libby Vincent and Abby Williamson

close behind in 7th and 8th place. The

fourth team member to count was

Jemima Bell, who finished in 10th place.

Congratulations to all the girls who ran

at this event and put in such a great

showing for Rangi.

At the Cross Country champs, the

same group of girls were given the

chance to race, however, due to camp,

illness and injuries, the team numbers

were greatly reduced. This didn’t,

however, affect the enthusiasm of the

girls who took part. In the U14 race the

team placed 4th, in the Intermediate

race, 2nd, and once again in the Senior

race, 1st. Well done to Libby Vincent,

Milly Mannering, Kathryn Ford and Issey

Brokenshire who ran well in the Senior

race to come away with the team title.

What a great way for Libby and Millie to

end their Cross country experience at

Rangi!

Term 2 also sees the start of the

Secondary Schools’ Winter sports

competition for all of our Winter sports

teams. Here are some updates on how

the term has panned out to date.

Sport

Jo FogartyDirector of Sport

25www.rangiruru.school.nz

SPORT

trainings we have been missing in recent

years. The girls are running and working

hard, soaking up all the information and

knowledge imparted by our talented

coaching team. They are even starting

to get a little bit loud….something that

Rangi teams are not generally known for.

It’s very exciting to witness! With both the

Senior A and Intermediate A teams playing

in their respective Division One grades,

the competition is strong and at times,

the teams are pushed but the results are

coming and the development is obvious.

This is also apparent in the weekend

games where the respective teams play in

the Club U20 and U16 competitions.

Congratulations to the following girls

who have been named in representative

basketball teams. In the U15A team are:

Ella Gardiner, Milly Knight, Alida Pohatu-

Barnes, Bailey Chamberlain, Alice Sproat

and Sophia Harrison. In the U17B team the

following girls were named: Jess Miller

and Grace Eglinton. Meg Thompson was

named in the U19 team, with Jemima

Allison and Lottie Eglinton also invited to

attend the trainings.

In addition to all of the action taking

place for these two teams, we also have

15 social teams who turn up on a Friday

night to play. This is a wonderful sport

for girls who want to get together with

their friends for a structured game of

something. All teams must have an

adult with them each week and some of

the teams also get together for the odd

training. It’s great for have this option for

our Rangi girls.

ISSA Cross CountryEleven girls competed in the

Independent Schools Cross Country

Championships on Monday 18 May.

It was a very pleasant day – perfect for

running and our girls ran against some

strong competition this year. Results were:

Year 8 Team: Sarah Kean, Meg Smith, Sophie Vryenhoek,

Amelie Spinks, Imogen Morrison.

Sarah came 5th and raced in the

Canterbury Primary Championships at

Halswell Quarry.

Year 7 Team: Ava Willimann, Imogen Park, Emma

Ffowcs Williams, Makayla Barrett, Frances

Gosney, Olivia Percy. Ava came 18th.

CyclingWith an ever growing group of girls

turning up to the training and racing

each week, Cycling is well and truly in

good heart this season. Currently we

have ten girls as members of the squad.

The girls are into a good rhythm

now, going out on a Tuesday for a

group ride, racing on a Wednesday and

getting together for a spin session on a

Friday morning. In addition to this, they

all have their own programmes and

where possible get out together on the

weekends.

All those who have been racing out

at Tai Tapu on a Wednesday afternoon

have been going well, with Sarah McLeod,

a newcomer to Rangi, leading the way

in the A grade Women’s section. The

girls are working well towards the South

Island Secondary Schools’ Cycling

Championships which are held each

year at Ruapuna raceway over the first

weekend of the July holidays. We look

forward to sharing their achievements in

the next Rangi News edition.

Canterbury Schools DuathlonOn 30 April, Molly Robinson and I,

participated in the Canterbury Schools’

Cross Country

Senior Girls at the Canterbury Secondary schools Road Race

Senior Girls at the Canterbury Secondary schools Road Race

26

Duathlon Race. We were in the category

of 12+ girls. This race was a 2 km run,

9 km bike and then a 1 km run. The

weather didn’t help on the day because it

was very windy at the Ruapuna Raceway

as we arrived. We hoped that the wind

would stop by the time of our race, but

unfortunately it had not.

We went to get time transponders

wrapped around our ankles and at 12:55

we were lined up ready for “Take your

marks,” BANG! So off we went in a race

with 76 other 12+ year olds. The first run

was a bit windy but we didn’t realise that it

was going to be much worse on the 9 km

bike around the Ruapuna track. We ran

into transition to our bikes and hopped

on. Our legs were moving around but

not very fast because a tiring and strong

wind was coming in on an awkward angle

making us all wobble on our bikes. One

lap completed; then a second lap feeling

more confident about where we were

going. Then there was one lap left to

complete. Our legs felt like jelly and as we

rolled into transition, it occurred to us that

there was still a final 1 km run to go!

I hopped off my bike with a heavy

feeling in my legs to run the last leg. This

run was about 500m up then turned

back to make that 1 km. As Molly and I

passed each other going different ways,

we indicated to each other that we were

doing well and we didn’t have far to go

now! The feeling when I crossed the finish

line was extraordinary; knowing that I had

left it all out on the racecourse and tried

something I had not done before. It was

great for Molly and I to represent Rangi,

being the best we can be.

Final Results:Meg Smith 25th

Molly Robinson 51st

Meg Smith Year 8

Equestrian DayOur Rangi riders began the term with an

entertaining and successful Equestrian

Day at Mandeville Sportsground, held

despite a furious storm the previous

night. Our riders took part in a short-

format Horse Trial, or could elect to

do Combined Training or Dressage

only. We saw some lovely clear cross-

country rounds as well as competent

tests and show-jumping rounds. Riders

also competed in a Unity Competition

at either Junior or Senior level, where

the judges were looking for attractive

combinations of horse and rider. We

had a shared and sociable lunch in

the sunshine then after lunch, Leah

Zydenbos – assisted on the ground by

her mother - demonstrated some of the

skills she employed to gain placings in

the Mounted Games section at the Horse

of the Year Show in Hastings in March.

Her audience was amazed by the skills

she and a friend showed and appreciated

how much the horses revelled in the

speed and control required! This

was followed by an opportunity for

other riders to try these games out

for themselves, with considerable

enthusiasm and hilarity! All riders also

took part in three showing classes, either

in the morning or in the afternoon,

where the judges were looking for Best

Open, Best Pony Club and Best Handy

Mounts.

Some results from the day:Showing successes – Bella Deans, Issy

Ussher, India Borelli, Emily Heald, Sally

McPherson, Izzy Confait, Marnie Gray.

Unity Successes Senior Winner – Denham Trophy, Georgia

Woodley.

Junior Winner – Ibis Trophy, Grace Tripe.

Also Anna French, India Borelli, Sally

McPherson, Bella Deans.

95cm Horse Trial – Winner Jemima

Seddon-Smith.

85cm Horse Trial – Imogen Morrison.

Combined Training placings – Jemima,

Libbie Beardsley, Imogen, India,

Dressage alone – Jemima, Libbie, Bella,

Imogen, Grace, Georgia Woodley, Marnie,

Issy Ussher.

SPORT

Leah Zydenbos in action at the Horse of the Year Show!Molly and Meg on start line

27www.rangiruru.school.nz

FencingThe school fencing group is a small but

focused group who meet each Thursday

during the school term. Some of the

girls also receive outside coaching and

are involved in regional and national

competitions. Ashleigh Goh is one such

student, and in recent years has started

to achieve on the national stage. She

was also recently named a New Zealand

Forward Foundation Ambassador to help

encourage girls in minority sports and

raise the profile of girls’ minority sports

in New Zealand. Well done, Ashleigh!

In June, Ashleigh and a Year 7

student, Harriet Eglinton, competed in the

Canterbury Secondary Schools’ Fencing

competition. It was double Gold for the

Rangi Ruru pair with Harriet winning the

U12 Girls’ Foil, while Ashleigh won the

Women’s Epée. (see attached photo)

Earlier in the term, Ashleigh competed

in the New Zealand U17 Championships

in Dunedin and placed 3rd. From these

results, Ashleigh was again selected for

the New Zealand team to take part in the

Australian U17 Championships in Sydney

in the July holiday break. At her debut last

year at this competition, Ashleigh was the

top Kiwi in the Australian U15 Women’s

Epée event, placing a very credible 8th

out of about 20 competitors. She will be

looking to improve on this placing in July.

FootballWell finally it’s happened!! After four

years of trying to qualify for the Premier

Girls Football Tournament our team

managed to overcome Cashmere in a

challenge match 2-1 to allow automatic

entry into this tournament which

takes place in Taupo each year during

tournament week. What a wonderful

way to start the season! We only have

one team this year which is unfortunate,

but they are a team with a mix of

experienced and young players who

have all come together to produce an

effective team unit. Una Foyle, our team

goalie, has been named in the New

Zealand Secondary Schools’ Football

team this year which has added a depth

to the team, supported by Becky Wilson,

Phoebe Murray, and Tess McKean who

have all played for the 1st team for the

past four years.

The school season also started well for

the team in the Canterbury premier grade,

winning two of their first four games,

drawing one and losing one. They are

currently sitting in 2nd place.

May the team continue to grow in

strength during the remainder of the

season and all the very best to the team

in their debut at the Premier National

tournament.

Gymnnastics & TrampoliningThe Canterbury Secondary Schools’

Gymnastics and Trampolining

Championships were held on Tuesday 9

June.

Hanna Malloch competed in the

International Grade in the Artistic

Gymnastics section. As a former

international gymnast, Hanna showed

she still has what it takes to place 3rd –

congratulations Hanna.

Three junior girls competed in the

Trampolining Championships – Brittany

Wang, Lucy Anderson and Hannah

Seddon-Smith. Brittany placed 2nd in the

Junior Elite Women’s grade, while Lucy

finished 1st in Women’s A Grade. The

combination of the placings of all three

girls earned, gave Rangi Ruru 2nd place in

the Teams competition.

HockeyWe are well into the Hockey season and

in general, the teams have all started

well. Thanks to John Radovonich for

once again pulling everything together

and providing the teams with excellent

coaching and management support.

To our coaches – John, Grant Edwards,

Rachel McCann, Victoria Butterick, Kate

Willis, Mark and Averil Worner, and the

Black Sticks who come and go, thank

you for all you are contributing to Rangi

Hockey. We are seeing an encouraging

amount of talent in all of our Rangi

Hockey teams which is very exciting, not

just for this season but for the future.

As usual the winter season starts early

with the annual trip north for the ANZAC

tournament, where the girls and coach

get to blow out the cobwebs against some

of the other top girls’ hockey schools

in the country. A note from John, the

coach, following the trip: “As usual the

team represented Rangi superbly getting

stronger with each game, playing fantastic

hockey and scoring some “scintillating”

goals. The team finished with a 6-0 win

over Epsom Girls’ then an impressive

performance ending in a draw vs St

Cuthbert’s, the host team.” Awesome!

SPORT

Ashleigh Goh and Harriet Eglinton at the Canterbury Secondary Schools Fencing Competition

Ashleigh Goh (Year 11) winning Gold in Women’s Epee

Harriet Eglinton (Year 7)  winning Gold in U12 Foil

28

SPORT

Back home the teams were straight

into their weekly competition before the

term had even started and, as mentioned

earlier, we are seeing some great hockey.

The first XI had a brilliant first round,

winning all of their games including taking

out St Margaret’s 2-1 for the Porritt Cup – a

first for many, many years. The girls are

looking fast and their skill level is getting

better and better each week. It is exciting

to follow their progress.

The Blues, Reds and Golds are

all having their share of wins in their

respective grades, and there are many girls

amongst these three teams who will be

vying for a spot in the as yet unnamed 2nd

XI team for tournament next term. There is

also a spot or two up for grabs in the 1st XI.

As this edition goes to print, the girls

vying for these teams have just completed

the YoYo fitness team. Of the 26 girls who

took the line for the YoYo, ten achieved

scores of over 17.0, with three scores over

18.0 including an 18.5. These girls are in

good shape!! Good luck with the trials.

Congratulations to all the girls who

have been named in representative teams

to date. In the U18A team are: Charlotte

Arthur, Margo Willis and Jess Gunn. In the

B team are: Sophie Radovonich, Phoebe

Spiers and Annabelle Wilson.

Special mention also to three of our

ex pupils who have all been named in the

Canterbury Cats Women’s squad: Anna

Radovonich, Kirsty Nation and Kate Willis.

Good luck girls in making the final cut!

And, lastly for this edition, welcome

back to Rachel McCann back with us from

her time away as a member of the Black

Sticks. Congratulations Rachel on your

time playing with the team. It’s great to

see you back in the dugout with John and

the team!

Life SavingThis past year has already brought a lot

of success for lifesaving with 87 girls in

total earning awards.

During Term 1, lunchtime training

sessions were compulsory for all Year 9

students in order to gain lifesaving skills

and experience. By the end of the term, 68

girls achieved their Bronze Star awards,

the first award able to be received by

students. These girls all gave up many

hours to complete both practical and

theory work in order to accomplish this,

and have done extraordinarily well in their

efforts to commit, even on the occasional

cold days. We hope that all of these girls

will choose to continue with lifesaving

next year and grow in their knowledge

and abilities.

In addition, seven girls have earned

their Bronze Medallion awards. This

award is the next step up from the Bronze

Star award and again involves a great deal

of commitment and effort.

Following this success, eight girls

completed their Bronze Cross awards.

Again, this is a huge step up from the

standards of the Bronze Star and Bronze

Medallion awards with many hours put in

by all of the girls.

This past year we have also had four

girls gain Distinction awards. This is a very

commendable achievement involving a

lot of hard work from all four girls. The

Distinction award is the second highest

award of the Royal Lifesaving Society and

demonstrates a high level of maturity in

response to emergency situations.

Congratulations to all of the girls that

have taken part in lifesaving in the past

year, and thanks needs to be given to Ms

Joyce and the instructors for giving up

their time in order to teach others. We

hope that lifesaving at Rangi will continue

to be successful and the girls continue in

their learning.

Zoë Swift and Kimberley Gee

Life Saving Captains

MudrunLast weekend saw 15 of our girls take

part in the Annual Secondary Schools’

Mudrun out at Motukarara Raceway.

As usual the day was cold and there

was plenty of mud to be seen but also,

typically, there were hundreds of smiling,

happy faces as students flung themselves

down the waterslide and through

the muddy swamp! A 5 km muddy

blowout!!!! Excellent!

NetballThe netball season is well underway and

with 19 teams playing at Hagley Netball

Courts on Saturdays, there is a strong

Rangi Ruru presence.

This season we welcome Frances

Granger to our coaching network. Frances

is a former Silver Fern who in recent

years has been coaching in Wales, Fiji

Mudrun team

Alys Mathews

Immobilisation of a patient with a suspected spinal injury

29www.rangiruru.school.nz

SPORT

and Botswana, and previously coached

Premier club netball in Christchurch.

She brings a wealth of experience and

knowledge to the position. Frances’

appointment adds to the coaching

network we have, with experienced

coaches in key positions and will help in

the development of netball at Rangi Ruru

throughout the age grades.

A new initiative this season has been

the introduction of Growing Coaches

– a programme designed to support

and develop student coaches. With

six netball teams coached by students,

this programme offers great support to

the girls who have taken on this role. A

generic coaching session was delivered

by Sport Canterbury earlier in the term

and recently the student coaches had a

netball specific session with Jen Hooper

from Netball Mainland.

There was plenty of preseason

activity for the Senior A team this year

taking part in the inaugural Christchurch

International Netball Festival held in

the April holidays, along with Supernet

Qualifying in early May. This festival looks

set to become a regular feature on the

preseason calendar and it was a great

opportunity for players to get court-

time before the regular season started.

The A team finished the first round of

Saturday netball in contention for playoffs

for promotion into the Senior 2 grade.

Unfortunately they lost the play-off game

against Marian so will remain in Senior

Reserve for the second round, looking

to again be in play-off contention at the

completion of this round.

Our top Junior netballers head into

the South Island Secondary Schools’

Tournament during the July holidays.

With some strong Year 9 players

entering the school and the Year 10

team developing under Paula Frew’s

leadership, it will be exciting to see how

both teams fare.

As always, we have a few senior teams

who are ‘social.’ While some of these

teams train, some teams only turn up to

play on Saturday and Wednesday. Girls,

along with parent supporters and coaches

of these teams, also deserve a mention

for their organisational skills and self-

management to date. It is great to see the

girls playing and enjoying their netball.

‘Social teams’ are never really that social –

a competitive streak can definitely be seen

when on court!

The first round of Saturday

competition is always tricky with many

teams finding their feet and testing

combinations. Congratulations to

following teams for their first or second

place finish at the end of round one: Rangi

Ruru A (Senior Reserve), C (U19), G (U17), L

(U15), N (U14).

We look forward to seeing how the

teams progress as we head towards the

Championship end of the season.

Finally congratulations to Senior A

players, Gabi Newman and Bella Giltrap,

for selection in the Christchurch Netball

Centre U17B representative team.

OrienteeringWhilst Orienteering is not something

we offer at Rangi as a school sport,

we do love to encourage and support

the girls who continue to fly the Rangi

flag at Orienteering events and who

consistently perform at an outstanding

level. Well done girls and thanks for

keeping us on the Orienteering map!

Results from the girls attending

the South Island Secondary Schools’

Orienteering Champs held 18-19 April.

Distance Event held at Orton Bradley ParkIntermediate Girls’ Championship – Marisol Hunter 1st

Intermediate Girls’ Standard Siena Rapley 1st and Olivia Mander 2nd

Junior Girls’ Standard – Lucia Rapley 1st

Sprint Course held at Lincoln UniversityIntermediate Girls’ Championship –

Marisol Hunter 1st and Siena Rapley 5th

Intermediate Girls’ Standard – Olivia

Mander 1st

Junior Girls’ Championship – Lucia

Rapley 2nd

This was a South Island event and we

were delighted with the girls results which

saw our team gain 3rd placing overall.

Thanks to Tuula Rapley for keeping us

at Rangi in the loop!

Mudrun team

The Maco Mermades Mudrun team (Mikayla Smith, Angelique Thompson, Courtney Webb)

30

Canterbury Secondary Schools’ Swimming ChampionshipsA great day for Rangi at the Canterbury

Secondary Schools’ Swimming

championships at Jellie Park before the

holidays. A large number of outstanding

performances by a reasonably small

team, including the 14 Year old Girls

200m Freestyle record which we

smashed by nearly six seconds! The

girls in this relay team were: Eugene

In, Ava Morrow, Leah Berquist and

Kasey McGrath. This team last year also

smashed their age-group record and

have made a pact to take out every age-

group relay record as a group before they

leave Rangi!! Sounds like a pretty good

plan to me!

Other results from the day were:

Sam Summerfield 5th U14 50m Breaststroke

Ava Morrow 2nd U14 50m Backstroke

Leah Berquist 4th U15 50m Butterfly

Eugene In 1st U15 50m Freestyle

Sinead Hartwell 2nd U14 100m Freestyle

Kasey McGrath 2nd U15 100m Freestyle

Girls U14 Relay 2nd Sam Summerfield,

Millie Macalister, Imogen

Bell, Sinead Hartwell

Girls U15 Relay 1st (Record) Ava, Eugene,

Leah, Kasey

Open Medley Relay 5th

Olivia Mason, Amy

Hartwell, Celine Evans,

Kasey McGrath

Amy Hartwell 9th 100m Open Backstroke

4th U16 50m Backstroke

Aimee McMaster 11th 100m Open

Backstroke, 8th U18 50m

Backstroke

Jemima Allison 10th 100m Open

Breaststroke, 5th U18

50m Breaststroke

Olivia Mason 6th 100m Open Butterfly

2nd U16 50m Butterfly

Open 200m Freestyle Relay 3rd

(Kasey, Celine,

Eugene, Ava)

Millie Mannering 6th U18 50m Breaststroke

Celine Evans 2nd U18 50m Butterfly

Girls 16-18 Relay 3rd (Jemima, Millie

Celine, Aimee)

These results will hopefully give us

the Top School Award once again. Very

proud of our girls!

SPORT

life & disability

14 year old girls – record breaking 200m Freestyle relay team; Leah Berquist, Ava Morrow, Kasey McGrath, Eugene In

31www.rangiruru.school.nz

SPORT

Congratulations to the following girls on their achievements:

To Kasey McGrath for qualifying to attend the New

Zealand Short Course Swimming Championships later in

the year. Kasey also took part in the New Zealand Division

II Swimming Championships earlier in the year, with Amy

Hartwell, another capable Rangi swimmer. Both Amy and

Kasey did really well, both bringing back medals and being

chosen to swim for Canterbury Relay teams. Amy did some

big PBs to take Silver in the 200 back and 5th place overall in

the 400 Free in her age group. She also made finals in 100 and

200 Free. Kasey qualified 1st for the 100 Free final with a great

PB but narrowly missed a medal in the final race (4th). She

made up for it with a Bronze in the 50 Free. Amy and Kasey

were part of Canterbury relay teams that took gold in the 400

Freestyle relays (15 and over, 14 and under). Kasey also swam

in the U14 club relay team that took Gold in the (14 and under)

400 Freestyle.

To Kathryn Ford, who placed 5th in the U20 Women’s

section of the Christchurch Half Marathon.

To Brittany Wang who competed at an International

Trampolining event in Australia last month and narrowly

missed (by .2) qualifying for the World Championships.

Brittany is in Year 9, and does have two more opportunities to

qualify. Good luck Brit!

To Una Foyle who has been named as the Goalie in the

New Zealand Secondary Schoolgirls’ Football team. Brilliant

work Una!

The Canterbury Junior Tennis champs were held over the

holidays and some of our Rangi girls had great results…

Imogen Bell was runner-up in the 14 year girls’ singles

and won the doubles in the same division

Siena Rapley was runner-up in the 16 & 18 year girls’

consolation singles (plate)

Siena Rapley and Olivia Mander won the 16 & 18 year girls’

consolation doubles (plate)

Stella Hoeper made it to the semi-finals of the 16 & 18 year

girls’ singles

Vera Goesmann was runner-up in the 16 & 18 year girls’

singles and won the doubles in the same division

Congratulations to the Year 9A Tennis team for winning

the top division in the Year 9 schools’ competition. They were

without their number two player, Sam Summerfield, and still

beat St Margaret’s in the final, five matches to one. Isabella

Inkson lead the team at number one player, and was well

supported by Kate Edwards, Lucy Brydon and Holly Lewis

filling in for Sam. Fantastic effort!

Growing Coaches ProgrammeAs a means of developing and supporting the many student

coaches we have at Rangi, this year we have signed up

for the Growing Coaches Programme offered to schools

and clubs by Sport Canterbury. The idea is to educate

the student coaches on coaching styles and techniques,

both generic and sports specific, and then to provide on-

going coaching support. The students are provided with

resources and mentoring. There is also the opportunity for

the students to attain credits through their coaching but as

this is our pilot year for the programme, this option has not

been made available to the girls.

We are excited to be able to offer this development

opportunity to our girls and believe that the young

sportswomen coached by these girls, will gain as much from

the programme through improved coaching, as much as the

girls taking part.

Maadi Cup Thanks

An enormous thank you from staff, students and parents

for the generous grants received from the New Zealand

Community Trust and Pub Charity. Assistance from these

two providers made Rangi Ruru Girls’ School success at the

Maadi Regatta a reality.

Year 9 A Tennis Team, Lucy Brydon, Kate Edwards, Holly Lewis and Isabella Inkson (Sam Summerfield absent)

32

Take Rangi Ruru into the Next 125 Years

As most of you are aware, the Board of

Governors decided not to replace the

damaged buildings in an ad hoc manner

after the Canterbury earthquakes.

A redevelopment on this scale requires

significant investment. Insurance and other

monies have allowed us to get so far.

A voluntary Capital Campaign

Executive group, led by Grant Close

(former Rangi Ruru Board Chair,) was

appointed in 2014 to lead Stage 2 of the

Campaign, and a team of valued campaign

volunteers are currently meeting with

colleagues, friends and associates face-to-

face, to talk to them about the campaign

and inviting them to make gifts.

Our Challenge – Raising Funds for Stage 2: Arts and Sports

Stage 2 is well underway with the

completion of the new Performing Arts

Building and Merivale Lane Theatre

which were opened on 18 June by

Dame Malvina Major. To complete, a

Capital Campaign has begun to meet

the immediate needs for a Sports and

physical education facility.

Stage 2 will cost $18.7 million. A sum

of $2.7 million from insurance has been

carried over, leaving a net cost of $16

million.

The School has committed to half of

the funds required, with the remaining $8

million to be raised through a concentrated

fundraising Capital Campaign.

In recognition of the importance

of Project Blue Sky, members of the

Board have made personal gifts to

the Campaign. Together, the Rangi

community has so far raised over

$600,000 towards the fundraising target of

$8 million.

Sarah WilkinsonDirector of

Fundraising

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING

Message from the Campaign Chair Ultimately, the responsibility for the

success of this Campaign rests with

those individuals who believe in the

vision of Rangi Ruru Girls’ School.

We are fully committed to raising $8

million for this crucial project.

Every member of the School Board

and the Campaign Executive has made

a pledge to the Capital Campaign and is

working for the project on a voluntary

basis.

We have a growing network of

friends, donors and sponsors who

believe that this project will make a

tremendous difference to the quality of

education for the Rangi girls of today

and the future.

Your support is welcomed, and

greatly valued.

Thank you Grant Close Capital Campaign Chair

How Will We Do It?The only proven way to raise a

large sum of money over a relatively

short period of time is for committed

volunteers – who have already

evidenced their commitment by

making a personal gift – to approach

their peers, friends and associates

with an invitation to join them and

echo their example.Therefore, we hope we can

call upon the commitment of our Rangi family – our board members and staff, current families, former families and our alumnae – to make Stage 2 of Project Blue Sky a reality. We believe that $8 million can be raised in gifts and pledges, through our focussed Capital Campaign over the next five years.

This process has already begun.

For more information, please contact

Sarah Wilkinson on 03 983 3728 or

s.wilkinson@rangiruru.school.nz

Proposed Wide Sky Centre for health and wellbeing

33www.rangiruru.school.nz

125 Scholarship AppealOn the very special occasion of the Rangi 125 House Party last

year, Melanie L’Eef (alumnae, parent and Head of Teaching and

Learning at Rangi Ruru) announced the 125 Scholarship*.

Melanie talked about the honest and real education that

Rangi Ruru provides which gives girls the edge to thrive. “We

know that Rangi Ruru makes a difference to those who spend

time here, and we all know of girls who would flourish in the

Rangi environment and would value it just as many of you have

done, but for some, to learn at Rangi is a distant dream.”

Which is why we are appealing for your help to extend the

Gibson sisters’ vision for the education of young women, by

assisting in the funding of this special 125 Scholarship. Just over

$20,000 has been raised to support the scholarship already and

with your help, we can provide the means to transform more

girls’ dreams into reality!

Please complete the form included in this publication and return today. Thank you

For more information, please contact Sarah Wilkinson on

03 983 3728 or s.wilkinson@rangiruru.school.nz

*The 125 Scholarship will be awarded to a Year 9 new entrant, who would be considered an All-Rounder and who exhibits strong values. It will contribute up to 50% fees for five years.

FROM THE DIRECTOR OF FUNDRAISING

Legacy Society - Save the DateFollowing the very special ‘Leave a Memory’ gathering

in March, we are delighted to confirm a second bequest

morning tea to be held on Tuesday 20 October, 2015.

For more information and to register your attendance,

please contact Rachel Vavasour on 03 983 3782 or email

r.vavasour@rangiruru.school.nz

The legacy you’ll join

125 Scholarship Appeal Rangi. For Life.

We all know of girls who would flourish in the Rangi environment, and who would value it just as many of you have done. But for some, to learn here is a distant dream.

Please complete the form included in the scholarship brochure to help make these dreams a reality.

34

CELEBRATING OUR COMMUNITY

The Extraordinary Things You Do

Anne Chamberlain 1974 WRITER, PERFORMER, PRODUCERAnne Chamberlain is touring the UK

with her EGLANTYNE show about

Eglantyne Jebb, an inspiring, courageous,

passionate, humanitarian, human rights

activist and founder of Save the Children.

From her idyllic Shropshire childhood,

Eglantyne went on to Oxford University,

social work in Cambridge, heartbreaks,

suffrage rallies, spiritualism, the Balkans,

arrest in Trafalgar Square and pioneering

children’s rights.

On 11 June 2015 EGLANTYNE, written

and performed by Anne, premiered at

the Theatre Severn in Shrewsbury to a

very appreciative audience including

Eglantyne’s great nephew Lionel Jebb.

EGLANTYNE is playing at Ludlow,

Hereford, Cambridge, Richmond

and at Eglantyne’s childhood home

near Ellesmere, Shropshire. Last year

EGLANTYNE launched in New Zealand

receiving high critical acclaim - “Written

with wit and buoyancy, delivered in fine

style,” Theatreview, Christchurch.

Visit www.eglantynetheshow.com for

more information.

Anthea Williams 1992 ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR – LITERARYAnthea’s passion is contemporary plays.

For the past four years she has been

living in Sydney and working at Belvoir

Street Theatre in Surry Hills. In her role,

she commissions and develops new

plays, helps programme the company’s

seasons and directs. Anthea’s last show Kill the Messenger was a hit. It was by

indigenous playwright Nakkiah Lui

and was about the long and short term

effects of institutionalised racism. Kill the Messenger was seen as a ground-

breaking piece and received excellent

reviews:“Kill the Messenger is an extraordinary

play in so many ways: poignant and

hilarious” Arts Hub

“The rigour, almost at the level of

ruthlessness, is thrilling. Playwright

Nakkiah Lui requires your attention and

she gets it, not with tricks and trimmings,

but with theatre’s most basic tools: a story

and actors to tell it in a way that excites the

emotions and demands immersion in its

ideas.” The Australian

Prior to working at Belvoir, Anthea

lived in London and was Associate

Director – Bushfutures at The Bush

Theatre. The Bush Theatre is the only

professional theatre company in London

which only does new plays.

Tessa Giblin 1992 VISUAL ART CURATORTessa Giblin is currently curating two

exhibitions – Riddle of the Burial Grounds

at Project Arts Centre in Dublin and

Hall of Half-Life for Steirischer Herbst,

Graz. Both exhibitions are based around

the concept of the forms and materials

needed to communicate about the peril

of radioactive waste being buried in

containment facilities deep within the

earth. It is the depth of time Tessa finds so

interesting for contemporary art. 240,000

years into the future is a far greater time

to contemplate than what we can account

for in the past. These ideas are set against

the lead up to the 2015 United Nations

Climate Change Conference in Paris

and the idea that we have entered a new

epoch of the planet – the Anthropocene.

This new era is defined by the significant

impact of humanity upon the planet.

Cathy Wilson (Flesher) 1979 BUSINESS OWNER

Being the co-owner with her husband,

Steve, of a business in post-quake

Christchurch, Cathy Wilson has had

both challenges and opportunities. The

SoYo concept was developed here in

Christchurch using local companies.

In consultation with their architect

and branding companies, they were

able to develop a look and feel for their

concept which was unique, innovative

and relevant to the needs of a changing

city. SoYo is not a franchise – it is a

recognised brand. Cathy is delighted

that the hard work and dedication has

resulted in SoYo winning both design and

architecture awards. The end result of

many sleepless nights is SoYo’s stunning

store on the corner of Riccarton Road

and Rotherham Street. It has become

plainly obvious that the customers

enjoy creating their own Frozen Yoghurt

choosing from ten different flavours

and over 40 toppings. The store has an

upstairs seating area with music and

videos featuring contemporary musical

styles, and free WiFi is available. Cathy

and Steve see SoYo as more than yummy,

it is a social meeting place where friends

and family can meet, socialise and have

a bit of fun.

35www.rangiruru.school.nz

Get the Best Out Of Your Travel5.00pm, Friday, 21 August 2015 | Te Koraha, Rangi Ruru | Drinks and Nibbles$10 / RROGA member & $15 / non-RROGA member

Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association

(RROGA) is delighted to present alumna and

travel guide guru, Helen Tait, as the speaker

for this year’s Annual RROGA Lecture. Using

her significant travel experience, Helen will

help you think about and choose the very

best travel options for you. Helen has been

guiding with several companies for many

years and has led tours in every continent

(except Antarctica – still on her bucket list!)

As well as being an active member of the RROGA committee,

Helen is the Secretary of ProGuides, the national tour guides’

organisation.

If you wish to attend please RSVP to Rachel Vavasour

r.vavasour@rangiruru.school.nz

Annual Leavers’ Ball7.00pm, Friday, 4 December 2015 | Airforce MuseumPre-Ball information session for Year 13 students held in Term 3 – date to be confirmed

Preparations for the Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association

(RROGA) 2015 Leavers’ Ball are well underway. The band is

booked, the food is ordered and the theming is being prepared.

Rumour has it that many Year 13s have booked their make-up

sessions, bought their shoes and confirmed their dress colour. It

is also rumour that a few thoughtful ones have got themselves a

holiday job to help pay for the extravaganza.

With the view to trying to keep it real and help inform

students, Jo Dodgshun, RROGA President, will speak with Year

13s about what to expect during the lead up to the event and on

the night. She will talk about the important things like ticketing,

seating, regulations relating to alcohol, The Presentation and,

most importantly, the pitfalls of wearing high-heels for the first

time. She will also endeavour to answer any questions students

may have.

RROGAAlumnae events and celebrations

RROGA

Helen Tait

2015 Reunions Save the Date

2015 REUNION6/7 November 2015

It is your School Reunion this year if you were in Form 3

in 1945, 1955, 1965, 1975, 1985, 1995.

The Reunion co-ordinators are:

1995 Rebecca Smith

rebeccasmith0881@gmail.com 021 827 990

1985 Kelli Scott

scott_kelli@hotmail.com 027 338 5599

1975 Hayley Stewart

hayleypstewart@yahoo.com 021 411 113

1965 Marg Box (Meares)

margbox@icloud.com 03 208 3483

1955 Ann Willis (Free)

john.annwillis@xtra.co.nz 0274 536 707

1945 Rachel Vavasour

r.vavasour@rangiruru.school.nz 03 983 3782

Keep in touch onlineThe Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association Newsletter is a great way to keep up-to-date with upcoming events and celebrating news of alumnae and current students, but are you aware of the other ways of communication the School and the Association are using? We encourage you to LIKE the recently launched Rangi Ruru Alumnae page on Facebook so that you can remain connected with Rangi family/whanau.

Useful links for Rangi Ruru Alumnae:https://www.facebook.com/RangiRuruAlumnaeLinkedIn – Rangi Ruru Girls’ School and the Rangi Ruru Professionals Club

Update your contact details with the school here:http://www.rangiruru.school.nz/our-community/ rangi-ruru-alumnae

36

RROGA

Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association held their

2015 Annual General Meeting Monday, 29

June. As part of business, the Committee

reviewed the immediate past year’s functions

and events, received the financial report and

heard a report from Principal, Ms Julie Moor

(TBC WHO). Welcome to Joanna Dodgshun as

the newly elected President. A light supper was

enjoyed followed by an informal tour of the

recently opened Performing Arts Building.

The Committee work very hard in

providing relevant and enjoyable events for

its members. If you have any ideas, wish to

become a member of the committee or wish to

help out with a specific event, please contact

Joanna Dodgshun dodgshun@es.co.nz. New

committee members and event volunteers are

always welcome.

Key Dates 20162016 Tournament Dates Confirmed:

Tennis Tournament: February – date to be confirmed

Bowls Tournament: February – date to be confirmed

Golf Tournament: Friday 18 March 2016

Bridge Tournament: Tuesday 24 May 2016.

Put the dates in your diary and get your leave applications in now.

Cathy Wilson Kendall Flutey Michelle Kelsen

Sarah Robinson Alexandra Nippard

AGM 2015

Year 13 BreakfastFriday, 22 May 2015 | Dining Room, Rangi Ruru

First held in 2014, this joyful event is now set to become

a tradition. Five alumnae, at varying stages in their careers,

118 eager senior students and a delicious breakfast, set the

scene for the 2015 Year 13 Breakfast. As the year stampedes

to its end, many Year 13 students are feeling very uncertain

about what path their careers might take or what tertiary

study to sign up for – there are a lot of worries which they

have to grapple with. From owning their own businesses to

continuing further studies, speakers Sarah Robinson (1994),

Michelle Kelsen (1992), Cathy Wilson (1979), Alexandra

Nippard (2005) and Kendall Flutey (2004), called on their

wealth of experiences, offering the audience advice, ideas,

suggestions, inspiration and guidance. The unofficial

themes of the addresses included Seize Opportunities,

Follow Your Dreams, You’ll Make Mistakes and Overcome

Setbacks. Judging by the number of girls in discussion with

the speakers at the end of the event, the addresses were

obviously timely and very relevant. Thanks are extended

to organiser Liz Lovell, caterer Jason and his team, and of

course the five stimulating young women who gave their

time.

37www.rangiruru.school.nz

RROGA

Golf TournamentFriday, 24 April 2015 | Coringa Golf Club, Christchurch

A field of 62 players, including past pupils, parents of

pupils and friends of the five combined schools – Rangi

Ruru, St Margaret’s, Columba, Craighead and St Hilda’s

– competed in healthy camaraderie in the 2015 Annual

Alumnae Golf Tournament.

It was a wonderful day, providing an opportunity to

catch up with old friends. It seemed to be enjoyed by all,

regardless of whether the golf was good or bad. If players

were not fortunate to win one of the BIG prizes, they had the

opportunity to pick up one of the many lovely, and sometimes

extravagant, raffle prizes.

This year we welcomed three new players – Ali

McQueen, Henrietta Hall and Jenny de Boar who completed

either the 18 hole or 9 hole competitions.

The winners of the Rangi Ruru 18-hole competition were:• The Armstrong Cup for Best Nett: Judith Hayton• The Betty Murray Cup for Best Gross: Denise Kenny• The Ellece Royds Salver for Best Stableford:

Alison Dominikovich• The Helen Kitson Putting Spoon:

Alison Dominikovich

A huge thank you to Jane Sullivan, Ann Hudson (who was

our scorer for this year’s tournament), Jocelyn McWhannell,

Alison Dominikovich and Steph Withell, for their hard

work and dedication, this year and past years. Also, thank

you to Juliet van Kuijk, President of St Margaret’s Old Girls

Committee, and her team, for hosting this year’s tournament.

A special thanks also goes to the ANZ Bank for providing

prizes for our cup winners.

Bridge TournamentNot many people understand Bridge; the rules are baffling! But

if you had walked into the Christchurch Bridge Club on Tuesday

26 May, you would have noticed a warm buzz in the room

– friends catching-up with hugs and much chatter. Don’t be

mistaken though, when the competition started the gloves were

off: pair against pair, school against school. With the morning

session complete, a delicious lunch was served by the amazing

committee members of the Rangi Ruru Old Girls’ Association

Committee with the trusty assistance of St Margaret’s Old Girls’

Committee members. The afternoon session went much like

the morning’s; serious, competitive and precise. Prizes awarded

and raffles drawn making the event an excellent day out.

Using the wise words of one of our older attendees, Yatala

Cunningham, the function was a “Sumptuous repast but now I

must fold my tent and creep stealthily away.”

Thank you to all the sponsors, particularly the Fitzroy of

Merivale.

Rachel Vavasour RROGA

Administrator

Congratulations Alison Dominikovich, Denise Kenny and Judith Hayton

Congratulations, North-South Winners Lynda Cameron 1965 (Hall) and Barry Smart

To express an interest in being involved in any of the annual tournaments

and competitions, please contact Rachel Vavasour, RROGA Administrator:

email r.vavasour@rangiruru.school.nz or telephone +64 3 983 3782.

To qualify you MUST have a Rangi Ruru Connection: past pupil, past/current

staff, parent of past or current pupils and friends of the School.

38

Community Relations CoordinatorTerm 2 is always the biggest term

for enrolments, and this year more than

ever Julie, Treena and I have crisscrossed

the South Island to talk with prospective

and current families. I must confess I

got totally lost on the way to the Hill-

Scott household – and was 30 minutes

in the wrong direction before I realised!

Lisa Hill-Scott, the consummate host

and problem solver, advised me to look

up her address on my phone, and then

follow the arrow. A trick of the trade I

always use overseas, but did not think to

use in the Canterbury hinterland! As well

as Methven, we have been to Blenheim,

Greta Valley and Wanaka; all very

convivial events.

In addition to our boarding outreach

events we have record numbers of

girls participating in Girls’ Night In

– a sleepover at the boarding house

followed by a morning at school. From all

accounts this is a wonderful experience

for the prospective boarders, and our

current boarders love being assigned as

their buddy.

However, girls can be a Rangi girl for

a whole day without being a boarder for

the night as well! Girls Day In takes place

in the school holidays, and is a one day

programme full of teaching and learning.

Our teaching staff are supportive of this

venture creating fun learning activities;

from Robotics to French, Art to Science.

In the Term 1 break we offered a GDI

for Year 8 students. Pictured on this

page are prospective Year 9 students

with their own robot creations, a

newly printed artwork, and hands-on

with bunnies. With twelve different

schools (Prebbleton, Kaiapoi, Selwyn

House, Cashmere, Tai Tapu, Singapore,

Marshlands, Sumner Primary, St Joseph’s

Papanui, St Martins, Clarkville, and

Hurunui College) in attendance it was

a fine representation of our usual 42

‘feeder’ schools.

Many of these girls are returning as

students in Year 9, and the remaining

girls have had fun, and I hope will let

others know what a great place Rangi

is to learn. This month we are hosting

a GDI for Year 6 girls looking at Year 7,

2016. Along with teachers of science,

music and art, two senior students

Felicity Prendergast and Eloise Crawford

are going to introduce the Year 6 girls to

our new dance studio, and take an hour

long dance session. Ellie and Flick are

the co-heads of Dance for Rangi in 2015,

and ably captain the three Rangi dance

companies. Who better to represent

Rangi to prospective students!

Lastly, a huge note of thanks to

Sue Allison author and ‘lead generator’

of Celebrating Our Community. Her

journalistic travels for Rangi Ruru have

taken her around New Zealand, to

New York, London, Uganda, Spain and

Kurdistan – and that was just the last

two years. During her tenure she has

interviewed and written about past

students and the wider Rangi family,

with a sense of humour and compassion;

these were human interest stories I enjoyed reading!

Amelia DavisCommunity

Relations

Coordinator

COMMUNITY RELATIONS COORDINATOR

3+ LeaversThursday, 2 July 2015 | The Gibson Centre, Rangi Ruru

The +3 Leavers event is an annual

gathering of the class who graduated

three years prior. The Class of 2008

(2012 Leavers) felt as though no time

had passed since they were all together.

In the short couple of years since this

group ruled the School, however, the

campus has changed significantly:

four new buildings have opened (The

Gibson Centre, The New Science, Mana

Wahine and the Performing Arts), three

old buildings have had new life breathed

into them (Te Koraha, Rangi Ruru

Museum and Gallery and the Art and

Technology building) and the field blocks

are in the process of being removed

altogether. Many of the leavers are still

in New Zealand, but only just. So this

event is a chance for the girls, and their

parents, to reconnect with their peers

before they embark on the next part of

their journey. Further study, work and

travel beckon these 20 year olds. So for

most this is their last Rangi hurrah until

their 20 year Reunion – in 2028 for these

Rangi girls!

Left to right: Karen & Shannon Smith, Tracey & Kate Sheridan, Carolyn & Lucy Oakley-Brown, Kim & Cara Crawford

We are extremely proud of what we do at

Rangi. We have wonderful partnerships

that occur between staff, children and

families and an amazing community

within the school. There are some

fundamental elements that motivate how

we plan for individual and group learning.

These can be summed up with some key

terms:

Respect for ourselves, each other and

the environment.

A trust in the child to be an initiator,

explorer and self-learner.

An environment that is physically safe,

cognitively challenging and emotionally

nurturing.

Time for uninterrupted play.

Freedom to explore and to interact

with others.

Recognising, acknowledging and

valuing emotions.

Involvement of the child in all care &

routine activities to allow the child to be

an active participant rather than a passive

recipient.

Sensitive observation of the child in

order to understand their needs.

Consistency, clearly defined limits and

expectations to develop self-regulation.

We recognise that children are

learning from us and through our every

word and action – about relationships,

empathy, generosity, gratitude, patience,

tolerance, kindness, honesty, respect,

self-worth and the joy of learning. Our

curriculum, Te Whāriki, helps to guide our

teaching practice and the strategies we

use with each child. The conversations

we have with our parents, and the trust

that they place in us, helps to guide the

learning that occurs for each child.

All these things play a collective part

in what happens here, ultimately though,

it is the children who are wonderfully

competent, curious, confident, attentive,

exploring, cooperative, secure, peaceful,

focused, self-initiated, resourceful,

involved, self-regulated, directed and

loving and actually set the direction for

the learning that occurs at Rangi.

Preschool News

The Parent Teacher Association at Rangi

Ruru was extremely sad to farewell and

give thanks to Michelle Staples (Past

President) and Jenny Rountree (Past

Treasurer) at this year’s Annual General

Meeting in March. Both of these women

have volunteered many hours to ensure

that the PTA was able to support the staff,

students and parent community at a range

of events, and to fundraise to continue

to be able to support school activities for

our daughters. Both Michelle and Jenny

will be greatly missed for their superb

professionalism, loyalty, and generosity of

time and effort.

We are pleased to welcome a new

President, Julie Calder, Vice President,

Jane Thomson and Treasurer, Mike Gooby.

We appreciate their willingness to take on

these important roles and thank Martine

Swann who continues in the key role of

Secretary.

As in other years, the PTA continues

to organise second-hand uniform sales,

provide support for key school events such

as Open Day, Learning Progress Interviews,

the New Entrant BBQ and Year 9 social

evenings. We also encourage parent

education evenings such as the Cyber

Safety evening in May.

The PTA meets monthly to plan a range

of fundraising activities throughout the

year so that we can help to support the staff

to provide equipment for students. Our

fundraising efforts mean that we can grant

extra sports, music and other curriculum

related equipment for the school as well

as provide funds for student travel for girls

who are selected to represent the school.

We have also presented more substantial

gifts such as the Orb sculpture on the

lawn by the Church, the water feature

outside the Gibson Centre, and the Maori

carving by Riki Manuel at the entrance

of the Mana Wahine building. There are

numerous other resources that we are able

to purchase thanks to support from our

parent community which means that our

daughters have the best of materials and

opportunities to support their learning at

Rangi Ruru.

News from the PTA

Share the joy of childhood46 Rhodes Street, MerivaleT:

03 983 3757

E:

preschool@rangiruru.ac.nzW:

www.preschool.rangiruru.ac.nz

We invite you and your child along for a visit, to familiarise yourself with our nurturing environment, welcoming community, wonderful teachers and fantastic educational programme.

• Rangi Ruru Preschool is a small community based centre for children aged 2 to 5 years

• Operating 8.15am – 4.30pm

• Located in the quiet and attractive grounds of Rangi Ruru Girls’ School

• Offering 20 Hours ECE

• 100% qualified and registered teachers

• Educational programme to meet the needs of your child

• Respectful and nurturing care.

Rangi Ruru Preschool

PTA NEWS / PRESCHOOL NEWS

2 www.winenzmagazine.co.nz

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