St Andrew's College, Christchurch

Infobox NZ school
name = St. Andrew's College
badge =
motto = "Fides et Patria"
"My Faith and my Country"
type = Private, fully reg. (Years 1-13)
established = 1917
address = Papanui Road, Merivale, Christchurch
principal = Christine Leighton [cite web|url=http://www.stac.school.nz/main/board/|title=Board of Governors|accessdate=2007-11-03]
head_label = Rector
roll = 1325
decile = 10
MOE = 318
homepage = http://www.stac.school.nz

St. Andrew's College Christchurch, New Zealand is a private, co-educational school that enrolls from Pre School-Year 13. It was founded in 1917 and is the only independent, co-educational primary and secondary school in New Zealand's South Island. Although now a fully co-educational school, it was formerly an all-boys school. It became fully co-educational in 2000. St Andrew's, (known as StAC for short), is currently headed by Rector Christine Leighton.

StAC has three boarding houses for 165 boarders of years 7 to 13: MacGibbon (years 7 to 11) and Rutherford (years 11 to 13) for boys, and Thompson (years 7 to 13) for girls.

St Andrew's has a wide range of activities available to the students, including hockey, rugby, football, netball, fencing, canoe polo, stage band or jazz band, chess, theatre sports, debating, rowing, string ensemble, concert band, pipe band and many more. The pipe band is regarded as one of the best juvenile/college pipe bands in New Zealand, if not the best. The band is currently run by Richard Hawke (piping) Ian Steel (midsection) and Scott Mitchell (side section) with other tutors in the grade 4 band. The band won the aggregate, street march, juvenile, set and various other cups at the 2006 nationals. The pipe band has also won open C grade at the New Zealand Nationals [cite web|url=http://www.pipingfestival.co.uk/artists/view/39|title=St. Andrew's College Pipe Band|accessdate=2007-10-13] and received 3rd place in the Juvenile grade at the world championships in Glasgow earlier this year.

In addition to the Pipe Band, the St Andrew's College Stage Band has had great success over the past few years, particularly in the Southern Jam Youth Festival, which is held annually in Blenheim. The band first competed in 2003, winning the festival with the Best Big Band Award. In 2004 they were stripped of their victory but came back on top in 2005, winning the festival again, as well as picking up several awards for including Best Vocals and Best Drummer. In 2006, the band picked up 1st place, also gaining Best Bass and Drums. Thomas Eves won Best Trumpet and Best Musician. The Band has also recently recorded another album. It is also woth note that the St Andrew's College Concert Band was awarded a gold award at the Canterbury Schools Concert Band Competition (2007).

The Theatre Sports team is one of the most valued parts of the College, with the Senior Team coming 2nd in 2005 and 2006 at the Court Theatre Competition. After a narrow loss in 2005's Junior Court Theatre competition, the Junior team took out the title in 2006. The team's was also successful in 2007, coming second in a Court Theatre competition.

At the 2007 Junior Debating Press Cup Tournament held in Christchurch the St Andrew's College A & B teams came in with first and second placements. Numerous awards were presented to team members including best speaker awards and recommendations for the Canterbury Junior team.

One of the college's sporting highlights of the last few years was the winning of the Rankin Cup in 2001 and 2002. Since then the College has seen its boys' hockey 1st XI remain in the Rankin Cup and in 2006 the team won the local competition. The Rankin Cup victories of 2001/02 are considered as the College's greatest ever sporting achievements.

Notable Old Collegians

*Ben Blair
*John Britten
*Rod Donald
*Chris Harris (cricketer)
*Roy Kerr
*Alex Wyllie
*Phil Keoghan

External links

* [http://www.stac.school.nz/ St Andrew's official site]
* [http://www.ero.govt.nz/ero%5Creppub.nsf/Institution/B1E6E7484D42C86ACC256FC4001246C7/$File/318.htm?OpenElement Education Review Office report]
* [http://www.nzmuseums.co.nz/MuseumDetail.asp?MuseumID=258 Museum]

References