Nelson College News

Friday, 26 June 2020

Kia ora tātou, We’re now at the end of Week 11 of Term 2, and staff and students are starting to show the effects of a long term. With one more week to go, the holidays will be a welcome chance for everyone to recharge.

For parents of senior students, the holidays are an ideal time to have a conversation with your son about his wellbeing and his progress towards NCEA.

One way to start that conversation is to ask how school is going on a scale of 1-10 ... 10 being “awesome!”. Then you can discuss why he chose that number, what’s going well and what’s not going so well.

With regard to NCEA, questions to ask include:

• how many credits do you have towards NCEA already?

• how many more credits do you need to get to achieve NCEA or gain endorsement this year?

• which subjects do you feel most confident to get those credits it?

• do you know when your next internal assessments are?

• how can I help?

It’s now been a month since I started at the college and I’m impressed by the calibre of our (your) young men. They’re decent, friendly, intelligent young men who want to get the most out of life.

Next term I hope to start meeting parents and listening to your aspirations and concerns. This starts on Monday when I speak at the PTA meeting. This will be my first chance to introduce myself to the wider community and respond to your questions. I hope to see you there.

Finally, thanks for your support around hoodies and socks. There’s been a marked improvement in school uniform. This is great to see and reflects the pride that our young men have for their college. They’ve been reminded that they’re not to wear hoodies to, at or from school. We’ve given out three jackets to young men who need them. If you know someone in a similar situation, please contact me or one of the Deans and we’ll follow that up.

Hopefully I’ll see you on Monday evening. Otherwise enjoy a well-earned rest over the school holidays.

Ka kite

Richard Dykes Headmaster

Upcoming Events:

June

27 1st XV vs Roncalli Combined (11am NC front field)

29 PTA Meeting & AGM (6.30pm in the Staffroom)

30 Winter Celebration Music Concert (6pm at Nelson Cathedral)

July

1 Formal Assembly – Academic Colours

Preparatory School Information Evening (6pm Assembly Hall)

2 Junior Mid-year reports available on Parent Portal

3 Last Day Term 2

4 1st XV vs St Bedes in Chch

10 1st XV vs St Thomas in Nelson

20 First Day Term 3

Full Calendar

Contacts 03 548 3099 | excellence@nelsoncollege.school.nz | www.nelsoncollege.school.nz

Welcoming our kōruru

Koruru were traditionally named and based on important tupuna or

ancestors from a tribe’s history but in this case, our Koruru depicts our

school motto of Honesty Loyalty and Wisdom. The Koruru’s function is

to guide and assist us in our lives and our journey to a life of honesty

and loyalty leading to wisdom. They were usually carved to look

wrathful or angry in order to scare away negative forces. The colours

represent Nelson College and the patterns that are carved throughout

the Koruru represent styles of learning, experiences and continuity

towards all of our evolving futures.

This piece was carved by James Rickard who is Tohunga Whakairo

(master carver) at Te Puia, the Whakarewarewa carving school in

Rotorua, he is one of the premier carvers in the country with 52 years of experience. He is of Ngati Koata descent

so has close ties to the Top of the South region.

Te Whare Runanga were usually named after an important ancestor in an Iwi’s history, in our case we have called

our whare Te Ara Poutama which basically means a journey or stairway to knowledge.

Sports

BASKETBALL – COLLEGE COMPETITION

With over 200 boys playing basketball we are so happy the season can begin.

The Tuesday night men’s club competition has begun. Our Senior A team play in the Premier Division and we have

two teams in the B grade. On Wednesday night we have 10 teams playing in the College Competition at Saxton

Stadium and 12 teams playing in our gym at a more social level.

Players: please ensure you are wearing your mouth guard and for those at Saxton Stadium, please ensure you

always do your duty. There is plenty of basketball happening, so get on out and support the teams.

BASKETBALL – SENIOR A

What a great way to start the year for our Senior A Boys. The gym was packed with supporters who cheered on

our boys to a 83-69 win over Waimea College. It was a great atmosphere and a great game. Thanks to everyone

who came out and watched. Thanks to Mr Dykes for the great photos.

With South Island Secondary Schools Basketball being cancelled, we are waiting to find out how we qualify for

Nationals. This is now a regional qualifier and will be awesome to watch. Keep a look out for the details which will

be out soon.

Contacts 03 548 3099 | excellence@nelsoncollege.school.nz | www.nelsoncollege.school.nz

RUGBY

Nelson College has had an increase in playing numbers with two new teams this year. We are fielding three U14,

two U15, two U16, one U18 team and the 2nd XV. The 2nd XV is an especially enticing unit as they have a solid mid-

week programme throughout Term 3 to allow our development players meaningful fixtures that are not available

in the local U18 competition.

Most teams have pre-season matches over the next couple of weeks and the Tasman Competition begins in

earnest next term.

1st XV

The 1st XV begun their UC Championship defence in

emphatic fashion against a hapless Mid Canterbury

Combined team at College Main on Saturday. Our team

contained only six returners from 2019 and understandably

took a bit of time getting into their rhythm. Once they

found it however, it was business as usual as Nelson

romped in for a 13 try victory and a 75-3 final score line.

Next up is Roncalli Combined at Nelson College again on

Saturday at 11:00am, which is followed by a tough road trip

to Christchurch to take on three-time champions, St. Bedes

College.

New Post Pads from the Old Boys

The Nelson College Old Boys' Association made a special donation to Nelson

College Rugby to enable them to purchase new goal post pads and sideline

flags – just in time for the start of the new season. Old Boy Chris Harvey (1965-

69, and captain of the 1969 1st XV) is pictured here with members of the 1st XV

Squad: Luc Waterman-Thomas, Ollie Inch, Ethan Burt and Reegan Lawton.

Sports Office Snippets

We are busy sorting out all the teams for winter sport. It is so exciting to be back out there. If your son wants to

play winter sport and is not yet in a team, please contact the Sports Office se@nelsoncollege.school.nz

Our 1xt XI Footballers have had a tough start to the season with two very close losses.

Hockey started this week and our boys lost Game 1 against a tough Tasman side.

Nelson College gear available!

Each year our Sports Department put out a range of Nelson College gear, with

part of the money going to the Sports Hardship Fund.

This year there are three ranges. Orders close 30 June.

- Sport – essential for every athlete - NC – essential for being on-brand - Heritage – essential for anyone who loves our College

Contacts 03 548 3099 | excellence@nelsoncollege.school.nz | www.nelsoncollege.school.nz

Farewell Mr Paul Werner, Fix-It Man Extraordinaire

We wished Paul Werner all the best for his retirement on Wednesday 24 June. Paul was our school tradesman and was a highly valued member of our staff. He was able to turn his hand to fixing almost anything and given the nature of boys, sometimes he had to fix some things many times! Paul was constantly positive and willing, engaging always with staff and students. He added to his many skills by joining other staff in learning Te Reo Maori. During his time here. Paul has gone happily into retirement with a huge list of things to do, we wish

him all the very best with this new stage in his life. Thanks for your tireless hard

work.

Year 12 and 13 Business Studies

Year 12 and 13 Business students are learning new entrepreneurial skills to make and bring new innovative and

community minded products to market. Below is one of the projects that they are working on, plus the

opportunity for you to experience and buy some of these high quality items.

ERIE Kiwi Herbs and Spices is a Student-Owned business aiming to bring a unique, New

Zealand twist, to your meals. Our first product, Sweet & Smokey BBQ Seasoning is inspired by

the unique taste of Kansas City Barbeque, but comes with a blast of Native New Zealand

Horopito. Our sweet & smokey BBQ Seasoning is perfect on Red Meat, Chicken and Roast

Vegetables, enhancing the flavour of your meals, peppering with a zest of natural Kiwi spice.

The key to ERIE's great flavour is the native Horopito (Pseudowintera colorata), also known as the New Zealand

Bush Pepper. Since before the arrival of the first European settlers in Aotearoa, Māori used Horopito as a natural

remedy, preventing fungal infections, treating tooth and stomach ache and healing wounds. Early Settlers

adopted the use of this versatile plant and it soon became known as the " Māori Painkiller".

Our product is proudly made in Whakatū Nelson using local and imported ingredients.

At only $5 per bag please enquire at erie.herbs.spices@gmail.com

Contacts 03 548 3099 | excellence@nelsoncollege.school.nz | www.nelsoncollege.school.nz

Student Achievements

Special mention to recent student Alistair King (NCOB 2012-16) who was on TV1 Seven Sharp last week with his business, Nood Pet Food, which is now selling in Canada, Australia and NZ. Alistair’s business skills were nurtured in our Commerce Department, and it’s exciting to see him doing so well. Watch the TV1 story here.

A Grand New Baby

We are incredibly fortunate in have been gifted a Baby Grand Piano by Gus Roxburgh, a Nelson College Old Boy (1977-83). The piano belonged to Gus’ mother, Dame Alison Roxburgh, a women’s rights advocate and community leader. Gus learnt the piano when he was a student at the College and feels this is its “poetic home”.

We called in piano tuner Neville Claughton, who knows the piano well and confirmed its vintage as 1930 (from the serial number on the piano). The piano is in excellent condition with a lovely tone, and has a new permanent home in the Music Department. We know it’ll be a huge benefit to many students.

Contacts 03 548 3099 | excellence@nelsoncollege.school.nz | www.nelsoncollege.school.nz

Maths Challenge!

Each newsletter, our Maths Dept will set a challenge:

In a classroom, desks are arranged in a grid. Each row has the same number of desks. Oliver’s desk is second from the front and third from the back. He has two desks to his left and four to his right. How many desks are there?

Answer at the bottom of the newsletter…

Media Studies

Last week, Y11 English were lucky to have a Zoom interview with award-winning

NZ director, James Napier Robertson. He talked about his film, The Dark Horse,

which is being studied in class. This was a hugely valuable experience, as James

spoke about what it is like being a writer and director in New Zealand, and how

he went about shooting the film. We asked him questions about the characters,

setting and themes in the film. Next time, we hope he will come and visit us in

Nelson!

Ms Christina Naughton, Year 11 English

Nelson College Environmental Committee

The Nelson College Environmental Committee recently started clearing a new plot for revegetating in native trees

up the back of the college. The boys turned up on a Sunday morning and removed two large piles of blackberry,

Tradescantia and old man’s beard. This area will be planted in natives grown in the school nursery and from

seedlings donated by Nelson City Council with the idea of providing better habitat for our endemic species.

In that light one of the members of the committee brought in our first stick insect for breeding. This individual

belongs to the Acanthoxyla genus. This group of stick insects reproduces asexually by parthenogenesis. This

means there are only females in each species, and they lay eggs that are genetic clones of themselves. The

committee’s pet stick insect has been named Stephanie and she has produced a dozen eggs so far. Students are

incubating the eggs so they can release the hatched offspring on the college grounds. If anybody finds a stick

insect in their garden, the Environmental Committee would like some more individuals to breed up and release.

Stick insects can be brought into the front office in an ice cream container (with holes punched in the lid)

addressed to Johnnie Fraser HOF Science.

Johnnie Fraser,

HOF Science,

HOD Biology

Contacts 03 548 3099 | excellence@nelsoncollege.school.nz | www.nelsoncollege.school.nz

Social Studies

This week, Y12 History students had a chance to sit and chat with four New Zealand Vietnam War veterans:

Neville Menins, Barry Pont, Ralph Urwin and Peter McKenzie. Ralph and Peter are Old Boys of the College and

Barry was a cadet instructor at Nelson College for a time. The boys asked questions about the veterans’ time in

Vietnam and the ongoing significance the war has played in their lives. It was a great experience for the boys

receiving a first-hand account of such an important part of New Zealand History. A big thanks to the veterans for

taking the time to come and speak with us.

Dave van der Velden, Assistant HOD Social Studies, Teacher in Charge of History, Kahurangi Housemaster

Fun in Year 9 Science

In the last couple of weeks, junior science classes have been investigating aspects of energy, from heat to light

and sound. The photos show Phun investigating the effect heat has on metals and their expansion. With eager

anticipation, finally it was dissection day. Charlie, Jay, Robbie, Cam and Teina were involved in the dissection of a

pig’s eyeball, looking at the structures and functions of each part while also honing their dissecting skills. This

certainly proved a challenge for some students but overall was enjoyed by many. This is just a taste of the

learning going on in Junior Science at the moment.

Contacts 03 548 3099 | excellence@nelsoncollege.school.nz | www.nelsoncollege.school.nz

Nelson College Prep

Diversity Day

This year’s Diversity Day is on Friday 11 September – stay tuned for more updates. Ms Emma Gillyon, Diversity Day Coordinator

Contacts 03 548 3099 | excellence@nelsoncollege.school.nz | www.nelsoncollege.school.nz

Careers Hub

Last week was the Virtual Careers Expo – boys had the opportunity to be guided through the Expo or explore it in

their own time out of school hours. While it did not generate the same kind of energy as a real-life event, the

boys who attended found it useful to have the time to explore the variety of options on offer.

CPO Roy Wattie, the Defence Forces Liaison Officer, was also here last week - splendidly attired! He spent some

time with our boys who are currently in the process of applying for the Defence Forces and he also delivered an

introductory talk to a group of boys who are interested in finding out about the opportunities the Defence Forces

offer. We plan to have him back again soon, so please email me if your son might be interested in attending one

of his talks.

The Otago Law seminar was this year held by Zoom. This seminar was run by the Dean of the Otago Law faculty

and gave our boys an overall insight into what to expect if you want to study law, as well as different career

pathways that past graduates have taken with their LLB.

We also love hosting guest speakers, employers or industry representatives in our Careers classes. Last week we

had Jonny Benbow from Nayland Scaffolding talk about the career pathways and apprenticeships available in the

scaffolding industry and this week we had a Mortgage Broker explaining some concepts around mortgages,

interest rates and KiwiSaver to our boys. If you fancy the opportunity to come and talk with our students about

what you do – we would love to hear from you – email me on vh@nelsoncollege.school.nz

For our Gateway boys we are right in the thick of organising the work experience element of the programme for

them. Each Gateway student is required to complete a minimum of 10 voluntary working days in a workplace as

a condition of our funding for this programme. We have placed boys in a variety of workplaces including with

Electricians, Heavy Diesel Mechanics, DOC, Barbers, Builders, Fabricators, on a Deer Farm and in Hotel

Management. We are still looking to find placements for students in the industries of IT, Fashion Design,

Aquaculture and in the Youth Aid Sector – if you have any contacts that may be able to help us please contact

Chris Phillips on pl@nelsoncollege.school.nz Thanks!

All students are welcome to make use of us in the Careers Hub, so please feel free to encourage your son to make

contact with me if he wishes to on vh@nelsoncollege.school.nz

Careers Events coming up:

• Monday 29th June: Waikato University lunchtime session. This is the first time a Waikato Liaison Advisor has visited us – and even more exciting it will be in person!

• Friday 3rd July: Police Liaison visit - a great opportunity to explore what a career as a police officer might involve

Vikki Heays, HOD Careers, Careers Advisor, Teacher Gateway & Careers

Contacts 03 548 3099 | excellence@nelsoncollege.school.nz | www.nelsoncollege.school.nz

Nelson College Class and Team Photos

This year’s photo were taken by Mr Kevin Burgess from Optexphotography. Parents can keep up to date with

orders and news via the Optexphotography Facebook page (rather than calling the school).

https://www.facebook.com/optexphotography

Formal Assembly to Recognise Achievement - Wednesday 1st July 2020

Achievement of: NCEA L1 One with Excellence NCEA L2 with Merit NCEA L3 with Excellence Students will be recognised at a formal assembly on Wednesday, 1st July 2020. Parents and caregivers of Academic Colours recipients are welcome to attend and will have received an email invitation. Please meet in the Crush Hall at 11.10 am and you will be escorted to reserved seating. Assembly will be approximately 40 minutes long. Please encourage your son to wear formal uniform, or come as tidy as possible. We look forward to your attendance.

Uniform Shop

Opening Hours – Term Time Only

• Tuesday: 1.30pm – 4.30pm

• Thursday: 1.30pm – 4.30pm

Maths Challenge answer… there are 28 desks!