Wellesley College Newsletter # 11 www.wellesley.school.nz

The winning problem solving teams at the airport and the division winning team back at school with the trophy. These boys competed with the very best and came out champions. Well done! (full report on Page 3)

Dear Parents

A few Gala photos to start with (report Page 2). This is the penultimate newsletter of the year and as we know from past experience, life will start to speed up as we head towards Christmas. Some key dates to note on Page 2.

The middle photo shows the huge crowd coming in as the gates opened. Noah kissing the goat is classic! (photos B. Krippner + R. Hampton)

11 November 2013

FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S PEN Page 2

GALA The very good news is the Gala will net over $55,000!! This is a fabulous result and will add a real boost to our Hall fit-out. Our sponsors have been wonderful. Hopefully you have received the ‘Gala Wrap’ news which honours these generous people. The money raised for the school is very important, but what also delighted us was the wonderful teamwork from our parent community. Thank you again for supporting Wellesley. It is very motivating and humbling to see the energy, time and all-round generosity that goes in to supporting the boys.

A year ago I approached Phillipa Paviour-Smith asking her if would she consider being the lead convener for the Gala. I jokingly said I was asking by email just in case she punched me, as the job is so demanding, particularly without a hall (I forgot to mention that!!!) Phillipa very kindly took on the job. From the beginning she has been impressive and an inspiration as she led by example from start to finish. Julie Johnston, in her role as Assistant Gala Convener, has proved to be extremely capable and hardworking in support of the cause. Anders Waiker once again added the calm military precision in organising the ground set-up. So many people went ‘above and beyond’ the call of duty to make the 2013 Wellesley Gala one we will all remember. Special thanks to those families who have been regular lead conveners. The Gala has raised important funds for Wellesley but the experience goes way beyond money. The boys will never forget their childhood fun and excitement that the Wellesley galas bring. Thank you for providing those memories.

A full Gala report will come home today with this newsletter.

James with his purchase at the gala. Susan Henry and Chloe Bridgeman setting up.

Week 5 Monday November 11 Newsletter #11 Junior Book week starts

Week 6 Thursday November 21 Year 5 Speech Final (11.00am)

Thursday November 21 Leavers Parents’ Drinks (6.30pm)

Friday November 22 Year 4 Speech Final (11.00am)

Week 7 Tuesday November 25 Y4-8 Athletics (9.30-12.30pm)

Tuesday November 25 Y1-3 Athletics (2.00pm) TBC

Wednesday November 27 Athletics Postponement Day

Thursday November 28 Junior Fishing

Friday November 29 Year 6 Speech Finals 11.00am

Week 8 Monday December 2 Newsletter # 12

Thursday December 5 Year 5 Market Day 1st XI Father/Son Cricket

Friday December 6 Leavers’ Service St Albans (9.15am)

Friday December 6 Junior Prize Giving (11.00am)

Week 9 Monday December 9 Leavers’ Dinner Boat Shed (5.30pm for 6pm start)

Tuesday December 10 Year 8 Mother/Son Tennis 1.00pm

Thursday December 12 Junior School End of Year

Friday December 13 Y4-8 Prize Giving (9.15am for 9.30am start) at the Chilton Gym/Hall.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S PEN Page 3

Hamish Selby, Ross Mathieson, Steve Cooper, Bruce Stran and Paul Schon.

Old Boys

Margie Beattie (Development Manager) recently organised a meeting with some old boys residing in Auckland. We had an age range of old boys from about 18 to 84 meet us. Board members, Geof Shirtcliffe (Centenary Committee Chairman) and Matt Mallett (one of Matt’s roles is supporting Alumni Reconnection) also attended. I loved the evening as the vibe and enthusiasm of the old boys was palpable. Some of the stories were hilarious and make up the fabric of our history and culture. We are encouraging everyone to go to the Centenary website to enjoy the entries and possibly add commentary. The old boys who attended the evening were all keen to attend our Centenary next year. It is now less than a year to the big weekend of celebrations. You will hear plenty about this in coming months. If you haven't already, take a look at our Centenary website.

http://www.wellesley100.co.nz/

TOURNAMENT OF MINDS This year two Wellesley teams qualified to compete in the Australasian finals of the Tournament Of Minds competition, having won their respective divisions at the NZ finals; a Y7/8 team in the Maths/Engineering Division – Ciaran Sim, Tom McIntyre, Guy West, Kristian Kielland, Wills Griffiths and Josh Mallett, and a Y5/6 team in the Language Literature Division – Josh Kemp Whimp, Alex McKenna, Jacob Madigan, Dinuk Samarasinghe, William Chandler, Ned Lutyens and James McDonnell. The teams left for Canberra on Thursday 17

th October along with parents

Chris West, Julie Batchelor, Philippa Chandler, Audrey Madigan and Samanthi Samarasinghe. A late arrival and early start on the Friday made for some very tired boys. However, the Opening Ceremony, held at The Great Hall, Parliament House, was a special occasion and the opening address by former Governor General Sir William Deane was very well received, especially by the five NZ teams in attendance. Sir William made special mention of the NZ teams and emphasised the close ties that bind Australia and NZ. Following the opening ceremony the boys had lunch with the other 600 participants and then spent a few hours at Questacon – a hands-on science and technology centre. It is not until you attend an opening ceremony that you realise the

popularity of the TOM programme in Australia. Over 60 teams were present and there were 1800 teams involved in regional and State Finals throughout Australia prior to the Finals. An early night ensued as Saturday was the day of the competition. The teams all gathered at the very impressive Australian National University early on Saturday morning. There was an obvious air of nervous energy and excitement as the start time for the competition approached. At around 9.00am the teams were led off to their respective rooms for their 3 hour ‘lock down’. In the 3 hours the teams had to solve an ‘unseen’ problem, prepare a ten minute skit which would outline their solution to the problem, and make any costumes and/or props that would aid the presentation. The Y7/8 team also had to make a device as part of the Maths/Engineering challenge. After lunch the teams gathered in their respective presentation areas to present and to view all the teams’ solutions. The Y5/6 presentation was well received and showed much insight and maturity. The Y7/8 team were likewise well received, especially by the judges. One judge ended up in tears having laughed so much. The device the team made was far and away the best on show, so spirits and expectations were high. After the presentations we were transported to the Australian Institute of Sport for dinner and the awards ceremony. The venue was outstanding and each team was seated at their own table – the whole room looked very impressive and certainly added to the occasion. The Y5/6 team received a Spirit of Tournament Award; this is only ever awarded to two teams at the Finals and recognises the work and effort the teams put in to their solution. The Y7/8 team sat nervously as the two runner-up places were read out. It was with great delight

FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S PEN Page 4

that the boys heard that they had won first place. This was well deserved as their device and their performance were both outstanding. The boys found it difficult to contain their excitement and their win was very well received. An impromptu haka led by Wills Griffiths and a bus ride home with all five NZ teams singing and enjoying the occasion capped off an excellent evening. Steve Girvan

Year 3 2014

We have a ‘bulge’ in our 2014 Year 3 enrolments where we have had to look at the best way to meet the boys’ needs. We have kept our expectations around the provision of quality teaching and learning at the heart of our decision making. We have looked at creative ways of how to do this and after a lot of discussion we have decided to run two smaller classes for one year only. These boys of course, will transition to the two Year 4 classes in 2015. The Year 3 classes will have around 14-15 children in each class.

Staff News

I am delighted to announce that Carolyn Currington (above) is changing positions here at Wellesley to take up a one year position as our second Year 3 teacher. Carolyn was well known to us before she left her permanent teaching job at her old school earlier this year. She has been a senior teacher with leadership responsibilities and has taught across various year levels,

including Year 3. Carolyn is a highly regarded and respected teacher with strong skills across the curriculum and particularly in literacy and numeracy. She is a wonderful music teacher as well. Although the boys will have a home room, Carolyn and Alison Garland will team teach these two classes with the boys often being cross grouped for certain areas of the curriculum.

Bede, Liam, Jack and Charles showing their box cars off in assembly.

Year Group Speech Competition Finals

We have a number of these coming up (please see Page 2 for dates). You are all welcome to attend any of these Finals. It is a real pleasure to see the boys go through this process as they gain so much confidence by having to ‘front up’ and present a formal speech. The ability to speak confidently in both informal and formal situations is a great skill to embed at this young age. Right from age 5 the boys are supported to gain these skills. Each week, whether it is in class, in assembly or Chapel or in a range of other situations, we empower and provide meaningful opportunities for the boys to speak. It is very embedded in our school culture and visitors do comment on the level of confidence the boys display. Some boys are naturally more extrovert than others, but no matter how shy a boy is, it is a real joy to see them incrementally gain confidence

Senior Speech Competition

This year’s Senior Speech Competition had eight Finalists; four from Year 7 and four from Year 8. As usual, the job was a difficult one for this year’s adjudicator, Mary McCallum, a local author, poet, and blogger. The overall winner was Year 7 pupil Rahul Vijayasenan, with an entertaining speech entitled ‘How I Aspire to be a Cricket Star’. Second place went to Year 8 pupil Matthew Sutcliffe (Teenagers), and third place went to Ben Wilkins (Accidental Inventions). Other Finalists were Bede Brown (What to do when you are in Trouble with your Parents), Tim Campbell (India), Paul McDonald (The Wellesley Dance), Curtis Shaffer (Global Warning), and Theo Tresidder (The Basin Flyover-the Great Debate).

School Email

Are you receiving whole school emails? On average we send out one a week and if you wish to receive these and they are not arriving, please let the office know.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S PEN Page 5

Boys who have long left the school, visit and want to be part of the legacy of the school and its future. A Foundation brick costs $1200 and can be purchased at any stage, with monies going either to the building fund or scholarships and with staggered payments. The cut off date for the last bricks for 2013 to be ready for the final day of school is 22

nd November.

Please call Margie Beattie on 576 2274 or email margie@wellesley.school.nz if you wish to discuss.

Year 7’s George and Theo enjoying lunchtime. Zack (Y8) loves his cricket so it is frustrating watching with a broken arm.

West Coast Trip

The Year 7’s have headed off on the mighty week long, outdoor education West Coast trip. We wish them well.

Sports and PE

Athletics has been the main component of the PE sessions in the early part of the term. Boys have learnt a range of athletic disciplines and challenged themselves to get the highest standard or grade possible. The majority of Year 4 and 5 boys have compounded these skills in their sport afternoons as well. Some finals have taken place and others will take place in the next two weeks. The remainder will be decided on the Athletics day on Monday 25 November. The Year 4 to 8 classes start at 9.30am and aim to be finished by 12.30pm. These boys are required for afternoon classes and should have their PE gear with white Wellesley hat. The Juniors start at 2.00pm and can go home with their parents at 3.00pm. Parents and supporters are welcome to watch the Athletics but Year 4 to 8 parents are asked to stay on the outside of the track please! The weather has limited the amount of cricket, softball and tennis played recently. The Scots fixture was washed out which was disappointing for the large group of boys selected for this fixture. Wellesley sent a large team of boys to the Hutt Valley Primary Schools’ Tennis tournaments. Oliver Hall was a runner-up in the Year 6 and below section. Isaac Becroft carried on after his recent overseas success and won the Intermediate Open grade. Harry Hunter received a wild card entry to join Oliver and Isaac at the Central Region Primary Schools’ Tennis tournament held in Palmerston North last week. Three Middle school basketball teams along with one Senior team have continued playing in the Karori Leagues. A Senior touch team is entered in the local Hutt Park Friday night league.

Arts Report

At the end of the term, The Year 6 choir will be doing a Christmas concert at the Eastbourne Women’s club. They are delighted to host us and we are thrilled to be able to show off what our boys can do! The boys are practising hard for this. What stunning entertainment we had at the Gala. Having Fletcher Mills (old boy, X Factor finalist) perform on the verandah was a real treat. Marcus Millad performed a song to a backing track and Arlo Doak, Harry Summers and George Parker also sang. Unfortunately, they had forgotten their backing track so Fletcher kindly stood and accompanied them. Ruth Hooke

Nick (Y7) singing.

William (Y6) painting

Be part of the fabric and future of Wellesley As part of the regular giving programme at Wellesley, Foundation bricks in the inner quad are engraved with details of new boys to the school, boys leaving, and their family groups. Also sometimes Old

FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S PEN Page 6

They are coached by our GAP tutor, Jamie Paris. Wellesley selected another touch team in the Zone tournament last week. There are a wide range of sporting and outdoor activities taking place over the next few weeks. The Year 7 boys travel to the West Coast of the South Island. Year 8 boys experience a night tramp (midnight madness) in the surrounding Eastbourne bush and go Yachting at the Seaview Marina. The 1

st XI based cricket team travel to

play Nelson Prep School over three days. The school Tennis Championship Finals take place. The Middle School have boys competing at the Zone and Inter-Zone Athletics meets plus a cricket game with St Mark’s and possibly Scots. The Junior School try to catch the ‘big fish’ off the Days Bay wharf. Darren Houston.

The Christmas Tree is now in the foyer

Christmas is coming! It’s a time for excitement and happiness for most, but for some families it can be a time of hardship and stress. Let’s help to brighten Christmas for some of those children less fortunate than us. Would each boy please bring a present to put under the Wellesley College Christmas tree. The Salvation Army will give our gifts to children from needy families in Wellington. The gift can be new or preloved (in good condition) and wrapped, please, with a label attached stating age and gender of the child that the gift would be most suitable for.

Science

(left: Matt, Rufus, Luke and Henry loving their science)

Year 5 were engrossed in their science study on ‘Forces’. After learning about friction and gravity, the boys applied their knowledge and learning and were given the challenge of designing and construct-ing a car that travelled the furthest. Factors such as surface friction, size of the tyres and weight all had to be considered before they could begin building. Jo Hawthorne

Isaac with this cup after winning in Noumea 2nd XI cricket team practicing catching Old Boy Finn Tearney who is a

great mentor for Isaac

Jim, Xander, Ben and JT enjoying lunchtime tennis Alex doing triple jump Cameron in the nets

FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S PEN Page 7

Report Writing Our staff are busy in the process of writing the end of year reports. These reports should support what has been discussed at parent teacher interviews and thus provide ‘no surprises’. Healthy Eating Ideally the boys are bringing to school food that will sustain them throughout the day. Please avoid food such as sweets and chips etc.

There is plenty to celebrate in this newsletter!!! Lastly, I try to keep my blog up to date with topics parents might enjoy. (education issues, parenting etc). My latest entry is on Mindcraft. http://www.principalspenwellesley.blogspot.co.nz/

Best wishes Warren Owen Principal

http://www.wellesley100.co.nz/

For those who haven’t noticed the logo (above) or visited the centenary website, this is our new “centenary mark”, signifying the schools’ big birthday in 2014. It features a centenary website, outlining a programme of events for all, plus a place for old boys and friends to comment on their Wellesley memories and/ or register your interest.

Our School Hall project is coming along nicely and the boys certainly love watch-

ing the progress Our enviro group are meeting

regularly.

We had a special Chapel service led by Rev Ellie celebrating the ‘angels’ and their part in the Christmas story. Four boys dressed up in angel costumes and jumped off the wharf to herald this special celebration.

Raushan beside the wonderful Lego crea-tions made by the boys for the Gala com-petition.

Wellesley’s Got Talent On the last assembly of Term 3 the Finalists for the Wellesley’s got Talent competed for the honour of being named the top talent at Wellesley College for 2013. It was the culmination of four rounds of heats, fiercely contested during lunch hours, in the weeks leading up to the Finals. There were a number of talented contestants and after expert judging (by Steve Girvan, Kate Sinclair, Tim Parkes and Noah Woolf) it was decided to award Marcus Millad first place, George Eger-ton second place and Harry Summers and Arlo Harper third equal with Henry Burton-Wood. The competition was a Student Council initiative and was run by Xavier Aspell (Head of Student Council) and Oliver Fletcher (Deputy Head of Student Council) with technical assistance from Tom McIntyre. Michelle Norton

Joey (Y4) and Rowan (Y6) in Wellesley’s Got Talent! Marcus Millad Y8 was the overall winner.

FROM THE PRINCIPAL'S PEN Page 8

PUBLIC NOTICES

Please note that notices posted in this section of the Principal’s Pen have not necessarily been vetted by Wellesley College. We therefore advise that if you are interested in any of the services advertised that you check them out yourself.

Get Set Go Fun for 4 to 7 year olds - Sunday 24 November

Athletics Wellington is running a GET SET GO FESTI-VAL at Newtown Park on Sunday 24 November from 10am to 12pm for 4 to 7 year olds. The first 200 to reg-ister receive a free Get Set Go t-shirt on the day. It will be a fun morning of games and activities based around athletics but incorporating a range of all fundamental skills including running, throwing, kicking and strik-ing. Register via www.atheticshub.co.nz then Get Set Go Festival.

PASSIONATE ABOUT PARENTING? Our parenting helpline, supporting families with par-enting concerns, is looking for volunteer telephone support workers. To find out more about Parent Help and the training provided we invite you to an information session on: Saturday 30

th November 4-5.30pm or Wednesday

4th December 7-8.30pm at the Parent Help offices,

level 4, 173 Victoria Street, Wellington. Contact us on 04 8025767 or email us at ad-

min@parenthelp.org.nz

St James Petone Keas - Sea Scouts Places are available for boys and girls in years 1-3 to join our Kea Scouts Group in Petone. This is the first level before progressing to Cubs and then Scouts and beyond. We meet every Monday evening during term time from 5-6pm at the Sea Scouts den by the river mouth. Lots of outdoor activities, educational out-ings/visitors, challenge and award badges, team work and games. Children are welcome to come along for a session or two to see if they like it before joining. Please contact Kate if you are interested in your child coming along. Web site: https://sites.google.com/a/stjames.seascouts.org.nz/keas/ katemcgoo@yahoo.co.nz or text or phone 0277 33 9280 / 566 2004

Celia Lashlie - LIVE Celia Lashlie is coming to the Upper Hutt City Library to speak on December 10, 2013 at 7pm. Celia is the author of “Growing Gorgeous Boys into Good Men” and com-pleted the Good Man Project, which provided significant insight into the minds of teenage boys and what they are feeling at this period in their lives. In the years since completing this programme, Celia has continued to work with mothers as they wrestle with the challenges of par-enting their adolescent sons. Tickets cost $20 and book-ings are essential. Please either purchase your ticket from the Upper Hutt City Library or contact Erica Herron on 527 2171 (email erica.herron@uhcc.govt.nz) by Fri, December 6th