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From
Board
the
The end of the year always seems an
appropriate time to recap on our progress
and achievements of the last 12 months.
It has once again been a busy time at the
College, and a year in which the face of the
school has changed. The new Counselling
Centre has been completed and the Pipe Band
has finally moved into new rooms in a large
complex shared with Outdoor Education and
the College grounds crew. A new implement
shed and vans compound will complete the
project and tidy up the College’s back door.
There is a large hole covering half of the
former Wilson’s Field and the area beneath the
demolished Erwin House. As much as we may
have wanted to preserve this 92-year-old piece
of College history, we just couldn’t. In its place
however will stand the future, the first stage of
our new Sports and Cultural Centre, or Gym 2.
Nearer the front door, there is a grassy gap where
the Memorial Chapel graced the College for
almost 60 years. The tranquil riverbank setting
will soon be transformed by ground remediation
before the foundation construction gets underway.
Provided there are few geotechnical surprises
we will be on track to have the magnificent
new Chapel completed by mid-2016.
I wish to thank Mark Stewart, Bryan
Pearson and the St Andrew’s College
Development Office for the innovative and
enthusiastic work they are undertaking to
raise $6 million for the Chapel rebuild.
The total Chapel project, including a new bridge,
fit-out and landscaping, comes with an estimated
budget of nearly $10 million. The College will
top up the fund with the full insurance proceeds
of $1.5 million, and by the Board allocating an
additional $2.5 million out of capital reserves.
It’s heart-warming to see our current students,
their parents and the Old Collegians community
committing to the project by submitting their
money boxes, buying bricks, and solving
Christmas gift worries through buying the
Recipes from the Tartan Kitchen
cookbook.
The investment in our IT infrastructure ahead
of 1:1 Computing starting this year has proven
an astute decision. With nearly a trillion bytes of
data flowing through the system every 24 hours,
our systems are robust and up to the task.
Embracing new technologies and the
opportunities that abound in 21st century
pedagogy can be a daunting challenge. Change
is always hard and I applaud the efforts of the
teaching staff who have embraced concepts like
Skype interviews with experts in other parts of
the world. Our teachers continue to raise the
bar in our classrooms as they take risks with
ideas. I commend the teaching executive team
who encourage and support them to do so.
We bid a thankful farewell to three of our
retiring Board members, Jay Scanlon,
Jan Barrow and Judge Mike Crosbie,
completing the transitions for the year.
All have given generously of their governance
skills, enthusiasm, expertise, time and
energy. They brought a period of stability to
the Board and have made a big difference to
the planning and outcomes evident about the
College over recent years. I would like to thank
them most sincerely for all of their efforts.
We welcome three new members to the
Board. Chris Janett, Rob Hall and Richard
Holyoake were appointed following the staff
and parent nominations process adopted
several years ago. In addition we welcome
Deidre Ryley as an independent member
of the Board Finance Sub-committee.
St Andrew’s would not enjoy the good reputation
and full roll position of today, were it not for
the efforts of our community of students, staff,
parents and Old Collegians. Our capable and
experienced executive management team
continue to do an incredible job to keep the
school functioning, striving to continuously
improve upon business as usual, so that our
students can consistently perform at their best.
St Andrew’s College ends the year in excellent
shape and I have complete confidence in
the long-term future of the school.
Garry Moore
Board Chair