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Regulus
Leadership and Governance
7
Rachel Wilford (Specialist Music Teacher) and
Alvin Andrew (Head of History).
Chris Atkinson
–Year 13 Dean,TeWaka Co-lead
and Co-ordinator, and Athletics
Co-ordinator
Chris leaves the College after deciding
to take some of his own advice.
“I always tell my students that it’s
outside your comfort zone where the
magic happens,” he says. So to keep
challenging himself and keep growing,
he’s accepted a position as Deputy
Principal of Opotiki College in the
Eastern Bay of Plenty.
Starting in 2010 at St Andrew’s as the
Year 9 Dean and a Science teacher,
Chris says the highlight of his time
at the College has been to take 200
students from their first day at Senior
School as Year 9 students through
to the end of Year 13. “It’s quite
remarkable to see the five year period
of growth and transition,” he says.
Another standout moment for
Chris was getting all this year’s
Year 10 students up at 5.00am so
they could walk to the top of the Port
Hills to welcome the dawn as part
of the Te Waka programme. Chris
was instrumental in developing the
Te Waka programme through his
passion for pastoral care. Two trips
to Cambodia with the school’s Social
Studies and Community Service
groups were also unforgettable
experiences.
Chris has been heavily involved
in sport at the College, including
coaching rugby and co-ordinating
athletics. He says sport is one of the
best ways to really get to know the
students, and he hopes to stay involved
with coaching athletics and rugby in
his new role.
RachelWilford
– Specialist Music Teacher
After nearly 18 years at St Andrew’s,
Rachel Wilford’s passion for music has
helped grow the Preparatory School
Music Department to include chamber
groups, two choirs, xylophone and
ukulele classes and ensemble. At least
60 children are taking specialist Music
lessons, another 60 are in the choir
and a further 25 are in the orchestra.
Rachel believes music can be
integrated into every subject and has
loved working with the Preparatory
School teachers to try and create
musical programmes that align with
the subject they are teaching, whether
it’s the time tables or reading.
With a professional singing career
stretching back to 1994 when she
was a cast member in a production
of
Les Misérables
and 1998 when
she performed the role of Maria in
West Side Story
, Rachel has sung
professionally in a wide range of
genres including opera, musical
theatre, the stage and concert
platforms. She is a member of the
Southern Opera Chorus and is a
regular soloist at their recitals. Rachel
is moving to St Margaret’s College in a
role with their chorale.
We also farewell a number of other
teachers who leave at the end of
this year:
Lisa Hayes
(Head of Middle School
Mathematics) leaves to take up a post
at Napier Girls’ High next year.
Hayden
Shaw
(Year 7 teacher and Head of
Sport) is moving to Waihi to a Year 7
teaching position.
Christina Fitzgerald
(Year 8) plans to spend more time with
her daughter before she starts school
and
Jane Egden
(Year 3) will be on
maternity leave next year.