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NEWSLETTER FOR VILLA MARIA COLLEGE
Villa ’s French Connection
What does a World War II bomber pilot
from Christchurch, a small French Village
and a Villa Maria College student have in
common?
The link that has brought these three
things together is an intriguing School
for Young Writers French Exchange that
Villa Maria College Year 13 student, Sarah
MacDonald, has been awarded.
The exchange is in honour of a Christ-
church bomber pilot Flight-Lieutenant,
Noel Stokes, whose plane was attacked
by enemy fire on the night of July 29,
1944. Stokes ordered his crew to bail
out and heroically manoeuvred the
fiery Lancaster bomber to save it from
crashing into the French Village of Yèvres
(south of Chartres); in doing so he was
killed instantly.
Despite threats from the German
invaders, who ordered that the bodies
of Noel Stokes and rear gunner Norman
Wilding be buried in a hole in the ground,
local inhabitants risked their lives to give
the men a Christian burial.
It is an act of love that the small Village
has never forgotten and every year
since 1944, the village of Yèvres has
commemorated Noel Stokes’ sacrifice.
In 2005, the School for Young Writers
French Exchange was established and
volunteers set about securing funding for
a young New Zealander to represent New
Zealand at the ceremony in Yèvres every
October.
Funding is gratefully received from the
Federation of Graduate Women, the New
Zealand France Friendship Fund and the
Papanui RSA.
The selection process involved writing
an essay in French and an interview with
Madame Craw of Burnside High School
and the Director of the School for Young
Writers, Dr. Glyn Strange.
Sarah will travel to France for two weeks
where she will attend high school and be
hosted by a family in Châteaudun.
She will attend, and give a speech in
French, at the Yèvres ceremony, to be
followed by an official dinner, at which
she will be an honourable guest.
VILLA NEWS
Chora l Festiva l 2014
Once again the Villa Choral Festival filled the Hall with an infectious energy, plenty of loud music and rousing renditions of both religious
and everyday songs.
The Festival is also very competitive with Houses vying for the top slot. The 2014 Judge was the College’s Choral Director, Ravil Atlas.
He was impressed with the quality of performances and commented on the passion they displayed!
The winner of the coveted Choral Festival title for 2014 was:
MERCY HOUSE
Photo L to R:
Deborah Brosnahan
(Principal) Jean Chiron (HOF Languages)
Sarah MacDonald, Dr. Glyn Strange
(Director- School for Young Writers)
