THE BulletinAPRIL 2013 The Magazine of the Nelson College Community 1 From the Acting Headmaster – Mr Tim Tucker The staff and students of the school have been busy in recent months. Even more gratifying is that the industry has been rewarded with many many fantastic results. It remains that the provision of high quality courses and the best possible education for our boys are our greatest priorities. The opening of the Gibbons Trade Education Centre is one example of the Old Boys, Community and College working together to provide the best for our boys. The Centre is a modern purpose-built facility which is providing students with the highest quality preparation for a career in their chosen trades area. I would like to acknowledge all the sponsors and supporters of this project but especially the Gibbons family. The family was personally involved in the project at all stages and willingly gave considerable time and resources to ensure the highest quality results. The Education Review Office visited the school in August 2012 to assess the quality of teaching and learning occurring at Nelson College. The ERO visit involves a great deal of investigative work from their team and extensive review of our courses and policies. Nelson College is one of only 15% of schools nationwide to receive the highest grade of review. The grade of review is measured by the length of time until the next visit – ours will be five years! Perhaps most importantly it is reassurance from the highest level that we are delivering high quality learning in a positive and motivating environment or as ERO put it, "students are highly engaged in learning" ... further evidence of the College's effective strategies to engage all students in learning and the life of the school. The words of ERO were reinforced by excellent NCEA results. These results continue a trend of steady improvement and have the shared strengths of a high level of participation as well as excellence. To identify a very few highlights, 88% of Year 11 students gained Level One, 84% of Year 12 gained Level Two and 78% of Year 13 gained Level Three. All of these were well above the national average. The boys at all three levels gained a greater percentage of Merit and Excellence grades, in some cases outperforming the average for boys in decile ten schools. We gained 24 scholarships which is the most for a very long time. This number of scholarships puts Nelson College among the top performing schools in New Zealand. Such meritorious academic achievement has been matched by the co-curricular programmes too. Boys at Nelson College were awarded 56 board of trustees medallions. These are awarded to students who gain National Representative honours or attain a national title. Boys have been selected to represent New Zealand in Softball, Volleyball, Basketball, and Shakespeare and have won titles in Rowing, Rockquest to name a few. The full list of achievements is reported later in this magazine. A busy year has passed with another one in progress. Many wonderful achievements have occurred already with medals gained at rowing’s Maadi Cup, a second place for the Softball team and third place for the Volleyballers in the top division national competitions. We also look forward to hosting the Quadrangular Tournament this year in late July. Thank you for your interest in a special school. Tim Tucker – Acting Headmaster Nelson College 2012/2013 Headmaster Mr Gary O’Shea Board of Trustees 2013 Deputy Head Chair Mr Dennis Christian and Acting Head T1 2013 Mr Tim Tucker Deputy Chair Mr Jo Rainey Assistant Principal Mr Ron Kelly Members Mr Warren Westenra Assistant Principal Ms Annette Taylor Co-opted Mrs Carolyn Mihaere (Boarding and International) Mr Max Spence Assistant Principal Mr John Prestidge Staff Rep Mr Harvey Proctor Assistant Principal Mr Brian Hore Student Rep Costa Simpson Head Boy 2012 Hamish Mellor Headmaster Mr Gary O'Shea Head Boy 2013 Jacob Bignell Secretary Mrs Sandra Gargiulo Maori Head Boy 2013 Maru Kenny College Roll: 1111 students including 177 boarders, 54 international students International Head Boy 2013 Tissanin Nipattasat from 12 countries and 106 in Preparatory School. 2 From the Acting Headmaster 13 Nelson College Trust Foundation Report on the year at Nelson College News on the Nelson College Trust Foundation and its initiatives 3-5 Nelson College Stories and photos on the year at Nelson College 14 School Days – The Way We Were The Nelson College Museum 6 Old Boys’ News 15 2011/12/13 Obituaries 7-8 Good Sports Rest in Peace to all those News and photos on Old Boys achieving in a who have passed on. variety of sports 16 A Living History 9-12 Old Boys’ News Mr Scobie McKenzie CONTENTS Out and About with news from Old Boys, visitors, Cover image: Donate A Rose Project Julian Matthews (2002-06) first books, honours > www.nelsoncollege.school.nz to cross the finish line at the Friar 5K road race in Provi- To notify a change of address, to contact The Bulletin or to submit a story idea email [email protected] or phone 03 548 3099 dence, USA. Photo courtesy of Editors: Gina Fletcher and Sue Moir. The Bulletin is published by Anchor Print, Nelson Ashley McCabe, USA. SS Photo Courtesy of Shuttersport NM Photo courtesy of The Nelson Mail 2 NELSON COLLEGE PTA College News Nelson College PTA has a devoted, enthusiastic and hard-working committee and members who regularly attend monthly meetings. Their core function is to College Dux 2012 communicate with the teachers about the activities Ed Palmer was announced Dux and awarded the Colin Neale of the College and the teacher representative, Deputy Memorial Trophy and Medallion at the Nelson College Senior Principal, Tim Tucker, provides a thorough report at Prizegiving in 2012. every meeting, inviting questions and discussion. The Year 13 student received awards for top class marks, academic scholarships, a medallion for national achievements and scholarships The PTA oversees two major funding sources; the first to two New Zealand universities. He has accepted the prestigious is the Uniform Shop which is administered by the PTA. Otago Excellence Scholarship which is given out to only 20 students Last year we were saddened by the death of Jill Heath NM throughout New Zealand and he plans to study medicine. who ably ran the Uniform Shop for many years. The Aside from his academic achievements, Ed is also a keen runner and involved with music, though second funding source is the Annual Quiz Fundraiser said he definitely still found time to have a social life. “You’ve got to keep a balance.” which was held on August 10, 2012. The Quiz Night Additionally Ed also played the double bass for the three-piece band, New Vinyl, which won the was a fantastic success and approximately $12,400 national Smokefreerockquest competition in 2012. was raised towards the new Gibbons Trades Education Centre. The PTA is delighted to help students achieve Exceptional Talent excellence in their chosen field and any application for Nelson College’s Morrison Cup for best all-round athlete in the funding should be made to the College Management school was awarded to Mitchell Drummond at the school’s 2012 Team in the first instance. Prizegiving. The school-leaver claimed a rare threepeat after A new initiative has been the introduction of an winning the top sports award in both 2010 and 2011. Mitchell was annual “drinks and nibbles” function with the Nelson the Nelson College First XV captain, receiving his 50th cap for the College for Girls PTA and more collaboration between College. In the Press Cup competition, Mitchell was the regular the two groups is looked forward to. season top points-scorer and first player to reach 100 points. He also won the Phillip McDonald medal for most outstanding You can find the PTA on the Nelson College website by player in the Press Cup. Mitchell attended the Crusaders Knights clicking on the “Our School” tab and then “PTA”. We camps, was a member of the Nelson Bays under-18 team, was the would like to acknowledge and thank our committee Buccaneer top secondary school rugby player in the region and and members for their tireless efforts. made the New Zealand Secondary Schools Barbarians team. In Peter Riley – PTA Chairperson rugby sevens, Mitchell was a member of the Nelson College senior sevens team, which placed second in the country last year and Mitchell Drummond (2010-12) wearing his special 1st XV cap will play at the nationals early next month. Mitchell was a member that was awarded to him in 2012 DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY RELATIONS of the Nedlands senior A club team that recently competed at the for having played 50 games for Nelson College recently created the position Borneo international club sevens tournament. In touch rugby, he Nelson College 1st XV. of ‘Director of Community Relations’. My was the Nelson College senior A captain, is a member of the New Zealand under-19 team and was role is to build the relationships within our named in the New Zealand secondary schools tournament team. In cricket, he was the Nelson community and school, past, present and College First XI captain. For the Stoke-Nayland senior team, he was named wicketkeeper of the future, to ensure that we get more friends year, under-23 player of the year and most promising batsman. Mitchell was a member of the to the school. Our aim, in the Business Nelson senior men’s representative side and was named the Nelson men’s senior representative Development unit, is to show all past player of the year.