May 2011 - Volume 19 No. 2 Ad Augusta Victory at the Maadi Cup AUCKLAND GRAMMAR SCHOOL MAGAZINE Contents The Headmaster ......................................................................................................... Page 3 Report from the Board ................................................................................................ Page 4 The Board and Executive are constantly Victory at the Maadi Cup ............................................................................................ Page 5 looking at ways to improve the infrastructure Sports: Roundup ......................................................................................................... Page 6 of the School and currently we have a Sporting Fixtures: 1st XV Rugby and 1st XI Football ................................................ Page 10 number of projects in the pipeline. Cultural: United Maori Mission and Polyfest ............................................................ Page 11 Academic: 2010 Scholars and Scholarships Awarded .............................................. Page 12 Academic: Top Awards for CIE 2010 and Young Physicists ..................................... Page 13 Arts: Music Performance Day .................................................................................. Page 14 The Headmaster Arts: Oliver!, Alex McFarlane and To Christchurch with Love .................................. Page 15 very busy and extremely long earthquake we were in fact hosting the Plans are at the discussion stage for this Term 1 has just been completed Christchurch Boys’ High School cricket, and we have applied for fi nancial help Events: Sailing Regatta ............................................................................................. Page 16 A with some great successes in sports tennis and golf teams at Grammar from the Auckland Council and the ASB Events: Gala Dinner and Art Exhibition ..................................................................... Page 17 and cultural events. It is not easy to and so the impact of the earthquake Trust, as the theatre is well used by the maintain academic focus when there was immediate. The Prefects quickly wider Auckland community. Campaign: Academic Endowment Foundation donors ............................................ Page 18 are so many other things happening at organised an appeal within the School In the longer term, we also aim to school, but our boys seem to regularly raising $7,500, which we donated to convert the current No. 3 rugby fi eld to Campaign: Art Fund launched and Heritage Hall Forms Project ............................... Page 19 manage it so well with pleasing end of our kindred school, Christchurch BHS, a multi-purpose artifi cial turf that can be term exam results. Progress reports to help in their recovery. Mr McCrea, used by both football and rugby. Again, Staff News: Michael McLellan retires and ESOL Department ................................. Page 20 were posted out during the holidays. If a with help from the Prefects again, then the timing of this project will depend Cambridge International Examinations ..................................................................... Page 21 report has not yet been received, please organised a canned food appeal with on funding and assistance from the contact the relevant Dean. great support from companies Pam’s and Auckland Council in particular. Having Term Dates, Prefects, AGS vs King’s 1st XV game .................................................. Page 22 The extra-long Terms 1–3 this year Benefi tz, collecting 5,000 cans of food another turf will enable us to manage are as a result of the previous Labour which were displayed on stage in Hall in more effi ciently the grass football and Government modifying the school year the form of two pyramids. rugby pitches that currently get major Old Boys’ News to suit the Rugby World Cup dates. I Grammar continues to be a dynamic over-use because of the large number of am not sure about the wisdom of such place with so much happening and the teams the School supports. OBA President Jim Whineray’s welcome ................................................................ Page 23 a move, as Term 4 this year is only six School Board consequently continues The up-coming two terms will see weeks long and our CIE candidates do to work tirelessly on behalf of the the vast majority of our boys heavily Old Boy Ash Matushka circumnavigates New Zealand with Surf Lifesavers ........... Page 24 not return to school after the end of School. The Board and Executive are involved in winter sport and cultural Term 3 holidays while NCEA students constantly looking at ways to improve activities and, as usual, trying hard to Tibbs House memories and Anniversary Celebrations ............................................. Page 25 only get two weeks of tuition in Term the infrastructure of the School and lead a balanced life in and out of school. 4. This is not an ideal division of the currently we have a number of projects Most boys handle this well and learn Annual Dinner and Howard Harper’s visit ................................................................. Page 26 school year and has required signifi cant in the pipeline. quickly how to prioritise things and we Annual AGS vs. King’s Old Boys Tennis and Golf Tournaments .............................. Page 27 programme modifi cations by our staff, Of particular interest is the decision are keen to encourage such involvement. but I am confi dent our boys will be as to contract architectural fi rm Architectus However, it is worth reiterating that Anzac Day Service and Out of Zone ballot ............................................................... Page 28 well prepared as usual for the end-of- to draw up plans for a new classroom success in the academic domain remains year external exams. block adjacent to the ‘Taj’ toilet block. the key reason our boys are at Grammar Twilight Twenty/20 Cricket and and Noel Bowden Memorial Trophy ....................... Page 29 Our Form 3 cohort of 490 boys this This block, when it is fi nally constructed, and this aspect of school life needs to be year has settled in well to the School will replace the relocatable classrooms their main focus. Editor Reunions: 1951, 1961, 1971, 1981, Vintage and Recent Leavers ............................ Page 30 and we have also accepted a number on the upper fi eld. In the medium term, Best wishes for a successful year. Amanda Harkness News of Old Boys .................................................................................................... Page 32 of boys from Christchurch who came the area where the relocatables currently to Auckland during the aftermath of are will be used for staff parking, thus Yours sincerely, Contact Details Doug Garrett visit and 1938 rugby trip to Rotorua ................................................... Page 33 the tragic earthquake; these boys have facilitating the removal of all cars from Editor also adapted speedily to their new the School’s playgrounds. Ad Augusta Grammar Families: The Nicholson Family ................................................................ Page 34 environment. Other future projects include Stage Auckland Grammar School The School as a whole has 1 of the refurbishment of the Centennial Private Bag 99930 Obituaries, Augusta Fellowship and Calendar of Forthcoming Events ..................... Page 35 responded well to the Christchurch Theatre, built in 1969 as part of the John Morris Newmarket earthquake. At the exact time of the Centennial celebrations of the School. Headmaster Auckland 1149 Email: [email protected] Front Cover: The Grammar U18 eight wins gold at Maadi. Photo courtesy of Nigel Speakman. Ad Augusta | May 2011 | page 3 Victory at the 2011 Maadi Cup Report from the Board n behalf of the Board may I welcome oriented school such as Grammar, to add its congratulations in particular to Othose students in their fi rst year at this is vital in enabling families to the outstanding success achieved by the Grammar, and also those boys returning be kept together and allowing some Rowing team, culminating in the winning for another year as ‘Grammar men’. accommodation to sons of Old Boys. of the Maadi Cup by the Senior VIII. The Welcome also to all parents and We were therefore delighted that the Assembly towards the end of last term at the wider Grammar community, and Education Amendment Act was passed at which the rowers were honoured, Howard I trust that you will continue to enjoy the end of 2010, adding a further priority Harper one of our Augusta Awardees from the rich experience of being associated line to allow the enrolment of children of 2010 was acknowledged, and a stunning with our school which offers so many former pupils living out of zone. performance was given by the Kapa Haka opportunities for your boys. We are We see the new provision as simply Group, was a spine-tingling occasion. grateful for the contribution many of you restoring the status quo from pre-2000 Outstanding Cambridge and make – fi nancially, assisting sports teams, when boys with family connections to the Scholarship results from the end of 2010 helping with the special needs students School had an opportunity to attend even once again refl ected not only the ability The U18 eight with John Morris proudly receive their gold medals and the coveted Maadi Cup. From left: Jesse Fyfe, James Bridgman, and participating in the myriad of other if they did not live in the zone. Therefore, and hard work