Well, here we are at the end of another busy but unusual year here in Christchurch. I hope this finds you all well, wherever you may be in the world. 

2021 saw us host six reunions (60 Years On: Classes of 1960 and 1961; 50 Years On: Classes of 1970 and 1971; 10 Years On: Class of 2007; 1st XV Rugby Reunion: 1951,1961, 1971, 1981, 1991, 2001, 2011), a Wellington regional event, an Annual Dinner, a golf tournament and a Gentlemen's Luncheon. Unfortunately our Class of 1981 missed out on their 40 Years On which has been rescheduled to July 2022. We feel very fortunate to have been able to hold all of these events and I'd like to thank those of you who were able to come back to the College and enjoy these celebrations.

Next year we will reach a significant milestone...30 years since St Andrew's College officially opened its doors to girls in the Senior College! We are looking forward to having some of our pioneering girls back in March for a special evening to celebrate and hear their stories and experiences from those early days.

This month will see the beginning of the demolition of our Theatrette. Many of you will have fond memories of treading the boards in some of the wonderful productions held there since its opening in 1973. We are looking forward to seeing the emergence of our new development, the Gough Family Theatre, which is due to open in 2023. Thank you to all of you who have donated and supported this exciting new build that will house and foster many young actors, dancers and crew for years to come.

A very Merry Christmas from myself and the Old Collegian Executive and may you have a safe and relaxing festive season.

Warm regards,

Lisa Clark
Alumni and Community Relations Co-ordinator 

As we wrap up for 2021, I want to say thank you to everyone in the Old Collegian community who has supported the College and the OCA Executive this year. We've loved seeing so many familiar faces at our events this year.

Special thank you to the key contacts in each year group who worked with Lisa in the lead up to each reunion. You play a crucial role in finding the Old Collegians we have no details for.

After what has been another tough year for most, I hope everyone has a very Merry Christmas and takes time to enjoy the holiday break. I look forward to seeing many of you at all the events Lisa has planned for 2022! 

Meg Black (2010)
Old Collegians Association President

On the afternoon of Wednesday 17 November, the Development Team hosted a small gathering in the Theatrette for 80 of our existing Drama, Music and Dance students, and staff to farewell to our beloved Theatrette before its demolition on Wednesday 15 December to make way for the new Gough Family Theatre. 

A welcome speech from Rector Christine Leighton revealed that more than 100 Drama productions had taken place in the Theatrette since it was built in 1973 and over 6000 Drama students had performed on the stage, including a decade of Ballet productions. I enjoyed sharing a historical timeline of drama at the College, which began exactly 100 years ago this month. It was also a chance to show everyone the exciting images and features of the new complex, which was greeted with huge excitement and applause. 

Head of Drama and Dance, Laurence Wiseman, explained that next year’s rehearsals and shows would take place in Gym 1 while the new build was taking place. Michael Lawrence, who was Musical Director in many productions from 1983–2003, also spoke to the students about his fond memories of the Theatrette. This was followed by a short film reel of past Drama productions, thanks to the wonderful editing by Head of Music, Duncan Ferguson. The gathering ended outside with ice-creams and sausage rolls for everyone who attended.   

The Gough Family Theatre will be completed in November 2023. We need to raise another $1.1 million to achieve our $4 million goal by the end of 2022. So far, we have successfully raised $2.6 million, plus $300,000 pledged by our College community, for 2022. We ask those who are able, to give back to the College and future students by contributing to our Your Legacy, Our Future campaign. Every little bit helps and, as Vincent van Gogh once said, “Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.”

Our most popular gift is a donation of $2000 for a new Theatre seat, which will be acknowledged with a plaque on the seat bearing your child/grandchild/family name in honour of an Old Collegian, or special event. We are limited to only 265 theatre seats and have already sold over 100. If you are interested in gifting a Theatre seat, we can offer a pledge payment plan of $167 per month to spread the gift payments across the next 12 months. Please get in contact with me directly to discuss your options by emailing mne@stac.school.nz or phoning +64 21 339 707. 

Thank you to the Old Collegians Association for your support and time this year, and by promoting friendships established at the College and contributing to its growth and development. 

I have thoroughly enjoyed working with Alumni and Community Relations Co-ordinator, Lisa Clark, this year. She has added a new positive energy to our Development Team and has embraced and developed new administration processes to improve reunion events by using creative ways to reconnect with Old Collegians.   

Wishing you all a wonderful Christmas and New Year. I look forward to seeing many of you in 2022.    

Miranda Newbury 
Director of Development