Ashburton Courier: November 12, 2020

Ashburton College
Individual Excellence in aSupportive Learning Environment
News
Issue 33
12 November 2020
Congratulations
Poppy congratulatedeveryone on surviving astressful year of coronavirus,
lockdowns and level restrictions, face masks, (and alack of fast food!).
Poppyindicatedthey survived,conquered and overcame.
Appreciation went to Head of Senior School Abbey Bruce, the Student
Executive for their incredible efforts, and to the Senior Leadership Team,
Sheena Tyrrell and the Office Staff.
Aspecial appreciation was given to Deputy Head Students Maria Costas
andKyle Cabangun fortheir support; the memories and messages through
good times and bad times and for being amazing sidekick; and to co-
Head Student Henry Chapman who (quietly) went from being the guy
Poppydidn’twanttofake kiss in Year 12 Drama to beingone of her closest
companions.
Poppy said her time at Ashburton College has been ‘nothing short of
amazing’, and that she felt extremely privileged to have spent her year as
Head Girlfor 2020.
In conclusion, Poppy wished the Head Student shortlisted Year 12s all the
best in whatever was their final leadership position, recommending they
take adeepbreathand have trust in themselves.
Henry referred to the Christmas before his first year atAshburton College
and ‘starting at Ashburton College tips’ from his older brother, including
‘don’t let your mum bring your lunch into class’, ‘Family Form (now Ako) is
theclass you’re gonna be stuck with forthe next fiveyears, be nice’ and ‘try
your best, but remember bad grades once inawhile aren’t the end of the
world’. Therewas also mention of fruit ‘uses’but we’ll leave thatone there!
Henry advised there was one piece ofadvice which heonly managed to
truly wrap his head around this year, being ‘surround yourself with good
people,asthey arethe most important‘things’ at school and in life’. Onthis
fronthesuggested he wasspeaking formost of us when saying the hardest
thing in 2020 wasbeing isolatedfrompeople –our friends,our family,and
noting we never really appreciate whatwehave until it’s gone.
Henry also thanked those who had helped and supported him in the role
this year, including Head Girl Poppy Kilworth, and Deputy Head Students
Maria Costas and Kyle Cabangun, saying he couldn’t have asked for better
Head Students to have worked alongside, quietly requesting forgiveness
for his occasion tardiness! As with Poppy heacknowledged Abbey Bruce
for her support and directness, the Student Executive and their dedication
to their committees and the Executive; and the Senior Leadership Team for
support, adviceand guidance.
Additionally acknowledged was support from Steve Adam of ACL
Ashburton, ACL itself, Flag Shop New Zealand, Ashburton Engravers and
ExecutiveOfficer Charlie Kelland and College Caretakers RichardHorrell and
Warren Reid for their contributions and support toward this year’s student
LegacyProject–the House Flags.
Students and teachers were commended for their hard work, dedication
and adaptability which was crucial throughout this most challenging and
difficult of years to date.
Henry concluded with his own‘list’for students, which he suggested was
very simple,sosimple thatithad only one recommendation –‘getinvolved’.
He said College has countless opportunities available, suggesting that
all that was needed was to‘put your hand up and try’ and that, by trying,
‘you gain experience, knowledge and skills,and youmeet newpeople and
create lasting memories’which is whattruly matters.
For those who have reached the end of their years at Ashburton College,
he advised that the last seventeen or eighteen years had been preparing
them forthis moment. Having survived everything thatlifehas thrownout
so far, Henry suggested they must be doing something right soshould be
well-equipped.
AshburtonCollege Summer and Winter Sports and
Cultural Colours and Blues Awards 2020
Again, due to COVID restrictions,the Summer Awards Assembly wasunable
to be held, meaning last week’s event incorporated both Summer and
Winter Awards.
This assembly gave the College community the opportunity torecognise
and celebrate highachievers in both sportand cultural activities.
Colours Awards
Colours Awards are presented tostudents who are either national
champions or who have been selectedfor anational sports team or are
amember of national cultural group.
AColours Award is recognised as the most prestigious of the Awards
process. Students who receiveaColours Awarddonot receiveaBlues
Award. Unlike the Blues Award the Colours Awards are not confined
only to AshburtonCollege-based activities.
TenRecipients were awarded aColour forthisyear, and at the assembly
thefollowing were acknowledged:
Cycling
Maddi Lowry
Maddi has continued to excelinher chosenfield of track cycling,
In the CanterburyChampionships she secured aSilverMedal in the Scratch,
Individual Pursuit, Keirin and Sprints, while gaining aBronze Medal in the
Time Trial.
Representing Canterbury atthe 2020 National Championships she gained
aGold Medal in the Title Points Race, Silver in Teams’Pursuit and Bronze in
Madisonevent.
Maddi hasalso been selectedasamember of Cycling New Zealand’sUpper
South Island Performance Hub, offering her world class coaching and
training facilities.
Karate
Taylah Burrowes and Tayla Davidson
Taylah Burrowes is the current Under 16 New Zealand Kumite (against
an adversary) Champion. Her success and continued efforts were also
recognised in this year’s Mid Canterbury Sports Awards, inbeing awarded
the Junior Best All-rounder due to Karateand Netball successes.
Tayla Davidson has joined College this year as aYear 9student. She is the
current New Zealand Kumite Champion forher age group and New Zealand
Champion forwithin her team event.
Her successes were also acknowledged when awarded the Outstanding
Rakaia Junior Sportsperson and arecipient ofanOrix Canterbury Sports
Award as amember of Junior KarateTeam of the Year.
Powerlifting HenryChapman
In October, Henry competed in the New Zealand Powerlifting
Championships held in Christchurch. Henry’s hard work paid off with a
Squatof185kg,Benchpress of 100kg and Deadliftof230kg,earning him the
National Overall Winner Title of the Sub-Junior Under 83kg Class.
Rowing
IsabelWall
In February Isabel competed in her first para event. Isabel and her rowing
Double Sculls partner Anthony Spikerman from Rotorua gained aGold
Medal in the Para Double Sculls event.
This eventwas racedwith the Single Scullers also,with Isabel and Anthony
coming in in second place, but gaining the Doubles Gold.
SmallboreRifle Shania Harrison-Lee and CharlotteMcKenzie
Shania Harrison-Lee shot in the outdoor season over 50 metres, winning
the following National Titles: Junior Women’s Aggregate, Women’s
Aggregate,Benchrest Aggregate,Prone and Benchrest combined Aggregate
and National AGrade Aggregate.
Shania was also selected into the National Junior, National Women’s and
National Open teams.
Unable to compete for any Indoor National titles due to COVID-19
restrictions, Shania didn’t let that stop her. Instead she entered postal
shoots,securing 1st placeinthe MidCanterbury, Phoenix,Coronation, East
Otago and Otago Open Championships.
Charlotte McKenzie competed for Ashburton College in the recent Inter-
Secondary Schools’ Inter-Island Match, with the team being placed 2nd
overall.Her combinedindividual scoredid not disappoint, achieving 290.13.
Charlotte then went astep further, inbeing selected for the New Zealand
SecondarySchools’ team to competeagainst GreatBritain.
Softball
Ashlein Lyttle
With no female team for her age group in Mid Canterbury, Ashlein chose
to travel and play softball for Rolleston. From there, she was selected for
the Canterbury Under 15 Team which emerged winners of the National
Tournament, claiming the New Zealand title.
Swimming Blake Farr -participated inthe New Zealand Short
Course Championships in October last year,gaining the national title in the
Under 15 100m Freestyle, 3rd in 200m Freestyle, 4th in 800m and finishing
inthe Top10inhis remaining events.
Blake has continued his success in the pool in 2020 with a2nd, two 3rd, a
4th and 5th placings in the Canterbury Long Course Championships.
He is also the current Year 12 and 13 Ashburton College Boys’Swimming
Champion.
Tennis
Diego Quispe-Kim
Diego is ayoung
tennis sensation. He,
with his family, has
nowmoved from
AshburtonCollege
but during his time
inMid Canterbury
he achieved the
following:
No 1New Zealand
ranking in his age
group (Under 15);
representedNew
Zealand at the World
Junior Tennis Teams’
eventsinMalaysia and is currently the New Zealand Under 16 Indoor
Tennis Champion.
He is also the current MidCanterburyJunior Sportsperson of the Year.
Colours Award recipients (pictured above, back row, left to right):
CharlotteMcKenzie,Maddi Lowry, Ashlein Lyttle,Tayla Davidson.
(Front row, left to right): Taylah Burrowes, Shania Harrison-Lee,
HenryChapman, Blake Farr,Isabel Wall.
(Inset above): Diego Quispe-Kim.
2020 BluesAwards
In establishing Awardrecipients,each sporthas specific criteria thatis
used as aguide fornominators. Aselectcommittee then discusses the
nominations and makes final decisions.
This year fifty two students were acknowledged across Sports and Cultural
activities.
In acknowledging students’ successes we recognise the impressive
accomplishments of our students, and contributions of all, within
and outside of the College, for their time and effort given to so many
College teams and students through cultural and sports activities. These
contributions to the successes of College individuals and teams aregreatly
appreciated, providing significantopportunities forstudents.
Blues Award Recipients were (including allocations to some students
who have nowfinished at College) -
Basketball Sophie Adams,Cat Anderson, Roi-Rawhiti Makutu,
RileySa, Kambell Stills.
Cricket Angus Jemmett
Cycling Track/Road Ethan Titheridge
E-sports Jade Jung,Jay Jung
Football SapphireKururangi, Gemma Taylor,Lauren Taylor
Golf Hiromune Kakeda
Hockey Jed Cameron, Ryan Geeson, Anna Gray, Jacob Gray,
Tim Harford, Hannah O’Reilly, Grace Quinn, Jonty Small,
Ethan Walsh, Maddy Wilson
Music Marc Calzada, Joseph Collins, Imogene Felton,
Daemyn Frost, Bailey Hill, Spencer Ifopo, Jay Jung,
AaliyahPower,Scott Thomson, Revival Tuvale,Zac Woolf
Netball Taylah Burrowes, PoppyKilworth, Hayley Tallentire
Rowing GedWall
Rugby BJ Fakataha, Steph Geeson, Thomas Patterson,
Emma Rollinson, Toetu Touli, TC Trusler-Clark,Isileli Ula
SmallboreRifleShooting
Jack Jones,Jack McIntosh,Emma Smith
Softball Kotiti Patea
Squash Isaac Bazley,Brooke Cornish-Madden
Technical Theatre Cameron Radford
(Picturedabove): TheBlues Awards recipients.
Blue House Sneaks in to Break Red House’s
hold on the Trophy
Blue House was rightly jubilant at breaking RedHouse’sfive consecutive
years’stronghold onthe trophy, by amere 1.71 points, over just fifteen
events this year compared with 2019’stwentythree events!
A healthy House rivalry permeates amongst students and staff and
acknowledgement isgiven to the Staff House Leaders –Stacey Monk
(Blue House), James List (Green House), Pete Lee (Orange House)
and Sarah Lassen (Red House) - and to the Student Co-Captains
of each of the four House Executives – Harriet Leverton and Liam
Sullivan (Blue House); Teresa Herewini and Joseph Collins (Red House);
Sapphire Kururangi and Isaac Bazley (Green House); Jane Cribb and
Riley Vessey (Orange House).
Winning Blue House members (pictured above, back row, left toright):
Thomas Patterson, Harriet Leverton (Co-Head of Blue House), Stacey
Monk (Staff Head of House), Emma Rollinson, Ethan Walsh. Front row,
lefttoright: Bailey Gray, Coty Cuadrado, Milli Sullivan, Malachi Drye, Liam
Sullivan (Co-Head of Blue House).
Oliver Davidson was aformer member of the Blue House Executive until
finishing at College in August.
The FinalHouse Pointsfor the year were -
Blue: 116.00 points Red: 114.29 points
Green: 92.56points Orange: 82.15 points
In Next Week’s Newsletter:
Arefreshing change from COVID-months is the amount of news we
arenow generating again. Assuch, anddue to publication timings,we
haven’tbeenabletoincludeall that we would have likedtointhisissue.
Next week will be therefore cover, insome depth, successes from the
Year 13 GraduationCeremony and the Year 11 and 12 combined Prizegiving,alongwith
othercongratulations andevents.