St John's College, Hastings
Encyclopedia
St John's College is a State Integrated
, Catholic, Day School
for boys, located in Hastings
, a provincial city in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
.
Founded in 1941 by the Marist Fathers
, St John's College has a non-selective enrolment policy (although gives preference to students from Catholic families) and currently caters for approximately 450 students from Year 9 (3rd Form) to Year 13 (7th Form).
St John's College has a diverse, multicultural roll. In 2006 its ethnic composition was Pākehā 73%, Māori 23%, and Pacific 4%
. The college excels in sporting and cultural activities. Academically, the school offers for senior years the National Certificate of Educational Achievement
assessment system (NCEA).
St John's College is the oldest private/state integrated secondary for boys in New Zealand outside the traditional main centres of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin (Te Aute College
, also in Hawkes Bay was previously the title holder but became coed during the 1990s).
in response to the lack of Catholic education for young men in Hawkes Bay. It was also to be a brother school to the already established all girls Sacred Heart College, Napier
, some 20 km north.
Enrollment proved so popular that the school needed to expand, so in 1946, with an allotment of donated land, St John's College moved to its present site on Jervios St, Mayfair. Old boys recall that on the day of the move, they carried the school furniture, back and forth to the new premises over 3 km away, and still had to attend afternoon class. The roll grew more slowly after that. Part of the problem was the transportation of students from around the Hawkes Bay region as many students from Napier found it difficult to reach school before school bus lines were established. There were even calls to make both Sacred Heart and St Johns co-ed, to prevent Napier boys travelling to Hastings and Hastings girls traveling to Napier. Today this issue is non existent, although around 40% of St John's College students come from the Napier area.
In 1975, St John's College was "integrated" into the state system under the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act 1975 "on a basis which will preserve and safeguard the special character of the education provided by them".
Over time St John's quietly expanded with the addition of new buildings and land. The 1990s saw drastic changes with the completion of 'The Centre' (the school gymnasium), the music suite and geography room, and the purchase of the old Firth industrial land to expand the playing fields. This gave St John's an additional rugby field, a new area for cricket nets, and another drive way towards Karamu road with additional car spaces. Since 2000 several remodels have been undertaken and includes the construction of the new technology wing.
St John's College celebrated its 50th Jubilee in 2001 which was easily the colleges biggest event ever. An abundance of old boys returned for the weekend and included several speakers and functions as well as a variety of activities and inter house competitions for the students.
incorporates four symbols. It incorporates the major elements of Archbishop Redwood's Crest the star and the AM as well as the "Redwood Cross" i.e. the cross on top of a pile of rocks. The five 5 pointed stars that sits in the upper left side representing the Virgin Mary; originally the star was a six-pointed star but quickly was corrected into the correct version. The second is the cross that appears on the right side of the crest. It is the Calvary Cross
, which represents the place where Jesus was crucified while also representing Christianity
. Third directly below the star, is an A imposed over an M, a common symbol for Ave Maria
, which is Latin for Hail Mary. The fourth is the Eagle
situated across the top section of the shield, which represents St John
. In the shield's compartment is the College's motto.
felt his power, saw love heal
Love one another was the call,
John remembered, taught us all,
Trusting, Loyal and Faithful,
Loving in word and deed,
Opere et Viritate
In Love, Real and Active, Lord We Pray
The percentage of Year 12 Māori students leaving school with qualifications is well above the national rates for schools in this decile. Retention of Māori students to complete their Year 12 studies is high.
Rugby
is the most popular sport at the college and enjoys a large following from St John's old boys. There are at least 8 teams, which does not include special teams selected for events like the Under 15s tournament and the Father Fisher trophy.
Soccer is widely played at the college, and with hockey
make up the rest of the majority of winter sport participants. There are also teams for basketball
, badminton
, squash
, table tennis
, athletics, swimming
, tennis
, orienteering
, canoe polo
and touch
. Cricket
is by far the largest sport during the summer. The Cricket teams are usually divided into Hastings or Napier teams in lower grades.
Many inter school sporting events take place, most notably with Catholic schools around the lower North Island. The main rivalry remains with other Marist Schools St Pat's Silverstream
and St Pat's Town
in Wellington
, Hato Paora
in the Manawatu
, and St Johns
in Hamilton
.
. Along with Māori studies, students actively participlate in Māori cultural activities like the inter house Haka competition.
Secondary education in New Zealand
Secondary education in New Zealand takes up to five years, covering the ages 13 to 18, corresponding to the school years 9 to 13.- Types of school :...
, Catholic, Day School
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
for boys, located in Hastings
Hastings, New Zealand
The city of Hastings is a major urban settlement in the Hawke's Bay region of the North Island of New Zealand, and it is the largest settlement by population in Hawke's Bay. Hastings city is the administrative centre of the Hastings District...
, a provincial city in Hawkes Bay, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Founded in 1941 by the Marist Fathers
Society of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
, St John's College has a non-selective enrolment policy (although gives preference to students from Catholic families) and currently caters for approximately 450 students from Year 9 (3rd Form) to Year 13 (7th Form).
St John's College has a diverse, multicultural roll. In 2006 its ethnic composition was Pākehā 73%, Māori 23%, and Pacific 4%
. The college excels in sporting and cultural activities. Academically, the school offers for senior years the National Certificate of Educational Achievement
National Certificate of Educational Achievement
The National Certificate of Educational Achievement is, since 2004, the official secondary school qualification in New Zealand.It has three levels, corresponding to the levels within the National Qualifications Framework, and these are generally studied in each of the three final years of...
assessment system (NCEA).
St John's College is the oldest private/state integrated secondary for boys in New Zealand outside the traditional main centres of Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin (Te Aute College
Te Aute College
Te Aute College is a school in the Hawke's Bay region of New Zealand. It opened in 1854 with twelve pupils under Samuel Williams, an Anglican missionary, and nephew and son-in-law of Bishop William Williams. It has a strong Māori character.It was built on land provided by Te Whatuiapiti, a hapu...
, also in Hawkes Bay was previously the title holder but became coed during the 1990s).
History
St John's College was established in 1941, on Frederick St, Hastings (the current site of St Mary's Primary School). It was founded by the Marist FathersSociety of Mary (Marists)
The Society of Mary , is a Roman Catholic religious congregation or order, founded by Father Jean-Claude Colin and a group of other seminarians in France in 1816...
in response to the lack of Catholic education for young men in Hawkes Bay. It was also to be a brother school to the already established all girls Sacred Heart College, Napier
Sacred Heart College, Napier
Sacred Heart College, Napier was founded on its present site in 1867 by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions. For the first one hundred years of its existence, the College was staffed predominantly by the Sisters of the Missions. Sister Mary Rose who completed her term in 1998 was the last...
, some 20 km north.
Enrollment proved so popular that the school needed to expand, so in 1946, with an allotment of donated land, St John's College moved to its present site on Jervios St, Mayfair. Old boys recall that on the day of the move, they carried the school furniture, back and forth to the new premises over 3 km away, and still had to attend afternoon class. The roll grew more slowly after that. Part of the problem was the transportation of students from around the Hawkes Bay region as many students from Napier found it difficult to reach school before school bus lines were established. There were even calls to make both Sacred Heart and St Johns co-ed, to prevent Napier boys travelling to Hastings and Hastings girls traveling to Napier. Today this issue is non existent, although around 40% of St John's College students come from the Napier area.
In 1975, St John's College was "integrated" into the state system under the Private Schools Conditional Integration Act 1975 "on a basis which will preserve and safeguard the special character of the education provided by them".
Over time St John's quietly expanded with the addition of new buildings and land. The 1990s saw drastic changes with the completion of 'The Centre' (the school gymnasium), the music suite and geography room, and the purchase of the old Firth industrial land to expand the playing fields. This gave St John's an additional rugby field, a new area for cricket nets, and another drive way towards Karamu road with additional car spaces. Since 2000 several remodels have been undertaken and includes the construction of the new technology wing.
St John's College celebrated its 50th Jubilee in 2001 which was easily the colleges biggest event ever. An abundance of old boys returned for the weekend and included several speakers and functions as well as a variety of activities and inter house competitions for the students.
Campus
St John's College is situated on Jervois St, Mayfair, in Hastings' northern suburbs. The site layout has all academic buildings close to the main road and are named after former rectors of the school, for example 'The Dowling Block' which contains the Library and Humanities subjects. Behind the buildings are the school playing fields, which separate the swimming pool and the tennis courts from the academic areas.Facilities
Current facilities of St John's include:- 'The Centre', which is a gymGymThe word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, that mean a locality for both physical and intellectual education of young men...
nasium used for sports, games and physical educationPhysical educationPhysical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
(PE) classes. Also used as the venue for weekly Wednesday assemblies and other official school occasions such as college masses and the Year 12 Leavers' Mass. - The Kenneth Guthrie Pool, located at the rear of the school property, next to the tennis courts.
- Playing Fields, which consists of a variety of interconnected fields containing two rugby fields, a cricket pitch and soccer field, field hockey students practice at Park Island Sports Ground in Napier.
Crest
The school crestCoat of arms
A coat of arms is a unique heraldic design on a shield or escutcheon or on a surcoat or tabard used to cover and protect armour and to identify the wearer. Thus the term is often stated as "coat-armour", because it was anciently displayed on the front of a coat of cloth...
incorporates four symbols. It incorporates the major elements of Archbishop Redwood's Crest the star and the AM as well as the "Redwood Cross" i.e. the cross on top of a pile of rocks. The five 5 pointed stars that sits in the upper left side representing the Virgin Mary; originally the star was a six-pointed star but quickly was corrected into the correct version. The second is the cross that appears on the right side of the crest. It is the Calvary Cross
Calvary
Calvary or Golgotha was the site, outside of ancient Jerusalem’s early first century walls, at which the crucifixion of Jesus is said to have occurred. Calvary and Golgotha are the English names for the site used in Western Christianity...
, which represents the place where Jesus was crucified while also representing Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. Third directly below the star, is an A imposed over an M, a common symbol for Ave Maria
Ave Maria
Ave Maria may refer to:*Ave Maria , the "Hail Mary", a traditional Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox prayer calling for the intercession of Mary, the mother of Jesus-Music:...
, which is Latin for Hail Mary. The fourth is the Eagle
Saint symbology
Christianity has used symbolism from its very beginnings. Each saint has a story and a reason why he or she led an exemplary life. Symbols have been used to tell these stories throughout the history of the Church. A number of Christian saints are traditionally represented by a symbol or iconic...
situated across the top section of the shield, which represents St John
John the Apostle
John the Apostle, John the Apostle, John the Apostle, (Aramaic Yoħanna, (c. 6 - c. 100) was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus. He was the son of Zebedee and Salome, and brother of James, another of the Twelve Apostles...
. In the shield's compartment is the College's motto.
Anthem
John knew a lord whose love was real,felt his power, saw love heal
Love one another was the call,
John remembered, taught us all,
Trusting, Loyal and Faithful,
Loving in word and deed,
Opere et Viritate
In Love, Real and Active, Lord We Pray
House system
The current house system was bought into the College in 1999, and was named after early Catholic missionaries who came to New Zealand. All except Redwood are French, and staff and students pronounce them in the traditional ways. The names and colours of the St John's College Houses are:- Colin - greenGreenGreen is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 520–570 nanometres. In the subtractive color system, it is not a primary color, but is created out of a mixture of yellow and blue, or yellow and cyan; it is considered...
- Forest - yellowYellowYellow is the color evoked by light that stimulates both the L and M cone cells of the retina about equally, with no significant stimulation of the S cone cells. Light with a wavelength of 570–590 nm is yellow, as is light with a suitable mixture of red and green...
- Redwood - redRedRed is any of a number of similar colors evoked by light consisting predominantly of the longest wavelengths of light discernible by the human eye, in the wavelength range of roughly 630–740 nm. Longer wavelengths than this are called infrared , and cannot be seen by the naked eye...
- Reignier - blueBlueBlue is a colour, the perception of which is evoked by light having a spectrum dominated by energy with a wavelength of roughly 440–490 nm. It is considered one of the additive primary colours. On the HSV Colour Wheel, the complement of blue is yellow; that is, a colour corresponding to an equal...
Prefects
Every year, the school selects prefects from Year 13 students. This is done through a process of teacher recommendations and voting from Year 13 students at the end of Year 12. There is never a specified number though 16 is common. There are also house captains.Aspects unique to the College
- Ranks - A tradition of an outdoor assembly where students are assembled in standing rows aligned by form class. Conducted twice weekly 5 minutes before lunch, St Johns is the only current secondary school in New Zealand to have Ranks on a regular basis.
- Vertical Forms - Introduced in 1999, this system created form classes with students from each year level instead of forms being based on age group. By having four form classes of students form Year 9 - 13 in each house, it is hoped that it will promote unity and peer support throughout a students time at St John's College.
- 6 Day Timetable - The six day rotational timetable was bought in to counter balance the lost time from winter sports practice that replaced period 5 on Thursday. This ultimately reduces the impact of classes held at that time as it rotates each week. It is thought that this reduces truancy on particular days also.
Academic results
The number of students achieving national qualifications is well above the national mean for similar decile schools at all levels of NCEA. The percentage of students obtaining NCEA Level 1 increased from 61% in 2003 to 66% in 2004. Levels of attainment in the literacy requirement have recently improved to the current level of over 91%. Achievement in university entrance results has steadily improved over the past three years and is above the national average for schools at this decile level.The percentage of Year 12 Māori students leaving school with qualifications is well above the national rates for schools in this decile. Retention of Māori students to complete their Year 12 studies is high.
Sport
Playing a winter sport is compulsory for junior students (Year 9 and 10) to encourage social integration into the college environment. Although sport is not compulsory in the senior years, the majority of seniors participate in sport with large numbers competing in the Summer sports offered.Rugby
Rugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
is the most popular sport at the college and enjoys a large following from St John's old boys. There are at least 8 teams, which does not include special teams selected for events like the Under 15s tournament and the Father Fisher trophy.
Soccer is widely played at the college, and with hockey
Hockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
make up the rest of the majority of winter sport participants. There are also teams for basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, badminton
Badminton
Badminton is a racquet sport played by either two opposing players or two opposing pairs , who take positions on opposite halves of a rectangular court that is divided by a net. Players score points by striking a shuttlecock with their racquet so that it passes over the net and lands in their...
, squash
Squash (sport)
Squash is a high-speed racquet sport played by two players in a four-walled court with a small, hollow rubber ball...
, table tennis
Table tennis
Table tennis, also known as ping-pong, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight, hollow ball back and forth using table tennis rackets. The game takes place on a hard table divided by a net...
, athletics, swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
, canoe polo
Canoe polo
Canoe Polo is a competitive ball sport played on water, in a defined "field", between two teams of 5 players, each in a kayak...
and touch
Touch football
Touch football may refer to:* Touch football , a variant of American football where players touch, rather than tackle, their opponents* Touch rugby, games derived from rugby football in which players touch, rather than tackle, their opponents...
. Cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
is by far the largest sport during the summer. The Cricket teams are usually divided into Hastings or Napier teams in lower grades.
Many inter school sporting events take place, most notably with Catholic schools around the lower North Island. The main rivalry remains with other Marist Schools St Pat's Silverstream
St. Patrick's College, Silverstream
St Patrick's College is an Integrated Catholic boys' day and boarding Secondary School located in Silverstream, Upper Hutt, New Zealand. It was established by the Society of Mary in 1931 when the original St Patrick's College, Wellington was intended to be moved to a larger site more suited to a...
and St Pat's Town
St. Patrick's College, Wellington
- History :Founded by Archbishop Francis Redwood SM, St Patrick's opened on June 1, 1885 with nine day-boys and twelve boarders.The College represents one of the earliest educational establishments of the Society of Mary the religious congregation whose members accompanied Bishop Jean Baptiste...
in Wellington
Wellington
Wellington is the capital city and third most populous urban area of New Zealand, although it is likely to have surpassed Christchurch due to the exodus following the Canterbury Earthquake. It is at the southwestern tip of the North Island, between Cook Strait and the Rimutaka Range...
, Hato Paora
Hato Paora College
Hato Paora College is a Catholic, Māori Boys' Boarding school located near Cheltenham, Feilding, New Zealand. It was founded in 1947 under the leadership of Marist Priest, Isaac J Gupwell.-Notable Alumni:...
in the Manawatu
Manawatu-Wanganui
Manawatu-Wanganui is a region in the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand, around the cities of Palmerston North and Whanganui. It is administered by the Horizons Regional Council.-Administration:...
, and St Johns
St. John's College, Hamilton
St John's College is a state-integrated Catholic boys' secondary school in Hamilton, New Zealand. The school was established by the Marist Order in 1961 from Marist School . The school crest features the eagle of St. John the Apostle, with the motto "Caritas Christi Urget Nos" strewn across the...
in Hamilton
Hamilton, New Zealand
Hamilton is the centre of New Zealand's fourth largest urban area, and Hamilton City is the country's fourth largest territorial authority. Hamilton is in the Waikato Region of the North Island, approximately south of Auckland...
.
Religion
As a Catholic school, religion plays an important factor in the day to day lives of St John's College students. As well as participating in Masses and Chapel, prayers are formally conducted at staff meetings, in form classes to start the day, at assemblies and at school meetings.Kapa Haka
St John's College has a long and proud tradition of Kapa HakaKapa haka
The term Kapa haka is commonly known in Aotearoa as 'Maori Performing Arts' or the 'cultural dance' of Maori people...
. Along with Māori studies, students actively participlate in Māori cultural activities like the inter house Haka competition.
Notable alumni
- Greg Cooper - former All Black
- Matt CooperMatthew Cooper (rugby union)Matthew Cooper is a former New Zealand international rugby union player. He made his All Black debut v Ireland on 6 June 1992, setting a then-world record of 23 points on test debut, with the last of his 8 caps coming on 3 July 1994 v France....
- former All Black - Brian Roche - Chief Executive, New Zealand Post Group, Chair of Rugby NZ 2011 Ltd
- John ScottJohn Scott (architect)John Colin Scott was a New Zealand architect of the 20th century, known for his unique buildings that incorporated ideas from Maori and cultural architecture.-Early life:...
- architect - Elijah NikoElijah NikoElijah Niko is a professional rugby league footballer who currently plays for the North Queensland Cowboys in the National Rugby League competition.-Playing career:...
- Melbourne Storm - Michael WintringhamMichael WintringhamMichael Charles Wintringham CNZM is a New Zealand public servant. He served as State Services Commissioner, head of New Zealand's public service, from 1997 to 2004....
- former State Services Commissioner - Eric YoungEric Young (broadcaster)Eric Young is a New Zealand journalist and television presenter. He has presented Prime News – First at 5:30 since March 2006.Young's broadcasting career began on radio in Auckland in the early 1980s...
- lead news anchor, Prime NewsPrime Television New ZealandPrime is the seventh national free-to-air television station in New Zealand. The station airs a mixed group of programmes, largely imported from Australia, the UK and the United States, as well as free-to-air rugby union, cricket and rugby league matches....
, New Zealand