Boarding Newsletter May 2026

Kia ora koutou,

I hope this message finds you all well, and that some of you are able to enjoy time with your sons over the King’s Birthday weekend. As we move closer to winter, we’ve been fortunate to experience a spell of mild weather, which looks set to continue a little longer.

Over the past few weeks, our Year 10 students have completed their first experience of NCEA assessments, sitting the Common Assessment Tasks for Reading, Writing, and Numeracy. These results are typically released in early July, and we look forward to seeing how the boys have progressed.

With Term Two stretching across 11 weeks, this break comes at a welcome time. Students have settled into positive routines and are showing strong commitment to both their academic work and their winter sports. This term is one of the busiest and most significant periods for teaching and learning. A substantial amount of assessment takes place, and important foundations are laid for end‑of‑year examinations. Maintaining good habits, balance, and focus will be essential for all students as we head into the coming weeks.

We have several boys recovering from injuries (our proximity to the hospital comes in handy) and which them a speedy recovery.

Sport
Winter sport is now in full swing, with Football, Basketball, Hockey, and Rugby keeping many of the boys active throughout the week and across the weekends. Saturday mornings in the boarding house are always full of energy — boys gathering their gear, organising themselves for their various fixtures, and heading out proudly to represent the school or their clubs. The same lively atmosphere fills the house on Wednesday afternoons, especially with basketball, where around 30 boys regularly travel to games. Many of them are especially grateful for Tony, whose support in transporting such a large group each week makes these opportunities possible.

We are also incredibly proud of several boarders who are performing at an exceptional level in their chosen sports. Zach Rampton has recently returned from an overseas trip and will soon depart again with the New Zealand Under‑17 Basketball Team. Three of our boys — Zach, Flynn Sargeant, and Ludvig Persson — are part of the Senior A Basketball team. In Rugby, Jack Westwood, Kolo Kahanu, and Alex Drury are representing the 1st XV. And in Hockey, an impressive six boarders — Charlie and Harry Booker, Rupert Hammond, Zander Freitas, Leo Yianakis, and Quinn Avery — are playing for the 1st XI. Having five boys from one house in the same top team is something quite special.

On top of this, we have numerous boys across all codes who are represent Nelson, or Taman in age group Representative teams.

While these high‑performance achievements are certainly worth celebrating as a community, what truly enriches the boarding experience is the breadth of participation across all sports and activities. At present, more than 80 students are involved in a winter code — and that number doesn’t even include those who are mountain biking, going to the gym, or keeping active through evening sports. Many boys fall into this category, choosing to stay fit and engaged through the activities available within the house.

With King’s Birthday sport, if your son is away, please ask them to be in contact with their coach about this. Rugby has managed to change the date of some games, so they are not played over King’s Birthday Weekend.

Minivan Shuttle
We had a full van booked this weekend both ways to Marlborough. I will email separately to the regular users of this service who is booked on.

Orah Sign-Up
If you have not yet registered for Orah, please do so as soon as possible so you can submit leave requests for your son. You should have received an email with instructions—if not, or if you have any issues, please get in touch.

Ideally, leave should be completed by Wednesday evening.

Weights Room
The weights room will be available Monday to Thursday evenings from 7:15pm to 8:15pm, with additional sessions planned over the weekend. These sessions will be supervised, and all students are welcome.

Academic
Senior students are continuing with their regular NCEA assessments, and many have already completed their digital assessment planners, with the rest working to finish theirs next week. These will be shared with you once ready.

Prep-time routines are well established, and junior students are engaging positively with Maths Buddy, Education Perfect, reading, and other homework tasks.

Year 10 students have now completed their first Common Assessment Tasks for NCEA. These must be passed to gain NCEA, and once achieved, they do not need to be repeated. Another assessment opportunity will be available in September. Students at other levels are also completing these requirements.

For consistent support across the school, a Literacy & Numeracy website has been created for students, parents, and teachers: Literacy & Numeracy Support: Literacy & Numeracy Support

Mid-Winter Christmas

We are planning our traditional Mid-Winter Christmas celebration on Tuesday, 30 June.

For this event, we invite students who hunt or have access to wild or farmed animals to contribute where possible. This may include items such as whole pigs, lambs, sausages, venison, or similar. We have two spits available and are able to cook whole animals on-site.

If you are able to assist with providing any of the above, please let me know. We also have freezer space available for storing whole animals in advance of the event.

Bike Lights:

Many of the boys are using bikes to get to sports practices and the Gym. With light hours considerably less than in the summer months, boys need to have lights if they are biking at night. These can be bought in any bike shop plus can be ordered online. They don’t have to be amazing (not like mountain bike lights) but they do need to allow for the boys to be seen on the road.

I have some available in the house shops (7 in total) with a front and back light, USB re-chargeable, that can be purchased on house account for $30. These will arrive at the end of this week. I have included a link to the warehouse for lights: https://www.thewarehouse.co.nz/p/bike-lights/M8027370.html

Biking and Scootering Safety

Recently, we have observed an increase in boys riding in a more dangerous manner on the roads, at times not wearing helmets, and occasionally riding at night without lights. While our staff do what we can to monitor and reinforce expectations, we are not always able to be present, and ultimately the boys’ safety relies heavily on the decisions they make when they are out and about.

We ask that you please have a conversation with your son about the importance of riding responsibly, wearing a helmet at all times, and ensuring they have appropriate lighting when riding after dark. These are essential safety measures and not negotiable expectations.

Our goal is to support the boys in developing good habits and making safe choices, and your reinforcement of these expectations is greatly appreciated.

Thank you for your ongoing support.

Health Reminders
While the year has started with relatively good health, we can expect an increase in illness as we move into flu season. Access to healthcare is currently under pressure across New Zealand, and same-day GP appointments are becoming more difficult to secure.

If your son becomes unwell in boarding, we have limited isolation spaces available for contagious illnesses, and senior students may remain in their rooms if needed. While we will do our best to arrange medical appointments, it is often easier for families to organise these directly, especially if you plan to attend.

Where possible, we encourage you to take your son home if he is unwell to help prevent the spread of illness. We understand this is not always practical.

If your son is unwell over a weekend at home, please keep him there until he has recovered. For non-urgent medical appointments, we also recommend scheduling these during times when your son is already at home.

Dining Room

We received a range of responses in the recent dining room survey, including feedback about dinner variety and the number of curry-based meals. We hope the boys have noticed the improvements made over the past few weeks in response to these comments.

We are pleased to have our regular chef, Guy, back in the kitchen, with Ian due to return shortly. Gail will continue with us until the end of term, and Craig will remain for the next few weeks. This continuity should help us maintain a consistent standard.

I encourage the boys to provide direct feedback on the menu to me at any time so we can continue refining the dining experience.

Prescriptions
If your son requires medication following a medical visit, prescriptions can be sent to Collingwood Street Pharmacy. They can place charges on account and offer delivery for a fee, or prescriptions can be collected and paid for directly at the pharmacy.

IMPORTANT SCHOOL CONTACTS

With a lot currently happening, it can be hard to keep track of for the boys. Some useful contacts at the school are:

Director of sport, Alethea Stove: se@nelson.school.nz

· Contact about general sports, sports teams etc

Head of Music, Nathan Munn mu@nelson.school.nz

· Contact re music / leaning instruments / choir

Kapa Haka, Wayne Hippolite ht@nelson.school.nz

· If boys are interested in Kapa Haka

Careers, Vikki Heays vh@nelson.school.nz

· For careers and vocational information

Learning support co-ordinator, Robert McHardy ry@nelson.school.nz

· Contact Rob if you feel your son is entitled or should be getting extra learning support or should be getting special assessment conditions (extra time for assessment, reader-writer etc)

A reminder also to keep us updated with any change in contact details. Please contact Ronni Cullen, Boarding Administrator on rc@nelson.school.nz

SYSTEMS FEEDBACK

I have attached the links to the Boarding Handbooks – which outline a lot of our systems. I would encourage you to familiarise yourself with these.

Barnicoat handbook

Rutherford Handbook 2026

I would appreciate any feedback on systems (contained in the handbooks), communications, food, activities or generally any ideas you have to make boarding a better experience for your son.

I will go through a more formal process with surveys early next term.

Please, when contacting me, use the following email address, mn@nelson.school.nz.

My phone number is 0274771947.

For general day to day house matters either contact me, for Barnicoat, or Mark Cocrane for Rutherford ce@nelson.school.nz

Ngā mihi,

Simon Mardon

Director of Boarding