Earthquake-displaced student is CAS Dux
Madison van Staden is Collingwood Area School’s Dux for 2011. Photo: Gerard Hindmarsh.
Collingwood Area School’s senior prizegiving on Friday 11 November once again combined a formal sit-down dinner with the hall’s usual seating arrangement for the student presentations.
The fullest senior pupil roll for many years saw real competition for the scholarships and awards, and in his principal’s address, John Garner singled out many seniors, acknowledging the extra effort they had put into school life.
The inspirational guest speaker was Collingwood resident Pete Watkins, who talked about his gritty upbringing in Birmingham and in hard-nosed London. Coming 27th in a class of 28 “woke up his ideas”, and after a surprise move to the English coastal countryside, he found in his senior student years that he naturally excelled at things he enjoyed. Seizing a succession of opportunities, he quickly climbed the corporate ladder to become a top advertising executive, a job he eventually threw in when he stopped enjoying it, and he moved to Collingwood several years ago.
Also finding herself in Collingwood this year because of the Christchurch earthquake was Y13 student Madison van Staden, who took away the night’s hotly contended award of CAS Dux. The former Christchurch Girls’ pupil came up to live in Collingwood with her mother Jean after the second earthquake in February. Madison’s father, Chris van Staden, a Professor of Accounting at the University of Canterbury, had to remain there to work. He said the family’s friendship with Kevin and Elda Heyward (CAS’s art teacher) at Collingwood was the main reason they chose CAS as the place where Madison could complete her secondary schooling.
“Madison really developed at Collingwood,” says Chris, “She challenged herself to things she probably wouldn’t have done in Christchurch.”
Once Madison’s last exams are over, the family, who immigrated from South Africa to New Zealand 13 years ago, intend to spend the summer together in Mapua before Madison goes off to explore further studies that will likely include arts and music.
Commented John Garner: “Madison largely followed an arts programme but showed herself to be thorough in her approach to her studies in all subjects. Her winning combination was that she was both hard-working and determined to succeed.”
Gerard Hindmarsh
Collingwood Area School Prize Giving 2011
Service to School Awards. William Barham: Student Council. Cameron McLellan: Whanau Captain. Louise Nalder: Whanau Captain. Phoebe Zeller: Student Council. Brianna Davis: Whanau Captain, Student Contact. Ryan McKay: Whanau Captain. Caitlin McLellan: Student Contact. Rory McMahon: Whanau Captain. Talia Menary: Student Contact, Whanau Captain, Student Council, Bus Monitor, BOT Student Representative. Amy Robinson: Student Contact. Quinn van Hilst: Bus Monitor. Anna Barham: Student Contact, Student Council, Bus Monitor, Head Girl, 40 Hour Famine Coordinator,SADD Coordinator, BOT Student Rep. Aiden Bettridge: Student Contact, Bus Monitor. Racheal Boult: Student Contact, Whanau Captain, Student Council, Bus Monitor, 40 Hour,Famine Coordinator. Head Girl. Max Thorby: Whanau Captain. Stephen Watson: Student Contact, Student Council, Bus Monitor, Head Boy.
NCEA Level 1 Awards. Year11 Network Tasman Science Award, Stacey Forbes; Year 11 Network Tasman Science Award, Phoebe Zeller; 3rd Visual Arts, Cameron McLellan; 3rd Computing 3rd= Social Studies, Lucy Swafford; 3rd= Social Studies, 2nd BCITO Building, Stacy Forbes; 3rd Physical Education and Science 1st Photography, Louise Nalder; 2nd Physical Education, 1st Technology, William Barham; 2nd Visual Arts and Science 1st= Mathematics, Emma Anzolin; 2nd English and Social Studies, 3rd Overall NCEA level 1, Daniel Lines; 3rd English and Mathematics, 2nd Technology and Computing, 1st BCITO Building and Physical Education, 2nd Overall NCEA Level 1, Liam Miller; 1st = Mathematics, 1st English, Science, Visual Arts, Social Studies and Computing and 1st Overall NCEA Level 1, Phoebe Zeller.
NCEA Level 2 Awards. Year 12 Network Tasman Science Award, Quinn van Hilst; Year 12 Network Tasman Science Award, Talia Menary; 2nd Photography, Shannon McCleely; 3rd Biology, Esther Westrupp; 3rd Visual Arts, Amy Robinson; 1st Technology, Max Thorby; 2nd Technology, Science, Ryan McKay; 2nd Computing, Thomas Gillooly; 3rd Food Technolgy, 2nd Visual Arts, English, Caitlin Mclellan; 1st English, Daniel Lines; 3rd Outdoor Education, 2nd Chemistry, 2nd Mathematics, Rory McMahon; 3rd Mathematics, 2nd Outdoor Educ, 1st Visual Arts, 1st Food Technology, 3rd Overall NCEA Level 2, Brianna Davis; 3rd Chemistry, 2nd Food Technology, Biology, 2nd Overall NCEA Level 2 Talia Menary; 3rd English, 1st in Mathematics, Biology, Chemistry, Science, Computing, Physics, 1st Overall NCEA Level 2, Quinn van Hilst.
Special Awards. Award for Achievement in Gateway Study, Caitlin McLellan; Lowen Cup for Contribution to Performing Arts, Daniel Lines; Visual Arts Trophy, Madison van Staden; Riley Cup for Dedication in Social Studies, Anna Barham; Most Co-operative Senior Form Pupil, Stephen Watson; Colin Baas Memorial Cup for Personal Achievement and Dedication to Sport, Anna Barham; Most Improved Year 12, Caitlin McLellan; Most Improved Year 13, Max Thorby; Most Improved Year 11 and Lions Prize for Overall Most Improved yr11-13 student, Cameron McLellan; Most Consistent Academic Achievement Year 11, Emma Anzolin; Most Consistent Academic Achievement Year 12, Caitlin McLellan; Most Consistent Academic Achievement Year 13 and Golden Bay Coachlines Prize for Overall Most Consistent Academic Achievement yr11-13, Stephen Watson; Board of Trustees Leadership Award, Anna Barham.
NCEA Level 3 Awards. Year 13 Network Tasman Science Award, Stephen Watson; Year 13 Network Tasman Science Award, Madison van Hilst; 1st Computing, Rory McMahon; 3rd English 1st Tourism, Esther Westrupp; 2nd Physics, 3rd Chemistry and Tourism, Aiden Bettridge; 2nd Statistics, Tourism and Biology, Racheal Boult; 3rd Biology and Physics, 3rd= Statistics, 2nd English, Calculus, Science and Chemistry, Robert Pearce; 3= Statistics, 1st Calculus, Science, Chemistry and Physics and 3rd Overall NCEA Level 3, Stephen Watson; 2nd Computing, 1st History, Outdoor Education, Legal Studies and English 2nd Overall NCEA Level 3 and Nelson Mail – Network Tasman Top Student 2011, Anna Barham; 1st Art History, Painting, Photography, Biology and Statistics and 1st Overall NCEA Level 3 and Collingwood Area School Dux 2011, Madison van Staden.
