Ashburton College’s new head students are head boy and girl Henry Chapman and Poppy Kilworth (centre), with deputies Kyle Cabangun and Maria Costas. Photo Susan SandysAshburton College’s new head students have a wide range of interests, but have the same goal when it comes to leading the school next year.

Head boy Henry Chapman, head girl Poppy Kilworth, deputy head boy Kyle Cabangun, and deputy head girl Maria Costas, all aged 16, say they want to build on both the hard work done by their forebears and the school’s positive image.

“We are really keen to build on what we have got, and add our own spin to it,” Poppy said.

Henry said he was looking forward to working together with his fellow leaders, and the group are planning a brainstorming session to come up with goals.

“Just being able to take on all the opportunities that are thrown at us as well, being in this position is super cool,” Poppy added.

Henry is interested in fitness and plans to study mechanical engineering once he leaves school.

His strong interest in the latter has recently seen him join with a friend to build a motorised and mobile couch, complete with steering wheel.

Poppy is a keen dancer and netballer, and was a member of the school’s senior A team this year.

She said she kept changing her mind with regard to what she would study, but would probably go to Otago University and do health sciences.

Kyle will go for his karate black belt next month. He is also a keen photographer and plans to study photography or graphic design upon leaving school.

Maria is an Ashburton Cadet Unit sergeant and Ashburton Youth Council secretary. She thinks she may study something within the realm of medical science.

The four students were overjoyed to be announced as the new head students at the college’s Year 12 prizegiving on Monday night.

They had to go through a rigorous selection process, first of all being among more than 20 Year 12 pupils who self-nominated and were subject to a vote from fellow Year 12 pupils and teachers.

The shortlisted candidates gave a speech in front of the whole school, for everyone to vote on, and were interviewed by a senior management panel, before being selected based on both the interviews and election results.

By Susan Sandys © The Ashburton Guardian - 6 November 2019

Ashburton College’s Angus Jemmett is one of three new faces in the Mid Canterbury cricket team for this weekend’s annual clash with South Canterbury. Photo Robyn HoodThree young cricketers will make their Mid Canterbury senior debuts in this weekend’s annual Ron Biggar Memorial Trophy clash with South Canterbury in Timaru.

Angus Jemmett, Tom Middleton and Devon Flannery are the three new faces in a Mid Canterbury team that will head to Aorangi Oval with a bit of confidence, hopeful that their blend of youth and experience will get the job done.

One player who won’t be there though, is Matt Winter.

The past captain and wicket keeper is focusing on coaching rugby sevens at the moment, so is unavailable, and while Mid Canterbury coach Garfield Charles said Winter will be missed, he has confidence in the 12 players selected for the first game.

James Southby will take over the captaincy while William Southby will don the keeping gloves, and Charles said all 12 players will feature in some way tomorrow due to different rules pre-season.

“You bat 11 and you bowl 11, but all 12 can play,” Charles said.

This season is a bit different for Mid Canterbury, with Mid Canterbury Cricket’s Saturday afternoon senior cricket grade no more, two teams playing in the Canterbury Country senior grade, and the rest playing in a mid-week shortened version of the game, which will start next week.

“What it has made harder is the fact that the local guys that we are picking from are mainly playing T20 cricket, and we’ve got to pick guys to play two days,” Charles said.

Also making Mid Canterbury’s life harder this year will be the fact that, due to its unpredictability, the pitch at the Ashburton Domain oval is being redone, putting it out of action for the summer.

So Mid Canterbury’s home Hawke Cup games this season will be played at Timaru’s Aorangi Oval – the venue for tomorrow’s game – and while they’ll have to travel, they’ll at least have consistency, Charles said.

Mid Canterbury’s Hawke Cup campaign for 2019/20 will begin in Timaru against South Canterbury on December 7 and 8, and Charles said he’s excited to see what his side is potentially capable of this season.

“We might be short on bowlers.

“We’ve got Richard (Turpie) and Deon (Biggs) playing, and Jay Houston, but a lot of the bowlers are out injured or unavailable,” Charles said.

“So we might be short of a gallop, but Tom Middleton is a useful addition, and so is Angus Jemmett.”

Middleton is a strong opening bowler, while Jemmett is a handy off-spin option and along with Flannery, the three youngsters will be keen to make the most of the opportunity they’ve been given.

Mid Canterbury is without the services of three other potential young players this weekend, in the form of Archie Redfern, Harry McMillan and Ben Innes.

The three locals all attend school in Christchurch, where Redfern’s Christchurch Boys’ High School side is this weekend up against Innes and McMillan’s St Andrews College team in a Gillette Cup semi-final.

They’re likely to come into the mix as the season goes on, though, and Charles is hopeful there will be real competition for spots as the season progresses.

After tomorrow’s game – which gets under way at 10.30am – Mid Canterbury will head to Rangiora to play Canterbury Country in another pre-season match next weekend.

The Mid Canterbury team is:

Deon Biggs, Devon Flannery, Nick Gilbert, Bo Houston, Jay Houston, Angus Jemmett, Des Kruger, Tom Middleton, Tom Ravenscroft, James Southby, William Southby, Richard Turpie.

By Erin Tasker © The Ashburton Guardian - 1 November 2019

Ross Preece.For more than 150 students Thursday night marked the end of their school days and the beginning of the next phase of their lives.

As those students accepted awards, scholarships and prizes during the Ashburton College Year 13 prizegiving ceremony, words of wisdom were delivered by staff and guest speakers, but the evening was all about the students.

The end of year ceremony was an opportunity for students to look back at what they had achieved over the past five years of their secondary education, principal Ross Preece said.

“For some of you, this is your last day of school, you will now be adults in the real world,” he said.

All students, where ever they went in life, would go with their package of Ashburton College ‘takeaways’.

That package would include memories and the values that came from living their secondary school years the AshColl way – respect, quality and pride, Preece said.

“When you look back 18 years, in 2001 you embarked on this great adventure called life.

“Now be excited about what lies ahead.”

Guest speaker Shaun Clark, an ex-college student, advised the students to grab the opportunities that life presented.

“It’s about not holding back, backing yourself.

“Often the things worth doing are not easy but you don’t always have to wait until you’ve got it perfect to get out and give it a go,” he said.

He currently owns an Ashburton based physiotherapy practice but prior to returning to his home town he worked at the Australian Academy of Sport.

An offer of a job in Papua New Guinea became the springboard for several projects that saw Clark travel as a physio with the PNG team during the Commonwealth Games in Scotland and with the PNG sevens team.

“Those opportunities came because I volunteered, put myself forward,” Clark said.

The same qualities that opened those opportunities up were equally valid when it came to establishing his own business, he said.

“Believe in yourself, don’t be afraid. You can’t succeed if you don’t try, you can want it to happen, wish it would happen, but only you can make it happen.”

Deputy principal Ron Cresswell told the students that they were now on a journey that would be their own unique path through life.

“As you go always remember where you’ve come from and the people who helped you along the way.

“Remember your roots and be proud of them,” he said.

He also paid tribute to three long serving members of the college staff who would leave at the end of the school year.

Mark Gleeson came to the college as a fresh graduate 49 years ago, Brenda Beach who has run the school canteen for 24 years and Nola Smitheram who had achieved 35 years and five months as part of the college’s administration team.

By Sue Newman © The Ashburton Guardian - 2 November 2019