At the time of writing this article - in two weeks and two further sleeps, I will have taught my last class of students at Ashburton College. After 41 years teaching at Ashburton College, I am retiring. One of four long serving staff retiring from Ashburton College, my situation is somewhat different from the other three, as I was a first day pupil of Ashburton College following the amalgamation of Hakatere College and Ashburton High School at the end of 1964. I guess to us as third formers, it was no different to any student moving to a new school to begin their secondary education. But for the teaching staff, it must have been a crazy experience. For six years, the school was located on the two sites – the Cameron Street site where the police station is currently located, the former Hakatere College was home to the Junior School – Forms 3 and 4 (Years 9 and 10), the Senior School – Forms 5, 6 and 7 (Years 11, 12 and 13) was on Grey Street, the current site of the Ashburton Intermediate School. Imagine this. You are employed as a teacher at Ashburton College. There are seven 40 minute periods in the day. You are teaching at the Senior School in Period 1 and your Period 2 class is at the Junior School. The bell rings for the end of Period 1 but the vehicle supplied by the Department of Education cannot depart the Senior School until the last member of staff was on board. There were times when teachers were 15-20 minutes late to class – for a 40-minute period! As students, we thought nothing of it. The story goes that the late Mr Bill Hayward, a teacher of Mathematics was driving one of the vehicles (past it’s used by date), down Cass Street – both hands on the steering wheel when the wheel became detached from the steering column! We laugh about it now, but how would it have been viewed with today’s OSH regulations.

I have pleasant memories of those days. I was made a Monitor in 1966 - a Junior School Prefect, and a Senior School Prefect in my last year – 1969. I was not strong academically, but I excelled at sport. Sport can open doors for young people, something I have always emphasised to my students. I competed in the 1974 Commonwealth Games (known then as the British Commonwealth Games). I was primary trained, but two years later, I was appointed as a PE teacher at Ashburton College and ten years later, Head of Department. In 1998, I was appointed Head of Faculty – a position I have held to this day. I am proud of the fact I was the athletics champion in all five years I attended Ashburton College and set records in all grades, three of which still stand – the Senior Boys 100, 200m and Long Jump. It is important to note that records were not created from scratch following the amalgamation, but rather the best performance of the two schools became the Ashburton College record. My 200m Senior Boys record bettered the time set by Owen Croy in 1925. Owen was a student at the Ashburton Technical School. Hakatere College was previous named Ashburton Technical School. For three years I was a member of the Ashburton College 1st XV and in one season, I was the top MCRU point scorer. I was the team’s goal kicker, but as a winger, I could also run! In 1970, I began my three years of teacher training at Christchurch Teachers College. I was on a studentship, which meant I was paid a salary, small that it was, and had to give back three years of teaching service on completion of my training. Having completed that stint in Christchurch, I was then on my own. The 1975 October 1 Gazette had six PE vacancies listed – five in the North Island and just one in the South. It happened to be Ashburton College – my old school. I had no intention of going back to Ashburton, but I had little choice. I promised myself I would stay two years. That was 41 years ago! I have no regrets. I have enjoyed my 41 years at Ashburton College. As stated above, I was promoted to a middle management role and am satisfied with my achievements. I am proud to say I have coached nine Ashburton College athletes to individual national titles as well as eight relay teams to national honours. In 2011, Ashburton College hosted the NZSS Cross Country Championships. I was chairman of the organising committee. The six senior members of my department average in excess of 30 years of teaching service at Ashburton College alone. I would like to think my management style in some way contributed to their decision to stay. I wonder how many of them also saw this as a two year stay? I wish the Ashburton College Alumni every success. What a great way for past pupils to keep in contact and to be kept informed of future developments at Ashburton College
 
Cheers
Trevor Cochrane

I accepted a teaching position, by telegram, at Ashburton College in October 1974. I grew a bushy beard to try to make me look older than the senior students. Forty plus years later it is time for me to take my leave.

Over the years I have taught a range of subjects and apart from PE, they have all been in the Social science area. Social Studies, Geography and Tourism have been my major subjects but I have also taught Year 12 Economics, Year 12 Law and Year 11 History.

I did not expect to stay at Ashburton College for this length of time. Indeed I thought two years at Ashburton was to be my likely time. I did try to leave in 1990 when I was granted Leave Of Absence for one year. I taught at an excellent English secondary school in North Wiltshire. It was my sons in particular who wanted to return to Ashburton where the prospects of a bigger house and the ease of playing many sports were attractive for them.

I have gained a great deal of satisfaction from my involvement in sport at Ashburton College. I coached the College1st XV rugby y between 1976 and 2010 and often two or three other teams during the season. I coached the Hanan Shield secondary schools rugby team against the touring England side. During my time the College 1st XV made six tours to eastern Australia. Other sporting highlights were playing in the staff indoor and twilight cricket teams.

I gradually received some promotions and by 1996 I was head of the Social Studies Department, the Geography Department, the Tourism Department and I was Head of the Social Science faculty. I am lucky to have worked with many spectacular colleagues in these departments. I served as a Dean for 12 years and I spent two six month stints as Deputy Principal in the early 2000s. But my heart was in the classroom.

Since the mid 1980s I have taken many Year 13 Geography groups to Kaikoura to undertake field work. I have walked around that peninsula countless times! Other field trip sites have been Rakaia Gorge and Mt Cook. The Geography Department was also involved in Unit Standard and Achievement Standard trials in the early days of NCEA.

I represented New Zealand as a member of the AFS/Asia 2000 educators programme to Indonesia in 1997. I was also fortunate to spend two weeks in Japan as the guest of the Fukushima prefecture.

I have a very strong allegiance to Red House which has been successful in the last two years. Two of my sons were Red House leaders and I certainly don’t apologise for my biased appreciation of the wonders of Red house performances.

Why am I still here forty two years later? The answer is the quality of Ashburton College, its staff and its students and the wonderful community of Ashburton – big enough to have wonderful facilities yet small enough to still keep a sense of community.

Peter Fougere

I thoroughly endorse the establishment of an Ashburton College Alumni and thank those taking the initiative to facilitate this decision.
Ashburton College offered me the environment to explore a range of life skill opportunities and through them, to establish friendships I have valued for a lifetime. These were “very good years”.

While having attended the College for just my final two years of secondary school, the time spent in Ashburton linked me back to my South Island family heritage. I remain forever grateful to the College Principal of the time Mr Dave Thurlow, teachers- particularly Mr Laurie Davies, Mr Alan Packman, Mr Jess Sutherland and the mentors that opened my mind to future possibilities.

As an organiser of over 50 major concerts and outdoor events, I have learnt that the concept of “TOGETHER IS BEST” always provides for the best outcome.

It is exciting to read that the newly appointed Ashburton College Principal, Mr Ross Preece has stated that his style will be “INCLUSIVE”- surely the very best way to lead the College into a rewarding future. I shall not only continue to take an interest in the activities of Ashburton College, but look forward to reminiscing the “good old days” with past pupils through the Alumni.

Ian Edward    QSM
Head Boy 1967