Principal's Foreword

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Tēnā koutou,

We hope you enjoy looking through the first edition of the Old Collegians Newsletter for 2025. You will receive an edition at the end of each term. You can also stay up to date on the college’s Facebook page and on our website.

Firstly, I would like to begin by acknowledging the passing of former Headmaster, Mr Allan Paulin, earlier this week. Mr Paulin served as the 8th Headmaster of John McGlashan College from 1978 to 1995, and his leadership left a lasting impact on the school community.

As many of you will be aware, after nearly 40 years at John McGlashan College Mr Neil Garry retired at the end of 2024. Mr Garry joined John McGlashan in 1986, firstly as a teacher, before becoming head of several departments and Boarding House Manager. He then became Assistant Principal (1997-2001), Deputy Principal (2001-2013), and then Principal for the past 11 years. As a result we have we have had some changes in leadership at the College. Listed below is the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) for Term 1:

• John Veitch – Acting Principal

• Ainslie Anderson – Acting Deputy Principal (NZQA, Principal’s Nominee)

• Tom Casey – Assistant Principal (Pastoral Care, Year 12 & 13 Dean)

• Brendan Porter – Assistant Principal (IB Diploma Coordinator, Curriculum, Reporting, PFA)

All staff would agree that we’ve had a very positive start to the 2025 school year, and spirits are high. Clear expectations of high standards were explained to our boys at the first full school assembly. The focus for the boys this term is ‘Respect,’ which includes respect for themselves, other boys, people in the community, all staff, and our facilities. We started the year by celebrating the Year 12 and 13 boys who were awarded Scholar Awards.

At present, we are placing a real emphasis on academics. While John McGlashan College is well-regarded for its sports and arts accomplishments, it is crucial for us to reassure our community that our primary focus will always remain on academic achievement.

Earlier this term, we announced the full list of prefects for 2025. After careful consideration, the final group of prefects consists of an even mix of six day boys and six boarders. We have high expectations for these students to be strong leaders for the College this year. The four House Captains were named a few weeks later.

In March, we celebrated the opening of our second campus in Te Anau. The campus has been named Te Kūwaha Mātauraka, which means "the pathway to knowledge" or "the pathway to learning". We have already had six McGlashan camps visit Te Anau this year, with another six scheduled for later this year. Many other schools have also booked in for their camp experiences.

Most Old Boys may not be aware that our second campus in Te Anau is available for group bookings by our school community. It is a wonderful venue for family retreats, anniversaries, or even weddings. Please see the advertisement below for further details about this valuable opportunity for McGlashan families.

A group of us had the opportunity to represent the College at the Omakau and Wanaka Shows once again this year. These are fantastic occasions to reconnect with current parents, alumni from various generations, and meet prospective families. We also had successful country visits to Ranfurly, Alexandra, Wanaka, and Gore. The John McGlashan name continues to resonate strongly throughout the South Island.

At one assembly this term, we inducted two new members into the Distinguished Old Collegians Society: Lars Humer, celebrated for his achievements in swimming, and Colin Brown, former Young Farmer of the Year.

The big news at the end of this term was that our JMC theatre group won the SGCNZ Otago Regional Shakespeare Festival with their 15-minute performance of The Taming of the Shrew, reimagined with a Barbie theme. Scroll down to learn more about their outstanding efforts and how they are now preparing for the National Finals in Wellington.

As we head into the school holidays, we wish everyone a safe and restful Easter break and we look forward to an action-packed Term 2.

Kā mihi,

John Veitch

Acting Principal