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New Rangi Ruru Girls' School Principal Finds Family Link

Thursday 21 January 2016, 11:40AM

By RedPR

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New Rangi Ruru Girls' School Principal Dr Sandra Hastie
New Rangi Ruru Girls' School Principal Dr Sandra Hastie Credit: Rangi Ruru Girls' School
The Gibson sisters C. 1890
The Gibson sisters C. 1890 Credit: Hugh Rutherford

CHRISTCHURCH

A previously unknown family link has been discovered by the new Principal of Rangi Ruru Girls’ School in Christchurch.

Highly respected educationalist Dr Sandra Hastie, who started at the leading girls’ school last Monday, was already aware of several relatives having attended Rangi Ruru however one was news to her.

“I was looking for information about my mother-in-law, two cousins and an aunt who I knew attended the school, when I saw a name that was very familiar to me. My grandmother Janet Doris Rollo was a student here in 1917, making her a ‘Gibson Girl’, which for me was a wonderful piece of unknown history to uncover,” she says.

Rangi Ruru was founded in 1889 by Miss Helen Gibson, and was administered by her and her sisters for nearly 60 years. The Gibson sisters; Mary, Beatrice, Helen, Alice, Lucy, Ethel, Ruth and Winifred all helped in some way with the running of the school. The students who went to Rangi Ruru while it was run by the sisters, are known as ‘Gibson Girls’.

Dr Hastie’s links with Christchurch go beyond the direct links with Rangi Ruru via relatives being ‘old girls’. She attended the Christchurch College of Education and Canterbury University and met her Christchurch born husband here (to whom she has been married for 28 years).

“The new growth and energy in Christchurch are palpable. It’s like a new heartbeat has been set and I feel totally invigorated by this great city and the amazing opportunities out there for all of us,” she says.

Describing her new role at as her “dream job”, Dr Sandra Hastie says she has always wanted to be the principal at Rangi Ruru.

“I have watched and followed the school for many years, knowing I wanted to be here one day. There’s a rich history at Rangi Ruru which has a strong reputation for growing great, happy young women, who leave school with a strong sense of belonging. You just have to walk into the Te Koraha (main administration building) to feel how peaceful and welcoming it is here,” she says.

Dr Hastie says she has only had her feet under her new desk for five minutes so is still taking time to meet staff, get to know the campus and settle in. However, she has some exciting ideas and looks forward to developing them with the school community and teaching team.

“I know how highly regarded Rangi Ruru is in the New Zealand education sector and further afield. At the heart of everything we do is providing the best teaching and learning for our girls, and that won’t change,” she says.

Students start back for the year on Wednesday January 27th and a Powhiri will be held at 10.30am to welcome all new staff and students. (potential photo opportunity)

ENDS

 

 

 

Dr Sandra Hastie: Background

Dr Hastie began her career within the education sector 29 years ago and for 24 of those years has held senior leadership roles in both state and independent schools. In 1995, she was appointed Dean of the Senior School at Saint Kentigern Boys’ School in Auckland and in 1999 applied for and was appointed in the role of Deputy Principal, a position that she held until 2010. 

In 2010 she was appointed as Principal of Saint Kentigern Girls’ School with responsibility for growing the roll and establishing the first Saint Kentigern Pre-School. At this time, she was also appointed as Head of Primary for both Saint Kentigern Schools to provide strategic and curriculum leadership, a role that she held until the end of her 19-year tenure in the Saint Kentigern environment.

Dr Hastie returned from the UK where she had been in the role of Headmistress of Tavistock and Summerhill Preparatory School.

 

About Rangi Ruru Girls’ School:

Rangi Ruru Girls’ School is an independent (private) school for day and boarding students in Years 7-13 (ages 11-17), located in Merivale in Christchurch.

Rangi Ruru is 127 years old and yet the school has been able to plan, design and implement a student centred learning environment, using the latest design and “fit out”, focused totally on creating the best educational environment for the next 100 years. Since the Christchurch earthquakes, Rangi Ruru has restored two buildings, and designed and built four new buildings, the latest, the Performing Arts building, opened in June 2015.

Rangi Ruru has a long and distinguished history in the education of young women. In 1889, Helen Gibson founded Rangi Ruru with the intention of creating a school where girls were nurtured and challenged and where a wide range of opportunities was available to them. More than one hundred years on, Rangi Ruru builds on the Gibson sisters’ dream. It has firmly established itself as a setting where girls can pursue their individual goals in a supportive and challenging educational environment.

Every year Rangi Ruru is placed in the top New Zealand schools for a wide range of Academic, Sporting, Creative and Cultural activities, competitions and events; with more than 90% of Rangi Ruru students going on to further tertiary study in New Zealand and overseas.

www.rangiruru.school.nz