Verdon College

Verdon College is a co-educational Roman Catholic high school in Invercargill, New Zealand, teaching students from year 7 to 13 (ages 11–18). The college is named after Bishop Michael Verdon (1838–1918) who was the second Catholic Bishop of Dunedin (1896–1918). It has the highest rate of achievement in NCEA results for secondary schools in Invercargill city. In 2014 91.5% of Year 11 students achieved NCEA Level 1, 95.5% of Year 12 students achieved NCEA Level 2 and 78% of Year 13 students achieved NCEA Level 3. (roll based statistics)

History

Verdon College is a co-educational Catholic secondary school, created after an amalgamation in 1981 of Saint Catherine's College (single-sex high school for girls operated by the Dominican Sisters) and Marist College (single-sex high school for boys operated by the Marist Brothers). The Marist College site (which became Verdon College) was built on former farmland at the eastern boundary of Invercargill and the new combined Catholic high school was named after Bishop Verdon. Since the schools growth parts of the school are located on what used to be Cargill High and Te Wharekura O Arowhenua.

Bishop Verdon Block

In the mid-2000s, Verdon college acquired a gymnasium and a full-sized S68 design classroom block on the site of the former Cargill High School. A multimillion-dollar refurbishment of the acquired classroom block was completed in 2008 and named the Bishop Verdon Block, mainly for the year seven and eight students. It also contains two computer suites, a library, science laboratories and a study atrium.^[3]

Roll

The College has a current roll of 670 students with 51% male and 49% female. The school's ethnic composition contained NZ European/Pākehā 73%, Māori 20%, Pacific Islanders 3%, Other European 2% and Other 2%. It is very diverse.

The College offers a broad range of educational opportunities for student achievement in the areas of sport and culture as well as a diverse academic curriculum. The College's National Certificate of Educational Achievement results are significantly above national averages for achievement of NCEA Level 1, 2 and 3.

Cultural activities

• Bishop's Shield - Interschool debating, scripture reading, public speaking and drama. They compete against the other Catholic schools in the Dunedin Diocese: St. Kevin's, Kavanagh and St. Peters.
• House drama - Interhouse drama competitions are held in three categories: year 7 and 8, 9 and 10, and senior.
• Interhouse haka competitions - Each house performs the school haka for house points.
• Music festival - Students compete in various categories including: senior and junior vocalist, senior and junior instrumental and interhouse choir.
• Production - Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat was performed in 2011.

Sport

• House Athletics Day - Interhouse athletics competition where houses compete for overall points.
• Highlanders First XV Competition - Verdon are one of four Southland schools that compete in the Highlanders First XV competition (the other three are Southland Boys, Gore High and Central Southland College). Since the formation of the competition the College have recorded consecutive upset victories over Waitaki Boys and in the first year of the competition beat St. Kevins for the first time since the school was formed.
• New Zealand Secondary Schools Netball - The Verdon Senior A Netball team are regular participants at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Netball competition and have won the nationwide tournament twice.
• Patronal Day Sports - Interhouse sport competitions where students compete in various sports for house points.
• Sports Interchanges - Verdon hold two senior sport interchanges with St. Kevins and Kavanagh. They also hold a junior interchange with St. Peters.

Notable staff

• Robyn Broughton - Current Verdon Senior A Netball coach and Physical education teacher, former Southern Sting coach. As well as Central Pulse and FastNet Ferns coach.

Notable students

• Dion Bates - Current Southland Stags rugby union player.
• Wendy Frew - Current Southern Steel and Silver Ferns netball player.
• Jess Hamill - New Zealand Paralympics competitor and Commonwealth Games shot put silver medalist.
• Te Huinga Reo Selby-Rickit - Current Southern Steel and FastNet Ferns netball player.
• Tom Scully - Professional cyclist.
• Iona Sipa - Former Southland Stags and New Zealand Secondary Schools rugby union player.
• Douglas Sekone-Fraser - 2009 New Zealand Weightlifting Champion, Silver and Bronze in 2011 for the New Zealand Weightlifting Championships and 16th in the Junior World Championships.^[4]

Notes

Sources