OSA Chair, Shaun Edmeston with Travis MacLachlan, the OSA President

 Message from the OSA Chair

Dear Alumni

Welcome back, Happy New year and may I take this opportunity to wish you and your families all the best for 2013. So what does the New Year hold for us? In March, we will be hosting a dinner in London on either the 22^nd or 23^rd for all Alumni who can attend, details of the dinner will be coming out shortly, but if you are interested in coming please send your details through to Susannah at alumni@stithian.com. The annual Easter Sports Festival takes place over Easter from 28 March to 1 April. As usual we will be playing a 7’s match before the main game on the Saturday, this year against St Andrews, and are always looking for players to get involved. If you would like to play, please send a mail to Christian Ashcroft at ashcroftchristian@gmail.com  and he will coordinate the team for the day.

Once again, St Stithians produced another set of great results in the matric finals and I would like to say congratulations to all the new members of our Alumni and all the best for your studies this year.

As you would have heard last year, we launched our Old Stithian Trust which focuses on being able to fund projects on the campus, provide bursaries to excellent candidates, as well as offer funding to Alumni who may have fallen on hard times, whilst their children are attending school at Saints. We have had a good response so far but we need more people to get involved, even if it is just R100 per month, it could make a huge difference in someone’s life or help to improve the facilities at our great school.  There is  more detail later in the letter so please take the time to think about how you can be part of making a difference at St Stithians College. If you would like any further information regarding the Trust, please feel free to contact me at any time.

At the end of last year we managed to negotiate a discount for the Alumni for a new training program in Johannesburg to help shake off the festive season. As a member of the Alumni, you get a discount to join the Get Fit Jozi Challenge for their 12 week challenge, which could see you win R10 000 as the most improved during the challenge. If you are interested please get in touch with Lesley at Lesley@getfitchallenge.co.za. 

Finally, we will be launching our new menu at Higher Ground, which comes with a range of new meals and a new, lower, pricing. Many of you wrote to me last year with regards to the menu and the prices and we have made sure they have come down. You will get more information soon about when the menu will be launched. You will also get more information regarding the membership cards which will be launched in the next few months, which will entitle members to discounts at the Higher Ground.

I look forward to see you soon

Shaun Edmeston

Old Stithian Association Chair

Shaun@youcalled.co.za                            

082 468 1445

APPOINTMENT OF NEW RECTOR

Dear Alumni

Following a rigorous selection process, the nomination for the new Rector of St Stithians College was unanimously approved by the St Stithians College Council on Friday 1 February 2013. It gives us great pleasure to announce that Dr Tim Nuttall has been appointed as the new Rector. He will take up the position on 01 August 2013. The current Rector, Mr Stephen Lowry, leaves office in June to become the new Head of Waterford Kamhlaba United World College in Swaziland. Suitable thanks and farewells for Mr Lowry's excellent contribution will follow at the appropriate time.

Dr Nuttall will join St Stithians from Somerset College, in the Western Cape, where he is currently Head of the Senior School.

An Oxford graduate and Rhodes Scholar, his career in education spans 24 years. He was a History lecturer and associate professor at the University of Natal in Pietermaritzburg before becoming Senior Deputy Headmaster at St Andrew's College in Grahamstown. Here he gained valuable experience in the challenges and complexities of the co-ordinate model of education.

During 2009 and 2010 he spent time in Kenya and Germany, working on an international schools initiative, and in South Africa with the Historic Schools Restoration Project, a project designed to restore and revive the once famous rural mission schools.

Dr Nuttall has wide-ranging experience of educational leadership and management. He has actively fostered school partnerships across the divides in our society, and looks forward to promoting existing and new initiatives at St Stithians. He is a committed South African educationalist, interested in fostering links elsewhere in Africa.

Tim believes strongly in the value of holistic education, one which combines the classroom with culture, sport, outdoor education and community service. This emphasis on holistic education leads to the development of character, confidence, citizenship, multiple intelligence and leadership. As a lifelong learner, a Christian, and with a vision of excellence in education, Tim promotes the growth and development of the whole person. He believes strongly in an inclusive educational environment, where individual strengths can be encouraged and nurtured. There is strong synergy between this personal vision and the educational offering of St Stithians.

Background

Tim was born in the Eastern Cape and was educated at St Andrew's, Grahamstown. He attended the University of Natal where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts degree, his Higher Diploma in Education as well as an Honours degree majoring in History. He went on to Oxford University where he first studied for a PPE (Philosophy, Politics and Economics) and then was awarded his PhD in Modern History.

Tim is married to Margie who works as a research librarian. They have two children, Joshua (19) and Lalage (14). Tim enjoys physical exercise, particularly mountain biking, surf paddling and social golf. He has recently completed two Cape Argus Cycle Tours. His other interests include DIY projects, gardening and reading.

Selection

The selection panel was impressed by Tim as a man of great intellect, firm beliefs and personal integrity. The panel felt his greatest strength is his immense passion for, and deep knowledge of, education. He is a quiet-spoken character, with a strong personality. Tim has a participative and consultative style of leadership, and feedback from colleagues reveals that he is someone who is well respected by superiors, subordinates, colleagues, students and parents.

After an intensive selection process, which started with over 60 applicants, the selection panel whittled these down to 8, then to four and finally to the successful candidate. All key stakeholders were involved throughout the process and join us in offering Tim and his family a warm welcome as we continue to achieve our vision of being "A South African School Making a World of Difference".

Nick Dennis                                                                            Carel Nolte

Chairman                                                                                Chairman Elect

04 February 2013