Recreation

Life at Garin College extends beyond the classroom. We provide a large number of sports, clubs and lessons, and for students interested in activities not available at Garin, we facilitate participation externally. We also offer a range of activities throughout the year like camps, international sports days, dinners and dances, ensuring a vibrant and dynamic environment for our students.

Our Core Philosophy

From the beginning, Garin College has committed to providing a diverse range of extra-curricular activities. We value the contributions our international students make to our arts, sports and journey programme. We encourage our students to participate as a means to further enhance their experience of life in New Zealand. Participating in extra-curricular activities also serves to enhance learning and bolster connections within the Garin College community.

Our international team is committed to helping students plan their activities carefully so they don’t take on too much, and we make sure they choose activities that are fun and fulfilling. Our approach to student participation centres on fostering personal growth through the values of self-belief, commitment and effort.

Journey Programme

“The Journey” is an integral, school-wide program spanning five years, set amidst the stunning natural landscapes of the Nelson-Tasman region.

The Journey program was created to offer students a meaningful outdoor experience to challenge them both personally and spiritually. It integrates Outdoor Education with Spiritual Reflection, embodying our school’s distinctive values and special character.

This program is mandatory for all students, including our international students, whom we fully support in participation.

 

Garin College Sports

Garin encourages all international students to participate in sports activities and our teams consistently perform well, both regionally and nationally.

Summer Sports (Term one and term four)

• Cricket
• Volleyball
• Touch Rugby
• Summer Football
• Rugby Sevens
• Adventure Racing
• Rowing
• Softball
• Sailing
• Tennis (offered through local clubs)

Winter Sports (Term two and term three)

• Football
• Rugby Union
• Netball
• Hockey
• Basketball

Annual Sporting Events (once per year)

• Cross-Country (Term 2)
• Sports Exchange with other local schools – Queen Charlotte College & Golden Bay (both in Term 2)
• Skiing Championships (Term 3)
• Table Tennis (Term 2)
• Swimming Championships (Term 2)
• Mountain Biking Championships (Term 1)
• Winter Sports Tournament Week (Term 2)

There is a wide variety of clubs and lessons available in and out of school. For any students who wish to participate in sports not offered at Garin, we can organise this for them. Homestay families and hostel staff transport students to many after school activities. At present we have students participating in volleyball, archery, hockey, badminton, netball, football, softball, cycling and sailing.

Clubs, groups and tuition outside of school can be found on found.org.nz.

Sports Clubs available in Richmond:

 

Sports Clubs at Garin College:

 

 

Garin College Arts

The Nelson region is famous for nurturing the arts, with a rich culture of artisans choosing to live and work in the area. Garin College is proud to offer a full range of courses in both the visual and performing arts.

Our curriculum includes courses in dance and drama, with a focus on performing and devising skills, group co-operation and participation, and art courses that develop student skills in design, painting, photography, sculpture and printmaking. Garin is one of only a handful of schools offering dance as a subject.

Garin holds an arts festival every year in which students have the opportunity to participate in activities including drama, singing, music, speech, poetry and comedy.

Music lessons are provided for Year 9 students with the instrument of their choice for free.

Club Garin Arts

Club Garin Arts begins each year with a Cultural Expo Evening where students are introduced to arts culture and activities.

Present arts activities include choirs, ensemble music groups, musical instrument tutoring, Wow Quest, Stage Challenge, Kapa Haka, O’Shea Shield, Shakespeare, theatre sports, improvisation, dance classes and our school Arts Festival – Mahi Toi.

 

International Camps, Trips and Activities

One of the special features of our programme is the international student trips we offer in the school holidays, twice each year. These camps are organised by the students and supervised by our international staff.

 

We have been to Golden Bay, Wellington (capital of NZ), Kaikōura, Hamner Springs and the Marlborough Sounds. Our students have a great experience and lots of fun doing activities such as kayaking, fishing, bonfires on the beach, swimming and exploring the environment as well as just “hanging out” together.  

We all take turns in cooking and share our meals together. This is also special time for our international team and the students to relax and get to know each other better outside of the more formal school environment. For some of our students this is the first time they have stayed in accommodation only a few metres from the beach and cooked together for other people. It is an enjoyable experience for everyone.

International Events

Twice a year, international students at our school have the opportunity to participate in our International Dances. These gatherings, co-hosted with other secondary schools in the region, are all about celebrating our wonderful cultural diversity and the friendships that come with it. Each school takes turns hosting these events, and students are encouraged to participate in planning for the event.

For our international students, the dances represent more than just an evening of entertainment. They are a chance to step outside their comfort zones, engage with peers from different backgrounds, and build a supportive community. These events foster a sense of belonging and help students develop social skills that are essential for their personal growth.

We also host many other gatherings for our international students, such as bi-annual Homestay Family Get-togethers, including a Homestay Barbecue at the Beach in term one, as well as regular international student dinners.

Please visit our Facebook and Instagram pages to view our photos and stay up-to-date with our ongoing events.