WHS Newsletter | Issue 1.09 | 28 March 2025

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of week 9, which though it has been a bit shorter for those celebrating Otago Anniversary Day, our students involved in Summer Tournament Week and/or preparing for next week’s Musical have been all go! 

Preparations for this year’s school Musical - Mamma Mia! Began late last year, and with the pack-in day today and only a handful of tickets remaining, the anticipation is high for what will surely be another spectacular showcase of the talent that is grown and developed at Wakatipu High School. My congratulations to all the students, teachers and supporters of this amazing opportunity and I look forward to seeing many of you at the shows next week. 

As previously mentioned, this week has been an incredible culmination of our summer sports season, with our student-athletes delivering remarkable performances. Our senior mixed touch team earned a commendable Bronze at the SISS Touch champs and our boys 1st XI cricket team beat Otago Boys in the semis at the 1st XI Cup to set up a championship match with Southland Boys. Our Waka Ama crew won Bronze in the Girls W12 250m Final, and our Senior A Girls Volleyball team placed second in Div 6 at Nationals in Palmerston North. Additionally, Sophie Eade and Georgia Dee have been selected to represent New Zealand at the U18 World Teams Equestrian Championships in Belgium later this year.

Our rowers have had great success today at the Rowing nationals (Maadi Cup), securing places in 9 A finals and 4 B finals. As of 3:30 PM today, the Boys U17 Double Sculls AND Boys U18 Coxed Quad Sculls teams had both secured gold medals, while Charles Manser delivered an impressive performance, earning a silver medal in the Boys U17 Single Sculls along with being part of the two gold winning crews. Tomorrow's schedule sees our athletes competing in 8 A finals and 4 B finals. Click here for the race schedule. Click here for full results. 

At last Friday’s teacher only day, our staff started to look at our school’s strategic plan and conducted a SWOT analysis. Earlier this week, our students began completing our annual Engagement and Wellbeing Survey (or Student Voice Survey) and have also been given the opportunity to feedback on WHS’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Similarly, we would now like to present all parents/caregivers with the opportunity to complete a SWOT analysis and provide feedback on our school’s vision and values. The form here will be open until the end of the term and we will look to meet up with interested parents/caregivers (as well as students and other stakeholders) early in Term 2 to further advance our 2028 Strategic Plan. 

Once again, a solid newsletter follows, be sure to have a read and I hope to see many of you at next week’s musical.

Ngā mihi nui,

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

Update from Student Leaders

Summer Tournament Week is Underway! The excitement of Summer Tournament Week has kicked off, with over 160 WHS students competing over the next two weeks!

Our Mixed A Touch team had a massive weekend at the South Island Secondary School Champs in Christchurch. Playing eight games in just 26 hours, the tournament was a true test of endurance and skill. The team dominated the pool stage unbeaten, securing the top spot in Pool B. After a strong win against Waimea College, they faced a nail-biting semifinal against Cromwell College, narrowly missing out on a finals spot. However, they made history with WHS’s best-ever finish—third place!

Meanwhile, our WHS rowers are making waves at Maadi! They’re putting in outstanding performances, and we wish them the very best for the races ahead. 

This week, the Year 12 OREC students embarked on their highly anticipated kayaking adventure in Hāwea! Over the course of the year, they’ve been honing essential skills, including wet exits, carving turns, and fairy gliding—tackling both the calm lake waters and the exhilarating rapids beneath the Kawarau Bridge. It’s been an action-packed experience, pushing their skills and confidence to the next level! 

Last week, Violet, Audrey, Oliver, and I attended an Enviroschools hui in Cromwell alongside students from Dunstan High School and Cromwell College. This event was a fantastic opportunity for our enviro leaders to connect with other schools and professionals who are making a meaningful impact in our communities. We gained valuable insights into our local environment and explored ways to create positive change. This year, we look forward to applying what we learned at the hui to our own initiatives for the council and school! Keep an eye out for some changes we’re making, including our awesome new sorting station in Te Kirikiri! 

Join the first autumn planting day for 2025 on Saturday, April 5th! The Whakatipu Reforestation Trust is kicking off the autumn planting season with a community planting day at Whitechapel Reserve on Saturday, April 5th, from 9 AM to 12 PM. This is a fantastic opportunity to connect with others while making a positive impact on our local environment. Everyone is encouraged to stop by and plant a few trees, every effort helps! For more details and to check out upcoming planting dates, visit the Whakatipu Reforestation Trust’s website. 

This week's challenge for the ‘5 Ways in 5 Weeks Challenge’ was encouraging everyone to Be Active! Exercise can improve mood, reduce stress and anxiety, and enhance cognitive function, including memory and concentration. Whether it's a run, walk, swim, or smashing the competition at tournament week, this week was all about getting moving! Let’s keep this energy and momentum up for the rest of the term!

Good luck to everyone heading out on the Duke of Edinburgh tramp this weekend! We can't wait to hear all about your adventures when you return. The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a globally recognised youth achievement program that challenges students aged 14-24 to step outside their comfort zones, develop new skills, give back to the community, and take on exciting outdoor journeys. Best of luck, and have an amazing time exploring! 

Lucy Boniface
Environmental Prefect 

NCEA Literacy and Numeracy Requirements

NZQA have introduced mandatory NCEA reading, writing and numeracy corequisites. These will form part of the NCEA qualification, and no qualification level can be achieved without passing all three of the corequisites.

Year 10 students and their parents/caregivers have received email communications regarding whether or not they have been entered for participation in each of these corequisites. No specific preparation is required, although some students may choose to build additional reading into their daily routines, or perhaps review some of the work covered in their classes to date. 

Senior students (Years 11, 12, and 13) have received an email if they are still required to sit one or more of the corequisites.

In the event that any student is unsuccessful in their first attempt, there will be a second opportunity in week 9 Term 3. There will also be additional opportunities to sit each corequisite test in the following years.

A copy of the presentation for parents will be published in next week's newsletter.

Queries related to the corequisites can be directed to the following staff members:

• Reading - Katie Tomkins (Literacy Team)
• Numeracy - Juliet Jones (Assistant Head of Learning Area, Maths)
• Writing - Craig Jack (Head of Learning Area English)
• Special Assessment Conditions (SACs) - Learning Support - For any additional Learning Support queries

The corequisites will take place across Weeks 4 and 5 of Term 2:

• May 23 - Writing
• May 26 - Numeracy
• May 28 - Reading
  

What can you do to support your child?

• Literacy - Reading and Writing
  • It is helpful to encourage your child to read and write at home or in their day-to-day activities. We can support them to achieve this by gathering materials that are meaningful to them from our school library.
  • Student resources for reading Student Workbook - Literacy (Reading) which use the 2022 practice exam resource materials for the questions which can be found, along with other NZQA reading exam resources, here
  • The NZQA resources for the writing exam can be found here
    
• Numeracy
  
  • Students can use a calculator and ruler for the assessment and will need to supply their own.
  • You can find ways to support numeracy in the home, such as using measurements in recipes, discussing angle directions, reading scale maps, finding areas or volumes of objects, and working out the best deal whilst shopping.
  • Students who are logged onto Education Perfect can access all the Numeracy Corequisite lessons here
  • In this Google folder there are several practice numeracy questions and old exam papers that you can discuss and do with your child
  • The WHS Mathematics and Statistics department runs a Math Study Hub after school every Thursday for students looking for a quiet, supported place to study
  • Encourage your child to ask for support when they need it

To reinforce the skills required to achieve the corequisites we have created a slide show and supporting video of how you can support at home.

A Parent information session will be held at school on the following dates:

• Monday, March 31, 6:30 pm to 7:30 pm in the Library
• Tuesday, April 1, 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm in the Boardroom
  

Rangatahi Wānanga on Sunday 6th April

Tēnā koutou, 

On behalf of the Māori and Pasifika Student Council. 

On Rātapu, Sunday the 6th of April, we are holding a Rangatahi Wānanga here at the school from 1.00pm to 4.30pm in the Foyer and Food Technology Kitchen. There is going to be kēmu (games), kai, waiata, and we are also going to make some Māori kai in the kitchens. Whānau are welcome to come along as well. Anyone is welcome, so make sure that you come along and get involved.

Please let Mr Gilbertson know if you plan on attending so that we can purchase enough ingredients via rgilbertson@wakatipu.school.nz 

Jentie Newell
Māori and Pasifika Lead Prefect

House Competition - Spelling Bee

The annual House Spelling Bee concluded today with Duncan House declared the champions, following a close contest against Fox. Mackenzie placed third, with Hay fourth and Arthur following. Coming up next in our House competition is Netball, starting in week 1 of Term 1.

Otago Secondary Schools Sports Association in Cromwell

SNAG - Starting New at Golf

Sport and Active Recreation News

Summer Tournament Week

Our athletes have had a busy week in their respective Summer Tournament Week events - with 156 students representing WHS at South Island and National events across the country. It has been an enormous effort from students, coaches, managers, van drivers, supporters and more. Check out the first round of wraps for each sport below - with some events still wrapping up on Friday and over the weekend.

Once again thank you to the Aotearoa Gaming Trust who provided funding of $30,000 to support the cost of accommodation for many of our teams, as well as the Wakatipu Foundation for their continued support of sport and extracurricular activities at WHS. Kā Mauka Whakatipu!

Touch 

It was a huge weekend for the Mixed A Touch team competing at the South Island Secondary School Champs in Christchurch to kick start the nationwide Summer Tournament Week. The team played 8 games in 26 hours, so the tournament was hugely demanding but WHS did the business finishing up with our best ever result, third place, and were oh so close to making it through to the final this year.

The team went through the pool stage unbeaten to top Pool B and had a handy win against Waimea College before losing a nail biter to our neighbours Cromwell College in the semi final. The result has left the team very excited for nationals at the end of the year. It was a big weekend and a few players are nursing injuries. A massive thank you to Nick Saunders and Jamie Natapu for coaching, Mr Lowe for managing and Karyn Wallis for being our camp mum at this tournament. The Mixed A team won Otago Champs recently and a third place finish at South Islands has capped a great start to 2025 for this group. Well done team!

• Beat Taieri: 11-6
• Beat Rolleston: 8-6
• Beat Waimate: 10-1
• Beat Rangiora: 10-5
• Beat Kaikoura: 9-0
• Beat Waimea: 9-2 (quarters)
• Lost to Cromwell: 7-8 (semis)
• Beat Lincoln: 9-4 - finished 3rd out of 12 teams

Volleyball - Satellites

The Senior A Boys and Senior B Girls Volleyball teams have been up in Christchurch at the South Island Satellite Volleyball Champs. Both teams were competing in Division 1 against some strong sides. Unfortunately neither team was able to get a win in pool play but were competitive in every game, with many sets in the high 20s. This saw both teams move to the 9-12th round robin playoff. 

The Boys started off strong with a 3-0 sweep of Roxburgh Area School, but were clinched in the 5th set against Te Aratai College in the last game of the night. The final morning saw a tight battle with Burnside High School B with two 26-24 sets, ultimately going down to finish 11th. 

The Girls had close sets against St Margaret’s College Green, Queen’s High School and Logan Park High School but finished up 12th. The final game against Logan Park saw the team come back fighting from 2-0 down, but were clinched in the 5th and final set of the tournament. 

Although the scoresheets didn’t show many wins both teams played quality level volleyball against polished Christchurch and Dunedin sides, and showed incredible development and growth from the start of the season. A huge thank you to coaches Ksena Muddle and Matt Hollyer, and managers Gigi Hollyer and Sian Horn for their support of the teams.

Boys Cricket

The Boys Cricket team travelled to Dunedin for the 1st XI Cup qualifying tournament. First up against John McGlashan College, the top of the WHS batting order, Captain Angus McNeil (63), Liam Clarke (51) and Hugo Bogue (31) piled on early runs before eventually being bowled out in 37 overs for a total of 190. The bowlers had some work to do to defend this total and were superbly led by Harry Walker Leitch 5 for 29, Toby Gallie 2 for 35 and Hugo Bogue 2 for 34 eventually rolling John McGlashan for 130 runs and securing a place in the semi finals against tournament favourite Otago Boys. Batting first against Otago Boys,  the team got off to a slow start losing both openers early before Hugo Bogue (79) resurrected the innings for WHS. Harry Walker Leitch (19) built a strong partnership with Bogue but when both batters were dismissed with the team total on 129 the score was looking a little under par. WHS’ very young tail order managed to add some valuable runs eventually posting a defendable score of 151 in 32.2 overs. 

Much like the first match, WHS needed to take wickets early if they were to defend their batting effort. Cheered on by some WHS 1st XI old boys taking some time away from Uni, Hugo Bogue delivered in the very first over thanks to a screamer of a catch from the newly capped Harry Baker, closely followed by Hugo Mawdsley removing the other opener in the next over.  The bowling attack led by Hugo Bouge (4 for 22) were all outstanding, and backed up by an incredible catching and fielding display, WHS bowled out a very strong and experienced Otago Boys team for 122 runs. The celebrations when Hugo Mawdsley cleaned bowled the last batsman will live long in the memory. The victory earned WHS a spot in the final against Southland Boys. Due to the last day being rained out, the boys now have 6 months to look forward to the final to decide who qualifies for the 1st XI Cup.

Girls Cricket 

The Girls Cricket team travelled to Dunedin over anniversary weekend for the annual Bates Cup. Unfortunately day 1 of the tournament was rained off so the team spent the day at the Edgar Centre in the cricket nets and then had a friendly game of Indoor vs Columba College.

On Day 2 the rain eased off enough for the games to be played at Bayfield Park.  We played two T20 games. In the first game vs St Hilda's batted first scoring 108. Best bowling figure belonged to Kara Trounce with only 9 runs off her four over and 2 wickets. She was assisted by Sarah Wards who bowled an economical spell of 14 runs off her 4 overs. In reply Wakatipu fell just short eventually being all out for 91. Top score belonged to Honor Gilbert with 18, followed by Petra Rhind with 12.  In our second game we played Columba College. We batted first scoring 87. Top score again from Honor Gilbert with 26. Columba chased down the target with best bowling figures belonging to Petra Rhind with only 12 runs and a wicket from her three overs.

Overall we were proud of our performances considering we are such a young team. We learnt a lot and gained good experience for when the tournament comes around next year. Special thanks to Greg Trounce, Jason Rhind, Sue Albrecht, Scott Julian & Emma Campbell for coaching and managing the team. 

Rowing

Our WHS rowing crews have had a great start to the Maadi Regatta up at Lake Karapiro, making an incredible 17 A Finals and 8 B Finals to be held on Friday and Saturday. Full results to come next week. Well done to all of our rowers!

Sporting Achievements

Mountain Biking

Angelo Decadi has had a great mountain biking season. He was the youngest rider to ride at the Tour de Gnar in Queenstown, racing amongst some of the best professional free riders but ending the day with a solid crash. A week later Angelo was back on track and achieved two podiums - a Silver in the U15 event at the Oceania Downhill at Coronet Peak, followed by a Gold at the South Island Secondary School Champs in Methven. It was a double WHS podium in the 15 Downhill event with Quinn Ravenwood taking out 3rd place. A full wrap on the South Island Champs will be in next week's newsletter with races continuing today!

Equestrian 

After an arduous selection process Georgia Dee (year 10) and Sophie Eade (year 11) have been selected to represent NZ at the U18 World Team Championships in Mounted Games. This will be held in Belgium in August. The process started in early December last year with squad selection trials in Christchurch. They qualified better than hoped and after squad trainings and a final competition at Horse of the Year in Hastings the two were named to represent their country at the World Champs. At Horse of the year the pair placed 3rd in the U15 Pairs. Then at the NZ Individual Championships held in Warkworth, Georgia placed 4th and Sophie 5th in the U15 class.

Mounted Games is a form of equestrian which involves racing ponies with different challenges along the way. It requires high amounts of athletic skill as well as great riding ability. There are about 30 different games to compete in. Competitions can be in teams of 4, pairs or individuals. While in Belgium the girls will ride borrowed ponies. It is quite astonishing that two Wakatipu High School students have been selected at the same time and of a similar age. However it’s not so much a coincidence. The two train together a lot, and luckily there have been some great local and foreign coaches to help them. In addition motivated Mounted Games organisers, inspiration from other local riders, and supportive parents to drive them around have all got them to where they are. Well done girls!

Hockey Trials

Great to see so many students trialling for our hockey teams this year. We have our final trial on Thursday 3rd April from 4:30pm-6:30pm at the Queenstown Event Centre Turf. This last trial is vital for team placements so please make sure you attend, and bring along any friends who are interested in playing. We are also looking for goalies for the boys and girls teams, if you are interested in this then please come to the trial on Thursday.

If you have any questions please let Bel Strano know - sportscoordinator@wakatipu.school.nz

Queenstown Junior Basketball Club

Registrations are open for Friday night basketball that is delivered by QJBC, its always lots of fun with your friends. Click on the link to register, please contact the club directly for any queries around registration or other details (not WHS).

https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/344399

QJBC are also after student coaches and referees and would love for some of you to join them. They will offer training sessions for both and you will also be paid for your time. What a great way to be part of a sport you love and get paid at the same time! Please email Kath at qtnjuiniorbball@gamil.com if you are interested in coaching or refereeing. All information is posted on their new website www.sporty.co.nz/queenstownjuniorbasketballclub.

Keep Us Informed

The Sports Department would love to hear from you if you know of any awesome sporting achievements from our students! Please send through details/results and photos to Sian at shorn@wakatipu.school.nz so we can share and celebrate these as a school.

Support Sport at WHS

Support the team by liking the Wakatipu High School Sports Facebook page. This is the best way to stay up to date with the successes of our athletes and teams and celebrate their great achievements!

https://www.facebook.com/WakatipuHighSchoolSports/ 

Sian Horn
Director of Sport

Arts Department News

Get Ready for Mamma Mia! Shows are selling out quickly, so buy yours now 

Our full production of Mamma Mia! is coming to the stage from Wednesday, April 2, through Saturday, April 5, with five shows in total, including a matinee! Tickets are selling quickly, so secure yours now through iTicket –  click here.

Here we go, Mamma Mia! 2025!  We're putting in place the final touch ups for next week's shows and after two months of intense rehearsals we can't wait to share it with you all.  There are a few remaining tickets for the Saturday matinee but otherwise, we're sold out.   Looking forward to seeing you there.
Mr Hansen & Mrs Price

Toi Wearable Arts

The Toi Wearable Arts Group are asking for donations of

* sewing materials, old curtains etc 

* to borrow sewing mannequins / shop mannequins for our groups or if any has one they would like to sell please let Mrs Brown know .

They can be brought into the school office but please make sure they are named so we can return them

Play It Strange Junior Songwriting Competition - Yrs 9-11

For Year 9-11 students, this competition invites songs on the theme "Threads of Who We Are," encouraging young songwriters to explore identity, connection, and the experiences that shape them.

1st place receives a 1:1 mentor session with one of our competition judges and a $1,000 gift card from the Rockshop.  All finalists will have their song recorded in a professional recording studio (one day to the value of $800 plus gst) to go on the 2025 Peace Song digital album.

Entries close on 30 April, 2025

If you are interested in applying to this competition please see Mrs Price for more details.

More information can be found here: https://www.playitstrange.org.nz/competitions

Arts Time

Great to see the students at the Wednesday Arts Time before school sessions. This will continue next term where we hope to add a few more activities. This is an excellent time for anyone keen on arts-related activities to come and engage with other like minded students and focus on their area of interest.

Alex Fraser was back on Wednesday for another round of songwriting and this is such a great opportunity for our budding writers to engage with an ex student who has continued to writer and perform since leaving school.

Extracurricular groups - all updates will be posted on the All Things Arts Classroom Group.  

• Junior Jazz / Jazz Full Band / Jazz Combo  

• Digital Music Production

• Songwriting Group

• Junior / Senior Singing

• Social Art Club

• Year 9 Band Hub

• Knitting & Crochet Club

Check each of the  Classroom Groups for more details and updates

Exciting visits in ART

Being able to access a visiting artist is an incredible opportunity for our students to get first hand input from established artists. We hope to welcome more artists and professionals in the arts space in the future. If you would like to share your experience and knowledge please get in touch with Arts Coordinator Stine Cooper scooper@wakatipu.school.nz.

Upcoming for Term 1 & 2 - 

NOW - Mamma Mia! Tickets on Sale!!!!

01 April - Year 9 Band Hub
2-5 April - Mamma Mia!  WHS Musical for 2025
30 April - Entries close - Play It Strange Junior Songwriting Competition (Yrs 9-11)
3-4 May - YAMI - held in Wānaka
11 May - Rockquest heats (if needed)
24 May - Big Break (Bands and solo/duo)
30 May - Entries close - Play It Strange - Peace Song Competition 
09 June - Toi/Showquest
14 June - Rockquest finals
20 June  - SIX
16 July - Entries close - Play It Strange - Lion Foundation National Songwriting Competition (Yrs 9-13)
31 July - Entries close - Play It Strange - Waiata Māori Competition

Te Atamira - is a multi-purpose arts and cultural space at Remarkables Park Town Centre - check out what is happening at Te Atamira here

Te Wahi Toi - Nau mai, haere mai, Te Wāhi Toi is the meeting place and online directory for Queenstown and Wānaka’s creative community.  Find them here

Let us Know
The Arts department would like to know about any artistic achievements that students have attained outside of school be it in Drama, Dance, Music or Visual Arts. Please send details and photos to scooper@wakatipu.school.nz

Support the Arts
We are always looking for local professional performing and visual artists to visit our school and run workshops for our students. If you or someone you know is interested, please contact Mrs Cooper the Arts Coordinator at scooper@wakatipu.school.nz

Instagram Page
Follow our school’s Instagram page for recent successes or news within the school’s Arts Department at whsartdepartment.

Careers

Breakfast Panel At Anderson Lloyd

Last Friday on 21st March 2025, our Year 13 students were invited to a special Open Breakfast Panel at Anderson Lloyd where they had the unique opportunity to engage with experienced lawyers and gain a deeper understanding of the legal profession. This event allowed students to ask questions, learn about the challenges faced by professionals in the field, and get a glimpse of university life on the path to becoming a lawyer.

Many students were curious about what law school is really like. The lawyers shared their experiences at university, including what they studied, the challenges they faced, and the importance of networking during their time at law school. The event also gave students a chance to network with legal professionals, asking about internships, work placements, and the different career paths available within law.

After the panel discussion, students had the opportunity to mingle with the panelists over drinks and food. This informal setting allowed for further networking and the chance for students to ask more specific questions and build valuable connections with professionals in the legal field.

We’d like to extend our sincere thanks to the team at Anderson Lloyd for hosting this informative and engaging event. 

Dunedin Tertiary Open Days

The 2025 Dunedin Tertiary Open Days will be held on Sunday, 4 May and Monday, 5 May.

Come along and explore the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic campuses, learn more about the subjects you're interested in, and see first-hand the fantastic range of study options on offer. 

For more information or to book your place on this trip, please click on the link below. We still have a few spaces available, registration closes 31st March 2025.

https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/103

University of Canterbury & Lincoln Tertiary Trip 

This is a fantastic opportunity for Year 13 students to explore their study options. You will gain valuable insights into courses, accommodation and student communities.

 Please note this is not the UC Open Day which will take place on Friday 5 September

We still have a few spaces available, registration closes 2 May 2025.

https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/102

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

March Boost - Free Membership Upgrade, Bonus Gift Card & X10 Chances to Win!

Starting 8pm NZDT Thursday, 27th March, every Entertainment Membership purchase comes with:

• A FREE $30 eGift Card

• 10 entries in the the draw to win an all-expenses-paid Club Med holiday in Bali

• A BONUS Multi City Membership Upgrade

• Instant access to over 15,000 amazing offers on dining, shopping, and travel

Plus, when your supporters purchase a Membership, 20% goes directly toward your fundraising goals. That’s a win for everyone!
*Terms & Conditions Apply. Please visit www.entertainmentnz.com/promotions to view

👉Support us today: https://subscribe.entertainmentnz.com/fundraiser/260506v