WHS Newsletter | Issue 2.02 | 5 May | 2023

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of a busy, but good week at Wakatipu High School. 

Last week, NZQA released the confirmed NCEA results from 2022 and I wanted to take this opportunity to recognise, acknowledge and celebrate the achievements of WHS students from last year. Results in NCEA Levels 1, 2, 3 and University Entrance were outstanding and puts WHS in the top echelon of schools nation-wide (see below for more details).

Today we concluded the last of our House Assemblies in which many students were awarded with either an Excellence, Ad Alta or Ākonga Passport award. These are very important assemblies that celebrate and acknowledge students' efforts and achievements for Term 1. An Excellence award is given to senior students who achieve more than 50% of their credits at the Excellence level. An Ad Alta award is given to students who have an average of 3.55 or greater in all of their Learning Engagement (LE) reports. An Ākonga Passport award is given to junior students who exemplify the school’s values and participate in WHS’ great all-round education. All three of these awards are significant and require students to focus and commit to their learning both inside and outside of the class and our congratulations go to all the students who have worked hard to achieve these awards. See below for the full list of students. 

I also want to acknowledge the House Leaders who spoke at each of these assemblies, and reiterate the points that many of them made, including that these awards are a product of students hard work, effort and determination, and that there is no limit to the number of students that can achieve these awards. They also noted to students that as per the Dunedin study, effort and self-management are the most important precursors for long-term success. 

Term 2 is a very important term with regards to learning, progress and achievement and it was great to see students engaged in their learning across all classes. Our Senior Next Steps are an important part of our feedback loop to parents and students, and it was nice to see so many of you here on Tuesday. If you were unable to attend the interviews, but have questions or concerns about your students' learning, progress or achievement, please be sure to get in touch with the subject teacher via email or phone. Our subject teachers provide regular feedback through the Portal by way of the 3-weekly LE reports and by entering grades and next steps for learning, so please be sure to check the Portal regularly. 

On Thursday, we had the Police here to deliver the ‘Loves Me Not’ programme to our Year 12 students. This programme is focused on supporting students to develop healthy and long-lasting relationships, which is a key part of the WHS Ākonga profile and students holistic development.

Attendance at school is absolutely critical for students' learning and also for their wellbeing. By attending, students are able to better stay engaged and connected. Unfortunately, this term it seems that PPTA Industrial Action will be ongoing. Next Tuesday 9 May, there is a teacher strike in Otago/Southland schools, which is part of the rolling nation-wide strikes. There will be no school for WHS students on that day. On Thursday 11 May, Year 13’s are being ‘rostered home’ for the day. That means that Year 13 students only will not have school on that day, but all other Year Levels will have a normal school day. We strongly encourage students to keep learning even when they are not at school. Seniors will have lots of internal assessments on the go that they could be working through and juniors should be completing homework or revision through Education Perfect or other teacher assigned tasks. See below for more details re ‘rostering home’. 

We do ‘push messaging’ reminders through the WHS SZ App to parents on a regular basis, so please make sure you have downloaded this App (see below). This is also how we communicate with parents in the case of ‘adverse weather’ (see below).

A great newsletter follows, including more information for Year 10 parents regarding the numeracy and literacy corequisites' as well as comprehensive summaries of the week from the arts and sports directors. There is also a nice piece from our Head Students who were at Outward Bound over the term break, a big thanks to Colliers for their ongoing support and sponsorship of this extraordinary experience. 

Lastly, invoices have recently been sent out to all parents/caregivers. A huge thanks to those who have paid their school fees and donation, and a reminder to those that are able, you can support another family and student by paying a second school donation through this link. 

Hope everyone has a great weekend and all the best to the 1st XV rugby who take on Kings High School as part of the Otago Premier Schools Rugby competition.

Noho ora mai,

Oded Nathan
Principal

Ākonga Passport/Ad Alta/Excellence Assemblies

Over the last week each house has held a formal assembly acknowledging all round effort and achievement in the first term. There were 279 awards presented over the course of these assemblies. This is something for these students to be extremely proud of, having started the year demonstrating a commitment to their learning and development. 

Juniors were awarded their first Ākonga Passport Bronze Badge. These badges are awarded for reaching the threshold of 15 points gained acrosses a range of things such as exemplifying school values, engaging in learning as shown on Learning Engagement Reports, participating in extra and co curricular and activities, demonstrating service to the school or communitiy and taking part in school wide activities such as Greenstone Camp for Year 9s. 

Seniors were acknowledged for both Ad Alta awards and Excellence awards. Ad Alta recognises exemplary effort as indicated in Learning Engagement Reports. An average of above 3.55 must be attained to gain this award. Excellence awards recognise students who have gained more than 50% of their achievement standard results at Excellence so far this year. 

Whakamihi, congratulations, to the all the recipients of their first Ākonga Passport Bronze Badge, the Ad Alta Award Recipients and  to our Excellence Award Recipients.

PPTA Industrial Action - Rostering Home

On Tuesday 9 May is the planned PPTA strike day. There is no school on this day.

The following is the rostering home plan by year level which means there will be no school and no classes for that year level on that day.

• Tuesday 9 May - All Students
• Thursday 11 May - Year 13
• Tuesday 16 May - Year 9
• Wednesday 17 May - Year 10
• Thursday 25 May - Year 11
• Tuesday 30 May - Year 13
• Thursday 1 June - Year 12
• Tuesday 6 June - Year 10
• Thursday 8 June - Year 9

NCEA Literacy and Numeracy Corequisite Exams

As part of the upcoming NCEA Change Programme (due to be rolled out for Year 11 students at NCEA Level One from 2024), NZQA will be introducing mandatory NCEA reading, writing and numeracy co-requisites. These will form part of the NCEA qualification, and no level can be achieved without them.

Year 10 students and their parents / caregivers have all received email communication this week 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 maths class to date. This is not expected, or required however.

In the event that any student is unsuccessful in their first attempt, there will be a second opportunity in Term 4. There will also be additional opportunities to sit each corequisite test in Year 11.

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

Reading - Katie Tomkins, Micha Palmer (Literacy Team)

Numeracy - Juliet Jones (Assistant HoLA, Maths)

Writing - Craig Jack (HoLA English)

Numeracy Corequisite Information Evening

Year 10 parents received an email this week about their student’s entry into the NCEA Numeracy Corequisite. We would like to encourage whanau of Year 10 students to join us to learn more about the Numeracy Corequisite. 

When: Wednesday 10 May 7:30pm

How: Online google meet  (https://meet.google.com/xpw-sptq-guh)

What will be covered:

• What the Numeracy Corequisite is 
• How it fits within the NCEA change program
• The main components including example questions
• What we learnt from the 2021 pilot
• Year 10 Mathematics programme and Numeracy
• Pathways within Mathematics and Statistics
• What students can be doing at home

Adverse Weather

With winter fast approaching this piece is regarding ‘adverse weather’. The most important point to note is that again this winter in the case of adverse weather we will communicate through the following channels: 

• To parents - via the WHS SZApp (see below if you don't have it on your device) and the WHS website
• To students - via normal school email

On a morning with adverse weather (which particularly includes snow and/or ice on the roads) we liaise with QLDC’s roading contractor and the school bus coordinator and make a decision regarding school for that day. If it is not a normal school day, the common options are either a delayed start or school closed, in which case we will communicate through the channels above, endeavouring to do so by 7:15am. 

Please note that if we do get adverse weather during the day we will not normally close the school - this is primarily because school buses are not normally able to run early. However we do monitor adverse weather and conditions very carefully and make decisions and communicate accordingly.

Please also note that we do liaise with the other schools in the basin and decisions are generally coordinated. Although sometimes conditions vary for different schools and some primary schools do not have school buses - which are a key consideration, and ultimately each school will need to make its own decision.

WHS Schoolzine App

There is a new version of WHS SZapp available for Android and IOS Devices. Please ensure that you have updated to this version to assure you receive communications from the school. Click here for more details.

Please ensure you (all parents, caregivers and students) have download the WHS Schoolzine App to your device as this is how we will communicate important school alerts, student notices and our weekly newsletter.  The app also features an absence form, the online school cafe shop, a calendar and some handy links! 

Top tips and helpful information at this link: www.schoolzine.com/szapp-installation

A reminder also for students to also check the Student Noticeboard regularly.

Internal Assessment Calendar

The 2023 internal assessment calendar provides the due dates for all internal assessments that students undertake throughout the year for each course in Years 11-13.  This calendar, when copied, enables students to create a calendar with just their internal assessments.  We highly recommend that parents ask their children to create their individual assessment calendar to better enable them to organise and plan so that they may ultimately achieve their academic goals. (NB. Students will also have external practice exams that can be added to the calendar. Ask to see the ‘Course Outline’ for each of their subjects).

• Level 1 Internal Assessment Calendar
• Level 2 Internal Assessment Calendar
• Level 3 Internal Assessment Calendar

Outward Bound Reflections

As you may know, Lachy and I were lucky enough to receive scholarships to Outward Bound! For us, that experience was a 21 day adventure course full of hiking, sailing and other outdoor activities where we focused on developing our skills of leadership, followship, collaboration and mindfulness! 

Some of the key takeaways that we have had are:

Make the most of opportunities in the outdoors- especially in Queenstown!
Lachy and I both know a lot about being caught up in the rush of school life, sometimes you can get stuck in a cycle: school, work, extracurriculars, sleep, repeat! Even though these things might be activities that you are passionate about, it is so important to pause and make sure that they are bringing you joy. It is easy to feel tied down to your commitments so every once in a while it is important to practise mindfulness and reflect on how they make you feel. A great way to do that is to get outside into the beautiful, beautiful town that we live in! You could go for an overnight tramp or a big bike on the weekend, or just a stroll on the trails after school. It might seem silly, but taking time to reflect while out enjoying nature is one of the best things you can do for your mind, because it can help get you into a headspace where your actions feel purposeful. Of course, this might not apply to everyone, but it certainly has been a game changer for us. 

It's all a mental game
Resilience was something that we really needed while we were away — from putting on wet thermals and wetsuits for kayaking in freezing temperatures, to getting up before 6 to exercise each morning. Believing that you can do it really makes all the difference. One of the things that the Outward Bound instructors made us do was live in the moment, which meant we often wouldn’t find out what we were doing that day until we’d already put the gear on and were heading off to the activity. While it was annoying not knowing whether to wear the last pair of dry socks or not, living in the moment meant that we approached new activities with a fresh and open mind! We couldn’t decide that we were too weak to do it the day before and then worry about it all night long — we just had to get in and face the challenge. It was empowering to see how much your mindset affects your performance, and can be applied at school in the sense that it isn’t worth worrying about things and making a monster out of big tasks. Don’t look at the frog too long, because sometimes you just need to get in and eat it! 

Collaborative leadership and effective followship 
Our course was designed to help us develop our leadership skills, so it really reinforced some of the key messages about what it means to be a good leader. Some of these ideas that really resonated are that leadership is not about being at the front, making all the choices or having the loudest voice. It is about having the capacity to help a team achieve a common goal by helping each person find opportunities to apply and grow their skills. A team is stronger when each member feels valued, and can contribute their abilities to help the team reach their collective goals.

As you can imagine, being in a group of strong willed school leaders with bold personalities for 3 weeks straight posed some challenges (eek!), so we also learnt a lot about what good followship is. A leader is a necessary component of the team, but equally important are those who the leader supports. Involvement of team members is what makes things happen, which means that it is vital to practise patience, adaptability, loyalty and active participation and support of your team. Hopefully we can transfer and apply our skills to our leadership team this year to reap some really good results!

Overall, Outward Bound was a very challenging, enlightening and empowering experience, and we could not be more grateful for being given the opportunity to take the Outward Bound course. We completely recommend this experience to anyone who might have the chance to take it. The course encourages so much self learning and really does give you a different outlook on life - on your priorities, how you want to contribute your service and the legacy you want to leave behind. Thank you endlessly to those who have supported us on the journey — who have given to the WHS foundation, who have given us extensions and grace periods for our internals, our families, and the amazing staff at Outward Bound for everything that they pushed us to accomplish.

PLUS EST EN VOUS ~ There is more in you.

Annika Thornton
Wakatipu High School Head Student of 2023

Breakfast club! The Whanaungatanga and Community & Service councils are super excited to bring you Breakfast club. Breakfast club has been running at WHS the past few years and runs every Monday Wednesday Friday. Breakfast club is the opportunity to have a free breakfast to fuel up for the day. You can find Breakfast club in Mackenzie Social Space from 8:00am. See you all there for a hot cup of Milo!

Wellington History Trip

Last Thursday some senior History students travelled to Wellington for a three-day history trip. Our trip was inspiring, informative and we are  grateful for the opportunity to gather knowledge on our history topics, New Zealand culture and the city of Wellington as a whole.

As our capital city, Wellington encapsulates a looking glass into the past, present and future of life in New Zealand. Our differing perspectives on life in historical New Zealand were all challenged and questioned.

On arrival, we toured the Wrights Hill Fortress in Karori. Our volunteer, John Innes, shared with us his experiences of life as a young man in New Zealand during the war years. We saw the enormity of the infrastructure prepared to defend New Zealand in the event of an invasion. 

Following this, we were lucky to experience the Gallipoli exhibit at Te Papa Museum. The life-like models of soldiers in different states of warfare provoked emotional responses from all of us. These stories of loss,  abandonment, the futility of war, and the utter loneliness of the battlefield. Our New Zealand soldier's experience in World War One imposed an ever-evolving historical trauma and impact that is still reverberated into our daily lives today.

On Friday, we toured Parliament and it was interesting to look at the roles of our national leaders and think critically about how their roles affect the future of our country and we were given many opportunities to learn how to be involved in social actions to help make New Zealand a more inclusive and safe place to live in. 

Out of all of the landmarks mentioned above, the most memorable and meaningful part of this trip in my opinion was our experience learning about the Jewish religion and the Holocaust at the Holocaust Centre of New Zealand. One of the most interesting aspects we learned about the Jewish religion and the Holocaust is how it has influenced so many aspects of culture and history. From art and literature to politics and international relations, the impact of these events continues to be extremely significant and felt today. However, without Kris Clancy, the speaker during our time at the centre, we would never have been able to experience the debate and knowledge that Kris passed onto us about the event of the Holocaust and about the Jewish religion. By having a deep passion for religion and personal experiences and family history connected to the holocaust, Kris created an interesting and inspiring environment for us to learn and become curious about different aspects of the topic. 

Finally, I want to express my gratitude and appreciation for the teachers Miss Green, Miss Ashby and Mr Lowe for organising this trip and providing us the opportunity to learn and grow through this experience. As well as being extremely patient with us, we all enjoyed their company and abilities to make the trip fun and engaging. Their  commitment and dedication to organising and ensuring everyone had a rewarding experience was greatly appreciated from the entire History group. 

Evie Snow
Year 12 Student

During the first week of Term 2 a group of Year 12 and 13 History students went on an excursion to Wellington. The purpose of the excursion was to explore some of Aotearoa New Zealand's significant sites and documents relating to WW1, Parliament, colonisation, and the Holocaust. We were accompanied by Miss Green, Miss Ashby and Mr Lowe on our trip. The trip was a jam packed adventure and exposed students to such a large range of opinions and perspectives. 

Two highlights were the visit to the Holocaust centre and the Parliament buildings. The Holocaust centre provided students with the opportunity to explore Judaism and gain an understanding of the Holocaust looking not just at the loss of culture from death, but the continued loss experienced by individuals and families. 

Another highlight of the trip was Parliament which provided students with the opportunity to visit the briefing room and practise our debating skills with one student acting as the Prime Minister and another as the Minister of Education. Other students played the role of journalists. The trip up to Wellington was an important experience for all the students involved as it provided a unique opportunity to engage with History beyond the classroom. 

Isabelle Spencer
Year 13 Student

Loves Me Not

Yesterday the Police came to school to present the annual Yr 12 programme called Loves Me Not.  This programme addresses healthy and consensual relationships.  It can be a confronting programme as it covers past tragedies such as the murders of Sophie Elliot and Grace Millane. Students reported finding the programme useful and realistic since it was delivered by the Police and from their work experiences.  

The Police would like to thank the students for their participation as the day covers some heavy topics and having students actively engaged makes the day so much better, knowing that they are getting buy-in from them and hopefully making a difference to their future.

Thank you to the Police for taking time out from other work to present this important programme to our students.  Thanks to Richie from the Youth Trust too for also supporting this programme.

Ski Passes - Student Discount

Historically, NZSki and Cardrona have asked all the local schools to provide them with a list of students and their dates of birth which they use to validate purchases of student ski passes. Unfortunately, Privacy Legislation prohibits us sharing this detail with outside organisations without your express permission and with over 1300 students, collecting and collating parental permission for non-school related events just isn't feasible.

Therefore, in order to purchase ski passes at the student rate you will need to visit the NZSki and/or Cardrona Office and present the student ID cards that all students have been issued with.

You can purchase the tickets online here, but will need to present the Student ID's in order to pick up the pass at the ski office(s).

Purchase NZ Ski passes here.

Purchase Cardrona passes here.

Sport and Active Recreation News

1st XI Boys Football National Qualification Underway
The 1st XI Boys Football team got their national premier tournament qualification process underway on Tuesday with a match against Kings High School at the Event Centre. WHS was up 2-0 at the half but unfortunately were outplayed in the second and lost 4-2. Plenty of positives to take away though as the team now looks ahead to their match against Otago Boys on Monday 15 May, also at the Event Centre. 

1st XV Rugby Division 1 Otago Premier Schools Competition
The excitement is building for round one of the Otago Premier Schools Rugby Competition which gets underway this weekend. It is the first time that WHS is competing in Division One of the 1st XV grade after taking the spot of Dunstan High School who withdrew earlier in the year. The team have been training hard and are chomping at the bit to measure themselves against the top 1st XV’s in the lower South Island. The boys take on Kings High School in Dunedin at 12:45pm tomorrow. Go well!

Otago Country Rugby Academy 
Congratulations to Year 13 students Eva Bogue, Thomas Hulsman, Sam McAtamney and Connor McIsaac as well as former student Brodie Walker who are all part of the inaugural Otago Country Rugby Academy. This is an exciting new opportunity to ensure that country players are well supported in their development in the final year of high school.

Highlands Rogaine
Four Year 9 Students competed in the Highland Events 6 hour rogaine in Bendigo last weekend, covering around 19km of farmland with tunnels, caves and mine shafts as well as finishing the course night navigating. They won the school category and collected 1000 points, beating around half the adult field. Congratulations to Lexi McLeod, Caitlyn Purdue, Hayden Hodge and Seb Carlson. 

NZBJJF Jiu Jitsu Championship Queenstown Autumn Open No GI
A number of WHS students competed in the recent Queenstown Autumn Open for Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Well done to these students below.
Gold – Tyler Simpson - Boys Yellow/Grey Belt Teen II <57kg
Gold – Oscar Burns - Boys Yellow/Grey Belt Teen III <66kg
Silver – Hayden Hodge - Boys White Belt Teen II <62 KG
Silver – Tayla Ellison - Boys Yellow/Grey Belt Teen II <57kg
Silver – Jamie Baker - Boys Yellow/Grey Belt Teen III <66kg
Silver – Bailee Ellison - Boys Juvenile  I/ <71 KG
SJJFNZ NZ Grappler No-Gi National
Gold - Indy Deavoll - Girls Grey belt <55.8 kg
Gold - Oscar Burns - Boys <66kg

Josh Bonnar - World Cup MTB Fundraiser
Former WHS Student Josh Bonnar is heading to Europe to compete on the Mountain Bike World Tour for the first time in a month. Josh joins other former students Toby Meek and Jess Blewitt in competing at this level. There is a Givealittle page  if anyone is keen to support him to chase his dreams and assist in the financial costs of competing on the world stage.

Term 2 Hoody Order
The next WHS hoody order closes at 9am on Monday 8 May. If you are wanting a hoody for winter sport this year, now is the time. Please click on the link below to complete your order. Hoodies must be paid for at the time of completing the order form.

Opportunities to Get Involved

Athletic Development Programme Term 2
We will once again be running the Athletic Development Programme in Term 2. This is open to interested students from Year 10 to 13 who wish to access strength and conditioning training at WHS before school.
Key information:
- Tuesday and Thursday mornings 7am to 8:15am starting Week 3 and finishing week 10 (8 weeks/16 sessions)
- Approximate cost $100 per student
- Takes place in the fitness studio at school
Please complete the Expression of Interest form by 9am Monday 8 May. Please ensure are able to manage this time and physical commitment om top of your winter sports training/game load. Any questions, please email Mrs Nathan; lnathan@wakatipu.school.nz or pop into the sports office for a chat.
ADP EOI Form: https://forms.gle/ViaXwZA8Bc1Q1vFW7

Southland Cross Country Champs
The Southland Champs Cross Country Champs will be held in Te Anau on Wednesday 17 May. We will be taking a van or two down for the day. This is open to any students. If you are interested in competing, please fill out the form below by Monday 12pm. If you have any questions please email shorn@wakatipu.school.nz 
https://forms.gle/cGEWjtx8bPij3LiG8

Otago Swimming Champs
The Otago Secondary School Swimming Championships will be held at Moana Pool, Dunedin, on Sunday, 28 May 2023. This is open to all students, you do not need to be part of a swimming club. Please email shorn@wakatipu.school.nz if you are interested in getting involved.

Save the Date
Southland Climbing Champs - Tuesday 27 June
Southland Table Tennis Champs - Wednesday 28 June

NZSKI Passes - Secondary School Student Passes
NZSKI passes for secondary students are now available and can be purchased online up until 31 May. NZSki will manage the eligibility audit directly with our eligible local schools, this is the easiest option for you. From June 1 purchasing can only be done in town at the Snowcentre (corner Camp and Shotover St) or by phone 0800 697 547. Please purchase a secondary school pass by clicking this link:
https://shop.theremarkables.co.nz/qt-secondary-schools
Any questions please reach out via info@nzski.com or call 0800 697 547

US Sports Scholarship Information - Kiwi Athlete Agency Webinar
Some of our students consider the option of going to university in the United States and explore the possibility of sports scholarships. WHS has a relationship with the Kiwi Athlete Agency who will be running an online webinar on Wednesday 17 May at 6pm for anyone wanting to find out more information about this possible pathway. There is a flyer below and the event link can be found here:
https://events.humanitix.com/recruiting-101-b94x3pnj
Part of studying abroad in the US is also participating in SAT’s, the standardised test for secondary school students looking to go to university in America. WHS hosts these exams throughout the year. If you wish to participate in the SAT’s following the webinar you will need to go to the College Board website, create an account and register for the date you want to take the test. The College Board websites here: https://www.collegeboard.org/. The remaining dates for SAT’s this year are 26 August and 2 December 2023. 

Keep Us Informed
The sports department would love to hear from you if you know of any awesome achievements from our students so that we can celebrate these as a school. Please send through details and photos to lnathan@wakatipu.school.nz.

Support Sport at WHS
Jump on board and support the team by liking or following the Wakatipu High School Sports Facebook page. This is the best way to stay informed and up to date with the successes of our athletes and teams and help celebrate their great achievements. https://www.facebook.com/WakatipuHighSchoolSports/ 

Laura Nathan
Director of Sport

SAT 2023 Test Dates

WHS is one of the New Zealand testing centres for students taking the SATs, the standardized test for college admission in the United States.  If you wish to take the test please register online at https://www.collegeboard.org/ and the test will be delivered here at the school.

2023 SAT dates are as follows:

• 6 May
• 26 August
• 2 December

If you need any further information, please contact Marcelo Carneiro: mcarneiro@wakatipu.school.nz

Marcelo Carneiro
Director of International Students

Arts Department News

Term 2 Events

These include:

• 11 May - Play it Strange Youthtown Songwriting Competition
• 19 May - Toi Wearable Arts & Showquest Southland
• 20 May - Rockquest Heats TBC
• 27/28 May - Jazz Workshops
• June - NCEA Music Nights 
• 01 June - Opening of Showing Off Art Exhibition
• 11 June - Big Break 
• 16 June - Play It Strange Songwriting Peace Song Competition
• 17 June - Rockquest Final
• Term 2 Holidays - Jazz Practices

Open Extracurricular Groups Running in Term 2  - Performing Arts Classroom 

• Tuesdays Break 2 - Keyboard and Guitar Basics Sessions
  
• Tuesdays Break 2 - Drama Group
• Thursdays 8am - Songwriting Group
• Thursdays Break 2 - Digital Music Sessions

Singing Lessons

Singing lessons are now on offer to students enrolled in Music classes. Let Mrs Price know if you are interested. Look for her in the Performing Arts space are email her at aprice@wakatipu.school.nz

YAMI

The bi-annual YAMI music summit takes place this weekend in Wānaka. Good luck to everyone involved with this event.

May NZ Music Month

This month we are celebrating NZ Music Month at WHS. The school bells are all NZ artists including present and ex-WHS students. We are also looking to invite local musicians in on Fridays at Break 2 through the remainder of this term to run Tiny Room concerts and workshops with our students.

Artist of the Week - Mya Strattford 

Mya is a Year 13 Photography student who is in the process of creating her final folio board. Because of her love of horses and competing in show jumping competitions, she has created the theme of "Equestrian and the Journey to Competition". Maya is 1/3 of the way through and has already created some fabulous pieces to place on the final folio. 

Riversdale Arts Emerging Artist Award 2023 - $1000 Prize 

• Artists between the ages of 13 and 25 (at 21 July 2023) 
• Riversdale Arts Incorporated’s definition of “Emerging Artist” is: An artist between the ages of 13 and 25 (at 21 July 2023) who has not exhibited their work in a commercial or public gallery (excluding exhibitions specifically for students or young and emerging artists). An artist who has not received awards, or commissions for their artwork.
• The Emerging Artist Award is a selected exhibition. There will be 10 shortlisted finalists - these will be judged by a selection committee of up to three people. The judging panel’s decisions will be final and no communication will be entered into. Artists’ images will be de-identified to support a blind and merit-based judging process, to the extent that this is achievable. The panel of three judges will view digital images of all eligible entries to shortlist works that will be included in the exhibition, and required for the second judging round. The selected entrants will be notified of their selection via email and given instructions for delivery of the artwork to Riversdale for the final judging and for display in the exhibition. Entrants who are not selected for the shortlist will also be notified of the outcome of the selection via email. Final judging of the exhibited artworks to select the award winner will take place prior to the opening of the exhibition. The award winner will be announced at the Gala Opening of the Exhibition on 21 July 2023. Artists who are selected will receive a complimentary ticket to opening night.

• Entry is by digital image (maximum 2MB or for larger files send via wesendit.com or a similar file transferring service - entry form is due to riversdalearts@gmail.com by 1 June 2023. All artwork must be original and ready to hang or display if selected.
• The artwork that is selected is to be delivered by 1 July 2023 to Riversdale Arts, C/- Austin Bros., Newcastle Street, Riversdale.
• Commission on sold artwork is 30%; unsold work will be returned freight free.

See Monica Parker in the Visual Arts Area (Kawarau) for a registration form or contact her at mparker@wakatipu.schoolnz.

1964 Mountain Culture Magazine Opportunity

Get your photo on the back cover of the 1964 Mountain Culture Magazine. This ad is created each season featuring a local artist or photographer. This is an opportunity for students to get their art or photography published on the back cover of 5000 copies of the Spring edition!

Entries are due by end of day Friday 5 May 2023. Not only will the selected artist feature their named work, but they will also win a $100 dinner voucher, a 1964 subscription and trucker cap.

 Please feel free to contact Mackenzie Brownlee on 027 284 2973 or email your entry to pa.alty@nzsir.com.

You can find more details on the Facebook page – www.facebook.com/thealtys

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 through details and photos to mparker@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 Monica Parker the Arts Coordinator at  mparker@wakatipu.school.nz 

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

Chain fitting with SADD

On Wednesday, the Students Against Dangerous Driving committee (SADD) organised a chain fitting demonstration. Adam Watts from NZSki led the demonstration and gave a great explanation as well as some winter driving techniques. A good number of students got involved and had a go at fitting chains. On behalf of SADD, we want to give Adam a big thank you for coming down and helping us with reducing dangerous decisions and encouraging safe driving!

Madi McLean (SADD MEMBER)

NZ Defence Force - Talking Careers

UC Tertiary Trip

Careers

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Measles

Many of you will be aware that Measles are again in NZ.  Measles is a highly infectious viral illness that can lead to serious complications. Vaccination is the best way to protect yourself, your whānau and community from catching and spreading measles.

Measles is a serious illness caused by the measles virus that lives in the nose and throat mucus of an infected person. It can easily spread to others through coughing and sneezing. Measles can cause serious complications in children and adults. These include ear infections, pneumonia, encephalitis (swelling of the brain) and death. About 1 in 10 people with measles will need hospital treatment.

The measles virus spreads easily through the air by sneezing or coughing. It can also be spread by contact with surfaces contaminated with an infected person’s nose and throat secretions (snot and saliva). If you are not immune, and you’ve been in the same room as someone with measles, you are very likely to catch it. It can stay in the air for 2 hours and properly fitted and worn N95 masks are better at protecting you than surgical masks (the commonly available blue ones).

Vaccination is a very effective way of protecting against measles.

• Very few people who are fully vaccinated still get measles. 
• The vaccine is called the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine. No measles-only vaccine is available in New Zealand.
• Having only 1 dose of the MMR vaccine is not enough protection against measles – you need to have 2 to complete the course. A single dose of MMR gives you a 95% chance of being protected against measles, 2 doses increases this to 99%.
• The vaccine is part of the childhood immunisation schedule for children at 12 months and 15 months of age. 
• The vaccine is free.
  
• If you're not sure you have been vaccinated against measles, it’s best to get immunised. It’s safe to have an extra dose of the MMR vaccine.
• It can take around 2 weeks for a person to be fully immune after a vaccination.
• Very few people who are fully vaccinated still get measles, but they are more likely to have a milder illness and are less likely to spread the disease to other people

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

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LEARNER & INTERMEDIATE DRIVING LESSONS

Dan Gerard Driving Instruction has professional male and female driving instructors, and members of the New Zealand Institute of Driver Educators. We offer high quality friendly driver training covering a range of driving lessons.

• Learner lessons for beginners
• Assessment for Learner drivers who have been taught by family and need their skills polished before sitting their Restricted Test
• Refresher lessons to brush up before sitting the Full Test
• Street Talk defensive driving courses

http://www.drivinginstruction.co.nz/ , E: info@drivinginstruction.co.nz

Rach Gerard: 027 273 9610,  Dan Gerard: 027 349 2447