WHS Newsletter | Issue 3.01 | 21 July | 2023

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome back to Term 3,
We have definitely hit the ground running with a busy first week back that included the roll-out of the 2024 Option Selection process, a study skills session for senior students, and a real focus on teaching and learning, including our semester changeover with juniors starting their new courses. We also had the start of our annual House Basketball competition, with the junior Final being played today between Arthur and Duncan in Pouākai. 

This week, we have been able to welcome 12 new International Students and 15 new Domestic Students, bringing our school roll to 1353 students - we are quite a large school, and are continuing to grow. A very warm welcome to all the new students and their families, we hope that your transition to WHS and the basin has been smooth and that our new students in particular, are making new friends and feeling settled and happy.

Term 3 is always busy with a combination of teaching, learning and assessment as well as extracurricular activities. Seniors in particular need to be organised and disciplined with school exams starting on the 9th of August. The school exam timetable and other resources to support students with their exam preparation can be found below.

Our 2024 course option selection process has commenced, which sees students choose their subjects for next year. This is a very important process for the school (in terms of staffing and the timetable for next year) but also for each and every student. Please see below for more info on this - including Option Afternoon next Tuesday, which we invite all parents to attend, including a parent information session in the theatre from 2:50 - 3:20 pm. 

Next Monday 24 July, we have our Junior Mid-Year Prizegivings, and Senior Excellence/Ad Alta Assemblies. Prizewinners and their caregivers have been emailed details of these assemblies, please see below for more details. Prizewinners must be wearing their correct uniform to cross the stage, which includes Blazer and Tie. 

A reminder also that mid-year reports are available on the Portal. These provide comprehensive feedback and feedforward for students and we strongly recommend that parents/caregivers review these reports with their students to assist with making a plan for this term. Junior Next Steps are occurring in the next few weeks and please be in contact with any subject teachers, Kaiārahi or Deans if you have any concerns about your students learning, progress or achievement. There will also be a summer sports expo on Wednesday 23rd August, which will provide students with an opportunity to engage with the extracurricular activities that are so important to students' engagement and wellbeing. Stay posted for more details. 

A full newsletter follows, including key upcoming dates and important information regarding uniform, attendance, digital citizenship, and scholarships, as well as a fantastic sport and arts section with a wrap-up of all the action from the holidays - be sure to check it out. Another reminder to note all the upcoming events and days and get them into your calendars as appropriate.
Have a great weekend!

Ngā mihi,

Oded Nathan
Principal

Key Dates

Junior Mid-Year Prizegiving & Excellence/Ad Alta Assemblies

On Monday 24 July we have our Prizegiving Assemblies to celebrate the success of students during Term 2 and Semester 1. Prizewinners and their parents have been informed by email. Please see the outline for the day below. These are formal assemblies and so all students must be in full school uniform including blazer and tie. 

Course Option Afternoon

Tuesday 25th July 3.20pm - 5.00pm
(Optional Presentation from 2.50pm - 3.20pm for Parents in the Theatre)

The process for selecting course options for 2024 has begun, with Year 9, 10, 11 and 12 students having had their assemblies on Monday this week. The selection of 2024 course options needs to be completed by Friday 11 August at 4pm. 

This very important process is supported by our annual Option Afternoon which is being held from 3:20 - 5:00pm on Tuesday next week - 25th July. 

The Option Afternoon provides students and parents the opportunity to discuss and learn more from key teaching staff about the range of course options available for 2024 and supports students to make well informed option choices that support their individual pathways and passions, while also leaving as many doors open as possible for their future. 

There will be a short presentation in the theatre from 2.50pm - 3:20 pm for parents who would like to better understand the process and gain further insight on how best to support their student to select their 2024 course options. 

2024 Course Option Selection (2023 Assembly Yr 9 -12)

Information regarding the 2024 option selection process, including detailed information pertaining to the range of course options on offer, is now available through our website.

Additionally, parents and students are invited to make an appointment with a member of the Senior Leadership Team to discuss course options for 2024 and beyond. Appointments can be made here.

James Rasmussen
Deputy Principal

Senior School Exams (Wednesday 9th August - Tuesday 15th August)

The Senior School Exams are coming up in weeks 4 and 5 of this term. While they don't directly contribue to NCEA credits, they are a very important opportunity for students to revise and then test their understanding of course work covered to date. Additionally, in the event of a student missing any of their final NCEA external examinations, the school exams are used to determine derived grades.

We have held study seminars this week for each year level, with Patrick Sherratt providing students with plenty of "tips and tricks" for how to revise key concepts and then memorise and recall them in exam settings. We have also run some "High Performance" seminars, providing guidance for students who are aiming to achieve their examinations at the Merit and Excellence levels.

Attached below are links to the Term 3 Senior School Exam Timetable, as well as the slideshow presented to students in the "High Performance" seminars. There is also a planning document to support your student to fact gather and determine which subjects will have exams, and what will be covered.

Students will also be provided with access to further information around how to study effectively during Ako Time over the coming weeks.

Justine Duncan
Deputy Principal

WHS Tutoring Programme 2023

Tutoring is a resource we offer students in Years 9 to 11 to assist in preparing for upcoming external and mock exams. The program will commence in week 3 of Term 3 and will extend over the remaining school terms. Students will be allocated tutors based on their areas of academic needs and will meet with their tutor once a week. Students and tutors will have the flexibility of choosing which days they would prefer to complete their tutoring, with the option of doing this in available time during school hours, or before and after school at predetermined times. 

Tutoring sessions will extend over a 45-minute to an hour-long period. Tutors will be sourced from the Year 12 and 13 cohorts who specialise in the student's area of academic needs. There will be an initial meeting in week 3 for all students and tutors to meet and discuss what they want from the tutoring programme. 

Becoming a tutor is an excellent opportunity to advance your leadership skills and get to know your peers. For Year 13’s, this will be a great addition to your CVs for university applications and for Year 12’s pursuing future leadership positions. 

Tutoring is a valuable tool to assist in reaching your personal academic goals. If this programme is something you would like to partake in, please fill out the forms below by Friday, the 28th of July. 

Thanks! 

Ellie, Jack, Ruby and Stella
The Academic & Junior Council Leaders 

Cyberbullying and the Harmful Digital Communications Act

Technology and specifically the use of social media can be a great way to enhance our modern lives. Unfortunately, too often we are seeing students use social media in a way that is hurtful to others. 

At school we see multiple instances of social media chats where the way students talk to each other is dramatically different to how they communicate face to face. The conversations online often involve terrible derogatory comments, suggestions of self-harm, threats etc. Students will often say ‘This is how we talk, they know I’m joking’, even as we are in a disciplinary process because of the harm it has caused. We know we are only aware of a very small percentage of occurrences, and this is likely relatively widespread.

The other concerning behaviour which has been in the media is filming and distribution of images. Non-consensual sharing of explicit images is called image based abuse. We highly recommend parents read this article with advice on this topic: https://netsafe.org.nz/image-based-abuse/. 

In 2015 the government introduced the Harmful Digital Communications Act (HDCA). The aim of the HDCA is to “deter, prevent and mitigate harm caused to individuals by digital communications”, and “provide victims of harmful digital communications with a quick and efficient means of redress”.  

Netsafe is an organisation that uses the HDCA to support people who have been harmed online. School regularly uses Netsafe to assist in having harmful content removed from social media sites. They are an excellent place to report instances of concern and seek advice (https://netsafe.org.nz/).

Even when content does not breach the HDCA, it can still breach school rules and values. WHS can only support and act if we are aware of instances. Please let your child’s dean know if they are having difficulty with digital content. 

A great resource on how parents can support their child in this space can be found here. Please involve the school if it is impacting how your child is feeling about school (whether the instances are occurring during school time or not). 

See below for information on an upcoming Netsafe education event around TikTok. 

Lee Hiestand
Deputy Principal

TikTok will share the tools that are available to put you in control in a special live webinar at 12noon Wednesday 25 July.

They will cover topics like:

• Family Pairing,
• Managing comments in a way that work for you,
• How to report content,
• The tools available to protect younger users.

You’ll also hear how TikTok moderates, what they do proactively and how we can work together to keep our community safe online.

The session will also feature a brief Q&A to ask anonymous questions.

Basketball Battles

This week, we commenced another incredible House competition event - House basketball! The excitement kicked off on Monday with junior students who had a chance to showcase their basketball skills and be part of the fun. 

After today's exciting junior basketball final, congratulations are in order for Duncan House, who emerged victorious with a thrilling 28-20 win against Arthur House! Their determination and teamwork paid off, making them the champions of the junior competition. But the action doesn't end here - next week, it's time for the senior students to take the court. Get ready for some intense basketball showdowns and see which House will come out on top! 

Shave for a Cure - Help us Reach $10,000

During the course of Week 1, Wakatipu High School Students, led by the Community and Service Council, ran events and incentives to raise awareness and funds for this incredibly worthy cause. Teachers and students alike lined up for a shave while students frantically bid to have the power of being the one to use the clippers! 

Students who willingly lost their locks for this worthy cause are:

Kane Viggers
Sam Glover
Hugh Hodgson
Lily Kay
Anthony Hollyer
Ole Wijntjes

A special shout out to Mr Marcus Matamua and Mr Sam King for repping the teachers and braving the shave!

We have raised over $7,500 already. A big shout out to Hugh Hodgson and Anthony Hollyer who are our fundraising superstars! Through their participation and fundraising efforts, our students are truly making a difference in the lives of those affected every day by cancer. These efforts are incredible and we have now raised our goal to a whopping $10,000! Come on WHS community, donate now - you could save a life.

Donate here:  https://www.shaveforacure.co.nz/wakatipuhighschoolteam

If you need support because of your own, or a loved one’s blood cancer, please call their toll free number 0800 15 10 15 or for more information visit the website - leukaemia.org.nz.

Final Chance to sign up for Nepal World Challenge 2024

We have a final opportunity for students to sign up for the 21 day World Challenge to Nepal in December 2024. This is open to the current Year 10's, 11's and 12's. Come and join the adventure of a lifetime as we trek to Annapurna Base Camp, live and work in a remote rural village and explore the culture and vibrancy of this incredible little country. All information is available on the link below as well as a recording of the information session held by Troy from World Challenge to help answer any further questions. If you would like any more information please contact Miss Heather Dixon (hdixon@wakatipu.school.nz) or Miss Noni Gabb (ngabb@wakatipu.school.nz). Applications will now close on the 31st July.

University Results for Semester One

The Mathematics and Statistics Learning Area has been accelerating students for many years and this year seven students completed Stage 1 University Maths (Math102) through the University of Canterbury. 
The grades for Semester One have just been released.
The students are: Azaria Briscoe (A+ with 90%), Mia Tucker (A+ with 90%), Sammy Fookes (A- with 82%), Judy Ye (B+ with 76%),  Jack Speedy (B- with 69%) and Eva Bogue (C+ with 63%).

Eoin McGlynn completed a Politics Level 1 paper POLS102 (B+)
Kane Viggers completed a Digital Technology Level 2 paper on object-oriented programming 159-234 (B+) through Massey University.
Luke Domett completed a Music Level 1 paper MUS140-23A (D) through Waikato University.

Special mention for Harry Seeto who completed Maths 'A' Level papers in Semester One and he will be participating in MATH120  Discrete Mathematics Level 1 through Canterbury in Semester Two.

Congratulations to all the students for these results.

Dax Richards
Mathematics Teacher

Te Iti o Tāhuna Celebrates Matariki

Matariki, the Māori New Year, has brought a sense of excitement and celebration to our community this year. Over the celebratory weekend, some of our kapa haka, Te Iti o Tāhuna, honored this significant occasion with two mīharo performances. They performed to audiences at the Arrowtown Lights Matariki festival and the Mākete Matariki at the Remarkables Market, showcasing their talent and dedication. Special thanks to Ryan and Sacha who joined us for the performance at Remarkables Market.
The kapa brought a great energy and passion to their performances, and shone brightly, representing our school with pride. Their performances were truly a highlight of the Matariki celebrations. 
Mānawatia a Matariki!

Japanese Conversation

Konnichiwa! An update on the last week of term 2 for the 5JPN2 class. We had an online zoom call with a group of 11 year old Japanese students from Ibaraki prefecture. The Japanese students asked questions and spoke in English for 15 minutes, then our ākonga had an opportunity to use their reo and ask questions in Japanese. Students felt nervous but were happy to use their Japanese!

Sport and Active Recreation News

NZ Park and Pipe Team Selections
Congratulations to students Brooke Hansen, Keani Wilson, Taylor and Cooper Breen and former student Madeleine Disbrowe who have all been selected to represent New Zealand at the FIS Park and Pipe Junior World Championships at Cardrona at the end of August. The junior world champs form part of the 2023 Winter Games. You can read the details here: https://crux.org.nz/crux-news/southern-teens-star-as-park-and-pipe-snow-sports-team-named/?fbclid=IwAR0wHKFn-i0wyPqHZ9mDg1lNQP3vBiHdTc2hwDwfOQcEzUFZKFPi8-6HjlA

Junior SISS Netball Tournament
Our 9A and 10A netball teams had an awesome few days in Christchurch at the beginning of the holidays competing at the South Island Secondary School Junior Netball Champs. The girls had an incredible time playing against the top schools in the South Island. Both teams finished 10th out of 32 teams, an awesome result! The 9A's had 5 wins and 4 losses while the 10A's finished up with 4 wins and 4 losses. These are awesome experiences and lots of fun for our teams, well done girls! A huge thank you to Jessie O'Connell, Jules Matulino, Sue Albrecht, Cam Murphy, Maria Small and Mia Feasey for all of their great work in coaching and managing the teams. 

NZ Rodeo Youth Team Selection
A big congratulations to Year 11 student Zoe Johnston who has been selected to represent the New Zealand Rodeo Trans Tasman Youth team for the Barrel and Breakaway events at the Calliope and Imbil Rodeos in Queensland in September. Well done Zoe!

Marley off to World Rowing Champs
Bon voyage to our Deputy Head Boy, Marley King Smith as he departed for Paris this week with the other members of the New Zealand U19 rowing squad. The squad compete at the U19 World Champs in early August and we will be sure to keep you updated on the progress of Marley’s 4x crew. 

Josh Harris - IMG Junior World Golf Champs
Year 10 student Josh Harris is currently in the United States and recently competed in the IMG Junior World Championship finishing tied 26th out of 172 players. Josh shot his personal best of -6 65 on the first day of the tournament. Great result, keep up the good work Josh!

Junior House Basketball
Our junior teams have been battling it out at break times this week to see who is king of the court in the annual house basketball competition. A big congratulations to Duncan who took out today’s final 28 - 20 over Arthur. The final rankings were:
1. Duncan
2. Arthur
3. Mackenzie
4. Fox
5. Hay

SISS Orienteering Champs
Well done to Year 9 student Audrey Austin who competed in the South Island Secondary School Orienteering Champs in Nelson during the holidays. Audrey finished 2nd in the long course event and 3rd in the short course event. It is great to see the diverse events our students are competing in and their commitment to do so. Well done Audrey!

U15 Girls Otago B Basketball Team
Congratulations to Year 9 students Zara Kleindyk and Isla Cox who both represented the Otago U15 Girls B Basketball team in the recent Mainlands Basketball Tournament in Invercargill. The team finished 3rd out of 12. Nina Matulino was also named in this team. Well done girls!

Ice Figure Skating Results
Two WHS students took part in figure skating competitions over the school holidays. At the Alexandra Ice Skating Championships Megan Carr placed first in Interpretive Adult Silver grade and Georgia Chinn was first in Youth Interpretive Elite. At the Dunedin Ice Skating Championships Georgia Chinn placed second in Advanced Novice Grade. Well done girls.

New Zealand Cycling Representatives Named
Great to see that four former WHS students have been selected in the New Zealand Mountain Bike and Road Cycling Squads to compete at the UCI World Champs in Scotland next month. A big congratulations to 2022 graduates Josh Bonnar and Toby Meek who will compete for NZ in the downhill and Eli Tregidga who is in the Junior Men's road race team. Jess Blewitt is also competing in the elite women's downhill event.

Opportunities to Get Involved

Drug Free Sport NZ - Clean Sport Workshop
Next week there are two free workshops on offer to WHS student-athletes run by Drug Free Sport NZ. These are suitable for beginner, pathway and/or elite student-athletes and will cover the following topics:
- Clean sport values
- Athlete rights and responsibilities (understanding the rules)
- Anti-doping processes and importance
As well as a chance for questions. The sessions will run:
- Tuesday 25th July - 3:20-4:20pm in Matuitui - Year 13 only due to option afternoon
- Wednesday 26th July - 8-9am in Matuitui
This is a great opportunity to really understand this space better, everyone is welcome and we will put on some kai for you. A great session in the lead up to winter tournament week!

Junior Boys and Girls Volleyball Trainings Begin Next Week
Weekly trainings begin next week for any junior students keen to get involved in volleyball this season. All are welcome to these sessions.
Boys - Wednesday 26th July 7-8:30am in Pouākai
Girls - Wednesday 26th July 5-6:30pm in Pouākai

Junior Boys Cricket Tour Fundraiser
Here is a great opportunity to get behind our Junior Cricket Team as they fundraise for their tour to the Hawkes Bay this summer AND have a great afternoon on the golf course with your mates! Email walter.clarke@utilitynz.co.nz with your team entry and round up three friends!

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

Arts Department News

Music News

Another busy term in the Music area as we gear up for a variety of events. The first of these include:

August 8 - 13 Jazz trip to Blenheim. Information has gone out to parents which includes the fundraising happening this coming weekend and the final performance to parents on Sunday August 6 from 1pm-2pm.

August 25 - Entries into the Play It Strange Lion Foundation songwriting competition are due.

Theatrefest this Weekend 

“Break a leg” Theatrefest performers for this weekend's competition. Students have been busy practising and fundraising in hopes to move to the next level and attend the Lower South Island Regional. 

New Semester Music Information

Information for Year 9 /10 students in Music classes this semester will be sent to parents which outlines how the Music area works. This includes information on music lessons, activities/events and use of resources/rooms. Students are also encouraged to access the Performing Arts Classroom which gives more specific information about what's happening in the Arts area generally. The code for this Classroom is: sijw2w

Artist of the Week - Niki Schouten

Niki is a Year 13 Design student who has a wonderful work ethic and an eye for detail. She continues to make imaginative, fabulous designs. 

“My design theme this year is centred around deforestation and the different impacts that it has on our environment. My posters are specifically promoting a replantation event that would help towards restoring native plants and protecting the New Zealand environment. My artist models so far this year include Klawe Rzeczy, Cristiana Coucerio and Ahn Sang Soo.”  

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.

Careers

If you're interested in checking out our latest Careers newsletter (in particular scholarships), click on the link  below. 

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

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