WHS Newsletter | Issue 3.06 | 25 August | 2023

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of another good week here at WHS.

Once again our great all-round education was on full display this week, with an arts and sports extra-curricular expos held on Monday and Wednesday, and the Youth Expo held for year 10's on Thursday. We know that students who are engaged with extracurricular activities tend to be more engaged with school, so if you’re student is not involved, encourage them to join a club or sport, click here for more information. Participation is valued but we also want to support students to develop, excel and perform in their chosen field. Today, the first of our athletes set out for the start of Winter Tournament Week which is the pinnacle of the winter sporting season. This year we have more than 180 students representing WHS in 12 different sports across the motu, we wish all the teams and student-athletes well with their sporting endeavours.

Preparation for the iconic Year 10 Branches Camp has begun, and we are holding our Branches Parent Evening on Thursday 7 September at 7 pm in the WHS theatre. We look forward to seeing all parents of Year 10 students at this important evening. The cost associated with running Branches Camp is not insignificant and thanks to the Branches Trust, the charge we put on parents' accounts only covers a portion of the associated cost. We really appreciate your contribution towards the running of this camp. Speaking of the Branches Trust,  a Branches Quiz Fundraiser is being held on Saturday 28 October at WHS. Tables are limited, so please email jowrightzqn@gmail.com to secure a spot at this fun event.

Opportunities for 2024 Student Leadership, including Head Students, Lead Prefects and House Leaders, have recently been made available. Click here for more information, including application form and timeline. Students are encouraged to apply for these important and prestigious positions.

As mentioned, there has been lots happening for students this week, but class time has been very settled with lots of important learning. Seniors will have many internal assessments to complete and should also be commencing their exam preparations. Results from senior exams will be published and distributed next week. Senior Next Steps are also just ahead on Tuesday 12 September. Please mark this important date on your calendar now, as it’s a great opportunity for senior students to hear what they need to focus on and study for in the lead up to the end of year examinations. 

Learning Engagement Reports are now out, the second one for juniors new classes and the second to last one for seniors. Be sure to have a look and discuss with your student as required.

Lastly, a reminder that we are seeking feedback on our current strategic plan. Please click here if you’d like to provide any feedback.

A great and informative newsletter follows, be sure to have a read. I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.

Ngā mihi nui,

Oded Nathan
Principal

MCAT Tutorials

The NCEA Level One MCAT (Maths Common Assessment Task) for Algebra will be held on  Tuesday 12th September. 

To support students taking this assessment the Mathematics Department will be running special tutorials straight after school every Tuesday & Wednesday in the Maths Learning Area up until the assessment date.

There is also a Maths Study Hub after school for an hour every Thursday.  All students, from any mathematics class, are welcome to attend and study mathematics with like-minded students.

Patrick Sherratt - Passing Exams Online Learning Programme

In Week One of this term we ran a series of workshops, hosted by Patrick Sherratt, to support our senior students with developing strategies for studying and exam performance. The digital resources are now available, and we strongly encourage students to access them as they look ahead to the NCEA external examinations at the end of the year. Instructions for how to access them can be found below:

Passing Exams Online Learning Programme Access.

• Go to HowtoPassExams.Com and watch the welcome / overview video. 
• Register your details through to Innervate online and be sure to use the coupon code WTPU500.
• Once registered, LOG IN to Innervate Online and navigate to the Passing Exams course, click ACCESS CONTENT and go through to UNIT 1 of the programme.

Reading Plus Engagement

"The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you'll go"

Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

As partners in your child's educational journey, we have invested in Reading Plus, a fantastic tool to boost reading skills and support our junior students in preparation for their literacy co-requisites. It is expected that students are completing reading tasks at home as well as in school.

Why Reading Plus Matters: In today’s digital age, strong reading skills are more crucial than ever. Reading Plus offers an engaging and interactive platform that improves reading proficiency and nurtures critical thinking, comprehension, and vocabulary expansion. Unlike traditional reading exercises, this tool tailors content to your child’s level and challenges them to grow. 

Encourage Your Child to Dive In: Your involvement plays a vital role in your child’s reading development. 

Here's why your involvement matters:

Lead by Example: Let your child see your enthusiasm for reading. Share your reading experiences, whether it’s a book, an article or even an online blog. 

Designate Reading Time: Set aside dedicated family reading time. This allows your child to practise reading and creates a positive reading environment at home.

Celebrate Progress: Monitor your child's progress on Reading Plus. Celebrate their achievements and milestones, no matter how small. Positive reinforcement motivates them to keep going.

Discuss Their Reading: Engage in conversations about what your child is reading. Ask questions and discuss characters, plots, and themes. This helps improve comprehension and analytical skills.

Create a Reading-Friendly Space: Design a cosy reading nook at home. Stock it with various reading materials, including physical books, e-books, magazines, and newspapers.

Encouraging your child to engage with Reading Plus yields numerous benefits.

Happy Reading!

Warmest regards,

Micha Palmer (Literacy Specialist) and Katie Tomkins (Literacy Lead)

Wellbeing - 5 Ways in 5 Weeks

In preparation for Mental Health Awareness Week (Week 10), the WHS Wellbeing Council is running 5 Ways in 5 Weeks to raise awareness and increase kōrero about how The Five Ways to Wellbeing promote balance, enhance positive routines and improve overall wellbeing. Each week, we will be running a challenge or activity aimed at improving wellbeing, so keep an eye out on our Insta page - @wakatipuwellbeing - to get involved, win prizes and feel good!

Why the Five Ways?
Research shows there are five simple things you can do as part of your daily life – at work and at home – to build resilience, boost your wellbeing and lower your risk of developing mental health problems. These simple actions are known internationally as the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

Connect - Strengthening relationships with others and feeling close to and valued by others, including at work, is critical to boosting wellbeing.

Be Active - Being physically active, including at work, improves physical health and can improve mood and wellbeing and decrease stress, depression and anxiety.

Give - Carrying out acts of kindness, whether small or large, can increase happiness, life satisfaction and general sense of wellbeing.

Take Notice - Paying more attention to the present moment, to thoughts and feelings and to the world around, boosts our wellbeing. 

Keep Learning - Being curious and seeking out new experiences at work and in life more generally positively stimulates the brain.

For ideas and more information, go to Five Ways to Wellbeing.

Week 1 - Connect

The first 'way of the week' was to connect. Following mock exams, it is easy to feel isolated or like we are in our own little bubbles, and connection is just what we need. Connecting includes with friends, whānau and neighbours, or it can be to places, instruments or a good book! Connecting with one another can be as simple as:

• Smiling at someone else.
• Taking the time to find out something you didn’t know about someone.
• Getting in touch with a friend you have not seen or spoken to for a while.
• Reaching out to someone who may be lonely and invite them to spend time with you.
• Connecting with someone you’ve lost touch with on social media by sharing a happy memory you have of them.
• Introducing yourself to a new teacher or parent you haven’t talked to before.
• Eating dinner with the whānau. Play a game of ‘table talk’ where each person reports about their day’s events including the best thing that happened, the funniest thing and anything they didn’t enjoy.

This week we asked students at WHS to share how they connect on our instagram @wakatipuwellbeing. This can be in the form of a photo, video or description of events. The reward for this activity is 2x movie tickets for the winner to share with a friend or family member and our recipient will be announced at the end of the week.

Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa.
Let us keep close together, not wide apart.

Elise and The Wellbeing Council

Year 10 Health Expo

On Thursday, Year 10 students had the opportunity to delve into the array of agencies available to provide support within our town. Students chose a scenario that they worked through, considering how best to help a friend going through a tough time.  They looked into which agencies could best assist a student in the scenario chosen.  There were many wonderful exploratory conversations between the students and agencies.  

Thank you to the agencies for taking time out of their busy weeks to spend the day with our students.  And a massive thank you to Whakatipu Youth Trust for working with us to coordinate this programme. 

Vicki Patton
Guidance Counsellor

Mario Kart Madness at House Competition

Mario Kart battles have been taking place during break this week where Houses went head to head in intense games.  Fox came out on top with 143 points, with Hay with 105 "close" behind. Arthur came third, Duncan fourth and Mackenzie in last. Has this set Fox up for the win? Can Mackenzie make it back?

Next up in the final House competition of the year is WakaMaths. This is a fast-paced and exciting competition where teams of four compete under pressure to solve maths puzzles. The team runner collects the questions and delivers their team answer to judges in a race against time to solve the most problems in 20 minutes. This will take place in week one of Term four.

Aspen, Colorado Sister City Exchange Opportunity - Expressions of Interest

Aspen, Colorado and Queenstown have been sister cities for over 30 years. We are excited to begin planning the return of our sister city student exchange programme taking place in January 2025 after a 4 year hiatus.  

This opportunity is being offered to students who will be entering Year 12 or Year 13 held in 2025, so for students currently in Year 10 and Year 11 at Wakatipu High.  Students will have the opportunity to experience Aspen like a true local, stay with host families, attend the local high school, and ski at the world famous Aspen ski resort. Other opportunities may include attending sporting events, learning about Native American Culture, visiting the local council, volunteering and giving back to the community. Each student will be expected to participate in these four areas:

• Global Citizenship (including civics)
• Environment & Sustainability 
• Personal Development
• Volunteering and service to the community

We are looking to hear from students who may be interested in taking part in this exchange programme.  Some key responsibilities will include hosting students from Aspen during their time in Queenstown for approximately 10 days in July 2024, working or fundraising to raise money for their trip, and joining in the educational and local government opportunities prior to travel.  Please contact mkoslenridd@wakatipu.school.nz or gigihollyer@wakatipu.school.nz to put your name forward for this amazing opportunity and include why you are interested by August 31. Students can expect an interview process, a check of previous behaviour and conduct while on school activities and a willingness for the students to engage in a presentation upon their return. We will contact people in mid-September once we have gauged interest.  Ngā Mihi!

Junior School Reading Plus Acknowledgements

Kia ora, 

Sorry for the backlog of acknowledgements for our amazing Star Readers - I have been on leave, but I do not want to miss out on congratulating these students for their fantastic effort with Reading Plus over the past few months!

Well done and keep reading!

Micha Palmer
Literacy Specialist

Daffodil Day at WHS

Today Wakatipu High School had a number of events to help raise money for Daffodil Day to support the Cancer Society NZ. 

To start the day off members of the Community and Service Council put on some yellow accessories and went around the ako classes to collect gold coin donations and scope out the yellow additions people had made to their uniform. We also handed out stickers, daffodil pins and yellow stamps to anyone who made a donation.

During break 2 we also got out the face paint and brushes to help add some more yellow to the crowd of students. Throughout the day around 15 year 13 students made their way over to Queenstown airport to run a fundraising stall and help the community raise money for the cancer society. 

All in all, this was a great idea and the second year in a row that Wakatipu High School have helped fundraise at school and at Queenstown airport. As a school we collected around $300!

Banded Dotterels are Back: Help Keep Their Chicks Safe!

With a declining population of less than 50,000, Banded Dotterels need our help! These birds are back along the shores of the Shotover River for breeding from August to January.

Banded Dotterels lay their eggs in depressions on the gravel, making them vulnerable to mammalian predators such as cats and dogs. By keeping yourself and motorbikes on tracks, dogs leashed and cats indoors at night, we can greatly reduce chick casualties.

If you see a Banded Dotterel moving away from you, playing injured, or hear the bird's short sharp alarm call, it’s attempting to lure you away from its nest. Please retrace your steps and follow another path to avoid accidentally standing on their perfectly camouflaged nests.

If you see a Banded Dotterel with an orange tag on its leg, please email dawn.palmer@xtra.co.nz with the time and location seen. This information helps its conservation greatly. Follow the Banded Dotterel’s progress at https://www.facebook.com › tuckerbeachwildlifereserve.

Let's keep Banded Dotterels coming back to Queenstown!

Audrey Austin
Environmental Council

Disability Parking

A reminder that our disability car parks in front of the school and in the first staff car park are needed and used daily for permit holders. Please be mindful that these car parks are available and unobstructed at all times for use by those who need them.

Sports and Active Recreation News

Winter Tournament Week
The first of our teams departed for Winter Tournament Week this afternoon and we want to take a moment to wish the 180 students and 38 coaches and managers involved across 13 different events all the very best for this massive week of secondary school sport. We are so excited to be able to offer so many students the opportunity to represent Wakatipu High School at WTW this year. We would also like to thank Aotearoa Gaming Trust for their incredible support of accommodation costs for our teams ensuring that these opportunities are accessible for all students involved. See the full lists of teams and locations below and keep an eye out for daily results from Sunday. Kā Mauka Whakatipu!
1st XI Boys Football - Jim Wishart Tournament - Nelson
1st XI Girls Football - Lotto Sportswear Tournament - Timaru
1st XI Mixed Hockey - South Island Mixed Champs - Oamaru
Senior A Girls Netball - South Island Champs - Invercargill
Senior A Boys Basketball - Southern Cup - Timaru
Junior A Boys Basketball - Junior A Premier Champs - Dunedin
Junior A Girls Basketball -  Junior AA Champs - Dunedin
Ice Hockey x2 - South Island Champs - Dunedin
Golf A Team - New Zealand Champs - Pleasant Point
U15 Rugby - South Island Co-ed School Champs - Alexandra
Senior Rugby - South Island U85kg Tournament - Mosgiel
Equestrian - South Island Champs - Christchurch
Climbing - New Zealand Champs - Tauranga

U14 Rugby Wins Plate Final
A big congratulations to our U14 rugby team who won the Plate division against Cromwell on Saturday in wet and windy conditions at home. The game was close at half time with a small lead to WHS but with the wind at their backs in the second half the team put on a dominant display to finish up 42-17 in front of a great crowd. Well done boys! A big thanks to coaches Kelvin Harvey, Walter Clarke and Matt Leach for an awesome season

10A Wins Senior A Final of WNC
Congratulations to our 10A team who won the Senior A grade of the Wakatipu Netball Centre competition on Saturday with a 33-28 win over Whakatipu Flames. Well done to Kara Trounce who was named MVP of the final. This caps off a great season for the girls finishing 10th at Junior South Islands and winning both their James Hargest and MAC exchange games. A big thank you to coach Sue Albrecht and manager Maria Small for all of their fantastic mahi, passion and development with this group of players.

World Youth Climbing Champs
Azaria Briscoe and Lucy Sinclair have competed at the World Youth Climbing Champs in South Korea over the past week and are now continuing to support other CNZ Youth team members before returning home on Wednesday. The girls competed in two events, Lead Climbing and Bouldering. Conditions were very challenging as temperatures were in the high 30s, the walls were in direct sun and the holds slippery. Lucy and Azaria results were an improvement on last year and both have embraced the global climbing community and fostered friendships. This cultural and climbing experience will help shape their growth as individuals, what a great experience!
Lead (U18):  Lucy 43^rd  and  Azaria 48^th 
Bouldering (U18):  Azaria 51^st with 4/6 zones and Lucy 54^th with 3/6 zones 
Overall combined results: Lucy 37th and Azaria 39th in Youth A Womens

Ice Hockey Camps all over the World
Year 11 student Lucy Boniface was selected as New Zealand's U16 female representative for the Olympic Youth Development Camp which was held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. There were over 60 players from 27 countries from all over Asia involved in the camp, as well as coaches, managers and ice officials. This was the first ever Asian Olympic camp to be held. What an incredible experience, congratulations Lucy. Four WHS boys also attended a two week ice hockey camp in Port Alberni on Vancouver Island in Canada recently. Charlie Gerard, Oliver Carian, Saxon Cowan and Tristan Walker had an incredible time travelling and playing hockey.

Auckland Karate Champs
Congratulations to Nicole Carey who recently competed in the Auckland Karate Championships earning a bronze in both the kumite and kata events for her age group. 

South Island Figure Skating Champs
A number of skaters took part in the South Island figure skating championships held in Dunedin the weekend before last. Shiloh Thurston placed second in youth interpretive grade, Georgia Chinn 1st in youth interpretive elite and third in advanced novice grade; and Sabine Edmonds placed 4th in intermediate novice with a score that qualifies her for the NZ development squad. Well done girls!

NZ Freeride Tour Results
The New Zealand Freeride Junior Tour got underway last week with a number of students competing at Treble Cone last Friday. There were athletes from all over NZ  as well as from Australia, Japan and England competing. Next stop is Remarkables this weekend. Well done to the WHS students involved.
U14 Ski Women: Bailey MacKay 5th and Alice Jeffery 18th
U14 Ski Men - Ben Clark 26th
U16 Ski Men: Harry Niccol 13th
U18 Ski Men: Flynn Dawson 6th, Sam Riddle 10th 
U18 Snowboard Men: Keani Wilson 1st

Mt Aspiring Snowsport Champs
Two year 9 skiers competed at the Mt Aspiring Champs at Cardrona on Tuesday 22nd August, following the cancellation of the Otago Southland event. Congratulations to Ben Clark who took out the Year 9-10 Male Ski Slopestyle category. The South Island Secondary School Championships are coming up on Sunday 17th September, save the date.

Wakatipu Hockey Club Prizewinners
The hockey season has wrapped for 2023 and we want to thank our awesome group of coaches and managers and congratulate the award winners from each of our three teams.
1st XI Mixed:
MVP - Sammy Fookes; Most Improved - Chelsea Wood; Greatest Contribution - Pearce Summerfield
2nd XI Mixed:
MVP - Ella McKinney; Most Improved - Seb Carlson
Gold Mixed:
MVP - Mollie Burgess; Most Improved - Oli Watson

Sports Blues Nomination Form and Details
Nominations are now open for the 2023 Sports Blues Awards. All information can be found on the form and criteria document below. Nominations close at 5pm on Thursday 31st August. Students, parents/caregivers, coaches can all make nominations.
Sports Blues Nomination Form: here
Sports Blues Criteria: here

Sports Strategic Plan Feedback Form
The WHS Sports Department has been in the process of developing a strategic plan to run from 2024-2026. Earlier this year a consultation process was run with all our stakeholders. Below is the draft version of the strategic plan that we are seeking feedback on as well as a quick form to provide comments if you are interested. The feedback form closes on Thursday 31st August.
Draft Strategic Plan: here
Feedback Form: here

Sports Photo Order Form
Sports team photos are ready to be ordered. The link for this and instructions are below. These details have also been sent directly to students and parents/caregivers.

• Photos are $20.00 each, you can pay by credit card at the end of the order form
• Orders close 5pm on 1st of September
• Use Student Name to order (not parent name) on billing form
• Use student AKO group instead of Zip/postal code
• Photos will be delivered to students at school mid September through AKO group
  Order photos here.
  

Opportunities to Get Involved!

Summer Sports Expo
There was great interest at the summer sports expo on Wednesday. The best way to find out what is happening in each sport is to join the google classrooms of the sports/active recreation opportunities that you are interested in as this is where all relevant information is communicated. The extracurricular activities flyer and details join the classroom can be found here.

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

Dance NZ Made Interschool

Last Friday, Tess Vermeir, Jessica Fitzgerald, Hannah Eade and Mikaela Patterson represented Wakatipu High School in Invercargill at Dance NZ Made Interschool. They participated in workshops with tutors from all around New Zealand and finished the evening off with competitions. The girls performed three solos representing Wakatipu and one duet. Jessica and Mikaela came away with a second place in the duo/trio section which qualified them for nationals. Mikaela was lucky enough to come away with a golden ticket which allows her to attend Nationals in Palmerston North, January 2024.   Well done to you all. 

Invercargill Jazz Fest 

Congratulations to the Jazz Combo who followed up their Blenheim successes with a win in the Southern Schools Jazz Fest held last Thursday evening in Invercargill.  Well done everyone on a great performance.

Individual prizes went to the following students:

Best Saxophonist - Bethany Argyle
Best Guitarist - Ted Coutts
Best Keyboardist - Louis Buchanan
Best Bassist - Sam Glover

Thanks to Peta Carey and John Glover for driving us there and back, and also to Alistair Monteath and Vince Leahy for all their work with the Jazz Band and Jazz Combo.

Artists of the Week - Millie Freemantle, Brooklyn Campbell, Lilya Smith, Sophie Eade

Our junior landscape class, 5ART4, has just completed a unit of study on the element of line focusing on the artist model Christa Rijneveld. Below are some examples of excellent work completed by Year 9 and 10 students. 

Arts & Culture Expo 

Thanks to all the students who came to the Arts and Culture Expo to find out more on how to get involved with extracurricular activities at WHS. If you missed it, below is the PDF with information on how to sign up. 

Chorus Mural Competition

Chorus is on the hunt for local artists to put their personal touches on Queenstown’s telecommunications cabinets.

The Cabinet Art Programme started in Auckland in 2010, an initiative designed to reduce the amount of vandalism to cabinets. It was so successful it was extended across New Zealand — now, an average of 170 cabinet murals are completed each year.

Chorus community relations manager Jo Seddon says they’re on the hunt for Queenstown-Lakes artists to design and paint murals on the five cabinets nominated by Queenstown’s council — two in Queenstown, one in Arrowtown and one at Lake Hayes — that reflect the community’s stories.

Artists will be paid be tween $600 and $1700, depending on the size of the cabinet, have till August 31 to submit their designs via chorus.co.nz/community/cabinet-art-programme

Art Club

This semester we will be starting a Social Art Club in the Puahuru Visual Arts space across from Sciences. This will take place every Tuesday and Friday during Break 2. All levels and ages of artists are welcome and invited to bring something they are working on or start a new piece during club times. Join the Classroom to receive notices at 5dgmnqq. Any questions to Monica Parker at mparker@wakatipu.school.nz

Play It Strange Songwriting Competition

Entries for the Lion Foundation songwriting competition close on August 25. Follow this link to enter.

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

The WHS Careers website enables both students and parents to keep up-to-date with the latest career news and events happening in Queenstown and around New Zealand. CareerWise is a one-stop shop for sharing up-to-date information on student job vacancies, university open days, scholarships, career events and information evenings, workplace resources and more.

To access, click on the link below. 

Local Scholarships

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

Support our fundraising and enjoy 100s of everyday savings!
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And what’s even better, 20% of every membership purchased goes to support Wakatipu High School!

https://subscribe.entertainmentnz.com/fundraiser/260506v

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