WHS Newsletter | Issue 3.09 | 15 September | 2023

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of another really good week at WHS in which which we celebrated te wiki o te reo Māori. The week began on Sunday evening with the return of our ThereFest Group where they had a clean sweep in the National competition. On Monday we heard some great speeches from our prospective 2024 Head Student candidates, who are all to be commended for putting their hand up for this very important student leadership position. I’d also like to congratulate Manuella Pedrosa on being elected as the Student Representative on the Board of Trustees. A huge thank you to outgoing student rep, Daphne Ricketts, for all of her mahi over the past year. Daphne has done a great job of representing the student body at the governance level of the school and I’m sure Manuella will continue the legacy of great student reps. 

On Wednesday in Dunedin, two of WHS finest all-round students were presented with their ‘Class Act’ award by the Prime Minister. Congratulations to Sammy Fookes and Marley King Smith on being very worthy recipients of this year’s award (see below for more details). 

With senior students having four weeks of class plus tutorial week before NCEA External exams commence, it is really important that students are planned and organised with their learning. It was great to see so many parents and students in attendance at our Senior Next Steps evenings, as these are really important evenings that provide students and parents with the opportunity to hear from teachers what students could and should be doing to achieve their academic goals through both internal and external assessments. If students or parents were unable to attend or were unable to see their teacher(s) for whatever reason, be sure to check the portal in the first instance to see the current feedback and feed-foward, and then send the teacher an email if further discussion is needed. 

A reminder that Learning Engagement Reports are now available on the Portal. This is the last LE report for senior students for the year and we strongly encourage parents to review these reports with their students and to make any adjustments as needed. 

A wonderful and comprehensive newsletter follows, including lots of information on how students can get involved in summer sport and make the most of WHS’ great all-round education. Be sure to have a read through. 

Kia pai tō mutunga wiki, 

Oded Nathan
Principal 

Key Dates

Class Act Awards for 2023

Huge congratulations to Sammy Fookes and Marley King Smith, who are our 2023 recipients of the prestigious ODT Class Act Awards! These awards acknowledge the exceptional achievements of young individuals in our region. The awards ceremony took place on Wednesday, and both recipients were presented with their awards by Prime Minister Chris Hipkins.

Sammy Fookes

Doctor in the making, Sammy Fookes still finds time to hang out with her friends, ski and snowboard and get ‘‘pretty good at baking’’.

‘‘Most of my time is taken up by school and sports,’’ she said.

The 18-year-old Wakatipu High School Deputy Head Student has an impressive list of academic and sporting achievements, from captaining the Central Otago U18 Women’s Hockey Team and achieving excellence endorsement in NCEA levels 1, 2 and 3 to gaining distinction in biology and physics and commendations in English and level 3 chemistry.

She has been a Community and Service Council member for the past three years and, in her first year of high school, won the Wakatipu High School award for top year 9 academic achiever among numerous other prizes.

Sammy plans to continue playing hockey and doing athletics. She is also thinking of studying first-year health sciences at the University of Otago but has not ruled out studying overseas.

‘‘When I leave school, I aim to go to university. Hopefully, to become a doctor,’’ Sammy said.

‘‘My ultimate dream is to finish training as a doctor for an organisation that provides medical care in developing areas in the world.’’

But in the meantime, she also hopes to do some travel of her own.

‘‘I know that whatever I do after school, I want to see the world and do something good.

Sammy says her role models are the family and friends she spends every day around. ‘‘I’ve learnt more from them than anybody else.’’

Achievements:  Wakatipu High School Deputy Head Student (2023); Pounamu Award merit endorsement NCEA level 3 (2023); Ad Alta Award (2021, 22, 23); 3rd U20 women’s 800m, New Zealand club championships (2023); 1st U19 girls 800m, 5th 1500m, South Island schools championships (2023); co-captain mixed 1st XI hockey team (2022, 23); captain Central Otago U18 women’s hockey (2023); Pounamu Award excellence endorsement NCEA level 1 and  2 (2022); Ad Alta award blue (2021, 2022); 1st NZSS cross-country, Otago Southland relay team (2022); blues awards athletics, hockey, outstanding leadership in hockey (2022), WHS award for excellence in senior French (2021, 2022); distinction, biology, physics, commendation in English, level 3 chemistry (2022); NCEA level 3 endorsed with merit (2022); Central Otago U18 women’s hockey (2022); 1st 800m junior girls, NZSS athletic championships (2021); achievement blue, athletics, cross country, hockey (2021); Altrusa International of Queenstown Diane Hood Memorial Prize (2121); Pioneer Energy Scholarship for Excellence in Science (2021), NCEA level 1 and 2 endorsed with excellence (2021). 
Role models: Friends and family.
Hopes for the future: To become a doctor working in the developing world.

Marley King Smith

AT just 17 years old, Marley King Smith was selected for the New Zealand U19 Men’s 4X Rowing Crew and competed at the World Rowing Championship, in Paris, last month.

During the 2023 rowing season, Marley won the open men’s (adult) single scull title at both the Otago and Canterbury Championship regattas — something never achieved before by a schoolboy rower.

He also won bronze in the senior men’s single scull at the New Zealand National Adult Rowing Championships before winning the U18 single and U18 double sculls at the Maadi Cup and a bronze in the U18 quad.

Marley was awarded Central Otago Junior Sportsman of the Year, while also being Deputy Head Boy of Wakatipu High School.

He has also managed an impressive academic and cultural record, including NCEA excellence endorsement at levels 1 and 2, leading the school haka and being the school’s top year 12 academic male and top Māori student for 2022.

Marley has been approached by several top United States rowing colleges and hopes to gain a full scholarship to study and row abroad.

He likes to spend his limited free time hanging out with mates and his family, riding bikes and ski touring in winter.

‘‘I probably haven’t done as much of this stuff recently as I’d like to,’’ Marley said.

‘‘But going biking and getting out in the mountains with my family is where it’s at for me.’’

Achievements: 2023: Deputy Head Boy; 2023 Pounamu Award excellence endorsement NCEA level 2; bronze senior men’s single scull at the NZ rowing champs; four golds at the South Island secondary schools rowing champs; Maadi Cup 2023 National School Championships; 1st U18 singles; 1st U18 doubles; 3rd U18 quad; NZ U19 men’s quad crew for world U19 champs; Central Otago junior sportsman of the year; Matatū Haka Waiata leader. 2022: Deputy Head of house; captain of South Island U18; NCEA Level 2 endorsed with excellence; Pounamu Award excellence endorsement NCEA level 1; 4th U17 coxed quad sculls, bronze U17 double sculls gold U16 coxed quad sculls at Maadi Cup; gold U17 coxed quad sculls, gold U17 double sculls, gold U17 single sculls at Maadi Cup and SISS rowing champs; silver U18 coxed quad sculls at NZ Rowing Champs; excellence award, bronze; distinction in NZ Economics Competition; senior sportsman of the year; most valuable player for rowing; excellence award, silver; Silna Trophy for best all-round effort male Māori student; outstanding blue for rowing; distinction in economics, English and Māori and commendation in mathematics with calculus and physics.

Role model: Kill Bill movie character Beatrix Kiddo.
Hopes for the future: To gain a full US college scholarship to row and study abroad.

WHS Student Rep on the Board Election Results

We're thrilled to introduce Manuella Pedrosa has been elected as our new Student Board Representative. 

Manuella’s involvement in various activities at WHS, including the International Council and ice hockey teams, has honed her communication, teamwork, and leadership skills. She is a greatly valued member of our school, showcasing dedication, leadership, and a commitment to fostering inclusivity making her a great advocate for all students at WHS.

Thank you to Daphne Ricketts for her outstanding service as the outgoing Student Board Representative. Daphne's dedication has left a lasting impact on our community, representing students' voices and concerns tirelessly.

Junior Engagement and the Ākonga Passport

The Ākonga passport for our Year 9 and 10 students sits alongside our Ākonga profile to acknowledge the wide range of things our junior students are involved in and what they excel in. 

The Ākonga Passport acknowledges the ‘all round student’ and their involvement in the wider school life - whether this be sports, cultural, other clubs, giving back to the community or developing their digital or career capabilities. This participation in something broader outside the classroom has been the subject of many studies and there are links between this and academic achievement. Students are able to develop collaboration and communication skills, leadership skills, problem-solving, goal setting, self motivation, responsibility and resilience through engagement in extra and co curricular activities.

On the last day of term during break 3 there will be a special prize draw for all those who have attained at least Bronze level. Prizes include canteen vouchers and AJ Hackett Experience vouchers. A big thank you to AJ Hackett for their support of this programme.

To achieve Bronze, students need 15 points, Silver is 30 points and Gold is 50 points. We look forward to seeing many more students achieve these badges or move up to the next level of badge over the next term.

If students have been involved in activities that are not run by WHS, here is the form for us to record these activities so that we can acknowledge these through points for the passport.

Gemma Boel
Acting Assistant Principal

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori

Kia ora koutou,

Last Friday, Māori Language Commissioner, Rawinia Higgins, released an open letter saying "I don’t need to convince you that New Zealanders love te reo Māori: because New Zealanders are showing their love for te reo by walking the talk." We’ve been really impressed this week by the willingness of staff and students to embrace te reo Māori and give it a go. It’s been a great chance to remind ourselves of the little steps we can all take in our everyday lives to make an effort to pronounce kupu Māori correctly and to use more Māori phrases and kupu in our day to day interactions. 

To mark the occasion this week, we’ve had performances from Te Iti o Tāhuna, quizzes at break time, and a whānau get together. We gathered together in the Foyer on Thursday at 12pm to mark ‘Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori, the Māori Language Moment’, sung tūtira mai ngā iwi, and students signed pledges to tautoko Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. This marks the very moment the Māori Language Petition was presented to Parliament in 1972, on the first Māori Language Day. Three years later, it became what we now know as Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. A big shoutout to Maraea Howe from Mana Tāhuna Charitable Trust who worked with our students to craft a beautiful piece of toi mahi (art) that students attached their pledges to.  Ka pai tō mahi, well done to the Māori and Pasifika Student Council for their work this week supporting all the various kaupapa. 

Kia kaha te reo Māori and ngā mihi nui to all that got involved this week, whether your contribution was big or small you made a difference!

Kia pai te wīkene,

Ryan Gilbertson
Kaihāpai Māori

Kia ora koutou katoa,

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori we celebrate the beauty and richness of the Māori language as we embark on another exciting Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week). It's a time for all of us, no matter our fluency level, to come together and embrace the language that is integral to Aotearoa New Zealand's identity. Every year, this special week serves as a reminder of the significance of te reo Māori in our lives and in the history of Aotearoa, New Zealand. 

This week, we commemorate the presentation of the Māori Language Petition to Parliament on September 14th, 1972 with it being marked every year since 1975. This historic event paved the way for the revitalization of the Māori language. Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is a time for all New Zealanders to celebrate te reo Māori and consider how it can have a place in our daily lives.

Some key highlights of the week:

Open Training Session: Te Iti o Tāhuna generously offered an open training session, inviting students and staff to learn and engage in traditional Māori practices, strengthening our connection to Māori culture.

Local Primary Schools: It was heartwarming to welcome local primary schools to our campus. This interaction not only allowed us to share kai (food) but also provided an opportunity for WHS to connect and inspire younger generations.

Pledge: At the heart of the week was the Māori Language Moment. WHS students and teachers signed our pledge.  Our pledge, dedicated to Te Wā Tuku Reo Māori, the Māori Language Movement it is a testament to our shared history, one that cherishes and upholds the key values it has brought forth:

1. Foster a learning environment where te reo Māori is respected, embraced, and promoted.

2. Strive for greater proficiency in te reo Māori, with the aim of using it in our daily interactions. 

3. Encourage and empower others to embark on their own te reo Māori learning journeys.

With the week coming to a close, Te Wiki o te Reo Māori gives us a chance to reflect on the profound impact this celebration has on our community. It's a reminder that our commitment to te reo Māori doesn't end when the week does; rather, it's a commitment that should permeate our daily lives and persist throughout the entire year. 

Te Wiki o te Reo Māori is more than just a series of events and activities; it's a powerful catalyst for change and growth. It provides a platform for us to deepen our understanding of the Māori language, culture, and history. It fosters unity within our school community, as we come together to embrace the language and heritage that are an important part of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Juanye Silva
Māori and Pasifika Lead Prefect

Cosgroves Engineering Scholarship

Celebrating Minnie Tam - Cosgrove Engineering Scholarship Winner

We are thrilled to announce Minnie Tam has been awarded the prestigious Cosgrove Engineering Scholarship for 2023. 

The Cosgrove Engineering Scholarship is a testament to Minnie's dedication, hard work, and passion for engineering, and hands on practical problem solving throughout high school. This scholarship, valued at $2500, is established to provide financial assistance to students of Wakatipu High School who aspire to pursue a university education in New Zealand.

What makes this scholarship even more remarkable is that it opens doors to valuable work experience. Minnie will have the opportunity to gain practical insights and mentorship as an intern at the Cosgrove Christchurch office over the summer. With over 40 staff members, this office offers an ideal environment for learning and growth, with potential for even more exciting opportunities beyond the internship.

The Cosgrove Engineering Scholarship is awarded to students studying Civil, Electrical, Fire, or Mechanical design engineering, aligning with the core services of Cosgrove. Minnie will be pursuing engineering at Canterbury University, where we have no doubt she will continue to excel and make us all proud.

Minnie's achievement serves as an inspiration to all our students. It highlights what can be accomplished through hard work, dedication, and a genuine passion for one's chosen field. We applaud Minnie for her remarkable accomplishment and wish her every success in her future endeavors.

Top Award in CAM Kiwi English Competition

Congratulations to Isla McGlynn who attained the highest score in the Kiwi Year 10 English Competition which is administered by the University of Canterbury. The Kiwi competitions were highly contested by students from over 450 schools throughout New Zealand, well done on this tremendous achievement Isla!

Lip Sync Battle

This Tuesday and Wednesday Wakatipu High School ran our annual Lip Sync Battle. The Arts and Cultural Council have been planning and organizing the event for quite a few weeks, with acquiring prizes, getting performers and then advertising the event. In the end, we had 7 groups performing. 

- Lachy Boniface, Sammy Fookes, Marley King Smith and Annika Thornton performed Fixer Upper
- Alice Davis and Nina Heinrich performed First Burn
- Zali Vaivers and Elise Edmonds performed Picture to Burn
- Sophie Clark, Sophie Wood, Keira Jameson, Mackenzie Jackson and Mishika Sikka performed Price Tag from Pitch Perfect
- Ashley Wilcox, Jade Kirkland and Charlotte Greer performed Uptown Funk
- The Deans performed Hot Potato from the Wiggles
- Charli Robertson, Stella Fraser, Primrose Johnson, Frida Rylev, Milly Wilkstrom, Maisie Grufferty, Jessa Bodle, Julia Lima and Drina Broadbridge performed Rihanna's Halftime performance

After watching these amazing performances we awarded prizes to each group

Funniest performance: Fixer Upper
- 4 people Outdoor Escape Room from Thrillzone

Best Costume: Wiggles 
- 5x Free sushi of the day

Dance Moves: Uptown Funk, Price Tag
- 2x $20 St Pierre's vouchers

Best acting: First Burn
- 2 people Odyssey Entrance

Best Lip Syncing: Picture to Burn and First Burn  
- $20 Franks Voucher 
- 2x Adult Gondola and 3 luge rides

Biggest WOW factor: Riri and the Girls, First Burn
- $60 Coffee Club Voucher
- $50/$60 Pak n Save voucher

Best overall: Riri and the girls
- $50 Ferg Gift Card

MVP: Frida Rylev
 - Free Bungy Jump from AJ Hackett

We want to say a huge thank you to everyone who performed and for everyone who showed up to watch and support. This was an amazing event and it was awesome to see so many people get involved and put so much effort into it. The Arts and Cultural Council are so excited to do it all again next year!

Rochelle Tickle
Arts and Cultural Council

5 Ways in 5 Weeks - Be Active

Week 9 - Be Active

Today marks the end of our ‘Be Active’ or ‘Me Kori Tonu’ week, for our '5 Ways in 5 Weeks' initiative to improve our hauora! Being active is a vital part of keeping our mind and body healthy and finding balance in our lives. We all know that being active improves our fitness and bodily health, but the effects of exercise on your mental health shouldn’t be overlooked! Exercising (whether that be a full- blown marathon or just some simple stretches) releases dopamine, can help to improve memory, and reduces stress. Being active is a total win-win, and in case anyone was short on ideas of how to be active, our instagram page @wakatipuwellbeing was kept up to date with different ways to ‘me kori tonu’ each day of the week. 

We’ve also been acknowledging ‘Move for Dementia’, which is a fundraising effort for the carers of people with Alzheimers. So many of us at WHS are lucky enough to have strong enough cognitive and physical ability to get out and exercise- which is a thing that lots of people with dementia don’t have. We played some games in the gym this Friday that people with dementia often do, to 

It can be really difficult to see people’s minds begin to deteriorate, inhibiting their ability to do things like be active. Working to provide support for carers is imperative for ensuring that the people they are caring for are looked after as best as they can be. See this website for more information- https://movefordementia.org.nz/#anchor1 and consider supporting the cause through donating today! Your donations will be used nationally and locally to help us provide vital services and support to people living with dementia today.

Being physically active is proven to boost our wellbeing and decrease stress, depression and anxiety.  Set yourself a new challenge this week...

• Bring activity into the everyday, eg. use the stairs instead of the lift, walk to colleagues to talk with them instead of phoning, and get off the bus one stop earlier than your stop.
• Try a ‘Have A Go day’ with a local sports group. Look out for what’s on offer, as often, free equipment and tuition is provided.
• Take a family walk after dinner, or a longer one on the weekend. Let family members take turns to choose where to go.
• Hold a family dance-off with different members picking the music.
• Organise or participate in walking tours of local places of interest in your community or suburb.
• Participate in a fun run/walk to raise money for charity.
• Encourage senior students to put together a Top Town-style event for the junior school with wacky, fun activities that everyone can participate in.
• Start or join a walking bus for school children.
• Try tai chi classes for strength, balance and mental wellbeing.
• Go swimming or water walking at your local pool.
• Join a sports club to be active and meet people at the same time - tennis, bowls, touch rugby, netball, there is so much to choose from!
• Find out the most popular sport among your colleagues and then organise a match or tournament for staff.
• Check out your garden - pulling some weeds or planting something new can help you work up a sweat.

- Annika, Elise and The Wellbeing Council

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.

Te Iti o Tāhuna - Citizenship Ceremony

Te Iti o Tāhuna took time out of a busy week on Tuesday to support the community at a local Citizenship Ceremony.
The kapa wowed the audience adding a lovely cultural element to the ceremony, and left the new citizens of our rohe with a special memory of their big day.  Te mīharo hoki!

Students Shine in Beauty Therapy Showcase

Year 13 Otago Polytechnic Trades Academy students showcased their skills in a recent Beauty Therapy assessment. They impressed by creating four distinct looks—everyday, ball, bridal, and natural makeup for the 'mature' women. With only 60 minutes for each look, they also conducted thorough consultations and offered skincare recommendations. The assessment took place in the Green room at WHS, demonstrating their talent and dedication. Huge thanks to the staff and members of the public who modelled for the students!

Junior School Reading Plus Acknowledgements

Sport and Active Recreation News

Speed Skating Nationals
In early September three WHS students competed at the Short Track National Ice Speed Skating Championships held in Dunedin. Daphne Ricketts placed 3rd; Eva Hemingway 5th and Poppy Wearing 6th. The team also placed 2nd in the 3000m Junior Relay. Well done girls!

Southland Indoor Climbing Series
15 WHS climbers have been competing in the Southland Indoor Climbing Series this term. Round 1 of the competition was held in Invercargill in August, with round 2 wrapping up in Te Anau last weekend. It’s awesome seeing this competition grow each year with our WHS climbers producing strong results! WHS also got a shoutout for being the most supportive and encouraging team at the Fiordland event. Thank you to Janet Briscoe and all of the other parent helpers for their support and the competition organisers for putting on an awesome 2 days of climbing. The overall placings from the Southland and Fiordland events are below.
1st Senior Girls - Cybella Briscoe
2nd Senior Girls - Alisha Messingham
3rd Senior Girls - Imogen Olliver
2nd Junior Boys - Louis Dela-Cruz
1st Junior Girls - Alisa Schenk (Alisa also achieved a perfect score at the Southland Event)

Get2Go Challenge
The Torpedo 7 Get2Go Challenge was held on Monday in our stunning backyard. Two WHS teams took part in a busy day of kayaking, mountain biking and orienteering around the Queenstown area, testing their teamwork, communication and strategic skills. Our teams had a lot of fun and put in strong performances, finishing 1st and 3rd out of 14 teams. Congratulations to the team of Caitlyn Purdue, Keira Redden, Lexi McLeod, Sydney Alva, Seb Carlson, Oli Watson, James Weber and Finn Wallis who won the event and have qualified for the Torpedo7 Get2Go National Final at Tongariro in December. Kā Mauka Whakatipu!

Opportunities to Get Involved
Summer is around the corner and we have a stack of awesome opportunities to get involved in sports and physical activity. Please check out the various details below for summer sports. There are also more details on each summer sports google classroom and you can grab the codes for each GC here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1c5xYlDm0Wu3a0s8bMbRFmrTip76TQw9h/view?usp=drive_link

Waka Ama Rangatahi Muster
Come and check out the Wakatipu Waka Ama Club; Saturday 23 September - 10am - Kelvin Grove Beach. Contact Frances - 021 082 7264.

Social Touch Teams Term 4 - Get into it!
Now is the time to gather your mates together for a summer of fun! Social touch begins the first Monday of Week 1 and runs through to the start of December. All of the details for the Touch Southland module are below as well as an electronic team entry form on the GC or pop into the sports office to get a hard copy.
- Dates: Monday 9th October to Monday 4th December (no games Labour weekend)
- Location: Event Centre
- Game times: any where from 6-8pm
- Grades: Mixed, Mens, Womens
- Numbers: be sure to have at least 10 players in each team
- Cost: $230 + $10 per game for the ref. Usually around $30 per player but costs are split by the number of players in each team. If you do not have a team but want to play please email me separately
- Team entries due Monday of Week 10 to Mrs Nathan either in the sports office or by email; lnathan@wakatipu.school.nz

Queenstown Cricket Club Registrations
All weekly cricket is played through the Queenstown Cricket Club. School teams for school tournaments or competitions/exchanges are selected from players playing weekly cricket. If you have not yet registered to play weekly cricket please check out the details and link below. There are two options for those below 1st XI level this year; Saturday afternoon cricket and/or Friday night T20 cricket.
Youth Cricket:
- Hardball Cricket ($125 Volunteer Rate - $175 Non-Volunteer)
- 4 Nov - 9 Dec & 3 Feb - 16 Mar - Friday Night Colts - Years 9-11 and/or Saturday Afternoon Cricket - Years 9-13
- Teams to get 1 x weekly training slot with Club/Parent coaches
- Matches: Friday 2-3 Hours, Saturday 3-5 Hours
- Travel for away games through Otago Country region
*Please all WHS First 11 Current Players to register under Senior Cricket
Registration Form: https://www.playhq.com/new-zealand-cricket/register/6fdd78

Queenstown Tennis Club
Queenstown Tennis Club had their Junior (Under 18) open day last weekend but if you were unable to get along but keen to play here is the link to their website to register: http://www.queenstowntennisclub.co.nz/join-qtc.html

Pickleball Term 4
A new sport is coming to WHS next term and everyone is invited to have a go. Pickleball will begin weekly sessions on Tuesday’s after school 3:30-5pm in Pouakai starting Week 2 and running through to the end of term. Get into it!

Softball Central Otago Summer Competition
It's softball time again! It's been great to see our OG softball team back and some new faces signing up.  We are going to start practices next week, week 10 on Tuesday, September 19 and Thursday, September 21 from 3.30-4.30pm on the field at WHS. Our games start in Alexandra on Tuesday October 17, which is week two of term 4.  We travel to Alexandra straight after school each Tuesday in a school van and get back after 7pm each week. Games finish for this term on Tuesday December 5. In term one the season goes from 13 February-12 March. If you are new to softball, all good, we will teach you everything you need to know. Please let me know if you have any questions and I look forward to seeing you at practice on Tuesday! Mrs Hollyer

Queenstown Mountain Bike Club Membership
Join one of the biggest sporting clubs in the Wakatipu through the link below to get the latest information on all things mountain biking and become part of the MTB community.
Membership details: https://www.queenstownmtb.co.nz/membership

Skyline Passes
The Skyline opens back up next weekend so don't forget to purchase your annual pass!
https://www.skyline.co.nz/en/queenstown/things-to-do/queenstown-bike-park-access/queenstown-mountain-bike-passes/

Treadmark School Holiday MTB Programmes
There are a number of options available these coming school holidays for mountain bikers of all abilities. If you are keen to get involved in some structured coaching for the start of the season, check out the various links below. 
https://www.treadmark.co.nz/mtbjuniors
https://www.treadmark.co.nz/shop/p/gravityfocusedspring

Wakatipu Yacht Club
Keen to join to learn more about sailing and get involved with the local yacht club. You can register below for the coming season. Registrations close on the 1st October.
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfkH_pcBckrxqSO1Of6GwJB7npKUKBKoxq4Jw9DsWZ45pzb4A/viewform?fbclid=IwAR2qq0FDfMQX3pcePi7iXV76NgwXQcYtQXFCyBgYFPOJoxRHq0gz5GmEod4

AM Equestrian
AM equestrian would like to announce the beginning of our Spring season and a new structure to ou riding school. We currently have spaces available in our Pony club program and private one-on-one lesson. Check out the flyer below.

First XI Boys Cricket Tour Speed Quiz Fundraiser
Join us for a night of fun at the Memorial Hall on Friday 3rd November as our senior cricket players put on a fun quiz night as part of their fundraising for their 2024 trip to Sri Lanka: https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/253735

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

TheatreFest Wins Nationals

Last weekend the Theatrefest team travelled up to Christchurch to perform in the National round of Theatrefest against 8 other performances. Being one of only 2 youth performances up against 7 adult performances, we went into the event knowing how intense the competition would be. After months and months of rehearsals we were feeling quite confident in our performance and hopeful for a good result! In the end we took away the 

• Denise Walsh Award for Best Production of a New Zealand play 
• The Bryan Aitken Youth Theatre Award for Best Youth Production 
• The Theatre New Zealand Book of Honour Award for Best Overall Production

We were very proud of ourselves for receiving such prestigious awards against so many other amazing performances. Not only did we receive awards for our performance as a whole, but one of our amazing actors, Bethany Graf, received one of three of the Jannat Aitchison Memorial Awards for Distinctive Emerging Talent. This just showcased how talented Bethany Graf is and I am sure she went away feeling thrilled with her success. Lastly, I was awarded with the Drama Development Trust Award: New Director, which was awarded to the best new director from the performances in Theatrefest. Personally I am quite proud of my achievement and feel so lucky to have gotten to work with such talented people. 

Winning the Best Overall Production for Theatrefest has been an amazing honour for our group and such an amazing experience. We have received lots of really kind feedback from the community and are so grateful for all the congratulations. Sadly, this is my last year being a part of Theatrefest but I am really glad we went out with a bang. I wish whoever is in Theatrefest next year so much luck and hope we can keep up our winning streak. 

We would like to thank Creative NZ and QPACT Trust for the scholarship funds to send us up to Christchurch, we would not have been able to make it without your support. Altogether they donated $3,600 to our group which was an amazing support, so thank you so much. 

A huge thanks to Jake Hansen for being there for us throughout the whole process, keeping myself and the team going. Mr Hansen truly is the best drama teacher and this has now been shown in our success. Also thank you to Miss Coombe who has been a huge support for the entire team, it’s been amazing having your experience brought to us. Finally thank you to the team of actors and tech crew who I got to work with, you are all incredibly talented and I hope you all keep doing what you are so amazing at. 

- Rochelle Tickle

Congratulations Dancers

Lakes Theatre Arts Dance School pupils passed their exams with the Australian Teachers of Dancing Syllabus.

Ruby Rose - Gold Star Ballet

Avie Escott-Bailey - Gold Star Ballet,

Mei Howick - Gold Medal Jazz

Artist of the Week - Jorja Lane

Jorja is a Year 13 painter who has continued to create outstanding work throughout her time at WHS. Below she explains the artwork that she is creating for her senior folio. 

“My theme is about looking past the mental barriers that divide us from spirituality and the ability to see the natural world with a more open mind. To see everything natural and beautiful whether parts of it be of life or death, etc. 

I was inspired by psychedelic patterns, my appreciation for the beauty of all things natural and how I think this should be appreciated more especially in relation to spirituality. A few of the artist models I used to inspire my art were; Tanya Shatsiva, Alexandra Levassure, Miles Johnston and some models that use pattern overlay on their art.” 

Videos of Level 1 and Level 2 Music Performance

It’s a busy time in the Music department as students work through their performance assessments.   

First we have Level 1 - Year 11 Group Performance - Take 5 feat. Bethany Argyle and Emanuel Gedrick Cardeno

Choenkwan Methanukhor (Piano), Micko Guanzon (trumpet), Bethany Argyle (Alto Saxophone), Emanuel Gedrick Cardeno (Drums), Oscar Sharpe (Bass)

And also a Level 2 -  Let it Go from Disney's "Frozen" arr. by the performers for four hands - NJ Operio (Piano) and Daniel Wright (Piano)

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.

Local Scholarships

Careers

If you're interested in checking out our latest Careers newsletter, click on the link below!

WHS Foundation Golf Tournament

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

Talking Tourism in Queenstown-lakes!
Shaping Our Future wants to hear your thoughts and by participating you are in to win over $5000 worth of prizes! Tag @Shaping our Future on Instagram and share what you like and dislike about tourism in your town. Your contribution will help shape the management of our destination.

What is an economy for public good? New Zealanders’ perspectives….

• Catalyst Kōrero with Gareth Hughes, Thursday, September 21
  
  Could the global economic system be transformed to one that puts people and planet first? And if so, how would it work?
  
  These are among the questions Gareth Hughes asked community representatives from around New Zealand, including Queenstown, in a series of workshops over recent months. He will report back his findings in our Catalyst Kōrero in Queenstown on September 21. As country lead of the Wellbeing Economy Alliance Aotearoa (WEAII), his focus was what people want the economy to be and how we can build an economy that, in turn, builds the public good.
  Thursday, September 21, 6 to 7.30 pm, The Rees Hotel Queenstown. Registration on this link is required to secure your seat. Please bring cash for your koha, which will be given to KiwiHarvest Queenstown.

Perceptions of Asia: What do New Zealanders know about the region considered most consequential to our future?

• Catalyst Kōrero, Sunday, September 24
  
  What do New Zealanders know about Asia, and what worries them? How are young New Zealanders seeing and connecting with the region? These are among the questions the Asia New Zealand Foundation is researching in New Zealand’s longest-running longitudinal study of NZ – Asia relations.
  
  Sunday, September 24, 6 to 7.30 pm at The Rees Hotel Queenstown’s conference room. Registration is required on this Eventbrite link to secure your seat. Please bring cash for your koha, which will be given to KiwiHarvest.
  

The ‘why’ of The New Zealand Wars and the significance of the first Taranaki War and Waikato War

• Catalyst Kōrero with Emeritus Professor Lachy Paterson, Thursday October 5
  

  
  After a series of small wars in the 1840s, Māori and Pākehā appeared to be on the road to peace and prosperity. Why did this fall apart in 1860?

  The British Army attacked Te Āti Awa’s Te Kohia Pā near Waitara on 15 March 1860, starting the First Taranaki War (1860-61). Then a wider circle of conflicts spread across the centre of the North Island, culminating in Te Kooti’s escape into the King Country in 1872.

  Arguably, this first Taranaki campaign and the Waikato War (1863-64) are the most significant. The first as the spark igniting the twelve-year ‘fire in the fern’, and the latter an invasion that the government mistakenly believed would break the back of Māori resistance.

  Prof Paterson’s Catalyst Kōrero focuses on the causes of these two conflicts; whether it was the insatiable Pākehā desire for land, the Crown’s quest to establish a more substantive sovereignty, or something in between?

  Thursday, October 5, 6 to 7.30 pm, The Rees Hotel Queenstown’s conference room, with all koha going to KiwiHarvest. Registration is required on this link in the month prior.

Are you caring, positive and enjoy being with children? Then this opportunity may be for you! Our southern region is looking for special people to donate their time and become a companion at our summer camp in January 2024 at Queenstown.
Become a one - on - one companion to one of our amazing campers and spend the week
with us. Our fun filled week is spent enjoying lots of amazing activities in the Central Otago
region including playing games, water slides, lake swimming, craft and much more. If you are 18 years old (at time of camp) or older, available to attend our training weekend in October and available for an entire week in January then we would love to hear from you. We need a good cross section of people to matchup with our campers and there is no cost for you to attend training or camp
Visit campquality.org.nz or email our companion registrar for more information.

Support our fundraising and enjoy 100s of everyday savings!
Entertainment is the easy-to-use App packed with incredible savings of up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers, so you can save on takeaway, dining, shopping, groceries, gift cards, activities and more!

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