WHS Newsletter | Issue 4.06 | 17 November | 2023

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the Wakatipu High School newsletter at the end of Week 6. A very special welcome to parents and caregivers of our incoming Year 9 students who are receiving the WHS newsletter for the first time - while there are only a few more newsletters this year, hopefully they will give you a sense of WHS as well as some important information for the upcoming school year.

Related, today has been an important day at WHS - our annual Year 8 Orientation Day, where we welcome next year’s incoming students. Next year will be our biggest ever year level with approximately 325 Year 9 students starting at WHS. The day is always a mix of excitement and nerves, but it has gone well and is an important step in the process of transitioning new students to WHS. We look forward to welcoming them back on their first day next year - Tuesday 30th January. Parents, please put that afternoon in your diaries as we welcome you that afternoon to come and meet some key people, including your students Kaiārahi. Lots more information will be emailed to parents of new entrant students early nest week. 

Part of why we have Orientation Day today is that the school is relatively quiet. Nationally there are no NCEA exams today so seniors are on exam leave, and Year 10s are on their Branches Camp Workday so it is a good day for the incoming students to be here.

The Workday that the Year 10s have been on is an important fundraiser for Branches Camp, and a big thanks to Jane Bamford and the Branches Trust for their efforts and support of Branches Camp. Next Wednesday, 22 November the Pre-Branches Tramps which will be held around Queenstown Hill. Details were sent to parents/caregivers earlier this week and all information is also posted on the Branches Google Classroom, which students have access to. 

We also welcomed our 2024 Student Leaders to school today to support the Year 8’s with their transition and to continue with their leadership development and planning for the upcoming school year. We have outstanding students at WHS and a huge thanks to all the leaders for giving up their precious study time to support a positive school culture.

The second week of NCEA exams have gone well, and it’s great to see students putting in the mahi to achieve to the best of their ability in these important external exams. There are some big exams again next week so keep supporting seniors to study effectively. 

A great newsletter follows so be sure to have a read. 

Ngā mihi nui,

Oded Nathan
Principal

Key Dates - Term One 2024

WHS SZ App

All parents, caregivers and students should download the SZapp to your device as this is how we will communicate urgent and important school alerts and our weekly newsletter. The app also features an absence form, the online school cafe, a calendar and some handy links! See below information on how to download the WHS SZ app. 

 Apple Devices

1. On your device, open the App Store.
2. Search the App Store for SZapp.
3. Download and install SZapp.

 Android Devices

1. On your device, open the Play Store.
2. Search the Play Store for SZapp.
3. Download and install SZapp.

Significant Scholarships Awarded to WHS Students

The 2023 Year 13 cohort of Wakatipu High School has to date been awarded a remarkable $605,740 worth of scholarships. 

Of the total amount, an impressive $460,840 can be attributed to tertiary scholarships, benefitting 48 students in the class of 2023. This accounts for approximately 27% of the Year 13 cohort, showcasing the exceptional talent and achievements within our school community. These scholarships, recognise Leadership, Academic and Sporting Excellence, as well as promoting equity in further education.

We are grateful to the local organisations that have generously donated $144,900 to support our students in their pursuit of higher education. Their commitment to empowering our future leaders is truly commendable and very much appreciated.

Student Leaders Preparation for 2024

It was a pleasure to have our 2024 Student Leaders at the kura today working with members of our Senior Leadership Team and the Deans in anticipation of 2024. We spent a lot of time creating a 'shared why' and 'how' we'll work as a team moving forward to continue to progress our school culture from good to great. The Year 8's also enjoyed having them around at break times and spending some time getting to know them as some friendly faces around the school and community moving forward. To us, leadership is all about making a positive contribution and leaving a lasting legacy - the Student Leaders of 2024 certainly made a strong start.

Mā pango mā whero ka oti te mahi!

Call for Support for WHS 2024 Musical

WHS is excited to announce that the 2024 Musical is Hairspray! The Musical will run from Wednesday, 3 April - Saturday, 6 April in the Wakatipu High School Theatre. 

Our musicals are fantastic shows with wonderful opportunities for many of our students, and because of their popularity, they provide a great opportunity for the community to support our students. 

Check some highlights from our 2023 musical, Rock Apocalypse below!

Musicals are, however, a significant undertaking and we appreciate support from the wider community to ensure they happen at the level we aspire to. One way for this to occur is through sponsorship from businesses and/or families. 

Families or business sponsors can choose to be Platinum Sponsors, Gold Sponsors, Silver Sponsors, or Bronze Sponsors. 

Sponsorship opportunities:

• Platinum Sponsors - for donations of $3000+ will be given up to 10 complimentary tickets for the Thursday night show, have their name or logo in the Musical programme and Foyer screen.
• Gold Sponsors - for donations of $1000 will be given 6 complimentary tickets for the Thursday night show and have their name or logo in the Musical programme and Foyer screen.
• Silver Sponsors - for donations of $500 will be given 4 complimentary tickets for the Thursday night show and have their name or logo in the Musical programme and Foyer screen.
• Bronze Sponsors - for donations of $250 will be given 2 complimentary tickets for the Thursday night show and have their name or logo in the Musical programme and Foyer screen.

Businesses can also advertise in the Musical programme - a great way to support the musical and promote your business at the same time. Advertising includes full, half and quarter page options, each accompanied by complimentary Thursday night tickets.

Advertising Options:

• Full-page (A4 portrait) - $800+GST for a colour advertisement in the programme, with an advertisement on Wakatipu High School Foyer screen, and 4 complimentary (Thursday night only) tickets.
• Half-page (A5 landscape) - $400+GST for a colour advertisement in the programme, with an advertisement on Wakatipu High School Foyer screen, and 2 complimentary (Thursday night only) tickets.
• Quarter-page (A6 portrait) - $200+GST for a colour advertisement in the programme, with an advertisement on Wakatipu High School Foyer screen, and 1 complimentary (Thursday night only) ticket.

Advertising Specifications are: 

• Full page A4 - 297mm x 210mm (portrait)
• Half page A5- 148mm x 210mm (landscape)
• Quarter page A6 - 148mm x 105mm  (portrait)

Please note:

• We are unable to create advertisements so please email us a high-resolution (200 dpi) JPEG or PDF file with a 5mm border around it.
• Please also supply an email address for invoicing and complimentary tickets.

As always we are very appreciative of other support including supplies and paint, props, costumes, makeup, as well as adult support for the various production crews.

Please contact me if you wish to be a sponsor or advertiser or have any queries at mparker@wakatipu.school.nz - many thanks in anticipation!

Monica Parker
Arts Coordinator

Summer Reading Challenge

Students make reading progress all through the school year. If they don’t maintain the reading habit during their school holidays, (especially the long summer holiday), however, they can lose ground. This reading loss, also known as the "summer slide",  has a huge impact, particularly on struggling readers who lose momentum, reading habits and confidence. The best thing that parents, caregivers and whanau can do to support students to maintain the gains they have made throughout their academic year is to provide opportunities to read while on holiday. With the changes to NCEA meaning that students will now need to sit and pass Reading and Writing Corequisite exams, avoiding the "summer slide" is more important than ever before. This is of particular relevance to current Year 8, 9 and 10 students.

For parents who want to know more, please see the link below for access to an extensive summary of research related to the "Summer Slide" and associated resources, available on the National Library website.

For practical suggestions of how to engage your child (especially if he / she is a reluctant reader):

• Connect with your local library. Queenstown Central, Frankton, Arrowtown, Kingston and Glenorchy all have branches, and membership is free.
• Engage with the "Bookopoly Summer Reading Challenge" - This is a competition available to students between the ages of 12 - 18 run by the Central Otago and Queenstown Lakes Libraries, and there are loads of prizes to be won! See the link to the Library website for more information.
• Match texts to your child's interests and ability. Graphic novels, comics, magazines, newspaper articles and even recipes or flat-pack assembly instructions are all legitimate opportunities to engage with reading. Above all else, reading should be FUN!
• Encourage your son / daughter to read along while listening to an audio book.
• Discuss what they are reading / have read. Can they identify the key themes / messages in the text? Can they articulate what the purpose of the text is (e.g: opinion piece, persuasive, informative, summary, instructional). Who is the likely target audience? How do they know?
  

For more advice on how to engage your child with reading, we strongly encourage you to make contact with your local friendly librarian: they are more than happy to help!

Justine Duncan
Deputy Principal

Wakatipu High School Foundation Raffle

Āwhina Fundraising Raffle

The Āwhina Support Fund is designed to assist families financially with all aspects of school life, including uniform, fees, laptops, camps and all other school-based and extracurricular activities. This ensures no students are disadvantaged by financial hardship - making a very real difference to financially disadvantaged families. Currently, 1 in 10 students receive support from the Āwhina Fund and with the increase in the school roll and current economic climate the need is growing.

We'd be very grateful if you could purchase a ticket/s in our Āwhina Fundraising Raffle to help us support students at Wakatipu High School through the Āwhina Support Fund. Your ticket will also go into the draw to win one of two amazing prizes!

Uniform Requirements and Shop Hours

We believe that wearing the school uniform correctly is an important way in which students can represent our school with pride, and is an expectation of all students attending WHS. Please click here for uniform requirements. The website also lists the variations in rules around wearing the blazer in February and the tie for junior students. 

Our uniform shop will be open from December 4 for current Year 8 students and new entrants joining WHS in 2024. This will allow students to try on a uniform before ordering it with confidence online through Argyle Schoolwear. Small items, such as socks, belts, jerseys, tights and ties, will also be available to buy at the uniform shop during this time. 

Our uniform shop will be open from Monday 22 Jan for current Year 8 students and new entrants joining WHS in 2024. This will allow students to try on a uniform before ordering it with confidence online through Argyle Schoolwear (link below). Small items, such as socks, belts, jerseys, tights and ties, will also be available to buy at the uniform shop during this time. 

Opening Dates and Times

December 4 -  8 | 3:30 - 4:45 pm
January 22 - 24 | 9:30 - 3:30 pm
January 25 - 26 | 1:00  - 3:30 pm

Homestay Families Required

Sport and Active Recreation News

IOC Youth Olympic Selection
Congratulations to Year 9 student Cooper Breen who has been selected as a non-travelling reserve by the NZ Olympic Committee for the Youth Winter Olympics in 2024 being held in South Korea in late January. There are only two spots available for freestyle for NZ athletes to compete at the games. This is an incredible achievement for a 13 year old to be selected as the third athlete! If Cooper doesn't get called up, he will still be training and representing NZ in competitions in the US during this time. Cooper is currently in Austria training in the halfpipe with the team. Well done Cooper!

Wakatipu vs Kings Junior Boys Cricket Exchange
The annual two day Junior Boys Cricket inter-school fixture with Kings High School took place over Wednesday and Thursday this week with WHS's turn to host this year. We have won the Cushen-Mawhinney trophy for the last two years but it was not to be this year. After posting 115 in the first innings WHS had Kings 34/5 before the Kings middle order put on a massive partnership to end day one at 180/5. After taking a wicket on day 2 Kings declared for 236/6 and put WHS into bat. Unfortunately we struggled to gain any real momentum at the crease and Kings ended up winning by an innings and 30 runs. A big thank you to our coaching crew of Walter Clarke, Dean Dolan, Craig Mawdsley and Ben Gallie and all parents who billeted and helped score etc. 

Wakatipu vs Otago Girls  - Junior Girls Cricket
The Junior Girls cricket team played Otago Girls High School in Alexandra on Wednesday. This was the first time the T20 exchange has be played since covid. Wakatipu batted first scoring a total of 99 runs with Honor Gilbert (34) and Kara Trounce (27) sharing an excellent unbeaten partnership. The chase was really close with Otago Girls eventually ending on 90 runs. Highlight of the bowling was Audrey Austin who got two wickets and bowled a really disciplined and economical spell. Thank you to all the girls who played and a massive thank you to Greg Trounce and Jason Rhind for coaching the team. Well done all!

WHS Softball Wins at Home
It was a privilege to host our first game of softball at WHS for 20 odd years this week against the Cromwell Cougars. It was great to have a big home crowd of parents and friends of the team. Our WHS team came out strong with Cromwell only scoring 4 runs in their first 3 innings! We batted well and got many out with great fielding, Jack Pick made some great throws to Ben Bradley on first base to run batters out; Jett Casey provided consistent catching skills; Paige Morrison stopped the ball at second base to get some run out. and both Finn Almog and Ty Walker pitched well. The final score went our way again 15-9 and we didn’t even bat our 4th innings. The teams finished up with a sausage sizzle. A big thank you to those that came to support! Back to Alexandra for the final two weeks for this half of the season. 

Netball South Steel Steps Programmes
8 WHS netballers have been selected into the Netball South Steel Steps Programme for 2024. This programme develops and extends players with potential that have been identified within the zone. Congratulations to the following students:
Steel Steps Accelerator Programme: Bridget O’Malley and Izzy Burgess
Steel Steps Development Programme: Ava Rona, Esther Hamilton, Kara Troune, Lulu Middleton, Mia Manderson, and Nieve McLeod

South Island Junior Volleyball Champs
Good luck to our three junior volleyball teams heading to the South Island Champs in Dunedin next week to compete during Junior Tournament week. We have two girls teams and one boys team, the first time we have taken a boys team to this event. All the best to the 29 students representing WHS next week. Go well!

Opportunities to Get Involved!

Rainbow Run - Saturday 25th November
The Queenstown Rainbow Run is taking place on Saturday 25th November at 11:30am at the Frankton Reserve. Check out the poster in the Community Notices below.

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

WHS Musical 2024

Callbacks continued, along with movement auditions week.  Keep an out for emails of communication about the next steps. A reminder for everyone to "Save the Dates" of  3rd - 6th April 2024!

Junior Visual Arts 

The 5ART1 (still life) junior visual arts classes have recently finished a unit based on the artist model, Leigh Tawharu. Leigh uses textiles, patterns and plants to create her stunning artworks. 

The students spent several weeks studying plants, traditional Māori patterns and learning colour theory. The images below show the students’ creative work that is hanging in the Visual Arts area. 

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.

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

How you get around the Queenstown Lakes?

QLDC want to know how you choose to travel around the district, why you travel that way, and what might make it easier for you to try a different form of transport. Share your insights using the form here.

Feedback closes on Wednesday 22 November 2023.

Your feedback will help QLDC identify low-cost actions that will help the community, businesses, and residents to consider transport choices, optimise the efficiency of our transport network and achieve more sustainable outcomes in the Queenstown Lakes.

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LEARNER & INTERMEDIATE DRIVING LESSONS

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

• Learner lessons for beginners
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Rach Gerard: 027 273 9610,  Dan Gerard: 027 349 2447