WHS Newsletter | Issue 1.03 |16 February | 2024

Principal's Message

Kia ora koutou and welcome to the end of Week 3, which was our first five-day school week for the year. 

Over the past two weeks, the Senior Leadership Team and I have had the pleasure of doing a number of walkarounds, witnessing settled and engaged classes and students with lots of high quality teaching and learning. Most students will have started to receive homework and many seniors will have begun their first internal assessments. Please be sure to stay engaged with your students learning - ask them what they are learning in each of their classes and you can even ask to see the Google Classroom for each of their subjects, as this is an area where lots of information is provided and from which both classwork and homework is assigned. Keep an on the new weekly Learning Engagement Reports, as these regular reports will give an indication of how the past week has gone in each of your students' classes. Included in the email will be an Attendance summary and any new progress or achievement grades.

At WHS, our vision is to deliver Aotearoa New Zealand’s best all-round education, and on Monday, we had the opportunity to celebrate the academic achievements from 2023 by acknowledging all the senior students who achieved a Merit or Excellence endorsement in their NCEA. With half of our current Year 12 and Year 13 students attaining a merit or excellence endorsement in 2023, this meant that due to venue capacity, we were unable to have parents in attendance at this important occasion. Please see below for the full list of students who achieved so highly in their NCEA and also for a summary of our 2023 NCEA results as compared to national and equity index band (which replaces the old decile system).  

Students getting involved in the extra and co-curricular opportunities on offer is the other significant component of WHS great all-round education, and with our Arts and Sports Expos running this week, now is a great time for students to sign up. There were numerous activities showcased at the two expos, including many clubs and opportunities provided by WHS and external organisations. You can see the full list here, including how to sign up for an activity and/or get more information. Engagement with the extracurricular life of WHS is really important for students' wellbeing and has long-lasting benefits for students, so please encourage your student to get involved. 

Our House Competition has got off to a stellar start with many students out and about playing and/or supporting the House Touch competition. Congratulations to Arthur on taking the early lead in the House Competition. At the end of next week, we have our annual Participation Day, a really important day for school and house culture and one in which we expect all students to attend. 

Looking to next week, a few reminders:

• Next Tuesday is our NCEA information evening, which is a really important evening for parents of students in Year 11. We strongly encourage all parents of Year 11 students to be in attendance (see below for more details).
• Māori & Pasifika NCEA & Careers Parent Evening at Te Hoeroa from 6 pm (parents/caregivers have been emailed)
• Next Thursday is our Gifted information (see below for more details)
• Participation Day is next Friday 23 February. Attendance is compulsory and students should be dressed in House Colours and to theme.
• Year 9 Greenstone Camp - It was great to see so many parents at our Year 9 Greenstone Parent Information Evening. See below for more details including camp dates for each house.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and gets out on their bike to support the Aotearoa Bike Challenge. 

Noho ora mai,

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

Pounamu Assembly Awards

We held our Pounamu Assembly on Monday to celebrate the academic success of our students in 2023. We recognised the students who received NCEA endorsements at the Merit or Excellence level, as well as scholarships. Below is the list of students who received awards during the assembly, congratulations to all students who put in the effort and achieved their own level of personal excellence.

2023 NCEA Results

Gifted Education - Information Evening

We are pleased to invite all parents to attend a meeting on Thursday 22 February at 7pm in the Theatre. 

The purpose of the meeting is to highlight our strategies and policies regarding Gifted Education at WHS, and answer any questions you may have about how we will extend, challenge, and guide your child.

If you are unable to come, feel free to contact me at lrae@wakatipu.school.nz with any questions. Additionally, students can access our Curious Minds Classroom which is full of great enrichment opportunities by using the Class Code 'cgizhbc'. 

Kā mihi nui,
Mr Logan Rae - Gifted Coordinator

Extracurricular Expos

This week we held our Sports and Arts Expos. These are a fantastic opportunity for students to explore a wide array of sporting, artistic, cultural, leadership, and academic activities. Witnessing the enthusiastic participation and sign-ups from numerous students was truly inspiring.

Participating in extracurricular activities enhances wellbeing and encourages positive relationships with peers and the community. Whether it involves enjoying outdoor sports amidst our incredible environment, dedicating time to volunteer at a charity, or joining one of our many diverse clubs on offer, there's an activity suited for everyone.

WHS strives to provide Aotearoa's best all-round education, and participating in the large number of extracurricular activities on offer, at or through the school, plays a big part in this. We encourage all students to get involved and take advantage of these great opportunities.

If students missed the expos they can still sign up directly through the Google Classrooms using the codes provided in the flyer below. Google Classroom is where key information will be posted on how to get involved with each activity. If you have any questions please reach out to the Sports and Arts Departments.

Year 9 Greenstone Camp

The Greenstone Camp is fast approaching. It is a great way for Year 9 students to come together for three days and two nights of learning in their respective Houses.

Dates for each House are as follows:

• Camp 1: 2 to 4 March -  Duncan students                    
• Camp 2: 4 to 6 March -  Fox students              
• Camp 3: 6 to 8 March -  Hay students                                                   
• Camp 4: 8 to 10 March - MacKenzie students
• Camp 5: 10 to 12 March - Arthur students  

The camps focus on fundamental campcraft skills, engaging in River Safety exercises such as river crossing, swimming, and kayaking, and embarking on a day hike (Lake Rere loop) while gaining an understanding for the school values of Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, and Inclusion.

A reminder to all caregivers to fill out the camp Medical and Consent Form before this Sunday (18th of February).  It was great to see so many parents at our information evening, if you weren't able to attend please see the PDF below.

Keep up to date with all the latest updates on your student's Greenstone Google Classroom page!

Parents and caregivers can find more information about the camp at the link below.

Andrew Regan
Greenstone Camp Coordinator

House Competition

The first event of the year in our House Competition has come to a close, with Arthur taking out the overall event, landing them top spot on the leaderboard. Ka pai to mahi to the Duncan Juniors for winning the junior event and a big shoutout to Harry Seeto for his game winning try in the final game for the seniors.

Next up is Participation Day, which is all about participation and inclusion, this will take place next Friday 23 February. Students, get your outfits sorted, get involved and represent your house with pride for the big day and may the best house win!

Protecting Lake Hayes

Are you passionate about improving the water quality of Lake Hayes and ensuring its sustainability for future generations? Then look no further than supporting the Friends of Lake Hayes! 

The Friends of Lake Hayes is an environmentally focused charity that has a dedicated group of volunteers who work tirelessly to protect and enhance this local taonga. 

Currently the Friends of Lake Hayes are trying to ensure that stormwater runoff (laden with pollutants and sediments) resulting from the planned Ladies Mile development doesn’t end up in Lake Hayes. 

“QLDC claims that runoff from the proposed Ladies Mile development will improve the water quality of Lake Hayes. This would appear not to be based on any expert scientific advice or evidence. It involves creating ~100ha of hard surfaces, in the 120ha project area. Based on expert scientific advice that Friends of Lake Hayes has sourced, this will accelerate stormwater runoff and the erosion and transport of sediment and other contaminants during high rainfall events. These events are expected to increase in magnitude and frequency due to climate change.” 

The WHS Environmental Council is keen to support the Friends of Lake Hayes and so we will be signing the petition to stop stormwater run-off entering the Lake.  We would encourage other students who are supportive to also sign the petition which can be found at www.savelakehayes.org.nz

Environment Council
Peter Davis and Sophie Rassmussen

Coast 2 Coast Champions!

Congratulations to Pete Davis, Tom Schenk, and Siena Mackley for their well deserved victory in the Schools 3 Person Team competition at the 2024 Kathmandu Coast to Coast this past weekend! The gruelling event, which comprised 36km of running, 140km of biking, and a 70km kayak, showcased their remarkable endurance and skill. Not only did the trio claim the top spot in the schools division, but they also secured the title of the first mixed team and achieved an impressive 4th place overall in the two-day 3-person category, clocking in at 12:33:47. Their stellar performance, surpassing many adult teams, is a testament to their dedication, perseverance, and mahi. Well done to Pete, Tom, and Siena on the outstanding result!

Bike Challenge Shifts into High Gear

It’s Aotearoa Bike Challenge this month and Wakatipu High School is proud to be taking part! We're aiming to fight travel congestion, help reduce carbon emissions for our region and come out top on the leaderboard again this year. Every ride turns into points that help businesses climb to the top of local workplace leaderboards and the competition is close between Queenstown Airport, QLDC and Wakatipu High School. You can sign up and support our efforts under the Wakatipu High School Staff group as a student or as an individual.

Thanks to the wonderful team at Chargeabout Queenstown Mr Nathan can now dominate the leaderboard with a Benno Boost ebike to use over the challenge.  Check out www.aotearoa.bike/queenstownlakes to follow the stats and our staff's progress.  Also, as part of the Aotearoa Bike Challenge students biking to school via Frankton Marina or Glenda Drive can receive free kai and hot chocolates every Wednesday morning 7 am - 9am over February.  Time to Ride & Shine! 

Tertiary Liaison Visits

You will notice that our calendar is filling up fast and we are now taking sign-ups for university liaison visits taking place in Term 1. If you are interested in attending a session then head to the Careers website and or sign up below.

Monday 26 February -  University of Otago Liaison Visit  https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/18
Friday 1 March - Otago Polytechnic Liaison Visit https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/16
Monday 4 March - Massey University Liaison Visit https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/110
Monday 4 March - Lincoln University Liaison Visit https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/49
Friday 8 March - University of Auckland Liaison Visit https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/392
Monday 11 March  -  Victoria University of Wellington Liaison Visit https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/20
Friday 15 March - University of Canterbury Liaison Visit https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/19
Monday 8 April - University of Waikato Liaison Visit https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/438

Uniform - new partnership

We're excited to announce a new partnership with NZ Uniforms. The new partnership will continue providing high quality uniform items as well as offering our families more flexibility with purchasing and payment.

NZ Uniforms have committed to opening a retail uniform store later this year in the Frankton area which will provide a better shopping experience for families than the current mixed model we are operating. Families can continue to purchase online if they wish.

Flexible payment options include ZIP (paying in 4 installments, interest free) and Uniform Club. See our website for more information.

Note that there will be a small delay dispatching any orders placed over the next 3-4 days whilst the transition occurs.

Sport and Active Recreation

House Touch
The first WHS House competition has been underway the last couple of weeks with our Senior and Junior touch teams battling it out on the school fields during break times. Duncan took out the Junior comp with a 2-0 win over Arthur, while Arthur got the win in the Senior comp with a 1-0 victory over Fox. It’s awesome seeing everyone getting into the house spirit! Final placings are below. 

Seniors:

• 1st - Arthur
• 2nd - Fox
• 3rd - Hay
• 4th - Duncan
• 5th - Mackenzie

Juniors:

• 1st - Duncan
• 2nd - Arthur
• 3rd - Hay
• 4th - Fox
• 5th - Mackenzie

Mountain Biking -  National Downhill Series 
A number of WHS students have been competing in the MTBNZ National Downhill Series. Round 3 was held in Christchurch last weekend, with our riders achieving some awesome results. The 4th and final round is on Sunday at Cardrona.

• Lewis Laird 1st U15
• Indy Deavoll 2nd U17
• Finn Almog 2nd U17
• Toby Meek 2nd U19 (former WHS student)

Softball
WHS’ first game of softball for this latter part of the season was on a hot evening in Alexandra.  We played an enthusiastic and keen Cromwell team. It was a hard fought battle with us only having 8 players. Cromwell kindly let us Jack to help us make a team. Jack Pick was amazing as catcher for the game. Ty Walker pitched for two innings and Tyler Smith pitched for the first time. Our batting was outstanding with Elle Waples batting runners home, Tyler Harnahan got his first home run!  We managed to eke out a win 15-11 due to our great hitting and base running. CJ Klimeck had a great first game getting on base every bat and moving around well in the outfield

We are looking for new players and have a bye next week, so the team will have an extra training from 3.30-5pm on Tuesday and Thursday on the WHS fields. If you want to come along and try softball we would love to see you there!

Opportunities to Get Involved

WHS Sports Expo
It was great to see so many people at our Sports Expo on Wednesday! This is a key opportunity for our students to see what activities are on offer at WHS or through our local community clubs. Information on how to get involved in each sport or physical activity will be shared out over the next couple of weeks on each Google Classroom. It’s not too late to sign up! You can join the Google Classrooms directly using the relevant code, listed on the 2024 Extracurricular Flyer. 

Water Skiing Champs
The Otago-Southland Secondary School Water Ski champs will be held at Perkins Pond (near Millers Flat) on Sunday 25th February. For further information please contact Bel at sportscoordinator@wakatipu.school.nz.

Mountain Biking Help
The Queenstown Mountain Bike Club is looking for 20x marshals on Saturday 24th February and 13x on Sunday 25th February to assist at Coronet Peak for the New Zealand Mountain Bike Championships. Age 15+. All marshals will receive a free day lift pass to use in their own time plus a free packed lunch at the event. If you would like to have front row seats as a race marshal, please let’s Donna know preference for DH or XC and which day/s you are available.

In addition, a service letter can be written by the club if any students would like credit for service to the community. Contact Donna Meek: juniors@queenstownmtb.co.nz

Futures Whakatipu Simulation Golf Competition
Join Futures Whakatipu at Golf Federation (Athol Street, Queenstown) on the 25th February to test out your skills on the latest technology! With a Longest Drive Competition, Nearest to the Pin and the opportunity to play one of the 260+ virtual golf courses. Register here through the events calendar on the Futures Whakatipu website! 

Remarkables Boxing & Training Camp
At RBT, we're on a mission to unleash your inner champion! We're the one-stop-shop for all things boxing, strength & conditioning, and injury rehab, with over 10 years of experience under our gloves. Our 8-week training camp caters to individuals new to boxing, offering an opportunity for enthusiastic learners. It is also highly beneficial for boxing enthusiasts looking to enhance their fundamental skills. Our aim is to create a safe and controlled zone where young teens can train like a pro and reap all the benefits. This bootcamp will help them build on life-long friendships, learn self defence, increase their confidence, instil discipline & respect for others as well as themselves and have fun while learning a new skill!  The camp runs between 27 February 2024 and 11 March 2024. Please contact coachmikey@remarkablesboxingandtraining.com   if you are interested or have any questions.

Resources and Information

National Concussion Guidelines
ACC has announced the new National Concussion Guidelines for community sport which come into effect for the 2024 winter sport season. These are linked below. The key changes are: (1) When a player suffers a concussion, they must be symptom-free for 14 days post-injury before a graduated return to play. (2) They must complete a minimum period of 21 days away from full competition before clearance to return. (3) Medical clearance must be obtained prior to return to play.

https://www.acc.co.nz/newsroom/stories/a-game-changer-for-community-sport-acc-launches-national-concussion-guidelines/

It is extremely important to manage concussions and any head knocks appropriately, as they can have a lasting impact on an athlete’s life. For a reminder of such impacts, please check out the first 20 minutes of the video below to hear some powerful words from ex-professional cricketer Shawn Hicks as he discusses how a concussion in high school changed the course of his professional career and still affects him today.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t79Ng8oKKxg&authuser=0

Kiwi Athlete Agency
Interested in pursuing tertiary education in the United States? The Kiwi Athlete Agency are here to provide help and guidance to students who are looking to pursue the U.S. student-athlete pathway. More information is on the flyer below.

Keep Us Informed

The Sports Department would love to hear from you if you know of any awesome sporting achievements from our students! Please send through details/results and photos to Sian at shorn@wakatipu.school.nz so we can share and celebrate these as a school.

Support Sport at WHS
Support the team by liking the Wakatipu High School Sports Facebook page. This is the best way to stay up to date with the successes of our athletes and teams and celebrate their great achievements!

https://www.facebook.com/WakatipuHighSchoolSports/ 

Sian Horn
Director of Sport

Arts Department News

WHS Musical 2024
Rehearsals have begun, please refer to the schedule to make sure you attend all rehearsals.

The Schedule for all rehearsals and meetings is in the Hairspray 2024 WHS Musical Classroom Group (pvgr6zm).

Itinerant Music Lessons. 
Itinerant lessons are up and running and the demand has been considerable which is very encouraging. The guitar, drums and bass guitar numbers are particularly high and we will be running these sessions in groups for the foreseeable future. Students will be emailed times and it is expected that they are in the Music on time or have communicated with us if they cannot be there. 

Out and About 
Well done to Daniel Wright who entertained members of the Queenstown Country Club last weekend (and got to play on their grand piano).

Congratulations to our musicians who performed at the Gigs on the Green in Queenstown last Friday. Thanks to Rockformation for once again. The students involved were:

Ted Coutts/Bethany Graf 

Band 10.37: Mia and Isaac Ralph, Luc Theron, Luana Kirchoff Pereira, Tyler Simpson.

Expo / Performing Arts Classroom Group

The Arts Expo was held on Friday, if you missed out on putting your name down on the sign up sheets please have a look at  Extra Curricular page  for the Classrooms codes:  https://www.wakatipu.school.nz/extracurricular.html

There are a variety of groups/activities on offer in the Music department with many running in the long Break. Students need to read the information on the Performing Arts Classroom (code: sijw2gw) for updates on what is happening and when. 

Music Groups.
Groups will be underway in the next 2-3 weeks with information posted on the Performing Arts Classroom

If you are interesting in joining Jazz Band, Singing Groups, Guitar Groups, Saxophone Groups or any other Musical group make sure you sign up.

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 details and photos to artscoordinator@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 the Arts Coordinator at artscoordinator@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

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