WHS Newsletter | Issue 2.03 | 17 May 2024

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of Week 3,

The term has got off to a good start as students start to really settle into the rhythm of teaching and learning and it has been great to do some learning walks over the past few weeks to witness this in action. Seniors will have a number of internal assessments and next week marks the start of the first round of the corequisite examinations in Literacy and Numeracy. Almost all Year 10’s and nearly half of Year 11’s will be sitting these exams, which are now a requirement to achieve an NCEA qualification. Our staff ran a series of webinars and information sessions and multiple emails have been sent directly to students and parents outlining which exams they are doing, so please make sure to have a look at the webinars and note the dates below, if you haven’t already done so.

Friday 24 May - Writing
Monday 27 May - Numeracy
Wednesday 29 May - Reading 

This week marked an opportunity to focus on our key value of inclusion and to celebrate the motto of ‘it’s cool to be kind’. The large majority of our students really embrace the school’s 5 key values and live the Wakatipu Way on a regular basis, and I’d like to take a moment to commend the vast majority of students who have not had a detention, have not been referred from class, are adhering to the cellphone expectations, and are genuinely good citizens on a regular basis both at school and in the community. 

Winter sport is starting to kick into high gear, with nearly half of WHS students involved in one or more sports this winter. If you’re not already doing so, be sure to follow the WHS Sports Facebook and WHS Arts Instagram pages to keep up with all the latest action including upcoming events and game times.

Also, if you haven’t already done so, be sure to get your tickets to the annual WHSF ‘A Winter Feast’ Annual Fundraising Dinner and Live Auction at The Grille at Eichardt’s. See below for more information as tickets are selling fast.

A quick reminder around the mobility parking spaces around the school. Please ensure that you are not blocking or using these spaces illegally when dropping off or picking up your student from school.

This Saturday night is WHS Year 13 Formal, which is a wonderful and important event for students, their whānau, the school and the community,  and we look forward to a great evening despite what the weather might be doing.

A reminder that in two weeks time, on Friday 31 May, we have a Teacher Only Day (as part of the Nation-wide Accord Day) to support the new NCEA and so there is no school for students.

Have a great weekend and be sure to have a read through another stellar newsletter.

Ngā mihi nui,

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

NCEA Level 1,2, and 3 Internal Assessment Calendars

The assessment calendars for the year have been set and can be found below.

Level 1 NCEA Assessment Calendar
Level 2 NCEA Assessment Calendar
Level 3 NCEA Assessment Calendar

A Winter Feast

It's Business Time!

Our Business Studies classes have begun sales of their products with Market Days with lots of tasty treats on offer. Students have been busy undertaking market research for their products, investigating suppliers, writing their business plans and planning for their sales.  Another Market Day is scheduled for next week. 

Navigating Harmful Digital Communications

Safeguarding Your Teen in the Digital World: Navigating Harmful Digital Communications

In today’s digital age, our teenagers are more connected than ever.  There are many opportunities to connect, share, and learn. However, amidst this vast digital landscape, there lurks a darker side – harmful digital communications. This week all Year 9 HPE classes have had a session on harmful digital communications and what to do if they experience this as part of a wider anti-bullying unit.  

Understanding Harmful Digital Communications:

Harmful digital communications encompass a range of online behaviours that can cause harm, distress, or discomfort to individuals. In New Zealand, the Harmful Digital Communications Act 2015 aims to address and prevent these harmful behaviours. We see teens crossing limits within this Act, and impacting others negatively online without realising what they are doing is more than harmless banter, or as some teens say ‘just how my mates talk online’. 

Protecting Your Teen:

As parents, it’s essential to equip our teens with the knowledge and skills to navigate the digital world safely. Here are some tips to help safeguard your teen:

1. Open Communication: Foster an environment where your teen feels comfortable discussing their online experiences with you. Encourage them to share any concerns or issues they encounter online without fear of judgement.
2. Educate About Online Safety: Teach your teen about the importance of privacy settings, the risks of interacting with strangers online, and the impact of their digital footprint. Help them understand that once something is shared online, it can be challenging to remove entirely.
3. Set Clear Boundaries: Establish rules around screen time, social media usage, and the types of content that are appropriate for your teen to engage with online. Monitor their online activity while respecting their privacy.
4. Promote Empathy and Respect: Emphasise the importance of treating others with kindness and respect, both online and offline. Encourage your teen to think critically about the content they share and how it might affect others. Many of the issues we deal with at the high school involve students communicating online using language they would never say in person.
5. Lead by Example: Be a positive role model for responsible digital behaviour. Practise good online habits yourself and demonstrate empathy and respect in your online interactions.

Seeking Help:

If your teen experiences harmful digital communications, it’s essential to take action promptly. Encourage them to take screenshots/photos, block the sender if possible, and report the incident.  

Students and families can access the school's bullying reporting form, click here to report any incidents. If incidents are impacting how a student feels about coming to school and impacts learning, school can get involved (regardless of the time of day the incident occurred). 

Another option is to report via Netsafe. This is a non-profit NZ organisation which provides practical advice, support, and guidance to individuals experiencing harmful digital communications. Their website is a great source of information. 

WHS also has an online safety hub which can be accessed off our website. This has lots of information such as reviews on apps and games, information about online safety, and more information about reporting incidents. 

In conclusion, while the digital world offers countless opportunities for connection and growth, it also presents risks that cannot be ignored. By staying informed, fostering open communication, and teaching our teens to navigate the digital landscape responsibly, we can help them stay safe and thrive online.

What Do I Do If My Child Is Being Bullied?

We are rerunning this article given this is Pink Shirt Day and it is super important families know what they can do if a student is being bullied. 

The most common reason students don’t report bullying is fear of making it worse - being labelled as someone that tells. This is a legitimate risk, and means dealing with any instances of bullying needs to be done very carefully. 

If you hear your child is being bullied please talk to the school. There are different ways to do this. You can contact your child’s Kaiarahi or Dean, or you can let us know by completing a bullying reporting form from our website (https://www.wakatipu.school.nz/reportbullying.html).

If you complete the bullying reporting form, a dean or senior leader will get in contact - usually within one school day. The first step is to arrange a meeting to talk about what the student is experiencing. The meeting can be just with the student, or with the student and family. Sometimes the student will bring a friend along for support. We can do this out of school hours if there is concern over being seen talking with staff. 

Once we have a picture of what is happening, the dean or senior leader will talk through possible options. We will also talk through what to do if anything else occurs. There are many considerations depending on the circumstances. Often the student or family will take some time to think about what they want to do. Sometimes the student will want to take time to see if small changes have an impact, sometimes we head straight into talking with the alleged bully and looking at discipline. 

Whatever next steps are agreed, there will be a component for checking in with the student. This can be with one of our guidance team, or another staff member, or sometimes it is via email with the family. 

A few things that we need to be really clear about

• We can’t impose consequences for an alleged bully in any way without being specific about what they are accused of, and giving them a chance to put forward their side. 
• If there is a safety concern, school will intervene even if the victim doesn’t want us to. Ideally we can agree on a path together and recent experience has been that the student and family are in agreement with the school. 
• If bullying is occurring on the way to and from school, school can still intervene. It does not need to be within school hours or boundaries. 
• If there are significant social media posts/messages (in breach of the harmful digital communications act), or there is lower level but continual negative social media interaction, even if it is outside of school time, school can intervene if it is having an impact on a student’s ability to learn at school.  We have stood students down from school for such posts during 2022. 
• School will work with the police if appropriate. This includes putting the family in contact with the police. School action does not stop if the police are involved, both happen simultaneously. This is not common, but does occasionally happen.

There are clear definitions of what bullying is or is not. Sometimes what we are dealing with is not technically bullying, but the student still needs support and some of the behaviours are still not OK. 

Good places for more information:

• Bully Free NZ (https://www.bullyingfree.nz/)
• Netsafe - for online events (https://netsafe.org.nz/

We can’t act if we don’t know. It is heartbreaking to hear a student is feeling intimidated or unsafe weeks or months after it began. There are always steps we can take to improve the situation. As much as staff try to look out for any bullying it can be hidden.

From surveying students over the last two years we believe Wakatipu High School doesn’t have a particularly high rate of bullying compared to national data. Any bullying is not acceptable and we are working to get our school bully free. 

Please also see the article on harmful digital communications. 

ICAS 2024

ICAS will return to Wakatipu High School this year. The ICAS competition gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills in English, Mathematics, Science, and Writing. The competition is open to all WHS students, Year 9 through to 13. Every student who participates is celebrated and recognised with a printed certificate in each subject area, and an online results report to track development each year. Top performers are eligible for one of the highly coveted ICAS medals. The tests are fully online and sitting dates will commence in Term 3. 
 
If you wish for your child to participate in ICAS this year, please:  
1. Read about ICAS subjects and prices here.
2. Read the terms and conditions here. 
3. Go to the Parent Portal to sign up to chosen subject areas here.  
4. Enter our school’s access code – QFN331.  
5. Enter your child’s details, select the subject areas your child would like to participate in, then proceed to payment.  
 
After payment is made via the Parent Payment System, you will receive an order confirmation email. Please keep this for your records. Applications need to be in by Friday, 26 July. 

Logan Rae
Gifted Coordinator

World Challenge 'A Prize a Day for the Month of May'

Congratulations to our first week of winners! If we haven't already been in contact, we will be shortly. 

Wednesday 8th May: Frank's Corner Glenorchy 2 pairs of socks - Karen

Thursday 9th May: Industrial Fitness Membership - Maria Dena

Friday 10th May: Ma Boulangerie $10 voucher - Craig King

Saturday 11th May: Flame Bar & Grill $50 voucher - Claire Beale

Sunday 12th May: Hilton 1 night stay and breakfast for 2 - Dayna Fulton

Monday 13th May: Shotover Engineering Hunting Pack - Barker

Tuesday 14th May: Real NZ Jetboat ride for 2 - Maria Dena

It is not too late to buy tickets. You still have the chance to win over 15 incredible prizes. Just press on the link below and fill out the Google Form, pay by direct transfer and you are in with a chance to win. Once again a massive thank you to our generous sponsors and congratulations to our Week 2 winners!

Ngā Reo Languages Learning Area

Education Perfect Languages Championship 2024  |Tue 7th—Tue 14th May 

Congratulations to all the remarkable students who participated in this year's Languages Championship! Together, they tackled over 90,000 questions, investing a collective 210 hours into this exhilarating competition, designed not only to foster a love for languages but also to enhance proficiency in this invaluable field.

A special round of applause goes to our top achievers:

Millin Monk - claiming the 1st place spot with an impressive 3023 points
Jonty Holmes - securing 2nd place with a commendable 1006 points
Kadin Davies - earning the 3rd place position with a notable 754 points.

Furthermore, we're thrilled to announce that Wakatipu High School achieved an impressive 11th place in New Zealand for its category overall. This accomplishment stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication of our students to the pursuit of language learning excellence.

Te Tangata, te tangata, te tangata|Inviting the community: Mathurin Molgat

Last Friday, the Year 12 and 13 French students had the incredible opportunity to host Mathurin Molgat for a discussion on his business endeavors and the pressing environmental challenges our local and global communities are confronting. As one of the founding directors of Wilding and Co, a company specialising in the conversion of wilding conifers into essential oils, Mr. Molgat brought invaluable insights to the table.

Despite the complexity of the topics discussed, Mathurin, being fluent in French, delivered his presentation entirely in French. Students engaged enthusiastically, posing a myriad of questions exploring potential environmental issues and accompanying solutions aimed at reducing our ecological footprint.

The students expressed their gratitude towards Mathurin for generously sharing his time, ideas, and advice with their class. His contribution sparked meaningful discussions and inspired deeper reflections on environmental stewardship among the students.

Sport and Active Recreation

Cross Country - Southland Champs

The Southland Cross Country Champs took place on Wednesday 15th May in Te Anau. We had 7 students compete across different age categories. It was a clean sweep in the Over 16 Boys 5000m race with WHS taking out the top 3 places! Congratulations to all students for a great day, and a big thank you to Warrick Weber for taking the students down.

• Jude Deaker - 1st O16 Boys
• James Weber - 2nd O16 Boys
• Tom Schenk - 3rd O16 Boys
• Peter Davis - 6th O16 Boys
• Finn Bell - 6th U16 Boys
• Flynn Weber - 2nd Yr 9 Boys
• Angus McLeod - 9th Yr 9 Boys

Swmming - Div 2s

Three WHS students have been up in Hamilton competing at the 2024 Apollo Projects Division II Swimming Competition. It was a busy and successful 5 days of swimming for Billie Druett, Finn Henderson and Xanthe Spence - with all swimmers achieving a number of personal bests. Congratulations to Billie and Finn who achieved a silver and bronze respectively! Results below.

Billie Druett

• 1500 Free - 2nd

Finn Henderson

• 200 back - 3rd
• 100 Fly - 4th
• 50 - Back
• 100 - Back 5th
• 400 - Free 6th
• 400 - Individual Medley 9th
• 200 - Free 11th
• 100 - Free 15th

Xanthe Spence

• 100 Fly - 5th
• 50 Back - 12th

Best of luck to all swimmers competing at the Otago Secondary SchoolChamps this weekend in Dunedin!

Rugby Results

Round 1 of the Southern Schools Championships got underway last weekend,  with the 1st XV heading down to Dunedin to take on Kings High School. It was a close match, drawn 12-12 just after half time, but the final score went King's way, 25-14.  Try scorers were Charlie Rule and Akariva Junior. Congratulations to Ben Hogan and Keegan Green who were awarded their 1st XV Caps - an awesome achievement!

Games in round 1 of the Otago Schools Competitions saw our 2nd XV and Junior/U14 team come away with convicing wins. Results below.

• 2nd XV  29-0 win against Mt Aspiring in Wānaka
• U14s 58-17 win against Dunstan at WHS.
• U15s loss 43-24 to South Otago in Balclutha

On Wednesday the Girls took on Mt Aspiring in round 2 of the Central Girls comp. It was a nervous start for the girls, playing against their teammates from last years combined WHS/MAC team - but all players worked hard on defence and showed massive improvement from last week. Final score 39-17 to MAC.

Draws and live results can be found on the link below. WHS teams have 4 home games this Saturday, hope to see some good crowds to support the boys!

Wakatipu Rugby Draws & Results

Basketball - Central Otago Comp Round 2

Round 2 of the Central Otago basketball competition took place on Monday night, some great results again from the teams!

• WHS 11A v WHS Snr A   = 35-60 WHS Senior A Boys
• WHS Cyclones v WHS Dream Team = 40-68 WHS Dream Team
• WHS Jnr A Boys v Dunstan = 38-50 Dunstan
• WHS Yr 12 Boys v MAC B = 54-44 WHS Yr 12 Boys 
• WHS Jnr A Girls v Dunstan = 62-33 WHS Jnr A Girls
• WHS Y12 Girls v MAC C = 65-44 WHS Yr 12 Girls
• Waka Dogs v MAC B = 36-36 Draw 

This Monday we have 5 home games, come and watch all the action!

• 4pm Waka Dogs v WHS Y12 Girls
• 4pm WHS Y12 Boys v WHS Cyclones
• 5pm WHS Dream team v Dunstan
• 6pm WHS 11A v Cromwell
• 6pm WHS Snr A Boys V Dunstan

Gasco Netball Sponsorship - Thank You!

A huge thank you to Gasco South Island Limited who have sponsored training shirts for our Senior A and Senior B netball teams (3 teams total). We appreciate Gasco’s support of our netball players and Wakatipu High School sport! Check out those awesome tops.

Weekly Wednesday Sport Post 

Every Wednesday we will post the upcoming WHS sports matches for the week on the Wakatipu Sports Facebook Page. There is plenty of sporting action on each day across our hockey, netball, basketball and rugby teams. It’s always great to get supporters along to cheer at our home games - so hope to see you there!

Waterpolo - Promo Game!

A promotional waterpolo game is being held Thursday the 23rd May at the Events Centre Pool.
7.30pm in the pool - till 8.30pm. 
Come along, bring friends or parents! 
If you haven't tried waterpolo before with Queenstown waterpolo it is free for all newbies!  (Just pay pool entry). If you like it you can join up. If you don't that's all good too.
Come give it a go!

Coach for Life Foundation - Coaching Resources

The Coach For Life Foundation has been established to grow the quality of youth sport coaches. Research shows that many youth are dropping out of sport because of a poor experience - experiences often created by a coach - and as a result, they are missing out on the holistic benefits that involvement in sport can bring. By growing the quality of youth sport coaches in New Zealand we believe we can inspire them to make a positive difference for our rangatahi.

The Foundation is creating inspirational digital content, including documentaries on world class coaches Yvette McCausland-Durie and Tony O’Connor who happen to be teachers, 

 All this content is hosted on our Coaches Hub - https://hub.coachforlife.nz/ 

Check out their website for these free and informative content!

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

Artists of the Week: Indiarose Berryman, Isabella McCord and Lucas Vignola Atucha

In Senior Drama, students have been working on devising their own drama piece, based on a whakatauki. Indiarose, Isabella and Lucas chose the whakatauki "He ora te whakapiri, he mate te whakatakariri” (There is strength in unity, defeat in anger and division).

Students are working on the creation of an original three minute dramatic piece, using physical theatre as well as text, props and music. This week these students have been working on creating physical images to tell a story. 

Visiting Performers 

On Wednesday in Break 2 ex-student Sam Maxwell performed in the foyer as part of our Artists in Schools program.  Sam is a well known local musician performing in a range of gigs around town, often with his band Seaside Stranglers.

It was great to have someone with his skills performing for everyone and then talking to students in Music classes.

Watch Sam playing in the Foyer here

You can listen to some of his music here

Ian Scott: Painting New Zealand 

Last week our 5Art4 class visited the Ian Scott: Painting New Zealand exhibition at Te Atamira. We were fortunate to be able to meet the curator Jaenine Parkinson who took time to speak to the students about the work and help them unpack the deeper meanings and connections behind the artworks.  Students will take this experience and use it to apply the techniques they have been learning in class.  

May Music Month 

May is NZ Music Month and many of the School Bells will feature songs from ex and current students who are involved in the music industry.  

Featured this week:

Mollie Devine - Call Me Up listen here

Ollie Bailey - Robin

Alex Fraser - Couches and Coffee Stains

Extracurricular groups - Groups have restarted for the term and some have been adjusted, but students should be up to date with all updates as they are posted on the Performing Arts Classroom Group.  

• Jazz Combo - Monday 8 am / Wednesday 8 am
• Guitar - Monday Break 2
• Digital Music Production - Wednesday Break 2
• Junior Jazz - Wednesday Break 2
• Jazz Full Band - Wednesday 3.20 pm
• Songwriting - Thursday 8.15 am
• Chamber Music Group - Thursday Break 2
• Social singing - Friday Break 2

Keep checking each of the  Classroom Groups for more details and updates

Upcoming for Terms 2 and 3 - 

24 May -  Entries for Play It Strange Youthtown Competition close (Yrs 9-11)

08 June - WHS Big Break 

15 June - Rockquest Regional Finals

25 June - Showquest / Toi Wearable Arts

30 June - Entries for Play It Strange Peace Song Competition close

31 July - Entries for Play It Strange Lion Foundation Competition close

1-25 August - Showing Off Student Art Exhibition

6-10 August - Southern Jam Youth Jazz Festival

31 August - Entries for Strange Art (album cover art) Competition close

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 Mrs Cooper 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

Community Notices

Click here to purchase online.

Click here to purchase online.

Childhood trauma –  effects, healing and breaking the pattern of inter-generational violence

Catalyst Kōrero, Sunday, May 26

“When you grow up experiencing the world as a really dangerous place, your subconscious does everything it can to make you feel physically safer, but in ways that are opposite of what you would consciously choose."

Chronic illness, self isolation, overwork and addiction are just some of the brain's common responses to childhood trauma, local woman Trish Johansen says.She has spent the last four years - since giving witness testimony to the Royal Commission of Enquiry into abuse of children in state care - learning how to untangle the resultant brain programming, so she could reclaim her life.

In the May 26 Catalyst Kōrero, Trish will share what she's learned, to help create community understanding and support for others wanting to break the pattern of multigenerational childhood trauma.

Sunday, May 26, 6 to 7:30 pm at The Rees Hotel Queenstown’s conference room. Registration required  HERE to ensure your seat. Please bring cash for your koha.  This will be given to Eradicate Rabies One Village at a Time, to help save vulnerable communities, already traumatised by the Khmer Rouge, from preventable deaths.

We're partnering with Entertainment to offer you the chance to support our cause while enjoying a bonus eGift Card when you purchase a Membership to The Entertainment App.

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With new offers added weekly, the Entertainment Membership promises unparalleled value on dining, experiences, shopping, travel, and more, ensuring every moment is brimming with joy and laughter.

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