WHS Newsletter | Issue 2.04 | 24 May 2024

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of another busy and dynamic week at WHS. 

Last Saturday was the Year 13 Formal, which was an extravagant affair held at the Millennium Hotel. The students were fantastic, looked marvellous and had a wonderful time, and it was great to see the Year 13’s come together for this important occasion. A huge thank you to the Formal committee, the staff and the community who supported this special event. 

With our annual House Debating competition running throughout the week, our Level 2 Outdoor Ed trips and the second of the Business Studies market days, there was no shortage of students engaging in WHS’ great all-round education.

As part of the new NCEA programme, there are now a series of literacy and numeracy exams that students need to pass to achieve an NCEA qualification. Today, nearly 300 Year 10 and 100 Year 11 students sat their writing corequisite exam with more students sitting their numeracy exam on Monday and reading exam on Wednesday of next week. All students and parents have been emailed with further details, including ways in which they can prepare for these important exams. 

As we have been doing now for a number of years, today a Drug Detection Dog came through the school to ensure we are doing what we can to keep the school free from drugs. While every situation is dealt with on a case-by-case basis, any students who are under the influence of drugs (or alcohol) and/or bring drugs or drug paraphernalia to school at any time put themselves (and possibly others) at risk of not being able to attend Wakatipu High School. We take these matters very seriously, including engaging with the Police if required, so please make sure that you have a conversation with your student to ensure they understand the potential implications of their actions.

Also today was our Stars Community Adventure Day which showcased the range of community services and support available to our Year 9 students. We are very fortunate to have the unwavering support of our community - a huge thanks to all those who attended and to the Stars Peer Mentors for their active citizenship. Speaking of active citizenship, next Friday, in line with a Teacher Only Day, we are holding the first of our community service days, in which students at WHS look to give back to the community that gives so much to the students. A huge thank you to all the students who have signed up for the first of our community service days.

A reminder that next Friday 31 May is a Teacher Only Day (National Accord Day) which is being provided to high schools nation-wide to support the implementation of the NCEA changes. 

On Thursday 6 June the WHS Foundation, in conjunction with The Grille by Eichardt’s and Jarden are hosting the annual Winter Gala. This is a very important fundraiser and event for the Foundation and the School and it would be great to see the last remaining seats sold, click here to book your seat now.

As we start to move to winter, make sure you are aware of our winter uniform rules which are included below - the key change being that a black puffer jacket can be worn over the blazer when at school. Also, be sure to download the SZApp to ensure you’re getting up-to-date messages from the school regarding any adverse weather that may impact the normal operations of the school.

Lastly, a few weeks ago, we were required to submit our 2024 Class Act recipients. We have so many amazing students that it was nearly impossible to select only two Year 13 students. However, after a rigorous and extensive process, the Class Act recipients from WHS for 2024 are: Mason Clarke and Jessica Hudson. Congratulations to those two amazing students and all the other students who were considered for this prestigious award. You will hear lots more about these two class acts in the weeks to come.

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

Hope everyone has a great weekend.

Ngā mihi nui,

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

Key Dates

A Night in Paris: Year 13 Formal

Last Saturday evening our Year 13 students had a wonderful time at the formal. It was fantastic to see everyone dressed in their best with lots of dancing, eating, laughter and fun.   A big congratulations to all the prize winners on the night.

A massive thank you to the formal committee for putting on A Night in Paris. Thank you to our WHS staff on the evening and Mrs Bell for her ātaahua handwriting on all 239 tickets.

Lastly, immense gratitude to our wonderful prize donors.

Mrs R Box & Mr D Lowe
Teachers in charge of Formal

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Uniform Expectations in the Winter Months

As we move into the colder months of the year it is natural for our students to want to put on more layers and ensure they are warm and comfortable both at school and coming to and leaving school.  We are supportive of this and want to share with you our guidelines and expectations on what can be worn and when.

To and from school

We want our students to be warm and safe.  Black puffer jackets (sleeveless are OK) or raincoats are the expected item to be worn over their school uniform when coming to school or leaving at the end of the day.  Beanies, gloves and scarfs are OK to be worn, but if these are non-uniform they need to be removed once students enter the building and can be worn again at the end of the school day when leaving.  Similarly, non-black puffer jackets should not be seen at school during the day.

At school

The school environment is regulated for temperature and is warm and dry.  Students are not to wear puffer jackets while in class, as jerseys and blazers are their first option for being warm.  

As is normal throughout the whole year, non-uniform items such as hoodies, beanies, scarfs, and puffer jackets (that are not black) are not to be worn at any time in the school day and may be confiscated.

All other uniform requirements remain the same and can be found on the school website - click here. 

We welcome your support in balancing the need for our students to be warm and dry with wearing their school uniform correctly and with pride.

Ngā mihi nui

Craig Morrison
Deputy Principal

Wellbeing Spotlight: Vaping - has your child been 'sucked in'?

There’s no doubting that a proportion of our young people at any one time are either experimenting with or regularly vaping. While we don’t yet know all the possible long-term effects, we do know that vaping is harmful to rangatahi and it can have a negative impact on their health and wellbeing. 

Key points about young people and vaping

• nicotine can change the way the teenage brain develops and works 
• experimentation with vaping often begins at a young age 
• vaping is bad for a young person's health
• the best thing for your young person's health is to be smoke-free and vape-free
• it is illegal to sell or give a vaping product to someone under 18 
• it is prohibited to vape on school property or grounds 24/7
• vaping is likely less harmful than smoking cigarettes but it's long-term effects are not known
  

Why are more young people vaping?

Vaping was originally marketed to support smoking cessation, but we are now seeing young people that never smoked addicted to vaping. Paediatric respiratory physician and survey co-author Professor Philip Pattemore said vaping is perceived as being low-risk by teenagers, yet “Vaping with nicotine has been consistently associated with depression, ADHD and conduct disorders in adolescents, and nicotine exposure has been shown to impact learning and memory,” Pattemore said.

Not all vape liquids contain nicotine, but most do, and nicotine is very addictive. Because of the misconstrued 'health benefits' vaping has not attracted the same social stigma that cigarette smoking has, yet the marketing of vapes and vape juices is also significantly different to that of cigarettes and appears to be designed specifically to appeal to a young audience.

Vapes come in thousands of unmistakably child-friendly flavours with enticing names. The flavours mask the taste of the nicotine and other chemicals contained in the e-liquid, making it easier for the aerosol to be inhaled. Contrary to popular belief, the aerosol is not simply water vapour, it contains a variety of chemicals, heavy metals and fine particles that can be both toxic and dangerous when they are absorbed into the bloodstream through vaping.

We also know that students often share vapes and supply one another and unfortunately, these factors have combined to see rapid increases in rates of youth vaping throughout New Zealand and a growing health issue that schools are being forced to respond to.

The Health Effects of Vaping

How whānau can support

• Come along to our ‘Parenting in the Basin’ information evening on Thursday 20th June, 6pm in the Theatre to hear more from some local experts.
• Kōrero. Talk to your children about vaping. Explore the facts together on the Vaping Facts website. How to Talk About Vaping has useful tips on finding the right moment, what to ask and how to respond and the Drug Foundation’s Conversation Planner can help you plan out a supportive conversation. Treat vaping situations (such as vape shops or advertisements) as learning opportunities to ask them what they know, what they think, and how they feel. The website Don't Get Sucked In also provides factual information and can provide a good starting point for discussions about the impact of vaping.
• Find support for your child if they want to stop vaping. Students also have free access to a registered Health Nurse who visits the school every Monday and Friday at Ako time in one of the meeting rooms opposite the sickbay. No booking is required and students can come and wait to see the nurse. Text: 027 4648990 email: maria.frewen@southerndhb.govt.nz. You can also find your local stop smoking service here or contact Quitline. 
• Join the Vape-free Kids Facebook page to find resources, share stories and experiences and to support the cause.
• Check out the Protect Your Breath campaign, designed to explore creative opportunities to interrupt these ideas and behavioural norms and to encourage young people to think critically about their use of vaping products.
• Be a positive role model. If you are a smoker or vaper, talk to your child about your experiences and how hard it is to quit. Consider getting your own support to stop. 
• If you are concerned that your child is vaping, consider checking the likes of their school bag for vapes or related products.

Information is power in this space and we look forward to seeing many of you at our parent evening in late June.

Mrs Ford
Guidance Counsellor / Wellbeing Coordinator 

Hillary Challenge Team Presents to Queenstown Rotary Club

This week our 2023 Hillary Challenge Team delivered a very well presented talk to Rotary International - Queenstown to thank them for the generous donation they received last year for their event. Each student spoke about different aspects of the event from fundraising, and training to a day-by-day recount of the events they participated in. The National Final, held in Tongariro, really pushed them to their limits, helped them to develop leadership skills, resilience and teamwork. They are looking forward to having another crack at the Challenge this year.

Geography in the Best Classroom Around

Fieldwork occurs at all year levels in Geography. In Year 13, students get to take much more control over the process by putting forward their own areas of focus and research questions to investigate. They also must design a program to identify, collect, and analyze all of the data needed to answer these questions.

With this in mind, a group of 24 students headed to the stunning landscape of Aoraki - Mt. Cook to conduct this fieldwork. We were blessed with sunshine and clear roads for our journey up and down the Southern Alps. For two nights, the students enjoyed the comforts of Unwin Lodge and the endless vistas visible from the decks and surroundings. Interesting and varied menus were produced in the kitchen, and all seemed to eat heartily. Successful research was conducted on several topics, including sustainability, vegetation management, dark sky tourism, cultural integration, and water quality in and around the National Park and Mt. Cook Village. Bookending the research was the chance to stretch our legs and take in the scenery on several of the trails and scenic viewpoints of the lakes and the glacial environment. An informative planetarium presentation also provided context and additional knowledge to our experience. The cherry on our enjoyable sundae of a trip was the appearance of the Aurora  Australis, although not quite in the league of the previous week’s display.

Thanks and appreciation are extended to Mr. Jack and Mrs. Richards for their valuable assistance. I would also like to acknowledge Simon and Pip at Unwin Lodge and Ray Bellringer of DOC for their hospitality and insight offered to our students.

Michael LaPierre
Teacher of Geography

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

Uniform Shop

​The Wakatipu High School Uniform supplier is NZ Uniforms. You can buy uniform online or purchase in store from Monday, 27 May.

The retail store is in Rees House at Remarkables Park shopping centre. Shop hours are Monday - Friday 9am - 5pm and Saturday 9am - 1pm.

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

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

Wednesday 15th May: Heliglenorchy - Free Flight - Carly Blackbourn

Thursday 16th May: Ma Boulangerie - $10 voucher - Warwick D

Friday 17th May: Hunting & Fishing -Chilly bin valued at $500 - Uan

Saturday 18th May: Smoke & Pickle - $50 voucher - Seb Watson

Sunday 19th May: NZ Shred - Fleece Pants & Sarong - Fiona Peat

Monday 20th May: Zip Trek - Voucher valued at $119 for your choice of activity - Jarad Cowic

Tuesday 21st May: Ma Boulangerie - $10 voucher - Anderson

It is not too late to buy tickets. You still have the chance to win 7 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 3 winners!

Sport and Active Recreation News

Swimming - Otago Secondary School Champs

The Otago Secondary Schools Swimming Champs took place on Sunday, May 19 at Moana Pool in Dunedin. We had a swim squad of 6 compete across a range of races and age categories. All did well with some great PBs and results!

15 and Over Boys

• Finn Henderson - 1st - 200 Back, 2nd - 200 Fly, 3rd - 200 Individual Medley, 4th - 200 Free

14 and Under Boys

• James Taylor - 1st - 50 Back, 4th - 50 Free, 7th - 100 Free, 11th - 50 Fly, 12th - 100 Individual Medley
• Liam Major - 2nd - 50 Breast, 100 Breast, 4th - 400 Free, 5th - 100 Free, 100 Individual Medley, 7th - 50 Free

14 and Under Girls

• Bailey McKay - 4th - 50 Breast, 6th - 100 Breast, 15th 50 Free
• Milla Leemberg - 5th - 100 Breast, 8th - 50 Breast, 17th - 50 Free
• Xanthe Spence - 1st - 200 Individual Medley, 100 Fly, 2nd - 100 Back, 3rd - 50 Back, 50 Fly, 4th - 200 Back, 100 Individual Medley

Cross Country - Central Otago Champs

On Thursday, May 16, we had 4 students compete at the Central Otago Cross Country Champs in Cromwell. This is a brand new event on the calendar, providing students with the awesome opportunity to race against other local schools. Congratulations to Izzy Carr and Finn Bell who won their categories. Results below.

• Izzy Carr - 1st Girls U15 3km
• Finn Bell - 1st Boys U15 4km
• Emily Messingham - 2nd Girls U14 3km
• Rilee Young - 3rd Girls U14 3km

Orienteering - Southland Schools Champs

Year 9 students Emily Messingham and Zoe Thompson represented WHS at the Southland Schools Orienteering Championships at Fosbender Park, Invercargill last Sunday. Over 100 teams were competing from all over Southland. It was a stunner of a day, even with temps hitting minus 7 on the drive down, and the girls finished with massive smiles on their faces. Emily placed 2nd in the Y9-10 Experienced Girls, with Zoe coming in 5th.

Ice Hockey - Junior Stampede

Congratulations to the following students who have been named in the U15 and U18 Junior Stampede teams for 2024. There was a high number and calibre of players who trailed this season, making selections tough! The U15 team will play in the New Zealand Bantam Ice Hockey League with two national rounds and finals held in Dunedin this season. The U18 team will play in the New Zealand Midget Ice Hockey League with two national rounds and finals held in Dunedin this season. 

U18 Junior Stampede

• Aoife Orr
• Blake Campbell
• Maddon Smith
• Liam Rasmussen
• Charlie Gerard
• Oliver Carian
• Polly Bennetts
• Tristan Walker
• Ben Dixon
• Otis Haysmith
• Jake Hutchins
• Anthony Hollyer
• Jake Thompson
• Noah Reid
• Tyler Smith (Travelling Reserve)
• Saxon Cowan (Travelling Reserve)
• Phoenix Pecko (Travelling Reserve)
• Lucy Boniface (Non Travelling Reserve)
• Jacob Exell (Non Travelling Reserve)
• Jessie Strain (Non Travelling Reserve)
• Manuella Pedrosa (Non Travelling Reserve)
• Jack Walters (Non Travelling Reserve)

U15 Junior Stampede

• Conor Graham
• Brian Yang
• Conrad Stokes
• Toby Strain
• Tommy Argall
• Moby Haysmith
• Shiloh Thurston
• Harrison Coe
• Soren Anderson

• Thea Richards (Development Training Squad)

• Zoe Thurston (Development Training Squad)

Motocross

A number of WHS students are competing at Motocross Meets in the region. Last Sunday 5 riders raced at the King of Central at Cromwell, results below. It’s awesome seeing the mix of activities our students are involved in!

• Jack Forbes - 10th in 12-16 125 cc
• Hunter Meikle - 13th in 12-16 125 cc
• Taite Walker - 14th in  12-16 125 cc
• Paige Meikle - 12th in Ladies class
• Dylan Grubb - 6th in 12-16 350cc

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

Artist of the Week:  Caitlyn Bibby - YEAR 12 DESIGN

Caiitlyn is designing promotional posters for a new Aquarium titled AQUATOPIA for her Year 12 Design brief.

Spamalot and WHS

Jake Hansen gave us a great update on Spamalot - "Over the past three months, Wakatipu High School has supported and rehearsed for the current ShowBiz Season of Spamalot: students Baxter Bamford, Keiran Leftley, Hunter Cotterill, and Felix Nicoll in tech roles. Isabella Newell, Ava Weston and Sophia Brown are supporting make-up. Indiarose Berryman in the costume department, along with a number of students supporting the front-of-house team. With behind-the-scenes support, Ex-students Jack Speedy and Maddox Newell have taken to the stage for their first Showbiz production. 

Last night, a group of 30 WHS students went to the Theatre for a backstage tour and to watch the show. By all accounts, the students enjoyed the experience and brought a real flare to the show's atmosphere. The Season continues tonight and Saturday night, and it is definitely a show you don't want to miss. 

A huge thanks again to Queenstown Showbiz for their continued support of our Arts community."

Songwriting Workshop

Yesterday we had nine students involved with a day of songwriting at Te Atamira. Solomon Crook has been facilitating songwriting sessions before school on Thursdays and this was an extension of this work as he outlined the process of how to write and record a song. Solomon has been writing and producing his own music for a number of years and his work can be found on the following Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@SolomonCrook

WHS making it into social media mentions

Visiting Performers 

On Wednesday in Break 2 Solomon Crook performed in the foyer as part of our Artists in Schools program.  Solomon is a well known local musician performing in a range of gigs around town and has been helping WHS students in the Songwriting Group that meets every Thursday morning.

It was great to have someone with his skills performing for everyone.

Big Break 2024

Big Break is a Wakatipu High School event for musicians to showcase their skills that will be held on Saturday 8th June in the WHS Theatre.

Bands and singer/songwriters will be performing at this great Performance opportunity to gain invaluable experience for other events such as Rockquest.

More information TBC

Big Break 2024 is fortunate to have the wonderful support of Rockformation 

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:

No Man’s Land - Safehouse    

Sofia Machray - Handstands

Billie Carey - Replaceable

Seaside Stranglers - King of the Jungle

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
• Singing Tuition - 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 

11 & 13 June - Yr 12 Music Nights

15 June - Rockquest Regional Finals

17 & 18 June - Yr 13 Music Nights

25 June - Showquest / Toi Wearable Arts

26 & 27 June - Yr 11 Music Nights

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

Te Atamira - is a multi-purpose arts and cultural space at Remarkables Park Town Centre - check out what is happening at Te Atamira here

Te Wahi Toi - Nau mai, haere mai, Te Wāhi Toi is the meeting place and online directory for Queenstown and Wānaka’s creative community.  Find them here

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.

Careers

Are you considering tertiary study options in Wellington or Auckland? We are thrilled to invite you to join us on campus for their Open Days in August. This is a fantastic opportunity to explore campus, meet faculty and students, and get a taste of university life. For more information and to register, please visit the links below.

Auckland Tertiary Trip - University of Auckland / AUT Open Day - Saturday 24 August
Start: Friday 23 August
Return: Saturday 24 August
https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/289704

Wellington and Auckland Combined Tertiary Trip
Start: Thursday 22 August
Return: Saturday 24 August
https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/289705

Wellington Tertiary Trip - Friday 23 August - FULL 
Start: Thursday 22 August
Return: Friday 23 August
https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/289702

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

Click here to purchase online.

Click here to purchase online.

What is regenerative tourism – and how can we move towards it?

Catalyst Kōrero, Monday, June 10

Queenstown is not the only place where tourism can be seen as more of a bane than a boon. "Regenerative tourism" has been touted as a way to resolve this. What is it, who does it, how does it work?Come along to the Catalyst Kōrero on Monday, June 10, to hear University of Otago tourism Prof Susan Houge Mackenzie cover the issues from her nationwide research. Destination Queenstown CEO Mat Wood will be on hand to join the discussion.

Sunday, June 10, 6.15 to 7:45 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 KiwiHarvest.

Support our Fundraising efforts and receive a bonus $20 eGift Card and access to over 10,000 exclusive offers in 20 cities across Australia and New Zealand. 

Hurry! This limited time offer ends 1:59pm NZST, Monday 3rd June 2024. 

Thank you for your on-going support! 
 Order Here – https://subscribe.entertainmentnz.com/fundraiser/260506v