Wakatipu High School eNewsletter

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of week 7.

It has been a good week for teaching and learning, as well as extra and co-curricular events. Last Saturday I had the pleasure of watching our 1st XV rugby team play Southland Boys for the Moascar Cup and then see some of our talented musicians perform in the theatre as part of the ‘Big Break’. The talent of our students never ceases to amaze. On Monday, we had the opportunity to welcome our Aspen sister city exchange students to Queenstown.

This week, we held mid-year subject examinations for Year 9 and 10 students. I was pleased to see our students give their best effort with these exams which are an important part of school life. Our junior exams provide students with the opportunity to learn to study and to perform under pressure in a relatively low-stakes environment in preparation for the NCEA years that commence in Year 11. They also contribute our mid-year prizes and prizegiving which will be held early in Term 3.

On Wednesday, we held our annual sports exchange with James Hargest College. It was a cold but blue-bird day and the students and athletes made the school proud both on and off the field. See below for photos and the full list of results, which ended with WHS taking back the cup.

Today, our head girls - Jess Hudson, Abby Fookes and Bethany Graf had the opportunity to speak at the annual Women’s Conference hosted by the Chamber of Commerce, see below for photos and we look forward to hearing about their experience in next week’s newsletter.

With just three weeks left in the term, it is really important that students stay focused on their learning while also looking after their wellbeing. Staying involved with their extracurricular activities and connected with other students is critical to that holistic development. Our senior students will undoubtedly have a number of internal assessments due in the last few weeks of this term, and it is really important that they finish the term strong.

Next week, all students will be learning the school’s haka and waiata as we prepare for the annual haka/waiata competition as part of our Matatū assembly. The school’s haka and waiata represent an opportunity for us to come together and connect with pride and I’m really looking forward to seeing lots of our students participating in this year’s assembly.

A reminder that next Thursday, 20 June from 6:30 pm, we are hosting an evening focused on ‘Parenting Adolescents’. We have a range of excellent speakers from the community and we strongly recommend that parents of students of all ages are in attendance for this important evening. See flyer below for more details.

Have a fantastic weekend.

Ngā mihi,

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

Parenting in the Basin

We invite parents and whānau to join us on Thursday, June 20, when local experts will discuss important topics affecting our students.

James Hargest Exchange

We held our annual sporting exchange this week with James Hargest College. Always a highlight on the school calendar, we were excited to host James Hargest onsite at WHS for the first time. The 2024 Exchange saw 13 matchups (including the new addition of debating) with around 350 students involved. It was a cold and frosty start to the morning, but all teams rose to the challenge and played with passion. A huge thank you to all of the players, coaches and managers from both schools, as well as the referees for volunteering their time. It was a great day of sporting action! The cherry on top was Wakatipu taking out the exchange 8-5. Full results below.

Senior A Netball 34 - 32 to WHS
U15 Rugby 48 - 24 to JH
10A Netball 48 - 12 to WHS
Debating to JH
Senior A Boys Basketball 57 - 78 to JH
1st XI Mixed Hockey 6 - 3 to WHS
1st XI Girls Football 8 - 2 to WHS
1st XV Girls Rugby 79 - 17 to JH
9A Netball 28 - 27 to WHS
Junior A Boys Basketball 54 - 35 to WHS
1st XI Boys Football 3 - 1 to JH
U18 Boys Rugby 26 - 14 to WHS
Junior A Girls Basketball 53 - 30 to WHS

Last Sunday, we welcomed nine exchange students and two teachers from Aspen, Colorado, USA, as part of our Sister Cities exchange program. This was a significant year for the program as this exchange hasn't taken place since 2020. The students are staying in Queenstown for ten days and have participated in various activities including a mihi whakatau, a potluck dinner, a seminar on regenerative tourism by the Aspen Institute (a practice where communities use tourism to benefit their societies and environments). The group also met with Mayor Glyn Lewers to discuss the similarities between our towns and toured the Queenstown Lakes Community Housing Trust Toru Apartments. The students have also learned about traditional Māori practices such as flax weaving with Mana Tahuna and explored the history and cultures of Queenstown with Southern Lakes Sanctuary. Highlights of their visit so far include bungy jumping, a visit to the Kiwi BirdLife Park, and luging down Skyline with a visit to Shotover Jet planned early next week. One of the students, Hannah, expressed her amazement at the cultural aspects of our town and particularly loved the welcome ceremony from the kapa haka group. Many thanks go to the local community for warmly hosting the students and sharing the best of Queenstown with them.

Gifted Education

Huna Māhirahira - Curious Minds

Hunga Māhirahira Curious Minds is a Google Classroom where teachers from various Learning Areas post about competitions, trips, and other exciting opportunities. This includes: ICAS, the Australian Mathematics Competition, university trips, Mathematics, Science, and Writing competitions, and local presentations, to name a few.
Your child can join the Hunga Māhirahira Curious Minds Google Classroom using the code cgizhbc.

Australian Mathematics Competition

Taking place on Thursday 8 August, the Australian Mathematics Competition (AMC) is Australia’s longest running and most well-known maths competition for school students. All students at WHS are eligible to enter: Year 9 students participate in the Junior Division, Years 10 and 11 in the Intermediate Division, and Years 12 and 13 in the Senior Division.

Topics for the AMC vary and may include basic arithmetic, fractions and ratios, algebra, geometry, measurement, statistics, and probability as well as problem-solving questions. The competition includes a total of 30 questions with 25 multiple choice and 5 integers, designed each year by leading educators and academics to challenge and extend students’ problem-solving skills.

Fill out this form to register for AMC, which must be completed by Friday 21 June.
The competition costs $9.50 to enter, and this must be paid via the School Portal by Monday 1 July to participate.
The test will be after school on Thursday 8 August.
Practice papers can be accessed on the Huna Māhirahira Curious Minds Classroom. Click here for more information.

ICAS 2024

ICAS returns to Wakatipu High School in Term 3! 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. Visit the Parent Portal to sign up for 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. Registrations need to be in by Friday 26 July.

Mr Logan Rae
Gifted Coordinator

Carpooling This Winter

With the holidays coming up, everyone will be trying to get up the mountain to enjoy the snow. This means the roads will be busier than ever. Carpooling during the ski season in Queenstown is a fantastic way to help protect our beautiful environment. When you share rides with friends or family, you significantly cut down on the number of cars on the road, which means less carbon emissions and cleaner air. New Zealand is known for its stunning landscapes, and reducing air pollution helps preserve this natural beauty. Plus, fewer cars mean less traffic, so you can get to the slopes faster and with less hassle.

Fun fact: In 2019, Queenstown Lakes District was identified as having some of the highest car usage in New Zealand. By choosing to carpool, you're not just saving money on gas—you're also playing a crucial part in preserving Queenstown's breathtaking scenery for everyone to enjoy. ⛷️⛷️

Violet Smilie
WHS Environmental Council

Behind the Scenes at Clyde Dam: Inspiring Future Women in Infrastructure

On Wednesday, seven enthusiastic young women had the unique opportunity to explore the inner workings of power generation at the Clyde Dam. This open day was hosted by Contact Energy as part of 'Girls with Hi-Vis' - an initiative by Connexis designed to attract more women into the infrastructure industry.

The event provided students with valuable hands-on experience and the chance to hear directly from women in the industry. Participants toured the dam and engaged in exciting activities, including operating a crane in the dam’s powerhouse.

Girls with Hi-Vis aims to inspire and encourage the next generation of women to consider careers in trade and technical roles. This insightful and interactive day left a lasting impression on the students, sparking interest for future careers in this field.

Ngā Reo Languages Learning Area

Bonjour to the French Film Festival Aotearoa

Last week, Year 11 French students embarked on a cultural and linguistic trip to Dorothy Brown to watch a French movie on the big screen, as part of the French Film Festival. This trip provided an opportunity to not only appreciate aspects of French culture through the film but also to have students immersed in the language through comedy. "Joie de vivre" perfectly captures the essence of the trip, which was filled with laughter and a delightful dose of "Frenchiness" (a new word!).

Merci beaucoup!

Ia ora na Tahiti! Cultural and Language Exchange

We are excited to announce that in the second half of this year, our Senior French students will be engaging with students from Sacre Coeur High School in Tahiti. This exchange will not only enhance their French language skills but also provide an opportunity to share and explore the cultural differences and similarities between our countries.
Additionally, students will have the chance to discover the bicultural nature of Tahiti and its reo (Tahitian language), encouraging them to reflect on the rich diversity of the Francophone world and the importance of intercultural understanding. We look forward to the enriching experiences and meaningful connections that will emerge from this collaboration.

Students from Sacre Coeur High School in Tahiti.

English Language Students

This week, students in the 5ESL English language class have been building confidence in serving and ordering food through role plays in various types of restaurants. This task has also allowed them to practice handling complaints, finding solutions, and reaching compromises. The exercise is part of an NCEA Internal assessment. Next week, students will visit a café at Remarkables Park to apply these skills in a real-life setting. The class includes students from Brazil, the Philippines, Fiji, Chile, Indonesia, China, Thailand, and India, highlighting the diverse international makeup of the group.

Sport and Active Recreation News

Sporting Success

Otago Netball Champs

The WHS Senior A, Senior B, 10A and 9A team had an extremely successful couple of days at the Otago Secondary School Netball Champs in Dunedin. The Senior Bs, 10s and 9s all made it through to top 4, with a loss to the overall tournament winners Columba College knocking our Senior A’s out of semi-final contention.

A nail-biter 1 goal win against Taieri College saw the Senior A team play off for 5th and 6th against Mt Aspiring, ultimately placing 6th. The team is looking forward to a rematch in our annual exchange later in the year.

The Senior Bs also had a strong tournament, with their only loss a narrow 32-30 defeat against Columba College in the semi-finals. The team confidently took out 3rd place with a 27-16 win over Queen’s High School.

Convincing wins in pool play and a dominant 44-11 semi-final against St Kevin’s College saw the 10As aiming for a second title (having won the tournament in 2023). St Hilda’s came out swinging in the final, however, winning 41-25. A huge congratulations to the team for back-to-back finals, this is an incredible achievement!

In their first tournament representing Wakatipu High School the 9As also put on a strong showing during pool play. They narrowly went down 16-20 in their semi-final against St Hilda’s College, finishing the tournament with a 26-15 win against St Kevin’s College to place 3rd.

A huge thank you to the coaches for all of their support of the teams, as well as our umpires Lilya Smith, Isla Mitchell, and Brade Whittle-Coulter.

Final results below.

Senior As - 6th
Senior Bs - 3rd
10As - 2nd
9As - 3rd

Mountain Racing

Congratulations to Tom Schenk who raced in the 25km Mt Difficulty Ascent on Saturday. Starting at Mt Difficulty Winery, this Adventure Mountain Race sees competitors climb through rough terrain, sheep/goat tracks, and a 1km section with a 500m vertical! Tom placed 2nd out of 100 athletes with a time of 2:36:53.37, an awesome achievement.

Dog Agility

A huge congratulations to Jess Wilkinson and Sarah Taylor for their outstanding performance at the New Zealand Dog Agility South Island Schools Champs! They clinched the Top Secondary School award. Jess won both the Jumpers and Agility classes with her dog Zoom, also securing 3rd and 4th positions in the Agility category with her other dogs Flare and Mac. Jess and Sarah also participated in the Open Handlers Jumpers competition, where they are assigned unfamiliar dogs. Sarah achieved 2nd place, with Jess coming in 3rd place. Notably, this marked Sarah's debut competition. Well done both!

Volleyball

Congratulations to Roy Greer and Micko Guanzon who have been identified for the Volley South Winter Male Development Programme!

Weekend Events

There are a few sporting events happening this weekend. Best of luck to the following students and teams!

Artistic Swimming: Alisha Messingham, Anja Dayman, Emily Messingham, Cate Scott, Evie Tamariki, and Vanya Q are competing at the South Island Artistic Swimming Champs. The event is hosted by their club, Wakatipu Artistic Swimming, at Alpine Aqualand. Spectators are welcome!

Netball: Our Senior A, Senior B, 10A and 9A Netball teams are heading down to Invercargill for the Southland Champs on Sunday.

Cross Country: Siena Mackley, James Weber, Flynn Weber, Finn Bell are in Christchurch at the NZ Secondary School Cross Country Champs - the pinnacle schools event on the cross country calendar!

Rugby Balls - Devcorp

A huge thank you to Tim Henry and the team at Devcorp for generously supplying our rugby teams with some fresh training and match balls! Our rugby balls are always put to good use with 3 teams training twice a week on the school fields. The players and coaches are super appreciative of the 19 new training balls, and 4 match balls for their Saturday games. Devcorp also provided 2 match netballs which will be used by our teams playing in the Saturday Wakatipu High School / Mt Aspiring College Combined Netball Competition.

The Senior XV with our new balls from Devcorp

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: Georgia Copland 5ART2 - Digital Art Year 9

Georgia has made a 2D animation GIFF on Photoshop, she has incorporated new skills involving timelines, keyframes and looping. We have looked at different animators and emulated some of their styles in our own animations. Well Done Georgia you are very talented.

Big Break 2024

Last Saturday night was our annual Big Break which is an opportunity for our musicians to perform. It was a great event and showcased the hard work, dedication and ability happening in this school.

The music included

Ten:37 - Mia Ralph, Isaac Ralph, Luana K., Tyler Simpson & Luc Theron

Pianist - NJ Operio

Conquest - Phineas Thomas, Leo Tyler, Isla Couldstone & Tayla Burt

4BLU - Jan Vavera, Hugh Hodgson, Alex Scoles and Emanuel Cardeno

Solo Artist - Mala Januszkiewicz

Atomica - Ted Coutts, Bethany Graf, Haru Kuroe and Alfie Cameron

WHS Jazz Combo - Bethany Argyle, Louis Buchanan, Hugh Hodgson, Joel Winter and Haru Kuroe

Huge thanks go to Creative Queenstown, Justin Eden and Robynne Williams from RockFormation in organising this event and a shoutout to Michael Eden who helped set up the gear and Baxter Bamford, Hunter Coterill and Tomas Colby for their help with tech at the event.

Toi Wearable Arts

TOI is nearly wrapping up for 2024, with final stages going onto the garments over the next week. This year 22 students are involved and 6 garments have been entered for the Invercargill TOI show, which is on Tuesday 25 June.

Out and About

Bethany Graf and Ted Coutts featured at the WHS Foundation Gala Dinner last Thursday night. They provided fabulous music to support this event.

There are a number of Musicians in the school who are keen to play out and about in the Community, koha would be appreciated. Please contact Alison Price for more information at aprice@wakatipu.school.nz

**Rodger Fox and students at Wakatipu High School**

Play It Strange: Peace Song

Entry for the Play It Strange - Peace Song close on Sunday 30 June.

More details here: https://www.playitstrange.org.nz/competitions

Please see Mrs Price for information and come along to the Songwriting Group that meet each Thursday morning at 8.15 am with Solomon Crook.

Rockquest:

Saturday 22 June at the Queenstown Memorial Hall

Come along and support the talents of Mala Januszkiewicz, Atomica, 4BLU, Ten:37 and Paranoia as well as musicians from other schools in the Central Otago region.

Tickets will be available at the door - $15 students / $25 adults

Senior Music Nights

Parents have been emailed regarding the Years 11 & 13 Music Nights, continuing next week with Year 13 on 17 & 18 June starting at 6.00pm in the School Theatre.

Practice rooms are open straight after school and students are expected to be at school at least 30 minutes prior to their performance.

Parents and families are welcome.

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
Songwriting - Wednesday 8.15 am
Digital Music Production - Wednesday Break 2
Junior Jazz - Wednesday Break 2
Jazz Full Band - Wednesday 3.20 pm
Senior Singing - Thursday Break 2
Chamber Music Group - Thursday Break 2

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

Upcoming for Terms 2 and 3 -

17 & 18 June - Yr 13 Music Nights

22 June - Rockquest Regional Finals

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.

WHS Careers Expo

Get ready to kick-start your career exploration! This event is your opportunity to dive into a diverse range of career paths. With businesses from various industries participating, you'll have the unique chance to explore different careers and directly engage with industry professionals.

Session 1: 10:15 am to 11:45 am (open to all Year 10 students)
Session 2: 11:45 am to 12:20 pm (open to all students)

Participating Businesses Include:

AJ Hackett Bungy
Anderson Lloyd
Back on Track Physio
BCITO
Cook Brothers
EpicShot
Findex
Fluid
Gibbston Valley
Mana Tahuna/MSc Wildlife Management
MasterLink
Millbrook Resort
MITO
Naylor Love
Ngāi Tahu Tourism
ORC and Enviro Schools
Otago Polytechnic
PC Media
Police
QLDC
Queenstown Medical Centre
Queenstown Resort College
RealNZ
SBS Bank
Shotover Jet
Skyline Queenstown
Southern Lakes Sanctuary
Southern Land
Sports Central
Tru Women’s Gym
Wao
Wilson Contractors
xtravel

The Career Expo is a fantastic platform to inspire and inform our students and help them discover their future career path.

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

Careers Newsletter

University of Otago & Otago Polytechnic Info Evening

Join us for an exclusive information evening hosted by the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic on Wednesday, June 19 at 6:00 pm. This session is specifically designed for Y13 students considering tertiary education in Dunedin and their parents.

This is an excellent opportunity to learn about their programs, scholarships, accommodation options and student support services. Detailed information regarding admission procedures and costs will also be provided.

Take advantage of the opportunity to speak with representatives from both institutions and get all your questions answered.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Branches Trust AGM

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

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