WHS Newsletter | Issue 3.04 | 16 August 2024

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of a stunning winter week in the basin. 

School Exams have begun well for our Year 12 and Year 13 students, our Year 11’s are commencing a range of NCEA assessments and our juniors should be well settled into their Semester 2 classes. 

Our Course Option selection for 2025 has now closed and all students returning to WHS next year should have completed this important process that ultimately determines the classes that will run at WHS next year. If your student is not returning next year, please make sure they complete the student leave form here and if they are returning, but haven’t yet submitted their options for 2025, please make sure they get in touch with their Dean urgently.

Last week, the results from the Literacy and Numeracy corequisite exams were released and many students will be pleased with their achievements. All results have been published to the Portal and if your student didn’t pass one or more of these corequisites (reading, writing, numeracy), then there are a range of interventions and supports that are on offer for students. Please see below for more details. 

Every two years, the Education Act requires schools to consult with the community about how the school will implement its Health Education programme. Our consultation process has now begun in anticipation of 2025, so please read the section below and complete the Health Education Consultation Survey. This important survey will close on Monday 2 September.

Preparation for the iconic Year 10 Branches Camp has begun and thanks to the amazing work of the Branches Trust, the cost to parents for the camp is kept at nearly half the price of running the camp. A camp fee of $395  has been added to accounts and while payment is not required, we really do appreciate you paying this nominal amount to ensure the camp can continue to run into the future. See below for more information about this amazing Year 10 camp, as well as an opportunity to become a trustee on the all important Branches Trust. 

The WHS Foundation is another extraordinary supporter of WHS and the annual charity golf tournament, supported by Millbrook Resort, is being held on 17 October. Be sure to get your team together and purchase tickets for this can’t miss event. See below for further updates from the WHS Foundation.

Another great weekend of sport lies ahead with a number of our Netball and Rugby teams playing for their respective championships. Congratulations to our Hockey teams and Jazz Band for their recent successes, and to the Year 13’s who beat the WHS Staff in basketball for the first time in many years.

A reminder that our Senior Exams continue through next week and that Monday 19 August is a ‘pupil free day’ in which Year 9, 10, 11 students don’t have school. Buses will still run on Monday.

Have a fantastic weekend and be sure to have a read of the comprehensive newsletter filled with students' successes and opportunities.

Ngā mihi,

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

Key Dates

WHS Foundation Quarterly Update 3/2024

Annual Charity Golf Tournament 

We invite you to join us for our Annual Charity Golf Tournament on Thursday 17 October at Millbrook Resort to raise funds for Wakatipu High School. 

For over a decade, the Annual Charity Golf Tournament has been a standout event on the WHS Foundation calendar. Consistently sold out, the day is about connection, community, and giving back, all while enjoying a legendary round of golf in a breathtaking setting.

Sign up for an unforgettable day of golf at one of New Zealand's most prestigious courses. Exciting prizes are up for grabs, including the chance to WIN $50,000 in the Hole in One competition!

Don't delay - limited team spaces available!

TEAM ENTRY: $300 per person / $1,200 per team of four
Inclusions: Green Fees, golf cart, light lunch, great prizes to be won, followed by a delicious Millbrook BBQ, and prizegiving!

TEAM ENTRY + HOLE SPONSORSHIP: $1,600 per team of four
Inclusions: A team of four players AND Hole Sponsorship.Exclusive hole sponsorship -  naming rights and display of a banner flag/collateral at one hole: see full inclusions below. Team of four Green Fees, golf cart, light lunch, great prizes to be won, followed by a delicious Millbrook BBQ, and prizegiving!

HOLE SPONSORSHIP: $600*
*Does not include a team playing
Hole sponsorship benefits include:

• Exclusive naming rights for one hole
• Opportunity to brand your hole with teardrop flags or ground banners
• Opportunity to provide branded gifts in goodie bags
• Event sponsorship recognition on Wakatipu High School Foundation's website for three months post event
• Recognition in a minimum of two Wakatipu High School database newsletters
• Recognition in the Wakatipu High School Foundation database newsletter
• Recognition on Wakatipu High School Foundation social media channels
• Acknowledgment at the Prizegiving

Sponsorship Opportunity

If you are interested in sponsoring our Golf Tournament with auction items, prizes or giveaways, then please contact exec@whsf.nz  or 021 864 048

Meet Our New Trustee

We are delighted to introduce long time local Sarah Dennis who has joined the Wakatipu High School Foundation Board of Trustees. Sarah has been a registered nurse for 19 years, having earned her nursing degree from Otago after graduating from Wakatipu High School. Since her student days, Sarah has been actively engaged in the Queenstown community, showing her leadership skills as the Fox House leader during her time at WHS. Her commitment to service was recognized during her senior year with the Margaret McHugh Community Service Award for her volunteer work with St John.

For the past five years, Sarah has played a key role in leading the nursing team at Queenstown Medical Centre on an operational level. Renowned for her ability to "get things done," Sarah blends her compassionate nature, nursing expertise, and deep community awareness to guide and drive development initiatives. Outside of work, Sarah is a devoted parent to three children currently attending WHS, along with her nieces and nephews, which further enriches her understanding of community needs and involvement.

Winter Feast 2024 - Thank You

We would like to extend our immense gratitude to all the guests, donors and sponsors involved in the Annual Fundraising Dinner and Auction at Eichardt's Grille on 6 June 2024.  Your generosity helped us raise $45,893 on the night and this will go a long way towards supporting the $450,000 of programmes we are funding this year at Wakatipu High School.

Give Your Way

As the school roll continues to increase and economic conditions remain challenging we continue to need your support to meet our targets for Wakatipu High School now and in the future.

We have a variety of ways you can support the Foundation and the youth of the Wakatipu Basin:

• Our Business Partner Programme provides several tiers to suit your business and also offers considerable benefits to your business
• Support our fundraising events with products and services
• Individual donations towards initiatives of your choice.

A contribution to our Endowment Fund to benefit both current and future generations of students.

Thank You To Our Supporters

We are humbled by the generosity of the individual donors that have made significant contributions to the Wakatipu High School Foundation in 2024. 

Once again we extend our heartfelt thanks to Jack McPherson (Uncle Jack) for his contribution to the Junior Outdoor Education Programme in 2022, 2023 and now 2024. A retired farmer from Southland, Jack’s support comes from his desire to encourage the youth of Queenstown to experience the outdoors that he loved so much, opening up a world to them that they may not have had the opportunity to experience before.

We also express our appreciation to Mary & John Thompson for their ongoing contributions to Literacy and Endowment, and to Grant & Sharyn Stalker and Jay & Claire Robertson for their support this year.

Literacy and Numeracy Corequisites

Last week, the results from the first round of the Numeracy and Literacy (reading/writing) corequisites were released. With many students still needing to pass one or more of these three corequisites, our Maths, English and Literacy teams have put in place a range of supports to assist students with their preparation for the second round of corequisites which are being held from Friday 13 September. 

Numeracy support and interventions for those who didn’t achieve the numeracy corequisite:

• Year 10’s
• Education Perfect has been assigned to all students to complete during Ako time and at home.
• Classes are working through a Numeracy workbook with a range of practice assessments.
• In-class learning focused on the Numeracy assessment will continue.

• Year 11 - 13
  
• Quizzes have been assigned for students to complete during Ako time. These are 9 question quizzes that cover the 3 outcomes required to achieve the numeracy corequisite. The quizzes are intended only to take around 15 minutes or so to complete.  When finished the students must "View their results" to see how they went - the intent is that they learn from mistakes made. Please encourage your students to do them and help them if necessary.

• All students
  
• Supported Study is offered every Thursday in the Maths department from 3:20 - 4:20 pm
  

Literacy (reading and writing) support and interventions for those who didn’t achieve the reading and/or writing corequisite:

• Year 10 and Year 11 students
  
  • Education Perfect is available to students, based on results from the first corequisite.

• All students
• Based on the first corequisite results, students will be given booklets focusing on reading and/or writing skills to work through. The questions in these booklets are specifically designed to help develop skills for the corequisite exams. 
• Tutorials are held every Thursday in the English department from 3:20 - 4:20 pm, in the lead up to the second corequisite.

A daytime workshop will be held for all students in the lead up to the second corequisite round, which are being held on the following dates:
Friday, 13 September - Writing corequisite
Monday, 16 September - Numeracy corequisite
Wednesday, 18 September - Reading corequisite

Below is a link to the recordings from earlier this year for parents and students to support with the second round of corequisite exams.

For more information regarding any of the above corequisites, please contact:
Numeracy: Juliet Jones -  jjones@wakatipu.school.nz or Janet Theelen - jtheelen@wakatipu.school.nz
Literacy: Katie Tomkins - ktomkins@wakatipu.school.nz, Logan Rae - lrae@wakatipu.school.nz, Sarah File -  sfile@wakatipu.school.nz

2024 Health Education Consultation Survey

The Education Act requires schools to consult with the community at least once every two years about how the school will implement its Health Education. We would appreciate it if you could please click the link below and complete the Health Education Consultation Survey. 

Health Education is taught to every student in Years 9 and 10 at Wakatipu High School as part of the broad base of the NZ Curriculum. For year 9 and 10 students, Health Education is integrated with Physical Education and students will complete one semester of this in Year 9 and a second semester in Year 10. Students will learn about relationship and sexuality education, decision making skills around a variety of relevant youth health issues as well as resilience building skills. Level 4 and Level 5 of the NZ Curriculum for Health and Physical Education will be covered, details of which can be found here. 

It should be noted that in addition to the above, a parent has the right to request that their child is withdrawn from any aspect of the Relationship and Sexuality Education programme component of the health curriculum. Details of this process are provided to all parents in advance of the teaching and learning associated with the Relationship and  Sexuality Education unit.

Our Health Education programme extends into the senior school as students can choose Health as an optional NCEA subject for students in Years 11, 12 and 13. 

There are also a range of other in-school programmes used to deliver Health Education to students, details of which will be made available to students and parents.  

Please click this link to complete the 2024 Health Education Community Consultation Survey. 

This Consultation Survey will close at 9 am on Monday 2 September, after which feedback will be discussed with any changes to the Health Curriculum outlined to all parents, caregivers and students.  

Student Representative Election for the WHS Board 2024

Nominations are invited for the election of one Student Representative on the Wakatipu High School Board. All students enrolled full-time in Year 9 and above and under 20 years old, are eligible to be placed on the electoral roll, stand for election and vote in the school’s election for the Student Representative on the Wakatipu High School Board. The Student Representative has equal standing, voice, accountability and vote as other board members and the term of office is 12 months.  Information on who is not eligible to be a board member is provided with the nomination form.  Further information may be found in the Student Representative Handbook and in the Student Board Member video.

Nominations
A nomination form and copy of this notice have been distributed to all eligible voters on the student roll by email.

Candidates
If you are considering standing for the election, you need to print the nomination form or collect one from Reception.  The nomination form is to be completed and returned to Caroline Butland, Principal’s PA and Returning Officer, at Reception before noon on Wednesday 21 August, along with a short candidate statement (400 words max, also to be emailed to cbutland@wakatipu.school.nz) and may include a photograph.  The Returning Officer may remove or edit any part of the candidate’s statement if it exceeds 400 words or if it is offensive or defamatory.  Candidate statements will be printed as part of the voting paper.

A list of candidates' names will be displayed at reception as they come to hand.

Voting roll
The voting roll will be open for inspection at Reception during opening hours.

Voting
Voting closes at 4pm on Friday 6 September.

The timeline for the student election is as follows:

- Nomination forms available – Thursday 15 August
- Nominations close – noon Wednesday 21 August
- Voting papers issued in Ako Time – Friday 23 August
- Voting closes – 4pm Friday 6 September
- Announcement during Friday Features, new trustee takes office – Friday 13 September
  * First Board meeting Monday 16 September

Caroline Butland
Returning Officer

Parent Series: Consent and Care - 7 pm Thursday, August 29

Year 10 Branches Parent Information Evening

Branches Quiz Night

Branches Trust - Members Needed!

If you have a child currently attending WHS or one who will be going soon, this is a great opportunity to get involved in the community.

Branches Trust is a charitable organisation and our aim is to fund the year 10 "Branches Camp” as much as possible to keep it affordable and accessible for all students.

We have a great team, an organised schedule of events and a minimal workload. If you would like to join us and get to know more about your high school and the camp we would love your help.

Please reach out to Jane on 021 949 916 or email jbamfordqt@gmail.com.

House Basketball: The Final

The House basketball tournament has concluded with a thrilling final game where Duncan emerged victorious over Fox, securing a well-deserved win in the tournament. Next up in the House competition is the E-Sports tournament taking place in week 6.

In our staff Vs. student game held this week, the students took out the win in the last minute after an intense game, with a final score of 44-43. Well done to everyone who took part!

Chainsaw Course

Special Olympics Otago at Remarkables Primary School

Sport and Active Recreation News

Winter Sport Finals

It's finals week for many of our winter sports. It's awesome to see a number of our WHS teams performing strongly throughout their respective competitions. You can support our teams in their finals at the following locations, it would be great to get a good crowd to cheer on our students!

Netball: Wakatipu Netball Centre Finals - Saturday 17th August at the Queenstown Events Centre

• Premier Grade: WHS Senior A vs ARC Lonestar at 1.30pm
• Senior A Grade: WHS 10A v ARC Steve Geary Engineering at 12.15pm
• Senior B Grade: WHS Waka Hoopers v WHS Senior White at 11am

Rugby: Otago Schools Rugby Finals - Saturday 17th August

• Senior Final: WHS 2nd XV v OBHS Colts Blue, 12.45pm at WHS
• Intermediate (Winner wins the Grade): WHS U15 vs OBHS Colts Red, 12.45pm at QEC Field 2A
  

Basketball: Central Otago Schools Senior Boys Finals - Monday 19th August

• Senior A Boys Final: WHS Senior A v Dunstan, 6pm at WHS (Pouākai double gym)

Football: Central Otago Schools Finals

• WHS 1st XI Girls v MAC, Monday 19th August location TBC
• 1st XI Boys v MAC, played during the MAC Exchange at Mt Aspiring on Thursday 22nd August

Hockey: Central Otago Hockey Association Finals

Congratulations to the 2nd XI Boys and 2nd XI Girls teams who made the finals of their respective Senior Reserve Grades which were played this week.

• Senior Reserve Boys: 2nd XI Boys v DHS Black lost 4-0
• Senior Reserve Girls: 2nd XI Girls v DHS Red

Willows - Abby Fookes

A huge congratulations to Abby Fookes who has been recognised in the Willows Cricket Club Annual Report. Abby was the first female cricketer to score a century at The Willows in Christchurch during their match against Waimea College in January this year. Abby is also the first recipient of a new trophy at the Club, the Winsome Dormer Cup for special achievement by a schoolgirl player. Her century made the list of '7 memorable moments from the past decade at The Willows' on page 58 of the report, and is also mentioned on pages 7, 9 and 46. An awesome recognition!

https://issuu.com/thewillowscc/docs/willows-2024

Badminton - Southland Champs

Last week, WHS took four teams down to Invercargill for the Southland Badminton Champs. It was a great chance for the boys to apply everything they’ve been working on during their training sessions over the past term. We came away with some well-fought wins and had a lot of exciting matches. Congratulations to the Senior A and Senior B teams who finished up 2nd in their pools.

Overall, it’s been another fun and successful badminton season. We’ve seen lots of new players joining our Friday after-school sessions in Pouākai and making great progress in developing their badminton skills. Thank you to Penny Hearn and Kirsten Turner for taking the teams down to Invercargill, and to Joe Bruce and Wendy Kwan for their support over the season!

Netball - Barbara Bell

Our Senior A Netball team competed in the Barbara Bell Memorial Tournament in Alexandra on Sunday 11th August. This tournament, which has been running since 2000, serves as great preparation for local Central Otago teams for the upcoming South Island Champs. The team had some good wins over Cromwell College (16-12), and St Kevin's College (20-12) but went down to ultimate tournament winners Waitaki Girl's High School and St Peters to finish 4th.

Hoodies

WHS Sports Hoodies are now available for purchase from the NZ Uniforms store in Remarkables Park. Hoodies cost $95, with the option of adding your surname to the back for an additional $15.

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:  Boston Shallcrass

Ms Hamilton has chosen Boston Shallcrass for this week's Artist of the Week.  In his Portrait class, he has completed an amazing tonal drawing using pencil and a grid.   Well done Boston, what a talented artist you are!

Jazz Band at The Southern Jam Youth Jazz Festival 

Once again the jazz band had their annual trip up to the Southern Jam Jazz Festival in Blenheim. This year there were 15 schools represented with over 20 bands playing. The standard was extremely high and it was great to see the level of skills displayed. Both our bands performed very well and with half the Big Band new this year,  the cohesion and quality of playing they produced was impressive.

Both bands gained Silver Grading and Venice Alzaga won the Best Vocalist with her performance of Honeysuckle Rose played with the Combo Band.

We also won the Adjudicators Choice award which acknowledged the overall quality of the band in terms of cohesion, stage presence, engagement with the audience and each other and generally having a great time.

Huge thanks to Alistair Monteath and Chris Mason-Battley for their work with the bands this year and Mr Shawcross who was our conductor at Blenheim. Also, thanks to Paula Bell for her assistance in ensuring the students were fed and watered and Matt at Pure Tours who made the 11 hour bus trip almost pleasant at times. 

Viewpoints - Junior Art Exhibition - Free Entry

Last chance to visit this Saturday!

Grab the chance to visit while shopping at Remarkables Park to join us in a celebration of the wonderful collection of artworks created by Wakatipu High School students at the opening of Viewpoints - Junior Art Exhibition.

This fantastic exhibition's last day is this Saturday so grab the opportunity to visit before it closes.  

We thank Te Atamira for their support and to provide a professional space for our students to exhibit their work as well as for their appreciation for the arts at Wakatipu High School. 

Showing Off  - Senior Art Exhibition

Showing Off is an exhibition that features a collection of Paintings, Designs and Photographic work. The exhibition will run until 25 August at the Lakes District Museum in Arrowtown, so please tell all your family and friends to come and enjoy the work on display. 

All artworks will be eligible for prizes with one for each discipline. These are “People’s Choice” awards so the winners will be contacted after the exhibition ends. Trinity Construction has been generously sponsoring the prizes for this event for many years and we thank them for their support. 

Atomica Success

Congratulations to Atomica for being chosen for the Play It Strange 2024 Songwriters Album.  Their song Take Me Back was a finalist in the Lion Foundation Competition.

Out and About

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

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
• Chamber Music Group - Thursday Break 2
• Senior Singing - Thursday 3.15pm

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

Term 3 already shaping up to be a very busy time in the Art and performing arts departments, here is a quick look at what is happening in Term 3

1-25 August - Showing Off Student Art Exhibition

8-18 August - Junior Art Exhibition at Te Atamira

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

5 September - Invercargill Jazz Festival

14 September - Performing Arts Showcase at Te Atamira

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 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.

Explore Scholarship Opportunities for WHS Students!

We are excited to let you know that there are some fantastic local scholarship opportunities available to WHS students.

David Geddes RSA Memorial Scholarship

We are pleased to announce that the David Geddes Memorial Scholarship is now open for applications! This scholarship, valued at $1,000, was established by David’s family and the Queenstown RSA to honor his commitment to community service. It’s a lasting tribute to the impact he made in our community. We encourage students who share his passion for service to apply.

Please email your completed application to bnewman@wakatipu.school.nz by 1:00 pm on Friday 27 September.

Margaret Templeton Scholarship

We’re thrilled to share that the Margaret Templeton Scholarship is now open for applications! This scholarship, valued at $15,000 over three years ($5,000 per year), is here to support students in the Wakatipu Basin who may face financial challenges in pursuing tertiary education.

To make sure the scholarship goes to those who need it most, applicants will need to provide some details about their financial situation, including that of their parents.

Applications are due at the Careers Hub by midday on 26 September, so that we can submit them to Anderson Lloyd by 27 September. Please remember to place the Household Income Questionnaire in a sealed envelope—this information is confidential and will only be reviewed by the scholarship trustees.

Please refer to the links below.

Unlock Your Engineering Future with the Meyer Cruden Scholarship
The Meyer Cruden Engineering Scholarship is an exciting opportunity for enthusiastic Year 13 students who aspire to build a career in Structural or Civil Engineering. They offer a one-year scholarship worth $4,000 to students planning to study Civil Engineering at the University of Canterbury, with the possibility of extending the scholarship to subsequent years based on certain criteria. Meyer Cruden Engineering Limited, a dynamic consultancy with offices in Cromwell and Wanaka, specializes in a wide range of engineering services, including structural design for residential, commercial, and industrial projects, overhead line design, geotechnical engineering, civil engineering, and pavement design. If you are passionate about this region and eager to dive into the structural, civil, or geotechnical engineering fields, this scholarship is perfect for you.

Value of Scholarship: $4,000

Applications open: 1st August

Applications close: 31st August

Community Notices

Sign up for the workshops here: Remarkable Theatre

August Campaign - 30th Birthday Campaign

Promotion Dates : Friday, 2 August 2024 at 8:00 pm - Friday, 30 August 2024 at 1:59 pm

Offer Name : A bonus Multi City upgrade with every Membership purchase, plus go into the draw into the draw to win 1 of 30 prizes!The Offer : 

Starting 8pm NZST 5th August, your supporters can get a bonus Multi City upgrade with every Membership purchase, plus go into the draw into the draw to win 1 of 30 prizes!

From an unforgettable night out at Catalina with a chef’s table to a thrilling family adventure with a Village Roadshow Theme Park Escape Family Pass, there are so many great prizes up for grabs.

This special 30th Birthday competition will be available right through to Friday 30 August 2024, providing an extra Birthday bonus on any Single City Membership purchased.

*Terms & Conditions Apply. Please visit www.entertainmentnz.com/promotions to view.

Order yours today:  https://subscribe.entertainmentnz.com/fundraiser/260506v