WHS Newsletter | Issue 3.08 | 13 September 2024

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of another great week, capped with an unbelievable snow day!

We hope that you found the comms for the day ok, and a reminder that for quick comms on days like today, we post to the SZApp, update the website and email students directly. See below again to ensure you’ve got the SZApp.

There have been many highlights this week at WHS but one of the most enjoyable and humbling things I get to do at this time of the year is to read through all of the applications for our prestigious Head Student and Lead Prefect positions 2025. While they take quite a few hours to read, it is remarkable to see how much our students can accomplish in just four years of high school. We had a large quantity and a high quality of applications and I’d like to take this opportunity to acknowledge all the students who have put their hand up for a leadership role in 2025. We are working through the Head Student process at the moment, and we’re looking forward to hearing the shortlisted candidates speeches on Monday. Later in the term we’ll begin the Lead Prefect selection process which will be followed by the House Leader and Deputy House Leader appointments. 

Another highlight of the week was the announcement of the CLT Scholarship award recipients. While the award ceremony is not held until 25 October, the recipients have been announced. Our students are wonderfully supported by the community and a huge thanks to CLT for their generous sponsorship and congratulations to the 27 worthy recipients (see below for more details). 

Congratulations also to Molly Shuttleworth who has been elected as the new Student Rep on the Board of Trustees and to Tess Vermeir who was selected as the worthy recipient of the 2024 Triple Star Scholarship for the Spirit of Adventure voyage. On Wednesday, we had an intercom assembly in which we announced an extensive range of achievements in Sport, Arts, Cultural, Academic, Leadership and more. Be sure to read through the newsletter to get a glimpse of the amazing things students accomplish. 

The first of the literacy (Writing) corequisites was due to be held today, but has been moved to next Friday, 20 September. The Numeracy corequisite is still planned for next Monday and the Reading corequisite will be held next Wednesday. There are a couple more literacy tutorials planned for next week, so keep an eye out for those details. 

Following on from the senior reports that were sent last weekend, a reminder that our senior subject next steps interviews are being held next Tuesday 17 September from 2:30 pm. Details on how to book an appointment for this important event are below and will close at midday on Monday 16 September. This is a really important opportunity for students and parents to meet with their senior subject teachers and get feedback on what students need to do to achieve their goals in each subject, including what needs to be done to get Merit and Excellence credits. Students (and parents) are encouraged to check the Portal regularly as marks and comments are regularly posted to our ‘real-time’ reporting system. Additionally, on the evening of Next Steps interviews, Ms Sarah Hill, our new Deputy Principal, will be offering a ‘Parent and student information evening - a guide to studying well’, with sessions running at 4 pm, 5 pm and 6pm on the night in the Board Room.

A couple of other messages from me:

• The Year 10 Branches Parent evening was held at school on Wednesday evening. Please click here for the slides that were explained. A reminder that the very important Medical and Permission form is due by Thursday 26th September.
• Students riding on the buses must behave in an appropriate and safe manner at all times or risk being removed from the bus. If your student witnesses unsafe or unacceptable behaviour on the bus, please ask them to contact their Dean or Kaiārahi so that we can follow up accordingly.

With only 19 school days left before senior Prizegivings and seniors going on study leave, WHS is amplifying its focus on supporting students to get their best possible qualification and students should be doing the same. Scholarship exams were held this week, school examinations have been marked and returned to students, and Kaiārahi have been sitting down with senior students to ensure they have a plan in place to achieve well in the remaining internal assessments, as well as the external examinations that begin in November (click here to see the end of year examination timetable). Mastery requires hard-work, so please make sure students are continuing to put in the hard work over these last few weeks of term right through to the end of the year.

Another bumper edition of the school newsletter follows, including some highlights from the annual lip sync competition and much, much more. Be sure to have a read.

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and enjoys the fresh snow! I look forward to seeing many of you tomorrow at Te Atamira for the Arts performance before te wiki o te reo Māori.

Ngā mihi nui,

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

Key Dates

Senior Next Steps Meetings Tuesday 17 September

A reminder that bookings for Senior Next Steps Meetings close Monday 12pm.  Use the link below to make your bookings.

Additionally, a ‘Parent and student information evening - a guide to studying well’, will run on the night. Sessions will be approximately half an hour long and will start at 4 pm, 5 pm and 6pm in the Board Room.

Senior Next Steps are an important opportunity for parents and students to connect with individual subject teachers to discuss student progress to date, and next learning steps. In some cases, the conversations may relate to current projects / internal assessments. In other cases, the conversations may be more targeted to preparation for external examinations. In either case, Next Steps provide a final chance to clarify what a student needs to do in each subject to ensure they achieve their full potential.

For some students who are struggling or underperforming in one or multiple subjects, we have already notified parents and invited them to book appointments to see the relevant subject teacher(s).

WHS Student Election Results Declaration

Wakatipu High School Board Election - Student Election Results Declaration

Votes
Molly Shuttleworth: 358
Gianny McLean: 317
Ankita Pilo: 147
Invalid votes: 3

I hereby declare Molly Shuttleworth duly elected.

Thank you very much to Manuella Pedrosa for her outstanding service as the outgoing Student Board Representative. Manuella's contribution and insights from a student perspective have been immensely appreciated.

Caroline Butland
Returning Officer

Central Lakes Trust Scholarships

We would like to express our gratitude to the Central Lakes Trust and Pioneer Energy Limited for their ongoing support and commitment to our community’s future. The Trust supports a range of scholarships, each valued at $2,500, to support students commencing full-time tertiary education, apprenticeships, or vocational training. 

The successful recipients for 2025 are: 

Ashton White, Xavier Small, Sorcha Wilkinson, Tom Schenk, Stella Stretch, Bethany Graf, Ole Wijntjes, Mason Clarke, Jess Hudson, Jack Trounce, Abby Fookes, Jasmine Molloy, Anthony Hollyer, Phoebe Ide, Daphne Ricketts, Sophie Rasmussen, Jude Deaker, Ricky Webster, Harriet Blundell, Jack Smillie, Hugh Hodgson, Ted Coutts, Harry Seeto, Eva Hemingway, Mia Pagan, Ava Boyt and Zara Martin.

Congratulations to all recipients!

Triple Star Scholarship for the Spirit of Adventure Announcement

We are thrilled to announce that Tess Vermeir has been chosen as the recipient of the highly coveted 2024 Triple Star Scholarship for the Spirit of Adventure! Thank you to Triple Star for their generous sponsorship making this incredible opportunity possible. Congratulations, Tess!

School Buses - Rules and Expectations

The Ministry of Education provides transport to and from school via bus for students who meet certain criteria: the details around who is eligible can be found on the WHS website, link below.

Both the Public Buses operator (ORC) and School Operator (GoBus) have recently alerted the school and the Ministry to some concerning behaviour of some of our students. The safety and comfort of of everyone on the bus rely on a standard of behavior and consideration for others, similar to what is expected in the classroom. We hope that parents/caregivers will support the school in maintaining these standards of behaviour. 

The school has a zero tolerance policy for inappropriate behaviour including vaping, vandalism and bullying. Should we be alerted to any instances of students engaging in such activities then we will investigate and disciplinary action may follow.

Additionally, we have been made aware that students are taking buses they are not eligible for to work, sport practices and in some cases even to stay at a friend's house. The Ministry is very clear around the fact that students are to use their designated bus for the sole purpose of travelling between their place of residence and school. In the event that a student resides between two homes, then this can be accommodated.

We do carry out an audit of school bus run eligibility at the start of the year, and update our records accordingly - if you have moved, or believe that your child has been incorrectly allocated to a particular bus run please notify the school. Details of various bus runs can be found on the Wakatipu High School website, link below.

Thanks for your continued support as we endeavour to provide safe, compliant transport, to and from school for all students.

Lip Sync Battle

The Lip Sync Battle Returns! The Arts and Cultural Council have been planning and organising the event for quite a few weeks, and performers have been practising their hearts out. There have been some epic performances this week, the judges have their work cut out for them choosing the winning acts.

A huge thank you to everyone who performed and to everyone who showed up to watch and support. This was an amazing event and it was awesome to see so many people get involved and put so much effort into it. A big thank you to the Arts & Cultural Council for organising the event.

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Excellence in UC CAM KIWI Competitions

The University of Canterbury Centre for Assessment and Monitoring (CAM) offers annual KIWI English, Mathematics, and Science competitions for Year 5-10 students, held at the beginning of Term 3. These competitions are skills-based and closely align with the New Zealand Curriculum. 

Our students achieved fantastic results in the CAM KIWI competitions this year, with four gaining Excellence Awards, placing them in the top 10% of participants nationwide. 

Hector Tanner: Excellence in English, Mathematics, and Science
Brian Yang: Excellence in Mathematics and Science
Ava McDonald: Excellence in Science
Solomon Phoon: Excellence in English.

Congratulations to these students for their outstanding results, and to all students who participated in the competitions this year. 

Mr Logan Rae
Gifted Coordinator

Success at Spelling Bee NZ Semi-Final

On Monday, 9 September, the Lower South Island regional semi-final of the 2024 Aotearoa New Zealand Spelling Bee was held at the Dunedin Art Gallery. 

The top 55 Year 9 and Year 10 spellers from across the Lower South Island came together to compete for one of four Lower South Island places at the New Zealand final, to be held in Wellington on Saturday, 2 November.

Wakatipu High School was represented by five students: Sean Jones (Year 10), Ava McDonald (Year 10), Solomon Phoon (Year 10), Ruby Thornburgh (Year 9), and Brian Yang (Year 10). These students sat the in-school Spelling Bee competition earlier this year and were invited to participate in the regional semi-final. 

The competition was intense and continued over a three hour period! By correctly spelling words such as nonchalant, reverberate, inoculated, and attenuate, Ruby Thornburgh made it all the way through to the top four, qualifying for the final in Wellington. At the final, Ruby will compete against 21 of the best secondary school spellers in Aotearoa. 

Congratulations Ruby and good luck for the final! A huge thank you to Mrs Jamieson-Gough for your help with transport. 

Mr Logan Rae
Gifted Coordinator

Dan Davin Literary Awards

The Dan Davin Literary Foundation supports and promotes creative writing in Southland and the Wakatipu Basin. The annual  Dan Davin Awards attract talented local writers and discover emerging writing talent. Students compete for the Junior and U19/Senior student Literary Awards.

The 2024 Awards Ceremony was held at the Kelvin Hotel in Invercargil on Friday, 30 August. Three of our students were invited to attend as finalists.

In the Junior division, Ruby Thornbrugh (Year 9)  placed 3rd for her short story "In the Clouds", and Sean Jones (Year 10) placed 2nd for her short story "Fists and Friendships". 

Jess Hudson won the Senior division with her short story "Cache-cache (Hide and Seek)". Additionally, Jess received a Highly Commended Award for her poem "13 Ways to Look at a Glass". 

Congratulations Jess, Sean, and Ruby on your awards. We are incredibly proud of your writing success!

Sport and Active Recreation News

Get2Go 

On Wednesday WHS had 2 teams competing in the Central Otago/Southland Get2Go Challenge here in Queenstown. Held around Kelvin Heights, t The activities involved mountain biking (while memorising an 8x8 grid), kayaking, and a rogaine (splitting into 2 teams for different routes). Both teams were full of smiles as they raced around the challenges! Congratulations to the WHS 2 team of Coen Banks, Seb Carlson, Izzy Carr, Haydn Carter, Lexi McLeod, Caitlyn Purdue, Keira Redden and Oli Watson, who took out first place. As a result the team have qualified for the 5-day Get2Go National Finals to be held at the Hillary Outdoors Centre at Tongariro in December. WHS 1 finished in 6th place. Thanks to all of the team managers for their support shuttling the teams around, it was an awesome day!

Karate

Nicole Carey recently attended the New Zealand National Karate Championships in Auckland, where she achieved a 2nd in the 16/17 Women’s 60kg+ Kumite and 5th in the Women's Open Kata. Nicole was also selected to represent the South Island in Kumite in the North vs South challenge. Well done Nicole!

Orienteering

The  South Island Secondary School Orienteering Championships were held in Christchurch on Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th September. Audrey Austin raced in both the Year 10/11 Girls Sprint and Long Course events. Audrey had a good time at the Sprint event on Saturday but unfortunately mispunched 1 control meaning she was unable to rank. In the Long Course event on Sunday Audrey raced well to finish 5th.

Golf

Congratulations to Noah Novacek who won the Wanaka Mens Open Golf Championship last weekend. Noah was 6th after the 1st round and shot -5 in the second round in strong windy conditions to win over all by 5 strokes. Awesome work!

Winter Tournament Week MVPs

A number of WHS students were awarded tournament or team MVPs at their respective Winter Tournament Week events. Congratulations to the following!

SISS Ice Hockey Champs

• Best Goalie A Grade - Jake Thomson 
• Top Point Scorer - Charlie Gerard
• Wakatipu Blue Best Forward - Moby Haysmith
• Wakatipu Blue Best Defence - Aoife Orr
• Wakatipu Gold Best Forward - Charlie Gerard
• Wakatipu Gold Best Defence  Jack Walters
• Wakatipu Juniors Best Forward - Zoe Thurston 
• Wakatipu Juniors Best Defence - Jacob Exell 

Lotto Sportswear Girls Football Tournament

• Wakatipu High School MVP - Keely Osborne 

Rural Livestock U15 SISS Co-Ed

• Tournament Team: Conor Clarke and Harley Hamilton

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: Junior Art

In junior Art over the past 2 weeks we have been studying the work of Artist Jim Dine. These students have excelled in creating their own interpretation of his work.  They have managed to control ink, charcoal, textured backgrounds and unfinished qualities to complete these stunning pieces that will go up in the school next week.  

Performing Arts Showcase at Te Atamira

Mark your calendar and join us at the Performing Arts Showcase at Te Atamira  Saturday September 14.

We have a great line up of performances and visual art.

Free entry and drinks/snacks to buy to keep you going.

Success at the Invercargill Jazz Festival!

Our Jazz Combo competed at the Invercargill Jazz Festival last night and returned as winners. The combo won overall with their test piece (for the 9th year in a row), Haru Kuroe won overall best bass player and Joel Winter won overall best drum player. Congratulations and well done to Haru Kuroe, Joel Winter, Bethany Argyle, Venice Alzaga, Louis Buchanan and Hugh Hodgson.

Introduction to Alex Pyle

We send a warm welcome to Alex Pyle who has joined the WHS team as a Guitar Tutor. 

Alex is often seen gigging around town and we are extremely fortunate to have someone of his calibre working with our students.

Rodger Fox Workshops

It has been officially announced that the Rodger Fox Workshops are continuing the legacy of Rodger Fox’s association with Summer Jazz Workshops in Wellington.

The Rodger Fox Workshops will take place December 16–19 at the New Zealand School of Music—Te Kōkī in Wellington, co-ordinated by Lance Philip, Daniel Hayles, Dave Wilson, Eilish Wilson, and Chris Beernink in association with the Aotearoa Jazz Education and Performance Trust.

Musicians aged 19 and under with a minimum of one year experience on an instrument or in vocal training can participate. Students can choose trumpet, trombone, saxophone, clarinet, flute, bass, piano, guitar, drums, vibraphone, or voice.

More information and registration info can be found at the Rodger Fox Workshops registration site - https://events.humanitix.com/the-rodger-fox-workshops-2024

Follow the Rodger Fox Workshops on Instagram or Facebook for the latest updates.

Any questions – please email rodgerfoxworkshops@gmail.com.

Exciting visits in ART

Being able to access a visiting artist is an incredible opportunity for our students to get first hand input from established artists. We hope to welcome more artists and professionals in the arts space in the future. If you would like to share your experience and knowledge please get in touch with Arts Coordinator Stine Cooper scooper@wakatipu.school.nz.

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
• 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

Upcoming for Term 3

Term 3 is a very busy time in the Art and performing arts departments, here is a quick look at what is coming up:

14 September - Performing Arts Showcase at Te Atamira

24 October Cultural Blues Awards

3 November - Central Sound Waves

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.

WHS SZ App

All parents, caregivers, and students should download the SZapp to receive timely urgent and important alerts. SZapp also provides convenient access to our absence form, the weekly newsletter, school calendar, and a collection of handy links. Find download instructions for the WHS SZapp below.

 Apple Devices

1. On your device, open the App Store.
2. Search the App Store for SZapp.
3. Download and install SZapp.

 Android Devices

1. On your device, open the Play Store.
2. Search the Play Store for SZapp.
3. Download and install SZapp.

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

The David Geddes Memorial Scholarship worth $1,000 is now available for applications. This scholarship was established by David’s family and the Queenstown RSA to honor his dedication to community service. It's a tribute to the impact he made in our community. We encourage students who share his passion for service to seize this opportunity and 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! 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.

BDO Cadetship Opportunity +

The BDO Southern Lakes & Central Otago Accounting Scholarship is now open for applications. This incredible opportunity is designed to support our students to attend a university in New Zealand and study towards a career in accounting.

The BDO Accounting Scholarship offers significant financial assistance, providing $2,500 for every year of full-time study towards a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Accounting. In addition to the financial aid, you will have the chance to intern with BDO during holidays.

This scholarship is a fantastic way to reduce the financial burden of university education while gaining hands-on experience. It’s an excellent opportunity for aspiring accountants to kickstart their careers with strong support from one of the leading accounting firms in the region.

Eligible students must submit their completed application by Friday 27 September 2024 at 5:00 pm.

If you have any questions or need assistance with your application, please do not hesitate to reach out to the Careers team.

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

Sign up for the workshops here: Remarkable Theatre

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