WHS Newsletter | Issue 3.10 | 27 September 2024

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of an action-packed Term 3! 

On Monday of this week, we announced our 2025 Head Students and our Lead Prefects have now also been selected (see below for details). Today our prospective House Leaders spoke at House assemblies. Once again, a huge congratulations to all those who have put their hand up for all of these super competitive and hugely important positions. We have a full school assembly scheduled for week 2 of next term, in which we will present all our 2025 student leaders with their badges.

This week, we have recognised Mental Health Awareness Week and have celebrated WHS model for school-wide wellbeing, which combines ‘Te Whare Tapa Whā’ with the ‘5 ways to wellbeing’. This is a very important topic for students and the school and it’s really important that we continuously check-in with our students around how they’re feeling and supporting them to make changes to assist their wellbeing as required. (see below for more)

A huge thanks to everyone who fed back to us regarding our school-wide Health and junior Health programmes. The feedback was overwhelmingly positive with the main feedback being that we need to have more compulsory school-wide Health programmes available to our senior students, particularly as it pertains to Healthy Relationships, Consent and Drugs & Alcohol education. A huge thanks to Dr Kathryn Smith, who covered many of these topics, and more, with our Year 12 students last Friday. Feedback regarding the junior Health Programme was very positive with a couple of parents wanting a bit more detail around what is covered in the Relationships and Sexuality topic, which we will be sure to amend from 2025. 

Branches Camp (Year 10) - a reminder that the Medical and Permission Form was due yesterday. This form is a very important part of the Branches Camp process and if you haven't completed it yet please do so as soon as possible. Click Here. Additionally, a donation for the camp has been added to students' accounts, which is only a portion of what it actually costs per person. We appreciate any donation to the camp that you can make, even if it’s just a portion of the amount added to the account. While we appreciate that some parents/caregivers may not be able to pay this donation, we also know that some parents/caregivers are willing and able to pay more. If you would like to pay an additional student’s donation, you can do so by clicking on the following link.  https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/254041

A reminder that Junior Reports for Term 3 will be available on the Portal this weekend. Also, there are many internal results and feedback for external exams now available for Senior students, so be sure to have a look. Again, all this information is available through the Portal. There is still time for students to improve their achievement, but it is important that students make a plan to ensure they achieve their goals and to their potential. 

Term 4 starts on Monday 14th October with Senior Exams beginning on 5 November and Junior Exams beginning on Wednesday 30th October. 

On Thursday 17th October is the annual WHSF Golf Tournament, which is once again being proudly sponsored by Millbrook Resort. This is a significant fundraiser for the school and the Foundation and a huge thanks to Millbrook Resort and all the other sponsors! If you’ve missed out, there’s still an opportunity to sponsor a hole or provide auction items and prizes. Click here to find out more about how you can support the WHSF and WHS. 

Earlier this week, and for the second time this term, we brought a Drug Detective Dog through the school to ensure we are doing everything 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 bringing or being under the influence of drugs, alcohol or other illicit substances.

Be sure to have a read through another jam packed newsletter, including our 2025 Student Leaders, a top 5 national placing in the Readers Cup, a write-up of the DoE Tramp and some amazing art at the Mīharo Exhibition from our students, including prize winners Paul Leaaetoa, Khierssynn Cooper, Indy Coe and Nalani Solomon.

I do hope students, whānau and staff have a great break over the holidays, and although students will have work to do and/or exams to begin revising for, it is still important that everyone takes some time to recharge before a busy term four. 

Ngā mihi nui,

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

Key Dates

Student Leaders 2025

Introducing our Student Leaders for 2025! Our Student Leaders are dedicated to upholding our school values and supporting the wider school community. A huge thank you to all the students who put themselves forward for these highly coveted leadership positions. We look forward to the guidance and service from these young leaders in the coming year.

Readers' Cup Final

On Tuesday, the Wakatipu High School Gold Team, consisting of Emily Messingham, Hector Tanner, James Taylor, and Amy Wards, flew to Auckland to compete in the National Readers' Cup competition. For the past three months we have been studying six novels: The Impossible Story Of Hannah Kemp, The Inheritance Games, Six, Life As We Knew It, Andromeda Bond In Trouble Deep, and Found. We read these novels multiple times and took notes on as many details as we could! The competition was held at Dilworth School and we were quizzed on our knowledge of the novels. Our team finished in fifth place - an amazing outcome for the national competition. The competition concluded and we went for our flight home after a trip to Westfield Mall in Newmarket for celebratory ice cream!

To qualify for the nationals, we had to win our regional competition in Invercargill back in June. We are immensely proud of just making it to nationals. Congratulations to Cashmere High School who took out the win. Thank you to Dilworth School for hosting this amazing event for us and giving us a few books to take home, and to Britannica and SLANZA for sponsoring the competition. A big thank you to Mr Rae who organised this exciting trip for us.

Amy Wards (Year 9)

Mīharo Exhibition at Te Atamira

Mīharo Art Exhibition, Legends Of Our Lands - Our people, Our places, Our stories, this year was celebrated at Te Atamira on Wednesday evening. This was a fantastic event that enabled our rangatahi to put their voices into a public exhibition through Art. 

Mīharo is a proud supporter of our children's journeys and we thank them for giving our rangatahi the opportunity to showcase their Art. Our students' work explores vulnerability, pride, strength, sustainability and growth all in different mediums. Their work is on display at Te Atamira until October 24.

We are very proud of all these students and those involved in the creation of these artworks.  As teachers, we feel very privileged to work alongside these students to encourage, support and inspire art-making decisions.

Supreme Award “Be confident, not shy” - Paul Leaaetoa
Aspiring Artist Award "When the Birds Return" - Indy Coe
Digital Excellence Award “My Reo Journey” - Khierssynn Cooper
Highly Commended Award “Whakai” - Nalani Solomon
Polyfest T-Shirt Design winner “Anything's Possible; Hakitekura's Lake Crossing” - Nalani Solomon

Abbey Brown
​Assistant Head of Learning Area - Arts

Mental Health Awareness Week 2024

This week, Wakatipu High School students came together in support of Mental Health Awareness Week. MHAW is run annually by the Mental Health Foundation and has been since 1993. Endorsed by the World Federation for Mental Health, MHAW is marked in over 150 countries at different times of the year. This year's theme was “Community is…. What we create together.” 

Good wellbeing doesn’t happen by accident, it needs nurturing and protecting. Strong social connections are essential for our life satisfaction and overall health, which is why being part of a community can provide us with a sense of belonging, purpose and connectedness. Over the past week, The Wellbeing Council ran activities to celebrate the power of community in uplifting our collective wellbeing.  

• On Monday students connected in Te Kirikiri to paint purple hearts on their faces in support of Mental Health Awareness Week.

• Tuesday was 'Tautoko Tuesday'  and students and teachers gave shout-outs to one another on our Tautoko Board.
  

• On Friday students were invited to take notice of their thoughts and feelings as the relax whilst watching a movie in the Theatre to unwind before the holidays.

• Throughout the week, students had the opportunity to dive into activities created to support their knowledge of their personal wellbeing, and to develop strategies to support themselves when times are tough. Students were challenged to 'Keep Learning' by:

• Diving into one of The Five Ways to Wellbeing and creating a Personal Wellbeing Plan (WHS)

• Checking out our Insta @wakatipuwellbeing, for this daily challenge and a chance to win a Polaroid camera.  

• Participating in daily challenges using The Five Ways to Wellbeing.

• Downloading the Groov app to discover ways to protect and enhance mental health, tips for talking about mental health with loved ones, and ways to get back into your groove when faced with low mood. 

Why the Five Ways?

Research shows there are five simple things you can do as part of your daily life – at work and at home – to build resilience, boost your wellbeing and lower your risk of developing mental health problems. These simple actions are known internationally as the Five Ways to Wellbeing.

Connect
With the people around you. With family, friends, colleagues and neighbours. At home, work, school or in your local community. Think of these as the cornerstones of your life and invest time in developing them. Building these connections will support and enrich you every day. 

Be Active
Go for a walk or run. Step outside. Cycle. Play a game. Garden. Dance. Exercising makes you feel good. Most importantly, discover a physical activity you enjoy and that suits your level of mobility and fitness. 

Take Notice
Be curious. Catch sight of the beautiful. Remark on the unusual. Notice the changing seasons. Savour the moment, whether you are walking to work, eating lunch or talking to friends. Be aware of the world around you and what you are feeling. Reflecting on your experiences will help you appreciate what matters to you. 

Keep Learning
Try something new. Rediscover an old interest. Sign up for that course. Take on a different responsibility at work. Fix a bike. Learn to play an instrument or how to cook your favourite food. Set a challenge you will enjoy achieving. Learning new things will make you more confident as well as being fun. 

Give
Do something nice for a friend, or a stranger. Thank someone. Smile. Volunteer your time. Join a community group. Look out, as well as in. Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you. 

So there you have it… 5 Ways to Wellbeing. They’re not rocket science are they? But, we’re sure you’ll agree, that doing these things does feel good. 

They’re not a magic elixir that will wipe away your worries in an instant but doing them frequently will, over time, lift your mood.

But if that 'blah' feeling sticks about – do speak to an expert. A great place to start is the school Guidance Team.

How to tautoko/ support a friend or family member:

Opening up the kōrero about distressing thoughts and feelings can seem like the hardest part. It’s normal to feel awkward both if you’re experiencing these feelings, or if you’re asking someone you aroha/love about their own.

Before you open the kōrero, it’s important to put on your own oxygen mask first. Supporting someone you care about through a tough time can be challenging, so it’s important to look after your own wellbeing so you have the energy, time and perspective to be there for them, too. 

 You can have a kōrero by:

• Just opening the kōrero. There’s no right way to start, but an open-ended pātai/question such as “I’ve noticed you’re not yourself lately” can work a treat. Sometimes it can be easier to start a kōrero when you’re already doing something together, such as going for a hīkoi/walk or eating kai.
• Validating their feelings and really listening to what they are saying. Try to see things from their point of view and understand what might be causing their low mood or triggered thoughts and emotions. Listen carefully to how they describe their experiences and ask open-ended questions to help them describe their experiences further. Accept your loved one’s experiences as real and true for them.
• Giving and taking in the kōrero. Ask them about how they’re feeling and share how you’re feeling too. This takes the pressure off the conversation and can help your loved one feel they’re contributing and have advice of their own to share.
• Echo back what you’re hearing. During your kōrero, it’s important to echo or repeat key points your loved one is saying when they kōrero about what they are thinking and feeling. This will help to clarify what you’re hearing and help you both to come up with constructive solutions.
• If they have been struggling for a while, encourage them to seek external support:

  • Email guidance@wakaipu.school.nz  to speak to one of our awesome counsellors.
    Support available 24 hours a day:
    

  • Free call or text 1737 any time for support from a trained counsellor.
    

  • Lifeline – 0800 543 354 (0800 LIFELINE) or free text 4357 (HELP).
    

  • Youthline – 0800 376 633, free text 234 or email talk@youthline.co.nz or access their online chat.

Year 13 Overnight camp at Lake Alta

Our Year 13 Outdoor Education students had an amazing experience recently, making the most of the fantastic conditions after the spring snowfall for an overnight Mountain Expedition at Lake Alta.

Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Hike

Last Friday, I went with a group of ten other Duke of Edinburgh (DoE) Bronze students to walk part of the Kepler track. The hike was 15 kilometres each way, and we carried heavy packs with our food, clothing, sleeping bag and tent. The purpose of DoE is to encourage students to challenge themselves and develop skills of their choice while having fun, which we absolutely did on this hike. Qualifying students were encouraged to lead the group, which meant they had to choose a pace everyone would be happy with, and interpret hand-held maps. When we came to a fork in the path, everyone pitched in, trying to determine where to go next. I was impressed with the resilience of the students leading the hike, who had to walk faster than everyone else, and of how considerate everyone was of each other, walking at a good pace and keeping together for most of the hike.

The real highlight of the hike was staying at Moturau hut and getting to chat and play games with students from other schools there. We ran around on the beach, played Jenga and cooked surprisingly tasty camp food. I got to chat with some of the students from Southland Girls' High School and St Peter's College and show them how to use their cookers. When the sun came up the next morning, some of the more determined students got up to see it rise. We cooked breakfast, packed our bags, and took some photos by the gorgeous lakeside before heading off. When we got back to the van, everyone was tired but satisfied with what they had accomplished.  The ride back through the Otago countryside was also stunning! Thank you to Mr Rae and Ms Holst for taking us. I had a fantastic time, and can’t wait to complete my qualifying hike.

Ava McDonald (Year 10)

Ngā Reo Languages News

Students off to Japan:  ganbatte -  頑張って ! 

On Wednesday, we bid an exciting farewell to our incredible group of students as they embarked on their adventure to the vibrant and breathtaking land of Japan! 

Wishing both 22 students and their dedicated teachers all the best on this unforgettable journey!
Over the next 11 days, they'll dive deep into the wonders of Japanese culture and language, exploring everything from ancient traditions to modern marvels. We can’t wait to hear all about their amazing experiences!
We are looking forward to hear all about this amazing opportunity! さよなら - Sayonara

Ma Boulangerie trip

Year 10 French students didn’t just flex their French skills this Thursday—they also flexed their pastry-eating muscles! 

Not only did the students get a chance to use their French in a real-life context but they were also treated to some delicious French pastries. And, in true French style, they managed to impress the French-speaking staff with their linguistic finesse. C'est magnifique! 
A big merci beaucoup to the students for their stellar effort, and to the pastries for being… well, absolutely delicious.

Bravo - Students gaining an International Diploma!

In late August, ten of our superstar students took off to Dunedin to take on the challenge of the French international diploma (DELF) at various levels—and guess what? They absolutely crushed it! 

100% success rate! Every single one of them earned their DELF certification, showing not only their hard work but also their impressive French skills. What an outstanding achievement! Félicitations à tous!

Pickleball Fever

A huge thank you to the amazing volunteers from the Queenstown Pickleball Club for sharing their expertise with our Year 12 PE students! Over the past three weeks, our students have been learning the ins and outs of pickleball and practising their skills.

Today, we held the Inaugural 7PED Pickleball Tournament, which also serves as a practical internal assessment for our students. The winning team had the opportunity to face off against myself and Mr Nathan in a friendly match.

Gigi Hollyer
Teacher of Health and Physical Education

Term 4 Public Bus Changes

Otago Regional Council have advised some changes to the the after school public buses for Routes 1 and 4 commencing at the start of Term 4.

From Monday 14 October the following changes will apply;

ROUTE 1: To Sunshine Bay
This bus will now depart the school at 3.20pm (currently 3.30pm). This bus will have signage in the window saying "School Service".

ROUTE 4: To Hanley's Farm and Jack's Point
This bus will now depart from the public bus stop in front of the library on Hawthorn Drive (instead of Red Oaks Drive). Departure time remains 3.30pm.

Please note that these changes will not be noted on the ORC website/timetable until additional route changes are updated in November.

Sport and Active Recreation News

Ice Hockey

Congratulations to Aoife Orr, Lucy Boniface, Jessie Strain and Manuella Pedrosa who have been named in the New Zealand Under 18 Women's National Team! The team will compete in the IIHF Division 2, Group A tournament to be held in Riga, Latvia, from 20-26th January 2025.

Basketball

The Central Otago Junior Basketball competition wrapped up on Monday. Congratulations to our Junior A Girls who took out the Girls/Mixed Grade! The WHS 10A Boys and 9B Boys made the finals of the Boys A and B Grades respectively, but both went down to MAC over in Wānaka. It’s great to see our girls basketball numbers growing, with 2 girls teams entered this year. Thank you to all coaches, managers, referees and van drivers for their support this season. A special shout out to student coaches Griffin Parker, Sam Legge, and Toa Ashby for their mahi. Full results below.

• WHS Junior A Girls - 1st Girls/Mixed Grade
• WHS Jnr B Girls - 6th Girls/Mixed Grade
• WHS 10A Boys - 2nd Boys A Grade
• WHS 9A Boys - 4th Boys A Grade
• WHS 9B Boys - 2nd Boys B Grade
• WHS 10B Boys - 4th Boys B Grade

Equestrian

The Southland Pony Club Interschools ODE Equestrian Champs was held last weekend in Oreti. Congratulations to the Wakatipu High School team of Jess Downer, Heidi Green, Neve Cruikshank and Verity (Year 8) who placed 2nd! In their individual placings Jess finished 1st in the 65cm class, Verity 2nd in the 80cm class, Neve 5th in the 80cm class, and Heidi 6th in the 95cm class.  

Sophie Eade and Libby Smith competed in Christchurch at the South Island Secondary School Mounted Games and the Canterbury Mounted Games Pairs events. They finished 3rd in the Schools Competition and claimed the top spot in the CMGA Hi-Points Pairs U18 category.

Rugby 

The 2024 Wakatipu High School Rugby Prizegiving was held on Thursday night. It was a great way to wrap up the season, celebrate the achievements of our teams, acknowledge our representative and capped players, and importantly - thank the volunteers who gave up their time to make the season happen. These people were acknowledged on the night, but a massive thank you once again for the hours of work and dedication that goes into delivering quality and enjoyable rugby experiences for our students. A special shout out to the Arrowtown and Wakatipu Rugby Clubs who are long time supporters of WHS rugby, we are immensely grateful for their support behind the scenes.

Congratulations to the following students who received awards.

U14 Awards

• Most Improved - Max Blackbourn
• Greatest Contribution – Quinn Samways
• Player of the Year – Seth Richens
• Most Valuable Player – Tom Rannard
  

U15 Awards

• Most Improved - Brody Baker
• Greatest Contribution – Sam Legge
• Player of the Year – Charlie Kemp
• Most Valuable Player – Isaac Harvey

Senior XV Awards

• Most Improved - Deacon Dobb
• Greatest Contribution – Jake Wards
• Player of the Year – Sam Burnell 
• Most Valuable Player – Bede Dawson

2nd XV Awards

Winners of the Otaru Cup (Senior Grade)

• Most Improved - Franco Bjorck
• Greatest Contribution – Lachlan Malcolm
• Player of the Year – Cooper Deaker
• Most Valuable Player – Tama Kopa

1st XV Girls’ Awards

• Most Improved - Maggie McLachlan
• Greatest Contribution – Aoife Orr
• Player of the Year – Aily Joll
• Most Valuable Player – Kerys Duffy

1st XV Boys Awards

• Rookie of the Year  - Lucius Lockhart
• Greatest Contribution – Ben Hogan 
• Player of the Year – Keegan Green
• Most Valuable Player – Xavier Small

2024 1st XV Capped Players

• Keegan Green, Ben Hogan, Lennox Fa’amalepe, Toby Rorrison, Hugo Johnson
• Georgia Boulton, Kerys Duffy, Chloe Moffat, Mina Nakazawa

Opportunities to Get Involved

Croquet

Interested in trying a new sport? The Queenstown Croquet Club wants you (students and parents/caregivers!).

Croquet is a sport that rewards tactics, accuracy and precision. It can be played by people of all ages and abilities. Croquet is played on a 32 x 25.6 metre flat grass lawn, with six hoops and a peg set permanently into the ground. The game is played with four balls weighing approximately 450 grams each, and players attempt to strike these balls through the hoops in a sequence using a mallet. The sport can be played in singles and doubles, and uses a handicapping system to ensure that players of any ability can compete against one another.

New Zealand performs highly on the world stage in croquet, having won the Golf Croquet World Champs on a number of occasions. Golf croquet World rankings as at June 2024, has New Zealand is 3rd place behind, Egypt and England. The majority of players in the current NZ team are under 30 years old!

There are also opportunities to represent WHS, with the South Island Secondary Schools Croquet tournament (Doubles) to be held in Blenheim during the 2025 Winter Tournament Week (September).

For more information check out the Club’s website below.

www.queenstowncroquet.com

Cromwell Half Marathon, 10k and Teams Relay

The Cromwell Half-Marathon and 10k Run or Walk is on Saturday 12th October. The course takes you around the shores of beautiful Lake Dunstan, all the way to Pisa Moorings and back, with a backdrop of spectacular mountain views. This is a family-friendly, fun event that attracts runners of all levels. This event has a fantastic option for schools to enter teams of up to 9 students to run the half marathon as a relay. The course is out-and-back along the Lake Dunstan Cycle Trail between Alpha Street reserve to Pisa Moorings and return the same way. Team Registration is $10 per student - includes a subway or hotdog at the end. Please take a pic of the team registration form and or just email your team name and list of competitors to terry@terrydavisevents.co.nz . Any questions? Call Terry on 0212846844

https://www.cromwell.org.nz/event-details/cromwell-half-marathon-10k-teams-relay-2

NZSki Pass

The NZSki local school’s passes will be online from early next week in conjunction with their super early bird campaign. The primary and secondary school passes will be available online until June 10th, 2025.

Inline Hockey

The Queenstown Inline Hockey Club’s season starts up in Term 4 at the Events Centre. It’s a great way for kids to stay active and have fun during the summer months. Please see the flyer attached for more details.

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:  Jade Theron

Jade has been working hard on creating a steadfast character in the year 13 production of Radium Girls.  Jade has been the quiet achiever of the group and has gone above and beyond meeting the requirements of the play.

Years 11 and 13 Drama Performances

Drama students took part in their Live performance theatre assessments this week. Year 11 students performed Wheeler's Luck, written by N Collins, T Leach & D Andrews. Thank you to all the parents who attended these fantastic shows. Congratulations to the drama students.

The year 13s performed an incredible showing on Wednesday night of the play “Radium Girls” by D.W. Gregory for their class play assessment. Family and friends were very impressed by their acting skills and passion for this important story. Congratulations to all the students involved, for all their hard work and dedication to the show! 

Lip Sync Battle 

On the 11th & 12th of September the annual Lip Sync Battle was held in the WHS Theatre.

The 2024 winners were:

1st place - Treblemakers (won a Patagonia chocolate bundle)

2nd place. - The Spice Girls (won 2 Skyline Gondola + 3 Luge rides)

Crowd favourite - Treblemakers (won 2 x $30 Whitcoulls vouchers)

Best dressed - Mason + Jack (won 2 x Zip Rides)

Best duo - Alice + Alisha (won 1 Bungy + media + 2 Zip Rides)

Best crowd interaction - Ava + Charlotte (won a Odyssey Pass)

Musical Auditions for Mamma Mia!

Kia Ora all, Please see the link below for the 2025 Musical Auditions. The Musical is a major commitment for Term 1 and involves; Weekly Sunday rehearsals starting from the 2nd of February (possibly a full weekend workshop 1st & 2nd TBC). Break-time rehearsals throughout the first term. After school rehearsals four weeks leading up to the Musical.

Mamma Mia! performances will be April 2-5 2025. 

Express your interest in participating via this link:  https://forms.gle/MKaR1J6x1dRQFfN17

Dave Wilson Presentation

We were fortunate to have a Zoom session with Dave Wilson from Victoria University, Dave is a Senior Lecturer in Music and he gave us an overview of what is on offer in Music programs at Victoria together with information on their new degree in Contemporary Music.

At the Worlds Edge music festival is returning from Oct 5 - 18 which is during the holidays and into the first week of Term 4.

This is a classical music festival featuring some amazing musicians and there are a number of free events happening at Te Atamira. This year there is a focus on collaboration with folk music which should be great.  It's an amazing opportunity to have a listen to styles of music you may not be familiar with and i strongly recommend you take the opportunities available to go along and have a listen.  The event guide is attached and the free events are outlined below:

1) AWE Scholars Showcase, Sat 5 Oct, 6pm, Te Atamira (featuring last year’s Emerging artists Lorna and Madeleine, who were awarded ROSL Pettman Scholarships, and have just returned from performing trips to the UK and Europe. They will be performing with Morgan Pearse, a wonderful Baritone from Australia)

2) Folk Songs | Morgan Pearse, Mon 7 Oct, 6.30pm, Te Atamira (The same wonderful Baritone)

3) AWE Emerging Artist Showcase, Fri 11 Oct, 4.30pm, Te Atamira - featuring this year’s young artists that will also be touring schools the following week

4) Folk Songs | Deborah Wai Kapohe, Fri Oct 11, 5.30pm, Te Atamira - Deborah singing and playing assorted guitars throughout.

Deborah Wai Kapohe is also running a vocal masterclass on Oct 12 from 10-12 in the morning. She is an amazing opera singer 

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 

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 - Thursday Break 2
• Jazz Full Band - Wednesday 3.20 pm
  
• Senior Singing - Thursday 3.15pm
  

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

Upcoming for Term 4 -  Term 4 shaping up to be very busy start for the Performing Arts 

24 October - Cultural Blues Awards

25 October - Year 13 Prizegiving

29 October - Year 11&12 Prizegiving

3 November - Central Sound Waves

TBC - Jazz on the Green

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 Foundation

Community Notices

If you would like to submit a film to be screened on the night, please do not hesitate to send your entries to bodproductions1@gmail.com. Tickets can be found here

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Order Here - https://subscribe.entertainmentnz.com/fundraiser/260506v