WHS Newsletter | Issue 4.4 | 08 November 2024

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of Week 4.

While our senior students continued with their end of year exams, today we held the last of the National Accord Days, which are teacher-only days provided by the Ministry of Education to implement changes relating to the national curriculum and NCEA. It was a useful and informative day for our staff and we appreciate the community support as we look to embed these curriculum changes into our teaching, learning and pedagogy. 

The first week of senior end of year exams have gone well, apart from a few students not bringing their exam slip, which is a condition of entry. It is really important that students are supported and encouraged to study for these external exams from which students can achieve between 4 and 12 credits per subject, depending on the number of standards they’re entered for. If students think about how much time they’d put into a 4 credit internal assessment, that will give them an indication of how much study they should be doing for each 4 credit external assessment. Be sure to have a look at the exam schedule below and note the date/time for upcoming exams and please ensure your student brings their exam slip with them!

For our junior students, they did a good job with their exams last week, covering English, Mathematics, Science and Social Science. Results from the school-based exams will start to appear on the Portal in the coming weeks.

On Monday, our annual Senior Arts Portfolio exhibition was held in Pouākai. While I had lamented not seeing this at our wonderful Cultural Blues evening, it was great to have the day to see the students' work from Photography, Painting and Design. I also enjoyed seeing students, classes, teachers and parents coming through the exhibition throughout the day. A huge congratulations to all of the talented students whose work was on display and to the Visual Arts teachers for their effort and support of our students.

Last night, there was an opportunity for the primary and secondary teachers in the basin to come together to share their inquiries and learnings as part of the Kāhui Ako o Wakatipu (our Community of Learning). This year’s shared Achievement Challenges for all schools is to raise literacy achievement and to build capacity with respect to Mātauranga Māori. It is pleasing to see that we are starting to make progress with both of these important areas in the Basin.

Please note a couple of key upcoming dates:

Friday, 15 November, our Year 10’s have their annual Branches Work Day. The Branches Trust works very hard to support Branches Camp and to try and keep costs down for families and the work day is a really important fundraiser, but also ensures that the students are contributing and supporting this extraordinary opportunity. Jane Bamford has been leading the organisation and communications with this day, but the expectation is that all Year 10 students are working or volunteering on Friday in support of the camp, irrespective of whether or not they are attending.

Next week we will be welcoming our new entrant students and their families to WHS. This is always an exciting day for students and their families and I’m sure that the current Year 9 students will make the new entrant students feel welcomed. 

Be sure to read through this week’s newsletter which has more information about the Ākonga Passport award for junior students and some great Arts, Academics and Sports news, including WHS’ fantastic showing at the Southland Sports Awards, and Ruby Thornburgh's 3rd place finish in a National Spelling Bee.

Ngā mihi nui,

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

Key Dates

An Update from the WHS Foundation

Thank you from the Wakatipu High School Foundation

As we approach the end of the year, we would like to extend our heartfelt gratitude to all the individuals and businesses who have supported the Wakatipu High School Foundation. Thanks to your contributions, we’re on track to meet our goal of funding $450,000 in initiatives at WHS in 2025.

This achievement wouldn’t be possible without the generosity of our individual donors, business partners, event sponsors, attendees, and volunteers who have championed the Foundation throughout the year. We are deeply grateful for your commitment.

We would like to give special thanks to our individual donors, “Uncle” Jack McPherson, Mary & John Thompson, Sharyn & Grant Stalker, and Jay & Claire Robertson, for believing in our mission and investing in the future of Wakatipu youth.
Additionally, we acknowledge Colliers Otago for their ongoing support and for their remarkable contribution of $70,000 raised through their 45 South fundraising event. Their commitment, dating back to the Foundation’s inception in 2013, has played a significant role in advancing WHS initiatives.

Thank you all for helping us make a meaningful impact in our community.

An Unforgettable Adventure: A Message from Our Raffle Winner

We were delighted to receive the following from Sarah Harris who was the lucky winner of A Six-night Cruise of Fiordland National Park aboard the Fiordland Jewel kindly donated by Fiordland Discovery in last year’s Āwhina Fundraising Raffle. 

Last year, my husband and I were lucky enough to win this fabulous trip through the Wakatipu High School Foundation. It was 6 nights through Doubtful, Breaksea and Dusky Sounds including Chalky and Preservation Inlet with Fiordland Discovery. We just took the trip a few weeks ago.

To say it was spectacular is an understatement. This trip was beyond all our wildest dreams in every way. The Fiordland Jewel is luxury at its finest - only 18 guests onboard with 4 of the best customer service staff that I have ever come across. Jimmy (Captain), Cindy, Lucas, Jack and helper Nick were the nicest, most efficient, kindest, and exceptional staff throughout the entire trip. Their knowledge of the area is encyclopaedic and expressed with such passion and love that it is contagious.

We visited many locations where Captain Cook landed and the first settlers were based. It was surreal to stand where people had built lives in this unforgiving but oh so beautiful landscape, to know very few people get to come into this area and how untouched it is. Waking up every morning to these stunning vistas, we felt very spoilt.

The food from Chef Lucas never missed a beat, it was 5 star every meal. The best lamb I've ever had, the best beef tartare, the best crayfish (straight out of the water), the best fish (caught during the many fishing sessions), the best I've ever had of basically everything. Cindy, Jack and Nick were always there to get whatever you needed and make sure we were always having an amazing time. They went above and beyond when the waves got a bit choppy one day and let’s just say I don't have the greatest sea legs. It was only a few hours when making our way down the coast, at all other times it felt like we were on land, I was truly astonished at how stable to boat was.

Then to top it all off, we got picked up in a helicopter for the 30 min flight back to Te Anau. A perfect end to a perfect trip.

I have to say, if you have the chance to do this trip, DO IT! We have made some wonderful friends from fellow travellers and this trip will be our trip of a lifetime!!

Thank you so much to the Fiordland Discovery family, we will forever cherish this trip.

Year 11 to 13 - NCEA Exams

NCEA External Examinations are currently taking place through to November 29, the NZQA exam timetable can be found via the link below.

NCEA exam timetable: NZQA

Most students will be enrolled in, and expected to attend multiple external NCEA exams.  Students will have received a copy of their exam admission slip, which details each exam they are entered in and when these exams take place. At any time, students are able to log into their NZQA portal and view their exam admission slip to see exactly what exams they are doing and when. 

For a number of our students, performance in these examinations will determine whether or not they achieve a significant qualification. To that end, we strongly encourage students to use the resources below to prepare a comprehensive revision programme that covers the relevant course content for each subject.

NCEA Exam prep planner

NCEA help sheet info

Preparing for digital assessment as a student: NZQA

Study Like a Boss

Ākonga Passport

The Ākonga Passport is a system of positive acknowledgement for students in Years 9 and 10 that aligns with our Ākonga Profile. The Passport acknowledges students for behaviours that exemplify our School Values, successful Learning Engagement (LE) Reports, participation in extra and co-curricular activities, service to others, and for completing digital and careers modules. Students strive to gain points in each of these areas to achieve bronze, silver and gold levels of the Passport.​

With the end of the year around the corner, this is the last opportunity for our junior students to gather Ākonga Passport points and be awarded the next level in the passport. Students who participate in school run activities will be automatically entered in groups to recognise their participation. If students are participating in activities outside of school, then please remember there is the External Activity form that can be completed.

With Branches around the corner, the cut-off date for points will be Friday, 29 November.  Students who receive an Ākonga Passport Gold will be further recognised in the end of year Prize Givings where parents will be invited to attend.

Parent Series: Supporting Rangatahi with Neurodiversity

Our Parenting in the Basin series, 'Supporting Rangatahi with Neurodiversity’ will take place on Wednesday, November 20. This informative event features experts discussing neurodiversity, support services, and strategies for helping young people.

Junior Maths Study Sessions

ICAS 2024

Congratulations to the 20 students who sat ICAS (International Competitions and Assessments for Schools) examinations this year in English, Mathematics, Science, and Writing. A special mention to the following students for achieving Distinction Awards, which places them in the top 10% of participants in their year level:

• Leo Devlin (Year 10): Distinction in Science
• Isla McGlynn (Year 11): Distinction in Writing
• Ruby Thornburgh (Year 9): Distinction in English
• Brian Yang (Year 10): Distinction in Science
• Hector Tanner (Year 9): Distinction in English, Mathematics, and Science.

Mr Logan Rae 
Gifted Education Coordinator 

Success at National Spelling Bee

On Saturday, 2 November, Ruby Thornburgh (Year 9) competed at the Spelling Bee Aotearoa New Zealand national final in Wellington as one of 22 finalists. This is a spelling competition for Year 9 and 10 students, and simply making it to the final is an exceptional achievement. To qualify for the national final, Ruby first had to sit an in-school test last term and qualify for the Lower South Island regional semi-final. At the regional semi-final in Dunedin, Ruby was one of four students (from 55 participants) to then qualify for the final. The finalists were also treated to a tour of Parliament the day before the competition! 

Ruby did tremendously well on Saturday and finished the competition in third place. She correctly spelled a number of tricky words, such as 'stratum', 'hypotenuse', and 'tumult'. We are extremely proud of Ruby and how well she represented Wakatipu High School and the Lower South Island region. Ruby received a prize of $1000 for her achievement. Congratulations to the winner, Abby Du of St Cuthbert's College, and runner-up, Bodhi Danenhauer of Spotswood College. 

A huge thank you to Spelling Bee Aotearoa New Zealand for organising and funding this incredible opportunity for Ruby and other talented orthographers from all over the motu.

Mr Logan Rae
Gifted Education Coordinator

International Students Kiwi Experience

Our international students are wrapping up the year with a mix of fun and learning as a group. This week, they've been busy in the kitchen, mastering the art of making the great Kiwi delicacy cheese rolls, along with other treats. Next week, they'll trade in their aprons for backpacks as they head out on camping adventures to Glenorchy and Moke Lake. 

Repurposing for Creative Projects

We’re excited to announce a special donation to our school that will help bring more hands-on learning to our students’ hard technology projects. Naylor Love, a well-known construction company in Queenstown, has given us repurposed beech wood that was salvaged from the Speight's Ale House, a historic building that burned down 18 months ago.

This old beech wood, once part of a landmark in Queenstown, will be used by our students in their technology projects, where they’ll turn it into items like furniture and other creative pieces. It’s a great way for them to learn about craftsmanship, sustainability, and the importance of reusing materials.

We’re very thankful to Naylor Love for this generous donation and can’t wait to see what our students will make.

End of Year Senior Folio Art Exhibition

Thank you to all who came to our end of year Senior Folio Exhibition. It was a great chance to have the school community come together and view the outstanding work of our students. Each panel show a year’s worth of work and follows a theme that the artist has chosen. Congratulations to all students and teachers involved, and a big thanks to our dedicated Visual Arts department for putting on the spectacular display

Sport and Active Recreation News

Southland Sports Awards

The Southland Secondary School Sports Awards were held on Tuesday night at Ascot Park Hotel, Invercargill. It was a great evening to celebrate the incredible achievements of students in the Southland region, at a regional, national and international level. Wakatipu High School had 6 students and 3 teams as finalists for the Awards. A huge congratulations to Cooper Breen who was named Junior Boys Sportsperson of the Year. Congratulations also to the WHS Double Sculls pair of Seb Watson and Harry Lightfoot, and the Coxed Quad Sculls crew of Charlie Manser, Seb Watson, Max Davis, Harry Lightfoot and Mia Pagan (cox) who took out Team(s) of the Year. The success of our students was also highlighted in that all of our individual finalists were awarded Highly Commended in their respective Sportsperson of the Year categories. Well done all!

• Wakatipu High School Double Sculls & Coxed Quad Sculls Crews (Rowing) - Team(s) of The Year
• Cooper Breen - Junior Boys Sportsperson of the Year
• Lewis Laird - Junior Boys Sportsperson of the Year Highly Commended
• Noa Milburn - Junior Boys Sportsperson of the Year Highly Commended
• Siena Mackley - Senior Girls Sportsperson of the Year Highly Commended
• Mason Clarke - Senior Boys Sportsperson of the Year Highly Commended
• Dan Milburn - Senior Boys Sportsperson of the Year Highly Commended

Kī-o-rahi

Kia ora koutou. I had the pleasure of taking a fantastic group of kotiro toa, Junior female students over to Dunstan High School on Tuesday for a Central Otago Junior Ki-o-Rahi Tournament. This is the first time in many years that this has been held so we were proud to be a part of it. We were the only all-female team in an otherwise mixed competition and they represented themselves with pride. Although we didn't progress through to the finals due to some close losses in pool play, the students involved had fun, learned a whole lot about the game, and connected really well with their taha Māori.
Kei te tino poho kererū au kia koutou, very proud of you all!

Ryan Gilbertson - Deputy Principal l Kaihāpai Māori

Central Otago Junior Sports

Term 4 is busy for our junior teams. We have three mixed touch teams, three girls and 1 boys volleyball teams entered into their respective Central Otago competitions, with weekend cricket also starting up in collaboration with the Queenstown Cricket Club. It's fantastic to see so many of our students getting involved in summer sports and staying active in the sunshine. A big shoutout to all the players, coaches and parents drivers for their support transporting our teams across the region. 

Get Involved! Pickleball

The Queenstown Pickleball Club are running free after school sessions on Wednesday afternoons (3.30-5pm) in Pouākai. Students of all year levels and abilities are welcome to attend. For seniors this is a great opportunity for a study break - stretch your legs and have some fun with your mates!

Rowing Club Champions Evening with Emma Twigg and Lucy Spoors

To help with fundraising for the Whakatipu Rowing Club’s Clubhouse Redevelopment Project, Olympic Champion rowers Emma Twigg and Lucy Spoors will be joining us for a Champions Evening at Cargo Brew Hall on 14 November! Fresh from Paris, Lucy and Emma will share their inspiring journeys, tips for success and a few good stories that will resonate with anyone who values success, community, growing strong girls! You can buy tickets to this one of a kind opportunity via the link below.

https://www.sporty.co.nz/.../cha.../champions-evening-2024-1

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: Livia Spijkerbosch

Livia excels at drama and consistently demonstrates the Wakatipu Way. She strives for excellence, is always respectful, takes responsibility for her learning, is resilient in the face of challenge and always inclusive. She always commits 100% to drama and is a delight to watch on stage. She is certainly a rising star.

Central Soundwaves

Last Sunday night saw the annual Central Soundwaves event underway at Yonder. It was a great night with 13 acts from High Schools around the area. The standard was extremely high and the level of skills and musicianship showcased was most impressive. Huge thanks, as always, to Rockformation, the Whakatipu Youth Trust and Yonder for all the organisation, venue, and set up which enabled students to just turn up and play. It really is a great opportunity for our students.

Results from Central Soundwaves as follows:

New Years gig at Wanaka - 4BLU   /   New Years gig in Queenstown - Atomica   /   Recording gig - Atomica

All photos below  courtesy of Jack Smillie.

Student Set Design Crew Leader

The auditions for the 2025 Musical Mamma Mia! are well underway and we are seeing lots of great talent. Next step is the set design and we are now looking for one student that is interested to become Set Design Crew Leader and support Mr Hansen and the team in creating the set. If this is something you would like or if you want to know more please get in touch with Mr Hansen jhansen@wakatipu.school.nz. This role will commence this term. 

Opportunity for parents to help

The Mamma Mia! set design includes a fair bit of construction and resourcing materials. We are reaching out to our wonderful parent community to check if there might be anyone interested to either help with the building/construction of the set or to support in supplying the set materials. If you are interested or have ideas to this please contact Mr Hansen  jhansen@wakatipu.school.nz

YAMI

YAMI is a biannual youth music summit held in Wanaka on the 3rd & 4th of May 2025. It has a number of high profile musicians from the Music Industry leading a superb learning experience for young musicians.

It is strongly recommended that anyone interested in the Music Industry should try to get there. Applications are now open, there are limited spaces available. There are also some options for payments, with staggered payments or sponsorship, please get in touch with YAMI for more details on this.

Apply here:  https://wanakasounz.nz/yami/

You can also follow them on Facebook: facebook.com/yamisounz or IG: instagram.com/yamisounz

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 

29 November - Music Groups Primary Schools Visits

7 December - Jazz at Ayrburn

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.

Otago Polytechnic Trades Academy - Graduation

Seeking Second-Hand Laptops

As we welcome over 300 new students in 2025, we're committed to ensuring every child has the tools they need to succeed. Many families face financial challenges, and a reliable laptop can be a game-changer.

If you have a gently used laptop that meets these minimum requirements, please consider donating it:

• Battery Life: At least 4 hours
• RAM: 8GB or more (16GB preferred)
• Wi-Fi: Dual-band 802.11a/n/ac (5GHz)
• Operating System: Windows or macOS

Please note: Chromebooks are not suitable for our curriculum.

Your donation will empower a student to:

• Access online learning resources
• Complete assignments efficiently
• Explore their passions and interests

To donate, please drop off the laptop with its charger at our Reception or if you have queries about donating please contact our Business Manager, Andrea Wilton-Connell at awiltonc@wakatipu.school.nz

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

 

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