WHS Newsletter | Issue 4.8 | 06 December 2024

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to another stellar week at WHS. Branches Camp 1 came out on Monday afternoon and Camp 2 went in on Tuesday morning. I had the opportunity to go in to camp over the weekend and it was great to see the students engaging in all the activities, learning new skills, making new friends and generally having a great time. Camp 2 has been going very well too, despite the somewhat more inclement weather. Unfortunately with lots of wind and rain forecast for Sunday we are needing to finish the camp early with pickup at 6 pm on Saturday 7 December (year 10 parents/caregivers of Camp 2 students have been emailed more details).

A huge thanks to everyone who has been able to pay the $395 camp fee, which is but a portion of the actual cost per student to run Branches Camp. A reminder has been sent to all parents of Year 10 students who have not yet paid and if you have paid, but wish to pay for another student(s) who is unable to, you can click on this form here. 

Yesterday, as part of our Branches in-school programme, our Camp 1 students went up Coronet Peak to ensure the mountain is litter free, demonstrating the active citizenship and environmental awareness that are key components of our Ākonga Profile. A huge thanks to NZ Ski for their support of this programme.

The Ākonga Passport award acknowledges and awards our junior students who exemplify our school’s vision of a great all-round education and fulfill all aspects of the Ākonga Profile. Congratulations to our latest recipients of the Ākonga Passport Gold, Silver and Bronze recipients - see below for the full list. 

Preparation for the 2025 school year is well underway, and that includes the naming of the cast for the 2025 Musical - Mamma Mia! Filled with ABBA's iconic hits, dazzling dance numbers, and heartwarming themes of family, love, and self-discovery, "Mamma Mia!" celebrates the power of nostalgia and the joy of finding one's place in the world. We have extraordinarily talented students, and I’m sure the 2025 Musical will be another great show. A huge congratulations to all the students who were successfully cast (see details below).  

Lots of important dates ahead, including key dates for the start of year 2025, so be sure to note them on your calendar. We look forward to seeing many of you at one of our Junior Prizegivings and/or the Year 13 Graduation on Tuesday night. 

On Thursday of next week, our junior reports will be available on the Portal and on Friday, we’ll send out the final newsletter for 2024 which will include our Junior Prizewinners, Branches Video and School Magazine, so don’t miss it. 

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend.

Ngā mihi nui,

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

Key Dates

Ākonga Passport Awards

We would like to acknowledge the outstanding effort and achievements of our junior students throughout this year. Our Year 9 and 10 students have worked incredibly hard in all areas of their learning. These students should take great pride in completing the year, demonstrating a strong commitment to their education and development.

Students who receive their Ākonga Passport Bronze badges are awarded for reaching the threshold of 15 points. Points can be earned in various ways, including exemplifying school values, engaging in learning as shown on Learning Engagement Reports, participating in Extra and Cocurricular activities, demonstrating service to the school or community and taking part in school-wide activities.

To receive a Silver award, students must accumulate 30 points, while a Gold award, which signifies exceptional effort, is earned after reaching 50 points.

As we did in Semester One, we will recognise Year 9 and 10 students for their all-round learning and achievements through the Ākonga Passport. Students who have achieved their Ākonga Gold Award in Semester Two will be recognised next week at our Junior Prizegiving ceremonies next week.

We would also like to acknowledge all the students who have earned their Ākonga Bronze and Silver Awards in Semester Two. Each of these students has worked incredibly hard and will receive a certificate and badge in recognition of their all-round effort.

Whakamihi, congratulations to all the award recipients!

Branches Camp 2

Branches Group Two has been experiencing some seriously remote and rugged terrain this week, creating an unforgettable experience! Thank you to our WHS community and the Branches Trust for making this incredible experience possible for our students.

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Branches In School Programme

This year's Year 10 Branches In-School Programme has focused on giving service back to the community in which we live.  During the 4-day programme, students have participated in a range of activities including wellbeing and resilience workshops, paracord bracelet making, group technology challenges, and Christmas truffle and cookie decorating. These will be donated to 'Baskets of Blessings'.

One day was spent giving environmental service to Remarkables and Coronet Peak ski fields planting tussocks and collecting rubbish. Within these activities, students have gained practical knowledge and skills associated with the 5-ways to well-being,  effective communication and cooperation, and reflected on what they've learnt during their time in the junior school. 

A special thanks to Kerrie and the team from Queenstown Pickleball Club for coming in and extending our knowledge on this popular sport.

None of this is possible without student involvement and support for many dedicated WHS staff who go above and beyond. A huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to this year's programme.

Wakatipu High School Musical Cast for 2025

We are thrilled to announce the cast of the WHS Musical for 2025, Mamma Mia! Make sure to save the date: April 2 - 5, 2024.

BDO Accounting Scholarship

Celebrating Murphy Sutton - BDO Queenstown's Scholarship Winner

We are delighted to announce that BDO Queenstown has awarded its second annual BDO Accounting Scholarship to Year 13 student Murphy Sutton. Murphy will receive $2,500 annually for three years to help cover living expenses and course fees while studying at the University of Otago in Dunedin.

The scholarship not only provides financial support but also offers paid summer internships and a pathway to potential full-time employment. Murphy, who will begin a Bachelor of Commerce with a major in Accounting next year, is set to start his internship this summer.

Murphy expressed gratitude for this opportunity, calling it invaluable support for students and the community. This program reflects BDO Queenstown’s dedication to developing the next generation of accounting professionals.

Alternative Education Kiwi Bird Park Trip

A big thank you to Kiwi Bird Park for hosting our students earlier this week. This was an opportunity to bring learning to life, especially as we have been studying the Pouākai—exploring what made it so large and why it went extinct, as well as understanding why many of our native birds are flightless. The students particularly enjoyed learning about Kiwis during the Kiwi talk and their enclosure and finding out about native birds and conservation at the Conservation Show. Thank you once again for providing us with such a wonderful experience!

Sport and Active Recreation News

Adventure Racing

WHS entered 3 teams into the Southland Junior Adventure Race held last Wednesday at Oreti Sands, Invercargill. There were an incredible 800 students involved with the competition (from year 7-10) which was held over 2 days to cater for the large numbers. In the year 9/10 category there were 70 teams from across the Southland region who navigated, biked and kayaked their way to the finish line. Congratulations to the WHS Navy team of Flynn Cutler, Leon Coudret, Quinn O’Donnell and Connor Rowe who came in the top 10 with their 8th place finish. WHS White were close behind in 12th, with WHS Gold placing 20th. A huge thank you to the Southland Triathlon and Multisport Club for another great event, and also to Jo Canon, Emily Forne and Richard Coudret for managing the teams on the day!

Cricket

Girls Smash-5  

The Central Otago Year 9 & 10 Girls Smash-5 cricket tournament was held in Cromwell last Friday. It was a beautiful and sunny day for the WHS girls team who played 3 games - going away with 2 losses against Mt Aspiring College teams and 1 win against a Dunstan High School team. A great day out!

1st XI Boys Taieri Exchange

The annual Wakatipu High School v Taieri College 1st XI Exchange was held on Sunday and Monday. The Boys 1st XI edged out Taieri in the two day match, etching their name on the trophy for the first time since the exchange began in 2022. Hugo Bogue and Oscar Pullar did the damage with the bat, along with Oscar taking 8 wickets during the match. It was a great team effort and a fitting way to send off several year 13 students on a winning note. A huge thank you to Ben Gallie and Craig Mawdsley for their game day support. 

Girls 1st XI v Blue Mountain College: Captain’s Report

On Monday 2nd of December the Waka Girls First XI played Blue Mountain College in a T20 match at Queenstown Events Centre. The game began with a toss between the two captains, Stella Rhind and Ruby McPherson, with BMC winning the toss and choosing to have a bowl.

Wakatipu put up a score of 90/4 from their 20 overs with some stand out performances from Kara Trounce with 31 off 34 balls, and Audrey Austin with 20 off 39 balls. All of the Wakatipu batters managed to score a couple of runs each (including a 7* not out off 7 balls from Evie Clark who was one of the Year 8's that came to play for Waka) and played out their 20 overs. Blue Mountain bowled and fielded well and obtained four wickets from their innings, with a good run out and a catch in the field. 

In the second innings, the Waka girls put on a show of wickets and fantastic fielding with 6 players taking wickets off their bowling. The top bowling stats came from Penny Little with 1/1 from 1 over who was another one of the Year 8's invited to play, Eva Hemingway with 1/5 from 2 overs, and Audrey Austin with 1/2 from 1 over. Kara Trounce, Stella Rhind and Evie Clark also managed to grab a wicket each as well off their overs which helped restrict BMC to 6/58 from their 20 overs. Everybody in the Wakatipu team had a chance to bowl and everyone ended up having great stats.

It was a pleasure to host the Blue Mountain College girls and it's so inspirational to see the next generation of female cricketers headed in a positive direction and I know this won't be the last exchange between the two schools. Huge thank you to Sian Horn, Greg Trounce, Jason Rhind, Debbie Hutton and BMC's coach Kate (who was also an excellent fielder), for putting this game together and giving the girls an opportunity to play and connect with other female players.

We also had five Year 8 girls join the team and play for us, so I'd like to say a massive thank you to Pippa Julian, Evie Clark, Rose Gallie, Penny Little and Milla Walker, you all played phenomenally and I know you'll all make a fantastic contribution to the Wakatipu Girls First XI when you come to high school next year. 

This game against Blue Mountain College was the final Wakatipu game for Year 13's, Stella Rhind and Eva Hemingway, who both performed well in both batting and bowling, managing to get a couple of runs each and a wicket each during their bowling spells. Both of these girls have made huge contributions to the Girls Cricket at WHS over their five years, and have played in both mixed gender and female teams throughout their high school years. Playing as captain for the first and last time, Stella, along with the huge help of Eva helped to lead the girls to a win, both have been senior players in the team for a couple of years and have used this to their advantage to help guide girls cricket in the right direction. 

Unfortunately, the other Year 13's who usually play in this team were unavailable due to commitments with the Otago U19s national tournament in Christchurch this week. Sorcha Wilkinson and Abby Fookes are both representing Otago at this tournament but have also put huge amounts of effort into this team and have helped to lead the girls to victory multiple times. 

Congratulations and best of luck next year to the Year 13 girls, Stella, Sorcha, Eva and Abby! And huge thank you again to the rest of the WHS Girls First XI for putting in your best effort on Monday and good luck for next year, hopefully some of us will see you at the Gillette Venus Cup in March down in Dunedin!

- Stella Rhind 

Touch

The Mixed A Touch Team are currently in Rotorua for the New Zealand Secondary School Touch Champs. We would like to sincerely thank the following sponsors for their generous support of our students!

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

Artists of the Week - Junior art 5ART1
This semester in 5ART 1 students decorated their own cupcakes and then painted them realistically using the influence of our  artist model Joel Penkman. The objective was to make them as realistic as possible. Some stunning work by our Year 9 and 10 students.

Music Primary Schools Visit

The WHS Jazz Combo had the second of their schools visits with a day out to Shotover, QPS and Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau. It was an excellent opportunity to connect with younger students in the basin and the students did a wonderful job of performing music and promoting the arts at WHS.Thanks to the following students for coming back into school to make this happen:

Bethany Argyle                                      Haru Kuroe                                                  Louis Bucnanan

Joel Winter                                               Hugh Hodgson                                           Venic Alzaga

These students have one last opportunity to perform this year with a gig at Ayrburn this coming Sunday from 2.30 - 3.30. Everyone is welcomento come and enjoy the music.

Jazz Combo performing at the WHS Foundation fundraiser at Ayrburn

Last week the WHSF along with Cook Brothers and Ayrburn held a long-lunch at Ayrburn’s newest restaurant, ‘The Bake House’. We were the first ones to see and use this majestic facility and greatly appreciate all those that came out to support the WHS Foundation and WHS. The food was amazing, as was the venue, the hospitality and the company, not to mention WHS Jazz Combo!

Our wonderful music teachers Tim Shawcross, Chris Mason-Battley and Alistair Monteath were busy recently in the recording studio.  Great team work!

Looking for Student Leader Set Designer Superstar!

We are looking for one Senior 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

Wakatipu High School Musical Production - Opportunities to support 

Wakatipu High School has a long standing tradition of putting on incredible musical productions involving more than 100 students and welcoming around 1400 guests during show nights. 

We are excited to put on Mamma Mia! in 2025. The Musical will run 2 - 5 April 2025 and tickets will go on sale next year. 

The musical production is the highlight of the year for many of our students and it provides considerable leadership opportunities as they assume responsibility for the various crews. 

Musicals are, however, a significant undertaking and we appreciate support from the wider community to ensure they happen at the level we aspire to. One way for this to occur is through sponsorship or advertising in the musical programme. We hope that you would like to take this opportunity and support the Wakatipu High School Musical. 

Sponsorship options- All sponsorships receive 

• complimentary tickets for the Thursday Show on April 3 2025 
• Your name and logo in the Musical Programme and Foyer Screen.

Platinum Sponsors - donation of $3000+                                              Gold Sponsors - donation of $1000 

Includes 10 complimentary tickets                                                         Includes 6 complimentary tickets 

Silver Sponsors - donation of $500                                                           Bronze Sponsors -  donations of $250 

Includes 4 complimentary tickets                                                           Includes 2 complimentary tickets

Advertising Options - All advertising options include 

• complimentary tickets  for the Thursday Show on April 3 2025 
• a colour advertisement in the programme
• an advertisement on Wakatipu High School Foyer screen displayed all 4 show nights

Full-page (A4 portrait 297mm X 210mm)  -$800+GST includes 4 complimentary tickets to Thursday April 3 2025

Half-page (A5 landscape 148mm x 210mm) - $400+GST includes 2 complimentary tickets to Thursday April 3 2025

Quarter-page (A6 portrait 148mm x 105mm)  -$200+GST includes 1 complimentary ticket to Thursday April 3 2025

**Please provide advertisements in high-resolution (200 dpi) JPEG or PDF files with a 5mm border around it.

If you are interested or have any questions please send an email to scooper@wakatipu.school.

Warm regards,

Stine Cooper 

Arts Coordinator, Wakatipu High School 

YAMI

With a reputation for luring some of Aotearoa's finest musical talent along with industry heavyweights, YAMI (Youth + Adults in the Music Industry) is preparing to celebrate 10 years of delivering the high-aiming Wanaka summit.  Held at the start of NZ Music Month (May 3 + 4) past summits have featured (among others) such luminaries as Troy Kingi, Anika Moa, Ladi6, Barnaby Weir, Tiki Taane, Moana Maniapoto, Jon Toogood, Julia Deans, Anna Coddington, Dave Dobbyn, Kings, Bella Kalolo, plus members of The Beths, L.A.B., Fat Freddy's Drop, Fly My Pretties, The Phoenix Foundation and Shapeshifter.

Next year's line up will be announced in February and organisers say a wide diversity of talents will be represented at the May summit.  All Earlybird tickets have already sold out but standard places for Junior (ages 10 to 13 years), Youth (ages 14 to 18 years) and Adult (ages 19 to 110 years) are still available.

Participants learn to navigate the music industry with workshop and seminar topics covering performance, DJing, Songwriting, Beatmaking, Royalties and Distribution, Marketing and Management.  The bi-ennial summit was the first to welcome rangatahi and adults, with the minimum age to attend being 10 years old.  With most of the crew being volunteers, director Lynne Christie acknowledges the support from the music industry is vital. "The tutors and speakers are incredibly generous with their time and knowledge," she affirms. "They are able to tap into focussed hacks that guide talented creatives to the next level."  Yami Ambassador Barnaby Weir says he's very proud to support this summit since its beginnings in 2014. "It's not always easy being a creative. This summit shows the participants that there is a network, there is support and that each individual has a unique and powerful story to tell."

Registrations for the non-profit summit are available at Ticketfairy.  Please email us at info@yami.nz for more information including group booking discounts and Professional Development options.

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

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.

Upcoming for Term 4 

7 December - Jazz Combo at Ayrburn

10 December - Yr 9 Prizegiving

11 December - Yr 10 Prizegiving

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 scooper@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 scooper@wakatipu.school.nz

Instagram Page
Follow our school’s Instagram page for recent successes or news within the school’s Arts Department at whsartdepartment.

Careerwise Connections - Support our Students

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

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