WHS Newsletter | Issue 1.03 | 14 February 2025

Principal's Message

Kia ora koutou and welcome to the end of Week 3, which was our first five-day school week for the year. 

Over the past two weeks, the Senior Leadership Team and I have had the pleasure of doing a number of walkarounds, witnessing settled and engaged classes and students with lots of high quality teaching and learning. Most students will have started to receive homework and many seniors will have begun their first internal assessments. Please be sure to stay engaged with your students learning - ask them what they are learning in each of their classes and you can even ask to see the Google Classroom for each of their subjects, as this is an area where lots of information is provided and from which both classwork and homework is assigned. Keep an eye on the weekly Learning Engagement Reports, as these regular reports will give an indication of how the past week has gone in each of your students' classes. Included in the email will be an Attendance summary and any new progress or achievement grades.

At WHS, our vision is to deliver Aotearoa New Zealand’s best all-round education, and on Monday, we held our Pounamu assembly to celebrate the academic achievements from 2024 by acknowledging all the senior students who achieved a Merit or Excellence endorsement in their NCEA. We were pleased to see more than 250 students walk across the stage as part of this significant event. Please see below for the full list of students who achieved so highly in their NCEA. 

On Tuesday, the 2024 NCEA Subject Scholarship awards were announced with 15 Scholarships being awarded to 15 students across 10 different subjects. Scholarship is the pinnacle of NCEA achievement and our congratulations goes to the students who achieved this significant award as well as to those teachers who support students to achieve such great heights (see below for more details).   

Students getting involved in the extra and co-curricular opportunities on offer is the other significant component of WHS great all-round education, and with our Arts and Sports Expos running this week, now is a great time for students to sign up. There were numerous activities showcased at the two expos, including opportunities provided by both WHS and external organisations. You can see the full list here, including how to sign up for an activity and/or get more information. Engagement with the extracurricular life of WHS is really important for students' wellbeing and has long-lasting benefits for students, so please encourage your student to get involved. 

Our House Competition has got off to a stellar start with many students out and about playing and/or supporting the House Touch competition. Congratulations to Duncan on taking the early lead in the House Competition (and well done to the Year 13’s who showed their class in a dominant victory over the staff). At the end of next week, we have our annual Participation Day, a really important day for school and house culture and one in which we expect all students to attend. 

Looking to next week, a few reminders:

• Next Tuesday is our NCEA Information Evening, which is a really important evening for parents of students in Year 11 and those new to NCEA (see below for more details).
• Next Thursday is our Gifted Information Evening (see below for more details)
• Participation Day is next Friday 21 February. Attendance is compulsory and students should be dressed in House Colours and to theme. Please note, however, that students who have not been regularly attending and/or regularly exhibiting the Wakatipu Way may not be given full opportunity to participate (and these students and parents will be separately notified). 
• Year 9 Greenstone Camp - It was great to see so many parents at our Year 9 Greenstone Parent Information Evening. See below for more details including camp dates for each house. A reminder that all medical and consent forms need to be submitted today. 

Lastly, we’ve noticed that only half of our new entrant Year 9 parents/caregivers have signed up to the WHS SZApp. The SZApp is how we’ll directly message parents/caregivers regarding any urgent or important school alerts and upcoming events. Please see below on how to download this App. 

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and gets out on their bike to support the Aotearoa Bike Challenge. 

Ngā mihi nui

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

2024 Scholarship Results

Congratulations to our 2024 NCEA Subject Scholarship recipients. Scholarship exams represent the pinnacle of NCEA achievement and recognises students who perform in the top 3% nationally in their subject. In 2024, WHS students earned an impressive 15 scholarships across 10 subjects.A special congratulations to Tayah Vivian, Kendrick Xu and Lena Ibe who achieved this outstanding result whilst in Year 12. Earning a Scholarship is a tremendous accomplishment, we're incredibly proud of our students' success and we commend all the students who sat these exams. A big thank you to everyone who supported them, especially their teachers who contributed to their success.

 Wishing all of our scholarship recipients the best of luck in their future endeavours.

Pounamu Assembly Awards

We held our Pounamu Assembly on Monday to celebrate the academic success of our students in 2024. We recognised the students who received NCEA endorsements at the Merit or Excellence level, as well as scholarships. Below is the list of students who received awards during the assembly, congratulations to all students who put in the effort and achieved their own level of personal excellence.

Updates From the Student Leaders

On Monday we had our annual Pounamu assembly where we celebrated the academic success of our seniors from the past year. The key achievements of overall level endorsements and individual course endorsements were acknowledged. A remarkable amount of work goes into getting these key qualifications which are so important in the future, especially for our year 13’s who will be considering their pathways after school this year. A big shout out to Manuella, one of our Head Students this year, who shared some inspiring words. She pointed out that “Success doesn't come from individual efforts, it comes from support, inspiration and encouragement that we give to each other.” Throughout the year, keep those wise words in mind and see what a difference support from others makes in your life. 

This week, we held our annual WHS Sports Expo, an exciting event that highlights the vast range of sporting and physical activities that are available to students. WHS is able to offer over 40 different sports to choose from which provides an incredible opportunity for students to stay active, develop new skills, and build lasting friendships through team sports. It was fantastic to see such a large turnout at this expo, with so many students eager to give it a go and get active in our community! 

Additionally, WHS also held our annual Arts Expo, which showcases all the creative talents within our school. This offers our students opportunities to explore their interests, whether it’s music, art, gaming, or even debating, there is always something for everybody! If you haven’t already done so, we encourage everybody to get involved in an extracurricular activity this year, either sports or arts, as it is very important in helping you feel connected and included in our community.

Last week, House Touch was in full swing, a great way to start the year of house competitions. It was fantastic to see so many students participating and representing their house groups with enthusiasm!

Here are the final results:

Junior Boys: 
1st – Duncan
2nd – Mackenzie
3rd – Fox
4th – Arthur
5th – Hay

Seniors: 
1st – Hay
2nd – Arthur
3rd – Duncan
4th – Fox
5th – Mackenzie

Year 9-13 Girls: 
1st – Duncan
2nd – Fox
3rd – Hay
4th – Mackenzie
5th – Arthur

A massive congratulations to all participants for their hard work and sportsmanship! Well done to the top finishers, and thank you to everyone who made this event a success. We look forward to seeing you all at the next house competition – let's keep up the great house spirit!

Grace Kunath, Katie Battrick and Zita Rylev
Student Leaders

Extracurricular Activities

The WHS Extracurricular Expos were held on Wednesday (Sports) and Friday (Arts) this week. It was great to see so many students exploring the stalls in Pouākai and the Theatre to see what activities are on offer at WHS or in the local community! 

Extracurricular activities form an integral part of WHS. Participation in EC’s helps students to build connection and a sense of whanaungatanga and belonging to WHS, which positively impacts their wellbeing. EC activities are also part of the Ākonga Passport for juniors.

We encourage whanau to have a kōrero (conversation) at home around what activities your child has signed up for. We expect all students to engage with at least one activity, whether it is something run by WHS or in connection with a local club/organisation. There are over 70 different activities across Arts, Sports, Culture, Academic and more - so there is something for everybody!

What happens next? The Arts Department, Sports Department, or Teachers in Charge will communicate out to those students who have signed up with more information on how to get involved. Different activities run at different times of the year, so keep an eye out on your emails for upcoming events and opportunities. For Sports, the key place to watch is the relevant Google Classrooms (the codes are listed on the flyer below, students can add themselves directly). Whereas for many other activities communication will be sent via email. 

If you were away or forgot to sign up for an activity, please check out the 2025 Extracurricular Flyer for more details on how to sign up or who to contact for each activity.

Parents / Caregivers - the Sports Department needs you!

WHS relies heavily on volunteer coaches, managers and drivers to assist with our sports teams. The number of students involved with sport at WHS grows each year, particularly in the junior space, so we need the help of our parent community to support our EC programme. In particular, we need help with volleyball, touch, basketball, netball, rugby and hockey teams this year. Please reach out to Sian, Director of Sport, at shorn@wakatipu.school.nz if you are able to support sport at WHS.

From the arts team, we would also welcome anyone with skills in specific areas of the arts to engage with our students. This could include anything from classroom based workshops/presentations to more regular activities running before or after school. If anyone would like to be involved please let Alison, Director of Arts know at aprice@wakatipu.school.nz

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.

NCEA Parents Evening

Tuesday, February 18

This information evening is specifically for parents who are new to the experience of NCEA. We will provide information on the recent NCEA changes, how NCEA works, and how parents can best support their students. This is an essential evening for parents and students in Year 11 but is open to any parent of a senior student. Wakatipu High School has its own internal assessment policies, some of which will also be covered at the session and it is really important that students and parents are familiar with these.

The event will be held in the Theatre at school and is expected to be run from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm.  Any presentations made on the night will also be shared via the following week's newsletter and will linked to the school's website.

Gifted Education - Information Evening

We are pleased to invite all parents to attend the Gifted Education Information Evening on Thursday 20 February at 7 pm in the Theatre. 

The purpose of the Information Evening is to highlight our strategies and policies regarding Gifted Education at WHS and answer any questions you may have about how we can extend, challenge, and guide your child.

If you are unable to attend the Information Evening, feel free to contact lrae@wakatipu.school.nz with any questions regarding Gifted Education at Wakatipu High School. All students are welcome to join the Curious Minds Hunga Māhirahira Google Classroom (class code: 4oq3bvh), which is where many enrichment opportunities at WHS and in the wider community are communicated.

Kā mihi nui,
Mr Logan Rae - Gifted Coordinator

Year 9 Greenstone Camp

The Greenstone Camp is fast approaching. It is a great way for Year 9 students to come together for three days and two nights of learning in their respective Houses.
Dates for each House are as follows:          

Camp 1: 4 to 6 March -  Arthur students            
Camp 2: 6 to 8 March -  Duncan students                                                        
Camp 3: 8 to 10 March - Fox students  
Camp 4: 10 to 12 March - Hay students        
Camp 5: 12 to 14 March -  MacKenzie students

The camps focus on fundamental campcraft skills, engaging in River Safety exercises such as river crossing, swimming, and kayaking, and embarking on a day hike (Lake Rere loop) while gaining an understanding for the school values of Respect, Responsibility, Resilience, and Inclusion.

A reminder to all caregivers to fill out the camp Medical and Consent Form before the end of day (February 14).  It was great to see so many parents at our information evening, if you weren't able to attend please see the slides below.

Keep up to date with all the latest updates on your student's Greenstone Google Classroom page!

Parents and caregivers can find more information about the camp at the link below.

Andrew Regan
Greenstone Camp Coordinator

SAT 2025/2026 Test Dates

WHS is one of the New Zealand testing centres for students taking the SATs, the standardized test for college admission in the United States.  If you wish to take the test please register online at https://www.collegeboard.org/ and the test will be delivered here at the school.

2025 SAT dates are as follows:
March 8
May 13
September 13
December 06

2026 SAT dates are as follows
March 14
May 02

If you need any further information, please contact Oded Nathan: onathan@wakatipu.school.nz

House Competition

The first event of the year in our House Competition has come to a close, with Duncan taking out the overall event, landing them top spot on the leaderboard. Ka pai tō mahi to the Hay Seniors for winning the senior event.

Next up is Participation Day, an action-packed day of school spirit and friendly competition.  This year's event will take place next Friday 21 February and is all about celebrating our school culture, with a special focus on kotahitanga (inclusion).

The day kicks off with an energetic House "march," a performance each House has been perfecting during Ako time in the lead up to the event. For the remainder of the day, students will participate in a variety of athletic events, earning points for their House. While outstanding performances will be recognised, the emphasis is on participation and fun for everyone, regardless of skill level. Our amazing Student Leaders have poured their hearts into organizing the day, promising exciting chants, House relays, and, of course, those highly anticipated marches.

What you need to know:

• Attendance: Participation Day is a regular school day, and all students are expected to attend.
• Dress-up themes: Show your House pride by dressing up according to the following themes:
  • Arthur House: Smurfs
  • Duncan House: Star Wars
  • Fox House: Christmas
  • Hay House: 80's Aerobics
  • Mackenzie House: Basketball
• Participation: The focus is on everyone joining in and having fun!

Students, get your outfits sorted, get involved and represent your house with pride for the big day and may the best house win!

Year 13 P.E - ‘Driving for Success’

The Year 13 Physical Education students (8PED) are currently undertaking a research and application programme whereby they investigate how Biomechanical, Motor Skill Learning and Sports Psychology Principles can be applied to a training programme that aims to improve the distance they can achieve with a Golf Drive. In golf stroke mechanics, a drive, also known as a tee shot, is a long-distance shot played from the tee box, intended to move the ball a great distance down the fairway towards the green. Knowledge learnt in class is being applied in the practical context at both The Frankton Golf Club and also at Wakatipu High School. The students are enjoying the challenge of mastering this very technical and difficult discrete skill. However, some students have already shown a high degree of dexterity at this early stage.

Thank you to Doug Matthews from Inspire Golf and Simon Boland (highly regarded Central Otago coach). We are fortunate to have Simon working as a Sports Coordinator here at Wakatipu High School. As a result of this programme, the Year 13 students will participate in a practical assessment towards the end of this term - a 9 Hole Tournament at The Frankton Golf Club.     

Keep your head down and your eye on the ball!  

Sport and Active Recreation News

Athletics

Congratulations to Siena Mackley who has been selected for the 2025 New Zealand Secondary School Athletics Team for their California, USA Tour! This 16-strong NZ team will tour California from the 9th - 22nd April.

Siena and James Weber have also been selected as members of the Athletics Southland Team to attend the Jennian Homes NZ Track & Field Champs from the 6th to the 9th of March in Dunedin.

Gymnastics

Safe travels and best of luck to Rosa Dawson, who is heading to the United States of America this weekend to represent New Zealand at the WOGA Classic in Texas from the 21st - 23rd of February!

Touch Nationals

A number of WHS students represented Southland at the 2025 Bunnings Youth National Touch Championships held in Auckland from Friday 7th - Sunday 9th February. Congratulations to the U16 Mixed team who finished top 4 in their grade.

• Southland U16 Mixed - 4th place: Finn Wallis, Deacon Bolt, Matt Murray, Logan Harrison, Sheana Solomon, Daisy Rule, and Kelly Tulafono
• Southland U18 Mixed - 10th place: Cooper Deaker
• Southland U16 Girls - 12th place: Nina Matulino, Tahlia Wheeler, Bailey Tiananga

Volleyball 

The Senior A and B Girls and Senior A Boys Volleyball teams headed to Invercargill on Sunday 9th February for the Volley South Regional Seeding Event. This event determined the teams seeding positions for the upcoming Mainland Volleyball Champs in Christchurch. It was a successful day for our Senior A Girls team who took out the top Southland spot with their wins over Southland Girls' High School A and Central Southland College A.

House Touch

The first WHS House competition has been underway the last couple of weeks with our Senior, Junior Boys and Girls touch teams battling it out on the school fields during break times. With a 1-1 draw at full time, Duncan took out the Junior comp over Mackenzie as they finished top of the table in the round robin. Hay had a convincing win in the Senior comp with a 4-0 victory over Arthur, and Duncan came away victorious in the girls comp with a 2-1 win over Fox. It’s awesome seeing everyone getting into the house spirit! Final placings are below. 

In the Staff v Students match up on Thursday the students came out firing to take the win 5-1 with some quick moves. However, some may argue the old 'last try wins' ruling was in effect which would give the W to staff. You can chose your side!

Juniors:

• 1st - Duncan
• 2nd - Mackenzie
• 3rd - Fox
• 4th - Arthur
• 5th - Hay

Seniors:

• 1st - Hay
• 2nd - Arthur
• 3rd - Duncan
• 4th - Fox
• 5th - Mackenzie

Girls:

• 1st - Duncan
• 2nd - Fox
• 3rd - Hay
• 4th - Mackenzie
• 5th - Arthur

Coaches/Managers

We are on the lookout for coaches and managers for the upcoming basketball season. If you are interested please email onathan@wakatipu.school.nz.

Opportunities to Get Involved

• Triathlon

The South Island Secondary School Triathlon & Duathlon Champs will be held in Oamaru on Sunday 2nd March. Please email Bel at bstrano@wakatipu.school.nz if you are keen to compete.

• Golf

The Otago Intercollegiate Golf Champs are coming up on Monday 3rd March at the Cromwell Golf Course. This competition has both team and individual components, and is open to golfers with an official handicap. Please email Simon at sboland@wakatipu.school.nz if you are keen to compete.

• Mountain Biking Events

Entries are open for the Otago Southland Downhill Champs, held at Cardrona on Saturday 22nd Feb. This event is open to riders confident on strong blue to black trails. Please email Bel at bstrano@wakatipu.school.nz for more information and the link to register.

The South Island School MTB champs will be held at the Mt Hutt Bike Park in Methven from the 26th March till the 29th of March. There are strict dates and entry processes for this event, particularly for downhill. Please email Bel at bstrano@wakatipu.school.nz for more details.

• Waterskiing

The Otago-Southland Secondary School Water Ski champs will be held at the Bannockburn Inlet (across Lake Dunstan from Cromwell) on Sunday 23rd February 2025. This event is open to  year 9 - 13  students. To register please click here . Please email Simon at sboland@wakatipu.school.nz to confirm your entry.

• Basketball - Senior 3x3

Basketball Otago are hosting a one-day Senior 3x3 Basketball Festival in Dunedin on Saturday 1st of March. This is a great opportunity for players to get back into basketball.  Students will need to make their own way to and from Dunedin for the event. For more details and to register a team please email Bel at bstrano@wakatipu.school.nz

• Surfing

The Southland Secondary School Surfing Championships are coming up on Saturday 8th March at Colac Bay. If you would like to complete please complete the entry and permission form below. Entries close 12pm Friday 28th February 2025. Surfing Entry Form

• Tennis

The Southland Tennis Champs are in Invercargill on Wednesday 26th February. The tournament has a doubles format for the boys (pairs) & singles for the girls. If you are interested in entering please email Simon at sboland@wakatipu.school.nz.

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

Scholarships Results

Congratulations to all our Art students who received Scholarships this week:

This week we celebrate the first of the Arts scholarship recipients Samuel Muir who received a Photography scholarship in 2024.

He studied his Grandfather who was an All Black and it followed his life after his career as a rugby player. Samuel's panel creates thought-provoking works on where life takes us and the journeys we travel.

We congratulate Samuel on his efforts to produce this lovely photography documentation and wish him well for 2025 and beyond.

Musical Crew Sign Ups

Opportunities are now available for the Crew for the Mamma Mia! musical.  If you are interested you can sign up via this link: https://tinyurl.com/y67jadvx

Mamma Mia! Musical -  Tickets on sale soon 

Get ready to dance, jive, and have the time of your life because tickets for Wakatipu High School's very own Mamma Mia! Musical are on sale very soon. Last year's shows sold out weeks in advance, so don't miss your chance to experience the magic and be ready to grab your tickets as soon as they're released. We'll announce when the tickets are live in our Newsletter and on our WHSartdepartment  Instagram, so stay tuned.

Musical Updates: Rehearsals are progressing well with Band, Dancers and Main Leads all working hard on Sundays. There is still opportunity for involvement with the Crew for anyone who wants to join in the fun.

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

Y9 Band Hub

Y9 Band Hub starts on Tuesdays after school running from 3.30 - 4.30.

It takes place in the Music area and students will be working with ex-student David Bell.

There is still room for others to join so if any Y9 students are still keen to join please contact me at aprice@wakatipu.school.nz.

Itinerant lessons

Itinerant lessons are now up and running and all students have been emailed their days/times. Lessons are 30 mins long and students are to be back in their normal classes outside of these lessons. There continues to be a large demand for these lesson so the expectation is that students will be present and let the tutor or a music teacher know if they cannot be there.

Any queries to Alison Price at aprice@wakatipu.school.nz

Knitting & Crochet Club

If anyone has some wool lying around that they don't need anymore, we would love to have it for the new knitting/crochet group that's starting this term.

Wool donations can be dropped off at the office and would be gratefully received.  Thank you.

YAMI

The bi-annual YAMI summit is on again this year on May 3 /4. The Early Bird enrollments have sold out but there are still tickets for this event. Another great opportunity for musicians to work alongside artists working in the industry and engage with other young musicians across the area. The link is below:

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

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

Twilight Opera in the Park

We were extremely lucky to have the opportunity to sit in on the rehearsal for Opera in the Park. Seven students joined us and it was an amazing experience to see the singers practising for the vent the following day.

Huge thanks to Paul Rea and ACAS for their support in enabling this to happen and also to Turn Up the Music for their continued support of youth in the community.

https://youtu.be/0tThhFL4s-U

Photography Opportunity

We are reaching out to offer an exciting photography opportunity for talented students at Wakatipu High School who are eager to gain hands-on experience. We are looking for enthusiastic students to capture our stall and showcase of our work at the event 28th Feb- 2nd March)

Dates and tentative times required - could pop in and get a few shots over 2 hours , very flexible.

• Friday, 28th February: 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM
• Saturday, 1st March: 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM

In return, students will receive:

• A reference letter
• A certificate of participation
• A gift voucher in appreciation of their hard work
• Two free event passes for each day fo the home show event at the events center
• Complimentary refreshments during their time at the event

This opportunity will provide students with valuable real-world experience, allowing them to build their confidence, enhance their practical photography skill set, and enrich their portfolios with professional event photography. Students will also have permission to use the captured photos for their personal portfolios. Must be competent and have own camera- or you could borrow one from the school for the day required.

Questions please email Mrs Brown  ASAP on: abrown@wakatipu.school.nz

Billie Carey

For Shortland Street fans, the 2024 Christmas cliffhanger episode featured a song by former Wakatipu High student Billie Carey, who left the school at the end of 2023.  Billie has a strong connection with the national Play It Strange Songwriting trust, having featured on numerous albums and winning their national lyric writing competition in 2022.  Shortland Street has partnered with Play It Strange for this musical collaboration. Billies's song “Best of Me” was the first song featured in the collaboration which you can hear in the link below:

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1APRjpHt3R/

Gigs on the Green

Thanks for Rock Formation for their ongoing support with the gigs on the green that got underway last Friday in Queenstown. These continue for two more weeks on Feb 14 and Feb 21 and feature a number of current and ex WHS students along with other young musicians from around the area. 

Extracurricular groups - These will be starting in the next few weeks - all updates will be posted on the Performing Arts Classroom Group.  

• Junior Jazz / Jazz Full Band / Jazz Combo  
• Guitar 
• Digital Music Production
• Chamber Music Group
• Junior / Senior Singing
• Social Art Club
• Year 9 Band Hub
• Knitting & Crochet Club

Check each of the  Classroom Groups for more details and updates

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 1

14/21 February - Gigs on the Green - Friday afternoons on the Village Green in Queenstown.

14 February - Extra Curricular Arts Expo

18 February - Year 9 Band Hub

2-5 April - Mamma Mia!  WHS Musical for 2025

3-4 May - YAMI

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.

Careers Newsletter

Check out our Careers Newsletter, sent out fortnightly to senior students! Here’s the latest edition—don’t miss out on valuable opportunities and updates.

Careers - Tertiary Liaison Visits

Each year during Term 1, university and polytechnic liaison officers visit our school to introduce Year 13 students to the opportunities available at tertiary institutions.

If you are considering your study options after high school, these sessions are a must-attend! They are a great way to explore your options, ask questions about courses, campuses, career pathways and get helpful advice straight from the experts.

Click the link below for session details and to register.

Tertiary Liaison Visits:

Friday 28 February - Otago Polytechnic https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/16
Monday 3 March - University of Auckland  https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/392
Wednesday 5 March - Lincoln University   https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/49
Friday 7 March - University of Otago https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/18
Monday 10 March - Victoria University of Wellington https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/20
Friday 14 March - University of Canterbury  https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/19
Monday 17 March - Massey University   https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/110
Monday 17 March - NZ Defence Force https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/444
Wednesday 19 March - University of Waikato  https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/438
Monday 31 March - AUT https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/100
Thursday 3 April - SIT https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/916

Dunedin Tertiary Open Days

Thinking about studying at the University of Otago or Otago Polytechnic? Year 13 students are invited to join us for the Dunedin Tertiary Open Days on Sunday 4 May and Monday 5 May.

Come along to this two-day event and explore the campuses, learn more about the subjects you're interested in, and see first-hand the fantastic range of study options on offer. 

Numbers are limited. For more information or to book your place on this trip, click here 

UC Tertiary Trip

Here's your chance to explore what the University of Canterbury, Lincoln University, and Ara have to offer!

Join us for our tertiary trip to Christchurch on Thursday 22 and Friday 23 May. This is a fantastic opportunity for Year 13 students to explore their study options. You will gain valuable insights into courses, accommodation and student communities.

Spaces are limited! For more information or to secure your spot, click here.

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

February Campaign - Multi City Upgrade PLUS go in the draw for a chance to win 1 of 3 prizes

When you purchase any Single City Membership between from 8:00pm NZDT, Thursday 6 February 2025 to 13:59pm NZDT, Monday 31 March 2025 your Single City Membership will be upgraded to a Multi City Membership at no additional cost.

You will also automatically go in the draw for a chance to win 1 of 3 prizes Prize vouchers will include Club Med Bali 5-night stay plus a $1,000 Virgin Flight Credit (see below for additional detail and T&C’s), $200 Entice Dining Voucher every month for 12-months, $1,000 David Jones Gift Card.

Support us today: https://subscribe.entertainmentnz.com/fundraiser/260506v