WHS Newsletter | Issue 1.08 | 21 March 2025

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of Week 8, in what is an 11-week term. A relatively short item from my this week as we held a basin-wide teacher only day at WHS today. It was wonderful to have all the primary and secondary school teachers working together in the afternoon with Dr Melanie Riwai-Couch to discuss teaching and learning in the basin. 

Also today, the first of our 11 teams set out for the summer tournament week. We have more than 150 student-athletes competing across the country in Touch, Rowing, Waka Ama, Cricket, Volleyball, Swimming, Triathlon, Basketball, and Mountain Biking. We wish them all the best and need to take a moment to thank the coaches, managers, teachers and volunteers who support these athletes to compete at these pinnacle events. 

The School Musical, Mamma Mia! Is also tuning into high gear with opening night less than 2 weeks away on Wednesday 2 April. A reminder that we are running 5 shows this year, including a Saturday matinee but three nights are already sold out and there are only a handful of tickets left, so be sure to get in quick. 

A reminder that it is Otago Anniversary Day on Monday (no school) and that we are running our Junior Next Steps on Tuesday the 25th from 2:30 - 7:30 pm. This is a very important opportunity for our junior students and parents to meet with their Kaiārahi to discuss how the year has started and to provide next steps for learning, progress and achievement. Bookings are almost full and will close on Monday  24th at 5 pm. A reminder that school finishes for all students at 1:50 pm on Tuesday, March 25, with buses running at this time. 

Lots of great reading in this week’s newsletter as well as in the Mountain Scene which featured our amazing rowers and many current and ex-students competing in the pipe and park World Champs.

Hope everyone enjoys the long weekend.

Ngā mihi nui,

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

Junior Next Steps 25th March - book now

Tuesday 25th March: 2.15 pm - 7.30 pm

Junior Next Steps meetings are an important opportunity for Year 9 and Year 10 students and their parents to meet with their respective Kaiārahi who have a holistic view of their progress so far this term.

The discussion will centre around how the year has started, and will also cover their goals, Learning Engagement Reports, Progress and Achievement Grades, and involvement in extra and co-curricular activities. This is a really important opportunity to connect with the school and Kaiārahi and all parents are strongly encouraged to attend in person along with their student.

Bookings are essential and will close at 5.00 pm on Monday, 24 March (Otago Anniversary Day).  Bookings can be made here using this link.

Please note that the strong preference is for these meetings to be held in person, onsite at Wakatipu High School, but we have an option for a virtual meeting if necessary.

Ms. Sarah Hill, one of our Deputy Principal's who oversees literacy and numeracy (including the co-requisite Common Assessment Tasks) will also be holding a drop-in session on the evening in the Boardroom.  Those parents requiring further information around how they can help prepare their student for these tests, which are coming up during Term 2, should feel free to drop in and see her on the evening.

We look forward to seeing you here at school for these important meetings.

Craig Morrison
Deputy Principal

WHS Guide to NCEA

The WHS Google Site for all things NCEA is live! Our assessment team has been working hard to curate all the key information students and whānau need to know when it comes to New Zealand's NCEA qualification.   You can find it here:

https://sites.google.com/wakatipu.school.nz/nceaguide/home

On this site you can find the live assessment calendars for all three levels of NCEA, key NCEA dates, information on how NCEA works here at WHS, and links to key NZQA resources that will help students prepare for their assessments.   

A direct link is also available on our curriculum page: https://www.wakatipu.school.nz/curriculum-and-timetable.html.

This is a valuable page to bookmark for quick access.  Any further NCEA questions you may have can be directed to our Principals Nominee, Mr. Dax Richards, at nzqa@wakatipu.school.nz

Branches Trust Raffle

The Branches Trust has kindly donated vouchers from local businesses to help raise funds for the wonderful experience that our year 10 students get to take part in later in the year.

To place a bid, please email us (click here) with your offer for the voucher(s) you're interested in. We'll contact the highest bidder for each item with payment details and collection arrangements.

- Ziptrek Ecotours x 1 Moa 4-line Tour (voucher expires 19th August 2025) ziptrek.co.nz
- Photos by Leigh - The voucher is equivalent to $100 towards photographic services or products. www.photosbyleigh.net
- Creeksyde Queenstown holiday park 2 nights in a two-bedroom apartment www.camp.co.nz
- Creeksyde Queenstown Holiday Park 2 nights in a Studio Motel www.camp.co.nz

Perfect for visiting family, a local staycation, or a night out! Your bid directly supports our Year 10 students - click here to bid.

Update from Student Leaders

Every fortnight, we are lucky enough to have guest speakers come in and share valuable knowledge with us for our leadership speaker series. This Thursday we had the privilege of hosting Dr Sam Hazeldine. Sam gave us insight on how leadership looks in his world. We heavily encourage year 12 and 13 students who want to learn valuable lessons on leadership, presenting and life skills to come along every fortnight at 8 am in Matuitui. Students interested in attending please email shill@wakatipu.school.nz. 

On Monday our annual Spelling Bee started up with Fox and Author taking the stage first. Then followed Duncan and Mackenzie. Fox and Duncan both managed to outsmart their opponents and secure the win. With finals on Wednesday the 26th, you will have to check next week's letter for further results. 

Tuesday break 2 the musical crew went through some songs in act 1 with a big cheering crowd, our Sophie alternates (Luana Kirchhoff Pereira and Ruby Pullar) and our Donna alternates (Mala Januszkiewicz and Renee Cottle) smashing it on the mics. Wednesday they kicked off again and went through act 2 songs with Sam (George Newhouse) and Harry (Joe Leyden)’s voices pushing the crowd to get their tickets as they’re selling out fast!

Next week nearly 160 WHS students will be competing in 11 different sporting events during the Summer Tournament Week period. These National and South Island tournaments are the pinnacle sporting events for many of our students. Our teams have been training hard so best of luck to all of you competing and representing our school. 

Girls 1st XI Cricket - Bates Cup, Sun 23rd - Mon 24th March, Dunedin
Rowing crew - Maadi Cup, Mon 24th - Fri 28th March, Lake Karapiro
Waka Ama crews - NZSS Champs, Mon 24th - Fri 28th March, Rotorua
Senior A Girls Volleyball - NZSS Champs, Mon 24th - Fri 28th March, Palmerston North
Senior A Boys and B Girls Volleyball - Satellites Champs, Tues 25th – Thurs 27th March Christchurch
Boys 1st XI Cricket - Gillette Cup, Tues 25th – Thurs 27th March, Dunedin
Senior 3x3 Boys Basketball - 3x3 Regionals, Fri 28th - Sat 29th March, Dunedin
Swimming - NZSS Open Water Champs, Sat 29th March, Rotorua
Mountain Biking - SISS Champs, Wed 26th - Sat 29th March, Methven
Triathlon - NZSS Champs, Thurs 27th March, Wānaka

Lukas McChlery
Deputy Head Student

Leadership Speaker Series

This week we heard inspiring tales from Medrecruit founder Dr Sam Hazledine. Sam was able to share with the students about the different phases of his experience in leadership. Navigating when it was right for him to commit larger amounts of time and energy to his organisation when it was better for him to scale back and finally finding the resilience to keep going were powerful messages.

Sam left us with some impactful statements "When the why is strong enough, the how will reveal itself" reminding us all that finding our true passion and the desire to want to make things better is always the best driver of action.

Senior students wanting to join the next session are reminded it is in Matuitui 8:00 - 8:45 am Thursday April 27.

Fantastic Fiordland Fieldwork! Year 12 Geography Trip

The Year 12 Geography students ventured south to Fiordland for the inaugural three day Geography camp based outside Te Anau. Our subject has been missing a camp for this level and the students were very excited to be the first to experience the new program. The trip covered two separate standards with research and fieldwork being conducted for our internal assessment as well as observations and on-site tasks being completed for the end of year large natural environment external standard.

The aim of the student’s research was to assess how physical and human factors can affect the vegetation in a fragile alpine setting. Data was collected on climate,  elevation, the vegetation types, abundance and height. The impact of human activity, in the form of intense recreational land use was also observed and linked to the vegetation patterns which can be observed and documented. This required students to visit large tourism enterprises such as the glowworm cave in Te Anau and the tourism honeypot of Milford Sound. Students ran vegetation quadrat inspections at three different locations on the beautiful Key Summit track to assess the vegetation profile and the effectiveness of sustainability strategies employed by DOC for the national park.

The chance to learn and investigate in such a wonderful environment was fully appreciated by all. Thanks also to Miss Ashby for accompanying us on this trip and sincere appreciation to Mother Nature for a truly spectacular set of days. We are already looking forward to next year.

Michael LaPierre
Teacher of Geography

Year 12 & 13 Agriculture/Horticulture Trip to Cromwell

Last Friday, our Year 12 and 13 Agriculture/Horticulture students traded textbooks for tractors and classrooms for orchards! They embarked on an exciting field trip to Cromwell, diving deep into the world of Horticulture and Viticulture.

Our mission? To see firsthand how the concepts they've been learning in class – plant production, business profitability, and sustainable practices – translate into real-world success. 

Highlights of the Day:

• Central Otago Wine Company: Year 13 students got an insider's look at the business of winemaking, exploring the profitability of viticulture. Imagine wines crafted by experts from around the globe, right here in Central Otago.
• Forest Lodge Orchard (Electric Cherries): Ever seen an electric tractor? Our students did! They discovered how this innovative orchard is powered entirely by renewable energy, boasting New Zealand's only electric tractor and generating surplus solar power. Mr. Sinnamon and Miss Gabb even got behind the wheel! It was a lesson in sustainability and cutting-edge technology.
• Dunford Grove Olives: An inspiring story of passion and perseverance! Students met a couple who, with no prior experience, built a thriving olive oil and hazelnut business. They shared their journey, emphasizing the importance of community support and continuous learning.
• Jackson Orchards: A special treat! Our very own Jackson gave us a tour of his family's orchard. Riding in electric buggies, tasting fresh apples, and learning about climate modification techniques made this stop unforgettable. And who could resist a delicious real fruit ice cream to cap off the day?

This hands-on experience brought classroom lessons to life, showing our students the exciting possibilities within the Agriculture and Horticulture industries. They learned about innovation, sustainability, and the dedication it takes to run successful businesses. 

Year 11 PE Ki O Rahi Tournament

Last Friday all five Year 11 Physical Education classes competed in the annual Ki O Rahi tournament. The half day tournament is played towards the end of a 6 week learning programme where students have been learning and developing three key movement strategies and playing numerous in class games. The 5 credit assessment is a purely practical performance standard and it has been awesome to see how all of the students have improved their skills, knowledge, confidence and execution of the movement strategies. The standard of play was pretty high this year and there was plenty of excitement and good natured competition between classes throughout the tournament. A big congratulations to Team 2 from Mrs Hollyer’s Line 1 6PED class, who was the only team unbeaten. 

Apply for the Professor Harry Messel International Science School 2025

The University of Sydney hosts this Science School every 2 years. The 44th Science School will be held from 6 to 19 July 2025. Professor Harry Messel International Science School brings together over 100 students from across the globe to participate in an intensive 2-week programme to make connections with other young leaders, engage in hands-on activities and listen to inspiring kōrero from world-leading scholars. We have an exciting opportunity for three New Zealand students, in years 12 and 13, to participate in this fully-funded programme in Sydney, Australia.

Note this is a tight timeframe: applications close on Thursday 27 March 2025 at 5 pm. Find out more information and apply here.

Mr Logan Rae
Gifted Education Coordinator

The Hive is recruiting passionate young change-makers!

Our future is being shaped by the decisions made in government, right now! Want to get involved in that decision-making? Apply to join The Hive!

The Hive is a group of taiohi who open a two-way conversation between young people and government. They believe youth voice should be involved, if not centered, in decision-making.

If you're a 16-24 year old who loves your community, wants to make the future better for young people, and have a few hours a month to spare, f ind out more and apply at thehive.nz/join

Mr Logan Rae
Gifted Education Coordinator

Sport and Active Recreation News

Summer Tournament Week

Best of luck to all of our teams and athletes representing Wakatipu High School at various Summer Tournament Week events over the next week. We have nearly 160 students competing on the court, pitch, field, lake, or track in 11 events across the country. A huge thank you to the Aotearoa Gaming Trust who have provided $30,000 of funding to cover the accommodation costs for teams. Thank you also to the Wakatipu Foundation for their continued support of sport at WHS, particularly through the Āwhina Fund.

Athletics

The Southland Athletics Champs were held in Invercargill on the 14th and 15th of March. WHS had 11 students competing across a number of events. Congratulations to Siena Mackley, James Weber and Santosha Fisher who won two events each, some by a considerable margin! Congratulations also to the following students on their top 3 placings, which qualify them for the South Island Secondary School Champs in Nelson from the 4th - 6th April.

• Siena Mackley - 1st Senior 1500m, 1st Senior 800m, 
• James Weber - 1st Senior 1500m, 1st Senior 3000m
• Santosha Fisher - 1st U15 100m, 1st U15 200m
• Mia Pilcher - 2nd U15 100m
• Finn Bell - 2nd U16 1500m, 2nd U16 400m, 2nd U16 800m
• Lisa Bouvet - 3rd U16 200m, 3rd U16 400m

Snowsports

Congratulations to Cooper Breen who achieved a podium finish at the Freeski Halfpipe European Cup Premium in LAAX, Switzerland! Cooper placed 3rd, behind fellow kiwis Fin Melville Ives and Luke Harrold.

Equestrian

Year 10 students Zara Hazledine and Coco Cameron have been competing at Horse of the Year in Hastings from the 4th - 9th March.  Zara had a great event, placing 1st in the 90cm Equitation on Dingmac Demoiselle, 4th in the 115cm on Redcliffs Bill, and 4th in Pony of the Year Grand Prix on Redcliffs Bill. Zara also placed 3rd in the Otago Team in the Saba Sam teams competition, and her pony, Redcliffs Bill, won Kaimanawa Horse of the Year. Coco also performed well, qualifying throughout the week for the 1.15 Championship Final to finish 7th place on Burma Chilli and 10th on Windward Finnick. Well done to both riders!

Karate

The Canterbury Westland Karate Champs were held on the 16th of March. Congratulations to Nicole Karey who won gold in the Women's Open Kata, 16/17 Women's Kata and 16/17 Women's Kumite. Year 9 student AJ Jogo won gold in the 12/13 Men’s Intermediate Kata and Silver in 12/13 Men's Intermediate Kumite. Shout out also to Sensei Pat Quaid who was featured as Coach and Referee of the tournament.

Coach Development Workshops

Calling all interested coaches. During April, Sport Otago is delivering coach development workshops across six different areas within Otago: Dunedin, Clutha, Waitaki, Wānaka, Queenstown and Cromwell. Our vision for the Coach Development Workshops is “holistic development and growth of all coaches”. Our workshops are targeted at coaches working with rangatahi, but are open for all active coaches working in clubs, the community or schools, from a variety of sports - covering all codes and experiences. For more details see the link below.

Queenstown - Monday 28th April 2025, 6pm-7:30pm.

https://www.sportotago.co.nz/events-2/coach-development-workshop-series-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

Get Ready for Mamma Mia!

Our full production of Mamma Mia! is coming to the stage from Wednesday, April 2, through Saturday, April 5, with five shows in total, including a matinee! Tickets are selling quickly so secure yours now through iTicket –  click here.

Musical Rehearsal Updates: 

The cast and band have been rehearsing weekly since late January, and have been absolutely smashing it with their singing, acting and dancing alike. This show is shaping up to become an unbelievable adventure of drama, love, chaos, and Abba! So if you’re interested in coming along to watch, get your tickets quickly, as they’re selling out fast! 

Mamma Mia! Foyer performances

On Tuesday and Wednesday we had a preview of Mama Mia from the singers and band in the foyer at Break 2.  There was great support from the students with many taking the opportunity to listen and enjoy the performances. Things are well and truly ramping up now with two weeks to go so please enjoy the snippets included below.

Scholarships Results

Congratulations to all our Art students who have recently received Scholarships:

This week we congratulate Harriet Blundell on receiving a painting scholarship in 2024 . Her work explores the theme of creative blocks, lack of motivation, and the pathway to resolution through reconnecting with nature—an exploration inspired deeply by her personal experiences and observations..

Ugly Shakespeare Visit

This week 200+ students took part in an ugly Shakespeare performance followed by a workshop for selected students. The performance was of Hamlet. This is the third week of the ugly season touring the country with two different shows. 

A huge thank you to the Ugly Shakespeare Company. 

Toi Wearable Arts

The Toi Wearable Arts Group are asking for donations of

* sewing materials, old curtains etc 

* to borrow sewing mannequins / shop mannequins for our groups or if any has one they would like to sell please let Mrs Brown know .

They can be brought into the school office but please make sure they are named so we can return them

Arts Time

Wednesday morning Arts time is well underway running from 8.00am - 9.00am as we welcome any students to come and join us. This is a fantastic opportunity for students to explore their creative interests before the school day begins. Activities include the Jazz Combo in the main band room, practical sessions on Live Performance Sound and Lighting led by our senior students, open access to the Dance studio and band practice rooms, and Junior Singing with Mrs. Fraser. We encourage students who have signed up for Junior Singing to attend, as it's a wonderful chance to develop their vocal skills.

Tom Maxwell was our songwriting tutor for this week's songwriting. As both an ex-student and a regular gigging musician in Queenstown, Tom brings a wealth of industry experience and has worked both as a solo act and with his band, The Killergarms. It was great to see so many students attend this session and we look forward to having him back in three weeks time. Next week we bring back Violet Hirst to follow up from her first session looking at lyric writing.  

Extracurricular groups - all updates will be posted on the All Things Arts Classroom Group.  

• Junior Jazz / Jazz Full Band / Jazz Combo  

• Digital Music Production

• Songwriting 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 & 2 - 

NOW - Mamma Mia! Tickets on Sale!!!!

25 March - Year 9 Band Hub
26 March - Arts Time 8 am-9 am
2-5 April - Mamma Mia!  WHS Musical for 2025
30 April - Entries close - Play It Strange Junior Songwriting Competition (Yrs 9-11)
3-4 May - YAMI - held in Wānaka
11 May - Rockquest heats (if needed)
24 May - Big Break (Bands and solo/duo)
30 May - Entries close - Play It Strange - Peace Song Competition 
09 June - Toi/Showquest
14 June - Rockquest finals
20 June  - SIX
16 July - Entries close - Play It Strange - Lion Foundation National Songwriting Competition (Yrs 9-13)
31 July - Entries close - Play It Strange - Waiata Māori Competition

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

This week has been a whirlwind of excitement and opportunities! Here's a recap of our recent activities and a look ahead at what's coming up:

University Visits: Navigating Your Future

We were thrilled to welcome university liaison representatives from the University of Canterbury, Massey University, and the University of Waikato. They shared invaluable insights into student life in Canterbury, Palmerston North, Hamilton, and Tauranga. The University of Canterbury session was a hit, drawing over 90 students eager to learn more.

NZ Defence Force Challenge: Pushing Limits

Our partnership with the New Zealand Defence Force brought an action-packed fitness challenge to our students. Participants tackled the beep test, push-ups, and sit-ups, gaining firsthand experience of the physical demands of defence roles. Twenty-four students embraced the challenge, gaining a deeper understanding of career opportunities within the Defence Force.

Upcoming Events: Mark Your Calendars

• AUT Online Presentation –31st March: Curious about studying at Auckland University of Technology? Join their online presentation to explore programs and opportunities. 

• https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/100

• SIT Liaison Visit – 3rd April: Southern Institute of Technology representatives will be on campus to discuss their offerings and the Zero Fees Scheme. Don't miss out on this chance to learn about affordable study options.

• https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/916

• Otago University Open Day –4-5th May: Thinking about Otago University? Attend their Open Day to experience campus life firsthand. Spaces are limited, and we are almost at capacity.  https://wakatipu.careerwise.school/post/103

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

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