WHS Newsletter | Issue 3.09 | 12 September 2025

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the end of a dynamic week at WHS. This week we held the Level 3 Scholarship Exams, Year 11 Maths and Science Exams and the second round of corequisite assessments for literacy and numeracy. Well done to all the students who put their best effort into achieving their potential in these exams and assessments and a massive thanks to all of the exam invigilators and reader/writers. 

On Monday, we heard some great speeches from our prospective 2026 Head Student candidates, who are all to be commended for putting their hand up for this very important student leadership position. The rigorous process of selecting our Head Students has nearly concluded and we’ll look to announce these prestigious positions early next week. This will be followed by the Lead Prefect and House Leader selection process. We have great students, and with more than 100 applications it’s going to be very difficult to select the 2026 student leaders.

This Saturday night the Branches Trust is holding its annual Branches Quiz to support the Trust and the Branches Camp, a huge thanks to all those in attendance. A reminder to Year 10 parents that the Branches Camp consent form and workday form need to be returned asap. 

A reminder that PPTA industrial action is planned for next week, and as per last week's newsletter, students will be rostered home in year groups, as follows:

• Monday, 15 Sept - Year 12 and Year 13 students are rostered home
• Tuesday, 16 Sept - Year 11 students are rostered home
• Wednesday, 17 Sept - Year 10 students are rostered home
• Thursday, 18 Sept - Year 9 students are rostered home.

When year levels are ‘rostered home’, that means that classes for that year level will not run. Buses will still run as normal, and normal classes will run as normal for all other year levels. We do hope that negotiations between the PPTA and MoE improve soon.

Thank you to everyone who has already provided input on the proposed withdrawal of ministry funded school bus services. If you haven't yet, please read the full article below, and submit feedback by Monday, 15th September.

A wonderful and comprehensive newsletter follows, including key dates for Term 4 and a range of scholarship opportunities, as well as Siena Mackley's outstanding result winning the Australian Schools cross country champions, highlights from the Arts showcase at Te Atamira, our annual Shave for a Cure, and the winners of the ‘Showing Off’ art exhibition - be sure to have a read. 

Kia pai tō mutunga wiki, 

Oded Nathan
Principal/Tumuaki

Key Dates

Cosgroves Stantec Scholarship

2025 'Showing Off' Award Recipients

For the past month, the annual 'Showing Off' Exhibition in Arrowtown has showcased the incredible work of our visual artists. This exhibition celebrates ākonga who achieved Excellence in their external portfolios last year, highlighting their outstanding creativity and dedication.

Thanks to the generous sponsorship of Trinity Construction & Projects, we are delighted to present this year’s 'Showing Off' Award recipients:

Painting: Lola Evans-Redpath
Photography: Emma Andrew
Design: Millie Ullrich
Year 11 Photo/Design Award: Arumi Kokubo.

Congratulations to our award recipients and to all the talented artists whose work was shown. We are incredibly proud of your creativity and the high calibre of work on display.

Student Leaders Message

A massive congratulations and thank you to everyone that competed in the 2025 lip sync battle, it was amazing to see the event bring everyone together in the theatre, filling it with creativity and positive energy. It was tough competition with both individuals and groups of students bringing their A game on stage. Overall the group that came out on top was Lobster Thermidor, with a melody of songs and some… excellent dance moves. In Second place we had The Splits and then Third place was our Head Students performing beauty and the beat.  So congrats to McKellar Thornton,  George Newhouse, Felix Nicoll and Joe Layden for the win. Thanks to everyone who competed, hope to see you on the stage again next year! 

The Arts department held their annual Performing Arts Showcase at Te Atamira last weekend. The whole afternoon was filled with a range of music genres such as classical acts, solo and duo's, rock bands and jazz bands. It was so great to have seen what the music students and groups have been up to throughout the year! We like to thank Mrs Alison Price, Mrs Stine Cooper, Mrs Kate Ferguson and the team at Te Atamira for supporting our lively musicians from WHS. And of course, a big shoutout to all of the musicians who took the opportunity to be on stage and perform their music. Read more about it in the Arts department section below for photos and clips! 

This week on Tuesday we also had our annual Shave for a cure. The Wakatipu High School team smashed our goal of $5000, raising $7818.80 between all of our amazing participants. Huge acknowledgements to the Community Service Council, who tirelessly advertised the cause and made sure this whole event could go ahead.  Massive kudos to teachers Mr Sinnamon, who raised $1223, and Mr Jackson, who raised $1115. And finally thank you to Sharron and Malae from Cutting Edge for coming out and chopping some hair! For more info have a look at the Community Services blurb on the matter. 

Ava Weston and McKellar Thornton
Head Students

Lessons from the Dreaming Big Conference

On Tuesday, the 9th of September Grace and myself, Abbie, travelled up to Christchurch to attend the Dreaming Big women's leadership conference by the On Being Bold Foundation. Founded by women high up in their specific field and workplaces Dreaming Bold is an empowering conference intended for the education of Year 13 girls. We were immensely inspired by the stories of these women and the powerful positions and recognition they now receive. We gained valuable insight for our career paths and the important key aspects regarding the extent to hard work paying off and trusting the process. In the future, Abbie wants to work in family law and myself, Grace, wants to work in mechanical engineering. Both fields require a huge amount of work to succeed in. 

We were lucky enough to listen to Dame Joan Withers, Silvana Schenone, Alison Gerry, Cate Sexton, Tiharah Moton and many others. Tiharah Moton shared her journey of going through foster care, working hard to get to university to her job as a lived experience advisor at Oranga Tamariki, where she helps support kids in the foster care system. It was amazing to hear where her determination has taken her despite the many challenges she has faced. Another story that stuck with us was Cate Sexton's. She worked as a teacher for 7 years before being offered the job to manage the Black Ferns due to her sporting and leadership background. She succeeds in her management and currently works as Chief Executive of the University of Canterbury Students' Association. The women we listened to and interacted with came from all different backgrounds, life stories and job positions such as lawyers, investment bankers, engineers and high performance sport managers. 

We both agree the conference was one of the most empowering talks we have been to and is well worth the travel if the opportunity presents itself for other students. 

One of the key takeaways from the day was that life is not linear. It’s a great message to remember for all of the Year 13’s as we transition out of high school into the future. 

Grace Kunath and Abbie Rooney
Year 13 Students

Shave for a Cure

This Tuesday, the Community & Service Council held Shave for a Cure Day! 
Thanks to the efforts of all of our participants, Wakatipu High School raised $7,766 for blood cancer research! Stretching far beyond our goal of $5,000. For this, we need to give a thank you to all those who donated to our cause. It would not have been possible without you.

We especially need to give a thank you to all our student candidates who shaved their heads in support of New Zealand blood cancer research: Oscar Burns Anderson, Kieran Leftley, Arya Kurniawan, Findlay Newell, Liam Tietjens, Mathew Wright, Patrick Bennie, Lachlan Kidd, and Josh Hill. 

We also need to thank our incredible teachers who participated:
Kyle Jackson, Nick Sinnamon, and Greg Lockhart. Altogether, our staff candidates raised $2,359.

And lastly, we need to give a big thank you to our lovely friends Sharron and Malae from Cutting Edge, their contribution cannot be overstated! 

Shave for a Cure NZ aims to fundraise for New Zealand blood cancer and leukaemia research, with 8 Kiwis being diagnosed with blood cancers a day. Wakatipu is extremely proud to partake in this ongoing mission to save the lives of hundreds of New Zealanders affected. This year, our contribution has placed us in the top 15 schools for fundraising in the entire country. If you want to make a difference, then make sure you sign up next year, we can't wait to see you there!

Thanks,
Joe, Alice and The Community Service Council

Withdrawal of Ministry of Education School Bus services

The Ministry of Education (MoE) has notified us that school bus services in Queenstown will be withdrawn, with the exception of routes to Glenorchy, Gibbston, Kingston, and a new service for Dalefield, which will be retained. This change is proposed to take effect at the start of the 2026 school year.

Students may only be eligible for MoE provided bus services if they meet specific criteria. Students must meet all three criteria as follows;

-  Students must be attending their closest state or state-integrated school
-  Secondary students must be living more than  4.8 km from their school 
-  There is no public transport

More information about School Transport and eligibility is available on the MoE website here, including a video.  The MoE has advised us that no changes will be made to the existing policy at this time.

The MoE has given us a very brief window for feedback, but only Schools can submit responses—parent feedback will not be accepted directly. If you would like to provide your input, please complete the linked form so we can include your comments in the school's official submission. The form will close for entries on Monday, 15 September at 10 am. Please note that the Otago Regional Council has confirmed no changes will be made to public bus timetables before the proposed 2026 implementation date, so you can reference the existing service in your feedback. We encourage all contributions to be constructive to give us the best opportunity to influence change.

Careers News - Scholarship Opportunities

Scholarship & Interns Reminders.
We are getting close to the end of term and we want to profile the following opportunities and scholarships. Get in quick before applications close.

Sport and Recreation News

Cross Country

Congratulations to Siena Mackley and James Weber, who competed in the 2025 School Sport Australia All Schools Cross Country at Runaway Bay, Gold Coast, Queensland.

Siena came away with 1st place in the 18-19 Girls division, while James finished 10th in the 16-17 Boys division. Both of these results are huge achievements!

Gymnastics

Congratulations to Year 12 student Rosa Dawson and Year 9 student Olivia Hancox who have both been selected to represent Southland at the upcoming New Zealand Gymnastics Nationals in Auckland. Best of luck to both gymnasts!

Snowboarding

A huge congratulations to our snowboarders Finn Kealy Laycock and Boston Shallcrass, who represented WHS at the SISS Snowboard Slopestyle event held at Mount Hutt over the weekend.

Slopestyle is a dynamic event that challenges riders to navigate a course of rails, boxes, and massive jumps. Competitors are judged on the difficulty, creativity, and execution of their high-flying tricks, making every run a showcase of courage and skill.

Both riders put down impressive runs in the tough competition. It was an incredible result for Finn, who battled hard to finish on the podium in third place, and for Boston, who secured a solid fourth-place result. This is a phenomenal achievement for such young athletes. Well done boys!

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 Bruce at bhunter@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/ 

Bruce Hunter
Director of Sport

Arts Department News

Artist of the week:  Ivy McKenzie

This week we celebrate Ivy McKenzie, who is stepping into the glass slippers as Cinderella in our upcoming production of Into the Woods Jr.

Ivy has brought real elegance and warmth to the role. Her rehearsal work has been focused, and she has found a great voice for Cindy. What makes Ivy’s contribution even more special as she has created the beautiful dress you will see Cinderella wear. She has shaped a costume that reflects the character’s grace and inner strength. It is a perfect match for her performance and a brilliant example of student artistry in action.

Ivy’s dedication, kindness, and craftsmanship embody what school theatre is all about. We are proud to showcase her talent and cannot wait for audiences to meet her as Cinderella.

Come and cheer her on at Into the Woods Jr. Our first Jr Musical Production

Into the Woods Jr: 

Our outstanding Junior Drama students bring Cinderella, the Witch, the Baker, Little Red, and more to life in this enchanting one-act fairytale mash‑up, directed by Jake Hansen with musical direction by Natasha Wilson.

 🎟️Tickets are ON SALE now!
 📆Show dates: Thursday 18 & Friday 19 September 2025 (Week 10, Term 3)
 📍WHS Theatre
🎫Book here: https://events.humanitix.com/whs-into-the-woods-jr

Come see the magic unfold with support from our Year 12–13 crew (7&8 PAT), who are working behind the scenes to bring this production to life!

Don’t miss out—grab your tickets today and help us fill the house for these special performances.

WHS Performing Arts Showcase 

Last Saturday afternoon we held our annual Performing Arts Showcase at Te Atamira.

This was an opportunity for parents and the community to enjoy the wide range of music on offer at WHS. It also enabled students to showcase their skills in front of an appreciative audience. The event lasted four and a half hours with people coming and going throughout the afternoon and enjoying the different genres on offer, ranging from classical piano, solo/duo, rock bands and jazz bands. Huge thanks to Hunter Cotterill and Leo Phillips for their tech help and also Emanuel Cardeno for once again taking on the MC role.

Travelling Art Show

This week our Pop Up Art Exhibition has been on display at Shotover Primary School, showcasing impressive work in Photography,  Design and Painting from both junior and senior students. We hope the exhibition will spark creativity and inspire primary students to continue their artistic journeys into high school.  

Alexandra Musical Society Voice and Instrumental Competitions

The Alexandra Musical Society's Voice and Instrumental Competitions are now open for entries. These competitions are being held on Saturday, 1 November at Dunstan High School in Alexandra. These competitions intend to encourage your students to share their talents, build confidence, connect with other young musicians and perform in what will be a supportive and encouraging environment. 

Click here for the entry form. You can also enter via a link on the Alexandra Musical Society Competitions Section Facebook page. 

Sister Act JR

StageAntics—the company that brought SIX the Musical to Wakatipu High School—is back in Queenstown with their Show in a Week programme. This year, students from Wakatipu High School are participating in the programme to stage the NZ Premiere of Sister Act JR.

Three shows only - Friday, 26th September (7pm) & Saturday, 27th September (2pm & 6pm).

Click here to book now!

Central Lakes Trust Art Competition

Central Lakes Trust is turning 25 this year and would like our rangatahi to share their creativity to help us celebrate.

We’re inviting students in Years 7–13 to design a one-of-a-kind artwork on the theme Giving – reflecting generosity, community, and impact. The winning design will feature on our 2026 Annual Report cover and will be printed on a commemorative tea towel. All entries will also be displayed at our Scholarships Award Ceremony on 3 November 2025.

Prizes up for grabs:
1st prize: $350 Prezzy Card
2nd prize: $250 Prezzy Card
3rd prize: $200 Prezzy Card
People’s Choice: $200 Prezzy Card

Key dates:
Entries close: 10 October 2025, 4 pm
Winners announced: 3 November 2025

More information is available on our website - click here.

 Extracurricular Groups 

Stay on top of what's happening in the arts and sign up to All Things Arts Classroom
Sign up code is: sijw2gw

Wednesday Morning Arts Time - hang out with the Arts

Happening every Wednesday morning from 8am in the Music area. It’s a great way to get involved with different aspects of arts in a social setting. Come along and see if this might be for you.

• Songwriting
• Live sound and lighting events 
• Stage Make Up 
• The practice rooms are available at this time for any bands or solo/duos who want to practice

We invite you to share your skills in the arts

We love it when artists want to share their skills and experience with our students. If you would like to share your experience and knowledge, please get in touch with Arts Coordinator Stine Cooper scooper@wakatipu.school.nz. 

Upcoming in Term 3 & 4

• 18-19 - September - Into The Woods Jr
• 16 October - Cultural Blues Night
• 22 October - Primary Schools Music Visit
• 04 November - Senior Folio Exhibition

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.

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

September is Gift Matching Month!

This September, your Entertainment Membership has twice the power. For every Membership you purchase, Entertainment will match the donation, instantly doubling the impact for our cause.

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