WHS Newsletter | Issue 1.1 | 5 February 2021

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the Wakatipu High School Newsletter at the end of our first week, and Participation Day! Participation Day is always a special day at WHS - it’s colourful, noisy, dynamic and exciting, it is great for making new students feel part of their Houses and the school, and an important part of our culture. The day has gone well, with the House marches this morning all fantastic - make sure you check them out on our Facebook page. A big thanks to everyone who makes this important WHS day happen, from the Sports team and staff to the Deans and student leaders for the role they play.

Our first week is always busy with lots to do to get the year underway, as well as the all-important Participation Day House march practises. We also put school photos into the week to get everything done so that next week we can really focus on teaching and learning. An interesting thing about this term is that while it is the longest of the year (11 weeks) the second half of the term has a number of short weeks in it, primarily due to four public holidays, so the next five weeks are very important teaching and learning time. While on the topic of teaching and learning time, one thing we have considered is the possibility of being locked down again this year - something that none of us want, but for which we need to be prepared.

2020 Academic Results - we have now received our Scholarship results and I am very pleased to let you know that our students achieved 10 Scholarships last year. Scholarship is optional and undertaken by our top scholars - and preparing for them often includes extra tutorials before and/or after school throughout the year, and achieving a Scholarship is the pinnacle of academic achievement. Please see below for the list of students who achieved Scholarships, including the subject and their teacher. Of particular note are Briar Greer who achieved three and Angus Forrest with two. Our congratulations go to the students who achieved Scholarships.

In terms of academic achievement, something that I often note at this time of year is the total  value of tertiary scholarships gained by our students last year - which is once again over $500,000. Again this is a very significant sum of money and of great assistance to many students and families. The scholarships primarily recognise academic achievement but many also recognise the all-round abilities of our students.

Phase 2 - it has been good to walk around the school this week and to see things looking really settled. It has been particularly good to see the new temporary classrooms working well - staff are happy with them, and students seem pleasantly surprised with how good they are. 

It is also good to see the framing for the new NE wing extension progressing. Phase 2 is going to be great when it is completed, both in terms of the additional space it will give us as well as the nature of some of those spaces.

Pounamu Assemblies - celebrate 2020 NCEA achievement, and are held in Houses in Week 3. While parents of prizewinners will be notified next week, please see below for details of days and times for those who are keen to attend.

WHS Portal - this week new parents were emailed login details for our Portal. The WHS Portal is where you find Academic Results, Student Details, Timetable, Attendance, NCEA Summary and Fees. New parents especially should ensure they have received the email and can access the Portal, and have a look around. For technical support regarding access to the Portal, or if you have not received the email (which could mean our contact info for you is incorrect), please contact portal@wakatipu.school.nz.

WHS App - another reminder to ensure you’ve got the WHS App on your devices (see link on side panel and below), and also to follow our Facebook page for all the action at WHS.

As a school we are continuing to grow, with our roll well over 1100 students this year. As part of this growth I have made Mr Nathan an Associate Principal. This gives him some additional responsibilities - very importantly including writing the principal’s piece in the newsletter a couple of times per term, watch out for that later in the term.

Well, it is great to get the year underway and to get lots of setup and admin done successfully this week. It will be really good to settle to a rhythm of teaching and learning from next week.

Great summer weather ahead for Waitangi weekend (and do see Mr Charton’s piece re Waitangi Day below) - warm temps and light winds, I hope everyone is able to enjoy the long weekend :)

Steve Hall
Principal

Scholarships

Congratulations to the following students for their outstanding achievement in gaining a scholarship.  Our thanks to the staff for their additional teaching and support. 

Participation Day Photos

Student Councils

The Wakatipu High School Student Councils are an important part of the student voice, which is integral to the decision making process at our school. Councils allow students to have their input and voice heard in regards to the many aspects of school life at Wakatipu High School. Some of the key roles and responsibilities the council members have include organising some House competitions as well as additional extracurricular events,  student activities, and the ability to be an all-round representation of the student body. 

Applications are now open and close at 3.10pm on Friday 12 February. Students have been emailed an application form or they can submit an application by clicking on this link .

Councils on offer for 2021 are:
Academic Council
Arts and Culture Council
Community and Service Council
Sports Council
Whanaungatanga (Support) Council
Environmental Council
Māori Student Council 
International Student Council 
Junior Council (Open to Year 9 and Year 10 students only)
Peer Support Council (Open to Year 9 students and Year 12/13 Peer mentors only)
Wellbeing Council

James Rasmussen 
Deputy Principal

Pounamu Assemblies

We have our annual Pounamu Assemblies starting on Monday 15 February. These important assemblies celebrate and acknowledge student success in NCEA from 2020. There are five different assemblies, one for each of the houses, and they take place at the following times in the Theatre. 

Arthur: Monday 15 February 0900 - 0930
Duncan: Monday 15 February 0930 - 1000
Fox: Wednesday 17 February 0910 - 0940
Hay: Friday 19 February 0900 - 0930
Mackenzie: Friday 19 February 0930 - 1000

Prizewinners and parents will be informed next week. 

James Rasmussen 
Deputy Principal

Extracurricular Expo - Tuesday 16 February

The annual Expo showcasing all of the awesome extracurricular opportunities at WHS is on Tuesday 16 February at Break 2. All sporting opportunities will be in the Stadium and all arts, cultural, academic and leadership activities can be found in the Theatre.

Participating in extracurricular activities at WHS is highly valued and beneficial and the Expo is the best chance for you to get involved and contribute to the wider life of the school, make friends and stay connected. There is something for everyone!

To check out what is on offer prior to the expo and signing up, you can find more details on the school website: www.wakatipu.school.nz and select the Extracurricular drop down menu. 

Musical

2021 WHS Musical - Sponsorship and Advertising Opportunities

WHS is excited to announce that this year’s Musical is Grease! Set in 1959 at fictional Rydell High School, Grease follows ten working-class teenagers as they navigate the complexities of peer pressure, politics, personal core values and love. The Musical will run from 24 to 27 of March in our Theatre.

Our musicals are fantastic shows with wonderful opportunities for our students, but significant undertakings to put on. Because of their popularity with students, families and the local community they provide a great opportunity for the community to support our students. 

Businesses or families can sponsor the musical, please click here for options and details. Businesses can also advertise in the musical programme - a great way to support the musical and promote your business at the same time! Advertising includes a range of options, each with complimentary Thursday night tickets, please click here for options and details. As always, we are very appreciative of other support including supplies and paint, props, costumes, makeup, as well as adult support for the various production crews.

Please contact me if you wish to be a sponsor or advertiser or have any queries at mparker@wakatipu.school.nz - many thanks in anticipation!

Monica Parker
Arts Coordinator

Embracing Waitangi Day and Te Reo Māori via your Pepeha and Mihi

Kia ora tatou, 
This Saturday 6 February the signing of the Treaty of Waitangi, the nation's founding document, is commemorated throughout the country. It is a great opportunity to embrace Te Reo and Tikanga Māori through your Pepeha which is a way of introducing yourself in Māori, sharing your own story with the people and places that are important to you. This is a great site that will lead you through making your own Pepeha: https://pepeha.nz/.  More about Waitangi Day can be read here.

Here’s a simple, short mihi structure for you to learn so that you can level up from ‘kia ora’. Watch Sonny Ngatai present 3 easy steps here.

So what now? Learn your mihi, get practicing, and upload your moment to this website. (You can even revisit the Māori Language Moment  while you are there!)

Junior students learning languages at Wakatipu High School are learning their Pepeha in Te Reo Māori, Japanese, French and Spanish!

He waka eke noa.

Matua Guillaume Charton
Head of Learning Area - Languages

International Diploma in French

Félicitations / Congratulations to the 11 students who sat the DELF and were able to gain this internationally recognised diploma proving their proficiency in using French.  It is calibrated to international language standards and is recognised around the world. Proficiency in an additional language is an asset and certified proficiency enhances the value of this asset.  The next session for the DELF will be towards the end of August. 

Bravo to the fantastique etudiantes! 

Matua Guillaume Charton
Head of Learning Area - Languages

Head Student Message

Hey Everyone,

Welcome back to another school year. I hope you spent your summer holidays wisely, enjoying the last few days of freedom. 

This week we went straight into the thick of things. The first week back to school always tends to be the busiest, with students needing to catch up on credits, a fresh batch of Year 9’s struggling to navigate their way around the school and teachers trying to add a sense of discipline back into student lives. House Leaders are by far the busiest of the students, having to organise new chants, dances and marches, and imposing them on 250 odd students, turning them into what one might say remotely resembles a synchronized act. 

This brings me to the focal point of the week, Participation Day. This year was set to be a scorcher, reaching temperatures of 27ºC. All of the Houses had been practicing extremely hard for the week, slowly building up their performances, until the big day arrived on Friday. Participation Day is arguably the most important House Competition, as it is extremely important to get off the mark with a few points and you don’t want to be one of the houses languishing behind. This competition sets the benchmark for how the rest of the year pans out, and we might see some early frontrunners emerge. 

I have high hopes for the year as does the rest of the Student Leadership team. Student Council applications have been sent out, so make sure if you want to have a say in what goes on around here, that you apply before the cutoff date on Friday 12 February. If you are unable to find the letter from Mr Rasumussen, just send me an email and I can forward it on to you. 

I hope you enjoyed your first week back, and I wish you all the best for the rest of your year. Feel free to approach myself or any of the student leaders and ask us questions.

Have a good weekend.

Todd Vermeir
Head Boy

Arts News and Information

Jazz Band
The senior jazz bands will be underway as from next week Wednesday 10 February. The practices will start after school and run from 3.20pm until approx 4.15pm. Anyone wanting to join should contact Mrs Price in the Music area. Information regarding other groups and events will be coming out over the next few weeks.

Musical Crews
The WHS Musical is underway, and we are looking for students who would like to join one of our fabulous crews. Please fill out the form below to be considered. 

Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Competition
Auditions will be taking place on Tuesday 9 and Thursday 11 February after school in the Drama Room. The audition pieces aren't expected to be memorised, but the actors should practise delivering them in the tone stated on the audition sheet. 
Below is the form.

Arts Scholarships 2020

Congratulations to the following students for gaining scholarships in the Arts: 

Eliott Allemand - Music 
This reflected his remarkable saxophone skills and understanding of musical performance. 

Jess Blewitt  - Design
In her design brief for Level 3, Jess Blewitt wanted to address the issue of sexism in Downhill Mountain Biking. Her work aims to do a re-branding that highlights the importance of females in this sport and how they should be treated as equals. This is portrayed below through her logo, posters, magazine double-page spread, flyer, etc.

Sports News and Information

Rowing - South Island Club Champs
Conditions were ideal for the Meridian Energy South Island Club Rowing Champs at Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel this past weekend. Wakatipu High School students represented the Wakatipu Rowing Club, competing fiercely across 32 races and coming home with three bronze, one silver and six gold medals. A huge thank you to the Wakatipu Rowing Club, the awesome coaches and parents who all put in many hours of unpaid work to make these events happen. A massive congratulations to all the medalists.

GOLD
Boys U15 Coxed Octuple Sculls - A Final: placed 1st (6:49.49)
T Rorrison, J Viana, L Bouchier, L Noton, M King-Smith, A White, C Ruess, B Hogan + C Muir

GOLD
Boys U15 Double Sculls - A Final: placed 1st (7:35.90)
T Rorrison, J Viana

GOLD
Boys U15 Coxed Quad Sculls - A Final: placed 1st (7:18.04)
T Rorrison, J Viana, L Bouchier, L Noton + C Muir

GOLD
Boys U16 Double Sculls - A Final: placed 1st (7:23.60)
S McAtamney, M King-Smith

GOLD
Girls U16 Coxed Quad Sculls - A Final: placed 1st (7:48.86)
O Key, Z Mackley, N Bates, H Rogers + E Howick

GOLD
Girls U16 Double Sculls - A Final: placed 1st (8:07.91)
N Bates, O Key

SILVER
Girls U16 Coxed Quad Sculls - A Final: placed 2nd (7:52.01)
P Cavanagh, K Erskine, P Johnson, E Shuttleworth + B Hogan

BRONZE
Boys U16 Coxed Quad Sculls - A Final: placed 3rd (7:02.71)
S McAtamney, M King-Smith, F Brown, W Donovan + C Muir

BRONZE
Girls U16 Coxed Eight - A Final: placed 3rd (7:34.33)
Z Mackley, O Key, N Bates, K Erskine, H Rogers, P Cavanagh, P Johnson, E Shuttleworth + E Howick

BRONZE
Girls U16 Coxed Four - A Final: placed 3rd (8:09.15)
Z Mackley, H Rogers, N Bates, K Erskine + E Howick

Senior A Girls Volleyball Team
Congratulations to the following students who have been named in the Senior A Girls Volleyball Team. This team is about to embark on an action packed six weeks of tournaments including Otago, Southland, South Island and National Volleyball Champs. All the best girls!
Jordan Boland
Olivia Boland
Eliana Collins
Ruby Kirk
Maddy Macdonald
Bella Middleton
Mary Navasca
Allyx Palacio
Rochelle Quiozon
Kyla Santos
Phoebe Wallace
Coach: Sonia Panapa

Equestrian
Congratulations to Tessa Jones who represented Otago/Southland in the New Zealand Pony Club Dressage Championships in Gore last weekend. Tessa as the senior rider was placed third and is awaiting results from the North Island Champs to see where she has finished nationally. 

Ice Hockey
Eight teams fought each other on the ice in the second annual Queenstown Cup last weekend at the Queenstown Ice Arena and a number of WHS students played in the Young Bucks team. Joel Gerard, Axel Ruski Jones, Joel Paterson, Tallulah Bryant, Ollie Ruski Jones, CJ Kemp and Caitlin Hollyer combined to finish 7th. Joel Gerard was named as the team’s MVP.

Junior Boys Cricket Team Trial
Call for all junior boys (Year 9 and 10) who are keen to represent WHS in the upcoming NZ Junior Boys Cricket competition.This 40 over knockout competition gets underway with the first round against St Kevins on Sunday 14th February in Queenstown (ground TBC). There is an open wicket trial being held on Wednesday 10th February at WHS. Please be in training gear and with cricket gear ready for action 3:30pm - 6pm. If you wish to be considered for this team for this competition please RSVP to Matt Hollyer on matt73away@gmail.com

Extra-Curricular Expo
The Extra-Curricular Expo is around the corner and we encourage all of the WHS student body to think about what physical activities and sports they would like to involve themselves in this year. Participating in extracurricular activities is known to improve wellbeing by enhancing relationships with others and building a sense of whanaungatanaga and community. There is something for everyone and we strongly encourage families to do some homework with regards to what is on offer and what is manageable from a commitment point of view for students and families. Please take a look at the details on the school website with regards to each sport before signing up as we take the names and follow up straight away. To find out more please click: https://www.wakatipu.school.nz/sports.html 

WHS Sports Hoody Order 2021
This year there will be one sports hoody order being placed each term. The dates orders close are below. The WHS sports hoody is the outer garment for sports teams which is worn to games/tournaments and can also be worn for PE classes. It is not limited to sports and anyone can order one, however they are not a school uniform item and cannot be worn around school during the school day. 
Term 1 - 12th March
Term 2 - 28th May
Term 3 - 20th August
Term 4 - 29th October
If you would like to order a school sports hoody please click this link: https://forms.gle/bRoaZ95YZZgzQ7qk6
If your child would like to size up a hoody before placing an order, they can pop into the sports office and try one on. Hoodies are $70.00 and will be charged to school accounts. 

Keep Us Informed
The sports department would love to hear from you if you know of any awesome achievements from our students so that we can celebrate these as a school. Please send through details and photos to lnathan@wakatipu.school.nz. 

Support Sport at WHS
Jump on board and support the team by liking or following the Wakatipu High School Sports Facebook page. This is the best way to stay informed and up to date with the successes of our athletes and teams and help celebrate their great achievements. https://www.facebook.com/WakatipuHighSchoolSports/ 

Key Dates

WHS Schoolzine App

We have updated our communications system and have a brand new app. Please ensure you (all parents, caregivers and students) have downloaded it to your device as this is how we will communicate school alerts, student notices and our weekly newsletter.  The app also features a new absence form, the online school cafe shop, a calendar and some handy links! 

A reminder for students to also check the Student Noticeboard regularly.

WHS Foundation

Community Notices