WHS Newsletter | Issue 2.07 | 01 July 2022

Associate Principal's Message

‘Bienvenidos al final de otra semana increīble en WHS’. Welcome to the end of another great week at WHS in which the International Languages Week was celebrated and our ‘great all-round education’ was on full display. 

Beginning with the academics, many of our Year 10 students completed their Numeracy & Literacy assessments which will be an integral part of the NCEA qualification moving forward, and Seniors have been focused on finalising a number of  internal assessments. We’ve been doing a number of walk-throughs and needless to say, great teaching and learning and high levels of student engagement has been on display. It is nice to see everyone striving to finish the Term strong.

Learning Engagement reports are now available on the Portal and next week, our mid-year reports will be published to the Portal. Junior students will be able to access their marks from their Semester 1 courses, including last week’s junior assessments and senior students should start to see an increasing number of internal credits, as they strive to achieve the academic goals that were set at the start of the year. Additionally, Kaiārahi comments will provide a summary of how students have gone through the first half of what has been a trying and challenging year, due to covid and sickness. Please be sure to have a thorough look through the reports over the holidays and discuss with students any changes to habits or study that may be required in anticipation of Term 3. 

As a reminder, the Academic & Junior Council Lead Prefects have initiated an Academic tutoring programme in which senior students are providing free after school tutoring in a range of subjects. With more than 40 senior students volunteering their time to tutor, we still have places available for students who would like support with their studies. Tutoring is after school in the library and students from Year 9 - 13  can sign up for a free  tutor using the form below.

In addition to our focus on teaching and learning, there have been a wide range of extra and co-curricular activities happening at WHS this week. The newsletter is a testament to that so make sure you have a read.

Matatū training has been a key feature of the week, including the training day yesterday, in anticipation of the big assembly next Friday. Unfortunately, due to our continued growth and numbers, parents are unable to attend Matatū performances this year but we are planning to Livestream the event on our Facebook page from 1.30pm next Friday (and roll on our new double gym, which is on track for the start of 2023).

Sport - Congratulations to Azaria Briscoe and Lucy Sinclair who have been selected to represent New Zealand at the World Sport Climbing Championships in America in August (see Sports section below for more details).

Citizenship - Today was a mufti-day to support the fundraising efforts for the 40 Hour Famine (see below for more details). Good Luck to all those with their fundraising efforts this weekend. This week we have also been collecting non-perishable items as part of our annual 'Can for a Cause' drive. All items will be donated to Baskets of Blessings and Happiness House next week. Thanks for supporting the cause.

Leadership - We also had another outstanding speaker, John Wikstrom, speak to our students on Thursday morning, as part of our External Speaker Leadership Series, which is proudly supported by the WHS Foundation, who continue to have a profound impact on life at WHS through their generosity. You can see his talk or any of the other excellent speakers on the WHS YouTube Channel.

Lastly, a huge congratulations to our Principal, Steve Hall, for being awarded the Paul Harris Fellow Award this week for his outstanding contribution to WHS and our community. This is an extraordinary and very well deserved award, please see below for more details. 

Back to Mr Hall for the final newsletter of the Term next week, so from me - hope everyone finishes off the term strongly and has a great winter break with plenty of time on the mountain. 

Ngā mihi,

Oded Nathan
Associate Principal

Rotary - Paul Harris Fellow Award

The Queenstown Rotary Club held its annual meeting on Tuesday night which celebrated the changeover of their president, as well as the exceptional work of some of its members over the year. Our Principal Steve Hall was awarded an annual Paul Harris Fellow Award - which is only occasionally given to a non-Rotarian who has made an outstanding contribution to the community. Congratulations, Steve! 

Congratulations also to Lee-Ann Lines who received her third ‘sapphire pin’ and the Pauline Hazelmore trophy for her exceptional service to the club and community - which includes work that she does to support our students. We do wish to acknowledge the amazing work that Rotary does in our community and their ongoing support of Wakatipu High School and our students. 

Uniforms

Wearing our uniform correctly is an expectation of students attending WHS and a way in which students can demonstrate their pride for themselves and for our school. Whilst the vast majority of students have been wearing their uniform correctly, there is a small number of students not meeting expectations. We also know that in many cases there is a connection between uniform and engagement with our school-wide expectations and culture.

Students should be wearing their tie regularly, black polishable low-cut shoes, and blue socks if applicable. We also have the blazer as well as a school jersey for the colder months and students are welcome to wear plain black puffer jackets too on the way to and from school. Students should not be wearing hoodies to, from, or at school. A full breakdown of the uniform expectations can be found on the school website.

Over the coming weeks we will be increasingly focused on wearing the uniform correctly so we would appreciate parents and caregivers checking in with their rangatahi, teenagers that they are meeting expectations. We know that parents and caregivers play an important part in supporting us as a school and have a good opportunity to speak with their sons/daughters before they leave the house each morning. Students not wearing the correct uniform risk escalated responses from members of staff around our expectations.

We thank parents and caregivers for their ongoing tautoko, support of our uniform expectations.

Ryan Gilbertson
Acting Deputy Principal l Kaihāpai Māori

Stars-opoly Community Adventure Day

A couple of Fridays ago, 15 local organisations answered the call to occupy a ‘property’ space on a ‘Stars-opoly’ board, bringing to life a fun way for Year 9 students to connect and learn more about organisations and resources available in their community as part of the 'Community Adventure' component in the Stars programme. It was also an opportunity for local organisations to strengthen their connection to our rangatahi, WHS, and for the students of WHS to see how these organisations fit into their present and future.

United by the Mental Health Foundations ‘5 ways to wellbeing’. Each of the organisations represented one of three categories: 
Connect- talk, listen, be there, feel connected - Mana Tāhuna, WHS Foundation, Whakatipu Youth Trust, Mountain Scene
Be active- Do what you can, enjoy what you do, move your mood- QLDC Sport & Recreation, WHS Sports Department, ParkRun
Give- Your time, your words, your presence - Salvation Army, Happiness House, Whakatipu Reforestation Trust, Whakatipu Wildlife Trust, EnviroSchools, Sustainable Queenstown, Fire & Ambulance, Land Search & Rescue, 
…with the overarching theme of;
Take notice- Remember the simple things that give you joy and
Keep learning- Embrace new experiences, see opportunities, surprise yourself.

When we asked Year 9 students what they liked most about the day/ what they got out of it, they said:
"We learnt a lot of stuff in a fun way"
"I liked learning about the different opportunities that are out in the community"
"I learnt about lots of local organisations and what they do for our community."
"I learnt many new skills and interacted with people I don't normally interact with"

Organisation representatives said:
"It was cool! The students were really engaged."
“Getting to meet the students and engaging with them, hearing their feedback, judging their interest in our organisation”
"Such a cool event. It was just nice to be able to connect with students and talk with them"

WHS Staff said:
"So much variety! Students learnt lots and were prompted to think beyond themselves!"
“A lot of different contributors from our community and they all came well prepared to share with students what they were doing, students were actively involved.”
“Interacting with a wide range of community people and organisations they may not have known.”
"They seemed really engaged. It was really active..."

A very special thanks to the local organisations who volunteered to take time out of their very busy lives to participate in our 2022 Stars-opoly Community Adventure. What you have given is more than time or words. Thank-you for being a part of our journey. 

Cheryl-Kay Phillips
Stars Coordinator

Fire & Emergency have issued all Year 9's a 'mission' to complete
You need to talk to your family about what you have learned, and how we can work together to "Protect your personal space".   Work with your parents to complete the sections within this FORM.  Your answers will help us to gain valuable information about your community.  All information is treated confidentially and all data provided is held securely.

For completing Stars-opoly Community Adventure, all Year 9 students are entitled to a free Home Fire Safety Visit.  The purpose of a Home Fire Safety Visit is to provide advice on home fire safety, smoke alarms and escape plans for you and your family. Fire & Emergency will install a smoke alarm in every Year 9 student's bedroom to "Protect your personal space".  During the visit we will also inspect the smoke alarms within your home and check their operation, to give you and your family early warning if there’s a fire, giving you more time to escape safely. If you are a Year 9 student or parent of a Year 9 student and you would like a Home Fire Safety Visit, please complete the above form. 

Marty Jillings, Senior Advisor
Community Readiness and Recovery – Specialist Fire Investigator, Otago District

40 Hour Famine

The 40 Hour Famine is running from 8pm on Friday 1st July and ends midday Sunday 3rd July 2022 (if these dates don’t suit you, then you can always choose a time that works for you). 

Money raised by the 40 Hour Famine this year will be going toward people across Africa and Asia who don’t have access to clean, safe water.

What can you do to raise money?
Anything you want!  The point is to get sponsorship to help others who are in need.

Some ideas are:

• Every time you need water for drinking, washing, cooking and flushing, you have to collect it in a bucket – no inside taps allowed! Every day, kids walk long distances for water and they can only use what they can carry. Are you up for the challenge?
• Use just 40 litres of water total, for 40 hours. In NZ we use more than 200 litres of water each per day, while millions of kids are trying to survive on as little as 5. Experience life with limited water (set aside 6L for drinking before you start).
• Walk, run, row, ride, swim, skip… 40km in 40 hours. In parts of Africa and Asia, kids carry water an average of 6km a day. That’s 42km a week! Do it in a team and split the kms. Bonus challenge: do each km while carrying a bucket of water.
• How creative can you get with 40 hours? Can you dance, bake, play, paint, make, create? What could you do or go without for 40 hours?

Wilding Pine Removal - Sunday 3 July, 10 am to 1pm
Alice Davis was keen to give back to our local community while raising money for communities overseas.  She has organised wilding pine removal on Coronet Peak to help raise money for the 40 Hour Famine. 

If this sounds like the challenge for you, have a look at the details and fill in the form linked below to take part.

Ngā Reo Languages Report

International Diploma for high school students
The French International Diploma is back and offered at school on Saturday 27 August, registrations are closing this coming week. This is a great opportunity for students to gain their first formal international French diploma.

There are four level to the DELF: A1  (Year 11 French) - A2 (Year 12 French) - B1 (Year 13 French ) - B2 (Year 13 French / Scholarship level).

The DELF Diploma is internationally recognised qualifications that certify the abilities of candidates in the French language.

• It is a diploma which adds a lot to your CV and internationally recognised
• Awarded by the French Ministry of Education
• Assess the four competencies (reading, writing, listening and speaking) at each level.

To register students will require to complete the attached form which is on their Google Classroom assignment + pay (follow instructions on the form) as soon as possible.
Any questions, please email gcharton@wakatipu. school.nz 

Year 11 students interviewing French speaking school staff 
Students in Year 11 French are using the language outside of the classroom to interview staff around school who speak French. This week our guest was Bernardita who works at the school cafe. Students having learnt about how to communicate using the past tense in French asked questions related to past experiences.  This was opportunty to get to know school staff (whanaungatanga) and have meaningful conversations with them in French.

Year 12 & 13 French interviewing Tuki Huck - Tahitian Kiwi Entrepreneur
The fantastique Year 12 and 13 students this week have had the pleasure to interview in French local Tahitian Kiwi entrepreneur Tuki Huck.

This was a great opportunity to ask some deep and meaningful questions to Tuki about his different businesses,  why he came to Queenstown, his native whenua,Tahiti, and its environment, but also ask him for advice in terms of careers and future pathways. In Tuki's own words: 'Il faut etre positif, et choisir quelque chose que vous aimez vraiment faire', 'be positive, choose something that you really love '. 
Un grand merci beaucoup a Tuki et aux superbes etudiants!

Whakatipu Schools Languages Championship 2022
This week we have been celebrating languages and Year 7,8,9 and 10 students across the Whakatipu have been entered in an Education Perfect Languages competition, this is the second year we are running such an event.

What a Languages comp this has been so far...on Thursday evening at the time of writing this piece 67,000 questions have been answered!

So far results are:
1st place Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau showing some amazing learning!!! (answered 10,000 questions for 18 users)
2nd place is St. Joseph's School  (answered 8,000 questions for 25 users)
3rd place Wakatipu High School (answered 15,000 questions for 572 users)
4th place Remarkables Primary School  (answered 1300 questions for 153 users)

To keep this championship fair we have decided to have results proportional to the number of users hence the amazing score of the primary schools, you guys rock! Well done to each akonga of each kura and to their kaiako of course for pushing them to discover new languages!

Final results will be announced on Monday!
Kia kaha to all junior students who are taking part in this fun competition!
Guillaume Charton - HOLA Ngā Reo Languages 

Ngā Manu Kōrero - Speech Competition

Hayley Hollings took on a big challenge recently ,standing at the Ngā Manu Kōrero speech competition for the Ōtākou region, held in Waihōpai/Invercargill. She competed in the Korimako - Senior English section, with a 6-8 minute prepared speech, and a 3 minute impromptu speech, and stood along side some of the brightest young Māori speakers in the Otago region. Hayley did Whakatipu proud, coming in 3rd place for the impromptu speech section. This was a huge achievement for Wakatipu High School and a great experience for all ākonga that attended.  
Ngā mihi nui Hayley, me poho kererū koe! 

Te Iti o Tāhuna - Matariki Celebrations

Te Iti o Tāhuna had a busy Matariki weekend with multiple performances. The first of these was at the Airport to welcome the first international Air New Zealand flights returning to Queenstown. The rōpū marked the occassion with an impressive performance under the welcoming chief statues. 
They then performed a bracket at the Mana Tāhuna Matariki event where they did themselves and the school proud with an outstanding performance that wowed our Māori community.  
The rōpu wrapped up the weekend with two performances at the Mākete  Matariki /Matariki Market. They braved the cold to entertain market goers and once again put on a rawe performance. 
Ka nui te mihi ki Te Iti o Tāhuna, along with tutors Callum and Sydney, and our mīharo supporters Steph, Emily, and Jason. Mei kore ake koutou. 
Mānawatia a Matariki!

Science Buskers host Arrowtown Cub Pack

On Tuesday the WHS Science Buskers hosted the Arrowtown Cub Pack for an evening of science discovery. The Cubs were able to get hands on experience thanks to a keen and enthusiastic group of Buskers who ran 4 activity stations that included; Oobleck with Isaac McCartney, Lava lamps with Emily Gilbert, Acid/Base chemistry with Ruby Phelon and Sammy Sision, and Fire tornadoes with Liam McCord. The evening was opened with Ruby demonstrating her version of the famous ‘Chemical Clock’ experiment and the finale to the evening included a spectacular ‘Elephant's Toothpaste’, a mesmerising ‘glowing’  version of ‘Elephant’s Toothpaste’ developed by Minnie Tam. Oscar McCartney demonstrated his bottle rocket - using hydrogen and oxygen (proper rocket fuel) and Emily Gilbert closed the evening with the ever popular ‘Big Bertha’. The Cubs were a fantastic group to work with. A very curious group of budding young scientists! This was the first opportunity for the Buskers to present and perform for 2022 and they thoroughly enjoyed sharing their passion for science. 

Local scholarships and other opportunities

Veolia and Wakatipu High School Scholarship
This year, Veolia has launched a new scholarship for Year 13 Wakatipu High School students heading into tertiary study in 2023. Applications for this scholarship open on 1 July and close on 31 July.  The annual scholarship will see $5,000 awarded to a WHS student wanting to undertake a degree in environmental sciences, natural resources, and engineering-type disciplines.  Refer to the link below for guidelines/criteria and the application form.

Central Lakes Trust Scholarships
The annual Central Lakes Trust (CLT) scholarships, each worth $2,500, aim to assist students in further education beyond secondary school. Central Lakes Trust Scholarships are for individuals wishing to commence their first-year full-time tertiary education, apprenticeship or vocational training in 2022. Applications for this scholarship open on 1 July and close on 29 July.

Cosgroves Scholarship
The Cosgroves scholarship is established to provide financial assistance to students of Wakatipu High School so that they might attend a University in NZ. The scholarship is aimed at Year 13 students wanting to specialise in one of Cosgroves five disciplines of Mechanical, Hydraulic, Fire, Electrical and Civil engineering. The scholarship is valued at $2,500. Applications for this scholarship open on 1 July and close on 12 August.

Year 13 students are encouraged to apply for scholarships.  For a comprehensive guide to a range of University, Regional, Industry and Sport Scholarships that are available for our Year 13 students, please see link below. 

Tertiary Course Planning in Term 3
University Liaison Officers visit Wakatipu High School during Term 3 for course planning and to assist students with the transition from school to university. This is a good time to look at individual interests and help students put their first-year course together. These visits are scheduled to take place on the following dates:

• University of Auckland - 12 August 
• Auckland University of Technology - 15 August 
• University of Canterbury - TBC
• Otago Polytechnic - 5 September
• Victoria University of Wellington - 13 September
  
• Massey University - 23 September
• University of Otago - 27 September
  

Are you considering a career in the NZ Army?
Do you want to know more about the New Zealand Army and what a career can look like and provide you? Over the next two months, they will be running a range of Webinars covering all trades and roles offered. From leadership to information technology to trades and combat specialists, they have a Webinar that will answer any questions you may have! 

The attached poster has a list of our upcoming events. The Webinars are via Microsoft Teams where they will have a panel of current serving soldiers and officers who will provide an insight into particular trades and roles. The sessions are interactive and allow for participants to ask questions of the members throughout. 

To register, open the link below and simply scan the QR codes of the events you want to attend.

StudyLink
Having enough money when you're studying can be a challenge. We understand that a lot of students know when to apply for Studylink payments but they sometimes don’t know what they are applying for. The link below contains some key messages, aimed at parents, to help spread the word about what is available.  The topics covered are:

• First-year fees-free
• Study jargon – EFTS
• Student Loan
• Student Allowance
• When to apply
• How to apply
• Extra payments

Deputy Head Girl Message

Kia Ora, 

And that draws close to the second last week of Term Two!! It's crazy how fast the year is going by, but I hope you are all taking advantage of the opportunities as they come your way. This Term is very busy, and the next will be no different, so make the most of your last week of school before the holidays. 

Below is a short message I recently wrote for the Monday Mixtape, and it goes as follows:

As we start to reach those final weeks before a well-deserved break, tensions are high. Seniors are jam-packed with internals and assessments, juniors are sitting exams, and all of the extracurriculars are happening at the same time, school trips the list goes on and the pressure might be getting to you. It’s times like these where it is really important to be kind to yourself and to one another. One of the Head Students ‘five whys’ (or goals for WHS) is that we want a culture in which people care for one another, are kind and that they feel safe. Check up on your friends, make sure they are doing ok, ask them how their week is going and maybe you could find the time to hang out and do something fun over the weekend. Check up on your teachers, how are they doing? Check up on yourself, how are you? It’s not hard to be kind and to care for one another, and when everyone is moving fast at the moment, sometimes a hello or how are you, can make someone’s day.

This idea of kindness and supporting each other is crucial, especially through these times. Spend that last week of school focusing on being kind and caring for one another, getting into the habit of it so we can create an overall kind, caring and safe school environment for all. 

This week saw lots of Matatū training, International language week and many other things…

Matatū is only one week away!! Each of the Houses are starting to practise even more and harder in hopes of winning the competition which takes place next Friday. This is a really great opportunity for students to learn the school haka and waita and to just get involved. I am really excited to see what is produced and well done to all who are participating. 

International language week took place this week. From this schools from around the basin competed in a languages competition, which saw Wakatipu High School coming in 3rd. What a great way for the schools in our community to be involved with each other!

Today was also a mufti day in support of World Vision 40hr Famine. Good luck to all who participate in the 40hr Famine over this weekend and I hope you all reach your fundraising goals!!! 

One final message from me, Breakfast club has now moved to every day before school! So, if you have something in the morning, didn’t have time for breakfast, or are just still hungry then come along. Cereals, toast, milo and more located in the Arthur social space, open to anyone at no cost. 

That's all from me! I hope everyone has a great last week of school!

Sophie Thompson
Deputy Head Girl 

Sports and Active Recreation News

New Zealand Secondary Schools Cross Country Champs
It was a remarkable effort by our runners at the New Zealand Secondary School Cross Country Champs in Nelson where two students finished in the top 10 and two students won gold medals in the provincial relay race. A huge congratulations to Year 9 student James Weber who finished 7th in the Year 9 Boys 3000m race (the highest finish of any WHS boy ever) and to Siena Mackley who finished 9th in the Junior Girls 3000m race. Jude Deaker finished 23rd in the Junior Boys event and Sammy Fookes finished 33rd in the Senior Girls 4000m race. These are all awesome achievements in really large fields of well over 100 runners. Sammy and Siena were also members of the gold medal winning Southland/Otago Senior Girls team which won the 5x 2000m relay on Sunday. A huge shout out to coach Neville Britton for all of his great work with these athletes.

Southland Junior Netball Champs
There has been more netball action for our junior netball teams who competed in the Southland Junior Netball Champs on Sunday 19th of June. It was an awesome result for our Year 9 team who finished runners up in the Year 9 grade, with a very close 17-16 final against Central Southland College. The Year 10 team also had a tight 1-goal loss to CSC in their 3rd and 4th playoff which went into overtime. Final score was 17-16 to CSC. Congratulations to all of our players for an awesome day! Both teams have a break from tournaments as they prepare for the Junior South Island Netball Champs in Christchurch in the first weekend of the school holidays.

NZ Climbing Selections for World Champs
A huge congratulations to our sport climbing students Azaria Briscoe and Lucy Sinclair who have been selected to represent New Zealand at the 2022 World Youth Championships in America in August. The girls will be competing in both Lead and Boulder disciplines. 17 Youth A, B and junior athletes will represent New Zealand at the World Champs in Lead, Speed and/or Boulder events. This is a truly remarkable achievement, well done Azaria and Lucy!

National Indoor Bouldering Series 2022
WHS students have recently climbed in the first two rounds of the NZ Alpine Club National Indoor Bouldering Series in Queenstown and Auckland. The current results after the first two rounds are:
Cybella Briscoe - 1st U16F
Alisa Schenk - 3rd U14F
Oscar McCartney also placed 7th in the U16M in the first round in Queenstown back in May. Round 3 will take place in Christchurch in July, followed by the final event in Wellington in August. Good luck to all the WHS climbers taking part!

Canterbury/Westland and SISS Karate Champs
Mackenzi Jackson and Nicole Carey competed in Christchurch at the Canterbury/Westland and South Island School Championships. Mackenzi won four gold medals and Nicole one silver and two bronze medals.
Canterbury/Westland Championships 
Mackenzi - 1st Kata & 1st Kumite 16/17 years
Nicole Carey - 2nd Kata & 3rd Kumite 16/17 years
South Island Schools Championships:
Mackenzi Jackson - 1st Kata & 1st Kumite U19 Womens
Nicole Carey - 3rd Kata U14 Girls

Southern Stampede Players
Congratulations to Year 12 Lachlan Boniface and Year 13 Jake Pankhurst who have been named as part of the 2022 Southern Stampede team this year. They join former students Axel Ruski-Jones, CJ Kemp and Tyler Challenor as the younger members of the team. Last weekend the team played the Dunedin Thunder and Lachlan was dressed to play. Jake Pankhurst, who plays goalie, was also recently named as MVP for the Mako, the U23 team that was established last season. Well done Lachy and Jake.

Ice Skating
The Queenstown Ice Skating Club started its competitive season with three WHS students competing at the Ice Sports Southland competition in Gore. Megan Carr placed 2nd in the Juvenile grade while Amy Carr was 3rd. In the Elementary grade Shiloh Thurston finished 4th. Sabine Edmonds also undertook testing and passed two tests recently in Dunedin to move up from Juvenile to the Basic Novice grade where she will compete later this season. Well done girls!

Opportunities

WHS Sports Hoody Order
If you would like to order a sports hoody and are yet to do so this year, we have another order open from now until Friday 8th July. If you are likely to be going to winter tournament this is a really good item to have. These can be ordered and paid for on the sports website here: https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/200493

Sports Participation Badges
Badge emails will be sent out early next week to students who have earned their participation badges for their winter sports. These need to be purchased by Break 2 Friday 8th July. More details will be in the email.

Race Tekapo
Race Tekapo is coming to Lake Tekapo on the 17th of September. There are multiple distances to choose from, including walk options in some of the events. This is going to be an epic weekend for the district, with people coming from all over New Zealand and Australia to attend. We hope to see you there! www.racetekapo.com 

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/ 

Laura Nathan
Director of Sport

Arts News & Information

What is Showquest?
Showquest is a performing arts platform for schools produced by Rockquest Promotions Ltd with the support of the Ministry of Education, World of Wearable Art, Rockshop & ZM. Showquest supports schools and ākonga around Aotearoa from years 1 – 13 to showcase Art, Music, Dance, Drama, Culture & Technology.

Last week a group of 32 students were lucky enough to travel to Invercargill to compete in the Showquest Otago/Southland Regional Finals. Wakatipu High Schools' piece centered around the 5 stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. This theme was chosen as so many people worldwide are grieving yet there is still a huge stigma around it. We wanted to take the opportunity to acknowledge this growing issue in today's society. Furthermore, we hoped to normalise people's grief.

Unfortunately because of Covid-19, we weren't able to perform to an audience and our performance was professionally recorded instead. We were still super lucky to be able to go down to Invercargill and the showquest team made the experience just as awesome. We even came up with a school chant for the trip too!  We are super proud of everyone who got involved. You guys worked super hard and you absolutely nailed it!! Special thanks to Maddox Newell and Sam Glover for our awesome lighting, and a big thank you to Kane Viggers for our epic backdrop video. 

Mikaela Patterson and Rochelle Tickle 
2022 showquest student captains

In a year where performing arts was still seeing the impacts of covid, I was very excited to see 30 students involved in producing a spectacular performance for Showquest. We had an array of students from different year levels and skill sets, and this diversity added great value to our stage. One of the most rewarding things to watch was the 'passing of the baton' between the levels of experience between performers and watching them build something together. Many students stepped up and impressed me with their ability to learn, lead and encourage others, which made me very proud. This event is an opportunity to use all of the performing arts to put a message on stage, so I am delighted with this year's work and can't wait to see what we produce in 2023.

Genevieve Foster
Dance & Drama Teacher

Rockquest Regionals
The Rockquest Regional finals was a couple of weeks ago. We have some amazing talent at WHS! It has been such a delight to watch these students get out on stage and give it everything they've got! You should all be so proud- because we certainly are! 

Regional FINAL SOLO/DUO Acts (Second place) - Billie Cary. Billie now progresses to the next stage of the event which is a national semi-final. 

Regional HEAT BANDS who progress through to the Regional Final;
Cherry Garden (Ollie Bailey, Connor Ravenwood, Jack Bromwich, Luke Crighton)
The Goose Pies (Harper Souness, Lincoln Reddell, Ted Coutts)
H'n'R (Hannah Winter, Naomi Mitchell, Rochelle Tickle)
Eye Contact (Jack Speedy, Cam McKenzie, Sam Glover, Jasper Feenstra)
Estrogen (Ruby Ross, Emily Johnstone, Mya Wilcox, Mikaela Patterson)
From the 12 bands selected for the Regional Final, two acts will progress to the national semi-final.

Junior Art - Spaces and Places (5ART4)
There are four very different and specific junior art classes for students to gain skills within visual arts. This week looking at the Spaces and Places (landscapes) class. The students learn about the main elements of Visual Arts while focusing on specific techniques used to make landscapes. The students have done a great job learning about landscape artists and improving their skills.

Excellence in 6ARP
The Arts Department would like to celebrate some of the artwork that has been created throughout the first semester of 2022.
This week we are sharing Mrs Hamilton’s Year 11 painters (6ARP) who achieved excellence in their work. The students have spent hours developing their ideas and creating these fabulous pieces of art.

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 through details and photos to mparker@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 Monica Parker the Arts Coordinator at mparker@wakatipu.school.nz. 

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

Argyle Uniform Price Increase

Due to the steady increase of operating costs, our supplier Argyle, have increased the cost of the items that they supply for us. These increases will come into effect as of the 1st July 2022.  The new prices will be reflected on their website which can be accessed at the link below. 

Careers - Career Profile of the Week

This week we find out what it takes to build a career in architecture. Happy reading!

Careers - Job Vacancies for Students

Student Job Vacancies can be viewed at the link below. Please join the google classroom with the code: 3spycgk

WHS Foundation

Community Notices

From Year 9 your child can be seen by a private dentist, and yes, it’s still free until their 18^th birthday. You can call your dentist directly to make an appointment. For a list of dentists that offer the free treatment go to https://www.southernhealth.nz/services/southern-dhb-adolescent-oral-health-service

Registrations are now open for our Term 3 Futsal.  Full details are at the following links:

New Members Registration Link - Futsal
Existing Members Registration Link - Futsal
Registrations close on 22nd July.  
Futsal timings and full details
Many thanks

QAFC Committee

Driving lessons & Street Talk Defensive Driving Courses
Dan Gerard Driving Instruction now has three driving instructors, offering the choice of both male and female driving instructors. Members of the New Zealand Institute of Driver Educators (NZIDE). The instructors offer high quality driver training in Queenstown. They cover a range of driving lessons

• Learner lessons for beginners
• Assessment  for Learner drivers who have been taught by family and need their skills polished before sitting their Restricted Test
• Refresher lessons to brush up before sitting their Full Test
• Reversing and parking tuition - simple techniques for confidence when parallel parking and reversing
• Street Talk defensive driving courses

Website:               www.drivinginstruction.co.nz
Email Rachael:    info@drivinginstruction.co.nz
Rachael Gerard: 027 273 9610               Dan Gerard: 027 349 2447

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and purchase your Entertainment Membership from us today!!