WHS Newsletter | Issue 2.08 | 08 July 2022

Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome to the Wakatipu High School newsletter at the end of Term 2. Unfortunately I am writing this from home as this week I have had Covid and worked from home for the week. More on Covid later, but first my very sincere congratulations to our Associate Principal, Mr Nathan on his appointment as the next principal of WHS. Oded and I have worked very closely together over the last 10 years, and he has been a major contributor to the progress and successes of that journey. I feel very confident that with him at the helm WHS is in great hands for the future.

A challenging term has finished well with our Matatū Assembly this afternoon (which I watched on the livestream), which is an important part of our school and culture and all-round education. Once again today the performances looked great - reflecting the work and effort that has been put in over the last few weeks. A huge thanks to the Deans, staff and student House leaders who have supported the preparation, and congratulations to all of the students who participated. It looked close from the livestream, congratulations to Hay House on their win :)

Absence due to Covid and seasonal illness has made this a challenging term for students and staff. While last week was lower, and more in line with typical Term 2 levels, absence has been high again this week with approx 20% or more of students absent every day. You may have seen in the media earlier in the week the predictions for the beginning of a second wave, and the rise in case numbers this week. We really hope this does not happen, but we have begun to prepare in case it does. While we have managed to avoid rostering home this term, if next term did need to start with it we would begin with Year 10s on the Monday, and would notify you of this on the Sunday afternoon (when we know the status of our staffing). Our fingers are very crossed for a ‘normal’ start and Term 3.

The other significant moment that today represents is effectively the end of the Phase 2 disruption. Over the holidays the new SE wing and modified southside first floor of the main building will be blessed and (re)opened, and the last of the Learning Areas will make their final move to their proper locations and we will finish using the temporary classrooms. This will be a significant moment as it will be the end of many years of planning, preparation, construction, moving and disruption. It is amazing to think that it is nearly finished, and it will be so good for WHS for it to  finally be done. My thanks to staff and students for their patience and forbearance over the last few years.

Reports and associated emails should be out and up on the Portal by this evening. Please do have a good look at them for how your student is progressing. A reminder that LE Report 6, which was also the final one for Semester 1 for juniors, went up on the Portal last week.

2022 is an election year nationally for school boards. While the election will be held in September and there will be more information next term, the first step is the call for nominations for potential board members. As a principal I have been blessed with outstanding boards and chairs who have operated very effectively at the governance and strategic level and made a significant difference to the direction and progress of WHS. It is very important that good people put themselves forward for these important roles for WHS. We will send out a formal letter on the election process at the start of Term 3, but please note that nominations will close on 17th August.

Staying with boards, at the meeting on Monday evening we presented a review of our academic results from last year compared to national data. Once again we have done well as a school, with a highlight being that our NCEA Level 2 results (94%) are in the top 3% of state co-ed schools. We do strive to support our students to leave WHS with the best possible qualification so that they have options and opportunities for their futures, and our results are showing that we are continuing to do a pretty good job of that.

Term 3 is always an awesome and action-packed term, and please see Key Dates below as there are some important events in the first few weeks. Below is a really good newsletter to finish the term, including our 1-2 in the Readers Cup - awesome!

Term 2 is always challenging, but the ongoing absence of staff and students as well as Phase 2 has made this one particularly so. We know that at least one of those things is going to be better next term and fingers crossed that the other one improves too (and if not then we’ll deal with it), but my very real thanks to staff and students for their perseverance and resilience this term. I wish everyone a really great holiday and a well-deserved break before we begin again on Monday 25th :)

Steve Hall
Principal

Key Dates for the Start of Term 3

Covid-19 Update

The Government advice for people who have COVID-19 symptoms more than 28 days after having had COVID-19 has been updated. 

Please let the school know if you are isolating or have COVID-19. You must follow the health advice below and can not choose to come to school if you are required by these rules to isolate. School will require students presenting with symptoms to go home. 

If you have symptoms:
If you’ve had COVID-19 in the last 28 days and have symptoms again, you don’t need to take a RAT. It’s likely that your symptoms relate to your initial infection. You should stay home and recover.

If you get new COVID-19 symptoms and it has been 29 days or more after your previous infection, you should take a RAT and follow advice for a positive case. Don’t forget to record your result on www.MyCovidRecord.nz

If you test positive, this will be treated as a reinfection and you must isolate for 7 days: https://covid19.govt.nz/isolation.../if-you-have-covid-19/

If your result is negative, you might still have COVID-19. Your symptoms could also be caused by another infection such as the flu or another virus. If symptoms continue, you should repeat a RAT 48 hours later. If it’s still negative, stay home until 24 hours after symptoms have gone.

The rules for Household Contacts stay the same: https://covid19.govt.nz/.../contact.../household-contacts/

• Household Contacts must isolate for 7 days and get tested.
• If you have had COVID-19 in the past 3 months, you do not need to isolate again.
• If you have completed your isolation as a household contact in the last 10 days, you do not need to isolate again.

Household Contacts who do not have to isolate, should watch for symptoms and take a RAT if any develop. They should still take precautions when out and about: wearing a mask when indoors; not visiting places with vulnerable people like aged care and disability facilities, and hospitals; and avoiding crowded indoor events.

Masks
The way mask exemptions are processed by the government has changed. If schools were mandated to wear masks again (which has been spoken of by health experts in the media), then we would require those with exemptions to have followed the new process and have one of the new exemptions. 

Please note that when you apply you are making a legal declaration that at least one of these: physical illness, a mental illness, a condition or a disability applies to you.

You can find all the instructions here: https://www.health.govt.nz/covid-19-novel-coronavirus/covid-19-health-advice-public/covid-19-use-face-masks-community/covid-19-advice-people-who-have-difficulties-wearing-face-mask

We do not require these to be emailed to school at this stage, this is just an opportunity to be ready if masks in schools are reintroduced by the government. 

Lee Hiestand
Deputy Principal

WHS Board Election 2022

Two wins for our Wakatipu Readers!

On the 4^th of July, we headed back to Invercargill for our annual event competing in the Readers’ Cup Competition, and two of our Year 9 teams took the limelight in the Southland-Otago regionals! So, what is Readers’ Cup? It is a quiz based on a range of books. Students read these books and answer (often the most obscure) questions.

Each year, every Year 9 English class competes for title of ‘class top team’. These teams representing every English class then compete for the honour of representing the school in the Regionals. For 2022, we took down two teams of four Year 9’s, dedicated and diligent to reading five novels, and completing the high-pressure questioning on each book. Not only did we come first, but we scored second place as well beating Central Southland, Verdon, Southland Girls', and James Hargest!

The winning team: Sabine Edwards, Ankita Pilo, Isla McGlynn, Indy Hamilton

Closely followed by: Maggie Langford, Heidi Green, Rosa Dawson, Eve Pagan

Our winning team goes to Auckland shortly to compete in the Nationals. Many thanks to our teachers, Monique Riddell and Logan Rae for accompanying the students to Invercargill.

- Ms Jackie Rodgers (Readers’ Cup Co-ordinator)

Wrapping up Stars for Term 2

Peer Mentors of Arthur House: Keira Jamieson, Lily Adams, Jess Brian and Joe Baker have spoken highly of their Year 9 Ako group (9NAY) since the beginning of the year when they were randomly matched together. On the last day of Stars for Term 2,  they suprised the class with home baking as a 'thank you for being awesome' end of term treat. We love seeing the bond between Peer Mentors and Year 9's blossom throughout the year, whilst showing the postive impact both parties have on each other.

In last week's feedback form we asked Year 9's to share how Peer Mentors make them feel. These are some of the sweet responses we recieved: 
"they make me feel safe and they are also fun"
"good, they're really supportive and encourage us to do better"
"They make me feel supported."
"I always feel like im going to have fun"

Keira Jamieson has also been chosen to join the National Youth Advisory Group (NYAG) for the Graeme Dingle Foundation (GDF) where she will be the Youth Representative for the Southern Region.  There are 12 members in total from the Project K, Career Navigator, Ngā Ara Whetū and Stars programmes from across Aotearoa. Youth Advisors provide a ‘youth's voice’ on processes and content in our programmes. In return, they are provided with opportunities for personal and professional development.  Next term GDF will fly Keira up to Wellington to meet with all the other Youth Advisor representatives across the country at our annual hui for three days.  We have no doubt with Keira's enthusiastic, hardworking, caring, fun, approachable and positive nature, that she will make us proud whilst representing WHS and GDF Southern. 

You can read more about Stars at WHS here

Cheryl Phillips
Stars Coordinator

Sustainable Queenstown
During our Stars-opoly event in week 7, Sustainable Queenstown saw a lot of anxiety come up in their conversations with the students around climate change. But more importantly, a keen interest in getting more involved within the organisation. Since our event, Sustainable Queenstown have reached out and would like to involve students  in helping beat climate change just by making the right decisions. They're keen to inspire students to make a meaningful impact whilst getting more involvement in the youth demographic.

With Plastic Free July happening RIGHT NOW, Sustainable Queenstown will be running various campaigns and awareness programs to promote this awesome cause! If any students would like to volunteer for this campaign contact Lucy Deuble, or to learn more please visit their Facebook page.

Fire & Emergency have issued all Year 9's a 'mission' to complete
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 this FORM.

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

Gifted Education - ICAS assessments registration now open!

Kia ora koutou,

Wakatipu High School will be once again hosting the ICAS assessments. The following assessments are available to register for, each with a fee of $20.70 (except Writing which costs $27.03):

Digital Technologies - Available for Years 9-11 and sat between the 8th-12th August.
Writing - Available for Years 9-13 and sat between the 8th - 12th August.
English - Available for Years 9-13 and sat between the 15th - 19th August.
Science - Available for Years 9-13 and sat between the 22nd - 26th August.
Mathematics - Available for Years 9-13 and sat between the 29th August - 2nd September. 

To register and pay for the assessments please visit the link below and use the code EUM725 before the 1st of August.

If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to ask!

Ngā mihi nui,

Kyle Jackson - Gifted Coordinator
kylejackson@wakatipu.school.nz

Lead Prefect Message

Kia Ora Koutou, 

What a hectic term it has been and congratulations to each and every one of you for putting in the hard yards and making it through. This term has been jam-packed with assessments, extracurriculars and more and I’m sure everyone is ready for a well deserved break. 

Today saw our annual Matatū assembly take place and as per usual it was awesome. All of the Houses have been practising during Ako times and breaks for the past few weeks and the hard work has really payed off. The quality of performance was great and it’s awesome to see so many students learning the school haka and waiata and performing it with pride. The House competition continues to thrive and next term there are many more opportunities for Houses to rack up some points. In week one waka stars will be taking place and week two is the annual House basketball competition which is always a great occasion so make sure to get amongst the action. To quote our Kīanga o te wiki this week, “'Mo te hemo tonu atu' -  Give it heaps! Go hard out! Do it to the death!”

Last week was WHS’ 'Can for a Cause' which was run by the Community and Service Council. In total we collected upwards of 400 cans from WHS students which is an awesome achievement. These are to be donated to both Happiness House and Baskets of Blessings to help out many families in need especially as it will be one of the more challenging winters that our community has faced. It’s really awesome that we are able to give back to the community that has given us so much. 

This Term has also seen our external speaker series continue to flourish. Last week we heard from John Wikstrom about leadership in business and he left us with many valuable takeaways. Something that stuck with me was a quote, “leadership is the capacity to translate vision into reality”. There are bunch of awesome speakers lined up for next term including ex WHS pupil Beatrice Onions, philanthropist Kaye Parker, and CEO of QAC Glen Sowry so if you would like to attend any of these sessions keep an eye out for Mr Nathan’s weekly email or flick him or any of the head students an email who will be more than happy to pass along the details.

Term 3 is going to be just as jam packed as this one has been with the opening of the south east wing of the new build, university trips, winter tournament week, and senior exams so make sure to stay up to date by keeping track of your internal assessments calendar and all of your extracurriculars. Planning out your week is a great way to stay on top of your workload and keep a healthy balance between school, extracurriculars and down time. With that in mind make sure to take a well deserved break over the next two weeks, rest and enjoy some time away. Have a great holiday everyone and see you next term!

Jett Fa'amalepe
Māori Lead Prefect

Arts News & Information

Youthtown Concert - Billie Carey
Last Thursday night Billie Carey was flown up to Auckland to perform at the Play It Strange concert which celebrated the competition winners from 2021. This was held at the Tuning Fork and featured the top songwriters from schools around the country as well as a range of people from the music industry. Billie's song, 'Dance With Me' won the David Richwhite award for best lyrics in the Youthtown competition, which featured around 300 song entries. This was a huge achievement and reflects the time and commitment that Billie invests in her music. We are so proud and can't wait to see what you do next Billie!

Junior Still Life - 5ART1
Our junior still life classes have been creating cake sculptures based on artist model Claus Oldenberg. They have taken cake decorating to the next level! 

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

Sports and Active Recreation News

Southland Secondary Schools Senior Netball Champs
The Senior A and B Netball teams competed at the Senior Southland Champs on Sunday in Invercargill. Both teams fared well winning their 3rd/4th playoff matches. The Senior A team finished third out of eight teams and the Senior B team finished third out of six teams. The Senior A team will continue to build towards Senior South Island Secondary School Champs over the next six weeks. Thank you very much to coaches Kay O’Connell, Mrs Kemp and Tracy Galbraith as well as umpires Sherryn Smith and Rachel Scobie.

Otago Swim Champs
WHS had two swimmers compete at the Otago Swimming Champs last weekend. Connor Paton took home a gold medal in the 1500m freestyle, a silver in the 100m butterfly and top five finishes in his five other races. Jacob Marriott collected a gold medal in the 400m freestyle and a bronze in the 200m freestyle, as well as top five finishes in each of his other four races. The Queenstown Swimming Club relay team also managed a 4th placing in the open 4 x 50 medley relay. Well done Connor and Jacob!

Southland Table Tennis Champs
It was an awesome day of table tennis action down in Invercargill on Wednesday, with three WHS teams competing in the Southland Secondary School Table Tennis Champs. Congratulations to Hamish McDowell, Daniel Jeffrey, Daniel Davies, Remy Vaviars, McKellar Thornton, Will Pope, Ethan Mendoza, Rohil Prasad, and Thisanka Weeraddana. The boys conducted themselves amazingly, both on and off the tables, and were a pleasure to take down. A huge thank you to Meadow Kolsen Ridd for all of her support with table tennis this year.

SISS Dog Agility Champs
Jess and Jacob Wilkinson recently competed at the South Island Dog Agility Interschool Champs. Between them they got enough points to take out the top schools trophy. Jess competed in the experienced classes which run their own dogs where she got a first, second and a fourth placing across two grades. Both students competed in the open class where they draw a dog out of a hat and the competitor has 10 minutes to learn how to run that dog before competing. Jake finished with a second and Jess finished with a first and a third in the open classes. Well done Jess and Jacob!

Junior SISS Netball Champs
We wish our 9A and 10A Netball teams all the very best next week as they compete at the Junior South Island Secondary School Champs in Christchurch. This is a massive tournament and the pinnacle event for the junior netball teams. Go well!

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 Wednesday 11th 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

Table Tennis 
Students interested in playing table tennis after school are welcome to join drop in sessions at the Events Centre; Mondays 4-6pm in the upstairs function room. All students and their friends are welcome to join! Please join the Table Tennis Google Classroom or email Mrs Kolsen Ridd at mkslenridd@wakatipu.school.nz to keep up to date with information about these sessions. Thank you to Alexa at the QLDC for assisting with this.

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

Local scholarships and other opportunities

Margaret Templeton Tertiary Study Scholarship
Valued $15,000 over 3 years ie $5,000 per year - This scholarship is open to students who reside in the Wakatipu Basin and was set up to support those who would find it extremely difficult to meet the financial cost of tertiary study. Evidence of the financial position of the applicant and parents will be required to establish need for support. Applications must be returned to the Careers Hub no later than midday on Thursday 29th September, so that we can deliver to Anderson Lloyd by Friday 30th September. The Household Income Questionnaire should be in a sealed envelope as this information is for the scholarship trustees only.

Meyer Cruden Scholarship
The Meyer Cruden scholarship is now open for the upcoming 2023 Academic year. This scholarship, valued at $4,000, is available to students aged between 16 – 19 years of age who come from the Central Otago/Lakes District who are planning to undertake tertiary education in Structural/Civil Engineering at the University of Canterbury in 2023. Applications open 1 July and close 31 July.

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 
  
• Otago Polytechnic - 5 September
• Victoria University of Wellington - 13 September
  
• Massey University - 23 September
• University of Canterbury - 26 September
• University of Otago - 27 September
  

Careers - Career Profile of the Week

Considering a career as a vet nurse?  A career as a vet nurse can be both rewarding and challenging. If you absolutely adore animals and you’re also pretty passionate about people, working as a vet nurse might just be the ‘perfect’ job for you! Let’s take a look at what the role involves. Discover the key traits you’ll need, and how to gain the necessary qualifications. 

Branches Trust Art Auction

Changes, Changes, Changes!

We are delighted to announce that we have the opportunity to host our Art Auction in the wonderful Te Atamira venue.  This facility is such an amazing space for all the arts and is such a perfect fit for our Art Auction.  However this has resulted in a date change so the NEW details are as follows

Branches Trust Art Auction
Friday 26th August
5.30 - 9pm
Te Atamira, Frankton
Tickets only $25 which includes delicious hors d'oeuvres all night

The Branches Trust Art Auction is a fundraiser for this year's Branches Camp so we would love to see the support of all the Year 10 parents attend this event.  However, it is such a brilliant night that we would love to see everyone attend.  So write the NEW date in your diary!  We have a tremendous range of art, something for all budgets, and at only $25 entry you should bring your friends along too!

We look forward to seeing you all there!
The Branches Trust

WHS Foundation

WHS Vacancy - Teacher Aide (ORS)

We are seeking a a teacher aide for a permanent position starting as soon as possible in Term 3. The position is 0845 to 1530, Monday to Friday, term-time only and requires an outgoing, caring individual who is happy to work with students (in one-to-one situation or in small groups) within or alongside the mainstream class.

This role will specifically be working closely with students funded by the Ongoing Resourcing Scheme (ORS), which provides support for students with the highest ongoing levels of need to enable them to attend school, join in and learn alongside other students at school. 

More information regarding this role is available here: www.seek.co.nz/job/57624786

To apply please send a CV and cover letter to apply@wakatipu.school.nz by 12.00pm on Wednesday 20 July.

WHS Vacancy - Science Technician

We are seeking a reliable, experienced Science Technician to support our Science Learning Area, starting as soon as possible from Term 3 (25 July 2022). This permanent part-time position is 5 hours per week, during school hours, term-time only. 

The role requires someone who can complete the following key tasks, in conjunction with the Science Head of Learning Area, the Lab Manager and other staff. 

• Prepare sets of apparatus, materials and solutions for biology, chemistry and physics classes. 
• Health & Safety - e.g. be aware laboratory hazards and maintain a database of dangerous and poisonous materials and chemicals, including their usage and location.
• Organise and maintain the science resource room and dangerous goods stores
• Care of living specimens in conjunction with animal ethics legislation. 
• Maintain appropriate levels of stock for all science laboratory/experiment needs and purchase when required.

To apply please send a CV and cover letter to apply@wakatipu.school.nz by 12.00pm on Wednesday 13 July. 

Careers - Job Vacancies for Students

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

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

Support Wakatipu High School
and purchase your Entertainment Membership from us today!!