WHS Newsletter | Issue 3.01 | 29 July 2022

Associate Principal's Message

Kia ora and welcome back to Term 3,

We have definitely hit the ground running with a busy first week that included study skills sessions for senior students on Monday, another great WHS Foundation Fundraiser on Tuesday, the roll-out of the 2023 Option Selection process on Wednesday, Extracurricular photos on Thursday and Ako Group photos on Friday, not to mention the teaching and learning that included our semester changeover with juniors starting their new courses. 

But one of the highlights of the week has undoubtedly been the completion of the new teaching and learning wings of the new school. With just the double-gym to come (and currently on-track for completion by the end of 2022), it is amazing to have access to all of our teaching and learning spaces, including specialist spaces for Digital Technology, Media Studies, ORS students, additional music rooms, a Puna Reo, social spaces for all of the Houses, as well as some great outdoor spaces. 

With the school now built for a capacity of 1800 students, all classes are now comfortably and spaciously held in the main building and the Temporary Classrooms are no longer being used and will start to be moved to other schools around the country. 

This week, we have also been able to welcome new International Students for the first time since 2020, and it is wonderful to be able to welcome these students to the WHS community.

Another highlight occurred just prior to the holidays, when we received our first Educational Review Office (ERO) report since 2017. Te Ara Huarau is the new evaluation approach that ERO has been using in all schools in New Zealand, and WHS has been working alongside ERO since the start of 2021. The report is quite different from previous ERO reports and reflects our strategic goals and an evaluation focus, which is to accelerate the Literacy progress of students in the junior school to ensure equity and excellence for all students. 

The report acknowledges strengths across all layers of the school, including the Board, Senior Leadership Team, teaching and support staff, students, and the community. 

Needless to say, we are very pleased with all elements of ERO’s report, which include a Profile report, Board Assurance Statements and a report on the Provision for International Students. 

Speaking of the Board, the WHS Board has a very important governance role for the school.  The WHS Board election process has begun for the parent, staff and whanau representatives and the student representative process will start at the end of August. Further information is included below but we encourage you to nominate yourself or someone else who you think would be effective in this important position.

Term 3 is always busy with a combination of teaching, learning and assessment as well as extracurricular activities. Seniors in particular need to be organised and disciplined with school exams starting on the 18th of August. The school exam timetable will be forthcoming next week but senior students should start to develop a plan for study and preparation. (See link below for some useful study tips that were shared with students earlier in the week).

Study Skills & Exam Preparation 2022

Our 2023 course option selection process has commenced, which sees students choose their subjects for next year. This is a very important process for the school (in terms of staffing and the timetable for next year) but also for each and every student. Please see below for more info on this - including Option Afternoon next Tuesday. 

On Monday 1 August, we have our Junior Mid-year Prizegivings, and Senior Excellence/Ad Alta Assemblies. Prizewinners have been emailed, please see below for more details.

Lastly, I want to acknowledge yesterday’s evacuation. Students and staff responded calmly and waited patiently as the situation was assessed, and local Police and the Fire Department were fantastic in supporting us as we worked through the situation. As you can appreciate, we do our best to communicate in these circumstances. With that in mind, please make sure that you have downloaded the WHS App, as this is our main channel to communicate urgently with parents and caregivers. 

A comprehensive newsletter below, including updated information regarding buses as well as a fantastic sport and arts section with a wrap-up of all the action from the holidays - be sure to check it out. Another reminder to note all the upcoming events and days and get them into your calendars as appropriate.

Have a great weekend!

Ngā mihi,

Oded Nathan
Associate Principal

Key Dates for Term 3

Prizegiving Assemblies

On Monday 1 August we have our Prizegiving Assemblies to celebrate the success of students during Term 2 and Semester 1. Prizewinners and their parents have been informed by email. Please see the outline for the day below. These are formal assemblies and so all students must be in full school uniform including blazer and tie.

Note we have limited seating and are unable to go above our fire rating number for the space. 

Please allow time for parking, as there is limited space for visitor vehicles on site. Our school website has further information about carparking in surrounding areas: http://www.wakatipu.school.nz/parking.html

We strongly encourage everyone in attendance to wear a face mask (we will have some available at entry points). 

Course Option Afternoon

Tuesday 02 August 03:20 PM to 5:00 PM

The process for selecting course options for 2023 has begun, with Year 10, 11 and 12 students having had their assemblies on Wednesday 27 June and Year 9's in their Ako groups. The selection of 2023 course options needs to be completed by Friday 12 August. 

This very important process is supported by our annual Option Afternoon which is being held from 3:20 - 5:00pm on Tuesday 2 August. 

The Option Afternoon provides students and parents the opportunity to discuss and learn more from key teaching staff about the range of course options available for 2023 and supports students to make well informed option choices that support their individual pathways and passions, while also leaving as many doors open as possible for their future. 

There will be a short presentation in the theatre from 3:20 - 3:40 pm for parents who would like to better understand the process and gain further insight on how best to support their student to select their 2023 course options. 

2023 Course Option Selection (2022 Assembly Yr 9-12)

Information regarding the 2023 option selection process, including detailed information pertaining to the range of course options on offer, is now available through the school’s website: https://wakatipu.schoolpoint.co.nz/. 

Additionally, parents and students are invited to make an appointment with a member of the Senior Leadership Team to discuss course options for 2023 and beyond. Appointments can be made through the link below or through the school website. 

WHS Board Election

All of New Zealand's state and state-integrated schools have a school Board which is the Crown entity responsible for the governance of the school. 
The Board:
- ensures every student can reach their highest possible standard in student achievement
- is the employer of all staff in the school
- sets the school's strategic direction in consultation with parents, whānau, staff, students and the wider school community
- is responsible for overseeing the management of personnel, curriculum, property, finance and administration
Further information can be read in the Community member guide to the role of school boards and information for parents can be read on the NZSTA website. 

The WHS Board is comprised of 6 parent representatives, 1 staff representative, 1 student representative and 1 whanau representative.  Staff, students and whanau will be contacted regarding their representative election process and the parent representative nomination process is advised below. 

Parent Representative nomination round
WHS will be undertaking a parent election for 6 Board vacancies. This process will start with the issuing of nomination papers to our parent and caregiver community today, Friday 29 July 2022.

We have employed Canterbury Education Services (CES) to undertake the election process on our behalf. This year with legislative change, our nomination form and full instructions on how to place your nomination into our own School’s Election website will be emailed to you if we have your email address in our database. Please note a number of parents and caregivers have shared email addresses or only have one email in our database for a family.  You may receive the nomination form by post if we don’t have your email in our database. Please also check your spam folder. If you do not receive this information, please contact Karla Dawson at kdawson@wakatipu.school.nz by Friday 5 August.  

The parent roll is available for viewing at Reception during office hours. 

Nomination papers will also be available at the school office. The school will send those on to CES for processing upon receipt from candidates.

Nominations close at 12noon on Wednesday 17 August. 
Election day (voting closes) at 4pm on Wednesday 21 September.

We look forward to your participation in this process.

Wayne Jamieson
Canterbury Education Services

Uniforms

Kia ora koutou,

This week we carried out a school-wide audit of the uniform during Ako Time and there have been random spot checks at break times by members of staff as well. 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. The vast majority of students are wearing the uniform as expected and we thank parents and caregivers for their ongoing support of our uniform expectations. 

A small number of students were identified as having either missing or non-regulation uniform items and there will be contact with their parents and caregivers in the coming days as a result so that we can support them to wear the uniform correctly. 

A full break down of the uniform expectations can be found on the school website, but for clarity:

• A reminder that hoodies should not be worn on the way to, from, or at school.

• Black jackets (such as puffers) can be worn in the colder months but not inside the school.

• Ties are compulsory for all students.

• Blazers should be worn to formal events such as assemblies. 

• Students should wear navy socks or navy tights and have black polishable low-top shoes. 

A full overview of uniform requirements can be found on our website.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me and once again, ngā mihi (thanks) to all of our whānau for their tautoko (support) of our uniform expectations.

Ngā mihi
Ryan Gilbertson
Acting Deputy Principal l Kaihāpai Māori

Buses

As COVID and winter illness continue to circulate in the community, both the Otago Regional Council buses and the MOE provided buses are experiencing some disruption to services. 

Otago Regional Council Buses
Please be advised that the Orbus timetable has changed for all routes, to accommodate driver shortages. The situation is being monitored closely, but it seems likely that the reduced services will continue well into Term 3. See the link below, or check the Otago Regional Council website directly. Students living in Sunshine Bay and Fernhill are most likely to be affected, and are strongly encouraged to check the timetable for up to date information around bus departure times, so that they are still able to arrive on time to school.

MOE Buses
Go Bus have advised the school that they too are experiencing driver shortages currently. To that end, they have asked students and parents for their understanding if / when there are slight delays or changes to services. Bus Drivers will endeavour to communicate any upcoming changes to their passengers directly with as much notice as possible.

Thanks to all bus travellers for your understanding and forebearance as we navigate this difficult phase of the year together.

Head Girl Message

Kia Ora everyone,

I hope you have all had a relaxing, holiday and a great first week of school! 

On Monday I spoke about how Term 3 is ALWAYS extremely busy. Seniors are finishing internals, mock exams are approaching, juniors are starting their new classes, and on top of that, the obstacles life holds. Everyone is going to be challenged in some way, which is good. I encouraged students to sign up for activities they wouldn't necessarily partake in, and do things that push them out of their comfort zone. I also reminded them about the importance to stay on track and keep striving for their personal goals whether that may be in sports, arts, or academics.

Strive for your own excellence! 

It is busy so keep pushing yourself but, please make sure your wellbeing is a priority. Genuinely, speaking as a Year 13, Term 3 can take a toll on your mental health and wellbeing. It is important that you recognise this and take time to check in on your peers and please seek support if you need it. 

This term may be jam-packed but will be a fun one. We have university trips coming up for our Year 13s, OREC trips, Excellence/Ad Alta assembly, and house basketball competitions for everyone. Come along, play and support your House and peers.

Have a great term and weekend everyone.  I look forward to seeing you all next week.

Thank you. 

Sofia Taquet 
Head Girl

Physics and Maths competition results

Over the last Holiday 4 WHS Students, Kieran Leftley, Jacob Marriott, Harry Seeto, and Jacob Wilkinson visited Cantebury University to participate in the final round of the New Zealand Physics and Maths Competition (NZPMC). 

It was a grueling competition with many South Island schools in attendance, but the students represented WHS proudly. 

Jacob Wilkinson placed 6th in the senior division and Jacob Marriott 10th and Harry Seeto placed 4th in the junior division. 

Congratulations to the students who also got to attend lectures and workshops relating to Maths and Physics and a massive thank you to Miss Jackson for looking after them while they were there. 

Kyle Jackson
Gifted Coordinator

University Course Results - Semester One

The Mathematics and Statistics Learning Area has been accelerating students for many years and this year seven students attempted Stage 1 University Maths (Math199) through the University of Canterbury. The grades for Semester One have just been released.

The students are: 

• Cole Bramwell (A+ with 99%), Harry Seeto (Year 11) (A+ with 94%), Harry McVicar (A+ with 92%), Helena Hornbacher (A with 85%), Jasper Cusiel (A- with 81%), Jacob Stokes (B+ with 79.5%) and Kaiya Collins (B with 72%).
• Sophie Thompson completed a Politics paper POLS102 (A-)
• Minna Zhu completed a Philosophy Paper PHIL132 (A-)
• Special mention for Jacob Wilkinson who completed a L1 Coding COSC121 course (A+), L1 Physics PHYS101 (A+) and Maths L2 Math201 (A+). Jacob has now passed three L2 Maths courses (all at A+) and will attempt a L3 Maths course in Semester Two.

Congratulations to all the students for these superb results!

Dax Richards
Principal's Nominee

Model United Nations

From the 7th to the 10th of July, at the end of last term, four Yr 13 students had the great opportunity of attending the UN Youth National Model United Nations hosted at Victoria University in Wellington. Through these four days, we got to act as delegates from allocated countries and press/media platforms, working through several committee and plenary sessions, with the idea of passing new legislation. There was lots of debate, strategizing and everything in between. We also got to take part in some challenging workshops and hear from incredible speakers, such as Phil Twyford, ​​The Minister of Disarmament and Arms Control of New Zealand. Through this conference, we were able to learn more about how the United Nations runs and what it would be like as a delegate, as well as many other useful skills and meet a lot of students from all across the country. I highly recommend that when this opportunity comes round next year you take it, as this was such a fun and great learning experience!

Sophie Thompson 
Deputy Head Girl

Congratulations Mikayla Evans

Congratulations to Mikayla Evans who completed her first solo flight!

It was a stunning afternoon in Alexandra on Saturday when Mikayla Evans realised a crucial step in her goal towards gaining her Pilot’s Licence – her first solo flight. Following in the footsteps of her father and grandfather who are both pilots and aircraft engineers, Mikayla has quietly been working away at her flying lessons on the weekends and during the school holidays. It was a very proud “parents moment” watching Mikayla taxi in after her first solo and shut down the aircraft beside the terminal. Naturally you can only go solo once so it’s a big deal and an event you remember for the rest of your life. Having now completed this step Mikayla hopes to go on to complete her Private Pilot's Licence over the next year.

Local scholarships and other opportunities

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 Sessions 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
  

Kate Moetaua Foundation Scholarship (Open to Years 9-13)
The Scholarship fund was created in memory of Kate Moetaua to support Wakatipu students in Years 9-13 who have exisiting talent particularly in Arts or Sports to achieve their full potential and follow their dreams. upto $3000 in scholarships are available to award to students with the maximum award of $100 per recipient.

Applications open on the 1st of August and close at 5pm on 31st August. For more information, and application forms visit

www.wakatipucommunityfoundation.co.nz or https://www.katemoetauafoundation.org/scholarships

Arts News and Information

Rockquest
The regional finals for Rockquest have been decided, results as follows:

• Band 1st Place - Estrogen (Ruby Ross, Emily Stevens, Mya Wilcox, Mikaela Patterson)
• Solo/Duo 2nd place - Billie Carey

They now compete to reach the national semi-final section.

• Musicianship award - Connor Ravenwood
• Best Song - Goose Pies (Harper Souness, Lincoln Reddell, Ted Coutts)
• APRA Lyric award - Minna Zhu

Congratulations to everyone involved.

Winter Festival
Thanks once again to Rockformation for organising the Winterfest performances for our musicians. It was a great opportunity for them to be playing on the waterfront stage and they provided a high level of entertainment for the crowd.

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

International Tennis Update
The Milburn brothers, Kai, Year 11, Dan, Year 10 and little brother Noa have been training and competing in Tokyo over the past couple weeks and enjoying some incredible results. Kai has just recently won the singles final at the Chiba Tennis Training Centre 6-1, 6-1. Dan won the Sakurada tournament in Tokyo and also finished runners up in the U14 doubles with younger brother Noa. Excellent outcomes after a lot of hard work training at Keio University. Well done Kai and Dan!

Mackenzi Jackson Wins Three National Titles
Congratulations to Year 12 student Mackenzi Jackson who won three national titles over the holiday break. Mackenzi competed at the New Zealand Open in Christchurch where she won the Girls 16/17 year Kumite and placed 3rd in the Kata. Mackenzi then went on to win both the U19 Girls Kumite and Kata events at the New Zealand Secondary School Champs. Great stuff Mackenzi!

South Island Junior Netball Champs
Our 9A and 10A netball teams competed at the annual Junior South Island Secondary School Netball Champs in Christchurch last week. This tournament attracts around 80 teams each year and is an awesome opportunity to compete against a wide variety of schools and grow, develop and learn as players and as a team. This year the weather added an additional element with only one game played on Tuesday before being rained off and a massive final day of games on the Wednesday. Our teams did well and represented WHS with pride. This tournament is a huge undertaking and we would like to thank Miss Murphy, Lisa Murphy, Sue Albrecht, Rachel Middleton and Cisca McNay for the coaching and management of the teams as well as students Siena Mackley and Zoe Bennetts for umpiring on behalf of the school. Results for the two teams are below.
10A:
Bet St Andrews College 33-23
Lost to James Hargest 38-25
Bet Kaiapoi High School 37-20
Bet Ashburton College 35-26
Lost to Craighead 37-27
Lost to Cashmere High School 38-25
Finished 12th out of 32 teams

9A:
Bet Nayland College 30-12
Lost to St Hildas 24-18
Lost to Christchurch Girls 19-10
Bet Avonside Girls 27-19
Bet Marian College 33-27
Lost to Waitaki Girls 38-25
Finished 18th out of 32 teams

Short Track Speed Skating Results
Poppy Wearing and Eva Hemingway competed in the South Island Short Track Ice Speed Skating Championships in Christchurch in the middle of July. Eva placed 3rd and Poppy 4th overall in the Junior Women category. Both skaters also took part recently in a week-long skating camp in Dunedin resulting in improved skills and times. Well done girls!

Ice Figure Skating Results
Three WHS students took part in the Otago/Southland Ice Skating Championship recently with some great results. Shiloh Thurston finished 4th in the Elementary grade and in the Juvenile grade Megan Carr finished 4th and Amy Carr finished 6th. Megan and Amy also took part in the Alexandra Ice Skating Competition where Megan placed 2nd and Amy finished 4th.

Sports Photos
Yesterday was a busy day for our student athletes with the annual extracurricular photos. There were 62 teams/squads that had their photo taken this year. Details around how to order your sports team photo will be coming out in the next couple of weeks. 

Upcoming Sports Events
Week 2 and 3 - House Basketball competition
Week 2 - Central Otago Junior Basketball competition begins
6th August - Wakatipu Netball Centre Finals
Tuesday 16th August - MAC Exchange (Wanaka)
Wednesday 17th August - Mid Year Extracurricular Expo

Opportunities for Involvement

Mid Year Extracurricular Expo
The Mid Year Extracurricular Expo is taking place on Wednesday 17th August at Break 2 in the school gym. This is a great opportunity for anyone wanting to sign up for summer sports and activities or those yet to get involved in an EC activity in 2022 to do so. Put this in your calendar!

New to WHS?
If you have just recently joined Wakatipu High School and keen to find out more information about sport and active recreation opportunities please visit our website to see what is on offer and join the google classrooms of those activities you are keen to participate in: https://www.sporty.co.nz/wakatipu

South Island SS MotoX Champs
The South Island Motocross Championships will be held on Sunday 4th September in Gore as part of Winter Tournament week. Information on the event can be found on the MotoX Google Classroom, to join the classroom use this code: uzf67co. If you're interested please email sportscoordinator@wakatipu.school.nz before the 15 August.

Otago/Southland Road Cycling Champs
The Otago/Southland Secondary Schools Road Cycling Championships are being held on Friday 2nd September at Teretinga Park in Invercargill as part of Winter Tournament week. Events include road race, individual time trial and team time trial (4 in a team). If you are interested please email sportscoordinator@wakatipu.school.nz by Monday 15 August.

NZ Schools MTB Champs
The NZ Schools MTB Champs are taking place between 13-16 October in Bluff. These entries are now open and spaces fill up fast. If you wish to compete at the national champs please email lnathan@wakatipu.school.nz.

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

8BUS Market Research

Our Business students are conducting market research for their internal assessments and would appreciate your help in completing a survey. Please click on the links below to fill in their survey.

Kia Ora Everyone, thank you for taking interest in our Level 3 Business Survey. Our team, Eliza Herron and Ivy Barker, are interesting in BONZ's business as they are Queenstown business selling New Zealand made high end, quality garments and furniture. We research how they market their products and how we are able to upgrade their marketing plan to attract more sales. 
Filling out the survey below will help our team to conduct some market research to plan a new marketing strategy.  Thanks Eliza and Ivy

We would appreciate if you could please complete this google form for Research purposes. As part of an internal assessment of Wakatipu high school we are wanting to collect information for Recycle boutique to understand their customer needs and opinions. Thank you, Jake and Amelie.

WHS Vacancy - Science Technician

We are seeking a reliable Science Technician to support our Science Learning Area, starting as soon as possible. This permanent part-time position is 5-8 hours per week, during school hours, term-time only and the day(s) of work are negotiable. 

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. No specific experience is required as all training will be provided. 

• 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 Monday 15 August 2022. 

Careers - Career Profile of the Week

An assistant greenkeeper is expected to understand the requirements involved in maintaining a quality golf course and will work with the team to maintain all playing surfaces. This week we take a closer look at what the role involves. Enjoy!

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

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

Turn Up the Music Trust Presents our annual Music School Showcase

This is an opportunity for anyone to listen to students and teachers playing music. Children can also try out some instruments, and choose one that they would like to learn.

Click here for a full schedule

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