WHS Newsletter | Issue 3.02 | 05 August 2022

Principal's Message

While it is only Week 2 the term is well and truly underway and it has been a busy week here. As well as the always-important and well-attended House basketball competition at breaks, Monday was our senior Excellence and Ad Alta Assemblies and junior Semester 1 Prizegivings, and Tuesday was Option Afternoon.

A huge congratulations to the large number of students who crossed the stage on Monday for their achievements, efforts and participation in our all-round education - well done! Please see below for a list of prizewinners.

Option Afternoon on Tuesday was part of our 2023 course option selection process in which students choose their subjects for next year. This is a very important process for the school (for next year’s timetable and staffing) and for students. Please see below with more info on this, and note that students’ options for 2023 are due next Friday 12th - please do make sure that your student is on track to submit their choices correctly on time. Related, today was our Year 10 Careers Day so Year 10 parents do ask your students about that.

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

WHS Board Elections - another reminder that this year is school board elections, and that boards play an important governance role in the effective running of schools. Further information is included below but please note that nominations for board members are now open.

School Donations - have been the subject of several communications from us this year, and our very sincere thanks to those who have paid a donation. While they are voluntary, school donations are very important to enable us to offer our students a great all-round education. Please note that they are now on our school invoices, and while $250 is on the invoice, people are able to pay $500 or $150 as per the donation options we have offered this year. A huge thanks in anticipation of your support.

Senior Exams - are now less than two weeks away. They are very important for a range of reasons so please see the piece below and support senior students to start planning their study (included here again is a useful Study Skills & Exam Prep presentation)

A really positive point I want to close with is just how great it is to have the new Phase 2 SE wing open. As well as having some important spaces in it, along with the new NE wing, we now have a great amount of space as a school and it is so good to have the whole school back in the main building. Please do get upcoming events and dates into your calendar as the next few weeks will fly by. After tonight’s rain, a reasonable day tomorrow before the weather (and hopefully some snow) comes in again from Sunday :).

Steve Hall
Principal

Prize Winners

On Monday we celebrated the efforts and achievements of our students at our senior Excellence and Ad Alta Assemblies and our junior Semester 1 Prizegivings. Please click on the link below to see a full list of the prize winners.

WHS Board Election - Nominations Open

A final reminder that nominations are now open for the six parent representative positions.  Parents and caregivers will have received an email from CES with all the information and a link to the nomination form. 

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.

Karla Dawson

Senior School Exams

School exams will be running for senior students from Thursday the 18th August up to and including Wednesday the 24th August. These exams are an important opportunity for senior students to prepare for their NCEA External Examinations. Performance in these exams, while not directly contributing to credits, will allow students to take stock of where the gaps in their knowledge are, so that more targeted study can take place moving forward. It is also important to note that, in the event that a student is sick or otherwise unable to attend their final NCEA Examination, the school will be asked by NZQA to submit their school exam grade which is then converted into a "Derived Grade". For this reason, taking the time to carefully prepare for school exams is highly recommended. For context, approximately 25 students in 2021 applied for a derived grade.

In order to best prepare for their exams, seniors should be checking with each of their teachers to clarify exactly which units of work are being assessed. NB: Some subjects, e.g Visual Art, Food Technology, do not have exams.

See below for the School Exam Timetable, during which time senior students will be on ‘exam leave’.  There will be dedicated study zones available to those students who wish to revise onsite during this time. Net NZ and Te Kura exams will run later in the term.

Exam Preparation Support: Breathwork to Control Stress

We would like to invite Year 11 - 13 students to attend a  breathwork session on either Thursday 3:30 - 5pm, or Friday 3:30 - 5pm (repeat of first session). A google form will be sent out in Mr Nathan's Sunday student email for students to sign up. 

The breath is the gateway to controlling the autonomic nervous systems - Fight or flight (sympathetic) vs. Rest & Digest (parasympathetic). It is the literal light switch to change between the 2 nervous systems. 

In this session you will learn how to take back control of the "stress" response and keep a level head when in stressful situations and how this can impact every aspect of your life. Concentration, sleep, metabolism, sports, recovery, physiology, psychology, the breath is connected to all. These tools and techniques are the same as those being taught in all elite sports fields. UFC - Rugby - Football.

This session will be led by Joshua Armitage, who has been teaching breathwork, nutrition and personal training for the last 11 years. Joshua discovered breathwork, as a method of helping him through his own depression and anxiety and now shares this knowledge with others. 

We believe this session could be a powerful tool to support students both in preparation and during exams, and encourage all our senior students to come along. 

Deputy Head Girl Message

Kia Ora everyone! 

From the start of our annual house basketball competition to the Otago University trip for year 13s - this week has had a little bit of everything.

Our leadership speaker series continued on Thursday, with Wakatipu High School’s ex head girl Beatrice Onions speaking to us about her unique route after high school. Beatrice is currently studying at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts, but explored all sorts of paths before moving to New York. She spoke about the uncertainty that comes with graduating, and reminded us that it is okay to change your mind - to chop and to change paths is easier than you may think. This sentiment rang particularly true for us Year 13s listening, with many of us having returned from the Otago trip on Monday with the future at the forefront of our minds. She was a brilliant speaker and I found myself hanging off of her every word. I have included a few other key messages below:

• Learn to be really comfortable with being a life-long learner
• Don’t be afraid to dream BIG!
• Focus on the act of doing rather than not doing
• Think of your critics as your friend

If you would like to attend the next session in the leadership speaker series, keep an eye out for Mr Nathan’s weekly emails or flick any of us Head Students an email and we will let you know the details!

The House basketball competition has been very entertaining to watch, with juniors battling it out this week and seniors next week. There have been a few very close calls, with many year 9s and 10s showing up as future basketball stars. Even if you don’t play basketball, come along and watch. There is always music playing, live commentary and plenty of people watching. Congratulations to everyone for getting involved and good luck to all the Houses for the coming weeks!

A reminder for our senior students that mocks are coming up in a couple of weeks. I know that the thought of mocks may be overwhelming for some, while others may simply not care. Nonetheless, these are important exams. In saying that, it is also important to be mindful of your mental health and well-being while studying. Simple techniques such as implementing a study plan and sticking to it can do wonders for feeling in control and managing stress.  

Have a great weekend!

Alix Long
Deputy Head Girl
Junior Council Lead Prefect

Sports and Active Recreation News

National Gymnastic Results
Congratulations to Year 9 student Rosa Dawson who was named as one of 33 members in the Southland Gymnastics team to compete at the New Zealand Gymnastics National Championships held in Invercargill during the school holidays. Rosa was a finalist in the Vault finishing 4th and a member of the Women’s Artistic Gymnastics team who also finished 4th where she competed in the vault, bar, beam and floor. Rosa finished 8th overall in her category, well done Rosa!

Otago Country U18 Women's Hockey Tournament
Congratulations to Abby and Sammy Fookes who represented the Otago Country U18 team at the National Women’s Hockey Tournament in Nelson over the holidays. The side finished 15th out of 18 teams from across the country. 

Otago Cricket Emerging Players Camp
A huge congratulations to Year 11 students Abby Fookes and Mason Clarke who have been named as players in the Emerging Sparks and Emerging Volts programmes respectively for the upcoming 2022/23 cricket season. Former WHS student Toby Hart has also been named in the Emerging Volts programme. This involves a 12-week winter pre-season programme, that assists players in developing holistically for the 22/23 season and beyond. All players will receive access to coaching from Otago Cricket Performance Staff, Strength & Conditioning support, mental skills, and more. An exciting opportunity for these young cricketers. Well done Abby and Mason.

Dog Agility Success
Well done to Jacob and Jessica Wilkinson who won the South Island Secondary School Dog Agility Championship over the weekend in Christchurch. Great stuff!

Central Otago Junior Basketball Competition Begins
It was great to get the Central Otago Junior Basketball competition underway on Monday evening. WHS has five teams entered across three grades this season and almost had a clean sweep of results in round one.
Junior Girls bet Cromwell 42-20
Junior A Boys bet Dunstan A 74-18 (A grade)
9A Boys bet Mt Aspiring Black 59-52 (A grade)
9B Boys lost to Dunstan B 54-50 (B grade)
10B Boys - bye (B grade)

Junior House Basketball Competition
The Junior House Basketball competition has been running this week. It has been great to see that this event is once again is well supported by students at break times. Well done to Hay and Fox Houses who made the final of the Junior competition. The Senior competition gets underway on Monday.  Thank you to the Sports Council for the great job they are doing running this event.

Upcoming Sports Events
Week 2 and 3 - House Basketball competition
6th August - Wakatipu Netball Centre Finals
6th August - 1st XV vs South Otago High School - 12:45pm WHS
Tuesday 16th August - MAC Exchange (Wanaka)
Wednesday 17th August - Mid Year Extracurricular Expo

Opportunities to Get Involved in Sport and Active Rec!

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

Arts News And Information

ARA Jazz Competition
Last Friday we took the jazz bands up to Christchurch for the ARA Jazz competitions. This was a replacement event for Blenheim which was cancelled just before the holidays so it was a quick turnaround to find another event and configure the groups to fit the new criteria. 

It was also a challenge to get enough members of the band together between illness and being away from school. So, it was great to actually be on the bus and arrive Friday night. After a mammoth five hour rehearsal session with one of our jazz conductors, Vince Leahy, we had two competitions on Sunday. Huge kudos to the musicians who gained a Gold Grading with the Ensemble Group and a Silver Grading with the Big Band (which the judges indicated would have been a Gold had we had the numbers there to actually be a Big Band). 

Thanks to Monica Parker who did an amazing job of organising everything and accompanying us on the trip. Thanks also to Vince and Alistair Monteath who did a fabulous job of preparing the students for this event.

Rockquest 2022
Congratulations to WHS band Estrogen who have made it through to the national Top 20 Band section of this year's Rockquest.This is a significant achievement as more than 500 bands enter this competition every year. They now get invited to perform at a semi-final gig later in August and wait to hear if they make it to the final top 7.

Estrogen:Ruby Ross - Vocals, Emily Johnston - Bass Guitar, Mya Wilcox - Guitar/Vocals, Mikaela Patterson - Drums

 Visual Arts
A wide range of stunning work has been produced by the Year 12 and 13 painters with a big final hand in of artwork last week.. We look forward to showcasing a lot of the Senior Painting, Design and Photography art work soon in our Annual SHOWING OFF exhibition at the Lakes District Museum in Arrowtown. The official details regarding this event will be advertised very soon. Meanwhile here is a sample of works from three students.

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

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. 

Local scholarships and other opportunities

Otago Tertiary Trip

On Sunday, 66 Year 13 students travelled to Dunedin for the Dunedin Tertiary Open Day. Joined by hundreds of prospective students from around the country, we explored the University of Otago and Otago Polytechnic campus, toured residential colleges and facilities, and attended presentations.

Run over two days, the event gave students the chance to explore Dunedin and see first-hand what student life is like and the fantastic range of study options available.

SpeedMeet 2022 - Thursday 11 August 2022
We’re looking forward to hosting SpeedMeet on Thursday 11th August at 9:30am. 

SpeedMeet is job-hunting, speed-dating style. SpeedMeet provides the opportunity for employers looking for new talent to meet with secondary school students looking for a career. The employers attending have jobs available and may offer on-job training through an industry training organisation. It is designed for school-leavers that may not be fixed yet on what career is right for them but they do know they want to work (not attend university or Polytech).

There are 32 employers registered, covering a variety of different industries, and many will have multiple roles on offer including Automotive, Civil services, Tourism, Health and wellbeing, Hospitality and  Horticulture. Employers meet with each student for six minutes, then both note whether they’d like to see each other again. Matches are made and contact details are shared for another meeting.

If this is something that you would like to engage with, please email the Careers department (lrichards@wakatipu.school.nz). 

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 with existing talent, particularly in Arts or Sports, to achieve their full potential and to follow their dreams. Up to $3,500 in total will be granted in scholarships to students. The maximum awarded per student will be $1,000.

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

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
  

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

For more details contact: MKoslenridd@wakatipu.school.nz

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

Disinformation, Misinformation and Democracy.  Sanjana Hattotuwa, Thursday September 1, 2022

Dr Sanjana Hattotuwa has watched “splintered realities” emerge in New Zealand, as divisive and destructive disinformation and misinformation spread through social, media and political landscapes with the pandemic.  His fears for democracy in his adopted country are based on having seen and studied this, in his homeland Sri Lanka, since 2010. For six months prior to the start of the occupation of Parliament grounds, he analysed often poisonous, conspiracy-propagating threads and live streams as part of The Disinformation Project. The exchanges he has seen are “so horrific that I don’t think most Kiwis would recognise their country”. If nothing is done to rein this in, he says, the trajectory is chilling for its impacts on next year’s general election and the very foundations of New Zealand's democracy.

Thursday, September 1, 6 – 7.30pm in The Rees Hotel Queenstown’s conference room. Registration required here as seats are limited. Please bring cash for your koha. This will be given to The Manaaki Collective. Masks must be worn.

Co-governance: what does it mean, where is it headed and why is it so feared? Chris Finlayson, August 10, 2022.

Government proposals for Three Waters and health sector reforms have sparked alarm among some about what co-governance might mean for them and the country. But are these proposed reforms actually co-governance? And if so, is it a threat? Former National Party Treaty Negotiation Minister and Attorney General Chris Finlayson will background the evolution of co-governance, what it entails and where it might lead us. He says it is not the same as co-government, it is happening already, “and the sky has not fallen in”. He is keen to lead Catalyst Trust’s discussion of this hornet’s nest to help trigger “a sensible conversation about the substance of power-sharing”.

Wednesday, August 10, 6 - 730 p.m. at the Hilton Hotel’s Remarkables Room. Registration required here as seats are limited. Please bring cash for your koha, which will be given to Happiness House. Masks must be worn throughout.

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