WHS Foundation Quarterly Update

This is a special edition newsletter from our friends and supporters at the Wakatipu High School Foundation.

The Wakatipu High School Foundation is our school’s biggest supporter, and this year is funding $400,000 of initiatives at Wakatipu High School to the benefit of all our students.

Can you help us support the Awhi Fund?

1 in 10 students received Awhi support in 2021. Every year the WHS Foundation raises $45,000 through our community to support students and families experiencing hardship to fully participate in all educational opportunities available at Wakatipu High School.

You can help us make a difference.

Help support the Awhi Fund at Wakatipu High School when you enter the draw to win a trip of a Lifetime!

First Prize: A Fiordland Discovery 6-night cruise of Stewart Island/Rakiura for two guests in a twin cabin aboard the Fiordland Jewel on travel dates 8 to 14 November, 2022.

Second Prize: $5,000 of Grocery vouchers for PAK'nSAVE. 

Third Prize: $1,500 of Fuel vouchers. 

Tickets on sale until 5:00pm Friday 16 September 2022, prizes drawn on Tuesday 20 September 2022.

You can purchase your raffle ticket and learn more by visiting www.whsf.nz/raffle

What is the Awhi Fund?
Awhi means to help or support in Maori, and the Awhi Fund is an integral feature of Wakatipu High School.

The Awhi Fund ensures financial barriers do not constrain a student's participation in school-related activities or access to valuable resources. Each year, the Wakatipu High School Foundation provides approx. $45,000 towards items such as uniforms, laptops, extra and co-curricular activities and trips, and educational assessments - ensuring all WHS students are able to Reach for their Heights.  

This fund is a critical mechanism, giving all students the ability to participate fully in educational and extracurricular opportunities offered at Wakatipu High School.

A $50 raffle ticket will not only enter you into the draw to win one of three fabulous prizes but will go a long way to support our students and their families most in need here in Queenstown.

You can purchase your raffle ticket and learn more by visiting www.whsf.nz/raffle
Tickets will also be available this Saturday at the Remarkables Market!

Message from the WHS Foundation

We have a vision for all WHS students to be enabled to meet their potential in a supportive and well-resourced environment. 

The Wakatipu High School Foundation’s purpose is to raise money for Wakatipu High School - and support the school in its mission to deliver NZ’s best all-round education. 

An “all round” education means that while academic success is extremely important to the school, the school also seeks to ensure students become involved in a broad range of extra and co-curricular opportunities – be it in sports, the arts, music, culture, involvement in the broader community, the outdoors and leadership. 

We recognise that through education, young people can enrich their own lives and the community in which they live.

Since its inception 9 years ago the Foundation has raised and gifted over $1.25 million for the school, at approximately $200,000 per year. But the school roll is growing, and as we look to the future we have an aim to fund $300 per student. 

We have been humbled by the support our community has shown Wakatipu High School in the past years. Despite the massive effect covid has had on the region, the support from our community has enabled us to increase our annual contribution to $400,000 in 2022 and we intend this to be the new annual donation for the foreseeable future. 

This funding is allowing the school to employ more teachers to reduce class sizes and improve student outcomes. It is also allowing us to employ more teacher aids to support students with extra learning needs, put resources into student and staff wellbeing, and continue to provide students with laptops, uniform and access to extra-curricular activities through the school’s Awhi support fund. 

It feels like the WHS Foundation is firing on all cylinders and it also feels like community engagement with the school is gaining momentum. While of course there is much more to do, the general direction is positive and we, collectively, as the community who supports our school, should know that we are making a tangible difference to helping to grow our children into amazing, well-rounded people and giving them NZ’s best all-round education.

You will see in this brief newsletter, a link to our latest Impact Report detailing how we support WHS, our direction moving forward as well as a brief note on the WHS Foundation and the many ways that you – the parents, whanau, and community of WHS can help us make a difference at WHS.

Thank you for your support of the Wakatipu High School Foundation.

Wayne Foley
Chairman

About the WHS Foundation

Want to learn more about the WHS Foundation? Check out our video below.

We need our community's support to continue supporting everything we do at Wakatipu High School. From our business partners, event sponsors and attendees, spend my super donors and raffle ticket purchases – every bit counts! Explore the ways that you can help support the students of Wakatipu High School here:  www.whsf.nz/support-us

Our Impact

Our latest Impact Report has been released!  If you haven’t read it already, make sure you head to our website to check it out. 

Our Impact Report shares our focus for the future, stories on how we make a difference at Wakatipu High School every day as well as recognising our amazing and generous business partners and individual donors who make our work possible.

We are hiring!

Office Administrator wanted!

10 hours per week – independent contractor

The Wakatipu High School (WHS) Foundation is a charitable trust, working with our community to support a world-class, all-round education for the youth of the Wakatipu Basin.    

We have a vision for all WHS students to be enabled to meet their potential in a supportive and well-resourced environment. We provide $400,000 in annual funding which enables Wakatipu High School to drive high academic, sporting, and arts achievement, assists students who are experiencing financial hardship as well as supporting the wellbeing of our school community.  

This independent contractor role will provide administration support to our Executive Officer and Board of Trustees to ensure that all our programmes, fundraising activities and communications are delivered as planned.  

This role is for a part-time Wakatipu based contractor for 10 hours per week, offering flexibility and both a work from home and office arrangement.  Attractive pay rate based on experience.

There is room for both hours to increase as workload varies and over time.

We seek an experienced Administrator with proven organisational skills. Experience with accounts or CRMs is favourable.  We are a small team, and you will need to be organised, be able to manage multiple priorities, and have exceptional communication skills. 

Applications including cover letter and CV to be sent to exec@whsf.nz.