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Newsletter Week 7 Term 1
12 March 2024
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Principal's Message
It was a real pleasure to be out and about last Friday at our annual athletics day. With more house points on the line, the competition was fierce and the participation was high. The race for the title was tight all day long and in the end it was Pakatoa who came out on top - congratulations to all of the students and staff who participated. It was great to see so many whānau who popped in throughout the day to support their students.
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As a kura, we are set to farewell one of our longest serving members of staff this week as Cheryl Durry departs for new challenges after 18 years of service to the college as our Accounts Manager. Our support staff are so critical to the smooth operation of the school and they enable all of our teachers to do their best work with the students day in and day out. In spite of this, often they are working hard in the background and can miss out on the recognition they greatly deserve. Having contributed to the educational success of thousands of Waiheke High School students over her tenure, it is only right that we collectively thank Cheryl for her outstanding service and wish her all the very best with her next adventures.
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It was my pleasure to recognise outstanding students from each year level in assembly this week who have been living out Waiheke WISE values and gaining WISE points for their houses over the term. Special congratulations go to Indie Wood, Emily Mitchell and Jewel Dick who are currently leading the school as the top three students respectively in terms of the Waiheke WISE points, having shown Whanaungatanga, Independence, School culture and Excellence. These points contribute over the course of the year to their overall house competition so we hope to see more students being recognised for living our values day to day.
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Upcoming Events
- 29 March to 2 April- EASTER BREAK
- 12 April - LAST DAY OF TERM 1
- 29 April - FIRST DAY OF TERM 2
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STEM - Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics
This week at school: the roaming photographer caught…
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students in science learning about longitudinal waves in a string and listening into others’ conversations by crossing strings! Operating secrets - fingers off strings, keep the string taut.
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a student in Yr12 in conversation with their maths teacher on how quadratic equations represents so much in their world: ball sports, flight paths, diving.
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- students in maths, measuring the perimeter of the basketball court in "Olivias". The metric system, with the meter as one of its base units, has been widely adopted around the world for its simplicity, decimal nature, and ease of use in scientific and everyday contexts. There are only three countries in the world that have not adopted the metric system.
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WHS Sustainability Group
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This year the sustainability group has some really incredible events lined up! We are looking forward to a snorkel trip later this month, organised through the Waiheke Resources Trust. This is part of their Marine Education Initiative in which our members will learn about and take action to save our moana. This includes snorkelling, virtual reality, and further follow-up on action plans like beach clean ups. We're also welcoming many new members to the group through this course, particularly some very passionate Year 7 and 8's whom we look forward to working with throughout the year. Some of the projects for this year include another clothes swap in Term 2 (which was successful last year) and possibly continuing with the sustainable soup that was a hit every week in 2023! We are also keen to keep on top of waste management and garner some school wide participation in recycling and using our incredible compost system. We have weekly Wednesday lunchtime meetings in B5 and if any other students want to join us throughout the year they are more than welcome.
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WHS Scholarship 2023 Recipients
During Term 1, some Level 3 students contemplate what it would mean to study towards Scholarship exams. Last year five of our WHS students received scholarships in six different subject areas: Ella Singh - Scholarship in Painting; Tom Bonfield - Scholarship in History; Daniel Bim - Scholarship in Physics and Scholarship in Media Studies; Genevieve Blackburn - Scholarship in Biology; Ambrose Burke-Munns - Scholarship in Chemistry.
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This places these students in the top 3% of students in New Zealand in their subject areas. We are following up with pride in their success and have asked them to pass on their experiences to the current Y13. This week, we hear from Ambrose and Genevieve…
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Hi I’m Ambrose. I went to school on the island my whole life and I've recently started my degree in Engineering/Physics conjoint at Auckland Uni. When studying for my exams, especially the scholarship exams, I found it helpful to create consistent study rhythms. I learnt to study for the sake of learning rather than memorising. Also, try to find the methods you like and try to make it not miserable for yourself. I found it beneficial for me to take advantage of the opportunities given to me in school and to take it slow when setting your goals.
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Kia Ora, ko Genevieve ahau! I’m studying at the University of Otago doing a Bachelor of Science majoring in Biochemistry and minoring in Neuroscience, and am living in Hayward College, one of Otago’s halls of residence. It’s been crazy but I love Dunedin so far. The campus is stunning and the classes are so much fun. I’m really enjoying all of my classes (especially Human Body Systems/HUBS191) and love studying what I always enjoyed in high school. Consistent study was the key to my Scholarship exam result, I was prepping all year with Alison Campbell’s tutorials and they were awesome (and super interesting). Also, high school is what you make it! Sign up for things, do that weekend programme, make the most of it and you’ll come to uni with social skills and friends you already know and love. Some advice I got from older tauira that I’d like to pass on is that it’s way easier to study something you love. I love biology and genuinely enjoyed studying for the exams for it as it was really exciting! Don’t discount something you love because someone tells you it’s not what you’re good at, or not practical. Don’t forget to spend time outside (you live in an AMAZING place) and have a chat with your dog when you get overwhelmed. Remember your teachers are awesome and really want you to do well so don’t be shy to ask them for help.
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College Sports Athletics
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Jarrod Kay (Year 12) and Tamara Valentin (Year 12 International student from Garmany) attended College Sport Athletics Competition in Auckland on Tuesday 5th March. Jarrod placed 3rd in the Senior Boys javelin. Tamara competed in Intermediate girls Shotput, Long Jump, Javelin and the 100m Sprint, in which she beat her personal best time. Well done to both of you!
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Michelle Barber, International Director
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Contact Us
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Rebecca Rose (Deputy Principal)
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Paul Knighton (Deputy Principal)
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Rachael Wheeler (Business Manager)
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Emma Musson (Assistant Principal)
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Kaya Etika (Poutakawaenga)
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Username is waihekehigh and password is WaihekeWise
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