Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

Term 2 is definitely gathering momentum, and one of the highlights has been welcoming parents back onsite for our various events. Next Tuesday we have our Year 11 NCEA Information Evening, followed by our Whānau Evening on Wednesday, as well as Korean Night over at WBHS next Friday. We hope to see lots of you at these functions, and look forward to even more in the future.

It’s not just parents who are benefiting from the relaxing of gathering restrictions. Last week we held our first full House assemblies in the Event Centre, and various student events are able to proceed, including Samoan Language Week, and our Westlake Choir Concert, which is coming up on 7 June. If you haven’t experienced our choirs, or visited our Event Centre, this is the perfect time to do both. For a gold coin donation you can hear six Westlake choirs as they prepare for the Big Sing, including Cantare (Premier Girls Choir) and Voicemale (Premier Boys Choir).

Westlake Girls High School is a member of The Alliance of Girls’ Schools Australasia (AGSA) which has just announced it will merge with the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools (ICGS). Coming together as a single organisation for girls’ schools will create a powerful and unparalleled global collaboration. The merger will unite over 500 girls’ schools across 18 countries representing over 300,000 students.

Research shared by The Alliance of Girls Schools Australasia shows that girls-only education leads to higher academic achievement, higher confidence levels, greater participation in STEAM programmes, and enhanced career aspirations.

I’ve been encouraged by the enthusiasm and energy of our students as activities have started to resume. Stepping into leadership takes courage and we’ve seen so many embrace new challenges and make a significant contribution to our school community. These opportunities are an important way for our students to learn about themselves, build resilience, develop leadership skills, and channel their passion into something which can make a difference.

The extra-curricular activities we offer are opportunities to help our students develop leadership realise our school vision – confident, optimistic, robust young women who are proud citizens of Aotearoa New Zealand, equipped for global success.

There are more than 60 clubs and many committees available at Westlake Girls in addition to Music, Drama and Dance groups and Sports teams.

Now’s the perfect time to get involved if your daughter is still looking for ways to get connected, find things she’s interested in, or contribute to school life.

Jane Stanley
Principal