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Te Reo O Te Roto
The Language of the Lake
Issue 56 | 25 November 2022
Arts & Culture

Shannelle Fassioms' original composition produced at professional recording studio

The Lion Foundation Play It Strange Competition is a NZ wide contest that invites high school age students to submit their original songs for the chance at getting their songs professionally recorded and produced at a local recording studio. One of our year 13 contemporary musicians Shannelle Fassioms, succeeded in making the list of the 25 bonus finalists with her original composition ‘A Room Full of Books’.

Shannelle said, “when I wrote the song, I wasn’t expecting it to win any competitions. It happened very suddenly and that just shows you that sometimes you have to take a risk and try new things because you never know what’s coming for you. However, having that experience of being in a studio watching the music that I created come to life was truly inspiring and beautiful. That is why I intend on continuing my songwriting journey for as long as I can!”

Shannelle has grown significantly in her song writing ability over the last three years – most notably in her lyrical depth and storytelling – and it is fantastic to have that growth recognised by an external source such as the Lion Foundation. We are very proud of Shannelle and are looking forward to hearing the final mixed track once it is released.

Community

Second-Hand Uniform Sale - 10 Dec (10am - 2pm in the main gym)

Second-Hand Uniform sales and hand ins will take place on Saturday December the 10th from 10am to 2pm in the main Gym.

The sale is a great opportunity to purchase items that are in excellent condition at approximately 50-60% of the retail price. The Parents Forum will retain 35% of the price of any items sold and you will receive payment for the remainder direct to your bank account. All proceedings from the sale are going towards the Parents Forum Welfare Fund which assists students and their families who need financial support.

Important information

  • We have made changes to the sale process and have joined the “Hand Me Round”, a software designed especially for school uniform trading.
  • If you have uniform you wish to sell, please visit the Westlake Girls website, click on Community, Parents Forum and follow the instructions. With this new program, all items available in stock will be visible online.
  • Please note that anything you hand in for sale must be items of current uniform, in excellent condition with no stains or damage. Any items considered unsuitable will not be sold.
  • The items can be dropped off at the school reception between the dates 15th of November and Wednesday the 7th of December.
  • PLEASE NOTE THAT ONLY ITEMS REGISTERED IN THE NEW SYSTEM WILL BE ACCEPTED and the bags with the items need to have your name on it.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me at  [email protected] if you have any questions.

Notices

2022 YEARBOOK now available!

The 2022 Yearbook is now available from the Payments office (Office open 8.15am – 3pm daily until Friday 9th December).

If you have paid the 2022 School donation, there is no cost for the Yearbook. If the School donation has not been paid the cost of the Yearbook is $20.00.

 

Academic

Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme Auckland North Regional Awards

Kokokiwi, a Year 13 Business group, were one of eight groups to qualify for the regional competition finals held on Thursday 3 November 2022. This group consisted of Leah Whitehead (CEO), Haley Doig, Zara Wilson, Maddy Moore and Stella Lang. Their product was a coconut oil based soap bar made from natural ingredients with health healing benefits. Two members from the group presented a 5 minute pitch to judges and an audience. They also answered questions from the judges. Leah and Haley did a very visual and entertaining pitch with good clarity of their main ideas and they successfully intertwined humour. Overall they were placed second and just missed out on representing the region at the National Finals in Wellington in December. Leah and Haley did a fantastic job representing our school and were highly commended by the judges.

In addition, Four Senses, made up of Brooke Cundy, Abi Taylor and Isabella Halili, received a Regional Award for Innovation. Four Senses made sustainable New Zealand Sign Language Flashcards and Te Reo Maori flash cards for anyone wanting to broaden their language skills across all New Zealand Official Languages.

Picture: Students Hayley Doig and Leah Whitehead with Phil Muir (Young Enterprise Chairperson)

Sports

Westlake Girls present at the World Women and Sport conference 

Year 13 Prefects Anja Filip and Holly Williams spoke at the World Women and sport conference held the Aotea Centre in Auckland on 15 November.  They were part of a group of 6 students that gave their personal stories of how participating in physical activity and sport has affected their wellbeing. The session was full of interaction with plenty of questions coming from the audience of 100 people, which they handled like seasoned professionals.  The girls were amazing and it was wonderful to see them be themselves and hear how physical activity and sport has helped to shape their lives. 

A big thank you to both of them for representing Westlake and for giving up their valuable time while they were in the middle of their NCEA exams.

Community

Year 13 class of 2022 - Keep in Touch!

Year 13 students – you are now part of our valued Westlake alumni community (former students and staff) and we encourage you to keep in touch with Westlake, as well as with each other.

It is the friendships made through your schooling that will endure. Some connections will remain strong through the next phase of your life and others may be rekindled in unexpected ways well into the future.

If you haven’t already, please complete the google form (link below). We need your details including a personal email address (not your school one) so we can set you up on our Alumni system and keep in touch.

Complete the google form:

Year 13 sign up form

Please feel free to contact us at any time with suggestions or requests.

Cathy Roughan, Alumni Co-ordinator, Westlake Girls High School

Email: [email protected]

Academic

Year 8 Student Orientation Day

On Friday 11th November we welcomed around 450 Year 8 students to Westlake Girls. A big thank you to our Year 9 leaders, helpers and tour guides who made it a warm welcome for the students who will be starting High School with us next year. They enjoyed the day with activities in the different curriculum subjects areas, having tours of the school and meeting some of our teachers and Year 9 students.

Sports

Westlake Marching Team win 1st place for Display Routine

The Westlake Marching team had a highly successful competition last Sunday in Henderson. Despite the rain and windy weather, everyone gave it their best shot and they were delighted to win first place for their display routine! As one team member said about the day, “it started out rough with the rain, but eventually it all cleared up and it was smiles all around.” The team will be heading to Wellington in December to compete in the North Island competition and is honoured to be representing the school nationwide.

Arts & Culture

Inaugural Treble Choral Festival

On Friday 28th October, Westlake Girls hosted an inaugural ‘Treble Choral Festival’ which included our schools choirs Cantare, Cigno Voce and Nota Bella, as well as invited choirs Leonessa from Takapuna Grammar School, Ficino School Choir and the ‘Motley Crew’ choir from Chiron Music Academy. The idea behind starting a festival for treble voices came from a conversation with Elise Bradley (conductor of Nota Bella) about wanting our singers to enjoy collaborating and sharing music in community with each other, as she had experienced in Toronto. This event was the first of what we hope will be many Treble Festivals, where singers can learn from a Guest Conductor, enjoy singing in a massed choir as well as sharing their own choir’s music.

During the afternoon, the massed choir of 200 singers rehearsed 4 pieces in a workshop with Guest Conductor Dr Karen Grylls, and these were performed in an evening concert, as well as each choir presenting their own bracket of pieces. The concert was titled ‘Around the World in 80 Minutes’ and the pieces performed took the audience on a whirlwind journey with a range of countries and cultures represented in song. We are looking forward to next year’s festival already!

 

 

Notices

Homestay Families Needed

Have you thought about hosting an international student, but are not quite sure where to begin?

If you would like to learn about other cultures, have a spare room, and would like to welcome an international student into your family and home, then we would love to hear from you!

This is a great way to expand your family’s horizons through hosting an International Student.

We are looking for quality host families to add to our database. You may want to host a student long term or perhaps a short term student, as we will have students from Japan, Thailand and Vietnam studying at WGHS for 1 term in 2023.

You will be supported by the Homestay Co-ordinator/ International Department at Westlake Girls High School and will receive $320.00 per week in homestay payment.

If you would like more information, please email us:

[email protected]

Phone (during school hours) 09 410 8667 ext 209

https://www.westlakegirls.school.nz/welcome/

Community

Westlake Wellness - Relaxation and Reflection

Our students are now completing final exams, winding down for the year and looking forward to a relaxing holiday break. This time is really important to recharge bodies tired from the mental and physical demands of the year, as well as for reflection on what has gone well and areas to improve on for the future.

Reflection is a really important tool for learning and thinking critically about achievement. Many students express toward the end of the year that they wished they had used their time more effectively to support their learning. This type of reflection is important as it allows students to process a change in behavior they may want to implement in the following year. 

As a school we are supportive of this. Students now have the opportunity to use the holiday break relaxing by doing things they enjoy, being physically active every day and having some sense of purpose through part time work or being involved with family and friends. Each of these aspects can contribute to wellbeing and support relaxation as being a change from the normal routine. It is also really important that students are reminded that as the new year begins it is a great opportunity to implement patterns for relaxation and reflection that will continue with them through the upcoming year and eventually into adulthood.

Elizabeth Beaumont – TIC Food Technology

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