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Te Reo O Te Roto
The Language of the Lake
Issue 57 | 9 December 2022
From the Principal

From the Principal

Kia ora Parents and Caregivers,

The end of term is fast approaching with just two weeks left in the school year. Our senior students will be finishing their NCEA exams on December 2nd and our Year 9 and 10 students are enjoying being the only students in classes at school.

It was a pleasure to host our Year 9, 2023 students at the school on Friday 11th November and see their excitement and enthusiasm for starting high school. I was very proud of our current Year 9 students who hosted groups of Year 8’s and gave them an enjoyable ‘first day’ at Westlake. We look forward to seeing them back for the start of Term 1.

The 2022 Yearbook has been delivered and students can pick up their copy from the Payments office which is open 8.15 – 3pm daily until Friday 9th December. It was wonderful to look back on the highlights of this year and celebrate how much we have collectively achieved.

The House charity fundraising this year deserves a special mention and a big thank you to our students, teachers and parents for their fundraising activities and support. Our Houses raised over $13,000 which was donated to their chosen charities (The Starship Foundation, The Cancer Society, Pet Refuge, 2shine.org.nz and Auckland City Mission). In addition, the houses collectively raised $2,390 for the Tongan Relief Fund, $1,739 for mentalhealth.org.nz and $1,966 for the Ukrainian Relief Fund. That is an incredible achievement and a fantastic way of giving back to not only our local community but to countries and nations that need our support.

We are very much looking forward to our Junior Prize-giving on Thursday 8th December at the Events Centre. We welcome parents and whānau to watch the prize-giving ceremony via the live stream link below from 12.30 – 2pm.

https://youtube.com/channel/UCjWPDAmRM-S56J6yJQK7Q_A/live

Finally, just a reminder of some key dates for the next two weeks.

Monday 28th November is a Teacher-only day and there are no NCEA exams scheduled

Friday 2nd December – NCEA exams finish. End of school for Years 11-13. Year 9 and 10 students finish at 12.30pm (staff attending Union meeting)

Thursday 8th December is the last day of school for Year 9 and 10’s and they do not need to bring their bags. Students will be released after the Junior prize-giving at around 2.30pm. Reports will be issued at 12pm and available via the Parent Portal.

Kindest regards

 

Jane Stanley

Academic

Junior Prize-giving

On Thursday November 8th we celebrated our Junior Prize-giving at the Events Centre with family and friends. Congratluations to all our winners!

You can view the album here:

Junior Prize-giving

Pictured Junior School Dux Julia Wilson

Academic

STEAM Innovation Expo

On Monday 28th November we opened the STEAM Innovation Expo to the parent community and Year 8 STEAM entrance students for 2023, as well as teachers. This was an opportunity to celebrate the learning and growth that has happened throughout the year.

The goal of STEAM community projects is to empower learners, both individually and collectively providing them with opportunities to develop not only the knowledge but also the skills, attitudes and values that enable them to to realise their potential throughout their lives. Learners need to develop a sense of responsibility to actively participate in their communities, Aotearoa and the World. 

All 14 groups showcased their projects to the community who them voted for the top 5 groups that subsequently had to face a Shark Tank of inspiring women in STEAM and Westlake Alumna judges at different stages of their STEAM journey. A big thank you to our shark tank judges: Jean Yang, Cindy Cai, Ariana George, Grace Chen and Hannah Jones.

Jean Yang said “It was a joy to come back to Westlake Girls and see such bright young students applying their skills to make a difference. I was impressed by the way the students picked thoughtful problems to tackle, created innovative solutions, demonstrated team work and delivered such compelling pitches. It was difficult to believe they are only year 10s! The STEAM program will be absolutely creating leaders of the future.”

Grace Chen said “As someone who was a part of the STEAM programme for two years, it was amazing to come back and see the amazing projects created this year. All of the projects were innovative, futuristic and community-driven. It was amazing to see the passion and drive the students had for the issues they were tackling.”

‘All Good Things’ were the winners of the Community Award and ‘Biotide’ were the winners of the Innovation Award. Also presenting to the shark tank was Memory Vault, Semi finalists of the 123 Tech challenge.

Sports

Success for Danielle Wooldridge in the Sir Peter Blake Regatta

New Zealand Youth Sailor and Year 11 student, Daniella Woolridge began the summer season on the water well with a top-class result in the biggest mixed dinghy sailing event in New Zealand.  Recently moving from the 420 class to the singlehanded, Laser Radial/ILCA 6 boat, Westlake Girls top sailor finished 6th overall and the first female in a mixed field of 33.  The Sir Peter Blake Regatta attracts competitors from all over the country competing in a host of different boats including 29ers, Optimist, P Class and RS Feva.

Others competing in the regatta on Sunday 4 December at Torbay Bay included Year 9 students, Jess Handley and Greta Satterswaite who both turned out in Starlings to compete in a field of 57.  Jess was 22 overall and 7th female while Greta was 54th overall and the 18th female home.

The students will be back in action for the school in March with the Auckland Secondary Schools Fleet Racing, Teams Racing Regattas and Harken Cup.

Academic

School Board

At our meeting on 15 November we welcomed newly elected student rep Jappan Kaur to her first meeting who shared the valuable perspective of students. Congratulations to all students who have completed internal and external exams – it’s been a tough time for all who have had little or no practice due to Covid.

Big thanks to all the many families who have paid the annual donation to the school this year, it really makes a HUGE difference to what we are able to provide for students above and beyond what the Ministry of Education funds us for.

For example, before Covid we were able to fund 20 additional teachers. Last year we could afford 11, and this year just four. So every dollar helps!

We are of course continuing to look for more sponsorship, and other fundraising initiatives are in the pipeline. Having the Event Centre operating, and our new Strategic Relationship and Fundraising Manager, Gabrielle McNaughton on board, also makes a big difference.

Some of the other resources your donations have helped to provide this year include:

  • Extra relief teachers
  • Library books
  • Projectors for classrooms
  • Specialised active whiteboards for maths lessons
  • Gazebos for sports
  • Sewing machines for fabric technology
  • Piupiu for kapa haka students
  • Tubas, guitars and timpani for music
  • A laser cutter for hard materials technology
  • A display fridge for food tech

Thanks to the incredible work by Principal Jane Stanley and Finance Manager Camila Tornquist we have managed the lean Covid years well, and are looking forward to being able to provide more resources for students and teachers next year. In particular we are pleased to be able to provide more professional development opportunities for staff, which will bring further global insights and expertise into Westlake teaching methods and approaches.

Thank you to all staff, students, parents and our whole community for what you contribute to our Westlake whānau. We look forward to more community events where we can gather together in person next year.

Farewell to our Year 13’s, we wish you every success and happiness, and hope you stay in touch through the alumni programme.

Season’s greetings to all, and best wishes for a relaxing and restorative summer.

Arts & Culture

Julia Wilkins and WGHS receive giant cheques

On Monday 5th of December we held a Special Assembly with special guests from the Auckland Writers Festival, Waituhi o Tāmaki, Barfoot and Thompson and Sulu Fitzpatrick from the Northern Mystics. In front of Year 9 and 10 students as well as her parents and sister, Julia Wilkins was awarded her giant cheque for winning the High School category for the Barfoot and Thompson’s Young Author Challenge annual writing competition. WGHS also received $1,000 of prize money and $1,000 worth of books! Well done Julia – it is a fantastic achievement!

A big thank you to Auckland the Writers Festival, Waituhi o Tāmaki, Barfoot and Thompson and Sulu Fitzpatrick who provided an inspirational talk to our netball students after the assembly.

In photo from left to right: Julia’s Mother, Sister and Father, Kiri Barfoot – Barfoot & Thompson Director, Julia Wilkins, Bridget van der Zijpp and Caroline Barron – Auckland Writers Festival, Waituhi o Tāmaki and Jane Stanley.

You can read Julia’s award winning story HERE

Community

Second Hand Uniform Shop

The second hand uniform shop is located in Room B8 (look for the signs or come to reception at Admin for directions)

Second Hand Uniform Shop Summer Hours:

Friday 20th January 12pm – 3pm

Saturday 21st January 9am – 12pm

Friday 27th January 12pm – 3pm

Tuesday 31st January 9am – 12pm

From February 2023, the shop is open every Friday from 12.25 pm – 1.15 pm.

Please note we accept EFTPOS (No Credit), Cash or Bank Deposits.

To sell your uniform through us register below

If you wish us to sell your uniform on your behalf, please complete the online form (link below) then drop the uniforms (with your name or copy of email confirmation) at reception from Monday 16th January.

Register 2nd Hand uniform

Please note that anything you hand in for sale MUST be items of current uniform, in excellent condition with no stains or damage.  Items in unsaleable condition, will be disposed of. Socks, tights and shoes cannot be sold. Other T&C’s apply and are included in the registration form.

For second-hand uniform inquiries please Email: [email protected]

Sports

Westlake Wins at the Young Sportsperson of the Year Awards

Westlake Girls capped off the sporting year with a successful night at the Young Sportsperson of the Year Awards on Thursday 24th November. With more than 70,000 students competing in College Sports events this year, the Awards showcased the crème de la crème of Auckland Secondary Schools athletes.  Westlake Girls succeeded in 6 categories at the Awards .

Congratulations to the following students:

Courtney Day – Football – Official of the Year
Holly Williams – Rugby, Touch & Basketball – All Rounder of the Year
Mackenzie Chatfield – Female Basketballer of the Year
Sofia Greenhalgh – Female Rower of the Year
Holly Williams – Female Touch Rugby player of the Year
And Holly Isherwood – Female Volleyballer of the Year
Harriet Gowing and Brooke James were notable finalists in Snowsports and Hockey, respectively.
Mackenzie Chatfield and Sofia Greenhalgh were also named as finalists in the Overall Sportswoman of the Year Award.

The evening was made even better with a fitting and heartfelt speech from guest speaker Cam Calkoen, about AWESOMENESS.

Photo from left to right: Courtney Day, Brooke James, Harriet Gowing , Holly Williams, Sofia Greenhalgh and Mackenzie Chatfield.

Sports

Westlake take Auckland Secondary Schools Beach Volleyball title

Two of Westlake Girl’s top beach volleyball players, Holly Isherwood and Rosie Larkin, combined to take out the Auckland Secondary Schools Senior Beach Volleyball crown on Monday 5 December at the Harbour Centre.

The talented Westlakers, faced the higher ranked, Rangitoto College pairing of Kiana Stevenson and Kaia Buckley in the final, but Larkin and Isherwood were relentless and won the grand final in two sets, 21 – 19 and then 21-17.

Notices

2nd Hand uniform sale, Lockers, Textbook Bonds

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

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

Lockers

Lockers can be purchased or renewed for 2023. The price remains the same at $60 per year.  Payments can be made through the website Payment Page: payment/lockers

Textbook Bonds

Textbook bonds paid for students who started in 2018 can now be refunded. Please email our accounts team to check on this: [email protected]

Community

The Te Kāhui Ako o Pupuke Mural wins a Kūmara Award!

We are thrilled the Te Kāhui Ako o Pupuke Mural has been honoured with an award in the Kei tua atu i te kaupapa Beyond the Brief category, of the 2022 Kūmara Awards.

The stunning 58m mural on Auburn Street, Takapuna is a collaborative work by local schools across the North Shore under the umbrella of Te Kāhui Ako o Pupuke in conjunction with Auckland Council regeneration agency Eke Panuku.

The work was led by artist Emma Jane Ormsby (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Porou), a Westlake Girls High School alumna and artist currently studying a conjoint Arts (Māori Studies/Screen Production) and Fine Arts degree at the University of Auckland.

Emma said, “Having the mural selected as the winner of a kumara award is amazing, not only for myself but for everyone involved. It feels really validating, that Toi Māori within our public spaces is something people want to see more of. The mural was a massive group effort, and I am so proud of the very creative kids I got to work with. Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini, (Success is not the work of an individual, but the work of many).

“Takapuna is a beautiful part of Tāmaki Makaurau, having grown up here it holds a special place in my heart. Auckland has an incredibly diverse natural world and using kowhaiwhai and Māori imagery to encapsulate this deserves to be celebrated. Being a part of this mahi has been a real privilege, it has been a pleasure working with Eke Panuku and Te Kāhui Ako o Pupuke and I am immensely grateful for their facilitation of this beautiful mural.”

Susana Tomaz, the Te Kāhui Ako o Pupuke Across School Lead, at Westlake Girls High School who coordinated the project, said the vision of Te Kāhui Ako o Pupuke is to create a rich, collaborative culture that unites kura, pouako, akonga and whānau to work collectively on a common goal for the benefit of all.

“The significance of the work is not just in the beautiful piece of art that was produced but the in-depth, involved and collaborative process led by Emma working with teachers from across nine different schools to share knowledge with students”.

Being in both a commercial and residential part of Takapuna, the work has also won the hearts of residents and businesses who have welcomed something so creative and colourful in their neighbourhood. Parents and grandparents who have visited to see their child’s artwork have been blown away by the depth and breadth of the project. The project has also been used across the town square construction hoarding in Takapuna, building continuity and adding colour across Takapuna.

Watch the video here:

Academic

Catch up with our 2023 Head Prefects

Introducing Isabella Drummond (Head Prefect) and and Dinithi Thiwanjana Liyanage (Deputy Head Prefect) for 2023

“Receiving the news that I was Head Prefect for 2023 was such a surreal moment,” says Isabella.  “When our Principal Mrs Stanley told me I was next year’s Head Prefect, I was at a complete loss for words. It took me a second to fully comprehend the news, but once I had, I was overjoyed and honestly a bit emotional. I was beyond excited to share the news with my whānau who I knew would be just as happy as I was. It is such an exciting opportunity and a great honour to lead such a prestigious school alongside Deputy Head Prefect, (and my close friend) Dinithi Liyanage. I cannot think of a more rewarding way to conclude my final year of high school!”

It was an exciting moment for Dinithi as well who said “To be completely honest, I don’t think I fully comprehended that it was real when Mrs Stanley first told me. I had always hoped to become a part of the senior prefect team at Westlake Girls so it is incredibly humbling to see one of my most esteemed ambitions coming true.”

Isabella says the role of Head Prefect is a huge honour but also a great responsibility. “I feel extremely humbled to be in a position where I can represent a school that has given so much to me over the past four years. I believe the role of Head Prefect will allow me to give back to the generosity Westlake has afforded me.”

Both students have immersed themselves in the abundance of opportunities and extracurricular activities our school has to offer. Isabella is very passionate about te Ao Māori (the Māori World) and says, “being a part of the Westlake’s Kapa Haka group is the highlight of my high school experience, as it has allowed me to learn, share and embrace my culture”. Both Isabella and Dinithi share interests including debating, Amnesty International groups, service committees and public speaking. Dinithi is also involved in our school choirs and is super excited to be the soprano section leader of Cigno Voce for 2023.

Isabella’s goal is to help foster an environment that ensures all our students thrive and feel supported to achieve personal excellence. “I hope to be an approachable role model that leads by example – who encourages others to make the most of their Westlake experience and leave high school knowing they fulfilled their potential. We all have something to give, something to offer, and by recognising and cherishing each of our different values, we can all flourish.”

“Nāu te rourou, nāku te rourou, ka ora ai te iwi” – “With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive.”

Photo: left Dinithi Thiwanjana Liyanage, right Isabella Drummond.

Arts & Culture

Christmas Showcase from the Junior School

The Year 10 music students visited two retirement homes on the North Shore on Monday 5th December to spread some Christmas cheer. They visited Settlers Albany Retirement Village and Northbridge Residential Village in Northcote, with lunch at Albany Mall in between. The students in the class choir sang a range of Christmas carols accompanied by a class orchestra ensemble, including Silent Night, Away in a Manger and Rudolph the Red nose Reindeer. The girls handed out home baking parcels to spread Christmas cheer to the residents at the end and share stories, which was warmly received!

Arts & Culture

Christmas at the Holy Trinity Cathedral

On Saturday 3rd December, the North Shore Brass Band’s annual Christmas Concert included Cantare as the invited guest choir. Cantare performed their own bracket of Christmas music, including ‘Noel Nouvelet’, ‘Cradle Hymn’ and ‘All on a Silent Night’. To close the concert, Cantare joined with the brass band to sing four traditional carols – the highlights were ‘Drummer Boy’ and ‘Christmas Song’ featuring Makeleta Tuipulotu as soloist. This was Cantare’s last performance for the 2022 and it was fantastic to finish a stella year and welcome in the Festive Season.

You can listen to the videos here:

https://youtu.be/FgUFwWqVtrk                               Noel Nouvelet, Cradle Hymn, All on a Silent Night

https://youtu.be/visxSSw2eUQ                                 Christmas Song (solo Makeleta Tuipulotu), Drummer Boy

 

Community

Technology students test cookies with Poynton Residents

In technology we provide our students with the opportunity to respond in authentic ways to the needs they see around them in their own communities.

This year our students have been motivated by the idea of running a (small scale) food festival to raise money for charity. Despite the COVID restrictions in place at the time they were able to invite selected friends who gave a gold coin for a sample of the delicious food products on offer.  Almost $100 was raised for the Salvation Army Glenfield from this small scale pilot and we hope to expand on this next year.

This term our students have been spreading Christmas cheer by using Te Tukanga Hoahoa Whakaaro “The process of design thinking” to create “celebration” cookies for residents of the Poynton Retirement Village.

The students spent time learning about the science of baking and testing their materials (ingredients) before designing and making their own cookies.  At the end of the design process it is critical to test the product in “te ao tanagata” (the world of the people). In this case the testing involved checking in with the Poynton Residents who very much enjoyed the cookies!  Communication is a final key aspect of the design process.  Students considered the design of logos and labels to enhance the appearance of their products. They also learned the importance of food labelling to ensure customers are aware of what they are eating, enabling them to follow their own preferences and avoid allergens.

We have over the course of the last two weeks delivered 6 boxes of fancy iced cookies for the residents.  The last delivery was made this week by students Phoebe Bird, Emily Watton and Alisha McManaway with teacher Tara Lemmon (Pictured with the very grateful Resident Entertainment Coordinator Jan Ellin).

Arts & Culture

Nota Bella concert at Poynton Village

Nota Bella Choir Junior Choir performed their final concert to the residents of the Poynton Retirement Village. Elise Bradley (Musical Director) conducted 12 pieces that the choir has rehearsed over the year and many were pieces from her two countries of citizenship – New Zealand and Canada. Nota Bella choir will start again in February 2023 – there are still places available for Year 9 and 10 students, please come and see the music department staff for more information.

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