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Te Reo O Te Roto
The Language of the Lake
Issue 23 | 12 March 2021
Academic

Health students study alternative treatments

Year 13 Health students have started off their year exploring different health issues such as Breast Cancer, Infertility and Mental Health (Depression & Anxiety). This links in with their first assessment, where they evaluate health practices currently used in New Zealand. Students have been looking into western scientific medicine, traditional and cultural medicine, and complementary and alternative medicine.

To assist with developing their understanding of some of the many treatments that fall under the health practice of complementary and alternative medicine, Year 13 Health students were involved in a half day workshop on Tuesday 23 February (luckily between lockdowns).

At the workshop students got to experience four different treatments, Reiki, Yoga (mindfulness), Naturopathy and Reflexology, all which can be used alongside other conventional treatments for Breast Cancer, Infertility and Mental Health. Many of these treatments our students had no prior knowledge of, so this experience has been highly memorable.

 

 

 

 

 

Arts & Culture

Get ready to treat yourself - and help support our Music Department

Our Music Department is selling subscriptions to Entertainment as a fundraiser – it costs just $69.99 for a single city subscription, which lasts for a year from activation (within three months of purchase). 20% of each sale will support our Music Department.

Your membership will be paid off in no time as you enjoy savings on a range of local gems – from restaurants and cafes, to take-aways and day adventures. If you’re going further afield, you could consider a multi-city subscription for just $119.99 – it’s valid throughout New Zealand, Australia and Bali (if we can ever get back there!). There’s also a 2-year multi-city option for $229.99.

Purchase yours today and be set to experience the best our city has to offer.

YES PLEASE – TELL ME MORE

Community

Westlake Wellness - Healthy behaviours around food

By Elizabeth Beaumont
TIC Food Technology

Healthy eating habits are developed in childhood and consolidated in adolescence. Developing a healthy relationship with food can provide enjoyment, social experiences  and long term benefits to overall health.

Some simple things you can do to help your child develop a healthy relationship with food are listed below:

  1. Model a healthy relationship with food yourself. Talk about food in a positive way as children quickly pick up negative attitudes around food.
  2. Try to eat a wide range of foods and promote consumption of seasonal foods through family meals.
  3. Promote healthy food choices over less healthy foods eg: Home cooked food instead of takeaways
  4. Teach your child conscious control, this involves making decisions about food for a genuine reason such as hunger, energy requirements, health reasons, environmental reasons.
  5. No food is BAD, it is just the proportions or frequency that we consume them that can impact negatively. Discuss the value of nutritious food in providing the building material for growth, repair of cells and energy to move.
  6. Provide plenty of opportunities for your child to make healthy choices – have vegetables and fruit available, buy ingredients to make lunches and snacks, provide containers to take leftovers to school to heat up or eat cold.
  7. Not feeling hungry or feeling ravenous are normal for children, adolescents and adults at various times. If it is impacting on your child’s mental or physical health seek professional support as it could be a sign of something more complex.
Community

And they call it Puppy Love

Each year our five Houses choose a charity to fundraise for, and in 2021 Hauraki House has chosen Blind Low Vision Guide Dogs NZ.

Yesterday morning Judy O’Ryan (above left – Puppy Raiser) and Maeghan Loehr (Community and Events Fundraiser) introduced 10-month-old Golden Retriever trainee Mayling to Hauraki’s assembly. They are pictured with Hauraki’s Service Prefect Hannah Jones.

“When I found out my theme for my service charity was animals, I immediately knew I wanted to fundraise for the Blind Low Vision NZ Guide Dogs,” says Hannah. “I really wanted to choose a charity that would have a palpable difference on people’s lives, and Guide Dogs are such important members of our community. The thing that stood out to me most from Judy’s speech yesterday morning was how important and necessary these dogs are for people who are blind or have low vision. They make life so much more accessible and easier for so many people. It costs about $50,000+ to train each dog, so I would really encourage students to support our fundraisers this year so that more people have access to Guide Dogs.”

The students will hold bake sales and other fundraising activities over the course of the year. If you are keen to become a collector for the Blind Low Vision NZ (formerly Blind Foundation) Red Puppy Appeal from 26-27 March click HERE for more details.

The other House Charities for 2021 are:

Akoranga – Foster Hope New Zealand
Onewa – Women’s Refuge (Auckland)
Pupuke – KidsCan
Wairau – Changing Minds

Academic

Keeping (House) Spirits high during lockdown

During our recent lockdowns, we profiled our seven head Prefects as part of our Lockdown Legends segment – something we started back in Level 4 lockdown last year. In the last edition of The Voice, we featured our Head Prefect and Deputy Head Prefect. Today we are proud to present our five House Captains talking about how they thrived and survived lockdown.

Paige Blake – Akoranga House Captain

When I heard we were heading back into lockdown, the first thing I did was respond to the messages I had received from my friends saying how shocked they were about the news. Although we were all upset that we wouldn’t be able to see each other this week, we have been making sure we stay connected through social media and keeping up to date on how each others’ days have been, which has been really nice.
Something I’m trying to do this week is to make sure I’m getting a good amount of sleep each night. I really want to utilise not having an early morning alarm this week to get refreshed for when we do go back to school. So, I’m focusing on heading to bed at a reasonable hour and trying not to scroll through my phone all night! The thing that makes me the happiest in lockdown is being able to spend time quality with my family. Outside of lockdown my younger brother and I are pretty busy with school and sport which means my family doesn’t often get time to just be together, so it’s been nice to hang around them these past few days.

Jumana Maash – Hauraki House Captain

I was watching a movie with my brother when I got the notification that we were going into lockdown, so I paused the movie and immediately called my parents who are currently on holiday in the South Island. Going into this without them was, admittedly, a little scary. However, I’m really grateful that I have my older brother at home with me making this a little easier (and emptying the dishwasher when I don’t feel like it).
In terms of tackling something new, I’ve already started the tedious task of teaching myself how to crochet! So I’ll be spending a lot of my time this week rewinding youtube tutorials and getting frustrated at a ball of yarn. I’m aiming to make myself a nice top or perhaps a cosy blanket! The thing that I’ve enjoyed most so far is being able to watch the premier league games without worrying about being late for school or staying up too late. It’s always nice to be able to watch the whole football game without having to rush to the bus at half time 🙂 (also doing schoolwork in sweatpants is another huge bonus!)

Ti’a Armstrong – Onewa House Captain

I was at work on Saturday night and told by one of my customers that we were going back into lockdown. I immediately thought, I’m not going to see my friends for the next 7 days which made me a little sad. But as soon as I got home I messaged all of my friends and family to keep in touch, as I know most of them struggle with being at home for a long period of time. This week my mum is super keen for me to join her for early morning workouts … I am not too sure about it but we will see how it goes!!
Something I would like to try is to learn a new song on the guitar and perfect it by the time we get back to school. My greatest pleasure during lockdown is that I can keep in contact with my family around the world, as we have major time differences. Some live in Australia, the Cook Islands and London, UK. One of my favourite things about lockdown is that I can stay in my comfiest clothes all day, have free range to my pantry and fridge and being able to listen to Six60 all day with no interruptions!!

Abbie Clements – Pupuke House Captain

When I heard we were heading back into lockdown, the first thing I did was turn off my 4.30am rowing training alarm!! We have been intensely training in preparation for North Island Champs, which was supposed to be this weekend, and the MAADI Cup (nationals) – both of which we hope can still go ahead later on this month. This week I have spent a lot of time reflecting on the start of this year and getting excited for all the cool events coming up in 2021.
As we are now officially in autumn, I have been looking back on memories from the holidays and thinking about how lucky we were to have a safe and covid-free summer! In saying that there are so many things to look forward to this year, I know many of us Year 13s have started to think about the ball: finding ball dresses, dates and more! One of the greatest pleasures of lockdown is having some extra time in the day to relax and spend time with family. If you haven’t already, I encourage everyone to go for a safe walk around the block with the people in your bubble, it’s a great way to get some vitamin D and take your mind off online school!

Aine Maloney – Wairau House Captain

As soon as I heard the news that we were going into level 3 I felt this instant rush of panic, thinking about my internals I had coming up and the weekend plans I would miss out on. My phone started to blow up but not in the way most hope for. It was frustrating to say the least. I then began to think about how my biggest worry is that I might not be able to see my friends this weekend or maybe that I might even get a little behind or lost amongst my school work.
Recognising privilege is so important and I was again reminded to check mine on that Saturday night. We are halfway through and it really isn’t all that bad – I even get to sleep in! I was reminded of how truly lucky I am to live in New Zealand and to be provided with an online school system that works. So, I’m not frustrated but thankful!
My goal this lockdown is to finally get through all the books I wanted to, but said I had no time for. This week is for fictional reading – first up is ‘Girl, Women, Other’ by Bernardine Evaristo. I realised throughout this week that I really enjoy working at my own pace, setting my own schedule and allowing myself to dip in and out of habits. I haven’t worked out once and I don’t care – I am listening to my body and enjoying the natural break of being in lockdown.
Sports

Taking CYGNET to new heights

On 22 February our Year 9 CYGNET class visited Tree Adventures. Here are accounts from two of those brave students!

By Lucy Taylor
On Monday 22 February our entire CYGNET group went to Tree Adventures in Woodhill Forest. We all took the bus from school first thing in the morning, and were split into our two class groups when we arrived for a safety briefing. We got into our harnesses, and were set free on the tree courses.

There were 10 different courses, from 1 – 10 in difficulty. Course 1 was the easiest, and they got higher, longer and harder as the numbers increased. I started on course 10 which was terrifying! Then went to 8, then 7. Each course took about half an hour. They had fun obstacles such as zip lines, balance ropes, ladders and tunnels which made each course unique.

I wanted to do more courses, but ran out of time. It was such a fun day. I highly recommend everyone should go to tree adventures!

By Alessia Martin
Year 9 CYGNET class of 2021.  Our first outing together.  How hard could it be?  We were 49 girls with dreams of making the world’s top sporting teams. With a bus driver called Steve, we ventured to Woodhill Forest to take on the heady heights of course number 10!  The highest and toughest climbing course going. 

At dizzying heights of 14 meters, the high performance cygnet girls climbed higher than ever.  Bungys, zip lines, climbing frames, tight ropes, moving logs … you name it.  They threw everything at us.  And we did it!  With heaps of laughs and plenty of screams, it was a great day to test our limits and get to know our fellow cygnet girls. 

Can’t wait for our next adventure together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sports

Footballers chosen for prestigious RTC

Four Westlake students have  been selected for a New Zealand Women’s Regional Training Centre (RTC) for Football U17. The three-day camp environment is for players who are showing potential to become future Ferns.

The students are (pictured above from left) Ella Dorward (Year 12), Alexis Cook (Year 11), Danielle Canham (Year 11) and Scarlett Halliday (Year 10). All four play for the Northern Rovers, are part of our school football programme and have been involved in the school CYGNET sports programme.

Congratulations to all of these outstanding athletes.

Academic

π takes the cake (or the tomato sauce)

By Lijing Sun
Maths Club Leader

 

 

 

 

 

 

To celebrate the mathematical constant ‘π’, Westlakegirls Maths Club held a fun event this week, memorizing significant figures of π. Students were encouraged to write down as many digits of pi as possible to enter this competitive event. It was also an event that enhanced House pride as students who participated gained House points for their Houses.

The purpose of celebrating π day was to help students understand the importance of π. It is not as simple as the value 3.14 appears on the exam paper. The constant helps us explain the universe with greater clarity in many other scientific fields like physics and even in piphilology, a study in how to memorize pi digits.

As one of  the leader of WGHS Math Club this year, I hope more people can understand how fabulous maths actually is!

 

Sports

Athletics Day full of fun and competition

We managed to sneak in our Athletics Day just before lockdown, and a fantastic day was had by all. From our full-school Zumba (check out the YouTube Video), to the fierce House competition, it was an action-packed day.

The 2021 Individual Athletics Champions are:

Junior Champion: Emma-Kaye Shroeder (Wairau)
Intermediate Champion: Kate Borton (Wairau)
Senior Champion: Abbie Clements (Pupuke)

The 2021 School Athletics Day House Point Results are:

Events Akoranga Hauraki Onewa Pupuke Wairau
House Chant 1 10 3 7 5
House Relays 32 20 35 35 34
Championship Field 56 81 64 82 102
Championship Track 70 50 50 110 83
House Events 612 638 565 635 485
TOTAL 771 799 717 869 709
PLACING 3rd 2nd 4th 1st 5th
Community

Mindful March

This month the Action for Happiness calendar is encouraging us to take some time to look within. Learning to be more mindful and aware can do wonders for our well-being in all areas of life – like the way we eat, the things we notice or our relationships. It helps us get in tune with our feelings and stops us dwelling on the past or worrying about the future – so we get more out of the day-to-day. It can also help us identify what we’re grateful for, which has been proven to help boost your happiness levels!

Sports

Young athletes break school records

Congratulations to our amazing athletes who broke school records at our recent Athletics Day.
 
Kate Borton, Year 10:
200m (26.43) and 400m (1.01.15)
 
Karmen Maritz, Year 9:
Shot Put (11.18) and Discus (36.91)
 
Chloe Dowson, Year 9:
1500m (5.25)
 
Emma-Kaye Schroeder, Year 9:
High Jump (1.55) and Long Jump (4.35)
 
These students will be part of a 40-strong Athletics team attending the Harbour Zone Athletics Event on 16 March.
Pictured above from left are Kate, Karmen, Chloe and Emma-Kaye.
Sports

Future USA College Athlete Summit

If your daughter is interested in an athletic scholarship for tertiary study in the United States, there is an information ‘summit’ being held this coming Monday.

Crimson Education is holding the free session to provide guidance to students interested in the American college recruitment process.  They will cover topics such as securing a scholarship, building a competitive profile, finding a best-fit college and life as a college athlete.

Details are

Date: Monday 15 March
Time: 6.30pm
Location: Crimson Education, Level 3 Textile Centre, 117 Saint George’s Bay Road, Parnell

You can register HERE

Academic

Important Things to Note - 12 March

Smart Swans

Smart Swans is our peer-tutoring system at Westlake. We have student tutors for all subjects, including Music and Technology. If you feel your daughter could benefit from one-on-one assistance, she can sign up in her Year Level Google Classroom.

Upcoming Events

A reminder that we have our Year 11 NCEA Information Evening next Tuesday, 16 March, and our Year 9 New Parent Information Evening the following night – Wednesday 17 March. Both are in Gym 3 at 6.30pm.

Our Whānau Evening for Māori parents and caregivers is on Thursday 18 March. If you are part of our Māori whānau, you should have received an email from us. If not, and you would like to attend, please email Rik Wilson: [email protected]. We’d love to see you there.

We will have a new date for our Pasifika Fono shortly.

Blazer needed for ID and Class Photos

ID and Class Photos will be taken next Tuesday and Wednesday. Your daughter will have been told which day her class photo is being taken, and it’s important she has her blazer with her on that day.

Bus information

Auckland Transport offers discounted fares to secondary school students aged 16 to 1 years. This year there is an updated process for students age 16+ to get the student discount loaded on their AT HOP cards.

There are two ways of applying for a secondary student concession – online or by visiting one of AT’s customer service centres. HOP cards must be registered before a concession is applied for. For full details, visit AT’s website.

Term 1 Key Dates

Tuesday 16 March and Wednesday 17 March: ID and Class Photos
Tuesday 16 March: Year 11 NCEA Parent Information Evening
Wednesday 17 March: Year 9 New Parent Information Evening
Thursday 18 March: Whānau Evening
Tuesday 30 March: Junior and Senior Progress Reports
Friday 2 April (school closed): Good Friday
Monday 5 April (school closed): Easter Monday
Tuesday 6 April (school closed): Easter Tuesday
Thursday 8 April: Report Evening One (4-7pm)
Tuesday 13 April: Report Evening Two (4-7pm)
Sunday 25 April: The observance goes to Monday 26 April which is in the holiday break

Community

Keeping our community fit since 2010

What an achievement! Our community fitness classes have been running at Westlake Girls High School for OVER 10 years!

During Level 3 we continued our classes via Zoom online trainings. Now we are at Level 2, we can resume onsite. We have a friendly, relaxed, warm and welcoming atmosphere for people who don’t want to be locked into gym memberships and contracts, but who enjoy group fitness classes with a fun and supportive crew.

We will be adding more Zumba and VeraFlow (Dance, Stretch, relax) classes soon so WATCH THIS SPACE! Our instructor has 17 years of experience as a group fitness instructor and is certified in a range of programmes.

Current timetable:

Mondays 7pm CardioFit
Tuesdays 7pm Circuit/Tabata
Wednesday 7pm Abs, Glutes, Thighs
Thursdays 7pm Circuit
Saturdays 8.30am Circuit
Saturdays 9.15am Zumba Dance Fitness

ALL welcome. Different levels of fitness, strength and flexibility catered for. Classes held in Gym 2: Dance studio.

First class is FREE and other classes are $7 each.

For more information check out our group on Facebook: Fitness@Westlake or email [email protected]

Community

Covid efforts get nod from the top

Remember this great photo from Athletics Day a couple of weeks ago? It’s some of our Hauraki House Year 13s wearing their Covid-themed outfits. Their aim was to promote the Covid App and encourage people to scan QR codes.

Dr Ashley Bloomfield was sent the photo and had this message for the studetns:

Many thanks for your email and the photo – it did indeed bring a smile to my face! Great to see the girls having fun like this and supporting the mahi.

Ngā mihi nui
Ashley

Well done Team Hauraki – you’re definitely doing your part of our Team of 5 Million.

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