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Te Reo O Te Roto
The Language of the Lake
Issue 26 | 14 May 2021
Arts & Culture

Cantare shines in ANZAC Day performances

Cantare (WGHS’s premier girls’ choir) was privileged to perform at the Auckland War Memorial Museum as part of the ANZAC commemorations on 25 April.

The choir, with Director Fiona Wilson, performed two reflective concerts in the Hall of Remembrance to the general public, after the formal services finished outside the museum. The choir was excited that the Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern was in attendance at the event. Cantare’s 20-minute programme featured a piece about ANZAC poppies by David Hamilton (WGHS composer in residence), with bagpipe soloist Charlotte Rhodes and snare drummer Holly Isherwood.

Despite the early start, Cantare then went on to perform an afternoon concert at Mayfair Retirement Village as part of their ANZAC service. The singers were thanked with gifts of ANZAC biscuits, home baked by the residents.

“As Cantare’s first big performance of the year, I think all of us were understandably pretty nervous about this performance,” says Choir Lead Hannah Jones (pictured above second from left). “Considering we didn’t have a lot of performances last year, it was amazing to perform together as a choir to a full audience again, and share the product of our hard work over the last few weeks of term. I couldn’t be more proud of the performances we put on.

“Another great part of the day was getting to watch and support other Auckland choirs like the Auckland Youth Choir and Macleans College Chorale. It was such a privilege to perform in such a beautiful venue on such a special day in New Zealand and Australia’s history. It is important we remember the sacrifices the ANZACs made, and singing in the Hall of Remembrance with the names of the fallen all around us was such a poignant reminder of what NZ lost in WWI.”

Top image supplied by Brian Sarmiento of the Auckland Photography Group – with thanks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Academic

Internships open up world of learning

Our STEAM and ESTEAM programmes at WGHS not only provide creative and project-based in-class learning, but thanks to our parent community, our ESTEAM students also got to experience hands-on learning at some of New Zealand’s leading businesses.

Parents Axel Wolhlfarth (Principal Pipeline Planning & Governance, IAG), Vanya Walker (Agile Coach, The Warehouse Group) and Nicola Richardson (Lead, People and Culture, Genesis) welcomed students for a half a day to their respective businesses recently.

During the internships, students learnt about use of Agile and Sprints, high-performance teams, and the application of emerging technologies such as augmented reality, mobile 3D mapping and the wearable tech used in the Genesis Team Emirates New Zealand t-shirt. There were office tours, team-building activities, opportunities to sit in on actual business meetings and listening to various speakers. The students also learnt about diversity by working with teams of students from other schools.

“This whole term has been a wonderful experience for ESTEAM,” says Sophia and Yan Qi. “We had several opportunities to learn about ourselves, our work and our impact. Additionally, there were plenty of experiences that helped shape our perspectives on our self values and future aspirations.”

If you work in a business that would be prepared to host a group of ESTEAM students, we’d love to talk with you. Please email TIC STEAM Susana Tomaz on [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sports

Rower makes U18 squad

Huge congratulations to Sofia Greenhalgh (Year 12) who has made the U18 North Island Squad for the Rowing NZ North v South Regatta. Sofia is pictured second from front competing at the recent Maadi Cup.
Photo: Conrad Blind / Picture Show Ltd
Academic

Market Day draws the crowds

Our Year 10 Market Day was a huge success last Friday, with 42 stalls and more than 200 Business Studies students selling a huge range of items – from scented candles, soaps/bathbombs, keyrings and jewellery, to tie-dyed socks, bags and various body scrubs, lotions and accessories.

It was hard to get through the crowds, as students and staff perused and purchased the range of items on offer. Well done to all Business Studies students who crafted their goods and marketed them so expertly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community

Westlake Wellness - focusing on your brain

Advice on physical health tends to focus on muscles such as the heart and lungs, and less on our brain.  A little time spent understanding how you can help your brain to do its job will help you get the most out of your brain for years to come.

To have your brain function to the best of its ability there are some simple things you can do:

Move – run, dance, swim, walk, cycle, regular exercise and movement helps to improve blood flow to all parts of the body as well as the brain. It also benefits overall muscle, heart and lung health.

Eat – nutritious foods including fatty fish, blueberries, turmeric, broccoli, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, nuts provide specific nutrients to assist brain function and keep it in good working order.

Sleep – plan to get around 7-9 hours of sleep to help your brain to rest and repair. Sleeping helps your brain process what you have experienced and learned during the day, so you can remember it later on. 

Relate –  build strong and positive relationships, this triggers the brain’s reward centre and can help reduce stress levels and improve mood.

Extend – stay mentally active by challenging yourself. Doing things that are mentally hard helps to strengthen connections between brain cells, improving understanding and reasoning skills

https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/healthy-living/p/proven-ways-to-keep-your-brain-healthy/

Academic

Magazine creators shine with their winning publications

Dana Thompson came first, Tara Yoo second, and Allison Wong third in the Year 10 Magazine Competition.

The magazine creation is an introductory assignment in Year 10 English. Students create their own magazines with the purpose of portraying their identity. They are credited for their creative use of visual language techniques, writing skills, and originality.

Pictured from left are Allison, Dana and Tara.

Community

Join us for this special evening

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Sports

Nail-bitting finish brings home the win

The Westlake Girls High School 2nd XI Hockey team travelled to Rotorua to attend the Rotorua Secondary School Invitational Tournament (against all 1st XI teams) in the first week of the holidays, travelling early Monday morning to play two games later that day.

First match up was Matamata 1st XI girls, where the girls had a shaky start having spent four hours travelling, but soon started working as a team and dominated the game scoring four great goals (Ashley Brown x 2 Amy Lees Baker x 2) to Matamata’s one goal, coming away with a 4-1 win. The second match of the day was against JPC girls 1st XI who we knew would be a tough match as they had a strong win against worthy opponents Western Heights earlier in the day who are always known as a tough team to beat.  The girls stepped their game up a notch with great positional play and linking and it became a see-saw match with each team dominating for periods of play.  The full time whistle blew with both teams remaining scoreless and a 0-0 draw.

Day 2 saw us facing Western Heights which would determine which team would gain a place in the final.  The girls put on another strong performance and dominated with possession of the ball but despite numerous opportunities to score, Charlotte Lockie was the only player to slot one into the back of the net.  However, this was enough to win the match, 1-0 and gain a place in the finals.

Tuesday afternoon saw a non-competition game against JPC 1st XI boys where the girls played one of their best games with a gritty performance of tight marking, player to player passing and generally working well as a team resulting in a fairly even contest.

Day 3 saw the team in the finals against JPC Girls 1st XI who they had drawn with on Day 1.  Once the girls overcame their nerves, they worked well as a team and played a stronger game than their 1st game against JPC.  Goals from Kate Thornhill and Jess Reynolds put the team in a good position to take out the win but JPC came back strong in the last few minutes with a goal.  Tension was high as JPC attacked hard to try to equalise. A Penalty Corner for JPC on the final whistle created a nail biting finish – with WGHS fighting hard to prevent a final goal which they succeeded in doing taking out the game 2-1 and the trophy for the tournament.

Well done and special thanks to TIC Kate Segetin for giving up her time to attend the tournament in the school holidays, Geoff McNaughton (Team Coach) and Robyn McNaughton (Team Manager).

Community

Committee gathers force for 40 Hour Famine

“Our World Vision 40 Hour Famine Committee is creating a plan for this year! This team is going to change the lives of children in sub-Saharan Africa, and from us at World Vision, we can’t wait to see what they have in store!”

Alyssa Wilson, World Vision 40 Hour Famine Youth Ambassador (and Westlake Alumni)

Arts & Culture

Trip back in time to Maungauika and Lake Pupuke

As a part of the Art Design and Photography course this year, we took Year 11 students to visit two significant local sites with historical connections to Māori culture.

As part of their NCEA 1.1 assessment task, students reimagined connections between the past and present at Maungauika (North Head) and Lake Pupuke, researching and visually recording information at the sites.

800 years ago, Māori settlements around the site of Maungauika produced food staples in organised gardens for surrounding areas and trading. They watched from the volcanic hills for traders, enemy waka and their own fishing expeditions.

This visual information collated in the form of photographs and drawings is being used to inform subsequent tasks exploring a historical indigenous perspective. The students are learning to form connections between their own multicultural backgrounds and the
indigenous culture of Aotearoa New Zealand.

Art work at top by Joy Yan.

 

 

 

 

 

Artwork above by Alison Fan 

Artwork below by Holly Hampson-Tindale

Academic

Entrepreneurs selected for national competition

Two Westlake students, Jacqueline Ramos (pictured left) and Isabelle Lee (right) have been selected to represent the Auckland region at the 2021 Entrepreneurs in Action weekend – an annual experience for The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme.

Over the two days of competition in late June, Jacqueline and Isabelle will be part of a team of six students who will undertake two business challenges – an export/market entry strategy challenge, and a proble-solving challenge. There will be 78 students competing in total across 13 teams, each team guided by a business mentor. The final day of competition will involve the team pitching its idea to a judging panel.

Entrepreneurs in Action is about experiencing business at a fast pace, competing in business challenges and meeting other YES students with a passion for enterprise. We’ll shoulder tap Jacqueline and Isabelle to write a story on their experiences when they return from the competition.

Community

Meaningful May

This month’s theme is all about reflecting on what gives our life meaning. Being a part of something bigger than ourselves and focusing on things that we value is key to our wellbeing. So let’s take time to reflect on what we care about this month and keep these things at the front of our minds.

Sports

Swimmers reap rewards at two national meets

April was a busy month for some of our top swimmers, with the Aon New Zealand Swimming Championships (5-10 April) and the Aon New Zealand Age Group Championships (19-23 April).

Aon New Zealand Swimming Championships
Four Westlake students qualified and competed at the NZ Championships in Auckland: Zoe Crawford, Lena Hamblyn-Ough, Savannah-Eve Martin and Doyoun Kim.

Results were:

  • Zoe qualified for the National Age Programme at the competition. She swam in the 50, 100, 200 Backstroke and 50, 100, 200 Freestyle, as well as some relays. Zoe swam herself into the NZ Squad with a phenominal 200m Backstroke swim in the A final. She also won Gold in the 4 x 100 Medley, Silver in the 4 x 200 Freestyle Relay and Bronze in the 4x 100 Freestyle Relay.
  • Lena swam in the 400, 800 and 1500 Freestyle, making the A final for the 800 and 1500 and the B final for the 400.
  • Savannah-Eve swam in the 50, 100 and 200 Backstroke, making the B and C finals.
  • Doyoun swan in the 100 and 200 Backstroke, making the B and C finals.

Aon New Zealand Age Group Championships
Zoe, Lena, Savannah-Eve and Doyoun were joined by Mia Stanley-Hunt in the Aon New Zealand Age Group Championships, held in Wellington. This is an Age Group Meet where swimmers compete for medals against other swimmers in their age group. There is only one final for each age group. It is the pinnacle event for Age Group Swimmers, run over five days with heats in the morning and finals in the evening.

Results were:

  • Zoe competed as a 16-year-old, winning Silver in the 200 Backstroke, and Bronze in the 400 Freestyle. She was also in relay teams which won Gold in the 4 x 100 Freestyle Relay and 4 x 100 IM Relay, along with Bronze in the 4 x 100 Mixed Relay.
  • Lena competed as a 15-year-old, winning Silver in the 1500 Freestyle, and Silver in the 800 Freestyle.
  • Savannah-Eve competed as a 14-year-old, winning Bronze in the 50 Backstroke, and Bronze in the 100 Backstroke. She also placed 4th in the 200 Backstroke.
  • Doyoun competed as a 15-year-old in the 200 Backstroke final, finishing 7th. she also competed in the 50 Backstroke coming 11th, and placed 13th in the 100 Backstroke.
  • Mia competed as a 14-year-old, coming 8th in the 100 Backstroke, 9th in the 200 Backstroke, 8th in the 50 Backstroke and 16th in the 50 Fly heats.

Well done to all of these athletes on your outstanding performances.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arts & Culture

Orchestra learns from some of the best

Taharoto Symphony Orchestra is directed by Fleur Knowles and rehearses on Wednesday mornings during the late start. Like our other instrumental groups, Taharoto orchestra are preparing for the annual Auckland Festival KBB, which runs during August for musicians from all the Auckland secondary schools.

Last week, the orchestra worked with professional players from the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra – one tutor from the strings, woodwind, brass and percussion sections of the orchestra. Our young musicians (many of whom are beginners) learnt a lot of new musical skills from the input of the professionals, and are making excellent progress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sports

ANZAC Festival of Hockey

By Leisen Jobe and Linda Clouston
Assistant Coach and Manager

The first three days of the school holidays saw our 1stX1 Hockey team take part in the ANZAC Festival of Hockey, hosted at St Cuthbert’s College.

This is a prestigious, invitation-only festival that featured 10 of the top hockey schools in the country. Whilst it was not a tournament as such or a round robin format, Westlake had 5 matches in 3 days against some old foes and a couple of new ones. The benefits for us were that we will likely meet up with theses teams during our Auckland season and at Nationals later in the year and a great challenge for pre- season skill level.

The results were outstanding. We won four of the five matches and drawing the fifth. This is by far the best results from all the previous ANZAC Festivals that we have been invited to. The team scored 13 goals, 3 goals against, beating Dio 4 v 0,  Rangiruru 3 v 2, Napier Girls 2 nil, Hamilton Girls 3 nil and a draw with Wellington College, 1 all.

The team fielded 5 new players (including a new goalkeeper). Co-captains Paige Blake and Georgie Shotter were nominated for the Festival Team, who played in a match against “Old Girls” festival team, with several current or retired Black sticks. They did really well and certainly showed their great skills. Our team MVP for the festival was Brianna Speck, who played a consistently high level of hockey throughout.

On Tuesday evening teams were hosted at St Cuthbert’s for a formal dinner. This included a guest speaker, White Fern Suzie Bates (recovering from shoulder surgery). A big thank you also to Will Lacey who is the team coach and lead the girls to these great results. We are all looking forward to a great season.

NB: The school would like to thank Linda Clouston our WGHS TIC, Will Lacey our Coach, Leisen Jobe our Specialist Coach, and Carol James who helped out with umpiring  who all gave up their time to attend this tournament. 

Community

Online safety parent toolkit

Every now and again, our counsellors come across websites or articles that are particularly interesting or provide great practical advice. This article, produced by Netsafe, is one of them. It deals with the issue of parental control on devices, and talks about technological solutions to keeping kids safe online, but also about education.

Read it here: https://www.netsafe.org.nz/parental-controls/

 

Sports

Great lessons for young sailors

Five Westlake students recently competed in the Harken Secondary Schools Sailing Championships on Saturday 8 May, finishing 2, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 8th – when the kite tangled. The students were Freya Caisley, Elizabeth Kenyon, Emma Reid, Chloe Salthouse and Daniella Wooldridge.

With no drop (discard), WGHS tied for 4th with Glendowie College but lost on countback, qualifying for the Silver fleet for the final day.

Sunday there was little wind and the team had mixed results in the drifting conditions. They finished the day with a good third place in the last race. The Team learnt lots from the weekend and had a great time mixing with some of the best junior sailors in the country.

If your daughter is a keen sailor, have her email Stuart Dove ([email protected]) and we will aim at sailing this event next year and maybe some teams racing later this year.

Sports

Talented Surf Life Saver receives Tania Dalton Foundation Scholarship

16-year-old Zoe Crawford has received a 2021 Tania Dalton Foundation Scholarship, along with 12 other talented young NZ sportswomen.

A member of the Mairangi Bay Surf Life Saving Club, Zoe’s scholarship was awarded for her achievements in Surf Life Saving. Included in those achievements are one bronze and five gold medals in individual events at the 2020 National Surf Life Saving Pool Championships. She was also named Westlake Girls High School 2020 Junior Sportswoman of the Year, and is a member of our 1st XI hockey team and swimming team.

Zoe is beyond excited about the opportunity and looking forward to growing as an athlete in her chosen sport. Her goal is to make the Junior NZ Surf Life Saving team – the Junior Black Fins” and represent New Zealand at the World Champs next year, both in the ocean and in the pool.

The Tania Dalton Foundation exists to inspire young people to be the best they can through sport. The scholarship programme provides young sportswomen with opportunities to connect with like-minded athletes and experienced mentors. This is the fourth annual intake since the programme was founded by Tania’s husband Duane, and the 13 students will receive mentoring, personal development and fiscal support.

Zoe’s scholarship partner for the next three years is Vero Liability Insurance and her mentor is former Silver Fern Adine Wilson.

“Following Tania’s footsteps, we’re encouraging these girls to see themselves as future role models and leaders in their communities, finding ways to work alongside and inspire them to realise their ultimate dreams,” says Duane. “We’re looking forward to helping our 2021 scholarship recipients achieve success just as we have in previous years.”

Sports

National NZ Waterpolo Championships 2021

During the 4 days across 28 April to 1 May, our Premier Girls Waterpolo team competed in Auckland to win the plate division of the National NZ Championship Waterpolo competition. Having recently won the same title in the North Island Champs, it was a fantastic back-to-back win, this time also facing teams from the South Island as part of the wider national competition.

It was a well-deserved win as well. Having missed out on making the championship rounds by only one point, disappointment was quickly replaced by a conviction to show everyone the hard work and effort they have put in all season could pay off. With a total of 4 wins in the last round and a final game against Western Springs College in which our girls won 8-4, they should all be incredibly proud of how they played and represented the school.

Special mention to our Year 13 girls who have represented the school strongly in Waterpolo for five years, as this was their last competition in the Westlake caps, it was quite an emotional end of an era. A big thank you as well to our Coach Paul Swindells, Teacher in Charge Kahlia Hawkins and Manager Sarah Bird.

Arts & Culture

La Meilleure chose du Club de Français (The best thing about French Club)

By Aria Wood
French Club (pictured above with her creation)

To celebrate the end of Term 1, the French Club decided to make Crepes. Loads of us had never made crepes before – and some of us didn’t even know crepes were French! Making crepes helped us learn about the French culture.

What I enjoyed most about it was eating the crepes. I think everyone enjoyed it. The recipe was really simple and easy, although the hardest part was flipping the crepes in the pan. But, with the help of Madame Drabble, I think we ended up with some pretty good crepes.

A message from French Club TIC Helen Drabble: The WGHS French Club meets every second Tuesday lunchtime with the aim of learning about French culture in a really fun and interactive way – with a little of the language thrown in! There are between 12 and 30 students who participate each meeting and we hold things like Kahoots and a Boules competition. Students of all year levels who are interested in France or the French language are welcome to join us in A34. Our first meeting in Term 2 will be Tuesday 11 May.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Community

Free parent webinar

Raising Achievement is holding a free parent webinar on understanding children’s learning differences, setting up for success and supporting children with home learning.

It’s being held this Monday, 17 May, at 7.30pm. The course will cover:

  • Understanding your child as a learner
  • Understanding learning difficulties
  • Specialist referrals
  • Supporting at risk learners
  • Literacy and supporting children with home learning
    • Tutor reading
    • Basic spelling activities.
  • Next steps for those who want more

To register, email [email protected] and a link for the webinar will be sent to you.

Academic

Social Studies students receive certificate (and ice-cream treat)

On Wednesday 14 April, 48 Year 9 students attended an ice cream lunch to celebrate their award in Junior Social Studies. The award was recognition for their effort in Junior Social Studies in Term 1.

The students who were awarded a certificate and ice-cream were nominated by their teachers for one of the following categories: managing self, participation, contribution to class activities and exemplary work.

Congratulations to these students and well done for their first term at Westlake Girls. We look forward to another group of students gaining an award for their efforts later this term. 

Sports

Finding their way to success!

The Auckland Schools Orienteering Sprint Series final was held on Sunday 11 April, with WGHS students performing admirably. Top results were:

Kate Borton – 2nd overall in Y10/11 (pictured above)
Lucy Jobbins – 11th in Y12/13
Ella Hutcheson – 12th in Y10/11
Grace Hirst – 12th in Y9
Kenzie McKay – 14th in Y10/11
Kate Jobbins – 15th in Y10/11

These results are particularly good, considering most other schools have professional coaches. WGHS has outstanding (albeit not-a-professional) coaches in parent Paul Borton and TIC/Manager Dan Rennie. We are very grateful for their commitment, expertise and dedication to our team.

Well done to all of these students below, who qualified to compete in the final:

Lucy Jobbins, Lily Winchester, Leah Patrick, Isabelle Frost, Maya Potvin, Robyn Prinsloo, Margaret Cudmore, Ariana Aminian, Kate Borton, India Fisher, Kate Jobbins, Ella Hutcheson, Mia Goldsworthy, Kenzie McKay, Ella Kirkpatrick, Sienna Heaton, Grace Hirst and Becca Andrewes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sports

Students needed to coach netball

Northcote Intermediate is looking for high school students to coach their netball teams – and in some cases be manager. If you’d like to volunteer your time (it looks great on your uni application), then contact Amanda-Jane at [email protected]. The teams needing a coach are: 7/4,7/5,7/6, 8/3 and 8/4. Year Sevens play on Tuesday nights, and Year Eights play on Thursdays.

 

 

Arts & Culture

Premier choir gets ready to perform

 

 

 

 

 

Choralation Choir is the premier mixed choir of 49 singers from Westlake Girls and Boys High Schools. Before the holidays, the choir worked from a Friday to Sunday on their repertoire for the year with their Musical Director Rowan Johnston and vocal consultant James Harrison.

Held at Peter Snell Youth Village on the beautiful Whangaparaoa Coast, the choir enjoyed making progress together and getting to know each other better over the camp. We look forward to hearing them at future performances coming up soon!

Sports

Sports Shorts

Rowing 
Congratulations also go to Sofia Greenhalgh (Year 12) who has made the U18 North Island Squad for the Rowing NZ North v South Regatta. Sofia earned the right to trail after her performance at Maadi Cup earlier this year.
Photo: Conrad Blind / Picture Show Ltd

 

Athletics

Karmen-Elizabeth Martiz had a very successful weekend recently as part of the North Harbour Secondary Schools Athletics Team. They competed in the North Island Secondary Schools Championship at Porritt Stadium in Hamilton, in pouring rain on Saturday and sunshine on Sunday.

Karmen-Elizabeth did exceptionally well with her results including:

  • 1st Place & NISS Junior Girls Discus record in a very tight competition against the older girls with distance of 41.59m.
  • 1st Place Javelin with PB of 31.98m
  • 3rd place Shot Put
Fencing

Year 12 student Sophia Lee recently competed in Wellington for the NZ U15/Cadet (U 17) Fencing Championship and achieved a silver medal for the Under 17/Cadet Women’s Foil.

Sports

Climbing team reaches new heights at first event

The inaugural Westlake Girls Climbing team competed in the first event of the Auckland College Climbing Series at the end of last term.

The event took place at Vertical Adventures and included Top Rope & Bouldering. The team consisted of three Year 12 students pictured above from left: Poppy Scott, Lisa Parkin and Mia Edwards.

Mia came 4th overall in the Senior Girls event which is a great result for her first competitive climbing competition. The team  enjoyed their first event and are looking forward to the second event of the series at Northern Rocks on 27 June.

If any students are interested in entering the climbing event please see Ms Page in the Sports Office (P9).

Academic

Important Things to Note - 14 May 2021

Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum: Parent Information Evening Invite

WGHS warmly invites our parent community to an information evening to learn more about the Aotearoa New Zealand Histories Curriculum which will be implemented next year.

The new curriculum is being developed and designed by The Ministry of Education, and will formalise the teaching of New Zealand history in schools throughout the country. The curriculum covers teaching over Years 1-10.

The Ministry of Education has published a draft curriculum document, which schools and members of the public have the opportunity to provide feedback on via a survey, before the end of May.

At our parent information evening, you will have the opportunity to hear more about what is in the proposed curriculum, learn how to take the survey, and have the chance to discuss your responses to the proposed curriculum with other parents and teachers.

We are excited about this development in Social Science education, and look forward to hearing your ideas. If your daughter is already a senior student, your experience of the current curriculum is valuable to us.

Please note that due to space restrictions, this is an evening for parents, not students.

Details are:

When: Thursday 20 May
Time: 6.30pm – light refreshments will be served
Venue: WGHS Staff Room, Gernhoefer Admin Centre

Please RSVP to [email protected] for catering purposes, including any dietary requirements and also your daughter’s name and Year Level. We will look forward to seeing you on Thursday 20 May.

Reports and Parent Teacher Evening

School reports will be issued through the Parent Portal on Wednesday 30 June. Incorporated will be details on how to book for our next Parent Teacher Evening on Wednesday 7 July.

Teacher-only Day

There will be a Teacher-only day on Friday 4 June – we will be sending out an email with more details nearer the time.

Second-Hand Uniform Shop Opening Hours Term 2

Our shop will be open onsite on the following days:

May
Saturday 8 May:  10am -11.30am
Friday 14 May: 12.15 – 1.15pm
Friday 21 May: 12.15 – 1.15pm
Friday 28 May 12.15 – 1.15pm

June
Saturday 12 June: 10am -11.30am
Friday 18 June: 12.15 – 1.15pm
Friday 25 June: 12.15 – 1.15pm

July
Saturday 3 July: 10am – 11.30am
Friday 9 July: 12.15 – 1.15pm

Term 2 Key Dates

Monday 3 May: Term begins for all students
Thursday 13 May: Teacher-only Day
Saturday 15 May: Combined Westlake Schools Ball
Friday 4 June: Teacher-only Day
Monday 7 June: Queen’s Birthday Public Holiday (school closed)
Tuesday 15 June: Westlake Choral Concert
Thursday 24 June: Big Sing Regionals
Wednesday 30 June: Reports issued
Thursday 1 July: ShowQuest
Thursday 1 July: Enrolments for study in 2022 open
Wednesday 7 July: Parent Teacher Evening
Friday 9 July: End of Term 2

Academic

Empowerment conference free for students

By Maria Green

Business Studies Teacher

 

The Girl Empowerment Conference 2021 will be held at Macleans College on Saturday 12 June. This is a free conference run by youth for youth and we have received a lot of positive feedback from the participants in the past running years.

This is an opportunity to encourage young females who are interested in business, feminism and politics to chase their dreams and promote women’s rights, as well as providing a platform for young women to discover their talents within a business vocation.

We hope to inspire young females to be future change-makers by providing them with the opportunities to design their own business in a real-life scenario.

On the day, participants are to create a business proposal based around a business/political/social issue of the planning committee’s choice, and present it to a panel of leading businesswomen and entrepreneur judges. Throughout this process, they will be under the guidance of experienced mentors – therefore giving them a chance to gain invaluable knowledge and experience in this field.

Furthermore, they will gain the chance to transform theoretical knowledge into practical knowledge, develop logical thinking skills, communication and team working skills, which are all vital for their future occupation.

This is a fantastic opportunity for female students to explore their interest in business and politics, and we would like to invite Westlake Girls’ High School to encourage your students to take part.

Furthermore, our event is entirely free, AND no previous experience in business/politics is required for participants, in order to increase the accessibility of this event. Our objective the years to come for the conference is to ensure this opportunity reaches all diverse demographics of female students in Auckland.

Students may enter through this link to the registration form.

All information about this event can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Oz1cJ41D7T58WaXwrj0kEZlSk7kitGdZ/view?usp=sharing

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to email me via [email protected]

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