Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa- le autu
Poupou le Lotoifale. Ola manuia anofale”- Strengthen the posts of your house for all to thrive
O le vaiaso lenei sa faatulagaina ai e nisi o fanau gaioiga o le vaiaso faapitoa I le gagana Samoa. Sa faatulagina e tama ma teine mai aoga e lua o Westlake le faiga Ava ile aso gafua ma le aso lua, taaloga Lape sa faia le aso lulu, ae faaiuna le vaiaso I pesepesega, siva ma suppers sa tapenaina e fanau mo faiaoga ma tamaiti o le aoga. Muai fa’afetai faapitoa i matua na lagolagoina le faamoemoe a fanau. Mataafa Sani ma Christabelle Mataafa, Asuao Emi Sofai, le komiti Pasifika matua, aemaise Paiaaua Puavao Tanimo mo le aoina le faiga o le Ava i fanau e faailogaina ai latou gagana ma le latou Aganu’u Fa’asamoa.
Last week the students of Westlake Girls celebrated the official Samoan Languages Week at school. The students from both Westlake schools learnt and performed an Ava Ceremony to showcase their culture, customs and traditions. The opening of this week started with the Ava Ceremony held up at Westlake Boys on Monday then Westlake Girls on Tuesday.
Wednesday saw staff head down to play the students in a game of Lape, and they finished the week with live siva Samoan dances, music and supper sales to staff and students.
Special thanks to the parents who helped the students prepare for this week- Mataafa Sani Mataafa, Christabelle Mataafa, Asuao Emi Sofai, the Pasifika parents komiti, especially Paiaaua Puavao Tanimo for teaching the students the way of the Samoan Ava.
The students were proud to showcase who they are and where they are from, their Fa’asinomaga- identity.
It’s been a brilliant season for our softballers, with several achivements, including Charlotte Graham (Year 11) being named in the 2021 New Zealand Junior White Sox softball squad.
At left, Charlotte (centre) is pictured with fellow Westlake softballers Cheyleigh Natana-Wihongi (left) and Jayah Lee (right).
Through the Pupuke Kāhui Ako of Learning, we are partnering with Milford Primary School to encourage young learners to enjoy and have passion towards reading. We aim to build a supportive relationship in a safe and happy environment. We aim for younger readers to see what being fluent looks like as they have a peer model demonstrating reading skills; they can also acquire a positive role model with some intentional pairing.
In 2020 three Westlake students commenced and have continued to take part in a Weightlifting Programme based at the Functional Strength Gym in Albany.
The students loved hearing from Alyssa. A crucial part of our event was making the students aware of how powerful donating even just $1 can be. The way we conveyed this was I told the students about a story I listened to on a scholarship summit that I attended. The story was about a man named Vitalis who grew up in Kenya. He lived without electricity and the money that his family did have was used on the farm. Uniforms were not introduced to his school until Years 11 and 12, and then many of the students dropped out because they could not afford it. Vitalis luckily got a school uniform for less than $1 through World Vision and it was the first time he had ever put on socks and shoes in his life. The uniform enabled him to go to school, get an education, and therefore a job to earn more money to help out his family and community. This shows that every little bit counts.
We also have one more event before the official 40-Hour Famine weekend from 25-27 June, which we are excited to promote in the form classes and assemblies. Our main goal through these events is to spread awareness of the positive impact students and parents can have through taking part in the 40-hour famine this year. Because if not us then who? If not now then when?
This is the biggest and most expensive project the school has undertaken in its history. We are very grateful for the dedicated team within the school and the contractors involved in its completion. We, like many other construction projects around Auckland, have been delayed through Covid-19 and delays in obtaining materials from overseas. At this stage we are looking for completion in July and an official opening ceremony in August. There is an amazing array of technology, IT and audio visual equipment left to configure and commission, so we are working hard to be ready in time for our first event!
Last week the Yr 13 Outdoor Education class spent three days Mountain Biking in Taupō.
On Day 3 we finished with a frosty 8km morning ride alongside the mighty Waikato River.
Our wonderful Environment Prefects organised a Clothes Swap recently, with more than 100 items exchanged.
Students will be informed about this project through mediums such as Form Class visits and the Daily Notices, and are encouraged to donate any spare blankets they have at home, in good condition, to this cause.
Re-enactments, roleplays, debates and more. Over the course of two days, WGHS contributed three delegate teams (Greece, Tunisia and Yemen), and a press Team of 11 members (pictured right), to the 
Leading up to the event, we spent several weeks preparing with our supervising teachers. Our delegate teams gathered every Monday lunchtime to rehearse, plan and research for the various remits and the 2-minute speeches that would follow each remit. Our Press Team also met each Monday lunchtime to allocate reporters to each bloc of countries and research the issues that surround each nation in that bloc. Of course these lunchtimes and the MUNA days themselves wouldn’t have been half as productive and fun if it weren’t for the crucial guidance and support of our teachers: Ms McRae, Ms Wilson, Ms Andrews and Ms Brown – along with our inspiring guest speaker and speech delivery advisor, Ms Cannan. 
Georgie went from strength to strength with developing her skills for school, women’s 
His presentation was informative, raw and real. Pat begun Amped4Life back in 2002 with the objective to ‘educate, equip and empower young people with the tools and skills they need to make healthy and informed choices for life’. He adds in his personal experience around drug use as well as adding in work stories from being a Paramedic. Pat is back to our school in August to talk to the whole Y12 cohort. 
Drinking enough fluids can easily be forgotten as thirst may not be as evident in the colder weather. Water, hot tea, coffee and soups are all great ways to take in fluid, just watch the added sugar.
