By the Service Prefects
Kayla Akkaya, Imogen Burge, Megan Meng, Kate Mole, Raeanne Leow
Malo e leilei,
On 20 December 2021, Tonga was devastated by the violent volcanic eruption of Hungarian Tonga Hunga Ha’apai – the largest eruption to ever be seen in space. Not only have communications, infrastructure, homes and agriculture been severely damaged, children and families are at risk and are in desperate need of basic human necessities.
To show our support for those impacted from this devastating event, Westlake Girls will hold a red and white themed non-uniform day on Tuesday 15 February – remember to bring a gold coin as a donation.
Let’s bring our Westlake community together and show our support for all those who need our help!
Congratulations to Leah Watton, Year 13, who has been selected for the following Auckland cricket representative teams:
Auckland Under-19 Women (which competed at the NZC U-19 Women’s Tournament in Christchurch).
Auckland A Women
Now is the perfect time to sign up for sports you’d like to play this year. We offer a wide range of sports at Westlake Girls and now is the time to be signing up if you want to join a team. You can find a list of our sports HERE and each page will have it’s own sign-up form.
A big welcome to our new students and their whānau who have joined our community for the first time this year.
We hope you’ve enjoyed your first two weeks of school and are starting to feel settled and are finding your way around. Don’t be afraid to ask questions- we’re here to help you as you adjust to life as a Westlaker!
The photo above shows Matua Eddie Hudson welcoming our new Year 10-13 students on their first day with us. And the photo below is the student about to enter the Event Centre for a speech by Principal Jane Stanley, and to be assigned to their Form Classes.
We are very fortunate to have an amazing group of International students who have stayed with us through the Covid pandemic.
It’s been a tough couple of years, with travel restrictions meaning they haven’t been able to visit home. But a strong network of care and support here at Westlake has helped to shape their experiences into something they will remember for a life time.
This year we have three awesome International Prefects who will be organising events and liaising as contact points and role models for other International students. We’re proud to introduce them to you today.
Clara is from Urumqi, Xinjiang in China. “Urumqi is a beautiful city, and is the capital of the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in the far northwest of China,” she says. “There are many ethnic minorities living there, including me – I am Hui.”
Clara is an only child, but has lots of pets – currently being looked after by her parents who both work in a tax office. “I miss my parents but I use Wechat and FaceTime to talk to them.”
She’s been in New Zealand since 2019 when she started at Westlake in Year 10. “The environment is good and I enjoy time with my friends,” she says of her Westlake experience. Her goals as an International Prefect this year are to help students and study hard. Next year she plans to study at the University of Auckland.
Her top advice for any International students who are considering coming to Westlake when NZ’s borders reopen is this: “Don’t be shy! If there is anything you don’t know or you’re not sure about, please ask the teachers or the International Prefects. No question is a stupid question.”
It’s been over two years since Krisha last saw her parents Joshna and Raj, and her brother Heer in her native Zambia. She misses her home in Ndola – Zambia’s third-largest city – and says not seeing her family is the hardest part of being an International student. “I think something that has been super difficult would most probably be having to deal with feelings of homesickness, as well as all the school stress,” she says. “It was definitely quite challenging but I found my way around it.”
Krisha has called her mum almost every single day since she arrived in April 2019 as a Year 10 student. On the days she can’t call, she texts her family to keep them up-to-date with what’s happening in her life.
“I think I’ll definitely always remember the friends that I’ve made at Westlake,” she says. “But I think my favourite thing about my time here is definitely the choirs I participated in. They were always a blast! I made so many new friends and I got to do something that I really liked.”
One of Krisha’s goals for this year is to make sure the International students grow together as a family “and that everyone finishes the year with smiles and feeling like they’ve had a good, full year”. She plans to study Architecture at Victoria University of Wellington next year.
“My top piece of advice would be to just take this leap and make the most of it. Coming to New Zealand and Westlake especially opened up so many opportunities for myself and I made the best friendships I’ve ever made. Just go with the flow and enjoy every little step of your journey!”
Providing support to International students who are missing home is the key focus for Roori Lee this year. “I truly think International students have a hard time not being able to visit their home country. I hope that I can fully support them by providing different events and activities, so they are able to enjoy the best school life,” she says.
Roori hails from Seoul, the capital city of South Korea and, like Clara and Krisha, has been at Westlake since 2019 as a Year 10 student.
“One of my favorite activities that I have done at Westlake is definitely being part of Korean Night! For this event, my group members worked very hard to organise a modern k-pop dance to perform on stage (pictured below). It was very stressful at that time but looking back now, it was one of the most amazing and unforgettable times,” she says.
Roori misses her father, who is still in Korea, but her mum (pictured left), older brother, younger sister and pets are with her here in New Zealand. Facetime keeps her connected with her dad, and lots of school activities keep her busy.
“Engage with everything,” she encourages those considering coming to Westlake. “There are tons of different activities and clubs here where you can not only find your true potential or interest, but also make a wide range of friends.”
Next year Roori plans on returning to Korea where she will attend university to study film and media.
School’s back, and while some things are sadly a no-go for now, there are still lots of awesome opportunities. While we wait for our 30+ amazing clubs to be able to begin, these are well worth looking into.
Starts Monday 14 February until the end of term. It’s open to all students, who swim on the day their House is rostered into the pool. Please bring appropriate swim gear and a towel. Restricted numbers – so sign in as you come through the gate. Pool gate opens at 12.30pm – 1.05pm
Monday = Akoranga House only
Tuesday = Hauraki House only
Wednesday = Onewa House only
Thursday = Pupuke house only
Friday = Wairau house only
Just Play
Try it, love it, play it! Participation in Sport is very important at Westlake Girls, and we encourage every student to stay active and be well. With 34 different sports, we offer the opportunity for everyone to come and have a go at some of the lesser known sports with JUST PLAY. This is an ideal programme for Year 9 & 10 students who are looking for a new adventure. Try something new, develop your skills, improve your confidence, love it and then trial for interschool teams when you are ready.
Just Play begins in Term 1 and runs throughout the year every Tuesday after school from 3.20pm – 4.30pm. Softball, lacrosse, volleyball, table tennis, squash, ultimate frisbee, tag and futsal are just some of the sports offered in the short modules. The coaching sessions are 4 weeks long and are taken by our Premier and Senior students of the various sports. This option caters for all ages and skills levels from beginners to competition trialists.
If you are interested in having a go at one of the sports listed below then please complete the form on the school web site – under sport – Just play, or use the link below.
| SPORT | DATE | VENUE |
| Term 1: Softball | Tuesday 15 February | The Turf – near Cricket Nets |
| Term 1: Lacrosse | Tuesday 15 March | The Turf – near Cricket Nets |
Cost: The fee for each sport is $10 except for Golf. Cost is determined by the independent provider and will be communicated to students prior to committing. Just indicate your interest in a sport on the registration form and Will Lacey will send you information prior to it starting.
Dress: PE uniform or similar.
Contact: Will Lacey | Sports Manager
Register here : https://forms.gle/5wiP71Fsg9zzjFRa6
Please sign into the Westlake Girls Google Classroom to gain access to weekly online yoga classes designed especially for Westlake.
Google classroom code = bhqq6te
All students welcome, no yoga experience necessary, just click into the weekly yoga video posted and enjoy learning yoga in the safe space of your own home. Can be done at any time at your own pace. Any questions, please see Ms Jobe in P9 sports office.
Sports gear is available to borrow from the Sports Department every lunch time and must be signed in and out each lunch time – P9.
We realise the first session of this was last night – but it’s so good we’d encourage you to still sign up for the remaining sessions.
You can email [email protected]
Our 2022 Athletics Day will take place on Wednesday 23 February at the Takapuna Athletics Club, Onewa Domain.
Usually this is an all-school event, however due to gathering restrictions, this year it is for competitors only. In order to comply with gathering regulations, we will be closing the registrations when capped numbers are met. Students wishing to participate must sign up for three or more events.
There are two sessions – juniors in the morning and seniors in the afternoon. Please use the registration links below to apply:
Dress code:
Years 9-12 – House T Shirt and PE shorts.
Year 13 – House colours.
If you are unsure how to get there you can meet a staff member at school (to walk to the venue). Please indicate this on the form when you sign up.
JUNIOR PROGRAMME
9am – Sign in at Takapuna Athletics Club, Onewa Domain
9.15am – Zumba Warm- Up
9.30-12pm – Track & Field Events
12pm – Sign-out & Return to school
SENIOR PROGRAMME
12pm – Seniors Leave Class, Change and walk across to Onewa Domain
12.30 pm – Sign-in at Takapuna Athletics Club, Onewa Domain
12.45 am – Zumba Warm- Up
1-2.45 pm – Track & Field Events
2.50pm – Sign out & Students Dismissed
Welcome to 2022! We hope your daughter has a fun-filled and rewarding year at Westlake Girls High School. Here are a few things that might be useful to know.
On Thursday 24 February, our school is holding an “Online Test Morning”, where students will work from home to ensure they are able to access Google classrooms should we need to instigate remote learning at any stage.
For the first three periods of the day, your daughter will need to log into her Google Classroom at the time she would normally be attending her class. Teachers will test a range of activities which could include a short Google Meet. Students will be directed by their teachers once they log into Google Classrooms.
It’s a Day 9 on her Timetable, there will be no Form Time, and the Periods are:
9.10 – 10.10am: Period 1
10.10 – 11.05am: Period 2
11.05 – 11.30am: Break time
11.30 – 12.25pm: Period 3
After Period 3, your daughter has the afternoon available to continue completing her set work. In the afternoon, a PPTA Paid Union Meeting is being held, so teachers will be unavailable.
If she’s unable to connect to the school system via her laptop, please email [email protected] and someone will assist you.
If your daughter is aged under 14 years and would be home without adult or older sibling supervision, the school’s Library will be available all day. If your daughter needs to be onsite in the Library, please email Rachel Bickerstaffe at [email protected]
While Auckland is at Alert Level Red, we are not permitted to allow non-essential visitors onsite at school. This includes parents or caregivers dropping off items at the school office. We know this is inconvenient, but if you need to come in to school (ie get out of your car) for any reason, please email [email protected] to make an appointment.
The Second-Hand Uniform Shop will be open every Friday lunchtime during February, but please remember that under Red it’s only open to students. Your daughter will find the shop (and our helpful and friendly volunteers) in classroom B8.
Please note that while the school has a small supply of masks available for emergencies, students should bring a mask and a spare to school with them each day.
The easiest way to contact us is by emailing [email protected] for general enquiries. Or you can phone 489 4169. Please do not email [email protected] as this is for outgoing mail and is not regularly monitored. We’d hate you to think we were ignoring you.
Parents or caregivers should contact the school in the morning by emailing [email protected] AND your daughter’s Form Teacher, remembering to give the reason for the absence. You can find a list of staff contacts on our website.
If your daughter should receive a positive Covid result, please email [email protected] to notify us. If your daughter is self-isolating under Ministry of Health guidelines, please email [email protected] as per usual.
Students must bring an explanatory note and give it to the Attendance Officer upon arrival in the main reception at the Gernhoefer Admin Centre. Alternatively email the Attendance Officer and your daughter’s Form Teacher.
If your daughter becomes sick at school, it’s important she doesn’t just call you for collection, but follows school procedures. First, she needs to go to the School Health Centre and then you will be notified if she needs to be sent home. It’s important your daughter sees a Nurse at the Health Centre before she calls you for collection.
Parents should email [email protected] with details of why the student needs to leave school. The student must collect a form from the Attendance Officer at reception before signing out.
We are still taking student ID photos on Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 February. Unfortunately we have had to postpone our prefect and class photos which were due to take place this month. These will now be taken later in the year.
A great way to know what’s going on at the school is through our Daily Notices which are read out in classrooms every morning. You’ll find them on the App, and also on our website either under “Notices” or at the bottom of the homepage under “Quick Links“.
Sadly we have needed to postpone our Swimming Sports competition which was due to be held this month. We’re now looking at Term 2, and will provide more details as they come to hand.
Our 2022 Athletics Day is going ahead in a different format to previous years. Traditionally it is a full-school event, however under Alert Level Red gathering restrictions are in place. We will be holding it on Wednesday 23 February. Please see the Sports section of this newsletter for more details.
| Wednesday 23 February | Athletics Day – competitors only (Juniors morning, Seniors afternoon) |
| Monday 21 February | ID photos |
| Tuesday 22 February | ID photos |
| Friday 4 March | Year 9 Tabloid Sports Day |
| Friday 1 April | Senior and Junior Interim Reports available via the Parent Portal |
Unfortunately we are unable to hold our New Parents Information Evening, NCEA Information Evening, and our Parent Teacher interviews in Term 1.
We might not be able to hold an all-school Athletics Day like we did in 2021 (pictured above), but we still want our Year 9s to feel a welcome part of their new Form Class and House.
On Friday 4 March, we are organising a fun hour of tabloid sports for each House. This is for Year 9 students only, and will be held on the football turf. It’s a great way for students to get to know other Year 9 students in their House.
Students will need to WEAR their PE gear to school today (ie, no uniform required). Timings are:
Period 1 – Akoranga
Period 2 – Hauraki
Period 3 – Onewa
Period 4 – Pupuke
Period 5 – Wairau
Students will be in their regular classes when not participating. It’s a Day 5 on their timetable. Unfortunately we aren’t allowed parents onsite but we’ll capture some shots for the school newsletter and Year Book.
Talk about making hay while the sun shines!
Our premier Westlake Symphony Orchestra held its first rehearsal on the evening of Tuesday 1 February under the leadership of Director David Squire. We made the most of the great weather and held it outside under the canopy by our Event Centre. 2022 might look a little different – but there is still a lot of excitement for what lies ahead!
By Lizzie Beaumont
TIC Food Technology
Lunchtime at school is a time to refuel, socialise with friends, meet with teachers or participate in an extra-curricular group.
Around this time of year students can become bored with what they are currently taking to school to eat and it is a good time to re-evaluate food options as we look forward to cooler weather in the autumn months.
In this Westlake Wellness article I have added some ideas for lunchtime foods, all of which are high energy, low fat and packed full of nutrition.
Always remember to hydrate during the lunch break, we have plenty of water fountains around the school as well as chilled water stations.
Sweetpea and Saffron have a great website for ideas: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/healthy-lunch-ideas/
Remember to try and swap out treat foods for healthy snacks as often as you can:
Our Prefects are a fantastic group of young leaders who give of their time to help build community within our school.
While most of our students were still on holiday, our Head and Deputy Head Prefects, along with the five House Captains, spent time getting to know each other and preparing for their roles this year.
The Westlake Schools’ Production for June/July 2022 is still going ahead. However, due to the Covid-19 Red Settings, some changes have had to be made from the original plan of a musical – A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum – and a play – Antigone.
Antigone, by Sophocles, will still go ahead, but now with an all Westlake Girls cast, directed by MJ Milburn and rehearsing at the Girls’ School.
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum will sadly not go ahead. This is due to rehearsal restrictions at the Red setting, and so will be replaced with a play that has a similar tone and playfulness. The play will be the hilarious The Government Inspector, adapted by David Harrower (after Gogol’s original). This will be rehearsed at Westlake Boys’ School, under the direction of Nick Brown, and will feature an all Westlake Boys’ cast.
For more information seek out Dr. Brown – [email protected] or Ms Milburn [email protected]
Check out our video with all the details.
Staying connected is so important right now! The one good thing to come out of lockdown is that we appreciate friendships all the more!
If you’re new to our Westlake community, every month in our school newsletter we print an Action for Happiness daily calendar that highlights actions you can take to make this world a better place! This month it is Friendly February, so follow along and have some fun.