A while ago in Te Reo o Te Roto, we brought you the story of the Westlake students who had participated in creating a mural that was installed in Takapuna. The 60m mural was created by schools across the North Shore, under the umbrella of Pupuke Kāhui Ako and working with Auckland Council regeneration agency Eke Panuku.

The project was led by local artist and Westlake Alumni Emma Ormsby of Ngāti Maniapoto and Ngāti Porou descent, with support from mana whenua. Emma is a student at Elam School of Fine Arts and Te Wananga ō Aotearoa, and is undertaking a major in Whakairo (Māori wood-carving).

One of our teachers, Bethan Meikle, was so impressed with the project that she decided to launch “Magnificent Murals” competition where form classes created murals made up of images which reflected the interests, identities, diversity, uniqueness and values of all the people in that form class.

It was a brilliant success with some outstandingly creative murals produced.

9AST won the outstanding award for effort and detail, collecting 20 House points for their submission (pictured top). “The idea came from Kaitlyn Kong in our Form Class who thought interconnecting puzzle pieces would be a good representation of us connecting as a class,” said Form Teacher Kate Segetin. “This was such a great idea to get everyone involved.”

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Anyone with a sweet tooth was in for a treat last Wednesday, with the Year 11 Business Studies students holding their Market Day.

There was a wide range of yummy food on offer – but you had to be quick as there was high demand for the extremely impressive lunchtime treats.

Held in the courtyard by the Event Centre, there were 18 stalls (80+ students) selling a range of food. From lolly pops to fudge pops, the beautifully packaged offerings were prepared and marketed to the highest standards.

Students contributed 10% of their turnover to the school, which will donate it to a chosen charity later in the year.

Well done to all the students involved and the Year 11 Business Studies teachers and HOD who organised the Market Day.

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At the end of last term, the Year 12 PE students took part in 2x day trips that would allow them the opportunity to gain 7 credits for both Social Responsibility and Leadership. 

Day 1

The first day students were based at Camp Adair in Hunua. Here they rotated around four different activities that challenged them, put them out of their comfort zone and forced them to work as a team.

These activities included ‘The High Swing’ – which as the name suggests- involved jumping off a platform high up in the air which resulted in a big swing! This was testing for those afraid of heights as well as the team who did their best to calm everyone and help their team feel safe and supported.

‘Multivine’ was another activity up in the sky. Situated in the picturesque views of the trees, students climbed up into the tree line and made their way across the wire with the support of their team on the ground. This was a challenge by choice, where students could go as far as they could.

There was also a ’Confidence Course’ where teams needed to make their way through a series of challenges which often required them to work together to ensure they all made it across. Fair to say there was a lot of mud and water involved!

And finally there was ‘Raft Building’ which forced teams to collaborated to create a raft out of a range of materials including rope, bamboo and barrels.

The biggest test was to see if their raft a) floated and b) could carry their team and withstand ‘rapids’. Fair to say this wasn’t the most successful in terms of floating rafts, but hugely successful in teamwork and leadership!

Day 2

We had a local day on day 2, where we were based in Milford and Takapuna. Groups rotated between two main activities.

The first was an outdoor escape room where students played incorporated puzzles and code-cracking elements while experiencing exciting AR features & geolocation technology, without the confines of a physical room. They had to trek around Takapuna to solve these puzzles with the hope of finishing their mission. 

The second activity was skill based and focused on learning Windsurfing down in Sylvan Park in Milford. They all did really well to pick up the skills needed to windsurf relatively quickly, and with only a couple of students going slightly off course, it was a very successful session on the water! 

By Tanushri and Lana
Year 10 STEAM students

Last term for the Innovative Lab, we had to choose a childhood game that our parents used to play. Our group chose Space Invaders. After selecting a game, we had to recreate it as a physical arcade game using cardboard. We had to have one or more components that were 3D printed or laser cut. After at least four weeks of hard work and collaborating, we finally had finished our project.

Something interesting we learned is how to use the Makey-Makey microprocessor with a circuit. We ran into some challenges with the space maze; some of the problems were that we ran out of copper tape and we had to use foil instead. The pulley system didn’t work, so we had to think outside the box and problem solve. Although, in the end, we had a great experience, and many people played our game and had fun.

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Hi! I’m Kate Liu, a Year 12  student who is very grateful to be voted as the Student Rep on the Westlake Girls Board for 2022.

My time here at Westlake has included many highlights – and a few lowlights – like all high schoolers would experience. I am very grateful for having my friends, teachers, counsellors, WGHS staff members, and all extra curriculum activities (sports, clubs, events, etc) which have all given me the best opportunities to grow and experience my own improvement every year.

I am passionate about being the Student Rep because this position means “change” and “voice” – it represents all students’ voices including my own. I personally believe that we all have the power to change something for the better and our voice should be heard no matter what language.

During my time on the Board, I will be working with the Members to make holistic decisions, and make our life here more enjoyable as students.

Thanks again, to those people who voted me as “your voice”, Together with the Board, we will make the students have more “highlights” during their time here at Westlake.

This group of Year 9 Fabric Technology students had a lot to smile about at the end of Term 1. Not only did they successfully navigate their first term of high school, but they had something cool to show for their efforts. Each of their bags pictured above was designed and made during class, using material of their own choosing.

Their teacher was Elizabeth Beaumont who, as TIC of Food Technology, is more commonly seen around ovens than sewing machines. “They are one of my Year 9 groups after not teaching fabric for several years,” says Elizabeth. “The Year 9s’ enthusiasm and delight in learning new techniques and applications in fabric reminded me of the creativity I love in teaching technology.”

And the results speak for themselves!

Pictured from left: Delilah Clements, Samantha Syme, Joan Tenny, Harshita Bhatt, Charli Latoa, Sasha Holt, Chloe Mackie, Michaela Symons, and Lottie Davis.

Westlake at Orange

Key changes for schools going into Covid Orange effectively from the start of Term 2 are:

1. No gathering size limits or activity restrictions on site in Orange Alert Level.
2. Mask use indoors is encouraged but not required for staff or students. Face masks continue to be required for students aged 12 and above on school and public transport.
3. No restrictions on visitors coming on site, but all visitors still have to sign in at the main office at any Alert Level.

Parent Teacher Interviews

Our second Parent Teacher Interviews are being held on Tuesday 17 May. You can book via the Parent Portal on our website HERE.

For the safety and wellbeing of everyone in attendance, we strongly recommend that you wear a mask. Our teachers will all be wearing masks for your protection.

With Covid still prevalent in our community, we are hoping to keep numbers on site to a minimum. If you are able to make arrangements for younger siblings to be looked after offsite, it would be appreciated, however we do understand this won’t be possible in every situation.

There will be limited parking available in our two car parking areas  – one off Wairau Road, and the one next to Smales Farm Bus Depot.

Teacher-only Day

Our Teacher-only Day is this Monday, 16 May. If your daughter is aged under 14 and has no adult or older sibling supervision at home, we have a space for her at school to study independently, but you need to register by emailing [email protected] before Monday, and letting our team know that she will be on site. We will then forward you the relevant information.

Pink Shirt Day

Next Friday, 20 May, we are celebrating Pink Shirt Day, in support of inclusion and kindness. It’s a non-uniform day for students, with a gold coin donation going towards the Mental Health Foundation. Celebrated annually around the globe, Pink Shirt Day began in Canada in 2007 when two students took a stand against homophobic bullying, after a peer was bullied for wearing a pink shirt. In Aotearoa, Pink Shirt Day works to create schools, workplaces, communities and whānau where everyone feels safe, valued and respected.

Korean Night 2022

Our fabulous Korean Night is being held on Friday 3 June at the Westlake Boys School Auditorium. It starts at 7pm and will conclude at 9.30pm.

The Westlake Korean Night is an annual event that aims to promote and share in essence what Korean culture is about to both the Westlake and wider community by exhibiting a diverse range of traditional and modern performances. Over the past 10 years, Westlake Korean Night has been extremely successful with an average of 1500 audience members every year.

Be in quick to purchase your tickets as we can’t guarantee door sales on the night.

$6 standard admission ticket + raffle
$7 standard admission + glow stick + raffle
$15 VIP  – VIP Entrance + reserved seat + complementary drink and snack

CLICK HERE to make your purchase.

Senior Mid-Year Exam/Assessment Week

We will be holding a mid-year exam/assessment week for our senior students from Monday 20 June to Wednesday 22 June. The timetable is:

Year 11s
Year 11 students have an exam on Monday afternoon. They only need to come into school for their exam and don’t need to be at school in the morning. All Year 11 students will be back in class on Tuesday 21 June.

Year 12s
Year 12 students have an exam on Monday morning. They only need to come into school for their exam and can go home afterwards. All Year 12 students will be back in class on Tuesday 21 June.

Year 13s
On Monday and Tuesday, Year 13 students only come into school to sit their exam. Year 13s taking English will sit their exam on Wednesday morning and then ALL Year 13 students are expected back in class from Period 3 on Wednesday 22 June onwards.

Uniform Shop Open Hours Term 2

The Uniform shop is based in Unit 10, 54 View Road, Wairau Valley. It will be open during Term 2 (2 May to 8 July) on the following days and times.

Term 2 Key Dates

Term 3 Key Dates