On Tuesday, 27 June, five students of Pacific Island heritage attended the annual Year 12 Pacific Island Leaders of Tomorrow (P.I.L.O.T) conference at AUT’s Manukau campus.

P.I.L.O.T is a much-anticipated event, as Pacific Island students from all over Auckland gather to celebrate their heritage and be inspired by high-profile and successful Pacific Island leaders. This year’s year 12 event lived up to expectations.

Keynote speaker Dr Dion Enari gave an energising and inspiring presentation, starting with a Siva (Samoan dance). Dr Enari inspired students to have a purpose, set high goals for themselves, and serve their communities.

The following workshops were very engaging and allowed students to explore more of their Pacific heritage and gain a fresh perspective on education opportunities. Hearing from all the speakers who advised us on approaching education and life opportunities was inspiring.

Communication was a big focus during the workshops. Students learned about the “5 C’s” of communication, which result in a positive and productive mindset and discussion: clear, correct, complete, concise, and compassionate. We were impressed by the dedication of the Pacific team, who organised the event, made it fun for the students, and worked hard to make it an overall success. It was a great day and an excellent showcase of the Auckland University of Technology programme, campus, and the vital work going on to empower young Pacific people.

During International Languages Week at the end of Term 2, over one hundred Y9 and Y10 Language students created an international languages poster for the “WGHS International Languages Week- Poster competition”. OveJimin Ban 9ANE came first, and Sylvie Waddingham 9OLN and Sarah Daoud 9WHY came second equal.

“The main language that my family and I speak is English, but I started learning French in Intermediate because I thought it was a beautiful language, and I would love to go to France someday! These first two terms, I have been learning Japanese, and I have enjoyed introducing myself to other people and making posters about the culture of Japan”.  – Sylvie Waddingham 9OLN.

“I speak English, Korean, Chinese, and Japanese. I learnt English at an early age because I was moving to an English-speaking country. And I have always known Korean because both of my parents speak it. As I grew older, I started to understand the importance of learning new languages, so me and my parents soon came up with the decision to learn Chinese. It was interesting and new at the time. But as I joined Westlake Girls, I also picked Japanese alongside Chinese. I have always wanted to learn Japanese and adored Japanese culture. I really do think that learning and opening yourself to different languages and cultures is a very important step in building your future.” –  Jimin Ban 9ANE.

“I mostly speak English and Arabic in my family, but I also speak Chinese with my grandparents. I chose to learn Japanese because one day I would like to visit Japan. I found it similar to Chinese, which made the journey easier. I enjoyed introducing myself to the teacher in Japanese and my friend in class.” – Sarah Daoud 9WHY.

In the July school holidays, Nicky and I were humbled to be a part of the School to Skies One-day Experience. The School to Skies One-day Experience was an eventful day of STEM events at RNZAF Base Whenuapai. 

Event highlights would most definitely be going inside the Boeing-757 also known as the RNZAF aircraft that is regularly used for the carriage of VIPs as well as ministerial and trade missions around the world. We went inside the flying deck and heard amazing stories along with career highlights from current RNZAF personnel. 

This event was a great way to get some hands-on experience, learn about the technical opportunities available in the RNZAF, and meet other like-minded people. One of the technical projects we took part in was fixing the front landing gear on an ATC training aircraft, as well as creating a phone holder in the RNZAF skin lab, using different tools and machinery. 

We also carried out a Search and Rescue flight planning and through the implementation of physics and maths figured out all necessary information for the essentials of this SAR mission.  Towards the end of the event, we heard about the numerous positions and roles in the RNZAF, along with the opportunities and scholarships the air force has to offer. This allowed us to gain insight into what it is like to be a part of the New Zealand Air Force! 

By Shreeji Patel and Nicky Zaayman (Y12)

From Tuesday, 1 August, all students in Year 9-12 inclusive will be able to make their subject selections for 2024 through the WGHS Schoolpoint website https://westlakegirls.schoolpoint.co.nz/ using their student login. These are due by Wednesday, 9 August, at 3.30 pm.  

We encourage you to spend time looking at subjects for next year using the website provided. If you wish to learn more about any subjects, please drop into our subject selection evening on Thursday, 3 August, in the Westlake Girls High School Events Centre between 4-6 pm. Heads of Departments and Teachers-in-Charge of courses will be available to answer any questions. There are no  appointments, it is a drop-in session for you to speak with whichever department you wish to. 

All students will receive an email early in week 3 with instructions of how to log in to choose their subjects. 

All students in Years 11 and 12 will have individual subject counselling meetings with their House Dean or a senior member of staff at the beginning of Term 4 to discuss their subject choices for 2024. Students in Year 10 will meet with the Careers department later in Term 4 for their subject counselling. Year 9s will discuss their options with their Form Teacher in Term 4. 

The Race Unity Speech Awards began in 2001 as a way for secondary school students nationwide to share their vision of race unity. 

Congratulations to Isabella Drummond Y13, whose speech titled ‘You’re Never Too Young to Make Change’ was the winner, beating contestants from all over Aotearoa.  

On Tuesday, 25 July, Eric Neal (Auckland Regional Coordinator of the Race Unity Speech) and two representatives from NZ Police visited WGHS to present an award to Isabella and another to the school during a special assembly. 

Mr Neal said that those participating in the awards grow spiritually and become very successful. He emphasised the importance of celebrating the diversity of race and culture in society. 

Isabella urged her peers to join Race Unity, saying it was a wonderful experience for her and generated many opportunities. 

This is the first time a Westlake Girls student has won this honour. We are extremely proud of our Head Prefect.