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Te Reo O Te Roto
The Language of the Lake
Issue 70 | 25 August 2023
From the Principal

From the Principal

Kia ora everyone, 

I am back at Westlake after my wonderful sabbatical. I am very grateful to the Board and the Senior Leadership team whose support ensured I was able to take up this opportunity.  

I attended two conferences facilitated by the International Coalition of Girls’ Schools during my travels. To be able to connect and share with such a diverse group of passionate educators from Girls’ schools across New Zealand, Australia, South-East Asia, South Africa, the US, Canada, the UK, Europe and South America was energising and motivating. 

Having the time to reflect has been very affirming. Our students have as many opportunities here at Westlake to explore their interests, develop their strengths and to decide their choice of pathway both inside and outside the classroom, as any other school across this group. I feel very privileged to have had this opportunity.  

That said, I also feel fortunate to call Aotearoa home and to rejoin my Westlake whānau! I am thrilled to feel such energy and positivity around the school as I chat with staff and students.  

I have certainly returned and hit the ground running, with the vibrant Mother and Daughter breakfast this week, media awards evening and assembly to celebrate the achievement of our Māori students. Well done to everyone involved.   

The Big Sing Finale finishes this Sunday, and our Premier Sports teams are preparing for their Winter National Tournaments across the country next week. We wish those students involved in all of these activities a happy and successful time. 

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. 

Jane Stanley 
Principal 

Academic

Empowering Future Engineers

Women in Engineering (WEN), a student-led network at the University of Auckland builds connections between women in engineering, including students and whānau. WEN organised two workshops for Year 9 STEAM students on 1 August to inspire the next generation of engineers and break stereotypes. The workshops highlighted real-world engineering applications.

Members of the WEN team, including Westlake alumnae Hala Barakat, Sophia Lee, and Ella Wilson, all aspiring female engineers, shared their journeys into engineering. These budding engineers divulged the factors influencing their career choices and illuminated their meaningful participation in the Women in Engineering programme.

The focal point of this inspiring session was the ‘Aqualibrium’ workshop. Our students eagerly immersed themselves in designing and constructing an intricate water distribution network using pipes. With meticulous calculations of flow rates, our future engineers ensured that communal tanks were replenished simultaneously, guaranteeing equitable water distribution throughout the community. This hands-on experience ignited sparks of ingenuity and underscored the significance of collaboration and innovation in engineering and its real-world application.

“We used two defined types of pipes: red pipes with a slightly greater diameter and blue pipes with a slightly smaller diameter. In groups, we used these pipes to construct a water pipe system aimed at supplying water to three villages situated in different locations. Our task involved calculating the variation between the maximum and minimum water flow (measured in millimetres) to determine the average water delivery to each village. This was a wonderful experience.” Nehansa Wijewardana.

The second session involved students using the engineering method to design an innovative machine to serve teenagers returning home after difficult school days – envisioning a delightful dessert awaiting them. Through collaborative synergy, these individual visions converged into an exceptional collective concept.

It is important to inspire our future generation into engineering and to break stereotypes.

Sports

2023 Auckland Secondary Schools Basketball Championship

The Westlake Girls Premier Basketball Team had an easy time of it as they defended their Auckland Secondary Schools title against Epsom at Trust Stadium. After struggling against city siders earlier in the season, Westlake beat Epsom comfortably, 92-68.  Next week the National Champions compete in the Zone 1 Premiership in Auckland and hope to secure the top qualifying spot for the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championship which is held in Palmerston North at the end of September.

Quarter Scores:
Q1: 24 – 12
Q2: 48 – 32
Q3: 70 – 51
Q4: 92 – 68

Sports

Sisters Win Auckland Badminton Doubles

Westlake Girls dynamic duo of Amanda and Natalie Ting teamed up to compete in the Auckland Secondary Schools Badminton Championship at Auckland Badminton Hall and won gold ahead of 12 other teams.

Year 9 Natalie Ting, competing in her first Secondary Schools championship with Year 12 sister, Amanda, played strongly in pool play to advance to the semi finals where the pair met Kings College and comfortably won, 31 – 6.

In the final, the Ting sisters met Epsom Girls in a best of 3 sets (first to 21) match.   Looking confident, Amanda and Natalie were prepared for the encounter and won the first set easily 21 – 9.  Heading into the second set, Westlake was up 16-10 before the game paused to address Natalie’s rolled her ankle.  Once iced and strapped, Natalie was back on court with big sister, Amanda taking charge.  The sister won the last set 21 – 13 to win the 2023 Auckland Secondary Schools Senior Badminton Doubles Championship.

Arts & Culture

Peace Week 2023

From 7-11 August, students around the country found themselves participating in a variety of activities meant to promote peace, unity, and a sense of community, whilst commemorating the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and WGHS was no different.

Peace Week 2023 (with the theme of Community Connect – Project 4 Peace) started with paper crane folding on Monday – an activity that had started Peace Weeks at WGHS for longer than I’ve been here. Then, on Tuesday, we had a quiz with peace and nuclear-related trivia with some fun challenges sprinkled in between rounds. On Wednesday we were fortunate enough for Aki and Takako, two survivors of the Hiroshima bombing, to come and speak to us. Thursday was the extraordinarily popular (and messy!) rock painting activity, with guest judges from the Peace Foundation, and Project Runway rounded out our week of activities on Friday.

I would like to lastly say a massive thank you to Ms McRae, Ms Wilson, Ms Woodward, Ms Campbell, and the rest of the Peace Week committee, along with the students from Westlake and Rosmini that attended the events! This would not have been nearly successful without all of you!

By Sydney Brandolino Year 13

Sports

Westlake Adventure Racers Qualify for Nationals

Westlake Girls and Westlake Boys united to compete in the Junior Get 2 Go Auckland Adventure Racing qualifier for the National Final in December, and they flew past their opposition in the endurance disciplines to win overall.  The young 8-person team of four girls and four boys included Year 10 students Stella Beale, Cayleigh Blackburn, Sasha Bosch, and Talia Hoskings, who braved the elements to compete in mountain biking, kayaking, paddleboarding and orienteering challenges against 22 other Auckland teams of Year 9 and 10 students.

Team Westlake won the orienteering challenge with 420 points, 60 points more than their closest rival and then dominated the Kayaking/Paddleboarding event by completing 24 laps of the course, 2 more than the next place getter.  The mountain bike event resulted in a much closer race with Westlake finishing 2nd, but the team had secured 291 points by then to win the overall event and qualify for the National Final. St Kentigern fended off a challenge from another combined team of Rosmini & Epsom Girls to take 2nd place with 269 points, 8 points ahead of Rosmini/Epsom.
Westlake’s victory cements their place in the Hillary Outdoors event and will soon be busy preparing to meet successful qualifiers from Queenstown to Whangarei in the National Get2Go Adventure Racing Junior Final in December.  The 5-day national event will feature a 2-day overnight expedition, problem solving activities, and familiar team challenges at the Hillary Outdoor Centre in Tongariro National Park.

Congratulations Team Westlake.

Notices

Keen to Sing for Westlake Next Year?

Choir Auditions are coming up. If you are interested in joining one of our 5 choirs at WGHS, chat with the music department staff. We will get you signed up to sing with us next year!

Arts & Culture

Junior Choir Nota Bella Wins Tui Gold

The NZCF Cadenza Festival aims to develop the next layer of choirs from the top twenty-four selected for National Finale. Cadenza takes place in three regions around New Zealand, featuring 12 choirs per region.

This year, our junior choir Nota Bella (directed by Elise Bradley), was selected to participate and travel to Rotorua to compete. All choirs enjoyed singing in the newly refurbished Howard Morrison Center in the middle of town. From Sunday, 13 to Wednesday, 16 August, forty-three excited year 9 and 10 singers rehearsed, learned new skills and songs in workshops with the adjudicator, competed, and made new friends from other choirs from Auckland, Kaitaia and Rotorua.

Nota Bella performed superbly, and its members won a Tui Gold award for their recitals, in which they sang in Latin, Spanish, Samoan and English! We are so proud of what they have achieved this year!

 

Arts & Culture

Y11 Chinese Class Enjoys Delicious Traditional Treat

This year, the Dragon Boat Festival, a popular and famous Chinese holiday, was on the 22nd of June. To learn about this exciting festival, the Year Eleven Chinese class was lucky enough to get to make zòng zi, a sticky rice dumpling. We learnt how to fold the bamboo leaves to wrap up the filling of rice and dates and learnt why zòng zi are traditionally eaten during the Dragon Boat Festival: to commemorate Qu Yuan, a famous patriotic poet. Hou Lǎoshī (Mrs Hou), the teacher of the class, organised the activity and brought in everything for the class to make zòng zi with.

It was an amazing opportunity and so much fun to immerse ourselves in Chinese culture, and to devour the delicious zòng zi!

We made zong zi (粽子) in Chinese class to celebrate Chinese Dragon Boat Festival. Zòng zi is a traditional Chinese dish of sweet or savoury rice wrapped in bamboo leaves (rice dumplings). Our class split into three groups, and each group gathered around a big table, ready to make the dumplings. Ms. Hou brought bamboo leaves and half-cooked sweet rice filling for us to make zòng zi. We each grabbed a bamboo leaf and folded the leaf according to the tutorial on the board. Then we scooped a handful of rice and placed it into the folded bamboo leaves. We then folded to bamboo leaf again to fully wrap the rice inside. We took a string and tied the zòng zi so that it was entirely secured and ready to take home. I took my zòng zi home and steamed the zòng zi until it was thoroughly cooked. My family and I enjoyed the zòng zi together. It was an exceptional opportunity to learn about Chinese culture and food, and I had such a memorable experience with my Chinese class classmates and Ms. Hou.
-By Michelle Bang (11HCN)

The Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated every fifth day of the fifth lunar month, and in this year 2023 it falls on June 22. Our teacher told us that it was originated in ancient China based on the death of the poet and statesman of the Chu kingdom, Qu Yuan in 278 BC. The festival commemorates the life and death of the famous Chinese scholar Qu Yuan, who was a loyal minister of the King of Chu in the third century BC.

All these remind me of my grandma making zongzi at home every Dragon Boat Festival. She made them extremely beautiful and delicate look. Traditionally zong zi were made of sticky rice, filled with various types of beans, and dates, then warped it with reed leaves into a neat triangles shape, then bonded it tie with a hemp rope.
-By Bella Zhai 11AHW

 

 

 

 

 

 

Arts & Culture

Golden Creativity

Congratulations to Maya Goren, Year 10, who gained second in New Zealand in the TOI Wearable Art Showquest competition with her ‘Floating Gold’ creation. Maya is part of the Wearable Art Club.

We are very proud of Maya as she was in the senior category. Therefore, she was competing against Year 9 -13 students from a total of 63 schools around New Zealand. This was judged by Dame Suzie Moncrieff and Heather Palmer from World of Wearable Art.

The WOW judges gave the following feedback: “A strong concept which has been beautifully executed using a clever selection of materials. It is a work that stands out and pushes the boundaries, with strong overall design based on the interpretation of the theme. Fabulous sculptural form and balance.”

Maya wins a WOW prize pack and a Bernina sewing machine.

 

Community

Mabuhay Westlake!

On Friday, 11 August 2023, Westlake held its very first Pinoy Night (Filipino Cultural Night). Only 5 hours before the event, the event sold out with an audience of over 900 people. The Westlake Girls Event Centre was filled with lively cheers not only from Filipinos but also from diverse racial backgrounds who came together to show their support for the vibrant Filipino culture.

The performers of the night proudly showcased a range of traditional dances such as Pagapir, Pandanggo sa Ilaw, Cariñosa, Sayaw sa Bangko, Tinikling, and modern music performances from the bands, duets, and soloists, along with the anticipated pageant, raffles, and games which revived the enthusiasm and embraced the rich culture of the Philippines.

To teachers, supporters, performers, prefects, helpers, and committee members, thank you for your exceptional devotion to organising this event. This night would have just been an idea without their time and dedication.

Most of all, we would like to thank Ms Misa for her unequalled commitment to Westlake Pinoy Night. Her unwavering efforts ensured the remarkable success of this event. She has gone above and beyond to support this event, ultimately bringing the community closer together.

Salamat sa inyong lahat! (Thank you all) We hope to see you again next year.

Written by Angeline Lulu, Jade Go, and Mhayvine Joy Capulong

To view more photos, visit https://www.westlakegirls.school.nz/envira_album/school-gallery-page/

Photos taken by Y13 students, Alison Fan & Joy Yan

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notices

Empower your children for a world fuelled by AI and rapid advancements.

Child and parent breakfast with Frances Valintine.

Te Kāhui Ako o Pupuke (our local Ministry of Education Learning Community) is thrilled to offer the opportunity to join Westlake Girls High School for an enlightening talk from Frances Valintine, Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit, and visionary CEO & Founder of AcademyEX.

Frances is a dedicated educator and technologist. She has spent 25 years revolutionising education and business practices to prepare for the future of work, societal shifts, and planetary protection.

Frances’s insights will inspire you to guide your child’s journey. Discover how to equip your children with the skills, knowledge, and mindset needed to thrive in an ever-changing world. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn from the award-winning pioneer who founded The Mind Lab, recognized by Steve Wozniak and Sir Richard Branson.

Embark on a transformative experience for both generations, while enjoying a delicious breakfast in Westlake Girls’ stunning new Event Centre.

Tickets are on sale on iTicket and selling fast – $45 for each parent-child pair.
https://www.iticket.co.nz/events/2023/sep/prepare-children-for-an-ai-future

Community

Students and Parents Inspired by Resilience Expert

Last week, staff, Year 12 and 13 students, Scholarship candidates and parents were lucky enough to attend sessions with sought-after speaker Darren Perreira.

Darren began as an accountant at KPMG but soon transitioned to leadership and management training. Within two years, he gained national recognition. At 29, he founded his own business, specialising in life, business coaching, and corporate training for global giants. He’s now renowned for dynamic seminars on study skills, resilience, motivation, careers, and leadership, reaching over 525,000 individuals in 20 years across 7 countries.

Darren’s focus was on resilience using his acronym ROAD:

R = Resilience O = Optimism A = Association D = Determination.

He provided tools to cultivate these qualities, including mindful breathing, gratitude, and reframing. He also emphasised the importance of sufficient sleep. For our Scholarship candidates, he delved into mindset, self-belief, time management, stress reduction, and the value of failure. With parents, he shared strategies for fostering resilience in their children. The entertaining sessions were full of laughter and generated very enthusiastic feedback. Keep an eye out early next year for announcements about opportunities to see Darren in 2024.

Sports

Amaya Tan-Peters pushes her limits to finish on Top

Year 10 student, Amaya Tan-Peters, finished a stellar year on the Auckland College Rock Climbing circuit, winning 1st overall in the series last weekend. Tan-Peters met her usual rival and former Western Springs College school friend, Sophia Bland, in the fourth and final round of the series at Boulder Co in Westgate and lost to her narrowly, taking one more attempt at a “route” than Bland.  However, Tan-Peters previous results of 1st, 1st, 4th and now 2nd, was more than enough to win the Auckland Junior Year 9-10 title for 2023.

Fellow Westlake Girls students also competed well. Larissa Chen made the finals for the junior category like Tan-Peter and earnt a 5th place finish.  The final member of the Westlake team, Alanya Chen competed in the Senior Year 11-12, just missing the finals but equalling her best result from the season.  Westlake Girls went on to finish 4th overall in the team’s event.

Westlake Girls top climber now heads to Tauranga for New Zealand Secondary Schools Climbing Cup from 28 – 29 August.

Congratulations to the rock climbers for a great season.

Sports

Junior Speedsters win Bronze

After winning the North-West Zone Cross Country Championship in May and then bronze at the Auckland Secondary Schools Cross Country Champs in June, the Westlake Girls team led by the school’s Junior Cross Country Champion, Emma Davies, competed with Freya Beaumont and Kylah Wikiriwhi in the Auckland Secondary Schools Road Race Championship on Tuesday and finished 7th, 10th & 33rd respectively in a field of 41. The young team are all Year 9 students and will be in medal hunting mode when they compete in the junior grade again next year.

Photo: Kylah Wikiriwhi Emma Davies and Freya Beaumont

Sports

2023 Auckland Secondary Schools Hockey Championship

The Westlake Girls Premier Hockey Team won the Auckland Premier League for just the second time in the school’s history last night.  Facing perennial champions, St Cuthberts in the final at Lloyd Elsmore Park, Westlake Girls trailed 1-0 for most of the game, until Year 12 student, Ashley Brown equalised with a clinical goal in the fourth quarter.  With scores drawn at full time, the teams then met in the nerve-wracking penalty shootout.

Each team put forward their top 5 scorers and were even until Westlake’s #3 Sasha Roberts shooter, slotted it into the back of the net to put the school ahead. St Cuthberts was unable to respond to the game winning goal, and coupled with superb goal keeping from Bella Holt, Westlake Girls lifted the prestigious trophy for the first time since 2015.

Coach Will Lacey was elated with the victory, after being in 4 finals against St Cuthberts (two cancelled due to Covid-19), and finally winning.

Led by captains, Zoe Crawford and Nicole Cosslett, the team flies to Christchurch on Sunday 27 August to contest the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championship from Monday 28 August to Saturday 2 September where they are likely to meet St Cuthberts once again.

Academic

Which Witch? Hair, Here, or Hair? The Dreaded Homophone Trap!

Welcome to the second instalment of the literacy initiative run by English teacher Sarah Ward over the next few weeks. It’s mainly for Y10 students sitting the NCEA Literacy Corequisite next term, but other students might find it helpful too.

TIP 1 – Homophones

This time, we’re focusing on homophones – words that sound the same but are spelt differently and mean completely different things, like ‘two’, ‘to’ and ‘too’.

  • ‘She needed new football boots, so she bought a new pear.’ 
  • ‘Put your waistin the bin.’ 
  • “The priest had chewing gum stuck to his soul.”
  • ‘We used flowerand water to make bread.’ 
  • ‘The teacher got coffee all over his genes‘. 

TIP 2 – Homophones AND Apostrophes.

Many people struggle with these ones. They are still homophones (words that sound the same but mean different things), but they have the added complication of apostrophes…

For example:
There/their/they’re.
Your/you’re.
It’s/its.

It’s easy to write the wrong homophone if your brain is out of gear, so remind your kids to focus on these because:

  1. ideas lose power when written inaccurately,
  2. it looks sloppy and like the writer doesn’t care about paying attention to detail,
  3. and last but not least, in an assessment situation, a homophone fault equals an instant penalty!

Reckon your child is all over this? Here’s a quick quiz.

They’re going over their to get there hats. Mr Brown said that your going to have to go over there to get you’re hat, too. But why can’t they bring your hat with them when their already over there getting there’s? That way, you would save a trip. You would have time to finish your work, to.

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