From the Principal

From the Principal

Kia ora, everyone,

I hope this message finds you well as we approach the end of another productive week at Westlake.

The junior exams took place this week, marking an important milestone in our academic calendar. Well done to our junior students for your hard work and dedication in preparing for these assessments. Your commitment to academic excellence is impressive. I know the results will reflect your efforts.

As we navigate through the end of the year, let’s remember the importance of supporting each other. The pressure of exams and the anticipation of the upcoming holidays can sometimes lead to heightened stress levels. In these times, let’s think about the well-being of our fellow students, teachers, and staff. A little kindness goes a long way! Together, we can create a supportive and nurturing environment.

Getting caught up in the hustle and bustle of the end-of-year activities is easy, but please prioritise self-care and extend a helping hand to those around you. The strength of our community lies in our collective ability to foster a culture of empathy and understanding. Let’s celebrate each other’s successes, lend a listening ear when needed, and ensure that the end of the year is a time of achievement but also one of compassion and camaraderie.

Thank you for your continued dedication to making Westlake a place where learning flourishes and kindness prevails.

I can’t help but notice that uniform standards are slipping, with hoodies and non-standard shoes popping up increasingly. There is no excuse for wearing the uniform incorrectly, and there will be consequences for students who do so.

Things return to normal next week, and many fun activities are coming up. Let’s make the last few weeks of the school year really enjoyable.

I hope you all have a restful and rejuvenating weekend.

 

Jane Stanley

PRINCIPAL

 

Academic Community

Internationally Published and Still Only Y12!

Minuo Qing, 12 PKM submitted a paper to the 13th International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, Soft Computing and Applications (AIAA 2023), and it was accepted!

Even more incredible, as Minuo Qing was the only high school student author, she was invited to speak online at the conference. 

The title of the paper Minuo Qing submitted is ‘From U to U+, What Innovations Have We Made for the Treatment and Discovery of Breast Cancer’, and here is the link:

https://www.cndc2023.org/aiaa/papers

Congratulations, Minuo, what an amazing achievement!

Academic

'Future Me' at Auckland University

On Thursday, 16 November, Auckland University Waipapa Taumata Rau hosted Year 9 students of Māori and Pacific heritage for the ‘Future Me’ event – a fun and interactive day where University students introduced Year 9 students to a variety of university faculties.

Anari Parangi, the keynote speaker, demonstrated how Pacific people navigated the oceans and explored the world by getting students to journey across the stage blindfolded with obstacles in their way. He reminded students that their ancestors could navigate the world like nobody else.

The rest of the day, students were split up into workshops led by Pasifika and Māori University students. The Māori and Pacific Engineering Association led us in a waka design competition to see who could design the fastest waka. The Samoan students welcomed us with a beautiful song, followed by a Talanoa session where we wrote a letter to our future selves.

The Tongan students led us in a murder-mystery mafia game. We had to defend our client against accusations that they were the killer. The Malosi club, an association that promotes law studies for Pasifika students, led us in a dance-off followed by a mock court case. We also learnt some Cook Island dancing thanks to the Cook Island Student Association.

The day was jam-packed with activities, and we walked the whole campus to get to each workshop. It was an inspiring and fun day out.

Sports

Auckland Junior Volleyball Champs

The Auckland Junior Volleyball Champs took place this week.

Day One Update

The Westlake Girls Junior A Volleyball team began the Auckland Secondary Schools Junior Championships strongly, with a compelling win over Carmel in the pool play. They met Howick College and Southern Cross Secondary School in the earlier rounds and beat them both convincingly in two sets. Placed third in the Harbour Super League, Westlake Girl faced neighbours Carmel at the Bruce Pulman Arena. Both teams challenged the other, with the lead changing numerous times throughout the encounter. The tight first set was eventually won by Westlake 26-24 before they took the second one 25-20 to finish top in their pool on Day One. The tournament runs from 15 -17 November.

On Day Two, the young team, coached by Ashley Mckenzie, met Diocesan and won in two sets before facing Orewa College in the quarterfinal. The competitive game was a passionate exchange, with Orewa winning the first set and Westlake taking the second one. However, in the third set, Orewa held on to win the decider, 15-11.

Day Three Update

On the final day of the event, Westlake Girls meet Henderson College to play-off for fifth and sixth and beat them in two sets to finish the Auckland Secondary Schools Championship in fifth place.

Community

The 2023 Yearbook is Here!

The 2023 Yearbook is available from the Payments office (Office open 8.15 a.m. – 3 p.m. daily).

If you have paid the 2023 school donation, there is no cost for the Yearbook. If the school donation has not been paid, the Yearbook costs $20.00.

Academic Community

Vietnam Tour 2025 - One Space Left!

In April 2025, a group of students and teachers will travel to Vietnam to discover this country’s many varied features. The trip focuses on history, enabling students to learn about its ancient emperors, dynasties, and more recent war-torn history. We will also experience many of Vietnam’s magnificent geographical features, including the World Heritage site of HaLong Bay in the North and the Mekong Delta in the South. Students will get to sharpen their culinary skills at a cooking school, experience cycling through rice fields to a local beach and wander through bustling local markets in Ho Chi Minh City. Students will also have the unique experience of a visit to a Buddhist orphanage where they will bring gifts and interact with the young children. This tour is an extraordinary opportunity to experience a different culture, learn a new language, enjoy delicious Vietnamese food and squeeze in a little shopping along the way!

Main image: The group visits the Imperial City, in Hue, near the centre of Vietnam.

Rare Opportunity.

One place is available for a Year 11 student to join the group. If you are interested, please email the TiC History, Mr Burnard, at gburnard@westlakegirls

The group sails overnight through HaLong Bay in the North.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The tour ends up in the modern, vibrant city of Ho Chi Minh.

Community

Farewelling Our Y13s

Goodbye, Year 13s! We will miss you, but we’re so excited to see all the fantastic things you do in the future. Keep in touch, and remember, we’re always here for you.

You’re now part of our alumni community. That means you’ll always have a connection to Westlake Girls High School AND the whole community of past Westlake staff and students.

You never know when someone in that vast (international) group might be able to help you – offer you a job, introduce you to someone of interest, or be a friendly face in a new city.

Thank you to all those who have already joined and provided their personal email on the Year 13 Leavers’ Questionnaire, which you can complete up until the end of November.

Another way to join our database and stay connected with all the other Westlake alumni is to email [email protected]  and give your name and personal email address with ‘Class of 2023’ in the subject line.

Photos!

To see photos of our School Leavers, click here.https://www.westlakegirls.school.nz/envira_album/school-gallery-page/

Community Notices

Share the Aroha!

Do you have any inspiring student or staff-related stories/photos you would like to see in the next issue of Te Reo o Te Roto?

We love celebrating our vibrant Westlake Girls’ community. If you have news that could be published in Te Roto o Te Reo, you’re welcome to submit it to Bridget Ellis-Pegler at [email protected].

Please note that Westlake Girls High School does not promote products or services from external organisations via our newsletters or other communication platforms.

Notices

Simplify Life with SchoolBridge!

This is our parent portal and app. It’s extremely user-friendly and gives you access to the calendar, assessment calendar, parent-teacher interviews, student timetable, and assessment calendar. You can also report absences or pay fees quickly.

What’s not to love?!