I hope you all had a wonderful Easter break and enjoyed some well-deserved rest.
Short weeks can be messy, and I commend our school community for navigating these past two weeks so well despite the whirlwind of events and activities.
It is hard to believe next week is already the last week of the term. From the NZSS Ki-O-Rahi Nationals to the ESTEAM EmpowerHer Biomechanics trip and the Symphony Orchestra and Band Camp, it’s going to be an action-packed few days!
With the term ending soon, it’s crucial to remind our students to find balance during the upcoming holiday break. Please encourage them to take time for themselves, recharge and have fun, but also, stay on top of their schoolwork to ensure a smooth transition back.
Thank you all for your ongoing support. Let’s make the most of this final week before the holidays.
Warm regards,
Jane Stanley
PRINCIPAL
Arts & Culture
Inspire Club picnic
On Tuesday, 26 March, the Inspire Christian Club held its first ‘Easter Picnic’ and an Easter poster-making contest.
Unfortunately, due to showers of rain, we could not have our picnic outside the Events Centre, as planned, but this did not stop us from persevering. No longer was it a ‘picnic’, but a shared lunch in A14! It was a fun event filled with yummy kai, chatter, music, Easter eggs, and fellowship.
With her spectacular creativity, Ezabel Ajish won the Easter poster-making contest. She received a medal and a few extra prizes.
Everyone is welcome to join Inspire!
We meet every Tuesday lunchtime in A14.
John 3:16
“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Written by Nicole Lao and Olivia Moot
Arts & Culture
Polyfest 2024 Division One Māori Stage 'Te Rerenga Wāna'
‘Tēra taku manu e tau nei ki runga Te Rangi I Toto Te Ihu O Tamatekapua. Kia rere taku manu ki ngā wai o Pupuke o Te Waitematā, Kia tau atu ki te wao o Manukau.’ – The bird settles upon Te Rangi I Toto Te Ihu o Tamatekapua. Then flies to the waters of Pupuke of Te Waitematā to settle upon the forest of Manukau.
After placing third at last year’s ASB Polyfest in Division Two Te Rerenga Wāna, the Westlake Girls Kapa Haka group had a well-deserved promotion to Division One. On Saturday, 23 March, Te Rerenga Wāna took to the stage to compete at the annual event. The group set out with two goals in mind: to win the Haka Taparahi (Female Haka) section and to place in the top 12, ensuring they stay in Division One next year.
Te Rerenga Wāna met both these goals. They placed first in the Haka Taparahi and finished 10th Overall.
The group of 23 students was led by Year 13 Eady Savelio-Thompson from Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Hamoa (Samoa) with the help of fellow Year 13 student, Tuini Hawke from Ngāti Whātua.
We would like to thank all the tutors, teachers, and parents who helped us during this campaign. ‘Te amorangi ki mua, te hapai ō ki muri’. Te Rerenga Wāna is going from strength to strength because of you all.
On Thursday, 21 March, the combined Westlake Fijian group performed at Polyfest on the diversity stage for the first time, making Westlake history.
The group consisted of 15 Westlake Boys and 11 Westlake Girls and was tutored by Laisa Rasovo, accompanied by members of her extended family. The performers and a group of supporting students had to be up super early to catch the bus to Polyfest at 7 am. They had a beautiful day of sunshine to experience Polyfest afterwards. The performers walked onto the stage singing the traditional Bula Maleya and performed a Meke dance, which was very well received by the audience. A small group of senior students were also privileged to go to Polyfest on Friday, 22 March, to support the Westlake Boys Tongan Group’s performance. This account of the Polyfest experience is from one of the Fijian group performers, Year 11 Maddisyn Nolan So’oula.
Bula Vinaka, my name is Maddisyn Nolan So’oula. I am a Samoan Pasifika student, and I was a part of the combined Westlake Fijian Polyfest group for 2024. Despite not being Fijian, I took this opportunity to represent a beautiful Pasifika culture and our school at Polyfest. I anticipated that the majority of the members within the group would be Fijian and familiar with the cultural dancing and each other, but that didn’t stop me from showing up at every rehearsal, practice, and meeting. Over the five weeks we spent practising, I developed numerous friendships with others who I now consider close friends. I started the group only knowing one person and I left the group having made an amazing group of friends, both boys and girls. Performing within the Fijian group was an amazing experience and is something I am so thankful for participating in. This group not only offered me experience but new friendships, perspective on culture and appreciation. Although we had a smaller group than most, It was beautiful to see the diversity within the group; we had people from all different Pasifika cultures: Samoan, Tongan, Niuean, and even Maori. It didn’t matter if you were starting fresh or if you were familiar,everybody came together to help one another create a beautiful traditional Fijian meke.
The combined Westlake girls and boys Fijian Polyfest group for 2024 performed on Thursday, 21 March, you wouldn’t know it by looking at it, but we had only just over a month to create, teach and learn our meke. Despite the limited time we were running on we managed to perform a beautiful traditional Fijian meke successfully at Polyfest. We got on that stage and gave it our all and performed our hearts out.I was so appreciative when I saw the amount of students and whanau who went out of their way to come watch us perform. It was so bittersweet and made the whole day entirely more special. This group has offered me so many opportunities within the Pasifika community. Not only that, but I have learnt so much about the Fijian culture and traditions. Getting involved in Pasifika activities here at Westlake Girls opens you up to entirely new experiences and knowledge, Polyfest is an excellent way of showcasing the beauties of the Pasifika culture that students have spent numerous hours preparing to perform. I have taken so much out of my experience as a member of the Fijian group and can’t wait to engage in more cultural activities and educate others on what I have since learnt. And finally, to our tutor, Laisa Rasovo, a parent to two of the Westlake boys members. She was extremely dedicated to our grou. She gave up hours of her free time to create our outfits, run practices, and prepare for our big performance and for that we are extremely grateful. Without Laisa, we wouldn’t have created such a beautiful take on a Fijian meke and been able to represent the Westlake school for its first Fijian Polyfest group ever in history.
Many memories were made over the short period of time I spent with my Polyfest group but I cherish those memories deeply and highly encourage people from all cultures to participate next year. I hope I have made an impact on increasing the participation within future Pasifika activities and hope to see some of you next year!
Bula Vinaka vakalevu, and Moce Na Tamata Kecega!
Community
University Evening
On Tuesday, 12 March, Westlake Girls High School welcomed New Zealand’s Universities to our annual University Evening. This excellent event is an early opportunity for our Year 13 students to receive course information, campus information, and tips on life as tertiary students directly from university staff. Representatives from numerous universities presented information on many of their courses and highlighted some of the career opportunities that could arise from their courses.
Sports
Westlake Girls High School Mountain Bike Team 2024 North Island School Championships
Four members of the 2024 Westlake Girls High School Mountain Bike team ventured to the North Island Schools Mountain Bike Championships held in Rotorua from 16 to 19 March 2024. The four riders were divided across two categories: Talia Hosking and Stella Beale in the Under 17 Girls and Astyn and Kaylan Nasmith in the Under 14 Girls. The riders were entered in the Cross Country (XCO), Enduro and the team Cross Country Relay (XCR). Coach Mike Beale, team assistant manager, and WGHS MTB team member Taya Nasmith supported the riders for the three events across the four days. The team was also supported by all the fantastic parents who ensured the riders were superbly prepared to give their best during the championship.
Saturday, the first day of competition, dawned fine, if a little cool, as Kaylan and Astyn lined up on the Cross Country start line at 8:00 am. The Under 14 Girls race was two laps of the 5.5km course that mixed fast-paced single track, allowing for plenty of overtaking with technical climbs and descents requiring a range of mountain bike skills and stamina. After two fast and furious laps, the two WGHS athletes were victorious. Astyn was first, claiming the Under 14 Girls North Island Champion title for 2024. Kaylan finished strongly as the runner-up.
The weather had warmed up by the time the Under 17 Girls riders lined up for their start at midday. Talia and Stella faced the challenge of completing three laps. The riders acquitted themselves well, with Talia placing fifth and Stella eighth.
Under 14 Girls Enduro 3rd Kaylan Nasmith.The final event on day one was the Cross Country Relay, which took place over a 2 km lap of a single track designed to promote all-in efforts from the riders over fast-flowing trails requiring both power and skills to optimise speed. Teams of two or three riders raced in a set sequence for 60 minutes. A WGHS team of Talia, Astyn and Kaylan competed in the U20 Girls category. The racing was fast and furious, with all the riders pushing themselves to their limits to achieve success for their school. After an hour’s racing, less than three minutes separated the top three Under 20 Girls’ teams, with Westlake Girls High School narrowly coming second behind Taupo-Nui-a-tia College.
Monday was the Downhill race, which allowed the WGHS team to complete a final practice of the Enduro stages in the morning and cheer on the downhill racers in the afternoon during their final runs. The Enduro event required the riders to descend four trails in a specified order as quickly as possible. The riders are not timed on the transition between timed trails. Riders had a maximum time limit to complete all four trails. The cumulative time for the descents decides the placement within each age category. Riders are required to wear a full-face helmet for the Enduro. All the riders started together, with the age groups completing the trails in a different order to avoid congestion. After over three hours of challenging trails in the U13 Girls category, Kaylan placed third and Astyn fifth. In the U17 Girls, Talia was seventh and Stella 14th.
The final tally of podium placings for the WGHS Mountain Bike Team was The Under 14 Girl North Island Champion and runner-up, second place in the Under 20 Girls Cross Country Relay, third place in the Under 14 Girls Enduro.
Along with the other respectable placings across all categories, the team had a very successful championship. It is well-placed to defend its title for the third year over the remaining four rounds of the Auckland Schools Championships. In addition to the results on the trails, the teams received many compliments on their sportsmanship, the positive way they represented their school and how smart the girls looked on and off their bikes.
Under 20 Girls Cross Country Relay. 2nd Westlake Girls High School – Kaylan Nasmith, Talia Hosking, and Astyn Nasmith.
Main Image: Under 14 Girls Cross Country. 1st: Astyn Nasmith WGHS – U14G North Island Champion. 2nd: Kaylan Nasmith WGHS.
Academic
Travel and Tourism trip
On Wednesday, 27 March, the senior Travel and Tourism classes visited ITC, AJ Hackett and Sky City to see tourist operations and learn more about the industry. The Year 12 class began the day with some role play work on flight attending at the International Travel College in City Rd. Meanwhile, the Year 13s started the day by climbing the Auckland Harbour Bridge. Both groups then heard from AJ Hackett and learned about the many varied roles within the organisation.
After a pizza lunch, the group transferred to Sky City to visit the Weta Workshop. Thanks go to ITC for helping plan the day for the students and helping them see tourism in action in Auckland.
CommunitySports
Let's get our Premium Basketball team to China!
The Westlake Girls Premier Basketball Quiz Night Fundraiser is tomorrow!
Don’t miss this fantastic chance to have fun and help our basketball team get to China. Raising funds for female sports teams is notoriously difficult, so if you help support them, that would be wonderful.
All proceeds go towards sending our girls to the ISF World Schools Basketball Championship in China. The money raised in this event will go a long way to helping them raise the $85,000 that they need.
The night promises excitement with a live silent auction, spot prizes, best-dressed team awards, and an engaging quiz master to keep the competition fierce and fun.
Every dollar raised will bring the team closer to its goal.
Today, four students had the opportunity to visit the Wonder Group, a renowned concept and interior design studio located in Ponsonby. Known for its innovative designs, Wonder has contributed to iconic spaces such as the Milford Motel, Burger Burger, Duck Island, Island Gelato, Citta, and many more.
Wonder’s exceptional work has earned its team multiple New Zealand Design Awards. Alumna Annuska Menoita (Class of 2014) previously collaborated with Wonder for several years. Her notable contributions include the NZ Best Design Awards 2023 and the design of Island Gelato (see photos). Annuska is about to embark on a new adventure as the Senior Concept Designer Worldwide for Tommy Hilfiger, based at its headquarters in Amsterdam.
From student, Maia Hunter.
I had such a great trip to the Wonder Group on Thursday!
The group left such an inspiring impression on me. They were so inspiring and passionate about what they are creating and providing the best possible outcomes for their clients when creating their dream spaces. The visit was so uplifting it made me very excited to finish school and pursue a career in interior design. I would recommend that our school continues to offer this to its students due to the fact that it taught me about the two types of interior design that I was unaware of before the experience. Buster explained to us that there is commercial design and residential, which was interesting to me because I initially wanted to pursue residential but after his explanation of the types of design I found that commercial interests me more.
Overall the trip was super helpful for my career path as it left me excited with a clear idea of what I want to do and where I might want to study! Thank you for all your help and driving us out there, I super appreciate it.
Thanks, Maia.
Arts & Culture
Our award-winning school production team is doing it again!
Don’t miss out on getting your tickets!
Hold onto your hats, folks, because Westlake Schools’ Productions is making a triumphant return with two sensational shows guaranteed to thrill audiences!
Brace yourselves for swashbuckling action with The Three Musketeers, where swords will clash and heroes will rise in an epic production that’s sure to keep you on the edge of your seat.
Then, get ready to be swept off your feet with the delightful rom-com musical, Crazy for You, featuring Gershwin’s toe-tapping tunes performed by an award-winning Westlake student cast and orchestra.
Last year, Westlake Schools’ production of Into the Woods took Auckland by storm at the prestigious Auckland Live Showdown Awards, clinching seven awards, including the coveted title of Auckland Live Best Production of 2023. With a track record like that, you can rest assured that these shows will be spectacular!
Crazy for You kicks off the excitement on Tuesday, 30 April, followed by The Three Musketeers on Wednesday, 1 May. Both shows are at Westlake Boys High School and run until Saturday, 11 May. Tickets are available to purchase from iTICKET.
Career Bites is currently focusing on Art and Design careers. This week’s Career Bites speakers were Charlotte Roberts, a kitchen designer, and Jenny Chen, an architect and Westlake alumna who graduated from WGHS in 2010.
How did you decide to choose this career?
Jenny chose architecture because she enjoyed graphic design (DVC) at school and loved physics, maths, and the sciences. She wanted to do something that helped the community and wrote this in her application to Auckland University’s Bachelor of Architecture course. “It is really rewarding because some of my family members have had operations in the hospital that I helped design,” explains Jenny.
Like Jenny, Charlotte chose Interior Design because she also enjoyed graphic design at school and wanted to do something creative.
What kind of education or training did your career require?
Jenny completed a Bachelor of Architectural Studies at the University of Auckland, which took three years. To become a practising architect, typically, you must complete the Master of Architecture or a similar programme and register with the New Zealand Registered Architects Board (NZRAB). Charlotte completed a two-year Diploma in Interior Design at Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology. Charlotte is a Platinum Designer, (an industry accreditation that assures quality) and a Certified Kitchen Designer.
What skills do you need in your daily work?
The two key skills Jenny and Charlotte use every day are maths and communication skills. Maths is crucial for measurements in the design process, and communication skills, such as listening and understanding, enable them to satisfy their client’s needs. Other skills they use are software skills, such as Photoshop and Illustrator, and photography. The ability to pick up new software is also important. “I didn’t have software experience until I started my Architecture degree,” says Jenny, “but I used YouTube to learn how to use Rhino (a 3D modelling software), and it was easy to learn that way.”
Describe a typical day or week
A typical day or week for Charlotte involves meeting with clients, working at home on designs, and communicating with suppliers. Charlotte used to have her own showroom, which was a six-day-a-week commitment. “I love being self-employed,” says Charlotte. It means I can work from home and have flexibility. Sometimes, I have a lot of work to do and might work on a weekend, but other times, I can take the whole afternoon off.”
Jenny’s typical week involves working with designers, the council, landscapers, various engineers including mechanical, construction managers and the many specialists involved in large construction projects. “At the moment, I am working on a commercial project,” says Jenny, “so every project is completely different, I have designed a hospital theatre, sports stadiums, apartments; there are so many different types of architecture.”
What do you love the most about your job?
Charlotte loves being self-employed and having the flexibility to work from home so she can have time with her family. Jenny loves creating something that benefits the community.
Jenny Chen (left) and Charlotte Roberts (right).
Written by: Nehansa Wijewardana 10OBR and Anika Bayer 10AMZ
CommunitySports
Netball Coaching Clinic for primary school kids
Get ready for the 2024 Netball Season with Westlake Girls’ Premier Netball Coaching Clinic!
Sunday, 28 April
Morning Session: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm
or
Afternoon Session: 1:30 pm – 4:30 pm
Join former Silver Fern, April Ieremia, and Westlake’s best netballers to sharpen your skills, improve accuracy, and master techniques.
Grading games begin in May! Prepare your child with our 3-hour coaching clinics.
Your participation supports our Premier Netball team’s fundraising for the regional tournament.
