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Te Reo O Te Roto
The Language of the Lake
Issue 92 | 8 November 2024
From the Principal

Kia ora everyone,

This time of the year is one the busiest periods in our school calendar as we farewell our Y13s with prizegivings, award ceremonies, special events, and heartfelt goodbyes. Our Juniors have now finished their exams, and NZQA exams are well underway and running smoothly.

We’ve seen our students’ hard work and dedication all year, and we’re confident their mahi will serve them well.

I wanted to take a moment to give thanks. A big kura like ours has many moving parts. Organising and coordinating end-of year ceremonies, exam schedules, sports events and more involves complex logistics. I’m incredibly grateful for the staff and community members, (including you, our parents and caregivers) who make it all happen time after time. While it may look seamless from the outside, it takes dedicated effort from many people. Westlake is fortunate to have such a supportive community, and I’m truly thankful for each of you.

Wishing everyone a lovely weekend, and just in case you miss the notice in this newsletter, please note that Friday, 15 November, is a teacher-only day.

Ka kite,

Jane Stanley

PRINCIPAL

Community

Announcing the 2025 Prefects

Warmest congratulations to Julia Wilkins (right), named Head Prefect for 2025, Anahera Petera, (left) Deputy Head Prefect for 2025, and all the other 2025 Prefects! We look forward to seeing you in these roles next year and know you’ll do an incredible job.

For the full list of 2025 Prefect names, see Prefects-2025-PDF

Arts & Culture

Ahurea

 ‘He rangatahi tutū te puehu, Arataki i te ao hurihuri, Whaia kia tata, tāmaua kia tina’ – Youth will stir an uproar, and lead the changing world. Chase the goal and hold it tightly.

On Friday, 18 October, Te Rerenga Wāna performed at Te Ahurea Tino Rangatiratanga, held annually. It was hosted this year by Westlake Boys High School.

This year, the competition was a Whakangāhau event, meaning it was non-competitive, allowing the celebration of Te Ao Māori and Kapa Haka to be the main winner on the day. Year 13 Eady Savelio–Thompson from Ngāpuhi and Ngāti Hamoa (Samoa) led our group of 20 students. We are incredibly proud of our students for the hard work and dedication they put into this year’s bracket, once again expanding their kete of knowledge.

We want to thank our Year 13 students who are leaving school this year (Taika-Reia Solomon-Bluegum, Eady Savelio-Thompson, Tuini Hawke, and Portia Drummond) for their contribution to Te Rerenga Wāna over the many years. “Mā te huruhuru ka rere te manu” – Adorn the bird with feathers so it may fly.”

We would also like to thank all the tutors, teachers and parents for the help that we received 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.

We look forward to welcoming all new faces for our Polyfest campaign in Term One of 2025!

By Maddison Gerbes, Kaiako mō Te Reo Māori

Arts & Culture

Joy Feng performs live at Play It Strange

We are thrilled to announce that one of our talented music students, Joy Feng, recently performed her original song Be There With You at the sold-out Play It Strange Annual Awards evening. Joy earned this incredible opportunity as a winner of the NZ Play It Strange Peace Song competition, which celebrates young songwriters from all over Aotearoa.

Held at the Town Hall Concert Chamber, the night was a celebration of 21 years of Play It Strange. MP Paul Goldsmith opened the event. Joy was one of several young artists who performed their original compositions and waiata, and the audience was very engaged and supportive of all the young artists. A special highlight of the evening was a speech from judge and celebrated NZ artist Ladi6, who praised the depth and quality of the songs she judged.

As part of her prize, Joy had the privilege of performing her song live, accompanied by orchestral players from the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s Aspiring Musicians Program.

Before the performances, all the winners attended a full day of exciting workshops focused on the music and recording industry and on how to promote and manage themselves as artists. This invaluable experience provided Joy and her peers with insights into the professional world, preparing them for their futures in music.

In addition to Joy’s success, we’re proud to share that Westlake Girls High School was named ‘School of the Year’ for having the highest number of finalists in the Lion Foundation Year 9-13 Songwriting Competition. The Play It Strange albums, featuring professional recordings of Joy’s song and those of our other five student finalists, are set to be released before the end of the year.

Congratulations to Joy and all our talented students for your inspiring achievements! We look forward to hearing more of your incredible work in the future.

L-R: Caelin Thompson, Joy Feng, Emma Little, Shaine Bondad, Caini Wang, Kinda Kassibawi
Academic

Annual Senior Folio Exhibition

Our annual Senior Folio Exhibition is a much-anticipated event, marking the result of a year’s worth of creativity, dedication, and growth for our Year 12 and 13 Visual Art students. This year’s exhibition celebrates the outstanding achievements of these young artists whose hard work has resulted in an inspiring showcase that brings our community together to celebrate their success.

Throughout the year, students have dedicated themselves to creative exploration, pushing the boundaries of their skills and capabilities. From experimenting with new techniques to refining their creative ideas, they have devoted countless hours to transforming ideas into meaningful artworks. This exhibition is not just a collection of artworks but a celebration of the creativity and visions of our senior art students.

The Art Department was delighted to welcome our wider school and parent community to join in this special event and witness firsthand our Visual Art students’ talent, commitment, and creativity.

Thank you to everyone who attended; your presence and support mean so much to our department and students.

Notices

Work for us!

Student Engagement and Support Co-Ordinator 

Are you passionate about making a real difference in the lives of students and their families? Do you excel in building positive relationships, even in challenging situations? If so, we have the perfect opportunity for you.

Westlake Girls High School is looking for a motivated and innovative team player, ideally with a background in youth work, support work, or social work. The right candidate should be skilled at engaging with students, parents, and school staff, and able to build positive connections with outside agencies.

This is a 12-month contract, term time only. Part-time 20 hours per week.

In this vital role, you will engage with families to identify and overcome barriers to regular school attendance.

Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to engage with diverse populations, empathy and patience, particularly when working with families facing challenges. Strong collaboration and communication are essential skills for this role along with a tech-savvy mindset to adapt to digital communication platforms and tools.

Key Responsibilities:

  • Track attendance, identify issues and develop a support plan.
  • Gather attendance data for students attending less than 70%.
  • Investigate low attendance and implement a support plan for students by:
    • Meeting with students individually and/or with parents to identify and address issues, boost responsibility and motivation.
    • Coordinating with deans, counsellors, learning enhancement, and careers staff to gather information and provide relevant support, including pastoral care, social aspects of learning, and career focus for students over 16.
    • Conducting home visits if necessary.
    • Collaborating with outside agencies, including referrals and consultations with NAISS, and assisting with Northern Health School applications.
    • Monitoring the buzz list from reception staff to proactively address daily attendance information for students receiving intensive support.

If you’re ready to make a meaningful impact and support students in reaching their full potential, we want to hear from you! Join us in creating a supportive environment where students feel valued and empowered to succeed.

Be a catalyst for positive change in our school community! For more information or to apply, send your CV to Marie McKerrow at [email protected]

Community

Get your socks on

The Uniform Shop is running a promotion. Get in early and score some free socks!

Notices

Advance warning - uniform checks

We will focus intensively on uniforms next week, 11-15 November. There will be consequences for students not wearing the uniform correctly.

See the above image to clarify our rules, or visit the uniform page of our website for more info.

Thank you for your support.

Notices

No school next Friday

Friday, 15 November, is a Teacher-Only Day.

The Ministry of Education has given this day to schools for 2024 to work on NCEA changes.

There are no classes and no NCEA exams.

Community

Checkmate in Wellington

The Champions  Chess Trophy is the ultimate individual battle to find the best chess players in New Zealand. All players must achieve one or more outstanding results throughout the year to qualify. 

Kavin Vignesh (10OBR) qualified and was invited to attend this prestigious event in Wellington.

She participated in the Chess Power Champions Trophy Individual Event during Labour Weekend at Wellington College, Wellington.

Kavin’s dedication and progress have been remarkable this year. She secured a ‘Credit’ award in the Open division, narrowly missing the ‘Best Girl’ award by just half a point.

Arts & Culture

Choralation on the big screen!

In 2023, film director Miki Magasiva (We Are Still Here, The Panthers) and producer Mario Gaoa from Island Light Films approached Mrs Wilson (HOD Music) about involving our Westlake mixed premier choir Choralation in a film they had written called Tinā.

Based in New Zealand, the fictional character of Samoan teacher Mereta Percival is struggling after her daughter’s death in the Christchurch earthquakes and decides to take a substitute teacher at an elite school. The students desperately need guidance, inspiration, and love, so she starts a school choir. Despite opposition from the school and the novice singing skills of the students, they enter The Big Sing…

After discussions with Miki about his script, he shared that Choralation’s performance hugely impacted him (and the Samoan community) in the 2013 Finale of ‘Maunga e ole Atuolo’. None of the singers were Samoan, but the care and work they undertook to perform it respectfully and authentically was recognised and appreciated, and the YouTube video quickly went viral.

Miki was hopeful that Choralation (10 years later) could feature in the film in a significant way, but the ages of the students meant that would not be possible. Instead, the Choralation 2023 choir recorded some songs in a studio featuring some of The Big Sing Finale scenes and as extras in the school scenes. It was a fantastic experience for the 2023 singers, and Mrs Wilson worked behind the scenes to conduct the choir out of shot. Many of our past Choralation singers (now in their 20s) signed up as extras and characters of students in the choir.

Tinā has just received a rapturous welcome at the sold-out world premiere at the 44th Hawai’i International Film Festival earlier this month and will be released nationwide in cinemas on 27 February 2025.

The film looks fantastic – moving, funny, and heartwarming. Seeing a slice of New Zealand’s choral culture on the big screen that features our school community is very special. We encourage you to get along to see it next February!

To see the trailer, click here.

Arts & Culture

Supreme Award & More - The Auckland Live Showdown Awards

On Wednesday, 6 November, Westlake Productions once more enjoyed tremendous success. At a packed Bruce Mason Centre, in front of Westlake parents, staff, and students, and students and staff from 21 other schools, Westlake Productions achieved five awards including the coveted supreme award: the Auckland Live Outstanding Production of 2024, for the Three Musketeers.

Westlake competed with 21 other schools and 23 productions across 27 categories! Westlake Productions were handsomely rewarded last night with:

  • Best Properties Design – Carlos J Allport (student), Christine Bader, Nick Brown, Aurelie Kerbellec & Michael Wassell (The Three Musketeers)
  • Outstanding Stage Management – Kasey Hani Lui (The Three Musketeers)
  • Best Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical – Katie Brown (Crazy for You)
  • Best Director – Nick Brown (The Three Musketeers)
  • Auckland Live Showdown Award for Outstanding Production of 2024 (the supreme award) – The Three Musketeers

Along with our awards, Westlake Productions’ cast members gave two terrific performances from Crazy for You:

  • ‘Naughty Baby’  sung by Grace Blackwell, with Saniel Dones, Tobey Cunningham, Nathan Davies, and Sam Lund

And…

  • ‘They Can’t Take That Away From Me‘ sung by Arnav Pillai, and ‘But Not For Me‘ sung by Katie Brown

What a spectacular effort – well done to everyone involved!

Community

Overall House Winners 2024

Congratulations, members of Onewa House – Winners of the House Cup 2024!

 

Community

Earn cash & clear space: Second-Hand Uniform Shop needs more stock

The Second Hand Uniform Shop is currently facing high demand and needs more uniforms, especially Junior Uniforms and Senior Blazers, Blouses and Long Skirts.

We can sell your uniform on your behalf. Please complete the online form in the link below then drop the uniforms (with your name or copy of email confirmation) at reception.

Register 2nd-Hand Uniform For Sale Here

And we gratefully accept donated uniforms too!  The shop is open every Friday at lunchtime from 12.25 pm – 1.15 pm in B8 behind B Block.

Arts & Culture

Students in musical at Aotea Centre

We have two extremely talented WGHS students starring in the premiere season of Alice: A Wonderland Musical at the Kiri Te Kanawa Theatre, Aotea Centre. Poppy Simpson Glover (playing Duck) and Beatrix Richardson, playing the Cheshire Cat).

“I have been a part of the National Youth Theatre for two years now. I have previously played a lead in their other performances of CATS, High School Musical, Joseph, and now Alice, in the role of the Cheshire Cat. I was beyond excited to get this role, and I’m ready to bring everything I can to it. I am so looking forward to the shows commencing in just a couple of weeks!”

– Beatrix Richardson (9WSM)

 

Poppy rehearsing as Duck

“I was absolutely over the moon when I found out I got the part. Alice is my first show, so I felt very proud that I made a memorable impression in my audition and got the part that I did. I am looking forward to being on stage and seeing the show come to life before me in one of Auckland’s biggest theatres, Aotea Centre. This show is a dream come true, and I am looking forward to so many more!”

– Poppy Simpson Glover (10OLN)

 

Buy tickets here.

Image top of article: Beatrix rehearsing as the Cheshire Cat

Arts & Culture

Y10 Composition winner

Piper Donaldson is a year 10 music student who is a pianist and harpist. She is a member of the Westlake Symphony Orchestra and also plays in ensembles outside of school.

Piper entered a composition competition run through the Institute of Registered Teachers New Zealand, which is for high school students from around Auckland. Piper submitted a piece for harp titled ‘Thistle’ and won first place and $200 prize money.

Piper says of her composition:

” ‘Thistle’ is the name of my harp and represents how delicate and pretty the harp is, soothing the listener to sleep”.

The adjudicator was award-winning composer Chris Artley who describes her piece as ‘charming, flows well with a good use of textures and registers of the harp’.  Congratulations, Piper!

Academic

A trip down Memory Lane

On Wednesday, 23 October,  13OWD took an emotional trip back in time with their form teacher.

As fresh Year 9s in 2020, Ms Woodward asked them to write letters to their future selves. Now, as Y13s, Ms Woodward gave the students the letters, which she had carefully looked after ever since, and the students opened and read them.

There were tears of joy and a great deal of laughter as the students reminisced about their first few days at Westlake Girls and their expectations for the future as newbies to the school.

As you can see in the photo, 13OWD had also decorated Ms Woodward’s classroom to reflect her Northern Irish heritage.

Sports

Auckland Secondary School Junior Ki o Rahi Champs

Last week, the Auckland Kī-o-Rahi Junior Champs celebrated the vibrant traditional Māori game at Bert Henham Reserve in Mt Wellington with more than 25 mixed teams, including Westlake Girls and Boys.

The players competed passionately and Westlake’s pool play was intense, especially against Rutherford College and Selwyn College who were incredibly connected proving tough competition for the young Westlake team. Over the course of the event, Westlake Girls and Boys secured three wins, one loss, and one draw to advance through to the Plate Final, where they emerged victorious in a thrilling encounter against Mount Albert Grammar in double extra time, winning 10-9.

A big thank-you to Eddie Hudson, Alice Burnett, Joanne Mersh, and Clare Nasey from WBHS for their invaluable support.

Photo: Top Row: WGHS – Paegan Barlow, Tahli Cook, Rose Davis, Ariana Kaio, Bottom left; Sequoia Kimberley-Brown, Kaia Jamieson.

Community

Duke of Edinburgh Practice Expedition to Tāwharanui Peninsula

The Duke of Ed practice hike was an amazing opportunity. We went to the Tāwharanui Peninsula where we camped overnight and completed two hikes.

The challenges started as soon as we arrived, when we had to unpack and set up our tents.

After this, we set off on a 6km hike with our packs, through forest, paddocks, beach and many steps! We were happy to see plenty of wildlife, such as kereru, pukeko, dotterels and piwakawaka on the way. On our return it was time for our next challenge; to set up our sleeping areas and organising our food. The biggest challenge of the trip for me was cooking dinner on a camp stove. I didn’t realise it would take so long to boil water, though it was worth the wait, dinner was delicious.

In the night, I got woken up by kiwi and pukeko walking around our campsite, and making the loudest noises. Despite this, I didn’t have a horrible sleep though, which I was grateful for!

The next day we cooked breakfast then started out on second hike around 8km long. On the way we were challenged to take a navigation bearing, deal with a simulated first aid scenario and leave a message for the other group to find.

This hike was more challenging; walking on sand, gravel, concrete and a few really steep hills. We were excited to see some cows and one of my favourite moments was walking through a paddock of sheep with lambs!

I loved walking through the forest and fields and seeing all of the wildlife and scenery. I also liked seeing the dotterels and their adorable chicks, because they looked like toasted marshmallows.

I really enjoyed the Duke of Edinburgh expedition, and I can’t wait to go on the qualifying journey in December!

 

By Millie Rotherham 10WBM

 

Arts & Culture

Nota Bella Choir visits Cambridge

On Saturday, 21 September, our junior choir, Nota Bella, travelled to Cambridge for the day to collaborate in concert with the Hamilton Civic Choir. Ms Elise Bradley conducts both choirs. It was wonderful to bring singers together to present music from around the world in a concert titled: ‘Slàinte Mhath’.

Nota Bella sang pieces from its repertoire this year and joined with HCC and another high school choir, ‘VOX’ from Cambridge, for several songs.

After rehearsals in the Cambridge Town Hall, Nota Bella enjoyed exploring Hamilton Gardens before performing to a full-capacity audience and heading back to Auckland.

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