Te Roto Logo
Te Reo O Te Roto
The Language of the Lake
Issue 109 | 17 October 2025
From the Principal

Principal's Welcome

Kia ora, everyone,

This week has been the beginning of our end-of-year celebrations. Our music awards dinner, combined with the Boys’ school, acknowledged another exceptional year of successes across all vocal groups and instrumental ensembles.

Our Sports Prizegiving last night was another evening full of outstanding performances from our students. Seeing our students grow and excel in their areas of strength and interest, along with their confidence and pride in their achievements, is a joy.

All of our students are currently preparing for their final end-of-year exams. We wish them all the best as they conscientiously prepare.

Ngā mihi,

Jane Stanley

Principal

Sports

Major Sports Prizegiving winners

Congratulations to the major Sports Prizegiving winners from last night!

  1. Sportswoman of the Year – Imani Rasmussen (Basketball & Netball)
  2. Team of the Year – Premier Sailing Team
  3. Sports All Rounder of the Year – Charlotte Mawston (Basketball, Netball, Rowing)
  4. Junior Sportswoman of the Year – Charlotte Handley (Sailing)
  5. International Performance of the Year – Charlotte Handley (Sailing)
  6. Coach of the Year – Bronwen Davidson (Basketball)
  7. Student Coaches of the Year – Kayla Lim & Mikayla Burvill-Brown
  8. Student Official of the Year – Sasha Bosch (Netball)
  9. Volunteer of the Year – Paula Satterthwaite (Sailing)
  10. Staff Recognition Award – Kate Carlton (Adventure Racing & Football)

 

Sports

Ruby vaults to success in Melbourne

We are delighted to share some fantastic news about Y12 student Ruby Allen, who recently competed in an international Gymnastics competition in Melbourne, Australia.

Ruby performed exceptionally well and placed third overall in the competition, bringing home a bronze medal. Her individual apparatus results were outstanding:

  • Vault: 1st place
  • Floor: 2nd place
  • Uneven Bars: 4th place

This is a remarkable achievement and a wonderful reflection of Ruby’s dedication and commitment to excellence. Representing North Harbour Gymnastics Club on an international stage is a significant accomplishment. Congratulations, Ruby!

Notices

Public holiday coming up

Monday, 27 October is Labour Day and a public holiday. Let’s cross fingers for a sunny Labour Weekend this year!

STEAM

Y9 STEAM

On the first day of Term 4, our Year 9 STEAM students were fortunate to be visited by volunteers from Beca Sustainability and Robogals. The volunteers included engineering students and sustainability engineers from Beca, who ran a workshop exploring sustainability in the fashion industry. Students learned about the origins of much of our clothing and participated in several activities, including brainstorming innovative alternative solutions to this global issue.

 STEAM student Enno He wrote about the workshop:

“On the first day of Term 4, our Year 9 STEAM students attended the Beca Sustainability Workshop, and boy, what an incredible and insightful experience it was. We discovered the issue of fast fashion and learned a number of astonishing facts – like the fact that most of our clothing is actually made up of oil! I had no idea that so much pollution and waste come from the fashion industry. During the workshop, we considered creative solutions to reduce clothing disposal, including recycling old clothing, buying second-hand apparel, and repairing clothes instead of throwing them away. We presented our solutions to the class. The Beca volunteers were very welcoming and collaborative, and they made learning about sustainability fun and engaging. It made me realise more how my actions can impact the environment.”

From the Board

New school Board

Thank you to everyone who voted in the recent Board elections, and a huge thank you to the Board for all you do for us. We appreciate you very much indeed.

For information on returning and new members, and our tireless Board secretary, Marie McKerrow, see our website.  

Sports

WGHS students in Netball NZ Secondary School Squad

Netball New Zealand has recently announced the 2025 New Zealand Secondary School squad of 24 players. We are delighted and proud to announce that the following students have been selected from Westlake Girls High School.

Imani Rasmussen
Talia Chatfield

The squad will be attending a camp in Auckland over Labour Weekend.

Arts & Culture

Music Awards Dinner 2025

The annual Music Awards is a prizegiving for the cocurricular achievements between the two Westlake Schools. Held at McHughes restaurant in Cheltenham, it is always a special time to recognise and celebrate the successes of the year. Commitment and leadership badges and certificates are awarded to Year 11 – 13 students who have participated in the instrumental and choral ensembles, and special cups and trophies are awarded to Year 13 students. Valerie Sin on guitar, and the Awesome Foursome, a vocal quartet from WBHS, gave guest performances.

Photo above: Guest Speaker Anaplea Polataivao with the students and staff involved in the Tinā film and premiere.

The guest speaker was Anapela Polataivao, the actress, director and writer, widely recognised as the lead in the recent NZ film, Tinā. Westlake choir Choralation has a special connection to the film, firstly as the inspiration for the story, then featuring in the film and soundtrack, and later performing live at the Premiere earlier this year. Anapela spoke about the importance of staying ‘curious, courageous and connected’ to foster creativity and artistry. It was a special honour to welcome Anapela and hear her perspective and life story of her success.

The senior music cup and trophy award winners for 2025 are:

Cups and Trophies

2025 Winners
Leadership in Instrumental Music Elaine Zhou
Leadership in Choral Music Mel Teulilo & Jaymie Chee
Leadership in Music Department Abi Mitchell & Jaymie Chee
Leadership in Performance Elaine Zhou & Annie Yang
Accompanist Trophy Elaine Zhou
Creativity in Music Abi Mitchell
Excellence in Contemporary Music Valarie Sin
Most Promising Song Writer Joy Feng
Excellence in Music Performance Hollie Blackwell

 

 

Arts & Culture

Choristers Shine at National Choral Conference 

Choral Connect is the bi-annual national choral conference for conductors, and this year it took place in Wellington during the September holiday break. Two national choirs featured as part of the conference, utilised as the clinic choirs for masterclasses and as performers in evening concerts throughout the three days.

Mrs Wilson (HOD Music) attended as a delegate and was extremely proud of the four choristers who represented Westlake Girls in the New Zealand Secondary School Choir and the Aotearoa Academy Choir.

Congratulations to Mel Teulilo, Vydella Tamihana, Michelle Hendra and Ece Dalgic for your exemplary contribution to a national ensemble.

Alumni

Upcoming alumni reunions 

Two alumni class reunions are coming up – the Class of 1995 and the Class of 1985. These gatherings are a great way to reconnect, share memories, and have an informal catch-up. 

Many from these two alumni years are already connected through their two class Facebook groups, but there are likely to be others from those years, and we don’t want them to miss out on the information.  

The Class of 1985 – 40-year reunion: Thursday 20 November 2025.

This is for any former students who were in Form 3 in 1981, regardless of how long they studied at the school, not just those who stayed until 1985. A school tour at 6pm, followed by an informal gathering at Fantail and Turtle at Smales Farm. Contact the organiser – Gayle Coplestone [email protected] 

The Class of 1995 – 30-year reunion: Thursday 6 November 2025.

This is for any former students who were in Form 3 in 1991, regardless of how long they studied at the school, not just for those who stayed until 1995. A school tour at 6pm, followed by an informal gathering at Fantail and Turtle at Smales Farm. Contact the organiser – Carrie George [email protected] 

Arts & Culture

Ngā Tai Whakarongorua, tahiwhakatere!

On Friday, 10 October, Westlake Boys and Girls performed at the annual Te Ahurea Tino Rangatiratanga, at Te Kura Māori o Ngā Tapuwae.

I te tau 2016 i tūhonotia Ngā Kura Tuarua o Ururoto kia tū ai te kapa haka o Ngā Taonga Kahurangi, panonitia te ingoa ki Te Ihi o Te Rā i te tau 2019.  2022, i noho wehe ngā kura e rua, ka rere noa ngā tau ki te 2025, ka hono ngā kura e rua anō, whakarongo ki ngā tai e rua e tau nei, mai te rua ahi o te maunga ko Pupuke.  ko Ngā Tai Whakarongo Rua e mihi atu nei.

In 2016 WBHS and WGHS joined together to create Ngā Taonga Kahurangi, switching names to Te Ihi o Te Rā in 2019. In 2022 the group split, finally rejoining in 2025 as Ngā Tai Whakarongorua.

The group of 45 students was led by Year 12 Amelia Moke (Te Arawa) and Year 10 Kaydince Aumau-Kidwell from WBHS (Ngāti Whātua ki Kaipara, Ngāpuhi, me Ngāti Hāmoa).

We placed: 1st (5th equal) Kākahu Tāne

                         2nd Kākahu Wāhine

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’. Mei kore ake ko rātou, mei kore ko koutou, ka kore hoki ko mātou te reanga waimarie!

Tini whetū ki te rangi, Ko Ngā Tai Whakarongorua ki te whenua!

 If you missed the performance, you can watch it on YouTube here.

Community

Year 9s inspired by career role models

On Thursday, 9 October, the Events Centre was alive with energy as our Year 9 students welcomed 16 inspiring role models from across the community. This special event was designed to spark imagination and showcase the numerous exciting career possibilities available.

The morning kicked off with a fast-paced ‘Twenty Questions’ game, where students turned into detectives, firing off yes/no/maybe questions to guess each guest’s profession. The suspense built until the Big Reveal, when our visitors pulled out props and uniforms, transforming into their professional selves right before everyone’s eyes.

Next, students headed into smaller classroom Q&A sessions, where they met two different speakers. These relaxed conversations gave them the chance to hear real stories about each guest’s pathway, including the twists, turns, and lightbulb moments, and to ask their most burning questions face-to-face.

Our amazing lineup included a helicopter paramedic, a health psychologist, a tech founder, an illustrator, a builder, a lawyer, a pilot, an elite sports coach, and an aircraft engineer. With such a diverse mix of people and stories, there was something for everyone.

The students left feeling inspired, curious, and ready to dream big about their own futures.

Academic

Textile Tech fashion show

As part of the Technology Showcase, the Textile Technology department hosted a highly successful fashion show to showcase the garments created by Year 10-13 students. Servilles Academy kindly provided hair and makeup services, which we appreciated enormously.

Here are some highlights of the evening.

“As a Year 12 student, I have been doing this fashion show for the past 3 years, and it never disappoints. I love seeing how imaginative all the girls are with their garment designs and how the environment of everyone creates an atmosphere of belonging.” Maya Morkel

Thank you to Servilles Academy and to all the friends and family who came along to celebrate the students’ hard work.

Community

World Vision Advocacy Ambassador for 2026

Congratulations to Year 13 student Jana Kak for being selected as the World Vision Advocacy Ambassador for 2026. This is a highly esteemed position where former Advocacy Ambassadors have gone on to achieve remarkable things, such as leading social enterprises, influencing political change through their advocacy, and working in the international development sector. We are so proud!

In Jana’s words:

“I am truly honoured and excited to be named as a World Vision Advocacy Ambassador for 2026. This role is an incredible opportunity to stand alongside a passionate community of young people advocating for real legislative and social change in Aotearoa and beyond. As an Advocacy Ambassador, I will work to raise awareness and drive campaigns focused on important issues like ending modern slavery, creating dignified migration pathways, and addressing the climate crisis, all while inspiring and mobilising youth to take action. It’s a volunteer role that I am committed to passionately balancing alongside my studies, and I look forward to using my voice to help bring justice and hope to vulnerable children and communities globally.
When I first found out, I felt a powerful mix of excitement and responsibility. It made me realise that I have been entrusted with a platform to amplify voices that often go unheard, to challenge the status quo, and to be part of a collective movement working towards positive change. I am deeply motivated to contribute in every way possible and to learn and grow through this journey.”
– Jana Kak
Arts & Culture

Cantare Sings

Cantare sings Carmina Burana with Auckland Choral and Wellington Orpheus Choirs 

On Sunday, 5 October, Cantare joined forces with Auckland Choral and Orpheus Choir Wellington to perform the epic choral masterpiece ‘Carmina Burana’ to a packed audience in Auckland Town Hall. Cantare sang the children’s chorus within the hour-long work, and enjoyed the experience of singing with 200 adult voices, 8 percussionists and three soloists, one of whom was their singing teacher, James Harrison.

Academic

Chinese scavenger hunt with WBHS

Recently, our Year 11 Chinese students participated in an exciting Chinese language scavenger hunt with students from Westlake Boys High School. The event was about friendly competition, teamwork, language practice, and cultural connection.

Students were placed into mixed teams, combining participants from both schools. Together, they worked to complete a series of fun and challenging missions, utilising their Chinese knowledge! From deciphering clues to finding cultural items and performing short dialogues, every task tested their language skills, creativity, and teamwork.

The atmosphere was full of laughter, excitement, and collaboration as students helped one another translate, pronounce, and communicate their way through the challenges. For many, it was an opportunity to apply their classroom learning in real-world situations and to see how far their Chinese had progressed.

By the end of the day, new friendships had formed across the schools. Some students even exchanged contacts to stay in touch and continue practising Chinese together. This was a wonderful outcome, demonstrating how language can bring people closer together.

The scavenger hunt was a great success and a memorable way to celebrate learning. 

 

Community

Student VR project will teach life-saving skills nationwide

What began as a Year 13 Digital Technology project has evolved into something far bigger than Year 13 student Tanushri Dev ever imagined. Her virtual reality game, Health Hero VR, is set to be rolled out nationwide in collaboration with St John New Zealand, helping students around the country interactively learn essential emergency response skills.

Tanushri recently met with the Community Education Lead at St John, who offered to collaborate on the project — supporting her with medical advice, small-scale development funding, and connections to help expand its reach.

“This is very exciting, since it has grown beyond a classroom project into something big for myself and the school, and it will help students and communities around New Zealand,” she says.

Health Hero VR was born from Tanushri’s passion for both VR and health. Her goal was to create something meaningful that could make a real difference. The game teaches CPR, choking response, and emergency care through interactive, gamified scenarios designed for students.
After months of development, she decided to email St John New Zealand on a whim. “I was sure they wouldn’t reply,” she says. “But they did!”

Their support has set the project on track for a nationwide rollout next year, making all the late-night development sessions worthwhile.
Next, Tanushri plans to add more levels covering burns and allergic reactions, make the game more professional, and work with schools across the country to teach life-saving skills through play.

Congratulations, Tanushri, on this exceptional achievement.

 

Academic

Bonjour!

On Friday, 10 October, Year 13 French enjoyed a couple of hours of immersive, educational and fun activities with Senior French classes from Westlake Boys. Thirty-two students, along with their teacher, Aurelie Kerbellec and our French assistant, Coralie Ducamp, participated in this joint venture of the French Departments from both schools. It goes without saying that we also enjoyed delicious French food! It was a pleasure hosting this event, and we are already looking forward to doing this again next year.   

 

 

Notices

Uniform long skirt 2026

If you intend to buy the long skirt for 2026, please note that it tends to sell out quickly at the Uniform Shop. Don’t leave it too late and miss out.

See here to purchase it online or visit the U Shop at Unit 10, 54 View Rd, Wairau Valley. See their website for opening hours.

Sports

Student in NZ High Performance Squad - Hockey

After spending the past couple of months on the sidelines recovering from a bad concussion, Year 10 student Caitlin Foley showed outstanding resilience and commitment to her sport. Although she wasn’t able to take the field for the final round of the U16 Nationals, she travelled to Dunedin to support her teammates from the bench. Her team went on to claim silver, finishing just behind the other Auckland side, who secured gold — an excellent result for the group.

Earlier this year, Caitlin played defence for The Steel, Auckland’s women’s team, helping them take first place in the NZ Women’s National League. Her strong performances, combined with her selection for The Steel, led to her being named in the NZ High Performance Squad — specifically the NZ U18 Women’s team. She is one of only 30 players nationwide to earn this opportunity.

Over the coming months, Caitlin will follow an intensive, individualised training programme alongside NZ’s top players (both men and women, from U16 through to senior national level). Her next goal is to secure a place on the NZ U18 Women’s team, which will travel to Turkey in January 2026 to compete internationally.

 

 

Sports

Podium finish for Netball - New Zealand Secondary Schools Champs

Following their historic runner-up finish at the Upper North Island Netball Championships in August, Westlake Girls had high ambitions heading into the New Zealand Secondary Schools Netball Championships in Wellington a month later. In 2018, the Westlake Girls Premier Netball team finished second, losing to MAGS in the final. This had been their best-ever performance at the event, a feat they hoped to replicate or surpass.

However, the team faced a significant challenge before the tournament even began: one of their captains and key defender, Aaliyah Sina’au, suffered a severe ankle injury during the Auckland Netball regular season, ruling her out of the competition. Year 11 student Katie Moors stepped into her place. Katie had recently been named Defender of the Tournament at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Basketball Championships, which Westlake had won for the fourth consecutive year,  just a week earlier. Despite the setback, the team remained optimistic and carried high hopes into Wellington.

The only team to have consistently outperformed Westlake Girls during the season was Howick, whom they had lost to twice, first in Auckland and then in the UNISS tournament. Nonetheless, the team entered the tournament with confidence, winning their opening game against Manakura with a commanding 20-goal lead, 43-23 and following it up with a similar result against St. Andrews College from Christchurch, 43-19, before beating the best school in the South Island, St Hilda’s, by one, 31-30.

Advancing to the top eight, Westlake faced St Mary’s College, the top team from Wellington and the Lower North Island, and coached by the Silver Ferns mentor, Waimarama Tamanu. Westlake won 21-15 in a thrilling encounter before meeting their season-long nemesis, Howick, the defending national champions. Unfortunately, Westlake Girls was unable to overcome Howick yet again. However, they bounced back in style, defeating Trident High School from Whakatāne in the play-off for third and fourth place by a narrow 33-30 margin to win bronze.

Standout players throughout the tournament included goalkeeper Imani Rasmussen, who had just come off a strong performance at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Netball Championships the week before, and Talia Chatfield, who was instrumental in the mid-court. The team was further bolstered by the leadership of co-captain Lani Baledrokadroka and the tireless efforts of wing defender and centre, Lily Fotu. Westlake’s attacking end was once again led by co-captain Karmen Maritz, the current New Zealand Secondary Schools Senior Discus Champion who had just returned from injury to reconnect with the team’s top shooter, Phia Marshall.

With six wins out of seven at nationals, Westlake Girls secured the bronze medal. While the team may have fallen just short of the top spot, the high-calibre of players and their exceptional performance, coached by former Silver Fern April Ieremia, made their achievements at the New Zealand Secondary Schools Championships unparalleled on the North Shore.

MAGS beat Howick in the final of the NZSS Champs, gifting the Auckland Netball Centre an impressive 1,2,3 finish at nationals.

 

Sports

Our fourth consecutive National Basketball title!

Congratulations to the Westlake Girls Premier Basketball Team, coached by Bronwen Davidson, on winning the 2025 New Zealand Secondary Schools Basketball Championship — their fourth consecutive national title.

After a thrilling 94–88 semi-final victory over Tauranga Girls, the team delivered a dominant performance in the final at Central Energy Trust Arena in Palmerston North against Hamilton Girls, winning 102 – 72. Well supported by Assistant Coach Nela Fotu with outstanding execution throughout the court, Westlake surged to a 39–16 lead in the first quarter, extended it to 57–38 by halftime, and then 83-51 in the 3rd quarter, ultimately securing a convincing 30-point win over Hamilton Girls.

The team received further accolades at the NZSS Prizegiving when Emma Kaye Schroeder was named Most Valued Player of the Tournament and made the All-Star Tournament team, along with fellow guard Sahara Katene. Meanwhile, Year 11 student Katie Moors was named Defensive Player of the Tournament. Congratulations once again on a championship well earned. This remarkable achievement reflects the team’s dedication, discipline, and excellence across the season.

 

Academic

Keeping girls engaged with maths

Westlake Girls High School is dedicated to collaborative, high-quality teaching and learning across its Kahui Ako (community of learning). Through the appointment of Within-School Leads (WSLs), teachers have engaged in action research to refine their teaching practices and improve student outcomes. Lizzi McCormack (teacher of Maths and Statistics) and Geetu Bhanot (Teacher of Science and Chemistry) presented their inquiry at the Action Learning Action Research global conference in Auckland in the last week of term 3.

Lizzi McCormack presented her research: Co-creating Numeracy Confidence and Resilience in Year 9 Wāhine. This inquiry began in 2024, sparked by growing concerns about mathematics achievement in New Zealand, alongside an increase in student anxiety and a decrease in student confidence in mathematics. We introduced targeted strategies in Terms 2 and 3, and the data was evaluated in Term 4. Following encouraging results, a second cycle of action research began in 2025, with strategies shaped by shifts in government direction, changes at the primary school level, and insights from the Singapore curriculum. We developed and implemented three evidence-based strategies: ‘basic facts fitness’, to build mastery and perseverance, reflective journals to strengthen metacognition and learning-to-learn skills, and peer teaching to encourage collaboration and ‘paying it forward.’ Recent feedback has shown that these targeted approaches have successfully increased student confidence and competence.

Geetu Bhanot shared her 2024–2025 Action Research on co-agency, focusing on shared power, collaboration, and student autonomy. During the reconnaissance phase, data from surveys, interviews, and observations was collected to capture both teacher and student perspectives. Teachers identified challenges such as time constraints, diverse learning needs, and inconsistent student participation. During the implementation phase, we employed Inquiry-Based Learning (IBL) using Bybee’s 5E model, with a focus on promoting active participation, collaborative inquiry, and discovery-based learning.

Students reported increased engagement and independence, with 90% providing positive feedback. The findings highlighted the need for professional development, a hybrid model of teaching, and systemic support to sustain inclusive co-agency practices.

Sports

3 in a row for sailors 

Congratulations to the Westlake Girls Premier Sailing Team for their outstanding achievement in securing the Inter Dominion Girls Championship title, a prestigious competition contested annually between the top three schools from New Zealand and Australia.

The sailors’ exceptional performance in Goolwa, Australia, marks their third consecutive Inter Dom title and is a testament to their hard work, skill, and dedication. Well done to the entire team.

Further congratulations also go to Captain Jess Handley and Bella Jenkins, who have just been selected for the New Zealand Youth Sailing Team and will head to Portugal to compete at the World Youth Sailing Championships in the 29ers class in December.

Sports

Artistic Swimming

The students below participated in the NZ Nationals Artistic Swimming Competition held in Wellington from 19-23 September. They worked hard as a team and achieved the following placement:

Coach:

Westlake student Gracey Lee is North Harbour Artistic Swimming Club’s 12U coach. Her team placed 2nd at the competition! Gracey was also the recipient of the Artistic Swimming NZ Service Award for her dedication to the sport and local club.

Athletes: 

Numerous athletes from Westlake Girls belong to North Harbour Artitic Swimming. They achieved great success at the competition

Ashley Armstrong

  • 2nd in the Senior Women’s tech solo and 2nd in the Senior women’s free solo.  Ashley was representing Westlake in these events and earned a school badge for both.
  • 1st Senior open tech team
  • As a New Zealand rep, Ashley also participated in the Oceania competition during the event and received 3rd place in Oceania tech solo.

Sofia Brandolino

  • 1st Senior open tech team
  • 3rd Junior Duet
  • 3rd for Youth solo
  • Received a schools badge representing Westlake for her 3rd place Youth solo.

Zara Gillard

  • 2nd Aquanaut duet.

Laura Mackenzie

  • 1st Aquarina duet.

Rose Pankhurst

  • 2nd Youth combo
  • 1st Senior open tech team.

Jolly Yin

  • 2nd Youth combo.

Liese Yin

  • 2nd Youth combo.

Congratulations to all on your fantastic efforts.

The North Harbour Artistic Swimming Club offers free trial sessions for any young athletes wanting to give synchro a try. For more information, visit their website.

 

Menu