E ngā reo, e ngā mana, rau rangatira mā, ngā matā waka, tēnei te mihi nui atu ki ā koutou katoa. Ko te wawata me te tumanako ka noho ora mai koutou katoa.

Welcome back to Term 3

Welcome back to all whanau and members of our community, we hope you had a relaxing holiday. We've noticed how refreshed and ready our students are for learning.

Recently we have just had the school ball, this was a celebration and a right of passage for our young people. This was an excellently organised event by our school. Much appreciation goes to our members of staff who helped this happen, but in particular Mrs McKane who was able to facilitate the Year 12 and 13 leaders to create the setting, background and co-ordinate the evening that went really smoothly. It was great to see so many members of our community outside the school watching our young people enter in various vehicles, classic cars, trucks, motorbikes etc. Our caretakers were really happy to notice the burnout marks the following day! Some photos are below, and the photos taken by Lazer Photos can be viewed and ordered here: https://www.lazerphoto.co.nz/events/categories/whakatane-high-school-balls/86650

As we head back into Term 3, it is important to reiterate the messages that we have been telling our young people at assemblies. In our most recent assemblies, we have spoken to our students and reiterated our school values of achievement, respect and responsibility. We've acknowledged the huge levels of participation in our school, and are encouraged by students who have been engaged in the wider life of the school, whether that be students in the Interact Club helping out at the ball or somebody who engages in sports or takes part in an Eastern Bay competition for badminton for example, it is really good that our students are involved in the wider life of the school, and part of something bigger than themselves so they can learn some really valuable skills through this.

We've also been really encouraged with the classroom climate we have across the school. We've noticed a decline in the behaviours that are getting in the way of learning, and this is encouraging. We still want to encourage our your people to do the right thing, make sure they listen to the teachers, are ready for learning, let others learn, and they work hard in class and ask questions to help them clarify their understanding.

We've seen a big improvement in the responsibility around our environment. In particular, the rubbish that is created by our free school meals. As you may have heard, we are looking at hot meal options, and Bay Catering have a caravan on site where they will cook and administer hot meals in Term 3. More details will follow when we've been consulted.

For all our students, in terms of their achievement, one of the key goals for them is that they are in the driving seat for their learning, and they are setting realistic goals through Student Mentoring. In Week 5 we have our Student Mentoring Interviews with parents - we hope you are all able to attend. There will be an email with a link to book appointments, shortly.

For our Senior students, NCEA is a huge qualification for them and we are expecting our students to be attending regularly, submitting work, asking questions about their credits, consulting with their Student Mentor about support they might need, making the most of the opportunities available for them to get support like Iti Pounamu (homework club) on Wednesday after school. We are looking for our best NCEA results, and hope our young people are well positioned to achieve this.

Looking towards 2022

A focus for us over the next couple of weeks is our Careers Fortnight. For all of our students, it is an opportunity to do some career planning in Student Mentoring, an opportunity to engage with HODs and teachers around courses for 2022, which will help inform students in their decision making. It was great to see 57 Year 10 students go to Tauranga for the Careers Expo last week. It was really good for them to start creating a vocational imagination for themselves. That means an aspiration for a career or qualification they can achieve beyond school. This gives them something to focus on and creates some meaning and focus for them in their learning.

All Year 10-12 students will be invited to the Senior Option Evening in Week 4 (17 August), and in Week 5 our young people will be starting to make decisions around their course selection for 2022. Please consult with them and ask them questions about their courses. You will have an opportunity to unpack what this looks like at the Student Mentoring Interviews in Week 5 (25 and 26 August) - interview booking times will be open on 6 August. Please visit www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and enter the booking code k9cjk.

Student Mentoring Review

As part of our Student Mentoring, the philosophy that underpins this is to make sure that every young person has a point of connection at the school, and that every parent has one also. Our Student Mentor programme is supposed to fulfill this aspiration. We recognise that we are developing this programme through the year and we want to strengthen it for 2022, so we are looking at feedback from whānau. Please fill out this short survey: https://forms.gle/f6tyu2XWd5gV2oYv6

At the recent kapa haka regionals where our young people did an excellent performance, one of our students had a pounamu that went missing. We are looking to support her, as a school, to get these tāonga back to the whānau. Here are some images (above) of the pounamu that have gone missing. Please, if you see anyone, or know anything about this, contact the school directly.

Martyn Knapton

Principal

We would like to ask all local business owners for some support. Firstly, we are wanting some guest speakers to come into our classes to talk to students about their experiences within the business world. Secondly, we are wanting some 'experiences' where students can come and observe what you do for a day, being a business owner.

If you or someone you know would like to be part of this awesome opportunity for our young people, please get in touch with Holly Shanks, Teacher in Charge of FFL at holly.shanks@staff.whs.co.nz.

Emilie Rosset

• 1st in Musical theatre
• 2nd in own selection
• 3rd in Sacred Gospel
• Very Highly Commended in Pop
• Very Highly Commended in Folk Song
• 2nd overall combined classes of 14 year olds and 15 year olds for Musical theatre (second highest mark)

Maia Patterson-Foster

14-15 and 15 year age group

• 2nd Place - Sacred/Gospel Song
  
• Highly Recommend - Folk or Traditional Song
• 2nd Place - Own Selection Song
• 1st Place - Musical Theatre Song
• 1st Place - Highest Marks Overall 14-15 year’s Musical Theatre Song (Classes 340A & 340B)

Lily Isaac

• 3rd in the Own Selection category 12 and 13 years

• 1st in the Musical Theatre category under 14

• 1st in the 20th Century Art category 12 and 13 years

Lily was also awarded, for the second year, the Orphans Club Cup for Character Song in Costume, and the Jan and Merv Beets Trophy for Best Song from a Broadway Show.

Adam Reid

• Non-classical Junior Programme (3 songs sung back to back) he came 1st receiving a trophy and prize money
• Own selection (Amarilli Mia Bella, sung in Italian) he came 3rd
• Musical Theatre (Stars from Les Miserable) he came 3rd
• 18th or 19th Century song (Nacht und Traume, sung in German) he came 4th

Rilee Goodman

Sang four songs and received one Highly Commended and one Very Highly Commended

Aria Gibson

Competed in three classes and received two Very Highly Commended

This year we are holding a degustation of epic proportions at Mataatua Marae, Te Manuka Tutahi.

This evening will give students an insight into what it is like in the hospitality industry and a chance to fundraise for trips, sporting events, gear etc. The funds that they raise will be credited to their school account and the student or team can pick what that money goes towards.

Part of the evening will include a silent auction where guests can bid on a variety of experiences and goods. If you have something that you would like to donate into the silent auction that can help fundraise funds for your child, group or team please apply in writing to ngaire.ranapia@staff.whs.co.nz.

Examples of products that have been auctioned off in the past are:

• 4 Course Private Dinner for 10 People
• Weekends Away
• Local Tourism Experiences
• Beauty Packages
• Cupcake and Cake Packages
• Boat Charters
• Vouchers for local boutique shops
• Home Cleaning and Yard Cleaning Packages

Tickets for the restaurant evening will be on sale in a couple of weeks. More information on this event will be advertised on our social media pages and newsletters. Tickets are limited.

Term Three is a busy term for all students in the Careers area. Years 9 - 12 will be choosing subjects for 2022. This will be over the next few weeks in their mentoring time, subject selection evening and other events. For those Year 13 students who are attending university, polytech or other tertiary providers in 2022, they will be applying for scholarships, accommodation and courses. Year 13 students have had a calendar of due dates shared with them. There is also ongoing information in the daily notices and on the facebook page.

Some helpful links for students af all year levels include:

Leaving School Magazine

Careers Facebook Page

GivMe Funding page for scholarships and grants

Choosing NCEA Subjects

CANVAS Tauranga Career Expo

On Friday 30 July, a group of 57 Year 10 students took advantage of visiting the CANVAS Tauranga Career Expo. They were able to visit the exhibitors that included Tertiary Providers, PTEs, Industry Representatives, Armed Forces and Government Agencies. Year 10 is an ideal time to expose students to the possibilities for their future pathways. Students enjoyed engaging with the exhibitors and exploring their options, including taking part in the activities on offer.

Gateway Placements

Senior students continue to attend Gateway placements in local industry. We have another group of students about to begin placements at Countdown, and Whakatane District Council as well as individual placements.

Jobs for School Leavers

We have a number of students who will be wanting to leave school at the end of this year to gain employment locally. Some will be looking for apprenticeships. If any of our supporters have any positions that they would like to advertise to our students, please get in touch. Many of them will also be looking for summer jobs, and may be available right up to March.

Calendar of events

• Monday 9 August University of Otago Maori Health Science presentation 1.35 - 2.35 pm
• Thursday 12 August University of Waikato Course Planning 1.15 pm (TBC)
• Friday 13 August University of Canterbury Course Planning - Careers Room 1.15 pm
• Friday 20 August Victoria University of Wellington Open Day
• Massey University Wellington Open Day
• Saturday 21 August Massey University Auckland Open Day
• Tuesday 23 August Te Whe Whakapiki Ake at Whakatane Hospital Year 11 Maori students
• Wednesday 25 August Lincoln University Course Planning - Careers Room 10.00 am
• Saturday 28 August University of Auckland Open Day

Stacey Fluhler (nee Waaka) has also impressed and achieved Gold in the Women's Sevens. We're so lucky to have such strong and determined women as part of our Whakatāne High School Alumni.

English homework nights are an opportunity for students to come after school in order to work on any upcoming English assessments, and/or gain additional support from English Department staff. Homework nights are being held in B5 from 3pm until 4.30pm every Wednesday until the end of the year.

If students are unable to attend at this time, we warmly invite them to speak to their English teacher to organise a lunchtime or afterschool appointment.

Health services provided FREE in school:

• School Nurse: daily except Wednesday morning
• School Doctor: Tuesdays P2
• Nutritionist/Dietitian: Weekly on Wednesday morning

Visit the Student Office to make an appointment.