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WHAKATANE HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Tēnā koutou e ngā mātua, e ngā whānau o te kura tuarua o Te Mānuka Tūtahi. Nei rā te mihi nui ki ā koutou e tautoko mai nei i ngā mahi i roto o tō tātau kura. Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou. E tāpiri ake nei ko te pānui whakamutunga a te kura mō tēnei wāhanga o te tau.
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Firstly, we acknowledge the sad passing of Mr Brett Donaldson. Mr Donaldson was a much beloved teacher and member of our Whakatāne High School community. The outpouring of aroha and tributes to him since his passing, have been a testament to the impact he has had on so many, for the past 25 years here at the kura. Hundreds turned up for his service this past Saturday at the Baptist Church. Brett’s whānau wished to pass on their thanks to the whole school community for the love and support.
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Moe mai rā e te rangatira.
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Kua hoki mai ki a tātau te hunga ora, kua tau, kua tau, kua tau.
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Tonight is the final night for “All Shook Up”, our school production. I was fortunate enough to be there on opening night and like everyone else I have spoken to who has been along, I was blown away by the overall quality of performances and the entertainment the show provided. A huge mihi to the director, the choreographer, the vocal coaches, the sound and tech team, the front of house and all other backstage crew, including prop designers and builders, for all of your hard work. To our students, the cast, you were believable, you were funny, you sang so well, you entertained us all. Thank you so much and we hope you enjoyed performing the show, as much as well enjoyed watching it.
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Acknowledgements to the Interact Club for the highly successful organisation and running of the annual Pink Ribbon Breakfast last Wednesday. The event is held to raise money for Breast Cancer awareness and the guest speaker this year was former Head Girl of the school, Claire House. Claire spoke honestly and beautifully about her personal journey and did a great job at advocating for prevention measures and for the medical practitioners who work to support those suffering from this illness. Thank you to Mrs Linda Bonne, Louise Paulsen and to all of our students who did such a great job and looked after us all so well.
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Well done to our Senior EPro8 team who made it through to the finals of the Waikato, Bay of Plenty competition held in Hamilton last night. Our Junior team is competing today, so we hope they are able to work together effectively, to problem solve as a team and overcome the unique challenges these competitions provide.
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Last Tuesday, Saviour Tui, a member of the Waikato/BOP Magic Netball team, attended a school assembly to present a NZSS Netball team badge to Ariana Dawson. Ariana will assemble in Auckland this weekend along with the rest of the team, before departing for Australia on Monday for a week of games against Australia's best. As a school community we are very proud of her and wish her well representing our country in the coming week.
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Continuing the theme of sport, it has been awesome to see so many of our students involved in winter sport over these past weekends. I have been proud to see our students representing their school with pride, participating and competing hard, demonstrating good sportsmanship and enjoying themselves. A special mention to our Girls’ 1st XI Hockey team who won an exciting final recently for the Western BOP rounds and will now go onto compete in the Midlands competition next term.
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A special mention also to the 60 WHS athletes and 7 adults travelling to the Gold Coast tomorrow for a sports tour. We have students travelling to play Netball, Basketball, Football and Rugby. Our students and staff will also get the opportunity to participate in training and activities at the Gold Coast Performance Centre during their stay there, as well as attend the 3rd and deciding State of Origin match next Wednesday.
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We hope those of you who were able to attend our “Meet the Teacher” interviews in week 9 found these helpful in supporting your child’s learning. We encourage you to stay in regular contact with their Mentor and subject teachers moving forward so we can work together to improve their wellbeing and learning outcomes here at school.
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Term 2 has been a week longer this year than it normally would be and at this point our students and staff are tired and definitely ready for a holiday. On behalf of the school I would like to thank you for your continued support of your child and the kura and wish everyone a safe and happy holiday.
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Ngā manaakitanga ki a tātau katoa
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Pink Ribbon Breakfast
The Whakatāne High School Interact Club held their annual Pink Ribbon Breakfast last week at the Whakatāne Baptist Church.
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This student-led event saw close to 60 attendees come together to enjoy a delicious breakfast while raising awareness and funds for the Breast Cancer Foundation. It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces return to support the event, while also welcoming new members of the community.
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Guests also heard from guest speaker Claire House, who shared her breast cancer journey and spoke about the incredible support she received from the Breast Cancer Foundation. She encouraged everyone to regularly check their breasts and to see a doctor immediately if they notice any changes, reminding attendees that early detection can make all the difference.
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A huge thank you to our wonderful chef, Louise Paulsen, our amazing student volunteers, and Mrs Bonne, whose hard work and dedication helped make the event such a success.
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This year marked the 14th annual Pink Ribbon Breakfast hosted by our Interact Club, a tradition that continues to raise both awareness and vital funds for the Breast Cancer Foundation. Thank you to everyone who attended and supported this important cause
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Whitianga Dive Trip
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Congratulations to our Marine and Land Biology and International students who were successful in obtaining their PADI SCUBA certifications last week.
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Year 9 Sculpture
Our Year 9 Sculpture class has been super busy designing and building taniwha masks for the Light Up Whakatane Light Festival in July.
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They will be displayed inside a shop in the Whakatane Esplanade during the week-long festival. Make sure you come down with the whanau and check them out!
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They have been working super hard to bring creativity and culture to our local community.
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Hip Hop
Our Hip Hop team recently competed at Project Hip Hop Competition in Tauranga. They worked hard over the last two terms to learn, practise and perform their routine. There was a high standard of competition and the girls performed so well. We are very proud of their efforts. Congratulations girls!
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- Bella Mays
- Bella Mitton
- Mackenzie Hind
- Lara Barton
- Lohane Friedlander
- Whaitiri Forsyth
- Alicia Roberston-Hamill
- Kaelyn McDonald
- Kaylene Kemp
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Senior EPro8
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On Monday night, our senior EPro8 team consisting of Alec Simpson, Esther Pearce, Keeva Laurent and Oli Harris competed in the EPro8 semifinal in Hamilton. They did extremely well and were always in the top group. They finished 5th which meant that they qualified for the finals on Wednesday night.
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On Wednesday, Ella Brown joined the team replacing Alec Simpson as he was performing in our school production, All Shook Up. She fitted in well with the team as she had also competed in previous EPro8 finals.
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The theme was Old Technology and they could choose from a film projector, typewriter, gramophone or wind turbine. The group chose to build the typewriter which was the most technical of all the builds. They were the first team out of all the finals (primary and secondary) to finish the build.
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Ella, Esther, Keeva and Oli finished 5th in the final which means that they are the 5th best team in the entire Waikato/BOP region. They have been in the top 12 for four years and to maintain that placing is an outstanding achievement. They showed amazing resilience and perseverance and we are proud of their achievement.
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Term 2 House Events
Our Year 12 Leaders have been busy this term organising a range of fun lunchtime activities for students to get involved in.
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Our 26 Year 12 Leaders are split into five groups – Sports, Academic, Cultural, Arts & Performance, and Novelty. Throughout the term, they have worked hard behind the scenes to plan and deliver a variety of events, including Spelling Bees, Kahoots, Recycled Wearable Arts , Ki-o-Rahi, a Wig Snatch Competition, Ultimate Frisbee, Carnival Games, and the annual ⚽ Staff vs Year 13 Football match. The term will wrap up with 🏃 The Chase, where students take on teachers representing each house.
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👏 There has been a huge amount of planning and organisation behind the scenes to make these events a success, and our Year 12 Leaders have done an outstanding job.
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🏆 The competition between the houses has been heating up, with 🔵 Mātai currently in 1st place, 🟡 Kauri in 2nd, 🔴 Tōtara in 3rd, and 🟢 Rimu in 4th.
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👀 Next term, our Year 12 Leaders will continue running a range of lunchtime activities. Students are encouraged to keep an eye on the daily student notices so they don't miss the chance to get involved!
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Year 9 Business Studies
This term, our Year 9 Business Studies tauira have been exploring the marketing mix - Product, Price, Promotion, and Place. Over the past two weeks, they have brought their learning to life by planning and running two highly successful bake sales, once again proving why Year 9 Business Studies has a reputation for hosting some of the best bake sales at kura!
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Throughout the events, tauira developed valuable real-world business skills, including handling money and giving correct change, solving problems under pressure, and building confidence through personal selling. The bake sales were a fantastic success and would not have been possible without the support of the students and staff of Whakatāne High School.
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A huge congratulations to all our tauira for their creativity, teamwork, and entrepreneurial mindset. They have been working on completing the reflection component of their business plans, bringing an outstanding term of learning to a close before beginning a new round of option subjects next term.
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Early Childhood Education
Early Childhood Education has re-entered the Whakatane High School curriculum with 22 enthusiastic Year 12 and 13 students. They have been working through unit standards that connect to early childhood including child development, basic care needs, and most recently; how play supports learning.
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A large majority of students gained their first aid in Term 1 through attending a two day course here at school. They have been busy with many students out on placements with local preschool or kindergartens within our community. Students have been to Plunket for a visit where they learnt about the role and support Plunket offers to families with young children.
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They have rummaged the local op shops for resources and also explored the valuable learning behind play dough. The students are learning both theory and practical information that will benefit them in future, whether this is supporting younger siblings or cousins, working with younger children in preschools or other supporting roles working with children within the community. Our second half of the year will be looking at support services and nutritional needs of younger children.
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HOCKEY
The WHS 1st XI Hockey girls have had an excellent first round of the season and last week, matched up against Trident for a final that was always going to be hard fought.
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The game started with a march out and a minute of silence in remembrance of Mr Donaldson. The girls also wore black armbands.
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Both teams brought a high level of play from the first whistle until the final one and the final score was 0-0. A true reflection of a game which called on fitness, skill, game knowledge and teamwork.
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Moving into the penalty shootout saw Esther Pearce comfortably step into goal with Addie Tetze, Kayla Billings, Madie Carter, Addy Davis and Amelia McKenzie stepping into the attacking role. When our final player stepped up for their turn, the score was 2-1 to WHS and Amelia played a superb one on one to score and seal the victory for WHS. It was an outstanding game played with a high level of sportsmanship from both teams. This was highlighted at the presentation afterwards when the teams mixed, wrapped arms around each other and supported each other.
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A huge thank you to Aaron Box, our talented coach for his superb commitment to the team. (And the endless patience he always shows!)
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The team now moves onto the Midlands Intercity Secondary School Competition (MISSC) for their next round of games. This will see them play teams from Tauranga and the Waikato and is a great build up to Federation Cup which will be held in Whangarei at the end of August.
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MOTOCROSS
The WHS Motocross team had an awesome result at the South Waikato Schools Motocross event held recently
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- Aydan Hall 1st 15-19 250cc
- Marco Carter 3rd 12-16 85cc
- Flynn Spence 8th 15-19 250cc
- Zara Briscoe 12th 11-19 Woman
- Millie Brady 11th 12-19 Woman
Completing the team effort were Jaeden Priestley 12-14 125cc and 250cc and Miller Spence 12-16 85cc.
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The WHS team came home with the second place schools trophy out of 46 schools competing.
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Finn Baker was unable ride due to injury, however, supported the team with tips tricks and line selection.
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INDOOR BOWLS
Whakatāne High School was represented by 12 keen young athletes at the BOPSS Indoor Bowls Championships held at the Mount Action Centre on Tuesday last week.
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The tournament was played in pairs, with the WHS teams made up of a mixture of experienced players and students keen to give indoor bowls a try for the first time. It was fantastic to see the camaraderie among the WHS students throughout the day, as they cheered each other on and provided plenty of encouragement and support.
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Special congratulations go to Aaron Nillesen and Dillon Ford, who claimed top spot in the Consolation Plate Division. Their final match was an exciting contest that went right down to the wire, with the scores level heading into the last end. Aaron and Dillon had steadily improved throughout the day and showed great composure under pressure, keeping their cool to win the final end and secure the division title.
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Well done to all of our indoor bowlers for representing Whakatāne High School with enthusiasm, sportsmanship and pride.
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WHS Sports in Action
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Check out our Sports FB page for more images and all the results
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Get Caught Reading
A huge congratulations to our Office Administration and English departments, who took out first equal in this year’s Get Caught Reading competition!
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Every year, our wonderful library team, Lisa and Claire, do a fabulous job of promoting a love of reading across our school. This friendly staff competition is always a highlight, with departments battling it out for the coveted title of "Most Readers." Thank you to everyone who participated, and well done to our joint winners!
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Old Yearbooks
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The school has some spare yearbooks from years past that we are offering to the wider school community. No holds, once they are gone, they are gone. - 2023, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010. These can be collected from the High School library from 21 July 2026.
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HEALTH CORNER
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Going to school every day is important for all school aged children. It helps build their confidence and social skills, and to achieve their education and life ambitions. This information helps you decide when it is okay to send your child to school, when you should keep your child at home and when you should contact a health professional for advice. See the link below:
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Request from Science
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Our Science Department would love Chinese takeaway style boxes (rectangle) with lids.
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