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WHAKATANE HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
E ngā reo, e ngā mana, e ngā rau rangatira mā, ngā matā waka, tēnei te mihi maioha atu mō te tau hou ki ā koutou katoa. Ko te wawata me te tūmanako ka noho ora pai koutou katoa.
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As the 6th week of our 11-week term draws to a close, we are certainly feeling the seasonal shift. The days are growing shorter (shortest day of the year is June 21st), the weather is colder, and we have noticed a few winter bugs making their way through the school community. I acknowledge that these middle weeks of the term can be some of the most challenging of the year for our students, staff, and whānau. I encourage everyone to focus on well-being and do their best to stay healthy, resilient, and positive as we push forward.
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Last week, a number of our Year 9 to 11 students turned out to participate in the Common Assessment Activities (CAAs) for reading, writing, and numeracy. These formal assessments are a vital requirement for students working toward achieving NCEA Level 1. We are very hopeful for positive outcomes across the board. For those who did not sit the tests, or who may not pass this time around, please be assured that there will be further opportunities to sit them. The Ministry of Education currently has a strong focus on raising national literacy and numeracy standards. As a kura, we remain mindful of this priority and are committed to actively supporting every student to succeed in these core areas.
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Last week, our lunchtime school spirit came alive as part of the nationwide Youth Week celebrations—a kaupapa showcasing the leadership, creativity, and contributions of our rangatahi.
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It was great to see the range of activities offered across the week and the energy our students brought to each event. Here is a look back at the week's student-led lineup:
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Tuesday: Truck Push time trials
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Wednesday: Candy Constructs
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Thursday: Hot Dog eating competition
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Friday: Lip Sync competition
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A massive mihi goes out to our Prefects and Year 12 leaders for their efforts in organising, implementing, and running these events. It is always awesome to see initiatives such as these, run by students, for students.
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With the winter sports season in full swing, a timely reminder to all of our students, coaches, and whānau about the importance of modeling our core school values: Respect, Responsibility, and Achievement. Regardless of the passion on the field or the ultimate outcome of a game, we must hold high standards for how we treat others. This means:
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Showing respect to match officials and referees.
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Demonstrating sportsmanship toward our opposition and on the sidelines.
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Working together to build a positive sporting culture.
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By fostering an encouraging environment, we can ensure active participation remains high and help keep our tamariki engaged in sport throughout their teenage years.
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Ngā manaakitanga ki a tātau katoa
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Career News
- Wednesday 3 June - Girls with Hi-Vis at Horizon Networks, any interested senior girls please let Ms Stuart know.
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Wednesday 10 June - Grow Me Discover Forestry Careers - field trip to Rotoehu Forest, interested Year 12 and 13 students let Ms Stuart know.
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Friday 26 June - TNL Construction Day at Takitimu North road construction site, just north of Tauranga. A good experience to see what it takes to build a new highway. Let Ms Stuart know if you are interested.
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Wednesday 1 July - University of Waikato Open Day, Tauranga Campus
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C.O.A.C.H Programme
Earlier this month, two Year 13 students, Jada Peters and Sincerely Wikitera, attended the C.O.A.C.H (Creating Opportunities for a Career in Health) Programme at the University of Auckland. Here’s what Jada had to say about her experience:
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"Attending the C.O.A.C.H programme at the University of Auckland was a really meaningful experience for me as a tauira Māori interested in health sciences. The programme allowed me to learn about different career pathways in hauora and showed the importance of having more Māori working within the health sector. Being surrounded by other tauira Māori with similar aspirations created a strong sense of whanaungatanga and encouragement throughout the week. Hearing from Māori students and health professionals inspired me to think more confidently about my future and how I can use a career in health to support Māori communities and improve wellbeing for our people.
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C.O.A.C.H helped strengthen both my confidence and motivation towards pursuing a future in health sciences. Ngā mihi nui to the Whakapiki Ake team!"
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Health and Safety Heights course
The Te Kākau o Te Toki Construction crew took part in a Health and Safety Heights course yesterday with external provider Vertical Horizonz.
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Throughout the day, students learnt about the safety requirements and procedures involved when working at heights at a basic level. They began on the ground, practising different safety exercises including tying safety knots and getting used to their harnesses, before putting their new skills to the test at varying heights later in the day. The course also covered hazard awareness, correct use of safety harnesses and equipment, and safe working practices when working at height.
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The course provides valuable skills that can be used across a range of industries, including building, roofing, painting, farming, horticulture and more, while also opening students’ minds to possible future career pathways.
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A huge mihi to Andrew from Vertical Horizonz for sharing his knowledge and providing our students with such a valuable hands-on experience
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Smokefree Rockquest
Two Whakatāne High School bands competed in the BOP regional heats last week - Why The Face and Four Thirty Seven. Both bands placed in the top 12 out of 59 bands and will now compete at the regional finals on 26 June at Totara Street Performing Arts Centre in Tauranga.
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The top two bands from each region will then go on to compete at the National Finals.
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Good luck to these students as they head to Tauranga next month! Tickets are available now, so head along and support our talented bands live on stage.
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Rohan Evans also delivered a fantastic performance as a soloist. We look forward to watching his continued growth and success in the years to come.
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CONGRATULATIONS SKYLA!
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We are excited this week to celebrate the achievement of one of our students. Skyla Hillier has been a student at Rangiātea since 2024, when she enrolled while hapu with her son. At that time she had not achieved any NCEA credits and had not been in school for some time. This week we had the pleasure of congratulating Skyla on achieving Level 1 and 2 NCEA, as she completed the numeracy corequisite. Over the time she has been attending Rangiatea, she has had her son and juggled the role of being a Mum with full time study. Skyla is a hard working student who has shown perseverance and commitment to her learning and progress. This year she has also been managing a job as well as all the responsibilities of her nearly two year old and attending school. Skyla is an example of what is possible with commitment and continued effort, even when things are tough. We are proud of her and the role model she is to us all. Ka rawe!
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Youth Week
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Last week was Youth Week and to celebrate, our Year 12 Leaders and Prefects teamed up to put on some fun lunchtime activities for students to get involved in throughout the week. From Ultimate Frisbee on the field, to candy construction in the library, to a hot dog eating contest, there was something happening every lunchtime for everyone to enjoy. A big thank you to our student leaders for organising such a fun week for our students!
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Huge shoutout to Trust Horizon!
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We are thrilled to share that our funding request for All Shook Up has been approved. This support goes toward our equipment hire and is going to be a massive help in making this show absolutely spectacular!
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Urgently needing 3 more homestay families for boys in July!
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Golf
Huge congratulations to Year 11 student Jye Mexted (pictured) for an incredible performance at the Whakatāne Golf Club Championships! After a fantastic few days on the green, Jye took home the Men's President's Title. Way to go, Jye!
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A big shout-out also goes to Aaron Nillesen, who was the sole representative for Whakatāne High School at the JI Manihera Memorial Golf Tournament on 12 May. Despite having only played golf for a single year, Aaron secured a highly commendable 22nd place out of a massive field of 95 students. Fantastic effort, Aaron!
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We have a number of students competing at the BOP Futures Secondary Schools Tournament today at Whakatane Golf Club, and we look forward to hearing of their results.
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Swimming
Recently, Year 11 student Zandre Herbst represented the Whakatāne Swimming Club at the New Zealand Open Nationals in Auckland. Held at the AUT Millennium Pool, the event featured many of the country’s top swimmers, with several athletes competing for selection to upcoming international events including the Commonwealth Games. At just 15 years old, Zandre was one of the youngest swimmers at the meet — an outstanding achievement in itself.
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Running alongside the Open Nationals were the New Zealand Masters Nationals, where Whakatāne High School was also represented by WHS teachers Mr Steve Williamson and Mrs Cathryn Rowland. Masters swimming includes competitors aged 20 years and over who continue to compete at a high level.Both competitions featured exceptional racing, with several New Zealand and world records broken across the week.
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Zandre produced a number of impressive performances, recording many personal bests and showing exciting potential for the future. His results included:
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- 200m Individual Medley – 19th
- 200m Freestyle – 24th
- 50m Freestyle – 46th
- 400m Freestyle – 20th
- 100m Freestyle – 36th
- 50m Butterfly – 42nd
In the Masters competition, Mr Williamson finished 1st overall in the Men’s 50–54 age group, while Mrs Rowland placed 3rd overall in the Women’s 45–49 age group.
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A very successful week in the pool for Whakatāne High School and the wider Whakatāne swimming community.
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Indoor Bowls
The BOP Junior Singles competition was held on Sunday in Whakatāne with Zion Hurinui and Elizabeth Jones representing Whakatāne High School.
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Players competed over four games of nine ends, needing five points to qualify for the knockout rounds, with two points awarded for a win and one point for a draw. Elizabeth played strongly throughout the day, before going down in the semi-finals. Zion continued his impressive form with a win to progress through to the final.
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In the final, Zion produced a convincing performance to defeat his opponent, earning himself the Bay title, and qualification for the NZ Junior Singles competition to be held in Hamilton in September.
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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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