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WHAKATANE HIGH SCHOOL NEWSLETTER
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Issue 13 - 21 August 2025
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PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
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.
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Subject Selection and Mentoring Interviews
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Thanks to all those whānau who braved the weather to attend our Subject Information Evening on Tuesday night. Hopefully you gained an insight into pathways for your child and subjects choices which will help them get there. Our mentoring interviews are being held on Wednesday 3rd September and Thursday 4th September. Please book appointments here: www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/m9csq. These interviews are an opportunity to see how your child has progressed both academically and personally over the year, what they still need to do, and to check on the subjects they have selected. All of our mentor teachers value the chance to speak with you kanohi ki te kanohi (in person) to maintain and further develop the relationship with you.
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It’s been a busy couple of weeks for a number of our students. If you were lucky enough to catch our Cabaret show you will have seen fantastic performances from all of those involved. The feedback we have received from the wider community has been very positive, with people commenting on the level of talent and the polished performances. I also want to acknowledge the students who worked behind the scenes on sound, lighting, props etc, as well as the staff who gave up their time to ensure the production ran smoothly.
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Last Saturday was Finals day for many of our winter sports teams who head to tournaments next week. Congratulations to our Premier Netball team who took away the winning trophy in the Prem Division by beating Trident for the first time in 10 years. It was a magnificent performance based on a high level of skill from both sides. Our team showed exceptional team work and determination to take out the win.
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Our Under 14 and Under 16 rugby teams lost their finals in close battles where they represented us with pride. Our 1st X1 Boys’ Football team came 2nd to Aquinas in Division 1 of the Baywide competition, another great achievement.
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A number of our students are sitting ICAS exams at the moment and our Te Ao Haka students have sat their Common Assessment Tasks this week. We look forward to celebrating their successes with them when the results come out!
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To all our teams heading away to Winter Tournaments: Good luck! You are taking the support of us all with you and we know you will do your best and represent us by exhibiting our values at all times. Well done to the following team captains for their leadership:
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- Cassie Bennett - 1st XI Girls' Football
- Kaiden Naidoo - 1st XI Boys' Football
- Zane Windle and Perda Mika - U15 Rugby
- Lily Anderson and Ali Cole - Prem 1 Netball
- Javian Grainger - Senior A Basketball
- Huiarau Tutua and Jessie Jones - 1st XI Girls' Hockey
- Milla Best - 2nd XI Girls' Hockey
- Tom Hamill - 1st XI Boys' Hockey
- MacKenzie Reid - Badminton
With over 120 students heading away for tournament week, we are proud to announce that the school has received a funding grant worth $25,000. A massive thank you to New Zealand Community Trust for granting this funding application. This money will go directly towards the students' fees and will help to reduce the cost for everyone involved.
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Cabaret
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Last week we held our very first Cabaret and it was a sold out success!
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Thank you to everyone who purchased a ticket and supported the show. The feedback from our community has been overwhelmingly positive.
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The night featured a mix of solos, duets, and full chorus numbers, giving every performer the chance to shine. We deliberately avoided having a single “lead” so that the spotlight could be shared across our talented cast. Well done to our incredible ākonga, on stage and behind the scenes. We can’t wait to see what they achieve next!
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Also a big thank you to everyone who made the Cabaret possible, from the organisers and performers to the front of house and backstage crew. Here’s some photos from the shortened matinee show.
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Subject Selection
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Following on from the Subject Selection evening, please use the following resources to help make subject selection decisions for 2026.
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Subject Selection Website - this site contains links to the curriculum guides, university recommended subject guides and other useful information for subject selection.
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Once we have received your expression of interest, we will meet with students, and then provide the enrolment form that then needs to be signed by a parent or guardian. We will not have confirmation of a place on a course until late November, however, we need to enrol the students before the end of term to have the best chance of securing a place on a course.
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Kōtui Ako Online Learning
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𝗪𝗛𝗦 𝗪𝗲𝗹𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗮
Last week, Whakatāne High School, alongside Trident High School, hosted 38 students from Jiangxi Province, China, for a two day visit.
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At WHS, the group was welcomed with a pōwhiri before diving into Māori culture, exploring robotics, and wrapping up day one with fun physical activities led by our Hillary team. Day two was all about connecting with their “Kiwi buddies”, attending classes together and taking on a lively MathsMind challenge with Mr Dow. This was a highlight, with many saying it was a different experience to the maths they do back home.
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We ended the visit with speeches and farewells. They were an absolute delight to host, and we’re so grateful to our amazing buddy students for making their trip at WHS unforgettable.
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Mathsmind
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The WHS Maths Department took four teams to the Bay of Plenty Mathsmind held at Aquinas College in Tauranga. There were two Year 10 teams: Ryan Baker, Ella Brown, Caeden Clements, Harry Edwards, Whaitiri Forsyth, Becca Harris, Lily Vullings and Liam Cruz; and two Year 9 teams: Olivia Cole, Mia Hyndman, Elizabeth Jones, Alannah King, Esra and Melisa Mohamed Haniffa, Kate Sinton and Cassie Young. The competition involved an intense 45mins answering up to 20 questions from a variety of Maths topics and only the Year 10’s able to use a calculator. All the teams represented themselves well.
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𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗠𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
On Saturday, 9 August, a group of Whakatāne High School students travelled to Tauranga Boys’ College to take part in the Junior Model Nations Competition. The event brought together 50 students from across Bay of Plenty schools, representing 30 different countries.
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Debates centred on resolutions about cyber safety and the development of outer space, with each resolution going through amendments that the students discussed and debated in the plenary session. To keep things light, some “joke amendments” were thrown in, sparking plenty of laughter.
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Our participants — Harry Edwards, Ruby Smailes, Whaitiri Forsyth, Becca Harris, Sarah Banks, Michelle Nyakawa, Aiden Cox, and Japleen Bajwa — all enjoyed the experience. A special congratulations goes to Sarah Banks, who won the Best Speaker Award for Year 10 .
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Whakapiki Ake
This week we were lucky to have the Whakapiki Ake team from the University of Auckland with us here in Whakatāne! 🙌
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On Monday, our junior ākonga joined workshops as part of the Early Exposure programme, learning about the importance of Māori health careers and the study pathways to get there.
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On Tuesday, 18 of our Year 10 & 11 students spent the day at Whakatāne Hospital, hosted by Whakapiki Ake and Te Whatu Ora. They got to explore a wide range of health careers and see what opportunities are out there.
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The Whakapiki Ake team will return in Term 1, 2026, to promote their on-campus programmes: Year 12 MASH and Year 13 COACH. Students interested in being part of this kaupapa are encouraged to register for updates here: whakapikiake.com
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CONGRATULATIONS JAMES!
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In the previous newsletter issue, we congratulated James Whitcombe on becoming the WKA Title Belt Holder of NZ. Well, he has competed for a second time in two weeks and added to that achievement. James is now also the GAMMA South Pacific Title Belt holder.
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What an incredible achievement James!
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NETBALL
Huge congratulations to our Prem 1 netball team, who defeated Trident in the final to become the 2025 Premier Grade Champions in the Whakatāne Netball Competition.
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Throughout the season, the girls came up against Trident Prem 1 multiple times in close battles. In today’s final, they came out determined to claim the top spot, starting strong, keeping their momentum high, and finishing with a performance to remember. We’re incredibly proud of this achievement!
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At prizegiving, the team’s manager, Papa Al congratulated the girls for their grit and determination, also acknowledging Trident High School for setting such a high standard in local netball, one that has pushed WHS to rise to the challenge.
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Congratulations again, girls! The focus now shifts to UNISS next week – we can’t wait to see what’s next.
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RUGBY
Congratulations to our rugby teams on their great season, especially the Under 14 and Under 16 teams who made it through to their respective finals last weekend. Unfortunately they didn't get a results they wanted but they fought right to the last second of the games. However, coming away with two second-placings is something the boys should be extremely proud of.
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Mr Van commented on his Under 14 team: "From the very first game, it was clear that this group of boys had heart and an unyielding will to win. They faced every challenge head-on and never gave up. Throughout the season, we saw them grow not only in their individual positions but also in their confidence as a unified team. Their dedication was evident in every match, where they played with a spirit that was nothing short of inspiring."
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iSport Foundation Lead
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Whakatāne High School sent 10 Year 11 athletes to the ISport Foundation Lead with Character Youth Leadership Day in Rotorua, where they had the incredible opportunity to listen to and learn from some of New Zealand's most iconic sports legends, including Dan Carter, Richie McCaw, and Dame Sophie Pascoe. The students were fully immersed in inspiring discussions and interactive workshops, which focused on developing their leadership skills, building resilience, and fostering a growth mindset. This empowering experience will undoubtedly have a lasting impact on our students, shaping their perspectives and inspiring them to become positive change-makers in their communities.
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