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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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This Friday’s mufti day is in support of Pink Shirt day. Our kura is proud to support this nationwide movement dedicated to fostering acceptance, inclusiveness, and positive wellbeing. By joining this kaupapa, we are committing to a school environment where bullying has no place and every student feels safe and valued. We encourage all students and staff to wear pink and to donate a gold coin to support the cause, a cause that aligns very closely to our values as a school and to who we aspire to be moving forward.
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Raising student attendance is a key focus for all schools across the motu (country) in 2026. Put simply, the more students attend class, the better their chance at engaging meaningfully in learning and achieving success at school. The Ministry of Education has defined regular attendance as 90%. Term 1 regular attendance data shows a significant increase from Term 1 2025, which is very encouraging. Working together to raise student attendance needs to be an ongoing priority for us all.
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The new cell phone policy has seen a noticeable reduction in the use of phones out during break times this term. We acknowledge that this change has been difficult for some of our students to adjust to, but encourage whānau to support this initiative by contacting the school office if there is a need to communicate with your child and to reinforce the messaging about keeping phones away for the day.
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Acknowledgements to our Interact Club and members of the Prefect group for running the Breakfast Club in the school wharekai every Tuesday and Thursday morning. As the winter weather kicks in, the breakfast club provides an opportunity for all students to come together in a warm and welcoming environment and to set themselves up for a good day with some kai and hot drinks.
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Acknowledgements also to all of our Support Staff here at the kura. This week is Support Staff week and an opportunity to show thanks to all of our non teaching staff who perform such vital roles across the school. Ka nui te mihi ki a koutou katoa!
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Finally, best wishes to our sports teams for their weekend games and also to the cast of our school production, “All Shook Up”, as they continue to rehearse and prepare for opening night later this term - All Shook Up tickets
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Ngā manaakitanga ki a tātau katoa
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Career News
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Thursday 21 May - 6.00 - 7.30 pm Victoria University of Wellington Information Evening at BayPark - register here
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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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If you want to know more about overseas High School Exchanges from Your Education, register your interest for one of our Online Information Sessions. The next one is at 6pm on Monday 25th May. All interested students Y10–Y13 and their parents are welcome. An experienced staff member and returnees will share information about the destinations we are offering in 2026 and 2027. RSVP on our website www.youreducation.co.nz/next-steps. Follow us on Instagram @youreducationexchanges for regular updates and stories from us.
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Before university or your first job, do something that truly stands out. New Ventures Worldwide is hosting a free online info session on Thursday 14 May at 6:00pm AEST / 8:00pm NZST all about volunteering in Spain as a School Language Volunteer. Hear from a volunteer out there right now and get your questions answered live.
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EBOP Careers Expo
Yesterday, Whakatāne High School and Trident High School co-hosted the Eastern Bay of Plenty Careers Expo!
All WHS senior students attended the expo and had the opportunity to explore future pathways beyond school, connect with providers, and get involved in a range of hands-on interactive activities
As always, it was awesome to see some of our former students back at the expo, this time representing their employers. It was so cool to see you all in action and connecting with our rangatahi.
A big mihi to all the exhibitors who travelled to Whakatāne to support this kaupapa and help make the event such a success:
Te Herenga Waka—Wellington Uni, The University of Waikato, Massey University, University of Canterbury, University of Otago, Toi Ohomai, Te Whare Wananga o Awanuiārangi and Wintec.
Other tertiary educators and providers including; BCITO, ETCO, MITO, EarnLearn, Connexis, NZ College of Chiropractic, EmployNZ, Te Rito Maioha ECNA, CJ Hayes, BoP Futures Academy, Whakatāne District Council, Tertiary Education Commission, and the Electoral Commission. Industry representatives; Fonterra, Aquaculture New Zealand, Media Bay of Plenty 1XX, Discover Forestry, Chartered Accountants ANZ, Personnel Resources, Te Puawaitanga o te Rangatahi. The Defence Force and the Police were also present and very popular with the students.
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SPCA Cupcake Fundraiser
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In Week 2, Year 12 student Dena organised a bake sale fundraiser in support of our local SPCA, with all proceeds going directly to the organisation. This was the second time Dena has raised funds for the SPCA, a cause that is especially close to her heart after adopting a cat from there last year.
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Dena’s love for baking inspired her to combine her passion with giving back to the community, while also stepping outside of her comfort zone. It was fantastic to see her initiative, kindness, and dedication to supporting such an important local service.
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Ivy McMillan, 'Clocktower', print on cotton paper.
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Kristen Bedford-Mackey, 'Untitled', print on cotton paper.
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Rangimarie Te Pairi Mihinui, 'Tukupunga', print on cotton paper.
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Taryn Rika, 'Taniwha's Treasure', print on cotton paper.
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Melanie Peck, 'Ocean Guardian', print on cotton paper.
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Painting and Drawing
Our Level 1 Painting and Drawing students have recently completed a big printmaking project centered on the concept of taonga - the treasures, both tangible and intangible, that we hold most dear.
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The journey began with a study of Māori taonga, serving as a foundation for students to then explore their own personal histories and identities. Each student identified taonga that resonated with them, translating these objects and ideas into visual compositions. Using the reduction printmaking technique of NZ printmaking artist Graham Hall, students executed significant resolved work that demonstrates not only technical printmaking skill but an ability to communicate deep, personal meaning through art.
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Te Aka Matua Noho
At the end of Term 1, Te Aka Matua came together for their annual noho, held this year at Rewatū and Pūkeko Marae. The noho focused on whakawhanaungatanga and strengthening connections across all year levels.
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A big mihi to our Te Aka Matua kaiako for all their hard mahi and organisation, ka mau te wehi! We’re also grateful to Hāpai Te Hauora for their support with funding. They’ll be visiting this term to run workshops with our Te Aka Matua tauira.
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Year 12 Chemistry
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Our clever Year 12 Chemistry students have been working hard to complete their titration experiment. Over several weeks this term and last term, they have been learning the calculations and procedures needed to determine an unknown concentration. Students have done an outstanding job tackling this challenging piece of work and should be proud of their efforts.
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Interested students please see Miss Bentley
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Urgently needing five more homestay families for boys in July!
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Well done to Misty on completing our first school community jigsaw in the Library earlier this week.
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Ricki Herbert Football Academy
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We were fortunate to have Ricki Herbert and his coaching staff travel to Whakatāne to host some training sessions with our Junior Boys' and our Girls' teams this week. They all really enjoyed the experience and are looking forward to putting their new skills into action on the field.
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Badminton
The EBOP Junior Badminton Development Day was held on Wednesday at the War Memorial Hall, with Whakatāne High School represented by three teams. Teams from Trident High School and Rangitāiki College also competed.
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All of our girls had an enjoyable day, developing new skills and competing in a number of close and challenging matches.
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A special congratulations goes to our Year 9 team of Makayla Cao, Manaia Jobe, Aurora Eruera and Willow Ranginui-Peden, who claimed 1st place. They secured the title after winning their final two ties against Trident teams on countback — a fantastic effort.
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Our second team of Sandy Liu, Saige Wanoa, Josie McCue-Molesky and Breeahn Warneford finished in 8th place, while Arshitha Arun-Priya, Lacey Morrison, Kahuwhariki Gillies and Khloe Semmens placed 9th.
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Swimming
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Zandre Herbst recently had an outstanding performance at the NZ Age Group Nationals, achieving four personal bests. His efforts saw him securing a well-deserved bronze medal in the 200m Freestyle and narrowly miss a podium finish in one event.
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