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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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The days can feel long, but the weeks certainly pass quickly! We head into week 7 of a 10 week term next week and it is an important one for the school community with Mentor Interviews taking place.
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These hui provide whānau the opportunity to meet with your child’s Mentor teacher and have kōrero focused around how they are feeling about their start to the year, how they are tracking across their subjects at this early stage, both from their perspective and their teachers, as well as looking ahead to what their priorities are moving forward and what kinds of support they might need. These hui are vital for building the connection between school and home and support student wellbeing and learning outcomes. We encourage you to make an appointment if you haven’t already done so. You can make a booking here: www.schoolinterviews.co.nz/code/6z4hd
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Our student council had their first meeting of the year this week. The voices of our students are, in many respects, the most important voices of all and the council provides a great forum for them to air their opinions and aspirations for our school on behalf of the student body. Our Head Girl and BOT student rep, Jiko Bryant, can then bring this kōrero to the table for discussion at a Board of Trustees level.
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Our positive student reward focus for the next few weeks is fundamentally important to student learning and achievement - “on time, in class, the whole time”. Most of our students are already meeting this expectation, but there are a number that still need to get these basics right. Please support this messaging with your child and read the information about attendance included in this newsletter.
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We are aware that some of our students, a group of year 9’s in particular, who bring their own device to school, have unfortunately been experiencing network issues recently. This is something our providers are aware of and we have been assured they are working to fix the issue. Until the issue is resolved, students can loan a school owned chromebook from the library. Apologies for the inconvenience of this, to those it is affecting most.
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As many of you will be aware, from Term 2, 2024, until the present moment, students have been permitted to use their cellphones during interval and lunchtime, but not in class. This policy will change from the beginning of Term 2 this year and mean that no cell phones will be permitted at school throughout the whole day. Aside from the mandatory regulations we will now have to fully comply with, there is research that suggests decreased device usage relates positively to improved wellbeing outcomes for young people. Please ensure you read the message pertaining to this matter included in this newsletter.
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In the Arts, it is great to see the cast of our school show, the Elvis inspired “All Shook Up”, underway with rehearsals. We look forward to opening night in the Little Theatre on the 20th of June and encourage everyone to purchase tickets for this event when they become available in April. More details will follow in upcoming school communications relating to this kaupapa.
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The Mātaatua Regional Kapa Haka competition was a huge event in our town this past weekend and it was awesome to see a number of our current students and staff, as well as many of our former students, take to the stage to perform in their various groups. Ka mau te wehi! (amazing/awesome).
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Finally, well done and thank you to all of our athletes, coaches and supporters who have been out there representing our kura on the sports courts and fields recently. I have been proud of our teams and the way they are progressing, with the events I have been fortunate enough to see so far. It is my intention to attend and support as many of our students in sport, across as many codes as I possibly can this year.
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Enjoy a safe and happy weekend e te whānau.
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Ngā manaakitanga ki a tātau katoa.
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𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟵 𝗕𝗶𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝘂𝘁
Our Year 9 students, mentors, and prefects enjoyed an awesome day out at the annual WHS Year 9 Big Day Out on Monday last week.
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Held in the early weeks of the year, the main focus of this event is whakawhanaungatanga, helping everyone get to know each other better. We believe it’s essential that, right from the start, our students feel a strong sense of belonging and identity within our school community.
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The day included team-building exercises, fun activities, and learning about our local whenua, all designed to foster connections and friendships. Congratulations to 9KABU, who won the trophy in this year’s sandcastle competition.
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A huge mihi to our prefects, staff, and lifeguards for their support in making the day a success.
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Mt John Trip 2026
Ms Nolan is taking a group of senior students to the South Island during the Term 3 holidays (5-10 October) where they will visit the Antarctic Centre, Air New Zealand’s Engineering Department, the University of Canterbury and the Mt John Observatory.
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Any senior students interested should email erin.nolan@whs.co.nz for more information.
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Alumni visit
Earlier this term, Ms Nolan's classes were lucky enough to have ex WHS student Adam Reid join them. Adam is about to begin his Postgraduate studies at Victoria University after graduating with a Science degree in Geology. He joined the Level 2 Earth and Space Science field trip after driving up from Wellington the day before. Adam also helped this class with their practical internal which involved analysing sand samples from our three main beaches. He also talked to Ms Nolan's Year 10 and Year 13s about Geology and had brought up his own rock collection.
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Thank you so much for your time Adam! The students gained a lot of valuable information.
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Year 9 Drama: Bringing Shakespeare to the Stage
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Our Year 9 Drama students have been working incredibly hard this term on a special project: staging a short version of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.
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This isn’t just about acting; it’s a full team effort. To prepare for their upcoming in-class assessment, students have been:
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Learning Lines: Mastering the famous (and tricky!) dialogue of Shakespeare.
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Following Direction: Working together to "block" scenes, ensuring every movement on stage helps tell the story.
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Technical Planning: Programming the lighting cues to create the right atmosphere for this classic tragedy.
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It has been great to see the class collaborate so well, taking on the challenge of Shakespeare with lots of energy and focus.
I am very proud of the progress they've made!
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Year 13 Visual Art
Whaea Tara and Whaea Rebecca are took nine Year 13 Visual Art students to Auckland to visit the Pop to Present exhibition at the Auckland Art Gallery which showcased all the different movements of American Art.
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“A major cultural event for Aotearoa New Zealand, this special exhibition includes high-quality examples of Abstract Expressionism, Pop and Minimalism along with richly textured paintings by Pattern and Decoration artists, hyper-detailed canvases by 1970s Photorealists, and contemporary figurative pieces that explore questions of identity, power and representation. Showcasing 28 works by women and African American and Indigenous artists, Pop to Present places well-known names in conversation with figures from diverse backgrounds to provide a more inclusive account of recent American art”
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The trip also included an interactive tour of Artists from Moana nui a kiwa at Auckland Art Gallery, and a tour of AUT’s Art facilities.
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WAKA AMA
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Congratulations to the WHS U16 Girls Waka Ama team that claimed Gold at the recent Regional Waka Ama Championships. The crew of Te Awamawhai Thrupp, Rongomai Williams, Ngawai Boynton, Aalia Jaram, Araikura Moses-McRoberts, Waimarie Falwasser, Maneaitewai Herewini and Hiiti Ruawai have been training under Hemi Wahapango.
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CRICKET
Whakatāne/Trident vs Lakes/Reporoa
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On Monday, the combined Whakatāne High School/Trident High School continued its push to grow cricket locally, hosting a combined Rotorua Lakes High and Reporoa College side at Rex Morpeth Park. Thank you to the opposition and their coach Cameron for making the trip at short notice and contributing to a great day played in excellent spirit.
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It was a bowler-dominated match on a slow, low wicket, with both teams finding it challenging to adjust from artificial surfaces. Whakatāne/Trident posted 58, which proved more than enough, dismissing Rotorua Cavaliers for 25.
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- Whakatāne/Trident 58 (A. Hogg 32, D. Kemp 10)
- Rotorua Cavaliers 25 (A. Nillesen 6–7, Rehandu 2–9)
Highlights included 16 of the 20 wickets being bowled, Aaron Nillesen’s outstanding 6 for 7, and Aidan Hogg’s determined 32 — an innings that earned him Player of the Match honours. It was a gutsy, composed team performance and our third win in four games as a combined side.
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Thanks also to EBOP Cricket Club for preparing the pitch, to Mr Roper and Trident for the collaboration, and to the coaching staff for their continued support of the boys’ development.
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CANOEING
Evan Faithful competed in the Canoe Racing New Zealand Sprint Regatta in Rotorua earlier this month where he place 3rd in the 500m K1 B Final and 5th in the 200m K1 B Final.
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Evan trains before school every morning at the Whakatane Canoe club and will now focus on the New Zealand Canoe Sprint National Champs at Lake Karapiro in April. Well done Evan.
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ROWING
Whakatāne High School crews competed at the Junior Regatta and Auckland Championships, with U17 Club boys, Intermediate boys and girls all racing.
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Despite difficult weather conditions, crews made numerous A and B Finals. The highlight, and a first in WHS history, was the U17 Boys’ Eight. After three years rowing together, and to back up their gold medal in the octuple last year, the crew placed an impressive 4th, finishing ahead of several large rowing schools. Congratulations to Adam Albert-May, Kohl Van Den Anker, Sam Knapton, Finn Anderson, Luka Hagger, Callum Hughes, James McKay, Hayden Grant and cox Corban Meekel. Also representing WHS at the Junior Regatta were Dylan Penny, Hamish Cochrane, James Ramsay and Milla Best securing finals spots and PBs.
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At the NZ Club Championships, held in hot summer conditions, the novice boys delivered outstanding results in a highly competitive field. Kirwan Penny, Julian Cardinal, Jonty Putwain and cox Dylan Penny won bronze in the Novice Coxed Quad Sculls in a tight race. Kirwan and Jonty added another bronze in the Novice Double Sculls, while Julian and his partner, Jason Hughes, won the B Final convincingly. Fellow novice rower and super-dad Jason Hughes continues to show it is never too late to take up the sport and mix it up with the young men.
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Milla Best and Kayla Billings also competed strongly across back-to-back regattas and have shown significant improvement this season.
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Thank you to coaches Gary McAdams, Leighton Hale and Deb Rowe, and to the Whakatāne Rowing Club for their continued support.
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BOPSS ULTIMATE FRISBEE
Whakatāne High School hosted the BOP Senior Frisbee champs on Tuesday last week, which saw 16 teams take part.
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In perfect conditions, the teams demonstrated some great skills, awesome teamwork and played within the spirit of the game.
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Whakatāne High had five teams entered and there were some great results:
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- WHS A Boys - 2nd place
- WHS Boys Gold - 5th place
- WHS Boys Black - 6th place
- WHS Girls Gold - 2nd place
- WHS Girls Black - 3rd place
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The Boys and Girls A teams now turn their focus to training for the National Champs, which takes place in Summer Tournament Week.
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