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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 a te kura mō tēnei wiki.
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Sincere and warm acknowledgements to you all.
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Over the past week, many of our Tuākana (senior students) have been sitting their NCEA derived grade exams. We would like to acknowledge all of their hard work in preparing for these assessments, as well as the dedication of the teachers and whānau who supported them.
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It is hard to believe our Seniors have only a few short weeks remaining with us. We look forward to honoring their achievements at Senior Prizegiving on November 4th before they begin their NZQA exams on November 10th.
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I encourage all of our Senior students that they make the most of their time left by:
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Taking on board the feedback provided your kaiako (teachers)
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Seek guidance and support from your kaiako about where your focus should be to maximise your chances at success
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Prioritise the work that is most important and create a plan for work completion and revision
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Do your absolute best and be proud of your efforts
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Throughout the year, our Achievement Team, Heads of Department, and wider staff have been closely monitoring student progress. To help ensure every student achieves success, selected students will be invited back to school during study leave for additional targeted learning support and to complete outstanding assessments. Further details will be communicated early in Term 4 for these students and whānau.
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Thank you to all the whānau who attended our Mentor interviews in Week 8. Subject selection for 2027 was a major focus of these hui, and we are pleased to report that the vast majority of our Year 10–12 students have now chosen their subjects for next year. Year 9 students will have the opportunity to select their subjects in weeks 4/5 of next term.
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Our thoughts and best wishes are with the students, staff, and whānau currently touching down in Hawaii for their ten-day cultural exchange trip. We wish them safe travels and a fun time.
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Tomorrow’s annual Cross Country event offers a wonderful opportunity for us to come together and celebrate the final day of term with a focus on physical activity, wellbeing and competition for those who are keen!
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Finally, as the term draws to a close, I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to all of our dedicated staff and whānau. Your hard mahi in supporting our students, both in their learning and across the wider life of the school, is greatly appreciated.
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Have a safe and enjoyable holidays.
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Ngā manaakitanga ki a tātau katoa
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Mt John Trip 2027
Ms Nolan is taking a group of senior students to the South Island during the Term 1 holidays (11-16 April) where they will visit the Antarctic Centre, Air New Zealand’s Engineering Department, the University of Canterbury and the Mt John Observatory.
Any senior students interested should email erin.nolan@whs.co.nz for more information.
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Waka Ama
A massive congratulations to Te Awamawhai Thrupp, who recently travelled to Singapore with her Waka Ama club, Horouta Waka Hoe, to compete at the IVF World Sprint Championships.
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Te Awa had an outstanding competition, securing Silver in the J16 W6 1000m Turns and Bronze in the J16 W12 500m Sprint.
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Two fantastic results on the world stage and a huge achievement for Te Awa and her team.
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Amazing results, Te Awa — congratulations.
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🔴🟡 𝗖𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝟮𝟬𝟮6 🟢🔵
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We finished off the term with our annual Cross Country event today. It was a beautiful sunny day, and we had some great results!
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𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝘀
🥇Noah Vullings
🥈Hamish McPherson
🥉Chris Martin
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𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀
🥇Trista Baker
🥈Olivia Hyndman
🥉Niysa Hartley
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I𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝘀
🥇Theo Henderson (new record!)
🥈Julian Cardinal
🥉Ollie Peat
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𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀
🥇Josie McCue-Molesky
🥈Rose Morton
🥉Annabel Plunket
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𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗕𝗼𝘆𝘀
🥇Pere Palmer
🥈Iver Ponteras
🥉Mokai Gage-Te Hau
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𝗝𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿 𝗚𝗶𝗿𝗹𝘀
🥇 Mia Hyndman
🥈Azelle Stansloski
🥉Lilly Anderson
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Career News
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Toi Ohomai Scholarships for 2027
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Various scholarships are available for students attending Toi Ohomai in 2027. Visit this link for more details. The school leaver scholarship applications close on 30 October. Others close early 2027.
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GAP Year opportunities and Exchanges
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For students unsure about heading straight to tertiary study, those eager to volunteer, or those looking to take a GAP year without knowing where to start, AFS Intercultural Programmes offers structured community service programmes (18+) that are designed for school leavers looking to gain independence, build global experience, and make a hands-on impact through volunteering.
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Massey University has some experiences on offer for current Year 11 and Year 12 students. Please follow the links for details.
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VetMAP (Māori and Pacific) Pathway:
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On Thursday 15th October (first week of Term Four), there will be an Online Information Kōrero/Talanoa for our VetMAP programme. This session provides an opportunity for prospective students and their whānau to learn more about the VetMAP Pathway, the application process and what it means to be part of the VetMAP programme. We will also have staff and current VetMAP students present to help answer general questions about the BVSc programme, student support, and university life. Registrations can be done via this link - https://www.massey.ac.nz/about/events/vetmap-online-information-session-2027/
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Basketball
Congratulations to Albie Cameron and Maire-Rangi Tutua, who recently represented the Tauranga representative side at the National Basketball Championships.
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The team finished 13th overall, with both Albie and Maire-Rangi making a strong contribution throughout the tournament. They can be particularly proud of their performance against Hutt Valley, the eventual champions, pushing them hard during pool play.
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It was a great opportunity for both boys to test themselves against some of the country’s best young basketballers and gain valuable experience at a national level.
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Well done, Albie and Maire-Rangi — a fantastic achievement and a great effort from both of you.
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ICAS Results
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This year we offered the opportunity for students to sit ICAS assessments in English, Writing, Science and Mathematics. The grades are awarded as:High Distinction: Awarded to the top 1% of participants nationally. Distinction: Awarded to the next 10% of participants. Credit: Awarded to the next 25% of participants. Merit: Awarded to the next 10% of participants.
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We want to acknowledge all the students who sat these tests, and congratulate the following students on their success.
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Brooke Hamill - High Distinction
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Brooke Hamill - High Distinction
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Keelan Dawson - Distinction
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Sarah Banks - Distinction
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Whaitiri Forsyth - Credit
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Hawaii Cultural Exchange
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A number of students, staff and parents have just this week left for a cultural exchange to Hawaii. The itinerary features immersive schooling at Connections Public Charter School and Mid-Pacific Institute, alongside explorations of historical sites. The students will engage in authentic performance exchanges involving hula, mele and traditional storytelling. We wish them an amazing trip and look forward to hearing all about it when they return.
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Bake Sale
Our Year 9 Business Studies students finished off their term of learning with their Bake Sale, putting their business ideas into action! 🧁🍪
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Throughout the term, students have been learning about the Marketing Mix while developing their own small business ideas. They chose what they wanted to sell, worked out their pricing, promoted their products around the school and planned where they would sell their products on the day. 🤩 It was great to see students take ownership of their businesses, work together and bring their ideas to life. There was plenty of creativity on display, along with lots of tasty treats! 👏
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Following the Bake Sale, students completed their business plans and reflected on their experience, looking at what worked well and what they could improve when running another enterprise.
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Well done to all of our Year 9 Business Studies students for the work they put in throughout the term and for a successful Bake Sale! 👏 Mr Tashkoff is looking forward to meeting his new Year 9 Business Studies students next term, who will hold the final Bake Sale of the year before our seniors head off on exam leave.
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Junior Model United Nations
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Nine Students form 9ALP1 went to a Model United Nations competition with Mount Maunganui College and Trident High School on Wednesday 23 September. It was a great learning experience, giving us the opportunity to develop our debating and public speaking skills while trying new things and stepping outside our comfort zones. Representing different countries also challenged us to think from different perspectives and work together to find solutions to global issues. The conference was full of serious debate, unexpected moments, and plenty of fun. It even ended with a P5 country–unity singing of Let It Go as a joke amendment–definitely not something you see at every MUN conference! Overall, it was an awesome experience and a great opportunity to learn, debate, meet new people, and build confidence.
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By Beau Johansen, Year 9.
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BOP Model United Nations
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In early September, six students - Daniel, Esther, Jonah, Shanika, Taylor and myself (Sarah), travelled to Tauranga to compete in a regional BOPMUN competition. This was held at the University of Waikato Tauranga campus. I enjoyed experiencing a uni environment and imagining going there someday. Over two days delegates represented their country’s views on important issues like climate refugees, protecting civilians from cyberattacks and whether certain delegates should be allowed to use the letter ‘e’. Congratulations to Taylor, who won ‘Funniest Joke Amendment’ for the suggestion that Jonah and Mount Maunganui delegate Ryan Parker resolve their differences by hugging and saying 3 nice things about each other. This will be our final MUN competition of the year and it was definitely one to remember. A huge thank you to Mrs Bonne for organising this opportunity and driving us over.
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WHS Speech Comp
Our annual Speech Competition was held on Monday, with 15 junior students and six senior students taking to the stage to share their speeches.
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There was a great range of persuasive and informative topics, covering everything from advertising and marketing on social media and conspiracy theories, to the fall of the Roman Empire and plenty more.
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Congratulations to our 2026 winners: 👏
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🏆 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟵: Azelle Stansloski - What it’s like to be a swimmer
🏆 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟭𝟬: Kayla Jones - Identity and pride in being Māori
🏆 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿: Aeon Smith Scott - Marketing on social media
🏆 𝗦𝗲𝗻𝗶𝗼𝗿: Lochie Holding - Why boredom is necessary for the human brain
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Our senior competition ended in a tie, with the judges unable to separate Aeon and Lochie and their two very different speeches.
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Well done to all of our students who put themselves forward and took to the stage. Public speaking isn’t always easy, so you should all be proud of yourselves! 👏🎤
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Daffodil Day
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At the end of August, in honour of Daffodil Day, Maddie Baker and I (Sarah Banks) collected donations for the Cancer Society on behalf of the Rotary Club of Whakatane. Daffodil Day is an annual event held to raise awareness and funds for cancer, with the vibrant yellow daffodil representing hope in the face of adversity. It is usually on August 28th, so on August 27th Maddie and I visited local businesses explaining the mission of the Cancer Society and how their donation could change someone’s life. We appreciate being given the opportunity to help support this important cause and hope to do it again in the future.
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