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Weekly Wrap Up

The Wrap Up (Term 1, Week 6)

A mix of important upcoming information and sporting achievements in this week’s Wrap Up! We celebrate some amazing results for our students in Dragonboating and the Yachting Regatta, and have some important opportunities for whānau to get involved in our first WHS Whānau group online meeting for 2022

Important Dates

  • Monday 14 March: Board meeting 6pm
  • Monday 14 / Tuesday 15 March: Awhiawhi te rā (9Royal)
  • Monday 21 March: Te Whānau a Taraika

Important Information

Year 12 students will be rostered home for period 5 next week and Year 13 will be back in school. Please see the message sent by Dominic earlier in the week for further information.

Te Whānau a Taraika

Nau mai, haere mai ki te hui tuatahi o Te Whānau a Taraika 2022.

We would like to invite everyone to our first WHS Whānau group online meeting for 2022. Please join us Monday 21 March 6.30-7.30pm on Zoom. Everyone welcome!

Agenda:

  • Karakia/mihimihi
  • Vote whānau reps – Chair/Co-chairs and Secretary/minute taker
  • Nominate Te Whānau a Taraika board representative
  • Review the draft Māori Educational Success policy
  • Whānau meeting admin, timetable, format, venue, discussion topics etc
  • Any other matters
  • Karakia

If you have any queries, or would like to receive the link for the Zoom meeting, please contact Acting Deputy Principal edward.meredith@whs.school.nz

Student ID Cards

All parents and caregivers have now received an email advising that you are now able to order ID cards for your student from Student Services. ID cards include the student’s legal first and last names and their date of birth. If a student’s preferred first name is different from their legal first name, this can be included in addition to (but not instead of) their legal name.

  • Standard ID cards cost $10.
  • Snapper ID cards cost $25 and provide a discount off a child fare for students who travel by bus (usually 25%).

To order a student ID card email studentservices@whs.school.nz including your student’s name, rōpū and school ID number (if known). A payment will be added to your account and can be paid through the Student Portal. The ID card will be ordered once payment has been received.  IDs arrive 5-10 working days following receipt of payment and will be given to your student’s rōpū teacher for distribution.

ERO Project: Have Your Say

Wellington High School is participating in an ERO project looking at the quality and inclusivity of education provision for disabled learners. It also looks at how schools are supporting these learners during the Covid disruptions.

This project focuses on students who need teaching adaptations and/or individual support to access schooling and the New Zealand Curriculum (this includes ORS funded students as well as other high needs students not currently receiving funded support).

A note about the terminology: They are using the term ‘disabled learner’ as it is aligned to the NZ Disability Strategy. It reflects the social model that disability is a result of the interaction between the impairment and societal and environmental conditions. According to the United National Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the New Zealand Disability Strategy, a person with a disability is someone who has a long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. The NZ Disability Strategy also recognises that not all members of their community identify with this language and that each person has a right to choose the terminology they prefer.

ERO is working in partnership with the Office for Disability Issues and the Human Rights Commission in this evaluation. Together, the findings will inform future actions to improve outcomes for disabled learners. This work is designed to build on ERO’s previous evaluations of education provision for disabled learners and will complement the Ministry of Education’s Highest Needs Review.

Our school has been identified as part of a small national sample of schools with experience with disabled learners. By participating in this evaluation, you will be able to have a voice in what is or isn’t working for disabled learners and help ERO to understand what needs to change. There will also be an opportunity to share examples of where practice is working well, and why.

Please note ERO will not be evaluating our school directly and no details will be published about our school.

Please see the DLE flyer with the link at the bottom of it so you can share your views about provision for Disabled learners in NZ. The survey takes about 10-20 minutes and needs to be completed before the 21st March.

A self-care message from the counsellors 

Life is pretty stressful at the moment. Just keen to remind you all to prioritise looking after yourselves and those around you. Try to:

  • eat well
  • get some good sleep
  • drink plenty of water
  • do some exercise
  • get out in the sunshine for a dose of Vitamin D
  • check in with your friends and whānau
  • do some things you like to do to relax or for fun

Keep in mind the Māori model of health, Te Whare Tapa Whā:

And, these five things:

If you need support, here’s some information and tools that might help.

Mauri ora,

Nikki, Maeve and Gavin (counselling@whs.school.nz)

What’s Happening?

He Kākano 

The students participated in book readings at the school library and said farewell to our librarian this week. Using hand tools to make a planter box and using hessian and a darning needle to practise various stitching techniques were highlights in technology classes.

Year 9 Awhiawhi Te Rā

Year 9 have been taking part in awhiawhi te rā – activity days, getting to know each other and their teachers better and experiencing activities around Wellington. Pictures show 9Bradwell students at Adrenalin Forest, Porirua during their awhiawhi te rā this week. Thank you to Tony Cairns for the photographs.

Sports 

Dragonboating

On Friday last week a group of students competed in the 2022 School Dragon Boat competition. It was a beautiful day and they finished first in their Mixed Final. Thank you to Joseph Sione and Whaea Charlene for all the mahi and coaching to help these students prepared for the event.

Wellington Schools Regatta 2022

Shout out and congratulations to Ollie Bond (Year 11), Izabel Ellis (Year 10) and Madeline Ellis (Year 13) who recently took part in the Wellington Schools Regatta. After a cancellation day on the Wednesday, Thursday turned out perfect conditions, with light winds that built up through the afternoon (always good for a few capsizes) for the regatta which took place at Paremata Boating Club.
Ollie and Izzy ranked 1st in the Open Division 2 Fleet and Maddy placed 10th overall in the Starling Fleet secondary division; both placings coming after 4 rounds of competition.

Frankie Coup in College Sport Wellington

Year 12 student Frankie Coup was recently interviewed by College Sport Wellington to hear about how her Floorball journey has gone. You can read the interview and article here!

“I love the sporting culture in Wellington. There’s such vast choice and I love running into so many familiar faces.”

(Photo from College Sport Wellington)