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Weekly Wrap Up

The Wrap Up (Term 1, Week 9, 2025)

Proudly join our school community to commend the heroic actions of one of our staff members. Explore the highlights of Neurodiversity Celebration Week and congratulate the participants of the NZ Young Physicists’ Tournament. Keep up-to-date with recent sporting events and check out the new fitness taster sessions on offer in term 2. This and much more in this week’s Wrap Up.

Important Dates

  • Monday 7 April – Board Meeting 6.00pm
  • Friday 11 April – End of Term 1

What’s Happening

Wellington High staff member commended for life-saving rescue

During a senior Outdoor Education surfing session earlier this week, Wellington High School staff member Tom Lancashire was called upon by Police to assist in a life-saving rescue at the beach.

Tom, who has trained as a surf lifeguard, responded immediately when approached by officers, helping to rescue a member of the public in serious distress in the water. With the Police boat still some distance away, his quick action was vital—ultimately saving the man’s life. The individual was later found to have a dangerously low core temperature of just over 33 degrees when transported to hospital.

The Police have praised Tom for his calm and decisive response, and he is being nominated for a public bravery award through the Council.

We are incredibly proud of Tom and thankful for his presence, experience, and courageous actions. He exemplifies the spirit and values of our school community.

Whanganui River – Trip 3

Last week, one of the Year 12 Outdoor Education classes (ODE223 and ODEI223), joined by students from the International Outdoor Education class completed a 91 km paddle on the Whanganui River. Across the 3 nights and 4 days the group battled rain, strong winds and increasing river flow changing the dynamics of each river section. The group handled these challenges like champions and were rewarded with sunshine for our final paddle. All of the students should be proud of their resilience, teamwork and paddling skills they demonstrated across the 4 days. 

A huge thank you to Phill at Canoe Safari for having amazing guides that kept us safe on the river and to the teachers Tom Lancashire, Simon Russell and Rebecca Rapira-Davies for organising such an amazing experience. 

Neurodiversity Celebration Week

Last week was Neurodiversity Celebration Week! The aim of this week is to acknowledge and celebrate the strengths of neurodivergent students. To help to ‘widen the circle’ and make the school a more inclusive place. The week included many highlights. A lunchtime talk, from our own Nigel Sutton, was fantastic and the students were very positive. He offered his tips and observations for thriving in the neurotypical world. We also sold beautiful badges and baking provided by the neurodiversity club. Posters around the school have prompted interesting conversation. The library has many books, fiction and nonfiction, about the neurodiverse experience and these were displayed during the week.

Our jelly bean guessing competition is always popular and shows how brains can think differently. The winners were Sam, year 10 for the small beans. Joint winners, Angus, year 13 and Luca Mills- Wierzbicki, year 9, for the big beans! 

 

Achievements

New Zealand Young Physicists’ Tournament 

Two teams represented WHS at last weekend’s NZYPT in Auckland. The year 12 team of Elijah Michel, Emily Viggers and Phoebe Shepherd placed 9th, while the year 13 team of Alex Berry, Ollie Butcher and Jussa Aschenberger placed 10th. The tournament was won by a combined team from NPBHS and NPGHS. Emily and Ollie are hoping to be selected for the NZ team to compete at IYPT 2025.

Sports

Volleyball

Our Senior Boys and Senior Girls Volleyball teams have been competing in the New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) National Championships at CET Arena in Palmerston North this week. Facing top teams from across the country, they have showcased incredible skill, school spirit, and teamwork.

With the support of staff members Sarah Watkins and Tufaina Moananu, and dedicated coaching from Cormac Doyle, our players have demonstrated outstanding commitment and sportsmanship. Each match has been a testament to their hard work, and we are incredibly proud of their efforts representing WHS Sport.

A huge thank you to our coaches, staff, and supporters for their invaluable contributions and for making this opportunity possible. Well done, teams!

 

Wellington High School Water Polo –  North Island Champs

Our Senior Girls’ Water Polo team recently returned from the North Island Division 2 Tournament with their best-ever result, placing 12th out of 20 teams and picking up three impressive wins along the way.

The team showed grit, teamwork, and determination throughout the tournament, competing strongly in every match—even taking early leads against teams who went on to finish in the top four. The girls represented Wellington High School with pride, both in and out of the pool.

Results:

WHS 2 – 7 St Paul’s Collegiate WHS 7 – 4 Woodford House WHS 4 – 8 

Whangaparāoa/Kingsway/Pinehurst

 WHS 5 – 4 Kristin/Waitākere
WHS 3 – 5 Hamilton Girls’ High Premier WHS 5 – 1 Carmel College WHS 6 – 11 Takapuna Grammar Senior Girls

A huge thank you to coach Bailey Reddish, who continues to be an incredible leader and mentor to the team. Her calm, clear guidance and passion for the game shine through in everything she does. We also want to thank Julie, our superstar manager, for keeping everything running smoothly and supporting the team every step of the way.

Congratulations to Sammie Reddish for being one of seven athletes selected to the tournament team. Awesome effort Sammie.

This tournament was a celebration of growth, teamwork, and commitment—and we couldn’t be prouder of this group of athletes.

Futsal

Over the course of the tournament, our players showcased outstanding skill, determination, and teamwork, making us incredibly proud.

 

Supported by staff member Jeremy Sutton and guided by the coaching of Kini Mitipelo, our teams played with heart and demonstrated incredible school spirit both on and off the court. We would also like to thank our student coaches who did an outstanding job supporting and and role modelling for our teams.

 

A huge thank you to our coaches, supporters, and everyone who contributed to making this experience such a memorable one. 

Athletics 

Despite the cold, rain and quintessential Wellington southerly, He Kākano students competed in the Regional College Sport at Newtown Athletics Park. Darius Ngature ran the 100m and 200m sprint, Lucia Preston competed in the Shotput and Joshua Nathan ran the 200m sprint.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Floorball

Good luck to our teams competing at Floorball Nationals this weekend! 29/03/25-30/03/25.

New Fitness and Strength classes – Term 2

We’re launching brand-new Strength and Fitness classes – led by a qualified personal trainer!

Taster Sessions: Come along and try a free session before signing up!
When: 8, 9 and 10 April at 1:30pm (lunchtime) & 8 April  at 3:45 PM (after school)
Where: Meet at the WHS Gym

  • Monday 1.15pm (lunchtime): Girls Only Strength Training – Learn the fundamentals & build confidence in the gym 
  • Wednesday 8am: Sports Performance & Strength – Improve strength & conditioning to complement your sport 
  • Friday 3.45pm: Full-Body Fitness Fun – A fun, varied workout for anyone looking to get active

Reduced cost: $100 for the full term of weekly sessions.

Don’t miss out—an opportunity to train with a qualified personal trainer in school. Learn new skills, build confidence and on the fundamentals of strength. Sign up now and take the first step toward a healthier, stronger you.

For more info or to sign up, come along to a taster session or email sport@whs.school.nz or emmacrow.coaching@gmail.com

Careers

Pathways Newsletter

Please read this week’s Pathways Newsletter! Contact Chuni Bhikha bac@whs.school.nz or drop into S502 if you require further information on the above events.

Update of the week!

Flight Attending Short Course – 28th & 29th May (Term 2) – Years 12 and 13

Students will step into the shoes of a Flight Attendant, learn the role and responsibilities and walk away more prepared to start the career pathway to becoming a Cabin Crew member. They will experience practical activities using real onboard equipment and learn from our expert tutor with industry experience.

3 credits, level 3.

Bookings are essential to avoid disappointment – there are currently only 13 spots remaining.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please contact Chuni Bhikha, Pathways Advisor at bac@whs.school.nz or drop into S502 to register your interest.

 

 

 

 

 

Community

Holiday programme at Te Tai Ohinga

The Y is running its very first Youth Holiday Programme at Te Tai Ohinga – the new youth hub on Willis Street, during the upcoming April school holidays. The programme is designed for 12-17 year olds and offers a mix of engaging activities that blend fun with learning. 

The full programme includes;

  • A Creative Coding Workshop with Brain Play – an accessible and fun workshop introducing rangatahi to coding, ideal for beginners and intermediate coders
  • Upcycling Day – a trip to local op shops to find preloved items and repurposing them into something new 
  • Volunteering at the SPCA – a chance to learn about animal care and contribute to a great cause while spending time with animals.
  • Victoria University Campus Tour – a guided visit to the Kelburn and Te Aro campuses featuring insights from Māori & Pasifika Future Student Advisers, Student Ambassadors, and the Future Students team.

The programme will run from Monday 14th April – Thursday 17th April, from 8:30am-3pm each day. Bookings can be made by scanning the QR code on the poster or via this link: https://enrolmy.com/ymca-central/book-now/54-YMCA-Youth-Holiday-Programme