Categories
Weekly Wrap Up

Weekly Wrap-Up (Term 4 — Week 2)

This week’s newsletter includes information about the last day for seniors, exciting community connections for WHS and careers tips for students.

Important Dates

  • Friday 26 October — Music Evening, 7pm, Riley Centre
  • Monday 29 October — BoT meeting, 6pm
  • Thursday 1 November — Whakanuia Prizegiving
  • Friday 2 November — Last day for Year 11-13 students; Senior study leave begins – see information below
  • Monday 5 November — Senior Prizegiving
  • Monday 26 November — BoT meeting, 6pm
  • There is a detailed list of Term 4 events on our website and you can access the school calendar on our website: https://www.whs.school.nz/whs-calendar/

Important information

Exam leave and last day for Years 11-13

This week sees the last full week for students before exam leave begins. Information about NCEA Exams can be found here: https://www.whs.school.nz/ncea-information/

The final day for seniors is Friday 2 November and is organised as follows:

  • Year 11 Assembly: Lessons as normal for periods 1—4; assembly at 2.20 (period 5)
  • Year 12—13: NO lessons today;
    • Year 12 students come in for assembly at 10am, Riley Centre. Year 12 leave after the assembly;
    • Year 13 students come in for assembly at 11am, Riley Centre, then go to their BBQ (outside the prefabs) and can then leave.

 

Year 9—12 students not returning to WHS in 2019?

We are planning our staffing for 2019. It would be very helpful if you could tell us if your student will NOT be returning to Wellington High next year. If your student is in Year 9 to Year 12 and they will not be attending our school in 2019, please email admin@whs.school.nz informing us of

  • your student’s last day at WHS and
  • which school they will be attending in 2019.

Thank you to those parents who have already done this.

 

What’s been happening?

Materialize: a sustainable future with Wellington High Students

The MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology held a one-day discussion about future science for an environmentally and economically sustainable New Zealand on the 23rd October. 20 Year 10 Science Enrichment students and their teacher (Murray Chisholm) attended the day. StratEDGY has assisted MacDiarmid to develop an online game to help school students learn about how nanotechnology is being used to solve problems around sustainability. The group were able to attend all of the afternoon speeches and afterwards some students met Nanogirl Michelle Dickinson.

Photos with thanks to Mark Faamaoni & The MacDiarmid Institute:

Wellington High brings Worser Bay to life

Last week, a group of senior students from our Outdoor Education classes presented to Wellington Council about the work they have been doing at Worser Bay.  Their projects include: establishing a penguin habitat, planning an interactive snorkel trail; setting up an underwater sculpture garden; and managing a paua nursery. They are also exploring how the bay can support a community and enterprise centre.This work has been developed by Brook Rapson alongside his students and a host of local organisations such as Dive Wellington, Places for Penguins, NIWA, Forest and Bird, and the Worser Bay Sailing Club. This is wonderful work that champions community learning, entrepreneurial projects and environmental conservation.

Achievements

Congratulations to Benjamin Yin and Khoi Nguyen – worthy winners at the International Student Excellence awards at Parliament yesterday. Only five secondary students in the Wellington region won awards and two were from WHS!
Ben was interviewed for a news article in which he talks about being an 18-year-old, a two-time author and an international student in New Zealand. On Friday, Ben was awarded the Wellington International Student Excellence Award for Leadership. Well done, Ben!

 

Careers

  • Important Fees Free update: If your young person wants to start tertiary study or work-based training in 2019 they can now check their eligibility for fees-free support at feesfree.govt.nz.
  • Top-up NCEA credits with Te Kura Summer School: Te Kura’s online courses are available for young people to top-up credits or standards. Learn more about the courses or enrol today: http://www.tekura.school.nz/learn-with-us/learn-with-us/summer-school/
  • The Beginners’ Guide to Job Hunting: The Beginners’ Guide to Job Hunting ebook is packed with advice, videos, tips and tricks to help people enter the world of work: https://www.careers.govt.nz/job-hunting/finding-work/job-hunters-ebook/