Term 2 Issue 3 |
Kia ora e te whānau o Whangaparāoa
As we enter the final stretch of this term, I am delighted to share some highlights and important reminders with you.
First and foremost, I would like to extend a heartfelt congratulations to our Year 7 learners and staff who recently participated in the camp at Camp Adair. It was inspiring to hear stories of our young learners embracing new challenges, building friendships, and developing resilience. Despite challenging weather in the middle of the week, you excelled and did our whole community proud. A big thank you to the staff and parent volunteers who made this enriching experience possible.
Last week we had the majority of our Year 10 cohort complete the NCEA co-requisite examinations for Numeracy and Literacy. Seeing many of you before the examinations, nervously entering the examination room, and then exiting confidently was pleasing. As we now await the results, we are eager for you to continue to strive toward as much knowledge as possible over the course of this year.
On Tuesday we held our Ministry of Education Accord Day. These days are planned by the Ministry to support the development and implementation of NCEA. As a school bringing back NCEA Level 1, we value these opportunities as they provide staff the chance to interrogate, develop, and test new standards to ensure our learners are best served moving forward.
I want to wish our talented learners the best of luck for Showquest next week. I know you have been working tirelessly, and I am excited to see your creativity and passion come to life on stage.
I also want to wish our Year 12 and 13 learners all the best for the school ball. This is being held at the Pullman Hotel on Saturday 15th June. It will be the highlight of the school year for many of you and we can't wait to see you ‘glammed up’. Please remember this is a school event and all normal school rules apply at all times for the school ball.
Thank you for your continued support and commitment to our school.
Ngātahi, Whakapono, Tutuki - Together, Believe, Achieve
Ngā mihi nui
Steve McCracken Principal |
June 7 Loves Me Not 12 North Shore Careers Expo ShowQuest 15 School Ball 18 Full School House Event 27 Matariki Fiafia Festival - School finishes at 12:30pm 28 Matariki
July 1 - 5 Year 7 & 8 Sports Camp 2 Learner Led Conferences (LLC's) - School closed for instruction 3 Learner Led Conferences (LLC's) - School finishes at 1:35pm 4 Year 9 Winter Formal |
Year 9 / 10 Sports CampIn May we sent 32 of our Year 9 & 10 learners down to Totara Springs to compete in a week long Junior High Sports Camp against 9 other schools.
Sports played include Basketball, Cricket, Hockey, Netball, Soccer, Touch, Tag, Frisbee Golf, Volleyball, Swimming, Athletics, Croquet, Petanque, Rock Climbing, Spikeball, Table Tennis and more
We are proud to say this was our most successful year to date. Our learners put their all into their games and brought home 8 wins and 2 runner up titles along with the Overall Winner Trophy!
Message from a couple of our Sport Camp learners:
"Sports Camp 2024 was awesome for us Year 9/10 students. We had a blast, and it was an experience we'll never forget. A big shoutout to Michelle, Mrs. Leslie, and Will for supporting and coaching us all week. We couldn't have done it without you! Thanks so much for everything!"
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Year 7 CampYear 7 Camp took place last week at Camp Adair in the Hunua Ranges. Our learners had a fantastic time taking part in a variety of activities, including the Confidence Course, climbing wall, a mudslide, archery plus more.
Despite the challenging weather half way through the week the learners took it all in their stride and it was great to see them making connections with their peers and encouraging one another. | | |
A Kidsummer Night's DreamHuge thanks to our community for supporting the WGP 2024 Junior production, it was wonderful to have lively and encouraging audiences to perform for. A great success, we are proud of all our learners for being involved. | | |
Full School AssemblyThe recent completion of some upgrades meant we were finally able to gather again in our gymnasium today, for the first time since February, for a full school assembly. It's always wonderful to be able to come together as a school! Mr McCracken shared a story of overcoming adversity and striving for your dreams, we celebrated learner achievements and were able to acknowledge our junior production cast and crew and were entertained by a fabulous excerpt from the show. | | |
Learners leaving school earlyAll Learners (Years 7 – 13 inclusive) must sign out at reception, before leaving the school grounds, where a Leaving Early Pass will be issued.
The College requires an email or phone call in advance from home outlining the reason the Learner is leaving the school grounds early. Without either of these we cannot release your Learner, nor issue a Leaving Early Pass.
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Learner Led ConferencesOn Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 July, we will hold our Learner Led Conferences (LLC's) at Whangaparāoa College.
Tuesday, 2 July 12pm - 8pm Please note school will be closed for instruction on Tuesday
Wednesday, 3 July 2pm - 5:30pm School will finish at 1:35pm on Wednesday with buses departing at 1:40pm Learners will present to their whānau their goals and/or achievement plan for the year, their learning portfolio and next steps in learning. At the LLCs, kaiārahi will share the learner’s Mid-Year Report with the learner and whānau. Each conference is 20 minutes in duration. We consider it important that learners can lead their conference and that it makes a real difference to their achievement.
More information in regards on how to book your LLC meeting will be emailed out to all whānau in due course. | | |
Night PhotographyThese stunning images were taken by Rob Taylor, one of our teaching staff, who recently left us to relocate to the South Island where he intends to further his passion for night photography.
Thank you so much Rob, for these beautiful images and the ones you took of A Kidsummer Night’s Dream and we wish you well for your new adventure! | | |
Careers UpdateNorth Shore Careers Expo https://northshorecareerexpo.nz Just one week away!This is a huge (free) event with over 60 exhibitors, expanding on previous years with several employers joining Universities, Industry Organisations, Private Training Providers and the Defence Forces. There truly is something for everyone. All Year 12 learners will be taken on a school trip on Wednesday, 12 June. All Year 11 -13 learners and whānau are welcome to visit North Harbour Stadium during the two evening sessions.
Last chance for FREE STAR courses these holidays A few spaces still left on the 3 day Intro to Childcare (held in Takapuna) and the 2 day Flight Attending (held in the city) courses. Email: [email protected] for more details and registration link.
YEAR 13 LEARNERS intending to study at University in 2025 University Preparation Now is the time for learners to be considering what and where they might like to study in 2025. https://wgpcollege.careerwise.school/page/31 is a good place to start. Auckland, Waikato, Massey, Victoria, Otago and AUT Universities have all been in school to give our Year 13 learners an overview of what life is like at their university. We encourage learners who are thinking about tertiary study to get along to open days. This gives you a real feel of what the campus and people are like and allows learners to make an informed decision on what is the best fit for them.
Scholarships Scholarships can help with study costs and are not just for the smartest students. Learners should be looking at applying now. Go to: https://www.moneyhub.co.nz/scholarships-nz.html
CAREERWISE WEBSITE Explore the latest Career news, jobs & events, career advice and info on further study on our Whangaparāoa College CareerWise website. Check it out at: https://wgpcollege.careerwise.school/
One-on-One Careers Appointments Learners can book an appointment with our Careers Advisor, Mr Davies. Parents are also welcome to attend. https://peterdavies- wgp.youcanbook.me/ | | |
North Island Golden Gloves Amateur Boxing ChampionshipCongratulations to Noah Collier, known as "Red” in boxing circles, for his win in the Junior Male 70kg division (a step-up from his normal weight division) at the North Island Golden Gloves Amateur Boxing Championship in Tauranga over the long weekend.
This is a huge achievement and a testament to Noah’s hard work and his dedication to his chosen sport.
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Hosting an International StudentKia Ora Whānau We have had a fantastic return to welcoming our wonderful international students to the coast. Welcome to all our new families who have joined our hosting whānau and hello to future homestays.
We are asking for expressions of interest for hosting 2024 and beyond. This is a great opportunity for you to experience hosting a student from another country and share with them your family and community. If you would like to be considered for this opportunity please email Sue McKay [email protected] to discuss further. Alternatively, you are welcome to visit our college website and explore the information listed in the International tab. We would love to hear from you. | | |