Week 8, Term 1 | 2026

Executive Principal’s Update

Kia ora, Talofa, Bula vinaka, Malo e lelei, Fakatālofa atu kia te koulua, Kia orana, Hallo, Hola, Ni Hao, Namaste and Greetings - parents, caregivers and families of Whitby Collegiate,

As we head rapidly toward the end of term, it's been another full and productive week at Whitby Collegiate. Classes have been alive with activity as students work through their internal assessments and we are proud of the effort and determination they have shown during this busy academic stretch. We look forward to sharing the progress of the junior students at next week's parent/teacher interviews.

It's also been a week of sporting excellence, with our teams taking part in Summer Tournament Week.

Today was a memorable moment for our Girls Softball team, who became back-to-back National Champions! This is an amazing result and richly deserved. After defeating Sacred Heart in pool play and encountering a narrow loss to St Mary's 2–3, they advanced to the final to take on St Mary's once again in the championship final. It was an incredible game with tight defense and strong pitching from Bella Coxson, which won her the best pitcher award. We saw great batting from Safira Schultz and Ella Smits, and excellent base running, going on to beat St Mary's with a resounding 9–1 score. Thank you so much to coaches Kiri Shaw and Craig Wallace for all their expertise and guidance, and to Katelyn Coxson for managing the team.

A very special thank you goes to our Parents Association for their support in hosting another successful Open Day last weekend. Their help in welcoming families and ensuring everything ran smoothly made the day such a success. We were also thrilled by the large number of students who volunteered to showcase their school with enthusiasm and pride. These efforts always leave a lasting impression on our visitors.

Earlier this week, the Government shared further announcements about changes to NCEA. We want to reassure our community that Whitby Collegiate is very well placed for these updates. Our teaching programmes, assessment practices, and focus on quality learning already align strongly with the direction of these changes. We'll continue to ensure a smooth transition for our students and keep families informed along the way.

As we continue to navigate some challenging times and move toward Easter and the upcoming holiday break, I wish all our students, staff, and families a safe, relaxing, and joy-filled Easter and holiday break. May the break bring you time to recharge and enjoy time with loved ones.

Shelley Addison
Executive Principal

Deputies’ Updates

Deputy Principal (Academics)

Kia ora e te whānau o Whitby Collegiate,

The upcoming term break is an excellent opportunity to take some time off from academic pressures, spend time with friends and family, and have a very important rest. Many students will also want to continue to progress with their studies and/or assessments, but please remember the importance of taking a break and recharging the body and mind.

Senior students have now been entered into NCEA standards for their various subjects. These will appear on both the KAMAR portal, and also on NZQA. From this year our KAMAR system communicates almost immediately with NZQA for all entry and result updates. Entries at this time of the year are indicative only, and as the academic year progresses, students may be removed from some standards, and entered into others. If there are any concerns regarding NCEA entries, please contact the subject teacher in the first instance, or reach out to me via email. It is very important that students are in the regular habit of checking their KAMAR/NZQA entries and results, and let teachers know if there are any discrepancies. On Thursday 2 April, Years 12-13 students and parents will be emailed a summary of all NCEA entries and current progress towards respective NCEA levels.

As Term 1 concludes, we encourage whānau to check in with their children regarding their academic progress and needs. While individual subject extension is best managed through the relevant subject teacher, we invite those whose needs span across the curriculum and/or multiple disciplines to contact our Head of Learning Enhancement, Mrs Vaishally Patel. To discuss a holistic enrichment approach for your child, please email enrichment@whitbycollegiate.school.nz.

It is also timely for me to remind students, and parents/caregivers, of the process to request an extension for an Internal Assessment. Extension requests should be submitted well in advance of the assessment due date. The first step is for the student to have a conversation with their subject teacher, outlining that they’d like more time to complete the assessment due to a valid reason. The teacher will indicate support (or otherwise) for the extension and ask the student to either contact me for an editable copy of the extension request form, or ask the student to use the pdf copy on the website. Once the student and the teacher have completed their sections of the request form, the form is shared with me for final approval. Students will be emailed confirmation of the outcome. Parents are also more than welcome to apply for an extension on their child’s behalf, by contacting me directly.

Have a lovely weekend, and a peaceful Easter break in a week’s time.

Ngā mihi,

Debbie Mitchell
debbie.mitchell@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

Deputy Principal (Pastoral and Wellbeing)

Talofa lava, Vanakkam, Mālō e lelei, Ni Hao, Tāloha ni, and Tēnā koutou e te whānau o Whitby Collegiate,

As we approach the final stretch of a busy and productive term, it’s great to see the spirit of community through the lunchtime clubs and other student-led initiatives.

Our lunchtime clubs have become a vital part of our wellbeing plan, giving students a space to belong and thrive outside the classroom. Medicine and Health Club: This group has hit the ground running with a focus on the Respiratory and Heart Systems. From a high-energy relay modelling oxygen transfer to a hands-on case study diagnosing "patients" with asthma, these sessions are proving that learning is most impactful when it's collaborative and fun. We were also thrilled by the parent’s interest during our Open Day. Our student leaders are already looking at ways to bring these health campaigns to the wider community. Thank you for the leadership shown by Prefects, La’ie Nimarota, Tiyamika Banda, Evie Haughton, Beaumia Lemisio, Reuben Summers and their team.

Chaplain’s Note

This weekend in the Church calendar is Palm Sunday when we remember Jesus arriving in Jerusalem to cheering crowds and waving branches. It’s a moment full of celebration, but we also know where the story is heading in the days that follow.

There’s something quite familiar in that - we get caught up in what’s right in front of us, only to realise later there was a deeper story unfolding all along.

As we head towards Easter, it might be a chance for all of us, whatever we believe, to slow down a little and pay attention. There’s often more going on than we first see.

Blessings,
Reverend Chris

School News

Art of the Week: A Symphony of Colour and Emotion

This week, we celebrate the vibrant work of our creative Year 8 artists, who have immersed themselves into the exciting world of Wassily Kandinsky’s abstract art.

He was a master of expressing sound and emotion through colour, believing in the spiritual connection between music and visual art. Our students each selected a piece of music, carefully identifying the emotions and rhythms within the composition. They then used the elements of art: line, colour, and shape, to portray their song visually. The choice of colour was super important, with warm hues expressing joy or energy, and cooler tones conveying introspection or melancholy, creating a true "symphony of colour."

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