Week 3, 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.

It has certainly been a dramatic start to the week with some wild weather rolling through and we are now well and truly settled into a positive and productive rhythm for the academic year.

Classes are in full swing and the tone across the school is purposeful and focused. It has been fantastic to see students engaging so well in their learning so early in the term. There is a real sense of momentum building as routines are established and expectations are embraced.

A highlight this week at the school assembly was to welcome back former Head Boy and Dux of 2022, Sam Sexton, to speak to the whole school. Sam shared insights from his journey where he is completing his studies in Hobart, Australia, and spoke about his exciting pathway into maritime engineering. It is always powerful to see where our alumni are heading and to be reminded of the diverse and ambitious pathways available to Whitby graduates.

We are also thrilled to see such strong interest in debating this year. Seven teams will shortly begin their weekly competition, reflecting the growing enthusiasm for this academic co-curricular pathway. Our senior team will be competing in the Premier Division for the first time, a fantastic achievement and a testament to the dedication and talent of our debaters.

Summer Sport is well underway, with both our Volleyball and Futsal teams, junior and senior, competing in their weekly competitions. The energy and commitment from our athletes has been outstanding.

Special congratulations to our Senior A Girls Volleyball team, who have had an exceptional start to their season. The team has qualified for the Premier Grade and has won three of their first four matches, defeating Onslow College, Aotea College and Taita College.

It has been a busy and exciting start to the year, and we are proud of the way our students are embracing every opportunity. We look forward to a large range of activities in the coming weeks, including Year 9 camp next week and our Athletics Day amongst other things. Tonight we are also very grateful to Mr Fiso, and the Fiso Group for providing 140 members of our school community the opportunity to attend the Super Rugby match between the Hurricanes and Moana Pasifika, and we all look forward to a great night.

Here's to building on this strong start as the term unfolds.

Ngā mihi nui.

Shelley Addison
Executive Principal

Deputies’ Updates

Deputy Principal (Academics)

Kia ora e te whānau o Whitby Collegiate,

At Whitby Collegiate, to regularly communicate about our students’ progress, grades are published to KAMAR when they are available. On Monday evenings, after a grade has been published to KAMAR, parents/caregivers and students will receive an automatically generated email with a summary of those grades. Full results are always available on the KAMAR portal. Click here for instructions on how to access the KAMAR Parent Portal.

Alongside grade reporting, students will also receive fortnightly Class Efforts summaries. Every two weeks, for two behaviours, students will receive a descriptor (Always / Usually / Sometimes / Rarely) from every subject teacher. Paticipation with effort and engagement will be reported on every fortnight over the year. For Term 1, while positive habits are being established, we report on how students are Prepared for learning. From Term 2, the focus will change to how students are On track for academic growth. These updates are published directly to the KAMAR portal, with an automatically generated email sent to parents/caregivers and students on Friday evenings. On the KAMAR portal you will be able to see Class Efforts trends across the year.

For some subject areas, and the occasional assessment, subject teachers may make additional comments next to published grades. Comments will be brief and provide specific feedback linked to either Achievement Standards (in the senior school) or curriculum objectives and/or learning (in the junior school). The comments will be more informal than those found in formal reports. Years 12 and 13 students and whānau receive regular summaries tracking progress towards NCEA Levels 2 and 3. All students will be issued with formal reports over the course of the year; once at the end of Term 2, and again at the end of the year.

Ngā mihi,

Debbie Mitchell
debbie.mitchell@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

Deputy Principal (Pastoral and Wellbeing)

Tālofa lava, Da jia hao, Mālō e lelei, Namaste, Kia orāna, Tāloha ni, Kia ora Parents, Caregivers, and families,

It is always a proud moment when our former students return to ‘give back’ to their school community. During assembly yesterday, we had the honour of hearing from our 2022 Head Boy and Dux, Sam Sexton, who shared his journey since leaving Whitby Collegiate. Hearing about Sam’s transition to university life and his burgeoning career in the maritime industry was inspiring for our current students. We congratulate Sam on his outstanding academic success at the Australian Maritime College (University of Tasmania) and being awarded the prestigious Australian Maritime College Outstanding Achiever Scholarship. We look forward to having Sam visit again after he graduates at the end of this year.

This spirit of staying connected is an important aspect of our school values. Our 2026 Head Prefects, Evie Haughton and Gal Becher, have set ‘Connections’ as a primary goal for the year ahead. We are grateful for the many alumni who continue to walk alongside our current students: Aifili Patelesio, Nadia Roach, and Mya Gaualofa for their work with the Cultural Club; Lonasei Lolo and Chloe Mattock for their dedication to refereeing and coaching sport; and Sona Beddie for her valuable assistance with student leadership and wellbeing.

In the spirit of collaboration, we are excited to celebrate the successful launch of our newly formed school orchestra. This term, the ensemble, currently featuring our talented string players, performed Viva La Vida at the Meet the Teacher BBQ to wonderful acclaim. Looking ahead to Term 2, the orchestra will expand to include all instrument groups. We are especially excited to welcome 15 new students who have never played an instrument before; they will be provided with free lessons and instruments as part of our commitment to making music accessible to everyone. A special thank you to La’ie Nimarota and Leo Gore for the exceptional leadership they have shown in this space.

Have a blessed weekend and please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or would like to arrange a meeting with me or a member of our pastoral team.

Ngā mihi maioha,

Ainslie Sauvao
ainslie.sauvao@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

Assistant Principal

Kia ora Students, Parents, and Caregivers,

As we navigate a world vastly different from the one we grew up in, we know that our students face unique digital challenges. To help us navigate this together, we are hosting a Cyber Safety Evening with expert Rob Cope.

We see this as a vital partnership between school and home. We want to equip you with practical, expert advice to keep our tamariki safe and resilient online.

Chaplain’s Note

School News

Artist of the Week - Emily Thurston

Our Year 11 Visual Arts students have begun the exciting journey of their Whitby Collegiate Diploma by exploring the personal theme of identity. The introduction of new printmaking techniques will be a vital part of their creative process this term. Emily Thurston, is our showcased artist who has created a beautiful contour line drawing using a monoprint technique.

Upcoming Events

Key dates are located on the website calendar. Please check for your activities. Subscribe to the Whitby Collegiate calendar from the school website calendar page by clicking the button that reads “subscribe to this calendar”.

Sports Update

For all sports information and registrations visit our online sports hub here. Join the Whitby Collegiate Sport Facebook Group to keep up to date with all sport news and achievements.

Student Achievements

We love to celebrate our students’ achievements. For inclusion in the Whitby Collegiate newsletter or on our Facebook page, please submit via the button below or email communications@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

Community Notice