Week 2, Term 3 | 2026

Executive Principal’s Update

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

It has been another busy week at Whitby Collegiate. 

A very warm welcome back to our Year 7 and 8 students following their week-long camp. It was a fantastic experience for everyone involved, and it was wonderful to see the smiling faces as they disembarked from the ferry on Friday evening. The shared experiences and challenges of camp will undoubtedly help establish a strong sense of connection and ensure that they return as a more bonded group.

We are also celebrating a very successful school ball this past weekend. It was a wonderful evening, Our students looked fantastic and enjoyed the opportunity to come together in such a positive and festive atmosphere. Many thanks to everyone who helped organise the event and to our staff, families and students for contributing to such a successful night.

Deputies’ Updates

Deputy Principal (Academics)

Kia orana tātou kātoatoa,

We are only at the end of Week 2 of Term 3 and already so much has already been accomplished. Today I was privileged to watch our Cultural Group perform at Te Kiwa Nui, and every year I am blown away by the way our students represent their cultures on the stage. The Senior Ball on Saturday evening was an outstanding event, with everyone enjoying themselves and looking fabulous. And of course, I've enjoyed hearing from the Year 7 and 8 campers and teachers about the wonderful experience at Teapot Valley last week - core memories were definitely made.

This term has more to come for our seniors, especially Years 12 and 13 who have their derived grade examinations, and also our Year 10s who will be sitting NCEA Common Assessment Activities (CAAs).

Derived grade (DG) examinations, for those students entered in Level 2 and Level 3 NCEA external assessments, are held at school during Week 8 (Monday 14 - Friday 18 September). The timetable is in the process of being finalised, and will be shared with all candidates via email. Once available, the timetable will also be published on our website. Those students in Years 12 and 13 will be off-timetable for that week, only needing to come into school for examinations - attendance at scheduled examinations and workshops is mandatory. Derived grade examinations are a very important part of the NCEA assessment process; students can practise their assessment skills in the same conditions as their end of year NCEA examinations and get feedback on the subject areas in which they need to improve. Additionally, in the unlikely event that a student is unable to attend their external assessment due to, for example, illness or bereavement, then the student can complete an application to NZQA for the grade obtained in these assessments to be counted as their final grade. More information about the process for this DG examination week will be available with the published timetable.

Around the same time as DG examinations, Year 10 students will also be sitting their Literacy Reading and Writing CAAs, with a small number of students also entered in the Numeracy CAA. At this stage, to be confirmed next week, the Literacy CAAs will be in Week 7 (Monday 7 and Wednesday 9 September), with the Numeracy CAA on Monday 14 September in Week 8. Year 10 students will have an overview of these upcoming assessments in their LitNum class next Monday.

ICAS competitions have started and will continue over the coming weeks. Thank you to Mrs Patel for organising, and other staff supervisors for their mahi.

Have a wonderful, and hopefully warm, weekend.

Ngā mihi,

Debbie Mitchell
debbie.mitchell@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

Deputy Principal (Pastoral and Wellbeing)

Kia orana tātou kātoatoa, Tālofa lava, Mālō ni, Mālō e lelei, Tālofa kōutou and welcome to our first week of “Weeks of the World” at Whitby Collegiate!

It was both humbling and heartwarming to see so many families and staff members supporting our Cultural Group during Wednesday evening’s dress rehearsal. Our students were excited to finally take the stage in front of their families, friends, and teachers, proudly showcasing their cultures.

Leading up to the performance, the group was regularly reminded of the importance of discipline, commitment, and focus and, above all, to honour the many sacrifices, prayers, and support from their families. Naturally, our students were also encouraged to keep the group in their prayers as they journeyed toward their final performance for the Te Kiwa Nui Festival.

School News

Art of the Week - Ko wai au? (Who am I?) 

A design based on a letter.

Our Year 9 artists recently completed their "Ko wai au? (Who am I?)" project! By exploring traditional Māori Kōwhaiwhai patterns alongside their own unique cultural heritage and self-identity.

They creatively incorporated personal family symbols and shapes into initial letterforms, producing a series of meaningful, multicultural designs that showcase both artistic skill and deep personal expression.

Our celebrated artists this week are:

• Annabelle Grundy 9KL (Light blue)

• Dina Shiltsova 9KL (Dark blue)

• Georgia Harris 9KL (Red)

• Meredith Burton 9SY (Pink)

• Sarah Robertson 9SY (Blue)

• Chanelle Ou 9SY (Pink)

• Kiana Byrne 9GA ( Green )

• Leona Penese 9GA (Dark blue)

• Katherine Shi 9GA (Red)

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”.

Don't miss this special opportunity to enjoy an exceptional evening while making a meaningful difference to the lives of Whitby Collegiate students. We look forward to welcoming you to what promises to be a memorable night of inspiration, generosity, and community.

Whitby Collegiate Foundation

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

School Notice

Important: Head Lice Check

We have had a few reports of head lice in our community recently. To help keep them at bay, we are asking all families to please take some time over the school holidays to carefully check their children's hair, and treat if necessary.

Head lice are very common and easily spread, but the holidays provide the perfect opportunity for everyone to check, treat, and break the cycle before returning to school.

For helpful, step-by-step guidance on how to check for head lice and the best ways to treat them, please visit the KidsHealth website here:

KidsHealth Head Lice Guide

Important: How to Reach Us by Email

Please note that emails ending in “school.kiwi” are sent from our student management system, KAMAR. These are used for school communications and absence notifications and have limited functionality, as KAMAR isn’t designed to be a primary email system.

You’re welcome to reply to these emails; however, new emails sent directly to a “school.kiwi” address won’t be received. Forwarded messages and attachments also won’t come through.

To ensure your message reaches us, please use staff email addresses ending in @whitbycollegiate.school.nz

A Reminder About Car Parking

A friendly reminder to all whānau, please ensure you are not parking in the staff car park when dropping off or picking up your children. The staff car park is reserved exclusively for our teachers and staff. Your co-operation helps keep our school running smoothly and ensures our staff can get to their classrooms on time.

Thank you for your understanding and support.