Whitby Collegiate News, Week 8 Term 3, 2026

Week 8, 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.

We begin this week’s newsletter by extending our warmest congratulations to Deputy Principal Tuala Ainslie Sauvao, who was recognised at the Independent Schools NZ (ISNZ) awards ceremony last week for her exceptional service to pastoral care. This prestigious accolade is a well-deserved recognition of Ms Sauvao's unwavering commitment to the wellbeing of our school community. Pastoral care sits at the absolute core of our values, and her empathetic leadership continuously embraces the heart of our school, ensuring every student feels supported, seen, and empowered to thrive.

This week, we had the pleasure of welcoming the Proprietor’s Board to campus for their scheduled meeting. Alongside their formal proceedings, we hosted a 'Meet the Board' function with a wonderful turnout of parents. The evening was a resounding success, offering a fantastic space for open dialogue, shared vision, and strengthening the vital partnership between our families and school leadership. Thank you to all the parents who took the time out of their busy schedules to be part of this occasion.

It has been an exceptionally focused and intense week for our senior students as they completed their derived grade examinations. These assessments are a critical benchmark, providing students with essential feedback on their progress and setting a clear roadmap for the upcoming NCEA examinations. In tandem with these exams, students across the school have been looking ahead to their future academic pathways by finalizing their subject selections for 2027. We encourage parents to continue those conversations at home as students map out their learning journeys.

We are immensely proud of our students who were celebrated at the Porirua Youth Awards this week. Their achievements across athletics, academics, culture, and community initiative reflect the diverse talent within our student body.

Congratulations to:

Sienna Letoa-Tuala: Recognised for outstanding achievements in Sport.
Evie Haughton: Recognised for exceptional performance in Sport & Leadership.
Leona Penese: Recognised for excellence in Sport.
Louisa Egley-Turner: Recognised for impressive contributions to Sport.
Max Tai: Recognised for innovation and academic excellence in STEMM.
Zephaniah Telea: Recognised for outstanding dedication to Culture & Leadership.

As we approach the final week of term, anticipation is building for the Whitby Collegiate Foundation Gala Dinner. We are thrilled to welcome our very special guest speaker, Olympic legend Dame Valerie Adams, for what promises to be an inspirational evening celebrating our school's vision and future.

Thank you all for your continued support throughout this busy term. We look forward to finishing the term strong before everyone heads off for a well-deserved break.

Ngā mihi nui,

Shelley Addison
Executive Principal

Deputies’ Updates

Deputy Principal (Academics)

Kia ora e te whānau o Whitby Collegiate,

We are pleased to let everyone know that Te Rauparaha Arena is now available for both the Sports and Senior Prizegivings. The Sports Prizegiving will be on Monday 2 November, from 5.30pm. The Senior (Year 11-13) Prizegiving is on Tuesday 3 November, from 6pm, with the ceremony beginning at 6.25pm. If you do not already, please subscribe to our calendar.

It has been wonderful to hear the renditions of Tūtira Mai Ngā Iwi around the school this week, as Ms Nic Aukett and the Māutauranga Māori classes recognise Te Wiki o te Reo Māori. On Monday next week, visitors Matua Jeff and Whaea Taima will be running a wānanga (learning opportunity) with Years 7 and 8. Additionally, there will be sessions on Monday and Tuesday for the Year 10 students as they continue to prepare for their Noho at the beginning of Term 4.

With Derived Grade Examination week now completed, our Level 2 and Level 3 NCEA candidates will now be focused on completing any remaining internal assessments, and finalising their study and revision routines for their external examinations beginning on Tuesday 10 November. Well done to all who completed exams this past week - it is a tiring endeavour but excellent preparation for the real thing.

Parents and Caregivers of Year 11 students have received an email today with confirmation of the arrangements for Service Week in the middle of November. We are really excited about the possibilities available to the students over this week, including hearing from guest speakers (if you are interested in speaking, please complete this electronic form), valuable tutor group planning time, work and service placements, and an optional First Aid Course.

Have a safe weekend.

Ngā mihi,

Have a lovely weekend.

Ngā mihi,

Debbie Mitchell
debbie.mitchell@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

Deputy Principal (Pastoral and Wellbeing)

Talofa lava, Mhoro, Malo e lelei, Vanakkam, Da jia hao, Malo ni, Kia orana, Privet, Tēnā koutou e te whānau,

It was a proud moment for our Executive Principal, Proprietor Mr Fiso John Fiso and I last night as we witnessed six of our students being recognised for their achievements across academics, sport, culture, the arts, and leadership at the Porirua Youth Awards. Working alongside these young leaders, their dedication, and heart for service are clear in everything they do. Congratulations to our Head Girl, Evie Haughton, Max Tai, Zephaniah Tele’a, Sienna Letoa-Tuala, Leona Penese, and Louisa Egley-Turner on their achievements and commitment to excellence. Our entire school community is very proud of you all. Keep up the great work and service to your families and school.

Developing future leaders is one of my responsibilities I really enjoy. Year 10 student Jack Hutchings, our Service and Events Leader, joined me in running a mini leadership workshop for some of our rising Year 7 leaders. Jack spoke powerfully about what it means to lead through service, highlighting the importance of lifting others up and leading with initiative, proactiveness, care and compassion. Thank you Jack for your servant leadership and for inspiring our younger students to step up to lead with humility and providing them purpose.

I would also like to acknowledge Year 8 students Phoebe Lang, Alyni Yue, Maryam O’Shaughnessy and Alayna Fauck for taking the lead in planning next term’s Year 7 & 8 Disco. The level of initiative, detail, and thoughtful research they have brought to this project is outstanding. They should be incredibly proud of their hard work and dedication. Well done girls - I’m certain it will be a very successful event!

Connecting with students during lunchtime and morning tea breaks is always a highlight of my day. This week, Year 8 student Alex Barnes inspired me by sharing his favourite scripture, Exodus 14:13–14. Alex will be sharing this passage at our upcoming assembly alongside our Year 12 leadership speeches, a powerful reminder for our prospective Head Prefects to surrender fear, remain steadfast, and trust in God’s timing. I look forward to hearing from Alex and also our prospective leaders for 2027 as they share their initiatives and plans to help lift student engagement and wellbeing.

Finally, I wish to thank our Board of Proprietors, staff, students and wider school community for your kind, well wishes. The recent honours award is a reflection of our collective effort - it really does take a village, and this achievement belongs to us all. Fa’afetai tele lava ma ia i ai le alofa tunoa ma faʻamanuiaga a le Atua ia te outou uma.

Wishing you all a restful weekend as you enjoy the sunshine and quality time with your family and friends.

Ainslie Sauvao
ainslie.sauvao@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

School News

Art of the Week - Chiaroscuro

Our Year 10 and Year 12 artists have been exploring chiaroscuro—an Italian term referencing the dramatic contrast between light (chiaro) and dark (oscuro).

This technique originated during the Renaissance, and Dutch master Rembrandt famously used subtle lighting effects to achieve a sense of depth in his portraiture.

Combining this traditional method with modern photography, our students used direct light sources while allowing surrounding areas to fall into shadow. They then worked with charcoal and white chalk to capture dramatic, theatrical light effects on their self-portraits.

The four featured artists showcased this week are Faith Bennett, Finn Bink, Marc Cui, and Bella Ford.

SVA Club

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

Year 13 Young Enterprise Scheme

“The Study Buddy” is our small business created with the help of the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES).

Our business "The Study Buddy" has two kits. The first kit, "The Study Buddy," is priced at $49.99 and comes complete with an adjustable laptop stand, screen cleaner, template index cards, an interval timer, and a small guide on tips and tricks to help people study, also translated into Māori.

Our second kit called “The Study Bud” priced at $29.99 consists of pens, highlighters, template index cards, an interval timer and a study guide. This business idea allows us to reach out to all the schools across New Zealand, and supply kits to help them study, as this is becoming an issue for students at our age, so we wanted to leave an impact before going off to university.

If you’re interested in purchasing, visit our website and if you have any questions, please contact us through email.

Website: https://thestudybuddykit.company.site/

Email: thestudybuddykit@gmail.com

School Notice

Reminder Regarding Student Absences & Illness

If your child feels unwell during the school day, please remind them to report directly to the school Office. To ensure student safety and proper attendance tracking, we ask that students do not contact parents directly to be picked up. All communication regarding sick students will come directly through the Office.

Thank you for your cooperation and support!

Friendly Health Reminder: Keeping Our School Community Healthy

Unfortunately, we have had quite a few bugs and viruses doing the rounds at school. Please be considerate of fellow students, families, and staff by keeping your child home if they show any signs of illness—such as a fever, cough, sore throat, runny nose, or upset stomach.

If your child will be absent, please remember to notify the school office as early as possible.

Thank you for your consideration and ongoing support in keeping our community healthy!

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.