Whitby Collegiate News, Week 4 Term 4, 2026

Week 4, Term 4 | 2026

Executive Principal’s Update

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

It has been an outstanding week for Whitby Collegiate as we acknowledge the academic and sporting achievements of our students.

At our 2026 Sports Prizegiving, we were delighted to welcome back former staff member Shakira Baker as our guest speaker. Her message to our students was truly inspirational, making it a wonderful evening celebrating the sporting achievements of our students.

Congratulations to all our major award winners.

Whitby Collegiate Junior Sportswoman of the Year: Aliyana Letoa-Tuala
Whitby Collegiate Junior Sportsman of the Year: Liam O’Leary
Whitby Collegiate Student Official of the Year: Maddy Hunt
Whitby Collegiate Student Coaches of the Year: Tim Lee and Ben Ludlow
Whitby Collegiate Team of the Year: Senior A Girls’ Softball
Whitby Collegiate Sportswoman of the Year: Bella Coxson
Whitby Collegiate Sportsman of the Year: Toby O’Leary

On Tuesday evening, we celebrated our 2026 Senior Prizegiving, recognising another year of academic achievement across our senior school.

It was a wonderful occasion, and we were honoured to welcome several special guests, including Her Worship the Mayor, Anita Baker, and members of our Proprietor’s Board. We also appreciated the special words shared by Mr John Fiso, Chair of the Proprietor’s Board, and their continued support of our school community.

Congratulations to all our students recognised for their hard work, dedication, growth and contributions throughout the year.

Year 11

Top Scholar: Iris Chen
General Academic Excellence Award: Summer Bethwaite
Moginie Cup for Academic Improvement: Keira Weepu

Year 12

Top Scholar: Louisa Egley-Turner
General Academic Excellence Awards: Gabriel Chionh, Roma Shiltsov and Adelle Tipper
Mitchell Cup for Academic Improvement: Otis Sutherland

Year 13

General Academic Excellence Awards: Gal Becher and Kaleb Gribben
Corcoran Family Award for Academic Improvement: Marko Walsh

We congratulate all our senior students on their achievements and wish our Year 13 leavers every success as they take their next steps beyond Whitby.

We also acknowledge the efforts of La’ie Nimarota Vatuvei as the top scholar in Mathematics in NZ for ICAS as well as earning $62,000 of scholarships for her studies in Medicine next year. Her journey at Whitby Collegiate as one of the very first Year 7 students has been inspirational.

We congratulate all our award recipients on their achievements, which reflect the dedication, perseverance and commitment they have demonstrated throughout the year.

We are incredibly proud to announce Tiyamika Banda as our 2026 Dux of School and Evie Haughton as our Proxime Accessit. Both students have demonstrated outstanding academic commitment, dedication and perseverance throughout their time at Whitby Collegiate. Congratulations to Tiyamika and Evie on this well-deserved recognition. You have set a wonderful example for our school community!

In a moving moment of continuity, our 2026 Head Girl, Evie Haughton, and Head Boy, Gal Becher, passed their flames to our incoming 2027 student leaders, Head Girl Louisa Egley-Turner and Head Boy Archie Lowe, who will be supported by our outstanding team of student prefects, to be announced later this term.

Finally, we farewelled and acknowledged the Class of 2026, celebrating their contributions to Whitby Collegiate. We wish them all the very best and look forward to hearing about where life takes them in the future.

It has been great to see so many of our senior students taking advantage of the tutorials on offer this week, ready to go for their exams next week. We wish them all the very best.

We are also thrilled to announce the finalists of the College Sport Wellington Sports Awards. We had a record number of nominations and congratulate Bella Coxson, who has been named a finalist in two categories, Softballer of the Year and All Rounder of the Year. Olivia Lu has been named a finalist in the Golfer of the Year category, along with our Senior A Netball coach Frances Solia, a finalist in the Coach of the Year category. We are very proud of all involved.

As we look ahead to 2027, we were pleased to welcome a group of prospective students to our Experience Day today. We look forward to welcoming our incoming 2027 students next week for New Entrants’ Days, helping them become familiar with Whitby Collegiate and preparing them for the year ahead.

With the final weeks of term approaching for our junior school, we encourage all students to stay focused on their learning and continue putting in their best effort as they work towards finishing the year on a positive note.

Wishing everyone a restful and safe weekend.

Ngā mihi nui,

Shelley Addison
Executive Principal

Deputies’ Updates

Deputy Principal (Academics)

Kia ora e te whānau o Whitby Collegiate,

It has been a very proud week as we have celebrated the achievements of students at both the Sports and Senior Academic Prizegivings. I feel incredibly fortunate to have witnessed the growth and success of our wonderful students over the years, and once again pass on my congratulations.

Next week marks the start of NZQA examinations for our Level 2 and Level 3 NCEA candidates. Students must remember to be at school by 9am for morning examinations, and by 1.30pm for afternoon. If expected for an examination, there is no need to sign in at the office. If students are here for any other reason, including arriving early for an afternoon session, or staying after a morning examination, then they should sign in on VisTab so we know who is on site. Students are expected to be in their full, correct uniform for exams. There are plenty of guidelines to follow, and these are all available on the NZQA candidate information sheet provided to students in the last few weeks. Students must remember to bring their Admission Slip to every exam, and their photo ID if sitting a Scholarship exam. If a student will not be attending an examination session, it is vital that I am informed via email the day of the scheduled exam. Any unexpected absences will result in a phone call home. If the reason for the absence is due to illness or bereavement, then the student should apply to use their derived grade/s. I am able to assist in this process - it will require supporting documentation, for example a medical certificate, as well as a completed application form. More information about the derived grade application can be found on the NZQA website.

Next week, Year 11 students will be busy with their Service Week, as part of The Collegiate Diploma. With guest speakers, focus and team building sessions with their tutor group, student-arranged Service Placements and Work Experience, this will be a very valuable time for all students. We look forward to celebrating the achievements of students in the inaugural year of The Collegiate Diploma, and ask Year 11 parents and caregivers to please Save-the-Date for our special assembly on Friday 20 November.

I encourage parents and caregivers of Years 7 - 11 students to please check their emails for booking information for the Student-Led Tutor Teacher Conferences, scheduled for Monday 23 November. I look forward to seeing you there, and welcome anyone who wants to have a conversation over coffee to please come up to the upstairs office foyer to speak with me, other members of the SLT, HoFs, or Deans.

If I can be of any assistance in the meantime, please feel free to contact me.

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,

What a wonderful week it has been celebrating and honouring our students’ achievements and successes! Even amid the busyness and occasional chaos of school life, our students and staff work tirelessly behind the scenes to accomplish great things. As Tiyamika Banda so thoughtfully put it: “Behind every accomplishment are silent moments of uncertainty and effort. Learning, adapting, and persisting through those times is just as worthy of celebration as any award or academic distinction.” Congratulations to every student who was recognised this week and equally to those whose quiet, diligent efforts take place away from the spotlight. Your perseverance and resilience does not go unnoticed.

In continuing our work to grow and build servant leaders for the future, I was so proud of how our Year 11 students stepped up to lead yesterday’s assembly. A special thank you to Alex Lee, Reuben McDermott, Emma Whyte, and Alissa Kay for their inspiring words of encouragement and meaningful reminders of servanthood. I also want to commend James Wang for his dedication behind the scenes. James is often the first to arrive and the last to leave, ensuring everything is set up and ready for school events. We are always grateful to our AV team, Caleb Whelan, Will Whitehead, and Jack Hutchings for their technical expertise, ably guided and led by Mr. Hudson.

At the assembly yesterday, I reminded our students that leadership doesn't begin when you put on a Prefect badge or reach a specific year level, servant leadership starts right now. You don't need an official title or an assembly prompt to step up. I encourage all of our students to actively embrace and live out the culture of servant leadership we have here at Whitby.

As we prepare for our upcoming Junior Activities Week, our Year 12 student leader candidates will need to be available on Tuesday, 1 December and Wednesday, 2 December to assist with planning for the Year 7 Retreat on Thursday, 3 December. Students participating may wear mufti on these days. Further details will be emailed directly to those involved next week.

I look forward to connecting with parents at our upcoming Parent Conferences later this month. However, if you would like to meet prior to those dates, please feel free to reach out to me or any member of our pastoral team via email.

Have a blessed weekend ahead.

Ainslie Sauvao
ainslie.sauvao@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

School News

Innovative Graphic Design at Whitby Collegiate

Our talented senior designers have created innovative brands reflecting the cafe culture of their choice for their portfolio boards.

Luke Duckett has taken a bold approach to his casino-style cafe branding. Incorporating the distinctive colours and recognisable graphic elements found in games such as poker and roulette, Luke has developed a playful twist on the concept to create continuity throughout his submission.

Kate McGinley’s design concept reflects her strong ethos of environmental awareness. Her cafe theme centres on an eco-friendly brand where recycling and upcycling are the main focus, as represented in proposed loyalty cards made from used coffee grounds. Her innovative use of fonts in the name Juncktion reinforces the brand, taking inspiration from dark grunge-style aesthetics.

Toby Shaab’s work reflects a cool retro style of branding, taking design inspiration from the 1960s–70s era of bold patterns and popping red and turquoise colour combinations. The Classic Ford Cortina lends its name to the cafe, as his clever branding development carries the theme seamlessly throughout his merchandise.

Amelia Chen brings a personal touch to her beautifully conceived concept of the “Bloom Bar”. Drawing on her grandmother's love of the Botanical Gardens in Wellington, Amelia has created a distinctly feminine design using a soft colour palette and delicate line imagery to unify her sophisticated branding idea.

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

Whitby Collegiate Foundation Pop-Up Second-Hand Uniform Sale

The Whitby Collegiate Foundation’s Pop-Up Second-Hand Uniform Sale will take place on Wednesday 9 December 2026, from 3.30pm to 6pm in the Pavilion.

Donations of clean, good-quality uniform items are now welcome and can be dropped off at the school office by Monday, 7 December 2026.

Families who wish to sell their items on a sell-on-behalf basis can receive a portion of the sale proceeds. Please complete the Seller Information Form and securely attach it to your bag or box of uniform items.

Weekend drop-off points will also be available on 5 and 6 December. For locations and times, please email events@whitbycollegiate.school.nz.

To learn more about the Whitby Collegiate Foundation and its work, please visit the Foundation’s website.

Christmas Toy & Treats Collection

Last year, our school collected 13 large bags of toys and Christmas treats, helping dozens of Wellington families enjoy a happier Christmas. Thanks to Clark & Co, every donated gift and food item was matched, doubling the impact of our school community’s generosity!

This November, we’re bringing the initiative back and inviting everyone to get involved.

Have a look through your cupboards, pantry and garage for any new, unopened toys or non-perishable food items to help stock Santa’s kitchen. You could also add an extra item or two to your next grocery shop.

Please place your donations in your House box under the Christmas tree in the Office. Clark & Co are partnering with us again and will match every donated item, doubling the difference we can make. Plus, there are House Points up for grabs!

Together, let’s spread some Christmas cheer and help make the festive season brighter for families across Wellington.

Thank you,
Gabriel Anthony

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.