Whitby Collegiate News, Term 4 Week 1, 2026

Week 1, 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.

Welcome back to Term 4! This term is always an exciting and pivotal time, with academic endeavour at the absolute fore as our senior students move rapidly towards their final examinations. We encourage all students to remain focused, manage their time effectively, and make full use of the support available to them in these final weeks of the academic year.

At the end of last term, we enjoyed a fantastic celebration of our school community at the Foundation Gala Dinner. A heartfelt thank you to everyone who supported this event, helping us raise vital funds to support our students through scholarships and bursaries. We extend our sincere gratitude to Lance Duckett and all members of the Foundation for their hard work and dedication in putting together such a successful evening. It was especially inspiring to hear from our guest speaker, Dame Valerie Adams, who shared her remarkable story of hardship, resilience, and unyielding determination—a message that truly resonated with everyone in attendance.

Thank you also to all the students who contributed to the night’s events. A special mention goes to our talented funk band of Johnny Naisbitt, Hamish Wood, Marcia Laurenson, Sidney Jones, Zayn O’Shaughnessy and Flynn Maxwell. The band arrived straight from the MEFA Festival for Music Performance, where they came away with a Platinum award, the highest award possible – an amazing achievement, particularly as first-time entrants! A huge thank you to Miss Newlands for her ongoing guidance and support of our musicians.

It is always inspiring when we see students taking the opportunity to put their learning into action, so well done to see our Year 12 students, Jack, Tim, Toby and Daniel putting their entrepreneurial skills into action with the production of their electrolyte drink, utilising the knowledge and skills developed in their business studies class.

This afternoon we welcome back our Year 10 students, who had a wonderful experience at our annual Noho Marae at Raukawa Marae on the Kapiti Coast. This continues to be an invaluable cultural learning experience for all and always a highlight of the school calendar.

Over the holiday break, our students were involved in an extraordinary array of activities, and we have so much to celebrate across the arts, sports, and academics:

It was a pleasure to celebrate our junior chess team over morning tea today! Following two days of tough competition, the team achieved an extremely creditable 10th place overall, with John Hao impressively winning all of his matches. Congratulations also to William Sun, Venon Kumarasamy and Aaryan Thomson for their efforts and in particular we thank the supportive parents who ensured the trip to Auckland was such a success and to Mr King for his oversight of our rapidly growing chess community.

Congratulations to Elena Power, who performed the lead role in Matilda at the St James Theatre over the break. It was wonderful to see so many of her school friends in the audience supporting her and her performance was incredible on such a big performance stage.

We are incredibly proud of Louisa Egley-Turner, who is representing New Zealand at the FIFA U17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco. It is a fantastic achievement to be selected to compete on the international stage, and we wish Louisa and the New Zealand team all the very best in the tournament.

There have also been some fantastic sporting achievements to celebrate, with Araleea McMorran selected for the New Zealand U18 Ice Hockey Team, and Olivia Lu helping the Wellington Regional Golf Team claim the National Championship title. Well done also to Valu Aliva, Sandy Foisaga, Evie Haugthon and Kiri Wilson, who competed in Division 1 at the recent Senior Club Volleyball Championships in Auckland. Sienna Tuala-LeToa has also been selected for the Tokomanawa Queens’ professional basketball wider squad, a fantastic opportunity for her.

Our national softball representatives, Bella, Ella, Kim, Safira, Kiana and Georgia, have been busy competing against Australia as they prepare for their upcoming international fixtures. Congratulations to our students on their continued commitment and hard work as they represent New Zealand on the international stage.

Yesterday, our Equestrian team delivered an outstanding performance at the Secondary School Competition in Masterton, finishing in 2nd place overall against a very large class. Competing at the top level, the riders truly demonstrated the Whitby Way by supporting one another throughout the day. Special mention to Charlie Stewart and Honor Dreaneen for their excellent leadership, and thank you to the parents who traveled to support the team.

We are looking forward to an extremely busy term and wish all our students a focused, productive and rewarding Term 4.

Ngā mihi nui,

Shelley Addison
Executive Principal

Deputies’ Updates

Deputy Principal (Academics)

Kia ora e te whānau o Whitby Collegiate,

In conjunction with AON and the Spirit of Adventure Trust, we are very excited to offer a Whitby Collegiate student a place on a 10-day Spirit of Adventure Trust youth development voyage aboard Spirit of New Zealand.This incredible opportunity will give the lucky student the opportunity to challenge themself, develop confidence, build leadership skills, and create lifelong memories. The voyage, valued at $2,995, is Voyage 960, which is Saturday 27 February – Monday 8 March 2027. The trip will depart and return to Princes Wharf, Auckland. More information can be found here. To be eligible, students must be aged between 16-19 years of age, meet the medical criteria, and agree to the code of conduct for the voyage. If you would like to be considered, or to nominate someone, please complete this Google Form by next Wednesday 21 October. The recipient will be announced at Senior Prizegiving on Tuesday 3 November.

Year 11 students have their End of Year examinations in the week Tuesday 27 - Friday 30 October. Shared with students last term, the timetable can be accessed here. Students must follow the NZQA-style rules and regulations as stated on the timetable. We are also getting closer to the inaugural Collegiate Diploma Service Week, beginning Monday 9 November. We would love to have some more guest speakers to meet with this cohort to speak about different trades, professions and other future pathways. If you are interested in speaking, please complete this electronic form.

I have extended the deadline for the second order of Learnwell AME revision workbooks - this will now be processed on Monday next week. While these books are available to purchase in stores and direct from the publisher, I can secure a small discount by ordering in bulk. Should you wish to order any Level 2 or Level 3 AME workbooks, please complete this electronic order form. Please note that the charge for your order will be disbursed to your account and must be paid before students receive the workbooks.

In the next week or so, at a meeting with me and Exam Centre Manager Mrs Hudson, all NCEA examination candidates will receive their examination entry slip (this must be brought to every examination session), and an overview of the NZQA exam rules and guidelines. It is very important that all rules are understood and followed very carefully. I am more than happy to help with any queries, especially if there are inaccuracies on the examination entrance slips.

This is a very fast and furious term, with lots going on. We are here to assist, so if there is anything we can do to reassure students about their studies, please do not hesitate to reach out.

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,

Welcome back to our final term of the year! It is going to be an exceptionally busy and rewarding term, and I look forward to celebrating the many achievements of our student body in the weeks ahead.

Thank you to those parents who have reached out regarding pastoral care and updates on their child’s progress, particularly in areas like leadership and wellbeing. Our pastoral team continues to work hard to support the mental health and wellbeing of our students, having conducted numerous individual check-ins over the past term.

Next week, we continue with our student leadership speeches for upcoming leadership roles. We wish all candidates the very best as they prepare for these speeches and undertake the various leadership activities required during the application process.

Finally, a special thank you to Year 8 student Alex Barnes, our Junior Sacristan, for his inspiring message at assembly yesterday. Alex delivered this week’s scripture reading from John 3:16 and spoke thoughtfully on its connection to servant leadership. Year 8 student Aaryan Thomson also shared valuable insights on servant leadership as students prepare to apply for 2027 leadership positions. Aaryan reminded us of the strong culture of service at Whitby Collegiate, a culture where students feel empowered both to lead and to be led.

Please feel free to connect with one of our pastoral team members or your child’s tutor teacher if you have any queries. I wish everyone a safe and restful weekend, and I look forward to welcoming families to our upcoming Senior Prizegiving ceremony.

Fa’afetai tele lava ma ia manuia.

Ainslie Sauvao
ainslie.sauvao@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

Assistant Principal

Kia ora Students, Parents & Caregivers,

I have been thoroughly impressed by the high level of engagement and quality of arguments shown throughout our House Debating Competition. The enthusiasm of our debaters has been incredible and it has been matched by the major support and house spirit displayed by our lunchtime audiences. It has been fantastic to see so many students turning up to cheer on their peers.

This year it was a requirement of the competition, that the bulk of each team needed to be composed of junior students. This has been a pleasing development as it has shown us that we have plenty of talent in our junior school and that the future of debating at Whitby Collegiate is strong.

We are very much looking forward to the grand final next Wednesday. It promises to be a thrilling debate as Discovery (affirming) faces off against Endeavour (negating) on the hypothetical motion:

"If given the option, we would choose to live in a virtual reality paradise over a flawed real world."

We wish both teams the very best of luck in the final.

Maurice Atkinson
maurice.atkinson@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

School News

A Life-Changing Marine Conservation Experience in Fiji

During the school holidays, I had the absolute privilege of attending the Future Leaders Academy Marine Leaders course in Fiji alongside 12 other students from across Aotearoa, Australia and Fiji. We spent a week on Kuata Island, one of the southernmost destinations in the Yasawa Island chain, taking part in marine conservation activities led by the resident marine scientists at Barefoot Kuata.

Our activities included replanting coral, removing Crown of Thorns Starfish, scuba diving to depths of 15 metres alongside bull sharks, and taking part in daily marine biology lessons exploring the local ocean life.

As someone who is extremely passionate about marine science and hopes to study it at university, this experience was genuinely life-changing. Not only did I gain valuable knowledge and hands-on experience in marine conservation, but I also formed meaningful connections with fellow students, who I hope to work alongside in the future, and current conservationists. I have made some lifelong friends along the way!

I would highly recommend Future Leaders Academy courses to anyone interested in leadership, conservation, discovering new cultures, or simply stepping outside their comfort zone alongside other inspiring rangatahi.

A huge thank you to everyone who supported me by purchasing raffle tickets, and to Ms Sauvao for guiding me throughout the process.

Year 12 Students Put Business Skills into Action

Taking classroom learning beyond the school gates, Year 12 students Jack, Tim, Toby and Daniel have been putting their Business Studies knowledge into action by creating their own electrolyte drink. A great example of initiative, creativity and entrepreneurial thinking in practice!

Level 3 Biology: Zoo Trip

The Level 3 Biology class visited Wellington Zoo on Wednesday in preparation for their two external assessments.

The first workshop, on human evolution, had students examining primate skulls, skeletons and stone tools under the guidance of Tim, the zoo educator. We then headed outside, stopping at the wētā house to learn about the different species and how they evolved.

Our next stop was to meet the zoo’s three inquisitive kea and discuss their divergent evolution from kākā and kākāpō. We then made our way to the top of the zoo to visit the giraffe enclosure. Here, we explored the evolutionary arms race (also known as co-evolution) between giraffes and acacia trees, with a few tree ants thrown into the mix.

The students had some great discussions along the way, and the revision was invaluable.

Artist of the Week - Dakota Symons

This striking photograph captures the theme of fleeting beauty, creating a dramatic and mysterious atmosphere. The bright flames stand out against the dark background, contrasting beautifully with the blue flowers and vase. The rising smoke and carefully arranged objects add depth and intrigue, inviting viewers to imagine the story behind the scene.

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

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.