Whitby Collegiate News, Week 2 Term 4, 2026 (Updated with video link)

Week 2, 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 another rewarding week at Whitby Collegiate, with wonderful achievements to celebrate and plenty happening across our school community.

A huge congratulations to Gabriel Anthony, who has taken out the national Samsung Solve for Tomorrow STEM competition with his project, Real Mahi. Run in partnership with MOTAT and Technology Education New Zealand, the competition challenges young New Zealanders to apply science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics to real-world problems. Entries are judged by an expert panel, including scientists Dr Siouxsie Wiles and Dr Joel Rindelaub.

Gabriel’s project tackles the important question of fair assessment in the age of AI, drawing on research involving more than 1,100 students and trials with dozens of teachers. The judges were particularly impressed by the depth of input from teachers and students across the country, including the Whitby Collegiate community. This is Gabriel’s second win in the competition, following his success with Pill-Bot in 2024 and a Highly Commended award for Pill AI in 2025. What an outstanding achievement! We are incredibly proud of Gabriel’s innovation and dedication, and grateful to the teachers and family who have supported him along the way.

Our Music Showcase was a real highlight this week, celebrating the incredible musical talent we have here at Whitby Collegiate. It was fantastic to see so many bands take to the stage, with standout performances from our funk band and all-girl bands. The showcase also featured beautiful performances from our classical pianists, Gabriel Chionh and Iris Chen, alongside Nathaniel Palmer on the cello. We also enjoyed vocal performances from Alina Babko, Adhi Kumarasamy and Venon Kumarasamy. Well done to everyone who participated, and a special thank you to Mr Elan Van Mils for all his work in preparing the showcase. We also appreciate everyone who came along to support our talented students and celebrate their achievements.

It is hard to believe that examinations begin next week. Our Year 11 students are preparing for their examination week, while our Year 13 students and other senior students approach their final week of classes. Our staff have been working tirelessly alongside students, making the most of every opportunity to support their learning, whether in class, at lunchtime or after school. Staff will also be available during study leave, and I encourage our students to make the most of these tutorials as they consolidate their learning and prepare for the weeks ahead.

Meanwhile, Term 4 sport is well underway, and it has been great to see our students representing Whitby Collegiate with enthusiasm and determination. Our Junior A volleyball team had an excellent outing at the regional junior girls double headers, securing two fantastic wins. They came from behind to beat St Mary’s College in a close three-set match, winning 2–1, before following up with a strong straight-sets victory over St Oran’s College, winning 2–0. Congratulations to the team on an outstanding performance! Our Junior A Boys team also had a close win in their opening match of the season defeating Paraparaumu College. It was also an exciting match for the Junior C team made up of our Year 7 and 8 students where they defeated Onslow College, so very exciting to see the development. Futsal rounded off the summer code sports for this week and a very well deserved win for our Senior A team defeating Mana College 7-1. Well done to all teams competing and a great start to the summer season.

As we move further into Term 4, there is much to be proud of and plenty to look forward to. I encourage our students to stay focused, support one another and make the most of the opportunities ahead, particularly as our senior students prepare for their examinations and the next chapter of their journeys. Thank you to our staff and families for the continued encouragement and support you provide our young people. I wish everyone a wonderful long weekend ahead.

Ngā mihi nui,

Shelley Addison
Executive Principal

Deputies’ Updates

Deputy Principal (Academics)

Kia ora e te whānau o Whitby Collegiate,

I would like to add my congratulations to Gabriel Anthony for the brilliant Real Mahi : Testing a Fairer, Better Alternative to AI Detectors for Schools which won the National Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. It has been an honour to watch him develop this project, and see the real-world applications. You can see Gabriel’s interview with Ryan Bridge here.

Next week marks a milestone for all our senior students – Year 11s have their end-of-year examinations, and Year 12 and 13 students have their last week of timetabled classes before Opportunity Week, and examination leave.

Opportunity Week is Monday 2 November, Wednesday 4 – Friday 6 November, with students having the “opportunity” to attend optional tutorials in timetabled subject class time. For example, students may go to their normal class period time for Biology to have a tutorial with Ms Brown. Normal school uniform and school rules will apply for all students at all times on site.

Have an enjoyable long 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,

Firstly, I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Year 10 student, Gabriel Anthony on winning the national NZ Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition. Gabriel’s winning project investigated a fresh approach to academic integrity, examining the writing process itself rather than relying solely on AI detectors. By identifying key process features that distinguish authentic writing from AI-generated text, Gabriel evaluated how teachers can make more accurate and confident judgements. Congratulations, Gabriel, on winning this prestigious award for the second time. We are very proud of your achievement!

At yesterday’s assembly, we heard inspiring speeches from our remaining Year 12 prefect candidates as they presented their vision for student leadership. I want to thank and commend every student who has put their hand up to serve our school in 2027. It has been a real privilege interviewing these candidates, learning about their passion projects, and hearing their ideas to boost student engagement and wellbeing across the school.

It was also wonderful to receive an update from Year 11 student Sophie Cunningham, who is currently on an exchange programme in the USA. Sophie has been having an incredible experience exploring Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco, and Lake Tahoe, with an exciting trip to New York planned for December. Thanks to her welcoming host family and new friends, she has been immersed in American culture, attending baseball, American football, and basketball games, with the upcoming Homecoming dance next on her calendar. We wish Sophie all the best as she continues making great memories, and we look forward to welcoming her back to school in Term 1 next year.

As we head into the weekend, I hope you get the chance to step outside, unwind, and make the most of the warmer weather. With summer just around the corner, it’s great to see the longer days and sunshine returning. Wishing all our students, staff, and whānau a restful, safe, and sun-filled weekend.

Finally, as we have many end of year events coming up for both juniors and seniors, please don't hesitate to contact our pastoral team or your child’s tutor teacher if you have any questions. I look forward to celebrating with our Year 13 students and their families at the Leavers’ Dinner next month but also the upcoming Sports and Senior prizegivings.

Fa’afetai tele lava ma ia manuia.

Ainslie Sauvao
ainslie.sauvao@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

School News

Artist of the Week - Kim Aurupa

Through exploring themes of whakapapa and taonga, Kim has demonstrated a natural sense of curiosity in her printmaking process. Her colourful prints draw inspiration from contemporary New Zealand artists such as Sheyne Tuffery, with a focus on pattern and personal meaning. Kim has brought a fresh and playful perspective to her work.

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.

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.