Executive Principal’s Update

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

It is hard to believe that it is the end of the week already and without a doubt the highlight was the outstanding success of yesterday's Parents Meet & Greet BBQ. The event marked a significant moment for our school, celebrating not only the start of a new academic year but also the wonderful expansion of our community with the addition of many new families.

We were grateful to hear from the Chair of the Proprietor’s Board, Mr John Fiso, and Chair of the Foundation and Parents Advisory Group, Mr Tim Green. Their words of encouragement and support resonated deeply, reinforcing our commitment to excellence and the importance of community support in achieving our collective goals.

The afternoon was graced with perfect weather, and after the opportunity to meet with the tutor teachers, the sound of laughter and conversation filled the lower field. It was truly heartwarming to see so many families, both new and returning, come together to forge connections and celebrate the start of another promising school year.

We owe a tremendous thank you to the Parents’ Association, whose members outdid themselves with their BBQ skills and hospitality. Their dedication and effort in hosting this event played a crucial role in its success, creating a welcoming and enjoyable atmosphere for everyone in attendance. Thank you so much to Sue Payne, Arlaina Loibl and the team of amazing parents who contributed to this.

Our student leaders also shone and we are so proud to receive the following feedback from a parent after the event. "Towards the end of the event, I was leaving the field. I was moving with some purpose, but these two young men decided to stop me anyway and expressed their thanks for my efforts in helping with the BBQ and shook my hand. They did this with conviction, confidence and sincerity. Very few people were around at that time so it would have been easy to leave me alone, but they elected to do the hard thing and stop me. It is refreshing to see young people who are prepared to do the hard thing even when people are not watching. It shows a level of leadership, self-belief and spirit that is often lacking in this day and age." Well done to Head Boy Liam Cumming and Deputy Head Boy Jackson Bigwood.

This event was a testament to the strength and warmth of our school community. Seeing so many new families joining us reinforces the sense of unity and support that makes Whitby Collegiate such a special place. As we move forward into the new academic year, we are encouraged by the strong bonds that were formed and strengthened at the BBQ.

School sport has got off to a solid start and congratulations to our Equestrian, Summer Netball, Volleyball and Golf teams who competed this week. Lunchtime clubs have also started along with a large number of debaters forming teams for their competition starting shortly and the Choir and Band also looking for early starts in the term. We also warmly invite everyone to the Athletics Days being held at Adventure park this Wednesday.

We look forward to building on this positive momentum, working together to support our students’ growth, learning, and success. Here’s to a year filled with achievement, collaboration, and community spirit.

Warm regards,

Shelley Addison
Executive Principal

Deputies’ Updates

From the Deputy Principal (Academics)

Kia ora e te whānau o Whitby Collegiate,

The new NCEA standards for Level 1 are being implemented this year. I extend a warm invitation to parents and caregivers of Year 10 and 11 students to attend our NCEA Information session in the Ioane Fiso Pavilion from 6.30pm on Tuesday 12 March. There is no need to RSVP for this event. If you have any particular questions that you would like answered, feel free to let me know in advance by sending me an email.

Students who completed external NCEA examinations last year are reminded that the deadline to apply for a Review or Reconsideration is next Wednesday 21 February. Students can complete their applications via their NZQA login, and are reminded that there is a $20.30 fee associated with each application. This fee is refundable should there be a change in grade.

Following the reconsideration process, we are very optimistic that there will once again be 100% achievement for our students who completed NCEA Levels 1, 2, or 3 last year. My congratulations to all students, parents, and teachers who have worked hard for these successes. We will celebrate the academic achievements of our 2023 cohort at the Whitby Collegiate Scholars’ Assembly on Thursday 4 July. Invitations will be sent out closer to the time.

Have a lovely, safe weekend.

Ngā mihi,

Debbie Mitchell
debbie.mitchell@whitbycollegiate.school.nz

From the Deputy Principal (Pastoral and Wellbeing)

Tālofa lava Parents, students and families,

It was great to see such a wonderful turnout at our Meet & Greet BBQ yesterday. Our staff were heartened by the overwhelming support of parents, grandparents, families and students. We look forward to continuing the important work of strengthening the partnership between home and school and yesterday was a great start. Special mention must go to our Parents’ Association and Foundation who work tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure our school events are a success.

During our school assembly this week, we had the privilege of hearing from Nadia Roach and James Broun, who spoke eloquently about the importance of service and humility. Their words resonated with our students, reminding us all of the value of selflessness and compassion in our daily lives.

I also want to take this opportunity to commend Ishaan Badiyani, Lucy Bain, Harshit Kumar, Hannah Kansara, Head Boy Liam Cuming, and Head Girl Jade Lin for their inspiring reflections and messages on serving our school community. The commitment of our student leaders to making a positive difference was evident during yesterday's Meet & Greet BBQ, where they went above and beyond to make our families and new students feel welcome. I am incredibly grateful for the willingness of our students to contribute to the greater good of our school community. Well done student leaders!

Our Prefects and Peer Leaders continue to do great work with our Year 7 students for Peer Support. Prefects, Shanelle and Abigail doing cookie decorating with their peer group below:

As we work through the first few weeks of Term 1, we are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for our students to continue thriving in a positive school environment. As always, please feel free to connect with your son/daughter’s Tutor teacher or any member of our pastoral team. We look forward to hearing from you.

Thank you again for your continued support and emails.

Have a safe and restful weekend.

Ainslie Sauvao

Upcoming Events

Term 1 Activities/Events (Week 3)

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 here by clicking the button that reads “subscribe to this calendar”.

ACTIVITY/EVENT	DATE
Netball Preseason (Y9-13) @ 7:00AM	Monday 19 February
Chinese New Year Food Stall	Tuesday 20 February
Athletics Day	Wednesday 21 February
Netball Preseason (Y9-13) @ 7:00AM Y10 Te Reo Trip: Aotearoa NZ Festival	Thursday 22 February
L3 English Trip: Poet to Poet	Friday 23 February

Athletics Day

Our school Athletics Day will be held this Wednesday 21 February at Adventure Park. It's an opportunity for students to connect, demonstrate House pride, and compete in both track and field events, including the fun 50m race for newcomers. All students must participate in one track and one field event, contributing points to their House's total. Serious athletes can join the Pentathlon, competing in five events, with participation points worth double and the overall school athletics champions selected from Pentathlon competitors. Questions can be directed to Mrs. Levave, and tips for success can be obtained from Jackson or Jade. All the information about the categories, events, and pentathlon is on the registration form.

REGISTER HERE

School News

Music Lessons

At Whitby Collegiate, we offer itinerant lessons for the following instruments: drums, piano, vocal, guitar, ukulele and bass. If you require more information or would like to sign up for lessons, please fill out this form or email Ms Ting nicole.ting@whitbycollegiate.school.nz.

Parents Meet & Greet BBQ - Thank you to our supporters

We want to extend our sincerest gratitude to everyone who made our Parents Meet & Greet BBQ a resounding success! Your support and generosity truly made a difference, and we couldn't have done it without you.

To our amazing retail supporters, Trade Assist New Zealand (Wellington) and Toyota New Zealand (Porirua), thank you for lending us your community-use BBQ trailers. Special thanks also go to New World Whitby for their generous discount on our purchases, making it possible for us to feed everyone! And of course, a huge round of applause to the dedicated parent helpers who volunteered their time and energy to ensure the event ran smoothly.

Thank you once again to everyone involved for making our Parents Meet & Greet BBQ a fantastic success. Your generosity and support mean the world to us and our community!

School Tuck Shop

The school tuck shop will now be opening for lunch orders and sales every day from Thursday 22 February due to school-wide events on Tuesday and Wednesday. Students will be able to purchase ready to eat items and drinks at morning tea. They will also be able to pick up pre-ordered lunch items and purchase ready to eat items and drinks at lunchtime.

Note: pre-order lunch items need to be ordered online by 9am, purchasing in advance will be available. (e.g. ordering lunch on Monday for Thursday). This can be done through your Lunch Online account.

Sports Update

Golf

What a great start to the CSW Weekly Golf Competition! Both of our Whitby Collegiate teams won their games at Judgeford Golf course on Monday. Lonasei and Liam played Mana College and Mataniu and Olivia played Aotea College.

Netball

A friendly reminder to all senior (Year 9-13) Netball players wanting to play competitive netball season to complete the Winter Netball Google Form before Sunday for preseason training. This form serves as your preseason registration but also provides essential information about trials for all year levels. If you're not wanting to play senior competitive team but are interested in playing in general this season, you can express your interest in the Google Form. Please note that the official registration for the season will be available once winter sports registrations open in due course.

Preseason for all senior competitive players starts this coming Monday 19 February in the school gym at 7am start. Players will be provided with a cold breakfast when training finishes at 8am. Please come along in your school PE gear and bring your drink bottle, any necessary medication and be ready to work!

For those currently involved in Summer Netball, there are four weeks of competition remaining. Keep an eye out for game details, which will be posted today on Heja. See you all courtside!

**For all sports information, latest draws & results, sport clubs and registrations please visit our online sports hub** **here**.

Join the Whitby Collegiate Sport Facebook Group

Keep up to date with all Whitby Collegiate sport news, draws & results, achievements, and LIVE updates at facebook.com/groups/whitbycollegiatesport

Student Achievements

We love to celebrate our students’ achievements. For inclusion in the Whitby Collegiate newsletter or on our Facebook page, please fill in the online form here or forward it to communications@whitbycollegiate.school.nz