WSC Newsletter #3

100 Motions Rd, Western Springs,
Auckland 1022, New Zealand
Phone (+64 09) 815 6730
Fax (+64 09) 815 6740
Email:admin@wsc.school.nz

30  MARCH 2016

Can’t see the images ? Click here

2016 - Term One

Week Ten 
4 April - 8 April
Summer Tournament - all week 7 April - Senior Parent/Teacher interviews 2-7pm

Week Eleven
11 April - 15 April
11 April - Yr 11 PE Camp #1
14 April - Nasa Trip
15 April - last day of term 

 

Principal's Notes

Parent / Student / Teacher Interviews, Thursday, 7 April, 2.00-4.00pm; 5.00-7.00pm
Further to deputy principal, Paul Alford’s emailed letter of 23/03/16 (reproduced below), the parent survey on today’s interview process will be emailed to you by 2.00pm today so that, if you wish, you can fill in the survey in a few spare moments and return it to us while you are on site.  A reminder to have with you for your reference the Interviews Map which Paul emailed to you last Friday, 1 April.  A reminder too that, if you have yet to book your report interview appointments, you can still do so using the online service which can be accessed from our website: www.westernsprings.school.nz .
 

Students’ Term Break Plans
While we do hope that students will return refreshed for the new term on 2 May, it is important for senior students especially to take advantage of the respite from lessons to invest precious study time in the soon-to-be-assessed assignments which are going to be due early in the new term.
 

Staff News
I informed the staff with very mixed feelings on Wednesday about the retirement of Learning Centre teacher, Helen Hogg. Helen has served the students of this school for 12 years as our literacy specialist. Many indeed are the students, especially boys, who have benefitted from Helen’s passionate dedication to the mission of empowering students with the language skills and self-belief which they often desperately need in order to succeed in education. Helen is one of those special teachers who succeeds in building self-esteem and confidence in young men. Helen will finish at WSC at the end of week four next term.
 

School Rebuild Planning
The project management/architect team is scheduled to present the proposed master plan for the rebuild to the board of trustees during the third week of this month. When approved for peer review, the plan will be submitted to a design review panel after which the board will be in a position to announce arrangements to the school community for a public presentation. The date and time for this event will be communicated to you as soon as it becomes available.
 

Ponsonby Intermediate Wim Boxen’s Retirement
I will be attending Wim’s farewell assembly at the end of the term in recognition of the cooperative partnership which has characterised our association during his lengthy tenure at the school. Ponsonby Intermediate is WSC’s main contributing school in terms of Year 9 enrolments. I would like to acknowledge how consistently well prepared for secondary education the Ponsonby Intermediate graduates who enrol with us have been.
 

New Newsletter Format
We hope that you enjoy the school newsletter in its new programme format. Acknowledgements to Critical Mass, our communications agency.
 

Now that our new school logo and motto have been launched, we have resumed consultation with our website development agency. We expect to have the new website up on screen during term two.

Changes to Student-Parent-Teacher Interviews in 2016

As noted at the start of this newsletter the senior interviews (from 2-4pm and 5-7pm on Thursday 7 April) are open for bookings, and the code is sw5m7.  Access the booking website here.

In response to parent feedback we have made changes to the format of our interview evening this time.
 

Firstly, we have clustered all staff in the hall, library and adjacent buildings.  This is because many parents felt that having staff dispersed across the campus was problematic.  Teachers will be clustered in subject areas, with desks in those clusters organised alphabetically by the teacher's surname.
 

Secondly, we will be ringing the bell after each 5 minute interview slot so that there is a clear signal  for both teachers and parents to move onto the next interview.  Again this is in response to feedback from parents that their biggest irritation with the interview evening was interviews not running to schedule.
 

As the smooth running of our interview evening does rely on all teachers and parents keeping to the timetable, please consider other parents and end your interviews on time. If you need more time with a particular teacher, they will be happy to arrange a separate meeting or phone call.

 

Unfortunately because our Dive Camp is running at this time some of our Health, PE, and Sports Academy staff will not be available at the interview evening, but please do feel free to email them.
 

At the interview evening it is also possible to book a slot with: the Accelerated Students Coordinator, Graeme Moran; the Gifted and Talented Coordinator, David Larsen; the Maori English-Medium students Coordinator, Sophie Lenehan; the Pasifika Coordinator, Tupe Tai; the Head of the Learning Centre, Helen Thorpe; The Head of Learning Support, Julie Senescall; the Careers Teachers, Kay Wallace and Margaret Ruland; the Guidance Counsellors, Sue Poupouare and Linda Bean; and the Heads of House.
 

Finally, at the interview evening we will be asking all parents to complete a survey on the interview evening process.  Please do help us to improve these events by filling in and returning the survey.
 

Thanks in advance for your continuing goodwill at these major school events.

Paul Alford
(Deputy Principal)

Arts Leaders – Ariane Lenihan, Dione Tay and Sebastian Rice-Walsh have had a busy start to the year. Meetings have begun with the Arts team and planning is underway for this years Arts calendar events. All are currently involved in rehearsal and preparation for upcoming productions in Dance and Drama with Street Dance New Zealand, Seussical and Sheilah Winn. 

Western Springs College is always proud to participate in the annual University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival. This year we will take six acts to the Auckland West Regional Competition at Hobsonville Secondary School. Performers, Y9 – 13, are very busy directing, preparing and rehearsing 5 and 15 minute extracts from Shakespearean plays.
We look forward to seeing what these students put forward.

Thanks to Cato Refiti – 13Art Design – for the ArtsNews Heading in this issue.

arts@wsc.school.nz             Kirsty Britton – Arts Coordinator
Art Leaders

What's happening in the Arts!

Seussical - School Musical 2016

Rehearsals for the school musical Seussical have started! Our sixth rehearsal in and the production is underway. Singing has been the biggest part of the process so far - due to the huge number of songs in the production. We have begun with the direction and choreography for the beginning of the play. The students are all so talented and we have fantastic people in charge of making us look great. Bring on holiday rehearsals!
Ariane Lenihan – Arts Leader
Dance

SDNZ - Street Dance New Zealand Nationals

The WSC Hip Hop crew is up and running with the beginnings of a 4 minute long sequence for SDNZ (Street Dance NZ) Mega Schools Competition. Choreographers Georgia Menhennet, Eva Fuemana, Tatsuki Nonomura, Eden Galo and Akinehi Munroe are teaching the group of 25 students popping, breakdance, vogue and other hip hop styles for the competition at Vodafone Events Centre on Friday, April 29. Tickets are on sale now through Ticketmaster ($20).
Chloe Davison – HOD Dance
Drama

Rehearsals continue for the University of Otago - Sheilah Winn Shakespeare FestivalHeading

Our students are working lunchtimes and after school to get their scenes up to speed.

Don’t forget that this year our six groups have been entered in the Auckland West Regional Festival and we will need parents to ferry the students, so let us know if you can provide transport. The venue is Hobsonville Point Secondary School, 70 Hobsonville Point Road on the evening of 12th April.
 

Rehearsals for Seussical are running Monday and Wednesday after school and last Thursday Robin Kelly met with the band students to look at who will be playing what. Like the cast, the band will be rehearsing intensely over the two weeks of the April holidays.
 

Barbara Joseph is working with some of our performing arts technology student to design the costumes for the show, but she welcomes parents who have the skills to help with sewing the costumes. Please email Robert Pollock pollockr@wsc.school.nz if you can help.
 

In week ten, year 11 drama students will be off to Q Theatre’s Loft space to Massive Company’s production, The Wholehearted. This is a piece of devised theatre in which a small cast of seven actors' explore what it is to live wholeheartedly. The show reveals the actors own stories as well as those from people in their communities who have been willing to share aspects of their lives through a series of specific questions. Massive Company’s work is very personal, highly physical and totally captivating. This will be an excellent introduction to the process of devising theatre, which is the next unit of work for the students.

Robert Pollock - HOD Drama
Visual Arts

Extended Greetings

There is a 'real busyness' simmering in the Art rooms of late.

The Y9s are well into building their technical skills in their booklets and developing their painting studies, with some eager students coming in during their own time to complete work. This same level of commitment and self-management was evident when a group of Y10 students were involved in an intensive watercolour workshop at the historic Toi Tu Studio 1 (old Artstation). In conjunction with the Auckland Arts Festival, the workshops were run by renowned international publisher and illustrator Sandra Morris.  

The Hauora links with traditional watercolour and Maori medicine were especially pertinent in relation to our school sustainability goals, and students rose to the technical challenges to produce works that reflect genuine enjoyment of the specialised media. Teachers Kirsty Britton and Danielle Voyce were full of praise for the students and will be looking forward to a return visit in the near future.

Toi tu - Watercolour Workshops - 10ART 2016

On a personal note, I had the opportunity to take part in the 30 year celebration of the Tautai Art Trust.  With the group exhibition also at Toi Tu (and as an ex-Chairperson) I got to convene the public talk during the weekend and contribute my two cents to the RNZ Spectrum series.  Ex-students who have also been involved with the Trust over the last 20 years are Cook Island digital artist/academic Metuanooroa Tapuni, Samoan painter/tattooist Tyla Vaeau, Niuean multimedia/installation artist Janet Lilo and abstract painter/academic Claudia Jowitt of Fijian heritage.  
 

Also as part of Auckland Art Festival the Y13 Painting students had their collaborative ‘Tape Art’ mural exhibited at the Maritime Museum. They were represented at the ‘White Nights’ event by Y13 student Ariana Hill who was on hand to aid the tutors and general public in adding to the linear work which was a huge progressive hit.

Tape Art - Maritime Museum - 13 Painting 2016

Chalking these up to ‘another line on the CV’, the opportunity to experience working in the Creative Arts reflects the values and relevance our programmes have in the wider community.  Harnessing this energy and using the motivation as fuel to further develop their ideas is now the goal. In readiness for the up-coming report interviews, students should see their teachers for materials and guidance regarding any work that could be completed over the holiday break before assessments next term.
Ia Manuia                  

Lily Laita – HOD Art

Invitation to 10 Art students who were selected to participate in the Watercolour Workshop
Digital Technology

We have started off with a bang in digital technology for 2016. We have welcomed a new staff member to the ranks, Katherine de Montalk, who is involved with senior DVC and junior technology classes.We are excited to have her part as of our team. The first year 13 Digital Technology course at Western Springs College has also commenced and students are currently redesigning their own custom Bluetooth speakers. In this project they will be using components of an existing speaker and the new 3d printers to build a fully functional prototype.
 

We now have two amazing 3d printers here in the technology department, which allows all our seniors in digital technology, year 11 to 13, to interact and engage with some really innovative machinery. Designing a product on the computer and then seeing it come to life is something special and surreal.
 

The year 11 students are busy learning different types of software and how to use the 3d printers in preparation for designing and building their own personalised USB. This is a great way to introduce students into learning the new technology and they get to walk away with something personal and functional.
We are really looking forward to the rest of the year, getting into programming and Web development. It's going to be exciting to see all the great work the digital technology students will produce.

Mike Gunn
Languages

The Swiss Exchange

Rachel Jackson, year 13, is telling us about her experience taking part in the Swiss Exchange last year. For more information about the Swiss Exchange for year 12 and 13 students of French, contact Cécile Bourgeois at bourgeoisc@wsc.school.nz.
 

'I spent my summer holidays doing what every high school student wants to do ....... going to school.

Back in July last year, I had a Swiss exchange student called Thibaud come and stay with my family for two months, and attending school with me. In December last year, I left for Switzerland just days after finishing my Level 2 exams, to spend two months experiencing the Swiss lifestyle and immersing myself in the French language.

On the left we have the view over Geneva - the city centre fountain (Jet d'Eau) and on the right is snow in Thibaud's back garden after school one day.

School was a lot different. At Springs we are encouraged to take control of our own learning, with the teachers there to help us along the way. At Collège Madame De Stael, the outlook is completely different. Students follow a strict timetable, and have all the information given to them, there is no effort in locating it or understanding why. This was quite shocking to me, just as the Springs’ way of doing things was a shock to Thibaud.
 

The family I stayed with was brilliant and made me feel right at home. They introduced me to the Swiss lifestyle, including the festival of L’Escalade, which I was thrown into on my first weekend! It’s a celebration of a battle that took place in 1602 in which 18 people died. It’s a long story, but the celebration involves a mallet, and a giant cauldron made of chocolate and a lot of marzipan.
 

When Thibaud’s winter holidays came around, we drove to Spain and spent a few weeks hanging out in and around Barcelona. So much for the expected winter holiday on the snow! (There was no snow!)
 

I left Geneva after an amazing two months and headed home via Paris with the rest of the exchange students. We spent a whirlwind three days seeing everything we could, including going to the summit of the Eiffel Tour at 11pm! I arrived home just in time to start school again, with a bunch of photos, brilliant memories and an experience of a lifetime under my belt.’

On the left me and an actor in 1602 costume for L'Escalade and on the right a picture of just outside the front door in Barcelona!

Probably my favourite photo of the trip - Thibaud walking down the boardwalk in Barcelona

Welcome to the Year of the Monkey

Nǐ hǎo! Kon nichiwa! Boujour! Greetings to all of you in our school community. 

 

On Wednesday March 2nd, Margaret Ruland and I took our Year 12 and Year 13 Japanese classes on a once in a life time special event experience right here in Auckland. We went to the Maiko performance at the Auckland War Memorial Museum Auditorium, organised by the Consulate General of Japan. Two Maiko-san (apprentice of Geisha) invited all the way from Kyoto, Japan (main Maiko training place) to come here to show case what they have learnt and share their lives with the high school students here in Auckland.

Believe it or not, they are about the same ages as our students, but according to them, if anyone wants to become a Maiko, they need to start the training from 15 years of age.

During the training of becoming Geisha, they would also work, with their days usually starting from 6am to 12 midnight. Even when they have their day off (only 2 days off per month), they still go to lessons and practices, so they cannot really enjoy what teenagers do nowadays.We also nominated two of our students (James McEwen and Bhargava Gowda) to take part in a tea ceremony and Japanese traditional game

AUCKLAND WAR MEMORIAL MUSEUM AUDITORIUM WEDNESDAY 2ND MARCH

yr 12 & yr 13 japanese classes

maiko performance

Eden - Yr 13

The Maiko event was really cool.  it was awesome seeing the make-up on the women and the kimono they wore in person.

bhargava - Yr 12

the event was fun. i learnt a lot about the maiko lifestyle.  i enjoyed playing the japanese drinking game

gian - Yr 12

i found it really interesting how the maiko used the long sleeves on their dresses to improve their performance

JAMES - YR 12

I ENJOYED DOING THE TEA CEREMONY BUT WAS A LITTLE DISAPPOINTED IT WAS NOT FULLY TRADITIONAL AS WE SAT ON A CHAIR AND ATE WESTERN LOLLIES INSTEAD OF KNEELING DOWN AND EATING JAPANESE SWEETS
Science
Baboons at the zoo

Our students in the garden

looking after our worms

Science Department News

We have made the most of the good weather so far this year with a number of camps and trips.

All of our Year 9 students have had the opportunity to visit the Arataki Visitors Centre as part of their first unit “Nga Taonga o Aotearoa”. Some students in 9KA have written about their experience:

 

“We started off in the classroom at Arataki, learning about the different bird calls, and also how the birds looked. We were then separated into groups, given a sheet, and sent into the forest to hear for ourselves. After some more time spent in the classroom, we went back into the forest to look at some weta hotels and animal prints. We enjoyed identifying the animal prints and learning about biodiversity. It was also interesting to determine what bird calls we were hearing in the forest. It was an entertaining and informative day out in the bush, even though it was difficult to stay still & quiet long enough to hear the bird calls!”
 

Our Year 9 Scientists have also begun visiting the zoo to look at New Zealand’s animals and plants in Te Wao Nui, as well as attending classroom sessions with Sarah, the Educator at the zoo.

 

Charlotte and her year 9 classes have started the year helping with the care of our school worm farm and gardens. They are very grateful to Mike, one of our groundsmen, who loves the worms & helps the students when they are over there. Milo McPhail has written a reflection on the time he spent at the garden this term. 

"My class and I were at the garden working on our plants that we planted the week before and a couple of my friends and I were asked to help out at the worm farm. We started out by soaking cardboard boxes for the worms to create burrows. Then I was asked to help out with sorting the food scraps to feed the worms.  It smelt really bad but we persevered and we fed the worms. I think the most interesting thing I found out about the worms was that they reproduce healthy soil. I didn't know how important the worm farm is to the ecosystem. The worm farm links up to our science, in which we are learning about Ecosystems and Biodiversity in New Zealand.  The worm farm links up with this as it plays an important part in our school ecosystem." (Milo McPhail)

 

Our Level 3 Biology & Science students have spent hours at the Baboon enclosure across the road so far this term, collecting data for their first internal, B3.1. They are studying the intraspecific behaviour of the Hamadryas Baboons, specifically the hierarchical structure of the One Male Units that these animals live in.

 

The Level 2 Biologists braved the stormy weather during the week leading up to Easter for the annual trip to Goat Island. They were determined to get in the water for a snorkel despite the surf, and managed to still collect the data required for their first internal assessment. We look forward to a full trip report next newsletter.
Alternatives to Using Plastic

Information was researched by the Eco Warriors

On average, each New Zealander consumes approximately 36 kg of plastic packaging per year and only recycles 8.64kg.  The rest ends up in landfill. Have you always wanted to switch to non-plastic items but not sure how? Read the following information to help you make some better environmental choices in your daily life.

Alternatives to plastic wrap Greaseproof paper - it can’t be waxed$1.99 per 30m roll

Honey wraps are a GREAT alternative to plastic wrap.
Go to the websites below to find out how to purchase them.
They make for great gifts too!
http://www.honeywrap.co.nz
The Eco Warriors will be running some workshops on making our own honey wraps. These will start up in Term Two. More details to follow.

Containers
Storage Box are available at most if not all department stores. Newmarket have a great selection (3 Eden Street, New Market), so do The Warehouse and Briscoes.

Using containers, honey wraps and greaseproof paper will all play a part in reducing the amount of plastic you use. We also need to start refusing plastic use. Stop any extra plastic if you can, because these small steps over time will make a difference.

$1.99 per roll

honey wraps

Variety of containers

Alternatives to plastic bags
It is estimated that New Zealanders use over 1 billion plastic bags per year.

The average New Zealander goes through 300 plastic bags a year. Plastic bags remain toxic even after they break down.

Cloth bags are great for supermarket shopping.

Check out these websites below:
http://ecobags.co.nz/
http://www.ecodeals.co.nz/eco-info/tag/plastic/
http://rethinknz.com/

Tips on how to remember your cloth bags
  •  Leave them in the boot of your/family’s car
  •  Hang them up in your porch/hallway so that you can simply grab it on the way to your car

Alternatives to plastic bin liners
Plastic bin liners are essentially bigger versions of plastic bags, and so they don’t break down when they go to landfill, and they leak toxins into the soil around them.  However, there are some alternatives:

Go to EcoDeals ($5.50 for 20 bags), Ayrpak ($3.33 for 30 bags) or Friendlypak ($9 for 25 bags) to buy compostable bin liners. You can also buy them from Countdown - Kleenex Rubbish Bags for 69 cents each (if they aren’t at your local supermarket you can buy them on the Countdown website). Compostable bin liners don’t harm the environment because they break down in one to two years, usually, when they go into landfill rather than plastic bin liners which can take thousand of years.

Alternatives to plastic doggie bags
Biodegradable dog waste bags EcoBags  -$18.80 and $21.80
Ethical Shopper.
You can also buy biodegradable doggie bags from the Countdown website - just search ‘SPCA ezibags’
Flushable dog waste bags
 

Alternative to plastic (polyethylene terephthalate) bottles

S’well bottles (insulated bottles) -The Collected - $59.99 or 
Glass drink bottles - The Collected - $30                                  
Stainless steel bottles - Klean Kanteen - from $19.95   

Using bottles that are not plastic like glass or metal will last longer and will be cheaper in the long run because you do not have to buy bottles regularly and it helps the environment.  Also, many plastic bottles have a Bisphenol A (BPA) lining which can affect your health negatively.  The bottles that we recommend include S’well bottles(insulated bottles), glass drinking bottles and stainless steel bottles.
Careers Happenings

 YEAR 12 and YEAR 13 Families

University Liaison Visits for 2016

  • Monday 11 April  Canterbury University - 1.40 Waiora• Thursday 5 May  Waikato Uni Engineering  information - 1.40 pm Waiora
  • Tuesday 10 May  SavY Financial UoA Financial advice - 1.40 Hall
  • Friday 29 July  SavY talk about apprenticeships - 1.40 Waiora

University Events

  • Monday 9 May  Otago Tertiary Open day (Otago Uni & polytech)
  • Friday 13 May  Waikato Uni Hamilton Campus Open day.
  • Wednesday 18 May  UC Info night for Auckland families - 6.30 Showgrounds
  • Monday 20 June  Otago Info night for Auckland families - 6.30 Eden Park Auckland
  • Tuesday 21 June   Otago Uni Law Event 7.00pm – 9.00pm Rydges Hotel Auckland
  • Thursday 7 July  Enginuity Day Auckland University (Year 13)
  • Thursday 14 July  UC Open Day (tour accommodation on 13th July)  UC Campus Tour information is found here.
  • Friday 15 July  Lincoln Uni Open day
  • Wednesday 27 July  Maori and Pacific Finance Evening (Year 12 and 13)
  • Wednesday 3 August  Education and Social work experience day (Epsom)
  • Thurs 4 August 6.30 - 8.30 Victoria Uni Information evening -Auckland Central Hotel Pullman, cnr Princes Stand Waterloo Quadrant
  • Friday 26th August  Victoria Uni Open day
  • Saturday 27th August Auckland Uni open day (schedule to come) 9 - 3.15
  • Saturday 27th August  AUT Open Day

Massey Uni Campuses Open Days

  • Wednesday 3 Aug 9am- 2pm Manawatu
  • Saturday 20 Aug 10am-3pm Auckland
  • Friday 26 Aug 8.30 - 1.30 pmWellington

Massey University - Auckland information evenings May 17th and 18th
Our next information evening will be held on the Albany campus, on the followings days.
Sir Neil Waters lecture Theatres, GATE 1, Dairy Flat Highway (SH17) Albany
See a map for the Auckland Campus 
Further details of venues etc can be found here
Tuesday 17 May - Business, arts, design and more
Wednesday 18 May - Sciences, Agriculture, Engineering, Health & more

Victoria University Information evenings
Come along and hear directly from our staff and students about what Victoria has to offer. Find out about your undergraduate course options and get information about accommodation in Wellington.
If are unable to attend this event then there are Auckland events at different times  see here

Defence Force Bus Visit at WSC Monday 30 and 31 May outside library all day.

Matariki - Career Event for Maori and Pasifika Students 1 June 2016 6-8pm in Hall

Tertiary prospectuses can be found here

Portfolio Information Days and events for entry to courses requiring portfolios

AUT
Art & Design Portfolio and Information Days
During 2016 we are running a number of Art & Design Portfolio and Information Sessions. These sessions are designed for prospective students who intend to apply for our art and design undergraduate programmes.
These will be held on the following dates:
Tuesday, 19 April 2016
Tuesday, 12 July 2016
Tuesday, 6 September
For further information on these days click here.

Massey Tour of the Creative Arts Campus in Wellington 13 May
Student Experience Day at College of Creative Arts, Massey University, Wellington

Auckland University - NICAI, Architecture, Dance and  Elam School of Fine Arts
Portfolios days and details can be found here

What do graduates earn? 
Recents statistics show that what you study can be important as the level of qualification gained.
Further details on what graduates in different feilds earn can be found here.

Inaugural History/Classics Trip

The History and Classics departments are delighted to announce that we are organising a trip to Europe in 2017. The trip is open to students who will be taking  Year 13 History, and Year 12 and 13 Classics in 2017. The trip is planned for the July holidays next year, and we are looking at going to the following sites/places:
 

France: Paris, Normandy
Germany: Berlin
Italy: Rome
Greece: Athens
 

There will be further details to follow in the next newsletter, and we will be having a meeting for parents early in Term 2, where we will provide further details of the trip and proposed costs. If your child is keen to be a part of this experience, please register your interest by emailing either Sophie Lenehan: Classics department (lenehans@wsc.school.nz) or Emma Dwyer: History department (dwyere@wsc.school.nz).
Sports

ATHLETICS

Approximately 45 students represented Springs in the recent Central Western Zone Athletics meeting.  Our top performers at the meeting were ;

Scarlett Barnes  1500m – Intermediate Girls 2nd
Colin Bourke  High Jump – Senior Boys 4th
Skylar Chapman-Peters High Jump – Intermediate Girls 3rd =
Rhys Davidson  300m – Junior Boys  5th
Adam Finlayson  Javelin – Senior Boys  5th
Hinemoa Fonua  Discus – Intermediate Girls 4th
Sofia Gorman  Javelin – Junior Girls  2nd
Ben Hiscotte  400m – Intermediate Boys 4th
Bridget Hobbs  1500m – Senior Girls  2nd
Felix Lim   1500m – Junior Boys  4th
James McKinney Long Jump – Junior Boys 5th  1500m  3rd
Waiata Rameka-Tupe Javelin – Senior Girls  2nd
Heidi Robinson  3000m – Senior Girls  1st
Grayson Schwalger 300m – Junior Boys  4th
Mila Strand-Saseve 300m – Junior Girls  5th
Nick Varley  1500m – Intermediate Boys  2nd
 

Congratulations to the following students who represented Springs in the recent Champs of Champs meeting. While the competition was steaming hot, all our athletes need to be acknowledged for their strong performances.

Scarlett Barnes   IG 1500m – 7th   Skylar Chapman-Peters   IG High Jump – 13th Sofia Gorman   JG Javelin – 8th    Bridgett Hobbs   SG 1500m – 9th
Tito-Nathan Niupopo  JB Shot Put – 14th  Caleb Savelio-Thompson   JB Shot Put –  12th  James McKinney  JB High Jump – 6th  &  JB 1500m – 15th

TENNIS

Five teams were entered into the Northern schools Monday competition which is played after school. We placed two teams in the Boys Grade 2 and a junior boys team in Grade 6. Our top girls team was placed in Grade 2 and our girl’s B team in Grade 3.

All teams have performed strongly and with finals being held in early April, we can confirm three teams - Boys Gold, Girls Gold and Junior Boys have made finals, while our Boys White and Girls Green will play off for 3rd and 4th.
The Term 1 Tennis season concludes with the Annual School Tennis Tournament being held prior to Term break. This event is open to allcomers- juniors and seniors, whereas the Term 4 School Tournament is open only to Juniors. 

 

COACHES

With most sports commencing after Term break, we desperately need coaching and management staff for the following teams -

 

NETBALL
Three coaches required for three netball teams. Contact Kau Tepaki for details.

 

RUGBY 
Due to unforeseen circumstances, we now require coaching staff for our junior team and an assistant coach for our senior team. Contact Richard (027) 4861681.

 

SQUASH
Is one of our popular growth sports with 9-10 teams playing on various days of the week. As we have 4-5 teams playing in the busy Monday competition, we require parents to transport and manage a Monday team, which has 4/5 students. Contact Richard for details.

CRICKET – First X1

With Easter being so much earlier this year, there was always going to be a hectic playing schedule for the 1st XI to get in a complete round of championship games and Gillette cup fixtures and with the first fixture of the season being played before the team had even started term.

The team started well with 2 comfortable victories, before we took on Avondale to find our pool winner in the Gillette cup. Avondale were recently relegated from Premier A, so were always going to be tough. Springs went about their game well and were never overawed by the occasion and came away with the win. 

Next we faced Papatoetoe in the semi-final and another strong victory. This now took the team to the “Plate final”, the 3rd time in as many years. Our next opponents Howick had come through the other side of the draw unbeaten and proved to be a formidable opponent. With “Springs” winning the toss and choosing to bat on our new pitch, we struggled against a strong bowling attack, backed up by some great fielding.  With only a meager 104 to defend the boys came out fired up. Two quick wickets saw the team apply a lot of pressure. Wickets fell regularly and Howick were never given the opportunity to get back into the game and were all out for 91.

Having lost the two previous “plate finals”, it was a great achievement to now advance to the major semi-final against St Kents, who are top of “Premier A” and packed with rep players. Unfortunately we struggled and found the going tough against a very strong and competitive team. St Kents went on to win the “Auckland school” representative to contest the national Gillette cup competition.
The team currently sits in the top 3 of the championship competition, as the season now breaks for Winter. With many of the team making their 1st XI debuts this year, we had a very nice mix of youth and experience. This combined well to forge a happy team environment and so we look forward to Term 4 with confidence.

 

CRICKET – Juniors

There are some good teams playing in the Year 9/10 Junior A grade and the Western Springs boys have done themselves and the school proud with a couple of very good wins, some close losses and most importantly a strong commitment to the team. This has resulted in some big improvements in our cricket.

Our bowling has been consistently excellent. Everyone gets to bowl in this team and every single boy in the team has taken at least one wicket. We have had some good individual batting performances, a few decent partnerships and our batting overall is improving. Our fielding has been good and our catching has been much better in the past few games.

The boys had a comprehensive win against MAGS with 6 different bowlers all taking wickets and our opening batting partnership scoring 79 runs off 8 overs.  There was a close loss in a great game against a very good Howick College Colts team. Again 6 bowlers took wickets and we were 81 runs for 2 wickets at the half way mark chasing 130 but unfortunately fell 8 runs short of the total with 9 balls remaining in an exciting finish.

A win in the final game against Auckland Grammar highlighted our improvement. Solid bowling restricted Auckland Grammar to 115 runs and some good catches were taken in the field. We then had 2 very solid batting partnerships and chased the runs down in 20 overs to win the game.
We can look forward to later in the year and picking up where we left off with a great team spirit, lots of fun and a team that is making big improvements and getting some very good results.

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