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

16 May 2016

Can’t see the images ? Click here

Calendar

Week 3
16 May to 20 May

May 17 - May 20 
Yr 13 Geo Trip, Queenstown

 

 

Week 4
23 May to 27 May

May 24 - May 28
Seussical 7pm TAPAC Theatre      

(school production)

 

 

Week 5
30 May to 3 June Open Week

Information Evening: Monday 30 May from
7 - 8.15pm in the college hall.

School Tours
Tuesday 31 May to Friday 3 June 9.15am each day finishing around 11.15am

The Junior interviews (from 2-4pm and 5-7pm on Thursday 2 June) are now open for bookings, and the code is g42ex, access the booking website here.
 

PRINCIPAL, KEN HAVILL, ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

The Board of Western Springs College, Nga Puna o Waiorea, would like to let its community know that Principal, Ken Havill has decided to retire, effective from the end of Term Four 2016.

Mr Havill, began with the college in 1990 and has been Principal since 1998. He said he had timed his departure to ensure the budget for a new school was secured and build plans were well underway.

“I wanted to leave this job with the school in a really strong position and I think we’re there now,” Mr Havill said. He also leaves with the school having secured the positive endorsement of the Education Review Office, ranking Auckland’s top state secondary school for level three NCEA and university entrance for several years running.

Board Chair, John Loof said Ken Havill would leave a considerable legacy.

“Over his 19 year tenure as Principal, Ken has established Western Springs’ reputation as a successful, progressive, liberal school. During that time the roll has more than doubled, while WSC has transformed from a niche college to a modern, high performing, learning environment which attracts skilled staff and able students.”

The Board has formed a recruitment committee to secure Mr Havill’s replacement with the intention of being able to appoint a new Principal at the start of Term Four. Parents will be kept advised throughout the process.

John Loof said the timing of Mr Havill’s departure would provide for a comprehensive hand over, while enabling the Principal’s input into the critical design phases for the new school.

“Ken will also shape the school’s unique co-governance model as it is developed this year. We are delighted to have his continuing leadership through this busy period of change.”

John Loof
Chair - Western Springs College

ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY

Waitemata Harbour cruise for 12est

okahu bay, waitemata harbour 

Term 1 was a bush term for environmental sustainability with several day trips and a 3 day trip to Whangarei Heads and the Poor Knights

 

On Tuesday 23rd of February Year 12 EST took a harbour cruise to investigate the human effect on the Waitemata Harbour and Hauraki Gulf.   Then on Friday the 11th of March the Year 12 Environmental Sustainability class travelled to Orakei Marae, Okahu Bay, to get a better understanding of sustainability and pollution in the area.Our main objective was to learn about the restoration and replanting by Ngati Whatua Orakei on and around the Marae, which is designed to have a positive impact on the Hauraki Gulf. We came away from the trip with the ability to understand and pass on valuable knowledge about Okahu Bay and the surrounding harbour.  

Students were taught what people from the Marae have achieved to improve the pollution in our bays. This includes distributing large areas of blue lip muscles to help filter the water to keep it clear which the ecosystem and public will benefit from.

They were also planting many native trees in the natural stream lines leading to the sea which will create a pure barrier for the likes of heavy metal, sediment and runoff.  Richelle (our guide for the day) was able to provide new initiatives into how we can prevent pollution from reaching our seas and make the world a cleaner place.

To maintain clean seawater in Auckland is an ongoing process that the Marae will continue to work on and our environmental class has been given the ability to help with this process. Richelle and fellow environmental specialists are able to offer us as students many great opportunities with scholarships and guidance available to continue with our passion of living in a clean world. We would like to say huge Thank you to Ngati Whatua Orakei for allowing us to experience such an amazing place.

Our Level 3 environmental sustainability class is currently learning about the sustainability of marine reserves in relation to the fishing industry, ecotourism, environment and New Zealand culture. To do some research of our own we have recently been lucky enough to experience a marine reserve in action through a field trip to the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve off the coast of Tutukaka.

We left on Wednesday at 9am and had a good hour to bond over common environmental goals thanks to the bus arriving late. We arrived at Pataua South where half the students headed into the water to note what species were present and take a look at the biodiversity of a non-marine reserve to compare with what we were going to see at the Poor knights the next day. The other half of the students went out in pairs on the kayaks to explore the biodiversity of the area from above the water and endure a wee bit of friendly competition as to who was the most skilled pair in the art of synchronised kayaking. From Pataua South we headed to our home for the night the Blue Heron motor camp. We also went on a bit of an unplanned trip into the city centre (Whangarei) to hear a range of people talk on the benefits of marine reserves and exploring them which was very interesting.          

On Thursday, we experienced the Poor Knights Islands ourselves. After an easygoing and calm boat ride off the Tutukaka Coast, we anchored in one of the reserve’s stunning bays where we were told where we could and could not go then let off to snorkel and explore the area. As soon as we got in the water we were greeted by a huge range of different fish and marine species, many of whom were friendly and unafraid of us. Shark fin Cave and the archway were two of the best snorkel spots and while some snorkelled other students were also free to explore the area on kayaks and paddleboards.

As well as swimming into Shark Fin cave, we also got to experience Rikoriko Cave (the world's largest sea cave) where the skipper skilfully took the boat into the cave and blasted the horn to demonstrate the perfect acoustics of the cave. We also had a lovely rendition of our national anthem from a few students which really highlighted the great sounds the cave could produce. From the poor knights we went back to the motor camp at Tutukaka and unpacked before the traditional evening lecture from Dr Roger Grace who shared with us his life time work on the importance of marine conservation and the need for marine reserves. We then headed to Schnapper Rock for a delightful three course meal to end the day. 

Friday was the last day of our trip and we spent the morning packing up our things and having breakfast at Schnapper rock. We then went into the Tutukaka Township to talk to business owners and find information as to whether or not the marine reserve was beneficial for the township and the townspeople economically and socially. From here we headed back to Auckland stopping off in Wellsford for lunch and arriving back just in time for the end of school.

It was a great trip and the Poor Knights is somewhere I think everyone should visit at least once in their lifetime as the huge range and amount of marine species as well as the steep rock faces and interesting structure of the islands themselves are amazing and definitely worth the trip out. 

Huge thank you to Rachel Allwood and Olivia Leaning for their passionate and enthusiastic help. 

(Photos by Katrina Murray)
Check out this link for Jericho Nagel’s amazing video of the Poor Knights CLICK HERE
 

TECHNOLOGY

Year 12:
As part of the year 12 Design and Visual Communication course, students design a coffee machine as their product design project. This year we have started our project by looking at the Cubist art movement and how we can translate those aesthetic ideas into a functional coffee machine design.

On May the 4th we took 50 year 12 students to Espresso Engineers where the students got a guided tour of the studio and repair centre. We saw a range of interesting designs, an overview of the internal workings of a coffee machine and made a perfect flat white!

design & visual communication

Learning outside of the classroom

Max, luca & Jenna

tawhiti, whetu & annabella making a flat white

David talking to the group

DESIGN & VISUAL COMMUNICATION

Learning outside of the classroom

Year 13:
The year 13’s have been given the almost impossible task of redesigning Pasadena walkway into a livable area. Pasadena walkway is a hidden oasis, full of a variety of plants, wildlife and urban decay to inspire students and influence their design work. We are so lucky to have this secret site at our disposal, this will make the students architecture individually creative and relevant to the community they live in. We go on regular site visits (when the weather permits!) which gives the student a more “real life” approach to designing. Below is some student work of design ideation, taking inspiration from the site:

josh horne

ruby macfarlane

roman ord

FOOD TECHNOLOGY

 

As part of the year 11 Food Tech course students have been learning about cultural practices and how they influence eating patterns in New Zealand. In particular students have been trailing Japanese food in the kitchen.

remi harrison

huiarangi te kare

willk kukatai & dresae lucky-mave

FOOD & NUTRITION

Towards the end of last term our wonderful year 12's took on the mammoth task of preparing and cooking 240 ready to eat meals for the charity Bellyful. This charity provides meals for families with sick children and or pregnant mothers struggling to keep up. All students had practiced diligently on the days coming up to the cookathon so they were confident they had all the skills required to produce this epic amount of food safely and efficiently. The student have recently been awarded their certificate in level 2 safely which they exhibited very clearly throughout the process, by maintaining the utmost hygiene standards, wearing their full chef whites, hair nets and hats. The charity workers with Bellyful were extremely impressed with the students presentation and speed!
After a busy few hours we produced 80 Lasagnas, 80 spaghetti bolognaise and 80 mac and cheeses for those in need in our community. Great effort team!

"CHANGE-MAKING AT SPRINGS"

Wises
Wises 2016 kicked off with an exciting Wises camp last term in beautiful Muriwai, where we got to know each other through a range of awesome activities including surfing and interactive workshops. Now we are back, inspired and motivated to put our knowledge and ideas into practice in promoting environmental and social sustainability at Western Springs College. Following the success of Orientation week in term 1, Orientation 2.0 will be an opportunity for Wises to join other school groups in showcasing our promotions, goals and initiatives for 2016.

TravelWise
Travel Maps:

In collaboration with the Auckland City Council we have created maps which include safe, sustainable travel routes and time zones for walking to school. These have been put up around the school and we aim to have them up on the school website soon also.

Orientation Week:
TravelWise kicked off the change-making at Orientation Week with a pumping 'smoothie-bike' machine that makes fresh smoothies when students pedal, encouraging people to get on bikes and ride! We also ran a display on social biking events in Auckland and shared Springs' new sustainable travel maps.
We held the first ever "Slow Bike Race" where the aim was to be the last over the finish line without an epic fail. Displays of amazing balance and feats against gravity took place, as well as many dunks, but the bikers kept on going. Cheers to the groundskeepers for setting up the safety barriers, and to My Mojo for the recycled stationery prizes!

TravelWise Parked Park:
Each year we turn part of our TAPAC car park into a green "Park", with pot plants, grass, seating, great music, and a "zebra" crossing with inspirational chalk messages spiralling around our little happiness haven. Students and teachers were encouraged to come and chill out, with the intention that we can rethink how much space we use for cars that could be used for green space and people's benefit. (Ariana Brunet)

HealthWise
This year, HealthWise is using the slogan “healthy world, healthy body, healthy mind” to guide us with our promotions. Our goal for 2016 is to focus on enriching the mental health of our community by focusing on the ways in which the health of our bodies and the environment are interrelated. We introduced this concept at the WSC orientation week through a fun and interactive game, and are using ‘Orientation 2.0’ to focus on the relationship between our bodies and our mind. Our idea is to gather information on which areas of mental health Western Springs College students would like to know more about, while letting them try some healthy takes on delicious recipes. Following ‘Orientation 2.0’ we will continue to develop our promotions around our guiding slogan for 2016, through collaborations between the Wises panels. (Lily Macdonald Murello)

WasteWise
Switching spaces and Upcycled planter boxes:   Over the last couple of weeks we have experimented with the concept of ‘switching spaces’. This is where we find pieces of rubbish throughout the school and replace them with an item such as a flower in a can. We did this to give items traditionally viewed as trash such as tin cans a second life. Rubbish can be more than just trash if you try hard enough!!

When people saw these items it triggered a thought reaction “Why the heck is this here?”. This is exactly what we hoped would happened. By having all these quirky items pop up around the school in place of rubbish we awakened a heightened sense of awareness in our students. These items also simultaneously brightened up our school environment. Now that's what I call a win win situation!
(Oliver Balle)

We have also recently been working on making a set of planter boxes to put around our school. On the first of March a few students from our panel joined the upcycling club on their trip to the Waitakere resource centre where we collected materials such as wheelbarrows and sinks to turn into planter boxes. We brought these materials back, sanded and cleaned them as well as painted them with recycled paint we bought from the centre. We are looking to put these out around the school as soon as we can and are only waiting on the soil and plants to put in them before they are placed around the school. The aim of these planter boxes is to show students how items that may be considered trash can have a second life if you take time to consider how to reuse them. They are also designed to brighten up the school as well as hopefully have some edible gardens that can be used by the food tech rooms/teachers/students. We have worked hard on these and hope they will be a success!

 

Sustainable packaging alternatives:
A big part of Waste Wise this year has also been looking into sustainable alternatives for glad wrap and other packaging items. We have recently been introducing the idea of Honey wrap, a reusable
and nice smelling option made from beeswax that can be used to wrap food in lunches as well as a variety of other things. The great thing about this option is that we can make it ourselves and that is exactly what we hope to do later on this term. We are looking at running workshops so people can make their own sustainable packaging such as honey wraps and will be letting everyone know how they can get involved as soon as we can. Another great option we have been promoting is greaseproof paper which can be brought from countdown for $2 for 30m and can be put in our green bin and composted once you are finished with it.

O week and O week 2.0 both had packaging showcases as well as the Year Nine meet the teachers BBQ.

For more information look at the previous school newsletter for the piece from the Eco Warriors on sustainable lunch wrap alternatives

Year nine orientation:
During the year nine orientation day about how life at Springs works, Wises ran a tour of our school focusing specifically on sustainability and our school's impressive waste minimisation projects. This included an introduction to how they could get involved in sustainability at Springs (notably, the wises panels and Eco Warriors), our three bin stations (food waste/worm food, recycling and landfill) and how to properly use them, introduction to our waste free classes, sharing our plans for a waste free school starting with waste free lunches, as well as a tour of our massive worm farm. This was our way of introducing the new students to the way life at Springs works in terms of how we deal with our rubbish and treat our environment as well as telling them how Wises operates in the school. This addition of the tour to the year nine orientation was very successful and we hope it continues in future years.


Upcycling Trip
What’s more awesome than a skateboard ramp? An Upcycled skateboard ramp of course! On the 1st March, myself (Lachlan) and three other students Josh, Freeman and Ariana, represented the Upcycling Squad and the Hard Tech Club at the Waitakere Refuse and Recycling centre. We visited the Zero Waste Zone and Recycle Shop for inspiration and materials, leaving with arms laden with potential, minds brimming with ideas. These are currently being turned into skate boxes and other awesome projects for the school, which we can't wait to share. Special thanks to Kathryn Jenkin and Matthew Coldicutt for their support so far. (Lachlan)

Green Jam
On Tuesday the 22nd  of March secondary school students from around Auckland gathered for the annual Green Jam. Hosted at TAPAC, Green Jam is an Auckland Council initiative that gives young people the opportunity to develop their ability to contribute to the health and sustainability of our of planet.

This one-day sustainability conference allowed students to engage in sustainability and kaitiakitanga in a range of different ways. Among the workshops ranging from keynote speakers to sustainability workshops at Zoo was the activity hosted by Western Springs College students. We were given the opportunity to proudly showcase our waste management systems to around forty students and teachers from different schools. Through a presentation, tour and some fun games we were able to give people an idea of what sustainability in schools can look like. Thank you to all who participated in the form class clean up to make our school look extra clean on the day!

Overall, Green Jam 2016 was successful in taking steps towards creating a generation of sustainable thinkers. Taanemihiata Hohia, who was one of the MC’s for Green Jam, summed up his experience:  “Green Jam was an opportunity for students from all around Auckland to come together and discuss issues or ideas to do with kaitiakitanga or sustainability.  There were guest speakers from the Auckland Council, as well as others who have a passion for sustainability such as Te Radar (one of this country's popular comedians) and other students alike.  It was my first time getting involved in Green Jam, it was quite intense in terms of the depth of the content but that's reality in terms what needs to happen to help sustain the planet.” (Lily Macdonald Murello)

Green Corridor
For a number of years WSC has been working with our community including Waicare and the Auckland Zoo to create a Green Corridor between Springs and Pasadena. The zoo have helped the Year 9 Science students with ideas to monitor and increase the biodiversity of the area, and Waicare have supported weeding & planting bees. The senior Environmental Sustainability classes often use this area as a case study or for their action project.
The next working bee with Waicare for 2016 will be on Wednesday the 22nd of June to weed, plant more natives and generally clean up the area.

We usually make a start at lunchtime, then keep going straight after school for another hour and a half. Anyone is welcome - teamwork makes the dream work!

If you have any questions about the working bees please contact any of the student sustainability leaders or Kathryn Jenkin on jenkink@wsc.school.nz.

LIBRARY NEWS

eBooks

Our current display is all about our eBook collection informing students  how to borrow an eBook using their device. The good news this term is that year 10 students now have wifi access allowing them  to download eBooks. However all students can download an eBook at home. Detailed instructions are available on the WSC Homepage as shown below.  This year we are planning to expand our collection so would like to see more students using our eBook library.

If there any issues please come and talk to the library staff.

5000 Poppies

Melanie Webber whose mother was one of the crafts people has kindly organised this display.  The library is indeed honoured to showcase such an important masterpiece of craftwork.

Background
As part of the commemorative anniversary of the Gallipoli landing a large group of crafters known as 5000 POPPIES NEW ZEALAND got together and started to create red poppies as a sign of remembrance to all the New Zealand soldiers who lost their lives at Gallipoli and other battles during WW1.
In each poppy panel there are about 800 poppies that New Zealand and Australian crafters have knitted, crocheted, felted and sewn. Some are specifically dedicated to family members.
The poppy panel which is proving to be quite popular will remain in the library for an indefinite period.

auto gate to be installed at main entrance

To assist with making our school safe and secure, we will be installing an auto gate at the main entrance in the next month or so.  Staff and others providing services to the school will be given access.  As before, parents will have access to the TAPAC carpark for parking and drop offs.

In the meantime please assist in making our school safe by:

  1. Always using the pick-up and drop-off zones in the council car park along the front of TAPAC and the school or the angle parks along Motions Rd.
  2. Never picking-up or dropping off students by entering the front gate.
  3. No stopping on the yellow lines on Motions Rd.  This seriously hinders the line of sight of pedestrians, cyclists and cars entering and leaving the school on an already difficult stretch of road.
  4. And finally, please travel at no more than 40km when driving past the school.

Many thanks for your cooperation in this matter.

financial assistant required

tHIS IS A PART-TIME, SALARIED (52 WEEK) POSITION OF 15 HOURS PER WEEK.  THE POSITION ENTAILS DATA ENTRY AND WORKING WITH GOOGLE.  EXCEL SKILLS ARE ESSENTIAL.  SOME WORKING WITH NOVOPAY IS REQUIRED.  BEING FLEXIBLE AND A TEAM PLAY ARE ESSENTIAL ATTRIBUTES.

Please send your CV and covering letter to goodesc@wsc.school.nz

STUDENT LEADERSHIP CORNER

Some of our student leaders have been busy taking up amazing opportunities over the school holidays!

United National Youth Declaration Conference – Na’or Alfassi Berman (BOT representative) and Lena Trnsky (Waste Wise Leader)
The Aotearoa Youth Declaration was held at the University of Auckland on the 19th-22nd of April. This was a UN Youth flagship civics education conference which aims at giving 196 youth from around the country an opportunity to come together and learn about the issues we are facing in New Zealand and how we can combat them. 

We were encouraged to tackle New Zealand’s biggest social, economic, and cultural issues, with community minded perspectives that will benefit us all in the future.
 

This opportunity allowed us to broaden our knowledge, public speaking skills and to engage with other passionate students working towards a just and sustainable society. We worked in focus groups and had targeted workshops from industry speakers to develop a deeper understandings of issues and develop creative and practical solutions.

Within our focus groups we worked to create policy and value statements on a broad range of New Zealand issues from the environment to education. The finalised declaration document after amendments by the students, is sent to members of parliament as a representation of the youth voice, local government bodies, NGOs, businesses and sponsors. The result of this is the empowerment and education of young people.

This was an incredible opportunity and one that we highly recommend students apply for in the future, whether you have strong political views and are very passionate in change making or simply interested in being involved.

Ultimately, you will gain invaluable knowledge to form your own opinions on issues New Zealand is facing as well as test and develop them.

In 2016 we hope the excitement and motivation following the conference, will lead to similar responses and actions on youth voice. By using the Youth Declaration as a tool, it has further encouraged us to engage with our elected representatives, make submissions and foster change in our community through local community groups and businesses. We also see ourselves as leaders in this area as we and a few other students at WSC ran a political environmental debate in September 2015 with Jacinda Ardern, Julie Anne Genter, Marama Fox and Andrew Bayly. We plan to do this again with new moots on the Friday the 12th of August with a running time of 4pm - 8pm with koha (donation towards food provided etc). We are excited to get a sense of numbers so if you are interested please RSVP by simply sending an email to alfassibermann@wsc.school.nz.

Youth Environmental Leaders Forum – Ariana Brunet

(Travel Wise Leader)

There are so many great opportunities available for young environmentalists. One of these is the annual Youth Environmental Leaders Forum (YELF) run by the Sir Peter Blake Trust to honour Peter Blake's legacy as an environmental leader. As Peter Blake said, "We want to re-start people caring for the environment, through adventure, through participation, through education and through enjoyment."

This forum involved spending a week in one of the most beautiful parts of NZ (Abel Tasman National Park) learning from field leaders and creating solutions together for the future of our natural environment. There were so many unforgettable moments: cooking with MasterChef, meeting the guy who helped NZ buy a beach, kayaking past baby seals or swimming with orcas in Cable Bay.
The knowledge I've gained about issues such as pest eradication, ocean acidification, and the importance of preserving New Zealand’s biodiversity has been invaluable, and I can't wait to share it with my community and people that I meet.

But what was most amazing was a feeling of connectedness. Connection to others that care about the environment, to perspectives from all over NZ and the Pacific, and to leaders supporting us to stand up and lead ourselves. During this week I found a whole new family and a new sense of hope for our world. Most importantly, I realised that when we work together with people from all ends of the spectrum, we can create solutions that work better for everyone - not just for the environment, but for our economy, and especially our people.
For anyone reading, take joy in this: We are here. We are young people who love our environment, young leaders connecting people and communities. All of us, including you, are part of a global network of positive change and solutions. We are all connected in this world, and it is our collective goal to create a better future.

Outward Bound – Xavier (Moana House Leader)
Last Month I attended the Outward Bound School Leaders course at Anakiwa in the Marlborough Sounds. This course is designed to develop young people's leadership skills, personal attributes, and to expand their horizons. The course combined climbing, hiking, sailing, river kayaking, high ropes and fitness with leadership and team building activities designed to push any individual both physically and mentally. Living with the thirteen other people in your ‘Watch’ for a three week period, eating and sleeping together, led to some tight friendships and great memories. I'd recommend Outward bound to anyone looking to push themselves, get fit, battle any personal demons or simply have a fantastic adventure. Thank you to the school for contributing to the course fees, and helping me embark on this experience.

Young Enterprise Scheme 

- Zach Monk

This year, six senior students have been running the first Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) Company at Western Springs. The YES course is described as ‘an experiential programme where students set up and run a real business.

Each YES company creates their own product or service and brings this to market.’The program normally runs alongside a business studies class, as students have the chance to get 9 credits at level 3, however WSC doesn’t have a business course, so it is currently an extra-curricular program. Our company, ‘Wrap it Up’ is currently in the prototyping phase for our product, beeswax lunch wraps to keep food covered and fresh. Keep an eye out for them - on sale by Term 3!

The student directors are working with teacher Ben Hinton, businesswoman Amanda Judd and advisers from the Young Enterprise Trust in order to develop and implement their business planning, marketing strategy, and sales opportunities.

The program started this year at Springs as a result of the efforts of Year 12 student Zach Monk alongside DP Karen Stimson. They hope to continue the program next year and provide the opportunity for other Year 12 and 13 students.

Inaugural History/Classics Trip:

The History and Classics departments are delighted to announce 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 France, Germany, Italy and Greece.

There will be an information evening for parents and students interested in the trip on Wednesday 18th of May in S Block. This information evening will provide further details on the proposed cost of the trip, planned itinerary and next steps for students wanting to register to go on the trip.

If your child is keen to be a part of this experience, please let us know if you will be attending the information evening  by emailing either Sophie Lenehan: Classics department (lenehans@wsc.school.nz) or Emma Dwyer: History department (dwyere@wsc.school.nz ).

languages

fRENCH AT THE MOVIES

For the last day of term 1, year 9, 10 and 11 French classes went to the movies to see the French animation ‘Avril et le monde truqué’.

Students were lucky to have a whole theatre to themselves at Hoyts Sylvia Park and get comfortable with popcorn, chocolate and a drink to follow the story of Avril (Marion Cotillard) a teenage girl who, in 1941, goes in search of her missing parents in a France asleep in the nineteenth century, governed by steam and Napoleon V.

The Languages department would like to thank the year 13 students Lucy Morrin and Connie Gregory for their help on that day.

donating blood

It isn't everyday that you get the opportunity

to make save someone's life

On the 31st of March Western Springs students each had the chance to save up to 3 people's lives.

This year Atea is encouraging people over 16 to come to the hall to donate blood. Only 4% of New Zealanders currently donate blood, yet hospitals require at least 3,000 donations every week. The body replaces the fluids within 24 hours and you are also treated to tea, coffee biscuits and juice afterwards! If you are unsure whether you're eligible to donate, you can take a quick quiz on the NZ blood website (www.nzblood.co.nz/give-blood/donating/am-i-eligible/). Keep an eye out for signups a week before the date. The more people donate, the more lives are saved. Hope to see you then!

Atea house leaders Becky, Alice and TreyNulla interdum eros nec magna placerat aliquam metus effectur ipsum fermentum era vehicula cursus pulvinar nullam etiam pellentesque

driver licence & ncea credits

Did You Know That NZTA  Driver Licences Now Give You NCEA Credits?

If a student has gained  a  NZTA Driver Licence since 27 February 2012, or gains one in the future, in the ‘Class 1’ (Car) category they can now automatically claim NCEA credits.

Students simply need to fill in the top half of this form and take it to the office along with their photocard driving licence.  The office will take a copy of the licence, staple it to the completed form, and pass the documents to Ms Roberts.  Ms Roberts will then enter the NCEA credits.

Licence Type           NCEA Level           Credits

Learner                               1                         2
Restricted                           2                        4
Full                                       2                        2

If the student has a restricted licence they get the 4 credits attached to it, but also the 2 credits that are attached to a learner licence.  If the student has a full licence they automatically get all 8 available credits!

Paul Alford - Deputy Principal

HOMESTAY FAMILIES WANTED

FOR TERM 3 (JULY 2016)

Our school welcomes applications from local families who maybe interested in hosting International Students.

Ever thought of hosting an International student? Have a spare room available? We are looking for families to host International students (male or female, long or short term) starting in Term 3, 2016.

We offer a good remuneration to cover student costs being $275.00 per week as of Term 3, 2016.
If you are keen or interested in becoming a host family please contact our Homestay Manager,
Rachealle Tyrell for more details. Phone 8156730 (ext 752), Mobile 021617172 or email: internationaloffice@wsc.school.nz
Our International team would love to hear from you!

"REACHING FOR THE STARS"

The bi- annual Matariki Careers “Reach for the Stars” evening targeting Māori and Pacifica students will be held this year on Wednesday the 1st of June from 6pm til 8pm.  Successful Pacific and Māori role models from different careers have been invited to come and share their skills and experiences with students to help them realise what lies ahead in their future career.  Careers are represented from the following sectors: Health, Media and the Arts, Technology, Sports, Business, Services and Trades. Students will also be able to discuss future plans with the Māori and Pacific tertiary liaisons. Whanau are warmly encouraged to attend. Light refreshments will be provided and kai will be available to buy.

40 Hour famine 2016

The situation in Syria and neighbouring countries, the biggest humanitarian crisis of our time, has affected over 6 million children. 

These refugee children have been forced to flee their homes due to the ongoing conflict, have witnessed unimaginable violence and have lost family members. This year, the 40 Hour Famine funds will go towards supporting World Vision’s child-friendly spaces. 

These spaces are safe places for children who have fled conflict so they can begin to heal from their trauma through activities such as sports, arts and crafts and play but most importantly education. YOU can help prevent an entire generation on missing out on the opportunity for a better future.

This year, the Famine leadership team have created Famine Week which will be held on the 23rd - 27th of May. The leaders will be holding events such as the ‘Minion auction’ and other fun events to raise money to create safe spaces for refugee children to play and learn. Watch out for opportunities being held around the school and at assemblies to sign up to participate in this year’s 40 Hour Famine. Remember, you can do a traditional famine of giving up food for 40 hours or you can make it your own.

This year, World Vision challenges you to live out of a backpack for a weekend. Many refugee children had to flee with nothing more than what they could carry, travelling long distances, even to another continent.     See:

https://www.worldvision.org.nz/40-hour-famine/backpack-challenge for more info on the “One Weekend One Backpack Challenge”. Please join us this year in making a difference!

40 Hour Famine Leaders - Lucy Goldsboro, Frankie Dale, Becky Mendes, Kiri Pene, Lea Rust, Mahina Bennett.

40 Hour Famine signups at O Day

Last term ended with an action-packed week of drama and dance performances and trips getting students involved in EOTC.

Firstly, we’d like to recognise the efforts of all students who were involved in the University of Otago – Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival held on Tuesday 12th April at Hobsonville Point Secondary Schools’ Theatre.

Inspired by years of success, WSC students dedicated the first term to rehearsing excerpts of Shakespeare in preparation for this year’s competition. We are excited to now have the opportunity to report back on their success at the Auckland West Regional Festival.
*Congratulations goes to Ella McIntosh who came away with the highly coveted SGCNZ University of Otago Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival - Direct Entry to the National Shakespeare Schools Production (NSSP).

It’s wonderful to see students leading the way with the direction and planning of scenes.

On behalf of all teachers who supported on the day – Robert Pollock and myself - well done to all 2016 entries.  

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

ARTS LEADERS

Firstly, we would like to say a HUGE congratulations to Y12 student Ella McIntosh for receiving a prestigious performance award for participation in Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival. Ella has been awarded the direct entry to NSSP (National Schools Shakespeare Production). This means she will be going directly to a workshop down in Dunedin later in the year and could possibly be chosen to travel to The Globe in London to perform. Good luck, Ella!

The school musical, Seussical, is coming along well and with two weeks to go the cast is ready to really knuckle down and make it one of the best performances we have put on at this school. Practices are getting more intense and we are almost ready to start fine tuning the show. It is a must see, and with limited seats, two casts and only six performances it is sure to sell out quick!

To get tickets you can go to TAPAC Theatre and book at Front of House, TAPAC’s website www.tapac.org.nz (or via the school website link www.westernsprings.school.nz

Ticket prices are $15 for students/concession and $20 for adults. The performances are every night (including a Saturday matinee) from the 24th- 28th of May at 7pm.

Arts Leader – Ariane Lenihan

DANCE

The Western Springs College Hip Hop Crew competed at the Street Dance New Zealand Mega Schools competition in the holidays and made their teachers proud.  The group worked very hard in Term 1 and through their holidays, overcoming significant hurdles to represent WSC well with an expressive performance. 

Congratulations must go in particular to Year 11 student leader and choreographer Georgia Menhennet, who worked SO hard in providing awesome leadership and creative direction to the group.  Georgia was unfailingly patient, positive and encouraging in the pursuit of perfection, despite self-confessed sleepless nights!  Supported by a choreographic team that included Tatsuki Nonomura, Eden Galo and Eva Fuemana, Georgia produced an interesting routine with a kaleidoscope of constantly changing formations.  WSC was notable for being the only school to include breakdance (well done dancers pulling off this challenging style!) and over a third of the crew male.  It’s great to see our young men representing in Dance!  Nathan Tuaiti and Akinehi Munroe gave fierce performances alongside Georgia’s attention-grabbing energy and expression the whole way through.  Akinehi stood out for being in every set and always giving 100% - her energy never flagged, and this was totally evident in her on stage performance!  Thank-you to Nathan, Waitama Tuisamoa, Tama Viviaere-McCarthy, Eva Fuemana, Whakairo Thompson  and others who supported Georgia and Chloe in working with the group.  Thank-you to the choreographic team – well done!  Thank-you to all the teachers who generously gave up some of their holiday to supervise rehearsals – Josie Bower, Trina Sellers, Cecile Bourgeois and Helen Long, thank-you!  Lastly, a huge thank-you to Chloe Davison for significant time and effort as Teacher in Charge to give students this opportunity, despite a young family at home.  THANK-YOU and congratulations to all!  The WSC Hip Hop crew have enjoyed sharing their SDNZ piece with the WSC community, performing at assemblies and Orientation Day 2.0.

11 Dance performed their NCEA Kowhaiwhai trios at Gladstone Primary School on the first Friday of the term.  Tim Faville, Gladstone’s Arts Leader, invited the class to perform their choreographies on the strength of seeing their ‘Whakapapa’ solos performance at Junior Prize-giving last year.  The whole school watched 11 Dance in a special assembly and the performance was very well received.  Proud dance teachers again!

Last week, 19 students were inspired by the New Zealand Dance Company’s performance of Lumina, notable for its focus on the intersection between dance, light and projection.  What hard-working, beautiful dancers!  The show was particularly useful for Year 13 Dance students, in preparation for lighting their 3.1 major choreography.

Coming Up…
In Week 5, year 13 and 12 students will perform selected student choreographies at YouDance 2016.  YouDance is Auckland’s youth dance festival and a major event on our secondary dance calendar.  It showcases the best of choreography and performance by young people in secondary schools and youth dance companies.  WSC perform Tuesday 31 May 7.30pm at the Raye Freedman Arts Centre, Epsom Girls Grammar.  Tickets are available from i-TICKET – we would love to have your support.

In 2016 the Dance department has a real focus on extending our students through opportunities to perform in a range of different settings so students learn to be flexible and adaptable, work within the constraints of different spaces and cater to the needs of different audiences.  We aim to do this during timetabled Dance lessons where possible.  If you have an opportunity for our students to perform, please contact Melanie Turner turnerm@wsc.school.nz

WSC Tech Run at SDNZ (Street Dance New Zealand) 2016

Youdance 2016

With two fantastic nights of fresh and inspiring work, YouDance showcases the tremendous depth of talent in youth dance companies and secondary schools.

Diverse casts perform dances derived from a huge variety of sources in a feast of creativity and expression across two different shows.

Be inspired by our amazing young choreographers and dancers!

“… (YouDance) makes it easy to see that youth dance in the region has jumped up several notches technically and creatively, with choreography showing increased structural complexity and a willingness to try new things… and performances in general displaying …. polished execution.”

Raewyn Whyte, Theatreview

WSC at Youdance…

WSC Yr 13 + 13 Dance students are performing 2 student choreographies on Tuesday 31 May 7.30pm.  We'd love to see you there!

Yr 13 Dancer/Choreographers: 
Faith Henare, Dione Tay, Hannah Langton, Jet Lelisi, Waitama/Vincent Tuisamoa

Yr 12 choreographer: Molly Snowden

Yr 12 dancers: Zoe de Reuck, Carla Harre, Tahlie Toma, Ebony Ned-Senior, Whetu Rikihana-Kaihoro

Tickets from I-TICKET :-)

 

Melanie Turner – Acting HOD Dance

DRAMA

Congratulations to the WSC Sheilah Winn Shakespeare team!

We are all very proud of your efforts and achievement on Tuesday 12 April, 2016 - you all performed incredibly well.

Western Springs College received four awards...
- For outstanding performance:
- SGCNZ UOSWSF - NSSP Direct Entry Award - ELLA MCINTOSH as Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Act II - scene i, ii

This is one of the most highly regarded awards of the New Zealand Regional Festivals - congratulations Ella on this incredible achievement.

  • Most Promising Actor: MURDOCH KEANE as Timon in Timon of Athens, Compilation
  • Best Student Director: SAM MEYERHOFF for Richard II, Act III - scene ii
  • Best Adult Director: CALEB WELLS for Timon of Athens, Compilation

MEDIA

Hi everyone! Media’s been calm lately, especially with the 48 Hour Film Challenge being delayed until later this year. Despite this however we’ve got some pretty cool stuff in the works for Term Two, in particular the WSC Film Club.

Film Club is going to be a club where students will be able to actively pursue filmmaking by learning different techniques and applying these techniques in their own short films. How this will work is that students will study how a technique has been used in a particular film and then create their own short films showcasing this technique. The purpose of Film Club is to develop each student’s skill in cinematography and will be available to both those well versed in filmmaking and to beginners.

If students would like to learn more about filmmaking or all things media a great place to do this would be the WSC Media website. This website is regularly updated with articles about all things media and showcases many techniques which students may be interested in researching if they would like to become more familiar with the world of cinematography. If you would like to find the website pages about filmmaking they can be found here or go to the main website at: media.wsc.school.nz

On a final note the Media Department is still very interested in participating in the 48 Hour Film Competition and are simply waiting for the event to be finalized. Once this happens there will much more detail on how students can get involved with the competition and compete.

Sharn-Konet Reitsma – Media Leader

MUSIC

May is NZ Music Month! To celebrate, we will be having performances not just in the library, but on the library field as well because we really want to bring music to a wider number of people.

Coming up we have the heats for Pacifica Beats and Rockquest, two very exciting events which everyone can experience. They will be beginning before too long.

Aslo, we have the Stand Up! Stand Out! Songwriter’s Competition. More information will be released soon.

Finally, if you enjoy playing classical or jazz music in a group, the Chamber Group is held on Tuesday interval/form times and the Jazz Band is held on Friday lunch times. Come along and get involved!

Oscar Barber-Wilson – Music Leader

VISUAL ARTS

In the last week of term 1, L3 Visual Arts students in Design, Painting and Photography and Art History took off to Te Tuhi Pakuranga where they got the opportunity to cite the exhibition TopArt – 2015.

Top Art is an NZQA exhibition of previous year’s top folio boards across all art subjects and every year the Art Department use the opportunity to enthuse and excite students for the year ahead. Fortunately this year we also had the opportunity to pass by the Pah Homestead in Pakuranga to engage in current exhibitions there.  Pah homestead provided a valuable insight into contemporary NZ art practise with students also fortunate to view work by Technology teacher Matt Coldicutt.

Coming up: Mural Design Competition

Duration: 4 weeks to plan and submit designs to the Art Dept.
Final date for hand-in: Friday 3rd June

Theme: Students will have the opportunity to submit a mural design (drawing-painting) to tell a story of WSC.

Sub-themes could include:

  • Western Springs College (our school/area)
  • Whaia te matauranga (new school motto / knowledge/learning/journeys/area/history old and new)
  • Culture
  • Change
  • Local (our area)
  • Rebuild
  • Past/Present/Future

Rules: Of course, the design will have to fit specifications.

  • All design drawings/paintings to be submitted for consideration must be presented on A4 card, fully coloured using paint and/or pencil as the artists would like it to appear on the mural.
  • Design drawings can vary in format/layout should students want to be creative with the presentation of their mural idea. Drawings could be portrait/landscape... describe one panel or two... or be of a certain shape. They might be site-specific or they may lean towards the new build and be transferable to any space. Whatever the intention, students must describe the format in their A4 design drawing/painting to be submitted for judging.
  • Artworks are to be fully-named with all mural artists (max 4)/formclasses/houses on back - it should be a 'team effort' and will encourage students to collaborate.
  • Hand in artworks to the E2 Art Office or to any of the Art Dept. staff.

Lily Laita - HOD Art

CAREERS

Careers Happenings

Year 12 Careers Assembly - SAVY and

Kelly Services (CBD Branch)- Recruitment     

Year 12s also had the pleasure of listening to experienced recruiters, Emma Steedman and Lawrence Roose-Clark,  who match employers with potential applicants for temporary, contract and permanent work in a wide range of industry sectors.  Kelly Services also provide support and assistance to job applicants as well offer a range of positions from executive placements through to part-time office temps.

Lawrence told students that recruiters may only spend 6 seconds reading a CV (from of file of hundreds) scanning names, background and then work experience before deciding to filter the candidates into a possible short list.  Good personal presentation was emphasised with the notion of ‘better you dress, the more you earn’!  Now that is a good incentive to looking good for an interview.  The presentation was approximately 20 minutes and was well received by students. 

The second part of the assembly was presented by Savy students, from Auckland Uni Business School, who talked about the importance of preparing a budget fro tertiary study.  Read more about what Savy says click here

Next week, Year 12 students start on the first session of their 2 hour careers Education programme. In the first session they can brush up their CVs, cover letter and learn how to seek work effectively.  The second session will provide an opportunity to explore further careers options to match their preferences.

Savy Team presentation to Year 13 Groups
Three students from the Auckland University School of Business  prepared students for the financial world beyond school.
Student loan eligibilty (calculator here) and the importance of budgeting for planned and unplanned expenses was explained .  Expenses after purchasing a car  were covered which included parking, insurance and unexpected repair bills.  They even talked about their personal experiences and the ups and downs of flatting.  By the end of the presentation all of the participants had decided to stay at home and to bus to Uni next year! 

THE CAREERS EXPO: AUCKLAND 2016

Auckland 26th–28th May ASB Showgrounds, Greenlane.
Thursday 26 May
10.00am - 3.00pm   and then5.00pm – 7.00pm
Friday 27 May
10.00am - 3.00pm
Saturday 28 May
10.00am - 3.00pm
FLOORPLAN    Please click here for the current floor plan.
AUCKLAND- See more at: http://www.careersexpo.org.nz/auckland-2016#sthash.QeWhGGcb.dpuf

Important Career Dates for Year 12 and 13 Families

Please click on this  link to access a comprehensive list of events coming up over the next 2 terms at various venues and WSC.

SPORTS

BASKETBALL

Western Springs College (WSC) basketball attended the Triple X Basketball Tournament held over the ANZAC weekend period. It was the first hit out for the season for the WSC teams as part of their calendar year. WSC had 4 teams take part in the tournament with the U15, U17 and U19 Boys.  
The tournament was a great success for the WSC teams as they got to make new friendships both locally and internationally. WSC had the opportunity to play against some very good teams from the Waikato, Wellington, Tonga, Samoa and Australia.    (Dodgers Australia)

For many of the WSC students this was the first time that many of them had played in a major tournament. The level of competition was very high especially in the U17 Boys division with representative teams from Central Country Basketball, Porirua and the heavily favoured Australian Team.  
In the U15s it was a tight battle between the 2 WSC teams taking part meeting in their final game of the tournament with the WSC B team taking a 1 nil lead of the A team during the pool rounds. The upset A team had a point to prove beating the B team in the dying seconds to end the tournament on a high finishing 3rd and 4th in their respected age group.

In the U19s the boys rallied hard against the much bigger teams from Kelston High, Tonga and Central Country. The boys played well but came up short finishing 4th for the tournament.  

The highlight of the tournament must go to the U17 Boys led by captain Izaiah Radovanovich and ever present Tiaan McIntyre closing out a close semi-final in the dying seconds against representative team Central Country Basketball. The Grand Final was another close encounter against a well drilled representative team Porirua who beat the favoured Australians in their semi-final. The game was tight from start to finish but the boys held it together to walk away with the win to become the first TXB U17 Boys Tournament Champions for 2016. 
With the success of the U17 Boys WSC had further success with athletes being selected into the tournament teams to travel to Las Vegas, USA later in the year to represent TXB NZ at an Invitational Tournament. 

Congratulations to the following athletes for making the tournament team:

U15 BOYS – Nathaniel Lonie, Liam Holwerda, Sean Agustine, Ethan Ryan, Nico Johnson and Wodjiouma Coulibali.

U17 BOYS – Izaiah Radovanovich, Tiaan McIntyre, Ike Conway and Mahima Mane-Chapman.

U19 BOYS – Jono Lee (Ex Student)

NETBALL

Netball has seen an increase in players and teams, as fourteen teams step out to represent Springs for the 2016 season. With the grading rounds being played, we desperately seek several coaches and managers to complete our list of teams. If interested, feel free to contact Kau Tepaki in Waiora. 

ORIENTEERING

On the last weekend of the holidays a team of 9 girls competed in the North Island Secondary Schools Orienteering Champs in Napier. We travelled down in a school van and stayed with our competitors in the Napier Boys High School Hostel. The first event, which was a sprint, was around Tamatea Intermediate School. The second day was the long event, which had many steep hills and challenged our navigational skills. Congratulations to Anna Cory-Wright who came first in the junior girls grade on this day. The relay was held on our last day in Napier. We had three composite teams and two complete WSC ones competing in this event. Congratulations to Kate Hannay, Anna Cory-Wright and Sylvie Frater whose relay team won the junior girls event, becoming Auckland and North Island Champions. There was a nerve-racking uphill sprint for the podium places, where we were closely followed by Baradene and Dio teams. Well done to Anna Cory-Wright and Sylvie Frater for getting into the Auckland Regionals Team. Thank you to Guy Cory-Wright and Bronwyn Rosie who drove us down, and supported all the girls during the event.

NZ OPEN KARATE COMPETITION
Jodie Batt (Yr 9) recently competed at the NZ Open Karate Competitiion.  She wona a bronze medal in Individual Kata, Silver in Individual Kumite and Gold in Team Kumite. Team Kumite was an exciting event up against in the final a team from Tahiti.  It came down to Jodie having to win the final fight to secure gold for their team.  She attended a 2 day National Training camp after the competition and is now waiting to hear whether she has been selected for the National NZ team to go to New Caledonia in September for the Oceania Championships. 

LEISURETIME LEARNING NIGHT CLASSES

FOR ADULTS AND TEENS

Term 2 is underway

Upcoming Evening Classes
Start Date Fee

Silkscreen Printing Sun 22 May $115.00
Thai Cooking Sun 22 May $36.95
Share Market Basics Mon 23 May $67.97
Share Market Basics Tue 24 May $67.97
Sewing Machine Basics Tue 24 May $24.95
Abstract Painting Tue 24 May $119.00
Interior Design Tue 24 May $85.00
Xero 101 Wed 25 May $64.95
Digital Photography Wed 25 May $159.95
Guitar Beginners Thu 26 May $109.70
Korean Cooking NEW Tue 31 May $49.95
Spanish Cuisine NEW Wed 1 Jun $49.95
Xero 102 Wed 8 June $127.95
Vegetarian Indian Cuisine Tue 14 Jun $49.95
French Cuisine Wed 15 June $49.95
Yoga Hatha / Vinyasa Flow NEW Wed 13 July $80.50
Yoga Flow and Go NEW Wed 13 Jul $80.50

Pilates has already begun. Late enrolments accepted.


Enrol: www.leisuretimelearning.co.nz

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