Early finish at the end of term 1:

The last day of term 1 was consumed by the news of cyclone Cook bearing down on Auckland and evacuation plans for schools and businesses.  In the end the board chair and I made the decision to avoid risk and close the school at the end of period 3.  Early that morning we notified the parent community by email of our intention to make a closure call by midday and once we had done this we asked teachers to ensure students texted their parents of the closure plan.  As it turned out the cyclone never arrived, and we would have been quite safe leaving the school open for the full day.  As you can probably imagine I haven’t received any complaints from our students about closing early on the last day of term, and many parents too were glad of the opportunity to get out of Auckland for the Easter break a bit sooner than planned!  I am interested to hear from parents regarding the efficacy of texts from their children informing them of this decision.

Keeping Safe:

There has been a fair bit of press coverage lately across the nation regarding stranger danger and abduction attempts on school students on their way to or from school.  As always our advice to students is straightforward:
• Keep to main routes to and from school
• Walk with friends or siblings - never alone
• If you have any concerns at all about your personal safety phone 111
• Report any incident or suspicious activity to the school promptly

Attendance and requests for student leave:

Ask any teacher in any school about the relationship or correlation between attendance and achievement and they will say to you that this is a “no-brainer”.  Ask any parent if being at school is important, they will say it is!  And we agree!
As a school, however, we receive a number of requests in any one year for leave for students to travel overseas, for example.  We take a considered and enlightened approach to such requests given that we know that students and parents are clearly going on these planned trips.  In relation to the occasional parental request we receive for extra work for students embarking on these trips, we know that students are connected with the work going on in their classes via Google Classroom and ask that parents monitor this work and ensure that it is completed during any extended time away from school.
Ivan Davis
Principal

The celebration continued with the Cultural Dress Day on Tuesday, which was also a house point event competition. We encouraged the staff and students to dress up in a culture they represent or wish. This year the top three winners and their cultural dresses were Metuliki Manu (Togan), Khushee Jain (Indian) and Max Truell (Kiwi). Congratulations to the winners.

We had more events prepared for the rest of the week, but, unfortunately, due to the terrible weather and the change of the school schedule because of that, we had no choice but to cancel the remaining events.

Careers Expo
The WSC careers expo went well and we thank all attendees. The series of careers speakers we had come in to talk including medical, marketing, photography, architecture and more were a huge success. Students turned up in good numbers and really engaged with presenters! We will be hosting a smaller, follow up Trades Expo at lunchtime in the Library on the 20th of September with a focus on trades. Exhibitors include building, scaffolding, brick and blocklaying, electrical,  filmmaking and hairdressing training institutes.

If you missed our school careers expo, there is the annual Auckland Careers Expo taking place on 25-27 May at ASB showgrounds. Saturday is a great day to go to avoid the crowds and get time to speak at length to exhibitors! You can find details of this event here: http://www.careersexpo.org.nz/expos/auckland-2017

Events before the end of June:
Waikato University Open Day: 19 May
Canterbury University Auckland Information Evening: 25 May
www.canterbury.ac.nz/future-students/campus-tours-and-future-student-events/uc-info-evenings/
Auckland Careers Expo - 25 - 27 May (ASB Showgrounds - see above paragraph)
AFS Travel & Exchange Expo - 28 May @ 6.15pm (St Mark’s Meeting Hall, Remuera)
Lincoln University Presentation - 29 May @ 1.40pm (Waiora)
Auckland University Maori and Pacific Parents’ Events - 1 June @ 6.30pm www.auckland.ac.nz/en/on-campus/student-support/personal-support/support-maori-students/m_ori-and-pacific-parents--evening.html
Otago University Information evening families  20 June 6.30pm  Sth Level 4 Eden Park
ex-WSC students George Penlington & Danielle Tan from University of Auckland Medical School Presentation - 28 June @ 1.40pm (B2/Graham Moran’s Room).
Otago Law Events:
www.otago.ac.nz/law/about/careers/otago038044.pdf

As is customary, the International Student Department organised special student activities
during the Term 1 break. The holiday programme included a day-long food challenge, water
sports activities, a day trip to Omaha beach, and shorter group activities.

For the food challenge project, four student teams competed against each other in making
creative dishes that also tasted delicious. All teams were given the same budget with which
they could buy and make food within a limited period of time. When time was up, the four
teams presented the two best dishes to a jury, consisting of eight blind food tasters. The
winning team went home with pride and a movie voucher. Congratulations again to team
Green for contributing the best dishes!

The winning team members were Su-Yeon Chung (group leader – see her profile below), Mason Chen, Tony Su, Nodoka Tsuboi, Yuetong Zhao, and Minh Triet Dao. Congratulations also to Paola Villalobos and William Wu for winning the best team leader award; to Nodoka Tsuboi, Sherry Feng, Ashley Sun and Katherine Wang for winning the best team player awards, for Candice Zhao to win the best judge award; and for Yannis Zhao and Sue-Yeon Chung (see below) to win the creativity award.

The one-day trip to Omaha beach was also a full success. Approximately 50 students met for
an adventurous day that started with a few hours of idle time at the beach, followed by a
very generous lunch, and finished with two hours at the Range in Warkworth. Activities at
the range included cricket, mini golf, golf, baseball, and air rifle.

Water sports activities were enjoyed by a small number of students who learned how to
windsurf and paddleboard at the Pt Chevalier Raymond Reserve with a professional coach
on the two probably most beautiful autumn days Auckland had this year. Thanks for making
it fun: Luc Scapin, Elliot Ferland, Harry Lee, Olivia Yang, Shawn Xu, Sho Yoshino, Paola
Villalobos, and Cristobal Berrios.

At Western Springs College, Su-Yeon particularly loves to mix and mingle with fellow students in Music classes. She says that establishing connections with others, especially local students, is made much easier through playing music together. At the beginning in particular, when communicating in English was difficult, Su-Yeon enjoyed participating with her classmates as a musician, not a ‘foreigner’. She currently plays in the Chamber Group, practicing music with her friends once a week during interval.

Su-Yeon also greatly appreciates the social experiences that her homestay offers her. For example, last year she went to Rotorua with her homestay mom and a friend. To her delight, they raced down Mt Ngongotaha on the luge and later relaxed in a spa.

The international team wishes Su-Yeon many meaningful experiences in the future, and that she keeps on grasping the opportunities that come her way, or keeps creating them herself.

May she always seize the day.

Health Wise:

We all have someone we appreciate, whether it be for their generosity, for being absolutely hilarious, or for sticking up for you when you need it most. This year your WSC Health Wise team are combining Appreciation Day and Pink Shirt Day on next Friday, the 26th of May! Come along to our stall located at the Village Green this Wednesday lunchtime to write a note about someone you appreciate, and give their name and form class (no, you can’t write yourself!). If you cannot make it to our stall on Wednesday, we’ll have boxes containing more notes lying around at the library, tuck shop, Whakamanu and Waiora on Wednesday to Friday this week also. On the following Friday, make sure to wear a pink shirt to promote anti-bullying. We will be going around at form time handing out chocolate fish to the people you appreciate along with their corresponding note, but remember: no form class, no fish! Thanks!
WSC Health Wise Leader Lucas Walsh

Our Stream:
Please join us from 3:30pm on Wednesday 24th of May between TAPAC and the stream for some more weeding. Hopefully the ground is a bit softer now!

Upcoming Working Bees
Term 2: Wednesday 24th May
Term 3: Wednesday 16th August
Term 4: Wednesday 1st November

TENNIS

Our Term One Tennis programme was yet again a great success, with two of the four teams winning their zone finals, our annual school championship producing the best standard in years and our elite senior and intermediate boys teams reaching the quarter-finals in the Auckland Champ of Champs.  Big thank you to Charise Schwalger for her assistance in the school champs and managing the Intermediate Boys in the Champs of Champs.

SENIOR BOYS

Convincingly won the North Harbour Senior Boys ‘A’ title, going through the season undefeated. Team members - Nic Varley, Troy Bannan, Sho Yoshino, Ben McFarlane, Blake Bannan and Pranava Pavitran.

JUNIOR BOYS

Completed a great season by winning the Senior Boys ‘C’ title against Rosmini which had defeated Springs earlier in the season. Most teams we played had senior students in their squad, so to compete and win was even more meritorious. Team members – Rhys Davidson, Finn Johannsen, Harrison Cooke, Milo McPhail, Logan Park, Johnny Ensor and Harry Olsen.

ANNUAL SCHOOL CHAMPIONSHIP

The standard and quality of tennis played in the Open Boys grade was the best we have seen for many years. The top 4 players to qualify had all lost a game in round-robin play. All four semi-finalists were so impressive, they were selected to represent our school in the prestigious Champ of Champs.
Finals results –
OPEN BOYS     Nick Varley  defeated Grayson Schwalger
OPEN GIRLS   Annie Fitzgerald  defeated  Scarlett Barnes
JUNIOR BOYS   Blake Bannan  defeated  Pranava Pavitran

TOUCH

Moving from the Central Zone due to small team numbers, our Senior Mixed Touch team recently won the North Harbour Mixed ‘A’ title, defeating Te Raki Paewhenua  7-3 in the Grand-Final.  Wet, slippery conditions made ball handling difficult, but Springs dominated most aspects of play to win very convincingly. We also congratulate Tiaan McIntyre for being selected in the NZ U19 Boys team, for the Trans Tasman Youth series.

BASKETBALL

Congratulations to the following students who were recently selected in various provincial representative teams.

Mahima Chapman -  Waitakere U19
Wodjiouma Coulibaly -  Waitakere U15
Thomas Clayton -  Auckland U17
Reilly Fong -  Auckland U15
Ike Conway -  North Harbour U19
Nate Lonie -  North Harbour U17
Liam Holwerda -  North Harbour U17
Vito Niuloa -  North Harbour U17
Max Sluis -  North Harbour U17
Jack Hancock -  North Harbour U17
Parehuia Delamere -  North Harbour U17

ORIENTEERING

The North West Orienteering Club hosted the Auckland Secondary Schools Championship, which took place on Wednesday 10 May at Woodhill Forest.  Three students entered this year:

Intermediate Girls Championship
Anna Cory-Wright   5th place
Sylvie Frater    8th place
( There were 18 competitors in this grade )

Intermediate Girls Standard
Lili Cave - placed 15th out of 25 competitors.

The Championship courses are set as difficult as possible within the guidelines to test the most able orienteers in each age group.  The standard grade courses still provide a good level of technical and physical challenge.

Well done to all three of our Intermediate competitors and a big thank you to Guy Cory-Wright and Mary Wadsworth for their organisation and especially to Bronwyn Rosie for transporting and supervising the girls on the day.

Good luck to the following students who will be competing in the North Island Secondary Schools Orienteering Championships in Taupo.

Lili Cave      Skylar Chapman-Peters      Anna Cory-Wright      Sylvie Frater   
Nina Quinn      Angus Williamson      George Wright

KARATE

JODIE BATT has been selected to go to Croatia in June/July, for the World Karate Federation Youth Camp and Cup.  It is hoped she will attend the Austrian Open on the 24th & 25th June, followed by the Camp and Competition from the 26th June to 2nd July.  She will return to school after the July school holidays.

TOUCH CHAMPION

Not only did our Waiorea participate in the opening ceremony of the 2017 World Masters Games, but our very own PETER MCINTYRE competed and won a gold medal for touch in the Mens O50s grade.

Pete has had a very busy month, having won a gold medal at the Touch Nationals for his beloved Auckland Mens O50 team, the World Masters Games win and then a week in Australia assessing the Open Mens, Womens and Mixed teams in the Trans Tasman series.

So a big shout out to you Pete and congratulations on your gold medal performances. Daughter and former Springs student ARIIA TAINUI-MCINTYRE played in the TT series, representing NZ in the Open Womens grade.

Stage Challenge 2017 Estrangement

                                                                                            Stage Challenge Design 2017 by Molly Snowden |Y13

Stage Challenge is now 8 weeks out from competition at the Aotea Centre! For dancers, leaders, production team and teachers there is a lot of effort going into every part of the show. The 2017 dance is titled Estrangement and preparation is well underway with rehearsal and planning for this year’s performance night – Friday 7th July 2017.

The Stage Challenge production has always been 100% student-led and designed. This year it is a pleasure to work with Y13 Student Leaders – Elsa Brandt, Molly Snowden, Esther Cohen-Goh, Carla Harre, Freya Sturm, Khue Chu and Oscar Furness-Wills who each are responsible for elements of the show such as concept, choreography, music, set, costume, make-up and technology.

Stage Challenge promotes leadership, self-management, participation and relationship skills in all aspects of production and performance. The overall achievement and pride that students take away from the event will stay with them for future performance in years to come.

It’s great to see the Y13 leadership team teaching and encouraging participation across all year levels. We are very proud of their efforts so far – enjoy reading about their dance production in this edition of the ArtsNews.

This term is certainly a busy one with activity both at school and in the community. Students are looking forward to trips, class productions and showcases. Teaching staff also look forward to selecting students for the Arts Showcase to travel to Ponsonby and Pasadena Intermediate Schools on Tuesday 27th June, Week 9.

Finally, we wish Hattie Salmon and Amy Morrin the best of luck as they head to Wellington for the National Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Festival over Queens Birthday Weekend to perform their excerpt of Two Gentlemen of Verona. All the best girls!

Congratulations again 11Drama and Beth Kayes - Gargantua was an outstanding comedy full of laughs.

Thank you Oscar Furness-Wills – 13 Art Design for the ArtsNews Heading in this issue.

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

                                                        Stage Challenge Holiday Rehearsal | photo credit: Cosmo Ashley-Lamb

Storyline | The 2017 Stage Challenge production follows the story of a friendship of two young girls in a world which is increasingly divided by wealth. These girls, from different backgrounds, are torn apart by the bigotry ingrained within the society resulting in the destruction of their innocent bond. 

Dance | The dance is structured in an introduction, 3 middle sections and a finale. Starting with a solo by our wonderful lead Eloise Woodley-Phillips, who is the symbol of the piece, linking the show together. There is a variety of dance styles being employed, with jazz and contemporary influence running strong.

Costume | The costumes have been designed and are well under way thanks to our dedicated leaders, Oscar Furness–Wills and Bebe Shatford. Over term one they finalised the designs of the costumes, and over the course of the past few weeks have starting bringing them to life. This week they are moving on to buy the rest of the fabric needed and produce some more creative masterpieces!

Set | Set designs are coming along nicely and there is a big emphasis this year on creating interaction between set and dance, to add to the stage presence and interest of the piece on stage. Construction of the set is about to begin and we are all very excited to start!

Make-up | Our head of makeup Freya Sturm has been working away at possible concepts and we are putting together a team for the day.

STAGE CHALLENGE 2017
8 WEEK REHEARSAL SCHEDULE
FOR STUDENTS/PARENTS/CAREGIVERS:

A message from our Stage Challenge Leaders…

“Thank you everybody for your great commitment to Stage Challenge 2017 since the beginning of rehearsals.  The next eight weeks are the most crucial as we finalise the choreography, costumes, set, lighting and everything it takes to get the show on!! Please put this on your fridge for safe-keeping!”

This is your REHEARSAL SCHEDULE from now until FRIDAY 7th JULY
You ARE REQUIRED TO ATTEND ALL OF THE REHEARSALS LISTED

                                                                                                       Stage Challenge Leaders 2017

The year 11 production of 'Gargantua' saw great commitment and hard work from many students in the holidays and in the weekends -congratulations! Thanks to Joe Kennedy for Stage Managing, the Music Department for lending us equipment, Georgia Menhennet for helping out backstage and huge thanks to Mr Pollock for making the big baby head and for supporting the production. Thanks also to all of the teachers, parents and students who came to see the show!
                                                                                                                                                  Beth Kayes – Drama

                                                                                                       Gargantua | photo credit:  Cosmo Ashley-Lamb

We need your gumboots…
any sort… any condition

The Year 12 Drama classes need gumboots for their production,
Wheeler’s Luck at the end of term 2
We want all sorts:
Black/white/coloured/patterned/Redband
meatworkers/safety/lace-up/childrens…
Bring them to TAPAC or email Mr Pollock; pollockr@wsc.school.nz

Diversity Docos Film Festival

The Media Department is holding the Diversity Docos Film Festival on Wednesday and Thursday lunchtimes in Weeks 4, 5 and 7 in D12. The common element is documentaries that have an inclusive theme. We’ll be showing Sonita directed by Rokhsareh Ghaemmaghami in Week 4, Gayby Baby Directed by Maya Newell in Week 5 and How to Dance in Ohio Directed by Alexandra Shiva in Week 7. All of these documentaries have previously shown at the Documentary Edge Festival and have great talking points about issues such as inclusion, diversity, gender and sexuality. There will also be popcorn! If you’d like to find out more go here to see the trailers. Everyone welcome!

                                                             Oscar Barber Wilson - Media Leader and Deb Thompson - HOD Media

             Daffodils - The Rising Stars of Tamaki Makaurau

Daffodils performed as part of the Museum's Volume exhibition. This is the band that was placed 2nd in the country last year in RockQuest.

The museum is promoting the performances as “The Rising Stars of Tamaki Makaurau” on their website. Daffodils performed on April 26 at 11am and 1pm.

Students are Theo Salmon, Louis Graham and Isaac Keating.

                                                                                                                       Margaret Robertson – HOD Music

                                                                                                           Daffodils | Photo credit:  Joseph Kennedy

                                     Collaborative Mural

Keep an eye out for the recently installed ‘tape art’ mural and this year’s collaborative mural on the wall between F Block and the Library.  The collaborative mural is shared by the school community as pictorial expressions of student voice and will continue to grow with time.
                                                                                                                                              Lily Laita – HOD Art

About the Soloist – Noah Rudd [Oboe]
Noah began his journey on the oboe with Alison Jepson at the age of 9. He is now in his
second year of a Bachelor of Music at the University of Auckland, studying with Martin Lee after a year with Robert Orr in which he was awarded the George Hopkins Prize for most outstanding woodwind student of the year.  Noah is an ex pupil of Western Springs College.