Headmaster’s Newsletter 29 January 2016

Dear Parents and Guardians

Happy New Year.  I hope that you all had a good break and are looking forward to the year ahead.

We’ve had an enjoyable few days this week, as we start the new school year. It has been great to welcome all of our new students to Westlake. We hope that they have enjoyed the first few days and that their initial impressions are positive ones. It was good to see so many families at the powhiri yesterday.

Our decision to start back as early as possible this year was to enable us to maximise teaching and learning time at the start, rather than at the end of the year. We run a busy school with lots of things going on and any extra teaching time we can get is beneficial to all of our students.

Next Friday afternoon we have our annual House haka competition. All families are welcome. It will start between 1.45pm and 2.00pm and will be finished by around 2.45pm.

Best wishes to all of our community for a happy, healthy and successful 2016.

Enjoy the long weekend.

David Ferguson
Headmaster

New Westlake Boys’ High School Gymnasium

New Students enjoy first day with Buddies

Since the start of the buddy programme nearly 20 years ago, many new students have benefitted from the relationships that have been formed with their peers throughout their first year at Westlake. The programme has grown from 35 students partaking in the early stages to nearly 230 this year and it forms an integral part of the rich fabric our school.

Click here to view more photographs.

Powhiri – Thursday 28 January

Our school year started positively on Thursday with our whole school powhiri.

Head Prefects 2016

House Captains 2016

Prefects 2016

Westlake Boys Staff Hui

After morning tea all headed back into the whare for a workshop on Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Rather than the typical ‘death by powerpoint’ presentations, the workshop included interactive display and sharing of knowledge all round. It was a true reflection of teaching and learning new ways on implementing bicultural principles into Westlake Boys High School and the wider Westlake community.

Despite the hot and humid weather, staff were treated to a hangi, another new experience for many. The day was wrapped up with a brief strategic introduction from senior staff, before breaking into individual department reflection sessions. The marae based hui was positively received by all and hopes are high to plan a similar staff experience on an annual basis.

Careers Department

Along with our Careers ilearn page we have now changed our Careers Facebook page from a group to become a new public page.  Please like and follow our page and encourage your son to do the same.

https://www.facebook.com/Westlake-Boys-High-School-Careers-Department-1147251241968215/

Activities, University events, part time, fulltime jobs, apprenticeships etc will be published on our Facebook page for easy access.  Please feel free to contact Mrs Renton-Rooney if you have any enquiries on 09 410 85667 ext 765, or Mrs Shepheard on ext 781.

School Bus Travel

All school bus routes to and from Westlake can be found at the following link:  https://at.govt.nz/bus-train-ferry/timetables/school-timetables/westlake-boys/

Students should be using these routes over public bus routes where possible.

2016 Westlake Boys House Haka Competition, Friday 5^th February, 1.45pm

The history of the Westlake Haka

It was thirty years ago this year that the haka was first performed by the Westlake 1^st XV Rugby team.  Kerry Hill, Westlake’s 1984 1st XV Rugby Coach, commissioned Bert McLean to write a haka especially for the 1^st XV Rugby team. Bert, fluent in Maori with tribal affiliation to the Tuhoe people from the Eastern Bay of Plenty had a vast experience of haka and waiata writing in combination with his passion for rugby and rugby coaching thus making him the perfect man for the job. A Navy man for 22 years, Bert coached the Rugby Navy team and the Combined Services Representative side as well as the Glenfield Seniors. Although at first apprehensive about whether the haka would be used appropriately, Bert took great pains to explain the cultural significance to the 1st XV Rugby players and spent many hours taking the players through the words and movements of the “Westlake 1^st XV Haka”.

Bert taught us the haka before and after trainings for several weeks until we were ready for our stage debut in front of the whole school.  I can remember saying to the boys that if we were to do this haka, then there was only one way to do it; with passion, aggression and total commitment. Our rugby team was fully informed of what our haka meant and why we were performing it, and whilst the bulk of our players were New Zealanders of non-Maori descent, we embraced the opportunity to learn more about the Maori culture through understanding the words and actions of the haka. That day, we performed it with great passion, aggression and vigour and as you can imagine it felt great and was very well received.”

It was Mount Albert Grammar School’s 1^st XV that was the first to be on the receiving end of the Westlake 1^st XV haka the following Saturday. From there on it was performed before most other matches for the remainder of the 1^st XV season and by the U15 team on their South Island tour. On the few occasions when the 1st XV didn’t perform the haka, the players felt that something was missing from their game. All players appreciated the Westlake mana given to such an important aspect of Maori culture and tradition. It was Kerry Hill’s hope that in future years everyone in the school would learn the haka and that it would become a proud tradition at Westlake.

Little did he know that thirty years on, albeit it being a different version from the 1984 1^st XV Rugby haka, Westlake Boys perform the Westlake School Haka – Te Haka O Ururoto at a variety of special Westlake occasions both in New Zealand as well as overseas. The annual Westlake House Haka Competition has become one of the highlights of the school’s calendar and has become a proud tradition that stays with Westlake students long after they leave school. One of the most memorable and emotional hakas ever performed was a whole school haka performed to boys visiting from Christchurch Boys High on the day of Christchurch earthquake on Tuesday 22 February 2011.

You can find the word to the Westlake School Haka – Te Haka O Ururoto here.

Major Diary Dates 2016:

Welcome to New Staff

We are delighted to have a number of new staff members joining our school this year and we welcome them into the Westlake community.

• Johnny Waititi – HOD Maori
• Kelly Easton – HOD Economics
• Simon McGinley – French
• Tanya Black – Food Technology
• Vanessa Shoobert – Food Technology / Hauora
• Wayne Clarke – Technology
• Grant Macleod – Social Sciences
• Michael Tillett – Social Sciences
• Catherine Salmons – Science
• Melissa Mathieson – Science
• Jordan Neil – English
• Julie Moynihan – Mathematics
• Shereen Le Fleming – Mathematics
• Rob Mildenhall – Physical Education
• Nick Elrick – Physical Education
• Elaine Moore – Canteen Manager
• Vijay Esnaran – Technical Support, Technology

We also welcome back Mrs Penny Weakley (Mathematics) and Mr Rob Noble (Term 1, Mathematics).

Road Works on Nile Road

We have been informed of road words taking place on Nile Road for approximately twelve weeks from 25 January.

Access of the road will remain unchanged, however this may affect parking for students.  Full details available here.

Westlake Sport 

1^st XI Cricket Runners-Up in New Zealand

Click here for a summary of the tournament games.

NZ Track & Field & Road Running Championships

The teams took out both the Senior New Zealand Cross Country and the Road Running Champion title with exceptionally strong performances from every member of those teams. Bradley Hall (3rd) and Joe Clark (5th) were also selected as part of the New Zealand Road Race team off the back of their performances.

Westlake also picked up the Junior Road Race 6 Man National Champion title, as well as a Silver medal for the 3 Man team.

Anthony Nobilo came away with a Silver Medal in the Senior Hammer, making the New Zealand Secondary School Athletics team in doing so.  Anthony Barmes won a Gold Medal in the Junior Hammer.  Stuart Hofmeyr broke the Westlake 1500m school record (previously held by Dan Hoy) by 7 seconds in his race.

Well done to all involved and thank you to Mr Theuns Strydom for all of his enthusiasm, effort and dedication in coaching this team of talented young men.

Please click here for all results.

National Secondary Schools Touch Championships

Westlake’s 2015 Premier Touch team competed at the National Secondary Schools Touch Championships just after the start of the school holidays. The team finished fourth in New Zealand, a terrific feat as it has been a long time since WBHS have made the top 10 in the national tournament.

Successive losses in both the semi-final and bronze medal playoffs saw the team just miss out on a podium finish. It was the end to a great tournament for Westlake and we wish to thank all staff and players who have set a new standard for the Premier Touch team to build upon for 2016.

Congratulations to Zae Wallace and Sam Babb who were both named in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Tournament team.

School Holiday Squash Update

Rafa Yam and Matthew Lucente recently competed in the Gold Coast and were part of the New Zealand team who brought home the Shield of the Junior Trans-Tasman Test Series. The Kiwis fought a tough battle with Australia’s top players but in the end New Zealand prevailed with a win of 19 matches to 17.

Matthew Lucente also came third in the Under 17 division of the Oceania Junior Championships held prior to the Test Series. Squash Captain Rafa Yam finished 5th to be New Zealand’s highest finisher in the Under 19 division. Rafa and Matthew, along with Gabe Yam, are also in the thick of preparations in the hope for selection into the New Zealand World Juniors Team to compete in Poland in August this year.

Robbie McCutcheon Claims Significant Double

After a very successful year on the waters in 2015, Westlake Year 10 student Robbie McCutcheon has joined an elite group of New Zealand yachtsmen when he claimed the Tanner Cup and the Tauranga Cup last week.

The Tanner Cup (1945), which is the Provincial National Championship and the Tauranga Cup (1940), the National Championship, are known as the most prestigious Youth Sailing titles in New Zealand. To win both in the same year is rarely achieved. For Westlake Boys it’s even more special as the 14 year old follows in the footsteps of renowned America’s Cup sailors, Westlakers Chris Dickson and Dean Barker who both won the double title in 1977 and 1988 respectively.

Read more about Robbie’s amazing achievement in the Devonport Flagstaf newspaper.

Congratulations:

• Izaak Ross travelled to Dallas Texas in December to compete at the 2015 Valeri Liukin Invitational Gymnastics Competition with the NZ team. Congratulations to Izaak who placed 2^nd overall in the Level 8, 13-14 year old division

Good Luck to:

• Our 1^st XI Cricket team who are competing in the T20 versus Mt Albert Grammar School and St Kentigern School at St Kents from 10.30am this weekend
• Our Volleyball team who are currently competing in Hawaii
• Our Water polo players who are competing in the Super 6 Tournament this weekend
• Our rowers who are competing in the Cambridge Town Regatta