Dear Parents and GuardiansExams have been the focus for all of our young men this week. I hope that they have all prepared themselves them thoroughly and that the results received next week, reflect the effort that has gone into revising. Nominations closed today for the Board of Trustees Elections. There are three places available for the next three years. Four of our current Board are standing for re-election:
and we have five new parents who have put themselves forward:
Information on all of the candidates will be posted home tomorrow (as per the New Zealand Schools Trustees Associations’ regulations). The deadline for voting is Friday June 3 at midday. Have a lovely weekend. Regards |
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Junior Premier Debating Update
After four rounds Team 1 has had 3 wins from 4, Team 2 had had 4 wins from 4, and Team 3 has had 2 wins from 4 putting two of the teams in a good position to move to the quarterfinals in Term 3 if they win the next two debates. There is a lot of talent in this squad which bodes well for the years ahead. Well done to William Price, in particular, who is being commended by adjudicators. Our full debating programme (Junior Open, Senior Open, and Advanced Open) is progressing well with the Advanced Premier teams set to debate next Wednesday. |
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The Hillary Challenge – not for the UnadventurousThe Hillary Challenge Final, also known as the secondary schools version of the GODZone Adventure Race, is a five day adventure race held in Tongariro National Park. The event brings together twelve schools from around New Zealand to compete for the Adventure Racing Nationals title. Not only does this event require a high level of physical and mental fitness, all participants are part of a team and need to show their ability to work together in demanding circumstances. |
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| The teams are scored on their skill, speed and endurance during a 5-day series of outdoor adventure challenges, including a 2-day rogaine style wilderness expedition and a multisport race on the final day. In true adventure racing tradition, the exact details of all challenges are kept secret until the start of the event.
Westlake Boys combined with Westlake Girls received entry into this event for the first time this year after their ranking in the qualifying event last year. The team consisting of Westlake Boys Andrei Popovici, Campbell Knowles, Taylor Haynes and Ryan Williams, along with Dani Bound, Rikako Ozaki, Mica Erdmann and Holly Gray from Westlake Girls, have been training hard since the beginning of the year. The event kicked-off on Sunday 8th May with plenty of warm sunshine, but in true New Zealand fashion, this quickly turned into a week of heavy rain and strong nor’westers. Out of their comfort zone, the team took each day in their stride and pushed through the challenges they faced ranging from mountain biking, abseiling and orienteering to sustainability, construction and history. Then it was off into the mountains for two days of navigation and camping followed by a 60km multisport race to top it off. The team felt well prepared for the event due to plenty of training and through sponsorship of equipment from both Bivouac in Albany and Bigfoot Adventures. But as we had been warned, the first time attending is a very steep learning curve where you can expect to come last. Despite this, the team pushed on, supporting each other and they got everyone to the finish line. The result was an 8th overall placing which the team was very pleased with. The week was a challenge like none other where our eight students competed against New Zealand’s best adventurers and the result from the team…….bring on next year! Qualifiers are held in four weeks’ time so it’s straight back into training on Monday. Thank you to the parents, the schools as well as our sponsors for supporting the Westlake Adventure Racing team and enabling us to take part in the Hillary Challenge Final that has definitely given the participants an incredible experience to look back on for the rest of their lives. The Hillary Challenge featured on TV One’s “Seven Sharp” last night. Click on the link here for the feature. TIC – Miss Belcher |
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Korean Night, Friday 27th May 2016 |
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| What: Westlake Korean Night
When: Friday 27 May 2016, 7pm Where: Westlake Boys Auditorium Tickets: $4 at the door Come along with your friends and family to celebrate our 7th annual Westlake Korean Night! On Friday 27 May, the Westlake Korean Night will take place in the Westlake Boys Auditorium at 7pm. The event, collaboratively prepared by Westlake Boys’ and Girls’ High Schools, gives students the opportunity to share their Korean culture and music in an evening filled with passion and excitement including traditional dancing and K-pop singing performances. |
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| Tickets are $4 each and can be purchased at the door or from the leaders of the Korean Committee. Refreshments will be available and remember to bring some cash to purchase raffle tickets for the chance to win some excellent prizes on the evening. As has been the tradition for many years, all profits from the night will be donated to charity. | |||
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| When: Thursday 7th July 2016 (last week of term 2)
Time: 6.45 am Where: Westlake Boys’ High School Auditorium Tickets: Now on sale $25 per person from the Uniform Shop – click here to download the ticket order form Special Guest: To be confirmed |
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| After the sell-out Mother Son Breakfast this week, it is time to treat our dads and granddads at the annual Westlake Boys’ Father Son Breakfast, held on Thursday 7th July in the Westlake Boys Auditorium (the last week of Term 2).
The annual Westlake Boys’ Father Son Breakfasts are a special, once a year occasion and are a wonderful chance for you to spend some quality time with your son enjoying a delicious buffet breakfast. All students, fathers, grandfathers or male role models are invited to attend. We are currently in the final stages of confirming this year’s guest speaker, so keep an eye out for more information on the school website, Facebook page and in this newsletter. Tickets to the Father Son Breakfast are now on sale from the Uniform Shop in Student Services. Click here to download the ticket order form. Tickets are $25 per person payable by cash/Eftpos/Visa or MasterCard. Call the Uniform Shop on 410 8667 ext. 806 to order and pay by credit card. |
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Major Diary Dates: |
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| 23rd – 27th May | Westlake’s Got Talent Heats | ||
| 26th May | Years 10 and 11 CIE / NCEA Information Evening | ||
| 27th May | Korean Evening | ||
| 6th June | Queens Birthday – School Closed | ||
| 9th June | Years 12-13 Parents’ Evening | ||
| 9th June | Late Start PD No. 3 (students arrive 10.55am) | ||
| 13th June | PTA Meeting, 7.00pm, PTA Conference Room, Gymnasium | ||
| 16th June | Year 11 Parents’ Evening | ||
| 23rd June | Year 10 Parents’ Evening | ||
| 27th June | Westlake’s Got Talent Final | ||
| 29th June | Board of Trustees Meeting, 5.00pm, Boardroom | ||
| 1st July | Westlakers Recent Leavers Reunion, 7.00pm, PTA Conference Room | ||
| 6th July | 2016 Westlakers London Reunion | ||
| 7th July | Father Son Breakfast, 6.45am, Auditorium | ||
| 8th July | Chinese Evening, End Term 2 | ||
| 5th August | Grandparents’ Day | ||
| 12th August | Westlakers Annual Reunion, 5.30pm, Gymnasium | ||
Westlake Sport |
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| North Harbour West Auckland Cross Country Champions
The Distance Running squad competed in the North Harbour and West Auckland Cross Country Championships on Tuesday 17th May with some outstanding results. Westlake Boys are North Harbour and West Auckland champions in all three categories: Junior, Intermediate and Senior Boys. Well done to all that took part and a special thank you to Mr Theuns Strydom for his outstanding leadership of this group of hard working and committed young men. Click here for a full list of the top eight in each category |
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Rugby ResultsWestlake Boys 4th XV vs Kaipara College 2nd XVThe 4th XV began this week’s game as they ended last week’s, with the forwards and backs working cohesively, resulting in excellent flowing rugby. The team dominated Kaipara from the start of the match and with the expected key players performing well, a number of other players also stood out. TJ Milne led the team from the front showing off strength and speed with some thrilling runs. He was ably supported by his front row mates Sam Cato and Patrick Corcoran. Sam Cato had a great day capped by two tries with two short bursts close to the try line. What was even more pleasing was seeing the development of the players who either came back from long periods in the wilderness and those giving it a go for the first time. Three boys who deserve a special mention are Euan Grigor, Tom Newland and Alex West-Hill. Tom almost capped a surging burst over 30 meters with a try and Alex did the basics on the wing in his first game for the team: catch and run to score a try. Leading 34 to 0 at half time the second half was not so spectacular with Westlake kicking too much ball, becoming one out runners and not respecting their opposition. The lack of discipline allowed Kaipara a well-deserved try and saw only three tries scored in the second half. The score of the final try was pleasing because the team reverted back to the style which had proved so successful in the first half taking the final score to 49-7. With the limit of 22 players to a team in place, it’s hard for 6 boys missing out on their chance to take the field but all in the squad turn up for practice with punctuality – all part of the discipline of belonging to a team even when they need to be at an early morning training the next day for their other chosen sport. Please click here for all Rugby Results |
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Football ResultsSaint Kentigern College 1st XI vs Westlake Boys 1st XI Following their thrill a minute 5-5 draw with Mount Albert Grammar School in their opening Premier league match, Westlake travelled to heavily fancied Saint Kentigern College on the weekend. On a perfect playing surface Westlake started confidently and looked in good nick. However, against the run of play, St Kents took the lead when the WBHS defence seemed to go to sleep and allowed a simple passing move to undo them presenting the St Kents striker with an unchallenged route to goal and a simple finish. Westlake did not let this early set back affect them though and soon had a chance themselves, a cross from the left found Callum Diprose in space but his volley sailed over the St Kents bar. Continue reading here…. |
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Hockey Results 18 MayWestlake Boys 1st XI vs Rosmini College 1st XITwo evenly matched sides battled hard on the Harbour No 1 turf on Wednesday evening. Rosmini scored twice in the first half and although Westlake created some chances throughout the match, it just wasn’t their night. Rosmini deservedly took the win 2-0. Congratulations to Keegan Russell who was named as 2016 1st XI Hockey Captain with Netesh Sukha as Vice Captain. |
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Westlake Boys Premier Rugby League 40 vs Papakura High School 10 |
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| Westlake Boys’ Premier Rugby League team began their game against Papakura High School knowing that a victory would ensure them a place in the top six of the CRL competition. The game started strongly for Westlake with Anthony Po-Ching and Zae Wallace both scoring fine individual tries. Westlake didn’t ease up in the first half and went to the break with a convincing 20-0 lead.
The second half began in shaky fashion when the visitors scored within the first three minutes but the home team responded in style to pull away clearly from Papakura and secure a convincing 40-10 victory. Standout performers for Westlake were Fine and Lotu Inisi with Anthony Po-Ching and Zae Wallace also producing strong efforts again. Next week sees the team travel to Fowlds Park to take on Mount Albert Grammar School looking to complete the round robin section of play undefeated. |
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Squash Results 13 May |
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| The Westlake Premiers Squash teams had a great start to their season with both our Premier 1 and 2 teams sweeping the opposition. Premier 1 members David Matthews, Akil Afghan, Jonathan Beazley and Matt Peagram all won their games against Glendowie College in straight sets.
Our Premier 2 team of Tom Taylor, Soo-Myoung Jang, Zonal Ali and Felix Kim also won all their games against Mount Albert Grammar School. Congratulations to Year 11 Matthew Lucente for being selected as a reserve of the New Zealand World Junior Squash Team. The competition will be held in Poland in August. Matthew is part of our National Secondary Schools champion team and will again help retain the title this year. |
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Westlake Boys Premier Basketball vs Onehunga High School |
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| Last Friday night our boys travelled over the bridge to take on Onehunga High School. They came away with one of the largest winning margins in the school’s Premier Basketball history, 164-28. All of the boys played extremely well.
Thabo Manyere had a great game with 27 points, 14 rebounds to go with his 7 assists and 6 steals. James Moors top scored with 34 points and grabbed 9 rebounds. Josh Hidalgo was very efficient getting 27 points, while shooting 79% and dishing out 9 assists. Reuben Fitzgerald played a great defence totalling 10 steals to go with 17 points. Lucas Mennenga, Marc Malingin, Scott Telfer, Ethan Martin and Isaac Letoa all played well on both ends of the floor. |
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| This evening the team have a much sterner test against Mount Albert Grammar School. The away game is scheduled for a 7.30pm tip-off. | |||
Good Luck to:
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Movie Night: X-men and Florence Foster Jenkins Fundraiser |
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| A team of 10 boys (below) are fundraising for their conservation field trip to Indonesia in July 2016.
The film night is on Thursday 26 May at the Bridgeway in Northcote. There is a choice of two movies -either X Men Apocalypse or Florence Foster Jenkins. We have two cinema screens playing the films at the same time. The details are in the attached flyer. Tickets are $20 each and you get not only a movie, but canapes on arrival, silent auctions, raffles, spot prizes and a slide show presentation by anthropologist Dr Nicholas Malone on his studies of primates in Indonesia. The trip is part of Operation Wallacea, a UK conservation and educational organisation. www.opwall.com |
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| The boys will be collecting data to assist scientists and researchers study birds, small mammals, bats and an array of marine life. It’s not all hard work though as they get to learn jungle survival skills and scuba diving as well as staying with local families for a few nights, and meeting other students from UK, Canada and elsewhere.
Tickets available from Miss El-Labany – jellabany@westlake.school.nz |
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| If you have information and/or photos which you feel may be included in a future newsletter, please contact the Headmaster’s EA, Mrs Sandra White: swhite@westlake.school.nz | |||
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Headmaster’s Newsletter 20 May 2016
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