Headmaster’s Newsletter 30 October

Dear Parents and Guardians

We are almost at the point of all our senior NCEA students going on study leave prior to their examinations beginning. Years 12 and 13 students should be at school until the end of Tuesday next week. Our year 11 students are required at school until the end of next week. From Wednesday until Friday all of our teachers work with our year 11 students in small groups to do targeted exam preparation. This programme has been very successful in previous years and has made a big difference to pass rates when the results have come out. Please support us by ensuring your sons not only attend school up until their designated study leave dates, but also that they are fully prepared for (and indeed attend) all NCEA examinations. The more credits and the more merit and excellence endorsements they get, the better.

Good luck to our Premier tennis team who play in the Auckland final tomorrow.

Have a lovely weekend.

David Ferguson
Headmaster

University Scholarship Recipients

Congratulations to the following students who have been awarded university scholarships, since our senior Prizegiving:

• Riley Cahill – University of Auckland Scholarship
• George Han – University of Auckland Scholarship
• Ritchie Li – University of Auckland Alumni Scholarship
• Eric Park – University of Auckland Jubilee Scholarship
• Simon Su – University of Auckland Jubilee Scholarship
• Alex Yang – University of Auckland Jubilee Scholarship
• Andrew Lee – Otago University Academic Excellence Scholarship $30,000+
• Noah Kemp – Otago University Maori and Pacific Peoples’ Scholarship $10,000
• Joshua Mitchell – Otago University Maori and Pacific Peoples’ Scholarship $10,000
• Logan Hunt – Otago University Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship $6000
• Pavly Ibrahim – Otago University Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship $6000
• Ian Lim – Otago University Leaders of Tomorrow Scholarship $6000
• Ritchie Li – Otago University Academic Excellence Scholarship $6000
• Luke Dewar – Waikato University Sir Edmund Hillary Scholarship

2015 Westlake Boys Sports Awards Dinner, Friday 6 November 2015

ONLY TWO MORE DAYS LEFT TO GET YOUR TICKETS – Ticket sales close Tuesday 3 November

Guest speaker, internationally acclaimed tennis player Simon Rea, will enlighten our young sportsmen with his sporting knowledge and hands-on experience at the highest levels of his sport. Additionally a delicious buffet meal, Westlake Boys Sports Awards and Colours will be presented and a highlight compilation of 2015 sporting moments will be shown.

Click HERE for the Sports Awards Dinner ticket order form.

PTA Christmas Market

When: Wednesday, November 11^th    Doors open at 6.30pm

Where: Westlake Boys High School

What: Get all your Christmas shopping sorted in one fun evening at the Christmas market.  Specialty stalls include jewellery, Christmas decorations, gourmet food gifts, toys, candles, skincare products, garden art and more.
For more details and pictures of our wonderful stalls, check out the WBHS facebook event page here: https://www.facebook.com/events/404190176457152/405676712975165/

2015 Westlake Boys Graduation Dinner

What: 2015 Westlake Boys Graduation Dinner
When: Saturday 28 November 2015, 7pm
Where: Westlake Boys Auditorium

Westlake Boys’ annual Graduation Dinner has become a popular and special event amongst those boys completing their final year of education at Westlake Boys High School. The 2015 Graduation Dinner will be held in the Westlake Auditorium from 7pm on Saturday 28th November.

Tickets are on sale until Friday 20 November. You can find a copy of the information letter and permission and ticket order form available to download from the school website here. Space is limited so tickets will be sold on a first-in, first-served basis with a limit of three tickets per family. We recommend that you purchase your tickets early to avoid disappointment.

Westlake Boys High School Gymnasium – your opportunity to be part of the Westlake sporting milestone!

The opportunity to be part of the new Westlake Boys Gymnasium will be available until the new year – we want as many families to be part of it as possible!

Information of the various items that can be “purchased” is detailed in the WESTLAKE HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM brochure here. The donation form is on Page 4 of the brochure. You can either print it off, complete it and return it to Vicki Fowler by email or post or drop it into school. Donations can be made by online banking payment (details on page 4 of brochure), cheque or credit card and all donations are 100% tax deductible.

We look forward to your family being part of this exciting Westlake milestone.

Important Dates:

Westlakers v WBHS Premier Water Polo Match

When: Sunday 1 November 2015, 5.00pm-6.00pm, followed by drinks and some finger food at ‘The Finish Line’

Where: AUTM pool at AUT Millennium

The match promises to be a great opportunity for Westlake’s Premier Water Polo team to match their skills against Westlaker Water Polo “stars” from yesteryears.

Westlake’s Premier Water Polo team including Jarvis Jensen (currently in the New Zealand School Boys) and Iziah Mahe (New Zealand U16 team) coached by Davor Carevic (North Harbour Head coach and New Zealand coach) will certainly have to step up on the day. They will come up against a team of old boy players which comprises of an astonishing line up including five New Zealand Men’s Water Polo players, four New Zealand School Boys representatives and the rest of the players have all represented various age group levels and top North Harbour teams. Each of these players has won a national title in every age group. All 2001/2002 players have won the National title at least two times in a row and some three times.

The following Westlakers will take the pool – cap numbers, name, last year at Westlake Boys, highest representative honours:

1. John Love (2004) – New Zealand Men’s Water Polo
2. Graeme Gunthorpe (2001) – New Zealand School Boys
3. Jake Bennett (2001) – New Zealand Men’s Water Polo
4. Chris Wall (2001) – New Zealand School Boys
5. Troy Gruebner (1997)
6. Greg Weeks (2001) New Zealand School Boys
7. Steve Knights (1981) New Zealand Men’s Water Polo
8. Phil Blackbourn (2007) – New Zealand School Boys
9. Kurt Bennett (2008)
10. Chris Chester (1999)
11. Owen Chambers New Zealand Men’s Water Polo (2011)
12. William Pike (2002)
13. Dave Broome (2001) – New Zealand Men’s Water Polo
14. Garreth Carter (2001)

We are looking forward to a great game with match commentary provided by Alex Mackenzie and Jonny Clarke. All are welcome to come and watch the match – see you on Sunday 1 November at 5.00pm at the Millennium Pool.

Westlake Sport

Inauguration of the Westlake Boys Cricket Bell

Despite the wet weather conditions on Saturday 24th October, the 1st X1 cricketers and guests gathered at lunchtime for a new  Westlake Boys Cricket  tradition with the unveiling of the Bev Russell Westlake Cricket Bell. The Cricket Bell, positioned on the deck of the Old Boys Sports Pavilion, will be rung for the players to start each innings of their game but, more importantly, it will ring in memory of the many people within the Westlake community who have served to develop this wonderful game at the grounds of Westlake Boys High School since its establishment in 1962.

Once such special person who was a truly passionate supporter of Westlake Cricket sadly passed away this year. Bev Russell was a dedicated Mathematics teacher, devoted wife to Kevin and mother of Westlake hockey players and cricketers Keegan and Jarryd. Bev was an ardent fan of the game and an excellent scorer. If Bev was not watching cricket on TV, she would be listening to it on the radio or looking at the live scores on her computer; such was her keen interest, especially when her own sons were playing, as testified by her family and friends who were present at the unveiling ceremony.

‘No Man is an Island’
A poem by John Donne“………….any man’s death diminishes me,
because I am involved in mankind.
And therefore never send to know for whom
the bell tolls; it tolls for thee”.

Waitemata Rowing Regatta

By Matthew Barry (Rowing Captain 2015/2016 season)

The regatta and results were a mixed bag with tricky variable conditions throughout the day ensuring that no two races were under the same conditions.

First Place Finish

• Under 18 4-Mat Barry, James Brake, Sam Jones, Hugo Verdonk
• Under 18 quad- Mitch Hazelhurst, Mat Barry, Hugo Verdonk, Callum Gilmour
• Under 17 4-Kip Watson, Aaron Cordes, Jack Taylor, Hunter Pethers-Boak 

Runners-Up Finish

• Under 15 quad- Oscar Andrew, Callum Gilmour, Jayden Tabani-ivi, Ryan Morrow

Third Place Finish

• Under 18 8- Callum Gilmour, Mat Barry, James Brake, Sam Jones, Hugo Verdonk, Finn Pethers-Boak, Mitch Hazelhurst, Liam Pugh
• Under 17 8- Jake Jones, Sam Jones, Baxter Holgate-Simpson, Ben Jury, Angus Shotter, Blake Bradshaw, Kip Watson, Jack Taylor

Other Division One Results

• Under 15 4- 5^th
• Novice quad- 7^th
• Novice 8- 7^th

Cricket Top Scores 2015

Individual:

• Max O’Dowd 261 for 2nd XI vs Mt Albert Grammar 2nd XI – 2009
• Robbie O’Donnell 201* for 1st XI vs St Peters College – 2010

Team:

• 2009 Second XI vs Mt Albert Grammar 2nd XI – 444/10

• John Robinson 9/28 for 1st XI vs Auckland Grammar – 1978

Good Luck to:

• Our 1^st XI Cricket team who play Mt Albert Grammar 1^st XI at 10.30am on 31 October at WBHS G1
• Our 2^nd XI Cricket team who play Auckland Grammar 2^nd XI at 10.30am on 31 October at AGS G1
• Our 3^rd XI Cricket team who play Kristin School 1^st XI at 11.00am on 31 October at Kristin G1
• Our Colts 1 Cricket team who play St Kentigern School at 11.30am on 31 October at St Kents G1
• Our Premier Tennis team who play St Kentigern School at 8.00am on 31 October at Scarbro
• Our Junior Boys A1 Green Tennis team who play St Kentigern School at 10.15am on 31 October at St Kents
• Our Junior Touch A team who play Mahurangi College at 4.30pm on 3 November at Hato Petera 5
• Our Junior Touch B team who play Rangitoto College Social 1 at 5.00pm on 3 November at Hato Petera
• Our Premier Junior Volleyball teams who play Otahuhu College and One Tree Hill College at 4.00pm on 30 October at WBHS 1
• Our Junior Volleyball teams who play Long Bay College, Northcote College and Hato Petera from 4pm on 4 November at AMI Stadium
• Our Junior Water Polo A team who play Rangitoto College at 7.30pm on 30 October and Rosmini College at 7.45pm on 1 November at National Aquatic Centre
• Our Junior Water Polo B team who play Waitakere College at 4.00pm on 1 November at National Aquatic Centre

Westlake Girls’ High School Rowing – Christmas Tree Fundraiser

Please click here if you would like information on how to order a Christmas Tree through Westlake Girls Rowing.  Any enquiries may be directed to sarahconnie@gmail.com