Newsletter No 5 –June 2013
Welink is a newsletter produced as a link between the College and community. Welink is given to the students at school to take home to parents. Please make sure that your daughter brings a Welink home. It contains essential information as well as news. It is also on our website – www.wegc.school.nz
Principal’s Message Tena koutou katoa The idea of forming partnerships for learning is a key part of the Learning Values at East. We have been looking at the ideas students, staff, parents and whanau contributed to this discussion in terms of what we can all expect of each other as learners, teachers and parents/whanau. We will have some materials available to discuss in the next weeks. I am seeking parent/whanau support on a more pragmatic issue. We have concerns about the way the uniform is being worn by some students and the impact this has on the way we, and others, feel about the school. The uniform is a significant part of what forms our identity. It unifies us and contributes to the spirit of the school. In recent years we have seen much stronger association with what the girls call “the blue and gold” across the school. I think this is a positive part of building the spirit of the school and idea of the East Girl. We are stronger as a community when all aspects are congruent. In the winter months students should be wearing the school tie, jersey and blazer. There is a blue school scarf available in the uniform shop and a long-sleeved winter weight shirt for cooler months. We are in the process of working with students to design a new school jacket and hope to have prototypes available for discussion soon. However, persuading your daughter to wear her blazer to school would be a fantastic place to start. Nga mihi nui Sally Haughton Principal
Board of Trustees Election Results Election Declaration of Parent Voting: Blackwood, Adele Clements, Michael Enright, Patricia Ferry, Douglas Leeuwenberg, Brenda Love, Honiana Malu, Amanda Papp, Erina Riddell-Garner, Renee Weston, Carol
146 180 100 217 109 115 238 156 110 124
I hereby declare the following duly elected: Adele Blackwood, Michael Clements, Douglas Ferry, Amanda Malu, Erina Papp Election Declaration of Staff Representative Voting: Brace, Suzie 34 De Souza, Vanessa 28 I hereby declare Suzie Brace duly elected. Lyn Broad, Returning Officer
Term 2 Diary Dates June 18 18 19 20 21 22-23 25 26 July 2-5 3 4 9 9 11 12 29
Sports & Cultural Photos - Hall Te Whānau Tūtahi Meeting – Rm 66 – 6.00pm Winter Exchange WEGC Open Evening – 6.00pm - Hall “Fobulous” Fundraiser – Opera House – 8.00pm 40 Hour Famine Board of Trustees Meeting – Rm 71 – 6.00pm New Settlers Parents’ Assn Meeting – 6.00pm Musical Production - Chicago Senior Reports posted Parents’ Assn Meeting – Rm 71 – 7.00pm Senior Report Evening WEGC Old Girls’ Assn Meeting – Rm 71 – 5.30pm Junior Reports posted End of Term 2 Beginning of Term 3
School Open Evening: Thursday 20 June from 6.00pm The Open Evening is an important opportunity to see students and teachers in their classrooms. We will be asking many students to assist on the night, so that visitors can get a real sense of what life at WEGC is like. The Board of Trustees has th agreed that classes will end on the 20 June at 12.30pm so that staff may prepare for the Open Evening. Students who wish to remain at school should report to the school office and supervised study will be arranged. The Special Needs Unit will operate to usual times, finishing at 3.30pm. We would appreciate your efforts to promote and talk about the school. Please spread the word to neighbours, friends, colleagues and family if you are pleased with what the college is doing for your daughter. Application forms for enrolment have been distributed to all contributing schools and are available from the office or the website. Applications for Year 9 enrolment meetings Closing Date Enrolment Meetings at College Ballot for Out-of-Zone Year 9 Students
Monday 29th July Thursday 22nd to Wednesday 28th August Friday 16th August
WEGC Parents’ Assocation
Exam Success
The Parents' Association meets regularly throughout the year. It provides a space to meet other parents and caregivers, find out what’s going on at school and feel that you are contributing to school life in a very real and helpful way.
Congratulations to Emily Moore and Charlotte Hann who have been awarded a Gold Medal in the American National Latin Exam held in March. There were 19,100 students world-wide who sat this exam so this is a real achievement.
This term, we are looking forward to helping out at the Open Evening by serving tea, coffee, hot chocolate and refreshments. At our last meeting, we considered a number of funding requests from East girls who have been selected for, or are doing, such amazing things. Several of the girls have already carried out great fundraising efforts on their own. We are also pleased to continue our tradition of supporting the WEGC musical, and it was wonderful to hear about the success of the WEGC choirs at the Big Sing.
Big Sing – Big Wins!
If you would like to get involved or find out more, please come along to the next meeting on Thursday 4th July starting at 7pm in Room 71. Our meetings are friendly and welcoming, and they are usually over by 9pm at the latest! If you can't get to a meeting easily, you can ask to be added to our email mailing list so you can keep up-to-date with the things we are discussing. Contact Kate Ridley (021 641 558), or email us from the WEGC website by going to the 'Community' tab and then the Parents' Association section. This will give you more information about who we are and what we do, as well as the dates of the meetings for the rest of the year, and the guidelines and forms to use for funding requests.
NZQA Qualification Entries 2013 Statements for NZQA are included in this mailout. If your daughter is sitting exams and she hasn’t received a statement please telephone the School Office.
Payment can be made by installments or by Direct Credit to the school, as well as a one-off payment They must be received at the College by Friday 23 August. Prompt payments will avoid the NZQA late fee of $50
Costs: This flat fee covers as many or as $76.70 per candidate few standards as a student enters. This also includes one, two or three Scholarship subjects Each additional Scholarship subject $76.70 per subject Fees for International Fee Paying students: Any NZQF standards $383.20 per candidate Each additional scholarship subject $102.20 per subject Financial Assistance: In this mailout we are also enclosing a Financial Assistance information sheet and an application form. You can apply for assistance if: Your family receives a benefit or holds a Community Services Card There are more than two students in the family entering as candidates with fees more than $200. If you intend to make an application please return your completed forms to the Student Services Office no later than 23rd July. Please see the attached letter from the Principal’s Nominee, Anna Wilson, for further information about NZQA and fees.
Our school is one of the largest contributors towards this national choral event. We have four choirs, comprising close to 40% of our school. Senior Choir, Multi Choir, and Junior Choir performed on 6th June at the Town Hall. Our Junior Choir includes all 230 Year 9's, and performed at 2pm. Our international award winning choir, Cantala, performed the day before, on Wednesday 5th June, and received an award for Best Performance of New Zealand Piece (The Estuary). Our choirs also received: In total the choirs won: 2 Participation Awards Best Performance of Gospel (Multi Choir; Joyful, Jofyul) Best Performance of Maori Piece (Senior Choir; He Honore) Adjudicator's moment of the day (Junior Choir; Circle of Life) Student Conductors Award (Holly Nicholas; Conducting Junior Choir in the Circle of Life) Best Performance of New Zealand Piece (Cantala; The Estuary) Best performance of Jazz/Pop/Musical Theatre (Junior Choir; Circle of Life) Not to mention one of the adjudicators was moved to tears when Junior Choir performed Circle of Life. He said over the two days that was probably the most amazing moment. Congratulations to all the students and thanks go to Mr Stewart (HOD Music) for his work and his teaching, as well as Mr Pickering and Ms Kelder who helped with training. Please go to the school website to see video clips of the Junior Choir. www.wegc.school.nz
School Production “Chicago” Yes it’s true! This year, Wellington East Girls’ College will present one of the most popular musicals in history – CHICAGO! It has everything that makes a musical great: a universal tale of fame, murder, fortune and all that jazz; one show-stopping-song after another; and the most astonishing dancing you’ve ever seen. Our school has a history of producing fantastic shows, including recent productions of Les Misérables and West Side Story. There are many adaptions of Chicago, and we would like to stress that our ‘interpretation’ will be suitable for college students. We will stay true to the story and music, but the vaudeville theme will be tastefully presented. Tickets for each night, including the opening night gala, go on sale from Week 8 and 9. Visit our production website for more information www.chicagonz.com
Science Success Darina Khun has won a place in the Astronomy and Astrophysics Olympiad being held over 10 days in Greece in July/August. This is the first time New Zealand has been invited to attend and the level of competition will be very high. She is part of a team of 3 other secondary school students, also from the Wellington area, who have demonstrated interest and proficiency in practical Astronomy, regularly attended Astronomical Society meetings, as well as achieving highly in NCEA Physics and Mathematics. Congratulations and good luck to the team.
Host Families Needed Please email or call Roz Malkin (international@wegc.school.nz or 385 8514 x 870) to find out about hosting a Japanese student for 11 nights in August. These students are part of a group travelling to Wellington from Kojimachi High School in Japan. They will come to school each day, as well as go on organised trips around the Wellington region. Host families are paid $418 to host one student - breakfast, lunch and dinner plus a comfy bed and some good kiwi hospitality.
Student Communications Contact details: The Student Services Centre has been looking at ways of improving communication to parents/caregivers and to ensure our database holds current information. As a result a new email address has been established for advising of all changes to student details including: Changes of addresses, home and mobile telephone numbers, email addresses, change of details for caregivers, emergency contact details, and updating of medical information. New enrolments and enrolment queries are also to be forwarded to this address: enrolments@wegc.school.nz
26 June 8:30 am
CPIT (Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technology)
Informing students about: New Zealand Broadcasting School (NZBS) National Academy of Singing and Dramatic Arts (NASDA) Art and Design, and the Jazz School
26 June 8:30 am
SIT (Southern Institute of Technology)
Speaking about their “zero fees” courses
26 June 11.40 am
Whitireia NZ
3 July 11.40 am
NZ Defence Forces
10 July 11.40 am
NZ Careers College
7 August
Selected students to visit Massey University (Manawatu)
Talking about the range of local courses they provide – both in Porirua and Wellington Overview – gain information about life in the Army, Navy or Airforce Information on training to become a Nanny and Childcare work.
Trip to New Caledonia Mara Davis, Year 11 writes about the school trip to New Calendonia:
Absences: A reminder that absences are to be advised to our absence line 385-8514 then press 1 to leave a message, or alternatively e-mail to: absences@wegc.school.nz If we have not heard that your daughter will be absent from school by 10.15am an Early Notification Text will be sent to known mobile numbers advising of her absence.
From the 19-30 April, fifty girls studying French and 6 teachers traveled across the Tasman Sea to New Caledonia. A plane full of girls giggling and chatting could have been enough to push the only male teacher - Mr. Marguier - over the edge…but it didn't and we all arrived safely with the sun beating down on us - which was a change from our windy Wellington.
Careers Expo
I think if you asked any of us what we thought of New Caledonia, we would all say it was absolutely amazing.
We strongly recommend parents and caregivers attend the Careers Expo with their daughters on Sunday 23 June. The Expo is open 10-4pm and is the country’s largest careers centered expo, comprising of employers, Industry, tertiary providers, training institutes and government departments. The Expo offers an opportunity for school students to engage directly with careers and employment experts. Admission to the Expo is FREE to all, and is being held at TSB Arena.
One of the big moments which made us fall in love with the trip was when we all arrived at the hotel….and the pool was just…beyond words. Another bonus of the hotel was the buffet breakfast. All. You. Can. Eat. What could go wrong?
We have a range of opportunities coming up for students to gather information about tertiary providers. This will allow them to start gathering information about what they might like to do once they leave school. Everyone is welcome. PLEASE GO TO THE CAREERS ROOM (71) WHEN
WHO’S VISITING
19 June 11:40 am
Auckland University of Technology (AUT)
19 June 11:40 am
McGirr Training
26 June 8:30 am
Leona Huang Eng Josie Milton
26 June 8:30 am
Georgia Gray Rosa BrackonvichPayne
WHAT IT’S ABOUT Courses available at New Zealand’s third largest University. Tertiary provider of Computing based courses at L1, 2 & 3. Great preparation for the workplace. Two ex WEGC students from Canterbury University speaking about life at Canterbury University Two ex WEGC students now at Otago University, who will be speaking about studying in Otago – a student’s perspective
We went snorkeling on Duck Island - which was such a great experience, seeing all the fish beneath us, and some of us even swam with a turtle. We all stayed with host families. This was one of the best experiences for me because they were so nice and hospitable! I felt really at home with them and spending time with them was
fun, although sometimes it took us a while to understand what they were saying….but I would say, on the whole, that everyone who went on the trip has much better French, so it was educational. Another aspect of the trip was the Lycée Exchange to a New Caledonian high school. It was very interesting and everyone seemed so interested in us too. My favourite subject was English! It was really cool to see what a high school just like ours was like (except with boys) and to interact with them. They also spoke really good English, so that was very helpful.
Although this is the start we all want, the girls are very aware that commitment both at school with their school work/responsibilities and to the game, consistency, fitness and team confidence are key factors in becoming formidable opponents. So watch out for future reports - anyone wanting to come and watch the girls’ trainings and games, you are more than welcome to come along.
Underwater Hockey Wellington East Senior and Juniors are playing in the Central Zone Underwater Hockey tournament in Wellington this weekend.
On behalf of all the students who went, I would like to say a MASSIVE thank you to those who organised everything and made it a trip worth remembering; we appreciate all the hard work you put into it.
Thirty-three teams have been entered, with junior and senior sections for boys and girls.
Sport Wellington East are expected to be prominent in the senior girls section this week. Our Junior team coached by student coaches and with many players new to underwater hockey are looking forward to the new experience and hope also to do well. The top five place getters in each grade will qualify for the national secondary schools championships, in Auckland in September.
Wellington East Girls College – Rugby 10’s
Netball
WEGC Rugby has started again at East. After a 3 week grading competition with games against St Mary’s, St Catherine’s and Sacred Heart Colleges the girls were prepared to begin, and what a beginning! The girls are playing in Division 2 against St Mary’s, Bishop Viard, HVHS, Paraparaumu, Kapiti, Upper Hutt and Mana Colleges. They met Bishop Viard at Bishop Viard on Thursday 30 May. The girls displayed stunning combinations of skill, support running and confidence. The first try was scored by Rosa Taituave from a great forward pack drive led by Juanita Falealili. This pretty much set the foundation for a host of tries from: Try scorers Rosa Fanualelei – with 2 tries; Zelda Purcell; Jaydah Timu who also got 2 tries; Keiti Auelua; Tyler Birch; Rosalina Iva-Reedy; Manauea Metuariki and Georgia Broughton (Player of the day). Conversions: Tyler Birch 4; Rosa Taituave 1 Final Score: WEGC 65
Bishop Viard 5
Wellington East got one back over St Mary's in the final of the College Sport Wellington premier netball tournament. East had been beaten by St Mary's in the national college knockout competition last month but recorded a 19-15 win last week. Twenty-four teams took part in last week's tournament, with games restricted to 10-minute halves.