Waiopehu College

Kia ora Koutou, Talofa Lava, Malo e lelei, greetings to you all

It is a pleasure to be able to write with the latest news from our student community here at Waiopehu College and we look forward to bringing you more information and updates throughout 2022.

This has been a rather interesting start to the year, thanks once again to the challenges of COVID. Our students and teachers have had to change and adapt in order to embrace a hybrid learning model, which has seen various groups of young people having to learn from home when they have become either positive cases or household close contacts. In addition, a number of our teachers and support staff have had to isolate on occasions. Despite these various challenges we have remained in good heart and we are now seeing our overall attendance starting to rise. I want to acknowledge the resilience and positivity amongst our staff, students and wider community as we head towards a much needed school holiday break.

A major highlight for us in 2021 was the introduction of our new Free and Healthy Lunches programme. Despite the challenges mentioned above, the team have still managed to ensure that all students attending school receive a delicious free lunch. In addition, Hamish and his crew have worked closely with Muaūpoko Tribal Authority to get food parcels out to families who have been in isolation. The final touch to our new lunch programme saw the completion of our fabulous new café. Students are now able to enjoy this new facility at intervals and lunchtimes, where they are able to access a grazing fridge as well as purchase hot drinks if they wish.

As we approach the end of term and reflect back, it always amazes me how much we manage to pack into the time we have. It has been wonderful to see our new Year 9 students settling in so well, winter sports trials and musters are well underway, and we started the year once again celebrating some great NCEA results. I would particularly like to congratulate Miles Harrington, who was awarded a Scholarship in Music. An amazing achievement for Miles, as well as his very proud Music teacher, Mr Tim Shirriffs.

May I take this opportunity to wish you all a very happy Easter and end of term break, and we look forward to bringing you more news throughout the year ahead.

Ka kite ano

Mark Robinson

Principal

In 2019 we established a Junior Leadership team to help provide our Junior students with an opportunity to have a meaningful input into school decisions and to learn the art of building relationships within teams, defining identities and achieving tasks effectively. It also provides an opportunity to learn to identify and display effective communication and interpersonal skills.

Nominations are now open. Students can nominate a Year 9 student who they think would make a good leader. Click here to download a nomination form or collect one from the school office. Nominations close 3pm Thursday 7th April 2022.

In Geography at Waiopehu the main philosophy underpinning the course at Year 12 is the concept of sustainability. The course aims to equip students with the theoretical and practical knowledge that they can take forward in their lives to lessen their impact on the planet. Part of this course involves bee keeping. Students are taught hive management and also actually construct their own hives. March is traditionally the main time to harvest the honey and reap the rewards from the hard work of last year. This year over 200 kgs was harvested. Students took the honey off and then in small groups over a two day period spun the honey out in an extractor to create Waiopehu’s own product, Wai -o- beehu sustainable honey. Yum Yum

A huge congratulations to Marion Serrano, Year 9, for participating in International Challenge on Informatics and Computational Thinking 2022 and being the top Waiopehu computational thinker while also securing a place in the top 20 nationwide.

He receives a Merit Certificate. 2756 students through-out New Zealand participated this year while Omicron presented its own challenges. Marion had 120 points out of a total of 180.

If any student is interested in trialing logical and computational thinking skills, see Ms Kaur in Room 109.

Ms Frances Matheson who joined our technology department Term 2, 2021 as our new engineering teacher, is looking for your junk to make junk art.

If you have any broken motors, random large nut/bolts, springs, old/broken tools etc could you please email francesmat@waiopehu.ac.nz to arrange pick up or drop off.

Thank you for your support.

Jackets are available for ordering through the school office and cost $84.90. A reminder that only plain black jackets can be worn during the winter months. Plain black beanies may be worn outside but must be removed in class.

Do you know anyone born overseas who wants to improve their English?

Talk to us now.

We offer …

One-to-one help (1-2 hours a week)

Classes in Levin (2 hours a week)

Classes in person or online

Speaking, Listening, Reading, Writing

All levels (beginners to advanced)

Our tuition is …

For new arrivals and those who have lived in New Zealand for years

FREE for permanent residents (for other visa holders charges apply)

To contact English Language Partners phone 0800 NEW KIWI or 0800 639 5494

horowhenua-kapiti@englishlanguage.org.nz

At present, all our classes – and most of our help - run online.

Wednesday 6th April - Athletics Day

Thursday 7th April - Nominations close for Junior Executive

Monday 11th April - Board of Trustees Meeting

Thursday 14th April - Last day of Term 1

Monday 2nd May - Start of Term 2

Please note the following Teacher Only Days for 2022

May 2022 - Wednesday 11th May Teacher Only Day

August 2022 - Friday 19th August Teacher Only Day

November 2022 - Friday 25th November Teacher Only Day

November 2022 - Monday 28th November Teacher Only Day

Email: secretary@waiopehu.ac.nz
Website: http://www.waiopehu.ac.nz/
Location: 74 Bartholomew Road, Levin, New Zealand
Phone: 06 368 8303
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WaiopehuCollege