 Term 2 Issue 4 |
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Mānawatia a Matariki!
Ngā mihi o te tau hou Māori - Happy Māori new year! The Matariki star cluster (also known as Pleiades) is in view, marking the middle of winter and the Pacific new year. Just as in the Gregorian calendar new year, this is a traditional time for reflection, gathering, celebration and looking forward to new possibilities and aspirations. If you would like to gather as a community for Matariki, you are warmly invited to attend the events advertised in this newsletter.
Our annual whole school Āhuatanga Whangaparāoa awards are celebrated as part of Matariki. Here we honour many of our learners who have consistently and determinedly upheld the āhua (characters) we value. At this assembly, I asked all our learners to consider how they define success. Success is not always measured in grades, skills, points or performances, and it certainly isn’t measured in comparison to others. Success is as much about who we are as what we do or achieve. Hence, working on our character is a most worthy pursuit.
I shared that to me, success means being the best version of myself I can possibly be. This means I take opportunities that challenge me - such as taking on this role as Acting Principal - knowing that even if I make mistakes (which I do), I can rely on my character to get me through. This is how I grow, so that everyday I get a little bit better at being me.
The Performing Arts have certainly offered plenty of opportunity to grow and succeed over the last few weeks, including a great night of Music Performance and success at the National Dance Challenge. Tuesday night, I was blown away by our school’s incredible performance at the Auckland school’s ShowQuest. 110 learners have been practicing for months, with a learner-led, designed and choreographed performance. The final production was an absolute masterpiece in dance, costume, culture, technology and story-telling.
Finally, we are very much looking forward to seeing many of you at our Meet the Teacher evenings for Years 11 to 13 next week. As we head into Term 3, this is an important opportunity to engage with your child’s educational journey alongside their teachers.
Ngātahi, Whakapono, Tutuki - Together, Believe, Achieve
Davina Dean
Tumuaki Taupua | Acting Principal
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June19 Matariki Festival at Ōrewa College
20 Matariki Public Holiday
21 School Ball
23 Year 11 - 13 Meet the Teacher
(School finishes at 12.30pm)
24 Year 11 - 13 Meet the Teacher
(Normal school day)
27 Last day of Term 2 July14 First Day of Term 3
16 Year 7 - 10 Meet the Teacher
(School finishes at 12.30pm)
17 Year 7 - 10 Meet the Teacher
(Normal school day) |
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Recent News
Year 11 - 13 Meet the TeacherMonday, 23 June & Tuesday, 24 June.
To make a booking, please see the SchoolPoint Conferences button on the SchoolBridge app, or see our school website.
Bookings will close 9am Monday, 23 June.
Year 7 Learner Led Conferences and Year 8 - 10 Meet the TeacherWednesday, 16 July & Thursday, 17 July
Bookings will open Monday, 23 June. To make a booking, please see the SchoolPoint Conferences button on the SchoolBridge app, or see our school wesbite. | |  |
Showquest 2025Huge congrats to our incredible Showquest 2025 team!
After two terms of hard work and dedication, our 97 amazing Year 7-13 learners absolutely smashed it at Day 1 of the Auckland competition! They poured their hearts into choreography, painting, digital & light design, music curation, storytelling, and costume creation – and their mahi paid off!
We're so proud to announce we placed THIRD overall!
Plus, we received 4 special awards, Excellence in Art, Music, and Technology and Recognition in Culture!
What a day!
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Āhuatanga Awards AssemblyLast week, we celebrated our annual Āhuatanga Awards Assembly, a special event dedicated to recognising learners who consistently live out the core values that make Whangaparāoa College such a wonderful place.
We were thrilled to present over 160 awards across the following categories:
Kaitiakitanga: Showing respect for our environment and school property.
Manaakitanga: Caring for others and lifting the mana of those around them.
Orangatanga: Prioritising personal growth and well-being.
Rangatiratanga: Demonstrating leadership and striving for excellence.
Tangata Whenuatanga: Taking pride in who we are, embracing our culture and diversity.
Whanaungatanga: Fostering positive relationships within our school and community.
A huge congratulations to all our award recipients! You are truly inspiring role models, embodying what it means to live our school values every day. | |  |
Mid Year ReportsMid-year reports are now available for viewing. You can access them through the Schoolbridge app or via our school website.
We understand some families experienced technical difficulties accessing reports yesterday. This was primarily due to a power outage at the school shortly after the initial notification was sent. While most access issues were resolved following the power restoration, we acknowledge a few families continued to experience problems. These have now been addressed.
If you are still encountering any difficulties accessing your learner's report, please email us at [email protected] for assistance.
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SchoolTV - Celebrating MatarikiMatariki, is the celebration of the Māori New Year and the start of te maramataka, the lunar calendar. Matariki is rich with tradition. It is the Māori name for a cluster of 9 stars, 2 of which can be hard to make out with the naked eye. In other cultures, Matariki is known by other names. The Ancient Greeks referred to it as the Pleiades, Hawaiians call them Makali'i or 'eyes of royalty', and in Japan it is Subaru, meaning 'gathered together.' Today, they are also often referred to as The Seven Sisters.
To view more, visit: Special Report: Celebrating Matariki
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EnviroGroupOur Year 7 learners recently undertook a highly successful wetland project, planting over 2,000 native trees and shrubs. Despite challenging weather, the learners worked tirelessly, demonstrating incredible dedication. These plantings will eventually create a thriving native bush, providing a cooler environment and vital habitat for local wildlife.
The project was funded by a $4,600 grant from the Auckland Council Mana Ora Resilience Fund, secured through an application developed by a group of proactive learners. Special thanks are extended to Mr. Peacock for organising the planting day, and to Auckland Regional Council, Tori Christie, Restore Hibiscus and Bays (Deborah, Julia, Kelly), and the dedicated Wetland Project group (including Mia Shore and Savannah Lorenzen) for their support and hard work, embodying the spirit of whanaungatanga (working together).
| |  Getting ready to start  Mia Shore and another tray to be planted  Great stuff Sebastein Quensell |
Online SafetyIf you or your child is negatively affected by online activity, we highly recommend the advice, support and education on the Netsafe website, https://netsafe.org.nz/. We also encourage you to report harmful behaviour to them.
Reminder: Whangaparāoa College does not have a TikTok account. Any misuse of our name or false representation may be reported to Netsafe or the police. | |  |
Careers UpdateDefensive Driving Course - Here at School
Opportunity for learners with their restricted licence to gain safe driving skills and take 6 months off the wait to get their full. Held here at school over 4 sessions, plus get a $50 discount. Limited spaces, CLICK HERE for more info/to book.
University Scholarships Scholarships can help with study costs and are not just for the smartest students. Learners should be checking 2025 CLOSING DATES and looking at applying now.
Visit https://wgpcollege.careerwise.school/page/18 for more.
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