Term 4 Issue 4

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Kia ora e te whānau o Whangaparāoa,

This time next week, our learners in Years 7 to 10 will have had their final assemblies and prizegiving for 2024, and will be headed out for the summer break. As we reflect on the school year, we have so many highlights and achievements our whole community should be very proud of.

It is clear that we, as a school and a community, are making significant progress. We continue to break all previous records in academic achievement, we continue to be leading the way in how we ‘do’ our teaching and learning, and we continue to reinforce the high standards and expectations our community has of our learners. All this whilst still maintaining the foundations the school was built upon.

Over the last two weeks the school and community has been a hive of activity. Well done to our Year 10 learners who went on camp and to those who had ‘camp at home’ activities at school. Our Year 9 learners have had their Big Day out, Year 7 learners have their activity day on Thursday, and the whole school House Day will take place (finally!) on Friday. All this, followed by our final awards, Junior Prizegiving, next Wednesday.

As we look back to look forward, 2025 will see us celebrate 20 years of Whangaparāoa College. This is going to be a great occasion to reconnect with our past learners and the community, as we continue to look to the future. If you are interested in being part of the organising committee for this milestone event, please email [email protected]

Alongside the celebrations, 2025 is looking very exciting. You have all received an email from our Board Chair, Craig Caminos last week outlining the plans we have at a whole school level. These, alongside the strive to be better every day, for every learner, will ensure we achieve your, and your learner’s goals across the new year.

Over summer we have a brand new, learner-designed, Year 7 playground being installed. If you are traversing the grounds over the break, feel free to admire the construction, but please respect the workpeople and the safety fencing until it is all completed.

Before Christmas we will communicate the full details of the start of the year with you, including key dates and times for each year level. If you know your learner is not returning in the new year, please confirm this with us. The first key date for all our NCEA learners will be the release of 2024 results on 15 January 2025. Learners will need to log on to the NZQA website then. If they are unsure of how to do this, please contact us this side of Christmas.

Finally, for 2024, I want to thank a number of people who all contributed to the success of our school. Our learners are amazing young people. They continue to inspire us all, every day, and they are what matters to us, collectively. Our staff are brilliant. Each of them goes above and beyond to give the learners the best opportunities. Our community, particularly our parent community, thank you. You support and challenge us to provide the best education possible in Aotearoa New Zealand for our learners.

When the time comes, please be safe. Enjoy time with those close to you. Have a wonderful (hopefully with great weather) summer. Merry Christmas and see you refreshed and ready for a full 2025 school year.

Ngātahi (Together), Whakapono (Believe), Tutuki (Achieve).

Ngā mihi nui

Steve McCracken
Tumuaki

Recent News

Year 10 Camp

Last week, our Year 10 students embarked on an unforgettable adventure at Finlay Park Adventure Camp near Lake Karapiro. For three nights, they escaped the classroom and immersed themselves in a world of excitement.

From river rafting and challenging high ropes courses to hydro slides and even a splash of paintball, the week was filled with action-packed activities. Our rangatahi not only competed in these adrenaline-pumping challenges but also demonstrated teamwork and leadership skills in daily camp duties and mealtimes.

At the end of the week, one team was crowned the ultimate champions of Year 10 Camp 2024.

Congratulations to the winning team!

Year 9 Big Day Out

Monday, 2 December was a "Big Day" for 217 volunteer learners and their Kaiārahi to serve the community. They arrived eager and early at Shakespear Regional Park to shovel gravel into sacks, carry them along trails to fill holes, and then rake them smooth. The Heritage Trail and Kanuka Track were the main focus and Bruce Harrison and his team of rangers set the scene with piles of gravel, sacks, shovels, and a world of encouragement. One ranger stated, "What you all did in a couple of hours would have taken us six months!".
A core value at Whangaparāoa College is Kaitiākitanga, and our Year 9 learners felt like they had given something back to the community.
After mucking in, the whole cohort headed down to Te Haruhi Bay to enjoy a Woolworths Whangaparāoa sponsored BBQ and some beach activities in the pristine environment that only Shakespear Regional Park provides.

It is rewarding to know that surplus funds from this event will go towards the translocation of birds from Tiritiri Matangi to Shakespear Regional Park. The Whangaparāoa community responded with an overwhelming support of donations and products to encourage the hardest workers. So the final thank you goes to our sponsors who turned this school event into a community event.

Year 6 GATE Day

On Thursday, 21 November, our college had the pleasure of hosting Year 6 GATE (Gifted and Talented Education) learners from three primary schools in Whangaparāoa.
The event was designed to introduce the students to the opportunities our college provides for skill enhancement and accelerated learning within the GATE program.

Our own GATE learners played a central role, engaging the visiting students with insightful presentations about the advanced learning pathways available at our college. They highlighted how the program fosters personal growth, supports talent development, and prepares students for future academic success.

Additionally, our learners led interactive, hands-on activities aimed at sharpening the visitors’ deep-thinking, problem-solving, and creative skills. These activities were both engaging and educational, offering a glimpse into the dynamic and stimulating environment GATE participants enjoy at our college.
Some sessions led by the Head of Learning English, demonstrated innovative and enjoyable strategies to improve writing and critical thinking skills. The engaging session not only captivated the students but also inspired them to explore and develop their talents further.

The visit was a resounding success, leaving the Year 6 learners motivated and excited about the possibilities awaiting them in the GATE program at our college.

Baseball Clinic

Forty-nine young players were privileged to meet with Kane Butler, U16 NZ Representatives Coach, one sunny November afternoon.

Supported by Ethan Butler, Ben Butler, Thomas Penny, Steve Penny and William Mueggenburg, the visiting baseball players inspired us with demonstrations of 75 mph pitches followed by some fun activities for everyone to join in. Their goal was simple, just "play ball" and have fun this summer by joining a local Baseball Club. Afterward, there were some hard-core training exercises for those who were keen, finishing with the traditional signing of gloves just in case any of our visitors become famous in the near future.

EPRO8

On Thursday, 21 of November two Year 7 teams competed in the EPRO8 engineering challenge at Northcote Intermediate. Both teams persevered on a ‘washing machine project’ over two and a half hours. They succeeded in building a functional washing machine powered by electronics; did some impressive maths calculations to find the volume of water needed to fill the drum; and used impressive problem-solving techniques!

Both teams showed perseverance, resilience and patience over the three hours - blowing multiple fuses whilst keeping level heads. Though they didn’t make it through to the next round they made the school proud - well done Aidan Payne, Parker Allen, Leo Murry, Chassin Heremaia, Nathan Barron, Mila Bucalo, Xavier Hughes and Linlin Lyu.

Congratulations to Zoe Pedersen

We're thrilled to announce that Zoe Pedersen has been named the Auckland College Sport Female Swimmer of the Year! This prestigious award was presented at the College Sport Awards Dinner held at Eden Park.

Zoe's exceptional talent was further recognized with an award for Outstanding Result in the Non-Sanctioned Sport of Life Saving. A huge congratulations to Zoe on her well-deserved achievements!