Nga mihi nui kia koutou katoa. Welcome to the Westland High School newsletter for May 2023.

Tēnā koutou katoa

Today marks the end of week 5 - term 2. Has the term gone faster than usual?, no it has just been very busy in and out of the classroom.

The core business of Westland High School is teaching and learning and our kaiako strive to guide ākonga through their learning journey interspersed with enjoyment, success and a ‘hunger’ to continue their learning beyond school. 

The senior Academic Leader Ms Sarah Bateup has just finished interviewing all of the Year 13 students, checking that their learning and achievement is tracking for success; and also checking that their courses support what they plan to do once they leave school at the end of this year.

What to do post secondary school can be a daunting proposition for some rangatahi and as parents/whānau please remember that your young person might need time to plan and prepare their post school steps. Enrolling for tertiary education without a clear plan for the future can end up with a wasted year of study and money. Ms Christine Weepu is the Director of Careers and she makes sure that students are aware of visits from tertiary institutes, scholarships, available courses and any other career or vocational related information she gets. Christine is also available to meet with parents/whānau to talk through options post school. Likewise Annemarie Greig Gateway co-ordinator can also assist in planning for life beyond school particularly for those students keen to follow a trades pathway.

Attendance matters and this term we have welcomed Mr Philip Booth who has taken up the role of Attendance Officer for all schools in the Westland District. Philip is based at Westland High School but will be travelling to work with primary school tamariki and their whānau. If you have attendance concerns, Philip is available to meet and talk with you.

The grass is definitely greener when I look out of my office window - the revamped field looks extremely inviting, but is not quite ready for us. Kaiako and ākonga are both looking forward to the field being ready for ‘energy release’ activities.

Here ends my comments for this newsletter, thank you to the Westland school community for your continued support of Westland High School, the staff and our wonderful akonga. Together we are the ‘village’ that nurtures our tamariki who are tomorrow’s future.

Ngā mihi nui
Adrienne Reeves
Acting Principal Term 2