 Term 3 Issue 3 |
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Kia ora e te whānau ō Whangaparāoa
This week, we have been celebrating Literacy Week across our school, with plenty of activities encouraging our learners to engage with reading, writing, and language. From Junior School spelling bees to scavenger hunts, there has been something for everyone. We finish the week with Book Character Dress-Up Day this Friday, and I am looking forward to seeing the creativity our learners and staff bring to their favourite literary characters.
As we move further into Term 3, the focus for our senior learners must increasingly turn to preparation and achievement. In Week 9 & 10, our Year 11–13 learners will sit their derived grade examinations. These are the most formal examinations we run outside the end-of-year NCEA external examinations and provide an important opportunity for learners to demonstrate their progress.
Importantly, the results may also be used if a learner is unable to attend an NCEA examination due to illness or another approved reason. For that reason, the importance of studying, preparing thoroughly, and achieving the best possible result should not be underestimated. Parents and whānau, please ensure your learner knows their examination timetable and is preparing appropriately.
For Middle and Senior School learners still needing to achieve their literacy and numeracy co-requisites, the next assessments take place between 16 and 18 September. These are essential components of gaining NCEA qualifications, and learners should be making the most of the support and preparation available. If you have any concerns about your learner’s readiness, please get in touch with us.
Outside the classroom, the winter sports season is almost complete. Congratulations to everyone who has represented our school throughout the season, and thank you to the coaches, managers, supporters, and whānau who have made these opportunities possible. Good luck to our Premier Netball, Senior Boys Football, and Senior Rugby League teams as they represent Whangaparāoa College during Winter Tournament Week.
Our Junior School learners are also preparing to head to the AIMS Games on 6 September, an event that brings together more athletes than the Olympic Games. I am sure you will have an amazing time. Remember to play hard, play fair, and always walk off the field or court with pride.
Best wishes also to our dancers representing the school this week at DanceNZ Made. We are proud of the commitment, creativity, and courage it takes to perform, and we know you will represent our school well.
Finally, please add Wednesday 9 September to your diary for our Senior Art Exhibition, held at school from 5.30 pm. This is a fantastic opportunity to view and purchase the impressive artwork created by our senior learners, and I encourage our community to come along and support their talent.
Whether in the classroom, on the sports field, on stage, or through the arts, there is plenty happening across our school. Thank you for continuing to support your learners to make the most of these opportunities and finish the term strongly.
Ngātahi, Whakapono, Tutuki | Together, Believe, Achieve
Steve McCracken
Tumuaki | Principal |
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August28 Character Dress Up Day
September06 - 11 AIMS
09 Half School Assemblies
Senior Art Exhibition
11 MoE Staff Only Day
14 - 23 Derived Exams
24 Sporting Excellence Awards
25 Last day of Term 3 October12 First day of Term 4
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Recent News
Book Character Dress Up DayFriday 28 August As part of Literacy Week, learners are invited to come to school dressed as their favourite book character on Friday 28 August. Please remember, this is not a general non-uniform day. Learners who are not dressing as a book character should attend school in school uniform as normal. We can't wait to see our learners bringing their favourite characters to life and celebrating Literacy Week. | |  |
Senior Art ExhibitionWednesday 9 September 5:30pm - 7:30pm
Visual Arts Department, STA block Join us for a celebration of creativity and talent at the Whangaparāoa College Senior Art Print Exhibition!
There will be a mixture of Painting, Photography and Design, as well as the learners ‘work in progress’ portfolios for their external assessment. Learners will be selling 3 x prints of each artwork at the open evening
- $10 for A4 prints
- $15 for A3 Prints
We have a People’s Choice Award for you to vote for, along with industry professionals who will choose the top in each field and show – prizes are sponsored by National Art supplies and Gordon Harris. Our learners have poured their hearts into crafting stunning artworks that capture the imagination. You are in for a real treat that showcases the diverse artists spirit of the Whangaparāoa College Community. So mark your calendars and bring your friends and family to support these budding artists. Your presence will not only uplift our young artists, but also make this event truly memorable. See you there! | |  |
MoE Staff Only DayFriday 11 September To support the successful rollout of curriculum and assessment changes, Whangaparāoa College will be closed for instruction for all learners for a Ministry of Education Staff Only Day on Friday 11 September.
This day will provide an opportunity for teachers to engage in designing and planning the new Curriculum for 2027. We appreciate your support! | |  |
Whangaparāoa College Derived ExamsYear 11 - 13 learners Our Derived Exams are coming up and will take place from Monday 14 September - Wednesday 23 September 2026. During this period, Year 11 - 13 learners will be on study leave when they are not required at school for an examination. School will continue as normal for all other learners. For more information about what Derived Exams are, click here. To view the Derived Exam Schedule, click the link below. Please note that this is a live document and is subject to change in the lead-up to the exams.
Derived Exam Schedule Additional information has been emailed directly to parents/caregivers and learners. | |  |
Trades AcademyWhat has been happening lately? It has been an action packed few weeks on site and our learners are getting hands on experience with every stage of the building process. From major site prep to industry excursions, our learners have been: - Demolishing
- Reframing and
- soon visiting the local Council offices
We officially knocked down the end section of the house project. Clearing away the old structure was hard work, but it was essential to demolish so we can rebuild fresh from the ground up. So the next steps are getting some ground prep done to start rebuilding the end couple of rooms before we tackle the roof. With the demolition complete, the team jumped right into framing. Learners have been busy measure-cutting and reframing the window openings, picking up crucial skills along the way working hard with Nathan our builder. Tomorrow, we are taking a trip to the local council offices to give learners an insider’s look at consent processes, building codes, and how plan approvals work behind the scenes. | |  |
Geography Scholarship UoA visitWritten by: Wynsor Jones (Y13) Last week, a small group of learners from Whangaparāoa College Geography Scholarship group, along with our teachers went to a lecture at the University of Auckland! The lecturer was Abrar Ahmed, PhD student and also a former UN worker In Bangladesh. For the past few years he had been studying how climate change creates refugees and how to provide the best care for them. He explained that countries who contribute the least to climate change are the most impacted by it. Every aspect of their lives are impacted by climate change, such as their interpersonal relationships and their relationships within their communities. He concluded by saying that “the choices you make in your country will impact your region’s neighbours for the next century.”
I'm grateful that I got to be part of the Geo Scholarship trip. Being able to attend a university lecture was a very insightful experience, our lecturer was very passionate about the topic and spoke about it beautifully.
I learnt a lot about the sheer scale of these geographic issues and how they affect every aspect of someone's life and the wider global impact they have. Along with solutions and strategies to combat these issues. I walked away feeling inspired by the discussions had during the lecture and with a new perspective on geographic issues. I know everyone on the trip will go into the scholarship exam feeling more confident after the informative experience.
Thank you to our wonderful teachers for organising this trip for us!
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Exit Passes and Signing OutIf your child needs to leave school during the day, an Exit Pass must be submitted via SchoolBridge before they leave the school grounds. To submit an Exit Pass: - Log in to SchoolBridge
- Select Report Absence
- Select Exit Pass
- Enter the required details and follow the prompts to submit
Please note that submitting an Exit Pass does not replace the requirement for learners to sign out. All learners must sign out at Te Whare Hauora when leaving school, even when an Exit Pass has been submitted. This is an important Health & Safety requirement and helps us maintain an accurate record of who is on the school grounds at all times. | |  |
Sporting Award NominationsDeadline: Monday 7 September Later this term we'll be celebrating the sporting achievements of our learners!
If your child has represented a local, regional, national or international team or competed at this level, we'd love to hear about it. Please use the appropriate form below to nominate their achievements. Help us recognise and celebrate the dedication, commitment and success of our talented learner athletes! | |  |
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Honor Fyfe to Represent NZ at Youth Olympic GamesWe are incredibly proud to announce that Honor Fyfe (Year 9) has been selected to represent New Zealand in windsurfing at the 2026 Youth Olympics in Dakar, Senegal, this November.
Honor is the only New Zealand sailor selected and will compete in the 14–16 year old sailing category, having only just turned 14.
Honor only took up windsurfing in March this year after earning the opportunity to apply for the Youth Olympics. Since then, she has trained tirelessly, completing more than 12 hours of training each week, including throughout winter in 12°C water.
Her commitment has required plenty of sacrifice, including giving up her position in the 9/1 netball team and time with friends and other sports. Alongside hours on the water, Honor trains in the gym to build the strength and fitness needed for sailing.
Her training will intensify in the lead-up to the Games, including a trip to Singapore to train with the New Zealand team and compete in the Singapore Nationals. She will travel to Dakar with the NZ team in late October, supported by her coach and former Olympian Barbara Kendall.
Having achieved all of this at just 14, Honor has already made us and her whānau incredibly proud. We can’t wait to see her represent New Zealand on the world stage!
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