Important Dates

•         Monday 12 May – Board meeting
•         Monday 19 May – Senior Parent-Teacher Interviews 2-6pm
•         Thursday 29 May – Learning Conversations all day  
•         Friday 30 May – Wellington Loop Day (School Closed)
•         Monday 2 June – King’s birthday (public holiday)
•         Tuesday 3 June – Kāhui Ako Teacher Only Day (School Closed) 
•         Monday 9 June – Open evening 5-7pm
•         Monday 16 June – Board meeting 6.00pm
•         Friday 20 June – Matariki holiday (public holiday)
•         Monday 23 – Friday 27 June – Guys and Dolls performance week
•         Friday 27 June – End of Term 2

What’s Happening?

Tohu o te rangi (4 – 16 May)

The Engine Room warmly invites you to the exhibition Tohu o te rangi.  The exhibition will be open to the public from Monday from 12-4pm.

This exhibition celebrates the work of over twenty artists and members of the Wellington Art Teacher’s association. As the title suggests, the ethos behind this exhibition project is open, expansive and a forum to bring this group of artists together. Very simply translated to the phrase “signs from the sky”, Tohu o te rangi refers specifically to the architectural space defined by The Engine Room gallery and its trademark “skylight” ceiling. This feature of the gallery connects all of the gallery’s programme to the expanse of the sky above and a similarly expansive opportunity for artistic expression.

Spirit of Adventure – Voyage #915

I recently took part in the Spirit of Adventure Voyage #915 — a 10-day sailing experience around the Auckland coastline alongside 40 other young people from across New Zealand. With no access to phones, each day brought new challenges, from early morning ocean swims and island hikes to sailing duties and even climbing the ship’s mast.

“The experience pushed me both mentally and physically.”  “It helped me build confidence, connect with people from all over the country, and gain a new perspective on what I’m capable of.”

Highlights included hiking to the highest point of Great Barrier Island, singing together in the aft cabin each night, and spotting pods of dolphins. The voyage offered a break from daily life, meaningful friendships, and created memories that will last a lifetime.

-Molly Price Year 13

Japan Trip

Nineteen students recently got back from 3 weeks in Japan. After a week at a language school in Akita we spent a week at our sister schools, one in Sapporo and one on a small island in the Inland Sea near Hiroshima, followed by a week in Tokyo.

For most the highlight of the trip was the homestay at our sister school. We did a range of cultural activities, such as calligraphy, tea ceremony, kendo and kyudo (archery), and spent some time in various classes. Needless to say once students got to Tokyo they really enjoyed the shopping opportunities. We’d like to thank the Asia New Zealand Foundation for their generous support in helping make this trip possible.

ACHIEVEMENTS

ARTS – SGCNZ Regional Shakespeare Festival

At the end of last term, three talented pairs of Wellington High School students proudly represented our kura at the Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand (SGCNZ) Regional Festival. Olive and Hannah Norris, Toby Neylan, Lizzy Nicholson, Fabiana Duque Mantilla, and Elsie Dun each performed beautifully in scenes they not only acted in but had also student-directed and produced themselves. Their performances were a wonderful and courageous showcase of the creative independence and initiative that flourish within our schools extra-curricular arts opportunities, and we are incredibly proud of the energy, imagination, and initiative they demonstrated both on and off the stage.

Adding to this celebration of student-driven creativity, at the same festival, a group of ten students — predominantly from our International student community — presented a powerful 15-minute production of a rarely staged script A Stranger’s Case. Directed by Tama Smith, our WHS Arts Co-ordinator, and created in collaboration with the NZ Refugee Youth Council, the piece used Shakespeare’s words to explore the ongoing plight of displaced people worldwide. Congratulations to Rachel Craig, Anna Lucia De Santis, Albert Lu, Sophie Olshevskaya, Kasira Vincent, Calista Feng, Sophia Das, Karen Shimamura, Ben Gutsmann, and Eru Walker-Love for their outstanding work, courage, and collaboration.

We are delighted to announce that A Stranger’s Case was one of only two pieces selected to represent Te Whanganui-a-Tara at the 34th SGCNZ National Festival at the historic Saint James Theatre over King’s Birthday Weekend. This is a remarkable achievement out of 38 pieces which were performed across the region, and a testament to the vibrant, inclusive, and student-centered creative culture that defines Wellington High School.

Ka rawe, koutou mā — we are so proud of you all!

Careers

Please read this week’s Pathways Newsletter! 

Contact Chuni Bhikha bac@whs.school.nz or drop into S502 if you require further information on any of the events.

UPDATE OF THE WEEK:

Massey University would like to invite you to attend our 2025 webinar series:

• 6th May – Construction
• 8th May – Computer Science
• 13th May – Food Technology
• 15th May – Plant Science and Biology
• 20th May – Earth Science

Community

Nathan Wallis Invitation