Wairarapa College Prospectus 2022

Wairarapa College
Prospectus 2022

Welcome to Wairarapa College
A W E L C O M E F R O M P R I N C I PA L M AT T W H I T E
                           Year Nine Enrolment for          our core business, our focus is also on developing
                           2022                             strong citizens who will flourish in the local community,
                           At     Wairarapa     College     nationally and on the world stage.
                           we work hard to place            We are proud that families entrust us with the care
                           all students at the centre       and education of 1150 teens every day. Our school
                           of everything we do. Our         works hard to meet the expectations and deliver upon
                           co-educational college has       the aspirations of our community. We aspire to be the
                           all the advantages that come     school of choice for every family in our community.
with being Wairarapa’s largest secondary school, yet        We very much look forward to meeting each of you,
we offer the warmth, encouragement and intimacy of          to developing a successful partnership with you, and
a small school. We strive to develop well-rounded,          to working together in the common pursuit of success
confident young adults who are equipped for our             for every student.   We welcome any questions that
modern and changing world.                                  you may have to help support a positive transition into
Our school has a culture where we work until every          Wairarapa College.
student in our care is engaged and achieving. We
believe that every student, every day, in every class,
deserves our very best effort and we make sure that
we live up to this expectation.
At Wairarapa College we are proud of our students, our
staff and our facilities. We are excited about the new
facilities that will be in operation by 2022. Our new bus
bay for student safety is already in place. Other new
facilities will include a new Food and Hospitality Hub,
Canteen, and Supported Learning Centre.
Wairarapa College is a vibrant, lively school. We know
that student success can take many forms, and all of
these are valuable. Some will shine in the classroom,
some on the sports field and some in the Arts and a
wide range of other areas. An emphasis on broad
based education ensures that students at Wairarapa
College can discover and follow their passion to
experience success in any field.
While providing outstanding academic education is

student
HEAD GIRL GEORGIA HIGINBOTTOM
                                                                       voice
Hello and welcome to all. My name is Georgia                 backgrounds, how to be independent, organised,
Higinbottom and I feel very privileged to be able            tolerant, supportive, compassionate, and diligent, how
to say that that I am the proud Head Girl of both            to problem solve and I have learned a multitude of
Wairarapa College and the Wairarapa College Hostel,          other invaluable life skills that will stay with me forever.
Poto College House. I feel grateful to be part of such       I have also made many lifelong friends and created
an inspiring and committed team of prefects, and I am        funny memories along the way.
genuinely excited for the future of Wairarapa College        I am incredibly grateful for not only being able to attend
and its students.                                            Wairarapa College and its hostel, but also for being
I left a small country school and began my journey here      gifted the opportunity to be their Head Girl. I would like
at Wairarapa College in 2017. I was initially daunted        to acknowledge and thank those who have supported
by the size of Wairarapa College’s stunning grounds          and helped me throughout my time at Wairarapa
and the number of students here. But with the help of        College. I will look back on my years here with fond
friendly, older students and teachers, I was soon able       memories.
to find my way around and begin to make the most             HEAD BOY WILLS HARBORD
of all the opportunities that this fantastic and diverse     I am Wills Harbord, and I am the Head Boy of
college has to give.                                         Wairarapa College. My time here at WaiCol has been
From the moment I began at Wairarapa College, I              filled with many wonderful experiences, which are all
have thrown myself into all that the school has to offer.    different from one another, but have all built me up into
I have been a part of many successful sporting teams,        the person I have become today.
including equestrian, hockey, athletics, and cross           The sheer number of opportunities offered here at
country, along with fun social touch and tennis teams.       WaiCol can be overwhelming at first, from the range
And the teamwork, communication and leadership               of sports available, to the many cultural groups, and
skills I have learned from involving myself in these         even the learning in the classroom is an experience
teams are invaluable. I have also been privileged to be      to remember. WaiCol has one of the widest range
a part of other school groups, such as TeenAg and the        of sports available I have personally ever seen, and
Student Council. There are so many extra-curricular          the cultural side of the school is rich with choirs,
activities on offer, both sporting and cultural; there is    productions, Kapa Haka and many other groups.
honestly something for everyone.                             The people here at WaiCol also go out of their way
Here at Wairarapa College we have a growing sense            always to encourage students to help out in the
of school pride. Students look out for one another, look     community, through groups like the 40 Hour Famine
after the grounds and respect teachers. Most people          or SADD (Students Against Dangerous Driving). It is
try their hardest to display the college’s LEAD values       never too late to join groups and put yourself out there,
at all times: Learn with Purpose, Engage with Pride, Act     because WaiCol is filled with opportunities through all
with Respect, and Dare to Succeed. We have a fun,            your years here.
competitive house competition, which runs throughout         I first started WaiCol as a Year Nine and, as you can
the year. Students battle it out in a variety of different   imagine, I felt intimidated by even the incredible size
house events, which include intellectual, sporting and       of the school, let alone the number of people. I was
cultural competitions, and we all have a lot of fun.         looking to play football, and everyone made me feel
On the academic front, Wairarapa College students are        so comfortable and at home when I joined that I really
encouraged to strive for excellence and demonstrate          felt like I had another family. This school has helped
LEAD values. Teachers encourage you to be                    and guided me to develop into a new, more confident
independent, determined, focused and hardworking             version of myself, a person who has stories to tell, and
learners. For many of my friends and me, this has been       who is surrounded by people to make more memories
recognised in being awarded Excellence endorsements          with. The community feeling is definitely not lacking
in both NCEA Levels One and Two.                             here at WaiCol, and I can assure you that whatever
For me personally, Poto College House is the part of         interaction you have with the school, you will feel as
Wairarapa College that has had the most profound             valued and welcomed as I did when I first arrived – just
impact on my life. In the boarding house I have learned      as I still do today.
how to live with people from a variety of different

With Wisdom and Courage
How Do We Support Our Year 9 Students?
Year 9 students are welcomed to the college on their         with whatever they might need. Our Learning Support
first day by their new Vertical Group teacher. For           Co-ordinators, Kylie Souden and Alistair Morrison,
the first three days, Year 9 students, Year 13 House         provide academic support and help to transition Year
Leaders and our College Prefects are the only students       9’s into the college. Youth Workers are also on site
at college, giving our newest students the opportunity       to help our Year 9’s settle into their new learning
to find their feet before the rest of the students arrive.   environment.
The House Leaders and Prefects introduce our Year 9’s        Each Year 9 student is in the same class together
to the routines of the first few days and help them with     for English, Maths, Science, Social Studies, P.E. and
anything they might need or answer any questions they        Health. The students in these classes will get to know
might have. The rest of the Year 13 cohort is trained at     the students in their class well.
the start of the year by our Counselling Team, so that       The students will be mixed up again for their Option
the older students are ready to help the Year 9’s settle     Subjects, so that will add some variety to their day
into a busy college life. This support from seniors in       and give them the opportunity to widen their circle of
their Group Class is ongoing throughout the year. The        friends.
Year 9 students are given a Log Book or Student Diary.       The Year 9 students have the rest of their Vertical
It contains a map of the college, a list of important        Group class to support them too. All of the students are
staff and lots of pages for the students to record their     in the same House Group. They will be learning and
homework.                                                    having fun together for the next five years, so they will
The Year 9 cohort is led and supported by Aaron              be getting to know their Group Teacher and each other
Perkins, Assistant Principal, the Manaakitanga House         really well. Eventually, it is a real pleasure to see our
Deans, the Whānaungatanga Dean and the Mana                  Year 9’s become the leaders of their Group Classes,
Tangata Dean, who support students’ wellbeing,               their Houses and the school. Their Group Teacher will
learning and relationships, as well as mentoring student     help them with setting goals and put them in touch with
leaders. Mr Perkins’ office is conveniently situated near    the right people to get them involved in the wider life
the main office. The Deans’ offices are in the Social        of the college.
Studies/Science corridor. Students are encouraged            At a Year Group Assembly early in the year, the students
to make appointments if they would like to discuss           will hear about musical and dramatic opportunities and
something. Our Guidance Counsellors, Paul Adamson            how to get involved in a sport. We encourage all our
and Olivia McHalick, and Youth Health Provider, Claire       Year 9’s to make the most of their time at Wairarapa
Marara, have offices around the college. They are also       College.
happy to see our Year 9 students and help them out

Kia Mātau Kia Māia
How Do We Continue to Support Our Students
As They Progress Through The College?
Kaiarahi Akoranga       is   an     academic   mentoring         have one person to contact about any concerns they
programme, specifically designed for Wairarapa                   might have or to share information about their child’s
College students. Each student’s Group Teacher is                learning.
also their Ako Mentor, who works with them and their             The relationship between students, whānau and
families to focus on their learning. Every ten days there        mentors is key to the success of this programme.
is a session dedicated to the learning and wellbeing of          The students’ learning and assessment results can be
those students in each Ako group. Families/whānau                tracked via the Kamar portal.

Learning for the Future
W E H AV E H I G H E X P E C TAT I O N S O F A C A D E M I C S U C C E S S F O R E V E R Y S T U D E N T. C O U R S E
SELECTIONS ARE BROAD AND GENERAL IN THE FIRST TWO YEARS AND THEN BECOME
M O R E S P E C I A L I S E D , D E P E N D I N G O N T H E S T U D E N T S ’ C A R E E R PAT H W AY S .
When it is time to choose subject options for the                Our on-site Youth Health Clinic promotes student
following year, we encourage students, in consultation           health and development. We provide appropriate and
with their families, to talk to their subject teachers,          accessible primary health care and health promotion.
the Deans, Group Teachers and our Careers Advisor,               Our Learning Support Team continues to provide
Beth Pottinger, to help them make these important life           support for all learners.
decisions. We can also support students in their plans           Leadership opportunities are provided throughout the
for university, other tertiary opportunities, or pathways        school to help our students grow into well-rounded,
beyond college.                                                  responsible and engaged citizens. These leadership
Students have the chance to take up vocational, high-            opportunities include Junior School Leaders in
interest courses, including automotive, beauty and               Year 9 and 10, Junior and Senior House Leaders,
hairdressing, offered by outside providers. The college          Student Council officers, and Prefects. Wairarapa
works hard to make links between our students and                College is also involved in community initiatives, such
employers or the tertiary sector.                                as World Vision’s 40 Hour Famine fundraiser and
Our Language Resource Department, led by Ella Kokx,              Students Against Dangerous Driving. Our students are
gives academic support to those students who need                encouraged to apply for these leadership positions and
it, helping students achieve their potential. Lunchtime          to take up the many sporting, cultural, academic and
tutorials are also available and tutoring for hostel             community service challenges that are offered by the
students.                                                        college.

Making the Most of Every Day
HOUSE COMPETITIONS
When you come to Wairarapa College, you will be
allocated a group class that is made up of junior and
senior students. Each class belongs to one of the six
houses, Aorangi (blue), Maungarake (red), Puketoi
(yellow), Rangitumau (purple), Remutaka (orange) and
Tararua (green).
Every year we hold various school events where house
points are allocated. These great events include school
athletics, cross country and swimming. We also hold an
inter house singing competition, Tug O War and many
other activities.
The house competition is a fantastic school event and
the winning house receives the Pottinger Shield at our
end of year prize giving.
                                                          SPORT
                                                          Sport is a vital part of life at Wairarapa College. We offer a
                                                          wide variey of sports, both summer and winter. If you are
                                                          interested in sport, then we are able to find you a place, no
                                                          matter what your level of ability may be.
                                                          Many staff, parents and members of the community are
                                                          involved in sport at the college. We have success on a local,
                                                          regional and national level. Our top sporting codes compete
                                                          in high level grades in Wellington and Palmerston North.
                                                          We are strongly represented by many teams competing in
                                                          local school grades and afternoon competitions.
                                                          We encourage you to take part in sport, at any level. It is
                                                          a great way to make friends and to show your pride in the
                                                          college. We play hard, but we play fair, and we always
                                                          represent Wairarapa College to the best of our abilities.

student
                               voice
RUBY LEHMSTEDT YEAR 9                                          THEO SEARS YEAR 9
Hi, I’m Ruby. I’m in WaiCol                                    I am a part of the 2021
On Stage and I think it’s                                      Sports Academy class. The
a great option for gaining                                     sport I play is hockey and
confidence, socialising and                                    it will always be a passion
learning about performance                                     for me. I am in Year 9 and
on stage. We play games                                        made it into the WaiCol 1st
and do lots of performing to                                   XI squad. I joined the Sports
each other. I play the guitar                                  Academy      after   hearing
and I’m in a Year 9 band. We performed at the Variety          so much about it from friends and family, and it has
Show, which is a real highlight of the year for me so far.     helped me develop in many ways. It helps to become
I’m also in the Junior Girls’ Choir. The college is big,       more confident around others, so getting involved is
but lots of tours of the school in the first few days really   much easier. Being in the Sports Academy is a great
helped me get to know my way around. I have met new            opportunity and is of course, very fun. Thank you for
people here and made new friends. I feel much more             the opportunity.
comfortable now. My advice to new students is not to           TIA LIO YEAR 9
think too much about what might happen when you                                           Talofa, My name is Tia Lio
start college, just go with it!                                                           and I am in Year 9 this year. I
TIAMI WILSON YEAR 9                                                                       was nervous about coming to
                             Kia ora, I am a Year 9 student                               Wairarapa College because
                             who is in the Whātonga​                                      I knew it would be a big
                             group class. I enrolled in                                   change. It took me a while
                             Whātonga so I could add                                      to get settled but now I am
                             to my Māori side and learn                                   happy because of all the new
                             more about my culture and         friends I’ve made. This week I danced in the college
                             history.​                         assembly with my Pacifica group as part of Samoan
Wairarapa College has a big variety of things to be            Language Week. I was nervous but also excited. I play
involved in, like being a junior leader or just trying         in the Junior A netball team and my favourite subject is
new things. There are many opportunities you can be            PE. I am the only Year 9 student in my netball team, but
involved in. My favourite thing at WaiCol is all the sports    the older girls are nice to me. I play Wing Attack, Centre
we do.​ If you are thinking about coming to WaiCol, try        and Wing Defence. Also, I want to say that the canteen
new things and get involved.​                                  is really good at WaiCol. I like the cheeseburgers!

C O L L E G E FA R M
The Wairarapa College School Farm is primarily a                  includes plant production, soil management practices,
teaching facility.                                                animal husbandry, marketing and agribusiness.
It allows students from all backgrounds to have the               Senior students have the opportunity to gain credits in
opportunity to gain practical experience on a working             both NCEA achievement standards and practical unit
dry stock farm and horticultural block.                           standards.
One of our aims is to promote land-based industries               Recent initiatives include getting three Angus Friesian
as a viable career pathway, both in New Zealand and               calves for breeding by Artificial Insemination in the
internationally. Students study a range of topics that            future and the construction of our own cattle yards.

drama
W A I C O L O N S TA G E
WaiCol on Stage is a Year 9 option course designed for

                        backstage
students who have a passion for the performing arts.
The course covers the elements of music, drama and
dance in a fun and interactive way. Students show their

                     choirs
learning through performance throughout the year and
are encouraged to participate in events such as the
college’s Variety Show, Big Sing, New Zealand Music

                   bands
Month and Vocal Spectacular. The end of the year is

           major           kapa
celebrated with an in-class production.

   music                     haka
        production
                   variety
   ShowQuest          show

WHĀTONGA GROUP CLASS
The Whātonga Group Class is an initiative to support
the Ministry of Education’s strategy for Māori to suceed
as Māori. It’s like every other group class at WaiCol
that meets in the morning to do school administration
and for Ako mentoring. The difference is that there is
a Māori cultural focus and students have to apply to
be a part of the Whātonga Group Class. We welcome
students of all nationalities and ethnicities.

D I G I TA L L E A R N I N G
All students need to bring a device to use in their
learning in 2022. The specifications for suitable devices
can be found on the WaiCol website. In all learning
areas, the college places an emphasis on a balance
between digital learning and a pen/paper based
approach.

SPORTS ACADEMY
Wairarapa College offers a Sports Academy at Years          CONTENT
9, 10, 11 and 12. The Academy takes a holistic              Students will develop an understanding of the following,
approach towards athlete development, where we look         with the aim of implementing these into their own sports:
to improve students’ abilities and knowledge in their       •   Sports nutrition
chosen sports.                                              •   Specialist skill training
PURPOSE                                                     •   Goal setting
•    To cater for WaiCol’s sporting talent by providing     •   Time management
     a pathway that focuses on developing all-round         •   Fitness testing and programmes
     athletes.                                              •   Training methods
•    To improve WaiCol’s performance in sport.              •   Skill development
•    To enable students the time and guidance to            •   Measuring improvement
     excel as athletes and promote sport for Wairarapa      •   Sports psychology
     College.                                               •   Team and individual philosophy
•    To instil and enhance the school values of LEAD        •   Dealing with success and failure
     in each student.                                       •   Coaching
•    To develop lifelong learning opportunities through     •   Sports leadership
     a challenging and stimulating environment.
•    To promote ideals in our young athletes that will
     enable them to make informed decisions about
     furthering their involvement in sport.

Wairarapa College
83 Pownall Street, Masterton 5810
P: +64 6 370 0400
E: office@waicol.nz
W: waicol.nz