Wellington East Girls' College / Te Kura Kōhine o te Rāwhiti o Te Upoko o Te Ika

Welink

Issue 1, Hui-tanguru/Poutū-te-rangi / February/March 2024

Welink is a newsletter produced as a link between Wellington East Girls' College and our community, and is emailed to parents and students. It contains essential information as well as news for caregivers. It is also on our website – www.wegc.school.nz. Please advise the school if you have changed your contact details, or would like to add an email address: wegc@wegc.school.nz

Principal's Message

Tēnā koutou katoa,

Welcome to the first WELINK of 2024. It has been a busy start to the year and we are thrilled to welcome our new Year 9 students, staff and whānau who joined us this year, which we commemorated with a pōwhiri earlier in the term. Seeing new faces joining our school community is always a joy and we are now fully immersed in a new year of learning.

It has been exciting to launch PC4L and the “East Way”. This framework was developed through consultation with students and staff and is founded on our school values of Aroha, Rangatiratanga and Whanaungatanga. The “East Way” provides guidance to our community on our behavioural expectations and the ways in which we can demonstrate the values through our actions at school.

The Senior Leadership Team and Deans have been greeting students at reception in the morning as they come to school. We currently have large numbers of students who have been arriving late to school, many of whom are catching public buses instead of the school bus. School buses are scheduled to ensure that students arrive on time for the start of the school day. Could you please remind students of the importance of punctuality so that they can arrive on time to classes and not miss out on valuable learning.

Thank you for your support with the introduction of the new cellphone policy. The students seem to have adapted well to the changes. Teachers are reporting much greater engagement in classes and more face to face interactions between students at intervals and lunchtimes.

Students and staff are now preparing for Learning Conferences which will provide you with an opportunity to meet your student’s Manaaki teacher and hear how your students are progressing with their learning so far this year. We look forward to continuing with our successful start to the year and seeing the ongoing achievements and successes of our students.

Ngā mihi nui

Gael Ashworth, Principal

Board of Trustees

Kia ora kōutou,

Welcome to the 2024 school year, especially for our new students, whānau and staff. I hope you all had refreshing and enjoyable summer breaks!

There are a number of new things for our students this year, not least with bedding in the new Year 11 Courses, Personal Devices Policy, and continuing to strengthen school culture and expectations. You will be aware of our continued focus on improving student attendance and engagement, especially for those who need support, so please make sure that your whānau is aware of the expectations for attendance.

Supporting each other is a critical part of building a strong school community. There are a range of support structures for whānau, including our Whānau Tutahi, Pasifika Parents Group, New Settlers Group and Wellington East Parents Association (you’ll find more information at https://www.wegc.school.nz/parents/parents-groups). These parent groups are always keen to welcome new whānau members, and I encourage you to become involved.

As always, please let Gael and her leadership team know if you have any feedback, concerns or would like further information.

Ngā mihi

Fleur Howard, Presiding Member

board.trustees@wegc.school.nz

Please see the Student Calendar below for student events coming up

This info is also on the front page of our website www.wegc.school.nz

Coming up :

4-8 March - WEGC School Spirit week

4 March - Pasifika Parents Group Meeting

4 March - Otago University Visit

5 March - Massey University Visit

5 March - WEGC Board Meeting

6 March - School Manaaki / Class Photo Day

6-8 March - Rāwhiti Camp

7 March - CSW Tennis Open Championships

8-9 March - Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Practice Tramp

8-9 March - CSW Volleyball Senior Tournament

8 March - International Women's Day

9 March - Waka Ama Competition

14-15 March - WEGC Learning Conferences

Kia ora whānau,

A very warm welcome back to all staff, pupils, and whānau from WEPA. For those new to the school WEPA is the parent’s association run by caregivers to support the school community.

Last year we were able to distribute funds of around $18,500 to support events and activities throughout the school, including : Poly Group's Tu Tagata campaign, the school Multi-choir and Rāwhiti choir traveling to competition, digital technology, Reader’s Cup, end of year Prize Giving, Year 13 leavers functions, new House banners, breakfast club, the school production and more.

WEPA tries to get whānau together by organising inspirational breakfasts and helping at school events like sports days, sausage sizzles, and the famous food fair.

We currently meet monthly with Gael Ashworth, the Principal, and are looking for whānau to join our committee. So if you would like to know more about the school and how you can help, please come to our next meeting on Wednesday the 13th March, in the school staffroom at 6pm.

We look forward to meeting you, and thanks to all whānau who continue to support us. Please feel free to contact us at parents@wegc.school.nz, we welcome any inquiries or suggestions for this coming year.

Take care and all the best to you and your whānau for 2024.

Mā te wā

Sunjna

WEGC Community Groups

Partnership with our community groups is an important part of our home /school connection. By becoming involved in these groups you can find out more about what goes on inside the school, and you can work with us to support and enrich the lives of our young people. Check our school calendar for upcoming meeting dates.

WEGC Parents’ Association (WEPA)

The main focus of WEPA is to distribute money raised and donated by the school community to support our students in their extra-curricular activities across sport, culture, arts and academic pursuits. WEPA welcomes all whānau to attend and contribute to the decision making to support the success of our students.

Te Whānau Tūtahi (TWT)

The whānau support group helps to provide support to all Māori students at WEGC to achieve the best that they can in all areas of school life. Te Whānau Tūtahi works in partnership with the Principal and staff in developing strategic goals for success and engagement of Māori and to provide advice and guidance to help the school meet those goals. Te Whānau Tūtahi is open to all parents, caregivers and whānau of all Māori students and students learning Te Reo Māori. It also encourages the participation of students, staff and other whānau in the school community. New whānau are welcome to join at any time.

Te Whānau Tūtahi meets twice a term . This meeting is attended by representatives of the school leadership and teachers, as well as parents and students.

New Settlers’ Community Group

We are proud at East to have such a culturally diverse student body. Our New Settlers’ community meets together regularly throughout the school year. We hold meetings at least once a term to which parents and their young person are invited. This is a chance to meet other families and make connections. We also share information about how best to support student learning and we also provide advice regarding course selection and careers.

Every year, we celebrate together with a big community dinner and concert. At the end of the year, the achievements of our students are also acknowledged and celebrated in a final community gathering.

This group meets once a term. The meeting is attended by representatives of the school leadership, teachers as well as parents and students.

Pasifika Parents’ Group

The Pasifika Parents’ Group aims to assist the needs of our Pasifika students and their families. It aims to strengthen the connections between our Pasifika students, our school, our families and our communities. The group offers ongoing, active support across all dimensions of school life. Support from Pasifika parents and families throughout our school community is welcomed and encouraged.

The group meets twice a term. This meeting is attended by representatives of the school leadership, teachers as well as parents and students.

School Driveways

We appreciate how busy drop off and pick up times around the school can be, and recently have received feedback on the increasing risk created during these times. Ensuring pedestrian safety is a high priority on school driveways and surrounding areas. The traffic congestion at the beginning/end of day on the Paterson Street drive is of particular concern and creates a significant hazard.

To avoid blocking the flow of traffic and students on the road, we ask all parents and caregivers to avoid the area and drop off/collect your student well away from the gates. Coupon parking continues to be available near the school (free for the first two hours). These arrangements will operate both inside and outside school hours.

Driveways closed at the beginning and end of day

School driveways are closed at the start and end of the school day. Barriers may be in place restricting vehicle access during this time. Only vehicles authorised for drop offs to Te Aka Class or due to accessibility requirements are permitted to use the driveways

Thank you to those families who have been following the guidelines

Term Dates 2024

Term 1 - 1/2 February to 12 April

Term 2 - 29 April to 5 July

Term 3 - 22 July to 27 September

Term 4 - 14 October to 13 December

See our website for more information - link is here

School Day

Starts at 8.45am (Monday 9.00am)

Interval at 10.00am (Mon and Friday)

Interval at 10.20am (Tues, Wed, Thurs)

Lunch at 1.15pm - 2.05pm (Friday 12:20pm-1.05pm)

End at 3.20pm (Friday 2.30pm)

School contacts

All our information can be found on our website www.wegc.school.nz or here https://www.wegc.school.nz/our-school/staff

Who to contact :

It is important for parents to be aware of whom they should approach at school on matters concerning their student

Kaiako / Subject Teachers

Please contact Kaiako Subject Teachers to discuss on-going progress and achievement within a subject or to raise subject specific queries. Subject teachers can also be contacted to discuss course information.

Kaimanaaki / Class Teachers

Please contact Manaaki Teachers to discuss general progress and achievement, or to pass on good news. Manaaki teachers can also be contacted to raise concerns about attendance, discipline/behaviour, health and wellbeing.

Deans

Please contact Deans to discuss on-going progress and achievement or to pass on good news. Deans can also be contacted to discuss major concerns about academic progress, attendance, discipline/behaviour, health and wellbeing. At course selection time Deans can be contacted with queries regarding course selection and timetabling.

Year 9 - Shelley Vaile

Year 10 - Caitlin Burns

Year 11 - Claire Hall

Year 12 - Erica Adams

Year 13 - Jabeena Khalique

Attendance Officer/Absence

Ph 385 8514 then dial 1. Please phone regarding student absence, lateness or illness. Available 8.30am to 3.45pm daily. You can also email absence@wegc.school.nz or use the school app. Parents and caregivers are asked to contact the College on the day before 8.45am or prior to the day of the absence, either by email to absence@wegc.school.nz. Alternatively if you download our app a notification will be sent direct to Absence.

Please note if you phoned in the absence a written note or email must be provided to the Kaimanaaki teacher the day the student returns confirming the reason for your absence.

Wellington East Girls College takes attendance seriously. Contact will be made with a student’s home for any unaccountable absence or persistent lateness to school.

Enquiries about absence or lateness can be directed to either the Kaimanaaki, Dean or the Attendance Officer.

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Learning Support

Please contact the Learning Support Coordinator with any information or queries about your student's learning needs: sue.perry@wegc.school.nz

Careers

Please contact the Careers Advisor, Cathy Matthews, with any queries about your student’s career choices or future pathways. Careers information can be found under the Learning/Careers bar on the WEGC website.

Guidance Counsellors

Please contact the Guidance Leader Joy Maehe, or Mandy-Kay Hunt with any student social/emotional concerns or mental health issues. This may include: stress, bereavement, difficulty adjusting to a new school, family issues, depression, teenage issues, links to outside agencies, etc. You can find more info on our website here: https://www.wegc.school.nz/wellbeing-hauora/about-us

Deputy Principals

Please contact Deputy Principals for whole school matters or for issues of a serious nature.

Email Contact:

If any parent wishes to make email contact with a teacher at the college, the standard format for the email address is: firstname.surname@wegc.school.nz (eg – mary.jones@wegc.school.nz)

Transferring to another school or leaving WEGC :

Please contact your student's Manaaki teacher about this, or alternatively the Year Level Dean.

School Office

School phone number: 04 385 8514

School email address : wegc@wegc.school.nz

School website : www.wegc.school.nz

Cellphone Policy at WEGC

The Ministry of Education regulations require that schools must ensure students do not use or access a phone while they are attending school, including during lunch time and breaks. This includes students who are on a school course or visit outside the school grounds.

We have therefore updated our Cellphone Policy, Guidelines and Procedures to reflect these changes. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1U9aqng0tLzvP2gJ95zU0KKV9Zc5anVJn/view?usp=sharing

Please take a moment to review the policy and contact the school if you have any questions.

Students will be expected to comply with the policy:

#1 - First instance of non-compliance

If a student is found with their phone out between 8:45 am - 3:20 pm, they will be asked to surrender it to the staff member. All staff will have a plastic zip case to store phones and notes for recording student’s names. Staff will also have these items when on duty.

The staff member will take the phone to Hauora reception at the end of the session or when convenient e.g. interval and lunchtime.

A pastoral note will be recorded on KAMAR, and parents will be notified via an automatic email. The student will be able to collect their cellphone at 3:20 pm from Hauora reception.

#2 - Second instance of non-compliance

As per #1, and a follow-up email will be sent to parents by the relevant Dean (automated email from KAMAR) The email will contain a reminder of the cellphone policy and the consequences should there be a third instance.

#3 - Third instance of non-compliance

As per #2, parents will be required to come into school to collect their student’s phone and meet with a member of SLT.

At this meeting a formal agreement will be developed regarding the student’s cellphone use. Following the meeting, a record of the meeting and the agreement reached will be sent home.

Exemptions:

- Schools can allow students to use or access a phone when:

- a phone is needed for health reasons (for example, to monitor insulin levels); or

- a phone is needed to help a student with a disability or learning support need (for example, to assist with impaired communication); or

- a teacher requires students to use phones for a specific educational task or purpose (for example, for a class assignment)

If you think your student meets the above criteria then you can apply for an exemption using the following form Request for Exemption (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdWYZqDc1fzjthoSmbSS6MfX9VYUdPh1VWIhljGoBYaSliiZQ/viewform?usp=sf_link)

Once SLT have approved the exemption your student will be provided with an exemption card and staff will be notified. The phone may then be used for the specific purpose the exemption has been granted for.

Learning Conferences

If you have not received your email information regarding Learning Conferences (to be held 14-15 March) please contact wegc@wegc.school.nz, or the school reception on 385 8514

February 2024: Welcome to new students and whānau

Our new students started with us on Wednesday 31 January with a Pōwhiri. Students and parents were welcomed into the Hall, with livestreaming available for parents, once the hall reached capacity. After the Powhiri we welcomed families with a morning tea, and then Orientation continued for the new students, including school tours and school information for each Manaaki class.

2024 Prefects

Our new Prefects for 2024 began their duties from the start of term. The list of student prefects is here

Head Prefects Leilani and Semhar at the Year 9 Welcome Powhiri

Charity Prefects : 2024 Support - Rei Kōtuku

Rei Kōtuku is an organisation that provides specialised paediatric palliative and bereavement care to babies, children, young adults and their whanau in the Central Region of Aotearoa. This is the organisation the prefects of 2024 have chosen to support, and donate all extra funds to help them provide care for their patients. We feel we must continue to do our part in helping those who are not so different from us, to provide what is needed, by the right person, at the right time. Rei Kōtuku always keeps the needs of tamariki and rangatahi at the centre of what they do, and we are proud to be supporting their work this year. You can read about them on their website here

www.reikotuku.org

Betsy & Sophie

Charity Prefects 2024

Ākonga Tuawhenua/International Students

New Ākonga Tuawhenua/International Students enjoyed two days of school orientation as they got to know one another, navigated their way around our school campus and created timetables to suit their needs. While coping with settling into a new school and country they also were finding their way around their new homes and homestay whānau. We wish all of the new and returning students well and thank all of our East community for supporting these students in class and at break times.

If you want to find out more about hosting an international student, an email to athena.london@wegc.school.nz will put you in touch with our Homestay Manager.

If you are a student and wish to learn how to be a great student buddy and meet some of our new students, please email jo.moir@wegc.school.nz

Homework Club

Homework Club is back! We will be starting again for the year on Monday the 4th of March. This is not a club you have to sign up for - just a space to come along to whenever you want a quiet place to study or a bit of help with your schoolwork. Homework Club runs every week from Monday to Thursday, after school in M16 from 3.30 until 5pm, with afternoon tea provided!

Students Term 1 2024

The first weeks of the school year have been busy and connected, with students spending time settling back in to classes, and rediscovering the library, reading and playing cards. In the good weather we have been able to sit outside at lunchtime or up on the top field.

Lunar New Year 2024

To celebrate Lunar New Year on 8 February we had Dumplings for sale at lunch time in the Quad, attended also by the Dragon dancers. The school entry and reception area was decorated with red lanterns and balloons.

House Sport Carnival Day 28 February

Although rain on the day meant that the House Sport Carnival Day events had to be cancelled, the non-uniform day went ahead, and the House Prefects made the whole day an event. We had a chant-off, a carnival costume fashion show, and topped it off with a sausage sizzle in the Quad at lunchtime.

Order your lunch online at the school cafe

The school café has recently started an online ordering account with Lunch Online https://www.lunchonline.co.nz/ They are a company who collate and organise distribution of food orders, using providers Subway and Pita Pit. The school has a menu that you can read here.

Students and caregivers can open an account and order lunches to be collected at the Café during school lunch hour. Lunch online are offering a voucher for $5 credit for new accounts - you can do this by contacting info@lunchonline.co.nz and use the voucher code of NEWENTRANT2024

Spirit of Adventure tall ship sailing opportunity

WEGC have won the ballot to send a team of 10 students aged 14-16 years and one teacher on a ‘Discovery Voyage’, from 10-15 Sept. Activities will include ship-handling, teamwork, problem-solving, debating, and water sports (in and on the water), plus onshore tasks and competitive games that involve ingenuity, leadership and fun. The cost is $1250 + flights (Akld). For further information or to register your interest, please email Deb Deb Remacha P.S. You don't need to be doing Duke of Ed - anyone keen to sail is welcome to register.

Sports at East

You can find information on all sports offered at East, as well as our latest achievements on our school website. www.wegc.school.nz or on the WEGC Sports site here

You can also check out Instagram and Facebook pages for WEGC Sport at @wegcsport www.facebook.com/wegcsport

2024 Payment of School Fees/Donations

You will be sent a statement later in Term 1 with Fees/Donations.

You can view and pay your school account from the Kamar portal: https://wegc.school.kiwi/

Direct credit payments can be made using the following details:

WEGC Bank Account Details:

ASB Bank

12-3140-0365902-00

Reference: Please use student ID (on invoice)

Particulars: payment details (example: ID Card, GE200 Trip)

Payment in person @ School:

Payments are accepted at reception from 8:15 am until 3.30 pm Monday to Friday. The school is closed during public holidays and school term breaks. Payments by cash or EFTPOS are available.

Ways to help WEGC - Fundraising :

When you are shopping at Wellington City New World:Have your docket stamped at the time of purchase by a checkout Supervisor. Deposit your docket in the East drop box provided in the main entrance of New World. Duplicate receipts can be requested, at time of purchase, if the original is required. Every time you purchase products from New World Wellington City, they will pay the school 1.5% pa of the total $ sales value.

Welink Newsletter : Wellington East Girls' College, Austin Street, Mt Victoria 6011, Ph 385 8514, www.wegc.school.nz

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