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With the site now secured and the screw piles in place, things are really starting to take shape. Our first official build day took place on Saturday, 11 April, which made it even more special as it lined up with Waiheke High School’s 40th Anniversary.

A huge thanks to Rodney Pope and Thomas Robb from Waiheke Home Builders, who led the day and worked alongside our students as they built the subfloor. It was awesome to see everyone getting involved, working as a team, and making such solid progress in just one day.

There was a great buzz on site, with students supporting each other, learning as they went, and taking real pride in what they were building. That’s exactly what this academy is all about.

We’re also incredibly grateful to our sponsors. This project wouldn’t be possible without their support, and it’s exciting to see it all coming together.

We can’t wait to share what’s next as the build continues.

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The end of a term provides an opportunity for reflection and celebration. It was a real pleasure to recognise some outstanding performers in our final celebration assembly for Term 1, acknowledging students who consistently uphold our WISE values and apply themselves fully in their learning.

I’d like to specifically mention Ghiezelle Ricalde and Olivia Stinton for receiving the most recognitions this term for Pakatoa and Rangitoto respectively. India Trevett was both the top student in Ponui and her year group. Most notably, Mae Gould not only topped Rakino house and her year level but also achieved the highest overall recognitions in the entire school for Term 1 – an outstanding achievement.

Our engagement scores directly reflect each student’s work and highlight our school’s learning leaders. Special mention goes to Lea Bollinger (Ponui), Mae Gould (Rakino), Silver Hutchieson (Pakatoa), and Somolon Todd (Rangitoto), who topped their respective houses and especially Solomon who maintained the highest overall school engagement score at 3.86 out of 4 throughout the term.

While we often recognise leaders in sports, arts, and service, the quiet leadership shown through diligent learning and embodying our values day after day is perhaps our greatest asset. And so today it was important to celebrate these students and encourage others to follow their lead – well done to all of those students listed above.

We are delighted to report an absolutely outstanding 78 students (roughly 20%) attended 100% of Term 1, more than double last year’s number. Thank you to these students for their diligence and to their parents for supporting this fantastic achievement. Furthermore, 288 students (just over 75%) have an attendance rate of over 90%—a massive improvement from 2025. As attendance is a key driver in achievement, I congratulate these students on taking this crucial step in investing in their future.

I also congratulate our paddlers and sailors who recently represented our kura at national and regional tournaments. Both groups persevered through difficult weather conditions, putting forward their best effort and achieving great results. We will celebrate these students more fully in Term 2 with an upcoming sporting assembly.

With the 40th Anniversary and Reunion upon us over the holidays, I hope to see many members of our wider community at some of the events. I wish every student a restful term break, providing a chance to recharge, ready for a brilliant Term 2.

Ngā mihi mahana,

Cameron Flude

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At Waiheke High School, parents are considered to have an important role in the education their children receive and are, therefore, a key part of the High School community.

Research indicates that children whose parents are actively involved in their education achieve better academically as well as in other areas such as social and emotional development.

But it’s a mistake to respond by saying – ‘They need their space – let’s leave them to it.’

Anecdotal research shows that while many teens express a need for distance, they really want mum and dad there, in the background. They still need your involvement.
Many teenagers do not want their parents to go into school except on occasions when all parents are expected to be there, but teenagers still need their parents to be involved in their education.

So, at secondary school, parent involvement at home becomes just as important as involvement at school and parents should try to maintain a balance of the two.

It is worthwhile remembering that learning continues outside the school. Mark Twain is reputed to have said – ‘I’ve never let my school interfere with my education’, indicating the importance of what occurs throughout our lives, those enriching experiences that happen to all of us every day, any day. We looked for widening experiences when our children were young and enjoyed the moments of revelation. Those sorts of moments need to continue in our families.
So, school and home provide learning for our children and parents have a role in each area.

What can parents do to assist learning at school?

Communicate

Show an interest and listen to your son or daughter.
Avoid asking direct questions such as ‘What did you do at school?’ ‘Where are you going?’ as many teenagers will give as little information as possible in reply. They hate the implication of ‘20 questions’ from their parents.  Try commenting on your own day, or thoughts, or opinions, even inviting your young person’s opinion, and giving them the space to respond as they wish. Just chatting is more supportive and productive than an interrogation. When children grow up with good habits of communication, they are ready to learn, succeed and be confident students.

At home

Let your teenagers see you reading. Visit the library together. Have books and magazines in the house. Reading needs to be a part of our lives to give skills and knowledge for study.  Show your children how to break a big job into small steps which can be done one at a time. This works for everything from tidying their rooms to completing a major assignment.

Value homework

Value education by expecting your children to develop regular home work habits, not just for work set by their teachers but also for revision, reinforcement and research. When they show you their work, remember you are their most important coach and cheerleader. Let the teacher do the marking while you provide the encouragement and support.

Be part of the community

Connecting with the community, for instance, by getting to know your neighbours, teaches your children important lessons about friendships, independence and social responsibility. It may also help to keep them safe if friendly adults know who they are and look out for them.

Be involved with the school

Every school depends on informed and active parents. You have valuable skills and experience that our school needs. You and your son and daughter will benefit from your knowledge of what goes on at Waiheke High School  and why. Even if you cannot be actively involved your children will be more successful students if you:

Talk about the value of hard work and the importance of education

Talk about what is happening at school

Read school newsletters, reports, and the website

Attend school meetings such as information evenings, report evenings

Help with cultural and performance activities such as Piringakau, International students

Offer your services to a sports team to coach, manage, drive team members

You cannot be involved in all of these – no one has that amount of time. But any involvement will pass the message to your teen – ‘my parents are for me and for my school’…

Share your own experiences and goals

Children admire their parents and strive to measure up to them. If your son and daughter know you have ideals and goals, and are working to achieve them, they will try to do the same.

Establish realistic, consistent family rules

Children learn security and responsibility through stable routines, consistent limits and high expectations. They may test the limits over and over again – to find out what they can depend on.  These could involve time for homework, time for bed, time away from the computer and so on.

Encourage your children to think about their future

Resilient children have a sense of the future. They need realistic goals and the satisfaction of meeting some of their goals. They grow through helping to make decisions and learning that decisions have consequences. If you are looking forward to next week, next month, next year, your son and daughter also learn to plan hopefully.

Talk with other parents

Parents have found it useful to have contact information for other parents of pupils in the same class as their children. This helps with even simple things like knowing where your teen is when they say they are ‘going round to John’s place’. Or you can check information when your teen comes home with a request that does not sound quite correct – ‘but this is what we HAVE to do’ and they tell you on Sunday night! Share telephone numbers with other parents in your son and daughter’s class.

However, as part of normal development, teenagers begin to distance themselves from their parents, so parents’ involvement in their education needs to change when they move to secondary school. You may well begin to feel this ‘pushing mum and dad away’. 

Be supportive of the school

Waiheke High School with its key values of Excellence, Endeavour, Community and Leadership  is the road map for our students’ life journeys. Respect of self and others is paramount and it is important that you support us in this by always speaking positively about the school and the teachers of your son and daughter. If you speak disrespectfully about the school or a staff member, you make it very difficult for your son or daughter to act in a respectful manner.

We do not always get it right and you may hear of things happening at school that concern you. Please approach one of the Senior Management, a Guidance Counsellor, or the Dean, should this occur. We will listen, investigate the situation and work with you towards an appropriate solution.

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