Waiheke High School

2012

Waiheke High School. International Student. Prospectus.

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Waiheke High School offers a unique opportunity for our students to be part of a serene Island community.

We provide a high quality educational environment with fully qualified, student centred teachers with an emphasis on caring and personal attention. Our ESOL classes are staffed by specialist teachers who offer quality language programmes. Our smaller class sizes, aided by our remedial and enrichment programmes, ensure that student needs are met to the fullest possible extent. Our well developed student support system ensures students are treated as individuals.

Excellent results are reflected in our commitment to providing the best possible learning environment.

Students are treated as individuals and our quality pastoral care programmes ensure the best care is taken to meet student’s needs. Advice is always available from caring and specialist teachers.

Waiheke Island is only a 35 minute ferry ride from Auckland City, and has a very rural feel of life but with the convenience of the City only a small distance away. New Zealand, and even more so, Waiheke Island is famed for its stunning scenery and lifestyle.

Discovered and settled by Maori approximately 1000 years ago, Waiheke translates to “cascading waters”.

Waiheke Island is a taonga (treasure) with many special places. National reserves like those on Waiheke protect natural, historical and cultural heritage for all New Zealanders, and help to safeguard the biodiversity of the planet.

The school is located near to one of the beautiful sandy beaches that Waiheke is famed for. The permanent population is about 8000 people and during the summer goes up to 30,000 to 50,000 people.

The Island has an extensive range of facilities including a wide range of food outlets, wineries and an Arts Centre with its own cinema and theatre. Waiheke is a safe, caring, environmentally friendly focused Island and we believe these qualities are reflected in our school life.

Welcome

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Background

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Sea Sports Academy


The first school on Waiheke Island opened in 1882. Our present school opened in 1986 with 330 students from year 7 to year 12.

During its 25 year history, the school roll and academic achievement has steadily grown. The school is located on a peninsular close to Kennedy Point and is surrounded by water, ideal for the variety of extracurricular activities that we offer.

We are a friendly and caring school, concentrating on a heuristic approach we all live in. Our school is unique, with well established community links, excellent teachers and a fully integrated support framework. Waiheke High School’s examination results are well above the national average at all levels. We attract international students from a variety of countries and different ethnic backgrounds. This cultural diversity adds to the richness of the schooling experience for all our students.

Waiheke High School’s Sea Sports Academy has been in operation since 2003 and continues to be successful and popular, particularly with our International Students. The Sea Sports Academy offers a first year course and an advanced course to students in Year 12 and 13.

In the first year, students are involved in team building, snorkelling, Laser dinghy sailing, the Coastguard Day Skipper Course, keelboat sailing and sea kayaking.

The Sea Sports Academy makes the most of our unique, local environment. Many of the activities take place on or around Waiheke. Some activities take the students a little further afield. These include kayaking to Motuihe Island, overnight camping and scuba diving at Poor Knights Island in order to gain PADI open water scuba certificates.

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Viticulture

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Hospitality


Our Viticulture course is ideally suited to those interested in the science and production of grapes. Waiheke Island has 30 vineyards scattered across the Island. Students will get firsthand knowledge and experience caring for the vines that produce some of the award winning local wines.

Students research the production and marketing of a locally produced primary product (grapes or olives), and analyse production and environmental issues. They will also learn how to fell and limb trees under supervision, how to plant grapes by hand and will carry out basic canopy maintenance in a vineyard.

This is a mixture of “hands on” experience and classroom theory sessions. Waiheke High School uses local vineyards and expertise to provide a unique and enjoyable course.

The Hospitality course comprises the study of foods flavours from around the world culminating in an invitation guest day.

Hospitality covers Hau Ora – holistic health, attitudes and values, food cultures and protocols, soci-ecological perspectives and health promotion.

Senior students have to design and prepare menus and meals to restaurant standard and level climaxing in preparing, presenting and running a full restaurant for a day. This course is designed to give students hands on experience alongside theory work that will lead the future training and careers in the hospitality field and other related industries.

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Adventure Tourism

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School Life


The Adventure Tourism course provides Waiheke High School pupils with the opportunity to experience and learn about New Zealand as an adventure tourism destination.

The course focuses on the development of skills, knowledge and awareness through participation in a broad range of outdoor activities. These activities include: tramping, camping, rock climbing, orienteering, sea kayaking, whale and dolphin watching, caving, high ropes and adventure based learning.

The course seeks to encourage awareness, participation and involvement in local and national tourist operations and activities. In addition, it aims to promote concepts relating to ecological sustainability as they relate to tourism in New Zealand.

We offer a strong academic programme with the expectation that students will achieve success in all areas.

Our school is staffed with teachers who know and love their subjects and who have a passion for providing excellent classroom teaching.

Smaller class sizes

Highly qualified teachers

Effective pastoral support

English assistance programmes

Wide range of courses

Extra curricular activities

Excellent NCEA results

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Living On Waiheke

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Island Life


All international students are placed in a homestay arranged and monitored by the school and the Manager of International Students. Students are welcomed as part of a New Zealand family to experience the Kiwi way of life. We select families carefully for their friendliness, their lifestyle and for the quality of care they offer to students. Students are encouraged to be part of the family.

Waiheke High School regularly monitors the homestay environment with phone calls and visits throughout the year.

Homestay includes three meals per day, your laundry will be done and you will have a comfortable room of your own with a work space for study. Usually there is only one student in each home, when there is more than one; we encourage a contrasting cultural background unless two people request to be together.

Waiheke Island is a very peaceful and beautiful place to live. It has a large number of golden sandy beaches with stunning scenery and blue clean water. Dolphins, and occasionally whales are spotted in the waters around Waiheke.

The Island is very safe and prides itself as a caring community. There are also a number of voluntary organisations that students are involved with on the Island.

There are always different activities and pursuits on most weekends from dancing classes, theatre and cinema to international jazz festivals. Waiheke is only a 35 minute ferry ride to downtown Auckland City.

Waiheke is the wedding capital of New Zealand due to its unique beauty, beaches, vineyards, people and excellent weather.

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Extracurricular Activities

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Enrolling


All students who study at Waiheke High School will take part in an orientation programme. The student will be met at the airport by Nikki, the Manager of international students. We will then make our way to Waiheke Island to meet your homestay family.

The orientation programme will give students the information that they need to become part of our student roll at Waiheke High School.

Students will be provided with an orientation booklet which will include a map of the school. The booklet will familiarise students with the school and the subjects available. The tour includes the international student office, medical centre, uniform shop, counsellors, library, tuck shop, sports facilities (gym), and assembly hall and computer rooms.

A tour around the Island will also help to familiarise students with the local area.

Students will be shown where important facilities are, for example, shopping areas, post office, library, bus stops, ferry building. We will also visit some of the best beaches and popular tourist destinations.

Participation in extracurricular activities such as sport, music, drama and outdoor pursuits help students grow in character, confidence, self discipline and esteem. We encourage students to be involved in serving and enhancing the local community.

Extracurricular can also help in making new friends and improving language skills as well as an appreciation of the uniqueness that Waiheke and its High School offer.

Archery Art / Drama

Baseball Basketball

Choir Diving

Football Golf

Horse Riding Jazz Band Kayaking

Netball Rugby

Table Tennis

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School Charter

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Pastoral Care


Pastoral Care is the mechanism by which we nurture the well-being and capacity of our students to lead useful, rewarding and fulfilling lives.

Each staff member is part of the school wide team actively committed to ensuring that our students are equipped with appropriate skills to best manage opportunities, challenges and transitions. Students are valued, supported and included in a caring culture of compassion mentoring and respect.

Pastoral Care includes:

Recognising that international students are in a new environment, and providing support that enables students to make the necessary adjustments.

Acknowledge that international students are in New Zealand as a result of enrolment with code signatories, and that in return those signatories must take responsibility for identifying and addressing the needs of the students, including their safety and wellbeing.

Assisting international students to participate in New Zealand culture by helping them to develop relationships and networks.

Supporting international students to achieve their goals.

Encouraging best practice for student care within the export education industry.

At Waiheke High School, every student is unique and has an original quality, special talent and huge potential. It is our responsibility to recognise and develop their characters and to provide them with the learning tools, fortitude and resolution to prosper and thrive in the future. We believe that each student deserves the best educational experience we can provide and aim to inspire and support them to realise remarkable ambitions.

We are fortunate to have teachers at Waiheke High School who regard their work vocation as well as a career and who combine their experience and expertise for the maximum benefit of our students. Teachers on our staff have specialist skills and are committed to providing excellent classroom programmes by keeping abreast of educational research and methodology.

We expect and support our students to extend their skills through questioning, problem solving, risk taking, critical thinking, persistence, mentoring, evaluation, reflection, sharing and celebrating success.

Waiheke High SchoolAddress:

11 Donald Bruce Road,Waiheke Island,

1081,New Zealand

Contact:Ph: +64 (0) 9 371 9000Fax: +64 (0) 9 372 5474

General email: [email protected]

Manager of International StudentsNikki Ramage

Ph: +64 (0)9-371 9000Mob: +64 0275957387

International email: [email protected]

CODE: Waiheke High School has agreed to observe and be bound by the Code of Practice for the Pastoral Care of International Students published by the Minister of Education.

Copies of the Code are available on request from this institution or from the New Zealand Ministry of Education website at http://www.minedu.govt.nz/goto/international

IMMIGRATION: Full details of visa and permit requirements, advice on rights to employment in New Zealand while studying, and reporting requirements are available through the New Zealand Immigration Service, and can be viewed on their website at

http://www.immigration.govt.nz

ELIGIBILITY FOR HEALTH SERVICES: Most international students are not entitled to publicly funded health services while in New Zealand. If you receive medical treatment during your visit, you may be liable for the full costs of that treatment. Full details on entitlements to publicly-funded health services are available through the Ministry of Health, and can be viewed on their website at

http://www.moh.govt.nz.

ACCIDENT INSURANCE: The Accident Compensation Corporation provides accidentinsurance for all New Zealand citizens, residents and temporary visitors to New Zealand, but you may still be liable for all other

medical and related costs. Further information can be viewed on the ACC website at http://www.acc.co.nz.

MEDICAL AND TRAVEL INSURANCE: International students must have appropriate and current medical and travel insurance while studying in New Zealand.

2012 Waiheke High School. International Student. Prospectus.

Documents

Waiheke High School