Waitaki Girls' High School

Last updated

Waitaki Girls' High School
Junior Block.JPG
Junior Block
Address
Waitaki Girls' High School
Trent Street, Oamaru, New Zealand
Coordinates 45°05′17″S170°58′25″E / 45.0881°S 170.9735°E / -45.0881; 170.9735
Information
TypeState, Girls, Secondary years 9–13
Motto Latin: Dulcius Ex Arduis
"Satisfaction from hard work"
Established1887; 137 years ago
Ministry of Education Institution no. 366
PrincipalElizabeth Koni
School roll404 [1] (August 2024)
Socio-economic decile6N [2]
Website waitakigirlshigh.school.nz

Waitaki Girls' High School is a state high school for girls situated in Oamaru, on the East coast of New Zealand. It was founded in 1887 on the initiative of local parliamentarians, Samuel Shrimski and Thomas William Hislop, [3] and presently has a roll of just over 400 girls from the ages of 13 to 18. [4] It also has a boarding hostel which houses approximately 50 girls, including international students and tutors. [5]

Contents

The school uses a house system with four houses and accompanying colours: Burn (red), Ferguson (yellow), Gibson (green) and Wilson (blue). These houses were named after the first four principals of the school: Margaret Burn, Catherine Ferguson, [6] Mary Gibson and Jessie Wilson. [6] Competitions between the houses, such as athletics, swimming, choir and drama, are held annually.

The school motto is Dulcius Ex Arduis, which in Latin means "satisfaction from hard work".

Curriculum

Waitaki Girls' High School uses National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) based assessments. A strong emphasis is placed on gaining good marks, with "Excellence Awards" being awarded annually to girls who achieve high marks in their internal and external assessments.

Subjects taught include English, mathematics (statistics and calculus), sciences (chemistry, biology, physics, agriculture), languages (Japanese, German, Maori), classics, computer studies, Geography, History, Physical Education and Art (Painting, Photography, Art History).

Principals

Since its establishment in 1887, Waitaki Girls' High School has had 10 principals. The following is a complete list: [7]

NameTerm
1 Margaret Gordon Burn 1887–1892
2Catherine Mary Ferguson1892–1919
3Jessie Banks Wilson1920–1949
4Mary Kathleen Dunning1950–1963
5Joyce Jarrold1963–1979
6Joyce Mayhew1979–1986
7Jeanette Aker1986–1994
8Linda Cowan1994–2007
9Lynlee Smith2007–2012
9Tracy Walker2012–2019
10Elizabeth Koni2020–present

Notable alumnae

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oamaru</span> Town in Otago, New Zealand

Oamaru is the largest town in North Otago, in the South Island of New Zealand, it is the main town in the Waitaki District. It is 80 kilometres (50 mi) south of Timaru and 120 kilometres (75 mi) north of Dunedin on the Pacific coast; State Highway 1 and the railway Main South Line connect it to both cities. With a population of 14,350, Oamaru is the 28th largest urban area in New Zealand, and the third largest in Otago behind Dunedin and Queenstown. The town is the seat of Waitaki District, which includes the surrounding towns of Kurow, Weston, Palmerston, and Hampden, which combined have a total population of 23,200.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wellington East Girls' College</span> School

Wellington East Girls' College is a state single-sex girls' secondary school which sits directly above Mount Victoria Tunnel, Wellington, New Zealand. Serving Years 9 to 13, the school currently has 1058 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rangi Ruru Girls' School</span> School

Rangi Ruru Girls' School is a New Zealand private girls' day and boarding secondary school located in Merivale, an inner suburb of Christchurch. The school is affiliated with the Presbyterian Church and serves approximately 703 girls from Years 7 to 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Kevin's College, Oamaru</span> Integrated co-educational secondary school in Oamaru, New Zealand

St Kevin's College in Oamaru, New Zealand, is a Catholic, coeducational, integrated, boarding and day, secondary school. It was founded by the Christian Brothers in 1927 for boys and became a co-educational school in 1983 after the Dominican Sisters closed down St Parick's College, Teschemakers, Oamaru. St Kevin's College became a state integrated school in 1983. The Christian Brothers ceased to be on the teaching staff of the college in the late 1990s but remained the school's proprietor, and so appointed representatives to the college board, until 2019 when they transferred the ownership of St Kevin's College to the Bishop of Dunedin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Christchurch Girls' High School</span> School in Christchurch, New Zealand

Christchurch Girls' High School in Christchurch, New Zealand, was established in 1877 and is the second oldest girls-only secondary school in the country, after Otago Girls' High School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Avondale College</span> New Zealand secondary school

Avondale College is a state coeducational secondary school located in the central Auckland, New Zealand, suburb of Avondale. With a roll of 2834 students from years 9–13, it is the third largest secondary school in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Logan Park High School</span> School

Logan Park High School is a high school founded in 1974 in Dunedin, New Zealand. It has a roll of 791 students as of August 2024 with a teaching staff of about 50, with some 18 further auxiliary and administrative staff.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Westlake Girls High School</span> Public school in Auckland, New Zealand

Westlake Girls High School is a state girls secondary school, located to the west of Lake Pupuke in Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand. The school was established in 1957 as a coeducational school, changing to girls only in 1962 when Westlake Boys High School opened. Westlake Girls has a roll of approximately 2292 students from Years 9 to 13, making one of the largest single-sex schools in New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Freyberg High School</span> State co-educational school in Palmerston North, Manawatū-Whanganui

Freyberg High School is a state co-educational secondary school located in the suburb of Roslyn in Palmerston North, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Palmerston North Girls' High School</span> School

Palmerston North Girls' High School is a secondary school for girls, located in the suburb of West End in the city of Palmerston North, New Zealand.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nelson College for Girls</span> State secondary, day and boarding school in Nelson, New Zealand

Nelson College for Girls is an all-girls state school in Nelson, New Zealand. Established in 1883, it has close ties with the all-boys Nelson College and has a private Preparatory School.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auckland Girls' Grammar School</span> School

Auckland Girls' Grammar School (AGGS) is a New Zealand secondary school for girls located in Newton, in the Auckland central business district. Established in 1878 as Auckland Girls' High School, it is one of the oldest secondary institutions in the country. The school closed its site temporarily in 1888 due to financial difficulties and classes for girls were held at Auckland Grammar School until the girls' school moved to new premises in Howe Street in 1909 and the name of the school changed to Auckland Girls' Grammar School. The school received the Goodman Fielder awards for School and Secondary School of the year in 2000.

Waitaki Boys' High School is a secondary school for boys located in the northern part of the town of Oamaru, Otago, New Zealand, with day and boarding facilities, and was founded in 1883. As of 2020, it has a school roll of approximately 400 students.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Diocesan School for Girls, Auckland</span> School in Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand

Diocesan School for Girls (Dio) is a private girls' school in Epsom, Auckland, New Zealand. It is consistently a top-achieving school nationally. The school is Anglican-based and was established in 1903. It caters to international students and has accommodation for 50 boarders at Innes House. The school elected to offer students the option of International Baccalaureate diplomas, as an alternative to the national NCEA qualification, from 2008.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lytton High School</span> State coeducational secondary school

Lytton High School is a co-educational state secondary school in Gisborne, New Zealand for students in Years 9 to 13.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rotorua Lakes High School</span> School

Rotorua Lakes High School, commonly known as Lakes High, or simply Lakes, is a state school educating boys and girls from Year 9 to Year 13. It is situated in Owhata, in the eastern suburbs of Rotorua, New Zealand, and draws many of its students from the eastern Rotorua urban area, and the semi-rural lakes communities to the south and east of Rotorua; this giving rise to the name Rotorua Lakes.

Margaret Gordon Burn was a New Zealand teacher and school principal. She was born in Edinburgh, Midlothian, Scotland on 22 March 1825. She was the founding principal of Otago Girls' High School in 1871, and also founding principal of Waitaki Girls' High School from 1887 to 1892.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whanganui High School</span> School

Whanganui High School is a large state co-educational New Zealand secondary school located in Whanganui, New Zealand. Founded in 1958, the school has a roll of 1479 students, including international students as of July 2018, making it the largest school in Whanganui.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rangiora High School</span> Secondary school in Rangiora, New Zealand

Rangiora High School is a state co-educational secondary school located in Rangiora, New Zealand. Established in 1881 by an act of parliament and opened in 1884, the school has a roll of 1640 students from years 9 to 13 as of August 2024, making it the fifth-biggest school in the South Island.

Mary Victoria Gibson was a New Zealand teacher and school principal.

References

  1. "New Zealand Schools Directory". New Zealand Ministry of Education. Retrieved 17 September 2024.
  2. "Decile Change 2014 to 2015 for State & State Integrated Schools". Ministry of Education. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  3. "History of Waitaki Girls' High School". Waitaki Girls' High School. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  4. "Waitaki Girls' High School". Ministry of Education. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  5. "History of Waitaki Girls' High School". Waitaki Girls' High School. Retrieved 6 January 2012.
  6. 1 2 "Graduate Detail". www.womeninhighereducation.eit.ac.nz. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  7. "Our history". Waitaki Girls' High School. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  8. "Old girls lay wreath for past student". Stuff. Retrieved 2 March 2016.
  9. "Frame, Janet Paterson". Te Ara.