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Welcome to Western Heights High School
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Hali Osborne
Board of Trustees
I have been a trustee at Western Heights High School since 2002 and Board Chair since 2004. Before 2002 I was on the Board at Rotorua Intermediate and did 3 years as Board Chair there. Presently I am the Bay of Plenty representative on the New Zealand School Trustees (NZSTA) National Council and am standing again. I am also an accredited trainer for NZSTA.
I am married to Clint and have two sons aged 21 and 19, both having attended WHHS, who are now in Auckland at AUT and Auckland University. They both received an outstanding education at WHHS.
During my time at WHHS we have experienced a rapid increase in our roll, which has resulted in the school having to build new classrooms. There have also been great successes in our academic, cultural and sporting achievements.
I enjoy representing our school community. Trusteeship is something I strongly believe in. As a trustee I can ensure that EVERY student has the right to achieve at the highest level. I believe that Trustees must have “high expectations of all involved, make no exceptions and make no excuses”.
Western Heights High School has a unique culture and if I promise to protect and respect that culture.
Mark Rogers
I have many years experience in School Boards and joined the WHHS Board of Trustees in 2009. My key responsibilities have been focused on the school infrastructure – buildings and property – including the new technology block.
I am married with two children who have both been students of Western Heights High School.
I am an Operations Manager for the State owned Broadcasting and Telecommunications company responsible for the transmission of New Zealand’s Television and Radio Stations. This also includes the optical fibre and digital microwave Networks.
Dave Cronshaw
I joined the Western Heights High School Board after being co-opted on in March 2009. I work as an environmental manager in the pulp and paper industry and have both MSc and MBA degrees from Waikato University.
I have two children at Western Heights and believe that WHHS provides the best educational opportunities in Rotorua and beyond. One of my main goals is to ensure that this continues to happen.
I am experienced in the operations school boards and I am committed to providing the best educational outcomes for all students, even if this requires asking hard questions and demanding high standards.
Piripi Curtis
I am a parent of two children, who are both at Western Heights. I am of Te Arawa descent and my home Marae is at Rotoiti. At present I am a television producer for a show that airs on Maori Television called Hunting Aotearoa. I am a school teacher by trade and have taught in and around Rotorua since 1990. My last full time posting was as the DP at Whangamarino Primary School in 2004 but previous to that, I taught at Kaitao Intermediate for a number of years. I was also an ICT facilitator (computer/technology specialist) at Ruamata for a couple of years.
I have served on a number of trusts and boards and I am currently the chairman of Manupirua Trust (Lake Rotoiti Hot Pools), past chairman of Whangamarino BOT, the past treasurer of Rakeiao Marae Trust Board, past member of Ngati Pikiao Runanga.
I have served on the Western Heights High School BOT for the last three years and I have also been very involved with many other aspects of the school outside my governance role. In the last few years I have coached and managed the under 15 rugby team 2007, 2008, coached and managed the 1st XV. I believe very strongly in this school and the important role it has in helping our children to success. I have developed a great respect for the principal, management team and staff of WHHS for the wonderful school culture they are developing and the tone they have set which has also been supported by the 2009 Education Review Office’s report.
Rick Mansell
I retired from the position of Economic Development Manager for the Gisborne District Council and moved to Rotorua in 2008. I was a Trustee for Lytton High School (a decile 2 school in Gisborne) as well as on the Board for a Gisborne Kohanga Reo. Prior to my ten years in Gisborne, I was a Senior Lecturer at Lincoln University and prior to that I was the Manager of Leisure Services for Calgary Parks and Recreation (yes, I am a Canadian by birth).
My involvement in the community includes roles as Chair of the Mokoia Community Association, Chair of the Hannah’s Bay Community Restoration Trust, a member of the Keep Rotorua Beautiful Committee, a coach for Swim Rotorua, a volunteer business mentor and a member of Rotorua North Rotary Club. I am on the Board of St. Chads and am now the Executive Director of the Rotorua Social Services Council. My daughter (the youngest of 6 children) attends Western Heights High School.
I believe that students are looking to their school and home to provide them with a set of understood guidelines to lead them towards becoming responsible adults. Quality education and strong homes result in a safe and caring community. Western Heights High School has been a strong leader in this approach. I will attempt to strengthen this approach by listening to your parental aspirations for your children.
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About Western Heights HS
Unparalleled Opportunities
academic, sporting, artistic and cultural excellence
As a school achieving at the highest levels of academic, sporting, artistic and cultural excellence, Western Heights High School offers its students unparalleled opportunities to succeed in a wide range of endeavours.
Western Heights High School is a large co-educational school situated in the western suburbs of Rotorua. With approximately 1500 students from Year 9-13 and 120 staff, the school offers a wide range of specialist facilities to meet the needs of individuals and groups of students including a bi-lingual unit (Te Akoranga Reo Rua).
Among recent academic successes, Western Heights High School students gained 12 Scholarships in the 2010 NZQA examinations over a wide range of subjects. Scholarship examinations are designed to challenge, identify and recognise the country's top students – usually the top 2-3% nationally. Our success is testament both to the strength of our teaching staff and student body and is confirmation that the level of education is comparable to the very best in the country.
Western Heights High School students have the opportunity to sit Cambridge International Examinations alongside NCEA and Scholarship courses. This option is popular with students and the number of students taking Cambridge courses in English, Mathematics, Business Studies and Sciences continues to grow.
Western Heights High School has a very active “Gateways” programme that provides students with work experience and opens the way to apprenticeships, trade training and employment. We provide career education at all levels designed to provide genuine pathways to the future.
We are proud of the co-curricular achievements of our students in recent years. Our young men and women have represented New Zealand at international level in sports – volleyball, moto-x, tennis, athletics and triathlon as well as the more traditional representative sports of rugby and netball. Outstanding performances by our students in local and regional speech and drama competitions and productions have been enjoyed by the school and community. We are especially proud of the extraordinary achievements of our students in the Wearable Arts Competition.
Explore our website and see for yourself why Western Heights High School students are succeeding in such large numbers in a wide array of disciplines.
For more information contact the school: 07 3495940 or email oadmin@whhs.school.nz.