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Te Whare Puoro is back in action!

Team Puoro/Music is back in action for 2024 and Te Whare Puoro is already loud!

Everything extra-curricular is starting back up this week so I wanted to let you know about all the opportunities available for our Springs-Waiōrea students. Every student in the school has been emailed about all of these opportunities with the links for applications so they should check their Spam folder if they can’t find the emails from wrightc@wsc.school.nz. Any questions, email us or pop into the department.

We have also posted the links for all the information below on our new Puoro/Music Instagram page! Follow us for updates, rehearsal reminders, performances and other opportunities: @wscw_puoromusic

Department opening times:

Before school – practice rooms are closed except for lessons but the foyer is open from 8:30am.
Interval – closed. You can come if you have booked a time with a teacher to chat or have an instrument lesson.
Lunchtime – open for booked practices only (details below). Check in with the supervisor in the first ten minutes.
After school – open for booked practices on Mondays only (details below).

Tira Puoro/Music Groups

We have four music groups that run at lunchtimes that are open to anyone (no auditions). They all happen in Te Whare Puoro (Music department) in Puoro 3 (the big room). Anyone is welcome to join, and we are also happy for you to try out a group for a couple of weeks before committing.

Tuesday Lunch – Choir
Wednesday Lunch – Musical Theatre Ensemble
Thursday Whānau and Lunch – Chamber Group (orchestra)
Friday Lunch – Jazz Band

Practice Room Bookings

All students have been emailed a link to a Google Form to sign up for practice rooms. This form explains the rules and expectations. Once they sign this form, students are able to book lunchtime practice rooms for the current week.

Mondays after school there is a new booking slot! Andrew Isdale, one of our itinerants and a very talented musician, is supervising afterschool band sessions until 4:30pm. He can help with performance skills, songwriting, instrument skills, recording and more.

Free Instrument and Singing Lessons

The Government pays for some group instrument/vocal lessons to help students gain their NCEA performance credits. Anyone can apply for lessons but there is a priority order:

  1. NCEA and Y11 music students to support their NCEA standards.
  2. Students playing that instrument in one of our music groups.
  3. Y10 Music students, then Y9.
  4. Everyone else.

These are small group lessons – we cannot offer individual lessons but we can help find you an outside teacher if you would like individual lessons outside of school. We also have a limited number of woodwind, brass and string instruments students can borrow for the year to support their playing.

If you wish to apply, the link has been emailed to all Springs-Waiōrea students, and is on the Google Classroom for all current Music students.

Finally, if you have any instruments at home that still play but are sadly being left to hide under dust, or are in your way, we could always help find them a home and put them to use.

We are looking forward to another hectic, loud and musical year with the most talented musicians in the country!

Ngā mihi,
Team Puoro
Carmel, Victoria and Margaret

Hello from Pūoro-Music

Tēnā koutou, I am Carmel, the new Head of Music at Springs Waiōrea, and I have returned to a school that I loved when I was the singing teacher here in 2014-2015. I arrived just in time to see our Chamber Group and Jazz Band achieve amazing results at the KBB Festival, and Year 11 band Buzz reach the Smokefree Rockquest National Finals. I have clearly stepped into an amazing musical legacy, started by Margaret Robertson!

I am working in a brilliant team with Margaret and Victoria Chellew, and our 10 unbelievably talented itinerant instrument teachers. I am also really enjoying collaborating with the whole Arts team here. Junior Arts Festival was my first big event with them and it was a privilege to be involved in such a stunning concert. I enjoyed putting together our Junior Singing Group for the occasion and am delighted to say they will be continuing next year as the school choir. I am looking forward to the seniors returning to bring all our singers together.

Another big success has been hiring Tim Stewart as our Brass Itinerant Teacher. He is returning to his roots – he started his band Supergroove while he was at school here (back when it was called Seddon High School). His engaging teaching style has already completely revived our Brass programme at school and we look forward to these students filtering through to our groups.

Next year will also see the introduction of some new extra-curricular opportunities such as a Musical Theatre group and afterschool band mentoring. All students are welcome in our music groups and I will send out more information about joining at the start of the year, along with details on signing up for instrument lessons.

Lastly, I feel so privileged to work within our unique co-governance model of schooling. I love that Te Whare Pūoro, the music department, is a place where talented students from both schools come together. I want to offer as many opportunities for them to develop and showcase their talents as possible. I once spoke to one of our Year 10 Waiōrea students, Huia Johnston-Miles, about wanting to start collecting Taonga Puoro (traditional Māori instruments) to use in the department. To my astonishment and delight she took that to heart and has gifted us her Pūkaea, Ōrea, that she has been carving this year under the guidance of Matua Uekaha Dunn, to start the collection. This generous gift symbolises so much of what is special about this place, and these students. I am honoured to be here.

Thank you to everyone who has given me such a warm welcome including staff, whānau and my incredible students. Bring on 2024!

Year 9s Careers- “Ko Wai Au?” “Who Am I?”

When we think of any career planning we reflect on our personal values, strengths and interests. In whanau class last week, Year 9 students were asked to develop their own self awareness through an online “Who Am I?” activity. Students used a online program called ‘Career Central’ to write their personal qualities, activities outside of the classroom and used a slider tool or prioritise their career values.

Student can access the Career Central tasks through our WSCW Careers. From there they log into Career Central and click on “About Me” It would be beneficial if your child could demonstrate what they have done to you at home too. If you need any further information please email wallacek@wsc.school.nz

Careers Expo and Subject Pathways – 17 August 4.30 pm – 7pm KHCL

The Western Springs College Ngā Puna o Waiōrea Pathways Evening is being held in KHCL is aimed for whanau and students who are Year 10 and older although all students are welcome to attend. The poster shows the list of exhibitors and this year there will be a multitude of Non University and University exhibitors. Heads of Departments and staff will be available on stands to discuss their subjects pathways and how they progress through the year levels.

This event provides you with time for a personal kōrero about subject pathways.

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