The Green Striped Blazer, 11th September 2026

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The Green Striped Blazer -
Friday, 11th September 2026

Dear parents and caregivers,

This week, we have seen a shift in focus from co-curricular endeavours, with Winter
Tournament Week and the Big Sing Finale taking place last week, to academic progress,
with senior end-of-year examinations starting yesterday.

To wrap up Winter Tournament Week, nine of the 13 teams participating finished on the
podium. Notably, the 1st XI Hockey team finished second in New Zealand after a 2-2 draw
in the final before narrowly losing in a shootout, while the 1st XV capped an outstanding
season by beating St Patrick's College, Silverstream in its final match to finish third in New
Zealand. We also finished second in New Zealand in badminton, and our cyclists collected
13 medals at the Northern Tour, effectively the North Island Championships, with their
national competition coming up during the school holidays. We are incredibly proud of the
achievements of these teams and individuals.

The examination period will continue through to the end of next week, making this an
important time for our Year 12 and 13 students. Similarly, we will be facilitating the next
round of the Literacy and Numeracy assessments for students who are yet to achieve these
requirements, from Wednesday to Friday next week. If your sons are involved in these
examinations and assessments, please support them to be as prepared as possible.

Have a great weekend.

Regards,

Paul Fordham

Headmaster

IN THIS ISSUE:

Important Dates
A morning with Mark Watson
Connor Bell on life and sport
Hospo students serve delicious kai
French Quiz night success
James Hurman on how to create demand when customers are spending less
Knockout Cup champions
Winter Tournament Week
1st XI Hockey second at Nationals
1st XV finish third in New Zealand
Cycling NZ Northern Tour: 14 podiums including 4 titles
2nd XI Hockey secure bronze at Galletly Cup
Basketball Prems top Auckland region
Well done Rico
Spotlight on Law careers
IT Tips with Mr Diprose
Join the Ethos Academy of Sport International Programme
Quiz Night with Shane Cortese
Second-hand uniform shop pop-up sale
Inspire the Future. Start Here.
Swan Song
Follow WBHS on Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn
Contact us
Our Sponsors and Supporters

Important dates

Sports Results

Important Dates

Our Major Diary Dates are shown above. Please note, these are subject to change if
necessary, throughout the year.

A morning with Mark Watson

Thank you to everyone who attended our Father Son Breakfast on Wednesday. This year's
guest speaker, broadcaster and former high level triathlete Mark Watson, shared stories
from a career that has included competing and commenting on some of the world's biggest
sporting events including Usain Bolt defending the 100m Final at the London Olympics.
Mark described this as his most "high pressure" piece of commentary.

He spoke about making the most of opportunities, enjoying success with the people around
you, learning from setbacks and maintaining balance in life. One message that stood out
was that greatness is not measured by trophies or titles, but by the impression you leave
on others.

He also paid tribute to his late father and reflected on the influence he had on his life and
career.

Thank you to Mark for sharing his experiences with our community, and to Kai Deng and
Barfoot & Thompson Milford for their support of the event.

Photos available for download here.

Connor Bell on life and sport

Olympian and Westlaker Connor Bell (2019) spoke to our Future Sport students this week.

The former discus thrower shared insights on competing on the world stage and his
experience at the Paris Olympics.

He narrowly missed out on the final, finishing 13th, with only the top 12 progressing. He
admitted one of his biggest concerns was returning home and facing a public backlash, only
to find that people had already moved on.

Connor retired from elite athletics in June and said stepping away became an easy decision
once the demands of high-performance sport no longer aligned with his broader life goals.

He told students that success is often less about talent and more about consistency,
describing elite athletes as having the ability to do the same work day after day.

He also told students about the importance of having good people in your corner, not being
afraid to aim high after school, being open to new opportunities, and to keep exploring.

Hospo students serve delicious kai

There has been plenty happening in Hospitality this week, with our Year 13 students
producing a range of impressive dishes as part of their practical internal assessments.

On the menu were beef lasagne, ricotta gnocchi with burnt butter and sage, fettuccine
carbonara and cheesy baked potato gnocchi.

French Quiz night success

This term, five senior French students represented our school at the annual French Quiz
Night, held at St Mary’s College.

Nearly 100 students from schools across Auckland came together for this fantastic evening .

Teams competed through rounds of French language, culture, and general knowledge
questions and had opportunities to interact in French with students from other schools. Our
team did beautifully, winning Best Group Costume for the second time in a row. This time,
after studying French literature, Oscar, Luka, Shawn, Jinyoung and Kyle chose to attend as
“Arsène Lupin, master of disguise”

Congratulations to our incredible team for bringing such creativity, passion, and flair to
everything they do. Vive le français !

French TikTok competition

Congratulations to our 3 Y13 boys for taking 3rd place in the Year 12/13 category of this
national French TikTok competition! Their creative and engaging video brought French false
friends to life in a fun and entertaining way. This will be a great resource for French
teachers across the country to use with their classes.

A fantastic achievement for Hugh, Jinyoung and Kyle — and a well-deserved $50 Prezzy
Card prize! Bravo, boys!

James Hurman on how to create demand
when customers are spending less

James Hurman is an entrepreneur, investor and advertising effectiveness expert. He’s the
founder and chair of Previously Unavailable, a creative company that partners with, creates
and invests into high-growth startup companies. He has helped build some of NZ’s most
successful businesses, like Tracksuit and AF Drinks. This session is on brand versus
performance marketing, and why judging everything on short term sales undervalues the
work that actually drives future growth.

Don’t miss it!

Register here

Wednesday, 16 September

5.30pm to 7.30pm

GridAKLD, Lysaght Building101 Pakenham Street West, Wynyard Quarter

SPORTS ACHIEVEMENTS

Knockout Cup champions

Our 15th Grade football team are Knockout Cup champions after a 2-0 win against Mount
Albert Grammar today. Congratulations on the result.

It's a wrap: Winter Tournament Week

Thirteen Westlake teams were in action around the country during Winter Tournament
Week, with nine gaining podium finishes.

Among the highlights, our 1st XI Hockey team finished second in New Zealand in the
Rankin Cup, while the 2nd XI Hockey team claimed third in the Galletly Cup. Our badminton
team finished second in New Zealand, the 1st XV Rugby team placed third nationally, and
the Table Tennis team also secured a third-place finish.

Basketball enjoyed a successful week, with the Senior Premier team winning the NZSS
Qualifying Tournament and the Junior Premiers claiming first place at an invitational
tournament in Hāwera.

In football, the 2nd XI finished runners-up in their competition, while the Junior team
secured third place at the Hillsdene Junior Tournament.

A huge thank you to all the staff and parents who supported our teams throughout
Tournament Week. While the results were impressive, these opportunities are only possible
because of the hours invested by coaches, managers, teachers and whānau.

1st XI Hockey second at Nationals