HomeWhat's been happening lately at Wilss:
LIVE LARGE, JULY 2010
Live Large is a holiday programme that places emphasis on empowering children aged 11-13 to realise their strengths, maximise their potential and relish learning in a dynamic, supportive environment. Live Large interfaces young people with community and business leaders. Each day a different element is explored - air, heart, water, fire and air - through interactive participation and fun.
The week began with Air on a tour of Auckland Airport to learn about flight, followed by a visit to hundreds of exotic butterflies at Butterfly Creek. On our Water day, the children traveled to Kawhia to study animal and plant life around our streams and waterways. Wednesday was Fire, we looked at Hamilton's Emergency Services - the Police Dog Squad, the SPCA, Waikato's Civil Defence Unit and Hamilton Central Fire Station. The next day Heart, the group was taken to some of the Waikato's historical battle sites by an expert historian. The final day Earth, was hosted by the Paeroa Deerstalkers Association. The children learned how to identify native trees and plants and tracked animals in their natural environment.
What an amazing week! We are looking forward to a whole lot of new experiences in our next programme in September.
View the Photo Gallery of our Heart day
WAYA 2010
Tomorrow's champions need support today if they are to manage the complex and often competing demands of sport, work, study, health and life.
The Waikato Academy for Young Achievers supports the overall well-being and development of young athletes who aspire to achieve sporting excellence. The programme is coordinated by WILSS and supported by the University of Waikato and the Waikato regions' top sports people. New Zealand's current and former elite sports people and experts within the sport and recreation industry offer their expert advise on a wide range of topics in forums attended by young athletes. Programmes of study run in Hamilton, Thames and Rotorua.
View the Photo Gallery of WAYA - Hamilton, June 2010
WYLD 2010
For Year 9 Students of Waikato Secondary Schools
On the 9th June, at the University of Waikato, Wilss hosted 400 Year 9 students for an inspirational and motivational day exploring leadership.
The main objective of WYLD is to support young student leaders with opportunities to explore and develop their leadership. WYLD offered different perspectives of leadership from some of our regions greatest Role Models. These included Mary Perkins (Female Crusty Demons Xtreme Motor Cross rider), Jeremy Mayall (Waikato Musician and Masters Student), Chad Hooker (Business Manager of Westfield Chartwell), Shaun Quincey (Transtasman Rower), David Klinkhammer (NZ Wheel Black) and Colette McEnery-Lane (Zero Waste Education Officer). The guest speakers shared their contextual stories of toughing it out, setting achievable goals, dealing with different pressures, coping with change and how to sustain personal motivation.
At the conclusion of the day we asked the students for their voice on their learning from the day. Below are some of the comments from Year 9 WYLD students;
"Don't give up if something seems hard, because there is always a way"
"Celebrate difference - we are all different but all have something to offer"
"You can, you will"
"Life is about making choices"
"Know who you are"
"If you believe you will achieve"
"Life is ours, we live it our way"
We all need to encourage these students to recognise that leadership is bigger than a label (or badge) and can be very situational. WYLD is just the beginning of a bigger journey for many of the students in their secondary schooling.
WYLD Photo's
NATIONAL CERTIFICATE IN SPORT
Graduation Evening of the 2008/09 Graduates 26th April, 2010
with special guest speaker Debbie Balme - Womens Black Sticks Manager
View the Photo Gallery