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Waihi College sits on eleven hectares of land and includes Sports fields, a swimming pool and gymnasium, a Farm Unit, Hollis Bush, a Horticulture and Agriculture block, multiple technology, art and academic classrooms and the Year 7 & 8 Waka.

The Waka are a very special area of the school and are made up of eight pod classrooms between two buildings.  The pod classes have been named Te Arawa and Tainui and can be closed to create eight individual classrooms, or opened up to create two large open spaces.

Starting Together

All students at Waihi College are divided into four House groups: Amaranth, Empire, Royal, and Dominion. Within each House, there are a number of Ako classes, most of which are a mixture of Year 8 to 13 students. There is also one Year 7 Ako class per house. Each Ako class has a pouako (teacher) who focuses on building connections and providing support for each student and their whānau. Ako classes meet at the start of every day to review daily notices and discuss school happenings.

Year 7 students meet together at the start of each day in the Tainui Waka. Sometimes they will break off into their House groups, and other times they will remain together. This time is an opportunity for teachers to help Year 7 students adjust to life at Waihi College, build connections, and orient them to the school: who the people are, what they do, where to find places, and Waihi College’s values.

Year 7 students are assigned a House at the beginning of the year. Please indicate on the enrolment form whether or not you have a family / historical connection with a House on the enrolment form, so your child can be placed appropriately.

Learning  Together

All Year 7 and 8 classes share a common direction to plan and construct learning programs that connect each curriculum area. Students are taught according to various factors, such as curriculum level, interests, and learning style. In 2025, Year 7 students will be based in the Tainui Waka, while Year 8 students will be in Te Arawa. However, there will also be opportunities for Year 7 & 8 students to learn together. 

Within each waka, there are a range of opportunities for collaboration, allowing for diverse peer relationships, the ability to work across classes and with different teachers based on learning needs or interests, and greater flexibility to make changes.

Year 7 and 8 students primarily operate within their waka. Core subjects like Mathematics, English, Social Studies, Te Reo, Physical Education, and Health are typically taught in their Waka. For Science, students leave the Year 7 & 8 area and attend one of our dedicated Science classrooms, along with Technology and Art.

Over a two-year period, students also experience a range of subjects from the Arts and Technology curriculums, including Digital Technology, Music, Drama, Te Ao Māori, Food Technology, Soft Materials, Wood Technology, Engineering, and Art. Students are fortunate to have access to specialized teachers and classrooms for these rotational subjects.

Opportunities Galore

Our Year 7 & 8 students have many different opportunities to try things. Both the Tainui and Te Arawa waka have a quote printed on the doors, that is like our Year 7 & 8 philosophy – “I can, I will, I did”.

In 2024, all Year 7 & 8 students are involved in our Super Tuesday program, where students have the opportunity to engage in several experiences. During Terms 2 & 3 this included activities like creating a mosaic, developing some basic survival skills, making a rodent trap, learning about coding using Sphero’s or Scratch, building using Lego and EPro8, and exploring how to use art to tell a story. In 2023, this program also included supporting the “Grease” production and preparing for the School Gala. 

Some sporting activities are compulsory – Swimming, Triathlon, Cross-Country and Athletics. Other opportunities are available for our students to choose from if they wish, such as Waihi College sports teams, Kapa Haka, itinerant music lessons, productions, music band, Tough Guy/Girl, Leo Club, and Student Council. Our Sports coordinator, Jess O’Brien, and Arts coordinator, Wendy Shave help ensure our students are kept informed of opportunities as they occur.

Subjects

As well as our core subjects such as English, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Te Reo, Health and Physical Education; all our Year 7 & 8 students are involved in rotation subjects to give them a taste of wider fields.  These often include: Music, Drama, Digital, Art, Engineering, Wood, Textile and Food Technologies and incorporate events and opportunities such as EPRO8, Chess Club, Hall Tech, Community & Service Groups, Kapa Haka, School Plays and Productions, and School Bands.

You will also get a sign in and password to use our Parent Portal which allows you access to your student’s timetables, attendance, daily notices and more.

For further details or to sign up for next year, please contact your waka teacher.  You can also find all our Staff contact details in the Staff Directory.