Westlake Boys celebrates its Top Achievers for 2011
At its 49th annual Senior Prize Giving ceremony, Westlake Boys High School celebrated the successes of their senior students this year. It not only proved to be an opportunity for the school to celebrate the achievements of the senior students in their subjects, but also to reward those who have achieved at a special level.
The first group of Prefects for 2012 were announced Manaia Harris, Smale House – Manaia is an NCEA student who achieved a Merit endorsement at Level One, and is on course for a Merit or Excellence at Level Two. He is an integral member of the First XI cricket team and was a valued member of the Nationals winning Premier Volleyball team. He is also a member of the NZ Youth Volleyball squad.
Matthew Lie, Hood House – Matthew is an outstanding Cambridge student who achieved six A* and one A at IGCSE, including five scores of 100%, and is on course for similar marks in his AS Levels. He is also one of the school’s best musicians and is a member of the school’s Premier Debating team.
Robbie O’Donnell, Pupuke House – Robbie is an NCEA student who has achieved a Merit endorsement at Level One, and is on course for a Merit or Excellence at Level Two. He is currently the captain of the First XI Cricket team and also plays rugby, football and hockey for the school.
Prasad Ravi, Stanley House – Prasad is an outstanding Cambridge student who achieved six A* and one A at IGCSE, including four scores at 100%, one at 99% and one at 98%. He is also a leading musician, chorister and Premier Debater.
Pita Roycroft, Smale House – Pita is an outstanding Cambridge student who achieved four A* and two A at IGCSE, as well as 23 Excellence credits in Te Reo Maori. He is the student representative on the Board of Trustees, is co-organiser of the Peer Tutoring system, is in the Kapa Haka group and is a Premier Debater.
Sam Wrait, Ururoto House – Sam is an outstanding Cambridge student who achieved seven A* grades at IGCSE, including four scores at 100%. He is one of our leading musicians and basketball players, and is heavily involved in the Young Enterprise Scheme.
New Zealand Champions
Three teams have won New Zealand titles this year.
Premier Volleyball: Captained by Thomas Hartles and coached by Mr Craig Waller. They won the national title in Palmerston North this year for the first time in 10 years.
Water Polo: Captained by Owen Chambers. This was a huge achievement in a competitive sport – and it came with a suitably huge trophy as well.
Choralation, our joint choir with Westlake Girls, won the national title, taking the Platinum Gold award, for an unprecedented third time in succession. Joshua Suyker, the school’s cultural captain represents this prestigious group of singers.
WBHS House Champions
The popular House competition is now four years old. In the first three years, the trophy was shared between Hood and Smale houses. In 2011, there have been eighteen events, and every single boy has contributed to the success of their house. Every House has won at least one competition, and the winners have been reasonably well distributed between the houses. The winners of the House Trophy for 2011 are Hood House, who have won it for the second consecutive year under their captain Taila Johnston.
Top Students in each Form
Form 5 – the top 3 students are, in third place, Samuel Lie, in second place, James Rankin, and in first place, and inaugural winner of the Joan Farrell Trophy, Sam Walsh.
Form 6 – the third placed student was Sam Wrait; in second place, Colin Ong; and in first place, and first ever winner of the Brian Rivers trophy, finishing first in all of his subjects, Prasad Ravi.
Form 7 – in third place in Form 7, the third most successful student in his final year at school, was Brian Ok; in second place, the runner up to the title of Top in Form 7, Joshua Chang the title of ‘Top in Form 7’, the Don Johnson Trophy, and the Headmaster’s Award for Academic Excellence is Mark Bekhit.
WBHS Special Awards
Lex Lewis Memorial Award for Debating: Sam Viskovich
John Gales Award for the Most Promising Senior Musician: Michelangelo Bisquera
Wells Family Trophy for Senior Acting Excellence: Lane Ashby-King
Peri Award for Academic Excellence and Leadership in Senior Maori:
Pita Roycroft Artie McVeigh Family Award for Technology: Royden Johnstone
Douglas Foote Award for Special Endeavour in Engineering: Daniel Kim
Haxell Award for Special Endeavour in Form 5: John Lee
PF Albury Award for a Senior Speech: Reilly Enstrom
Award for the Pursuit of Excellence in Cultural Activities: Josh Suyker.
2011 Scholarship Winners
Benefitz Scholarship for Form 7 Graphics, worth $1000: Will Anderson
AUT Vice Chancellor Award: Owen Chambers
The North Shore Bursary Award, worth $1000: Elliot Bartholomew
PriceWaterhouseCoopers Scholarship Award, worth $7000: Sam Viskovich
KPMG Business Advisory Year 13 Accounting Award: Reesan Naidoo
1977 School Council Award for School Service by a Sixth Former: Pita Roycroft
Rotary Club of Milford Award for Service to the School and the Community: Su Young Kim
Chairman of the Board of Trustees Award for Special Endeavour: Jordy Jamieson
Takapuna RSA Award for Work in School and Community: Alex Perigo
Josef Humphrey Memorial Award: Adam Groen
Wayne Reynolds Memorial Scholarship Award: Robert Graham
Juke Jamieson Memorial Ring Award: James Hou
Major Special Awards – Peak of achievement at Westlake Boys High School
John Patterson Memorial Award for All-Round Involvement and Loyalty: Ben Reynolds
Arthur Schubert Award for Outstanding and Selfless Contribution to Westlake: Sam Viskovich
PTA Award for school leadership: Sam Quinn (Head Boy)
MARK BEKHIT – Don Johnson Trophy, and the Headmaster’s Award for Academic Excellence
Mark is an exceptional academic in every possible way. In his final year at Westlake, he has managed an average of 92%, with a top score in Mathematics of 99.2%. In Year 11, his scores included 96% in Biology, 97% in Mathematics, 96% in Chemistry and 96% in Physics. Last year, Mark exceeded even these scores in his AS Levels: despite taking an additional subject in his own time, he achieved 100% in English Literature, 100% in Physics, 98% in Mathematics, 98% in Chemistry and 97% in Biology. Mark also demonstrated his ability to synthesise information and communicate his ideas at the very highest level by passing NCEA Scholarships in Chemistry and Statistics and Modelling whilst still in Year 12.
Education: Kristin School
