Westlake’s annual Korean Night has become so popular among the school and local Korean communities that, for the first time, this year’s event was sold out in advance and students were queuing outside for more than three hours to get the best seats!
It was a spectacular evening and the exuberant audience of 1,500 were treated to a wide range of Korean entertainment, both traditional and contemporary. With their roots in ancient traditions, the exquisite Fan Dance and humorous Mask Dance and Doll Dance were skilfully performed and filled the stage with colour. These were interspersed with several K pop singing and dancing groups, whose powerful voices and sleek dance moves had the audience on their feet. The Tae Kwon Do performers provided great excitement, with their strength, precision and some breathtaking acrobatic moments and the nanta drummers were captivating with their speed and rhythm, ending their performance with glow-in-the-dark drumsticks.
The proceeds from the evening are split between Westlake Boys and Girls High Schools and donated to a local charity. At a school assembly, this year’s student organisers were delighted to hand over $2,018 (matching the year), to Sue Beuvnik of the Cancer Society, to support the organisation’s vital work.
Westlake Well Foundation Committee
Year 13 student, Jay Ko, has been volunteering for a while for the Well Foundation at North Shore Hospital and recently he took the initiative to start up The Westlake Well Foundation Committee. This group of dedicated students will organise a volunteering program at the hospital, raise funds through an art collection sale and mufti days, and hold information evenings.
The Well Foundation is a charitable organisation that aims is to improve healthcare for everyone in our local community, from babies to the elderly, through a range of programmes, such as providing hospital equipment and supporting medical research.
Jay believes that Westlake Boys’ proximity to the hospital, as well as our strong tradition of community service, will make the school a good place to promote the activities of the Well Foundation. He says: ”Students gain valuable life experience, such as communication and leadership skills, whilst actively contributing to an important sector of our community.” He hopes this will be an incentive to others to establish new initiatives connecting students to the wider world.
Youthquake
What: Westlake Girls and Boys High Schools Production - YouthQuake
When: July 24 – 27
Where: Westlake Boys Auditorium
Tickets available at https://nz.patronbase.com/_Westlake/Productions
See the YouthQuake 2018 facebook page for more details.
