This morning we held our Junior Academic Prizegiving where we were delighted to recognise so many students for the work they have done at school this year, both inside and outside the classroom.
The 2021 Mother Son Breakfast sold out in record time which did not come as a surprise since Netflix star, Martin Henderson, was coming in to share his story! This event is usually held close to Mother’s Day, but this year a little reshuffling was necessary to accommodate Martin’s busy schedule. As always, the breakfast was a lovely way for mums to spend time with their sons, enjoying an assortment of treats right here at Westlake.
Westlake Boys is proud to claim Martin Henderson as a Westlaker. He attended from 1988 to 1992 and despite winning a scholarship for accounting, decided to follow his passion and pursue acting. He was a familiar face on Shortland Street in the early 1990s, then worked for a while in Australia before moving to the U.S. He confessed that auditions were tough in the highly competitive industry, but he persevered and refined his craft at an acting school in New York. In 2015 he joined the cast on the popular U.S. drama Grey’s Anatomy and more recently played the lead male role of Jack Sheridan in the Netflix romantic drama 'Virgin River' which topped Netflix’s streaming charts last December. He expressed his heartfelt thanks to his mum, Veronica, who he said was always in his corner offering her unwavering support and has been a key element in his success. He also emphasised the importance of the special bond between mothers and sons and reminded us all to appreciate these special women in our lives.
Headmaster David Ferguson delivered the closing address by wishing all the mothers (and grandmothers) a Happy Mother’s Day for May. He reminded the boys to be grateful for everything their mums do and encouraged them to give them a loving hug of thanks. And they did.
Two-year wait too long
We were delighted, and relieved, to invite the Westlake community to this year’s Equinox Concert after being forced to cancel the 2020 concert because of the Level 4 Lockdown.
Delight, excitement, and pride was evident on the faces of our musicians and choirs as they performed to the large live audience who seemed equally happy and grateful to be there.
The annual Equinox Concert is designed as a casual ‘first performance’ away from the glare of spotlights and formality of the main stage, and in many cases was the first time the students had performed in front of a large audience. The concert featured performances with students from both the Westlake Boys' and Westlake Girls' High Schools and included the Concert Band, Symphonic Band, Chamber Orchestra, Momentum Choir, Stage Band, Voicemale, Choralation Choir, Camerata, Big Band and the Symphony Orchestra. Each group performed one piece from the repertoire they are preparing this year, and judging from the audience’s enthusiastic applause they are on track to have their performances polished and ready for the approaching competition season. Watching as these talented students treated us to their melodious medley only confirmed that it had been too long since we have been able to enjoy this privilege together.
