Celebrating student Success
Merit Awards are issued to recognise and reinforce student achievement. Rewarding students that are achieving is a strong focus in our school and is essential in promoting positive learning partnerships.
AT WHS our merit awards aim to recognise and reward sustained efforts of excellence in several areas, including:
- academic achievements
- demonstration of WRAP values
- Performing Arts Achievement
- Sport Achievement
- Improved Attendance
- Leadership, Volunteering, contribution to the school community
Our merit awards, that are now issued online aim to:
- encourage all students to consistently achieve to their personal best
- develop and maintain a cooperative, helpful and productive partnership in learning, between teachers and students
- encourage participation in a wide variety of extra-curricular and sporting activities
- provide a moment of recognition from our staff to our students who have demonstrated their determination and commitment to contribute positively to their classroom or school community.
The larger awards will be presented at:
- Stage and Year meetings
- During Ian Leake / Leakie presentation assemblies: for Years 7 -10
- Presentation Day
The Leakies?
Ian Leake was a much-loved teacher and member of this community. In honour of him, as a legacy of his work in this school, an award event is held each semester to celebrate student achievement in learning. This occurs for Students in Year 7 – 10.
The Ian Leake award events are held each semester as well. During these assemblies’ students are nominated as not only the first in the class, but for their determination and resilience in learning. These nominations are created by their Year 7 – 10 subject teachers. The community is invited to celebrate these achievements at a formal assembly.
At these assemblies, the students who have achieved results that place them in the Top 20 are also recognised.
Attendance Awards
Students that achieve attendance rates of 90% or more each term, are rewarded with an award.
This award is shared with students through our online student/parent portal, to state we are proud of each student that commits to being onsite with their teacher’s every day!
Principal’s Commitment to Learning Awards
Each semester, the Principal personally harvests data from the academic reports and shares a ‘Commitment to Learning Award’, based on the student’s evidence high level of commitment to:
- Submitting work on time
- Being prepared for learning
- Working cooperatively with their peers
- Interacting well with teachers
- Being self-motivated
- Using class time effectively
With these learning behaviours in place, students are achieving excellent results in their subjects… and that determination to work diligently and in a sustained manner, each lesson deserves recognition and reward.
A letter is shared with each family of the students that achieve this recognition, and an award is added to their tally online.
Regional Recognition: ZONTA Awards applications for our student leaders
ZONTA is a community of Women that support, encourage and recognise young women for their commitment to volunteerism, leadership and their dedication to empowering women worldwide.
For WHS, this application process operates via the ZONTA Club of Botany Bay, with this particular district creating opportunities for female student leaders to share their stories about their leadership legacy, articulating what success means for them personally in their community.
Recently, WHS student leaders have presented impressively: competing against other female student leaders from Independent, Catholic and Public schools, with:
- Keira B and Grace S were both ‘Highly Recommended’ in 2024. Keira then went on to achieve a grant for her university studies in 2025.
- Sara W achieving Runner Up in 2022
- Jayde J winning this regional competition, in 2020
- Matilda L achieving finalist in 2019