Western Heights High School head of department of international languages Wendy Pike and some French students who are fundraising for their trip to Tahiti in July.
French language students at Rotorua’s Western Heights High School have been taking up part-time jobs and selling food in a bid to raiseup to $6500 for a school trip to Tahiti.
One student says she had “never” been overseas as several students hope the trip will help them become more fluent in French.
Their teacher, Wendy Pike, says the trip will “elevate” their confidence with the language and is appealing to the community for donations and sponsorships.
“Anything that would help our students get out of Rotorua and maybe try and open up their horizons to something else.”
It comes as French and history students from Taupō-nui-a-Tia College have been fundraising for a trip to France in April, taking on part-time jobs, organising a car wash, and helping at the Taupō marathon.
Western Heights High School student Hinehou Kopu said she had been selling hot dogs at Mitre 10 on the weekends and had raised about $2000 so far.
The Year 11 student, who is in her second year of studying French, said she was most looking forward to learning the language at a French school and swimming with the turtles.
“I found it an interesting language and a challenge that I could try and take on.”
The aspiring photographer said she hoped the trip would help her become fluent in French and “maybe one day travel to France”.
Kopu said she had “never” been overseas before.
“I’m scared but excited at the same time.”
Western Heights High School head of department of international languages Wendy Pike and some French students who are fundraising for their trip to Tahiti in July. Top row: Kendra de Groot, Hinehou Kopu, Second row: Nikita Lelieveld, Zoe Cullen, Paige McLean. Photo / Andrew Warner
Paige McLean said she sold Whittaker’s chocolate last year - which raised about $1500 - and planned to organise a ticketed hāngī with her family at home closer to the time.
McLean said she was looking forward to “the experience” of a new place and hoped to become more fluent in French.
Zoe Cullen said her mother had helped her fundraise last year by selling hams and Zoe had sold some chocolate. The pair had raised about $1200.
Some students ‘never’ left New Zealand
The school’s head of department of international languages, Wendy Pike, said 21 Year 10 and 11 French students and three staff were going to Tahiti from July 7 to 16.
Students would spend the mornings doing one-on-one lessons with native French-speaking people while the afternoons would be dedicated to cultural activities, including dancing, cooking lessons, and going to the coral reef to learn how the locals protect their sealife (in French).
The students were home-staying with Tahitian families to get “full immersion” in the language, Pike said.
Pike said some students had never left New Zealand and going to Tahiti would be their “big experience”.
“It just elevates not only their confidence but also their recall because they have to use it.”
Twenty-one Western Heights High School French students are going to Tahiti in July. Photo / Andrew Warner
Pike said the students were fundraising to pay for their trip by getting part-time jobs, selling food, firewood, and sausage sizzles, which was “something new that I’ve tried to introduce”.
She said the cost was about $6500 per student for accommodation, airfares, travel insurance, and some dinners.
Pike said donations and sponsorships from the community were welcome.
She said Ray White had contributed through charity auctions, while Mitre 10 Mega had provided donations and availability for using their premises for barecues.
Pike said the school’s French programme started with eight students in 2022 and now had more than 100 learners. She attributed this to the school being the only school in Rotorua that offered French and “cross-curricular learning” with “full immersion cooking” in French and Spanish.
