Kia ora, and welcome to the 2024 school year. A special welcome to all our new students, international students, families, and whānau - over 500 of you. We are now a very large rōpū with 1,960 students and 170 staff.
I’d like to start this newsletter by introducing the team that leads HVHS and then later share some of the messages we have given and will stress further in our upcoming assemblies. One thing I learned when my kids were teenagers is that not everything said or asked at school was remembered to be passed on at home. This newsletter is one way of communicating important school events and activities with family and whānau.
We are a leadership team of six - me and five Deputy Principals. Each Deputy Principal holding significant portfolios oversees a year level and effectively runs a small school. Some of our year levels are over 420 students.
Rob Everett oversees Year 9 with Deans Angus Devine and Emma Pritchard
Tim Fox looks after Year 10 with Deans Sarah Langley and Frank Versteegen
Fiona Pearson looks after Year 11 with Deans Nicole Arnell and Jeremy Keane
Nick Larkin looks after Year 12 with Deans Sara Pollard and Stephen Gibson
Grace Wright looks after Year 13 with Deans Richard Edwards and Kirsten Taylor
At HVHS, in partnership with families, whānau and the wider community, our mission is to nurture an environment where our students are encouraged and supported to grow into their best selves. This journey involves appreciating their unique languages, cultural backgrounds, and identities.
Our school is like a vibrant, ever-changing snapshot of what New Zealand looks like today. We're super proud to be a place where so many cultures come together –we've got over 40 different first languages being spoken here!
Our students bring all sorts of different backgrounds and experiences to school; there is a myriad of personal attributes among students and staff - from hair colours, skin tones, heights, styles of dress, types of eyewear, family compositions, and the diverse homes and cuisines that define us, despite our differences, the advice we give all students is simple: take care of the person beside you, whether you know them or not.
One of the values we hold dear to is ‘We are WELCOMING – we celebrate culture, differences and each individual'. We're all about creating a community where everyone feels important and heard, no matter their story or interests. So, as mentioned at the pōwhiri and beginning-of-year assemblies, we want to work with whānau and families, so communication between us is a priority. Please let us know earlier than later if anything is troubling or concerning you or how we can better meet your student's needs. Equally, please let us know when things are going well or if your student has had some exciting successes or achievements.
Your first port of call should always be your student's Mentor Teacher. By now, you should have had an email from your Mentor Teacher introducing themselves - please let us know if that still needs to happen. The Principals’ PA, Lana Goddard, or any of our office staff are here to help you, too. If you need additional help or information, you can also contact subject teachers, one of the year-level Deans, the Head of a Learning Area or a Deputy Principal. Our Wellbeing team, led by Claire Ross, has trained Counsellors and Youth Workers and are also available to support you and your student.
While our four values are being kind, welcoming, persevering and achieving, we know that our 1,960 teenagers (with 1,200 under 16 years of age) - will not always get it right. They will muck up or say and do mean things - as they probably do at home; they will test boundaries - as they probably do at home. As a restorative school, we will support our students through their mistakes. We encourage them to take responsibility, make amends for any harm caused, and then move forward with valuable lessons learned. Another piece of advice we share with students in a bid to stop silly things from happening is to ‘Stop and Think before you Do’.
To help and guide our students to live well together, we have a clear set of simple rules around behaviour, attendance, uniforms and cell phone use. All communities have rules and expectations, and we are no different.
We proudly have a uniform. The basic rule is that most of our official items have our wings on them. If there are no wings - the uniform is not okay. A few exceptions exist - for example, plain black outer-layer jackets and hats are OK. This is a pragmatic decision to keep costs low.
Our behaviour rules are simple and sensible. Be kind and welcoming. Listen to your teacher - they are the leader of the room. Let others learn - and help others to learn.
Our rules around cell phones have stayed the same. They are only used during lessons if a teacher requires students to use them. However, all phones will be placed in storage hangers or boxes for every class this year. I encourage students to leave their phones at home - there is no way of mucking up if you don't have a phone at school. The new law requires phones to be away for the whole school day, including break times. We will need to consider additional changes to our rules in term two, but they are working well for us now. So far, only 5 students of our 1960 have had to take their phone to a deputy principal because they couldn’t follow our rules.
Lastly - I know that busy, active students who attend regularly thrive and achieve here. Our statistics prove that students with regular attendance at over 90% are successful in NCEA, and students who are actively involved in sports, clubs, service or performing arts thrive and enjoy school and don't get into mischief.
Please make attendance and involvement in two school activities a priority. It’s hard to help a student if they are not here, and it is hard for us to get to know each other if students don’t participate and get involved.
We look forward to a wonderful, fun year of learning and achievement and working with you to help your child achieve their best.
Whāia te iti kahurangi, strive for something of great value.
Ngā mihi nui,
Denise Johnson, Principal
To create and build our valuable relationships with whānau and our community, we hold a Whānau Hui each term. The details of the next Whānau Hui are:
When: this Thursday (22 February) from 6pm
Where: Hotuwaipara (HVHS Marae)
Bring: a shared plate of food and the family
No RSVP is required, please simply come along.
The focus of this Whānau Hui is whakawhanaungatanga. Kaiako and whānau also discuss up-and-coming events, initiatives in the school for tauira and any changes we can make to help our tauira succeed at HVHS.
For any questions, please email Deputy Principal, Grace Wright at grace.wright@hvhs.school.nz.
HVHS offers a Dungeons and Dragons club every Thursday in V8 from 3:30pm to 5:30pm. The club is beginning their program this week with an introduction to the resources available for students.
Over the past few years, the D&D club has provided a safe haven for some of our students who struggle with making friends, have social anxiety, or overall just need to find their tribe.
No experience is needed for students to join the D&D Club. The Club Organisers will work to find each student the right group to play in. For any questions, please email Marcus Blomquist at marcus.blomquist@hvhs.school.nz
We're currently running low on donated uniforms. If your student has outgrown their uniform or no longer needs it, please consider donating it back to HVHS. We'll ensure it is passed on to a student who needs it or loaned to a student who needs a replacement uniform item for a couple of days.
Any uniform items you'd like to donate can be dropped at the School Office at HVHS. The Office is open 8:00am - 4:00pm Monday to Friday during term time only.
Contact Information
Email: office@hvhs.school.nz
Website: hvhs.school.nz
Location: Hutt Valley High School Woburn Road, Woburn, Lower Hutt, New Zealand
Phone: 04 566 4584
