HVHS Newsletter

Kia ora koutou,

Auditions for ‘Sweet Dreams - The Musical’ have been happening all week. Dancers, musicians, and performers have all been taking part. It’s an 80s-themed musical, which I am very much looking forward to. Well done to the courageous students auditioning. I watched the dance auditions the other day, and while there were students who clearly had significant dance backgrounds, some were performing in front of judges for the first time. The support and encouragement from everyone involved was fantastic.

Summer Sports Tournament Week was super successful, with our Senior Boys' and Girls' Ultimate teams winning their national tournaments; the Futsal Senior Boys finished 7th in New Zealand. Our Volleyball teams are continuing to improve and came 2nd in their respective divisions. Our Cricket Girls 1st XI team recently competed in the Venus Cup Qualifier Tournament. They are a young team that competed strongly against tough competition.

Thanks to the staff and parents who gave up their family time and spent 24/7 coaching, managing and supervising our students.

I received a nice email from another principal. There is always so much more to learn and experience through sport than just the physical aspect.

“I wanted you to know how impressed I was with your boy's Volleyball team at Nationals last week. They clearly knew some of our players and were very supportive, friendly and approachable as they cheered our team on - they really impressed me as a group, and I wanted to let you know this".

Families with Years 9 & 10 students will be emailed information about Learning Conversations scheduled in Term 2 on Wednesday 8 May. This is an important opportunity to meet with your student's Mentor Teacher and discuss how your child is progressing and for you to share information and ideas to help us better meet your child’s needs. I do hope you can attend.

This is a friendly reminder that Easter is Good Friday (29 March), Easter Monday (1 April), and Easter Tuesday (2 April), which is a Ministry of Education school holiday. We will see everyone back at school on Wednesday 3 April. Have a good Easter break.

Ngā mihi nui

Denise Johnson

Image below: Senior Girls' and Boys' Ultimate teams wearing their gold medals.

We would like to inform you about the upcoming days in Term 2 when our students will learn from home and come to school with their parent/caregiver for meetings with the Mentor Teacher (Years 9-10) or Subject Teachers (Years 11-13).

Learning Conversation Day for Year 9-10 Families

Parents, caregivers and their students have the opportunity to book a time to meet with their Mentor Teacher on Wednesday 8 May for a Learning Conversation. These conversations focus on the students' progress year to date, setting goals for the coming months and sharing information to help meet your child's needs. Information on booking a Learning Conversation will be emailed to families in the next two weeks. All year levels will be learning at home on this date, with students completing work assigned by their teachers via Google Classroom.

Parent/ Teacher Meetings for Year 11-13 Families

Year 11-13 students, parents and caregivers will meet with subject teachers for 10 minutes to discuss their students' progress. Parent/Teacher Meetings have been scheduled for Thursday 13 June and Thursday 20 June. To ensure Subject Teachers have the opportunity to meet with as many families as possible, we request that families with surnames A to L book on Thursday 13 June and families with surnames M to Z book on Thursday 20 June. Information on booking Subject Teacher Meetings will be emailed to families in Term 2. All year levels will be learning at home on these dates, with students completing work assigned by their teachers via Google Classroom.

For your calendar:

• Wednesday 8 May - Learning Conversation Day with Mentor Teachers for Years 9-10 (all year levels learning from home).
• Friday 31 May - Teacher Only Day (no school for students).
• Thursday 13 June - Parent/Teacher Meetings for Years 11-13 (all year levels learning from home on both dates).
• Thursday 20 June - Parent/Teacher Meetings for Years 11-13 ( (all year levels learning from home on both dates).
  

We appreciate your understanding and cooperation during these remote Learning Days and look forward to your participation in the Learning Conversations and/or Parent/Teacher Meetings.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Nick Larkin (Deputy Principal) at nick.larkin@hvhs.school.nz

The Year 13 Te Awakairangi students invite you to Te Fiafia Whakanui to celebrate our talented performers and raise funds for a great cause. The event will feature performances from our school's Poly Group, bands and hip-hop performers, and food stalls selling delicious Island and Māori foods. Grab your phone now and add this date to your calendar - Wednesday 10 April from 6:00pm to 9:00pm in the HVHS Hall.

There are heaps of ways to support this new event. Celebrate your culture in your outfit on the night - we'd love to see your Island attire. Bring the atmosphere to the event with your loud support of our performers. Donate a gold coin for entry, and remember cash for the food stalls.

Funds raised from Te Fiafia Whakanui will help students who go without kai at school.

Competing against tough competition across the country Jimmy Onslow-Osborne (13LR) auditioned and won a place in the New Zealand Secondary School Orchestra. Jimmy plays viola and will join the strings section for a six-day orchestral event in Christchurch.

The orchestra is made up of 80 secondary school students that do public performances at the end of their rehearsals.

Filmmaker, Author and Speaker Rob Cope, producer of the documentary 'Our Kids Online' is coming to HVHS to give what promises to be a humorous and eye-opening evening talk on Thursday 4 April from 7:00-9:00pm in the Hall. This event is for parents and caregivers only. If you'd like to attend, please RSVP using our Google Form by clicking here

For any questions about the event, please email Nick Larkin (Deputy Principal) at nick.larkin@hvhs.school.nz

• Aaron Chong (12RI) was selected for the u17 Central Region Badminton team. The team competed in the Inter-Regional Tournament placing 3rd overall.
• Charlie Edhouse (10PDHA) represented Wellington at the New Zealand Beach Handball Championships. Charlie's team placed 1st overall out of the New Zealand Women’s Teams competing and 2nd overall against Australia.
• Névé Groom (11KT), Morgan McKeown (11KT), and Harris Coubrough (12KI) crewed Sliver, sailing out to Fitzroy Bay and a further 12 laps of Wellington Harbour on night Saturday. Sliver won both the longest distance sailed and the overall race on handicap. Névé was also part of the crew that took out both titles on Sliver in 2023.
• The HVHS Boys X1 Cricket Team ended the Premier Youth Grade with Ben West (13RS) as the top overall run scorer of the grade, scoring 358 runs. Ansh Balodi (12GU) achieved the best overall bowling figures of the competition with 6 wickets for 24 runs in the game against Wellington College 2nd XI.
• Mikayla Sola (13JD) and Isla Hughes (12CW) competed at the New Zealand National Athletics Championships. Mikayla competed in the under-20 grade (for the first time), achieving a personal best (BP) in her events and winning silver in the Women's u20 Shotput and the u20 Hammer Throw. Isla placed in the top 8 in the Women's u18 Discus.
• Two national championship titles in one day at the National Ultimate Championships in Taupō. Our Girls' Ultimate Team won their final against Whakatāne High School 14-3, and our Boys' Ultimate Team won their final against Hamilton Boys' High School 12-5.
• Jacob Williams (9GSSP) competed at Athletics Regionals on Tuesday, breaking the regional record for the 3,000m event.

Well done to all the teams who competed in the Summer Tournament week, proudly representing HVHS and competing against the best high schools and colleges in New Zealand. Confirmed results include:

• Basketball 3x3 HVHS A team placed 14th overall
• Basketball 3x3HVHS B team placed 11th overall
• Futsal Junior Boys 3rd in Group G
  
• Futsal Senior Boys placed 7th overall
• Ultimate Boys placed 1st and won the National Championship
• Ultimate Girls placed 1st and won the National Championship
• Volleyball Senior Girls came 2nd in Division 5
• Volleyball Senior Boys Came 2nd in Division 6

Well done to our downhill mountain bikers who also completed Summer Sports Tournament Week.

If you'd like to volunteer to help coach a winter sports team, please email the Sports Office at sports@hvhs.school.nz

This is a reminder to students to organise their social teams as winter sports codes will be underway early in Term 2. New to organising a social team? The basics are:

• all players must complete an individual registration form
• the team needs to complete a social team form (available from the Sports Office)
• social teams must nominate an adult coach/manager to attend their games
• trainings are optional for social teams.

For your calendars, summer sports photos take place on Wednesday 10 April.

Bea DnD Games in Petone has a Charity Dominaria United Draft Fundraiser this Saturday (30 March) starting at 4pm in support of Rainbow Youth. You can purchase tickets on their website by clicking here

Bea DnD Games kindly sponsors our Dungeons & Dragons Group and Chess and Card Game Club. Please support their fundraising event if you can.

Students can help themselves to two packets of period products per month. We also encourage students to take products home for the school holidays to cover their full menstrual cycle.

Period products are located in the tall white cupboard outside the First Aid Room (Sick Bay). Available to students are pads and tampons in sizes regular and super, and also liners.

Metlink have advised us that due to road works in Wainuiomata starting on Tuesday 2 April the bus routes that service students going to Hutt Valley High School may experience detours on certain routes. The road works are expected to take between 6 and 10 weeks to complete. To read the update from Metlink click here

Do you have a piano stool you would like to donate to our Music Department? We need a few solid and tidy piano stools for our practice rooms. Please contact with Jhan Lindsay at jhan.lindsay@hvhs.school.nz if you're able to help.

Is there a long-lost trombone under the stairs? A violin in the attic? Or an alto saxophone longing to come back home to the Music Department store room? If you have a hire instrument from HVHS from years past that has not been returned until now, please drop it to the School Office no questions asked.

The School Office is open from 8am to 4pm from Monday to Friday during term time.

We are seeking more relief teachers to join Hutt Valley High School’s relief teacher pool. If you’re currently a registered secondary school teacher looking for casual work or an experienced sports coach interested in taking relief PE classes please contact Deputy Principal, Fiona Pearson at fiona.pearson@hvhs.school.nz to learn more and to discuss your availability.

Compulsory haka training for all rugby players. This haka training is open to all students and staff.

Haka training runs every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday in the Lower Gym at lunchtime running till the end of Term One.

We are immensely proud of Moe Araara, our school's haka and all rugby players must learn it and know how to perform it with their teammates. These trainings are also open to all staff and students - everyone is welcome.

For any questions, please contact Grace Wright (Deputy Principal) at grace.wright@hvhs.school.nz

Image: The HVHS Boys 1st XI Rugby (2023) performing our school's haka with Faenza Snowden pictured in the centre.

Student's portrait and composite class photos are now ready to view and purchase. Please see the email sent on Wednesday 13 March for your website link , username & password.

If you didn't receive the email please contact the Office at office@hvhs.school.nz and we'll resend it. Thank you to the awesome team at INphotography "IN it with you" for the great images of our students.

Every year we see a number of students who are coming to school who haven't had breakfast and are without kai for the day. This year is no exception. Some of the charities that have provided support for students in the past are no longer able to provide this service and we are reaching out to our school community to see if this is something you as a whānau would like to help with.

Donations of grab-and-go foods such as muesli bars, spreads for sandwiches or anything that fills a hungry tummy would be greatly appreciated. Donations can be dropped off at the School Office, Monday to Friday from 8:00am - 4:00pm during term time.

Please contact Claire Ross, Head of Wellbeing at (claire.ross@hvhs.school.nz ) if you would like to help.

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.

Friday 29 March

• Good Friday (public holiday, school closed)

Monday 1 April

• Easter Monday (public holiday, school closed)

• Easter Tuesday (Ministry of Education school holiday, school closed)

Thursday 4 April

• Otago University Introduction Presentation, 1:30pm
• Kids Online Cyber Safety Presentation, School Hall, 7-9pm

Friday 5 April

• Introduction to Careers in Law - Presentation, 1:30pm-2:15pm

Wednesday 10 April

• Summer Sports Photos, Gym
• Te Fiafia Whakanui, 6:00-9:00pm, Hall

Friday 12 April

• Lincoln University Presentation, 9:00am-10:00am, Upstairs in G Block Careers/Pathways
• Diversity Day Concert
• Last Day of Term One

Monday 29 April

• First Day of Term Two

Wednesday 8 May

• Learning Conversations for Years 9 & 10 (all year levels learning from home)
• HVHS Board Meeting, Staffroom, 5:30pm-7:30pm

Wednesday 15 May

• HVHS Open Evening, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Friday 17 May

• Pink Shirt Day

Monday 20 May

• NZQA Literacy and Numeracy Common Assessments (run till Friday 24 May)

Friday 31 May

• Teacher Only Day (school closed for students)

Monday 3 June

• King's Birthday (public holiday)

Thursday 13 June

• Parent/Teacher Meetings for Years 11-13, 8:30am-4:30pm (all year levels learning from home)

Thursday 20 June

• Parent/Teacher Meetings for Years 11-13, 8:30am-4:30pm (all year levels learning from home)

Wednesday 26 June

• HVHS Board Meeting, 5:30pm-7:30pm, Boardroom, HVHS

Friday 28 June

• Matariki (public holiday)

Friday 5 July

• Last day of Term 2

Monday 22 July

• First day of Term 3

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