Hastings Boys' High School
Newsletter 2023 April Volume 2
Message from the Headmaster
Kia Ora Koutou
With term one behind us, our thoughts are still with the displaced families hit hard by Cyclone Gabrielle. Our region has experienced and will continue to experience one of the most disruptive natural disasters to hit our region. We have received, and are still receiving many reports of our boys pitching in to help those effected by the Cyclone "pai nga tane."
This year we have set ourselves demanding, but achievable school wide goals. Each one represents an important part of the education jig saw puzzle, each one significant in our goal to help turn out fine young men.
1. To maintain or improve on 2022 NCEA Level of achievement at Levels 1,2 and 3 and University Entrance, where achievement for all students including Māori and Pacific is equitable. This is to include improvements in Merit and Excellence endorsement.
2. Attendance of students is 90% at all levels.
3. Sustain the Akina Man values through character education impacting positively on student well-being.
4. Improve Junior Achievement with a focus on reading in all subjects, at all levels.
5. Focus on the integration of digital technology into teaching and learning in years 9/10.
6. Strengthen the foundations of a successful Kāhui Ako partnerships.
With summer tournament week over, a big thanks to all our young men for their mahi and efforts in representing the school. All teams registered creditable performances with our Senior Softball Team New Zealand Two winners, and our Junior Canoe Polo Team third in New Zealand.
Hastings Boys' High School will start their new Junior Graduation programme at the start of term 2.
The aim of the graduation programme is:
1.To encourage students to work to achieve their best
2. To provide timely and indicative snap shots of progress and achievement
3. To actively reward both achievement and effort at all ability levels
4. To further support our identification of students that require additional support
5. To provide data that can be used by form teachers in their role as academic mentors
6. To provide additional understandable data to parents on academic achievement and attendance
Students will be graded on four criteria every two weeks and the outcomes will be readily available to all students and families/whānau on their student app accounts. The criteria are:
1. Learning progress
2.Attendance
3.Co-curricular participation
4. Ākina Man Values
Students who are not meeting the expected criteria will be quickly identified and provided with additional support and guidance to assist them in improving.
At the end of the year the students will either:
1. Graduate with Achieved
2. Graduate with Merit
3. Graduate with Excellence
4. Fail to Graduate
All graduates will be recognised at Junior Prizegiving.
Ngā mihi nui
Headmaster
Congratulations Softball Champions
The New Zealand Secondary Schools (NZSS) Division 2 Softball Championship took place on Tuesday March 28 to Thursday March 30 and was contested by Hastings Boys’ High School (HBHS), Napier Boys' High School (NBHS), Manukura and Ngāruawāhia High School. The tournament followed a double round robin format with the top 2 teams contesting the final on Thursday afternoon.
On day 1, HBHS had to take on all 3 of the other teams. In game 1 HBHS drew Manukura. The game started well with HBHS getting out to an early lead thanks to the work by our Junior Black Sox pitcher Nopera Tangaroa and his catcher Cruz Paul. Up 6 nil we were able to bring our closer, TeWhetuu Thomas, in to close the game with a 6-2 win. In game 2 HBHS drew NBHS. Again HBHS flew out of the blocks going up 10 nil and again TeWhetuu Thomas was brought in to close the game. HBHS with a 10-3 win. Game 3 was against Ngāruawāhia and just as HBHS had done previously, we jumped out to a commanding 8 nil lead early and were able to bring in our closer for the third straight time and won the game 15-2. The highlight of the game was Jamie Brough hitting the one and only automatic homerun in the tournament for the HBHS side.
On day 2, HBHS drew Manukura and NBHS. Having won all 3 games on day 1 we decided that TeWhetuu Thomas would be pitching both games. The games were slightly closer but HBHS still came away with 2 convincing wins, 14-6 over Manukura and 8-1 over NBHS.
On day 3, HBHS had their final round robin game against Ngāruawāhia before the final in the afternoon against the same team. Once again TeWhetuu Thomas pitched and HBHS jumped out to an early lead eventually winning the game 10-3.
With HBHS in the final the word went out around school and 50 boys turned up to support us with a rousing haka just before the start of the game. This was received well with HBHS starting fast, scoring 3 runs in our first turn at bat. Ngāruawāhia batted well and scored a run in each of their first 2 innings and the score was 3-2 after 2 innings. However, HBHS batting prowess came to the fore and HBHS ran away with the final, winning the game and the NZSS Division 2 Championship, 13-2.
The Championship side for 2023 was Captain Nopera Tangaroa, Vice-captain Cruz Paul, Jamie Brough, Koji Hardgrave-Abe, William Dine, Bowen Steffert, Lachlan Varcoe, Bryce Simpson, Paradorn Maidens, Juarez Roberts, Jacob Davies, Dennan Zurcher and TeWhetuu Thomas.
The tournament MVP was Nopera Tangaroa.
Please note the following regarding Term 2, 2023
Congratulations Tye Engelke 10Bc
Tye has just returned from Taupo where he and his older brother competed in the North Island Disc Golf Championships where there were 250 entries. He had a very successful tournament, holding the title he won last year as the North Island Junior (Under 18 Champion).
Tye plays in a Tuesday Night League at Flaxmere Park every Tuesday night.
If any students are interested in playing Disc Golf which is an easy, outdoor activity that doesn't cost an enormous amount then Tye could co-ordinate this. Please speak to Mr Hulls if you think this might interest you.
Bike Helmets are a Legal Requirement
Year 13 History Trip to Waiouru
On the 21st of March, the Year 13 History class travelled to Waiouru to visit the National Army Museum for a one-night trip for our internal assessment “Research a Historical Event or place of aignificance to New Zealanders, using primary and secondary Sources”. The chosen battles for this assessment from WW1 and WW2 were Monte Cassino, EL-Alamein, The Battle of Crete, and lastly Gallipoli.
Our first stop on the trip was in Turangi where we indulged in a large amount of Burger King then around 12:30 pm we eventually arrived at the National Army Museum. This is where we met our Museum curator Shaun. Shaun showed us around the museum, giving us helpful information about the four battles. After learning about these battles we headed upstairs to the library where we had an hour to read books about our battles and gather some information from different sources that we cannot get in Hastings.
Before heading off to our luxury motel in Ohakune, The Hobbit Motorlodge, we made a quick stop at the Tangiwai Memorial Site, a place of historical significance to New Zealand. The Tangiwai Disaster occurred at 10:21 pm on 24 December 1953 when a railway bridge over the Whangaehu River was destroyed by a Lahar minutes before the Wellington to Auckland express train passed through. The locomotive and the first six carriages derailed into the river, killing 151 people. This ended our learning for the day and we headed off for dinner at the local fish and chip shop.
The boys were up and ready at 7:30 the next morning to quickly start the day with Mr.Hill’s' famous breakfast of toast, eggs, bacon, sausages, hot chips, and a fizzy drink which the class is still talking about to this day. Heading back to the National Army Museum we met Daniel who gave us more quality information about the weapons and strategies that were used during the four battles. We finally went to the army base where we got to get into the vehicles and learned valuable information about them and how they were used in the four battles.
We finished off the trip with some unexpected road works on our way back to Hawke’s Bay. The class learned a lot during the trip and this has given us a lot of useful information that we as a class would not have found in Hastings for our assessment.
A big thanks to Mr. Hill for using his time to organise the trip and for driving the van. The class is very thankful for your cracking jokes, awesome sense of humour, and hard work you put into making the trip so enjoyable for us.
Koji Hardgrave-Abe, 13Fe
Dan Carter
Congratulations Dennan Zurcher 9Am
Dennan is an integral part of the Saints Softball Team (Club). At the recent Prizegiving Dennan was awarded:
Most Valuable U13 player
Most Dedicated U15 player
Senior B men's player participation award
Most Improved Senior Men's A Team
Saints Junior Player of the Year 2022/23
Canoe Polo News
Recently our boys competed in the Senior Central East Regional Qualifier Championship
Hawke's Bay Secondary Schools Regional Tournament
Congratulations to the HBHS Akina Seniors who came 2nd and the HBHS Huia (junior team for coming 1st in this tournament.
HBHS AKINA Senior Boys placed 2nd for Silver
Beau Heibner
Van McCourt
Trace Rowe
George Hunt
Brayden Reeve
Logan Cuthbert
HBHS HUIA Junior Boys placed 1st for Gold
Blair Gordon
Davis Cameron
Joshua Massingham
Riley Russell
Reuben Pope
Blake Anderson-Rose
HBHS Ākina (Senior Team)
HBHS Huia (Junior A Team)
HBHS U20 Super Rugby Representatives for 2023 below
Cyclone Gabrielle
Kapa Haka and Tama Ākina
Both groups were invited to Ascende Global Church who were one of seven evacuation centres that hosted families and RSE workers that lost everything during Cyclone Gabrielle.
The boys helped uplift the spirits of the evacuees by entertaining them through traditional dance and the Siva Afi. They represented the school well and should be proud of how they conducted themselves as a Ākina Men.
Congratulations to Osiris White Munro
We would like to congratulate Osiris White Munro who was successful in gaining a place on the 2023 Hastings District Youth Council, and also selected as the 2023 Chairperson of the Hastings District Council.
Bowen Steffert and Monte Timu have indicated that they would like to return for this year’s Youth Council. Great job boys'.
Osiris White Munro with Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst and Old Boy Jaevarn Tapine-Ngamotu
New Maths and English Block
Nopera Tangaroa - NZ Junior Mens Black Sox
Learning about other cultures
Thank you Mr Natomi for your time today.
East Coast Athletics Championships
Fifteen Hastings Boys' High students competed at the East Coast Athletics Championships.
Notable results were as follows:
- Diesel Bullen
Junior Boys 200m - 4th place - Brayden Reeve
Senior Boys 400m - 3rd place
Senior Boys 800m - 2nd place - Alexander Wilson
Intermediate Boys 800m - 2nd place
Intermediate Boys 1500m - 2nd place - Blessing Naoupu
Intermediate Boys Shot Put - 3rd place - Ezra Morton
Senior Boys Discus - 3rd place - Taufa Kaufononga
Senior Boys Discus - 4th place
3x3 Basketball
This is our 3x3 Basketball Teams representing Hastings Boys' High School at the 3x3 Secondary School Nationals held in Auckland on the 29th of March through to the 1st of April. Last time we went which was in 2021 our Seniors came 3rd best in the Country in 2019 our Junior A Team were Nationals Champions.