Kia ora e te whānau,

It’s been a vibrant and busy term here at HVHS, with exciting cultural exchanges, building developments, and ongoing improvements to our campus that reflect our commitment to learning and our vision for the future.

This week, we were delighted to host students and staff from Suganami High School in Japan. Their visit brought so much energy to our campus and was a wonderful reminder of the power of cultural and language exchange. Thank you to our students, families, and staff who helped host, support, and guide our visitors. These exchanges offer incredible opportunities for everyone involved to learn more about each other’s cultures and to broaden perspectives. We’re proud to be a school that welcomes the world in.

Image: Suganami High School students and teachers visiting Te Papa with their hosts from HVHS.

Property Update – Changes You’ll Notice

There’s been significant progress on our property developments:

• Weathertightness Work - You may have noticed that both the Drama Room (previously the school library, student centre, and technology block) and the entire B-Block have been fully wrapped as part of our weathertightness remediation work. These upgrades are vital to ensuring safe, dry, and modern learning spaces.

• Old Gym Renovations - We’re nearing the finish line on the Old Gym transformation. It’s looking fantastic—and just today, I signed off on the order for new fitness equipment. There’s a lead-in time of 6–12 weeks, but once the gear arrives, our new Fitness Centre will be fully functional and ready for action.

• The Big One, Our New Build - Perhaps the most exciting development is about to begin. You’ll soon see a whole lot more temporary fencing, cones, and altered walkways as our much-anticipated new build gets underway. C-Flat, as it’s affectionately known, will be fully fenced off, with a dedicated access road linking St Albans to the site. Hawkins, our construction partners, will be working on this project over the next 18 months. The empty grass lot will be transformed into a beautiful new space that will house our Dance, Drama, Music, and Food & Hospitality facilities. We plan to have a spade-ready acknowledgement event once the preparations for the build are complete.

Thank you for your ongoing patience and support as we navigate these changes. While construction brings its share of disruption, we know the result will be well worth it.

Ngā mihi nui,

Denise Johnson (Principal)

The canteen reopened earlier this week, and we have good news for families, online pre-ordering is available from Tuesday, 1 April.

From Tuesday, to pre-order follow the instructions below:

• Visit the Tuckr website and select 'Hutt Valley High School'
• Order cutoff - Place your order by 9am on the day or pre-order up to two weeks in advance

• Menu options - Choose from a range of delicious options, including pitas, main meals, snacks and sides, sweet treats, and drinks.

A link to the Tuckr webpage for pre-ordering is available on the SchoolBridge App and via the Quicklinks section on the HVHS website.

- 2025 Cultural Leaders, Grace Newman-Holt (13JD) & Devon Reddaway (13JD)

Open to all students with lots of prizes to be won for our finalists, and the winner's artwork will be displayed within our Kura. Details are below on how to enter:

• Physical artwork? Take a clear photo and email it
• Digital artwork? Send your file via email
• Submission deadline: All entries must be in by Wednesday 9 April at 9am
• Send your submissions to Devon Reddaway at 21116dr@hvhs.school.nz.

We're looking forward to sharing the winner's artwork with you on the last day of Term 1, Friday 11 April.

Relay for Life is a community event where we support and celebrate people who are affected by cancer and the people who care for them. It’s also to remember loved ones that we have lost to cancer and fight back by raising awareness and fundraising for the Cancer Society Charity. All funds raised go towards aiding research, providing transportation between treatments and accommodation for families.

This year, the Wellington Relay for Life takes place from Saturday, 5 April to Sunday, 6 April at Sky Stadium in Wellington. Representing HVHS is a team of over 200 from years 9-13!

A big congratulations to our HVHS Relay for Life team who have already raised over $16,000 for the Cancer Society! With the Relay now only one week away, our team is busy preparing and fundraising!

How to Donate - for those who would like to donate to our team, please head to our school's fundraising page.

Ngā mihi,

Ray Moo (13JD) & Caitlin Grove (13JD) - 2025 Service Leaders

On 20 March, we welcomed 31 students and 3 teachers from our sister school in Japan, Suginami High School. These students came to New Zealand to learn more about our culture, improve their English as well as experiencing everyday school and home life.

They were warmly welcomed by our Māori Performing Arts students and staff at a pōwhiri on Friday morning, then spent the day visiting different classes. We also took them on a day trip to Wellington, which included visits to Te Papa and the Cable Car, as well as a trip to Zealandia Te Māra a Tāne. The students were impressed by New Zealand's nature as well as how kind and welcoming our HVHS students were.

On their last day after a visit to Hutt Intermediate, we finished with a Sayonara Party. The Japanese students shared some of the things that surprised them in New Zealand for example: how expensive a can of coke is, the lack of traffic lights, so many round-a-bouts, that people speak Māori and English, how kind New Zealanders, how delicious kiwifruit and feijoa are, the meaning of 'sweet as' and much more.

We look forward to meeting up with Suginami High School again when we take our next school group to Japan in September, 2026. Thank you to all the families and students who hosted and took great care of the students while they were here.

On Wednesday, eight SNAP (Sustainable Networks and Pathways) students from Tautoko - Supported Learning Centre, along with their Year 13 Mentors and supporting Youth Workers, took part in an Amazing Race (pictured below) around Lower Hutt. Their challenge was to visit businesses around the community and complete tasks such as making purchases, having a foot scan done at the Shoe Clinic and carrying out a "duck walk" across Huia Gym.

Students were able to practice their teamwork and social skills, as well as learn how to navigate the area around Lower Hutt. The challenge concluded at Buzz Cafe for a celebratory slice of cake and the medals ceremony, with Max's team the winners on the day.

Thank you to the following businesses for supporting this event: Espresso Rescue Coffee Cart, Huia Pool and Fitness, Shoe Clinic, Queensgate Customer Services, Toyworld and our hosts Buzz Cafe. We encourage our school community to support these businesses whenever they can, as their generosity helped make this event possible.

Congratulations to Soula Lim (13CV) and Archit Nanda (13AN), who have been nominated to attend an Academic Award Evening recognising the achievements of students from diverse ethnic backgrounds in NCEA Level 2 in 2024.

The event on Friday, 4 April is hosted by Voices of Aroha and the Ministry of Education’s ESOL, Migrant, Refugee, and International Team. Well done, Soula and Archit, on this well-deserved recognition!

Last Tuesday, we had the pleasure of celebrating our students’ outstanding academic achievements at the HVHS Excellence Evening.

Excellence Evening is an annual tradition at HVHS, where we acknowledge students who earned Excellence Endorsements or Scholarships in Year 12 last year. These students were presented with Excellence badges, and some also received academic ties in recognition of their achievements. It was fantastic to see their pride and the support from parents and whānau, who shared in the celebration.

We were also privileged to hear from our guest speaker, Gema Redondo, a former journalist turned humanitarian worker. Having worked in some of the world’s most crisis-affected regions, including West Africa during the Ebola outbreak, Gema shared her experiences of problem-solving in high-stakes environments. Her message was clear: regardless of your qualifications, the ability to listen, communicate, and collaborate is crucial to addressing global challenges. She reminded us that everyone’s way of thinking can contribute to solutions, reinforcing the importance of diverse perspectives.

Congratulations again to all our Excellence recipients - we are incredibly proud of you!

- Denise Johnson (Principal)

Eight students from Hutt Valley High School's (HVHS) Jazz Band recently participated in a jazz performance workshop hosted by Sacred Heart College in collaboration with the New Zealand School of Music at Victoria University.

The workshop offered students valuable tutoring from professional musicians and provided an opportunity to collaborate with peers from other schools in the Hutt Valley region, including Wainuiomata, Naenae, Upper Hutt, Sacred Heart, and home-schooled students. The HVHS students who attended the workshop were: Miles Baldwin (13SM), Andrés Cartwright-Salinas (12BH), Milton Davey (10TUTS), Ngakaara Wong (10TUTS), Seth Houghton (12LE), William Sanders (10TUTS) and Adam Ruthven (11CP).

The afternoon concert was well-supported by the students' parents and HVHS staff, showcasing the talent and hard work of the performers. This workshop is also a stepping stone toward the formation of a Te Awakairangi Youth Jazz Band, which will be hosted and led by Sacred Heart College later this year. This opportunity comes as the HVHS Jazz Band prepares for the Manawatū Jazz Festival Competition on Saturday, 31 May. The band is led by itinerant woodwind teacher Chris Buckland.

Members from our Barbershop Chorus participated in a workshop celebrating barbershop singing held at Sacred Heart College. The event was a huge massed ensemble of students from throughout the Wellington region singing in four-part harmony.

Hutt Valley High School students sang with passion and attentiveness. Our barbershop ensembles will be representing HVHS in the regional competition Tuesday 27 May at the Lower Hutt Town Hall. Our barbershops are led by one of our itinerant voice teacher David Brooks.

Filmmaking is tricky and very few schools are able to make longer films, so we're excited to celebrate the first screening of Counsel Culture at the Lighthouse Cinema in Petone on Wednesday, 2 April at 7:30pm. Check out the film's trailer below!

Congratulations to Clara Shin (10MYDO) and Matilda Hall (12IN) for completing their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh Award! We've had lots of students expressing interest in starting their Duke of Edinburgh journey. If you'd like to learn more about the programme at HVHS, click here

For those already working towards their award, don’t forget to check out the Clubs and Groups page , on the HVHS website - many of these activities can count towards your Skill or Service sections. For any questions, please contact Sarah Coales (Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator) at sarah.coales@hvhs.school.nz

Renee Simanu (Youth Worker, Te Puna Waiora) and Whaea Krystal (Kaiako – Te Ao Māori, Te Ao Haka & Languages) have an incredible opportunity to compete on the international stage with Pacific Connection this July!

To help fund their trip to the International Barbershop Convention in Denver, USA, they are hosting a movie night featuring the documentary The Haka Party Incident.

📅 Monday, 14 April
⏰ 7:45 PM
📍 Lighthouse Cinema, Petone
🎟️ Tickets: $25

Snacks and drinks will be provided! If you'd like to support them and enjoy a fantastic documentary, email Renee at renee.simanu@hvhs.school.nz to purchase a ticket.

Aroha tino nui!

The Chess Club meets every Wednesday at lunchtime in G5. It’s a friendly and relaxed club that welcomes players of all skill levels. This club is for students who want to improve their chess skills and play casual games. This club counts towards Ad Alta for students with regular attendance.

If there’s enough interest, we may organise an inter-school competition or enter a team in the Wellington Regional Interschool Competition in Term 3.

For any questions, please contact Nicholas Kovacev (Music Teacher) at nicholas.kovacev@hvhs.school.nz

Do you have any unused or unwanted noiseless fidget toys at home? We are looking for fidget toys that can be used quietly in one of our Maths classrooms to help students with focus, attention, and channeling excess energy.

If you have any to donate, please drop them off at the HVHS Office (open Monday to Friday, 8am–4pm during term time). For any questions, please email Marcus Blomquist (Maths Teacher) at

marcus.blomquist@hvhs.school.nz

Are you a student interested in cosplay, prop making, or wig styling? Want to learn how to make an awesome outfit for Armageddon Expo or GGWP (Great Games with Pals)?

Come to Cosplay Club, in B1 every Tuesday at lunchtime! We are a chill club where we appreciate the weird, the creative, and the crafty. We have sewing machines and the tools to teach you – you just need to bring your own cosplay materials (fabric, foam, wigs, etc). This club counts towards Ad Alta for students with regular attendance.

For any questions, please email Maddison Nicholl (Technology & Art Teacher) at maddison.nicholl@hvhs.school.nz)

At Hutt Valley High School, over 1,200 students participate in extracurricular sports each year. To make this possible, we rely on parental volunteers to help with coaching, managing, umpiring, refereeing, and transporting teams.

We understand that everyone has busy schedules, but any assistance—big or small—is hugely appreciated. A massive thank you to those who have already stepped up this year; your contributions keep our sports programs running smoothly!

How You Can Help

If you’re willing and able to support HVHS sports in any capacity, please complete the Google Form by clicking here.

Here are some ways you can get involved:

• Coach or Co-Coach – Take on a team yourself or mentor students in a shared coaching role
• Manage or Co-Manage – Help oversee a team, either alone or alongside other parents on a rotating basis
• Transport – Drive students to and from games, either in your own car or the school van. Even one-way drop-offs can make a difference!
• Umpire or Referee – If you have experience, we’d love your help! This doesn’t have to be every week, and we can support you with practical training
• Social Sports Team Managers – All social teams require an adult manager, which can be done on a rostered basis.

If you know someone who might be interested, please encourage them to sign up.

A huge thank you in advance—we look forward to hearing from you!

Kristi Tia, Dan Mills, Finn Gaupset & Sarah Coales, HVHS Sports Department

The Past Pupils & Friends Association is having their Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Tuesday, 8 April from 7:00-8:00pm in the HVHS Staffroom. Everyone is welcome to attend.

Kristi, Finn, and Dan from the Sports Department have been on the road this week as our teams compete in the New Zealand Secondary Schools Summer Tournament Week. A full wrap-up of the results will be included in the newsletter on Friday, 11 April.

A couple of reminders:

📸 Summer Sports Photos will take place on Tuesday, 8 April. The schedule will be sent out soon.

🏆 If you have a sporting achievement you'd like us to celebrate, please email the details to sport@hvhs.school.nz

The Resource Centre has loaded all sports fees for summer sports. Thank you to our families who have already paid their summer sports fees! If you haven’t yet made your payment, we kindly ask you to do so as soon as possible to support our sports programmes.

Payment Options

We appreciate payments in any amount, whether as a lump sum or smaller scheduled regular payments on a weekly, fortnightly, or monthly basis. If you need to set up an automatic payment (AP), please contact the Resource Centre for assistance.

You can make a payment for your sports fees using one of the following methods:

• Kamar Parent Portal

• SchoolBridge App

• In person at the Resource Centre (Eftpos, cash, or credit card)

• Direct credit to the HVHS bank account:
  Hutt Valley High School
  02-0528-0030654-00

Thank you for your support in ensuring our students have access to sporting opportunities. If you have any questions or need assistance with payment arrangements, please contact the Resource Centre by emailing resource.centre@hvhs.school.nz

A short video from Kylah Connolly (10MTIC) with some of the highlights from our recent Athletics Day at Hutt Recreation Grounds.

Each year, we see students arriving at school who haven't had breakfast and are without kai for the day, and this year is no exception. Unfortunately, some of the charities that previously provided support are no longer able to do so. As a result, we are reaching out to our school community to see if whānau can help.

Donations of spreads for sandwiches, grab-and-go foods such as muesli bars and food items students can easily put in their school bags would be greatly appreciated. If you’re unsure what to donate, grocery vouchers are also a fantastic way to contribute. If you’d like to help, please contact Claire Ross (Head of Wellbeing) at claire.ross@hvhs.school.nz

Wednesday 2 April

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

Thursday 3 April

• HVHS Senior Speech Competition, Years 11-13, 3:30pm, Library

Saturday 5 April/ Sunday 6 April

• 2025 Wellington Relay 4 Life, Runs from 3pm on Saturday 5 April to 8am on Sunday 6 April April, Sky Stadium

Tuesday 8 April

• Summer Sports Team Photos

• Past Pupils and Friends Association (PPFA) AGM, 7:00pm-8:00pm, Staffroom

Thursday 10 April

• Junior Spelling Bee Finals, 1:30pm

Friday 11 April

• Last Day of Term 1

Monday 28 April

• First Day of Term 2

Tuesday 29 April

• Winter Sports Codes, Coaches & Managers Volunteers Evening, 6:00pm-7:30pm, HVHS Staffroom

Wednesday 7 May

• Learning Conversations for Students & Families in Year 9 & 10.
• Students in Years 11-13 Learning From Home

Monday 19 May

• NCEA Co-Requisite Testing Begins

Wednesday 21 May

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

Wednesday 28 May

• Whānau Hui, 6:00pm-7:00pm

Friday 30 May

• Teacher Only Day (No Classes for Students)

Monday 2 June

• King's Birthday (Public Holiday, School Closed)

Monday 9 June

• Year 11 Production (Class KO) Begins

Saturday 14 June

• Rockquest and Tangata Beats Events, Sacred Heart Performing Arts Centre

Monday 16 June

• Year 11 Production (Class BE) Begins

Friday 20 June

• Matariki (Public Holiday, School Closed)

Wednesday 25 June

• HVHS Open Evening, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Friday 27 June

• Last Day of Term 2

Saturday 28 June

• Rockquest Finals

Monday 14 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