HVHS Newsletter

Kia ora koutou,

As we near the end of the school year, I want to take a moment to reflect on the journey of our Year 13 students, who have officially completed their last day of formal schooling. While there are still those crucial exams and our final graduation ceremony ahead, reaching this milestone is a significant moment. Year 13 students celebrated in style with some fun-filled dress-up days, a lively game of footy, a BBQ, and shirt-signing in a brisk southerly wind! I’m not entirely sure how many braved the wharf jump in those temperatures, but it all adds to the memories!

A heartfelt thank you to Year 13 students for the mature and positive way you’ve wrapped up the year. You have truly been a credit to yourselves. I’m looking forward to seeing each of you at the Graduation Ceremony on Friday, 6 December at the Lower Hutt Event Centre - our final formal event together.

Congratulations to Daniel Williams (13JD) - swimming, Matiu Lowrie-Ronson (12NB) - touch (rugby), Alyssha Eglington (13PN) - football, and Darren Leishman (12BG) - ultimate (frisbee), who were honored with College Sport Premier Awards this year. Our school is incredibly proud of all the athletes who represent us. I sometimes hear that certain schools are seen as the path to success in sports, but I disagree. I believe that talent, dedication, perseverance, and countless hours of training are what create sporting stars - and nothing can replace that. Success in sports isn’t tied to a school; it’s about the athlete’s journey, the sacrifices they make, and the amazing support from their whānau, mentors, coaches and school. It’s a privilege to be part of that journey.

I am also incredibly proud of Māia Waldegrave (12BG), William Uriaro (12GU), Halo Cowan (10KADA), and Daniel Harmon (10BEPC), who received premier awards at our Te Whānau a Hotuwaipara ceremony last week. These students represent our school and their whānau with true mana. Their leadership and contributions inspire us all, and I look forward to the impact they’ll continue to have. Both Maia and William have significant leadership roles at school next year. William is one of our Head Students and Maia our Māori Student Leader. They are both role models for others to emulate.

Image: Top row (left to right) - Halo Cowan (10KADA), Māia Waldegrave (12BG) & William Uriaro (12GU). Second row - Kapa Haka performing at the Te Whānau a Hotuwaipara event, and Daniel Harmon (10BEPC).

Looking ahead, I want to give you a heads-up about next year’s School Board elections. We are looking for community members with skills in finance, accounting, policy, or governance. If you or someone you know may be interested, please reach out to learn more about this opportunity.

Ngā mihi nui

Denise Johnson (Principal)

We're celebrating the artistic talents of our Year 11, 12 and 13 students with an exhibition of their design, painting and photography work. Students, parents, caregivers and whānau are invited to view the fantastic art and enjoy live music and light refreshments. For your calendars, the Art Exhibition is Monday, 11 November, from 4:30-6:30pm in S1 at HVHS.

Throughout the year, we feature articles from our Learning Areas - this article by Anna Flaherty (Co-Head of the Arts Learning Area) spotlights learning in the Arts.

Life in the Arts Learning Area continues happily. The term opened with the second of our Year 13 drama productions, This is not a Love Story, a joyous comedy split across two theatre spaces. Hard on its heels came the annual Hoscars, a celebration of all the wonderful films and ads that came out of the Media Studies programme in 2024.

Last week the Dance Benefit was held in the hall, another annual showcase of the enthusiasm, talent and camaraderie that makes working in the arts such a joy. This coming Monday evening marks the annual HVHS Art Exhibition in S1 theatre, including Year 11 Visual Art courses - Photo/Design and Painting, and Year 12 & 13 Design, Painting and Photography courses. The Foods students cater the event and is a thoroughly enjoyable way to celebrate the talent of our senior fine artists.

Over this week and next, the three Year 10 Drama classes will each present their productions. For many students, this will be their first time on stage and the beginning of a most excellent adventure. Meanwhile, the Year 11 Media, Music and Drama classes collaborated on a short film project, Singer, hopefully marking the start of a new chapter in cross-discipline collaborations. Life is good.

- Article by Rob King (Head of the Learning Pathways)

HVHS Gateway ran 15 community projects this year. Each team was given a budget, a set of guidelines and an opportunity to give back to our local community in some way. Once team roles were sorted, a Code of Conduct and a ‘Mission’ established, brainstorming ideas for the projects got underway and the sensible/doable proposals floated to the top - trips to Rarotonga to save the wildlife and outdoor concerts involving local rock bands didn’t make it for reasons of budget and safety!!

However, some great, doable ideas were put forward, and teams got on with sharing their proposals with the target community, asking for feedback and ideas in return. As teachers, we hovered about to provide a bit of life’s wisdom and insights to keep the ball rolling and remind them we aren’t millionaires.

The projects generated a shared Google doc (80 plus pages in some cases), power points, comms,

risk management, advertising posters, recordings on a GoPro (oral instructions/feedback), meeting agendas and minutes, coaching manuals, how-to guides, etc., and a raft of hands-on activities. This took approximately two terms!!

Students enjoyed the autonomy and opportunity to run the show themselves. At the same time, we teachers were able to assess against a range of ‘work-relevant’ skills, such as active listening, teamwork, giving clear instructions, and constructive feedback.

And the benefiting community appreciated their efforts. From coaching sports to young ones, fun days with a theme, teaching on a specialist topic like endangered animals, working with the elderly, fundraising for special causes, making stuff like picnic tables, benches, post boxes and planting an

orchard (of sorts).

Overwhelmingly, the students embraced the ‘independence’, an opportunity to plan and problem-solve, the thanks, and, of course, the credits towards NCEA. To learn more about the range of Gateway community projects undertaken by HVHS students in 2024, check out the list below!

In 2025, Hutt Valley High School is excited to welcome 31 students from our sister school, Suginami High School in Tokyo, as part of our biannual exchange program. These students will arrive on Thursday, 20 March, and depart the following Thursday, 27 March 2025.

During their stay, they’ll attend school with their host students, and we'll take them out on trips during the day to explore the Wellington region. On the weekend, the students from Japan will spend time with their host families, immersing themselves in Kiwi culture.

Hosting a student is a fantastic opportunity for HVHS families, particularly those with students studying Japanese, to build connections with Japan while supporting our visitors. If you’re interested in hosting, here’s what you need to know:

• Host students require their own bed (a separate bedroom is not required)
• For safety, all household members over 18 must undergo police vetting and Anna Kingsford, HVHS’s International Homestay Coordinator, will conduct a home visit
• Each host family receives a small reimbursement to help cover the week’s hosting expenses.

If you’re interested in hosting, please email Sarah Langley (Teacher in Charge of Japanese/ Year 10 Dean) at sarah.langley@hvhs.school.nz

Image: Shirin Aung (13PN) visiting Suginami High School in Japan last month as part of the biannual exchange.

At College Sport Wellington's Sportsperson of the Year Awards last Sunday, four HVHS students took the top prize for their respective sports. It was a fantastic night celebrating the achievements of our finalists. Special congratulations to the 2024 winners:

• Football - Alyssha Eglinton (13PN)
• Swimming - Daniel Williams (13JD)
• Touch - Matiu Lowrie-Ronson (12NB)
• Ultimate - Darren Leishman (12BG)

The HVHS U18 Boys finished 4th at College Sport Wellington's (CSW) Rugby League Nines tournament after losing to Wellington College in a hard-fought semi-final. A big thank you to the team's coaches, Cam Fenton and Wade Ronson (12RI), for their support of the team.

At the recent CSW Rugby Sevens Tournament, the HVHS U15 Boys finished 4th in their pool, and the HVHS U18 Boys team was eliminated in the semi-final against Scots College. Ngā mihi nui,

Kris Dunne and Simon Gibbs for their work coaching the teams.

In the CSW Junior Golf Tournament, Sam Jiang (10PDHA) and Rajan Subramaniam (9SRDL) represented HVHS in a very competitive field. Congratulations to Sam, who finished 3rd, and to Rajan, who placed 17th overall.

Image: Sam Jiang (10PDHA) & Rajan Subramaniam (9SRDL) at the CSW Junior Golf Tournament.

If you have any summer or winter sports uniforms that need to be returned, please drop them off at the Resource Centre by Friday, 1 November. If the Resource Centre is closed, you can also drop them off at the Main Office.

Please contact the Sports Office with information on our students’ sporting successes by emailing sport@hvhs.school.nz with any information and results.

Photos are also appreciated, as we often share these in the newsletter and on social media too.

Hutt Valley High School is seeking coaches for our 2025 rugby teams and invites expressions of interest from those interested in coaching our boys' and girls' teams. In 2025, we plan to have six teams representing HVHS - U18 Girl, U15 Girls, First XV Boys, Second XV Boys, U65 Boys & U15 Boys.

If you are interested in coaching any of these teams or have any questions, please email Dan Mills (Sports Coordinator) at daniel.mills@hvhs.school.nz or Jan Lammers (PE & Health Teacher/ Rugby Coordinator) at jan.lammers@hvhs.school.nz with a short blurb on the team you're interested in coaching and why you'd be a good candidate for coaching this team.

Please submit your expression of interest by this Sunday (10 November 2024).

HVHS has partnered with the Tokomanawa Queens Basketball Team to offer FREE tickets to their game against Hoihoi next Sunday, 17 November, from 2:00-5:00pm at TSB Arena.

If students and families are interested in attending, tickets can be picked up from the Sports Office or requested by emailing sport@hvhs.school.nz.

Students who have hired HVHS Music Department instruments need to return them to their Music Teacher or the G Block Art Office by Friday, 6 December. If the G Block Art Office is closed you are welcome to return instruments to the Main Reception which is open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm during term time.

For any questions, please email Jhan Lindsay (Performing Arts Coordinator / Teacher in Charge – Itinerant Music Programme) at music@hvhs.school.nz

Registrations for Te Kura’s Summer School open on Monday, 18 November. Te Kura, formerly known as Correspondence School, offers a learning programme over the summer holidays for ākonga needing up to 12 NCEA credits to progress to further study, training, or employment.

Te Kura Summer School is designed to support students who:

• are concerned about meeting the 14-credit requirement in a subject for University Entrance
• need additional literacy credits to complete NCEA Level 3
• or require up to 12 NCEA credits to pursue further study, training, or employment.

For more information on enrolment dates and to see the complete list of courses and standards offered at Te Kura's Summer School, please visit their website - https://www.tekura.school.nz/learn-with-us/learning-at-te-kura/summer-school

Parents and students are also welcome to contact Rob Everett (Deputy Principal) at rob.everett@hvhs.school.nz with questions about Te Kura's Summer School.

Last term, we replaced our AED (Defibrillator), and the unit's location was changed. The AED and its lockbox are now situated at the front of the school on Woburn Road, near the driveway by the Supported Learning Centre (pictured).

In case of an emergency, the AED can be accessed by calling 111 to obtain the lockbox code. The school office also holds the code for quick access during school hours. The AED is available for both the school and the wider community.

At HVHS, we encourage students to bring their own device to school. With over 90% of our students arriving in Year 9 with a Chromebook they are well equipped to access course materials, resources, and assessments through Google Classroom. Unfortunately, for some families, the $400 cost of a basic Chromebook is out of reach due to financial hardship.

To bridge this gap, we work with these families, using the support of our community and whānau to provide solutions. In previous years, we have been fortunate with our annual request to gift Chromebooks to our students most in need. If you think that this is something you can do to help a student - we would love to hear from you.

We’d like to thank the families who have already donated. So far, we have been able to donate Chromebooks to five students.

How to Make a Donation to the Chromebook Appeal

To donate, simply make your contribution to Hutt Valley High School's bank account below using the references 'Chromebook' and 'Donation'.

Hutt Valley High School

02-0528-0030654-00

For more information, please contact Principal Denise Johnson at denise.johnson@hvhs.school.nz to discuss your donation. All contribution, big or small is greatly appreciated and can be truly life changing for many students.

Finding your homework hard? Have a test coming up? Wanting some extension work? Didn't get the grade you wanted in the last assessment? Come to the Maths Help Room and get some individualised support with whatever maths you need help with.

The Maths Help Room is open to all year levels and ability levels. It runs from 3:30-4:30pm every Wednesday after school in P4. Every week there are a range of maths teachers available to help. You can bring your own work from class, or we can find you something suitable.

There is no need to book; just turn up. Please email Jill Skinner (Maths Teacher)

at jill.skinner@hvhs.school.nz if you have any questions.

Do you have a student who is struggling to connect with classmates at school? The Dungeons and Dragons Club is a welcoming and inclusive place for students to foster more connections at school.

We are currently seeking junior students who would benefit from joining the D&D Club. With senior students increasingly focused on their NCEA exams, we have several new groups forming, providing an excellent opportunity for junior students to get involved.

The D&D Club meets every Thursday after school in room V8 until 5:30pm. Teachers are on hand to support students, especially those who may feel shy about joining a group.

If you have any questions, please contact Marcus Blomquist (Maths Teacher/Assistant Head of Restorative Practices) at marcus.blomquist@hvhs.school.nz.

We currently have a shortage of secondhand uniforms to donate to students. We'd greatly appreciate your help, especially with donations of school jerseys/hoodies, black shoes and black jackets.

All donations of secondhand uniforms are given to students to ensure they stay warm and comfortable. If you can help, please drop your donated items off at the School Office, which is open from 8:00am to 4:00pm, Monday through Friday, during term time.

If you haven’t enrolled your Year 8 student yet, please do so as soon as possible. All Year 8 students must enrol – enrolment is NOT automatic even if you live in-zone, attend Hutt Intermediate or have a sibling at HVHS.

A key reason to enrol now are the upcoming Enrolment Conversations with Year 8 families that start on Monday, 11 November. These conversations allow us to meet with parents, caregivers and students to plan for their learning needs and ensure a smooth transition to high school.

To enrol, please click here https://hvhs.school.nz/how-to-enrol/

If you have any questions, please email our Enrolment Coordinator, Lesley Mackay at lesley.mackay@hvhs.school.nz. Please note that applications for out-of-zone enrolments for all year levels in 2025 have now closed.

Winter sports team photos are available online to purchase at https://inphotography.store/

On Wednesday 16 October, families were emailed their User ID and Password to login to the online store to view and purchase photos.

Please check your emails, If you need your User ID and Password re-sent, please contact Lana Goddard (Principals' PA) at office@hvhs.school.nz

Students can help themselves to two packets of period products per month. We also encourage students to take products home for their NCEA study leave and upcoming 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.

Monday 11 November

• Year 10 Production Season - Classes FY, KO and MI (runs all week)
  
• Year 9 Social Studies Bus Trips (classes scheduled to Wed 13 Nov)
• Year 8 Enrolment Conversations

Monday 18 November

• Year 9 Camps (classes scheduled over two school weeks until Fri 29 Nov)

Wednesday 20 November

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

Friday 29 November

• Last day of NCEA Exams

Tuesday 3 December

• Student Leadership 2025 Day

Thursday 5 December

• Big 10 Day (for Year 10 Students)

Friday 6 December

• Year 11 Prizegiving, 11:30am - 12:30pm
  
• Year 12 Prizegiving, 1:00pm - 2:00pm
• Year 13 Graduation Prizegiving, 6:30pm - 9:00pm, Lower Hutt Events Centre

Tuesday 10 December

• Supported Learning Centre Production & Prizegiving, 3:30pm-5:30pm

Thursday 12 December

• Last Day of Term 4
• Year 9 Prizegiving, 9:30am - 10:30am
• Year 10 Prizegiving, 11:00am - 12:00pm

Tuesday 28 January & Wednesday 29 January

• Year 13 Leadership Camp

Thursday 30 January

• First Day for New Staff

Friday 31 January

• Teacher Only Day (No classes for students)

Monday 3 February

• Pastoral Day

Tuesday 4 February

• First Day for Year 9 Students (9:00am start time)

Wednesday 5 February

• Second Day for Year 9 Students (9:00am start time)
• First Day for Students in Years 10-13 (11:30am start time)

Thursday 6 February

• Te Rā o Waitangi | Waitangi Day (public holiday, school closed)

Friday 14 February

• Year 9 Meet & Compete Event

Monday 24 February

• School ID Photos (runs till Tuesday 25 February)

Wednesday 26 February

• HVHS Board Meeting, 5:30-7:30pm

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