HVHS Newsletter

Namaste,

Most students have now settled into their learning routines and are participating well. As a parent or caregiver, keeping track of what’s happening across the various subjects students study can be tricky. That’s why our fortnightly Attitude to Learning reports provide insight into your child’s effort and attitude. Here is a quick recap on the report and what the numbers mean:

• Regular 3s - combined with over 90% attendance? Be proud – they’re doing great!
• Occasional 2s - that’s okay, but there’s room for improvement. Adjustments to learning behaviour will improve student performance in this subject.
• Consistent 1s or Attendance Below 80% - please reach out to us. The grade suggests that the student is regularly not demonstrating the expected level of engagement or responsibility for their learning during class. If students are not attending and not putting in effort, it will be challenging for them to succeed and even harder for us to support them.

Athletics Day – A Day of Competition & Colour!

Our Athletic Day was a fantastic, fun-filled day. The energy, chanting, and friendly rivalry created a superb atmosphere. From sprint races to ‘egg and spoon’ challenges to high jumps, students gave it their all, featuring some outstanding performances across the board.

But it wasn’t just about the competition—our students and staff embraced the spirit of the day with incredible house-coloured costumes. The creativity on display was next-level, with everything from superheroes to blow-up dinosaurs and themed Princess Fiona and Shrek outfits, making the day even more vibrant.

Notably, our house leaders, student leaders and senior students displayed remarkable leadership by motivating and encouraging their peers to participate and enjoy the day. Well done to everyone who got involved and showcased their house pride! And, of course, congratulations to Pukeariki - Taumata House champions. Well done, Eden Pākai (13WR) & Matiu Lowrie-Ronson (13WR), our Pukeariki House Leaders for their excellent leadership!

Futsal Champions!

Congratulations to our Futsal A Boys’ Team for winning the Wellington Regional Championship yesterday! Their teamwork, skill, and determination saw them dominate the tournament, and we are incredibly proud of their achievement.

Well done to players Sharmarke Axmed (12KG), Max Bergman (12BR), Harper Cowan (11CT), Trent Magee (13AN), Suhayb Mohamud (12CW), Ethan Nash (12MD), Kellan O'Meara (11CP), Charley Rogers (11SK), Elijah Sime (11TT), Karihi Smith (10CIGB), and Tun Sein (12RO). A big shoutout to their coach, Finn Gaupset (Sports Coordinator) and Victoria Mitchell (Literacy Teacher) for driving the school van and her support of the team!

Winter Sports Trials & The Role of Volunteers

Winter sports trials are in full swing, and we are incredibly grateful to the volunteer parents and caregivers who help make our extensive programme possible. A huge thank you to our dedicated volunteers who give their time, skills, and energy to support our young athletes. The summer season is winding up so thank you to Taane Koorey-Te Huki (PE & Heath Teacher) for his incredible dedication to Volleyball, Angus Devine (Year 10 Dean/ PE & Health Teacher) and Chris Riley (Science Teacher) for their long-term commitment to cricket and every other summer sports coach.

Soon, winter sports team will be announced, and we do occasionally receive complaints regarding team selections. Selection is never an exact science – top national teams such as the All Blacks, All Whites, the Blackcaps and the Silver Ferns don’t always get it 100% right. As someone who has coached for many years, I understand that selections can sometimes be disappointing. But the best advice I can give trialists is to try their very best to accept the team you are placed in - sometimes this means you need to ‘take it on the chin’, and if you disagree with the team you are in, go out and prove the selectors wrong with stunning performances each week. I remember starting on the C-netball team at university and ending the season in the A-team. Top sportspeople shine no matter what team they are in – they will stand out and advance as the season progresses.

I also wanted to express our deep appreciation to the generous families who donate additional funds to help cover the costs of camps and trips for students who may not otherwise have the opportunity to attend. Your kindness makes a genuine difference, ensuring every student can participate in these invaluable experiences. We have students out on camp this week who are doing so because of your generosity. Thank you.

Upcoming Excellence Evening

We look forward to celebrating our highest academic achievers at the upcoming Excellence Evening. This is a fantastic opportunity to acknowledge our students' hard work, perseverance, and success. It will be held on Tuesday 25 March from 6:00pm-7:00pm in the Hall.

Thank you for your continued support – let’s keep up the momentum for the rest of the term.

Ngā mihi nui Denise Johnson, Principal

Earlier this week, the school was notified that Libelle Group, which oversees our school canteen, has gone into liquidation. As a result, the canteen will be temporarily closed from Monday, 17 March.

To help students during this transition, we’ll be running a lunchtime sausage sizzle on Monday 17, Tuesday 18, and Wednesday 19 March. We appreciate your understanding and will keep our school community updated as we work towards a new solution.

Our school site remains busy with various building remediation projects, which means scaffolding is being assembled, moved, or taken down daily. This creates potential hazards, so we ask everyone to stay alert and take extra care when moving around the school.

Remember that pathways may change, and your usual routes may not always be accessible. Please follow any signage or instructions to ensure everyone's safety. Thank you for your patience and cooperation!

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)

On Tuesday and Wednesday, Year 11 Art students went on a trip to the Dowse Art

Museum to hear about the collection from Museum Educator, Esme Dawson. Students listened to a talk from Esme before drawing from Nuku Tewhatewha, and then visiting the temporary exhibitions.

As you may already know, Ramadan began on Saturday, 1 March 2025. During this month, many of our Muslin students will be fasting from 5:24am until 8:04pm. These times will gradually change throughout the month.

Students who are fasting will not eat or drink during these hours, which can be physically and mentally challenging, especially in the afternoon. We ask everyone to show understanding and support to our students during this time. If you know a Muslim student, it's nice to acknowledge Ramadan with them. You can say 'Ramadan Mubarak' (Blessed Ramadan).

There are increased prayer times during Ramadan, and some students will want to pray at school during lunchtime. We have a prayer room space upstairs in D block at the end of the corridor next to D3. Both male and female students can use this space separately.

For Muslim students, this is a big event in their year. Ramadan will end around Sunday, 30 March.

- شكرا جزيلا Shkran,

Sarah Roper (Head of English Language) & Raniah Shamonka (English Language & Maths Teacher)

We have four new HVHS records to celebrate from last week's Athletics Day! Congratulations to the following students:

• Jessie McKenzie (13ST): Senior Girls 1500m with a time of 4:56.30, breaking the previous record set in 1999 by Jacinda Swain
• Phoebe Willis (9PTNC): Junior Girls 100m in 12.2 seconds, beating the 2003 record set by Julia Kearney
• Anna Green (9FTSW): set two new records - the Junior Girls 400m in 1:00.07 (the previous record was set in 1984 by Wendy Jacobsen) and the Junior Girls 800m in 2:21.84 (this record was set in 2021 by Jessie McKenzie (13ST)).

Congratulations to Pukeariki, who received the most points overall at Athletics Day:

• 1st - Pukeariki - 1,880
• 2nd - Pukeatua - 1,798
• 3rd - Tararua - 1,756
• 4th - Ōrongorongo - 1,725
• 5th - Remutaka - 1,669
• 6th - Matairangi - 1,602

Thank you to our Sports Captains, Samatha Knox (13JD) and Darren Leishman (13JD), who emceed the day so well!

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

North Island Secondary Schools Championships Rowing Regatta

Congratulations to Annabel Dee (13JD), Emma McRobbie (13FL), Blake Taylor (12WD) and Kaitoro Walker (12MO) for their results at the recent North Island Regatta

• Annabel Dee (13JD) and Emma McRobbie (13FL) placed 6th in U18 Coxless Pair Oars. Both students also raced in the U18 Single Sculls, with Emma finishing 6th and Annabel 7th.

• Blake Taylor (12WD) & Kaitoro Walker (12MO) placed 7th in the U17 Double Sculls. Blake also placed 5th in the U16 Single Sculls.

Well done to all our student rowers - thank you for representing HVHS!

Match Racing Competition

Well done to Ben Coubrough (13AN), Névé Groom (12KT), and Morgan McKeown (12KT), who recently competed at the Youth Elliot 6 International Match racing competition.

Wellington Dragon Boating Festival

Well done to our Dragon Boaters who competed on Sunday 2 March at the Dragon Boat Festival. Both teams came 1st in their Plate Finals. It was a great day for all. Thank you to Kylie Miller (Science Teacher) and our parents, who helped out during the day.

Wellington Regional Volleyball Championships

Volleyball Senior Girls A team came 3rd, and the Senior Boys A Team came 5th overall against tough competition at last week's two day regional event.

Reminders

Summer Sport Photos will be held on Tuesday, 8 April. The schedule will be sent out in the next couple of weeks.

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

Images: photos of the HVHS Girls Dragon Boating Team competing at the Wellington Dragon Boating Festival.

Talofa, नमस्ते, Xin chào, 你好, Mabuhay, င်္ဂလာပါ, مرحبًا, வணக்கம், Привет, ഹലോ, ជំរាបសួរ, سلام

Greetings to all our families from our diverse ethnic communities. This year, HVHS has received funding from the Ministry of Education to launch a Learning Community Hub - an initiative designed to support families from ethnic backgrounds by providing valuable knowledge about New Zealand’s education system and other key topics related to their child’s schooling. It also aims to help young people understand the school system, pathway options beyond school and develop life skills for their new lives in New Zealand.

How the Learning Community Hub Works

The programme consists of two key components:

1. Parent Workshops & Information Sessions – Covering topics such as Parenting in a Digital World, AI in Education, Understanding NCEA, and High School Graduation Processes.
2. Student Seminars & Workshops – Held during school hours, with sessions on Financial Literacy, Cyberbullying & Online Safety, and Career Pathways.

The programme will run across Terms 2 and 3, with parents able to attend up to four sessions. Translation services will be available in Arabic, Chinese, Filipino, and Vietnamese, and all sessions are free, with refreshments provided.

Get Involved!

More details, including session dates and times, will be emailed to families soon. For more information, please contact Sarah Roper (Head of English Language) at sarah.roper@hvhs.school.nz

Additionally, if you speak another language and would be willing to assist at parent events by translating and helping to build connections, we’d love to hear from you!

Congratulations to Conor Church (12PL) and Casey Hurley (12MO) on successfully completing the Duke of Edinburgh Bronze Award. A fantastic achievement!

To learn more about the Duke of Edinburgh Awards at HVHS please visit the school's website by clicking here. For any questions, please email Sarah Coales (Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator at HVHS) at sarah.coales@hvhs.school.nz

Pictured: HVHS students completing their service hours at Sky Stadium - all part of their Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Students are able to receive support from our dedicated Science teachers at Science Help Room, which runs from 3:30-4:30pm every Thursday after school in B11.

Many senior students also choose to attend regularly to work through their homework. Science Help Room is open to all students, and no bookings are necessary - students are welcome to drop in anytime.

For any questions, please email Kylie Miller (Assistant HOLA Science / Teacher in Charge - Biology) at kylie.miller@hvhs.school.nz

At Hutt Valley High School, our School Board adheres to a three-year policy review schedule to ensure our policies remain current and effective.

This term, we are reviewing the following policies:

• Health, Safety and Welfare
• Safety Management System
• Risk Management
• Worker Engagement, Participation and Representation
• Healthcare
• Recording and Reporting Accidents, Injuries and Illness.

The School Board welcomes feedback and input from the school community on these policies. To read the policies click here and search for 'Hutt Valley High School', and enter username 'HVHS' and the password 'Adalta'. The close off date for feedback is Sunday, 16 March 2025.

In Term 4, we introduced a new online form for students to complete when they have lost an item. Please click here to access the form, which has also been uploaded to Google Classroom for students to access easily. Parents and caregivers can also use this form too.

All lost property is dropped off at the School Office. All named items are immediately returned to students. As unnamed items come in, we will match the lost item against the register.

To help us reunite lost items with their student owners, please name all items.

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.

Monday 17 March

• Senior Speech Competition Heats (runs till Friday 21 March)

Tuesday 18 March

• School ID Photos (Catch-Up Day)

Wednesday 19 March

• Summer Sports Tournament Week, Coaches & Managers Night, 6:00pm-7:00pm, HVHS Staffroom

Thursday 20 March

• Victoria University of Wellington - Te Herenga Waka, Introduction Presentation for Year 13 Students, 1:30pm, Library
• Suginami Exchange (runs till Thursday 27 March)

Monday 24 March

• NZ Secondary Schools Summer Sports Tournament Week (runs till Friday 28 March)

Tuesday 25 March

• Excellence Evening, 6:00-7:00pm, HVHS Hall (for invited students and families)

Wednesday 2 April

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

Thursday 3 April

• Senior Speech Competition, Finals, 3:30pm, Library

Friday 4 April

• Summer Sports Team Photos

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

Tuesday 27 May

• HVHS Open Evening, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Friday 30 May

• Teacher Only Day (No Classes for Students)

Monday 2 June

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

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