Kia ora everyone,

As we finish an eventful term, I'd like to express my heartfelt thanks and congratulations to our school community. Your hard work, dedication, and positive vibes have made this term good. I'm so grateful for the kindness and warmth everyone has shown. We had a calm and easy start to the year, welcoming over 500 new staff and students. Except for the odd bump in behaviour with a very small minority of students, the term has continued with a positive and friendly tone.

The staff and I enjoyed our first Te Fiafia Whakanui night on Wednesday. This student-run event celebrated our cultural diversity, especially our Pacific and Indian communities. The food was superb—I love Oka, a Samoan raw fish delicacy. Thanks, Shaka Sola, for providing it. My colleagues adored the Chop Suey - especially the generous servings. The event arose from students taking social action for their Year 13 Te Awakairangi class. Students are encouraged to take action to help with a sustainability cause - this could be cultural or environmental. One group raised over $2,000 for our school breakfast club - their focus was poverty and ensuring no child goes hungry at school. Another group beautifully introduced themselves in Te Reo Māori and collected ideas from whānau about further celebrating this beautiful language.

Images - Courtesy of Maddison King.

Students have adapted with ease to our term one cell phone rules. Very few have needed reminding about appropriate use more than once. Thanks so much for the cooperation and support from parents and caregivers. It is hard to argue that cell phones, sending notifications every few minutes, and distracting learners is a good thing. With the new law coming into effect, it might also be a good time to think about use at home. We still have children arriving at school exhausted because they have been on their phones most of the night. As a mum, I was known to take the modem to work with me so I could control how much screen time my boys had. Ditto unplugging it at night and demanding that phones go in a box in the kitchen overnight. Not many people, adults included, can ignore the buzz or ding of a notification. Our students need a decent night’s sleep and as few distractions as possible when tackling complex and demanding learning activities.

The cellphone law comes into effect on Monday, 29 April (the first day of Term 2). It states that cell phones are prohibited during the school day. As explained to students at last week’s assemblies, phones are not seen, used, or heard from the minute they walk in the school gates in the morning until they leave in the afternoon. Cell phones are put in phone wall pockets during class. Our experience is that students cannot ignore the non-stop notifications that ‘buzz’ during learning. Some students are not being cooperative about this, thinking hiding the phone on their person is complying with the rule - it is not.

Next term phones must be put away in bags during breaks, when walking between classes, when out on the field, when in the Library, during a study spell, when sitting on the blue seats at lunch or when standing in line at the canteen. Students will be allowed to check their cell phones for messages at the end of spell 4, with their teacher's permission, and while they are still inside the classroom. This is to ensure sports cancellations and postponements can be communicated quickly. Phones must be placed in a bag before leaving the classroom.

As for this term, if a student is seen with a cell phone they will be asked to report to the Principal’s office or SLT (Senior Leadership Team’s office). The cell phone will be stored for the day and returned after 3.15pm.

We have only needed to seriously discipline one student who ignored our rules so many times that their behaviour became defiant. They constantly used their phones, handed in a bogus phone, and effectively wasted a lot of SLT time. They also ignored our support. Two more students are on their final warnings - this is not too bad considering there are 1,900 teenagers on-site at the moment. Parents, please work with your students to ensure they understand their responsibilities whilst at school.

While on the subject of cell phones and mobile devices, it might also be a good time to check your student's social media presence and activities. We have been meeting with Year 11 students who have liked yucky Instagram pages without thinking about what it says about their values. It is too easy to ‘like’ a page and be associated with antisocial behaviours. Most of the students we spoke to were good kids who were horrified that we knew they were associated with this horrible page. Their parents and caregivers were even more horrified. My rule as a parent was if I paid the bills, and my name was associated with the account, everything done on that phone had to be positive and for good. It seems many of our students still need education about the internet and social media use.

To all our HVHS athletes who competed on fields, courts, and everywhere in between, your commitment and sportsmanship have been outstanding. You've not only brought home accolades but also exemplified the essence of teamwork and perseverance.

Our talented musicians, dancers, and drama students have captivated us with their performances, breathing life into stories and characters with incredible talent and passion. Your creativity and dedication have enriched our school's culture, and we're all excited about the school musical coming up in term three.

Special thanks go to those students who've maintained over 90% attendance and shown a commendable attitude towards their learning. You have set an excellent example for your peers, and I know your learning will benefit from this effort.

Now, it's time for a well-deserved break. Enjoy the holidays. Terms two and three can be challenging. With daylight saving ending, shorter and colder days appear, and the buildup of assessments can grow to crazy levels if students are not careful.

To every student and staff member, you've all contributed to making this term a success. As we head into the break, I hope you take this time to rest, recharge, and reflect on your accomplishments. You've earned this break, and I encourage you to enjoy it to the fullest.

Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui.

Ngā mihi nui

Denise Johnson

Principal

Mark your calendars for Wednesday 15 May from 6-8pm for Hutt Valley High School's annual Open Evening. This event is an excellent opportunity for parents, caregivers and students interested in attending in 2025 to take a guided tour around the school and see learning areas on display.

The Open Evening starts in the school hall at 6pm with an introduction from Denise Johnson (Principal). After the introduction, guided tours will run until 8pm.

Everyone is welcome to attend. No registration is required, simply come along.

- by Sarah Langley (Teacher in Charge of Japanese/ Year 10 Dean)

This term we were very pleased to welcome back to HVHS Suginami High School, our sister school from Tokyo, Japan. They have not been able to visit since 2018 due to COVID-19, so it was very exciting when on Tuesday 19 March, thirty students arrived with their two teachers for this one-week exchange.

They were all hosted by families from our school community and spent their time here learning about school in New Zealand while also making new friends and connections. For many of these students, it was their first time outside of Japan, and they were very excited to be here. As part of their exchange they visited Te Papa and rode the Cable Car to the botanical gardens, visited Staglands and spent time with students in our Japanese classes as well as normal classes. Our visitors also spent the weekend with their host family exploring Wellington. It was a great opportunity for all involved to practice their language skills and also to learn about another culture.

In September this year, twenty four of our students studying Japanese will be hosted by Suginami High School in Tokyo. This will be a great opportunity for them to reconnect with the friends they have already made and also find out more about Japanese lifestyle, culture and build new friendships. Thank you to all those who hosted a student and helped out with this exchange. It was a busy but very enjoyable week!

Comments from those who hosted:

"Our family will really miss Kiku. She was the most beautiful girl. We keep in touch most days through Snapchat".

"It was amazing. I wish I could come to Japan this year but I will have to wait. Thank you guys a lot!! Let’s keep having amazing connections between people"

- by Ava Field (13WR)

On Tuesday, a group of Year 12 and 13 students studying Scholarship English attended the Readers and Writers Retreat at Victoria University. We attended different workshops taught by wonderful lecturers including Professor Sarah Ross, Dr. Adam Grener and Dr. Bonnie Etherington.

There were multiple options of workshops for students to choose from, including Who’s Afraid of the Iambic Pentameter? and It was the Best of Openings, It was the Worst of Openings for English Literature workshops. In these workshops students discussed Shakespeare and his use of language and the importance of the opening of a novel.

After these first workshops, the group were offered a tour around the Victoria University Kelburn Campus and its many facilities. Lunch was provided, then the group split for the last time into Literary and Communicative Literature workshops. Both workshops, Reach Out Your Arms and I Hate this Essay prompted the discussion of how to effectively communicate through writing.

To finish off the day, everyone got to hear from current students and alumni about their experiences studying English at Victoria University and listen to some amazing poetry they had written.

Overall, it was a great experience with lots of learning that can be used back in class. We would like to thank Ms Feerick for organising this experience for us, Mr Spence for chaperoning the group and Victoria University for providing this fantastic opportunity.

After Kaitoro Walker's success at last year's Ngā Manu Kōrero, placing third nationally with a stunning speech, we're excited to confirm that the regional Ngā Manu Kōrero competition for 2024 will be held on Friday 31 May, at Te Kura Matua o Wainuiomata (Wainuiomata High School).

For students interested in entering, there are two competitive sections: one for English speakers and one for Māori speakers. You can click here to view the speaking topics. To enter the English or Māori sections, please encourage your student to speak with their teacher.

For any pātai (questions) about the Ngā Manu Kōrero competition please email Krystal Clarke at krystal.clarke@hvhs.school.nz or Derek Wood at derek.wood@hvhs.school.nz

• Jacob Williams (9GSSP) placed first in the 1,500m and 3000m races at the North Island Secondary School Athletics Championships.
• At the same event, Mikayla Sola (13JD) placed 1st in Hammer, 2nd in Shot Put and 3rd in Discus. Mikayla Sola (13JD) has also been selected to represent Samoa at the June Oceania Athletics Championships in Fiji. An amazing achievement!
• Isla Hughes (12CW) placed 9th in Discus at the North Island Secondary School Athletics Championships.
• Sam Jiang (10PDHA) and Rajan Subramaniam (9SRDL) won the National Provident Fund Trophy Team Award based on 2 of 3 net scores at College Sport Wellington's Golf Championships. Sam Jiang (10PDHA) also achieved the 'Best Individual Boys Gross Score'.
• Congratulations to the HVHS Boys Rip Rugby Team, which placed second at the College Sport Wellington Rip Rugby one-day tournament.
• Well done to the HVHS Premier Mixed Touch Rugby Team, which won both the College Sport Wellington Term 1 mixed competition and the Regional One Day Tournament. A massive thank you to both coaches Shaun Broughton and Nick Baker, who put in an incredible amount of time and effort. The team is incredibly lucky to have you both.

For your calendar:

• Table Tennis Trials will be on Monday 22 and Friday 26 July at lunchtime in the main Gym.
  

The Sports Office are looking for a coach or adult to help out with the Girls 2nd XI Hockey Team team in terms 2 and 3.

If you are able to coach or help this awesome team out please email Kristi Tia (Sports Director) at kristi.tia@hvhs.school.nz

Thank you to those who attended the recent Cyber Safety Online presentation. A PDF recapping Rob Cope's key highlights and recommendations on enhancing digital safety for your family is available. Please see the link below. For any questions, please email Nick Larkin (Deputy Principal) at nick.larkin@hvhs.school.nz

During the school holidays, please check to see if you have any HVHS sports uniforms that need to be handed back. The Sports Office is missing quite a few uniforms from different sports sets, which is making it difficult to kit out our school's teams.

Please return any HVHS sports uniforms to the School Office or the Resource Centre (Uniform Shop). The Office is open 8am to 4pm during term time only, and the Resource Centre is open 11:00am-2:30pm Monday through Thursday during term time.

A reminder to families 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 has been emailed to families; if you need the email resent, please email the Office at office@hvhs.school.nz

On this date, all year levels will be learning at home, 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

Our Art Department has a large collection of NCEA visual art folios from 2022 and 2023 eagerly waiting to be claimed. In term 2, students can collect their folio from G Block (unless it's being displayed in the library).

We kindly request students retrieve their folios promptly, as storage space is limited. If you have any questions, please email Adrian Cartwright at adrian.cartwright@hvhs.school.nz

Please don't pick up or drop off students in the staff car park. Space is very limited and parent/caregiver cars further restrict access. We need to ensure over 2,000 students and staff can safely move around the school grounds and that mobility vans transporting students with additional needs can safely use the staff car park. Construction is also underway at the front of the main administration building, reducing the available space in the staff car park. We appreciate your cooperation.

If the Office has contacted you to collect your unwell student during the school day, please continue using the visitor car parking spaces.

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.

Road works are underway in Wainuiomata and 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

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.

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.

Friday 12 April

• Lincoln University Presentation, 9:00am-10:00am, Upstairs in G Block Careers/Pathways
• Last Day of Term 1
  

Monday 29 April

• First Day of Term 2

Monday 6 May

• Waikato University Introduction Presentation, G8, 1:30pm-2:15pm

Tuesday 7 May

• Auckland University Presentation, G8, 1:30-2:15pm

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)

Thursday 23 May

• Careers Presentation - New Zealand Defence Force, Airforce & Navy, 1:30-2:15pm

Saturday 25 May

• Rockquest Heats

Monday 27 May

• Samoan Language Week starts

Thursday 30 May

• Year 11 Careers Expo, 9am

Friday 31 May

• Teacher Only Day (school closed for students)

Monday 3 June

• King's Birthday (public holiday, school closed)

Tuesday 11 June

• Whanganui Sports Exchange

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, school closed)

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