HVHS Week 5, Term 4

Kia ora koutou,

With the school year coming to an end soon, I wanted to provide you with the latest news on our school property redevelopment. A lot has been happening. There's now a grassed area where C-Block once stood. This is a temporary measure, so the students will have a nice useable quad while new teaching blocks are completed nearby. The new caretaker's shed is now located on the eastern side of the campus, and the Sports Pavilion is ready for the summer season. The artificial cricket block is planned to go in on the upper field.

Images below: relocated Sports Pavilion with new access ramp and wrap-around deck and the grass growing where C-Block once stood.

The Senior Leadership Team and our School Board are working closely with the Ministry of Education on two proposed new teaching blocks. These buildings are part of the master plan, which is a comprehensive long-term planning document intended to establish and guide the future development of our school site.

Our new proposed teaching blocks are:

• A two-storey building in the central space (vacated by the former C-Block) to house specialist spaces, forming a creative hub. Two new food rooms and music spaces will occupy the ground floor, with performance spaces, including dance and drama occupying the upper level. The building will adjoin a new central landscaped courtyard.

• A second two-storey sixteen classroom general learning block to be located behind the hall. It will likely house English and Maths classrooms and connect to the courtyard space adjacent to the Canteen.

Image below: proposed changes to the school's site.

The Ministry of Education is reviewing the timing of when Blocks E and M will be demolished. However, they will not be used as teaching spaces from 2023. Dance and Drama have already moved to new spaces. Alternative music spaces are planned to be ready in term 1, 2023. These will consist of two portacom classrooms at the front of the school and a second specialist classroom developed in B2. The relocation of our Resource Centre (including uniforms) to the Library building and the Sports Office to the main gymnasium is also underway to provide additional classroom spaces for the school.

There is also a comprehensive plan being developed for remediation and weather tightness. The Ministry of Education is aware of how crucial it is to ensure teaching and learning will be unaffected while the redevelopment of the school is underway. They will continue to provide the school with ongoing communication of progress, including timeframes when they become more certain.

Today the school was presented with a Valued Employer Award due to the support we give teacher Frank Versteegen for his involvement with Land Search and Rescue. It is important that we support our community in this way. Just as our local community supports us.

Image above: Frank Versteegen (Teacher), Jeff Franks (Land Search & Rescue's Group Support Officer for the lower North Island) and Denise Johnson (Principal).

This year our Dungeons and Dragons club has had the generous support of Bea D&D Games on Jackson Street in Petone. They have provided our students with multitudes of resources to help our students participate in gaming. In addition, every HVHS student is offered a discount with the presentation of their student ID card. We are grateful for the adventures, laughs, and memories that Bea D&D Games has helped us cultivate.

Ngā mihi nui

Denise Johnson, Principal

Each newsletter highlights a different learning area at HVHS - this time its Maths. Below is a snapshot of our junior and senior math programmes, extension opportunities, and recent maths competition results.

Juniors

Our Junior mathematics programme has had a big overhaul with the advent of the new NCEA Numeracy co-requisite. The Year 9 programme now focuses on the skills we believe are likely to come up in the Numeracy assessment so we have more time to bed them in and ensure that the students are ready for the assessments in Year 10.

The Year 10 programme starts with preparing for the Numeracy assessment and then moves into extending the students' knowledge of algebra through the terms 2 and 3. The Year 10 students this year were part of the pilot for the Numeracy co-requisite and they did admirably both in terms of the results and their attitude and resilience toward the assessment. Year 10 students are now working on Geometry, Pythagoras and Trigonometry for the remainder of the year. A hugely impressive seventy three Year 10 students worked towards Level 1 algebra papers this year. Some may choose to accelerate and move to Year 12 Maths as Year 11 students.

Seniors

The senior students have now completed their final NCEA Exams, fingers crossed for the results they are hoping for. Year 11 students have completed a course that lines them up for a similar pathway in Year 12 and then towards Calculus, Statistics or General Maths in Year 13.

This year we have four students doing the Canterbury University distance learning programme as an extension course for Year 13 students who completed Level 3 Calculus a year early. The students are performing amazingly well and are averaging above the 90% cut-off for gaining A+ grades. There are currently thirteen Year 12 students in Year 13 Calculus who will have the same option next year. Hopefully, the numbers keep growing and a reasonable number of the seventy three Year 10 students mentioned previously take up the opportunity when they get to Year 13.

Maths Competitions

Students competed in the following Maths Competitions this year:

• MathsWell, a team based inter-school competition for Years 9-11.
• Senior Maths Competition a team-based inter-school competition for Years 12-13.
• Otago Junior Maths Competition, a two-stage competition for Years 9 -11, three of our students gained a Distinction grade (top 15% of candidates nationwide).
• Australian Maths Competition, an international competition for Years 9-13, five of our students gained distinction (top 20% of entrants across the world).
  

Congratulations to all the students who are taking up these opportunities to extend their maths knowledge.

Below: MathsWell team in action.

Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought it back. Science explains the universe, appeasing that innate sense of curiosity we all share. That curiosity surrounding the work we do in senior science is developed in the assorted Scholarship programs at HVHS. Scholarship Chemistry, Physics and Biology all combine and extend work in class to enable that more complete understanding of science that is so crucial for those challenging exams.

Instead of having focused knowledge relating to one standard of science, Scholarship requires the individual to have both a deep and broad understanding of the machination of our universe, and be able to apply that knowledge in contexts typically inaccessible in standard Level 2 and 3 science courses.

To that end, passionate teachers and students dedicate an afternoon or morning, once a week, to meet and explore science not just in preparation for a test, but for the love of Science itself. The desire for an answer is what science is truly about, and that burning need is satisfied in that room filled with the like-minded, but the home baking and chocolate definitely help too.

Images below: Science Scholarship students working together.

The Chair of the Board of Trustees has given permission for an early finish to scheduled classes during Spell 3, at 12.00pm on Wednesday 30 November. The early finish is for teaching staff who are members of the Secondary Teachers' Collective Agreement (STCA) to attend a paid regional union meeting.

The school timetable will be modified to provide for three lessons on the day. Students will be allowed to leave the school premises at 12:00pm. Provision will be made for those students who wish to remain at school to receive instruction from non-union staff members.

Congratulations to Luca Allwood (10CVRB), Violet Edwards (10CVRB), Brya Pinkerton (10AN), Georgia Rogers (10ANGL), Samantha Knox (10ANGL) and Lucy Davenport (10CS) who helped organise last week's bring-a-can fundraiser for non-uniform day. The cans and non-perishable items donated by students and staff will be donated to the Lower Hutt Food Bank. The Food Bank provides emergency food parcels, free to families and individuals within the Hutt community who are in need.

Image below (left to right): Luca Allwood, Violet Edwards, Brya Pinkerton and Georgia Rogers.

The Origami Club meets every Tuesday at lunchtime in D8. Origami is the art of paper folding with the goal of transforming a flat square sheet of paper into a beautifully finished sculpture. Origami Club has lots of books to inspire students as they work their way from the classic paper crane to more advanced sculptures. If you have any questions please get in touch with Julia Church (12FY) at 19036jc@hvhs.school.nz who runs the club or teacher Sarah Langley at sarah.langley@hvhs.school.nz. Everyone is welcome to drop by and give origami a go!

If you have any unused origami paper you're not planning to use, donations are also greatly received. Please drop it off at the HVHS office.

Hutt Valley High School is seeking an enthusiastic Learning Support Assistant (Teacher Aide) to work with our amazing students. Our teenage students have a range of learning, physical and behavioural needs, so we require our teacher aides to be patient, have good communication skills, build positive working relationships with students/whānau and colleagues to provide daily positive learning experiences. This is a fixed term position to cover parental leave for 27 hours per week during term time only, starting Monday 30 January 2023.

If you are looking for a supportive environment which is focused on supporting students to achieve to the best of their ability, then you are the sort of person who is likely to thrive in this role.

A position description and application form can be obtained from the school office, on our website www.hvhs.school.nz or email lana.goddard@hvhs.school.nz. Applications close on Friday 25 November 4.00pm and must include our application form.

Last Friday, the HVHS Finalists attended the 2022 Sportsperson of the Year Award's Evening. A huge congratulations to the following winners:

• Student Coach of the Year (Girls) - Amiria Hynes (13HY)
• Athlete of the Year (Girls) - Mikayla Sola (11SP)
• Premiership Pennant - Football Girls First XI
• Golf Player of the Year (Girls) - Danika Lee (12NI)
• Ultimate Frisbee Player of the Year (Boys) - Steve Leishman (13WR)
• Ultimate Frisbee Player of the Year (Girls) - Zara Bowen (13JDFX)
• Water Polo Player of the Year (Girls) - Kennedy Snelgrove (12IC)

Congratulations also to the following:

• Junior Girls touch team for placing 2nd and Junior Boys for placing 3nd in College Sport Wellington Touch Tournament.
• Andrés Cartwright-Salinas (9BAPS) and Tristan Hotter (9KTWN) who represented HVHS in the Wellington Region Junior Tennis Tournament.
  
• Junior Boys Team competing at Ki O Rahi who placed, 3rd place, missing out on finals with points differential.

We love hearing about our student's sporting achievements, you can share any updates by emailing sport@hvhs.school.nz.

In-Zone Applications

Enrolments for 2023 are open for students who live in-zone. We ask that parents enrol now so that we can plan for your child's learning needs for 2023 and ensure a smooth transition to high school. A big advantage to enrolling now is that your child will receive the email with subject selections (some subjects have limited spaces) and a booking time for an Enrolment Conversation. Please complete an online enrolment application. If you have challenges with internet and/or computer access you can also bring your documents into HVHS and use a laptop at reception.

Already Enrolled for Year 9 2023

For those Year 8 students joining us next year, look out for an email regarding subject selections and booking a time for an Enrolment Conversation.

Out-Of-Zone Applications

Out-of-zone applications for students in years 9-13 in 2023 have now closed.

A final reminder that photograph records remain available online at INphotography.store for direct delivery only. Orders will be accepted up to and including Friday 9 December to ensure delivery before the end of 2022. Orders received after this date will be processed at the end of January 2023.

To access the photographs you will need to refer to the details last emailed to you on Wednesday 19 October.

INphotography wishes to thank families that placed orders throughout the year, they appreciate your support of their local business. For those who may still have us on your ‘to-do list’ or need that extra print for the Grandparents for Christmas, your chance is now!

For any enquiries on school photos please check out INphotography's FAQ page - https://inphotography.nz/inp_faqs/ or email Kirstyn - admin@inphotography.nz.

2022

Friday 25 November

NCEA Teacher Only Day (No Classes) -

Monday 28 November

Year 10 Production (KO Group), 6-7pm

Tuesday 29 November

Year 10 Production (KO Group), 6-7pm and 7-8pm (MI Group)

Wednesday 30 November

Union meeting, school closed from 12 midday

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

Year 10 Production (MI Group), 7-8pm

Thursday 1 December

NCEA Teacher Only Day (No Classes)

Friday 2 December

Big 10 Sports Day for students in Year 10

Year 10 Production (MI Group), 7-8pm

Monday 5 December

Year 13 Prizegiving, 6-8pm

Year 10 Production (FY Group), 6:30-7:30pm

Tuesday 6 December

Year 10 Production (FY Group), 6:30-7:30pm and 7:30-8:30pm (BE Group)

Wednesday 7 December

Supported Learning Centre (SLC) Concert, 3:30-5:00pm

Year 10 Production (FY Group), 6:30-7:30pm and 7:30-8:30pm (BE Group)

Thursday 8 December

Year 10 Production (BE Group), 7:30-8:30pm

Last day of Term 4

2023

Wednesday 1 February

First day of term 1 for students in year 9 starting at 9am

Thursday 2 February

First day of term 1 for students in years 10-13, starting at 11am

Year 9 students start at 9:00am

Monday 6 February

Waitangi Day (School Closed)

Email: principal@hvhs.school.nz
Website: https://www.hvhs.school.nz
Location: Woburn Road Lower Hutt, 5010 Wellington
Phone: +64 4 566 4584
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hvhs.school.nz