HVHS Newsletter

From 11:00am onwards the new build will come alive with the sound of music and the sight of pirouettes and monologues as our performing arts students fill the specialist rooms. You can also expect some wonderful aromas drifting across the quad as we celebrate with food.

While the new C Block (pictured above) is the "glamour" piece of this project, we are equally celebratory about the completion of our extensive weathertightness work. It might not be as flashy, but its impact is arguably more important for the daily well-being of our students and staff.

We now have:

• A modern outward facing facade to Woburn Road

• New windows and roofs

• Upgraded eaves and modern bathrooms

• A healthy environment: No more leaks and no potential for mould!

• Large-scale projects depend on the dedication of those involved.

We extend our sincere thanks to Hawkins Construction for overseeing both the new construction and remediation work. Their professional engagement and positive collaboration were instrumental to our success.

Specifically, we owe a debt of gratitude to Lee Campbell and Benji Solomona - site managers. On paper, they were "just doing their jobs," but in reality, they went well above and beyond—responding to call-outs in the middle of storms and working late nights to ensure everything was perfect for official Ministry of Education visits.

We also want to thank Trudie Ward (MoE Delivery Manager) for her superb support. Alongside our Property Manager, Simon Kydd, Trudie kept us on task and ensured every detail met the highest standards.

Old Gym Refurbishment

Simultaneously, we are nearing the completion of the Old Gym (Girls’ Gym) refurbishment, led by Rhys Finlay Contractors. Built in 1956, an era when PE was strictly separated by gender, this gym is a piece of our history. It has been transformed into a modern facility already in full use by PE classes, sports teams, and a growing group of staff. This project was a true community effort, and I thank everyone who contributed to its rebirth.

Are our building days over forever? Likely not. We still have numerous portacoms and prefabs on-site, some of which will be moved during the upcoming holidays, and hopefully a permanent build will replace what is left. However, we can all enjoy a well-deserved reprieve from the major construction dust for a while.

ERO (Education Review Office) is visiting us on Tuesday, 2 June for three days. Three Review Officers will meet with students and staff as well as the School Board and Senior Leadership Team. They will trawl through all our documentation and make assessments on where we rate against 14 criteria.

The 14 key areas are: student achievement, student progress, reading and writing and foundational literacy, mathematics and foundational literacy, attendance, engagement and belonging, equity, leadership, teaching, curriculum, assessment, provision for students with additional needs, school improvement, and governance and the school board. Here is a recently released guide for parents and whānau on ERO's role, for more information click here.

Ngā mihi nui,

Denise

Thank you to the many parents of Year 9 & 10 students who visited the school last week to meet with their child's mentor teacher.

For our Year 11-13 families, Parent/Teacher Interviews will take place on Thursday, 11 June and Wednesday, 17 June. Bookings will be available in-person at school or remotely via video call. Keep an eye on your inbox for the booking link and further instructions.

Last year, over 60 HVHS staff and students travelled to Massey University's Toi Rauwhārangi College of Creative Arts (CoCa) to record the school waiata ‘E Tipu’ and we're excited now to be sharing the live recording.

The arrangement was constructed by Nicholas Kovacev, current HVHS music teacher and past pupil, and includes students from the String Orchestra, Jazz Band, Volante, and members of our Poly Club. The studio recording was under the instruction of legendary studio engineer and Aotearoa music icon Mike Gibson.

In the video below, you'll also see past HVHS Music teacher Gary Wilby who joined our String Orchestra for the day, along with our itinerant teachers, Alex Vaatstra, Joanna Dann and Chris Buckland. Also featured in the video is former student, Tara Randall, who graduated in 2024, and joined Volante for the day.

So far this year, we have been running full steam ahead with a programme that has sparked curiosity in both teachers and students, along with a lot of laughter and building positive relationships. 2026 started with a new leadership team. Tom Salway is the Head of Science, supported by Kelly D’Mello, Gareth Hilton and Kylie Miller. We’ve also had some new additions to the team with Teresa Divan and Han Fang joining the Learning Area to teach Science (Years 9-11) and Chemistry (Years 12-13). Shelley Meehan also returns to us from maternity leave, teaching Biology (Year 13) and Science (Years 9-11).

Our focus over the coming years is revamping our junior science curriculum, with a focus on Year 10 in 2026 and Year 9 in 2027. Our redesigned science programme will align with the new curriculum being developed by the Ministry of Education and will give students the opportunity to follow a two year junior science course that is engaging and grounded in contextual knowledge that students need to thrive in the future. The course involves students studying plants, surveying Te Awa Kairangi, learning about the origins of the universe and explaining how our body functions. The revamped junior curriculum will tie in to our already successful, redesigned Year 11 courses, which has seen the highest uptake in students taking science at Year 11 in a number of years. This includes 57 students taking our newer “Science and Sustainability” programme, which we’re thrilled about.

We’ve also had a number of exciting excursions to explore science outside of the classroom this term. Year 12 Biology students went to visit Petone beach to investigate zonation in the coastal environment. With all of the bad weather that we’ve had over the last few weeks, they were lucky enough to get a spell of sunshine and light winds!

Our horticulture students have also been making the most of the conditions and have been growing a range of fine vegetables in our horticulture plot. This shouldn’t overshadow the practical work we’re also doing in class, with students extracting DNA from strawberries, precipitating silver in glass jars, tracking pests around the school grounds and even dissecting bones. The excitement never stops in science, and we’re looking forward to sharing wonderful insights about the world around us in the coming months.

Rei Stokes has been leading the charge for embedding Mātauranga Māori into our science courses and has been getting involved with the Pūhoro programme. They took four awesome Year eleven students to open Pūhoro in the Wellington region at Te Herenga Waka (Victoria University) this term. This is a STEMM program, by Māori, for Māori and has amazing opportunities for students.

While students were representing the school, they also got to compete in a mini robotics competition, live programming a small rover style robot and having them choreograph their movement and even their sounds! It was wonderful to see Mātauranga Māori being supported and celebrated, which is something we are striving to improve in our department too. Students who want to join for one on one tutoring and extra opportunities to gain connections in sciences for their future should contact Whaea Rei.

For any questions about the Science Learning, please email Tom Salway (Head of Learning Area - Science) at tom.salway@hvhs.school.nz.

Join us on Wednesday, 27 May from 6-8pm for our school’s annual Open Evening. The Open Evening begins at 6pm with an introduction from Principal, Denise Johnson. To accomodate families the introduction will be repeated again at 6:45pm.

After the 6pm introduction, student-led tours will depart from the School Hall. The evening is a fantastic opportunity for parents, caregivers and students interested in attending in 2027 to walk around the school and see our learning areas in action. No registration is required – everyone is welcome to attend!

Families with students sitting CAA exams were emailed in early May; this article is a friendly reminder of the key dates and provides information on the exams themselves.

A quick recap: CAAs (Common Assessment Activities) are online tests, and involve three separate tests: one each for Reading, Writing, and Numeracy. These three tests are co-requisites that students must pass to achieve NCEA. In Term 2 at HVHS, Year 10 students sit the Numeracy test, while students in Years 11–13 have the opportunity to re-sit any of the three tests if required.

Helpful Information

• If a student needs a borrow a device to sit their exam, please request form by clicking here as soon as possible.

• Check your device meets the NZQA specifications for digital assessments by clicking here.
• Students may bring a pen, a clear pencil bag and a clear drink bottle. For Numeracy exams, students may also bring rulers and calculators (see the Maths department if you need one).
• For students with Special Assessment Conditions (SAC), please follow the instructions sent from the Learning Support team.
• General NZQA external assessment rules apply.
• Students must go to timetabled classes when they are not in the tests.
• Students must be in uniform.

Year 10 Students

NUMERACY ONLY

Monday, 18 May

Spells 1 & 2 in the Hall: 10ADSB, 10ASKO, 10BESD, 10BLNC, 10DMST & 10WMCE

Spells 3 & 4 in the Hall: 10DRCR, 10GIMI, 10RNOL, 10WBSC, 10WHAR, 10WSLN & 10GFDI

Students in Years 11-13 Re-sitting CAAs

NUMERACY - Tuesday, 19 May, Spells 3 & 4 in the Hall

READING - Wednesday, 20 May, Spells 3 & 4 in the Hall

WRITING - Thursday, 21 May - Spells 3 & 4 in the Hall

For any questions please contact, Katie Long (Head of Technology Learning Area/ Principal's Nominee NZQA) at katie.long@hvhs.school.nz.

Our team of Youth Workers, Lorenz Arabelo, Kaitlin Kirk and David Prendergast are running events during lunchtimes all of next week. Youth Week is for open to all students and year group, and is about celebrating rangatahi.

Need New School Trousers & Shorts?

From the start of 2027, all students will be required to wear the approved school trousers and shorts, which will only be available for purchase through the Resource Centre. If you need to purchase black trousers or shorts, we strongly recommend purchasing the correct ones from the Resource Centre now to avoid having to buy another pair at the start of next year.

Warmer Uniform Options for Winter

As the weather gets colder, the Resource Centre has a range of warmer items for students, including jackets with hoods ($75), scarves ($40), beanies ($20), and pom-pom beanies ($30). All items are in stock and available to purchase.

Resource Centre Opening Hours

The Resource Centre's opening hours are Monday to Thursday from 11:00am to 2:30pm, and it is closed on Fridays. The Resource Centre is located upstairs in the Library area. To visit, please enter through the School Office in the Main Administration Building and follow the signs to the Library. For any questions, please email resource.centre@hvhs.school.nz.

We are always looking for new host families to help with hosting international student attending HVHS. We have a large number of one-term students from Japan and Brazil arriving for Term 3.

If you are considering having an international student in your home, then this is a great way to find out if hosting works for your family and if you would like to host long term.

What's Required?

If your family:

• Can provide a welcoming and supportive environment,

• Has a spare bedroom available, and

• Lives in-zone (preferred).

We encourage you to consider becoming a homestay family. Homestay families receive $350 per week, and it is a wonderful opportunity to learn about diverse traditions, cultures, and languages while supporting a young person during their time in Aotearoa.

For more information or to express your interest, please email our Homestay Coordinator, Anna Kingsford, at anna.kingsford@hvhs.school.nz, and include a short bio about your family and a contact phone number.

Our Service Leaders, Hugh McWhinnie (13JDPN) and Izzy Fogarty (13JDPN) and the HVHS 2026 Relay For Life Team are fundraising hard - with $9,407 raised so far! The HVHS Relay for Life team is always looking for more students and staff to sign up and fundraise. Relay for Life takes place on Saturday, 30 May and Sunday, 31 May so there is still plenty of time for fundraising.

Relay for Life is a community event to celebrate survivors, remembers those we’ve lost, and helps fight back against cancer by raising life-saving funds for the Cancer Society.

To register to join the HVHS Team, visit the Relay for Life website (or click the green link below), select 'Wellington' and under teams search for 'Hutt Valley High School'. It’s a great opportunity to have lots of fun, and raise funds for a great cause!

Already signed up and planning to come to the Relay for Life event? If you're planning to come to Relay for Life event on Saturday, 30 May and Sunday, 31 May with the HVHS Relay for Life team remember to fill out the permission slip and drop it off at the School Office by Monday, 25 May.

For any questions, please email Tim Fox (Deputy Principal) at tim.fox@hvhs.school.nz.

StudyLink

For seniors planning their next steps we recommend regularly checking the HVHS CareerWise website for upcoming presentations and new events. We have the team from StudyLink at HVHS running information sessions in early June. These sessions cover:

• Student Loans & Allowances: Understanding the difference and what they cover.

• Eligibility: Finding out what support students may be entitled to.

• Preparation: Identifying the documents required for future applications.

StudyLink Session Times (HVHS Library):

• Thursday 4 June: 9:00am

• Tuesday 9 June: 1:30pm

The key enrolment application dates for in‑zone and out‑of‑zone students entering Years 9–13 in 2027 are available on the HVHS website by clicking here. The first important date for families is Monday, 25 May, when Year 9-13 enrolments open for both in‑zone and out‑of‑zone applications for the 2027 school year.

Adventure Racing & Orienteering

Cameron Johns (12BB) competed in several adventure racing competitions as part of an Onslow College team. The team won the Schools Division at the Taranaki 6 Hour Adventure Race, and unofficially came second in the North Island Secondary Schools Adventure Racing Championships in the Rangitikei Adventure 12 hour race. (The result was unofficial as a two-school team wasn't allowed). Cameron also competed at the New Zealand Orienteering Championships in the M18A grade, placing 8th in the sprint, 4th in the middle distance, 9th in the long distance, and in the open red long relay his team placed 18th.

Basketball

Lilly Heather (12FE) and Lara Eggers (13JM) have been selected for the Hutt Valley Representative Team. They recently competed at the regional tournament and, after a nail‑biting final, their team won. They’re now heading to Nationals in July.

Netball

Congratulations to the following students, selected for Hutt Valley Netball (HVN) representative teams:

• NHV U16 Team (Gold) - Mackenzie Gwerder (11GS)
• NHV U16 Team (Green) - Marly Karaha (11KV)
• NHV U16 Team (White) - Gemma Gibson (11DS)
• NHV U18 Team - Daisy Johnson (12CT) and Tess Gendall (13WR).

Hockey

Peyton Burgess (9RBTS) and Kain Burgess (9PAFN) have been selected for Wellington Hockey's Under 14 Regional Pathway and Performance Programme.

Hyrox

Coco Holland-Waterson (13JDPN) recently competed in the Asia Pacific (APAC) Hyrox Competition in Brisbane. Her success was exceptional; competing against 19,000 of the best Hyrox athletes from around Australia, Asia, New Zealand, and the Pacific, 17 years old, Coco was one of the youngest competitors.

Coco won gold in two categories and qualified to go to the World Champs in Sweden for the second time (she also qualified after winning the New Zealand Hyrox event earlier in the year).

Coco's APAC Hyrox Results:

• Open Women’s Race: 1st in the 16–24 age group and 3rd overall.

• Pro Women’s Race: 1st in the 16–24 age group and 2nd overall.

Coco was the youngest competitor in the Pro category, where the events involve weights 30% heavier than those in the Open race.

Sport Fees

A reminder that all winter sport payments are due today (Friday, 15 May).

Sports Achievements

If you have any sporting successes to share, please let us know so we can acknowledge these. You can send details and any photos to sport@hvhs.school.nz.

The Music Department is on the search for keen junior students (Years 9-10) to pick up violin and viola lessons this term. We have instruments and spaces available and would love to welcome more students into lessons with Alex Vaatstra.

Currently there is space for 8+ junior students to join violin and viola lessons, and instruments are available to hire at $25 per term. Lessons are once a week on a Thursday for 30 minutes, lessons are scheduled to ensure students do not miss the same class time each week.

If you're interested or would like more information, please email Jhan Lindsay at music@hvhs.school.nz.

The Urinetown team are looking to borrow a pair of small-ish light weight chairs (see picture) to use as part of the set. The ideal chairs are a matched pair, something 50's / 60's mid century modern.

We'd like to borrow the set of chairs from Monday 18 May (week 5) to Friday, 10 July (first week of school holidays). If you're able to help, please email Annette Inglis (Production Team) at annette.inglis@hvhs.school.nz

Did you know you can now place Tuckr canteen orders through the Kindo app? To get started, simply download the myKindo app or visit the myKindo website to create your account. Select from the menu, and your student collects it at the canteen. Fast, easy and no cash required. Orders or cancellations close at 9:00am.

Tuckr are currently running a promotion with every order placed via the myKindo app going in the draw to win $50 Kindo credits and $250 fuel vouchers. Terms and conditions apply.

• Education Outside the Classroom (EOTC)
• EOTC Governance Roles and Responsibilities
• EOTC Risk Assessment and Management
• International Learners

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, 24 May, 2026.

At HVHS we want every student to have the opportunity to learn and thrive. One of the ways we support this is by making sure students who arrive without breakfast or enough food for the day can access kai when they need it.

If you’re able to help, we are currently seeking donations of sandwich spreads, muesli bars and Up & Go breakfast drinks. Donations can be dropped directly to the School Office during term time, Monday to Friday, 8am–4pm. For any questions, you’re also welcome to email Claire Ross (Head of Wellbeing) at claire.ross@hvhs.school.nz. Ka nui te mihi.

Has your child achieved something amazing? We’d love to hear about and celebrate our students’ successes outside the classroom — whether in sport, music, speech, dance, or other activities.

If your child has a sporting achievement, please email the details to Kristi Tia (Sports Director) at sport@hvhs.school.nz. For all other achievements, contact Lana Goddard (Principal’s PA) at office@hvhs.school.nz.

One of the planned highlights of our upcoming 100th Celebrations on Saturday 8 August will be a massed musical performance of our school waiata, E Tipu. Current students, staff and alumni are warmly invited to take part in this special item, bringing our community together.

Everyone who is keen to be involved is asked to gather at 2pm on Saturday 8 August in the Music Block for a short briefing, with cases and bags able to be securely stored in a Music classroom until after the performance. From there, everyone will head over to the hall to set up, warm up, tune and rehearse E Tipu before the massed performance at 3pm.

Our aim for the performance is to have at least 150 instrumentalists playing and 300 singers. All students and staff at Hutt Valley High School sing the song regularly at assemblies and celebrations and we encourage those students at school for the 100th Open Day to come and sing in this large-scale massed celebration performance.

To help everyone prepare, below you can now download the instrumental parts to practise in the lead‑up to the big day in August 2026. They are also available on the school website.

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

Music Parts for E Tipu Performance

• Bass Instruments (Easy) e.g. bass guitar, double bass & tuba
• Bass Instruments (Intermediate)
• B Flat Instruments e.g. clarinet, trumpet and tenor saxophone
• C Instruments e.g. violin & flute
• E Flat Instrument e.g. alto saxophone
• Guitar, Chords
• Viola

A reminder to families that summer sports & class photos are ready to preview, download, and purchase.

Access Information

Please see the email sent from INphotography on 31 March or 4 May for access details. The access details are the same for both.

Happy viewing and for any questions, please contact INphotography by clicking here.

Come along to see the final products, enjoy the creativity on display, and celebrate the hard mahi our students have put into bringing their business ideas to life. Check out the details below.

Monday 18 May

• Common Assessment Activities (CAAs), Literacy & Numeracy Testing, Runs till Friday, 22 May)
• Youth Week at HVHS

• Rockquest & Tangata Beats, Regional Heats

• Formal Opening of C-Block, 7:15am-9:15am

• HVHS Open Evening for New Students & Families, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Friday 29 May

• Teacher Only Day (No classes for students)

• Relay for Life Fundraiser, Hnry Stadium (Formerly Sky Stadium)

Monday 1 June

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

• Canterbury University - College House Presentation, 1:30pm-2:30pm, Library

• StudyLink Information Session, 9:00am-10:00am, Library

Tuesday 9 June

• Whanganui Sports Exchange
• StudyLink Information Session, 1:30pm-2:30pm, Library
• Learning Community Hub (Subject Selection), HVHS Staffroom, 6:30pm-7:30pm

• The Big Sing - Wellington Regional Festival, Michael Fowler Centre. Session times to be confirmed.

Thursday 11 June

• Parent/Teacher Interviews for Years 11-13 Families, Day 1 of 2 (No classes, all students learning from home)

Friday, 12 June

• House Competition, 4-Way Volleyball, 1:30pm-2:15pm

Monday 15 June

• Schools' Pride Week Aotearoa 2026, Runs till Friday, 19 June

Wednesday 17 June

• Parent/Teacher Interviews for Years 11-13 Families, Day 2 of 2 (No classes, all students learning from home)

Tuesday 23 June

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

Thursday 25 June

• Year 11 Market Evening, 4:00pm-6:00pm

• Hutt Fest, Walter Nash Stadium

Tuesday 30 June

• Urinetown The Musical, Dress Rehearsal, HVHS Hall, 12:30pm-3:30pm
• Urinetown The Musical, Performance, HVHS Hall, 7:00pm-9:00pm

• Urinetown The Musical, Performance, HVHS Hall, 7:00pm-9:00pm

• Urinetown The Musical, Performance, HVHS Hall, 7:00pm -9:00pm

• Last Day of Term 2
• Urinetown The Musical, Performance, HVHS Hall, 7:00pm-9:00pm

Saturday 4 July

• Urinetown The Musical, Final Performance, HVHS Hall, 2:00pm- 4:00pm

Monday 20 July

• First Day of Term 3

• Whānau Hui, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Friday 7 August

• Students Learning From Home (No classes for Years 9-13)
• 100th Celebrations, Teachers, Staff and Board Members Reunion, HVHS Staffroom, 4:00pm-7:00pm

Saturday, 8 August

• 100th Open Day Celebrations, 10:00am-4:00pm
• Special Early Dinner for Alumni in the 1940s Decade & Early 1950s, HVHS C Block, 5:30-7:30pm

Tuesday 11 August

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

Monday 17 August

• House Has Talent, Runs till Friday 21 August, HVHS Hall

Friday 21 August

• Wellington Tertiary Open Day

• Coaches & Managers Meeting for Winter Tournament Week, HVHS Staffroom, 6:00pm-7:00pm

• New Zealand Secondary Schools Winter Tournament Week Starts, Runs till Friday, 4 September

• Common Assessment Activities (CAAs) for Level 1 Literacy & Numeracy Testing, Runs till Friday 11 September

• Hockey Prizegiving, HVHS Staffroom, 5:30pm-7:30pm

Tuesday 15 September

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

• Winter Sports Team & Duke of Edinburgh Photos, HVHS Hall
• Football Prizegiving, HVHS Hall, 5:30pm-7:30pm

• Year 13 Ball, 7:00pm-11:00pm

Monday 21 September

• Basketball Prizegiving, HVHS Hall, 5:30pm-7:30pm

• Netball Prizegiving, HVHS Hall, 6:00pm-8:00pm

• Rugby Prizegiving, HVHS Hall, 6:00pm-8:00pm

Friday 25 September

• Last Day of Term 3

Monday 12 October

• First Day of Term 4
• Derived Grade Exams Begin, Running till Wednesday 21 October

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