HVHS Newsletter
Thursday, 27 August - Week 6, Term 3
Kia ora e te whānau,
As we head into another action-packed stretch of the term, there is a distinct buzz across our school grounds. Next week, our athletes, coaches, and managers head off to represent us at the New Zealand Secondary Schools' Winter Tournament Week, travelling to all corners of New Zealand.
Our Sports Office is currently meeting with coaches and managers to help them prepare for the week ahead. Beyond the competition itself, we have been reinforcing the importance of representing our kura with pride - competing with heart, striving for victory, and showing humility and dignity whether we win or lose. Staying with teammates and travelling across the country creates some of the absolute best memories of a young person’s school life. Let’s make sure this week is unforgettable for all the right reasons!
We owe a massive debt of gratitude to our coaches, managers, and supporters; school sport simply wouldn't happen without the incredible generosity and goodwill of our volunteer community. I hope you find the experience deeply rewarding, and that our students make every moment - from the long travel days and shared meal prep to the late-night strategy sessions and injury management - truly worthwhile for you.
Ghosted Premiere
Our incredible Drama Department, in collaboration with a group of talented students, has put together a feature film titled Ghosted.
While our performing arts crew will not be traveling for tournament week, they have dedicated an immense amount of time and effort to every stage of this project - from the initial writing and storyboarding to the filming and directing of this feature film.
Date: Monday, 14 September, 6pm
Venue: Petone Lighthouse Cinema
Tickets: $20, Available from the HVHS Resource Centre
Be sure to grab your tickets early to support our phenomenal student filmmakers and actors on the big screen!
Looking at our students packing their gear and fine-tuning their performances for filming, this week reminds me of why these extra-curricular moments matter so much. Years from now, our rangatahi won't necessarily remember every tactic board session or script revision, but they will remember the laughter in the vans, the shared meals, the nerves behind the camera, and the feeling of belonging to something bigger than themselves.
To all our tournament teams, coaches, and managers: travel safely and give it your absolute all on the field. To our performing arts crews: thank you for the vision and creativity you have poured into your work. We are so proud of how you all represent our school with mana and respect.
Ngā mihi nui,
Denise Johnson (Principal)
Numeracy
CAA Numeracy exam results came out at the start of the term, marking many Year 10 students' first taste of an NCEA assessment. For those that didn't pass, there are plenty more opportunities and other avenues to get Numeracy. The next assessment window for the Numeracy exam re-sits is in Week 8 (see article below), and we want every student going in as prepared as possible.
Year 10 students have been emailed details about the dedicated google classroom and where to find resources to study for the exam, while we work on Algebra in class. Students in Year 11 and above should join the dedicated Google Classroom (code: 5xsk2rdf) for important notices and support about the numeracy exam.
HVHS Accelerated Pathway
We currently have many students taking up acceleration opportunities in Maths this year, with just over 80 students in Year 10 attempting the Year 11 Mathematical Reasoning NCEA exam a year early. The Maths Learning Area is running tutorials every Friday morning to help prepare for this, and turnout so far has been excellent. Forty-one students in Years 11 and 12 will also be attempting the Year 13 Calculus' Complex Numbers NCEA exam.
This year we also have seven students on track to complete studying the University of Canterbury's MAT198 course as distance learning students. This course covers a significant chunk of first year university Mathematics and it's so great to see them embracing the challenge and getting a taste of what university-level maths looks like.
For any questions about Mathematics Learning Area, please email Kasper Black (Head of Mathematics) at kasper.black@hvhs.school.nz
As part of their Culinary Competition unit, our Year 12 Hospitality students swapped the classroom for the cafe last week, walking down to Bellbird Eatery to meet award-winning chef and beef and lamb ambassador Chetan Pangam and sample his entry in this year's Visa Wellington On A Plate's Burgers competition, the 'Lamb-da rassa pao'.
The plan was to gather in The Dowse event space for the chef's talk, but with the sun peeking through, Chetan moved the group out onto Bellbird's deck instead. Students sat at the outdoor tables in the sun while he shared stories from his career in hospitality - what goes into a WOAP entry, and the small details that separate a good burger from a winning one.
Then came the part everyone had been waiting for: the tasting. Chetan's WOAP burger went down an absolute treat, washed down with copious amounts of coke, with students unanimously rating it a perfect 10/10. Beyond the (very tasty) burger, the trip gave students a genuine look at the industry standards, creativity, and consistency they'll be aiming for in their own team's burger and sides as they head into their own Culinary Competition later this term.
A huge thank you to Chef Chetan Pangam and the team at Bellbird Eatery for hosting our students so generously.
Image: Award-winning chef and beef and lamb ambassador Chetan Pangam and the Year 12 Hospitality students outside Bellbird Eatery.
Living on the Pacific Ring of Fire means natural disasters are a real possibility, and with Hutt Valley High School (HVHS) located in a tsunami zone, preparedness is essential. Wellington Regional Emergency Management gives this advice: Long or Strong – Get Gone! If an earthquake is longer than one minute OR strong enough that it is difficult to stand, immediate evacuation is required as soon as shaking stops.
Student Assembly & Dismissal
In the event of a severe earthquake meeting this threshold, HVHS students have been instructed to evacuate out of the tsunami zone immediately. All students and staff will gather at Hutt Intermediate's School field. Students will be dismissed directly from Hutt Intermediate. Once safety is established, students must follow their family's agreed reunification plan.
Reminder - Discuss Your Family's Emergency Plan
Please talk with your child to ensure they clearly understand your family's emergency plan and know where to go once dismissed from the assembly site. To help with planning, Wellington Regional Emergency Management's has a helpful planning guide, click here to view it.
The English Learning Area is running a haiku competition this term. A haiku is a three-line Japanese poem with a 5-7-5 syllable structure that captures a moment in time.
The competition is open to all students, on any topic in a haiku format. Students are encouraged to submit their (human-written, no AI assistance) entries to Kate MacManus (English Teacher) at kate.macmanus@hvhs.school.nz by Friday, 4 September.
We're currently running low on donated uniforms, especially school skirts and black formal trousers. If your student has outgrown their uniform or no longer needs it, please consider donating it back to HVHS.
We'll ensure it is passed on to a student who needs it or loaned to a student who needs a replacement uniform item for a couple of days. Any uniform items you wish to donate can be dropped to the HVHS Office, open Monday to Friday from 8am-4pm during term time.
Contact Information
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