Kia ora koutou,
Welcome to Term 3! I know I can confidently speak for both myself and Tim Fox when I say how pleased we are to be Acting Co-Principals while Denise Johnson is away on sabbatical. We have some big shoes to fill, but are enjoying the challenge so far. We’re also delighted to be working closely with Mark Oates (Head of PE, Food & Health Learning Area), who has donned a shirt and tie in place of his PE shorts and tee-shirt, and joined the Senior Leadership Team as Acting Deputy Principal this term.
The start of any new term is a great time for a reset. It’s a fresh start and a moment for our students to pause and make sure they’re getting things right. As a mother of two school-aged children, I understand that it can be a challenge - they don’t want to get out of bed in the morning, they don’t want to wear their school hoodie, they don’t want to study for their numeracy test. It is, however, in the middle of winter when the year feels never-ending that the basics need their attention the most. School uniforms should be worn with pride; phones should be in the wall pockets every lesson and not used on school grounds; attendance is key - if your child isn’t in class they simply can’t learn. Let's work in partnership to help them make good choices.
Now would be a good time for Year 13 students who haven’t yet spoken to our Careers or Pathways team, to book an appointment and have a conversation about how we can support them as they make decisions about next year and their future beyond school. Please contact Jude Allen (Head of Careers and Transition Pathways) at jude.allen@hvhs.school.nz for more information.
I’d like to take this opportunity to farewell one of our Deputy Principals, Nick Larkin, who is leaving at the end of week 3 to take up a Deputy Principal position at St Oran’s College. Nick has been a fixture of HVHS for more than 30 years and has played a huge role in shaping the school’s culture and direction. He has a patient manner with students and a generous sense of humour that we will certainly miss. I’m sure you will join me in thanking him for his many, many years of service to our school and community, and wish him the best of luck at St Oran’s.
The School Board would also like to thank everyone who provided feedback on the draft Strategic Plan 2026-2028 during Term 2. The plan is now being refined based on the feedback received from our school community.
Ngā mihi nui,
Fiona Pearson, Co-Principal | Tumuaki (Acting, Term 3 2025)
On Friday 18 July, parents and caregivers were emailed information from Election Pilot (our school’s Returning Officer) about the upcoming school board elections.
Nominations are now open for five parent representative positions on our school board. To nominate yourself or someone else:
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Visit the Election Pilot website to complete an online nomination form, or
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Pick up a printed nomination form from the School Office (open 8am–4pm, Monday to Friday).
All nominations must be received by midday on Wednesday, 6 August 2025. If you have any questions, please contact Election Pilot on 0800 VOTE NZ (0800 868 369) or email election@electionpilot.nz.
Currently, we are encouraging our strongest Year 12 and 13 writers to enter a piece of creative writing in the Mansfield Short Story Award 2025. Entries for this close on Monday, 11 August. If students are keen, they can enter online by clicking here or contact their English Teacher.
This year has also brought the continued presence of ChatGPT and other AI tools into the classroom. While we recognise the potential of these technologies to support learning, we are concerned that some students may be using them as a shortcut to success. In English, we are consistently reinforcing the message that writing is challenging. This is what makes it worthwhile. Mastery takes time, effort and regular practice. We want students to bring their own creative ideas to class, to take risks in their writing, and to view AI as a support rather than a substitute. No internet tool can replace the originality and insight of a student’s own voice. Every year, we are amazed by the creativity of our ākonga, and we look forward to seeing that continue well into the digital future.
The HVHS Orienteering Team (pictured) of Mac Smith (12PL), Cameron Johns (11BB), Callum Cross (12TW), Ferghus Smith (10SRPD), Jacob Williams (10GSSP) recently competed at the New Zealand
Secondary Schools Orienteering Championships, achieving a number of top 10 individual finishes and an unconfirmed 5th place for the Intermediate relay team of Cameron Johns (11BB), Ferghus Smith (10SRPD) and Jacob Williams (10GSSP).
Jacob Williams (10GSSP) has recently been named as a member of the New Zealand Secondary Schools’ Orienteering team, which will contest the Southern Cross Trophy in Australia later this year.
Harper Regan (10KVDU) from the Junior A Boys Basketball team has been selected for an Aotearoa Basketball Development team to travel to Melbourne in January 2026.
Aaron Chong (13JD) travelled to Palmerston North to play for the Waikato U19 Badminton team (pictured) to compete in the New Zealand Juniors Teams Championships. Aaron's team won 5 out of 6 games and came 2nd in Division 1. Aaron is also playing for the Hutt Valley North Island (Central Region) Seniors Badminton team.
Kayne Howat (12LE) and Hannah Sampson (11VY) recently competed in the Tri Series with the Swimming New Zealand Youth Development Team (pictured), up against the Victoria and Western Australia teams in Melbourne, Australia.
A big thank you to all the parents and coaches for their hard work and support of our students. We can’t do any of this without your help!
Winter sports photos are scheduled for Thursday, 18 September. The schedule will be sent out to students next month.
Our Dungeons & Dragons groups have space for new players. If you know a student who is struggling to find their place here at HVHS or could use a bit of extra social growth, encourage them to come along - or to rejoin if they've been part of the D&D group previously. D&D sessions run in V8 every Thursday after school until 5:30pm. We’ll help new players find a group that suits them.
We’re also looking for student volunteers to run games, which counts as volunteer experience. Interested students can attend on a Thursday to find out more or contact Marcus Blomquist at marcus.blomquist@hvhs.school.nz.
Congratulations to the following students who have participated and completed their Duke of Edinburgh Award:
- Bronze Award - Ashley McHenry (11SK) & Rowan Binnie (11VY)
Silver Award - Cassidy Blakeborough (11NS)
These awards are the result of a combination of months of community service, learning a skill, participating in physical activity and challenging themselves in an adventurous journey, where they learn basic bushcraft and life skills along the way.
It’s fantastic to see so many of our students actively participating in the Duke of Edinburgh Award, embracing the challenge with enthusiasm and commitment. Through this inspiring program, they’re building confidence, resilience, and a real sense of achievement that will benefit them far beyond the classroom.
Duke of Edinburgh - Participant Assistance Fund
The Duke of Edinburgh Award is open to all students who wish to participate. For students and families who may find the costs associated with the programme challenging, there is a Participant Assistance Fund set up to:
Provide support for participants whose enrolment fee may be a barrier.
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Offer limited support, on a case-by-case basis, for the Adventurous Journey.
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In some cases, assist with other costs to help participants complete their Award.
Innovative Young Minds (IYM) is open to all girls in the greater Wellington region as an opportunity to be exposed to women in STEMM, learn a great deal, and also as a tool to help decide what to study and pursue as a career.
I signed up and was accepted as one of 40 students (pictured) to take part. It was a 6-day event during the Term 2 school holidays, where we visited businesses, labs, and Parliament, and learned about the possible career and education paths you can pursue. I was also able to give a speech to sponsors and visitors, including Chris Bishop, at the graduation dinner at Parliament.
I would definitely recommend this initiative to HVHS students, as it's a great experience and well-supported by local business sponsorships, which help keep the cost low. You can read more about it by visiting the IYM website.
Applications are now open for Hands-On at Otago 2026. Are you a current Year 11 or Year 12 student? Experience a week of uni life on campus in Dunedin from Sunday 11 January to Friday 16 January 2026.
The cost is $675 for the week, plus you will also need to pay for your return flights to Dunedin. Scholarships are available to cover all costs. Students will stay on campus at one of Otago University's residential colleges and choose a subject to study for the week. from across Business, Health Sciences, Humanities (Arts), or Sciences.
More applications are received than there are available places, so students should put real time and effort into their applications. Share with Otago Hands On why you should be offered a place - your application is often the deciding factor. You'll need a teacher to endorse your application, so please contact one of your Deans when you get to this part of your application.
Learn more and apply now at otago.ac.nz/hands-on-at-otago. Applications close Thursday, 7 August 2025.
Ava Kirk (13AN), Kaitoro Walker (12MO) and Māia Waldegrave (13JD) joined the local iwi and Kōkiri Marae in Wainuiomata for a pō takoto (overnight stay) to help prepare for Matariki. They learned karakia, fasting, meditation, and wānanga. As part of the ceremony, kai from several domains is cooked, and its steam (Hautapu) is offered to the stars as a sacred gift. The ceremony is concluded upon sunrise. The students were honoured with breakfast alongside the community for their role in the ceremony.
Our newly established and thriving Te Ao Haka subject continues to grow in strength and mana. With strong support from staff, whānau, and Hutt City Council, our students are being offered exciting opportunities to perform in the community. Most recently, they proudly represented our kura at the Hutt City Citizenship Ceremony, a powerful moment to honour and celebrate the richness of our cultural diversity in Te Awakairangi.
Whaea Krystal and Renee Simanu proudly represented Aotearoa at the International Barbershop Convention with their chorus, Pacific Connection (pictured). Out of 40 competing choruses, they made history by placing third in the world, earning New Zealand’s first-ever medal at the event.
With the highest performance score of the competition, they delivered a groundbreaking performance and became the smallest mixed voices chorus ever to medal. Ka mau te wehi!
Nia Jobanputra (11HR), Emma Hetherington (11HR), and Nina Ongley (11FY) represented HVHS at the 2025 Brain Bee Challenge at the University of Auckland’s Centre for Brain Research. Facing tough competition, the HVHS Team placed 3rd in New Zealand! With Nina Ongley (11FY) also being awarded a 1-day internship at the Brain Research Centre.
In addition to the competition, participants at the challenge also explored science labs, talked with neuroscientists, and toured the impressive Medical Sciences Learning Centre.
Pictured (left to right): Nia Jobanputra (11HR), Emma Hetherington (11HR), and Nina Ongley (11FY). Not featured: Oxie Taylor (11NI), who also qualified but was unable to attend the event.
Three HVHS students, Tanush Arra (12MO), Minara Dadallagei (12AL), and Eliza Hart (12IN), recently attended Powering Potential at Victoria University of Wellington, organised by The Royal Society. The article below, written by Tanush Arra (12MO), shares his experience of the event. For any questions on Powering Potential please contact Tom Salway at tom.salway@hvhs.school.nz.
Powering Potential was a three-day programme where students researched a topical scientific issue and presented their findings on the final day. While there was some friendly competition, the focus was on learning and sharing ideas. Organised by the Royal Society Te Apārangi, the event brought together around 50 students from across New Zealand and was held at Te Herenga Waka Marae at Victoria University.
My group focused on solar-pumped hydro dams, an innovative renewable energy solution that uses solar power to pump water uphill during the day and release it through turbines at night. Other groups explored fascinating topics such as the future of mRNA technology, wastewater management, and taxonomy. I contributed primarily by designing graphics and conducting cost analysis but also helped with research and preparing our presentation.
One of my favourite parts of the programme was the tour our mentors gave us of the Victoria University campus, including visits to laser labs and other cutting-edge facilities. It was inspiring to see real-world science up close. Other groups had similar hands-on experiences related to their research topics, visiting places like GNS Science and Zealandia.
What really stayed with me was the importance of collaboration in science, combining different skills and perspectives made our project stronger and showed me that science is as much about working with people as it is about facts and data.
The Music Department is calling out to our school community for ukulele donations to help support our Junior Music programmes. We’re looking for ukuleles of any size and in any condition — new, used, or well-loved — all are welcome!
Anyone who has played a ukulele will know that a group ukulele session is always great fun - and with your help, more students can get involved. If you have a spare ukulele to donate, please drop it off at the School Office (open Monday to Friday, 8am to 4pm during term time) or email the Music Department directly at music@hvhs.school.nz.
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
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