HVHS Newsletter
Week 10, Term 3 - Friday, 19 September, 2025
Kia ora koutou,
This term has certainly been a busy one. In the past few weeks we have had the pleasure of seeing our students shine. Whether they have been preparing a feast for their whānau, creating goods to sell at the Market Evening, or being acknowledged and celebrated at a Sports Awards Evening, they have made us proud.
I had the honour of attending the awards evening for the Katharine Mansfield Short Story Competition, where two of our Year 13 students, Rosa Watt (13NB) and Morgan Grummitt (13RN), were amongst the top twelve writers selected from over 140 entries. Their writing is thoughtful and mature, showcasing fierce talent. Rosa’s story, Pluto’s Plunge, starts: “The chlorine-charged water swallows me. It threads my hair into silk, whispering muffled secrets that tickle my eardrums. Oh, and I listen and listen and listen…” - a striking and promising start to a beautiful creative piece.
The Year 13 Ball was held on Saturday night - the highlight of the year for many of our students. They all looked stunning, behaved impeccably and danced the night away. A huge thank you to Rachel Williams (Office Manager), Grace Wright (Deputy Principal), and the team of student leaders for their hard work organising such a fantastic event.
Next year, leading this talented team are our Head Students, Myumi Peiris (12BH) and Sam Worsley (12WD), and our Deputy Head Students, Coco Holland-Waterson (12WL) and Jaxon Cowan (12LE). You can find the complete list of our 2026 student leaders by clicking here.
Last night at the Wellington Regional Finals of the 48Hour Film Competition, the HVHS For the Wings team took home the coveted Best School Team award with their film 'Dream Girl.AI'. Their impressive work was screened at the Embassy Theatre alongside 14 other adult finalists to a packed audience, who responded enthusiastically to the students’ hard work and creative vision.
As the film is still in the running for the national finals, we’ll share the link once it’s available. In the meantime, please join us in congratulating these talented students: Miles Baldwin (13SM), Grace Haggie (13KO), Zuri Hazelhurst (13GL), Zach Devery (13SD), Ashton Elliot (13AN), Ruby-Jean Willis (13LR) and Devon Reddaway (13JD), for this significant achievement — it’s genuinely a big deal!
Image: HVHS For the Wings Team with their teachers, Ioanna Koroniadis-Armishaw and Liv Woodmass.
Rangatahi across Aotearoa proved they not only had something to say, but also the courage to say it, as they took the stage at Ngā Manu Kōrero, the kaupapa Māori speech competition.
Regarded as the most significant event on the Māori education calendar, Ngā Manu Kōrero gave students the chance to share their views, lay down challenges, and celebrate the special and unique reality of being Māori.
Marking its 60th year, the competition drew students from every rohe to the regional stages, each striving for the honour of representing their region at the national finals.
Among them was Kaitoro Walker (12MO), who competed in the Korimako section (Senior English Division) on Wednesday, 17 September. While Kaitoro did not place in the competition, he presented both his prepared and impromptu speeches with passion. His performances made the kura proud. What a beautiful way to spend Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori.
Image: Aramahea Walker (10CNPA), Kaitoro Walker (12MO), Māia Waldegrave (13JD) &
Ava Kirk (13AN) at Ngā Manu Kōrero 2025.
More great news for our Year 11 Geography team of Molly Kellett (11DA), Hazel Mahoney (11TT), and Nina Ongley (11FY). After winning first place at the 2025 Maatangi Whenua Wellington Regional Competition, their impressive score has also earned them 3rd place nationally in the overall results.
This is an outstanding achievement, and we’re proud to see their mahi and knowledge recognised on both a regional and national level.
Tess Gendall (12IN)
- Finnigan Strickland (10GSSP)
- Elise Bennett (11DA)
- Sophie Wilkinson (10MTMR)
The Bronze Award recognises a student’s commitment to community service, developing a new skill, regular physical activity, and outdoor adventure. To learn more about the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, please click here or for any questions, please email Sarah Coales, HVHS's Duke of Edinburgh Coordinator at sarah.coales@hvhs.school.nz.
Liv Turner (10CNPA) and Leah Turner (10KVDU) also represented the Women’s Hutt Valley Indoor Cricket team in Christchurch at the recent Club Nationals. Over three days of fierce competition, in the final championship match, the team scored 108-98, earning them the title of National Champions!
See you in Term 4
From the team in the Sports Office, we hope you all have a great two-week break. We look forward to Term 4 with our summer sports and numerous junior one-day tournaments.
We understand how costly calculators can be for families. To help with this, the Maths Learning Area is trialling a new initiative offering discounted calculators through the Resource Centre. All models available to purchase are NZQA-approved.
Available to purchase:
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fx-9750GII (refurbished, 1-year warranty) – $87
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fx-9750GIII (new, 1-year warranty) – $111
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fx-82AU PLUS II 2nd edition (new, 1-year warranty) – $46
The fx-9750GII and fx-9750GIII are graphics calculators, recommended for students in Years 11–13, and the fx-82AU PLUS II is a scientific calculator suitable for Years 9–10 (not suitable for Years 11–13).
During the school term, the Resource Centre is open Monday to Thursday, 11:00am to 2:30pm and closed on Fridays. Please note that the Resource Centre is closed during the upcoming school holidays. Stock is limited for this trial, but more will be purchased if there is demand.
We would like to thank the following organisations for providing work experience for our HVHS Gateway, Employment Ready and Trades Academy students this year. Your support of our students has been invaluable in helping them gain real-world skills and insights, and we are grateful for the positive impact you make in our community.
A huge thank you to:
- Accrete Plumbing and Gas
- Alfred Memelink Artspace Gallery
- Berhampore Nursery, Wellington City Council
- Bird Electrical
- Bob Scott Retirement Village
- Boulcott Hospital
- Boulcott's Farm, Heritage Golf Club - The Farm Cafe & Bar
- Boulcott's Farm, Heritage Golf Club - Green Keeping Team
- Brendan Foot Supersite, Kia Motors
- Brendan Foot Supersite, Services
- Buoy Salon & Spa
- Capital City Motors
- Chris George Landscaping
- Corys Electrical
- Cupcake Sweeties
- DHL NZ
- Eastern Hutt School
- Element Plumbing & Heating
- Fig Tree Cafe
- Fraser Engineering
- Gabe Marenzi, Barber
- Gear Street Union
- Harbour City Plumbing
- Harcourts
- Howie, Digital Marketing Agency
- Hutt City Council, IT Team
- Hutt City Council, Mayor's Office
- Hutt Hospital, In-House Services
- HVHS Tautoko Supported Learning Centre
- James Cook Joinery
- Judgeford Equestrian
- King Toyota Lower Hutt
- KiwiRail Workshop
- Lower Hutt City Childcare Centre
- Maungaraki School
- Michael Pinfold Plumbing and Drainlaying
- Miss Conception Films
- Moera Kindergarten
- Naylor Love (Commercial Construction)
- Neko Ngeru Cat Cafe
- NME Electrical Services
- Petone Central School
- Petone Working Men's Club
- PetVet Silverstream
- Precision Group Building
- Randwick School
- Red Cross Shop, Petone
- Remakery Cafe
- Robertson Architects
- Robinson Research Institute
- Rutherford & Bond Toyota
- Sacred Heart Primary School, Petone
- Salty Electrical
- Salute Hair Skin Spa
- Salvation Army Family Store, Lower Hutt
- Shine Cafe
- Sinclair Plumbing
- SQN Consulting
- Straight Flush Plumbing
- Tartines French Cafe
- The Angus Hotel
- The Chubby Baker
- Tranzit, Lower Hutt
- Twentyman Farming
- Vivo Hair Salon, Lower Hutt
- Wainui Joinery
- Waiwhetu Auto Services
- Waterloo School
- Wellington Airport
- Wellington Inclusive Dance (WI Dance)
- Yes for Success
If you require any of their products or services, please consider supporting these local businesses just as they’ve supported HVHS!
All of our violins are currently being hired by students, and we already have a waiting list for lessons starting in 2026. Do you have a violin at home that needs to be played? We welcome all violins, even those needing repair or restringing.
Donated violins can be dropped off at the School Office, open 8am–4pm, Monday to Friday, during term time. For any questions, please email Jhan Lindsay (Itinerant Music Programme / Performing Arts Coordinator / Music Teacher) at music@hvhs.school.nz.
Do you have a Year 8 student starting at HVHS in 2026? If you haven’t enrolled them yet, please do so as soon as possible. Enrolment Conversations with Year 8 students and their families begin early in Term 4.
Important reminder: Enrolment is not automatic – all Year 8 students must apply, even if they live in-zone or already have a sibling at HVHS. To enrol now, click here: https://hvhs.school.nz/how-to-enrol/
Please note that applications for out-of-zone enrolments for Year 9 in 2026 are now closed and will no longer be accepted.
A huge thank you to those of you who have supported our students by donating kai in the past to help us supplement our breakfast club we run each day from Te Korowai.During the colder months, we've seen an increase in students coming in for food, and it's been great to offer sandwiches and fruit alongside the regular breakfast programme.
We’re grateful for your ongoing support. If you’d like to contribute by donating sandwich spreads or fillings, please contact Claire Ross (Head of Wellbeing) at claire.ross@hvhs.school.nz, or drop off donations at the School Office (open Monday to Friday from 8am to 4pm during term time).
To our senior Arts students working hard over the school holidays, please note the following deadlines:
Level 2 folios (Design, Painting, Photography): Wednesday 22 October
Level 3 Design folios: Thursday 30 October
Level 3 Painting and Photography folios: Monday 3 November
If you have any questions, please contact a member of the Arts staff.
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