HVHS beginning of Term 2
Newsletter - 29 April 2022
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Welcome back to term two and, hopefully, a term not dominated by Covid-19.
The school has been anything but quiet during the holidays, with the Ministry of Education’s team making excellent progress on our buildings. Here is a quick video of some of the changes:
Our Student Centre has been transformed into a Performance space. I am looking forward to the first live performance. You will notice in the video that we have protected and now uncovered a beautiful mural painted by a former student Ash Sissons.
C-Block has nearly gone. This much-despised block full of leaky cold rooms contains a lot of history, but the space and light created from its demolition are brilliant. Offices in the main admin building are light and sunny for the first time. Once the demolition is complete, the area will be fenced off for the best part of a year while the design phase of the building is developed. Hawkins, our contractors, will turn their attention to the demolition of block E&M, the relocation of music for a time, the completion of the re-positioned Pavilion and the new caretaker’s shed where Prefab 3 once stood.
The school has also been busy preparing for the season ahead, with sports teams training and playing throughout the week. Ultimate frisbee players were training in the gyms on Tuesday; three of our top netball teams competed in a triangular tournament against each other on Wednesday, and our premier rugby players attended a development camp on Tuesday and a pre-season tournament on Wednesday. It is encouraging to see the commitment and camaraderie developing within these squads. Good luck to all our sports teams for the season ahead. Thanks in advance to the coaches and managers for guiding and supporting our rangitahi. You are helping our students understand the meaning of the school values - being welcoming and inclusive, kind and respectful, persevering against tough opposition, injury or challenges, and achieving individual and personal successes.
Our Covid-19 response has changed. Vaccine Passes are no longer required to come to the school site or compete at College Sport Wellington sanctioned events. Spectators are welcome at all outdoor and indoor competitions and events except where a specific venue advises otherwise.
We ask that students continue to bring a mask to school every day.
The wearing of a mask at school is no longer compulsory, but we will support students and staff who wish to do so. There will likely be situations when we recommend masks are worn - for example, in close contact situations like assembly or poorly ventilated classrooms during lousy weather. If there are many cases at school and in the community, we may ask that masks are worn in classrooms for a time. As has been the case for two years, we ask that the whole school community use basic hygiene measures, washing hands, coughing or sneezing into your elbow, and if you are sick, we ask that you stay home.
Thanks for the impressive effort with uniform in term one. Within the classroom, it looked great. A few students need reminding that school uniform needs to be worn correctly inside and outside the classroom. Please do not allow your students to leave for school in a hooded sweatshirt other than the school’s official logo sweatshirt. Deans and SLT will be contacting home to discuss the situation for our repeat and very obvious offenders. Please contact the deans or guidance if you need assistance in providing official jerseys and warm outer layers for your child. We can help.
We welcome a new member to the SLT (Senior Leadership Team), Rob Everett. Rob joins us from Wellington College. He is a rather tall man with an impressive rugby and rowing bio that sits alongside a literature-rich and Shakespearian teaching background. He is a family man with three children, and we know he will make an excellent contribution to the senior leadership team.
Regards
Denise Johnson
Principal
Opening of W Block
Congratulations
Congratulations to Vanje Vaafusuaga and Ezekiel Fata Meafou who have both been awarded Toloa Scholarships for 2022. The Toloa Tertiary Scholarships aim to support Pacific students to pursue STEAM subjects: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths. They cover tertiary tuition fees and compulsory course related fees up to $10,000 for 1 year of fulltime study for STEAM-related courses and subjects.
The following students have been selected to represent the school in the second round of the Otago Junior Maths Competition, based on their performance in the first round: Michael Li (9BRBU), Nitesh Tappeta (9MKTJ), Erin Cleland (10SMLY) and Nicholas Kwok (11SP)
Students unwell at school
As our winter terms are nearly upon us, it is a good time to remind students, families and caregivers of what to do if you are unwell at school.
If you are unwell in class time, let your teacher know and they will send you to the First Aid office to see Jo Canton (First Aid Officer). If you need to go home, she will then contact your parents/caregivers for you to arrange getting home.
Please do not contact home directly as your absence will not then be recorded as medical. Students can access the First Aid Office directly at interval and lunchtime.
NCEA Teacher Only Day - Thursday 19 May
All schools and kura have been allocated four additional teacher only days to use by the end of 2022. These days will not extend the school year. In 2022 four days have been scheduled: 19 May, 26 August, 25 November and 1 December.
These days are set aside to support the implementation of changes to NCEA, and wider strengthening of curriculum, progress and achievement practice.
The first of these days in 2022 is Thursday 19 May 2022. There will be no classes for students.
Update your contact information
Have your contact details or email address changed?
Its easy to forget to advise the school when you move house, change cell phones etc, but parents/caregivers are asked to contact the school and advise us of any changes to caregivers/address/phone/email/emergency contact details. Please update us either via the parent portal or on the email address below:
Parent Portal: https://huttportal.hvhs.school.nz/index.php
Email: to principal@hvhs.school.nz
Upcoming Events
Board Meeting - Wednesday 4 May, 5.30 pm
Year 12 PE Cycle Trip - Tuesday 10 to Thursday 12 May
1st XV Rugby Trip - Sunday 15 to Tuesday 17 May
Sports Photos - Wednesday 18 May
NCEA Teacher Only Day - Thursday 19 May
Open Evening – Wednesday 8 June, 6.00 pm
Contact Us
Email: principal@hvhs.school.nz
Website: https://www.hvhs.school.nz
Location: Woburn Road Lower Hutt, 5010 Wellington
Phone: +64 4 560 1568
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hvhs.school.nz