HVHS Term 3 Week 3
Newsletter 13 August 2021
PRINCIPAL"S MESSAGE
Kia ora
Here is the latest building update: Building update August 13th SD 480p. We should see at least eight Portacoms on-site by 10 September.
By 6 September we should also know the extent of the likely rebuilding and remediation of the school. Market Grove is going well, and senior students have settled into their classes and are coping with moving across two sites. Thanks to Espresso Rescue for looking after our staff and students on their journey between the two sites.
Yesterday we enjoyed the first School Celebration in the Town Hall. The theme was "Success through the years". It was good to share our Kapa Haka, Polynesian Club, Hip-hop dance crew and music with a large school audience. Our small hall often means that we have to repeat assemblies five times, so shows of this nature are nearly impossible. The feedback received from staff and students has been lovely. The audience of 750 students and staff were superb - so respectful and encouraging of the performers. I don't think we can ever underestimate how scary it is to perform in front of our peers.
Along with performances from students, our student leaders shared aspects of school life. Our archivist - Judith Gardiner, provided photos from the past. Pictures and stories of the present and a challenge to keep the work and community growing into the future. One of the most enjoyable presentations was from the fantastic Cameron Flynn of Tautoko - Supported Learning Centre.
Special thanks to Nick Larkin, Fiona Pearson and the staff team who put this event together.
Here are some photos from the day.
Ngā mihi nui
Denise Johnson
Tumuaki/Principal
Spotlight on a Learning Area
English Department
Introduction
2021 has and continues to be an “interesting” year for the English Department. At some point far back in Term One we evacuated our home - C Block. And ultimately, it has all been for the best. We now have a lovely warm, dry and light office in the library and we have been able to stay together. We haven’t looked back and are keenly looking forward to the arrival of the prefabs. We continue to be a department that is enthusiastic about meeting the needs of all our students and finding new ways to be flexible and innovative. We have developed new junior and senior Enrichment options this year and strengthened our use of oral assessment in some programmes. But above all, we strive for fun, enjoyment and excellence as we help our students explore literature and develop their strengths in writing and communicating.
Beginning Teacher in the English Department
Kia ora, I am Emma Gardenier. I am new to both teaching and the HVHS English department this year. I was absolutely stoked to get started here, and week one, term one, I knew that the philosophy of the department matched up perfectly with my own values. The emphasis on getting our rangatahi reading, but more importantly enjoying and engaging with what they read, immediately stood out to me. It has been an absolute pleasure getting to know the HVHS tauira and diving into some truly wonderful literature with them. I have found our tauira to be thoughtful and generous with their ideas - even if English isn’t always their favourite subject! As we have settled in our new office here in the library (a fitting spot for this group of book worms), I have also gotten to know the incredible English teachers here at HVHS and have been able to pick their brains about all things teaching and literature. Having found myself in such a capable, supportive and enthusiastic environment has been a lovely start to my teaching career. Thank you for such a warm welcome to the HVHS whānau.
Te Awa - Diplomat Visit
US Embassy Public Affairs Counselor, Leslie Núñez Goodman, came to speak to the Year 13 Te Awakairangi classes at the end of term 2 to discuss the United States' policies and initiatives for climate change. We learned about the Paris Agreement, John Kerry's appointment as the new Envoy for Climate, and our own vulnerabilities in New Zealand to climate change. We even had some HVHS alumni who are working at the embassy come back to visit. It was great to find out how we as a global community are working together to address the causes and effects of climate change.
Te Awakairangi as a subject area has accomplished a lot, even in a challenging year for HVHS. Across the Year 12 and 13 classes, students have taken part in a multitude of projects including planting to improve bee populations, reducing the impact of fast fashion by donating clothes to the Salvation Army, helping our community through food drives, contributing to iwi initiatives by protecting native species and signing up for the Petone Beach Big Clean. Our learning has included exploring topical environmental and social concerns such as the Protect Pūtiki protests, the impacts of dairy farming, Transmission Gully and presentations from an ocean expert about the critical importance of oceans to our planet. Students have demonstrated learning beyond the curriculum by being self-managing, collaborating with organisations and giving back to their community. We are passionate about our subject area being a place in which students can turn their interests and sense of activism into practical actions that seek to enhance the environmental, economic, social and cultural sustainability of Te Awakairangi.
Junior Enrichment - Books Alive Event
On Wednesday 11 August, students from the Junior Book Club and the Year 11 Literature Group enrichment programmes travelled into Wellington for the Books Alive event at the National Library. After a rather crowded train ride, we were fortunate to meet some Young Adult authors from Aotearoa New Zealand: N. K. Ashworth (Draw Me a Hero), T. K. Roxborogh (Charlie Tangaroa and the Creature from the Sea), and Des Hunt (Red Edge). It was an incredible opportunity for the students to learn a bit about being an author, hear about how important reading habits are, grab some inspiring advice about writing and life, and discover some great books made right at home.
We then flocked down to Willis Street and streamed into the Unity Books bookstore. With barely-contained anticipation, we struck a conversation with Rachel Pilois, their Young Adult title buyer, who gave the students a plethora of reading recommendations and shared some of the joys of working in book selling. There was something very special about seeing 30 bright-eyed students with smiles ear-to-ear, talking non-stop on the train back to school about all the books they browsed or bought.
Year 11 Enrichment
Hey! We are the Year 11 literature Group, a group of students who meet on Thursdays and discuss our favourite books from Twilight to Poisonwood Bible! We have just been to an amazing field trip into town for the Books Alive event ( and spent a lot of money at Unity Books…). We have also started reading and discussing a range of texts that are out of our comfort zones to challenge our minds and learn more about what types of books are out there.
Visual Presentation:
During Term 2, our Year 9 classes completed a Visual Presentation assessment. This was a wonderful opportunity to engage the students' creativity and to build on their visual language skills. The students used ideas and themes from the texts they studied with their teachers to create thematic posters, book covers, travel brochures, and even some environment awareness campaigns. Many students tackled the opportunity to show their artistic talents with fervour and zeal; here are just a few of them!
NCEA Review Teacher Only Day - Tuesday 17 August
Changes to NCEA
The Ministry of Education has an NCEA playlist of their YouTube page available which can be useful for parents and whānau. The main video on the homepage is about the changes being implemented to strengthen NCEA by 2023.
More Information about the changes coming in 2023
Congratulations
Congratulations to Theo Thompson's band, Crumbly Jack that has made it to the top 10 bands, and is through to Rockquest National Finals. Watch them here
Tautoko - Supported Learning Centre Overnight Experience
Four of our senior students from Tautoko-Supported Learning Centre; Tasmyn, Nicholas and Alex, took part in an overnight AirBnB experience in Wellington. As part of the SNAP (Sustainable Networks and Pathways) Programme, these students are preparing to leave school and were learning how to manage in a flatting environment.
They used Google Maps to get themselves around Wellington and shopped for their grocery supplies before preparing and serving a meal to their special guests for the evening, their SNAP staff mentors. They then cleaned and tidied the BnB after their night away from home. It was great to see how much they were able to do for themselves and supporting LSAs, Stephanie and Sheryl, were impressed with their teamwork. They also took the opportunity to have fun in Wellington, going ten pin bowling and doing a tour of Parliament.
Useful sites for information on mental health for young people
The first is for whānau who may want to seek support via a counsellor /psychologist outside of school. It has info on how to find a therapist near you, what it might cost and what you might be looking for in one.
Seeing someone - guide to seeking support outside of school
The second is a great site with links to info and support on specific topics relevant to young people.
Upcoming Events
- Sports Photos - Monday 16 August
- NCEA Teacher Only Day - Tuesday 17 August
- Non-uniform Day - Thursday 19 August
- Board of Trustees Meeting - Wednesday 25 August
- Mid Term Break - Friday 27 and Monday 30 August
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