Principal's Message
Kia ora koutou,
A massive thank you to our whole community for supporting the non-uniform day on Monday. The school raised over $3,200 for the Hawke's Bay - Ahuriri and Tairāwhiti Gisborne areas. We will give the money to the Mayoral Fund to be directed to where it is needed most. Many of us have been worried about our whānau up north.
It is a strange and concerning experience to lose contact with your loved ones when you know they are in a crisis. We rely so much on technology to connect us. My whānau found the old-style battery-powered transistor radio their most treasured item. I’m about to go out and ensure I have one in my emergency box. Our hearts and kind thoughts go out to those who have lost family members or whose lives have been turned upside down by severe flooding.
We held our Athletics Day for the first time in several years. It was a positive, fun day full of colour, physical activity and camaraderie - be it the staff who dressed up spectacularly or the students who entered the limbo event and achieved crazy low heights.
There was some serious competition, with long-standing athletic records broken. Congratulations to Mikayla Sola (12SP), who smashed the Senior Girls' shot put and discus records. She added over 8m to the discus record, and 2.5m to the shot put record. She now holds the school's shot put and discus records for every age group.
Last night we held our first Whānau Hui in a few years. It was a super night with many new connections made. We will be forming a steering group. Please email Grace Wright (grace.wright@hvhs.school.nz) if you could not attend last night but would like to be involved.
I hope that by now, you are aware of who your student's Mentor Teacher is and the names of some of their teachers. We run a fine line between insufficient information sharing and too much information that clutters your email inbox. I hope you are keeping connected via this newsletter and our Facebook and Instagram pages. Many of you attended the Year 9 Meet n Greet evening, which I hope was useful. Attitude to Learning information will be coming out soon, and this will be the first of our formal reporting to you. If you have any concerns or need to know more about your child's progress, please email the specific subject teacher or contact a Mentor Teacher or Dean.
The Board has completed their three-year strategic plan and my team's annual implementation plan. Copies can be found on the school website.
Ngā mihi nui
Denise Johnson (Principal)
Below: photos from Athletics Day.
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Donations of Kai Needed - A Message from our Wellbeing Team
Every year we see a number of students who are coming to school who haven't had breakfast and are without kai for the day. This year is no exception. Some of the charities that have provided support for students in the past are no longer able to provide this service and we are reaching out to our school community to see if this is something you as a whānau would like to help with.
Donations of grab-and-go foods such as muesli bars, spreads for sandwiches or anything that fills a hungry tummy would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Claire Ross (claire.ross@hvhs.school.nz ) from our Wellbeing Team if you would like to help.
Athletics Day - Records Smashed & House Results
Our full school Athletics Day was held on Tuesday at Hutt Recreation. The ground was in pristine condition and the weather played its part on the day. With a mix of competitive and fun activities, there were plenty of events for students to participate in.
Remutaka House were the champions of the day followed by Ōrongorongo House. Thank you to everyone who turned out to enjoy the day and helped to build our house and school spirit.
Well done again to Mikayla Sola (12SP) who smashed both the Senior Girls' shot put (12.07m) and discus (38.05m) records. She added over 8m to the discus record and 2.5m to the shot put record. Mikayla now holds the shot put and discus record for the school in every age group!
Resource Centre/ Uniforms - Updated Opening Hours
Our newly relocated Resource Centre is based in the Library. All uniforms, along with some stationery and other subject resources, can be purchased here.
The Resource Centre's opening hours are now 11:00am to 2.30pm Monday to Thursday.
Payments for trips, school donations and sports can also be made at the Resource Centre. Other online payment options are available via the Kamar portal on the school's website. For parents and caregivers visiting the Resource Centre please enter via the school's main reception area. Students are welcome to access the Resource Centre through the Library. For any queries, please email resource.centre@hvhs.school.nz.
