ARGYLE HOUSE
Hamilton Boys' High School - Term 1, Edition 2, March 2022
Sam Potter's Sutherland House wins Hostel Tabloids
Kia ora koutou
With Week 6 underway, we are now halfway through term one. The 37 new boarders are now fully engaged in hostel life and all enjoyed the many activities, both on and off-site, that were organised for them as part of their induction into hostel life. There have been a lot of smiles over the past five weeks! I have included many photos in this newsletter from the events that have taken place over this period. The positive interaction between all year levels has been pleasing, with the Year 12 and 13 Senior Leaders and Prefects continuing to impress with their guidance and care of our young men.
Late arrival of a new boarder
We welcome George Palmer (Year 10) from Australia to the hostel and school. George was accepted back in 2021 and arrived late last week after the relaxing of the MIQ regulations. George's brother, Henry, left after completing his Year 13 in 2021. This brings the total number of new boarders to 38.
Covid response
I will continue to email out updates as changes to the hostel guidelines occur over the coming days and weeks. Thank you for your continued support and patience as these changes often occur at short notice.
We will continue to phone the parents of boys who room with a confirmed positive case, giving you the option to pick him up and monitor him at home or to leave him with us to self-monitor for symptoms.
Please continue to email covidresponse@hbhs.school.nz, mmckenzie@hbhs.school.nz, and argyle@hbhs.school.nz if your son tests positive, he is a Household Contact or you are keeping him at home because he is displaying symptoms despite testing negative.
Please include the information below when emailing to inform us your son has tested positive for Covid-19:
Date symptoms started:
Date tested positive:
Date results received (if not a RAT) e.g. PCR test:
This is for our school and hostel records, that will enable us to calculate accurately your son’s return date to the hostel and school.
Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions
I have attached the 'Frequently Asked Questions' document emailed out last week for you to refer to if you are unsure around what you need to do in the various scenarios presented. Please ensure your son completes his full 10 days of isolation if he has tested positive or is a Household Contact of a positive case. He can return to the hostel on Day 11. Katrina is emailing parents today to remind them of their son's return date to the hostel.
Academic support
All programmes of learning for each subject are posted on Google Classroom by your son's teacher, to enable him to continue learning remotely from home. However, should you have any queries or concerns then please make contact with our Dean of Boarding, Mr Andy Thomson. His email address is athomson@hbhs.school.nz
Set leave and Teacher Only Day
The hostel will close at 5.30pm this Friday 11th March and will re-open at 5.30pm on Monday evening 14th March. Year 10 students are rostered home on Tuesdays, so if your Year 10 son returns on Tuesday and does not take day leave to the place of an approved friend or relative from 8.30am, then he will be required to attend school from 8.45am - 3.15pm.
Rostering home of year levels
By rostering students home, it will allow the school to cover all on-site classes, therefore ensuring that the school remains a safe environment. It also allows HBHS staff to continue face to face teaching with your son for four days of the week.
Year levels will be rostered home on the following days until further notice:
Monday: Year 9
Tuesday: Year 10
Wednesday: Year 11
Thursday: Year 12
Friday: Year 13
For all Years 9-13 in Argyle House and Grove, the rostered home year level may take overnight leave from the end of the school day prior to the day they are rostered home. For example, Year 12 boarders may request overnight leave from 3.15pm Wednesday through until 7.30pm Thursday evening, or 8.00am Friday morning. Please put a leave request in on Orah.
For our senior boarders in Years 11, 12 and 13 that decide to remain in the hostel on the day they are rostered home, we will give them the following options:
Complete homework, study during the school day in their room (Year 12 and 13) or in the dining room (Year 11). Chrome books will be available, but only for use in the dining room. The prep room is being used for HBHS classes.
Recreation within the hostel Games Room and TV lounges.
Recreation outside on the front and back fields.
Completing a practical project with the permission of the subject teacher in the day school e.g. art, engineering, tech wood.
Take day leave to the place of an approved friend or relative for the day.
Town leave e.g. dairy, supermarket, movies, 10-pin bowling.
Years 9 and 10 boarders may request overnight leave from 3.15pm from the day prior to being rostered home, through until 7.30pm the following evening, or 8.00am the next morning. For example, Year 10 boarders may request overnight leave from 3.15pm Monday through until 7.30pm Tuesday evening, or 8.00am Wednesday morning. Please put a leave request in on Orah.
Our hostel juniors in Years 9 and 10, will require more direct supervision, as they don’t have the ability to self-manage as our seniors do.
For our junior boarders in Years 9 and 10 that decide to remain in the hostel on the day they are rostered home, they have the following two options:
Take day leave to the place of an approved friend or relative for the day, departing 8.30am.
If still on-site by 8.30am on the day they are rostered home, they will report to the HBHS library at 8.45am to be supervised by HBHS staff, along with the day students who are sons of essential workers. They will take their PE gear with them as well as school work for the day, through until 3.15pm.
Argyle blanket
This is an initiative by a hostel parent, Mrs Pauline Houston, who has spent many hours liaising with hostel staff and the manufacturer of a blanket that will be available for all boys to purchase.
I have provided more information and attached two photographs below. The deadline to place an order for your son is Friday 25th March. Thank you Pauline. The response from the boys when they saw the sample, has been overwhelmingly positive.
We are thinking of all the families who are currently affected by Covid-19 and the impact it is having on your household.
Please keep in touch and feel free to contact me should you have any questions.
Ngā mihi
Murray McKenzie
Head of Boarding
021 516 477
Covid-19 Frequently Asked Questions
Year 9 Enrolments 2023 Closing Date: Thursday 31st March
Unfortunately, due to Covid, the 2022 Argyle Open Day scheduled for Thursday 10th March has been cancelled.
Can you please support Argyle House by reminding those within your community that all applications close later this month.
They can download a 2023 enrolment form off the school's website under the 'Boarding' tab. Or, they can email Hostel Administrator, Mrs Katrina McLaughlin, kmclaughlin@hbhs.school.nz or phone her after 9.30am each weekday 07 - 853 0437, and Katrina will post out an enrolment pack.
Thank you for your support in promoting Argyle House as the hostel of choice for those within your community.
Argyle blanket - orders close Friday 25th March
As mentioned earlier, this is an initiative by a parent, Mrs Pauline Houston, who has spent many hours liaising with hostel staff and the manufacturer of a blanket that will be available for all boys to purchase. It is optional.
The sample below is 2.5m x 1.5m of black fleece material. Embroidered on each blanket will be ARGYLE HOUSE, with the school crest underneath, along with the initial of your son's first name and his surname, all in capital letters. The writing and crest is in an area 250mm x 300mm.
The boys will place their blanket at the foot of their bed and can use it in and around the hostel e.g. while watching TV in the lounges, especially in the winter months.
When we showed the sample, pictured below, to boys across all age groups, they all seemed genuinely excited and were eager to purchase one.
The cost will be determined by the number of blankets ordered.
0-19 blankets ordered: $75 each
20-49: $73
50-99: $71
100+: $69
Please email Katrina McLaughlin, kmclaughlin@hbhs.school.nz by Friday 25th March, to place your order, providing your son's name when ordering. The blanket will be charged to your hostel account.
Year 9 Boarders arrive at Argyle House, Monday 31st January
New Year 9 boarders photographed with whanau
New boarder, George Palmer (Year 10), arrives from Australia
Grove House 2022
They are taken good care of in their largely self-managed environment by Grove Master, Mr Cameron Moorby, and his two Assistant Masters, Mr Kyle Martin and Mr Te Uira Palmer.
A further six Year 13 boarders reside in Argyle House.
First Day of School for Years 9 & 13, Tuesday 1 February
NEW BOARDER INDUCTION PROGRAMME - Gymnasium & Field activities, Tabloids, Swimming, Paintball, Movie Night, Town Orientation
I would also like to thank all hostel staff for giving up their time to organise and run all the activities held on-site.
Touch Tournament on the front field
Long Ball on the front field
Dodgeball in Gym 2
Hamilton BHS Pool
Pool in the Junior Games Room
Sutherland Wins Matthew Allen Cup Tabloids, Thursday 17th February
Thanks must also go to the Prefects and Senior Leaders for assisting with the set up and to all the leaders of a tabloids team - great job guys!!
Sutherland Wins Matthew Allen Cup Swimming 33 - 27
The staff team were victorious!!!!
Hamilton Boys' High School Year 13 Prefects 2022
They are: Liam Anderson, Ashan Barr, Jack Broomfield, Tana Clapham, Luke Haddon, Joseph Lorimer, Josh Syme, George Unsworth, Thomas Verry
House Captains 2022
Academic Honours
Year 12 Prefects - Dorm Leaders Term 1:
Dorm 1 (Year 11)
Dorm 2 (Year 10)
Dorm 3 (Year 9)
Dorm 4 (Years 9 & 10)
Supporting Tonga after the Tsunami destruction
Thank you to everyone who donated so generously to support the people of Tonga.
In the space of three days, thanks to the efforts of the Service Committee and the HBHS community, we managed to fill a shipping container with all of these goods and purchase a generator, which have been sent to Tonga to support the kingdom as they begin the clean-up and repairs after the volcanic eruption and tsunami. Once again, thank you to everyone who donated foodstuffs and money.
The container was sent on Saturday the 19th of February.
Ben Parker (Year 12) and Josh Syme (Year 13) win medals at the NZ Rowing Club Championships, Twizel
Josh Syme wins Silver in the Men's Eight final
They finished a very close second in their final.
Ben Parker wins Gold in the Novice Eight final
Congratulations to Ben and his crew on this outstanding result!
Ben Parker, wins Silver in the Novice Coxed Quad final
Congratulations Ben on another medal.
Ben Parker wins Gold, in the Novice Coxed Four final
The Number 1 crew of Nik Wilson, Charlie Moon, Nathan Feyter, Zach Brownlee and coxswain Oliver Duncan won silver.
Josh Syme wins Gold in the U18 Eight final
Rupert Nielsen (Year 13) places at the World Online Piping Championships
With the entire 2021/2022 New Zealand Pipe Band competition season cancelled, the HBHS pipe band members were instructed to enter the World Online Piping and Drumming Solo Championships, as an alternative performance goal for the students to work towards.
This online event was held in December of 2021, where competitors submitted video recordings of their performances and were evaluated by a panel of international world-class judges. There were over 800 entries from 23 countries, and HBHS students have achieved some outstanding results.
Piping
Rupert Nielsen (Year 13, Argyle House) was awarded 4th place overall in the Grade 2 solo piping category.
1st place - Grade 2 Hornpipe
2nd place - Grade 2 6/8 March
6th place - Grade 2 Jig
Quinn Boyle (Year 12) attempts a Cook Strait crossing, as a Swim for Charity
Argyle House Year 12 boarder, Quinn Boyle, has made another marathon swim for charity.
At just 16 years old, Quinn Boyle, from the Bay of Plenty, attempted to swim the Cook Strait. The Cook Strait (28 km) is recognised as one of the toughest global open water swims. Quinn completed the Lake Taupo Crossing (42 km) recently and donated to various charities including those supporting the White Island eruption victims. Last year, Quinn swam 150 km in total in his various marathon swims, raising $3500 for those in need. He wants to support Tonga and help its people rebuild their lives after the recent devastating eruption and tsunami.
After making a fantastic start to his swim on Friday the 25th of February, having completed 21kms, and five and a half hours in, a wind and weather change forced Quinn to abandon his swim when hypothermia set in. He is recovering well and is already talking about his next swim. Thank you to everyone who supported Quinn in this effort, and we are all so proud of all that he has achieved. Kia Kaha.
Please donate to the Give-a-little page below to help Quinn support Tonga.
Nofo lototo’a pea hanga ho ulu ki olunga (be courageous and make your head high).
Ricci Putohe (Year 11) - Super 8 Golf Tournament Champions, Rotorua, 21st and 22nd February
Year 10 day student, Isaac Steel,is HBHS's most valuable player with scores of 73, 73 and 76 to help regain the Super 8 Golf Shield and finish as the fourth best individual.
Captain of Golf for 2022, Jakob Bird (Year 13), made the perfect start to his new role, leading the top team to regain the Super 8 title. Jakob shot rounds of 74, 74 and 80 which were all counted in our team total of 675. To win the shield you have a team of four and the best three scores count over three rounds of golf. The team with the lowest score wins the shield.
Ricci Putohe (Year 11) from Argyle House, who shot 74, 75 and 81 and Christopher Seel (Year 13) who shot 77, 74 and 78 were the other two members of the winning team. Each golfer shot really important counting rounds during the tournament which led to a one-shot victory over former title holders New Plymouth Boys' High School who went into the competition as hot favourites with the majority of their champion team returning again this year.
George Crawford (Year 9) - "loves dirt track action"
George is a new Year 9 boarder residing from rural Paengaroa, who on Friday 21st January won the Ministock Invitational at the qualifying night of the World 240 Super Stock event at Rotorua’s Paradise Valley Speedway.
It was the latest in a series of impressive performances over recent weeks.
The previous weekend he was third in the 60 strong junior group at the Whanganui Oceanview 5000 after winning a run-off, and second at Gisborne’s Ministock 100 Championship earlier in the month.
He has also driven at Kihikihi, Baypark, Huntly and Waharoa speedways this season. The youth ministock class is an entry level speedway class for young drivers in 1200cc cars.
Younger brother Jimmy, 11, has his own car. He is not yet old enough to drive at Speedway New Zealand affiliated tracks, but can drive at Circle Track Racing Association tracks such
as Waharoa.
Hamilton BHS Swimming Sports, Wednesday 16 February, Argyle House 5th Place Overall
Due to the country being at the Red setting of the Covid Protection Framework, it was decided that only Championship competitors would compete at the Hamilton BHS Swimming Sports, for the second consecutive year.
This meant all boarders from Argyle House that had any ounce of competitive swimming ability, had to try and qualify for the finals at the Prelims afternoon on Monday 14th February.
Thankfully, we had five swimmers with enough 'talent' that qualified, enabling us to finish in 5th place overall on 114 points, exactly 50 points ahead of Baigent House and 60 points behind Tait House. Three of the five individual swimmers were reserves for their finals event, but earned points for turning up prior to the final when checking in with the marshall. Josh Baker, Sam Potter and Francois van den Berg all earned valuable points for the House.
The undoubted highlight of the day was the Argyle House Year 13, 8-man relay team, winning their race which was worth double points. The Year 13 relay team was: Joseph Lorimer, Sam Potter, Hamish McRobbie, Ryan McConnell, Oliver Ingram, Tana Clapham, Rupert Nielsen, Jackson Murphy.
In the other two relay events, Argyle House finished 3rd in the Junior House medley and 5th in the Senior House medley.
The finalists and their results on the day were:
Quinn Boyle (Year 12):
3rd place, Senior 200m Freestyle
4th place, Senior 100m Freestyle
Oliver Ingram (Year 13)
5th place, Senior 100m Backstroke
Individual Champions, Records Broken & House Points
Senior Championship House Points
1st Dominic Fawkner Taylor 86
2nd Elijah Singleton Wilson 72
3rd Mitchell Keightley Tait 60
Intermediate Championship
1st, Miles Julian, Steel, 76 points
2nd, Max Downey, Steel, 64
3rd, Ethan Macdonald, Steel, 53
Junior Championship
1st, Orlando Hardie, Wilson, 82
2nd, Graysen Elliott ,Wilson, 50
3rd, Samuel Ballantyne, Taylor, 42
5 Records Broken:
Orlando Hardie (Year 9)
- Junior 100m Breaststroke, 1’15.57
- Junior 100m Freestyle, ’57.31
- Junior 200m Freestyle, 2’07.89
Ethan Macdonald (Year 11)
- Intermediate 100m Backstroke, 1’02.96
Steel House Senior Relay Team
- Inter-House Medley Relay, 1’57.03
Swimming Sports House Champions 2022 (Minor Event)
Place House Grand Total Final Points
1st, Wilson, 416pts, 6pts
2nd, Steel, 390, 5pts
3rd, Taylor 206, 4pts
4th, Tait 174, 3pts
5th, Argyle, 114, 2pts
6th, Baigent, 64, 1pts
Thanks to Argyle House Senior Master, Mr Teokotai-White, and his 12PY class for organising and running both the preliminary races on Monday and finals on Wednesday.
Congratulations to the students who broke school records, the individual champions and to Wilson House for winning this minor event overall.
Housekeeping Reminders
Clothing numbered and labelled
Please continue to ensure ALL clothing is numbered with your son's laundry number, and initialled, if possible. Having the number clearly labelled is what Lagi, our Laundress, would prefer. Please check and re-do all numbers on all clothing items when your son returns home or he purchases new clothing during term time.Thank you for your support, as we are trying to prevent a pile of unnamed clothing that often sits in the laundry unclaimed, due to not being named and/or numbered.
Permission to have a vehicle on-site at Argyle and Grove
Email addresses: cmoorby@hbhs.school.nz, mmckenzie@hbhs.school.nz
Man of the Week
Week 4 Term 1: Ben Parker (Year 12)
Week 3 Term 1: Oli Mathis (Year 12)
Our two Argyle House Parent Representatives for you to contact about any hostel matters
Mrs Diana O'Brien (Bombay)
Feel free to contact me by email eric.diana.obrien@xtra.co.nz
Mob. 027 277 1685
Hamilton Boys' High School, Years 9-13 Boarding Hostel
Email: argyle@hbhs.school.nz
Website: www.hbhs.school.nz
Location: 34 Argyle Street, Hamilton East 3216, Hamilton, New Zealand
Phone: +64 7 8530437
Week 2 Term 1: Rupert Nielsen (Year 13)
Awarded 4th place overall in the Grade 2 World Online Piping solo piping category
1st place - Grade 2 Hornpipe
2nd place - Grade 2 6/8 March
6th place - Grade 2 Jig