Term Two Week 11

As we come to the end of a very busy 11-week term, I would like to acknowledge all that has been achieved by our students and staff. The term has been filled with learning, assessments, sporting events, and cultural festivals, to name just a few highlights. I know everyone is looking forward to a well-deserved break before we return refreshed for Term 3.

This week, we farewell our international students who are returning home to Brazil after spending the past two terms with us. Our international students bring so much joy and enrich our school community as they experience New Zealand culture for the first time. We are grateful to our host families and students for making their time here so special, and we look forward to welcoming a new group of international students next term.

Earlier this week, I had the privilege of visiting Te Rōpū Manu Huia, our combined kapa haka group with Hastings Boys’ High School, as they competed at the National Kapa Haka Festival in Tauranga. Their outstanding performance was the culmination of countless hours of hard work, commitment, and dedication.

I would like to take a moment to acknowledge the many people who supported our rōpū throughout their 20-week campaign of practices and wānanga. To our tutors, whānau, kaiako and kaiawhina – thank you for the care, encouragement, and guidance you provided every step of the way.

Kāore te kūmara e kōrero mō tōna ake reka – the kūmara does not boast about its own sweetness.

With that in mind, I would like to recognise our “kūmara”: Matua Tauru, Matua Josh and wife Hene, Whaea Iri, Whaea Tania, Whaea Pari, our kaiawhina Sammie and Caira, Kaiako Amy and Kate, and whānau member Sheena. Thank you for caring deeply enough about our rangatahi to insist on excellence – excellence in performance, excellence in discipline and attendance, and excellence in maintaining high standards. Through this journey, our students have learned far more than words and movements; they have developed resilience, commitment, teamwork, and pride in who they are. These are lessons that will stay with them well into the future. We are immensely proud of you all.

This week also marked the beginning of our new “Have a Go” series, designed to encourage students to experience different sporting opportunities. A group of students visited the Sports Park and tried canoe polo, a sport we are keen to grow within our school. If there is a sport you would like to explore, please let our Sports Coordinators know. Interest has already been expressed in rowing and pickleball, and we look forward to offering introductory sessions for these sports during the coming term.

I wish everyone a safe, restful, and enjoyable holiday break and look forward to seeing you all back for another exciting term ahead.

Ngā mihi nui

Lisa Akers
Principal

As we reach the end of a busy and productive term, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on my first few months in the Acting DP Pastoral role. First and foremost, a huge thank you to our entire school community, staff, parents, and students for your incredible support and warm welcome. I have thoroughly enjoyed stepping into this role, and the absolute highlight of my term has been getting out and about to meet so many of our fantastic students.

Attendance & Uniform Success
We all know that showing up is the first step to success, and it has been wonderful to see our attendance numbers tracking upward. Congratulations to the well-deserved winners of our recent attendance prizes! I hope this excellent momentum carries right into Term 3.

Alongside this, I want to commend our students on the way they have been wearing their uniform with pride. Dressing well sets a high standard for our school culture, and I look forward to seeing this consistency continue.

Looking Ahead to Term 3
Term 3 is traditionally a busy one, packed with winter sports wrap-ups, academic benchmarks, and exciting events. With that in mind, I encourage all students to use the upcoming holidays to rest, reset, and set some personal goals. Whether it is aiming for higher attendance, stepping up in leadership, or focusing on academic growth, having a clear target makes all the difference.

Save the Date 24 September (Juniors): One exciting event for our junior students to look forward to next term is the Junior Social – keep an eye out for details!

Thank you all again for a wonderful term. Have a safe, relaxing break, and I look forward to seeing everyone back, refreshed and ready for Term 3.

Kia ora koutou katoa

There has been a steady buzz of preparation behind the scenes as the Te Huia Kaimanawa committee begins shaping our plans for Matariki which we will be celebrating at the start of next term.

As your Amorangi, I am incredibly excited about what we have in store. Our main focus this year is connection, bringing our entire HGHS kura together through a week packed with delicious kai, movies and amazing performances.

We warmly encourage every single one of you to come along, participate, and support this beautiful kaupapa. Keep an eye out for more details soon as we get ready to welcome the Māori New Year together.

Mānawatia a Matariki!

The School Board is currently developing our next Strategic Plan and would like to hear from students, whānau, staff, alumni, and our wider community. Your feedback will help identify what matters most to our community and ensure our future priorities reflect the aspirations of those we serve.

Complete the survey here: Link to Survey

The survey takes approximately 1-2 minutes to complete and closes on 10 July. Every voice matters.

Our HGHS debating teams have been incredibly busy in the Hawke’s Bay interschools competition, with 3 junior teams and 1 senior team hitting the floor running!

Shoutout to our Year 9 ‘Girlypops’, Year 10s, and Seniors who all put up incredibly tight, hard-fought battles against Taradale, Karamū, St John’s, and Napier Boys’ High recently. The growth and skills on display have been awesome to watch!

Huge congratulations to our Year 9 ‘5626’ team who travelled to Iona and successfully argued against schools turning into reality TV shows where students vote off teachers – bringing home a fantastic WIN! Special mention to Amrit Kaur for securing the ‘Best Speaker’ award!

Proud of you all, girls! Keep representing with poise and class.

What a way to kick off the week! On Monday, we held our annual House Quiz, and the energy was unmatched. A massive congratulations to Purple House for taking home the crown and a huge shoutout to Green House for a hard-fought 2nd place!

Thank you to everyone who showed up – we had a fantastic turnout and so much fun. A special, thank you goes to Payton and the Academic Committee for all your hard work putting this awesome event together!

We are incredibly proud of our talented musicians – Summer, Phoenix, Pippa, and Elise, who recently travelled to Cambridge to showcase their skills at the prestigious Concert Band Festival. Performing alongside the renowned Concord Band, these outstanding students took the stage as part of our highly successful joint band initiative with Lindisfarne College.

Representing your school and wider community at such a competitive regional level demands immense dedication, countless hours of rehearsal, and pure passion. You all absolutely shone on stage, delivering a stellar performance that reflects the very best of our school’s musical talent.

Yesterday, we gathered in the Library to say a big goodbye to our 8 wonderful Brazilian students, as today marks their very last day with us.

We celebrated their time here with certificates, a delicious cake, and presented the girls with a beautiful pounamu necklace as a special parting gift to remember us by.

We are going to miss your energy, smiles, and presence around the place so much! Safe travels back home, and we wish you all the absolute best of luck for the bright futures ahead of you.

It has been another exciting and productive term for sport at Hastings Girls’ High School, with our students embracing new opportunities and continuing to challenge themselves both on and off the field.

One of the highlights of the term was our annual Sports Exchange with Manukura. Our students competed across Rugby, Netball, and Basketball in what continues to be a valuable and inspiring experience. Manukura consistently provides a glimpse into what elite-level sport looks like in New Zealand, showcasing the standards, commitment, and culture required to perform at the highest level. The exchange helps our girls develop a clear vision of what is possible and provides inspiration for their own sporting journeys.

We have also begun working alongside Sport Hawke’s Bay to develop a School Sports Strategic Plan. This is an exciting step forward for our sports programme as we look to shape the future direction of sport at Hastings Girls’ High School. We look forward to completing and sharing this plan with students, whānau, and our wider community next term, providing a clear pathway and vision for the growth and success of sport within our school.

This term, we were fortunate to partner with Canoe Polo Hawke’s Bay to provide a group of our students with the opportunity to experience the exciting sport of Canoe Polo. Through several introductory sessions, our girls stepped outside their comfort zones, learned new skills, and experienced a sport that many had never previously tried. This initiative was made possible through Tū Manawa funding, administered by Sport Hawke’s Bay, and reflects our ongoing commitment to expanding the range of sporting opportunities available to our students.

Our 1st XV Rugby team has also enjoyed an outstanding start to their PTS Logistics Cup campaign, opening the season with an impressive 32–17 victory over local rivals Napier Girls’ High School. As the defending champions, the team will head into Term 3 determined to retain the trophy and continue building on their strong start to the season.

Looking ahead, Term 3 presents exciting opportunities for two of our premier teams. Our Senior A Netball team will travel to Wellington to compete at Tournament Week, while our 1st XI Football team will compete in Napier, marking the school’s first-ever appearance at a Football Tournament Week competition. Both teams have worked incredibly hard throughout the season, and this is a fantastic opportunity to test themselves against some of the best school teams from around the country while proudly representing Hastings Girls’ High School.

Finally, we would like to extend our sincere thanks and appreciation to all of the students, staff, coaches, managers, whānau, officials, and community volunteers who generously give their time to support school sport. Your commitment and dedication provide our girls with opportunities to showcase their talents, develop valuable life skills, and create lasting friendships through sport. The experiences our students enjoy would not be possible without your support, and we are incredibly grateful for the positive impact you have on our sporting community.