Term One Week 8
Principal’s Message
This week we gathered to honour a remarkable milestone—70 years of Hastings Girls’ High School. Our story is one of strength, identity, and deep connection, not only to our community but also to our brother school, Hastings Boys’ High School.
We were delighted to welcome Mr Summerfield, Headmaster of Hastings Boys’ High School, along with Deputy Headmaster Mr Crawford, Kaiako Kapa Haka Mr Hurae, Mr Rosenburg from the Hastings High School Old Boys’ Association, and senior kapa haka students and prefects from Hastings Boys’ High.
Although our official founding year is recorded as 1956, when the original Hastings High School separated into two schools, the bond between us has remained strong. Both schools continue to proudly share the huia emblem, sing the same school song, and perform the same haka—traditions that reflect our shared beginnings.
During the celebration, we paid tribute to Ms Jean Kelt, whose contribution to our history is significant. A former Head Girl of Hastings High School in 1937, she later became our second Principal, serving from 1968 to 1983. As a founding teacher of Hastings Girls’ High in 1956, her legacy is woven deeply into the fabric of our school.
A special moment in the celebration was the cutting of the anniversary cake, shared with students, staff, and our guests from Hastings Boys’ High. Watching students from both schools perform the haka and sing our school song together was a highlight—a powerful reminder of our shared heritage. We were also gifted a beautiful glass print from Hastings Boys’ High, telling the story of how our school motto, Ākina, and the huia emblem were gifted to Hastings Girls’ High by Ngāti Kahungunu all those years ago.
Mr Summerfield and I look forward to continuing to build on the strong history and relationship we share as brother and sister schools.
It has also been a busy and successful week for our students competing at national tournaments.
At NZSS Waka Ama Nationals, all of our crews progressed through to their semi-finals, with many of our younger paddlers stepping up into higher divisions and performing strongly. A special acknowledgement to Stevie-Lee Cargill, who made her W1 debut and progressed through to the finals.
Our Senior A Volleyball team also had an excellent campaign at nationals in Palmerston North. Despite entering as the lowest-ranked team in their pool, they secured strong wins and advanced through to the semi-finals, narrowly missing a place in the final by just one point. The team finished 4th in Division 2 and 20th overall in the country—an outstanding result.
We are very proud of the way these teams represented our kura.
We also welcomed a large group of Year 8 students to our Big Day Out. It was great to see them engaging with our staff and students, trying new experiences, and getting a real sense of what it means to be part of Hastings Girls’ High School. We look forward to seeing many of them and their whānau at our Open Evening on 6 August.
DP Pastoral Update
Attendance Update: Rising Numbers and Exciting Rewards
It has been fantastic to see our school community prioritising attendance this term. We are currently sitting at 87.7%, and more importantly, we are seeing a steady and consistent increase in students being present and ready to learn each day.
We are also really encouraged by our latest attendance data:
62% of our students are attending regularly (90–100%)
83% of our students are attending between 80–100%
This is a significant improvement, and a real credit to our students and whānau. Thank you for the effort you are making to ensure our girls are at school and ready to learn. A special acknowledgement also to our Ākina Coaches, who continue to build strong, supportive relationships with students and families—this connection makes a real difference.
A reminder to our students: aiming for no more than 5 days off per term helps keep you on track with your learning and connected to your school community.
Planning Ahead: Short-Term Leave
We understand that sometimes there are commitments that require students to be away from school. If you are aware of an upcoming absence, please apply through the Principal for formal leave.
Under Section 27 of the New Zealand Education Act 1989, a Principal may grant a short-term exemption of up to five school days if the absence is considered justified. This ensures absences are correctly recorded and supports families to meet attendance requirements.
Celebrating Our Wins
To recognise the positive effort our students are making, we are excited to celebrate our attendance successes this term:
-Pizza Lunch for the top Ākina class in both the Junior and Senior schools
-100% Attendance Draw with two major prizes up for grabs
-Weekly Rewards, including our popular $20 sushi voucher draw
We will be celebrating these achievements at our upcoming student-led assembly on Monday.
It is great to see this positive momentum building. Let’s keep working together and see how high we can push our attendance before the end of term.
Whānau Voices: We Value Your Feedback
We invite our parents and whānau to share their experiences of our school as part of a nationwide project led by the Education Review Office (ERO) research centre. Your feedback will help inform how schools across Aotearoa can best support their communities.
The survey takes around three minutes to complete, and we would really value your input.
Click Here for Survey
Big Day Out!
It was an absolute pleasure to welcome so many Year 8 students to Hastings Girls’ High School for our Big Day Out!
The school was full of energy as students explored, got involved in a range of activities, and experienced a taste of what life at HGHS is all about. It was wonderful to see so many smiling faces, new friendships forming, and girls stepping confidently into a new environment.
We hope the day sparked excitement for the journey ahead and gave a true sense of our school community, where every student is supported to find her place, grow her strengths, and strive for excellence.
We look forward to seeing you all again at our Open Evening on 6 August.
Massey University Visit
Some of our aspiring Year 12 students travelled to Massey University on 19 March to take part in a Young Women in Leadership Event. This programme was limited to just 30 students from schools across the Wellington and Gisborne regions. The students listened to speakers and discussed what leadership looks like in our community and what makes a good leader.
Each school group now has a month to put together a project that will benefit the community. They will return to Massey to present their projects at the end of May.
Welcome to HGHS
A big, warm welcome to our four new Japanese international students!
We are so excited to have Sana, Mio, Haruka, and Yuri with us for the next 12 days. We hope you have an amazing time exploring and making memories here with us at Hastings Girls’ High School!
International Fun
We had an absolute blast at the Annual Regional International Student Games Day! Whether they were pulling for a win in tug-of-war or trying to keep those Jenga towers standing, our international crew represented HGHS with so much spirit.
Special shoutout to the water games for providing the ultimate “chaos” and keeping us cool! It was awesome to meet students from across the region and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Thanks for the hospitality, Sacred Heart College!
Attendance Superstars Alert!
We’ve had another fantastic fortnight, and it’s time to celebrate some serious commitment! Huge congratulations to Nature, Bonnie, Mary Cris, and Tia for achieving 100% attendance.
Keep up the incredible work, girls—your dedication is inspiring!
NZSS Nationals Recap
It has been a significant week for our athletes, with strong performances across both Waka Ama and Volleyball at national level.
Waka Ama
Our Waka Ama crews performed exceptionally well, with every team progressing through to their semi-finals. It was great to see our younger paddlers stepping up into higher divisions and competing strongly. Our W12 crew combined with Hastings Boys’ High School in the U19 event, while our U16 W6 crew also competed in the U19 250m division—both achieving semi-final placings. A special acknowledgement to Stevie-Lee Cargill, who made her W1 debut and progressed through to the finals.
Senior A Volleyball
Our Senior A Volleyball team delivered an outstanding campaign at the NZ Secondary Schools Nationals in Palmerston North. After a challenging start, the team showed resilience with key wins over highly ranked opposition, finishing top of their pool on countback but narrowly missing the Top 16 on points differential. They responded strongly through crossover matches to reach the semi-finals, where they were edged out by just one point. The team went on to finish 4th in Division 2 and 20th overall in the country—an excellent result and a true reflection of their determination and teamwork.
Netball Trials & Selections
Netball trials have now been completed, with a high level of competition across all year levels. Congratulations to those selected for the Junior A and Senior A wider squads. Teams are currently being finalised, with further details to be shared via notices by the end of the week.
Winter Sports Registrations
Registrations for winter sports are closing soon. Students wishing to participate in Rugby, Football, Hockey, or Basketball must ensure they are registered before the end of the week. Once teams are submitted to regional associations, places cannot be guaranteed. Please see the Sports Office or your Ākina Coach for registration details.
Well done to all students who represented our kura with pride this week. We look forward to carrying this momentum into the winter season.
Sports Happenings (Last Week of School)
Monday 30th:
Senior A Netball Training (3:00–5:00pm)
Switch Gala Training (3:15–4:30pm)
Tuesday 31st:
Junior A Netball Training (3:00–5:00pm)
Wednesday 1st:
Switch Gala Rugby Event (All Day)
Important Dates
Monday 30 March
International Students Bush Walk
Level 2 Biology Rocky Shore Trip
Student Led Assembly
Tuesday 31 March
Pūhoro: Term One Wānanga Māpūrau
Wednesday 1 April
Switch Gala Day
Thursday 2 April
Te Ao Haka Performance at Gracelands
Last Day of Term
Friday 3 April
Easter Friday
School Calendar
As we near the end of Term 1, there is still a lot going on in and around our kura. Please take time to read our school calendar.
Click here – Link to School Calendar
Menu – Week 9
