Term Three Week 4

Kia ora e te whānau

I want to begin with a huge thank you to our staff, senior leadership team, admin team, our incredible student leaders, and to every one of you who contributed to our Open Evening. You were outstanding ambassadors for HGHS. The way you welcomed our community with your beautiful smiles, your confidence, and your willingness to share your learning journeys truly showed our school values in action.

What stood out most was the genuine sense of care, kindness, and whakaute that flowed so naturally between staff and students. It reminded me again that this is a good school, and together, we have everything we need to make it a great one. That journey to greatness asks each of you to step fully into our values: talk with your Ākina Coaches, model those values in your daily habits, and stand tall in your culture and whakapapa. When you’re out in the community, use kind words and positive actions. You each have a part to play—do your part well. Be proud of HGHS. Stand tall.

Our school looks amazing right now, with displays that show the depth of your learning and the pride you take in your work. The grounds are looking beautiful with new plantings and our garden upgrades ensuring that we have a beautiful learning environment for our staff and students. Thank you to our dedicated grounds staff who work very hard to maintain our grounds to such a high level.

Next week, our senior students head off on the Massey and Victoria University trip, and I am genuinely excited for you. This is your chance to explore future possibilities and see yourselves in new spaces. I know you will return with renewed focus, excitement, and purpose in your learning. Remember: Girls can do anything.

Over the next two weeks, the senior leadership team will be meeting with students who are on track for Excellence and Merit endorsements. For our senior girls, this is the time to dig in, stay focused, and push toward your goals. At the moment, close to one‑third of our Year 11, 12 and 13 students are on track for endorsements and I suspect there are even more of you who, with a little encouragement, can lift to Excellence. An email will be coming home so you can also support your daughter to reach endorsement level. Please contact us if you need further clarification about this. To reach endorsement level you need 50 plus credits at either Merit or Excellence level to be recognised.

Mrs Eaton, our Attendance Officer, is one of our kaumatua, and she will be on leave until the end of the year to look after her whānau. She has promised she will pop back in from time to time, and I know the end of the year will pass quickly. This isn’t farewell, but we will miss seeing her in the Student Centre. Ka kite anō, e te whaea.

Ngā mihi nui
Lisa Akers
Principal

I have had the privilege of getting out and about over the past fortnight, celebrating our students as they pursue their passions and step outside their comfort zones into leadership roles.

On Monday, I attended the Hawke’s Bay Year 12 Art Exhibition 2026. Every year, I am captivated by the extraordinary calibre of work our young artists present. The rich and diverse perspectives they bring to their creations produced truly outstanding pieces, and seeing so many of our students represented filled me with immense pride. Congratulations to all our exhibitors, with a special mention to our prizewinners. I feel fortunate to showcase work from past photography students in my office and some in my own home, continuing a tradition of celebrating our talented artist community.

Our Year 10 Junior Leaders also made us proud this week while attending the Hawke’s Bay Primary Schools Pasifika Leadership workshop. Serving and supporting our neighbouring school community is a vital part of being an HGHS Junior Leader, offering a fantastic opportunity to foster valuable leadership and communication skills. Our students represented HGHS with great integrity, exemplifying our core values of whakaute and pono in every interaction with the primary students and supporting staff.

During Monday’s assembly, we heard from Amali and Natalie, who shared an impressive Road Safety initiative developed for their Level 2 Health Promotion Assessment. They highlighted the three main crossing areas near our school: Frimley Road, Pakowhai Road, and the traffic lights. They reminded everyone of the traffic law requiring pedestrians to use a crossing whenever one is within 20 metres. While drivers must give way to people waiting at a crossing, pedestrians should never step out unexpectedly. We encourage all our students to embody manaakitanga by waiting patiently, waving to acknowledge drivers, and crossing safely.

Finally, a warm reminder to our whānau: please utilise the surrounding side streets when picking up your students after school. We kindly ask for your support in encouraging students to use designated crossings rather than calling them across in heavy traffic. With several near misses reported recently, working together is essential to keep every member of our school community safe.

Hastings Girls’ High School offers courses in Health, Physical Education, and Physical Education in the Outdoors across nearly all year levels and it shows. Our HPE Department has had an action-packed year so far, with students out of the classroom and into real-world learning at every level.

In Term 2, our Level 2 and 3 students headed off on adventures to the Abel Tasman and Rotorua, testing themselves in unfamiliar terrain and pushing outside their comfort zones. Now back in the classroom, they’re turning those experiences into rich learning, unpacking different leadership styles and reflecting on what it really takes to lead well when the pressure is on whether that’s navigating a group through a tricky section of track or keeping spirits up on a long day out.

Our Level 2 PE students have plenty to look forward to as well, with an action-packed camp to Taupō on the horizon. Between mountain biking, snowboarding, and tramping, it’s shaping up to be a fantastic opportunity for the girls to build new skills, grow their confidence, and strengthen teamwork out in the elements – the kind of learning that just can’t happen behind a desk.

Meanwhile, our girls studying the Coast to Coast multisport race have been deep in research, exploring what makes this iconic New Zealand event so significant – not just as a physical challenge but as a cultural and sporting institution. We were thrilled to welcome guest speaker Amy Renall who shared her firsthand experience of taking on the gruelling race not once but three times. Her insights into the mental and physical demands of endurance racing gave students a real appreciation for the dedication it takes to cross that finish line.

Our senior Health classes have their heads down too, working hard on their internal assessments while beginning to prepare for their externals later in the year. The Level 2 Health class in particular have been busy ‘Taking Action,’ getting out into the school community to promote health initiatives around road safety and physical activity. It’s been awesome to see the girls step outside their comfort zones, creating opportunities for the whole school to get involved and even taking to the stage to speak in assemblies along the way.

Down in the juniors, our younger students have been just as busy learning new games through the lens of Te Ao Kori, exploring movement as a way of knowing and being that connects the body, mind, and wider world. They have also been flexing their creativity by designing their own new games this term which is both challenging and fun. Alongside this, they’ve also been learning about the brain and addiction and now they are building important knowledge around puberty and sexuality as part of their health education programme.

With so much happening across every year level, it’s a great reminder of just how much variety, depth, and real-world relevance there is in Health and Physical Education at Hastings Girls’ High School!

We know it can sometimes be difficult to decide whether your child is well enough to come to school, particularly during the winter months.

On Friday we carried out a lockdown practice as part of our ongoing emergency preparedness procedures. We are pleased with how students and staff responded and appreciate everyone taking the exercise seriously.

Primary caregivers should have received a text message from the school advising that the practice was taking place. In an emergency, text messaging is one of the quickest and most effective ways for us to communicate important information with whānau.

If you are a primary caregiver and did not receive Friday’s text, please contact the School Office to check that we have your correct mobile phone number on file.

Keeping your contact details up to date helps ensure we can reach you quickly when it matters most.

Health New Zealand | Te Whatu Ora has helpful guidance for parents and caregivers about when students can still attend school with mild symptoms and when they should stay home to rest and recover.

As a general guide, students can usually still attend school if they have mild symptoms such as a runny or blocked nose, mild cough or headache, provided they have no fever, are otherwise feeling well, and are able to comfortably take part in learning.

Students should stay home if they are too unwell to learn, have a fever, vomiting or diarrhoea, difficulty breathing, or other symptoms of concern. Following vomiting or diarrhoea, students should remain at home until 48 hours after their last episode.

Regular attendance is really important for learning, friendships and staying connected with school, so once your child is feeling well enough, we encourage them to return to school as soon as possible.

For more detailed information, including guidance for specific symptoms and illnesses, please see:

Health NZ – Knowing if your child is well enough to go to school.
Click here for more information

We are incredibly proud of our Year 12 artists who represented Hastings Girls’ High School in the Hawke’s Bay Year 12 Art Exhibition, which showcases the work of talented young artists from across Heretaunga in painting, sculpture, printmaking, photography and design.

A huge congratulations to Teiyah Fomai, who was awarded Best in Show, and Hope Naoupu, who was named the winner of the Pasifika category – outstanding achievements and wonderful recognition of their creativity and talent.

A number of our other Year 12 Art students also had work selected for the exhibition, and we were so proud to see their incredible pieces displayed alongside those of other young artists from across Hawke’s Bay. The standard of work from all of our HGHS students was amazing.

Our senior business studies students have completed their last market day for the year. Last Sunday our Young Enterprise businesses were at the Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market. Despite the cool weather, sales were hot.

The YES Hawke’s Bay Farmers’ Market gives Young Enterprise Scheme students the chance to showcase their businesses, sell their products and put their ideas into action. Our students had some fantastic products ranging from dog toys, kawakawa balm, soaps, cookies and gift bags. Now the final part of this year means lots of report writing and completing their assessment work in class.

Well done to all our girls and what they’ve achieved so far.

Who says you need a passport to go on tour? At the start of this term, Trudi and Maxine took our Year 13 Tourism and Gateway students out of the classroom in exchange for sunny Napier to step into the shoes of holidaymakers for a day behind the scenes of Hawke’s Bay tourism.

First up was Napier Airport and the i-SITE. The students got the inside lowdown from airport and Air New Zealand liaisons on career paths, industry secrets, and what actually keeps our region connected to the rest of the world.

Next, we headed to the Scenic Hotel Te Pania to talk about all things hospitality, check out future job options, and a sneak peek at a proper luxury suite – safe to say, a few of us wanted to check in right then and there.

No field trip is complete without sustenance. We refuelled with a massive pizza feast at Vinci’s, a crowd-favourite that left absolutely no one wanting for more…

To top off a brilliant day, the girls put their teamwork to the test at The Escape Room. Things didn’t go entirely to plan, but what we lacked in record-breaking escape times, we made up for in laughter and team work.

All in all, an absolute success of a day that gave our students a fresh, hands-on look at the exciting tourism world waiting for them after school.

We would like to say a big thank you to all of our work placement clients who supported our students with their work placements during Term 2.

Our Gateway students really enjoyed their time at their placement and learnt a great deal about their chosen industries. They also greatly appreciated the time, guidance and support that each of you provided during their placements.

A very special thank you to:
Pak’nSave, Farmers, Spotlight, Nature Kids, 13th Stag Café, No.5 Café & Larder, Bay Ford, Brittin Builders, Brittany House Residential Care, Frimley School and Wowbeing.

Your support provides our students with valuable opportunities to gain real-world experience, develop new skills and build confidence in the workplace.
Thank you for supporting our Gateway students!

Year 13s Applying for Tertiary Study – DO IT NOW!

If you are planning on heading to university or polytechnic next year, make sure you are ticking off these essential steps:

Halls of Residence: Applications are NOW OPEN! Get your forms submitted as soon as possible.
Scholarships: Check closing dates for University and EIT scholarships—many are closing very soon!
Student Loans: Set up your RealMe account now if you intend to apply for StudyLink student loans or allowances.

Key Dates & Tertiary Planning Sessions
All sessions take place in the Library unless noted otherwise.
Otago University Planning: Monday 17 August @ 2:00 PM
Health Pathways Event: Wednesday 26 August (See details below)
Electoral Commission Presentation: Monday 7 September @ 12:00 PM (Year 13s)
EIT Visit: Tuesday 8 September @ 8:30 AM – 1:00 PM (Full Year 12 Cohort)
Massey University Planning: Tuesday 15 September @ 11:30 AM
Victoria University Planning: Wednesday 16 September @ 8:45 AM
EIT Open Day: Thursday 17 September (At the EIT Campus)

Interested in a Career in Health?
Health Pathways Event
Date: Wednesday 26 August
Who: Open to Years 11, 12, and 13
Come and listen to guest speakers from a wide range of fields, including Pharmacy, Social Work, Speech Language Therapy, Radiography, Sonography, Sterile Services, Dietetics, Physiotherapy, and Audiology.

To attend: Please email Maxine at to reserve your spot!

Weekly Sports Wrap-Up: Highs, Hard-Fought Battles, and Tournament Prep!

It has been an action-packed week for our sports teams, filled with strong finishes, tournament preparation, and impressive performances across all codes!

Senior Sports Exchange to Gisborne
On Thursday, our 1st XI Football and Senior A Volleyball teams travelled to Gisborne Girls’ High School for a senior sports exchange.

It was a fantastic opportunity for our Football team to gain valuable experience and game time as they refine their play ahead of tournament week. Despite going down to a very strong Gisborne side, the match gave the squad clear insights into what to build on moving forward.

Meanwhile, our Senior A Volleyball team delivered a sensational performance, sweeping Gisborne Girls’ in all three sets! It was a particularly special final school match for our Year 13 players, serving as a fitting farewell to celebrate their dedicated years representing the school.

A huge thank you to Gisborne Girls’ High School for their wonderful hospitality and hosting. We wish all of their teams the very best during Winter Tournament Week!

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Code Highlights & Regional Results
• Basketball: Premier Basketball capped off their season in style with a 31–20 victory over Woodford Senior A, securing 5th place in Hawke’s Bay out of 13 teams. This achievement is especially impressive given the squad is predominantly made up of junior players competing in a Senior Division. We hope their grit and success inspire even more girls to take up basketball as we continue growing the programme next year!
• Netball: Our Senior A team concluded their Regional season as runners-up after falling to top-seeded Havelock North in the final. Plagued by illness, the team showed incredible resilience by battling through with just seven available players. Stepping up a grade and reaching the final is a remarkable achievement—they now turn their attention to the Lower Norths tournament in Wellington in a few weeks. In junior action, both Junior A (2nd in division) and Junior B (3rd in division) scored fantastic wins against Havelock North and Iona respectively as they push for final spots!
• Football: On the home front, the 1st XI Football team wrapped up their regional season in dominant fashion, sweeping past Sacred Heart 7–0. This commanding victory provides fantastic momentum and confidence heading into their upcoming tournament.
• Rugby: The 1st XV Rugby team put on a clinical show last Friday, powering past Taupō-Nui-a-Tia College with an emphatic 77–20 win. The squad now switches focus to the 12-a-side Levin Tournament in a couple of weeks.
• Badminton: B1 Badminton recorded a dominant 6–0 victory over Tamatea. With just one week remaining, the team remains in firm contention for a top position in their division.
• Hockey: Our Hockey team wrapped up their season with a hard-fought match against Havelock North. Despite the loss, the team can be immensely proud of their progress after moving up a division this year and competing strongly against tough opposition – valuable experience that bodes well for next season!”

School Calendar