Term Three Week 5

This week we celebrate Tongan Language Week and it has been wonderful seeing our girls proudly share their culture with us during our student‑led assembly. Their confidence, joy, and generosity in teaching others remind us how rich and diverse our school community truly is.

A special thank you to the students who have been teaching me new phrases:

How are you? Fēfē hake?
I am fine, thank you. Sai pē, mālō
A gentle reminder that we are never too old to learn something new. Our girls show us this every day.

We have seen a noticeable increase in illness across both staff and students this week. As always, our priority is to look after one another.

Please ensure your daughter is eating well, staying warm, and resting when needed. If you are unsure whether she should attend school, the Ministry of Education guidelines are a helpful reference. Taking these small steps helps keep our whole community well.

On Monday night, I had the pleasure of attending the DanceNZmade competition at Toitoi. Our team, Ākina, performed beautifully and were recognised for their talent and hard work, placing second in their division and third overall. An outstanding achievement.

Congratulations to: Maddee Marsh, Lainey Barber, Shilou Fromont‑Rose, Johannes Iese, Jada Smith, Loupua Vaitaiki, Imila Valoaga.

A special mention to Johannes and Loupua, who received Golden Tickets, to dance workshops and a live audition/elimination process in Palmerston North in January, with very generous dance scholarship prizes on offer. Only around seven students received these across the entire competition.The Ākina troupe will compete at Nationals in Palmerston North on 19 September and we wish them every success.

On Wednesday, Jo Opoc and I attended Te Kokonga Filipinana at the Hastings Library, a celebration of Philippine literature, language, and culture. This event marked the introduction of Philippine books into the library collection, an important step in supporting and recognising our local Philippine community. It was a privilege to be part of such a meaningful occasion.

Ngā mihi nui
Lisa Akers
Principal

Kia ora school whānau, we are heading into a huge, high-energy stretch of the term, and there is so much for us to gear up for, support, and celebrate together. Next week marks a major milestone as our prospective Student Leaders take the stage in the Library on Tuesday 25 August, and Thursday 27 August. This is a massive moment for our future student voice, so whether you are stepping up to speak or coming along to back your mates, let’s make sure the room is packed to hear their vision for our community.

For our senior students counting down to the Senior Ball on Thursday 10 September, the clock is officially ticking – if you haven’t locked in your registration yet, you need to sort that out immediately. Just remember that ball eligibility hinges on keeping your attendance consistently high, so if you are currently working to lift those numbers, keep pushing hard through these final weeks so you don’t miss out on an unforgettable night.

Equally, our junior students and families need to dive into the important information emails sent out today regarding the upcoming Junior Social, ensuring all instructions are clear and understood. Keep in mind that maintaining strong attendance and awesome everyday behaviour is a total non-negotiable for getting on the dance floor.

Outside the classroom, we want to shout out a massive good luck to all of our netball teams battling it out in the finals at the Sports Park tomorrow! It has been an incredible season of grit and teamwork, and we would love to see a sea of school support lining the courts this weekend to bring the noise and help bring home the wins.

Finally, with winter bugs running rampant through the classrooms, we need to look after each other: if a student is feeling under the weather, please prioritise staying home to rest up, and make sure a parent or caregiver contacts our attendance team as early in the morning as possible so we can keep our records up to date.

A reminder to parents, whānau, and students regarding the upcoming NCEA Co-requisite assessments. Full attendance throughout this period is essential.

Key Assessment Details

Start Date: Week 8, Monday 7 September

Location: School Hall

Catch-Up Sessions: Week 9

Timetable: The Week 8 assessment schedule will be emailed to students next week and published in the upcoming pānui.

Student Preparation & Expectations

Devices: Students must bring a fully charged device to every assessment session. (Limited spare devices will be available on-site if needed.)

Reader/Writer Accommodations: Students entitled to reader/writer support should monitor their school email for custom schedule details regarding Week 8 and 9 sessions.

Kia ora everyone!

As we cross the midpoint of Term 3, the Visual Arts Department has officially entered our busiest season of the year. Our senior art students are currently working hard to complete the majority of their NCEA art portfolios within the remaining weeks of the term. Despite the bustling studio atmosphere, we have some fantastic achievements and news to share with our wider community!

Hawke’s Bay Year 12 Art Exhibition Success: As many of you may have seen in our earlier post, our students achieved outstanding results at this year’s exhibition. Huge congratulations to Hope Naoupu for winning the Best Pasifika Award, and to Teiyah Fomai for taking home the Best in Show Award!

Cultural Exchange with Jinan: We were recently approached by the Hastings City Council to send copies of our junior students’ artwork to our formal friendship city, Jinan in China. To showcase the rich heritage and beauty of Aotearoa and Heretaunga, we shared a selection of junior pieces, including Matariki Star paintings and Blossom Art prints.

Farewell to an Iconic Display: Since graduating Year 13 back in 2022, Olivia Gray’s amazing paintings have remained on our department walls for the past four years, serving as an incredible source of inspiration and exemplary models for our students. These pieces have now returned home with Olivia. We extend our heartfelt thanks to her and wish her all the very best on her continuing creative journey!

While we miss those pieces, our display space has been refreshed with an exceptional high standard of artwork from last year’s senior artists. Once all of this year’s NCEA art portfolios are wrapped up, we will be hosting a school exhibition giving you the perfect opportunity to come along and admire the incredible work created this year as well.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our creative community!

Congratulations to Kathrine from Heretaunga Intermediate, the lucky winner of our HGHS blazer competition from Open Evening!

When Kathrine came in with her mum and sister to be presented with her new blazer, she revealed her secret weapon to Mrs Akers – on the back of her entry form, she had drawn a four-leaf clover for good luck. Clearly, it worked! 🍀

We love that Kathrine wasn’t leaving anything to chance. She entered the competition and added a little extra luck of her own showing initiative, creativity and a determination to give herself every opportunity to succeed. We think those are pretty great qualities for a future Hastings Girls’ girl.

Congratulations, Kathrine. We can’t wait to welcome you to HGHS in 2027!

Our HGHS dancers represented our school with pride at DanceNZmade Hawke’s Bay on Monday, competing against schools from across the region. The girls achieved an outstanding 2nd place in the Open Category and 3rd place Overall, earning their group a place at the DanceNZmade Nationals!

A very special congratulations also goes to Johannes Iese and Loupua Vaitaiki, who were each awarded a coveted DanceNZmade Golden Ticket – an incredible individual achievement. Golden Tickets are awarded throughout DanceNZmade events to dancers who stand out through their performance, potential and ability, whether on stage or during workshops. Recipients are invited to take part in the DanceNZmade Gold Awards, an intensive day of workshops followed by a live audition and elimination process. It is an amazing opportunity for young dancers to experience the type of fast-paced learning and audition environment they may encounter if they choose to pursue dance at a higher or professional level. For Johannes and Loupua to be individually recognised with Golden Tickets is something to be incredibly proud of.

We are so proud of the way all our girls performed, supported one another and represented Hastings Girls’ High School. They danced with confidence, pride and passion, and these results are a fantastic reflection of all their hard work.

What better way to start the week than exploring Hawke’s Bay?

On Monday, our 16 international students set off on a local adventure around the region. The day started with a sweet stop at Arataki Honey followed by a cultural walk to admire the beautiful Pou in central Hastings. To top it all off, everyone headed over to the Napier Aquatic Centre to warm up with a cozy swim!

Seeing our international students experience and connect with the heart of our community is always a highlight. Huge thanks to everyone who helped make this day so special!

Our Leaders took part in the inaugural Hawke’s Bay Interschool Prefect Day 2026, joining approximately 150 student leaders and staff from across the Hawke’s Bay region. Our student leaders enjoyed the mix of leadership development workshops, team-building activities, and networking opportunities. They returned with newfound relationships and refreshed perspectives.

We are incredibly proud to celebrate another outstanding achievement for 16-year-old Teiyah Fomai, who has officially been named in the 2026 Hawke’s Bay Tui squad, becoming the youngest player selected in this year’s team.

It is a remarkable achievement for a young athlete whose sporting journey continues to go from strength to strength.

Teiyah began 2026 on the other side of the Tasman, spending the first four months of the year in Australia playing Rugby League with the Newcastle Knights. Competing in such a high-performance environment at a young age provided an incredible opportunity to develop her skills, fitness, confidence, and understanding of the game.

Returning home to Hawke’s Bay, Teiyah made the transition from Rugby League back to Rugby Union, taking the field for M.A.C. She quickly made her presence felt. Her performances throughout the season showcased her athleticism, determination, and versatility, earning her recognition from the Hawke’s Bay selectors and ultimately a place in the Tui squad.

What makes Teiyah’s achievements even more impressive is the way she continues to balance her sporting commitments with her education. Despite the significant demands of training, travelling and competing at an elite level, Teiyah continues to maintain strong grades academically and last year achieved an NCEA Merit Endorsement. It is a fantastic reflection of the discipline and commitment she brings not only to her sport but also to her learning.

To be selected for a senior provincial team at just 16 years old is something very special. Teiyah will now train and play alongside experienced athletes, including a number of former Hastings Girls’ High School students. It is another wonderful example of the pathway available to our young sportswomen and particularly special to see another HGHS student joining the strong group of wāhine who have progressed from school rugby into representative rugby.

There is also a proud family connection behind Teiyah’s achievement. By pulling on the Hawke’s Bay jersey, she follows in the footsteps of both her dad and uncle who also represented Hawke’s Bay. To continue that family legacy while forging her own path in the game makes this milestone even more meaningful.

At only 16, Teiyah has already competed internationally, successfully moved between two rugby codes, performed strongly at club level, earned senior provincial selection and continued to achieve in the classroom. Her success is a wonderful example of what can be achieved through talent, resilience, hard work and a willingness to take every opportunity that comes your way.

Teiyah, we are enormously proud of you. We know there will be plenty of people across our school community cheering when you run out in the Hawke’s Bay Tui jersey.

Congratulations, Teiyah – an incredible achievement, and an exciting journey that is only just beginning.

We’re incredibly lucky to have Millie Hannam as part of the Hastings Girls’ High School whānau this year.

Millie is currently completing her Student Teacher placement with us and it hasn’t taken long for her to make a real impression. Our staff and students have loved having her at HGHS where she has brought plenty of enthusiasm, energy and encouragement to our school.

Outside the classroom, there’s another pretty impressive side to Miss Hannam – she is a New Zealand Paddle Fern!

Millie has been selected to represent New Zealand at the 2026 ICF Canoe Polo World Championships in Duisburg, Germany where she will take on the best in the world as part of the Paddle Ferns squad.

Her achievement comes at an especially exciting time for canoe polo at HGHS. We have recently teamed up with Karamū High School to launch a joint Junior Girls’ Canoe Polo team who will compete in the upcoming regional competition as well as Nationals next term. The partnership is an exciting first step towards re-establishing canoe polo at Hastings Girls’ High School.

For our girls who are just beginning their own journey in the sport, having a Paddle Fern right here at school provides some pretty special inspiration.

Millie is a fantastic example of where commitment, hard work and a passion for sport can take you. At the same time, she is completing her teacher training and beginning a career where she will have the opportunity to inspire and encourage young people every day – something she is already doing here at HGHS.

We will miss Millie while she is away but we are incredibly excited to see her represent Aotearoa on the world stage. Good luck in Germany, Millie!

Your HGHS whānau will be cheering you and the Paddle Ferns on from Hawke’s Bay, and we look forward to welcoming you back in Term 4. And who knows, perhaps some of the HGHS girls getting into a canoe for the first time this year will be inspired by Miss Hannam to dream about where the sport might take them too.

As the winter sport season draws to a close, our athletes are finishing on an absolute high with Netball and Badminton entering their final week of competition.

Our Netball teams are gearing up for a massive final weekend on the courts. Senior B, Senior Blue, and Junior A are all competing for a well-deserved spot in the Finals, while Junior Red, Junior Blue, and Junior B will take to the court for their final games of the season, determined to finish on a high.

Looking ahead, next weekend will be another action-packed one as three of our premier teams head away for tournament week. Our U15 Rugby team will travel to Levin to tackle the U15 Hurricanes Girls Tournament, while our Senior A Netball team heads south to Wellington to compete in the Lower North Island Secondary Schools Netball Tournament. Closer to home, our 1st XI Football team makes the short trip across to Napier for their regional tournament.

In exciting community news, we have teamed up with Karamū High School to launch a joint Junior Girls’ Canoe Polo team! They will compete in the upcoming regional competition as well as Nationals next term. This partnership is a fantastic first step towards re-establishing Canoe Polo at Hastings Girls’ High School. We extend a huge thank you to Karamū High School for reaching out and supporting our students with coaching and management. We cannot wait to see our girls build their skills, gain valuable match experience, and represent both schools on the water.

We also recently celebrated the outstanding achievement of current student Teiyah Fomai, who has been named in the finals squad for the Hawke’s Bay Tui Rugby team. This is a monumental accomplishment and Teiyah will have the incredible opportunity to represent Hawke’s Bay alongside several proud Hastings Girls’ High School alumnae who also feature in the squad.

It is inspiring to see our students continuing to represent themselves, Hastings Girls’ High School, and the wider Hawke’s Bay sporting community at such an elite level. We wish all of our teams the very best of luck for their upcoming competitions!

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