Term Two Week 7

Talofa lava

On Wednesday, we proudly held our Ava Ceremony to open Samoan Language Week. It was a special occasion that brought together students, staff, whānau, and members of our wider community. We were honoured to welcome Rev Aiolupotea and his wife, along with family members who joined us for the ceremony.

I was incredibly proud of our students, particularly the girls who spoke so confidently and represented their Samoan heritage with pride, grace, and respect. Their commitment to celebrating and sharing their culture was inspiring and a testament to the strong values within our school community.

This year’s theme, “E afua mai i maunga tetele manuia o le nu’u” translates as “From the high mountains come the blessings of the village.” Within our school setting, we can see this reflected in the important role our teachers play in providing knowledge, guidance, and encouragement to our students. Through their dedication, our young people are supported to become educated, skilled, and prepared for future pathways. Our teachers are indeed among the many blessings that help our students flourish.

On Friday, we had the privilege of joining Hastings Boys’ High School for their Ava Ceremony. It was a special occasion and another valuable opportunity to strengthen the connection between our two schools. We are grateful for the warm welcome extended to our students and staff and for the chance to celebrate and learn together. We look forward to continuing to build on this relationship.

Following King’s Birthday Weekend, it has been a shorter week at school. I hope everyone had the opportunity to rest and recharge as we head into the second half of the term. For our senior students, this is a particularly important time, with internal assessments now well underway. Success comes from establishing positive learning habits and routines. Setting aside a little time each day for study, assessment preparation, and revision can make a significant difference. Remember, our Library is open during lunchtimes and after school until 4.30pm to provide a supportive space for learning. Small, consistent habits often lead to the greatest achievements.

On Tuesday, our teachers began exploring the new draft curriculum for Years 11-13. For some staff, this involved meeting with colleagues from neighbouring schools, providing valuable opportunities to collaborate, network, and share expertise. The development of programmes and resources is already underway as we prepare for future implementation.

A sincere thank you to our hardworking teachers for your ongoing commitment to your students, your professional growth, and the wider school community. Your dedication and mahi are deeply appreciated.

Ngā mihi nui
Lisa Akers
Principal

It has been pleasing to see Term 2 continuing at a strong and purposeful pace, with only four weeks remaining. On Tuesday, our teaching staff were engaged in subject-specific professional development, with many working alongside colleagues from across Hawke’s Bay. These opportunities are an important part of our ongoing preparation for current and future curriculum changes, ensuring we continue to provide high-quality learning experiences for our students.

During Weeks 5 and 6, we had over 600 assessments completed within the school for the Literacy and Numeracy co-requisite qualification as part of NCEA. We commend our students for the effort they put into completing these assessments to the best of their ability. We now look forward to receiving the results, which are due at the end of this term. It is important that students continue to focus on developing their literacy and numeracy skills, as these are essential foundations that support learning across all areas of the curriculum. A further opportunity to sit these assessments will be available in September for those who require it.

Our junior students will, over the next two weeks, be undertaking their e-asTTle Reading and Mathematics assessments. These are completed three times annually and provide valuable insights into student progress, helping to inform next steps for learning. Results from these assessments will be included in reports issued early in Term 3.

Senior reports will be released on Friday, and we look forward to welcoming whānau to next week’s Parent-Teacher Interviews. These meetings are an important opportunity to discuss student progress and next steps. Working together in partnership allows us to provide timely support and helps ensure students are well positioned for success throughout the remainder of the year.

There are also many rich learning opportunities taking place beyond the classroom. Our Level 3 Physical Education class will be travelling to Rotorua next week, where they will further develop their understanding of leadership and safety management. The Year 9 Outdoors elective students have recently completed their camp cooker assessment in the beautiful surroundings of Blowhard Bush. Our Level 2 Business students will be pitching their business ideas next week, while the International Languages speech showcase will provide a valuable opportunity for our multilingual students to share their skills in their heritage languages with an appreciative audience and judges.

This week, Hastings Girls’ High School proudly celebrated Samoan Language Week, embracing this year’s theme, E afua mai i maunga tetele manuia o le nu’u – From the high mountains come the blessings of the village.

Our celebrations began on Wednesday with a special Ava Ceremony, attended by students, staff, whānau, and members of our wider community. We were honoured to welcome Rev Aiolupotea and his wife, along with family members who joined us for this important cultural occasion. During the ceremony, both Rev Aiolupotea and Principal Mrs Akers spoke about the vital role teachers and schools play in guiding and preparing young people for their future pathways, reflecting the week’s theme of wisdom, guidance, and community support.

Throughout the week, our students embraced opportunities to celebrate and share Samoan language and culture. Senior Gagana Samoa students participated in a range of cultural activities, including traditional food, language challenges, cultural games, songs, dance, and Samoan arts and crafts. Our Samoan performance group also visited Mahora School, providing a wonderful opportunity to connect with younger students and promote the Samoan language through performance and cultural exchange.

A particular highlight was seeing our students confidently share their culture with pride, grace, and respect. Their willingness to stand, speak, perform, and lead throughout the week was inspiring and demonstrated the strong sense of identity and belonging that exists within our school community.

We concluded the week on Friday by joining Hastings Boys’ High School for a combined Ava Ceremony. The day included traditional umu, cultural games, and formal speech assessments involving students from both schools. This exciting collaboration strengthened the connection between our two schools and provided a meaningful opportunity to celebrate Samoan culture together. We look forward to building on this partnership in the years ahead.

Fa’afetai tele lava to everyone who contributed to making this year’s Samoan Language Week such a special and memorable celebration.

On Thursday 11 June we will be holding our Senior Parent Teacher Interviews from 3.30-6.00pm.

This is an opportunity to come to the School Hall to reconnect with your student’s teachers and discuss how they have been progressing towards their academic goals and NCEA assessments. You will receive a report before then that will summarise your student’s effort in learning and assessment results to date.

Please book a time to meet EACH of your student’s teachers by going to:
School Interview Link – Click here

You may also ring the School Office on (06) 873 1133 or by getting in touch with your student’s Ākina Coach.

Kia ora! Welcome to Te Rourou!

You may already be familiar with our small but mighty kai tīma, who are busy preparing almost 900 lunches every day! Operating as part of the Ka Ora, Ka Ako programme, our team of 5 prepares lunches for both Hastings Girls’ High School as well as Mahora Primary School.

In addition to the free school lunches, the kitchen team also manages and runs the school tuck shop; offering up hot pies, sausage rolls, cups of noodles and assorted treats at interval.

Breakfast Club has been popular this year, available daily from 8-8:30 AM outside of Te Rourou; students can help themselves to a bowl of cereal before school, free of charge thanks to our friends at Kickstart Breakfast.

Feel free to pop in and say hello to our friendly kitchen staff at both interval and lunch time; if you have any requests or recommendations for lunches, we always welcome your feedback.

As we look back on another successful week, we want to recognise Lexii and Brooklyn for their outstanding commitment to their education. Achieving 100% attendance takes dedication, and we are proud to reward their consistency with this week’s sushi vouchers. Keep up the brilliant work!

2026 Tertiary Pathways & Information Evenings

For Prospective Students and Whānau A comprehensive guide to student life, undergraduate degrees, and scholarship opportunities.

• What to Expect
• Campus & Accommodation Tours: View halls of residence and facilities.
• Faculty Sessions: Meet staff, explore courses, and attend taster lectures.

Tue 9 June	6:00–7:30pm	University of Waikato	Napier War Memorial Centre
Thu 11 June	6:00–7:30pm	Victoria University	Napier War Memorial Centre
Tue 16 June	6:00–8:15pm	University of Canterbury	Napier War Memorial Centre
Thu 25 June	TBA	University of Auckland	Napier War Memorial Centre
Thu 27 Aug	6:00–8:00pm	QRC (Tourism/Hosp.)	Hawke’s Bay (Venue TBA)
Thu 17 Sep	10:00am–2:00pm	EIT Enrolment Day	EIT Campus, Taradale

2026 NZ University Open Day Schedule

Mon 20 July	NZ School of Tourism	Chch, Wgtn, or Hamilton	Check Local Campus
Fri 24 July	Lincoln University	Lincoln (Canterbury)	10:00am–3:00pm
Wed 5 August	Massey University	Manawatū (Palmerston North)	All Day
Sat 15 August	Massey University	Ōtehā (Auckland)	All Day
Fri 21 August	Victoria University	Wellington	All Day
Fri 21 August	Massey University	Pukeahu (Wellington)	All Day
Fri 28 August	University of Canterbury	Christchurch	All Day
Sat 29 August	AUT	Auckland CBD	9:00am–3:00pm
Sat 29 August	University of Auckland	Auckland CBD	9:00am–4:00pm
Thu 3 September	Massey (Distance)	Online	See Website

MONDAY 7 JUNE

PREM BASKETBALL | LUNCH | SCHOOL GYM

SENIOR A NETBALL | 3-5PM | SCHOOL GYM

RUGBY | 3-4:30PM | SCHOOL FIELD

TUESDAY 8 JUNE

BADMINTON JUNIORS | LUNCH | SCHOOL GYM

1ST XI FOOTBALL | 3-4:30PM | SCHOOL FIELD

JUNIOR A & B NETBALL | 3PM | SCHOOL GYM

JUNIOR RED NETBALL | LUNCH | SCHOOL TURF

WEDNESDAY 9 JUNE

JUNIOR BLUE NETBALL | LUNCH | SCHOOL GYM

SENIOR B NETBALL | 3-5PM | SCHOOL GYM

1ST XI HOCKEY | 3-4:30PM | SCHOOL TURF

RUGBY | 3-4:30PM | SCHOOL FIELD

THURSDAY 10 JUNE

BADMINTON SENIORS | LUNCH | SCHOOL GYM

JUNIOR RED NETBALL | LUNCH | SCHOOL TURF

FRIDAY 11 JUNE

SENIOR B NETBALL | 3-5PM | SPORTS PARK

JUNIOR RED NETBALL | 3-4:30PM | SCHOOL TURF

SENIOR RED NETBALL | LUNCH | SCHOOL GYM

SENIOR BLUE NETBALL | 3-4:30PM | SCHOOL GYM

MONDAY 8 JUNE

PREM BASKETBALL VS TARADALE SENIOR BLUE | 6:45PM | CENTENNIAL HALL

TUESDAY 9 JUNE

SENIOR A NETBALL VS SACRED HEART SENIOR GOLD | 5:30PM | RODNEY GREEN ARENA | COURT 6

WEDNESDAY 10 JUNE

U15 RUGBY VS TBC | TBC | ELWOOD PARK

U17 RUGBY VS TBC | TBC | ELWOOD PARK

1ST XI FOOTBALL VS HNHS 2ND XI | 4PM | HGHS

THURSDAY 11 JUNE

1ST XI HOCKEY VS WOODFORD XI | 4:15PM | PARK ISLAND 1

BADMINTON | TBC

School Calendar