Newsletter 2000/1 [18 Feb 2000]

Hutt Valley High School Crest

Internet search
Enter a search phrase:
 
(doesn’t search www.hvhs.ac.nz)
 
 Home PageHome Page
 ProspectusProspectus
 NewslettersNewsletters
 ExaminationsExaminations
 ContactContact
 Past Pupils & FriendsPast Pupils & Friends
 School ActivitiesSchool Activities
HVHS School Life Rotating Photo Gallery [JPEG]


18 February 2000

Newsletter No. 2000/1

Dear Parents/Caregivers

Welcome back to those of you who have had students with us before and a special welcome to those of you who have children with us for the first time. Newsletters such as this are prepared regularly and distributed through classes. If two or three weeks have gone by and you have not seen one, your son or daughter will have one in their bag! Last year we sent out approximately 15. This year we are trialling posting out four newsletters – one each term. We also "post" our newsletter on the school website and run a regular monthly page in the "Hutt News" which carries a calendar of events among other items.

New Staff

We welcome the following teachers to our staffroom:

Mrs L Burr

Mathematics

Ms E Halliwell

Art

Mr S Lange

Music

Mrs E McAfee

English/Drama

Ms Munro

Technology

Ms L Pace

Food Technology

Mr A Sagar

Technical

Mr A Vythilingam

Economics

Ms A Wallace

Science with Biology

We welcome Dr M Asare back to the Mathematics Department, Mrs V Duguid, Guidance, Mrs S Langley, Languages, and Mrs N Dick to the office.

Term Dates 2000

  1. Tuesday 1 February – Friday 7 April
  2. Wednesday 26 April - Friday 30 June
  3. Monday 17 July - Friday 22 September
  4. Monday 9 October - Friday 8 December

Public Holidays

  • Good Friday Friday 21 April (occurs in school holidays)
  • Easter Monday Monday 24 April (occurs in school holidays)
  • Anzac Day Tuesday 25 April
  • Queens Birthday Monday 5 June
  • Labour Day Monday 23 October

Parent Teachers Association Meeting

The PTA meeting will commence at 7.00 p.m. in the school staffroom on March 20th. The Annual General Meeting for the Parent Teachers Association will commence immediately after. All are welcome.

School Fees

The Board recommends an annual donation of $165 per year for each student, with a maximum of $330 per family. Payment may be made in a lump sum, by termly amounts or by direct credit. In the latter case, please contact the school office for details. We remind you that these donations are tax deductible. We enjoyed excellent support last year. If you can manage to make your donation before 31 March the school benefits through the early use of your donation, and you gain the earliest possible tax refund. Please contact the Principal, in confidence, if you have any concerns about this matter.

Coming Events

February Tuesday 22 Athletics Finals, Hutt Rec.
Thursday 24 Postponement Day: Athletics Finals
Concert : Thomas Hecht, Pianist
Saturday 26 Dragonboat Festival
Monday 28 3rd Form/7th Form Social
March Wednesday 1 1st XI Boys Cricket vs Non-Descripts
Thursday 2 Athletics Hutt Zone Championships, Hutt Rec.
Tuesday 7 Wairarapa Sports Exchange
Thursday 9 North Island Boys Waterpolo Championships till Sunday
Tuesday 14 Wellington Regional Athletics: Newtown
Monday 20 Palmerston North GHS Exchange
Tuesday 28 Polyclub Exchange with Naenae
Thursday 30 North Island Waterpolo Girls Championships till Sunday
Friday 31 Japan Trip to 17th April
April Tuesday 4 7.30 p.m. Jazz Evening
Thursday 6 Waterpolo Boys Nationals till Sunday
Friday 7 3rd Form Option reports issued

Parents Interview Evenings

Tuesday 21st March 4.30 p.m. 3rd Form
Wednesday 29th March 4.30 p.m. 4th Form

Appointment slips will be sent out the week prior to the interview date.

Education Review Office: On-Line

School and early childhood centre accountability review reports confirmed after 1 July 1997 are now available on the ERO website : www.ero.govt.nz/.

School Office

The School Office would be grateful to have any old towels or flannelette sheets for cleaning up. Also the Fashion Department would appreciate any old magazines (Fashion, New Idea, Women’s Weekly, Sport, National Geographic, etc.). These may be dropped off at the School Office.

Ad Alta Uniform Shop

Normal shop hours are as follows:

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday 8.15 – 10.00 a.m.
Monday, Wednesday and Friday 2.30 - 4.30 p.m.
Thursday evening 6.30 - 8.30 p.m.

The telephone number during shop hours - 570-3551.

We are currently in need of good quality pre-used uniforms – jerseys, skirts, polo-shirts and grey trousers. If your student has outgrown their uniform or is now in the 7th Form and not requiring the above items, we would like to buy them from you. Please bring them into the Uniform Shop during opening hours. Thank you.

Student ID Cards

This year we would like to encourage ALL students to get a student ID card from school. They will be compulsory from 2001. We see them as having the potential to assist us in the safe and efficient running of the school.

We have, for some time now, been concerned about the possibility of strangers entering the school grounds during the day, and if all students have an ID card, we will be able to establish quickly whether someone has the right to be here.

The library would like to use the cards as issue cards. This will speed up issues, and enable us to keep a much closer track of books that are not returned.

These cards cost $6, and the ordering and issuing of cards is organised by the Student Council.

Skateboard Protocols

We are happy for students to bring skateboards to school as long as they appreciate that there are conditions governing their use.

  1. Skateboards are to be put into the lock-up before the start of morning school. They are not to be taken into lessons.
  2. Boards may be retrieved from the lock-up at lunchtime, for use on the back courts only, and must be returned to the lock-up before the start of afternoon lessons.
  3. Skateboarding does not entitle students to wear non-regulation items of clothing. It is essential that the school uniform code is respected. Non-uniform garments will be confiscated and returned on the Thursday of the following week.
  4. Students using the back courts for skateboarding are expected to help keep the area litter free, and to remove any material used for jumps etc. at the end of lunchtime.

It is the responsibility of all skateboarders to ensure that these requirements are met. Non-compliance may lead to skateboards being banned altogether from school.

Homework Diary

All students have been issued with a free homework diary. We will be trying to make full use of this - especially at Forms 3 and 4. All students receive homework and it should be recorded in this diary. If you have concerns about homework please contact your child's form teacher.

Travel

Students who travel by bus

Students will be required to produce I.D. if travelling in mufti on school buses. Contact Cityline for timetables.

Students with motor vehicles

If a student wishes to drive a motor vehicle to school a form requesting permission must be obtained from the office and returned completed and signed by a parent.

If a student wishes to be a passenger in a motor vehicle driven to school by a fellow student the intending passenger must also obtain the appropriate form and return it to the office completed and signed by their parent.

Applications for both the above must be renewed every year.

The above requirement is not intended to interfere with a person's perceived rights but to deter undesirable and dangerous incidents, e.g. the driving of a vehicle in the vicinity of the school by an unlicensed person.

Road courtesy

Students using the crossing outside the school on Woburn Road, and elsewhere should be considerate of other road users. Do not straggle across in one's and two's.

Canteen

The canteen staff would like to welcome all new students and staff to the school. The canteen is open every morning break and lunchtime and has a very large selection of food and drinks available. We make all our own sandwiches, most of our rolls, muffins and cakes on the premises and are happy to cater for special diets on request. All profit is returned to the school via the Parents Association. We are very lucky to have wonderful parents and 7th formers rostered on to help us and we couldn't do without them.

Parents are welcome to phone us on 570-3553 if they have any queries.

Multicultural Dinner and Entertainment

Please keep Friday 19th May free for our annual Multicultural Dinner with entertainment. It is an excellent evening enjoyed by all who attend.

General

  • Parents, guardians or others may only contact students during the day at school in the case of a serious emergency. No messages will be delivered to children unless senior staff approve. No member of the public may be in the school without the prior approval of the Principal.

  • I would remind all parents/guardians that the custom and practice of Hutt Valley High School, well supported in law, is that students will be clean-shaven. We have no wish to become involved in unpleasant and time-consuming confrontation on this matter. Please ensure that your son conforms to this requirement.

Community Education

Please call Teresa McCombie on 568-7521 for further details.

Congratulations to…

  • Nadine Jaggi who came second in the National Littlejohns Staedtler Design Competition with her wearable art orange roughy fish.
  • Arun Stephens who has been awarded a national Coca Cola Scholarship.
  • Nick Willis, 7PO, who has been selected to represent New Zealand Secondary Schools’ at the Pacific Games to be held at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium in April.

PTA Garage Sale

An undeveloped film was found in a black satchel at the Garage Sale. If you donated such a satchel and would like your film back, please contact the school office.

Wellington College of Education

Wellington College of Education are running meetings to introduce the Ministry of Education guidelines on educating gifted students, which will be sent to schools in the second term. These meetings will also outline the professional development programme Wellington College of Education is offering to schools and issues concerning the education of gifted students. These issues who should be considered as gifted or having a special ability, the need to adopt a schoolwide approach to meeting the needs of gifted children, the importance of developing a parent/whanau network and the legal responsibilities of schools.

They will be running meetings for parents, teachers and any interested members of the community or whanau at Queen Margaret College Hall, Hobson Street, Thorndon, Wellington on 21st February and at the Wairarapa Education Resource Centre, 340 Queen Street, Masterton, on 24th February.



Graeme Marshall
Principal