August 2000
Newsletter No. 2000/11
Dear Parents/Caregivers
We welcome Mr T OConnor back to the staff for the rest of the term to replace our
HOD Chemistry, Mr Booker, who sadly had to return to England at short notice. Ms
Harris leaves at the end of this week, and we wish her well in her new post at St.
Orans College. Julie has made a huge contribution to the school in both her
teaching and sports co-ordinators role, and we will miss her.
Amidst the tales of woe that assail a Principal it is always rewarding to come across
unsolicited praise for the school and its students, and there have been two examples
lately. Several of our students befriended an overseas traveller during a train
journey in the holidays, and so impressed her with their sociability and awareness that
she wrote to the school to commend them. We in turn were delighted to be able to
identify the students and give them the credit they deserve. A lot of you were
involved in billeting the rugby players from the Campion School last week, and made an
excellent impression. The adult supporters with whom I spoke were full of praise for
the students and families they had met, and for the positive and welcoming atmosphere of
the school.
There are a number of student achievements, both individual and team efforts, outlined
in this newsletter, and we do try to celebrate success in all fields through assemblies,
newsletters and the Hutt News.
The winter weather tends to bring out the coloured clothes in the wardrobe, and I would
like to ask once again for your support in matters of uniform. If you have any
doubts over what is allowed, please phone the office or the uniform shop. The
prospectus states quite clearly that one sleeper in each ear is the only permitted
jewellery. I am concerned at the number of comments I hear about the state of our
students uniform. We have high expectations and do our best to encourage
compliance, but in the end we cannot do it without your support. I would welcome any
feedback on the blazer/tie experiment.
We are looking ahead to arrangements for the start of next year, and find as a lot of
schools have, that the official starting date of Thursday, 1 February, does not allow for
a particularly smooth start, with the Waitangi Day holiday on the following Tuesday.
We would therefore like to propose starting on Tuesday, 30th January 2001.
All other holiday dates will remain unchanged until the end of the year, when the last day
would be Friday, 7th December 2001. Please can you let me know if
this would create problems.
We have one more teacher only day this term, on Wednesday, 13th September
and all teachers will once again be involved in NCEA training. You will have read
conflicting views on the NCEA in the papers and will be aware that there are a lot of
issues still unresolved. Mr Marrison will speak about the NCEA at the Parents
Association meeting on 21st August, so do come along if you wish to
learn more. I feel strongly that the time has come to work positively to make the
new qualification system happen, and to give it the best chance of success. That is
not to say that I can see no flaws in it, but we have had uncertainty for too long now in
this area, and in the end that becomes a distraction.
Until our next newsletter in week 10, may I wish you all the best, and assure you of my
commitment to enabling each and every student to find success.
Yours sincerely
Sylvia Burch
Principal
Coming Events
Month |
Date |
Event |
August |
Monday 21 |
Parents Assoc. Meeting 7.30 p.m. in staffroom NCEA
all welcome |
Thursday 24 |
Talent Quest 7.00 p.m. in the hall admission:
a gold coin see notice below |
Wednesday 30 |
Careers Evening 7.00 p.m. in the Hall, C and D Blocks |
September |
Friday 1 |
Victoria University Study Day Form 7 |
Monday 4 to Tuesday 12 |
5th Form Exams |
Wednesday 13 |
Teacher Only Day (NCEA Training Day) |
Tuesday 19 |
Hutt Valley High School Music Festival |
Thursday 21 |
Pacific Island Fashion Show |
Friday 22 |
Form 6 reports issued |
End of Term 3 |
Saturday 23 |
Rockquest National Finals |
October |
Monday 9 |
Term 4 commences |
Friday 20 |
Form 5 reports issued |
Monday 30 to Tuesday 14 November |
Form 6 examinations |
November |
Tuesday 14 |
Form 7 Senior Prizegiving Town Hall 7 p.m.
Leavers supper afterwards |
Thursday 16 |
Last day for Bursary students |
Form 3 and 4 exams commence continue until 21
November |
Wednesday 22 |
Sixth Form Certificate course completion |
School Certificate commences |
Thursday 23 |
University Bursary commences |
Thursday 30 |
Wanganui sports exchange |
December |
Friday 8 |
Forms 3 and 4 reports issued |
Forms 3 (9.45 am) and 4 (11.20 am) prizegivings
all parents welcome |
Congratulations to
Nick Willis who came first in the Under 18 New Zealand Cross-country
Championship in Auckland;
our Underwater Hockey teams who achieved the following results at the Wellington
Secondary Schools Competition:
- Junior Girls: 2nd in Wellington
- Senior Open: 4th in Wellington
- Senior Girls: 3rd in Wellington
the Junior Girls team and Senior Open teams will compete at the
National Secondary Schools Tournament in Kilbirnie on August 24-27th;
the Boys 1st 2nd and 3rd Table Tennis teams
who came 1st, 2nd and 3rd respectively at the Hutt Valley
Championships;
the Girls 1st XI Soccer team who won the College Sport
Wellington Competition without a single goal being scored against them!
Ad Alta Apparel Uniform and Stationery Shop
Shop Hours
Day |
Hours |
Monday Friday |
8.15 a.m. 10.00 a.m. daily |
Monday, Wednesday, Friday |
2.30 p.m. 4.30 p.m. |
Thursday evenings |
6.30 p.m. 8.30 p.m. |
Any enquiries please do not hesitate to phone during shop hours on 570-3551.
We currently have a number of sixth formers wearing the formal school uniform.
This consists of blazer, white business shirt, school tie, grey school trousers for the
boys, school skirt and black tights for the girls. We would like to encourage fifth
and sixth form students to wear the formal uniform.
All formal uniform items are available for sale from the Uniform Shop. The more
students purchasing their own blazers will enable the cost to come down as the more we
have made per order, the less we pay. Currently the blazer is $180.00.
Talent Quest
Parents who would like to view the range of talent uncovered by the annual talent quest
now have an opportunity on Thursday 24th August at 7.00 p.m. in the School Hall
Admission is a gold coin. The concert will feature the 12 semi-finalists and
hopefully some of the mystery staff entries as well. It should last
approximately one hour. The final will be held at lunchtime on the same day.
Introduction to Rowing
For parents, senior students and teachers a course called Introduction to
Rowing will be held on Sunday 3rd September at the Coaching Centre, Sport
Wellington, Level 2, 113 Adelaide Road, Wellington. The course covers the role of
the coach, equipment, technique, training methods and going rowing. It is a free
course (a manual will be provided). Register your interest with Colin Shields
(565-1050 home; 565-1075 fax) before 25th August.
Road Safety Education Campaign
The Wellington Road Safety Education Campaign is currently running a telephone appeal
in Wellington. Your household may be rung during the campaign and asked for a
donation towards road safety education in your area. The funds from this campaign
will purchase flags and first aid kits for primary schools as well as fund a really
exciting, safe driving education programme called Prodrive, for college students.
Prodrive is run through schools by Motor Sport New Zealand. A Prodrive Co-ordinator
will visit each secondary school in Wellington and talk to students about the
course. They can sign up for it at their school and get a day of hands-on tuition at
the Hutt Valley trotting track with cars supplied by Toyota, and with instructors from the
local car club. They learn basic techniques for safer driving skills, and its
free to secondary school students who have a drivers licence. This will be happening
early next year.
The Wellington Road Safety Education Campaign is organised by the Children At Risk
Education Foundation (C.A.R.E.). who are not asking for your help, just informing
you about the campaign so that you know who they are when a fundraiser phones. Any
queries, please telephone (04) 385-2068 or 0800 504 CARE (0800 504 2273)
Discovery
Many people go through their whole lives without discovering their true
potential. Discovery is a week-long adventure offering new skills in education and
relationships. It provides an opportunity for teenagers to understand their true
potential and use it. The course, a seven day residential accelerated learning
programme for 13-18 year-olds is led by a team of internationally acclaimed professional
educators. For further information ring 576-5661 (Julia Scholtens. Free
information evenings will be held at Johnsonville Community Centre, 3 Frankmore Avenue on
6th September from 7.30 9.30 p.m.
Homestay Programme (11 December 2000 12 January 2001)
Some carefully selected German students aged 15-18 years are interested to spend about
four weeks in New Zealand living with a Kiwi family. The German students wish to come
to New Zealand to experience our way of life here and to improve their English, which
usually is already of a good standard. Host families should therefore involve their
guest in regular family and cultural activities. Knowledge of German is not
necessary.
The host family will receive $800 for the duration of the homestay, payable in
advance. While host families in previous years agreed that this amount is adequate to
offset expenses incurred in hosting a student from Germany, we wish to point out that
families will be unlikely to make a profit.
The programme is organised by both Professor Kneufermann of Waikato University and the
Ministry of Education in Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. If you are interested in
offering a homestay please contact Mr Bachmann in the Languages Department at Hutt Valley
High School (Ph. 570-3555). Deadline for applications is 28 August 2000.
Hutt Valley High School Music Festival
Festival 2000, our annual Music Festival will be held in week 10 this term, on Tuesday
19th and Wednesday 20th September. This Festival showcases our
extensive musical talent in choirs, band, orchestras and solo performances. Tickets
will be available from the school office from Monday 4th September at a cost of
$5. An early purchase will ensure that you dont miss out this year!
Fee Donation Reminder
Thank you to those who have already made a donation for the year 2000. The
schools Board of Trustees sets a recommended level of donation of $165.00 per
student each year with a maximum of $330 per family. The Board understands that some
families are unable to make a contribution, and I am able to waive any obligations on
request. These requests are handled in absolute confidence. Thank you for your
support.
Friends of Hutt Valley High School Former Pupil/Staff Register
If you were a former pupil or staff member of Hutt Valley High School in the past and
would like to be on the register for our Reunion in October, 2001, please
answer the below and return to Hutt Valley High School, Private Bag 31909, Lower Hutt:
- Surname
- First names
- Maiden name women, and name previously known as
- Present address
- Phone home, work and or fax
- Years at school
- Pupil or staff member?
- Date of Birth
- Occupation, Interests
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