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Hobsonville Point Secondary School Communication4 September 2025 PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGEKia ora e ngā whānau, Last week, I took the time to read over some of the previous newsletters from this year, and I was reminded of all the fantastic students we have at HPSS, outstanding opportunities and staff who go above and beyond to ensure our students thrive. There is a lot of discussion about educational change at secondary school at the moment. I want to assure our community that we are well placed to implement and deliver changes. We will ensure that those students completing NCEA leave us ready to succeed in the world, and those starting the new qualification are prepared for what is ahead of them. Our staff are attending workshops, keeping up to date with research and discussing how we can ensure all our students continue to have an outstanding education. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contact me. I value partnership with our parent community. Well done to all the students who have been so focused in their co-requisite examinations in numeracy and literacy this week. As we head into our senior examinations next week, students must be prepared with a study plan, be well-rested, and arrive on time to ensure they are ready to do their best. Double-checking the examination timetable over the weekend with your child would be a great idea. Thanks again for your ongoing partnership & support. Ngā mihi Kirsty Dowding Tumuaki Principal
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INSPIRE - SCHOOL PRODUCTION Our production of Alice in Wonderland was a great experience for everyone involved. It was a lot of commitment, hard work and focus from the cast and crew to bring this story to life. While this was no easy task, amongst the countless hours we spent in our auditorium there were moments where we were stressed and tired, but there were a lot of beautiful moments of laughter, excitement and endless karaoke in the dressing room. Being on stage as younger Alice in cast B felt electric and the most fun to get lost in wonderland. Thank you to everyone in the cast, crew and the teachers for making this possible and thank you to everyone who came to watch. Methuki Perera, Yr 11
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COLLABORATION - WHIRIA TE TANGATA MUSIC FESTIVALOn 3 September, two of our talented Year 13 music students were invited to be guest vocalists in the Whiria Te Tangata Music festival. This annual celebration of music featured students from our local Year 1-8 schools. We were treated to instrumental performances, and several songs performed by a combined choir directed by Tjitske Timmermans - the amazing Music Leader at Riverhead School. Emilee Crawford and Ezra Usmani performed solo songs which the audience really enjoyed - it was also delightful to see the younger students responding to the songs by our HPSS students. Thank you Emilee and Ezra for representing HPSS so strongly - it is clear that music is your future pathway.
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CONNECTEDNESS - PEACE WEEK AND SYMPOSIUMPeace Week - 4th - 8th August Peace Week this year was a celebration of connection by the Peer Mediators. They put on special events throughout the week, like kindness messages, paper crane making, chalk messages and spoke in the community hui. They also made awareness content for their social media page on Instagram, which on average reaches over 20k views per month. We are very proud of the continuous effort put in this year over the multiple events by the 84 Peer Mediators that we have at HPSS. They show compassion, leadership and are an enthusiastic group of students who use their platform to promote awareness in the school and raise money for various promotions throughout the year, like Pink Shirt Day and Mental Health Week. Peace Symposium - 22nd August This year, HPSS took 30 Peer Mediator students to the Peace Symposium, which is a conference day where over 160 students gather from multiple schools to network and present what their projects that they run in their schools. There are special guest speakers and performers and its a great way to celebrate the leadership and connection of the Peer Mediator programme across the schools. This event is hosted by the Peace Foundation who turned 50 years old this year. Daffodil Day - 29th August For Daffodil Day this year, the Peer Mediators and Adam's hub managed to fundraise for the Cancer Society. They did this by promoting that students and staff wear yellow on the 29th and to donate a gold coin. Students also sold the official daffodil day pins and ribbons to staff and students. We would like to praise everyone involved on the stellar effort and the fun it brings when we have an awareness promotion.
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SPORTING EXCELLENCE - KARATE NATIONALSA huge congratulations to Nethnilu Abeywickrama for her recent success at the Karate Nationals Championship in Christchurch. Nethnilu won three medals in the 16/17 category: Bronze – Kata (16/17 Open) Silver – Kumite (16/17 Open) Bronze – Kumite (16/17 -65kg)
Nethnilu’s hard work and commitment to their training paid off in a big way on the national stage.
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ENGAGE - VISIT BY SELENA WONG This term, the school’s Agency and Student Leadership groups received a visit from HPSS alumni Selena Wong, who is currently running for Upper Harbour Local Board. Since graduating from HPSS, she has been studying Global Studies and Sociology. She gave a presentation on the inner workings of local politics and advocated for transparency when it comes to making political movements accessible to the public. During the visit, Selena talked about how local government operates and the role of local boards in everyday life. She also discussed why it’s essential to vote and what is currently stopping younger people from voting. The workshop helped students understand how local boards and government can lead to young people making differences in their communities. As someone who takes an interest in politics, this made me think differently about the dynamics of government, using our voice and agency in a wider context, using local politics as a stepping stone to our overall interest in global legislation. Information about Selena’s campaign and the local political system can be found here. James Strugnell, Year 9
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SPORTING SPOTLIGHT - GIRLS BASKETBALLThis year, we had a great season as a U19 girls basketball team. We have grown in many different ways. For some girls, this was their very first time playing basketball, while for others, it was an opportunity to further develop their skills and become better players. Our coach, Abigail Dougherty, has been with us for multiple years and has played a huge role in our improvement. She has dedicated countless hours of her personal time to keep us motivated and help us develop a true love for the sport. Our manager, Jessica Oswald, has also been instrumental in creating an environment where we communicate well and enjoy each other’s company, all while staying organised. This year hasn’t been perfect. We have left some games feeling disappointed and discouraged, but we have come back with determination to always do better than before, treating each new game as a fresh start. With the support of our coach, manager, and teammates, we have built a team that loves spending time together both on and off the court, playing with passion and unity. For a couple of us, this is our last year playing at the school. While we are sad to say goodbye, we are incredibly thankful for the support we’ve received. We’re excited to see the next steps and achievements for the team in the coming seasons! Hanna, Piper, Olivia
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CONNECTEDNESS - SERVICE On 3rd September, our hub embraced the value of manaakitanga by visiting the retirement village just behind our school. Manaakitanga is a core Māori value centred on showing respect, generosity, and care for others. We aimed to connect with the residents, learn from their life experiences, and bring a sense of companionship to their day. Through shared laughter over games like bowling and ring toss, some delicious homemade brownies, and a heartfelt musical performance, we bridged the generational gap. This insightful experience not only deepened our understanding of the people in our community but also created lasting memories that we will all cherish. Wade Koekemoer, Yr 11
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INTER-COMMUNITY UPDATE - BASKETBALL COMPETITIONFor the last two weeks our school has had a community basketball competition for both our girls and boys teams. It was amazing to see so many people packing out the gym and supporting our players on the court. The energy was high, with students cheering loudly for their communities and backing each other every step of the way. In the end, the Tāhere Tikitiki girls took out the title in the girls competition, and Tiriwa brought it home for the boys. But at the end of the day what was the most important thing to take from these two weeks was the strong energy everyone brought for their community — whether it was competing or cheering from the sideline!
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INFORMATION - SCIENCE EXTENSION OPPORTUNITYSupport Our Physics Trip to Europe and help inspire and extend your children! In 2026, a group of senior physics students are travelling to Europe. To fundraise for the trip, our Science staff and a group of excited senior students are running a science program for Year 4-7 students in the upcoming Term 3 school holidays. Information about the programme can be seen below and on this Facebook Page
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INTERNSHIP STORIES - LEO MORLEYI am now in my second year of my internship at Butterfly Creek, which has involved different opportunities and fun experiences. Typically, I work in the barn area that has many rabbits as well as rats, mice, and guinea pigs. I spend my morning cleaning and feeding all the inside animals. I also help with bottle feeding of the baby goats, lambs, and calves. As well as the barn animals, there are also meerkats, emperor tamarins, otters, crocodiles, porcupines, etc. What I look forward to the most is definitely the animals. I have had the opportunity to feed monkeys and meerkats as well as cuddle goats and hold all sorts of lizards. The team that I work with is incredibly understanding and overall fun people to work with. I appreciate the opportunity I have been given to work with animals, hoping that this will help with a future career working with wildlife.
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INFORMATION - FINANCIAL LIFE SKILLS PROGRAMMEYou asked, and we listened. Money doesn’t come with a rulebook, but we’ve got the next best thing! Naked Finance will be coming to the school to run a Financial Life Skills Programme for our Year 12–13 students that will help your teen crack the code on budgeting, insurance, investing, interest, inflation, and even those mysterious taxes. Give them the tools now so they’re ready to take on the real world with confidence! To sign your child up for the 5 session programme click the link below and complete the 4 question form. https://www.nakedfinance.nz/kids-financial-coaching Cost: $50 per student.
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KEY DATES 2025Term 3 - Monday 14 July - Friday 19 September Term 4 - Monday 6 October - Friday 12 December 15 October - 2.00pm - 7.00pm - IEMs for Year 11, 12 & Year 13 students. 24 October - Staff Only Day (Curriculum - Ministry of Education directed) Public Holidays: Labour Day – Monday 27 October 28 October - Year 13 Final Day, Graduation & Prizegiving 5.00pm. 29 October - Year 12 Final Day & Prizegiving 12.30pm. 30 October - Sports Prizegiving 6.00pm. 4 November - NCEA Exams begin. 21 November - Year 11 Final Day & Prizegiving 12.30pm. 28 November - NCEA Exams end. 3 & 4 December - 2.00pm - 7.00pm IEMs for Year 9 & Year 10. 5 December - Year 9 Prizegiving & Year 10 Prizegiving. 8-11 December - EOTC Week for Year 9 & Year 10. 12 December - Staff Call Back Day.
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