Hobsonville Point Secondary School Communication

7 March 2025

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Kia ora e ngā whānau,

I enjoy writing these fortnightly newsletters home to our community as they allow us to celebrate all the outstanding things happening in our school. As a school community, we have many reasons to be proud. 

This week, sports training, games and trials have stepped up. It is great to see so many students participating in these activities. Next week, we will begin our inter-community sports at lunchtime, and I encourage all students to get involved. 

Last week, we had Cameron Brewer, our local Member of Parliament, visit to talk to our student leaders and our agency group about Youth Parliament. We had several students apply for this opportunity and wish those students the best of luck.

Today, you will receive your child’s progress report; please take the time to discuss this at home.

Next week, I look forward to supporting our Girls’ Touch team at Rutherford College on Tuesday afternoon and our Futsal team on Friday evening at AUT. I look forward to chatting with many of you on the sideline as our sports seasons get underway.

Ngā mihi

Kirsty Dowding

Tumuaki Principal

CONNECTEDNESS - YOUTH MP APPLICATIONS

On Friday, 28 February, HPSS had the honour of welcoming MP Cameron Brewer to our kura to talk about the Youth Parliament. Youth Parliament is a special program where up to 143 young people from across Aotearoa New Zealand can learn about government, experience the political process, and represent their communities as Youth MPs or Youth Press Gallery members.

Run by the Ministry of Youth Development (MYD), Youth Parliament 2025 gives young people aged 16 to 24 the chance to build leadership skills, share their ideas, and have a say in government decisions.

Youth MP applications closed last Friday and we would like to wish the best of luck to our HPSS applicants.

PERSONAL EXCELLENCE - WRITERS’ FESTIVAL

This year we have 20 spaces available for a trip to The Writers' Festival happening in the CBD on Wednesday, 14th of May.

This is an exciting opportunity to hear from a range of authors and connect with other passionate readers. We will be taking the ferry across in the morning and coming back in the afternoon with a cost of $30. Don't miss out on this exciting opportunity!

Students should look out for more information about signing up in the student pānui and in Community Hui.  Email Petra (petra.kennedy@hobsonvillepoint.school.nz) or Ros (ros.britton@hobsonvillepoint.school.nz) if you would like more information. 

CONNECTION - BLUES LEADERSHIP PROGRAMME

Over the past three weeks, three other students and I have had the incredible opportunity to go and visit the Blues headquarters and take part in the Blues Charitable Trusts Young Leaders Programme. Throughout this course, we have interacted and worked with other student leaders from different schools, developed a deeper understanding and knowledge of what leadership is, as well as speak directly and ask questions to some of the amazing blues players. Not only does this course help us build our leadership skills but it also gives us the ability to create a career plan with the support of qualified experts. 

A personal highlight of mine has to be our second session where we were looking at great leadership and overcoming challenges. This resonated with me because we had a chance to look at leaders in our own lives and find out why they are leaders to us. A combined highlight from all of us would have to be speaking to the players. Last week we got to speak to Taufa Funaki and Adrian Choat to hear their stories and experiences with overcoming challenges. 

A special thanks to Rosie who provided us with this amazing opportunity. I’m looking forward to continuing on with this course and proceeding to grow even further as a leader.

Nikita Naidu, Year 12

STUDENT LEADERSHIP

For the past three weeks our Kaiārahi and Community Ambassadors have been meeting to plan to strengthen community and inter-hub spirit.  On Wednesday, they had the opportunity to lead their first Community Hui for the year.  Mixing important information with an inter-hub ‘cookie challenge’ the hui were a success. 

We look forward to further student-led Community Hui throughout the year and to the upcoming inter-community Futsal and the Bollywood Dance competition next Friday.

SPORTING INFORMATION

The touch season is now well and truly underway. The Senior Girls Team, consisting primarily of Year 9 and 10 girls, are growing in strength, winning 9-2 last week and competing in two closely fought matches on Tuesday. Good luck to Coach (and Assistant Principal) Tome Chan Chui who is himself competing in the New Zealand Masters Touch Championship next week!

It is also great to see the continued growth of volleyball at our school, with the largest ever turnout at the girls Volleyball trials and training over the past two weeks and the boys team continuing to train intensively for nationals.

Lastly, our student leaders represented HPSS with pride at the recent Halberg Sporting Awards, acting as ushers to New Zealand’s leading sports stars and journalists.

KEY DATES 2025

Term 1 - Monday 3 February - Friday 11 April

• IEMs (Individual Education Meetings with parent, student & hub coach) - Thursday 10 April & Friday 11 April.

Term 2 - Monday 28 April - Friday 27 June 

• Public Holidays: King’s Birthday – Monday 2 June

• Tuesday, 3 June - Staff Only Day

• Matariki – Friday 20 June

Term 3 - Monday 14 July - Friday 19 September 

• 25 August - Staff Only Day

Term 4 - Monday 6 October - Friday 12 December 

• 24 October - Staff Only Day

• Public Holidays: Labour Day – Monday 27 October

• 12 December - Staff Only Day