Hobsonville Point Secondary School Communication

30 August 2024

PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE

Kia ora e ngā whānau,

We hope you enjoy reading our fortnightly newsletter and keeping up to date with all our news.

This week, we are excited to introduce a new resource, SchoolTV. We know that parenting doesn’t come with instructions, but SchoolTV is a well-being resource that can support you in the challenges relating to modern-day parenting.

This award-winning resource helps build relationships, foster connections, enable understanding and break down barriers to navigate a pathway towards better mental health and wellbeing for young people. It can assist in starting conversations on topics that are sometimes awkward or difficult to tackle. Please take the time to look through this amazing resource. It will be accessible via our school website (under ‘Our Student Support’) and also via the Schoolbridge parent portal. I am sure you will find it extremely helpful. https://hpss.nz.schooltv.me 

In Week 8, we have Mock Examinations for our senior students. Students must prepare for these examinations. This year, we will be reporting grades from these examinations to parents. Please support your child at home in developing healthy study habits. It may be useful to watch the SchoolTV information on healthy study habits. https://hpss.nz.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-healthy-study-habits-nz 

We thank you for your ongoing support and partnership with our fantastic school. 

Ngā mihi

Kirsty Dowding

Tumuaki Principal

EXCELLENCE - MATHEX

Every year hundreds of students from schools all over Auckland converge on the Barfoot & Thompson Stadium in Kohimarama for an evening of maths competitions.  Students in Years 9 and 10 compete in teams of four to answer up to 20 complex maths questions in 30 minutes.  Each question is worth 5 points and each team has a runner to take answers up to the markers and to collect their next question, so it becomes a bit of an athletic event too! 

This year we had one team of Year 9s and two teams of Year 10s competing.  Both teams had a great time and performed very well with the Year 9 team gaining 70 points and the Year 10 teams gaining 65 and 55 points in a particularly challenging competition.  Thanks very much to all the parents who transported students to the competition and who stayed to watch.

Teams:

Year 9 - Cheston Leung, Finn MacEachern and Jeremy Smeal

Year 10 - Issa Angelo, Carrie Choi, Monique Magdadaro and Stuti Patel

Year 10 - Alex Liu, Luke Liu and Rina An

PATHWAYS - 2025 TERTIARY COURSE PLANNING MEETINGS: 

During Weeks 9 and 10,  university liaison staff will be on site at HPSS conducting course planning meetings for students undertaking tertiary study next year (or applying to the NZ Defence Force).

Year 12 and 13 students have been emailed a booking request form, and parents are welcome to attend these meetings. Dates are as follows:

• Massey - Thursday 19th Sept

• Unitec - Thursday 19th Sept

• Victoria - Friday 20th Sept

• Auckland - Monday 23rd Sept

• NZDF - Monday 23rd Sept

• AUT - Tuesday 24th Sept

• Otago - Tuesday 24th Sept 

• Canterbury - Wednesday 25th Sept

SPORTING EXCELLENCE - WINTER TOURNAMENT WEEK

Good luck to the following HPSS teams competing next week in Winter Tournament Week:

• Prem 1 Netball participating in UNISS at Te Pai Netball Centre in Henderson

• Junior A Boys Basketball participating in the Zone 1 Premier Basketball competition, at Bruce Pulman Arena in Takanini

• Junior A Boys Football participating in the Hillsdene Junior Football tournament at Fergusson Park in Tauranga

Also, huge congratulations to the A Reserve Table Tennis Team - Yiyi Yang, Caleb Mendoza, William Kang and Tim Genin - who competed in the Auckland Secondary Schools Team Table Tennis Champs yesterday. They finished a very commendable 3rd in their grade, against some excellent competition. Ka rawe!

COMMUNITY - NETBALL CHALLENGE

This week Year 9-10 students in our four communities competed in an inter-community netball competition for community points. 

After a fierce series of round-robin games, the final was fought between Onikiritea and Tāhere Tikitiki. 

Although Onikiritea put on a valiant performance, congratulations must be given to Tāhere Tikitiki who played with determination to take out the top spot!  Bring on the Year 11-13 competition next week.

EXCELLENCE - PRIZE GIVING AWARDS

Calling all prize winners from 2023 - it is time to dust off and return those well-earned trophies (the big ones - you can keep the little ones)!  Please return to reception at HPSS by Friday 20th September. 

Prize Givings 2024 - please get in touch with Ros Britton - ros.britton@hobsonvillepoint.school.nz - if you are a local business owner or alumni who would like to sponsor one of our prizes at this year's prize givings.  As our roll has grown significantly over the past 10 years, we are looking for additional sponsors for these wonderful celebrations. 

INQUIRY - EXPLORATION OF AUCKLAND ZOO

Over the last two weeks, we had two science classes heading out to the zoo. The Q1 Science/English module learnt all about animal adaptations, and were accompanied by students from the Arohanui unit attached to the school.

The Foundation Science/Digital Technology class went and learnt about visual ways to represent scientific ideas.

The students enjoyed themselves and the opportunity to see how learning doesn't end once you leave the classroom.

MANAKITANGA IN HUB

Over the past two months, hub classes across the school have been exploring ways to demonstrate manakitanga to others in our school and community.

Hubs have undertaken a wide-range actions including running a waffle stand to fundraise for the Child Cancer Foundation, reading to students at a nearby day-care, hosting a shared lunch and running games with the students from Arohanui, painting stones for children in the community to find, and making meals for families in need in our community.

Eleanor’s hub has been busy learning about designing stickers, market research and price points and are currently selling their designs to raise funds for Canteen, having already raised over $100.00. 

Thank you to all the Hub Classes for taking action to make a better community.

SPORTING EXCELLENCE - ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Congratulations to the HPSS Senior Boys Football team for their recent 5-1 victory in the season final.

We also want to acknowledge HPSS Alumni, Mikayla Suluape, who is playing for North Harbour in the Farah Palmer cup and is the competition’s leading try-scorer and point scorer.  Good luck for the rest of the season Mikayla!

COLLABORATION - K.O. DANCE GROUP

We are K.O., a dance group at HPSS. Formed in 2023, our dance group is comprised of students from various year levels and backgrounds and focus particularly on K-Pop.

We performed at the school’s talent show earlier this year and are currently preparing for the Cultural Evening evening on 20th September.

We are looking for new members to expand our group! Students that are interested, can checkout our instagram account at @hpss_k.o

INFORMATION - HAKA

Be part of a HAKA history!

On Sunday 29 September 2024, up to 10,000 New Zealanders of all cultural backgrounds will meet on the pitch of Eden Park, New Zealand’s National Stadium, in the event of a lifetime, HAKA - Stand As A Nation.

HAKA - Stand As A Nation

We are looking to stand as a nation and reclaim the official record for the world’s largest haka, as well as raise funds for the Raukatauri Music Therapy Trust.

HAKA is about more than just setting the record straight. It is about returning the mana of this world record to the land of its origins, and we will be doing it alongside some of Aotearoa’s most celebrated musicians, sporting icons and kapa haka legends.

The initial music lineup has just been announced with more exciting names to come – so make sure that you’re part of this unique opportunity!

YOU’RE INVITED!

HPSS has been selected to participate in this unique opportunity! Through Tū Manawa Active Aotearoa funding, you are invited to access $5 subsidised tickets for HAKA and be part of this incredible event.

GET YOUR TICKET

Simply go to https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=GWRHAKA24 and use AktiveHAKA in the password box.

Tickets are limited so get in quick!

Further information here and T&Cs here.

KEEN TO LEARN?

Learn about the history of the Ka Mate HAKA and get some tips for your performance here:

History of the Ka Mate HAKA 

Haka How To | TĀNE

Haka How To | WĀHINE

For more information visit www.hakarecord.co.nz

KEY DATES 2024

Term 3: Monday 22 July - Friday 27 September 

• Monday 2 September - Friday 6 September. Winter Tournament Week (Sports)

• Wednesday 11 September - Tuesday 17 September Mock NCEA examinations - Year 12 and Year 13 study leave.

• Wednesday 18 September- Staff Only Day. No timetabled classes.

• Friday 20 September - Cultural Evening.

• Friday 27 September - Last Day of Term 3. Learning Objective Reports sent out to whānau.

Term 4:  Monday 14 October - Friday 13 December 

• Wednesday 16 October - Thursday 17 October - Evening - School Production

• Tuesday 22 October (8.30am-4.30pm) - Wednesday 23 October (2.00pm-7.00pm) - Final Year 11-13 IEMs.

• Public Holidays: Labour Day – Monday 28 October

• Wednesday 30 October - Last day for Year 13s and Year 13 prize giving.

• Thursday 31 October - Last day for Year 12s and Year 12 prize giving.

• Friday 29 November - Last day for Year 11s and Year 11 prize giving. Year 9 and 10 IEMs.

• Monday 2 December - Friday 6 December - Year 9 and 10 EOTC Week.

• Friday 13 December - Last day for Year 9s and 10s and foundation prize giving.