Hamilton Girls' High School eNewsletter March 2015

HAMILTON GIRLS’

2015

HIGH SCHOOL

MARCH

NEWSLETTER “A wise woman shapes her own destiny”

DAME MALVINA MAJOR The HGHS Music Department was privileged to have Dame Malvina Major come and share her knowledge and experiences with the senior music students - pg. 21

A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO AARIA TAWHA & PANIA MONK - NZ JUNIOR WHITE SOCKS pg. 17 THIS YEAR WE WELCOME EDERLYN PEROLINA, OUR GATE PREFECT,TO THE ACADEMIC COUNCIL TEAM pg.15 Both PTR classes having been working hard this term coming to grips with some of the theoretical components of fitness and personal training with a specific focus on the fundamentals of stretching - pg. 12

Six Y12 Biology classes have just completed their first internal assessment for the year. pg. 9

PRINCIPAL’S COMMENT

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou Leading into the Easter Break following a busy term, we were really excited to receive a letter from the Minister of Education, Hon Hekia Parata. I would like to share the first part of her letter with our school community: “I am writing to congratulate Hamilton Girls’ High School on the improvement in NCEA achievement over the last two years.This result is a direct reflection of the quality work done by the Board of Trustees, school staff and families and whanau, who all contribute to and support the success of your students.The NZQA provisional results show you have significant improvement in NCEA levels 1,2 and 3 for your Maori and Pasifika students over the past two years. I also note that their overall achievement levels were above the national Maori and Pasifika students average for 2014. These results speak volumes about the hard work being done by your school, its teachers, the Board, and the students and their families andwhanau to achieve this success.”

Hamilton Girls’ High School’s (HGHS) National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) Level 1 pass rate improved dramatically in 2014, rising by an impressive 11.3%, from 73.1% in 2013 to 84.4 % in 2014. In 2012, our pass rate was 67.2%.

The percentage of Maori students achieving NCEA Level 1 improved further in 2014. The pass rate increased by another impressive 11.5%, rising from 63.2% in 2013 to 74.7% in 2014.

This represents another turnaround as the improvements made both in 2013 and 2014 effectively ended the period of relatively poor results which dated back to 2009.

HGHS’s overall NCEA Level 2 pass rate has increased by a remarkable 7.4%, from 78.0% in 2013 to 85.4 % in 2014, refer to table 9. Again, this pass rate is the highest NCEA Level 2 pass rate ever recorded at HGHS. As a result, the gap between the national pass rate and HGHS’s pass rate has narrowed to only 1.9% and likewise the pass rate compared to the average Decile 6 School has also narrowed to a minuscale 0.5%. These are very positive trends.

The percentage of Maori students achieving NCEA Level 2 has increased by a significant 6.8% from 67.6% in 2013 to 74.4% in 2014.

HGHS’s NCEA Level 3 pass rate increased by a substantial 5.7%, from 79.4% in 2013 to 85.1 % in 2014. This is the first time the school has enjoyed an NZQA Level 3 pass rate in the 80’s. Consequently, the school’s pass rate is now an impressive 5.7% above the national average and an even more incredible 7.7% above the average Decile 6 School. This is also the highest positive differential against these schools that has ever been recorded by HGHS. The percentage of Maori students achieving NCEA Level 3 improved further in 2014. The pass rate increased by another pleasing 6.6%, rising from 63.6% in 2013 to 70.2% in 2014. This is the highest Level 3 pass rate achieved by Maori students ever recorded to date.

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This upswing in the Level 3 pass rate, which occurred from 2013 to 2014, has lifted HGHS’s rate above the national averages. The Maori NCEA Level 3 pass rate has increased from 4.4% below Maori in decile 6 schools in 2012 to 2.7% above. Likewise, the pass rate has risen from 8.0% below Maori nationally in 2012 to 1.2% above in 2014. Again, another set of positive trends.

NZQA changed the requirements for University Entrance (UE) in 2014. In addition to the previous requirements, students are now required to gain NCEA Level 3, two extra literacy and numeracy credits, and obtain 14 credits in a third approved subject instead of spreading this credit requirement over two approved subjects. This occurred at the same time the subject realignment was fully implemented.

The realignment resulted in nearly all of the easier literacy and number Unit Standards being removed. It also meant the removal of nearly all of the curriculum Unit Standards.

This meant students now had to pass at least one external in each of their three approved subjects to gain UE. Previously, many students could have gained UE by only sitting internal assessment, with the assessment advantages these offer.

Together, all of this represents a significant increase in the level of difficulty which is required by a student to gain UE. Understandably, there was a significant drop off in the UE Pass rates across the whole country and this was reported on by the media. The national average dropped by 9.6% from 69.5% in 2013 to 59.9% in 2014, and the average decile 6 school pass rate fell by an incredible 13% from 66.2% in 2013 to 53.2% 2014.

HGHS’s pass rate fell by a smaller margin than the fall experienced nationally. HGHS’s UE fell by a relatively smaller 8.7% from 70.0% in 2013 to 61. % in 2014. This actually represents an improvement nationally, as HGHS’s UE pass rate is now 1.4% above the national average and a significant 6.7% above the average decile 6 School. These are the highest positive differentials recorded against these national averages since 2010. Therefore it can concluded that the underlining trend is positive, As Principal, it has been pleasing to see the considerable shift in our achievement rates across the board, and this has been a result of strong leadership throughout the school: Senior Leadership and Management Team, Curriculum Leadership Team, Heads’ of Houses,Year Level Deans, Professional Learning Leaders, and Support Staff Team leaders. More importantly, most of our classroom teachers have taken on board the changes within school and the strategies and initiatives that we continue to consolidate. Teaching and learning continues to be our core business.

Excerpt from Principal’s Junior Prizegiving Speech 2014

One: Two: Three: Four: Five: Six: Seven: Eight: Nine: Ten:

“Following a similar line to my Senior Prizegiving speech I have chosen to offer advice to our junior school from my experience as a mother and as Principal. You may find some of this interesting, you may find some of this boring and you may find that you will probably forget this speech in a week or for some….maybe in the next hour….nevertheless here are 10 points for you to consider: Be micro ambitious – put your head down and work with pride on whatever is in front of you and focus on the thing that you are passionate about. Give everything you have got from here and now…for most of you, your dreams will change as you get older….and that’s ok!!

Michelle Obama once said “Don’t be afraid to fail. Don’t be afraid to take risks. Learn to use your voice now. Ask questions. Ask stupid questions. Don’t be afraid to trip, fall and don’t be afraid to get back up.”

Simply, life is a learning curve….and we must learn from our mistakes.

Boys – they are not worth it at your age. Focus on enjoying you being you and hanging out with your mates – don’t let a boy come between you and your best friend, to encourage you to be someone other than yourself and more importantly to “lose your voice”. When you are old enough to consider boys, and as a mother…we would like to think that you are never old enough…reach for partners that make you better. Do not bring people into your life who weigh you down.”

Snapchats - Some things mean less once you’ve snap chatted or put an image or text on Facebook. Be careful you don’t rob things from yourself by giving them to thousands of strangers. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regret.

Sometimes the best way to get someone’s attention is to stop giving them yours.

Don’t mix bad words with your bad mood. You’ll have many opportunities to change a mood, but you’ll never get the opportunity to replace the words you spoke. Simply, think before you speak – treat people how you want to be treated, and stop the “potty language” that we sometimes hear out and about school.

You are in control of you – no one can make you feel inferior without your consent. Don’t stick with anything or anyone too long if they make you feel less and less like yourself.

There is always someone that knows more than you – even about the thing that you think you know loads about. On the whole people that are older than you, especially people that are very old - are a treasure trove of experience and advice that you should definitely investigate.They have lived a lot of life, and usually one that is harder than yours, and this helps with making your problems seem small.They also tend to have stopped caring altogether about what other people think of them – this makes for a great role model.Take the opportunity to listen more than speak.

Exercise…..Be good to your body.You only get one.Your body is your friend, your home, your ally.Try to work on a values system of healthy and unhealthy, fit and unfit rather than thin or fat. Exercise not only changes your body, it changes your mind, your attitude and your mood.

The last and final one – I promise - but I think the most important. Find the thing you love. It’s the thing that when you’re doing it – it seems like the rest of the world disappears, it makes you feel like the best version of yourself, like the world is sometimes too small for you.The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven’t found it, keep looking until you find it and don’t settle until you do.

To conclude– be proud to be a Girls’ High girl because for me, at the end of my two years here, I am extremely proud to be your Principal.”

Excerpt from Principal’s Speech in Assembly “You have brains in your head, you have feet in your shoes, you can steer yourself any direction you choose “ - Dr Seuss Here’s a nice breakdown of what it takes to get places.The brains in your head give your body the directions it needs to take you where you want to go.You just have to know where it is you want to go.

Determining your destination is priority one.What the brain can dream up, the body can fulfil as long as there is a strong determination and a clear vision of what it is that is wanted.The great part is that this is all up to you; you have plenty of choices, and there are countless directions that you can head.

Take the opportunities that Hamilton Girls’ offers…with the support of our staff and your families, it is up to you”

Marie Gordon

Principal 3

Deputy principal’s corner We have had a busy but very productive start to the year.

There have been some improvements and transformations within elearning for all staff and students as we have moved to Google Apps for Education (GAFE). Hence, we have our own school Google domain. All students’ school Google accounts have been created and they simply use their school email address and logon to gain access. We have IT support, for students, in the library on Tuesday and Thursday’s at interval.

Advantages to using: • Reliable cloud based solution to access docs,

calendar, gmail and other apps • Can be linked to your other personal devices • Sharing and collaborative capabilities are second

to none • A perfect tool for anytime and anywhere learning • Stay connected and save time • Docs cannot be ‘lost’ or ‘unsaved’ HGHS eVision is for: students to be confident, responsible digital citizens who are collaborative, critical thinkers, able to construct knowledge.In order to do this we aim to provide students with the tool, skills, knowledge, confidence and guidance to be an effective, ethical and safe user of ICT. BYOD Our BYOD policy was implemented at the beginning of 2014, starting with our Year 9 students. This year, the expectation is that all Year 9 and 10 students will have their own device.

Having said this, many students in all year levels bring their devices and use them in the classroom. Students who have

their own device not only benefit from the advantages mentioned above, using Google but also: • Information at their fingertips for research purposes • Further explanations or clarification of topics • Access to classroom resources, information

and lessons • Collaboration tools to work easily with peers at

school and at home • More creative opportunities, including use of

creative apps • Digital files, as subjects are saved in folders or

saved in other tools

Within our school environment we are protected by ‘watchdog’; a sophisticated filter system that blocks undesirable sites and anonymous proxies, and filters images and digital footage. Social network sites such as, facebook, twitter, askfm and tumblr are blocked as they would be a distraction for many students and if not used sensibly can lead to issues at school such as bullying.

WELCOME

Sharleen Nathan

TO OUR NEW STAFF MEMBERS

Stuart McNaughton

Stuart joins us from the rugged and beautiful Catlins, where it’s winter for half the year and rains the other half. He was the only Maths/Physics teacher in the Catlins Area School and was solely responsible for the department. Stuart is a keen fisherman and can often be found out in his dinghy in the weekends. No salmon in the North Island, which is a pity, but plenty of snapper to be found. Stuart lived overseas in South Korea from 2001 to 2009 and taught English to Koreans of all ages and backgrounds. He now lives in Melville with his wife and three children. He is excited about this opportunity at Hamilton Girls’ and is looking forward to the years ahead.

Shakira Baker

Kia ora. I’m Shakira Baker and I come from Wairarapa (Greytown) and am the youngest of four children. I studied in Wellington for 3 years completing my BSC. I then moved to Auckland and did my Teaching Diploma in 2013. Last year I was studying part time and playing Rugby. I have been fortunate enough to do a lot of travelling with my rugby team. Due to an injury at the end of last year I decided I would love to pursue my teaching career. I am a first year teacher and am looking forward to the year ahead. It has been a busy first 4 weeks, but I am enjoying every minute. Slowly and steadily I am beginning to get the hang of things. Thank you to all the staff for being so supportive and I am really looking forward to working and sharing my knowledge within Hamilton Girls’ High School.

Lauren Sharpe

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Kia ora koutou katoa. My name is Lauren Sharpe and I am one of the new English teachers this year. I teach Yr 9, 10, 11, and 12 classes and am enjoying it very much. It is refreshing to be working with such diversity and I appreciate the opportunities this opens up to the students as well! My interests include netball, choir, and I am very dedicated to becoming the best at what I do. I am a part of the Pasifika group and will be working alongside the cultural and service council; I will also be co-coaching and managing the U15 girls rugby. I look forward to the year and am excited about what we can do to empower our students.

Dr Sam Speedy

I’m Dr Sam Speedy, and I teach English and Social Sciences. At university my interests came to be representations of social issues in literary texts, which was where I first combined English with the Social Sciences. However, it was also at that time that I had my first taste of teaching, and I realised that I could actually get paid to talk about the things I want to talk about every day, and to hopefully make a difference in young peoples’ lives. So here I am.

Hayley Harris

Kia ora! My name is Hayley Harris, I grew up in Te Aroha. I studied at Waikato University, and I am now an experienced Mathematics teacher. Before joining the team this year at Hamilton Girls’ High School, I taught at St Peter’s School in Cambridge. I have also taught at Waihi College, John Paul College (Rotorua), and Mount Maunganui College. I also spent a year in Korea teaching English. I am married with two daughters aged 4 and 6. I enjoy teaching and it is important for me to build respectful, positive relationships with all my students. I am looking forward to the year ahead at HGHS.

Monika Bali

Hi I am Monika Bali and I am a first year teacher. I teach English and I am also able to teach History and Social Studies. I was born and bred in Hamilton and did all my schooling here. I am a proud ‘Kiwi Indian’ and believe that culture is an important aspect of school life. I attended University of Waikato where I completed a Bachelor of Arts and a Graduate Diploma of Teaching. I enjoy reading, walking, watching films and attending sports events. I am very excited to be a part of the Hamilton Girls’ High School culture and look forward to what this year brings!

Rebecca Yarranton

Hello, my name is Rebecca Yarranton, I am the new Graphic Design and Web administrator. I grew up in Cambridge then moved on to study a Bachelor of Fine Arts at Whitecliffe College in Auckland and found myself back in the Waikato after graduating at the end of 2014. I am excited to be in a role that has so much diversity for creative output and am looking forward to the year ahead.

TUTORIALS CURRENTLY ON OFFER AT HGHS Every Tuesday 3pm – 4pm in the Library: Tutoring is offered for all subject areas and all year levels.

Come along and get help from other students – they have done the work before and know their stuff!! Everyone is welcome from all year levels. It is also a great place to go to complete homework and work on assignments.

DAY(S) Every Thursday Every Mon, Tues, Thu, Fri Every Mon, Tues, Thu, Fri Every Wednesday Every Monday Every Tuesday Every Wednesday Every Thursday Every Friday Thursday (Day 9)

TIME Lunchtime Lunchtime Lunchtime 3.30pm 1st half of lunchtime 1st half of lunchtime 1st half of lunchtime 1st half of lunchtime 1st half of lunchtime Lunchtime

Individual teachers also organise tutorials as required with their own classes they teach.

WHERE G10 G10 M1.3 M2.2 M1.2 S3 C3 M2.3 H3.5 C6 S1 M2.9 A1

DAY(S) Tuesday (Day 2) Wednesday (Day 3) Every Thursday Every Friday Every Monday Every Monday Every Monday Every Monday & Wednesday Every Thursday Every Tuesday Every Wednesday Every Friday Every Monday

TIME 7.30am 3.30pm 3.15pm 3.15pm 3.15pm 7.30am Lunchtime 3.15pm Lunchtime Lunchtime 7.30am 3.15pm Lunchtime

AT HGHS

SCHOLARSHIP TUTORIALS: SUBJECT YEAR / LEVEL Accounting

Biology Calculus Year 12 Calculus Year 13 Chemistry Classics Economics English History Physics Statistics Technology

TUTORIALS

SUBJECT SPECIFIC TUTORIALS: SUBJECT YEAR / LEVEL WHERE Accounting All M2.3 Business Studies Level 3 M2.3 Economics Level 2,3 M2.3 French All G2 Mathematics Year 9 M1.1 Mathematics Year 10 M1.1 Mathematics Year 11 M1.1 Mathematics Year 12 M1.1 Mathematics Year 13 M1.1 Physical Education Year 11, 12, 13 GS1

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ACaDEMIC

NEWS

Sara Elgoran Academic Council Captain 2015 is going to be an exciting year and I am so excited to encourage everyone to get involved with as much as possible.

The Academic Council already has some sensational things planned for you! Watch this space! And lastly, remember that there is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs!

STUDENT PROFILE KRYSTAL LIN

Each newsletter we will profile a student that has consistently performed extremely well in NCEA examinations and school based assessments throughout her time at HGHS to offer some tips and strategies that may assist other students.

Krystal Lin is in Year 12 taking Level 3 Biology, Level 3 Chemistry, Level 3 Calculus, Level 2 Physics, Level 2 Spanish, and Level 2 English Extension.

Q. What is your favourite thing about HGHS? A. My favourite thing about HGHS is the diversity and the opportunities and encouragement to get involved in a variety of fields.

Q. How do you study?

A. I don’t really have a set way of studying like a timetable but on the way home I tend to put all the studying I need to do in order of priority or urgency. During school, I may take note of it and then I arrange them to form a rough idea of what I need to do that day or over the period of the next few days.Then, I allocate respective time periods for when to get each task done by and try to stick to this.

Q. Do you have any advice for students who are trying to study but have no motivation?

A. I guess a motivation to study or a motivation for many things is that we enjoy doing the task, so maybe find a way to somehow make studying enjoyable and take into account how we learn. For example my classmate is quite talented in music and she chose to learn her biology material by using music clips off YouTube, which incorporated her enjoyment of music into studying and she did really well. I’ve often been told that we tend to focus more on things we are passionate about. Alternatively, I think a way to perhaps retain motivation is to avoid procrastination.

ACADEMIC COUNCIL Bronwyn Kirby – Mathematics Prefect:

Hi, my name is Bronwyn Kirby and I am the Mathematics prefect for 2015. I have always had a love and passion for Mathematics and I would love to share this with my sisters here at HGHS, encouraging them to have a similar enthusiasm towards the subject. We have got a fun year planned ahead, filled with various activities run by our amazing mathematics committee to get all of our girls involved! I can't wait to get everyone involved and see our girls participate and succeed in everything we have to offer.

Ederlyn Perolina – Gifted and Talented Education Prefect:

Hello everyone. My name is Ederlyn Perolina and I am privileged to be your Gifted and Talented Education Prefect for 2015. This year, my main objective as your HGHS GATE prefect is to promote opportunities our departments offer for gifted and talented girls, so that they become more proactive in pursuing their gifts and talents. Our goal is also to keep the girls inspired and motivated, to extend their potential through guest speakers and other support means such as tutorials and competition training.

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Leah Nicholson – English Prefect:

Hey everyone, my name is Leah Nicholson and I am the English Prefect for 2015. My love of English started from a young age as my parents always encouraged me to read and create my own stories. I am sure many of you had a similar experience. English at high school may seem scary, especially to our junior students, but this year I want to make it as fun and enjoyable as it was when we were first learning to read. This year, the English department, the English committee and I will be working to better promote region wide and nationwide competitions while also rewarding more students who are doing great things in their classes.

Overall, this year is about increasing participation in English events and encouraging girls to become more excited about one of the most important subjects at HGHS.

Michaela Naidoo – Technology Prefect:

Hey there, I am Michaela Naidoo and I am your Technology prefect for 2015! I have done Food Technology for 4 years and I really enjoy experimenting and creating new things in the kitchen. My main goal for the Technology Department this year is letting all of my fellow peers at HGHS know that taking a technology subject is not only fun but it can lead on to many great study and career opportunities in the future. All you have to do is find the technology subject that suits you. Our Technology week is Week 10 of this term so come along and have some fun. I can't wait to see all of you getting involved with the Technology department throughout the year and taking advantage of what the department has to offer!

Caitlin Edwards – Social Sciences Prefect:

Hello my name is Caitlin Edwards and I am the 2015 Social Sciences prefect. The Social Sciences are an area of schooling that has always been present throughout my years at Girls’ High. I have always enjoyed these subjects and I want to pass on my passion to younger girls in the school. My aim this year is to organise activities, competitions, and quizzes for everyone to participate in, in the hopes of promoting the Social Sciences as fun and important subjects. I am so excited to work with my committee to show you girls what we have to offer. I plan to strive to help all girls achieve their goals in these subjects.

Ashley Blackburn – Science Prefect:

Hello my name is Ashley Blackburn and I am fortunate enough to be the Science Prefect for 2015. I have always been excited about learning and wanting to discover more, and learning Science at HGHS has really helped me to fuel this. I can’t wait to share that spark for the sciences with others and to show them just how cool science can be. We have got such an exciting year up our sleeve with plenty of great things to come for girls to get involved in, including, right at the centre of it all being a part of science committee. It is going to be an epic year filled with science fun, learning and success!

Monika Jarkiewicz – International Languages Prefect:

Salut everyone! I am Monika Jarkiewicz and I have the privilege of being the International Languages prefect for 2015. I've always loved learning languages, and it's a passion of mine that has grown with every year at Girls’ High. Last year I had the opportunity to travel to France and a few other European countries with my French class, it was the best experience of my life and it inspired me to get more girls involved in the languages! This year I'll be running clubs, activities, events and tutorials to get everyone excited about international languages and to make 2015 the best year yet!

Laura Macnab – Health and PE Prefect:

Hi everybody! My name is Laura Macnab and I'm lucky enough to be your Health and PE prefect for 2015!

I love anything to do with the outdoors and sports so this was naturally the position for me! I can't wait to get other like-minded girls here at HGHS involved in all aspects of Health and PE and showing them the amazing opportunities that can arise through these subjects. We have such a busy and exciting year ahead with events, competitions and many other things planned. I can't wait to see how all girls in the Health and PE department are achieving their goals and celebrating their successes in the subject I love.

Passion Anderson – Ka-Awatea Prefect:

Kia ora! My name is Passion Anderson. My role as Ka Awatea prefect is to promote the Maori culture and to support our Maori and Pasifika girls in our school. My committee and I have a fun filled year planned for you, kicking off with Maori language week! Kai, sports, spot prizes and much more throughout that week!

We will also be starting the homework centre to provide help to girls struggling as well as somewhere for completing homework with some extra help. I am excited to get everyone involved and see our girls succeed.

ACADEMIC COUNCIL GOALS FOR 2015 • Encouraging learning across the curriculums • To promote and reward Academic Success

• To increase involvement in extracurricular activities • Promoting each subject within the school 7

Biolumination Art Work Auckland Arts Festival

SCIENCE

As the Science Prefect, I decided that I should check out some science events that were happening at the Auckland Arts Festival to bring some ideas back to school. It was in one word, remarkable.

The best part was seeing the Biolumination Artwork put together by Dr Siouxsie Wiles. She challenged artists to great living works of art using a solution of glowing bacteria, q-tip and some super-sized Petri dishes.

It was an awesome collaboration between art and science and the results were breath taking. It opened my eyes more to know how science doesn't just exist on its own, it is incorporated into so many other things.

Ashley Backburn - Science Prefect

The Biology Scholarship Group will begin in Week 9.

All students who are interested in Scholarship Biology are invited to meet every Thursday after school in M1.3 with Mrs Bergman. The group will have its first meeting on Thursday 26th March. Please see Mrs Bergman if you have any questions.

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Y12 Biology Microscope Assessment.

Six Year 12 Biology classes have just completed their first internal assessment for the year. It was a three hour assessment. Firstly the students prepared slides of potato cells, paramecium and rhubarb epidermis cells.

SOCIAL STUDIES

Then they used a light microscope to view and draw the cells using biological drawing techniques. Finally, the students then answered questions about the organelles within the cells and how they contributed to the function of the cells.

Gail Bergman - HOD Science

The Treaty of Versailles and WW1.

As part of the treaty unit in Year 10 Social Studies, students have been looking at WW1 and the Treaty of Versailles. As it is 100 years since New Zealanders were involved in WW1 and the Gallipoli landing, some Year 10 classes have gone to the cenotaph on River Road to honour the dead.

10H1 went to the cenotaph on Wednesday 19th of March.

They learnt about the cenotaph and then were asked to pick a name and create a poppy in their memory for the WW1 wall in their classroom.

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LANGUAGES

The following girls have received Excellence certificates from the New Zealand Association of Language Teachers to congratulate them on their Excellence endorsements in 2014 for the following languages: Level 1 Japanese Grace Barry Ashley Kim Amelia Penfold

Level 3 Japanese Hazel Panzo

Level 1 French Rachel Li Zoe Nyika Raine Pearse Josefina Pehrson Mia Vink

Level 2 French Leah Nicholson

Level 1 Spanish Sofia Gagnon Krystal Lin Sapna Pandaram Lucy Xu

Hamilton Girls’ High School hosted a group of 16 students and one teacher from Shizuoka Eiwa in Japan from March 9-16.

The girls really enjoyed their time here and were grateful to the lovely host families who took such good care of them.

We would also like to thank the Maori department who organised a wonderful powhiri, and the Technology department who organised the food for this.

We are expecting another group of students from Japan at the end of July, so anyone who missed out on hosting this time will have the opportunity to do so later in the year.

On Thursday 19th March the senior Japanese class was visited by the Japanese adviser, Ms Akiko Harada. She taught the girls about some less common types of Japanese food by showing them photos and describing the food in Japanese. Everyone was very hungry by the end of the lesson!

On Tuesday 21st March senior French students will go to see the movie “Les Vacances du Petit Nicolas” as part of the national French film festival. We hope they will enjoy this experience.

The Languages department are currently planning some activities as part of the Fusion Festival happening next term.

More information will follow.

Level 3 French Alex Mayer Tyla Zillwood

Level 3 Spanish Mirren Blake Sunni Nasmith

BUSINESS STUDIES Waikato E Day

Close to 140 HGHS students participated in the Waikato E Day on March 6th. Our students were fantastic ambassadors for our school. They learned about The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme in the morning, and had the opportunity to brainstorm business ideas and meet Hamilton business coaches in the afternoon.

The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme is a programme for year 12 and 13 pupils, giving them the chance to set up and run their own business for a year. YES pupils set up their company, create products or services, implement a business plan and make profits or losses. Not only do the students gain business knowledge but also develop teamwork, communication, problem solving, negotiation, and decision making skills.

We were proud to see how mature our students interacted with their peers and mentors, and are pleased to hear that the day offered valuable advice to our young business people. The teams will pitch their ideas to a panel at the Dragon’s Den in Term Two and will be selling their products at Market Day later in the year. We are looking forward to supporting our students throughout the year and to seeing their businesses grow.

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Mathematics Bronwyn Kirby Mathematics Prefect

Hi, my name is Bronwyn Kirby and I’m the HGHS Mathematics prefect for 2015. I’ve always had a love and passion for Maths and I’d love to share this with my sisters here at HGHS, encouraging them to have a similar enthusiasm and warmth towards the subject. My aim is to spend my final year at HGHS giving back to the staff that has helped me through my time here by working alongside them and representing their subject by promoting it. I’d love to see an increase in participation not only in the subject but the optional scholarships and out of school Maths related activities/competitions which I’ll be promoting throughout the year. Weekly tutorials are put in place to allow extra teaching to ensure we do the best we can in all our assessments. I also have plans for many fun activities the students can get involved in throughout the year with a big focus on ‘Maths Week’.

Through this Mathematics prefect position I look forward to promoting Mathematics at Hamilton Girls’ High School and ensuring everyone knows about what the subject has to offer!

A WARM WELCOME TO OUR NEW MATHEMATICS TEACHERS! The Maths department is excited to introduce three young and vibrant teachers of Mathematics. They are Hayley Harris, Shakira Baker and Stuart McNaughton.

Peer tutoring has started on Tuesdays after school at the library. All students who need help should attend these tutorials.

Students who are away on Tournament in Week 9, will need to be organised and to actively catch up, as many internals are scheduled for week 10.

Mathletics for Years 9 and 10 students.

All parents have been informed that Mathletics is compulsory for all students in Years 9 and 10 this year. This fee was due at the end of February so we ask that if you have not already done so, this subscription is to be paid to the finance office as soon as possible. Teachers are using this site with your daughters and some of them are currently missing out.

You may pay by internet banking if you wish and your daughter can ask her maths teacher for the permission form that needs to be completed. All students have received an information sheet about Mathletics to take home and it gives parents guidance as to how they can track their own daughter’s progress when using the site.

Australian Mathematics Competition

For all those who enjoy a challenge in Mathematics, entries are now open for the Australian Mathematics Competition. Entry fee this year is $8 each and must be paid to the Finance Office before the end of April 2015. The competition itself is held on the 30th July 2015. Note that all 9XT, 10XT and 11MXT students are required to participate and will be automatically entered. These students must ensure the entry fee has been paid before the end of April 2015. Any questions, please speak to your Maths teacher.

Maths Tutoring

Maths tutoring will be offered to all students during the first half of lunchtime in M11.

The schedule is as follows: WEEK 1.

Monday (Day 1) Tuesday (Day 2) Wednesday (Day 3) Thursday (Day 4) Friday (Day 5)

WEEK 2 Monday (Day 6) Tuesday (Day 7) Wednesday (Day 8) Thursday (Day 9) Friday (Day 10)

Yr 9 Yr 10 Yr 11 Yr 12 Yr 13 Yr 9 Yr 10 Yr 11 Yr 12 Yr 13

SCHOLARSHIP TUTORIALS Scholarship tutorials have started:Year 12 Scholarship Calculus on Friday, Year 13 Scholarship calculus on Monday and Year 13 Scholarship Statistics on Monday afterschool.

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TECHNOLOGY

Welcomes their new prefect Michaela Naidoo Hi there! My name is Michaela Naidoo and I’m the Technology Prefect for 2015. I have done Food Technology for four years now and have learnt a lot about the subject and the department over this time. I love baking, cooking, experimenting and creating new things in the kitchen.

This year I plan to let all the students of HGHS be informed that the technology department is not just a “fun” option that they could take but it could also be just as important as other academic subjects if chosen and could lead onto many career pathways.

There is a wide range of technology subjects within the department from Hospitality, Early Childhood, Textiles, Biotechnology to Graphics; you just have to find one that suits you! Some of my other goals for 2015 in the Technology department are encouraging more of the Year 13’s to apply for scholarship technology subjects. Also get more student participation, whether that be to run workshops and testers for our subject weeks or evenings that would be led by the present technology students.

I look forward to improve on the development of the Technology department and reaching our goals for 2015!

PHYSICAL EDUCATION & HEALTH 2PTR

Both PTR classes have been working hard this term coming to grips with some of the theoretical components of fitness and personal training with a specific focus on the fundamentals of stretching. They have been exposed to a number of exciting opportunities including getting all Zen like with Les Mills Body Balance, learning the finer points to operating cardio machines such as treadmills, cross trainers, bikes and rowers.

They will round the term off with their first fitness day. They will start the day with Les Mills Boot Camp right on the field at school. Les Mills Boot camp is a Military inspired, intense physical training, adventure workouts & outdoor drills. After a small recovery they will experience one of the fastest growing fitness trends in the world right now, a cross-fit session at a box. Finally, they will stretch out and strengthen those weary muscles with a hot yoga session, which is as much about the mind as it is about the body. Keep up the hard work girls.

1APO - CAVING AT WAITOMO Waking up at 5:30 in the morning to go caving at Waitomo, slipping down every slope, banging my head on every possible rock that was in my way, was so worth it. Never in my life would I have thought to go caving underground, but I’m so glad I did. Going caving was way out of my comfort zone but once I got the hang of it all I didn’t want to get out of the cave! When I thought of a cave I just thought of a humongous ordinary rock with the inside missing, but it was so much more than that and it was so out of it how many features the cave had and how old it was!! Caving for me was unforgettable and I would recommend anyone to go!! Caving has definitely been my favourite trip this year so far!!

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English

A selection of short stories from 9MA, inspired by Roald Dahl

My rewarding cough…

It has been eight days now and this raspy, scratchy cough has been annoying me so much. It rattles my head and makes me have really bad headaches. It feels like my head is going to explode. Nothing seems to make it go away. I drink lots of water and Mum has bought me this yuck medicine that tastes like old socks and it has a terrible after taste. Got to get to bed earlier, got to have a good sleep, got to get rid of this cough.

Tonight will be different, I just know it. It started the same as every other night, glass of water, good night to the family and a wish to the universe that my cough will be better tomorrow.

Tomorrow came and something was different. My throat was still rough but that wasn’t the only thing. My cheek had something stuck to it. Was it my headphones or was it the half biscuit I forgot to put in the rubbish? I turned on my light and it was a gold nugget. When I looked closer there was a small note attached to it. Use the money from this gold nugget to help …? Could my cough actually be a reward?

Every morning I would wake up and find another gold nugget and a note of how it should be spent. It even had one note about my future. Buy yourself the ultimate makeup studio and beautify the world and make people feel good on the outside to match their inside beauty.

After what seemed like many mornings of cashing in gold nuggets for the better good, it ended with the last gold nugget and a message that read: Hand in your fantasy short story, you have done well.

Mahina Peihopa

The Plughole Kid hated washing the dog. She was big and smelly and was always drooling; also she was washed in the bathtub where everyone else in the house washed themselves, which Kid thought was gross. The dog was called Princess and was always happy. Even if you told her off she would sit there with her tail going one hundred miles per hour and her tongue hanging out of the left side of her mouth.

Once a week, Kid would have to wash Princess who would jump around in the bathtub making as much mess as possible.

This time Princess was really dirty. She was coated from head to toe in mud and left muddy pawprints on the carpet. Kid turned on the tap and poured the dog wash into the bathtub.

Princess leapt into the bathtub, causing soapy water to splash everywhere. Kid groaned and set to work on Princess’ tangled muddy coat with the cloth.

Soon she was finally clean. Kid towelled her fur and pulled out the plug from the plughole. The plughole always sounded like a dying cat as the dirty soapy water gushed and swirled through the plughole and into the darkness. When Kid was younger his mum would tell him: “Never ever put your hand in a plughole or you’ll be pulled in and never come out” Kid wondered if it was true. He reached out with his little hand and stuck one tiny finger in the plughole. Suddenly he felt his hand being pulled into the darkness, Then his legs lifted up and he tipped head-first into the plughole…

Zara Davies

Scared I look down at my desk. All the tagging from past years has been overcome with words of hatred, my name tagged onto all of them. I hide my face in my arms as I hear the camera go off. “Hannah! Hannah!” My name is called from all directions. I try to block it out, and take myself to my wonderland.... The yelling is the ocean waves, crashing down before me. The clicking camera is the sand and sticks beneath my feet, comforting me. Seagulls fly high above me and crow their evil crows. I dive into the ocean; the cold only bothers me for a moment, then I see a distant glow behind me. I know that the cold water has taken its effects already. I shove my legs down in unison, and my scaly blue and green tail propels me forward. I swim deeper and deeper until no noise exists. Water courses through my lungs, almost refreshing. The deep blue around me comforts me. But something is wrong, something is missing... I realise a moment too late and something bites down onto my tail. I wriggle free but my fin still hangs from the shark’s mouth. I leave a trail of blood behind me. Not helpful. I hide behind a coral reef nearby. But the blood trail has been followed. Soon after I catch my breath, something grabs me and I am slowly pulled down deeper and deeper into the ocean.

Slowly I feel myself become heavier, heavier. Until I can take no more pressure and scream for the last time.....ever....

Meanwhile a teacher tries to find a lost student from her classroom..

Hannah Rose 13

Our thanks to Stuart for engaging our girls and giving them a memorable and meaningful learning experience, and to the parents and caregivers for giving up their time to attend his evening seminar.

Craig Scrimgeour

Visit from Mr Stuart Wright Recently all Year 11 students, the two Year 10 Extension classes and a large proportion of the Year 13 students were entertained and challenged by Mr Stuart Wright of UCANDO. Stuart delivered a two hour programme on whole brain learning and taught them effective strategies and techniques for improved learning. He informed the girls that multi-sensory learning is important, as we remember:

THE HILLARY LEARNING HUB

20% of what we read 30% of what we hear 40% of what we see 60% of what we do BUT 90% of what we see, hear, say and do Stuart reinforced the importance of homework and regular study – of learning little but often if you want to remember something. Up to 80% of detail is lost after 24 hours. He introduced the 10, 1, 1, 1 Review Schedule (review your work after 10 minutes, 1 day, 1 week, 1 month).You might like to ask your daughter to repeat the grocery list or the Chinese words or the 1987 cyclone in Fiji!! The students were taught to understand the importance of regular revision using a variety of learning techniques and how to SCAR thoughts onto the brain. Feedback from the students was extremely positive overall, for example: “Actually useful! It was very good and engaging”; “So beneficial. Love it. So good for this year level”; “Very interesting. I learned a lot of things that I am going to try and apply in my studies at home”; “Great. Learned lots. Would gladly take it again and recommend it”; “Useful, as it gives you fun ideas of ways to study”. It is important that that our students practise some of the study techniques and develop good habits towards regular revision. The revision programme they were encouraged to adopt in the seminars was: Step 1: Step 2: Step 3:

study a topic for 35 minutes have a break for 10 minutes recap for 5 minutes

Steps 1 – 3 can then be repeated for subsequent topics. He did stress the importance of making each session different from the previous one i.e. study a different subject or topic each session, as the brain likes variety.

Stuart also presented to the teaching staff during the day and a group of parents and caregivers in an evening seminar where he explained what is happening inside an adolescent’s brain and then linked that to why certain study techniques are effective.

It is important that parents and caregivers play a role in their daughter’s study programme. Often the girls need some external guidance and motivation in order to settle down to study. One way of helping them is to get them to talk about how they study. If your daughter cannot explain it to you then it probably suggests that she does not have a study programme or she does not know what she is doing. The teaching staff are available to assist the girls where required.

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Welcome to the Hillary learning Hub at HGHS It is a centre where we provide a positive learning environment, to enable students to work productively with the intention that they reintegrate back into the mainstream classroom after the appropriate, individualised remediation has occurred. It is separate to a behaviour modification tool but may be used as part of the rehabilitation/restorative process of a student before re-entry into school. It will continue to provide a safe haven for highly anxious students as well as extend its previous role, encompassing additional support for students in the Learning Assistance Programme, establishing a peer/tutor reading programme, identifying learning difficulties with numeracy and literacy based testing upon entry in the hub. It is also hoped that the introduction of several literacy and numeracy programmes and the use of IPADS and the remodelled environment will create a pleasant learning environment for the students to re-engage in their learning journey.

Director of Learning Support R.Early

GATE

WELCOME TO HGHS GIFTED AND TALENTED EDUCATION

At Hamilton Girls’ High School the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) program has several aspects to it. Our focus in GATE is to nurture learners with special abilities by providing learning experiences and support systems that recognise both performance and potential in the following domains: academic, cultural, sporting, arts and leadership endeavours.

For 2015, we are focusing on developing our GATE register further through identifying students with exceptional abilities in the above domains. We will be mentoring these students and tracking them throughout their years at HGHS to ensure we are meeting their needs. Please look to our school website for further information and links to documents which may be of interest to both students and parents.

From 3-5th July 2015, the University of Waikato will be hosting a conference, The Many Faces of Giftedness. Educators, Parents and Students have been invited to express interest in attending this 3 day conference. More information can be found at: http://nzagc-40th-anniversary.org.nz/ This year we welcome Ederlyn Perolina, our GATE Prefect, to the Academic Council team.

NEWS FROM THE COUNSELLING SUITE We have had a very busy and exciting start to the year. Robin Clarke completed her Teaching Diploma in 2014 and is now working 4 days a week in counselling (Wednesday Robin is not here). Cheryl Steeves also has increased hours, working at Hostel on Monday evenings and having Friday and every second Thursday off. Pam is here full time.

We have trained 27 Year 13 students to Mentor some of our Year 9 students to support them transitioning into Girl’s High. These girls’ are meeting with students and us and will probably finish off their regular meetings at the end of Term 1. Cheryl oversees the Mentoring Programme.

We have introduced ourselves and our service to all of the Year 9 classes, as well as surveying all of the Year 9 students for the Travellers Programme. This programme, which will begin in Term 2, builds resilience and confidence whilst helping them face life and its challenges. The Travellers Programme is offered by way of invitation but it is not compulsory – students can choose not to participate.

Students work in small groups once a week for 10 weeks.

Alongside the Mentoring and Travellers we also train Peer Mediators and organise Peer Mediations. We offer one on one confidential counselling together with some group counselling. Appointments are necessary and can be made by calling into our offices and either talking to one of us to make a time or to fill out an appointment slip. As we are a very busy service we rarely have space for ‘drop ins’ unless it is a crisis or emergency where we would need to shift appointments around to fit it in.

Ederlyn Perolina - GATE Prefect Hello everyone.

My name is Ederlyn Perolina and I am privileged to be your Gifted and Talented Education Prefect for 2015.

This year, I am taking Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Mathematics with Calculus, and English. I also like playing musical instruments, singing, and art. In 2015, my goal as prefect is to promote opportunities in all subject areas in order for gifted or talented girls to become more proactive in pursuing their passions.

Senior Debating Hamilton Girls’ High School Senior Debating Team scored a number of successes at the Russell McVeagh Waikato Regional Debating Championships on Saturday the 21st of March. The team of Cheska Saavedra, Nodirakhon Askarova and Monika Jarkiewicz remained unbeaten until the semi finals and were the highest scoring team from all the schools in the Waikato-Bay of Plenty. They were beaten

by Otumoetai College in defending the moot that "Popular Fction should replace the Classics in schools." Their defeat would perhaps have been applauded by their English teachers! Cheska Saavedra won the prestigious Best Speaker Cup for the Tournament, even though she was not a speaker in the finals. Her energetic, organised debating style as second speaker and leader of her team, was recognised as the best in the Waikato. Her team work skills were also recognised as she was appointed the leader of the Waikato Debating Team and will go on to represent our area in the New Zealand Competition in Wellington in May. We wish her all the best for this competition, from which are selected the National Team in the International Competitions later in the year.

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ACADEMIC CALENDAR 30 March – 2 April TECHNOLOGY DEPARTMENT WEEK 4 May – 8 May HEALTH AND PE DEPARTMENT WEEK 18 May – 22 May SCIENCE DEPARTMENT WEEK 26 May – 28 May SENIOR ASSESSMENTS – INTERNAL ASSESSMENTS 3 June ACADEMIC COUNCIL INTER-HOUSE QUIZ 15 June – 19 June ENGLISH DEPARTMENT WEEK 27 July – 31 July MAORI DEPARTMENT WEEK 10 August – 14 August SOCIAL SCIENCES DEPARTMENT WEEK 17 August – 21 August INTERNATIONAL LANGUAGES DEPARTMENT WEEK 24 August – 1 September SENIOR ASSESSMENTS – PRACTICE EXAMINATIONS 14 September – 18 September MATHEMATICS DEPARTMENT WEEK 6 November – 4 December NCEA AND SCHOLARSHIP EXAMINATIONS

HGHS UNIFORM The appearance of our young woman is an important aspect of our school life for setting and maintaining high standards and expectations.

Year 9 Uniform All new students to school are to wear the correct school uniform. This consists of the charcoal school skirt, white blouse, maroon jersey, Hamilton Girls’ High School Blazer, and a school tie. Below is a link of a youtube clip that will show you how to tie a windsor knot for wearing your tie correctly. www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0NPYZyI7V8&noredirect=1 Year 10 Uniform The Year 10 uniform is essentially the same as the Year 9 uniform. In 2015,Year 10 students can continue to wear their current core uniform. However, the addition of a school tie and Hamilton Girls’ High School Blazer in 2015 is compulsory.

The new soft shell jacket is optional and Year 10 students can instead continue to wear their current school jacket.

Year 11 Uniform In 2015,Year 11 students can continue to wear their current uniform. However, the addition of a school tie is compulsory.

The addition of a Hamilton Girls’ High School Blazer is optional for year 11 students in 2015. The new soft shell jacket is optional, and Year 11 students can instead continue to wear their current school jacket.

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Year 12 Uniform In 2015,Year 12 students can continue to wear their current skirt and jersey. However, the addition of a senior pinstripe blouse, school tie and senior blazer is compulsory for year 12 students in 2015. The soft shell jacket is optional, and Year 12 students can instead continue to wear their current school jacket.

Year 13 Uniform In 2015,Year 13 students can continue to wear their current skirt, blouse and jersey. The addition of a senior tie is compulsory for Year 13 students in 2015. The senior pinstripe blouse and senior blazer are optional. The soft shell jacket is optional, and Year 13 students can instead continue to wear their current school jacket.

The school uniform must be worn neatly and tidily. Blazers are to be worn to and from School throughout the year. Teachers will check uniforms at the start of period 1 and only then may students remove their blazer. At the end of period 5 teachers will ensure blazers are put on to leave the school grounds and return home. School ties are to be worn at all times. They are to be tied correctly and worn appropriately. However, during the warmer months, students have been given permission to undo the top button and loosen the tie.

Students are encouraged to take a pride in their School uniform and to wear it well. While wearing your uniform you are representing your family and Hamilton Girls’ High.

Those students that are taking part in HGHS school sports trainings after school and are leaving the school grounds do not have to change back into their school uniform.

sports Baylee Mitchell Sports Captain

AT HGHS

Hamilton Girls’ High School has a very proud history of achievement in sport, and this year I am privileged to help guide and support our girls who get involved in sports as their Sports Captain.

I want to see HGHS as the top sporting girls’ school in the Waikato but most importantly I want to give back to the school in an area that has given me so much. HGHS has given me many sporting opportunities that I couldn’t get back home in Te Kuiti. I have tried a variety of sports like Waterpolo, Netball, Touch, and Cricket, both competitively and socially, and never regretted it for a second.

NZ Sporting Achievements A BIG CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR WAIKATO LADIES AARIA TAWHA & PANIA MONK Aaria and Pania both made it into the New Zealand Junior White Sox 2015 World Championship Team!

Head Coach Kevin Gettins is pleased to announce the 2015 JWS World Championship Team. The team is a mix of experienced international athletes and younger players who are making their mark.

With the 2013 Junior World Championship and the 2014 open Womens World Championship under their belt short stop Mikayla Werahiko and pitcher Courtney Gettins are the teams most experienced athletes. Gettins is joined on the pitching mound by Amy Begg who is currently enjoying college life in Baltimore, USA and youngsters Chelsea Brunner who was awarded top pitcher at the U17 and U19 nationals and Kim-An Quinn a new recruit with impressive pitching statistics from Massachusetts, USA. The catching position is covered by Emma Houkamau and Zoe Tolhopf who have depth in other positions also. Talented infielders led by Werahiko, include first base and back up catcher Kayla Rangiawha, Brooke Eden, Makayla Mave, Marcelle Parkes who can cover outfield and Mckenzie Giles-Martin who impressed for the JWS team at the Bev Smith tournament.

The outfield will be anchored by Mereana Makea who has had an outstanding season for her club and province alongside experienced campaigner Pania Monk, who can back up the pitching staff, and Paiton Koko-Lutau who burst onto the scene after a solid performance at the international Friendship Championship in 2014. Rounding off the team are players for the future in Aria Tawha and the surprise inclusion of Pallas Potter a 15 year old from Hutt Valley who demonstrated strong hitting at the U19 Nationals.

Coach Gettins is excited about the strength in the team and believes that “there is a good balance across many positions”.

The team will assemble for a training camp in Hastings on 1 - 3 May 2015. The 2015 Junior Womens World Championship will be held in Oklahoma City from 9 - 15 August 2015.

COURTNEY MCLUSKIE

2015 NZ MARCHING CHAMPIONSHIPS

ISLA BLAKE

2015 NZ ROWING NATIONALS Isla attended the Bankstream NZ Rowing Nationals in Twizel from 17th - 22nd February. Making it into the A Finals for the Under-19 Double Skulls, she did not place but medalled in: Womens Club Coxless Quad Skulls - Silver Womens Club Coxed Four - Bronze She also gained two Bronze Medals at the North Island Club Champs two weeks prior to Nationals.

This team took a total sweep of all titles in their grade as: New Zealand Champion Technical Drill Team New Zealand Champion Display Team New Zealand Champion Team Amazing results from an extremely dedicated team of hard working marching girls.

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AON NORTH ISLAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS

ROWING CHAMPIONSHIPS March 6-8 2015 HGHS Rowers had a fantastic weekend of rowing at Lake Karapiro for the event. Although the cruel weather on Saturday meant that semi-finals were cancelled for the majority of events, we were still able to make it through to four A finals and five B finals which had set the girls up for an exciting finals day!

The U17 quad crew made up of Cassidy Armishaw, Deanna Capon, Leah Scott, Jaimie Wilson and cox Izzy Clarke had a positive win in their heat, and then a heart wrenching A final to come into fourth place and just out of the medals. The girls have been working extremely hard in the weeks leading up to this event and it showed! To be piped at the post was a hard deal to blow, but they are even more excited for the upcoming Maadi and will put everything out on the water to get onto that podium!

The U16 Quad crew made up of Charlotte Whitham, Jaimie Wilson, Paige Ruri, Fenella Finlay-Yates and cox Rachel Scott came 2nd place in the heat to put them through into the A final, where they came 7th overall. It was a tough competition with some very talented school crews in their race.

From top: 1. U16 Quad crew - Charlotte Whitham, Jaimie Wilson, Paige Ruri, Fenella Finlay-Yates and cox Rachel Scott 2. U18 Single - Rachel Hartstone Left: The U16 doubles crew - Charlotte Whitham and Jaimie Wilson Below: The U17 double crew - Brooke Baldwin and Leah Scott

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The U17 double crew made up of Brooke Baldwin and Leah Scott set a fast time to take out their heat, and then an even faster time to take Gold in the A final. This result truly shows the amount of hard work these girls have been putting into training and is absolutely fantastic for HGHS rowing. We are extremely proud of them! Counting down until Maadi cup has never been so exciting! True credit must go to their coach Jared Capon for pushing them to the limits in training and getting the best out of these two come finals day.

The U16 doubles crew of Charlotte Whitham and Jaimie Wilson also set a cracker of a time to win their heat, and then fight their way to Silver Medal in the A final! This competition is hotly contested by some talented rowers and it shows that HGHS has some fantastic and hard working talent as well! HGHS head coach Scott Wilson has given them a lot of hard long trainings, but the effort is paying off. Looking forward to Maadi cup and what else we can do on the water!

The U17 double crew made up of Brooke Baldwin and Leah Scott set a fast time to take out their heat, and then an even faster time to take Gold in the A final.

This result truly shows the amount of hard work these girls have been putting into training and is absolutely fantastic for HGHS rowing.We are extremely proud of them!

�

SUMMER TOURNAMENT PREVIEW Next week we have a number of students heading across the North Island to compete in their chosen sporting codes. Rowing, Softball,Volleyball, Waka Ama, Rugby 7’s, Water Polo and our Equestrian team will put their training, commitment and talent to the test.

ROWING

Coming on the back of a strong performance at the North Island Secondary Schools Championships, Hamilton Girls’ High School’s rowing squad is preparing for a big week at the Aon Maadi Cup National School’s Championships starting Monday March 23rd at Lake Karapiro.

A gold medal in the U17 double scull (Brooke Baldwin and Leah Scott) and a silver medal in the U16 double scull (Charlotte Whitham and Jaimie Wilson) were individual crew highlights of the North Island Championships, but reinforced a full squad improvement throughout the season that saw four crews reach A-finals and five further crews into B-finals in the last regatta before the national champs.

from 85 schools expected to be in attendance this year it will once again be a spectacular event. With paddling commencing on Tuesday 24th March and running through until Friday 27th March.

Our three W1 paddlers will take the water on day one followed by our two J16 crews and one J19 crew over the next three days. Waka Ama is held over 250m and 500m distances and is an exciting spectator sport with the action happening in such a small space. The 20 girls attending this tournament come together from a number of Waikato clubs to compete for Hamilton Girls’ High School and it is exciting to see them put their club allegiances aside to form strong and competitive crews.

After the South Island Seconda ry Schools champs were abandoned due to adverse weather at Lake Ruataniwha in Twizel, the appearance of the South Island college teams at the Maadi Cup will bring a new challenge. The form of the U17 and U16 double sculls crews, however, along with an improving U17 quadruple sculls crew (Cassidy Armishaw, Deanna Capon, Leah Scott, Jaimie Wilson and cox Izzy Clark), which finished fourth at the North Island C hampionships, all have strong chances of coming away with Maadi Cup silverware, while a number of other crews cannot be discounted of making event finals.

Water Polo

SOFTBALL

Hamilton Girls’ High School equestrian team has had a fantastic start to the year. Our first event was the Waikato Show jumping. The team consisted of Sophie Hobbs, Ashleigh Rosewarne, Brydie McAlpine, Bailey Gallagher and Sian Potter. We had two riders that had the opportunity to compete for the school for the first time.

This was a great experience for them. Sophie Hobbs riding Regent Lad placed 8th. Sian Potter riding Miss Tint and Brydie McAlpine riding Chippy placed 6th.

The softball team are heading to the Division 1 Championships in Wellington. They are a young team but their experience cannot be discounted - boasting one Junior White Sox player as well as multiple Waikato Representative players. They had a slow start to the local competition but things have progressed well over the last two games losing narrowly to St Paul’s Collegiate Boys team 6-5 and then winning against Fairfield boys team. Congratulations.

VOLLEYBALL

The Senior Girls Volleyball team are heading to Palmerston North for the New Zealand Secondary School Championships which run from Monday 23rd-Friday 27th March. It is the first time we have sent a team to this championship event in a few years and with record numbers attending the event it will certainly be an exciting and challenging event.

The girls have done extremely well with their dedication to Volleyball throughout the season for five weeks in the Waikato Region. Playing 2 games each Saturday as well as being a duty team, leads to some long hours. We competed within the A grade competition and have been seeded as 5th in Waikato Region heading into the tournament. The girls are very excited to play Volleyball amongst a range of schools from throughout New Zealand to continue to develop their knowledge and skill.

Our Senior A Water Polo team are heading to the North Island Secondary School Championships in Auckland from Thursday 26th-Sunday 29th March. Making a splash in a number of pools over the four days including West Wave, Sacred Heart Aquatic Centre, Epsom Girls’ Grammar and Auckland Diocesan Aquatic Centre this young team will be exposed to some solid opposition across the four days. The team have been performing well in the Waikato competition building each week, gaining strength, cohesion and confidence.

Equestrian

Our next event is the North Island Dressage. Our team for this consists of Laura McNab, Brydie McAlpine, Morgan Innes and Madison Schollum. This event requires the girls to show the art of riding a horse in a manner of obedience, flexibility, and balance while being judged.

The Hamilton Girls’ High School equestrian team put a huge amount of time and discipline into their riding and always represent the school with pride. Our next events for the year are Waikato and North Island show hunter and North Island show jumping.

Note: at time of printing, results were not available.

WAKA AMA

Waka Ama continues to be a very popular sport of choice at Hamilton Girls’ High School with over 40 girls, of varying experience levels, paddling this year. The New Zealand Secondary Schools Waka Ama Championships are held at the idyllic Blue Lake in Rotorua and with over 1400 paddlers

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3 on 3 Basketball

3 on 3 Basketball head to Trust Arena in Waitakere for the New Zealand Secondary Basketball tournament. 3 on 3 basketball is undergoing a huge push by Basketball New Zealand as a targeted version of the code. Both the Senior and Junior team boast girls who have been performing exceptionally well on the 3 on 3 Grand Slam Tour and with promising numbers entered in the tournament it will be an action packed three days. They have been training exceptionally hard throughout the summer break and all term and we know that their dedication will reap them the rewards.

Rugby 7’s

The Senior Girls and U15 Girls Rugby 7’s teams both head to Mount Maunganui to compete in the North Island Secondary School Rugby 7’s tournament on Thursday 26th and Friday 27th March. Both teams have been performing extremely well this term which is a credit to their hard work and dedication as they are both young teams sporting girls who are new to the rugby 7’s scene.

The Senior girls recently retained their Sir Gordon Tietjen’s rugby 7’s title in a nail biting final that went into extra time against Fielding High School. The U15’s 7’s team competed strongly at the Pacific Aotearoa Cup in Auckland against some strong opposition to finish runners up. Both teams are looking forward to facing quality opposition in Mount Maunganui. The U15’s will play in a round robin competition with 7 teams competing. The U19 girls will face Te Puke, Fielding B and Southern Cross Campus in their pool play.

2015 NZ MARCHING CHAMPIONSHIPS

Georgia Staples Mirella Wilson Shinae Brennan Amber Hopkins Team Ignite U16 Won: 2nd Championship Technical 4th Championship Display Overall 3rd New Zealand Champion U16 Team

We wish each and every player and the coaching and management teams all the very best for their respective tournaments.

Sir Gordon Tietjens 7’s Rugby

AT HGHS

ARts

Photo Credit: Southern Focus Photography www.southernfocus.co.nz

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Krystal Woodward Arts Captain Hey I’m Krystal Woodward and I have the pleasure of being your Arts Captain for 2015! My job is to show off and promote our incredibly talented Visual and Performing Arts girls in our school. I started performing at the very young age of two and a half years old and since then It has been a massive part of my life! The Arts Council have a lot of exciting things happening this year including our annual Talent Quest, Fusion Festival, Kapahaka, Polynesian groups,Visual Competitions, HBHS vrs HGHS talent quest and the HBHS Joint Production. I am very excited to see what my leadership role will bring this year. Whoop! Bring on a fantastic Artistic year for Hamilton Girls’ High School.

Y9 EXHIBITION

AT WAIKATO MUSEUM

UPCOMING: 1 - 21 APRIL U-ZONE STUDENT ART EXHIBITION

Music

The HGHS Music Department was privileged to have Dame Malvina Major come and share her knowledge and experiences with the senior music students on Monday 2nd March. She spoke for an hour about how she coped with stress and working in a team, as well as self-motivation and pushing yourself to the limits and striving for excellence. She answered questions from many students about pressure and also about dealing with anxiety associated with performing and how to overcome this.

Having such an esteemed musician share these experiences with us was an absolute treasure and we are very thankful for this opportunity. Dame Malvina Major began the ‘Dame Malvina Major Foundation’ in 1991, which supports young musicians and enables them to achieve their potential. We have donated to her foundation as thanks for her coming to our school.

The HGHS Music Department was invited to a jazz music workshop held at HBHS on Friday 20th March. The workshop was run by the New Zealand School of Music, assisted by Mike Booth, Phil Broadhust, and Pete France. These three musicians are very experienced and highly regarded internationally, so it was a privilege to learn under their tutelage. The aim of the workshop was to enhance performance standards with an emphasis on jazz/blues style and improvisation. Overall, the day was a success, ending with a concert of the pieces we practiced. The New Zealand School of Music aims to provide young musicians with opportunities to expand their musical learning in an engaging and fun environment. We are thankful that we’ve had the opportunity to learn and perform alongside these established musicians and that they’ve taken the time to share their knowledge with us.

DRAMA & DANCE

The Drama and Dance Department has been very busy this term. Year 12 Drama performed an abridged version of Lysistrata for their Greek Drama Assessment and Year 13 are working on acting and directing scenes from Twelfth Night. Year 9, 10 and 11 have produced some excellent devised work, and Year 9 are currently learning the skills of Clowning while Year 10 develop Mime routines. There are groups running every lunchtime which anyone can be part of. These include Theatresports, Hip Hop and Lyrical Dance groups, and Chinese and African Dance groups which are preparing for the Fusion Festival in Term Two. In the final week of term a group will compete in the interschool Sheilah Winn Shakespeare Competition with one teacher directed and one student directed scene. Singing auditions for this year’s Joint Production with Boys’ High of Jesus Christ Superstar will take place in the last two weeks of term, with the dates of dancing auditions to be advised at a later date.

With so much going on it is very important that students refer to the daily notices every day to check for messages and rehearsal times. For further information about these activities, contact Ms Wynne-Jones, Mrs Wenham, or Ms Belgrave.

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Talofa and Warm Pasifika Greetings,

PASIFIKA

We have had a very busy month and are looking forward to the upcoming holidays. Our focus was to ensure that the Pasifika Council was underway. To recap, our Pasifika Prefect, Haven Garisau, heads the Council and with her counsellors oversees all Pasifika activities at school. Her Academic Counsellors, Tava Tyrell and Malia Ahofono, have met with the Academic Committee and are committed to encouraging and fostering academic excellence. We are happy to announce the committee:Year 9, Janita Gupta;Year 10, to be confirmed; Year 11, Litara Allan, and Year 12, Sapna Pandaram. To help the committee, we have a group of dedicated teachers who have charge of mentoring at each year level. They are:Year 9, Mrs Nathan,Year 10, Ms Healy and Ms Sharpe;Year 11, Mrs Nathan,Year 12, Mrs Anand and Ms Bali and at Year 13 is Mrs Meha-Uelese. The Social and Cultural Committee have also met.The student counsellors who run this committee are Joan Leavasa and Vanessa Baledrokadroka. They meet with a dedicated and hardworking group of girls. The members of this committee are: Year 9, to be confirmed; Year 10, Dawn Leavasa; Year 11, Caroline Tibwere and Year 12 Tuhe Teokotai. Our hardworking secretary is Christian Baledrokadroka. The teachers who work with this committee are Ms Bali and Ms Sharpe. In addition, we have Ms Belgrave, Mrs Turner and Mrs Lee who work hard with the Pasifika by Nature group.

The Pasifika Council and teachers worked hard in preparing and hosting the first Pasifika fono for this year. Although it was disappointing that many families missed the opportunity to learn about NCEA and the impact it has for your daughters, those who attended reported that they thoroughly enjoyed the evening. We were pleased that we were able to also enjoy and learn from a presentation from the Head of Careers, Mrs Calder, who explained about vocational pathways and how this could be an alternative pathway to academic and career success for the girls. If you wish to learn more about this area, please contact Mrs Calder to make an appointment for your daughter and yourself. You may contact her through our reception.

Finally, we are busy preparing for the upcoming Pasifika by Nature festival. This year the festival will be on Saturday 2 May, at the Claudelands Event Centre. Families, thank you for supporting your daughters and allowing them to come to practices. However, we ask that if there is anyone who would like to take charge of the fundraising activities, to contact Mrs Meha-Uelese. We have some wonderful ideas but we need parent help to organise and run these activities.

Soifua The Pasifika Mentoring Team

Pasifika Fono Our Pasifika Fono was held on the evening of the 12th March; we would like to thank all those who attended. We are hoping for more families to attend in Term 2 when we hold our next Fono.

The evening was led by our Pasifika Prefect, Haven Garisau; and our Head Girl, Tava Tyrell.

The focus for the evening was to inform families of how NCEA works; additionally, Mrs Calder shared a presentation on Vocational Pathways which was very relevant to all of our students.

We also heard from two senior students, who gave some insight to their journey and experiences with NCEA. Entertainment was provided by our wonderful Pasifika

By Nature Samoan group; they looked fabulous in their costumes. We finished the evening with a supper and an opportunity to talk and mingle.

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CAREERS All Yr13 students will be invited to attend a careers interview with either Ms Calder or Mrs Lander during Term One and Two. The intention of this is to assist the students with their plans for 2016 and beyond.You can support your daughter by encouraging her to attend the interview and discussing what her ideas are for her future. The CareersNZ website www. careers.govt.nz is a very good resource for both parents and students. Those unsure about their plans are encouraged to use the interactive tools that may give them a starting point – Career Checker, CareerQuest, Know your Skills, and Skills Matcher.

Waikato Trades Academy

49 students from Yr11 – 13 are involved in the Wintec Trades Academy programme. They attend Wintec one day per week for the whole year and the remaining four days are spent at school. The students are involved within the Service Sector, Health and Community Sector and Engineering. This programme assists the students in gaining their NCEA Level 2 qualification whilst also exploring future vocational pathways.

The pictures show Yr12 students completing the Hair and Beauty module before they move on to Tourism and Hospitality.

All Yr13 students also have the opportunity to complete a Red Cross First Aid Certificate and bookings are presently open in the Careers Room for a range of different dates. This is a very good addition to a CV.

Upcoming Events Tertiary presentations: Victoria University Otago University Auckland University

22nd May 24th April 5th May

Waikato University Open Day 22nd May Waikato Careers Expo 7th & 8th June

GATEWAY Summer Bascand at Radius Kensington Hospital

Deliya Jose at Deloitte

This term I started out in a Gateway programme, to gain experience towards Nursing. I got a placement at Radius Kensington Hospital.

This year I had a great opportunity of being in a Gateway programme which allowed me to experience the wonderful world of Accounting in Deloitte, an acclaimed international firm.

I thought this was great because I get to experience working with the elderly and the friendly staff. I also get some one on one with the residents, doing activities with them plus help out the staff where I can.

For me the best part about it is making them smile, because in a way that’s the aim of the day, “making them happy”.

I highly recommend taking on a Gateway programme. It’s an awesome experience that could open gates to your career.

There, the real world of Accounting practices opened up before me and I could have a glimpse of what it means to be a Chartered Accountant and the career prospects in my interaction with the staff, which has sharpened my appetite for a career in Accounting.

The work I do there benefits me by having a different view of Accounting from that of the work in class. The best part of the programme is that I am able to strike a friendship with the wonderful team at Deloitte, which always lifts up my spirits.

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SERVICES COUNCIL Leah Porima Services Council Captain

Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much’ -Helen Keller. Something I truly love about the services area of Hamilton Girls’ High is that anyone can be a hero without any extraordinary talents. My goal for this year is to promote the services and get as many girls as possible involved and excited about giving back to our school and wider community. And ultimately to show my fellow sisters that together we can do so much. During my years here at HGHS I have taken full advantage of the amazing sporting opportunities and competed in Water polo, Soccer and Adventure Racing teams. As well as sport I love art and enjoyed it as a subject for three years. I hope everyone is as excited about this year as I am, and we can work together to make 2015 a year to remember. It is my honour and privilege to serve and nurture the growth of my fellow sisters, as the Deputy Head Girl and Services Captain for Hamilton Girls’ High School in 2015.

Kelly Porima Campbell House Captain

Tayla Duff Edgecumbe House Captain

Celeste Rakena Wilson Captain .

Kaea Ruawai Heads House Captain

Vanessa Baledrokadroka MacDiarmid House Captain

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WILSON

ATHLETICS DAY & SWIMMING SPORTS Welcome to Wilson for 2015! This year we have Celeste Rakena as our House Prefect and her deputies, Brooke Gregson-McHardy and Amber Lewis. We are very excited about 2015 as there are heaps of things we have planned to make it a year to remember. Every month a tutor group will be in charge of showing, through the newsletter, what their tutor group has been doing, whether it be in tutor time or how they have participated in House events. WCP was the first tutor group to share with us about Athletics Day and Swimming Sports. Thank you WCP!

have hoped for better. Our Wilson Photobooth was a huge success! Of course, we couldn’t forget all the participants who swam that day, we want to congratulate and thank them for the hard work they've put in and we would also like to thank all the helpers who made it so fabulous including the teachers, the staff and also to the girls who really helped out with the props for the photo booth and participation in events.

Just remember guys when the going gets tough “just keep swimming”.

To all those who sadly missed out on one of the most incredible days of the year, Athletics Day, it was one of many great days to come! HGHS Athletic day was held at Porritt Stadium and the first thing you notice as you enter the gates are the awesome and crazy costumes showing off everyones’ creativity and house spirit! The day was full of surprises, fun, cheering, chants, lots of falls and laughs, chilling out under the shade and in the sun. The whole of Wilson house embraced their house spirit and enjoyed the fun activities. One of our own, Brooke Gregson-McHardy, won the hat competition.

There was so much colour and enthusiasm from those who wore the hats, it was great to see! I think the highlights of the day were our chants and our team effort. We are the smallest house and we were so loud and showed a strong sense of house spirit in the March Past with our chants! Be proud to be Wilson, ‘when everything seems an uphill struggle, just think of the view from the top!’ KEEP IT UP WILSON! WILSON is the BEST! Swimming Sports was a BLAST! There was lots of swimming and heaps of cheering! So much rivalry against the houses, the dash against Hostel Girls and Day Girls and the nail biting race between Teachers and Students was hilarious, even though we (students) lost! Wilson may not have won but our House Spirit was on point! Whether you win or lose, it is important that we had so much fun, many good memories made and we had strong teamwork throughout our house. We united as one, our chants have become louder and prouder, we couldn’t

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INTERIM REPORTS

An Interim Report will be sent home with your daughter on Thursday 2nd April and also be uploaded to the Parent Portal. Reading the report presents families with the opportunity to have good discussions about what is working well and where further assistance or understanding would be of benefit.

The front page of our report addresses work ethic and is a reflection of character not of intellectual capacity. It provides you with an overview of how well your daughter is managing herself, whether she is taking responsibility for her own learning, her attitude in class, and homework completion. Every teacher offers four levels in each of these indicators, describing the predominant response your daughter displays in each subject. The levels are in the range of Highly Competent > Competent > Developing > Below Expectations.

The important question for our girls to ask themselves is “what do I need to do in order to shift to the next level?”.

A strong work ethic will usually generate higher levels of success and it is our intention to support the aspiration our girls have to develop highly competent skills.

The report also lists all the assessments that are planned for the year. The grade is entered alongside those that have been completed. While it is too late to alter completed assessments, all future opportunities will benefit from reflecting on the past and setting future goals. Knowing what assessments are to come offers you an opportunity to work with your daughter to manage her time effectively and prepare well.

PARENT-TEACHER MEETINGS

Following on from the issuing Interim Reports, Parent-Teacher Meetings will take place during week 2 of Term 2 on Wednesday 29th April and Thursday 30th April, starting at 2.30pm and ending at 6.00pm. Appointments will be made using the online booking system at www.schoolinterviews.co.nz. Information regarding this process will be provided closer to the time.

TERTIARY LIAISON VISITS TERTIARY PRESENTATIONS & OTHER CAREER EVENTS Terms One & Two 2015

Liaison Visits

Monday 2 March Wednesday 11 March Thursday 12 March Tuesday 17 March Monday 30 March Friday 24 April Tuesday 5 May

Open Days & Careers Expo Friday 22 May 7 – 8 May

WAIKATO UNIVERSITY 1.30pm MASSEY UNIVERSITY 1.30pm AUT 1.30pm CANTERBURY UNIVERSITY 2.00pm VICTORIA UNIVERSITY 1.30pm OTAGO UNIVERSITY 1.30pm AUCKLAND UNIVERSITY 1.20pm

WAIKATO UNIVERSITY OPEN DAY CAREERS EXPO - Claudelands Events Centre

Register your bobby calves with NZ Farmers Livestock Phone 0800 695 483 today 35 cents per calf contribution to local school* Committed to calf care – same day procurement Register in 2 simple steps: Committed calforcare - Complete the registrationto form phone dayone. procurement 0800 695 483–tosame request - Fax your completed registration form to (07) 889 1680 or mail to: NZ Farmers Livestock, PO Box 267, Morrinsville 3340

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Ngaa Puawaitanga V2 V2 Careers Room V2 V2 Ngaa Puawaitanga

April 2015 Holiday Programme plus Netball, Football & Rugby Sports Clinics

Hamilton Girls High School and other various venues from Tuesday 7 April to Friday 17 April 2015.

For children aged 5 to 13 years.

Kelly Sports Holiday Programmes and clinics are designed to give children the opportunity to do the things they love and enjoy in a supportive and encouraging environment.

Our programmes are full of exciting activities and trips that will guarantee children have a great time.

Come and join us for a holiday of fun!

For more information or to enrol, go online to www.kellysports.co.nz or contact our office on (07) 8399017

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KEY DATES APRIL 2015

1 APRIL 2PTR Fitness Day

WWS Swimming

U-Zone Student Art Exhibition until 21 April 3 APRIL

Good Friday

6 APRIL

Easter Monday

7-19 APRIL

Term 1 Holidays

10 APRIL

NZSS Adventure Racing Championships until 12 April NZSS Ki-o-rahi Championships until 11 April

11 APRIL

NZSS Water Polo Championships (Div 2 girls) until 31 April

16 APRIL

NZCPA Eventing Championships until 18 April

21 APRIL

1GEO GIS onsite Fieldtrip 3LAW Fieldtrip

25 APRIL

ANZAC Day

29-30 APRIL

Parent -Teacher Meetings