Embedded Files
Kia ora koutou katoa from Hewett House
Kia ora koutou katoa from Hewett House
Kia ora koutou,
It’s been another lively week at Hewett House, full of activity, laughter, and opportunities for our girls to connect. On Monday evening, our girls enjoyed a visit to Scinde House @ Napier Boys’ High School, where they had the chance to socialise and spend time together in a relaxed setting. These social evenings are an important part of hostel life, helping students build confidence, strengthen friendships, and develop positive social skills in a safe and supportive environment.
On Wednesday, the school then hosted its Splash and Dash Day, which brought plenty of energy, teamwork, and smiles as students got involved in the fun-filled events.
It was wonderful to see so many girls getting involved, supporting one another, and making memories along the way.
We always value your input and support — whether you're a parent, guardian, or friend of our boarding community. If you have any concerns, feedback, or would just like to drop by for a visit, please don’t hesitate to call, email, or pop in. We’d love to hear from you.
Ngā mihi nui,
Joyce Clark
Celebrating Art Deco at Hewett House
Splash & Dash ready!
Joyce Clark, Hostel Manager: 021 245 1862 / hostelmanager@nghs.school.nz
Hostel Academic Dean Update
Hostel Academic Dean Update
Now that the first few weeks of the term are behind us, our focus shifts to embracing the work ahead with energy, purpose, and a commitment to making the most of every opportunity. Teachers have focused on building positive relationships, establishing routines, and setting clear expectations.
Hostel students should be making the most of their evening prep sessions. This time should be used to complete any unfinished classwork, followed by home learning and assessment tasks. Students can then revise key vocabulary, concepts, or rules from the day’s lessons. If all work is up to date, I have provided Year 9 and 10 hostel students with a range of learning activities across each Learning Area to further extend and enrich their understanding.
We are fortunate to have Miss Buchanan available for Mathematics and Science tutoring during Prep on Thursday evenings. This is a fantastic resource for students who would like extra guidance and support in these subjects.
Our well-resourced school library is open at lunchtime and after school, and students can also enjoy a selection of popular books available in the Hewett House Rec Room. Students can also access e-books through the Wheelers platform https://nghsnz.wheelers.co/
Our Year 9 students have had a fantastic start to the year. They recently took part in a Transition Day, designed to build confidence, strengthen connections, and develop key skills for their journey at NGHS. They also enjoyed their Education Outside the Classroom experience at the Guthrie Smith Outdoor Education Centre.
If you have any academic concerns or queries, please feel free to contact me at cjohnson@nghs.school.nz
- Mrs Caroline Johnson
Heads of Hostel Update
Heads of Hostel Update
Kia ora students and whānau! We have Term 1 well underway with a busy yet exciting first few weeks in Hostel.
Our Year 9s attended their EOTC days at Tutira and came back excited, tired, and full of great stories after having lots of fun. On Monday evening, we had a bonding night with Napier Boys', which was a huge hit and one of the most talked-about nights of the year so far. There were plenty of games involved, and although the trophy was sadly lost by milliseconds, everyone showed great team spirit. Dinner was the classic burgers, which were just as good as we expected and thoroughly enjoyed. We also had North vs South games and relays, that brought both the girls and boys together creating lots of laughs and friendly competition.
It’s has been great to see all the girls getting involved in hostel life and putting themselves out there. It’s also been really awesome to see everyone settling back into their routines at school and in the hostel. We’re excited for what the rest of the term has to bring.
- Rose and Lucy
Our Year 13s ready to race at Napier Boys' High School
Kia ora tātou, ko au te Manutaki Wharenoho mō te tau, ko Morgan ahau. Hi everyone, my name is Morgan, and I am the Hostel Manutaki for 2026.
I come from a small town on the edge of the east coast, Waipiro Bay, so coming from somewhere so small and getting a role like this is an absolute privilege.
Being a Māori tuakana and being given this role, I am hoping to encourage the voices of our tauira to step away from being whakamā (shy) and step into the safe space of our hostel. I am restarting our tradition of Hostel Kāhui, where the Māori/Pasifika tauira from all year groups can come along and learn songs and then express opinions, which will allow us to support them further in any shape or form.
I can’t wait to see what our girls express this year, and I am so excited to fill the shoes of this role.
- Morgan Anderson
Congratulations to our Boarding Action Group Representatives
Congratulations to our Boarding Action Group Representatives
Congratulations to all students who have been voted onto the Hewett House Boarding Action Group. This shows the trust your peers have in you and their confidence in your leadership, ideas, and positive influence within our hostel community. We are excited to see the energy, responsibility, and teamwork you will bring to this role as you help shape life at Hewett House.
Year 9 - Mabel Heath & Lily Ashton
Year 10 - Charlie Kelleher & Stevie Schaw
Year 11 - Bella Derbie & Evelyn Ferguson
Year 12 - Emma Brady & Addison Oliver
Year 13 - Victoria Kyle
To those who put your name forward but were not successful this time — thank you sincerely for your courage and willingness to step up. It takes real confidence to put yourself forward for leadership, and that in itself is something to be very proud of. Your voice, ideas, and contribution to Hewett House are still valued and important, and there will be many more opportunities ahead.
Well done to everyone for showing initiative, bravery, and community spirit — this is exactly what makes Hewett House such a special place.
- Emma Brady and Izzy Schaw
Tip of the Month
Tip of the Month
Phone calls between students and their parents during the first few weeks of boarding can be a bit challenging. To help with this, I've put together 6 Tips for a Successful Phone Call with Your Child:
· Understand that children aren’t wired for long phone calls, especially a child who wants to go and play with their friends.
· This is likely to be new for you and them - you normally live together, so have an empathetic ear.
· Be warm and inviting, don’t bombard with questions.
· Expect to hear the one or two negatives in their eyes, not the 98 or 99 positives that happen each day.
· When it comes to questions - be specific - ‘who did you sit next to at breakfast?’, ‘what were the two best things you did today?’
· End with positivity and calm - you are the parent. Thank them for ringing.
Kindo Reminder
Please make sure you've logged into Kindo to pay for your daughter's school-related charges such as sports fees, music tuition and other activities.
Contact hostelfinance@nghs.school.nz if you have any questions regarding your hostel account.
Sickness
If you're feeling unwell or showing any signs of illness, please stay home and take the time you need to recover. Your health and the health of others comes first.
Sunday Late Dinners
If you require a late/saved dinner on a Sunday night this MUST be booked by 12.00pm on the Sunday by putting your name on the list at the office - preferably before you leave on Friday afternoon. If you have not booked a late/saved dinner you will have toast and spreads made available to you. We hope you can appreciate that our kitchen team need to be able to plan for accurate numbers. It is very difficult for them when suddenly they need to find 15 – 20 extra servings.
Special Dietary Students
Please remember that if you have listed yourself as a special dietary requirement you are expected to honour this and not change your mind as something else appeals, the kitchen staff go to considerable effort to cater for your needs.
Netsafe
Netsafe
Netsafe is New Zealand’s independent, non-profit online safety charity. Taking a technology-positive approach to the challenges digital technology presents, they work to help people in New Zealand take advantage of the opportunities available through technology by providing practical tools, support and advice for managing online challenges. Netsafe keep people of all ages safe online by providing free support, advice and education seven days a week.
Netsafe can assist you in getting content removed from some places online and talk to you about the other options available to you – for example, taking the case to the Police. If someone is threatening to share nude images/videos of you or blackmailing you, we can also let you know what you can do about it. Our team talks to people in situations like this everyday, so we’re used to talking about it and can provide you all the information you need.
There are apps that can help too, like Take it Down takeitdown.ncmec.org
This is an anonymous tool for anyone under 18 to get your intimate image or video removed from social media, including Facebook.
Important Dates Coming Up
Important Dates Coming Up
Friday 13 March: Athletic Sports
Friday 27 March: Hostel Open Day
Thursday 2 April: end of Term 1, hostel closes at 6pm
Sunday 19 April: Hostel opens from 3pm
We love celebrating successes at Hewett House. If you have some news (and/or photos) we would love to hear about it so we can include it in future pānui editions :)
HEWETT HOUSE TEAM
Lynley Keehan, Reception (weekdays): 021 488 758 / hewettoffice@nghs.school.nz (this email is checked seven days a week)
Joyce Clark, Hostel Manager: 021 245 1862 / hostelmanager@nghs.school.nz (this email is not checked seven days a week so if urgent, please email hewettoffice@nghs.school.nz)
Supervisors: Mrs Joan Willox / Ms Kate Stevens (mornings), Mrs Hayley Berriman / Ms Mia Shelford / Mrs Heather McKenzie (afternoons/evenings)
Mrs Michele Glogoski (Friday evening, weekends), Mrs Lynda Jackson (weekends), Mrs Kellie Fulton /Ms Michelle McLellan (overnight)
Page updated
Report abuse