Kia ora whānau,

Welcome back to Term 2. It has been a busy and exciting week at Hewett House with plenty happening across the hostel and school community.

Our rangatahi had a fantastic time taking part in the House Karaoke Competition last week, with lots of laughter, enthusiasm, and some very entertaining performances on display. It was wonderful to see so many stepping outside their comfort zones, supporting one another, and enjoying some healthy house spirit together.

Winter sports are now well underway, and there is certainly a real buzz around the hostel as trainings, games, and weekend sport commitments begin to ramp up. We encourage all boarders to continue balancing their commitments with good organisation, rest, and healthy routines.

Adding to the excitement, rehearsals and preparations for the school production of High School Musical are also in full swing — it really is all go at the moment! We look forward to supporting those involved and seeing all of the hard work come together on stage.

As we move into the colder months, we are beginning to see a few sicknesses appearing around the hostel. We kindly ask whānau to please keep your daughter at home if she is feeling unwell before returning to hostel. This helps us greatly in reducing the spread of viruses and keeping both boarders and staff healthy and well during the busy term ahead.

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

Netball Season

If you or someone else is collecting your daughter from the netball courts on Saturday, please email the hostel office no later than midday on Thursday so we can arrange the transport. Ngā mihi. 

Kia ora koutou.

I hope all our whānau had a restful and enjoyable school holiday break, and appreciated the opportunity to spend time with your rangatahi at home.

On Tuesday, all junior students took part in a Learning to Learn seminar with Patrick Sherratt during prep time. The session was well received, with students gaining valuable insights into how the brain learns, building confidence in their study approaches, and exploring practical strategies to improve both their learning and assessment outcomes.

Our kaiako are looking forward to connecting with parents and caregivers of our Year 9 and 10 students at the upcoming Parent–Teacher Interviews on Thursday 7 May. Information about booking appointments has been shared. For hostel whānau, there is the option to attend via video conference, which many families find convenient.

In Week 5, our Year 10 ākonga will sit the Literacy and Numeracy Common Assessment Activities (CAAs). These assessments will also be available to Year 11 students who are still working towards these credits. Our English and Mathematics Learning Areas are focused on ensuring students are well prepared. As a reminder, all students from Year 10 onwards must achieve 10 credits in both Literacy and Numeracy to gain any NCEA qualification.

An information evening covering NCEA, including the Literacy and Numeracy co-requisites, was held at school on 17 March. A summary of this presentation was emailed to families shortly afterwards.

As always, please don’t hesitate to get in touch if you have any questions or concerns about your child’s academic progress — you are welcome to contact me at cjohnson@nghs.school.nz