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Kia ora koutou katoa from Hewett House
Kia ora koutou katoa from Hewett House
Kia ora whānau,
Welcome to Week 4 at Hewett House. It is hard to believe how quickly the term is moving along already, with the hostel continuing to be full of energy, laughter, and activity.
We hope all of our whānau had a lovely Sunday celebrating the positive women and mother figures in their lives. Days like these are always a wonderful reminder of the important role that encouragement, care, and connection play in the lives of our young people.
Last week our rangatahi enjoyed a fun themed dinner evening in the hostel, which created plenty of excitement and lots of smiles around the dining room. These shared experiences are such an important part of boarding life and help build the strong sense of community and belonging that makes Hewett House such a special place to be.
As we move further into the colder season, we are beginning to see a few illnesses appearing within the hostel community. We kindly ask whānau to please keep your daughter at home if she is unwell before returning to hostel. This support greatly assists us in reducing the spread of viruses and helping keep our girls and staff healthy during what is shaping up to be another very busy term.
Thank you, as always, for your ongoing support of Hewett House and the wider boarding community.
Ngā mihi nui,
Joyce Clark
Joyce Clark, Hostel Manager: 021 245 1862 / hostelmanager@nghs.school.nz
International Boarding Week 11-15 May
✨ Happy International Boarding Week ✨
✨ Happy International Boarding Week ✨
A Home Away From Home
National Boarding Week gives us the opportunity to pause and celebrate the extraordinary role boarding plays in shaping young lives.
At Hewett House, boarding is about so much more than accommodation — it is about connection, belonging, growth, and community. It is found in the everyday moments that quietly become the most meaningful:
✨ Shared meals and laughter around the dinner table
✨ Late-night chats and lifelong friendships
✨ Encouragement through challenges and celebrations of success
✨ Learning independence, resilience, and confidence
✨ The comfort of routines, care, and familiar faces
Over time, boarding becomes more than a place to stay — it becomes another version of home.
🏡 Where Home Echoes
This year’s National Boarding Week theme beautifully reflects the boarding journey.
While our girls leave behind the familiarity of home, they begin creating a new sense of belonging within their boarding community. The feeling of home is never lost — it simply grows and echoes in new ways through friendships, traditions, support, and shared experiences.
At Hewett House, we see this every day:
💛 In the friendships that become like family
💛 In the kindness shown between girls
💛 In the dedication and care of our staff
💛 In the strong partnership between hostel and whānau
💛 In the pride our girls develop in themselves and one another
🌿 Thank You
National Boarding Week is also a time to acknowledge the people who make boarding life so special.
To our boarders — thank you for the energy, humour, resilience, and warmth you bring to Hewett House every single day.
To our whānau — thank you for trusting us with your daughters, your most precious taonga. Your support and partnership are deeply valued.
And to our incredible staff — thank you for the countless unseen moments of care, guidance, encouragement, and support that help create an environment where our young women feel safe, connected, and able to thrive.
Hostel Academic Dean Update
Hostel Academic Dean Update
Kia ora koutou.
Term 2 is officially in full swing. With winter sports and co-curricular activities underway, our school is buzzing with energy. Now that routines are firmly established and relationships are well established, it is the time for our ākonga to knuckle down and focus on their academic goals.
To stay on top of academic demands, students must make full use of their evening Prep time. For those who miss a Prep session, the school library is open from 8:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. daily and provides a quiet space to catch up on work.
As the term progresses, some ākonga may begin to feel they need extra support with their learning. Napier Girls’ High School offers a range of academic support options:
· Homework Club – Every Wednesday lunchtime in the library, run by our Academic Prefects, Tayla and Sam. Despite the name, this is also a place to access Peer Tutoring across a variety of subjects.
· Hostel Maths Support – Held on Thursdays during Prep, with Miss Buchanan available to assist students with their Mathematics work.
· Mathematics Support - Thursdays at 1.20pm in S10 with a member of the Mathematics Department.
· Science Support – Tuesdays at 1.20pm in the library, with Head of Science Ms Rimmer and senior Science students available to help.
· English/Literacy Support – Thursdays at 1.20pm in W8 with a member of the English Department.
We encourage all students to take advantage of these opportunities to stay confident and connected in their learning journey.
Next week, 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 have been focused on ensuring our students are well prepared. Any student who is absent on Tuesday 19 May and Wednesday 20 May for whatever reason has an opportunity to complete these assessments on Tuesday 26 May.
For all other NCEA assessments, please remember we have clear procedures regarding missed deadlines or extensions due to illness. We usually ask for a medical certificate to support the application, but appreciate that this is sometimes not possible. In such cases, students should initially contact our Principal’s nominee, Rachel Roberts rroberts@nghs.school.nz.
Please note that holidays during term time, and leaving school early for the weekend are not approved reasons for missing an assessment.
Thank you for your continued support in helping our ākonga reach their goals.
- Mrs Caroline Johnson
Heads of Hostel Update
Heads of Hostel Update
Kia ora koutou.
Recently we had our very first Kāhui meeting where all māori ākonga in hostel were welcome to show interest in supporting our culture and it was really amazing to see over 20 girls come along with keen smiles on their faces.
We shared some korero and ideas of what the year could look like for us and they expressed that they would love to learn some Kahungunu waiata, have more māori artwork around the hostel and would love to do something for the rest of the hostel with Matariki and Te Wiki o te Reo Māori.
We will be having one of these meetings every second week so the ideas can only keep coming. We are super excited to get these things going and can’t wait to see the ideas they believe could support our ākonga, unfold.
- Rose Greaves, Lucy Parker & Morgan Anderson
Important Hostel Dates Coming Up
Important Hostel Dates Coming Up
11 – 17 May: International Boarding Week activities and celebrations
Thursday 28 May: Hostel House newspaper challenge
Friday 29 May: Hostel closes 6pm - Exeat weekend - King's Birthday
Tuesday 2 June: Hostel opens 3pm
Monday 15 June: Learning from home day – Senior parent teacher interviews
Tuesday 16 June: Year 13 Leadership Breakfast
Thursday 18 June: House competition to celebrate World Juggling day
Thursday 25 June: Movie Night
Wednesday 1 July: Matariki Dinner & Quiz
Friday 3 July: Hostel closes at 6pm - end of Term 2
Sunday 20 July: Hostel opens 3pm - start of Term 3
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.
7-day Boarders
For planning purposes, it is very helpful if our 7-day boarders can let us know by 9.00am each Thursday if they will be away for the weekend. This greatly assists our kitchen team with accurate meal planning and helps us avoid unnecessary food preparation and wastage.
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.
Boarding Action Group
Year 9 - Mabel Heath & Lily Ashton
Year 10 - Stevie Schaw
Year 11 - Bella Derbie & Evelyn Ferguson
Year 12 - Emma Brady & Addison Oliver
Year 13 - Victoria Kyle
These are your year group representatives.
If you have any ideas, please send them on to these girls.
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)
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