Te Kura Kōhine o Ahuriri

Term 3 has been filled with moments to remember! We kicked things off with A Night in Rome — our senior school ball — which was a truly magical evening. With stunning outfits, a wonderful atmosphere, and plenty of dancing, it was a night our seniors will treasure. Huge thanks to our senior Deans, Mrs Douglas, and in particular, Mrs Bassett-Foss, for their organisation and support, along with the hardworking student committee who brought the evening to life. The behaviour and attitude of our students on the night was exemplary — a true credit to their Deans and to themselves. Well done!

Hot on its heels came the Tremains' Art for All Exhibition—an outstanding celebration of creativity, community, and culture. This year’s event was our biggest yet, with the community turning out in force to support our young artists and the kaupapa behind it. Events like this reflect the strong spirit of whanaungatanga that exists within and beyond the walls of NGHS — we are very much a school that thrives within a connected and generous community.

Our Year 12 photography students, working alongside teacher Sarah Raggett and our Artist in Residence - Putaanga Waitoa - produced some stunning work that was a true highlight of the exhibition. Their creativity and commitment was inspiring to see. Read further of Putaanga's mahi later in this pānui.

Our sincere thanks go to the Tremains' Art for All Committee — Susan Hopley, Nic Holland, Maria Labat, Kim Vercoe, Kirsty McLaughlin, Nicky McKenzie, Michelle Gleeson, Maria Ferguson, Rachael Simmonds, Emma Gibson, Toni Chapman, Natasha Humphries, and Tamra Mear — for their tireless mahi. A special thank you to Old Girl Alice Lee for the beautiful rebrand, and to all our student helpers, performers, waitresses, white-gloved assistants, and carpark attendants who played such important roles.

We also acknowledge the incredible efforts of our staff team — Rachel Roberts, Tess Tobin, Richard Symon, Tony Woolley, Rachel Pollett, Sarah Raggett, Whaea Grace, Megan Mannering, and Megan Lindsay — and we are so grateful for the support of our generous sponsors: Tremains and Sarah Pinckney-Welch, along with Gold sponsors: Somerset Smith Partners (with us since the beginning!), Ocean Orthodontics, and Edges Art & Framing.

Mihi to members of our community who came through the doors and purchased art and/or raffle tickets. Thank you for your support of our kura.

Both events were true team efforts and wonderful celebrations of what makes NGHS so special — our creativity, our community spirit, and our commitment to excellence.

Ngā mihi nui

Mrs Dawn Ackroyd

Phone: 06 835 1069 Web: www.nghs.school.nz Main Office email: nghs@nghs.school.nz Principal's PA Email: dmcpherson@nghs.school.nz

Important Dates Coming Up

AUGUST

Sunday 3: New Plymouth Girls' High School Exchange, Palmerston North

Monday 4: Cook Island Language Week

Tuesday 5: Pūhoro Wānanga

Wednesday 6: Open Evening for Year 9 2026, 6.30pm, NGHS Hall

Thursday 7: Board Meeting 5.30pm in H7

Saturday 9: NZ Youthfest held at NGHS, 2.00 - 8.00pm

Sunday 10 - Tuesday 12: Big Sing Cadenza, Whanganui

Sunday 10: YES groups @ HB Farmers Market

Monday 11: Maths Week

Thursday 14 - Friday 22: Derived Grade Examinations

Thursday 14: Junior Parent-Teacher Evening - online

Sunday 17 - Monday 18: DanceNZMade

Monday 18: PTA Meeting 7.00pm in the staffroom, all welcome

Friday 22: Year 12 Art Exhibition Opening at CAN

Saturday 23 - Sunday 24: Theatresports Competition, Manawatu

Monday 25 - Saturday 30: Winter Tournament Week

Thursday 28: Road Safe Expo, 8.40am - 11.00am, for all Year 11

Toi Whakaari - Performing Arts

Musicians at Art for All Exhibition

How wonderful it was to be serenaded by our talented young musicians as we perused the art for sale at the Gala night on Friday evening. A special thanks must go to Jasmine Hacker, Tula Pancotti, Isobel Stubbs, Evonne Wylie, Eva Aparicio Pierard, Javier Palacio Pierard, Zilin Zhao, Connie Zeng and Addy Waimara.

High School TheatresportsTM Competition

Napier Girls' High School has been extremely fortunate to join the Theatresports competition that is based in Palmerston North. We have travelled to the Manawatu to attend two bootcamps to help us in our training and we are looking forward to competing in August. We are up against 9 other schools and the energy has been fantastic so far. Edie Croad, Sophie Nichol, Lucy Simpson, Eva Warr, Anabelle McGregor and Eliza Woods are excited to represent NGHS. The finals are on Sunday 24 August, at Centrepoint Theatre and are open to the public - tickets are on sale now: https://nz.patronbase.com/_CentrePoint/Productions/HT25/Performances

Youthfest

An exciting new opportunity awaits our students this year. Youthfest is for high school students and celebrates Theatre Aotearoa. Hawkes’ Bay students and teachers can direct a New Zealand scripted play or devise their own work, with the performances being 10 - 40mins long. Schools in Manawatu are also having their own local event. The top performances from each region are going to meet at the Centrepoint Theatre in Palmerston North and share their amazing work.

Our local Youthfest is happening on Saturday 9 August, starting at 6.00pm in N9, koha entry on the door. Napier Girls’ has two entries, both directed by our Drama leaders. Edie Croad (Prefect) is directing ‘Water, Please’ by Nathan Joe, a dark comedy about dying men needing water and teenage girls neglecting to help their fellow humans. Stella Edwards (Y10 Leader) is directing ‘The toughest animal in the zoo’ by Lindsay Pearce. Another dark comedy about zoo keepers battling it out to see who has the toughest animal. Both plays are written by talented New Zealand writers.

Ms Tess Tobin - HoLA Performing Arts

Hākinakina - Sports

END OF WINTER SEASON DATES

Netball: HB Netball Super Secondary finals - Tuesday 19 August and Saturday Secondary Schools Netball - Saturday 23 August

Hockey: Division 1 & 2: Thursday 14 August and Division 3 & 4: Monday 18 August

Basketball: Monday 11 August

Badminton: Thursday 14 August

NGHS Cross Country

Fabulous afternoon for the school cross country champs event last week. Students ran 3.4km around Park Island's undulating landscape.

2025 Cross Country Champions

Year 9: Natasha MacRae -14.53

Year 10: Sophia Morris - 14.29

Year 11: Paige Dobson - 13.53

Year 12/13: Sophie Dunnett-Welch - 14.42

House points

1. Niwha 176

2. Māia 147

3. Auaha 132

4. Marohi 102

ADE (from Argentina) Sports Exchange

ADE is currently touring NZ and has asked to play us in hockey and volleyball. Playing the Argentinian teams created a great opportunity for our ākonga to meet and compete against students from a different culture and experience a different style of play. Results came by the way of a win to our volleyball team and losses to our hockey teams. Socialising over pizza at the end of the games was also a highlight.

NISS Cross Country Event

Well done to our students who competed in the North Island Cross Country event held in Taupō on the 5th of July. They experienced very wet and challenging 4km conditions. Congratulations to Paige Dobson, who placed 1st in the U17s and 4th in the U18s. Paige has also been selected to represent Hawke's Bay/Gisborne at the NZ Cross Country Champs in Christchurch.

Canoe Polo Representatives

Congratulations to the following NGHS girls who competed in the NZ Canoe Polo, National League B Grade Championships. They competed over three tournament rounds held in Christchurch, Palmerston North and Hawke's Bay.

HB Storm - Charlotte Martin, Ophelia Booth and Greer Hambleton, finished 1st place overall in the National League B Grade Grand Final.

HB Tempest - Maia Taylor, finishing 7th overall.

At the Hawke's Bay Canoe Polo prizegiving, Maia received the Player Potential Award for HB Tempest and Greer received the MVP Award for HB Storm.

Let Us Know Your Sports News!

We love to acknowledge our students’ sporting achievements outside of school. If you have any representative selections, results, information, or photos from external sporting events that occurred over the holidays or during the term, please send them to sport@nghs.school.nz

This information may be placed in the school newsletter and on our celebration wall in the gym or held for future consideration for school sports badges and achievement awards.

Swimming - New Zealand Secondary School Championships

Seven NGHS swimmers took to the pool at the New Zealand Secondary School Championships in Hamilton from 24–27 July. Congratulations to Lola Nicholls, Zoe Ennor, Holly Stanford, Breeze van Veldhuizen, Molly Duly, Blanca Fernandez de Castillo, and Lacie Johanson on some strong swims and multiple personal bests.

Special shout-out to Breeze van Veldhuizen who brought home four individual medals: 🥇 gold in the 200m backstroke, 🥈 silver in the 100m backstroke, 🥉 bronze in both the 50m backstroke and 50m freestyle. Holly Stanford also claimed a silver in the 200m Backstroke.

The freestyle relay team of Lola, Holly, Zoe and Breeze secured a bronze medal in a tightly contested race for the 16 and over age group. Ka rawe, girls! 🏊‍♀️👏

Sailing

A sailing team fundraising quiz is being held on Saturday 9 August at the Napier Sailing Club. This will be a night of fun, brain teasing and friendly competition. Any support is welcome. The team is raising funds to represent NGHS at the Interdominion Champs in Goolwa/Adelaide in September.

Hawkes Bay Ramblers Cycling Club - Invite (1).pdf

MJ Durkin - Head of Sport

The Duke of Edinburgh Hillary Award

The Value of the Duke of Edinburgh Award

As I write references for our Year 13 students — whether for scholarships, employment, university hostels, or various tertiary pathways — I’m reminded of the tremendous value the Duke of Edinburgh Award brings to our young people.

Whether bronze, silver, or gold, each level of the award gives students a real point of difference. It is a powerful example of persistence, resilience, and determination. The Award reflects a student’s willingness to give back to their community, to grow personally, to upskill, and to stay fit and healthy — all qualities highly valued by employers and tertiary providers alike.

Congratulations to all our participants — you have made an excellent choice and demonstrated your commitment to personal development and service.

To our Year 9 students, you will have the opportunity to begin your Duke of Edinburgh journey with the bronze award in November this year. It’s a rewarding challenge and one we strongly encourage you to take. Keep a lookout for the introduction meeting in November, which will give you and your whānau the opportunity to learn more about the award and how we run it at NGHS.

Mrs Louise Bassett-Foss, Senior Award Leader

Umanga - Careers

Whakapiki Ake Programme

During the term 2 holidays I was fortunate enough to be selected for M.A.S.H (Māori Achieving Success in Health). It was a four day outreach programme run by Whakapiki Ake and the Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences at the University of Auckland.

This programme supports Year 12 Māori students who are interested in pursuing a career in health.

During the programme we participated in hospital visits, cultural activities, and hands-on workshops. One of the highlights for me was dissecting a pig heart - a fascinating, practical experience that deepened my interest in health science.

M.A.S.H is an inspiring programme for students and helps them understand different pathways in health. I would recommend it to any Māori students who have a passion for science or are considering a career in health.

-Audrey Anna Robin

Year 10 Future Focus Morning

On Friday 18 July our Year 10 students participated in a Future Focus careers morning. Students selected workshops based on their possible career interest areas. We had 29 presenters speaking about their career pathway and what their job entails. It is always wonderful to welcome back a number of Old Girls to share their career journeys. Ngā mihi nui to all our presenters for their time and sharing their stories.

Helping with Subject Choices

Our subject information evening was held on Thursday 24 July. Subject selection for Year 10, 11 and 12 can be a difficult process for young people. Students are most welcome to make an appointment with Mrs C Johnson to help them with this process. For more information on selecting subjects have a look at the following link: https://tahatu.govt.nz/school-and-ncea/explore-ncea-subjects

Tertiary Course Planning Sessions

The universities opened their accommodation portals on 1 August. We encourage our Year 13 students to apply early. Most scholarship websites are open and it is important that students are proactive and organised in order to reap the rewards. We encourage our Year 13 students to attend the following course planning sessions if they are attending to go to these tertiary institutions in 2026:

Tuesday 5 August: Otago University (Library, 10.30am)

Tuesday 12 August: Waikato University (Library during P2, formtime and P3)

Thursday 14 August: University of Canterbury (Library, 10.00am - 12.00pm)

Friday 22 August: University of Canterbury (Library, 10.30am - 12.30pm)

Wednesday 27 August: AUT (Online in Library, 10.30am)

Wednesday 3 September: Victoria University (Library, 10.30am)

Thursday 4 September: Lincoln University (Library, 1.10pm)

Wednesday 10 September: Massey University (Library, 10.30am)

EIT Enrolment and Scholarship Support Sessions

Tuesday 5 August at 1.10pm in the Careers office

Tuesday 26 August at 1.10pm in the Careers office

Tertiary Open Days

Tertiary Open Days give students and parents the opportunity to explore the campus and experience first-hand what the tertiary environment is like. You are invited to visit special displays and presentations and explore the various facilities students use. We recommend that the students go to the tertiary open days as it is an important part of the decision-making process.

Below are the dates of the Tertiary Open Days for this year:

6 August: Massey University (Manawatu Campus)

15 August: Massey University (Auckland Campus)

22 August: Victoria University

22 August: Massey University (Wellington Campus)

30 August: Auckland University

30 August: AUT

5 September: Canterbury University

University Scholarships for Year 13 Students

MoneyHub, a consumer finance website, has published a guide to hundreds of scholarships for any student planning to start university in 2026. The comprehensive list includes scholarships offered by every university as well as those specifically available to local students. A list of privately-funded, Māori, Pacific and International university scholarships completes the list.

Applications close throughout the year, with tens of millions of dollars available. MoneyHub has also published a list of tips for scholarship success.

For more details and to find suitable scholarships, visit the MoneyHub Scholarship page

Mrs Caroline Johnson & Mrs Debra Verhoeven - Careers Advisors

Artist in Residence 2025

Putaanga Waitoa initially visited our school in 2024 to find out more about our artist-in-residence programme. We were delighted when she accepted the proposal to work with a group of senior art students and fit this in around her busy schedule. Putaanga is a photographer known for her documentary style and portraiture that captures the essence of the subject’s personality.

Putaanga worked alongside our Level 2 photography ākonga throughout term 2 on a photography conventions project, aptly named 'Genres and Conventions'. This group of Year 12 students were fortunate to hear her speak on ethical photography, which inspired the students to make educated decisions about subject matter, ownership and consent within their photography.

As part of their second photoshoot they were tasked with the job of recreating a portrait or documentary styled photograph about a person or place that connected to their theme. During the three weeks when Putaanga was in the classroom, she would work with individuals imparting her knowledge about studio photography, manual processes and specific editing techniques.

The Art for All Exhibition was the perfect place to exhibit the student work as the PTA are responsible for making this student oriented experience a reality. The work was expertly framed by Edges Art and Framing (Gold Sponsor).

The Visual Art Department is extremely grateful to Putaanga for working with the students and we look forward to seeing her artwork that will signify her NGHS experience.

Mrs Sarah Raggett, HOLA Visual Art

2025 Year 11 Speech Finals

At lunchtime on Friday 18 July, an audience of about 40 gathered in the library to enjoy the Year 11 Speech Finals.

The finalists were asked to present a TedTalk. Like the real TedTalkers, they had to combine the informative, persuasive, and personal into a short, impactful speech. Their goal was to share ideas, and to promote a social or personal change in their audience.

Alannah Gillies, who finished third, stunned the audience with her powerful evocation of an anxiety sufferer, while Eleanor Deed asked us to reconsider what is meant by the term ‘smart.’ Kassi Bray-Pharazyn spoke about how one’s weaknesses can be harnessed into our greatest strengths, while Waneeya Batool appealed for diversity and inclusion using the metaphor of each of us being a thread in the same tapestry.

Second place-getter, Renee Simmonds, presented a clever critique of the recent ‘Barbie’ movie. She contended that, rather than being ground-breaking and feminist, the film was a doll-selling advertisement that, ultimately, served only to reinforce patriarchal values.

However, it was the winner, Sithumi Ellegala, who stole the show with a speech entitled ‘The Brown Film Lens: Unpacking South Asian Stereotypes.’ Here she asked her audience to consider the representation of South Asian people in the media, challenging the marginal or under-developed role they are so often forced to play. Sithumi was fluent, thought-provoking, confident and compelling in her performance, and therefore a worthy winner of the competition.

Thank you to the judges: Ms Bridget Russell, HoLA English, and Mrs Deb Verhoeven, Year 11 Dean; to our librarian, Ms Avison, the English teachers and the students who supported the event; and especially to the six remarkable speakers who participated.

Kōrero atu, kōrero mai, ka noho tahi. Speak up, speak out, and we will grow together.

Mr Andre Prichard, Assistant HoLA English

Year 11 Japanese Online Cultural Exchange

Last week, our Japanese language students took part in a lively online cultural exchange with Haibara High School in Makinohara, Shizuoka, Japan. Haibara is the school that hosted our student Chimari Hada last year, and is also where our current visiting student, Hinano Tashiro, comes from!

Working in small groups, our students gave presentations in Japanese on New Zealand food, native birds and animals, and public holidays. There were definitely some nerves as they spoke in a second language, but the students did a fantastic job and were met with warm and curious questions from Haibara. Then it was the Japanese students’ turn to present, sharing fascinating insights about traditional New Year food, the culture of kimono, and the history of tempura. Our students listened closely and asked great questions in return.

To finish, we all took part in some fast-paced cultural Kahoot quizzes, filled with laughter, energy, and everyone’s competitive streak came out!

It was a fun and memorable experience for everyone, and a brilliant opportunity to build confidence, connection, and real intercultural understanding in an authentic, meaningful way.

Mr Strahan Winchester, HoLA Languages

Road Safety Around Napier Girls' High School

Road safety around our school site is very important to us as it affects our students, staff, parents, neighbours and other road users.

Students should be dropped off either on Coote Road, Shakespeare Road, or at the Cathedral.

Please keep clear of Clyde Road as it is a narrow road and is the only access road for a large community on the hill past the school. Hence, Clyde Road is not be used for dropping off students as it leads to congestion and safety issues.

Please obey the road code, in particular no stopping on yellow broken lines and no parking across driveways. Please be courteous and respectful of all road users.

Our designated drop-off zone on Coote Road is the white box behind the bus bay.

Please note there is no parking opposite the bus bay on Coote Road between 8.00 - 9.00am and 3.00 - 4.00pm.

Napier City Council have issued a number of infringement notices. Keeping Coote Road clear for traffic improves the safety of our students significantly.

Any students who are new to driving to school, please ensure you have filled out the 'drive to school' form (available from outside the student centre).

Your help with road safety around our school is most appreciated.

Reviewing Board Policies, Term 3 2025

To Parents/Caregivers

This term the scheduled review focuses on student wellbeing and safety policies within the Health, Safety and Welfare Policy section, and we are inviting input from parents/caregivers:

- Child Protection

- Abuse Recognition and Reporting

- Food and Nutrition

- Safety Checking

- Police Vetting

- Missing Student Procedure

If you wish to be part of this process, please follow these steps below.

Visit the website https://nghs.schooldocs.co.nz
Enter the username (nghs) and password (adlucem).
Click on “Current Review”
Follow the link to the relevant policy as listed.
Read the policy.
Click the blue “Start your review” button near the top right-hand corner of the page.
Select the reviewer type - "Whānau".
Enter your name (optional).
Submit your ratings and comments.
If you don't have internet access, school office staff can provide you with printed copies of the policy and a review form.

Thank you and we look forward to your feedback no later than Wednesday 10 September 2025.

💃🏽A Night in Rome 💃🏽

Phone: 06 835 1069 Web: www.nghs.school.nz Main Office email: nghs@nghs.school.nz Principal's PA Email: dmcpherson@nghs.school.nz

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