Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

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HAMILTON GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL October Newsleer First Row: Georgia Allen Anglesea Physiotherapy Sports Person of the Year Rugby 1st XV Team of the Year. Second Row: Cecelia Lockley Dux Artium, Monica Orbe Choral Music Trophy, Marimar Lumiwes Creative Flair in Yr 13 Visual Art Award.

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Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

Transcript of Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

Page 1: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

HAMILTON GIRLS’ HIGH SCHOOL

October NewsletterFirst Row: Georgia Allen Anglesea Physiotherapy Sports Person of the Year Rugby 1st XV Team of the Year.Second Row: Cecelia Lockley Dux Artium, Monica Orbe Choral Music Trophy, Marimar Lumiwes Creative Flair in Yr 13 Visual Art Award.

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Term 4 is incredibly busy as we prepare our senior school for NCEA external examinations in the coming weeks. Giving themselves the best chance of success means ensuring they prepare themselves for these examinations. Adequate sleep, healthy food choices, organisation and time spent studying are all important prerequisites to success in examinations. Staff are running tutorials over a range of times, before school, lunchtime and after school, to help support our students. It is important that they take advantage of these. We will aim to have a timetable on the website and Moodle. Our students should also have a very clear take on the number of credits they have and what they need to do to achieve their goals. We encourage you to work with your daughter to really focus on the best preparation possible for these external examinations and to aim for personal best or personal excellence. It is important to continue to work through to the very end. I would like to remind parents that senior students are expected to sit exams in full uniform please.

In the past three weeks we have also managed to recognise and celebrate achievements in our Sports Awards, Arts Prizegiving and Maori and Pasifika Awards. All three events were well attended and a summary of the Sports and Arts Prizegiving are included in this newsletter. My special congratulations to Georgia Allen (Sportsperson of the year), Rugby 1st XV Team of the Year and Cecilia Lockley (Dux Artium) for your dedication and commitment to our Sports and Arts programme at Hamilton Girls’ High School. We believe that you lead by example and are great role models to your peers. Congratulations to all prizewinners. Earlier this term, we welcomed Year 8 students and

their parents to an information evening at Hamilton Girls’ High School. We were overwhelmed by the numbers and thank parents for coming into school to gain a clearer understanding of our expectations, uniform and code of conduct, the support structures in place for transition to secondary school, BYOD and what to expect in the first week.

Finally, please take the opportunity to read through the implementation plan for the school uniform. Our prices are incredibly reasonable in comparison to other schools. Please do not hesitate to contact the school if you require further information. We are calling for fittings for blazers in the next few weeks. More information will be e-mailed out shortly.

Finally, we would like to invite parents of our senior school to Senior Prizegiving on Wednesday November 5th at 7.00pm. A reminder that Junior school will finish at 1.30pm on that day.

MARIE GORDONPrincipal

PRINCIPAL’S COMMENT

Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou

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UNIFORM 2015

Year 9 Starter Package Deal - $4601x Junior Blazer, 2 x Blouses, 1x Jersey, 1x Skirt, 1x School Tie and 1x Physical Education (PE) Uniform.

Year 10 & 11 Blazer Package Deal - $1251x Junior Blazer, and 1x School Tie.

Compulsory Uniform for Year 9 Students in 2015 Charcoal grey skirt Plain white blouse (new tailored shape) Black school tie Jersey (new tailored shape) Junior blazer (maroon & grey pinstripe with black trim)

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 junior 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 Junior 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.

An implementation plan for each year level has been confirmed for 2015. We have provided a summary of our uniform items with starter package deals.

All prices include GST.

Roman Sandals Black shoes (specified styles) Black stockings or black mid-calf HGHS socks Soft-shell jacket (see next page) Physical Education (PE) Uniform

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Year 13 UniformIn 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.

Year 12 Starter Package Deal - $1951x Senior Blazer, 2 x Senior Blouses, 1x Tie

Year 13 Starter Package Deal - $1251x Senior Blazer and 1x Tie

Compulsory FootwearBlack Roman Sandals Permissible inTerm one and Term four

Black Polishable Shoes Permissible all year Below the ankle Enclosed; covering back, sides and front of feet Lace-ups or over straps Worn with plain black stockings or black mid-calf HGHS socks Sports, canvas, boots or ballet shoes; jandals, or shoes without a durable sole are not permitted. Shoes are not yet available for purchase from the Uniform Shop but may be later in 2015.

Softshell Winter or Sports Jacket $125 Compulsory for Year 9 students in 2015, usually worn in winter or for sport. Optional for year 10-13 students as an alternative to the existing jacket. Track pants also available for sport or as a winter option for Physical Education.

Year 12 UniformIn 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.

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ART AWARDS 2014, 22 OCTOBER IN NGAA PUAWAITANGA

About 300 parents, friends, staff and students attended the 2014 Arts Awards. The evening was opened by Georgia Morrison, 2014 Arts Captain, who made mention of two of the highlights of the year, the joint production of Alice in Wonderland, directed and produced by Mrs Margie Wynne Jones and the 3rd placing at the National Secondary Schools Barbershop Competitions of our Barbershop quartet, Aspire.

The Barbershop Chorus, Uptown Girls, then performed ‘Skyfall’ under the direction of Ms Lynn Jamieson. Certificates were then presented for service, leadership and peer mentoring in the areas of Music, Drama, Visual Arts, Dance, Kapa Haka, Media and Pasifika arts.

The Hip Hop group then presented an energetic and entertaining item.

Ms Jamieson presented the special trophies including two new trophies for music. Smoke Free Drama Cup for Participation in Drama: Samantha FowlerJudith Miles Drama Cup for Outstanding Drama Performance: Cecelia LockleyAmelia Jane Henry Memorial Trophy for Creative flair in Year 11 Visual Art: Ann DanansuriyaCreative Flair in Year 12 Visual Art Award: A.J. RansteadCreative Flair in Year 13 Visual Art Award: Marimar LumiwesChoral Music Trophy for Outstanding Contribution to Choral Music: Monica Orbe

Clement-Earls Cup for Contribution to Orchestral Music: Grace MayerLandy Tyrell-Nonoa Trophy for Creativity in Music Award (new 2014): Lana KongMary Allan Beethoven Award for Participation in Co-curricular Music Groups: Cecelia LockleyLynn Jamieson Award for Contribution to Barbershop (new 2014): Cecelia Lockley.

Te Puawai To recognise outstanding achievement in the arts a new badge has been designed. The name of these pins comes from the name of the Arts centre building, “Ngaa Puawaitanga” or ‘The Blossoming’. One blossom or flower translates as ‘te puawai’, and so we have called the pins, ‘ Te Puawai’. ’Only ten Te Puawai awards have been given this year to the following students for recognition of their expertise by the wider community:Monica Orbe (Music) Cecelia Lockley (Drama, Music Dance),Hannah Sarcich (Dance), Olivia Neill (Music), Shye Belleza (Visual Arts), Barbershop Quartet, Aspire, Charlotte Gordon, Alex Mayer, Ranita Menezes, Charlotte White.

Dux Artium: The final award is new and is awarded to a student who is most outstanding in the arts and who has achieved at the highest levels across a range of arts endeavours. It is deemed our top Arts award. The Dux Artium this year is Cecelia Lockley.

Mrs Gordon closed the evening with some pertinent comments and a light supper was served in the Foyer of Ngaa Puawaitanga.

THEARTS

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On Saturday 18 October our Rugby 7s teams had their first hit out for term four. It was exciting to have not one, but three Hamilton Girls’ High teams competing in the Waikato Secondary Schools Condor 7s qualifier at Te Rapa Rugby Club.Hamilton Girls’ High School, as the winner of the 2013 New Zealand Condor 7s , have automatic qualification to the 2014 Condor 7s so these matches provided coaches with the opportunity to try a few things and, with three of our top players side-lined for various reasons, it was also a chance for other girls to step up, show their leadership and skill.

HGHS C was our U15 team and it was excellent to be able to provide these girls with the experience of this tournament. For some this was their first exposure to the game of 7s and they showed excellent promise.

HGHS B made it through to the Plate Final where they met a strong Cambridge High School team, who came away with the win.

HGHS A played Fairfield College in the final which was a good battle. Again, our fitness and the skill level of our players is certainly what sets them apart from the opposition.

The next tournament is scheduled for 7 November – the Marist Women’s 7s

WAIKATO SECONDARY SCHOOLS CONDOR 7’s QUALIFIER sports at hghs

PASIFIKA

Warm Pasifika greetings to you all

As we wind down 2014, the Pasifika mentoring team take this time to reflect on the very busy year we have had. Things haven’t slowed down either. These first four weeks of term involve a number of our Pasifika girls participating in and receiving awards from the four prize giving ceremonies. To recapitulate, week one of this term began with the Sports Awards. This week the Arts faculty hosted the Arts Awards. Next week, we invite you to mark Tuesday 28th on your calendars and join us as we celebrate our successes at our annual Maori and Pasifika Awards. The evening begins at 6:30 p.m. and we would be happy to see you at Nga Puawaitanga for the evening. To our recipients, a warm congratulations for a job well done.

RESULTS

Round 1Taumarunui v HGHS C = 5-15 HGHS C wonHGHS B v Fairfield = 0-21 Fairfield won

Round 2Cambridge High v HGHS C = 20-0 Cambridge High wonHGHS A v Tai Wananga = 50-0 HGHS A won

Round 3Sacred Heart v HGHS A = 0-48 HGHS A wonHGHS B v Hillcrest = 29-0 HGHS B won

Semi Finals HGHS A v HGHS B = 38-0 HGHS wonHGHS C v Tai Wananga = 0-37 Tai Wananga won

Cup FinalFairfield v HGHS A = 0-22 HGHS won

Plate FinalCambridge High v HGHS B = 22-0 Cambridge High won

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The 2014 Hamilton Girls’ High School Sports Awards Evening was held on Thursday 16 October in the Bronze Lounge at Waikato Stadium. With over 160 people in attendance it was a fantastic celebration of sport successes. Stephanie Hunia, Deputy Head Girl and Sports Captain, opened the evening with a quote from Pierre de Coubertin, “The most important thing in the Olympic Games is not winning but taking part; the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting.” She went on to say that constant fighting is essential in life, and if you work hard and never give up, success will eventually come your way. This is certainly reflected in the amazing achievements of these girls and many more over the past year.

This message was reiterated by our Guest Speakers Kelsey Bevan and Kayla Pratt who were named as non-travelling reserves by Rowing New Zealand ahead of the World Championships. They spoke of the difficulties of training and staying motivated when there seems there is nothing to train for, but how you simply cannot give up. Just because you don’t make it the first time, does not mean you aren’t going to make it. Both were then named in

the Women’s coxless four who not only went on to win the World Championships but also smashed the world record by 11 seconds.

Katrina Whaanga, Deputy Principal, acknowledged the tireless work of the huge number of volunteers who make an overwhelming contribution to the success of sport at Hamilton Girls’ High School. Without the coaches, managers, teachers in charge, officials, supporters and many others, sport simply would not be possible.

Finally, Principal Marie Gordon spoke of the successes each and every student has achieved, the downfalls they have overcome, the sisters they have found in their teams and the confidence each student has found in themselves. She reminded us that the reason we make the sacrifices and push ourselves to succeed is for the love and passion we have for sport, and this alone overcomes any form of temporary pain we endure in order to succeed.

Once again we congratulate our 2014 award winners and all who have played with our school crest embodied their uniform.

Left Photo: Top Junior Sportswoman of the Year - Baylee Luttrell.Right Photo: Anglesea Physiotheraphy Sportswoman of the Year - Georgia Allen.

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2014 AWARD WINNERS

ATHLETICSJunior Champion – Jazmin HothamIntermediate Champion – Keely JenningsSenior Champion – Tessa LeongThompson-Harris Trophy for Outstanding Performance in Athletics – Eden Bates

CROSS COUNTRYJunior Champion – Kelli BrownM Prior Cup for Intermediate Champion – Katie LushSenior Champion – Tessa Leong

SWIMMINGCampbell Cup for Intermediate Champion – Olivia WarlowSenior Runner Up – Summer KendallHamilton Girls’ High Trophy for Senior Swimming Champion – Emma Ballard

ADVENTURE RACINGHamilton Girls’ High School Trophy Most Outstanding Performance – 2014 Hillary Challenge Team

BASKETBALLSlatter Award for Most Improved Player – Raearna ParaiHiakita Whanau Endeavour Award – Zarya PoulavaTeam Excellence Trophy for Most Valued Player – Alyssa Hirawani

CYCLINGHamilton Girls’ High School Trophy for Most Dedicated Cyclist – Ashley Smith

FOOTBALLLeong Trophy for 2nd XI Most Committed Member– Natasha MooreMeisha Pyke Trophy for 1st XI Most Outstanding Junior – Georgia Nixon1st XI Most Improved Player – Jazmin Hotham & Chelsea KellyLogo U2 1st XI Most Committed Player– Roberta WigelsworthHamilton Girls High School Trophy for 1st XI Most Valuable Player – Tessa Leong

HOCKEYHamilton Girls High School Trophy for Junior Player of the Year – Eleanor Rosemergy

Marg Andrews Cup for Hockey’s Most Dedicated Senior Player – Harriet GaudinBoyd Family Trophy for Hockey’s Most Improved Player – Madison PayneHamilton Girls’ High School Trophy for Most Outstanding Player – Olivia Scotland

NETBALLWoodman Trophy Best Team Member Premier Reserves – Katie LushMcConnell Trophy for Best Team Member Premier Team – Premier Team – Eden BatesHamilton Girl’s High School Trophy for the Most Dedicated Senior – Brooke BaldwinHGHS Trophy for the Greatest Contribution – Aaliyah WadeHamilton Girls’ High School Trophy for the Highest Achiever in Netball – Pania Monk

ROWINGHamilton Girls’ High School Rowing Club Trophy for Coxswain of the Year – Izzy ClarkEngrid Stevenson Rowing Trophy for Rowing’s Strongest Crew Spirit – Tayla DuffHamilton Girls’ High Trophy for the Best Squad Member – Deanna CaponHamilton Girls High Trophy for the Most Promising Oarswoman – Brooke Baldwin and Leah ScottRower of the Year – Georgia Allen

RUGBYHamilton Girls’ High School Trophy for the Most Improved Player – Makaia Riki-Te KanawaLynn Hodgkinson Trophy for the Best Forward – Terina Te TamakiYvette and Hugh Hall Trophy for the Best Back – Ariana Hira-HerangiYoung Cup Players Choice Award – Ariana Hira-HerangiMost Outstanding Players – Ariana Hira-Herangi and Terina Te Tamaki

RUGBY 7’SMost Promising Player – Tenika WillisonMost Valuable Player – Ariana Hira-Herangi

SOFTBALLMost Improved Player – India FletcherMost Valued Player – Casey Downs

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2014 AWARD WINNERS CONTinued

TOUCHHamilton Girls’ High Trophy for the Most Improved Junior – Ariona IeremiaHGHS Trophy for the Most Valuable Junior – Manaia WaudbyMost Improved Senior – Nivanah Gallagher-RupapereMitchell Construction Touch Rugby Cup for the Best Senior Member – Tenika Willison

WATER POLOPracy Award for Most Improved Player – Tessa CowleyGlenys King Water Polo Trophy for the Best Team Member – Baylee MitchellRoberts-Vaile Trophy for the Most Valuable Player – Ella JonsonPrendergast Trophy for the Most Outstanding Player – Emma Ballard

NZ SPORTING BLUES RECIPIENTS

Georgia Allen - NZ Junior Rowing Team

Emma Ballard - NZ Youth Women’s Water Polo Team

Anna Dawson - NZ U19 Lacrosse Team

Michaela Foster - NZ Secondary School U16 Football Team

Kaly Harcourt - NZ BMX Team

Ariana Hira-Herangi - NZ Rugby 7’s Team

Ashleigh Jeffcoat - NZ U18 Lawn Bowls Team

Baylee Lutrell - NZ BMX Team

Katie Lush - NZ Cadets Water Polo Team

Carly McIroy - NZ Youth Climbing Team

Pania Monk - NZ Junior White Sox

Kanyon Paul - NZ Junior White Sox

Te Awa Whitiora-Te Uira - NZ U19 Touch Team

Tenika Willison - NZ U19 Touch Team

1st XV Rugby Team – New Zealand Top Four Champions

Rugby 7’s Team – New Zealand Condor 7’s Champion

Senior Premier Softball Team – 2nd New Zealand Secondary School Division 1 Nationals

CONTRIBUTION TO SPORT AS AN OFFICIAL – Jessica Clark

SPORTS COUNCIL FAIR PLAY AWARD – Kahurangi Kihi-Simon

PRINCIPAL’S AWARD FOR OUTSTANDING PERFORMANCE – Rugby 7’s Team

JUNIOR ALL ROUNDER – Georgia Nixon

JUNIOR SPORTS PERSON OF THE YEAR - Baylee Luttrell

TRUSCOTT ALL ROUNDER – Katie Lush

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENT OF A TEAM – 1st XV Rugby

ANGLESEA PHYSIOTHERAPY SPORTSWOMAN OF THE YEAR – Georgia Allen

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Our Senior Touch as well as Whaea Hollie, Whaea Larns, Mama B and Mrs Gordon went over to Australia to participate in the Queensland All Schools Touch Tournament which was held at White Hills Recreation Reserve.

The first few days consisted of Lots of Fun- Theme Parks- Wet n Wild, Movie World, Outback Spectacular, surfing on the Gold Coast and lots of shopping. It was so much fun and a great start to our Tournament. The weather was super hot and we have all come back with a golden tan!

We were ready for the four day tournament. The first three days consisted of 6 of our pool games. We were fortunate enough to place #1 in our pool, winning all 6 of our games. On the last day of tournament, we had our quarter finals against Palm Beach where we won by one try and advanced to the semi final. In our semi final we played Emmaus (the defending champs). It was the most intense game of our entire touch session. The scores were even at full time which lead to a hard fought drop off of 12 minutes. Unfortunately we weren’t able to come away with a win when Emmaus scored on us, making the final score 6-5 to them. We are still so proud and happy to say that we came 3rd equal out of 69 teams in our grade.

The All Schools Touch Tour was an amazing experience for our team. We learnt more about

each other and grew closer as a team every day on and off the field. It’s amazing to realise how far we have come with 8 weeks of training in preparation for our tour. We are grateful for all the hard work our management team has put in and are more than thankful for all of this support given. We are all ready to get back into it and start training hard again for Secondary School Nationals in two months. This will be our last tournament for 2014.

HGHS QUEENSLAND TOUCH TOUR

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HILL LABORATORIES WAIKATO SCIENCE SUMMER SCHOOL

Two Year 12 students from Hamilton Girls’ High School, Leah Porima and Harriet Gauding, have won a Sunrise Rotary scholarship to attend this year’s summer school. This is held at the University of Waikato, Hamilton and runs from 30th Nov 2014 - 5th Dec 2014. This is a week-long action packed programme which give 40 students from around the North Island the chance to get a taste for what it can be like to study science and engineering at a tertiary level.

Hi Girls.

I hope everyone is studying hard in preparation for their end of year Science externals. We have only got just under three weeks until the first Science exam so we are coming into the home run now! Level 1 Science is kicking us off first on the 10th of November and we wrap up with Level 1 and 3 Physics on the 25th of November. It’s been a great year and keep working hard right until the end!

From Georgia and Hannah.

ACADEMIC NEWS

SCIENCE

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DIGITAL TECHNOLOGYTowards the end of Term 3, the Year 10 Digital Technology students have been learning how to program using SCRATCH. They have experimented and created a number of different programs, including making games.

At the start of Term 4, the Department bought a number of robotics kits. The opportunity to build and program robots is a great way for students to get excited about programming, and also to develop critical 21st century skills, such as teamwork, problem solving, innovation, project management, and communications.

The Year 10 students have been creating robots and programming them to perform a number of different tasks. Some of the students have downloaded the LEGO Mindstorms EV3 software onto their iPods and iPhones and have been controlling their robot remotely.

The second semester Year 9 Digital Technology students are currently designing their own Angry Bird in Inkscape, based on a New Zealand native bird that

they have researched. This activity promises some interesting designs to rival those created by the first semester class.

The senior Digital Technology students are currently completing their external standards, which is a written report about information systems that they and members of the school community use. These are handed in before the students go on study leave.

The Information Management and Computer Studies students are currently completing their last internal assessments.

I would like to congratulate all the students on their hard work this year, and wish the senior students well for all the external assessments in their other subjects.

Julie CapilHead of Digital Technology

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2APS LEADERSHIP TRIP AT RAGLAN

On Thursday 23 October, the 2APS class went on their trip that they had planned which was a part of their Achievement Standard 2.9 Planning and Implementing a trip - from budgets, Risk Analysis Management, to organising the transport, outside organisers, prizes and generally the whole day. I was so impressed and proud of my girls. They were all very involved in their day and highly active which reflected the huge success. They started off with Beach Volleyball while another group was setting up their activity which was the Amazing Race which

consisted of tasks they had to do throughout the township of Raglan. Even the local shop owners got involved which was pretty cool. Following this they had a quick lunch break, then to the beach for more planned challenges led by another group. To finish off the day they had organised to do a 2 hour Surfing lesson with the Raglan Surf Club. This was the most satisfying day to see how well they all worked together and to have trust in them to run the day. Well done, I look forward to reading your reports reflecting your day’s hardwork and effort.

Written by Mrs Irwin

PHYSICAL EDUCATION

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MISSING CHRIS - WRITTEN BY PORTIA LANCASTER

My intention is to develop a realistic character in a short text, creating a relatable of the character that allows the reader to have an emotional response to the events.

MISSING CHRIS

Christopher crouched behind a row of library shelves. His eyes trailed the stacks of thick old books. The edges were all bent and torn and the covers were creased, used at some point, but a film of dust visibly settled on them now. Without even reading a word he could safely assume they were outdated. Unwanted. So much so that not even the librarians bothered to tidy them up – all but confirming Christopher’s suspicions. No one in their right mind would come to this section of the library simply for its selection of literary goods. It was just the kind of place to go if you wanted to be undisturbed. The row of shelves acted perfectly as a screen behind which to eavesdrop.

“I don’t know if I can do this. I just keep thinking about him,” came her voice. He recognised her instantly, from her tone to the way she lisped her s’s. He clenched his teeth and tried to calm his breathing.

“Babe, you’re going to have to forget about Chris. Let him go.”

“I love him.”

“Loved,” the deep voice corrected. “You can’t be in love with more than one person.” He didn’t sound angry, he sounded gentle, persuasive even – coaxing. Chris inched himself forward and peered through the books, there sat his girlfriend, or, he supposed, his ex. Clearly their relationship was over, whether she was going to inform Chris of this, he didn’t know. She hadn’t spoken to Chris in a long time; hadn’t acknowledged him. She seemed to look right through him even when he was standing right in front of her. Now she clung to this guy Chris had never seen before. He must have been from one of her other classes. She was hanging around his neck like a monkey. Her knuckles white as they gripped at the back of his polo, her back shaking, pale hair shielding her face.

She’d said she kept thinking about him, that she still loved him, so what could he have possibly done wrong to cause her to leave him like this? Chris couldn’t even remember what had happened between them before she froze him out. He rested his forehead on the row of dusty books, letting his eyes squeeze shut. There was rustling and murmuring, then the distinct sound of a peck. Chris resisted the urge to slam a fist into the ground. She used to pull him down by the collar as she stretched up on her toes to plant a kiss on his cheek. He felt nausea sink in his stomach as he imagined, against his will, that she might be doing just that with someone other than himself a few feet away from where he sat. He found himself wondering if this other guy would tuck a curl behind her ear; if he grinned and planted a peck on her nose in return. He heard a familiar sigh and he hoped to hades that it was a sigh of discontentment, and that she knew it would never be the same with anyone other than him. They say you never forget your first love. He hoped that whenever she reached for her new boyfriend that she remembered him. Footsteps faded away as the couple left their hiding place. Chris stayed, slumping against one of the shelves with a groan – surrounded by silence amongst all the lonely, unwanted books – desperately trying to remember how it all went so wrong.

- - -A freezing blob hit Chris, square on the cheek, and then slopped down the front of his t-shirt. He gasped, wiping chucks of cookie out of his stubble. “Oh, you’re done now!” he growled, narrowing his eyes. “You are so done.” He clambered over the back of the couch towards the giggling girl in his old rugby jersey with flying-pig pajama shorts poking out the bottom. There was a huge splotch of cookies ‘n cream down her

ENGLISH

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shoulder, and he knew there was one in the center of her back where he got her when she’d high-tailed it out of the kitchen. She held her ice-cream scoop out in front of her, trying to ward him off with it, defending the tub on the counter behind her. She backed away as he got closer. Chris launched for her and hooked her by the waist, swinging her behind him. He held her there, struggling, as he scooped out a nice big glob. He turned his face back towards her, his mouth twisting crookedly into a satisfied grin. She bounced up on her toes pursing her lips at him, Chris softened leaning down for her and before he knew it, he wasn’t holding his scoop anymore, and he had cookies ‘n cream smooshed into the side of his face. “Amy!” But she was already disappearing into another room, her screeches of laughter echoing through her flat.

- - -“Surprise!” Chris stood at Amy’s door, a jewellery store bag in one hand, a huge bouquet in the other. “Happy four years!” Amy stood holding the door, her mouth open, brow furrowed. “Amy?”

“Chris... I thought we agreed not to get each other presents this time.”

The bouquet and the bag dropped to his sides. “Oh. I thought that was a test.”

Amy turned and walked into the house, he followed her inside. “We cannot afford to get gifts! We are broke!” Her voice wavered dangerously. “We can barely afford to eat by the end of the week; I don’t know how I’m ever going to pay off my student loan.” Her voice was rising; he hoped her flat mates weren’t home.

“Babe, don’t worry about it I saved up for these, I-”

“I don’t need jewellery or expensive, stupid, flowers!” She cried, whirling around, wildly waving a hand at the gifts.

Chris clamped his jaw shut. “Forget it. It’s only four years, right? What does that matter?”

“Don’t be an idiot Chris, you know I’m right. What were you thinking, spending all this money?” she spat.

He lobbed the bouquet onto the kitchen table and turned to leave. “Unfortunately,” he scathed, “the store won’t take the ‘stupid flowers’ back, but I’ll return the necklace.” He started walking away.

She rolled her eyes. Pulling a red hand-made card out of her pocket Amy hurried after him, trying to grab at his sleeve. “Oh, Chris, it is important, I know. Here, I-”

He wasn’t listening. “I don’t know what I’ll do with the ‘stupid’ ring though. Maybe I’ll hold onto it for another time when you’re not acting like such an obnoxious cow.”

Amy stood in the doorway, speechless, watching her high school sweetheart throw the jewellery bag into his run down Nissan, followed by himself.

“Have a lovely, lonely, ‘stupid’ anniversary, Amy.” - - -

Chris jumped up, knocking a few books off the shelf as he did, and ran after Amy out of the library. How she could be so upset over their petty anniversary fight as to throw four years away just like that he didn’t know, but he was willing to grovel.

When he finally found her, she was sitting alone on a park bench in a patch of trees and garden near the library. He wouldn’t have even noticed if it weren’t for the uncountable number of times they had met there between classes and on picnic dates. The trees were skeletal now, dwarfing Amy who was sitting under a train of her own steaming breath.

“Amy!” He called, “Amy!” Why was she sat out here in the cold? The university campus was under a layer of frost. As he drew closer he realised Amy had fluffy blue earmuffs on, maybe she couldn’t hear him. Chris reached her, leaning over the back of the bench seat; he rested his hand on her shoulder tentatively. She didn’t react. She was

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shaking, though, he noticed, and her eyes were shut so tight that only the tips of her eyelashes peeped out. In her hand he saw was a slightly creased red piece of paper. “Amy? Hey, hey, it’s ok. What’s going on? I’m so sorry, talk to me please.” She sucked in a sharp breath when he spoke, but remained otherwise unreactive, silent and shaking, gripping the piece of paper. Chris came around and sat beside her. What was so important about that paper? He looked at it more closely. It was a card, he discovered. Little pink cut out hearts were glued all over it, and in handwriting as familiar as his own he read:

Christopher James,I have loved you since we were 16. People didn’t believe that we were capable of loving like we did. But we know it was real. They didn’t believe that we were

capable of lasting – but we have, and I believe we will last infinitely longer, forever, because I can’t imagine what I’d do if I had to live my life without you.

Happy four years

Just as he finished reading, Amy spoke. “I still can’t imagine it, Chris. I’m living it but I can’t imagine it – the rest of my life...” Her face crumpled.

“It doesn’t have to be like this, Amy. It doesn’t. Whatever it is, we can fix it, we can-”

She kept speaking as though she hadn’t heard him. “I can’t believe you’re gone.”- - -

Christopher had the window wipers on full speed, but the torrents of water rushing over his windscreen would not relent. He’d decided after much internal debate, that he should leave the ring at home. Following telling her to have a ‘lonely anniversary’, now probably wasn’t the ideal moment. There was hardly any traffic on the road, which he was thankful for. The way to Amy’s flat was twisty, hard enough to negotiate on a normal day, but he would get there. There wasn’t a moment to waste. He couldn’t stand another day with the last image of her in his mind being her standing looking small and broken in her doorway, watching him leave.

He shook his head at himself. He had been so nervous and excited that he’d completely blown the situation out of proportion. He didn’t know what to think, but even if she didn’t care about their anniversary, or maybe even their relationship, as much as Chris did, she was still with him, and he still loved her, and that was the only thing that really mattered when it all came down to it.He was going to make it up to her.

- - -The Nissan poured smoke up into the rain.

“Miss, we’re going to have to ask you to stand back by the ambulance.”Amy didn’t hear the policeman over the blood rushing in her head. She ran to the stretcher just in time to hear that her forever was shorter than she could ever have prepared herself for.

“It’s too late...” she heard. Her ears began to ring. Shallow breaths puffed in... out - in... out - in.

“...bring me the body bag...”

Amy began to sway on her feet. Her head was spinning; heart was breaking; world was being torn out of orbit.

Off behind her somewhere, just before she lost consciousness, she heard two officers talking in low voices, “I wonder what that poor lad was doing with all that cookies ‘n cream.”

- - -Christopher yanked his hand off her shoulder like she’d shocked him. He staggered back from the park bench. He screamed. Amy still sat, crying silently. No steam arose from his breath. Only Amy’s trail of footsteps led from the library to the park bench, imprinted in the frost.

Page 17: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

Images began to flash through his memory. The headlights coming towards him. Cutting the corner. Smashing. Crashing. Rolling. And now, as he looked around he knew he did not belong there anymore. There was no place for him now. The world had let him go, but he realised – the girl before him had not.

Chris crouched in front of Amy, his tears falling on her jeans and not leaving a trace. He covered her hands with his own as they sat in her lap holding tightly the card he never would receive. But he understood now. Chris had shown he cared, but Amy never got to prove to him that she did as well – and then he had left her, left everyone, left himself. Chris had gone. He understood. The words she had written resonating in his mind. She had proved herself now. That was why he was here. He lent forward and kissed her goodbye. A peck on the nose – like he had been doing since they were 16 – and he felt her hands soften under his –

Letting go.

The anniversary letter fluttered away in the winter breeze, just an old, creased piece of paper.

They claimed it was like walking into the light – people with near death experiences and such did. And everyone either had to assume they were correct, or draw their own conclusions from some other personal belief because no one living actually really knew. Chris found that it was like the time he had surgery to remove his appendix. They had told him to count to ten, and before he got to six, he was out. Now he just felt himself fading, like falling asleep. Chris had never really thought much about dying, or passing over, or whatever it was that was happening. His dimming thoughts began to ponder it now. Maybe it was different for everyone?

Christopher James turned back to look at her curl framed face before he would never see again.

“Goodbye, Amy.”

She looked up, swearing the wind had whispered her name.

And with that, he was gone.

YES AWARD WINNERS WAIKATO/KING COUNTRY Hamilton Girls’ High School took out four awards at the Young Enterprise regional awards.

WAIKATO BUSINESS NEWS SALES AND MARKETING AWARDScentsation - Hajer Bahr, Holly Beswick, Rebekah Marsden, Melissa Noun, Paige Taylor, and Chyna Watson.

WAIKATO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TEAMWORK AWARDSerene Scents - Jaya Burnet, Shivani Dutt, Grace Flood, Emma Gillard, Paige Greer, and Bryoney Jones.

BUSINESS CARD AWARDClarum Company - Camille Joy Esposo, Ranita Menezes, Kavita Rawat, Katherine Rose, Alyssa Soria, Paige Taplin, and Chandrakala Teppala.

AWARD FOR SERVICES TO YESCongratulations to Mr Mitchell, Head of Business Studies

Ranita MenezesManaging Director

p. 022 646 3661e. [email protected]

LARUM

Page 18: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

“WORLD OF MATHS ROADSHOW” VISITING HGHS.

On November the 10th and 11th the “World of Maths Roadshow” is visiting Hamilton Girls’ and the Year 9 students are being given the opportunity to take part in the activities that they offer.

This Roadshow comprises a series of ‘Hands-on’ problem solving activities and puzzles that the students can solve during an allocated hour period. This Roadshow currently runs in Australia, England, Turkey, Ireland, USA and New Zealand and provides opportunities for interactive work that is different from current classroom work, for junior Secondary students.

All participants pay $6 ahead of time to participate and we are encouraging all Year 9 students to partake in this opportunity. More details have been emailed to parents already and their website can be viewed at www.worldofmaths.com.

In the recent “Assessment of Language Competence” examination run by the Australian Council for Educational Research, several students of French, Japanese and Spanish opted to take part and we are pleased to report some great results.

Spanish Certificate 1: Christine Ngaheu-Walker Distinction

French Certificate 2: Mia Vink Distinction (listening and reading) Rachel Li

Eden Poihipi Distinction (reading) Kaitlyn Ellery

Isabella de Wit High Distinction (reading) Distinction (listening)

Japanese Certificate 2: Amelia Penfold Distinction (listening and reading) Ashley Kim High Distinction (listening and reading)

MATHMATICS

LANGUAGES

This is my second year in Hamilton Girls’ High School. My life has been incredibly wonderful. I have not only met lots of awesome people, but have also benefitted from my experiences here.

The major thing I have benefitted from while studying here is that I’ve been given a chance to experience a new education system. In class there are fantastic activities managed by our teachers to help us memorise the knowledge taught in class, which makes studying a lot more interesting. Also, here we rarely use textbooks, therefore we can have opportunities to use other resources, then combine them with the ones we learnt in class, which leads to an expanded range of learning. By combining my experiences here and from the past, I’m able to enhance my study efficiency.

Being a person who loves music, I’m really pleased that I can participate in our school orchestra and apply my specialisation, playing the violin. By taking part in the orchestra, I have further understood the importance of listening to other people and how to work together to make things better.

Although I’m leaving next year, Hamilton Girls’ High School will always be my loving place.

ESOL

Page 19: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

DEFENCE FORCE CAREERS VISIT

On Friday October 17, the purpose-built Careers bus promoting careers in the Army, Navy and Air Force spent the day at our school.

Many of the Year 10 and 11 Physical Education classes enjoyed learning about the many, varied careers on offer in our Defence Forces. The bus was also open to all students during interval and lunchtime.

The visit involved watching a video about the variety of roles our Defence Force plays in New Zealand and around the world and interactive displays, including the cockpit of a trainer plane as used by the Air Force to train their pilots. A chat to one of the female soldiers revealed that there are currently shortages in certain areas such as communications, medic, engineers,technicians and supply officers. For any further information about these particular careers, students are encouraged to come into the Careers Office or to go to this website, www.defencecareers.mil.nz .

CAREERS

Page 20: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

STEPHANIE LIMMER AT WAIKATO HOSPITAL ORTHOPAEDIC WARD

Hi, my name is Steph Limmer. Over the last holidays I went and worked in the Orthopaedic Ward at Waikato hospital.

I was assisting the nurses with things like bed washes, patient care, showing, changing dressings and even removing stitches, however what I did mostly was one-on-one patient care.

I think you should all try a Gateway work experience that interests you, because you learn a lot of things about the career that you didn’t know. You get to experience a lot of very interesting and rewarding things, by the time you finish. I went into Gateway not really knowing what I wanted to do, but now I know when I leave school I am definitely going to become a nurse.

AMBER LEWIS AT ALF JOHNSON DENTAL

This year I chose to do a Gateway program in Dentistry, but because I decided too late I had to give up my holidays to be able to finish on time. However, as soon as I started on my first day at Alf Johnson Dental I couldn’t wait to come back the next day! It was so much fun and it was a great experience too. I learnt so much in such little time and I met some of the most loveliest and kindest people there. It was honestly an amazing opportunity. Although the work “Dentistry” may sound daunting it is such an interesting place to be.

Thanks to Alf and the amazing team, I hope to continue on with pursuing my career path in Dentistry

GATEWAY

Page 21: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

HGHS TRIP TO JAPAN

In the term 3 holidays, a group of nine senior students and one teacher went to Japan to further their study of Japanese language and culture. Placed in host families, the students spent the first week attending Showa High School in Nagoya. Using the Japanese they had learnt at school, they spent a week speaking and interacting in Japanese with their host families and making many friends at school.

Going to classes every day and attending after school clubs such as Kendo, Calligraphy and Tea Ceremony, the students gained an incredible experience in a country with such a diverse culture. After a sad goodbye from their host families, they caught a bullet train to Kyoto where they spent three days going to the Golden Pavilion, Ryoanji temple and other sightseeing around Kyoto. A highlight was buying and wearing yukata (summer kimono) at the Fushimi Inari shrine.

The final part of the trip included catching the bullet train to Tokyo where they spent three very busy days visiting various famous places such as the Akihabara, Harajuku, the new Tokyo Skytree and of course Disneyland. - By Monica Hill (Year 12)

Y-LEAD LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE

From Thursday the 9th of October to Saturday the 11th of October this year, a leadership conference was held in Rotorua for Year 12 students. The Rangatira YLead conference run by both New Zealand and Australian young leaders was an empowering and motivating experience for all who were lucky enough to be involved. Six of us were fortunate enough to be chosen to represent Hamilton Girls High School at the event, have found confidence and ambitions within ourselves that we hope to continue to develop and share with our school in 2015 and also the wider community. The conference consisted of motivational speakers, group projects and personal development activities that really widened our perspective on the general idea of ‘leadership’ and the importance of a positive attitude. Something important that we all took away from this 3 day conference that we want to share with the students of this school and further people in our lives is that, it doesn’t take a badge or title to become a great leader. Leadership starts with you and you choose whether to spectate or take action. We are all so thankful to have been given this opportunity and have made life long connections with like-minded students and young leaders who maintain the same drive and determination as all of us. This is not the last you will hear from the YLead team here at Hamilton Girls’ High School and we are genuinely excited for what is going to be a great year in 2015. BONZA!

(Year 12 Participants -Leah Porima, Tava Tyrell, Katrina Gaskell, Libby Clement, Vanessa Baledrokadroka and Gabrielle Boyce.)

EOTC TRIPS

Page 22: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

HGHS TRIP TO FRANCE

On the 19th of September, 23 students and 3 teachers set off on a 3 week trip to France. Everyone was extremely excited and slightly nervous for the massive trip ahead and, after 36 hours of flying, our long awaited trip began. Our first week was in a small town called Passy which was located just off the border of Switzerland in the beautiful mountains. We were billeted out into our host families and were left exposed to all the elements of France; language, food, even driving on the other side of the road. Between us all we experienced breath taking sights, French culture, home life and the incredible school timetable. At Hamilton Girls’ High we have it so easy! Once the 6 days were up we teamed back together and began our travels up to Metz, located next to the German border. On the way up we had a stopover in Freiburg in Germany and survived with very little German and knowledge. One day later we continued to Metz and were met by our host sisters and brothers at the train station. Metz was very different compared to Passy, based in more of a city with many more people and cars than Passy’s small village. The same thing was repeated, billeted out and given so many options of experiencing France and school. Once the 6 days were up we got on a bullet train and travelled to the one and only Paris. All exhausted and settled in to our hostel, we caught the metro to our first activity - The Paris by Night tour. This tour to me was the most incredible.. we had been in Paris for at least 10 hours and had now biked the incredible streets and seen almost every tourist attraction there is, such as the Louvre and the Eiffel Tower. For many of us, this was all just a dream. Our final week was jam packed full of exploring and of course spending up

large in the top streets of Paris. Overall, the most incredible things we saw were the buildings and architecture. The churches and ancient buildings were so beautiful and all had their own story to tell. Spending such a good length of time in a foreign country with a foreign language was a challenge but a large number of us miss it since returning to New Zealand. 99% of us have continued to keep in touch with our host sisters and brothers and these friendships will be cherished. I would recommend to anyone considering an exchange, the experiences and memories you experience will stay with you for the rest of your life. We would love to personally say thank you to the teachers for creating such a life changing experience and making it happen. We will always remember what you did for us and you should know we appreciated all your hard work incredibly.

Page 23: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

HGHS TRIP TO EUROPEOn the 27th September 15 enthusiastic Senior art students travelled halfway across the world for a once in a lifetime 12 day Art lovers experience in Europe. Accompanied by Ms Fernyhough, Mrs and Mr Tautari after 30 hours in transit we arrived in Paris at 7:20am on a bright Sunday morning.

Paris practically overflows with opportunities for learning about Art and History. The Hamilton Girls’ High School Europe Art Trip did not disappoint. Our trip was designed to introduce us to the must-see highlights of leading centres for Art in Paris - France, Florence and Rome - Italy. From day one we were wowed and inspired by the sights, smells, sounds, stylish fashion sense and tastes of Europe. Out of the 15 students who attended, none of us were quite prepared for the visual delights on offer. From the Notre Dam Cathedral to the Paris Metro, from the Sacré Cœur de Montmartre to the Louvre, from Versailles to the Centre Pompidou, from the Arc de Triomphe to Eiffel tower… we were blown away by the history, culture and everything French. Euro Disney was certainly a favourite for all along with Sephora cosmetics shop along the Champs Ellysee.

In many ways our trip exceeded our expectations with informative tour guides who educated us in and throughout galleries housing iconic artworks such as the Mona Lisa, Michaeangelo’s David

statue and the list goes on. The reverence and beauty of the Sistine chapel and the Sante Croche bassilica where famous figures such as Gallileo and Dante lie entombed, each has left lasting impressions. Of course ending our trip at the iconic Coloseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain and Borghese Gallery in Rome cannot go unmentioned. We almost saw Justine Beeber, or at least we joined the throng of many Italian teenaged massed outside of his hotel and chanted … ‘Never say never, never say never…’.

With an itinerary loaded with as many museums, galleries and sight seeing adventures planned, we have our full of memories to call on in the future. So it was no surprise that at the end of our trip none of us were quite ready to leave Rome.

Returning to New Zealand made us realise how small and young this country really is, but how grateful we should be because it’s so clean and the people are so nice. This trip has certainly inspired many of us to continue to persue creative pathways and sparked a real desire to return.Addio Roma fino a quando ci incontriamo di nuovo!!!

Page 24: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

THE HOME & GARDEN SH W!

SEE HAS AT

Free WiFi control with every heatpump/air-con unit sold 24 months interest free

Heatpump Airconditioning Specialists LTD

A: 431 Te Rapa Road, Hamilton | W: 08002heatpump.co.nz | P: 0800 243 287

Page 25: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

NZQA External Examinations Instructions

Exam You should

be at school by

Lines will be sent to the

examination rooms at

You will not be allowed entry to the room after

You are NOT

allowed to leave the

exam until

You are allowed to go to the toilet after

You are NOT

allowed to leave the

exam after

Examination will end

Morning AM 8:45am 9:00 am 10:00 am 10:15 am 10:30 am 12:15pm 12:30 pm

Afternoon PM 1:15pm 1:30 pm 2:30 pm 2:45 pm 3:00 pm 4:45pm 5:00 pm

- You will line up in the same way you did for the school examinations. However, this time the handwritten number beside your name will represent the desk that you will sit at. In the examination room there will be a desk with your number on it and it will contain your personalised examination papers.

- Students not in their correct lines will have to wait until all students have entered the examination rooms before they will be allowed to enter.

Admission Slips - You will need a NZQA admission slips to enter the examination room. You will not be allowed into the

examination room without one. - You can get a copy of your admission slip from the Gateway office. This could take up to fifteen minutes if

there is a long queue, so you will need to be at the school at 8:30am for morning examinations and 1:00pm for afternoon examinations if you do not have your admission slip with you.

- Load your exam times onto your phone to help remind you when they are on. In the examination room check your papers have your exam code Make sure the numbers on the papers match those on your admission slip. DO NOT WRITE IN A BOOKLET WHICH DOES NOT HAVE YOUR CODE ON IT. Someone else will get your results if you do.

Cell phones (and wallets) - You are to turn your cell phone off and put it and your wallet into a clear plastic bag with a valuables slip. The

school will provide you with a plastic bag and a valuables slip. These will be made available to you when you line up for the exams.

- You will place the plastic bag with your valuables under your desk. Your exam will be terminated if you handle the bag during the examination.

- If your cell phone rings during the exam then it will be confiscated until the end of examination period (End of February 2015). It will then be available for you to pick up from the student office.

- The Exam Centre Manager will not look after other valuables such as wallet, i-pods, etc.

NOTE: NZQA will not take responsibility for possessions left in your bags during the examination period. You leave valuables in your bags at your own risk.

Toilets - You cannot go to the toilet within the first hour of the examination. - If you need to use the toilet during the exam, put up your hand and a supervisor will come to you. You may

have to wait until a toilet is free. - If you go to the toilet then your exam code will be written on a special roll and sent to Wellington (just in case

NZQA have to investigate a case of suspected cheating) More than one toilet visit will concern NZQA.

Medical Problems - If they occur before the examination, then see Mr Mitchell (NZQA Liaison) - If they occur during the examination, then see the Exam Centre Manger

At the end of the exam - You are not allowed to leave the exam in the last 15 min of the exam. - You may leave the exam room after 45 min (except for the last 15 min) if you are finished. - Put up your hand. - Tell the supervisor how many papers you are handing in. - Go QUIETLY - DO NOT TAKE PAPERS OUT OF THE EXAM ROOM apart from resource booklets. They have a green

cover. - At the end of the exam stop writing when told. Hand in your papers until you are dismissed.

Consideration to others Please be considerate of your fellow students. Do not wear high heeled shoes in the hall (the sound can distract other students) Bare feet are better. Note – It can be cold in the hall, make sure you are appropriately dressed.

Page 26: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

In the Exam Room Examination Rules

(Your examination may be terminated if you do not follow these rules.)

Things to bring to and use in the examinations

Things NOT to do in the examinations

There must be NO COMMUNICATION AT ALL WITH ANYONE BUT THE EXAM SUPERVISORS.

Do not start to write until told to do so.

Do not leave your seat without permission.

Put up your hand if you need a supervisor.

You may not leave the room within the first 45min or the last 15min.

If you are late wait at the door and a supervisor will show you to your seat.

You will not be allowed in after the first 30min if you are late. You will not be given extra time.

Do not bring paper of any kind including tissues

Do not bring dictionaries either paper or electronic

Do not bring i-pods, cameras, diskman, phones

Do not be rude to the supervisors

Use blue or black pens. Bring a ruler You can bring a calculator (graphics calculators will have their memories cleared by the exam manager). If you use a calculator then bring a set of back up batteries. You can bring mathematical equipment such as protractor, compass and dividers SMALL bottle of WATER only. This is to be put on the floor under your chair in a clear water bottle with no label on it. Put everything in a clear plastic bag. Keep your NZQA admission slip in there. Ask the supervisor for extra paper if you need it.

Do not use red and green pens as these are used by the NZQA markers Do not use pencils, twink, white out or any correcting fluid as NZQA will not allow you to have your examination paper reconsidered. Do not bring food.

Derived Grades (Compassionate Consideration) A candidate who has been disadvantaged because of a temporary impairment or a non-permanent disability close to or during an examination and which has prevented attendance or affected performance in the examination may apply to NZQA for Derived Grade.

- A Derived Grade is where NZQA takes your Term 3 Exam results or authentic topic tests (proper tests done under exam conditions) to substitute as your external examination result.

- NZQA require that all applications must be through Mr Mitchell (NZQA liaison) - Mr Mitchell is available as follows

o During the examination period Mr Mitchell will be available each day in the NZQA liaison office (located upstairs in the Atrium) from 11am to 12pm and 2:30pm to 3:10pm.

o Alternatively, you can make an appointment by contacting the school office. They will take your name and Mr Mitchell will contact you to organise an appointment.

- NZQA require you to complete a Derived Grade form (available only from Mr Mitchell) and provide documented evidence from a suitably qualified professional (e.g. doctor in the case of illness) of the serious disadvantage.

- NZQA recommend where possible that students still sit their examinations and then apply for a derived grade. The better of the two grades (derived and actual) will be taken as your final result if your application is successful.

- All completed applications must be submitted to Mr Mitchell by Wednesday 3rd December.

NZQA will NOT grant Derived Grades on grounds such as: - Minor ailments - Stress due to examinations - Parents being on holiday - Being late or misreading the examination timetable - Day-to-day family disturbances - Long-term conditions (e.g. physical disability, epilepsy, depression) - Chronic relapsing conditions (e.g. glandular fever, ME) - Ongoing personal trauma. - Application after results are issued - Candidate loses equipment or admission slip etc and becomes

stressed before the examination - Candidate attends court - Candidate states examination was difficult and did not get special

assessment conditions - Candidate claims school did not teach them or tell them some vital

information

- Any illness, incapacity or trauma that has been affecting the candidate for longer than the 4 weeks prior to the exams is regarded as ongoing, i.e. prior to 15 October 2008

- Where medical evidence does not cover the examination period - Any transport problem caused by individual car problems is not

covered by compassionate consideration - Lateness because of work commitments is not acceptable - Candidate is required to work or look after children so cannot study - Candidate breaks -up with girlfriend or boyfriend - Religious festivals - Candidate misses examination because the school made an error in

the entry - Candidate says illness stopped their study - Candidate loses some or all of data or material related to an

examination portfolio

Page 27: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

EXTERNAL EXAMINATION TIMETABLE

School contact Mr Mitchell is the Principal’s Nominee (NZQA Liaison) at the school. You can contact him by:

E-mail: [email protected] Phone: 07 839 1304 EXT 839 Mail: Mr Mitchell

Principal’s Nominee PO Box 4082 Hamilton

Page 28: Hamilton Girls' High School Newsletter October 2014

KEY DATES NOVEMBER 20143 NOVEMBER Red Carpet Night5 NOVEMBER Senior prizegiving6 NOVEMBER Whanau Hui Yr 8 Entrance Tests until 7 November 10 NOVEMBER NCEA Examinations until 2 December Yr 9 World of Maths until 11 November17 NOVEMBER 0DRM Dress Rehearsal18 NOVEMBER 0DRM Performance 0DRM Dress Rehearsal19 NOVEMBER 0DRM Performance21 NOVEMBER Y10 Speech Competition22 NOVEMBER Hostel Set Leave until 23 November24 NOVEMBER NISS Volleyball Juniors until 28 November NZSS Softball Junior until 27 November27 NOVEMBER NISS Water Polo Juniors until 30 November29 NOVEMBER NZSS Rugby - Condor 7’s until 30 November

Senior Prizegiving 2014Wednesday, 5 November at Founders Theatre

Senior Prizegiving is on the evening of Wednesday 5 November, 7.00pm, at Founders

Theatre, so please keep this evening free to celebrate the successes of our senior

students and to farewell our Year 13 girls as they move on to the next phase of their

lives.

All Year 11 to 13 students are expected to attend in the evening, accordingly on the

day students will have normal Periods 1 and 2 and then go to Founders Theatre for

Period 3. They will be released from Founders Theatre at approximately 12.30pm.

Students are then requested to be seated at Founders Theatre between 6.30pm and

6.45pm.