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HAMILTON GIRLS’
HIGH SCHOOL
October Newsletter
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.
PRINCIPAL’S
COMMENT
Ngā mihi nui ki a koutou
Term 4 is incredibly busy as we prepare our
their parents to an information evening at Hamilton
senior school for NCEA external examinations in
Girls’ High School. We were overwhelmed by the
the coming weeks. Giving themselves the best
numbers and thank parents for coming into school
chance of success means ensuring they prepare
to gain a clearer understanding of our expectations,
themselves for these examinations. Adequate sleep,
uniform and code of conduct, the support structures
healthy food choices, organisation and time spent
in place for transition to secondary school, BYOD
studying are all important prerequisites to success
and what to expect in the first week.
in examinations. Staff are running tutorials over a
range of times, before school, lunchtime and after
Finally, please take the opportunity to read through
school, to help support our students. It is important
the implementation plan for the school uniform.
that they take advantage of these. We will aim to
Our prices are incredibly reasonable in comparison
have a timetable on the website and Moodle. Our
to other schools. Please do not hesitate to contact
students should also have a very clear take on the
the school if you require further information. We
number of credits they have and what they need
are calling for fittings for blazers in the next few
to do to achieve their goals. We encourage you to
weeks. More information will be e-mailed out
work with your daughter to really focus on the best
shortly.
preparation possible for these external examinations
and to aim for personal best or personal excellence.
Finally, we would like to invite parents of our
It is important to continue to work through to the
senior school to Senior Prizegiving on Wednesday
very end. I would like to remind parents that senior
November 5th at 7.00pm. A reminder that Junior
students are expected to sit exams in full uniform
school will finish at 1.30pm on that day.
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
MARIE GORDON
Principal
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.
UNIFORM
2015
Year 9 Starter Package Deal - $460
1x Junior Blazer, 2 x Blouses, 1x Jersey, 1x Skirt, 1x School Tie and 1x Physical
Education (PE) Uniform.
Compulsory Uniform for Year 9 Students in 2015
 Charcoal grey skirt
 Roman Sandals
 Plain white blouse (new tailored shape)
 Black shoes (specified styles)
 Black school tie
 Black stockings or black mid-calf HGHS socks
 Jersey (new tailored shape)
 Soft-shell jacket (see next page)
 Junior blazer (maroon & grey pinstripe with black trim)
 Physical Education (PE) Uniform
Year 10 & 11 Blazer
Package Deal - $125
1x Junior Blazer, and 1x School Tie.
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.
Year 12 Starter
Package Deal - $195
Year 12 Uniform
In 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
1x Senior Blazer, 2 x Senior Blouses, 1x Tie
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.
Year 13 Starter
Package Deal - $125
Year 13 Uniform
In 2015, Year 13 students can continue
to wear their current skirt, blouse and
jersey. The addition of a senior tie is
1x Senior Blazer and 1x Tie
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.
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.
Compulsory Footwear
Black 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.
THE
ARTS
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 Fowler
Judith Miles Drama Cup for Outstanding Drama
Performance: Cecelia Lockley
Amelia Jane Henry Memorial Trophy for Creative
flair in Year 11 Visual Art: Ann Danansuriya
Creative Flair in Year 12 Visual Art Award:
A.J. Ranstead
Creative Flair in Year 13 Visual Art Award:
Marimar Lumiwes
Choral Music Trophy for Outstanding Contribution
to Choral Music: Monica Orbe
Clement-Earls Cup for Contribution to Orchestral
Music: Grace Mayer
Landy Tyrell-Nonoa Trophy for Creativity in Music
Award (new 2014): Lana Kong
Mary Allan Beethoven Award for Participation in
Co-curricular Music Groups: Cecelia Lockley
Lynn 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.
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.
WAIKATO SECONDARY SCHOOLS CONDOR 7’s QUALIFIER
On Saturday 18 October our Rugby 7s teams had their first
hit out for term four. It was exciting to have not one, but
RESULTS
sports
at hghs
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
Round 1
Taumarunui v HGHS C = 5-15 HGHS C won
HGHS B v Fairfield = 0-21 Fairfield won
Round 2
Cambridge High v HGHS C = 20-0
Cambridge High won
HGHS A v Tai Wananga = 50-0 HGHS A won
Round 3
Sacred Heart v HGHS A = 0-48 HGHS A won
HGHS B v Hillcrest = 29-0 HGHS B won
Semi Finals
HGHS A v HGHS B = 38-0 HGHS won
HGHS C v Tai Wananga = 0-37 Tai Wananga
won
Cup Final
Fairfield v HGHS A = 0-22 HGHS won
Plate Final
Cambridge High v HGHS B = 22-0
Cambridge High won
Left Photo: Top Junior Sportswoman
of the Year - Baylee Luttrell.
Right Photo: Anglesea Physiotheraphy
Sportswoman of the Year - Georgia Allen.
The 2014 Hamilton Girls’ High School Sports Awards
the Women’s coxless four who not only went on to
Evening was held on Thursday 16 October in the
win the World Championships but also smashed the
Bronze Lounge at Waikato Stadium. With over 160
world record by 11 seconds.
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
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.
2014 AWARD WINNERS
ATHLETICS
Junior Champion – Jazmin Hotham
Intermediate Champion – Keely Jennings
Senior Champion – Tessa Leong
Thompson-Harris Trophy for Outstanding
Performance in Athletics – Eden Bates
Marg Andrews Cup for Hockey’s Most Dedicated
Senior Player – Harriet Gaudin
Boyd Family Trophy for Hockey’s Most Improved
Player – Madison Payne
Hamilton Girls’ High School Trophy for Most
Outstanding Player – Olivia Scotland
CROSS COUNTRY
NETBALL
Junior Champion – Kelli Brown
M Prior Cup for Intermediate Champion – Katie Lush
Senior Champion – Tessa Leong
SWIMMING
Campbell Cup for Intermediate Champion – Olivia
Warlow
Senior Runner Up – Summer Kendall
Hamilton Girls’ High Trophy for Senior Swimming
Champion – Emma Ballard
ADVENTURE RACING
Hamilton Girls’ High School Trophy Most
Outstanding Performance – 2014 Hillary Challenge
Team
BASKETBALL
Slatter Award for Most Improved Player – Raearna
Parai
Hiakita Whanau Endeavour Award – Zarya Poulava
Team Excellence Trophy for Most Valued Player –
Alyssa Hirawani
CYCLING
Hamilton Girls’ High School Trophy for Most
Dedicated Cyclist – Ashley Smith
FOOTBALL
Leong Trophy for 2nd XI Most Committed Member–
Natasha Moore
Meisha Pyke Trophy for 1st XI Most Outstanding
Junior – Georgia Nixon
1st XI Most Improved Player – Jazmin Hotham &
Chelsea Kelly
Logo U2 1st XI Most Committed Player– Roberta
Wigelsworth
Hamilton Girls High School Trophy for 1st XI Most
Valuable Player – Tessa Leong
HOCKEY
Hamilton Girls High School Trophy for Junior Player
of the Year – Eleanor Rosemergy
Woodman Trophy Best Team Member Premier
Reserves – Katie Lush
McConnell Trophy for Best Team Member Premier
Team – Premier Team – Eden Bates
Hamilton Girl’s High School Trophy for the Most
Dedicated Senior – Brooke Baldwin
HGHS Trophy for the Greatest Contribution – Aaliyah
Wade
Hamilton Girls’ High School Trophy for the Highest
Achiever in Netball – Pania Monk
ROWING
Hamilton Girls’ High School Rowing Club Trophy for
Coxswain of the Year – Izzy Clark
Engrid Stevenson Rowing Trophy for Rowing’s
Strongest Crew Spirit – Tayla Duff
Hamilton Girls’ High Trophy for the Best Squad
Member – Deanna Capon
Hamilton Girls High Trophy for the Most Promising
Oarswoman – Brooke Baldwin and Leah Scott
Rower of the Year – Georgia Allen
RUGBY
Hamilton Girls’ High School Trophy for the Most
Improved Player – Makaia Riki-Te Kanawa
Lynn Hodgkinson Trophy for the Best Forward –
Terina Te Tamaki
Yvette and Hugh Hall Trophy for the Best Back –
Ariana Hira-Herangi
Young Cup Players Choice Award – Ariana HiraHerangi
Most Outstanding Players – Ariana Hira-Herangi
and Terina Te Tamaki
RUGBY 7’S
Most Promising Player – Tenika Willison
Most Valuable Player – Ariana Hira-Herangi
SOFTBALL
Most Improved Player – India Fletcher
Most Valued Player – Casey Downs
2014 AWARD WINNERS CONTinued
TOUCH
Hamilton Girls’ High Trophy for the Most Improved Junior
– Ariona Ieremia
HGHS Trophy for the Most Valuable Junior – Manaia
Waudby
Most Improved Senior – Nivanah Gallagher-Rupapere
Mitchell Construction Touch Rugby Cup for the Best
Senior Member – Tenika Willison
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
WATER POLO
Pracy Award for Most Improved Player – Tessa Cowley
Glenys King Water Polo Trophy for the Best Team Member
– Baylee Mitchell
Roberts-Vaile Trophy for the Most Valuable Player – Ella
Jonson
Prendergast Trophy for the Most Outstanding Player –
Emma Ballard
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
HGHS QUEENSLAND TOUCH TOUR
Our Senior Touch as well as Whaea Hollie, Whaea
each other and grew closer as a team every day on
Larns, Mama B and Mrs Gordon went over to
and off the field. It’s amazing to realise how far we
Australia to participate in the Queensland All
have come with 8 weeks of training in preparation
Schools Touch Tournament which was held at
for our tour. We are grateful for all the hard work
White Hills Recreation Reserve.
our management team has put in and are more
than thankful for all of this support given.
The first few days consisted of Lots of Fun-
We are all ready to get back into it and start
Theme Parks- Wet n Wild, Movie World, Outback
training hard again for Secondary School Nationals
Spectacular, surfing on the Gold Coast and lots of
in two months. This will be our last tournament for
shopping. It was so much fun and a great start to
2014.
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
ACADEMIC
NEWS
SCIENCE
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.
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
Towards the end of Term 3, the Year 10 Digital
they have researched. This activity promises some
Technology students have been learning how to
interesting designs to rival those created by the first
program using SCRATCH. They have experimented
semester class.
and created a number of different programs,
including making games.
The senior Digital Technology students are currently
completing their external standards, which is a written
At the start of Term 4, the Department bought a
report about information systems that they and
number of robotics kits. The opportunity to build
members of the school community use. These are
and program robots is a great way for students to
handed in before the students go on study leave.
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
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 Capil
Head of Digital Technology
PHYSICAL EDUCATION
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
ENGLISH
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
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
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.
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 AWARD
Scentsation - Hajer Bahr, Holly Beswick, Rebekah Marsden, Melissa
Noun, Paige Taylor, and Chyna Watson.
WAIKATO CHAMBER OF COMMERCE TEAMWORK AWARD
Serene Scents - Jaya Burnet, Shivani Dutt, Grace Flood, Emma Gillard,
Paige Greer, and Bryoney Jones.
BUSINESS CARD AWARD
Clarum Company - Camille Joy Esposo, Ranita Menezes, Kavita Rawat,
Katherine Rose, Alyssa Soria, Paige Taplin, and Chandrakala Teppala.
AWARD FOR SERVICES TO YES
Congratulations to Mr Mitchell, Head of Business Studies
LARUM
Ranita Menezes
Managing Director
p. 022 646 3661
e. [email protected]
MATHMATICS
“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.
LANGUAGES
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
Rachel Li
Eden Poihipi
Distinction (listening and reading)
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)
ESOL
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.
CAREERS
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 .
GATEWAY
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
EOTC TRIPS
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.)
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.
HGHS TRIP TO EUROPE
On 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
statue and the list goes on. The reverence and
Paris at 7:20am on a bright Sunday morning.
beauty of the Sistine chapel and the Sante Croche
Paris practically overflows with opportunities for
and Dante lie entombed, each has left lasting
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 mustsee 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
bassilica where famous figures such as Gallileo
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!!!
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NZQA
External Examinations Instructions
Exam
Morning
AM
Afternoon
PM
-
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
8:45am
9:00 am
10:00 am
10:15 am
10:30 am
12:15pm
12:30 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.
Examination Rules
(Your examination may be terminated
if you do not follow these rules.)
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
In the Exam Room
Things to bring to and use in the
examinations
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.
Things NOT to do in the
examinations
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.
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 be rude to the supervisors
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
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
KEY DATES
NOVEMBER 2014
3 NOVEMBER
Red Carpet Night
5 NOVEMBER
Senior prizegiving
6 NOVEMBER
Whanau Hui
Yr 8 Entrance Tests until 7 November
10 NOVEMBER
NCEA Examinations until 2 December
Yr 9 World of Maths until 11 November
17 NOVEMBER
0DRM Dress Rehearsal
18 NOVEMBER
0DRM Performance
0DRM Dress Rehearsal
19 NOVEMBER
0DRM Performance
21 NOVEMBER
Y10 Speech Competition
22 NOVEMBER
Hostel Set Leave until 23 November
24 NOVEMBER
NISS Volleyball Juniors until 28 November
NZSS Softball Junior until 27 November
27 NOVEMBER
NISS Water Polo Juniors until 30 November
29 NOVEMBER
NZSS Rugby - Condor 7’s until 30 November
Senior Prizegiving 2014
Wednesday, 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.