School News

The final major event hosted by HBHS was a joint cocktail party with Old Boys and Girls from Hamilton High School, Hamilton Boys' High School and Hamilton Girls High School.  Several hundred people attended this function, which was hosted and MCed by Michael Head (HBHS Old Boy), and Phillip Quay, co-directors of HQmedia. HQmedia has been involved each step of the way during Centennial preparations, and did as significant amount of work gratis, in a show of dedication to the event's success.

Gymnasium One was almost unrecognisable as a sports venue - the lighting, screens and staging gave the event a tone of casual elegance that allowed people to circulate and catch up without interrupting the speeches and presentations as these occurred on stage. 

HBHS would like to take this opportunity to publically acknowledge and thank the team at HQmedia for their efforts on behalf of all three schools.   Your patience and dedication helped us to celebrate one hundred years in style.

MCed by Te Radar (a.k.a. Andrew Lumsden, HBHS Old Boy), the Founder's Theatre Centennial Concert on Thursday night was a powerhouse of international, national and emerging acts.  From a charming opera duet by Lorraine Nawa Jones and her husband, to the stirring vocalisation of Chris Thompson (pictured right) performing 'The Voice' with choral support from students and fellow singers, the evening provided a night of world class entertainment.

Adrian Botting, head of the Languages, Arts and Music faculty, reflected upon the event:

What was your over-all impression of the evening?

It was a stunning event.  I've had very positive feedback from people who were very glad that they made the time to come and see the talent associated with all three schools. We struck a good balance between the different musical genres, and it is genuinely staggering to see how many Old Boys and Girls have gone on to have not only national by international careers in their chosen fields.

A number of Old Boys dusted off their boots and returned to HBHS to play each other, and current students, during the Centennial.  The games, as a rule, were highly competitive, due to the large number of Boys' High alumnus who have gone on to play professionally in their respective codes.  Many of the players commented that high school competitions, and in particular 1st XV and first XI competitions, were the most satisfying games they have played in their careers. Our current students watched the games with rapt attention, savouring the chance to see some of their heroes in action at close quarters.

Hundreds of tins of food and over $600.00 were collected today by Year 10 Leaders in HBHS' annual Charity Mufti. Boys are encouraged to bring non-perishable food items or a gold coin in exchange for choosing their outfit for the day. Charity Day is a part of HBHS' ongoing service programme. This year HBHS has focused more closely on organisations that meet the needs of people in our local community, such as KidsCan, and Habitat for Humanity. We are grateful for the support we have enjoyed this year while we work towards this goal.

The latest edition of the High Achiever has been delivered to students, and is now available to view on this website.  Simply click on the Current Newsletter heading and check out the full colour photos and articles about what has been going on at HBHS throughout the term.  Contact Publications Manager Wendy Moffitt wmoffitt@hbhs.school.nz for more information, and have a happy holiday.  We will keep you posted on important news and events as information comes to hand.

Samuel McCabe, Caleb Sampson and James Peacock (from left to right).

Every year since 1997 the Department of Chemistry at the Waikato University has given the opportunity for students studying chemistry at NCEA Level 2 to compete for the ChemQuest™ trophy and other prizes. Secondary Schools in the University of Waikato catchment area (Waikato, Bay of Plenty, King Country) are invited to send teams of three to the University for an entertaining evening. This competition requires familiarity with Year 12 Chemistry as well as good general knowledge.

Each year the categories vary. There are usually four question rounds, which are broken up by the Teachers’ Turn (questions for teachers) and sometimes spot prize questions.