School News

On Tuesday night HBHS celebrated the wonderful achievements of our Maori and Pacific Island students at the 2013 Maori and Pacific Island Celebration and Awards Evening held in a Hall that was filled to capacity with very proud families and friends.  It was an absolute privilege to witness the stunning performances of the HBHS and HGHS Kapa Haka Group (pictured right), the Pasifika Group and special guest artists "Adeaze".  We congratulate all of the nominees, finalists and winners and thank them for their tremendous contributions in all aspects of school life.

The full list of nominees, finalists and winners (cont)

Last night more than five hundred community members and staff came together to celebrate the achievements of our Maori and Pacifica students. The awards and the guest speaker’s (Jared Williams) appearance were interspersed with items in a range of genres. The students involved in the evening performed at an extremely high level, delighting their families and staff with Kapa Haka, Barber Shop, Choral and musical numbers.

In mid-2011, we had a number of boys that medalled at the NZSS Championships, with Matiu Pouri-Lane (Year 11) our sole national champion last year, and member of the NZSS team that toured Australia in September.

Matiu was selected into the NZ Men’s Wrestling team to compete in the 2012 Oceania Championships in Sydney a fortnight ago.  There were wrestlers from throughout New Zealand, Australia and the Pacific Islands competing, and Matiu defeated a top Australian wrestler to win a gold medal in the 58kg Male Cadet Freestyle category.  At the conclusion of the week-long competition, Matiu was also awarded the Top Male Cadet for the tournament, ahead of all 14-17 year old males competing from around Oceania.

We thank Matiu's parents, Pete and Marlene Pouri-Lane, for their unstinting support of wrestling as an emerging code at HBHS, and their efforts to coach and manage our boys in both local and national competitions.

Te Rangi-hao-roa McGrath has won silver as part of the J16 NZ representatives (Aotearoa Takihoe) at the Va’a World Champs (Waka Ama) 2012 in Calgary, Canada.   The competition was held between 11 – 15 August.  Our young men started training for the Worlds Sprints as a crew straight after Secondary School Nationals held in March 2012, they then had to qualify at the Worlds Time Trials held at Lake Karapiro on 6 & 7 April 2012. The team of 12 qualified to attend the Va’a World Sprints in Calgary August 2012.

The team name Aotearoa Takihoe was given to the boys to represent them as a unit but when they had to paddle in two teams the names would be Aotearoa Hoe Awhio and Aotearoa Ki Te Hoe.

The boys will be welcomed at Turangawaewae on Monday, to celebrate this superb achievement.

The HBHS Parents' Association will be hosting an evening at which parents will have the opportunity to meet the Board of Trustee Candidates.  This will be held in the school staff room on Monday 27 May at 7pm.  We hope to see many of you there!  Enquiries about the evening can be emailed to parents@hbhs.school.nz

Every three years all parents of students who are enrolled at Hamilton Boys' High School are invited to vote for the parent representatives of the Board of Trustees for our school.  The voting papers containing the list of candidates have been posted to you by 21 May.  Note that voting closes on 30 May 2013.  More information on the election process can be found on the school website, or by contacting the Returning Officer, Director of Administration Mrs Jan Missen at jmissen@hbhs.school.nz

Over the Easter break, high-achieving Year 11 student Codi Merito competed in the BMX Nationals at Rotorua.  Codi won the New Zealand 15 Year Group Boys National Championship and is also the New Zealand National Champion for 15-16 year-old boys in the cruiser class.  As a result of this, he has qualified to attend the World competition in Birmingham, United Kingdom.  Codi has managed to train for this event as well as maintain his place in six Cambridge classes this year.

Codi leaves for the United Kingdom on Monday 14th May and will return to New Zealand on Friday 1st June.  We wish him every success.