Newsletter for Wednesday 18 September

Kia ora koutou,

Firstly, I would like to acknowledge the Kapa Haka performances by the three roopu/groups that performed today at the Taiopenga Festival. I felt incredibly proud of all the students and would like to thank the staff, including Mrs. Watts and Matua Grant, for their contributions in making these performances such a great success.

Another proud moment for me as a principal was attending the AIMS Games last week with some of our Year 7 & 8 students. It was wonderful to see the camaraderie and support they had for each other. A great example of this was the hockey and basketball teams cheering each other on. Although we couldn’t watch the golf, swimming, or orienteering events, I am proud of all the students who represented Hilltop School in these disciplines. Thank you to the staff and parents for the effort that went into organising the teams for this event and to those who took the time to attend, coach and help over the week. Our students are very fortunate.

Fencing Around the School

Hilltop School will soon be fully fenced as part of the Ministry of Education's Learning Support Property Modifications. The purpose of the fencing is to ensure the safety of all students, especially those who require additional support. Contractors from Strong Fencing will begin work in early October, and the project is expected to take approximately six weeks. The area under construction will be fenced off with temporary barriers and will remain out-of-bounds at all times. The fencing plan below outlines where the permanent fencing will be installed. The school will continue to use the Dell during school hours and lunchtimes, and the community will still have access to the school grounds after hours and on weekends.

Creative Carnival - Lake Taupō Hospice

A few weeks ago, I was fortunate to attend the Creative Carnival, an event showcasing the creativity within our community. All proceeds support Lake Taupō Hospice. Some students in the Year 4 team (Titiraupenga) had fabulous, colourful clown art on display in the foyer.

Other students from Hilltop School entered the Runaway Ringmaster competition (Years 1-6): Leon Lempriere-Webb (Winner), Georgia Lempriere-Webb (Second Place), Gareth McHale,and Holly Kirkland.

"This unique competition calls for school-aged creators to step into the shoes of a circus ringmaster, not just metaphorically but literally, by designing a wearable art outfit that reimagines the classic ringmaster's hat and jacket"

Have a great week,

Ngā mihi nui,

Andrea Hunter

Principal

Basketball Nets

The Hilltop Nets basketball team had an incredible experience at this year’s AIMS Games in Tauranga, where they competed against some of the best young basketball talent from across the country. Over five action-packed days, our team played a total of eight games, showing determination, skill, and teamwork every step of the way.

After two days of intense round-robin matches, the Nets were placed in the Championship Pool, the second-highest division, a huge achievement in such a competitive field. Out of 84 teams, the Hilltop Nets finished with an impressive 32nd place overall! The boys not only played their hearts out but also demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, making their school and community proud.

A special thank you goes out to Coach Rebecca Harvey for her time, skills, and support, and to Manager Paula Flowers for her organisation throughout the entire season. We also want to acknowledge Reuben Lynn for stepping up as our scorekeeper for the season’s games.

The AIMS Games was a fun and positive experience for the boys, and one they will remember for years to come.

AIMS Games hockey tournament - goals, saves and more!

Day 1:We gathered at school at 8:45 a.m. and then drove to Blake Park in Mount Maunganui. At 1:10 p.m., we faced ACG Strathallan College and unfortunately lost 4-2. Afterwards, we headed to our accommodation in Tauranga and settled in. Araminta Morison had prepared a delicious butter chicken for an early dinner, which we enjoyed before our 7:00 p.m. match against St Andrews College. We triumphed 5-2, managing to silence their large cheerleading squad.

Day 2:On Day 2, it was challenging to wake up early after a late game on Monday. We played our local rivals TKKM o Whakarewa I Te Reo Ki Tuwharetoa at 9:00 a.m. and faced a tough defeat, losing 5-0. Post-match, we watched the Hilltop Nets basketball team battle it out against Liston College. Later, we returned to the main turf and secured a 3-1 victory over Papamoa College.

Day 3: On Wednesday morning, we visited Bayfair for our AIMS Games team photo and did a bit of shopping. Our only game of the day was against ACG Tauranga, where we lost 1-0. Despite the loss, we felt content as ACG Tauranga was the stronger team.

Day 4: After a few days of competing in the round-robin phase of our C pool, we advanced to the quarterfinals. Our first match was against Havelock North Intermediate, which we won 3-1. That afternoon, we faced off against St. Joseph's Catholic School in a match that would end in a dramatic shootout. After a tightly contested game, we found ourselves tied 1-1 at the fulltime. A penalty shootout would determine the winner. We selected a team of two girls and three boys to represent us. Our captain, Harry, led the way by converting his penalty, followed by our vice-captain, Catherine. With St. Joseph's only managing one goal, we held a 2-1 advantage. Unfortunately, we missed the remaining penalties, while St. Joseph’s scored another, tying the shootout. In the sudden-death round, Harry stepped up once again and scored the decisive goal. St. Joseph missed their attempt, and we secured a thrilling victory. We had advanced to the Division 2 final and would be playing for 25th and 26th place out of 49 teams.

Day 5 : Today was finals day, and we were playing against Rototuna High School. The game was very tight with the ending score being 1-1 going into another shootout. Harry went first again and made his shot. None of the other players from Hilltop made their shots and sadly Rototuna made 2 which handed the win to them. We ended up placing 2nd in Division 2.

Some of the highlights of the tournament included the delicious food, staying in a spacious house with your mates, and having the chance to play the sport you love for an entire week. Also we got to sneak in a few Bayfair trips as well! One key takeaway from the experience is the importance of taking care of your belongings and giving 110% effort on the field. In terms of hockey, I’ve learned how crucial a hotline press is and when you enter the circle - trigger and take a shot! For future students, if you get the chance given to you, grab it with both hands—it’s an experience you don’t want to miss out on.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to all our hockey supporters for their unwavering support from the sidelines and daily messages. Your encouragement was wonderful.

Janie, who is an exceptional organiser, surprised us daily with unreal packed lunches that were the talk of the event. A huge thank you to our hockey coaches Nikki and Harriet. Your influence from the sideline was huge and you made our week highly enjoyable. We are also incredibly grateful to our camp mums, Araminta and Mrs. Dumble, and our manager Christina for their care and support.

By Harry and Catherine

Orienteering 2024

Lukas Haver, Beau Colebrooke and Quinn Maclachlan made up our team competing in the AIMS Games Orienteering Rogaine course. This was a fantastic opportunity to showcase the team's skills, determination, and teamwork. Participating in and finishing 8th in this event is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the students, who navigated the challenging terrain with focus and strategy.

Golf

Aims was very challenging from driving up, to playing but the difficult part started at Matamata. I had to get up early to drive over the Kaimanawas to get to each golf course. The first day I played 18 holes at Te Puke golf course. It was nice and scenic but the practice greens were packed with lots of kids. The next day I went over the Kaimanawas to the Tauranga golf course. It was quite hilly on some of the holes but I pushed through. Mount Maunganui was an early start because my tee time was 8 am. The only thing I regret not doing is going to the prizegiving because I just wanted to go home because I was tired.

Luca Caira

Swimming

Hayley Harhoff represented Hilltop School in the Swimming at AIMS Games - to be able to participate in this event she had to work hard to meet the qualifying times. She came second in her heat, and gained another PB in her race; 50m Backstroke. Awesome mahi Hayley!