Upcoming Key dates 

• 16 June - Open Day for 2026 enrolments (3.30pm-6.15pm)
• 18 June - Year 13 Health Science Academy Leadership Trip 9am - 1pm
• 19 June - Matariki Boil Up
• 20 June - Matariki (school is closed)
• 27 June - Last day of Term 2
• 14 July - Start of Term 3
• 17 July - Careers EXPO evening & Business School Market night 3.30-6.30pm. Day ends 2.30pm
• 17 July - Course selection opens
• 22 July - Community Education Term starts
• 23 July - Year 13 Fakatoukatea Trip to Wellington
• 24 July - Three Way Conference 2.30-6.30pm. Day end at 1.30pm. 
• 25 July - Three Way Conference 9.00-3.05pm (school closed for 3WC)
• 1 August - Diversity Day 
• 4 August - Course selection closes

Wonderful Evening Celebrating Distinguished Alumni. Last night we were delighted to host an evening to honour and celebrate the achievements of three of our alumni at a Distinguished Alumni Dinner held at the school. View More   A Week of Celebration – Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa This week, Onehunga High School proudly celebrated Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa – Samoan Language Week with a vibrant programme of activities that brought language, culture, and identity to the forefront of school life. View More   Kapa Haka is Back in Full Voice Nau mai rā e te kaiwhakaako Kapa Haka hou, ki te whānau o Te Kura Tuarua o Onehunga. View More   ⭐ Shooting Star – Week 7, Term 2 2025: Daniel Grange (Year 11) – Excellence in Action ⭐ This week’s Shooting Star is Daniel Grange, Year 11 — a student who consistently strives for excellence in all areas of school life. View More   🌟 WEEK 6 SHOOTING STAR: DYLAN REID (YEAR 10) – A TRUE ROLE MODEL 🌟 🌟 🌟 He exemplifies the WAKA values through his integrity, kindness, and commitment to excellence. View More   Art works to Admire and Inspire. Year 13 Art Painting, Art Photography, and Art Design students had the opportunity to visit the current exhibitions at Auckland Art Gallery and Gus Fisher Gallery. View More   No Excuses- Dave Letele and Manu Vatuvei. There are ‘no excuses’, this was the message from Dave Letele and Manu Vatuvei, who spoke with students yesterday. They told students the ‘only person who is stopping you from achieving is you.’ View More   Year 10 Drama Impress With Shakespearean Showcase Students impressed with a lively and well-prepared performance of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. View More   JOIN US FOR THE 40 HOUR CHALLENGE Onehunga High School is taking part in the World Vision 40 Hour Challenge. Students, staff, and whānau are joining thousands across Aotearoa to raise funds and awareness for children in the Solomon Islands facing food insecurity. View More   Level 2 Students Meet Fast Moving Water! L2 PED and PTS students embraced the excitement and challenge of White Water Rafting at Vector Wero Whitewater Park last week. View More   Congratulations Year 10 Business. Congratulations to the Year 10 Business class for successfully hosting a vibrant Market Day on Friday, where they sold a variety of delicious goods to an enthusiastic crowd. View More   Food and Hospitality Students Shine! Ms. Shital Wati, accompanied our students to an event at the Jet Park Hotel on Friday. She was delighted by their performance and wrote: View More   Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa. Samoan Language Week (Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa) is celebrated annually in New Zealand to promote the Samoan language and culture. It is a week-long event filled with activities that celebrate the language, traditions, and identity of Samoan people. View More   Archer Linke to Represent Club and School in National Karate Championships View More   STRONG RESULTS AT AUCKLAND SECONDARY SCHOOLS CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS OHS athletes braved tough conditions at the Auckland Cross Country Champs, with strong performances, several PBs, and two students qualifying for Nationals. View More   MIXED HOCKEY 6s MAKING STRONG PROGRESS View More   RISING STARS IN THE KITCHEN: YEAR 9 MASTERCHEFS IMPRESS WITH PIZZA CREATIONS Our talented Year 9 Masterchef students have just completed a pizza-making assessment. View More

Board Update 

Driving Excellence and Equity Through Our Strategic Vision

The Onehunga High School Board is proud to share a summary of the significant progress made under our three year strategic plan 2024-2026. The positive momentum in our school is a direct result of a clear, board-driven vision focused on fostering excellence, ensuring equity, and enhancing the wellbeing of every student. We believe the following achievements demonstrate the success of our strategic direction and the importance of focused and effective governance and school leadership.

The 2024 academic results are a testament to this commitment. The Board has maintained a strong focus on student achievement, and we are delighted to report NCEA pass rates of 71% at Level 1, 79% at Level 2, and 82% at Level 3. These figures, which sit significantly above national averages, confirm the strength of teaching and learning taking place at OHS. We are excited to share that in 2024 our Asian, Māori, European, Pasifika and all ethnicities were above the national average for NCEA Levels 1, 2 and 3.  A central pillar of our strategic plan is the accelerated achievement of our Māori and Pasifika students. The Board has supported and resourced targeted programmes aimed at closing achievement gaps and fostering an inclusive culture of success.  The impressive results speak for themselves: Pasifika students achieved 71% at Level 1, 77% at Level 2, and 78% at Level 3. Māori students achieved 69% at Level 1, 65% at Level 2, and an outstanding 87% at Level 3. See the table below for further details.

Pasifika male achievement at NCEA Level 3 has increased significantly over time: 27% in 2017 and 2018, 46% in 2019 and 2022, 62.7% in 2023, and 88% in 2024. Māori male achievement at Level 3 has followed a similar trajectory: 38.5% in 2017, 13% in 2018, 33% in 2019, 37.5% in 2022, 62.7% in 2023, and 87% in 2024. These improvements are especially significant given the increased number of Māori and Pasifika males staying through to Year 13 and therefore included in achievement data at each level. They reflect the effective implementation of the Board’s strategic vision through strong leadership, academic mentoring, targeted support, and respectful relationships across the school.

Recognising the need to enrich and stretch for all learners, we are ensuring the school provides appropriate opportunities for acceleration and extension where needed. In 2026, this will include increased scholarship teaching at Level 3 and additional enrichment classes for the junior school.

Beyond academic success, our strategic plan prioritises the creation of a modern, inspiring, and supportive learning environment. The Board has been actively driving a number of key property developments and wellbeing initiatives to ensure our students have the best possible resources and support to thrive. These include:

• Advancing the library rebuild, which is planned to be completed by the start of next year (designs below).

• Scheduling the recladding and joinery replacement of the 22-classroom ABC block for November.
• Refurbishment of Learning Support, to be completed by the end of this year. 
• Initiating planning for new covered tiered seating areas to enhance our outdoor learning and recreational spaces (designs below). 
  

In line with our strategic goal of fostering a safe and inclusive school culture, we are pleased to report that stand-down rates at OHS remain lower than pre-COVID levels. The Board has invested in the Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) framework, which has informed the Learning Culture initiative, underpinned by our WAKA values. Our strategic partnership with the University of Waikato to embed restorative practices is now in its second year, significantly enhancing staff capability to build and maintain respectful relationships across the school community.

The progress outlined above reflects the deliberate efforts of a committed Board working with the Principal and staff to implement a clear and forward-looking strategic plan. We are pleased with the gains made to date and remain focused on continuing this momentum to support the ongoing success of Onehunga High School.

Onehunga High School Board

Sports News

The past couple of weeks have been filled with outstanding sporting moments, as our students continue to give their best across a wide range of codes. From strong performances to impressive displays of leadership, teamwork, and skill, our athletes have represented Onehunga High School with pride and determination — with many great results to celebrate.

Sporting highlights from the past two weeks include:

Auckland Rogaine Championships: Sun 8^th June
Onehunga High School had a small team tackle what is effectively a cross-country orienteering event based out of Muriwai. A mixture of sand dunes and forest made for a complex course.
- Maya Mendis – 15^th Junior Girls
- Louie Gould – 20^th Junior Boys
- Ollie Ren – 21^st Junior Boys
- Xavier White – 3^rd place Intermediate Boys

Team New Zealand Orienteering Trials: 31^st May - 2^nd June
Xavier White attended the NZ team trials over King’s Birthday weekend in Napier.
- Sprint – 1^st Junior Boys
- Middle – 9^th Junior Boys
- Long – 1^st Junior Boys

Auckland School Cross Country Championships: Wed 4^th June
Barry Curtis Park in East Auckland hosted this year’s Cross Country Championships in wet and challenging conditions. Seven students represented Onehunga High School across multiple age groups. Senior Girls Lisa and Sarah Hellyer both qualified for the NZSS National Championships, with Lisa placing 3rd overall. All runners showed great determination and represented the school with pride.

Senior A Girls Basketball
With one loss to Auckland Girls Grammar School in their opening round our Senior A Girls have won four in a row to sit in 2^nd place. OHS will be hosting the undefeated St Mary’s College at home on Friday 13^th June.

Hockey 6s
Onehunga High School Mixed 6s have secured impressive wins over Pakuranga College (9–7) and McAuley High School (6–2), keeping them within reach of the top four in the Auckland Mixed grade. After opening rounds at Lloyd Elsmore Park, the team now shifts to St Cuthbert’s College turf, where they’ll face SC Tartans and SC Black Watch in their next two matches.

Auckland Schools Knock out Cup
Our Senior boys football lost in their 2^nd round match 3-1 vs Orewa College, however our Junior Boys XI have drawn Macleans College away in round 3. Time & date TBC.

NZ Karate Open & NZSS Karate Championships: 28^th-29^th June
Year 9 student Archer Linke will compete in Christchurch at the NZ Open for his dojo and the NZSS Karate Championships for Onehunga High School during the next school holidays — good luck, Archer!

UPCOMING TOURNAMENTS/EVENT:

• NZ Karate Open & NZSS Karate Championships: 28th-29th June Christchurch
• NZSS National Cross country Championships: 14^th-15^th June Whangarei
• NZSS Orienteering Championships – 11^th-13^th July Auckland. Entries close 25^th June

Attendance Matters...

Thank you to all whānau who have worked with us to improve attendance. Your support has helped significantly reduce lateness to school, and we are seeing the positive impact in classrooms.

Regular attendance is a key factor in student success, and there is a clear link between being at school and achieving strong academic outcomes. Ensuring students attend and engage in learning is a shared responsibility, and we appreciate your ongoing partnership.

If your child is going to be absent for any reason, please let us know as early as possible.

You can report your child's absence by:

Before or on the day of absence
 - SchoolBridge App on phone
-  Report absence on the OHS website
-  Email - [email protected]
- Phone - 09-636-6006, and pressing 1 to report a student absence

After the day of Absence
Email - [email protected]
Phone - 09-636-6006, and pressing 1 to report a student absence

We acknowledge that there are genuine reasons students may occasionally be absent. However, without regular attendance your child will struggle to make progress. If your child is absent regularly, or for extended periods, we will reach out to you to discuss the situation. 

We are committed to supporting your child to attend school. If you’re having difficulty getting your child to school, you can ask for support by speaking with your child’s Dean.

We can work with you to develop a support plan that addresses any barriers to regular attendance. More information on attendance, including your rights and responsibilities as parents or caregivers, is available on the Ministry of Education’s webpage: Attendance.

Careers 

Students have continued to enthusiastically participate in our Career Insights Seminars, and this past week we have hosted speakers from a wide range of industries—including Paramedicine, Carpentry, and Nursing. A special thank you to Woodlands, who helped two students interested in joinery learn more about this trade. The students toured the factory and saw some of the exciting shopfitting projects underway. A highlight was hearing from OHS alumna and Woodlands apprentice Darian Shaw about his recent win in the Master Joiners competition.

Coming up in the next fortnight are seminars on Plumbing & Electrical apprenticeships and joining the Defence Forces. OHS alumnua Colin Chan Chui will share his path into Medicine and offer advice to our students considering this pathway. Representatives from Auckland University, Otago University and MIT will be visiting to offer advice on study options and future pathways. There will be a session for Pacific students interested in careers in Health and available scholarships.

Please visit the OHS careers website ohs.careerwise.school for more information about our Careers Expo and Market Day on Thursday, 17 July. This event is a fantastic opportunity for students and whānau to connect with education providers, employers, and advisors to get guidance for future study or employment.

Adult Education

We are coming to the end of another fantastic term of classes at our Adult Learning Centre. We have been particularly busy on Saturday mornings hosting workshops such as Candle Making, Self-Care with Ayurveda and Alcohol Ink, along with our termly Upholstery course which runs over four sessions. There is still time to join our last two Saturday courses for the term so don’t miss out as places are limited:
    - Self Care with Ayurveda - Women's Health Workshop – June 21^st
    - Latte Art Masterclass – June 21^st
Our minds are now turning to our Term 3 programme, which starts in the week beginning 21^st July. We have a huge range of courses available so make sure you browse www.adultlearn.co.nz. There is a $5 discount if you enrol online, which is quick and easy. You can contact us at any time by phone (09 636 9060) or email ([email protected]) if you need any assistance.   
We are particularly excited to celebrate Adults Learners Week in September. Keep an eye out for news on the special events we are planning for this week.

School TV - Parent Resource

CELEBRATING MATARIKI

Matariki marks the Māori New Year and the rising of a distinctive star cluster, also known internationally as the Pleiades. It signals the beginning of te maramataka, the Māori lunar calendar, and traditionally guided the harvesting and storing of crops. The cluster contains nine stars, some faint to the naked eye, and its reappearance in the eastern sky during mid-winter was used to predict the success of the upcoming season. The brighter the stars, the better the harvest.

Matariki is a time to remember those who have passed, to reconnect with whānau, and to reflect on the challenges and opportunities ahead. It is a period of renewal and hope, grounded in tikanga and rich in meaning. As its place in our national calendar grows, Matariki continues to deepen Aotearoa’s understanding of mātauranga Māori and strengthens the connection to the culture indigenous to this land.

The Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa, offers a range of resources to support learning about Matariki. In this special report hear from Myles Ferris, Principal and Māori Education Advisor explain the significance of Matariki and there are links for below.    
- Learn how to find Matariki
- Test your knowledge with a Matariki and maramataka quiz
- Download a Matariki activity book for your younger whānau (ages 5–10)

Special Report: https://ohs.nz.schooltv.me/wellbeing_news/special-report-celebrating-matariki

SCHOOL TV

Alumni Registration / Update details 

We are currently working on building a comprehensive register of Onehunga High School alumni. Our goal is to reconnect with past students, celebrate their achievements, and strengthen the bonds within our school community. Whether you graduated recently or many years ago, we’d love to hear from you and keep you informed about what's happening at OHS today.

By joining our alumni register, you'll have the opportunity to stay connected with former classmates, attend special events, and support the next generation of students. We believe our alumni are an important part of the Onehunga High School story, and we’re excited to celebrate the lasting impact you’ve made. If you're an OHS graduate or know someone who is, please get in touch and help us spread the word!

https://www.ohs.school.nz/history/alumni