Onehunga High School News

Tēnā koutou, ki te whānau o Onehunga High School

At Onehunga High School, we are committed to guiding students as they explore and develop their passions and talents. We’re proud of our students in all aspects of school life, and this dedication was clearly reflected during Tournament Week. Our athletes demonstrated loyalty and courage, even when the odds were against them. Beyond sports, another passion is the STEM-focused Tournament of Minds. This problem-solving program challenges students to think critically and creatively, and our team is headed to Wellington this weekend to represent us at the national level—good luck to them! This evening we are also in the Auckland Grand finals for Theatresports, a remarkable achievement for the team, who have pursued their love of the performing arts with great commitment.

I am also delighted to see Head Student Magdalene Ieremia-Apelu pursuing her passion for business. This week, it was a significant achievement when she was selected as one of five national secondary students to announce the Business Hall of Fame inductees. Both The Rt Hon Prime Minister Christopher Luxon and Rt Hon Christopher Hipkins congratulated her on her outstanding speech. This experience was both motivating and inspirational for Magdalene. As she heads to university next year, we look forward to watching her continue to pursue her business dreams.

There is a place at OHS for all students, and it is the diversity of interests and activities like these that truly enrich the experience for everyone.

Some highlights from the past fortnight:

Senior Māori students accompanied by Matua Anthony Keung and Kuia Aubrey Mason have witnessed history by attending the tangihanga proceedings of the Māori Kingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero in Ngāruawāhia. This was a profound experience for our students who will remember and treasure it for the rest of their lives.
We have enjoyed an evening of outstanding contemporary Dance Showcase this week.
A group of OHS Year 12 potential leaders joined students from six other schools for the Leadership Diversity Day at the Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae at Unitec last week

Last Friday, Onehunga High School had the privilege of hosting a showcase organised by Lalaga – Te Iti Kahurangi, a Māori and Pacific whānau-led support group. This whānau-driven event allowed our students to truly shine as they celebrated their cultural identities and talents with pride. It was wonderful to meet so many of our future students and their whānau. The evening was a testament to the strength of our community, where we came together as one to honour and support our young people. I want to extend my sincere appreciation to the whānau and teachers who made this event possible. Seeing our students engage with the younger generation, showing such care and kindness, was a source of great pride for me.

Next week marks the start of the exam season, with the CAA exams and derived grade exams beginning next Friday. This is a critical time for our senior students, and I encourage everyone to stay focused and well-prepared. Take advantage of the support from your teachers, make a study plan, and don’t hesitate to ask questions. Study groups and revising key concepts will go a long way to ensure success. By staying organised and maintaining a balanced approach, our students will be well-equipped to achieve their best.

Have a great weekend.

Shameen Hayat
PRINCIPAL

Dancers Captivate Audience.

Last night senior students performed at the Dance Showcase evening held at school. The audience was captivated by the talent on show.

Lalaga Event Delights.

What a wonderful community our Kahui Ako is. OHS hosted the Lalaga event on Friday night. Over 1000 people attended the event. The evening was cool and the hall was hot, the atmosphere was warm, supportive and celebratory.

Māori Students Show Respect and Witness History.

Senior Māori students accompanied by Matua Anthony Keung and Kuia Aubrey Mason have witnessed history by attending the tangihanga proceedings of the Māori Kingi Tūheitia Pōtatau Te Wherowhero in Ngāruawāhia.

Year 10 Forensic Scientists.

Who stole the Arc Reactor from the OHS Science Department? This is the hypothetical scenario students are grappling with.

Year 12 Attend Leadership Diversity Day.

A group of OHS Year 12 potential leaders joined students from six other schools for the Leadership Diversity Day at the Te Noho Kotahitanga Marae at Unitech last week.

Year 9 Students Win Tournament of Minds!

Year 9 Students Win STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) category of Auckland Region, Tournament of Minds!

Students to Attend World Tsunami Awareness Summit.

Five senior students from OHS accompanied by Ms Elianna Gabriel have been selected to attend the High School Student Summit on World Tsunami Awareness Day in Kumamoto Japan in October.

Careers

This week students interested in exploring the trades visited Techpark, MIT’s trades training facility. They learnt about programmes in trades such as automotive technologies, mechanical engineering and carpentry to name a few. Our students were impressed by some of the best trade-related tech in the country - and equally excited to hear about the hourly rates of recent graduates! A number of them have been inspired to apply for the Trades scholarships and programmes at Techpark for 2025. The following day, students were invited to a seminar at school hosted by the Apprenticeships Training Trust, which helped students to learn more about specific opportunities and apprenticeships in Electrical, Plumbing, Gas fitting, and Drainlaying.

Sporting Highlights

Winter Tournament Week has seen eight Onehunga High School sports teams competing across five codes spread over the motu.
Results overview (to date)

Girls 1st XI Football: National Premier Tournament, Nelson - 17th / 18th
Boys 1st XI Football: Rex Dawkins Tournament, Napier - 19th / 20th
Junior Boys Football XI: Hillsdene Tournament, Tauranga - 18th
Senior Netball: UNISS Tournament, Waitakere - C Grade 15th / 16th
Junior Boys Basketball: Premier Zone 1, Papakura - 19th.
Senior Badminton: NZSS National Championships, Porirua - 16th Division 2
Senior Girls Basketball: Northern Regional Cup, Waitakere - 4th
Senior Boys Rugby League: NZSS National Championships, Papakura 18th

Voice of Rangitahi Survey
In partnership with Sport New Zealand and Sport Auckland, I initiated the Voice of the Rangitahi (VoR) survey as part of the first stage of my review of sports here at Onehunga High School. The survey has been developed to understand how rangitahi (young people) experience sport and physical activity within and around a secondary school setting.

I am interested in capturing data from those that play sports for the school, those that only play sports outside of school but more importantly, those students that do not participate at all. I can hopefully identify some patterns around engagement and what we as a school can offer to get more students being active. The link was sent out to all students in Year 9, 10 & 11 and to senior students taking Health.
The next stage will be a similar survey for our staff and community coaches.

College Sports Auckland Road Race
Onehunga High School runners had a good showing at the recent Championships held at Bruce Pulman Park. It was prime conditions for running which made for some quick times across all the grades. Lisa Helyer was able to take top spot in the competitive Intermediate Girls grade. Well done to all our runners on the day.

JuniorBoys 4km:
47^th Xavier White 16:04min
Intermediate Girls 4km:
1^st Lisa Hellyer 13:38min
10^th Sarah Hellyer 14:27min
Intermediate Boys 4km:
34^th Reese Kilpatrick 13:46min

Orienteering
Xavier White will be heading to Sydney, Australia next week to take his spot in the 2024 NZ Secondary Schools Orienteering team. Xavier will be suiting up in the Junior Boys Harua team that will contest the Southern Cross Challenge and the Australian Schools Championships from 28th September to 6th October. The event is being held in Armidale, NSW, utilising the amazing granite terrain of the Northern Tablelands. To follow Xavier’s progress head to the event website: https://aoc2024.com.au/
Good luck Xavier!

Winter Sports Rankings
Badminton - Term 2 Boys: Central Advanced - 8th
Badminton - Term 2 Girls: Central Advanced - 6th
Basketball - Senior Boys: Central West Boys Open A - 4th
Basketball - Senior Girls: Girls Open A - 2nd; Greater Auckland Open A - 4th
Basketball - U17 Boys: Central West U17 B - 3rd
Basketball - Junior Boys A: Central West Junior Boys B - 2nd
Basketball - Junior Boys B: Central West Junior Boys D - 2nd
Football - Girls 1st XI: Premier Girls - 12th; APC Cup - 5th Division 2
Football - Junior Girls: Central Junior B - 3rd
Football - Boys First XI: Senior A3 - 6th
Football - Boys 2nd XI: Central Senior B Plate - 6th
Football - Junior Boys A: Central East 14A2 - 1st
Football - Junior Boys B: Central East 14B - 7th
Hockey - Mixed A: Auckland Mixed Term 2 - 3rd; Auckland Mixed Term 3 - 3rd
Netball - Senior Girls: Senior A - 9th
Netball - Year 10: Year 10B - 9th
Netball - Year 9: Year 9D - 2nd
Rugby - Boys 1st XV: 1B Plate - 2nd
Rugby - Boys U15: Auckland U15B: Pool 2 3rd
Rugby - Girls 10s: Auckland 10s Championship - 1st

From the International Department

2024 has been our busiest year for the International Department since the Covid-19 pandemic. A heartfelt thank you to all our homestay families and our wonderful student buddies who have made this experience unforgettable for our international students. The feedback from our visiting students has been overwhelmingly positive, highlighting both their time at school and their homestay experience. We are also pleased to see many of the visiting schools rebooking for 2025.

Here is some great feedback:
Ching-Yu (Celina): “Anything are very great. Host family was super great. The view was very wonderful and buddies were very kind to me. I’m very happy I can be here.”
Chao (Andy): “There wasn’t anything that could have made it better. I feel great.”
Chang-Yu (Ryan): “My happiest time was when we went to sky tower and when we ate BBQ when we arrived to home.”
Qiuzijie (Jack): “every day was a very happy day with my family. But the happiest day is when we had picnic at the park together. That day, I try some new food and we can have our dinner among the animals”
Shao (Ivy): “How time flies! I’ll go back to China soon but I don’t want to leave here. I’m lucky to meet such a lovely and kind host family Nana. And Nana cooks well! I’ll never forget. I hope we can have communications after I go back to China. Love Nana!”
Hikaru: “I spent my first birthday in New Zealand without a family company. My host family cooked a big dinner and gave me an unforgettable birthday party.”
Rio: “My home mom is very nice; I will miss her.”
Yoshimi: “I really love my homestay family. They take good care of me. They are the best homestay family.”
Grace and Amanda: “My homestay family made delicious lunch and dinner and we played fun games and went beach walk with them. My homestay family is perfect. I had a lot of fun. I’ll miss them so much. Love them all.”