Kia ora koutou...

The end of the school term concludes this Friday 5th July at 2.15pm, so you are free to collect your son from 2.15pm on Friday through until 5.30pm when the Hostel will close for the term, at both Argyle and Grove. There will be no evening meal on Friday.

Both Argyle House and Grove will re-open from 5.30pm on Sunday 21st July. There will be no evening meal on Sunday evening. Can all families please complete an Orah leave request this week, with your son’s return day and time. To ensure a settled start to the new school term, we would expect all boys to have returned by 7.30pm on Sunday 21st July. Thank you for your support.

Report Evening and Academic Support:

The mid-year Parent-Teacher Report Evening for Years 9-13 is scheduled for Thursday 25th July, Week 1 Term 3, in Gymnasium 1, from 3.15-7.00pm. Appointment bookings will be open to all parents and caregivers online this week. If you have any concerns about your son’s academic performance after you have met with your son’s teachers then please feel free to email Mr Andy Thomson, Dean of Boarding, who will provide you with the necessary advice and guidance. Andy’s email address is athomson@hbhs.school.nz

Years 9 and 10 subject reports will be uploaded onto the parent portal this week.

Curriculum Evening:

Term 3 is a very important time of the year as all students think carefully about their subject options for 2025, and our senior students begin to prepare for practice exams in September.

The Curriculum Evening is being held in Week 2, on Wednesday 31st July. It is compulsory for all current Years 9-12 boarders to attend. The school invites all parents and caregivers to attend with their son. Staff from every department in the school will be present in Gymnasium 1 to discuss courses, requirements and pathways. Our Careers Teacher, Gateway Staff and Academic Mentors will be available throughout the evening, as will representatives from the University of Waikato and WINTEC. It will be extremely beneficial to all our boys allowing them to make informed decisions for 2025.

Senior Exams:

Senior exams are scheduled for Week 8 Term 3, commencing Wednesday 11th September, concluding on Friday 20th September, for students in Years 11, 12 and 13. Students can take study leave during this period, as there are no set classes for senior students during the exam period. Should your son decide to remain on-site within the Hostel he will be required to complete compulsory, staff-supervised study sessions from 9.00am-12.00pm each weekday morning for the duration of Senior Exams.

Intentions for 2025:

Thank you to the large majority of parents and caregivers that have already completed and returned their son’s intentions for 2025. If your son is currently in Years 9 -12, then please download, print, scan and return the Intentions Form (see in newsletter article below) to Mrs Katrina McLaughlin by Friday 6th September. This will allow Hostel management to determine how many places need to be filled for 2025. Applications for Years 10-13 2025 Hostel places close on Friday 20th September 2024 with interviews arranged to fill the gaps thereafter. The prompt return of your Intentions Form is essential to enable the Hostel to offer placements for Years 10-13 as early as possible. Thank you for your support. 

Matthew Allen Cup & House Competition:

These two competitions are a very special part of Hostel and School life. The Senior Leaders, Prefects and Junior House Leaders do a tremendous job leading the boys and running the Matthew Allen Cup events that precede the school House competition events. The Matthew Allen Cup competition between Bennett and Sutherland continues to be very close with Henry Seavill’s Bennett House only 2 points ahead of Tom Martin’s Sutherland House, leading 12 - 10. The first House event of Term 3 is Chess, in Week 2, so the boys need to be practicing their chess skills over the holiday break!

Argyle House is still at the top of the leaderboard in the School House competition, 6½ points ahead of our nemesis, Wilson House. The final event of Term 2 was House Rowing, where we placed second to Steel House by 0.5 seconds, with Wilson in third place, in an event where two rowers completed an erg distance of 500m and the remaining six members completed 250m each. So close! A huge thanks to Argyle House Captain and Deputy House Captain, Stefan Newman and Jay Wilson, for their organisational skills in getting our team together, and to Mr Cam Moorby, Grove Master, for coordinating the boys in conjunction with Stefan and Jay.

Movies for Good Behaviour:

Ms Wendy Moffitt (Argyle Assistant Master) and Murray McKenzie (Director of Boarding) will be taking the boys who had a perfect record of behaviour for the entirety of Term 1, to the movies on Tuesday evening to see ‘Inside Out 2’. A well-deserved reward for their positive citizenship consistently displayed over the first ten weeks of 2024.

Set Leaves in Term 3:

This is a reminder of the two Set Leave dates in Term 3: Friday 9th - Sunday 11th August (Week 3) and Friday 30th August - Sunday 1st September (Week 6). The Hostel will close at 5.30pm on the Friday afternoon and re-open at 5.30pm on the Sunday. No evening meal is provided on a Sunday evening.

This is our final newsletter of Term 2. I hope you enjoy reading and seeing the many positive activities and events that take place within Argyle House. I'm sure you will enjoy some quality time with your sons over the holiday period.  

A reminder that the final sports exchange of 2024, against Tauranga Boys’ College, is scheduled for this Thursday 4th July, with all fixtures being played here at Hamilton Boys’ High School. 

We look forward to seeing all our boys return safely and refreshed ready for the start of the new school term.

Ngā mihi

Murray McKenzie

Director of Boarding

021 516 477