Havelock North High School (usually abbreviated HNHS) is a co-ed secondary school in Havelock North, New Zealand

New Zealand

New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

. HNHS is host to a number of international full-fee paying students.

HNHS has a head boy and head girl chosen by the Form 7 (Year 13) students at the start of the year as well as the secretary. HNHS is split into 4 houses

House system

The house system is a traditional feature of British schools, and schools in the Commonwealth. Historically, it was associated with established public schools, where a 'house' refers to a boarding house or dormitory of a boarding school...

 which compete against each other during the year in events such as a swimming sports, an athetics event and house choir.

Havelock North High School 1XI Girls Cricket Team were the national secondary school girls cricket team title holder in 2008. HNHS also hosted the national orienteering secondary school girls champions in 2008.

Houses

The Houses are named after trees found in New Zealand.

• Tainui (yellow)
• Kauri (blue)
• Rata (red)
• Miro (orange)

House activities

Throughout the year, the four houses compete in a variety of sporting, cultural and academic events. Points are awarded both on individual success and collective house participation. The house with the most points is declared that years winner, and a symbolic patu

Patu

A patu is a generic term for a club or pounder used by the Māori, the indigenous people of New Zealand. The word patu in the Māori language means to strike, hit, beat, or subdue. .- Weapons :...

 is presented to representatives of the winning house at the end of year prizegiving.

The house events include:

• Swimming Sports
• Athletic Sports
• Year 13 camp
• House Quiz
• House Theater Sports
• House Choir
• House Kapa haka
  Kapa haka
  The term Kapa haka is commonly known in Aotearoa as 'Maori Performing Arts' or the 'cultural dance' of Maori people...
  
  
• Army Challenge

The introduction of several new events over recent years, (such as house quiz), are an attempt to expand house competition to beyond the traditional confines of sporting activities.

Notable alumni

• Jarrod Cunningham
  Jarrod Cunningham
  Jarrod Cunningham was a New Zealand rugby union fullback, who died from Motor Neurone Disease.Born in Hawke's Bay, Cunningham played for his home town rugby club from 1990 to 1997, during which time he was trialed for the All Blacks in 1993, but was kept out of the side by Andrew Mehrtens...
  
   - former New Zealand maori rugby, london Irish, Wellington Hurricanes, Auckland Blues and Hawkes Bay Fullback.
• Greg Murphy
  Greg Murphy
  Greg Murphy is a racing driver, best known as a four-time winner of the Bathurst 1000. Greg Murphy joined Jeremy Clarkson and Richard Hammond presenting Top Gear, when it had its first international Live show at ASB Showgrounds in Auckland from February 12 - 15th 2009, and again when the show...
  
   - V8 supercar driver
• Geoff Sewell - former opera singer with Amici Forever
  Amici Forever
  Amici Forever is a band of four classically trained singers who mix opera with pop music . The band's first album, The Opera Band , reached number one on the Australian classical charts, number two on the United States classical charts and the top 5 in the United Kingdom classical...
  
  
• William Trubridge
  William Trubridge
  William Trubridge is a world champion and double world record holding free-diver from New Zealand.Trubridge currently holds the world record in the Free Immersion and the Constant Weight without fins disciplines, and is the first human ever to break the 100m barrier unassisted.World Records:•...
  
  - current free-diving world record holder