Hamilton Boys' High School

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Hamilton Boys' High School
Image:hbhscrest.jpg
Motto Sapiens fortunam fingit sibi
Type State single-sex boys, Secondary (Year 9-15) with Boarding Facilities
Year established 1911
Address Private Bag 3201, Hamilton
Principal Susan Hassall (Headmaster)
School roll 1643
Socio-economic decile (10 is high) 8
Ministry of Education Institution no. 131
Website www.hbhs.school.nz

Hamilton Boys' High School is a boys' secondary school in Hamilton, New Zealand. The school was established as Hamilton High School in 1911 but was later split into separate boys' and girls' schools. The school crest features a lion, sash and star, and bears the motto "sapiens fortunam fingit sibi" which translates to "a wise man carves his own fortune". The school colours are black and red.

Most of the school's approximately 1600 students are day boys from Hamilton and surrounding townships such as Cambridge, Te Awamutu, and Morrinsville. Around 120 boys are housed in an onsite boarding hostel - Argyle House, which forms one of the six houses into which the school is divided.

In 1999 the school hit the news when it appointed a female Headmaster - Susan Hassall - the first boys' school in New Zealand to do so.

Contents

[edit] Academic

Under the previous Bursary regime, Hamilton Boys' High School students often gained a significant number of A grades and scholarships. Now, under the National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) qualification regime, such statistics are less meaningful. With the advent of the state run NCEA, Hamilton Boys' High School has adopted the Cambridge International Examinations for its top students.

In recent years students from the school have been awarded the top mark in New Zealand in Mathematics, History of Art and Māori examinations.

[edit] Sport

Hamilton Boys' High School fields a number of sports teams in a variety of codes. In recent years it has won the New Zealand secondary schools competitions for rowing , cricket, touch rugby, rugby sevens and clay target shooting. Its football, rugby and hockey teams are also often in the top ten teams in New Zealand. Its Under 15 rugby team has been one of the most successful in New Zealand, appearing in 8 national finals (only Auckland Grammar School and the now defunct St Stephen's School have appeared in more), however it has never won this competition.

In particular, the school has won the Gillette Cup for schoolboy cricket twice since it was established in 1990, and it has won the Maadi Cup for rowing Eights four times and the Springbok Shield for Fours seven times.

The school is one of the Super 8 schools.

Hamilton Boys' High School competes regularly against another Hamilton school, St Paul's Collegiate. The two schools are traditional foes, and games between them generate intense but good-natured rivalry.

The rugby fields are also noted for easily turning almost bog-like.

[edit] Houses

Hamilton Boys' High School currently has six houses. All of the day boy houses are named after former headmasters of the school.

  • Tait - Red
  • Taylor - Green
  • Wilson - Blue
  • Steel - Grey
  • Baigent - Yellow
  • Argyle - Black

[edit] Enrolment

Like all previously selective state schools, Hamilton Boys' High School operates an enrolment scheme.

Enrolment was traditionally by academic examination followed by an interview. Alternatively a student might be enrolled if he had a family connection to the school. The school still examines new students but only for the purposes of streaming students.

[edit] Notable Old Boys

As well as a number of All Blacks and All Whites, the following people are Old Boys of Hamilton Boys' High School:

[edit] Headmasters

  • Eben Wilson MA, OBE 1911 - 1937
  • Harold Tait MA 1938 - 1957
  • Aubrey Baigent MA, BCom 1958 - 1969
  • Richard Taylor MA 1970 - 1979
  • Tony Steel MA (hons) 1980 - 1989
  • James Bennett DipEd, MNZM, JP 1990 - 1999
  • Susan Hassall MA (hons), DipTchg 1999 -

[edit] External links

Super 8 schools

Gisborne Boys' High School | Hamilton Boys' High School | Hastings Boys' High School | Napier Boys' High School | New Plymouth Boys' High School | Palmerston North Boys' High School | Rotorua Boys' High School | Tauranga Boys' College |
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