Sir Edmund Hillary Middle School has four houses consisting of students from Year 7 and 8.
Each House is a Māori God and also represents a corresponding colour:
Tūmatauenga = Red In Māori mythology, Tū or Tūmatauenga (Māori: ‘Tū of the angry face’) is the god of war, hunting, food cultivation, fishing and cooking. All war-parties were dedicated to him, and he was treated with the greatest respect and awe.
Tāwhirimātea = Yellow In Māori mythology, Tāwhirimātea (or Tāwhiri) is the god of weather, including thunder and lightning, wind, clouds and storms. He is a son of Papatūānuku (earth mother) and Ranginui (sky father).
Tangaroa = Blue In Māori mythology, Tangaroa (also Takaroa) is one of the great gods, the god of the sea. He is a son of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, Sky and Earth.
Tāne Mahuta = Green In Māori mythology, Tāne (also called Tāne Mahuta, Tāne nui a Rangi, and several other names) is the god of forests and of birds, and the son of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, the sky father and the earth mother, who lie in a tight embrace.
Students compete throughout the year for House points with the winning House Leader receiving the House Shield at End of Year Prizegiving.
Students gain points from:
- sporting events such as swimming sports and athletics sports.
- cultural events such as the Haka Competition.
- Individual students can also earn merit points for their House through service.
The progression students make by working together helps to build the culture of the school and students work for not only themselves but also one another which builds the character of each student.