News and events for the week ending 24th May 2019 Friday 24th May 2019 Opening words from the Executive PrincipalKia ora tatou, good afternoon, 你好, 안녕하세요 We have had a succession of children of all ages peering through the fence wires of our new Library building site this week as the steel arrived and the size of the building has been revealed. Mrs Heighton’s Year 5 class have been monitoring progress with their iPads for us, and have decided that the steel frame looks like it’s been completed to a high standard. Meanwhile, all of us have been taking detours to watch the action. It’s exciting! We’re still on course for an October completion (fingers crossed), and we can’t wait for it to be finished. A quick well done to our Year 6 students, who have been sitting progression tests all week. We try to make sure that they aren’t too anxious about these, but we’ve been delighted with their approach. Initial results suggest that they’ve done well, and I hope that they have a restful weekend. To all of our senior students sitting exams next week: good luck, prepare well, and try not to worry too much. The important thing is to prepare properly because the exams will not give you any useful information if you haven’t revised, and to do your best, remembering that there’s plenty of time after the exams to improve any areas that you haven’t done so well in. So no panicking and no late nights. You need your rest too. I’m actually going to manage a shorter message this week (after failing to live up to this promise last week), but I thought I’d finish with something that’s very dear to my heart: reading in general and literature in particular. I teach a Year 12 English Literature class, a lovely group of students who are always the highlight of my week. Every now and then, they’re lucky enough to have to listen to me tell them that literature is not only the most important thing in the world, but is life itself! I may perhaps be exaggerating (only a little), but there’s a serious point here: reading poetry, novels and plays, especially those that challenge us and make us reflect, gives us experiences and ideas that we would otherwise not be exposed to. Other worlds and other characters make our synapses spark and forge new connections, just as meeting other people and seeing other places make our mind expand. Language is also our gateway to understanding. In order to develop precise, sophisticated ideas, we need the tools to express them. None of this is revolutionary or new, of course. I apologise if it feels like I’m stating the obvious. But it is perhaps easier for some of us in the evening to pick up our phones, tablets or computers than it is to get out a book and read. Tonight, if you have the chance, it would be great if you could sit down with your son or daughter, take out a book, and read. It doesn’t matter if you’re reading together or reading separately: just that you’re reading. And if you’re seeing this and thinking “we do that anyway”, that’s brilliant. In my own home tonight, I’ll be joining you, reading some poetry by Thomas Hardy, letting the words trip off my tongue and annoying my daughters as I insist on reading aloud to them. Have a lovely weekend. WEEK 5 Monday 27th May
Tuesday 28 May
Wednesday 29th May
WEEK 6 Monday 3rd June
Tuesday 4th June
Wednesday 5th June
Thursday 6th June
Friday 7th June
如需阅读校长的中文留言和重要事件日期,请点击此处 Kia Ora, This week has flown by and we are already approaching the second half of Term 2. There have been many highlights, not least of which was the paper plane lunchtime activity organised by the Year 6 student leaders. The planes came in all shapes and sizes, some were marvels of modern engineering as they glided through the air and others were much better launched as rockets! Many students could rattle off facts about planes and flights to far off countries, some were more interested in finding the highest point on the climbing frame and letting them go. Everyone, including the adults had lots of fun and it was an excellent opportunity for our leaders to have the experience of planning and organising an activity. I must admit to really enjoying flying the planes that were offered to me and also the dance show in the middle of it all from David in P2, he has the moves for sure! Year 6 have now completed their ‘mock’ Cambridge Progression Tests in Maths, English and Science and are eagerly awaiting their results. They will sit the official Cambridge Checkpoint tests in Week 1 of Term 4 and so we give them the opportunity to practice sitting a test and answering under timed conditions. The data we gather is useful for students and their parents but is most valuable to us as teachers. It allows us to drill down and look for gaps we can work with and make sure that we teach and provide opportunities for consolidation over the next term. We are looking forward to the Year 4-6 music concert on Tuesday at 3:30pm in the Arena and also the arrival of Harold and the Life Education van. Our facilitator Corinne is an excellent teacher and skillfully delivers lessons on well-being and health to all of our students over the time she is here, with the help of Harold the giraffe of course! Have a lovely weekend. Ngā mihi Sian Coxon, Principal of Primary Shadows in P9This week in P9 for Science we have been learning all about how shadows are formed. We looked at how a solid object needs to block a light source in order for a shadow to form and how the location of the light source affects where the shadow forms. We learnt three new scientific terms opaque, translucent and transparent which help us to decide whether an object will produce a shadow when a light source is shone onto it. Next, we made predictions about whether an object is opaque, translucent or transparent and then tested our predictions by conducting mini science investigations to see whether a shadow forms. We have been having lots of fun creating our own shadow puppets and using shadows to trace objects. Hot and Cold Colours in P11This week, P11 have been learning about hot and cold colours. We can identify these on a colour wheel and are now learning how to blend these colours together using a paint brush. On Wednesday we used yellow, orange and red to create a sunset effect by blending yellow at the top, orange in the middle and red at the bottom. With our 'cold' colours we created some awesome flower effects. We watered down our paint and dipped some string into the paint. We then layed the string down on the page and quickly pulled the string down the page to create our artwork. Check them out!! Problem Solving in P19In between exams this week P19 have been keeping their brains working with some complex math problems. These problems require the students to tap in to a broad range of math and logic skills to be able to solve. They also usually need multiple tries to get them right! With some quite restrictive rules, there are no tricks or loop holes to make the solution simple. They often have to try multiple different ways to solve a problem before getting it correct, having to learn each time they are not correct and alter what they have It is a great way to build up resilience when faced with challenges in their learning. Try some yourself here!
Paper Plane Lunchtime EventAn aerodynamic display was witnessed on Thursday in the Primary as over 400 paper planes were sent flying across the sky. The sun shone, and paper planes were spotted flying up, over and through an obstacle course of hula hoops. The Primary Council members were given a class to look after and spent the first quarter of the lunchtime helping eager pilots create their planes. Then up to the field we all went. Mrs Du Toit provided the soundtrack for us with all the songs related to ‘flight’ in some way. Competitions took place to see who could fly their plane the furthest. Although we didn’t quite match the world record of 69.14 metres some planes managed to travel to great heights and distances. We look forward to challenging ourselves to maybe some more complex designs the next time we spend our lunchtimes launching into flight. Senior Primary MandarinYear 5 and Year 6 Chinese First Language (CFL) Mums of our Y5 and Y6 CFL students received lovely poems written by our talented students. Year 5 Mandarin as Foreign Language (MFL) Y5 MFL students has been busy designing their own Drink Menu and learning to order drinks in Mandarin in a Chinese café. Scientists in ActionScience always seems to be more engaging when students have equipment to use. Having the opportunity to test out their own questions and explore their own “What if?” is real science in action. This week Year 3 students used electrical circuits to test materials to determine whether they were conductors or insulators. Year 5 investigated reflection using light boxes and mirrors. They explored the statement ‘the angle of incidence is always equal to the angle of reflection’, by measuring the reflected light lines. Wonder Project UpdateExcitement was in the air when Year 6 students donned the uniform of safety glasses and hi-vis vests to test their rockets. To get our rockets into the air we need to use force and motion – just as Issac Newton described in his first law. We do this by adding air and water into the bottle. When you pump air into the bottle, it bubbles up through the water and pressurises the empty space above. When the bottle is released, the pressurised air forces the water out of the bottle sending it into the air. Once the water is gone the bottle will stop moving and fall back to the ground, because the force of gravity is stronger. Students conducted tests on a bottle with varying amounts of water. Too little, and you won’t have enough thrust. Too much, and the rocket will be too heavy for lift off. Back in the classroom we analysed each launch by viewing video footage and came to a decision as to what the perfect water level is. We can now proceed with the testing of cone and fin design. Keeping in mind that rockets need to be lightweight, students will need to think carefully about the materials they choose and limit the amount of glue and tape used. More challenges and wondering…and testing to come. I Spy in the PrimaryI Spy....Maths in Year 2! I Spy …. lots of paper planes! I Spy...balancing in Year 1! I Spy....writing in Year 3! Kia Ora, The autumn sun continues to shine allowing our students to enjoy being outside for much of this term. It also allows us to continue to run our lunchtime activities without interruption. This year the Sports Council have set up five staff vs student challenges. On Tuesday we enjoyed the football challenge which resulted in the fair result of a draw. The students remain undefeated this year, with the staff looking forward to the next sport on offer. It is important during our mid-year examination week that students continue their normal activities as much as possible. Whether it is music practice or sports practice it is incredibly valuable to step away from their study to take time to recharge and do something that provides a positive outlet. Our fixtures and events will continue uninterrupted throughout the week. As a school we are closely monitoring the students and encouraging them to have confidence approaching their mid-year examinations. If you have any concerns about your son or daughter, please do not hesitate to contact the relevant staff. Yesterday Mr Johansen and I travelled to Wellington for the Independent Schools of New Zealand Student Well-being Conference. The day was spent discussing the needs of students, the challenges young people face today, and the structures that schools have in place to support students. It was a very useful day as we gained some new ideas that we will look to implement to further support our students. It was also rewarding to see how well we are placed in this area as a school. Many other independent schools shared their systems and it became evident that we are strongly placed in this area. With continued focus we will continue to lead in the vital area of student well-being. Ngā mihi, Chris Wiggin and Kieran Verryt Principals of College Staff vs Students Football MatchOn Wednesday lunchtime the staff took on a student team, organised by Nathan Donnell, Oliver Benson and Claudia Goodacre. The match was 8-a-side and was a high quality battle. The students scored first, however the staff battled back with a surprising goal from Mr Hoang. The students held on for a 1 all draw, helped by some atrocious finishing or, ‘lack of’ from Mr Quirk. The Sports Council also organised a sausage sizzle during lunchtime. This coupled with the ‘Christie Cup’ and means that the students raised an extra $438 for the Christchurch Attacks Fund. The next staff vs student fixture will be Volleyball. The students lead 1.5 – 0.5 in the 5 match series. Hopscotch Budgeting in Year 9This week Mrs Rea’s Commerce class designed a game to apply their new skills about budgeting. They spent a considerable amount of time designing their game, and had a chance in class to put into practise their game in the sunshine this morning. Senior College at Auckland Writers FestivalAS and A2 English Literature students recently got the amazing opportunity to attend the Auckland Writers Festival. Students were intrigued and captivated by a vast range of speakers, one of them being Mark Zusak, the author of The Book Thief. Zusak entertained us with his hilarious stories about his life which inspired and helped him write his world-renowned books. - Aylana Francis-Darrah, Year 13 MUNA (Model United Nations Assembly)Three senior Pinehurst students (Aylana Francis-Darrah, Arden Callagher and Charlotte Percival) recently attended a two day conference at Auckland Girls Grammar where “we learnt more than we could have imagined about world politics”. Students were asked to choose two actual UN remits, to research and speak to the assembly their national views. The two Remits chosen by our students were “The UN members state to implement disarmament to avoid future conflicts” and “The UN members to establish parameters against racism and hate speech and implement guidelines for
dealing with the issue”. Pinehurst represented the ambassadors of the country of Ukraine. Their job was to research the Ukrainian government point of view and to express their opinion appropriately to the assembly. Hockey 1st XIThe quenched dazzling rays behind the western goal gave way to the unrelenting but pleasant inky autumnal darkness. Long Bay and Pinehurst gathered ceremonially within these almost perfect conditions, Pinehurst huddled in closely like a raft of penguins. “Start with a bang!” was the order of the day, and as the russet leaves gently whispered along the fringes of the pitch the succinctly audible Year 13 barked instructions. The bang was more of a crisp click as Toby snatched a goal from young Harry. The Pinehurst machine was fired up and the team all rallied for the cause. The young men in defence and mid-field provided a wealth of ammunition for the front line. Dong Ook slammed in a cracker and in the next few minutes Ollie scored as he dominated the box. Ollie then continued to maintain this subjugated regime creating a menace for Long Bay and opportunities for Pinehurst. Captain Nathan tore through the men in blue and scored a goal from the edge of the zone. Pinehurst were cohesive, coherent and cooperative. The youngsters followed instructions, Year 12 and 13 provided leadership and expertise, and all the team made a grand effort. William, in particular made some seriously good plays, as did other players in the mid-field. The previous goal scorers all added a second to their tallies, except Ollie who was doing his best to help Townsend. The Long Bay goalie seemed intent of stopping everything Harry fired at him. Even the threat of him having to catch a bus home did not enhance the outcome for ‘No Goal Harry’ but with his usual English quips and stoic resolve we await the ‘Return of Harry’ imminently. Long Bay fought hard and were a fine bunch of chaps who never tired and never ceased to probe Pinehurst points of vulnerability. Eventually they were (rightly) rewarded and the final score was seven to one. Practical Skills in MusicThis term is all about developing individual practical skills on a musical instrument. Year 9 have been working in pairs or small groups on instruments they have prior knowledge or passion for with the aim to perform a piece, in class, to each other at the end of the term. The marking criteria was co-created by the students but aligns with the IGCSE Music Syllabus which begins as a two year course from Year 10, for students who wish to study music as a subject. Performance is worth 30% of their overall mark at IGCSE level (Yr 10-11), 40% at AS (Yr 12) and A level (Yr 13). This topic allows them to experience working with others and develop the five essential skills - technical, accuracy, ensemble coordination, sensitivity to phrasing and expression as well as control of instrument. Sport Trophies to be ReturnedWe are currently collecting in all Sport Trophies that were issued in 2018 Sport Prize Givings. Please return to Chrissy in School Reception by Friday 31 May 2019. Vita BagsStudents are selling Vita bags as a fundraiser for the Environmental Council. Vita bags are primarily used for carrying food, but can be used for almost anything! They are made from cotton, are good for organisation, and most importantly are reusable! The vitabags are $13 for pack of 4 of them. Each pack comes with 2 large bags, and 2 small bags. Purchase from reception. Do your part to be a clean kiwi! Hamish's WinHamish van der Steeg in Year 10 played in the “Men’s 5” grade in the Browns Bay PSA International Squash Open last week. He won and recieved $100 prize money. Congratuilations Hamish! NSGC 54 Hole Womens' ClassicYeonsoo Son recently participated in the North Shore Golf Club 54 Hole Womens' Classic. This is a tournament at a open grade level and has OOM Points (order of merit) available which goes towards her national golf ranking. On Saturday, she was 2nd place starting the first 18 holes then managed to move up a spot to be tied first with a score of -2 total, (-1 on the back 9). On Sunday, the conditions were not great- very windy and the rain was unpredictable so it was all and she was playing in the final group which meant that anyone could take the lead at any time. She had a rough start to the first 9 but picked up the game and after 36, was leading by 3. The final 18 was when the wind started to pick up quite heavily but she managed to keep consistent and stretched her lead out into a comfortable 6 shot lead. At the end of the day, she won the NSGC 54 Hole Womens Classic by 4 shots, which meant that she received 160 points and moved up 11 spots to currently be 14th in the Open Grade Women in NZ. Beauty and the BeastPinehurst students, J’aimee and Charliee Hawkings will be performing in the first ever production from Auckland Performing Arts Academy (APAA) – Disney’s Beauty and the Beast – next month at the ASB Waterfront Theatre in Wynyard Quarter. The young APAA cast (ages 7-22) have been learning the choreography and songs from this beloved family favourite since the beginning of term one and can’t wait to take to the stage next month. They will be performing four shows from Friday to Sunday June 21 to 23. Tickets are available from the venue and Ticketmaster. For more information about APAA – including how to enrol for their semester two programme (when they’ll be performing The Addams Family) – go to https://apaa.nz/ |