News and events for the week ending 13th April 2018 Friday 13th April 2018 Opening words from the Executive Principal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 tatou, good afternoon, 你好 It’s the end of Term One! I can hardly believe how quickly it’s passed. It’s been a dramatic end to the term as well. The property staff have spent the second half of this week tidying the grounds after Tuesday’s tempests: we were lucky, avoiding any damage and remaining connected to the grid throughout, but I know many of our families were not so fortunate. If you lost power or had storm damage, I hope the after effects haven’t been too significant, and that everything is back as normal by the time you read this newsletter. Our Year 9s on camp this week have been fortunate: the Hunua ranges seem to have escaped the worst of the winds, and they have had a great time down there. We have run camps for Years 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 9 this term. There have been tramps for the whole of Years 8 and 10, and many Year 11s went on the silver Duke of Edinburgh tramp. Before term even got going, many of our Year 13s enjoyed the pleasures of Great Barrier Island. I’m very proud of our camps, and can see the positive impact it has on our children, especially as we run them at the start of the year. The students are placed in situations that are often quite challenging, many of Year 4s spend their first evenings away from family, and they learn a huge amount about themselves and their friends, forming relationships that endure for a long, long time. A huge thank you to the staff and to the parent helpers who make this programme possible. You will have seen that we have changed the rules for the use of mobile phones in Years 9 to 11 from the start of next term: please see the letter we sent home here, and do pass on any comments to me. We listened to parents and students on this, and think that it’s the right pathway to take. We will review it later in the year. Over the holidays, we will also be making some decisions around food: we know we have some changes to make to some of the provision, though I’m pleased that the online ordering process is working well. And we have some carpoolers! Thank you to those parents who have signed up: the more people we can get involved, the more practical it will be for those taking part. Please see under ‘News & Events’ below for details. A final thank you to all the teachers for their superb work this term, our parents for their support – you offer so much, enabling us to do all the things we do at school – and, above all, to our wonderful young people. I’ve shown around a number of people this week, and I’m always delighted and proud at the way our children talk to each other, greet guests and behave in, well, the way they pretty much always behave. Our guests were very impressed. I hope everyone enjoys the break: if you are a senior student, use the time to rest a little, but also to consolidate your learning, catch up with work and prepare for the term to come. If you’re one of our younger students, don’t spend too much time working! And, whatever your age, make sure you do some reading. Fiction, non-fiction, poetry… it doesn’t matter what you read, but the more we read, the more the world opens up for us, and the better our ability becomes to express ourselves about what we see, know and experience. Have a lovely break, be safe, and come back refreshed on Tuesday 1st May. Nga mihi Alex Reed Alex Reed Monday 30 April
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如需阅读校长的中文留言和重要事件日期,请点击此处 Car PoolingIn the ongoing effort to reduce congestion in and around the school Pinehurst is encouraging the use of carpooling by providing Schoolbox as a forum to facilitate parents in carpooling. If you are interested, please complete the carpool form available here. Golf AcademyThe Golf Academy is up and running again this term and was fully subscribed in a matter of a day. We have 15 students registered between Year 2 and 8 who attend professional coaching every Thursday afternoon at Wainui Golf Club. We have also recently managed to secure the assistance of a past student, Kit Bittle, who is currently a highly ranked NZ amateur to assist in the coaching. This means we can split the students into two groups according to their ability levels. It has been decided that the Golf Academy will operate in the first and fourth terms which complies with the school’s summer and winter sports programme. Should the interest continue to develop and grow next year, we will employ another professional and offer two separate coaching sessions. Mind Lab GraduationOn Wednesday, three teachers celebrated completing a Postgraduate Certificate in Applied Practice (Digital and Collaborative Learning) in partnership with The Mind Lab. Rachel Anderson, Biec Vien and Charlie Murray all graduated after completing their studies in July last year. The course allows teachers to gain new theoretical and practical knowledge within the field of teaching and education supported by research, observation and applied practice as well as building knowledge of 21st-century education practices and learning how to integrate relevant technologies and methodologies. Congratulations ladies! School Production Sponsorship OpportunitiesPinehurst School's upcoming musical production of Return to the Forbidden Planet by Bob Carlton is a comic blend of Shakespeare’s The Tempest and Star Trek, with a groovy 60’s soundtrack which will surely deliver the audience a night to remember! We are now in a position, to offer advertising and sponsorship opportunities to our local community. In return for your sponsorship of this production, your business will get coverage in the production programme and all advertising; a keepsake product for many community members, as well as VIP tickets to the show depending on the sponsorship package you choose. We will sell out of these sponsorship spaces quickly, so should you wish to support a fantastic show and the hardworking team of students, staff and parents already on board, please contact Hillary Mann for the sponsorship options. Winter Uniform and Holiday Shop HoursStudents are expected to be wearing full winter uniform from the start of Term 2: Tuesday, 1 May 2018. The Uniform Shop will have limited stock available from Wed 4th April, and will open during the holidays as follows:
Kia Ora, One of the strategies that I have focused on recently with my Maths classes is, ‘trial and improve.’ Learning to hypothesise and then trying out a theory with no guarantee of a correct answer does not always come easily to adults. Back in the day we were taught the trial and error strategy i.e. you tried something, got it wrong and that is bad because you need to get it right. Ok perhaps the teacher didn’t use those words exactly but that was the message we took from it. Always get it right first time and therefore be perfect and good. Thankfully education has moved on from this but we must take care as parents the messages we give to our children. If you get the answer right the first time you encounter a new piece of work then you aren’t actually learning anything. This was one of the messages from a two day seminar that Catherine and I recently attended by a very highly regarded international educator and speaker, Dylan Wiliam and we were challenged to think critically about what we are doing and how we will go forward in the future. He spoke about the things that do work in education, the things that might work and the things that definitely don’t with the disclaimer that the things that work now might not be the things that work in ten years time. Throughout the time spent at the seminars we were encouraged that we are on the right track and whilst there are always different strategies we can explore our focus on assessment for learning and continually developing as teachers is a key factor in the majority of international studies in terms of student achievement. Some of the things that Dylan Wiliam said do work are the right textbooks or structured resources such as the Cambridge books we use, tools such as Seesaw which he rated very highly, a great curriculum which has structure and rigour and can incorporate appropriate challenge and also an effective learning environment. We were encouraged to use techniques such as ‘no hands up’, which sees teachers using various methods to randomly select students to answer questions. This helps every child focus and engage because they are expecting to be asked what they know rather than just rely on the students that always put their hands up. If they don’t know the answer to a question then that gives the teacher useful information about the next steps for that child. Exit slips can be used before a child leaves the classroom which give the teacher quick feedback on whether each child has understood the learning and the lesson needs to be repeated in a different way or the teacher can move on. By using assessments formatively we can change tack and adapt our planning on a daily basis to meet the needs of our learners. Some teachers use a traffic light or thumbs up method of encouraging students to let them know if they have got a concept or they need more help. We encourage all of our students to take responsibility for their learning and to become increasingly independent and these methods of teaching, curriculum and resources together with support from home translate into the best outcomes for the children we work with. As we head off for a break and opportunity to recharge, the Primary team would like to thank you for your support so far this year and look forward to working with your family again next term. We say goodbye to Lucy Zaslona and wish her and her family all the very best on their next adventure to Australia and welcome her replacement Stacey McIntosh to the Pinehurst team. Nga mihi, Sian Coxon, Principal of Primary Ancient Egypt in Year 3Year 3 have been learning about Ancient Egypt. They have discovered how the pyramids were constructed and all the secret rooms within. The children have found where Egypt is on a world map and of course, found out all about the mummification process. This was a favourite part of the topic. They constructed a Sarcophagus and made salt dough mummies to go inside. This week in P10We have been learning about report writing in our English lessons. We all researched our favourite animals and wrote information reports about them. If you have time, come and have a look at our published reports in our classroom. The children have had fun experimenting with the ipads and learning all about the apps. They practiced their DJ skills and created music for the class. Mid Bays SwimmingWell done to our Mid Bays Swimming team, who had a very good morning in the pool at Northern Arena last Friday. Pinehurst was 3rd overall, with some outstanding personal results. A special mention to the following students, who placed top three in 3 or more of their individual races: Grace Van der Eijk, Hunter Crowther, Ione Eadie, Julie Xiao, Nina Munro and Riley Hurbuns. Full Pinehurst results and additional photos from the event can be viewed on our Pinehurst Sports Facebook Page Year 6 Dumpling MakingA handful of Year 6 students had researched on the history and origins of the two types of dumplings we eat during Chinese New Year. From their research they were able to teach their classmates all about 饺(jiǎo)子(zǐ) and 汤(tāng)圆(yuán) If you had walked into Mrs Clark's room just before lunch last Friday, you would have thought you had come to a dumpling factory. All the year 6 students were busy learning and making 饺(jiǎo)子(zi)and 汤(tāng)圆(yuán). We made over 300 dumplings! Mrs Clark and Miss Fisher loved them because they kept coming back for more. What's more, Mrs Shephard said she will now add them to her weekly menu at home. The 饺(jiǎo)子(zi) were a hit with other teachers we shared with as well. Thank you to the five māma who came in to help us cook and clean up - Anson's māma Maggie, Melody's māma Jeanette, Roger's māma Xinwei, Cody's māma Tracey and Nadia's māma Helen. Without your help we would not have had such a great lunch, 谢谢 您们!! The Fierce StormThe Fierce Storm Can you guess the artist behind these symmetrical faces? By P14 I Spy in the PrimaryI Spy…. Austin, Jessica and Blake after their terrific finishes at Shore to Shore. I Spy.... Year 2 dioramas. I Spy..... Year 1 readers. I Spy.... Year 4 marble run makers. Kia Ora, This week I had the pleasure of attending the Year 9 camp at Hunua. When I arrived on Wednesday morning all the students were busily involved in their activities and there was little evidence of the previous night’s storm. This week there have been many farewell’s for Mr Phua, Mr Geach and Mrs Geach. Their contributions to the development and growth of the school have been significant, between them they have contributed nearly 50 years of service to Pinehurst. We wish them all the very best with their retirement plans. Term 2 commences on Tuesday 1st May. The new College 4 building is on schedule to be completed during the holidays and we can all look forward to making use of the new teaching and learning spaces from the start of next term. I wish everyone an enjoyable two week break from school, stay safe and make good use of the time. Nga mihi, Chris Wigginand Kieran Verryt Principals of College Auckland Premier Golf ChampionsPinehurst golf team were crowned the Auckland Premier Golf Champions on Tuesday. In another exciting close encounter they came from behind to clinch the title from Macleans College on the last hole. An amazing accomplishment from such a small school, so please if you see Sung Jin, Subin, Eujin, Sung Jae and Yeon Soo please congratulate them. They are all such wonderful ambassadors of Pinehurst and played so well throughout the knockouts, semi-final and final. Year 7 and 8 MandarinStudents have finished the first part of their Mandarin films. In the film, students made interactions (or individual presentations) in different situations of “personal information” (name, age, birthday, which year level, family, pets, etc.) As we learn more during this year, we will be adding more topics into our films. Poppies in Junior CollegeIn respect of the 100th centenary since World War 1 ended, a number of classes in the Junior College have been studying a sophisticated picture book called ‘In Flanders Fields’ by Norman Jorgensen. We learned a little about what life was like for the soldiers on the front lines and in the trenches. Closely analysing the language, plot, characters and images will spring board us into a more intensive small group activity to begin next term. To end the term, students made poppies which will be put on display in remembrance of ANZAC Day, which is during the holidays on April 25th. Masks in Year 9 EnglishThe Year 9s who have been studying Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’ have recently designed and created their own mask for the Capulet ball. The students had to select one of the characters that attended the ball in Act 1 Scene 5 of the play and design a mask that was suitable for their chosen character. Following that, the students had to present their masks to the rest of the class and explain why they have selected the colours, designs and overall shape of their mask – linking their design to the personality of their chosen character. Year 9 Camp70 Year 9 students and 8 teachers arrived safely at Camp Adair on Tuesday, the 10th of April. Already, thus far in the camp, the students have been challenged with the activities (High Swing, Pamper Pole, Orienteering, Initiative Instructions, Super Flying Fox, High Beam, the Confidence Course and Air Rifles) the camp offers. On Thursday, the 12th of April, the students set off on their tramp to the Hunua Falls. Silver DoE Trip to the Hunua RangesFrom the 6th – 8th April, Mr Rossin, Mrs Koopen and Mrs Rea accompanied 32 Pinehurst Year 11/12/13’s to the Hunua ranges to complete either their Silver Practice/Qualifier or Gold Practice tramp. In fantastic weather the 3 groups tramped from Waharau in a westerly direction, stopping at the Workman’s Campsite and the Upper Mangatawhiri Campsite, eventually ending up at the Hunua Falls, near Camp Adair. The students tramped a total of 48km (66,000 steps, according to Mr. Rossin’s watch). They encountered lots of ‘forest snakes’, steep inclines and excellent views of the many reservoirs hidden in the depths of the Hunua’s. They group navigated really well and were a credit to the the school. Many thanks to Mrs K and Mrs R for giving up their weekend. Giving on Good FridayOn Good Friday five students from the Senior College Citizenship Council visited Auckland City Mission to donate four very large boxes of baking. We would like to thank all the students, teachers and parents who were kind enough to donate baking to this very worthy cause. The Auckland City Mission were very happy to receive the donation and said it made their Easter. Design TechnologyThe Year 9’s project this term was to design and construct a skeleton clock with a cultural theme. The students learned how to use a variety of machines including the pedestal drill, bandsaw, belt sander and milling machine. All the students did extremely well producing some wonderful unique clocks. Pinehurst Teams in National Case Semi-finalAll Year 13 Business Studies students were entered into the University of Auckland National Schools Case Competition over the past 2 weeks. Students were assigned a 37-page case study on Frucor, a major beverages producer in New Zealand with brands such as V, Pepsi, Just Juice, and Fresh Up. Teams of four students had to design and present a strategy that would allow Frucor to target 5-13 year olds with a ‘better for you’ soft drink. All four Pinehurst teams made it through to the semi-final, and will present their strategy to a judge via Skype in May. The experience of competitive case competitions develops students for the real-world of business, in so much as it allows them to develop skills in presenting ideas and strategies to external stakeholders, encourages them to apply theoretical concepts to real-life examples, and they learn about locally significant businesses. We wish all teams the best of luck on the 7th May for the Semi-Final! Too YoungHow old were you? When you chased the neighbours cows for amusement. How old were you? When you whistled at girls and ran away laughing loudly. How old were you? When you snuck into your first bar and came back drunk as a new-born calf. I was sixteen. When I laughed and joked and dared them to sign up too. I was seventeen. When I was given a badge a helmet and a gun I was told to shoot at men I was eighteen. When I trudged through trenches bitten by rats deafened by bombs I was nineteen.
When my mind turned to mush I killed without thought
too tired for mercy We were young, so young. When we were slaughtered relentlessly So young. When we were strangled unforgivingly. Auckland Museum received around 50 entries in the 12-17 category this year for the Lest We Forget Poetyr Competition and Olive Nelson’s poem ‘Too Young’ has been selected as a finalist. The judges were looking for work which reflected untold stories or unusual perspectives using well-crafted language. Olive has been invited to read her poem at the museum's Anzac Day commemorations. Congrats to Flynn and his team!Flynn Choi (Year 7) won a silver medal with his team - NSC in the 2018 United Airlies U13 Ripken National Baseball Championship during the 5th to 8th of April at Rosedale Park in Albany. North Island Secondary School Athletic ChampsAnother win was notched up by Aria Rhodes last weekend at the North Island Secondary School Athletic Champs. Aria placed 1st in the Intermediate Girls Pole Vault, jumping 3.62m. Well done Aria! School Holiday CricketKumeu Cricket Club is organizing school holiday cricket coaching at Huapai Domain on 16th,17th & 18th April. Year 1-5 (Soft ball- fun cricket) 9:30am - 12:30pm , cost $30 per day or $80 for all three days. Year 6-8 Hard ball, 1pm - 4pm , cost $30 per day or $80 for all three days . To Register, please email us cdm@kumeucricket.com Cammando Basketball School Holiday Programmes at Pinehurst SchoolCammando Basketball School Holiday Programmes are now open for registration.
Where: All camps are run at and in association with Pinehurst School, 75 Bush Road, Albany. When:
Cost: Junior & Intermediate Camps - $125 Per athlete (includes both days) Registration:
Private Drama LessonsIn Term 2 we are introducing a brand new Drama and Musical Theatre programme to Pinehurst College, offering our students private Speech, Drama and Performance tuition. Heading the new programme is past pupil Brie Hill, who has over 10 years experience coaching and teaching both Musical Theatre and Acting skills to students across Auckland. As well as Pinehurst, Brie is also part of the Saint Kentigern Speech and Drama department. Holiday Programme at The Lake House Arts CentreThe All Star Cheerleaders School Holiday Programme is back for the Term 1 holidays!
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