News and events for the week ending 21st June 2019 Friday 21st June 2019 Opening words from the Executive PrincipalKia ora tatou, good afternoon, 你好, 안녕하세요 I was delighted to be able to welcome so many students and parents to our Year 6-7 Transition Evening on Wednesday and hope that everyone enjoyed seeing a small sample of the work our Junior College students do. I always enjoy talking about our school, and answering questions, and I’m grateful for the time our teachers and students put in to the evening. It was also good to see pretty much all of our Primary parents in school on either Tuesday or Thursday for the parent teacher conferences. I hope these events helped you understand a little more about your child’s progress, or about our curriculum, pastoral care and co-curricular opportunities. If you still have questions, please just ask. We did notice after the Transition Evening that many parents wanted to know more about the detail of the curriculum, so we will be writing to Year 6 parents shortly to invite them to a (strictly optional!) curriculum-focused presentation early in Term 3. The week has also seen netball and table tennis zone days, as well as our usual full winter sports programme; our Year 12 and 13 course to support students to be safer drivers; and what sounded like a very pleasant evening for our College Music students listening to Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto – one of my favourite pieces of music – at Auckland Town Hall. On Saturday, I joined 200 other Pinehurst students, staff and families in watching the wonderful ‘Much Ado About Shakespeare’: I smiled my way all through it, immensely proud of the 70 or so young people in front of me. A huge thank you to the students, staff and parents who made the experience possible. Watch this space for next year’s College musical, which will be open to students from Years 7 to 13. It promises to be a real extravaganza! A few things to note as we head towards the end of term. This is the time of year when universities and other tertiary institutions hold open days and information forums. Our wonderful Career Counsellor, Mrs Griffiths, makes sure that all of our students have information about when and where the events are taking place, and I would enthusiastically recommend that Year 12 and 13 students take advantage of them, especially if he or she isn’t sure what to do when leaving school. It is also the time of year when a number of our students head off to distant places and miss the end of the school term. We do understand this, and love the opportunities our children have to visit friends and family, or to experience new places with their parents. I do, though, need to remind everyone that we cannot authorise more than two weeks holiday in any school year, and would ask parents not to take their children out of school for more than those two weeks. At the end of next week, we say goodbye to Ms Kostova, who has taught at Pinehurst for 6 years, and has been a very hardworking Dean of Matai House as well as an English teacher from Years 7 to 13. Ms Kostova is heading off to Europe in a couple of weeks, and she will carry with her the very best wishes of the whole Pinehurst community. Mrs Liu is also heading off on a new adventure: motherhood! She begins her maternity leave at the end of next week, and we hope to see her, with baby in tow, of course, later this year. I’m delighted to have two outstanding replacements for Ms Kostova and Mrs Liu: Mrs Boam, an experienced English teacher who has taught in the UK and New Zealand, will be teaching Year 7 to 13 English; and Ms Wang, who has been teaching in New Zealand schools for a number of years, will be teaching first and second language Mandarin classes. They’re both very warmly welcomed to our community. Finally: I spent yesterday in Wellington for our regular meeting with Principals from other independent schools. It was, as always, useful to catch up and hear what’s going on in other schools, and I thought I would pass on the information that private schools in Auckland in particular are generally experiencing strong demand for places. We all know that this is the case at Pinehurst, but it was good to hear that other schools are seeing the same enthusiasm for an independent education. Have a lovely weekend, and enjoy the clear, cold weather! Parking and DrivingI have a favour to ask our parents. We have had complaints from a number of our neighbours about the way a small number of our cars are parked: please make sure that you only park on surrounding streets in places where you are allowed to park, and that you do so without blocking drives or causing an obstruction. Can I also ask everyone to be mindful that we are a school: cars must be driven very slowly on our grounds, and we need to follow instructions made by all markings and in all zones. Many thanks to everyone for your cooperation. WEEK 9 Monday 24 June
Thursday 27 June
Friday 28 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, One of the greatest parts of being a child was being able to get lost in a world of imagination whether that was through reading a book or playing outside. From time to time I have heard children complain that they are bored at break times and I must admit to feeling puzzled by that. I remember spending hours playing in makeshift dens, tree huts and tents made out of sheets draped over chairs in the lounge. We made mud pies, collected acorns and played hide and seek in the park. As well as being lots of fun these kinds of activities help children to develop their imaginations which in turn helps them to be more creative. Earlier on this year a group of Primary students began to build themselves a hut. They found sticks and leaves and used the plastic gardening tools we have to create structures they could play in. Over the months this has developed into a ‘hotel’, actually more backpackers than 5 star but it is under construction. Plus the original hut has tarps for walls, decorations, seats made of logs and trays to collect leaves and acorns. These acorns are the currency in our make believe community and you can use them to buy sticks, leaves and natural jewelry. Some children have brought in a couple of old video cameras to pretend to film the lunchtime events and for others to perform shows. It is fascinating to watch how these communities of children are working together, using their imaginations, creating huts and items to trade. They are negotiating, bartering and learning to work together. Some have tried and failed to take charge and we have stepped in to guide them but it is all part of the process of learning whilst playing and the lessons are so valuable. It is a great reminder to make sure that we give our children time to play outdoors, make mess and get dirty. Let them climb trees, build dens and have opportunities to let their imaginations run wild, their lives will be much richer for it. Ngā mihi Sian Coxon, Principal of Primary Netball – Year 6 Field DayEarlier this week our Year 5/6 teams took part in the annual Netball North Harbour Year 6 field day. Pinehurst Team 1 For a young team of Year 5/6 players, playing in the A grade division against mostly Year 6 teams presented some challenges yesterday. Out of 4 games we lost 3 but managed a win on the last game with a team of similar height & stature! It was good for the team's development and there were certainly moments where the girls excelled themselves, and showed great sportsmanship. Thank you to all the parents for your support and help on the day, especially Victoria who took on the management role. I would like to thank Paige also for her outstanding job of umpiring our team - congratulations Paige on getting a finals game to umpire. Pinehurst Team 2 It was a great opportunity for Pinehurst 6/2 to experience a netball tournament and was the first time for many of these girls. After playing 4 tough games we unfortunately didn’t manage to get a win, but the team did come away with smiles on their faces and had enormous amount of fun playing with their friends. It was lovely to have so many parents supporting the team for the day, carrying drink bottles, bags and balls and cheering the team along, game after game. Victoria did a fantastic job umpiring our team for the day being very confident, fair and consistent with her umpiring. Busy Weeks in P4P4 we’re so excited for their first visit to the Life Education van. They loved meeting Corrin and Harold the giraffe. In the van they learnt why exercise is important and what they can do to stay healthy. They learned a song about having big strong bones and muscles. For Art, they have been busy exploring so many different things. For their stamping unit, they stamped their feet with vibrant colour and made beautiful birds! During Science they talked about native New Zealand birds and for art made a Kiwi bird. Leaves were collected that were the perfect colour and size. Mrs. Boniface showed them how to draw a beautiful big Kiwi bird. They then placed the leaves like feathers on the Kiwi birds. They turned out so cute! It was the perfect art project for the changing season. During the term they participated in primary cross country. Their were four medals in P4. Zack, Marcus, Alex, Eva, and Cecilia all placed in cross country for their age group. Way to go P4! P8 NewsP8 have been reflecting on some of our favourite learning experiences over the last 8 weeks. Luckily, we got to share some of these things at our assembly on Tuesday. We loved reading The Day the Crayons Quit by Drew Daywalt. This hilarious story is suitable for all ages, young and old! There were so many reading, writing and creative opportunities that went along with this story - it was hard to choose which ones to share! We loved creating our own book, titled The Day the Fruit Quit. We wrote this in the style of Drew Daywalt, using the same structure and language patterns as the original story.
Another enjoyable task was when we made our book into movie format using an app called Chatterkids. This was good fun and we had lots of laughs making these. Please enjoy a sample on this video. P17 Lino PrintsP17 students have been learning how to create lino prints by using special tools to cut into lino to create a template to then print with, using ink. A few newsletters ago there was an article with pictures of the lino cutting process, and the lino templates themselves. Since then they have completed these and printed with ink and rollers to produce these beautiful sea-themed prints. Coding ClubThis week we created an obstacle course in which our sphero starts at one end and travels with and against gravity down a set path, encountering different obstacles. We were learning to recognize gravity's influence on an object at rest and in motion while creating a programme to guide Sphero through a 3D course. We hit some tricky moments but managed to troubleshoot throughout and had some very successful courses as you can see. I Spy in the PrimaryI Spy…P13 creating their own musical compositions! I Spy...an example of a pulling force in Mrs Herbert's Science class! I Spy...Year 6 in Physical Education! I Spy ….Pinehurst netball teams at the field day! Kia Ora, The penultimate week of Term Two is always one of the busiest of the year. On Wednesday night we hosted our transition evening for Year 6 to Year 7 students, providing our community with further information about the College. A huge thank you to all the students who stayed for the evening to participate in extra classes, and to all those students that led tours. Many thanks also to parents that came along to assist, and also for allowing your son or daughter to be at school so late in the day. Whilst being at school in the evening is an experience that all seemed to enjoy, it also provided an insight for visitors into the relationships that we aim to build in the College. Our tours were led by the students and it is great to see how confidently they are able to show guests around the school and explain all that is going on. Tuesday saw all our Year 12 and Year 13 students attend the RYDA Road Safety Day, whilst some of our Year 7 students had less fun receiving vaccinations. The Road Safety Day is an activity that we engage in every two years. It is an excellent course that provides further education for our students around road safety and making good decisions. The course is particularly beneficial as it is not only aimed at drivers, but equally focused on passengers and the positive decisions that they can make. The feedback as always was great with staff and students engaged in the learning activities of the day. Yesterday saw our annual Pink Ribbon Ladies Lunch hosted by the Citizenship Council. The Council did a great job of decorating the College 4 space and the girls seemed to really enjoy the occasion. Tomorrow night we host our 2019 Pinehurst School Ball. 204 students and 12 staff will descend on the Crowne Plaza in their finest outfits. It is always a great occasion and I am sure many a proud parent will be snapping away taking photos of their son or daughter before they head into the Crowne Plaza for the night. Ngā mihi, Chris Wiggin and Kieran Verryt Principals of College NH Zone Day Table TennisOn Thursday our top Year 8 Table Tennis boys competed in the annual NH Zone Day event against other local Intermediates. All 4 boys performed really well, with our doubles pair (Samson & Ilya) finishing 3rd out of 7 teams in their pool, narrowly missing out on the semi finals. In the boys singles, both Yumin & Anson made the semi finals (out of over 30 players). Both boys unfortunately lost their semi. Yumin was awarded 3rd overall, based on points scored, with Anson in 4th place. Well done to all the boys, and thank you to Jun & David for supporting the team at the event. Twelfth NightTwo weeks ago, Year 12 & 13 AS Literature students attended a performance of William Shakespeare's ‘Twelfth Night’, one of his most famous comedies, a story of identical twins, Viola and Sebastian, separated when shipwrecked on a foreign land. A story of love, mistaken identity and madness, performed by talented Unitec Year 3 acting students. Having spent last term studying and analysing the play (and struggling through the Shakespearean language!) it was an amazing experience to finally see all the characters come to life before our eyes and to see how differently some of the play and its characters were interpreted. It was a wonderful performance and had us all on the edge of our seat one minute and bursting with laughter the next. After the play was finished, students had the opportunity to ask all the performers any questions they had about the play and about the character they were portraying. We were also given some good advice on how to remember lines, and what studying drama at Unitec was like. Overall, we had an amazing experience watching the play unfold right in front of our very eyes through the spectacular performances, beautifully designed set pieces and the wondrous music. - Sofia Cradwick and Cynthia Wu The Rotary Interact Club collection for Women's RefugeA reminder to all Pinehurst families that the College wide collection started last week and concludes end of Week 9 on June 27th. Every POD class have been asked to bring in any items useful for mothers and their children who have been forced from their homes by domestic violence. The Rotary Interact students have already organised a sausage sizzle and bake sale to raise funds and awareness. In Term 3 they will host a movie night at school to raise more funds. Please bring or send your donations to school for Women’s Refuge. Year 7-8 Chinese First LanguageJian Zi (毽子) is a traditional Chinese sport which was derived from another ancient Chinese sport Cuju. The sport is named after the object that is used to play the sport with, called Jianzi, which loosely resembles a weighted shuttlecock. This week, our Year 7 and Year 8 Chinese First Language students made their own Jian Zi in class and had fun playing Jian Zi in the field afterwards. Alex BottariThis week students interested in Medicine were fortunate to have the opportunity to hear from a Pinehurst graduate, Alex Bottari, who is currently in her second year at the University of Auckland Medical School. She talked about the competitive first year and how CIE prepared her well, while offering tips and suggestions to ease the transition from school. She also covered UCAT and the interview process, giving hints to students on how best to prepare for these. She went on to talk about her typical weeks and study now she is at Medical School and it was very apparent that she loves what she is doing. We are very proud of Alex, as it is extremely difficult to gain acceptance into Medical School from that very competitive first year. The students benefited considerably from her inside knowledge as she shared her story. We look forward to following her progress. Young Enterprise SchemeWe are Chi-Ko from Young Enterprise. Our business sells Korean and Chinese food. We decided to sell dumpling, bubble tea and rice cake in New Zealand because they are all locally popular and traditional food in our countries. Through tasting our food, we want to make more kiwi people interested in our culture and international students who are homesick can recall their countries. We put little stickers on our food that explains about our culture briefly, so consumers can obtain knowledge of our cultures. Of course, we guarantee our food qualities and tastes by cooking them all hand-made. At the moment, we plan to sell our food in the school. However, our goal is to expand Chi-ko to the local market, thus more people can taste Chi-ko’s food. We took this opportunity (“Young Enterprise Scheme”) to test where our capabilities are. Through establishing our “chi-ko” rather than learning theoretically of business, we realised the reality of business. Running the business was much harder than we expected. There were many difficulties and unexpected problems, but we gained new knowledge and practical skills that can be used to seize new opportunities in the future. So, would you like to come and taste Chi-Ko’s food? Year 12 KATTI DayYesterday five Māori students from Year 12 spent the day at the Year 12 KATTI day. The Kei a Tatou te Ihi (KATTI) Kōmiti have been running student development programmes for Māori secondary school students for the past fifteen years. The Year 12 programme utilises a range of collaborative (mahitahi) and theory based (akoranga) activities to encourage Māori secondary school students to develop and reflect upon their own potential, as individuals and as part of Whānau, Hāpu and Iwi. Through the concept of ‘whanaungatanga’ and ‘leadership’, Māori students identify the qualities and attributes that are relevant to them, to emulate the qualities of an effective leader, and they will use these skills to enhance their own career aspirations. Holly Kewene, Aria Rhodes, Ariana Tuson, Isabella Abbott-Wheeler and Jack Paranihi enjoyed spending the day with other Māori students from around Auckland, taking part in workshops, activities and enjoying an inspiring speaker. Hockey 1st XIWe awaited this match to see if the Pinehurst team wanted to think again of dangerous and noble things, or were they going to be light and frolicsome? Takapuna Grammar arrived with a squad of fresh faced, keen individuals. Eager to win. Brimming with energy and anticipation. All in all, they were very similar to the Pinehurst line-up. The game soon settled into an almost predictable click-clack, to-ing and fro-ing, ping pong event. There were few moments of brilliance but there was a general onslaught in favour of Pinehurst. Mitch changed the game plan here and there and it was beginning to produce benefits. Pushing Nathan into the front line yielded a goal from a well-placed aggressive shot. The back line worked hard in clean-up mode and they managed to scupper any Taka-attackers. Without Harry in the first half CJ was given ample of opportunities which all seemed to fade away within the D and not even Toby managed to divert the ball into the back of the net. At half-time the troops were given a rallying cry and were generally encouraged to take control. They obliged. Oli slammed in a cracker and after a frantic scramble in the zone CJ worked his magic. Harry operated liked a Trojan, as did young Will, and Dominic provided enduring defence along with Anthony, Jake and Felix. Man of the match was definitely the Takapuna goalie who saved his team on countless occasions. Pinehurst should be congratulated for their effort and generally cohesive spirit. Dangerous, noble, light or frolicsome never really materialized, but both teams appeared to enjoy the clash and the 3:0 was a fair reflection of events. Much Ado About ShakespeareAfter two months rehearsing, dancing, sword fighting and organising, the cast of Much Ado About Shakespeare performed. Over three days they astounded audiences with their passion and enjoyment as they brought the bard to the Pumphouse stage. The show opened with our wonderful narrators, Jessica Forshaw and Will Harrison as Peaseblossom and Puck. They entertained throughout and thrilled us at the end with their singing. Throughout the evening we saw our cast show talents and courage. For me, theatre is a place of transformation. Where we leave our own insecurities and traits behind and step into characters, times, situations that we will never experience. To battle for your country, rise through treachery, risk all for love or just follow your heart through a country forest. These are moments that these amazing people brought to life. I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who helped make this such a successful production. The cast were wonderful and I am proud of you all. The staff who sewed, organised, filled out forms, ran errands and generally were indispensable. Lori, Brendon, Tarnya and Maree who didn't have to help yet did so with infinite caring. We, as a school, can look to the achievements of this fabulous group of students and be truly proud. What a future the arts in this school holds. ShowquestOn Thursday 6 June Pinehurst's first ever Showquest team performed at Spark Arena. Departing school at 11am, they nervously headed over to the city for the big event they had spent so long rehearsing and preparing for. After setting up in the dressing rooms they headed into the arena with all the other schools for a production meeting. They quickly discovered they needed a lighting person, and luckily Tarnya Hawkings saved the day with her talent and expertise in the theatre industry. After a bit of entertainment and fun it was backstage again to prepare for the dress rehearsal. Two quick run-throughs on the massive stage were allowed to get used to the size of the stage and the wings. Zoe and Jemma, the student captains were pleased with the rehearsal, but they wanted way more expression from the students to tell the story of the performance: Pinehurst’s theme is communication and mental health. Through their piece they aim to evaluate the most effective way of communicating and making sure friends are doing ok through simple conversations. They challenge the harmful effects that technology can have on our relationships and mental health - especially in the youth of New Zealand. Their piece is based on the quote “A conversation can change a life”. After a few hours it was time to get hair and make up done. Nervous energy was starting to build, so Zoe and Jemma decided to sit the students in a circle and get everyone to share how they were feeling. That was special. Pinehurst were the fourth school to perform. There were 12 schools in total, including some very big North Shore Intermediate schools. The lights dimmed (thanks Tarnya), the LCD screen lit up in bright yellow with our video message which was created by Arden Callegher and featured the voices of our younger students. The dancers moved onto the stage and performed their hearts out! Their faces were full of emotion, their timing spot on and the message beautifully told. Jemma, Zoe and Mrs Clark proudly watched from the wings with their eyes full of tears of joy! Those kids smashed it! Any moments of doubt and worry were quickly washed away! Back to the dressing room, most of the team departed as it was late. A few stayed and watched the other schools and waited for the prizegiving. The standard Pinehurst were up against was high, big groups, great performers and fancy costumes. Finally, around 10pm, the Judges came on to announce the winners. Zoe and Jemma, our student captains went on the stage with all the young student captains from the other primary and intermediate schools. Mrs Clark watched in pure excitement, with Jemma and Zoe’s mums, as Pinehurst received award after award, four in total! Pretty amazing for their first time and being the smallest team there. They won the Drama Award, the Music Sound Track Award and 2nd Place Overall. Amelie Wells won the Outstanding Rangatahi Award. None of this would have been possible without the dedication of senior students, Zoe Bottari and Gemma Goeldner who instigated this. They worked tirelessly to create the concept, choreograph the dance, make the soundtrack, design and make costumes. They were supported by two other senior students; Pearl Stretton and Arden Callagher. Pearl was amazing at teaching the dance to Fight Song and Ardern created an incredible video to fit the music. Senior Music Students attend the APOOn Tuesday night, Year 10-13 Music students were treated to a night out to see a concert by the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at the Town Hall, under the masterful direction of Adelaide born conductor Graham Abott and Brisbane based Clarinet soloist, Paul Dean. Although the students have heard this Clarinet Mozart Concert a few times, seeing it live was a fantastic experience. Not only did Paul Dean expertly handle the two and a half octave leaps in register but he was able to handle the technically demanding socialistic semiquavers in all ranges of the instrument as though they were as easy as one, two, three. To top it all off, he danced through some of the sections. Thank you to Ms Rae, Ms Griffiths and Ms Vien for attending this trip. Second Informal Music ConcertTuesday 25th in C2 from 4pm-5pm The Informal Music Concerts are designed to be a performance platform through which students can gain the experience of performing in public, in front of family, peers and friends in the cosy environment of the music classroom, C2. Students from Year 1-13 are invited to perform no matter their level of ability. If your child would like to perform on Tuesday, please complete this form. Spaces are limited. Ladies High TeaThank you to all the ladies who atteded the High Tea last Friday at Allely Estate. What an amazing day, the sun was hsining and evryone was able to enjoy the beautiful surroundings and the yummy treats! It was great to see so many ladies come along, relax and enjoy each others company. PhotoLifeOnline photo access key slips have been given to students. Please note the free delievry period expires on Sunday 14 July. Uniform ShopHoliday hours:
10am - 2pm each day Silver Medal for AnthonyEarlier in the term, Year 11 student Anthony Raphael competed in a light contact kickboxing tournament held at the New Zealand Combat Sports Expo which brought people from all over NZ and Australia. This was Anthony's first time competing in a kickboxing tournament and he won his first fight via unanimous decision which got him into the finals. He then finished in 2nd place in his division. Well done Anthony! High FlyerYear 9 student, Maddi Smith recently competed at the Global Games cheerleading competition in Hawaii and her team came home with two first places and a second place. Maddi has just turned 13 and has been doing cheerleading for five years. Her involvement with cheerleading began at the Santa Parade in Auckland. Pamphlets were being handed out; her mum took one and from then on she was hooked. There are three levels in cheerleading and Maddi competed at the highest level – level 5 – finishing first. At level 4, her team finished second and at level 3, they won again. Maddi trains twice a week, with each training session lasting four hours. This means that on Tuesdays and Thursdays she is out training from 5pm – 9pm. Since returning from Hawaii two weeks ago, Maddi has also just returned from competing in China where her Auckland team won first place. Showbiz SistersAfter triple threat (dance, vocal, acting) auditions and four months of rehearsals, 9 hours a week, Pinehurst students J’aimee and Charliee Hawkings are performing this weekend in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the ASB Waterfront theatre. The girls say 'it has been such an honor working with such a team of experts on the show'. John Callen from the Hobbit - Award winning director Alex Mckellar - Choreographer Gemma Boswell - Actress Jodie Dorday - Vocal coach and Principal Performer for New Zealand Opera Wendy Doyle and Music Director Mark Bradley who was involved in Aladdin the musical just to name a few. The girls say It has been amazing putting the final touches to the show this week, seeing the fabulous costumes, sets and props coming together over some grueling 12-hour tech days. Speaking French in the show has been a highlight for Charliee along with seeing it advertised on the back of a bus which was very exciting! And for J’aimee working alongside her sister in such a big show has been a dream come true. Well done girls! “Break a Leg” this weekend! Gold Duke of Edinburgh AwardStella McInally has achieved the coveted Gold Duke of Edinburgh Award. Stella left Pinehurst last year and was one of the Kauri House Captains in Year 13. She is now currently studying in America. In order to gain the Gold Award she participated in 12 months of Service to Pinehurst, 12 months of learning a new skill – knot tying, 12 months of Sport – Netball, Volleyball and Wakeboarding and completed a 5 day 75km tramp around Taranaki with 9 other Pinehurst students. Her residential was an 8 day voyage on the Spirit of Adventure. Congratulations to Stella, a Gold Award is a fantastic achievement. |