News and events for the week ending 22nd March 2019 Friday 22nd March 2019 Opening words from the Executive PrincipalKia ora tatou, good afternoon, 你好 The last few days have been difficult for all of us in New Zealand, and the school has felt, as you would expect, a little subdued. I hope that you are managing to have the conversations you wish to have with your children, and I hope too that you feel supported by being part of our community. When I wrote to our community on Saturday, I promised to write again during the week, and so I would like to talk a little about what we have been talking about in school so far, what we have planned and what we are thinking of for the future. On Monday, the teachers spent some time talking before school to make sure that we were prepared to have conversations with children about what had happened in Christchurch. We adopted some simple principles in our discussions: openness, age-appropriate information, reassurance for the children, a focus on kindness, and a commitment to challenge any kind of prejudice. With the College children, we were also very clear that part of our role was to talk about the role Islamophobia had in the attack. These principles were, we thought, in keeping with our school’s commitment to respect for all, and to our belief in values-led education. We are a vibrant, diverse, multicultural community as well: as we challenge prejudice, we also recognise and value our own rich diversity. Children in Years 4 to 6 had an Assembly at which we explained in simple terms what had happened, and in which we reassured them that they were safe. We talked about kindness and about how important it was for everyone to know and value each other. They then had more time with their teachers to talk about any questions they might have. In our Year 7-13 Assembly, Mr Verryt, Aimee Erskine, our Head Girl, and I spoke. We talked about our shock, and we also explained what had happened in clear and accurate terms and about the terrible beliefs the attacker held. In this Assembly, we also emphasised to the children that they were safe, and we were more detailed about the role that prejudice and intolerance had in the attack. In particular, I explained that we all have a duty to challenge racism and other forms of prejudice whenever we see or hear it. As part of the Assembly, fifty students – all of our Year 13 students and a number of Year 7 students – came forward and stood at the front of the Gym wearing white feathers. It was a powerful sign of solidarity with our Muslim community and with the people of Christchurch. Students also had time with their POD and Homeroom teachers to talk through the events of Friday. All of our children had access to our Counsellor during the day, and I am glad that a number of them took advantage of the opportunity to see her. We also talked to all students about the ways they could show their support for the victims of the attack. We will be holding a Mufti Day on Monday 8th April, the proceeds of which will be going to one of the Christchurch appeals funds. A number of classes are writing letters as well, and there is at least one project to create a living memorial underway. There will be other developments in time. We are also conducting a couple of reviews this week. The first is of our curriculum: we are currently auditing our Global Perspectives curriculum throughout the school to ensure that there is sufficient emphasis on respect for other cultures and other faiths. We do actively embrace multiculturalism and diversity in our school in many ways, but we are making sure that we do this more consistently throughout the school. Our message is that we are all New Zealanders, and that shared respect, understanding and friendship is the key to peace and happiness. The second is our security on site. We have completed some refresher training for staff already, and will be running a lock-down drill in school today at 12.15 pm. We will be telling the children about this in advance and again just before the alarm sounds, as we do not wish to frighten them. We are also looking at our site to see if there are ways in which we can improve security in the future. One way we can do this immediately is to remind everyone that all adults should wear identification at all times, so please make sure that you sign in at Reception every time you come into school during the day, and wear your identification badge clearly on your chest. Many thanks and warm regards, WEEK 9 Monday 25 March
Tuesday 26 March
Wednesday 27 March
Thursday 28 March
Friday 29 March
WEEK 10 Tuesday 2 April
Wednesday 3 April
Thursday 4 April
Friday 5 April
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, We started this week with an extended POD and Homeroom session to allow our students and staff some time to discuss and process the events of last week in Christchurch. We then came together again at 11am as a full College for a special assembly to acknowledge the victims of the attack. As a college it was a chance to reflect on the events that had transpired, a chance to share our sorrow as a community, and a chance to acknowledge that this type of event should never happen, and what we can do as a community in playing our part in influencing the world. At Thursday’s regular assembly we discussed how we have responded as a community and what we want to do as a college moving forward. We know that many within our community are struggling and will continue to struggle. We have been impressed with our students and their response. They have contributed a number of ideas that we will follow through with as a school. We will also continue to develop our Global Citizenship programmes to foster our students understanding of global issues, and their role within our society. You will see from the articles below that we have had another busy week in the college. Senior students have been away on a commerce trip to Wellington. Our 1st Golf team have continued their unbeaten run and have won the North Harbour title in the process. Next week they play St Kentigerns, 2nd placed Auckland school, in the Auckland region semi-finals. We wish them well. Last night we also hosted the inaugural Year 13 Informal Dinner. This event was the idea of senior students and we hope that it will become a new Pinehurst tradition. Next week our Year 9 students embark on the new ‘Out There’ camp. We know that they will be challenged and will grow from the experience. Ngā mihi, Chris Wiggin and Kieran Verryt Principals of College Service and Leadership in the Junior CollegeCharlotte, Maya, Caitlin and Paige from 8NW utilised their culinary skills to raise moeny for charity. Their bake sale raised $180 for Cystic Fibrosis and $33 for Christchurch Give a Little. Well done girls, great initiative!
Apirana Taylor VisitApirana Taylor is a New Zealand poet, novelist, performer, story-teller, musician and painter and, yesterday, college students were fortunate to be able to attend a performance by him. Accompanied by Aroha, (his guitar) and a traditional Maori flute, Taylor recited some of his original poems. His poetry presentation included conventional poetry devices as well as his own unique fashion of interactive performance which delivered a powerful message to the students. Many were touched and were able to connect to the range of issues he explored such as caring for the world around us and showing love and respect to others. It was a memorable experience, as he shared his Maori culture in songs, music and the spoken word. Subin Wui, Year 13 Wellington TripThis week, Senior Economics and Accounting students travelled to Wellington to get a first-hand look at how New Zealand’s economy is managed. We stayed overnight: visiting The Reserve Bank, Treasury, Te Papa, and Victoria University. We had intended to visit Parliament as well, but due to recent events, our tour was cancelled. The visits to government were very engaging for students. However, a major highlight was the evening stroll along the waterfront where they found a playground with an enormous slide! Year 13 Inaugural DinnerLast night Year 13 had an informal dinner to start their year off. It was 'pot-luck' so students were treated to a variety of delicious meals plus desserts. It was a very enjoyable evening for all and the 3 staff members who attended. Auckland Secondary Schools Athletic Champs3 Pinehurst students; Dong Ook Kim, Aria Rhodes and Brianna Tirado, represented our school at the AKSS Athletic Champs held at Mt Smart Stadium. They all had an exceptional day with either placing or achieving their personal best. Aria Rhodes Pole Vault - Open 2nd Place Height 3.40m Brianna Tirado Javelin - Int Girls 3rd Place Distance 31.72m Dong Ook Kim - Jnr Boys 4th Place Height 1.60m NH Zone Day Girls CricketPinehurst entered their first ever team in the NH Zone Day Girls Cricket event held earlier this week. After some early morning practices with Coach Maddy from Takapuna Cricket Club, our extremely keen team of 11 girls headed off early on Monday morning to Northcote Intermediate. After pool games the girls were placed 2nd, earning them a place in the final! Following a strong batting performance in the first innings by Murrays Bay Intermediate, Pinehurst fought hard to chase down the runs in the second innings, falling just short by 15 runs. An amazing achievement to finish runners up at this event. Well done girls! A huge thank you to Anne & Kelly for your support at this event, and to the girls for their commitment and for giving Cricket a go! Pinehurst Golf Team in Semi-finalsOur golf team continues their unbeaten run in the inter-school golf championships. On Monday they played the last round of group play against the also unbeaten Rangitoto team. The winner of this match would qualify for the semi-finals on Monday against a school from the Auckland division. In the end Pinehurst won by 4 shots, which by golf standards is a close match. Eujin Kang was the player of the day, playing her nine holes in 34 strokes, but the victory was only possible because of a whole team effort. The semi-finals will be the best of 18 holes and the competition will be tough. The one outstanding feature of Pinehurst however is their team mentality combined with outstanding talent. If you see any of our golfers during the week, don’t forget to wish them good luck for the semis. Our second team played their last match of the Premier competition on Monday losing to Kristin. A big thanks to Luke Ho for captaining the team, and guiding our younger more inexperienced players. For Towa Usui, Daniel Fang and Kalan Evans it was the first year they have played in the inter-school competition and they represented our school well and have gained some valuable experience. Art trip to the Auckland Art GalleryOn Wednesday, Year 11-13 Art students visited the Auckland Art Gallery. The gallery has a plethora of exhibitions on, which being free, is a fabulous and precious resource in Auckland for all to visit. Students enjoyed engaging with the artworks and interacting with an Installation piece by artists Alfredo and Isabel Aquilizan who investigate the theme of migration and settlement. Students were able to explore ways of constructing card to create a sculptural form. This will then be added to the installation by the artists for gallery goers to view in its entirety. Being in such a creative environment was an all-encompassing experience for most of our students. Where the work was of value to their studies, students were drawing and recording photographically from the work. This is a major factor towards their researching and gathering assessment objectives for both IGCSE and AS and A2 level. Some students will directly use the artist from the gallery visit in their work and others will use the influence and inspiration experienced from the visit. Many were very interested by the film that was on show. Now that the new A’Level course Digital Media Moving and Still is now successfully up and running; it gives students in IGCSE a glimmer of what is available in this area. With a fascinating exhibition of contemporary Maori and Pasifika fashion at the student’s fingertips it was great to see both girls and boys being inspired by this work. Some are using it in their ideas with armour and protective clothing to narrate themes such as defence, protection and civilisation. There were others who were simply just standing in front of the pieces and drinking in the visual stimulus. Either way all students gained an immersion in cultural extravaganza while visiting this beautiful and eclectic exhibition. With all that the Auckland Art Gallery had on offer there was something for everyone and has added a huge beneficial aspect to students learning and has embellished their research with rich culture and with new and fantastical ideas. A great experience for all involved. Kia Ora, It has been interesting to watch our students take part in Wheels Week, they brought bikes and scooters, roller blades and skateboards and everyone remembered their helmets. The 5 year old students were hilarious, zipping about everywhere at a frantic pace and it was very difficult to get them all going in the same direction for any length of time. By the time we got to Year 4 the pace was a lot more leisurely and ‘road rules’ were observed more readily. The senior syndicate got to explore the lower fields and had an absolute ball with so much space to ride around in. Our senior students helped to run the event and were outstanding. They were mature, organised, helpful and very kind to the younger students, what brilliant role models they will be this year. It is clear that the Primary will benefit from their ideas for fun at break times and there will be lots to do. In the wake of the events last week in Christchurch we are encouraging our students to be kind to each other. They are possibly too young to be contributing in ways that teenagers and adults are able to but they can develop their abilities to be kind, to celebrate diversity and the riches that our similarities and differences bring to our community. As adults they look up to us and we must set an example of kindness for them to follow. Discussing ways to be kind at home and at school gives them ideas of how they can contribute. Speaking kindly to each other and about other families lets young children know what kindness looks like. Whilst the actions of one individual were the ultimate display of hate we can help to create a society for our children where kindness is the norm. Ngā mihi Sian Coxon, Principal of Primary Tabloid Sports in the PrimaryThe Primary school council put together an action-packed lunchtime event for the Years 1-4 students last week. They were set the task of creating a novel and fun activity that would be suitable for students ranging in ages from 5 to 8. Our student council members rose to the challenge creating fun-filled activities using a range of equipment including hoops, balls, cones, benches, and big buckets of water. Council members arrived at school early that morning to gather the equipment and head up to the field to set up their station. Year Six leaders were appointed to each team and it was their job to ensure that everyone was at the right place at the right time. Pippa MacNicol rang the bell and the fun began. The students then moved through a series of activity stations testing their skills of throwing, jumping, skipping, dribbling and balancing. Our key aim was to see everyone being actively involved and of course having a good time. The tabloid sport event encouraged teamwork, social skills and offered a positive experience for both organisers and participants alike. Super Cluster Tennis 2019Last Friday, the very first Super Cluster Primary Tennis event was held at Pinehurst School. The new Super Cluster format in Primary extends our Mid Bays competition to up to 8 schools from the wider North Shore Region. İBienvenidos! Welcome to Primary Spanish!We are so excited to be studying Spanish for a full year from NE to Year 6 in 2019. We have really noticed how much the students look forward to their lesson each week and how hard they are trying to use the language outside the classroom as well as within. We are studying topics ranging from Greetings, Numbers, Ages and Clothing to Monster descriptions! We hope you encourage your children to share their new knowledge with you, including the new songs we have taught them. They are very catchy and we frequently hear them being sung around the playground! İHasta luego! Señoras Cataloni y Farquharson P18 ArtistsArt has become the most anticipated lesson of the week in P18. This term we have been focusing on designing patterns that appear to create movement and depth in our two-dimensional work. We firstly investigated the patterns of New Zealand illustrator Warren Pohatu in the book ‘Maori Myths and Legends’. Using his work as our inspiration, we created our own Maori design elements on our first practice pieces. We started our work in pencil, then went over it in black pen, followed by water-colour pencil to develop a 3D effect that shows our understanding of shadow and light on a shape. Now we are busy using every spare minute we have during our lunchtimes and before school to transfer the skills we have developed to fill an A3 sea creature. ‘Wheely’ Good Fun in the Junior PrimaryTime ‘whizzes’ by when you are having fun, and here in the Junior Primary we couldn’t quite believe it was already time for another ‘Wheels Week!’ On Monday and Tuesday lots of keen 5 and 6 year olds turned up at school with their bikes, scooters, roller skates and all the accessories to match. There was great excitement at just being able to show off their wheels to friends and teachers. When lunchtime ‘rolled’ around, helmets of all colours, shapes and sizes made an appearance and, in some classes, we even had knee and elbow pads! Teachers spent time helping to fasten, tighten, loosen and adjust straps until everyone was satisfied. Students ‘raced’ round to the courts to find courses and obstacles set up for them, thanks to the older children in the Student Council, Arts Council and iLead group. It was wonderful to see everyone enjoying such a fun-filled activity together, whilst getting some exercise and fresh air! Hopefully everyone went home ‘tyred’ out, after a fantastic day. Thanks to Mrs Jones-Hill and everyone involved in the organisation. Thanks Harry for the video! Year 3 & 4 Wheels DayAn ever-popular event in the Primary School is Wheels Day. This week has seen a well organised event with different year levels on different days. There has been a wonderful, colourful range of scooters, bicycles, pedal cars and skate boards. It was great to see that the students were all wearing their helmets and were riding in a safe, courteous manner. The event has been managed by the Year 6 students, with Councillors, House Captains and iLead students all providing a helping hand. They have been busy assisting students to park their wheels as they brought them to school, putting helmets on the junior students, taking photographs, directing traffic and even pushing a few who were finding it difficult to pedal on the grass. It was great to hear and see the excitement of the students zooming around. The bike riding Year 3 and 4 students created an adventurous track amongst the trees, then zoomed down the hill, onto the playing field and back around the circuit again. Thanks to Anna Ju, Katelyn Campbell and Tilly Wells in Year 6 for creating the attached movies for your viewing. Well done girls. Also thank you to all parents who helped bring the wheels into school. Henry Marshall, Year 3, "Wheels Days was great because I didn't fall over on my skateboard and sometimes I do." MusicA number of co-curricular music groups meet on a weekly basis to work on a selected repertoire and often perform in Assemblies, competitions and concerts. The Classical Guitar Ensemble Cheryl Grice, an award winning classical guitar performer and teacher started a classical guitar ensemble this year, open to any students who have been performing for a couple of years or more. A range of students have joined the group and new members are always welcome. The classical guitar ensemble meets on Wednesday lunchtimes in JC-B, one of the new practise room behind JC10. The Flute Choir The Flute choir has continued to meet on Tuesday lunchtimes this year and is skilfully guided by Christine Mori. This year a flute quartet will be entering the Chamber Music Competitions to be held in June. Any students who play the flute and wish to join are welcome as the material can be adapted to suit their ability level. College ProductionAs the rehearsals continue, a tired cast and director look for excitement. Costumes are one of those things that add interest and humour. Our tireless team of Mrs Mann, Mrs Morton, Ms O’Connell and Mrs Jaggard are working hard to create the visual highlights of the show. This week Seina Murakami donned her Lion costume and scared our hapless heroine Thomas Nisbet. Join us June 13th - 15th at the Pumphouse Theatre to delight in their frivolity and fun. PhotolifeYou can access, view and order your child's school photos online. Students will have been given their Online Shoot Key slips. The free delivery period expires Sunday 7th April. Parent ConsultationsParent Consultation Meetings with Alex are on Tuesday 26th March at 2pm and 6.30pm. The topics to be covered include; co-curricular participation, curriculum extension and community building. If you would like to attend please RSVP to judy.wallace@pinehurst.school.nz East Coast Bays and Pinehurst Interact Rotary ClubsQuiz Night-prizes and silent auctions April 6th 7pm. On April 6th at 7pm in the “Arena”, the Pinehurst Rotary Interact Club, in conjunction with East Coast Bays Rotary will be hosting an exciting Quiz Night. It will be a thrilling evening with lots of goodies on offer, quick fire raffles and many silent auctions throughout the night. If you’re feeling funky don’t be afraid to get dressed up to a common theme of your choosing. There will be a prizes for the best dressed table and the worst and much more. BYO is acceptable too! We have a very experienced MC for the night who will bring laughter and tears to your eyes. All proceeds will be shared between East Coast Bays Rotary and Pinehurst Rotary Interact Club. We hope to sponsor female Cambodian orphans to NZ for one or more years of their education. Tickets are $20 for an adult and $10 for a student and will be available to purchase from the Pinehurst accounts office. More details can be asked by emailing the Pinehurst Interact President Chantelle Baldwin at chantelle.baldwin@pinehurst.school.nz or Jennifer Neads at East Coast Bays Rotary at jrneads@gmail.com Studio 246Annual holiday programme at Murrays Bay Intermediate from Monday 15th April to Thursday 18th April from 9am to 4pm everyday. Programme includes dance, drama, singing, making backdrops, props, costume etc, before performing a complete show on the Thursday afternoon to family and friends. Programmes have been running for over 15 years, and fill to capacity every time, with continual positive feedback. suitable for ages 5 to 15, no prior experience necessary in any of the art forms. Child care also available between 8am and 9am and 4pm and 5.30pm. More info and to book your space now, email Lenore on info@studio246.co.nz. |