News and events for the week ending 22nd February 2019 Friday 22nd February 2019 Opening words from the Executive PrincipalKia ora tatou, good afternoon, 你好 I am going to try not to turn this week’s newsletter into a list of events, but there have been so many that I feel I need to start with, well, a list: the second half of Year 10 completed their Duke of Edinburgh practice tramp this week; Year 6 have all had a brilliant time on the ocean during their Waterwise sessions; Year 4 and Year 5 have been swimming all week; Year 3 (who have been very excited!) are currently enjoying their second day on camp; the whole of Junior College enjoyed a full day at the Northern Arena for their Swimming Sports; we had a lovely Lantern Festival celebration in College 4; and we welcomed parents from Year 4 to 6 in for their information evenings. And last night, a number of students, parents and staff enjoyed good food, speeches and lots of celebration at the annual Cambridge Awards ceremony. Along the way, we have also been doing some work, of course, and it’s been good to see the way the senior years have really settled into their studies. We are currently putting the final touches to our Scholarship timetable. Some subjects have begun their lessons this week, and others are starting next week. We are offering a number of subjects at a number of different times, both during the day and before and after school, and I’m delighted that so many Year 12 and Year 13 students have taken the opportunity to really challenge themselves. Cambridge AS and A Levels remain the central focus, and some of the students who begin the Scholarship courses may decide later in the year that they’re not quite ready for the level of study, but it’s a great response from the students, and shows how ambitious they are. At the end of the year, we’ll review the way we’ve structured the programme in 2019, and see what we can add in 2020. A big thank you as well to all of the teachers involved, all of whom are giving up time, often to stretch and challenge themselves! I would like to say just a few words about the way teenagers use social media. We have had a couple of incidents this week when some of our young people have made mistakes when they’re online. This is the case in just about every school in the country, and it is something that all teachers and Principals consider regularly. We have a cyber-safety policy at school: students are made aware of what this says at the start of every year, and we are going to be talking to them about it again over the next week. It includes clear statements about not posting comments about other people or engaging in any form of online bullying; and it includes the instruction not to undermine the school’s reputation in any way. This includes posting pictures that are unpleasant or inappropriate, or using bad language. It also includes posting any pictures or videos that may have been taken at school. Young people do not always follow the rules, of course, and they sometimes think that they do not need to follow the agreement if they are at home and on their own devices. This is not the case: we expect our students to abide by our agreement at all times when they are online. We do this because ours is a positive community where children enjoy coming to school, and if something happens online that shouldn’t happen, it has an impact on our community in and out of school. And we do this because sometimes young people do not realise that everything they say online is there forever. Everything can be copied and stored, and we cannot control what other people do with the things we say and the things we post online. So please have a conversation with your children this weekend: my advice is to talk to your children about the way to behave, and to reinforce the message that the school is giving the students. I also would advise you to think about access to phones and computers at night. If you have reason for concern, simply take these away at night. But the best advice is always to talk, to educate and to help your children make the right decisions themselves. On the note of helping your children make the right decisions for themselves, I am taking my elder daughter to O’Rorke Hall on Sunday: she is leaving home to go to university for the first time. Wish me luck! WEEK 5 Wednesday 27th February
Friday 1st March
WEEK 6 Monday 4th March
Tuesday 5th March
Wednesday 6th March
Friday 8th March
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, As we come to the end of our fourth week of classes it feels as though it is time to take a breath and acknowledge a very successful start to the year. The second half of Year 10 completed their Bronze Duke of Edinburgh qualifying tramp on Waiheke island at the start of the week. It is important to us that our students continue to develop an appreciation of our natural environment and learn to respect and understand how lucky we are. At yesterday’s assembly there were many opportunities promoted to our students for the year. As a College we are working hard to provide a wide range of opportunities for all our students to engage with our community. The students have responded to the challenge so far with 115 students applying for the 5 College Councils, Year 7 and Year 8 students working hard at their monitor jobs, good numbers preparing for the College Production, and a fantastic Year 7 and Year 8 Swimming Sports yesterday. Many more opportunities will be promoted to our students shortly including debating, winter sports, music lessons/groups, UN Youth, sustainability projects, Rotary Interact, and many other leadership opportunities. We welcome your support in encouraging your child to get involved in school activities. The benefits for them as an individual and us as a community are many and the building of school spirit and pride is unquantifiable. Last night we celebrated the Outstanding Cambridge Learner Awards at Eden Park. It is a special occasion to enjoy with some of our highest achieving students and their parents. Students from schools across New Zealand attend and we are very proud of our 7 students who won awards. Finally, your son or daughter will be bringing home an information sheet this afternoon. We ask that you please complete the fields required and return the information to us as soon as possible. We hope that you have a great weekend. Ngā mihi, Chris Wiggin and Kieran Verryt Principals of College Valentine RosesFor Valentine’s Day the Senior College students bought a rose (or two) for someone special. On the day, a group of Year 13 leaders delivered over 200 roses. Thanks to the students’ effort $585.60 will be donated to HeartKids. Chinese Lantern FestivalTuesday was the last day of the 15 day long Chinese New Year celebration. It is always celebrated with the lantern festival when everyone meets to admire lanterns, the moon, solve riddles and to eat yummy food. Senior College Matai leaders successfully created a festive atmosphere in the College 4 area to celebrate this special day. There were colourful lanterns created by our Year 7 students adorning the ceiling. The walls and windows were decorated with our Year 8's creative Chinese paper cuttings. Music students provided entertainment with traditional Chinese dance and instrumental music. Thank you to Ms Nancy Cao who came and gave us a demonstration of Chinese calligraphy. And of course no Chinese celebration is complete without the food - there were many different kinds of dumplings as well other yummy treats. DoE Tramp #279 Year 10 students completed their practice bronze Duke of Edinburgh tramp on beautiful Waiheke island this week. Both groups completed 20km over two days. Most of the walk compromised of rolling hills, coastal paths and beaches. Congratulations to all who completed the tramps. They will be using their bush skills later in the year for their 'qualifier', planned to be at the Pinnacles Hut in the Corommandel. Many thanks to Miss Anderson and Miss Murray for giving up their time to accompany the tramps. Economists Eating WatermelonWho wants to spend an entire lesson eating watermelon? For free? That’s what Year 13 students did in their Economics class this week. We started the new topic off with an experiment called The Watermelon Test. In this experiment, students eat slices of watermelon, and keep a track of their total satisfaction (or utility) from each slice they eat. Ayden, Miron, Ben, and Devon all found that as more watermelon was eaten, less and less satisfaction was gained from it. One student even kept eating until he felt sick. This nicely demonstrates the law of diminishing marginal utility, which is a central feature of the A2 syllabus this year. Year 11 ChemistryStudents have been studying how the fractionating column works in the separation process of crude oil into the different fractions. The students were required to make a model of the fractionating column and include how it works, the different fractions that are produced along with the uses for these fractions. They have produced some amazing models and learned a lot about the process. Year 11 BiologyStudents have finished their first unit – Reproduction in plants. We used a poster to establish if we could identify parts and identify functions of parts of a flower, creating a colourful display. The Benefits of MusicYear 8 Music classes have been researching into the Benefits of Music these past few weeks. The exact focus of which, the students chose themselves. Animal behaviour, human brain development, athletic performances and plants have been a common topic. This week we have begun presenting their research and the quality of work keeps on rising every year. For those of you who are avid gardeners and want to maximise your plant growth – a little water, sun and Mozart might be the best way to ensure the best results, according to the findings of two of our students. To find out more click here to see the website they have created. Year 7's LanternsThe Lantern Festival of 2019 falls on the 19th of February. With a history of over 2,000 years, various traditional customs and activities are held during the Lantern Festival that appeal to people of different ages. These include, watching lanterns and fireworks, guessing lantern riddles, performing folk dances, and eating yuanxiao. Our creative Year 7 students made some beautiful lanterns to celebrate the festival this year. ‘Much Ado About Shakespeare’Washed up on shore, the hapless Viola dresses as a manservant to survive in this harsh new world and ‘Cesario’ is born. Duke Orsino sends Cesario to woo Olivia, who instead falls for this intelligent and strangely sensitive manservant. Orsino broods over being rejected by Olivia and is consoled by Cesario who he comes to rely on. Just when you think this is going to end terribly, Viola’s twin brother Sebastian, who Viola/Cesario thought was dead, turns up in the nick of time to save the day. Shakespeare often had twins being reunited in his plays, this may be due to the fact that he had twin children but one of them had died. Sad, but true. Come and see the merriment and confusion at the Production of ‘Much Ado About Shakespeare’ which plays at the Pumphouse Theatre from 13th – 15th June. Pinehurst Golf TeamsThe North Harbour Premier Golf competition ‘teed off’ on Monday night at the Pupuke Golf Club. Pinehurst entered two teams this year, which reflects the interest in golf and the depth of players at Pinehurst. Our top team are the Auckland champions and are defending the title this season and all going well have a good chance of repeating the win. Our second team consists mainly of new players, who are playing the inter-school competition for the first time. Even though they will be fighting to win each week, it will be an opportunity to gain experience. Last Monday, our top team played Wentworth and manged to scramble home with a win by two strokes. Our second team were not able to beat Rangitoto but produced some good golf. Introducing Pinehurst #1 Yeonsoo Son (13 years old, Year 9) Yeonsoo started golf about five years ago with her brother, Jaewoo. She is our number one player with a handicap of +2. Last year she won the NZ U13 championships and she is currently ranked 26 overall in New Zealand. Yeonsoo sees Lydia Ko as a role model and she is one of the reasons that she is now at Pinehurst. Jaewoo Son (15 years old, Year 11) Jaewoo started golf about five years ago with his sister, Yeonsoo. His uncle took them to the driving range and since then they have continued to play. He practices every day and currently has a handicap of 1.3. His best result so far was winning the Waikato Age Group championships in 2017. Jaewoo had the best round for the team on Monday and was relatively happy with his performance. Eujin Kang (15 years old, Year 12) Eujin has been playing golf for six years. Her father was good friends with Lydia Ko’s father and that is how Eujin began and eventually came to Pinehurst. In 2015 and 2016 she was awarded the Lydia Ko Golf scholarship awarded by NZ Golf for up-and-coming young players. Currently, her handicap is 1.8. She had a slow start to the competition on Monday but is confident her game will pick up. Subin Wui (16 years old, Year 13) Subin started playing golf about five years ago. She asked her Mum if she could have a lesson at the local club and has not stopped playing since. This year she has decided to concentrate more on her studies so is not training as often and is playing fewer tournaments. Her handicap is 3.3. She felt she ‘held it together’ on Monday night to play an important part in the 2-stroke win. BaristasThe 2019 student baristas completed their final training session yesterday afternoon. The student coffee shop will officially open next week, when the new kitchen is installed. Students and teachers, listen out to the daily notices to hear more about our official opening day. Rotary ExchangeAt the end of last year, college student Ciaran Seymour left NZ and went on a Rotary exchange to Chile. Here is a picture of him and his family at the airport last year on his way. Ciaran is going to spend a year in Chile immersing himself in the culture, language, food and opportunities in the hope of improving his Spanish and seeing more of the world. Matai Run Round the Bays for YouthlineA group of Pinehurst Matai teachers and students have signed up to complete this year’s Ports of Auckland Round the Bays. Since Matai supports the work of Youthline, we wanted to support our house charity by raising money as part of our participation. Please help us help Youthline by giving whatever you can here . The more people that know about Youthline Auckland, the greater their impact, so please also spread the word by sharing this page with your friends and family. Thank you in advance for your generosity, it means a lot! Kia Ora, It has been rather quiet in the Senior Primary part of the school this week as our Year 4 and Year 5 students have been swimming at Northern Arena and Year 6 were learning to sail optimists at Murrays Bay. Year 3 were off to their first ever camp at Camp Maynard in Paremoremo and by all accounts had a wonderful time on the confidence course, learning bush craft and creating bush art, making kites and cooling down by soaking the parents with water pistols! As the bulk of our outdoor education for the beginning of the year comes to a close we will be focused on the classroom based curriculum. Our core subjects are English, Maths and Science which are focused on the objectives in the Cambridge Primary programme. English and Maths are taught every day and Science at least twice a week. The curriculum and resources for teaching these core subjects are international and help us to deliver a rigorous and structured programme of learning which focuses heavily on all students having increasing levels of literacy, numeracy and scientific knowledge and skills. The rest of our programme is mostly based on the New Zealand curriculum with the exception of languages and music and allows us to lean increasingly towards a more inquiry focused and integrated style of learning. It is important for our young people to learn about the world through the context of New Zealand. We learn about New Zealand culture, history, flora, fauna and what makes us unique whilst also considering what we can do to sustain our beautiful country for future generations. We become more responsible citizens and future guardians of our environment by being curious about what is necessary to preserve and develop what we have. Through exercise and sport we learn to take care of ourselves by keeping fit and in Health and Wellbeing programmes learning to eat well, be safe in the sun and take care of our mental health. The curriculum is broad and balanced and aims to develop the education of the whole child. The combination of eager learners, excellent teachers and supportive parents means that we can get the best outcomes for the young people we work with. We are really excited to see what we can all achieve by working together this year. Nga Mihi, Sian Coxon, Principal of Primary Welcome new ESOL students and their familiesThis week in ESOL, students have been busy learning about past tense verbs, using articles and asking and answering questions correctly. Year 3 Lego-DactaThe Year 3 Lego-Dacta GaTE class are busy learning about simple machines. This week the focus was on levers. The students independently built deckchairs, exploring the lever on the deckchair, identifying the fulcrum, load and effort. They followed 12 steps in the building instructions, having to revisit steps to ensure their deckchair was constructed correctly and functioned as it should. There was great delight as deckchairs emerged and students could recognise how a lever assists the movement of the back of the deckchair allowing the user to easily go from sitting to reclining. Year 5 Swimming LessonsThis week Year 5 traveled by bus to the Northern Arena for their week of swimming lessons. The children were all grouped with similar abilities and swam for an hour. Skilled swimming instructors taught them the important skills and techniques needed. Friday finished with the students wearing life jackets, learning water safety skills and having lots of fun. Year 5 RoboticsThis week the Year 5 GaTE Robotics students were introduced to the Mindstorms EV3 sets. They had to turn on the intelligent brick and rename it. They created their first programme displaying a picture on their screen accompanied by a sound. They also learnt to control a large motor by creating a second programme. They modified the programme by changing the speed, direction and number of rotations that the motor makes. Great excitement was had, and all students thoroughly enjoyed exploring these new sets and successfully coding /creating two new programmes. Year 6 WaterwiseYear 6 have once again been busy outdoors. Following one full week back in the classroom after a 5-day camp, the students were once again challenged to develop their skills in EOTC (Education Outside the Classroom), this time out on the water at Murrays Bay. Each class spent a day on the Waterwise programme learning how to rig and sail an optimist boat. Students discovered how to tie a bowline knot, steer a boat using a tiller and most importantly to duck their head when the boom swings across when the boat tacks. Waterwise is a voluntary organisation which aims to promote water safety and build children’s confidence on the water. Pinehurst School is one of three schools who are part of the Murrays Bays schools Waterwise programme and we are extremely grateful to our parent instructors, Craig Williams and Asbjorn Aakjaer who run these 3 days of sailing for our Year 6 students. We look forward to a second day of sailing in Term 4 and welcome any new interested parents who would like to train to become an instructor. Contact kelly.clark@pinehurst.co.nz if you are interested. P20's Korowai of KnowledgeTo begin the year we have been focusing on building our classroom community through learning about who we are and how we contribute within our class and community. This is our Korowai that has been made by all the students in P20. The Korowai (Maori cloak) was a garment made in early Maori times and was generally woven or made from traditional materials like flax or feathers. It is worn as a mantle of prestige and honor. In our class we all designed our own paper feathers and our cloak was constructed. All together, it is our Korowai of knowledge with everyone contributing in their own unique way. I Spy in the PrimaryI Spy... In Year 4, crossword (or rather cross-number!) math, adding up to 20. I Spy...Year 2 using words to describe their favourite places. I Spy... things that are 'strong', 'transparent', 'fluffy' and 'rough' with Year 3 students! Introducing Lori Wallace offering Itinerant Performing Art CoachingA performing arts coach provides advice and mentoring to students to enable them to improve their vocal projection, acting and dramatic performances. They work with students to prepare them better for role and make optimal decisions with their audition material. Pinehurst school is excited to welcome a former student, Lori Wallace to the Itinerant tutors team. Lori has pursued her passion for acting and since departing school has completed a Bachelor of Performing and Screen Arts at Unitec. After graduating in 2013, she has worked in the industry and is well versed in the art auditioning. She spent 18 months in London and has recently completed her teaching diploma. To enrol you child with Lori, please complete the itinerant lesson enrolment form on the website page. Farewell to a fabulous Art TeacherLinda Gair's final assembly is on Thursday 28th February. Any parents who had a special rapport are invited to come along and say farewell. Senior students are also invited to attend. Guests to be seated by 2.20pm in the Arena. Following the assembly there will be refreshments in the staffroom and an opportunity to personally say goodbye. Please RSVP to nicole.webb@pinehurst.school.nz by 15th February. NZ Juniors Festival - Swimming ChampionshipsCongratulations to Year 8 students Jack Potier & Jasmine Lyles, who both competed at the recent NZ Juniors Festival swimming event at Westwave. Jasmine had fantastic results - a silver and two bronze individual placings together with a top 8 in a further 3 events. |