News and events for the week ending 21st September 2018 Friday 21st September 2018 Opening words from the Executive PrincipalSuffrage 125 - Whakatū Wahine 2018 marks the 125th anniversary of women’s suffrage in New Zealand. On 19 September 1893 the Electoral Act 1893 was passed, giving all women in New Zealand the right to vote. As a result of this landmark legislation, New Zealand became the first self-governing country in the world in which all women had the right to vote in parliamentary elections. I didn’t want to let this landmark go past without recognising such an important day for New Zealand, and to use this anniversary as a way of thinking about how we can shape the future. If anyone would like more information, please visit https://mch.govt.nz/suffrage-125. Good afternoon, Kia ora tatou, 你好 One of the best parts of my job is the time I spend watching teachers and students work together, both in brief moments when I wander around the school, and when I spend longer in the class, observing teachers more formally. I’ve seen, this week, a New Entrants class doing their “Daily Five” literacy activities, organising themselves independently, developing language in a whole collection of different ways, using old technology (play doh!) to form letters, as well as new technology (iPads) to listen to some New Zealand writing. They read in groups independently, and with one of the two teachers in the room, developing their comprehension skills. It was focused and productive, and the students managed themselves superbly. And, of course, all of the children were developing their reading and writing very well indeed! I’ve also seen a Year 5 GaTE class for some of our best writers. There were eight students in the class, developing their skills in a persuasive writing task, using frameworks to extend their understanding of how language can work to develop argument. I looked at their books while their teacher circulated, supporting and challenging the students: some of their narrative writing was exceptional, and I could see the way they were starting to break free and challenge the conventions they were being taught. In College, I watched a Year 12 Geography lesson. It was a pleasure to see the relationship between the teacher and the students. A small class, yes, but the teacher knew the students really well, and had developed resources and planned the lesson to engage them, using her very strong questioning skills to draw out their learning. I also saw a top set Year 9 Maths lesson, and saw exactly the same skill: exceptional questioning, open in structure, enabling students to reflect and build on their ideas. In both lessons, as well, I saw enthusiasm and engagement. As you can probably tell, I was inspired by these lessons. There are always things every school needs to do to develop our teaching, challenge and support students more, and identify our young people’s needs more effectively, but we should also celebrate the excellent teaching and learning taking place around the school at the same time as we continually look for ways to improve. On that, we have now appointed an additional College Mathematics teacher for next year. This appointment will enable us to have additional extension classes in College. Onto other matters: we had a Mufti Day yesterday – some very colourful children! – and we have had a few queries about the decision to support Sir Ray Avery’s Lifepods charity. This came about because Sir Ray spoke at our Year 8 and 9 Leadership Symposium in July, and so impressed our young people that they decided they wanted to support his charity. We are aware that there is some controversy around this charity at the moment, and so will be asking the Junior College committee who made the decision to do some thorough research over the next few weeks before making the final call as to where the proceeds should go. Mr Johansen and I feel that this is a really good learning opportunity for the students, and we want them to take the lead. We will let you know where we eventually go on this after the holidays. I’m not going to mention exams this week (for a change!), except to say that if you have a young person who is particularly anxious about the exams, let us know so that we can support them alongside their parents. Year 11, 12 and 13 reports will be available before the end of next week, so please contact teachers if you need any more information. Thank you to all those parents and students who attended the launch of the December 2019 SpaceCamp on Wednesday night – there were over 100 people there and I’m expecting us to be sending a group to NASA next year! - and thank you as well to all those parents who attended Parent Teacher Conferences in Primary this week. I have had very positive feedback from staff and parents, and I hope they were useful experiences for everyone. Good luck to the senior students heading out on the Duke of Edinburgh Silver tramp this weekend, and the very best of luck to all the participants in DanceSport tomorrow. I’ll see if I can pop down to see a little of the event in action. And it’s the last week of term next week! Have a lovely weekend. Saturday 22nd September
WEEK 10: Tuesday 25th September
Wednesday 26th September
Thursday 27th September
Friday 28th September TERM 3 ENDS 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, It has been a relatively quiet week in the College with all students in classes and a settled and productive atmosphere to the fore. Giving back is something that is important to us as a school community and this was highlighted in yesterday’s assembly where we acknowledged several groups. Our Rotary Interact students were acknowledged for the work that they have done in fundraising and collecting for our sister school Yendarra, in South Auckland. We also acknowledged our Youthline Rescue Run team for their epic effort which culminated in Matai House donating over $4000 to Youthline. Finally, we had a spokesperson for the ‘Kiwi for Kiwis’ charity who informed us of the great work that they are doing to protect and improve the numbers of our native bird. They acknowledged Rimu House for their support and the donation that the House had made. Our final two Houses are also linked with charities; Totara with the Ronald McDonald House and Kauri with the Cancer Foundation. This year has also seen another significant effort from our community to support the World Vision 40 Hour Famine. We are one of the leading schools with regard to the funds raised for this charity. Our Prefects have also played their part to support the Dingwall Trust in South Auckland. The Dingwall Trust provides support and housing for children in need of out of home care. The Prefects fundraised and purchased 10 slow cookers for the trust and spent an excellent afternoon visiting the community and engaging with the children there, a very worthwhile experience. We will continue to work with our students to promote a sense of empathy and understanding. Exposing them to a range of charities and showing them that they can make a positive difference for others’ lives. We hope that this will be an important part of their development as young adults with the aspiration to lead positive change in the world around them. Ngā mihi, Chris Wiggin and Kieran Verryt Principals of College Sport UniformAny sport uniform that was issued for Senior College Hockey, Netball, Football and Basketball is currently being collected in. Please promptly return to either our Sports Office (Arena) or School Reception to avoid being charged for the replacement cost. The Price Waterhouse ScholarshipThe Price Waterhouse Scholarship presents an opportunity of a lifetime to the few students who are its recipients annually. Pinehurst Head Boy, Louie Holgate-Simpson, has been awarded the PwC Scholarship after demonstrating in his application and interview the attributes they were looking for; leadership ability, positive attitude, problem solving abilities, excellent grades, strong personal skills and willingness to learn. The scholarship includes $7,000 towards university fees, a PwC mentor, a paid summer internship and access to business networks across New Zealand. Congratulations Louie! The 2018 New Zealand Economics ChallengeThe 2018 New Zealand Economics Challenge is a prestigious event that showcases the exceptional talent that New Zealand secondary students have in economics. The competition tests students' knowledge of economic theory and current economic issues. It encourages secondary school students to pursue tertiary studies in economics. Ayden Dickins, in Year 12 secured a high distinction and that places him in the top 5% of participants. 1329 students from 89 schools nation-wide took part. Ayden, along with his parents have been invited to the awards presentation ceremony. The competition was run by the Economics department of the Auckland University Business School. Well done Ayden! Year 13 Student Accepted into Top Korean University
Sponge the TeachersOn Friday, 14th of September, the Student Council organised a ‘Sponge the Teachers’ fundraiser. This event was held at lunch time and ran alongside the sausage sizzle and bake sale. A total of $423.00 was raised from this event. This money will go towards the Prostate Cancer Foundation. For the ‘Sponge the Teachers’ event, students had the choice of buying sponges or buckets of water to pour on the teachers who kindly offered to take part. Special thanks to the following individuals – Mr Jacques, Mr Reynolds, Mr Stafford, Mr Quirk, Hayden Neal-Brown and Haoyu Han for being willing to be sponged. Celebrating 125th Anniversary of Women’s SuffrageThis week the Science Department produced a small but important reminder of the anniversary of women gaining the vote in New Zealand. This landmark decision paved the way for women to trail blaze pathways into new fields. The display featured a selection of high achieving woman which we all could reflect upon and acknowledge their achievements. The University of Auckland provided the information and pictures, for which we are grateful. Names which stood out included; Associate Professor Elana Taipapaki Curtis, Professor Helen Danesh-Meyer, Emeritus Professor Louise Nicholson and Professor Jayne Godfrey. Their fields of expertise and patient endeavours are inspirational. The tribute to our 125 years also includes three pieces of artwork created specifically to celebrate this anniversary. New Zealand created a template 125 years ago, which many other countries emulated. Table Tennis - NSSS (North Shore Secondary Schools)
Grace Qin placed 3rd overall in Individual Comp (Open Age Group) AIMS Games 2018Our Pinehurst AIMS Team had an outstanding week at the 2018 AIMS Games in Tauranga. Competing in 13 different sports, all 59 Pinehurst students represented us with pride, passion and determination. Full results are below, however we wish to recognise our top results for this year: Tim Xie & Yumin Kim (Table Tennis) – Silver Medal. Tim & Yumin were the 2nd seeded team going into this event, and the results did not disappoint! Playing some exciting and energetic table tennis, the boys were deserving winners of their silver medal. Congratulations Tim & Yumin!
A huge thank you to our coaches & managers, for all their efforts in preparing students for AIMS and for taking care of the students during the tournament. Thank you also to Mr Johansen for his support for the entire week, and to Mr Verryt for supporting the teams on Monday. For all the photos and daily results, please see the Pinehurst Sports Facebook Page HERE Kia Ora, With only a week left to go before the end of term there is no sign of slowing down and with so much to achieve before the end of the year, we won’t be doing that any time soon. Our Year 6 students are busy preparing themselves for Cambridge Checkpoint tests in English, Science and Maths in the first week of next term and we are looking forward to the results of their efforts and also spending some time with them before they leave the Primary at the end of the year to go to the Junior College. They will continue their Waterwise programme, learning to sail an optimist boat at Murrays Bay, make products for PrEP, the Primary Enterprise Programme, along with the rest of the Primary. Then they enjoy a social and their graduation before we farewell them at Prizegiving at the end of the school year. It is always a bittersweet time as we feel grateful that they have been well prepared for the next stage but know that we will miss them, having spent the majority of the last six years seeing them nearly every day. After an extremely successful Junior Primary show last week we have continued to enjoy the Arts with a musical performance from a Ghana drumming group that kept us all musically entertained, singing and dancing on Thursday morning and our Year 5’s enjoyed a visit to Auckland museum to learn more about Aotearoa New Zealand and Maori culture as they examine their identity and connection to this land. Mufti day brought an array of outfits, a lot of princesses, a biker boy and a unicorn and was fairly calm despite the excitement of wearing ‘at home’ clothes. Junior Primary Cross Country is this afternoon and we are looking forward to watching our youngest people run as fast as they can around the track. Thanks to all of the parents who made time to meet with us at conferences we hope that you enjoyed hearing about your child’s successes as well as their next steps in learning. Although Term 4 is a short term we will be focussed on what still needs to be learned before the next stage as well as taking some time out for fun: end of year activities such as our famous teddy bears picnic, athletics competition, PrEP, social events and prize-givings. Ngā mihi, Sian Coxon, Principal of Primary Pinehurst Primary NetballHow is it the end of the winter netball season already? We are very proud of the amazing progress of all our Primary netball players and thankful for the sunny and dry winter weather we had. We held a very successful ‘Netball Fun Day’, this term followed by a parent information session to encourage our new families to join us in the Spring netball league. Spring netball is a great way to learn a new sport, in a non-competitive environment, focussing on skill development. On Wednesday we held the first spring league training session at lunchtime for any student new to netball. Our focus was on the fundamental skills that netball promotes such as passing and catching whilst moving into space. Great fun was had by all. We look forward to an enjoyable spring league where new friendships and skills are fostered and that many of our new netballers will join us next winter! Year 3 and 4 GymnasticsFollowing a brief respite from their arduous training due to Seussical rehearsals, the Year 3 and 4 gymnasts are back in full swing. The preparations for our upcoming competition in Term 4 are well underway. The children are working so hard to learn their routines on the beam, floor, vault and bars and perfect their technique. Many pointed toes can be seen! Mrs Brown and Mrs Vien were really impressed with the children's dedication and motivation, not to mention the team work they witnessed when a team member was struggling, someone was always there to jump in and help. It is always nice to work with students from the college and see their willingness to help the younger children. Students have worked hard in memorising their routines and some students have shown an improvement on their strengths and coordination because they have done their training homework! Keep up the excellent work guys! Junior PrimaryOn a walk around the Junior Primary this morning, it was evident that many of the classes are developing the way in which writing lessons are delivered. Our teachers are driving the ‘Power of Talk’ and oral language rehearsal, as one of the most useful tools when teaching a child to write. Students are encouraged to talk using a ‘writing voice’. This allows our students to internalise key language patterns and high-level vocabulary of familiar texts, before even putting pencil to paper. P4 drawing their story maps for, The Hungry Caterpillar. After this process has taken place our students are then in the position to examine a variety of texts more closely and identify ‘What a Good One Looks Like’. Ultimately, this leads to them using their understanding to invent their own text and apply writing skills independently. P8 working on high-level vocabulary to include in their description of Whoville. Wednesday Night Junior Breakers Basketball CompetitionPinehurst has two Year 3 & 4 teams entered in the Wednesday night Junior Breakers Basketball competition. The Golden Eagles used excellent teamwork on Wednesday night’s game, children were accurately passing and supporting each other by creating space. The Player of the Day was Mikey Aakjaer for his awesome shooting skills. The Hawks won Wednesday night’s game and Thomas Forshaw scored his first goal of the season! The children worked together dribbling and passing the ball up the court towards their goal. They were also using their defending skills to prevent the other team from shooting goals. Both teams have worked extremely hard over the course of the season. All players have developed their basketball skills and most importantly, everyone has had an awesome time playing and being a part of team. Marvelous Measurement Maths in P15!In P15 for measurement the children have been learning how to measure and calculate the perimeter of a rectangle using the formula P = 2(a + b). We have also learnt how to calculate the area of a shape. We first learnt how to calculate the area of a shape by counting squares. We then learnt how to calculate the area of a rectangle by multiplying the number of squares in a row by the number of columns. P10’s Awesome Cardboard ConstructionsThis term in visual art, the students observed and discussed constructing a 3-D statue in preparation of creating our own. We observed various types of statues and how they might be made and looked at numerous fish on our i-pads. We discovered that some fish have beautiful colours, assorted fins and tails, plus they came in many different shapes. When we had finished our design, it was time to put our plan into action. We needed to use our problem-solving skills to ensure that our fins, tail and mouth were cut out bigger than needed, so they could be seen. The next step was to tape and glue fish together. Once that step was completed, we were able to begin to papier-mâché our fish, so that our fish became a 3 dimensional shape. The glue felt slimy and squishy, it took some of us longer to use our hands, but in the end we all did. Once our papier-mâché was dry, we were able to paint our fish according to our plan. I Spy in the PrimaryI Spy....floating and sinking scientists. I Spy... netball training! I Spy....adjectives everywhere in P8! SNAP Device OrdersThe deadline for any SNAP device orders is Friday 26th October. All orders made before this date guarantee delivery in time for our Orientation Day for 2019 New Students to the Junior College, held next term on November 19th. Students will receive their device on this date, test login details and learn how to access Office 365, Schoolbox and other useful applications in preparation for the 2019 school year. Beach clean-ups in HawaiiYear 12 student Charlie Thomas, arrived in Oahu, Hawaii last Thursday to help out with a series of beach clean-ups through an organisation called Sustainable Coastlines. The groups were out on the beach as soon as they arrived with a clean up. Charlie commented, "The amount of plastic here is incredible, I've never been more shocked in my life. We were digging it out of rock pools that were so full we couldn't tell where the water level was. All of the bags in the truck were collected in under an hour, I hope this is a reminder to everyon to think about their plastic disposal". Kia Kaha te Reo MāoriLast week it was ‘Te wiki o te Reo Māori’ The theme was 'Kia Kaha te Reo. ‘Kia Kaha’ is well known in New Zealand English with its correct Māori meaning of ‘be strong’. We often talk about languages as if they are people – talking about language health, strength and revitalisation. So when we say ‘Kia Kaha te Reo Māori’ we’re saying - ‘Let’s make the Māori language strong'. The logo features a contemporary interpretation of hei tiki - an iconic symbol used to depict and evoke messages and themes of strength, leadership and pride within our nation. The ‘kanohi’ represents the evolving face of Aotearoa and is depicted in a modern form to reflect just that, while reinforcing the notions of pride and strength. The ‘arero’ is highlighted to symbolise the overarching key messages for the campaign: Strengthen the status of the Māori language Ghana Drumming ConcertOn Thursday morning our Year 1-8 students were treated to a concert and workshop run by Kododo, a West African drumming and dance group established by Robert Koffie Fugah. Robert comes from the Volta Region of Ghana where traditional music and dance interweaves in all parts of everyday life. Before coming to New Zealand he taught African dance and drumming for 15 years both in Ghana and abroad. Groups of students and teachers participated in call and response pieces whose rhythm is rooted in the speaking rhythm of the Akan group of languages. Suzuki Violin Teaching coming to Pinehurst Term 4 – Welcome Milly RoutMilly Rout was born in Auckland and started learning the violin through the Suzuki method at the age of 4. She gained a diploma in violin performance before deciding to study biomedical science at the University of Auckland, attaining a Masters degree in 2015. While at university, Milly undertook her first Suzuki teacher training courses. She gained her Level 1 accreditation in 2014, and began her own teaching studio in central Auckland. Milly is a registered teacher with the New Zealand Suzuki Institute and is the current chairperson
If you would like to enrol your child into Suzuki violin lessons with Milly, please complete the form here. From Term 4, every Friday lunchtime there will be a Suzuki string group rehearsal for any string primary students that would like to join and it will be held in JC8. Please email Marija to register your child for this group. Senior Formal Music Concert - 26th September from 4.30 in C2Our senior music students are completing their performance portfolios on Wednesday and will perform an array of repertoire sure to wow the audience. Please come along and support them to this approximately hour long event. Jessica TownsendOn Monday November 5th, the Y5-8 classes will be attending a presentation by Jessica Townsend, the award-winning author of the Nevermoor series. She will be talking about how she has became a writer, as well as promoting her first book, Nevermoor The trials of Morrigan Crow, and her new book, Wundersmith The calling of Morrigan Crow. We are incredibly lucky to have Jessica coming to speak to us, as we are the only school in New Zealand that she is visiting! Hachette New Zealand is giving our students the option to purchase Jessica’s books at a greatly reduced cost, and these can be charged to your school account as well. Each book will cost $10, instead of the RRP of $22. There is also an option to purchase books to donate to our Christmas gifts recipient, which is Grandparents Raising Grandchildren. As Hachette New Zealand has to ship the books from Australia, orders must be returned to the library by Friday 28th September, so students can receive the books before the event. Jessica will also be signing her books once her presentation has finished. Order forms were emailed last week, but if you need another, please contact the library library@pinehurst.school.nz Are you interested in giving tennis a go? Or representing the school in the Upper Harbour tennis competition?Tennis at Pinehurst School is back up and running at the start of Term 4. This is a great opportunity to learn new skills, create connections, and represent the school. The coaching is open to all students, of all abilities, whether you’re just starting out, or whether you're already an accomplished player. As a player, teacher Taylor Quirk, was fortunate enough to represent his province, and achieve New Zealand national titles. From then, he has been coaching the last 5 years around New Zealand. Taylor's aim is to use this knowledge learnt, and give students at Pinehurst School the opportunity to improve their skills and have an enjoyable experience. If you are interested, please sign up here. Uniform Requirements for Term 4Years 1-6 will have the option of wearing summer or winter uniform for the first two weeks of Term 4, 2018. Years 7-13 are expected to be in summer uniform from the start of Term 4, 2018. Limited summer stock will be available in the uniform shop from Monday, 17 Sept. Holiday Hours:
Year 10-12 Student Help in Uniform Shop - January HolidaysThe uniform shop requires student help during the last two weeks of January, 2019. This is a paid position. If you are interested, please contact Kathy or Dyan in the uniform shop. Phone 414 -0960 ext 629 or email uniform@pinehurst.school.nz NZSS Swimming (Wellington) - Mack Hong (Age Group - Boys 14 years)
Auckland Championship Swimming SuccessCongratulations to Year 7 student Jasmine Lyles, who recently competed at the Auckland Swimming Championships, winning bronze in the 200M Breaststroke. After School Programme - BadmintonTerm 4 After School Badminton Programme is back. This is a great option for students to come along and try out badminton while learning new skills. Students will need to fill out an online form, please see the enrolment form below: https://goo.gl/forms/M2iFA8441JIEGRHX2
All abilities are welcome. If you have queries regarding this programme, please feel free to contact Badminton North Harbour, phone: (09) 410-6941. Ella LeticaMirabella (Ella) Letica who was the 2016 Head Girl, recently recieved the Rebecca L. Lynch Memorial Scholarship. This scholarship allows Ella to study for a year at the University of Idaho. They only give out one of these scholarships each year. This is an amazing achievement for Ella. |