Message from Mike

Message from Sian

New Entrant Howick Historical Village Trip:
Friday 23 May

Our New Entrant students will be visiting Howick Historical Village on Friday 23 May as part of our Education Outside the Classroom programme.

Children must wear their correct winter uniform and bring a jumper, raincoat, packed morning tea and lunch, and a drink bottle - no lunch orders, please.

We will leave school by bus at 9:00am and return by approximately 2:45pm.

This trip links to our Science topic, “The Science of Our Toys”, giving students the chance to explore old-fashioned toys and the forces that make them move. They’ll also take part in activities like butter churning and a traditional school lesson from the past! We’re looking forward to a really exciting day out!

Health this Term in Primary

This term in Health, the Primary students will be learning about  "My Relationships – Healthy Relationships". They will be exploring the different types of relationships in their lives and learning important skills to build and maintain positive connections with others.

Throughout the term, students will:

• Understand the importance of friendships and how to maintain them
• Explore how friends support each other during tough times
• Learn how to resolve conflicts through mutual compromise
• Recognise positive and negative peer influences
• Develop respect for personal boundaries and other perspectives
• Discuss how to handle bullying situations
• Appreciate the diversity of family structures and cultures
• Reflect on their sense of belonging in different communities
• Understand how rules help create safe, inclusive environments.

Snow Planet 365 Challenge (Series 2) Success

Message from Dawn

Does your child need a little extra support with IGCSE English Language or Literature?

Each Wednesday lunchtime, Mrs Campbell (Head of English) runs a targeted support clinic in Room 204 for students in Years 10 and 11.

These sessions are a great opportunity to build confidence, sharpen skills, and get helpful tips for study, revision, essay writing, and tackling those tricky Language questions in Paper 1. 

If you think your child would benefit, please encourage them to head along.

APO Discovery Concert: Tuesday 20 May

Selected music students in Years 7 - 10 will be attending the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra’s (APO’s) Discovery Concert on Tuesday 20 May.

The programme of this concert is especially put together for secondary school students and promises an exciting presentation of classical symphonic music from one of the countries’ top orchestras.

The Discovery Concert cements the exciting partnership between the APO and Pinehurst. Members of the orchestra will continue to work with Pinehurst students in the following months as part of our APOPS Education package that the school has subscribed to, enhancing the level of our school ensemble.

Years 7 and 8 Science Fair: Thursday 22 May

Our Year 7 and 8 students have been working hard on their science fair investigation projects since Term One. We're looking forward to seeing what they've come up with on Thursday when they're all displayed together in the Gym for an afternoon of scientific learning and revelation! 
Keep an eye on our Facebook and Instagram pages this Thursday where we'll reveal the Ribbon winning Boards and Student Judges' favourites! 

Year 7 and 9 Speech Final Results

Last week, the school hall was filled with anticipation, pride, and applause as we hosted the highly anticipated Speech Finals for our Year 7 and Year 9 students. This annual event showcases the impressive speaking talents of our students and gives them a platform to share their thoughts, ideas, and passions with confidence.

The Year 7 theme this year was Nature, and our young speakers truly brought the outdoors in with their heartfelt and imaginative speeches. From the importance of responding proactively to Climate Change, to reasons why potatoes are the best vegetable, students really did explore the wonders and warnings of the natural world. It was inspiring to see how deeply our Year 7 students care about the world around them and how articulately they were able to express their ideas. Our Year 7 winner overall was Zharia Bell with her speech on ‘why we shouldn't genetically engineer animals’. Well done!

Meanwhile, our Year 9 students tackled the theme of Culture with thoughtfulness, humour, and insight. Topics ranged from personal reflections on family heritage to analyses of pop culture and global traditions. Each speech reflected the diversity of our school community and highlighted how culture shapes who we are. The maturity and poise of our Year 9 finalists were nothing short of impressive. Congratulations to our Year 9 speech winner, Freya Busby with her speech on ‘why the culture of being cool is turning us into clones’.

The judging panel had a very difficult task in choosing winners from such a strong field of speakers. Every finalist should be incredibly proud of their achievement, not just for reaching the finals but for the courage, preparation, and passion they displayed on stage.

A huge congratulations to all the students who took part in the speech competition, especially our finalists and winners. Thank you also to the teachers who supported the students along the way and to the families who encouraged them to speak up and be heard.

We look forward to seeing what next year’s speakers will bring to the stage!

North Harbour Secondary Zone Swim Champs

On Tuesday last week, a team of talented Pinehurst swimmers competed at the North Harbour Secondary School Zone Swimming Championships held at AUT Millennium. Our students delivered an exceptional performance, achieving multiple podium finishes across both individual and relay events. This event showcases the talented swimmers that we have at Pinehurst and gives the team confidence heading into the New Zealand Secondary School Championships which is taking place in Week 1 of Term 3 in Hamilton.

Congratulations to the following swimmers for their podium finishes:

• Junior Boys - 100m Freestyle Relay: 2nd Place – William W, Shawn L, Anthony P, Bruce Q
• Junior Boys - 200m Freestyle Relay: 1st Place – William W, Shawn L, Brayden Z, Bruce 
• Junior Boys - 200m Medley Relay: 2nd Place – Brayden Z, William W, Anthony P, Bruce Q
• Senior Girls - 100m Freestyle Relay: 2nd Place – Arissa L, Audrey N, Ivy L, Samantha S-F
• Senior Girls - 200m Freestyle Relay: 1st Place – Arissa L, Audrey N, Ivy L, Samantha S-F
• Senior Girls - 200m Medley Relay: 1st Place – Arissa L, Samantha S-F, Audrey N, Avianna L
• Intermediate Girls 50m Butterfly: 3rd Place – Arissa L
• Intermediate Boys 50m Butterfly: 2nd Place – William W
• Intermediate Girls 50m Backstroke: 2nd Place – Arissa L
• Intermediate Boys 50m Backstroke: 3rd Place – William W
• Senior Boys 50m Backstroke: 1st Place – Bruce S
• Intermediate Boys 50m Breaststroke: 2nd Place – William W
• Junior Girls 50m Freestyle: 3rd Place – Samantha S-F
• Senior Boys 50m Freestyle: 1st Place – Bruce S

We are now eagerly awaiting confirmation to see if these incredible results have qualified our swimmers for the Auckland Secondary School Champion of Champions on Sunday 8th June.

Toi o Te Wiki: Alumni Success - Katie Zhang

Toi o te wiki this week celebrates the success of alumni student, Katie Zhang, who completed A Level Art and Design in 2024. 

Huge congratulations to Katie who has been offered places at six Universities:
1. BA Architecture, Architecture Association School of Architecture (London)
2. University of Southern California (Los Angeles)
3. The University of Greenwich (London, with scholarships)
4. The University of Sydney (Fine Arts)
5. The University of Melbourne
6. BA Interior Design, Chelsea College of The University of Arts London (UAL)

Katie has decided to go to the Architectural Association (AA) School of Architecture with RIBA. We wish her every success at her chosen University. Below is a snapshot of what Katie's A Level Art and Design folio looks like!

We are excited to share that our Pink Ribbon Brunch and Paint event this Thursday is officially SOLD OUT! A heartfelt thank you to everyone who has supported us – whether by purchasing tickets, sponsoring or donating. Your generosity is making a real difference by supporting life-saving education, vital patient care, and innovative breast cancer research right here in New Zealand.

Pink Ribbon Raffle Still Open – Win a Pinehurst Carpark for a Term!
Tickets are just $10 and can be charged to your school account. To enter, simply complete this FORM by midday Thursday 22 May. We are also still warmly welcoming donations via our fundraising page: Pinehurst School Pink Ribbon Fundraising. Thank you for being part of this important cause!

Cultural Market Day Stallholders: 24 June

Cultural Market Stallholder registrations closed on Friday - thank you for all your sign-ups! We will get back to all those who registered shortly. 

Please be on the lookout for more details regarding Kurakai's June food drive that our school will be contributing to through the cultural market. 

NZ On Screen Short Film Competition: Get Creative!

The NZ On Screen short film competition is a fantastic opportunity for Year 7 to 13 students to showcase their filmmaking skills. With categories for narrative shorts, documentaries, and music videos, it offers students the chance to develop skills in scriptwriting, directing, cinematography, and editing. Winning entries can earn cash prizes, and students gain valuable experience while bringing their creative visions to life.

If students haven’t yet attended one of the meetings, there is still time to get involved! We will meet regularly on Thursday lunchtimes to develop our short films. Please email Mrs Curwood for more information, who will be supporting our students, offering lessons and mentoring on the film creation process. 

Argentina Student Exchange Host Families: Term 3

Year 5 Boys Excel at Albany Football

Good News! Our Year 5 boys — Leslie Y, Braeden T, and Xavier W. Gave an outstanding performance at the Albany Cup football tournament last Sunday. They played exceptionally well and were awarded the Albany Silver Cup.

The PJ Project: Donate at Pinehurst Reception

Hi everyone! My name is Elizabeth and I'm in Year 8 at Pinehurst.
I’m helping with a project called the PJ Project, which is all about collecting as many pairs of pyjamas as possible for kids in need this winter. It’s running from 19 May to 17 June, and there’ll be a box at the school reception where you can drop off new pyjamas. Long sleeve & flannelette winter pyjamas work the best. I’ll be helping promote it with posters around school. Please get involved—every pair of PJs can help keep a kid warm and cozy this winter!