Art and Science in P22!

We have been learning and experimenting with korus in Art. We learnt that koru is a Maori word meaning folded, coiled, and it is used to indicate a curled shape representing a fern sprout and symbolising life, new beginnings, and tradition. The children had so much fun producing korus using different materials such as glass stones, play dough, pencils and crayons. Look at the amazing koru art that P22 has done!

In Science, we have been investigating and learning about garden plants and what a plant needs to survive. We enjoyed sharing our wonderful ideas together and learnt so much about the topic.  The children used their hands to trace and draw a beautiful flower and everybody could name and write the 5 essential things that a plant needs to survive. Well done, P22!

Growing our learning in P12 

Everyone in P12 have started the year as successful seedlings, growing their learning.  We have learning partners that will help us to grow along this fruitful journey.  

In strand Maths, we have been working on properties of shape. We have just finished finding symmetry in 2 – D shapes and reflecting 2 – D shapes, remember to ask your child to teach you how to reflect images and dots. In number math’s, we have been learning to solve one and two multi-steps problems. Our success criteria are, to underline keywords, circle the number and lastly decide on the operation!  We have also been looking closely at the importance of mathematical language to aide us with choosing the correct operation.   

Our writing mission for this term is to help big writing agent called, Cat, to convince a journalist that is lurking in town. that superhero’s are real!  So, we started by creating our own superhero’s, then we used powerful adjectives and adverbs to describe what our superhero’s looks like and how they behave.  I am excited to share our very first BIG WRITE for the year.   

In Reading, we are learning how to make inferences from the text about a character.  We have learnt the importance of finding clues, making connections to our schema and using evidence to support our answer.  This week we have been working on a text called ‘The Old Railway Yard.’  

The value of the week at our school is Kindness.  We started talking about what kindness means to us in P12 and how we can show kindness in our class, the playground and at home.  

Oliver said “Kindness is caring for others’ 

Winston said “kindness is when you are being cheerful and respectful with others” 

April said “kindness is when you have a good relationship with other people” 

Eileen said “Kindness is when you show patience”   

Apprentice Gardeners in P7

This term in Science, we have begun by investigating and planting a variety of seeds in the hope that later in the year we will have some vegetables to eat. We have been looking at lots of different types of seeds, their colours, shapes and sizes and were very surprised to find out what some of them would eventually grow into!

We have set up three investigations to find out how seeds and bulbs grow best and are enjoying arriving at school and seeing if there have been any changes overnight. Our bulbs are sitting in water, but don’t have any roots sprouting yet. We planted pea and bean seeds on a wet paper towel in glass jars. They are getting lots of sunshine and fresh air so most of them are growing quickly. Some of our seeds are also growing in soil and we think that these will grow the best by the end of our experiment.

Each week we are learning new vocabulary to describe what we observe happening. We are writing a diary entry to keep a record of how the seeds are growing so that we can decide if we need to make any changes to help them grow better.

Year 6 Waterwise

Year 6 have once again been busy in the outdoors. Following a short time back in the classroom after 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 Beach. Each class spent a day at Waterwise 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 Bay’s Schools Waterwise programme. We are extremely grateful to one of past parent instructor’s, Craig Williams who helped to us out with a day of sailing and other volunteers from our Murrays Bay community. To support our trained instructors last week, we also had an awesome team of parent helpers who took days off work and gave up their time to ensure we were able to run this programme for our Year 6 students. Thank you to all of you who came along to support us on the water and on the beach.

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. There is no experience or knowledge of sailing required. All training is given. Contact Kelly.clark@pinehurst if you are interested.

What’s up in P15?

The students of P15 have settled smoothly into the term and are working hard towards their own individual learning goals

In Reading, we are learning how to make text to text connections between stories. We have been comparing and contrasting characters from different stories. We made connections between characters’ appearances and personalities and also focused on their choices and actions. Towards the end of this week, we used a Venn Diagram to make links between settings in different texts. We noticed how the authors used the 5 senses to create different, yet equally intriguing, settings in the texts we compared.

In Global Perspectives, we are looking at what the census is and why it is important. We discovered a brief history of the census. We then explored the process of allocating resources based on what is needed. We are building an understanding of how our government allocates resources based on what people need and they get some of this information from the census. We are looking forward to continuing to build our knowledge and understanding on the census next week.

In Art, we expressed ourselves and who we are through the creation of a self-portrait. We learned how to draw a human facial features in proportion to one another. We then learned how to use our art pencil to create light and dark tones, showing areas of shadow on the face. We applied our new skills to create a self-portrait.

Three students of our P15 family achieved Personal Best awards this week for displaying values such as participating and contributing, teamwork and showing courage. Well done to these students! Your P15 family is very proud of you!

Emma, Jenny and Justin from P15 receiving their Personal Best certificates.

Pinehurst Learner Support Team

Year 10 Yellis testing

On Wednesday all year 10 students completed an online Yellis test. This test included questions focusing on English vocabulary, Mathematics and pattern recognition (logical thinking). The test was adaptive, this means if a student is successfully responding to the questions the next set of questions are more challenging and if a student gets a question wrong the next question is easier. These tests are administered by the Centre for Evaluation and Monitoring (CEM) an organisation that is part of the Cambridge (CAIE) organisation which is responsible for the Checkpoint, IGCSE and A level courses taken by our students. CEM aims to help schools improve the educational outcomes of their students.

The feedback and reports that we receive from these tests will help us to plan and review our courses. When this current group of year 10 students receive their IGCSE results in January 2025 these results will be matched and compared with how an individual performed in their Yellis test. This is a key element within a long-term project which will enable us to track the progress of Pinehurst students over a significant period.

I have reminded all year 10 students that this is not a test that they pass or fail, they will not receive any score or grade, there are no certificates or awards. The Yellis test does not impact on your child’s mathematics class or effect their choice of subjects. If you’d like some additional information this link will take you to the CEM parent support hub https://www.cem.org/parent-student-support-hub

Kind Regards

Chris Wiggin

3D Printing Club

This Week Ollie Moseby brought in his 3D printer and kick-started the Year 7 & 8 3D printing club. There was a great turn-out and it looks to be a very popular new club!

Year 10 IGCSE History

Students are well underway in their IGCSE History journey, learning all about the Treaty of Versailles and the aims of The Big Three (Georges Clemenceau, David Lloyd George, and Woodrow Wilson) after World War One. This week students have been passionately debating whether this Treaty was fair or un-fair. A difficult task for many Historians, however, our students have risen to the challenge, resulting in some fantastic debate across our three classes.

North Harbour Secondary Schools Swimming Zone Champs

The NHSS Swimming Zone Champs were held this week at Sir Owen Glen Pool. Eight Pinehurst Students, Arissa Liu, Osbert Gu, Eleanor Saunders, Yeenok Zhang, Andy Shen, Bruce Shen, Sonny Liu, Bruce Qu, qualified to attend the event. They all achieved some great results; breaking their own person best times as well as placing in a variety of events.

A special mention to our boys relay team who placed 1^st in the Juniors and 3^rd in the Seniors 100m Freestyle relay races.

Congratulations to all our podium finishers. Full results available here Swimming Results – College Sport Auckland

JUNIOR COLLEGE SPORT

On Wednesday, all Year 7-8 students travelled on buses to Northern Arena in which they competed in the Year 7-8 Swimming Sports. This was a great day for all students and staff and it was awesome to see the whole venue filled the Pinehurst House colours. There were some outstanding swimming performances on the day, with many records falling. The results will be posted next week once everything has been finalised.

Orienteering Event Hosted at Pinehurst

Yesterday after school, 350 students (including 50 from Pinehurst) from across the North Shore converged on Pinehurst to compete in the third event of the 2023 North Shore Orienteering Sprint Series. Making the most of home advantage, the Pinehurst orienteers achieved some excellent results.

Practical Skills in Science

Year 9 English 

The Year 9s have been studying Macbeth by William Shakespeare this term. It is a play filled with murder, deception, and intrigue. The play takes them on a journey through mysterious messages from the witches Macbeth meets on the heath to killing characters who get in the way of him becoming King. Classes have been enjoying getting involved in the drama of the play by bringing scenes to life and becoming one of the characters. It was fabulous watching them think about how to explore the different characters and how show their different traits. Students have been working hard to engage in the language of Shakespeare and learn some of the words he created. It has also been interesting learning about the world of Shakespeare and what life was like during the 1500s. In the words of the witches, 'Fair is foul, and foul is fair'.

Creative Writing Club 

'Change' by Isabella Zhang (Year 7)

Leaving behind a familiar place that you called home for six years for an entirely unknown place can be an overwhelming experience. That was exactly how I felt as I went from primary to middle school. Not only was I going up a level; I was also going to a new school (one I have always wanted to go to).

I had grown up in my primary school, spending six years surrounded by familiar faces and the comfort of a caring and comfortable community. But as the end of the school year approached, I couldn't shake the feeling of uneasiness and nervousness which was bubbling in my stomach. I knew that I would have to say goodbye to everything that I had known for so long and start a new beginning.

On the first day of middle school, I walked into the building, my backpack heavy on my shoulders and my heart pounding. The halls were long and bustling with students that I didn't recognize. It felt like I was in a maze, and I had trouble finding my way to my classes. It was intimidating, and I felt like a small fish in the middle of the ocean.

I couldn't help but feel alone and disconnected from my old life. Everything was different, from the schedule to the school values. The atmosphere felt foreign, and I was worried I didn't fit in. Sure, I knew a few people, but it just didn’t feel the same as it used to.

However, as the days passed, I slowly started to adjust. I began to make new friends, and the teachers were supportive and encouraging. They understood that transitioning to a new school can be tough. They made a lot of effort to help me feel comfortable and included.

As the weeks went by, I began to find my place in this unique environment. I discovered new passions and interests, joined many clubs, and found my way around the school with much more ease. I felt like I was part of something bigger. I started to realise that change is not always a terrible thing.

Looking back, the transition from primary school to middle school was not easy, especially in an unfamiliar environment. But it was necessary. It pushed me out of my comfort zone and forced me to adapt to new situations. I am grateful for that.

There is still high school, university and work ahead of me. Possibly even more exciting adventures. Even though changes and transitions are hard, they help us grow. That is the meaning of life: to grow and to face changes and challenge it.

PINEHURST PRIMARY SCHOOL’S

SOLO AND DUO PERFORMANCE SHOWCASE 

Wednesday 22 March – 3.30pm College Drama Room 201

We are thrilled to announce Pinehurst Primary School's Solo and Duo Performance Showcase on Wednesday 22 March.

We are offering one performance opportunity each term for our students to perform in front of a supportive audience of parents and other students. We are beginning with our Year 5 and 6 students in Term 1, followed by students in Years 3 and 4 in Term 2, students in Year 2 and below in Term 3, and finally, in Term 4, we will invite students who may have missed their chance to perform earlier in the year and students who we would like to welcome back again.

Our first concert will be on Wednesday 22 March at 3.30pm in the College Drama Room 201. Year 5 and 6 students who would like to perform should register their interest by completing this form  AND upload a video of the student performing their piece here

We welcome students of all levels and encourage a variety of instruments and music genres, including voice, to provide a balanced and entertaining programme. Please register as soon as possible as places are limited to 20 students. Lastly, we kindly request that performances are limited to three minutes or less. Please see Ms. Pope or Mr. Ronayne if this is an issue. If you have any questions, please email Mrs Jaques Cynthia.jaques@pinehurst.school.nz.

We look forward to seeing you and your children at our upcoming performance showcase.

Best regards,

Pinehurst Music Department