Toi o te wiki

Students have been using lettering and tone to answer the question ‘ko wai to ingoa?’ in Visual Art.

Knowing someone’s name is an important part of developing a sense of belonging.

Year 7 - Mrs Rakete has been very impressed with how hard you have worked this term and is enjoying getting to know you all!

Join our Visual Arts Instagram:

 https://www.instagram.com/pinehurst_visual_arts/?igshid=ZjE2NGZiNDQ%3D

Pinehurst Student at New Zealand Future MPs Camp

Last Thursday, Year 7 Pinehurst student Shawn Li flew to Wellington early in the morning to attend the New Zealand Future MPs Camp at New Zealand Parliament, the home of democracy in New Zealand, and one of the most iconic sets of buildings in Wellington. The camp began with an overview of social actions and how they connect to concepts such as roles, rights, and responsibilities. Shawn visited the parliamentary buildings such as select committees’ rooms and the debating chamber. He then watched a internal debate between the two largest political parties, the National Party and the Labour Party. Shawn was pleased to have the opportunity to communicate and discuss some issues of concern with some ministers and MPs, which greatly benefited and enriched him. After that, Shawn visited the New Zealand National Library to learn more about New Zealand's history.

Environmental Management at Pinehurst

Environmental Management is a subject that is new to Pinehurst this year. The aims of the course are to: give students knowledge of natural systems on Earth, and how humans take part in these systems; an understanding of the need for sustainability, so that we may conserve and preserve for future generations; awareness of environmental issues; look at research surrounding climate change and sustainability; and look at case studies both in New Zealand and globally to better understand the need for environmental management.

So far this year, students have researched written about how the recent flooding and Cyclone Gabrielle could (or could not be) evidence for climate change, discussing human population and land use, and have been studying ecosystems and learning about biodiversity.

Students interested in this subject have many potential career options, including: working for the Department of Conservation (DOC), going into Environmental Science as a Researcher, or even a Conservationist within the Heritage sector.

Environmental Management is available to students from AS (Year 12) onwards.

Photos: AS Environmental Management students conducting investigations for biodiversity on campus.

Creative Writing Club: 

'McDonald’s' by Kacey Hildebrand, Year 8

Auckland Secondary Schools Swimming Champ of Champs

To qualify for the Regional AKSS Swimming Champ of Champs students are invited from the various Zone Days. Invitation is based on times and to be invited is quite an honour. This year we had six students qualify, Eleanor Saunders, Arissa Liu, Osbert Gu,  Andy Shen, Bruce Shen, Yeenok Zhang. Congratulations to all our swimmers!

Junior College Sport News

In more Swimming success, 3 Pinehurst students qualified in the top 3 of their respective year/group to represent the North Harbour region at the AAIMS Interzone Swimming Championships. This event was constructed of the top swimmers from each region across the whole of Auckland. The event was held at West Wave Pool on Wednesday and our swimmers did exceptionally well at this event. A huge congratulations to the following students on their achievements:

AAIMS Interzone Swimming Results:

William Wang:

• 2^nd Place: 50m Freestyle Year 8 Boys
• 3^rd Place: 100m Freestyle Year 8 Boys

Jerry Yang:

• 1^st Place: 50m Backstroke Year 8 Boys
• 3^rd Place: 50m Butterfly Year 8 Boys

Lola Guo:

• 5^th Place: 50m Breaststroke Year 7 Girls

YUZHANG WU WINS FIRST PLACE IN THE NATIONAL CONCERTO COMPETITION

We are delighted that our Year 12 Music Student, Yuzhang Wu, has won first place in the 55^th National Concerto Competition for pianists under the age of 25. Held in Christchurch last week, Yuzhang was one of 3 finalists chosen from 29 entries, all vying for the top place in this prestigious competition.

Benjamin Northey, conductor of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra (CSO), the orchestra that the finalists performed with, described Yuzhang’s performance of Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini as “thrilling”.

In addition to winning this career-launching first prize of $10, 000, Yuzhang also won the Junior Jury prize. You can hear an interview with Yuzhang before she won first place here RNZ Audio Player

We are also pleased to announce that Yuzhang will be performing as a soloist and with the school orchestra at the Opening Concert of Pinehurst’s new theatre on 4 May.

Algebra - Find the Value of ‘X’

The pieces of the puzzle come together as Year 8 students work co-operatively to solve a linear equations jigsaw. As well as consolidating their knowledge, this activity creates opportunity for students to discuss their ideas, explores alternative approaches when seeking solutions and allows students to utilise their knowledge and creativity to make a jigsaw of their own.

Congratulations to William and Zion for being the first to solve the challenge!

Physics is growing at Pinehurst…

PE Year 0-3 

The Primary Music Extension and Enrichment Programme is thriving, with our talented students working hard to prepare for upcoming performances.

Our two choirs have been rehearsing tirelessly, and they are sounding better than ever before. The Year 1-2 choir have been learning a beautiful song called 'Fantail' and are practicing singing 'rounds', enjoying some humorous songs such as 'Dad I Want To Be A Camel'. The Year 3-6 choir has begun working on some complicated pieces sung in multiple parts, and they are learning to read more intricate sheet music. We are very fortunate to have the support of Wendy, the mother of Chris and Caleb, who is our accompanist and vocal expert. She has been assisting our sessions, and we are grateful for her contributions.

Our marimba group, consisting of Year 5 students, is currently working on a challenging piece of music called 'Rock n Dogs' by Jon Madin. This is a complex composition that requires precision and coordination, and our students are rising to the challenge. In addition, they have just started working on another piece called 'Clouds' also by Jon Madin. The group is preparing for school performances and the Auckland Marimba Festival, which will be held in early September.

Our woodwind group, comprising Year 4 clarinet, flute and recorder players, is also making excellent progress. They are currently working on 'Menuett' by Haydn and '3+5' by Leah Channon. Next term, they will join forces with the marimba group to learn new pieces for the festival.

Finally, our orchestra is playing some challenging pieces, including 'Danse Macabre' by Camille Saint-Saëns. This is a complex and demanding composition that requires a high level of skill and dedication. Our orchestra members have been working hard to perfect their performance, and we are confident that they will deliver an outstanding rendition.

We are extremely proud of our students and their musical achievements. Our music program is designed to provide opportunities for students to explore their musical interests and develop their skills. We believe that music plays a vital role in the education and personal development of our students, and we are committed to providing them with the best possible music education.

Thank you for your ongoing support of our music program. We look forward to seeing you at our upcoming performances and events.

Health in Year 2 and 3

This term the children in Years 2 and 3 have been focusing on ‘Success’ – what that means and how to achieve it. There are two acronyms which spell out different strategies we can learn and develop which facilitate successful learning in all areas of our lives. The Year 2’s use the acronym STAR and the Year 3’s CHAMP – do ask your children what these stand for.

Recently, in P7, the children decorated a star and wrote on the back which strategy they felt was most useful to them to develop further, in order to enhance their learning.

In the Year 3 classes we have been focusing on what it means to have a goal, different types of goals we can have and also the difference between a goal and a dream (long term aspirations). The students created a goal wheel and identified different goals in a variety of areas that they could improve on. It was challenging to be specific about exactly what they wanted to get better at.

We have also discovered the super power of the word ‘Yet’ – the possibilities that it can lead to if, rather than saying “I can’t ……..”, we add the word yet eg. “I can’t ……….. yet, but I can work towards it by ……………..”

Real life experiences are so meaningful, so if you care to share with your child a goal you may have had and how you achieved it, I am sure they will enjoy hearing about it and may be able to relate it to their own learning.

Year 6 Peer Mediators

We have an enthusiastic team of Peer Mediators in the Primary who assist the duty teachers in the playground at lunchtime. Peer mediation provides many benefits for students, including conflict resolution skills, improved communication, and an opportunity to develop increased empathy.

The Peer Mediators have the opportunity to develop positive relationships with the younger students and provide a model of how to solve conflicts peacefully. Through mediation our students learn to communicate effectively, listen actively, and understand the perspectives of others. Working through the mediation process helps our students to identify the root causes of conflicts and work together to find solutions that benefit everyone involved.

Our Peer Mediators presence in the playground contributes to a positive and peaceful school culture by promoting respect, understanding and co-operation.

Primary Music Concert 

Our first Primary Music Concert of the year took place on Wednesday afternoon. Selected Year 5 and 6 students were joined by the exceptional Suzuki Violin Group for a celebration of musical talent and dedication. Our students put in tremendous effort to prepare for their performance, showcasing their musical skills to a captivated audience. Thank you once again to all the students and whanau for all their work leading up to the concert. 

Primary Sport News

On Tuesday, Pinehurst organised and attended the Mid Bays Year 4-6 Swimming Competition which was held at Northern Arena. We took a team of 23 strong swimmers from Year 4-6 and every student swam very well. For some students, this was there first interschool swimming competition. Pinehurst came out as the top school on the day, taking out the first-place school.  A massive congratulations to April Lin who was named the champion of the Year 5 girls grade and Eddie Li who was named champion of the Year 6 Boys grade. There were also numerous records broken on the day, with April Lin claiming 4 records, Tim Wei claiming one record and the Year 5 girls relay team breaking a long standing relay record.

Mid Bays Swimming Competition was a great stepping stone building towards the North Shore Swimming Championships which is early in Term 2. A huge thank you to all of the parents that assisted with the competition, we could not have run this event without you. Please see the records broken below and also the final placings for each event below.

Primary PE 4-6

This term in PE our year 4-6 students are starting to develop a wide range of fundamental movements skills associated with striking games. A key asset to have in life is your ability to track the flight or roll of a ball and to strike at it using a stick, bat, club or racket. Through games associated with tennis, hockey, badminton, cricket and softball, our students are starting to understand the different technique's involved in these sports as well as skills that can be used across all striking sports.

Alongside learning physical skills within PE, our students are looking at interpersonal skills and being a positive influence as a team member. This term they are looking at communication and how to use it in a positive way to enhance the experience others have within sport while also understanding, if used in a negative way, how communication can effect your teams morale.

Finally, our students are looking at what it means to be an official. Students are required to learn the rules and regulations of the games we are playing and then officiate them to the best of their ability. Through this, we are starting to understand the difficulties and advantages that an official brings to a game and how to correctly communicate as an official and to the official.

Remember that sport is only as enjoyable as we make it, if we have a positive attitude to the game, our teammates and officials, we will enjoy the experience a whole lot more.

Jesters Pies 

Pies can be ordered through Kindo and will be delivered to the school like a normal lunch order on Thursday 30th March. 

https://shop.tgcl.co.nz/shop/q2.shtml?shop=Pinehurst%20School

Hot Cross Buns

Bakers delight hot cross buns are available to buy through Kindo as a fundraiser for the College Ball Fund.  Select from a range of hot cross bun flavours, order through Kindo and they will be delivered to school on Tuesday 4^th April.