Friday 15 March

Message from the Executive Principal

Kia ora koutou, good afternoon, 下午好, 안녕하세요 

With superheroes as the theme of the day, there were lots of smiles as caped heroes arrived at school this morning. Students and staff had a great time discussing the strengths of each hero and debating who was the mightiest of them all! There was also a key message behind the day; to support Kenzie’s Gift, an important charitable organization. Each of our non-uniform days is caring for our community, and helping those who support people in need.

Paws for Thought visited College students on Wednesday. The guide dogs were a real highlight, with students having a chance to get up close with animals that can change a persons life. There was also a range of activities set up so that students could get a sense of what life can be like with a visual impairment. Our student council did a great job of organising the visit, showcasing what leadership in action can look like.

Year 4 camp was a great success over the first days of this week. Given it is the first sleeping-over camp, it was quite natural that there were lots of tired faces on Tuesday morning but that certainly didn’t take away from the fun. While the activities were excellent and gave just the right amount of challenge, it seemed that pancake making was a real favourite. Thanks to all the parent helpers who gave their time and to our staff who organised and ran a great experience for our students.

The last of the swim galas took place on Tuesday with our Year 5 and 6 students showing their talent in the pool. The school swim season has been a great success for our top athletes with many personal bests and records broken. I have also been impressed by the number of children who were ready to ‘give it a go’ in order to earn house points, it shows a great willingness to commit to a the greater good of the team.

During morning drop-off, can I please have your help in returning to your car and moving again as quickly as practical? With parking spaces at a premium, it is very helpful if people are mindful of those who may be waiting after them.

Play is an important time for all of us to have during the day and while the idea of play might look very different for a five-year-old compared to an adult, it is something that gives us balance. It is tempting to give lots of structured activities to young people outside of school time, often at the expense of them having some downtime to simply relax and have fun. I encourage you to work with your child to figure out how play can be a part of their day.

Finally, good luck to our senior volleyball teams who travel to the National Championships next week. It is the first time Pinehurst has entered the tournament and while the competition will be tough, I know our teams are well-prepared and excited to meet the challenge.

I trust you all enjoy the weekend.

Best wishes,

Mike Waller

Dates for your Diary

Monday 18 March

Primary Wheels Week, New Entrant and Senior Year 1
Year 7 Camp
Years 7-8 North Harbour Boys Tennis Zone Day (selected students)
Year 9-13 Summer Sport Tournament
Futsal North Harbour Zone Day Trials
Year 4-6 Netball Trials
Earth Week - Enviro Council Arts Competition Display

Tuesday 19 March

Primary Wheels Week: Year 2
Year 7 Camp
Year 7-8 North Harbour Boys Tennis Zone Day (selected students)
Year 9-13 Summer Sport Tournament
Year 4-6 Netball Trials
Earth Week - Enviro Council Arts Competition Display

Wednesday 20 March

Primary Wheels Week, Year 5-6
Year 7 Camp
Year 9-13 Summer Sport Tournament
Year 7-8 Auckland Interzone Swimming Championships (selected students)
Year 5-6 Primary Solo and Duo Concert
Earth Week - Enviro Council Arts Competition Display

Thursday 21 March

Waterwise Saver Date - P21
Year 7 Camp
Year 9-13 Summer Sport Tournament
Year 4-6 Netball Trials
Earth Week - Enviro Council Arts Competition Display

Friday 22 March

Duke of Edinburgh - Silver Practice
Primary Wheels Week, Year 3-4
Year 7 Camp
Year 7-8 North Harbour Tennis Zone Day Saver Date (selected students)
Year 9-13 Summer Sport Tournament
Earth Week - Enviro Council Arts Competition Display

SEE MORE DATES

Message from the Principal of College

Tēnā koutou katoa

Creativity, colour and fun were the order of the day today for superhero non uniform day. Well done to all those students who made a big effort to brighten up the rather grey, rainy day. Money raised will go to the charity Kenzies Gift.

It was delightful to watch the Year 7 basketball team play against Glenfield Intermediate School on Monday evening. This group of students have very quickly developed a strong team mentality, demonstrating trust in each other and displaying our school values out in the community. The team have obviously worked hard at their training sessions and showed some fantastic skills throughout the game. During their assembly, I talked to Year 7 and 8 about how impressed I was with this group of students, and the importance of identifying ways to work together in their everyday lives.

We have had lots of different and fun activities this week including a visit from Paws for Thought which you can read about further on in the newsletter. We also had our annual football match against Mount Richmond Special School. Ms Murray organises this exciting event, which is a wonderful opportunity for our students to make connections with students from another school.

In sports, our Premier Golf team is doing very well and has progressed to the semifinals of the North Harbour competition. This takes place on Monday, and we are looking forward to hearing how our team gets on. Orienteering results continue to be very good with second and third places in most year group competitions. Lily Stanborough placed first out of eighteen competitors in the Year 12-13 girls’ orienteering competition; well done Lily. Pinehurst College girls’ tennis and boys’ volleyball teams also had strong wins last week.

Best wishes to our Year 7 students and their teachers who head off to Raglan for their school camp on Monday morning. The Year 7 camp is a great way for students to cement their friendships and build bonds with each other and with their teachers. When graduating students talk about their school memories, they often include camp experiences and the fun they had. I am sure that this camp will be no exception and that students will have a wonderful time together.

Best wishes also go to our girls and boys Volleyball teams who, after a great season, are heading to Palmerston North on Sunday to compete in the New Zealand Secondary Schools volleyball tournament. Good luck to both teams as they compete with schools from around the country.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Ngā mihi nui

Dawn

College News

Year 9 Science

This term Year 9 science students have explored a range of topics and Ideas. We started the year learning about chemicals and their properties and the amazing periodic table. Currently students are learning about plant biology. They have been focusing on how plants photosynthesis and transport water. They have done many interesting practical experiments that have shown some great results! Such as; student tested variegated leaves for starch to prove the link between chlorophyll and photosynthesis. They have looked at how diffusion and osmosis allow water to move in the plant using agar. They also have been investigating Xylem tissue by using Celery stalks that have been dyed red. They got some great images under the microscope!

Creative Writing Club - Saint Patrick’s Day Limericks

A Limerick poem is generally considered to come from traditional Irish poems and was popularised by poets in the 19th century for its comedy and AABBA rhyme scheme.

The Forgetful Man - by Tiger Niu Year 9
There once was a guy who forgot,
His map which leads to a gold pot,
So, he walked around,
And fell on the ground,
Before dying on the spot!

The Limerick of Saint Paul - By Issac Sun and Elvies Hu Year 9
There once was a man called Paul,
He was also very tall,
Paul was quite righteous,
He had lots of forgiveness,
Spreading the gospel to all.

The Fat Leprechaun - by Joshua Zhang Year 9
Edward was a leprechaun,
He loved to eat corn,
But in one munch,
He ate too much,
And couldn’t get up one dawn!

Senior Spanish

Last Friday, our AS Spanish students celebrated Tortilla Española Day! This is one of the most iconic tapas throughout Spain made with eggs, potatoes, and onion.

As part of our new topic of Health and Wellbeing, the students immersed themselves into the world of Hispanic cuisine, exploring famous dishes associated with celebrations and festivities. Not only they delved into the rich history behind the chosen plate, sharing traditions associated with it but also, they rolled up their sleeves and cooked their chosen Hispanic iconic dish to perfection 😊.

But that’s not all! Our taste buds embarked on a delicious journey, sampling each other’s Hispanic dishes. We were lucky to have Pan Tumaca ( a simple yet tasty Spanish dish made with crusty bread rubbed with garlic and ripe tomatoes and drizzled with olive oil), Pupusas ( Salvadoran stuffed tortillas filled with cheese) and Gallo Pinto (a Costa Rican and Nicaraguan favourite made with rice, beans and lovely spices).

The air in the classroom was filled with delicious aromas, and we truly enjoyed the tasty experience. ¡Qué rico!

A2 Language

A2 Language students have had a fantastic time so far this year getting into linguistics. I’ve been tremendously proud of how they’ve stepped up, considering how different the AS and A2 courses are. This term our focus has been on English as a lingua franca (a global language) not only how it spread across the world in the first place but how it has managed to maintain that status. Students have had opportunities to research varieties of English, the socio-political relationship between the US and Britain, and the extinction of languages. This week they have been testing out language translators and discussing how far these technologies have come in relation to their functionality and contributions to our ever-increasing globalisation.

Toi o te wiki

Toi o te wiki this week goes to AS Art and Design student, Holly.

This beautiful pencil drawing forms part of her observational studies for her Coursework folio. Holly is exploring attachment in her folio and begins by looking at childhood experiences.

Beautiful work, Holly.

Biology

During our Biology lab session, we embarked on an experiment to uncover the contents of four mysterious solutions, labeled S1 through S4. Through a series of tests, we discovered that S1 contained no detectable molecules, S2 contained reducing sugars, S3 contained protein, and S4 contained starch.

After analyzing these solutions, we were presented with a new mystery: solution U. With the skills we had learnt during our experiment, we set out to determine the molecules present in solution U. Our analysis revealed that solution U contained both protein and starch.

This experiment not only allowed us to improve our laboratory skills but also provided valuable insights into the process of identifying different biological molecules in solutions. It was a hands-on learning experience that truly brought our Biology lesson to life.

- By Lily L in AS Biology

Football – Mt Richmond Special School vs Pinehurst School

Each year Mt Richmond Special School visits Pinehurst for our annual game of football. The rules are always questionable, as is the score, but it’s all played in fun, and everybody has a great time out on the field.

Upcoming Events:

University of Melbourne is running a webinar for NZ applicants on March 19. Link to register is here: UniMelb 101: A webinar for New Zealand students
Monash University - Discover Medicine Webinar March 21. More info here.
CareerDays.co.uk is for any student aged 13-18 who wants to experience different careers or gain work experience in their chosen field. From medicine, law, performing arts, psychology, business or becoming a vet, we have a 1-day online event for you, designed to give you an insight into life in your chosen field. Register here: CareerDays.co.uk
The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT ANZ) is an admissions test used by the UCAT ANZ Consortium of universities in Australia and New Zealand for their medical, dental and clinical science degree programmes. The test helps universities to select applicants with the most appropriate abilities and professional behaviours required for new doctors and dentists to be successful in their clinical careers. It is used in collaboration with other admissions processes such as interviews and academic qualifications. Bookings are open for students to register to sit the UCAT and registrations close on Friday 17th May. The 2024 UCAT ANZ must be sat between 1 July and 9 August 2024. Book your test here: Booking your Test | UCAT ANZ Consortium
Free UCAT Information Session. Register here; Free UCAT Information Sessions - UCAT Preparation (nie.edu.au)

Thinking about becoming a Cop? .... Come along to meet the Police at Netball North Harbour, challenge yourself with the police competency test and maybe play some netball with them and find out about a Career in the Police. Date: Wednesday 20 March 2024 Time: 4.30 pm to 6.00 pm At the : Arena, Barfoot & Thompson Netball Centre, Northcote Road, Northcote (please bring sporty gear to run around and maybe play some netball!) Register your interest at … https://www.sporty.co.nz/viewform/287487

Staff First Aid

This week a group of our college staff complete their first aid refresher course. Being able to keep students safe on site and out on trips and camps is highly important skill and they all appreciated the refresher of important knowledge.

Student Leadership Voice

Arts Council Leaders

Hi everyone, we are your Arts Council Leaders for 2024!

We made a start to our year with the Reynold Yang and Friends Concert, a musical charity event. The audience members enjoyed world-class performances by clarinet player Reynold Yang and his friends: Hyun Jae Lee on the cello and Juan Kim on the piano.

The evening was closed off with Beethoven’s Gaessenhauer trio, a true testimony to the hard work and effort that the three musicians have put into their performance.

We were able to raise $1200 to donate to the Performing Arts Community Trust which supports promising young musicians and artists in our community.

We hope to spread various forms of art to the Pinehurst community this year so please look forward to our future events!!

- Katie and Seina, Year 13

Message from the Principal of Primary

Kia ora,

I have never seen so many Supermen, and a few Supergirls as I did this morning on the crossing, even Mr. Waller was wearing a sneaky Superman shirt under his suit! Today is the first of our termly non uniform events where we take the opportunity to dress up and to raise money for charities. The Primary had the choice of the first charity to support and chose Kenzie’s Gift, a youth mental health organisation as the recipient of today’s fundraising. The theme is Superhero Friday which is more about being a superhero in your own life than Lycra outfits and magic shields and will give us the opportunity to talk to children about the emotions have, that it is ok to feel them, and for ways to feel better when they experience strong emotions. One student told me that she is her sister’s hero which is a gorgeous way to celebrate our family connections and the love we feel in our homes.

There were some super excited Year 4 students going out to their first overnight camp on Monday. They set off to Peter Snell Camp in Whangaparoa which is a beautiful setting to challenge themselves in the outdoors and away from home. The smiles were huge as they boarded the bus and there were no wobbles, which is natural when children venture away from home, so we knew that they were going to sail through the experience. There are so many things to do at the camp, from the initiative course to archery and of course the famous waterslide! This has been a favourite of so many of our children over the years and in fact one of the photos of a child getting to the bottom of the slide won a national competition many years ago. Let’s just say it is an exhilarating experience and a Year 4 rite of passage. This year the most popular activity from the students I have spoken to was the ‘hobo stoves’ where the children cooked their own pancakes, they loved it! Even though it was a fine art not to burn them apparently, they loved cooking outdoors and making their own food. Although there was not much sleep to be had everyone returned with stories to tell and lots of happy memories.

On Tuesday Year 5 and 6 headed out to Northern Arena for their annual swimming gala. As always, our children were amazing and were a credit to us in terms of their behaviour and care for the facility. There were so many records broken, mostly by swimmers breaking their own records but what also impressed me was how many students were willing to give things a go even if they weren’t strong swimmers. We will celebrate the winners in assembly next week and there will be an article to follow outlining individual successes. We are looking forward to the next round of winners at the Mid Bays competition coming up soon.

On Thursday lunchtime our Primary councillors spent time in the New to 2 playground reading books to our youngest students. It was so lovely to see them taking the lead and being so kind to the juniors. It was a beautiful sunny lunchtime and they sat under the shade together and listened and chatted. Marcus from Year 3 brought a game of Uno for his group to play too, I’m not sure everyone understood the rules but they were having an amazing time!

Next week we have Year 4-6 netball trials, Wheels week and the Primary Music concert as well as a week of learning of course!

Ngā mihi,

Sian

Primary News

The Primary Council

The Primary Council have been busy fulfilling their leadership positions around the Primary campus. Thursday saw the Year 3-5 classroom councillors; Year 6 councillors and our four Head Councillors plan their first event. They chose to bring in either a board game, card game or special books to share at lunchtime on Thursday. Some of our students chose to set up a reading nook in the Butterfly Garden area where younger students could sit and have a story read to them, while other councillors engaged our Year 3 and 4 students in board games and card games.

Our Primary councillors have also been assisting the Planet Protectors by doing a litter count outside each classroom after lunch eating and providing feedback to the teachers and students.

The library monitors have had their special briefing with Mrs Blake and Mrs Walsh and now have their daily roster organised. They spend time during the lunchtimes reading to younger students, shelving books and helping to organise library events.

Year 6 iLeads have worked very closely with Mrs Herbert to define their role and decide on the best way to manage the iPads. They diligently ensure that all the iPads are plugged in and charging at the beginning and end of each day so that they are ready for learning opportunities. Our iLeads have also been busy producing Bubble Day movies that we can share on our library screen and in the newsletter.

Each Friday our House Captains are busy assisting Mrs Jones-Hill in running the ‘have a go’ at netball sessions for our New Entrant and Senior Year 1 students. This is a busy time for the House Captains as they teach the students how to throw and catch using the correct netball techniques of chest pass and bounce pass. They also help them develop their agility around the court using different games to develop dodging, moving, and pivoting skills.

It is wonderful to see our students take on these leadership opportunities and to contribute to the successful events, and variety of roles and responsibilities needed, to keep the Primary school such a vibrant, busy place.

Year 5 Robotics

The Year 5 Robotics students have been busy building their EV3 Driving Bases and have completed various challenges. A recent one they enjoyed was the Distance Challenge where they had to program their Driving Base to move forward for 84cm. The students had a starting point and a finishing point and could move their Driving Base anyway they decided to the line. Many creative programs were written and were as individual as each group. Some students chose to simply drive forward and stop while others added extra programming features involving the movement and control blocks.

Lots of creativity was seen and all groups completed the challenge to a high standard. Students worked independently and got a good insight and understanding of the various coding blocks. Several programs were written, and each one tried until one was chosen by each group. Students are becoming more confident with coding and more variety and creativity is emerging.

Year 3 Health

This term the Year 3 students are engaging in the Topic ‘Success (CHAMP)’, building on the knowledge, skills and strategies they developed last year when they learned about STAR Success.

This provides reinforcement of the understanding that when we put in effort and challenge ourselves, the more our brains make new connections between brain cells, and the smarter we get.

The acronym CHAMP stands for:

Challenge yourself, set a goal and make a plan
Have a go! Take a risk!
Always look for and use your strengths
Mistakes help you to learn. Don’t be afraid to make them
Persist and put in effort. Don’t give up.

So far we have been learning about the importance of having a go, taking a risk and believing in ourselves. The simple practice of adding the superpower word ‘YET’ to sentences that begin ‘I can’t ……’ or ‘I am not good at……..’, fosters an attitude of hope and positivity towards embracing new challenges, with increasing confidence.

We have also focused on goals – discussing the difference between short and long term goals, and dreams. The students were asked to think of some things they would like to learn or improve on, in different areas of their lives. Here are some examples of the goals they created.

Art – Pointallism in P14

In Art this term, students have been developing their understanding of artistic movements through history including the characteristics and influences of artistic movements from different time periods and cultures. We have been investigating the style of painting called Pointillism. Students have looked at several images and discussed the techniques used in pointillism. Artists such as Georges Seurat have been looked at and in particular, the artwork ‘A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte’. We have explored the colour wheel and complementary colours and have used this knowledge to create paintings based on a still life.

Here are some of our artworks of water bottles and fruit compositions.

Community News and Events

Auckland Secondary Schools Mountain Bike Champs

Last Sunday Xavier competed in the U14 AKSS MTB Champs Cross Country. He managed to improve his last years’ time by an impressive 6 minutes, placing 6^th overall. This weekend he will compete in the North Island Secondary Schools MTB Champs Cross Country being held in Rotorua. Good luck and best wishes Xavier!

Notices and Events

This April School Holidays, embark on a journey of Dreams and Discovery with Bricks 4 Kidz! Dive into a realm where adventure awaits at every turn and immerse yourself in days brimming with STEAM-based activities. From LEGO Building to Robotics, Science, Engineering, Arts and Crafts to team Challenges, every moment promises excitement and fun. With thrilling new themes each day, spaces are limited—secure yours now! Don't miss out, BOOK TODAY!

https://www.bricks4kidz.co.nz/lego-steam-holiday-programme/

The best gift you can give to your child/children is to allow them to free play in natural settings these School Holidays with CK!

The Conscious Kids Social Enterprise invites your tamariki to create deep/emotional with Natural Environment + Communities around them in a 100% play-in-nature school holiday programme this April.

Autumn is such a great season! Nature gives us the most vibrant yellows and reds colors, inviting us all to go outside, explore, play, and have heaps of fun!

Nature free play has proven physical, emotional and social health benefits. Our supervised programme allows kids to lead their own activities - mudslides, tree climbing, puddle splashing, hammock and hut building etc. Apart from the obvious safety restrictions and respect framework, there are few instructions for kids. Our number 1 'rule' is to HAVE FUN! Staff are present for supervision and support, but children follow their innate ‘readiness meter’ to make their own decisions before getting involved in any new situation. Such child-led play enhances creativity, problem-solving, communication (including listening!), collaboration and many other 21st century skills.

Our Holiday Programmes will run in April WEEK 1 (from Tuesday 16 to Thursday 18 of April) WEEK 2 (from Tuesday 23 to Wednesday 24 April) We won't run the 25 of April as is a public holiday, at a cost of $80/child per day.

EARLY BIRD TICKETS SALE will be available from Sunday 10 March to Sunday 17 of March, at a cost of $75/child per day!

Daily programmes run from 9am to 3pm and are designed for children aged 5 - 12 yrs old. For booking and more information, please visit http://www.consciouskids.co.nz

Schools Alpine Competition (Winter Festival Queenstown)

23 - 27 September 2024

The 2024 event this year is an expansion of the inaugural 2023 event, where we had over 100 students from North Island schools participating in September last year. This 2024 edition of the event will be a Trans-Tasman Ski & Snowboard competition that will run from Monday 23 of September through to Friday 27 of September. This year’s event will take place at The Remarkables Ski field.

Registrations are welcome for both individuals and school teams, and are open to both boys and girls from Years 3 through to 8.

More information on this year’s event, along with details of the 2023 SAC event are available on our website - alpinecomp.nz/.

Themed around the vast and magical realms of Oceans and Origins, Kids Arts Festival 2024 aims to cultivate awareness and appreciation for our oceans and their ecosystems, alongside the origin and migration stories of peoples and creatures alike.

At its heart, the festival centres around a bustling hub of FREE whānau-friendly Art-making Stations, designed and delivered by Corban Estate Arts Centre's renowned Schools’ Education team, along with resident artists and friends. A range of other well-known organisations and attractions from across Tāmaki Makaurau will also be there, providing a wide range of fun experiences for visitors of all ages.

Running from 10am-3pm, families can look forward to a day filled with creativity, while tummies are filled at either our on-site Coffee Studio café; or from a range of visiting food trucks for those looking to buy. There’s also plenty of room for bring-your-own picnics that are more than welcome across Corban Estate’s spacious park-like grounds.

At the end of the day, children will delight in taking home a collection of wonderful creations and minds full of new understanding for our environment and rich cultural histories.

Bring the whole family along to Kids Arts Festival 2024 for a day of creativity and let the magic of Oceans and Origins take you on a journey of exploration and discovery together.

WHAT: Kids Arts Festival 2024 – Oceans & Origins
WHEN: Saturday 6 April, 10am – 3pm
WHERE: Corban Estate, 2 Mt Lebanon Lane, Henderson, Auckland

We are stoked to let you know that FAN CAMP our writing camp programme made to encourage collaboration and creativity has returned!

BIG FAN is a not-for-profit, multi-purpose music space located in Morningside, Tāmaki Makaurau. We offer three world-class recording studios and a live music venue all under one roof. Our goal is to bring people together, to support the role of music in the betterment of people’s lives, and to foster the talents
of musicians, songwriters, and those behind the scenes at every level.

This time we are doing a very special round for rangatahi! This writing camp will be specially designed and curated for rangatahi under 18!

Fan Camp runs Monday 15 April – Friday 19 April and is open to rangatahi under 18 years old, based in Tāmaki Makaurau (however we will accept applications from outside of the region with the understanding that the applicant is able to make there way to Auckland for the writing week)

Applications Open: Friday 8 March 2024

Applications Close: Tuesday 19 March 2024 at 10pm

Further info attached and the website link is https://www.bigfan.co.nz/community/fan-camp

Art Day For Children (ages 7 - 12 years)

With step-by-step instruction children will draw then create a vibrant acrylic painting learning tips and techniques along the way. Fun and focused.

Venue: St Annes Hall, Browns Bay, 17 Sept., 10.00am - 3.00pm
Cost: $60.00
Bookings: eion@eionbryant.com, ph.021132703

If you have any news or submissions you’d like considered for our newsletter, please contact news@pinehurst.school.nz