Year 4's First Overnight Camping Adventure!

On the first day of Term 2, we arrived at school enthusiastically with our suitcases ready for an amazing adventure! Once our bags were loaded on to the bus, we found our seats and waved goodbye to our family as we drove off. Some of us had butterflies in our tummies because it was the first time, we are away from our families for two nights. The beautiful sunshine and scenery greeted us upon arrival and soon we were filled with excitement. The days at camp were full of fun and challenging experiences such as archery, air rifles, rock climbing, bivouac building and paintball. We learnt new skills and worked in collaboration with our teammates, developing new friendships along the way. The food was surely one of the highlights too, everyone tried food they don’t usually eat and thoroughly enjoyed it where they went up for second serves too. We are so proud of ourselves for everything we have accomplished at camp. Our camp adventure is definitely a highlight we will remember for a long time to come. The Year 4 students and teachers would like to thank all the parent helpers who came along to assist us. Thank you for your patience, enthusiasm and support to everyone at camp. We couldn't have had such a successful camp without you all! 

‘I enjoyed the Year 4 camp very much because of the activities. My favourite activity was archery because it was fun and a bit challenging.  I was a little bit scared of the waterslide because I thought I can’t move BUT once I got on I went down super-fast without stopping.’

- Cecilia

Is There Art in Science?

Our Term 1 Art focus was questioning whether there is art in science. We experimented with lots of observation drawing during the term looking at shadows and light. The final focus was working together as a group to create an imaginative collage celebrating space exploration. ​The students used different colours, mediums and textures. Working collaboratively and with available resources they first added details to the background then the foreground. Please enjoy our gallery of photos here or drop in to view them on our wall in person.

Olivia, Ravenna, Mia

This Art is about a NASA team finding the missing pieces of the planets and putting them back together again.

Isaac, George and Oliver

In our collage we used dark and white paint and many pieces of white, blue and green paper.

Sunny, Andrew and William

We used paint, glue, glitter, newspaper, tin-foil and ribbon to create this ‘Master Piece’.

Leo and Eddie

This collage is about a rocket taking off from the Earth. Eddie made and glued on all the stars and Leo designed the artwork and said what to make.

P1’s Antarctic Adventure

In P1, we have begun our first Big Writing Adventure; our Mission is to plan a journey to Antarctica.

We have been finding out information about Antarctica and what it is like there. Some of the words that the children have been using to describe Antarctica are freezing, snowy and icy. Working in groups they created a scene of Antarctica using cellophane, tissue paper and pictures of animals.

We have been learning about the animals that live in Antarctica. Did you know that polar bears don’t live there? We were also surprised to learn just how big Emperor Penguins are - they are taller than some of the children in P1!

Part of planning a journey to Antarctica involves packing, so we have looked at the different type of clothing that people need. Some people even take their swimming togs in case they want to go for a polar plunge into the icy water! Students have written their own packing lists.

We are excited to continue our Antarctic Adventure!

Colours of the World

In P10, we love Art! We have begun the term experimenting with mixing primary colours to make tertiary ones and discussing what makes a colour warm or cool and the effect it has on paintings. P10 then explored Paul Klee's Magic Squares and used our colour blends to make our own versions. We have also been studying quilts and tapestries and discussing how they tell a story. Using collage, we have started making our own scenes that will tell its own story. We will continue to look at art from different cultures this term and experiment with different art tools, brush strokes and media to create our own masterpieces!

North Shore Swimming Championships

On Tuesday, we took a team of 24 swimmers to the North Shore Swimming Championships which was held at AUT Millennium. The team ranged from Year 4-6 students and all the competitors did extremely well, bringing home a haul of medals as well as coming out as the 3rd ranked school overall, out of 24 Primary Schools. This is a remarkable accomplishment, considering this event involves schools from all over the North Shore. This was a huge day for our 24-student swimming team, and everyone gave their best in all of their events. We were one of the largest schools at this event and it couldn’t have been possibly without the support from Georgia Thomson and helpful Parents.

Please see the top 3 results below for each race (these students will receive medals):

Netball North Harbour Preseason Tournament – Year 6 High Chews

In the weekend, the Year 6 High Chews netball team entered the North Harbour tournament. This was a great building block tournament for our team and provided essential experience for our players leading into the Winter competition.

The team won all four games and went onto the final which they won 6-4 against St Johns. This is an awesome result for our Year 6 High Chews team and we are very proud of their performance. We look forward to following their progress throughout the season. A huge thank you to Melissa Lathwood & Debbie Stanaway for supporting the team at this tournament.

‘International Exposition’ in P16!

Firstly, P16 welcomes Lucas and his whānau to our class.

This week, the children presented their research comparing the relationship between countries. They were tasked with choosing two countries to research, finding any links between them, and presenting their findings in a creative and interesting outcome. The children were asked to focus on human geography features including countries’ location, population, currency, government, industry, and languages spoken etc. After several lessons of researching, making notes and compiling it all together into an imaginative presentation, it was time to share their hard work at our own mini ‘International Exposition’. We all enjoyed expanding our knowledge of different countries and the children’s presentations were great! We look forward to more creative learning in the weeks to come.

Year 9 Camp 2023

"The Year 9 camp was a thrilling and fun expedition that taught me a lot about taking opportunities. Our first opportunity was when our skipper, Jo, asked us who wanted to raise the sails. Everyone’s hands shot up immediately, and I had the pleasure of working my muscles to the bone with five other friends. The work was hard, and I didn’t look up, so I was astonished to see the main sail when we stepped back. The sail was an enormous sheet of canvas that we had pulled up to an incredible height. I continued to volunteer to lift the sails, and each time I was beatific to see the feats my companions and I could accomplish again and again with only ourselves.”

- Anon, Y9 student 

Check out all the action below! 
 

NZDF Schools to Seas Programme

Fiona Shao (Year 12) was one of thirty girls selected (out of 150) from all of New Zealand to take part in the NZDF Schools to Seas programme held at Auckland’s Devonport naval base in the Term 1 holidays. This programme is promoting women in STEM, which stands for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Maths.

Participants stayed aboard a ship for a week and got hands on experience with machinery, robotics, and electronics.

Fiona and her group constructed remotely operated vehicles and tested them in water. At the Damage Control School they put out fires and went through the flood simulator. They planned and carried out navigation exercises using RHIB’s and navigated a ship in the bridge simulator. They also attended workshops and talks hosted by the personnel and maritime partners.

Fiona’s reflection:

●        This camp had a profound impact on me as I had limited practical knowledge of the Navy and STEM prior to attending.

●        It was both enjoyable and informative, and provided me with a newfound appreciation for the vast array of STEM-related paths that exist.

●        The experience broadened my horizons and encouraged me to explore various STEM fields in more depth, which further piqued my curiosity and interest.

●        Overall, this camp was an eye-opening experience that significantly enhanced my passion for STEM.

●        Overall, the abundance of opportunities provided to us was fantastic.

●        I particularly relished discovering the various trades in the Navy and participating in each of them I have acquired a multitude of new skills during this program, ranging from navigation crash courses to electrical engineering.

●        The program has facilitated my personal growth by expanding my knowledge base and providing me with invaluable lifelong skills.

Here is a video put together by Fiona speaking of her experiences:

Debate at Pinehurst is Growing

Goldie Moritz, Reena Wen, and Gloria Kim (Y12) took part in the Auckland Regionals Debate Championship which is a two-day competition where over 40 teams from all divisions and districts come together. After an intense weekend (which included a victory against Kristin!), they came out of the competition as semi-finalists and ranked within the top 4 teams in Auckland. 

Alongside Pinehurst’s five other debating teams scattered across all five divisions, they compete in the Premier Advanced grade fortnightly. Best of luck to all debaters for their season! 

Science in College

Studying the properties of materials can help students learn how the properties affect materials ‘suitability for different uses.

Year 8 students are investigating different metals reacting with acids.

What happens if you put sodium into water? Year 10 students are observing the chemical reaction of sodium and water.

AS Chemistry class are doing an experiment with group 17 elements.

Year 10 biology students are investigating the properties of enzymes.

RYDA Workshop 

This week, on Wednesday, the Year 12 and 13 students attended a road safety workshop presented by RYDA. We spent the day rotating around 6 stations, each teaching us valuable lessons about keeping ourselves and others safe while driving and as passengers. The stations included many fun and interactive activities from role plays to personality tests to helping teach us about the importance of things like maintaining a safe following distance and reaction time, identifying crash factors/causes, and mind state management strategies to use to be a safe driver. We are very lucky to have had the opportunity to attend this workshop and have learnt so much that we can take away and apply to help us keep ourselves and each other safe on the roads.  

World Vision Conference

On Tuesday four students attended the World Vision Youth Conference in South Auckland to understand where we stand as tamariki leaders and how to find our voice. We began with understanding the theme of the event ‘One more drop’ which highlighted the importance of clean water in poverty- stricken communities and how having enough will not only provide the basics for human life but allowing development of these areas. We were guided by amazing tertiary youth ambassadors who recently visited Malawi: this really inspired and touched many of our hearts when they reflected on their experience and building water pumps for the families. Our learning also branched off the famous proverb: “If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. If you teach a man to fish, you feed him for a lifetime. “This reminded us as global citizens that education, as cliché as it sounds, is the key to progress and growth.  After writing a letter to parliament to encourage a modern slavery law, Vira and Fili two amazing poets and community activists spurred us on injustice issues and aroused us with their leadership journeys. When hearing how they got up to where they stand today, we all felt really empowered to make a difference in our hapori which leads us to soon organising the 40-hour challenge to put what we learnt into action! This event was awe-inspiring, and I really recommend for everyone to see the remarkable work World Vision do locally, nationally and on the front line.

A special thanks to Darius and Mr Johansen for making the attendance to the conference possible and supporting our ambitions as young leaders.

- Natalie Raphael

North Harbour Waterpolo Selection

Shawn Li, who was awarded the Pinehurst Makos Flippaball MVP last year, has gone from strength to strength in the pool this year. Shawn was invited to participate in the North Harbour Waterpolo trials at the end of last year. After lots of rigorous selection tests, Shawn achieved outstanding results among many contestants, and was successfully selected into the North Harbour Water Polo Club and officially became a member of the Year7 Talent Academy Program. We look forward to seeing Shawn play for our Year 7-8 Waterpolo team which plays on a Friday night throughout Term 2, 3 & 4.

New Zealand Clubs Gymnastics Competition Success

Jessica Drescher has continued her gymnastics success in the weekend as she competed at the New Zealand Clubs Competition which was held in Counties Manukau. This competition is also recognised as an opportunity to qualify for the Nationals. Jessica competed in the Rhythmic Junior International Level competition and placed 1^st in the hoop, and 2^nd in clubs, which brought her total score to 78. As a result, Jessica has qualified for the National Competition in July later this year which is held in Tauranga. This is amazing news, and we wish Jessica all the best with the National Competition later in the year.

North Harbour Triathlon Zone Day

Last term, 19 students in Year 7-8 competed in the North Harbour Triathlon Zone Day which was held at Long Bay Regional Park. This was an awesome event, with two students competing as individuals and the rest of the students competing in teams, making up 3 boys and 2 girls teams. The course was made up of 200m swim, 5km bike and 2km run.

All of the students gave their all and had a lot of fun along the way. The top placings in the Pinehurst team were the Year 8 Girls team that consisted of Zara Roodt, Annabelle Lloyd and Georgia Cowley. The team took our 5^th in the Year 8 Girls Team event. Jerry Yang came in close to this, placing 6^th in the Year 8 Individual Boys race. It was great to see our team finally out on the course giving it a go and we will look to build on this for next year’s event.

Climbing Championships – Waikato Regionals

Xavier Wasek-Webb has recently attended the 2023 Climbing Championship Waikato Regionals in which he has come away with two bronze medals. Xavier came 2^nd in the qualifying event for the U14 Top Rope event, which gave him confidence going into the finals. Xavier performed very well in the finals, coming away with 3^rd place overall. Xavier was then challenged in the Under 18 Lead Climb event, as Xavier was competing against other students who were a lot older than him and have more experience. Xavier came out as the 8^th best qualifying in the heats, which he then bettered in the finals, coming away with another bronze medal. Xavier placed 3^rd overall in the U18 group which is an awesome achievement! A huge congratulations to Xavier for his dedication to his sport.

The 1^st XI Hockey Girls 

The 1^st XI girls had a fantastic start to the season with a 4nil win over Rangitoto College. The girls worked hard in challenging conditions, embracing the wind and rain. Captained by Emily Stuart and Brooke Peacock this team is definitely one to watch this season. 

Australian Junior Athletics’ Championships

Fernanda Tirado continues to succeed in her athletic disciplines hammer and hurdles. Having recently travelled to Brisbane to attend the Australian Junior Athletics’ Championships, she came home with a Silver medal for Hammer in her age group, and placed a credible 7^th in the 90m hurdles, which is a distance she had not competed in previously; In NZ, in her age group, they run 70m or 80m. Congratulations and well done Fernanda

Night of January 16^th - 7pm on Wednesday 10, Thursday 11 & Friday 12 May

Venue: Pinehurst School Theatre, 75 Bush Road, Albany

Time: Doors open at 6:30pm. Performances begin at 7pm and run for approximately 2 hours with a 20-minute interval.

Ticket prices: $15 General Admission; $10 Students (17 years or younger)/Senior Citizens

All children under the age of 16 must be accompanied by an adult. The play relies on audience participation for the jury members. When you buy your ticket you will be asked if you would like to be considered to be part of the jury. Note, not everyone who says yes, will be selected.

North Shore Careers and Pathways Expo

On 10 and 11 May the North Shore Career Pathways Expo is being held at North Harbour Stadium. You can find details here. This event has been organised as a collaboration between North Shore Schools. There are over 50 different exhibitors including all NZ universities, many different polytechs and tertiary training providers from Auckland and across NZ, Police, Defence Force, AFS Exchanges, Industry Training Organisations and more... This is a great opportunity to meet, locally, with so many representatives in one venue.

All Y11 and Y12 students will be attending on Thursday 11^th during P6 and P7. However there are evening sessions as well and these are open to all students and parents.

•  4-7:30pm on Wednesday 10 May
•  4-7:30pm on Thursday 11 May

This year there are some evening presentations taking place and it is recommended that you consider timing your visit to enable attendance at some or all of these, either side of visiting the exhibitors in the main expo area.