Message from the Executive Principal

Kia ora koutou, good afternoon, 下午好, 안녕하세요  

Best wishes,

Mike Waller 

Message from the Principal of College

A Culinary Adventure: Students Experience Authentic Chinese Cuisine

This week, a group of enthusiastic students went for an unforgettable Chinese dining experience. The outing was not only a delightful culinary adventure but also an educational journey into the rich tapestry of Chinese culture and cuisine.

We were treated to a variety of dishes, including Kung Pao chicken, sweet and sour pork, and fried rice. Each dish was a masterpiece, meticulously prepared and bursting with flavor. The Kung Pao chicken, with its spicy kick and crunchy peanuts, was a particular favorite among the students.

Throughout the meal, we discussed the origins and significance of the dishes we were enjoying. The students were fascinated to learn about the regional variations in Chinese cuisine and the historical influences that have shaped it. This discussion added an educational dimension to our outing, making it a truly enriching experience.

Overall, the outing was a resounding success. The students not only enjoyed a delicious meal but also gained a deeper appreciation for Chinese culture and cuisine. This experience has undoubtedly broadened their culinary horizons and sparked a newfound interest in exploring diverse cultures through food.

Hockey 1st XI

Hockey 1st XI captain Alex Hardy reflects on the team’s journey to the finals:

For me, the hockey team is more than just a school team. It's an opportunity to make friends with people outside of our year, and I believe this group has made the most of that. Over the last two years the team has become a close friend group where every player has a role and belongs. An excellent example of this is during a recent game: a deciding moment for our spot in the final occurred when we were 0-1 down at halftime. In our team talk, we all helped lift each other’s spirits and confidence, which showed - as within 10 minutes the game had flipped on its head, not only had the score line changed to 4-1, but the whole dynamic of our team was different. Every player was more confident and making stronger, better decisions, which caused us to come off the pitch with one of the most enjoyable games of the season under our belt. As we head into the final games of the season, I can honestly say I am proud of our team and the improvements we have made together on our journey to the top of A grade.

The Hockey Boys 1st XI team and their parents would love to see as many staff, students and supporters as possible at their Finals Round 1 game on Wednesday 28 August at 6:20pm at National Hockey Centre on 159 Bush Road.

Creative Writing Club

Towering Apartments by Carmen Chen

In the dark, through the curtains I see,
Giant monsters glaring down at me.
The alien’s many beady yellow eyes staring down,
Twisting its facial expression into a terrifying frown,
Sending shivers down my spine.

It silently pierces my soul with its menacing eyes,
The devil from hell indiscreetly spies,
I, a girl in the window, stand there, petrified,
Frozen and rooted to the ground, feeling electrified.
It silently penetrates the otherwise tranquil night.

In the peaceful and serene night,
Punches are delivered to my pillow as I fight.
Slowly, I open my eyes, daylight floods my room,
The apartments outside still loom,
But they are no longer menacing beasts.
They are just normal apartments,
Towering over me.

POD Olympics

Last week RSG held our own POD Olympics, in honour of the Paris 2024 games. We split students up across year groups and spun a wheel to determine who the competing countries were going to be. We ended up with Zimbabwe, Yemen, Chad, and Denmark. "Sports" included an egg and spoon race, a paper airplane competition, musical chairs, and silent ball. It was a close call, but ultimately at our medal ceremony Denmark won the bronze, Zimbabwe got the silver, and Yemen won the first annual RSG Olympics. Kudos to Chad for tight race!

Senior Speech Competition

Last week Friday, the senior speech competition was held and it proved to be an entertaining session for those of us who attended.  As it is not compulsory in the senior years, it was heartening to see so many keen participants who took the time to prepare thoughtful and entertaining speeches. 

Our winners this year were:
1st – Dylan M on ‘Why the earth is flat”.  He confidently presented a very clever and thoughtful speech about misinformation.

2nd – Louisa J spoke on “The shopping trolley theory” which discussed the morality of doing something because it is right and our ability to govern self. 

3rd - Cindy C entertained us with an unforgettable, original and highly entertaining speech entitled “Monsters Everywhere”.

Our winners each received book vouchers to Paper Plus.  Thank you to our judges and our presenter for making the event possible. 

Year 9 - 10 Auckland Mathex

Auckland Mathex for Year 9 and 10 was held on Wednesday August 21 at the Barfoot and Thompson Stadium in Kohimarama. Over 110 teams participated from all over Auckland in a 30-minute competition.

All of our teams acquitted themselves well, with all teams gaining at least 80 points and having a lot of fun. One of the year 9 teams, [Stanley Wu, Matthew A Sun, Yifan Jiang, Jerry Yang] managed to gain the maximum 100 points and placed third, which is an awesome achievement!
Congratulations to all team members and thanks to the parents who came with the teams.

North Harbour Year 7-10 Gymnastics Zone Day

On Wednesday, 20 students from Year 7-10 students competed at the North Harbour Gymnastics Zone Day which was held at the NHG Gym. Despite the challenging competition, our students excelled, securing more than 15 individual podium finishes.

Below is the individual podium placements achieved by our outstanding gymnasts.

Boys Trampolining: 2nd place – Callum M and 1^st place – Noah A.

Boys Floor Apparatus: 3rd place – Callum M, 2nd place – Dylan M and 1st place – Noah A.

Boys Highbar Apparatus: 2nd place – Callum M.

Boys Parallel Bar Apparatus: 1st place – Noah A. 

Boys Pommel Apparatus: 3rd place – Lucas Y, 2nd place – Noah A, and 1st place – Dylan M. 

Boys Vault Apparatus: 1st place – Noah A and 1st place – Dylan M.

Girls Uneven Bar Apparatus: 3rd place equal – Olivia W, 3rd place equal – Mia Y and 1st place equal – Sabine T.

Girls Floor Apparatus: 2nd place equal – Amelia C and 2nd place equal – Sabine T.

Sabine T Year 7 also secured an impressive 4th place overall which is a great accomplishment as she was competing against over 60 other students. Not only did they achieve great results individually, but they also achieved outstanding results as teams. With our Boys Team 1 consisting of Ryann W Year 7, Jeremy T Year 7, Lucas Y Year 9 and Zack T Year 9 placed 3rd overall and our Boys Team 2 consisting of Dylan M Year 9, Callum M Year 10 and Noah A Year 9 placed 1st overall which is an amazing achievement, and we take immense pride in all our students' efforts in this competition. A huge thank you to Georgia Thomson, Biec Vien and Laura Curwood for their help with the team leading up to this competition.

Pinehurst College Orchestra at the KBB Music Festival

Pinehurst College Orchestra performed admirably at the KBB Music Festival, held in Parnell at the Holy Trinity Cathedral on Tuesday 13 August. The group performed three pieces – Beethoven’s 5th Symphony, Ravel’s Pavane pour une infante defunte and ended with a rousing rendition of a medley from Leonard Bernstein’s Westside Story.

It was great to have 47 students in the orchestra which included four brass players, a bassoon player and two double basses. All the above instruments were there as part of Pinehurst’s instrumental scholarship programme which has been set up to introduce students to these instruments which were not being played previously and were leaving “holes” in the ensemble because of missing parts. “We are still looking for tuba players and wish to add French horns to the group in coming years” says Orchestra Director, Hadley Ronayne.

The group were pleased to come away with a Highly Commended award with the judges commenting on:

• The delightful and entertaining program 
• The orchestra working towards cohesion as an ensemble 
• Efforts to Implement details of the score
• The dedication and hard work
• Good playing from everyone - Bravo!

After many extra rehearsals in the run-up to the KBB Festival, the orchestra now takes a break from rehearsing until the 17 September. On the Tuesday before (Tuesday 10 September), Pinehurst will hold its first Piano Competition in the Theatre. More details to come soon.

North Harbour Year 7-8 Cross Country Zone Day

Last week, 32 students from Pinehurst competed in the North Harbour Cross Country Zone Day which was held at Warkworth Show Grounds. The course was very muddy however our students preserved through the obstacles and ran to the best of their ability. In the Year 7 Boys, Noah R ran extremely well, getting out in front in the early stages of the race and holding onto this lead going into the final kilometer. Noah ended up in 4^th position after a very close finish with the top 3 runners. In the Year 7 Girls race, Anna L held onto 3^rd position for the majority of the race which was a very fast pace. Anna ended up in 6^th place overall which is an excellent result. Both Anna and Noah have qualified for the Auckland Intermediate Championships which will be held on Tuesday 3 September at Muriwai Surf Club. A huge congratulations to these students on their awesome achievement at the NH Zone Day, we can’t wait to see what they are capable of at the Auckland Championships.

Year 7 Mathex

Last night two Year 7 Mathex teams attended the Casio Competition at the Barfoot and Thompson Stadium.  I am extremely pleased and proud to say that team A came first.  This is the first time that a Pinehurst team has won the trophy so it is a huge achievement.

Buddy Classes

Buddy classes had a great time catching up on Thursday.

• University of Auckland and AUT Open Days are tomorrow – Saturday 24 August. Links to programs are here: Open Day - The University of Auckland and here: programme-sheet-2024-v13.pdf
• University of Canterbury Open Day is on 30 August. Register here: Open Day | University of Canterbury
• Unitec Open Day is 31 August. Register here: Open Day 2024 | Event | Unitec
• Apprenticeships are a great opportunity to start earning money and learn valuable skills. More info on all kinds of apprenticeships is available on the Pinehurst Career Education website: Careers - Organisation
• Are you enthusiastic about a career that is outdoors and full of adventure? If yes, check out and register for the Adventure Works Taster Day on 19 October: Diploma Students Taster Day | Humanitix

Year 9 and 11 students were invited to a subject selection fair where senior students enthusiastically shared information, tips and advice about subjects they love. This is a valuable annual event that assists students with their subject choices. The senior students did an impressive job of being positive, persuasive and clever with props. Thank you to all involved.

Message from the Principal of Primary

P7: A day in the life of…

P7s Global Perspective lesson this week saw the children compare their typical school day with that of Okello, a child who lives in Uganda. Recently we have been collecting numerical data and presenting it in graphs but this week the data we collected was information to be organised in a Venn diagram.

After making notes as a class about what a normal school day is like for a Year 2 Pinehurst student, the children watched a silent video about Okello Preska who lives in Uganda. This was the first time they children have practiced taking notes independently and did an excellent job. They noticed some of the daily routines that Okello does like them but also some of the very different living and school conditions that he experiences.

As a group we then discussed some of the things that they and Okello both do, for example sleeping. However, they noticed that Okello’s mattress is on the muddy floor whilst theirs is on a bed frame in a warm bedroom. Gradually the children sorted and transferred their notes into the correct circles of the Venn diagrams. Finally, they made a summarising sentence about the information they had sorted.

Hockey Super Cluster

On Wednesday our top Hockey players competed in the Primary Super Cluster. We went through our four pool games unbeaten, without conceding any goals. We then took on Mairangi Bay in the Semis winning 2-0 to make the final against a strong Murrays Bay team. The boys played hard but lost 2-0 taking 2^nd Place, still a great achievement!

P22's Adventure at Stardome Observatory

On Thursday 22 August, the senior year 1 classes set off on an exciting journey to the Stardome Observatory to deepen their understanding of science this term and what a fantastic experience it was! The children's eyes lit up as they explored the wonders of the universe.

Their adventure began in the Space Room, where they participated in a classroom discussion accompanied by a captivating PowerPoint presentation on our topic: space. The children were eager participants, absorbing every piece of knowledge.

Next, they moved to the Space Gallery, where they could explore various displays and exhibits. They also took part in an optional fact-finding team quiz using Stardome iPads. Teams of 4–6 students had a blast testing their newfound space knowledge.

The highlight of the day was the visit to the planetarium. Inside the dome theatre, the children enjoyed a live night sky tour and an enthralling feature show. Their eyes sparkled with wonder as they explored neighbouring planets and distant galaxies.

On the bus ride home, our young astronomers couldn't stop talking about their incredible day. It was an educational adventure that will surely ignite their curiosity about the universe for years to come.

Year 1-2 Solo and Ensemble Performance Showcase

On Wednesday this week we celebrated our Year 1 and 2 musicians with our Term 3 Solo and Ensemble Performance Showcase.

Our concert began with the Pinehurst Primary Strings led by Ms. Reyes and was followed by twenty-two solo performances encompassing singing and performances on the piano, cello, violin and drums.

We were guided through the concert by two Year 6 students who did a fantastic job as our MCs for the afternoon.

We applaud all our performers for the effort they put into preparing for their performance, along with their talent and their courage in taking to the stage.

Coffee Connect - Friday 30 August

Lewis Eady Junior Music Contest

In August, April W participated in the Lewis Eady Junior Music Contest where she performed Fantasia in C-Minor by JS Bach. Her outstanding performance earned her a Gold Award along with 'The Most Promising Pianist' award.

Congratulations April!