Message from the Executive Principal

Kia ora koutou, good afternoon, 下午好, 안녕하세요  

Best wishes,
Mike Waller

Message from the Principal of College

Year 8 Social Science

In Year 8 Social Science this week we have been focusing on ocean zones and adaptations. It has been interesting to discuss how different animals have different features and behaviours depending on what light zone they live in. To summarise our research on a range of sea creatures and their adaptations, we made ‘Instagram posts’ showcasing and explaining a specific animals’ adaptations. This was a creative way to share some of our learning. Next week we will be moving on to the differences between oceans and seas.

Year 9 Physical Education

This term we have started our Adventure Based Learning module, looking at building a base for teamwork, leadership and problem solving. The Year 9s have impressed with their adaptability and resourcefulness, finding multiple ways to overcome challenges and obstacles.

Year 11 Physics Out of This World Experience

Our stars of Year 11 Physics rocketed off to an astronomical adventure at the Stardome Observatory & Planetarium on Wednesday 5 February. Nestled at the base of One Tree Hill in Cornwall Park, this stellar facility provided our students with an experience that was truly universal in its impact!

The journey began in the observatory's interactive gallery, where students gravitated toward hands-on displays exploring everything from cosmic dust to galaxy formation. Working in teams, our budding astronomers even had the chance to create their own galactic models - talk about giving them space to learn!

The highlight of the visit was the absolutely spectacular planetarium show, where the 360-degree dome left students starry-eyed with wonder. "When the screen turned on, it was unbelievably immersive and unreal," one enthusiastic student shared. "We journeyed through the Solar System's evolution, from its humble beginnings as cosmic dust to its present-day majesty!" Students were particularly captivated by dramatic simulations showing the Moon's formation and Jupiter's cosmic dance with Saturn's gravitational pull.

Under the guidance of the observatory's brilliant staff, our young scientists deepened their understanding of the IGCSE Physics curriculum in the most engaging way possible. "This amazing opportunity helped us gain a deeper understanding of space and everything in it," beamed one student. Another added, "Our surreal adventures within the planetarium really transformed our perception of the universe!"

The verdict is clear - this cosmic expedition was a resounding success that left our Year 11 physicists over the moon! It's safe to say their future in Physics is looking as bright as the stars themselves.

Economists Eat Watermelon

Who wants to spend an entire lesson eating watermelon? For free??
That’s what our Year 13 Economics class did this week. We started off the new topic off with an experiment called The Watermelon Test. In this experiment, students eat slices of watermelon and keep a track of their total satisfaction (or utility) from each slice they eat.  

Jerry and Allen opted to be test-subjects, while the other students monitored results. We proved, in a highly scientific manner, that as more watermelon was eaten, less and less satisfaction was gained from each slice. We had some intriguing results. Both Jerry and Allen kept eating after it made their overall utility decrease, in other words, they felt sick. This activity nicely demonstrates the law of diminishing marginal utility, which is an important concept in the A2 syllabus this year.

Toi o te wiki: Celebrating Sunny

Toi o te wiki this week is a celebration of the exceptional work completed by Sunny Wu. 

The Arts faculty were delighted to hear the news that Sunny has achieved the esteemed recognition of being Top in the World for IGCSE Art and Design. 

Sunny's talent is expressed throughout both her coursework folio and the painting she completed for her eight hour examination. Watching Sunny work is a blessing and many have been in awe of witnessing the magic that occurs when Sunny puts pencil or paint to paper. 

We are extremely proud of you, Sunny. Thank you for sharing your talent with our school community.

Message from the Principal of Primary

Physical Education with Mr Taylor

Our New Entrant students will be introduced to the basic skills and concepts of a variety of sports, including football, netball, rugby and hockey. The focus will be on developing fundamental skills such as running, jumping, throwing, catching, and kicking in a fun, active, and safe environment. Students will also begin to explore teamwork, communication, and simple game rules.

Music with Ms Pope

Year 2 students will be introduced to the Carnival of the Animals where they will explore animal sounds while making connections to the characterisation studied in Peter and the Wolf. In P7, as pictured below, the students engaged with The Lion this week, where the ascending and descending piano notes mimic the lion's roar. Our children will develop an understanding of pulse and pitch through creative responses to musical immersion. They will match pitch using vocal and instrumental methods, including so/mi notes on a two-line stave.

Mandarin with Ms Vien

In Year 2 the students will learn how and what we need to do to prepare for Chinese New Year. They will be focusing on Chinese zodiac animals and the lantern festival.

Students will continue to develop their knowledge of Pinyin, numbers and the days of the week.

Health with Mrs Heighton

Understanding Myself

This term, Year 4 students will explore their strengths and unique qualities while learning to identify and manage their emotions. They will describe their feelings in response to different types of loss and practise strategies for managing unpleasant or intense emotions. Through these activities, students will build greater self-awareness and emotional resilience.

Spanish with Mrs Cadag

All About Me

This term, students in Year 5 will expand their knowledge of hobbies, family, and pets while exploring new vocabulary related to jobs and professions, including masculine and feminine forms. They will also develop their conversational skills by asking and answering questions about themselves and others in real-life contexts, fostering confidence in their communication abilities.

Science with Mrs Herbert

Science in Context

Our Year 5 students will explore materials, states of matter, changes of state, and dissolving. Students will develop an understanding of the particle model to describe different states, and the processes involved in state changes. They will investigate how some materials dissolve in liquids and can be separated again, connecting their learning to real-life experiences. Through hands-on activities, students will make predictions, plan and conduct investigations, and reflect on their results.

P6's Class Treaty

We have had a fantastic start to the year in P6, with a class full of creative, kind, and thoughtful learners. In Reading, we have been exploring The Tree Hut Treaty by Wiremu Grace. This engaging picture book tells the story of a group of tamariki who decide to build a tree hut for everyone in the neighbourhood to enjoy. However, disagreements arise when they realise the space isn’t big enough for everyone. To fix the problem, they create a treaty with shared rules to ensure they can continue playing together happily.

Inspired by this story, we decided to create our own class treaty. Together, we discussed what values and expectations would help us maintain a positive and respectful learning environment. As part of this discussion, we also learned about Te Tiriti o Waitangi (The Treaty of Waitangi), signed in 1840 to form an agreement between Māori and Pākehā for peaceful coexistence. 

Our class treaty reflects the values of respect, responsibility, and kindness. We agreed that we need to listen to one another, tidy up after ourselves (even if we didn’t make the mess!), walk calmly in the classroom, and be caring friends. This treaty serves as a daily reminder that we are a classroom whānau, and by looking after each other, we can create a happy and productive learning environment. 

We look forward to a wonderful year ahead!

Working with numbers in Year 1

The children in P23 are now confidently representing numbers in various ways. In this lesson the children were working practically by representing numbers up to ten in written form, numeral form, using a range of equipment and drawing a pictorial representation. At this early stage, during maths lessons, children are not always given the numeral form. It is important that children are exposed to a variety of equipment and begin to make those connections between numbers and their word equivalent. The children have now started counting to 10 and identifying their written equivalents. By the end of the term, the children will be able to match numerals, words and pictorial representations and then move onto problem solving and reasoning activities.

Exploring 3-D Shapes in P9 

This week, we have been engaging in an exciting and hands-on learning experience as we explore the properties of 3-D shapes. Our focus was to make models of 3-D shapes using sticks and playdough. This interactive approach helped students visualise geometric connections and understand spatial structures. 

Through this activity, students worked towards key success criteria. They practiced visualising the skeletal outline of a 3-D shape and learned how to relate this to the number of edges, vertices, and faces. By constructing models, they were able to deepen their understanding of how 3-D shapes are formed and recognise their fundamental components. 

These lessons not only develop mathematical thinking but also encourage creativity, problem-solving, and collaboration for our Year 3 Students.

Teamwork in P16

In our Wellbeing lesson this week, we explored the elements of teamwork. We discussed how teamwork is an essential part of everyday life, and can be seen across different workplaces, sporting events, at home and in schools. The children came up with several examples of where we might see teamwork in action including sports teams, our classroom, the teachers, the government, the police and hospital staff and so many more!

With a larger focus on House Points this year, the children are excited at the prospect of working together in their houses to achieve an overall win at the end of each term! 

Cynthia: I drew a picture of a swim team working together in a relay race because when I swim as part of a team, I feel happy, excited and proud of myself and my team working so hard with each other. 

Audrey: My picture was of a 3 legged race. I drew this because you need good teamwork in order to win the race, and even just to stay standing! I think teamwork is important because we can help each other to succeed.

Xavier: My drawing was of a hockey team, passing the ball to each other before scoring a goal. It’s important to work together in hockey because if only one person is working they’re less likely to score. 

Jeremy L: I think teamwork is important because you can help other people. Together Everyone Achieves More.

International Robot Olympiad 2024/25

Following on from last week's newsletter we have more Pinehurst success stories to share from the recent International Robot Olympiad in Busan, Korea. Year 8 Student Zoe Seohyeon A brought home three medals including Gold in the Creative Movie category, Silver in Physical Computing and a Technical Award in the Creative Robot category.
Zoe's elder sister Ella Jihyeon, a Year 10 Student, also won Gold in the Creative Robot category. We congratulate Zoe and Ella for their amazing achievements on the world robotics stage!

Noah brings home Silver from World Aquatics Diving

Over the weekend, Year 10 Student Noah A competed in his second World Aquatics international diving event for the NZ team.  Last November he had the privilege of competing in  the Junior Worlds in Rio de Janiero, where Noah achieved a 24th and 19th world ranking in the 14-16 year olds 3m and 1m board. Last weekend, he entered his first Men’s Open category. A World Aquatics event featuring Olympian divers from Malaysia and Uzbekistan, as well as NZ and Australia - it was a great experience to compete at this level and in Auckland.  The highlight was winning a silver medal, in a mixed synchro team. 

Noah A and Zara R, head off to Europe in April to compete in three European competitions. Take a look at this video of Noah's forward triple somersault! We congratulate you Noah on your amazing achievements and Silver Medal win.

Liam places 2nd at Oceania BMX Racing Champs

Year 3 Student Liam W has won 2nd place in UCI 8YR group at the 2025 Oceania BMX Racing Continental Championships. Competing alongside New Zealand, Australian and Tahitian riders, Liam's hard work and dedicated training has paid off. Congratulations Liam, we are all very proud of you!

'Softball sisters' Aayoung and Inyoung

Year 11 Student Aayoung J and her sister Inyoung J, in Year 10, have been busy competing in regional Softball events around New Zealand. Aayoung participated in the U17 Nationals Softball Tournament in January in Christchurch, where her North Harbour team achieved 4th place. Inyoung recently returned from the U15 North Island Regional Softball Tournament, finishing 3rd with her North Harbour team. Congratulations to both girls on these fantastic placings.

Executive Principal Mike Waller warmly invites you to join him for Morning Tea, where he will share key strategies and goals for the year ahead at Pinehurst.

This will also be a fantastic opportunity to connect with fellow members of the Pinehurst community, exchange ideas, and explore how we can collaborate to achieve shared goals.

For catering purposes, please RSVP here by Wednesday 12 February.

We look forward to seeing you there!