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Message from the Executive Principal
Kia ora e te whānau
After the flurry of excitement over the school break as we continued to receive excellent news from Cambridge about our students’ examination results, we were ready to get Term 1 started and welcome our students back into school. As the weather went from bad to atrocious, the property staff determinedly got to work securing the school property. They worked so hard throughout the weekend and, whilst there was lots of damage to other properties in the area, our school site remained intact, and we were confident that we were ready to go for day 1 on Tuesday.
The whole Pinehurst staff were so disappointed when, late on Monday afternoon, the Ministry of Education gave us the news that we would not be able to have in-person learning at school. We were told the major reason was that some roads had been damaged and there were floods with more rain on the way. We will always put our students’ safety and wellbeing as our number one priority and so we knew that our students needed to stay home until the weather improved. Thankfully, our teaching staff are highly skilled at delivering online as well as face-to-face programs and so they quickly sprang into action to prepare engaging online lessons for our students. On Wednesday as I walked around the school site, I witnessed many animated teachers locked inside their classrooms talking to their computer screens, something that three years ago would have seemed very strange but is now something that we have grown used to. We had very good attendance at online lessons, and we were confident to keep going. Later that day, when the weather changed and the Ministry of Education said we could now bring our students into school, we were overjoyed and knew that opening back up to students was the right thing to do. All of this in just three days! What struck me the most during this time was the resilience, strength and determination of our students and staff; it is such a privilege to be a part of this community. Students returned to school yesterday and it was lovely to have them back. There was lots of excited chatter and news about wonderful holidays.
Whilst this start to 2023 was not exactly what we had planned, there have been lots of positives. Last week we welcomed new staff to Pinehurst and I am certain that as you meet them you will be very happy with the quality of staff we have appointed and continue to attract. Conferences went very well and we were happy to be able to meet new Pinehurst students and parents. Additionally, over the school break, Pinehurst School was very lucky to have Dianne Clark work with us to create the most beautiful kākahu which she presented to me last week. The kākahu will be worn when we have our Pōwhiri on 13 February. Dianne will join year 9-13 students next week at their assembly and they will be able to see the kākahu and hear about how it represents us as a kura.
Let’s hope that we do get some sunshine over the next few days as we go into another long weekend. Look after yourselves and have a wonderful Waitangi Weekend.
Ngā mihi nui
Dawn
如需阅读校长的中文留言和重要事件日期, 请点击
Tuesday 7 February
- Year 5 Camp
- Year 6 Camp
- Year 4 Swimming Lessons
- Years 1-3, Parent Information Evening AND Year 3 Camp Inform
Wednesday 8 February
- Year 4 Swimming Lessons
Thursday 9 February
- Orienteering Training Event
- Year 4 Swimming Lessons
Friday 10 February
- Year 7-13, Interhouse Athletics Day
- Year 4 Swimming Lessons
Message from the Principal of Primary
Kia ora tatou,
There were so many smiling faces Thursday morning on the crossing, and that was just the parents! After a summer of rain, I know many of you were looking forward to the new school year. Our Primary students were remarkably settled and enjoyed getting to know each other again after the long break and meeting their new teacher. We have a few families still stuck overseas due to flight cancellations from flooding, but we are looking forward to having everyone back over the next week or so.
The senior end of the Primary school is going to feel really quiet next week as our Year 5 and Year 6 students head out to camps. Year 5 will leave for Carey Park in Henderson on Tuesday; this is a fantastic camp with so much to do and is just as accommodating in the rain or sunshine. Big indoor spaces as well as fantastic outdoor facilities mean there is always something to do. On Monday, Year 6 head to the wonderful Lakewood Lodge in Huntly for their final Primary camp, equally well set up for the weather although that area of the country has avoided Auckland’s rainfall. Camps are a wonderful way to explore the outdoors, build confidence to try new things and form great relationships which flow on into the classroom. A huge thanks to the parents giving their time to support our students and create special memories. Year 4 students are off to Northern Arena for a week of swimming lessons, developing their confidence and skills in the water which is very important of course in New Zealand with so many opportunities to enjoy watersports and the ocean.
We have been checking in with some of our 2022 Year 6 students to see how their first days in the College went. They have all reported feeling happy and excited to be in Year 7 and are enjoying making friendships with new students. During the holidays we received their Cambridge Primary Checkpoint results, and they were fantastic! The best results for over five years, again, well above world averages with many students gaining the top grade of a 6 in Maths, English or Science. According to Cambridge, learners attaining a score of 5.0 or more have generally shown an excellent level of achievement. They have demonstrated a comprehensive and secure level of understanding, knowledge and skills of the curriculum content, and should be well prepared for the next stage of learning. In English 31 of our 69 learners scored a five or above, 32 in Science and 41 in Maths! A special mention to six of our students who scored the top grade of a 6 in all three subjects, an outstanding achievement. Congratulations to Primary Dux, Bosco Jin; Proxime Accessit, Felicia Shen; Jinseok Yeung; Bonnie Yu; Mia Geng and Branden Ding for each achieving 3 sixes in their Checkpoint exams, we are so proud of you and of all our 2022 Year 6 students. To achieve such results despite three years of disruption during a pandemic is quite remarkable.
We are so glad to be back and look forward to a successful year of working together to create the best learning experiences for our students. Enjoy your long Waitangi weekend.
Kia pai tō rā whakata
Sian
Year 1 & 2 Syndicate
Welcome back to another exciting year in the junior primary at Pinehurst School. My name is Grace Osborne and I am the new Syndicate Leader for Senior Year 1 and Year 2. Our two Senior Year 1 teachers are Mrs Susan Boniface in P23 and Mrs Nuri Lee in P22. The Year 2 team is made up of Ms Anita Kenny in P6, myself in P7 and Mrs Shelly Murray in P8.
This term in Senior Year 1 the students Maths number learning will focus on addition and subtraction and support the children to continue counting with confidence. The children will become ‘Superheroes’ in English lessons as they learn to describe superhero characters and write simple sentences. During Global Perspectives the students will develop their classroom community by learning more about their families, friends and cultures. In Science lessons the children will become ‘Plant Detectives’ as they investigate nature and the environment around us.
In Year 2, students will continue to extend their Maths knowledge by working with larger numbers and learning key facts that support them when adding and subtracting. They will also begin to skip count in 2s, 3s and fives and investigate and compare 2D and 3D shapes. Jack and the Beanstalk is the focus of writing lessons and the children will help Jack by writing newspaper articles, instructions and letters. Through observation and planting, the students will become ‘Apprentice Gardeners’ in Science as they investigate the conditions that seeds and bulbs need to grow successfully. Finally, in Art the children be exploring the famous works of artists including Monet and Van Gogh and have a go at applying some of their techniques in their own creations.
As you can see there are many wonderful learning experiences ahead of us. As teachers we are all looking forward to this term and the learning that will take place. Please feel free to see any of us before or after school or get in touch on Seesaw if you have any questions. I look forward to meeting you all throughout the term.
An Exciting Start for New Entrants!
Wow! What an unexpected start to the school year we’ve had! But one that the New Entrant students should be very proud of. The first day may not have been in the classroom but our youngest students here at Pinehurst all had happy, smiley faces during their virtual classes, eager to start the school year!
In New Entrants this year we have our own syndicate called Foundation. My name is Mrs Cooper and I am looking forward to being the new syndicate leader for this amazing year level. Mrs Wilson is the class teacher in P1 and Miss Lee is the class teacher in P2. We are also lucky to have Mrs Eyre who will be working between both classes. All of us are looking forward to supporting our new students on their Pinehurst journey.
So far this week we have been busy getting to know each other and the students are beginning to make friends and learn their routines. You can see from the photos that the students are already settling well into their new environment.
This term we will spend lots of time building relationships through learning about ourselves and the communities we belong to. Then later in the term, we have lots of exciting learning taking place through our topic ‘Superheroes’.
A huge welcome to all our new students! We cannot wait to get started on a very exciting year full of exciting learning adventures!
Fantastic Fives and Super Sixes!
Year 5 and 6 Syndicate News
What an interesting start to the new school year we have had! We were thrilled to welcome all students ‘back’ to school on Wednesday when we commenced our online lessons. The waves of excitement were almost coming through the computer screen! This was, however, unparalleled to the buzz and delight around the school on Thursday morning when all students and staff were able to safely return to the school grounds, looking forward to the year ahead.
We have kicked off the new school year by beginning to build our very own class family, based around the values that are important to us. The is already becoming very apparent in Year 5 and 6 as we have spent time getting to know one another: the things that are important to us, how we show kindness to each other and how we can have each others’ backs. Each classroom will have a ‘Personal Best’ wall or table to celebrate students who show values such as teamwork, honesty and inclusivity. We are looking forward to working together to continue creating classroom cultures that ensure every student feels safe, supported and the ability to be their super selves!
Both Year 5 and Year 6 have a very exciting start to the term this year as our students embark on their respective camps in Week 2. This will provide both the teachers and students alike with a fantastic opportunity to get to know each other in a different environment. Students will face physical challenges, push themselves out of their comfort zone and work together as a team, all the while developing their communication skills and building their resilience. Year 5 will make their way to Carey Park in Waitakere, while Year 6 will be heading down to Lakewood Lodge in Huntly. Both camp experiences promise to be a fantastic time for students during which they will make friendships and memories to carry forward with them for years to come.
Upon our return to school after camp, we have a wonderful term full of learning ahead!
News from the Middles Syndicate
Welcome, welcome, welcome back to the Year 4 families to P12, 13 and 14 this year and our lovely Year 3 students in P9, 10 and 11. It was so lovely to walk through the rooms and see all the wonderful, exciting displays that the teachers have put up to welcome the students back to a new learning year. It is so lovely that in my role as Middle Syndicate leader I know the Year 4 students and their parents and families so well, and many of the Year 3 students and their families from Year 2 last year and the end of year transition meeting. I look forward to seeing you around the school and catching up on how you are all doing.
I am sure that you all found the Overviews for the year and the term that were shared with you, very exciting and I know that the students will all be super curious to explore the concepts we will be teaching.
The teachers in our middle syndicate are:
Year 4
P12: Mrs Nasir
P13: Mrs Thomson – a very big welcome to Year 4
P14: Mrs Prance
Year 3
P9: Ms MacIntosh
P10: Ms O’Connor – a very big welcome to Pinehurst
P11: Mrs Kruyff
Please contact your child’s teacher either by email or seesaw at any time you require clarification or information regarding your child and their school day.
News from Year 4’s:
Next week is exciting as the classes are going to swimming. They begin exploring Life Processes and Ecosystems in Science and talking about ‘Courage’ in Health. In writing the Big Write Mission explores ‘Superheroes’ and creating character profiles of these.
News from the Year 3’s:
Next week we have our Camp Information Evening as the following week we are off for 2 days of exciting learning outside the classroom at Camp Maynard. In Art, we are exploring creating a visual story around our mihis and sketching ourselves, using shading techniques. In Health we are exploring our families and ‘Thinking Like a Champ’ as we develop confidence and self believe as learners.
We look forward to sharing our learning with you all as the term progresses.
Mrs Kruyff
Middle Syndicate Leader
Message from the Principal of College
Kia ora e te whānau
I would like to start by sending my heartfelt thanks to our whole community for the support and aroha you have given us over the last few days. It has been a very trying time for everyone and the messages of support from many of you have been very gratefully received. Sadly, some of our families have suffered damage to their homes and belongings and I know that some have struggled to get back to Auckland from other cities in order to get their children back to school. If your child was unable to return to school on Thursday and today due to the disruptions, please do reassure them that we will support them next week when they do return. The resilience and positivity of our young people during this time has made anything seem possible.
Last week was very busy as we aimed towards students returning to classes on 31 January. We welcomed twelve new staff members into the College and held conferences and various staff meetings. The conferences were very well attended, and POD and Homeroom teachers were happy to meet new students to the College. Everything was in place for a great start and so we were sad to have to postpone our in-person start date to 2 February.
However, on Wednesday online learning was extremely well attended. Our College teachers do this so well; they know how to engage and interact with students online as well as face-to-face and many teachers spoke of having fun lessons where lots was achieved. Thank you to students and parents for helping to ensure that online lessons were valuable and useful.
Being able to welcome the students back into school on Thursday was such a relief and it was wonderful to see them looking so glad to be back at school and excited to see each other. There was some confusion about the new room numbers in the College but that was quickly solved as some students began to understand the system and then help others find their way. We were able to open four new classrooms in College 5 and the building work is on track for the remaining four classrooms to be ready during mid March.
After a shaky start, it does now feel that we are back on track and we have much to look forward to this term. For the first time in Pinehurst history, all of the Years 7 – 12 year groups are full and new Pinehurst students have integrated beautifully into the school. We are holding House assemblies this afternoon and Year 7 and 8 will also have an assembly together. After that I am looking forward to a quiet weekend with hopefully no messages from the Ministry of Education!
Have a lovely weekend.
Ngā mihi nui
Dawn
Outstanding Awards!
We are absolutely thrilled to have heard from CAIE today that our students have been awarded fourteen different outstanding awards after their Cambridge examinations. Last year more than 2 million students sat Cambridge examinations in more than 10,000 schools in countries around the world. These awards to Pinehurst students represent 15% of the total number of awards presented to New Zealand students and we are delighted to share these with you.
Y12 POD Mentor & Y13 Student Prefect Training
In preparation for the year ahead, our College student leaders, both POD Mentors and Y13 Student Prefects, attended leadership training days last week run by our Senior & Middle Leaders.
Our POD Mentors spent their morning on their roles and responsibilities with their Deans, and had the opportunity to meet their POD Teachers and our new Y9 students. Each POD Mentor will be working closely with their POD teachers and fellow POD students, especially our new Y9 students. Their biggest challenge this term is to run our annual POD Challenge event held on the last day of Term 1.
The Y13 Student leaders spent the morning onsite working through their roles and responsibilities, along with some cross cultural communication skills, leadership theory and application. The afternoon session included student leaders working collaboratively in small teams as they competed in our Amazing Race. Each team was tasked with solving clues to locate hidden teachers & interviewing shop cashiers in the Albany shopping area, collecting a set of jigsaw pieces to construct back at Pinehurst within the given timeframe. Bonus mins were on offer for best dressed team members as they shopped and solved their way around the Albany Mall.
We are excited about the impact our student leaders will make in 2023 as they continue to contribute towards our vibrant Pinehurst community.
The Busy Bean Cafe is back is Business!
MUSIC LESSONS AT PINEHURST SCHOOL
Registrations are now open for 2023 Music Lessons at Pinehurst School!
Each week, 15 specialist instrumental and voice teachers come onto campus to share their wealth of knowledge, experience and passion and give one on one music lessons to students. Lessons are open to all students in both primary and college, from beginners to the more experienced. These lessons also provide a robust foundation for students involved in our College Orchestra and Jazz Band. And if you'd like to learn a Brass instrument, we offer a Brass Scholarship programme to help support and develop our Brass players.
Students who have previously taken music lessons at school need to register again for 2023 even if they have let their teacher know they are continuing with lessons.
All information, including the registration page can be found on our website here. Please email Mrs Jaques if you have any questions cynthia.jaques@pinehurst.school.nz.
Register now via our website. Lessons start in Week 2.
2023 MUSICAL - HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL
The Performing Arts Department is super excited to announce that we have just been granted the rights to perform High School Musical as the school show for 2023! This is especially exciting as this will be the first show to be performed in the school's new theatre in College 5.
Auditions are planned for Week 2 of Term 1, 2023. Singers, dancers, actors, musicians and backstage crew are required for this exciting venture, and students should keep an eye out for further audition information coming soon.
So, help be the start of something new- we cannot wait to put this production together!
Go Wildcats!
Pinehurst Students Take on the Aussies in Swimming
Pinehurst students, Jack Potier, Osbert Gu, and Jasmine Lyles, were selected as part of the swimming clubs Auckland Team to compete in the Swimming New South Wales 2022 Long Course Champs held in Sydney at the end of last year. Jack placed 2nd in the 1500m Freestyle and 3rd in the 400 Freestyle (15 Year old age group), while Jasmine placed 2nd in the 100m Breaststroke and 3rd 50m Breaststroke (15 Year old age group). Congratulations on your achievements and your Person Best (PBs) results.
Jack also went on to compete in the Swimming NSW Open Water Champs, placing 2nd overall in the 5km event in his age group. On his return to New Zealand, he then competed in the NZ Open Water Champs Epic event held in Taupo. This is the pinnacle event for Swimming NZ - Open Water competition in NZ. He placed 2nd overall in the 7.5km event in his year 15-16 age group, and with his Coast Swimming Club team, placed 1st overall in the 4 x 1km Open Mixed Relay. Well done Jack!
NZ Softball Championships
Pinehurst student Leo Ofakineiafu is currently a Regional Representative for North Harbour Softball. His team recently competed in the New Zealand Softball Champs placing 5th overall. Well done team!
Northland Golf Championships
Congratulations to year 10 student Sophie Yu, who competed in the Northland Golf Champs placing 3rd in the Under 16 age group and 3rd in the Lydia Ko Age Group Champs. She now has an impressive handicap of 0.6. Well done Sophie!
Silver Medal Breaststroke Winner
During the holidays, Year 7 student, Lola Guo competed in the ‘Anthony Mosse Classic Swimming. Congratulations Lola for winning a silver medal in 50m breaststroke – well done!
