Message from the Executive Principal

Kia ora koutou, good afternoon, 下午好, 안녕하세요  

Best wishes,

Mike Waller 

Message from the Principal of Primary

P15 Dives into STEM with Brain Play!

Exciting news from our class! This week, we embarked on an exciting journey into the world of STEM through the Brain Play program. In our very first session, we delved into the realm of robotics and coding.

Imagine this: We built a robot from scratch! Yes, you read that right. With our own hands, we pieced together mechanical wonders and brought them to life. It was an awe-inspiring experience: witnessing gears, circuits, and creativity coming together.

But wait, there's more! Not only did we construct robots, we also took our first steps into the fascinating world of coding. Armed with iPads and determination, we learned the language of technology, mastering the art of commands and sequences.

It's just the beginning of our STEM adventure, and the possibilities are endless. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to explore, innovate, and unlock the mysteries of technology and engineering!

P15 have also begun a thrilling journey into the world of Geometry, and let me tell you, it's been an adventure like no other. This week, we've been diving deep into the realm of angles, and we've discovered a fun and creative way to master their degrees: through the magic of music and movement!

As we learned about acute, obtuse, and right angles, we found ourselves tapping our feet to the rhythm of geometry. With music as our guide and movement as our language, we danced our way through the degrees, transforming abstract concepts into tangible experiences.

As we move forward in our geometry unit, let's continue to embrace the joy of learning, the power of creativity, and the beauty of mathematics.

Physical Education Years 0-3

Welcome to our latest newsletter installment, where we delve into the exciting world of Physical Education for our youngest learners, specifically focusing on the development of striking skills. In the early years of education, physical activity plays a crucial role in the holistic development of children. Today, we explore how Year 0-3 students are mastering striking skills, laying the foundation for a lifetime of physical competence and enjoyment.

The Importance of Striking Skills: Striking skills encompass a range of movements involving hitting or striking an object with various body parts or tools. Mastering these skills not only enhances physical coordination but also fosters cognitive development, social interaction, and emotional regulation. Whether it's hitting a ball with a bat, striking a shuttlecock with a racket, or even using hands in activities like handball, striking skills form the basis of many sports and recreational activities.

Learning Through Play: In Year 0-3 Physical Education classes, learning striking skills is approached through a combination of structured activities and guided play. We strive to create environments that are conducive to exploration and experimentation, allowing children to discover the mechanics of striking movements at their own pace. Through games, drills, and challenges, students develop hand-eye coordination, timing, and spatial awareness while having fun and building confidence in their abilities.

Progression and Mastery: As students progress through Year 0-3, the complexity of striking activities gradually increases, challenging them to refine their techniques and adapt to new situations. From simple hand-eye coordination exercises to more intricate game scenarios, each lesson builds upon previous learning experiences, fostering a sense of achievement and continual improvement. By providing opportunities for both individual practice and cooperative play, we strive to cater to diverse learning styles and abilities, ensuring that every child can succeed and thrive.

In Year 0-3 Physical Education, the journey towards mastering striking skills is as much about the process as it is about the outcome. Through play, exploration, and guided instruction, young learners develop the physical, cognitive, and social skills necessary for a lifetime of active participation and enjoyment. By nurturing a love for movement and fostering a growth mindset, we strive to empower children to reach their full potential, both on and off the field. As we celebrate their achievements in striking, let us continue to support and inspire our youngest athletes on their journey towards physical literacy and lifelong well-being.

In P10

What an exciting week P10 has had. In science the students have been using observation and tests to investigate how light can pass through some materials and is blocked by others. The students then learnt the scientific terms transparent, translucent, and opaque.  They have also been developing an understanding of how shadows are formed when light from a source is blocked by an object as well as how the size of a shadow is affected by the position of the object and the position of the light source.  During these sessions students are learning how to relate to others by having an environment where they can express their ideas and thoughts. By conducting group experiments they are contributing and participating and see themselves as capable learners. For even more fun at the end of the lessons the students used their hands to create a range of animal shadows.

Addition in P4

This week in Maths, P4 have been beginning to put their knowledge of numbers into practice by learning to add two numbers together to find a total. They have been solving problems like ‘if there are two apples on one tree and one apple on another, how many apples are there altogether?’ To help develop their understanding of adding numbers together they have done lots of hands-on activities, using different materials, fingers and number lines to help them solve problems.

The children have used playdough and numicon to make addition problems, stamping different amounts into playdough. They have added two numbers together on strings of beads, counting them altogether to find the total.  A favourite activity this week has been operating our shop and taking turns to be the customer and the shopkeeper. Can you buy 2 things from the shop using 10 coins?

Landscape Art 

In P21, the students have been diving into the world of landscape art, armed with enthusiasm and creativity. Firstly, they spent time observing lots of landscape paintings from the past and discussed the painting’s location, composition, and what the painting tells us about life in the past.  The students then spent time practising some landscape sketching, experimenting with composition, and learning to understand the features of a landscape such as background, foreground, horizon lines, and natural features such as hills, lakes and rivers are all part of landscape art.  Part of the task was also to practice mixing colours that mirror nature’s beauty, from beautiful skies to rolling hills, to really capture the essence of reality.  They have learnt to understand that colours in the background will naturally be lighter and features in the foreground would stand out more. Here are some examples of our first attempts at landscape art. 

Primary's Solo And Duo Performance Showcase 

We are pleased to announce Pinehurst Primary School's Solo and Duo Performance Showcase for Term 2 on Wednesday 12 June.

We are offering one performance opportunity each term for our students to perform in front of a supportive audience of parents and other students. This term our Year 3 and 4 students will perform, followed by students in Year 2 and below in Term 3, and finally, in Term 4, we will invite students who may have missed their chance to perform earlier in the year and students who we would like to welcome back again.

Our concert this term will be on Wednesday 12 June at 3.30pm in the School Theatre. Year 3 and 4 students who would like to perform should register their interest by completing this form by Friday 24 May AND upload a video of the student performing their piece here.

We welcome students of all levels and encourage a variety of instruments and music genres, including voice, to provide a balanced and entertaining programme. Please register as soon as possible as places are limited to 16 students. Lastly, we kindly request that performances are limited to three minutes or less. Please see Ms. Pope if this is an issue. If you have any questions, please email Mrs Jaques Cynthia.jaques@pinehurst.school.nz.

We look forward to seeing you and your children at our upcoming performance showcase.

Message from the Principal of College

Year 10 Design and Technology

I am pleased to say that some of our Year 10 Design and Technology students have just completed their Basketball hoops. 

The industrious students made them using hardboard for the back, Aluminium sheet for the front bracket, and the hoop. A variety of string (natural and man-made fiber) was used to make the different coloured baskets, which was probably the hardest task. The Bracket for mounting to the wall is made from mild steel and has been welded by the students using MIG welding. The Basketball hoops are part of the skill-building program in year ten – skills learned were working with Man Made Board, Aluminium, and steel, exploring different components for permanent and non-permanent fixings, and last but not least how to make the basket by knotting an intricate pattern. Designing the backboard, marking it out, and using masking to spray paint the chosen design. Students had to be marking out and working accurately to assemble all components successfully in the end.

Now all that is left to do is to test them!  

Media Studies

Our AS Media Studies have begun working on their Foundation Portfolio this term. This is a complex and exciting process where they will collaborate with their peers to create, write, film, and edit their own film opening. In class we have been practicing using our new professional media gear in order to develop skills and get used to working creatively as a team. We can’t wait to see the students final film product!

Creative Writing Club

Aurora Australis 

The Painting in the Sky by Harini Nellipudi 
Angry slashes of crimson
Elusive splatters of lime
Soft strokes of icy blue
A dusting of piercing white
Encapsulated in ruby light.
Brilliant hues dancing
Lighting up the charcoal sky
Before parting with the night,
And homecoming
11 years after.

The Aurora Lights by Sylvia Yang
‘It looks like a watermelon,’ says one.
‘It’s beautiful,’ breathes another.
The lights were massive curtains, shades of brilliant reds and vibrant greens, dynamic flickers and spirals that lit up the night.
‘Eerie is what it is,’ says one more.
Isolated from the burning city lights, spots of shining white dots aligned the sky, I spotted the Orion through unaided eyes.
‘I can’t see a thing,’ a voice grumbled.
‘Take a photo, much clearer now mate,’ bellowed the last.
I cursed myself, cursed the lights, cursed the Aurora itself for missing such a spectacle.
An unticked box on a list of wild dreams.
‘I missed it,’ cried one.
‘Words and photos will substitute for now,’ reassured another.

The Aurora Australis by Isabella Zhang
Late in the night, nestled in her cozy bed, Stella was sound asleep when a gentle voice broke the silence. "Sweetheart, wake up," her mother's voice called softly from the doorway. Stella stirred in her bed. "Sweetheart, come on, wake up."
"Mum? What's going on?" she mumbles, rubbing her eyes and sitting up. Her mother's face was filled with excitement as she gestured toward the window. "Come quickly, darling! You must see this," she urges, pulling Stella out of bed.
Confusion clouds Stella's mind as she follows her mother to the window, her gaze drifting sleepily to the night sky. At first, all she sees is darkness, the stars twinkling overhead. "What is it, Mum?" she asked. But before her mother can reply, a yawn escapes her lips. With a sigh, she murmured, "I'm tired, Mum. Can't I just go back to bed?"
Her mother nods understandingly, a smile on her lips. "Of course, sweetheart..." Before she could finish speaking, Stella had already entered her dreams.
It wasn't until the next morning, as she sat at the breakfast table, that the realisation hit her. The Aurora Australis! She had missed it—the breathtaking spectacle that had painted the night sky in hues of pink and amethyst. Regret washes over her as she realised what she had missed. With a sigh, she wondered how she could have forgotten all about it.
Even as the disappointment settles in, she knows that there will be other nights, other chances to witness the beauty of the southern lights.

Chemistry

The students in Year 13 Chemistry class are studying kinetics. The practical they are completing uses the Arrhenius equation which relates activation energy to the rate constant and temperature. They are mixing 2 solutions at different temperatures and finding the time at which the colour change occurs. From here they plot a graph of ln(1/time) against 1/temperature in Kelvins which will give them a straight line. Using the graph, they can determine the activation energy of the reaction based on the gradient. This type of graph typically comes up in exams. A number of students came very close to the value of 70.6 kJ mol-1.

Toi o te wiki

Toi o te wiki this week acknowledges the influence of Chen Yan Ning on AS Art and Design student, Olivia. 

Exploring themes of feminine restraint and confinement, this study of Chen Yan Ning's work has been completed using oil paint and forms part of Olivia's artist analysis for her Coursework folio. 

Stunning work, Olivia!

More Science Olympiad Success

We would like to congratulate Kai Yu in Year 12 for achieving Silver in the New Zealand Olympiad in Astronomy and Astrophysics. Kai has also been selected as part of the team to represent New Zealand in the international competition in Brazil later tis year. This is a huge achievement, we are incredibly proud of Kai and wish him all the best in the international competition!

AKSS Orienteering Relay Championship

Last week, 24 students from Year 7-13 students competed at the AKSS Orienteering Relay Championship which was held at Ambury Regional Park. The 7 teams performed well in their relays, with the teams below finishing in the Top 5 in their age categories. This was a great experience for our orienteering athletes and despite the cold wind, the students had a great day on a difficult course. A huge thank you to our amazing Parent Helper Pam, we really appreciate your support.

Year 7-8 Boys - 3^rd place: Alex (Year 8), Felix (Year 8) and Jimmy (Year 8).

Intermediate Boys - 5^th place: Ben (Year 10), Zachary (Year 11) and Joel (Year 10).

Senior Boys - 5^th place: Chase (Year 13), Lucas (Year 11) and Cormac (Year 13),

College football

A great start to the season for our football teams with 3 out of 4 teams coming away with convincing wins. 

The Girls' 1st XI had an awesome game at home, beating Kristin 10-1. A spectacular 6 goals from Bella sealed the deal early on and our solid defenders made sure that Kristin had no chance to make a comeback. 

This week, the girls continued their run with another huge 9-1 win against Takapuna. All things point to a hugely successful season ahead. Next Wednesday they face Northcote away.  

The Boys' 1st XI, struggling with player absence, managed to pull off a 6-3 win against Orwea in their first game. Finding themselves up 5-0 at halftime thanks to Andrew, they had to hold off a fight from their opponents in the second half with no substitutes. This week they have a bye. 

The Boys' 2nd XI had a tough game which ended up with two penalties, a red and a yellow card! They lost to a tall Takapuna side 2-0. This Saturday they play Northcote away. 

This is the first year we have entered a 13th grade boys' team, and they didn't disappoint in their first game with a 3-1 win against Takapuna. Player of the day was Kyle and Isaac (2) and Daniel (1) got the goals. This Saturday they play Northcote at home. 

Breathing Easy: Year 8's Lung-tastic Adventure!

Hey there, science buffs! Our Year 8 crew is not just scratching the surface of respiration – they’re diving deep and breathing in every bit of excitement!
These budding scientists are not only getting their hands on real lungs but also diving into dissecting the mysteries of breathing with infectious enthusiasm. From lung dissections to experiments galore, they're inhaling knowledge like oxygen!

It’s a breath of fresh air in their scientific journey, and the excitement is palpable! So here’s to our Year 8 class: may your curiosity never run out of breath, and may your thirst for knowledge always leave you gasping for more!

• University of Waikato Open Day May 24. Register here
• Otago University Open Days are on May 26 and 27 Head to www.otago.ac.nz/open-days for further information and FAQs.
• University of British Columbia is in Pinehurst School Theatre May 29 at lunchtime
• Victoria University of Wellington Open Evening in Auckland’s Aotea Centre June 10. Register here.
• University of Melbourne is in Pinehurst School Theatre June 11 at lunchtime
• North Shore Career Expo June 13

Vex IQ National Competition

In Year 8, Oscar Z and his Kidwe Lab team emerged victorious in the Vex IQ National Competition, earning a place in the prestigious Vex World Championship. They proudly represented New Zealand at the event held in Dallas, USA in May. The VEX IQ Worlds Competition is a renowned global gathering that draws over 50 countries and more than 800 teams worldwide. Oscar and his teammates showcased exceptional design skills and collaborative teamwork that left a lasting impression on the judges, resulting in them receiving the esteemed "Judges Award." A big congratulations to Oscar and the entire team for their unwavering commitment and effort.

Jack (Year 12) Achieves Back-to-back Wins in Badminton

Having won the U19 Waikato Championship in April, Jack has backed this up by winning the highly contested 2024 Yonex Auckland U19 Championship against some of New Zealand’s best players, including international players who came to NZ for the competition. The tournament was held over the weekend 4 - 5^th May, with around seventy players in the Men’s Singles competition.

In the semifinals, Jack defeated the current U19 NZ Champion, and number 1 seeded player at the Auckland competition. Jack also won against an international player who represented the Cook Islands at the World Junior Championships last year. His success in winning the Yonex Auckland U19 Championship is the reward of hours of training every week and the desire to excel at the highest level in elite sport.

Jack will captain our Pinehurst Boys Team at the New Zealand Secondary Schools National Badminton Competition in Wellington – Porirua, at the start of September. The team is wanting to place in the Top Four during the preliminary games earlier in the week, to be in the running for a medal during the final day of play on Thursday 5 September.

In the photo below, Jack is wearing a very appropriate top for today’s, Friday 17 May Pink Shirt Day to highlight support for anti-bullying awarenesses in schools and workplaces.

the International Robot Olympiad 2023-2024

Ella and Zoe achieved remarkable success as they emerged victorious at the International Robot Olympiad held in Athens, Greece in January 2024.

Ella (Jihyeon) A (Senior division) achieved Gold in Creative Robot, Gold in Physical Computing, and Silver in Robot in Movie categories.

Zoe (Seohyeon) A (Junior division) also excelled with Gold medals in Creative Robot and Physical Computing, along with a Silver medal in the Robot in Movie category.

Well done Ella and Zoe!

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