Message from the Executive Principal

Kia ora koutou, good afternoon, 下午好, 안녕하세요  

Best wishes,

Mike Waller 

Message from the Principal of College

Chinese Mid- Autumn Festival

In our Junior College Mandarin class, students have been learning about the Mid-Autumn Festival, one of the most important traditional holidays in Chinese culture. We have explored the legends and customs behind the festival, including moon gazing and family reunions. To bring the experience to life, students had the opportunity to taste traditional Chinese mooncakes, a delicious symbol of the festival’s spirit of unity and gratitude. This year, the Mid-Autumn Festival falls on September 17. We hope everyone had a wonderful Mid-Autumn Festival with their families! It has been a great way to immerse ourselves in both the language and the culture

Student Shakespeare Performance Next Week

The cast and crew of the student-lead Shakespeare production has been hard at work this week with final rehearsals and light plotting. The students have put in so much mahi into this show, so please come along next Tuesday and Wednesday at 7:00pm to watch

Shadow Puppetry

Shadow puppetry, also known as shadow play, is an ancient form of storytelling that originated in Asia, particularly in countries like China, Indonesia, and India. It involves the use of flat, articulated figures (puppets) that are held between a light source and a translucent screen. The puppets cast shadows on the screen, creating the illusion of moving images. This art form has been used for centuries to tell myths, legends, and folktales.

To celebrate this year’s Mid-Autumn festival, our Year 8 students had an opportunity to attend Puppet shadow workshop and learnt about how to make and play with puppet shadow.

In the workshop, participants are introduced to the basics of shadow puppetry. The workshop typically begins with a brief history of the art form, highlighting its cultural significance and evolution over time. Participants then get hands-on experience in creating their own shadow puppets. This involves designing and cutting out figures from materials like cardboard or thick paper and attaching movable joints to allow for articulation.

Once the puppets are ready, participants learn how to manipulate them behind a screen, experimenting with different light sources and angles to create various effects. The workshop often culminates in a collaborative performance, where participants bring their puppets to life, narrating stories and creating mesmerizing visual displays.

Year 9 Physical Education – Kinetic Anatom

The Year 9 Kinetic Anatomy unit aims to introduce students to basic Sport Science principles. The students have been learning scientific names for a range of bones and skeletal muscles. This knowledge has enabled the students to learn about how antagonistic muscle pairs create different movements at a joint. They are now working towards identifying how these movements can be applied to different skills in Volleyball and, using the iPads for video analysis, using this knowledge to improve their technique. 

Creative Writing Club

Elvies H (Year 9) Wins the Young Authors Challenge

Every year, Barfoot and Thompson runs a writing competition called the Young Authors Challenge open to students nationwide. With three categories: primary, intermediate and secondary, children are asked to put their minds and pens forward to create a piece based on a prompt.

2024 saw the prompt “A Choice I Made”. The possibilities were endless – which made the prompt so difficult. One Year 9 student stepped up to the challenge and achieved greatness: Elvies Hu.

With his submission in the secondary category, “Liam’s Creation”, Elvies gained first place amongst thousands of entries from across Aotearoa New Zealand.

The story explores the ideas of crime, danger, poverty, choice and redemption. You can read his story here: Young Authors Challenge 2024 Winners | Barfoot & Thompson

Elvies will be attending an official prizegiving in Term 4, as well as receiving $500, and $250 worth of books. Pinehurst School also receives a prize for his fabulous success.

We are all very proud of Elvies and this wonderful accomplishment

AS Drama Final Assessment

This week the AS class finished their practical coursework for the year with their scripted performance of the Greek Tragedy "Medea". These students worked hard on planning their performances, considering acting, staging, and lighting to create an effective performance. 

AIMS Games 2024

Our students made us proud at this year’s AIMS Games, delivering an incredible performance! With 65 students competing in 12 different sports, this was our most successful AIMS Games yet. A special shout-out to our team sports, which saw significant improvement in their standings from last year, reflecting the hard work and dedication of all participants.

The highlights include standout individual and team performances across various disciplines. Sarah L took home 1st place in the Golf Gross competition, while Ivy placed 1st in the Stableford competition, and our golf team (Sarah L,  Ivy L, and Edward N) also claimed 1st place overall. Mountain biking saw Xavier W-W secure 10th place in the Year 8 Boys category, and he excelled in rock climbing, achieving 1st place in Year 8 Boys.

Our badminton players shone, with Anna L placing 3rd in the Girls Singles competition, and our swimmers delivered extraordinary results. Lucas W was a standout, securing multiple 1st place finishes, including in the Boys 11 Yrs 100m Butterfly and Boys 11 Yrs 50m Freestyle. The boys' relay teams also made waves, with a 1st place finish in the Boys 6 x 50m Freestyle Relay.

None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support and guidance of our coaches and managers. Your dedication behind the scenes has made this success a reality, and we thank you for all your hard work!

Here's a summary of our medal winner’s results:

• Golf Gross: 1st place – Sarah L
• Golf Stableford: 1st place – Ivy L
• Golf Team Placing: 1st place (Sarah L, Ivy L, and Edward N)
• Rock Climbing: 1st place – Xavier W-W (Year 8 Boys)
• Badminton Girls Singles: 3rd place – Anna L
• Swimming: Boys 6 x 50m Freestyle Relay – 1^st Place (Shawn L, Lucas W, Brayden Z, Isaac G, Eddie L, Kyle Z)
• Swimming: Boys Freestyle Relay 4 x 50m – 2^nd Place (Shawn L, Lucas W,, Brayden Z, Isaac G)
• Swimming: Boys 4 x 50m Medley Relay – 2^nd Place (Shawn L, Lucas W, Eddie L, Brayden Z)
• Swimming: Boys 11 Yrs, Lucas W
  • 100M Individual Medley – 1^st Place
  • 50m Butterfly – 1^st Place
  • 200m Breaststroke – 2^nd Place
  • 100m Butterfly – 1^st Place
  • 200m Backstroke – 2^nd Place
  • 100m Breaststroke – 1^st Place
  • 50m Freestyle – 1^st Place
  • 200m Individual Medley – 1^st Place
  • 50m Backstroke – 2^nd Place
  • 50m Breaststroke – 1^st Place
  • 100m Freestyle – 1^st Place

• Swimming: Boys 11 Yrs, Eddie L
  • 200m Breaststroke – 1^st Place
  • 100m Breaststroke – 2^nd Place
  • 50m Breaststroke – 2^nd Place

• Swimming: Boys 13 Yrs, Shawn L
  • 100m Breaststroke – 2^nd Place
  • 50m Breaststroke – 2^nd Place

Well done to all competitors! Your commitment and perseverance have made this year’s AIMS Games a memorable one, and a special thank you once again to the coaches and managers for making it all possible!

Milford Rotary Speech Competition

On Wednesday evening, the Milford Rotary held their annual speech competition where schools from the shore came together to battle it out for the title of best speaker 2024.  There were 18 contestants from a range of schools, that entertained the audience with their thoughtful messages.  

We sent our two Year 8 winners from the speech competition: Abby C (Why autocorrect is ruining our lives) and Alex S (Kids are better than adults).  Although they did not make it to the next round, they loved the experience of being able to present their speeches to a wider audience and to hear the ideas of their peers.   

Matariki Photography Competition

The Matariki Photography Competition is in its second year and is going from strength to strength. The standard of entry was again very high and I would like to congratulate all of the entrants for their creativity, skill and dedication. We have two overall winners and their prizes will be delivered to their PODs next week. The Year 7-9 winner is William Wang . His image shows Matariki in the sky, above the silhouette oh Harakeke being lit by the rising sun, an excellent composition! The Year 10-13 winner is Katie Long shows Matariki framed by native bush with a hint of colour coming from the sunrise. Congratulations to both our winners!

Toi o te Wiki

It has been a bitter-sweet week, this week, for our Year 13 Art and Design students. 

They have been adding their final touches to their Personal Investigation folio's before it gets sent to Cambridge for marking. 

The A Level course has pushed students. It challenged their creative thinking skills, their problem solving and communication skills as well as their ability to persevere when working to create a body of work that reflects the individual pathways that they have undertaken over the last two years. 

I am deeply proud of you, Nina, Maya, Ash, Ben, Rosie and Claudia. 

Thank you for welcoming to Pinehurst last year as your new teacher and for the awhi you have shown me. As you step into the next stage of your lives, always know that you are woven into the history of Pinehurst in the most wonderful way - through your art making. 

Toi o te wiki this week is a collection of work completed by our Year 13 students.

From left to right: Katie Zhang, Ashlynn Connolly, Maya Ambler, Nina Ward, Ben Li, Rosie Wang and Claudia Zhang.

Quiz Night - Rainbow Royale! 

Get excited because the Student Council is thrilled to invite you to our upcoming Quiz Night - Rainbow Royale! This fun-filled event promises to be a great time, packed with challenging questions, fabulous prizes, and a vibrant atmosphere. Staff, Students (years 6-13) and parents are welcome!

Event Details:
Date: Monday 23 September
Time: 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Location: Dance Studio
Price: $7.00 per person

We have a special outfit theme: Colour! Make sure to dress up and show off your school spirit in style! We will provide a light bite of some pizza, and you are welcome to bring your own food and beverages for the night. However, note that alcoholic beverages are prohibited.

There are only 60 spaces available, so get in quick using the link below! We can’t wait to see you there for a night of fun, friendly competition, and school spirit!

More info and tickets: https://events.humanitix.com/rainbow-royale

• IMPORTANT DEADLINES LOOMING: Oxbridge and all UK Medicine and Vet Science programmes are due mid-October; however, student sections of UCAS need to be completed by the end of Term 3 at the latest (earlier preferred) as Career Counselor still needs to check your application before the final submission due date. This will be happening during holiday time. Please make sure that I can contact you if necessary. Conservatoires deadlines are even earlier – if you are applying for a Conservatoire, your UCAS application should be complete and submitted to Career Counsellor.
• University Course Planning sessions at Pinehurst – University of Canterbury Sep. 24 / AUT Sep 25. All sessions are at lunchtime in library. These sessions help students with the enrolment process and offer advice about which papers to enrol in for first year study.
• Keen to go to Queenstown during the holidays and learn about international tourism? Check out: QRC Open Day | Experience QRC | School Holidays
• The New Zealand College of Chiropractic Open Day on Saturday, 28th September. Students will have the chance to listen to expert speakers, meet current students and staff, and tour the campus. Register here:  https://chiropractic.ac.nz/openday
• Architecture Open Days on Sep. 21^st. Get a behind the scenes view of an architecture office, find out what architects do and how they do it. Open Studios are great for students considering a career in architecture, and all those interested in understanding the creative process of architecture and getting a building built. More info here: https://nzia.co.nz/festival/tamaki-makaurau-te-tai-tokerau/ Dates and locations vary - please refer to the website. Generally, between 10am and 2pm. It is free and no registration is required.
• Maritime Mahi Expo on Sep. 24^th. It is for all students interested in the maritime industry, engineering, trades, or students who want to broaden their understanding of the world of work. Register here.
• UK applicants - If you are applying to the UK, you should have registered on UCAS by now – please aim to have all sections of UCAS complete by the end of Term 3. If you are still crafting your Personal Statement, there will be a TikTok Live Q&A: How to write your UCAS personal statement - 25 September 16.30 (UK time) – register here: Personal statement week: 23 – 29 September 2024 | Undergraduate, Conservatoires | UCAS
• USA applicants - If you are applying to the USA and are wanting an Early Decision, please aim to have all sections of Common App complete by end of Term 3.
• Australia applicants – reminder to apply for accommodation if you have not already. All accommodation reference requests to be sent to lila.pulsford@pinehurst.school.nz
• Online Work Experience Days coming up. Learn more about Computer Science, Performing Arts, Psychology and more. Dates and registration links here: Apply Now — CareerDays.co.uk
• Passionate about aviation and want to become a pilot? The AIPA Open Day is being held at North Shore Aero Club on Saturday, 12 October, from 12 to 4 pm. This is a perfect opportunity for students to learn more about the aviation industry and find out which steps they need to take to become an airline pilot.

Message from the Principal of Primary

Spring League Netball

We are very excited to have four new players join our winter teams for the up-and-coming Spring League Netball in Term 4. Today they had their first every netball training. Mrs Jones-Hill was very lucky to have five Year 6 girls come along to do one on one training with our newest players. The girls focused on catching the ball using ‘W’ hands, throwing the ball into their partners hands, and shooting goals. 

We look forward to a very exciting Spring netball season.

P17 Cracks the Case: From Squirrel Sleuths to Mystery Masters!

This term, the students of P17 embarked on an exciting writing mission with the residents of Renstone. Together, we worked hard to solve the curious case of the Red Cafe burglaries. After much investigation and careful research, we crafted an attention-grabbing newspaper article to inform the public of the strange happenings and appeal for any useful information. Our efforts paid off, and we discovered that pesky squirrels were the culprits behind the disturbances!

Following this, we were tasked with a creative solution: designing a squirrel activity centre to keep the little troublemakers out of mischief. This week, the students wrote letters of explanation to the park authorities, detailing our plan. These letters demonstrated impressive use of relative clauses, adverbials of time, place, and cause, as well as correlative conjunctions to clearly outline how the activity centre will function and its benefits to the community.

Next on our writing journey, P17 will delve into the world of mystery stories. Stay tuned for the exciting tales that await!

Primary Winter Netball

We are so proud of all the players who joined a Winter netball team this season. We had a record number of teams entered into the competition. 15 teams took part in the winter league, braving all sorts of challenging winter conditions. 9 of our 11 competition teams will be presented with a medal at the prize giving this Saturday.

We would like to thank all our coaches, managers and team supporters who joined us every Saturday. We look forward to our Spring League and a big welcome to all our new Spring League players

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori

This week we celebrate as a nation Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori with this year’s theme being, Ake, ake, ake - A forever Language. Māori Language Week 2024 runs from 14 – 21 September. The 2024 theme represents the resilience, adaptability and endurance of te reo Māori, and reflects the commitment to embracing and learning the language long into the future. The week is a reminder to encourage everyone to continue to use the language.

P15 ran an amazing assembly themed around Māori Language with headings and instructions in Māori. They also shared some waiata supporting Te wiki o te reo Māori. Tino pai P15.

The teachers embraced the challenge of using a variety of phrases throughout the week as students kept a tally each day on the amount of times their teacher spoke it. We look forward to finding out next week who the winners were. Mrs Thomson won’t be eligible this time!

Some of the students shared their thoughts and ideas about Māori language week at Pinehurst school. Amelia explained that a long time ago Māori weren’t allowed to speak their Māori language. Angus said that the English took away the language, they banned it. Lucas explained that Māori language week is so everyone can remember the native language of New Zealand. Ashton said the English took over New Zealand even though there was the treaty of Waitangi which said it was supposed to be shared, and now we need to learn it so it won’t be forgotten.

The primary classes had an activity board where they could choose different activities to do throughout the week. There was waiata, online kupu (word) games, information and suggested art. The students were learning a variety of Māori vocabulary to support them throughout the year. 

Auckland Botanic Gardens

This term in P4 and P5 we have been learning about Wonderful Weather in Global Perspectives. As part of this we have looked at how different areas of the world are hot and cold and the impact that this has on the plants and animals in the area. This week P4 and P5 visited the Auckland Botanic Gardens to help explore this.

While we were at the Botanic Gardens, we worked with the educators who taught us lots about how plants adapt to their environment. Some of our favourite bits of information were:

• That flowers have petals, and that's the part of the flower that looks pretty
• Birds eat fruit then poop out the seeds in different places
• Cactus has sharp spikes to protect themselves
• Some plants can make a 'jungle soup'. Bromeliads collect leaves and bugs and make a soup to get the nutrients.
• Some seeds can float in the wind and spin like helicopters.

We also got the chance to look at different plants to figure out what made them unique to where they are from. We looked at monstera plants and shone torches through the holes to see how light could get to plants underneath. Children poured water over huge elephant fig leaves to see how it would run off and spread around to other plants. We also had a go at twisting our bodies into different yoga poses like how vines wrap around things as they grow to get to sunlight.

At the end of our sessions, all of the children planted their own succulent to take home with them.

Fiona won "Excellent Delegate" award at UNESCO and Tsinghua University Model UN Conference

As one of six delegates, Fiona S won awards from more than 100 participants, Fiona got the top tier award "Excellent Delegate" and 3 other certificates, as superstar of this conference, she was also honored to be interviewed by Country Garden Education Group of China to share her feelings of winning awards and her views of global climate change.

Click here to register.