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Message from the Executive Principal
Dear Parents,
Just when we thought we would get a full week of sun at school, the umbrellas were invaluable today! But of course, we are used to it this summer and so everyone found a way to enjoy Friday and finish the week on a positive note.
Yesterday afternoon I enjoyed the playful noise across the playground as College PODS spent time with Primary classes as a way to bring our students closer together. While the games played were plenty of fun and other activities led to some excellent problem-solving, the deeper purpose of establishing relationships and creating role models was evident and I know through conversations that the experience was beneficial for both College and Primary students.
There were of course a range of other activities throughout the week and I enjoyed watching and listening to many students in action. I particularly enjoyed spending some time at Northern Arena watching the Year 5 and 6 swimming sports and while there were some brilliant performances, I was equally impressed by the number of students who challenged themselves to compete in events that really challenged their abilities. Well done to everyone involved.
This week, I have had a chance to sit down and have one on one conversations with several staff as a way to get to know them, their role within the school, and their vision for the future. A common feature for me is their passion for Pinehurst and their desire to find new ways to deliver the best for your children. As I work with the staff over the coming months to shape our collective vision for teaching and learning, I look forward to harnessing their passion and determination.
Each afternoon while waiting to cross the car park, I have the chance to talk to the students about the day, with simple questions like ‘how did it all go?’ usually resulting in a simple ‘fine’. It is interesting though when I dig a little deeper and ask about the most interesting thing they have learned that there is a pause before the response and a much more descriptive answer is given. As parents, I encourage you to ask these deeper questions of your children, they do want to share with you but sometimes we just need to open the channel a little wider for them.
The care for all children at Pinehurst is our most important responsibility and is why we place such importance on pastoral care and holistic development. If you have any concerns about the progress or development of your child either in or out of the classroom, please reach out directly to the school so that we can act quickly in support of their needs.
I hope you all have an enjoyable weekend ahead.
Regards,
Mike Waller
如需阅读校长的中文留言和重要事件日期, 请点击
Monday 13 March
- Year 8, HPV (First Immunisation)
- Year 7, Boostrix Immunisation
Years 5-6, Tennis Super Cluster
Tuesday 14 March
- NHSS Athletics Zone Day (Selected Students only)
- Primary Leadership Assembly
- Year 7, Parent Information Evening
Wednesday 15 March
AKSS Volleyball Tournament
Thursday 16 March
- AKSS Volleyball Tournament
- College ID Photos
- NH Zone Swimming Day (selected Yr 7-8 students)
- Senior Y1, Trip to Butterfly Creek
Friday 17 March
- AKSS Volleyball Tournament
Pinehurst Garden Party – Friday, 31st March, 6pm – 10pm (All Parents Welcome)
Next month will mark one year since I joined the Pinehurst Community. This upcoming anniversary got me reflecting on my first few days at Pinehurst - the first thing that came to mind was how warmly I was welcomed; from Primary children eager to show me their bright smiles, College students respectful and friendly - opening doors and directing me when I was lost (which was often), colleagues for their immediate support and friendship and parents who did not hesitate to strike up a conversation – I have got to know many of you now and always enjoy our catch ups.
The point is, that I immediately felt part of a community, a very special community. My vision for this Garden Party is that we all come together, as a community to welcome Mike Waller to Our Place and show him the true essence of who and what we are; we are respectful of self and others, we strive for common goals, and we navigate the seasons together - proud of our individual and collective achievements.
Getting to know many of you, I also know that you like to have fun! And the Garden Party will be just that – a night under the stars, on our beautiful front lawn with plenty of food, drinks and entertainment! So please do come and join us for this fun event!
You can purchase your ticket HERE. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions at all.
- Carmen Stella (Marketing and Event Coordinator)
Message from the Principal of College
Kia ora e te whānau o Pinehurst School
Week 5 ended on a high note with fantastic participation in our first lunchtime College House Challenge of the year. There was a very competitive game of castles which ran throughout Friday lunchtime with students taking part from all four Houses. The Year 7 and 8 House Challenge was on Wednesday lunchtime and again we had lots of student involvement. When I see our students participating in voluntary House events at lunchtime, always demonstrating sportsmanship and respect for each other whilst having fun, I am reminded of the special nature of our school community.
The majority of College extra-curricular clubs are now up and running and this year we have added Astronomy Club and UNICEF to the long list of extra-curricular opportunities. Ms Jackson leads Astronomy Club on Friday lunchtimes and today they are planning to work through some Black Hole Maths. I am hoping to pop in and possibly learn something new along the way.
Mid-term is often a time for assessment and reflection in the College. Many of our students will be taking subject topic tests over the course of the next two weeks and inevitably this can cause some nervousness. However, regular opportunities for assessment enable students to demonstrate their understanding of the material. This is an essential part of the learning process and students should be encouraged to see these assessments as opportunities to reflect and to grow their learning. Most importantly, students should be looking for ways to fill any gaps in their knowledge and understanding and they should use feedback and guidance from teachers to help them with this. Development of these habits helps to support spiraling learning in students.
At Pinehurst School, students are encouraged to care for each other, this is part of one of our founding principles since we believe that caring for each other not only fosters self-discipline but also self-esteem. This week POD classes looked forward to visiting their Primary School buddy classes. It was the turn of the Primary School to host the visits and College students were treated to fun and games with their new 2023 buddies. The Primary students had obviously taken time to think about how they could entertain their guests and had put thought and care into preparing activities for the College students. Some great new friendships were formed during the afternoon.
We are looking forward to seeing our Year 7 parents on Tuesday evening at the Year 7 parent information evening. This will be an opportunity for parents to hear about academic pathways, parent support, leadership, sport and education outside of the classroom and also to ask any questions they may now have after their children have become more settled into College life.
I hope you have a lovely weekend.
Ngā mihi nui
Dawn
Paws Leading Paws
The Student Council is hosting an event called ''Paws Leading Us'' which will be on Monday the 13th of March during lunchtime. This is an amazing opportunity for student to learn about individuals who live with low vision or who are blind. There will be Lady and Lottie the guide dogs to meet and have a photo with. There will be guide dog toys for sale at $10 each (Eftpos is available) as well as other items to raise funds for the Blind Low Vision NZ charity. These guide dogs are vital to those with low vision or are blind so is such a great cause.
See you on the field on Monday – Lady and Lottie can’t wait to meet you!
Life101
The Year 12 and Year 13 students have a Life Skills lesson once a fortnight (using one of their study periods). The course has been designed to equip them with the practical skills they will need when they become more independent after they leave school. The Year 13s have been looking at what “Moving Out of Home” will look like and spent a lesson to do some “cooking on a budget”.
Year 9 Social Sciences Trip
Last week, all the Year 9s went on a Social Science trip to both the Symonds St. Cemetery and the Maritime Museum. This was to supplement our current unit of study, in which we are learning about New Zealand’s history 1850-1950.
A huge thank you to Shelley, Vicki, Melanie, Xiaolong, Xue, Sofia, Monique, and Manya for helping us out on the day – we wouldn’t have been able to have this trip without you.
Last Thursday the Year 9's went on an extremely exciting and educational trip to the Maritime Museum. It was incredibly fun because we all had a little booklet that we had to complete in a short period of time. It was so nice to see students running around trying to be the first to finish. There was also an extension at the end of the booklet that students could complete if they wanted to. It was also very delightful to see students coming out of their comfort zone to ask students, they do not spend time together normally about some answers to the booklet. There were also a lot of very realistic copies of the things in the past. Like the duster that felt soft and the fridge that was glued shut. The rooms were also very realistic because it was as if we walked through a time portal. We also all loved the café because of all the ice cream. That is not important though, the most important thing is that we all had fun (hopefully) and learn how to make SOS calls for a light house. I personally think that this was a great experience for all the Year 9's and I hope that we will continue to go in the following years to come.
- Cecilia Shi
During our Social Science trip, one of the destinations we stopped at was Symonds Street Cemetery - one of New Zealand’s most historic cemeteries where many important figures lay, like William Hobson. As we approached the many graves, the kind lady touring us thoroughly explained the significance of this cemetery. Though it may not seem like much, the graves varied from children to mayors where each grave tells a story of their life. Tombs ranging in difference provide a ton of information for NZ historians, geographers, and even politicians. Together, we explored the geographic position of the grounds and how each religion effected the place you would be laid to rest. Comparing and contrasting everyone's living situation from over 200 years ago gave me so much insight into how life historically was so inequal as well as tough. Thank you to all the parents, teachers, and volunteers for taking us along this journey.
- Diana Sha
Junior Science
Junior Science students are immersed in the laboratory setting and investigate fundamental science concepts in a blended learning environment. Year 7 students are so excited to see onion skin cells with
..and Year 8 students are exploring light travel and light box with pin hole camera and light.
Year 9 PE
The Year 9 PE classes have been working hard on developing their communication and planning skills as part of the Leadership Unit this term. The unit aims to build confidence and leadership skills through leading activities for their classmates. Having learnt about different methods of communication and the elements to a successful session, some classes have now had the opportunity to run energizer games in small groups. The students are now looking ahead to planning a short session for their peers and will be showcasing their leadership skills by delivering these sessions over the coming weeks.
UN Youth Club
This week the UN Youth club hosted its first Model United Nations. With over 50 members from years 9 to 13, the club has been a platform to form new skills, relationships and leaders.
Here's what one of our members has to say:
"Four years ago, I joined the United Nations Youth club as an extracurricular activity. But now, it has helped me shape who I am today greatly improving my vocal abilities and confidence while holding the magic microphone. Not only this, but it was and still is a wonderful platform to forge new friendships with alumni from different backgrounds you could never meet without. I implore everyone to give it a go and speak up whenever you can and seize the opportunity because you can never regret it here."
- Giulio Nordio, Year 13
Creative Writing Club
College English – What do we use a library lesson for?
Now that school is in full swing, all the students from Years 7-13 studying English can enjoy one lesson in the fabulous library (or book house as Ms Sawyers calls it) every fortnight.
Parents might be wondering what we do in the library lessons?
Reading of course! Students can read any book from within the library, one they bring from home, or from the classroom given to them by a teacher. Year 7 and 8 students have a Book Bingo to complete, which helps them to read widely, and learn about different genres. Year 9 students get freer rein on their choice but are (finally) able to borrow from the Upper College section. Year 10 and 11 are encouraged to read more sophisticated books, as they are in their IGCSE years. Reading is a welcome break from the rigorous routine of annotating and revision. Years 12 and 13 are welcome to use the library for study, however, it is also a special place for the older English students to read quietly. Older students are allowed to issue any of the books, including ones in the adult sections.
If students are ever in need of advice on what to read, they can ask their English teacher, or the brilliant librarian for assistance. They can issue as many books as they like (although up to 10 is recommended). Students and parents should keep an eye on when books are due back, to avoid any unnecessary fines.
English is not just about writing essays, but a wonderful chance to read as many books as possible. The library is an awesome resource to read heaps of books – without having to buy them!
Students are encouraged to enjoy and utilise their library reading lessons while they have the opportunity. They will certainly be missed when they eventually leave Pinehurst and go into the wider world!
- Mrs Edson
2023 Swimming Records Broken Year 7-8
Climbing Results
A huge congratulations to Xavier Wasek-Webb who competed at the 'La Sportiva National Para-climbing and Lead Championships 2022 2023' over the weekend and placed third in his category Youth C Male (born during 2010/2011). A very special achievement and we wish Xavier all the best in his future competitions this year!
Message from the Principal of Primary
Kia ora,
One of the many things I love about Pinehurst is the fact that we have students from Years 1-13. Not only is that a benefit to families in terms of a long-term connection with the school and its community, but to children in the Primary it means they can work with older students and look up to them as role models. Opportunities are created for this each term through our Buddy Class sessions. This is where each Primary homeroom class meets with a College class either in the Primary or in College rooms and they enjoy activities together. There is so much joy in these sessions for both sets of students, the College love looking after the Primary and having a quick play on the playgrounds too sometimes. The Primary students are in awe and love to have some help with their fun activities, it is a win win situation. Walking around during buddy time we saw a focus on the value of kindness with lots of classes making kindness quilts, sunflowers, and rainbows. There were joint team sports on the fields for the Year 5 and 6 syndicate buddies and it was lovely to see so many familiar faces of College students that used to be in the Primary. They are a lot taller now of course but clearly loved to jump on the climbing frames as they went past, we are all big kids at heart!
On Tuesday we headed off to Northern Arena for our Year 5 and Year 6 swimming sports. It was a warm day and our students loved being in and out of the water. Everyone who swam, tried their best and there were plenty of records broken. It was a delight to take our students outside of school for the day and they were true ambassadors for Pinehurst. We were proud of them. Thanks as always to our willing group of parent volunteers who came to be timekeepers, we couldn’t do it without you. Rimu house were the winners, they really love swimming in Rimu, and often placed first or second in their races.
Well done to last week's Maths Whizz winning classes, there were four of them! Each class had every student with three or more progressions earning them a green tick which was fantastic. Well done P7, P12, P13 and P14. If you struggle to get your child to work on the programme at home, just let the homeroom teacher know and they will help to make a plan to get those progressions. The programme really does make a difference to learning and it's fun.
Thanks for your support on the crossings before and after school. Teaching your child to always use the crossing helps them to make good decisions when they are not with you.
I think there is some sun promised this weekend, on Saturday anyway, and the chance to be outdoors and recharge. With only four weeks left of the term we still have lots to do!
Kia pai tō rā whakata, have a good weekend.
Ngā mihi,
Sian
Bubbles Day
Why are bubbles so fascinating?
Is it the colours, shapes, or the way they silently float through the air?
All we know is the Primary had a terrific time chasing spherical, magical bubbles across the field at lunchtime. We even had the College leadership team, including Mr Waller, and head councillors join the fun.
Swirling, shimmering colours of the rainbow appeared in clusters of frothy bubbles. Bubble wands of all shapes and sizes could be seen.
Our Year Six, Five and Four students acted as big buddies on the day to our New Entrant, Senior Year 1’s and Year two classes. They ate lunch together and then escorted their junior buddy up to the field to help them undo lids, salvage lost wands in the bottom of bottles, and blow the biggest bubbles they could.
Ms Pope provided a bubble themed soundtrack to accompany our bubbly lunchtime and many bubbles could be spotted dancing across the sunny sky.
Did you know that if you let a bubble hang from a bubble wand it begins to form horizontal stripes?
Great fun was had by all our bubble blowers with bubbles being chased, popped and blown.
In P10, when we learn, we grow!
We have settled in smoothly to the school year in P10 and loving learning, especially in Science, where we have been learning about plants! We began by classifying the things around the school by 'alive, not alive and has never been alive'. Sparking our investigation into what living things need, we all set up experiments to find out what happens if we grow plants without sunlight or water. We have also been naming and discovering what the parts of a plant do and observed the effect of coloured water on celery stems and leaves.
We can't wait to branch off into other Science topics!
Big Buddy classes from the College visiting the Primary yesterday!
Science
Year 6 students have been learning about the impact of the introduction of a species to an ecosystem and how this can cause an imbalance in the food chain. Two examples they studied were the introduction of the Nile Perch to Lake Victoria and the impact it had on the lake's food web and the natural disaster it created, and the introduction of Cane Toads to Queensland in Australia and the effects on the native animals.
To understand the impact of these introductions, students created cause-and-effect charts showing how the Nile Perch affected native fish and the water hyacinth along with the livelihood of the villagers.
They also studied the invasive nature of the Cane Toad and its effects on the native animals. To help them understand the structure and behaviour of the toad, they used an online 3D model and created plasticine models, which clearly showed their careful observations and the knowledge they gained.
We are thrilled with the enthusiasm and passion our students have shown in their science studies this term. They have demonstrated their ability to apply scientific knowledge to real-world situations and have developed a strong understanding of the impact humans can have on ecosystems. Our next lessons will focus on the impact introduced species has had on our own native flora and fauna.
P20’s ‘Best Parts of Me’
In year 6, we spent the first few weeks of Term 1 cultivating a positive classroom community. One of the ways to help build our students up is to help them see themselves (and their classmates) in a positive light. One of the ways we did that this year was by doing an activity all about “The Best Part of Me.”
We looked at a great book called The Best Part of Me. It's a collection of student poetry combined with photography by Wendy Ewald. We discussed different poems from this book and why they did or did not necessarily speak to us. We looked at elements like repetition and figurative language that the authors used.
P20 then decided what was the best part of them. They wrote their own poetry with their own rules, then took a black and white photo of the best part of them. We learned a lot about each other through these fun descriptions.
STEM
The focus for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Maths) this term is exploring the icy Arctic! As scientists and engineers abord the RRS David Attenborough, a ship built specifically to conduct research in the extreme environment that is Antarctica, we have been tasked with several jobs. The first has being building prototype propeller boats to conduct tests to see how variations on things such as the propeller size impacts the speed and distance travelled by the boat. In small groups, the students were given a small range of materials to build their boats.
They had to do a lot of trials to make sure their boats were seaworthy and the propellers worked! Materials had to be changed, boats had to be reinforced – but in the end most groups had working boats!
The All Star’s Big Day Out!
Last Sunday, our Year 5-6 Basketball Team, The Allstars, experienced a once in a life time opportunity to play on the Court of Dreams before the NZ Breakers VS Sydney Kings. The team played a fantastic game and we are very proud of them for the teamwork and sportsmanship qualities they displayed. After the Court of Dreams, the boys got to high-five the NZ Breakers as they ran out onto the court! What an amazing experience and memory to have for our young players.
Primary and College buddy class fun!
This week, the college and primary students came together for an afternoon of fun activities! P16 were joined by POD RML from the college to compete in a mini sports day. We started the session by introducing each other and sharing some character values we might need for the activities. The children decided that teamwork, perseverance, patience, and good listening skills would be important in order to be successful.
Our first race was a blindfolded obstacle course, where the children from P16 had to listen very carefully to instructions from their big buddy in order to complete the course! The roles were then reversed, and the big buddies had to listen to the clear instructions of their teammates.
Next was a three-legged race! We all initially thought this might be tricky with the height differences, however everyone showed excellent team work and crossed the finish line!
Finally, we attempted a ‘cross the river’ challenge, where students had to avoid the shark infested waters and successfully make it from one side of the ‘river’ to the other. Everyone showed brilliant
Year 5-6 Swimming Sports
On Tuesday, we held the annual Year 5-6 Swimming Sports Gala at Northern Arena. This was an awesome day out for all of the students and we are so proud of their efforts. There were some outstanding results, including a few long-standing records that were broken. The results will be posted in next week’s newsletter once all of the results have been finalised. A huge thank you to all of the parents that helped with the event and to those that came to support the students.
NZ Track & Field Championships
Last weekend Fernanda Tirado travelled to Wellington to represent Auckland at the New Zealand Track and Field Championships. She came home with three medals in hand, having placed 1st 80m Hurdles, 2nd Hammer, throwing it a massive 49.59m, and 2nd in the team relay. Congratulations and well done Fernanda!
Thank You Class Social Coordinators Y1-8
Thank you to all parents who have volunteered to be a Social Co-ordinator for you class. We know time is very scarce for everyone, so we appreciate you making time to fit this into your busy schedule.
The role of the Social Coordinators is to bring together the parents, children and families in their class so can we create a ‘Pinehurst Family’.
Their main responsibilities will be:
- Communicating social events that could be class, cohort or school related.
- Maintaining and distributing the class list
- Organising social events outside of school.
- Making sure new parents who the school during the year feel welcome and part of the class.
All classes from Y1-8 and cohorts from Y9-13 have class WeChat groups to keep you all connected. The communication in these groups is in English and are a good way to ensure you are in touch with the parents in your class / year group, as well as receive reminders relevant for your class.
Please help support your Class Social Coordinators through the year to help bring together the Pinehurst Community.
Thank you to our new Class Social Coordinators:
P1 Wei Li (Bob Li)
P2 Ella Wang (Elsa Wei)
P22 Sunny Zhang (Olivia Zhang)
P23 Kylee Wu (Angeline Wong)
P6 Dalilia Zaghal (Mikel Palliser)
P7 Joy Yuan (Adam Ma) and Karen Ding (Rayna Yang)
P8 Bo An (Kelvin An)
P9 Carmen Sutton (Carlo Sutton) and Zoe Zhang (Oscar Zhou)
P10 Erica Chen (Xavier Wang) and Maggie Yu (Oliver Su)
P11 Naomi Davies (Sidney Bladen)
P12 Kelly Feng (Gabrina Zhao)
P13 Selina Lihuang (Jasmine Zhang)
P14 Sheina Dong (Andersen Zhao)
P15 Jessica Zhang (Oscar Zhu)
P16 Lina Lin (Derek Guo)
P17 Betty Lin (Lara Hoo)
P19 Dalilia Zaghal (Mateo Palliser)
P20 Betty Lin (Anabelle Hoo) and Melannie Wong (Avalina Chean)
P21 Vivian Wang (Ethan Han) and Angela Feng (Sean Sheng)
7LS Sheina Dong (Andersen Zhao)
7NS - still vacant
7CX - still vacant
7RJ - still vacant
7AD - still vacant
8NW Angel Jin (Oliva Pang)
8RA - still vacant
8NR Angela Yang (Olivia Wang)
8GR Jing (Jessica Drescher) and Helen Tang (William Wen)
8PL - still vacant
If you would like to volunteer for your class, please contact: sylvia.lum@pinehurst.school.nz
EZLunch Promotion
Order ezlunch for delivery from Monday 27 March to Thursday 6 April and go in the draw to WIN a Lego Creator 3-in-1 White Rabbit. The winner will be drawn on Thursday 6 April 2023 and be notified by phone and/or email. Every lunch order gets another chance to win. Go to www.mykindo.co.nz to start ordering.
