Principal's Message
Hello PBS parents and caregivers
Our teachers enjoyed a full day
of learning on Friday, the basis of which was exploring teaching and learning within the measurement strand of the mathematics curriculum. We unpacked some common misconceptions students often stumble on when learning about measurement, so that as educators we can try to address these before mistakes are made. Looking at the wordcloud below you will see words commonly associated with measurement, and the deeper you think about it the more you realise just how much measurement we use everyday. Often we associate measurement with standardised units of measurement (for accuracy), however non-standard units and estimation are also important skills to learn. In summary, thank you again for allowing our teachers the time to take a deeper dive into this area of teaching and learning.
POSSIBLE STRIKE ACTION: You may be aware that primary school Teachers and Principals are currently in negotiation for better pay and conditions. These negotiations may result in Strike Action next week (Thurs, 16 March). Our union will inform us tomorrow if strike action is going to take place so I will inform you all by email as soon as we find out. No teacher or principal wants to strike, but the reality is that our jobs have become more and more complex and demanding over the last 2 – 3 decades. It’s not just about the pay, but to have a beginning teacher (paying back a student loan) ending up with a similar pay packet as a person on the minimum wage is not acceptable. Simply put, we love educating kids, but the physical toll and emotional bandwidth our jobs take needs to be valued by the Government.
Before I sign off, all the best wishes to our senior students (Rooms 15, 7 and 8) heading to Bridge Valley Camp in Nelson this Sunday. I hope you have a wonderful 4 nights down South.
Dates to remember:
- Fri, 31 March – School Fun Run and evening School Picnic. 24 sleeps until this AMAZING EVENT; we would love to see the biggest community turnout ever !
PRINCIPAL’S GREAT NEWS CORNER
Sharing good news spreads positivity, changes attitudes and ultimately leads to more people feeling encouraged and happy
Shout out to our incredible Deputy Principal, Sarah Chambers, who competed in the Ironman Competition over the weekend. Sarah completed the 3.8km swim, 180km bike, and 42km run. I know you will join with me in congratulating her achievement as well as recognising the hours of physical training and the mental determination this took. Tu meke Mrs Chambers!
Have a great week everyone,
Jess Ward
Principal ~ Tumuaki
Welcome to Our Recent New Students
There were no new students this week
Have You Checked Out Our Community Notices Directory?
Do you need to advertise your business, an upcoming event, need child care, or looking for a gift or new club to join? Check out the PBS Community Directory on our website https://kapiti.pbs.school.nz/
Outdoor Stage Building - Are You Interested in Tendering?
We are looking to build an outdoor stage area on the field as part of a bigger landscape project. We prefer to keep this local and use builders associated with our school community.
If you’d like more information about size, scale and product and would be interested in tendering for this project, please contact John Trask on jtrask@pbs.school.nz
Using Māori Language at Home
Learning another language provides many benefits including greater academic achievement, greater cognitive development, and more positive attitudes towards other languages and cultures. So, let’s give it a go and help to revitalise this unique language to Aotearoa for our tamariki. Each week our newsletter will include words or phrases that you might like to try out at your kāinga/home.
A mihi (or mihimihi) is an introduction which can take place at the beginning of a gathering or meeting. It is used to establish links with other people present and let people know who you are, and where you come from. https://www.reomaori.co.nz/learn-your-mihi
Diversity Within Our School
Auditory Processing Disorder
We have a few students at PBS with Auditory Processing Disorder (APD). APD is a hearing disorder in which the ears process sound normally, but the hearing centres and circuits of the brain do not correctly process the incoming auditory information. Sounds are jumbled during neural processing in the brain.
People with APD do not have a sensory hearing loss so APD cannot be identified from a regular hearing test; this requires specialised audiological assessments. (Children with a hearing loss may also have poor auditory processing, however, the term APD is not used for these cases). APD can only be diagnosed by specialised paediatric audiologists.
How does APD affect learning?
Students with APD may have difficulty hearing a single voice in noisy classroom situations. Understanding spoken information in difficult listening situations or when the information is not clear or concise. APD can also affect the clarity of the sound heard by the student.
If a student has APD they may:
- miss some class instructions and have to watch or ask others what to do after verbal instructions are given
- ask for instructions to be repeated even though they appeared to be focused and trying to listen the first time
- have difficulty retaining information when it is only given verbally
- appear overwhelmed in noisy classroom situations especially when there are a lot of different noises at the same time
APD often coexists with other learning difficulties and can have similar presentations. For this reason it can sometimes be difficult to identify the cause of learning difficulties.
There are lots of great strategies that our PBS teachers use to support students with APD. Peer of buddy support is really important too, that’s why our students are encouraged to be patient and kind towards others and step up and help out their classmates when they need it.
Information source can be found here.
Kid's Quote
A young student was overheard talking to Mr Trask:
Student: I know where you live … but not in a creepy way!
Student Update Forms
Student update forms were send home last week/early this week.
Please make sure you check and return your forms to the office by the end of this week. It is very important that we have the correct contact information in case of an emergency.
Thank you.
Photo Day is Coming ...
All Year 3-8 students will have their individual and class photos taken on 28 and 29 March. Touch teams will also have their photos taken during these two days. See the photo order form example below.
Order/pay for photos AFTER PHOTODAY.
Recent Student Achievements
Sailing: Good luck to Amy Summers who is representing PBS at a sailing regata in Wellington today! We are cheering you on Amy!
Future Student Achievements
If your child has an achievement you would like us to share in our newsletter, then please send details (and a picture if you would like) to mbarfoote@pbs.school.nz
