"Together we are lifelong CREST learners"
Principal's Message
Kia Ora PBS Whānau and new members of our school community.
WELCOME BACK! It’s been fantastic to see the school grounds flooded with smiles and the sound of kids once again. Our school year has started with a great dose of positivity, which is uplifting for everyone on site. We have also welcomed around 27 new students across the age-levels, who are settling in and making new friends. Welcome, we’re delighted you’ve joined us at Paraparaumu Beach School!
The school has had some great improvements over the summer break too, including;
- Our pool was sandblasted and repainted with epoxy. We’re just about to put the framing up for our amazing sponsorship signs
- Three junior classrooms received new carpets and vinyl
- The majority of translucent roofing around the school was replaced
- Our wifi network was upgraded
- And curvy new concrete pathways were added to our landscape project behind the outdoor stage on the field
I’m sure you’ll agree that these improvements enrich our environment.
Don’t stop reading just yet – this newsletter contains information on:
- Get yourself set up on the HERO app!
- Ministry of Education’s Response to poor attendance
- Rob Cope “Our Kids Online” – a parent-evening not to miss!
Ngā mihi nui,
Jess Ward
Principal – Tumuaki
P.S. Got a suggestion? Let us know through our online suggestion box.
A few upcoming dates:
- Thursday, 6 February – School closed for Waitangi Day
- Wednesday, 19 February – Parent Education Evening “Our Kids Online” 7m – 9pm
- Friday, 21 February – School Summer Picnic 4pm – 7pm (more information next week)
- Thursday, 27 February – School closed for Ministry “Curriculum Day’” (NB: this replaces the Curriculum day we had previously set for March 7)
- 3-7 March – Senior camp for Rooms 7, 14 & 16
- 10-14 March – Senior camp for Rooms 13 & 15
PRINCIPAL’S C.R.E.S.T CORNER:
At PBS we champion our school C.R.E.S.T values in everything we do.
Curiosity. Respect. Excellence. Self Management. Teamwork
At PBS our school CREST values underpin everything we do. These values are for everyone; students, staff, parents and visitors.
Our school values are the foundation for enabling positive relationships. They reflect what is important to us as a school community, and foster a secure and supportive environment where our tamariki can learn and thrive. In our weekly newsletters we will be sharing with you wonderful examples of CREST being displayed at PBS.
Welcome to Our Recent New Students
Maximus – Rm 4; TJ – Rm 10; Nanami – Rm 13; George and Amelia – Rm 14; Sophie, Julian and Leon – Rm 15; Aaleyah – Rm 18; Ahika – Rm 19; Amisha, Elise, Brooklyn, Bonnie, Jaxon and Alana – Rm 21; Coral, Luca, Cora, Eli, Garrick, Bowie, Zion, Chloe, Elvie, Isabella and Willow – Rm23
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/
Getting Started with the Hero Parent App
With us moving to Hero, parents and caregivers will need to download the Hero App. Hero brings all school communications into a single app to keep parents up to date.
Hero is designed to reduce the number of places that parents need to check for information about school. Parents and caregivers can log into their Hero account to see all their child’s learning and progress and read school notices.
To enable both parents to access the Hero platform you need to have individual email addresses.
Either use this QR Code:
or Computer: Enter go.linc-ed.com on your browser:
Ministry of Education's Response to Poor Attendance
The Minister of Education has introduced the “Stepped Attendance Response (STAR)” process for schools to follow when managing poor student attendance. We have included some information on this below for your awareness.
Parent Education Evening - Our Kids Online
PBS is pleased to be able to host Rob Cope again to deliver his insightful talk about online safety, risks and how to protect your child. We recommend that one parent from every family attends. Gold coin entry.
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.
Every Year on 6 February – Waitangi Day – we remember the signing of New Zealand’s founding document: Te Tiriti o Waitangi/The Treaty of Waitangi.
A few key points in a very potted version:
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi is a treaty between Māori rangatira (chiefs) and the British Crown. A treaty is a written agreement between two or more countries. It is binding, which means the groups that sign have to follow the agreement unless all countries that signed it agree not to
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi is written in te reo Māori and English. The te reo version of the treaty and the English version of the treaty say different things. The vast majority of rangatira signed the version in te reo Māori
- Not all iwi or hapū signed Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi is significant because it set out guidelines for a relationship between Māori and the British
- The treaty was first discussed and signed at Waitangi in Northland
- Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi was copied nine times and after this, it was taken around Aotearoa New Zealand, although not to all parts of the country.
- At each signing, there was a lot of debate. Some rangatira chose to sign, others did not. In all 500 rangatira signed
- These days, most New Zealanders understand that the government and Maōri are te Tiriti/the Treaty partners and work together to ensure the promises in te Tiriti/the Treaty are respected. As our founding document, it will always remain relevant. It defines who we are as a country and helps make us unique
Key Dates
- 1840: Te Tiriti o Waitangi | The Treaty of Waitangi signed
- 1934: First celebrations at Waitangi on 6 February – Waitangi Day
- 1960: Waitangi Day recognised as a national day
- 1974: Waitangi Day became a public holiday called New Zealand Day
- 1976: Name changed back to Waitangi Day
Traffic Around Our School
Welcome back to a new year of school which brings more vehicle and pedestrian traffic into Gray Avenue. In all, we have had a great start with the majority of drivers remembering where to park and how to use the drop-and-go zone and the yellow lines.
It is disappointing to see and hear from others that some road users are parking in the drop-and-go and leaving their vehicle, parking on the yellow lines to let children out, and turning in the driveways to ‘U-turn’ to get the park on the other side.
All these practices put everyone at risk of being hurt and make the job of our Road Patrol team very difficult. The clearway and yellow lines are there to enable them to have an unobstructed view of the traffic flow.
Finally, if you do not adhere to these road rules and a staff member (in a high viz vest) asks you to move, please remember our staff are only trying to keep your child and everyone else’s children safe.
Vicki Wilson
Massey Evaluators
Our school has been part of the Healthy Active Learning initiative coordinated by Sport NZ, Ministry of Education and Health NZ. Every few years Massey University sends in evaluators to gather information to measure the effectiveness of this programme. A paper consent form will come home to some of our classes across the school that the evaluators are hoping to conduct surveys with. More detailed information about the evaluation process will be on the form. Once signed, these forms can be returned to the school office.
Ebikes & Mobility Offer
Thanks to this amazing local business, our teaching staff enjoyed a fun e-bike ride down to Queen Elizabeth Park before school started back. We love supporting local and this business is owned by a former PBS family, who were so accommodating to work with.
Due to our school connection, Gaye and her team at Ebikes and Mobility are offering a 2 for 1 deal through to 30 April 2025 for our Paraparaumu Beach School community.
The deal is $50 for 2 ebikes for the day (between 9am -4.30pm Weekdays, 10am-2pm Saturdays).They can accommodate students that are 155cm (5 ft) that are competent riders with a parent.
Sun Safety & Bucket Hat Term
While we provide many resources, our budget doesn’t stretch to sunscreen for every student. We kindly ask that parents apply sunscreen to their children before they arrive at school each day and provide a small tube or roll-on sunscreen to their bag for re-application throughout the day. Roll-ons are especially handy, as they’re easier for children to use on their own without wasting extra sunscreen.
Wide brimmed hats are also a requirement for school this term. If your child doesn’t have a hat, they are stuck playing under a veranda at break times, which isn’t much fun.
Let’s work together to keep everyone safe in the sun!
PS: If you have any second-hand wide brimmed hats you no longer need at home, feel free to donate them to school. Thank you
Touch Rugby
The second leg of the touch season starts back up next week Tuesday, 11 February and Wednesday, 12 February and runs until 19 March. Coaches will be in contact with their teams to inform you of game times, however, the draw can be found on the Kapiti Junior Touch website. Please refer to this each week in case changes are made. https://www.sporty.co.nz/kapititouchjunior/Draw-1/kjt-draw-202425
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
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