"Together we are lifelong CREST learners"
Principal's Message
Kia ora koutou,
Not only are the kids buzzing about Friday being the last day of Term 1, they’re also super excited for our school FUN RUN happening after lunch! A huge shoutout to our amazing PTA team of parents and teachers who’ve been working hard behind the scenes this week— filling bottles with coloured powder, organising the fire truck, and sorting out vouchers for the winners!
All of this is part of a fantastic fundraising effort for PBS, with every dollar going straight back into improving our school grounds—so it’s all for the kids.
There’s still time to rally a few last-minute sponsors if you haven’t already, and we’d love to see parents come along on Friday to cheer the kids on and enjoy the chaos. Apologies in advance for the colourful mess your child will bring home!
Keep reading for information on:
- Learning progress comments on HERO out this week
- PBS FUN RUN details
- Netball updates
- Reminder of Teacher Only day dates for 2025
- The dangers of “Companion Chatbots”
- Quality- used clothes available for kids in need
Two other dates to be mindful of, firstly remember that Term 2 starts on Tuesday, 29 April. Secondly our end of term assembly is also being held tomorrow (Wednesday) at 9.15am; as usual parents and whānau are very welcome to join us.
Ngā mihi nui
Jess Ward
Principal – Tumuaki
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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/
Reporting to Parents: Learning Progress Comments on Hero
Recently our teachers have been busy writing ‘Learning Journeys’ and ‘General Comments’ for students in their classes as part of our Reporting to Parents schedule. This will be the first time that we have used Hero as the platform to send them out, so please bear with us if there are any glitches.
If you have more than one child at PBS, you may have noticed that you are already getting notifications indicating information has been posted for one but perhaps not both. The reason for this is because we have opted for what is known as live reporting. This means that as soon as a teacher finishes and checks a ‘Learning Journey’ or ‘General Comment’, it will be sent out. Rest assured, every student will have both a general comment and a learning journey posted by the end of the term.
Please don’t hesitate to reach out to your child’s teacher if you have any problems viewing your child’s information.
Vicki Wilson
PBS Fun Run!
At PBS we are holding our awesome FUN RUN event on the last day of term (Friday, 11 April) at 1.30pm. There will be lots of cool activities like the slip and slide, a dance off, colour run, pool of bubbles, lots of different fun activities and of course the fire truck to hose kids off at the end. Your child will need to wear old clothes that you do not mind colour getting on, as well as bring a towel and change of clothes.
All the funds raised from this event will be put towards a large permanent sports canopy over the stage area on the field. This will enable the school to make use of the stage all year round, as well as an outdoor field space that can be used rain or shine.
After lots of discussion, the PTA have decided to change the fun run up a bit this year. We are going to have an old-fashioned sponsorship form (on paper) and a different price structure. This is because in previous years we have had an external company managing the payments and prizes, resulting in a big portion of our hard earned funds going to them. This year, we have four individual prizes to give out to the students who raise the most money from their sponsorships. These prizes will be in the form of a voucher from their favourite store (EB Games, Rebel, Warehouse, Sterling Sports etc).
- 1st prize will be $200
- 2nd prize will be $150
- 3rd prize will be $100
- 4th prize will be $50
But wait, there will also be a class prize; yummy pizza for lunch for the class that raises the most money. This will be delivered to the winning class in Term 2 after all the sponsorship money has been collected.
The tamariki will run around the school completing different activities on their way around. The fun run is not a race, it is just about getting physical and having fun with their friends. Parents and whānau members are more than welcome to come and watch the kids in action. Just remember, do not send your child in their good clothes!
Once we have completed the Fun Run, your child will have all school holidays to collect their sponsorship money. In term 2 week 1 we will be collecting the funds, then we can tally up the amounts collected and award prizes. We PREFER that whānau send cash sponsorship money to school in an envelope with your child’s name, room number and Fun Run written on it. Or alternatively you can pay the whole collected amount for your child into the PBS PTA account (02-0733-0148141-02) putting down your child’s name, room number and Fun Run as the reference.
If you have any further questions please contact either: Sandy on sandys@pbs.school.nz or Di on dpuati@pbs.school.nz .
Thanks for your support
PBS PTA
Netball
All team lists have now been posted and uniforms are being handed out.
Just a reminder that most of our Year 7 – Year 8 teams, as well as our Year 5 and Year 6 teams, need an umpire. Please can you help us out with this? Without an umpire, the team cannot play on a Saturday.
Important Dates:
Season Dates 2025:
- Start Date: Saturday, 3 May
- Semi-Finals: Saturday, 23 August
- Finals: Saturday, August
There will be no games on:
- 31 May: King’s Birthday weekend
- 21 June: Matariki weekend
Reminder: Teacher Only Days 2025
A reminder from last week’s newsletter re school dates. The Board has approved two extra teacher-only days, in addition to the two government curriculum days. We used our first curriculum day on 27 February, and the second is scheduled (as previously informed) for Monday, 28 April.
The new teacher-only days are:
- Tuesday, 3 June: We will be participating in our local Kāhui Ako conference day, joining staff from Kenakena, Waikanae, Kapakapanui, and Paraparaumu College
- Wednesday, 23 July (Term 3): This day will be for Learning Conferences. NB: We may be able to provide at school supervision for a limited number of students on this day for those parents who cannot get childcare. More information will follow next term.
To meet the Ministry of Education’s required number of school days, we will now need to extend the school year by two days. The last day of school will now be Tuesday, 16 December, instead of Friday, 13 December. We will update the school website with these changes.
Artificial Intelligence - The Dangers of Companion Chatbots
At PBS, our teachers are exploring how AI tools can help with their own workload and even enhance their teaching. Remember, our school policy on AI, which you can find on our website https://www.pbs.school.nz/, guides how staff use these tools.
However, we are also aware of the threats AI poses, so will do our best to communicate any dangers to parents. When it comes to student use outside of school hours, staying vigilant as parents and caregivers is key. For instance, I’d like to raise your awareness of AI Companion Chatbots? Chatbots like Nomi, Grok and Replika can pose real risks to children’s mental and physical wellbeing, due to links with harmful content. Often the responses from such ‘companions’ are unfiltered and uncensored.
At PBS, we are committed to ensuring AI is used to help us not harm us.
Jess Ward
Quality Used Clothes Available - Please Let Us Support You
The PBS community is known for kindness. Thanks to the generous donations of quality-used clothing from parents and caregivers over the past year, we’ve established a collection of quality pre-owned clothing to support students in need.
As a community we understand the financial challenges some families face, and our aim is to ensure every child has access to seasonally-appropriate clothing that fosters confidence, comfort, and a sense of equality alongside their classmates.
If your child needs clothing at any time during the school year, they can pop into the office and speak to Marie. Parents are also welcome to come in and select items for their children.
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.
Here are some essential kupu that you may hear ia ra (everyday)
Kīwaha (idiom)
A super simple saying that you can use in your everyday conversations.
Tō kerewa hoki – You are clever!
Te Moana Syndicate Fundraising
Easter Raffle
Te Moana Syndicate are selling raffle tickets for Easter – $2 a ticket and you could win one of three baskets full of Easter and holiday treats!
The raffle will be announced at the Te Moana assembly tomorrow – Wednesday, 9 April.
Iceblocks for Sale
Iceblocks will be for sale on Wednesday lunchtimes for $1 each.
Out of Zone Applications
Twice a year we will call for applications for five year old new entrants who haven’t started school yet and are living out of the school zone. The next round of applications is now open and will close at 4pm on 5 May 2025. This will be for five year old children due to start school during the second half of 2025.
If you have a five year old new entrant due to start school during this time, then please contact the office on 298 5775 and we will arrange for you to receive application papers. If you have already been in touch with your details, then we will have emailed the documents out to you.
Lost Property
Please check the lost property on the fine days around by the netball courts. Anything un-named or un-claimed will be sent to the Koha Shed at the end of Term.
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
Waitārere Forest Run
