Principal's Message
Kia ora PBS parents and caregivers
Today’s newsletter is packed with useful information for our whānau, with a few highlights being:
- Board survey for Parents – Be in to win a $200 PREZZY Card!
- Support Staff week
- New outdoor stage
This week we are celebrating Matariki AND Support Staff week. Hopefully you were able to get along to join in some activities for Matariki today. We were especially lucky that the rain stayed away, as our senior students were able to compete in their Ki o Rahi tournament, resulting in Room 14 taking the win! Our kids were all so proud to share artwork, performances and kai with parents today. To all our students and staff, nga mihi ki a koutou katoa mo o koutou whakapau kaha!
Additional thanks to the mums in our whānau group, Rae, Maarie and Ana who made the staff a delicious morning tea of parāoa parai! We couldn’t stop eating it 🙂
I firmly believe that school success hinges on the strength of its people, with staff, students and whānau working together towards a common goal. This week the whole country is celebrating and acknowledging the work of Support Staff, who are certainly a strength at PBS. Our Property Manager; JT, our Teacher Aides; Julie, Kim, Deb S, Anne, Cherie, Deb B, Melissa, Jodie, Deb M, Amanda, Lucy and Kirsty, and our Admin Team; Marie, Libby and Paula – THANK YOU SO MUCH for providing the support our staff and students need all through the year.
This is my last newsletter until I come back from sabbatical in Term 4, however, I know I am leaving you in exceptionally good hands. Stay well everyone!
Ka kite ano
Jess Ward
Principal~Tumuaki
Upcoming dates for your calendar:
- Whole School Assembly – 9.15am Friday, 30 June (weather permitting). Please join us!
- Last day of Term 2 – Friday, 30 June
- Term 3 Starts – Monday, 17 July
PRINCIPAL’S GREAT NEWS CORNER
Sharing good news spreads positivity, changes attitudes and ultimately leads to more people feeling encouraged and happy
We love celebrating Matariki at PBS. Below are just a few photos from today. Ka rawe!
Welcome to Our Recent New Students
Lachlan – Rm 25
Gsingh – Rm 10
Braxtyn – Rm 15
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/
Board Survey for PBS Parents - Fill in our Survey and Be in to Win a $200 Prezzy Card!
Last Tuesday parents and caregivers were emailed a link to a PBS Survey. Our Board would like your feedback on how we are doing in a few different areas. This should take about 8 minutes. Your answers will be completely anonymous. This survey closes this Sunday, so don’t miss out on your chance to win!
The survey questions are linked to our Strategic Plan goals, so your feedback will enable us to find out what kind of progress we have made and shape our future direction. At the end of the survey there is a link to the $200 Prezzy card prize draw, which is not connected to your survey answers. Prezzy cards can be used anywhere that accepts visa, including online.
New Outdoor Stage
Have you seen our new outdoor stage on the field? This is part one of a landscape project that will evolve over time. Thanks to Sophie and Jordan from Limitless Building Services for all their construction work on this project. You have delivered exactly what we wanted and, as an aside, it was awesome for our girls to see that women can be successful builders too!
Additional thanks to Glen Walker, Branch Manager at Carters Kapiti, for giving PBS an excellent deal on the composite timber.
PBS parents, clearly it pays to support local business – we encourage you to do the same 🙂
Learning Conferences - Follow-up
Thank you to everyone who managed to attend learning conferences last week; we got through 421 interviews. Of the 138 parents who were unable to attend, I encourage you to touch base informally with your child’s teacher during Term 3 either via email, zoom or a face to face chat. This will ensure that we retain a communication link between home and school with regards to your child/children.
Mānawatia a Matariki
Mānawatia a Matariki (meaning to honour, acknowledge, and welcome in Matariki)
Around late May, June or July in New Zealand, the Pleiades cluster of stars can be seen low on the north-eastern horizon just before dawn. This cluster carries the Māori name, Matariki. The rise of Matariki and the sighting of the next new moon during June/July mark the Māori New Year.
Ururangi: is the whetū connected to the winds. It determines the nature of the winds for the year. Uruangi can be translated to mean ‘the winds of the sky’.
Waipunarangi: is the whetū connected to the rain, and the waipunarangi can be translated to mean ‘water that pools in the sky’.
Pōhutukawa: is the whetū that connects Matariki to the deceased and is the reason people would cry out the names of the dead and weep when Matariki was seen rising in the early morning. It is through Pōhutukawa that Māori remember those who have died in the past year.
From the Student Council
Next term we’re holding a fundraiser for the Little Heart Day Charity, which supports children with heart conditions. Every year, 600 families living in Aotearoa NZ are told their child has a heart condition. Some of our friends right here at PBS have heart conditions. So it would be awesome if we could show our support. On this day we’ve got a few things planned and one of them is to hold a Junior lunchtime Disco for Tātahi tamariki. $5 entry will include chippies, iceblocks, music and face painting!
**TE MOANA CAMP FUNDRAISING**
American Hot Dogs
Delicious Hāngī Pickup Info!
New Entrant Parent Information Presentation – Tātahi Syndicate
A New Entrant Information Presentation will be held for all parents of new children on Friday, 30 June 2023 from 10.00-10.30am in Room 20.
This session will :
· provide an overview of the ‘Transition to School’
· provide an overview of the New Entrant Programme in reading, writing and mathematics
· highlight how you can help at home with learning
In Tātahi Syndicate, we believe that successful partnerships between home and school are established when both parties have a shared expectation and knowledge of their child’s learning. We would love to see you there.
Lost Property
Lost property will be on display by the netball courts each fine day this week. Anything un-named or un-claimed by the end of term will be donated to the Koha Shed.
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
Introducing a fresh new look for Kindo & ezlunch parents
Kindo & ezlunch are excited to share the arrival of a fresh new look in Term 3!
With it’s improved layout and enhanced features, the interface is now easier than ever to navigate, further simplifying school life and saving you time.
So what can you expect from the new and improved versions of Kindo & ezlunch?
- A fresh, new look with better navigation and clear student selection
- Clearer cart layout showing what has been purchased for each person
- Faster and easier checkout flow for a better shopping experience
- Better visibility of which items are available and which aren’t
- New item search & sort function e.g. sort lunch by dietary requirement
- Easier process for ordering lunches for ‘multiple days’
Ezlunch - Order Lunch Now to Win!
Give yourself a break from making lunches this week and order the kids ezlunch! We are giving away three FREE lunches to three lucky students, for orders delivered this week.
All orders placed before 8pm on Thursday, 29 June will be in the draw to win the value of your lunch back. Every order gives you another chance to win. Easy!
T&C’s – Winners will be selected randomly. Every order has one chance to win. Open to ezlunch account holders only, at schools with lunch service available Monday 26 June to Friday 30 June. Maximum value $20 per winner. Competition valid for orders all week received by 8pm on Thursday 29th June 2023.
Hockey
Below is an opportunity for our hockey players. We’ve been informed that they have opened it up to include Year 5 & 6 students as well.
Refer to the contact details for further information.
