Principal's Message
Kia ora koutou
Thank you to hundreds of
people who managed to attend our summer picnic last Friday. It was a simply splendid event with the loveliest of summer weather. We sold-out of sausage sizzles, spiders, drinks and coffees. Our Puppy Cuddles room raised $315 for Chance4Change dog rescue charity. We enjoyed the kids’ karaoke, pool, padder tennis and table tennis, and delighted in watching our Jump Jam Crew perform. The bouncy obstacle course was a hit yet again, though I don’t recommend doing it in a sundress! We shared kai and kōrero. Last and most importantly we enjoyed a sense of community, belonging and fun. See photos below from the night!
To steal from another slogan …. PBS, I’m lovin’it!
Please keep reading as we have information for you on:
- Extending the school zone – let the Ministry know your feedback by 4 March
- Board Vacancy
- Parent Voice Focus group – come along and enjoy a cuppa!
- “Safe on Social” – information for parents
- Our school pepeha
Upcoming dates for your awareness:
- EASTER BREAK – school closed Friday, 29 March – Tuesday, 2 April. Back to school Wednesday, 3 April.
Ngā mihi nui,
Jess Ward
Principal ~ Tumuaki
PRINCIPAL’S GREAT NEWS CORNER:
Sharing good news spreads positivity, changes attitudes and ultimately leads to more people feeling encouraged and happy
The talented students of Room 1 got busy last week creating some signage for the Office area. These woven kupu add a pop of colour and creativity, whilst ensuring our visitors know they are welcome at our wonderful kura. Ka pai team!
Welcome to Our Recent New Students
Amaiyah – Rm 26
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/
Extending the School Zone - The Ministry Wants to Hear Your Feedback
Last week parents and caregivers were sent an email informing you of our desire to extend our school zone.
Why do we want to widen our school zone?
In 2015 PBS grew to 730 students which was simply too many for our school site. After consultation with the Ministry we were allowed to reduce our school zone. The aim was to reduce student numbers over time to 600; this took a total of five years.
However since 2021 we have dipped under the 600 figure. This also coincides with a predicted decrease in population in the greater Wellington region. Therefore our board and I are concerned that the boundaries of our current zone are now choking our growth.
Student numbers are a fine balancing act which is why we still take ‘out of zone’ students from time to time. However, if we continue to shrink, we risk losing teaching staff, curriculum funding and property funding. The Ministry may also take away empty classrooms. So on that note, please tell the Ministry your thoughts on our school zone by filling in the short survey (closes 4 March). Thank you
https://consultation.education.govt.nz/education/paraparaumubeachschool-es
Parent Voice Focus Group
The PBS Board is seeking parent voice on a couple of areas to help inform our procedures and ensure that our systems are meeting the needs of all stakeholders. The first topic relates to school communication and what sources you use or prefer. The second topic is around the use and functionality of the @school parent app.
The Board will be holding 2 Focus Group sessions on Tuesday, 12 March. The first meeting will be at 3:15pm in the staffroom (week 7). If this time doesn’t work for you then a second meeting is to be held later that same day at 6:30pm, also in the staffroom. We would greatly appreciate hearing your perspective on these topics.
Please email Sarah Chambers to register your attendance: schambers@pbs.school.nz Afternoon tea will be provided.
Notice of Vacancy for a Parent Representative
Using the @school App
I will regularly highlight a button on the @school app. This week it is:
This button takes you to a page enabling you to let the school know if your child/ren will be absent. It also allows you to see how many days of absence your child/ren have in the current school year.
Finally, this function keeps a running log of the absences you send through the @schoolapp, the time you sent it, the date you sent it and the reason why your child was away.
V Wilson – Assistant Principal
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.
Below is our School Pepeha that was gifted to us by Whakarongotai Marae:
Ko Maungakotukutuku te maunga
Ko Wharemauku te awa
Ko Te Rau o Te Rangi te moana
Ko Kapiti te motu
Ko Te Atiawa ki Whakarongotai te iwi
Ko Whakarongotai te marae
Ko Paraparaumu Beach School te kura
CREST - Our School Values
At Paraparaumu Beach School we believe that positive relationships between all members of our community is at the heart of a happy, safe and healthy school. This promotes well being and success for all.
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. Through our CREST values students develop respect for themselves, others and their surroundings, promoting resilience and collaboration, all of which are important life skills.
Last week we started sharing each of our 5 school values. This week the focus is on the R in CREST which stands for Respect.
Respect – Manaakitanga
We show respect for ourselves, others and the environment. As kaitiaki of our world we are caring, tolerant and kind.
Kid's Quote
Some of our 5 year olds were dancing around on our outdoor stage. One student said “I’ve got some great moves”.
A staff member asked “Where did you get them from?”
The response was swift “My body!”
Digi Corner
Safe on Social has a great resource bank of information for parents regarding keeping children safe online as well as all things social media. They have numerous advice and tip sheets with step by step guides on how to set up strong privacy settings. A link to the parent section of free downloadable resources can be found here.
Refurbing the Senior Bathrooms
We have some funding to renovate the senior bathrooms outside Rooms 13 – 16 this year. These bathrooms are well overdue for a spruce up. Naturally I am keen to hear the opinion of the senior students, as students these days are more progressive than my generation.
I have put various options to them to think about including; refreshing them as they are (separate boys’ bathrooms and girls’ bathrooms) or moving to single cubicles that can be used by anyone. The latter option means that we move from having several cubicle stalls in one room, to one toilet in a fully contained room (with floor to ceiling solid walls and a sink inside).
This week I will survey the senior students and report the findings to you in an upcoming newsletter.
J Ward
AIMS Games Parent Information Meeting
A meeting is being held on Wednesday, 6 March at 6pm in the staff room for any PBS parents of Year 7 & 8 students who would like to know more about the Zespri AIMS Games or who are interested in their child taking part this year.
The meeting will include an explanation about the event, what role the school has in regards to the event, parents’ role, question and answer time.
Parent Evening Mindfulness & Emotional Regulation - Wednesday, 6 March (FREE)
Overview and Purpose:
Sara Watchorn is passionate about teaching children how to notice and regulate the range of emotions that we all experience. By learning to manage these emotions it can help students as they navigate their way through their schooling and their lives. Mindfulness plays a big role in emotional regulation and helps us to really be in the present moment. Sara’s workshops explain how mindfulness works both at school and home. She provides practical tips and activities for both parents and teachers.
Presenter: Sara Watchorn
Facilitator: Sara Speight
Venue: Paraparaumu College Staffroom
Time: 7pm – 8pm
Registration Link: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfI0kwNywHMclr95kNhZ4PakbYVNv708efQVmktCz_KuOWZTA/viewform?usp=sf_link
Whānau Rōpū Hui
PTA AGM
The PTA Annual General Meeting is taking place in the school staffroom on Wednesday, 6 March at 7.30pm.
We would love to see any new members to come and join the 2024 team.
Yr 7/8 Camp 2025
Parents & Caregivers of Yr 6 & 7 Students
A reminder that there will be a meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, 28 February) at 3.15pm in Room 14 for anyone who is interested in helping organise fundraising events for senior camp in 2025.
If you would like to help or have ideas/donations, but you are unable to attend the meeting, please email your details to Alice Graham at agraham@pbs.school.nz.
Te Motu Syndicate 2025 Camp Fundraiser
Be in to win a Double Family Pass for this live show at Wellington’s St James Theatre in the April School Holidays valued at $130.
Get your tickets now! Raffle Tickets only $5 each available through Kindo or Room 14 (cash sales only)
Ticket sales close 21 March – Drawn 22 March
Doughboys Hot Cross Buns
Help our campers get to Bridge Valley in 2025. More details coming soon!
Parents Cybersafety Evening
Tuesday, 5 March 2024 7pm at Te Raukura Ki Kāpiti, Kāpiti College.
Filmmaker, Author and Speaker Rob Cope, producer of the documentary “Our Kids Online” will come and give what promises to be a humorous and eye-opening evening talk to our parent community.
Tickets can be purchased online at Eventfinder. The $10 ticket includes a glass of bubbles upon arrival. This is for adults only – please don’t bring students.
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
Support a Local Event For a Great Cause
Here’s a great local running event which raises money for Kapiti youth. For those of you who have registered for the Waitarere event, you could use this event as part of your training!
Waitārere Forest Run - 14 April
Click on the link here https://raceroster.com/events/2024/73398/waitarere-forest-festival for more information.
Click on the link here https://raceroster.com/registration/73398/entry/dqb62mgxtp29wnfn/team-password to register under the PBS team.
