Principal's Message
Kia Ora
Matariki, the Māori New Year, will soon be
upon us. This year, Matariki starts on 2 July. Our students are all learning about Matariki and the significance this time of year holds for Māori . We are also planning a celebration of Matariki on the last Wednesday of this term (more details soon).
Matariki is the Māori name for the constellation of stars often referred to as Pleiades. Traditionally this event had multiple purposes; it was a time to celebrate, harvest crops and fill up pātaka (food stores), remember those who had passed away and acknowledge the start of a new year. The Te Papa website has some additional information you might like to check out with your kids.
https://www.tepapa.govt.nz/discover-collections/read-watch-play/maori/matariki-maori-new-year
Before I sign off this newsletter I want to sing from the rooftops how impressed I was with the performance of our students at last week’s Interschool Cross Country. Every single PBS kid in this race gave it their absolute all and resulted in many personal bests as well as podium places! Big congratulations to Mia Thompson, Lucie Thomson, Holly McCullagh, Harrison Stratford and Keenan Husmann who received first, second or third placings. Impressive stuff!
Much thanks to Hillary Houston for her organisation leading up to this event.
Ngā mihi,
Jess Ward – Tumuaki ~ Principal
Welcome to Our Recent New Students
There were no new students this week
If Your Child Is Late to School …..
Parents will be aware that PBS has gates at both the entrances which are closed during school time. Therefore, if your child is late to school at any stage it is your responsibility to ensure they can get through the gates and into school.
Thanks
Reporting
I hope everyone is up to speed with the online reporting mechanisms we are using at PBS. If not, please refer to our school website or the last couple of newsletters. Many schools are moving or have already moved to online reporting and it’s a long learning process for students, parents and staff. Please be aware that teachers in Years 0-4 are especially new to this, this year.
Asthma Inhalers
If your child is prescribed an inhaler, it is our preferred practice to store this (named) item in the medical room. Students who require their inhaler during school time can then come to the office to have a dose, which we record. However, we understand if you want your child to keep an inhaler in their school bag, but please be aware that the use of this cannot be monitored by the school – the responsibility would be on you and your child for self managing this.
Using Māori Language at Home
It’s important for all Kiwi to learn te reo. Each week our newsletter will include phrases that you might like to try out at your place. After all, it will take the whole nation to keep this unique language alive.
Kua aha te wā ināianei? What’s the time now?
Were Your Ears Burning?
Staff Gratitude Section
Last week was SUPPORT STAFF week in NZ and we had fun spoiling our support staff with lots of treats and gifts. The smooth running of a school relies on a team of hardworking people all fulfilling a wide range of responsibilities. So it goes without saying that we are incredibly grateful for our cleaners, caretaker, teacher aides and office staff – we would be tearing our hair out without you 🙂
Kid's Quote
Our ‘yarn bomb’ tree is coming along rapidly. This art installation is attracting lots of attention. One Year 5-6 student recently declared that ….
“We’re dressing the tree up for winter!”
Teachers' Union Meeting - Reminder
Our Teachers’ Union has recently signalled a paid union meeting for teachers on 30 June from 1.30pm. This means our school will finish at the earlier time of 12.50pm on this day.
However, if you cannot pick your child/ren up earlier, we will have two staff remaining on site who can provide limited supervision. Please contact the school office if you cannot arrange childcare and we will do our best to accommodate your needs.
The purpose of this meeting is for teachers to discuss the priorities for the renegotiation of their collective agreement in 2022. Issues being discussed, such as school staffing levels, directly impact on the education of your children. These meetings are a critical component of the negotiation process and it is the legal right of all members to attend a meeting and have their say.
Student Work
I love sharing in student work and I have seen many great examples recently from presentations on anti-bullying, to knitting, kapa haka and creative constructions. Here are photos of just a few wonderful examples from the past week.
Bailey’s knitting journey, Ethan’s Giganotosaurus art, Te Moana syndicate at Kapa Haka and a joint Titanic model and inquiry project from Fabian, Joey, Benji and Caden.
Growth Mindset
As a child I seemed to try everything for 5 minutes! Ok that’s an exaggeration, but I’m sure that’s how it felt to my parents. Recently I’ve been talking to some PBS parents who feel the same. Do we feel like kids give up too easily, especially when a new skill doesn’t come to them automatically? Do they think they are failing because they are not instantly good at something e.g. learning the guitar, participating in a new sport, taking up a new craft?
One mantra I’ve learned from my reading on Growth Mindset is “I’m not failing, I’m learning”. This mantra is helpful no matter what age you are. New skills or abilities do not appear overnight, they take time to practise and perfect.
Basketball legend, Michael Jordan, is a wonderful example of a person with a growth mindset. “He knew how hard he had worked to develop his abilities. He was a person who had struggled and grown, not a person who was inherently better than others.” He wasn’t a legendary player from the first time he picked up a basketball, he had to learn the skills, set goals, have self belief and determination, and put in the hard yards.
If we believe people are simply born with a talent/fixed traits and such talents are only for them and cannot be achieved by others, then we would all be living with a fixed mindset world. Michael Jordan talks about being embarrassed when people praised him “I’m just a human being like everyone else”.
Camp Donations
Thank you to the individual families and businesses who have donated funds towards camp costs recently. Your kindness and generosity will enable kids to attend camp who may have otherwise struggled to fund this.
Scooters & Skateboards
We love that lots of our kids scooter, bike and skateboard to school. Kids also enjoy burning off energy on our scooter/skateboard area at break times, which we love to see. We always encourage families and kids to use our grounds for playing in weekends and term breaks too, but we ask anyone on scooters and skateboards not to ride these along the classroom decks. We’d be grateful if parents could let their kids know this.
Thanks in advance.
New Entrant Parent Information Presentation – Tātahi Syndicate
A New Entrant Information Presentation will be held for all parents of new children on Friday, 25 June from 10.00-10.30am in the staffroom.
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.
Inter-School Cross Country Results
Last Wednesday our keen runners participated in the Inter-school cross country event at Waikanae Park. It was a stunning day weather-wise but also in terms of results, comradery, and sportsmanship. Once again we were so proud of our students in the way they supported each other and gave it their best on the course!
Below are the results of students who placed in the top 10 places, who will also represent our school at the Regional event. There will be more information about this event coming out to those involved soon.
Year 3 Girls (this age group does not attend regionals)
1st place – Lucie Thomson
Year 3 Boys (this age group does not attend regionals)
4th place – Ty Gardiner
6th place – Campbell Stratford
Year 5 Girls
1st place – Mia Thomson
2nd place – Holly McCulllagh
7th place – Joy Ransfield
9th place – Kyra Pulepule
Year 5 Boys
4th place – Corey Whitfield
Year 6 Girls
5th place – Emily Johnstone
Year 7 Girls
7th Place – Natalia Gardiner
Year 7 Boys
5th place – Fletcher Cooper
9th place – Luca Steinmetz
Year 8 Girls
8th place – Ciara King
Year 8 Boys
1st place – Keenan Hussman
10th place – Dayne MacInnes
AWD
2nd – Harrison Stratford
If you wish to view other results or specific times etc please visit: Cross country results
Jump Jam
On Friday, 11 June Paraparaumu Beach School was fortunate to be able to send a group of 10 students to a Jump Jam workshop in Upper Hutt with Brett Fairweather, the creator of Jump Jam and double World Aerobic Champion.
The workshop focused on learning to lead Jump Jam in schools, learning a new routine while focusing on using effective facial expressions, calls and movements. We are looking forward to getting behind our enthusiastic and talented group of Sports Ambassadors and Jump Jammers to lead the school in our upcoming Jump Jam sessions.
Items Wanted
Room 1 ArtCyclers would like donation of any of these items for their murals and art projects if possible:
– galvanised screws (any size)
– marine grade plywood (off cuts is fine) bigger than A3 size paper 30cm X 45cm approx
– paint for outdoors
– Plastic lids – round all colours
Mid-Week Munchies
Morning Tea Mid-Week Munchies are returning next week on Wednesday to help Te Moana Syndicate with their camp fundraising. Prices will vary from 50 cents to $2.
Don’t forget to bring your coins next Wednesday!
PBS Hoodies
Te Moana Syndicate is fundraising for their school camp at the end of the year and is selling Paraparaumu Beach School Hoodies and Year 8 Leaver’s Hoodies. We have samples of sizes in the office if you wish your child to try one on. All hoodies are black. You can order them with or without a name at the back of the hoodie.
Payments and orders for these can be made on Kindo or put in the Money Box outside the staffroom. These are due on 2 July and are expected to be delivered on the first week of Term 3.
FREE Dental Checks!
Win a Lunch Shout With Ezlunch
Last week for the Lunch Shout giveaway!
Order lunch to be delivered between Monday, 14 June and Friday, 18 June and go in the draw to win. Every order gets you another entry.
Three winners will be drawn. Each winner will receive a $50 ezlunch credit and a $10 ezlunch voucher for their teacher.
T&C’s – Winners will be selected randomly and notified by phone or email. Open to NZ
residents only. Competition ends and will be drawn on Friday, 18 June 2021 at 10am
Meeting with Kapiti Coast District Council re Gray Avenue
On Tuesday, 22 June members of KCDC will be at school from 9.30am – noon to discuss the short term, medium term and long term solutions for Gray Avenue. They would like to talk to those involved and make sure they understand the issues, different perspectives and potential outcomes.
Feel free to come and have a chat.
How to talk to your child about: Grief
The Parenting Place have shared an article that explores grief and how to navigate it with children.
Unfortunately, we will all encounter painful life experiences. This article provides some valuable insights and advice for approaching grief with your child. https://parentingplace.nz/how-to-talk-about/grief/
New Community Notices Section Coming Soon ...
Watch this space for an exciting new way of advertising your community notice via our school website.
Job Vacancy
sKids Kenakena is looking for an energetic person to join their team. Applicants must have a passion for growing awesome Kiwi kids. Hours of work are 2.30-5pm 4 afternoons/week. Must be available during school holidays. Full, clean driving licence essential. Successful applicant will be Police vetted. Job description available upon request. Send CV to jools@skids.co.nz.
