Principal's Message
Kia ora e te whānau,
It always feels so good to be
back at school at the start of a new year. Kids bring so much positivity and energy, you can’t help but absorb it. Thanks for raising awesome kids!
I hope you all had an enjoyable Waitangi day. It’s a significant one for our country as it reminds us, firstly, how lucky we are to live here, but also that there is still work to be done to achieve equity and unity. Kia kaha koutou.
There’s lots to impart in this first newsletter, so please have a thorough read and make a note of upcoming dates and events.
Dates of importance:
- Tues 28 Feb – School closes at 12.30pm – Teachers Paid Union Meeting
- Fri 3 March – School closed – Teacher Only day
- Wed 8 March – “Be Bright Eat Right” – Educational Magician Show for whole school
- Sun 12 March – Thurs 16 March – Senior Camp for Rooms 7, 8 and 15
- Sun 19 March – Thurs 23 March – Senior Camp for Rooms 13, 14 & 16
- Thurs 23 March – Interschool Swimming Competition
- Fri 31 March – School Fun Run (PTA) and evening School Picnic
- Thurs 6 April – Last day of Term 1 (due to Easter on Friday)
- Term 2 starts on Wed 26 April
Health and wellbeing: Covid updates
A reminder that we are now trying to function as normally as possible in a world with COVID. Everyone is ultimately in charge of their own health, however PBS will still have hand sanitiser, masks and RAT tests available for anyone who wants them.
I ask everyone to stay vigilant and please keep kids home if they are sick. It is easy to become complacent; I know of one school in the greater Wellington area that already has 40% of staff and 30% of students off with Covid. Stay well everyone. You are important to us 🙂
PRINCIPAL’S GREAT NEWS CORNER:
Sharing good news spreads positivity, changes attitudes and ultimately leads to more people feeling encouraged and happy
Many staff were able to attend the pōwhiri at Paraparaumu College to welcome Year 9 students last week. It was so wonderful to see our former students all dressed in their uniforms and ready for their first day. There was a buzz of excitement and a few nervous smiles. We wish them all the very best for their college years and beyond.
Welcome to Our New Students
Luna – Rm 18, Ameera – Rm 10, Amaira – Rm 24, Tyron – Rm 13, Saedyn – Rm 5, Adelia – Rm 24, Leonardo – Rm 19, Braxton – Rm 24, Sunny – Rm 2, Jackson – Rm 10, Ryan – Rm 24, Eliza – Rm 18, Finn – Rm 18, Asher – Rm 10, Dallas – Rm 29, Coralee – Rm 3, Shiloh – Rm 24, Shiphrah-Eve – 12, Abigail – Rm 24, Myah – Rm 24, Briella – Rm 18, Arlieghia – Rm 13, Martin – Rm 24, Noah – Rm 18, Kendall – Rm 5, Dylan – Rm 18, Bella – Rm 11, Ivy-Rayne – Rm26 and Ava – Rm 18
Dress Code Reminder
At Paraparaumu Beach School we expect students to adhere to our school dress code. Our dress code is designed to reinforce pride in appearance, self respect, personal safety and so students can focus on learning.
CLOTHING:
- Students are expected to dress in a clean, tidy and comfortable manner
- Clothing may express the wearer’s individuality, but must not be offensive or revealing
SUN SAFETY:
- Wide brimmed hat must be worn outside during Terms 1&4
- Clothing that protects skin from the sun is encouraged during Terms 1&4
HAIR:
- Hair should be kept clean and tidy
- Any hair dye must be within the natural (human hair) colour spectrum e.g. not pink, blue, green
JEWELLERY:
- For safety reasons, only stud earrings are acceptable. Only ears may be pierced
- Other jewellery must be removed or made safe for physical activity
FOOTWEAR:
- Sensible footwear is required. No shoes with heels or wheels
- For safety reasons, Year 7/8 students need to wear shoes with closed toes to the Technology Centre
MAKE-UP:
- Face make-up is not to be worn. Teachers may allow face paint or make-up for special occasions or performance purposes
Kid's Quote
Two juniors were overheard talking at lunchtime, “Don’t call me mermaid…call me Princess!”
Attendance & Absences
To make it super easy, we have a variety of ways that you can contact us if your child will be absent from school (refer to the list below). It is important that you make contact and include an explanation as to why your child is away from school. Firstly, for safety and wellbeing purposes and secondly, as we are required to code absenteeism for the Ministry of Education. If you choose to email your child’s teacher, please copy the office in on the email so that everyone is kept in the loop and the correct code can be applied.
If your child is going to be absent during term time, for a family event or trip, parents/caregivers need to complete a ‘Student Leave form’. Forms are available from the school office or available on our website under the Information tab https://www.pbs.school.nz/student-leave-form/
List of contact information for PBS
- To ring the school office: (04) 2985775
- To text the school cell phone: 027 7557915
- Email: office@pbs.school.nz
- Message via the Absence icon on the @school app
- Message via the Absentee icon on the Skool Loop app
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 whare/house.
Mōrena = Good morning
Ngā mihi o te ahiahi = Good afternoon
Pō mārie = Good evening
Mā te wā = Bye for now/ see you later
Digi Corner
Being a good digital citizen at PBS
Students are responsible for ensuring their own behaviour is safe, friendly and fair. This means following our school’s values when online or using digital tools. We have 7 key student responsibilities as part of our being a good digital citizen at PBS. We will be sharing these with you over the coming weeks, but they can be found on our school website and are displayed in our classrooms. The first three are:
- Keep it kind. When you are online, think about others and talk or share in a kind way. Cyber bullying is not okay at any time. Talk to an adult if this happens to you or a friend.
- Keep it to yourself. Keep your passwords and information about yourself or other people safe and private.
- Keep it careful. Think carefully about what you share and make sure it’s something you are proud of and would be happy sharing with someone else face to face. Tell an adult if you are feeling unsafe or unsure.
We recommend having regular conversations with your child/ren about cyber safety topics so that they feel confident navigating the digital world and recognise that they can approach you for advice if an issue arises.
IMPORTANT - Juicee Price Increase as of Friday, 10 February
Unfortunately the PTA regret to advise that they are having to increase the price of Juicees from $1.00 to $2.00 as these have increased in price like food in general.
We are, however, keeping the price of the cookies the same at $1.00 each. So, confirming:
Juicees – $2.00
Cookies – $1.00
Thank you for your support in with this and our ongoing fundraising efforts.
Ordering Lunch with myKindo App
Did you know the app is faster to use when you’re on the go and you don’t need to remember your login! Search ‘myKindo’ in your app store and download now – App Store or Google Play.
PIN, Face ID, Touch ID are all supported to make ordering quick and easy.
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
