Principal's Message
Kia ora koutou 
There’s lots in today’s newsletter, so please take 5 minutes to put your feet up with a cuppa and have a good read.
Today’s newsletter is packed with useful information for our whānau, with a few highlights being:
- Join us to celebrate Matariki next Tuesday – read what’s on during the day
- Staffing news, including a sad farewell to the fabulous Tina Purdie
- Board Survey for Parents – Be in to win a $200 PREZZY Card!
- Driver behaviour around the school
Celebrating Matariki:
Last year you may have attended our incredible evening celebration of Matariki. Our aim is to host an evening celebration every second year so that we can put the energy and mahi in that it deserves. Therefore, this year and every alternate year, PBS will run a daytime celebration and have an open day for parents and whānau to attend.
Below are details highlighting what will be on next Tuesday (27 June) for you to attend:
Tātahi Syndicate (Years 0 – 2 students): will be holding a special Matariki Breakfast event. If you have a child in Tātahi please join us in the hall from 8:30am for a relaxed morning of stories, art and craft, food to share and waiata. As this is a shared breakfast, we ask that each child is provided with a small plate of healthy finger food to bring along for a shared morning kai. For example, fruit kebabs or pikelets. For those with work and other daytime commitments, please note that we are intending for this event to come to a conclusion by 9:15am.
Ngaru Syndicate (Years 3 & 4): will be hosting a special Matariki assembly at 11:15 am. Our Year 3 and 4 students have actively participated in various activities over the past few weeks, and they will be sharing their endeavours with each other during this assembly. We cordially invite you to join us and witness the multitude of activities they have been involved in. Following the assembly, the children will have a picnic lunch in the hall. They will bring their lunchboxes and drink bottles to partake, and to celebrate this special time of year together.
Te Moana Syndicate (Years 5 & 6): During Term 1, we had Nova from Foodstuffs teach our syndicate about healthy eating. Each class was given a voucher to spend on a shared lunch. Each class will create some nutritious and delicious kai to share together on Wednesday, 28 June of Week 10. The syndicate is also running a hangi fundraiser for camp during this week.
Te Motu Syndicate (Year 7 & 8): will be running a Ki o Rahi Tournament on the field. Ki o Rahi was one of the games we have learnt this term during our Traditional Māori games SWAT sessions. It is a game based around the legend of Rahi, who used the stars of Matariki to guide him on his journey to find his beloved wife. The Pou, around the edge of the field, represent those stars. This is an interclass tournament. Two games will be running at one time and will run throughout the day with finals in the afternoon. Our wonderful Sports Ambassadors will be refereeing all of the games. Come along and cheer us along!
Ka kite ano
Jess Ward
Principal~Tumuaki
Upcoming dates for your calendar:
- Celebrating Matariki -Tuesday, 27 June – Activities throughout the school day.
- Whole School Assembly – 9.15am Friday, 30 June. 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
Did you hear about our Interschool Cross Country success? PBS kids did so well! We were absolutely delighted to see every one of our students give their absolute all – many of whom improved their placing from 2022. Congratulations to everyone who participated, we are so proud of your awesome efforts. The official results can be found later in this newsletter.
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/
Staffing News
After nearly a decade of wonderful teaching service Tina Purdie is sadly leaving PBS. Tina “Cool Beans” Purdie will certainly be missed by students and staff alike. Tina has decided to move into a part-time position in the Early Childhood Education sector. However, we have our fingers crossed that she may still be tempted to do a little relief work for us here and there. I know you will all join me in wishing Tina all the very best and showing her gratitude for all she has added to our school since starting in 2014.
With Tina’s departure at the end of Term 2, Rebecca Jackson, who job-shares with Tina, will take over the full time teaching of Room 5. Thank you Rebecca for your willingness to work fulltime.
As mentioned in previous newsletters, I will be away on sabbatical during Term 3. This means Sarah Chambers will be taking over as Principal, Vicki Wilson will step into the Deputy Principal role, and Rachel McDowell will be released from classroom teaching to act as the Assistant Principal. In addition, Sandy Saunders will be leading the Tātahi syndicate for Term 3, so that Rachel can focus on her new role.
To cover Rachel’s teaching role I have appointed Nicola Jarvis to teach Room 21 for Term 3. We are delighted that Nicola has accepted this fixed-term job offer as she has already proven to be an excellent member of our relief staff and well suited to the needs of our young learners. Welcome to the PBS team Nicola!
Board Survey for PBS Parents - Coming to Your Email Soon!
Later today you will receive an email 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 10 minutes. Your answers will be completely anonymous. This survey will only be open for two weeks (closing on Sunday, 2 July), 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.
Matariki
Around the end of May or early June 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.
Waitī: is the whetū connected to fresh water and all of the creatures that live within rivers, streams and lakes
Waitā: is the whetū associated with the oceans and many kinds of kai (food) you can gather from the sea
Driver Behaviour Around the School
Driver behaviour around our school on the whole has been good this term. However, some of our teachers on road patrol duty have had to speak to the drivers of vehicles that are parked in the clearway on the western side of Gray Ave. The area is not the ‘drop and go’ zone outside the school hall.
As seen in the picture, the clear way runs from our school gate down to 49 Gray Ave, operates between 8.30am – 9.30am then again from 2.30pm – 3.30pm, Monday to Friday and is not marked with yellow lines.
This is the sign along the side of the road indicating where the clearway starts and ends.
The clearway is there to enable traffic to flow smoothly and if vehicles are parked there, Gray Ave becomes even more congested and it becomes even harder for buses to pass through.
Kid's Quote
Before the Interschool cross country last week a student was overheard saying:
“I wish we could just walk one step and see who wins!”
Digi Corner
For your awareness – When PBS students are logged into their school Google profile, they are protected by three sets of cyber safety filters that we have in place here at school. Two of these filters also apply when students are at home on their school Google profile (the third does not, as it relates specifically to our school wifi). However, if your child has a personal Google profile set up on their chromebook and they log on to this when they are at home, then they are not protected by any filters unless you have installed some.
We strongly recommend that parents install cyber safety filters on all of their children’s devices. Information and links to a variety of quality filters can be found via the website below:
https://families.google/familylink/
Additional cyber safety parent information can be found here:
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!
Kapiti Inter-School Event
We are thrilled to congratulate our Interschool team on their resounding success at the recent Cross-Country event. The day was blessed with excellent weather and our students showcased exceptional attitudes throughout the event, displaying sportsmanship throughout.
We extend a special thank you to our Sports Ambassadors, whose voluntary assistance in marshalling ensured the event could proceed smoothly. We are also grateful to the Kapiti Council for organising this remarkable event.
We would also like to express our gratitude to all the parents and caregivers for their support and encouragement, alongside the school Running Club, led by Caty Spencer and David Parr, which has contributed to the success of our team.
We take immense pride in announcing the exceptional performances of many of our students who have now qualified for the Regional Cross-Country Event, which will take place in Masterton on Tuesday, 27 June.
Year 3 Boys:
• Jackson Ferris (1st place)
• Axel Christensen (2nd place)
• Jack Thomson (8th place)
Year 4 Girls:
• Hayley Kirton (6th place)
• May Newlove (7th place)
Year 5 Girls:
• Lucie Thomson (1st place)
Year 5 Boys:
• Ty Gardiner (3rd place)
• Isaac Ransfield (4th place)
• Campbell Stratford (7th place)
• Angus Wilson (2nd place, AWD)
Year 6 Boys:
• Kade Gardiner (2nd place)
Year 7 Girls:
• Mia Thomson (1st place)
Year 8 Boys:
• Zac Chandler (3rd place)
• Tyron Baker (7th place)
Once again, congratulations to our outstanding athletes, and we wish them the best as they prepare for the Regional Cross-Country Event in Masterton.
**TE MOANA CAMP FUNDRAISING**
Amercian Hog Dogs
Delicious Hāngī for Sale!
Te Moana syndicate is fundraising for our camp in Term 4 by selling delicious hāngī. Grab the family a yummy dinner while helping to reduce the cost of camp for all Yr 5/6 students.
$15 each – Chicken, pork, lamb, potato, kumara, pumpkin and reka rawa stuffing!
Only 150 are available, so get in quick!!!
- Order on Kindo today
- Orders close Monday, 26 June at noon
- Pick up from the hall at approximately 5pm on Thursday, 29 June
- We will post on FB as this is being lifted
Postponement date if the weather is unfavourable TBC in Term 3.
Thanks to Bedlam and Bliss, Nuwave, SM Property Development and Pak n Save for their generous donations
Lost Property
Lost property will be on display by the netball courts each fine day this week and next 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
