"Together we are lifelong CREST learners"
Principal's Message
Kia ora koutou,
Welcome to Term 2 and to the new students who have started today!
Our staff appreciated their day of learning yesterday, so thank you for making additional child-care arrangements. Whilst our teachers continued learning about the refreshed New Zealand curriculum, our teacher-aides were also busy adding to their knowledge of autism through a workshop with Altogether Autism. I’m really proud that our staff are enthusiastic learners, who realise the importance of staying up to date for the benefit of our students. Learning keeps us all moving forward!
We have lots of exciting things happening this term including Cross Country events, Matariki celebrations, and tomorrow we have the Minister for Education, Erica Stanford, visiting PBS. Minister Stanford will be taking a tour around the school and we are excited to show her our learning in action, as well as our kids excellent CREST values. Following this tour, Minister Stanford is meeting with Principals and Board members from local schools to discuss education priorities. We welcome the opportunity to hear directly from the Minister.
Keep reading for information on:
- Reminder of Teacher Only day dates for 2025
- STOLEN- Wheels off our school trailer!
- Board Elections – September 2025
- How parents can help kids with Growth Mindset
- Exploring the power of AI – would PBS parents like a workshop on this?
Ngā mihi nui
Jess Ward
Principal – Tumuaki
P.S. Got a suggestion? Let us know through our online suggestion box.
PRINCIPAL’S C.R.E.S.T CORNER:
At PBS we champion our school C.R.E.S.T values in everything we do.
Curiosity. Respect. Excellence. Self Management. Teamwork
Congratulations to Sophia, Daisy and Olivia on winning the CREST card draw at the end of Term 1. The CREST box was very full with the names of students who had been demonstrating our school values so that was great to see.
Welcome to Our Recent New Students
Tilly, Jackson and Nyla – Rm 21; and Jacobi, Ari, Delilah, Lillian, Poppy and Harli – Rm 23
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/
REMINDER: Teacher Only Days 2025
We are republishing this message from last term’s newsletter, as it is vital that all parents are aware:
The Board has approved two extra teacher-only days for 2025, in addition to the two government curriculum days we have already taken. The dates for these are:
- TERM 2 – Tuesday, 3 June: We will be participating in our local Kāhui Ako conference day, joining staff from Kenakena, Waikanae, Kapakapanui, and Paraparaumu College.
- TERM 3 – Wednesday, 23 July: This day will be for Learning Conferences. NB: We may be able to provide at school supervision for a limited number of students on this day for those parents who cannot get childcare. More information will follow next term.
To meet the Ministry of Education’s required number of school days, we will now need to extend the school year by two days. The last day of school will now be Tuesday, 16 December instead of Friday, 13 December.
Stolen Wheels from School Trailer
Unfortunately some people decided to steal the wheels from our school trailer last night. This is annoying and frustrating for us. We will review all security footage from last night, however, we would appreciate you sharing this event far and wide. We are seeking the immediate return of these wheels and no questions will be asked.
Jess Ward
Board of Trustees Elections - September 2025
Along with the majority of NZ schools, election time is nearly upon us! Why not sit in on an upcoming meeting to see if this is something you’d like to pursue further?
Elections for the PBS Board will be held in Term 3 (September). Several of our current members are stepping down due to kids moving on to College and relocations out of the area, which presents a great opportunity for you to join our wonderful board!
The board is responsible for PBS’s governance, ensuring it meets all legislative requirements while delivering the best possible outcomes for our children.
Members are elected to a three-year term, so you would be the perfect candidate if you currently have kids in Year 5 or below.
Board meetings are open to all PBS whānau. They are held in the staff room, and our meeting dates are listed below.
We would love to have you along if you’re interested in seeing what it’s all about.
Questions? – Feel free to e-mail: boardchair@pbs.school.nz
Our 2025 pre-election 2025 board meetings are:
- Tuesday, 6 May – 6.30 pm
- Tuesda,y 10 June – 6.30 pm
- Tuesday, 15 July – 6.30 pm
- Tuesday, 19 August – 6.30 pm
How Parents Can Help Kids With Growth Mindset
Information from: https://www.mindsetworks.com/parents/growth-mindset-parenting
The way we talk to our children can shape how they see themselves as learners. Praising effort, accepting mistakes as part of learning, and supporting emotional ups and downs, helps kids to build confidence and resilience.
One simple way to start? Shift the way you praise. Instead of “You’re so smart,” try “You worked really hard on that!” Praising effort encourages a Growth Mindset—the belief that abilities can grow with practice and perseverance.
Want more helpful phrases and tips? Check out “Say This, Not That” – easy language swaps that make a big difference.
SAY THIS | NOT THAT |
“I can see you worked hard on this!” Say this because it helps your child understand the value of effort. | “You are so smart!” Do not say this because it makes kids think of intelligence as a fixed quality. |
“ It seems like it’s time to try a new strategy/method/way.” Say this because it lets your child know that they control outcomes by making choices. | “It’s okay. Maybe you’re just not cut out for this!” Do not say this because it makes kids think they don’t have the capacity to improve. |
“I like watching you do that.” Say this because it conveys a message of approval of an activity they enjoy doing, regardless of outcome. | “You’re a natural at that!” Do not say this because the next time your child fails or makes a mistake, they might think they do not have that talent after all. |
“That was really hard. Your effort has paid off! Next time you’ll be ready for this kind of challenge!” Say this because reminding children of how they were able to overcome challenges through effort promotes a growth mindset. | “That was really hard. I’m glad it’s over and you don’t have to do that again.” Do not say this because there will always be more challenges, and children should feel that they have the tools for what comes next. |
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.
Here are some essential kupu that you may hear ia ra (everyday)
Ngā Rā o te Wiki (Days of the Week)
At PBS you may hear both kupu mino (phonetic translations) of the days as seen below:
Mane – Monday
Tūrei -Tuesday
Wenerei – Wednesday
Tāite – Thursday
Paraire – Friday
Hatarei – Saturday
Hanarei – Sunday
and Rā versions that were developed in the 1990s by Te Taura Whiri to align the names of Monday – Sunday to some concepts from te ao Māori, these being:
Rāhina – Monday
Rātū -Tuesday
Rāapa – Wednesday
Rāpare – Thursday
Rāmere – Friday
Rāhoroi – Saturday
Rātapu – Sunday
School Memories Photos
This week order forms are being sent home for ordering of photo packs.
Please note that orders are online only.
Exploring the Power of AI - Would parents like us to host a workshop?
With a growing number of PBS staff utilising AI for workload and productivity, it occurred to me that parents may be keen to learn more about this too.
Imagine being told by your child’s teacher that your child is having difficulty learning a specific set of skills at school and really wanting to offer more support at home but not knowing how to go about this. Well that’s just one way in which AI can be of assistance to you!
So if you’d be interested in learning more about AI, and how you can use it, let me know by filling out this google form https://forms.gle/F7kT3evwWjmQrkFY7 If there’s lots of interest I’ll plan a parent-friendly information session or two.
Jess Ward
Netball
Season Starts
The 2025 season for Year 5 – Year 8 players will start this Saturday. For our Year 3 – Year 4 players your season will start on Monday, 5 May.
A huge thank you to the parents and past students who have volunteered to either coach, manage, score or umpire for one of our teams. Without your support we would not be able to enter teams into the Netball Kāpiti competition.
To all our players, all the best for your games, have fun and most importantly remember your CREST values.
Netball Dates for Year 5 – Year 8 Teams
- Season Dates 2025:
- Start Date: Saturday, 3 May
- Semi-Finals: Saturday, 23 August
- Finals: Saturday, 30 August
- There will be no games on:
- 31 May: King’s Birthday weekend
- 21 June: Matariki weekend
- 5 July: School holidays
Netball Dates for Year 3 – Year 4 Teams
- Season Dates 2025:
- Start Date: Monday, 5 May
- Final Date: Monday, 28 July
- There will be no games on:
- 2 June: King’s Birthday weekend
- 30 June: School holidays
- 7 July: School holidays
Netball Fees
Please remember that these were meant to be paid by Thursday, 24 April. If for any reason you have not been able to pay these, please contact Debbie in the Office to set up a payment plan.
Hot Chocolates - Te Moana Camp Fundraiser
Hāngi Available to Order
Delicious and authentic hāngi available for order on Kindo by 13 June. Pick-up will be at the Hall on Thursday, 19 June from 4.30pm – 6.00pm.
Waitārere Forest Run
What a fantastic day Team P.B.S had at the Waitārere Forest Run on 13 April. With a team of 50 participants, we had students and their whānau represented in every event—from the 2km all the way to the 21km! It was incredible to see so many of our tamariki out there giving it their all, supporting each other and enjoying the awesome forest atmosphere.
A special congratulations to Lani, who scored the big spot prize of the day—an ASICS pack full of goodies and a $300 ASICS voucher!
A huge thank you to all our participants and whānau for helping make this such a great day out. We’re so proud of our P.B.S crew!
Recent Student Achievements
Tennis: Three students from PBS – Olive Knap, Libby Ryan and Casey Williams were all part of the Paraparaumu Beach Tennis Club Supershots Team who have won the post-Xmas Novice Interclub tennis competition played over 7 rounds (7 weekends). The team was undefeated defeating teams from Otaki and Waikanae Beach Clubs. Tom Johnstone (former PBS student) was also a member of the team.
Recent Student Achievements
Softball: Zoe Gee won the Kāpiti Softball and Baseball Club ‘Most Promising Junior’ Cup. Zoe is able to play lots of different positions but enjoys being the catcher for her U13 mixed team and batting. Highlights for her this season have been playing for Wellington in the Nationals U13 and for Kāpiti College in the regional college competition. Well done!
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
Inclusive Whānau Network
