"Together we are lifelong CREST learners"
Principal's Message
Tēnā koutou katoa
It is with great sadness that we learned of the passing of local kaumatua Te Rākau o te Ora, better known to us as Koro Don Te Maipi. Koro Don has been an incredible supporter of schools in the Kāpiti – Ōtaki region for many decades. Koro Don was also one of the founders of our annual Kapa Haka hui, Tākiri o te Ata, which PBS kids have performed in since 1994.
Koro Don has performed many karakia and mihi whakatau at our school (PBS 50th jubilee, the unveiling of our Pou, and Matariki events), he has taught our local Principal’s group waiata and pepeha, and he has welcomed us onto Whakarongotai marae on many occasions.
Personally, I will remember Koro Don for his kindness and genuine encouragement of teachers to learn te reo and tikanga. In particular, he was very supportive of pākehā teachers giving te reo their best effort, which always made me feel comforted and keen to learn more.
Kia hinga te Tōtara o te Waonui a Tāne.
You will be greatly missed Koro Don; our deepest sympathies and aroha go out to all Koro’s whānau.
Please keep reading this newsletter – it’s jam-packed!:
- Staff news – farewells and welcomes
- Learning Conferences (23 July) – Book your slot now
- Board Survey – Be in to win a $200 gift card
- Board Elections News
- Gumboot Friday – Get your Wellies on this Friday!
- Schools Alert Programme (in association with the Ministry of Education and NZ Police)
Upcoming dates of importance:
- Tomorrow (Wednesday, 25 June) – School Assembly 9.15am, which will include the Whānau Group chant off, wear your whānau colours! Please feel free to join us.
- Term 2 ends Friday, 27 June and PBS Gumboot Friday!
- Wednesday, 23 July – LEARNING CONFERENCES – school closed for instruction
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
Last Wednesday 50 of our Kapa Haka group and the Pasifika Girls group went to Coastal Villas Retirement Villlage to perform for the residents and celebrate Matariki. It was a truly heart-warming experience for both our students and the village residents. The residents loved our performances and joined in with the waiata they knew. A very special connection was made between the generations!
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
As Term 2 wraps up, we have some staffing changes to share. Sadly, we’re bidding a fond farewell to Bridget Nally as she embarks on an exciting new chapter! Bridget first joined us as a teacher trainee and quickly became a valued member of our team. She’s brought enthusiasm and positivity to her roles within both the Tātahi and Ngaru teams. Bridget’s husband has secured work in Abu Dhabi, and we wish her all the very best on her adventure to distant lands. Thank you, Bridget, for all your hard work and kindness!
To cover the teaching position in Room 10 that Bridget is leaving, we are thrilled to welcome back Lizette van den Berg to the PBS staff. Lizette is a former PBS teacher, and we couldn’t be more pleased to have her expertise and bubbly personality rejoining our team. Welcome back, Lizette!
With the opening of a new New Entrants class next term, Sarah Smith will be stepping into a full-time class teacher position. Sarah has been a fantastic part-time release teacher, and we’re delighted she’s put her hand up to take our newbies class. Her experience will provide a smooth transition to school for our new 5-year-olds, and she’s already been working hard setting up Room 25 for these tamariki.
Sarah’s move has created an opportunity for release teacher support for Terms 3 and 4. We’re excited to welcome Hannah Field and Olivia Walker, who will both be joining us on a part-time basis to support classes on days when teachers have assigned release.
Looks like we’ve got everything covered for a fantastic Term 3!
Mid-Year Learning Conferences - Book Now for 23 July!
At PBS, we believe that students learn best when they are actively involved in conversations about their own progress. That’s why, at mid-year, we host Learning Conferences—structured meetings that bring together the student, their teacher, and their parents or whānau in a shared learning conversation.
Each Learning Conference is 10 minutes long and is designed to:
- Celebrate what the student has achieved so far this year
- Identify areas for growth and how home and school can support progress
- Strengthen the partnership between teachers, students, and whānau
In this format:
- The teacher leads and facilitates the discussion, using HERO or classroom work to support the conversation
- The student shares examples of their learning and reflects on their progress, contributing as they feel ready
- Parents and whānau are encouraged to ask questions and support their child in taking an active role
We know that when students are given space to talk about their learning—with the support of their teacher and family—they feel seen, valued, and understood. This strengthens not just academic progress, but their sense of self-belief and engagement with school.
NB: Learning Conferences typically focus on progress and achievement. For more complex or confidential matters, parents are welcome to contact teachers to arrange a separate time.
Bookings are now open and you should have received notification and be able to make bookings through the Hero app (free download in Google Play & App Store). Click on “School Bookings” and follow the prompts.
Board Survey - You have one week left to enter the draw
Would you like to win a $200 Warehouse gift card? I bet the answer is, yes.
Well here’s your chance, simply complete our Board survey and enter the prize draw at the end.
Our Board would love to hear your thoughts on our school’s strategic goals and direction for 2026–2028. This short survey only takes 5-10 minutes to complete and your responses will be completely anonymous. The survey is only open until this Saturday (28 June), so make sure you have your say and go in the draw to win!
Board Election News
School Boards are required to hold elections every three years, and this will be happening this year. Our current Board has made the decision to appoint Schooled Election Pilot as the Returning Officer for our election, which will have an online voting system. Schooled Election Pilot is a Ministry of Education accredited provider for Board elections.
Nomination and voting forms will be sent to all eligible voters by email directly from Election Pilot, so if the school doesn’t have an up-to-date email for you – please contact the school office and let us know. If you do not have an email address, these forms will be posted to you.
School Board Elections must be held in accordance with the provisions in the Education and Training Act 2020 and the Education Regulations 2022. Your name and contact details have been provided to Schooled Election Pilot to enable the provision of these election services for Paraparaumu Beach School as required by legislation. They will use your contact details for the provision of election services for PBS only and your details will be deleted 60 days after the election date as required by legislation.
If you have any questions about the election process, please contact the Returning Officer directly on 0800VOTENZ or election@electionpilot.nz
- Friday, 18 July – call for Nominations
- Wednesday, 6 August – Nominations close
- If 6 or more nominations are received we will proceed to voting (Wednesday, 10 September – Election day)
Student Council Charity Fundraiser
We’re supporting Gumboot Friday this year. This charity provides free counselling services that tamariki and their whānau can access. We think this is a valuable resource for our PBS community and a worthy cause for the Student Council to support in 2025. So check out the poster below for our fundraiser and how you can help us to help others. You can donate through KINDO or gold coins on the day ☺️
Whānau Chant Off
Remember to wear your whānau colours tomorrow for our annual Whānau Chant off at the whole school assembly!
Schools Alert Programme
Paraparaumu Beach School has opted into a wellbeing focused initiative led by the Ministry of Education and Police across the Porirua-Kapiti area. The purpose of the programme is to notify schools in a timely manner when one of its students has been affected by a family harm episode. This programme aligns with our school’s Child Protection Procedure.
The Ministry of Education will manage and monitor alerts from Police and send a notification to the principal of the student’s school (wiith no other detail other than the student’s name).
As a result of these notifications, the school is then aware that a child has experienced an event within the last 24 hours, enabling the staff to provide additional care and support as needed.
Aims Games Football Team Hotdog Fundraiser - This Friday
The PBS football team heading to the AIMS Games are selling hotdogs for the last day of term on Friday, 27 June. Hotdogs can be purchased on KINDO for $4 (close off tomorrow – 25 June).
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)
Reo for hararei (holidays)
Kia pai tō haere – have a good trip
Hoki ora mai – come back safely
Kia pai te hararei – have a good holiday
Kia haumaru te haere – travel safe
New Entrant Parent Information Presentation – Tātahi Syndicate (This Week)
A New Entrant Information Presentation will be held for all parents of new children on Friday, 27 June 2025, 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.
Hot Chocolates - Te Moana Camp Fundraiser
Beats by Bingo PTA Fundraiser
Please note that this is an R18 event 
Tough Guy & Gal 2025
Lost Property
Lost property will be out on display this week on fine days by the netball courts. Please check if your child has lost anything, as there is a large range of hoodies and tops. Anything un-named or unclaimed will be sent 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
Bee Healthy Free Dental Checks
