"Together we are lifelong CREST learners"
Principal's Message
Hi Everyone!
I hope you’ve managed to stay warm and dodge the raindrops these past few weeks! I know the firewood pile at my place is significantly smaller, but the warmth from the woodburner has been much enjoyed.
Thanks to everyone who completed our Board survey at the end of Term 2; we truly appreciate your feedback and ideas. This feedback showed that parents and caregivers feel many of our current goals and sub-goals are still very relevant, which was helpful to discover. The finer details of your feedback will now enable us to redefine aspects of our Strategic Planning for 2026-2028. (NB: The prize draw for the $200 Warehouse voucher will be conducted later this week).
Please keep reading this newsletter – there’s lots to discover!:
- Learning Conferences (23 July) – Book your slot now
- Board Elections News – Nominations now open!
- Happening this term …..PBS HAS GOT TALENT!
- Great community feedback from Wood for Good 🙂
- Grateful Thanks to Rotary for Library book donation
- Calendar Art orders
Upcoming dates of importance:
- Wednesday, 23 July – LEARNING CONFERENCES – school closed for instruction (NB: The school library will be open all day – if other siblings need a space to wait during conferences)
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
Following Matariki, our Kaiako Māori, Matenga Baker, returned to school with his mataora (traditional facial moko). He spoke to each syndicate about the creation process and how his whānau supported him. Our kids responded with awe, respect, and genuine curiosity. Matenga also expressed his deep appreciation for the manaakitanga and whānaungatanga shown to him by PBS staff and students.
Kia ora Matenga for including us on your journey; your experience provided a powerful and authentic opportunity for our students to engage with te ao Māori in a deeply personal way.
Welcome to Our Recent New Students
Azure – Rm 19 and Logan, Ethan, Blake, Logan, Finn, Aayat, Varmeet, Kobi and Rivae-Fern – all in Rm 25
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/
Mid-Year Learning Conferences Next Wednesday! - Book Now for 23 July! - Bookings Close Noon on Tuesday, 22 July
(NB: The school library will be open all day – if other siblings need a space to wait during conferences)
At PBS, we believe that students learn best when they are actively involved in con-versations 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 open and you can make bookings through the Hero app (free download in Google Play & App Store). Click on “School Bookings” and follow the prompts.
Bookings will be closed off at 12 noon on Tuesday, 22 July.
Board Election News
Nominations are Open
The nomination process for our School Board elections has started and nominations are now open. We have five spaces for parent representatives on the Paraparaumu Beach School Board. We have appointed Schooled Election Pilot as the Returning Officer for the election, and they will be handling the election process and you will see communications directly from them.
Everyone who is eligible to vote in the election will receive a nomination pack (either via email or post). The info pack will contain everything you need to nominate yourself or another member of the community. (If you are going to nominate someone else, just make sure they know about it and will accept the nomination!). It will also include information on who isn’t able to be a School Board member.
If you need extra forms, or want a copy of the nomination form in Te Reo Māori or another language, just contact the Returning Officer from Election Pilot directly on 0800 VOTENZ (0800 868 369) or election@electionpilot.nz.
Don’t leave things to the last minute, because nominations close at noon on Wednesday, 6 August. You can email in your nomination, complete it online at www.boardelections.nz or fill it in and drop it off to the school office. You can also send in a candidate statement and smiling photo with your nomination as well.
A copy of the electoral roll is kept at the school office and is available to be checked during the usual school hours.
Voting will end at 4pm on Friday, 5 September.
Digitech Corner
Netsafe are offering a number of free webinars for their upcoming Netsafety Week. Netsafe provide excellent resources and advice for parents to help keep tamariki safe online. Click on the link to learn more.
From the Student Council
Gumboot Friday
Ngā mihi nui koutou! Together we raised over $500 for Gumboot Friday!!
Congratulations to the Gumboot throw winners for each syndicate:
Ryder – Rm 15, Joey – Rm 2, Harvey – Rm 11 & Nate – Rm 26
And our Gumboot race winners:
Ceejay – Rm 15, Carter – Rm 3, Kobe – Rm 11 & Jaziah – Rm 26
And our talented artists with their gumboot designs:
Bella – Rm 13, Maci – Rm 1, Hunter – Rm 6 & Hannah – Rm 18
PBS Has Got Talent !
This term we’re holding PBS has got talent! Share your amazing talents with us. Get practising and enter with your class teacher.
Positive Feedback from a Community Group
On the weekend some members of the PBS AIMS Games Football Team helped out the Kapiti Rotary Club as part of a fundraiser and got some great feedback for their efforts. So we thought we’d share as it is always great to hear about PBS students and their whānau being acknowledged for demonstrating our school values in the community. Ka pai Team!
On behalf of Kapiti Rotary, I would like to thank you for assisting us at our Wood for Good working bee on Saturday. I will quote what leader Paul has circulated to our Club:
“Amazing output from 2 splitters, manned by 7 Rotarians, Rod Lingard, Josie, Vance, Tony, past Rotarian, Rod Kinghorn, Paul and a cohort from Paraparaumu Beach School on their own fundraising exercise.
They were the best non-Rotary group that have come to help, 15 across a remarkable age range. One lad seemingly too small for the wheelbarrow but who just kept going. Two strongmen that saved us a lot of heavy lifting and they even contributed to morning tea.”
I have seen a photo of the site as it was left, and what a fantastic sight, seeing all that wood split, and a tidy site. I was not expecting that after 2 shifts, let alone 1!! Thank you.
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)
Phrases for the mornings
E oho – Wake up
Maranga mai – Get up
Poetry Competition
Kia ora koutou PBS Whānau,
We are absolutely thrilled to share some exciting news from Room 11! Over the past few weeks of the previous term, our tamariki were diving deep into the world of poetry, crafting some truly imaginative and heartfelt pieces on the theme of ‘āpōpō’ (tomorrow). We’ve been so impressed with their creativity and dedication that I’ve entered their wonderful poems into a competition being held by the Paraparaumu Library! The entries have already been delivered, and this is a fantastic opportunity for our young writers to share their voices with a wider audience.
We are incredibly proud of their efforts and can’t wait to see their work celebrated, we wanted to extend an invitation to our wider school community. The competition will culminate in a special presentation night at the Paraparaumu Library on Thursday, 22 August, from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm. This evening will also feature an open mic section where our young poets will have the opportunity to read their poems aloud along with the other competitors! Additionally, a special anthology of the poems will be available for purchase on the night only. If you are interested in supporting our young poets and perhaps taking home a copy of their wonderful work, we would love to see you there!
More details are available on the Kapiti Coast Libraries page on Facebook.
Ngā mihi nui,
Whaea Jessie
Rotary Thanks
Last term, our local branch of Rotary generously donated a wonderful selection of books to our school library!
Our students have already been diving into the new reads, and there was extra excitement when they discovered a book by Avril McDonald – a former student of our school! It’s incredibly inspiring for our tamariki to see the work of a past pupil proudly sitting on our shelves.
A huge and heartfelt thank you to the Rotary members who made this generous donation possible. Your support is helping to nurture a love of reading in our school community.
Calendar Art
Calendar Art Orders Are Now Open!
Our talented tamariki have been hard at work creating stunning pieces of art, which they hope to share with you during next week’s Learning Conferences.
These masterpieces can be transformed into beautiful keepsakes, including 2026 calendars, diaries, greeting cards, mouse pads, and sketch pads. These make perfect gifts for family and friends (or a special treat for yourself!) and are a great way to celebrate your child’s creativity.
Orders can be placed through KINDO, and order forms will be sent home this week.
Please make sure to return the form to school, even if you’re paying online. Orders close Friday, 15th August.
Thank you for supporting our young artists — we can’t wait for you to see what they’ve created!
Hot Chocolates - Te Moana Camp Fundraiser
Beats by Bingo PTA Fundraiser
Please note that this is an R18 event 
Message from Kapiti Coast District Council
The Kapiti Coast District Council has had the ‘Picking up or dropping off kids at school’ parking flyer electronic version updated for our school. This flyer outlines the fines that you may incur when not parking correctly around any school.
They have requested we include this in our school newsletter so our community is informed of these changes.
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
