"Together we are lifelong CREST learners"
Principal's Message
Kia ora Whānau
Te Tiriti o Waitangi – After discussions at our Board meeting last night, our team wants to reiterate our school’s unwavering commitment to giving effect to Te Tiriti o Waitangi. Our board and staff are fully supportive of staying true to those commitments. This commitment isn’t just about our Māori students; it benefits all PBS kids by fostering a truly inclusive and affirming learning environment.
We value Aotearoa’s bicultural heritage. We have seen incredible outcomes from embracing Te Ao Māori and providing students with an understanding of the Māori culture, a culture that exists nowhere else in the world. Our progress and growth in this space will continue. Ngā mihi nui.
Curriculum and Reporting – Next, I’d like to take a moment to explain some important information about end-of-year reporting/progress statements. Across Aotearoa, teachers are busy assessing students and preparing end-of-year progress statements for parents based on the four Ministry of Education descriptors below:
Four Descriptors | Details |
Needs support | Students;
|
Progressing Towards | Students;
|
Proficient | Students;
|
Exceeding | Students;
|
As you may know, teachers have only had approximately ten months to teach the new curriculum documents, which were released at the end of 2024/ start of 2025. Assigning achievement descriptors against such new curriculum content has been a challenge, as teachers have had to make judgements without detailed Ministry guidance or support.
In order to assign the achievement descriptors as accurately as possible, PBS teachers have engaged in professional learning with Ministry-approved facilitators (throughout the year), drawn on their teaching expertise, and used student assessments and observations to inform their judgements. As always, our goal is to provide parents with clear, accurate, and thoughtful updates on each child’s progress in reading, writing, and mathematics.
However, to further complicate matters, the grading descriptors your child receives this year will not be directly comparable to those they receive in 2026. This is because the Ministry has changed the grading descriptors for next year (adding a fifth grade into the mix). In addition, significantly altered versions of the English and Mathematics curriculums were published a few weeks ago, without sector consultation.
I share this with you because we need your understanding as we try to keep up with these national changes. As always, at PBS, our focus remains on knowing your child well and supporting their learning growth every day.
Please keep reading this newsletter for information on:
- Board Outstanding Achiever’s Award – nominations now open
- FREE Parent Education Event: Raising Resilient Children with Kathryn Berkett (nearly full!)
- PBS Christmas Giving Tree – have you got a gift to place underneath it?
Upcoming dates of importance:
- Friday, 14 November – Local Kapa Haka festival
- Friday, 21 November – Whānau Fun activities (Dress in your whānau colour)
- Tuesday, 16 December – Last day of the school year. School closes at 12.30pm
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
News Flash: Historic Win!
Last Friday we held our annual Staff vs. ‘A’ Netball team (Acers) game. The weather was spectacular and so was the game play. Congratulations to all the players in our Acers team who took out the game 10/9, with their passion, determination and incredible skills. The staff fought back with everything they had, but took the loss with grace and many aching muscles. Not since the late 1990s have the staff been defeated. Tu meke Acers!!
Welcome to Our Recent New Students
Lucian and Hannah – 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/
Outstanding Achiever Award
Paraparaumu Beach School Board is now seeking nominations for this year’s Outstanding Achiever Award.
The purpose of this award is to acknowledge students who have achieved at a very high level, and to promote these students as role models throughout our school community in a manner that reflects and incorporates our school CREST values. We encourage nominations for Years 4-8 students.
The nomination forms are available on Hero, our website and, paper copies are available at the school office. Nominations close at 3pm on Friday, 21 November.
FREE Parent Education Event: Raising Resilient Children with Kathryn Berkett
(Date: Tuesday, 18 November 6.15pm; Venue: Paraparaumu College)
Our Kāhui Ako of five schools is funding this parent education evening because we consider it highly relevant and important for all families.
We use the word resilience all the time, we want it for ourselves and for our children. But what does it actually look like? And how do we develop it?
Register here for this unique, local opportunity to hear what might be the most useful information of your life! https://forms.gle/7r1BRbftB8q4GEYS7
NB: See the poster at the end of the newsletter for more information and please get yourself registered.
PBS Christmas Giving Tree
We are giving Santa a helping hand again this year as his finances are stretched!
To do this, we will be setting up a Christmas Giving Tree in the school office. If you’d like to contribute, simply wrap a small gift, attach a note with the age and type of child who might enjoy it, and pop it into the office. Our PBS elves will make sure it finds its way to a child who could use a little extra Christmas magic this year.
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)
Give these kīwaha (idioms) a try this week
Aua atu – Don’t worry
Engari tonu – You bet
I wāna nei hoki – Poor thing!
Whānau Fun
On Friday, 21 November we’re holding a whole school Whānau Fun session. Come dressed in your Whānau Colours for an afternoon of cool activities!
Digi Tech Corner
BYOD- Chromebook offer
If your child is in Years 5-8, they use a chromebook to access parts of their learning. Affordable refurbished chromebooks are available through Insite Technology. Click the link below and enter the promo code PBS10 when purchasing to get 10% off. https://insite.co.nz/pages/paraparaumu-beach-school-byod-pbs?_pos=1&_sid=7c64dc3d3&_ss=r
Measles Awareness
What is measles?
Measles is a very contagious viral illness that spreads easily between people and makes most people feel very unwell. Measles can cause serious health problems and about 1 in 3 people with measles will need hospital level care. Complications are more common for tamariki under five, pregnant people and people with weakened immune systems.
Vaccination and immunity
Measles spreads very easily and can affect anyone who is not immune. Being immune to measles means you are protected from getting infected and spreading the disease to other people. You are considered immune to measles if either of these things apply:
- You had two doses of a measles vaccine after 12 months of age
- You have had measles before
- Most people born in New Zealand before 1 January 1969 are considered immune because before that time, almost everyone had measles as a child
Things Parents and Caregivers can do now
- Keep reading school newsletters and communications
- Be on the look out for symptoms; fever, cough, runny nose, sore eyes, and a blotchy rash
- Keep unwell children at home and don’t visit the school site if you are feeling sick yourself
- Anyone with measles symptoms should seek urgent advice by ringing their doctor or Healthline on 0800 611 116
- Anyone who is closely exposed to a measles case must stay at home. Heath New Zealand will provide individuals with advice on a case-by-case basis (including when they can leave quarantine at home)
- Keep an eye on the location of interest page which is being updated https://info.health.nz/conditions-treatments/infectious-diseases/about-measles/measles-immunity?decisionpathway=231%2C229%2C227%2C225%2C223
New Entrant Parent Information Presentation – Tātahi Syndicate
A New Entrant Information Presentation will be held for all parents of new children on Friday, 5 December from 10am – 10.30am in the school 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.
Student Council
Design a Mascot Competition
This is the last week to get creative and design a mascot for our school. Make sure it links somehow to us, give it a name. Entries can be placed in the tray at the office by this Friday.
Odd Sock Day
Thank you for supporting Odd Sock Day!
Performing Arts Showcase
On Monday, 24 November from 9:20am-10:30am some of our school groups will be sharing their hard work and talent with our junior syndicates. This performing arts showcase is open to parents/caregivers, who might want to come along and be entertained (limited seating). A few of the groups that will take the stage are our Kapa Haka group, choir, senior dance crew and this year’s 48 hour film entry.
Iceblocks for Sale
Iceblocks will be for sale on Wednesday lunchtimes for $1 each outside Room 1. This is fundraising for the Year 5 and 6 Camps.
Te Motu Athletics Day
On 31 October, Te Motu had their annual Athletics Day. Students competed in Sprints, Vortex, Long Jump, High Jump, Discus and Shots. It was a day of both competition and fun, with the students demonstrating awesome effort, ability and sportsmanship. In the afternoon, we had an interclass relay on the back field, won by Room 13.
Congratulations to all the students who qualified for Senior Interschool Athletics, and we hope the weather is kind to us this week so that the Interschool competition can go ahead as planned:
- Ceejay Kraus
- Lily Coutts
- Jermayne Inoke
- Lucie Thomson
- Lani Vertongen
- Jayden O’Brien
- Ty Gardiner
- James Lawton
- Aidan Robertson
- Ashton Chester
- Campbell Stratford
- Eden Kavakura
- Libby Ryan
- Zoe Gee
- Sapphire Tiata
- Lexi Howard
- Leo Holloway
- Cash Va’a
- James Crabb
- Kade Gardiner
- Regan Tidy
- Noah Hunt
Year 5 & 6 Interschool Athletic Champions
A huge congratulations to our talented Year 5–6 students who represented Paraparaumu Beach School at the Interschool Athletic Championships! Everyone gave their best effort and showed fantastic sportsmanship throughout the day.
Congratulations to the following students who placed in the top 3 in their events:
Year 5 Girls – Olive Jarvis: 1st High Jump, 2nd Long Jump, 3rd Vortex
Year 5 Boys – Axel Christensen: 1st High Jump, 3rd 100m Sprints & 800m; Zachary Willis: 1st Vortex, 3rd Long Jump; Jackson Ferris: 2nd Vortex
Year 6 Girls – Aglika Angelova: 2nd Long Jump; Mila Mei-Signal: 3rd 100m & 200m; Ella Quirke: 3rd Vortex
Year 6 Boys – Devin Direen: 1st Vortex & Quoits; Eli Chisholm: 2nd Long Jump, 3rd 800m; Ardie Cooper: 3rd Vortex & Long Jump
All of these students have now qualified for the Regional Athletics Event in Masterton on 25 November (PPD 27 November). We are incredibly proud of your achievements and wish you the very best of luck at Regionals!
A big thank you to all our wonderful parents who transported and supervised the students throughout the day — your support is always greatly appreciated!
Congratulations to the PBS Team – Kāpiti Half Marathon 2025!
🏃♀️ Congratulations to the PBS Team – Kāpiti Half Marathon 2025! 🏃♂️
What a fantastic day we had at the Kāpiti Half Marathon on Sunday! A huge congratulations to all our PBS participants who took part in the 21km Half Marathon, 10km, 5km, and the 2km Kids Dash. It was incredible to see our students, staff and whānau coming together, giving it their all, and celebrating fitness, teamwork and community spirit.
We’re thrilled to share that PBS won the award for the largest team, with over 81 runners proudly representing our school!
From our juniors, our seniors, and all our parents and their whānau, every participant showed amazing effort, perseverance, and pride. What an incredible achievement for our PBS community — ka mau te wehi!
PTA Grocery Grab Fundraiser – Win the Ultimate Supermarket Dash!
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
