"Together we are lifelong CREST learners"
Principal's Message
Kia ora PBS whānau,
Welcome to the final Term of the 2026 school year and a big PBS welcome to Mini Joseph, Mary Ely and Teresa Topp, who are visiting us this week from the Education Review Office as part of our school’s regular review.
If you haven’t heard of ERO before, their staff visit all primary and secondary schools across the country to evaluate how well schools support students’ learning. They work alongside school leaders to identify strengths and areas for improvement. These reviews help schools plan their next steps, with a focus on achieving positive outcomes for all learners.
We are proud to share our mahi and the learning, relationships and opportunities that make our Paraparaumu Beach School special. We look forward to thoughtful conversations about our progress, celebrating our strengths and exploring how we can continue to grow. A warm welcome to our ERO visitors!
Keep reading this newsletter for information on:
- Class request process for 2027
- Pie collection date change
- Calendar Art fundraiser
- PTA Halloween disco
Upcoming dates of importance:
- Out of Zone applications closing – 19 October
- Term 4 Teacher only day – Friday, 23 October (end of week 2, attached to Labour weekend)
Ngā mihi nui,
Jess Ward
Tumuaki ~ Principal
Welcome to Our Recent New Students
Mila, River, Masina, Harper, Felix, Asher, Grace, Catara, Maverick and Piper (all in Rm 18) and Keira – Rm 4
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/
Class Request Process for 2027 - For Exceptional Circumstances
The process of putting class lists together for a new year is an extremely complex and time consuming task. There are many variables to consider, for example; equal class sizes, the gender balance in each class, the distribution of students with social/behaviour and learning needs, medical needs, splitting cousins/siblings, and so on.
In a small school there may only be one class at each level and therefore no opportunity to group students in different ways. In a school our size, whilst we do have the advantage of flexibility, the process takes time and consideration. I can assure you that we act professionally and thoughtfully when placing students in classes. Therefore, we ask that parents are understanding and supportive of the complexities involved.
At PBS we prefer that parents do not submit requests unless there are exceptional circumstances. If parents want us to consider any exceptional circumstances that their child may have in regards to class placement for next year, then the formal process below must be followed:
- Requests must specifically describe the exceptional circumstances around the child’s needs
- It is preferable that parents do not request a specific teacher by name
- Requests must be from the child’s parent/legal guardian
- Requests must be in writing to the Principal jward@pbs.school.nz
- Requests must be received no later than Friday, 23 October
Whilst we allow parents to submit such requests, we do ask in return, that the final decision on class placement (whether or not a request has been met) is both respected and promoted positively by parents to their child.
Thank you, Jess Ward
Every Day Counts | On Time, Every Time!
At our school, every morning is packed with opportunities to learn and connect. When tamariki arrive on time and attend regularly, they get the best start to their day!
Why On-Time Attendance Matters:
- Calm Starts: Arriving before the bell lets children settle in, greet friends, and start the day relaxed
- Key Learning: Core literacy and math concepts are taught first thing. Being on time ensures no missed steps
- Strong Connections: Daily presence builds lasting friendships and a strong sense of belonging
- Future Habits: Punctuality and consistency build resilience and lifelong learning foundations
Did you know? Missing just 10 minutes a day adds up to nearly a full week of lost learning each year!
Thank you for supporting your child’s learning journey by helping them arrive ready to learn every day.
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 morning phrases a try this week:
Haere tāua – Lets go
Titiro ki waho – Look outside
Kia noho tika! – Sit properly!
Whakakapi te matapihi – Close the window
Out of Zone Applications
If you have any children due to start school soon that you have not let us know about, or if you have friends or neighbours who don’t currently have a child at PBS, but may be hoping to enrol a student here in Terms 1 or 2 2027, please ask them to contact our school office as soon as possible. Thank you.
The process for “Out-of-Zone” applications for Terms 1 and 2 2027 five year old new entrant students is now open. Applications close on Monday, 19 October at 4pm.
Important Update - Pie Collection Date Change
Apologies, but due to circumstances beyond our control, the pie collection date has changed.
NEW COLLECTION DETAILS:
Date: Thursday, 22 October
Time: 2:30pm – 3:30pm
Location: Room 17 (next to the school basketball court)
Please remember to bring a bag to carry your pies home.
We apologise for any inconvenience and thank you for your understanding and support!
Student Council
This term we are supporting a group of highly motivated students from Rm 7 on a mission to help clean up our ocean and protect marine life. Their plan is to reduce the amount of rubbish that goes down our school drains and out to sea. Their observations showed that our lunch rubbish is part of the problem. So this term they are running a 6 week class challenge on litterless lunches.
What this means: Classes are being challenged to produce as little rubbish as possible in their lunchboxes, so no plastic cling wrap, jelly pottles, chippy packets and so on. Here’s some examples of litterless lunches:
There’s even a class prize up for grabs at the end of the 6 weeks! The challenge will start next week. Please help us support this kaupapa ☺️
Here’s a website set up by a kiwi parent that might be helpful. It has lots of ideas and a weekly planning tool for healthy and affordable school lunches based off supermarket specials https://www.kiwilunchbox.co.nz/en
Calendar Art Fundraiser
Kia ora families
Your child has been busy creating artwork as part of our Calendar Art fundraiser, and it’s now ready to view and order online. We’re turning their art into beautiful personalised products including calendars, cards, diaries, mouse mats and sketch pads. These make wonderful gifts for family and friends and are perfect for posting overseas.
To place your order:
- Go to kidsartworks.com
- Enter your school code: KZ1995
- Select your child’s room and name, view their artwork and place your order
Orders are open until Monday, 9 November 2026. Payment is made securely online by credit card or account2account.
If you have any questions, you can contact Paula James at office@pbs.school.nz.
Help Us Spookify the School Halloween Disco
To help make this event a success without stretching our budget, we are asking for donations of any Halloween decorations you might have at home and no longer need. If you could drop them off to the office it would be greatly appreciated.
Pasifika Workshop Camp and Cultural Exchange
Talofa lava, Mālō ē lelei, Noa’ia Kia Orana, Kia Ora and Greetings.
During the last week of Term 4, the PBS Pasifika Group recently had the pleasure of hosting Tamariki Pasifika, a cultural troupe of young performers aged 11 to 16 from West Auckland.
They started with a powerful performance of traditional drum dances and song, followed by an interactive workshop where our students learned a few dynamic moves with the boys’ and girls’ ura. We then reciprocated with an outstanding performance of our own.
Finishing with a shared lunch, it was a wonderful day of connection, culture and shared joy that our Pasifika Group won’t soon forget.
Touch Rugby
The touch rugby season starts next week. As we kick off the season, we’re focusing on our school’s CREST values of Curiosity, Respect, Excellence, Self-Management, and Teamwork. We encourage everyone, players and parents alike, to embody these values on and off the field.
A key part of this is supporting our volunteer coaches. They are dedicating their time and energy to help our kids learn and grow. Please show them your respect and trust their guidance.
We also ask that all parents model good sportsmanship on the sidelines. By demonstrating respect for the referees, opponents, and fellow supporters, we can show our children what it means to be great teammates and competitors.
The draw for the first round can be found on the Kapiti Junior Touch Association website using the following link: https://www.sporty.co.nz/kapititouchjunior/Draw-1/kjt-draw-202627
Key information reminders:
- Leg 1 runs from 20 October – 10 December 2026
- Leg 2: 9 February – 17 March 2027
- All games are played at Mazengarb Reserve
- Under 7, 8 & 10 Grades play Tuesday nights
- Under 12 & U14 play Wednesday nights
- Students wear a school t-shirt (these can be purchased through KINDO), navy blue or black shorts and suitable shoes
- There is an information desk by the pavilion
Map of touch fields below:
Tennis Success
Congratulations to our PBS tennis players who recently competed at the Wellington and Kāpiti Mana Primary School Tennis Tournaments.
Our Year 5 team consisted of Charlie Whitaker and Jackson Darling, while our Year 7/8 team was made up of Maxwell Zeng, Charlie Williams, Fabian Patterson-Murdie and Lucas Darling.
It was fantastic to see our students representing Paraparaumu Beach School with such enthusiasm, determination and great sportsmanship. All of our athletes reported having an excellent day and thoroughly enjoyed the experience.
A special thank you to Lucie Gibbons and Liqiong Zhou for transporting and managing our teams throughout the day. We really appreciate the time and support you gave our students.
Well done to all of our tennis players for representing PBS so proudly!
Recent Student Achievements
Cheerleading: Last term Dakota Bell and Alyssa Kilsby travelled to the Gold Coast with their cheerleading team, Rebels, to compete at the Australian Majors. The competition was incredibly tough but Rebels came away with an amazing result — 1st place in their division. They then went on to be named Level 2 Grand Champions, taking out the top result across a huge field of 27 teams.
To top it all off, the team was then upgraded to a Full Paid Bid to compete at Global Games in Hawaii in 2027. Fantastic achievement!
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
