"Together we are lifelong CREST learners"
Principal's Message
Hello Everyone,
Believe it or not, counting today, there are only 25 school days left in the school year! For our Year 8 students, their time at college is drawing closer. It’s always a mixture of sadness and pride when we farewell them; though we feel sad, as teachers, we know they are ready for the independence their college years will bring.
The thought of moving on to college may be causing some students anxiety, but I can guarantee you that there are lots of super supportive staff and former PBS kids in these spaces too. Colleges have well-considered orientation programmes to help their new students settle in and typically after one week, students are into the routines of secondary school life.
We look forward to spending these next 25 days making more memories together.
Keep reading this newsletter for information on:
- Rainbow Youth
- Christmas presents for PBS whanau in need
- Can you spare $5 for the PBS AROHA fund?
- Calling for Nominations for the PBS Outstanding Achiever’s Award
- Kapiti Mountain Bike Club
Upcoming dates of importance:
- Wednesday, 18 November – Kapa Haka hui at Southwards
Mā te wā,
Jess Ward
Tumuaki ~ Principal
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
PBS Goes the Distance at the Kāpiti Half Marathon!
What a fantastic day for our Paraparaumu Beach School community at the annual Kāpiti Half Marathon! It was wonderful to see so many familiar faces, with our tamariki, teachers, Board of Trustees members, mums and dads all getting involved and taking on a range of distances, from the 2km through to the longer events.
There was a fantastic atmosphere of encouragement, determination and community spirit, with everyone giving it their best, supporting one another and celebrating as they crossed the finish line.
We are incredibly proud to share that PBS placed 3rd overall for the largest team! What an awesome achievement!
A huge well done to everyone who participated, supported and cheered along the way. It was great to see our school community coming together, demonstrating teamwork, resilience and our CREST values. We look forward to seeing an even bigger PBS team next year!
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/
Rainbow Youth
We want every student at PBS to feel they belong and know who they can turn to for support. If you’re raising a rainbow young person and would value someone to talk to, Val from InsideOUT is a great person to connect with. Let me know if you want Val’s contact details.
Additionally, for any of our rainbow youth heading to college in 2027, it can help to have a familiar face there before the first day. If your child would like to meet a member of their new college’s student support team, please reach out to me directly. We can talk through what would help your child feel comfortable and, if they’d like, help arrange an introduction.
Jess Ward
PBS Aroha Fund - Can you spare $5?
The closer we get to Christmas, the more important our PBS AROHA fund becomes.
The PBS AROHA fund enables anyone in our school community, including businesses, to donate money to help those in our school community who are finding it hard to make ends meet or those who are experiencing tough personal circumstances. This fund enables our school to support these families in some small way.
If you would like to contribute to this fund you can find it in KINDO labelled PBS AROHA. You can contribute $5, $10 or $20 at any time during the year. If a local business wants to make a contribution they can contact Debbie on accounts@pbs.school.nz
If you would like to know more about our PBS AROHA fund please do not hesitate to call, drop in or send me an email on jward@pbs.school.nz All discussions will be confidential.
Thank you – Giving a little means a lot!
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 phrases a try this week:
E whakahīhī ana au ia koe – I’m proud of you
He hirahira ō mahi- What you do matters
He tino tangata koe – You are a wonderful human
He tangata ahurei koe – You are one of a kind
Outstanding Achievers Award 2026
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 during the previous 12 months have made an outstanding contribution (in-school or out-of-school) in areas of academic, cultural, sports, community service or other activities. In addition to their achievements, successful applications are students who role model the school’s CREST values throughout our school community. We encourage nominations for Years 4-8 students.
The nomination forms are available in Hero, our website and paper copies are available at the school office. Nominations close at 3.00pm on Friday, 20 November.
From the Student Council
This term we’re supporting a group of students in Rm 7 who want to protect our marine life and reduce our environmental waste, so we’re promoting a litterless lunch box challenge.
We brainstormed what can help to create litterless lunches and this is what we came up with:
- Compartmentalised lunchboxes keep foods separate without needing plastic wrap or foil
- Small stainless steel tubs or clear plastic containers for fruit, crackers, and yoghurt
- Reusable snack bags or beeswrap
- Refillable drink bottles
- Buying foods in bulk
Christmas Gift Donations for Families in Need
As the holiday season approaches, we would love to support local families who may be doing it tough this Christmas. If you are in a position to help, we would greatly appreciate donations of new, unwrapped gifts for children of all ages.
Please drop off any gift donations to the school office by Thursday, 10 December. Thank you so much for your generosity and community spirit in making this Christmas special for everyone!
Sickness in School
- The 48-Hour Rule: Wait a full 48 hours after the final time your child vomited or had diarrhoea before sending them back
- General Wellbeing: Your child should also be completely recovered, able to eat and drink normally, and have enough energy to take part in school activities
- Gastro Spread: Stomach bugs (like norovirus or rotavirus) spread very easily among children in classrooms and early childhood centers. Staying home helps prevent an outbreak
Student Attendance & Sign-In Reminders
To help us keep all our students safe and accounted for, please remember the following procedures for late arrivals and early departures:
Leaving Early or Returning: If you need to collect your child during school hours, please sign them out at the main office first. If they return after an appointment, remember to sign them back in at the office upon arrival
Late Arrivals: If your child will be arriving late, please notify the office as soon as possible. You can let us know by:
Reporting an absence/lateness via the Hero App
Sending a text to 027 755 7915
Calling the office on 04 298 5775
Accurate attendance records are essential so we can account for every child quickly in the event of an emergency. Thank you for your support!
EPro8 Interschools
Last Thursday Austin, Axel, Bailey, Harper, Jackson, Maddox, Ryan, and Zach represented PBS at the Year 5 & 6 EPro8 Interschools Competition in our very own school hall. They put their science, technology, maths, and teamwork skills to the test as they competed against other local schools.
Working in groups of 4, each team worked with specialised equipment to complete a building challenge, gaining points along the way.
A huge congratulations to ‘PBS Turtles’ (Bailey, Harper, Axel, and Zach), who came 7th, and ‘PBS OGGs’ (Austin, Jackson, Maddox, and Ryan), who came 8th.
Te Motu Athletics Day
Te Moana Athletic Day – Celebrating Excellence and Teamwork!
Last Monday, Te Moana held its annual Athletic Day, with students putting their skills, determination and sportsmanship to the test across a range of events. Throughout the day, points were accumulated for each athlete in the sprints, long jump, high jump, vortex and quoits.
There were some incredibly close competitions, with students demonstrating fantastic effort, determination and excellence. Just as importantly, it was wonderful to see so many examples of teamwork and great sportsmanship, with students cheering on, encouraging and supporting one another along the way.
The five athletes who achieved the highest overall points totals have been invited to represent Paraparaumu Beach School at the Kāpiti Junior Interschool Athletics this Wednesday.
A huge congratulations to the following athletes who will be representing PBS!
Year 5 Girls: Aurora Van Reenen, Makena Winiata, Addisyn Caldwell, Isla Coulson, Scarlett Christensen
Year 5 Boys: Kohen Cooper, Malakai Brown, Mateo Duseigneur, Kobe Thomson, Harvey Higham
Year 6 Girls: Olive Jarvis, Kayleigh Lawton, Lucee Quirke, McKenzie Vargas, Tahlia Hepi
Year 6 Boys: Zachary Willis, Axel Christensen, Jackson Ferris, Maddox Morrison, Āustin Wilson
We wish you all the very best and look forward to hearing how you get on. Go PBS!
Cricket Skills in Action
Last week, our Year 2–8 students were fortunate to welcome Lasi from the Horowhenua Kāpiti Cricket Association, who joined us for an exciting cricket skills session. The students had the opportunity to learn some of the fundamental skills of cricket, including throwing, bowling and aiming to hit the wickets. Everyone showed some fantastic skills, enthusiasm and a real eagerness to learn more. It was wonderful to see the students giving everything a go and enjoying the opportunity to develop their cricket skills.
A big thank you to Lasi for sharing his knowledge and expertise with us!
If your child is interested in registering to play cricket for a local club, you can find more information on the Horowhenua Kāpiti Cricket Association website.
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
Kapiti Mountain Bike Club
The Kāpiti Mountain Bike Club is inviting tamariki and whānau to its Open Day at Whareroa Farm on Saturday, 21 November from 11 am. Come along to celebrate the opening of the new bike wash and community information board, give the mountain bike skills course a go, and enjoy a koha BBQ. There’ll be spot prizes on the day, too!
Can you lend a hand? The club would love to hear from parents and caregivers who can volunteer on the day, share their biking know-how, or offer equipment, resources or sponsorship. If you’d like to help, please contact Chris “Clay” Henry on 027 425 3380.
Wellington Junior Rapid Chess Tournament
