Marie Barfoote

Principal’s Message Kia ora and welcome to Term 4! We have 9 weeks jam-packed with learning, trips, sporting opportunities and fun.  Let’s hope for some consistently great weather too. The next nine weeks will go fast so it is imperative that parents keep up-to-date with all school communications.  Please keep reading weekly newsletters, check Skool … Read more

Principal’s Message Kia ora koutou I live with anxiety and am not embarrassed to tell you that. This week is Mental Health Awareness week and I share my own personal status with you because mental health should not be a taboo subject. A decade ago I would never have talked about this because I felt … Read more

Principal’s Message Geia pós eísai (ϒεια πώς είσαι) Today’s greeting acknowledges the small but wonderful group of students with Greek heritage at PBS. This Greek greeting “Geia pós eísai” is roughly pronounced Ya pos ee-saeh. Give it a try – it’s great to learn new languages in our culturally-rich country. Last week I attended the … Read more

Principal’s Message Kia ora whānau Te wiki o te reo Māori tenei! 21% akonga Māori i roto i te kura Tātahi o Paraparaumu. The percentage of PBS students with Māori heritage has grown significantly in the last 15 years.  For those students, their whānau, and in fact all Kiwis – Māori and non-Māori – we … Read more

Principal’s Message Dia dhuit Today’s greeting acknowledges the 23 PBS kids with Irish heritage.  This Irish Gaelic greeting “Dia dhuit” is roughly pronounced JEE-uh ghwitch.  Give it a try – it’s great to learn new languages in our culturally-rich country.   Speaking of our wonderful motu, next week is Te Wiki o te Reo Māori (Māori … Read more

Principal’s Message Gidday You’ll all recognise this week’s greeting from across the Tasman Sea. PBS has 7 kids from Australia or with Aussie heritage. I suppose I have a little Australian blood too as my great, great grandfather was born in Hobart, Tasmania. That might be a stretch though, as my great, great, great grandparents … Read more

Principal’s Message Kon’nichiwa, genkidesuka? I’ve chosen a greeting from Japan this week as PBS has seven students with Japanese heritage.  I traveled to Japan about 5 years ago and found the people there to be some of the kindest around; I would go back there again in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, the Deputy Principal and I … Read more