From the Principal
At time of writing and publication, we anticipate that this week will be our first complete 5 day week at school in 2023. The events of the past few weeks have been unprecedented, and brought back some memories of the years we spent living with COVID lockdowns- indeed, our teaching teams tapped back into resources and approaches which served them so well when children were learning from home in 2020 and 2021. We were able to be agile and spring into action at such short notice- our teachers deserve a great deal of credit for being ready, and for wanting to reduce the number of days our students were not engaged in learning programmes.
Our School Board also deserve credit for the support and guidance they provide to our school. In NZ Health and Safety legislation, they serve as ‘officers’ and play a pivotal role in maintaining a safe working and learning environment for our students and staff. Once they were given the responsibility by the Ministry of Education, in the light of an approaching cyclone, they acted quickly and decisively in the best interests of our community. Whilst we were spared much of the worst during recent weather events, prediction and forecasting are very difficult skills, and our board carries a duty of care for people on our site- and will always be mindful of this in their decision-making.
Our thoughts and best wishes go out to everyone affected around the country in recent weeks.
Whānau Picnic – Thursday 23rd February
We look forward to seeing everyone at the Whānau Picnic this Thursday! The weather forecast looks positive and we are excited to reconnect with everyone following a number of years where this event was not possible because of COVID.
Please bring along your picnic blanket, and some kai to enjoy on the school field. This is a great opportunity to get to know other families in your child’s class and team, make some connections, and celebrate being part of the PMPS community!
Parent Survey
A huge THANK YOU goes to the 189 people who responded to our survey on Meet the Teacher evening- “PMPS Parent Survey – Establishing a Cohesive School Community that Enhances Learning”
This survey provides our teachers with valuable insight into each child in their room, helping them gain a better understanding of their interests, influences, and ambitions. It also gives parents the opportunity to share crucial information which assists each teacher to tailor learning more personally to the needs of their children.
There were some incredible insights, but very exciting was the fact that 56% of parents expressed an interest in the idea of taking after school classes, and utilising their skills and passions to develop opportunities for Pigeon Mountain Primary School students. We have a large pool of very talented parents wishing to contribute a little of their time to assist children, and we look forward to using this information to grow our portfolio of after-school activities and classes.
Our goal to establish ‘a Cohesive School Community that Enhances Learning’ is a two-way arrangement, and we are grateful to the many parents who are willing to give back to school to assist our learners.
Swimming Trials – HPPA Swimming Competition
We will be participating in the annual HPPA Schools’ Swimming Competition on Friday 10th March 2023 at Lloyd Elsmore Pool. We are holding selection trials at the PAKURANGA COLLEGE SCHOOL POOL on selected mornings in February. Students participating in this trial must be strong swimmers, capable of racing at least 25 metres- it is not an event for beginners.
Trials for Years 5 and 6 – Tuesday 21st February 2023, Tuesday 28th February 2023 – 7.45am to 8.30am
The team will then be selected and Team members only will need to attend a further practice on Tuesday 7th March.
For safety reasons, children must be enrolled through Kindo before they attend these trials.
After-School Orienteering Series
Our Year 6 students have been invited to participate in the Eastern Zone Orienteering Series, taking place on Tuesdays in coming weeks. The events take place after school and parents are responsible for getting their children to and from each venue, and for supervising them at the events. Orienteering is an active sport combining running with map reading and navigation, and is an activity open to them when they move to intermediate and college. The dates are:
28 February: Sancta Maria College
7 March: Mission Heights Junior College
14 March: Bucklands Beach Int
21 March: Pakuranga College
28 March: Macleans College
Participants do NOT need to participate in all the events- but should take part in at least 3 events to be awarded a competition score.
Please note- children should not arrive at the event before 3.40pm, and parking is not provided on any of the school sites- please use street parking.
Entries through KINDO before 3pm Friday 24th February.
Participants will be provided with a school sports shirt for this event.
Howick Fun Run and Walk
This annual event takes place on Sunday 26th March at 9am.
The run covers 5.9km, beginning and ending at Stockade Hill, Howick. Participants who complete the course are awarded a medal.
If your child would like to be placed into one of our 4-person teams, please use KINDO to enter. This event is NOT suitable for children under Year 5- runners cover the course without an adult, and hills make the 5.9km a significant challenge.
Families of the runners need to be present on Stockade Hill throughout the event, which is generally completed (following prizegiving and prize draws) by 10.30am.
Participants will be provided with a school sports shirt for this event.
Our entries close at 3pm on Friday 17th March.
Round the Bays
Although we are not entering any student teams in this annual event, we are happy to provide a sports shirt to any of our children running with families. Please let us know if your child is running on 5th March in the city- email your teacher and ask them to pass on your details.
Community Notices
Guitar and Ukelele Lessons MUSIQHUB LESSONS:
For information on guitar and ukulele lessons, contact Ben Lee
Email: ben.lee@musiqhub.co.nz
Phone: 021 529 531
Wakaaranga Netball Club
SPANISH LESSONS FOR CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS by Latin American teacher with over 30 years of experience. Small groups or one to one sessions. Lessons for adults also available. For further info contact 02108410621 Alternatively, you can email cargusgp@hotmail.com. for more information.
