Term 2 Newsletter 4

From the Acting Principal

Book Fair 2024

Although we have only a few more days of Term 2, school life is not slowing down. The Book Character Parade was held this morning and demonstrated the love of reading at our school. We thank everyone for the support of the 2024 Book Fair which concludes after school tomorrow (Tuesday, 2nd July) it looks like we are on track to have raised $6000 which means that our library can continue to be stocked with all the latest and greatest books.

Student Academic Reports

Student Academic Reports will be arriving in your emails before the end of the week. These provide an important snapshot into your child’s learning and development and provide a good catalyst for talking to your child about their achievements, progress and goals for next term. Take note of the ‘how you can help from home’ section in the report which provide practical solutions for working towards some of their academic goals that you could be doing together in the upcoming school break.

Learner Profile Capabilities

We’ve had a great response from our whānau with the new Learner Profile Capabilities, please continue to send your photos in to show how your child has been demonstrating these capabilities in action at home. Here are a couple of my favourites from the past fortnight:

Jake’s dog kept eating the cat food. Jake was a ‘Solution Scout’ and thought up this clever solution! He built a little wall so the cat could eat in peace in its own space! Ka pai Jake, very creative idea!

In the lead up to Matariki, Beauden was a Cultural Navigator and learned about the nine stars of Matariki, with a particular focus on the four stars related to kai (food). As a Perspective Pioneer, Beuden collaborated with his aunt and sister to create star-shaped cookies to share with teachers, family and friends. Thank you for sharing your learning with us in a really interesting way!

Wells Road Crossing

We have developed our crossing at Wells Road so that we have Year 5 students patrolling this area. We ask that as pedestrians and motorists that you not only adhere to the law, but that you also respect our patrol area. Please find the road cones and Year 5 patrollers out there before you cross.

Open Classroom Survey and Feedback

We had 40 responses to our Open Classroom survey. Thank you to everyone who took the time to provide this feedback as it is invaluable in our planning for future events. Here is a summary of the feedback:

The event offered parents valuable insights into their child’s school experience, including behavior, social interactions, and academic engagement.

Parents appreciated observing teacher-student interactions and suggested adjustments to the timing and frequency of events to better fit their schedules and increase participation.

Some suggestions for next time included:

Plan Multiple Activities: Organise various stations for parents to rotate through, offering a comprehensive view of classroom activities. Communicate Clearly: Share the event’s objectives and schedule in advance to manage expectations. Offer Take-Home Materials: Provide materials for parents to continue learning activities at home.

Once again, thank you for your ongoing support of the school to deliver Education with a Heart.

Staff Farewells

We farewell a number of longstanding staff members who have made amazing contributions to our school and our community.

Tina Brown has been our librarian extraordinaire for the past five years, inspiring both students and staff to pick up good books and develop a love for reading. We have greatly benefitted from Tina’s extensive literary knowledge, her constantly changing and fascinating library displays, and her warm approach that makes all of our students feel so welcome in the library. Tina embodies Education with a Heart, and it will be hard to say goodbye. We wish her all the best.

Liliana Castro has served as a teacher aide at Pigeon Mountain Primary School for 7 years. Her creativity, humour, and patience have allowed her to build strong rapport with many students as she supported them one-on-one or within small groups in the classroom. Liliana is now joining the Pegasus Unit at Pakuranga College, where she can further hone her skills in inclusive practices within our community. Adiós, amiga. Te deseamos todo lo mejor.

Katie Robertson returned to Pigeon Mountain Primary School this year and this term was fulfilling PCT release in both Room 17 and 18. She is now taking on a new challenge of sharing a roll growth new entrant class at another school. We appreciate what Katie has done to aptly support the students in her classes this year. We are very fortunate to have Marissa Thomson on our team, who will step in to teach Rooms 17 and 18 on release days.

Brittany Morron will leave in week 1 Term 3 to move to a new school closer to home. Brittany started at PMPS in 2017 . During the course of her seven years serving at our school she has demonstrated her versatility by teaching in both the junior and senior schools as well as holding responsibilities in team leadership, strategic leadership, PB4L, and wellbeing leadership. She will be missed by Puriri Team and Room 3 especially. Brittany has made amazing contributions to our school and our community and we wish her well!

A reminder that school closes for the end of Term 2 on Friday at 3pm this week.

Dates for you Diary

Wednesday 3 July – Kiwi Competition Science

Thursday 4 July – School Tour

Friday 5 July – End of term 2 / Pyjama Dress Down Day

Monday 22 July – Term 3 Commences

Be On Time, Every Time: School Starts at 8:50am!

Punctuality is a key ingredient to academic success. Arriving on time not only sets a positive tone for the day but also maximizes your child’s learning opportunities. The school day kicks off with the 8:50 am bell, and it’s crucial for all students to be on site, ready to dive into their educational journey. Let’s seize every moment, set your alarm a little earlier, and make each day count!

Reminder: Entering the School Grounds

If you are entering our site during the school day, please ensure you sign in at the school office. It is crucial that we know and can account for all individuals on the premises. Thank you for your support!

Safety and Supervision at the end of the school day

The health and safety of our students underpins all decisions made at Pigeon Mountain School and it is essential that we work together to ensure that as a team we keep our students safe at the end of the school day.

Please take a moment to read the important information below regarding the safety and supervision of students at the end of the school day. Your cooperation and understanding in adhering to these guidelines is appreciated.

Together, we can maintain a safe and supportive environment for all our students.

Absences from School

Please report your child’s absence from school via @school app or our website. Please include the length of time your child will be away and the reason for their absence. If you do not have the app please contact the office to receive a link.

Early Pick up from School

If you need to collect your child for an appointment during the school day please contact the office 09 534 9765 or email general@pmps.school.nz to arrange. If possible please arrange to collect your child before or after the morning tea and lunch breaks, as it is difficult to find children during these times. Morning tea is 10.50am until 11.15am, lunch from 12.45pm until 1.45pm.

@school parent app

The @school parent app is our preferred method of reporting absences, requesting donation receipts, accessing student reports and receiving newsletters and school notices. When setting up your app please make sure that you enter yes to notifications this will mean that you will get an alert each time a notice/newsletter is available. Please contact the office if you are unable to access the @school app.

Jammies in June

The Jammies in June collection, organised by our student Wellbeing Leaders, will continue until the final day of term. We appreciate your support in advance.