Newsletter 11 - Term 4
Principal’s Message
Dear Parents and Guardians,
As the school year draws to a close, and we celebrate our last day, I wanted to take a moment to reflect on what has been a truly rewarding three terms since I joined our wonderful school community at the beginning of Term 2.
My journey here began with the simple, yet profound, goal of getting to know every member of our Pigeon Mountain family. I spent my first week in every classroom, sharing a book and getting to know our students, and meeting individually with every staff member. What struck me immediately, and what continues to inspire me every day, is the incredible level of care within our walls. It is abundantly clear that "Education with a heart" is not just a motto; it is what our staff and students live every single day.
Over the past three terms, we have worked hard together to enhance the school environment, curriculum, and community connections. I trust you have noticed some of the small but significant changes we've implemented, including:
Property Enhancements: The new gardens, updated basketball hoops, the creation of the memorial garden in a special place inside the school grounds, and internal walls to create single-cell classrooms in our junior block.
Curriculum & Staff Development: The launch of our new website, significant staff professional learning in Reading, Writing, and Maths, and the addition of a specialist musical teacher to enrich our Specialist programme.
Community Connection: An increased focus on engaging with our community through various events including grandparents day, whanau hui, games evening and more
Exciting Developments for 2026
The momentum continues! As we look ahead to 2026, we have two major building projects scheduled to begin early next year:
A comprehensive roofing and window replacement project.
The construction of an exciting new administration building.
These projects promise to further improve our learning environment and operational capacity for years to come.
This year has been filled with so many memorable moments, and I treasure every single one:
Teaching our Y4-6 Mathex class with Mrs Attard.
The pure pride of watching our students perform at Prizegiving.
The creativity and humour displayed in the class skits and plays at our Monday morning Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L) assemblies.
The quiet connection during my library duty sessions.
The fantastic energy of the Disco and the competitive spirit of the Quiz Night.
Receiving the special cards and drawings from our students.
Reading through our Yearbook with immense pride at all our students have achieved this year.
This has been a remarkable year of growth, learning, and connection. Thank you to our incredible staff for their dedication, our students for their enthusiasm, and our parents and whānau for your unwavering support. Thank you to our amazing new Board members (Christopher Reed, Yongchun Fu, Miaohui Li, Whitney Gordon-Roper, Rui Ling Chen and staff rep Nicky King) for their support and a special thank you to Mark Eades our Board Presiding Member who continues to give his time and support to ensure our school is the very best it can be. Last and certainly not least, the amazing, incredible dedicated staff at PMPS - the teacher aids, specialist teachers, office staff, Caretaker, librarian and teachers. A special thank you to Ms. Susie Allen and Miss Nicky King our Deptuty Principals for their hard work.
I wish you all a safe, restful, and joyful holiday break. We look forward to another successful year when we welcome everyone back in 2026!
Ngā mihi nui,
Phebe Rossiter
Principal
Pigeon Mountain Primary School
Student Achievement and Celebration
Horse Riding with RDA
Congratulations to Luca Burlacu for completing an excellent year at RDA. In his horse riding lessons, Luca has built strength, balance and coordination all while enjoying being out in nature with the horses. During Luca’s last lesson, Santa even came along as a special guest! If you would like to support the work of NZRDA in some way, please visit their website https://rda.org.nz/
School News and Announcements
EPro8 Auckland Finals
On Thursday 4 December, our PMPS team The Fabulous Four competed in the EPro8 Auckland Finals. The team had placed 2nd in our local competition at Farm Cove Intermediate and then won their semi-final at The Gardens School, securing their spot in the top round of the competition.
The finals had a spy theme, with our team choosing to build the laser maze. Jeremy, Darin, Cooper, and Joe all did a fantastic job, working together brilliantly throughout this challenging task.
Thank you to Mrs Mandy Attard for supporting EPro8 at PMPS and coaching The Fabulous Four to reach this stage of the competition.
Out-of Zone enrolment: At Pigeon Mountain School, we live by our motto: Education with a heart. We are delighted to continue serving our community and welcoming new students to our nurturing environment.
We currently have a few places available for students entering Year 0 throughout the 2026 school year. As per Ministry of Education guidelines, if the number of Out-of-Zone applications exceeds the number of places available, a ballot must be held.
For families planning entry for 2026, please note the following eligibility cut-off dates based on a child's 5th birthday: Your child can start in Term 2 if their 5th birthday is after 20 April, Term 3 if their birthday is after 20 July and Term 4 if their birthday is after 12 October.
We have scheduled three ballots for the remainder of 2026 to ensure fair access to these limited places. We encourage all interested families who reside outside our school zone to submit their applications by the respective closing dates:
Ballot Term Application Closing Date Ballot Date
Term 2 Wednesday 4 February 2026 Wednesday 11 February 2026
Term 3 Wednesday 22 April 2026 Wednesday 29 April 2026
Term 4 Wednesday 22 July 2026 Wednesday 29 July 2026
How to Apply: Please email enrolment@pmps.school.nz for further details regarding your child’s Year 0 enrolment at our school.
An Online enrolment application form and details regarding the priority of enrolment categories are available on the school website or from the school office. Please ensure your application reaches us by the closing date for the term you wish to apply for.
We look forward to welcoming the newest members of our school family.
Meet the teacher meetings 2026
We are eagerly preparing for a smooth and positive start to 2026!
To ensure every student feels known and supported from day one, we are holding dedicated Family Connection Meetings on Monday, 2 February 2026.
This is a crucial chance to book a 10-minute slot where you can bring your child to meet their new teacher, settle into the classroom environment, and start building that essential home-school partnership.
What to Share: This time is dedicated to you sharing what matters most—your child’s strengths, passions/hobbies, and a little insight into your family and what makes your child unique.
Important Dates:
Family Connection Day: Monday, 2 February 2026 (10-minute bookings)
First Day of School (Students): Tuesday, 3 February 2026
Look out for a separate email with instructions on how to book your time slot before the end of the year!
Yearbook: If you have not ordered a Yearbook but would still like one please order it on KINDO by 11.30am if you would like to collect it today at 12.30pm. Otherwise if you order after this time on KINDO it will be available for collection on 2 February 2026
WeChat: We now have a new Pigeon Mountain Primary school WeChat group. If you are interested in joining this group please use the link below. This group is managed by Board members Yongchun Fu, Miaohui Li, Rui Ling Chen and Principal Phebe Rossiter and Deputy Principal Nicky King.
Second hand uniform shop: If you have any good quality uniform that you would like to donate please can you send it to the office and we will use funds raised from the uniform shop to improve the outdoor learning areas at school. Term 4 - Important Dates and Reminders
Important dates for 2026
Whanau meeting day: Monday 2 February
First day of school: Tuesday 3 February
