Newsletter 6 - Term 2
Principal’s Message
Kia ora koutou katoa,
Dear Parents and Whānau,
It has been a wonderful start to the term at Pigeon Mountain Primary School. Our school motto, "Education with a Heart," is more than just a phrase on a wall; it is a living, breathing part of our culture. Over the past few weeks, I have been so impressed seeing this in action through the way our new staff and students have been welcomed, supported, and truly cared for as they join our school family.
This week, the spirit of manaakitanga is everywhere. Our students and teachers are currently collaborating with The Kindness Project, creating beautiful arts and crafts to brighten the lives of others in our community.
Furthermore, our student Wellbeing Leaders recently shared an important reminder at our PB4L assembly about our Pātaka Kai (our signature teal-coloured pantry) located near the Loloma Drive entrance. This is a wonderful resource for our community—it operates on the simple, heart-led principle of "give what you can, take what you need."
While we nurture the heart, we are equally dedicated to academic excellence. We take pride in the high-quality teaching programmes running in every classroom, and our professional focus this term is firmly on Curriculum and Assessment.
Our staff are working collaboratively to ensure the new refreshed curriculum is being delivered consistently across the school. We are particularly focused on:
Implementing a structured approach to English and Mathematics
Using robust assessment to ensure every child is on track for their year-group expectations.
Sharing best-practice strategies to ensure our teaching remains world-class.
It has been a focused and productive start to the term, and I am incredibly proud of the dedication shown by both our staff and our learners. Thank you for your continued support as we work together to make this a successful term of growth.
Ngā mihi nui,
Phebe Rossiter
Principal
Pigeon Mountain Primary School
Student Achievement and Celebration
Reporting Progress: We are excited to share that our school is transitioning to the Ministry of Education’s new reporting system, which focuses on the refreshed curriculum and updated progress indicators.
We recognise that these changes are significant, and our priority is ensuring that students, teachers, and families all have a clear understanding of how progress is being measured. To support this, we are hosting two Parent Information Sessions to walk you through the new report, how teachers are making judgements about progress and how the changes may impact on your child/ children.
These sessions will cover the same content, so please choose the time that best suits your schedule:
Session 1: Thursday, 18 June | 8:45 am – 9:30 am
Session 2: Thursday, 18 June | 5:30 pm – 6:15 pm
Both meetings will be held in the school hall. There is no need to book in advance—simply turn up. We look forward to seeing you there and working together to support our learners through this transition!
Year 5 camp: Wow, what an amazing time our Year 5 students, teacher and parents had in the first week back. The excitement was high and everyone had a great time despite the very early wake up for some students on Friday morning. I have included some lovely camp reflections written by our Year 5 students.
Year 5 campers playing vollyball
Camp at Willow Park
As the students behind me followed, talking excitedly, we finally reached the area where we were going to stay for a day and a half. I felt nervous, but excitement soared through me like a bird gliding through the sky. We gathered in the hall, and the teachers explained that we needed to put our suitcases in the cabin where we were sleeping. Later, our group and the others took off to go to Eastern Beach for our five activities, but first, we needed to eat.
After eating, we had our first activity, beach environmental. We learned about new shellfish, and we also did a scavenger hunt. Our second activity was kayaking. I love kayaking, so I was looking forward to it. Next, my group learned how to paddle while being in the water, and it was a little harder than I thought. Once I dragged the kayak into the water and sat on it, I felt weightless, softly touching the water like a whisper of mist. The third activity was archery. My second favourite activity, I stretched the string on the bow and aimed at the target, with precision, I launched the bow, and the arrow went darting through the air like lightning. The fourth activity was frisbee golf. I threw the frisbee with confidence that I would get close to the golf pole. To my surprise, it was right next to the golf pole. I felt like a winner, and I won frisbee golf in my group. The last activity was team challenges. The whole team went to the hall. Our team played tic tac toe, rock paper scissors battle, the floor is lava and roll the ball to hit the cone and many others.
When it was time to eat dinner, we had rice with chicken, peas and baby carrots. Finally, we watched a movie and made s’mores. At night, it was time to sleep, and everyone had to brush their teeth before sleeping. We all got ready for bed, and sleep wasn’t too bad for camp.
It was very exciting to be at camp, especially with all my friends. It was probably one of the most fun times of my life, and I can’t wait for Year Six camp next year.
By Fay Tan
Willow Park Camp
As the chilly winter air began to warm, 116 happy Year 5 students walked down the narrow staircase to Willow Park Christian Camp, the excitement trying to outmatch each other like warriors. As we caught our first glimpse of the lush green sports fields and the trees that lined the driveway, our chatter stopped for a few moments as we gaped at it before rising into a full-blown storm of conversation.
Then we walked into the old and proud building, and we seated ourselves at our assigned tables. After that, we went out in teams to grab our luggage and go up another 2 staircases before we found our cabins. My cabin included three bunk beds and a window. It was simple, and I liked it at once.
My first activity was the beach environment. We did it a bit like orienteering, but you have to look at the clue and guess the animal or shell it was. Then we had a scavenger hunt.
My favourite activity was archery. As I loaded my bow, I felt my heart beating like brass drums, adrenaline rushed through my body like a mighty river, and I aimed my arrow at the target. I watched it fly straight and true, but… Unfortunately, I hit the ring outside the bullseye.
For dinner, we had teriyaki chicken on rice with peas and carrots. It was delicious!! Then, for dessert, we got to eat ice cream. After dinner, we watched The Lion King, a movie with smores, Delicious! Finally, we went to bed.
The next morning, I woke up early at 6:15 am, I dressed and started packing up my belongings into my main bag with my cabin mates, Ella, Jessie, Chenfei, Meimei, and our parent helper. Then we tidied up our cabin and started up a random conversation before the teachers called us to breakfast.
For breakfast, we had a choice of toast, porridge, or cereal. We then walked to the recreation centre for twelve more activities before lunch. There was a drawing game, paper, scissors, rock, and noodle golf. Afterwards, we had lunch, which was a ham and cheese sandwich that looked a bit like a burger. Finally, we walked out of Willow Park along the winding driveway, boarded a bus and went back to school, where our luggage was waiting.
By Meredith Zhang
Grandparents Day: Thank you to all our grandparents and other significant adults that came along for grandparents day on Friday. It is a privilege to open our school up and invite family in to see our learning spaces. I saw some very talented grandparents drawing and sketching, others involved in either fun or competitive board games, and arts and crafts.
Year 3 and 4 Swimming: Last week we had the first of our swimming sessions for Year 3 and 4 students. We are lucky to have access to qualified swim instructors and transport to and from Lloyd Elsmore Pools through the John Walker Field of Dreams trust. Our students were very excited and had a great first session. Year 5 and 6 students will get this opportunity later in the year.
Students learning to swim at Lloyd Elsmore
School News and Announcements
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L): This week’s PB4L lesson focused on respecting our classroom and school environment. Students explored what respect looks like in action, including taking care of shared spaces, using resources responsibly and helping keeping our learning areas clean and welcoming for everyone.
Monday Morning Milos: This is our new Term 2 and 3 fundraiser. Students can purchase a hot Milo (chocolate milk) with marshmallows on KINDO for $3.00 and collect from the hall kitchen at morning tea. Orders close on KINDO on Friday’s at 3pm. This is only available on a Monday. All money raised will go towards our new basketball hoops. Milo Monday begins on 11 May.
Walking home from school: Our school day ends at 3:00 PM. To help us keep all students safe, please note the following:
Students in Year 1 and Year 0 must be collected from their classroom by an adult or older sibling.
Students in Year 2-6 can walk, bike or scooter home.Please ensure your child is clear on their plan for the day before they arrive at school.
We love seeing our students build friendships, but we ask for your help in managing playdates. Please ensure these are fully organised the day before. To avoid confusion or safety concerns, children should not go home with a friend unless both families have confirmed the plan in advance. Last-minute arrangements at the school gate can lead to uncertainty for both the school and parents.
Please chat with your child about what to do if a plan changes or if you are delayed. If they are ever unsure, hurt, or can’t find you, their first step should be to tell their classroom teacher or come to the school office. We are always here after school and will stay with your child until we’ve contacted you.
Pigeon Mountain Primary School Donation
Our school is striving to provide the best possible environment for our students and enhance our learning programs with additional resources. To help us fund these additional resources not covered by the Ministry of Education, we invite you to contribute to our voluntary school donation scheme. Payments can be easily made through KINDO, where you can also instantly download your receipt for tax credit purposes. We truly value your kind support.
Important Dates and Reminders
Term Dates
Term 2: Monday 20th April - Friday 3rd July
ANZAC Day Public Holiday - Monday 27th April
King’s Birthday - Monday 1st June
Curriculum day (Teacher Only Day) 29th May
Term 3: Monday 20th July - Friday 25th September
Term 4: Monday 12th October - Tuesday 15 December
Curriculum Day (Teacher Only Day) Friday 23rd October
Labour Day – Monday 26th October
Important event dates at Pigeon Mountain Primary School:
Please check our school website which has a link to our Pigeon Mountain Community Calendar
Community Notices
Art with Janet
PMPS Wednesday after school art class
Art class: drawing. painting. oil pastels drawing
Day: Wednesday
Time: 3.15pm-4.15pm
Fee: $17 per hour
Classroom: Room 15
Please phone: 027-6555574 Janet
Email: janeto@xtra.co.nz
