Newsletter 8 - Term 2
Principal’s Message
Dear Parents and Whānau,
As we pass the midpoint of the term, I want to take a moment to celebrate the incredible dedication of our staff and the fantastic progress of our students.
Our teaching team has been working exceptionally hard to stay at the forefront of the new curriculum developments in reading, writing, and mathematics. During our recent Curriculum Day, staff collaborated closely to analyse student work. This valuable time ensured that we all hold a shared, collective understanding of what achievement and success look like at each year level, allowing us to better support every individual learner.
We are incredibly proud of our students, who are putting in immense effort, making wonderful academic progress, and consistently demonstrating our school values: Excellence, Respect, Responsibility, and Resilience.
A true highlight of my week is our Monday PB4L (Positive Behaviour for Learning) Assembly. It is wonderful to see our classes take turns sharing how they bring our school values to life. This week, we had two classes present on a very important tool we use at school: W.I.T.S.
W.I.T.S. is a simple, effective strategy we teach students to help them independently navigate minor problems or unkind behavior in the playground. It stands for:
Walk away
Ignore
Talk it out
Seek help
We know that the strongest support system for a child is a close partnership between home and school. If your child comes home and shares a concern about a playground disagreement or an unkind moment, it is incredibly helpful to prompt them by asking: "Did you try using your WITS?"
By using the same language at home and at school, we can work together to build resilient, confident problem-solvers.
Thank you for your continued support of our school community.
Ngā mihi nui,
Phebe Rossiter
Principal
Pigeon Mountain Primary School
Student Achievement and Celebration
Chess: A massive congratulations to our Chess Team A for their spectacular victory at the Inter-School Championship held at Point View School on May 20th! Standing tall as the overall victors, the team has officially qualified for the National Championship, set to take place right here in Auckland this coming September (dates to be confirmed).
We also want to acknowledge the incredible efforts of our four other competing teams. They demonstrated outstanding strategy, focus, and sportsmanship on the day, proving that our school's chess talent runs incredibly deep. We are immensely proud of everyone who competed, and we wish Team A the absolute best as they prepare for the nationals.
Science: Our Year 1 students have been diving into science lately, exploring exactly what it means for something to be "waterproof."
To test the concept, Room 10 watched eagerly as Mrs. Blest dressed up in a rain jacket, rain pants, a hat, and gumboots. The students then got to pour water right over her head! Luckily, the gear did its job and she stayed completely dry.
The students then took this exciting experiment back to their desks, using what they learned to figure out a very important mission: how to keep their cookies waterproof!
School News and Announcements
Positive Behaviour for Learning (PB4L): This week, our PB4L lesson focused on our end of day routines. We discussed taking care of resources, returning items to the correct places, tidying our learning spaces, and ensuring the classroom is ready for the next day. By working together and showing responsibility for our environment, we create a positive space for everyone.
School dates for 2027:
Tuesday, 2 February – Meet the Teacher: Come check out the classroom, meet your child's teacher, and share your child's unique strengths and passions with us.
Wednesday, 3 February – First Day of Term: School officially begins for all students.
Tuesday 14 December - Last day of school. Please note the 12.30pm finish.
Save the date! We have our Senior school Cross Country booked for Tuesday 30 June. This is for Year 4-6 students. Our Junior school Cross Country is booked for Friday 7th August. More information to come.
Maths Open Morning: We would like to invite parents, family members and caregivers into school on Friday 19 June. We will begin with a presentation in the school hall 9.00 - 9.45am. The presentation will cover our Maths curriculum and what is being taught in the classroom. You will then have an opportunity from 9.30 - 10.30am to spend time in your child's class engaged in a number talk and maths games with your child.
Toys and Trading cards:
As a general rule, we ask that students leave personal toys at home to prevent them from getting lost, broken, or causing distractions in class.
However, we know Pokémon and trading cards are incredibly popular right now! To keep things fair and fun, we have introduced a "Show and Play" policy. These guidelines ensure cards aren't lost, damaged, or disruptive:
-Show and Play Only (No Trading or Betting): Students are welcome to share and play with their cards, but absolutely no trading or betting is permitted. This protects students from making unfair deals they might later regret.
-Show and Play is only for lunchtime.
-Class Time is for Learning: Cards must stay inside students' bags during class time, morning tea, and assemblies.
-Designated Card Zone: Card play is limited strictly to the Library only.
-"Your Deck, Your Responsibility": If students choose to bring cards to school, they are solely responsible for keeping them secure.
Thank you for your support in helping our students manage their collections responsibly!
Pink Ribbon Day: A huge thank you to our school community who raised $793.00 for a very worth cause, Breast Cancer society.
Wanted! Good condition toys:
This year we have a Year 0/ New Entrance class starting in Term 2 and Term 4 and we are on the hunt for the following items: LEGO or DUPLO, plastic animals, shop or dolls house, plastic food, wooden puzzles or games suitable for 5 year olds, Doctors equipment. If you have any of these items which are still in good quality please contact Mrs Fi Blest fionab@pmps.school.nz
Keeping Our Community Healthy and Supported: First and foremost, thank you all for your ongoing partnership in making our school a safe, vibrant, and healthy place for our students to learn and grow. Your support truly makes our community a special one.
As we head into the season of sniffles and bugs, we want to take a moment to chat about how we manage student illness at school, and how we can work together to keep everyone safe and comfortable.
From time to time, children become unwell during the school day. When this happens, our top priority is ensuring they receive comfort and care in our sick bay until they can head home to rest.
To help us do this effectively, we kindly ask that parents, or a designated emergency contact, be available to collect your child within 30 minutes of our call.
We completely understand that balancing work commitments, meetings, and travel times can make this incredibly challenging. However, prompt collection is vital for a couple of important reasons:
When a child is unwell, an office staff member needs to check on them every 5 to 10 minutes or sit with them directly. Quick pickups ensure our team can provide focused comfort to your child while also managing the busy daily operations of the school.
Our sick bay is a small, shared space. To limit the spread of bugs and viruses, we need to minimise the number of students in the room at any one time. Prompt pickups allow us to keep the space available and safe for the next child who might need it.
Please take a quick moment this week to review your contact details with the front office. If your work makes it difficult to get away quickly, we highly recommend adding a trusted neighbor, family member, or friend to your child's approved pickup list.
Important Dates and Reminders
Term Dates
Term 2: Monday 20th April - Friday 3rd July
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 23
Please phone: 027-6555574 Janet
Email: janeto@xtra.co.nz
