Newsletter - Wednesday 22nd April 2026

April 2026 Edition

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Term 2, Week 1 Wednesday 22nd April 2026

Principals Message

Kia ora tatou, Mālō e lelei, Annyeong haseyo, Ni hao, Dzień dobry

A very warm welcome back to Term 2! It has been fantastic to see our students return motivated, engaged, and ready for an exciting learning journey ahead.

Welcome to Our New Pinehill Whānau

We began the term with a Pinehill whakatau, welcoming 23 new students, staff, and families. A special welcome to Ms Pauline Menown, who has opened our Year 1 class in Room 20, as well as to all our new students across various year levels.

Starting at a new school is a big transition, and we want to make it as easy as possible for our new families. If you ever have questions—big or small—please pop in and ask!

Attendance management plan

One of the things we are continuing to focus on in Term 2 is student attendance. You will hear us talking about this with you, with our students and it remains a strong subject of conversation in the school.

Our school Attendance Management Plan is on our website and can also be accessed here

If a student misses one day of school every two weeks, they miss more than a whole year of school by 16 years of age. As a parent or caregiver, you, alongside our school, play a key role in building strong habits of regular school attendance.

All students are legally required to attend school every day and it is a shared responsibility to make sure students attend and engage in learning from when they first start school.

You must let the school know if your child is going to be absent or intends to be absent for a portion of the school term for whatever reason, like a tangi or medical procedure. Family holidays or taking time off for extracurricular activities (not organised by school) are not acceptable reasons for being absent.

Knowing if your child is well enough to go to school can be tricky. Health guidance to support you to decide is available here. If you are still unsure, get in touch with us and let’s work together to support your learner.

If you are finding it hard to get your child to school, please talk with us so we can work together. Our school is committed to supporting your child to attend school.

Our school continues to build a culture that fosters attendance every day by having:

· School staff who have strong relationships with students and family.

· A school culture that recognises your child and your family for who you are, where you come from and what you value.

· A school whānau that takes all practical steps to make sure your child is at school and progressing in their learning.

· A school that is safe and welcoming for everyone in our school community.

If you have any attendance queries and issues, please contact us so we can work together.

Family Contact Details - are these up to date?

If you have had a change in phone number or address, please update the office ASAP. This is particularly important for us to have in emergency situations, as you will be contacted on the phone number/s we have for you in our school system.

Upcoming Events – Term 2 Snapshot

Here’s a quick look at what’s coming up this term: Cross Country - School Fun Run - Pink Shirt Day - Farewell Assembly for Ms Lucas (ESOL teacher) - Math Parent Evening - Mathex Competition - School Disco - Mid Year reports go home - Student/Parent Conferences

A reminder that we also have a Teacher Only Day this term on Friday 12th June. The school is closed on this day, so please mark this on your calendars and if required, organise supervision for your child on this day.

Further details will be shared closer to each event. Here is some further information of Term 2 events in the next month…

Pink Shirt Mufti Day – Friday, 15 May

Pinehill School will join schools nationwide for Pink Shirt Mufti Day, promoting kindness and anti-bullying.

Your child is able to wear pink or colours close to pink (purple, burgundy, red) and bring a gold coin donation. Money raised will be sent to the Mental Health Foundation.

Pinehill School Cross Country Update - Tuesday 19th May

Following the previous two years, we will continue with a dual-event approach, catering to all students' abilities.

Week 5 – Tuesday, 19 May at 10:30am -Y4-Y6 Competitive Cross Country (optional event for those interested in competing and/or qualifying for Inter-School Cross Country in Week 8 – Wednesday, 10 June).

Week 5 – Thursday, 21 May -Whole School Fun Run – an obstacle course held at school for all students. (This will start at 1pm - further information coming soon).

Check out what our Fun Run will be like! Pinehill School Fun Run

Preparing for Fun Run Cross Country - Thursday 21st May

At school: Training has begun—please ensure your child wears comfortable clothing for running (and names all items, including shoes).

At home: Students are encouraged to wear old or non-precious white/pale clothing on the day of the Fun Run—this will get coloured (non-toxic powder), muddy, and grass-stained!

Pinehill Way – Our Values

Learn more about The Pinehill Way here. https://pinehill.school.nz/the-pinehill-way/

Term 2 Spotlight: Responsibility

This term, we are focusing on Responsibility—exploring how responsibility looks, sounds, and feels in different settings (classrooms, assembly, library, cross country training, trips, Creative Playbox use, looking after our school).

How you can help at home: Talk with your child about responsibility in daily life, whether at sports practice, home, or in the community.