Pinehurst School

A Warm Pinehurst Welcome

This week we had the pleasure of welcoming a visiting group of students from Korea to Pinehurst for a two-week experience programme.

Our Kapa Haka group greeted our guests with a powerful haka and beautiful waiata in the theatre foyer, offering a meaningful Pinehurst welcome and sharing a special moment of culture and connection.

Among the visitors is Year 8 student Heather Y., who will be joining College classes during her stay and learning alongside our students. She will be following her buddy’s timetable and experiencing life as a Pinehurst student over the next two weeks.

We are delighted to host our visitors and look forward to sharing learning, friendship and cultural exchange during their time with us.

Welcome to Pinehurst! 🇳🇿

🎾 Pinehurst Takes the Win!

What an outstanding result for our Pinehurst tennis team at last week’s Tennis Supercluster - finishing 1st overall!

Our students delivered exceptional performances across both singles and doubles, showcasing skill, determination and fantastic teamwork on the court.

Results highlights:

🥇 Boys Singles – Tony X. (1st)
🏅 Boys Singles – Sheldon C. (5th)
🥈 Girls Singles – Yinuo L. (2nd)
🏅 Girls Singles – Mia K. (5th)
🥇 Boys Doubles – Oliver S. & Jason H.
🥇 Girls Doubles – Chloe Z. & Ella G.

This is a fantastic achievement and a true reflection of the hard work and commitment our players bring to their sport. Congratulations to all of our players on an incredible team result! 👏

🎶 Year 5 & 6 Solo Performance Showcase

It was a wonderful evening in the Pinehurst Theatre as our Year 5 and 6 students took to the stage for their Solo Performance Showcase last Thursday.

The audience enjoyed a fantastic display of musical talent, with confident solo and duo performances highlighting the dedication and progress of our young musicians. It was particularly special to see students supporting one another as accompanists, demonstrating both musical skill and a strong sense of collaboration.

We were also delighted to enjoy a vibrant guest performance from our Year 4–6 Marimba Group, which brought wonderful rhythm and energy to the concert.

Thank you to all the parents and whānau who came along to support our performers — your encouragement means so much to our students. It was a truly special evening celebrating creativity, courage and the joy of music.

Well done to all of our talented performers! ✨

A Sweet Day of Learning for Year 11 🍦

Our Year 11 Business Studies and Accounting students had a busy and exciting morning visiting the Tip Top factory in Mt Wellington.

Students enjoyed a behind-the-scenes look at how Tip Top ice cream is produced, learning about the manufacturing process, business operations and marketing strategies that help make the brand so successful. Seeing production in action brought their classroom learning about costing, marketing and business operations to life.

To top it all off, students were able to taste the finished products — the perfect way to finish a fantastic learning experience! A great day connecting classroom theory with real-world business. ✨

🏃‍♂️ Pinehurst Running Club – Off to a Great Start!

It was an early start this morning as our Pinehurst Running Club laced up their shoes for their first run together. Meeting bright and early outside the Dance Studio, the group headed out on their inaugural route through Rosedale Park before returning to school - just over 3km to kick things off!

The atmosphere was full of energy and encouragement, with students supporting one another and enjoying the fresh morning air before the school day began. Afterwards, the group gathered back for a well-earned breakfast and a chance to connect.

A special thank you to Nicholas and Joel for leading the Running Club. Student-led initiatives like this are a wonderful example of Pinehurst students stepping forward to create positive opportunities for their community. We’re looking forward to many more Wednesday morning runs ahead!

🤺 Fantastic results for our Pinehurst fencers!

Over the past two weeks, Pinehurst students have competed at both the North and Central U15/U17 Fencing Championships, achieving a series of impressive results across the competitions.

Highlights included Yilia W. winning gold in the U15 Women’s Épée at both events, alongside podium finishes from Alice Y., Shawn L., Julie X. and Ivy L., with strong performances also from Olivia F.

These achievements are a testament to the dedication, focus and perseverance our students bring to their training and competition. We are incredibly proud of their hard work and the way they represented Pinehurst with skill and sportsmanship.

Congratulations to all of our talented fencers on these outstanding results! 🏆

💦 Year 5–6 Interhouse Swimming Sports

What a fantastic day at AUT Millennium Pools for our Year 5–6 Interhouse Swimming Sports! The pool was full of energy as students gave their best in the water, showing great determination, teamwork and House pride throughout the day.

From exciting races to loud cheers from the sidelines, it was wonderful to see students encouraging one another and embracing the spirit of friendly competition.

A big well done to all of our swimmers for their effort and sportsmanship, and thank you to the staff and supporters who helped make the day such a success.

🤺 Outstanding results for our Pinehurst fencers!

Over the past two weeks, our students have competed at both the North and Central U15/U17 Fencing Championships, delivering impressive performances marked by skill, determination and excellent sportsmanship.

Across the two competitions, our fencers achieved multiple podium finishes, including two championship titles for Yilia W., as well as strong results from Alice Y., Shawn L., Julie X., Ivy L. and Olivia F.

These achievements reflect the dedication, discipline and hard work our students bring to their training and competition. We are incredibly proud to see them representing Pinehurst with such focus and sportsmanship.

Congratulations to all of our talented fencers on these fantastic results! ✨

🌿 Our Respect Tree Begins to Grow 🍃

This week in Primary, something beautiful is taking shape! Yesterday, under the guidance of Mrs Everett, P15 placed the very first leaves onto our 'Respect Tree'. With every leaf, our tree begins to tell a story - a story of 'manaakitanga'. Of gentle words in the playground. Of listening with patience. Of looking after one another and ourselves.

We can’t wait to watch it grow in abundance throughout the week - each class adding their reflections and hopes for the kind of community we are building together. From tiny leaves, a respectful, caring - and wonderfully Pinehurst - culture grows. 🌱

🏆 What an outstanding achievement for Oscar Z (Year 10).

Oscar’s team (Team 22020X, Kidwe Lab) has been crowned National Champion at the VEX V5 National Championship (High School Division) - an incredible accomplishment in one of the country’s top robotics competitions.

Competing against leading teams from across New Zealand, Oscar demonstrated exceptional technical skill, teamwork and strategic thinking. This national title reflects a year of dedication, perseverance and innovation.

As a result of this success, Oscar has earned the honour of representing our region at the VEX Robotics World Championship in the United States this April - an exciting opportunity to compete on the global stage.

We are immensely proud of Oscar and look forward to cheering him on as he represents both Kidwe Lab and the Pinehurst community internationally. 🌎