Principal's Message
Kia ora,
PNINS is the largest intermediate school in the heart of Palmerston North, providing high quality education to over 700 fantastic students.
Since opening in 1940, PNINS has had an unwavering reputation for excellence. As the first intermediate school in the region, our expectations have remained high across all areas of school life.
Our traditional values ensure that our students have a confident and capable ‘can do’ attitude to life, enabling them to contribute positively to our learning community. Our values of PERSISTENCE, RESILIENCE, ORGANISATION, CONFIDENCE and GETTING ALONG arm our students for success in whatever endeavours they choose to pursue.
As the new Principal, I am amazed at the number of opportunities that are on offer at PNINS. Whether it be sports, performing arts or one of our many academic opportunities, our students are consistently supported, challenged and extended.
We believe in participating in many local and national events, and enjoy seeing our students testing their capabilities and rising to different challenges.
We are a ‘team orientated’ school, with passionate and caring educators who strive to make a genuine difference to each and every student. We are extremely fortunate to have a high level of support from parents and various community groups, which enables us to offer such a rich and diverse curriculum.
We use technology to enhance and organise our learning, with our BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) programme enabling students to access a range of digital devices. These devices are used in a well-considered and thoughtful manner, allowing for greater authenticity and ‘real life’ learning experiences to occur.
The school roll at PNINS includes 22 different nationalities. We believe this diverse student-pool provides a culturally inclusive environment where students care, learn about and respect difference. This has created a large interest for our language classes, in which we offer French, German, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese and Te Reo Maori.
Our Performing Arts programme is outstanding, and is a real point of difference for our school. The music, dance and drama programmes are of extremely high quality, which is reflected in the attendance and popularity of the school’s productions, cultural exchanges and school assemblies. This is supported by the community music school - a community of over 400 students - that operates on a Saturday morning on our school site.
As a ‘Normal’ School (from l’ecole Normale) the school has a close association with the Massey University Institute of Education. Throughout the year, our school works closely with Massey University, to facilitate programmes which benefit our students and prepare trainees for teaching.
I am extremely honoured and proud to be only the sixth principal appointed in this school’s long history, and am committed to continuing our focus on excellence in all areas of school life. Our aim is that each student has the opportunity to reach their full potential, with my role being to help create a culture of collaboration, reflection and improvement. I enjoy being visible and available to staff, students and the community, and your feedback is always welcome.
Hamish Ruawai
Principal
Board of Trustees
The early adolescent years are a critical time in a young person’s life. At Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School, we focus on the needs of this unique age group through a responsive and challenging curriculum.
The landscape of education is changing. Your children will likely have come from various types of classrooms, based on different learning philosophies. PNINS is uniquely and proudly able to offer students a wide variety of learning environments. Regardless of the type of learning environment your child is in at PNINS; traditional values, high expectations, being cared about and receiving the best education to prepare them for their secondary school years, remains paramount. We want every student to be the best they can be, in an environment where there is a real emphasis on supportive, caring and encouraging relationships.
Great learning for your child starts with great teachers and support staff. We have an excellent staff expertly lead by our Principal, Hamish Ruawai. Our teachers are committed and dedicated. They are experts in teaching pre-adolescents, and understanding their developments, needs and behaviours. They value the importance of positive relationships and strive to ensure this is a consistent focus. They bring to the school a wide range of knowledge and talents, which is evident in the long list of experiences we can offer.
As a board, we are committed to providing our staff with the resources and professional learning required to meet the changing needs of education and more specifically, the needs of this special age group.
Your child will have access to exceptional specialist teachers, who will extend and ignite interests in science, technology, soft materials, food and nutrition, visual arts, music, drama and InfoCom (Informative communications).
At PNINS we build upon the work of your child’s primary school in advancing their literacy and numeracy skills. Part of our role is to prepare students for their secondary years, by providing the knowledge, attitudes and skills which enable them to learn for themselves - to become independent and resilient learners.
At PNINS we proudly provide opportunities for students to sample a wide range of academic, sporting and cultural activities. We celebrate and acknowledge student achievements across all areas of learning, and across aspects of citizenship and attitude. The 5 Keys to School Success is one of the ways we support the social, emotional, and academic outcomes of all our students.
The opportunities available to you and your child through PNINS are immense. We ask that you encourage your sons and daughters to make the most of their years at Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School, and take full advantage of everything school life has to offer. We look forward to your family becoming connected with our school, and we look forward to working together for the benefit of your child.
We are confident that with your support, and your children’s active involvement in the learning programmes we offer, their two years at Palmerston North Intermediate Normal School will provide a wonderful platform for their secondary schooling and the years beyond.
Nau mai rā ki tō tātou kura, Welcome to our school.
Carletta Macdonald and Darryn Joseph
Board Co-Chairs
Members of Staff
Board
Co-Chairs
Carletta Macdonald
Dr Darryn Joseph
Members
Anita Bidlake
Ashley Gurney
James Cameron
Barb Pritchard (Staff Rep)
Hamish Ruawai (Principal)
Financial Consultant
Education Services Central
Board Secretary
Heidi Rea
Senior Management
Principal:
Hamish Ruawai
Deputy Principal
Vicki James
Assistant Principals
Anna Stephenson, Barb Pritchard
Teaching (Teams)
Kahukura
Finn Barnett (Team Leader)
Ashleigh Marfell
Natalie Dean
Arataki
Joanne Parker (Team Leader)
Mayana Karena
Kat Wills
Kaye Webber
Ikatere
Ahnna Stewart (Team Leader)
Matt McEwen
Jono Clement
Emma Baker
Tangaroa
Deb McDonald (Team Leader)
Tania Popata
Kate Taffs
David Meeking
Manawanui
Patrick Hurly (Team Leader)
Sarah Lonsdale
Paige Sly
Shaun Hofenk
Rangitane
Amy Young (Team Leader)
Matt Budd
Jo Donaldson
TBA
Teacher Aides
Belinda Ruebe
Sheryll Sinclair
Roxanne Freeman
Julie Khan
Paola Hapeta
Technology / Arts
Music
Barry Jones
Visual Art
Jackie Spriggs
Materials Technology / Structures & Mechanisms
Jeff Smith
Food/Soft Materials Technology
Helen Fotheringham
Drama, Informative Communication
Gillian Collett
Science
Warwick Grady
Arohanui Team
Literacy Support
Leanne Green
ESOL
Barb Drake
Numeracy Support / Professional Learning
Anna Stephenson
Administration
Office Executive/Principal's Secretary
Heidi Rea
Office Assistant
Nicola McFarlane
School Secretary
Ann Classen
Sport
Chris Sanson
Librarian
Alan Dingley
Library Assistant
Judith McKenna
Property Supervisor
Geoff Phillips
Dental Therapists
Mid Central Health Dental Therapists and Assistants