Final Assembly 2010

Last Friday we had our final assembly for the year. This is an annual event and is always a fabulous celebration of the achievement of our children and school from throughout the year. Thank you to everyone who supported us in attending.

Below are some shots taken of the assembly and we will be putting up media and video of some of the proceedings during the week.

Celebration Assembly Expectations

Our aim is to involve more children in the decisions behind various aspects of how the school is run - assemblies and hui being one aspect of this.

Based on feedback from last year the entire school have come up with some ideas for how we'd like to develop our school Celebration Assemblies.

Below are the initial ideas for how we will develop this very special time to show off the great learning we are up to: 

Burnham School Celebration Assembly

What makes an awesome Celebration Assembly?

• Difference
• Funny
• Listening to the speaker
• Decorate the hall for your classes Celebration Assembly
• National Anthem, Karakia, Singing, Certificates

How should we start?

• Enter with something happening - singing a song
• Quietly
• Classes wait outside hall before coming in
• Teachers to decide

How should we finish?

• Wait for your teacher 
• Karakia

What should we expect during it?

Do we need to sit the same way?

• Work towards choosing where we want to sit 
• As long as we're quiet
• Host of Assembly decide on where each class sits/Explore different ways to sit

Welcome to 2010 from Burnham School

Dear parents/caregivers and friends of Burnham School,

Happy New Year and welcome to 2010! This email is to give you an update regarding the start of the new school year at Burnham School - Te Kura o Tiori. 

Firstly, those of you who are moving to other places in NZ, especially our Year 8 leavers from 2009, we wish you good luck and a happy start to the year in your new schools. You are always welcome at Burnham School. 

I have had a great holiday with my wife, Angela, and our three year old, Isabella. We stayed in Christchurch and got lots of exercise, had some surfing lessons, a chocolate indulgence day in Governor’s Bay (mum and dad only), quite a few day trips to various places like Orana Park/Orton Bradley Park/beaches, and a new dolls' house created for Isabella (in just under two days prior to Christmas)!

Staff has had two days working together and staying overnight on our staff retreat, working on the new curriculum and planning an exciting year of learning for everyone. We have two new classroom teachers, as well as an additional teacher working across the school to provide even more learning support. We also have a new teacher aide joining us and two music tutors. The itinerant music programme will start early in the term and promises to be a fabulous opportunity for those who want to take part - piano, guitar, singing, percussion and keyboard so watch this space! What an inspiring team we have at Burnham School!

Welcome new families

For the new families joining our community, we are looking forward to welcoming you and getting to know you and your child(ren). We hope you are settling in well to the community. There will be some special gatherings just for families who are new to the school early in the term, in addition to the events we will have for everyone. Please ask us if you have any questions and feel free to pop into the classroom(s) of your child to help out if you can. Keep an eye on www.burnham.school.nz/calendar for events, as well as the Principal Blog: www.burnham.school.nz/principal for updates.

Where children need to go first day

Those of you who are returning know that the first day of school is when the children find out their new class and teacher. This can be somewhat daunting for some children and so we will do everything we can to ensure a smooth and happy start for everyone, especially new students. To help this process, every staff member will have a master list of all children sorted by first name, which will help us to direct students to the right classroom and teacher. 

We will also have the names and classes posted on the wall of the library, main office notice board and on a whiteboard outside Room 3 to help this process. If you are enrolling your child on Tuesday for the first time, please come to the office and meet Trish, who will help you. My suggestion for new students and families is for them to come to school between 8.30-8.45 to help us locate children and direct them to the right place. Classrooms open at 8.30am every day.

Stationery:

Children will be issued with their stationery list on the first day of school. You are welcome to purchase your stationery from us or arrange your own.Stationery will be available from the school and we encourage parents using this service to consider using internet banking to pay for it. The office will also take cash or cheque.

Newsletters, Web Sites and Class Blogs:

This year we will have a fortnightly school newsletter. This will coincide with regular class blog updates, keeping you up to date with what is happening in our classrooms. Our newsletter will have a new look and in time, so will our web site. Parents and whanau elsewhere in NZ or abroad will even be able to subscribe to class blogs to be updated automatically. All class blogs are in the format: www.burnham.school.nz/1 (note the class number at the end).

School Assemblies and Team Hui

We are improving how we organise and run our school assemblies. The first week of term will be a 'team hui' for both the junior team and the senior team, running from 1.30-2.00 on Friday. Once finished, we invite parents/caregivers who are able to attend to join in the afternoon's learning.

In week two, our first whole school celebration assembly will be lead by Rooms 3 and 6. This assembly will have as its focus the sharing of learning from these classrooms, but may also include celebrations of learning from anywhere in the school! I will explain the thinking behind these improvements in greater detail in our first newsletter. Again, keep an eye on the community calendar at: www.burnham.school.nz/calendar to see when your child(ren)'s class is leading either Team Hui or Celebration Assembly.

3 Wishes - a request of all families:

Finally, in 2010 we have a new system for schoolwide goal setting which we believe will help us in aligning your wishes as family/whanau with the goals we develop with your child(ren). Over time this will provide the school and family with valuable information regarding progress towards the most important learning priorities of our tamariki.

We ask that every family provide us with their 'top three wishes' for each child for 2010. This information is shared with class teachers, and me as the Principal. We will refer back to it regularly as we evaluate your child's progress throughout the year. Please go to: www.burnham.school.nz/3wishes and complete the survey for each of your children. Class teachers will be following up and providing other ways to gather this information from you at our 'Meet the Teacher' evening early in the term.

We look forward to welcoming you back to school.

Ka kite ano,

Rob Clarke

Tumuaki - Principal

Te Kura o Tiori - Burnham School

t: +64 3 347 6851

e: principal@burnham.school.nz

b: www.burnham.school.nz/principal

w: www.burnham.school.nz

Assembly Evaluation PMI

Below are our thoughts about what is good and what could be improved about our school assemblies. We will be giving children more and more say in how the school functions and this is one example of this. The thinking behind this is that the more say the students hav - the more ownership they will have of their learning.


If parents have comments we'd love to hear from you, just click the comment link and make them.

Room	Plus	Minus	New Ideas/Solutions
1	Singing Certificates House Points Principal Award Boot Award Notebook Art Mr Clarke's guitar	Sitting down too long Too much talking Clapping Telling off Junior Hui	Certificates on birthday Exercise in the middle of assembly Assembly everyday (short)
2	When everyone gets certificates learning new songs	Coming into the hall with to much noise All the class have to be in the same spot when all the classes are talking when we have to wait for all the other classes cause it makes the assembly to long being told off for talking	Fake birthday cake and some candles When we sing songs someone to play the guitar When you get certificates you get a toy Everyone should have a idea to share with assembly like an item or something.
3	Certificates Songs Prayer (karakia) Ball Skills National Anthem The Boot Mr Clarke talking House certificates Getting out of the hall	When we have to stay there forever When Mr Clarke has to growl Too noisy Same songs	A golden boot We could sit nicely, be quiet Listen Better songs - ABBA
4	Singing Certificates -standing on the stage Boot Principals award National anthem/karakia Notebook House points- Certificates End of term prizes Sitting up nicely Mr Clarke talking-his photo Teachers sharing notices Having senior leaders Ball skills	Noise!! Ball skills House points-talking-been around to long. Singing too long People being told off Everyone talking while waiting to begin and talking again at the end. Seniors running it its not fair on the other classes Sitting to long Waiting for people to be quiet	Mr Clarke - talk about whats happening in the school-events New songs-fun songs Ball skills every second Monday House points-power points slide, already added, Mr Clarke announces winner, does certificates A different class runs it each week and have a class item to share Song to come to into sing while waiting also a song to go out with but change it weekly. Comfy seats.
5	Certificates House points Singing Notices Boot Vouchers Notebook National anthem/karakia When classes show art Students running When we're 1st to leave Principals award Honors award	Too long People talking/Playing Staying in to practice People always in trouble Lots of waiting Sore bottom Repeating songs Having to wear shoes Making up silly words in songs People turning around People humming instead of singing People try to talk to others People make fun of songs	Each class has a principals award Sit on seats if good Pencils with principals award Best class gets seats next assembly Assembly outside Classes lead assembly Stretches Notebook gets pencils Big prize for one person in the notebook All do stereo yr 4+ classes sit boy/girl Different songs Fun songs like sing star songs 90s 60s Karaoke All to take part Classes take turns to choose songs Performances Year 8's hand out awards Classes watch out for good people
6	Awards- The Boot, Certificates, Notebook Prizes- Rugby Tickets, End of term notebook prizes Singing together Year 8 seats at back Humour Being at end of a day	Audience behaviour- Clapping Mucking about Talking while items are happening Leader doing everything It's repetitive Waiting for people to stop Mucking around- having to set the example Song variety- Type, Repeating Too long Leaders not being clear It gets hot	More songs to choose from Teaching how to sing songs 1 senior + 1 junior song Class items/sharing/plays/student notices Better behaviour entering Exciting (no pushing) Shorter time School soap opera/running/news desk Teachers/counting down to leaders to get attention Everyone sits on seats Different order for certificates Class choose song to teach Talkers have consequences
7	Don't have to do any work Certificates The boot The notebook-winning prizes Songs House points Some classes share their work Learning new songs Everyone gets together Kapahaka  performances at the assembly I like the tingling feeling I get inside when I get a certificate. Sharing of manual projects Principal's award Mr Clarke's motivational speeches The principal's blog	We are constantly repeating the same songs over again. Sitting down and having to listen. My bottom gets sore at assembly I hate having to wait for people to stop talking between assembly. My legs hurt after having to set so long. Sometimes the assembly is too long Always on a Monday-Why? Everything is the same nothing changes. Things are said that don't need to be said e.g we know we have to wear hats. You get pins and needles. Its not exciting it is boring. It takes the kids to long to find the song. We never move other than stand up or when we sit down. All the juniors get to go first The teachers get to talk but we don't.	Year 5 and 6 should be able to help out with the assembly to. We should have actions to our song so we can get up and dance We should have it on different days Have more kids providing entertainment each week a different class should organise the assembly. Mini snacks like popcorn All the boys sit on one side and all girls on the other Could we have an isle so it would make it easier to go and get certificates We could sit with juniors and do activities together Have seats to sit on Jump jam in assembly 5 minute talking time in assembly Fun facts could be shared Birthday certification and sing happy birthday also have birthday badges.

Assembly Item - Respect

Today in assembly we talked about respect - what does it mean to be respectful? There were three questions that Rob asked people to consider:

1. What does it mean to be respectful?
2. When is it difficult to be respectful?
3. What do you do when you see someone being disrespectful?

Classes over the next couple of days will be discussing these questions and coming up with their own ideas.

Assembly Item - Setting Goals

At today's assembly I shared a story about a visit to Room 5. I went into Room 5 today and was inspired by the conversation they were having about goal setting. We talked about the importance of knowing why you are setting goals.

My challenge to everyone is to set themselves a goal every day and to think carefully about why it is important to them.

Do you think it is important to understand why you have a goal?


One really easy way to start children thinking about how to set goals is through what I call a GLP - this stands for Grateful, Learned and Promise. A GLP is an easy to use way to establish the type of thinking that can lead to goals further down the track. Try it at the dinner table!

Week 6 Awards

Here is a shot of our assembly awards for this week. Congratulations to everyone who is always saying 'I can' and making a difference to their learning!

What is feedback and how does it help learning?

Did you know that great feedback is one of the things that can really make a difference to student learning? Auckland University researchers have found that quality feedback is one of the factors that can potentially have the largest impact on student learning. They believe that ‘feedback' includes telling students:

1. what they have done well (positive reinforcement), and 
2. what they need to do to improve (corrective work, targets etc), 
3. but it also includes clarifying goals.

When you get quality feedback you can make improvements. Teachers give feedback all the time as part of their job. One good example of teachers giving our students feedback is when they give class certificates out at each assembly (photo to the right of this week's recipients). Students can also give feedback to others to improve their learning. 


Did you know that by merely using the word 'because' you can make the feedback more effective? For example: Your writing is much better than before because...


How can you give someone feedback that will help their learning?

What is feedback? How does it help learning?

Write your thoughts as comments to this blog post. Discuss them with your class and come up with some ideas for how your class can use feedback to improve learning. The seniors are going to get some practise at giving feedback by helping with the decision for who may get the leadership cup at the end of the year.

Sources:

• Article about the research
• Auckland University Faculty of Education web site

Assembly Item - Always Try Your Best

During Friday's athletics sports I was inspired by our students and staff. This event was a wonderful chance for our students to show their talents and passion for achieving and striving to be their best. I was also impressed with how well our students supported one another during the events. There is nothing quite like an entire school cheering each other on!

Below are some photos of Burnham School students trying their best to achieve during our athletics sports:

This led me to wondering, what is the relationship between how hard you try for something, and the chances you have for achieving it? I did a web search and found some really useful quotes about the importance of trying your best and being motivated. Here is a quote for you to consider, please put your own ideas as comments to this post below:

"Winning isn't everything, but wanting to win is."  by Vince Lombardi from Inspirational-Quotes.info 

What does this mean for your learning and how can you use this to help you?


(Click here to view more shots from athletics...)

Assembly Item - Self-belief

Henry Ford once said:

"Whether you think you can or you can’t… you’re right!”

What does this mean for learning? 


How can people discover when they do this and how to improve their 'positive self-talk'?

To the right is the photo of Henry Ford who made this statement. Click here to learn more about Henry Ford...

Assembly Item - being sun smart

Today we had a whole school reflection about sun safety. This is to ensure that children understand the importance of sun safety and our rules at school. The question we discussed was:

"What does it mean to be sun smart and why is it important?"

Some of the thoughts shared are made as comments to this blog post.


Click here for the NZ sunsmart web site for an UV index of our area...

Parents, check this web site for messages which reinforce the "slip-slop-slap and wrap" message....