Linton Camp School Donation - feedback please

We recently received a very kind donation from the community of Linton Camp School in the North Island. This is to support the children and staff as they recover from the affects of the earthquake. We've given the responsibility of deciding how this money will be spent to the Student Leadership Council, who would like your feedback. They have a form which we'd love you to fill in, which is linked off the school web site under the 'Leadership' area. This form will also be posted through our facebook page for quick access. Please give the children some feedback and thoughts to help their decision.

Celebration Assembly 3 June

Well done Room 2 and Ruma Whitu for your amazing Celebration Assembly yesterday. The range and quality of learning you shared was superb. I've put photos up on the school facebook page for everyone to enjoy. Well done those of you who received Principal's Awards for excellence - keep up the awesome learning.

Any parents who want high resoluation copies of the photos email me the title and I'll get them to you.

Writing Review

Staff and children are currently reviewing our writing programmes. This involves finding out what is working well and what could be improved. Involving children in this process is an important way to give us as a school feedback on how we are going, for it is the children who have real insight into what works and how we can make learning better. These insights give us real opportunities for improvement. This is an important aspect of our curriculum development which we call Self Review through the use of Student Voice.

Our process involved children from the Student Leadership Council interviewing others using a form, taking a photo survey and videoing children talking about their writing. The photos to the right show that writing happens in a wide variety of ways - it also happens in conjunction with reading and other learning areas. Here are some of the quotes from children about what they like about writing at school:

Explanations and recounts because its lots of fun. Matthew, Y4

You get to do a lot of cool things and uses a lot of imagination. Evie, Y3

When he can write about show and tell. Jacob, Y2

Writing about stars. Sydney, Y2

Writing fiction and using my imagination. Trinity, Y6

I love to do free writing. Hannah, Y6

Getting to make up my own stories. Charlize, Y5

Writing about what he's done. Harrison, Y1

That you get to make up story. Emelia, Y3

It shows all of the hard work. Matthew F, Y4

It's fun and it has so many different types of writing and i just like writing. Shalagh, Y7

ANZAC Speech 2011

Well done Hannah and Shalagh for this speech:

Here is our ANZAC speech for 2011 to honour this important occasion. Click here to view the speech.

End of term message

 

Kia ora koutou katoa,

We hope you and your family are doing well. As we reach the end of the term it is a good chance to reflect on all the achievements that our children and school has made during this rather 'eventful' term. 

Our thanks must go to the staff team who have ensured a safe and nurturing environment for our tamariki since re-opening on February 28th. This term has no doubt stretched our energies and so the team (and we hope you) are about to get a well-earned rest ready for an exciting Term Two. As our principal, I am grateful for the professionalism and care of our children that the team provide in addition to the amazing learning they inspire every day.

Thank you also to our Board for their leadership and support, as well as to our wonderful PTA who have given us and new whanau awesome support this term. We do appreciate your help!

Your child should now have their portfolio of learning. This is an important part of our reporting process and is a key tool for helping your child(ren) gain feedback on their learning from the term. This is a time for you to celebrate what your child can do, and look forward to their next steps in their learning. Some questions you could ask  your child about their portfolio could be:

What did you learn when you did that? How do you know? 
Can you show me how you know this?
What is the next thing for you to learn?

Our eportfolios are now set up so that when a child or teacher posts to the Ako Blog, it will email the parents/caregivers. We hope this helps you. It is great to see the children excited to be sharing their learning in this way. We will have a solution for printing the Ako Blogs out, if you would like this please send me an email and I'll send you the information.

The theme for the term two is a science focus, where children will develop a deep understanding of:

• how the earths systems (water, land, air and life) and universe subsystems are interdependent and that all are important.
• the affect of humans on these systems. 

We will soon be sharing our action plan from our Whanau Hui 2010. A number of the suggestions made during that hui have already been implemented. 

Finally, we hope you have a restful holiday break with your friends and whanau. It's been a challenging last couple of months and so we trust you get some rest and recuperate with the kids. We look forward to seeing you in the new term.

ka kite,
Rob

 

Celebration - well done Room 2

Last Friday Room 2 came runners up at a special ceremony to celebrate Earth Hour in the Selwyn District. We are very proud of Room 2 and Mr Thurlow for their outstanding video - here is the certificate they received and below is the movie:

Te Reo Assessment

Coby assessing younger students in Te reo

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.

What makes great leadership

Today I was approached by the Selwyn Council to give them a decision of who is to receive the cup for outstanding leadership at Burnham School. This led me to wonder what the children think. I spent some time in Room 6 talking about leadership with our Year 7 and 8 students and they had some great ideas.

Please write your ideas about what makes great leadership as comments to this blog post.