Week 8 - Term 2 - 2026

Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou

Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing 

Week 8 8 Pipiri - 12 Pipiri OMIYA High School Visit  - Mon 8 - Tues 9 HoLA meeting p 1 - 3 - Mon 8 Life Education for Year 9, p1 & Year 10 p2 Tues 9 SPACPAC Expo - Tues 9 LEF and EC's due - Wed 10 Phrase of the week: Titiro mai (Look here)	Week 9 15 Pipiri -  19 Pipiri Year 11 Major Production - Tues 16 - Fri 19 Non Uniform Day - Tues 16 PED301 - Les Mills (am) Manu Kōrero - Thurs 18 - Fri 19 New Zealand Cross Country Champs - Sat 20 & Sun 21 Year 12 Formal - Sat 20 Phrase of the week: Kia tere
Assembly -  Mon - Year 9 (PAC) and Year 10 (Gym) Wed - NZ Volunteering	Assembly -  Mon - ) Wed - Manaakitanga
Meeting  Mon: PL embed Tues: Learning Area Thurs: Nil	Meeting  Mon: Nil Tues: Learning Area Thurs: Nil

Information for Staff

1. Thank you again for the success of the use of Recognitions in the last round. We had 834 awarded to various students across the school, either around improvement in work/attendance/behaviour, or for the outstanding work/effort/help etc in their various classes.

We have certificates that are ready to go out to students at the various year level assemblies over the coming weeks.

2. Just a quick preview re the interior of our new buildings. We had a workshop around the colour update and it was great to see this in 3D. At the next staff meeting I will give more of an update - but here is a preview of a typical teaching space found on Level 1.

Week 7 - Term 2 - 2026

 Kia māia!

Be bold and adventurous

Week 7 1 Pipiri - 5 Pipiri King's Birthday - Mon 1 PED301 Les Mills (am) Tues 2 Canterbury Cross Country - Thurs 4 BUS301 Trip - Thurs 4 Big Sing - Fri 5 UC French Immersion Day - Fri 5 Canterbury Rockquest Finals - Sat 6 Phrase of the week: Whakarongo mai (Listen here	Week 8 1 Pipiri - 5 Pipiri OMIYA High School Visit  - Mon 8 - Tues 9 HoLA meeting p 1 - 3 - Mon 8 Life Education for Year 9, p1 & Year 10 p2 Tues 9 SPACPAC Expo - Tues 9 LEF and EC's due - Wed 10 Phrase of the week: Titiro mai (Look here)
Assembly -  Mon - Nil (King's Birthday) Wed - Assembly - Environmental Year 13 (PAC)	Assembly -  Mon - Year 9 (PAC) and Year 10 (Gym) Wed - NZ Volunteering
Meeting  Mon: Nil Tues: Professional Learning Thurs: PCT	Meeting  Mon: PL embed Tues: Learning Area Thurs: PCT

Information for Staff

1. A couple of quick reminders re AI and the resources that are available online through the Ministry of Education and NZQA.

Ministry of Education  has available a fact sheet on the use of AI tools in marking assessments and a FAQ fact sheet on AI use in schools that is worth a read through as well as school case studies as to what changes they have made re assessment practice.

NZQA also have guidance around AI and assessment.

Week 6 - Term 2 - 2026

 Ma roto hoki kia ora ka pai te korero

If the inner man is refreshed, the conversation will be agreeable

Good health promotes constructive thoughts and discussion

Week 6 25 Haratua - 29 Haratua Freaky Friday dress rehearsals - Mon 25 - Tues 26 NCEA Parent Evening in PAC from 6pm - Tues 26 Musical Production Freaky Friday - Wed 27 - Sat 30 LEFs due - Wed 27 GEO201 Trip - Wed 27 Inter-School Senior Debating - Thurs 28 Numeracy CAA - Thurs 28 Canterbury Squash Champs - Sat 30 - Sun 31 Phrase of the week: He pātai tāku (I have a question)	Week 7 1 Pipiri - 5 Pipiri King's Birthday - Mon 1 PED301 Les Mills (am) Tues 2 Canterbury Cross Country - Thurs 4 BUS301 Trip - Thurs 4 Big Sing - Fri 5 UC French Immersion Day - Fri 5 Canterbury Rockquest Finals - Sat 6 Phrase of the week: Whakarongo mai (Listen here)
Assembly -  Mon - Year 12 - PAC Wed - Assembly - Samoan Language Year 9 (PAC)	Assembly -  Mon - Nil (King's Birthday) Wed - Assembly - Environmental Year 13 (PAC)
Meeting  Mon: TWH Tues: Learning Area - Phase 5 feedback Thurs: Nil	Meeting  Mon: Nil Tues: Professional Learning Thurs: PCT

Information for Staff

1. The Forgetting Curve and the Science of Learning

Hypothesized by German psychologist Hermann Ebbinghaus in the late 19th century, the Forgetting Curve is a mathematical formula that describes how information is lost over time when there is no attempt to retain it.

The curve reveals a harsh reality about our brains: we forget the vast majority of what we learn incredibly quickly. Typically, the drop-off looks like this:

• Within 20 minutes: You lose about 40% of what you just learned.

• Within 24 hours: Roughly 70% of the information is gone.

• After a week: As much as 80% to 90% has evaporated.

  
  
  

The curve is steepest right after the learning event. After that initial sharp drop, the rate of forgetting levels off, leaving you with a tiny fraction of the original data stored in long-term memory.

With this in mind, think about how often you are creating space for regular retrieval practice and our ākonga putting their memories to the test. Check out the following article "3 Ways to Help Students Overcome the Forgetting Curve" there are a couple of great strategies that you could use in your classroom - simple yet effective.

Week 5 - Term 2 - 2026

 E hia motunga o te weka i te māhanga?
How many times will the weka escape from the snare?
Once bitten twice shy

Week 5 18 Haratua - 22 Haratua Year 13 Biology Camp - Various classes out over the week Whānau Hui - Tues 19 Reading CAA - Wed 20 Rockquest Heats - Fri 22 - Sat 23 Writing CAA - Fri 22 Manu Kōrero Day Wānanga at CGHS - Sat 23 Phrase of the week: Kua rite? (Are you ready?)	Week 6 25 Haratua - 29 Haratua Freaky Friday dress rehearsals - Mon 25 - Tues 26 Musical Production Freaky Friday - Wed 27 - Sat 30 LEFs due - Wed 27 GEO201 Trip - Wed 27 Inter-School Senior Debating - Thurs 28 Numeracy CAA - Thurs 28 Canterbury Squash Champs - Sat 30 - Sun 31 Phrase of the week: He pātai tāku (I have a question)
Assembly -  Mon - Nil - All students in Ako Wed - House	Assembly -  Mon - Year 12 - PAC Wed - Assembly - Samoan Language Year 9 (PAC)
Meeting  Mon: Junior HoD meeting Tues: Learning Area Thurs: PCT	Meeting  Mon: TWH Tues: Learning Area - Phase 5 feedback Thurs: Nil

Information for Staff

1. You may have noticed that there is a new icon at the top of your Gmail - Studio.

This is an AI powered tool to help with your workflow. An example is that it may provide a summary of your unread emails, or auto-add any email attachments to your Google drive.

2. For those of you who are Gemini AI users, then check out the 'tools' - 'Guided learning' feature. This acts like a Socratic guide and is a great tool for students to work with when studying. Have a go at putting in an NCEA question. It will help unpack the question for the students and they ask questions and then give feedback on the answer. Next questions are askes to help unpack the detail needed.

3. In Gemini - if you put '@' before an app, it connects to your grail, docs etc. This means it can search through and find information quickly. Try @gmail or @docs and follow this with the information you want to find, or summarise.

Week 4 - Term 2 - 2026

 He iti hau marangai e tu te pāhokahoka

A little storm and then a rainbow appears

One worries over little things but eventually all will come right

Week 4 11 Haratua - 15 Haratua Pasifika Fono - Mon 11 CGHS Open Day - Tues 12 LEFs due - Wed 13 Pink ribbon morning tea - Wed 13 Inter-School Senior Debating - Thurs 14 ENW201 Research Trip - Thurs 14 Cantrices Camp - Fri 15 - Sat 16 HoLA Meeting p 1 - 3 - Fri 15 in 126 Staff V Prefects Multisport - Fri 15	Week 5 18 Haratua - 22 Haratua Year 13 Biology Camp - Various classes out over the week Whānau Hui - Tues 19 Reading CAA - Wed 20 Rockquest Heats - Fri 22 - Sat 23 Writing CAA - Fri 22 Manu Kōrero Day Wānanga at CGHS - Sat 23
Assembly -  Mon - Year 9 - Gym Year 11 - PAC Wed - Aroha / 40 Hr Challenge Year 12 - PAC	Assembly -  Mon - Nil - All students in Ako Wed - House
Meeting  Mon: Nil (HoLA postponed to Fri 15 p 1 - 3) Tues: Learning Area Thurs: Nil	Meeting  Mon: Junior HoD meeting Tues: Learning Area Thurs: PCT

Information for Staff

1. Gemini has some new features that you might like to explore:

• Create Music - There are some existing options or you can ask for something specific, such as music for studying, and then choose the option you like. All music is copyright free.

2. Just a reminder that you might find it easier to use your mobile to take your roll at assemblies and when you are at offsite at things like the recent cross country rather than juggling your laptop.

Instructions on what to do can be found HERE.

Week 3 - Term 2 - 2026

 E tūtaki ana ngā kapua o te rangi kei runga te Mangōroa e kopae pu ana

The clouds in the sky close over, but above them spreads the Milky Way

Look on the bright side

Week 3 4 Haratua - 8 Haratua Otago University and Polytechnic Open Day - Sun 3 - Mon 4 Canterbury Road Race - Tues 5 Careers Evening at CBHS - Tues 5 Senior Parent Teacher Interviews - Tues 5 Year 13 Emerging Futures - Tues 5 Late Start p2 - Wed 6 DRA101 Trip - Thurs 7 MAO101 Te Reo Māori Trip - Thurs 7 Careers Expo - Thurs 7 - Fri 8 Year 13 Formal - Sat 9	Week 4 11 Haratua - 15 Haratua Pasifika Fono - Mon 11 CGHS Open Day - Tues 12 LEFs due - Wed 13 Inter-School Senior Debating - Thurs 14 Cantrices Camp - Fri 15 - Sat 16 HoLA Meeting p 1 - 3 - Fri 15 in 126
Assembly -  Mon - Year 10 - Gym Year 13 - PAC Wed - NZ Sign Language Year 11 - PAC	Assembly -  Mon - Year 9 - Gym Year 11 - PAC Wed - Aroha / 40 Hr Challenge Year 12 - PAC
Meeting  Mon: PL Embed Tues: Nil Thurs: PCT	Meeting  Mon: Nil (HoLA postponed to Fri 15 p 1 - 3) Tues: Learning Area Thurs: Nil

Information for Staff

1. Dylan Wiliam is widely regarded as a leading authority on formative assessment, and in this piece, 'Formative Assessment and Its Impact on Education' he highlights two key insights about feedback that genuinely drives learning forward: 

• First, real gains come from continuous, moment-by-moment assessment. The most effective formative assessment isn’t something that happens every few weeks—it occurs every 6–10 minutes during a lesson. Teachers need to regularly check for understanding and adapt their teaching in real time. The takeaway is that engagement is built through frequent cycles of thinking and feedback, not just end-of-lesson reviews
• Second, following on from our PLD session on Tuesday this week, it’s essential to gather evidence from every student. Depending on volunteers or asking “any questions?” provides a distorted picture of understanding. Effective teaching requires insight into all learners, not just the most confident ones, because instructional decisions are only as strong as the evidence behind them. This makes strategies like mini-whiteboards or whole-class response techniques fundamental rather than optional.

2. On Monday it is PL Embed time, a place to try something new, or put something back into one of your lessons that may have slipped off your radar. Here is a bit of a reflection tip called the 5/5/5.

This is a quick reflection framework that can be used after any PLD, inquiry, PT Interviews etc.

• Five things that worked
• Five things that didn't and 
• Five ideas to try next time.