Week 7 - Term 3 - 2019

Whatungarongaro te tangata, toitū te whenua 

As people disappear from sight, the land remains 

This whakatauki speaks to the importance and permanence of land. While people come and go, the land remains. As humans we rely on the land. We must think long-term and see the big picture to ensure the sustainability of the land.

Week 7  2 Mahuru - 6 Mahuru Winter Tournament Week 12&13 Drama Assessments - Mon 2 - Wed 4 Basketball Junior SS - Mon 2 - Tues 3 Football - NZ - Mon 2 - Thurs 5 Hockey NZ 1st & 2nd XI - Mon 2 - Sat 7 Netball SI Champs - Mon 2 - Thurs 5 Basketball SI Champs - Wed 4 - Sat 7 St Mary's Music Concert - Wed 4 Rugby NZ Champs - Thurs 5 - Sun 8	Week 8  9 Mahuru - 13 Mahuru Maori Language Week - All Week Guta Goldstein, Holocaust Survivor P2 PAC Alanna Mitchell Presentation - All Year 12s - p4 in PAC - Mon 9 Orion Health Tear 12/13 Digital Technologies Software Development Trip (p5) - Mon 9 Whanau Hui - Mon 9 CGHS Showcase 6pm Tues 10 Mufti Day - Tues 10 Barbershop competition - Wed 11 - Thurs 12 Get 2 Go Challenge - Wed 11 Year 9 - 12 Options Choice Closing Date - Wed 11 Senior Examinations Begin - Thurs 12 through to Fri 20 Swimming NZ Champs - Thurs 12 - Sun 15 Gymsports Rythmic NZSS - Sat 14 - Sun 15
Assembly - WED Year 9 - PAC	Assembly - WED Senior Exam Assembly
Meeting  Learning Area/ Pedagogical	Meeting  Staff Meeting - Monday 9 Learning and Teaching Meeting - Tues 10

Information for Staff

1. Week 8 is Māori language week with the theme this year being 'Kia Kaha te reo Māori' - Let's make Māori language strong. 

TKI have created a number of resources that you can use:

http://nzcurriculum.tki.org.nz/Curriculum-resources/National-events-and-the-NZC/Maori-Language-Week

2. The Greater Christchurch Schools’ Network is conducting research into the perceptions of education by distance, and online learning. To assess current knowledge of education by distance and online learning, as well as determine what aspects work well or could be improved, an online survey has been created for teachers and school leaders.

This survey will help inform the Greater Christchurch Schools’ Network on how to best support providers to offer a wide range of subjects to students through online or distance learning.

By completing the survey you may enter the draw to win a $50 supermarket voucher. The survey can be taken by following this link, and will be open until September 27th:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/GCSNChchGirlsTeachers

3.Education Counts have just released some of their latest interenational research around teaching in New Zealand. The list includes articles on feedback, student 'choice and voice' in a lesson, mixed ability groupings, connecting with students prior knowledge etc. To find out more to to  https://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/series/teaching-in-new-zealand?utm_medium=twitter&utm_source=dlvr.it

Week 6 - Term 3 - 2019

Tē tōia, tē haumatia 

Nothing can be achieved without a plan, workforce and a way of doing things 

This whakatauki speaks to the importance of having a ‘plan of attack’. It could be used to guide conversation or lead a discussion in the planning of an event or community initiative.

Week 6  26 Ākuhata - 30 Ākuhata 3 Morning Briefings start this week - Mon 26 (Tues Ako teachers meet with Deans) LEF Reports due this week. Senior Progress reports Te reo Moderation PLD - Mon 26 Te Kura Language examinations - morning - Tues 27 11DRA Major Production - Wed 28 Yr 12 Women in Leadership Breakfast @UC - Wed 28 12 &13 Drama Assessments - Thurs 29 - Wed 4 Late Start - Thurs 29 UC Classics Morning - Thurs 29 13ENG 3.5 Seminar Assessments - Thurs 29 Senior Chirnside Competition (Shakespeare) - Thurs 29 National Big Sing - Wed 28 - Sun 1 Middle Leaders - Coaching and Mentoring - Thurs 29 (2 - 4pm) Restorative Practice Training Day - Fri 30 Basketball Junior SS - Sat 31 - Sun 1 Cycling Southern School 2 day - Sat 31 - Sun 1	Week 7  2 Mahuru - 6 Mahuru Winter Tournament Week 12&13 Drama Assessments - Mon 2 - Wed 4 Basketball Junior SS - Mon 2 - Tues 3 Football - NZ - Mon 2 - Thurs 5 Hockey NZ 1st & 2nd XI - Mon 2 - Sat 7 Netball SI Champs - Mon 2 - Thurs 5 Basketball SI Champs - Wed 4 - Sat 7 St Mary's Music Concert - Wed 4 Rugby NZ Champs - Thurs 5 - Sun 8
Assembly - WED Year 9 - Gym Year 11 - PAC Year 13 -  Staffroom	Assembly - WED Year 9 Assembly - PAC
Meeting  Staff - Junior Curriculum - end of year feedback and next steps	Meeting  Learning Area/ Pedagogical

Information for Staff

1. Update on the NCEA Review: 

a. The 'Indicative' timeline of implementation - cabinet are still to sign off on this, but at this stage the plan is to have the draft Level 1 standards available to view. They will then be looking for about 40 schools to trial the standards in 2021, with a mixture of new and old at Level 1 in 2022.

b. All standards will be changing - there are currently about 1070 AS across all subjects, none of these standards will be available moving forward in their current form. The teachers who will be working on the redesign are being asked to go back to the NZ curriculum and look at what is the important learning in each subject and key concepts needed. The new standards are also incorporate the key competencies - front end of the curriculum into the learning - so a broader range of skills will be covered.

c. Literacy and Numeracy will be removed from the standards - these are assessed externally, and will no longer be attached to any achievement standard.

d. New ways of assessing the externals - this has been discussed and they are looking at Portfolios for other subjects rather than just arts and technology, additional CATs (that are marked outside the school but are assessed throughout the year, and will not be marked the class teachers) and demonstrations as other ways of external assessment.

e. Ministry NCEA review team are looking at how the 8TOD will be used, and it looks as if at least some of these will be 'Jumbo' days - the same as what was done with the initial implementation.

2. A quick short cut for those who like to use the snipping tool - If you have a Windows computer, you can use Shift and (Windows Key) and S to take a screen capture. You click and drag around what it is you would like to capture. The copy will go straight to your clipboard, then press CTRL V to paste the 'snip' where you would like. Quick and easy!

3. A reflection on perspective - sometimes we have to remember that we all think about things from different points of view and we need to stop and ask ourselves the following:
a. What do I believe about this.....
b. What assumptions have I made....
c. What do I believe and how could I be wrong.....
d. Do I confuse feeling right with being right....

This short snippet from the old T.V show featuring Ma & Pa Kettle illustrate the idea of everyone has a different perspective nicely!




Also a great image when you want to demonstrate complexity - how in an organisation, if one small piece stops, how this can alter the rest of the system - everything and everyone relies on each other.

Week 5 - Term 3 - 2019

Tē tōia, tē haumatia 

Nothing can be achieved without a plan, workforce and a way of doing things 

This whakatauki speaks to the importance of having a ‘plan of attack’. It could be used to guide conversation or lead a discussion in the planning of an event or community initiative.

Week 5  19 Ākuhata - 23 Ākuhata 13TOU - Aoraki Mt Cook - Mon 19 - Tues 20 Lilia Tarawa Visit - Mon 19 (p4) Subject Choice Afternoon - 2.30 in Gym - Mon 19 Winter Sport Ends - Wed 21 Lip Sync - Thurs 22 May Campbell Anderson Essay - Thurs 22 Basketball Ends - Fri 23 Massey & Victoria Open Days - Fri 23 Gymsports NZSS Champs - Sat 24 - Sun 25	Week 6  26 Ākuhata - 30 Ākuhata 3 Morning Briefings start this week - Mon 26 (Tues Ako teachers meet with Deans) LEF Reports due this week. Senior Progress reports Te reo Moderation PLD - Mon 26 Te Kura Language examinations - morning - Tues 27 11DRA Major Production - Wed 28 Yr 12 Women in Leadership Breakfast @UC - Wed 28 12 &13 Drama Assessments - Thurs 29 - Wed 4 Late Start - Thurs 29 UC Classics Morning - Thurs 29 13ENG 3.5 Seminar Assessments - Thurs 29 Senior Chirnside Competition (Shakespeare) - Thurs 29 National Big Sing - Wed 28 - Sun 1 Middle Leaders - Coaching and Mentoring - Thurs 29 (2 - 4pm) Restorative Practice Training Day - Fri 30 Basketball Junior SS - Sat 31 - Sun 1 Cycling Southern School 2 day - Sat 31 - Sun 1
Assembly - WED Year 10 Assembly - Gym - Camp Information Year 12 Assembly - PAC	Assembly - WED Year 9 - Gym Year 11 - PAC Year 13 Staffroom
Meeting  Staff	Meeting  Staff

Information for Staff

1. Information from the latest NZQA circular re Derived Grade Examinations

Management of school practice exams

The schools’ practice examination papers and procedures should ensure:

·         authentic, standard specific evidence covering all the criteria of the standard is collected

·         the grades submitted are consistent with the standard by being subject to a quality assurance process including:

o   critiquing of the assessment task

o    a marking process involving a verification or justification process.

Further information of these processes is available in the Derived Grade Handbook.

Derived Grade Self Review Tool

NZQA has developed a Derived Grade Self-Review Tool that schools may like to use to review their processes. The Tool can be used either before or after your school’s practice examinations by Heads of Department or the Principal’s Nominee.

The tool provides the opportunity to check that derived grade processes ensure credible grades are reported to NZQA so that  the transfer of derived grade application information and grade data to NZQA is accurate and complete communication processes support clear understanding of the derived grade process and eligibility criteria.

2. Advice from Marcus Akuhata-Brown: 

A question and analogy to think about that was posed by Marcus - How does our school environment allow young Māori to thrive rather than just survive. Are our students being conditioned by an environment that we have created? Is success just compliance? 
Marcus talks about the analogy around the "Glass lid of low expectations", linked to the flea experiment, where if you place a glass lid on a jar, after a few days fleas will only jump to the level set. 
Something to think about for our learners.......

Week 4 - Term 3 - 2019

Whāia te mātauranga hei oranga mō koutou 

Seek after learning for the sake of your wellbeing 

This whakatauki refers to the importance of learning for it is key to your wellbeing. If you follow the path of learning, the world will be your oyster. 

Week 4  12 Ākuhata - 16 Ākuhata Geography Week Trainee Teachers from UC start - Mon 12 Middle Leaders - Coaching and Mentoring PLD - Mon 12 (2 - 4pm) UC Course Planning - Mon 12 Junior Alison Harper Tues 13, p 3 and 4 Ski & Snowboard Cant Champs Tues 13 Year 11 History Lecture - Tues 13 (morning) Parent Portal Opens for Subject choice - Wed 14 Cycling Litolff/Dawe Cups - Wed 14 Art History UC - Fri 16 Pretty Smart talk - Year 9 and 10 - Fri 16 Year 11 Semi Formal - Sat 17	Week 5  19 Ākuhata - 23 Ākuhata 13TOU - Aoraki Mt Cook - Mon 19 - Tues 20 Lilia Tarawa Visit - Mon 19 (p4) Subject Choice Afternoon - 2.30 in Gym - Mon 19 Winter Sport Ends - Wed 21 Lip Sync - Thurs 22 May Campbell Anderson Essay - Thurs 22 Basketball Ends - Fri 23 Massey & Victoria Open Days - Fri 23 Gymsports NZSS Champs - Sat 24 - Sun 25
Assembly - WED Year 13 Assembly - PAC	Assembly - WED Year 10 Assembly - Gym - Camp Information Year 12 Assembly - PAC
Meeting  Staff	Meeting  Staff

Information for Staff

1. Update re Digital Examinations from NZQA: 
I have had a chance to hear about the future direction of digital examinations from NZQA. A couple of things that might be of interest to you all moving forward:
a. Pilot surveys in 2018 show a very high % students commented positively around the use of digital examinations and student comments are not changing over time – the platform is becoming faster, easier, feels better, tidier. 
b. Foreign language examinations will go online in 2020.
c. By 2021 they anticipate that there will be a quality robust platform for digital examinations that will not just be for the substitution of digital for paper examinations. For example one of the things that they have trialed is adding in interactive components. In Level 3 Biology it could be a skull that is able to be rotated and manipulated and the students may have to use the skull to discuss the eating habits of that particular animal. They have also trialed a game based model of examination with Level 1 Biology, a journey of a microbe through the gut. Examinations will be more about constructing an experience and commenting on it.
d. In Mathematics, they are currently working on a package that will allow online examinations, so this will be on the cards.
e. NZQA are even thinking about where students sit the examination, rather than in any classroom, why are Science exams not allowed to be sat in Science classrooms? Why can't Te reo exams be sat in the same classes where learning occurs?


Image from: https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/future-state/digital-assessment-ncea-online/

2. Also on assessment, the MOE has just released the 'expressions of interests' for teachers to be part of the expert panels for the review of the upcoming change to achievement standards. The are starting with Level 1 Science, English and Visual Arts. See the link below to find out more information.

https://gazette.education.govt.nz/notices/1H9wJR-expressions-of-interest-to-join-review-of-achievement-standards-expert-group/