Week 6 - Term 1 - 2024

 He kākano ahau i ruia mai i Rangiātea

I am a seed which was sewn in the heavens of Rangiatea

A famous proverb from the Aotea waka, which shows the important of your genealogy and your culture.

Week 6  4 Poutū-te-rangi - 8 Poutū-te-rangi New Staff walk through - p1 - 3 Mon 4 BIO201 Field Trip to Temple Basin - 2 groups Mon - Wed and Wed - Fri - all week. Canterbury Uni Visit for Year 13 - Mon 4 Athletic Sports Competitive - Tues 5 Canterbury Uni Visit for Year 12 - Tues 5 DVC101 Field Trip to Christchurch City - Wed 6 Equestrian Event CSS - Wed 6 LEF Grades due - Wed 6 Futsal - Mainland Regionals - Sat 9 - Sun 10 Volleyball - Canterbury Champs - Sat 9 - Sun 10)	Week 7  11 Poutū-te-rangi - 15 Poutū-te-rangi Volleyball - Canterbury Champs - Mon 11 Year 9 Camp week - Various classes out all week. Gateway First Aid Course - Mon 11 - Tues 12 Victoria Uni Visit - Mon 11 Non- Uniform Day - Tues 12 GEO201 Field Trip to Arthurs Pass - Wed 13 - Fri 15 Rowing Pre Maadi Camp - Wed 13 - Fri 15 Otago University Visit for Yr 13 - Wed 13 Swimming School Sports - Thurs 14 Women in Defence Forces visit - Thurs 14 Polyfest Camp - Fri 15 - Sat 16 Basketball - 3x3 Southern Zone - Sat 16 - Sun 17 Rowing Maadi Cup - Sat 16 - Sun 24 Touch - Canterbury Champs - Sat 16 - Sun 17
Assembly -  Mon - Year 9 Gym Year 13 PAC - (NCEA) Wed - Full School	Assembly -  Mon - Year 10 - PAC Year 12 - Gym Wed - Full School
Meeting  Mon:  Nil Tues: Staff	Meeting  Mon:  Nil Tues: Learning Area

Information for Staff:

1. It was great to see so many students out and involved in our tabloid sports today. House spirit was strong and there was a great mixture of activities that everyone could give it a go. Thanks for all of your support in enabling this to happen.

2. Save the date: 

https://www.canterburypolyfest.co.nz/

Week 5 - Term 1 - 2024

 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 5 26 Hui-tanguru -  1 Poutū-te-rangi New Staff walk through - p1 - 3 Mon 26 Peer Support p2 (year 9) Wed 28 Cricket - The Willows - Wed 28 Rowing - SISS - Thurs 29 - Sun 3 Ara Liaison visit break 2 - Thurs 29 CGHS Tabloid Sports Day - Fri 1 Staff Drinks - 3pm Fri 1 (Venue TBC)	Week 6  4 Poutū-te-rangi - 8 Poutū-te-rangi New Staff walk through - p1 - 3 Mon 4 BIO201 Field Trip to Temple Basin - 2 groups Mon - Wed and Wed - Fri - all week. Canterbury Uni Visit for Year 13 - Mon 4 Athletic Sports Competitive - Tues 5 Canterbury Uni Visit for Year 12 - Tues 5 DVC101 Field Trip to Christchurch City - Wed 6 Equestrian Event CSS - Wed 6 LEF Grades due - Wed 6 Futsal - Mainland Regionals - Sat 9 - Sun 10 Volleyball - Canterbury Champs - Sat 9 - Sun 10
Assembly -  Mon - Year 10 - Gym Year 11 - PAC (NCEA) Wed - Full School	Assembly -  Mon - Year 9 Gym Year 12 PAC - (NCEA) Wed - Full School
Meeting  Mon:  TWH (126) and HoD's/HoLA's if needed in 104 for markbook set up Tues: Learning Area	Meeting  Mon:  Nil Tues: Staff

Information for Staff:

1. A big thank you for our fist year of Ako conferences. No doubt we will get your feedback but there were many parents throughout the school, and great conversations being had. With next Friday being our house day, you may want to dust off your costumes so that are back on display as we get our house competitions underway.

2. This term we will look at increasing our te reo knowlege as Kaiako - the first challenge is to have a go at the Wordwall quiz on colours. Points will be awarded for the first and the number correct - it will be great if you all have a go!

Week 4 - Term 1 - 2024

 He maurea kai whiria!

Ignore small matters and direct effort toward important projects

This whakatauki encourages us to keep things in perspective, to not get bogged down by the small things, the little details, but instead to maintain our focus on the vision, on what is important. It could be used to keep people on track, and/or to remind us/people to maintain focus on what’s important even in the face of great complexity. 

Week 4 19 Hui-tanguru - 23 Hui-tanguru PHO201 Skills afternoon - Tues 20 Equestrian - Canterbury Show - Wed 21 LEF's due - Wed 21 @ 3.30pm PHO301 Skills afternoon - Thurs 22 Ako Conferences - all school - Fri 23 Volleyball Mainland Champs - Fri 23 - Sun 25	Week 5 26 Hui-tanguru -  1 Poutū-te-rangi New Staff walk through - p1 - 3 Mon 26 Peer Support p2 (year 9) Wed 28 Cricket - The Willows - Wed 28 Rowing - SISS - Thurs 29 - Sun 3 Ara Liaison visit break 2 - Thurs 29 CGHS Tabloid Sports Day - Fri 1 Staff Drinks - 3pm Fri 1 (Venue TBC)
Assembly -  Mon - Nil Wed - Full School  Thurs - New Staff in 126	Assembly -  Mon - Year 10 - Gym Year 11 - PAC (NCEA) Wed - Full School
Meeting  Mon:  L&T Tues: Learning Area	Meeting  Mon:  TWH (126) and HoD's/HoLA's if needed in 104 for markbook set up Tues: Learning Area

Information for Staff:

1. As students are starting the best internal, it might be time to further explore plagiarism detection software. Last year we made the decision to keep using Turnitin as our main tool. If you have not used this before, please see Michelle to discuss how to set this up for your class. We did not get the additional AI detection part of this software as it was an extra expense.

Many of you will also be using draftback, or brisk. Another one is Copyleaks. Search for the Copyleaks Chrome extension and click “Add to Chrome”. Once it has installed, you can click the © logo up the top-right corner of your Chrome window and paste in the text. 

Experiment by pasting in different amounts of text and see what might work best. The  software for these tools is not perfect. It can be wrong. Always use this step with your own judgement and with the next step.

Remember to explicitly tell our students about what constitutes academic dishonesty and plagiarism and what is acceptable or not acceptable use for your Learning Area.

Week 3 - Term 1 - 2024

 E kore te patiki e hoki ki tona puehu

The flounder (fish) does not return to his dust

Do not make the same mistake twice.

Week 3 12 Hui-tanguru - 16 Hui-tanguru Prefects Leadership Course - Tues 13 and Thurs 15 11Art to Airforce Museum - Wed 14 Peer Support p1 (year 9 out of class) - Wed 14 Class and Individual Photos - Thurs 15 - Fri 16 Staff photo - Thurs 15 @ 2.50 Staff BYO Family Picnic Dinner - Fri 16 @ 5.30pm	Week 4 19 Hui-tanguru - 23 Hui-tanguru PHO201 Skills afternoon - Tues 20 Equestrian - Canterbury Show - Wed 21 PHO301 Skills afternoon - Thurs 22 Ako Conferences - all school - Fri 23
Assembly -  Mon - Nil Wed - Full School  Thurs - New Staff in 126	Assembly -  Mon - Nil Wed - Full School  Thurs - New Staff in 126
Meeting  Mon:  Nil Tues: Staff	Meeting  Mon:  L&T Tues: Learning Area

Information for Staff:

1. A reminder that if you have yet to complete your Staff Responsible use agreement - this needs to be done by the end of Friday. Please check your email for the link.

2. Need help deciding on a random choice or outcome? Spin wheel lets you add any text to the wheel and then spin it. Simply add your choices (up to seven) and edit the design. You can also create multiple wheels to use separately or together, view the outcomes of each, and save if needed.

3. This year we will continue to see a large number of new AI tools available. If you are looking for prompts that have been already developed to help - you may want to check out 'GenAI Chatbot Prompt Library for Educators'

A number of senior classes may be beginning their first internals and research. You may find the following table useful when discussing the use of AI in any research based task.

See https://www.canva.com/design/DAF3bSmWIBI/7e7FK5jaH2ripTBSaHIdpA/view for larger view.

Week 2 - Term 1 - 2024

 He maonga āwhā

Calm after the storm

Week 2 5 Hui-tanguru - 9 Hui-tanguru Waitangi Day - Tues 6 Restraint training - must be completed - Wed 7 Year 9 Parents Evening - Thurs 8 Building Evac practice - Wed 7 - p4	Week 3 12 Hui-tanguru - 16 Hui-tanguru Prefects Leadership Course - Tues 13 and Thurs 15 11Art to Airforce Museum - Wed 14 Peer Support p1 (year 9 out of class) - Wed 14 Class and Individual Photos - Thurs 15 - Fri 16 Staff photo - Thurs 15 @ 2.50 Staff BYO Family Picnic Dinner - Fri 16 @ 5.30pm
Assembly -  Mon - Nil Wed - Full School  - Leadership Badges	Assembly -  Mon - Nil Wed - Full School
Meeting  Mon:  TWH Tues: Nil	Meeting  Mon:  Nil Tues: Staff

Information for Staff:

1. Thank you to everyone this week - there has a lot to be done to get the school back up and running and it was great to see the whole school back today. Monday is a normal day of classes and all students will be in Ako class.

Wednesday is our first full school assembly, as per our new tradition, the Prefects will be getting their badges and their parents are invited.

2. You will see the Social Committee has been active behind the scenes. We would like to continue the tradition of our start of year family get together. The date has been set for Friday 16 Feb, starting at 5.30. Please bring along you family, we will have the games out, try and twist Gen's arm to create her famous Brownie for dessert and a chance to get to know our new staff. This year, rather than providing dinner, it is a BYO picnic (or BYO fish and chips perhaps? Uber?) Please put this in your diary, it will be great to have as many staff and families there.

3. It is really important to make sure that you have noted what meeting is on and when via our meeting schedule. If it get's updated throughout the year, it will be reshared with staff. If you are to be away, please let BLS know (for staff meetings) and your HoLA for any department meeting.

4. Also, if you haven't used ETV at all - please check it out at www.etv.org.nz

You just need to log in using your school email address and password.

This opens up a vast array of online video clips and there are thousands of educational videos that you can use.

It would be great if more can use it - so go exploring to see what is on there.