Week 6 - Term 1 - 2025

 Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, he toa takitini

My strength is not as an individual, but as a collective.

Week 6 3 Poutūterangi - 7 Poutūterangi BIO201 FT to Temple Basin (All week) Lincoln Uni Visit (Lunch) - Mon 3 LEF's Due - 8.30am - Thurs 6 Rowing - SISS - Thurs 6 - Sun 9 Athletics Sports - Thurs 6 DVC101 FT to Ko Tāne Waka	Week 7 10 Poutūterangi - 14 Poutūterangi GEO101 FT to Aoraki - Mon 10 - Wed 12 Crashbash Year 12 (Assembly) - Mon 10 Swimming sports Tues 11 12 - 2pm Peer support p3 - Wed 12 Prefects v Monitors Dodgeball @ CGHS - Wed 12 GAT201 Health and Safety Course - Wed 12 Pūhoro wānanga - Thurs 13 Volleyball Canterbury Champs - Fri 14 - Sun 16 New Teacher to CGHS Learning Walk - Fri 14
Assembly -  Mon - Year 13 (PAC) Wed - Full School (Aroha)	Assembly -  Mon - Year 9 (GYM) Year 12 - Crash Bash (PAC) Wed - Full School (Unity Week)
Meeting  Mon: Junior HOD's Tues: Learning Area Thurs: New staff - Assessment	Meeting  Mon: Nil Tues: Staff Thurs: Nil

Information for Staff

1. Our new staff will be completing their learning walk on Friday 14th March. Please make them feel welcome as they move around the school. Their brief is to look at what a CGHS 'learning culture' looks like. We do have an open door policy, but if there is a test on during this time (morning of the 14th) please let us know. More information will be shared closer to the time.

2. Interesting paper on 'Reimagining assessment': It includes examples of changes happening throughout the world.

3. A reminder, if you have not already checked out Khanmigo - the AI tool linked to Khan academy, there are a number of tools to explore. For example if you are a user of blooket, it will quickly generate a set of questions that you can accept or reject to create a quiz.

Week 5 - Term 1 - 2025

 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 24 Hui-tanguru - 28 Hui-tanguru Ako Conferences - Mon 24 Year 9 'The CGHS Way' - Mon 24 Year 9 Camps continue - Wed 26 - Fri 28 Non Uniform Day - Thurs 27 Volleyball SI Champs - Fri 28 - Sun 2 International Students Hanmer FT - Fri 28	Week 6 3 Poutūterangi - 7 Poutūterangi BIO201 FT to Temple Basin (All week) Lincoln Uni Visit (Lunch) - Mon 3 Rowing - SISS - Thurs 6 - Sun 9 Athletics Sports - Thurs 6 DVC101 FT to Ko Tāne Waka
Assembly -  Mon - Nil - Ako Conferences Wed - Full School - Leadership Badges (Sports and Cultural)	Assembly -  Mon - Year 13 (PAC) Wed - Full School (Aroha)
Meeting  Mon: TWH Markbook set up in 104 for HoLA's/HoDs who need support Tues: Staff Thurs: Nil	Meeting  Mon: Junior HOD's Tues: Learning Area Thurs: New staff - Assessment

Information for Staff

1. Thank you for all of your feedback as we start to determine the new criteria and terminology for our upcoming LEF's.

The timeline for the year will be out next week, and staff meeting on Tuesday will begin with looking at LEF's indicators and the use of recognitions on Kamar. The discussion has been around 'expectations' - which aligns not only with Learning expectations but our overall 'high expectations' push.

If someone is to 'exceed expectations' in your Learning Area, think about what would this would look like from a learning perspective. We will get your thoughts so the final format can be communicated to whānau and our ākonga.

2. On a separate note Here is a good article about building AI literacy for teachers, which includes a link to a free course on AI basics for teachers.

Week 4 - Term 1 - 2025

 Ka mahi te tawa uho ki te riri

Well done, you whose courage is like the heart of the tawa tree

Stout heartedness is an endearing characteristic

Week 4 17 Hui-tanguru - 21 Hui-tanguru Year 9 Camp - Mon 17 - Fri 21 (Different groups each day) Triathlon - Cant. SS Champs - Tues 18 GAT201 First Aid Course - Tues 18 Summer Sports start - Wed 19	Week 5 24 Hui-tanguru - 28 Hui-tanguru Ako Conferences - Mon 24 Year 9 'The CGHS Way' - Mon 24 Non Uniform Day - Tues 25 Year 9 Camps continue - Wed 26 - Fri 28 Volleyball SI Champs - Fri 28 - Sun 2 International Students Hanmer FT - Fri 28
Assembly -  Mon - Year 10 (Gym) Year 12 (NCEA) (PAC Wed - Full school - attendance	Assembly -  Mon - Nil - Ako Conferences Wed - Full School - Leadership Badges (Sports and Cultural)
Meeting  Mon: L&T Tues: Learning Area Thurs: New Staff (126)	Meeting  Mon: TWH Markbook set up in 104 for HoLA's/HoDs who need support Tues: Staff Thurs: Nil

Information for Staff

Explicit teaching strategies

Explicit teaching is a structured approach where teachers clearly and directly instruct students. It's based on a set of principles that guide various teaching strategies, emphasizing the teacher's role in explaining, demonstrating, and modeling. This includes making sure students understand:

• The purpose of the lesson
• The learning goals
• How the new material connects to prior knowledge
• What is expected of them
• The steps involved in completing tasks
• The criteria for success

The NSW Department of Education website provides research and practical strategies to help teachers develop and improve their explicit teaching practices.

Find our more at: https://education.nsw.gov.au/teaching-and-learning/curriculum/explicit-teaching/explicit-teaching-strategies

2. Here is a wee video on how teachers can use Canva's text to image generator.

If you want to learn more check out the website below for tips for teachers on how to use Canva: https://www.edutopia.org/article/teacher-tips-canva-supercharge-projects

Week 3 - Term 1 - 2025

 Ehara taku toa i te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini

My valour is not that of an individual but that of a multitude

Week 3 10 Hui-tanguru - 14 Hui-tanguru Individual and Class photos - Mon 10 and Tues 11 Tennis - Can. Senior Champs - Mon 10 - Tues 11 ART101 FT to Wigram - Wed 12 Pasifika fono 5.30 - 7pm - Tues 11 Tabloid Sports - Fri 14	Week 4 17 Hui-tanguru - 21 Hui-tanguru Year 9 Camp - Mon 17 - Fri 21 (Different groups each day) Triathlon - Cant. SS Champs - Tues 18 GAT201 First Aid Course - Tues 18 Summer Sports start - Wed 19
Assembly -  Mon - yr9 (Gym) and  yr 11(NCEA) (PAC) Wed - House Assemblies	Assembly -  Mon - Year 10 (Gym) Year 12 (NCEA) (PAC Wed - Full school - attendance
Meeting  Mon: Junior HoD's Tues: Learning Area Thurs: New Staff (126)	Meeting  Mon: L&T Tues: Learning Area Thurs: New Staff (126)

Information for Staff

1. You may have had an invitation to LearnCoach that we have been given access to at a school. There are great resources for Science, Mathematics and English, linked to achievement standards and great to use with classes for revision. Feel free to login and check out what is available.

2. As the new year has begun and assessments are started and AI tools are ever increasing, you may be interested to read the following articles from Commonsense.org 

a) Here's what educators can do as artificial intelligence evolves

b) "Stop cheating before it starts with these tips"

3. Check out this free app that turns cellphones into tools for scientific measurement: Arduino Science Journal