Week 5 - Term 3 - 2020

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

My success should not be bestowed onto me alone, it was not individual success but the success of a collective

Week 5   17 Akuhata - 21 Akuhata   Subject Choice Afternoon - CANCELLED - Monday 17. Late start - Departments - Tues 18 Winter sports ends - Wed 19 May Campbell Anderson Essay - Thurs 20 Canterbury Road race - Thurs 20 Massey Wellington and Victoria Uni Open Day - Fri 21	Week 6   24 Akuhata - 28 Akuhata   LEF Reports  and Senior Progress Reports this week ICAS English p1-2 - Tues 25 Senior Chirnside Competition - p1 Thurs 27 UC Open Day - Thurs 27 Te Kura Practice Examinations - Fri 28
Assembly/Ako Wed: Year 10 - Camp info (Gym) Year 13 - PAC Fri: Full School Assembly - (TBC if back in Level 1)	Assembly/Ako Wed: Year 9 (PAC)    Fri: Full School Assembly (TBC if back in level 1)
Meeting Staff	Meeting Learning and Teaching (104) Pastoral (S4)

Information for Staff

1. A big thank you to all the secret admirers out there, what a great week to 

have something to look forward to everyday! I know that I have appreciated the time and thought that has gone into it.

2. Changes to Lock-down Levels: This week has been a timely reminder that 2020 will continue to throw uncertainty our way. Department time has been set aside on Tuesday morning to re look at programs, reminders can be found HERE. Please make sure you have read the information and if you have questions please let BLS know.

3. The New Zealand Association for Gifted Children conference has been rescheduled to Saturday 19 and Sunday 20 September. The conference is being held at Rangi Ruru Girls' School and is suitable for teachers, parents and students.

Follow this link for the adult's programme.

Follow this link for the student's programme.

4. "A common cultural archetype connected with deep culture is a group's orientation toward either collectivism vs individualism." --Zaretta Hammond (Culturally Responsive Teaching and the Brain, pg. 25)

Week 4 - Term 3 - 2020

He iti hau marangai e tū te pāhokahoka

Just like a rainbow after the storm, success follows failure

Week 4   10 Akuhata - 14 Akuhata   Book Week - all week Otago University Open Day - Mon 10 Junior Alison Harper p3-4 Tues 11 Ako - Subject selection + Parent portal opens for subject choices - Wed 12 Ski/snow - Canterbury Champs - Thurs 13 Year 12/13 Art History to UC	Week 5   17 Akuhata - 21 Akuhata   Subject Choice Afternoon - 2.00 pm - Monday 17. Late start - PLG groups - Tues 18 Winter sports ends - Wed 19 May Campbell Anderson Essay - Thurs 20 Canterbury Road race - Thurs 20 Massey Wellington and Victoria Uni Open Day - Fri 21
Assembly/Ako Wed: Year 13 (PAC)            Fri: Full School Assembly (Book week)	Assembly/Ako Wed: Year 10 - Camp info (Gym) Year 13 (PAC)    Fri: Full School Assembly - Charities
Meeting Department	Meeting Staff

Information for Staff

1. Subject selection afternoon will follow the same format as previous years. Parents will be also invited via an email that will be sent out on Wednesday afternoon alongside subject selection information. Set up will be in the gym from 1.40, with students finishing at 2pm and going to the gym.

If you have not yet seen the curriculum handbook for 2021 you can have a look HERE

2. Ka Haea to Ata - We possibly need a reminder of the words - https://soundcloud.com/kmk-21/ka-haea-te-ata  

3. Five Myths about Teaching and Learning - Despite recent attention, a number of myths and misconceptions continue to plague education. This insight article from the 'education hub' explores the research on 5 common myths including personalisation, learning styles, creativity and testing.

Week 3 - Term 3 - 2020

He iti te mokoroa nāna te kahikatea i kakati 

(Even the small can make a big impact on the big)

Week 3  3 Akuhata - 7 Akuhata   International Week - all week LEF Reports and EC due this week QUAD Tournament - Mon 3 Senior Speech Competition p4 - Tues 4	Week 4   10 Akuhata - 14 Akuhata   Book Week - all week Otago University Open Day - Mon 10 Junior Alison Harper p3-4 Tues 11 Ako - Subject selection + Parent portal opens for subject choices - Wed 12 Ski/snow - Canterbury Champs - Thurs 13 Year 12/13 Art History to UC
Assembly/Ako Wed: Year 9 (PAC)           Year 11 (Gym) Fri: Full School Assembly (International)	Assembly/Ako Wed: Year 13 (PAC)            Fri: Full School Assembly (Book week)
Meeting Learning and Teaching	Meeting Department

Information for Staff

1. Survey regarding Professional Learning. Jacky Young, who has been working with the school around the implementation of Digital Technology progressions in learning areas is undertaking research on Professional learning.

If you are able to spare a few minutes to fill in her survey regarding the use of PLGs - here is the link

2. Two new documents have been released this week, the Action Plan for Pacific Education and the refreshed 'Ka Hikitia'

3 Contract NZQA vacancies:  There are a number of contract vacancies available with NZQA, including markers, verifiers, panel leaders and examiner and materials developer roles for several NCEA and NZ Scholarship subjects. These are currently advertised on the NZQA website.

4. Innovative assessment case studies for internally assessed standards: 

NZQA is showcasing examples of innovative approaches to assessment, as described by teachers, students, and senior managers. NZQA has collected video evidence from teachers, students, and management in schools where innovative assessment is happening. 

It is presented as a series of case studies in three strands: 

 teachers talking about what they do differently, 

 students reflecting on what the style of assessment meant for them, and 

 management saying how they made the changes in their schools to accommodate this. 

Research and discussion tools are included so that schools or departments can use them to instigate change. An introduction to the case studies can be found https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/ncea/subjects/spotlights/spotlight-4/

Innovative practice case studies  - https://www.nzqa.govt.nz/about-us/future-state/innovative/

5. And finally, nice to see Alice Daizell from 2019 on the Lincoln Uni scholarship advertising.

Week 2 - Term 3 - 2020

He kotuku rerenga tahi

A white heron flies once

This is used on an occasion when something very special and unusual takes place.

Week 2  27 Hōngongoi - 31 Hōngongoi Fire Evac - P2 Wed 29 Me and My School Survey - Year 9 and 10 only - Wed in Ako. (shortened p2 class) Australian Maths Competition, p1 &2 - Thurs  Aukaha Tau 12 - UC Thurs Music Concert - PAC @ 6.30pm on Thurs	Week 3  3 Akuhata - 7 Akuhata   International Week - all week LEF Reports and EC due this week QUAD Tournament - Mon 3 Senior Speech Competition p4 - Tues 4
Assembly/Ako Wed: Year 12 Assembly Fri: Full School Assembly	Assembly/Ako Wed: Year 9 (PAC)           Year 11 (Gym) Fri: Full School Assembly (International)
Meeting  Staff Meeting	Meeting  Learning and Teaching

Information for Staff

1. Staff meeting on Tuesday will be focused around starting to create our Year 10 Graduate profile. Student voice has been collected in Term 2. This is a heads up for you all to think about what attributes/skills/dispositions you think are key.

2. PLD Opportunities: 

a. Courageous Leadership through the Growth Culture Leadership Academy (see https://www.growthculture.co.nz/leadership-academy) They are currently advertising three levels of courses. Some of you may be interested in Whāinga, for teachers or emerging leaders seeking a career development pathway.

b. Techweek - https://techweek.co.nz/whats-on/. From Monday 27 there is a large number of 'Technical' training/ information sessions available. Check out the link to find more information.

c. The Anywhere school -  The Anywhere School, is an online event to celebrate educators and explore the future of education with thought-provoking panels, keynotes. This event is online on August 12. To register click HERE. This is a Google for Education event.

Week 1 - Term 3 - 2020

He rangai maomao ka taka ki tua o Nukutaurua, e kore a muri e hokia.

“When a shoal of maomao fish has passed to seaward of Nukutaurua rock (off Mangonui harbour) it will never return.”

We are on a mission together, there is no turning back.

Week 1 20 - Hōngongoi - 24 Hōngongoi	Week 2  27 Hōngongoi - 31 Hōngongoi Fire Evac - P2 Wed 29 Me and My School Survey - Year 9 and 10 only - Wed in Ako. (shortened p2 class) Australian Maths Competition, p1 &2 - Thurs Aukaha Tau 12 - UC Thurs Music Concert - PAC @ 6.30pm on Thurs Poetry in Action Performance -
Assembly/Ako Wed: Nil - all students in Ako Fri: Full School Assembly	Assembly/Ako Wed: Year 12 Assembly Fri: Full School Assembly
Meeting  Department	Meeting  Staff Meeting

Information for Staff

Welcome back to Term 3! I hope you have had a relaxing term break.

1. This term is te wiki o te reo Māori (14 - 20 September/ Mahuru). What will your goal be? Improving your pronunciation to impress your students when taking the roll? Adding more kupu reo (Māori words) into your daily life? (check out the 100 Te reo words that all NZers should know) Starting to differentiate the pronunciation from an iwi to the other?

If you would like some ideas as to where you could put your focus - check out https://www.tewikiotereomaori.co.nz/maori-language-week-ideas/

2. Agentic Engagement: If you are a follower of Educational Podcasts, the latest from Ollie Lovell touches on self-effacy, achievement vs mastery goals and something he calls the 'cycle of protection'. Some great food for thought around the perception from some students that if you change the focus to enable students to see that they "are not the only one who doesn't understand this", learning is more likely to happen.

See https://www.ollielovell.com/errr/james-mannion-kate-mcallister-learning-skills/ for more information.

Ollie Lovell · ERRR #043. James Mannion and Kate McAllister on the Learning Skills Curriculum