Week 10…where did the term go?
LAST WEEK
Inquiry presentations have been done and Brodie and I are very pleased with the quality of this first Inquiry. Students have researched well, used new and engaging presentation tools and more importantly, the year 8’s have clearly been giving advice to the year 7’s about their work and how to present effectively. It is wonderful to hear the students giving each other positive feedback and next steps to improve their work.
Constable Keely was unable to come and talk to us, so we will re-schedule that visit for next term.
The touch tournament was held on Wednesday and Brodie was very pleased with the way the students were behaved. They showed great sportsmanship and support for one another.
THIS WEEK 
On Tuesday, we are very fortunate to have Mr Trevor Grice coming in to speak to the students about drug and alcohol abuse. He founded Life Education in New Zealand in 1988. After twenty years helping addicted people, and after seeing many unnecessary deaths of New Zealand’s young people, Trevor realised that equal emphasis needed to be put into prevention through education. We thank John O’Connell for organising this.
The year 7 Outdoor Education programme will take place on Wednesday at the Waiohine Centre. The year 8’s will be with me, creating movie story boards for the traffic safety week.
DO YOU KNOW…
how our classes work? Just a brief outline about how Kauri Syndicate classes are run and an invitation to pop in at any time to see for yourselves.
Teachers still teach and always will. All lessons begin with a teaching session where laptops are usually not used. The students then use their laptops to do the tasks set and to complete activities that consolidate their learning. Students have the choice of where they want to sit, the only rules being that they have to sit in different places to the one in the previous session ie, if they were on a sofa before a break, they need to be at a table the following session. The flexible learning environment is an important part of how we work. There is a need for us to provide students of today with options that suit their learning style.
A lot of collaborative learning is going on, so the students do move around the room a lot to accommodate the group they are working with. This learning environment makes the most of our digital tools, the engagement of students is increased, it provides the opportunity for us to work closely with the students who need it and it provides space for other students to extend their skills with the support of their peers.
We also welcome your feedback on how we provide learning for your children. We’d love it if you popped in, it’s a great experience to see.
Brodie and I wish you a Happy Easter and safe travelling. See you next term.
greytownkauri 