A busy and engaging term with plenty of great student achievement.

Tena koutou katoa

We are now most definitely into the winter season. An abrupt change in temperature from our unusually warm autumn has got us reaching for our puffer jackets!

It has been a very enjoyable and busy term so far.  Our continued focus on Project Based Learning has resulted in some excellent learning opportunities. Science has been a focus for both Year groups as they grapple with planning and implementing their own ideas to solve an authentic problem. It's this "real" learning that is so important for children as they learn to work together, question, implement and  critique their efforts. It's great to see all of this coming to fruition towards the end of the term!

Years ago, the term "hidden curriculum" was used to describe the implicit personal and social skills associated with a learning experience. Today you'll find that these concepts are "front and centre" when we're working with children. Making explicit connection between the values or skill set and the task at hand is now part and parcel with effective teaching. Skills and knowledge to do with collaboration, communication, reflection are an important part of a holistic view of learning. In other words, it's not just what we're doing, it's how we're doing it.  Helping children build skills and confidence as they grow.

There's plenty of current thinking around the building of resilience for children.  There's no doubt that the world our children experience is very different to that of even five years ago. Our Generation Z children have known no other life but one of smartphones, digital and social media.  Please continue to be part of your child's online life. Have conversations about where they go online and what they do and have some guidelines around amount of device use at home. 

Whilst devices play an important role in your child accessing learning resources at school, we certainly balance this out with plenty of physical activity and participation in cultural and arts.

Thanks for the excellent support you continue to give our school. Special thanks to the "camp mums and dads" that have given up their time to support Year 8 camps and also to many of you who help with sports teams. 

As always don't hesitate to contact me if I can help in any way.

Nga mihi nui

Andrew Hunter