Year 7 Ako

What a busy few weeks we have had, setting expectations, establishing relationships and settling into routines of 7 Ako and Ellesmere College life. It is great to see our students wearing the new uniform correctly with pride, whether it be their PE gear on Monday’s and Wednesday’s or the standard uniform on other days.

This term our focus is on Culture and Diversity and we are starting to work on some Self Portraits to put on display in our classrooms and then show off at the Junior Exhibition evening towards the end of the term alongside some of their other learning.

We have completed all of our start of year E-asttle testing so are underway with our Maths groups and each Hapori class is doing a different read aloud book. 7AM are having the Canterbury Quake story by Desna Wallace read to them by Mrs Rupp and they are having some great discussions about what life was like back in 2010/11 during the struggles Christchurch faced and what Canterbury went through with the earthquakes.

Miss Butler is reading Refugee by Alan Gratz to 7BU where they are making comparisons between Syria, Germany and Cuban refugees and considering what they might do if they were in a war stricken country.

7RL have been reading Spark Hunter written by Sonya Wilson being read by Miss Riedel and they have been busy researching the Fiordland National Park and thinking about what would be necessary to survive in the wilderness.

It has been great to see their primary school knowledge of Te Whare Mauri Ora follow them through to college and we will be delving deeper into the pillars for the rest of the term especially focusing on how they can look after each of them to enhance their own wellbeing while at school and home.

We are also beginning to recognise students for displaying positive behaviours and our school values. The following students are currently leading the charge with the number of RISE tokens they have been earning for showing either Respect, Integrity, Success or Empathy both in and out of the classroom.

Congratulations to Conner Waites 7AM, Amber Phan-Hubbard 7RL and Molly Flewellen 7RL for leading the charge!

Ngā mihi

Rebecca and Year 7 team.