Senior news June 2020

We are so thrilled to be finally back on site and reconnecting with your children. What shone through for us during lockdown is that relationships and communication with our students are key. We loved the technology available through google meets and classroom however nothing beats face to face, the laughs, the high fives, and the daily chats. We are thrilled with how well our students have resettled and reengaged with learning and importantly working collaboratively with their peers.

We have had a huge week of literacy with Book Week! The opportunity to be leaders and role models in our school during buddy reading was a highlight, your children asked really thoughtful questions to the younger ones, encouraged them with their tricky words, and praised them at the end. It really was fabulous! 

Our big focus for the rest of the term is our PBL - Project-based Learning Unit, perhaps you have heard about it? Children are working in groups of three and have applied for and been given one of three roles  - marketing manager, communications advisor, and resource manager. The big question that is driving all our learning is, How can we, as designers, bring awareness to an environmental issue through creating an accessory to promote our cause. Not only is the focus on sustainability, but it is on design, marketing, and promotion. Students are working through the stages of collecting information from clients (their buddy class), receiving feedback about their product, prototyping their product, and going through the iteration stages and ultimately marketing their product. What this space for the results! 

Next week we are excited to welcome Maria, Harold, and the Life Education Bus to Kaikorai School. Our focus during our 4 lessons is how we can be leaders and what does leadership look like? Perfect for our senior students at this time of the year.

We are really looking forward to seeing you all during our Week 12 parent interviews, maybe face to face or via modern technology - either way, we are aiming for a 100% turn out to discuss your child's mid-year report and ongoing goals.

ICAS - Please read the separate article in this newsletter regarding the opportunity to engage with ICAS external exams.

As always, thank you for your support, and please do not hesitate to get in touch with me or your child's class teacher if we can help in any way.

Ngā mihi maioha

Beth Downie and the Senior Syndicate team