A Note from Graeme Budler, Executive Principal
Dear KingsWay Community,
Ngā mihi mahana ki a koutou katoa.
I am sure you caught up with the Minister of Education’s announcement yesterday.
KingsWay’s leadership decided to continue to schedule the derived grade assessments offsite. We based this decision on several considerations, including students wellbeing. The expectation is that all Year 11-13 students return to school on Tuesday, 2 November. I plan to send a complete list of health and safety protocols to the community closer to this date once we have finalised these. Please read the Head of Senior School’s information in this bulletin for the derived assessment week detail.
Meanwhile, distance learning continues for students in Years 1-10 except for a few children of essential workers who we continue to accommodate on the Senior Campus, albeit it now without the requirement of bubbles.
The leadership continue to work tirelessly to navigate these challenges to support students and the community to the best of our ability. I know that we all experience change in different ways. However, we all have access to the same God to provide us peace, love, kindness, joy and perseverance in the storm. Thank you for your prayers and words of kindness during this challenging time.
Ngā mihi nui and God bless,
Graeme Büdler
Executive Principal
Whole School Notices
Term Start Dates for 2022
The year start dates for Term 1, 2022 are on our website under the tab '2022 Key Dates': VIEW HERE
Vaccination Register
Please continue to complete this FORM (one submission for each child) once your child has been vaccinated.
Once your child has had two vaccinations, please send a copy of their completed immunisation card or certificate to KingsWay’s Lead Registered Nurse anita.wicks@kingsway.school.nz
Please note that you can decline this request, in which case your child is marked as unvaccinated. This data is only collected for aggregation purposes and to update our health records should there be a Covid outbreak at KingsWay School. Specific personal information cannot and will not be shared with other agencies without your express permission in keeping with privacy laws.
Uniform Shop
The uniform shop remains closed and we continue to encourage parents to purchase online. All online orders received by end of Monday 25 October will be available for contactless pick-up from the main reception on Wednesday 27 October between 10:00 – 12:00. Should you wish to exchange or return an item, please mark this clearly and hand it in at the main reception no later than the end of Thursday 28 October. All exchanges and other online purchases (received by end of day Thursday 27 October) will be available for contactless pick-up from the main reception on Friday 29 October between 14:00 – 15:00. Please scan in at the gate before coming onsite.
Wellbeing
Lockdown Life – Episode 2: Resilience and Loss (WATCH NOW)
Our next instalment of Lockdown Life explores how we navigate the losses that occur during lockdown. Cherie Wallace talks use through strategies we can employ to help navigate this challenge. If you missed Episode 1: Resilience on the Roller-coaster you can access it HERE.
Primary School Notices
No updates for today.
Middle School Notices
Year 9 Camp
Discussions are underway regarding the Year 9 camp and its ability to proceed. A decision will be made and provided for the students and parents next week. We are very aware of the importance of the camp and the graduation from Middle School and will do all we can to ensure that Year 9 students will end their year on a high note.
Junior Secondary
We had hoped to be updating the current Year 9 parents in person about the exciting Junior Secondary programme. Given that this is not possible, we will update you by sharing updates and details via video, followed later with an opportunity to engage online. Students will also be updated along the way throughout this term as they have much to look forward to.
Senior School Notices
Derived Grade Assessments
As outlined above, we are still planning on having derived grade assessments take place next week via teams off site.
Reasons for this include:
- Exam timetable has been changed once already and would have to be changed a third time, introducing more change for students at this challenging time. The advice we have around this is to limit the number of changes, where possible and alleviate further stress and anxiety.
- Students are currently required to wear masks on-site and sitting up to 6 hours of exams per day with masks on would potentially hinder students' ability to concentrate.
- It is possible that some families may not want students on-site next week due to health concerns, even though the government has allowed this. If some students decide not to come back on-site, we cannot cater for a dual system (some students sitting derived grade assessments off-site and others sitting derived grade exams on-site).
- To operate assessments with Special Assessments Conditions and provide the volunteers and assistance required for onsite implementation at such short notice is untenable.
- As stated by the government yesterday, should there be further complications that necessitate Unexpected Event Grades (EUG), student performance in these assessments could become a significant factor in their final grade. We feel continuing with the current plan will allow students the best opportunity to perform as well as they can.
- We want to give students the best chance to succeed at this difficult point in the year. Given all the limitations and factors noted above, management has decided that keeping students at home for derived grade assessments is in their best interests.
A reminder that derived grade assessments are not the same as exams. With students sitting these assessments at home we cannot emulate ‘exam conditions’. This is why it is extremely important that as parents and caregivers you sign the authenticity statement with students and as much as possible encourage them to have integrity throughout the assessments.
Assessment Timetable is HERE and student instructions HERE.
We do realise that assessments can be stressful for students even at the best of times and we are endeavouring to make this process work as well as possible. Students can be assured that the assessments they will be sitting next week will be the same as those they would have sat on-site if COVID-restrictions were not in place.
Finally, we are also investigating options to have a small number of Year 12 and 13 students back on-site Friday 29th October and Monday 1st November to assist in the completion of portfolio or schedule assessment work. Teachers will communicate with these students as arrangements are finalised.
FRIDAY 22nd October Pickup/ Collection
PICKUP - This Friday 22nd October between 10am – 2pm there will be an opportunity for Senior students or parents to come on-site to the Bolam courts and do a ‘contactless drive through’ pickup of the following items. The hard copy of the following Mathematics papers are included to assist with the assessments next week to allow them to write on a physical paper. These will also be uploaded online through TEAMS if pickup cannot be arranged or if students should wish to complete this assessment on refill paper instead:
- L1MAT Assessment papers
- L1MAN Assessment papers
- L2MAC Assessment papers
- L2MAS Assessment papers
- L3MAC Assessment papers
- L3MAS Assessment papers
- Year 13 Hoodies
We ask for your patience as we arrange for this process and also that the envelopes are not opened until the day of the assessment.
Note if you are unable to physically pick up these papers, it is acceptable to have someone else pick them up on your behalf and arrange for your own drop-off. Please email rene.ames@kingsway.school.nz if you have difficulties collecting these papers. There will also be an opportunity to pick up these papers on Tuesday 26th October from the Senior Campus reception.