Our first full week of distance learning is scheduled for next week. Please read all of the info below.

Kia ora Year 7/8 Whanau

Thanks for all of your support with helping the students get themselves up and running with Distance Learning this week. All things considered, the Year 7/8 Hub has done very well coming ‘ back to school. ’

Please read this post carefully with your child. If you are unsure about anything, please get in contact with us via email.

Distance Learning continues next week, starting Monday 20 April.

We will continue to use our Distance Learning slide as a one stop shop for links, timetables and other important information.

You can find a link to the Distance Learning Slide here.

Online Learning and Catch Up Sessions will all be run using Zoom.

Links and passwords to each of the teacher’s Zoom Meeting Rooms can be found in our distance learning slide and also on the Zoom Session schedule.

Online Literacy Workshops.

We will once be running more Online Literacy Workshops from 9:10am - 10am each morning next week. 

Please make sure you know which Learning Group you are in for these and which teacher you will be meeting.

The Online Literacy Workshops for this week, starting Monday 20th April are:

• Learning Group 2 - Mr Muller

• Learning Group 3 - Mrs Baker

• Learning Group 1 - Mr Brown

General Catch Up Sessions

Please check the timetable for Zoom Sessions. You can find the timetable for Zoom Sessions here.

General Admin

A reminder that the email address for our hub (reaches all 3 teachers) is hub7and8@oaklands.school.nz

Every Cloud Has a Silver Lining - Level 4 Learning Success!

One of the literacy workshops this week tasked students with writing about a character from the story that was read to them. The character in question was the Mother from the story. A somewhat snooty, snobby, judgemental domineering and controlling character. The students could choose either a posh party or a fancy department store as a context for their story.

Below is Melissa’s effort. It is clear that even in these unsettled, crazy and unprecedented times, the Year 7/8 Hub continues to succeed!

At 10:00 on the dot, Agatha slammed into the party and screeched “Where is the bar? I need a 1945 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti at once.” Everyone was stunned, Who comes into a party and starts screeching like a banshee for a drink?

”Right over here, Miss” a waiter replied sheepishly.”

“Miss, I am not a Miss, I am a Ms, Thank you very much.” Agatha replied, outraged, as she got her drink.

As she was wandering around, she started talking to someone with a glass of water. “Hello dearie, let me order you a better drink, other than that disgusting water” She shuddered at the thought of water.

As the waiter brought over their drinks he said ” Your drinks, Ms.”

“In my days, waiters were seen and not heard ” she snapped.

“You know what, I’m going somewhere more suited to my status, without all you poor people who can only afford water, ” Agatha spat.

ZOOM PROTOCOLS.

Students Zooming each other (School wide expectations developed by School Management)

We understand that students may want to Zoom each other under parental supervision. Under Zoom’s Terms and Conditions, students under the age of 13 should not hold Zoom accounts. Zoom’s Terms and Conditions allow students to have Zoom accounts under their School Subscriber’s account. This allows the students to be participants in meetings and also the school can maintain supervision and control over the students and their meeting experiences. If students are video calling other students, parents will need to create a personal Zoom account or use another platform with a personal account. A personal account must be used because the school is not able to monitor student to student calls effectively.

Zoom Meetings - Our Expectations and Top Tips. 

We aim to ensure that all students have a positive learning experience using Zoom.

With this in mind, we suggest the following:

• Check timetables and be on time and prepared for your Zoom session.

• Find a quiet space in your house with minimal distractions and where lighting is reasonable.

• Make sure that your camera is on and that your face is centred. We love to see your smiling face.

• Keep your microphone muted as this stops feedback and echo and allows everyone to hear the speaker.

• Signal with your real or virtual hand if you want to speak. Unmute your microphone if you are asking or answering a question. 

• Be prepared to share in all of your sessions and speak in a loud and clear voice.

• Pay attention to what is going on; especially to whoever is speaking at the time.

• NO CELLPHONES to be brought to Zoom sessions. They are too distracting and stop you from learning. 

• If you miss a session and you want to catch up, please message a teacher to arrange this.

• From time to time we may record sessions. If we do this, we will make recordings available to you in Google Drive.

We have high expectations that students will meet these online learning requirements.

Looking forward to another successful week of Distance Learning.

Mr Muller, Mrs Baker and Mr Brown.