Thanks to everyone who attended our end of term learning Expo on 29th June.

Your support of our learners is so very appreciated. Involving a community audience indicates to our students that their efforts are taken seriously and have value beyond the classroom. Expo gives us an opportunity to engage students in something that has meaning. Having these real world connections to the community allows learners to get excited about their learning. For young people in the midst of the well known ‘teenage malaise’ this engagement couldn’t be more important. For this to be meaningful their learning must include topics and outcomes that link to what is happening outside of the classroom. The pretend scenarios of the traditional classroom have limited value for teenagers and can quickly lead to disengagement. Learning loses momentum as soon as young people realise it lacks wider meaning. Added to this, the power of having a voice in the community is significant as our OJC learners start becoming active citizens in their own right. As we move forward it's our intention to increasingly encourage students to invite people to Expo who are specifically relevant to their learning. This might include members of the scientific community, the council, government agencies, local iwi, artists, business people….the list goes on. Watch for the Term 4 Expo date to be announced over the coming months. It will be a culmination of 2 terms worth of work and we’re expecting the results to be even more spectacular.