KORERO FROM FRASER

Welcome to Week 5 everyone.

Did you all know that we have an honours board here at school? We do, to be specific, have a CLOAK honours board and it is situated in Raratuna, the main Junior High atrium area. The CLOAK honours board records all students who have achieved their gold badge status over the last few years. This is something that we have more and more students aspiring to and achieving and it is very cool to have the privilege of sitting in on the students pitching for their gold badges. This final pitch is a challenging experience for students but one that is creating confident and capable young people who learn early the satisfaction that can be gained by setting a goal and realising it.

Over the last week I have had three students pitch for their gold badges. This process involves students collecting evidence of themselves displaying CLOAK attributes at a high level in different contexts for just one letter at a time. For instance, students come to pitch for their ‘C’ Challenge Our Mindset badge. They have to demonstrate how they have the qualities of the ‘C’; overcoming challenges through hard work (Perseverance), taking risks to help them grow (Adventurous) and growing their mindsets beyond their usual experiences (Mindset).

The CLOAK is a very important part of us developing our students as lifelong learners. As you will note from the ‘C’ description, if students can develop and embed these attributes, within not only their learning but also other areas of their life, they are setting themselves up to be successful in whatever they choose to do.

Have you had a conversation with your young person or their advisor about badging? Students can start with their bronze badge and even this process develops their awareness of what they do in their daily learning and lives that helps them develop habits and attributes of a successful person. Encourage them to take up the challenge. Yes it does require them to extend themselves beyond their normal coursework but what a message their success sends.

I want to congratulate the young people who have embraced the challenge of badging at all levels. We are going to celebrate all things CLOAK related at our prizegivings in a couple of weeks and look forward to sharing their success with you all.

In the meantime my challenge to all students is to start their badging journey!