Hero photograph
Liam, Jo, Ronan and Eli
 
Photo by Learning Support

Learning Support 2017

Lynda Collins —

Learning Support 2017

2017 has again been a busy year for Learning Support. With the school’s new building projects still to be completed we have been sharing our building with Maths and also had make room for other classes. With the demand for quiet spaces many of the seniors were to be found using our seminar rooms to get some study done. With the construction of the New Learning Studio we found ourselves fenced off from the rest of the school campus and had to make long detours to and fro to join the rest of the school navigating natural hazards, rain, puddles, potholes and rough shingle. I think we should have been issued with work boots and gumboots!

It will be a welcome relief in 2018 when access is freed up and then we can again feel connected to the rest of the school. It will be very exciting to have the new learning spaces and the staff are looking forward to being able to work more closely with teachers and enjoy the benefits of working within the classroom set up.

As usual, a lot of hard work from the students went on this year. The Learning Support team were very busy assisting boys with their school work and helping them to achieve their goals. Learning Support provided one-on-one tuition in both literacy and numeracy, gave guidance to students working on their NCEA assessments, took literacy groups and tested students to better identify their needs. Time was also spent on helping some of the junior boys with their latest INS projects. Small groups from the junior and middle school came up often to work on their computer literacy programmes such as STEPS and Core5. Many boys also came up to complete their Te Kura work, ably supported by Mrs Winton. We are always impressed by how hard our students work and the positive attitude they have towards improving their learning. It helps that staff are dedicated and thoughtful and always have a cheerful approach and are willing to go the extra mile to help the boys out like going shopping for resources and materials to help out with projects.

The Learning Support garden is still going strong this year with a variety of vegetables being planted and plenty of mild weather to help us along. The boys are learning about what a weed looks like, about which vegetables were best to plant depending on the time of year, how to prepare the soil, and how to care for their growing vegetables. Gardening is such an important practical skill and we feel the boys benefitted from learning about self-sustainability. It should be said that on a sunny day weeding and planting were sometimes a welcome alternative to sitting inside doing school work! It was good to see that a few of the boys had the “green thumb” and were quite knowledgeable about gardening. The greenhouse has been planted with tomatoes and there is a fine crop of potatoes coming along.. A big thank you to Graham and Roger for once again helping with the upkeep of the garden, provision of mulch, plants and watering.

One of the highlights of term 4 was taking some of the boys down to the Big Fun Gym. With the help of an instructor, the boys tackled obstacle courses, manoeuvred on balance beams, bounced on trampolines and swung on bars and ropes. These activities were a great way to get some exercise and help the boys to develop new skills. It was exciting to see how the boys’ confidence and coordination improved each week. The boys had a blast and it became something that they looked forward to every week.

We always try to reward the boys who come up to us on a regular basis at the end of each term for all their hard work and this year we went to Orana Park and the Yaldhurst Car Museum.

We are very fortunate that we have such warm, caring and compassionate staff who always go the extra mile to help our students succeed. Whether it is helping make items to sell at the year 7 Market Day or encouraging (read nagging and stand over tactics ) a year 11 student to complete much needed credits for NCEA, stepping into the breach to be a reader for an exam or chasing up students doing Te Kura work, they cheerfully respond to students’ needs. Mrs Ferguson thoughtfully goes shopping for materials for project and brings resources from home. She is a dab hand on One Note too! Mrs Cranefield went on a course to learn a new way to teach Numeracy(Numicon). Two staff have undertaken Steps training and are keen to do more next year. Mrs Winton chases up her Te Kura students and lends much appreciated support to the year 11 numeracy and English classes. I did my best to encourage students to complete their literacy programmes each week by providing a steady stream of chocolate bars for those who met their targets. I have had to outlay a significant amount as this proved a very popular incentive. We were fortunate to have the support of Sam Corry and Mitchell Lee throughout the year who supported students in a part time capacity. It is always great for the boys to have some male role models and mentors as they bring a different perspective and we appreciate the help they were able to give.

All the staff have in common a genuine desire to help students to achieve and do what they can to support their learning. They play a large pastoral role as well providing a willing ear and wise counsel. Boys who have left school do come back for a visit and it is always heartening to hear of their successes beyond school.

Sadly this is my last year at STC as I am retiring. I have really enjoyed being part of such a dedicated team and I have really appreciated their hard work and support. I will miss my wonderful colleagues and the boys but not the driving to work, administration and filing! I have always gained much satisfaction from identifying the causes of learning struggles and then implementing programmes and strategies to try to support student learning. It is rewarding to see a student achieve success and then go on to achieve their potential.

In this technology age we are very fortunate that we have so many more tools in our repertoire to support students with their learning, from the assistive technology tools that will read and write for students; e-books and audio books; spellcheckers; You tube to watch a video or a tutorial. Copying is a thing of the past and poor handwriting and spelling is no longer an issue. This has made learning far more accessible to all students.

Learning Support aims to provide a space where any student feels comfortable asking for help with their work and we eagerly await the challenges of next year and the opportunity to support more students with their learning. We hope all our students have a relaxing and enjoyable holiday so that they will be refreshed and ready for learning in 2018.