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ESOL - Athletics day 2016
 
Photo by Brendan Biggs

Head of ESOL Report

Brendan Biggs —

ESOL - Ski trip to Mount Hutt, a visit to Orana Park, the Antarctic Centre and International week.

ESOL - English as a Second Language

2016 has been an enjoyable and successful year for our international students. At STC, every international student is given an individual ESOL programme, and within that goals are set according to the student’s academic aspirations and extra-curricular ambitions.

Throughout the academic year students have been involved in a wide variety of activities both inside and outside the classroom. Students have been given the opportunity to undertake excursions most notably of which were a ski trip to Mount Hutt, a visit to Orana Park, and also the Antarctic Centre.

International Week is always an important event on the department’s calendar and this year was no exception. Our students enjoyed promoting their home countries’ culture to the kiwi students through food fairs to basic language teaching. The week culminated in the students running an international assembly in which they opened up and spoke about some of the common anxieties of culture shock and educational pressures in their native countries.

All international students have contributed to a highly successful year through academic achievement across NCEA levels 1 and 2 while junior students have been studying units of work based on individual learning needs. International students are also encouraged to immerse themselves in the school community through sport or culture and it has been very pleasing to see our internationals involved in athletics championships, First X1 soccer, and variety concerts.

STC has a uniquely befriending atmosphere towards international students and each student is welcomed and valued within the school community, and in turn, has contributed to its culturally and ethnically diverse identity. I would like to thank Rosemary Cooper for her time and investment in tuition of our international students and her contribution to the department. Thanks also to Hamish McCombie, the International Director, for his continued support, care, and recruitment of all our students.

Paul McCarthy - Head of ESOL