Dear Parents,
What a most satisfying way to complete our fourth week of Term Two; we have experienced a patch of perfect weather, which has assisted us to enjoy the company of visitors from our brother school: St Mark’s Church School, in Wellington.
Stranger Danger:
Last week, at about 3.30 pm, one of our Senior students, who was with another one of our pupils, was jostled outside the entrance to the Christchurch Public Library in Gloucester Street. These four 16-18 year olds: asked our student for money, swore at her and tried to open her School bag. A kind person came to the assistance of our student and the four larrikins ran off. The police were called and they said that they were deterring parents from allowing their children to walk to a destination in town. Currently our ‘Outside the School Rule 4’ states:
‘Students must go straight home, or to the place normally designated by parents/guardians, after school. If there is to be any change of destination, a letter or note from home must be countersigned by the Principal (or Deputy Principal).’
I have spoken to our Senior students and encouraged them to never walk alone and that it is safety in numbers.
Roll:
Our current roll is 191, with 12 further Year Zero pupils to join in the third term (7) and fourth term (5). We have welcomed Sophie Mitchell to our Year Seven class this week. Sadly, we have bade farewell to Natasha Miller, who is taking a place at Emmanuel School.
Staff:
Year Five Appointment:
We needed to readvertise this position and these interviews will take place next Wednesday.
Independent Schools’ Conference:
Mrs Burrows, our Bursar and I have returned from the Independent Schools’ Bursars’, Governors’ and Heads’ Conference which was held in Auckland 21-25 May, The theme was:
Relationships, Resilience and Respect.
One of the keynote speakers, Dr Michael Grose, indicated that Generation X parents (aged 28 - 44):
are more demanding consumers,
have developed different parenting skills to their own parents,
realise that education is an investment in the future and
work too many hours i.e. ‘time’ is the new scarce currency’.
Food for thought!
ACADEMIC
Effort Assessments: No 2
These will sent home, next week, at the end of Week Five. Please take time to read these through with your daughter(s) and / or son(s) and offer advice and encouragement as appropriate.
E.R.O. Visit:
We have been notified that our triennial visit will take place during the last week of this term: 30 June to 4 July.
Otago Problem Solving:
We have had two sets of Otago Problem Solving. This is an annual Mathematics Competition with emphasis on problem solving. The top scoring pupils are:
Set 1. 5/5 Blake Morgan, Joshua Rawlinson (Year 8) and Tae Joon Kim (Year 7).
4/5 Taylor Alexander, Courtney Clyne, Florence Fournier, Callum Salt and
Aaron Smith (Year 8).
Emma Pearson, Georgia Rouch, Jacob Fitzgibbon (Year 7).
Set 2. 5/5 Florence Fournier (Year 8).
4/5 Courtney Clyne, Drew Mathieson, Thomas Pearson, Callum Salt, Aaron Smith (Year 8).
Georgia Rouch (Year 7).
‘Well done’ to all of you.
ICAS Science:
28 pupils sat this test today i.e.
6 x Year 8 2 x Year 7
8 x Year 6 8 x Year 5
4 x Year 4
CULTURAL
Young Leaders’ Conference:
Four of our students attended this conference: our Head Prefect, our Deputy Head Prefect and two other prefects. Each one of these Senior students spoke to our School at a Monday assembly. I quote from Courtney Clyne’s address:
‘On Tuesday Florence, Olivia, Lucas and I all went down to the Town Hall for the Young Leaders Conference, which was sponsored by the Halogen Foundation. When we were seated they threw out huge balloons into the audience and when they eventually popped, the hosts came out. There was Charlie from What Now, Danielle Youngson and Whitney Pau’u.
Leadership is encouraging others to be themselves, paying the price to do the right thing, to have courage, and to believe in yourself when no one else does. The Young Leaders Conference for 2008 has given all of us a lot of information and knowledge on ways we can be better leaders’.
Choral and Orchestral Workshop:
I commend our Music Specialist, Mr Murray Lennox for the excellent standard of performance which was achieved by the: choristers and instrumentalists from our brother school, St Mark’s and our own Orchestra and Senior Choir. These musicians lead and presented at our School Mass this week.
Special Choir Auditions:
Eight of our students are auditioning for the Christchurch Music Festival Special Choirs. All the best to: Anastasia Loeffen, Simone Gale, Rebekah Boyce, Thomasina Loeffen, Ashleigh Macdonald, Olivia Parker, Emma Pearson and Ella Todd.
Inter-house Music Competition:
Our four School houses have begun preparing for our Interhouse Music Competition, which will take place on Friday July 4.
SPORTING ROUND-UP
Cross Country:
I congratulate the following pupils, who are our Cross Country champions for 2008.
9 Years:
1st Karenia Anderson Davis Gale
2nd Saskia Klinkenberg Jesse Simkin
3rd Chelsea Yu Aaron Li
10 Years:
1st Simone Gale Joeman Chan
2nd Anastasia Loeffen Connor Lindsay
3rd Megan Lord James Nicholls
11 Years:
1st Olivia Ong Blake Clarke
2nd Laurel Gregory Sebastian Gurobi-Hines
3rd Skylar Brown Tae Joon Kim
12 Years:
1st Beatrix Loeffen Aaron Smith
2nd Samantha Knegt Te Teira Pitama
3rd Pippa Nicholls Worth Brown
The House positions for Cross Country were:
1st Averill 2nd Harper
3rd Mathias 4th Perry
Huff n’ Puff:
I also congratulate the following pupils, who are our Huff n’ Puff champions for 2008.
5 Years:
1st Claudia Gale Fletcher Anderson
2nd Saskia Rankin Daniil Teplovs
3rd Macy Greenland Daniel Carlile
6 Years:
1st Anoushka Chiswell Roman Kenworthy
2nd Talia Bee Lochlan McNicholl
3rd Ella Christey Geoffrey Kemp
7 Years:
1st Brooke Owens Bennet Anderson
2nd Myah Klinkenberg Louis Holden
3rd Ketana Armstrong Alexander Johnson
The House positions for Huff n’ Puff were:
1st Perry 2nd Harper
3rd Averill 4th Mathias
Hockey:
Four hockey teams have been competing very well in their respective Saturday morning competitions: Boys’ Intermediate 8, Junior Blues, Junior Angels and Minis. Again, I thank: Mr Michael Graveston and the parent coaches for their commitment to and organisation of our teams.
Netball:
We have four teams entered in the Christchurch Primary Schools’ competition: a Year 4/5 Future Ferns and one team in each of the Year 6, 7 and 8 grades.
Swimming:
Pippa Nicholls was selected to compete in the Canterbury Primary School Championships.
Canterbury Trampoline Championships:
I congratulate Shannel Cartwright on her recent success at the Canterbury Grades Trampoline Championships 2008.
SPIRITUAL
Baptism and Entrance to Communion:
We have received eight and four requests for Baptism and Entrance to Communion respectively. I thank Father Peter for his preparatory work and visits to our family’s homes for these important occasions in these pupils’ lives.
Year Eight Assembly Leaders this month have been: Drew Mathieson, Taylor Alexander, Florence Fournier, Oliver Dunne, Lucas Perelini, Ashleigh Macdonald, Aaron Smith, Courtney Clyne, Olivia Parker, Callum Salt, Annabelle Priddy and Joshua Rawlinson.
Bible Readers at recent School masses have been: Olivia Parker, Ashleigh Macdonald, Kempton Haitana, Drew Mathieson, Pippa Nicholls, Te Teira Pitama and Courtney Clyne.
SYNDICATE REPORTS:
Senior Syndicate:
The Senior Syndicate have enjoyed a busy start to Term Two. Both classes have been studying stereotyping and discrimination in a unit entitled ‘Respecting Differences’, and are now looking forward to studying Victorian Christchurch.
We have organised a variety of visits and activities for this unit, including our grand Victorian Soirée in Week Eight. Both parents and pupils are in the ‘thick’ of dance instruction at present with the parents being commended by their tutors Margaret Provan and John Somerville, for their hard work and dedication.
The Senior pupils have also been going to the Christchurch School of Gymnastics each Friday for a variety of gymnastic instruction, with plenty of skill and technique being shown.
Finally a thank you to those parents who billeted pupils from St Mark’s. This has been an important exchange and relationships have been formed which will continue in September when St Michael’s visit St Mark’s.
A P Kendrew
Middle Syndicate:
When we look back since the start of the term we are amazed at how much we have accomplished!
Year Four have been studying ‘Rules’ in Social Sciences. The children have been asking many challenging questions and are in the process of developing a pathway for effecting change in rule making.
ANZAC Day has been the focus in Year Five with the children studying the significance of this day and how it impacts on our lives.
Some bright spark thought it might be a great idea to study electricity so this has been the focus for Year Six. We went to Science Alive for a lesson on circuits and will finish the unit designing and constructing a burglar alarm using the 6 Thinking Hats.
Last week Helen Moran (a drama specialist) worked with all three classes on dramatic skills and the children had to design varying parts to different scenarios.
After strategy testing we have started syndicate numeracy. As a result of this testing the children have been split amongst the three classes to best provide for their numeracy needs.
In conclusion we need to congratulate Davis and Simone Gale and Anastasia Loeffen for their selection in the ISSA Zone team to compete at the ISSA Cross Country. Davis finished 4th in the 9 years boys with Simone winning the 10 years girls and Anastasia placing second.
J C Russell
Junior Syndicate:
Our highlight for this term has been the Junior Cross Country ‘Huff and Puff’. Children and teachers braved cold winter mornings to train for this event. The race day saw children race in their age groups. Children’s comments were that they enjoyed the medals, the oranges and being cheered on by spectators! Congratulations to all who took part. Thank you to all parents and families who supported us and especially to Mrs Clarke who organised this successful event and made all the medals.
Our current Science topic, Magnets, is proving to be an engaging one for budding scientists. Children are enjoying making discoveries about magnets and are looking forward to contributing to the Science Fair with an investigation on magnetism.
Later this term we will be making cards for our Technology unit and then focusing on Keeping Ourselves Safe in our Health unit.
T V Price
Principals’ Tips:
An 89 year old member presented this piece of prose at a meeting, which I attended on Tuesday:
Take Time
Take time to think
It is the source of power
Take time to play
It is the secret of perpetual youth
Take time to pray
It is the greatest power on earth
Take time to love and be loved
It is a god given privilege
Take time to be friendly
It is the road to happiness
Take time to laugh
It is the music of the soul
Take time to give
The day is too short to be selfish
Take time to work
It is the price of success
And
Be proud of the work you do
Thank you. Have an enjoyable Queen’s Birthday Holiday.
All the best.
Yours sincerely,
Kevin Boyce
Principal
Merit Cards for April/May and Stop Press on page 4
Stop Press:
As a consequence of wanting a longer teaching block in the morning, we will be extending our programme to 12.30 pm and reconvene our afternoon lessons at 1.25 pm, from Week Five onwards.
