26 February 2008


Dear Parents,

As we conclude the fourth week of this term, we also need to appreciate that we are almost at the halfway checkpoint of this nine week term.
During the course of this first month, much has happened and I commend all members of our community for the positive start to our 2009 School year.

Roll:
We have begun our new year with 185 on our roll, which is two pupils above the 2008 commencement total. We have welcomed the following new pupils:

Year 0:

Byron Antal, Holly-Paris Beard, Sophie Bennett, Benjamin Bruerton, Lara Chiswell, Greer Evans, Itsuki Kashima, Alexander Stolzenberger, Jasmine Winter.

Year 3: Paige Stolzenberger

Year 4: Grace Budge, Ethan Cotterell, James Dwyer, Alisa Ikenaga, Grace Mitchell

Year 5: Hannah Pearson

Year 6: Anna Ikenaga

Year 7: Ben Mitchell

Staff:
Our two new academic staff members: Mrs Brigit Craig (Year 2) and Mrs Raylene Tennant (Year 1) have had a smooth start with their respective classes. I thank our School parents for their warm welcome of these two new staff members.

Parent-Teacher Interviews and Meetings:
Thank you for your attendance at these important meetings in such large numbers. It is a time to establish a rapport with your daughter’s/ son’s class teacher and to be informed about the programme that your child/children will pursue.
Our interviews’ appointment times have also received a very good response. This is a time for you to discuss your daughter’s/son’s individual abilities and talents and to set or share in her/his goals for 2009.

Leadership Appointments:
House Leaders: In keeping with our School’s tradition, our pupils have selected their two House Leaders for 2009. I congratulate the following who were ‘voted in’ at the first meeting of our four School Houses:
Averill: Rebekah Boyce Shannel Cartwright
Harper: Laurel Gregory Sophie Mitchell
Mathias: Ella-Jane Todd Georgia Rouch
Perry: Kendra Dunstan Samantha Clark

Librarians:
Our new teacher librarian, Mrs Jo Clarke, called for applications for the eight librarian positions and, accordingly, received a healthy response. The following are wished ‘well’ in their new roles:

Head Librarian: Emma-Kate Gardenbroek
Deputy Head Librarian: Skylar Brown
Librarians: Emma Pearson, Sophie Mitchell, Jacob Fitzgibbon, Laurel Gregory, Rory Wilson-Cartwright, Kendra Dunstan, Raphaela Walsh, Emma Wong

CULTURAL

Chess:
It is pleasing to continue this important club, which meets at lunchtimes on Mondays. Again, I thank Mr Hamish Kenworthy for his coaching and organisation of this group.

Choirs:
Our Music Specialist, Mr Murray Lennox, has started his auditioning for our Junior Choir (Years 4 and 5) and our Chapel/Senior Choir (Years 6,7 and 8).

Kapahaka:
We have pursued a replacement for our Kapahaka tutor, Mrs Suzanne Pitama and, over the last two weeks, we have invited possible replacement tutors to attend our Wednesday practices. We will announce our permanent tutor in due course. I thank Ms Sarah Mahoney for her commitment to our Kapahaka group, as our Tutor Teacher.

After School Activities:
Our pupils pursue a myriad of activities after our classes have concluded for the day. I thank, on your behalf, those parents and staff, who offer their time to nurture these various skills and talents with our pupils.
Writers’ Group: Mrs L Horwood
Extension Mathematics: Mr T Kendrew
Science Badges: Mr J Russell
Visual Art: Mrs E Godfrey-Chatterton
German: Ms N Lauenstein/Dr A Werno
Spanish: Miss B Byers
Explorers’ Club (Terms 2 & 3) Mrs S Walker

SPORTING ROUND-UP

Cricket:
Our 1st X1 and Colts’ squads are being well coached by Mr Jon Russell and Mr Tony Kendrew and Mr Hamish Kenworthy. Our 1st XI has a game in the Milo Cup schedule, Round Two. We won our Round One game with Christchurch East by default and have been informed that our opponent, for the Round Two game, is Cathedral Grammar.

Tennis:
We have recommenced our Thursday coaching (Years 5 - 8) and practice sessions at the Hagley Tennis Courts, with about 30 students in this programme.
I thank Mrs Ray Tennant for the coaching that she has begun with our Year 3 and 4 pupils on Thursday afternoons.

Touch:
We have maintained an entry in the Friday Touch competition at St Andrews. Our team is being: coached by Edward van der Pol, a Year 12 at Christchurch Boys’ High School and a St Michael’s old boy and managed, by Mr Tony Kendrew.

Annual Swimming Sports:
Our 2009 Sports again ‘ran like clockwork’ and I pay tribute to the organisation and planning skills of our Sports’ Co-ordinator, Mr Jon Russell. I herald our 2009 Champions:

8 years: Chelsea Yu Roman Kenworthy
9 years: Karenia Anderson Nicholas Stevens
10 years: Madeline Kendrew Millie Clifton
Caitlin Bee Jesse Simkin
11 years: Megan Lord James Nicholls
12 years: Olivia Ong Alex Irvine

For the first time in 23 years, we had a ‘tie’ in our House points:
Averill: 106
Mathias: 106
Harper: 98
Perry: 78

SPIRITUAL

Year Eight Assembly Leaders this month have been: Kendra Dunstan, Austin Poit, Sebastian Gurobi-Hines, Olivia Ong, Rebecca Tang, Jesse Rogers, Rebekah Boyce, Laurel Gregory, Ella-Jane Todd.

Bible Reader at our School Mass: Rebecca Tang.

Mothering Sunday 22 March:
This is one of our three compulsory services for the year and is a wonderful occasion, when we acknowledge the special ladies in our lives.

SYNDICATE REPORTS:

Senior Syndicate:
We have enjoyed a settled beginning to the new school year in the Senior Syndicate. The Year Seven pupils are proving to be enthusiastic Assembly and Playground monitors, while the Year Eight class has taken on their responsibilities and duties wholeheartedly.
Our Syndicate Touch Rugby team is now underway after a couple of rained out Friday afternoons, and there were many pleasing results from Senior pupils at the Swimming Sports last week.
The major focus for our Syndicate is next week's
Camp at Wainui. Pupils will experience a number of challenging outdoor activities while learning to live together in a large group for a week, and making sure the sanity of their teachers remains intact! We appreciate the assistance of a number of parents who are spending the week with us. Thank you all.
With our P AT assessment behind us, we look forward to meeting many parents during interviews and discussing your children's progress and learning goals.

A P Kendrew

Middle Syndicate:
It has certainly been a hectic and positive start to the beginning of another school year.
EOTC played a large part in the second week of the term. Year 6 spent a wonderful week at Living Springs involving yachting and challenge by choice activities. Year 5 joined us later in the week, unfortunately their yachting was postponed because of the weather but has been rescheduled for later in the term.
Our swimming sports have just concluded with some excellent aquatic skills in evidence. Congratulations to Chelsea Yu, Roman Kenworthy, Karenia Anderson, Nicholas Stevens, Madeline Kendrew and Jesse Simkin who were our age group champions. A team will be selected for the ISSA swimming sports and a large number of competitors will feature from the Middle Syndicate.
Syndicate wide numeracy starts next week. Each child has been assessed and groupings arranged. It was pleasing to see that testing at the end of 2008 had seen significant shifts in children’s achievements, so this bodes well for 2009.

J C Russell

Junior Syndicate:
Our year began by welcoming new people to our Syndicate, both pupils and staff. Mrs Ray Tennant has joined us in Year 1 and Mrs Brigit Craig in Year 2 and it is good to have them with us.
Swimming at Aquagym saw big improvements in both the children's confidence and techniques. Thank you to those parents and grandparents who came and helped with changing.
Our Topics this term include Celebrating Me,
Our City and a Health perspective on how we are growing and changing.
We intend to have our own version of “Ellerslie” by having a display of floral based sand saucers. A walk through the gardens will show us how exciting a time this is.
It was good to talk with so many parents at the parent meetings and get to know the children’s personal side which gives us a more rounded view of the children their personalities.

B M Byers

Drop Off Zone:
We would ask again that our School parents park in or near the Oxford Terrace Drop Off Zone when they bring their child/children to and from
School. We nearly experienced an awful accident this week in our Durham Street visitors carpark, with a backing vehicle just missing a small child.
Please do not use this car parking area as a Drop off zone.

School Fee Automatic Payments:
If you have not already done so, could you please ensure that you have set up the new amounts for 2009: Our School Bank is Westpac Trust Bank Canterbury Centre and our Account Number is:

03 1593-0012094-00
1 Child 2 Children 3 Children
Weekly $124.70 $248.25 $371.25
Fortnightly $249.25 $496.50 $742.50
Monthly $540.00 $1,075.80 $1,608.75

Emergency Clothing:
Any donations of good clean uniform and underwear, particularly in the smaller sizes, would be greatly appreciated for use in our School sick bay when pupils are sick or have accidents. Thank you.

PUBLIC RELATIONS

Year 8’s 2008:
On Friday 20 February, it was pleasing to receive 20 out of 22 (90%) Year 8 leavers for a lovely pizza tea, which was organised by our P.T.F.A. committee members: the ‘buzz from past parents and pupils was wonderful to hear.

Principals’ Tips:

What Makes Kids Angry?

Often children are angry because they can’t have what they want: a treat, a cuddle, or something they wanted to do. Other times, it can be because the parents seem too distant and they feel abandoned. Of course, affection makes a child feel loved, but so, too, do guidelines, rules and limits. Remind your child that he/she is loved and cared and that he/she matters to you.

(from Mary and Ian Grant’s Hot Tips for Parents)

Thank you for your loyalty and continued support of all that we do, and remind your children ‘The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.’ (Eleanor Roosevelt).
All the best.

Yours sincerely


K R Boyce
Principal