2 August 2009
Dear Parents
I begin my monthly newsletter to you on our Founders’ Day: the day that we celebrate and commemorate the dedication and foresight of our ‘founding fathers’ who commenced our operation as Christchurch’s oldest School, 158 years ago. Thanks to those of you, who attended our Founders’ Day Mass this morning.
Roll:
New pupils have been welcomed this term and, as always, it is a pleasure to witness the genuine reception from our current parents, parish and staff members extended to those amongst us, who are brand new to our system.
Past Students:
It is an absolute honour and privilege to receive past pupils back at their old School or hear news about old students. Recent news, or visitors to St Michael’s have been:
· Jesney Te Puke-Cowperthwaite (1999-2006), who returned with others from her Year 8 leavers’ group to our 2008 Prizegiving and, more recently has offered her Kapahaka skills to our Kapahaka group, with our new tutor, Maaka Kahukuranui, who is also the Kapahaka teacher at Jesney’s new School: Rangi Ruru.
· Emily Searle (2000-2007): a re-selection in the National Junior team for the World Climbing Championships in France and Switzerland: 27 - 30 August.
· David Morgan (1993-2001) a Boy’s Brigade Queen’s Service awardee, who called in and shared his most up-to-date news with us.
· and more significantly, we were informed recently of our newest centenarian, Mrs Ada Smart, of Palmerston North. Mrs Smart will turn one hundred years old on 16 August and her daughter informed us that she was a pupil at St Michael’s when Rev C E Perry was Vicar and Miss Kate Kiver was Principal, and, that Mrs Smart “speaks often and warmly about her years at St Michael’s”. It will be my pleasure to offer our School’s congratulations to Mrs Smart, who joins Mr Fred Wickes, a centenarian in 2005, who cut our sesquicentenary cake as our oldest living past pupil in 2001.
ACADEMIC
Mid-Year Reports:
You will have received these important documents with your son’s/daughter’s mid-year portfolio. It was also imperative that we give our parents the opportunity for our regular interviews with their child’s/children’s teacher(s).
Middle Syndicate: ‘Food to Go’ unit.
Our Term Two extensive study has continued to gain and retain interest from local news publications. We were given a write up and photograph in the ‘Christchurch Mail’ and, last week, a communications officer from Canterbury District Health, paid us a visit, prior to another article being written about our unit for a local health magazine.
Otago Problem Solving:
We have now had four sets of this competition. The top scorers from each class are:
Year 6: Madeline Kendrew, Daniel Alexander, and Freddy Wilson all 12/20.
Year 7: Priyanka Nathu 14/20 and Jacqui-Lyn Welch 13/20.
Year 8: Jacob Fitzgibbon 18/20, Rory Wilson-Cartwright 15/20 and Sophie Mitchell 14/20.
Congratulations to Jacob Fitzgibbon, our front runner, who will be hoping to keep up his excellent achievement.
A P Kendrew
Example of a question:
A five digit number abcde is formed using the digits 2,3,4,5,6 once each in some order. We are told that abcde is a multiple of 5, abcd is a multiple of 4, abc is a multiple of 3 and ab is a multiple of 2. What is the number abcde?
Answer in next month’s newsletter.
CULTURAL
Music Festival:
Our Festival Choir and three Special Choir members have begun their preparation for the annual Christchurch Music Festival: 14 - 16 and 20 -22 October.
2009 Production “Jack”
Ms Sharon Howells has begun her more intensive preparation, with our leads and nine classes, as we prepare for our 10 September production date.
Kapahaka:
Our Kapahaka group has put in many extra hours, with our tutors to ensure that our large group is ready for the 27 August presentation at the Cultural Festival in the Town Hall.
Chess:
Term Two was an active term in the chess club with three people holding the top position on the ladder at different times. Those three were Sebastian Gurobi-Hines, Vincent Kenworthy and current number one, George Addis. Others a little lower on the ladder vied for places to be selected for the Years 1-6 teams for the Press Inter-School Tournament.
That tournament was held on 24 July in the first week of Term Three. Our A team (George, Vincent, Daniel Alexander and Taylor Keys) performed well and were placed second in the Medbury Zone. Vincent had the rare distinction of winning all five of his matches.
Our B team (Angus Jonker, Harry Grossi, Nicholas Stevens and Thomas Bennett) were less well-performed but everyone from St. Michael's won at least one match and all will be better for the exposure to this level of competition. Thank you to Nicky Jonker and Jenny Grossi for providing transport for our teams.
The top six players in the school are now commencing a round robin tournament to decide the School chess champion for the year.
The attendance and enthusiasm of those who have been coming regularly to the chess club is appreciated but we would welcome more players of any level of ability or experience and we would like to see more girls attending what has been a boy-dominated club this year.
H R Kenworthy
SPORTING ROUND-UP
Hockey:
League Tables mid season see our: Supers undefeated and top of their division, Juniors top of their division and, the Mini Blues also undefeated.
Development Trials: Congratulations to five of our players, who were nominated for the boys development trials: Jacob Fitzgibbon, Shaun Graveston, Joshua Carlile and Logan McConnel (Super 8’s) and Daniel Hayward (Intermediates).
Netball:
Senior: The third and last competition round of netball started in the second week of our school holidays. There are two rounds remaining in the season before semis and finals commence. Both our U12 and U13 teams have played really well this season, developing skills and learning court craft. Many thanks must go to Rhianna Graveston (U13 coach) and Margaret Mattison (U12 coach) for their guidance and support during the season. Both teams are playing in the ISSA Winter Tournament which is next week.
Future Ferns: The emphasis for our Future Ferns this term has been on the acquisition of skills and learning to play as a team. The Year 4 team has been well coached by Jodi Alexander with Linda Kendrew as the Manager. The Year 5 team has been coached on Fridays by Katrina Anderson with the managing of the team being shared by Jo Clarke and Elspeth Godfrey-Chatterton.
Congratulations to Madeline Kendrew (Future Ferns Umpire) who passed her Bronze Award last Friday.
Thank you to Mr Boyce for all his support of our netball this season and to all the parents, who support the teams on Friday nights and Saturdays.
J C Russell
Rugby:
Alex Irvine plays his first representative match for Ellesmere on 9 August, as his team prepares for the five day South Island tournament in the September holidays.
Cross Country:
Simone and Davis Gale ran in the South Island Cross Country last Saturday, with Simone securing 20th place in her event.
SPIRITUAL
Founders’ Day Mass:
All participants ensured that our well attended Founders” Day Mass was a memorable and spiritually uplifting occasion.
Baptisms and Welcome to Holy Communion:
Baptism candidates are being prepared for their baptism on Wednesday 2 September, by Rev Lynne Horwood and Dr Marla Hughes.
Year Eight Assembly Leaders this month have been: Rebekah Boyce, Sophie Mitchell, Kendra Dunstan, Rory Wilson-Cartwright, Blake Clark and Jesse Rogers.
Bible Readers at recent School Masses have been: Laurel Gregory, Georgia Hetutu, Rebecca Tang, Saskia Whall, Jacob Fitzgibbon.
SYNDICATE REPORTS:
Senior Syndicate:
It is a busy time for many in the Senior Syndicate at present. The production is well underway with lines to be learnt and songs rehearsed. Year Eight enjoyed a ski trip to Mt Hutt last Thursday, and a great time was had by all, teachers included. Year Seven are due to visit Porters tomorrow, weather permitting. Thank you to all parents who volunteer to hep out: it is appreciated.
The syndicate topic focus is Consumer Rights and pupils are developing their knowledge of legislation that protects consumers, and their understanding of what actions to take if they feel “ripped off”.
The annual Cantamaths competition is held next Wednesday. The final team members for Year Seven and Eight will be acknowledged in the next newsletter.
A P Kendrew
Middle Syndicate:
Welcome back to a short, but action packed term with the main focus being our production “Jack”. Mrs Godfrey-Chatterton is the musical director for the production and is co-ordinating the singing rehearsals in the Middle Syndicate and throughout the School.
Fractions, Ratios and Proportions is the major domain focus for this term. After testing, the children have been grouped and Numeracy interchange commenced last week. We also interchange through the Syndicate for Visual Art (Mrs Clarke), Music (Mrs Godfrey-Chatterton), and Physical Education (Mr Russell). masks, production and volleyball skills are the focus for each of the above areas.
We were entertained on Monday by the Court Theatre who presented their production of Pinocchio. It was certainly entertaining and the children really enjoyed the presentation.
Congratulations to Daniel Hayward and Logan McConnel, who trialled for the Canterbury Junior Hockey development Squads. Logan McConnel was selected for a 2010 squad.
J C Russell
Junior Syndicate:
The promise of spring and the chance for children to play outside has lifted all our spirits. Our major theme for the term is “Planet Earth and Beyond”. We are researching a range of topics on this theme from Weather through to the Solar System. The children are also developing their inquiry and observation skills.
On Thursday the City Council Dogman will have talked about and demonstrated how to respond to dogs and given us strategies to cope, with confidence, when
we encounter dogs out in the community. Please ask your children about this visit so that you can reinforce the appropriate safety procedures.
Practice for the production “Jack” is in full swing. The children are participating and learning their songs and dances with joy and enthusiasm. What a treat we have in store for you all!
S G Walker
Principals’ Tips:
Family is a Team Sport
Siblings will tend to slip into competitive ways of thinking and behaving, giving many parents the full-time job of mediator. Recover that team feeling with activities that get the whole family working together, rather than pitted against each other. When they disagree, help them to find a win-win solution, but don’t decide it for them. Make them practise their compromise and co-operation skills with carefully worded questions.
(from Parents Inc weekly hot tip)
As always, my thanks to all of our stakeholders - Board, parents, pupils and staff - for ensuring that St Michael’s continues to be a special place.
All the best.
Yours sincerely
K R Boyce
Principal
Kapahaka Cultural Festival
Thursday 27 August
7 pm
Town Hall
No comments:
Post a Comment