Welcome back for term 2. I hope you all had an enjoyable holiday break.
The school spirit shone through on the last day of Term 1 during our “wheelbarrow” Olympics. Each Whanau class decorated a wheel barrow and proudly paraded their efforts while our specially invited guest judge, former Principal, Mr Tony Guilliland, had the unenviable task of selecting the winners. Following the dressage event a number of wheel barrow races were enthusiastically undertaken and the afternoon’s events were complete with the “free style” competition. It was a really enjoyable way to finish the term, with some fun inter-Hapu rivalry. A special thanks to Ms Sharon Wilson for her organisation of the event.
On Tuesday of last week we held a very successful ANZAC remembrance assembly. We were privileged to have 16 representatives from our local RSA participate in the event with us and I was proud of the behaviour of our students as they showed their respect for the spirit of ANZAC day. The event was very well organised by students from the Runanga Tauira, some of whom also represented the school at the public ANZAC day service held the next day.
Thursday saw the return of a swimming sports day for the whole school. We hope this is the beginning of a return to an annual swimming sports event. This development will depend heavily on our students continuing to show a willingness to be involved. My thanks to Ms Carys Paul and her team for organising the event and to the students who made the day a success through their participation.
Some advanced notice. The Ministry of Education have granted 2 teacher only days (TODs) this year for staff to work on the alignment of level three achievement standards. The secondary schools along the West Coast will take one of these days as a “jumbo” day, where teachers from all the secondary schools can meet together in subject groups to use their collective knowledge. This TOD will be held on Thursday May 31st. We have decided to also take Friday June 1st as an additional TOD to work on some of the internal goals established through our charter. We had always intended to have our own TODs throughout the year and it seemed logical to use Friday 1st June for one of these rather than have students back at school for one day, after having the Thursday off, just before a long weekend. This will give students a 5 day weekend (the Monday is Queens Birthday). Ferg Harding Principal.
Ferg Harding,
Principal
Thank you to all of the parents and caregivers who came into school on Tuesday to discuss the progress of their students with their whanau teacher. We appreciate your willingness to have input into their educational progress and value the opportunity to create dialogue with families. Again I reiterate that staff are more than willing to discuss a student’s progress, both positive and negative, at any time.
Congratulations to Kelsee Hamilton on gaining a Lincoln University Scholarship – Netball. This scholarship programme combines academic study with the extension and development of athletic and sporting abilities. A great achievement.
I was pleased to have had reported to me that our two girls’ volleyball teams, while competing in a recent tournament, were a real credit to the school, both on and off the court. Well done girls and thanks to Mr Wickett, and helpers, for the time put into coaching the teams and travelling with them to tournament.
It has been a term with a few more challenges than usual with the redevelopment of the administration block. With the windows being installed this week and the exterior cladding nearly completed it is easier to see the progress being made and I am sure we are all looking forward to having this improved facility. It is a pleasure to pass on our contractor’s comments about the respect shown to them and their equipment by our students.
I found this short statement when I was reading an article the other day and it seemed worth sharing. It seems to me that these are important traits that we want to see in all of our students.
The happiest and healthiest people are those who have a reasonable dose of optimism, spend time helping others, work hard and have good friends. The reality is that often the more responsibility you take for your life, the more you will thrive.
These are important skills – managing yourself and your life, relating well to others, and participating in, and contributing to, the world you live in.
Working hard, doing a good job and getting involved in your work will actually improve your mood and the way you look at yourself and at life. You will lead a more interesting life, a more successful life and a longer, healthier life.
As this is the last newsletter for the term I wish to take the opportunity to thank all our staff for their input into our students education over the last 9 weeks. I wish you all a relaxing and safe holiday and look forward to welcoming you back on April 23rd for Term 2.
Ferg Harding
Principal
Congratulations to all who participated in our Athletics Day on the 2nd March. Thank to the efforts of staff and students, a very successful meeting was held with both some serious competition and many opportunities for a great deal of fun. A special thanks to Ms Paul and her team, for the organisation of the day.
Our Runanga Tauira has been working very hard to raise funds for the school and to increase Westland High School’s profile in the community. We can be proud of the time and effort given by members of that group in supporting Children’s Day in Cass Square. I know that their input was greatly appreciated by the Lions Club. Through the efforts of the Runanga Tauira the school now has a monogrammed gazebo for use at events such as the Athletics Day. A great
effort.
Congratulations also to Rosie Barnes and Tayla Cadigan who were both recently accepted into international exchange programmes. We wish them luck during their time overseas later this year.
Last week the PTA had their first meeting for the year. While it is a small group at this stage, the PTA is a vital part of our school both as a vehicle to pass on ideas and as a group who support our teaching and learning programmes through fund raising and providing helpers at important events.
It was with regret that at the meeting the PTA accepted the resignation of Kristine Hickford from the secretary’s position after many years of loyal support and active input into our school. I would encourage parents to offer their support to this group especially if they wish to have the opportunity to make a real contribution to our school. From the same meeting the school was grateful to receive a donation of over $5000 towards the cost of a multi user license for Abobe Creative Suite 5. This is a programme that will be used to extend programmes for senior arts and graphic design students but also has applications across the whole school. It is a very valuable addition to our teaching software.
We are at present in the middle of a three-week period of writing and issuing the first reports for the year. As a follow up to this we will hold an interview afternoon/evening on Tuesday March 27 commencing at 2pm. Parents/Caregivers will soon be asked to arrange interview times with Whanau Teachers.
One of our targets over the next couple of years is to give our students the opportunity and the skills to take much greater ownership of their own learning. We are taking a first step towards a structure that will help to facilitate this by using Whanau teachers as the main point of contact between parents/caregivers and the school. This will build on the trial conducted last year at the middle school level. I know there is some concern regarding what is seen as a move away from the more traditional type of “parent/teacher” interviews based on talking to subject teachers. There is still a place for this type of contact and the extent of the need for this type of contact should become clear at the interviews with Whanau Teachers. I would expect this level of contact to be sought for students who are performing well below expectations. In general on a personal basis, teachers and students should be discussing as a matter of course the next steps in learning. A part of this should include advice for students in years 11 to 13 on their demonstrated strengths and weaknesses and strategies for maximizing their academic achievement in a particular subject. Both our parents/caregivers and our staff are encouraged to make contact at any time when a need is seen to have a subject specific discussion related to a student’s progress.
Ferg Harding,
Principal
The School’s charter document has been sent to the Ministry of Education outlining the goals that we will target over the next three years. A copy of the charter is kept in the office for anybody who would like to take a more detailed look. A gentle reminder that in the last newsletter the school’s vision and values were published for our community to comment on if they wish. That invitation is still open.
Both of our year 7 classes have enjoyed an overnight stay at the lodge at Lake Kaniere in the last two weeks. These experiences only happen through the willingness of staff to give up their own time. My thanks to Mrs Zuckerman, Mrs Pizey, Mrs McMullan, Mr Garside, Mr Shawcross, and Mr Hannan for helping our students to enjoy our wonderful natural environment in safety.
Our Runanga Tauira also participated in an overnight camp at the Lodge as part of a leadership experience. Again Mrs Zuckerman, ably supported by other members of staff, undertook a key role in providing this opportunity for students.
Some of our senior students will have the opportunity to broaden their educational experiences this year and to work towards level 2 qualifications at a tertiary level. Eight Westland High students are enrolled in the Trades Academy associated with Tai Poutini Polytechnic. They will attend Tai Poutini every Friday. This is another opportunity for us as a school to endeavour to meet the needs of our students by providing industry recognised programmes while maintaining access to the more traditional school based subjects especially in literacy and numeracy. If you require more information you should contact Mrs Simpson here at school.
We were very pleased to be able to offer the school’s facilities to the Cancer Society as a venue for their very successful Relay for Life held over the weekend of 18th and 19th February. It was humbling to be in the presence of the survivors of cancer and to witness the commitment of those who participated in helping to raise funds for such a worthy cause.
Ferg Harding
Principal
