TERM2, 2009	Previous   Next

Hi folks- Please Read the 1st Bit Now!

Well, what an interesting meeting we had with The Minister and ministry personnel concerning the national standards! Despite the assurances from Anne Tolley that the information schools will gain from the standards process is to help them plan for improvements in achievement, it seems an awful lot of effort when schools that are needing such help (46% by the stats given from ERO in 2007) can be easily identified and targeted without all this hullabaloo. So, what’s the real agenda, then!
A lot of discussion ensued at the WRPPA meeting afterwards and, to this end, the decision has been made for a collective submission to go in from WRPPA. Please have a look at the points that were made on the accompanying survey and mark whether you agree, disagree or have suggested changes for each point made and fax this back to 939 9708 as soon as you can. There is urgency around this as 2 of the 6 weeks consultation period has already passed. That, of course, is one of the issues. What’s the huge rush?



WRPPA/FURNWARE LEADERSHIP AWARD
We are pleased to announce that Mike Farrelly from Raumati Beach has been awarded the
$10 000 grant this year. Mike is exploring the possibilities of the use of handheld technology in and beyond the classroom. He will be travelling to a conference in England and visiting Wolverhampton and Bristol to see these technologies in use. Wolverhampton began this initiative about 6 years ago, selling the idea to the community by offering 24/7 handhelds for the equivalent of ‘a pint a week’. The spin-off has been that parents in this low socio-economic area are also engaging through the handhelds in their children’s education. Mike is heading off to England in September. He will have plenty to tell us on his return, without a doubt!


WRPPA CONFERENCE 2009
Angela and her team report that all keynote speakers have accepted, with alacrity, the invitation to speak. Working on the principle that professional dialogue and debate can have a fun factor built in, this year’s conference looks to be a beaut. Fliers will be out shortly for the conference, to be held 29/30 October, just after Labour Weekend.

CLUSTER GRANT USE
The group of schools, who have formed a cluster to further the effectiveness of teaching refugee and migrant children, have visited Mangere Refugee Centre and found the whole experience extremely interesting, humbling and thought-provoking. This group intends to meet regularly to explore possibilities for effective practice in our area. If you are keen to be involved, please ring John Young at St Joseph’s Upper Hutt, or Sandy McCallum at Mt Cook School. A cluster grant well spent, we feel.

TROOP MOVEMENTS
Len Holder is finishing at Tuturumuri School at the end of this term and Arthur von Sturmer is retiring from Churton Park School also at the end of this term. Best wishes to you both….no doubt you’ll both be grieving the fact that you won’t be involved in reporting to the national standards next year!

MALACHI PANCOAST SEMINAR
There was much interest expressed in this seminar and to date 21 of the 43 schools who expressed onterest have signed up. Angela at MEC has looked further afield for applications and there are now only 6 spaces left. So, if you are one of the ‘originals’, you will need to contact Angela quickly.

SUBSCRIPTIONS
The subs for 2009 and 2010 have been set at $60 per school. Your subs invoice was sent out separately in the fond hope that it was given to your bursar for payment rather than getting lost on your desk! 170 of you managed this which is not a bad success rate at all. Now if we can just get the other 30 subs in, our treasurer, Dennis Thompson, will be a very happy chappy! I have enclosed a reminder notice if you are one of the 30 (and I promise I won’t tell anyone who you are!) If, in the meantime, you have paid, just rip it up and, in the words of the worst TV ad in the world…..walk away!

A Bit of GOSS!
You may not yet have heard that MoE Area Manager, Murray Williams, finished last week and is heading back up north to work in special education again. All the best, Murray.

Enjoy the last few weeks of Term 2. Nearly halfway through the year already!

Cheers
Barbara

ps A reminder to do the survey now before you forget!

My very first day of school, my parents dropped me off at the wrong nursery.
I didn’t know anyone.
And there were a lot of trees.

Brian Kiley.