Week 3 Update

Passion Friday got underway today. The Enviro-Busters checked out the school gardens and dreamt of what could be, Around the World shared their personal travel experiences and explored their NZ mapping knowledge, Drama Workshop ... I'm not sure, but it was bound to be creative and full of laughs(!) and ICT Workshop became members of Edmodo, learnt about Sweet Home via video tutorials and designed homes of the future.



ICT Workshop designing houses using 'sweet home' software.

 

Library: As our school library builds it's resources up we are going to visit the Christchurch South Library once a fortnight. In our first visit a librarian will talk with the children about what their service offers, then the children will be able to browse and borrow books. Children need to remember to bring their library cards to school on Wednesdays. This week (Feb 13) rooms 18 and 19 will visit and next week will be the turn of rooms 16 and 17 (Feb 20).

If your child is not a member of the library, you can join them up at your nearest library. The library in our school community is South Library on Colombo Street and the opening hours are 9am-7pm on weekdays and 10am-4pm on Sundays. You can locate your nearest library at www.christchurchcitylibraries.com. To join up your child, you will need to take two forms of identification with you and a letter you have received within the last month, for example, a bank statement or power bill. If you have any questions before you go, you can phone 941-7923.

Our maths interchange classes are underway for the year. We will be observing the children closely over the next week and expect there will be some reshuffling by week 4, to ensure children's needs are being well targeted.

Life Education visits start for our team this week. The focus is 'WOF', looking at nutrients in foods and how they help the body, 'energy in - energy out' and body image. This ties in nicely with our 'Sharpen the Saw' theme for the term which most classes are about to launch into.

Technology is underway, check out the tab above for a message from South Intermediate.

Leadership positions were announced today, Friday. We were impressed by the number of positions children applied for. Most children got 2 or 3 positions, a few got 4. There will also be points given for choir, te whanau and band. Every term there will be bonus jobs that children can do to earn extra points.

Week 2 Update

We have had a great start to the year in Year 7 & 8. I think learning conferences played a big part in this. Thank you for prioritising these meetings and for the contributions you made.

Home Learning: This afternoon I have ordered maths and science badges, literacy workbooks and started the Mathletics enrolment ball rolling. It will take a few days for these things to arrive at school. If your child has opted for one of these programmes, they should be ready to go by the start of week 3. Home learning books with contracts inside and maths home learning clear-files should come home on Monday. The first day the home learning books are due back at school by Friday Feb 15.

Technology: This gets underway on Tuesday.Children need to take; pencil cases, sun-hats and morning tea. They can bring money to spend at the tuck shop.

Languages: These start on Monday of week 3. Cashmere has just contacted us to say that Japanese will be replaced by Spanish this year. The other language is French.

Sun-hats: These are compulsory from Monday. They are available for purchase at the school office before or after school.

Leadership Positions: We have been flooded with applications. Children will know positions by the end of week 2.

Books for the library: Barrington Paper plus is the place to visit if you would like to purchase a book to donate to our library, at 30% off the full price.

Welcome Back to 2013 in Year 7 & 8

We are looking forward to seeing you all on Monday and Tuesday at Learning Conferences. Teachers are well rested, getting organised and keen to meet classes and get underway.

Library: Thanks to those of you who have donated books or time to get our temporary library up and running. Ann Chin is working flat out and it is exciting to see things coming together in Room 10.

Home Learning in 2013: We had 30 people fill out our survey on home learning in Year 7 & 8 at the end of last year. We really appreciated you taking the time to do this. The feedback was valuable and has encouraged us to take a good look at how we do home learning in our team. What really hit us was that there were so many different needs and parents wanted different things, with some common elements. Of course this makes a lot of sense as our children have such varied learning needs. To this end we have come up with a new approach that will individualise home learning to better meet the needs of each student. At learning conferences on Monday and Tuesday we will put together a home learning contract for each child, based on a bank of options. Some of the options are programmes and resources that have information on-line. It would be great if you (and/or your child) could take a quick look at these before your learning conference. Note that these are just a few of the options, the rest will be explained at conferences.

•  Mathletics
• Maths Achievement Challenge
• Science Badge
• Literacy / language skills Year 7 workbook
• Literacy / language skills Year 8 workbook

Stationery: If you have misplaced your stationery list, there is a copy on the school web-site. It would be great to see children arrive with named stationery on Wednesday.

Enjoy that last few days of the holiday.

Week 8 Update

With just two weeks to go, we have a number of important reminders...

Midsummer Night's Dream: It is all finally coming together and we are very excited about performing on Thursday evening, Dec 6th. This performance involves ALL YEAR 7 & 8 STUDENTS. They need to be at school that night by 6:15 if make-up is required and everyone else by 6:45. All students should know what to wear, props children to dress in black, if your child is unsure they need to speak with their Arts Academy teacher. We are having a dress rehearsal on Monday Dec 3 in the afternoon.

Canterbury Athletic Champs: All the best to our team of talented athletes who travel to Ashburton on Wednesday Dec 5th. If you are in the team, you must meet Mrs Inwood at 6:50am outside Hillview Christian School to catch the bus.

Pool Day: We are off to Jellie Park on Friday Dec 7th, straight after the final PRIDE assembly which starts at 9am. The charge for this trip is $ .... for bus fare and pool entry, plus $...... for hydro-slide. A notice about this trip was sent home on Friday.

Technicraft: Our final tech session for the term is on Tuesday Dec 4th.

Languages: These continue until the last week of term.

Home Learning: The last home learning assignment for the year is due on Friday Dec 7th. No more maths home learning will be given this year.

Attitude Afternoon: We have been pleased with how our Year 7 & 8s have been holding their behaviour together and applying themselves to their work. As a reward for this we are holding our Attitude Afternoon on Thursday Dec 6th. The children will have a choice of watching a movie, playing games outside or playing on tech devices. By Monday Mr Rodger will have chosen a movie, if required a note will come home for you to sign giving permission for your child to watch the movie.

Celebration of Learning: On the last Monday of term, Dec 10, you are invited to drop into your child's class, with your child some time between 3 and 6pm. The purpose of this visit is for your child to share their learning with you, have a quick chat with their teacher and collect their school report. We hope you take up this opportunity. If you can't make it along, reports will be sent home later in the week.

Last week of the year:
Monday Dec 10:

• Matinee performance of Midsummer Night's Dream: 1:30 - 3:00
• Celebration of Learning: 3pm - 6pm

Tuesday Dec 11:

• Canterbury football fun afternoon for all Year 7 & 8s

Thursday Dec 13:

• Year 8 Graduation Assembly starting at 11am, followed by a lunch in the hall. You should have received an invitation about this. Please return reply slips to office ASAP. Year 8s finish school for the year after the lunch.

Friday Dec 14:

• Students meet with their 2013 teacher - 10:50
• School finishes for the year at 12:30.

Saturday Dec 15:

• Phew!

Week 7 Update

We are hurtling through the term at a great rate of knots! Lots is happening in team 7 & 8...

Midsummer Night's Dream: Excitement is building as we draw closer to our performance evening on Thursday December 6th. Most students are providing their own costumes, please ask your child if they have got themselves organised with this. In week 7 we are combining all of the academies; drama, dance, music, singing and visual art, to bring the show together. Many thanks to those who have sent along green fabric for our trees, we now have enough.

Attitude Afternoon: Last week we had a talk with the children about three things that they need to focus on as we head towards the end of the year. Making good choices about what we say to each other and not passing on rumours (coming to a teacher with concerning information rather than passing it on); staying out of classrooms at break times and maintaining a positive attitude to learning, being a responsible class member. We have introduced a points system, when all classes reach their points target we will have an 'Attitude Afternoon' to reward their good behaviour. The afternoon will include choices of; a movie, sport and outside games and playing on electronic devices. There will be a permission slip to sign in regards to the movie, this will come home the day before. The students have responded and we are pleased with how well things are ticking along in Year 7 & 8 at this time of the year. Roll on Attitude Afternoon!

Pool Day: A notice will be coming home next week about our end of  term pool day at Jellie Park. This will be on Friday Dec 7th, the day after our performance evening. The day starts with the final PRIDE assembly at 9am, then we will head off to Jelly Park at 10am, returning by 3pm. The children will have the option of hydro-sliding (extra cost). Hopefully summer temperatures have returned by then!

Year 8 Final Assembly & Prize Giving: An invitation will come home to Year 8 families about this celebration within the next week. Please send the reply back quickly as we need numbers for the lunch that follows the assembly. Thurs Dec 13, starting at 11am. Year 8 children finish for the year following the lunch.

Self Defence: Over the past two terms all of our girls have spent 5 afternoons developing self defence skills. Their feedback has been overwhelmingly positive. A huge thanks to Lynda Maindonald who brings the Self Defence Project to our school free of charge. We will continue to offer this biannually to our girls. Some of the girls' feedback...

• This course should continue through Beckenham because it prepared girls for future happenings. I feel like I can do anything now.
• This course makes girls my age feel stronger, safer and more confident. I want to thank everyone who made this course, it made me a powerful girl.
• It was fun, I learnt heaps and now I feel more confident and aware.

Electronics Day: 12 Year 7 students had a very inspiring and exciting day on Monday as they worked with electronics ambassadors to create electronic Christmas trees that played music and flashed lights. This model of learning, provided by Future in Tech, is superb; students work in small groups with an expert in the field. They put together circuit-boards, soldered it all together and programmed their devices. There was lots of opportunity for discussions about working in the electronics industry.

Week 5 Update

Drenched yet buzzing! Top team was full of teamwork, laughter, determination and water. An awesome event, everyone was fully focused and giving their best for their team. Ka pai Year 7 & 8! A big thanks to Sport Canterbury and the senior students from Cashmere (mostly ex-Beckenham) who came along to run the events. Will post more pics in photo gallery.

 

Athletics: A big congratulations at all who competed at the Zone Athletics on Thursday. Our team excelled with over 30 qualifying for the Canterbury Athletics in December. We think this is our best achievement ever.

 

 

Midsummer Night's Dream, one evening performance only: Now that we have such a large team travelling to Ashburton for athletics on Wednesday Dec 5th, we have decided not to perform our production that evening. We will now have one evening performance on the 6th (as originally planned) and a matinee the following week for Years 1- 6 students and parents.

 

Electronics Day: 12 Year 7 students will be selected to take part in an electronics day organised by Future in Tech on Monday 19 November. Working with ambassadors from the industry, the students will put together and programme a device on a Christmas theme. Students involved will bring home a notice on Tuesday.

 

Mural Completed: It was exciting to see our cultural diversity mural go up on the library wall this week. We have heard many comments about 'how awesome' it is. Well done to all of the artists involved, and a big thanks to Ms Hastings's husband, Bruce, for putting it all together.

 

 

Week 4 Update

One of the Family: We were treated to a superb presentation on Monday by the RSPCA and Norm Hewitt. 'One of the Family' was both hilarious and poignant; looking at how we can have a dream and achieve our goals. There was also a strong message about how the cycle of domestic and animal violence needs to be broken. An extra treat was when Norm shared his dancing experiste with Mr Rodger and Mrs Inwood and later in the session they danced for us; check out the You Tube clip.

Science Interchange: This term we are spending Wednesday mornings between interval and lunch immersing ourselves in science. The bunsen burners are in action, crystals are being created and robots are being constructed and programmed.

Top Team: This coming Friday (Nov 9th) is Top Team. This is being held at Beckenham Park. All Year 7 & 8s will take part. Please ensure children come to school in uniform, but have a change of clothes suitable for physical activity.

Te Whanau Mahi Tahi will be out of school on Thursday afternoon (Nov 8th) performing at Burwood School.

School Disco is on this coming Friday (Nov 9th), seniors from 7:30 - 8:30pm, entry $2.