Elm Park School Newsletter - 8th June 2012 - Term 2 - Week 7


Friday 8th June – Term 2 Week 7

Value Focus for next week: Responsibility / Tolerance

From The Principal

Kia ora tatou katoa, Talofa, Malo e lelei, Bula vi naka, Kia orana Nga mihi nui ki a koutou, Namaste, Nihao, Greetings to you all.

Welcome to Week 7, Term 2 Newsletter. Winter is here with a vengeance!   Thank you to all those wonderful people who paid their activity / resource money so quickly this term. This money helps support all our learners in so many ways within the classroom as well as for trips and cultural activities. We want Elm Park to be a wonderful, exciting place for everyone to enjoy learning.  Our Student Led conferences are coming up.

·           Wednesday 20 June - Years 1, 2 & 3
·           Thursday 21 June - Years 4, 5 & 6

Go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz and log on with the school code (C38X6) and book your own interview time that suits you.  Mrs Commins and Mrs Nunes will also be available so if your children attend one of these classes you can also book a time to see these teachers as well. Mrs Russell and Mrs Choi will send a letter to their students regarding their arrangements.

Student Led conferences - Elm Park School has been involved in a number of initiatives over the past few years, all focused on improving student achievement.  We believe that Student Led conferences promote learning and help strengthen the partnership between the learner, teacher and parent/caregiver.

What is a student led conference? Student-led conferences provide students with an opportunity to talk with significant adults about their educational progress. 
A student led conference is a meeting run by the student for parents/caregivers, entirely focused on the student’s recent learning. The meeting is facilitated by the student and follows a format that has been developed and practised before the meeting.  The major focus will be on reading, writing and mathematics at this stage, but the student will share other curriculum areas as well. The student will analyse their strengths and reflect on the progress they have made in achieving their learning goals.

e-Portfolios - What is an ePortfolio? “An e-portfolio is an electronic format for learners to record their work, their achievements and their goals, to reflect on their learning, and to share and be supported in this. It enables learners to represent the information in different formats and to take the information with them as they move between institutions.”  (Banks, 2004. p.3)
With e-Portfolios being web-based, learning becomes a reality-anytime/anywhere. Students have the opportunity to access their work from school, home or from any computer when they have their passwords that enable them to do so.  E-portfolios are ‘three dimensional’ which means that the students can present their work through images, still and movie, audio (voice thread or vocaroo) and a host of Web 2.0 tools as well as the traditional written records that can be scanned or a snapshot taken of the work and uploaded into the e-portfolio.

Questions to be answered.
What is the purpose of an ePortfolio? The main purpose of the ePortfolio at Elm Park is to track a learning journey.

What do schools want it to be used for?
    Capturing and storing evidence
    Reflecting
    Giving and receiving feedback
    Planning and setting goals
    Presenting to an audience
    Celebrating learning

 How does it fit with the school’s pedagogical vision and values?
  Supports formative assessment to improve future learning outcomes rather than summative assessment statement
  Aligns with the new curriculum
  Students become self regulated/self directed life long learners
  Extending on what students have achieved, what is the next learning step
  An interactive process of sharing learning and inviting people in (formative approach to learning)
  Allows students to think critically about their work in a secure environment
  Critical reflection helps the students to review their work, identify strengths and weaknesses and help determine future learning pathways

  E-portfolios are not about technology they are about pedagogy and life-long learning

Communication - All parents/caregivers have login / passwords so that they have access to their child’s e-Portfolio at anytime and are able to view what is on the e-portfolios and comment on the work in progress.
Students develop their self-assessment ability as they reflect on the work that they have on their e-portfolios. Teachers and parents provide ongoing feedback to students, which is the most powerful influence on student achievement. Students reflect on what they have done, what they have learnt and what they are going to focus on. The goal setting allows students to reflect on what they are learning to do and feedback in order to set the next learning step.  e-Portfolios are our method of reporting to parents and not a summative report, it is an on-going formative assessment of where your child is at at a given time.

Have a lovely weekend.
Trish Plowright
Principal
Key Events For Your Diary

Mon 11 June..... Photolife
Wed 20 June.... Student Led Conference Y1-3
Thur 21 June..... Student Led Conference Y4-6
Thur 28 June..... Principals Award Assembly
Fri 29 June....... Term 2 ends
Mon 16 July...... Term 3 commences

Looking Ahead

URGENT - SOCCER - Parents interested in helping with the soccer team can do so by refereeing the game in Week 9.  Please contact Nick Fitzgerald at school or nick@elmpark.school.nz

This Week in Review

SCHOOL TRAVELWISE SURVEY - The school is currently participating in a Travelwise School Survey in conjunction with Auckland Transport, which will be sent home to you today.  We would encourage all parents to complete and return their survey by next Friday 22nd June.  Students will also be completing a survey with their classroom teachers.  The information gained from the survey will help to identify what should be included in a safe school travel plan that addresses the needs and concerns of our school community.   Thank you for putting the safety of our students first.
GRANDPARENT / ADULT ASSISTANCE REQUIRED - We would like to run a Literacy Support programme in the classrooms, for the year 1 children who need a little extra assistance.   There will be a little workshop to give you ideas and strategies of how to support the children.  You would be working with 1 or 2 children at a time.   If you are interested in finding out more about this please contact Karen Allen.
PAKURANGA INTERMEDIATE – Parents of year 6 children are invited to attend a meeting on Tuesday 19th June at 7pm in the Elm Park School Auditorium.  The meeting will outline the opportunities available for your child’s education at Pakuranga Intermediate School.  Supper will be provided, with an opportunity to meet personally with school management. 

Looking Ahead

INVITATION TO SILVER PRESENTATION ASSEMBLY - Last year you will recall we became a Silver Enviroschool.   On Friday June 22 at 9.15 we are having an assembly for the year 4, 5 and 6 students to officially receive our Silver Enviroschool sign from the Council.  All parents are cordially invited to attend this celebration.

ELM PARK SCHOOL FACEBOOK PAGE – Elm Park School have a Facebook page.  If you ’LIKE’ the page, you will receive updates of all activities taking place as well as newsletters and reminders.  This is a good way to keep up to date with what is happening at Elm Park School


Focus on Children

R16 worked together to write a story inspired by a famous fairy tale… they analysed the structure of the original story, agreed on some basic ideas and brainstormed in groups to flesh out each part of the story. They piggy-backed on each other’s ideas to write an engaging tale - all in one hour! Now that’s collaborative writing.

The Story of Little Blue Hoodie Boy - By Rm 16

Little Blue Hoodie Boy was used to his nickname. He often got teased at school but that wasn’t the reason he was so sad. His mother had died suddenly and he was still full of grief. Every day he put on his warm, snuggly, blue hoodie that his mother had sewed for him. When he wore it, he felt his mother beside him. He lived in a quiet little suburb in a large city quite near to his school but he wasn’t happy about school since his mother died. He loved his father but he worked very long hours, and he was a little sad also. He remembered how his mother took him to school and looked through his books and read with him. The thought of school annoyed him. He thought it was boring now. His spark for learning had gone out.

One morning after he had eaten his Weetbix breakfast, he made a decision. He decided not to go to school. He would go down and spend his money at the Arcade in the local shopping centre. He might even run away.

“Here is your lunch money,” his father said in a quiet voice, “Buy one of those healthy filled rolls. See you later son. Don’t forget to lock the door.”

“I won’t Dad,” he replied, eager to start on his journey. Soon Little Blue Hoodie boy was walking briskly down the road, the opposite way to school. They won’t miss me at school, he said to himself. None of my friends has even asked me why I’m sad, and I couldn’t tell the teacher even when she asked me gently.

In no time at all Little Blue Hoodie Boy reached the Arcade. He gazed through the window and saw shadowy shapes of the teenagers crazily banging the keys. Suddenly, he didn’t feel so brave. They looked much older and a little scary. Then he noticed a thin, girl about 12 years old with long, shiny red hair. She noticed him at the same time and wandered over in his direction. “Have you got some money I could borrow?” she said in a silky, friendly voice. “I haven’t eaten in a long time and I am SO hungry”. Without any hesitation Little Blue Hoodie Boy gave over his lunch money and $20 of his piggy-bank money. She then said slyly, hugging herself and shivering, “I am so so cold. Could I have a little turn in your toasty hoodie? It looks beautifully warm.” Again, the kind-hearted boy pulled off his precious hoodie and handed it over. “It’ll have you warm in no time but I need it back, please.” Once she had put on the hoodie she dashed along the pavement and, in a twinkling of an eye, she was gone. Poor boy. He sat alone, hunched over on the pavement feeling miserable.

Meanwhile, at school, the teacher informed the office who quickly phoned the boy’s father. In no time at all the Police were notified and a truancy officer was in his car, driving around the streets looking for Little Blue Hoodie Boy. After half an hour the Officer spotted the forlorn boy and stopped to pick him up. Little Blue Hoodie Boy was pleased at being rescued but he still sobbed and sobbed. Suddenly school seemed a very inviting place and he wanted to get back to his normal life.

The next day Little Blue Hoodie Boy retold the story of his mistake to his teacher and classmates. “I should never have ditched school,” he said, “It was a pretty silly thing I did. Thank goodness the Truancy Officer found me. I’ll never do this again and worry so many people.”

His hoodie was never found, but curiously… Little Blue Hoodie boy didn’t need the real one anymore.


POSITIVE SOCIAL INTERACTION WINNERS
Congratulations to the following students who were selected and acknowledged this week for their responsible, friendly behaviour.

Room 2
Veerbhanu Parmar
Room 5
Andre Baigent
Room 7
Carlos Faaeteete
Room 8
Ethan Muncie
Room 9 
Everest Kahi
Room 10
Jusleen Kaur Singh
Room 11
Meilaniah Kelsall
Room 12
Hemi Rupapera
Room 13
Lucy Yang
Room 14
Jenny Zhou
Room 15
Michael Wilson
Room 16
Annea Timms
Room 17
Tania Gill
Room 18
Maniah Waihape
Room 19
Caitlin Turley
Room 20
Arwen Matthews
Room 21
Sebastian Hay
Room 22
Grace Appleby
Room 23
Daniel Pearson
Room 24
Faheemah Nazif
Room 25
Catherine Chan
Room 26
Myra Singh
Room 27
Chloe Crosbie
Room 28
Samantha Davies
Room 29
Raquel Stryker
Room 30
Atharv Kamat

PERSONAL PRESENTATION

The following students were voted as the overall winner in their year level for the most neatly presented in their uniform.

Year 1:
Xuan Yu Chen
Year 2:
Jeremiah Fonoti
Year 3:
Prabpreet Singh
Year 4:
Kian Mahomed
Year 5:
Erin Kernot
Year 6:
Kelly Cao


COMMUNITY NOTICES

THE ADVENTURE FARM CAMP SPECIALISTS - www.lakewoodlodge.co.nz  JULY 2012 SCHOOL HOLIDAY ADVENTURE CAMPS Monday 2nd – Friday 6th July, 8 – 14 year olds Monday 9th – Friday 13th July, 8 – 14 year olds 5 days, 4 nights $380 Here at Lakewood Lodge, we offer a safe, caring, family atmosphere with an opportunity to experience farm life and make new friends.  We have great country cooking, 1 Horse trek & grooming **, Kayaking, Archery, 11 Metre Climbing Wall, 130m Twin Flying Foxes, Low Ropes course, Frisbee Golf, waterslide, disco, a concert, Spotlight, Burma Trail, pool & table tennis competitions, BBQs, Volleyball, games, Firepit with toasted marshmallows, pet animal interaction & excellent supervision.  Pick up from Auckland if wanted, Monday at 8.45am in our bus EXTRA $40. Phone us now with your registration - 07-826-3344 Or book on through our website www.lakewoodlodge.co.nz **Specialist Horse Camp running at the same time. OSCAR Approved. If you would like to be on our mailing list please email Jeff – jeff@lakewoodlodge.co.nz

Skate School & Ice Hockey School Holiday Programme starting soon! Auckland needs new young Ice Hockey Players & Figure Skaters. Enjoy the exhilaration of these ice-sports. Beginners Welcome!  Learn to skate the easy way with Paradice instructors. Classes for beginner to advanced skaters from 6 years+. We follow the national skate school programme "Kiwi Skate" with a total of 12 levels. Classes include a 1 hour lesson from 9am to 10am and then a supervised public session from 10am-12noon. Monday 2 July – Friday 6 July = 5 days $99.99 Monday 9 July – Friday 13 July = 5 days $99.99 All fees include admission, equipment hire and tuition.  
Enrol at Paradice, Cnr Ti Rakau Dr & Botany Rd, Botany Downs. Ph: 273 2999 ext 6, Fax:  274 5551 Email:  botany@paradice.co.nz  www.paradice.co.nz.


Comments

Anonymous said…
Thank you for telling everyone all the details