Sam Dempster, from the Nelson Giants, came to school today to coach our Senior and Junior basketball players.
Wednesday, June 29, 2016
Monday, June 27, 2016
Working late?
Working late? No problem, bring the family to you and have a picnic (& epic nerf war)!
2nd Class Debate HIGHLIGHTS
Riveting footage from our 2nd Class Debate:
All Zoo's Should Be Closed: Wild Animals Belong in the Zoo
Winner Round #1: Con
Winner Round #2: Pro
Stay tuned for our 3rd Class Debate (going live Thursday):
Donald Trump will be America's Greatest President Ever
Friday, June 24, 2016
Sea Kayaking Reflection
This reflection will focus on the sea kayak trip - please read the student blogs for reflections on the raft trip.
What an experience! Forecasts leading up to the trip were, frankly, disgusting. Wind, rain and less than ideal temperatures with no real let-up in sight. Despite this, the TPP had contingencies in place to ensure, with careful planning and consideration, that our students still had an epic, safe experience. They did not fail. In my experience, as long as participant welfare is at the forefront, such conditions have the potential, not to limit, but to embellish an overall experience. They did. I strongly feel, especially in this technology driven, low-risk world, it's important for our youth to experience some 'hardship'. I talk about this lots. Experiences like this can really test a persons character. It did. We've working really hard in Room 8 on positivity and resilience. It was a real buzz to witness these character traits being tested to the limit on this trip. The positivity and strength shown by this group of students was inspirational. Not once did I hear any students react negatively to anything on this experience. Not once - despite being cold and wet the whole time - did I hear any of them whinge or moan or regret their decision to come. Both the lead tutor and the instructors commented on this too. They were, in effect, 'mind-blown' (for want of a better superlative).
The 'hardship' these students experienced was not all attributed to the elements they were exposed to. Their capacity to look after themselves and take personal responsibility was also tested. All participants were required to pitch their own tent, cook their own food and be responsible for their own clothing, equipment and personal hygiene. For some, this alone, may have been the greatest challenge! It's fair to say some shortcomings were exposed. The interior of one of the tents looked like the aftermath of a pipe bomb explosion! What's important though is that the positivity and resilience of the participants (and strong guidance from the guides and myself) got them through.
Well, all in all, I was as proud as punch. These students got to experience something - that once again - most adults won't experience in a lifetime. They've earned some memories that they'll cherish for the rest of their lives. But most of all, they've come away from the adventure better equipped, more experienced and certainly more resilient than they were before. Now that's something to feel good about.
Wednesday, June 15, 2016
rock climbing *UPDATE*
Hi there
Just had a phone call from the lead instructor for tomorrow. At this stage the trip is going ahead. Can the Thursday climbing group and drivers (Warren & Kristine) please come to school with appropriate gear (as per gear list attached) regardless. If it's too wet in Charleston, we'll use the indoor wall at the Civic Centre.
Thursday group (11):
Georgia, Catarina, Grace C, Kate, Levi , Connor H, Isaac M, Isaac K, Bailey, Connor P, Grace W
Georgia, Catarina, Grace C, Kate, Levi , Connor H, Isaac M, Isaac K, Bailey, Connor P, Grace W
Friday, June 3, 2016
How was school today?
Getting your child to talk about school
Are you feeling perplexed or frustrated as to why your child won't talk about school? When asked "How was school?", the responses, I bet, are invariably "Good" (I hope) or similar. Please take comfort in the fact that this is a global phenomena that has existed for millennia! Think back to when you were 12 years old - how motivated were you to feedback to your parents about the ins and outs of school? Chemical changes currently taking place in your child's body are starting to change the way they interact with you. During puberty, their pre-frontal cortex (the CEO / organiser of the brain) is beginning to shutdown and the amygdala (non-thinking / fight or flight) is starting to fire-up. Therefore, a question like "How was school" is actually perceived as a threat or attack as their ability to process an answer swiftly is greatly diminished.
However, I have a simple strategy that might help (or make it worse)
Be more specific with your questioning. For example, "Hey, your teacher said on his blog that you're focusing on debating - can you tell me more about that?"; "Tell me about the latest maths you've been working on"; "Describe something that was difficult today"; "Did anything frustrate you today? Tell me about it"; "Tell me about something that made your proud today"
Are you feeling perplexed or frustrated as to why your child won't talk about school? When asked "How was school?", the responses, I bet, are invariably "Good" (I hope) or similar. Please take comfort in the fact that this is a global phenomena that has existed for millennia! Think back to when you were 12 years old - how motivated were you to feedback to your parents about the ins and outs of school? Chemical changes currently taking place in your child's body are starting to change the way they interact with you. During puberty, their pre-frontal cortex (the CEO / organiser of the brain) is beginning to shutdown and the amygdala (non-thinking / fight or flight) is starting to fire-up. Therefore, a question like "How was school" is actually perceived as a threat or attack as their ability to process an answer swiftly is greatly diminished.
However, I have a simple strategy that might help (or make it worse)
Be more specific with your questioning. For example, "Hey, your teacher said on his blog that you're focusing on debating - can you tell me more about that?"; "Tell me about the latest maths you've been working on"; "Describe something that was difficult today"; "Did anything frustrate you today? Tell me about it"; "Tell me about something that made your proud today"
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
NYLD//16 Reflection
Going into the National Young Leaders Day, I didn't really have any concrete expectations. I knew that we'd be spoken to by a series of guest speakers but I had no prior knowledge of their backgrounds or what messages they would be relaying to us on the day.
Words cannot express how inspiring the speakers were. What I found particularly inspirational, was that these were ordinary people who, at some point in their life, had made extraordinary decisions. Decisions that are having a significant impact on the world.
I was particularly inspired by Billy Graham, a larger than life character who's faced overwhelming obstacles to get to where he is today. Billy was identified as 'special' at an early age by the more judgemental cross-sections of society, in an era where such judgements were routine. During his youth, he met someone who changed his life - a master boxing trainer. I won't recount his life-story here, but if you're interested, check out his website: http://www.billygraham.co.nz/. His ethos is something that resonates with me as a teacher and as a person. Being successful is 10% talent and 90% hard work. I loved his quote "hard work works". Billy Graham is living proof.
There was an unexpected moment which I found quite moving. They called it 'Attitude of Gratitude'. This was an opportunity for all 2000 or so Young Leaders to take a moment to think about someone in their lives who was and or had an impact. Picture this, 2000 young people all writing letters to the people who mattered most in their lives - in absolute silence. It was a stunning experience. The whole day was in fact. I'm confident that our school student leaders got just as much out of the experience as I did. They are all reflecting as I write this, so please visit their blogs for a different perspective.
Words cannot express how inspiring the speakers were. What I found particularly inspirational, was that these were ordinary people who, at some point in their life, had made extraordinary decisions. Decisions that are having a significant impact on the world.
I was particularly inspired by Billy Graham, a larger than life character who's faced overwhelming obstacles to get to where he is today. Billy was identified as 'special' at an early age by the more judgemental cross-sections of society, in an era where such judgements were routine. During his youth, he met someone who changed his life - a master boxing trainer. I won't recount his life-story here, but if you're interested, check out his website: http://www.billygraham.co.nz/. His ethos is something that resonates with me as a teacher and as a person. Being successful is 10% talent and 90% hard work. I loved his quote "hard work works". Billy Graham is living proof.
There was an unexpected moment which I found quite moving. They called it 'Attitude of Gratitude'. This was an opportunity for all 2000 or so Young Leaders to take a moment to think about someone in their lives who was and or had an impact. Picture this, 2000 young people all writing letters to the people who mattered most in their lives - in absolute silence. It was a stunning experience. The whole day was in fact. I'm confident that our school student leaders got just as much out of the experience as I did. They are all reflecting as I write this, so please visit their blogs for a different perspective.
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