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Newsletter Term 4 No 2 - 3 November 2011 |
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Term 4 No 2 - 3 November 2011
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Dear Parents
“640K ought to be enough for anybody....." – Circa 1981
My editorial last week subsequently caused a number of parents to discuss with me issues around the staffing, academic and technological changes taking place in our schools. It seemed appropriate therefore to return to a topic I discussed, and a quote I used, a year ago.
There is some debate around the original origin of the above quote. It is most often attributed to Bill Gates, who claims, “…I’ve said some stupid things and some wrong things, but not that.” It does however make an important point, that in a little under thirty years the world has changed enormously – and not just in technological terms, taking last week’s point about world population, this has increased by over 50% (from around 4.5 billion in 1981 to 7 billion people on the planet today)…amazing!
The staff team and Board of Trustees are planning forward. We are considering what our school could, or should, focus on in 2012 and beyond. November is our review and planning month. All staff curriculum teams are meeting several times over the first three weeks of term and then in Week 5 every syndicate team, and the senior management, will sit down for a whole day together to plan our 2012 priorities. These meetings will in turn provide the BOT with information upon which to confirm our 2012 annual plan and also help make appropriate budgetary decisions.
We expect the final confirmed report from ERO to be with us before the end of the month, which we will make available to you all as soon as it arrives. The unconfirmed report arrived this week. Following next Monday’s BOT meeting we will also be asking parents to complete a short online Parent Survey to gather your views about our school.
In addition to our internal information gathering we have a staff team who constantly question how we provide educational experiences for our children. Opportunities to attend conferences such as ULearn as I discussed last week provide srtaff with the chance to collaborate, question and share with other leading educators. We have discussed the concept that we are living in exponential times, I would add that these are also exciting and stimulating times. Education has never been full of as many challenges or possibilities for us all.
The BOT are using the technology and up-skilling themselves too! Our Board of Trustees Wiki has proven to be an invaluable tool for the team this year and allows us to collaboratively share information and work together on tasks in a different way. I use this to present ideas and information to the BOT and ensure that it will not get lost in the inbox!
As our Ultranet project develops further we will also be placing online a large number of resources for parental viewing. The Parent Portal is now more of a reality than a dream – our first family is logged on and we are testing this facility and ironing out any glitches in Term 4.
The rapid growth in technology means that knowledge is accessible to all, literally a mouseclick, or mobile search away. Children no longer just finger pages of a reference book, or sit and wonder, every seven year old knows that “you can just Google it!”
If you are interested in finding out a little more about latest educational research or tools we use such as Thinking Maps or Habits of Mind then of course, as your children would tell you “just Google it!” Meanwhile if you have got the time, then sit down with a cup of coffee or glass of wine and check out some of Sir Ken Robinson’s talks.
Do Schools Kill Creativity?
Changing Education Paradigms
Shift Happens
…it is worth reflecting on what an amazing world our children are growing up in; truly exponential times.
Kind regards
Allan Short |
AFTERSCHOOL ACTIVITIES FOR
TERM 4, 2011 INCLUDE:
Please note the venue for these
activities is Victoria Avenue School.
HOLIDAY PROGRAMMES ETC
Community based groups have approached us to inform parents of various activities available locally.
- we also have a range of options offered by local providers in the foyer of the administration area of the school.These are available to view :
http://victoriaave.com/our-people/our-community
The Week Ahead:
MONDAY 7 Nov
* Rm 11/12/13/14/15 trip to Eden Park
* BOT Mtg @ 7.30pm
TUESDAY 8 Nov
Year 5 Visit to Howick Village
WEDNESDAY 2 Nov
Year 6 Waterwise Click here for more info
THURSDAY 3 Nov
Junior School Athletics @ VAS @ 11.00am
School calendar is
on:
http://victoriaave.com/school-calendar
IMPORTANT DATES AND TIMES
School Times
School starts: 8.50am
Interval: 10.40-11.00am
Lunch: 12.30-1.30pm
School finishes: 3.00pm
Stationery Sales
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 8.30-8.45am
Uniform Shop
Fridays only: 8.30-9.00am
Orders and payments for uniform can be made online on our website http://victoriaave.com/school-shop
Lunch Orders
ezLUNCH: Mondays only - more info at end of newsletter - missed out last week - then taste test this week!!!!
French Lunches: Tues only
Subway: Wed and Fri
Sushi: Thurs only
Order forms/Instructions
http://victoriaave.com/our-school/lunch-orders
School Banking Wednesdays before school in Room 4
Term Dates 2011
Term 4 Tues 25 Oct to Fri 16 Dec 2011
Term Dates 2012
Term 1 Thur 2 Feb to Thur 5 Apr 2012
Term 2 Mon 23 Apr to Fri 29 Jun 2012
Term 3 Mon 16 Jul to Fri 28 Sept 2012
Term 4 Mon 15 Oct to Tues 18 Dec 2012
PLEASE NOTE DATE CHANGE FOR LAST DAY OF 2012 SCHOOL YEAR
Home needed for new staff member - We are a professional couple (non-smoking and no pets) looking for a 2+bedroom house/flat to rent or house sit for the 2012 academic year, in or around Remuera, or within easy traveling distance to Victoria Avenue School. If you are able to help us please contact Fiona or Corey
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or
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Go online at http://www.ezlunch.co.nz to join.
Questions?
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or phone 475 5287 M-F 8am-4pm during term time.
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