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Term!4!Week!7!!!!!!!!!26!November!2015!
2015October!2014!
Phone:!355!9132!#0!Reception!!!!!!!!

Absentee!Line:!355!9132!#!1!or!027!750!3559!(text!only)!
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Email:[email protected]!!!!!!!!Website:!www.stalbans.school.nz!
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Kia!Ora!Whnau,!
!

We!had!an!impressive!turnout!for!our!community!information!evening.!Thank!you!to!
those!parents!and!whnau!who!were!able!to!attend!this!event.!If!you!were!unable!to!
attend!you!will!find!links!to!our!presentation!and!master!plan!via!the!website.!
!

Homework!Review!
For!many!years!now!we!have!had!a!homework!policy!that!focuses!on!supporting!core!
curriculum!programmes.!When!this!policy!was!established!our!community!wanted!us!to!
acknowledge!children's!involvement!in!out!of!school!activities.!They!were!also!keen!to!
ensure!major!projects!(that!parents!often!completed)!were!not!set!for!homework!and!that!
'constant!battles'!weren't!to!be!had!thanks!to!the!demands!placed!by!teachers;!family!
time!was!an!important!part!of!this!thinking.!!
!

As!a!school!we!believe!teachers!should!focus!on!learners!and!learning,!rather!than!
preparing!and!marking!homework!tasks!that!have!little!value.!The!research!of!John!Hattie!
states!Homework!in!primary!school!has!an!effect!of!around!zero.!Five!to!ten!minutes!has!
the!same!effect!of!one!hour!to!two!hours.!The!worst!thing!you!can!do!with!homework!is!
give!kids!projects.!The!best!thing!you!can!do!is!to!reinforce!something!youve!already!
learnt.!These!findings!are!supported!by!Dr!John!Edwards!research.!
!

In!2016!our!Year!5!and!6!students!will!be!using!Google!Apps!for!Education.!This!tool!will!
enable!students!to!continue!their!learning!beyond!school!hours,!blurring!the!boundaries!
between!home!and!school.!Meaning!homework!becomes!an!extension!of!what!is!
happening!in!the!classroom.!
!

We!have!been!asked!to!review!our!policy!and!would!appreciate!your!feedback.!Results!will!
be!analysed!over!the!break.!Access!the!survey!via!our!website!or!copy!and!paste!this!url!
into!your!browser.!https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/3Z5Q3CV!
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VIP Morning Tea

This event acknowledges parents, whnau and friends of the school who have
supported the school in so many ways, e.g., attending trips, camp helpers,
Grandees, PTA. Invitations will be sent home tomorrow. If for some reason you
do not receive yours please join us on Friday 4th December at 10am in the hall.

Waiho ma te tangata e mihi.

Let someone else sing your praises.

2016!Class!Placements!
Some!parents!are!putting!us!in!a!very!difficult!position!by!making!specific!teacher!requests!
for!2016.!It!would!not!be!fair!for!us!to!accommodate!these.!We!will!consider!valid!reasons!
for!placement!requests,!e.g.,!learning!needs.!These!should!be!emailed!to!your!childs!
current!team!leader.!
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Classroom!Shifts!
Our!final!days!for!this!term!will!be!incredibly!challenging!as!we!prepare!to!launch!our!
th
major!building!works!on!Tuesday!15 !December!following!the!break!up!of!school!at!
12.30pm.!16!teachers!are!moving!to!different!classroom!spaces,!the!administration!team!
is!moving!to!R10!and!the!staffroom!to!R14.!We!understand!this!will!be!muddly!and!
appreciate!your!support.!
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Admin!Closing!
th
On!Monday!14 !December!our!admin!block!will!be!closing!down!as!we!move!all!our!
equipment!into!R10,!which!is!our!new!location!for!2016.!The!contractors!require!the!keys!
to!this!space!at!1pm!the!following!day!meaning!we!have!to!vacate!the!building.!We!will!
have!an!administration!desk!in!the!hall!for!the!final!2!days!of!term!but!encourage!you!to!
th
make!any!payments!or!enquiries!by!Friday!11 !December!if!possible.!
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School!Events!
Over!the!next!two!and!a!half!weeks!we!have!a!significant!number!of!events!taking!place.!
Please!keep!a!close!eye!on!our!web!based!calendar!in!case!events!and!times!change.!
!

Week!

Dates!

Day!

Event!

7!

!27!i!Nov!

Fri!

!Beach!Ed!Year!1:!Rms!9,!10,!4!

8!

30!i!Nov!

Mon!

!!

!!

Tue!

!!

!!

Wed!

!!

!!

Thu!

!!
9!

!!
7!i!Dec!

Fri!
Mon!

Community!farewell!for!Michael!Williams!3.30!i!5pm!in!the!hall!
Year!2/3!athletics!sports!
Pre!entry!visits!for!2016!NE!in!Room!10.!8.45!i!10.30am!
Yr!6!Sailing!at!Lake!Rua!
Canty!Athletic!Finals!
French!!
Year!2/3!athletics!sports!postponement!date!
Manu!Korero!Y3!
Cantamaths!Competition!at!Heaton!10.30am!!12pm!Beach!Ed!
Year!3!
Manu!Korero!!
TTRR!Puawaitanga!4.45pm!
VIP!morning!tea!10am!in!the!hall!
Senior!Camp!Week!
Year!3/4!classes!singing!at!Knox!Church!6.30i7pm!
Board!of!Trustees!meeting!6.30pm!
Y0/1!and!Room!1!at!Christmas!Grotto!and!Cathedral!

!!

!!

Wed!

French!In!TLC!1.30pm!i!Year!4!i6!2.15pm!Years!1i3!
Pre!Entry!Visits!for!all!NE!2016!in!Room!10!8.45am!i!1pm!

Waiho ma te tangata e mihi.

Let someone else sing your praises.

!!

!!

Thu!

!!

!!

Fri!

10!

14!i!Dec!

Mon!

!!

!!

Tue!

Y1!end!of!year!assembly!9.30!in!our!school!hall!
Y2!end!of!year!assembly!10.30!in!our!school!hall!
Y3/4!end!of!year!assembly!9.30!in!our!school!hall!
Canty!Cricket!finals!day!i!'A'!team!has!qualified.!
Yr!5/6!Senior!assembly!1pm!i!2.30pm!at!St!Margaret's!College!!
Y6!leavers'!dinner!5.30!i!7pm!
Classroom!shifts!
STAr!live!for!reports!
STAr!goes!live!for!class!placements!
School!finishes!at!12.30pm!

Ng$mihi,$Ginnie$and$the$team$
!

NEW!PUPIL!
We!welcome!the!following!new!pupil:!Susie!Nguyen.!!It!is!wonderful!to!have!you!join!our!
school.!
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Message!from!Board!of!Trustees!
Community!Evening!M!Thank!you!to!everyone!who!came!along!on!Tuesday!night.!We!know!
it!is!a!juggling!act!coming!out!at!that!time!of!night.!We!appreciated!all!your!great!
questions!and!look!forward!to!more!feedback.!
!

The!Board!would!like!to!thank!Ginnie,!Glen,!Claire!and!the!teaching!staff!for!their!work!in!
getting!us!to!this!stage!in!the!Master!plan.!As!Ginnie!mentioned!on!Tuesday!night!when!
you!become!a!principal!or!deputy!principal!you!don't!envisage!spending!your!time!
analysing!architects!plans!along!with!all!your!other!daily!duties.!The!staff!have!been!
proactive!visiting!schools!and!prototyping!designs!and!working!collaboratively.!We!will!
provide!weekly!updates!once!construction!is!underway.!
!

Michael!Williams!M!Community!Event!in!the!Hall!M!Monday!30!November!3.30!to!5.30pm!
Michael!Williams!is!retiring!after!33.5!years!at!St!Albans!School.!For!those!of!you!lucky!
enough!to!have!children!taught!by!Michael!or!in!fact!been!taught!by!him!yourself!you!will!
know!what!an!amazing!teacher!he!is.!Michael's!wisdom,!dedication!to!the!children!and!
fabulous!sense!of!humour!will!be!missed!dearly.!
!

Please!come!along!and!farewell!Michael!on!Monday!30!November!at!3.30!to!5.30pm!in!
the!school!hall.!
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SCHOOL!NOTICES!
GATE:!Gifted!and!Talented!Education!Review!M!We!would!love!to!invite!you!to!join!us!and!
hear!your!insights!and!ideas!about!GATE!at!St!Albans!School.!We!will!have!a!coffee!and!
chat,!either!at!school!or!at!Metro!Cafe,!depending!on!numbers.!This!is!the!opportunity!to!
give!your!feedback!about!what!works,!what!doesn't!and!ideas!for!the!future.!For!those!of!
you!not!able!to!make!it!here!is!a!link!to!a!survey!so!you!can!also!respond!to!the!discussion!
points.!If!you!plan!on!joining!us!for!this!review!please!RSVP!by!emailing!
[email protected]!!Survey!link:!!http://goo.gl/forms/aWpyu7IJ7i!Alternatively!
you!can!head!to!the!GATE!Blog!and!complete!the!survey!there.!!
Claire'Howison'and'Julie'Worthington!
Waiho ma te tangata e mihi.

Let someone else sing your praises.

Scooters/Bikes!!At!this!time!of!year!many!schools!including!ours!are!targeted!by!thieves.!!
Please!ensure!bikes!and!scooters!are!locked!securely!and!encourage!your!child!to!use!the!
stands!by!the!hall.!
!

Pool!Keys!!if!you!entered!your!name!in!the!ballot,!please!call!into!the!office!to!collect!
your!key.!!The!cost!is!$120,!including!a!$20!refundable!bond.!
!

NE!Zone!Athletic!Results!
9!Yrs!Girls!!
st
rd
Long!Distance:!1 !Lucy!Haller!
50m:!3 !Maggie!De!Thier!Hunt!
nd
st
rd
80m:!2 !Henrietta!Aynsley!
High!Jump:!1 !Miriama!Brislane,!3 !Eva!Howison!
st
Long!Jump:!1 !Henrietta!Aynsley!
9!Yrs!!Boys!
nd
th
th
Long!Distance:!2 !Tatsumi!Konishi,!4 !!Jake!Patterson!
80m!4 !Finn!Tucker!!
st
nd
st
50m:!1 !Max!Kitchingham,!2 !Tom!Hearn!! !
High!Jump:!1 !Hapene!Kumeroa!
st
th
Long!Jump:!1 !Jack!McCabe,!5 !Finn!Tucker!
st
Relay:!1 !Finn!Tucker,!Hapene!Kumeroa,!Max!Kitchingham,!Tom!Hearn!
10!Yrs!!Girls!
st
rd
Long!Jump:!1 !Te!Ao!Marama!Hema!
Discus:!!3 !Leia!Baylis!
nd
Relay:!2 !Te!Ao!Marama!Hema,!Emma!Todd,!Ella!Cross,!Tobi!Rees.!
10!Yr!Boys!
st
rd
st
Long!Distance:!1 !Angus!Hill,!3 !Kegan!RichardsoniMiller!!
Long!Jump:!1 !Angus!Hill!
nd
th
st
nd
50m!2 !Koby!Allen,!4 !Louie!van!Wonderen!!!!!!!80m!1 !Tom!Irving,!2 !Jamie!Goodgame!
st
st
nd
High!Jump:!1 !Angus!Hill! !
!
!!!!!!Discus:!1 !Koby!Allen,!2 !Jake!Dickey!
st
Relay:!1 !Jamie!Goodgame,!Tom!Irving,!Koby!Allen,!Louie!van!Wonderen!!
11!Yrs!Girls!
nd
rd
nd
Long!Distance:!2 !Niamh!McKenzie,!3 !Niamh!Byrne!!
60m:!2 !Elena!Krauze!
st
nd
100m:!1 !Chloe!Van!der!Ree,!2 !Estella!Wallace!
st
rd
Long!Jump:!1 !Chloe!Van!der!Ree,!3 !Marangi!Huia!
nd
rd
High!Jump:!2 !Maringi!Huia,!3 !Elena!Krauze!
nd
rd
nd
Shot!Put:!2 !Javahni!KukaiHaika,!3 !Caitlin!Millard! Discus:!2 !Maringi!Huia!
st
Relay:!1 !Elena!Krauze,!Estella!Wallace,!Chloe!Van!der!Ree,!Arozo!Rafyee!
11!Yrs!Boys!
th
nd
Long!Distance:!5 !Nikau!PouakaiGrego!
60m:!2 !Luca!McInerneyiBoon!
Long!Jump:!1st!Max!Ansell!!
!
High!Jump:!1st!Nikau!PouakaiGrego!
st
rd
nd
Shot!put:!1 !Max!Ansell,!3 !Nikau!Bararich! Discus:!2 !Nikau!Barbarich!
st
Relay!Team:!1 !Luca!McInerneyiBoon,!Josh!Kitchingham,!Nikau!Barbarich,!Jake!Goddard!
!

COMMUNITY!NOTICES
School!Transport!to/from!Rangiora!!a!school!family!would!like!help!with!transport!to!and!
from!school!from!Rangiora!on!alternate!weeks!for!a!9iyeariold!boy.!!Payment!negotiable.!!
If!you!could!help,!please!contact!Amanda!on!021!168!7738.!
!

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If you wish to unsubscribe to the newsletter please click here: mailto:[email protected]
Waiho ma te tangata e mihi.

Let someone else sing your praises.