Communication online!

Here is the video Room 6 made about our blog!  We shared it at our communication online meeting on Wednesday night.

The full presentation is here if you wish to view it.  If you have any questions please call in and see us. We are very keen to have you engaging and interacting with our class blogs.

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Mary’s School,

Last week I had the absolute privilege of going ‘on camp’ with our senior pupils.  The programme that Mrs Baines designed was excellent, it was a perfect balance between: outdoor education, social sciences, science and life skills.

 The highlight for  many would have been the skiing and as one pupil expressed to me. “When I first arrived I was scared to go on the learners slope and now I can ski anywhere”! encapsulates the development in confidence and motivation that the group went through during the week.

My personal highlight was the trip to the Arrowtown museum, when the pupils went to 1880’s school. “Miss Grey” scared me and I was only watching, but the programme highlighted now education has changed and how lucky we are to have now the New Zealand National Curriculum.

I would like to thank all of the parents who helped out on camp, with out you all we would never have achieved all that we did and once again acknowledge the huge effort put in by Mrs Baines.  The
success of the camp was down to the hard work that she put in with regards planning and designing the camp over the preceding months.

Our Year Seven and Eight camp has become something of an institution and when I see the positive
effects that it has for our pupils then I am more than ever determined to ensure that it continues.

 

Have a great week

Mike Brosnahan

 

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Mary’s School,

Over the past week I have been involved in a number of rolls in a range of sporting codes.  From spectator to selector, from coach to supporter, and reflecting back on these experiences I would like to share some observations with you.

Firstly children succeed in sport when they enjoy the sport and are playing it because it is something that they want to do.  Often you will see children who have been pushed by their parents drop out at high school because they had become so afraid of failing that sport was not enjoyable.

The rule of ten thousand definitely is still a major factor, that is that to achieve at a high level you need to put in a minimum of ten thousand hours at your selected sport, but if you want children to put in anything like this level of effort then two factors are vital: they must have excellent support and they must enjoy what they are doing—feel part of a team or group.

My daughter’s hockey team has had a very successful season and the reason for this lies in their coaches ability to take a diverse group of girls ranging in age from 13-18 and including a national representative and some who only play for the school, and welding them into a team.

She was able to achieve this by her own skills but also by the fact that the older members in her team were real leaders.  Despite the fact; in one case they could have been playing for New Zealand one day and the next playing against South Otago, there was no self aggrandisement or self promotion but rather they emphasized the no ‘I’ in team saying.

The rest of the team responded to this leadership.  There was no talking down but only encouragement, no rebukes yelled but only encouragement, no snide remarks but rather support for a common goal.

I would suggest that sport here becomes a metaphor for life, if we want our team to succeed we need to focus on the collective not on our own aspirations.

Have a great week

Mike Brosnahan

 

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends of St Mary’s School,

What a busy but successful week last week was, with St Mary’s producing some excellent sporting results.  I would this week like to focus on the artistic life of our school.

A question I use to pose to pupils I was teaching was to name a sportsman or woman who deeds were still talked about centuries on—they were unable to do so but all of them could name an artist or musician—even if they were ‘classical’.

The arts are enduring and so as a school it is important that we encourage our pupils to be as involved with the arts in all genres as possible.Last weeks performance by our Kapa Haka group was excellent, the amount of time and preparation that had gone in was obvious.

I would like to thank all of the people who had worked so hard to make this and the groups previous performances so successful.  The teachers and parents who have accompanied and transported them, John & Stacey Peita for all of their expert knowledge, Simone Reynolds and Jacqui Hyde for ensuring that the group was so well turned out and of course to the stars themselves who practiced out side school time and produced such a top draw effort, thank you.

 Remember that on Wednesday and Thursday we are holding our second parent teacher interview for the year so please ensure that you book in to hear about all of the great things that your child is achieving.

 

Have a great week

Mike Brosnahan

 

Eric contemplates leading the haka....

Cross Country

Cross Country 2012

Kapa Haka goes to Fairfield.

On the 8^th of August the Kapa Haka group traveled by bus to Fairfield school. Before school we all got changed into our funky costumes. We were greeted by the more FM crew! And listened to the first Kapa Haka group perform! When it was our turn to perform we lined up and walked hurriedly onto the stage, our costumes were fantastic the boys wore black shorts with a puipui and the girls wore a koru decorated dress with a puipui over top. Some of us brought each a green stone necklace. The schools that performed were fantastic and very interesting! Each school dressed up in different costumes! And sung all different kinds of songs! We knew most of the songs. There was even a preschool performing, they were so CUTE! Other schools sung some harmonies and talked out their Mihis. One school Waihola performed a roll play for the audience! Their play was awesome! Overall we all had a fantastic time!

By Anahera and Michaela!    

A snippet of Kapa Haka at the library

Kapahaka Road Trip to Middlemarch - 8 June 2012

Today we took our re-launched Kapahaka trip on tour.  What a privilege and a pleasure to be part of such an awesome experience.  The entire day was a wonderful experience and I look forward to posting the participants reflections next week.  In the meantime I wanted to acknowledge those who made the day possible... A HUGE thank you to you all!

• Stacey and John Peita for re-launching Kapahaka;
• Chance and John for your inspiring korero;
• Stacey and Mary for leading our waiata;
• Addie Dale and the Tokomaro Kapahaka group for inviting, hosting and inspiring us;
• The Strath Taieri extended community for the welcome, the time and the food;
• The parents who accompanied us and shared the celebration of the day;
• The wonderful St Mary's Kapahaka participants - your participation, involvement and behaviour made us all so incredibly proud;
• Our wonderful senior students who fully embraced the experience and cared for our younger students;
• The Strath Taieri Weather!  

What a truly amazing day.  We now look forward to continuing our learning journey and preparing for Hui Ako, Polyfest and hosting Tokomaro at our school later in the year.

Highlights from our Ted2012 day

Today ten students from Room 6 are spending the day at Elmgrove school for the first ever Taieri School's e-learning day. Check out what they have been up to!