17 October 2005

A school is as strong as its community

Dear Parents,

I love active schools where things are happening in tandem with a “settled” approach!  It’s hard to get that balance though.  We want to have special, exciting, challenging events, but we also want core, settled teaching time to lay excellent academic foundations.  We try out best to get this balance but it is not always achievable.

This term, term four of any school year, is a very busy one.  The term has lots of events in it.  Year 6 Camp this week is an example.  Mrs Lawn, Mr Pomare and I will be involved in this major event.  A large contingent of parents will also be joining us in this rewarding experience to sample the excitement, triumph, challenge, fun and fatigue(!) of being with 60 energetic, vivacious and noisy ten and eleven year olds for four days.  Hanmer Springs is our destination, to sample small town living, mountains, tramping, fine food (Duncan as our parent cook/chef) and the hot pools.  Sounds good!

Also coming up:  Year 4 Camp, school athletics, zone athletics, class trips, reports to be written, final assembly (Tuesday 12th December) to name a few … and in between teachers must deliver a good teaching programme!  It sure is a balancing act!

Please pray… for the pupils who have been accepted into the Primary School for 2006, and their families.  We will be welcoming around seventy new pupils next year, the great bulk of whom will begin as new entrants.

Keep praying for the school generally, too.  Your prayer support is greatly valued and to pray with your children for the school adds a whole new dimension.

Recent events… have included the Year 7 tests which all the children survived … none said they enjoyed the experience!  The choir performance in the Town Hall (night of 12th October) which was again highly successful (see item later in the Update) and the fantastic musical, “Colby’s Club House;  performed by Year 5 and 6 at the end of last term (the week of the snow).  See the great spread of pictures later in the Update. So, you can see it has been busy, busy, busy… but we have also done a lot of classroom teaching too.

Finally, a big welcome to our newest staff member. Mrs Jan Pelvin.  Jan is PA to the Head of Primary School. Her office is right next to mine.   Currently she is in school Monday, Tuesday and Thursday mornings but this will change later in the term.  Learn more about Jan in another Update item in this issue.

John Stackhouse,

Head of Primary School

"COLBY'S CLUB HOUSE"
YEARS 5 AND 6 MUSICAL
The musical  was a great success, even allowing for the snow on the first performance night!  It was marvelous to see so many parents along and so many positive comments afterwards.  Our thanks to everyone involved, especially Mrs Lawn, Mr Pomare, Mr Langford and Miss Smith.  Also to all the dancers and performers a huge thank you.  Special thanks to parents who contributed so much, especially Frances Sutherland and Linda Peterson—a great team effort.

 
Photos below

  School Notices

Recently many Primary School children challenged themselves and  sat the University of New South Wales Mathematics and English    assessments.  They achieved some amazing results.

  Mathematics … Special congratulations to Michael D, Year 4, who topped NZ with 100% correct.  He will receive a special medal to recognize this great achievement.

  Both Michael D. and Samuel W. (Year 6) achieved high distinction.  Sam B., Ben D., Ashley H. (Year 4), Joshua G. and Emma H. (Year 5) and Jessica J., Isla S., Elinor J. (Year 6) achieved distinction.

  A further 13 primary school children gained credits.  A total of 42  primary school children sat the test.

English … A total of twelve distinctions were gained.  Congratulations to Michael D., Ben D., Aimee P.,    Madeline S. (Year 4), Amy D., Ashleigh S. (Year 5), and Jessica J., Catherine L. Isla S., Rebekah S., Lucie V. and Samuel W. (Year 6).

Another 14 primary school children received credits.  A total of 40 primary school children sat the English test.

Do you enjoy Gymnastics, Dance, Ballet?  Are you a girl aged 6-10 years??  
RHYTHMIC GYMNASTICS COULD BE FOR YOU!  Rhythmic   Gymnastic is a sport that combines elements of dance, gymnastics, and   co-ordination, helps create good body posture, develop a sense of rhythm while building confidence.  Come along and observe or have a go in our warm & friendly environment.  We are situated at the Christchurch College of Education Gymnasium.  Any enquiries please call Fay on Ph 3585728.

… to Ilisapeci T, Sophie P. and Savannah M. who were selected to be part of the Junior Special choir.

 

Welcome Mrs Pelvin

Jan Pelvin, P.A. Whiz, has joined the Primary School team.  She is a person of many talents who can definitely type faster than Mr Stackhouse can!  We have enjoyed the way she has settled in already and doesn’t panic if things don’t quite go as planned.  Adaptability sure is a key in a school.  Jan has a son in Year 3 at Middle Grange School  and twin daughters starting soon in new entrants.    Her interests are arts and crafts, swimming and making teddy bears in any spare time she manages to find.

We are looking forward to working with Jan. Just to put a face to her name, here she is at work putting together this update!

 

"In thy light shall we see light." 
                                        Psalm 36:9

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