Newsletter No.2, 14th March 2007

PRINCIPAL'S NOTES

WSC Learning Centre
‘Start Right’ Study Skills Workshops
The Learning Centre has just completed the first two of a series of Study Skills Workshops. The workshops are specifically aimed at Year 11 students new to NCEA, but are open to any other students who feel they could and should be doing more to improve their learning.

The first 2 workshops focused on:

1. Planning for Success: Goal setting, planning and organisation for NCEA.
2. Strategies for taking charge of your own learning - part1: Looking at myself as learner. What helps me and what gets in my way?

If your child was unable to take advantage of either of these workshops, but you feel they would benefit from finding out what we have to offer, ask them to come and book a session with us during the week. We are happy to take students through the workshops, individually or in groups.

The next workshop will be in week 7 and will be advertised in the school bulletin and on the Intranet.

Workshop 3 “Taking Charge of Your Learning - Part 2”
will look at practical strategies for optimising learning in the classroom.

We strongly encourage students to come along and find out if there are strategies that they could be using to make their classroom learning more effective and more productive.

Peer Reading, Peer Mentoring and Peer Tutoring
Learning Centre staff are about to begin training a large number of year 13 student volunteers as peer reading tutors, peer mentors and peer tutors. The training will take 5-6 hours over several weeks, but it is hoped that all three programmes will be underway by the end of Term 1. We know from our experience last year that these programmes brought great benefits to all the students involved and we have high expectations for 2007.

A Reminder
The Learning Centre is here for everyone. Encourage your child to seek help early, before the problem becomes unmanageable or the deadline is missed. They can approach us at any time to make an appointment. If they are ready to take action, we are ready to help.
Helen Thorpe

Geography Fieldtrips
The new school year is underway, and so is our planning for Geography Fieldtrips. Our overseas trip in 2007 is to SAMOA 10 - 16 August, and deposits should already be paid to the school office so that airline bookings can be made.

Year 11 are also visiting the Volcanoes Exhibition at the Museum on the 12th or 14th March, Year 12 are preparing to walk the Tongariro Crossing at the end of the term to study their Natural Landscape and Year 13 will spend a day at Piha on 28th March, studying Coastal Processes.
Jenny Jones and John Ward

Social Studies Department News
All classes are well into their modules. I have visited some classes and I can say there is much positive engagement in the topics.

9WE/9MO – Local Studies
9WU/9AT/9AE – Our People
9KA/9KU – Movement of People
9MN – Government

Marae Visit
All year 9 students recently visited our school Marae, Nga Oho. ‘Local Features’ and their significance to individuals and groups are an important aspect of the Local Studies Module in year 9. The Marae was the meeting place at the Powhiri for all new students at the beginning of the year so it is important that we give students the opportunity to visit the Marae. The Rumaki staff explained the origins of Nga Oho and described the significance of the various parts of the building. Our visit ended with all students learning to sing the school waiata.

Many thanks to Tere Tamarua and Rawiri Walker for giving their valuable time and sharing their knowledge with us.
Sharda Pate

English Department
ICAS
Following the success of WSC students last year we have high expectations for this year’s candidates in the ICAS English and Writing tests. Students should listen carefully to the notices for meetings and ask their English teacher for further information.

Writers’ Club
The facilitators for Writers’ Club this year are Dorothy Fernandez and Nicola Green. An inaugural meeting was held on the 28 February with a group of keen student writers and plans were laid to launch a Writers’ Club broadsheet. Copies will be available for the wider school community via the intranet. The Writers’ Club welcomes all interested writers to participate in this project with us.

Media Department News
We have had a busy start to the year in the Media and are pleased to welcome Tim College into the department. Tim is teaching a Year 9 Media class and students are already benefiting from his enthusiasm and skill.

Meg Freeman has also began meetings of the Film Society. Students have had the opportunity to view Dr. Strangelove and have plans for many more challenging and interesting films to view. This year viewing afternoons will rotate from Monday through to Wednesday to allow for students who have commitments on those days. We are also considering introducing a practical element to the society where students may have the opportunity to film and then edit short sequences.

Year 13 students are in the process of applying for this year’s Youth Summit which will take place in Sydney. We wish them luck and hope that they too will be able to take advantage of this rewarding experience as Charlotte and Finn did in LA last year. Photos and news from last year have now been posted on the Western Springs College website.
Jane Hall

Mathematics News
Year 9 Banding
Over the next week Year 9 students will be banded into their mathematics classes. Your children will be coming home with a note from their teacher indicating the band in which they have been placed. Please sign this and return to their teacher as soon as possible.

We have some upcoming events that students may be interested in. Come one, Come all.

Chess-a-thon
Date: Tuesday, 20th March
Venue: Hall
Time: Periods 3 & 4 (there will be a break for lunch)
Entry fee: $2:00 (this will go towards the chess club fees for the year)
Permission: Is needed by your classroom teacher for absence during those periods – no permission, no entry.
Eligibility: All students
Teacher in Charge: Ms West
See your mathematics teacher for a registration form.
Registration closes: Monday, 19th March at the end of lunch.

Competitions
ICAS (International Competition and Assessments for Schools)
Date: Wednesday, 23rd May
Venue: B12 (to be confirmed)
Time: To be confirmed
Entry Fee: $6:50 (to be paid at the office)
Permission: Parental
Eligibility: All students
Teacher in Charge: Mr Henley

See your mathematics teacher for registration form.
Registration closes: Thursday, 5th April (last day of Term 1)

The informal opportunity to meet, eat and chat at the new parents’ barbeque was enjoyable. Luckily the weather favoured the evening. Just another reminder about the upcoming parents’ evening.
Fa’avesi Talamaivao

Student Leaders’ Report
On the first weekend back at school, 24 student leaders attended the 'Prefects that Peak' course run by AUT. We are part of a new initiative at Springs made up of different portfolios - Board of Trustees Representatives, Academic, Cultural, Community, Sports, International and House leaders.

The first day was about getting comfortable with each other - human knots, team skipping, hugging, group massage, etc. We stayed at Youthtown in the city which was truly wild and exciting with its recreational equipment and very hygienic accommodation.

Our days started at 6:30 with breakfast on the AUT city campus marae, and our workshops ran 'til dinner time. There were courses in team building, event management and business plans. We planned what we wanted to do this year as leaders, with projects such as getting new equipment for the music department, putting art murals up around school and organising stage challenge.

We did a full-on police obstacle course, participated in early morning aerobics and had a crump battle which was a right royal laugh. The course finished with more group massage and water bombs.

Everyone thought the camp was hugely worthwhile in getting to know each other and planning what we're going to do this year as leaders. We were also given an ANZ bank account with $100 to start us off, which will be spent on sausages for our student leaders’ and Board of Trustees’ BBQ.

Thanks to Shannon, Taff and Linda from AUT.
Joss Colling and Hannah Clark

A Summer of Rowing
On the 12th February 2007 at the North Island Rowing Championships regatta, held at Lake Karapiro near Cambridge, the West-End Rowing Club Womens Novice 8 crew came 5th in the finals against a field of 9 crews competing from all over the North Island.

The West-End Womens ‘Novice 9’ squad comprised 4 students from Western Springs College. These were Ella Newell, Ana de Pont van Schie, Rhiannon Hooper and Zoe Butcher-McGunnigle.

For these students this was the culmination of many months of dedication – waking at 5.15am in the morning, three or four times per week, to train on the Waitemata Harbour before school. During the final weeks of summer training they rowed up to eight times a week and attended a week long rowing camp.

The ‘Novice 8’ squad competed in four other regattas over summer, in Karapiro and Rotorua, gaining a 2nd place in three of these regattas. The Western Springs students have very much enjoyed interacting with rowers from other schools at the West End Rowing Club and at the regattas. The whole experience has made them tougher in many ways – and not just the calloused hands!

Community Notices
Western Springs Association Football Club
Enrolments and registrations for the 2007 football season at Western Springs Association Football Club are now open. Just go to www.wsafc.co.nz for more information.

The club has many new things in the pipeline and the first game is in April. Club soccer should not interfere with school soccer – it’s great to do both.