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Newsletter
No.3, 5th April 2007
PRINCIPAL'S
NOTES
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Board
of Trustees Election Results
The following candidates have gained election as the seven
parent representatives on the WSC Board of Trustees for the
next three years:
Robin Arthur
Trevor Crosby
Robyn Curry
Paul Edmond
David Peirse
Kau Tepaki
Marianne Wilson
They
will be joined by the staff representative, Heather Dikstaal,
and the student representatives, Joss Colling and Hannah Clark.
The Board, which meets formally for the first time on Monday,
30 April, is likely to give consideration to co-opting additional
members to ensure full representation of the school community.
A
wine and cheese evening has been arranged for Thursday, 26
April, 5.30-7.00pm, to thank and farewell former trustees
and to greet and meet the new trustees.
NCEA
Parent Information Evening, Wednesday, 9 May, 7.30-9.00pm,
WSC Library
We are concerned that public confidence in NCEA has been adversely
affected by recent media coverage of criticism of the national
qualification. Accordingly, we have decided to convene a meeting
in the third week of next term to address concerns which have
surfaced during these debates.
Like
many schools we are clear about the improvements which need
to occur. Students need to receive more recognition for grade
quality. It should be a relatively easy matter to design an
honours system which accords High Distinction, Distinction
and Merit for Levels 1, 2 & 3 and University Entrance
passes meeting specified criteria for the proportion of standards
achieved at the level of Excellence or Merit.
I
have told our students that they should have confidence in
NCEA as an assessment system which, with its combination of
internally and externally assessed standards, prepares them
well for tertiary education.
Landscape
Renovation
We have received the geotechnical report commissioned at the
request of the Ministry of Education to ascertain whether
there are any long-term solutions to the school site’s
subsidence problems. It appears that the prospects for stabilisation
are not good and that the Ministry will have to resource ongoing
management of the problem.
This
has been a frustrating delaying process given that we have
had a landscape renovation plan ready to implement for over
a year. The report recognises that the site is bedevilled
by numerous trip hazards which together amount to an unsafe
environment which presents extreme difficulties, especially
for less able bodied students. It is high time the Ministry
provided the funding.
School Entrance Road Works
The end is in sight for the MOTAT tramline road works which
has impacted heavily on people commuting to and from the school
in recent months. The Prime Minister is expected to officially
open the tramway on 24 April, a deadline which is spurring
progress on the works near the school entrance. We are hopeful
that the new stormwater drainage works which are currently
being put in place will mean significantly reduced ponding
at the front of the school in the aftermath of Auckland’s
downpours.
Ken
Havill
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Social
Studies News
Museum Visit
On
Monday 26th the department took the year 9 students to the Auckland
Museum to visit the highly recommended Vaka Moana exhibition. The
exhibition shows the remarkable journey of the ancestors of the
Pacific people. Their unique navigational skills enabled them to
eventually inhabit the many island groups in the vast Pacific Ocean.
We
were fortunate to be able to view the exhibition before the closing
date on March 30th. Vaka Moana will then go on a global journey
for five years. The students were particularly fascinated by the
demonstration of certain tools used by these early travellers. A
significant display was a cross section of their double hull canoes
which carried people over vast expanses of water. The outgoing Western
Springs College Board Chairperson, Rick Pearson, was the Lead Exhibition
Designer.
This
important field trip will be a focus of the year 9 module ‘Movement
of People’.
I would like to thank all staff for their assistance on the day.
Sharda Patel
The
Careers Centre - Wahi Rapu Umanga
If your children are starting to think about options available beyond
school then a very useful website is www.kiwicareers.govt.nz
or telephone 0800 222 733. This website can help students decide
on the job, training or career pathways that could be right for
them.
Click
Online Tools to get
- Skill
Matcher – find jobs that match personal skills
-
Subject Matcher – Find jobs that match the subjects that
are enjoyed by the student
- Jobs
by interest – Discover job ideas using the jobs by interest
categories
- Pathfinder
– a free in-depth online career guidance programme. Pathfinder
has been designed so a student can answer questions about themselves,
generate and sort career ideas specific to them, then plan and
implement the next steps towards achieving their career goals.
Margaret
Ruland
Beach
Education 2007
Our Peer Support programme at Springs was rounded off with the Beach
Education days at Muriwai and Bethells beaches in week 8. Atea and
Whenua houses enjoyed fine weather at Muriwai but Moana and Kapura
faced miserable weather at Bethells on Thursday and Friday. Undaunted,
however, they ventured out and reports back tell us that it was
great despite the weather.
Beach
Ed. Is run by Surf Life Saving New Zealand Northern Region and involves
sunsmart and beach safety education as well as the opportunity to
participate in basic lifesaving techniques with the lifeguards in
the water. Adult to student ratios during the water session are
monitored at one adult per four students with the trained lifeguards
assisting the adults to maintain a safety box out in the water in
the flagged and patrolled area. Tubes were used by one half of the
group to practise basic retrieval techniques while the other half
of the group enjoyed time on the boogie boards. The two groups then
swapped activities. Assisting at all times too were the year 13
peer support leaders who have worked with the year 9s from the beginning
of this term. In addition the lifeguard equipment on the beach included
a quad bike and IRB.
It
is sobering to recall the statistic that twice as many Kiwi kids
drown in a year when compared to Australia. It is good to work with
professionals on beach ed. days like this in the hope that we can
make some impression on this statistic with our youngest students
at Springs while having fun at the same time.
Ivan Davis
Sports
2007 started with swimming in week 2 and athletics in week 3. The
short time frame between the two
events required 100% cooperation. Congratulations to all involved.
Our biggest sporting events of the year ran smoothly.
Results
from Champion of Champions
Amokura Heather-Kingi received a bronze medal for junior boys long
jump
Helen McLean was place 8th in the intermediate girls 100m sprints.
Amini Fonua won the senior swimming 50m butterfly and breast stroke,
defending his titles from 2006.
Matthew Lane won the intermediate 50m butterfly.
Senior boys’ breast stroke won 4 x 50m relay.
Open butterfly relay team won 4 x 50m relay.
Intermediate boys’ breast stroke won 4 x 50m relay.
I
would like to thank Neville Arbury for the long years of service
he has given to Western Springs College cricket. Neville has been
an inspiration to all the boys he has coached and has given our
school the privilege of an outstanding coach and mentor. We wish
him all the best. Neville, the boys will miss you.
Peter McIntyre
Reminder
Individual and formclass photograph order envelopes need to be returned
by the end of the first week of Term 2.
Quiz
Night
Western
Springs PAG Fundraiser
May 4th 7.30pm
Parents v Staff Showdown
Make
up your own team of up to ten, or come alone and we will match you
up for an evening of fun as you compete, not only for spot and grand
prizes but also, for your very honour.
Tickets
$10 each
From the School Office or on the evening
Refreshments will be available for purchase
Bring your own nibbles more
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