Wet

As the rain was on and off over the lunch hour some students made the most of the breaks and were able to get out with a ball on the court. I think the wet is better than the cold, it's easier to keep dry than to get warm. We're in for a week of it so we may as well make the most of it. The students that stayed inside over the lunch hour either enjoyed the Olympic coverage or got creative with their constructions.

We had the Australian English exam today so those taking part spent a tense 45 to 55 minutes in the library trying to decide such things as the best meaning for the word 'swirling' or why Ava hugged her brother.

This afternoon in Kereru we were furthering our knowledge of the world by looking on a map at where the Olympics have been hosted and deciding why some parts of the world had hosted the Games many times when others had never had it. It was an interesting look at the world economy and demographics.

Off Site

Today I have been working off site to ensure the completion of some critical work. I've made use of our local libraries and the free wi-fi they offer. They are great places to work, warm, comfortable and distraction free. I have kept in touch with Rebecca via email and she tells me all is well at school.

The netball team had another great win on Friday, still unbeaten! Congratulations to them and everyone involved. I was planning to go but got hit by a truck on the way to work so instead I visited the panel beaters who did a bang up job and assure me the black tape will hold for four or five weeks until they can do the real repairs.


On Wednesday at 2pm there is a memorial for Margaret Mahy in town and I am planning to go so the school is represented. Understandably some families are looking at going and I fully support this. If you are planning to attend with your child please let me know.

House Sport

It appears that yesterday's post never went live so my apologies for that, it is there now.

Due to the weather we were finally able to get our first round of House Sport going yesterday, with a second round today.  There are so many benefits from a competition like this, from the skills learnt to the physical activity to House spirit and the good natured rivalry between the teams.  While the games adhere to standard rules, there would have been very little game time if I'd pulled up every infringement in netball yesterday, it appears 'stepping' and 'held ball' are concepts many are still getting to grips with. The important thing though is that we don't spoil the game by getting hung up on those things while still pointing them out and making it a learning experience. And learn they have as today was definitely an improvement.

This morning Kereru were involved in a community performance up at the Fire Station where they performed for an audience of 20 to 30 people. It involved poi, choir pieces, ukeleles, dancing, and acting as various farm animals. The performances were very well received and it was great for the school to be able to contribute to the community in this way.

Presentations

The board met with Suzzane, from ERO, yesterday to get an idea of what she will be looking at when it comes to our review. She was great to talk to as she clearly outlined the process and her expectations.  It left us feeling confident about the visit and we are looking forward to a favourable report after the review.
As part of the board meeting after our ERO meeting, a sub-committee watched presentations done on the iPads by Piwakawaka about the development of the gardens and grounds at the school. They were very well put together and everyone was in favour of the ideas they proposed. I look forward to seeing the next step in this project.
I have been trying to get ahold of the iPads so I can post a screen shot of the applications that are on them but they are always in use in the classrooms. Not that I am complaining, I think it's great the way they have been embraced and are being used. I'll work on sneaking one to get the screen shot soon.

TV Stars

The highlight of TV viewing last night was undoubtably ONE News and Close Up. Governors Bay school looked wonderful with Moira's interview piece coming across very well and the students sounding fluent and full of expression as they spoke and read.  It was a nice feeling to have our school be the last word on the country's main news broadcast for such an iconic New Zealander. The children did us proud and made a very worthy contribution to the Nation's tribute. If you missed it or, like Cory's grandmother, you are out of the country, you can watch it on the internet at http://tvnz.co.nz/video Search for Closeup 24th July.

Margaret Mahy Close Up

Today, as we remember Margaret Mahy as a treasured Governors Bay resident, the school did itself proud. The librarians set up the library to pay homage to her achievements and each class made something to send to the family. TV One and Close Up came to do some filming and Moira gave a wonderful interview for One News.  Close Up then recorded footage of the students reading in the library. It felt good to be involved in paying tribute to such a New Zealand icon.

ERO

I had my monthly meeting with the the principals' from Lyttelton and Diamond Harbour today.  We are all having visits from ERO this term so it is good to share how everyone is preparing and what the experiences have been like.  Luckily, we are last to have them so we can learn from the other schools. It's great to have this support from the other principals and we are all benefitting greatly from our meetings. We have our ERO pre-visit on Wednesday before our board meeting so it will be interesting to hear what they have to say.