Week 10 NEWSLETTER

Yesterday we shared the first of our video applications to become an Apple Distinguished School. 

This is a project that has been in the works for a while (first discussed 2 years ago), but the big mahi has been over the last two terms. We have a Tech Innovation Team that has been working on the application leading to us being filmed over the last month by Rob, one of our amazing parents. The three videos are stunning, and do such a great job of showcasing our vision in action.

The three videos related to Apple’s criteria for becoming an Apple Distinguished School:

• Inspire: This is the video we shared last night, and it is centred around our vision for learning…Together we Nurture, Explore and Create for a Better Future. Apple want to know how our vision is driving the school forward, what the leadership of the school is doing to bring it to life and how all of this impacts on teaching and learning in classes.

• Imagine: This video is around our 4 Core Beliefs (Agency, Collaboration, Critical Thinking and Creativity) and how they contribute to our culture of curiosity and wellness. This part of Apple’s criteria is around how learning can be re-imagined away from the traditional, and how we can develop children ready to make a difference in their world.

• Impact: This video is around how the school shares our successes. We have staff who have presented at conferences, we have had articles written about us, the Ministry of Education funded a project and wrote a case study on us, universities have written about our culture of creativity…and this video celebrates all of this. 

The videos are 90 seconds long, and are well worth the time to watch and celebrate our journey. Keep an eye on our Facebook page tonight and tomorrow for the next two videos…just as awesome as the first!

Support Staff Week

It is Support Staff Week, the week we recognise all the amazing support staff we have at Douglas Park. Our amazing teacher aides, our awesome office staff and our wonderful caretaker…this team keeps things running smoothly, functioning highly…and provides a great environment for the kids at school. 

All of our classes get the extra support of teacher aides…working alongside children, running programmes and catering to the emotional needs in the class. This support is invaluable…it adds a heap of value to the school. Dan, Anna, Grace, Fiona, Nicola, Kris, Catherine, Andrea, Joe, Pania and Mrs Blue…we thank you!

Our office is super high functioning…keeping the school supplied for our needs, ensuring our kids are safe and at school and we’ve just passed our financial audit again with flying colours…and they’ve had to endure working in Room 7 since October last year! Sara and Meryl…we thank you! Our caretaker keeps the place running…here early in the morning battling leaves, fixing things and keeping our school looking beautiful. Mr Blue is a legend, and we thank you!

Regional Cross Country

All the best to our runners today…the weather has come to the party, and I know you will all dare to dream. Good Luck!