Week 7 NEWSLETTER

From the Principal

Education Review Office - Visit Last Week

Our ERO Team of Ruth, Cheryl and Keith were with us across last week. ERO’s role is to help schools assess how well they are going in terms of achieving Equity and Excellence for all students. Their process really puts you under the microscope, looking at all of our strategies, processes, strengths and weaknesses to help craft our next steps as a school. It was a very affirming visit. Cheryl had been on the team that came 3 years ago, and she could see the big changes we had made and the positive outcomes from these. Two things they kept commenting on...that the school works as a ‘collective’, trying to benefit all and that the DPS Kid has some real power to it and they could see how that is starting to drive the learning here at school.

The formal report is some months away, but when published we will add it to the newsletter for you to check out.

Education Conversation - Kōrero Mātauranga

Last week I mentioned the review of NCEA and a few of you have had a chat with me about your thoughts and appreciated the information. The Minister is now asking for input around Reporting, about how we discuss the progress your children make in their learning journey. With the removal of National Standards schools are now required to report against the curriculum, fortunately DPS has always done this alongside the Standards as part of our Learning Conferences (using the thermometers). Knowing how well students are achieving in literacy and numeracy, te reo matatini and pāngarau, is important. So is understanding each student’s progress, big or small, across the wider curriculum – including key capabilities for success in life, learning and work. If interested head to the Education Conversation - Kōrero Mātauranga website, and have your say. The work here will over time influence our own reporting through the Learning Conferences...

Learning Conferences - Monday/Tuesday Week 10

Earlier this term we asked staff, students and whānau for feedback on our Learning Conference way of reporting. The response rate was great and good next steps given. Teachers have started working on what reporting could look like in Term 4 and the Learning Conferences in a few weeks are a step towards this:

• We have removed a lot of the ‘wordiness’ of the Learning Conference, hopefully less reading to you and more discussion about their learning work
• We have added a section about the DPS Kid
• We have kept the thermometers for now...these will likely change later in the year, but parents were keen on a visual way of seeing academic achievement
• We have kept the structure largely the same, so the Term 2 conferences will seem familiar

We still have further modifications to make, but aren't in a rush to get it sorted. We want to make a considered change, one that reflects the wishes of the whole school community, and we want to get this right.

Teacher Union Meeting Reminder: 2.00pm 28th June

The NZEI (teachers’ union) have finished negotiating with the Ministry, and have an offer on the table for teachers to consider. The meeting is very important, one with big decisions to be made about accepting or rejecting the offer. Last term I mentioned the teacher shortage (less people entering the profession, more people leaving) and that the Union isn’t just after a pay rise, they are trying to address this shortage. This offer goes some way towards that, but the collective body of teachers across NZ will need to decide what they do next. We thank you in advance for your support as we finish school early. We will send children home at 2pm (the meeting is in Carterton at 2.30pm). Thanks in advance for this.

2.00pm 28th June, Children home as teachers head to their Union Meeting

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT DPS?

There are no Friday Lunch Orders until further notice.

Cultural Evening for Matariki tonight 6:30pm - 7:30pm

Performances of Kapa haka Junior and Senior, Choir, Chinese Duet, Samoan Dancers, Instrumentalists including Brass Solo, Piano, Guitar and an original composition plus the Bollywood dancers!

Tonight (14th June) at 6:30 - 7:30 pm in the Douglas Park School Hall.

Entry is by koha at the door.

See you there!

Please have orders back to school by Wednesday 20th June or order online at http://scholastic.co.nz/parents/lucky-book-club/

writing

Room 12 have been looking at how we keep ourselves healthy.

They have some great advice!

Jacob Mathews wrote...

I eat pineapples and sometimes I eat mandarins, carrots, apples and beans. And after dinner I usually eat cheese and I like to it in my bun!

Reid Haglund-Turley wrote...

To keep healthy I eat watermelon and meat and apples.

To keep fit I play hockey and bike and jog.

The treats treats I eat are chocolate and drink fizzy.

Lucia-Rose Gibbs wrote....

I eat protein foods now, like salads and home made organic oatmeal.

I exersise everyday like pushups and stretches.

Sometimes I eat chips and chocolate.

Jared Collings wrote...

To keep myself healthy I need to eat vegies and fruit everyday and healthy stuff.

Do not eat cake, do not eat chocolate and lollies, they are not good for you, stay healthy.

And run lots. Exersise and skip everyday.

Lachlan Ball wrote...

I eat carrots everyday because it’s healthy.

I play hockey because it keeps you fit.

I eat lollys occassionaly if I’m good.

Madison Lategan wrote...

I eat most times fruit and vegetables and things without sugar and things without milk.

I do running races and starjumps to get fit.

I eat occassionaly chocolate and icecream.

Johan Jayawardene wrote...

I eat apples or manderins everyday.

I go for a bike ride around the park and I work out alot.

I get lollies occasionally.

Spooky Stories

Once upon a time there lived a girl that was always scared. She found an old house she felt scared, as always. She walked up to the house. She opened the door and walked in oooooh what was that sound? “I wonder what she was going to do now?” said the voice. She walked in and a cage fell on her, she was trapped. She saw a ghost walk up to her. Then all of a sudden red drops came down. I used my hat to protect myself. I heard and evil haunted laugh ha ha ha. I was trapped I screamed as loud as I could. Finally I got free. I walked in a room where I found lots of dead people. Hopefully I was not going to be dead!!

By Kenzie Hall

Once I sneaked in a creepy house. The doors shut with a bang!!! The clock was scarly ticking. I was shaking. I felt sad and scared. Then I heard a crooked laugh. Like ha ha ha! The person came out of the shadow then he took out my guts and heart. But I was still alive so I puked in the toilet, opened the doors and then I ran away. I saw the man. He opened his mouth then I realised he had phangs and then he bit my arm off. I went back to my house then he ate my mum then I ate him and he was 100 meters tall!

By Johan

COMMUNITY NEWS

This tour is different...its no rush, its as much about about getting out into the countryside as it is spending time with friends in beautiful inspiring gardens and with lots of extra things at each garden for your to discover throughout your day. Your tour includes four impressive, different and beautiful garden spaces in the Wairarapa Countryside not often seen by the public. Brancepeth, Morland, Stablehouse Garden and Alderbrook. Each garden is between 5 & 15 minutes east of Masterton.

At each garden there will be delicious local and artisan food you can buy, coffee, or a tipple, refreshments and a wide range of interesting things to discover, learn or buy. Every garden will have plenty of relaxing places for you to sit and calmly enjoy your day together while sipping and nibbling on delicious treats!

Please find the link to purchase tickets or for more information below, and we look forward to seeing you.

https://www.eventfinda.co.nz/2018/a-rare-and-artisan-country-garden-tour-2018/masterton