Humanities 9A

Ms Lees

VLS

Room: L4

vls@otakicollege.school.nz

Hard to believe it is term 3 already! Time is flying by this year.

New for term 3 2022: Ms Lees will be attending a course on Wednesdays for most of the term. Students will have relievers and will be able to continue their work online. Please try to remember to bring headphones (as we will be using more video tutorials), charge your chromebook and / or bring your charge cord.

Kia ora,

Welcome to Humanities 9A 2022. My name is Valerie Lees and I have been teaching here in New Zealand since 2016, and prior to that for 20 years in Canada. I am looking forward to learning with the students and getting to know their whanau throughout the year.

This year will be another challenging one as Covid continues to have an effect around the globe. It will become even more important for schools, families and our community to continue with our learning using all the options available to us. At times we will be learning in person and in class as much as possible, and other times adapting to online options that can be used any time you are at home, but well enough to continue your learning (eg. isolating, supporting whanau). We will need to work together and keep our communication open so that we can support each other.

There may also be times that I am unavailable and during those times our Humanities teachers will continue to support each other with the learning in our classes, along with relievers. Please remember to be kind and patient with our relievers as we will need them for support too.

So... where do I find links to online learning?

You can also find resources and work on Hāpara and instructions on Google Classroom with our Daily Calendar.

Above all - take care of yourself and your whanau. Reach out if you need support or help. Stay home, stay well and be kind to yourself and others.

Parents or students, email me if you would like further or support.

Kia Kaha

Ms Valerie Lees

Humanities, English and Social Sciences teacher

Hāpara and Google Classroom and our Daily Calendar.

vls@otakicollege.

school.nz

+64 06 3648204

Humanities 9A: (Formerly Integrated Studies)

ŌC Students are empowered, informed, ethically responsible citizens of social justice and sustainability, connected and engaged globally and locally.

Humanities in the 21st Century

The possibility of learning to pay attention, to contemplate, to appreciate beauty, to experience awe and wonder, to think with depth and sensitivity about life, and to know there are values beyond profit and self-interest. The humanities teach students the habits of critical thought and the historical perspective necessary for citizenship in a democracy. And they help students think about how to use technology to make the world a better home for humanity. (after Smoot, Bill. “Humanities in the 21st Century.” Edutopia)

The Humanities strengthen our global view, how we think (creatively and critically), how we communicate effectively, reinforce our cultural and ethical responsibilities and values, and teach us how to be problem solvers. They include Ethics — the study of Right and Wrong (Good and Evil), and Aesthetics — the study of the Beautiful.

This subject builds English skills in reading, writing, speaking, listening and viewing. In the Social Science themes we look at Identity, Culture, and Organisation, Place and Environment, Continuity and Change, and The Economic World.

What am I learning?

What does this mean?