This week has been another busy one full of learning adventures and fun. Most of our Year 6 boys attended the Rosmini Orientation afternoon this week, so the reality of change is upon them, with a mixture of excitement and slight trepidation. Our Year 6 students have been well prepared for the next step in their educational journey, and this is thanks, not only to their current teachers, but to all the teachers they have had during their time at St Joseph’s, who have encouraged them to be self managing, to relate well to others, to think for themselves, be resilient and take responsibility for their learning and behaviour. We hope that they also treasure their faith more because of their time at St Joseph’s and that, with their families’ support and ongoing education in a Catholic environment, their faith, in time,  will become an integral part of their adult life.

Thank you to all the parents who supported their children and their teachers during the parent/teacher conferences. It is great to see the progress children make over a year and how well they achieve in their learning and behaviour and how their can-do- it attitude and confidence increases.

Even when your child has areas that need to improve, first of all celebrate and acknowledge what they have already achieved. There is nothing worse than being reminded about what you don’t know or haven’t done. We all know that, as adults,  and a child does too.

The BOT of Trustees met last night. Approval has been given to purchase I Pads (thanks to the great fundraising efforts of the Friends of St Joe’s), for use throughout the school from the beginning of next year. Each class will have access to a certain number of devices which will include existing ones, a number of I Pads and a number of net-books (which will be leased).  Next year, teachers will be running parent information evenings on many aspects of a modern learning environment, which will include use of devices.

At the same meeting, the appointments of two new permanent teachers was ratified. They are Alice Simmers, who has been teaching at St Patrick’s Taupo and Breanna Viskovich who has been teaching at Holy Cross Henderson and we look forward to welcoming them next year.

Once reporting to parents has been completed, we will be looking at teacher and student placements for next year. There is really no point in requesting a particular teacher. Teachers get together with each other and carefully work out the best placement for your child. They try to get a balanced class with a healthy mixture of individuals, taking into account any special considerations, needs or issues. Once they have completed the drafts, the Leadership Team and I look through all the placements, carefully, before any final decision is made. I ask you to trust that teachers show integrity and professional judgement when deciding where children should be best placed. I also ask that you recognise that every teacher has something different to offer. Relying on second hand information as a source of information about a teacher is probably not as helpful as getting to know them!

If there are serious considerations or issues that need to be known by me, please email me:  principal@sj.school.nz  to make an appointment before the end of next week.

Today we celebrate the Graduation of Jessica Burton who has completed her two years of Provisional Registration as a Beginning Teacher and who now has Full Registration. There is a Graduation Ceremony this evening for teachers in North Shore schools who are in this category. Congratulations Jessica, we are all very proud of you!

Years 5 & 6 had an amazing day out at Goat Island and were buzzing with excitement  over the different experiences that they had and the new learning that occurred. Her are some snapshots of the day.

 

Have a lovely weekend!