The Building Programme
If you haven’t been to school lately, it’s time to have a look! A great surprise for everyone on Monday morning –huge walls rising out of the ground! Since then more panels have arrived and the foundations for the ground level floor are being completed. Children have been out observing the progress; looking at how the construction workers have to plan, work together and do lots of thinking. They love the machinery at work and are full of wonder at the skills of the drivers of machinery being used. The children are using the iPads
(purchased with money raised by the Friends of St Joe’s) to record what’s been happening.
#L2L Learning to Learn at St Joseph’s
WHAT IS STUDENT – CENTRED LEARNING?
These days the term student-centred learning is often heard but what does it really mean? You might assume that all learning in schools is student centred. The reality might well be seen to be different when the curriculum, the teachers’ needs, the Government requirements, the assessment and reporting on students, and so on, have seemed to be far removed from what is needed to meet the learning needs of each child. Student-centred approaches to learning are drawn from the mind/brain sciences, learning theory, and research on youth development, and are essential to students’ full engagement in achieving deeper learning knowledge, skills, attitudes and competencies.
The five principles outlined below, indicate ways of approaching teaching and learning in many schools today:
- Learning Is Personalised taking into account the learning needs of each child
- Learning is Values based- in our case it is based on the Catholic Faith and the Mercy Values and are interwoven throughout everything we do and say
- Learning Is Competency-Based – in our New Zealand Curriculum, the five Competencies of Thinking, Managing Self, Relating to Others, Understanding Symbols & Texts and Participating and Contributing, form the platform for all learning
- Learning Takes Place Anytime, Anywhere; a recognition that learning can occur anywhere anytime and not just within the confines of a school or classroom and the use of digital devices is one way to enable this to happen
- Students Exert Ownership Over Their Learning.- this involves children knowing what they are learning and why; making choices in regards to how they learn e.g. using books, digital devices, observing, interviewing, practical hands on activities; as they get older, the order in which they learn e.g. task boards; personalised timetables and /or programmes; students understand what it is they to do in order to achieve the learning, complete a task, or pursue an inquiry; being responsible for their learning; setting goals;
On Monday night, the Friends of St Joe’s met to plan the rest of the year’s activities which include the Movie Night held on Thursday this week, disco and family picnic, including cultural performances.
The Kapa Haka Group is busy practising for the Onepoto Cultural Festival. Years Four-Six classes have completed their swimming programme today. The Keeping Ourselves Safe Programme continues and this week Constable Julie Brown has been in classes working with children and teachers. All teachers have been involved in professional learning in Mathematics this week.
Remember that there is a Teacher Only Day on Tuesday and there will be no one onsite between 8 and 11.30. The BOT’s Strategic Planning Meeting starts at 6pm next Thursday evening. School Mass is at 9.15 on Friday 31st and we will be commemorating All Saints Feast day (a day early!)
God bless! Stay safe. Have a great weekend. Remember that it is Teacher Only Day on Tuesday!
Phil