From the Principal Week 3 Term 2 2014

Term 2 Week 3

20 May 2014

Dear Parents, Caregivers and Friends,

As a school we are closely linked with a group of other local schools in a Learning and Change Network. This is part of a research project that is being watched carefully by the OECD, who are interested in how working together as schools can improve the achievement of learners, in particular those learners who are having difficulties with their learning.

The principals of this group (Tomarata, Tauhoa, Leigh, Wainui, Wellsford, Rodney College, Kaipara Flats) are a great professional bunch of people, and together we are all focusing in our schools on Student Agency (how we can help our learners ‘own’ their own learning), 21st Century education, and Involving Whanau and Family with our learning.

This week all the teachers from the above schools are meeting for an afternoon/evening of professional development, sharing with each other what is working and what we are learning from our work in our own schools. This kind of sharing is always stimulating and it is exciting to see ideas that we at Mahurangi Christian School are doing, being picked up by other schools.

Some of our Mahurangi Christian School learners will also be involved in a leadership project of a club this term which involves children from other schools. More details later, but suffice to say that working together with other local schools has benefits for us all.

Whether you know it or not, you as parents are part of this Learning and Change Network research project. Your involvement in your child’s learning at Mahurangi Christian School through Three Way Conferences, Parent Evenings, Student-led Conferences etc is part of the story the OECD is watching with interest.

So thanks for continuing to be a supportive parent community. Thanks for being interested in your child’s learning. It DOES make a difference, and that difference in your child’s learning builds towards a picture of success in our school, our local school community and, potentially, will impact the thinking of schools in other nations over time.

Have a great week.

Helen Pearson