Dear Parents, Friends
and Caregivers
We are thrilled with the progress of
our learners this year.
Please click here
for our National Standards results for 2014.
Thank you for completing the survey
of parents. Here is an update of the general themes and what we have learnt
from them. If you didn’t get to complete the survey, please feel free to do so
as a late entrant, or to talk with me or your child’s teachers with your
suggestions.
It is important to us to know how we can help you and your
child have a great experience of learning at school.
THINGS WE CELEBRATE WITH YOU
90% of parents say they feel
supported by the school in the spiritual and character development of their
children, with 45% of these strongly agreeing
95% of parents say they think their
children receive quality pastoral care
90% of parents say that the school
meets the learning needs of their children
100% of parents say that their child
has been helped to develop regular practices and habits that promote healthy
thinking and self-talk, emotional intelligence, personal boundaries and self
management.
100%
of our parents say that the school has expectations that challenge their
child(ren) to move forward in his/her/their learning.
In
a Term 3 parent survey, the following was also noted:
100% of parents surveyed say that
their child is proud of his work, is interested in what he learns at school,
knows about his goals for learning, works hard at school. 94% say they know how
well their child achieved in relation to the expectations for his level.
THINGS WE LEARNT FROM YOU
Given a range of 29 different
expressions of our special character at MCS, the most highly valued (74-84% of
parents) were:
integrated discussions about God in
lessons, providing an environment in which questions about God and the Bible
are explored, teaching children how to think rather than what to think,
specific lessons on how we can express care for others and deal with conflict
and involvement with the community and with local schools through sports and
speech competitions, participating in council decision-making about our area,
carols by candlelight etc
Thanks for a few helpful suggestions
re whanau/family connection with the school and communication. We will work on
this more next year! Although most of you were happy with the amount of
information received about your child’s learning, a couple of you would like
information each term. Your child has new learning goals every term and
we will endeavour to share these with you more frequently. Please always feel free
to make a time to see the teacher.
It was suggested that we have an
opportunity for parents to skype into evening meetings (eg camp meeting) so
that parents with young children can attend remotely (smart thinking!)
The vast majority of you would like
swimming lessons again in Term 1. We will endeavour to provide this
opportunity.
While the increased interschool
sports opportunities this year were appreciated, a couple of you commented that
you would like to see the PE education improved further. I have made approaches
to a local specialist and hope he will work with us regularly in 2015.
A request was made for a suggestions
box to be available for ideas from parents. We actually do have one on the
entrance table beside June’s desk. Please feel free to put any suggestions
there at all. Critique, when offered in a spirit of service for us to help
us improve is an act of love. We value teamwork, and your suggestions
matter to us.
On some questions, some of you
clicked Somewhat Agree. We would like to serve you and your child so
that you can confidently click Agree or Strongly Agree on all
areas. Please help us know how we can serve you better.
So thanks again for taking the time
to complete our questionnaire.
It has been a great year and we look
forward to 2015!!!
Helen Pearson
Year 8 Graduation Celebration
Year 8 will
be visiting Charlie’s Gelato Garden with Miss Pryde and Mrs Rabey on Wednesday
10th December to celebrate their graduation.
Camp Forms
Camp forms are now overdue. Please send them
back to the school as soon as possible so we can get on with the planning.
Thanks
Prayer for Our School
If you
are interested in praying for our school, please come along to a prayer meeting
being held each Thursday morning, during term time. The meeting starts at 9am and
finishes by 9.45am and is in
the crèche room, in the chapel.
iPads/Tablets: A great Christmas Idea
All children in Years 4-8 will need their own
iPad for 2015.
This can be 'borrowed' from the school for a
small charge $5 per week, or purchased through the school for $20 per week.
It is to your child's advantage to have the
ability to take their iPad home to continue with homework and research. This is
easier if your child has his/her own iPad.
You may like to consider giving your child an
iPad for Christmas. Any tablet is fine. However, an iPad will be easier for
teachers and learners as all apps will be the same.
All children in the school will be required to
have their own personal set of headphones next year. So something else that
could become part of the Christmas list if they do not already have some.
Term Dates
Last
day of school for the year will be Tuesday 16th December at 1.30. The
bus will leave when school finishes.
First
day of school for 2015 is Monday 2nd February.
Special Assemblies
Please
join us for:
·
Prizegiving
on Friday 12 Dec 2014 at 9.10am
·
Our
Bible Fair and Art Exhibition on Friday 12 Dec after assembly.
Please
bring something for a shared morning tea to follow.
Board Meetings
Our
last meeting for the year is 9 December 7.00pm in the staffroom. You are very
welcome to attend.
Upcoming
Events:
9 Dec Board
of Trustees Meeting
12 Dec Prizegiving
Assembly
Art
Exhibition/Bible Fair
16 Dec Last
Day of School for Year
2 Feb 2015 First
Day of School for Year
Community Notices
Reading Comprehension – Parental Help
Do you want to help your child be more successful with their reading
comprehension? Are you unsure how to do that, as you're not a
teacher? If you would like to learn how to understand how different texts
work, and how to create great questions to ask your child as they are reading,
then this course may be just what you're looking for. "Help your
child excel: Comprehension strategies that work!" is aimed at parents and
caregivers, to allow them to work alongside their child's teachers in enabling
a better understanding of reading comprehension for their child. It is an
online course, that you take at your own pace, and you can ask questions of and
have discussions with the tutor and other people who are learning the
strategies for their own children. It covers texts aimed at children from
three years old and up through their school years. Why not take a look
and see if it would help your family? https://www.udemy.com/help-your-child-excel-1/
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