Pioneer Stadium Early Learning Center and Rosy Cheeks Pre-school on PhotoPeach

West Spreydon School Gets A Hand Up From Spreydon Baptist Community on PhotoPeach

Out and About at Spreydon Baptist Early Learning Centre on PhotoPeach

Out and About at Spreydon Baptist Early Learning Centre on PhotoPeach

The Complete Cure For The Blues-West Spreydon School meets Hoon Hay Community Creche on PhotoPeach

Where Does That Woman Go?

I am in a privileged position where I get to see pre-schoolers in their learning environment. This time it was at the  Lyttelton Street Playcentre. It was a pleasure to meet with Pip and talk through their learning philosophy and to see all of the parent volunteers working with their children to support their growth and learning. There is a big focus on socialization and learning through play. I was interested in their self review process and the ways in which they were reviewing the children's learning stories so that more could be captured about the spontaneous learning the children were doing.
There is a visible focus on te reo, awhinatanga and  Maori values and perspective.
Finding the links between Te Whaariki and our school's interpretation of the New Zealand Curriculum are critical if we are to ensure children have a successful transition to school.
Thanks for hosting me.

The Principal's Other Big Day Out,

What better way to spend Friday  morning than to take a group of Year 5 and 6 boys to the museum to discover examples of transport in the early 1800's?

Now I freely admit that I was a tad tired and had to remind myself that I was dealing with four boys. Once I got over myself I no longer minded the endless photos they took of their own tonsils, insides of their nostrils and the close-up back views of each other as they climbed stairs.

Trying to explain to them that taking a video of a static object may mean that  something gets lost  in the translation was also a lost cause.

I forgot that boys can and do giggle more than girls once they get an idea in their heads and the sense of the bizarre takes on a life of its' own.

Still I am nothing if not determined and we forged ahead. In the end they gathered a lot of information by moving around the museum,  taking photos and doing lots of talking. Did I mention moving around AND DOING LOTS OF TALKING? Did I also mention the interesting close-ups of nostrils, eyes, tonsils?

We had an iced chocolate in the museum cafe and I had a strong triple shot coffee.

I had to come back to school and have a little nana nap under my desk!!!!

Secretly I thoroughly enjoyed myself and as always it was a pleasure to take our students on an excursion. They really are delightful.

The Principal's Big Day Out

Last week I was the driver and organizer of a couple of trips to the Canterbury Museum for two groups of students from Years 5 & 6. The movies of our adventures at the museum are attached to the school's website.

During a visit to their classes I learned that they were researching different aspects of life in the 1800's and remembered the wonderful resources we have in the museum.

It was a delight to take the children and very hard not to laugh when I overheard some of their conversations. Kids say the "darndest" things.

I admit that the drive home with the boys, after the sugar from the iced chocolate had hit their bloodstreams, was somewhat manky. It sounds like I am generous but in truth I needed the coffee and just couldn't bring myself to let them starve.

I am in the unique position of having the freedom to work with students as  they learn without the burden of assessment and monitoring. I'm not sure what national standard we met last week but the conversations the children shared about their learning were thoughtful, insightful and at times very funny.  The boys especially were all over the place like blowflies at a picnic BUT learning as they flitted from "sandwich to sandwich."

I love my job.

Learning How To Overcome Challenges

Last week the whole school spent a day at Ferrymead. We wanted to give everyone a "real life" experience about what it is like to face challenges on a daily basis and to have to use initiative, courage, resilience, creativity and perseverance to overcome them.

I was so thrilled with the ways in which the children took on the roles and  completed the tasks.

There was competition and bartering but also team work.

One of the lasting memories is of how they sat in total silence eating morning tea after the 1800's "teacher" reminded them that "children should be seen and not heard."

Our lunch was a chunk of crusty bread, a slab of cheese, a home baked biscuit, crisp apple and home made jam. It was delicious and very filling. Just the kind of sustenance needed for a day of manual labour.

Some of the junior children had been at school for four days and we took them off to this adventure. They coped so well with having to adapt to new expectations and with having to solve problems without the help of technology.

The boys will never admit it but they loved playing dress-ups too. 

I was so impressed by the levels of total concentration as the children had to learn tasks that they may not have seen before. Some had the notion  that the goal was to scrub the washing board clean rather than the clothes.

The idea of small boys being lifted into the oven to clean it once it was cool did not appeal to anyone. Thank goodness times have moved on. I would never have survived.

Life in the 1800's is Not As Easy As it Looks on PhotoPeach

Totara Team Meet The 1800'S At Ferrymead on PhotoPeach