Preparatory School Annual Report 2018

St Andrew’s College Preparatory School Annual Report 2018

S T A N D R E W ’ S C O L L E G E

Introduction The end-of-year 2018 Preparatory School Annual Report aims to inform the school community about pertinent areas of operation during the year. In particular, it provides information on areas of learning focus and development.

CONTENTS Principal’s Comment

2

Student-centred Learning Approach

5

Curriculum/Teaching and Learning

6

Assessment and Reporting

10

Well-being and Pastoral Care

13

Gifted and Talented

14

Junior Department

19

Middle Syndicate

23

Senior Syndicate

26

Numeracy

28

Sport

30

Learning Support

34

Visual Arts

37

Music

40

Dance and Drama

42

Physical Education

44

Religious Education

46

Library and Information Centre

47

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Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

2018 was a Year of High-level Academic Achievement Literacy and numeracy advancement was significant, as was the childrens ongoing development of strategies and tools for learning. The children performed well against national benchmarks. Reading

Children at or above national averages – 95.7%

Mathematics

Children at or above national averages – 95.7%

Writing

Children at or above national averages – 92.8%

Key Competencies

Children within or above their year level standard – 93.5%

Advances in learning and curriculum approach continued during the year. The Preparatory School is committed to enhancing strategies and skills for learning. The children need to be able to make meaningful connections, and to apply knowledge to a range of situations and contexts. The Preparatory School continued to be visited by teachers, parents, and Board members from other schools. It is considered a showcase and a working example of what a 21st century learning environment looks like. Enjoyment, engagement, personalised learning, and achievement is readily seen at any time during the day. The school’s learning environment caters for all learning styles and 2

abilities, and offers a level of diversity, which nurtures and expands all children’s development. The children’s learning is personalised through differentiation; the focus becomes each child’s genuine next steps. This allows each child to work at his or her appropriate level irrespective of year level. Working with small groups, the teacher can scaffold, mentor, and guide the learning. The teacher can also stimulate deeper thinking and understanding through quality questioning. Differentiation also caters for the learning needs of able children. It allows them to work at an extended level but remain in their learning environment with their peer group. This approach also assists the development of their Key Competencies (KCs) or Emotional Intelligence (EQ).

The KCs are considered integral to being a well-rounded and successful learner. A person’s EQ is expected to be a significant factor in securing employment in the future. The primary years are the foundation years for the development of this skill set. In the Preparatory School we are fortunate to have: • the ability to implement the New Zealand Curriculum as designed; • clarity within the school around effective pedagogy; • strong curriculum leadership; • competent teachers; • enrichment experiences taken by specialist staff; • rigorous yet supportive teacher performance review process;

• a physical environment which supports the school’s approach to learning; • the flexibility of large shared areas as well as smaller (class) rooms. Either or both can be used depending on the learning environment required at the time; • one teacher with one class of children. This ensures that the crucial connections made between the teacher and child (and family) can be maintained, and there is no loss of learning flow; • indoor/outdoor flow and connectivity; • availability of a range of learning technologies; • opportunities for innovation and creativity; • forward looking and timely future planning. 3

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

During the year, the children enjoyed high levels of success – there were many outstanding academic, sporting, and cultural achievements. Some of highlights were: • a record number of students won competitions – Writing, Poetry, Speech and Drama, Rotary speeches, Christchurch Music Competitions, and in teams – Tournament of Minds, Scholars Cup, Kapa Haka, EPro8, and Future Problem Solving; • a greater number of children played and enjoyed more than one sport, and many achieved regional and national success; • there was progress with coding and robotics, and virtual reality was also introduced to some of the programs; • the gender balance continues to be evenly balanced; • we continued to be a school in demand for places.

The Preparatory School’s all-round quality is consistently acknowledged by parents, staff, and students in ongoing surveys. The high level of support for the Preparatory School in all key areas is very pleasing and affirming. As we look towards 2019, we will have a targeted Annual Plan which will continue to support the ongoing development of the school’s Student-centred Learning approach (page 5). This model incorporates the intention and emphasis of the New Zealand Curriculum. All staff professional learning in 2019 will link to the Annual Plan targets and expected outcomes. The 2019 school year is set to be an exciting and productive year for students and staff.

Jonathan Bierwirth Principal of Preparatory School Deputy for Rector

4

Student-centred Learning Approach

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5

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Curriculum/Teaching and Learning

The Preparatory School curriculum is developed under the guidelines and philosophy of the New Zealand Curriculum and takes into consideration the special nature of St Andrew’s College. It takes, as its starting point, a vision of our young people as lifelong learners who are confident and creative, connected, and actively involved. It includes a clear set of principles on which to base curriculum decision-making. It sets out values which are to be encouraged, modelled, and explored. It defines five Key Competencies which are critical to sustained learning and effective participation in society, and that underline the emphasis on lifelong learning. Literacy remains the largest and most important learning area (includes Reading, Writing, Spelling, Visual, and Oral Language). Literacy accounts for   60–65% of the weekly timetable. Numeracy (Mathematics), Enrichment (specialist areas), and Units of Inquiry make up the majority of the remaining time in the timetable. 6

The school is committed to enhancing strategies and skills for learning and high levels of understanding. A quality learning environment encourages discussion and questioning, and for the student is engaging, differentiated, and meaningful. It also develops interpersonal skills. During 2018 the Preparatory School spent time unpacking the ‘Visible Learning’ model, which formed part of a Collegewide goal around the implementation of John Hattie’s research into what works best in teaching and learning. Through a thorough review process, it was affirmed that many of the Visible Learning strategies were well entrenched in the Preparatory School. Staff spent time during 2018 learning about and discussing the key mind frames for inspired and passionate teachers, and then chose to work on an area of their practice. The staff also spent a day reviewing how to grow ‘visible learners’ in our school. Many key messages were reinforced for staff through this day, including the importance of sharing learning intentions and success

criteria with students. It was positive to have an outside consultant commend the College-wide practices and philosophies which underpin much of what we do. These included our common language around Key Competencies and the link to reporting and assessment, plus the use of SOLO in classrooms. The gathering of ‘student voice’ feedback was further developed in 2018. During Terms 2 and 4 staff used an online tool, Appraisal Connector, to gather specific feedback on the following areas: • Safety and Well-being; • Standards and Expectations; • Teaching and Learning – Relationships; • Teaching and Learning – Communication; • Teaching and Learning – Motivation. Appraisal Connector provides an anonymous survey for students to complete while allowing teachers to see a detailed summary of their strengths and ‘next steps’ for teaching. Students then re-do the same survey in Term 4, allowing the teachers to reflect on changes they have made through the course of the year. The second tool used in Years 4–8 is the NZCER Me and My School survey. Again, this is an anonymous survey which offers a snapshot of the learning culture in a school and standardised data to track progress over time as well as nationally

referenced gender, ethnicity, and year level comparisons. The quality of the teaching and learning in the Preparatory School was affirmed through both surveys. The school will continue to use these two tools in future years to gauge the quality of the learning environment. A continued focus for learning for 2018 was the incorporation of new technologies to stimulate interest and enhance communication, problem-solving, and collaboration amongst our learners. Students from Years 4–8 explored the area of coding using programs such as Scratch and Python. Interest in robotics and its use continued to grow with programs from Years 2–8. The purchase of extra resources in this area allowed students 7

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

to experience Bee-Bots, mBots and eV3 robots in different areas of the school. In the newly built Stewart Junior Centre students and teachers enjoyed a busy year learning to use new technologies, which included interactive projectors, a Surface Hub and digital portfolios using the online platform Seesaw. Students used iPads to record their thinking and learning and shared this with parents in an interactive online format. Teachers embraced these new technologies and immediately appreciated the power to engage and motivate students to learn science, technology, engineering, and mathematics concepts while equipping them with the realworld knowledge and 21st century skills required to be successful in today’s global society. During 2018 professional learning groups operated in the areas of Health and Wellbeing, Digital Portfolios (using Seesaw), and Te Reo. PLGs provided teachers with the opportunity to pursue areas of passion with like-minded educators across levels and specialist areas. Using the ‘Teaching as Inquiry’ model, groups collaboratively sought out new and innovative practices and trialled these in classrooms. The Te Reo group involved staff attending weekly lunchtime sessions with a tutor to learn basic language and correct pronunciation. Sessions also provided an authentic context for staff to develop 8

respect and understanding of Māori culture, history, and values. The group was able to adapt the learning from their weekly sessions and implement in the classroom, enabling our students to develop some simple skills in this area. Staff and student well-being was an area of strategic focus throughout the College in 2018, and it was particularly useful to have several Preparatory School staff focused on exploring and implementing College-wide strategies for our staff and students. Several staff were able to attend the Positive Education Conference in April, sharing their learning with staff, and implementing new ideas into the school. The digital portfolio group successfully explored and implemented the use of Seesaw through the Junior and Middle Syndicates. Seesaw is an online platform that allows students and staff to easily share and reflect on learning, and to create a portfolio that they are proud to show others. This group was ably led by two of the teaching staff who trialled Seesaw in 2017 and were then able to share their knowledge and learning across the two syndicates. Feedback from parents has confirmed the benefits of this platform and staff are looking to develop this tool further in 2019.

‘Explicitly Teaching Writing’ is becoming well embedded throughout the school. In 2018 he spoke to staff on two areas. The first session focused on teaching spelling and the second on understanding levelled texts. Both sessions reinforced current teaching practices in the school around spelling and the teaching of reading, as well as prompting questions and reflection amongst staff. The team of specialist teachers continues to provide significant enrichment to students across the school and are an asset to the Teaching and Learning Programme. During 2018 all staff teaching specialist subjects (Art, Music, Religious Education, Spanish, Physical Education and Drama) engaged in personal inquiries into ‘best practice’ in their subject area. This process involved trialling new ideas and gaining students feedback on how new programmes were received. Inquiries of this nature provide an opportunity to reflect on what works well for our students and areas for future development.

During 2019, the Preparatory School teachers were again able to capitalise on two visits from Australian consultant, Stephen Graham. Stephen’s approach to 9

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Assessment and Reporting

ASSESSMENT Assessment is described as the process of gathering, analysing, interpreting, and using information about student progress and achievement to improve teaching and learning. Assessment plays a significant part in our education system and should strive to involve all children in knowing how successful they have been in their learning. This is an integral part of developing lifelong learning skills. Teaching and learning in the Preparatory School continues to show many strengths. A considerable part of this is the ability to reflect modern learning pedagogy in teaching as well as through our approach to assessment. As this shift in education continues so has our view of assessment. Visible Learning assessment practices continue to be a focus in the Preparatory School. This is where assessed information is used by teachers to adjust their teaching strategies, and by students to adjust their learning 10

strategies. Assessment, teaching, and learning are inextricably linked, as each informs the other. Students feel involved in the process, are able to describe where they are at with their learning and what their next steps are. Quality and timely feedback from teacher to student, student to teacher, and student to student are an important part of this. Quality conversations and feedback formed part of the appraisal process for classroom teachers in 2018, and will continue to be an area to grow in 2019.

E-ASSESSMENT AND ONLINE TESTING During 2018 there was a focus on embedding new approaches to assessment, including online tools and apps. e-asTTle continues to be our main tool for assessing Year 4–8 students in reading and writing. As well as being used for whole school cohort testing, individual teachers also used the shorter tests with small groups to inform next steps in the learning process. It provided information

to teachers, students, and parents about levels of achievement relative to the Curriculum achievement outcomes for Levels 2 to 6. Staff found e-asTTle to be a great tool for helping students understand their progress and a useful way to involve parents in discussions about their children’s progress. Classes also used the e-asTTle writing rubric to self-assess their writing as part of class work. In Mathematics, teachers used PAT Maths online to assess students learning at both the beginning and end of year. Several staff also trialled the use of the PAT Adaptive Mathematics test with groups of students. Adaptive testing accurately assesses a student during the test by continuously adapting the assessment to give them questions which best fit their overall level of achievement. The student is given an initial question and if they get it right, they’re given a harder one, or if they get it wrong, they’re given an easier one. Adaptive technology means everyone gets the test which is right for them, from students at the lower levels to those who need additional challenge. The use of Curriculum level testing in Mathematics was embedded across Year 6–8 levels during 2018. These tests were developed through the collaboration of Mathematics staff in both the Preparatory and Secondary Schools. The tests provided a tool with which teachers can moderate across classes and year levels, and gave accurate formative 11

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

All previous reports had used Curriculum sub-levels to measure student progress and this lent itself to only requiring a minor change in the language used in our reports. Student progress towards National Standards became progress towards Curriculum Expectations. The use of the Parent Portal as the means to view reports was continued in 2018 and is now the accepted means for viewing and comparing student reports over time.

STUDENT PORTFOLIOS AND E-PORTFOLIOS feedback to teachers around next steps   for learning. The curriculum level tests, along with rich tasks and other assessment tools provided staff with an in-depth picture of student learning.

REPORTING TO PARENTS During 2018 the final stage of the report revamp was completed. This culminated in the Term 4 reports, previously two documents, being consolidated in one. This report contains information around student progress towards New Zealand Curriculum levels, as well as teacher comment around Key Competencies and specialists staff assessments. The removal of National Standards by the government at the end of 2017 was an easy change for the Preparatory School. 12

Student portfolios are a valued and integral part of the children’s learning and achievement, they provide a format for students to record their work, goals, and achievements, reflect on their learning, and share their learning with a wider audience. For students in the Junior and Middle Syndicates of the school the portfolio became digital in 2018 using the online platform Seesaw. Seesaw allows teachers and students to upload current examples of work, and for parents and family to view and comment. For students in the Senior Syndicate of the school, the portfolio continues to be electronically shared using OneNote. This provides a seamless flow through to the Secondary School who also use OneNote as tool for teaching and learning.

Well-being and Pastoral Care

Looking after the well-being of our students is a vital part of the school day. The Preparatory School has made a deliberate decision to continue to offer a one teacher to one class of children. This is counter to the current trend in New Zealand state schools whereby two or more classes and teachers are together in one large teaching space. It is this conscious decision which allows our classroom teachers to develop an in-depth understanding and empathy for the small group of students in their care. For the students who require more specialised support, the Pastoral Care team provides an important service. This team meets once a week to discuss and allocate students to a variety of services, including in-school counselling and guidance, and referral to outside agencies. This year, Head of Education in the Preparatory School, Vicki Pettit, joined the Pastoral Care team. The inclusion of the HOE into this team provided a link to school leadership as well as an oversight of procedures and practices in

this area. In 2018 regular updating and tracking of students’ needs through the school’s student management system, Synergetic, was introduced. This proved to be a considerable improvement on the old paper-based tracking and helped to ensure the right information was being seen in a timely manner to support students. The Chaplaincy and Well-being teams continued to provide support and development for staff in understanding their own well-being and managing the complexities of work and home life in the 21st century. The College also continues to provide the services of Workplace Support who provide independent employee assistance in addressing personal and work-related issues.

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Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Gifted and Talented

Curriculum differentiation is a strategy used by staff to cater for the wide range of abilities in classrooms. Differentiation greatly enhances the educational experiences of gifted and talented students. The underlying principles guiding differentiation for gifted and talented students are to: • present content which is related to broad based issues, themes, or problems; • integrate multiple disciplines; • present comprehensive, related, and mutually reinforcing experiences; • develop independent or self-directed study skills; • develop productive, complex, abstract, and/or higher order thinking skills; • focus on open-ended tasks; • develop research skills and methods; • evaluate student outcomes by using appropriate and specific criteria through self-appraisal. 14

Curriculum enrichment is also used widely across all year levels of the Preparatory School. Curriculum enrichment refers to “learning activities providing depth and breadth to regular teaching according to the child’s abilities and needs” (Townsend, 1996). Curriculum enrichment is taught by specialist teachers and includes Physical Education, Religious Education, Spanish (Years 1–7), French (Years 7–8), Japanese (Year 8), Music, Dance and Drama, Art, Food and Materials Technology (Years 7–8). The provision of appropriate opportunities for all students is at the heart of learning in the Preparatory School.

In 2018 the following areas were provided:

Writing Enrichment During 2018 Kerrin Davidson worked in the Preparatory School as part of a Writing Enrichment programme. Kerrin is a published author and was Victoria University’s Creative Writing

Teacher of the Year 2008. In 2018 the Writing Enrichment programme in the Preparatory School continued to grow from strength to strength with an increase in classes and three writers’ master-classes running for Years 3–6. The purpose of these classes was not only for the students who required extension in literacy, but also for those students who have a passion for writing. Kerrin’s classes provided an open-ended platform for students to write creatively with no barriers. She encouraged all students and guided them positively in their learning. Sessions were run on a Monday and Thursday afternoon, as well as Friday lunchtime, with a variety of competitions entered including Japan Airlines Haiku, New Zealand Poetry Society, Australian Writers’ Competition, New Zealand Gifted Association Competition, and the Otago Daily Times Competition. Over 20 Preparatory School students had works published, both nationally and internationally. The year concluded with a Creative Writing Competition held in the Preparatory School for Years 3–5 and Years 6–8. Winners received a cup at the end-of-year assembly.

Robotics Club The Preparatory School Robotics Club sees students building and programming robotic devices to help them make sense of the dimensions of light, sound, and motion. At the same time, the course

places an exciting and highly engaging new spin on core learning areas such as Mathematics, Literacy, Science, and Social Studies. In 2018 students used the Lego Mindstorms robot construction system to devise solutions to specific technological challenges. The system included planned projects which could be built, but also allowed participants to bring their own ideas to life. Light, sound, and motion sensors invite students to think carefully and creatively about how their robot might function and what tasks it might perform. A Years 5–8 Tuesday after school club was established and ran throughout the year, focusing on weekly challenges. This club was run by a Mechatronics student from the University of Canterbury. 15

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

In August, four teams competed at the Robocup Junior New Zealand. Robocup Junior New Zealand is a National Robotics competition for school children. RCJNZ is a unique event which excites and motivates students. Created in a true co-operative spirit, the Robocup Junior Educational Competition encompassed not only engineering and IT skills but extended right across the College curriculum.

Future Problem Solving

To dream and to plan, to be curious about the future and to wonder how much it can be influenced by our efforts are important aspects of being human.

In 2018, two Year 7 teams, a Year 8 team, and two individuals qualified for the National finals in Auckland in November. The teams achieved outstanding success with the Year 8 and Year 7 teams winning the National Championship, and the other Year 7 team was runner-up. Our Year 7 individual also placed second. A squad of 13 students will travel to the University of Massachusetts in June 2019. A group of Year 5–6 students attended FPS sessions twice a week in the Stepping Stones, non-competitive division. This division was particularly suitable for students and coaches who were attempting Future Problem Solving for the first time.

Dr E Paul Torrance, founder of FPSNZ

Future Problem Solving (FPS) is a highly regarded and well-researched international educational programme that develops creative, critical, and caring thinking skills in students. Students grapple with global and community issues, identify underlying problems, and create positive solutions to those issues. Above all, it aims to give young people the skills to design and promote positive futures as citizens of the 21st century. In 2018, the FPS programme was successfully coached by Julie Rogers, who has over 12 years’ experience. There were eight teams across Years 5–8 with more than 60 students involved in the Preparatory School programme. 16

Students spent time each week learning about the FPS process and researching various topics. Topics for 2018 included infectious diseases, toxic materials, philanthrocapitalism, and cloud storage. Our teams worked very effectively together, developed critical thinking skills, and built strong foundations for the 2018 programme. The students ran a feedback session and included the following about their FPS time: • learnt to work more efficiently with greater time management; • more effective research skills; • strategies to solve world issues; • enjoyed futuristic thinking opportunity; • developed effective team-building skills.

Tournament of Minds Tournament of Minds is an opportunity for students with a passion for learning and problem-solving to demonstrate their skills and talents in an exciting, vibrant, and public way. Tournament of Minds has been one of the fastest growing national interschool programmes to challenge the youth of Australia and is now expanding internationally.

Scholars’ Cup (WSC). The WSC values and vision is to provide an academic competition which aims to be: • • • • • •

encouraging; interdisciplinary; discussion-based; forward-looking; team-oriented; whimsical.

The goal is to: The tournament’s aim is to enhance the potential of our youth by developing diverse skills, enterprise, time management, and the discipline to work collaboratively within a challenging and competitive environment. The programme provides the stimulation of real, open-ended challenges, develops creative problem-solving approaches and techniques, fosters co-operative learning and teamwork, promotes knowledge and appreciation of self and others, and encourages experimentation and risk taking. The Preparatory School entered three teams of seven Year 6–7 students, facilitated by Head of the Middle Syndicate, Di Cumming. One of the teams placed first at the Canterbury Regional competition and attended the National Final in Wellington.

World Scholars’ Cup In July 2018, St Andrew’s College hosted the first ever regional round of the World

• motivate students of all back‑grounds to discover new strengths and practice new skills; • inspire a global community of future scholars and leaders. The group of 20 Preparatory School students competed in the regional round and went on to qualify for the global round in Melbourne. Twelve students travelled to Melbourne and achieved excellent results, with two teams qualifying for the international final at Yale University.

EPro8 The EPro8 Challenge is a competition, and an engineering and problem-solving race. In 2018, over 7000 students from 700 schools from throughout the New Zealand took part. This three-hour event begins with a tutorial on the equipment teams will be using. Teams choose which challenges they wish to undertake. The harder the challenge, the more points it is worth. There is not enough time to 17

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

finish all the challenges – so strategy is required to know which ones to go for. Teams compete to: • build large sized structures; • solve practical problems; • engineer using pulleys, motors, gears, wheels, and axles; • invent machines which can complete simple tasks; • undertake unusual and fun experiments; • construct basic electronic circuits; • solve interesting problems using practical mathematics. Our teams competed very strongly with a Years 5–6 and a Years 7–8 team coming top in their heats and semi-finals. Two teams made it through to the Canterbury final. Other enrichment opportunities offered in 2018 included: • Rotary Speech Competition; • Kids’ Lit Quiz; • Extension Mathematics class in Years 7– 8; • Otago Problem Solving Years 7–8; • Code Club; • 3D Design and Printing Club; • Chess Club Terms 2 and 3; • D-Squared Drama Group.

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Junior Department

It was an exceptional year! It is not often that teachers and students can begin a year in a brand-new purposebuilt centre. The Stewart Junior Centre provides a stimulating and accommodating environment, perfect for teaching and learning.

Professional Learning Professional learning was a high priority during the year as the new environment, with a variety of new technologies, offered inspiring new opportunities. Usage and understanding of Appraisal Connector deepened with higher rates of collegial sharing and learning conversations. This tool was used to record shared goals and to store and share reflections from team meetings. It also offered opportunities to see and discuss concepts from the perspective of others.

Active Inspire software on the classroom electronic whiteboards provided a very useful resource across the curriculum. Our young learners welcomed the opportunity to engage directly with the whiteboards while working co-operatively with their peers. Teachers also welcomed the software as it provided the opportunity to be creative with flip charts, and to meet the personalised needs of their class. A highlight for our teaching team was working with the school’s IT specialist to explore and fully utilise the Seesaw application to replace paper portfolios. Previously, paper portfolios were taken home at the end of a term, with a collection of learning samples. The replacement of paper portfolios with the ‘in the moment’ sharing on Seesaw had a huge impact on the Junior team and the broader community. The digital platform allowed staff and students to share learning in a variety of ways and at any 19

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

time. Feedback from our parent community was very positive and an unexpected delight was hearing about the broader impact. Grandparents living overseas also joined Seesaw and participated in the information exchange. The staff are looking forward to further exploring the program’s possibilities in 2019, as we sign up for a more extensive version of Seesaw. Approaching this new learning as a Professional Learning Group (PLG) was very successful. Collegial sharing of discoveries and different perspectives regarding presentation was highly motivating and lifted everyone’s performance. Appraisal Connector was the ideal platform for sharing these insights. A focus for 2019 will be gathering data from our community to ascertain how the Seesaw tool is meeting its needs and where improvements can be made.

Visible Learner Selena Hincho from the Cognition Education Group provided some excellent professional education for the whole staff around visible learning. We were reminded of the importance of teacher clarity and its high impact on student success. This led to very useful discussions and revision around the role of well written learning intentions and success criteria, which were high priorities during appraisal visits. 20

Oral Language Our continued focus of meeting the oral language needs of our young learners was met in a variety of ways. The video component of Seesaw provided data around presentation skills, which could be used as a benchmark for performance analysis. Skills were identified for inclusion in teaching programmes that had a clear purpose. “How do you pace your voice when sharing information?” The new learning hallway provided the perfect venue for our Friday Junior Assembly. With room for parents to join us and share in the celebration, children were presented with an opportunity to review and build on their presentation skills.

Writing Early in the year, Stephen Graham’s ‘Explicitly Teaching Writing Programme’ ensured continuity across the classes. Language and genre expectations were built upon as the programme was explicitly taught following Stephen’s guide. An opportunity to hear Stephen discuss his spelling programme inspired thoughtful reflection and adjustments to current practice. This will be an ongoing focus in 2019. An adjustment to the Year 1 daily writing programme, ensured time was provided to increase writing vocabulary.

Reading Our focus on carefully worded learning intentions and precise success criteria added even more depth to strong classroom programmes. Time was taken to ensure that children could verbalise their goals and reflect on how their success impacted on their reading. Resources were purchased which supported the acquisition of comprehension skills. The Nelson Price box sets were well utilised in the Years 2–3 rooms, and we will continue to build this resource. Professional learning on digital reading libraries was very inspiring. This has provided another area of focus for 2019.

Prime Mathematics The staff completed their second year teaching Prime Mathematics. A deeper understanding of the programme developed regarding content, coverage, and expectations across the year levels. Teachers identified areas needing further exploration and used supplementary resources to do so. The entire team committed to forming a professional learning group in 2019 to create a programme of work for our centre, which included supplementary resources and extension of strand activities.

Inquiry Pathway The Year 3 students spent two terms studying water, healthy environments, and the impact these have on living creatures as part of an integrated inquiry. All areas of the curriculum were focused on during the study. They used technology in a variety of ways, for example, Skyping, researching on line, using the interactive whiteboards for co-operative activities, making their own PowerPoints, as well as inviting experts into the classroom and visiting experts in the community. In the final week of Term 3, the Year 3 children presented a collection of their inquiry learning to family members. It was the first time the Stewart Junior Centre had been 21

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

used for such an event, and the space proved perfect to showcase the children’s work. Items included a dance and a musical number which was performed by all students before they gave their families a tour of their individual portfolio of work. Focus during the inquiry laid heavily upon using the St Andrew’s College inquiry learning pathway. The students demonstrated an impressive knowledge of this model. They were able to articulate this to their families and share their knowledge of Key Competencies and growth mindset. It was a fabulous afternoon.

Discovery Time A highly anticipated addition to our new Stewart Junior Centre was the Discovery Room. This space was fully utilised for a variety of activities including Art, Drama, Cookery, a place for celebrations and a work space for independent groups. Our Discovery Programme took on a new component as we strived to meet the needs of all the children participating. We started mini inquiries which ran over two or three weeks and provided the children with an opportunity to commit long term to a project. Some highlights were; the Year 2 café, green screen exploration, butterfly life cycle, and a science project involving movement.

Transition Programme The Seesaw application provided a tool 22

to share the transition to school visits with family at home. Posts were sent showing the young visitors exploring their new environment, making friends, and participating in a variety of learning activities. The photos and videos shared provided an excellent base for conversation when the children went home.

Reflection Time Reflection opportunities were a highly valued part of our class programmes. The skills of positive psychology and growth mindset were started in Year 1 and built on over Years 2–3. Reflection at the Year 1 level was a daily occurrence including learning conversations after lessons. This ensured connection with the learning intentions and success criteria. The Year 2 students also reflected daily. This included circle time conversations about learning intentions, feedback and feedforward, and the introduction of specialised language to ensure communication was clear. Year 3 programmes included all the above, plus extension. Reflection provided a medium for further development of oral language skills, as it encouraged deeper thinking. It was not enough to make a statement; the children were challenged to add extra detail if they had not done so independently. Students were encouraged to share and justify their thinking.

Middle Syndicate

It is well acknowledged that 21st century students need to have more ownership of their learning, need to have actively involved parents, and have teachers who have high expectations and can meet individual needs. The team’s underlying focus during 2018 was to ensure their teaching and learning environment reflected these needs. Alongside the focus on Numeracy and Literacy there was a greater emphasis on teacher–student relationships. Praising authenticity was part of this, which required teachers to be ever mindful of the language used with the children. There is much research around self-worth as opposed to self-esteem. Self-esteem focuses on ‘you could be anything’ whereas self-worth says, ‘you are fine the way you are’. It is thought self-worth increases emotional intelligence and can often be built in very subtle ways; a smile, a nod, or a thumbs-up can all be very powerful. Organisations such as Google now look for ‘C skills’ – skills of

collaboration, cultural awareness, creative thinking, co-operation, and critical thinking i.e. the ability to work with other people. In the past, we have either taken these skills for granted and assumed they could not be developed. A pleasing aspect for the Year 5–6 students was winning four trophies at the Kapa Haka Festival held in August. This resulted in the group competing on Friday 2 November against other group winners. From this competition, a further three trophies were brought back to school. One of them was the ‘Overall Winner’. There is no doubt that the group has continued to thrive under the tutelage of Matua Steve Reid. We are always grateful for his commitment and to the College for resourcing it. The standard the children reached was even higher than before – judges commented on their energy, skill, and smiles. Because of the numbers involved, the Year 4 children participated in a separate competition where they performed superbly. As always, thanks go to staff members, parents, and 23

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

The use of Seesaw as a format for reporting to parents has proved successful. However, as the year has progressed fewer parents have posted responses. Verbal feedback has been positive with all parents spoken to saying that they have enjoyed receiving the videos and photos. As part of the new Digital Technology Curriculum, Year 6 students used Minecraft Education Edition to design and develop digital outcomes. Two of the completed proposals included a Social Studies focused project which introduced the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and another that incorporated Te Reo with a geographic focus on MÄ ori pa sites.

the children for their commitment to kapa haka in the Middle Syndicate. The Stephen Graham model of teaching writing is now firmly embedded across the school. The children used templates which made the writing process easier and more enjoyable for them. A higher level of oral language was also evident as the children needed to talk before they wrote. The daily writing samples and the comparisons between beginning of year and end of year were very pleasing. 24

The Tournament of Minds problem-solving competition provided the opportunity for 35 children to further develop their collaborative skills. Over six weeks the children worked in teams of seven on a problem from within the disciplines of Literature, the Arts, Social Sciences, and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics). Children had to complete the challenge with minimal teacher support and supervision. Teachers could teach the skills, but it was up to the children as to whether they chose to apply them. Often questions prompted the thinking, such as, did you read the question carefully? Have you checked the criteria? Is everyone being included?

However, it can be very frustrating for parents and teachers when they cannot offer more support, but it is vital that opportunities for mistakes can occur; this is when the ‘C skills’ are developed. Counter-balancing screen time with time outdoors and in nature, and the need for teachers to follow suit are all regular considerations for staff who wish to make a difference. The level of personal physical activity amongst team members was high, and as such they were role models for the children. The ‘Daily Mile’ was introduced to the children during the year and this followed a programme which began in Scotland. Each day, the children aimed to run for 15 minutes. The research around this shows clear links between this amount of exercise and academic progress. The benefits to mental wellbeing cannot be overestimated as well. Banqer, an online financial literacy platform, was introduced to Year 6 students during the year. The children learnt to apply for jobs, were paid a regular income, paid for the use of their desks and chairs, and if the jobs were not completed, then there was no pay. Banqer transformed the two classrooms into a virtual economy. Teachers set up a currency, and facilitated real-life situations over the final term of the school year to enable students to learn about growing money, debt, interest, tax, KiwiSaver, and insurance. The program is

aligned with the New Zealand Curriculum and designed by teachers for teachers and students. It was greatly enjoyed and will continue in 2019. Appraisal Connector was incorporated fully into the appraisal system during 2018. Everything needed for recording professional development is now kept in one place. Folders can be automatically shared with team leaders, team members, the Principal, and other professional leaders. Manaakitanga: the process of showing respect, generosity, and care for others through hospitality, kindness, and support was a focus for a group of Year 6 students during 2018. The group developed a sustainability unit which incorporated the school’s onsite tunnel house. The children visited Cultivate Christchurch and learnt about worm farms and different types of vegetables. Young vegetable plants were purchased and then planted in the tunnel house. Regular watering occurred and on one very special day, the first vegetables were harvested. Many of these vegetables were donated to the Christchurch City Mission. The teachers celebrated many successes over the year with the children. They also celebrated being part of a teaching team which had developed a wonderful culture of fun and learning.

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Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Senior Syndicate

Reading Plus ran effectively across the Senior Syndicate, but it is likely to have more impact if not used so extensively and intensely by the rest of the school. The program provided effective feedback for students and teachers, but many students seemed a little jaded by their exposure to the program. At Year 8, staff used the minimal engagement necessary to gain effective information and progression. The new Head of Middle School (Years 9–11), Mikae Tuu’u, was more ‘hands on’ with the Year 9 transition process in Term 4. Year 8 class teacher information was collected as part of student profiling and class placement for 2019. Overall, communication increased between all interested parties resulting in accurate class placements, and greater identification of learning needs for all students. Since the implementation of 1:1 Computing in Year 8, saving and file structure issues have become much less prevalent. In 2018 we managed much more consistency across all classes and the technical help from the IT Department was very helpful. 26

OneNote has been embedded as the principal learning medium/tool across Year 8. Year 7 classes are using the environment more effectively, however, it would be easier to make it the main learning forum if Year 7 also adopted 1:1. Coding was complicated last year as the platforms kept changing. Head of Innovation and Information Services, Wilj Dekkers has drafted a plan for IT across the syndicate and this will hopefully be rolled out more effectively in 2019. This includes 3D printing and laser design. Stephen Graham continued to build into the professional writing development of Preparatory staff. All staff use his resources and implement the language of writing according to the SG approach. A recent overview of writing across the Preparatory School enabled year groups to be more targeted in the teaching of specific genres. Another Year 8 Science unit was developed and trialled in collaboration with the Secondary School Science Department. From the Living World strand of the

New Zealand Curriculum, work was developed around adaptations in nature – this biological study involved visits to Orana Park, Strowan Stream ecology sampling, and insect dissection. St Andrew’s College has a strong Science focus at the Senior Syndicate level.

extensively as well as Māori tanga. A more structured programme/ curriculum will be rolled out for 2019. While kapa haka is taught at Year 7, it may not be enough in meeting some of the requirements of Te Reo and a more structured programme may be necessary.

Student leadership grew both in number and also job specification across the Preparatory School. The selection processes did not significantly enhance the efficacy of the selection, but it gave some additional information. Summer camps for Year 8 were by far the most effective in the identification of student leaders. Additional roles were added for Year 8 Prefects, namely all prefects were expected to publicly read either at chapel or assembly. Greater connectivity was also established with their Secondary School counterparts.

Appraisal Connector is used extensively across the Preparatory School and is used for teacher practising certificate renewal. All staff are journaling, and student voice is being used. Teaching as inquiry may need some future focus. Portfolios were used more consistently in OneNote across the syndicate rather than a mixture of Moodle and other platforms. The nature of material posted might be a future focus.

A review of Outdoor Education was undertaken resulting in the clear establishment of the necessity for variety and challenge at both Year 7–8 camps. As a consequence, the status quo has been re-established, vis-à-vis rock climbing, is back in the Year 8 programme. Safety and tutor decisionmaking continues to be an area for review moving into 2019.

Secondary School student service with times tables training was trialled, but greater liaison with Secondary staff might be necessary in order to maintain continuity and greater accountability on the part of Secondary School students. It was pleasing and rewarding to see the consistent ‘value-added’ that was achieved for students, during the year, as identified in end-of-year testing. This was a consequence of the high standards and dedicated work of individual teachers in the year group.

Te Reo is becoming more recognised as an important component of the curriculum. At Year 8 it was taught 27

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Numeracy

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Mathematics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in quantities, space, and time. Statistics is the exploration and use of patterns and relationships in data. These two disciplines are related but have different ways of thinking and of solving problems. Both equip students with effective means for investigating, interpreting, explaining, and making sense of the world in which they live.

Effective Mathematic practices continued to be evident at all levels of the school. Teachers utilised the growing range of tools and resources to ensure our students continued to be well rounded mathematicians, not only in number, geometry, and statistics, but also problem-solving. The skills and resources adopted by our teachers continued to be beneficial as shown by end-of-year results.

By learning mathematics and statistics, students develop other important thinking skills. They learn to create models and predict outcomes, to conjecture, to justify and verify, and to seek patterns and generalisations. They learn to estimate with reasonableness, calculate with precision, and understand when results are precise and when they must be interpreted with uncertainty. Mathematics and statistics have a broad range of practical applications in everyday life, in other learning areas, and in workplaces.

The children understand that mathematics is indeed all around them, and they can look at life from a mathematical point of view. Sport, food, technology, the arts, all involve mathematics. Prime Mathematics is in its second year of being fully integrated from Years 1–6. In the Senior Syndicate, there was a focus on connecting with the real world and helping students to make connections.

A new initiative in Years 7–8 was in the introduction of Education Perfect as a tool for Mathematics. Designed by teachers and written by mathematics experts, the content aligns to the New Zealand Curriculum levels and covers key mathematical concepts and key skills. It includes a variety of vibrant and engaging curriculum informed content that is tailored to suit individual needs. This was well received by both students and staff, not only for its assessment tools, but for reporting, practicing, and the high level of engagement it offers.

which developed across the College and will continue in 2019. Problem-solving in the Years 7–8 syndicate was well received along with some outstanding results within the school, and in national and international competitions — Otago Problem Solving, Australian Mathematics Olympiad, and the Australian Mathematics, and ICAS Mathematics examinations. Both of our Cantamath teams earned a ‘Golden Ticket’ for a perfect score of 100 points at the regional final.

As in previous years, there was a focus on keeping the assessment and reporting of students in line with not only the Preparatory School, but also the Secondary School. The use of moderation of Overall Teacher Judgement (OTJs) and several discussions ensured close alignment. Links with the Secondary School Mathematics Department continued during 2018. Together, the relevant staff attended Canterbury Mathematics Association events, and this had the added benefit of increased Professional Learning. This included attending courses on e-Learning in Mathematics, as well as Geometry, Numicon, and DMIC Programmes. Developing Mathematical Inquiry Communities (DMIC) was another area 29

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Sport

The Preparatory School provides a wide range of sporting opportunities for our students. The emphasis is on opportunity, giving our students the opportunity to participate and the opportunity to compete. Sport is a very important co-curricular area as in many cases it allows students to be part of a team and develop several important skills which may be transferred to other areas of their lives. The Preparatory School sports programme aims to provide:

Physical Benefits • improved fitness, strength, flexibility, and co-ordination; • increased range of motor skills. Social Benefits • improved communication and interpersonal skills; • improved leadership and co-operation skills; • opportunity for lasting friendships; • increased interest in accepting responsibility; • ability to assume responsible risk‑taking. 30

Personal Benefits • enjoyment; • increased self-esteem and self-confidence; • improved ability to concentrate; • self-discipline, commitment, and responsibility; • organisational skills. Cricket continued to grow within the Preparatory School, over 70 students represented the seven teams which played in 2018. A further 20 students were involved in the Years 1–3 cricket skills centre. The success of the cricket programme led to a change to the direction of the cricket centre. The focus of this was to encourage and develop Year 1–3 cricketers. The Year 3 cricketers then feed into a team in Term 4. Our Preparatory First XI cricket experienced considerable success during the year, first in the Christchurch Primary Schools’ Tournament, second in the Canterbury Regional Tournament, and winners of the Year 8 Premier Grade in Term 4. In 2019 we aim to enter both

distinction and after a survey of students and parents, it was decided to offer an Australian (Sunshine Coast) tour in 2019. The North Island tour previously organised had become difficult to maintain. Despite many positive aspects relating to the cultural experiences unfortunately we could not compete with the schools from Auckland due to the size and strength of their First XVs. It was not safe for our students, and games were not competitive. Saint Kentigern College visited this year and with their approval we played an U14 team against their U13 team.

a male and female team into the New Zealand Cup. Due to the popularity of football in the Preparatory School by both boys and girls, futsal was introduced as a social in-house programme for Term 4. Over 60 students signed up for the programme. Students played a tournament each week with lots of small sided games. Football/futsal currently is the fastest growing sport in the Preparatory School, and it is important that sport options reflect that growth. The 2018 Australian tour was a huge success, the games were competitive, the whole tour ran very smoothly, and we were supported by the largest parent group to date (over 50 parents and siblings). The students conducted themselves with

We also sent students to the AIMS Games in Tauranga. The accommodation arrangements were significantly better than in 2017 and this supported team performance. As well as boys’ and girls’ hockey teams and netball, we also entered golf, tennis, and rhythmic gymnastics. Over 10,000 athletes, 300+ schools competed. The Girls’ First XI hockey won a silver medal, our first at the games, and Poppy Rumble (Year 8) won silver for rhythmic gymnastics. We have confirmed the houses again for 2019 and hopefully we will increase the pool of athletes and number of disciplines. The relationship with Heaton Normal Intermediate School continued to be very strong during the year, and we shared resources effectively to provide Heaton with facilities to train their cricket/hockey teams and, in turn, they allowed us the use of their grounds for rugby/athletics practices. 31

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

We also provided teams to help prepare them for tournaments. This relationship is essential to ensure that we can offer enough training facilities and preparation games for our students and teams. Several school exchange games in basketball, rugby, football, netball, cricket, and hockey were played during the year, including the visit of Saint Kentigern’s College (Auckland), The Southport School (Gold Coast), St Mark’s School (Wellington), Medbury School, Waihi School, St Margaret’s College, and Selwyn House. In 2019, we will reignite an exchange with Rangi Ruru Girls’ School. Rangi Ruru Girls’ School left the ISSA a few years ago, however, it is important to provide our girls with quality sport exchange opportunities. In 2019, sport exchanges will also be limited to Years 7–8 and, where possible, will take place during core sport to limit the time that students are absent from the classroom. Many of our students represented their region in a variety of sports and were successful in the ISSA and CPSSA competitions in triathlon, duathlon, cross country, swimming, and athletics. There were also several students who represented both zones and Canterbury in football, basketball, cricket, rugby, netball, hockey, and tennis. The Girls’ Basketball ‘A’ team came second in the CPSSA Basketball Tournament. Our Senior Preparatory 32

School football/netball teams won the ISSA Winter Tournament, and the football team and Boys’ tennis team were crowned the CPSSA Champions for 2018. Our Mixed ‘A’ ski team won the ISSA Ski Race, and Edie Burtscher (Year 5), was named the fastest girl. Leadership opportunities are very important for our Year 8 students. Sport captains must apply for positions and are then interviewed for the role. It is a great opportunity for students to become familiar with an interview process. The role as a sport captain is important as they report back to the community, make speeches, support the sport co‑ordinators, and fulfil other tasks. The students embrace the opportunity. Next year there will be no Leadership Day to identify students, instead this will be done through the interview process. The role of House captain is also an important role as House captains organise House events, help to create a positive environment for their House and this year, organised lunchtime sports equipment for students. This will continue next year, however, from next year they will apply and follow a similar process to sport captains. Coaching is an area which is very essential to a successful sporting programme at St Andrew’s College. During 2018, we presented to Year 13 students regarding the opportunities available to them in 2019, particularly, coaching Preparatory School teams. Several students who

will study in Canterbury expressed an interest in coaching and the calibre of coaches looks promising. Sport coaching professional development opportunities will be made available to staff in 2019. The Sport Core Skill programme expanded in 2018 to include Year 8. Over 200 students were given the opportunity to develop their sporting interests. In Term 1, students selected their winter sports and had a variety of high-performance coaches in their field. From Term 3, summer sports were selected, and highperformance training provided. This was essential to both the successes of the Girls’ hockey team at the AIMS Games and the First XI cricket team. The presentation of topics such as well-being, nutrition and preparation will have more of a focus in 2019. Gymnastics has also been moved from Term 1 to Term 4. This will mean that Core Skills preparation for winter sports can start from the beginning of Term 1, and trials can be replaced by team and player identification sessions to select teams during school and with no disruption to summer sports. The gymnastics programme continued at St Andrew’s College in 2018, however, we lost two weeks to poor weather in Term 1, with catch up weeks in Term 4. Next year, Year 1–3 students will travel to Olympia in Term 3 and Years 4–8 will take part in the programme at school in Term 4. This will ensure the Core Skill programme for winter codes can start in Term 1, but also

means that Year 1–3 students do not have to do both swimming and gymnastics in Term 4. In conjunction with the ICT Department and Communications Department, we developed a new sport option form which will be available through the parent portal. The positive aspect is that all data will be exported straight into Synergetic, an exercise that took a day to complete manually. It will ensure the planning for the winter season can begin early in Term 1. This has been a product which I have sought for a couple of years and it is exciting that it will be ready for 2019. New uniforms for the First XI cricket have been ordered for 2019 plus a yellow/ blue away strip for hockey and football. Uniforms are currently in good condition and the strong St Andrew’s College brand is represented proudly through the uniforms which students wear. The replacement of uniforms is meeting the required schedule and will ensure we can update uniforms as and when required. Goals continue to be set for 2019 to ensure that we work towards providing the best primary sports programme. It is essential that professional development be undertaken to visit schools with successful programmes both domestically and internationally.

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Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Learning Support

The Learning Support Department had a very successful year. The team worked closely with class teachers to guarantee students in the programmes obtained the necessary skills and knowledge to close deficits and to reach their potential. Intervention programmes were implemented to meet the specific needs of each student on the register. The specialist services of professionals were beneficial to the students and we appreciated their input. The diversity of needs continued; students with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, behavioural needs, and those with social communication disorders deserve to be understood and their needs catered for. Over 80 students were placed in programmes to support their learning. Programmes included literacy, reading, spelling, writing, numeracy, social and emotional, personal and leadership development. Resources used were selected because of their strong research-based credentials. 34

Working closely with Learning Support in the Secondary School enabled students to benefit from the Accelerated Mathematics programme held after school. The tier system provided an appropriate allocation of resources for each individual or group. The communication between Learning Support staff, private tutors, specialists, parents, class teachers, and specialist teaching staff ensured the right resourcing was in place. Collaboration with team members is essential and continued during 2018. Learning Support worked collaboratively during the year with educational psychologists, Special Education Services, Department of Health, Hearing Impaired Association, speech language therapists, specific learning difference teachers and the school counsellors to identify individual student needs, and to ensure learning goals and outcomes were the most appropriate for everyone. We appreciated the expert support and

guidance of the school counsellors and the wonderful support they provided to our students. Intervention programmes were mostly academic remediation, but personal self-management and social skills were also taught along with strategies to cope with anxiety and stress. It was a highlight to have co-facilitated the Travellers Programme for Resilience and Well-being during 2018 and another facilitator was trained. We started with 10 students and this quickly increased to 13, in the second group. Five staff completed the upgrade Friends for Life training in 2018. The Friends for Life Programme fits well alongside the Travellers Programme. Individuals, small groups, and classes of students across Years 4-8 were taught the programmes during the year. Learning Support staff regularly attended Pastoral Care meetings, with the aim of strengthening and promoting the emotional well-being of our students. Most of our students require a holistic approach to their learning. The services of Socially Speaking continued to support students with social communication requirements. In 2018 we enlisted the support of a behavioural specialist to assist some 35

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

students to develop self-regulation and self management skills. For four students, an across curriculum IEP (Individual Learning Plan) was implemented. The modification of class programmes and individual lessons enabled success with personal goals. It was exciting to have included some life skills and creative activities to support learning. ESOL lessons were provided for students who required them. This support was well received. Students appreciated the opportunity to be supported both academically and personally. Meetings were held with the Head of Learning Support in the Secondary School. This hopefully will continue in 2019 and bring greater continuity and understanding of programmes and systems between the Preparatory and Secondary schools. Department staff met weekly for support and professional development. The topics covered included knowledge of selected

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programmes, assessments, and how to plan relevant and achievable goals. Electronic reading programmes were used, which supported class reading programmes. The Head of Learning Support attended the Christchurch Independent Schools’ Support Group meeting during the year. This was both valuable and motivating. Attending the Positive Psychology Conference in Term 1 affirmed the direction and content of programmes used. The department aims to continue to use the best researched resources and teaching methods for our students, and to provide them with every chance to reach their potential and experience success. 2019 will bring many new and exciting developments, to enhance learning opportunities for our students. It is with anticipation that we look forward to implementing some new initiatives, and continue to provide very personal programmes to meet individual needs.

Visual Arts

Given the cyclic nature of the established programme, it was possible to build on students’ previous learning and find new ways of applying newly acquired skills and techniques within the context of Te Reo Māori.

motivate students understanding of the history and culture of the Māori people. An excellent example of this was the book entitled Remember that November by J Beck and L Fisher which tells the history of passive resistance by the people of Parihaka in the 19th century. This book was read aloud to the students alongside another book entitled The Two Doves about Picasso and his drawing of the dove of peace. Comparing and contrasting the illustrations and the content of both books led to a unit of work about symbols and communicating ideas in art using symbols. Advice and encouragement from Te Reo Māori teacher, Marcelle Leo’o, and fellow members of the Te Reo Māori PLG who meet weekly in the Art classroom for language lessons, also added a positive dimension to this year’s initiative.

It must be noted that the recent renaissance of Te Reo Māori has seen a flourishing of teaching resources, children’s books, and general interest in the language which greatly assisted the art specialist in designing this integration. New resources, mainly children’s books, were purchased in 2018 to inspire and

The year began with every Art student contributing to a series of co-operative artworks based on the concept of a korowai. These were displayed alongside other artworks in mixed media which focused on Māori and Pasifika traditional patterns. Art units trialled in 2017 were revised and reviewed to meet the needs

The Preparatory School Visual Arts programme in 2018 was refined and designed to specifically meet the key aim of integrating Te Reo Māori and tikanga Māori seamlessly into weekly Art classes. This integration worked well at all levels, from simple actions such as greeting all students in Te Reo Māori and using the language in a natural manner within everyday situations, to extending the focus on Māori traditional and contemporary art practices as a primary context for learning new skills and techniques.

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Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

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of students and refine the methods and processes used. An example of this was the whakataukī unit undertaken by all Year 6 students this year. The end product was reduced in size with a three dimensional assemblage element added to simplify the students interpretation of their chosen proverb. This process of continual assessment and revision of the learning outcomes of the programme offered new perspectives and opportunities to learn. Junior students were introduced to many different types of media in order to explore new materials and processes. Keeping their work in a large visual art diary provided a good record of their progress in Visual Arts. As it takes several years to fill this art diary, the students can also see how they have improved the visual expression of their ideas. In the first semester, all Year 7–8 Art classes engaged with art within our city centre, looking at the way art is encountered on the street and comparing that experience with art displayed in galleries. Meetings with artist and gallery owners enhanced the students learning and gave them the opportunity to discuss art making with people from a variety of backgrounds and approaches to visual expression. The students particularly enjoyed meeting street artist Pops as he worked over many weeks on his large painting outside the Arts Centre. Incidental learning occurred

along the way during these visits –the most powerful being the analysis of the stained glass window in the Great Hall and comparing this historic patriotic piece with other more contemporary public art along Worcester Boulevard. In the second semester, Year 7–8 students worked predominantly with clay and the pottery process. All students were able to produce pottery through every stage of the process including glazing and firing. It was beneficial to take time over these pieces in order to understand the firing process and use glazes effectively. The students’ artworks continued to dominate the interior environment of the Preparatory School, with some extended display opportunities being created in the new Stewart Junior Centre. All students contributed artworks to these displays in a range of media. Ongoing projects like the memorial poppies by Year 5 were maintained. Popular activities such as building with the architectural LEGO saw further development in the students understanding of how to evolve an idea visually and take new directions. The final creation using LEGO was a skyscraper‑type building over two metres tall. The excellent resourcing of the Art programme ensured that all students worked with high quality equipment and materials. 39

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Music

During 2018 the Kodály pedagogy was again used with the New Entrant and Year 1 classes. The children developed their repertoire of Kodály play-songs during the year and could confidently and correctly sing the material without pitch reinforcement from the teacher. This enabled the children to further develop their aural skills. The play-songs were the basis for learning about rhythm and notating rhythm using ice-block sticks. In Term 4 these three note play-songs formed the basis for learning about pitch relationships using the class set of resonator bells. The children successfully transferred the play-songs to musical instruments and could discuss the structure of the music. During the year the Preparatory School children enjoyed an adapted the performance of The Elixir of Love by the New Zealand Opera Company in the Centennial Chapel. This is the second consecutive year that the Opera Company has visited. Years 1–6 children were 40

prepared for the performance after being familiarised with the plot and some of the solo arias (songs), thus enhancing their enjoyment and making the art form of opera more accessible to them. The New Zealand Opera schools’ programme is well presented and was well received by our students. It is hoped that this will be offered regularly to our students, thus building a life association with opera. An important aspect of the Music curriculum is for all children to prepare and present musical performances to their peers in the classroom or to the wider College community. During Term 3, the two Year 6 classes participated in the Christchurch Strum, Strike, Blow event in the Horncastle Arena. This takes two terms of preparation to rehearse the music before gathering for an entire day of rehearsals with 1000 children from other schools, followed by a concert in the evening. The focus for the 2018 event was participation and was very popular with our children. The children worked hard

to master the pieces and learnt to play together as a group. All our Preparatory School Music groups performed to audiences frequently within our school community and Christchurch music community. A performance highlight of this year was the introduction of an annual school concert. The concert featured the Junior Choir, Cantare Choir, Preparatory School Orchestra, and our three school Music scholars. This concert was a celebration of music making in the Preparatory School. The two heads of the Cantare Choir scripted and compered the evening. The Junior Choir presented a performance of the music cantata Swingin’ Samson. It is hoped to develop this concert in future years with combining groups and adding ensembles, and publicising this event more widely. Towards the end of Term 3, the Junior Choir and Preparatory School Orchestra performed at the Kids in Town concert programme in the Christchurch City Art Gallery. The Junior Choir is a nonauditioned choir, with Year 3 children all participating, while the Year 4–5 students can choose to be in the choir. The Preparatory School Chamber Group, tutored by Jane Radford, has for the third consecutive year commissioned the Christchurch composer, John Emeleus, to compose an original piece for the group to perform. The make-up of this group varies each year depending on the musical

strengths of children in the school. This was a wonderful learning opportunity for the Chamber Group to work with a living composer who listened to the students rehearse and provided feedback to the group. The Chamber Group was comprised of a pianist, two cellists, and a violinist. The 2018 work written for the group was called The Raven which was based on a traditional Icelandic folk-song. Curriculum Music and Music performance groups in the Preparatory School are well resourced and are supported by skilled and experienced staff. Our children are most fortunate and benefit greatly from this positive musical environment. 41

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Dance and Drama

The Preparatory School provides the opportunity for school students to develop literacies in Dance and Drama and develop ways to both create and interpret work in these areas. All classes except the very new 5-year-old class had one specialist class of Dance and Drama per week, for one semester.

Dance During specialist lessons, students focus on Dance as outlined in the Arts part of the New Zealand Curriculum. An important part of this work is in the Developing Ideas and Communicating and Interpreting strands which requires students to initiate work developing their skills in the shaping of work. During 2018, students in Years 1–6 explored the Dance curriculum creating a range of dances with a focus on building understanding of the elements of dance. They shared their in-class work informally 42

with each other, using the language of dance to reflect on the work of others. The Year 3 students created a dance piece as part of their performance of understanding. This was a rich and useful way to share their learning. Although the annual plan suggested that this would be shared at the Year 3 graduation, it was agreed that this was a better place for the learning for this year. Students in Years 7–8 worked in creative dance, as well as two dance forms – Musical Theatre and solo Charleston. Learning a dance allowed students to see dance in a social and historical context. Musical theatre was instructed by a visiting tutor.

Drama In Drama, stories provided a way to talk about real-world experiences within the safety of a fictional context. All students

worked in role as much as possible to solve problems and explore real life issues or imagined roles. Junior students created imagined worlds and worked in role to become experts based on several picture book contexts. Placing students in a role as an expert allowed them to apply thinking skills to solve problems rather than rely on an adult having the answers. Students in Years 4–8 created a range of Drama work which was responsive to the needs and interests of the class. Creating an imagined world in a castle or as part of space exploration were two of the bigger units that were covered. The purpose of Drama in the classroom is to build an understanding of Drama which is shared informally, mostly within the class.

All students are encouraged to learn to sustain a role, and demonstrate focus at age appropriate levels. The learning is built on each year.

Lunchtime Group For the past 14 years, D-Squared has met the needs of students who wish to do more script and performance-based Drama. The small but committed group had a big focus on creating a whole play. The group was smaller in 2018 due to a clash of times with another activity. We will aim to avoid this clash in 2919. Dance and Drama provide an aesthetic opportunity for students to express thoughts and ideas. This is an important way for students to apply thinking skills and work collaboratively with others and learn about the human experience.

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Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Physical Education

In the Preparatory School, students received an interactive and enjoyable Physical Education programme involving a variety of sport options. This provided the opportunity to develop skills and to identify sporting codes of interest to pursue in the future. Physical Education is not about creating elite athletes. Its prime focus is to develop interpersonal skills and enjoyment in participating in physical activities, and to create a healthy way of living. In 2018, the programme aimed to inspire, motivate, and educate students in the physical environment to be healthy in all aspects of hauora. This was done successfully and was evident through student achievement in a variety of school events and activities. Little tweaks were made from the year before, but the majority of the programme remained the same. 44

The focus area for the Junior Syndicate was to discover movement through non-sport specific activities. Activities for this stage enabled children to explore and discover for themselves what is involved in performing a movement or skill. Students also developed the skills to work successfully in a small group or team. This enabled them to be a productive participant and to manage their interactions. A perceptual movement programme was also offered twice a week to the Year 1 students, which helped not only with their physical literacy but also classroom-based activities such as writing. A development phase occurred in the Middle Syndicate curriculum. The students became more efficient and refined in movement through repetition in a variety of contexts. This included an introduction to basic game play of

able to have the respect of their peers to do this. Students were able to manage themselves in all lessons with limited teacher direction. Students are also exposed to split gender classes at this level in some topics to help develop their confidence in the skill and further develop their abilities in the chosen activity.

mainstream sports. Students also started to experience leadership roles within the class, and started to involve themselves more in team strategies and game tactics. They were exposed to a variety of sporting contexts, so they were able to find one that suited them and was enjoyable. The aim was not to make elite athletes but to make them want to have a lifelong relationship with physical activity. In the Senior Syndicate, the students consolidated the skills developed in earlier years. They applied movement skills in a variety of ways and combined other movements in more complex games and activities. Skills became more automatic and the focus was on being able to naturally transfer skills from one context to another. There was also a greater focus on tactical and strategic game play. Students were confident in taking on the role as a leader and be

Physical Education does not only focus on movement, it also focuses on interpersonal skills such as teamwork, co-operation, listening, managing self, and relating to others. These are the skills which have been identified in the New Zealand Curriculum as Key Competencies. The Physical Education programme gives students the opportunity to learn, develop, and fine-tune these skills in an energetic and motivating environment, which they can then apply to all facets of life. Many new activities were implemented in 2018 to keep up with the latest trends and technology. These activities came from numerous Professional Development opportunities during the year as well as social media website where teaching practices are shared and developed with other educators all around the world. The Physical Education programme benefited from these new ideas which in turn correlated to successful student learning opportunities irrespective of ability. Golf and wheelchair basketball were new activities in 2018. 45

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Religious Education

We started 2018 by exploring the Value of Manaakitanga, translated into English this means the sharing of hospitality and generosity. An intentional effort was made to integrate Te Reo Māori within the Religious Education and chapel programmes throughout the year. This was enhanced by the opportunity for the Preparatory School Chaplain, Jillian Fenton, to be part of a group of staff learning Te Reo Māori on a weekly basis. In the second term, Manaakitatanga, together with the value of Honesty were expressed through the tremendous fundraising efforts for the Southern Sudan Refugees World Vision Campaign. A fantastic amount of over $9000 was raised from the Preparatory School alone. People of Faith were the focus during Term 3, culminating in the celebration of 125 Years since New Zealand Women had worked tirelessly to gain the democratic right to vote. We were delighted to have

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a young woman, Miss April McLennan, speak of her personal journey from being a shy 12-year-old student to running her own business by the age of 21. Her business assists young people to discover their strengths and passions while in the middle school years. During Term 3, the Preparatory School families generously filled 110 Children’s Christmas Gift Boxes which were sent to Cambodia and Fiji in conjunction with the Samaritans Purse organisation. Pastoral Care continues to be a vitally important service provided to the students. In 2018, Head of Education Vicki Pettit, joined the Pastoral Care team which met weekly. The Preparatory School celebrated its annual Advent Service in November and all Year 1–8 students attended. Jillian Fenton spoke about “Making Space for God” in our busy lives.

Library and Information Centre

With new staff on board, 2018 was a year of learning and consolidation in the Preparatory School Library. Rather than engage in large scale change, the focus was the enhancement of existing services with a view to making more significant improvements in 2019 and beyond.

Access Both in-person and remote access to the Preparatory School Library continued to be a priority in 2018. Library lessons were structured around engaging students with both print and digital collections, exploring fiction and non-fiction resources. Circulation statistics showed that the uptake of digital resources increased compared to previous years, while the uptake of printed materials remained at a similar level. The opening of the Green Library and Innovation Centre resulted in several Year 7–8 students making use of the Secondary School Library Services; by borrowing books and using this facility after school. This was a positive development with our more mature

readers who were able to enthusiastically explore a wider range of Young Adult titles than those available to them through the Preparatory School Library. This created a very tangible level of enthusiasm for reading as these students begin their transition to Secondary School. The library website was earmarked for review in 2018. This review was undertaken, and requirements communicated internally. We eagerly await our new and improved website which we hope to launch in 2019.

Services A key objective for 2018 was to create more opportunities for library staff to engage with students and to help them select reading material and to access information. Streamlining the Circulation Desk processes were identified as a key area where several small changes would significantly improve opportunities for interaction. After implementing these changes, the impact was immediately noticeable. The amount of time staff spent behind the desk reduced which freed them to help students. 47

Preparatory School Annual Report | 2018

Reading The role of any library extends beyond simply stocking the space with the latest and best print and digital stories. Staff worked hard in the library to engage students with reading material and information sources. During 2018, we sought to create a strong reading for pleasure culture through class time activities such as story-times, ‘best fit book’ challenges, the Wide Reading programme, participation in Simultaneous Story-times, book talks and (for our older students) the Kids’ Lit Quiz and Speed Dating Books. The Wide Reading programme was improved to ensure that it was more accessible to our younger readers and those for whom reading is a challenge. The increased uptake from some of those students who had previously thought the Wide Reading Programme was ‘not for them’ was very satisfying. Book Week, yet again, was a highlight of the year. The theme Journeys. Oh! The Places You’ll Go! was inspired by Dr Seuss, and students enjoyed a whole week of activities planned to celebrate the great journeys and destinations in children’s literature. The theme was a slight change from previous years provoking a more mindful approach to stories and literature and while some found this challenging initially,

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many commented that they enjoyed this more thoughtful approach. The students enjoyed visits from local children’s author, Jennifer Somervell, and entertaining book blogger, Bob Docherty, who captivated our older students with his storytelling and latest book recommendations. Students also took part in scavenger hunts, craft activities, fun competitions, and the very popular Battle of the Books.

Information Literacy During 2018, a comprehensive Information Literacy programme was developed for Year 4–8 students. These library lessons focused on information literacy skills, equipping students to navigate the information highway by honing book skills, exploring age appropriate digital information sources, and learning the basic skills of sourcing and assessing information on the internet. Feedback from staff was positive and the library intends to continue developing this programme during 2019.

Student Voice During Term 4, a comprehensive survey was conducted among our Year 4–8 students to gain insight into how students view the library and how we can improve the service we offer. Results from this survey are still being collected and will be used as input into the

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347 Papanui Road, Christchurch 8052, New Zealand P +64 3 940 2000 W stac.school.nz