PETE@ROTORUA

AWESOME GUYS TO READ YOUR COMMENTS AND INFO REGARDING SWIMMING SPORTS.

We have had a gret time, intense and definitly need to get some of you up here next year and look at sending some to Ulearn in CHCH later this year.
There is 1200 teachers here and the fanfare is amazing.
I have had some very interesting lectures and some resounding themes came through about developing a team vision, the need for positivity and how negativity of any kind just drags down the ship and is a hindrance to our vision.

Great ideas about developing teaching concepts with walk throughs and looking closely what effective classrooms look, sound and feel like.

See you soon.

Junior Classes Beach Trip

The junior classes beach trip has been postponed to Thursday March 5.

Swimming Display

9am Outline whole school expectations at swimming display (Woodstock Centre)
10am Morning tea
10.20 Get changed in swapped classes
10.30 Meet on court outside pool with towels, hat and water
- Rooms 3, 4 and 6 display (10 minute maximum display)
- Room 5
- Room 9
- Room 8
- Room 10
- Room 11
- Room 8/9 relay
- Room 10/11 relay
- Parent/child relay????
12.30 Thank you to parents and LUNCH!!!

PETE@LEARNING@SCHOOL

Hi everyone, I am here after circling Wellington for 20 minutes due to airport closure.
I have been to some wonderful workshops (don't groan Jane I know you will be thinking "What's he gonna want to do now") but it is all about developing shared vision.
Our keynote this morning was Professor Andy Hargreaves from the USA. He was excellent at discussing developing a shared vision across our local schools, our school, community and teachers.
Session 2 was EPS 2.0 breakdown, which was the survey we all did. We discussed how to use this info and where to from here.
Session 3 was Values Based Education with Julia Atkin, wonderful exploration of how we develop values and beliefs and the importance for children to develop the capacity of expressing values. It will be great for those boys who are involved in the rough and tumble.
Session 4 Looking at Computer capability, what suits our needs PC versus Mac, 25 netbooks or less big computers. Very thought provoking.

I have been talking to the Etime facilitator and are arranging 3 or so to go on a tour of CHCH schools later this year.

Cheers. Have fun.

Notes for the Week

Dean Schneider is in Rm 11 Mon-Wed
Adrian is in Rm 10 Thursday, Friday

ADMIN MEETING still on Thursday morning, Dean/Jane will organize Swimming Display

Please ensure Interschool swimmers have notes for parents outlining times for the 4th.

After being in everyone's classroom over the last 2 weeks it was great to feel the warmth and friendliness from the students. You have all set up wonderful environments and great work is being done on Our Place. I have a list of the classrooms where positive reward systems weren't in place, I will pop back to those classes when I return. Well done the classes that have systems as the children were really responding to them.

Parent Letters for physical behaviours are on my desk if need be.

Hilary Windleborn is going to be preparing the fruit for our school each morning to allow Fiona to get stuck in with class programmes.

Ainslee from University of Canterbury is in to see Donna and Andrew on Wednesday.

Have fun, I will post updates of my week as I gather tiny gems of info.

RELIEVERS IN ROOM 11

Dean is out of Room 11 on Monday and Tuesday. Monday is covered by Kirstin Goomes and myself, Tuesday is covered by Dean Schneider.

BOS 2009

BOARD OF STUDENTS @STOKE SCHOOL 2009

The concept of Board of Students is similar to the School Council. I want them to feel ownership of the school and feel they have contributed. We will meet every 3 weeks in the staffroom to discuss plans. Every class elects a representative and they will have a buddy rep from Room 11. If you are holding a class meeting to gather ideas you may want to invite the buddy to act as a recorder or someone to help your class rep run the meeting.
If possible it would be great to have a class meeting before the school meeting and then a class meeting after to debrief ideas.

First meeting this year is on Friday the 6th of March at 1:30pm in the staffroom.

Comments from Admin

Include school map
Names of all staff first, last and Room number (support)
Medical requirements in school
Hall Bookings
Keys
Sound System- Person Responsible

School Swimming Display Tuesday 3rd Morning Tea @10 Start 10:30am Student /Parent relay?

Interschool on the 4th - Dean has info,selected chn will have Permission slip week.

Notes for Newsletter: Karin, hats, swimming

Turangawaewae: Friday the 13th. Week 6 Whole Day walk.

Meet the Teacher Parents Picnic: Watching children while parents in Rooms, maybe Teacher Aides.

CLASS DESCRIPTION

We discussed on Teacher Only Day the idea of having a folder in every room for relievers to access that holds pertinent information. Jane has started her folder that I will share on Thursday.
Each folder needs:
* Playground/Duty Timetable
* Class Timetable including swimming, library etc
* Class Treaty
* Positive Reinforcement System
* Consequences
* Class lists/ Assessment sheets
* Staff Responsibilities
* Any group lists such as reading groups, writing, maths etc
* Longterm Plan
* Fruit in Schools Systems
* Teacher Aide Timetables/Responsibilities
* Emergency and Drill (Fire, Earthquake) procedure, bell signals and assembly point, copy of red sheet on class walls

Any other ideas??

ADMIN ADD ON'S

* Music Lessons- Brass practise on Thursdays, Drums on Friday, Bass on Monday lunch
* Dean and Jane have some time in office next week while I am away.
* Art Gallery visits, any questions??

Thursday19th Admin @8am

* SWIMMING DISPLAY: I am away next week and we need to advertise Swimming Display in week 5. Please think about starting time, events etc.

* INTER-SCHOOL SWIMMING: Wednesday 4th of March 9:45am start, leave school at 9:10am. Pete will hand info to Karin, Dean and Donna.

* TURANGAWAEWAE: Thinking of doing a whole day walk up the hill, then to Isel Park for lunch, old school site etc. We need to think about date maybe Week 6 to wrap up unit. Week 5 is a bit hectic due to swim display and Inter-school swimming.

Notes to Start the Week

Dean and I had a good review of last weeks Assembly and have made some changes; the class that is taking Assembly all sit up the front and face the school. The Assembly outline is more about the children and their learning, start with National Anthem, then class sharing (this week we have been learning about... and we learnt...
then Teacher Awards, then second item from class, then Principal notices/awards, finally spotters reports to get seat at next weeks Assembly.
Room 11 is hosting next weeks Assembly.
* At next weeks Assembly Laura Penrose and a small team will be presenting ideas about taking opportunities when you get them, they will share the bagpipes.
* We are a member of this site http://www.feetfirst.govt.nz/
* Our ICT cluster have a new website, check it out: http://www.ennerglynn.school.nz/Whakatu_Schools_ICTPD

Staff Advance Meetings Week 3 and 4

Week 3
* Look at the Identification Process for GATE children in our One Day School.Then early finish as we have Meet the Teacher at 5:30pm, in classes from 6pm.

* When you talk to your parents please ensure you outline your Class Treaty, Positive Management and Consequences, Class timetable, in class expectations, homework expectations, parent helpers and main Topics this term for the parents to support learning at home.

Week 4 Pete away facilitated by Sarah
*Unpack Thinking Hats as a Thinking Skill Strategy in our classrooms.

*Identification of Special Needs and Teacher Aide resourcing/training.

Please Pass to Pete

Please can you hand to Pete:

* Your Class Management Plans, Positive Reinforcement and Consequences
* Long Term Plans
* Class Timetables

Admin Meeting

Fair Organisation
Room 3 Pink
4 Brown
5 Yellow
6 Green
8 Red
9 Blue
10 Purple
11 Black

Meet the Teacher Tuesday the 17th 5:30pm Dinner, 5:45 BOT intro, 6pm meet juniors, 6:15pm middles, 6:30pm seniors.

RABBIT ISLAND CANCELLED

Due to rain today's trip is cancelled

BLOG USERS

Andrew and Sarah and registered observers, what does that mean? Ask them.

RABBIT ISLAND

Will be open on Thursday. Rain looks the biggest threat, we will run with our programme. We are swimming before lunch and if it rains we can come home.

Updated Maui

Monday 23rd Feb 11.am Donna
Tuesday 24th 9.20 and 11 am Jane and Desiree
Wednesday 25th Feb 10.45 Gaye and Mandy
Tuesday 3rd March 9.20 Liz

LEXIA

We have been approached by Lexia to be a model school for their programme to enhance reading ability across all levels and abilities. This is best organized with computers in every class and is web based or server based, apparently the web based option provides a lot more reporting and resourcing functions. We are looking at trial classes to get underway and then look at viability to go across the whole school.
If you are interested Pete has some info.

Professional Development

Who has been to Eric Frangenheim?

He is fantastic at motivating the classroom teacher in using a range of powerful cognitive and co-operative thinking tools. It is expensive at $175 plus reliever but if you are willing to come back and share his ideas in a staff meeting/ syndicate meeting then see Pete. We will send 2 people. It is on Wednesday the 18th of March.

New Technologies

To make comments on the blogs you all need to get yourself a gmail account. This is easy. In your web browser go to google and find gmail up the top and follow the instructions through and get an account.

Raffle for School Gala

The PTA would like each class to run a raffle. One idea is for each class to have a different colour and every student brings any item that is that colour to put in the class box and then we raffle each box.

Rabbit Island Trip: can we have senior buddies to buddy up the juniors particularly new student in Gayes class.

Maui Dynasty

Tuesday now unavailable as Desiree and Jane have that slot!

Art Gallery visits/ Maui Dynasty:

Monday 23rd Feb 11am and 1:15pm
Tuesday the 24th 9:30 and 11am
Wednesday the 25th 10:45 and 1:15pm
Tuesday the 3rd of March 9:20, 11am and 1:15pm

Please select time and Email Jane preferences.

Week 2

I will answer my own previous question, their seems to be a few parents who are already aware of the meet the teacher night and so we will leave it on the Tuesday.

WHO WOULD LIKE A STUDENT TEACHER FOR 7 WEEKS 23RD OF MARCH TO 22ND OF MAY, $51.60 A WEEK MUST TAKE A MINIMUM OF 5 DAYS FULL CONTROL???
Stoke School Staff Meeting Agenda
Tuesday 10TH of February
2009

Notes of Interest:

Agenda: Admin Quick stuff:
• Have you checked our staff blog: http://stokestaff.blogspot.com/ Please leave a comment, this may be a good place for me to leave my ramblings rather than taking meeting time.


Discussion:
• School Picnic to Rabbit Island on Thursday the 12th of February; Programme, gear, RAMS,
• Debrief Cluster Launch.

Outcomes:

What do we think??

Can we change meet the parents to the 18th instead of 17th due to Liz being in ChCH???

Staff Advance Meetings (Ha Ha)

Week 2 *We will debrief the ICT Cluster Launch * We will plan the whole school Rabbit Island Trip.

Week 3 *Unpack Thinking Hats as a Thinking Skill Strategy in our classrooms * Look at the Identification Process for GATE in our One Day School.

Week 4 *Identification of Special Needs and Teacher Aide resourcing/training. * Unpack and reflect on our school EPS.2.0 survey.

Thursday 5th Feb

Pete handed out staff responsibilities.
Dean shared timetables; Swimming on board, Computer Suite open for discussion.
Timeout space between Rm8 and staffroom.
Notice notebook still to go round at 9:05am
Money collected from students, staff to keep record.

Pete

Outcomes from Teacher Only Day

Outcomes:
• Classroom Management: Have a think about Positive Acknowledgements, non-verbal, verbal and tangible. Give Pete a copy of your positive reinforcement systems and your in class management system.
• Yellow lines to be placed on boundaries.
• PE shed keys to be cut
• At Thursday mornings Assembly we discuss, boundaries, uniform, access through office, no skateboards at school, bikes and scooters to be locked in shed own responsibility.
• Schoolwide Targets: Individualize the children in the target group for teachers to personalize programmes.
• EOTC and ICT forms out annually.
• Pete will be making up a framework for class descriptions to go in.
You will need your Class Timetable, Behaviour Management including positive and negative, Long Term Plan, RTLB students and Duty, Road Patrol timetables etc.

First Staff Blog

The intent of this blog is to provide an accessible notebook of meeting minutes or event organisation. We have an admin meeting every Thursday morning at 8:00am in the staffroom and it is our intention to record the outcomes of these meetings on this site.