Principal's Newsletter - Kelston Girls

KELSTON GIRLS' COLLEGE
May 2012
Principal’s Newsletter
Dear Parents
In this newsletter you will read a summary of our 2011 Annual Report. I
am sure that you will agree with me that academic success for all of our
students is something to celebrate.
Certainly the Minister of Education believes we have something to celebrate.
In this newsletter is a copy of the letter of congratulations she sent us last
week acknowledging the academic achievement of our young women.
We can’t afford state of the art classrooms and IT systems but in the end new classrooms
and the latest computers do not in themselves achieve academic success for
our students.
At our school we have a culture of manaakitanga, ako and aroha that is reflected in
the pedagogy in our classrooms. We have high expectations for our girls and we
believe they can achieve academic success. That plus a genuine belief in the
power of home—school partnerships and of valuing the time spent talking with students
and parents at Academic Counselling are the powerful activities that support
learning for your daughters.
Year 9 Camp
On Wednesday 20 June all Year 9 students will travel by bus to Camp Adair for 3
days and 2 nights of discovering ‘they can do it’. The purpose of the camp is developing
personal belief and resilience to keep going even when the challenges are
difficult. That is what will get your daughter through NCEA 1, 2 and 3 in the future.
Help her develop that resilience by sending her to Year 9 camp! Our student leaders,
FYD camp leaders, Guidance Counsellor, Year 9 form teachers and Year 13
Dean will all be at the camp.
Farewells
Recently we said farewell to Jill Brooking. Jill has taught at Kelston Girls College for
16 years, and 5 years ago trained as a Te Kotahitanga facilitator and introduced us
to Te Kotahitanga and establishing culturally appropriate relationships in the classroom.
The growth in pedagogical skill of our teachers and the recognition of the importance
of evidence to inform teaching practise in the classroom, has seen significantly
improved learning outcomes for our students. I thank Jill for her work at our
school and wish her every success in the new direction she is heading in her career
as an educationist.
Linda Fox
Principal

It is with regret that I advise the Kelston Girls College community of the
recent passing away of Islay Anderson, first Head Mistress of
Kelston Girls High School from 1963 to 1975.
At her express wish, the family held a private ceremony recently.
Islay Anderson set her mark on the school from the beginning. She valued
educational success for young women, she was artistic and had a lively and
inquiring mind that expected the very best from everyone.
In recent times we named the remodelled school auditorium in her honour and
she donated to the school a bronze statue that celebrates education.
Our condolences are extended to Islay’s family.
From the Kelston Girls College Board of Trustees
Dear Parents
2011 Annual Report
We are proud to make the following report to you:
Literacy and Numeracy at Year 9 and 10
1. In both literacy and numeracy at Year 9, students improved by a 3 sub level
shift in literacy and a 2 sub level shift in numeracy. Both Maori and Pasifika
students made a 2 sub level shift in literacy, and in numeracy Maori made a 2
sub level shift and Pasifika students made a 3 sub level shift.
1. In Year 10 students made a 1 sub level shift in literacy and a 3 sub level shift
in numeracy. Maori remained at the same level in literacy, but in numeracy
made a 3 sub level shift. Pasifika made a 2 sub level shift in literacy and a 3
sub level shift in numeracy.
NCEA Level 1
1. At Year 11, the number of students achieving NCEA Level 1 improved by 5.6
percentage points. The number of Maori students achieving NCEA Level 1
improved by 29.8 percentage points. The number of Pasifika students achieving
NCEA Level 1 improved by 5.1 percentage points.
2. The number of students gaining NCEA Level 1 Endorsed with Merit improved
by 5.1 percentage points. The number of students gaining NCEA Level 1 Endorsed
with Excellence improved by 7.6 percentage points.
In 2010, 25% of Maori gained NCEA Level 1 Endorsed with Merit.
In 2011, 14.3% of Maori students gained NCEA Level 1 Endorsed with Merit
In 2010, 11.1% of Pasifika students gained NCEA Endorsed with Merit
In 2011, 25.5% of Pasifika students gained NCEA Level 1 Endorsed with
Merit.
7.6% of Maori students gained NCEA Level 1 Endorsed with Excellence
3.6% of Pasifika students gained NCEA Level 1 Endorsed with Excellence

3. The number of students gaining literacy at NCEA Level 1 improved by 8.5 percentage
points. The number of students gaining numeracy at NCEA Level 1
improved by 6.2 percentage points.
Year 13
1. The number of students leaving Year 13 with NCEA Level 2 or better:
100% of Maori students left Year 13 with NCEA Level 2 or better
93.5% of Pasifika students left Year 13 with NCEA Level 2 or better
2. The number of students gaining University Entrance at NCEA Level 3 improved
by 11.8 percentage points.
The number of students gaining NCEA Level 3 improved by 11.3 percentage
points.
Attendance
Each year we also report on attendance. Year 9 students have very good attendance,
Years 10, 11 and 13 have poor attendance. Overall attendance was 77.4%.
This is lower than the national average.
Conclusion
Congratulations students and parents, and our thanks to Principal Fox and the
Kelston Girls College teaching team for supporting and guiding our young women in
their learning.
However, we all have work to do to improve the attendance of some of our students.
The letter from the Ministry of Education , Hekia Parata, follows.
Kind regards,
Dr James Prescott, Chairman
Kelston Girls' College Board of Trustees

Congratulations!
On Monday 28th May, Leva Lineti, Nita and Helen Latu, Parehuia Nepe and
Elliott Crawford were recognised at the Kelston Pride Awards, organised by
the Kelston Community Trust, for their superb organisation of the first Family
Day held in March at our school.
Shirley Yeung came 3rd and Christine Ong came 2nd in the fifth NZ Chinese
Speech Competition held by the Confucius Society at the University of Auckland
recently. The girls received their certificates at the Chinese Embassy
on Tuesday evening.
The rugby team won 22-0 against Auckland Adventist recently.
The Kelston Girls College Bollywood group were placed 1st Best Costume at
the recent Bollywood Competition.
Our thanks to Cassidy Construction for completing the four new classrooms
to a high standard. Thank you also to De La Mare Architects for the design.
On Friday May 4, Ivory Tuaimalo-Vaega, 12JT attended the Michael King
Writers’ Workshop at the National Library in Parnell. Ivory was one of only
15 students across Auckland to be accepted onto the course. She found the
experience to be, “refreshing because you got to work with other students
who write differently. You got to express your feelings and have published
authors give you feedback and compliments. This was fantastic”. Ivory was
overwhelmed to find she was the only Pacific Nations’ student at the daylong
workshop. “I felt special but it made me realise that without the teachers
at Kelston Girls pushing us and making us realise we have ability, we
Samoan girls wouldn’t realise we are as good as everyone else”. Ivory will
be sending her writing to Paula Morris and Emily Perkins, the well-known
New Zealand authors who facilitated the day. She looks forward to working
with the group again sometime in November.
NCEA FEES ($76.70) MUST BE PAID
ON OR BEFORE FRIDAY 7 SEPTEMBER
The fee can be paid in instalments if that is more convenient for parents and caregivers.
A receipt will be issued for any payment made to the school. Financial assistance
forms will be available from the school from the beginning of term 2. Parents
and students are encouraged to check the website, nzqa.govt.nz, for information
on fees, financial assistance, student progress towards gaining NCEA and
study facilities etc.

IMPORTANT DATES
Monday 4 June
Thursday 7 June
Monday 11—Wednesday 13 June
Monday 11 June 12.00pm
Tuesday 12 June 7.00-10.00pm
Tuesday 12 June 1.30pm
Wednesday 13 June
Thursday 14 June
Tuesday 19 June-Friday 22 June
Wednesday 20 June-Friday 22 June
Saturday 23 June
Friday 29 June
Queens Birthday SCHOOL CLOSED
Parents information evening for Y8 students
Levels 2 and 3 PE Camp
Kelston Choir ‘Big Sing’ Secondary
Schools Competition
Y9 and 10 Social
Paid Union meeting for teachers
Westie Wednesday Mufti Day
Teacher Only Day
L3 alignment and NZQA Best Practice
Workshops
Peer Support senior leaders at Camp
Adair
Year 9 students at Camp Adair (students
not at camp will be placed in Senior
classes)
Combined Kelston School Ball
Reports go home
Last Day Term 2
THE HOMEWORK CENTRE
What is it for?
Homework and completing class work.
Research and completing re sits.
Assistance – from teachers and senior students.
Reading
Using computers for research and accessing study sites.
Reading through your notes from the days lessons.
Why Go?
The preparation and planning you do now, will make a difference to how well you do
in assessments and class work.
Completion of homework and class work will help your understanding.
How well you do this year will affect your future years.
Start good habits NOW.
In the Library every TUESDAY and THURSDAY 3:30PM-4:30PM
FOR BRIGHT CHILDREN WHO AREN'T LEARNING
For individual tuition specialising in Dyslexia, spelling, reading and comprehension from
children through to adults. For Danks Davis Tutoring, phone Zannie Danks Davis on 818-
8167 orRobyn van den Berg on 816-9499.