Southern View: August 30, 2016

18
Pupils
have
fun
with
puppets
Tuesday August 30 2016
CREATIVE CREATIONS: Sock puppet making
is one of several activities Beckenham School
pupils have been taking part in as part of its
weekly Thursday afternoon Making A Difference
sessions. Other activities have included making
bird houses, choir, paper mache and visiting the
residents at Thorrington Retirement Village.
ACHIEVERS
STAR PUPILS: Year
9 Hillmorton High
School student Allan
(far left) competed at
the Cantamath competition
last week
and received the
outstanding award.
Meanwhile, Barrington
Kip McGrath
awarded Ashton
Howie the Star of the
Month Award. His
tutors said has been
an absolute pleasure.
SCHOOLS
ADULT LEARNERS’ WEEK
HE TANGATA MĀTAURANGA
Ara community study -
where adult learners are welcome
At Ara Institute of Canterbury’s six community
hubs, people can learn at their own pace in a
friendly, welcoming environment that supports
people who are returning to study after a long
break or those who are undertaking study for the
first time.
At hubs in New Brighton, Bishopdale, Hornby,
Rangiora, Christchurch’s Madras Street and now
also in Timaru, Ara staff support community
learning needs through a range of programmes.
Computing for Free is a popular choice for adult
learners looking for accessible training for basic
computer skills or to upskill to improve their career
opportunities.
Computing for Free offers a range of self-paced,
short courses of between 20 to 40 hours to introduce
people to a wide range of specific programmes as
Web Design and Powerpoint.
The facilitators who are on-hand to provide
support are passionate about the courses they teach
and the communities they teach in, providing
an excellent experience for students. Timetables
SOUTHERN VIEW
are flexible to fit around family and professional
commitments.
Having completed Computing for Free herself,
tutor Jo Harkerss understands the challenges of
returning to study.
“For many people it is a huge stepping stone.
They may have been made redundant or been out
of the workforce after having children and here
they can connect with other people and learn new
skills that will make them more employable and
give them confidence to try other things too.
“They might have used computers in the past,
but programmes change and skills need to be
updated,” Jo says.
“The hardest thing is for people to walk in
the door. Then they realise that we are really
nice! And that they can do it. You see people
come in who feel afraid of computers, but we
are here to help them to achieve. Study is not
easy for everyone, but our programmes have
a good balance of theory and practice, plus
the programmes are self-paced to fit around
other life commitments such as work and
family.”
Computing for Free also caters for adult
learners who want to upskill for career
progression, with programmes such as the
National Certificate in Computing, which is a
formal qualification that employers recognise
and value. For students who find a passion for
computing there are further programmes on offer
at Ara from certificates to degrees.
Enrolling is easy – just pop into your local
branch to discuss your needs with one of our
friendly facilitators or visit http://www.ara.
ac.nz/study-options/programmes-by-location/
community-study.
nina COOk
Nina Cook was born in Whakatane
in 1967. She was educated
in Wanganui and then at
Christchurch Polytechnic School
of Art and Design where she
received a Bachelor of Design.
In 2007 Nina established the
studio from which she currently
works. Nina’s work is held in
private collections in New Zealand
and overseas.
Frame OF mind
For this exhibition, I am exploring
issues of societal bias through a
personal lens.
The effect of proselytized overly
fixed viewpoints on political,
religious, racial, gender and
environmental issues is alarming.
When this alarm is combined with
the information bias that occurs in
this curated information age, our
dual desires to belong and control
are kicked into overdrive.
I am not immune to this, but
am also shocked at the lack of
empathy or comprehension of
‘other’ that some people exhibit.
This body of work is my way of
trying to understand.
Though many (including
myself) try to be independent,
compassionate, open-minded
and critical in our thinking, we
cannot avoid being influenced.
Not only by our own experience
and state of mind, but also by
broader cultural, societal, and
scientific relevancies. And this is
always changing.
Art a fantastic way of exploring
issues because it combines both
intellectual and intuitive practices.
The frame is overt, pedantic. As
in a museum display, it provides
a curated context, which is only
ever part of the story.The content
captures personal situations and
impressions – things I have felt,
seen and imagined.
Whilst painting, I have been
deliberately mindful of my thought
process. I asked myself; What is
the true impetus for this work?
What narrative is cycling/growing
in my mind?
How is this effecting my choices?
At what point/s does my ‘frame
of mind’ become ‘confirmation
bias’? To what degree is bias
necessary? When does it become
a liability?
I didn’t discover any big answers,
just personal ones – but every bit
helps.
Some clues are reflected in the
work titles, much more in the
works themselves as physical
Nostalgia
Release
manifestations of my frame of
mind.
Most importantly, I am inviting
the viewer to reflect upon their
own frame of mind or state of bias
whilst investigating mine.
Make Learning Fun
APPLY NOW!
WHAT IS IT?
Free part-time literacy and numeracy
courses at a location near you.
WHAT DO WE OFFER?
Help with reading, writing and maths
Community-based learning
Classes for ESOL learners also available
Supportive tutors
Computer skills
Individual programmes at your level
Support towards NZQA unit standards.
For more information call 03 379 1916
or email halcadmin@hagley.school.nz
ADULT LITERACY CENTRE
Building Competencies for Work and Life
Risingholme Community Centre Celebrates
Adult Learners’ Week -
He Tangata Matauranga 2016
Adult & Community Education Classes for you
Wide variety of courses on offer Day and evening classes
Different locations around the city
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON DATES, TIMES
AND COSTS FOR ALL CLASSES CONTACT
RISINGHOLME at ph 332-7359, FAX 332-7357
or e-mail: info@risingholme.org.nz
Full details of our programmes are on
our website at
www.risingholme.org.nz