Selwyn Times: July 25, 2018

SELWYN TIMES Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi
Wednesday July 25 2018 17
Darfield High School
Community News - Term 2, 2018
Page 1
Principal’s Message
Welcome to our Term Two Community Newsletter.
We communicate regularly to our students and families
during the term but we also want to share with our wider
community some of the celebrations and activities from the
last term. The educational success of our children is based on
the partnership between school, family and community, so it
is important to keep in touch.
The most important part of any school are the people who
learn and work there. Although without the people the
buildings are pointless, with good facilities the effectiveness
of the learning within is able to be better supported. It was
a pleasure therefore to open our two new classroom blocks
in May. As well as providing much needed classroom spaces,
well designed, modern learning spaces, with good light,
acoustics, airflow and visibility can make a positive difference.
All classrooms also have good connection to the outdoor
environment.
For most of the spaces we have chosen to use single
classroom spaces that open out through sliding doors into
a shared, multi use space alongside teacher workspaces and
meeting rooms. This flexibility means that classes can work
within a traditional classroom space when this best suits the
learning or break out into other spaces when this is needed.
The flexibility should serve the school into the future as needs
change.
The community Matariki celebration in June reminded me
how important it is for our children to be able to live and
work within the bicultural and multicultural contexts of our
country. The Malvern community is
predominantly of white European
ethnicity. As such, most students will
not get the opportunity to experience
other cultures as part of their daily
lives. Most other communities in NZ
and most workplaces are composed
of a wide variety of ethnicities and cultures and our children
need to be comfortable interacting with them.
For most jobs in NZ it is considered a positive attribute to be
confident with some Maori language and protocol. Being
familiar with greetings, Waiata, Mihi and Powhiri are seen
as important by many employers. In private companies and
every government agency, employees are expected to operate
successfully with these. By having a broad education in Tikanga
(culture) and Te Reo (language) our students are learning key
skills for life and work in NZ.
The government is currently reviewing a number of aspects
of the education system including NCEA, learning support
and Tomorrow’s Schools – the education reforms of the 1980s
that changed the governance and management of schools
to a self-managing, competitive model. It is important that
a wide range of voices are heard in these reviews, including
feedback where you think things are working well. Go to
www.conversation.education.govt.nz for opportunities to get
involved.
James Morris
Principal
Award Winning
Author
Kate de Goldi
During Term Two, the English Department and Library were
really excited to host one of New Zealand's most enjoyed,
respected and award winning authors, Kate de Goldi. Kate
is well-known for her writing and she is also a passionate
promoter of reading and writing with students in schools. Her
reviews feature in many publications and she is a regular on
radio, TV and at literary events. Twenty students enjoyed a
two hour workshop with Kate. She gave them a speedy tour
of her philosophy on writing and lots of opportunities to do
their own writing using different starter activities. Comments
afterwards included "It was really helpful and interesting and
I left with lots of ideas and tools to use in my writing for my
NCEA portfolio."
Darfield High School
Senior Drama Department
presents
For her last session, Kate did a presentation to some Years 9
and 10 English classes. She outlined how she became a writer
and answered a variety of questions from the audience. Her
advice to students wanting to build on their writing is to read,
observe the world around you, record things that interest you,
that there is power in writing about things that interest you
and to never be satisfied with your first draft.
Check Please
Follows a series of
blind dates that
couldn’t get any
worse – until they do.
Could there possibly
be a light at the end
of the tunnel?
The Darfield High School Drama Department presented five well
rehearsed productions of Jonathan Rand’s Check Please, at the end
of June.
This production followed a series of blind dinner dates that
couldn't get any worse - until they do. Students loved performing
it and audiences loved watching it. The flexible casting, minimal
set and prop requirements and opportunity for comic bits make it
perfect for high schools and play productions.
Cast Members
Caitlin Warrington; James Stead; Caitlin Rayne; Aimee Fleet; Isobel
Simcox; Jessica Galletly; Callum Jones; Bena Pearson; Pantita
Duangprasert; Michelle Bruce; Oliver Moody; Cleo Searle; Taylor
Parker; Olivia Sherlock; Zoe Spinks; Aleisha Knowles; Abigail Tuhill;
Kear Billings; Tiaan Johns; Aeryn McMillan-Da Via; Jody Rollings
and Vikki Derik-Westaway. Thank you to all the other students who
supported this production.
Term Dates
Term Three
Monday 23 July - Friday 28 September
Friday 7 September - Staff Only Day
"Simply wonderful! One of the best one acts I've judged in several years. The characters were all sharply
drawn; proof of 'no small parts'!"
Iowa High School Speech Association
"Kept the audience in stitches!"
The Interlake Spectator
"Students loved performing it and audiences loved watching it. The flexible casting, minimal set and prop
requirements and opportunity for comic bits make it perfect for high schools and play competitions. Jonathan
Rand has done it again!"
Christa Whittaker, Florida State Thespians, District One Chairperson
#1 most-produced high school short play for 13 seasons in a row, from
2004-2005 to 2016-2017 (Educational Theatre Association)
Darfield High School Drama Department
Tuesday 26 June and Wednesday 27 June 2018
Open Evening Performances 7.00 pm - 8.30 pm
Contact the School Office for Tickets – Limited Seating
Adults $5 Children $2
Term Four
Monday 15 October - Thursday 13 December
Monday 22 October - Labour Day Holiday
Thursday 15 November - Staff Only Day
Friday 16 November - Canterbury Anniversary Day
Darfield High School •McLaughlins Road, Darfield •Telephone: 03 318 8411 •Email: admin@darfield.school.nz •Website: www.darfield.school.nz