Selwyn Times: December 04, 2019

SELWYN TIMES Latest Canterbury news at starnews.co.nz
Wednesday December 4 2019 29
News
Pupils proud to graduate
from Children’s University
PRIDE:
Ladbrooks
School pupils
after having
graduated from
the Children’s
University. ​
YOUNG SCHOLARS from
schools in the district walked
across the stage in the first-ever
Children’s University graduation
ceremony.
It was a full-house at the
Christchurch Town Hall as 151
primary-school-aged pupils from
schools including Ladbrooks
and Prebbleton received their
certificates for completing the
programme.
Ladbrooks School Children’s
University coordinator Keryn
Wilson said they had 20 children
take part in the ceremony and
four more in the programme.
“Ladbrooks School was the
first in New Zealand to sign up
with Children’s University as we
saw it as a wonderful opportunity
for our children to explore
learning in its fullest sense,
embracing their talents and passions
and also taking advantage
of new learning opportunities.
“Our graduates’ passport hours
ranged from 30 hours right
through to three children gaining
120 hour recognition. The
children were extremely proud
of their achievements and have
been excited by the many opportunities
they have had to
learn across a range of contexts
through the programme,” she
said.
Ms Wilson said they will definitely
be involved next year.
30 pupils from Prebbleton
School also took part in the
event.
Children’s University coordinator
Jodie Craig said: “Over the
year, the children did a great job
and it was a true display of our
school values.”
The Children’s University Canterbury
Partnership programme
is the first of its kind in New
Zealand and is delivered by Canterbury
and Lincoln universities.
Pupils engaged in extra-curricular
learning activities including
sports, on-campus experiences
and trips to learning destinations
to graduate the programme.
Each pupil documented these
activities and the different locations
they completed them at in a
learning passport.
The programme has learning
locations across Christchurch
that include the Canterbury Museum,
Christchurch Art Gallery,
libraries and Canterbury University
and Lincoln’s campuses.
Lincoln University acting
vice-chancellor, Professor Bruce
McKenzie said “the Canterbury
[Univeristy] Partnership allows
for so much learning variety. A
student could visit the Art Gallery
one day and explore crop
science on one of Lincoln University’s
farms the next day. For
some students this programme
is the only way they will get to
experience this type of learning.”
BACKYARD CRITTERS
Mike Bowie is
an ecologist
who specialises
in entomology
(insects and other
invertebrates).
Each week he
introduces a new species found
in his backyard at Lincoln. His
column aims to raise public
awareness of biodiversity, the
variety of living things around
us. Check out the full list of
invertebrates found at www.
inaturalist.org/projects/
backyard-biodiversity-bugs-inmy-lincoln-section
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THe Drosophila species is
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this 2-4mm long species builds up
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