Ashburton Courier: May 14, 2021

Ashburton College
Individual Excellence in aSupportive Learning Environment
News
Issue 13
13 May 2021
DeputyPrincipal Message
TheAshColl Way
The AshColl Way is how we do things at
Ashburton College, and this term we have a
College-wide focus on the Value of Respect/
Whakaute.
Staff and students are focusing on being
respectful in avarietyofsettings.Respecting our
physical environment by caring for our College
grounds; respecting the learning environment
by being considerate of others and being non-judgemental; using polite
and appropriate language at all times; and being good digital citizens.
NCEAChangeProgramme-ACCORD TeacherOnly Day
Thesecond of our ACCORD Teacher Only Days is being held todaywith
the focus on two ofthe seven changes to NCEA: Mana Ōrite mōte
Mātauranga Māori; and Strengthening Literacy and Numeracy, Te Reo
Matatini me Te Pāngarau.
Refresh of the National Curriculum
Alongside the NCEA change programme, there will be arefresh of
the New Zealand Curriculum over the next five years. The first of
the curriculum areas to be refreshed is the Year 1-10 Social Sciences
Curriculum.
Consultation has already begun forthe Aotearoa New Zealand Histories
component ofthis and we are lucky enough to be part ofthe initial
testing of the draftcontent.
Our teaching staff are working with specialists to integrate some
key content into our existing Year 9-10 Social Studies programmes of
learning.
Parent/Caregiver/Student/Teacher Interviews
Iwould encourage all parents and caregivers to make bookings with
their student’s subject teachers during one of our two available dates.
These interviewswill be held at the Hotel Ashburtonfrom2:30-8:00pm
on Thursday 20May and Tuesday 25May. The three-way conversation
allows students to be an activepartofthe discussion and we hope they
attend along with their parents and/or caregivers.
Alumni-Reunion
Last weekend the ‘First 10 Years Reunion’was held for former students
and staff of AshburtonCollegewho were at the College from 1965-1975.
This wasaspecial eventfor those who were able to attend,providing a
time to remember, reconnect and reflect on those years. Many stories
would have been shared and new memories made.
Some of these former students were members of the Junior School that
relocatedtothe currentWalnut Avenue sitefifty years ago.Wecelebrated
this anniversarylast week with our 2021 Junior School Council retracing
the steps thatweretaken on Thursday06May 1971.
‘Ka mua, kamuri’ is the whakatauki meaning ‘walking backwards into
the future’.Itisimportantthat, as we move forward, we look to the past
to informthe future. The Alumni allows all current and former students
and staff the opportunity toreflect onwhere they have come from
and special pieces of the past. This is important asAshburton College
continues to evolveand be an integralpartofour community.
Angela Mitchell
ActingDeputyPrincipal •TumuakiTuarua
Staff Welcome
Within our Counselling Departmentwehave, from
time-to-time, Counsellors in Training. Some are
shorter-term, some longer. Onthis occasion we
are pleased to welcome Mary Kitchen who is with
us at College until the end of this year. Mary will
thereforebecome an integral, constantpartofour
Counselling team.
Staff -Farewell
Mary Kitchen
Counsellor
Annie Aulsford
Annie has been with us at Ashburton College since March 2017, initially as
apart-time ESOL (English Speakers of Other Languages) Assistant, followed
by appointment also as aLearning Support Assistant to the College’s
Foundation Skills programme. In September of that year Annie returned
briefly to Auckland but was reappointed to the College staff asTeacher of
English andESOL at thestartof2019.
Annie came with the intriguing academic and experience background
in Criminology, assomeone well-versed in Restorative Practices and the
New Zealand Indigenous Justice model specific to Māori. Annie also had
experience interacting with awide range of cultural groups, is aspeaker
of two European languages, and brought the philosophy of care of and
support for high needs learners and minority students. She looks for the
good in people andissupportive of students.
From the start of2020 she was permanently appointed asanEnglish and
Social Sciences teacher. Now living in Christchurch she has made the
decision tolessen the daily commute, and we wish Annie well in her new
endeavours.
Information
AshburtonCollege Performing in
ShowQuest Canterbury2021
ShowQuest (the new namefor Stage Challenge) is anew performingarts
competitionfor schools and students,fromYears 1–13.
The event is part of a nationwide series of events produced by
Rockquest Promotions, with thesupport of the Ministry of Education.
AshburtonCollege is performing next Tuesday18May,
at the Christchurch Town Hall.
Theevening starts at 7:00pm,doors open from 6:30pm.
Thenightpromises to be an amazingcelebration of creativestudents,
withShowQuest stage performances followedbythe
ToiWearable ArtShowcase.
Tickets canbepurchased from Ticketek -
https://premier.ticketek.co.nz/shows/show.aspx?sh=SHOWQUES21
Door sales will be available on the night, butticketsmaysell out,so
whānau andfriends arestrongly encouraged
to buytickets onlineinadvance.
TheFacebook eventislive, withmoreevent information, on -
https://www.facebook.com/events/283134966625486/
Click "Going" on theFacebookevent to staytunedforany updates.
ConcertofChoirs–
College Choirs’Tour Fundraiser
This concert, being held inthe College Auditorium on Friday 21May
2021, is afundraiser to help fund CollegeChoirswhen theytour.
Phoenix Chorus and Phoenix Rising 2021 Tour
For the first time intwo-three years, this year will see both the Phoenix
Chorus and PhoenixRising Choirs ‘hit theroad’.
Choir members and management are anticipating an event-packed five
days in the Dunedin area. Included in their itinerary are performances at
Larnach Castle, Cathedral, Otago Museum and the Dunedin Public Art
Gallery.
Supportfromother participating choirs
The other choirs involved in the concert advertised below are generously
givingtheirtime andtalents as their contribution to supporting the College
Choirs.
Evening’s Programme
The evening will showcase a wide range of choral pieces, along with three
combined items featuring all of the choirs.
Over one hundred singers will combine to make this anight to remember.
Therewillalso be an auction of interestingitems which will add even more
fun to the evening.
It would be great tosee youthere!
Tickets areavailablefromthe CollegeOfficeand, for the first time,
online: https://events.humanitix.com/a-concert-of-choirs
Parent-Teacher-StudentInterviews
Thursday20May and Tuesday25May
2:30pm –8:00pm
HotelAshburton
Theinterviews arefor all year levels
(except forthe Year 9option classeswhich only run forthirteenweeks)
PleaseNote: earlyclosurefor all students,at1:20pm,
on both of thesedays.
Theclosuresare BoardofTrustees approved.
Thelength of interviewswill be fiveminutes per subject.
It is expected thatstudentsattend with their parents/caregivers,
in ordertobepartofthe three-way conversation.
Online bookingsfor Interviewsare nowopen and can be booked through
the following website: https://ashburton.schoolpoint.co.nz
Your SchoolPointlogin is thesame as your Kamarlogin.
Families have been advisedofthe booking process.
If youdonot haveanonline facility,
youcan bookbycontacting the College Office on 3084193, Ext0.
We look forwardtomeeting with you.
Events
Head Students Contributeto
CommunityService
As has become atradition, Ashburton College’s Head Boy and Head Girl
were invited bythe Ashburton RSA to speak at the 11:00am Cenotaph
ServiceonAnzacDay.
(Pictured right,
leftand right):
Thomas Patterson
and Milli Sullivan
stand in respect
afterbringing
forwardthe
College wreath
to layatthe
Cenotaph.
(Pictured below): Speaking at the service.
Milli Sullivan
In speaking, Milli highlighted that, up until last year’s isolation so many
of the younger generations have walked through life without having to
sacrifice meaningful elements. However, last year, being deprived of faceto-face
contact with many loved ones, regular day-to-day activities and
familiar routines, provided amere glimpse as to what our courageous
service people had to heroically sacrifice 104 years ago, onthe shores of
Gallipoli.
Milli acknowledged being partofageneration having not experienced the
immediate impact ofwar and not comprehending the feelings of hostility
and struggles suffered by solders, airmen, navy personnel, nurses and
families throughout those sorrowful times; or watching areturnee who
mentally struggles to returnto‘normal’life.
Although not fully understanding these depths, Milli said we can make
sense of the feeling of freedom we have been rewarded with from these
heroic efforts,remember thatfreedom, be inspired by it and liveahumble
lifewherethe needs of others fall firstbeforeour own.
Thomas Patterson
Thomas considered an analogy between the ‘battlefield’ofthe rugbypitch
where the statement of ‘putting bodies on the line’isoften made; and the
brutal reality ofwar, concluding in no way are they comparable. Rugby
players go home and recover, and prepare for the following week but,
for many atwar, coming home again was not an option. For some who
returned,dreams became nightmares.
Thomas said they exhibited the epitome of qualities to aspire to-bravery,
courage,mental and physical strength and selflessness.
Agreeing that heand his generation have the privilege of freedom to
transition through childhood, adolescence and then to adulthood; many
were deprivedofthis during the waryears, having no choicebut to become
adults. They leftfriends and family behind,throwingdreams and aspirations
away in order to fight.
These people were everyday people, but people willing to change the
future bysacrificing the present, and the reason to gather toexpress our
gratitude forthese sacrifices.