Ashburton Courier: May 12, 2022

Ashburton College
Individual Excellence in aSupportive Learning Environment
News
Issue 13
12 May 2022
DeputyPrincipal Message
Direction, Goals and Planning forSchools
Forany of us,ifwewanttoachievesomething,it
always helps to set agoal.Ifweare clearonwhat
we want to achieve, write it down and look at it
regularly. This will help to keep usfocused on
the outcome we arepursuing.Agoal is,however,
only as good asthe actions that weput in place
to help us achieveit.
In the case of schools,our goalsare based around
aStrategic Plan and Annual Goals, with associated actions and targets.
TheStrategicPlan is developedbythe BoardofTrustees in collaboration
with school leadership and sets the direction for the school over the
next three to fiveyears.This direction provides ashininglighttokeep us
focused on whereweare headed.
To move us forward, the school leadership develops Annual Goals with
associatedtargetsand ActionPlans.These support us to move in the right
direction with specific,measurablesteps.
AshburtonCollege has twomajor areas of focus.These are:
Curriculum and Pedagogical Change
Looking at what is learnt, and how itislearnt, to enable our students
to be better equipped for their future. Students will need to be
collaborative, connected, creative, future problem-solvers. They need to
be independent thinkers and effective communicators. This aligns with
aglobal movement that requires widespread change to the traditional
secondary model of education. This will be further supportedbyour new
build.
Culturally Responsiveand Relational Pedagogy
This is about growing our ability to deliver teaching and learning
that is responsive to astudent’s culture, and underpinned bypositive
relationships that are focused on learning. This will strengthen our
commitment to Te Tiriti o Waitangi and supports success for our
increasingly diverse population within theMid Canterburyregion.
If youwouldlike to seemoredetailonthis, theAshburtonCollege Charter
can be foundonthe school website www.ashburtoncollege.school.nz or
obtained from the College Office.
School Evaluation
The Education Review Office (ERO) is an external organisation that
supports schools to ensurethey areheaded in the rightdirection, andto
evaluate howthey areoperating and progressing.Their role also includes
checking that schools are compliant with amyriad of legislative and
regulatoryrequirements.
The model that ERO uses has recently changed. Each school now has an
evaluation partner who we have an ongoing relationship with. For all
schools,the work donewillculminate in apublicly availablewritten report,
every three years. Wewelcome Lena Tuiloma in this role, supporting
Ashburton College, and look forward to working in partnership to
continually improve our school forour students and our community.
NCEA Level1CommunityConsultation
As partofour reflectiontoensurethatAshburton Collegeisbest meeting
the needs ofour students and our community, we are undertaking a
comprehensive consultation process regarding the pros and cons of the
NCEA Level1qualification as aprimaryfocus forour Year 11 students.
Forany member of our community, please attend one of theconsultation
sessionsadvertised in this newsletter to learn moreand have your say.
Nāuterourou,nākuterourou, ka oraaiteiwi
With your food basket and my food basket the people will thrive.
This whakatuakitalkstocommunity, to collaboration
and astrengths-basedapproach.
It acknowledges that everyone has somethingtooffer,apiece of the puzzle,
andbyworking together we canall flourish.
Jono Hay
DeputyPrincipal•Tumuaki Tuarua
Staff -Welcome
JawadDeljo
Bilingual SupportWorker,based out of
AshburtonCollege,and working within
the Hakatere Cluster forall former
refugee students in MidCanterbury
schools and Early Childhood Centres.
TheAshColl
Way
Information
Consultation Process–
NCEA Level1:Hui Confirmed Dates
As has been advised previously, Ashburton College is undertaking
acomprehensive consultation process to consider if our College will
retain NCEA Level1asaprimaryfocus forour Year 11 students.
As part of this process, we are seeking the input of current and former
students, whānau,employers andour staff.
We are reviewing the role that this qualification plays in supporting the
best outcomes forour students, and asking relatedquestions like:
• Whatare the benefits andlimitations of NCEALevel 1?
• Doall of ourstudents need to complete NCEALevel 1?
• Are we supporting studentwell-being?
• How does NCEA Level1supportour Vision?
While ourfocusisverymuch on Ashburton College, this is aconversation
which is taking place in secondary schools and their communities
around NewZealand.
As part of this process we will host severalhui, as follows:
• Tuesday31May 7:00pm College Auditorium
• Thursday02June 10:00am Hakatere Marae
• Thursday02June 2:00pm College Auditorium
• Thursday02June 7:00pm HakatereMarae
• Friday03June 10:00am College Auditorium
• Saturday11June 2:00pm College Auditorium
If youare interested in hearingmore, we inviteand strongly
encourageyoutoattend one of thesehui to gain information
and to provide feedback to us at College.
It is anticipatedthe huiwill be forapproximately one hour.
An opportunity to share your thoughts will also be made available
viaasurveyinthe nearfuture.
Cultural Programme Events Return
It is areal pleasure to be able to advertise cultural events, anumber
which havehad to be absent from our calendar forthe past twoyears.
Currently we advertise twotransferred nowfromTerm One.
Putthese in your calendar if youcan join us in the audienceto
enjoy thetalentsofCollegestudents.
Parent/Student/SubjectTeacher Interviews
and Early Closures
Next Thursday19May and Tuesday24May
2:30pm–8:00pm, HotelAshburton.
Theinterviews arefor all yearlevels.
For Year 9students,interviews arewith subjectteachers only,
(not option teachers).
Thelength of eachinterview is fiveminutes.
It is expected thatstudentsattendwith their parents/caregivers,
in order to be part of the three-way conversation.
Bookingsfor Interviews went liveonTuesday 03 May
and areable to be booked through:
https://ashburton.schoolpoint.co.nz
Your SchoolPointlogin is the sameasyour Kamar login.
If youdonot have an onlinefacility,
youare able to bookbycontacting the
CollegeOfficeon3084193, Ext0.
Further information will be advised to families.
School Early Closure-Both Days,from1:20pm
Please Note: schoolearly closure forall students,
at 1:20pm,onboth of these twodays.
Theclosures areBoardofTrustees-approved.
Events
Year 10 OutdoorEducation Hike and
Camp at Peel Forest
Prior to the end ofTerm One, on 04-05 April and 07-08 April, the
first two ofthree Year 10Outdoor Education classes undertook their
overnight camp at ClarkeFlatand the hikeupLittle Mt Peel.
Outdoor Education teacher Luke Martin said that many students had fond
memories of their Year 8experienceclimbingLittleMtPeel,only to findthis
time would be slightly more challenging. Thedifference was these groups
weretaking the south ridge routetothe top, whichisjust alittle bitsteeper
thanthe usualDeer SpurRoute.
Luckily the weather was pretty good for both excursions which made for a
pleasant two trips. Only some rain on the last day ofthe second trip put a
dampeneronthe twosmall walks they did thatday.
Luke said that itwas great tosee all students challenge themselves and,
aside from two students, all made it tothe top, which is no small feat.
The perseverance and mental toughness shown bysome of the students
was great to see.Then seeing, atthe end ofthe hike, most ofthe students
feeling proud of whatthey had achievediswhatmakessuch an exerciseall
worthwhile.
At the time of writing this article,the thirdYear 10 Outdoor Education class
wasscheduledtoundertaketheir trip on 05-06 May, which will be reported
on in afuturenewsletter.
Additionally this term, Year 10 students will be honing their skills in
Navigation and alsoRock Climbing.
(Pictured above): Students making theirway down Little Mt Peel.
Students Pitch-in to Clean Up Rubbish at
College and in the Community
As canbeseen from both articles below, rubbish is asocietalchallenge.
Put simply, if it’s not dropped or dumped itdoesn’t have tobepicked
up. However, the outcome doesn’t seem as simple asthat, and a
number of our students pitched in to clear‘stuff’.
AshColl WayCommittee InitiatesPre-Holiday
Lunchtime Campus Clean-up
The College’s Student AshColl Way Committee initiated this clean-up,
involving student leaders, in order to make sure the school was clean
and tidyfor the holidayperiod.
Committee Members
This activity was spearheaded byJonathon Kilgour, leader ofthe
AshCollWay Committee.
Committee members are Year 13 students Neiv Sol, Cairo Hawkes,
Kane McDonnell; and Year 12 members Luis Varias, Jacob Wilson,
Gianna Butler.
On the day there were spot prizes available to win and ‘heaps’ofMihi Pai
givenout. The work started in the Canteen area,and thenspread out across
the variousareas of the College.