SPRING UPDATE – Years Seven and Eight

By Mike Campbell | Posted: Thursday August 31, 2017

Kia Ora, As the days lengthen and the temperatures soar, it is timely to provide you with a ‘state of the nation’ I think.

Options for 2018

The Year Eight children will be making their selections within the next week for the four subjects they will study beyond the core subjects next year. While it may seem early to contemplate life after school, these choices can inform a path to further study and an interest in a career path. With that in mind, I also commend you to www.careers.govt.nz/tools/careerquest where you and your child can explore career options and appropriate subject selections.

Please encourage your child to make option choices based on areas of interest/ability rather than peer choices.

General Tone

The children are engaging beautifully across the board in all subject areas. From time to time we find ourselves dealing with matters that Year Eight children, in particular, should really have grown beyond, but we are continuing to encourage these young people to lift their game.

Frustratingly, we still have some children who expect overt shows of ‘punishment’ when other children lose a bit of form, and then believe it is acceptable for their standards to drop as ‘the others got away with it’. This an outdated view; we are very much focussed on restoring relationships and providing meaningful assistance for children to change their behaviours – this does not happen in full view and nor it should. It is a philosophy and style which has served many children well over the years. Ultimately every child is responsible for their own behaviours.

Uniform

Children wearing the uniform correctly present themselves superbly and it is easily the most attractive uniform in the city I believe. A smallish but tiresome group present themselves as being a touch above the rest by arriving in gym shoes or wearing a hoodie – I have a selection of black shoes and will be providing them for those who arrive wearing wrong ones. In exceptional circumstances, of course, a child may bring a note and be given a day dispensation for part of their uniform. As always, your support here is critical.

Mount Aspiring Trip

This bi-annual sports trip to Wanaka happens in the last week of the term and it appears the children are looking forward to it very much. It is, of course, a classic event and the billeting for the Year 8s adds a dimension few children get to experience these days. This will be a nice prelude to the Camp in late November for which organisation is nearly complete. Good times indeed.

Thanks

Finally many thanks for entrusting your child’s education to us. These adolescent years are exciting and sometimes a bit nerve-wracking I know. We have a great group of young people aboard and will continue to work hard with them (and you) to ensure they reach their full potential.

Best regards,

Mike Campbell, Assistant Principal,

mcampbell@kavanagh.school.nz