Having trouble seeing this email? View it online
Western Heights School  
Week 6 T4
 
 
 
 
Western Heights School
Our Vision
We are … Caring, Creative, Confident, Cognisant, Connecting, Contributing, Collaborative.
Our Mission
Our children love to learn to lead as they dream, grow, shine and reflect. 
Love                - ourselves - others - our world 
Learn about     - ourselves - others - our world 
Lead                - ourselves - others - in our world
Our Charter
 
 
 
Calendar of Events
Whanau Time is every second Friday in our hall, starting at 9:45 am sharp. Everyone is warmly welcomed to join us for these special WHS family occasions. Next Whanau Time - Friday 18 November. Rooms 10 and 22 hosting.
WHS Calendar
 
 
 
Friday 18/11
Whanau Time - rooms 10 and 22 hosting, 9:40 in hall. 
 
Friday 18/11
Last day for Calendar Orders, please help support this worthy project with a purchase (or two).
 
Thursday 24/11
Henderson Intermediate Kapa Haka performance for middle/senior school.
 
Friday 25/11
Junior School visit to Auckland Zoo.
 
 
Book Character Parade
 







Huge thanks to Julie Grant and Jessie Eyre for their hard work putting Book Week together - lots of planning, organisation and creative thought went into making this a very successful week.

In fact, so much enthusiasm was generated amongst children and staff, that we are going to have a mini book week each term next year.

Our Monday Morning Communication Meeting featured a spontaneous and quite joyous sharing of experiences related to reading to children from other classes. Mini Book Weeks will be all about us reading to other classes - so over four terms each teacher should have read to 20 different classes - another cool way to build our whanau relationships at WHS.

Our Book Week culminated on Friday with a Book Character Parade at 9am. 

Julie Grant coordinated this and did a great job. Julie wanted to acknowledge our senior school comperes who were very confident and competent. Jagger in particular looks to have a career ahead of him in this field.

Thank you everyone for your awesome support, creativity and enthusiasm.

I had over 800 photos to sort through, narrowing it down was therefore not easy.

 
 








 







 







 
 
WHS Athletics Sports Day(s)
 

The weather has not been as kind to us as we would have liked, however, we are always positive and hopeful, so fingers crossed for next week…

Monday 21 November from 9am until lunchtime is Middle and Senior School Athletics - part one.

Monday from 1:30pm is Junior School Athletics.

Tuesday afternoon 22 November from 1:30pm is Middle and Senior Athletics - part two. This will culminate in our annual staff vs students relay running race. We’d love to have a team of parents compete too - so don’t be shy when we ask for volunteers.

Hats, sunscreen, lunch and sports shoes would all be good.

 
 
Concerns and Complaints Policy 
 

Every year we share with you one of our key policies - Our Concerns and Complaints Policy.

Interestingly, when I did a google image search on this topic, pictures of Donald Trump came up first!

Our system is generally pretty simple - if you have a concern, where possible go directly to the person involved first.

So if you have a concern regarding your child and their classroom, go to their teacher first.

If you have a concern to do with the principal, come and see me and let me know.


There is a chain that we follow, if this first step doesn’t see the problem resolved.

If you went to the teacher, or if you really felt for some reason you could not, and therefore the issue remained an issue, the next step is to go to the Team Leader or Deputy Principal responsible for that area of our school.

Annette Pram will be team leader for year one from 2017.

Jenna Aalbers will be team leader for year three/four for 2017.

These are new appointments for next year and we will celebrate them early next year.

Lisa Pasalic is our team leader for year two.

Alannah Houben-Lupe is team leader for year five/six.


Adele Nummy is Deputy Principal with oversight of our Junior School - years one to two.

Jo-Ann Yukich is Deputy Principal with oversight of Middle and Senior School - years three to six.

If you feel the issue has still not been dealt with to your satisfaction, you can come and see me - my door is nearly always open and I am here to help.

I will ensure I understand your problem, take steps to address it as best as I can, and report back to you the outcomes. This last part - reporting back to you on the outcomes - is very important and is taken very seriously.


However, should you still not feel the issue has been resolved, or if the issue is with me and needs intervention to be addressed, you should put your concern in writing to our Board of Trustees.

An easy way to do so is to write to The Board Chairperson, Mark Sullivan, c/- Western Heights School. Letters addressed in this way will be left sealed until they are handed to Mark in time for review at a Board meeting. Issues sent to the Board in writing in this situation will be addressed by our Board "In Committee”. This means the discussion takes place in a closed session, the outcome will be minuted in “In Committee” minutes, and you will receive a personal response in writing from our Board as to the outcome or decision.


There is yet more. Should you still not be satisfied that your concern has been addressed properly, or feel your issue remains unresolved, or you feel  justice has not been done, you can contact the Ministry of Education and raise your concern with them.


All our policies are available to the public via a Google Site - home page is https://sites.google.com/a/westernheights.school.nz/whs-policies-procedures/home

The Concerns and Complaints Policy is found under the heading Nag 3. 


Finally, on the subject of Policies, we are moving to a new system for developing, reviewing and sharing all our school policies with our parent community. The system is called SchoolDocs, and is used by over 440 schools in New Zealand. Its awesome - I used it at my last school and our parents and Board loved it. We will send you more information on this soon.


If you would like any further clarification regarding any of the above, email me at macash@mac.com, or better yet, come and see me.

 
 
 
Photos From Jump Jam Nationals 








 
 
 
Skateboarding Day for Local Schools - At WHS 
 

Skateboarding is very popular at Western Heights and we have an awesome range of equipment to support our children to challenge themselves and learn new skills - in a safe and responsible way.

Last week we hosted visitors from a number of local schools, and a great deal of fun was had by all. Thanks to Navneet for the photos.


 

 
 
Holiday Season Calendars - Our Big WHS Fundraiser for 2016
 

As we did last year, we are again offering you the opportunity to purchase Christmas Calendars for the very reasonable price of only $10 each. 

Calendars will feature an art work by your child, and you have the choice of a one page whole year calendar, or a 12 page calendar, one month per page.

Examples shown from previous years.

 You are welcome to order as many calendars as you wish. A sample calendar is available to view in our office foyer and on our WHS web site under the News tab - http://goo.gl/JzC1r2

Orders and money need to be in as early as possible, to allow children time to produce the art work, and allow us time to laminate, bind and collate all the calendars.


Orders and money to your classroom teacher please.

As time is short - cut off date for all orders is TOMORROW Friday November 18. 

These calendars make ideal gifts for family members, particularly grandparents, family overseas and so on. As always, your support is much appreciated.

 
 
ChromeBooks and iPads for 2017
 








As you know, our teaching and learning programmes are enhanced and supported through the effective and efficient use of many different forms of technology tools. We focus on using our technologies to help us connect, collaborate, create and communicate. They support our Teaching As Inquiry approach.

They are not an end in themselves, but they can be (if well used) a big help in achieving the ends we seek.

Two years ago we offered parents the opportunity to purchase iPads through Western Heights School. Parents could pay off those iPads over a year or two, or even outright. We leased to own the iPads, and this allowed us to provide No Excess insurance - something that most parents would not have with their own insurance. It was a brilliant system and meant we were able to get a lot more technology into children’s hands - in a reasonably painless way for parents - than we could have if we were purchasing the devices ourselves. 

Unfortunately the Ministry will not allow us to run this system any more, so we cannot offer parents the opportunity to buy devices through WHS.

Ideally, we would like children to have their own device with their own learning on it. This is not realistic for all children though, which is why we provide devices also. As it stands, Western Heights School provides over 120 ChromeBooks and over 100 iPads for children to use. 

More and more Intermediate Schools and High Schools are going down the individual device pathway. So we have talked to two local companies - Noel Leeming and PB Tech both in Henderson - about offering a Hire Purchase option for iPads and/or ChromeBooks. They can offer very cheap accidental damage insurance, and a satchel or case if you wanted these as part of the package.

Our plan is to invite a representative from Noel Leeming to come along to school one evening soon and talk to any interested parents about what they offer.

This could tie in nicely with Christmas too I guess…    More info very soon.


Alannah did some research for me and this is what the schools we contribute do are asking:

St Dominics - (Years 7 - 10) 

Either a Chromebook, laptop or netbook.  It needs to be able to operate Google apps, have a battery that lasts at least 5 hours, able to connect to wireless networks and use Google Chrome Browser.  RAM - minimum 2GB (preferably 3 GB) for netbooks and laptops OR at least 16 GB (preferably 32 GB) for tablets.  (Other requirements asked of St Doms:  Sturdy enough for school use, under warranty and insured against loss or damage + it must have a protective case)

Liston College - 

A portable device – a laptop or tablet. 

Capable of connecting to the internet wirelessly

Have a battery that can last 6 or more hours

Capable of playing both sound and video

Have a web cam installed

If using a laptop this should have at least 2GB of RAM (4GB recommended) and at least a       

                250GB hard drive.

Glen Eden Intermediate

Chromebook:  16 GB.  RAM:  2 GB or higher.  Wifi:  802.11g or higher.  4+ hours - minimum battery life.  Protective case/cover + headphones.  HP or Acer brands.

Rangeview Intermediate

HP Notebook - RAM:  2 GB or higher.  Windows based.  32 GB drive.  

Waitakere College - (Year 9 upwards)  

ChromeBooks or laptops are recommended.   

 
 
C of the Week - Confident:
 







At Western Heights we currently focus on the Seven Cs - see poster picture at right.
One of those Cs is Confident.

Confident:

Self confidence is the ability to believe in yourself. To know that you are as worthy as anybody else, no matter what anyone else may say. We are all different, and we are all basically the same - we all have our strengths and weaknesses. Having self confidence means we can look in a mirror and like what we see.

Confidence is something we develop as we become more comfortable at trying things, regardless of if we are good at them or not.

Confidence is when we are comfortable being ourselves. 

Self confident children are better equipped to deal with peer pressure and responsibility. They are also better able to deal with strong emotions of all kinds, and to cope with challenges and frustrations when they arise.

Goal Setting Will Help Build Confidence

Goal setting builds confidence because it provides a measurable way of seeing how we're doing, and encourages building on success as we set 'next-step' goals. Achieving these goals, using the skills and knowledge we've accumulated on the way, reinforces and boosts confidence.

By having a realistic understanding of what we can do, we set up for success, and thus grow greater confidence.

A very important goal for us as parents and teachers is to try and help our  children gain self-confidence and self-worth. This helps our children develop mentally and emotionally. Self confidence helps our children develop life skills - such as a willingness to persevere, to be a responsible-risk-taker, a problem solver, a try-it-out-have-a-go person, and a question asker.

Here are 10 tips to help build self-confidence in your child:

1. Love your child. Your child needs to feel accepted and loved, beginning with the family and extending to other groups such as friends, schoolmates, sports teams, and community. Unconditional love builds a strong foundation for confidence.

2. Give praise where praise is due. It's important to give your child positive feedback but be realistic in your praise. Praise the effort, but don't unrealistically praise the results. Reassure your child that it's OK not to be able to do everything perfectly. Tell him that some things take repeated effort and practice - and sometimes it's OK to move on after you've given your best effort. 

3. Help your child set realistic goals. Guide your child to set reasonable goals to help avoid feelings of failure. If the goal is a stretch, discuss some reachable short-term steps along the path. 

4. Model self-love and positive self-talk. You must love yourself before you can teach your child to love him or herself. Celebrate your successes with your children. Talk about the skills and talents and efforts needed for you to achieve those accomplishments. In the same conversation, you can remind your child of the skills he or she possesses and how they can be developed and used.

5. Teach resilience. No one succeeds at everything all the time. There will be setbacks and failures, criticism and pain. Use these hurdles as learning experiences rather than dwelling on the events as failures or disappointments. The old adage, "Try, try, try again," has merit, especially in teaching kids not to give up. Children will learn that setbacks are a normal part of life and can be managed. If your child does poorly on a test, talk about what steps he can take to do better next time. When he does succeed, he will take pride in his accomplishment.

6. Instill independence and adventure. Self-confident children are willing to try new things without fear of failure. Set up situations where she can do things for herself and make sure the situation is safe - but then give her space. 

7. Encourage sports or other physical activities. They learn that they can practice, improve and achieve goals. Other benefits: they learn to recognise their strengths, accept or strengthen their weaknesses, handle defeat, expand their circle of friends and learn teamwork. Another confidence-boosting bonus: they stay fit and learn to respect their bodies. 

8. Support their pursuit of a passion. Everyone excels at something, and it's great when your child discovers that something. As a parent, respect and encourage your child's interests - even if they don't interest you. 

9. Set rules and be consistent. Children are more confident when they know who is in charge and what to expect. Even if your child thinks your rules are too strict, she will have confidence in what she can and can't do when you set rules and enforce them consistently. Every family will have different rules, and they will change over time based on your child's age. Whatever your family rules, be clear on what is important in your family. Learning and following rules gives children a sense of security and confidence. As children get older they may have more input on rules and responsibilities. But, it's important to remember that you are the parent - not a best friend. Someday when your child is feeling peer pressure, he or she may appreciate having the foundation and confidence to say, "No, I can't do that.”

10. Coach relationship skills. Confidence in relationships is key to your child's self-confidence. As a parent, it's not your role to "fix" every situation, but rather to teach your child the compassion, kindness, self-assertiveness and confidence to handle the ups and downs of relationships.


 
 
Growth Mindset - How To Be Confident
 







Confidence is made up of the degree to which you believe in your skills (known as ‘self-efficacy’) and your positive outlook on life (known as ‘optimism’). 

 Some of the benefits of having a healthy and positive sense of confidence include:

  • Feeling more positive about being able to achieve your goals.
  • Being able to set realistic, achievable goals and standards that are not too low (e.g. not challenging or satisfying enough) or too high (e.g. unachievable in a short period of time, being overly perfectionistic, etc).
  • Being able to ask for help when you need it.
  • Being able to tackle challenges and obstacles, rather than avoiding them.
  • Being able to “bounce back” from setbacks (otherwise known as ‘resilience’) and learn from them.
  • Being able to acknowledge the hard work and merit involved in your own successes.
  • Being able to enjoy and be interested in learning rather than driven by fear of failure and/or perfectionism. 

To foster a growth mindset, you can:

  • Praise your child for effort, concentration and good strategies – not for talent, ability or intelligence
  • Praise should be intermittent and should relate to specific processes and tasks e.g. when praising one of your child’s drawing say something like “I like that shade of green” or “tell me how you did this” instead of simply saying “that is really good”. Praising too regularly can result in your child  developing a dependence i.e. if you do not say “well done”, they believe they are not achieving anything 
  • Encourage your child to set LEARNING goals, not PERFORMANCE goals
  • Give constructive feedback which challenges your child to acknowledge mistakes and learn from them i.e. avoid simply saying “you’ll do better next time”
  • Try to help your child see that set backs are a normal part of the learning process and that problems can be solved
  • Encourage your child to ‘think outside the box’ and to experiment with new ways of solving problems 
  • Regularly give examples of people displaying a Growth Mindset (e.g. tell stories about people overcoming difficulty, working hard to achieve a goal or finding a creative solution to solve a problem). Include stories about yourself!

As suggested above, you can increase your child’s levels of confidence and resilience by placing a greater emphasis on praising effort, rather than ability.  Doing this is more likely to result in positive outcomes for him/her in all areas of their life, as well as in relation to their learning.  For example,

Praising ability can:

• Change your child’s mindset from growth to fixed.

• Encourage your child to create performance goals (e.g. focusing on what grade they get) and display a helpless response when faced with challenges.

• Undermine your child’s motivation and willingness to take risks.

• Sometimes result in some children lying about what results they get in exams.

Praising effort, however, is more likely to:

• Encourage your child to adopt a growth mindset

• Encourage your child to create learning goals and tackle setbacks.

• Increase your child’s motivation and success.

When you see people that appear “self-confident” and wish you were more like them, remember this: They may have the same fears and insecurities that you do. Fifteen minutes before you saw them they may have been sitting alone doing self-talk to get up the courage to do what you are seeing them do now. Some of the people that appear confident in public are very insecure in private.  They are just really good actors, and their desire for accomplishment is greater than their fear of failure.







 
 
Parking at the Palomino Shops
 

Folks, I don’t know what to say or what to do…

I feel for you all in terms of finding a park - it’s all but impossible.

I can’t open up our fields due to safety issues in the staff car park and the fact that our grounds are a bog. There are no more parks available to us anywhere else. 

But the option parents are taking of using the Palomino Shops carpark is causing a lot of angst and frustration. We have parents parking on yellow lines, parking where there are no parks, or sitting in valid parking spaces for quite a long time in order to “book their place”. We receive an angry complaint by phone or email pretty much every week - sometimes more often. Today the local paper wants to do a story on this issue. 

Elderly folks needing to get to the Doctor or the Chemist or just to get some urgent supplies, are unable to get a park and get to these businesses. It is not good and not fair to them.


The only Plan B I can think of is park further down the road, or come at 3:10pm as the big rush is gone by then. A bit of a walk is awesome for your child, the occasional drop of rain will not give them pneumonia and it would do so much to alleviate parking problems and safety issues.

The little bit of extra exercise could be seen as a bonus - no gym costs - for both children and parents.
Your thoughts, help and understanding all appreciated.

 
 
Palomino SuperValue - Your Local Supermarket
 

Palomino SuperValue will hold their annual SuperValue Xmas in the Carpark celebration on Friday 9 December from 3pm onwards.

It will be an even bigger one this year, still  with the usual bouncy castle, face painting, ballonist, free food giveaways, Notorious Dance Company performers, BBQ by the Harcourts and more.

So a special shout out to Western Heights School Staff and kids to come over and be part of this event for the Local Community in appreciation for the continued support to Palomino SuperValue - your Local…

 
 
 
You Should Be Able to Download the Entry as a PDF - See Below


 
 
 
Scholastic Book Club
 

Brochures went out this week.  Orders close on Friday 25 November.  Please make cheques payable to Scholastic New Zealand.

 
 
 
 
 
   
 
 
  I Teach...
 
 
 
  Teachers Are…Us
 
 
 
 
 
Thoughtful Thursday
If people are talking behind your back, be happy that you are the one in front. 
 
 
 
 
 


 
 
 
  Dog Poetry  
 
 
Welcome to our Newest Western Heights Whanau
 


The warmest of warm Western Heights welcome to
Javier Davey.
We are delighted to have you join our Western Heights whanau and hope and trust you all feel right at home here, are happy, and Loving, Learning and Leading.

 
 
 
Unsubscribe                                         Update Email Address  
Western Heights School
126 Sturges Road
Henderson
Auckland 0612
P -  09 8361213
M - 021 779 009
 
 
 
 
 
© [2016] Western Heights School
Share on FacebookTwitterForward to a Friend                 







 
Direct Mail for Mac This email is powered by Direct Mail for Mac. Learn MoreReport Spam