| | Love - ourselves - others - our world Learn about - ourselves - others - our world Lead - ourselves - others - in our world We Love to Learn so we can Learn to Lead so we can Lead with Love | |
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| | | | Full School Assembly - Whanau Time 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 17 November. Rooms 7 and 16 hosting. Our last Whanau Time for the year will be on Friday December 8 - rooms 8 and 22 hosting. | | | |
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| | Calendar of Events through to Final Day: | | | |
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| | Please Note - I am away at a conference from Tuesday to Friday next week. I apologise I am not therefore available to carry out the most important aspects of my job next week - playing Dance Party music at lunchtime, welcome parents of our brand new five year olds, farewelling our beautiful children each day and giving High Fives (and or hugs) to everyone I meet. | |
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| | Chromebooks Opportunity for 2018: | |
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| | When we began investigating options to get one to one devices into children’s hands as cheaply as possible for parents, we discovered a high school that is doing exactly what we had planned to do. There was no indication that we could not do what we were planning. Sadly last week we received word from national auditors that it is not legal to do what we are proposing - paying half the cost but not owning any assets. This is hugely frustrating and disappointing for us. | |
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| | We are now trying very hard to come up with a different way to support families who want to purchase devices for their children. It does seem the best we can aim for at this point is increased access for our year five and six students. We will get back to you as soon as we have some new information. My sincere apologies for this unforeseen turn of events. | |
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| | Huge Thanks to Our Leadership Team: | |
| | For the past six months we have operated with one Deputy Principal. This time last year we had three. That we have been able to function so smoothly and well is testament to the awesome Leadership team and staff team we have at Western Heights. After Mrs Yukich’s sudden resignation, everyone just got on with the job and picked up additional roles and responsibilities and made sure everything carried on as usual. Our team leaders - Alannah Lupe-Houben, Jenna Aalbers, Lisa Pasalic and Annette Pram - have had more opportunities to work together, more opportunities to take on responsibility and more opportunities grow their skills and knowledge. We are very pleased, proud and happy the way they have grown in confidence and expertise.
Adele Nummy is a tower of strength in our school and we can never thank her enough for all she does. She is now our First DP, meaning in my absence she becomes the principal. One of the first things I did after starting here was appoint her to the role of third DP. In a very short space of time she has moved from senior teacher to (for a period of time in 2018) acting principal.
I will be away for either the second or third term of next year, and I know I will be leaving Western Heights in wonderful hands during my term of absence. (More about that next week).
As per the article below, we are adding a second Deputy Principal to our team for 2018. More on Teresa below, but one thing I can share here is that one of her key roles will be as a Growth Coach to support our team leaders to grow their own leadership skills, as well as learn more about how to grow leadership within their teams. Teresa will also support our children in the Growth Coaching process, helping them to become more independent, reflective and capable as learners and leaders. Exciting times are ahead. | |
| | Welcome to Our New Deputy Principal Teresa Hannard: | |
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| | | | After an incredibly thorough process, our appointments panel selected Teresa Hannard as our new Deputy Principal. We were fortunate to have a large and very experienced field with applicants who had Deputy Principal and even Principal experience. One applicant really stood out from the outset though, and that was Teresa. More on Teresa and her roles here soon, but for now, here is Teresa’s message to our parent community. Hi everyone, I’m Teresa and I am extremely excited to be joining the Western Heights team in 2018. I am currently in my fifth year at Titirangi Primary School where my roles include, year 6 team leader, sports coordinator and Community of Learning lead teacher. Previous to this role, I taught year 8 at Glen Eden Intermediate where I also set up the radio station TNT. | | | |
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| | I've worked overseas in Korea for six months and Bangkok for three and a half years at an International school right by the river. Previous to this I taught across a wide range of year levels at Ohinewai Primary School in Huntly. I am married and have a daughter, Chloe, who will be joining me at Western Heights. She is also extremely excited about her new school and I cannot wait for her to experience all of the opportunities Western Heights has to offer. | |
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| | Jump Jam Nationals - Such an Awesome Effort and So Close: | |
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| | Last Friday we Live Streamed our Whanau Time Full School Assembly. Family members in England were able to watch their granddaughter perform live on the other side of the world - pretty darn cool!
Sadly we couldn’t film the live performance of our Jump Jam Crew as licensing rules do not allow video to be recorded or posted. I can assure you though, our girls were once again absolutely awesome. | |
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| | Walker Learning - Learning Through Structured Play: | |
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| | | | We are really proud of the way our junior team have taken to the adoption and adaption of the Walker Learning Approach this year. The idea is to give our youngest children the opportunity to engage in meaningful, structured play. While doing so, they are fully engaged and enthused and so talk about what they are doing. Often they get into role-play situations and talk in role. From this comes opportunity to find out more about things they become interested in through their play. This leads to reading, research, discussion and writing. It’s a great programme and is making a real difference - especially for our boys who often don’t talk as much or as readily as girls. | | | |
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| | It’s a mistake to believe that creativity is an inherent ability that some people have in plenty while others have little. Those are the thoughts of either self-doubters or people who struggle with explaining how to be creative. There are people who are gifted with a natural attunement to creative thinking, just as there are gifted athletes, scientists, and teachers, but dedicated study and practice can hone one’s creativity. Creativity is a fluid and flexible process. Sometimes the best way to make something new is to muck around. Accept that the first, second, or nth round or draft may not be what is wanted. It’s a messy process. In the act of doing, we find pieces that become the foundation of the product that is eventually shaped. Some years ago I was very privileged to meet Sir Ken Robinson. He is an international speaker and writer of considerable renown. He has written many books, the following are well worth reading… | |
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| | “Finding Your Element: How to Discover Your Talents and Passions and Transform Your Life" - 2013
“Creative Schools: The Grassroots Revolution That’s Transforming Education" - 2015
“Out of Our Minds: Learning to be Creative" - 2001
“You, Your Child, and School: Navigate Your Way to the Best Education" - 2018
“Creativity involves breaking out of established patterns in order to look at things in a different way.” —Edward de Bono
“Creativity is a wild mind & a disciplined eye.” —Dorothy Parker
“Creativity is the process of having original ideas that have value. It is a process; it’s not random.” —Sir Ken Robinson
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| | Ideas About Where Learning Is Heading: | |
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| | One thing we do know, we are entering a time of exponential change. A time when AI (Artificial Intelligence) and Robotics will change everything. In this evolving world, our best advantage and opportunity lies in developing and enhancing that which makes us uniquely human. It is one reason why at WHS we place so much emphasis on values and growing caring, connected and contributing citizens. | | | |
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| | Reminder - Term 4 is a Hats On Outside Term: | | | |
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| | Love Our Community - Dancing For A Cure at WHS | | | |
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| | Congratulations to Stacey for her awesome efforts in support of Dance for A Cure - she writes I just want to say a huge thank you for letting us use the Western Heights hall for the Cure Kids Fundraiser. The day was super successful with around 70 kids taking part and having a great time !
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| | White’s Beach - North of Piha | |
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| | White’s Beach is a local treasure, hard to get to but once you do, you are set for the day. Whites is a small beach located to the North of Piha. The headland between North Piha and White’s Beach, the Te Waha point, was the site of one of Piha’s pa. Today, this small headland, surrounded by steep cliffs, is the home to grey-faced petrels, which nest in the ground around the roots of pohutukawa. The spot is so iconic that even the family of Sir Edmund Hillary still have a bach there. It’s said that Sir Ed used the steep west coast tracks to prepare for his mountain climbing adventures. The hills of Piha now play host to the Hillary trail, in honour of our beloved pioneer. How to get there: White’s Beach is reached either by climbing the Laird Thomson Track which runs off Kohunui Bay at the end of North Piha, or by taking the Marawhara Walking track. | |
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| | | The roundest knight at King Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference.
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| | Welcome to our Newest Western Heights Whanau | |
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| | The warmest of warm Western Heights welcomes to Olive Dodd, Shanaya Sinha, Aria-Hana Hirovanna, Paige Meredith and Jeremiah Vastag. 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. | |
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