principal's pen 1

11
1 Wellesley College Newsletter # 1 Monday February 9 th 2015

Upload: wellesley-college

Post on 07-Apr-2016

224 views

Category:

Documents


2 download

DESCRIPTION

 

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Principal's pen 1

1

Wellesley College Newsletter # 1 Monday February 9th 2015

Page 2: Principal's pen 1

2

Dear Parents, Our staff have been busy preparing the programme for Term 1 and it promises to be active and engaging for the boys. It is wonderful to have the boys back at school and in class. Many teachers have commented how nice it is to see the fine young men of Wellesley back in the school grounds, making new friends and learning new skills. Classrooms have been particularly vibrant and most of the boys I speak to ‘love’ being back. It’s a special place that lends itself to boys being boys. I must pay tribute to the wonderful start to the year that attests to all the hard work completed by our administration and teaching staff in preparation for the first week. My sincere thanks goes to all members of the team who made the first day such a welcoming and warm environment. My thanks also extends to the boys and families who make our world richer by allowing us time with them at Wellesley. I would like to extend a very special welcome to all our new families. We had a large number of new boys in each year group who bring their own skills and talents that we will value as dearly as returning boys from last year. We have a number of events in coming weeks and I encourage parents to make an effort to open lines of communication with our staff to ensure your son has the support needed to succeed. Thank you to all those families who updated their contact details using the emailed link last week or via the school office. We need to be sure that all contact details for parents and boys are up to date before the Wellesley Class Directory can be produced. It is very important for us to update your son’s emergency and medical details. If your son has a chronic condition and may need Wellesley College to administer medication, please contact the school office for the relevant form. It is a parental responsibility to ensure medication is current and not past its use by date. At the first school assembly I spoke to the staff and boys about some important points. These included taking pride in Wellesley and their uniform, so in class, at the start of school, in assembly and Chapel boys should have ties up, socks up and shirts in. I spoke of manners and using common courtesy such as a simple please or thank you, good morning or afternoon, and most of all I explained that I want the boys to engage in their learning and have fun with their schooling. We have a few new staff members joining us at the start of the year. We welcome Mrs Cole who joins class 6C as part of our support teacher team. In our finance department we have Mrs Colleen de Boer who will be replacing Mrs Pam Graham. Mrs de Boer will be providing a temporary arrangement in this department for the foreseeable future. Also Mrs Laurel Makowem returns to assist us with Foundation matters and school events. Many of you may know Mrs Makowem from her work last year. Finally, I am thrilled and excited to be here at Wellesley and I look forward to meeting with parents at our school events in the near future.

Page 3: Principal's pen 1

3

SCHOOL CALENDAR The school calendar is updated daily with events and information on the school intranet site - http://www.wellesley.school.nz/calendar Note that there is no need to log on, just click on the quick links or Public Pages tab for the Calendar.

School Picnic – Friday February 13th Pack up a hamper and join us for this fun event. The aim of the evening is to provide an opportunity for families and staff to socialise in an informal way. The evening will be unstructured with the teachers present but ‘off duty’ regarding supervision of the children.

Please report to the Centennial Hall when you arrive and you will be given a name tag. New parents will be identified by way of a red dot on their label, so please introduce yourself and make our new parents feel welcome.

We will have the field marked so the various Year groups can be together and thus aid socialising with families who have boys of similar age.

The school pool will be open and hopefully the evening will be warm enough for swimming in the sea as well. Children will need adult supervision during any of these activities. Apart from using the toilets, we would be grateful if children remain outdoors. You are welcome to park in front or behind the school but, please do not park on the quad adjacent to the Junior School. STAFF

We will be farewelling Pam Graham later this month. Pam has worked on our accounts for the last 12 years in an upstairs office in Days Bay House quietly getting on making sure we met all our financial obligations. She will be missed for her desire to do a great job and her fun loving nature. Pam will continue to work alongside her replacement, Collen de Boer until the end of February.

We were thrilled to read Paddianne Neely’s name, (Wellesley’s Archivist since 1997) in the NEW ZEALAND NEW YEAR HONOURS LIST 2015. Paddianne has been involved with colleges, records archives and displays for 37 years, and was responsible for the outstanding display of archives at Wellesley during the Centenary weekend. Paddianne has also spent many years assisting her husband (Don Neely) with publications, displays and research for NZ International Cricket as well as decoration and displays at the Basin Reserve, Eden Park and the Westpac Stadium. Paddianne was awarded with The Queen's Service Medal.

Kate Sinclair and her husband Tom Gay are delighted to announce the birth of their daughter, Elise Maisey Ann Gay. Born 25th of January, weighing a healthy 8.4 pounds. All are doing well.

Page 4: Principal's pen 1

4

Senior Syndicate Leader: Mr Murray Blandford

Year Group Teacher

Year7N Michelle Norton

Year 7M John Mackie

Year 7/8B Sarah Bleier

Year 7/8T Andrew Tait

Year 8B Murray Blandford

Year 8P Tim Parkes

Middle Syndicate Leader: Mr Tony Orbell

Year Group Teacher

Year4C Michelle Colley

Year 4T Christine Trummer

Year 5P Chris Parker

Year 5S Veronica Stevens

Year 6C Carolyn Currington

Year 6L Chevon O’Leary

Year 6O Tony Orbell

Junior Syndicate Leader and Associate Principal: Mrs Alison Garland

Year Group Teacher

Year 1 Yvonne Odinot/Deirdre van Beynen

Year 2 Glen Jorna

Year 3 Alison Garland

Resource Teachers

Teacher Role

Steve Girvan (Deputy Principal – Maths, Curriculum Co-ordinator, Thinking Skills and Pastoral Care)

Ross Hampton (Head of e-Learning, Senior Maths)

Mary-Anne Morgan

(Performing Arts and Literacy Resource Teacher)

Anne Familton (Reading Recovery and Literacy Resource Teacher)

Ruth Hooke (Performing Arts)

Eve Owen (Art)

Jane Kent (Library)

Darren Houston (PE/Sport/Outdoor Education)

Jo Hawthorne (Science and Technology)

Administration Team

Name Roll

Karen Reid

PA to the Principal

Anne England

School Administrator

Margie Beattie

Development Manager

Laurel Makowem

Development Office Support

Colleen de Boer

Accounts

Fiona Donnelly

Uniform Shop

Teresa Davidson

School Canteen

Rachel Seymour

School Canteen

Gerard Maarhuis

Caretaker

Teacher Support

Name

Kate Cole

Jackie Gray

Sue Jones

Janice Meo

Seb Morton (GAP Tutor)

Brenda Nisbet

Details of class teachers are listed below. For those of you who are new to Wellesley, the school is divided into three Syndicates;

Page 5: Principal's pen 1

5

Staff Email Addresses and Extension Numbers

We have a direct dial option for your convenience. The number is 562 8030 followed by the extension number of the person you wish to contact. (see page 9 for extensions and email addresses) Staff and I request that you make contact with your son or his teacher for important calls only.

For obvious reasons, staff do not wish to be interrupted whilst teaching BUT WILL ENDEAVOUR TO RETURN YOUR CALL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. It is not appropriate to call a boy to the phone during class time unless circumstances permit.

FOR ANY CHANGES OF TRANSPORT ARRANGEMENTS IT IS ABSOLUTELY CRITICAL THAT YOU DON’T RELY ON LEAVING A PHONE MESSAGE as in the hurly burly of a teaching day, we can’t guarantee the messages will be cleared before 3.30pm. Calls that require immediate attention are best handled by the office (562 8030). As always we are here to help but I appreciate your co-operation in this regard.

CANCELLATION LINE

This line is updated if an event is cancelled or postponed. Direct Dial: 576 2279.

ABSENTEES

If your son is absent please notify us before 9.00am by ringing the absentee line 562 8030 and press 2.

TRANSPORT Steve Girvan is in charge of transport operations. If you have any queries or concerns please contact him on 562 8030 ext 805 or email [email protected] If your son will be catching the bus and you have not notified the office, please do so as soon as possible. It is important that the office be aware of your son’s travel arrangements for the term and we appreciate your co-operation in this regard. A copy of the Bus and Ferry Code will be sent out to all families. Please read through the Code with your son(s), sign in the appropriate place and return the form to your son’s teacher.

CIVIL DEFENCE MUFTI DAY Each year we ask the boys to bring two cans of food and a container of bottled water to school to use in case of a Civil Defence Emergency. In the event of a serious disaster there may even be a need to keep the boys overnight. We need to be prepared. Boys can come to school in mufti this Friday 13th February if they bring the cans and water.

GAP TUTOR A big thank you to the Karagedikli family (Efe Y4) who hosted Seb our GAP Tutor throughout Term 4. In term of 2015 Seb will be hosted by the Makowem’s (Daniel Y6).

As usual we are seeking host families for later this year and next so please consider this experience. If you would like to find out more about being involved in this hosting programme, please give Steve Girvan a call.

LOST PROPERTY

Lost property at school is always a time and money waster. A large proportion of lost property is usually unnamed. If property, especially clothing, is not named it does make our job of finding the owner almost impossible. To help your child and us please ensure all property is clearly named - clothing labels are available through the Uniform Shop. Monitors will be in charge of all lost property and will ensure that named property is returned to the owner. All unnamed property will be displayed at performing assemblies and any items left unclaimed will be given to the uniform shop to sell as second hand stock. We do not carry Personal Effects Insurance for boys’ possessions. This is the responsibility of families. Valuable or precious items should not be brought to school. We cannot take responsibility for these items. Of course, we will always do our best to ensure the children care for their and others’ property.

Page 6: Principal's pen 1

6

UNIFORM/PRESENTATION STANDARDS

The Uniform Shop will be open on Tuesdays from 8.30am - 10.30am and on Thursdays from 12.30pm - 3.30pm.

Foot wear - black school shoes or black sandals.

All children require an old shirt (Mum’s or Dad’s) to wear over their uniforms for art.

Black shorts are compulsory for PE. (Years 4 - 8 only).

Hats - there are only two types available from the Uniform Shop and they are the Legionnaire style and the cricket

floppy style.

Boxer shorts are not regulation school wear.

All children need sun hats in Term 1.

We also expect the boys to wear their school uniform with pride, in school and out, but particularly during formal occasions such as Chapel services and in the public arena including when travelling to and from school. Hair should be kept tidy, of a reasonable length and the boy’s natural colour. We encourage the boys’ exercise books to be durasealed and for them to take pride in their books.

EOTC, PE AND SPORT 2015

The first PE focus this term is swimming. The boys will be swimming at least twice a week in the school pool or the sea so they will need to have the appropriate “togs” at school on their designated swimming days. Boys can wear swim shirts and any other appropriate gear like caps and goggles. Wharf jumping is set aside for the Year 6, 7 and 8 boys where mufti togs are acceptable. This allows these boys to have the appropriate school togs for PE sessions. Later in the month the boys will be readying themselves for our School Swimming Sports which are to be held on Friday 6th March (all years apart from Year 6) and Tuesday 10th March (Year 6). Boys in Y7 and Y8 started trialing for the Softball, Tennis VIII, 1st and 2nd XI Cricket teams in the first week. A 3rd XI Cricket team and a 2nd Tennis VIII may also be chosen for fixtures if opposing schools have enough players. The tennis ladder also commenced at this time and the Tuesday after school tennis for the top 20 boys (‘A’ ladder) will start this week. The boys will be told in advance what days their trials will be. They will be conducted on a class by class basis. The middle syndicate started their first sport session on Tuesday 3rd February. Year 6 boys have cricket as an option. Basically, this is a development year where they develop their skills and the top players are selected for any fixtures that can be arranged. The boys involved will be given all the relevant information. Year 6 boys have the opportunity to enjoy tennis at breaks, lunch times and sport sessions during the first term. The school has safety concerns with the size and number of cricket bags that have come to school on the buses and ferry in the past. Therefore, the boys are allowed to bring their own cricket bats, box and gloves on practice and trial days but not the cricket bags and bulky items. The school will provide any other gear required. An exception is made for inter-school fixtures but it is hoped the majority of gear can go with any parents watching. Large tennis bags are also not to come in on the buses and ferry. The boys not involved in sports teams will participate in a range of different sporting activities. The coaches aim to give the boys every opportunity to show their skills when trialing for teams. Selecting teams is a difficult job and there will always be disappointed boys when teams are named. We are fortunate to have so many talented sporting boys at Wellesley so competition for places is strong. We have tried, with some success, to increase the number of teams and sporting opportunities over recent years to cater for the demand. We will endeavour to do this, where possible, during the year ahead. Just a reminder that boys are required to wear sunhats from day one of this term. Boys without sunhats will not be able to go outside and play at lunch time, nor partake in outside PE (Physical Education) or sport sessions. We would also ask that parents ensure that their son has his correct PE gear and that on days that they have PE or sport that they do not wear boxer shorts to school. Plain black tennis shorts are available from the uniform shop and can be used for PE and sport. Wellesley caps are available for tennis players and the senior softball team. Outside of these two activities white floppy hats (Year 4 – 8) or blue legionnaire’s hats (juniors) are required. The majority of the school will be involved in some form of camping experience over the first half of the term. The camps are designed to gradually expose the boys to new and challenging activities while building confidence and relationships with their peers. Camp information will come via your son’s classroom teacher.

Page 7: Principal's pen 1

7

I recommend new parents go to the Sport Admin link and read the general information which provides an overview. Any changes to dates will be changed on the Ultranet calendar if known prior to the event. Postponements and cancellations can be accessed through the phone line (576 2279 or ext. 810). If you have any other queries I recommend you email the teacher/coach or me.

Darren Houston

Arts Report

Wellesley offers vocal tuition as well as tuition on the following instruments to students in Years 5-8: Clarinet, recorder, saxophone, flute, piano, keyboard, violin, drums, trumpet, trombone. Notes regarding music tuition will be given to boys in the first week of school. Please return the notes to your son’s class teacher or Mrs Morgan. Extra copies of the note are available from the school office. Parents will be contacted directly by the instrumental tutor concerned within the first three weeks of school. Please note that waitlists for drums and guitar are usually quite long. If your son is very keen to learn drums or guitar you might want to consider tuition outside school hours. Your local music store can usually help with names of tutors working in your area. A school instrumental group/orchestra will start in Term 2. This will be open to any boy who has reached the required standard on a musical instrument, which is generally about Grade 2 or 3 level. If in doubt please see Mrs Morgan. The form the group takes will depend on the particular strengths of the boys. We are fortunate to have the skills of tutor Simon Brew assisting in this area. Simon is a highly qualified musician and conductor. Boys in Y6-8 who are interested in joining the choir will be invited to ‘trial’ in weeks 2 and 3 of Term 1. Boys are able to audition in pairs and do not need to prepare a piece to sing in advance, although if they have one they would like to sing they are most welcome!

MaryAnne Morgan

MAINTAINING STANDARDS

Wellesley is a very happy place to grow and to learn. We actively promote care and concern for others. We expect the boys to be kind and respectful to their school mates. Our golden rule of ‘treat others as you wish to be treated’ is a mantra. Our Chapel theme for Term 1 is ‘Having Purpose’. The key ‘Habit of the Mind’ we will be promoting this term is ‘Listening with Understanding and Empathy’. This HOM connects well with the NZ Curriculum key competency of Relating to Others. As we all know these attitudes and skills are very important to achieving personal best outcomes and individual well-being and respect. I regularly speak about the immense importance of recognising that creating an educated, healthy and well-rounded adult is a long and slow process and does not come about through pressure cooking your children nor getting so involved in their lives that you try and solve all their problems for them (worrying yourself sick in the process). Wendy Mogel is a very experienced clinical psychologist, author and public speaker. Her strong advice to parents is to leave some potential for adulthood. She says too often we expect our children to fulfil their potential by age eight. Her basic argument is to be careful not to burn out children and allow them to struggle sometimes — as how else will they learn to solve their own problems and become independent. This empowerment is fundamental to developing a child’s self-belief. Our challenge is to get the balance right! Brendan Pitman Principal

Page 8: Principal's pen 1

8

Key Dates for Term 1

Week Day and Date Event

1

Monday February 2

School Starts Tuesday February 3 Y1-3 Parent Evening 7.00pm (Junior School)

Y4-8 Parent Evening 7.30pm (Centennial Hall first, then

classrooms)

Friday February 6 Waitangi Day (school closed)

2

Monday February 9 Y4-8 Goal Setting Interview week starts.

Friday February 13 School Picnic 6.00pm

3

Monday February 16 Y8 Castlepoint Camp (5 days)

Y7 Outdoor Education (2 days)

Wednesday February 18 Y4 and 5 Camp on site (3 days)

Thursday February 19 Junior School Fishing and Sleepover at Wellesley

4 Monday February 23 Year 1 + 3 Goal Setting Interview Week

5

Monday March 2 Newsletter 2

Wednesday March 4 Year 6 Camp Kaitoke (3 days)

Friday March 6

Year 4 and 5 Swimming Sports (School Pool) 10.45am Year 7 and 8 1.00pm Eastbourne Pool Year 1-3 1.30pm School Pool

6 Monday March 9 Parents’ Association AGM

Tuesday March 10 Year 6 Swimming Sports 1.00pm Eastbourne Pool

7 Wednesday March 18 New Parents Drinks 6.30pm

8 Friday March 27 Wellesley Community Golf Tournament

9 Thursday April 2 Term 1 Ends

TERM DATES 2015

Term 1 Monday February 2nd to Thursday 2nd April

Term 2 Monday April 20th to Friday 26th June

Term 3 Monday July 20th to Friday 25th September

Term 4 Monday October 12th to 11th December

Page 9: Principal's pen 1

9

STAFF CONTACT DETAILS 2015 Direct dial: 562 8030 followed by the extension number.

Cancellations: 562 8030 ext 810 Absentees: 562 8030 Press 2

Name Phone Ext Email Address

Alison Garland 848 [email protected]

Andrew Tait 816 [email protected]

Anne Irwin 800 [email protected]

Anne Familton 853 [email protected]

Brenda Nisbet 844 [email protected]

Brendan Pitman 802 c/- [email protected]

Carolyn Currington 851 [email protected]

Chevon O’Leary 837 [email protected]

Chris Parker 849 [email protected]

Christine Trummer 841 [email protected]

Darren Houston 832 [email protected]

Deirdre van Beynen 845 [email protected]

Eve Owen 852 [email protected]

Fiona Donnelly 808 [email protected]

Garth Johnson 836 [email protected]

Gerard Maarhuis 806 [email protected]

Glen Jorna 847 [email protected]

Hilary Fiennes 823 [email protected]

Jane Kent 807 [email protected]

Janice Meo 829 [email protected]

Jo Hawthorne 833 [email protected]

Jon Mackie 821 [email protected]

Karen Reid 802 [email protected]

Laurel Makowem 835 [email protected]

Margie Beattie 818 [email protected]

Mary-Anne Morgan 817 [email protected]

Michelle Colley 842 [email protected]

Michelle Norton 850 [email protected]

Murray Blandford 820 [email protected]

Rachel Seymour 811 [email protected]

Ross Hampton 814 [email protected]

Ruth Hooke 817 [email protected]

Sarah Bleier 843 [email protected]

Seb Morton * [email protected]

Steve Girvan 805 [email protected]

Sue Jones 845 [email protected]

Teresa Davidson 811 [email protected]

Tim Parkes 813 [email protected]

Tony Orbell 822 [email protected]

Veronica Stevens 840 [email protected]

Yvonne Odinot 845 [email protected]

Page 10: Principal's pen 1

10

PUBLIC NOTICES

Please note that notices posted in this section of the Principal’s Pen have not necessarily been vetted by Wellesley College. We therefore advise that if you are interested in any of the services

advertised that you check them out yourself.

Our internationally acclaimed Life Skills programme for children (5-17yrs) encompasses a huge body of developmental drama to enhance Confidence and Creativity, Communication,

Presentation Skills, Public speaking, Performance skills CLASSES ARE HELD IN: Khandallah, Lower Hutt, Whitby, Hataitai, Tawa

MAKE THE CALL NOW, ON (04) 3889710 www.helenogrady.co.nz

Arts a Go Go! Performing Arts School for Kids @ The Spot, Upper Hutt (and some classes in Tawa too!)

Award winning classes including performing arts combo classes of dance, drama and singing, drama

only classes, Irish Dancing and Little Mozarts Pre-school Music. Classes for babies right through to

teenagers, including advanced drama. We now also offer a fun adults dance class! For more details,

please see www.artsagogo.co.nz, find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/artsagogo, email

[email protected] or text or ring 021 144 1641.

Major Minors Children’s Choir A non-auditioned children’s community choir whose purpose is to help children have fun and improve their singing in a group setting. Rehearsals are on Sundays at 3pm at the Spot in Upper Hutt. For further information please contact Joanne on 526-3091 or [email protected]. You can also check out our website at majorminors.instantencore.com

Karori Junior Hockey - Save the Date The five pre-season training sessions for juniors will begin on Sun 8th February 2015, followed by trials

during March. Save the date now and visit www.kjhc.org.nz/2015-season-information/ for full details.

Registrations open in January.

Fencing at Hutt Valley Swords Club for all ages. Contact Susan Tel: 04-9383090, Mob: 021-0276

1922, Email: [email protected]

Susan is both an experienced teacher and fencing coach. The sessions are fun and participants always

achieve growth in personal development while developing excellent fencing skills.

Page 11: Principal's pen 1

11

2015 Golf Tournament - HOLD THE DATE IN YOUR CALENDAR

The very popular biennial Wellesley Golf Tournament is to be held on Friday 27th March at the Boulcotts Farm Heritage Golf Club, Lower Hutt. This event is renowned for being a great day out -from novice players to single handicappers it’s a great opportunity to meet the wider Wellesley community.

The format will be an Ambrose Competition with teams of 4 and an array of other on-course competitions, entertainment and refreshments. The golf tournament will be followed by dinner in the club house, prize giving and an auction. All funds raised on the day will go toward the Wellesley Scholarships -promising futures for boys, specifically the Parents’ Association Scholarship. Sponsorship opportunities are also available including the option of sponsoring a hole and any sponsorship support would be greatly appreciated. For further information on sponsorship

opportunities and the tournament please contact [email protected]

Further details about the tournament and how to register will be communicated next week.

Golf Tournament 2013-The Eastwick and Leckie father and son teams