We have re-worked the Values we used to focus on and now call them CHALLENGES.  This reflects the fact that they are a challenge to do well, to achieve, and to keep achieving.

We focus on a different Challenge every 5 weeks and they are also reported in reports:

Original and Independent Thinker:
* Will generally look beyond the obvious
* Responds in a way that appropriately challenges their own and others thinking
* Create new ideas and thoughts and can justify their opinion

Accepting risks and taking challenges:
* Manages physical risks and takes appropriate actions
* Is willing to try something new
* Be able to recognise what is personally challenging and persevere to achieve
* Knows their limits but pushes beyond them towards personal excellence

Perseverance and Dedication:
* Is able to persevere on a task through to completion.
* Is able to keep on task when an activity is challenging.
* Takes pride in the presentation and quality of their work.

Cooperation and Team work:
* Works actively with confidence in group situations
* Co-operates with others and respects varying opinions
* Accepts different roles within a group

Respecting and appreciating ourselves and Others:
* Encourages and supports the efforts of others.
* Is able to win and lose graciously.
* Listens and speaks with courtesy.
* Displays empathy towards others.

Original and Independent Thinker:
* Will generally look beyond the obvious
* Responds in a way that appropriately challenges their own and others thinking
* Create new ideas and thoughts and can justify their opinion

Curiosity and Wonderment:
* Asks questions and actively seeks the answers
* Shows awe and gets excited about new things and learning
* Eager to share discoveries and amazing things

Accepting risks and taking challenges:
* Managing physical risks and takes appropriate actions
* Is willing to try something new
* Be able to recognise what is personally challenging and persevere to achieve
* Knows their limits but pushes beyond them towards personal excellence**

Accuracy and excellence
* Identifies, set and monitor appropriate personal goals.
* Gives their personal best in all areas of the curriculum.
* Achieves a high standard when presenting work.
* Extends their own areas of strength.

Contributing to the Life of the School:
* Takes on (seeks?) responsibility and leadership within the school willingly
* Takes the ‘challenges’ and puts them into practice
* Looks after the school and its property, people and systems
* Is a good ambassador for our school

So each bold heading is the Challenge and the list below are the things we are looking for to exemplify each one.

We are looking for a kind and caring person to be a teachers aide for a boy who is beginning at our school next term. The position is 15hours each week and will probably involve work each morning, but we have yet to work out all the details of the timetable.
We need someone with patience and the ability to encourage children to achieve what they can on their own.
Go to the Vacancies part of this site to find out more or download the Position information.

We have purchased a big lot of Lego for the Allen Centre:

School interviews have been this week and we had a fantastic turnout. We had 197 children with interviews booked out of 120 at our school. If we take away the parents who contacted us to arrange a time other than this week then we have almost a complete turnout of families! The feedback on the electronic booking system has been positive as well.  It is great to catch up with everyone and to be able to share all the wonderful learning that has been going on so far this year.
A big thank you as well to all those families who support their children and their learning so well. We can only do our bit at school and learning is so much better for the children when they know families support them and are keen for them to succeed as well.

We are always looking to make things better in our school. We are looking for feedback from families about the Portfiles that you looked at as part of the parent interviews and the whole process you have been engaged in. Please take the time to complete the 4 questions below. Responses back to school by the end of next week please or feel free to email me at gregc@outram.school.nz

1. Do you feel confident you know how well your child is achieving?

2. What would you like to know and understand more about?

3. What would help with this?

4. What could there be less of?

We aim at Outram School to have children who leave our school knowing themselves well as learners and knowing how to be successful in the school system and beyond. We also do all we can to encourage them to become pleasant, polite, well-mannered young adults. Good manners and courtesy will always take them a LONG way.

Please do take the opportunity to provide feedback on the Portfiles!!

In the Allen Centre there are lots of opportunities to be a real scientist:

Mark Beaton used to work at the University so is a REAL expert in so many different things.  Here he is helping Jessica and Zac compare the different sizes of grains of sand by looking through his microscope.

And then they can do it themselves!  This is a very flash version of the dinoscope and you can see the picture on the laptop.

Last weekend the school organised a trip to Cadrona Ski Field …. check out the photos below

This Wednesday night there is an INFORMATION EVENING for all those interested in finding out about the Y7/8 programme we offer at Outram School.

Where: Allen Centre

When: 7pm

Sarah Gilbert and Ryan Martin will share the programmes that are in place for children in their classrooms. This will include:

• Literacy – reading and writing
• Numeracy – maths
• Topic and Inquiry – social studies, science, aspects of health, technology
• Arts – visual, drama, music and dance
• PE and Sports programmes
• Manual and Technology
• Languages – second language options

This is the time of year when secondary schools are marketing heavily the things they offer in Y7 and Y8. Outram School is in a unique position to continue building on the skills your child already has in Y7 and Y8. We can do this in ways no other school has the ability to do.

Come along to this evening and find out how. Please feel free to bring your child along if you would like to. There will be an opportunity to ask any questions you may have for any of us at the end of the evening.

See you on Wednesday!

Our parent interviews are coming up next week – on Monday and Tuesday for most teachers. Bookings for these are open from TODAY and are on a first come first served basis.

They will form the basis of the interview and are intended to give you a clear idea of your child’s work and achievement during the first half of 2009.

There are two ways you can book interviews this year:

EITHER

1. Online

· go to www.schoolinterviews.co.nz

· enter the school code of QGRGU

· enter your name and email details, number of children to book for and child/rens names

· choose the teacher/s you wish to see

· check the boxes of the times you want

· the site will send you a confirmation email when you save and you can go back in later and change times and other details if you need to using your unique code. It pays to keep this email!

OR

1. Fill in the slip that came home today and return to school.

congratulations to you all!!

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