Liberton Christian School
2005 Annual Report
CHAIRMAN’S REPORT
The 2005 calendar year, like every year, has presented Liberton Christian School with a mixture of blessings and challenges.
The School underwent its three-yearly Education Review Office (ERO) review in May. The School selected learning and teaching in literacy as the focus for the review. A number of areas of national interest were also reviewed, including achievement of Maori students, implementation of Health and Physical Education in the New Zealand Curriculum and provision for international students. The ERO review on the school found that our students “receive high quality learning programmes where they are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning through setting personal goals and success criteria”. It also reported that the special character of the school was very evident through the provision of a comprehensive, biblically-centred emphasis on Christian values and a culture of respect. The Board and the school community have been encouraged by the feedback from ERO on the quality of learning for students and the evidence of the special character of the School. However, the review also highlighted areas where the School has not been performing as well. This included the comment that the school’s library was not an effective learning resource, and that there were aspects of reporting on the effectiveness of programmes and student achievement to the Board that needed improvement. The Board will be working in 2006 to implement programmes to address these issues.
This was the School’s second year in the Literacy Contract. The School has received significant professional development and resourcing in this area. In addition to the literary resources, the teachers have also been using new software to monitor student performance and progress. Results of the analysis using this software have been extremely helpful in monitoring the impact of the Literacy Contract, and have been presented both to the Board and to parents.
The new administration block, which was completed in late 2004, has had a positive impact in the life of the school. The project architect, Elizabeth Lee, was a foundation pupil of the school and her design concept has exceeded expectations. It has provided much-needed space for the principal, teachers and receptionist as well as an excellent meeting place for various groups in the school community. This extension, together with some upgrades to the computer network, has greatly improved the efficiency in the day-to-day running of the school.
In 2005, the DCSA (the School’s proprietor) again sought to have the School’s maximum roll increased, on this occasion from 62 to 85 pupils. It was again denied permission for this increase by the Ministry of Education. In 2004, when the school had four classrooms of children, the Board covered the additional 0.9 FTTE cost over and above its base funding, out of accumulated reserves. This was unsustainable without an increase in the roll, and so the School has returned to three classrooms. While the division of students into the three classrooms was done so as to create the best possible learning environment, the Board still believes that the School would operate even better as a four-classroom school. The Board will continue to pursue an increase in roll when it believes that the time is appropriate.
In 2005, the school once again faced teacher changes. The year began with Mrs Tania Bretz and Mrs Fiona Sizemore team teaching the new-entrant class. Mr Alan Robertson taught the middle class and Mrs Adele McKirdy the senior class. In the last term, however, Mrs McKirdy took leave of absence to participate in short-term mission work in Tanzania. While the senior class missed Mrs McKirdy, the entire school befitted in that they were able to see the outworking of missions through reports sent back to the School. We do owe Dennis Radford a vote of thanks for relieving during Adele’s absence.
As we came towards the end of the year, the School farewelled Mrs Tania Bretz. While the School will miss Tania greatly, we are thrilled for the new opportunities that lie in front of her.
The School finished 2005 in very good heart. As the Board looks back over 2005, all of the major goals in the School’s annual plan were achieved, student achievement is high, the results of the ERO review were positive, and the Board is working well as an effective governance team. The relationships within the school community are strong and there is good community spirit. The School looks forward to continuing to build upon the excellent progress made in 2005.
Neville Jopson
PRINCIPAL’S REPORT
We started the 2005 school year with three classes a reduction of one from the year before. We were pleased to welcome Mr Alan Robertson, a teacher with considerable experience, who ably taught the year 3, 4 and 5 class. His desire to use his talents, interests and experience for God’s glory came especially to the fore in the School’s most ambitious and successful production to date—The Pied Piper.
The Board of Trustees made it possible for all our teachers to attend the New Zealand Association for Christian Schools’ conference in Christchurch. This helped strengthen ties with other Christian schools, was encouraging and furthered our understanding of what it means to teach Christianly. It was also very beneficial to have staff, board and parents involved in discussing our Special Character statements at potluck-tea meetings during the year.
The Education Review Office’s (ERO) comment on our Special Character in their report reads:
“Students demonstrated a significant level of knowledge and understanding of the Christian values promoted and modelled by teachers. High levels of positive student engagement in classroom activities were evident. Teachers use management strategies based on the culture of the school to maintain student co-operation and well-being.”
We are blessed with excellent support staff. The school also enjoys great support from parents and friends with volunteers enhancing the scope and quality of our school curriculum. They provide transport and supervision, work in the library, help with art, family nights, fundraising, hot lunches and much more.
Literacy
Our second year in the Literacy Contract has been of great benefit to students and teachers alike. Adele McKirdy, as literacy leader, and Jenny Harrex, our literacy advisor, ably led the staff in professional development.
The focus area for our ERO review in May was on learning and teaching in literacy. Some quotes from the report read:
“Most students are achieving at or above their expected level in reading, writing and oral language. Student achievement information is based on standardised tests and the school-wide expectations. Teachers have high learning and behavioural expectations of students. The 2004 target was to raise levels of achievement in aspects of written language. Classroom data indicates this target was achieved.”
“Classroom teaching practice is of a good quality. Teachers use a variety of strategies and approaches to purposefully engage the students in their learning. Students are fully involved in the learning process. This includes the sharing of learning intentions, developing success criteria and monitoring of their learning. Students are able to articulate the purpose of their learning tasks. Teachers are using effective teaching practices as a result of their professional development and ongoing collegial support.”
“Students receive high quality learning programmes where they are encouraged to take responsibility for their own learning through setting personal goals and success criteria. Teachers provide a range of learning experiences and strategies that challenge students in their thinking.”
The senior class had a taste of German language and culture with Elizabeth Walter, a student teacher who came over from Germany to do her student practicum here at Liberton during March. Though we have had student teachers from the University of Otago, hosting one from Germany was a first for the School and proved very beneficial for all concerned.
Social Studies and Science
We took full advantage of the various ‘education outside the classroom’ opportunities to augment our science and social studies topics. These all proved worthwhile and included the museum programmes on space, plants, and ‘Formula for Fashion’; and the Science and Technology Road Show.
We also learned more about other countries from people who lived or had visited there. Jonathan Millar spoke of working with young people in the Ukraine. Hans and Colleen Berends told of their visit to their son in Mongolia. Roger and Judy Hogg told us about life in Tanzania, so that we could have a better idea of what life might be like for Mrs McKirdy. She, in turn, kept us informed of her experiences there during her release from teaching in term four.
Before students Tyra, Sikulik and Shyler returned to Alaska, their parents told us more about school and home life in their native country.
Technology
Our year 7 and 8 pupils continue to enjoy being able to join others of their age group for technology classes at Dunedin North Intermediate School.
Technology at Liberton is often part of an integrated unit. Of note was a wearable arts fashion show presented to parents in September. This show was the culmination of a unit incorporating science, art, music, language and environmental education. The impressive costumes were made entirely from recycled materials.
With their regular teacher away the senior class did not have a camp during term four. However, under Mr Dennis Radford’s guidance, the class enjoyed other worthwhile experiences:
- Leadership skills were honed by year 8s organising a very creative fun-activity afternoon for the whole school on ‘Push Play’ day.
- The class prepared and broadcast a half-hour radio programme for Hills AM.
- The Friday prior to the end of the school year the senior class transformed the hall into a restaurant with table settings, menus and waitresses and put on a delicious luncheon to honour the departing year 8s and to welcome back their teacher Mrs McKirdy.
The Arts
The school is fortunate to have a specialist art teacher. On Wednesdays the school hall becomes an artist’s studio with teacher Kyra Jones (during term four, Esmé Grounds), supported by parent helper Shari McCabe, teaching each class for a one-and-a-half-hour time slot. Results are very pleasing and the school environment is enhanced by the children’s art work. Besides painting they have done weaving, made puppets, worked with clay, and made short films using modelling-clay figures.
Some paintings were exhibited at the Cleveland Art Expo and three of our students received a merit certificate. The year 5–8 pupils visited the art gallery to view the Japanese art exhibition and successfully participated in a printmaking workshop.
Talents in visual arts, music, dance and drama came to fore in the successful, colourful performance of The Pied Piper of Hamelin, a play written and directed by teachers Tania Bretz and Alan Robertson. The whole school was involved and it was performed before an appreciative audience on the evening of 20 October and again on 21 October for Pine Hill School.
The Selfish Giant, an interactive play involving dance, was performed at school. Drama was used by the Road Sense Theatre Group to teach road rules to the juniors. Also the Covenant Players, a Christian group, had plays with a ‘taking responsibility’ theme. We joined other schools to see Dunedin City Baptist Church’s excellent production of The Magician’s Nephew, and we took up Logan Park High School’s invitation to see their end-of-year junior play.
The Southern Sinfonia visited the school and gave a really exciting, interactive performance. The children enjoyed it and learnt a lot about the different instruments that make up an orchestra.
Health and Physical Education
During 2005 we had two teams in the interschool miniball competition. This was made possible because of the enthusiasm and expertise of parent Middy Johnson from Alaska, who donated smart miniball uniforms, coached and managed both teams, and so gave our students a great opportunity to play basketball and gain valuable experience.
Unfortunately we were not able to field a senior girls’ netball team this year. We did, however, have a strong year 5–6 netball team to play in the Dunedin North schools’ competition. They showed great team work and were well coached by teacher Tania Bretz.
The children who elected to play soccer games with other schools in the north zone were coached and managed by Alan Robertson. The team looked good in their new soccer uniforms.
After some cricket coaching for all age groups, and a visit by the Otago Volts, a year 5–6 cricket team was formed to play in the Milo school cricket competition.
Swimming lessons during terms one and four were taken by Jill Clarke’s swim school and children made great progress during these weeks in March and November.
One-day interschool events such as volleyball, cross-country and sports day, were also participated in.
Twenty pupils participated in the World Vision famine fundraising event and between them they raised over $1,300 for which the School received a silver award, the second highest of the South Island. It is great to see children use this opportunity to help those less fortunate.
2006 will be the School’s 25th year. The school is in good heart and enjoys good standing in the community and in educational circles. By God’s grace we have come a long way. It is hard to imagine the School now without computers, without the new administration block, without the third classroom, or even without the fence around the school grounds.
Though plans for growth have been dampened by the Ministry of Education for the moment, I would nevertheless recommend that the fourth classroom and storage and resource area be built, the library extended and the playground plan actioned. This in the faith that eventually our roll cap will be removed and more families will join the Christian school community to take advantage of the quality of education provided here.
Let us never forget our first love, a Biblical, Christ-centered education, which will equip our children to be salt and light in this world, using their God-given talents and abilities in whatever sphere of life they are called to serve.
“In Christ are hid all the treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge.”
Nel van’t Wout
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