Liberton Link September 2003BOARD OF TRUSTEESIt is a pleasure once again to be able to greet the wider Dunedin Christian Schools Association community through this latest edition of Liberton Link. We greatly appreciate the many and varied ways that you support the ongoing work of the school. While it seems but no time at all since we sent out our last Liberton Link, I’m reliably informed that it was actually in 2002 that this happened. It seems that busyness and a poor memory all have their part in my failing to realise how long the time lapse had been. Many of you would have attended the 2Oth anniversary celebrations at the school in September last year and at that time would have seen the new toilet block as well as the new library. Since then we have repainted the inside of the hall, built a new sports storage locker in the hall for sports equipment and replaced part of the end wall of the (newest) classroom, built in 1991. We found, unfortunately, that we were at the receiving end of a leaky building problem with all its attendant issues. While the water damage was not excessive and the rotten timber relatively easy to replace, it did take some weeks to dry the wall before replacing the wall linings. We are now in the process of planning for the construction of a new administration and staffroom area. Last year I attended a seminar at the University of Otago where the results from a nationwide survey of Year 4 and Year 8 children was discussed. I was intrigued to learn that, from a national perspective, the size of school was not a significant factor in the achievement of children. Indeed, while it is likely that small schools might have one or two curriculum areas that were not as well developed as others, they tended to have far greater parental support and much better patterns of interaction between older and younger children. These views were certainly supported last year when we looked at the outstanding results of Liberton children in the Australasian Maths and English competition!! It has been tremendousIy encouraging to us, over the past year, to see the pupil numbers at the school rise from 37 (at the start of 2002), to 53 at the end of 2002, and then further rise to 62 at the start of 2003. This increase, along with Ministry funding changes, has allowed the school to move from 2.3 EFT teaching staff in 2002, to 3.6 EFT staff in 2003 — a change that has greatly helped our overall financial situation. As you may recall, and as a step of faith, we employed Mr Ché Luke as a third fulltime teacher at the start of 2002. This proved to be a very positive move for the school. While we were sorry to see Mr Luke leave at the end of 2002, in order to travel overseas, we have been very pleased to be able to welcome Mrs Adele McKirdy in his place. Adele brings to us a good number of years experience in the primary teaching sector as well as a range of wonderful attributes and abilities. It has been great to have Adele with us. While discussing staffing matters, I should add that this year not only do we continue to have Mrs Kyra Jones working at the school, but we have also been able to welcome both Mrs Fiona Sizemore as a part-time teacher, and Mr Simon Purvis as a teacher aide. Mrs Karen Boyes continues to run the school office. I should also comment that we have had a change in the membership of the Board of Trustees over the last few months. In November last year, Mrs Catherine Pettigrew stepped aside from the Board, followed this year by Mrs Ingrid Macklin. The Macklin family are now living in Longview, Texas. On the positive side, we have been very pleased to welcome Monica Aarsen and Neville Jopson onto the Board as new members. I would like to take this opportunity to again thank Catherine and lngrid for their many years of hard work. As we look toward the future, we do so confident of the Lord’s direction. While we know that we still have a substantial amount of work to do in curriculum documentation if we are to meet Ministry of Education requirements, we also know that the children leaving the school do so with a very strong foundation in the fundamentals of literacy and numeracy. While they consistently place highly as they move into the various high schools around the city, we look forward to the day when they might be able to move on to a Christian high school, located here in Dunedin. In many ways, the work of the DCSA and the opportunities for growth in influence are greater than ever. Allow me to close by thanking you again for your support for the school — in every way. In recent days I have been reminded a number of times that the work of God must move forward on a foundation of prayer. Could I ask you to continue to help us lay such a foundation?. John Hannah, Chairman PRINCIPAL’S REPORT – LOOKING BACK TO 2002The decision to employ a third full-time teacher for 2002 has proved of great benefit to the school. With just 34 pupils at the beginning of the year, employing a third full-time teacher was a step of faith. So it was with thankfulness that we witnessed the growth of the school roll and saw photos of new pupils regularly appearing in the bi-weekly school newsletters. After two years of teaching a class of 8 to 13-year-olds, to have a much smaller class but especially a smaller age range, was great for all concerned. Mr Luke initially took charge of the year-4 and 5 students, but as the junior class grew steadily, year-3 students joined his class halfway through the year. With Ché Luke’s appointment and the volunteer teaching of Simon Purvis, the teaching team became more balanced in regards to gender and age. Kyra Jones continued teaching on Fridays as principal’s release, and Simon Purvis, who elected to do his teaching component of his honours degree on Christian education at Liberton, taught in all three classes to the equivalent of one day a week. His creative contributions enhanced the teachers’ programmes and he became very much a part of the staff and school life. Having a secretary on a daily basis with increasingly more hours has helped tremendously. Rosalin Stewart continued teaching the juniors but moved to the end classroom. The latter had functioned as a staff and resource room and group teaching room. So the progress of builders and other tradespeople was eagerly watched. It has been like teaching at a construction site for most of the year but staff and the students have coped well with inconveniences and changes in routines etc. Watching the new facilities being built and then being able to use them has been very satisfying for staff and pupils alike. Before and during the building of the library we worked with Maxine Ramsey from the National Library in its Development Focus Programme. The following goals were set:
The Literacy Leadership Course I attended was also helpful in this area. A lot of effort and finance will need to go in to realizing these goals, but we’ve made a good start. The help of Netty van der Woude, as volunteer librarian all these years has been and is very much appreciated. After not being able to raise the classroom temperature above 11 degrees during one cold day in winter, the heating system in the classrooms and new library were renewed. It’s a delight to be able to come into warm classrooms on cold mornings now. Lighting in the junior room was also upgraded. All classrooms and new library have computers connected to the internet. Staff have had some in-school training and have met with various degree of success in integrating information technology into the various curriculum areas. We were pleased to be the recipients of furniture and other resources due to the closure of Maia School. The desks, especially, arrived at an opportune time for the expanding class in the middle room. After a trial period we decided to adopt the new division of the school day, giving three almost equal time periods for school work. These changes are as follows: 9.00 to 10.30 am, 10.50 am to 12.30 pm and 1.25 to 3.00 pm. Teachers and children adapted readily to a later lunch hour and found that more work was achieved. The Education Review Team’s visit during May proved very positive. Their report confirmed that we excel in the basics, namely numeracy and literacy. I quote, "Students benefit from a broad education that includes a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy and integrates a clear Christian focus." However, both board and staff do need to continue to work on the required documentation for an integrated school. With more teachers, trainee teachers, secretary and parent volunteers we have been able to enhance the school’s programme. In technology the making and marketing of ‘Wacky Soup’, the parachutes and kites, the vegetable creatures, the making of shelters at Bethune’s Gully come to mind. In the arts the middle and senior class planned and made a music video. The middle class performed Australian Aborigine and Samoan Dances. The electives programme during term 3, with parents and teachers teaching small groups giving children the opportunity to learn, for example, cooking, Spanish, flower arranging, toy-making, and computer website development. Physical education also received a boost. Kyra’s coaching for the cross country raised the children’s level of fitness. For the first time we competed in the Year 7 and 8 race at Balmacewen. Also, out of the nineteen participants in the Dunedin North schools’ Year 4, 5 and 6 cross country at Chingford Park, ten gained certificates. Ché and Karen coached the netball teams. The junior and senior teams took turns playing other schools in the Dunedin North schools’ draw. The teams did very well. For home games, team members were encouraged to show hospitality by inviting the visiting team to share in refreshments after the game. During Friday’s assemblies, the ‘Player of the Week’ and the ‘Fair Play’ trophies were presented to the chosen players. These weekly Friday afternoon assemblies were attended by more and more parents and friends and built on our already strong sense of community. Good use was made of local resources, people and agencies. For example the police education officer for the Keeping Ourselves Safe school-wide programme, the school health nurse for health lessons in the senior class, the Botanic Garden’s programmes, the museum, Sandfly Bay for the seal and sea lion study, the Otago Problem Solving Challenge, 5+ a Day healthy lunch making and a one-day first aid course for Years 4 to 8. Preparations for the senior school camp included a hike across Flagstaff by pupils of the senior and middle class. Southern Lakes Christian School were unable to join us at the camp at Millervale in Warrington this year. However, Year 6 to 8 pupils with newly qualified teachers Bill Boyes, Fiona Sizemore and Simon Purvis worked together with me to make the camp very enjoyable and educational. This year the 23 participants in World Vision’s 20 or 40 hour famine raised a significant amount of money resulting in the school being awarded the Silver Plaque. A great effort. We’ve had several local ministers, a missionary from Papua New Guinea and a couple of missionaries from Cambodia tell us what God is doing in these countries. One of the highlights of 2002 was the celebration of the School’s twentieth anniversary. We were able to reflect on God’s faithfulness and guidance in the years past. 2002 has been a year of growth and blessings. We must continue to look for and act on God’s leading for 2003 and the years to come. Our vision for Christian Education needs to continue to reach out into the community, fueled by the experience of the blessings of a Christ-centered education. Nel van’t Wout FROM THE TREASURERExcellent roll numbers have meant that income from government grants and attendance dues for the year to date are in excess of budget. This has given the Board of Trustees freedom to purchase good quality items, such as a powerful overhead projector. The DCSA Council’s building plans are progressing, as is the loan repayment programme. Please pray for these bodies, that they may exercise wisdom in balancing spending appropriately between staffing, resources and capital expenditure. John van Dyk HOME AND SCHOOLIt was great to see such a good turnout at the school barbecue at Woodhaugh Gardens. An opportunity to meet quite a number of new families within the school community. Some of us were involved with the catering for a 21st birthday party which raised extra funds. We’ve given a donation to each class to allow the teachers to buy ‘rewards’ for their pupils, rather than have to make formal claims for reimbursement. The teachers were provided with a nourishing meal when they were conducting parent interviews. A successful quiz night for the school families was held on Saturday 28 June 2003 starting with a ‘bring and eat your own take-away dinner’, followed by the quiz with questions for young and old. With no building work going on in the hall or kitchen we were able to offer hot lunches for 13 weeks, which, going by the number of orders placed each week, were well received. A big thank you to all who made this possible. This past Monday 15 September we rolled just over 2,000 cheese rolls. At this moment I’m not quite sure what the profit margin is, but we are putting it towards a sound system for the hall that will be very user-friendly and should enhance many school activities. We’ve also purchased several items for the kitchen and a clock for the staffroom. We paid for a selection of books in the science category to be used in class or borrowed from the library. We still have a small supply of greeting cards ($3.00 per packet) and packets of large serviettes at $1.50 each. Honey continues to be available should you wish to make any purchases, feel free to ring me. Thanking you for your ongoing support. Antje Storm, Convenor SENIOR CLASSThe first half of the year has gone very quickly yet the activities of first term seem to be something of the distant past. For all of the senior class, and their teacher, this first part of the year was a time of orientation and adjustment. There were a number of variables that impacted on this group of twenty students. For example, a new school, different classroom, much bigger class, being the youngest instead of the oldest in the classroom, new classmates and of course for all of them a new teacher! For everyone it was a time for settling in and becoming part of a positive classroom environment in which respect is paramount and where everyone is encouraged to think of WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) in all situations that affect their own and others’ lives. Throughout the whole of Term One, as part of the phys ed curriculum, the senior class travelled once a week to DNI for swimming. Many children took advantage of the opportunity to improve their swimming skills that are a necessity in our small country surrounded by water. In other essential learning areas the learning activities included group work on life cycles and food chains (Science), individual reports on endangered species (dual link with English and Science), making cereal boxes (Technology for Year 6), retelling fables (written/oral English) and statistical investigations (Maths). During the later part of the term the senior girls had the opportunity to learn a dance (Arts curriculum component) which was choreographed and taught to them by two grade-8 dance students. The girls were fortunate to be able to share their experience with the school community in assembly on the last day of term. It is hoped that the boys will also enjoy performing the dance that they will learn later in the year!!! Term Two has had more of a focus outside the classroom taking advantage of what the wider community has to offer, in terms of human and other resources, that enhance learning opportunities and experiences. Early in the term our topic was Rocks and Fossils which had a focus on the geological structure of the Dunedin area. For this part we were fortunate to have the expert help of Dr Daphne Lee who came and talked to the class. A visit to the museum helped children to classify rocks into the three main groups as well as giving them the opportunity for a “hands on” with some fossils and making their own rock collection kit. Through our topic ‘Authors at Work’, children have been able to explore their own narrative writing process as well as have the opportunity to learn about the writing journey of real authors. We were very fortunate to have very informative visits from Pauline Cartwright and Penelope Todd. Both of these Otago authors have been Writers in Residence at the College of Education in the past two years. Our other very interesting visit was from Raymond Huber. As a writer and more particularly children’s book reviewer he took the children “inside” a selection of books from a number of his favourite authors. It is encouraging to notice some of his recommended “good reads” have since been seen during class silent-reading time. Only a small group of Year-7 and 8 children were able to attend the Sandy McKay short story writing workshop at the Public Library. Our last major dual links unit “Dress to Impress/Creative Costumes” was in the curriculum areas of Social Studies and Technology. This particular unit was enhanced by the input from School of Education student, Dian Erickson, who has a background in drama and a particular interest in art and craft. During this unit we had an enjoyable visit to the Museum, where everyone had an opportunity to dress up, but the highlight would have been the classroom activity of designing and making hats. There was an impressive collection of hats, cIassified functional and/or aesthetic, that were paraded with the help of a compere at the final assembly. This was a very positive finish to a busy half year for the Senior Class. Adele McKirdy ART with Kyra JonesMrs Jones is teaching Art to all three classes on Wednesdays. First the seniors 9:00 to 10:30am, then the juniors 11:15 am to 12:15 pm and the middle class in the afternoons. What a great way to enrich the programme of the school by using the special interests and talents of its teachers. MIDDLE CLASSThe second term writing focus was Poetic writing. Poetic writing is about conveying sensory and artistic qualities in writing. The theme was Folktales and the children rewrote a well known fable and created their own fairytale. The middle class children rose to the challenge admirably! We have studied Electricity and Magnetism as a very popular science topic, and through the Place and Environment strand in Social Studies, we took a look at Dunedin attractions. At the end of the term this study was completed with a class visit to Olveston, which proved a hit with the children, teachers and parent helpers alike. The third term has started with a Social Studies unit on Early Maori, looking particularly at the resources and activities of Maori and pre-European influences and up to the singing of the Treaty of Waitangi. This has been further investigated through Art with Mrs Jones, as the children experiment with different weaving activities. We have heard several reports of children spending further hours at home weaving flax from their own gardens! The children have also marked Maori language week by learning the national anthem in Maori, along with learning a Maori waiata a ringa (action song) to accompany poi. Recently, when asked to choose a song to sing at the end of a busy day, the children (nearly unanimously) chose the Maori national anthem! Our Bible focus has been following Moses and the Israelites out of Egypt into the wilderness. We will be looking at the Ten Commandments and in particular Truth and Honesty. The third term looks to be a busy and productive one! Fiona Sizemore DCSA COUNCILMuch of our efforts have been focusing on getting our priorities right with respect to upgrading the school facilities. This has clearly pointed to the need to enlarge and improve the administration and staff room areas. Consequently Elisabeth Lee was again contracted to deal with the architectural and design issues. Layout plans are now finalised to everyone’s satisfaction. We are now awaiting final construction drawings so tenders can be called. For practical reasons, work is not expected to commence till after the new 2004 school year. This will give the teachers a chance to settle into the new year without the added disruption of building activities on the site. The office will have to be temporarily accommodated in the Hall/Library areas during the construction period, which could run into the second term. A further interesting development has resulted in the school property being ‘Scheduled’ under the City’s District Plan. This means that certain work can now be carried out on the site without the need to obtain a specific resource consent. This will result in an immediate saving in both time and money as we progress the Admin area building project. We do obviously still need a building consent to ensure what we build is strong enough. We continue to covet your prayers as we tackle the more difficult issues like expanding the school facilities to cater for the ever increasing roll, and raising the profile of Christian Education within the community. While these issues had to run behind the admin area, with that now well advanced, we need to turn our attention to these big challenges as well. Thank you all for your continued support of the work at Liberton and our witness in the community. Robert Storm, Chairman SPORTSThis year we are enjoying an exciting sports season with two netball teams and one soccer team. All players are did a fantastic job at representing the school. The soccer team played North Dunedin schools and benefited from some extra coaching from Sports Otago. Our Junior netball team played every Tuesday, also with North Dunedin Schools. The senior netball team finished the season unbeaten at the Edgar Sports Stadium on Thursday evening. This is the first year Liberton has entered a team. JUNIOR CLASSOur class has steadily grown in size over the first part of this year. New children have settled well to the requirements of the class programme. I do appreciate the way parents have helped their children to establish regular homework routines. This is an important discipline that the children will need for the rest of their education. Our Science topic this term has been “Sound”. Several children have put much extra effort at home into trying experiments and writing up the findings. Mrs Jones has linked some of her art activities with this topic, and has taught the children how to make and decorate maracas and tambourines. A recent Bible focus has been on ‘Respect’. This involves respect for people, for property, for the environment and for God. Our New Testament studies helped us to examine the example that Jesus set as he showed us how to treat other people. What could we say to a brand new kid at our school to help him feel accepted? Here are a few examples: “Are you OK? Do you want to come to my house?” Oliver “Hello! Are you my friend? Would you like to play with me?” Matthew J “I like you. I will help you.” Nerima “Come and sit with us.” Alannah “Are you all right?” Ezra “Play soccer with me. You can play baseball with me. Come to my house. Hi bro - I like you.” Seth “Would you like to be my friend?” Hannah “Come and play with me” Sam S “I want to play with you.” Harrison “I like you” Sam P Writing often follows a story. One story that was read to the class was called, “One Monday”. In this story, the wind blew so hard that remarkable things happened. We wrote stories about what could happen if it rained really hard: On Monday it rained so hard that the cows went surf- boarding. Raquel On Monday it rained so hard that the big bad wolf drowned. Caleb On Monday it rained so hard that the fox went swimming. Samuel C. On Monday it rained so hard that it flooded and the house went sideways, and the sun drowned. Michael On Monday it rained so hard that the dolphin went crazy. Carl On Monday it rained so hard that the cow’s spots came off, and there was a flying pig that got stuck in a tree. Natalie On Monday it rained so hard that I surfed on my bed to breakfast. Shannon A class story originated from the fact that the mat in our classroom keeps moving (carpet pile?). However, lots of ingenious ideas were offered as to the cause as the class wrote: “The Mystery of the Moving Mat” The children in the Junior class at Liberton Christian School were puzzled. It was rather strange. Their mat kept moving backwards. What was making the mat move? At the other end of school, the middle class had some caterpillars, that would turn into beautiful monarch butterflies. One of these caterpillars ate too much. Soon it was enormous. One night, the enormous caterpillar was bored. It decided to go for an adventure. It pushed its way out of the classroom door, and slippery slap, down the corridor it slipped. When it came to the Junior classroom, it found a lovely soft mat. The enormous caterpillar played roly-poly on the mat, it played roly-poly around the mat and it played roly-poly under the mat. After all that rolying and polying, it was so tired it thought it was time for a nap. It crawled under the mat, curled up and went to sleep. Early in the morning, the enormous caterpillar woke up and thought, “Oh no! I had better hurry back to my swan plant.” So, slippery slap, the enormous caterpillar slipped back along the corridor to the middle-class room. The next morning, the Junior class children scratched their heads in amazement. Their mat had moved overnight. What had made it move? They were very puzzled. They hunted around for clues. All they could find was a trail of footprints in the corridor. Rosalin Stewart Back to Main Page |