Rapare 18 Wharinga-a-rangi

Kia ora koutou,
Our ERO team have been and gone, an interesting but sound process. Hopefully they are now writing their report with visions of highly engaged Warrington students. We had a sense of working with rather than against. In the one and half days they were in the school the team were introduced to the Warrington Well-being Way of Open Education three years of curriculum design and planning, all wiki based and demonstrating a new approach to education in NZ.

A big thank you to Blueskin Bay Library car, for providing a wonderful service to Warrington School's students and teachers. Fortnightly visits with hand picked books and once a month book club for sharing our latest literature adventures.
My only complaint is walking around and having to encourage students to stop reading and go out and play - sad but true! 

The Juniors enjoyed a nice sunny day at their Athletics in Palmerston last week.  Everyone had a lot of fun and it's great to see how well our children did competing in all the events.  Well done to Elsa and Lola who represented the school at the Otago Athletic Championships. Its has also been great seeing so many students involved in summer sports - Rippa Rugby, T-ball, Soccer and Surf Group.

Saturday 70s and 80s Social at the hall - say no more - just dig out that garish fashion accessory and come and strut your stuff - 7.30 - till late. Gold coin koha and a plate of supper..

Blogs are abounding - there has been some incredible learning this last week with senior pupils uploading videos and pictures that they can share with family and friends. The digital learning handbrake is being slowly removed.

Sun hats - yes some days we need one! Please make sure your child has one available at school - thanks.

The Produce Shield challenge will again be potato growing - if you need seed potatoes please let the school know.

Warrington Blog

This is the start of the Warrington School blogging journey....

There has been an outbreak of Steam Punk fever around the school this week with the senior students arriving back from camp with this highly contagious disease caught in Oamaru. The symptoms are an interest in Victoriana Punk apparel with the addition of sci-fi styled weaponry. There has also been a mutation of the fever with the addition of wacky wheeled vehicles whizzing around the school – thanks to thoughtful adults who have kindly donated pushchairs, motor mowers and tools. We are working closely with Ministry officials to contain this outbreak as there is a worry that our ERO visitors next week may come into contact with the contagious pathogens and pass it onto other schools.   

Otago to Otara collaboration has begun. Room 1 are blogging about their recent activities after being encouraged by students from Bairds Mainfreight Primary School in Otara who have heard about what we are doing. The BMPS students created a video on how to blog and posted it on their class blog for us. The BMPS class aim to use the skills of room 1 students to install an Ubuntu computer in their classroom early in 2011. In the meantime the BMPS students are assisting our school with learning how to blog, distance is proving no barrier to collaborative learning in this digital age. Room 1 pupils are also now teaching the staff how to blog and with the creation of the Warrington School blog site....