Tena koutou te whānau o te kura Muritai
Well, it's been another fantastic and frenetic year in the life of Muritai School. There's been so much going on that, a bit like a kid in a sweet shop, you barely have time to savour one moment before grabbing the next. It's only when you sit down at the end of the year and reflect that you realise just how much has gone on.
Particular highlights have been the various performance groups that have visited the school such as Strike, the Royal New Zealand Ballet and Jungle Bungle; tremendous individual and house achievements during the swimming sports at the start of the year and junior and senior athletics in November; wonderful performances by the Art Splash Choir and Dancesplash at the Michael Fowler Centre and of course the spectacular production The Life of Riley in September.
The Eastbourne Carnival was once again a roaring success and this year looks to have raised in the region of $53,000 which, together with money raised from previous carnivals, will enable us to commence work on the new school library in 2011. Once again thank you all so much for your time and energy and support for the Carnival and special thanks to the Carnival Committee who all worked so hard for many months to make it all happen.
On the subject of the school property, you may have noticed that the desks have all been removed from the classrooms in the main block, which is to enable much-needed new carpet to be laid over the summer break. While the rest of us are sunning ourselves on the beach our hard-working (and newly married) caretaker Mark will also be repairing the windows and supervising the installation of new blinds to all the classrooms in the main block. We are excited that 2011 will also see the classroom renovations completed with modern wall linings and improvements to the heating. Our thanks to Ali Brown for her valuable interior design advice.
As a Board we have had a particularly busy year. There have been two board elections, the implementation of National Standards and the new New Zealand Curriculum, an ERO review and approval and implementation of a new 10 year property plan - all in addition to the usual business of governing the school.
We would like to pay tribute to the excellent staff, both teaching and support, we are privileged to work with at Muritai School. Throughout the year we receive detailed and comprehensive reports on every aspect of school life most of which you can find on the Muritai School website. These enable us to make informed decisions and assist us with planning. If you have some time over the summer break, we recommend you have a look at them. They are incredibly informative and give you an appreciation of just how much thought and planning goes into our children's education. Staff set the highest standards of excellence and commitment for our children and constantly look at new and exciting ways to capture their hearts and minds . They thoroughly deserve their time off over the summer and we are sure you will join us in thanking them for their magnificent efforts this year. A special mention of thanks to Carole Lowe for her exceptional administrative work on behalf of the Board. We really would be lost without her.
The American social writer and philosopher Eric Hoffer wrote “in times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists". One of the hallmarks of Muritai School is our focus on developing learners and it is a process that doesn't just stop at the end of term. Kicking around on the beach or tramping through some of our beautiful forests and parks over the summer are wonderful opportunities for us as parents to be part of this wonderful journey with our children. Jung expressed the same sentiment when he said "Education is not the filling of a vessel but the lighting of a fire". The discovery of a starfish, the effect of the tides or even the detail of a leaf provide an opportunity to explore and investigate; to participate in the lighting of a fire in the imagination of our children. Carpe Diem.
To our students and families who be leaving us in 2011 we wish you all the very best for your future and hope you have enjoyed your time at Muritai.
For those returning in 2011 we would wish you the very best for a wonderful Christmas and safe holiday period where-ever you spend it and look forward to seeing you in the New Year.
Mere Kihirimete
Olivia, Lisa, Griff, Andrew and Stuart
February 16th 2010
Tena koutou te whānau o te kura Muritai
Did you see the story on 15 February about homework (DomPost/TV3 news)?
We know from past surveys that our community have diverse views on the nature and practices of homework.
The DomPost and TV3 story said some prominent Wellington schools had stopped providing homework sheets. Instead the schools encouraged parents to be more involved with their child's learning. The story is at the end of the newsletter.
Professor Hattie, an expert in education assessment (Visible Learning, 2008) suggests that homework makes little difference to student achievement, with an impact within the range of “what would happen anyway” (in other words if nothing special was done). That’s not to suggest that homework is harmful to learning. On the harmful side, he notes that watching television more than 10 hours per week regresses learning, and that changing schools has the biggest negative impact of the 138 factors he investigated.
So what makes the biggest difference?
Hattie suggests that home factors like parental involvement, and things like books and computers available at home make a measureable difference. These were ranked at about number 30 or 40 on his list of 138 influences. Unsurprisingly various aspects of effective teaching and learning take up much of those things at the top of his ranked list of what makes the biggest difference in lifting student achievement. His number one item? the thing that makes the biggest difference…. is when students set their own goals and targets.
Our point is though, looking at Hattie’s list, is that it is very difficult to isolate just one effect from the range of influences in a student’s life. Of the things that parents can directly influence, parental engagement is very important and high up there at around 30-40 on Hattie’s list.
The Ministry’s research supports this. Students setting their own meaningful targets in an environment that challenges them, includes what happens at school and what happens at home. So doing homework, and parents monitoring homework by itself does not make a significant difference, but what happens around homework can, as it gives you ideas to discuss with your child. So like the DomPost story said, get involved with what your children are learning, discuss it with them, and discover together. Our homework and class blogs give you a window into what your children are learning – find out about it, and take the journey with your child – and discuss with your child’s teacher – they understand how you contribute to the mix.
Our teachers aim to set meaningful homework that reinforces learning and gives you that insight to what your children have been doing and what they are able to do (or are working towards). It provides some ideas about what children are learning. Teachers review homework, not daily but regularly, and it is a way for you to engage with the teacher also. If you have concerns about the nature of the homework, please raise that with your child’s teacher.
If its difficult to find time to fit homework in, discuss with your child’s teacher. And create the dialog with your children in some other way.
Links to the stories are included below.
Ma te wa (until next time)
Muritai School Board of Trustees
board@muritai.school.nz
“What makes a difference” references:
Ministry of Education http://www.educationcounts.govt.nz/publications/series/2515/5947
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/3327534/Throw-out-homework-let-kids-read-comics-principal
http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/education/3332254/More-schools-rethink-homework
Throw out the homework and let kids read comics, says city principal (DomPost 15 Feb)
Wellington schools are scrapping traditional homework methods, instead telling pupils to read comics and the backs of cereal packets to improve reading skills.
They also suggest pupils improve their spelling by doing crosswords and playing board games but warn that parents should not rely solely on school lessons to improve the children's achievement in maths.
The move has been backed by education expert Professor John Hattie, who says he has found "zero evidence" that homework helps to improve time management or study skills.
In a letter to parents, Karori Normal School principal Diane Leggett pointed to research that suggested homework had no positive impact. "In fact, there is a growing body of evidence to suggest the opposite."
From this year the school had stopped providing homework sheets for pupils. Instead the school encouraged parents to be more involved with their child's learning.
"Encourage your child's imagination and creativity – you will do more than any homework or extra-tuition programme ever could. Turn off the TV/games console during the week. Let them play. Talk with them. Share with them.
"It doesn't matter what your child reads as long as they get a balance of reading to you, reading with you and reading for themselves. Books, magazines, comics, newspapers, model aeroplane instructions, the back of the Weet-Bix packet ... whatever, it doesn't matter. As long as your child is doing something that they are interested in, they will read it, enjoy it and be all the happier and better off for it."
They could also improve spelling by doing crosswords and word puzzles or playing board games like Scrabble.
Mrs Leggett warned that if pupils were struggling with maths, parents could not rely solely on school lessons to improve a child's achievement.
She told The Dominion Post yesterday that feedback from parents had been "very positive". "In fact, we have had no negative feedback at all. We feel that there is no point in giving children homework just for the sake of it. Learning should be fun and that's what we will be focusing on."
She was aware of similar moves at Ngaio and Seatoun schools.
Professor Hattie, from Auckland University, said homework worked for some pupils but for most it was a waste of time. If schools did give homework, he recommended no longer than five minutes a night.
"I applaud schools for taking this approach and I hope others follow what they have done. It's far more important to have interaction with parents, rather than spending hours on some project."
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