Hebron Happenings

Newsletter No.15 Friday 1st June 2012 Dear Parents

Scholarship Examination Result Scholarship provides recognition and a monetary reward ($500) to top students in their last year of schooling. Scholarship exams enable candidates to be assessed against challenging standards and are quite demanding for the most able candidates in each subject. Scholarship candidates are expected to demonstrate high-level critical thinking, abstraction and generalisation, and to integrate, synthesise and apply knowledge, skills, understanding and ideas to complex situations. Approximately 3% of Year 13 students over the whole of New Zealand studying each subject at Level 3 are awarded Scholarship, if they reach the standard that has been set.

We are very pleased to report that the two Hebron students (11% of our Year 13 class) who sat the Scholarship examination during 2011 have both been awarded a Scholarship. Leah Bennett (left) gained Scholarship in Geography and Emily Painter (right) gained her Scholarship in English. Congratulations to both girls. Results such as this, once again, show that Hebron Christian College is “punching well above its weight” and achieving outstanding academic results.

Mastermind Tests Mastermind testing took place on Monday and the following students will go through to the Mastermind Championship on Tuesday 19th June: Year 4 Rachel Van Alstine Tinodaishe Garakara Year 5 Giles Paton-Simpson Peter Luo

Year 6 Emily Squirrel Rachel Ling Intermediate Year 7 Yong Shan Zhao Sarah Scott Noah Gozali

Year 8 Rebekah Cummins Sophia Hamada- Zhu Justin Low

Fundraising It is with delight that we announce we have received funding for $7,200 worth of P.E. equipment for the school for the following sports; soccer, netball, tennis, padder tennis and futsal. The children are very much into the 'beautiful sport' of soccer at present, so the 4 new soccer goals for upper and lower fields and the futsal goals for the astro turf court will be well used. We are currently getting quotes for the installation of more heat pumps, so watch this space. An application goes in next week for funding for video cameras and laptops for editing and training for staff in its usage. If successful this will enable the senior students to video their speeches for NCEA. It will give the teachers the opportunity to video their students experiences for the school website and as tools for Intermediate Video club work.

Homestay needed

Recent research by myself and the computer committee regarding BYOD, 'Bring Your Own Device', enabling students to connect to WiFi with their own laptop or portable device continues to be researched. The money raised from the Lapathon in Term 1 is ear-marked for this purpose. Plans have been drawn up to relocate the administration offices on the ground floor of Rahiri House. To achieve this over the next 6 months we are hoping to roll out 3 key fundraisers, the main one being a school gala to be held later in the year. Carolyn Welch will steer us through this event planned for the end of spring and will be chatting with staff and a number of parents regarding this event in coming weeks. Intermediate Clubs: A parent writes, "This week I had the occasion to be in the computer room when 2 of the Intermediate clubs were at work. I was so impressed to see what was unfolding! The environmental club with Mrs Scott's assistance had registered the school with the ACC Wastewise programme. They had brainstormed and mapped their ideas and were using the computers to create signs for eco bins, animated quizzes and writing the implementation plans for developing an eco-wise school. This kind of learning makes me excited about Hebron. Meanwhile the other club led by Mr Matthews learning video use and editing were getting ready to film all the clubs at work for the school website.” A Star of Persia Musical

The rehearsals for our musical are going exceedingly well, according to mrs Huston, musical director. Please remember the musical is planned to be held at Liberty Christian Centre in Avondale on 31st August and 1st September. All the primary children will have the opportunity to be involved, and a few secondary students are involved as well.

Secondary School Teacher-only-Day Parents of secondary students are advised that there will be a Teacher-Only-Day on Tuesday 13th June and consequently secondary students will not attend school on that day. Secondary teachers throughout Auckland will be attending professional development meetings in their subject cluster groups in order to stay up-to-date with new developments in their subjects and with NCEA curriculum and assessment requirements. School on this day will operate normally for primary children up to Year 8. School Board-Staff-Parents Meeting Parents are strongly encouraged to attend the School Board-Staff-Parents meeting on Wednesday 20th June, 7:30pm in the school hall. Our Board Chairman, Colin Marshall, will discuss plans for the future development of our school including the integration application, property development, fundraising ventures, etc. Sergeant Deane McEntee, Coordinator of the Auckland City Police Youth Education Service will also address the meeting explaining the Keeping Ourselves Safe programme which will be taught throughout the school in Term 3. He will also answer parent concerns and questions.

Homestays are needed for 2 Japanese students: • Male, 16yrs old for 3 weeks, 6-26th August • Female, 16years old, long term, at least until the end of this year.

Homestay payments are $230 per week. I also need a few more Hebron families who could homestay a Japanese student from Acosta Namiki High School who will be visiting us 2nd-10th August. Lease let me know of your availability.

Upcoming Events

Exams looming

Secondary students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge on subjects taught in the upcoming secondary exams starting NEXT TUESDAY the day after Queens Birthday Weekend. Parents…please encourage your secondary child(ren) to be studying for these exams now…not the night before! Have an enjoyable long weekend celebrating our Queen’s birthday.

Geoff Matthews Principal