Address: 282 Victoria Avenue, Remuera, Auckland | Telephone: (09) 520 0602
E-mail: [email protected] | web: www.victoriaave.com
Dear Parents
Home Learning (formerly known as homework)
In classrooms, the material that teachers prepare for individual or groups of students is always based on their specific needs as identified through formative (anecdotal) and summative (tests) assessments. Teachers do not give out the same learning material to every child because in any given class, some children would find it way too hard and others would find it way too easy. The same goes for home learning. A generic homework sheet given to every child would have the same effect; too hard for some (and therefore stressful to child and family) or too easy (therefore a waste of that child’s time).
This is the letter for parents prepared by Anne Bridgman (slightly modified by me) which nicely states what we do for home learning:
Research by John Hattie identifies that “homework has been found to have no effect on the progress of primary school children. To get it right without getting rid of it, children at primary level should be given less projects and more activities that reinforce what they learnt in the lesson that day instead. Whilst homework does make more of a difference to secondary schoolchildren, too much emphasis is placed on it; 5-10 minutes of practising what was taught that day at school has the same effect as 1-2 hours does.”
We aim to ensure that home learning is meaningful and of value so will encourage…
Literacy:
- Personal Reading – We want to foster a love of reading so students will be encouraged to select, reflect on and share books for personal reading.
- Being read to – We want students to experience the world of literature in order to open up new horizons for them.
Mathematics:
- Students will be encouraged to use Mathletics to reinforce recent learning and basic facts recall.
Inquiry:
- For older children, student GAFE (Google Apps for Education) accounts allow students to access their own learning tasks at home so provides opportunities for them to add to and extend their research, thinking and current learning.
- For younger children, they may be asked to find some information or complete a task related to their inquiry learning.
Current Events & Issues:
- Throughout the year students may be assigned additional oral/visual language/thinking tasks involving relevant current events and issues for further discussion in class.
Spelling:
- In Year 2, word lists are based on weekly sounds from the phonics programme and according to individual needs.
- In Year 3, word lists are based on weekly sound patterns from Switch on to Spelling, plus errors from children’s writing.
- In Years 1, 4, 5, 6, there is no spelling home learning. Spelling lessons are completed within the class programme.
A thought – “It is better to give no homework than the same homework to everyone.”
A Kohn (2007)
The best kind of home learning is not structured, it is in the everyday conversations parents can have with their child, introducing them to new experiences, challenging their thinking with books, fun games and riddles, letting them bake, write notes, play, make huts, go bike riding, create lego masterpieces. Everything you do with your child is learning in the home.
Sabbatical
I have been awarded a Ministry of Education sabbatical for term 2. This is the rationale for my research project:
Rationale: The terminology ‘distributed leadership’ dates back to the early 2000s and ‘leading from the middle’ is the more current terminology. The MOE document ‘Leading From the Middle, Educational Leadership for Middle and Senior Leaders’ was published in 2012.
I am going to explore the ways in which schools have structures and systems that support leading from the middle. I am interested in the ways schools are tapping into leadership potential and using ‘leading from the middle’ principles to grow leadership capability. What the commonalities are between schools and what structures are successful and what pitfalls have been overcome.
More importantly, I am going to look closely at the opportunities and barriers from middle leaders’ perspectives. What are their needs in terms of professional development, board support, in school support? I will use the Educational Leadership Model as the springboard to frame questions and surveys around.
So, I am away all term 2 and will be back at the beginning of term 3. Jane Cameron will be acting principal in my absence so it will be business as usual.
Kind regards
Janice Adamson
Uniform
Just a reminder before you start to stock up for the winter. Children can wear suitable shoes of any colour but socks need to be black, white or navy. At the moment I am seeing every kind of coloured socks, stripy socks, socks with pictures on them! When you are buying tights or socks for winter, please buy them in plain black, white or navy.
School Donation
REMEMBER – if you pay your school donation by 31 March you are eligible to claim it as a donation in your 2017 tax return.
Take advantage of this opportunity and either pay by eftpos, cash or cheque at the school office, by internet banking or go to http://www.victoriaave.com/school-shop. All receipts will be sent home at the beginning of April (if paid by 31 March).
Uniform Shop – Second-hand Sale – Sunday 9 April, 11.30 – 12.30
During the school gala, we are having a second-hand uniform sale from 11.30-12.30, in the Uniform Shop.
Kids Hip Hop with Richie Cesan
We are very excited to have one of NZ’s leading Hip Hop dance instructors and choreographers come to Victoria Avenue School to teach Hip Hop to some of our year 6 students.
The super talented Richie Cesan has a Bachelor of Performing Arts and teaches all over Auckland including TAPAC (The Performing Arts Centre.) He has competed at the World Hip Hop Championships, danced in a number of films and television commercials and was recently involved in choreographing for the Billy Elliot Musical. Click here for the enrolment form.
Click Here to view our BLOG PAGE.
DRAMA/SPEECH LESSONS: Click here for information
MUSIC LESSONS: Click here for information on Musiqhub music lessons
AFTER SCHOOL ACTIVITIES:
FOR TERM 1 2017
Click here for details on these activities.
Also:
Click here for After School and Holiday Community Based Programmes and Activities for 2017
What’s Ahead?
PLEASE CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR ONLINE CALENDAR
IMPORTANT DATES AND TIMES
School Times
School starts: 8.50am
Interval: 10.30-10.50am
Lunch: 12.30-1.25pm
School finishes: 3.00pm
Term Dates for 2017
Term 1: Wednesday 1 February to Thursday 13 April 2017
~ Waitangi Day Monday 6 February ’17
~ Good Friday 14 April
Term 2: Monday 1 May to Friday 7 July 2017
~ Queen’s Birthday Monday 5 June ’17
Term 3: Monday 24 July to Friday 29 Sept 2017
Term 4: Monday 16 October to Friday 15 December 2017
~ Labour Day Mon 23 October ’17
Stationery Sales
Tuesdays and Thursdays: 8.30-8.45am
Uniform Shop
– half way up dragon drive in the old dental clinic
OPEN FRIDAYS only: 8.15-8.45am
Orders and payments for uniform can be made online on our website ~ Click hereSave
Lunch Orders
1. ‘Daily Lunch and Catering’ ordered through ezLUNCH: Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays – ONLINE ORDERS ONLY
Join ezlunch today and Place an order Sushi is available through Daily Lunch and Catering
2. Pita Pit: ordered through ezLUNCH: Thursdays – ONLINE ORDERS ONLY
Join ezlunch today and Place an order
3. Subway: Wed and Fri – ONLINE ORDERS ONLY
Register to order online at www.subwayrialto.co.nz
School Dental Service
8b Ngaio St Orakei Ph5200603.
The dental team will be posting letters to all new entrants to our school as required.
Remember to ‘like’ Victoria Avenue School on Facebook.
NIT NIGHT TONIGHT!!
PLEASE, PLEASE CHECK FOR NITS – a number of classes have reported nits and if your infected child is not treated then many others will be!
Here is a link from NZ Health for info and treatment.
http://www.health.govt.nz/your-health/conditions-and-treatments/diseases-and-illnesses/head-lice
Reminder school Banking is on every Wednesday
To join go to the ASB display/banking box in the foyer.
To download the app for free on iPhone or Android click this link. http://is.gd/3ffmjc
Ice-blocks $2 and Sunscreen $5 for sale outside room 7 and outside the hall, after school tomorrow. Sunscreen also for sale at the office.

Entertainment Books
Victoria Avenue School is happy to once again offer all families the chance to support the PTS by purchasing an Entertainment Membership. Each Entertainment Book or Digital Membership contains hundreds of 25-50% off or 2-for-1 offers from some of Auckland’s best restaurants, cafes, attractions and events. They cost $70 per Membership and the PTS retains 20% of this ($14 per sale) to help our fundraising to go towards paving the Victoria Avenue School shared BBQ area. A book will be sent home with each family to view in the first week of April, but if you wish to pre-order your copy, then you’ll receive some bonus early bird offers that are valid straight away. Order securely online today at http://www.entbook.co.nz/
- Room 1: Katherine Handley
- Room 1: David Li
- Room 2: Hikurangi Blaylock
- Room 2: Samantha Barclay
- Room 3: Jenna Chapman
- Room 3: Devon Middleton
- Room 4: Haylee Kuhtze
- Room 4 : Christie Blair
- Room 5 : Samuel Spath
- Room 6 : Adam Hughes
- Room 6 : Sasha Bedekar
- Room 7 : Savanna Wood
- Room 8 : Knox Newton
- Room 9 : Tom Underdown
- Room 10 : Sebastian Lynch
- Room 11 : Luke Fon
- Room 12 : Hibah Ahmed
- Room 13 : Kayde Greene
- Room 14 : Kai Shi
- Room 16 : Rita Fung
- Room 16 : Oliver Munro
- Room 17 : Enay Bengali
- Room 18 : Amelia King
- Room 19 : Alexis Tree
- Room 20 : Harper Blair
- Room 21 : Zara Revill
