As we come to the end of Term 1 we can reflect on a busy and successful term where all students have been encouraged and supported to live our RISE values and to do their best. Our focus this term has been on RESPECT and next term will see us focussing on INTEGRITY.

Thanks to everyone who completed our communication survey. We will analyse your comments and use them to develop more effective communication.

We look forward to a great holiday and we look forward to seeing you all back fresh, relaxed, wearing winter uniform on Monday 2nd May at 9am.

Happy holidays!

God bless
Liz

PS Have you downloaded our School App yet?

Cool Schools Peer Mediation Programme

Cool Schools is a whole-school proactive programme that teaches essential life skills for peaceful conflict resolution. The skills taught in this programme empower individuals to build positive, caring relationships with others especially in times of conflict.

The Cool Schools Peer Mediation Programme aims to :

• Raise awareness of how one's self and others act in conflict situations.

• Teach life long conflict management skills so that individuals feel empowered to make positive choices towards peaceful conflict resolution.

• Develop leadership in giving service to others and promoting respect for differences and diversity.

•  Empower individuals to believe they can make a positive difference in their homes, schools, communities and beyond.

Cool Schools and the New Zealand Curriculum

The Cool Schools programme is aligned to the New Zealand curriculum. It provides a vast array of opportunities to help young people develop the values, competencies, knowledge and skills needed to address conflict in their everyday lives. This programme provides particularly effective learning to help develop the key competencies of 'Managing Self and Relating to Others'. The learning objectives can be easily incorporated into teh health education programme.

Cool Schools also supports schools to fulfil the rights of every child to an education that respects, protects and fulfils human rights.

Peer Mediation

Conflict is part of everyday life; it's how we deal with it that makes the difference.

The Cool Schools Peer Mediation Programme enables students to act as third party mediators between two or more of their peers, who are caught up in a conflict and want to see it resolved constructively and peacefully

Cool Schools Learning Areas

• Defining conflict

• Responses to conflict

• The role of the mediator

• The mediation process

• Problem solving and creating agreements that work

• Active listening

• Identifying and expressing feelings

• Using "i" statements

• Effective questioning

• Handling difficult situations

Positive Outcomes

• Skills provided for constructive relationship building for pupils, teachers and parents.

• Helps schools create a safe physical and emotional school environment.

• Students develop an appreciation of conflict as something that can be handled positively and learnt from.

• Students in the programme enjoy increased self-esteem as a result of their role as peer mediators.

• When pupils settle their conflicts through peer mediation they are much happier and more productive in class.

• Teachers have less conflict to deal with and more time for quality teaching.

• Changes are even seen in the home. Children who have  learnt mediation skills at school will be able to solve conflicts with their brothers and sisters much more peacefully and constructively.

Implementation of Cool Schools at Sacred Heart School

• Whole school staff training

• Cool Schools Co-ordinator selected

• Peaceful conflict resolution skills taught in all classrooms

• Class mediators in action

• School peer mediators selected and trained

• School peer mediators on duty in the playground

• Weekly peer mediators' meeting with coordinator to support team and evaluate progress

Sacred Heart School has 35 trained peer mediators. They are trained to help disputants resolve minor conflicts. They should never be expected to resolve major conflicts. These will be handled following our school's behaviour management process by the Duty Teacher.

Homework at Sacred Heart
 We have compulsory Homework which focuses primarily on Literacy and Numeracy. Research has shown that Reading and Basic Facts when worked on at home do have an effect on student's progress and achievement.

At times there may be some Religious Education homework. In Years 5-8 , compulsory homework also might include research for Inquiry work at school. Otherwise NO other homework is set.

Year 1 & 2
The focus of Homework in these early years is to support literacy and numeracy. Reading should be happening every night. The children in Tui and Ruru class will bring home a home reader every night and will also be working on learning their basic sight words. Ruru class may also bring home some simple basic facts.

Kea class will focus on Reading and Basic Facts and all Year 2 children have the option of participating in and completing our Junior RISE Challenge. This is preparing them for participation in the RISE Challenge when they reach Year 3. Al the tasks in the Junior RISE Challenge are based on the key Competencies and have been developed to encourage children to become more independent.

Years 3-8
The Homework focus in Years 3-8 will be on Reading and Basic Facts. We expect children to read every night and log their Reading mileage in the Homework Diary provided. Mileage is what all children need to succeed in Reading. They need to read a variety of books from many different genres- both fiction and non-fiction titles. If your child is not a member of the Public Library it is free and very easy to join and this will give them access to a wide variety of books. Some children in Year 3 & 4 will still be bringing reading books home from school.

Basic Facts/ Numeracy homework will be provided by the class teacher and this will be marked as part of our school Numeracy programme. Year 4-8 students will use the IXL Maths programme as their Numeracy homework.

Please ensure that your child/children complete their compulsory homework each week and that you sign their Homework Diary to acknowledge the completion of the weekly tasks.

Welcome back to 2016 at Sacred Heart School Petone! We have welcomed back most of last year's staff and welcomed some staff back in different roles.

Mrs Havell will be the release teacher in Kea and Kakapo and she will also work with a student in Ruru class and be Acting SENCO this year.

Ms Sophie Wright is with us for this year in Kea class while Ms McGuinness is on leave.

Mrs Fo'i Bell has returned to the Senior school and is teaching in Kotuku Class. 

Mrs Onieka Tristram is training as a Reading Recovery Teacher and we welcome Mrs Kate Mooney back as the Reading Recovery Release teacher in Ruru class. 

The rest of the staff are back in the same roles as last year.

Sr Annette will still be in this year teaching Tai Chi.

Our fantastic Support Staff - Janet Whalen, Anne Horrocks, Des Jago, Maree Mahony, Anna Wilson and Justine Soane have all returned.