Preparatory School Annual Report 2021

Preparatory School ANNUAL REPORT 2021

Introduction The end-of-year 2021 Preparatory School Annual Report aims to inform the school community about pertinent areas of operation during the year. In particular, it provides information on areas of learning focus and development.

CONTENTS Principal’s Comment Student-centred Learning Approach Curriculum / Teaching and Learning Assessment and Reporting Well-being and Pastoral Care Gifted and Talented Junior Department Middle Syndicate Year 7 Team Year 8 Team Sport Learning Support Visual Arts Music Dance and Drama Physical Education Religious Education Chapel and Assemblies Library

Digital Technology and eLearning

1 4 5 8 10 12 16 20 23 25 27 31 32 34 36 38 40 40 42 44

2021 was a Year of High-level Academic Achievement Advancement in Literacy and Numeracy continued during the year, as did the children’s ongoing development of strategies and tools for learning. The children performed well against national benchmarks.

The Preparatory School is committed to enhancing strategies and skills for learning. The children need to be able to make meaningful connections, and to apply knowledge to a range of situations and contexts.

The Preparatory School continues to be acknowledged and recognised as a showcase and working example of what a 21st century learning environment looks like.

Enjoyment, engagement, personalised learning, and achievement is readily seen at any time during the day.

Academic Achievements in 2021 READING Children at or above national averages

92.4% MATHEMATICS Children at or above national averages

96.0% WRITING Children at or above national averages

92.9% KEY COMPETENCIES Children within or above their year level standard

95.3%

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The school’s learning environment caters for all learning styles and abilities, and offers a level of diversity, which nurtures and expands all children’s development.

The children’s learning is personalised through differentiation; the focus becomes each child’s genuine next steps. This allows each child to work at his or her appropriate level irrespective of year level.

Working with small groups, the teacher can scaffold, mentor, and guide the learning. The teacher can also stimulate deeper thinking and understanding through quality questioning.

Differentiation also caters for the learning needs of able children. It allows them to work at an extended level but remain in their learning environment with their peer group. This approach also assists the development of their Key Competencies (KCs) or Emotional Intelligence (EQ).

The KCs are considered integral to being a well-rounded and successful learner. A person’s EQ is expected to be a significant factor in securing employment in the future. The primary years are the foundation years for the development of this skill set.

In the Preparatory School we are fortunate to have:

• the ability to implement the • New Zealand Curriculum as intended; • clarity within the school around effective pedagogy;

• strong curriculum leadership; • competent teachers; • enrichment experiences taken by specialist staff;

• a rigorous yet supportive teacher performance review process;

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• a physical environment which supports • • •

• • • •

the school’s approach to learning; the flexibility of large shared areas as well as smaller (class) rooms.

Either or both can be used depending on the learning environment required at the time; one teacher with one class of children. This ensures that the crucial connections made between the teacher and child (and family) can be maintained, and there is no loss of learning flow; indoor/outdoor flow and connectivity; availability of a range of learning technologies; opportunities for innovation and creativity; forward looking and timely future planning.

During the year, the children enjoyed high levels of success – there were many outstanding academic, sporting, and cultural achievements.

Some of the highlights were:

• several students won competitions –

• •

• •

The Preparatory School’s all-round quality is consistently acknowledged by parents, staff, and students in ongoing surveys.

The high level of support for the Preparatory School in all key areas is very pleasing and affirming.

As we look towards 2022, we will have a targeted Annual Plan which will continue to support the ongoing development of the school’s Student-centred Learning Approach (page 4). This model incorporates the intention and emphasis of the New Zealand Curriculum. All staff professional learning next year will link to the Annual Plan targets and expected outcomes.

The 2022 school year is set to be an exciting and productive year for students and staff.

Jonathan Bierwirth Principal of Preparatory School Deputy for Rector

Writing, Poetry, Speech and Drama, Future Problem Solving (individual category), and in teams – Future Problem Solving; most children played and enjoyed more than one sport, and many achieved regional and national success; there was ongoing development of coding and robotics, and the opportunity to work in the world of virtual reality; the gender balance continues to be evenly balanced; we continued to be a school in demand for places.

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Curriculum / Teaching and Learning The Preparatory School curriculum is developed under the guidelines and philosophy of the New Zealand Curriculum and takes into consideration the special nature of St Andrew’s College. It takes, as its starting point, a vision of our young people as lifelong learners who are confident and creative, connected, and actively involved. It includes a clear set of principles on which to base curriculum decision making. It sets out values that are to be encouraged, modelled, and explored.

It defines five Key Competencies that are critical to sustained learning and effective participation in society, and that underline the emphasis on lifelong learning.

Literacy remains the largest and most important learning area (includes Reading, Writing, Spelling, Visual and Oral Language). Literacy accounts for 60–65 per cent of the weekly timetable.

Numeracy (Mathematics), Enrichment (specialist areas), and Units of Inquiry make up most of the remaining time in the timetable.

The school is committed to enhancing strategies and skills for learning and high levels of understanding. A quality learning environment encourages discussion and questioning, and for the student is engaging, differentiated, and meaningful.

It also develops interpersonal skills.

A significant development in interpersonal skills for teachers and students during 2021 was the introduction of the new pastoral care and values system, called StAC-UP. StAC-UP was developed

following a school wide pastoral review in Term 4, 2020. It provides a valuable blueprint for a positive and encouraging learning environment, in which all children feel safe and cared for. In the classroom, playground, and extra-curricular activities students and staff have implemented the following expectations:

• Be Safe – inside, outside, and online;

• Be Ready – to learn in all situations;

• Be Respectful – towards others and yourself.

StAC-UP underpins all interactions with students, colleagues, and the community and guides our response when approaching situations of conflict or difficulty. StAC-UP is brought to life through explicit teaching and learning in the following areas; Bounce Back, Restorative Conversations, Key Competencies, as well as a raft of health programmes.

A Student-centred Learning Approach where learning is visible, has continued to underpin and drive teaching in the Preparatory School. In 2021, the focus has been on teacher clarity, which according to Professor John Hattie, is one of the most important learning interventions available.

Specifically, the following areas were a focus:

• learning intentions and success criteria

are visible to students. Students know what they are learning and what success looks like; • students have opportunities to self‑assess their work; • formative feedback is given to students; • feedback is related to the learning intentions.

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The Leadership team added to their own skill set as part of this process through the introduction of appraisal observations across syndicate levels and specialist teachers. Professional conversations around the moderation of our appraisal processes and different feedback strategies for students in various parts of the school proved valuable.

The Preparatory staff’s ability to deliver learning online was again put to the test as it was across the school and wider community. COVID-19 provided an opportunity for staff to explore how to:

• makes lesson instructions clear,

explicit, and easy to follow at home;

• provide timely feedback around learning in an online environment;

• use tools such as Teams and Seesaw to provide meaningful learning opportunities at home.

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There was a combination of ‘just in time’ learning and planned professional development for staff prior to the Term 3 lockdown. Staff attended onsite and online tutorials and PD sessions, run by the ICT team. There was also a significant amount of collegial sharing of knowledge and tutoring of fellow staff members through this time as staff determined new ways to engage with learners at home. As a result of this and, taking from the lessons of 2020, the transition to online learning was seamless. Students were able to engage with their teacher through online video calls as well as engage in group work with their peers. Students used a variety of familiar online learning platforms to continue to progress with their learning goals. Staff were able to access results and adapt the learning to differentiate for individual needs. 2021 results in Reading, Writing, and Mathematics indicate that there was no dip in achievement for our students during this time.

During the lockdown period the Preparatory School used Microsoft forms to check on the well-being of students and their engagement with learning while at home. This provided valuable information to classroom teachers as well as the Pastoral team on who needed extra support over this unusual time. The Preparatory School will continue to use these tools in future years to gauge both the quality of teaching and learning, and the pastoral needs of students.

In 2021, there continued to be a focus on the use of Te Reo Māori in classrooms.

All teachers attended professional development with an external tutor and implemented this learning in their classrooms. Te Reo Māori is one of New Zealand’s three official languages and providing our students with a basic understanding of Te Reo Māori and Tikanga has had many benefits for them. These sessions had a dual focus of actively encouraging staff to develop confidence in their own speaking while providing practical activities for use in the classroom. In addition to this, two staff also undertook and successfully completed a Level 1 Te Reo Māori course run onsite by Te Wānanga o Aotearoa.

It has been encouraging to see an increased use of Te Reo Māori throughout the Preparatory School. Students have displayed an increasing sense of pride in the New Zealand Māori culture, as well as an understanding of how languages work and how these skills can be transferred to other areas of learning.

create digital outcomes to solve realworld problems. Targeted professional development sessions and targeted teaching through two in-school specialists saw significant progress for staff and students. Anneke Kamo spent time in classes in the Junior and Middle Syndicate, while Wilj Dekkers spent time with Year 7–8 classes and teachers to create units of work to support this area.

During 2021, professional learning groups (PLGs) saw a strong focus on Health and well-being topics, including the implementation of StAC-UP. Bounce Back! became our key resource for teaching Health across Years 1–7. Bounce Back! is an award-winning programme that supports teachers in their efforts to promote positive mental health, well-being and resilience for students, and build safe and supportive class and school learning environments. Managing access to social media, online material, and cyber safety, continued to impact on the well-being of our students, particularly given the added disruption COVID-19 brought to the picture. A series of sessions for parents was offered across 2021 to assist with parent education particularly in well-being and managing the digital environment at home. These were well attended and will continue in 2022.

The Digital Technologies Curriculum, which became mandatory in all schools across Years 1–10 in 2020, continued to be a focus during the year. The new content challenged learners to develop their computational thinking and to 7

Assessment and Reporting Assessment Assessment is described as the process of gathering, analysing, interpreting, and using information about students’ progress and achievement to improve teaching and learning. Assessment plays a significant part in our education system and should strive to involve all children in knowing how successful they have been in their learning. This is an integral part of developing lifelong learning skills.

Teaching and learning in the Preparatory School continues to show many strengths.

A considerable part of this is the ability to reflect modern learning pedagogy in teaching as well as through our approach to assessment. As this shift in education continues so has our view of assessment.

Visible Learning assessment practices continue to be a focus in the Preparatory School. This is where assessed information is used by teachers to adjust their teaching strategies, and by students to adjust their learning strategies.

Assessment, teaching, and learning are inextricably linked, as each informs the other. Students feel involved in the process and can describe where they are at with their learning and what their next steps are.

Quality and timely feedback from teacher to student, student to teacher, and student to student are an important part of this. Teacher clarity formed part of the appraisal process for classroom teachers in 2021 and will continue to be an area to grow in 2022. Teacher clarity is about helping students gauge their own progress using success criteria and intentional and deliberate feedback.

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There are five essential practices for teacher clarity that over time will result in a greater ability for students to manage their own learning. These are:

• crafting learning intentions and success criteria;

• co-constructing learning intentions and success criteria with learners;

• creating opportunities for students to respond (i.e. formative assessment);

• providing effective feedback on and for learning;

• sharing learning and progress

between students and teachers.

Informal assessment opportunities such as peer and self-assessment, when added to learning conversations and more formal assessment tools allow both teacher and student to better understanding what learning has been achieved and to then set realistic goals for where to next.

Formal Assessment Tools and Online Testing e-asTTle continued to be our main tool for assessing Year 4–8 students in Reading and Writing. As well as being used for whole school cohort testing, individual teachers also used the shorter tests with small groups to inform next steps in the learning process. e-asTTle provided information to teachers, students, and parents about levels of achievement relative to the Curriculum achievement outcomes for Levels 2 to 6. Staff found e-asTTle to be a great tool for helping students understand their progress, and a useful way to involve parents in discussions about their children’s progress. Classes also used the e-asTTle writing rubric to self-assess their

writing as part of class work. Running Records were used as one of the primary assessment tools across all levels. During Term 4, staff learnt about and trialled the use of AI Reading in Teams. Microsoft has developed Artificial Intelligence to analyse a student’s ability when recording a video of themselves reading. The use of this tool will be further trialled in 2022.

Reporting to Parents The use of the Community Portal as the means to view reports was continued in 2021 and is now the accepted means for viewing and comparing student reports over time. Students received reports comprising of:

• a summary of initial testing and

Curriculum Level placement (Term 1);

• individual next learning steps for key subject areas (Term 1);

• individual Key Competency related goals (Term 1);

• specialist staff assessment of skills, knowledge, and behaviour during specialist lessons (Terms 2 and 4); • teacher comment around Key Competencies (Terms 2 and 4); • a summary of student progress towards goals and further testing results (Terms 2 and 4).

Parents were able to access results and comments in a timely manner and discuss with teachers and students at learning conferences. Learning conferences continued to provide another forum for teachers, students, and parents to discuss learning and set goals for the future. The Preparatory School has an open-door policy and has continued to encourage parents to contact staff whenever they feel a need.

Student Portfolios and E–Portfolios Student portfolios are a valued and integral part of the children’s learning and achievement, they provide a format for students to record their work, goals, and achievements, reflect on their learning, and share their learning with a wider audience.

For students in the Junior and Middle Syndicates of the Preparatory School the portfolio continued to be digital in 2021 using the online platform Seesaw. Students in Year 7 also began using this online tool to share learning with parents. Seesaw allows teachers and students to upload current examples of work, and for parents and family to view and comment.

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Well-being and Pastoral Care Looking after the well-being of our students is a vital part of the school day.

The Preparatory School has made a deliberate decision to continue to offer one teacher to one class of children.

This is counter to the current trend in New Zealand state schools whereby two or more classes and teachers are together in one large teaching space. It is this conscious decision which allows our classroom teachers to develop an in-depth understanding and empathy for the small group of students in their care.

The 2020 external review of our Pastoral Care and Discipline Systems led to a range of changes in this area across 2021. Of most significance was the introduction of StAC-UP. StAC-UP incorporates explicit expectations for students and is underpinned by the College Values of Truth, Excellence, Faith, Inclusivity and Creativity. It provides clear pathways and protocols for any behavioural issues that occur and includes Restorative Practice. The Restorative process is a way of building, maintaining, restoring, and sustaining relationships and is dependent upon a social climate that is reparative rather than punitive. Restorative practice in schools puts into action a philosophy that places respectful relationships at the heart of the educational experience.

Restorative practice operates as a continuum within the school from low level everyday interactions students and teachers have with one another, to highend conferencing around more serious misconduct. StAC-UP comes with a Steps of Consequence Policy which provides clear guidelines around each step. The

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policy was implemented on several occasions during 2021 and has led to an environment where students know and understand the boundaries and feel safe at school. Areas identified by staff as working particularly well have included:

• sharing of difficulties between staff; • students learning to define behaviours;

• consistency amongst staff in

expectations and managing behaviour;

• students feel heard and are

experiencing better peer relationships;

• StAC values and StAC-UP expectations are becoming a common language.

Also of significance in 2021 was the increase of counselling hours in the Preparatory School and the appointment of a second-full time counsellor, Mike Coleman. Through the increased hours available, the Pastoral team was able to

offer help and support to more students going through difficult times and suffering from anxiety. The range of scenarios and difficulties encountered by the counselling team was varied and reflected the uncertainty and stressful nature of 2021 in the COVID-19 environment.

The team also facilitated and helped run a Clubs Programme including Minecraft, Chess, Book Club, Crafts, and Lego. Clubs provided students with a more diverse range of options for breaktimes. Term 4 saw the addition of a 24/7 Youth worker to the team. Katrina Setacci was a valuable addition, and we look forward to her continued work and mentoring of students in 2022.

Utilising our in-house counselling team has been useful to further develop our staff’s understanding of current trends in

student behaviour. Professional Learning around this topic focused particularly on online behaviours. Staff had the benefit of attending a College-wide session run by Kate Whitaker from the Office of Film and Literature Classification. The session dealt with research on pornography and the implications for educators.

The Chaplaincy and Well-being teams continued to provide support and development for staff in understanding their own well-being and managing the complexities of work and home life in the 21st century. The College also continued to provide the services of Workplace Support who provide independent employee assistance in addressing personal and work-related issues.

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Gifted and Talented The purpose of defining and identifying giftedness is to recognise individual and group abilities, qualities, and interests.

Gifted education is about ensuring gifted potential is realised, gifted learners discover their strengths and follow their passions, and barriers to success are minimised. Students in the Preparatory School who have been identified as Gifted and Talented are monitored and placed on the Learner Needs Register on the school’s student management system, Synergetic.

Definition and Identification In the Preparatory School staff provide responsive learning environments in which students are encouraged to become adaptive, creative, and resilient.

Curriculum differentiation is a strategy used by staff to cater for the wide range of abilities in classrooms. Differentiation greatly enhances the educational experiences of gifted and talented students. When gifted learners are active participants in their learning and experience appropriately differentiated teaching and learning, well-being is promoted, and achievement and progress is accelerated.

The underlying principles guiding differentiation for gifted and talented students are to:

• present content that is related to • • • • • • •

broad based issues, themes, or problems; integrate multiple disciplines; present comprehensive, related, and mutually reinforcing experiences; develop independent or self-directed study skills; develop productive, complex, abstract and/or higher order thinking skills; focus on open ended tasks; develop research skills and methods; evaluate student outcomes by using appropriate and specific criteria through self-appraisal.

Curriculum enrichment is also used widely across all year levels of the Preparatory School. Curriculum enrichment refers to ‘learning activities providing depth and breadth to regular teaching according to the child’s abilities

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and needs’ (Townsend, 1996). Curriculum enrichment is taught by specialist teachers and includes Physical Education, Religious Education, Spanish (Years 1–7), French (Year 8), Music, Dance and Drama, Art, Food, and Materials Technology (Years 7–8).

The provision of appropriate opportunities for all students is at the heart of learning in the Preparatory School.

In 2021, COVID-19 impacted directly on several enrichment activities in the Preparatory School. Many competitions were postponed or changed to virtual or online events. However, even despite this, many opportunities for enrichment still went ahead and excellent results were achieved.

In 2021 the following areas were provided:

Writing Enrichment Kerrin Davidson worked in the Preparatory School as part of a Writing Enrichment programme. Kerrin is a published author and was Victoria University’s Creative Writing Teacher of the Year 2008. 2021 saw the Writers’ Enrichment programme in the Preparatory School continue to grow from strength to strength with an increase in classes and two writers’ master classes running from Years 3–7.

The purpose of these classes was not only for the students who require extension in literacy, but also for those students who have a passion for writing. Kerrin’s classes provided an open-ended platform for students to write creatively with no barriers. She encouraged all students and guided them positively in their learning.

Sessions were run on a Monday and Thursday afternoon, as well as Wednesday lunchtime, with a variety of competitions entered including New Zealand Poetry Box, Seaweek Competition, Royal Commonwealth Queen’s Essay Competition, New Zealand Poetry Society International Competition, Vancouver International Competition, Gifted Association Competition, and the Otago Daily Times competition. The year concluded with a Creative Writing Competition held in the Preparatory School for Years 3–5 (Anel Bartlett) and Years 6–8 (Emma Geddes). Winners received a cup at the end-of-year assembly.

Future Problem Solving (FPS) Future Problem Solving: To dream and to plan, to be curious about the future, and to wonder how much it can be influenced by our efforts are important aspects of being human.

– Dr E Paul Torrance, founder of FPSNZ Future Problem Solving is a highly regarded and well-researched international educational programme that develops creative, critical, and caring thinking skills in students. Students grapple with global and community issues, identify underlying problems, and create positive solutions to those issues. Above all, it aims to give young people the skills to design and promote positive futures as citizens of the 21st century.

In 2021, the FPS programme was successfully coached by Julie Rogers, who has over 15 years’ experience. There were 10 teams across Years 5–8 with more than

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60 students involved in the Preparatory School programme. In 2021, a squad of seven students qualified for and competed in the International FPS Virtual Final. In previous years this has been held in the USA. The students all worked very hard in the lead up. There was a lot of work done using Zoom and the Teams video call function.

The students were among more than 1500 problem-solvers from over 10 countries at the competition, in which critical thinking and problem-solving skills are applied to hypothetical future situations.

In the Presentation of Action Plan Drama, our Junior Division team of Daniel Liu, Tom Simpson, Katie Foot, Kate Ramsey, Sara Yu and Hannah Withers came fourth internationally.

In the Global Issues Problem Solving Written Booklet our Junior Team of Daniel Liu, Tom Simpson, Katie Foot and Kate Ramsey achieved fifth place internationally.

Also, Hannah Withers, our Year 8 Individual competitor came seventh place in the Written Booklet.

At the national final, we had three teams qualify and one individual. The students again achieved amazing success.

Both our Year 6 and Year 8 teams placed first in the Global Issues Team Booklet.

Our Year 7 team was placed third. Our individual competitor, Hannah Withers, placed first. In 2022 we have qualified again to compete in the international final.

Year 6 Team: Alyssa Geddes, Sophie Schouten, Nika Meyn, Alexa Collis 14

Year 7 Team: Honour Fraher-Richardson, George Flannagan, Fraser Walls, Anton Zhang Year 8 Team: Matthew Bluck, Ania Kuziel, Charlotte Kyle, Teresa Steiner In the Middle Syndicate a Year 5–6 group attended FPS sessions twice a week in the Stepping Stones – Non-Competitive division.

This division was particularly suitable for students and coaches who were attempting Future Problem Solving for the first time. This year a team from this division competed in the national final and came first, which is an outstanding achievement.

Students spent time each week learning about the FPS process and researching various topics. Our teams worked very effectively together, developed critical thinking skills, and built a strong foundation for the 2021 programme. The students ran a feedback session and highlighted the following about their FPS time: learnt to work more efficiently with greater time management, developed more effective research skills and strategies to solve world issues, enjoyed futuristic thinking opportunities, and developed effective team building skills.

Other enrichment opportunities offered in 2021:

• • • • • • • • • • •

Rotary Speech Competition; Kids Lit Quiz; Extension Mathematics class Years 7–8; Otago Problem Solving Years 7–8; Code Club; 3D Design and Printing Club; Chess Club Terms; D-Squared Drama Group; VEX IQ Robotics Club (Year 7); ICAS Examinations; Speech and Drama.

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Junior Department Another exciting year with our department functioning at full capacity, ensured opportunities for children to fully explore the Key Competencies by: working in Teams across the department, engaging in activities that acknowledge their Thinking and the ideas of others, prioritising Communication skills through professional learning and explicit teaching of Self‑Management skills using programmes such as the Mindful Movers.

Appraisal Connector An ongoing indicator of the dedication and commitment to self-improvement of the teaching team, was evident throughout the year as teaching inquiries were recorded and shared with peers using the Appraisal Connector platform. Our shared theme this year was a focus on strengthening Oral Language skills in our young learners. All Junior Department staff attended an Oral Language course run by Sheena Cameron and Louise Dempsey in January 2021. Each term key areas were selected by individual teachers and their inquiries were shared in Appraisal Connector using the following prompts:

• • • •

What you trialled in your practice…

The impact it had on learning…

Questions you still have…

Any possible next steps…

Individual inquiries followed by collegial sharing ensured a depth of learning and rich experiences for our students. It was evident by the end of the year that our children could communicate their learning and opinions in a variety of settings.

Embedding our Learning Culture A common theme across the Preparatory School was introducing and unpacking the school wide StAC-UP programme. The Junior team welcomed this addition and initially linked it to our Oral Language inquiries. The language of StAC-UP was shared through acts of explicit teaching to ensure our young students developed successful learning and behaviour strategies. Students have been reflecting on their actions around three key areas: Be Ready, Be Safe, and Be Respectful.

This cycle of reflecting and linking actions to StAC-UP through guided conversation and implementing change has become part of our daily practice.

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Another welcome introduction was the token system relating to our School Houses: Rutherford, Erwin, McGibbon and Thompson. Tokens were given to children in recognition of StAC-ing-UP. Winning Houses celebrated each term by drawing together children across the Preparatory School in a House coloured theme day. Our young children embraced this fully and strived to support peers from their Houses, as they enjoyed the opportunity to celebrate the team effort.

Our full staff professional learning focus around the Restorative Practice approach to conflict resolution supported our StAC‑UP programme. Restorative Practice conversations in the classroom and the playground ensured the children were supported in developing the necessary language skills to reflect on and resolve the issues at hand. Links were always made to the key elements of StAC-UP: Be Ready, Be Safe, and Be Respectful.

Literacy Reading, Writing and Phonics were timetabled with priority across the Junior Department. Daily reading and writing lessons guaranteed explicit teaching of scope and sequence relating to each subject. A structured phonics programme provided a beneficial link across the curriculum. Children who required extra backing to get underway were given one-to-one support with a skilled teacher. A strong foundation in literacy across its disciplines was a priority in our department with high levels of achievement reflecting our commitment to this goal.

Mathematics Prime Mathematics was the core of our teaching and learning programmes and will remain so in 2022. Our Prime programmes ensured a balanced exposure to the three dimensions of Mathematics: Procedural and Computational Skills, Conceptual Understanding, and Problem Solving.

Our team of passionate teachers willingly sharing their knowledge with others.

This is also evident during Mathematics interchanges undertaken across some year levels providing an opportunity for in depth, targeted teaching, meeting the learning needs of small groups of children. The Prime Mathematics review chapters have provided evidence of progress and next learning steps.

Transition to School Programme Full new entrant classrooms with happy and settled children reflected the successful Transition to School programme operating in 2021. Strong connections and an inclusive relationship between the Pre-school and our Junior Department ensured the children’s needs were the first consideration in all planning. Children who came in from other pre-schools benefited from this wealth of knowledge, crucial for a student arriving without a network of friends. We continue to be proud of the programme and its positive results.

Digital Technology Digital Technology presented some exciting learning opportunities under the expertise of Mrs Anneke Kamo. The students in Years 1 and 2 have become

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very confident in coding our BeeBot robots. BlueBots were also introduced, a step up from the Beebots. The BlueBots allowed the students to write code on the iPads and transfer this code and control them through Bluetooth.

At the start of Year 3, the students transitioned from using iPads to Surface Pro laptops. For some, this was their first time using a laptop so there was a range of new skills to learn. They began with the Digital Literacy programme in Term 1 and later in the year, extended their coding skills by completing a range of projects using the coding programme Scratch.

To conclude the year, a highlight for the Year 1 and 2 students was creating Christmas stop motion projects using the iPads.

Inquiry The Year 3 inquiry for 2021 was designed to investigate change in our local environment, with a particular focus on the geographical, historical, and environmental change of the Port Hills.

The inquiry began with a provocation – a letter from the Secretary of the Summit Road Society that invited the Year 3 students to take part in a new project planting trees as part of a regeneration programme in Avoca Valley, on the east side of the Port Hills. There they enjoyed the experience of digging holes, planting trees, and considering how change has impacted on the Port Hills. They also enjoyed some sketching which involved careful observations of the area.

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After this initial activity, the students researched native birds and native trees, and considered the impact of introduced predators to the environment. They read about the success of Zealandia in Wellington and were able to imagine how their work might contribute to a similar project on the Port Hills.

During the inquiry, the children worked closely with our IT specialist to develop skills that enabled them to present their learning in a digital format.

It was unfortunate that they were not able to end the inquiry with the traditional celebration of learning. However, the students completed their research into a native bird of their choice during the lockdown in Term 3. They have been able to share their learning with their families as part of the outdoor activities that they have undertaken.

Learning is lifelong, and our hope is this inquiry has engendered an ongoing interest in the flora and fauna of New Zealand and the protection of our local environment.

Discovery Time Tūhura Time remained the highlight of the week for many Year 1 and 2 students in the Junior Department. Under the care of Mrs Marlene Van der Bent it continued to flourish with adjustments, allowing a more meaningful reflection session at the end. Looking forward to 2022 brings some highly anticipated refinements ensuring even more inclusion and extension.

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Middle Syndicate During 2021, the Middle Syndicate focused on introducing, establishing, and embedding the elements of StAC-UP: Be Safe – inside, outside, and online; Be Ready – to learn in all situations; and Be Respectful – towards others and yourself.

resources engaged our students to promote a clear understanding and shared language of StAC-UP. In addition to the integration of StAC-UP several wellbeing programmes to further support our students and families were established.

These programmes were a Years 4–5 ‘Wise Up’ programme, a Year 5 Lego group, a Year 5 Friendship group, Year 6 Travellers groups, a Year 6 Buddy group, and a Years 4–6 Tuning in to Kids’ programme for parents.

Manaakitanga To welcome the seventeen new students to our school and the Year 4 students to our team, our beginning of the year focus was ‘Identity’ (self, family, class, team, school, community, national, and international).

Students shared their family culture and identity through a range of discussions, writing tasks, multimedia platforms, learning experiences, and presentations.

All students contributed to developing the class and team identity through team assemblies and singing, weekly Growth Mindset Persistence Awards, Key Competency Awards, sustainability projects, shared inquiries, team fitness, kapa haka, developing a shared understanding of StAC-UP, and our weekly Preparatory School chapel services.

StAC-UP StAC-UP was introduced to the students at the beginning of 2021 and was a strong focus throughout the year. The elements of StAC-UP were integrated daily into our classroom programmes and team interactions. StAC-UP lessons were explicitly taught each week. In these lessons a variety of resources including the Bounce Back! programme, Navigating the Journey, and other supporting 20

Appraisal Connector Teachers used Appraisal Connector to record and share their professional learning and appraisals throughout the year. Images, documents, and reflections were uploaded to AC for self-appraisal, leadership appraisal, and student voice to inform inquiry and reflection.

Mathematics All Years 4–6 teachers used the Prime resource, alongside several other mathematics resources. Mathematics classes were streamed at each year level with mathematics being taught every day in all classrooms. Groupings were fluid and reviewed regularly to ensure individual needs were attended to throughout the year. Shared assessment practices enabled teachers to communicate learning progress for all students. Students used the Prime Mathematics practise book, a mathematics exercise book, printed booklets to target an identified mathematical concept, and online links for consolidating and extending learning.

The online tool MathsBuddy was introduced at Year 4 and 5.

MathsBuddy is a New Zealand mathematics curriculum resource which complements what students learn in their mathematics group or class lessons.

Step-by-step lessons in MathsBuddy allowed students to pause or rewind part of any lesson until they fully understood the mathematical concept being taught. It was also used as a diagnostic assessment tool to identify next step learning. In 2022 the Year 6 classes will be introducing MathsBuddy. This will ensure all Years 4–6 students have a shared platform to design.

Targeted lessons for individuals or groups and provide a consistent assessment tool to identify next step learning.

Reading: Core 5 (Years 4–5) and Reading+ (Year 6) Integration of Core 5 (Years 4–5) and Reading Plus (Year 6) into the classroom reading programme contributed to excellent progress in vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension for Years 4–6 students. All students made a minimum of 12 months progress using Core 5 or Reading Plus, with some students making 2+ years progress. ReadTheory was introduced for Year 4 students who had completed Core 5. ReadTheory is an engaging and adaptive tool that determines a student’s level and assigns them passages that are perfectly tailored to their abilities. ‘Catching on to Comprehension’ textbooks were used in all Years 4–6 classrooms. This resource

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provided a broad and varied range of text types to engage students, facilitate reading skills and strategies, and targeted comprehension at the student’s level.

Writing – Spelling The assessment practices in our spelling programmes were robust, extensive, and provided effective direction for the spelling focus for each student. With the discontinuation of homework our spelling programmes had to adapt to new routines. Year 4 introduced ‘Action English’ textbooks and Years 5 and 6 classroom programmes continued to use the ‘Spelling Matters’ resource. The decision to differentiate the Year 4 spelling programme was based on the Year 4 students requiring a complete written language programme with stronger links to their writing lessons in class, rather than just being spelling focused.

Te Reo Māori

Seesaw

Our Years 4–6 Kapa Haka Group of 138 students met every Wednesday afternoon.

Matua Steve, expertly taught students who were new to kapa haka to students who had several years’ experience.

Unfortunately, the decision was made to not attend the Tūhono Kapa Haka Festival, due to being in COVID-19 Level 2 restrictions. All teachers took part in Te Reo Māori professional learning throughout the year. This was provided by an outside facilitator and promoted the integration of practical ideas to use in classrooms.

Seesaw was an integral part of the connection with our families. It was used as a platform to share learning, experiences, and to give feedback at a class, group, and individual level and was extensively used during the Term 3 lockdown in the two Year 4 classrooms.

During this time, students uploaded learning tasks and completed their learning in Seesaw to receive timely feedback.

Megan Feller Years 4-6 Team Leader

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Year 7 Team In 2021, the Year 7 Syndicate welcomed Isaac Leota. Mr Leota is an Old Collegian and has just completed his first year of his teaching career. He brought many skills to the team and was an effective specialist teacher. Mr Leota will be teaching a full‑time Year 3 class in 2022.

At the start of the year, we welcomed 50 new students who transitioned into Year 7 from a variety of contributing schools. The beginning of year transition programme for all students included a learn to surf day at Sumner, a day at Adrenalin Forest, and a team building day run by Sport Canterbury. All students participated actively in the activities and new friendships were formed. Many other year group activities were included in Term 1 to ensure a culture of respect and inclusivity was created.

In Term 1 all students were introduced to the new Preparatory School Pastoral Care Values system, StAC-UP. This helped the students to be more aware of expectations and acceptable and appropriate behaviour.

StAC-UP has been integrated into all areas of the Year 7 curriculum.

During the Term 3 lockdown the Year 7 staff and students embraced the situation and continued to run effective classroom programmes using a variety of learning tools and technology. The daily plan for students was run using OneNote and Microsoft Teams and included interactive quizzes, online video meetings and a wide range of other learning.

The Travellers programme was run twice throughout the year for Year 7 students.

This 10-week withdrawal programme helps equip students with the skills to deal with life’s ups and downs.

The Year 7 team also worked alongside Anneke Kamo completing EV3 Robotics programmes to help embed the Digital Technology curriculum. This will continue to be a focus for 2022.

In Term 4 the Year 7 students were very lucky to be able to attend camp at Living Springs. We travelled as a whole year group and spent two nights away from home. The students showed great perseverance to be able to walk the 14km from the Sign of the Kiwi into Living Springs. Once at camp they participated in five different activities.

These included mountain biking, tree climbing, adventure stream, archery tag, and camping skills. It was great to see many new friendships formed, and behaviour during camp was excellent.

The Year 7 students of 2021 have been a pleasure to work with. They have been focused, enthusiastic and high achieving, both in and out of the classroom. They have made the most of the new opportunities available to them at Year 7 and I look forward to seeing their progress as they move through the College.

Kelly McBride Year 7 Team Leader

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Year 8 Team The Year 8 team hit the ground running in 2021 and began the year with an action-packed camp to Hanmer Springs in the second week of Term 1. We spent three fun-filled days mountain biking, tree climbing, and orienteering among other exciting activities. The weather was superb, and the sun shone brightly throughout our stay. The camp was a great opportunity for teachers and students to get to know one another at the beginning of the year and was a great temporary substitute for our traditional camp at Castle Hill. Teachers were also able to identify students who showed strong leadership qualities and sound problemsolving skills as students tried to combat the various challenges set before them.

The last day was spent at the thermal pools and this provided a relaxing end to a very busy and productive three days.

The Senior Literacy programme continued to go from strength to strength in 2021.

The consistent and sustained use of the online Reading Plus program, together with group-based instructional reading programmes in each class, have resulted in improved reading outcomes across the syndicate. Regular novel study units have also helped to maintain good independent reading habits among Year 8 students, and the use of Education Perfect has assisted teachers to target specific areas of learning. Continued assistance from our outstanding Learning Support team have also helped to raise achievement and regular benchmark testing enabled teachers to target areas of need effectively and quickly. Regular writing moderation meetings enabled the Year 8 Syndicate to

achieve more consistency across the year group and the use of devices, Microsoft OneNote and Microsoft Teams, allowed for more collaboration between teachers and students alike.

Year 8 Mathematics interchange was very successful, and we were again lucky to have the services of Mrs Pettit as an additional teacher. Smaller class sizes and targeted group teaching greatly improved student outcomes and the regularity of Mathematics lessons also helped to raise achievement and student confidence. The use of MathsBuddy and Education Perfect continue to be an excellent way for students to reinforce the learning presented to them by their teachers, and a strong focus on problemsolving throughout the year has seen students frequently collaborate to achieve shared outcomes. Regular practice and testing of multiplication and division basic facts within Mathematics classes have also had a positive impact across the year group.

The ICT Department can again be commended for their ongoing commitment to assisting Year 8 teachers to implement elements of the Digital Technologies curriculum. Year 8 students will benefit hugely from the introduction they have had to computational thinking this year. Microsoft Teams and OneNote were used successfully across the syndicate and will continue to be used to enhance the learning experience of students as they transition into Year 9.

The Year 8 Syndicate were very wellprepared for lockdown learning and managed the enforced lockdown, due to COVID-19, with great professionalism and energy. Many lessons were learnt 25

during 2020 and the learning from home programme was already in place before the country re-entered Level 4. Regular faceto-face meetings using Microsoft Teams allowed teachers to continue working with students in much the same way as happens while at school. Teachers focused strongly on student well-being and worked hard to provide a challenging but achievable programme for each individual learner. The use of ‘breakout rooms’ within Microsoft Teams allowed students to connect with each other regularly and the benefits of maintaining these connections were evident when students eventually returned to school.

The Travellers programme ran successfully between Terms 2 and 4 and has been a great way to assist the well‑being of several Year 8 students. Continued promotion of growth mindsets across classrooms have encouraged positive attitudes to learning across the syndicate and helped students recover quickly from setbacks. The implementation of StAC‑UP as a way of managing behaviour and restorative practice to solve problems and/ or disagreements has been successful for the Year 8 Syndicate and have helped to improve relationships across the school.

Student leadership opportunities were popular within the syndicate, with over 60 per cent of the year group holding leadership roles. Prefects and sacristans led by example and the continuation of our peer mediation system provided opportunities for some Year 8 students to practice skills in real-life situations. House and Sport Captains fulfilled several duties throughout the year and their enthusiasm and commitment to their roles was hugely commendable.

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The Year 8 Transition programme to Year 9 went well mainly due to improved lines of communication between the Preparatory School and Middle School. It ensured our students felt good about the end of Year 8 and what will no doubt be a smooth transition into the Secondary School in 2022.

The Year 8 group of 2021 was superb.

They met challenges with great enthusiasm and maintained their good humour, and importantly, their kindness and respect throughout the year. It was a great privilege to be a part of the Year 8 team and an even greater honour to be able to lead such an outstanding group of young people. I wish each child all the very best for the future and congratulate them all for the completion of Preparatory School.

Morgan Sheppard Year 8 Team Leader

Sport The Preparatory School provides a wide range of sporting opportunities for our students. The emphasis is on opportunity, giving our students the opportunity to participate and the opportunity to compete.

Sport is a very important co‑curricular area as in many cases it allows students to be part of a team and develop several important skills that may be transferred into other areas of their lives. The Preparatory School sports programme aims to provide:

Physical Benefits

• Improved fitness, strength, flexibility and co-ordination;

• Increased range of motor skills.

Social Benefits

• Improved communication and interpersonal skills;

• Improved leadership and co-operation skills;

• Opportunity for lasting friendships; • Increased interest in accepting responsibility;

• Ability to assume responsible risk-taking.

Personal Benefits

• Enjoyment; • Increased self-esteem, self-confidence, and general well-being;

• Improved ability to concentrate; • Self-discipline, commitment, and responsibility;

• Organisational skills.

In 2021, there were strong participation numbers in Years 7–8; the students embraced the sports options on offer.

The new mountain biking option was well received by Year 7–8 students. We also fielded a girls’ team in the New Zealand Shield (Cricket) for a third year running.

There are already 20 girls wishing to play in 2022, most of whom have no previous experience but are keen to take part.

There is a strong cohort of Year 6 and 7 players coming through, and they began practising in Term 4.

Due to COVID-19, the AIMS Games did not go ahead in 2021, however the rugby team was able to tour, taking part in a Festival of Rugby at St Peter’s School in Cambridge.

This was a successful tour and enabled the players to meet students from several schools around New Zealand. In 2022, it is hoped tours will again take place domestically due to the lack of certainty around international travel. Hopefully, hockey, netball, and football will take part in the 2022 AIMS Games in Tauranga, and rugby will attend the Independent Schools’ Festival of Rugby at St Peter’s in Cambridge.

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Several school exchange games in basketball, rugby, football, netball, cricket, and hockey were played during the year, due to COVID-19, these were local exchanges, except for King’s School who arrived before the Auckland lockdown.

Our sports teams were successful in these exchanges, in particular football and netball.

Many of our students represented their region in a variety of sports and were successful in the ISSA and CPSSA competitions in triathlon, duathlon, cross country, swimming, and athletics.

The school won the Girls’ Year 8 CPSSA cross country and came third in the Boys’ Year 8 duathlon. There were also several students who represented both zones and Canterbury in cricket and tennis. The boys’ tennis team was also crowned CPSSA Champions for 2021.

Leadership opportunities continued to be very important for our Year 8 students.

Sports captains applied for positions and were interviewed for the role. This was an opportunity for students to become familiar with an interview process. The role of sports captain is important as the students report back to the community, make speeches, support the sport co‑ordinators, and fulfil other tasks. The students embraced the opportunity and provided quality coaching to the junior students in Years 1–3. The coaching of junior students was at a different level in 2021 as the Year 8 captains plus other Year 8 students supported coaches in delivering the programme. There was plenty of positive feedback from the community regarding their involvement.

The House captains not only supported their Houses and developed House spirit within their respective teams, but they also

successfully ran the sports shed, ensuring plenty of lunchtime sports equipment for the Year 4–8 students.

Coaching is essential to a successful sporting programme at St Andrew’s. As in the past, I met with Year 13 students regarding the opportunity to coach Preparatory School teams in 2022. Several students, who will study in Canterbury, expressed an interest in coaching which will bring considerable skill-based expertise to the coaching team. It is important to the school our students have access to quality coaching. Sport coaching Professional Development opportunities will again be made available to staff in 2022. We are fortunate to have several very able teacher coaches at the school.

Coaching Solutions, Motivationz, and Epic Sports Project will again provide quality coaching support.

Year 7 and 8 Core Sports continued to go from strength to strength in 2021. Once again, Core Sports was used in Term 1 for winter team selections and this gave students a more substantial opportunity to impress. More professional coaches were used to improve student/coach ratios, and this also provided more effective quality coaching. In 2022, Core Sports will be extended to Year 5 and 6 students.

Sport Selection for 2021 was further improved with parents being contacted through the community portal to make their selections. This data was then quickly transferred into Synergetic. By Wednesday of the first week in Term 1, all data had been transferred into Synergetic and by the end of the week, all parents were notified of their child’s selections, both summer and winter. This was the most effective process to date and will continue in 2022.

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Year 3 basketball was added to summer sport options in 2021. This reduced the demand for gymnasium space where spots in the Gymnasium are at a premium. We had four Year 3 and 4 teams competing in local competitions. We had 13 summer sports and five winter sports on offer. Futsal will be revamped in 2022, with a new indoor option for Year 5–8 students, run by an external provider.

We also engaged SMA Karate in 2021 who delivered a karate programme to interested Year 1–3 students. This took place in the mini-gym. In 2022 this will be moved to the dance and drama room with an additional afternoon enabling SMA Karate to provide this option to older students. A chess club was also set up using an online coach from Dunedin. This took place on Thursday lunchtimes and focused on playing games and developing skills. In Term 4 the chess club ran a tournament to find the 2021 chess champion.

New football uniforms have been ordered for 2022. Uniforms are currently in good condition and the strong St Andrew’s brand is represented proudly through the uniforms that students wear. The repayment of uniforms is meeting the required schedule and will ensure we can update uniforms as and when required.

Sport Medley Holiday Camps were popular for students, particularly for the parents who had to work. 2021 saw record numbers in both the April and September holiday camps. The earlier drop-off time of 8.30am was appreciated, as was the later supervision to cater for the working day. These camps will continue in 2022 at the end of Term 1 and Term 3 holidays.

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Communication in the Preparatory School for sport is very good. Through Synergetic, the newsletter, and the app, the community is kept well informed of upcoming events and student achievement. The platform Teams was used to contact Years 7–8 students directly and proved helpful during the lockdown to provide the students with practice opportunities.

A Coach Induction Online facility gathered pace in 2021, with consultation between Mark Lane, Alex Kelley and Dave Hart.

Planning continues for this and the aim is to have something in place for the winter sport season in 2022.

Learning Support The Learning Support Department had a very successful year, despite the interruption from COVID-19. Over –75 students benefited from support in a variety of individual and class-based support programmes and 14 professionals associated within the team.

The team worked closely with class teachers to ensure the students in the programmes obtained the necessary skills and knowledge to close deficits and to reach their potential. Intervention programmes were implemented to meet the specific needs of students on the register. The specialist services of professionals were beneficial to the students, and their input very much valued.

The diversity of needs is varied. Students with dyslexia, dyspraxia, dyscalculia, behavioural needs, emotional and social communication disorders deserve to be understood and have their needs catered for. Students were placed in programmes to support their learning. Programmes included Literacy, Reading, Spelling, Writing, Numeracy, Social and Emotional, and Behavioural Development. Resources used were selected because of their strong research-based credentials and engagement with the students. Further decodable books were purchased to add to the Literacy resources.

Intervention programmes addressed academic remediation, self-management, social skills, and strategies to cope with anxiety and stress.

Communication between learning support staff, private tutors, specialists, and parents has been well co-ordinated enabling the effective delivery of programmes.

Learning Support worked collaboratively during the year with Educational Psychologists, Special Education Services, Department of Health, Hearing Impaired Association, Speech Language Therapists, Specific Learning Difference Teachers, parents, and the College counsellors to identify individual student needs, and to ensure learning goals and outcomes were the most appropriate for everyone. We appreciated the contribution of the College counsellors and the support they provided to our students.

It was a highlight to have co-facilitated the Travellers programme, with Kate Scott and Heather Wilson. The Year 8 group continued meeting after the programme was completed, appreciating the ongoing support. The summary comments from students, regarding the value of the ongoing support and sharing in life’s challenges, was rewarding. Head of Learning Support regularly attended the Pastoral Care meetings with the aim of strengthening and promoting the emotional well-being of the students.

The services of Socially Speaking and specialist, Dawn Wilson, continued to support students with social communication requirements and assist students to develop self-regulation and self-management skills. The Buddy Zone Classes were a successful new addition in Term 3.

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Visual Arts The year began with the key aim of maintaining the smooth delivery of the Visual Arts programme to all year groups in the Preparatory School. After the disruptions caused by start of the global pandemic in 2020, the hope was that there would be few disruptions to the school year.

The revised timetabling of Years 7–8 Art lessons continued to prove its worth with each class scheduled to receive eight double period lessons over two semesters.

The three and a half week-long Level 4 lockdown in August 2021 did interfere with this timetabling as there was a class swap during that time. Once again, all learning was conducted remotely to all year groups.

However, in reviewing the procedure involving individual emailing during the 2020 lockdown, the method of teacher feedback was refined. Instead of emailing correspondence between the students and their Art teacher, the students who completed the online Art lessons received feedback on return to the classroom. All completed artworks were then glued into their Art workbooks as a record of the student’s engagement in the online Art lessons.

Teaching and learning Visual Art online required creativity and adaptation of the usual programme to suit the situations families found themselves in during Level 4 and subsequently, in Level 3. All Art classes from Year 1 to Year 8 were designed to accommodate the resources students had at home. The Art teacher now has a considerable bank of online lessons for all levels.

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In 2021 the StAC-UP programme for all Preparatory School students was introduced. With the visual resources and many useful discussions, the first year of this programme was easily applied into the Art room. Specific ways to Be Ready, Be Safe, and Be Respectful were readily identified and accepted by the students.

Fewer new resources were purchased in 2021 as the effects of the pandemic slowed the creation, production, and even the delivery of new publications and resources. Another impact of the pandemic was disruption to the supply chain of key materials such as pottery clay.

Also, the cancellation of annual events within the College and the community reduced interaction for the students with local arts and artists. Only one Year 8 class managed to enjoy the usual trip to the city to visit galleries and observe street art.

Luckily, resources available online such as virtual gallery tours and minidocumentaries still brought the world of art and its creators to our students.

A wide offering of media and materials allowed students to experience many different means of expressing themselves visually. Their completed artworks were displayed throughout the Preparatory School. Preparatory School students’ artworks inspired by te ao Māori were incorporated into a display of art held in The Green Centre during Te Wiki o te reo Māori.

The Art teacher completed Level 1 Te Reo Māori with Te Wānanga o Aoteoroa in 2021, which consolidated the daily use of Te Reo Māori within the Art room.

It was most rewarding to see Preparatory School art feature in the November 2021 issue of the Regulus magazine. The one‑page image covered different media and age groups. Titled A Colourful World, it reflected the diversity and creativity of the Visual Arts programme.

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Music 2021 was a year without many of the regular performance opportunities for the children. The pandemic saw the cancellation of many school concerts and performances. This meant the year took on a rather different focus.

An important part of the Music curriculum programme is listening and viewing live performance. During the first term, the Preparatory School attended the opera Don Pasquale (Donizetti) performed

by New Zealand Opera in the school Centennial Chapel. This was an adapted opera, but still retained the main structure of the storyline. Students were entertained by a small cast of opera soloists. The opera was presented in costume and with a set. The opportunity for our students to see and hear live opera is invaluable and helps build a secure musical appreciation foundation for the future.

In June, the two Year 6 classes participated in the Strum Strike Blow Festival at the Christchurch Arena, alongside 1000 children from other Christchurch schools. This is an annual one-day festival with rehearsals during the day and culminating in an evening concert.

Children are taught pieces on either the ukulele, recorder, or a mallet instrument (xylophone and marimba). The classes learnt five recorder pieces for the event, including a massed item piece Strumshine by composer, Michael Bell, that combined the three instruments. A feature of the chosen pieces of music is the provision of multi-level music parts, thus catering to the range of music abilities and extending children who are more musically able.

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A highlight for the children was being part of 1000 children playing massed items of music together. This is always a popular event, and a positive way for the children to perform to a live audience.

All our Preparatory School music groups perform frequently within our school community and Christchurch music community to audiences. In July, the Preparatory School Concert was presented in our Centennial Chapel. The concert

featured the Junior School Choir, Cantare Choir, Preparatory School Orchestra, Preparatory School Chamber Trio, and items from our two Year 8 school Music scholars, Anya Fang and Jessica Drury.

This concert is a celebration of music making in our Preparatory School. The two heads of the Cantare Choir scripted and compered the evening. The Junior Choir presented a performance of the work Reflections of a lad at sea. The Ghost Ship song from this collection became a choir favourite. The Chamber Trio performed Dmitri Shostakovich’s 5 pieces for two violins and piano. This was a magnificent concert and even more treasured as music performances for the rest of the year were cancelled because of COVID-19 restrictions.

In August the national lockdown saw the return of online learning for three weeks.

This presented a unique set of challenges as children did not have access to musical instruments. New Entrant to Year 3 and Year 5 classes continued their Music learning through the Kodaly musical pedagogy. This is a system of music learning that is vocally based focusing on the development of musicianship skills.

The transition from school to home-based learning for these classes was almost seamless. The lessons were videoed and then posted on the school Seesaw learning platform. A positive aspect to presenting lessons in video form is that the students were able to see and hear their music learning. Year 4 children continued with their recorder class tuition via videos posted on Seesaw, while the children in the violin project programme had lesson material emailed to them. Reading music notation was the learning focus for the Year 6 children. During this period the Cantare Choir rehearsals were held using

the Zoom platform. The choir worked on learning the song repertoire for The Christchurch Schools’ Music Festival.

Unfortunately for the second year in a row, the music festival event became another casualty that had to be cancelled because of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

The Cantare Choir were able to continue to sing as a choir, with some modifications, despite the COVID-19 restrictions. The choir took more of a vocal lead at the Tuesday morning chapel services, being the only group in the school permitted to sing. This took some getting used to.

The Advent chapel service in the fourth term was a musical highlight of the year.

This was presented as a morning service with the entire school processing into the Chapel past the choir singing the carol Little Donkey, and a static Nativity display.

Once in the Chapel, Year 8 soloists sung the first verse of the carol Once in Royal David’s City. Descants to the Advent carols were sung by the Year 8 students while the remainder of the choir sung the tune. The Junior Choir also performed, singing the carol Bethlehem Night accompanied by two Year 5 students playing on the xylophone.

Curriculum Music and Music performance groups in the Preparatory School are well resourced and are supported by skilled and experienced staff. I would like to acknowledge the musical support and skill provided by Jane Radford, not only in the Preparatory School but also in the Secondary School. Jane has tutored the Preparatory School chamber group and supported the Junior Orchestra and Junior Choir. Our children have been most fortunate to have had Jane assisting with musical groups and have benefited greatly from her musical skill and experience.

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Dance and Drama The Preparatory School provides the opportunity for school students to develop literacies in Dance and Drama. Students in Years 1–6 attend sessions once a week for two terms. Students in Years 7–8 have a double period for eight weeks.

Dance The focus of dance education is for students to use dance as a creative form of expression. Student-led choreography is the primary focus of the programme at St Andrew’s College.

Students in Years 1–6 continued to develop their skills with a focus on the elements of dance. They shared their in-class work informally with each other and used the language of dance to reflect on the work of others. In the primary years, the Dance curriculum is deeply rooted in dance literacies and creative processes rather than technique-based dance. This allows for a wider range of creativity as students can develop their own ideas.

Years 7 students focused on the Charleston, and Year 8 students learnt a piece of musical theatre choregraphed

by Hana Pearce (OC 2019). Within these areas further work strongly focused on the communicating and interpreting strand of the curriculum.

Drama All students from Years 1–8 experienced learning in and about drama during the year. Junior students created imagined worlds and worked in a range of roles using picture books as a springboard to

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developing character, plot, and narrative.

Students working in roles outside the confines of a book applied thinking skills to solve problems rather than relying on being told what to do. This was challenging for them, but most relished the chance to develop their own ideas.

With a brief period online, students changed without fuss to a different way of working. The Year 7 students shared some delightful scripts in costume online which was a fun end to our unit. The Year 8 students all focused on creating short films. A huge range of skills are developed when telling a story in this way. The group communication is essential as well as the ways in which we can translate a story from planning drama in the classroom to being able to translate to a tightly clipped film. The ideas that were shared were rich and varied from exams to babysitters, and the banning of pineapple on pizza. The more efficient editing was created on Mac devices as the software is more diverse and intuitive.

All students had the opportunity to develop their ability to sustain a role that is appropriate to their age and stage of development.

D-Squared (Drama Group) After 16 years, this was the first year D-Squared had the chance to rehearse during the school day as well as lunchtime. This followed the recommendations of the annual report at the end of 2020. A record number of students auditioned for the group and 30 were selected to focus on aspects of performance to accompany the Year 7 and 8 performance project. The aim of the group was to explore a range of types of

theatre and develop strong focused skills in performance. Those in the auditioned group attended D-Squared after chapel until morning tea. This extended time resulted in a range of quality performances.

The students performed an ambitious play The Big Ship Sails based on the true-life experiences of children who were victims of the British Child Migration Scheme that ended in the late 1960s. They devised an original piece of physical theatre based on the rain. They worked in musical theatre, open scripts, and improvisation. This gave the group a wide range of experiences and a real sense of community.

Dance and Drama continued to provide an aesthetic opportunity for students to express thoughts and ideas. This was an important way for students to apply

thinking skills and work collaboratively with others and learn about the human experience.

Recommendations for 2022

• If film work continues to be of

interest to students in Year 8, it would be good to provide this opportunity; • Continue to have the double period for Years 7–8 students regardless of performance projects; • D-Squared continues to develop student ability in performance and provides the opportunity to perform during the year; • Classroom teachers take greater advantage of the way in which Drama and Dance can enhance classroom inquiry.

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Physical Education In the Preparatory School students received an interactive and enjoyable Physical Education programme involving a variety of sport options to cater for all needs and abilities. This provided the opportunity to develop skills and to identify sporting codes of interest to pursue in the future. Physical Education is learning in, through, and about movement. It is not about creating elite athletes, and its prime focus is to develop interpersonal skills and enjoyment in participating in physical activities to create a healthy way of living.

The aim of the programme is to inspire, motivate, and educate students in the physical environment to be healthy in all aspects of hauora. This was done successfully and was evident through student achievement in a variety of school events and activities and linking in with the school’s focus on well-being.

The focus area for the Junior Syndicate was to discover movement through non-sport specific activities. Activities for this stage enabled children to explore and discover for themselves what is involved in performing a movement or skill. Students also developed the skills to work successfully in a small group or team. This enabled them to be a productive participant and to manage their behaviour in Physical Education lessons. A Perceptual Movement programme was also offered once a week to the Years 0–1 students which helped not only with their physical literacy but also classroom-based activities such as writing.

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A development phase occurred in the Middle Syndicate curriculum. The students became more efficient and refined in movement through repetition in a variety of contexts. This included an introduction to basic game play of mainstream sports.

Students also started to experience a leadership role within the class and started to involve themselves more in team strategies and game tactics. They were exposed to a variety of sporting contexts, so they were able to find one that suited them and was enjoyable. The aim was not to make elite athletes but to make them want to have a lifelong relationship with physical activity.

Through the Senior Syndicate the students consolidated the skills developed in earlier years. They applied movement skills in a variety of ways and combined other movements in more complex games and activities. Skills became more automatic, and the focus was on being able to naturally transfer skills from one context to another. There was also a greater focus on tactical and strategic game play. Students were confident in taking on the role as a leader and be able to have the respect of their peers to do this. Most students were able to manage themselves in all lessons with limited teacher direction.

Physical Education does not only focus on movement, it also focuses on interpersonal skills such as teamwork, co-operation, listening, managing self, and relating to others. These are the skills that have been identified in the New Zealand Curriculum as Key Competencies. The Physical Education programme gives students the opportunity to learn, develop, and fine-tune these skills in an energetic and motivating environment which they can then apply to all facets of life.

As always, tweaks were made from the previous year’s programme, especially with COVID-19 once again interfering.

The challenge was how to deliver a full Physical Education programme remotely.

The physical aspect was not the issue as setting tasks and challenges for students to complete and video seemed to go quite well. However, the interpersonal side was hard with no interaction with others outside of their family bubble. A variety of activities were required to cater for different family structures. It also caused a rethink when the students returned to school. We wanted to promote physical distancing while keeping true to the Physical Education concepts of Hauora, Attitudes and Values, socio-ecological perspective and health promotion.

Despite COVID-19, many new ideas and activities were trialled in 2021.

These activities came from numerous Professional Development opportunities during the year, including the PENZ Conference, via online platforms, professional conversations with colleagues, as well as social media websites where teaching practices were shared and developed with other educators all around the world. The Physical Education programme benefited from these new ideas which in turn correlated to successful student learning opportunities.

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Religious Education

Chapel and Assemblies

He taonga rongonui te aroha ki te tangata

Big events were a challenge in 2021 due to COVID-19 and this meant our community could not be invited to assemblies and chapels. Live streaming kept a connection with the community.

The students continued to set high standards for Preparatory School chapel services. Through Reverend Paul Morrow, Jillian Fenton and Ben Hughes, the Tuesday services were delivered in a way that was well received by the students.

Goodwill towards others is a precious treasure It is true to say that 2021 has been another year of continual challenge for our school community, as we learn to adjust to ongoing changes brought about by COVID-19.

In Term 4, with a focus on Gratitude being encouraged, Year 8 students reflected on their chapel highlights. They noted that they enjoyed having a variety of speakers who delivered messages to Year 1–8 students on Tuesday mornings. The Year 8 students also commented that they really appreciated when guest speakers shared up-to-date information on how we can partner to assist those with great need.

“I heard about people who need help, and this always makes me feel grateful,” said one Year 8 student. The all-time favourite chapel service of the year was Shrove Tuesday’s Pancake Race. “We loved seeing the teachers race and cheering them on.”

That was until the final Tuesday chapel when to the surprise of students, a live Nativity Set appeared, with both a real donkey and real baby!

It was also noted that Preparatory School students appreciated, that even through the lockdown, a form of chapel service was able to continue. Mrs Fenton was able to share contemporary life lessons through a biblical lens remotely, until we were able to be together again in our Centennial Chapel.

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Solid planning, organisation, and a strong team including Charlotte Penrose, Alex Kelley, and the communications team ensured well-delivered assemblies which were live-streamed and recorded. Due to the length of our Award Assemblies in 2021, some acknowledgements were transferred to other forums.

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Library At St Andrew’s College Preparatory School, we are proud to have a well‑resourced library facility that meets the needs of all our young readers.

Library Collection and Circulation In 2021, over 600 new books were added to the Preparatory School Library collection, including the latest releases from popular series, and plenty of new and exciting books from both local and international authors.

This investment in our collection ensures elevated levels of reading engagement among students:

• the volume of books issued to

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students and staff during 2021 was greater than that observed in 2020, with a total circulation figure of more than 26,000 items; the most remarkable change observed was the circulation of our graphic novel collection which doubled compared to the previous year, with over 2000 items borrowed. This reflected the level of investment made in this area and the popularity of the format, especially among our less able readers; picture books continued to be extremely popular with all readers, including staff. Just over 7700 were issued in 2021; novels and first chapter books were also popular with 5300 and 4717 issued, respectively; over 3600 non-fiction books were issued during this period, a slight increase on the 2020 figure.

A particular focus for 2021 was the development and growth of our New Zealand non-fiction collection, in order that the Library can support the introduction of the New Zealand Histories Curriculum in 2022. Authors and publishers are now beginning to respond to the growing demand for these resources and as 2021 ends we are beginning to see the effects of this; we now have a more up-to-date and student focused New Zealand collection.

Readership of eBooks and audiobooks through the school’s digital library facility (SORA) altered during 2021, perhaps reflecting the slightly shorter period students spent offsite engaged in at home learning. The total number of eBooks and audiobooks borrowed decreased compared to 2020, however the number of students reading on SORA increased, as did the average amount of time spent reading.

The implication is that the collection now perhaps better reflects our readers. Again, SORA supported readers worldwide with a wide selection of free resources which we were able to make available to students through our online platform.

Library Instruction Programme The Preparatory Library was able to continue to deliver both Reading Engagement and Information Literacy Teaching programs during 2021, including the learning from home period.

Pastoral Care The Library continued to be a vibrant hub for the school during timetabled library sessions, before school and during the lunch break.

The number of students who regularly chose to visit the Preparatory Library at lunchtime is evidence of how much the facility is valued, especially by those who can find the playground a little overwhelming. As many as 50 students used the Library regularly during the lunch break, with numbers sometimes reaching 70. Art activities, board and card games ensure the Library is a lively space at lunchtime, with many opportunities for socialising.

Additional Programmes

• Wide Reading: The Wide Reading

programme continued to be popular in 2020. Nearly 40 students gained their Gold Wide Reading Award in 2021, with additional students achieving Silver and Bronze Awards.

• Kids’ Lit Quiz: During April eight of the most enthusiastic Preparatory School readers represented St Andrew’s College in the Canterbury heat of the 2021 International Kids’ Lit Quiz.

A total of 47 teams competed for the title of Canterbury champion,

and St Andrew’s College placed in the top 12. Both the national and international finals were cancelled this year.

• Author Visit Ruth Paul: During Term 2 the Preparatory Library hosted author and illustrator, Ruth Paul, to share her stories with our Junior and Pre‑school students. Ruth is an amazing talent producing around 25 books so far, she had everyone captivated and her sessions were very well received. Thanks to Read New Zealand Te Pou Muramura for facilitating this visit.

• Book Week: Unfortunately Book Week was affected by the lockdown during Term 3 and had to be cancelled. Some of the planned activities still went ahead once students returned to school. These activities were incorporated into class library sessions and included a scavenger hunt, a design a bookmark competition, and the always popular interclass book quiz. The students enjoyed the week but were disappointed that we were unable to host the full timetable of events.

• Book Fair: Our Annual Scholastic Book Fair was successful selling over $5000 worth of books and stationery; this provided our school with over $1800 worth of credit with Scholastic New Zealand. This was an amazing achievement given the restrictions that we were operating under, both onsite and with the reduced level of support that Scholastic were able to provide. These funds will be used to support the Wide Reading programme in 2022.

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Digital Technology and eLearning The Preparatory School continued to embrace the new Digital Technology curriculum in 2021. A new programme from Year 3 to Year 8 was developed. The Preparatory School teachers worked alongside Anneke Kamo and Wilj Dekkers to facilitate these lessons each week during Term 1. The focus was for the students to build on and consolidate their skills in communicating and accessing information through digital platforms.

These skills proved to be crucial as we encountered another lockdown and learning from home was reintroduced.

The students were able to confidently use Teams, OneNote, and Seesaw and were able to share their learning with their teachers.

Robotics is a highlight of our Digital Technology programme at St Andrew’s College. In 2021, a Robotics programme of learning was introduced, which focused on the computational thinking section of the curriculum. This programme was taught in Years 1–7, for one term per class.

In Year 1, the students began by learning basic unplugged coding skills. They then progressed to coding the Beebots, which are small and easy to use robots. In Year 2 and 3, the students progressed to using the BlueBots. The BlueBots are controlled via Bluetooth on the iPads and were new to our programme this year. They were thoroughly enjoyed by the students.

In Years 4–7 we used the EV3 robots alongside the new EV3 classroom app.

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The new app, which was available on all classroom Surface Go laptops, was a welcome addition due to its ease of use.

In 2022 the current EV3 robots we use are being discontinued. Some research will need to go into the replacement of these robots in the next year or two.

Along with the Digital Literacy programme, the Year 8 students also completed two terms of Digital Technology lessons where there was a focus on Minecraft Education.

The students have a comprehensive set of skills when using this tool and their finished projects were impressive.

The digital skills taught during 2021 enabled the students to be successful at school and remotely at home. We will continue to add to and enhance these programmes in 2022.

TOGETHER, BUILDING BETTER PEOPLE, FOR LIFE 45

347 Papanui Road, Christchurch 8052, New Zealand P +64 3 940 2000

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