BIS Newsletter Week 1 Term 2
Friday 7th May 2021
PRINCIPAL'S MESSAGE
Welcome Back
Recently, the media has shared some research around NZ statistics for student achievement in mathematics. It is always worrying to hear that our students are behind other nations or that standards are slipping in education. I watched the full Q and A session on TV One and certainly could relate to some of the observations and the concerns that were raised.
We are well aware that many students in NZ are not achieving at expectation in mathematics. Our own school data shows that we are doing better than the statistics shared by the National Education Monitoring Project. We have greater numbers of students coming to us with good foundation skills from primary and with an eagerness to learn.
The experts talked about the importance of engagement. It is one of the things that I am always so impressed with when I walk through our classrooms and see our students putting in effort and striving to achieve. Our students are definitely engaged and have a willingness to learn.
Teacher capabilities was put forward as a reason for low achievement in mathematics. This is just one of the reasons why we have specialist teachers in all areas. We know that teachers teach their passion best and that teachers who only have to master one curriculum area can do this to a very high standard. Our mathematics team are all teachers of excellence who love maths, are enthused about teaching maths and strive to pass on this enthusiasm to our students.
Rote learning and instant recall of the basic facts and times tables is definitely a necessary part of any maths programme. We encourage our students to recall these facts instantly and be able to apply them when faced with more difficult mathematical problem solving. If you have a child who is struggling in mathematics, spending time learning these facts will certainly help.
As part of our teaching philosophy we know that it is important for students to know where their own gaps are in their learning journey. Sharing the expectations so that a child can strive to reach the next level gives them ownership over their learning and can help to motivate them to strive to reach the next step. We know that everyone acquires skills at different rates. A student who struggles in maths may be a top athlete or accomplished writer. There is no shame is having gaps in learning. This is why we identify these gaps and talk to our students about what they need to learn to achieve at expectation.
As a country, there is room for improvement in mathematics education. As a principal, I feel confident that our students are getting a quality maths education and that we are constantly striving to improve our practice to ensure our students achieve.
Please enjoy the weekend and enjoy the start of the autumnal weather.
Ngā mihi nui,
JoAnne Sutton
Newsletter proudly sponsored by
Winter Uniform
Please ensure all uniform items are well named.
Reporting to Parents on Student Achievement
This term, we are reviewing our Reporting to Parents Policy. You can do this directly via school docs (using the link below) or you can read the policy here email any comments to kdalton@bis.school.nz, and Mrs. Dalton will pass these along to School Docs on your behalf.
Science Fair is Happening this Term
BIS HAS TALENT
After School Activities
There are also sports trainings that will run and teachers will advise the teams of the days and times for these trainings.
Miss Creek will also run a drop in class for students to use the chrome books every Thursday afternoon. This could be to complete homework tasks, science fair projects or to use the online learning tools.
Vape Free
It is illegal for any student to have cigarettes or vaping equipment in their possession. It is harmful for students to smoke or vape.
For these reasons, we will treat any smoking or vaping at school very seriously. We thank you for your support in promoting a smoke free and vape free environment.
Board of Trustees Update
Term 2 EZ Lunch Menu
Go-Deli has advised they will be making the following menu changes for next term:
Items to be added:
- Chocolate Bliss Balls - dates, oats, desiccated coconut, cocoa powder, honey. Avail. Mon-Thurs.
- Apricot Bliss Balls - dried apricots, oats, desiccated coconut, honey. Avail. Mon-Thurs.
- Fresh Salad - Cos lettuce, corn kernels, cherry tomatoes, quail egg, mustard & herb dressing.
- Sushi - Surimi salad (fancy lettuce, mayo, soy sauce).
- English Muffin Breakfast Sandwich - toasted - wholegrain muffin splits, ham, egg cheese. Avail. Tues.
Changes to the Menu:
- Teriyaki Chicken Wrap will be available Mon-Fri
- Edamame will be available Mon-Fri
- Fresh spring roll will have the sweet chilli sauce inside the roll
- After school combo 1 will contain: Grapes, Brownie, Organic seaweed, Ham & Cucumber Sandwich ($12.80)
- All fresh Vogel sandwiches will be Gluten-free, wholemeal and dairy-free
- The gluten-free toasted sandwich will be made of Wholemeal gluten-free bread
Items to be removed:
- Butter Chicken Wrap
- Rougamo Box
- Sushi - Smoked Salmon & Avocado 3 pieces
- Sushi - Chicken & Avocado 3 pieces
Item to be added:
- Chocolate Caramel Slice - chocolate, brown sugar, flow, cocoa powder, coconut butter.
Item to be removed:
- Roasted Mushroom Salad
Communication Home
Please ensure we have an up-to-date email address, download our BIS School App, like our Facebook page and check our website regularly for more detailed information about what is happening at BIS.
Upcoming Events
Tuesday 11th May - NSIS Y7 Boys Football Zone Day, World Vision Youth Conference
Thursday 13th May - NSIS Y8 Boys Football Zone Day
Tuesday 18th May - BOT Meeting at 6.30 pm in the Staffroom
Friday 21st May - Pink Shirt Day
Monday 31st May - NSIS Y7 Girls Football Zone Day
Tuesday 1st June - NSIS Y8 Girls Football Zone Day
Thursday 3rd June - NSIS Girls Rugby Zone Day
Friday 4th June - Teacher Only Day, School is closed
Monday 7th June - Queens Birthday Weekend, School is closed
Contact Us
Email: office@bis.school.nz
Website: https://www.bis.school.nz/
Location: 200 Birkdale Road, Birkdale, Auckland 0626, New Zealand
Phone: +64 9-483 9168
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/birkdaleintermediateschool
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