End of year round up.

What a whirlwind!  We dived headlong into Tournament of Minds in September, winning both categories at the Regionals and progressing again to the Nationals in Wellington.  The Primary team there earned Honours!  I was so proud of all their hard effort - it takes real stamina to take on the three hour challenges required at the National Final  - our students were terrific!

In the background, a group of students had started working on their DigiCREST award.  This was completed early in term 4.  This award is put together by Tahi Rua Toru Tech, an affiliate of Te Aparangi (The Royal Society of New Zealand).  The students work through a number of modules looking at the building of computer programming, without ever actually using a computer.  Our students all completed their Primary Team CREST award as a a part of this programme.

The weeks have progressed and an introduction to our new topic "Community Heroes" has occurred - we had a very energetic session on the new school sewing machines as a part of this.  This work will continue in the early part of next year.

GATE has had a busy and productive year, with some well recognised successes and a lot of great learning.  I am excited about some new ideas I plan to implement for 2020 and will be working towards these over the summer break.

Have a wonderful holiday season with your families.  For those of you not returning to Whakarongo School in 2020, I wish you all the best.

Nga Mihi,
Mrs Zhou

The completed Kahu Huruhuru, now displayed in the library.

Tournament of Minds Regionals 

Tournament of Minds National Final

DigiCREST modules underway

And the final Community Heroes Intro to a sewing machine session - lots of fun!

Thanks for a great year everyone!

Communication Communication!

The TOM teams today had a fun chance to practice their communication skills.  Teams were given a smattering of lego pieces and one person in each group was sent a few photos of a random creation.  Using only their oral language skills, the email recipient had to explain how to build the given creations.  There were some funny moments, some frustrating moments - all to be expected as teams get to know each others strengths and weaknesses!

Tournament of Minds - Goal Setting

As part of my own professional development this year, I am exploring ways to adapt the GROWTH model of Goal Setting for our GATE programme.  The TOM students today worked on a group goal and we set up both the process and practice we will follow throughout this years tournament preparation.  Here are the teams, focussed on their spontaneous challenge... and the goals elements they were practicing.

Goal: What do we need to achieve?   Everyone listening to each without talking over each other as well as all contributing to a s pontaneous challenge discussion.
Reality:  What is happening now?
Prya	We’re not really listening to each others ideas, we’re just trying to say our own.
Charlotte	We need to work on not speaking over each other cos it all makes no sense and we get nowhere.
Lejla	I think we need to work on when we tell each other our ideas, we need to listen to the other person first and then say our ideas.
Lucy	We need to contribute our ideas without talking over each other.
Erika	Make sure no one is talking while the person is reading out the challenge.
Sahra	Now, people talk over each other.
Raquel	People should be taking turns and mostly they do.
Options:  What could you do?
Prya	We could make it so we have a talking pen.
Charlotte	We could have a talking stick - if you hold it you may speak but you can’t have the stick and not speak.  We could also do paper scissors rock to see who gets to talk.
Lejla	I think we have to slow down when we are giving our ideas out.
Lucy	I think we should do it like a teacher - put up our hands.
Erika	Have a talking stick but put it in the middle when no one is allowed to talk.
Sahra	You can take turns speaking.
Raquel	Maybe somebody who wins the challenge can go first and next winner can go next.
What Will You Do?
Prya	I’m going to try to say my ideas but not so that I’m doing them over everyone, cos I sometimes do that.   And I have to check if others have ideas before I go ahead.
Charlotte	I need to actually contribute some ideas and I am going to try to piggyback on everyone’s ideas.
Lejla	I’m going to say my idea and then piggyback on all of them and make a super fancypants idea.
Lucy	Get little bits of everyone’s ideas and pull them together.
Erika	I need to wait until others have said their ideas so I need to listen to the best way to smoosh the ideas together.
Sahra	I need to learn to contribute.
Raquel	I need to learn to contribute.
Who are we going to be accountable to collectively?  *this person will give us feedback on our efforts. Mrs Zhou Feedback - As a team, I could hear all the different conversations, everyone contributed (5 were present).  The way you all contributed to the story telling appeared instinctive and natural. Lovely calm, clear delivery of an original and creative idea.  Excellent use of presentation time.

Goal: What do we need to achieve?   Everyone listening to each without talking over each other as well as all contributing to a spontaneous challenge discussion.
Reality:  What is happening now?
Louis	We need to respect other people’s ideas, not just using our own and stop making some people feel like they can’t contribute.
Ella	The piggy backing thing - we need to build on others ideas.
Olivia	I think we need to work on respecting other people’s opinions and making sure we use other people’s ideas.
Kaija	Nobody has used strategies that we learned last year like think pair share.
Maddi	Not present
Riley	Not taking control, listen to each others ideas and add on.
Maia	I think we need to work on everyone having even parts and everyone contributing.
Options:  What could you do?
Louis	We can keep an open mind and wait for all of us to take turns then gather up and try to figure out a sensible approach to building onto each others idea’s.
Ella	Don’t use your first idea!
Olivia	I think we need to learn concentrate - sometimes its hard because we are all friends in a big group.   We need to forget were friends and be ‘team mates’. Then be friends again after. We need to take a breath. I think that each team should have equal parts but have someone who isn’t a captain but who can take a little bit of control if there’s drama, and keep the machine going.
Kaija	I think we shouldn’t speak over one another and instead of a leader, we have a government.   Everyone has equal power (mutual respect holds that in place)
Maddi	Not present
Riley	Listening to everyone ideas before we make a decision - if you have an idea that will really help the group, you can suggest you add on to it.
Maia	In different challenges we can all take turns and get equal amount of time
What Will You Do?
Louis	I need to be less negative and open up to other people’s ideas.
Ella	I am going to remind people about the ‘don’t go with the first thing you think of’ and ‘think outside the box’ idea.
Olivia	I think I need to work on using other people’s ideas but still get my ideas out there.
Kaija	I am going to stay calm and collected in spontaneous but stay insane in the long term challenge
Maddi	Not present
Riley	I am not going to be really sensitive and I also have a tendency to blame someone when something goes wrong - I’m going to try not to do that.
Maia	I need to contribute more and speak up - I don’t want to be the unnecessary parts (in our drama).
Who are we going to be accountable to collectively?  *this person will give us feedback on our efforts. Mrs Zhou The process was well actionned - I could clearly see and hear think, pair, share.  The speed and clarity of speech during your presentation was great but the idea’s did not connect.  I liked that Riley tried to pull it together and round it off a bit more, but as a response it didn’t gel that well.  Only 40sec used.