Principal Lyttelton West School

Time Banking at Lyttelton West

2011-05-31T01:02:00.000-07:00

I have attached the clip that was on 3 News at the end of last year about time banking. We are very fortunate to be able to connect with our community in this way.

Additional New Classroom

2011-05-11T17:56:00.000-07:00

Due to our excellent reputation and significant roll growth the Ministry of Education has approved the building of an additional classroom. The class will be built alongside our other roll growth classroom that was completed last. The really exciting part from the school’s point of view is that we are also able to build a purpose built learning / teaching area between the two classrooms. There will also be a resource and staff workroom built between the two classes.
As we did last year the class below the class that is being built will have to move down to the hall during the building process. This means that room 5 will move to the hall most likely at the start of Term 3. When room 4 were in the hall last year they loved the additional space.

Earthquake Communication

2011-04-14T14:37:00.000-07:00

Post Earthquake Communication
Dear Parent / Caregiver
Immediate Post Earthquake Communication

Communication is a real issue after any earthquake because of the tunnel closure. After much investigation texting seems to be the best way to communicate after an earthquake as the majority of parents will not have immediate access to a computer, the power will be out or they will be in transit. I have spoken to telecommunication companies and asked about the reliability of bulk texting. They can give no guarantees because of overloading and outages. This still seems to be the most reliable way to inform parents and caregivers of the immediate situation at school. I have the ability to bulk text from my phone and we have purchased a Mobile Broadband USB Modem so that other staff also have the ability to bulk text.

Communication via Radio

We will attempt to contact radio stations to give updates. The stations that we will contact are:
- Volcano Radio
- More FM
- Radio Live

Communication at Tunnel Control

The closure of the tunnel is an issue. Many parents walked over the hill from Heathcote to Lyttelton after the February earthquake. I have assurances that tunnel control will put up a sign or have information for parents / caregivers at tunnel control on the state of the school. This will mean that parents can take their time and ensure their own safety if they know their children are safe. We have cell phone contact details of tunnel control. If there are workers on this side of the tunnel they will immediately come to school to check on our safety. They will communicate to tunnel control via Radio Telephone.

Other Communication

We will email as we have done in the past and also post updates on the front page of our website. We are also investigating the use of facebook as a means of communication. Expect a survey on this at some stage in the near future.

If we leave school to go to the civil defence headquarters at the Lyttelton Rec Centre we will leave whiteboards outside the school giving details. We will also text this information.

I have been in contact with the local fire department in an attempt to set up a communication system with them (perhaps a pager) so we can let them know if we are OK or need assistance. I am still waiting on a reply. I will chase this one up.

We will also be in contact with the local medical centre if assistance is needed.

Medical Equipment

We have purchased 100 survival blankets and have a large supply of fresh water and hand sanitisers
In addition to our standard medical supplies we have sought advice from doctors on what supplies we would need in the event of a major incident where there were multiple injuries. The suggestion is that we make up seven kits and place these in different locations in the school. This means that if one area of the school is isolated we can still access supplies. These kits will be specifically for emergency and will not be used for everyday activities.

Check Your Contact Details

If you have moved since the earthquake or if any of your contact details have changed including cell phone or email please contact Vicki in the office with your current information.

In the event of a major emergency it would be good for all parents to have an emergency contact that lives on this side of the tunnel. Could you please contact Vicki in the office with a current emergency contact also.

General Information

I would like to thank you for your support of the school and your children during this difficult time. The one positive is that I believe that this amazing community has been brought even closer together.

The students are really enjoying being back at school. We have noticed that students are a little on edge and a bit “scratchy” at times. This is perfectly normal under the circumstances but could you please ensure children are getting enough sleep. I do understand that this is difficult with aftershocks and different living circumstances.

As a school we have had a flood of letters / postcards / gifts and monetary donations. This correspondence is both local, national and international. We have been doing our best to respond to every letter and donation through the students but we have had to resort to Vicki and I sending letters on behalf of the students. The donations that we have received are being put towards art resources, art therapy, medical supplies, activities (top town day), and communication.

If you have any ideas of how we could further improve communication or systems please let me know. Once again thank you for your support. Have a fantastic and safe Easter holiday break.

Kind regards

Andrew Barker
Principal

Art Culture and Community

2010-09-13T23:22:00.001-07:00

Carving, Mosaic and Ceramic Tile Art

We have just recently completed a carving, mosaic and some ceramic tile art. All three projects not only beautify the school they also tell a story and have brought the community together.

I have been speaking to Caine Tauwhare (parent and carver) for some time about designing a poe or carving for the school. At the start of this year the timing seemed right. For our topic we were looking at Culture and how it is passed on, through dance, food, language, art and carving.
I went to our senior students and asked them what they wanted it to represent. They came up with a large list that included welcoming, excellence, perseverance, sporting and academic to name a few.

I then took this list to Caine and was thrilled with the concept that he came up with. Cane came up with this stunning carving of the Kawau or spotted shag. The smaller part of the carving at the front represents the outstretched neck and head of the shag. The larger piece of the carving represents the wing. Caine chose the Kawau or spotted shag because it is a local bird that lives in the harbour. As the shag stretches its neck and wings in preparation for flight so do we as a school and community prepare our children and students for their future. The Kawau are strong flyers and are not distracted from their purpose. They are also very protective of their young.

I would like to thank Caine and the young gentlemen from the carving centre so much for the stunning Kawau that takes pride of place at the front of the school.

The amazing mosaic designed by Megan Collings is something that has really brought the community together and that we are thrilled with. The design is very clever as it incorporates our school logo and features from our local environment. A special mention must be made of Pam Jacomb who put immense effort into ensuring all students designed and made their own mosaic within the larger mosaic.

There is a large list of parents who have assisted on this project, with the cutting of or placing of tiles. Thank you to every one of you. There are a couple of mums who do deserve a special mention. Lucy Ozanne (Ngaio and Islay’s mum) and Anne Tucker (Middi’s mum).
Megan Collings often worked tirelessly in freezing conditions with hotties stuffed up her jumper. Megan thank you for your persistence, patience and for the amazing final product.

Our students are so lucky to have two permanent pieces of art work etched into Lyttelton West history. The first being the mosaic, the second being the very cool ceramic tiles by the junior water fountains.

These tiles were the inspiration of Claire Coates. Each child designed and painted their own tile with the assistance of both Claire and Pam Jacomb.
The theme was once again to fit in with our term one topic of culture. Each tile represents something to do with Lyttelton West or Kiwi culture.
Claire and her partner Ben Warren have donated an enormous amount of time and resources towards this project. Ben waterblasted and painted the wall.

Thank you so much to our amazing staff, students, parents and community for your ongoing input and support.

National Standards

2010-07-14T14:45:00.000-07:00

There has been much debate in the media recently about National Standards. There is a bit of a stand off at the moment between the Ministry of Education and the New Zealand Principals' Federation. What is going to happen with the standards is unclear. There is a possibility that they will be reviewed. I hope this is the case as I believe that they have been rushed in too fast without sufficient consultation or input from educational experts. The lasting effects of National Standards will be immense and as an education system we need to ensure that they are going to be beneficial for students.

I will not debate the merits of National Standards but would like to share a clip that has been sent through to me by a number of people. The most recent person to send it to me was one of my staff who received it from one of our school timebank volunteers. The clip is of Ken Robinson talking about schools "killing creativity". As a school we recognise the importance of literacy and numeracy but also recognise the importance of developing the student as a whole. It is important that we develop creative and critical thinkers that will be able to adapt to the ever-changing world that they will be living in. I guess what I 'm saying is that as a school we will not let National Standards limit the curriculum content. We will still deliver a rich, diverse and engaging curriculum.

Welcome to the Lyttelton West School Website

2010-05-24T18:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Lyttelton West School's new website! The updating of our website became a necessity to enable us to connect in a more modern and effective way with our community. It also allows us to share the learning and achievements of our students.

Lyttelton West School is in its second year of an ICT contract with the Ministry of Education. What this means is that we receive additional funding and professional development in the area of ICT. This funding is not for computers and gadgets but to improve the educational outcomes for our students.

The teaching staff have received superb professional development from e-Time and are including much of what they have learnt into everyday practice. See the class wikis link on the homepage of this website to view the e-learning that students and staff have been engaging with. On the homepage under "information" there is a photo and video gallery that is updated regularly, these too are worth a look.

We are working very hard to prepare students for the 21st century and the challenges that this will bring for them. The 21st century learner is very different for previous learners. They expect to be able to see, create and share knowledge. The attachment "a vision of k12 students today" will give you an insight into the challenges and opportunities that face us as educators.