School 2013

So 2013 sees me the Yr 9 Dean, and still teaching English! Yay I love it and thoroughly enjoy my English classes. However I have this new roll of half Facilitator for Manaiakalani with Karen Ferguson. Tamaki College is the only College in our East Auckland Cluster.

So far it has been an experience, at the moment Karen and I are flat out reimaging and adding PSK codes to the Asus netbooks and logging on and adding PSK codes to the Chrome-books. Ahhhh the chromebooks some days it seems faster reimaging Asus then going online to access then offine then online to code on the chromebooks. But in saying that we have it nailed down now.

Then there is the running around to find students to give them their netbooks. I guess I could get the office runner to find them for me, but that seems like a huge waste of time I would rather do it myself, my legs re not painted on.

One thing I have noticed is the huge amount of Netbooks waiting to be serviced, If I was to suggest one thing it would be that the Tech’s are in more than they are maybe have a set number stationed at various schools. It all seems like a lot of waiting for the students to get their device back. Yes some of the student’s need to pay their excess but there are a lot that are waiting, waiting!

Staff support is another thing we look at, helping our staff decipher their way around Google Docs and creating sites, and using the Teacher Dashboard, it’s all good fun. Yesterday a staff member asked me how to do something….I hadn’t actually done it myself so off I run to Karen who showed me in 3 mins and badda bing badda boom.all done!!!!!!!!

I have found the Manaiakalani meetings fascinating, and always leave having learnt something new. Listening to the other Teacher’s, takes me back to my Primary teaching days. There are so many talented people in the cluster, who all bring to the cluster a vast amount of skills and a willingness to support others.

I feel that I am going to learn a lot this year within the Manaiakalani cluster.

My Year 9’s!!! Nothing else to say really. They have started the year well, and when I do an attendance check out of all my Yr 9’s there is never more than between 5 -10 away on any given day!!!!!!!!! Wooohooo this is a first. I have the lowest absence numbers in the school!!!

It is early days yet, but so far they are settling in well and demonstrating The Tamaki Way. I am hoping it will continue all year. J

Our Prefects and House Captains are amazing and are doing an awesome job. I am super proud of my nephew Owen Talatau who is the Deputy Head Boy this year!!!! All our Prefects/House Captains are working hard at promoting positive behaviour, correct uniform and good work ethics.

With their support and guidance of the Year 9’s it will be a great year for Year 9!!!!!!!

 

                                                   

How Do You Explain Dying and Death

That is the major question; How do you explain Dying and Death to Children????/ Wish I knew. My eldest grand daughter's  Nani is dying. Last year she was diagnosed with stomach Cancer, she has had treatment and for awhile all was good. When I saw her on Friday I couldn't believe how fast she was fading, she was always a big woman and now there is nothing left of her. She was so skinny and frail compared to 3 weeks ago when I last spoke with her.

We chatted for awhile, and now I know that that was the last conversation I will have with her. After dropping my moko off tonight, her mum told me that J had gone from up to 6 months left to days, she can barely speak now nor move. It saddens me deeply to know that my moko is about to lose one of the 3 significant women in her life. How do you explain to a 3 year old that Nani is not coming back? actually how do you tell a 2 year old as J has custody of one of her moko's.

This is one of those things that is unfair, granted it happens and maybe one day a cure for Cancer will be found. J my friend, You have put everything in order for your kids, we all know your wishes. When I see you next it will be down the Port. Until then my friend, May the Lord watch over you and know that when you are ready to go, then go, go to where there is no more pain. Your work here maybe finished but a new journey awaits you.

This is not GOODBYE................Until We Meet Again.

Ma te Atua Koe e tiaki, e manaaki mo ake tonu atu xxxx

How cute

I just read Riiana's first post, she uses the space-bar like she is writing with a pencil and must have finger spaces. Good girl keep going.

Blogs

So last night I decided to start my 6 year old Blogging. I created her a Blog site and locked down all the settings so it is visible to her Aunty, myself and anyone else I let on it. I have decided to get her started with Blogs for a couple of reasons'. 
Firstly; is so she can learn how to Blog so that when she is in a netbook class it will be 2nd nature to her.
Secondly; So I have a track record of her writing, sentences etc progress
Thirdly; We are in a digital era and I want her to be familiar with using Google and other apps that are available.

To start off with she will be posting whatever she wants and nothing she puts will be edited by me.

As she becomes more confident with typing I will show her how to use different fonts, sizes etc.

I don't want to overload her, I want her to enjoy doing it so that she will want to continue to learn and not see it as a chore or boring.

Right now she has posted her first post and is working on her second, she is happy as she has written 5 sentences about a Duckling.

This will be an interesting journey!!!!!!!!

Here We Go

So half way through marking my junior exams, and I must say I am impressed (that alone speaks volumes) 
For most of them their essay's are well constructed and informative.
Their AsTTle reading results are also looking good. 
Unfortunately I can not read any more tonight as the words are running into each other and makig no sense to me, so tomorrow is finishing day!!!!!!
Go TC

1st Blog Post.................

This is the world of me.....very unexciting. Here you will read various Blogs about my kids, my moko's and of course My job.

Actually, I will blog about whatever I feel like at the time.