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Ashburton
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Friday, May 3, 2013
FIRST PUBLISHED SEPTEMBER 27, 1879
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College dumps streaming By Myles Hume A drastic move to lump pupils of mixed ability in the same class at Ashburton College has been backed by an education expert. Ashburton College’s long-standing system to put pupils of similar ability in the same class, also known as streaming, was scrapped at the start of this year for year nine pupils. Instead, a new-model introduced this year has seen year nine pupils of various academic abilities remain as a class throughout the day for most subjects, bar English and maths – which separately streamed pupils on their ability. Many parents fear mixing pupils of low ability with others who excelled would bring down the standard of the class. A recent Guardian survey found 77 per cent of parents who responded wanted to see their children in streamed classes. The college still uses a form of streaming for its year 10 pupils and senior pupils chose their own level. But Ashburton College principal Grant McMillan said initial feedback from the Education Review Office (ERO) was positive after one term of the new year nine model, and the college was now in the process of gathering concrete data on the “cross grouping” classes. “Let’s put someone in the A rugby team, they will be lifted by the stronger players, the strongest players have a lifting effect on others and that’s human nature, not just in the classroom, but in life too.” Pupils who knew they were in low band classes could lose confidence and motivation, Mr McMillan said. “Self-esteem and confidence can be lost quickly if you feel you are not getting any better or anywhere. If you can’t prove yourself or step up that can be disengaging.” His comments have been backed
by Canterbury of University research professor Garry Hornby who this week said streaming classes was “at best, ineffective and, at worst, detrimental to the education of many pupils”. The research found 14 out of the 15 secondary schools and 10 out of the 11 intermediate schools surveyed who used three-tier “ability grouping” limited the education of pupils. “Most of the benefits that were reported by interviewees were for teachers and schools, whereas most of the disadvantages concerned the negative impact of ability grouping on students, such as low self-esteem and increased behaviour problems,” Mr Hornby said. In the mixed ability classes, Mr McMillan said the stronger pupils could “peer tutor” those who struggled, which he said was also proven to be one of the best ways of retaining knowledge. A parent, whose child is in year nine at Ashburton College and who did not want to be named, said her son was disappointed with the level and pace some of his classes were moving at. Admitting her son was a bright pupil, she believed others with lower academic ability were holding the brighter pupils back. “But I know parents who have children in the middle and they are happy because it suits them, I guess it also depends on the teacher too,” she said. Principal John Schreurs said Mount Hutt College was too small to have a streaming system but catered for “students who were gifted or had gaps”. He said having classes of mixed ability “can be a bit more difficult” to manage for teachers, but the reality of streaming was “there were kids who felt they didn’t belong in the top class and kids below who felt they should be there”.
Photo Kirsty Clay 2904130-KC-003
Prop-designer Cherie Livingstone (right) holds the 12.3 metre long dragon with her family (from left) Caleb, 12, husband Peter, Oliver, 11, and Charlotte 6, which was created for the Ashburton Variety Theatre’s landmark show Miss Saigon.
Dragon ready to roar at Miss Saigon By Myles Hume One of the most creative yet important props has come together only weeks before the Ashburton Variety Theatre opens the curtain on its biggest production for 2013. A 12.3 metre dragon made of papier maché, wire and red fabric
made the trip to the Ashburton Trust Event Centre from the Ashburton home of Cherie Livingstone, who has spent the past two months piecing together the menacing creature for the highly-anticipated Miss Saigon production. “We got most of the set from Wellington but two things didn’t come with it and the dragon was
one of them,” Mrs Livingstone said. Creating the dragon by copying designs she found online, Mrs Livingstone, who is also in the singing ensemble and scenic art group for the production, completed one of the more important props for the eight-show performance spanning from May 24 to May 31. The dragon will be unleashed
during dramatic scene The Fall of Saigon, effectively marking the end of the Vietnam War on April 30, 1975 when the South Vietnam city fell into the North’s hands. “It was pretty time-consuming to make, but if it wasn’t done the show would have had to have gone on without it, doing it digitally or in another way,” Mrs Livingstone said.
But it does not stop there for the prop designer either, after putting the dragon backstage, Mrs Livingstone has been tasked with making a gold bust of Ho Chi Minh, the revolutionary communist leader. Joining her on stage will be Mrs Livingstone’s children Charlotte, 6, Oliver, 11, and Caleb, 12, who will be extras for the show.
Man shot and tasered by police stable Aorangi Securities’ investors to The man shot and tasered by police in Porirua early yesterday morning is in a stable condition at Wellington Hospital. The two women who were injured in the incident are also stable, a hospital spokesman said. Police were still carrying out scene investigations at the house in Penguin Grove, Waitangirua, and a cordon was expected to remain in place for some time, spokesman Nick Bohm said. Police had not yet laid any charges against the man, and Mr Bohm said that would be considered today. The 47-year-old man was shot and tasered at the same time, when police found him allegedly
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The application of lethal force is at the highest end of the continuum for us and it’s a very difficult and challenging situation the officers found themselves in
assaulting a 39-year-old woman with a knife and hammer. Police had been called to the property about 5.30am, and found a distressed 49-year-old woman outside with large cuts on her arms. Officers forced entry to the house and found the man standing over the second woman, who appeared to have been stabbed in the neck. Kapiti Area Commander
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Inspector Paul Basham said he was confident the two officers saved the woman’s life. “The two officers needed to take decisive action and one of the officers present deployed a Taser and the second officer deployed a Glock pistol, firing a single shot and wounding a 47-year-old male in the shoulder.” All three people were taken to Wellington Hospital, where the man underwent surgery.
The two officers involved would be receiving welfare and psychological support, Mr Basham said. “The application of lethal force is at the highest end of the continuum for us and it’s a very difficult and challenging situation the officers found themselves in.” Mr Basham said the officers acted with a “great deal of professionalism and a big dollop of bravery.” The Taser used on the man was the old-style single-pronged Taser, not a new double-pronged version being trialled by police. The incident will be investigated by an officer from outside the Kapiti Mana region and the Independent Police Conduct Authority. - apnz
get most of their money back
Ashburton investors in Aorangi Securities were delivered the best possible news yesterday when they were told they can expect most, if not all of their capital to be repaid. They were among hundreds of investors around New Zealand who were looking at significant losses when Aorangi Securities tumbled as a string of businesses owned by Alan Hubbard faltered in 2010. The statutory managers of Aorangi Securities Limited and Jean Hubbard, widow of the late Allan Hubbard, said that “an amicable settlement” had been reached.
A Timaru High Court hearing had been set for later this month to decide on whether Aorangi Securities or the Hubbards owned $60 million of disputed assets. That hearing would have been key to whether investors in the failed group got most of their money back or only a third of the funds. Although terms of the settlement were confidential, “most, if not all” of the Aorangi investors’ capital would be returned over time, said receivers Graeme McGlinn, Richard Simpson and Trevor Thornton of Grant Thornton. “The process will involve the
co-operative realisation of assets, some of which are due to settle during June 2013. “Investor’s capital will be repaid progressively as funds become available.” As of February, the Aorangi investors had received 15 cents in the dollar, or $14.5 million of the $96 million owed. The next Statutory Managers’ report which is due at the end of July will provide an update on the asset realisation process for returning capital to investors. The May 20 court proceedings have now been dismissed. -APNZ
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