Junior School Update A U C K L A N D W R I T E R S F E S T I VA L 2021
C R E AT I V E H A N D S - O N F U N
One of the fundamental goals in the Junior School at Kristin is fostering a love of writing in all our children. At Kristin, we have focused on best practice when teaching writing, ensuring writing is learnt, improved and embraced, through motivation, positive reinforcement and regular practice.
The Junior School has been alive with the sound of hammers, sawing and calls of “measure twice, cut once” since we made the move to include construction stations in a variety of different areas around the school. These stations provide our students with the opportunity to get outside and explore their ability to hit a nail with a hammer accurately; for some, this is still a work in progress.
It was wonderful to take a group of enthusiastic literacy students, as part of our Gifted and Talented Programme, to the Auckland Writers Festival in May. There we saw the very best local and international writers of contemporary fiction and nonfiction, to explore ideas, share stories and experience brilliant conversations. We were captivated in our four writing workshops, which included an enthralling first session with Selina Marsh, hearing about the steps it took to produce her award-winning graphic memoir Mophead. We then Zoomed into much-acclaimed Australian author Jessica Townsend, whom the children adored as much as her incredible books Nevermoor, Wundersmith and Hollowpox. The last workshop was with Weng Wai Chan, who discussed the process of getting a book published and talked about her first book Lizard’s Tale. Later in the year, the Junior School will hold workshops for both reluctant writers as well as advanced/extension writers so that every child will be able to: – Establish a positive attitude to writing – Find their passion in writing - inspire them to pick up a pen or an iPad and want to write – Use the art of storytelling to help prompt their writing – Be exposed to a variety of writing genres, so they can refine their palates and feel comfortable experimenting with writing.
The advantages for the students go further than being able to help at home the next time a fence is being built, or a new deck constructed. There is a strong emphasis on using collaborative skills to work with others in the construction and distribution of tools and other pieces of hardware to get the job done - from the planning stage right through to the actual construction and then sharing afterwards the value of working with and for other people. We are also making use of one of our key resources, people, to ensure these stations work efficiently and safely. Our Year 6 students are acting as mentors in the more junior classes, there to not only offer guidance and keep the construction tasks on track but to also offer advice on building skills and techniques. We are thrilled to have been able to recruit students from the Senior School as well, to help our older students in the same regard. As adults, when we hand over sharp or potentially dangerous tools to children we automatically think the worst, health and safety, danger, and who will get hurt or cut first – not what wonderful things our children might make. Our basic expectation is that bad things will happen. While we have planned for and managed the risk carefully using our older assistants and specific teacher guidance, we also need to think about what it is they might do, and give them a chance to show us what they can do. Often when this occurs the results can be spectacular. Covering the safety bases as well as providing for creativity, persistence and focus will allow our students to show us what they can do. It is our intention that by being able to provide a variety of different lunchtime activities to our students, we ensure we will tap into the passions of all. Judging by the heavy demand we have experienced so far, the New Zealand construction industry is in great hands for many years to come.
Chantel Ashley
Robert Hutton
J U N I O R S C H O O L A S S I S TA N T P R I N C I PA L
J U N I O R S C H O O L A S S I S TA N T P R I N C I PA L
14 Kristin Kaleidoscope Magazine Issue 70 2021.indd 14
8/06/21 11:08 AM
