Middle School Update Term 1 2020 in the Middle School began in the usual fashion with great enthusiasm, passion and activity. None of us knew what was coming, of course, but more on that later. The highlight to the start of the Kristin calendar is always Camp Week, and 2020 has been no different in this regard. With the usual military-precision organisation, all four Middle School year levels were off to the diverse venues of Waipu Beach, Raglan, National Park and Mahurangi Regional Park. As an organisational and logistical feat, Camp Week is hard to compare, but it is the experience and experiential learning that takes place which makes it such a quality experience. These experiences translate into the development of relationships that set the scene for the rest of the year. For students, there is something magical in seeing your teacher dangling from an abseil rope or being catapulted from their surfboard. These
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shared experiences make the time in the classroom all the richer as a result. The last ‘normal’ event before Alert Level 4 lockdown was our inaugural Coaching Day. This day replaced our usual teacher interview format where parents rushed around to see individual teachers for five-minute slots. The coaching format allowed for a 15-minute conference involving student, parents and teacher/ coach. The focus was on gaining an overall picture of the students’ learning, aspirations and goals. We were so fortunate to have this day when we did as I believe it set many students up well for what was just around the corner through lockdown. The focus on relationships, goal setting and being organised
