4 minute read
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 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
has undoubtedly paid dividends for many students, and parental feedback has been very positive about this initiative.
That brings me inevitably to lockdown and the COVID-19 pandemic. The practical stuff, like preparing remote learning programmes, although difficult, was easy in comparison with the human stuff. How does anyone even begin to prepare for that? How do you console fearful students who are also having their important rites of passage snatched away from them? How do you reassure those who have long-awaited events cancelled that it is going to be alright in the end? How do you even begin to alleviate their concerns about what looks like an uncertain future?
From the outset, the message was simple: we are all in this together. There was no training for this kind of experience. There was no manual; no friendly person up the road who had been through it before to lend a hand. However, because of the shared experiences of things like camp, coaching and our focus on community service and leadership throughout the Middle School, I am very proud to say that our students and staff were collectively exceptional in rising to the challenges presented. For over 20 years now, Kristin Middle School has prided itself on the quality and personalised nature of its pastoral care and focus on student well-being. The Deans, Associate Deans and teaching
staff collectively wrapped around the student body and together the relationships and community I spoke of earlier shone through. Before long there were online assemblies, musical and art performances, community spirit initiatives such as Colours Day, Activity Challenge videos and even virtual Chapel Services with Reverend Ramsay.
As I write, we are now back on campus in the second day of Alert Level 2. The students are buzzing, and it’s almost as though they were never away. It’s fantastic to be back, and I look forward to resuming our programme, but we should always remember the time we have experienced and the things we learnt as this will stand us all in good stead for the future. One student gave a fabulous insight when I asked what she had learnt most from the lockdown experience; she said she had learnt to appreciate much more the things around her that she had previously taken for granted. What an amazingly perceptive insight; it made me very proud to hear her say that and if that is something we all do as a consequence of these times, then in many ways it will have been worth it.
Dave Scott
