Junior School

Year 6 exhibition

The Year 6 PYP exhibition holds a place of special international importance within the PYP curriculum framework. It is a long-term, collaborative inquiry project investigating an issue that starts from personal interests but extends into real world, local and global issues. It provides an opportunity for students to exhibit the attributes of the International Baccalaureate Learner Profile and apply their learning from previous years at school. It is an authentic opportunity for students to engage in action and make a difference in the world. Significantly, it celebrates the transition from the Dio Junior School to the Junior High School and to the MYP learning that will take place from Year 7 onwards.

As in the past few years, the 2021 PYPx was related to the 17 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. These interconnected global goals were set up in 2015 and the UN states that they are designed to be a ‘blueprint to achieve a better and more sustainable future for all’. Our Year 6 students spent several weeks exploring the various global goals, including the Year 6 Service Week, before selecting the goal that moved and interested them the most. They were then grouped with other students across the Year 6 cohort with similar areas of interest. Each group then wrote a Central Idea and Lines of Inquiry, which drove the direction of their research.

One of the most important parts of the exhibition process is about taking action. Within the PYP, “all learners should have the opportunity and the power to

choose their action and to act and to reflect on these actions in order to make a difference in and to the world.’’ Due to the limitations of lockdown and online learning, the students were unfortunately unable to take direct action but they were able to advocate for issues related to their goal. By raising awareness of an issue or problem they hoped to provoke others to think, feel and act differently.

Little did we know when our Year 6 students started this journey late in Term 2 that we would be plunged into another lockdown, which required the girls to continue to work collaboratively from home! While this, of course, posed posed some challenges and completely changed the direction of our inquiries, we are so very proud of the way the Year 6 students rose to the challenges of online learning. They demonstrated flexibility, open-mindedness and strong selfmanagement skills – all attributes that the exhibition process is designed to reveal!

The Year 6 teachers are so pleased to share with you the Year 6 2021 Exhibition website and launch video. Please use the QR code to come and browse through the exceptional work our students have created. It is especially incredible due to this somewhat ‘exceptional’ time of online learning and collaboration!

No Poverty Life Below Water

SERVICE LEARNING

In the Junior School our Service Learning approach this year has been linked to the UN Sustainable Development Goals. We have continued engagement with some meaningful partnerships and also connected to organisations that are making a difference in our community. We saw the impact of generous donations during Harvest Festival and again when the Year 5 classes prepared welcome parcels for refugee families. We were also impressed by the girls who took part in Daffodil Day awareness during the Term 3 lockdown by dressing in yellow and crafting daffodils at home.

In Term 2 our Year 6 students split into six groups to explore some of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals in a deeper context in the lead-up to their PYP Exhibition. This was an opportunity for them to learn about sustainable service, how individuals became involved and passionate about service, and the different approaches being taken by organisations in our community. The girls stepped outside their comfort zones and gave up their time to help others.

The No Poverty group explored poverty as an issue both in New Zealand and globally. Locally, they heard from Variety Children’s Charity and the Auckland City Mission about their work supporting children and those who live on the streets. The girls were fortunate enough to serve two local organisations: The Nest Collective by preparing donation boxes for mums in need, and the Anglican Trust for Women and Children, sorting warm winter clothing and visiting Granger Grove and St Mary’s preschool. Overall, it was an eye-opening week as they covered a wide range of issues and topics.

Gender Equality

The Good Health and Wellbeing group unpacked a range of different elements of this global goal. They heard from Cure Kids about the incredible work that they do to help children, and from Radio Lollipop about how they support children in over 55 hospitals all over the world. Dio Old Girl Emily O’Halloran came in and talked to the group about nutrition, diet and links to our physical and emotional wellbeing. The highlight of the week was three visits to the Elizabeth Knox Home and Hospital. The girls provided activities and company for the patients and spread much happiness.

The Zero Hunger group explored food accessibility, food security and hunger. The girls prepared and cooked 36 lasagne and chicken pasta bakes for Kura Kai. The group travelled out to Mangere and met Kelly who is passionate about food inequality and ensuring that she imparts knowledge of sustainable food growing practices around Auckland. Their last site visit was to Fair Food, an organisation that rescues surplus food and redistributes it to charities around Auckland. It was an incredible week and the Zero Hunger group came away motivated and passionate about trying to eliminate hunger.

The students interested in Goal 14 Life Below Water, and Goal 15, Life on Land combined forces and spent the week exploring issues and organisations related to these goals. They started the week with a visit from Dallas Able from Legasea, an organisation dedicated to fostering sustainable fishing practices in Aotearoa. They then visited Wenderholm Regional Park, where park ranger Phoebe explained the methods used to trap and eradicate pests such as ferrets, stoats and rabbits. They also enjoyed a few hours planting native trees, with over 150 trees planted by 12 students!

The Climate Change and Sustainable Living group had the most amazing services week. They learned how sustainable practices can contribute to creating less waste, which in turn reduces greenhouse gases. At the Botanical Gardens they looked at composting systems and then set up their very own worm farms. The group was also invited to the Auckland Teaching Gardens in Mangere, where Yvonne taught them about the importance of giving back to the community. Feeling inspired, the girls planted some winter vegetables in the Junior School garden.

During Service Week the Gender Equality group learnt about charities and organisations supporting women and children around the world. They spoke about future goals with our school perfects, visited the NZME offices and met amazing women in leadership, created slogans and T-shirts promoting equality, and discussed transgender rights in relation to the Olympic Games. All the students enjoyed discussing and sharing their ideas and promoting awareness with their amazing T-shirts. The group came to the conclusion that they’d like to grow up in a world where gender was ideally a non-issue and all humans were treated equally.

Zero Hunger

Good Health and Wellbeing

Climate Change and Sustainable Living

End of term

With just over 22 years’ service to Dio between them, Junior School stalwarts Jude Buller and Chris Bayes are leaving us at the end of this year to enjoy well-earned retirement. Head of Junior School Sue Brewin acknowledges their contribution to the School.

CHRIS BAYES

Chris joined Diocesan at the end of 2011 as the lead teacher of the newly developed Foundation Centre. Prior to starting at Dio, Chris’s background was kindergarten teaching, working with children and families with special needs, and working for the Ministry of Education as a senior advisor and as a facilitator for Professional Learning.

Under Chris’s guidance, the Foundation Class has developed as a place of wonder, amazement, joy, beauty and discovery. The teaching practice within the Foundation Centre setting is influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach to education, as well as Te Whariki, New Zealand’s Early Childhood Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. ‘Nothing without joy’ is a way of thinking and being that underpins the Foundation Centre’s daily context.

Chris continues to be very involved in the Reggio Emilia organisation as a trustee of REANZ. She was first introduced to the pedagogy of Reggio Emilia in 1994 when the Hundred Languages Exhibition and Conference was held in Melbourne. After visiting Reggio Emilia in Italy in 1998, she began an adventure that continues to inspire and challenge her today. Dio is lucky to see the evidence of this philosophy on a daily basis in the Foundation Centre and in the work the staff and students are involved in under Chris’s guidance.

Chris says: “Every day at school is a day blessed with possibilities for seeing the work I do with children through new eyes. Eyes that are not alone in observing children. What are they telling us? What are the possibilities? How can we find new ways to think alongside children? To stand next to them and wonder and question? What a privilege.”

What a privilege we have all had at Dio in having Chris as lead teacher and more recently as Dean of the Foundation Centre. Chris spends a lot of time with her four grandsons and in her retirement will have more time to spend with her husband, family – and her grandsons. We all wish you well and know you will always be busy and enjoying ‘Grandma time’.

Chris Bayes

JUDE BULLER

Jude came to work in the Junior Scool at Diocesan in Term 3, 2010. She had recently returned from England and prior to her time in London she was a well respected teacher and staff member at Victoria Avenue School. Jude initially took up the position as Dean of the Foundation Centre to Year 2. As the Foundation Centre grew in size, a dean was appointed to that role and Jude continued as Dean for Years 0-2.

Over the years Jude has been instumental in setting up a very harmonious lower Junior School and is loved by her students and the parent community. For many years she has lead the literacy team and has been instumental in sourcing and resourcing reading and writing material for this level. Jude has always kept up to date with current research and has not only shared this knowledge with her team but also with the wider Junior School staff. The learning environment Jude develops is stimulating and exciting. She has a real flair for classroom displays and art.

Until recently Jude has successfully led the Junior School CEL (Centre for Enhanced Learning) department in the lower Junior School. She has been responsible for ensuring we have daily relievers when required and the staff are spoilt with the cakes she bakes and regularly provides for staff morning teas.

Jude’s bright and positive attitude, her sense of humour and her ability to relate stories will be missed. We wish Jude all the best for the future and an exciting retirement where she hopes to move to Whanganui to be closer to her family. We wish Jude much joy and happiness in the years ahead.