End of Term Update

Dear parents and caregivers,

I hope that you are all coping with the challenges of the Level 4 Alert and shutdown.  The last two weeks have seen our routines turned upside down and wiped out many everyday things we took for granted.  However, the feedback from students, parents and staff has been very encouraging.  I have been really heartened to see the positive attitude displayed by our school community and also the many initiatives that have been developed to provide support.

Online lessons

Friday April 3rd will be the last day of online lessons this term.   We will take a two week break before online lessons resume on Tuesday April 21st.

The teachers and students have done a remarkable job in adapting to this new way of learning.  For teachers, it has been a radical shift in practice and meant developing new resources and re-thinking how content can be delivered.  Students have had to cope with a very different type of school day and having to be far more independent with their learning.  Overall the feedback via email and on the school Facebook page has been very encouraging.  Thank you to our parents who have provided such great support from home to assist students’ learning. I believe Macleans has completed two weeks of remote teaching and learning that very few schools could match.  

It has been noted that a small percentage of students have not engaged with the online learning as often as they should.  This is really disappointing.  Completing school work is very important for future progression, completing qualifications and a smooth transition back to school.  Some students and parents may be emailed if their teacher has noted too many absences or incomplete work.

Homework

Some classes, particularly NCEA and other senior classes, will have homework set during the non-teaching break.  It is important, however, that students take some time away from their studies during the break. Students must be ready to return to their online lessons with a sense of enthusiasm.  For the same reason teachers have been asked to reduce their online availability to students over the next two weeks.  They are unlikely to respond to student emails during the non-teaching break.

Reports

Term one reports have been added to the Parent Portal this week. These reports were completed under some urgency as we exited school.  They are intended to give a broad indication of how the year has begun for your child.

We had planned to hold parent-teacher interviews in the last week of term.  Of course, this is no longer possible.  We hope the shutdown will end a short way into term two and then we can reschedule the parent-teacher interviews on campus and deal with parent inquiries then.

NCEA and Cambridge Qualifications

The assessment of both NCEA and Cambridge is likely to undergo some changes due to the shutdown.  Both organisations have been in touch with schools to indicate they are preparing to make changes to their programmes and qualification requirements so that students are not disadvantaged.  It is important that students do not worry – just continue to do the work your teachers set.

Counselling

Our Counselling staff are available to support students during the shutdown via online means.  Students who have used the school counselling services before can just email their regular counsellor.  A student new to the counselling service can complete a referral form located under ‘My Tools’ on the school website.

School site

The school campus is closed and this includes the fields and courts. Please do not come into school during the Level 4 Alert.

Passing of Bruce Bleakley

It is with great sadness that we acknowledge the recent passing of Bruce Bleakley.  Bruce made a huge contribution to Macleans College across three decades.  He was Chairman of the Board of Trustees for four board terms from the 1990’s.  Bruce was also a long standing member and Chairman of the PTA and was always a loyal supporter of the College.

Take care

I would like to conclude this update by wishing everyone in our Macleans College community all the best for the remainder of the shutdown period.  I am hopeful that our physical distancing and staying home will deliver the outcome we all want. I look forward to seeing all of our staff and students back on campus.

Nga mihi,

Steven Hargreaves