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Linwood College
85 Aldwins Road
PO Box 24-034
Linwood
CHRISTCHURCH
phone: 03 9820100
email: office@linwoodcollege.co.nz
webpage: www.linwoodcollege.co.nz
link
29th June 2016
COMMUNITY NEWSLETTER
Message from the Principal
Kia ora koutou. Talofa. Kia Orana. Malo e lelei. Bula.
Fakaalofa atu. Namaste and Kumusta. Greetings to
the Linwood College Community.
Important Dates for your Diary
Term 2, Weeks 9 -10
1st July: Manu Kōrero Speech Competition
(to be held at Cashmere High 8am-3pm)
4th July: Te Wiki ō te Reo—Māori Language Week
Winter sport is in full swing which gives me the
pleasure of being able to watch our students give their all to their chosen
sport – or sports for many students. Likewise with the music and drama
activities occurring in our school.
As every parent knows, the opportunities that a New Zealand secondary
school offers are vast and Linwood College is at the forefront of this. One
of our key mantras is “Get involved”. This is because education is about
seeing the whole person. Development experiences exist both inside and
outside the classroom and they all enrich our students’ understanding of
who they are and broaden their outlook.
Recently we had our Open Evening and it was good to meet the many,
many families who attended this evening to learn more about us – who
we are and what we stand for. What was particularly pleasing was to hear
from these families of how much they valued having students as their tour
guides. This gave families the opportunities to ask real questions of our
present students and receive genuine replies. We are very proud of our
students as they are sincere and passionate about their school and
community. Linwood College is in good hands.
As has been discussed, major school and community consultation for our
whole-school rebuild is to occur over this second half-term. We want
students, staff, whānau, our Board and the wider community all to have
their voice as to how we want Linwood College to be, both building for the
present and for the future. This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity as
collectively we work through what forms of buildings and spaces best
support the styles of teaching and learning that our students are most
likely to succeed in, and then where and how these buildings will be
configured on our grounds. It is Linwood College’s turn and these are
certainly exciting times to be a student at Linwood College.
Finally, schools can be complex places, so if any member of the
community wishes to talk to me about anything, please contact the office
to arrange a time for this to occur. My door is open.
Ngā mihi nui – best wishes,
Richard Edmundson Tumuaki - Principal
8th July: End of Term ‘Celebration Assembly’ (2pm—3pm)
Term 3 Weeks 1-5
1st-5th August: Cook Islands Language Week
5th & 6th August: Jazz Quest (at Ara Music Arts School)
9th August: Primary Cultural Festival
10th-13th August: Southern Jam (in Blenheim)
12th August: School Ski Day (at Mt Hutt)
17th-18th August: Year 11 Drama—’The Blame Game’
22nd-26th August: Senior Examination Week
2016 Term Dates
Term 2: 2 May-8 July
Term 3: 25 July-23 Sept
Term 4: 10 Oct-15 Dec
Wet Weather
On wet days school closes 15 minutes earlier due to
shortened lunchtimes, except on Wednesday - being
Sports Day.
KAMAR Parent Portal
To obtain your Parent Password in order to see
student results on the KAMAR Parent Portal,
please contact: office@linwoodcollege.school.nz .
This is also a good time to check that your
contact details are correct.
English Language Learners
at the
Zoo
Read more
inside >
Gloria Sua, Laura Giffels and Jessica Venter with giraffe.
OUR LINWOOD COLLEGE VALUES – excellence, curiosity, honesty, respect, service
The smiles say it all
ELL (ESOL)Students at the Zoo
There was a real buzz in the air as three busloads of our ELLs
(English Language Learners) visited the Orana Park yesterday,
cameras clicking and smiles and laughter all round! It was truly a
joy witnessing the wonder and amazement in the students’ eyes
as they saw an animal for the first time (or the 2nd of 3rd)! As Mr
Harris pointed out, the reactions from some of our junior students
– and the smiles on their faces - were beyond heart warming! We
were beaming with pride when the zoo staff commented that our
kids are so respectful and well-behaved!
Students asked lots of questions and it was a fabulous opportunity
for them to enhance their vocabulary and comprehension skills.
The trip was a massive success (with all kids returning in one piece
and remarkably kind weather with not a drop of rain despite the
very grey clouds at times)!
The trip was part of our Language Outside the Classroom
programme, and as children walked around the zoo, they were
exposed to a range of new words and concepts.
.
Click below to view the Linwood College ELL Magazine issues
What to do if my child is absent...
A huge thank-you goes to our ELL team – Archana, Serge, Tony and
John – for your commitment, professionalism and hard work.
Navjot McCormack - Head of English Language Learning (ELL)
https://drive.google.com/folderview?id=0B8RiaoD_yRydDZsRXBXbkh6ckk&usp=sharing
LIBRARY CORNER
Parents and caregivers—it is important that you remember to
contact the attendance officer, Ms Tania Alsayyad before
9:00am if your child is sick or requires time off for an appointment. Contact can be by email (sy@linwoodcollege.school.nz),
phone (982 0100 ext 818), via the website or by dropping into
the Attendance Office at the College.
When your child returns, if the absence is unexplained students
will be given a detention for truancy and the parent informed of
this. If for some reason you have been unable to contact the
school, then give your child a note of explanation which they can
pass on to their mentor teacher. The mentor teacher will then
mark the absence as explained. Thank you.
Uniform Uniform Shop Hours—term time:
Tues: 3pm-5pm Wed: 2.30pm-3.15pm Thurs: 3pm-5pm
As there will be a slight change in regard to the school
policy around the types of shoes that can be worn,
please see the last page of this newsletter for further
information.
Uniforms can be purchased from the Uniform Shop on
site or by contacting Mrs Hancock on 982 0100 ext 866
or at: hk@linwoodcollege.school.nz .
Not yet receiving newsletter via email?
If you have access to email and have not yet informed us,
please contact the Main Office on 9820100 and you will
be able to receive updates, newsletters and emails from us
directly.
Hours: Monday to Friday
8.35am - 3.00pm
I have been really enjoying promoting books at
the Year 7/8 assemblies
on a Monday morning
and sharing books with
Ms Fisher’s Year 9 class.
It has been a great way to connect with some students that may
not necessarily come over to the library.
The library recently received some more lovely donations of some
high quality second-hand books which were gratefully received. It
would be great to have a big lot of our library books coming back
for the end of term – come and get some fresh reading for the
holidays.
On a final note, I am sad but excited to say that I am moving on at
the end of the term after 3 ½ years here at Linwood. It has been
my pleasure to work with an amazing staff and wonderful students
and I will miss my old school. I trust the new school rebuild and all
that comes with it sees Linwood College move positively into a new
era.
Arohanui
Marion the librarian
OUR LINWOOD COLLEGE VALUES – excellence, curiosity, honesty, respect, service
worn to school. It is really important
that we receive your support in this
matter and if you have any issues,
As we come to the end of Term 2, our
again, please do get in touch with me.
students have settled into their
It is also important to note that I do
academic program and most are
not teach in the junior area of our
showing great improvement. Student
school and that I pick up all my
reports have all been printed;
messages at the end of each day. I
however, if you have not seen your
endeavour to phone parents on the
child’s report yet, please do not hesisame day that issues arise but in
tate to contact the mentor teachers.
some cases it will be the next
The weather has changed dramatical- morning.
ly and we have noticed more and
Attendance is a legal requirement and
more non-regulation uniform being
FLYING HIGH
Dean’s Report — Years 7 & 8
IN SCIENCE
I will send out letters if
I have concern
regarding your child’s
attendance.
If your child is unwell,
please do phone the
Main Office or report
an absence to Tania
on 982 0100 ext 818.
Mario Williams - Year 7/8 Dean
Email: wlm@linwoodcollege.school.nz
Phone: 03 982 0100 ext 892
Students from Years 7 and 8 are currently learning about
the Science behind the super powers of super heroes.
While investigating how animals and objects fly students were shown how to
make a paper helicopter. Then they had time to make design changes that would
allow their helicopters to stay in the air for the longest time.
This became a very competitive activity and after all the excitement Ra King and
Kyan Paul’s helicopter design managed to remain in the air for the longest time.
Papier mâché artwork created by Year 7 & 8 students
Dean’s Report — Year 9
It was great to see parents and
caregivers at the recent Meet the
Teacher Evening to discuss your
child’s progress to date in 2016. The
opportunity to speak with the people
who have their child’s best interests
in mind, is invaluable when having
conversations around academic
progress.
In Term 2, there has been a slight
increase in students arriving late to
class. It is important that students
arrive at class on time, so that they
do not miss out on opportunities to
progress with their learning.
In addition, it is also important that
students are punctual to condition
themselves for the ‘real world’, when
pursuing and holding down jobs in
the near future. If there is a reason
that your child is late to class, please
inform the school via telephone or a
signed note. If there is no valid reason
given by students, they will be placed
on a lunchtime detention. Parents and
caregivers will be informed of this decision by your child’s mentor teacher,
before they attend the detention.
If your child is going
to be away, please
call the school to
inform the attendance
officer or alternatively
write a note to explain
your child’s absence.
I am currently planning a Year 9 camp
for the last week of Term 4 but I have
During our weekly Year 9 assemblies, yet to get a final cost for each student.
My aim is to keep the cost of the
I have expressed to students how
camp between $80 and $130 and to
impressed I am by the way that they
inform you of the final cost by the end
wear their uniform. The Year 9
of Term 3. I believe that is camp will
students are setting a very good
be a great opportunity for students to
example of how to wear the school
uniform with pride for our Year 7 and celebrate their efforts and hard work
with challenging activities, whilst
8 students.
experiencing something different with
Attendance rates for the majority of
classmates in a unique environment.
Year 9 students are good. However,
Malo ‘aupito,
there is a small number of students
who have unexplained absences
Hannibal Ikahihifo - Year 9 Dean
where the school has not been
Email: iho@linwoodcollege.school.nz
notified of why they are not in class.
Phone: 03 982 0100 ext 857
OUR LINWOOD COLLEGE VALUES – excellence, curiosity, honesty, respect, service
The girls and the Tactix players at the game
Dean’s Report — Years 10
Firstly, to those of you that came along to the report evening,
thank-you again for your support and for giving up your time.
For those of you that could not make the evening, please feel
free to email or call – either myself or the teachers - if you
have anything that you would like to discuss.
As we are nearly half-way through the year it is time for
students to reflect on their learning after receiving their
reports. Lateness is an issue that is of concern so please
help your student with their learning by ensuring they are
learning ready, with their uniform, equipment and that they
are on time.
Our goal is to add value to your child’s education and your
support is greatly appreciated.
The Year 10 Netball Girls were invited to escort the Tactix
onto court this week. They decided amongst themselves to
wear their Linwood netball uniform when walking the Tactix
onto court and they really represented the school to the
highest level.
Emma Bradley - Year 10 Dean
Email: bd@linwoodcollege.school.nz
Mathletics
We are proud to
congratulate the following students who
have already managed to achieve a Gold
Award on Mathletics:10EST: Jasmine Jensen, Jaxson Fowler,
Aliyah Harrison and Gabrielle Richardson.
10JOR: Orion Tipuna, Toby Bell-Ramsay,
Lakin Spicer-Lee.
The students delight in receiving their
award from our principal Mr Edmundson.
Mathletics is an online program used to
support classroom teaching, enable students to consolidate what they have learnt
in class and develop a strong fluency in
their arithmetic skills. Students can log
in wherever they have access to the
internet which makes a Gold Certificate
achievable for all. Bronze awards are
Dean’s Report — Year 11
will receive a Dean’s Detention for unexplained absences.
Tēnā koutou,
We are often complimented by members
of the public at how professional and tidy
our senior uniform is and I must agree,
when worn correctly, it certainly is stunning. Just a reminder that if your child, for
whatever reason, does not have correct
For those parents who are unaware of the uniform items they must see Mrs Hancock
first thing in the morning, during mentor
requirements around gaining Level 1
time or at the beginning of Period 1 or 3.
NCEA, to pass Level 1 your child must
As the weather gets colder please ensure
have passed a number of assignments –
internally and externally (gained inside the your child has the required uniform items
to stay warm and dry. Please remember
classroom throughout the year and an
exam in the hall), which must add up to 80 that leather shoes will be a compulsory
component of our uniform from the begincredits in total. Within the 80 credits, 10
ning of Term 3.
credits must be literacy credits and 10
must be numeracy credits. Numeracy and There have been a number of exciting
literacy credits are not solely gained in
leadership opportunities happening
Mathematics and English classes; these
throughout the school this term, the
can be gained throughout a number of
Cactus Programme being one of them
their chosen subjects.
with a number of senior and junior
Of course attendance plays a huge role in students involved. ‘Cactus’ runs Monday,
Wednesday and Friday at 6.25am in the
our students successfully gaining NCEA
Level 1. If your child is away, for whatever school gym. This is run by an outside
agency who runs the same programme
reason, please let the school know by
throughout Christchurch secondary
either calling in or providing a note to be
schools. The focus of this programme is to
given to their mentor teacher explaining
teach our young people how to successtheir absence. If a note is not provided or
phone call has not been made, your child fully participate and contribute -individually
Well we have certainly hit the middle of
the year and our fabulous Year 11 students are working extremely hard to gain
their 80 credits required to pass NCEA
Level 1.
given every week for students who have
completed a number of tasks to a certain
standard. Students who consistently earn
Bronze awards, win a Silver award and
students who consistently win Silver
awards, win a Gold award.
The number of weeks that it takes to build
up to a Gold award is considerable - well
done to those who have achieved one so
fast!
and in a group setting, how
to self manage, how to
relate to others in a positive
manner, how to problem
solve, be motivated,
challenge themselves, how
to respect others and themselves and how to push
their boundaries, both
physically and mentally.
This term’s Cactus is about to come to an
end. However, there will be more places
available for Term 3 so put your name
down at the Main Office. This is a fabulous
opportunity for those who see themselves
entering into leadership roles in Year 12
and 13 to really stand up, be acknowledged and gain the skills required for
effective and efficient leadership. I have
been involved with the programme this
term and highly recommend it.
If you have any questions, concerns or
you would like to make an appointment
regarding your child, please contact me
directly on 982 0100 extension 852. Leave
a message and I will get back to you within 24 hours.
Larisha Toomey - Year 11 Dean
Email: tm@linwoodcollege.school.nz
Phone: 9820100 ext 819
OUR LINWOOD COLLEGE VALUES – excellence, curiosity, honesty, respect, service
aBusiness
Students visit local Companies
On Wednesday 22nd June Year 11 Business students went
off-site to investigate how local business operate. This was
part of their NCEA Level 1 assessment.
Students went to companies
such as Starbucks, Pita Pet,
Foot Locker, Rebel Sports,
Dominoes and Coke Cola.
To the right are some pictures of
students being shown around the
Coke Cola factory in Woolston.
PI Fitness presented their idea of a
workout space for Pacific Island people
Three groups of students were selected
with particular panache and won an
to present their business ideas at ARA
award for ‘Best People and Business
th
on Thursday 9 June to a group of
Practice’. The groups will now spend
Dragons from the Canterbury business
the rest of the year turning their ideas
community. The students were honored
into a reality.
to be invited to the Young Enterprise
The groups from Linwood College are:
Dragons’ Den finals, as there are 85
PI Fitness: Senirewa Tagicakiverata,
teams from 15 schools throughout
Havanna Aaifou, Inez Alavisi (all Yr 12),
Canterbury competing in this years’
When we were young: Angel Lintott,
competition.
Young Enterprise Success
Recently the Year 12 Science
class went on a trip to the
Antarctic Centre to further
their knowledge on how
people and animals can survive in extreme environments;
particularly the polar conditions of Antarctica.
Molly Barnett, Gina-Lee Montgomery,
Sapana Kharal and
Future Success: William Paulden,
Mitchell Dehn, Thomas McHutchinson
The girls nailed their presentation and
picked up an award for ‘Best People
and Business Practice’.
Although not the 1st or 2nd place award
they were in the next tier. This is still
very good since there were 85 teams
from 15 schools from Canterbury
competing.
C h i l l i n g o n I c e — written by Jenna Hollis (Year 12)
We learnt valuable
information which will come
in super handy when we write
our assessment report on
this topic. We were schooled
on crucial elements of our
studies, such as the
differences between the
physical and behavioural
adaptations of animals that
allow them to survive here.
One fact that definitely got us
thinking, was that penguins
don’t actually move to the
outer areas (when they are
huddling for warmth) to give
the other’s a chance at the
warmth of the middle. They
actually just move out of the
middle because they themselves are getting too hot.
We were guided around by
Vicki; an Educator at the Antarctic Centre, who polished
off some serious know-how
on Antarctic animals and their
adaptations in this environment. One extreme technique
of education she used was to
place us in the chilling, ‘Cold
Room’, which boasted -8°C.
This felt like -18°C once the
intense winds kicked in,
leaving us all well and truly
frozen and worshiping the
idea of huddling like penguins! It was cold!
As a final ending-adventure
we were introduced to some
very well-trained Siberian
Huskies, which we were then
allowed to pet, during which
we were told about the
We were told a snippet about special dogs that can survive
each penguin; for example
in such frosty weather.
the one-footed Bagpipes, who
It was an awesome adventure
is currently in the process of
which will no-doubt further
having another foot that has
been 3D printed especially for our reports and we aren’t
likely to forget it any time
him.
Then we were escorted to
see some real-life Blue
(rescue) Penguins, in action
during feeding-time.
OUR LINWOOD COLLEGE VALUES – excellence, curiosity, honesty, respect, service
Dean’s Report — Year 12 & 13
This is the time of the year when numerous events are occurring both within and
outside of school.
We had a small but successful prefects
dinner on Monday, 13 May 2016 ably led
by Navneet Narayan who planned and
decorated the venue and other senior
students who prepared or cooked the
meal. Many of us are looking forward to
the three-course dinner next term and the
planning and trialling of these meals are
underway.
Other students have stepped into their
leadership or service roles being present
at the parent-teacher night to give out
reports and directions to the parents. It
was great to see so many here. If parents
have any concerns then please email the
teachers involved. Use the 2 or 3 letter
cypher attached to each teacher, (for
example ml@linwoodcollege.school.nz)
to make contact.
A number of senior students have taken
advantage of study camp – a fully paid
weekend at Living Springs where tutors are
available as well as visiting and inspirational speakers to encourage and motivate.
We have been allocated space for 12-16
students and it is a ’first in-first served’
basis. Students need to watch for the notice in the daily notices for the next event.
What is to be considered now, particularly
for Year 13s, are the number of open days
occurring at various tertiary providers. This
is an opportunity to either visit the venue
or listen to visiting speakers about what
there is on offer and how to go about enrolling or applying for scholarships.
Many scholarship applications are open
now until the middle of August. Others are
due later but please be aware of due
dates. No late applications are taken especially as there are students from all over
New Zealand applying for many of them.
Some scholarships are particularly for our
College students. Information about most
of these is available via emails to the stu-
Jarrod Robertson, from the university’s Liaison Team, said,
“All of the students were fantastic to host and it was great to
see them all enjoying themselves. The Tactix coaches even
high-fived the Year 10s walking off the court and commented
to me on how excited all the students looked.”
Please do not leave this to the last minute
as students may miss out. Please also ensure that you read the criteria needed for
these applications so students have what
is needed and time is not wasted.
Upcoming events for seniors involve music, culture, sport and social – which includes the formal. This is to be held on
Saturday, 10 September. Permission forms
for students to bring partners from outside
the school have been distributed and are
due back to Miss Milne before final payment is made.
Annette Milne - Year 12 & 13 Dean
Email: ml@linwoodcollege.school.nz
Phone: 9820100 ext 858
Ta c t i x
Netball
At the last game for the season, the University of Canterbury
hosted some of our students at the Taxtic vs Central Pulse
game. Through the university’s partnership with the team,
some of our Year 12 and 13s were given the VIP experience
of being hosted for dinner at their courtside corporate table
and got to experience the game up close. Our Year 10s
were given the opportunity to decorate the players changing
room and then walk the players out onto court at the start of
the game.
dents or in the Careers
Dept. If the applications
require a reference then
please make contact with
Miss Milne to write one.
Some of these references
go directly to the institution.
Alana Batcheler (UC’s Pacific Liaison Officer) hosts Year 12 and 13
students from Linwood College at courtside corporate table
I am also especially lucky that my
younger sister has been able to attend
Cactus with me during this term.
Linwood College has been lucky enough Watching and seeing my sister push
this term to run the Cactus programme. I herself in every activity has impressed
thought that this would be another great me and made me proud.
challenge for me after 21 days at
Outward Bound at Christmas time which For myself personally, the high level of
fitness activities and activities has been
changed my mind set and my lifestyle.
pushing my boundaries and towards
trusting others around me. Something
Attending Cactus early every Monday,
that has pushed my boundaries would be
Wednesday and Friday has personally
doing a hand-stand push-up which got
impacted on the school environment,
having a positive attitude to start the day me outside of my comfort zone.
Realising that some of my peers operate
and towards peers that attend Cactus.
differently and some are better at some
This has also reached beyond school,
activities than others has grown my
into my home life.
sense of empathy.
Cactus Program— written
by Charlotte Merkin (Year 13)
The Cactus programme has taught me
discipline, time management, reliability
and most importantly it has helped me to
realise the need for different leadership
strategies. We have to listen more to one
another and respect each others ideas.
Overall the most important part of being
involved in Cactus has been working as
a team and the discipline.
COMMUNITY INFORMATION SECTION
Last month students gave a gold coin donation Students restore Willowduring a mufti day and this raised $468 bank’s takahē enclosure
in support of refugees An area of Willowbank’s takahē
escaping Syria. enclosure has been restored and
revitalized thanks to the work of
some of our Year 10 students.
Total raise forFundraising
the World Vision mufti
was $468
forday
Syrian
Refugees
WOOLSTONDEVELOPMENT PROJECT The Depo
After School Program Monday – Friday 3.00-5.30pm
(during the school term) at the Woolston Community Centre,
beside Te Waka Unua School, Ferry Rd $14.00/day per child
OSCAR subsidies may apply for parents in work or study.
Activities will include: arts , sports and games, swimming,
outings, community as well as incentive programmes.
For enrolment please contact: Bev—3894448.
Jack Triggs, Gabrielle Richardson, Zach Te Maari, Tane Lilley,
and Jack Janse Van Rensburg
alongside the University of Canterbury Student Volunteer Army
(SVA) and other local Year 10s,
took on a restoration project as
part of the SVA’s UCan volunteer
programme and in the space of a
few hours transformed the enclosure.
The UCan programme encourages local secondary students to
become leaders in their communities through volunteering while
being mentored by SVA members
Despite a chilly start to the day,
around 35 Year 10 students from
Christchurch schools arrived eager to get to work. The group
soon got to work clearing the areas before planting young native
trees and grasses.
Bonnie Mae and Daniel Stack, the
SVA’s In-Schools Mentors, were
impressed with how the students
were keen to get stuck in despite
the cold frosty weather on the
day. “We noticed that they got
through the work very quickly due
to them working so cooperatively
both within and across schools.”
At the end of the morning’s work,
the students were treated to lunch
by the SVA as well as the opportunity to see one of Willowbank’s
kiwis up close.
OUR LINWOOD COLLEGE VALUES – excellence, curiosity, honesty, respect, service
Change in school uniform — Leather shoes
As has been mentioned in the previous Link Newsletter,
the current canvas shoes that some of our students wear,
are no longer compliant. There are clear requirements in
terms of footwear that we must adhere to, to ensure student safety as they move into specific curriculum areas
within the College.
All students (except for Year 13 students who will leave
the College early in Term 4), are therefore required to
wear a standard, plain, black, leather school shoe.
This change will be required in four weeks time, from
Monday 25th July 2016 which is the start of Term 3.
However; we do have some of these available in the
Uniform Shop starting at the great price of $15.00.
Please see the types of leather shoes below which can
be purchased locally.
The photos of suitable shoes (displayed below), can be
purchased locally. If you have any further queries
regarding this, please contact Bronwyn Hancock in the
Uniform Shop on 982 0100 ext 866. Thank you.
A Cap and a Beanie for the College We are currently in the process
of consulting with students to select an all-year-round Cap and a Winter Bean- Shoes that are not suitable school wear are
shown above. This includes all canvas shoes.
ie for school uniform. More information will follow in the next newsletter.
Bullying-Free NZ Week and the Pink Shirt Day
driven and do not typically include input
from students. “The idea was to put the
students at the forefront of this campaign
and encourage an open dialogue on how
they saw bullying and what they would do
to address it,” says Mrs McCormack.
“Students welcomed the opportunity to
unleash their creative side and educate
everyone, from teachers to fellow
students, on ways to eliminate bullying in
our communities.”
To mark the Bullying-Free NZ Week and the
Pink Shirt Day, English Language Learners
(ELLs) at Linwood College used their own
ideas and language to create posters that
encourage their peers to not be bystanders
to bullying incidents and help create a
positive, non-bullying atmosphere.
language, to deliver the anti-bullying message in a colourful and engaging way. “This
ensured that the message was understood.
This also reflected the diversity at Linwood
College and real life experiences of our
students,” Mrs McCormack adds.
Mrs McCormack says this was also a
chance to teach social literacy. “This is vital
because today’s technologically savvy
youths are interacting less and less with
each other in person. Social literacy helps
prevent bullying as it gives students the
tools they need to interact correctly with
others and manage conflicts effectively.”
Taking the lead: Linwood College students
Navjot McCormack, teacher and head of
English Language Learning (ELL) at Linwood
College, says the approaches and solutions The students used their own ideas and
used to combat bullying are often adultlanguage, in some cases even their home
create anti-bullying posters to be displayed
around the school to mark the Bullying-Free NZ
Week and the Pink Shirt Day.