From the Desk of Adam Heath, Middle School Principal

Loving Languages – Issue 15 2010

I had an elderly French teacher in Year 9 and 10 who was very strict. She worked in a small, dusty classroom, which was lined with bookshelves that were covered in piles of old photocopies and books that seemed to be from another age. The desks were arranged examination style, each on their own, with a grid pattern whose uniformity would bring joy to any mathematicians heart. Despite this fairly gloomy, uninspiring learning environment, and a distinct lack of natural ability in languages on my part, I was still captivated. You see, our teacher spoke almost entirely in French and whilst I struggled to interpret, I was captivated by the melody of the language itself – it was like song. From this flowed an absolute love of the French culture.

This experience seeded a dream to live and work in France that finally came to be in my mid-twenties. My wife and I somehow managed to secure a role managing a chalet in the French Alps, right on the Swiss border and just an hour from Geneva. The hamlet of Chatel is picture-book pretty, with long roofed, Swiss-style chalets lining the hillsides. We were surrounded by local farmers still living very traditional lifestyles, with hay filling the loft of the chalet for winter feed and insulation. The milking herd was housed inside at the rear in a barn section for the winter. With just a wall separating them, the herd provided warmth for the family. Typically, hams hung in the top of the fireplace, gradually smoking.

A key element of our role was to cook for our guests. We developed a set menu which became tried and proven. However, all of our food had to be ordered by phone in French. With our suppliers based in regional France, they spoke no English. It was a fascinating process which led to the occasional mistake. In our first week we attempted to order a Christmas tree and somehow ended up with onions. In attempting to order four litres of olive oil I accidentally ordered four boxes or 64 litres – navigating the return of this in French was tricky. On another occasion our butcher dropped by with our meat order and tried to explain that he had run out of a particular item. In my enthusiasm I unwittingly accepted three ox tongues in place of beef fillets – there was no returning them, they went in the bin.

Even as I write, the wonderful memories come flooding back. The smooth, rich taste of milky coffee served in large bowls, the aroma of a French patisserie, the spectacular panorama of the French and Swiss Alps and the beautiful call of ‘chataignes chaud’ selling hot chestnuts. But most of all the language and culture, which remain for me as things of absolute beauty.

I guess there is no surprise then that I am delighted that language learning features so strongly in the IB. It is seen as an essential vehicle to global citizenship and cultural appreciation. More recently, though, I have been interested to learn of the positive influence that second language learning has on the continuing development of ‘mother tongue’. Contrary to the intuitive conclusion that a second language may make first language acquisition more complicated, the opposite actually applies. The skills required compliment one another and the structure of each language provides insight into the other.

My French tale took a surprising and local twist one afternoon this week. One of our Year 10 students, Nadia Sussman, decided to teach Year 2 students French for her Personal Project. I dropped into the most heart warming scene – our little Year 2s being taught their colours in French. The mother and grandmother of one of the children, both native French speakers themselves, sat at the back chatting in that beautiful language and occasionally joining in one of the songs used to teach vocabulary. The Year 2 students, with such impressionable ears, were acquiring the subtle nuances of the language almost unknowingly.

The lesson finished and I left swimming in happiness. Languages and culture are thriving at Kristin, handed down with care not only by teacher to child but lovingly from older student to youngster. Those seeds which were planted, and lured me to immerse myself in a foreign culture, are being spread far and wide at our school.

From the Desk of Adam Heath, Middle School Principal

Keeping Digital Real Through Translation – Issue 11 2020

A friend invited a group of us to join him for the opening game of the season – a night match between two evenly placed sides. As the date drew near, we began talking up our expectations. Something that we had not discussed or anticipated was the Tupperware party that was added to the evening, we assumed, as a joke.

Tupperware is more than a product, it's a language which required interpretation by our 'consultant'. Being a new-comer to such an event, our host and, by now, almost ex-friend explained with glee that 'good Tupperware form' dictated we all make a purchase. This was the final straw - a couple of us decided that revenge should be immediate and sweet. We took an inordinate amount of time to choose the products that we would purchase – you shouldn't rush buying a travel mug, especially when it comes with a complimentary melon baller. So much time was taken that our Football mad host had to sit through the Tupperware demonstrations well into the start of the match, wringing his hands in desperation.

I often find myself with the same sense of bewilderment, at least initially, as I encountered at my first (and last!) Tupperware party, with new technology. Perhaps I should not be surprised as I have long been categorised as a digital non-native – one that was born prior to the popularisation of modern digital devices. Having said that, I love new technology and particularly the power that it lends to learning. As Ian Dukes would say, I am keen to learn the language but constantly reminded that I have a 'digital accent'.

Martin Westwell, who is based at the University of Adelaide, provides great advice when he suggests that technology need not be bewildering or intimidating, especially when we see it in the hand of the Digital Native, if we remember its innocence. It is, after all, not the technology that determines the impact on our lives but the attitude of the user. Westwell explains that there are few social issues that occur now that didn't happen in the pre-digital world. However, he readily acknowledges that technology 'amplifies' some situations.

When confronted with digital bewilderment I have now adopted a three-step response. Using the example of text-based harassment provides a summary of this process. My first step is to reflect on what the equivalent action was when I was at school – I quickly realise that harassment is not a new phenomena. Previously notes were passed, students now pass texts. I then try to think of how the same technology is powerful in a positive way. Ease with which students can communicate with parents can enhance safety, convenience and availability almost anywhere are all impressive positives. The final step is determining a framework that allows the technology to be used in a positive context and avoids negative ones.

This last one is tricky because, as parents, we are being asked to provide parameters for our children in an area that they often navigate more easily and intuitively than us. Once again, this is best transferred to familiar frameworks – the key principles of safety, courtesy and positive social interaction. It is not possible, for example, to converse courteously whilst composing a text message. But it is not always as straightforward as this with the many variations of digital communication and collaboration.

On Wednesday 9 June at 7.00pm, a Cybersafety Forum will be held for parents. This forum will provide a snapshot of actual usage by the current generation, as well a a brief overview of current research on attitudes to the Internet. Whilst the risks associated with online access will be explored, you will leave with a positive framework for assisting your child to navigate the online world safely. This is a Netsafe endorsed forum which is highly recommended for all parents. I guarantee that there will not be a surprise Tupperware event added to the evening.

From the Desk of Adam Heath, Middle School Principal

Should Learning be a Risky Business? - Issue 7 2010

The high adventures of camp week had me thinking back to an interesting debate that seemed to continue over the summer months. For some reason ‘risk’ seemed to be a common theme threading a number of different stories together for me. I read with sadness of the tragic accident involving a Mount Cook guide who fell whilst lead climbing two years ago. This was followed by a response of surprise from the climbing fraternity when one of the findings of the subsequent investigations concluded that insufficient care was being taken to eliminate risk. It was felt that the elimination of risk in such environments was not only very difficult to achieve but also tampering with one of the fundamental attractions at the heart of the activity.

A week or so later I read with interest an opinion piece hypothesising on the reasons behind New Years revellers celebrating excessively and taking risks with their safety. More specifically, emergency service workers commented on the apparent increase in the number of young females who appeared to be drinking to excess, requiring medical attention.

Michael Duncan, a lecturer in sociology and theology at Carey Baptist College, suggested that this behaviour of excess was the result of adopting a risk averse approach to raising children, most particularly in the case of girls. Duncan suggested that, due to a lack of exhilaration or inadequate exposure to risk in childhood, these girls were seeking to push even further into risk-taking activities in their late teen years.

Some adolescent brain research suggests that risk-taking is an inbuilt developmental function that encourages practical exposure to gain an understanding of an action-consequence pathway. I remember vividly the irresistible urge to make the jump even higher each time for my bike, as a youngster, until I eventually found the limit, usually wiping out fairly spectacularly.

There are some characteristics of risk which make it very appealing – especially at an age, such as adolescence and early childhood, when the frontal lobes of our brains are not fully developed to assess all of the consequences. Many of us would have skiing memories of toppling down a icy ski slope, thinking it may be our last act in life, when just moments before it seemed like an excellent idea.
Our challenge then is to capitalise on the attraction of risk-taking and the associated sense of adventure – the exhilaration, the engagement and in some instances the raised performance as a result of risk. Indeed, the successes and failures that result from pursuing an uncertain outcome are instrumental in developing good judgement.

But this poses a terrific challenge to schools and parents in a culture which is becoming increasingly risk averse. How do we provide risky situations that are not potentially destructive?

Camp week was a fantastic example of adventure within clear limits. The waves at Waipu Cove were pretty big for the Year 7s undertaking life saving activities. They were learning a lot about the power of the waves, as well as the value of duck-diving under them. But they were encircled by parents and teachers, providing a clear safety net for them if they found themselves in water that was too deep. Of course this transfers perfectly as a metaphor, as we see exactly the same phenomena every day in the range of learning activities undertaken by students at Kristin daily.

The International Baccalaureate, across all three schools, emphasises the importance of risk-taking in learning. Given the rapidly changing environment that our students will enter when they leave Kristin, it makes sense that having the experience and confidence to take a calculated risk will be an essential skill now and in the future. But this will only occur if we continue to value risk-taking, in all elements of learning and life.

From the Desk of Adam Heath, Middle School Principal

Why National Standards? - Issue 3 2010

It has been fascinating to watch the political football that has been National Standards. It is such a hot topic and there seems to be research or editorial comment to support almost any stance that one cares to take on the matter. An unfortunate side of these debates is the 'fog' that it causes for parents attempting to discern what the National Standards are and what they mean for students and parents. This is an attempt at an apolitical explanation.

Why National Standards – History and Context
National Standards have been adopted in the United States and Britain for some time. Australia adopted a National Standards framework in 2009. In each of these countries, the governments have been seeking information to identify under-performing schools and teachers – partly for accountability but also to direct higher levels of funding to the neediest areas. Similarly, students who are not meeting the National Standards can be targeted for extra funding and support.

In the three countries mentioned, the standards are assessed through common testing – students sit the same tests on the same days around Australia, for example. The information gathered is used to assess students against expected performance for their age and developmental stage. New Zealand is adopting a distinctly different model to these other countries which does not include a mandated national test.

When does it start and what areas are assessed?
National Standards have been implemented by the incumbent government from 2010 onwards for all schools. This year is identified as an introductory phase, where schools are working with staff to build their understanding of the system and specific additional requirements. Full implementation is expected in 2011. Three areas are assessed under National Standards; Reading, Writing and Mathematics.

What age groups are involved?
National Standards apply to all students in Year 1 through to Year 8. These are deemed, by the government, to be the formative periods for the development of core Literacy and Numeracy skills.

Standardised testing versus ongoing assessment?
There has been significant criticism of a standardised approach to testing. “Is it an accurate assessment of student ability?”, “Does it cause schools to 'teach to the test'?” and “Will the resultant information be used positively or negatively?”, are all questions circling the debate.

New Zealand has elected not to use standardised testing, instead utilising in-school assessment, as well as externally provided testing selected by the school. Teachers collect information about student's ability during the year through an enormous range of assessment tasks. Teachers compare their assessment through a process of moderation to assure consistency. Schools are encouraged to use a test of their choice which compares their children to age appropriate standards, to add to the information gathered on each child.

Reporting to parents
Schools are required to report on National Standards in plain English, providing a clear indication of children's reading ability and a comparison with students nationally.

What are the implications for Kristin?
A review of our current approaches indicates that our curriculum and assessment are aligned very closely with the National Standards. Similarly, assessment is already being undertaken for a number of year levels using an externally provided test and national comparison. We will be adopting the recommended self review mechanisms for the various levels of the school. A review of reporting in 2010 will examine the effectiveness of our reporting across all year levels, with National Standards requirements also being considered.

More information
There is now a website for parents which provides excellent information.

From the Desk of Adam Heath, Middle School Principal

Deep Understanding – A Noble Pursuit

We hear much talk of comparisons between how we, the current generation of parents, were educated and the learning experiences being provided for our current students. Many analogies prevail; we were buckets that were to be filled with knowledge and emptied at exam times, is one of the most common.

The only problem with this, and probably most generalisations, is that it doesn’t ring true for all of my learning experiences when I was at school. I had some truly memorable teachers who were inspiring in their ability to share their love and knowledge of a subject discipline. I have such fond memories of a PE teacher, Tom Ashton, who would take us running until we were exhausted and then insist that we finish on a high point with a weights session. Whilst we were barely able to talk for puffing, Tom, who resembled a strip of muscle, carried on chatting and provided a detailed overview of exercise physiology. We learned why our bodies were screaming with pain!

The generalisations about approaches to learning appear to emanate from a subtle but important shift that has occurred in learning, which is particularly emphasised by the different levels of the International Baccalaureate Programme – the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma. Teaching for Understanding is a relatively self explanatory term. It was coined by Professor David Perkins and a group of researchers from Harvard University in the early 1990s.

The essence of Teaching for Understanding is best explained through an example. In Mathematics, you may have been taught one lock-step approach to finding the answer to an equation. Teaching for Understanding suggests that the ability to find an answer is secondary to becoming an expert in the process of solving the problem. Under this model, numerous ways of solving the problem would be explored and students asked to critically appraise each for their merit.

When giving an example such as this, the benefits of Teaching for Understanding are not immediately obvious. Superficially both approaches, the lock-step and Teaching for Understanding, provide the same result – an answer. But behind the latter learning process is a great deal more. Firstly, we all know that mastery of a process leads to greater satisfaction and in turn, greater levels of engagement. Understanding is simply a synonym for mastery.

Secondly, if we unlock the process for our students via mastery, they have the capacity to solve problems when the parameters change. It is through mastery that students develop confidence and learning resilience – that ability to back themselves when, in an exam, for example, they read a question that they are not expecting.

Finally, mastery is unlikely to be achieved without the learner developing an insight into how they learn. This too is ‘future proofing’ our students. Bill Gates, the co-founder of Microsoft is quoted as saying that the one attribute he would rate above all others in prospective employees is the ability to learn, re-learn and learn again – such is the rate of change in his industry.

To my mind, the pursuit of understanding in learning has always been the ultimate goal, but perhaps now we are prioritising this more highly because the additional benefits are recognised more readily and supported by good research. But I suspect Tom Ashton knew the value of understanding intuitively, as we scrambled for explanations for our burning lungs and aching muscles.

From the Desk of Adam Heath, Middle School Principal

Time to Reflect – Issue 31 2009

Over the long weekend that we have just had I, like so many others, escaped the busyness of everyday life for the quiet solitude of the beach. I found myself craving quiet, reflective time to ponder and mentally digest the first few weeks of the term.

It caused me to reflect on one of my favourite pieces of writing by Henry David Thoreau in Walden. “I went to the wood because I wished to live deliberately, to front the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived”. Thoreau craved times away which provided a simpler way of being and allowed for a more salient perspective on life.

Perhaps the antithesis of this notion of getting away from it all is the era in which we find ourselves surrounded by digital communication devices. A teenager will happily sit in front of a computer flicking between Twitter and Myspace with one earpiece or ‘bud’ in from their iPod, all the while texting a friend on their mobile. They won’t hesitate to attempt a conversation with a parent or adult whilst keeping all the other devices running and, much to my consternation, they quite often manage it.

I must first qualify these thoughts - they come from a self confessed ‘techno-tragic’, a lover of gadgets and new technology with just enough knowledge, my wife would say, to be dangerous. Similarly, I have watched so many rich learning experiences which can now be created through the skillful blending of technology that its place in schools is without question.

My contention is that ‘recreational’ technology has sometimes got the better of us. It is often the uninvited guest that keeps re-appearing in our households. I sense this bombardment of communication must come at a price – our children loose precious time to reflect, to digest the day’s occurrences, to ponder a reaction or, heaven forbid, talk to us about their dilemmas and successes.

In recent times I have received some wonderful tips from parents about how they close the ‘digital’ door, or at least create some respite. One family told me they had the phone basket – much like a fruit basket on the bench but all mobile phones went into the basket between 7pm and 7am. Others only allow computers to be used in communal areas of the house, to allow casual supervision to ensure homework is being completed, with time quotas per child. A fantastic site with lots of other tips can be found at http://www.netsafe.org.nz/

Whatever the strategy, the intent will most probably remain the same – creating the time and thinking space to allow children to “... front the essential fact of life”, with sustained periods of time uncluttered by ‘digital fog’. The opportunity to mentally digest each day’s occurrences and have a sense of starting the next day afresh.Adam is yet to write his first editorial for the School Newsletter, coming soon.

From the Desk of Ted Berry, Middle School Principal

Kristin, After 16 Years – Issue 25 2009

Kristin was 20 when I first got to know her well: just out of adolescence, blessed with impeccable heritage, mentored with love and strength between her 5th and 18th years by Claudia Wysocki, she was fresh, brimmed with promise.

Now, after 16 years I'm leaving Kristin, a different Kristin who, despite stumbles, despite searching for direction in her early 20s, has blossomed and matured: at 36, Kristin is poised, confident, robust, physically alluring, organised, admired.

Here's my list of critical turning points for Kristin over the last decade and a half.

The decision to retain the International Baccalaureate (IB) Programme: at a Board meeting soon after my arrival in 1994, I watched with great interest as the Board debated whether or not to retain IB – it cost a lot, only an elite few students seemed interested, wasn't this a New Zealand School? It was an impassioned speech by one Board member that swayed the rest. IB stayed. Great decision! Our status as the only New Zealand school with IB World Status has made us educational leaders in this country and beyond.

Moving to the three-school structure: in the mid 90s, as several Principals came and soon left, Kristin's stability and momentum suffered. The Board and Senior management, inspired by successful overseas models, adopted a new structure so that each of the three schools could provide a tailor-made education appropriate to the needs of the students. A brave and successful action. After a recent tour of the Middle School, an ex student said to me: “These kids are getting a much richer experience than we did ten years ago!”

The change to the Board structure: in the eight years from 1991, Kristin watched six Principals and Acting Principals arrive and depart. In another move of courage and vision, the governors changed the existing all-parent nature of the Board to one which involved appointed trustees and a small number of parents. The Board's determination to focus on governance and to resist intrusion into the daily running of the school by Board members has allowed the Principals' Group to concentrate on developing the school's future direction. As a result, Kristin has flourished in the decade since 2000.

The 2000 appointments of Marge Scott and Peter Clague: now free to put in place a long-term vision for Kristin, blessed with determination, experience, ideas and supported by a strong Principals' team, Marge and Peter made an immediate and positive impact. A key turning point: in 2001, faced by a group of parents unsettled and restless at the prospect of a fee hike to pay for new buildings, Marge Scott faced the crowd and calmly told them that if they wanted a great school, they would have to pay for it. Resistance evaporated! Since then, there has never been a day without builders on site: brilliant and inspirational facilities like the Library and Information Centre, the Science and Technology Blocks, the Middle School Learning Centre and the Hockey Turf inspire the often repeated comment by visitors that the school is more like a university campus than a school.
Peter Clague's creative, innovative approach continues to shine in the current economic murk.

The decision to grow the roll: the roll, as a result of a policy of zero roll growth remained around 1150 throughout the 1990s. By 2006, Kristin had 1670 students and the school is a better place for this increase. The new students have helped pay for the physical facilities but more importantly, the greater numbers provide diversity, a larger talent pool, not only of students but of the staff whom we have employed to teach the extra classes.

Kristin, you have given me much to remember – the teachers who love their work here, who stay up after 11pm to plan lessons, who always put the needs of the students firmly in the centre, who are fun and supportive and clever and hard-working: the students, most of whom are enthusiastic and funny and smart and friendly, who love this school, who sense their good fortune in being here, who make each day a genuine delight: the parents who put their faith in this place to grow the potential of their dear children, who come on camps and help with sports, who spread the message about the transformational power of great teachers.

Kristin, of course I will miss you. But this is a farewell, not a eulogy and I will be back. I will come back because I love this school and because I will be itching to see how you grow and bloom and mature into your forties and beyond.

Kristin, it's been a total privilege to have been a part of your story.

From the Desk of Joel Granger, Chairperson of the Middle School Student Council

Work at it – Issue 21 2009

I was in Year 4 and hadn’t been a student for long at Kristin. Mum and I were walking through the Glenfield Shopping Mall, me in my school uniform. As we walked past a girl leaning against a shop window, we heard her murmur under her breath: “Kristin sucks”. We both stopped. I was very keen to walk on but Mum spun around and glared at her. “What did you say?” The girl, quite taken aback, but trying to maintain her cool demeanour stammered: “Kristin sucks!” “Why would you say that?” my Mum queried as I, red-faced and embarrassed, tried to shrink back. The girl became even more flustered and replied: “My friend went there but didn’t work hard enough and her dad made her leave.” Deep down, I admired the way that Mum had stood up for me but at the time I just wanted to disappear in the ground. Then I heard Mum say: “Well, she probably didn’t deserve to go to Kristin School!”

I’ve thought a lot about that word ‘deserve’. The dictionary defines the meaning as: “to show conduct or qualities worthy of reward, etc.” For me, this means that to be at a school as excellent as this, you have to work at it. You have to put in your best effort to make the most of your opportunity to be here.

This all happened about six years ago. As I have grown up, I realise more and more how lucky I am to be at such a great school. One of the things that separates Kristin from other schools, and makes it that extra bit better, is the sense of pride that students have in their school. There’s a genuine feeling of community at Kristin. The ‘Kristin Family’ is more than just a saying. It is real and is especially evident in times of real happiness and sadness.

This school does much more than provide us with an academic education, even though it does this superbly. I believe that Kristin prepares us for life beyond school and university. It helps prepare us for leading a great life. I have met many ex Kristin students who have told me this and they should know – they have gone on to successful careers and happy lives.

As we put on our blazers each morning we should remind ourselves how lucky we are to have parents who work hard and because they want the best for us, send us to this school with great teachers, great opportunities and a great education.

One of my personal best opportunities has been my involvement in the Middle School Student Council. It has given me the chance to write this editorial!Our Council team has had the chance to work on a range of projects which involved doing things for others and this has given us a sense of pride. We have learned a lot, too, about planning, working with others and seeing results.

Another example of a wonderful opportunity for me was being chosen to do a six-week exchange to the York School in Toronto, Canada. It will stay with me as one of my best memories and I thank Kristin for wanting to give its students the best.

I have precious memories of the Junior and the Middle Schools and am now preparing for the Senior School which, I know, will continue to prepare me for life beyond school and will give me the knowledge and experience I need to succeed.

My final word is to all Kristin students. Treasure your time here at Kristin because it will be some of the best years of your whole life!

From the Desk of Ted Berry, Middle School Principal

How to Eat an Elephant – Issue 16 2009

“The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the
first one.” Mark Twain – Celebrated American author and humorist.

Sir John Allum really knew how to eat an elephant. In June 1951, newly appointed as the leader of the Harbour Bridge Authority, he stood on Northcote Point, gazed across the 1.5 kilometres of harbour to the southern shore and scratched his head. Eight years later he walked from the same point to the city. He had eaten his elephant. One bite at a time.

Most of us deal with smaller elephants than Sir John’s in our daily lives (planning trips and projects, losing weight, getting fit...) but even small elephants can grow large and fierce if we don’t know how to tame them. I believe we should all teach our children the ‘Eat the Elephant’ approach for achieving success in goals and tasks (completing assignments, planning for exams, becoming a rock star, getting a girlfriend, getting into the top Basketball team).

When talking to adolescent children, it pays to remember that the brains of many of them are not yet wired for organisation and the topic of ‘getting things done’ needs to be approached with care. Messages delivered via personal-life stories related by their parents often seem to engage the interest of children. The ‘Eat the Elephant’ tactic is primarily focused on breaking up a significant task into many smaller, seemingly less daunting challenges.

Steven Covey suggests we “start with the end in mind”. Close your eyes, imagine you have achieved your goal, then look back and see what you had to do to get to where you are now.

A mother wrote that she recently asked her son to come do the dishes and why was he sitting there with his eyes closed? “Sorry, can’t do the dishes. I’m future visioning. Mr Berry says it’s a very effective technique!”

After last week’s Middle School Conference in Brisbane, ICT Manager, Andrew Churches sent me concise, detailed, clear one-page session summaries, each in the form of a Mind Map. In the centre of each page the main idea, with related ideas in smaller circles around the outside. Simple, visual, gives you the meaning in a glance and thus highly effective. Do try this at home. It’s a proven technique to create an action plan or to summarise a lesson, book or discussion.

Daily ‘To-Do’ lists are effective, though not as practised by ‘Froggy’, that timid youth of the children’s series: (he had a recurring nightmare of arriving at school wearing only his underpants). He wrote a detailed daily To-Do list of many items - here is a sample:
1.Wake up
2.2. Open eyes
3.3. Get up
4.4. Put on clothes
5.5. Walk to bathroom

I think you get the picture. Tell your children to make their lists short, prioritised and for urgent matters that they are capable of achieving.

In my first year of teaching, I struggled with a bottom stream 5th Form class of spotty young men much more street-wise than their teacher. I always left until last, the preparation and marking for this class. I asked a wise colleague what I should do to make my life with them less miserable. “This class is your biggest and ugliest frog. You should eat it first!”
“Pardon me?”
“Preparing work for them is your toughest job. Do it first.”
So I did. No fairy stories about them becoming angels but after I started doing the toughest job first, I always felt more in control.

Procrastination sucks. It never works. Tell your children to face the tough tasks early and set the tone for the rest of the day. Planning your day the night before is another powerful tool for high achievers. Students who get into this habit often tell me that they have more control over their lives and that they get more done. The ‘night before’ bit is vital. “It’s o.k. I’ll get up early in the morning to do it” might work, but is usually evidence of avoidance and laziness. Doing it the night before helps you sleep with a satisfied smile on your face. Your mind works on the issues of the next day, even when you are asleep. If you leave urgent tasks uncompleted overnight, you get anxious, grumpy and your sleep may be tormented. And many parents report that by helping their children get everything ready the night before for the following day the household becomes a calmer place for everyone.

So, whether your taste is for elephants or frogs (and I hope it’s for both) - Good Eating!

And thanks for encouraging these habits in your children.

From the Desk of Ted Berry Middle School Principal

Building Optimism – Issue 11 2009

Cecilia O’Payne, a Sister of Notre Dame, Milwaukee, will celebrate her 100th birthday this September. She is one of a group of 180 nuns who have been the subject of a decades-long study on optimism and pessimism and the impact of these attributes on longevity.

In 1995, 90% of the most optimistic quarter of the group was still alive at the age of 85 compared with 34% of the least optimistic quarter. If you want to live a long life it pays to be an optimist! Cecilia has been identified as a life-long optimist. She sees bad events as temporary and brought about by circumstances, bad luck or by other people. She’s not fazed by defeat but sees it as a challenge.

Pessimists tend to see bad setbacks as permanent and their own fault. They can be frozen into inaction and helplessness by adversity.

Decades of research are clear: optimists live longer, are more successful at work, school, love and have more active social lives.

All of us have a thinking style characterised by greater or lesser degrees of optimism or pessimism. The good news is that you can change your thinking style: you can become more optimistic and escape from pessimism.

This is just as important for our children. As parents and teachers we need to do all we can to equip them with skills and resources to deal with the challenges of living. Developing an optimistic approach hugely helps children to deal with setbacks.

I’m not talking about a simplistic ‘rose-tinted spectacles’ approach. This ‘feel-good’ approach won’t take you far. I am talking about optimism as the way we respond to adversity, the big (death, great loss) to the minor (denting the car, being snubbed). All of us suffer setbacks – they’re an inevitable part of life. The point is how we respond to them. And how we teach our children to respond to them!

Each of us has an ‘explanatory style’ which defines how we respond to what happens to us and what we imagine the consequences to be. A pessimistic child will believe: “no-one will ever be friends with me at school,” seeing the setback as permanent and their fault, while the more optimistic child will believe: “it takes time to find a new best friend when you move to a new school.”

A similar pattern prevails for good events. “The only reason I got a good Maths mark is because the questions were easy” will be the response of the pessimistic child who sees good fortune as temporary. Her optimistic friend will think: “I did well in the Maths test because I do my homework and listen carefully in class.” Note the same pattern in these responses: “All teachers are mean” versus “Mrs Dexter was in a bad mood today”.

Dr Martin Seligman is the Professor of Psychology at the University of Milwaukee: he has researched for decades the impacts of optimism/pessimism on our lives. He believes that optimistic and pessimistic explanatory styles are learned in childhood, mostly from parents and teachers, and usually persist into adulthood. He strongly encourages parents to interact with their children in ways that help them take responsibility for their actions and to tie criticisms to the problematic behaviour rather than to the child himself.

There’s a real difference between these two responses from an exasperated parent: “Tim, what’s the matter with you? You are always such a monster!” and “Tim, you are teasing your sister too much today. I don’t like it at all.”

The first response criticises the child in a global and permanent way while the second is specific and temporary. The first encourages the development of a pessimistic style: the latter is likely to lead to an optimistic approach. And optimistic children are better able to interpret the reasons for things going wrong, have a stronger sense of personal mastery and are better able to bounce back when things go wrong.

Seligman also advocates that parents teach their children the principals of optimistic thinking: how to see the connection between how they think and how they feel; how to identify and catch the defeatist thoughts that flit across their minds when they feel bad; how, when faced with Adversity, their Belief will determine the Consequence.

Seligman’s Penn Resiliency Project has operated over the last 25 years in the States and has been enormously effective in developing optimistic children and in reducing by half the occurrences of depression in children.

If you are interested in doing a survey to assess your own optimistic/pessimistic style and that of your children; in learning exactly what the Penn Project does; in improving the likelihood of success for your child, I urge you to read Seligman’s books:The Optimistic Child, Learned Optimism and Authentic Happiness and to visit his website www.authentichappiness.org

From the Desk of Ted Berry, Middle School Principal

We Missed the Deadline! - Issue 7 2009

In July 2008, the London Festival of Architecture held a competition to recreate in jelly the most famous buildings in the world. We missed a great opportunity! I would certainly have entered the Middle School Learning Centre had it been finished. Imagine! Our gorgeous MSLC shimmering in Kristin blue and green, alongside St Paul’s Cathedral - the winner (wobbling in orange), the Taj Mahal (in tremulous green) and St Basil’s Cathedral (in unflinching Soviet red).

Tsar Ivan the Terrible commissioned the fairytale St Basil’s to commemorate his recent massacre of a rabble of defenceless peasants. Soon after completion he summoned the architect. I have translated the ensuing discussion from the original Russian:

Ivan: “I love this beautiful building. Do you think you could ever design something even more beautiful?”

Architect: “Ummm … not sure … probably.”

Definitely the wrong answer. Ivan wanted St Basil’s to be the most sublime structure of all. So he had the architect’s eyes removed.

We revere our architects, Bren Morrison and Sarah Hewlett-Diprose. They have created an alluring and functional home for us. They have spent the last three years listening to students and staff. They are graciously patient.

We wanted large classrooms: they increased the size, then scaled back the dimensions when we realised how much size costs. The rooms are still spacious.

Students need lots of display space: They got whole walls of a soft, furry texture which do not stain or scar when student work is attached.

We asked for colour: They gave us burnt orange, wasabi green and smoke grey.

We insisted on the latest in educational technology: We got the best Interactive White-boards money could buy, a four-screen TV in the Atrium and easy student accessibility to power and wireless connectivity. We are resolute about being leaders in this field.

Please make our place an open environment, we asked: Bren and Sarah created welcoming fishbowls. My office has a wall of glass. Students walk by, smile and wave; parents tap on my door, come in to chat; it is just a rumour that I log all staff arrivals and departures. Teachers and classes do their business in public: Visitors can catch in a blink the mood of a room. No secrets here. Students love the absence of four constricting walls.
This is a building for students. Their needs drive its form and function. Here are some further features of the MSLC and students’ comments on them.

We said: “We want this building to be wonderfully practical and aesthetically delightful.”

Students say: “The school must be proud of us students to build such a lovely, modern building.”

We said: “Provide as many opening windows as possible to ensure that the air flow into the rooms can be regulated.”

They say: “It’s great getting fresh air, but it’s really annoying when the teacher forgets to close the window and our papers blow all over the place.”

We said: “The structure will be two-storied to maximise the area of land available and to ensure an efficient footprint.”

They say: “It gets crowded when people don’t keep to the left on the stairs but I’m really glad I’m in Year 8 so I don’t have to wait a whole year until I get to have my classroom upstairs.”

We said: “Provide storage for all student needs – bags, laptops, books, blazers and have separate storage for the boys’ and girls’ PE gear in vented cupboards.”

They say: “It makes us feel important to have our own place for everything and it’s really neat that we don’t have to put our PE stuff in the cupboard with the boys’ stinky shoes.”

We come to work in the early morning and our place is captivating: It has a friendly, reassuring bulk; it glows with promise. Its windows look unblinking to the north, the source of warmth and light. Its two wings are open arms inviting you to the Atrium, our marae where everyone is welcome.

Our place will be here in 100 years. Much learning will take place in this time. Human stories, too, perhaps like … Friends in their 30s on a cruise in Greece will recall their first meeting in MS5. A PhD graduate will write to her Year 8 teacher appreciating, in retrospect, the care given and the interest sparked. A couple of ex-Kristin students will use their Year 10 class photo as their wedding invitation, counting the years since their first meeting in that class, in this building.

Next week, our Prime Minister will come to Kristin to open the Middle School Learning Centre. Joel Granger and Haylee Clarke, two Middle School student leaders will help me show our building to Mr Key. I am sure that at the end of the tour he will have a smile on his face!

From the Desk of Ted Berry, Middle School Principal

Using Talents - Issue 3 2009

I’m thinking of giving Bill English a call. I want to talk to him about Talents.

You remember the old parable of the Talents? A man of wealth gives his employees some Talents - in those days, valuable lumps of silver, and asks them to invest the money as well as they can.

The first employee “went away, traded and immediately doubled his money” then was richly rewarded by his boss! Mr English, take note! Our country needs the advice of any man who can immediately double his investment and as Minister of Finance you should seek his help now!