Community Engagement: Strategic Planning Meeting

Written by The Principal | 10 June 2010

A reminder that our next Strategic Planning Meeting will be held this afternoon at 3.15pm in the staffroom. Teachers are available to supervise your child/children in the library. This meeting will take a look at the Habits of Mind and how they are embedded within our school day. This will be a hands on session and a great opportunity for you to learn more about these dispositions for developing a 21st Century Learner, the ‘College Street Kid’.

Key Competencies in the New Zealand Curriculum

Written by The Principal | 10 June 2010

What are the key competencies?

Key competencies are the capabilities people need in order to live, work and contribute as active members of their communities. Competencies are more complex than skills. Capable people draw on and combine all the resources available to them: knowledge, skills, attitudes and values.

The New Zealand Curriculum identifies five Key Competencies:

Managing Self Relating to Others Participating and Contributing Thinking Using Language, Symbols and Texts

College Street Normal School teaches these Key Competencies through the Habits of Mind. The sixteen ‘Habits of Mind’ are infused by teachers into all children’s learning. Essentially, the (HOMs) are very pupil and teacher friendly and are a powerful way of teaching the ‘Key Competencies’.

Habits of Mind

Written by The Principal | 10 June 2010

A Habit of Mind is knowing how to behave intelligently when you DON'T know the answer.

“We want our children to develop those habits that lead them to become lifelong learners, effective problem solvers and decision makers, able to communicate with a diverse population and to understand how to live successfully in a rapidly changing, high tech world.” Art Costa

“The Habits of Mind are keys to success. There are 16 habits which Art Costa developed after looking at successful people in the world. He identified the common things that made them successful and brought them down to just 16 habits. They are important because they help you to accept other people and develop yourself. If you make them habits then you will be successful in your life. We learn them at this school because they are important to help make us better learners.” (Madeleine, Yr 6)

“The Habits of Mind are things you need to be a successful citizen. For example, if you didn’t have persistence, you wouldn’t keep working on your ideas and might give up instead of making them even better. They are important because they help us learn.” (Henry Johnston-Ellis, Yr 5)

National Standards

Written by The Principal | 03 June 2010