Term 2 has taken off!

It is so great to see children and families coming back from the holidays with stories to tell. Well into Week 2 already and there is lots to do. Senior sports competitions at Hagley Park start next Friday. This year we are entering football (didn't that used to be called soccer?), hockey and netball teams. These games are always something to look forward to on a Friday. It is important that all competitors get into the habit of preparing their gear the night before. Especially important if you have to wear mouthguards or shin pads.

Talking of sport; On Friday we have our annual cross country. This is an opportunity for family to come and cheer on our competitors. It will be great fun and will go ahead in all weathers apart from a howling gale.

This term we give special attention to science and technology alongside our excellent reading, writing and mathematics teaching.

Also look out for our new website coming soon.

Term 1 2013 A Term To Remember

It seems so long ago now but it was at the beginning of the this term that we all waited optimistically to hear if the Minister of Education understood the importance of Yaldhurst Model School within the Christchurch education community. The great news for us was that our school was given the green light to continue for another 100 years and we are now looking forward to the future.

So with that under our belts it was down to business as usual. Well not quite, as we had the Education Review Office (ERO) come to examine our practices. Although we are still awaiting the confirmed report the draft one shows us to be an excellent school providing a superb education for our students.

So with reporting to parents just finished we look back on a great term. Amongst it all was reading, writing, maths, health and physical education and so much more. Yaldhurst Model School is a vibrant learning community.

Now the highlight of the term could be staying open or it could be the boy who came up to me today with a beaming smile and said, "I start on Level 17 for my reading tomorrow Mr Robertson." My reply, "Wow! That is great!"

Celebration Day, Swimming Pool and ERO

The Yaldhurst Model School Parent and Teachers Association proved again how wonderful they are by organising a Celebration Day to celebrate us moving forward and putting the proposed merger behind us.  So it was smiles all around on Sunday as children had fun on bumper boats in the school pool (Yes - bumper boats in the school pool!), a horizontal bungee, bouncy castle and entertainment from Jim Cullinane. Thanks to donations of milk, juice and food we all had a relaxing and fun time. There is no doubt that we have a very supportive community with a great sense of fun.

It has been a great summer and our pool has been used constantly throughout the glorious summer days. We have now closed the pool for the season. Thank you to everyone who volunteered their time to keep the pool clean. We would like keys returned to the school office as soon as possible.

Last week we had the Education Review Office (ERO) here examining our practices and performances. Initial signs are that we will receive a very positive ERO Report that will reflect the hard work of the school staff.

Open Open Open

Relief followed by elation or vice versa; It was such wonderful news to find out that we would not merge. So now we move forward to build a better and brighter future. I now await news from the Ministry of Education on the building developments for the school.

Thank you so much to everyone who supported our school. My thoughts go to other schools who are still embroiled in what has been a very stressful 'process'.

In the meantime we have just installed a new wireless network which will enable our students to bring their own devices to school and connect up. E-learning is a development objective of this year's strategic plan.

Swimming lessons have now finished and were a great success. It is a real bonus having our own swimming pool and so each year we arrange for professional swimming tutors to teach our students. Water safety is so very important.

Now we move our focus to Life Education with the arrival of Harold and his caravan.

A Great Start to 2013

Thanks to the support of our wonderful school community we have had a great start to 2013. Our student numbers are solid and our teaching staff are well prepared to engage and challenge their students. Changing the class names to New Zealand Trees has given students a chance to identify in a more meaningful way with their class/learning community. Being identified as a room number was a little boring after all.

The blistering summer weather means the school pool is being put to great use for class swimming lessons, fun swims at lunch times and for family swimming after school and in the balmy evenings. Seeing the children in the pool reminds me that Kiwi Kids are fun loving adventurous and drawn to water. To make sure our children are safe in the water we have daily swimming lessons that will soon be supplemented with SwimSafe swimming lessons that the YMS PTA is going to subsidize. Thank you PTA!

YMS is a community where children, families and teachers come together to foster life long learners.

Gearing Up for 2013

The start to any new school year is always exciting. This year the Yaldhurst Model School staff are looking forward to planning wonderful learning adventures that will personalised, challenging and rewarding. This week is all about preparing for Term 1 and the rest of the year. A committed teaching staff is on board alongside a supportive community. This year our overarching theme is 'The Resilience of Heroes' - something that we all know about.

Please check out the stationery lists on the YMS website and it never hurts for the children to have a few earlier nights before school starts.

Welcome to The Minister of Education

Today we await the arrival of the Minister of Education who is visiting us as part of the consultation process for the Greater Chirstchurch Education Renewal Plan. We continue to be bewildered as to why we have been included within the scope of this plan given our growing roll, our location on the West of Christchurch and the subdivisions in close proximity to our school. We serve the families of the children who choose to come to us very well and would like to continue the good work we do.