Welcome to Toko School Delwyn Hayward. Delwyn is relieving in Room One for the first five weeks of the term.
Megan Heazlewood will then be starting in Room 1. She is the teacher that has been permanently appointed to the position left vacant by Jan.

Conference News
During the second week of the holidays I was lucky enough to go to the Navcon conference in Christchurch.
There were 1750 delegates from Australia and NZ.
Notable speakers in my mind were:
Julia Atkins
Tom Sergiovanni (But you needed to have read his work before) Leadership- What's in it for schools (2001)
Dale Spender

It seems to me that there are remarkable things going on in many classrooms. That ICT hardware and software is a big part of this. Really good things happen given: teachers with ideas, good hardware, and realistic meaningful contexts that the kids can relate to. Kids are different today, if not so much in our little space, certainly out there!
Teachers are looking beyond mere delivery of the curriculum. We want children to be thinking about things. Regurgitation of facts is so pointless in an era where all the information you could possibly want is available at a click.
So the teachers role is fundamentally changing. There are not so many right answers, but more learning ways of finding what you need to know, evaluate its accuracy and apply it to a new situation...... Searching for the right information when you need it. Teachers prod and push and direct and support children's learning. In classrooms today cooperative and social skills are as likely to be "taught" as achievement objectives. The cliche of teachers developing the guide on the side more than the sage on the stage is very pertinent.

The second point I would like to make is the negative aspect of assessment! A notable quote from Julia Atkin
"Do we measure what we value or value what we measure."
Clearly many important aspects of the children's learning can be assessed. However, assessment has grown from a time, not so long ago where assessment of children was really little more than ranking and ordering and sorting children. Putting them on a continuum, best to worst. Assessment to learn is relatively new.
We are now concerned with giving the individual child the guidance they need to make a difference to their learning. Our push to use formative assessment in Toko School as our key assessment method fits well with this new model. However, clearly it is an enormous task to undertake....And developing a system that fits, without becoming a huge noose around a teachers neck is difficult.

Calf and Lamb Day and the Toko School Gala.Sunday the 17th of October
We had to postpone from Saturday, but Sunday was great. I think that today was a good example of what makes Toko School a great little school! Partnership! Certainly one of our learning stars!
The PTA did a great job again getting everything organised. Many thanks to Rosalin and Dianne in particular, but of course there were lots of helpers everywhere, all adding to the success of the event.
Huge thanks you to the judges today...Craig Hassell, Paul Hardegger, Layne Morresey and Neville Maindonald. These gentlemen did a great job of judging the calves. Many thanks to the lamb jugdges as well...
Peter Gane, Jonathan Larsen, Charlie Downs and Keith Monk. All went particularly well today with the judging and it is a vital part of the day.
I guess it would be fair to say that the lamb numbers were up and the calves down! Calf and Lamb day is closely followed by the Toko School Gala. Many thanks to the everyone involved on the fundraising committee, but clearly Kay (Chair of the Fundraising committee) has had a lot to do with the organisation.
I have no idea how much money was raised today, but I am sure we did very well. The Gala must have had more people this year than any other year I have been associated with. Congratulations everyone on a great day.. And the weather was the icing on the cake! Will list the place getters here asap.
Lastly the Hall of Creativity was blooming again this year. My highlights was the vegetable creations! But it was all great!
Thanks also the judges that came in on Friday and carefully looked at each and every entry! We have good pix on the schools intrAnet if you would like to see them.

22nd of October
The Lions Speech contest was held at 7pm Kasey, Zach, Zoe and Kelly all did excellent job! If it had been me judging I would have given it to Kasey.... but I wasn't and Zoe was placed second and a girl from Huiakama was placed first....Zoe will be heading to the Hawera Lions Speech contest on the 7th of November representing Toko School.

7th of November
I would like to extend a warm welcome to Megan Heazlewood. Megan has arrived in Stratford and was at school today along with Claire, Julia, Cathy all planning and preparing for their "Camp Week" unit based around how people lived in the middle ages. Also I would like to thank Delwyn for her five weeks at Toko School. It has been great working with Delwyn. She has had a good time with the children in Room 1 and they have done lots of neat things over the last few weeks. Thanks Delwyn!!

8th of November
Room 5 head off on their 2004 camp adventure today!!! We are heading to El Rancho in Waikanae. Loads of cool activities have been planned over the last months by Heather. Now it is time to go! You can really keep up with the events in two ways.. Kids blogging and the pictures link from off gallery page.

12th of November
Camp was awesome!! Thanks parents. Check out all the pix from the gallery.
Check out the blogging
Back at school it sounds like a great week. Castles and Medevil life!
Hope to have a description here pronto!

20th of November
Well the Board's appointment committee has been busy this weekend appointing a new teacher for 2005. We will let you know as soon as possible, but fair to say we have an excellent new teacher ready to go!

26th of November
Staff attended the ICTPD gathering at the TET and each school shared aspects of the IT that has been going on in their schools! It was great.

27th of November
We are in full production mode this week! Children having been involved pretty much daily practices in the Hall.
The senior class very much involved, but all classes learning their dances and lines, movement and drama! Its going pretty well too!
Great to see the schools B tennis team play this week. All the kids played well, but were well beaten by Kaimata!
Many thanks to Claire for making it all happen!

6th of December
Well we had to postpone the athletics sports last Monday and Tuesday, but today was all go. We have just had a neat day. Fine weather and great helpers. Today we also had lots of different schools represented! Toko and Midhirst, plus Stanley, Huiakama, Marco, Matau, Douglas and Makahu. Thanks to the teachers from all the different schools. You did a great Job everyone. It has been well organised and very well supported by parent helpers on the events and the PTA have again done an awesome job! Link to results.

7th of December
The school production is all go! We have another dress rehearsal today. The first concert is Wednesday the 8th for schools. The production is MUD and has progressed well. Hope many parents and community members can get to see the children's and teacher's great work!

10th of December
We've just finished an awesome production! It was fantastic, if I say so myself! Congratulations to all the childen.You've done yourself proud. The community concert was great. The community is always such an excellent audience They really get in behind the kids and support theIt would be great to get more people to this concert and relive the congestion of the big Friday night concert. Fridays concert was a highlight...superb.
A special mention to the teachers this time! Without their dedication and desire to make this events simply better, the children would not have the opportunity to rise to such heights! Our children performed so well largely due to the time and energy, experience and intensity of the teaching staff. As a result we create lasting memories and a positive self image! We also create the problem of how can we do as well again next year? ....... Any suggestions for next years script?