Duck shooting fever

A number of very excited boys are looking forward to duck shooting this weekend. I am looking forward to taking my own two sons over to Hawke's Bay for a shoot. I remember well the excitement when I was a boy. There was the ritual of going and getting our licences, decoys and ammo. Dad would bring the gun out for cleaning and start practising the duck caller around the house, much to mum's disgust. The morning of duck shooting was another ritual of waking up early getting the lunch mum had made and heading to my uncle's house for an early morning breakfast. I remember well the earnest looks to see if it was light enough to go to the dam. The first flutter of wings, the boom of the first shot.

These are all special memories of my time with my father and I am pleased I can offer my own sons these same memories. It is important for boys to have these special times with their fathers or some other significant male role model. These special rites are important for boys to bond with their dads and that is why we try and let as many boys as possible attend opening morning.

Quality Learning Circles

Quality Learning Circles are opportunities for staff to work collaboratively togther to enhance their professional development. They do this through a series of theoretical and practical readings, classroom observations that are then evaluated and discussed with colleagues. Teachers are encouraged to make changes to their existing programmes to enhance their teaching in specific areas of identified student need.

Over the holidays I have been preparing a series of professional readings for staff as part of our school wide goal to improve vocabulary within the school. The process involves splitting the staff into two groups and having them reflect on the readings throughout the next two terms and then apply this new knowledge using the "teaching as inquiry" model. We have collated data about all the boys and are now using this to inform our teaching. Using ongoing formative data we are going to be constantly evaluating the boys progress and the new interventions we as teachers are using.

The aim by the end of the year is to have raised students vocabulary level and this in turn will have positive spin off effects in their writing, reading and comprehension. I am working with Carol Lynch from Tim White and Associates as part of the Experienced Principals Development Group. I am finding it professionally very rewarding and it has enabled us as a school to inform how we approach our professional development.