Principal’s Notes:

Stop Press: Ex Springs student receives unconditional offer from Oxford University

Eunsoo Chang who attended Springs in 2018 has contacted me to share in this good news.  He has been accepted into Oxford’s electrical engineering programme, and has opted for the deferment of entry until October 2021 because of the Covid-19 situation.  Eunsoo extends his thanks to all of his teachers here and particularly to the College where he says that life here was “an enjoyable and priceless experience that helped me to have a deeper understanding of the culture and traditions of New Zealand”.

Eunsoo will join Isabella Lenihan-Ikin, our Rhodes Scholar, who has also opted for deferment of entry until October 2021.  You will note Isabella’s name below in the list of ex Springs students acknowledged by Victoria University for their successful completion of degrees:

Former students of Western Springs College graduating from Victoria University of Wellington

It is with pleasure that I enclose a list of your former pupils who have graduated from Victoria University between June 2019 and May 2020. We join with you in acknowledging and celebrating the students’ wonderful success.

Electoral Commission’s Learn to Vote programme for schools:

Again this mock voting experience will be run through our junior social studies programme in the lead up to the election.  Run by the Electoral Commision (‘Orange Guy’) the aim is top help young people understand the voting system and the importance of voting, with the longer term aim of getting youn people to actually vote when they reach the eligible age.  This year the two referenda are and added complexity to the system that the programme will cover.  Many young people have strong opinions on these referendum topics, as indeed we all do, and great care will be taken by our social studies teachers as they navigate through this programme.

Health Education at Springs:

I am repeating here the information that was shared with you in the July Newsletter:

Year 9 and 10 Health classes will begin their sexuality education in the second half of this term. Due to the disruption to the learning programme due to the lockdown and the difficulties of catching up with only 1 period a week, the junior classes are at different stages of the years’ timeline, depending on how the lockdown affected their teaching and learning programme.  Therefore, the dates following are a guide to when each year level is most likely to begin their sexuality programme.

Most Year 9 classes will begin the sexuality unit of work in either week 7 or 8. The first sexuality topic is ‘puberty’ which, for most students, will be revision of the work done in their intermediate schools. Later topics in the unit are relationships, contraception, STI‟s and reproduction.

Most Year 10 classes will begin their sexuality unit in weeks 6 or 7.  Topics in the Year 10 Sexuality unit include decision making, healthy relationships, rights and responsibilities, consent, contraception, sexually transmitted infections, safer sex.

The Ministry of Education has provided schools with the ‘Sexuality Guidelines for Board of Trustees and Principals’. They have also provided a pamphlet for parents/whanau.  If you would like to read the pamphlet the following link will connect you: (http://parents.education.govt.nz/assets/Parents/Documents/Primary-school/Sexuality-Parent-Guide.PDF ).

HOD Health, Karalee Green.