Our second day at schools, and what a day it was! We left home at 7:30, thinking it would take about 35 minutes to get there, but it took about an hour because of the traffic... which was bad. Then, when we got to the school, I couldn't work out how to get in, so we ended up driving past and then doing a U-turn and going back. You had to drive up to a speaker (sort of like a drivethru), say who you were, and then the gate was opened automatically. We parked, and then made our way to reception. On the way, kids called out "there are the Americans" and one asked us if we knew KFC. It was both funny and touching. We felt almost famous!
We were escorted into a room that was to become our base for the day, and Carolyn (a deputy principal) began by talking to us a little about the school and about the day. We met the principal and then began a walk through the school. It was amazing! So much was going on. For example, I watched a very small part of a science/literacy/inquiry lesson where the teacher had four pots and four flowers in front of the class. Everyone sat on the floor (this was grade 7) and he talked about hypotheses. He asked if anyone had seen the word, then asked if anyone thought they knew what it meant. He talked about the word, asked about the number of syllables in the word, and clapped it out. The kids then went back to their seats to write out their own hypothesis (what will happen when I put the flowers in the pots and then add dye to the water?).
The classrooms were full of interesting work, hanging from the rafters, from clotheslines, on the walls, and on the boards. The rooms were bright and airy, and the kids seemed so happy to be at school. Lots of smiles and laughter. It was really a joy to be there.
We watched a young girl in Reading Recovery. She was 10 years old and had just started school (apparently there had been immigration problems). What a trooper! She had five people watching her, plus the reading recovery teacher and it only put her off for a few minutes. It was amazing to see the progress she had made in such a very short time. (Usually, Reading Recovery is aimed at 6 year olds, but Koru uses it for older children who need it, particularly those who enter school late). I think I really want to learn more Reading Recovery techniques because they seem excellent, and I think they'd be good for anyone trying to help children (or even adults) become better readers.
I was surprised to hear about the high security at this school. I think it is interesting that the school is so protected like that but I know it is for the best. I would assume that American schools will be this secure in the future or in some places already are..are all the schools in New Zealand this secure or was it just this particular one?
ReplyDeleteHi Sydney,
ReplyDeleteThis school is located in a very, very poor area of Auckland, an area which is also high in crime. In the past, schools in this area were very vulnerable to defacement and arson, so whenever they were given the opportunity to upgrade their grounds, they added security. It is safe to say that this school is the most secure one I've ever been in! Some of the rural schools have very little security other than a designated security firm (with alarms, I assume). I actually liked the security at Koru; surprisingly it didn't feel like a prison! This was probably because the school was set up in a really open and colorful way once you got through the gates. Also, everyone was very friendly.
That doesn't sound too bad then...glad to hear to you are having a wonderful time and that the schools are so friendly!
ReplyDelete