Getting ready for a whole new level of Awesomeness and Attractiveness in 2014!

As we transition into vertical form classes, or 'mentor groups', I'm really looking forward to the challenges and opportunities ahead.

There is so much that I want to cover with my mentor group. Here's a small sample:

• Setting Goals: short-term (having a successful year), long-term (graduating college and gaining entrance to the next step), life (world travel, buying a home, marriage)... without them, it's a bit pointless
• Financial literacy: this could save you MILLION$... literally!
• Meta-cognition: Learning HOW we learn - meta-cognition unlocks the doors to lifelong learning 
• Critical thinking: Questioning whether what you are reading/viewing/learning is valid or not, if the evidence supports the message, and how it all fits into your current understanding
• Study skills: how to prepare for, and pass, exams
• Self-management: keeping yourself organised and prepared to face the challenges of the day/week/term/year
• The 3Rs: Respect (consideration for the feelings, wishes and rights of others); Resourcefulness (being able to act in a challenging situation by drawing on a wide range of resources); and Resilience (developing the capacity to recover quickly from setbacks and difficulties)

I don't know how we're going to fit that all into the 20 hours per year we have available (plus whatever our Glorious House Leader (Mrs. Wish) has in mind for the programme), but we're going to give it a darn good try!

Allocated hours for MBR Mentor Programme per year group over your time at college:

• Year 9 - 100 hours
• Year 10 - 80 hours
• Year 11 - 60 hours
• Year 12 - 40 hours
• Year 13 - 20 hours

Watch this space, but I believe the following structure may work:

• All year levels: Setting Goals, Self-management, Critical Thinking, Meta-cognition, and The 3Rs
• Years 10 - 13: Study Skills
• Years 11 - 13: Financial literacy

Stationery List of Awesomeness

The Stationery Lists (of Awesomeness) are available here. (link opens in a new window)
The opportunities for gathering awesome and attractive stationery abound!

Welcome to the MB Flog!

FLOG FAQ:

What is a Flog? :

A FLOG is a form-blog. A FLOG of Awesomeness is just such a beasty.

What does it do? :

Quite a lot, actually. It is a conduit of communication, a dias of dialogue, an eyrie of expression…  it’s how we share stuff.

Who was the first person to look at a cow and say, "I think I'll squeeze these dangly things here and drink what comes out"? :

Um… ok, that’s not even FLOG-related, so I’m not even going to answer that. EVER!

Here we will stay up to date with things happening around class and the school. It is a web-portal into our form class, a looking glass into the awesome and attractive world of MBR.

BTW, there is no charge for the awesomeness, or the attractiveness - just another added bonus of being part of the educational phenomenon that is... MBR!

Important dates to note for Term 1 2014 at Kuranui College:

Term 1 dates: Official Monday 03 February - Thursday 17 April

Jan 29: Senior re-enrolment. Oh, the burden of being a senior...

Jan 30 - 31: Get your stuff sorted out for school. Only teachers are in school on these days.

Feb 03: Seniors only (11's-13's). Our hearts are breaking for our poor seniors :(

Feb 04: Year 9s & 13s only. Yes, the Year 13s have it tough. I may cry... no, I'm over it.

From February 05: It is school as usual for everyone. Make sure that you are ready to learn with pens and pencils and all that awesome and attractive stationery you are getting over the holidays. You can also ask for stationery as Christmas, Birthday, Wedding Anniversary (doesn't have to be your wedding anniversary, because it's all about the 'giving', right?), Valentines Day, St. Patrick's Day, Easter, Towel Day... in fact, ANY significant event/celebration/holiday! YAY!

Important dates to remember:

06 Feb: Waitangi Day

14 Feb: Valentines Day, the birthday of Simon Pegg, and the anniversary of Captain James Cook’s death in 1779.

14 March: Pi Day (a celebration of all things Pi)

17 March: St Patrick's Day (He scared the snakes out of Ireland)

01 April: April Fools Day

05 April: First Contact Day (The day Vulcans establish first contact with humanity)

23 April: St George’s Day (Patron saint of England!)

You will need to have a brain ready for 2014 and a fabulous year of learning. During term 1 there will also be Swimming Sports, Athletic Sports and the first of your Family Learning Conferences, so we have a lot to pack into a small period of time.

Happy Holidays!