Mar 11 2010
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Mar 11 2010
Mr. Leonas has informed me that the sign up for boys is now closed. There are still some spots open for girls, especially 6th grade girls. Please go to the sign up outside the MS PE office ASAP if you are a MS girl who’d like to play CISSA basketball.
Feb 25 2010
• Describe your family—how many people, their ages, what each person likes to do, what you do together in your free time, what you like about them, what you dislike about them.
• Describe in detail the best holiday you’ve ever been on
• Describe the story line of your favorite movie
• Describe the story line of your favorite book
• List all the countries you have been to and describe your favorite one
Feb 23 2010
If you are a Grade 8 girl and are interested in playing for the JV Girls Soccer Team, please see Scott ASAP. Trials will be held Thursday the 25th of February after school.
Feb 23 2010
Feb 20 2010
We are very fortunate to have a former Olympic swimmer overseeing the aquatics program at SAS Pudong. A great athlete, teacher, and nice guy Coach George.
My Middle School Students will be starting their swimming program on Monday, March 8th during their PE lessons. This program will end on Friday, March 19th.
Grade 6 – March 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
Grade 7 – March 12, 15, 16, 17, 19
Grade 8 – March 8, 10, 11, 12
This is a great opportunity for them to improve their swimming and water safety skills, while having a safe and enjoyable experience. Please read the following guidelines below so as to make sure they are ready to begin the swimming program:
BATHING SUITS:
Girls should wear a one-piece bathing suit. Boys may wear Speedos, trunks or knee length Lycra suits; however, they should not wear bathing suits that are below their knees. Please make sure the condition of your suit is suitable. T-Shirts are not allowed. To ensure that the children do not forget their bathing suits, all students can leave their suits hanging in a designated place at the pool. When they arrive for their next lesson, the suits will be there, dry and waiting for them. Please clearly write your name on your bathing suit.
GOGGLES & CAPS:
Some students prefer to swim with goggles and some not. You can make do with basic, inexpensive goggles that are comfortable. Swimming Caps should be worn by all students with long hair as it makes swimming comfortable and is much more practical. At the very least, long hair should be tied back. Again, the students will leave their goggles here at the pool until the swimming unit is complete. Please clearly write your name on the cap and goggles.
TOWELS:
We are in the process of having towels provided for all swimmers. However, we have not found a provider as of this writing. Please bring your own towels.
SICKNESS:
It is our policy in the PE department that if a child is attending school, then they must participate in physical activity. If you are well enough to be at school, then they are expected to participate in swimming.
This is a great opportunity for your child to receive professional and high quality instruction from a qualified and experienced aquatic staff, who will endeavor to provide a safe and friendly learning environment. Swimming is a life skill!!
For inquiries regarding this unit, feel free to contact the Aquatic Director, George Carpouzis, or your PE Teacher.
George Carpouzis
Tel: x3572
Email: george.carpouzis@saschina.org
Feb 19 2010
How important are relationships between teachers and students in the context of academic achievement and motivation?
That was the focus of research by Victoria University graduate Dr Robin Averill who looked at teacher-student relationships in six different secondary school mathematics classrooms across Wellington.
“Teacher care is an essential component of effective student-teacher relationships and I was interested in the factors that contribute to developing and maintaining such relationships in low to mid socio-economic classrooms where there is also a predominance of Maori, Pasifika and New Zealand European students,” says Dr Averill.
Over two years, Dr Averill sat in on Year 10 mathematics classes three times a year—the initial four weeks of the school year, and two weeks later in terms two and three—to collect data.
As part of her research for her PhD in Education, she looked at how teachers cared for students as individuals, their mathematical progress and how students were culturally located as individuals. She also conducted interviews with teachers and students and had both groups fill out questionnaires.
“Within the holistic context of classroom wellbeing, characteristics of caring teacher-student relationships were found to be dispositional (liking, respecting, and being tolerant of each other, and being able to be oneself) as well as knowledge-based—knowing each other as people, knowing each other as learners, knowing and enhancing each others’ cultures.”
Dr Averill, who previously worked as a mathematics teacher in secondary schools, found that specific classroom practices supportive of respectful caring teacher-student relationships included using humour, one-to-one teacher-student interactions, making opportunities for sharing personal identities, and expecting mathematical progress.
“Mixed results were achieved regarding how deeply students value their cultural heritage and whether or not they believe this is reflected in their schools and classrooms. But there is strong evidence that for many Maori, Pasifika and low socio-economic students, mathematics teachers can enhance students’ motivation and achievement by using explicitly caring practices.”
Feb 05 2010
