Below are some of the ebooks Year 7 students have created in Science this year.
Year 11 Prize Winners
Year 11 Prize Winners
Year 11 Prize Winners
Year 11 Prize Winners
Year 11 Prize Winners
Year 9 Class Photos
Year 9 Class Photos
English Language Learners
Learning Acceleration
Taku Ara Pono
2021 has been the third year we have run this programme at Linwood College. This year we have had classes in Taku Ara Pono (TAP) operating from Year 7 through to Year 11 (Taku Ara Pono’s meaning is choosing the right pathway for you). The TAP programme uses the resources from the South Pacific Education Course or SPEC (www.SPEC.org.nz). The programme is aimed at supporting our ākonga who find literacy and numeracy challenging or just find school a bit harder for them. The focus of the class is for each ākonga to experience success and develop their confidence.
We have had four of the SPEC programmes operating throughout the different class levels. The Year 7 and 8’s have been working on a programme called TRUMP. Each letter is a separate focus and the programme includes Thinking, Relating to Others, Understanding Language, Managing Self and Participating. This year the Year 7 and 8’s have been working on two books - Thinking and Managing Self.
In our Year 9 class, we have been using the Skills for Supported Living programme. Ākonga have been working on individual module booklets throughout the year. The titles have included : ICE (In Case of Emergency), Weather, Sport, and Growing Up, to name a few.
This year our Year 10 class and our Year 11 class began a new programme for our school, called Foundation Skills. The aim of this programme is to develop the ākonga’s awareness of the world outside of school, to practice skills that will lead to good workplace ethics and to options for living in an adult world. Year 11’s have also been working towards their literacy credits for NCEA as part of their programme. They focused on interest modules for this year including art and crafts, extreme sports, Māori Aotearoa, taking a trip, and love my life.
A huge thank you to Victoria Francis. Victoria supports all levels of TAP across our school and ākonga and teachers are deeply grateful to have her support and expertise!
Feedback from the ākonga
Tane says that it's fun, he enjoys having more of a say in the work he does and likes to create kahoots, posters, and learning along the way.
Jett says that she enjoys having a range of choices in goals to choose from because she can choose a goal that interests her and works with her strengths. She found the sports book interesting and produced some great work which shows that.
Ethan says TAP is fun, it’s sort of like school but it’s even better work.
Emily says it is cool because you get to choose what you get to do.
Tyronne says it’s fun because you get to learn in a way that works for you.
Catlin and Kara like that you don’t have to worry about exams in this class. The work is not too hard so I can do it.
Azaria likes that it is a quiet class and she always knows what to expect each lesson.
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Te Pae Tawhiti - Learning Acceleration
Te Pae Tawhiti (focus on the future ahead) is a class that is designed to be a safe, calm space for our tamariki to engage, participate and contribute in a thematic approach to learning.
Our learning occurs through using the key competencies of the New Zealand Curriculum, as a vehicle for strengthening literacy, numeracy and thematic learning. These key competencies include:
Thinking, Managing Self, Relating to Others, Participating and Contributing, Using Language Symbols and Text.
Our theme this term has been on "Liquids, Solids and Gases." Through this theme our tamariki have been practising writing sentences, predicting, participating in experiments, making observations, evaluating and sharing their learning with peers.
TPT Visits the Southern Centre: Multi-Sensory Experience
Te Pai Tawhiti (TPT), Linwood College's specialist learning classroom, went on a trip to the Pioneer Recreation and Sports Centre.
Some of the highlights from the sensory space include the smell machine, bubble column, shadow wall, light show, glow room, weighted bed, tactile pads, soundproof chairs, voice changers and more - all aimed at stimulating an individual's senses through smell, touch, light and sound.
This was a great opportunity for our neurodiverse students to participate in a sensory experience that enhances their senses including vestibular and proprioception.
