Art on Display

The Ministry of Education has chosen 25 art works by students in the Nga Toi and  Art Extension groups.  These works will be hung and displayed all over the Ministry of Education building.  Some will even be hung in the Education Minister’s office.

Art extension has been working on pen and ink pictures with lots of texture and detail.  They’re finished off with water colour paint.

Nga Toi has been working on Kowhaiwhai patterns since their trip to Te Papa to visit Te Hau Ki Turanga.  Ten Nga Toi students, from the group of 25, have had their work chosen for display.

By Bella C & Lily R

                      Principal’s Comment                   

This week in Washington DC, Tom Winter, a Year 9 student from Christchurch, will compete in the 83rd National Scripps Spelling Bee.  In March this year, Tom correctly spelt dissonant, eulogistic, and chrysanthemum (among other words), to win the New Zealand Vegemite Spelling Bee.

Almost every student at SWIS will be bringing home a list of words to learn every week.  Not everyone finds it an easy task, but most will recognise that it is important to spell accurately on formal documents and written tasks.

Our next Kia Kotahi Tatou—Working Together meeting will be an opportunity for students and whanau to discover a range of strategies for learning to spell words correctly.  Teachers will be present to discuss the spelling programmes that they are running in their classes.  Join us in the school hall on Thursday 1st July for a sausage sizzle and a complete set of useful spelling strategies that will help your child to spell better than the average ’txta’. 

A SWIS Spelling Bee will be held early in Term 3.

Kathryn Smith

                    Stage Challenge Win                     

Last Thursday there was Stage Challenge 2010 for Wellington.  Schools from all over Wellington had their best dancers, stage hands, set movers, light operators and teachers come to compete for the title of Stage Challenge winner 2010, and SWIS was one of them.  As you will probably know, our theme was King Henry VIII and his six wives. 

We won prizes for Best Lighting, Best Costumes and Best use of Set.  Involved in our performance were 112 students,  and 4 teachers (Mrs Holmes, Miss Sangster, Mr Cannell, and Mr Stewart).  Everyone had been practising for weeks and the performers had been standing round in their uncomfy costumes for an hour when the moment finally came.  Everyone did well on the night, as you can see from our list of prizes and most of us enjoyed it, even though we had to get to school at 7.45am. I mean, half of us wake up about then.      

By Jack P