Bluestone PREP for all students

It is great to see all classes thinking about what they will make for our PREP market day. As groups set up businesses and put plans together there is some very good thinking in evidence. It is wonderful to see the excitement in the rooms as they create items for sale with real pride. This is learning with a purpose and as a result motivates students and engages them. It has been pleasing to see students working together and supporting each other. There will be successes and failures and therefore lots of lessons learned. The value of planning before rushing in to the making phase will be highlighted. Next time we are involved in PREP we have agreed that we will have groups working together made up of students of various ages. Working as a team will be an important lesson.

As Market Day approaches the excitement will build. I hope lots of parents ask their children about what they are doing in PREP, and encourage them to be well involved. Ask about what lessons are being learned. Share ideas because everyone benefits from talking the process through. I hope parents have a look at the class blog pages as many of these show what each class is doing in PREP.

As a staff and Board we are looking at Human Rights of children. With rights become responsibilities. The rights of one child should not block the rights of others in a class to a great education.

Ced Simpson (the head of Human Rights in Education, HRiE) has spoken to a number of us and we have been left feeling very impressed with how practical this knowledge and approach can be in making a positive difference.

The knowledge and approach provides a foundation for all the positive things we are doing at Bluestone, like peer mediation, restorative justice etc.

We need to have some discussions with parents so that it is understood that HRiE is of real value at school and at home, that it is all about children accepting responsibility so that rights can benefit them.

Next year students will learn far more about what HRiE means for them and how this understanding can impact positively on the culture and atmosphere of Bluestone School.

If you want to know more about HRiE then visit www.rightsined.org.nz This is a website well worth exploring.