Key+Competencies

 **Term 2 2011 **
 * Week 6 **
 * We have had a complete change of direction when it comes to the way we are unpacking the KC in the school. The need to make this real for the children and meaningful. This became apparent in the way that the VOCAB was not coming through from the children. **


 * In order for the KC’s to work we need to have them in child speak. **
 * This was not the case and now it's time to go back to the drawing board and start again. **
 * The staff unpacked the KC's with the idea of making them 'child speak'. This is the only way it's going to work. **


 * It is also very important that we have a visual representation of the KC in the school. **
 * Every class needs to have the same so that the common VOCAB is coming through the years. **
 * Making sure children understand exactly what the KC's are and what they mean is going to be vital if we are going to use them to their full potential. **
 * Having the KC fit into the overall plan for the school is also part of the overall vision for the school. Having them play a part in the way children learn and acheive here at St Dominics will be the 'norm' and it needs to fit into the long term plan for the school. **
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Key Competencies As you are aware The New Zealand curriculum has been revised. This document is what teachers have to plan with and assess against.

What is new to this improved version of the New Zealand Curriculum are the Key Competencies. These are the skills and attitudes that the Ministry of Education have highlighted as vital if children are going to become active and positive members of our society.

Below is the list of the 5 competencies. · thinking · using language, symbols, and texts <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed;">· managing self <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 12pt; unicode-bidi: embed;">· relating to others <span style="color: black; direction: ltr; display: block; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; language: X-NONE; unicode-bidi: embed;">· <span style="display: block; font-family: 'Albertus MT'; font-size: 10pt; language: EN-NZ; line-height: 112%;">participating and contributing Competencies are more than skills.

A better way to describe them is: Skills + knowledge + attitudes + values = taking action. Every school needs to show that they are assessing these in some manner and that children are part of this assessment process.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">Term 3 Thinking

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">This is the KC that we will be unpacking with the students this term. Thinking is about using creative, critical, and metacognitive processes to make sense of information, experiences, and ideas. These processes can be applied to purposes such as developing understanding, making decisions, shaping actions, or constructing knowledge. Intellectual curiosity is at the heart of this competency. Students who are competent thinkers and problem-solvers actively seek, use, and create knowledge. They reflect on their own learning, draw on personal knowledge and intuitions, ask questions, and challenge the basis of assumptions and perceptions.

All staff unpacked THINKING and come up with 3 focuses that the children can use as a started to come up with their own indicators to support their learning. Competencies are tools that if we get right here at primary will be able to be used throughout their lives.





Be more intellectually curious/take more risks with my learning/ actively seek new knowledge/ use critical /creative /metacognitive thinking strategies /make decisions/ reflect on own thinking/ask questions/challenge perceptions and assumptions

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">Term 4 Self Management

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: center;">This is the KC that we will be unpacking with the students this term. <span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%; text-align: left;"> <span style="direction: ltr; language: en-NZ; line-height: normal; margin: 0pt 0in; punctuationwrap: simple; text-align: left; text-indent: 0in; unicode-bidi: embed; vertical-align: baseline; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Arial Black'; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; language: en-GB; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;">MANAGING SELF <span style="color: black; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 10pt; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: bold; language: en-GB; text-transform: none; vertical-align: baseline;">•Self-motivation, a “can-do” attitude, and seeing themselves as capable learners. It is integral to self-assessment. •Learners who manage themselves are enterprising, resourceful, reliable, and resilient. •They establish personal goals, make plans, manage projects, and set high standards. •They have strategies for meeting challenges. •They know when to lead, when to follow, and when and how to act independently.

<span style="display: block; font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%; text-align: center;">Term 1 2011 we are focusing on '**Relating to Others'**

This term sees the children being focused on how they relate to others in the classroom, the playground, at home and in everyday places they may visit. This is an extremely important competency as it allows the children to reflect on how they make and keep friends and how they express their views and ideas to others in a positive way. Being able to relate to others is a skill that all children need if they are going to engage with society when they leave school. Watch this space for ideas you can try at home to encourage how children can add to their ‘Relating to Others’ toolbox. Please visit the following website and search for more information on this subject. []

<span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">Below are some of the concepts we will be exploring with our children.

1. How do I listen to others? 2. I know how to be a good friend or classmate? 3. I know how to say sorry and mean it? 4. I am honest? 5. I know how to speak to others? 6. I know people can be different and accept people's differences? 7. I know how and when to share knowledge, ideas and processions