East Otago
High School

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The Arts

The arts are powerful form of expression that recognise the value of and contribute to the unique bicultural/multicultural character of New Zealand, enriching the lives of all New Zealanders.

Our Arts curriculum encompasses all 4 disciplines. Visual Arts are available to all students Years 7 - 13, Core Music is taught to all Years 7 - 9 students with all students having the opportunity to learn a musical instrument via the Instrumental Music programme. Dance and Drama is taught to all Years 7 - 10 students with emphasis being placed on performance. Throughout the year, there are opportunities for students to attend professional visiting performances.

Other activities throughout the school week contribute to the life of the school and include:

Singing Group
This is held during an afternoon form-time and is available to all students who enjoy singing.

The Cultural Extravaganza
This encompasses all disciplines of the Arts curriculum.

Instrumental Music Lessons
Students have the opportunity to learn a wide range of instruments. Lessons are held during school time.

Dance Group
This is held during lunchtime and is available to all students who enjoy dancing.

Art Competitions and Exhibitions
Students are encouraged to enter competitions and exhibitions around the region.

Careers Education

East Otago High School provides an excellent focus on careers for Years 7 to 13 students by providing opportunities for all levels to:

• Make our students aware that their career choices are likely to have a dramatic impact on their future happiness and prosperity
• To provide an environment where all students have ready access to quality career advice
• To instigate an environment within the school which enables all teachers to be part of the Careers’ team
• To provide quality career information at all levels within the school

Learning Areas

Years 7 and 8: students develop self-awareness
Years 9,10,11,12: students become aware of opportunities
Years 11,12,13: students start making decisions and planning
Years 12 and 13: Students take action

Delivery

Many opportunities are given to students to move through the career learning areas. They include:

• Gateway programme
• Star programme
• Work Week scheme for Year 10 students
• Guest speakers ranging from tertiary education sector, ITOs, Careers’ Services, to ex students
• Students participating in Army, Navy, Air Force Challenge week
• All year 9-13 attending the Coca-Cola Expo held yearly
• Careers’ evenings organised by the Careers’ team
• Participation in the Waitaki Mayoral Task Force, which gives students the opportunity to experience first -hand a number of industries within our doorsteps
• Displays throughout the school which provide students with the latest information re short or long term programmes available throughout New Zealand

Gateway

Course Description

Gateway is workplace learning in a formalised learning arrangement set in an actual workplace, with clear understandings about the knowledge and skills to be attained, and the assessment of unit or achievement standards.

Gateway differs from work experience, which tends to be designed to give a student a taste of different occupations.  The Gateway programme is for students who have, at this stage, decided in which work direction they are going.

Gateway Objectives

Gateway’s objective is to deliver practical learning that leads to nationally recognised qualifications. In the process, students gain skills, knowledge and qualifications in their chosen pathways and are given the opportunity to decide whether this pathway is the right one for them.

Gateway builds on existing partnerships to develop new relationships between schools, Industry Training Organisations, and employers.  This approach fits in with the Government’s development of the Youth Transition Initiative, including Modern Apprenticeships.  Gateway also fits in well with the National Certificate in Educational Achievement (NCEA) to provide further pathways and recognise a broader range of achievement within the learning environment.

Gateway provides students with the opportunity to gain specific vocational skills leading to future employment.  Many students on the Gateway programme will benefit from making significant progress towards qualifications in their career of choice.

Gateway also enables EOHS to help our students by strengthening the range of career pathways into adult life and independence and thus fits in with the school mission statement which is:

East Otago High School will offer a wide range of education experiences through maintaining a strong emphasis on academic programmes along with providing extensive recreational and outdoor opportunities for all students.

English

The English Department at East Otago High School provides a wide range of learning experiences, with a focus on high expectations for all students. There is an emphasis on reading, and developing a love of literature through enthusiastic teaching of novels, plays, poetry and short stories at all levels. Visual language in the form of film appreciation is also enjoyed by students. Furthermore, students are encouraged to be creative in their own pieces of writing and are skilled in the draft writing process from Year 7.

In Year 10 there the emphasis is on preparation for NCEA, and students undertake a Level 1 Unit Standard - Wide Reading.

At senior level, most students take a full Achievement Standards course, with a personalised Alternative English Programme possible because of small class sizes. NCEA results at all levels are to a high standard.

In Term 4 of each year, Senior and Junior Speech Competitions are held, with the trophies presented at Prize-giving. In 2008 there will be a separate category for Intermediate students in Years 7/8. So students at all levels are encouraged to be confident public speakers.

Book Week is held annually for Years 7 – 10 students to compete in a range of activities, including listening to visiting writers and illustrators. Visiting groups of actors are welcome to give performances from time to time, and class groups often put on plays for parents/caregivers.

Our Literacy Programme has broadened to a school - wide Peer Reading exercise once a week for 25 minutes which is enjoyed by all students and is proving most beneficial.

Mathematics

The Mathematics Department offers a wide range of courses catering for the individual needs of all students. All courses a from Years 7 - 11 cover Number, Algebra, Measurement and Geometry, and Statistics, giving the students a wide grounding in all topics.

From Year 9 all students, in consultation with parents and teachers, opt into a course of mathematics according to their ability level. At Year 12, we offer both Achievement standard and Unit standard Level 2 courses and at Year 13, there are two courses available, Statistics and Modelling and Calculus (see also senior option booklet).

In the junior5 school students are tested on their Numeracy ability to identify specific needs. The department encourages students to participate in Mathematics competitions, activities and extension work.

Support is offered in a number of ways: student support personnel, numeracy support, homework support where a mathematics teacher is available after school, as well as tutorials in the senior school.

Spanish

Why learn Spanish?

Spanish is a particularly significant language for New Zealand because of the important economic and cultural ties this country is developing with Spain, Latin America, and the rest of the Spanish-speaking world.  This is particularly relevant in relation to tourism and trade.

There are over 350 million native speakers of Spanish in twenty two countries.  This makes Spanish one of the most widely spoken languages in the world. Spanish is one of the easiest languages for New Zealand student to learn.

English speakers and students of the Romance languages find that many of the words are similar to words they already know. Maori and Pacific Island language speakers often find Spanish is easy to speak, because the vowel system is similar in those languages.

By learning Spanish, you will:

• Learn to communicate in another language
• Broaden employment options, both in New Zealand and in the wider world-wide community
• Learn to understand another culture
• Broaden your knowledge of other people
• Develop a new awareness of  English and how your own language works
• Develop the skills, understandings, and attitudes which make it easier to learn other languages
• Become more aware of the fact that we are part of a world-wide community

Technology

The Technology Department at East Otago High school consists of a multi-material based workshop with facilities for fabricating Wood, Metals and Plastics. Other facilities include an attached Design and visual communications room and a Food & Fabrics room. All facilities are well equipped for Technology at all levels.

Students in the junior school will be involved in all aspects of technology with modules being run in Years 7 to 10 in Hard Materials, Food and Fabric and Information Technology. Graphics is introduced for all Year 10 students, for half year modules.

Senior students can enrol in courses such as B Construction and BC ITO to gain credits at levels 1, and 2, as well Achievement Standards in Graphics and Home Economics.