Play the Game

Play the Game SPRING 2019 LATEST NEWS ARTS & COMMUNITY NEWS SPORTS NEWS Scholarship Winners Shakespeare Competition International Exchanges Award Winning Teachers Music Extravaganza North Island Tour Cantamath Champions Four Generations Winter Sports Wrap Up Spring 2019 From the Headmaster I would like to take this opportunity As the school year accelerates, I to praise the new boys to Medbury know our Year 8 cohort will strongly this year, who have settled well consider the legacy with which and applied their many talents they wish to leave and apply across the vast array of exciting themselves with distinction. and challenging opportunities. Play the Game receives Their assimilation into the Medbury tremendous support from a range family has been made that much of Medbury supporters for whom easier by the support of boys with we are grateful. These partners years of ‘playing the game’ at are featured in this edition of Play Medbury. the Game and would welcome the opportunity to assist members New this year, and supporting of the Medbury family with the the Tour Mascot, Marcus the After warmly receiving the services they provide. inaugural edition of Play the Bear, is the Whole School Mascot, I hope you enjoy this Spring Edition Game, it is time to now enjoy the Tedbury, who was named after a and as always, ‘Play up! Play up! Spring edition, which showcases school naming campaign. Marcus and Play the Game!’ the many talents of the Medbury the Bear and Tedbury assist boys both within and beyond the school boys, along with an impressive Ian Macpherson gate to remember and apply the assortment of achievements and Headmaster milestones. Medbury Values. Scholarship Winners Congratulations to the following boys who received Scholarships to Christ’s College for 2020: Oscar Compton-Moen Academic Freddie Coates Academic Harry Vaughan Choral Music Nicholas Sharr General Excellence Felix Huston Sport Jackson Garry Drama Alex Churchill Executive Principal’s Scholarship. 01 Medbury School Play the Game Spring 2019 Award Winning Teachers “No empirical data would possibly be able to fully Medbury teachers Kerri Fitzgerald and Lesley Bath by ISNZ to honour exceptional staff who demonstrate encapsulate the broad were each awarded a 2019 ISNZ (Independent Schools talent, service and commitment that is truly above and holistic impact she has had on of New Zealand) Honours Award, two of only thirteen beyond. At Medbury, we are very proud of the calibre countless young people.” given out across 46 Independent Schools in New of our staff whose common mission is to ‘Unlock Every Zealand this year. These Awards were established Boy’s Potential’. Lesley Bath Kerri Fitzgerald, Service to Drama Lesley Bath, Service to Learning Support Many of you will have witnessed the large scale developed a respected reputation as an innovator Lesley Bath is held in very high regard by the wider She has shared her resources and I have visited her productions and Shakespeare Festivals that Kerri and as an integrator of learning methodology and learning support community, the parents of the boys for support and sent my support staff to observe her Ftizgerald, Head of Drama, has directed at Medbury styles and as a livewire catalyst for spreading those she has taught and more importantly the students teach. She is very generous with her material. Her goal School. The coverage and images of A Midsummer forces...Her generosity as she poked, provoked themselves. She works in the areas of Learning Support is always that all students develop to their potential Night’s Dream on pages 22 to 25 are a testament to and provided teachers with the courage to enrich for the Senior School at Medbury, and she is also and is never about protecting her own intellectual this. student learning outcomes through dance and Director of International Students. property.” One colleague wrote, “She is a dedicated drama has continued unabated as she has grasped A former colleague described how Lesley always A former student with multiple Honours degrees wrote professional who unlocks the talent in students, every opportunity to assist other teachers, in subject supported the parents who were often very to say that the reason he was able to apply himself nurtures and encourages them, inspires and develops association workshops, resource development, concerned about their sons and their learning to studying with vigor and confidence was largely them and somehow draws out the most incredible conferences, working parties and mentoring roles difficulties. “She was always genuinely encouraging. because of Mrs Bath. He described how he always performances from both groups and individuals alike.” that have benefited so many in the last 30 years...The She never failed to believe these boys could do engaged best with problems via discussion and Independent Schools’ sector in New Zealand is lucky Medbury boys entering secondary school are well, and her belief and hard work ensured that they that Mrs Bath asked him to express his thoughts and to have Kerri Fitzgerald amongst its teaching force, awarded Drama Scholarships year after year and the always did.” options to encourage critical analysis of the problem as indeed is the whole of the New Zealand schools independent MMG Education survey data gathered One current parent wrote, “(Our son) suffered in front of him. She would then work with him on s ector.” in 2018 showed class satisfaction rates for Drama in from self-doubt, anxiety and worry about his future syntax, grammar and spelling to allow him to express Years 6 to 8 as ‘high or very high’. Her colleagues call her an ‘exceptional’ and schooling... we were told he would not be able his analysis of the problem via writing. He wrote: ‘remarkable’ teacher, and are constantly in awe of A leading figure in the sector wrote,“Kerri has been to write. The only school that came to mind upon “Academically I had never achieved success, nor the energy and passion she brings to her teaching. a vital force in the Christchurch Drama/Dance countless recommendations in our community did I believe that such academic success would find education and performance scene... (she has) Our warmest, heartfelt congratulations to ‘Ms Fitz’. was Medbury and the diminutive Lesley Bath... its way to me. Enter Mrs Bath... In hindsight, Mrs Bath’s We are astounded that in such a short time Lesley brilliance as a teacher was to identify where I was has unlocked what seemed like a blockage... this struggling, work vigorously on those weaknesses while is backed up by his school reports, his energy for simultaneously, accentuating my strengths.... Mrs Bath “We are richer for her subjects, above average in an exam (seriously is a truly talented teacher because she can take unheard of!) and most important, his happiness...our young people who do not believe in their own ability contribution at a national level, son is changed forever thanks to the wonderful Lesley and convince them (that) any academic problem and at the individual student Bath and Medbury School...” can be overcome through sheer determination...” level where thousands of A former colleague describes Lesley as at the forefront Lesley is an outstanding support teacher, colleague individual boys and girls have of educational best practice and achievement and mentor. She has made a phenomenal difference been empowered to develop outcomes, writing, “Throughout her years of to numbers of students and parents who remember character strengths and self- teaching, she has developed a very robust and her fondly and we wholeheartedly congratulate her effective support programme which has made a real on this well-deserved recognition. worth by her Midas Touch.” difference to numerous students with moderate to severe learning difficulties... Kerri Fitzgerald 02 03 Medbury School Play the Game Spring 2019 Emotional Development The American Centre for Disease So what can be done to assist Medbury School is extremely well Control and Prevention (CDC) Medbury boys to grow in the area placed to assist boys and their states, “there is no consensus of emotional development and families to better understand around a single definition of wellbeing? emotional development and wellbeing, but there is general Resources are numerous, wellbeing via the strategic agreement that at minimum, partnership with leading Improving capabilities and enhancing resilience and wellbeing coming from many international wellbeing includes the presence programmes, which reinforce emotional intelligence researchers of positive emotions and moods, the notion that emotional and programme developers, the absence of negative moods, development wellbeing issues are Swinburne University. Research satisfaction with life, fulfillment and in fact worldwide issues facing from Swinburne’s Aristotle- One statistic in the 2018 MMG position in which Medbury sits in understand and manage their positive functioning.” Researchers many parents and educators alike. EI programme has shown Education Parent Feedback – relation to benchmark database feelings, are more likely to develop from different disciplines have that developing emotional Student Wellbeing Programme averages against other leading a positive sense of self and to be examined different aspects of Parentzone Scotland provides intelligence in schools improves section under ‘Development Areas’ Australasian boys’ schools. confident and curious learners. wellbeing that include: examples of how to assist children students’ academic, sporting particularly caught my eye.

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