Cannons Creek, Porirua

1615 days ago

Re: Remembering Our ANZACs

Abhishek from Aotea

Kia Ora/Sat Sri Akal/Namaste/Salam/Shalom,


On 25th we commemorate ANZAC Day, a day when the combined forces of New Zealand and Australia (Australia New Zealand Army Corps) landed in Gallipoli and effectively entered the war. Amongst the ANZACs were Indian and Chinese soldiers of both New Zealand … View more
Kia Ora/Sat Sri Akal/Namaste/Salam/Shalom,


On 25th we commemorate ANZAC Day, a day when the combined forces of New Zealand and Australia (Australia New Zealand Army Corps) landed in Gallipoli and effectively entered the war. Amongst the ANZACs were Indian and Chinese soldiers of both New Zealand and Australia. In addition to the ANZACs, British and French troops in Gallipoli there were also Indian troops from India in that theatre.


This Shradhanjali (Tribute) www.youtube.com... is a small effort by Ekta to honour and remember these men.


We salute these men.

1615 days ago

Stories from the ANZACs

ANZAC Day will be marked a little differently this year. We’ll be warm and cosy at home and The Last Post won’t start until you press play. But one thing will be the same – remembrance.

To help us remember those who served and understand what ‘to serve’ meant, … View more
ANZAC Day will be marked a little differently this year. We’ll be warm and cosy at home and The Last Post won’t start until you press play. But one thing will be the same – remembrance.

To help us remember those who served and understand what ‘to serve’ meant, Ryman recorded their ANZAC resident’s stories. Some are humorous, others are tragic and eye-opening, but they all offer insight into the courage, bravery, and determination required to serve.

What better way to remember than to read the memories of those who were there?
Learn more

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1615 days ago

Support Stuff’s local and national news teams

The Team Reporter from Stuff

For over 150 years, the news and information we uncover and provide have relied on your support, either through subscription to our newspapers, consuming news via our online sites, or indirectly through the patronage you provide to those who advertise with us.  

Now there’s a … View more
For over 150 years, the news and information we uncover and provide have relied on your support, either through subscription to our newspapers, consuming news via our online sites, or indirectly through the patronage you provide to those who advertise with us.  

Now there’s a new way you can support us: by making direct financial contributions to help power our news teams up and down the country. 

Make a contribution and you’ll help our journalists continue to do what they do best: provide our readers with trustworthy, accurate and reliable news.
Contribute here

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1615 days ago

FREE ART LESSON NO.7 / ART FOR KIDS

Stephanie from Takapu Valley

Here's another free art lesson from Art For Kids, this is is all about Texture & Shading....for all the young creatives out there.
www.facebook.com...

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1615 days ago

Honey sales during level 3

Rod from Hive World Honey

We are still selling packed honey during Level 3. Please send me a message via neighbourly or email sales@hiveworld.co.nz or phone 04 232 7802 and we will email an invoice for internet banking.
We will have a pickup point for you to collect safely. Sorry, no fill your jar at the moment.
500 g … View more
We are still selling packed honey during Level 3. Please send me a message via neighbourly or email sales@hiveworld.co.nz or phone 04 232 7802 and we will email an invoice for internet banking.
We will have a pickup point for you to collect safely. Sorry, no fill your jar at the moment.
500 g Multi-Manuka @ $15.75 and 500 g Manuka 5+ @ $27.25

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1616 days ago

Rotary Viewpoint. Philip Mottram

Rhondda Sweetman from Plimmerton Rotary

Tonight, Philip Mottram gave us the Viewpoint. He said ...

I believe education is at risk of becoming a commodity, something that can be bought and consumed. Educational institutions have become service providers. Their “success” is narrowly measured by crude instruments - assessments that … View more
Tonight, Philip Mottram gave us the Viewpoint. He said ...

I believe education is at risk of becoming a commodity, something that can be bought and consumed. Educational institutions have become service providers. Their “success” is narrowly measured by crude instruments - assessments that are a snapshot of part of what students have learnt, not the whole picture.

Recently there have been opinion articles in Stuff where students bemoan that their “purchase” of a degree did not gain them a job ticket.

Parents bemoan their “investment” in private school fees not returning the yield they anticipated.

Taking a step back - Tomorrow’s Schools introduced the competitive model. Competition was supposed to improve the breed. A business model or Darwinian evolution, depending on your outlook. Winners and losers. League tables were drawn up and schools did everything in the rule book – and sometimes outside the rules to climb to the ladder.

As a result, schools have become heavily focussed on assessment, driven by test results, not the broader aims of the curriculum. Teachers are very adept at guiding students through assessments. Students are motivated by “gaining credits” not the learning that those credits are the measure of.

There is pressure from all corners on students and teachers to ensure students “pass”. Teachers retain control of the learning process to ensure they, the teachers don’t “fail” in their job. Students ask - exactly what answer should I give to ensure I get an excellence grade? Not - have I got a full understanding of the topic I’ve just been learning about?

This pressure to pass assessments has created a dependency on teaching, not independence of thought and learning on the part of the student. It’s about narrow, specific details, not broad understanding.

Courses are designed based on the assessments at the end, not the content that is being taught. The tail is wagging the dog.

This approach has done our students a great disservice. We have a cohort of students that have become very skilled at passing tests, but not necessarily capable of demonstrating and applying the knowledge and skills they have acquired outside the classroom environment. Not capable or confident to search out new learning themselves.

A brief example:
Secondary schools were presented with a series of targets. One was 85% of all students achieving NCEA Level 2 (Sixth Form Certificate in old speak) by the age of 18.

The underlying aim was laudable – to have the vast majority of our school leavers job ready, but by focusing on the measure, and not the aim, we had students and teachers concentrating on gaining credits, any credits to achieve Level 2. Not the learning and experiences that would make them truly job-ready. Stuck on an assessment treadmill.

By fixating on numerical targets, we have become slaves to “metrics” not the master.

We have teachers playing it safe by teaching for assessment, and not having the confidence in their abilities to teach the curriculum effectively and have their students pass assessments because they have developed a broad and deep understanding of the subject.

We have students and their parents expecting teachers to do a lot of the leg work to ensure students pass assessments.

And this is partly because the motivation often used is the same as Pavlov used with his dogs. Do this because you’ll earn credits. Not do this because it is actually quite interesting and could be really useful later on.

So, if you haven’t guessed, my viewpoint is – we have debased the value of education by treating it as a commodity.

It is not a service that can be bought. It is more than that. It is both a right to receive and a privilege to participate in.

It is a journey that prepares the student to be a contributing, fully functional member of society. To become a confident, connected, actively involved lifelong learner. And those are words from the New Zealand Curriculum, not some assessment standard.

The real “prize” at the end of any stage in education is the learning that has occurred. It is the journey that is important, not the destination. The certificate you receive is just a stamp in your passport marking a waypoint. And you just can’t buy that stamp, you’ve got to tread the path first.

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1616 days ago

Mayor Anita Baker

Rhondda Sweetman from Plimmerton Rotary

Mayor Anita Baker. Anita was elected last October after nine years on the Council, with a business-friendly, city growth agenda, but needless to say the pandemic and lockdown have derailed things for the moment.

Virtual meetings have taken the place of regular ones. Anita is attending up to five… View more
Mayor Anita Baker. Anita was elected last October after nine years on the Council, with a business-friendly, city growth agenda, but needless to say the pandemic and lockdown have derailed things for the moment.

Virtual meetings have taken the place of regular ones. Anita is attending up to five each day with various groups inside and outside the city. She has a key role in chairing the Wellington Mayors Emergency Management Group, normally a low-key job but now thrust into prominence. Porirua’s own emergency management office has sprung into action, working two shifts and dealing with all manner of issues, including food for the needy.

Looking to the future, the Mayor noted that Porirua had recorded the highest growth in the Wellington region in recent years but this had strained housing supply and infrastructure.

The City’s ability to withstand shocks is not strong, and risks needed to be carefully managed. In the present circumstances, the proposed rates increase of 4.9% would need to be reduced, so all expenditure was under review.

Three ‘shovel ready’ projects have been put to the Government for funding. Ministers have indicated they are sympathetic to projects which have a regional basis, so city amalgamation is back on the agenda, although Anita noted that some local mayors would fight it, as before.

She referred to the run-down look of the city centre, which needs revitalisation with decent restaurants and fewer empty shops. However, there are opportunities for new development where land and buildings are available, giving good reason for optimism.

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1616 days ago

Attract birds into your garden

The Team from Resene ColorShop Petone

Create a simple hanging bird feeder from a few pieces of plywood and a terracotta pot and saucer.

Make the most of this weekend with this easy step by step project idea from Resene. Find out how to create this quick and easy project yourself

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1616 days ago

Anzac Day 2020: Cut-out poppy for your Bubble

Neighbourly.co.nz

Anzac Day is being celebrated differently this year, with virtual services and online events, all from our own living rooms, balconies and driveways. Download this pdf of a poppy, by award-winning illustrator Sharon Murdoch, to print off and stick in a front window - To show that even in lockdown, … View moreAnzac Day is being celebrated differently this year, with virtual services and online events, all from our own living rooms, balconies and driveways. Download this pdf of a poppy, by award-winning illustrator Sharon Murdoch, to print off and stick in a front window - To show that even in lockdown, in our small bubbles, we shall not forget. That we can still say thank you for the sacrifices, we can still pay tribute to the bravery of so many.

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R
1623 days ago

GLOBAL RESPONSE TO INFECTIOUS DISEASES ( GRID)

Raymond from Tawa

I am sorry I forgot to provide the link. But someone else did.
Here it is if you are interested.
www.cmawebline.org...
.

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1618 days ago

First-home buyers - new or pre-loved?

Colleen Hawkes Reporter from Homed

As a first-home buyer it pays to weigh up your options to see whether buying new or buying 'character' is best for you.

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1617 days ago

Chimney Cleaning

Fire Safety from Fire Safety - Wellington Region

With the evenings getting cooler, we have had a number of enquiries regarding chimney cleaning during the Level 4 Covid 19 Lockdown. Fire and Emergency NZ has received an update regarding chimney sweepers being essential service for health and safety reasons.

Tradespeople:
Tradespeople can do … View more
With the evenings getting cooler, we have had a number of enquiries regarding chimney cleaning during the Level 4 Covid 19 Lockdown. Fire and Emergency NZ has received an update regarding chimney sweepers being essential service for health and safety reasons.

Tradespeople:
Tradespeople can do maintenance if it is to maintain the necessities of life or critical to safety. This includes electricians, plumbers and builders.

If you have safety concerns about your fire place or chimney, contact your local chimney sweep or plumber and have a discussion with them on the way forward. They may have questions such as have you got any other form of heating? What are the symptoms/how urgent is the job?

If you have the tools and experience and are going to clean out your chimney yourself, be safe. We dont want to have to turn up to load you into an ambulance or lower you off the roof!

1617 days ago

A note from Noel Leeming

Noel Leeming

We’ve been privileged to help Kiwis get the essentials needed to work, study, and stay connected. It’s led to huge demand and some orders are taking longer to deliver. We’d really like to apologise to the customers who’ve experienced these delays.

To help get it sorted faster we’ve … View more
We’ve been privileged to help Kiwis get the essentials needed to work, study, and stay connected. It’s led to huge demand and some orders are taking longer to deliver. We’d really like to apologise to the customers who’ve experienced these delays.

To help get it sorted faster we’ve quadrupled our Customer Care team, and expanded our order fulfilment network so we can get thousands more orders delivered each day. Plus our remote Tech Solutions service will be free until May 11 to lend customers a hand with technology advice or setting up.

Thanks for your patience, everyone. We’re getting there.
Find out more

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1618 days ago

Deliveries from Top Taste

Tani from Top Taste Restaurant

Hi everyone!


We will be open for New Zealand alert level 3. Takeaways (call and collect) as well as deliveries will be our only operation - no dine in. Please feel free to ring us on 04-237-4450 for your orders. You can also place your orders ahead of time and let us know when you would like … View more
Hi everyone!


We will be open for New Zealand alert level 3. Takeaways (call and collect) as well as deliveries will be our only operation - no dine in. Please feel free to ring us on 04-237-4450 for your orders. You can also place your orders ahead of time and let us know when you would like your meals.


Online bank transfers / contact-less mobile eftpos is available. We will be open 7 nights a week delivering from Tawa to Whitby for $8, and Camborne to Plimmerton for $10.


Please remember social-distancing of 2m inside while you place your food orders. We will be implementing a maximum of 3 people in the waiting area.


If you are collecting your telephone order and it is not ready for collection, please remain in your vehicle- we will give you a wave when its ready, or you can wait in the waiting area.


We hope to see you soon for all your Chinese takeaway cravings!


Thank you,


Tani

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