About the School:Albany Junior High School was the first purpous built Junior High School in New Zealand, opening its classrooms in 2005. A.J.H.S. serves the surrounding Albany communities of Greenhithe, Wainoni, North Harbor, Cuthill, Albany Heights, Paremoremo, Coatsville and Revdale. The school has been developed to specifically serve students in years 7 through 10 as a similar model to the United States of America Middle Schools. This format allows the school to address the developmental needs adolescences face during these years of education spanning the traditional intermediate and early high school years. The school currently enrols over 1,200 students age11-15.
• The Recognition of Diversity
• Self exploration and self definition
• Close school/community links
• Positive social interaction with both peers and adults
• Physical activity
• Competence and achievement
• Structure and clear limits
These seven needs form the basis for the schools planning, reporting, organizational documents, curriculum delivery and classroom based learning.
The goal at Albany Junior High School is to prepare students for their Senior High School years who are well qualified for future learning and who exhibit positive personal attributes.
School Structure:
Students are placed into a “house” system called “Whanaus” the Māori word for family. Each Whanau block is named after local birds in the area Makomako, Ruru, and Kiwi. Instead of having normal school bells each Whanau has the birdcall as the bell. The Makomako house is more science based, Kiwi has the arts/music classes, and Ruru is more of a technology-based house. All students spend their first 15-minute “Whanau” period in a homeroom class with students from all grade levels where teachers take attendance and read the daily notices. The school also an olympic-sized gymnasium, library and a performing arts centre on campus.
Assessments/Grading:
Assessments and grades at A.J.H.S. are not based on the traditional American model of ABCDF percentages but on NCEA based standards assessed on Achieved with Excellence (highest), Achieved with Merit, Achieved, and Not Achieved (lowest). Students are also graded on their homework patterns, work effort, behavior and conduct with marks of excellence, usually, sometimes and of concern. This method gives meaningful measurement and evaluations for the students, teachers and parents.
Curriculum/Courses:
The school’s curriculum plan consists of eight essential learning areas in Arts, English, Languages, Mathematics, PE/Health, Social Sciences, Science, and Technology.
At Year 7, students are mainly based in a ‘home' class environment for courses in English, Science, Social Studies, Health and PE with specialist teaching them in Mathematics and Technology. Year 7 students choose courses in the Visual Arts, Music, The Performing Arts, along with Language courses in Te Reo Māori, Spanish and Japanese.
As the students move throughout the year levels their courses increase in specialisation. Year 9 and 10 students have the option to choose additional courses in Environmental Science, Human Biology, Sports Science, History, Consumer Economics along with Technology courses offered in Fabrics, Foods, Metals or Wood. Sports Academies and Supplementary English courses are also offered but are by invitation only.
Some of the non-traditional courses offered include Ballroom Dancing, Graphic Arts, Information and Communication Technologies, Enterprise Studies, and Media Studies.
Sports:
Sports also play a major role at A.J.H.S. Approximately 40 different sports and recreation activities are offered throughout the school year, from the more popular rugby, cricket, water polo and netball to more specialist events such as equestrian and sailing.
To learn even more, visit the Albany Junior High School Website: Click Here
To read about A.J.H.S. in the local news: Click Here
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