Youth Parliament 6-7 July 2010 - ‘Pick Me!’

I invite students between the ages of 16 and 18 to participate in the selection for the 2010 Youth Parliament.

Youth Parliament is opportunity for students to gain insight and a unique perspective on the workings of New Zealand Parliament. Youth Parliament is held once every Parliamentary term and provides young New Zealanders with the opportunity to learn about our democracy and influence public decision-making.

The date for Youth Parliament 2010 has been scheduled for 6-7 July. 

One Youth MP is selected for every one of the 122 MPs, and 10 youth will be selected as members of the Youth Press Gallery.  Youth MPs will engage in general debate, sit on committees, debate a mock Bill, ask questions of Cabinet Ministers and take tours within the Parliamentary complex.

Each student wishing to represent me in Parliament, will be asked to create a presentation of approximately 5 minutes to illustrate why we should ‘pick them’! 

In their presentation they should express their ideas about the following.

1. What it is like to be a young person in Christchurch Central.
2. The issues that concern young people in Christchurch Central.
3. Why they are the best person to represent the young people of Christchurch Central.

I would like to encourage anyone who is interested in the political process to apply to take my seat in Parliament over these 2 days.  I will accept students from each of the nine secondary schools in the Christchurch Central area to be part of a selection process.  I am happy to speak to any group who is interested in the Parliament and the democratic process.  Please advise my office of a contact person to liaise with.  The final selection will take place in Christchurch on Monday 15 March and so I need you to confirm final candidates by 05 March 2010.

NATIONAL STANDARDS MEETING

March 23rd   (venue to be avised)

National Standards to benefit children and parents

The National-led Government is working hard to make sure all New Zealand children get the quality education they deserve.

Currently too many of our children are slipping through the cracks and missing out on the brighter future they deserve. One in five of our children are leaving school without the literacy and numeracy skills they need to succeed. 

Before the election, National promised to address this shocking statistic. This year, we’re delivering on our promise with the introduction of National Standards to primary and intermediate schools around the country.

National Standards are simply signposts which describe what Year 1 to 8 children should be able to achieve and by when.

Teachers will assess, monitor and report on each child’s progress against the Standards.

Schools will report to parents and families twice a year in plain English. Each Plunket-style report card will show a child’s goals, progress, and achievement in relation to the Standards. For the first time, parents will be getting the accurate information about their child that they deserve.

We’re investing $26 million to train and support teachers as they implement National Standards, and $36 million to help students identified as needing extra help.

A report from the Education Review Office at the end of 2009 showed that almost two-thirds of schools do not monitor children’s performance well, and that three-quarters of principals don’t set expectations of high achievement levels. This shows the urgent need for action.

Teachers will use a range of existing assessment tools, as well as their professional judgment, to measure students against National Standards.  Many schools already use assessment information to raise student achievement, but we need to get the basics right. We need to find out which children need help, and how much help they need.

National Standards are about lifting the performance of every child, and making sure that parents and families can understand the progress of their child.

The future of our children is at stake. If you can’t read and write, you can’t participate in the modern economy.

This is an exciting year for education. National Standards is a groundbreaking policy, and a critical part of this Government’s plan to secure a brighter future for all New Zealanders.

If you have questions about National Standards, please come along to the meeting on the 23rd.

 
CITY TO SURF

Sunday 21 March 2010

Celebrating its 36th year The Star City 2 Surf is a fun event for all ages.
Join me and the National team for this annual event.

“It’s all about having a good time and achieving personal goals”

RSVP by Friday 12 March 2010 to Nicola or Karen on 365-8297 or chchoffice@nickywagner.co.nz

'Alcohol in Our Lives',  is a public Issues Paper released by the Law Commission, they are conducting a series of consultation meetings around the country on the issue.

Many New Zealanders drink alcohol for enjoyment and relaxation. While the moderate use of alcohol can be a positive aspect of our lives, a significant minority of drinkers drink excessively.

This culture of harmful drinking among some New Zealanders has consequences for us all.  These include health costs, law and order costs and accident compensation costs, among others.The evidence of alcohol-related harms along with some preliminary ideas for reform of the law, is presented in 'Alcohol in Our Lives', a public Issues Paper released by the Law Commission.

The law around alcohol must be publicly accepted in order for changes in our drinking culture to take place. We would like to invite you to make a submission and to be part of the discussion!

You can read the report and make a submsion here http://talklaw.co.nz/liquorand the consutation meeting in Christchurch is on:

Public Holiday dates,  School Term Dates,  Attractions (with opening times)  Draw and Dates for the All Black Matches,  Crusaders, Netball Tactix, and the Black Caps.