School Programme
As stated in our aims, M.I.S. provides a broad base curriculum that allows for the utilisation of teacher strengths and a degree of specialisation. All children receive instruction through integration in the core curriculum areas of literacy, mathematics, health and social studies, as well as the opportunity to participate in physical education, music and our specialist programmes which includes art, computer education, cooking, woodwork, music and science.
Technicraft and Specialist Programmes
The technicraft programme provides students with a minimum of twenty hours instruction in each of the technicraft options - cooking, woodwork, music, art, science and information commuter education. The specialist teachers provide a wide variety of activities with students using modern equipment and technology.
Extension Programmes
The school provides a wide variety of extension programmes throughout the year. In each term one syndicate will be offered a programme in which the children can further extend already well developed skills they have. In addition to this, children that display extra academic talent are selected to be part of the One Day Extension School with children from a variety of schools. A group of students with well developed digital skills work alongside other MasterKids from local skills to further develop their skills in this area.
Students who have musical interests can develop their talents by joining the choir, rock band, orchestra or by learning an instrument. The out of school music programme provides an opportunity for students to learn a musical instrument at very reasonable rates. Students hire their instrument from the school and are expected to practise daily. When students attain a good level of skill they are expected to join the school's symphonic orchestra.
Those children interested in developing cultural talents can belong to the school's very stong Kapa Haka group.
Camps are held for promising writers while artists are involved in working with a noted local artist.
A comprehensive sports programme involving eleven intermediates from Wanganui, Levin, Palmerston North, Fielding, Marton and Masterton provides sporting excellence in fourteen events. Small groups of students travel to Havelock North to compete in the Mathletics programme. Children are encouraged to do their best in all activities.
Options Programmes
The aim of the options programme is to offer students a wide range of learning opportunities with curriculum based tasks that are a high interest level. Options programmes are run six times a year with a broad variety of activities on offer.
The costs of the options programme are funded through parents' payments of the school activity fee.
Culture and Second Languages Programmes
Since 1995 Masterton Intermediate School has had a strong relationship with a sister school in Osaka, Japan. Students from Shijonawate Gakuen High School have travelled annually to Masterton, and have been provided with a culture and language rich programme which includes being hosted by M.I.S students. For the past eight years up to twenty year 8 students from M.I.S. have had the opportunity to travel to Japan and enjoy the same experiences there. Many strong friendships have been forged between families and schools through these experiences.
In 2007 M.I.S. began teaching a second languages programme. As well as the core Te Reo programme provided, all children are required to choose another language to develop their linguistic skills. At present the languages being learnt are: Japanese, Spanish and French.
