Education Gazette 102.2

Teamwork makes the biggest impact

Model to address literacy, communication and maths

Teacher aides an integral part of learning teams

Ed Sheeran tells students, ‘Find the thing you love’

Take STEM learning to new heights

… and have fun doing it!

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Lucky students at Manurewa Intermediate had no idea that when they showed up to school one day, they would be watching Ed Sheeran perform live in their assembly. Read more at the back of the magazine, on page 44.

The power of community

Iwant to firstly acknowledge those communities who are facing fresh challenges from the recent weather events across Te Ika-aMāui, the North Island. It is times like these that we see the power of community, of collaboration, of manaakitanga, come together to support people through tough times. Kia kaha, kia māia, kia manawanui – be strong, be brave, be steadfast.

In this edition of Tukutuku Kōrero | Education Gazette, we also see the power of teamwork and how working together makes the biggest impact for tamariki and ākonga across our learning communities. Read how teacher aides are integral members of learning teams, working with school leaders, teachers, school boards and whānau to collaboratively support learning needs.

We also explore how the Common Practice Model is an opportunity to reimagine the future of teaching and learning literacy, communication and maths, reflect on one teacher’s experience in his first year as an intermediate school kaiako, unpack how kaiako can embrace the journey from New Zealand to Aotearoa in an educational context, and share some digital security basics to empower your school or kura to embrace and thrive in the digital world.

Sustainability and climate resilience continues to be a key topic. We see how the replacement of coal boilers in schools is providing opportunities for sustainability education, and also how ākonga are extending their passion for learning into the world of business. Wherever you are in the country, I hope you are staying safe, healthy and happy.

Kia pai te rā Sarah Wilson, chief editor

Model to address literacy, communication and maths

A system shift will provide greater clarity and direction on teaching and learning for literacy and communication and maths, says the Ministry of Education.

Members of the Literacy & Communication Contributors Group. Left to right, back row: Aaron Wilson, Heemi McDonald, Wendy Carrs, James Chapman, Sue McDowall, Jacinta Oldehaver and Kylie Te Arihi. Front row: Felicity Fahey, Denise Hitchcock, Alison Arrow, Jilly Tyler and Jane Carroll.

The Common Practice Model (CPM) is an opportunity to reimagine the future of teaching and learning literacy, communication and maths.

All New Zealanders want an equitable education system in which every child and young person can flourish. Literacy, communication and maths are foundational to future learning right across the curriculum, from early learning through to senior secondary school. The CPM is about helping kaiako be confident in the pedagogical approaches and practices that work and support all learners to progress.

The CPM incorporates evidence-informed pedagogical approaches and practices that will better support all educators and address inequities in education. It is being developed collaboratively and reflects sector experiences, evaluation and research findings. As the development process proceeds, there will be further opportunities for kaiako from around Aotearoa to be involved.

Contributor groups

Since term 4, 2022, two contributor groups (one for literacy and communication, the other for maths) have been developing principles and identifying pedagogical approaches which will be the basis of the model. The contributor groups represent a broad range of experience and expertise from classroom teachers to academics, researchers, and initial teacher education (ITE) providers.

Together they have listened, reflected, challenged and supported the development of the CPM. Group members share a drive to ensure that whatever is developed is both culturally sustaining and acknowledges the critical role

of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in providing quality teaching and learning experiences for all ākonga.

Education Gazette spoke to some members of the two contributor groups. They say that discussion in the groups has been robust, challenging, thoughtful, considered – and a privilege.

Naomi Ingram: Support for teachers

Dr Naomi Ingram is Associate Dean of Initial Teacher Education at the University of Otago’s College of Education. She’s passionate about growing students’ and teachers’ relationships with maths. As an experienced teacher, she has taught maths in Aotearoa and overseas – mainly at secondary level. She now lectures in secondary teaching programmes and does research in maths education which is often classroom-based research in primary and secondary schools.

“According to results in international assessments, we have a problem with maths. Being low compared to other OECD countries is a concern, but we don’t train our students for these assessments, and we would often not choose to teach maths the way these countries do anyway,” she says.

Naomi believes that many teachers in Aotearoa lack confidence in teaching maths, which is not helped by media attention on the international results. She argues that, if teachers are not confident about their own maths and the teaching of it, they will turn to step-by-step PLD programmes, but she doesn’t see these as being the answer.

Members of the Maths Contributors Group. Left to right, back row: Kris Dempster-Rivett, Jane McChesney, Tony Trinick and Kerri Spooner. Front row: Naomi Ingram, Jodie Hunter, Julie Roberts, Kim Madden, Bronwyn Gibbs, Julia Crawford. Absent: Ingrid Rinsma and Pania Te Maro.

“If teachers have good support with their pedagogical approaches like the CPM will provide, and a range of highquality and centrally available resources and professional learning support, our teachers are so capable of being able to make good decisions for their students.”

Effective pedagogy

An advocate of a small ‘pink book’ published in 2007, Effective pedagogy in maths by Glenda Anthony and Margaret Walshaw, Naomi conducted research with a team using data from the National Monitoring Study of Student Achievement, comparing practices teachers used with the pedagogy in the book.

“All teachers surveyed were good at establishing an ethic of care in their classroom, which is a strength of New Zealand teachers. However, the teachers who more frequently used pedagogies known to be effective according to the ‘pink book’, also had higher mathematical content knowledge, more professional development and were more confident in their maths teaching,” she explains.

Naomi’s vision for high-quality practice is teachers who can support students to grow their relationships with maths, at the same time as doing maths themselves and modelling their own confusion.

“Every student has a right to encounter challenge and experience confusion within a supportive learning environment, and they need to know that these are a

normal part of doing maths. Teachers need to balance this with consolidation work, careful lesson sequencing, and opportunities for reflection.

“The CPM is a touchstone that will support teachers to reflect on their embedded practices as well as assess new ideas for teaching,” she says.

Pania Te Maro: Maths and mātauranga Māori

Associate Professor Dr Pania Te Maro (Ko Ngāti Pōrou te Iwi, ko te whānau a Pōkai te hapū) is Kaihautū Māori for Te Kura o te Mātauranga, and Associate Dean Māori for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Massey University. Her research focuses on Māori immersion education, social justice for Māori through maths and pāngarau teaching and learning, success as Māori for Māori students in kura and kaupapa English schools, and adult numeracy. Pania has been a lead writer for the refresh of the maths and statistics

New Zealand Curriculum, and the Hei Raukura mo te Mokopuna te reo matatini me te pāngarau strategy.

As a one-time tumuaki of a kura ā-iwi and a selfconfessed lover of maths, Pania felt she had real success in teaching the subject. She believes that high expectations and whanaungatanga were key to nurturing a love of maths in ākonga in a total immersion setting.

“I have always found maths easy, so there wasn’t a ‘they’re Māori, so they can’t do it’. I really believed everyone could do it.

Ākonga at South Wellington Intermediate School.

“Also, because I moved through with students, they knew me really well and I believe they felt safe to say ‘whaea, I don’t do it like that’ and I knew them well enough to say ‘so, how do you do it?’ And we could have discussions,” she says.

When involved in Initial Teacher Education for bilingual kaiako at Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington, Pania was annoyed to discover that while she had a deep knowledge of the basics of maths and te reo as a tool to get into maths, there were concepts that she had not been taught.

“I was really good at the basic stuff and got an A in School Certificate maths, but I missed out deeper conceptual learning where I could play with maths. We want to bring the joy and creativity back to maths teaching. One thing we can do better is to support teachers to have content/conceptual knowledge that allows play,” says Pania.

“While I call for equity for mātauranga Māori, I also want equity for maths, and not just rote learning where ākonga don’t get to dive really deeply into conceptual understanding,” she adds.

Culturally sustaining maths

Pania says that both a cultural mātauranga approach and a western approach to maths are valid and valuable – but different.

“I think we can manage the dichotomy as well as the interfaces and realise that difference exists and that both things can be done in the same space: that’s what’s going into the curricula. There’s a Māori way of doing things and you can talk about the maths in it. For example, a weaver doesn’t do maths, they are doing mātauranga Māori to do weaving, but when we’re doing maths, we might say ‘look at the symmetry; or is it a rotation? A reflection?’ We can use those artifacts to deepen understanding of maths.”

James Chapman: 40 years of literacy research

Professor James Chapman is an experienced researcher and university teacher based at Massey University. As well as having over 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals and books on learning disabilities, literacy learning issues, dyslexia/literacy difficulties, and cognitive motivation factors in learning and achievement, James is an advisor for the University of Canterbury Better Start Literacy Approach research and was a member of the Ministry of Education Literacy Experts Group.

A trained secondary school teacher in history, geography and social sciences, James’s PhD focused on ākonga with learning disabilities who are often hampered by inner self beliefs. For more than 40 years, James and Professor Bill Tunmer, who is an expert on reading acquisition, have had a productive research partnership to explore what is wrong with Aotearoa’s approach to literacy instruction and how it can be fixed.

“To some extent, what New Zealand has done well is to establish an international reputation with aspects of our approach to beginning reading instruction. The use of rich and authentic stories for children to read has been a contribution, but it has also become a hindrance to 20–25 percent of children who don’t immediately benefit from that largely middle class approach to literacy instruction.

“There is an unequal weighting of children from low

“There is an unequal weighting of children from low SES [social economic status] backgrounds, low decile schools and disproportionately larger numbers of Māori and Pacific students who are not benefiting from that type of instruction which we’ve had now from the late 1970s.”

Professor James Chapman

All children should be visible and see themselves and their languages in the teaching and learning of literacy, communication and maths from the early years through to primary and secondary.

SES [social economic status] backgrounds, low decile schools and disproportionately larger numbers of Māori and Pacific students who are not benefiting from that type of instruction which we’ve had now from the late 1970s,” he says.

Nationwide PLD

James says the CPM is an opportunity for the Ministry of Education to provide strong leadership based on the work of the common practice contributors and the research they are feeding into the process that will then go out in a useable, digestible form to be used by teachers and specialist teachers involved in interventions.

The end goal is for all ākonga to feel valued, accepted and to be able to read and engage in literacy activities so they can have much more success in learning as they progress through the different stages of school and post school, he says.

Heemi McDonald: Whole system approach

Heemi McDonald (Ngati Mutunga, Rangitane ki Wairau, Ngati Apa ki te Ra Tō) is a deputy principal at Rototuna Senior High School in Hamilton. He has experience developing literacy and communication strategies, and is currently undertaking a Master of Education with a particular focus on designing inclusive learning environments embedded in mātauranga Māori. Heemi is an experienced English and literacy teacher, school leader and has worked on projects designed to incorporate mātauranga Māori in English-medium learning experiences.

“As an English teacher, school leader and a teacher of literacy and communication, I recognise the importance of having schoolwide literacy strategies founded in practices which will make a difference. These practices must reconcile the need for schools and centres to provide learning environments which acknowledge, sustain and respond to the cultural contexts of ākonga.

He says that the Common Practice Model will kick off a process designed to provide clear, coherent and unambiguous guidance on how to deliver effective literacy and communication teaching and learning experiences. The model will seek to acknowledge what global and Aotearoa New Zealand research recognises as the most impactful approaches to improve literacy and communication outcomes.

“The goal has been to empower educators across early learning, primary and secondary with the knowledge and confidence to adjust or continue with practices which are proven to support quality, life-long literacy and communication outcomes. Ensuring the entire system is ‘in sync’, functioning coherently and for the benefit of all ākonga throughout their learning journey, is fundamental to the work of the CPM,” he says.

Heemi’s vision for high-quality teaching practices for literacy and communication is for schools or centres to take a whole system approach and practitioners who are confident in making timely, impactful decisions that enable ākonga to progress in literacy and communication learning outcomes.

“High-quality practices require regular reflection, evaluation, adjustment and improvement. Educators can’t do it on their own. A whole system approach will ensure that, within each context, school or centre, leadership aligns strategic priorities and supports with practical support for educators on the ground. It requires an iron-clad commitment

“The Common Practice Model is an endeavour to highlight that high quality literacy and communication practices don’t happen by chance, but are deliberate, purposeful and require everyone to be ‘all in’.”

Heemi McDonald

Every student has a right to encounter challenge and experience confusion within a supportive learning environment.

Ākonga are at the centre of the Common Practice Model.

to ensuring all ākonga are able to access quality literacy and communication teaching and learning experiences.

“The CPM is an endeavour to highlight that high-quality literacy and communication practices don’t happen by chance, but are deliberate, purposeful and require everyone to be ‘all in’,” he says.

Kylie Te Arihi: Equitable outcomes

Kylie Te Arihi (Ko Ngāi te Rangi rātou ko Tapuika ko Waitaha ngā iwi) is a lead teacher in learning support, and a literacy practitioner with experience in bilingual and Māorimedium contexts. She is also president of the Waikato Literacy Association and has a national role in supporting the purposes and operation of the New Zealand Literacy Association with particular attention to the requirements of Te Tīriti o Waitangi.

She is an experienced learning support coordinator and provides coaching and mentoring support to build teacher capability with a focus on inclusive curriculum design and equitable literacy outcomes for all ākonga. She has also taught initial teacher education literacy papers for Englishmedium and Māori-medium undergraduate and graduate programmes at Te Kura Toi Tāngata/University of Waikato.

Kylie brings life experience of te ao Māori and deep knowledge of literacy pedagogy and inclusive curriculum design to her work across both Māori-medium and Englishmedium educational contexts.

“The majority of poor readers in our current education system still show an over-representation of ākonga Māori, with little evidence of widespread change. Research clearly shows this need not be the case. I know our ākonga Māori can be good readers too.

“The CPM draws a focus to the pedagogical approaches needed to underpin the teaching and learning practices for all ākonga to have equitable access to text to enjoy literacy and communication learning experiences and success,” she says.

She argues that it is the linguistic right of ākonga to be able to see themselves reflected in the language and the content of the curriculum. The linguistic realities of ākonga are significantly diverse and there are many benefits of an additive approach to language learning for themselves, their whānau, their communities and future self.

The CPM will affirm these different realities and provide the pedagogical knowledge and understanding needed for leadership, resource teachers and kaiako to progress first and second language learning with confidence, within the teaching and learning of communication and literacy.

“This essential service for ākonga is not just for ESOL teachers or learning assistants which excludes the importance of te reo Māori learning. Te reo Māori is a linguistic right for our ākonga. It is visible in the CPM as a heritage or target language and seen as a critical part of literacy and communication learning.”

Kylie’s vision of high-quality teaching practices for literacy and communication is that all children are visible and can see themselves and their languages in the teaching and learning of literacy and communication from the early years through to primary and secondary.

“The ultimate vision for our ākonga Māori, is for equitable outcomes in literacy and communication to be the base line not the goal.”

» Education Gazette has featured the mahi of contributor group members Dr Jodie Hunter and Sue McDowall. NZ History • 100+ Collections • 4000+ titles

The online showcase of Aotearoa New Zealand television, film, web series and music video

» You can read more about the Common Practice Model and Literacy & Communication and Maths Strategy here:

Teachers’ love of reading inspires ākonga – Education Gazette

Taking maths into the hearts of communities – Education Gazette

Common Practice Model –Education in New Zealand

Literacy & Communication and Maths Strategy – Education in New Zealand

Two of Pania Te Mania Te Maro’s 12 moko playing in her shared office space with Robin Averill at Massey University Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa.

Supporting educators on their journey from New Zealand to Aotearoa

How do educators journey from living in a New Zealand context to an Aotearoa context? And how do they enact Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the classroom, equitably supporting mātauranga, kaupapa and tikanga Māori alongside their Pākehā equivalents?

Education Gazette talks to Pania Te Maro and Robin Averill about their latest book Ki te hoe! Education for Aotearoa which addresses these questions with research-based resources for practical implementation in the classroom.

When you hop on the waka with Pania Te Maro (Ngāti Porou) and Robin Averill you’re not expected to pick up an oar and know exactly how or where to row, for the waka itself was not built in a day. Deconstructing and decolonising our understandings of New Zealand histories, or more suitably, Aotearoa histories, is one and the same. It is a learning journey that can’t take shortcuts with a skim read on the internet nor by tracing over the blurb of Ki Te Hoe! Education for Aotearoa. Pania and Robin believe it is also not a journey that one should, or need, take alone.

Pania and Robin began working together at Te Whānau o Ako Pai (Te Herenga Waka – Victoria University of Wellington Faculty of Education) at the turn of the century. Their shared academic backgrounds in mathematics and commitment to sustaining te ao Māori proved fertile ground for a professional partnership, but more so a genuine friendship.

“I’ve always had this real interest and seen the real need for us all to do a much better job of ‘decolonising’, a word not commonly used back then. But it is now. Decolonising what it is that we are doing, in ways that all teachers can find accessible, and that’s what we’re aiming for. It’s small steps over a long time, but added up it’s a big, big change since when we started working in early 2000s,” says Robin.

Between them they have authored dozens of research pieces on culturally responsive and culturally sustaining teacher education.

Three years ago, editors Pania and Robin sat together in Pania’s whare, devising their next piece in the puzzle of teaching and practising decolonisation.

“It’s a really timely book. Our student teachers need and want ideas of ways to do a better job in their teaching in terms of responsiveness to Te Tiriti than what they experienced themselves either in their schools here, or in their schooling overseas,” says Robin.

He rau ringa e oti ai – many hands make light work

“I started teaching in 1992. Then you wouldn’t have dreamed of the parity for mātauranga Māori as a requirement of the curriculum,” says Pania.

Ki Te Hoe! Education for Aotearoa offers the stories of varying educators – from Aotearoa and beyond – to assist kaiako who are ready and willing to take the journey from ‘New Zealand’ to ‘Aotearoa’.

The release of the book coincides with the introduction of the Te Takanga o Te Wā and Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curriculum across primary and secondary schools. The curriculum change bears great significance for “mana ōrite mō te mātauranga Māori” and will prompt the mahi of many to upheave archaic knowledge systems in education environments. This mahi is not expected to be easy nor immediate, and this is something Pania wanted to acknowledge in the book.

“We needed to get something done to make it easier for other people to unpack, or even to make it challenging. A couple of the chapters are challenging. And that’s OK as well.

“Robin had already done so much great work. She was my mentor in research in this area. Together we could find the kinds of resources that we would need to make a book that would be really supportive of others.”

As Pania and Robin know from their own experiences, undoing and reframing the everyday experience and understanding of colonisation in Aotearoa is not a oneperson job. It takes a village, and this is a premise of the pukapuka. The collation of authors and content itself reflect principles of Te Tiriti. Each wāhanga (chapter) invites another on board the waka to help steer fellow kaiako towards Māori-informed knowledge systems which honour and uphold mātauranga Māori in Aotearoa.

While working alongside other academics and in teaching environments, Pania has held close the whakataukī passed to her from previous colleague Lynette Bradnam at Te Kura Māori. It follows the idea that food is laid out on the table for people to help themselves. The book and its messages are resources that anyone can pick up and put down as they please.

“It’s invitational. You offer it, it’s there on the table, people make the choice. It’s the ‘leading the horse to water’ kind of proverb,” says Pania.

“The way we want to get people on board is through engagement. The hearts and minds sort of work.”

Readers of Ki Te Hoe! aren’t left alone to digest the subject matter upon reaching the final fullstop in each story. Interlaced throughout the wāhanga are points for discussion – these work as tools for individual self-reflection and to extend dialogue in bigger groups. The different exercises labelled ‘he mahi’, ‘he pātai’, ‘he akoranga mōu’ and ‘he pānuitanga mōu’ offer ideas for teaching and professional development, questions to provoke critical discussion, and further reading.

“I think there are some teachers who just say, ‘tell us what to do, and we’ll do it’. It’s not quite like that. It’s not really quite as easy as that. It’s not going to be a checklist. It’s something you have to come back to, make more progress, then read something else, do something else and come back to it again and make more progress.

“It’s a journey. And I think that that’s what the book hopes to capture – different people’s explorations for their own journey,” says Robin.

Whaowhia te kete mātauranga – Fill the basket of knowledge

While the text appears as a resource for educators, its content and teachings can be applied in any context, explains Robin.

“The more that these ideas are used outside of education and society, the easier it is for those working in education to also be making those changes.”

Many of the country’s institutions, particularly education systems and processes, are of colonial origin which have never been fit for purpose. Aotearoa is home to many people from diverse backgrounds and cultures which means the institutions from education and beyond should be too. The requirement for te ao Māori in curriculum benefits everyone regardless of their ethnicity.

“If you are teaching for indigenous children, Māori children, your teaching pedagogy, your strategies and techniques will also mean that because you know what to do for Māori children, you’ll invite other children to share their backgrounds and cultures,” says Pania.

“You’ll go, ‘we’ve got a Māori whakataukī, has anyone got an Indian proverb? Has anyone got a proverb…?’ You bring in all of these aspects because you’re not centralising Pākehā culture as the norm, so every child from every culture brings their cultural influence,” she adds.

“Our student teachers need and want ideas of ways to do a better job in their teaching in terms of responsiveness to Te Tiriti than what they experienced themselves either in their schools here, or in their schooling overseas.”

Robin Averill

Robin explains that the pathway towards all cultures feeling a sense of belonging is with biculturalism as the starting point, which is a principle in the book.

“It’s the idea of being additive, not exclusive. It’s not only for Māori students, it’s for all New Zealand students to know and understand about te ao Māori. Our philosophy is responsiveness to Te Tiriti, with a view to doing a much better job for indigenous, for Māori. And by doing that, doing a better job for everybody.”

“We’ve got to sustain it, otherwise they won’t have the opportunity,” adds Pania.

Ki Te Hoe! Education for Aotearoa, the latest book from NZCER Press, answers and asks further questions on how we could and should honour Te Tiriti o Waitangi in the classroom and beyond. As the country moves from dominant Pākehā structures and institutions, we must ensure our educators are appropriately and equitably supporting mātauranga, kaupapa and tikanga Māori for the duration of the journey. In doing so, the future of Aotearoa, the people of Aotearoa who are the future, will be sustained with rich relationships with our culture.

The pukapuka features work from the following authors: Pania Te Maro, Robin Averill, Veronica M. H. Tawhai, Stephen Lawrenson, Brian Tweed, Karyn Aspden, Philippa Isom, Georgina Tuari Stewart, Tony Trinick, Piata Allen, Karyn Saunders, Hiria McRae, Brigit Kerr.

To read more and to download a digital version of the book, visit NZCER.org.nz

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mel@caxed.co.nz www.caxed.co.nz

Give your students the best advantage to excel at maths. They use our textbooks, while you have all our free online teacher support. YOUR STUDENTS DESERVE THIS!

“The way we want to get people on board is through engagement. The hearts and minds sort of work.”

Pania Te Maro

Pania Te Maro.

Robin Averill.

Teacher aides an integral part of learning teams

Teamwork is the key to empowering teacher aides to make the biggest impact in classrooms, says Education Review Office (ERO).

New research from ERO commissioned by Ministry of Education and NZEI Te Riu Roa has shown that teamwork between educators and teacher aides (TAs) empowers them to make the biggest difference for learners.

“Traditionally, teacher aides worked side-by-side with students who needed extra help, and those learners didn’t spend much time with teachers or their friends. We now know that this is actually linked with poorer outcomes,” says Ruth Shinoda, head of ERO’s Education Evaluation Centre.

“With around 25,000 teacher aides across Aotearoa New Zealand, we need a team approach where whole schools get behind teacher aides,” she adds.

Collaborative support

The research included kōrero with TAs, teachers, principals, special education needs coordinators (SENCOs), learning support coordinators (LSCs), resource teachers: learning and behaviour (RTLBs), learners, and whānau, from 11 diverse primary and secondary schools.

“We found that it is much better for learners to have times where they work with the classroom teacher, times where they work with a teacher aide, times when they work with their peers, and times working by themselves. This report sets out how to do this.

“We know that responding to the diversity of learners in classrooms takes teamwork. Teacher aides work at the heart of schools in diverse roles to meet the needs

Teacher Kris McLennan with Arlo and Hazel and TA, Keely Halligan have fun and learning together at Abbotsford School.

of a classroom, so it is important that school leaders and teachers value their expertise and include them in planning,” says Ruth.

The report looks at four key areas of TA practice: generalised classroom support; delivering structured interventions; te ao Māori cultural leadership and support, and collaboratively supporting students with learning support needs.

A series of practical guides have been produced for teacher aides, school leaders, teachers, school boards and whānau.

Generalised classroom support

The ERO research found that when TAs work with learners across the class, teachers can then work more regularly with those learners who need extra support. For this to work well, TAs need regular opportunities to talk with teachers about lesson plans, share information and work together. They also need support from their school to build a good skillset of quality interaction practices, including culturally responsive practices.

Teachers need support to build the knowledge, practice and confidence to work with the diverse range of learning needs in their class, however, it’s difficult to shift practices that have been around for decades. Time and resource pressures, low teacher confidence, and parent expectations can make it difficult for schools to embed this model in practice.

Worth the investment

Dunedin’s Abbotsford School has seen the difference that teamwork between teachers, TAs and specialists can make. Last year’s Year 1 class had quite a large cohort of tamariki with high needs, says principal, Stephanie Madden.

“Last year we had team meetings every fortnight that included teachers, the TAs and Ministry specialists like the Ministry psychologist. It was a whole team approach to that group of children.

“We found that it is much better for learners to have times where they work with the classroom teacher, times where they work with a teacher aide, times when they work with their peers, and times working by themselves.”

Ruth Shinoda

Ana Pene reads Roman and Nixon’s karakia, using repetition and recitation as a strategy for learning.

Ana Pene and Stephanie Madden at Abbotsford School.

“It’s made a big difference: because they are meeting regularly the TAs have a really good understanding of the needs of the whole class and are much more able to support and intervene if needed,” she says.

The teacher aides have become an integral part of the teaching team because they better understand the programme and how and why particular children are being managed.

However, financial constraints mean that many schools can’t afford to prioritise TAs being included in planning.

“Schools are stuck with: ‘I can’t afford to pay for an hour’s planning a week, when these students need someone with them’. That’s the dichotomy of being able to provide time for the TAs to do that really important work, and the pressures on resourcing and actually needing them working directly with students in classrooms.

“I’ve seen the difference of working in that way. Last year we included TAs because the need was great and we decided we had to prioritise those students. I’ve seen a significant difference in how the TAs are operating and how successful it is. It’s well worth the investment,” says Stephanie.

Advocating for teacher aides

NZEI Te Riu Roa president Liam Rutherford welcomed the report and said that it further reinforced the long-held knowledge by teachers about the value of teacher aides to a classroom and why they are a vital part of the education system.

“It’s why NZEI Te Riu Roa continues to advocate for the inclusion of a teacher aide in every classroom alongside greater job stability and professional learning. NZEI Te Riu Roa members will continue to advocate for more time in the system so that teachers and teacher aides can plan together in work time,” he says.

Note: The TA role may have different names at different schools, for example, kaiāwhina, teaching assistant, learning assistant, or inclusive learning assistant. ERO

report and guidelines on supporting teacher aides.

Teachers and teacher aides at Abbotsford School meet regularly in a whole team approach.

Space to contribute and grow

Ana Pene has been involved with te reo tutoring and kapa haka at Abbotsford School in Dunedin for about 10 years. In the past 18 months, her role has evolved to provide support as a teacher aide to Māori students.

Principal Stephanie Madden says knowing the strengths and valuing the skills and experience of teacher aides and utilising them has been the best way forward for the school.

“Ana has supported our teaching team to develop their cultural competency to develop programmes that have a Māori lens to them. She’s a resource that teachers can go to for her expertise,” she says.

“It’s at a point now where we are really focusing on Māori students to ensure that we can develop that sense of identity and belonging in our school. Her understanding of what that needs to look like is invaluable for us.”

Creative space

Ana was raised in kapa haka at the urban Araiteuru Marae in Otepoti Dunedin.

“Steph allowed me a lot of creative space to see what would work the best. We both decided that as kapa haka was working so well, it was a key thing for starting to get our Māori families feeling comfortable that they could walk into the school and be involved,” says Ana.

For the past five to six years, Abbottsford School – a MAC (Māori Achievement Collaborative) school – has been committed to improving the cultural competency of its workforce and Ana has been a valuable part of that journey.

“Ana’s teacher aide mahi started out with us wanting to provide additional support for written language for our Māori boys because their achievement levels were lower in that area. Then it evolved as we started to talk about what was going to make a difference. We believed it was going back to the children exploring their own identity. Ana really delved into the children’s whakapapa. Now we can take that and apply it to our curriculum, hopefully, in a context that is more meaningful to our Māori students,” says Stephanie.

Evolving mahi

Ana had been working with a number of whānau Māori around their pepeha, when she noted that many of the

school’s Māori families were unfamiliar with elements of their whakapapa and recognised this was having impacts on their children. This insight into Māori learners’ cultural context was valued by leaders, who advocated for a reconfiguration of her roles and responsibilities.

“After a couple of years of just kapa haka, Steph approached me again. This time it was really looking at the literacy of our Māori children because one in four children at Abbotsford were Māori – a high ratio for Dunedin.

“The work I’m doing now has been such an evolution and probably the best that we’ve come to. It’s looking at the identity of the Māori children. I have observed over the years that the more they knew about themselves, the more interested they were in the work they were doing,” explains Ana.

As many of the Māori students are not mana whenua, Ana researched the pepeha of each tamariki and wrote karakia for each of them. They have now been grouped into seven broad iwi groups.

“I’ve tried to group them into their area and I’m telling stories about their ancestors now through art and play and song. It’s given them content for their literacy. We thought that could happen, but we didn’t think that would happen so fast. Not only can they stand up and tell their story in their own way, but they’re still reading and writing.

“The teachers are saying: ‘OK, now they’re telling different stories and they are interested in it because it’s about them’. They’re the main star of their life and their story. I’m so looking forward to doing it again this year, because we ended on such a high with them. To push it even further, Steph has allowed me the space and resources to put on plays/whakaari because that’s how they learn the language but they also get to share their stories on the stage,” says Ana.

Using the tikanga around teaching kapa haka, Ana says she is able to help teachers reach a child who may be having difficulties in the classroom.

“If a child is acting up and can’t sit still, it’s not because he can’t sit still, because I can play a game with this child and he is so focused and still. How do we get into that space with them? So, I play a lot of games and tell a lot of stories. I realised that was what my ancestors did, and how they passed down knowledge,” she explains.

Ana Pene and tamariki use waiata to remember words and the stories behind them.

Abbotsford School’s Learning Support Team: Front row from left: Ana Pene, Jenny Maclaren, Virginia Walker, Susan Chilcott; Back row from left: Sarah McInnes, Judith Turnbull, Keely Halligan, Kathryn Goldthorpe.

Practical strategies for supporting TAs in schools

ERO spoke to schools that use a generalised classroom support approach to discover strategies they have found to be useful. They include:

» carefully plan timetables so that TAs work with a range of learners and teachers

» arrange for TA-teacher meetings within TAs’ work hours

» support teachers to reflect on the pros and cons of using a portion of TAs’ work hours for collaborative planning, compared to maximising in-class time

» include TAs in staff meetings, training, professional learning and development, kāhui ako meetings, and staff-only days

» make small changes that affirm TAs as part of the teaching team – like adding them to email chains and social media, ensuring they have access to resources and databases, having a consistent approach to addressing staff (by first name or by title), and not putting TAs’ names last in lists or on newsletters

» provide opportunities for TAs to share their expertise, for example presenting to teachers, or putting together resources about specific diagnoses

» talk to parents and whānau about the value of generalised support over traditional one-on-one TA support, focusing on the benefits for their child.

ERO has put together targeted guides for teachers, leaders, and teacher aides. These include practical strategies in four key areas: generalised classroom support, delivering structured interventions, te ao Māori cultural leadership and support, and collaboratively supporting students with learning support needs.

You can download the guides here:

Practical guide for teachers

Practical guide for school leaders

Practical guide for teacher aides

Headstrong is a free app, developed by the University of Auckland, dedicated to helping young people in Aotearoa. It’s like a personal trainer for your mind.

headstrong.org.nz

BEGINNING TEACHERS

Reflections of a first-year teacher

In 2022, 24-year-old Morgan Korau Rangi Watt (Ngāti Ruanui, Ngāti Hikairo) began his teaching career as a Year 7 sports development kaiako at Auckland’s Rosehill Intermediate School. He tells Education Gazette about his first year at the school.

Morgan with Year 7 and 8 ākonga from Rosehill Intermediate.

Idid lots of coaching before and after school and holiday programmes when I was at uni and I was doing a different degree in HR.

I got into an office job and realised straight away it was not for me. I wanted something a bit more hands-on, I guess.

I thought about teaching when I was younger but there was a lot of stigma around being a young male with children so I backed off a bit. I regret not doing it then but, at the same time, I like being a little bit older.

Doing the postgraduate programme was only one year, which I liked, so I went back to Hamilton to study. That’s where I grew up and my family was there.

We went into lockdown in August that year, so I missed my last practicum which was annoying but, just beforehand, I spoke to some recruiters at university. They called me the next day and I mentioned a job in Auckland with a sports focus that I could be interested in.

I had the interview and, by the end, thought the opportunity was good. I got a call back from the principal, Maria, within the hour and I took it. It was only August or September and I think I was the first in my class to get a job. Nobody had really started looking but it was great to have the security of knowing I had it sorted.

After talking to more people about the role, I soon realised what a unique opportunity this was. They told me jobs like this don’t come around often.

Sports academy

There are two sports academies at our school and the aim is to be in the Year 8 class because that’s when you go to sports camp.

So essentially you do Year 7, which is my class, and the students then apply to join the Year 8 class, where the camp is the big reward.

We still teach everything as per normal but we do

have a little bit of extra PE. It’s three lessons when other classes do one.

The other thing we do, which a lot of parents quite like, is bringing sports into the lessons so, for example, last year we did biographies and other classes might have done famous New Zealanders, so we’d focus on famous sports people.

I’ll try to make my lessons sports-relevant because the students are a little bit more interested in that.

It’s really interesting to see the academic success of my students too. The sports focus really works for them, they find class more interesting by having that sports aspect so they were actually keen to be at school and my class had really high attendance rates.

At the start of the year some teachers had 10 students coming but I still had my 27 ākonga 95 percent of the time.

They don’t miss out on any learning – we still do maths, reading, writing, social studies and everything else that’s part of the curriculum – it’s just with a sports focus.

Being Māori

As Māori, I’m going to focus on incorporating more te ao Māori concepts and learning this year. Last year we only had six Māori students but this year it’s 50/50, which I’m excited about because I do want to do more of that.

I have my mum and my sister on-hand to communicate ideas on how to relate to the students. I guess I’m learning and absorbing skills and information as I go.

Whakapapa and knowing who you are is important. My dad had to do his family tree recently and we discovered connections back to the 1800s from Scotland – I’m lucky to have a really broad background of culture and heritage.

“My advice to other first-year teachers? Just get on with it … It also pays to develop good relationships with the people you’re working with.”

Morgan Korau Rangi Watt

The school also has resources and people who guide us in relation to helping Māori learners, and a cultural advisor who we can go to for extra help.

My mentor was the cultural responsiveness leader for a number of years so I can always go to her as well.

Thinking outside the box

One of the big things we’re trying to do is encourage more active activities at lunch time, not just for the 40-minute PE sessions.

There was a recent touch tournament where I took a couple of the boys that were struggling in school, behaviour-wise and academically. I could support them by setting out a pathway where I can say, “hey look, if I get feedback from your teacher that you’re not doing it in class then you won’t be able to come with me on the sports day.” It gives them some motivation and reason to enjoy school a bit more.

Last year we also received the Counties-Manukau Sportsmanship of the Year trophy, as voted for by all the other schools. I’m pretty proud of that one because we didn’t have the strongest year in terms of competition, but it was really cool to see some of the values I’ve been

instilling in the students coming through, like leadership, teamwork, and being good sports. It’s cool to see it was recognised by other schools.

Even though we’re not winning everything, it’s been really cool to see the students developing skills to cope. It helps them in general life too.

Biggest learnings

I felt I had good success because I dedicated a lot of time to the job. I knuckled down pretty hard. I went in early and I was staying late making sure everything was complete.

That’s the advice I received – you have to put in a lot of time and effort but you’ll get out what you put in.

The other advice I got when I was on my placement was that you can learn how to teach something but you can’t learn how to develop relationships. So as long as you’ve got that skill you can pick up the rest.

Building a rapport with the students is a big part of it. I give up my lunch time and go play basketball with the students. They are pretty stoked that I do that.

Towards the end of the year, it was great to see the learning the students achieved and how close we had become as a class.

There are two sports academies at Rosehill Intermediate, with students striving to make it to a sports camp.

My advice to other first-year teachers? Just get on with it. When something happens, and you get given extra work just knuckle down and do it straight away. Don’t procrastinate.

It also pays to develop good relationships with the people you’re working with. Make an effort to get to know your fellow teachers.

It’s the most rewarding job. And if you’re a male, don’t be afraid to join the profession. A lot of the parents made comments to me about how valuable it’s been for their child to have a male teacher who they can relate to. It’s refreshing for them.

Principal’s reflections

Rosehill principal Maria White reflects on Morgan’s first year as a kaiako.

The relationship that Morgan has developed with his class and our school community has been outstanding. He is a very, very competent first year teacher, a very competent young man.

As a teacher, he’s very clever, and he’s resourceful and he’s embraced the values of our school, which for any organisation is really critical.

Morgan walks the talk and being Māori is an additional gift for us. We’ve got a high representation of Māori children and Morgan is such a role model for them.

He reflects our school, our diversity, and all of the students feel a sense of belonging with him.

He is a fabulous academic role model – because of his knowledge he has very quickly absorbed the curriculum – and he’s very reflective in his practice.

Maria White

Morgan has a very holistic view of education and draws on te whare tapa whā, which is what we do at our school for wellbeing in health, and he’s very good at balancing the programme for the students.

And the students just love him. He’s got that cultural capital of a Māori perspective, he understands walking in a Māori world but he equally understands all our children because he’s incredibly personable.

My advice to other first-year teachers is, like Morgan, don’t be scared to ask and don’t pretend you know it all. Buddy yourself and align yourself with someone who is strong with a few more years’ experience that will be your proper mentor who you can go to with questions.

Your first year is so overwhelming, so being systematic and organised is critical because a lot of information and expectations are flying at you all at once. You’ve got to be seen to be very organised and onto it for your class to set up a strong class culture.

Being confident and solid is really important for your children because you are the leader of the team of your class. Then of course you go to your mentor or your buddy to ask for help.

We struck gold with him. He’s got a sense of the job, a sense of himself, he understands the students. The profession needs more people like him.

“My advice to other first-year teachers is, like Morgan, don’t be scared to ask and don’t pretend you know it all. Buddy yourself and align yourself with someone who is strong with a few more years’ experience.”

A sense of belonging in new histories curricula

Ākonga across Aotearoa New Zealand are returning to school this year to engage in learning in the new Te Takanga o Te Wā and Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curriculum, which is now a compulsory part of all kura and schools’ marau ā-kura and local curriculum.

For social studies teacher Bryony Wood, one of the biggest impacts of the Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curriculum is supporting both ākonga and kaiako to develop a deeper understanding of how our society works and to understand each other.

Her observation is echoed by Dr Hana O’Regan, Tumu Whakarae of CORE Education, who previously said that the new curricula were an incredible opportunity.

“It’s an incredible opportunity that is the biggest opportunity I’ve seen in my lifetime within the education system and as a community to grow up, to grow up as a country, to stand up as a country, and to be brave enough to really, truly understand who we are.”

Through the new curriculum content, ākonga will develop their understanding of the perspectives and experiences of a diverse range of New Zealanders, helping them in the development of critical thinking skills.

This new content can be taught alongside the existing social sciences national curriculum statement. Schools may also take the opportunity to explore the refreshed social sciences learning area, which includes Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories.

Passion for understanding

Bryony, who teaches at St Catherine’s College in Wellington, says the curriculum content has given her a sense of belonging, particularly as Tangata Tiriti, as Pākehā New Zealander.

“It’s given me a lot of understanding about my role in our society. It helps me connect with my students. It helps me connect with our wider community.”

Bryony says she sees this sense of belonging and passion for understanding society in her students.

“In my experience, ākonga have really enjoyed it. There’s something about young people these days, more so than other generations, where they are really invested in learning about the indigenous knowledge of their whenua.

“There’s a real passion for it. They’re so excited, and that makes me really excited about it. We bounce off each other a lot.”

Meaningful opportunities

Along with the refresh of The New Zealand Curriculum, the curricula have a strong emphasis on Māori history as the foundational and continuous history of Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as collaborating with ākonga, whānau, hapū, iwi and their community to build reciprocal, productive and mana-enhancing partnerships.

These curricula encourage kaiako and teachers to facilitate learning opportunities that are meaningful for all ākonga in their place of learning.

In a previous article, the New Zealand Chinese Association’s curriculum champion Kirsten Wong, told Education Gazette they hope the curriculum will bring us all together and to a common understanding.

“Because it’s absolutely important that we all understand the history of Aotearoa New Zealand and the history of colonisation –it’s what’s brought us here to where we are now.

“I think all of us just really hope that the curriculum will lead to greater social equity, greater social justice, greater empathy and understanding and that reinforcement of values that always puts people first.”

Archivist and historian Manisha Morar, a curriculum champion for the Indian community and a member of the New Zealand Indian Central Association, agreed, saying she anticipates a huge sense of pride in the teaching and learning of Indian histories.

“The important message that we want around teaching the diverse stories of New Zealand histories is having that same sense of pride in the classroom for every single child,” says Manisha.

“The value is that they have a lot more appreciation and understanding of their peers in the classroom and the backgrounds they come from, and it starts to be almost a precursor to avoiding those whole racism and discrimination attitudes that come out later in life.”

Resources and support

The Ministry of Education recognises that school and kura starting points will vary, so implementation is based on an adaptable approach that responds to local contexts.

Resources and supports are available now for schools and kura, for whatever stage they are at in their planning and implementation.

The Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curriculum website has clear information and guidance for leaders and kaiako to implement these new curricula.

Visit education.govt.nz

Read and hear more from Bryony, Kirsten and Manisha in our special edition of Education Gazette published last year, alongside newly published videos about the curriculum in action on our YouTube channel.

Special edition: Me mātai whakamuri, kia anga whakamua

Education Gazette on YouTube

St Catherine's College kaiako Bryony Wood.

“I love how the museum and their kaiako bring the learning to life. It’s always an interesting, fun, and exciting way that engages our tamariki. So, it’s very valuable.”

Dana Haimona

Museums an asset in local histories education

Kaiako who are wanting to create authentic marau-a kura and local curriculum experiences should look towards their museums for inspiration to supplement their teaching of the new Takanga o Te Wā and Aotearoa New Zealand’s histories curricula.

Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa is sited in a building that was originally built as a resort/ health spa for wealthy tourists coming to Rotorua. As such, the building itself is a historic landmark in the area. The main museum is currently closed for earthquake strengthening, but this has not stopped the museum staff from continuing with their Enriching Local Curriculums (ELC) education programme which has sparked the curiosity and imagination of rangatahi for more than two decades.

With a broad selection of Rotorua-focused programmes for Year 1 to Year 13 students, the Education Team at Rotorua Museum Te Whare Taonga o Te Arawa anticipate the curriculum change will boost registrations from local schools, on top of the thousands of rangatahi already reached every year.

Taupopoki George McLeod, education coordinator kaea mātauranga, says, “What we’ve done is orientate our service to schools by using venues close by and being part of the local council. We were very fortunate to be able to use different buildings near the Government Gardens, including our local library.”

The programme allows students to not only learn about the history of the area, but to also interact with it using objects not easily replicated in the classroom.

“We have quite an extensive hands-on collection of replica objects that we had made of items in our collection that obviously couldn’t be touched because they’re so fragile,” says George.

These objects include traditional Māori spades and waka huia/treasure boxes. The replicas allow students to touch, feel, and use the objects to gain an understanding as to what life may have been like in the past.

There is an on off-site facility that allows students to fully engage with not just objects from taonga Māori but also social history collections. George says that using the old objects ‘blows their minds’.

The students also learn early games and how these were not just for entertainment, but also designed to develop key skills that would be needed as adults.

Education lead kaiurungi mātauranga, Dominique Chandler, says the museum is in the perfect position to support local schools with the new curriculum requirements.

George McLeod working with local students.

“We design programmes that will give students a deeper insight into our local people, environment, and history; however, we also tailor programmes to individual schools to ensure we add value where it’s needed.

“This is how we created one of our most popular programmes – Ngā Kōrero o Te Kura. It started as a request by one school to learn about their own history and that of the surrounding area. The idea was so well received that we have since personalised it to several other schools in our city.

“It’s this flexibility, as well as our wealth of knowledge and resources, that has helped the museum’s education programmes remain relevant and sought-after for more than 20 years.”

A former local teacher, Dominique has seen first-hand the positive impact the museum’s education programmes have on students.

“These programmes give rangatahi a chance to learn in different environments, hands-on and with unique resources that schools find challenging to provide.

“You often hear the students talking among themselves during and after the programme, and it’s clear a new fascination is sparked in them.

“We play such an important role, because we can enrich classroom programmes beyond what schools can do. Being able to bring children to experience something from the past makes the learning that much more real,” says Dominique.

Dominique Chandler Museum enhances learning

Kaiako Dana Haimona from Western Heights Primary School has been engaging with the museum for a number of years. A recent project looked at rangatiratanga, of both current and historical leaders.

“We were really wanting to focus a lot on Te Arawa as part of our localised curriculum, and part of that was looking at leaders of the past and their journeys.”

A big part of the project was finding out about Ihenga and his journey to find Rotorua. This learning involved not just classroom activities but also visits to local community sites.

“We design programmes that will give students a deeper insight into our local people, environment, and history; however, we also tailor programmes to individual schools to ensure we add value where it’s needed.”

Above: Dominique enjoys working on ways to engage students.

Below: The museum has a variety of tools to aid learning.

“With these stories, when the students hear of them, and then they’re able to make those connections not only to the characters but the places where those stories took place, it becomes real for them.”

Visits to these places of significance are then enhanced by visits to the museum, which has a programme about Ihenga and his voyage of discovery. Ākonga were able to match what they had already learned with an interactive experience through digital technology to see the journey that Ihenga took.

“There is a lot of hands-on equipment that tamariki were able to touch and really engage with as part of that Ihenga journey. They were looking at the sort of the items that Ihenga would have used in the past compared to what someone on a similar journey may use today.”

Proactive relationships

Dana says one of the main reasons they use the museum programmes is for an authentic learning context.

“I love how the museum and their kaiako bring the learning to life. It’s always an interesting, fun, and exciting way that engages our tamariki. So, it’s very valuable.”

The museum is proactive in its relationship with schools. They also provide a free bus service, made possible by the generous support of the Ngāti Whakaue Education Endowment Trust board, and have minimal resource fees to ensure all local schoolchildren have barrier-free access to the programmes.

Using a museum is not the only way to teach local histories, but it is a highly valuable resource to blend with other sources of knowledge and mātauranga.

“We can provide the elements of having an authoritative and representative entity tell them a particular lens of what happened. Our museum collection can enhance having lots of hands-on learning, so it’s not only taking them out of the usual school environment, but also letting students be amongst these taonga, treasures, and works of art from our collection which they otherwise might not have had the chance to do.” says George.

25 years as a community asset

The Rotorua Museum ELC Education Programme –formerly Learning Experiences Outside the Classroom – has been a valued asset to the Rotorua school community since 1998 and will celebrate its 25th anniversary this year.

In the face of recent challenges, including the closure of the physical museum building and two years of Covidrelated restrictions, the Education Team has continued to innovate and adapt, finding new ways to connect local rangatahi to the city’s taonga.

This has included carefully curating new, multisensory programmes that can be delivered outside the museum’s walls and school tours of the offsite storage facility.

“Whether we’re teaching a group of five-year-olds how to create their own marbling artwork, inspired by local artist Kylie Tiuka’s work, or taking Year 13 geography students through Rotorua’s tourism history, the museum continues to enrich the learning of new generations of local rangatahi,” says Dominique.

Students can learn about the journeys of the past.

Digital security basics to make 2023 disruption free

This article explores the connection between digital security, online safety and privacy. Each component plays an important role as part of a robust digital security setup for schools and kura. We’ll be continuing the conversation about digital security in coming editions of Education Gazette, with more cyber security and privacy advice. Additionally, stay tuned for the upcoming launch of the digital strategy, ConnectedAko: Digital and Data for Learning, which will roll out with a series of powerful stories of students and educators embracing and thriving in the digital world.

Technology is an integral part of rangatahi education. With cyber-attacks on the education sector becoming increasingly common and more sophisticated, it’s important that IT setups in schools and kura are secure.

Schools and kura that are slow to take preventative cyber security actions face the prospect of disruption to learning by being locked out of systems and devices, sensitive information being compromised, financial loss and reputational damage.

What exactly is cyber security?

Cyber security is the use of controls to reduce the risk of cyber-attacks and protect against unauthorised access to networks, systems and information. These controls can take the form of technologies or processes that shore-up security.

This can include actions like email filtering, keeping software up-to-date, monitoring traffic on your school’s network for unusual activity, running backups, or enabling two-factor authentication for staff at your school.

Schools and kura should rely on a range of ongoing cyber security controls as key activity to keep cyber criminals out.

Online (cyber) safety

While the need to prepare ākonga for a digital world is an essential part of education, being online comes with obvious risks, from exposure to bullying, grooming, illegal content, to scams.

As the amount of time we spend online increases, so too does the risk of being exposed to harmful content. As such, awareness and education are required.

This may include knowing what to look for to be able to identify a scam email, how to apply critical thinking to our online experience, and how to be a good online citizen.

An important piece of legislation that helps to keep New Zealanders safe online is the Harmful Digital Communications Act. It includes 10 communication principles for how to engage online.

The principles look to ensure that communications shared online are not: abusive or threatening, obscene, denigrating, bullying, making false allegations, or sharing private information about an individual.

Netsafe has the responsibility to resolve alleged breaches of the Act. In addition, schools and kura can ensure a level of online safety within their network by having strong policies on use of devices and online behaviour in place. It’s important that these policies are well-communicated and understood by staff and ākonga.

Student using digital infrastructure for assignments.

“It is vital that schools and kura know which digital platforms they use to store personal information. This includes taking stock of the cloud-based systems your school or kura may use, or if data is stored on servers, where are these servers located.”

Ministry of Education

Privacy

Schools and kura have a legal responsibility to protect personal information of ākonga and staff. Again, strong digital security measures can play an important role to protect personal information.

It is vital that schools and kura know which digital platforms they use to store personal information. This includes taking stock of the cloud-based systems your school or kura may use, or if data is stored on servers, where are these servers located.

The Ministry of Education encourages schools and kura to review their privacy policy once a year and make sure it’s available for your whānau and school community to read –ideally on your website.

A privacy policy should include:

» what personal information your school collects

» details of how the information will be used

» the purpose for collecting the information

» instructions for how people can request access to their information

» details of how personal information is stored and how long it’s held for.

Each school and kura should have a privacy officer –someone’s whose role is to uphold and review privacy policies and follow-up on any privacy breaches.

A first line of defence for online safety

The Ministry is developing initiatives to help schools and kura level-up their digital security profile. If staff and ākonga are security conscious when online, this can provide a complementary layer of security against cyber threats. However, a high-performing digital security setup should act as a comprehensive first line of defence. Such an approach removes the human-factor and a reliance on people to take the right action every time when faced with a possible threat, like dealing with a phishing email for example.

Keep up to date

For more information on Netsafe’s role and the Harmful Digital Communications Act and its 10 principles, see netsafe.org.nz/what-isthe-hdca

Ākonga demonstrating knowledge sharing while building digital literacy skills.

Students working together using digital resources for study.

Levente (Levi) Scott’s sustainable business Upcycled Plastics uses 100 percent recycled used milk bottles.

Students finding success with sustainability business

Last year marked more than 40 years of the Young Enterprise Scheme (YES) in Aotearoa New Zealand preparing young people to thrive in business, life and their communities.

With a vision to inspire ākonga and unleash young leaders for a prosperous Aotearoa, YES is helping shape future change makers and disruptors. Their programmes support students with opportunities to develop an entrepreneurial mindset before they leave secondary school.

In 2022, YES worked with 85 percent of secondary schools across the motu. Education Gazette spoke with the young minds behind two businesses that have found success in sustainability.

Upcycled Plastics

Levente (Levi) Scott’s sustainable business Upcycled Plastics placed second in the 2022 National YES awards. He is also the recipient of the 2022 HSBC award for sustainability.

Levi’s business began in 2021 as part of his business studies at Canterbury’s Rolleston College.

“I’ve always had a big passion for environmental sustainability, trying to help the community and make the most of waste and rubbish,” says Levi.

A 3D printer he purchased himself sparked the business idea after he printed his mother’s name out as a Mother’s Day gift.

“I thought, ‘what if I could make letter stands and sell them?’ Then I thought it would be amazing if I could make them by using upcycled plastic and timber.”

Utilising his engineering skills, Levi began on a small scale, making small sheets of plastic then cutting out letters.

He built a machine to melt the plastic, trialling different types of used plastic milk bottles and ways to clean it, and developed seven iterations of moulds before finding success on the eighth.

“There was a lot more trial and error with the moulds than I initially anticipated so I worked through them.”

He initially sourced his used milk bottles from cafes in the local Selwyn area, collecting them and taking them home to clean.

“Using a woodchipper I would break down the plastic, then melt it to create a sheet of plastic and use the school’s CNC [computer numerical control] machine to cut out the letters.”

Waitākere College business students Sarah Opetaia and Wesley Paongo are empowering young Samoans to live to the Samoan foundational values of respect, service, and love.

Business expansion

By Year 13, Levi was ready to expand the operation “to make the environmental efforts more impactful. I wanted to really go for it.”

Having spent much of his initial year tapping into the guidance of his business studies kaiako and business experts he had access to through YES, he landed on selling the plastic sheets (made of 100 percent recycled used milk bottles).

He experimented with various types of products that could be created from the plastic sheets including letterbox numbers, which he sold through the local hardware store Buildlink Selwyn and online. He also sold personalised letter stands online, and the raw plastic sheets to Latheabout Woodturning who transformed them into luxury pens and pendants.

Soon he was creating educational kits containing 98 characters, symbols and numbers for local schools to use as a learning resource.

“The kits allow learners to make almost any word or simple maths equation.”

With local accounting firm Whutupōro Accountants as a sponsor, he has been able to manufacture and donate 30 kits to the seven primary schools across the Selwyn area.

By the end of 2022, Upcycled Plastics was a profitable business that had recycled more than 600kg of used plastic bottles.

Community support

Levi says his success is a result of many hundreds of people – from Rolleston College, YES, and community businesses –providing guidance and support.

“I got help from everyone and tried to listen to all ideas and learn as much as I could. There have been a lot of teachers who I got help from on how to present myself, public speaking, as well as the business – what business models I could go with and what products I could produce. It was a real community collaboration.”

Working part-time as a barber enabled Levi to fund his initiative and build connections with his local community. His clients included the owner of the hardware store where he sold the letterbox numbers, and a cameraman from Seven Sharp, which led to a media story.

Through YES, he was connected to large organisations, and was able to build on his pitching skills – which came in handy when reaching out to Anchor.

He was put in touch with the director of Anchor Milk

Canterbury who, after hearing his pitch, agreed to supply Levi with used Anchor milk bottles, delivering up to 500 used bottles a week to his house.

Adaptive learning

Levi says Rolleston College’s willingness to support his initiative was vital to his success.

“The lab work and cutting was done at school, I was really reliant on the CNC machine. The school is really adaptive –they do whatever they can to adapt the learning and teaching to support our ideas.”

Year 13 business studies teacher and student leadership mentor Lucy Erasito says the school encourages collaboration between learning areas to support student initiatives like Levi’s.

“We try to recognise the projects that have that kind of potential, where they can’t do it all in the three 75-minute blocks.”

Levi was able to utilise his technology time and the support of that learning area, in addition to the business studies blocks. He was also allowed to use his study blocks offsite, says Lucy.

Year 12 business studies teacher Richard McBrearty says he and Lucy provide guidance on all aspects of a business, helping students understand what they don’t know.

“Levi was great on the production side but needed support on the finance and marketing side. Knowing their strengths and where the gaps are challenges students to think more about their business and diversify.”

Richard says the Rolleston Spirit consists of three values –to develop self, build communities, and transform futures.

“This is what we go back to as teaching staff, asking ‘what is it that you’re doing that’s helping learners and us as kaiako to live those values?’ I think Levi did that.

“Having and living those values from Year 9 helps our learners develop their thinking towards the wider community and about the future of themselves and others.”

Saint.

Saint. is a Pacific student-owned and led sustainable vintage clothing brand that won the 2022 YES National Excellence Award for Pasifika Business.

It is the enterprise of Waitākere College business students Sarah Opetaia and Wesley Paongo using sustainable fashion and empowering young Samoans to live to the Samoan foundational values of respect, service, and love.

“I’ve always had a big passion for environmental sustainability, trying to help the community and make the most of waste and rubbish.”

Levi Scott

“Fast fashion industry contributes heavily to carbon emissions so we want to be the change that ends unethical processes,” they say.

Passion for fashion

Sarah says she and Wesley established Saint. to illustrate to other young Samoans what is possible.

However, even with an idea and a passion for sustainable fashion, starting a business was hard, she says.

“Having Sir [the school’s business community liaison and commerce HoD Matt Cicchini] alongside us was amazing. He guided us and outlined everything, handing it back to ourselves but was always there to support and back us up.”

The pair say Matt helped them understand business basics, such as finance, market research, and business plans.

“We asked so many questions,” says Sarah.

With three stakeholders initially, they each invested $307 for start-up costs and utilised the five hours of business class time each week to work on the business.

“We spent lots of time outside of class working on it too,” says Wesley.

They set about finding local suppliers and printers that fitted with their sustainable values.

“We found some 100 percent organic cotton T-shirts through Clothing Direct, and use water-based inks to have as little impact on the environment as we can.”

They say the design process was difficult as they initially tried creating the designs themselves but quickly realised their skills weren’t up to scratch.

After finding a designer online, they presented their ideas, but it took some time to land on designs that matched their vision and beliefs.

One design has a thesis statement that says: ‘Our culture cannot thrive without respect’.

“We’re Samoan and have been brought up with values of respect, service and love, and want to educate through those values,” says Wesley.

Their other designs talk about how people can make an impact in society and do good in the world, he says.

Learning new skills

With the production side of the business sorted, the pair started working on their marketing.

Wesley says they built four websites before their current one and taught themselves how to build it and integrate an e-commerce store.

With a TikTok account and a regular stall at the local night market, the business started making sales. By the end of 2022, Saint. had made more than $4,000 in sales.

Matt says YES is a great way to introduce students to small business.

“New Zealand is such a good country for business and people can achieve it. Students always think business is so far out of reach, that they are too big and complex, so it’s really about giving them the confidence by using the studentcentred work, empowering them to take that challenge and do that step.”

Matt says his role as kaiako is to provide students with information while being careful not to take over.

“Sometimes they get a little frustrated because I’m not giving them enough but I’m giving them enough information for them to take the lead and learn from it.”

He says Saint. took the lead “amazingly”, which is why they’ve done so well.

“Their passion for their business, experimenting, trialling new things has really helped them to progress.”

Future focused

As Year 13 students, the pair plan to launch a new collection in March/April this year.

“We just want to produce products with meaning. We want to make sure each collection has a meaning behind it to inspire the next generation of students,” they say.

Matt says the YES awards helps all students strive for success when they may not have had the passion like Saint. did at the start. Last year, Waitākere College had 21 student businesses.

“Being part of the awards nights – regionals and nationals – gives them great confidence to move forward.”

Saint. brings together a passion for sustainability with cultural pride.

Sarah’s advice to other students considering participating in YES is to “go for it”.

“There’s always someone you can ask for help, and if you fail there’s always other options. We went for it even if we failed at times and made mistakes along the way. We just put our faith in God that we’ll make it out.”

Matt agrees, saying business isn’t going to be perfect every time and experiencing failure is how you advance in business.

“That’s what we emphasise – there’s going to be things that go wrong but we work through them, correct them, learn from them and move on. There is no such thing as failure, it is all a learning process that determines your success.”

Matt says the hope is that Saint. and other student businesses can carry on when they leave school.

“That’s our entire aim, to have something to set them up for real life.”

Sarah says they learn from other students and their businesses as well.

“We always ask what they’re up to and share ideas to help improve each other’s businesses. It’s all a learning process.”

Sarah and Wesley’s hope is to continue growing Saint.

“I want to go to uni to develop my knowledge,” says Sarah.

Young Enterprise learning

Through The Lion Foundation Young Enterprise Scheme, students get to learn about business planning and operations, develop a range of personal and business skills, and consult with and create networks in their community.

Each company needs to complete four YES challenges, including Validation, The Pitch, Sales and Promotion, and an Annual Review.

Kura can deliver YES as a timetabled course, or as an extracurricular option. YES is commonly used as a vehicle to deliver Business Studies Achievement Standards at Levels 2 and 3. All students who complete YES will receive the YES micro-credential.

There is over $20,000 in the national prize pool as well as regional awards, cash prizes and tertiary scholarships. YES students have opportunities to attend national business competitions, events and go on partner programmes.

SUSTAINABILITY

Replacing coal boilers one step in the sustainability journey

Work is well underway to replace all coal boilers in New Zealand public schools by 2025. Education Gazette continues to explore how schools across the motu are embracing this mahi as part of their sustainability journey, using the process to teach ākonga more about the environment and our impact on it.

Students at three schools are starting the new year in classrooms that can be heated with clean energy after kicking coal to the curb.

A further 11 schools in Aotearoa are due to have their coal boilers replaced with a low-emission alternative by the start of the winter heating season (April), with seven of these due to be completed by the end of February.

“Coal boilers are big polluters – they are a significant contributor to the carbon footprint of a school and

pose health and safety risks. It is very straightforward to switch out for low-emissions alternatives, which is exactly what the government has set out to do,” says Richard Briggs, public sector group manager at the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Authority (EECA). A total of 42 coal boilers have already been replaced through the Te Tāhuhu o Te Mātauranga | Ministry of Education’s School Coal Boiler Replacement Programme.

Ruapehu College’s art and technology team are facilitating the creation of a student-created mural inspired by flora and fauna. Here teachers and students contemplate how they can use artwork to communicate the sustainability narrative for present and future students.

Marama Allen

Inspiring students

The removal of the boilers is also opening opportunities for students to become actively involved in the sustainability journey of their school.

As part of the programme, the Ministry is encouraging its contractors to promote environmental education when they install the new heating solution.

“This includes artwork on new containerised pellet boilers, native plantings around the new equipment, and even QR codes that the students and parents can scan, to tell the story of the sustainability journey,” says Ismael Costa, acting national programme manager for the Ministry.

“We’re pleased to be doing our bit to help tackle climate change – replacing coal boilers with low-carbon heating systems is better for the health of our tamariki, our community and our planet.”

Sustainability in action

At Ruapehu College, education isn’t confined to the classroom, with the school also incorporating sustainability initiatives and projects into the curriculum to give students a more holistic and hands-on relationship with their local environment.

The college recently welcomed two new 40-foot containerised wood pellet boilers – replacing a very old coal boiler that had become a major concern for the staff. The boilers work in tandem to provide 500kw to the school to heat its classrooms.

The physical removal of a coal boiler and replacement with a sustainable alternative for providing energy has proven to be a valuable opportunity for students to witness a move away from a reliance on fossil fuels.

“Building on previous work, our 2023 curriculum will be developed further to implement local environmental studies – and the new boilers provide us with an example of climate action in everyday life,” says school principal Marama Allen.

The college is located in the shadow of Mount Ruapehu and has the unique demands of its local climate to consider. On a normal winter’s day, the temperature is usually below five degrees Celsius in the early morning and has been recorded as low as -13 degrees C, meaning reliability of heating is paramount.

“We’re relieved to have a heating source that is better for the environment,” says Marama.

“Building on previous work, our 2023 curriculum will be developed further to implement local environmental studies – and the new boilers provide us with an example of climate action in everyday life.”

Inside one of the new containerised wood pellet burners.

Energy in a box

Following some in-depth scoping work by EECA, Ruapehu College’s coal boiler was replaced with an innovative solution that has been used to replace fossil fuel-powered boilers across several schools in Aotearoa – a wood pellet boiler inside a shipping container.

The replacement was carried out under the Ministry of Education’s School Coal Boiler Replacement Programme, which was established in 2020.

Instead of coal, the containers use carbon-neutral wood pellets produced using waste wood from timber production and forestry. This avoids the need to send the unused product to landfill, as the ‘waste’ product is 100 percent renewable.

“Knowing our heating source is not impacting the environment is important to us – as an education facility we need to be leading and teaching by example for our young learners,” says Marama.

“The air also feels cleaner, which the students are happy about as they love the outdoors.”

The container boilers were manufactured and precommissioned in Rotorua. After being delivered to the school they were essentially ‘plugged in’ and able to be used.

The programme at a glance

» The Ministry of Education’s School Coal Boiler Replacement Programme has a budget of $75 million.

» The programme is co-funded through the government’s $220 million State Sector Decarbonisation Fund (administered by EECA), which supports the Carbon Neutral Government Programme in accelerating the reduction of energy emissions within the public sector.

» The Ministry of Education coordinates the delivery of the projects across schools and allocated $10 million from their own budget.

» The programme is expected to replace all remaining coal boilers in public schools by 2025.

» There are around 87 public schools that still use coal boilers in New Zealand.

» The replacement programme is expected to reduce the state sector’s carbon emissions by around 89,000 tonnes over 10 years – the equivalent of taking 3,662 cars off the road.

Find

An example of artwork on a containerised boiler at the University of Waikato.

Part of a wider story

Education Gazette has explored a number of ways that early learning centres, schools and kura are contributing to a sustainable future – including the replacement of coal boilers.

Schools chipping away at sustainability goals

Education’s contribution to a climate resilient future

Resource support

The refresh of The New Zealand Curriculum and Te Marautanga o Aotearoa will be accompanied by updated and new teaching and learning resources aligned to the updated national curriculum to support kaiako and teachers to connect learning purposefully to climate change contexts and encourage students to engage in positive, solutions-focused climate learning and action.

This will include guidance on incorporating emission reduction activities into local curriculum and marau ā-kura.

Here are some resources to support education for sustainability.

Bullying-Free New Zealand needs you.

School leaders, teachers, Board of Trustees – help improve bullyingfree.nz by completing this 7-minute survey.

To access the survey, use the QR code below or https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/Bullying-freeNZ The survey closes on Friday 24 March 2023.

Kauwhata Reo

Kura Taiao

Te Kete Ipurangi

“Students should want to walk into this place and just feel like this is an oasis. This is home. This is where they belong.

Ross Devereux

Ed Sheeran tells students, ‘Find the thing you love’

Manurewa Intermediate was one of three schools to receive a special visit from Ed Sheeran during his tour of Aotearoa New Zealand.

It would be no problem getting ākonga to school if they knew Ed Sheeran was visiting. For Manurewa Intermediate, they had to keep the visit a secret but still had good attendance thanks to their vision and mahi to engage ākonga, making school a place they want to be.

In June, the Ministry of Education’s Attendance and Engagement Strategy was released, including a target for schools to achieve 70 percent regular attendance in 2024 and 75 percent regular attendance in 2026. Regular attendance is defined as missing less than one week of school time across a term. Pre-Covid Manurewa Intermediate had a 94-96% attendance rate, since covid this has been around 90%.

Ross Devereux, the deputy principal, explains that their approach to attendance is twofold.

“The first part is that we want ākonga to want to be here. We see the environment as the first teacher – by environment we mean the physical space and the tone/ relationships between people.

“Students should want to walk into this place and just feel like this is an oasis. This is home. This is where they belong.”

This is achieved by looking at curriculum, relationships students have with teachers and the staff, and how they interact with their friends. They also have four whānau groups that students belong to, which are not just confined to interacting on sports days.

The whānau groups have weekly competitions where they can gain ‘MI dollars’ for things such as attendance, not being late and correct uniform. The concept of earning dollars was designed to strengthen their financial literacy programme.

“We thought, ‘How can we take this to another level to really get into the mindset of students as to how money works and how savings work?’”

Each group has a ledger to keep track of the money earned and can use it to ‘purchase’ treats such as wearing mufti shoes, or having an area of the playground for their own use. High earners are also rewarded in weekly assemblies.

The second part to their attendance strategy is follow up.

If students have not been at school for a couple of days and there has been no contact, Ross and

Students were surprised and delighted with the visit.

other teachers will go and visit the home to make sure everything is all right. Ross says that the follow up can take time but that it is worth doing.

A special visit

The visit from Ed Sheeran came about due to the school’s regular participation and achievements in Band Quest and Rock Quest competitions – they were recognised as a school connected to the arts.

Ross received a phone call during the morning assembly from the organisers of Rock Quest asking if it would be all right for Ed to visit the next day.

“They had been approached by Ed Sheeran’s promoters who said, ‘Ed wants to get into schools, he wants to do this sort of free gig for schools and help to inspire them. We know you guys have a solid music programme. Your students love singing, so are you able to host them at 11am on Wednesday?’

“I’m taking the call and as he’s saying this to me, I said, ‘Hang on, stop, stop, stop. Can you just repeat that? Who to come and visit? Are you kidding me?’”

Ross told principal Iain Taylor about the call and that he had agreed to the visit. Later in the afternoon sound technicians came to the school to check the sound

equipment, and Ross and Iain told the senior leadership team about the visit. The other teachers and the students had no idea of what would happen at their Wednesday assembly.

On Wednesday, the assembly commenced and then Ross was asked to speak to the students. At first he said he was going to tell them about their upcoming camp but then told them to welcome a special visitor.

“I said, ‘Can you guys put your hands together, make some noise for Ed Sheeran’. Then he walks in and the sound, the screaming, the noise, it was one of those absolutely unforgettable moments.

“Just being amongst the atmosphere was so fulfilling. It was so heart-warming, because you just saw the looks on the students’ faces at the start with this utter sense of disbelief, wonder, and awe going, ‘Is this really happening?’ It was extremely special.”

As well as singing for the students, Ed also gave a speech encouraging them. Ross was impressed that it was not just an off-the-cuff quick talk, instead Ed had carefully prepared the speech.

“He talked about finding that one thing that you just absolutely love and following it through, and not being worried if you’re not the best at maths or reading and

Ross enjoyed having a brief chat with Ed before the show.

“I said, ‘Can you guys put your hands together, make some noise for Ed Sheeran’. Then he walks in and the sound, the screaming, the noise, it was one of those absolutely unforgettable moments.”

Ross Devereux

writing or whatever. It’s about having that one thing that will give you the confidence to perhaps boost those other areas and just keep following that through.”

As well as the performance at the school, Ed also made free tickets available for all students and up to four members of their families. The promoters supplied the school with forms for the students to fill out to organise the tickets. This did require additional work on the part of the school to process the forms and arrange the tickets, but Ross says this is part and parcel of what the school does.

“Our approach to education and curriculum and everything we do is giving the students the best deal possible even if that does take extra time and energy.

“If it’s good for our students, we should be doing it. The tickets and everything took extra time, but it just embodies what we believe these students deserve, and they deserve the world.”

All in for learning | Kia kotahi te ū ki te ako – The Attendance and Engagement Strategy

The Government has developed a strategy for tackling the decade-long decline in regular attendance and engagement in schools. The strategy sets expectations of ākonga and whānau, schools, communities and government agencies in addressing this complex problem. It builds on work that government has already been undertaking alongside schools and communities to address attendance and engagement issues.

Read more about the Attendance and Engagement Strategy

The school has a strong music programme.

BELMONT INTERMEDIATE

DEPUTY PRINCIPAL

U6

5MUs

Belmont Intermediate’s shared vision is to ‘Lead Excellence in Intermediate School Education’. We are seeking a Deputy Principal who will collaboratively drive our vision and goals while supporting and motivating our highly skilled group of teachers.

Important attributes and skills are:

• Proven experience in a Learning Support or SENCO role

• An excellent communicator

• Able to foster and maintain strong relationships with staff, students and whanau.

• A team player who is flexible, adaptable and solution focused

• A person who thrives in a culture of reflection, feedback and continuous improvement

• Understands effective change management and has a strategic approach to school development

• Aspires to Principalship

The position is expected to commence mid-term 2 (negotiable). An information and application pack is available on request from the Education Group at www.educationgroup.co.nz or call Tanya

Prentice on (09) 920 2173 or Jan Hill on 021 507 684

Applications close 1:00 pm

Thursday 9 March 2023

Be your best

PRINCIPAL/TUMUAKI, YR 1-8, T3 START

CUST

Cust is a very close-knit rural community, with Cust School right at the heart of it. Set halfway between Rangiora and Oxford, Cust offers the very best of country life and is an amazing place to raise kids, as evidenced by the multiple generations of many of our kura whanau that call this place home. We are a short distance to ski fields, rivers, beaches and Christchurch is just 40kms up the road.

CUST SCHOOL

With a roll of approximately 150 students and 7 classrooms with some fun breakout spaces, we love that our tamariki get to learn in small size classes. We have the most outstanding staff who work hard to facilitate excellence in teaching and learning programmes, and a strong PTA and highly supportive board and parent community. We are very well resourced and financially secure. Our school is highly regarded and we think it’s pretty epic!

We are looking for someone who will:

• Drive high expectations in and outside of the classroom

• Value our close-knit rural community

• Balance innovation with tradition

Applicants who will enhance “The Cust Way” are invited to apply. Applications close 4pm, Monday 20th March 2023 and are to be received electronically.

Please contact Tom Scollard (consultant for Cust School Board of Trustees) for further information and/or an application pack.

Email: appointments@cust.school.nz Ph. Tom Scollard 0211836462

Te Aroha College has been serving its local urban and rural communities for over 60 years. During that time it has established a proud record of supporting students to achieve excellence in many fields, from academic to sports, performance and the outdoors. Te Aroha College aims to grow fine young adults, well prepared for fulfilling careers and lives beyond the school gate.

An opportunity has arisen for our Board to appoint a Principal to our Y9-Y13 school of 350 students.

Our new Principal will:

• Build excellent relationships with staff, whanau, board, students and the community in order to collaborate together fully in enabling the students to realise their potential.

• Be committed to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi.

• Have a deep understanding of both curriculum and pedagogy and how they can be adapted to best meet the needs of individuals and groups in our school.

• Have excellent communication and digital skills.

• Engender trust, lead by example, and inspire others. While we welcome applications from all suitable applicants, a Principal’s Recruitment allowance will be available to any successful applicant who meets the criteria.

Southern Cross will fund Pause Breathe Smile for your school

Pause Breathe Smile is a mind health programme that helps ākonga to regulate their emotions, build self-awareness and relate positively to others.

Southern Cross funds teacher training for any primary or intermediate school in Aotearoa. With this support, Pause Breathe Smile has reached more than 100,000 children in over 370 schools since September 2020.

coordinator@pausebreathesmile.nz

pausebreathesmile.nz