Issue 113 Term 1 | 2017
LEADERS IN EDUCATION NEWS SINCE 1989
www.principalstoday.co.nz
The cost of ‘Free’ education The perilous path of state education’s ever-rising price tag
LEADING WITH THE HEART A candid conversation with Maihiihi School’s Glenn MacPherson
How to not sweat the small stuff
LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE UAE Wayne Freeth’s six years instigating education reform in Al Ain
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resolutions for a healthy headspace
LIFE HACKS to help students get the best out of themselves
Whatever happened to carpooling? How to sell healthy canteen food ISSN 1170-4071 HAVE THE FOLLOWING PEOPLE SEEN THIS?
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8 | LEADING WITH THE HEART
5 | WHEN THINGS DON’T GO TO PLAN
Maihiihi School principal Glenn MacPherson shares his vision for and views on education
Five steps to getting back on track if things take a turn for the worse
LEARNING SPACE 14 | PUTTING THE FUN IN FUNDRAISING Fundraising is as old as the education system itself and isn’t going out of fashion any time soon
5 | SEVEN RESOLUTIONS FOR A HEALTHY HEADSPACE
The perilous path of state education’s ever-rising price tag
Simple tips to help keep your head in the game
11 | LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE UAE
5 | HOW TO NOT SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
Wayne Freeth talks about his six years instigating education reform as cluster manager in Al Ain
Some people know it naturally, some never get it, and the rest of us have the best teachers in the world – kids
19 | TAKING SUN PROTECTION SERIOUSLY
7 | GOAL SETTING 101
18 | RECOGNITION OF EXCELLENCE Rotorua Boys’ High School principal Chris Grinter on fostering the right mix of conditions to ensure success and wellbeing
Five easy steps to get yourself and your students striving for greatness
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WORKING SPACE 21 | Venturing outside corridors Why education beyond the r ealm of the classroom is of the utmost importance
10 | WHATEVER HAPPENED TO CARPOOLING? How to make your school carpool cool
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News | Viewpoints
Dr Mary Casey Founder and CEO of the Casey Centre www.caseycentre.com.au
Martz Witty Head of the Martz Group www.martz.co.nz
Robyn Pearce Time management and productivity expert www.gettingagrip.com
Seven resolutions for a healthy headspace
When things don’t go to plan
How to not sweat the small stuff
1. Prioritise your happiness and health It’s important to decide your health and happiness is number one. As simple as it sounds, if you don’t have these, you are not in a position to contribute to others or yourself. Everything stems from here.
So you’re at work and something isn’t quite going to plan, or has happened that you hadn’t budgeted for, or has struck from left field and caught you unaware. These all happen. But how are you dealing with them?
Some people know it naturally, some never get it, and the rest of us have the best teachers in the world – small children!
2. Spend more time with the right people Rather than resolving to spend more time with everyone – which can be exhausting – spend time with people who are naturally positive and uplifting, and who are going in the direction you want to go in. 3. Deal with toxic relationships You can identify toxic relationships by the way they make you feel; people who are controlling, overly emotional, or in blame put everyone else in a negative state. Stand your ground, set your boundaries and make it clear to them what behaviour you won’t accept - even with family. You may need to disengage altogether from particularly toxic people. Your health will thank you for it. 4. Reassess your happiness at work This is a must for those in a negative work culture that’s leaving them feeling overworked, uncertain of their future, anxious or stressed. It’s important to know that you can address the issue at your current place of work. If you can’t, it may be time to look for a healthier work environment. 5. Review your daily routine It takes courage to admit there are decisions we ourselves make that deflate us emotionally – from accepting a job with a long work commute, to running around too much, to not giving ourselves enough ‘down’ time every day, to spending too much and putting ourselves in financial stress. By resolving to develop a strategy to solve them, you can be in an entirely different place by the end of 2017. And you’ll be glad for it.
The first typical reaction is knee jerk and panic, but this is seldom the correct course of action. Instead I suggest grabbing a pen and paper and answering these questions that I learned years ago at a Dale Carnegie Course. It changed my life forever and is cited in Dale’s book “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living”. Of course, as with anything, the theory is one thing – you need to apply it: 1. What’s the problem? Try to itemise in measurable terms what is wrong, what’s happened, what is about to happen. At a fundamental level, anything we can measure, we can manage. 2. What’s the cause(s) of the problem? What has happened that led to this arising: is it a system fault or a human fault, who is that person, what is the system, when and how did it happen, when did it come to your attention? 3. What are the possible solutions? Okay now let your worry get out of the way here. No answer or possible solution is a crazy one, from the sublime to the ridiculous. List them, don’t stop at one or two – go for gold. I remember years ago I had a staff member who did this exercise about a failing computer system the company had at the time. One of his possible solutions was to go to the roof of our building in Durham Street and throw the computers off. Yes it was a bit crazy, but the fundamental truth was that the entire system needed to go.
6. Don’t let negative emotions control you Negative emotions, however small, can overwhelm anything positive. Resolve to develop awareness of when you’re feeling upset or frustrated before it spoils your day. Examine your part in this. What can you do personally to make yourself feel better? Each time you begin to feel down, take a walk or go out in the sun, because nature and movement nurture positive emotions.
4. What is the best possible solution? Pick and choose; with a vast array of options from the three listed above, what can you glean, merge, pick and choose that will fix the problem?
7. The gift of giving You can find deep fulfilment and connection in philanthropic or charitable work, so try getting involved in a community group, nursing home or the likes, and volunteer some of your time.
Perhaps you are too close to the action? Then find a friend, an advisor or a colleague and work through this together. A fresh set of eyes will see things differently (perhaps less emotionally) than you do.
5. Do it. Just do it. Now. It sounds so simple (and it is), but the challenge when facing a crisis or problem is we fail to stop and think, contemplate and act.
I spent the first week of our recent school holidays around a lot of small children and their parents, with a brilliant opportunity to observe in a real world ‘laboratory’. Although I raised six children myself, once they’re off your hands you do tend to forget the day-today mini-melodramas: the life-shattering distress when a favourite toy can’t be found, the anxieties when an unexpected dog comes too close, the high drama of being left behind by the big kids. The adult world has its own variations of the same theme. Life is full of minor irritations. Or we could say that life is full of opportunities to practice objectivity. Here are some strategies we can learn from hanging out with little people. Whatever you focus on will dominate Your computer is taking too long to load, or some other low-level inconvenience. It’s easy to become myopic, to sit there staring at the screen and clicking impatiently. Instead of becoming more intensely focused on the nuisance, stand up and move. It doesn’t matter what you do, as long as you’ve shifted your physical body for a moment. As soon as we shift our focus, other possibilities show up. Other ways of using those minutes come to mind. And then we’re better able to see the issue as the minor irritation it really is. Give options instead of commands You’ve got a new staff member who’s struggling with their scheduling. You want to help them allocate their time better, without appearing to be unnecessarily directive. Instead of saying, ‘Go and work on … task’ you could say ‘Which task do you think is going to give you the highest payback?’ Does it really matter? I’ve repeatedly noticed over my 22 years of working in this field of productivity that many who focus on perfection will not only stress themselves about their work load, but will also be known as procrastinators. Perfectionism and procrastination are very cosy bed-fellows. Focus on what matters and don’t sweat the small stuff.
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How does MySchoolApps work? As soon as your school registers with MySchoolApps we will configure your school mobile app. This is a fast process, enabling your school to quickly start creating content categories and uploading notifications and/or documents.
WHAT DOES MYSCHOOLAPPS OFFER?
WHAT IS MySchoolApps? MySchoolApps is an easy to use app which immediately provides parents and caregivers with everything they need to know about what is happening at the school. MySchoolApps is a convenient, reliable way to receive school notifications. Gone are the days of notices getting lost in children’s schoolbags!
MySchoolApps’ flexibility means it can offer: • Unlimited free instant Push message notifications (Push anything instantly) • Unlimited Push message categories for parents to subscribe to: Alerts - Events - News - Newsletters - Timetables • Information pages (create unlimited content pages easily and quickly) • Permission notes • Parent eForms for Sick Note/Absent and Change of Details
With MySchooApps school notices, newsletters, any alerts, or other important information will be communicated directly and immediately to the parents or caregiver’s smartphone.
• Links to website pages
MySchoolApps communicates directly with iPhone, iPad, Android, and Windows Phone devices.
• Create your own unlimited custom eForms with payment and signatures if required
SCHOOL SIGN UP Schools can sign up for a 30 day trial of MySchoolApps at our website www.myschoolapps.co.nz If you choose to trial MySchoolApps, you will receive the full functioning iPhone, iPad, and Windows Phone version to trial in your school for 30 days. If you choose to subscribe to MySchoolApps after the trial, we will then build the full functioning Android version. If you choose not to go ahead, we will simply remove the iPhone app from the Apple App Store.
• Embedded PDF documents • Embedded videos/maps and GPS directions
• Unlimited content categories (created easily and quickly) • RSS Feed and Google Calendar integration • Social media integration with Twitter and Facebook • Social media sharing (option for parents/students to share app content on their own Facebook/Twitter feeds ) • Website integration (post content once and publish everywhere) Includes free MySchoolApps website which syncs seamlessly with the app • Reply by SMS and email (great for parent/student feedback) • Unlimited photo galleries (create a photo gallery on any content entry) • Password protected content.
MySchoolApps is easy to update PRICING Ask if your school qualifies for a free app. We do this by placing tasteful advertising on some of the pages. Or set up is $1250+gst + $2 per student per year. We will also make a free website for your school that seamlessly integrates the app. However if you’re happy with your existing site we can integrate with that too.
Teachers and staff can update the status of any event with the easy to use admin tools from their computer or their smartphone.
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We will also make a FREE website for your school that seamlessly integrates the app. However if you’re happy with your existing site we can integrate with that too. For any queries, phone Julianne Eady on (03) 961 5050 email: julianne@academy.net.nz
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News | Life in the Classroom
Getting set for success
Goal setting 101
By Natalia Rietveld
By Natalia Rietveld
We live in a society where everything is available at the touch of a finger; instantaneous news and information, instant meals and cars that get you from A to B in a matter of minutes. The art of patience and hard work is slowly dying. Most children are leaving school expecting to step right into their dream jobs without having to work for them, when in reality, starting from the bottom and working your way up is typically the only way. Teachers - we love what you do. You, above most, have the power to turn entitled students into hard working, motivated, success-chasing machines. But if you ever feel stuck or unsure how to get your students to understand the real world, here are some surefire tips to help enforce what you already portray. Show them you’re human We all know it’s not possible to get through life without trials and tribulations. Success isn’t handed to us on a silver platter drizzled in red wine jus. It’s your job as a teacher to make sure your students know that as well. When they are struggling and ready to throw in the towel, let them know you’ve been there too. Humans respond to humans, believe it or not. Students will learn more from you if they see you as human not someone just doing their job. Let them know you genuinely want to help, get down to their level and be relatable. Let them fail I’m sure you’ve heard of Sara Blakely. She is the founder of Spanx, a company worth $1 billion. She was raised to believe if she didn’t fail at least once a day she wasn’t trying hard enough. Every night at the dinner table her father would ask her what she failed at that day and they would celebrate those failures. Being afraid of failure is what holds a lot of us, even as adults, back, when failure is what should motivate us and have us striving for success.
Bestow this upon your students, discuss failures as a class and work together to create success. Don’t make it too easy Challenges are fun and are really important. Of course encouraging students to ask for help when they need it is important, but it’s just as important to not give them the answers. Sometimes it’s the easiest option, but if they haven’t learnt to do it for themselves when it comes to implicating it in the real world they’ll have no idea how to do it. Unfortunately as adults we know all too well that the answers don’t come easily. Once students learn to work hard and figure things out on their own the lessons will stick in their mind for years to come. “Good teaching is more a giving of good questions than a giving of right answers.” – Josef Albers. Not everyone learns the same It’s obvious but it can be easy to slip into the same routine. Be sure to switch up your learning styles to cater to everyone in your classroom, and it’s a great way to keep it fresh and exciting for yourself as well. According to Teachhub’s Annie Condron, things like letting your students take ownership of their learning, giving you the ideas of how they learn best and relating lessons to student’s lives are good ways to change it up in the classroom. Reap the rewards Don’t take yourself too seriously. Hard work will get you wherever you want to go in life, but what is life without fun and enjoyment? It’s certainly not a life most would like to lead. You were a student once, how great was it when your teacher knew how to have a joke with the class. Students are more respectful to people they enjoy being around. Enthusiasm is as contagious as the common cold so make sure you spread whatever enthusiasm you can muster among your students; it will achieve more than you know.
CHANGE YOUR JOB CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
Setting goals for yourself and sticking to them is hard enough, let alone trying to get your students to stick to theirs. Students shouldn’t feel like a failure or a success based on test scores at the end of the year. Having personal and class goals for everyone to work together and achieve allows everyone to track and celebrate their own personal growth. The start of the year is the perfect time to do this; it allows you to get to know your students and what it is they personally want to achieve. Setting class goals based on everyone’s personal goals is a great way to unify the class and get them all working together right from the get go.
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Make it Attainable - this is pretty self-explanatory. There is no point setting yourself or your students up for failure but do make sure it’s not too easy.
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Here are five easy steps to get yourself and your students striving to achieve greatness and not lose track of what you’ve set out to do half way through the year.
way will help build a sense of accomplishment among students and may create a bit of competition throughout the class. Seeing others crossing off goals may be the motivation some class members need to kick their own goals into action. Display them on the walls in the classroom for added affect.
Step 1: Think S.M.A.R.T.
Step 4: Crisis aversion
Create goals that are Specific - don’t just let your students say “I want to do better in math” - make them tell you the specific areas in math they are struggling with. It may just be that they want to pass their algebra exams because they didn’t manage to the year before. Make sure their goals are Measurable - seeing achievement along the way does a lot to boost confidence and will help students to keep striving. Being able to measure their progress towards the goal will help them not lose sight. Make it Attainable - this is pretty self-explanatory. There is no point setting yourself or your students up for failure but do make sure it’s not too easy. Lastly keep the goals Realistic and set a Timeframe to achieve them by. Step 2: Put your pen to paper Writing down the goals you have set out to achieve and the steps you need to take to achieve them is going to: 1, hold everyone accountable and 2, help to visualize the goal in mind. Being able to tick off or cross out steps and goals along the
It’s important that your students know it won’t be easy. When putting the goals in place think about what obstacles everyone will have to overcome along the way and put strategies in place to get over those hurdles. Having the knowledge to overcome hardship will not only help with their current goals but will be a great life lesson that they will be able to use over and over. Step 5: Celebrate Just like the art of patience and hardwork, make sure you treat yourself. It’s already a rewarding feeling when goals are hit but a ‘congratulations’ is still in order. Have students give themselves individual rewards for each goal they manage to achieve and don’t let them keep their achievements a secret. The sense of pride and achievement will be felt among everyone that has worked extremely hard for what they’ve accomplished. Personal notes to students reaching goals is always a nice touch as well. As for the class goals, make it big. Have a shared lunch and an awards ceremony to recognise those who have made it possible.
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News | Principal Q&A
Leading with the heart
In my opinion New Zealand has a world-class education system. The reason our schools are so great is because of the dedicated teachers, teacher aides and learning assistants we have. All schools do the best they can with what they are given, but we could always do with more support. To be fair it is having the time to really get to know the students and to build strong relationships with whanau that makes the biggest difference.
By Natalia Rietveld
How do you support other children in your school to be accepting of other’s differences? All children are unique and are treated as individuals. We strive to develop the whole child. Differences are celebrated. As we all know we as humans have different strengths and weaknesses. If we are able to learn off each other then we are better off.
Maihiihi School principal, Glenn MacPherson, recently made headlines with his act of kindness towards one of his pupils.
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Glenn wrote a letter to a young boy at his school with autism; something so simple meant so much to the young boy’s family.
As we all know we as humans have different strengths and weaknesses. If we are able to learn off each other then we are better off.
The letter read: Cam, I have been very impressed with your attitude and development since you started here at Maihiihi. You are like our overseas pro, you offer our school so much in many different ways.
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This little gift is future focused. It will not fit you now but when it does I would like you to look me up and come and tell me what career path you have chosen.
What inspired you to write that letter to your pupil with autism?
I wrote the letter after I watched him at our school athletics day. He just fits in at our school and is treated like everyone else. We have high expectations for all of our students. We celebrate successes for all our Maihiihi learners when they deserve it.
I am guessing it will be something to do with technology, maybe computer programming or game design!! Maybe even a job that doesn’t exist yet. The gift was a sports T-shirt belonging to Northern Districts’ cricketer, Ben Laughlin. Glenn has been principal of Maihiihi School since 2014 and spoke to Principals Today about his role.
We have strong community and school values; there are consequences for all students who don’t meet our school rules and expectations. All children are treated equally. On athletics day this particular student tried really hard and I loved seeing the huge smile on his face.
How long have you been teaching? I started teaching at Waterloo Primary School in Lower Hutt in 1999 as a scale A and sports coordinator. I taught in England for a year then moved to Fraser Crescent as a teaching DP, then to Glenview in Hamilton as an AP.
Do you think there is enough support in schools to give students with special needs the help they deserve?
We encourage risk taking and making educated mistakes. Learning from our mistakes is a crucial part of life. I make many mistakes (especially at home, so my wife points out!) and yes I do often learn from them. So I suppose we are very lucky to have a really dedicated staff who really get to know their students and their families. We work out what makes our kids tick and then develop their learning experiences around that. What advice would you give to educators working with children who have special needs? Treat them with respect and really get to know them and their families. When they demonstrate good behaviour, praise them, when they are naughty give them suitable consequences. We also need to make sure that we listen to kids to understand not to reply. If you were the Minister of Education what would you change? If I was the Minister of Education I would personally like to see the way in which we gauge success in primary education (National Standards) adjusted - with an added focus on the success of our hands-on learners. New Zealand is a great country because we work hard and value all jobs. Why should some kids that will grow up to be successful farmers, mechanics or plumbers feel less success at school because of how we assess them? I visited Singapore earlier this year with the Waikato Principals
Association to look at their worldclass education system. I found that it was so geared up to university entrance that if you did not go to uni you were seen as a failure. One principal I spoke to, had a plumbing issue, he had to get a plumber from another country to fix the problem… scary aye! What do we really want for our learners? What has been your greatest challenge as principal? The greatest challenge I have faced as a principal would be finding a healthy balance between school work and home life. I have three young children and often I miss out on seeing some of their sports days and Kapa Haka performances etc because of my own personal workload. There are many new skills to learn when you take on your first principal position. I am lucky to be part of the Waikato Principals Association. This is a very strong group and as a firsttime principal I was lucky to be able to learn off some very experienced principals. I am also the little fish in a professional learning group of experienced principals who are very talented at what they do. What has been your biggest achievement as principal? Biggest achievement to date would be the gradual improvement in our school data and our growing school roll. The day I started we had 51 learners and as I answer this today we are on 84. If you could teach your students only one thing, what would it be? Respect. Treat everyone how you would like to be treated. There is a quote I like that is on the wall in my office and that I share with parents. “Your child’s success or lack of success in education does not indicate what kind of parent you are… But having a child that is teachable, respectful, a great class mate, mentally tough, resilient and tries their best IS a direct reflection on your parenting.” What have your students taught you? The students have taught me that office work can wait, but a game of cricket or touch rugby on a beautiful sunny lunchtime can’t. It’s important to me to get outside and active with the kids.
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News | Cover Story
The cost of ‘FREE’ education By Natalia Rietveld
Raising a child, as everyone knows, is not cheap. For those who don’t wish to send their children to a private school, or can’t afford to, the option of a state school is available. Delving further into the costs of ‘free schooling’ it’s discovered that actually, state schooling comes with quite a cost in itself; the higher the decile the more parents and caregivers have to fork out. It is fair to say that New Zealand’s education is far from free. In fact new statistics have shown that for a child who started school in 2016, a state-provided ‘free’ education will cost on average more than $34,000. The figures, compiled from a survey of more than 1000 members of ASG Education Programmes, included fees, transport, uniforms, computers and sports trips associated with 13 years of schooling. Invariably there is going to be costs involved. Expecting the government to grant a new school uniform every year, for every child, is ludicrous and unsustainable. Mother of two Sarah Edward knows all too well the cost of having children. Her eldest, Lily, began school in Christchurch during November 2016. The cost of Lily’s school uniform alone was more than $250 and that was only for summer. In a year’s time, Lily will have outgrown it. Because the primary school Lily attends is of a higher decile, the school doesn’t get as much funding as a lower decile school. In her area it is expected that parents and caregivers earn a higher wage.
Sarah’s family of four lives off $52,000 a year. Included on the list of things to buy before starting school, were $50 for activities and $40 for swimming pretty reasonable. Along with Lily’s personal stationery, Sarah had to purchase three pencils, three glue sticks, two pens, two packs of crayons and three whiteboard markers. These items had to be left unnamed. “When I was buying her stationery I got talking to a teacher who told me buying items for the classroom’s use is common now,” Sarah says. After just being at school for six weeks Lily had already been involved in three fundraising events. Yes, three fundraising events in six weeks. “They are getting funds for a new playground, so it is understandable, but being so close to Christmas at the time, it was a little much.” Between fundraising events, paying for activities and supplying stationery for the classroom you’d think you’d done your dash for ‘free schooling’ but no, they still request an $80 donation per year from families as well. “I know it says donation but you sort of feel obliged to pay it,” Sarah says. Compared to a lot of other schools throughout New Zealand, these costs are fairly reasonable. It was found recently that Owairoa Primary School in Auckland encourages parents to pay $100 for their new entrant children to attend their super-start programme, which helps them better transition into their school. Transitioning new-entrant pupils into school, according to Labour Party’s associate education spokesperson Jenny Salesa, should be at no cost.
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By and large schools are very aware of families’ financial circumstances and plan accordingly.
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“This should be a core function of what schools should be providing and they should be receiving sufficient government funding so that parents don’t need to pay.”
So what happens when parents can’t afford to send their children to school? Thankfully not all children, whose parents are struggling, have to miss out.
Founder of the programme and assistant principal of Owairoa Primary School, Wendy Gresham, says she started the program 15 years ago after many parents asked her to set up a school-based transition programme, and many schools in the Howick area have followed their lead.
Variety - the Children’s Charity, helps provide essential items to children that would otherwise go without, including stationery, school activities and uniforms. They rely on people to sponsor a specific child and all donations are managed by Variety to meet that child’s individual needs.
The school also asks parents for a $260 donation.
Variety chief executive, Lorraine Taylor, says more and more children are needing help every year. They currently have 2,700 children on their sponsorship programme and expect that to nearly double throughout 2017.
“Owairoa Primary School is always looking for ways to raise funds as government funding does not meet the demands and expectations from parents and ourselves for a top quality education. Our school donation of $260 per student is paid by approximately 60 percent of families. We are continually fundraising,” says Wendy.
“Demand for support is increasing year on year. We currently have over 700 children on our waiting list awaiting a sponsor.
The cost of schooling is continuously rising and it is beginning to get more difficult for families, like Sarah’s, to afford. Jenny believes “unless the government starts properly funding our schools it seems inevitable that schools will be forced to ask parents to fork out more and more”.
“Variety works alongside schools, community agencies and healthcare professionals who refer children around the country who most urgently need our help. We then match a sponsor with an individual child so they can connect and create positive change in their lives.” Unfortunately for parents and caregivers thinking sending their five-year-olds to school is expensive it only increases with age. “Costs are greater depending on the age of the student, for instance uniform costs for secondary verse primary schools. The increased requirement for digital devices can be challenging for families, particularly those on low incomes and/or with multiple children,” Lorraine says. Her advice for schools is to be realistic in what you are charging and be understanding that not everyone can afford the same privileges. “By and large schools are very aware of families’ financial circumstances and plan accordingly.” For parents and caregivers, just breathe, it’ll all be over in 13 years.
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 1, 2017 | 9
News | School Life
Whatever happened to carpooling? By Lydia Truesdale
Flexible learning spaces in schools Most schools were built between the 1950s and 1970s and the way teachers teach and students learn has been developing since then. Today’s learning environments are about well connected, physical environments that encourage and support many different types of learning. This flexibility helps teachers equip our kids with the skills and knowledge they need.
Remember carpooling? A popular, convenient, costeffective, environmentallyfriendly gem of a thing?
the traffic on the roads, reduce your carbon footprint, and give parents the occasional morning off with a safe, fun and environmentally friendly carpooling system.
Why and how this clever concept slipped through the societal cracks is unknown. But, and more importantly, why aren’t we as a progressive nation careering for a carpool revival?
Pros: • The occasional morning off (on parents’ off-duty days, of course)
In its defense, carpooling gets complicated when it comes to the workforce. Not everybody who works at a company resides in the same area, meaning you’d probably have to drive to a meeting point to catch a ride, in which case you might as well just drive to work, right?
• Reducing the earth’s carbon consumption
However the same can’t be said for schools and their pupils, particularly state and state-funded schools that require students to live in a specified zone of close geographical proximity to the school.
Cons: • Responsibility: if something unexpected pops up, you’d usually only have to worry about finding a way for your child(ren) to get to school, and now you have a carload of kids to think about. This potential issue can be simply avoided, however, with an effective backup plan.
By this theory a large percentage of the school’s pupils are likely neighbours, or at least living within a reasonable walking distance of each other, and this makes them prime carpooling candidates. Make your school carpool cool Implementing an effective ‘Carpooling is cool’ campaign in your school can be easy. It can be as simple as sending a letter home with kids or an email out to parents, detailing the pros and cons of carpooling and asking for parents to register their interest in a carpooling system. From here it’s relatively easy to use your administrative resources to arrange those interested into groups according to the proximity of their residences, their age groups, their extra-curricular activities, or all of the above.
• Fuel savings
• Educating kids about both social concepts and environmental awareness • In some places there are dedicated lanes for carpoolers, meaning they avoid pesky traffic jams.
Regarding planning and funding, you can plan for upgrades in your 10 Year Property Plan (10YPP), pay for upgrades using your Five Year Agreement (5YA) funding, and upgrades to create flexible learning spaces are ‘priority 3 projects’. BREAKOUT SPACES Breakout spaces are shared areas between learning spaces that encourage: independent learning, small group work, and co-operative work by teachers and students across classes. In existing buildings, breakout spaces are often created in areas that in the past were just outdoor
corridors. Breakout spaces can be built in with walls and glazing, or can be defined by using furniture. OUTDOOR LEARNING AREAS Outdoor learning areas can fulfil the same function as indoor breakout spaces. An outdoor learning area must be directly accessible from an internal learning area that meets the DQLS Guidelines (not resource rooms or a withdrawal space), and easy for a teacher in the internal learning area to passively supervise. LARGE BREAKOUT SPACES Large breakout spaces are open congregation areas that are part of the general circulation space. You can use them for group activities, such as assemblies. Large breakout spaces must be connected to, and accessible from, learning spaces. People should be able to see from one space to the other, and teachers should be able to passively supervise the large breakout area from the main learning space. Information provided courtesy of the Ministry of Education. Visit www.education.govt.nz.
Rebuild begins on one of the country’s oldest schools Auckland’s Freemans Bay School, which opened in 1888, is undergoing a $19.2 million rebuild to support roll growth and repair leaky buildings.
Some helpful pointers: 1. Dedicate a carpool captain Appoint one person (parent) to oversee your group’s arrangement. If anything happens, those in your group know exactly who to contact, and with the information coming from the one person there’s no room for Chinese whispers and/or confusion. 2. Always have a backup plan Things happen, that’s life, so whether it’s a sick child, a broken down car or something else stopping you from meeting your carpooling obligations, make sure you’re prepared with a Plan B.
Failing that – if you support the carpool movement but for whatever reason are unable to arrange a system for your school – advise parents to visit letscarpool.co.nz to tee up their own arrangements, or dedicate a time slot for a carpooling powwow at the beginning or end of school functions during which parents can group themselves.
3. Make a safety commitment Getting to school on time while reducing the traffic on the roads is great but, as always, safety comes first. It’s most important that the occupants of your car and their respective families feel safe and comfortable with the arrangement, so it’s advised your group signs some sort of agreement detailing that safe driving must be employed and all cars must be well maintained, properly insured and legally road worthy.
Everyone’s coming from the same-ish area, arriving at the same destination, so why not do your part to reduce
For more advice on carpooling or to join an effective carpooling system visit letscarpool.govt.nz
10 | Term 1, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Following the rebuild the school will have capacity for 600 students. The new facilities will include a new learning block, library, administration building and Rumaki Whānau Ata, the school’s Maori Immersion Unit. The new learning block will be an innovative learning environment, which will have flexible learning spaces. The school’s board of trustees is contributing $1.2 million towards a new multi-purpose hall. Freemans Bay School acting principal Janis Powley says staff, students
and parents are thrilled that the school’s redevelopment is now underway. “It will be a carefully phased development that will result in buildings designed to support the 21st century teaching and learning style that we are already delivering.” During the summer holidays preconstruction work was carried out on site and earlier this week the site was blessed by local kaumatua. Work is expected to be completed by the end of 2017, ready for students to begin the 2018 school year in their new facilities. Information provided care of the Ministry of Education.
News | Case Study
Lessons learned from the UAE By Natalia Rietveld
“Children generally want to learn and achieve; if that’s not happening then something needs to change,” says Abu Dhabi Education Council’s former cluster manager Wayne Freeth. Making that change is exactly what he spent the last six years in the United Arab Emirates doing. HOW IT BEGAN Wayne began teaching in 1976 and his first teaching role was at Lytton High School in Gisborne. He has undertaken many roles in New Zealand, including principal of Rai Valley Area School.
Much to his own children’s embarrassment, he walked out dressed as a princess during one of his musicals. His daughter Hilary Freeth laughs thinking back to what was then a horrifying moment. “Looking back on it now, it’s hilarious. I can still picture him in the pink dress with the curly wig and make-up on.” Wayne has always had an undeniable interest in leadership and obviously he’s willing to give everything a go, so when he was offered the role of cluster manager in Al Ain, it would be against his nature to turn it down. ADJUSTING TO CULTURE Al Ain is the fourth largest city in the UAE, covering 13,100 square km with a population of 650,000 people. Compare that to Christchurch, where Wayne moved from, at only 1,426 square km and home to just 366,100 people; it was a far cry from what Wayne was familiar with. Though this experience may sound daunting to most, Wayne loved every minute of it, but admits he was nervous about seeming naïve to the culture.
Martyn d’Cruz, Sharef kan Al Bouloushi, Wayne Freeth and Fareed Alasssser Saeessd Iwasshide at Wayne’s farewell
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“Being a teacher can be a very lonely experience,” Wayne says. Because of that he always enjoyed collaborating with others both in curricular and in extra-curricular activities. “I directed a few musicals; despite not having much experience and ability, I found that hugely enjoyable.”
Wayne says, “they were always very helpful.” One lesson he had to learn very quickly however, was unless he wanted to keep getting refills of Arabic coffee, he needed to remember to give his cup a little wiggle, or the assumption was he wanted more. STARTING FROM SCRATCH Like in all education the key factor to success is building relations and trust. During his six years as a cluster manager Wayne worked alongside ex-principals from all over the world who were all part of the ambitious reform effort.
I learnt a great deal from my experience and believe the East and West cultures could learn a lot from each other. I would encourage anyone who has the chance to work in a different cultural setting to jump at it.
helping students achieve and teachers were feeling over worked and underappreciated. With an understanding of the job at hand, it was time to figure out a way to turn the schools around.
The role of cluster managers was to oversee school improvement and to coach and mentor school leadership.
THE TURN AROUND “Initially people were unsure about the different ideas we brought forward,” says Wayne, but eventually they managed to bring out the best of both worlds.
“Trying to reform a whole education system was initially very overwhelming for everyone,” Wayne says.
To start with; the team knew they all needed to have a common focus. They decided to put their efforts into literacy.
When Wayne first arrived it was obvious there was work that needed to be done. He recalls the school buildings being old with a lack of resources for modern teaching. “Teaching tended to be quite traditional with a focus on rote learning.”
“This proved a significant factor in helping progress. Having a focus helped psychologically to make the changes more manageable; and with a shared focus, teachers and leaders had an area where they could share their expertise.”
A new curriculum had just been introduced upon his arrival which meant most subjects were taught in English.
Thankfully Wayne was gifted a book titled Don’t They Know It’s Friday, which details the differences between Arab and Western cultures.
A lot of the children were left frustrated with the language barriers which led to low engagement and a lot of “petty squabbling”.
The book prepared him for many lifestyle changes but he found the people were so hospitable that all his worries about “shall I keep my coat on, do I take it off” were unnecessary.
This issue was not helped by the fact that English Medium Teachers and Arabic Medium Teachers who were set to work together had little understanding of each other’s language and culture.
Wayne couldn’t fault anyone’s kindness. “People weren’t hung up on you ‘should know everything’, ”
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There was more of a focus on getting through the work than
Wayne was put in charge of nine primary schools. As well as regularly meeting with the principals and other senior leaders, Wayne made a consistent effort to sit in the classrooms to see what was really happening. He was inspired in his work by The Virtues Project. This initiative came to New Zealand in 1991 and Wayne utilised the idea to recognize and name the virtues he saw in others. “It is a very affirming philosophy,” he says. Wayne also drew a lot from the philosophy of ‘Appreciative Inquiry’, which he learned more about whilst in the UAE. “If you can help students
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achieve success somewhere, no matter how small, it’s a huge factor in getting them enthusiastic and engaged.” During times of transition Wayne made sure to have clear structures in place. “Having clear directions in the early phases of change gave people the certainty they were wanting. With time they became more creative and flexible.” In spite of many challenges, schools are now progressing. Under ADEC, the new school model, they now have a brand new focus. “Magnificent new schools have been built and are now equipped with modernised equipment,” Wayne says.
Above all, strong relationships and networks between principals and middle leaders have been built so they can now support each other and share good practices. Likewise, the Arab Medium teachers and English teachers collaborate much more effectively and student’s achievements are increasing with a huge improvement in behaviour. Wayne is justifiably proud of what he achieved during his time in Al Ain. The pride overwhelmingly shines through when he begins reminiscing on the people he met and the challenges he overcame. “I learnt a great deal from my experience and believe the East and West cultures could learn a lot from each other. I would encourage anyone who has the chance to work in a different cultural setting to jump at it.”
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 1, 2017 | 11
All about flexible learning At Woods, we believe that education is of the utmost importance – not just for the children of today but for our world tomorrow. This belief has driven our team, for over half a century, to study how children learn – from a behavioural, ergonomic and cognitive perspective – and to develop furniture that is flexible, adaptable and stimulating. Our product range positively enhances the educational environment, ensuring our children are reaching their full learning potential. Though it may not be known by many, Woods has been supplying products to the New Zealand market through a sales agency since 1996. And while we have had much success with our ever-popular PantoFlex chair, Hokki stool and DuraPos chair, we felt it was time to make our entire product range available to New Zealand customers. Therefore, we’re extremely excited to introduce our full range of products which inspire education and allow students to perform better in a flexible and stimulating setting. There is an added benefit here – value for money; by buying direct from the manufacturer, on-selling costs are a thing of the past. At Woods, not only are we committed to providing inspired and flexible learning environments, we are also passionate about providing a better world for future generations. At our factory we have adopted processes of utilising solar power, harvesting rainwater, waste minimisation, resource conservation, recycling and sustainable manufacturing decisions and processes.
WE’RE FOR FLEXIBLE LEARNING.
It is this consideration that sets us apart and this is the contribution we are making to the world of tomorrow. Additionally, we proudly manufacture our products to the highest quality standards, of AS/NZS 4610, ensuring our products meet the demands of classrooms today and well into the future. We back this promise with a 10 year warranty on the entire Woods range.
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We create furniture that inspires and enables students to reach their full learning potential, and contributes to a better future for them and our planet.
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Catering to students at all levels far and wide Woods supplies furniture to preschools, kindergartens, primary schools, high schools and tertiary institutions throughout Australia, New Zealand and the Middle East. Setting the standard Woods Student Chairs conform to the highest standards: AS/NZS 4610.2, AS/NZS 4610.3, ISO 5970 and EN 1729.
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We believe that furniture can improve the learning environment.
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Flexible learning solutions Project and team work, social learning and collaborative behaviour need the high flexibility that Woods’ designs offer. With a large range of products tested and approved by AFRDI, Woods can confidently guarantee their furniture for 10 years. Flexible Flexible furniture such as desks and Storage Porters™ on castors allow for the interior space of the room to be changed around to suit various activities. Adaptable Adaptable furniture such as Iris Tables™, Byte Tables and Triquetra Pods™ can be used for collaborative learning styles and also as individual desks. Stimulating Stimulating learning environments are made easy with Woods’ colours and imaginative shapes that have been designed by experts to improve the pedagogy. Woods’ colours, product designs and expertise in creating successful learning environments bring education to life.
Environmentally friendly Woods is committed to a more sustainable world for future generations. Now, perhaps more than ever before in human history, we need to be acutely aware of our ‘footprint’ on the earth. So we are playing our part in reducing the impact of the industry on the environment and all the company’s products are developed with this key criteria in mind.
Product range Seating solutions The Woods Educational Furniture range offers seating for your school including seating for classrooms, science, art, music, computer seminars and conferences.
Security lockers The Woods Educational Furniture Security Locker range and storage solutions are available in numerous configurations, to suit any school environment from corridors to sporting facilities. Student desks Woods Educational Furniture manufactures a range of tables and desks including classroom tables, computer desks, workstations, staff desks, meeting tables, multi-purpose benches and adjustable tub desks. To find out more about our innovative range of educational furniture contact: Aron Fuller on 0275 344 282 or email aron@woodsfurniturenz.co.nz
Learning Space | Fundraising
Putting the fun in fundraising Some of our fondest childhood memories stimulate our senses like it was just yesterday we were living the moment.
As a universal practise, fundraising has many faces from all walks of life. Open for interpretation, fundraising and what it entails has been redefined and repackaged for as long as it has existed.
The taste of sticky toffee apples, the aroma of sausage sizzles and the flightless sensation of the Ferris wheel; many of us lived these memories in the fairground of fundraising where children, parents, teachers, friends and even strangers unite to support a common cause.
For many charities and their loyal followers and supporters, it has become an annual event and societal ritual, represented by yellow daffodils, red crosses, bandannas, mascots and often to the dismay of their other half, men’s moustaches - the symbols are numerous and in some cases compellingly potent.
Fundraising is as old as the education system itself, but it’s not going out of fashion any time soon. Whether it is used to facilitate the development of a new department, buy extra sports equipment for pupils, sponsor an exchange or support an external campaign, fundraising translates to the practise of giving. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, from the north or south, went to a private school or public school, your life directly or indirectly has been touched by fundraising and in turn, your fundraising has touched the life of another.
A simple concept by nature, the issues driving the need for fundraising can be anything but. As a catalyst for change, fundraising has set the wheels in motion for societal, environmental and educational progress. Philanthropic campaigns engineered to combat poverty have been dressed as celebrity concerts, attracting the support of 400 million viewers across the world. Even in the smallest of towns, fundraising efforts can be found. In many cases, the more poignant campaigns are found in the schools
who receive no publicity for their goodwill; funded by people who have the least to give, but would offer their last dollar or the shirt off their back. And while every fundraising co-operative embodies unique characteristics, every campaign, initiative, cause and objective is linked by one common goal; to fund a future. An organisation committed to supporting fundraisers in New Zealand is aptly titled the Fundraising Institute of New Zealand (FINZ). Established in January 1991, the professional body offers a support network to more than 400 members.
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Fundraising is as old as the education system itself, but it’s not going out of fashion any time soon.
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FINZ is guiding, coaching and inspiring qualified fundraisers and freelance volunteers. For an annual subscription fee, members can educate themselves and embellish their fundraising flair with FINZ resources.
While fundraising addresses many of the serious global, national and community issues affecting our people, the practise is also about drawing out the fun in fundraising because after all, it’s embedded right there in the word itself.
They can access the organisation’s library, seek help from mentors and attend conferences and monthly lunches in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.
Using bazaars, books, spellathons, sunscreen, homemade hamburgers and calendars (to name but a few things), the school is making fun and funds with innovation.
Ecostore’s ‘Good Soap for a Good Cause’ ‘Good Soap for a Good Cause’ is an easy and healthy fundraising option that delivers results. We know that fundraising can be a tough job and for as long as we can remember a lot of fundraising has been about selling sweets. It gets the job done, but New Zealand’s obesity rates are out of control and injecting more junk food into the community is really the last thing our children need. That’s why ecostore has come up with ‘Good Soap for a Good Cause’. What is it? Good Soap for a Good Cause uses ecostore’s popular boxed bar soaps and works exactly like your traditional candy fundraiser. In fact pricing, returns for the school and the number of bars per carry pack are exactly the same as they are for chocolate (minus the sugar and the negative health connotations).
$1 of every soap sold goes to your fundraising cause The individual bars of soap come in a user-friendly convenient carry carton of 24 soaps and are available in three fragrances: Lemongrass, Grapefruit & Mint, and Pear. ü Made in NZ ü Plant-based ü Cruelty free ü No nasty chemicals such as triclocarban or cocamidopropyl betaine, propylene glycol or synthetic dyes which are linked to skin irritations. The Grapefruit & Mint soaps come in a box that the kids can personalise with their own message, drawing, or sticker – they make ideal presents for grandparents! Keen to find out more? Check out www.ecostore.co.nz/ fundraising, which features an easy online order facility and a host of downloadable support material including tally sheets, certificates and fundraising tips. How do you order? Simply hop online to www.ecostore. co.nz/fundraising and complete the order form. Alternatively give us a call (ph: 0800 33 55 33 ext 1) or drop us a line fundraising@ecostore.co.nz.
14 | Term 1, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Learning Space | Fundraising
Fundraising is as varied as your imagination Affording everything a school would like on its operations budget is rarely possible. That’s why schools turn to fundraising to find ways to afford camps, field trips and sometimes even to make ends meet. Schools are also aware of other needy groups in the community, such as charities. They are often generous and diligent in raising funds for worthy causes such as a sponsored child or a one-off donation to a nongovernment organisation. There are numerous ways schools can fundraise for events, other than the humble chocolate bar. Firstly, there’s the traditional mufti day which could be given a twist. Students (and teachers) could get dressed up as animals for the SPCA for example, or as superheroes. Mufti day could become a Wild Shirt Day, or a Wacky Tie Day. Sometimes a teacher will offer to ‘shave their lid for a kid’ – go bald to raise money for a children’s cancer charity.
Then there’s food. Sausage sizzles, bake-offs and school fairs are commonplace but good fun. Getting active can run alongside this – fun runs, walk-a-thons, skipping contests, bike rides or a touch rugby game gets the heart racing in an enjoyable way.
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Local businesses are also passionate about supporting schools and other charities, and could be persuaded to give products for a raffle. They might also donate equipment such as face paint for a school fair, or sponsor a team or event.
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Competitions can also be a fun way to raise money. Musical children can play guitar hero, singstar, or schools can hold a talent quest or a NZ Idol competition. Children could also perform a play, or a series of skits from each class or year group. Local businesses are also passionate about supporting schools and other charities, and could be persuaded to give products for a raffle. They might also donate equipment such as face paint for a school fair, or sponsor a team or event. There are also car washes, trivia nights, book fairs, carol singing, jumble sales, bingo and much more. Check out www.fundraisingideas.org.nz for more information.
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 1, 2017 | 15
Healthy Space | School Canteens
Promoting healthy food It can be challenging for school canteens to create healthy menu items that are exciting, tasty and attractive to children. Sadly, the highest-selling school canteen items are often the least healthy. So how can we promote everyday choices? Marketing is an effective tool used to influence consumers’ choices when purchasing and consuming food and beverages. However, it is rarely used in canteens or tuck shops.
Studies have proven that low cost, or no cost, simple marketing techniques used in the school environment can increase healthier food choices and healthier eating.
Successful changes in the school nutrition environment happen when the whole school community is involved with clever marketing and promotion of everyday foods. Using student innovation to promote these foods is particularly successful; after all, they know the target audience best.
So here are some ideas on how to market healthier foods. Classroom involvement is also key, so encourage your children to come up with their own attractive names.
• Placing potato chips, cookies and
The creative ideas used to increase healthier eating in this study included:
• Pre-order lunches early in the day or
Not all young people care about being healthy, however, they do care about how food looks, tastes, what it costs and its image. Food presentation, colour, flavour and temperature all influence food choice. If food looks, smells and tastes great, students are more likely to buy it and keep buying it.
• Renaming and displaying
names of vegetables, such as X-ray Vision Carrots
• Moving fruit to the front counter near the cash register
• Placing plain milk in front of the flavoured milk in fridges
• Creating a “healthy choices only” convenience line
similar items behind the lunch counter so they are available by request only the day before
• Emulating fast-food marketing
methods, including use of clamshell packaging and logos.
Other ideas include:
• Renaming grapes Alien Heads • Renaming smoothies Monster Juice • Renaming broccoli Baby Trees • Referring to plain milk as delicious. How can Fuelled4life help you? Fuelled4life is delivered by the Heart Foundation and is based on the Ministry of Health’s Food and Beverage Classification System (FBCS). It’s a free, practical tool which helps schools provide healthier foods. It aims to increase access for young people to healthier food and beverages, and to inspire food services to provide tasty, nutritious products. ‘Everyday’ foods and drinks are lower in energy, fat and salt so are appropriate for everyday consumption.
Severe allergic reactions can be life-threatening Food induced anaphylaxis has doubled in the last 10 years. This rise in food allergy has a significant impact on schools.1
Help keep your students protected with EpiClub®. EpiClub® can support your staff to be prepared for an allergic emergency by providing a variety of educational material and a FREE EpiPen Training Device.
Go to epiclub.co.nz now to request an EpiPen® Resource Kit for your school 1. ASCIA AIDA Report 2013. EpiPen® is used for the emergency treatment of anaphylaxis (acute severe allergic reactions) due to insect stings or bites, foods, medications or other allergens. EpiPen® and EpiPen Jr® are Restricted Medicines. Always read the label carefully and use strictly as directed. Your doctor or pharmacist’s advice is required. EpiPen® is a registered trademark of Mylan Inc. Mylan NZ Ltd., Auckland. DA1554ET-21
16 | Term 1, 2017 www.principalstoday.co.nz
‘Sometimes’ foods and drinks are still good choices, but are a bit higher in energy, saturated fat and salt and so should be eaten in moderation. Sometimes foods and drinks should not dominate the choices available. If you would like your recipes and menus assessed for healthy choices, please feel free to contact Larissa Beeby at Fuelled4life today on the contacts below. Sign up to Fuelled4life One in three Kiwi kids is overweight or obese and you can help change that. If you are a teacher, principal, canteen manager, caterer or cook and would like to see your school offering healthier food and beverages, here’s what to do: • Sign up to Fuelled4life for loads of free resources to help you choose healthier options • You’ll also get free access to the Fuelled4life website and newsletter with tips, recipes, special deals and information on ways to improve nutrition in your school. For more information, please contact the Fuelled4life team on (09) 526 8550, email fuelled4life@ heartfoundation.org.nz or go to www.fuelled4life.org.nz.
Learning Space | Inside Education
Learning Space | Performing Arts
Recognition of excellence
Stages and seating designed for high performance
Rotorua Boys’ High School was awarded the Excellence in Leading - Atakura Award at the 2016 Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards. Principal Chris Grinter talks about the ‘right mix of conditions’ fostered at the school to ensure student success and wellbeing.
The Latin motto on Rotorua Boys’ High School’s crest, ‘ad astra per aspera’ translates to ‘whāia te iti kahurangi’, or ‘to the stars through hard work,’ and that sums up the approach taken by both students and staff at the school in recent years. The school received the Excellence in Leading – Atakura Award at the Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards (PMEEA) in June last year. The judges described the school as a ‘role model of transformation’ and praised in particular the outstanding lift in achievement, both academic and personal, that is underway. “A culture of open leadership is empowering teachers and students, challenging attitudes to achievement and driving the progress of every student,” they wrote. Principal Chris Grinter says the journey to transformation began when a clear decision was made to tackle the disparity between Māori and non-Māori student achievement. “We knew there was a gap in achievement in our school, and we’d worked hard to close that through a number of initiatives and interventions over the years. “But until we brought our focus back to how our teachers worked with their individual students - looking at how they actually operate within the classroom - we weren’t able to properly address the gap.” A turning point came in 2009 when the school joined the Te Kotahitanga programme. “That really allowed us the opportunity to drill into the teaching practice within our classrooms, and we started looking at the relationships and cultural understanding between teachers and students.” Rotorua Boys’ High School is made up of 77 percent of students who identify as Māori. Chris says the school has been able to demonstrate that with the right mix of conditions, young Māori can achieve the equally, or in fact better, than any other cohort in the nation. “It wasn’t a short process - it’s been going on for several years and obviously we’ve worked in a number
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I would encourage any school to celebrate their own successes by way of participating in these awards.
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of areas to bring about a change in our approach to teaching and learning that works best for young Māori men.”
Other changes made at the school include a concerted effort to work more collaboratively as teachers and leaders, and to foster a positive environment for learning. “We haven’t suspended or excluded a student for several years,” says Chris. “Of course, we’ve had a few behavioural issues, but harmony has developed in the classrooms, while unacceptable behaviours have become less frequent. I believe our boys genuinely like coming to school.” Chris and the team at Rotorua Boys’ High School say the exercise of entering the PMEEA was an encouraging one. “It was a wonderful exercise for us - to summarise our story of recent years and reflect on our recent successes. “It’s also given us a way to acknowledge and honour those teachers who have made significant changes to their teaching practice in order to embrace this work of ours. “I would encourage any school to celebrate their own successes by way of participating in these awards.” The Prime Minister’s Education Excellence Awards 2017 are now open for entries. There are four award categories: Excellence in Engaging, Excellence in Leading, Excellence in Teaching and Learning, and Excellence in Governing. Finalists for the awards categories are eligible for the Prime Minister’s Supreme Award. In addition, there is a standalone Education Focus Prize and this year’s focus is on digital technologies and responsive local curriculum. For more information and to apply, go to pmawards.education.govt.nz
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Stronglite Staging’s range of performance stages and staging equipment are made in New Zealand to the highest standards. The list of what’s on offer is impressive and includes: • Stage platforms • Choir, chorus, orchestra and audience seating risers • Portable grandstands • Ramps and bridges • Steps • Lecterns • Ballet barres • Trolleys • Drapes and frames • Group photographic stands • Wenger products USA. Stronglite Staging® supply safe, durable, versatile, simple and easy to use equipment to support your performance or presentation. All products are compliant with the latest health and safety standards and codes. Take your pick: a stage extension, catwalk, seating by the pool or field, dance, choir, orchestra practise or theatrical shows, kapa haka and more. Invest in quality by Stronglite Staging®. KEY FEATURES Strength: Stronglite Stage and Seating products are designed and
manufactured to be strong and durable and are tested to make sure they meet our high standards of performance under live and static load conditions. Lightness: Innovative design and use of material creates equipment that is light and easy to handle, saving time and possible injury. Safety: Engineer’s design certification, documented test results, qualified tradespeople, monitoring of product in the workplace, established safe working loads, and our products conform to or exceed industry regulations and guidelines. Simplicity: Superior design ensures our products are quick, simple and easy to transport and assemble, saving you time and effort. Versatility: Particular attention has been paid to designing stage/seating systems that are multi-use wherever possible, including indoor and outdoor use. Portability: We design for easy handling, transporting and storage, eg. choir risers fold up and wheel away, equipment quickly disassembles for easy transport and storage. Achieve your best with the Stronglite Staging® range of top quality products. Stronglite Staging® Limited Sales 0800 78 78 99 Hires 0800 12 12 33 www.stronglite.co.nz
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Stage Sections, Choir Risers, Grandstands, Audience Seating, Drama Suite Modules, Drapes, Steps, Lectems, Trolleys, Ramps and Ballet Barres. Top quality, NZ made products, designed to be safe and easy to handle and store. Guaranteed to perform. Currently installed in many schools, universities & performance venues. Stronglite Staging® is the authorised NZ Agent for products.
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Working Space | Playgrounds
Taking sun protection seriously New Zealand has the highest global rates of skin cancer so taking the appropriate steps to protect students and staff from our strong sun is vital. Are your students protected from excess sun exposure? Sun protection in schools is important because New Zealand has very high rates of ultraviolet radiation (UVR) and exposure to excessive UVR in childhood and adolescence increases the risk of skin cancer. Sunburn in childhood greatly increases the risk of melanoma. Skin Cancer is the most common cancer in New Zealand and the incidence rate of melanoma is amongst the highest in the world. Research shows that Principals play a key role in encouraging the adoption and implementation of sun protection policies.
The Cancer Society advises that sun protection is required from beginning of October to the end of March especially between 11am and 4pm. Children spend a lot of this time at school, so it is important that every school has an effective sun protection policy for terms 1 and 4. How can schools ensure they have effective sun protection policies? Many schools are joining the Cancer Society’s SunSmart Schools Programme which provides schools with: • Best practice sun protection advice • A sample sun protection policy • A dedicated website with lots of up to date information • Advice from your local Cancer Society health promoter
Why do schools need to provide sun protection?
• Accreditation for schools that have effective sun protection policies and practices
ERO Health, Safety and Welfare, self audit checklists include “protection for staff and students from excessive UV radiation exposure”.
• When a school becomes SunSmart Accredited it shows parents/ caregivers their school takes sun protection seriously.
Children spend a lot of this time at school, so it is important that every school has an effective sun protection policy for terms 1 and 4.
Do schools need to meet the criteria before they apply for accreditation? No, the Cancer Society encourages all primary and intermediate schools to apply for accreditation even if their sun protection policy is not very well developed. Schools can apply online at www. sunsmartschools.co.nz or by mail. Who can help my school become accredited? After your school has applied you will be contacted by your local Cancer Society health promoter who assesses your application, makes recommendations where necessary and can support your school to bring the policy up to accreditation standard.
high UVR at school, so an effective sun hat is a key form of protection. Some students are used to wearing caps and sometimes the school is reluctant to change to sun protective hats. This is understandable, as change often meets with resistance. However, hats required for accreditation are chosen based on research by the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency (ARPANSA), which showed caps and many other hats do not adequately protect the face, neck and ears. These areas are constantly exposed to the sun (unless protected) and generally receive more UVR than other body parts.
Why are schools that have caps not able to be accredited? While using shade, or rescheduling outside activities, are good ways to reduce exposure, there are many times when children are exposed to
Research shows that bucket hats with a deep crown and a brim width of 6cm and broad brimmed hats with a brim of 7.5cm provide good protection. For further information visit www.sunsmartschools.co.nz
Creating perfect playgrounds The Reharvest Cushionfall product used in playgrounds has the highest impact test of any soft-fall surfacing in Australasia and is now the preferred safety surfacing option by councils, schools and kindergartens.
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Enviromulch is the preferred product for weed control, moisture retention and surface soil stabilisation.
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Founded in 1994; Reharvest Timber Products Ltd specialises in making premium products out of urban forest material, or industrial wood waste. The company takes pride in a history of more than 10 years of testing and development using international standards and technology.
Helping Make School Safer!
Reharvest Cushionride is used in performance equestrian surfacing, and decorative landscape ground cover can be maintained by way of Reharvest Decorative Coloured Mulches. Enviromulch is the preferred product for weed control, moisture retention and surface soil stabilisation.
Providing Premium Woodchip for:
Products made from urban forest are proven to last longer, have a slower decomposition and are more resistant to UV light. The resulting firm surface allows ease of use by wheelchairs, vehicles and horses. Reharvest Timber Products Ltd 41a Hunua Road Papakura Auckland T (09) 299 3999 E info@reharvest.co.nz www.reharvest.co.nz
Manufacturers of premium eco-friendly wood-chip products from recycled timber
• Early Childhood Centres • Primary Schools • District and Local Councils • Animal Bedding • Equestrian Horse Arenas • Garden Mulches • Decorative Coloured Woodchip
Cushionfall® Cushionride® Enviromulch® If you have any questions about any of our wood chip products or want a free quote, please contact us below:
Ph 09 299 3999 E info@reharvest.co.nz
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PLAYGROUND SURFACING Made exclusively by Reharvest Timber Products Ltd
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Learning Space | Capital E
AN IDEAL PLAY FOR AGES 7+ Capital E Live’s, An Awfully Big Adventure, theatre show returns in 2017 for schools across Aotearoa as a part of New Zealand’s four year commemoration of WW1. An Awfully Big Adventure highlights the effects of WW1 in New Zealand in an accessible way for children and young people. It’s peppered with moments of humour and poignancy that offers meaningful impressions on its audience. In 2017 we note New Zealand’s blackest day; 3,700 New Zealand casualties, of which 45 officers and 800 men were either dead or lying mortally wounded between the lines. In terms of lives lost in a single day, this remains the blackest day in New Zealand’s post-1840 existence. Through inventive play, An Awfully Big Adventure transports us to WW1 to interrogate the impact war had for New Zealanders. Tickets are $9 per child One free adult ticket per 10 paying children. Free curriculum resource available for all teachers Book your school in online at: www.capitale.org.nz
DIRECTOR’S NOTE “We began creating An Awfully Big Adventure in 2012. As the stories of the work emerged, we found ourselves trying to imagine being these young men who were sent across the world into this horrific fight, or these young men who refused to fight and were punished. “We struggle to understand why so much death was needed. Through
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imagining their stories and feeling the presence of this history in our lives and culture, we also celebrate and honour those involved. “We still don’t understand the war, but we invite you to search with us, as we celebrate the lives of those involved and the events that irrevocably shaped our country and our world.” - Leo Gene Peters
Beyond the classroom | School Camping
Venturing outside the corridors While the pivotal role that institutional education plays in our society makes it difficult to imagine a world without school, fact is, once upon a time the classroom did not exist.
environment. Outdoor adventure and education will provide them with challenges which require lateral thinking and the application of selfconceptualised solutions. Education outside the classroom (EOTC) can take place at the zoo, or the beach, in an art gallery or on a field trip. There are also certified EOTC camps that children can attend to broaden their intellectual, spiritual and physical horizons.
As a catalyst for, and product of, evolution; the process of learning has since been formalised through our education systems. The value of learning is advocated in our schools, promoted by our media and articulated by our predecessors in all the great literature. And while the art of teaching to aid learning has been advanced with the acquisition and implementation of technological teaching tools, learning still has roots in the most humble surroundings. This is not to suggest we abandon the classroom, as it is the
environment in which the most valuable knowledge is consumed. The intention behind making mention of the past is to highlight how learning for thousands of years took place in natural surroundings. And although our intellectual curiousity has been stimulated within the four walls of a classroom, education beyond this realm is also of the utmost importance.
Because while traditional education is dressed in a uniform; physical, spiritual and intellectual education also has a recreational personality and the natural environment is an effective pedagogical medium. Children will be stimulated and develop new skills and appreciation of their world through kinesthetic and aesthetic interaction with an organic
The Ministry of Education’s comprehensive EOTC division on its website offers extensive information and tips on how parents, teachers and children can engage in EOTC. Research studies and surveys on outdoor education and its merits are also available for consideration. For more information on EOTC or to review these tips and articles, visit eotc.tki.org.nz
Camp Raglan The beautiful 14-acre Camp Raglan campsite is pleasantly situated on the slopes of Mt Karioi overlooking the panoramic view of Raglan and the Tasman Sea. Camp Raglan offers a fully catered camp for a total of 150 children and adults in dormitory style accommodation which is particularly suited to primary and intermediate school children. All the main facilities are under one roof. The resident chef cooks excellent meals and special dietary needs can be catered for. Camp Raglan is known for its good food and excellent hospitality. Your host Roger Humphris will offer you a very warm welcome and is also happy to discuss your individual needs. Bethel House is an independent building available for hire separately from the main camp buildings. It has five twin-share rooms and one double room as well as a kitchen, lounge
room and two separate showers and toilets. It overlooks the breathtaking view of the Tasman Sea. An information pack to help you with your planning is available from the camp and gives full details of facilities, accommodation and what you need to know to make your booking. Camp Raglan provides the following facilities and activities: • Flying fox • BMX track • Gymnasium • Playground • Huge beach • Volleyball • Swimming pool • Sports field • Archery • Air rifles Camp Raglan is a beautiful campsite situated on the bush clad slopes of Mt Karioi and has panoramic views of the Tasman Sea and beach. It is a great place to get away from it all and have loads of fun! Our Activities Include: Paintball, climbing wall, low ropes course, team building activities, confidence course, swimming pool, archery, air-rifles, orienteering, flying fox, table tennis, BMX bikes, volleyball, trampoline, a developed playground area, beach and bush walks, a 6-person hammock, a camping area on a stream edge, sports playing field, and a large gymnasium.
• Confidence course • Low ropes course • Orienteering course • Team building challenges.
excellent for showing movies etc in the evening.
The gymnasium has equipment for basketball, volleyball, badminton, and hockey and is a great space to use for many activities if the weather is not at its best. The main hall has a stage area with a large screen at the back which is
Camp Raglan is also ideal for studies on native bush, beaches and streams as well as small town studies. Camp Raglan 578 Wainui Road Raglan T (07) 825 8068 E campraglan@cbm.org.nz W campraglan.org.nz
Our camp has been developed to cater for a wide variety of groups which include Primary, Intermediate and High Schools with endless scope for learning activities. This includes bush, small stream studies, inner harbour and ocean beach studies, farm and small town studies, just to name a few.
The camp is fully catered, and the teachers and campers will have every reason to enjoy their time away. We aim to provide a service and facility that will enrich and enhance your outdoor educational programme. If you have never been to Camp Raglan we warmly invite you to visit our facilities.
Sleeping Accommodation is essentially under one roof, which provides easy and secure supervision.
Call us today for more information
We are available to answer your enquiries Phone: 07.825.8068 Fax: 07.825.7091 Email: campraglan@cbm.org.nz Camp Raglan has a resident cook Website: www.campraglan.org.nz who provides excellent meals, and with prior arrangements, special dietary needs can be catered for.
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