SEEKING ASSISTANCE
Wellbeing for busy principals
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Creating empowered learners
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Developing learner agency through STEM
principles of great playgrounds
School Investment Package
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MAKING THE GRADE
Learning by exploration and adventure
Measuring school performance objectively and fairly
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If we can find ways to build connections, despite not always agreeing, we’ll be doing a great service to our children’s education
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Putting the trades and vocational education back into the career equation
CONTENTS IDEAS
7 Learning by exploration and adventure
Makikihi School principal Tina Ivamy discusses how learning by exploration and adventure enriches students’ lives through real world interactions
8 Wellbeing for busy principals
Does your job as a school leader promote or diminish your wellbeing?
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4 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Birkenhead College heads into its second year with the healthy relationships programme
11 Seeking assistance
Parents and teachers turning to online platform for advice
12 Making the grade
Measuring school performance objectively and fairly
13 Creating empowered learners
Developing learner agency through STEM
WORKING & learning 14 financial literacy
Teaching young New Zealanders to be financially savvy
15 School Investment Package
The Government investment to future-proof school property
26 The eight principles of great playgrounds
Creating playgrounds that ensure children, families and communities reap the physical, emotional and social benefits of play
27 COVID-19
Information and advice for staff, students, whānau and the education sector
28 Poor diets are damaging children’s health worldwide
A UNICEF report on children, food and nutrition has revealed an alarmingly high number of children are suffering the consequences of poor diets.
30 Supporting students through grief
Within the school environment, bereavement requires a thoughtful, informed and timely response
35 Creating shade
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News | Viewpoints
Boosting vocational education
Using technology to build connections not break them James Morrison Chair of the Secondary Principals Council
Chris Hipkins Minister of Education
As principals you’re naturally interested in what happens to your students when they leave your care, be it to the next stage of compulsory education, to tertiary education and training or to the world of work.
As a Government, we’re working hard to put trades and vocational education back into the career equation in a more meaningful way. We think that for too long going into a trade has been seen as a lesser aspiration than going to university. It kind of went out of fashion, despite the great career options vocational education can provide and a persistent skills shortage across many industries. I’ve visited a lot of schools and I know many of you agree. We know we’ll need many more people in the trades – some 80,000 in the construction industry alone in the next five years. To address this, we’re committed to ensuring vocational education and training are more attractive to students, and better-suited to the needs of business and communities. That means bringing together a coherent system of on-the-job apprenticeships and off-the-job training for the first time in 30 years – since apprenticeships were abolished in the 1990s. We’re creating a new system that is simple to understand and navigate, responsive to the needs of learners and employers, and flexible enough to keep changing and evolving as the world around us changes and evolves. It starts at home and in schools. As you know, we’re promoting vocational education in schools, supporting trades-based events to enable more than 85,000 students to talk to around 4,000 employers. This is to help students and teachers connect with industry-specific careers. We’re also funding 2,000 more Trades Academy places from this year, and up to 2,000 more Gateway places, and we’ve introduced Prime Minister’s Vocational Excellence Awards to schools. We’re making significant changes to the NCEA to create strong pathways towards trades and other vocational careers, and redesigning the careers system to provide better support in schools, earlier in students’ lives.
We’re making significant changes to the NCEA to create strong pathways towards trades and other vocational careers, and redesigning the careers system to provide better support in schools, earlier in students’ lives.
And we’ll be mounting a nationwide promotional campaign later this year to encourage parents and whanau to see the opportunities. Post school, our Fees Free programme is making vocational education more attractive: some 7,600 apprentices and trainees are among the 89,000 learners who have now benefited from it. And we’ve just passed new legislation that will underpin the creation of a unified and cohesive vocational education and training system. The legislation helps to create a new, unified network of off-the-job vocational education and training, support for on-the-job apprentices and trainees, and newer learning modes like online and blended learning. For the students leaving your charge, the changes we’re progressing will result in more support while they are training, courses and training that are more relevant to their work, and an easier pathway to continue with their learning and training if they have to move. They signal a significant paradigm shift from seeing post-school learning as a system or institution that learners need to fit their lives around to seeing learning as something that needs to flex and fit around each person and the lives they live. It’s another important step in ensuring lifelong learning for all New Zealanders – something I know you’re as interested in as I am.
6 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Schools work hard to build connections between people: students, staff, families and community. I believe that doing this is key to being successful in educating our children.
Feeling connected is fundamental to wellbeing. The more a student feels connected to their school the better their wellbeing and their learning is likely to be. In the same way a school connected to and supported by their local community brings benefits that is difficult for a school standing alone to achieve. Social media is playing an increasingly central role in how we connect and communicate as a community, both locally and internationally. Social media provides excellent opportunities for people to keep in contact, make links, trade and seek help. The speed and reach of communicating via social media are both its benefits and its challenges. A key issue we face, however, is that individuals are able to make comments online that are hurtful and often untrue. Such comments are made in a moment and generally without considered thought for the impact and damage. Others may then also choose to wade in with further vitriol and accusations.
The speed and reach of communicating via social media are both its benefits and its challenges. A key issue we face, however, is that individuals are able to make comments online that are hurtful and often untrue. In a school community, this can lead to significant hurt and fracturing of relationships that results in division rather than working together. Schools and their staff are in a central and often public role in their community. Due to professional standards, the targets of online attacks are often not in a position to be able to defend themselves.
It also unfairly impacts their families. If school staff and Board of Trustee members are fearful of being publicly pilloried, they will increasingly be unable to perform their jobs to the best of their ability. Good people may choose to leave their positions rather than work in such a climate. If this happens, the whole community loses. If as a community we see such personal attacks as acceptable, then this becomes the norm and all individuals in the community risk being the target of them. One protection we have is that individuals can also come to the support of others and express concern at online behaviour that they believe is unacceptable. In addition, the administrators of social media sites can be proactive in responding to damaging comment. There are laws of defamation and digital communication that may be breached and remedies can be found in this way but such strategies are time consuming and costly and do not tend to repair the damage done. As adults, we set the example to our children about what is right and wrong. They watch us closely and follow our lead. They will learn how to deal with conflict by seeing how we do it. If they see us publicly insulting others, then they will do this too. It is OK to disagree with a decision; this is a fundamental right of our democracy, but people need to be kind to each other and challenge decisions in a respectful manner. Schools and school staff will make mistakes and decisions will be made that some do not agree with. Whilst best efforts are made to avoid mistakes and disagreement, they will happen. All schools have published complaints procedures for dealing with these situations. If we can find ways to build connections, despite not always agreeing, we’ll be doing a great service to our children’s education.
News | Principal Q&A
Principal Q&A
Learning by Exploration and adventure By Claire Wright
Our most formative experiences in life, especially those we’ve had as children, happen when we are out interacting with stories occuring in the world. At Makikihi School, a huge part of the curriculum is utilising the outside world to create learning opportunities beyond the classroom. Principals Today speaks with teaching principal at Makikihi School, Tina Ivamy, about how learning by exploration and adventure enriches students’ lives through real world interactions with places around their communities. How many students make up the school roll? 29 children form the total Makikihi School Roll. What inspired you to become an educator? I volunteered as an adult literacy tutor and found that I loved teaching and decided to begin teacher training by distance through the Christchurch College of Education. How does being a teaching principal inform your decision making? Being a teaching principal means I have to think wider than the leadership role; decision-making in a small school means I am constantly thinking about students, teaching and learning, staff, teachers, the school and our wider local community. Decision-making reflects our school values, our needs as a school and how we can enhance and develop our reciprocal relationships we’ve worked hard to build up with the local businesses that also support our children’s learning needs. A lot of decisions made are team-based as we look to solve problems or discuss ideas as a collective. I am supported in my role by two experienced, accomplished and dedicated teachers who go above and beyond. What skills have you developed from being a teaching principal? I can’t say I have developed the skill entirely, but I am focusing on asking for help if I need it, delegating and sharing the load where possible. Good things take time and it’s not a race.
I often say – look at the tree and not the forest, as sometimes the sheer work load is overwhelming. What makes Makikihi School unique? Makikihi School is unique because of its small size and physical position including an enclosed heated swimming pool, tennis courts, a hall, and our own newly developed bike track and native bush. It’s situated an equal distance between Timaru and Oamaru, and Waimate is also easily accessible for education outside the classroom opportunities for our students to explore our local setting. We have the luxury of having two school buses that are based at school, so transport is not a barrier, and the children get to experience a wide variety of experiences and opportunities. We look at the mobile classroom as a way to give students opportunities to explore and create memories through adventures that are not limited by our classroom walls. Tell me about the ‘education outside the classroom’ aspect of your programme. Because of our school buses and their unlimited access during school hours, our education outside the classroom programme is alive and well – it is flexible and readily available. Some of our learning has involved our two classes visiting a local farm to dig for fossils, learning about the historical umu ovens that remain intact on the farm, the Cuddy in Waimate. As part of a Steam Punk Unit of learning, we visited the Forester Gallery in Oamaru and the Steam Punk Headquarters. We often frequent destinations in Timaru, including the library, the museum, CBAY, Caroline Bay, wetlands and the Scenic Reserve. Waimate has parks and walkways local and accessible, including the Bushtown Planting, where children have been involved in this for a number of years. How do you spark children’s involvement in their community? We spark interest in the community by ensuring that we weave our local stories and people into our curriculum. We hold an annual end of year concert. At the end of 2019, our play called ‘Meet the Locals’ where businesses
Makikihi School is located an equal distance between Timaru and Oamaru, with Waimate also easily accessible. The school receives strong support from local sponsors in order to garner funds and create more opportunities for its students. Local Sponsors: • Alexander Spraying • Ravensdown • Transport Waimate • Makikihi Hotel • Geaney Farm Partnership • Top Flite • Andrew Curry Andrew Brosnahan • G.A. Bleeker Cartage • Oamaru Shingle Supplies • Makikihi Fries.
and prominent local people were written into the show to highlight their significance in our local landscape. We take part in the local Matariki Celebration each year in Waimate along with the six other schools that form part of the Waimate Kahui Ako. We get involved in local plantings on farm lands to help keep our streams and waterways clear. We’ve visited local businesses to learn about the work involved and as part of our year 7 and 8 careers programme, we had speakers from local businesses, with a Q&A session that sparked a lot of interest. How is school different from when you were a young student? When I was young, I was in a class of 30+ children and although I remember the odd sporting event, I certainly did not get to travel to new places, go on adventures, visit other schools and there were no camping experiences.
remember any exciting or significant learning experiences. There was no technology, no computers – we had fun and made up our own games at interval times. This made socialising, interacting, sharing and playing outdoors an instrumental part of growing up, which I think is in sharp contrast to our playgrounds today. What challenges do young people face today? Children face many challenges today in a world that is never static, with the changes in education and in the exponential growth in technology. Resilience and tenacity are needed for children to grow, learn and challenge their own thinking. Children often want instant gratification – often technology – and this does not help them build stamina or experience failure and disappointments in order to come back stronger, even more determined. Social media and the negative impact this can have on children also makes it difficult for them to build resilience as the kindness, caring and empathy is often devoid due to the lack of face to face communication. The amount of time some children are spending on devices also means that children are not given adequate boundaries, supervision, modelling and the chance to practise meaningful social etiquette. It’s going to affect how children succeed in society. What would you change if you were the Minister of Education? If I was the Minister of Education, I would change how we structure the necessary agency and specialised support for schools to ensure the school and the children get the help they require. Beginning teaching principals would be awarded an extra day out of the classroom (as is awarded to a beginning teacher) to be given the time to learn and grow in the role.
I would also give U1 schools a unit to be distributed to staff to acknowledge I remember listening to stories through the leadership that teachers in these the intercom system, but I don’t schools take on but are not recognised. www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 7
News | Health and Wellbeing
Wellbeing for busy principals By Rob Clarke
Does your job as a school leader promote or diminish your wellbeing? Does it energise and motivate you, or do you feel like you’re working yourself far too hard too much of the time? Burning your candle in the middle as well as at both ends? For five years as a principal, many more as a school leader and now, for six as a leadership consultant, I’ve had the opportunity to work with colleagues throughout New Zealand. And an increasingly burning issue I notice is the issue of principal health and wellbeing. You might have already seen the latest reports on principal health and wellbeing from the ongoing research project commissioned by the NZEI Te RiRoa. If so, you’ll know that it highlights that the complexities involved in leading a school are increasing.
Rob Clarke CEO of Learning Architects
improve the workplace experience for all staff members, and create an environment where your senior and emerging school leaders have the opportunity to thrive. This way, everyone can reap the benefits. So how can you improve workplace health and mental wellbeing, and along with it, the overall workplace experience in your school? The key to wellbeing for principals There are so many factors that can cause you stress as a busy principal. Some of these are external factors that you are unable to control, such as policy change, or systemic issues with the education system. However, you do have control over your response to many factors and the specific strategies you employ to increase your wellbeing. The starting point to improving your wellbeing is knowing what comprises it. One useful framework to help with this is The Mental Health Foundation’s five ways to wellbeing. These are to:
If you’re a principal, you are likely to experience stress at a rate 1.7 times higher than the rest of the general population. Measuring this is somewhat difficult and it isn’t reported or widely known in the mainstream.
1. Connect and strengthen relationships.
However, a more telling statistic, from the University of Auckland’s Centre for Educational Leadership, shows that more than 30 percent of newlyappointed principals who enrolled in the first-time principals’ programme between 2006 and 2009 had ditched their job by the time a survey of the programme was done in 2013!
5. Take notice to the present moment.
Costly to everyone You already know the knock-on effect. Such stress also puts real pressure on your school, your staff and ultimately, students and the wider community.
School leaders, who work in such a unique, dynamic environment and who are expected, by many, to manage and excel in a huge variety of areas! While this is of course the perfect scenario, how many of your staff, yourself included, can tick off every item in their job description perfectly, while staying relaxed? The answer is probably zero. That approach, as we know, is simply unsustainable!
And as NZEI president Lynda Stuart points out in her report, it’s not only principals who pay the price — the cost to the nation of these workplace and work culture mental health challenges is high. We know it costs between $5-15k to recruit a new principal, plus of course the harder to measure effects related to the change that a new principal brings. As well as looking out for your own wellbeing, it’s vital that you aim to
2. Keep learning. 3. Be physically active. 4. Give to others. They are great reminders and prompts for anyone, in any job. Universally applicable, they help us stay fit and focused regardless of where we are. In my experience, I have seen that there’s room for another point on that list, particularly for school leaders.
So if I were to add another to the list, it would be ‘play to your strengths’. Play to your strengths I believe it’s possible to achieve increased wellbeing by enabling people to play to their strengths.
8 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
As well as looking out for your own wellbeing, it’s vital that you aim to improve the workplace experience for all staff members, and create an environment where your senior and emerging school leaders have the opportunity to thrive. This way, everyone can reap the benefits.
Getting staff working on tasks that energise them and that they are naturally talented at is a great starting point.
building and sustaining collective leadership! They are onto something.
Optimising the shared expertise so that staff share workloads by using one another’s particular expertise purposefully, enables teams to improve how they work together. This not only means improved performance, it also achieves greater wellbeing, for individuals, your school, students and wider community, and of course, yourself.
There are many strategies and frameworks available that you can employ to become more discerning about your team and how to best lead them, but you can think about ways to engage people in many ways. Here are some starting points:
As well as encouraging greater engagement, satisfaction and ultimately better outcomes for students, it also lowers stress and workload organisation-wide. Personalise your approach for sustainable, collective leadership Global firm Gallup has research from 20 million people and tens of thousands of workplaces which shows that people working in their ‘strengths zone’ will look forward to going to work, have more positive than negative interactions with colleagues, achieve more on a daily basis, and have more positive, creative, and innovative moments. Imagine how great an impact that would have on your school. By personalising your approach with different staff members, you can better utilise the individual strengths you have within your team. This way you are more likely to get the best out of each person and be able to better meet the aspirations outlined in your annual plan. Interestingly, two of the nine dimensions within the Education Council’s new Education Council Leadership Capability Framework cite using a strengths-based approach — culturally responsive practices, and
So what can you do?
1. Make a list of all your employees in a table, in the second column, place the statement ‘What energises him/ her’, and in the next column, put ‘What de-energises him/her’. 2. Spend some time reflecting and noticing these aspects for each staff member, including yourself! 3. Once that is done, use another column for ‘The sort of leadership he/ she responds best to…’ and note this down. 4. Share this with your senior team and combine their insights, or better yet, do this exercise as a team. Teams that are able to optimise their collective talents are known as strengths-based teams. Over time, they are able to continually draw on what they are each naturally good at and get better results, which lead to improved organisational health and wellbeing. And as you build up into another busy year, having everyone do what they’re good at, has got to be good for you!
Rob Clarke is the CEO of Learning Architects: www.learningarchitects.com.
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 9
News | Student Welfare
Reflecting on Mates & Dates one year in Birkenhead College is heading into its second year with the Mates & Dates healthy relationships programme. We check in with deputy principal Marg Nightingale to see how the programme is working for her school. “In a sense, it feels like many young people today live in a world saturated by social media and conflicting messages about sexuality and healthy relationships. At Birkenhead, we want to give our students a consistent, positive message,” Marg explains.
“The programme runs once a week on the same day for five weeks. Once a week is good as it gives the students time to discuss what happened in the previous session before the next one.”
“A few years ago, we began discussing the need for a cross-school programme to teach all our students about healthy relationships and what to do if they see or experience unhealthy ones.
“We see Mates & Dates as offering students a chance to think about the relationships they’ve experienced and to learn what to do in situations where they need help or information,” Marg says.
“Our guidance department heard about a fantastic five-week programme that had external providers come into your school and, in a series of 50-minute sessions, present an age-appropriate programme to help students develop good relationships. “The Mates & Dates programme covers themes of consent; identity, gender and sexuality; understanding what is or isn’t a healthy relationship; and skills for keeping safe in the many relationships young people will develop throughout their lives – all factors that we see as being totally relevant to our students.”
Getting involved with the Mates & Dates programme “Mates & Dates was very straightforward to access. It was simple to find information from their website,” Marg recalls. “I registered an interest online and was quickly contacted by Jennifer Crowley from the Empowerment Trust, an ACC provider for the course. Jennifer was able to help organise the programme coming into our school and even drafted the letter to send to parents explaining what the programme was about. “Mates & Dates provided all materials used by the students within the programme, well in advance of the delivery dates. Plus, the programme is fully funded by ACC, which made it possible for us to deliver it at every year level. “I organise the timetable for the students attending the sessions,” Marg says. “We run different year levels at different times of the day. Students attend in their tutor class from a different option line each day, so they only lose one lesson of class time per subject.
Outcomes for Birkenhead College
“The programme has helped improve students’ understanding of the word ‘consent’ and has given them a greater appreciation for and acceptance around diverse sexuality in relationships. “They’ve enjoyed getting involved in discussions and activities. It’s definitely not a lecture-style programme – the students are actively immersed all the way in questioning and talking through issues that are sometimes difficult or uncomfortable but definitely relevant to their time – and the conversations carry on beyond the programme. “A few students have sought support/ counselling around issues that the programme raised for them, but we see this as a positive that totally justifies bringing in the programme. “
Advice for others “It does take a bit of planning regarding timetabling and rooming,” Marg says. “We have the facilitators stay in the same room for the day they’re here, which works well as it enables us to avoid the hassle of moving them about and setting them up each time with access to WiFi and data projectors. “Also, we need to organise supervising teachers to be in the room with the facilitator at every session. “However, any secondary schools looking for a supportive sexual and dating violence prevention programme should give this one a go,” she concludes. “The facilitators relate well with both the students and the staff and are great at bringing any concerns or issues to our attention. They’re engaging, professional and very committed to making sure the programme is a success for us.”
10 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Birkenhead College deputy principal Marg Nightingale.
News | Our Society
Seeking assistance
Parents and teachers turning to online platform for advice New Zealand parents and teachers are crying out for help to deal with social issues that are having a dire impact on their country’s young people. That’s the view of James Wilson, founder of the SchoolTV platform that provides expert advice to New Zealand and Australian parents and schools on issues ranging from drug use and youth suicide to mental health, anxiety and excessive online gaming. James founded SchoolTV in late 2016 and more than 500,000 parents, across Australia and New Zealand, now have access to its content. The platform features Dr Michael CarrGregg, one of Australia’s highest profile psychologists, author, broadcaster and specialist in parenting, children and adolescents. Dr Carr-Gregg conducts interviews with numerous leading experts on youth wellbeing from Australia and New Zealand, that are presented in bite-size video pieces. SchoolTV works with university academics, organisations such as Beyondblue and other key bodies to ensure the content comes from credible experts, enabling parents and teachers to link with youth wellbeing resources. James says it quickly became evident there was a desperate need for information specific to New Zealand communities on the platform. This was reinforced by the fact that one of the most accessed topics by parents last year was how to talk to children about the Christchurch mosque shootings. “New studies have found New Zealand has the highest death rate for teenagers and young people among 19 of the world’s developed, wealthy countries,” he says. “It has by far the highest mortality rate for people aged 10 to 24 years around 35 deaths per 100,000 people which the experts say is driven by its relatively high youth suicide rate and youth road toll. “That is just horrifying for the country. And although SchoolTV may not be the solution, we hope that it can be used as preventative tool, by providing essential resources for parents, schools, and especially, New Zealand youth.”
James Wilson, founder of SchoolTV.
recommended fact sheets, articles, books, apps and websites – all on a single topic. The platform is individually branded for each school and is the first wellbeing resource to provide real-time reporting and analytics highlighting any areas of concern. This feature enables schools to then tailor a program around addressing the issue. “While there is an abundance of information available from multiple sources, it is often fragmented and confusing for busy parents. SchoolTV simplifies access to a single stream of sound information with realistic and practical strategies.” James says he and Dr Carr-Gregg had already made several visits to New Zealand to investigate the key issues facing its young people and over the next 12 months would focus on boosting the amount of relevant content on the SchoolTV platform. “We have already filmed half a dozen topics and have been speaking with experts, practitioners, counsellors and principals.
More than 30 New Zealand schools have now signed up to SchoolTV, giving teachers access to real time data on the issues concerning parents in their school community and enabling them to identify problems early by providing access to much-needed credible and fact-based information.
“We are dedicated to supporting New Zealand parents and schools but to do that properly, we have to understand the culture, the specific issues and what is driving them. For example, it is already clear that vaping is a real issue, with data on our website showing that thousands of New Zealand parents are already accessing information on it.
SchoolTV provides New Zealand parents with access to vital information 24/7 – anywhere, anytime. The platform aggregates information for numerous organisations and includes
“The data is also showing anxiety is a far greater issue in New Zealand than it is in Australia and so are cultural issues, with kids feeling trapped between Maori and white cultures.
Case study
“For example, we recently had a situation where the SchoolTV data showed that some of our parents were worried about sleep deprivation, which is not something they felt they were able to deal with themselves.
One New Zealand school which is already using SchoolTV to great effect is St Peter’s School at Cambridge – a 1,150-student, independent co-ed school for Years 7-13. Principal Dale Burden says St Peter’s had joined the SchoolTV network at the start of the year as part of an overhaul of its pastoral care, which included introducing New Zealand’s first wellbeing curriculum and employing the country’s first fulltime Director of Wellbeing. SchoolTV had been an “outstanding success” as part of that overhaul, he says. “Traditionally, dealing with the wellbeing of students has been very reactive but now we are looking at it from a pro-active focus and SchoolTV enables us to understand some of the situations we are facing before they become a problem.
“SchoolTV gave us the ability to pick up on those concerns, provide the information parents needed and then also see how many parents were making use of the information. “It was the same when the shootings happened at the Christchurch mosques – we were able to very quickly get information to our parents about how they should be talking about it with their children. “The reactions to SchoolTV from our parents have been very positive. They certainly seem to appreciate information being available to them in such an easy-to-understand form. “SchoolTV has been a great success and an integral part of our student wellbeing programs.”
“It’s a beautiful country and New Zealanders are beautiful people, but the number of kids dying compared to the size of the population is just staggering.
leaders, Pacific Island and Maori leaders, who are in touch with their communities and understand the issues.
“There are very specific issues that need to be addressed; some very profound cultural and family issues not only for Maori kids but also Pacific Islander kids coming into New Zealand.
“At the end of the day, they have the stories that families should be listening to. What they don’t have is the communication channel to get their message out and that’s what we want to give them.
“They are things we are going to focus on heavily over the next 12 months and we will be talking to community
“What we are hearing from New Zealand communities is heartbreaking. Parents are crying out for information.”
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 11
News | Life in the Classroom
Making the grade
Measuring school performance objectively and fairly A new tool could give parents and principals the first objective measurement of New Zealand school performance, says a new report released by The New Zealand Initiative. Insights and Excellence: School success in New Zealand demonstrates the quality of information, analysis and reporting that could be provided to every parent and principal in the country using the data already collected by the Ministry of Education and other government agencies. Compiled by Policy Analyst Joel Hernandez, the report uses case studies of three secondary schools, including Southern Cross Campus in Auckland. The other two schools chose to stay anonymous, but voluntarily offered themselves for the proof-of-concept experiments. Presented as individual school reports, Insights and Excellence shows how the schools performed
over a 10-year time span relative to themselves and to every other secondary school in the country. The data was drawn from Statistics New Zealand’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI). In a world-first achievement, Joel used the IDI to evaluate every school on an even playing field by connecting multiple data sets on 400,000 students from 480 schools. The tool was used on three schools to objectively measure their performance in education by separating the contribution of each student’s family socioeconomic background from the contribution of each school. “This new report isn’t about giving gold stars to New Zealand’s high performing schools or creating new league tables,” Joel says.
“We want to demonstrate that the Ministry of Education now has the opportunity to identify the high-performing schools – regardless of decile – and learn about the most effective practices for getting the best education outcomes for every student. “And equally important, parents, principals and boards of trustees parents will be given a fairer and more accurate picture of how their child’s school is performing,” Joel concludes. Peter Parussini, chairman of Southern Cross Campus, underlined why providing the education sector with objective, data-driven information
and insights to improve educational outcomes is so important. “As the chair of the school board, accurate information about the performance of our students is critical to continual improvement. Our community is highly aspirational and looks to our school to be the social and economic escalator for their children. But for administrators and educators, it’s hard to measure progress and success. “The New Zealand Initiative’s way of looking at that will be useful for us to improve and to know where we are going well, what areas to focus on and, hopefully in future, to share with other schools,” he says.
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News | STEM
Creating empowered learners “How can we raise Learner Agency and Capability through a STEM Programme?” was the focus question for teachers at Whakarongo School’s Teacher Led Innovation Fund (TLIF) project. The need for more effective teaching and learning of science and technology through improved implementation had been identified through Whakarongo School and across the Kāhui Ako as a focus for development. The concept of learner agency is closely linked to the idea that education is the process through which learners become capable of independent thought, which in turn leads to autonomous action. This idea can have a profound impact on educational theory and practice. Learner agency is when learners have the “power to act” and have ownership and independence. Learning therefore involves the initiative of the learner through activity. The first strategy we identified was that teachers could only have a real impact on student agency when they actively developed the various learning behaviours that underpin student agency. This became very clear with the deliberate acts of teaching that focussed on questioning, identifying next steps and so on. Teachers cannot expect these behaviours to develop significantly without teacher input. Clear goals need to be set and deliberate actions need to be planned. Teachers also need to model these behaviours. To develop learner agency three important areas were focused on: Questioning, Making Connections with Prior Learning, and Identifying Next Steps. To develop questioning skills, teachers could use a questioning matrix and the “ASK” stage of the design process. Making connections could be developed by teachers identifying and making specific connections in many ways: via activating prior knowledge, making connections between students and their whānau, the community, the wider world and between texts/ information to engage students. Use of tools such as the GROW coaching model, weekly reflections and peer review can assist in students identifying next steps. Providing students with suitable tools also has a significant impact on the students’ ability to effectively reflect on their progress, set goals and problem solve. Tools that we identified as very useful include GROW and Computational Thinking. These models/tools need to be explained, modelled and practiced in class. Students need to develop a good working knowledge of them, experience some success using them and feel confident in the use of them for them to have real impact. Teachers have to set time aside to do this.
We introduced the GROW model as we found that simply using goal setting has proven not to be as effective as expected. Including the GROW steps in the planning process gave students more ownership of the goals and enabled students to set more realistic and achievable goals. We also implemented early Computational Thinking (CT) practice and encouraged students’ fluency in, and cross-curricular implementation of, the CT language, and fostered positive student attitudes towards the use of CT as a tool.
Focusing on problem solving, rather than only outcomes, provides better learning and development of problem-solving skills, inquiring and thinking skills. High levels of hands-on opportunities combined with student choice also contribute significantly to student motivation and engagement.
This project has shown that learner agency can be significantly improved through a STEM programme by seeing STEM as a broad learning area, integrating STEM into the learning programme, deliberate teacher actions and providing learners with the tools needed. Article provided by Whakarongo School.
The third strategy was that STEM needs to be seen as much more than simply a combination of science, technology and mathematics. STEM is fundamentally about developing innovation and problem solving through hands on activities, not just the development of subject knowledge and skills. STEM learning is not just technical skills and knowledge based. It is much broader and should include aspects like the 6 C’s (Michael Fullan) and the design process. The focus is not only on how to do something, but also on all the other learning that is possible, e.g. developing communication, critical thinking, creativity, collaboration and so on. The impact of this is that learning is much “richer” and is easier to integrate into learning. STEM thus provides a rich learning experience with many possibilities for integration and personalisation of learning. Other key factors that increased the effectiveness of a STEM programme include: Integrating STEM (e.g. through an integrated curriculum) so that it contributes to the authenticity of the learning and provides more choice and higher levels of engagement. Using a STEM Integration Rubric can be also beneficial. www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 13
Workinging Space | ICT
Workinging Space | Finance
New Zealand’s first cybersecurity diploma
Teaching young New Zealanders to be financially savvy
Auckland’s Unitec Institute of Technology is launching a one-year vocational New Zealand Diploma in Cybersecurity, the country’s first tertiary institution to have developed a cyber qualification in the pre-degree space (Level 6). “In an industry stymied by an increasing skills shortage, we’re helping develop our own homegrown talent and ensuring we deliver what industry needs,” says Dila Beisembayeva, academic programme manager at Unitec’s School of Computing and Information Technology, who has been developing the qualification for the past couple of years, working closely with NZQA, ITP New Zealand and industry. “We’re bridging the gap between education and industry, while at the same time providing employment opportunities for students and equipping them with skills for jobs.” Unitec has worked with New Zealand’s largest tech company, Datacom, to develop the course and Datacom has signed up to host 10 students at its Security Operations Centre in Auckland.
David Eaton, associate director of Cybersecurity Services at Datacom, is part of the ministerial Cyber Security Skills Taskforce and is a huge supporter of the course. “We have asked ourselves how best to support students who’ve come through the course, and have created a strongly mentored training environment to ensure that the students are coming to Datacom not just to learn, but to learn through working. “This is the living embodiment of the Future of Work — we train them as they study.” The programme started at Unitec in February, 2020 and is a 120-credit, Level 6 programme. It can be completed in one year (fulltime) or over 18 months to four years (part-time).
Thousands of young New Zealanders have been taught basic financial literacy because of a charitable trust that began life at the Business School’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Auckland who is currently serving as the CEO of Savy.
Savy was initiated in 2008 by Velocity participants Shiva Gopalan, Lynn Lai, Akif Malik and Dipra Ray.
“At a workshop I delivered last year instead of focussing on the budgeting concepts planned, my partner and I needed to spend 20 minutes walking through the simple budget template.
The founders had seen how students (including themselves) had fallen into financial traps and were unprepared for financial life after secondary school. Class visits from banks left students disengaged because of how irrelevant the content was to their lifestyle. The concept of students teaching students was conceptualised and Savy was developed through the University of Auckland’s Velocity student entrepreneurship programme.
Cloud Services IT Support Network Security Infrastructure Procurement Backup and DR Professional Development
www.aiscorp.co.nz 0800 247 8324 info@aiscorp.co.nz 14 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Since its beginnings, Savy has expanded to run throughout Auckland and Wellington. In the last 11 years, 60,000 secondary school students have participated in one of 2,400 workshops delivered within secondary schools, and over 250 university students have developed their leadership and teaching skills through facilitating workshops. Savy’s business model takes into account turnover from graduation. Each year more university students are invited to take part as facilitators or join the leadership team. The structure ensures that Savy stays relevant and able to connect to students with modern vernacular around contemporary financial issues, such as students not understanding the actual costs of Afterpay. Savy’s programmes consist of modular workshops covering topics like budgeting, banking, moving out, preparing for university, apprenticeships, CVs and interviews, debt, credit cards and online purchases, IRD and tax refunds, Kiwisaver, StudyLink and RealMe. The current generation of Savy student leaders exhibit potential that is being unleashed too. Dhilesh Vasan is a conjoint commerce and science student at the University of
He is passionate about educating young people to be financially literate. “It is concerning that there are Year 13 students in New Zealand high schools that cannot comprehend a budgeting table.
“I found this alarming as these students would be facing the real world the following year without a solid comprehension of numeracy. I couldn’t help but worry about the financial decisions that they would make in the future without realising the consequences of those decisions.” When breakthroughs in financial education are made, it is uplifting. “At one workshop, a Year 11 student approached me afterwards and asked what the current inflation rate is. “He then asked what the bank interest rates were. Following this he made the insightful statement that there would be no point in putting money in a bank account if the bank interest rate was lower than the inflation rate. “There have been many more small interactions like this and I relish every single one as it proves that some students are thinking about their finances already.” Savy continues to grow and the leadership team is looking at introducing new tech tools to incorporate into the programme. At its core Savy will continue to revolve around genuine human connection and interaction, which is where Savy’s unique value proposition lies. Shiva Gopalan says, “We can see success in our alumni who are in jobs that range from the government sector to top corporate roles, all looking back fondly on the learnings and experience they have gained from Savy. “It’s become more than just working on financial literacy for the youth of New Zealand. Savy is empowering our next generation of leaders to be purpose-driven and drive change for our country.”
Working Space | School Investment Package
Government investing to future proof school property Nearly every state school will receive a capital injection next year valued at $693 per student to bring forward urgent school property improvements, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Education Minister Chris Hipkins announced in December 2019. The one-off cash injection is the first project to be announced from the Government’s infrastructure package to future proof the economy and will see some schools receive up to $400,000 to spend on needed upgrades that have been put on the back burner. It’s the biggest capital injection for school maintenance funding in at least 25 years. School property projects the investment can be spent on include: • Classroom upgrades, including making classrooms more flexible and modern • Replacing roofing and guttering
• Upgrading storm water drainage systems • Installing energy efficient heating and lighting • Resurfacing outdoor courts and paved areas. “Nearly every school and community in New Zealand will benefit from this windfall investment. I’m proud that students and teachers will be the first to benefit from our infrastructure upgrade,” Jacinda Ardern said. “The Government is taking advantage of historically low interest rates to improve school buildings and grounds and creating jobs up and down the country. It’s the biggest capital injection for school maintenance funding in at least 25 years. “This package is a real shot in the arm for our schools, giving them the opportunity to fix roofs, windows and walls to provide modern, comfortable classrooms that are great for kids to learn in. “I’ve visited plenty of schools and I’d be hard pressed to name one that didn’t have need. You hear horror stories about kids learning in damp, mouldy classrooms. Continued on page 16 >
“Smart” School Landscaping Supports Growing Minds by Luijten Landscaping
A well-designed and maintained outdoor landscape at your school offers significant benefits for all members of the school community – from the students, to the staff, right through to your guests. For students, it is well known that ‘play time’ outside allows children to develop their creativity, imagination, dexterity, and emotional and physical strength. A well-designed outdoor area also provides additional development opportunities, such as through the inclusion of sensory features, which are not available inside the classroom. School staff also benefit from carefully designed aesthetic outdoor spaces, as they can access natural areas outside the classroom to experience a moment of relaxation during the busy school day, leading to greater overall staff wellbeing at work. Your school landscape is also a subtle way to welcome guests onto the school grounds, and a well-maintained outdoor space will give your visitors a fantastic first impression. Luijten Landscaping is a landscaping company that is passionate about delivering superior landscapes to NZ schools and their communities. With an impressive track record
of delivering a vast number of educational landscaping solutions to over 25 schools, Luijten Landscaping has built a strong reputation in the educational landscaping space. The highly specialised team at Luijten Landscaping can design, construct and maintain outdoor school features including: • Outdoor classrooms • Specialised sensory learning spaces • Playgrounds • Food gardens • Courtyards • Staff outdoor areas • School entrance landscaping For a free consultation to discuss enhancing the outdoor environment of your school, contact Robert at Luijten Landscaping on 09 294 6620 or sales@luijten.co.nz.
Educational Landscaping • KINDERGARTENS • PRIMARY SCHOOLS • INTERMEDIATE & HIGH SCHOOLS • COLLEGES • SCHOOL CAMPUS CONTACT US Phone: +64 9 294 6620 Email: sales@luijten.co.nz 275 Fitzgerald Rd, Drury 2577 www.luijten.co.nz www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 15
Working Space | School Investment Package Continued from page 15>
“The investment is great for local tradespeople. We want schools to engage local builders, plumbers, carpenters, roofers, landscapers – this is an opportunity for work at a local level in every town and city in the country. “This Government is committed to growing our economy, creating jobs and making our schools great places to learn and the centre of local communities. This policy delivers on all those objectives.” Education Minister Chris Hipkins said, “In recent years, many schools have had to put off building projects and make do with patched up classrooms and playgrounds. “When we have the opportunity as we do now, we should and can do better to lift the quality of the classrooms students and teachers spend so much time in. “This cash injection, to be administered by the Ministry of Education through existing planning processes, gives schools breathing room to catch up on deferred building work. It’s a welldeserved early Christmas present for school communities,” Chris said. Key elements of the policy: • The total value of the package is $396 million • Each eligible school will receive $693 per student, up to a maximum of $400,000
• Every school will receive at least $50,000 regardless of size of school roll • Special schools will receive $200,000 each, regardless of roll size • Money will need to be spent within the next 24 months
“Nearly every school and community in New Zealand will benefit from this windfall investment. I’m proud that students and teachers will be the first to benefit from our infrastructure upgrade.” Jacinda Ardern
• Around 2050 state schools opened before 2015 are eligible • Integrated schools, schools built through a Public Private Partnership, or schools in leased accommodation are not eligible. Education property highlights under the Coalition Government: • This $400 million package • Invested $1.2 billion in school capital in 2019 budget • Planning classroom space for 100,000 extra students by 2030 • 726 new classrooms built or upgraded for more than 15,000 students • More than 386 new and upgraded classrooms to be delivered in Auckland for 9,300 students. • Invested in the upgrade or new build of at least 1,100 extra classrooms, benefiting 33,000 students around the country.
Mainland Roofing With over two decades of experience, Mainland Roofing (2005) Ltd understands that people are the most important factor of any business. Based in the Wigram Hub, Mainland Roofing is near its main suppliers and easily accessible by staff, contractors and clients. Describing the business as a large small company, Kevin Marshall, Mainland Roofing’s manager, says that while a significant amount of work is undertaken for a wide range of clients, Mainland Roofing remains small enough to provide those personal little touches. “Building and maintaining relationships is important to us and an individual will follow your work from start to finish. If you begin a conversation with one of our contact managers about your roofing needs, you will always be able to contact that person.” Understanding that roofing projects and choosing profiles and colours can be an emotional time, Mainland Roofing’s team takes the time to listen and fully understand its customers’ roofing requirements, working with them to achieve the best outcomes. “We have our own experienced waged crew and a great group of contractors who carry out our roofing works. Some of these contractors have been with Mainland Roofing from the start. 16 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
“Because of the longevity of these relationships, we know each crew’s capability and strengths.” Kevin reflects that a roof is like the umbrella of a house, protecting the most valuable asset many people will ever have. Not only does it need to be of quality materials, fit for purpose, it needs to be installed by trade-qualified professionals. “We install only NZ based steel products using NZ Certified roofers backed by LBPs. We’re members of RANZ (Roofing Association of NZ), SiteSafe & SiteWise. Our installers are certified in working at heights, first aid, safe practices and harnesses work.” Mainland Roofing’s clients are building and construction companies, independent builders, homeowners, governments departments and people building a woodshed. “As an independent roofing company, we’re able to procure almost all Colorsteel Longrun roofing profiles available enabling us to fulfil most clients’ needs. These profiles range from Custom Orb (corrugated iron), Trapezoidal (a squarer look to corrugated iron) and various tray profiles. We also install pressed metal tiles from Gerard and a wide variety of membrane products. We install fascia, spouting, downpipes, rainwater heads and parapet capping. Maintenance and repair work, including repairs and recoating to concrete tile roofs, complete our range of services.”
Save time, save money, reduce risk – why wouldn’t you outsource your financial administration? Principals have a huge workload and a wide range of responsibilities – so why wouldn’t you take every opportunity to save some time, save some money, and reduce the risk of fraud and misappropriation? Peter McBreen, the managing director of Education Services Limited (ESL), shares his thoughts on school finances. Education Services completes the Financial Administration for almost 700 schools - the largest such provider in New Zealand. ESL has been around since the advent of Tomorrow’s Schools. There isn’t much Peter and his team haven’t seen with regard to school finances over the last 29 years. Peter has also worked auditing schools for three years (“working on the dark side” as he refers to it) so is well placed to comment on the various types of service and reporting that are available to schools. “For the life of me I just don’t know why a busy principal
would want to have all their finances in-house. It is just so costly – and risky,” he says. “Ninety percent of all school fraud happens when accounting and creditor payments are handled in-house. “Often, when we do a marketing presentation to a school we get the response that ‘yes that looks great, but we get very good reports etc from our in-house person who has been doing it for years, things are fine. But if things change, or someone leaves, we will contact you’. “And perhaps a year or two down the track they do contact us because someone has left or something changes and we pick up where they left off, and I can tell you things were not fine! “But as a principal how could you tell for sure? You trust the reports put in front of you. You trust that the amount shown on the report is the bank balance as shown, you trust that all transactions are included, you assume that the correct accounting treatment has been used so there are no nasty surprises at year-end. Unless you are both a principal and accountant and also have
the extra time it takes to check everything thoroughly, it can be very hard to tell. “I do acknowledge there are some very, very capable and skilled EOs working in schools. Not all prepare poor reports by any means, but the point is that often the principal will not be able to tell if there’s a problem with the reporting until it is too late. “There are many good school accounting service providers. They specialise in school accounting – day in and day out that is all they do. Their knowledge, experience and skill are a wonderful asset to schools. “And there is also the fallacy that hiring an EO to facilitate school finances in-house is cheaper than outsourcing.” Peter acknowledges it can be difficult for a principal to put a cost on doing the job in-house, and therefore when confronted with the cost of outsourcing it can appear expensive at first glance. But when a detailed comparison is done the in-house option is more expensive.
Some obvious benefits to using a service provider are: 1. Significantly decreased hours spent on finance in the admin office. 2. Service providers perform all year-end accounting functions, meaning the school does not need to employ someone with accounting skills to work in the school office. 3. Significantly reduced risk of fraud and misappropriation. 4. Access to school financial experts. 5. Timeliness - have everything (annual financial statements, board reports, GST returns) done on time, every time, without having to worry. 6. Accounting software and data backup costs are included in the service provider’s fees. 7. Using a service provider can result in a reduced audit fee.
We call it ‘peace of mind’. Can you afford to not outsource your accounting functions?
We provide peace of mind financial care for schools Education Services is the market leader with superb reporting and a very satisfied clientele throughout the North Island.
Accounting services We call it peace of mind financial care. We provide your school with a professional, cost-effective service.
Property services We have a dedicated team of specialists experienced in all matters of education property management. Our knowledge and performance is highly regarded by school trustees.
Whangarei: (09) 438 2337 Auckland: (09) 585 1671 Hamilton: (07) 847 2672 Rotorua: (07) 349 4106
New Plymouth: (06) 757 5489 Wanganui: (06) 349 0903 Lower Hutt: (04) 589 5533
www.educationservices.co.nz www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 17
Working Space | School Investment Package
About the School Investment Package The School Investment Package announced by the Government on Sunday, December 1, 2019, provides most state schools with one-off funding to help them with property projects. The capital injection seeks to accelerate upgrade works at schools that would otherwise be deferred due to a lack of available funds. As the package is focussed on acceleration, schools should in the first instance select projects from their existing 10YPP that can be initiated soon and delivered in the next six to 24 months. This provides more flexibility to state school boards on where they can invest. Most state schools will be eligible to receive the School Investment Package funding. Schools not eligible to receive the School Investment Package funding: • New schools opened since 2015 • Schools in leased facilities • State integrated schools • Public Private Partnership (PPP) schools. The amount each school gets has been determined by their July 2019 school roll. See the list of schools and funding allocation. Schools will get $693 per student, to a maximum of $400,000. Each
eligible school will receive a minimum of $50,000. Special schools will receive a flat rate of $200,000, to recognise the complexity and cost of special school property despite having generally smaller rolls.
When it will be available Funds will be allocated to projects once they are agreed. Start dates for individual projects will vary from school to school, and work may begin as soon as quotes are agreed. There is no cut-off date to access this funding, as project plans are already in place at schools as part of their 10YPP. This funding does not require schools to identify anything new, as, in most cases, the funding will deliver works that are already planned. Prioritising acceleration could mean that some schools’ planned projects may not fit, as they may take longer than 24 months to deliver. In this case, we will work with these schools to identify other project(s) that could be delivered within this timeframe, that support their school vision. Continued on page 20 >
18 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Design as a duty of care School buildings last for generations. In many New Zealand communities the local school is the only place where children can enjoy a well-designed environment. What does the architecture of our schools say? That we value our children and care about the places we send them to most of the days of their lives? Or that we’re willing for our children to spend their formative years in buildings that are dull, tired and unimaginative, and that could have been a whole lot better?
New Zealand invests huge sums in its education system and school buildings. We should get the most from our investment. Good architecture is not just a function of money; it happens when committed clients work with talented architects and everyone refuses to accept lowest common denominator solutions. There are excellent examples of modern school architecture in New Zealand. To see some of them, visit us on Facebook bit.ly/2VTHUEm.
Freemans Bay School Architect: RTA Studio Auckland Architecture Award 2019 World Architecture Festival 2019 – Finalist Photographer: Patrick Reynolds
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 19
Working Space | School Investment Package Continued from page 18 >
Types of projects that could be funded This funding is for property upgrades, not property maintenance. Maintenance projects like painting, fixing broken equipment or repairing a broken pipe should be funded through the Property Maintenance Grant. As the School Investment Package is an opportunity for schools to bring forward their discretionary projects and enhance their facilities for students now, schools should focus on projects that can be delivered in the next two years. Projects will vary from school to school, but examples of planned works may include: • Create more collaborative space by modifying the configuration of existing teaching spaces • Resurfacing outdoor courts and paved areas • Upgrading the school’s storm water drainage systems • General landscaping and signage works • Bringing forward or expanding classroom upgrades, to improve lighting, acoustics and ventilation • Capital projects to keep existing pools fit for purpose (e.g. replacing a pool pump).
20 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Modern building solutions Modern school buildings are looking for high performance solutions to meet the needs of today and the future, this equally applies to both new builds and refurbishment projects. With a wide range of suitable products, Kingspan Insulated Panels has been involved in a large number of projects throughout New Zealand. Our panels were chosen to provide high levels of thermal performance, simplified and faster construction and, in some cases, to assist the new builds to achieve Green Star compliance. For refurbishment projects, it can be as simple as removing the existing roof and re-laying an insulated roofing panel directly onto the purlin structure; instantly you can achieve significantly higher R values (for example 70mm panel = R3.96 / 100mm = R5.50). This will provide greater thermal comfort for the occupants and significantly reduce heat loss through the roof. With an extensive suite of design details available, project managers and architects can pick and choose the most appropriate details to suit the application. Kingspan Technical Services is always available to assist with queries as needed.
Te Wharekura School in Invercargill with KS1000 LP Lo Pitch insulated roof panels
Refurbishment project example: Te Wharekura School, Invercargill 2009. Featured product: KS1000LP Low Pitch insulated roof panels
The existing roof was beyond repair and needed replacing. The original design was very low pitch and the original concept was to remove the roof, reframe and re-pitch the structure, then re-lay a new roof. The reframing and re-pitching was time consuming and expensive, the alternative was to utilise a Kingspan Low Pitch panel (KS1000LP) which significantly reduced the requirement for reframing and the cost.
Note: in some cases the existing structure may be compromised or below minimum roof pitches, in that situation additional work may be required.
Ormiston Junior College in Auckland with KS1000 RW trapezoidal insulated roof panels
Kingspan panels have been used extensively around New Zealand and are fully compliant with the New Zealand Building Code. For a number of products (eg Trapezoidal Roof and Wall Panels and Architectural Wall Panels) we have CodeMark™ certification, which is the highest level of product compliance available in New Zealand. This gives peace of mind to designers and building owners that the product is fit for purpose. We have also extensively fire tested our products, to meet local and international regulations and insurance industry requirements. We also have FM Global certification for many of our products; this is the standard that all insurance companies look for.
New build project example: Ormiston Junior College, Auckland, 2016. Featured product: KS1000RW Trapezoidal insulated roof panels
Designed and built as an innovative learning environment (ILE), all schools in the PPP2 project have been built to the same template and specification. All feature Kingspan’s Trapezoidal KS1000 RW roof and wall panel, which is made up of a PIR insulation core sandwiched between two layers of steel, delivering high thermal performance (R values of up to 5.35), minimal air leakage and the elimination of risk of interstitial condensation and cold bridging, vital for a building that is to accommodate a lot of people.
For many of our products we have GreenTag certification—an independent environmental certification of our products—this combined with Environmental Product Declarations for many products helps designers to achieve GreenStar ratings for new build project. Kingspan is also walking the walk in regard to environmental performance with our own strategy. Planet Passionate is our new 10-year groupwide global sustainability strategy that aims to impact on three big global issues: climate change, circularity and protection of our natural world. #planetpassionate
Marshland School in Christchurch with KS1000 RW trapezoidal insulated wall panels and Architectural Wall Panels
For further info please contact: Kingspan Ltd 97 Montreal Street, Christchurch 8023 Tel: 0800 12 12 80 | +64 (0) 3 260 5530 Email: info@kingspanpanels.co.nz www.kingspanpanels.co.nz.
Wall cladding project example: Marshlands School, Christchurch, 2015/6. Featured products: KS1000RW Trapezoidal Wall Panels / KS1000AWP Architectural Wall Panels
In addition to provide roofing solutions, Kingspan also has a range of wall cladding systems that also provide high performance thermal solutions. In 2015/6 they were utilised on Marshland School in Christchurch to provide a high performing building envelope. These panels can be installed both vertically and horizontally and have been used extensively around NZ on classrooms and gymnasiums.
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 21
Working Space | School Investment Package
Continued from page 20 >
The application process Schools don’t need to apply for the funding. The funding is allocated to each eligible school, as with the process for 5YA allocations. Ministry of Education property staff will support schools to identify projects and delivery options, and the funds will be allocated once these plans are agreed. The process is as follows: • Schools will be asked to identify a project in their property plans and discuss with their property advisor • The Ministry will review and confirm the project fits within the investment package criteria • Schools undertake compliant procurement processes to engage consultants and contractors. Refer to Procurement process for school property projects page
DEALING WITH ASBESTOS REQUIRES TRAINING PCBU’s have a duty to protect the people who work in their premises from exposure to asbestos fibres. A Duty to Manage Asbestos course will give all PCBU’s a clear understanding of their legal responsibilities and how to effectively manage asbestos in their workplace. For dates and locations visit www.asbestosawarenz.com/training Mention this advert and receive a $50 discount for each attendee booked.
22 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
As the package is focussed on acceleration, schools should in the first instance select projects from their existing 10YPP that can be initiated soon and delivered in the next six to 24 months.
• Schools follow normal project management processes (including standard project forms) to deliver project in agreed timeframe.
If schools do not have a project planned already, the Ministry will work with the school Board to identify upgrade works that can improve the school environment for its students, in line with the school’s vision.
If it makes sense for the Ministry to manage the projects, we can work with the school to develop a delivery plan.
Information provided by the Ministry of Education: www.education.govt.nz.
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www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 23
Working Space | Roofing
Roofing materials for school buildings When your school is getting a new building, replacing a roof or reviewing the safety of your existing roofs, as a board of trustees you need to consider a range of factors that will help you choose the most suitable type of roofing material. Roofing must also be correctly installed. Choosing roof materials Your project manager or designer should guide you on the best roofing material when you’re getting a new building or replacing a roof, and you can seek advice from your property advisor when reviewing your existing roof safety. In choosing roofing materials, you should consider: • How the roofing will stand up to local weather conditions • How it can keep energy costs down • Which components may have shorter lifespans (e.g. plastic materials that may become brittle or degrade) • If it’s suitable for your school’s location, for example, if your school is close to the sea, the roofing should be able to resist sea spray corrosion
It’s good practice to take measures to stop people from climbing on the sheeting. For example, don’t have any structures close by that can be easily climbed.
• If it matches the building’s design and type of construction • If it can improve the building’s appearance • If its cost will be within the project budget. Translucent plastic sheeting used in schools Translucent plastic sheeting is a material often used in school roofs and verandas. It includes PVC, fibreglass and polycarbonate roofing
products. However, you must treat this sheeting as a potential danger because of the risks that: • People may fall through it — a risk that increases as the sheeting ages and becomes brittle • It may catch fire as it can be flammable. It’s good practice to take measures to stop people from climbing on the sheeting. For example, don’t have any structures close by that can be easily climbed.
Installing translucent plastic sheeting To manage the risks of installing plastic sheeting, there are some specific installation requirements which you must follow. Make sure your suppliers and installers are aware of them. As new products enter the market, suppliers, installers or project managers may suggest some of the measures are not necessary. Talk to your property advisor about getting an exemption. Content sourced from the Ministry of Education. For more information, visit: www.education.govt.nz.
Natural lighting roofing products Ampelite NZ Ltd is a manufacturer and distributor of natural lighting roofing products that has been operating in New Zealand for 34 years. Their extensive product range caters for both residential and commercial applications.
NZ’s Leading Supplier of PVC, Polycarbonate and Fibreglass Roofing The Ampelite product range is extensive, with products for small jobs around the home to large scale warehousing. Alongside this Ampelite lead the way with innovative polycarbonate products and materials designed for unique environments such as corrosive situations.
0800 AMPELITE www.ampelite.co.nz 24 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
In the residential range products like Solasafe and Easyclick polycarbonate roofing are suitable for roofing residential deck areas and pergolas. Solasafe has a lifetime warranty, comes in Corrugate, Trimdek (5 Rib) and Greca profiles, and is available in clear opal, grey and bronze. Easyclick is a multi-wall flat panel product which features concealed fixing through a unique tongue and groove jointing system with good spanning capability. This is a quick and easy DIY product to install and is available in clear grey and opal. All of Ampelite’s polycarbonate products are UV protected for the New Zealand environment. Ampelite is the market leader in commercial fibreglass roofing applications with its key products being:
Easyclick used over a deck
Wonderglas which is used in warehouses, factories, gymnasiums, etc. This is available in most roofing manufacturer’s profiles and has a market leading 25-year warranty for light transmission Webglas which is a trafficable fibreglass roofing product designed for use in corrosive environments such as fertiliser plants. Further to these products, Ampelite’s extensive range includes multi-wall polycarbonate products like Thermoclear and Thermoclick, roofing ventilation products for both residential and commercial use through the Ampelair ventilator range, and the Panorama soffit lining system. To find out about these products and more, visit us online at www.ampelite.co.nz, or call 0800 267354 to find your closest stockist/distributor.
Inside the mind of a playground futurist. The life of a playspace designer isn’t all fun and games. There’s a lot to consider with each brief. Every square centimetre of a space has to be fit for purpose while also fitting the budget. While doing so it needs to consistently inspire safe and creative play for a wide range of users. It’s a big challenge, but Creo landscape architect Larissa Moyle wouldn’t have it any other way.
We sat down with Larissa to discuss what goes on behind the scenes as she provides the big picture and small details for New Zealand’s schools. Just like her playgrounds, a project can start at many different points. At an early stage she knows it’s vital to achieve the right balance of pragmatism and inspiration. For the latter Larissa will often start with a central theme or a cornerstone element. Be it for a playground, an outdoor learning environment or a recreational space, every standard must be met while ensuring a unique, creative and multifaceted area.
“ A good master plan… is worth its weight in gold.”
“Each space has fun challenges,” says Larissa. “Starting with a designled approach ensures no unforeseen issues can appear later – all spaces will be fit for purpose.” Any design must be practical. Here a project master plan can make the difference between a well-linked school landscape and one that appears ad-hoc and unfocused. “Once we’ve put together a good master plan the client can see how their budget can be stretched to literally cover more ground,” says Larissa. “We can spread projects over time to suit budgets while ensuring the school knows exactly where it stands. A wide-reaching plan is worth its weight in gold.” Looking at the wider environment is also important, ensuring that the space can, according to Larissa,
Larissa Moyle Landscape Architect, CREO
“both fit in and stand out – I need to ensure a playground has the ‘discoverable’ spaces for children to find, all while ensuring teachers or parents can easily supervise if necessary.” The work must also consider both age and ability. From in-ground trampolines to ramp access to sensory panels to basket swings, there are a number of ways a good playground can meet the needs of every type of physical ability. Sustainability is another key consideration, the designer looking to optimise natural assets while ensuring the play space is environmentally sound. “A large playground can realistically provide a second life for over 5,000 recycled tires thanks to the subsurface cushioning,” she says. “Then there are the opportunities to use distinctive native planting and other landscaping approaches to guide children through and around the space.”
Just like on the playground, good coordination in project management improves the results of each and every action. “The Creo project team makes all the difference,” says Larissa. “With less moving parts and less points of contact we can deliver shorter project timeframes and lower costs.” For New Zealand’s schools it’s proving a winning formula. Recognising a high-quality environment creates more than just simple everyday play, they’re using their play spaces to create unique points of difference and to boost enrolments. For Larissa Moyle such results are worth the weeks of careful planning, diligent design and, yes, sometimes even fun and games.
Larissa keeps a close eye on everything thanks to the coordinated approach from Creo, where “we’ve got landscape architects, project managers and installation partners all under one roof. “With installation teams in Auckland, Wellington and Oamaru we cover the country, and I know each Creo project manager will ensure no detail is missed during construction.”
46D Stanley Street, Parnell, Auckland 1010 info@creospace.co.nz | 0800 000 334
creospace.co.nz
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 25
Working Space | Playgrounds
The eight principles of great playgrounds Playground Centre, the company behind awardwinning playgrounds in New Zealand and Australia, has released a guide to creating playgrounds that ensure children, families and communities reap the physical, emotional and social benefits of play. A first for the playground industry, The Great 8: The 8 Principles of a Best Practice Playground, sets out the key principles for playground design, construction and maintenance. Playground Centre’s chief executive officer, Simon Filleul says The Great 8 is backed by the latest research and real-life examples, and his company’s decades of experience in the business of play. “The research shows that play is more than just fun,” Simon says. “Regardless of age and ability, everyone can benefit from play. “As we strive to create more liveable cities and tackle major social issues such as obesity and mental health, playgrounds have a vital place in the planning and design of our public spaces, schools and communities.
“They are at the centre of a wave of innovative thinking about ways to draw people outside, get active and connect with their environment and each other, and create happier, healthier communities.” Simon says the Playground Centre’s guide has been developed to assist playground designers, planners, builders and managers to create play spaces that maximise play, developmental health and fitness value for everyone. “It’s an indispensable tool for designing new playgrounds, but it’s also ideal for evaluating and improving existing spaces – giving confidence that a playground embraces industry-leading standards,” Simon says. The eight guiding principles for best practice playground design are: 1. Enjoyment and engagement. 2. Sensory stimulation. 3. Social interaction. 4. Agility and fitness. 5. Confidence challenge. 6. Easy access and amenities. 7. Condition and durability. 8. Safety. Based on these principles, The Great 8 guide sets out the standards
“The research shows that play is more than just fun. Regardless of age and ability, everyone can benefit from play.” to improve the quality of design, installation, maintenance and upgrading of all-sized play and recreational areas including those in childcare facilities, school grounds,
tourist parks, commercial and retail outlets, suburban parks and large-scale destination playgrounds. Each principle consists of a range of elements (or criteria), which can be checked and rated, clearly indicating areas for improvement to achieve a best practice ‘green’ rating. Playground Centre has helped create award-winning playgrounds including Anderson Park in Napier and Auckland’s top parks as voted by families including Tui Glen Park Reserve, Takapuna Beach Reserve Playground and Western Park.
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Email: sales@hotshot-sports.com | Phone: 0800 483 6647 For sales, quotes or advice… call us now. Largest range of NZ made sports equipment in New Zealand 26 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Health and Safety | Covid-19
COVID-19
Information and advice for students, whānau, and the education sector Over 200 cases of COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) are confirmed in New Zealand and on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared COVID-19 a pandemic. On March 26, 2020, New Zealand entered Level 4 alert, where all non-essential business and schools must shutdown and cease face-to-face contact. The MoE website is being regularly updated with education-related content. The Ministry of Health is the Government agency leading the response to COVID-19 and should be your first port of call for health and status information. COVID-19 – Ministry of Health www.health.govt.nz/our-work/ diseases-and-conditions/covid-19novel-coronavirus COVID-19 – Ministry of Education www.education.govt.nz/novelcoronavirus-2019-ncov-3 Unite against COVID-19 – covid19.govt.nz
Learning from home – Ministry of Education www.learningfromhome.govt.nz
Schools are closed During the lockdown, no one is to go on site to schools. If there is an emergency, the police and/or fire services will respond. The school holidays have been brought forward to March 30, 2020 and will continue on until after the Easter holiday on April 14. At that point, learning will start through online and distance means.
The Secretary of Education is the lead The Secretary for Education has been given new powers in response to COVID-19. This includes issuing binding directions to all education providers – schools, early learning services and tertiary institutions, public, private or integrated. Other powers include directing education providers to open or close, vary hours and how they operate, as well as how they are controlled and managed. Specifically, the ability to
direct education providers through distance or online learning.
Protect children, students and staff To minimise illness among children, students, and staff, encourage and promote good hand washing, cough and sneeze etiquette, and follow health advice, even while learning from home. If you have any concerns about the child’s or student’s health please contact Healthline on 0800 611 116, or the GP for medical advice. Healthline has translators and interpreters available.
Ensuring a clean environment While at home, it is still important to maintain a clean environment to avoid the spread of the virus. Directing parents and staff on best practices for cleanliness can help ensure they maintain their health in lockdown. Influenza viruses are inactivated by alcohol and by chlorine. Cleaning the surface with a neutral detergent followed by a disinfectant solution is recommended. Surfaces that are
frequently touched with hands should be cleaned often, preferably daily.
Plan for return Plan to facilitate and encourage the return of children, students and staff once the lockdown has ended and they are healthy. All individuals who are no longer ill or potentially ill should be welcomed back and supported with their return to education. Information sourced from the Ministry of Education: www.education.govt.nz.
Dealing with Stress What is stress? Stress is a reaction in our minds and bodies which we experience when we feel overwhelmed by life’s problems and difficulties. Too much stress over a long period of time has been shown to damage our health, relationships, quality of life and our ability to work effectively
DEALING WITH STRESS Step One: Recognise when you are stressed The first thing we need to do is to be able to recognise signs of stress in ourselves. Although everyone reacts slightly differently under stress, there are some tell-tale signs to look for in our thinking, feelings, bodies and behaviour. What signs do you have that tell you when you are under stress? NOTE: always have any unusual symptoms checked out by your General/Nurse Practitioner. Step Two: Identify the reasons for your stress Stress can come from anywhere, but because for most of us the two main areas of our life are home and work these are the most common. Home: Relationships – partner/children, financial problems. Work: Relationships – co-workers/ managers, being unclear about job, excessive workload, bullying.
Step Three: Stress busters There are a number of ways to manage stress. There is no one right way. People and circumstances are different. It’s a case of picking the stress buster that fits your problem. Stress Buster One: Tackle the problem Sometimes we need to tackle the problem head on. This approach is often best when we are able to change the situation in front of us e.g. establish a family budget and stick to it. Stress Buster Two: Acquire more resources Sometimes we need extra resources to deal with stressful events and issues. The resources we need depend on the problem. The key question is: What do I need to deal with this issue? Stress Buster Three: Gain a new perspective Instead of tackling the problem, this is about changing the meaning of the problem either by changing the way we look at it or the way we look at ourselves.
ARE YOU OK? MENTAL WELLBEING IS EVERYONE’S BUSINESS. IT’S OK TO ASK FOR HELP.
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A good way to gain a new perspective can be to talk things over with a trusted friend or counsellor. Often we talk to relieve the emotional pressure and our perspective changes. Stress Buster Four: Avoid black holes When we’re stressed we have a tendency to make matters worse by thinking negatively and irrationally. www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 27
Working Space | Health & Wellness
Poor diets are damaging children’s health worldwide A UNICEF report on children, food and nutrition has revealed an alarmingly high number of children are suffering the consequences of poor diets. The State of the World’s Children 2019: Children, food and nutrition finds that at least 1 in 3 children under five – or 200 million – is either undernourished or overweight. UNICEF New Zealand is calling on government, businesses and primary industries to put children’s nutrition and health at the heart of decision making. While it has recently been revealed that Ministry of Health figures for obesity in children in New Zealand have been miscalculated, UNICEF New Zealand executive director, Vivien Maidaborn says there is plenty of evidence not all children in New Zealand are afforded the same opportunities to live and eat well. “There is no denying that some of our children’s health and nutrition are negatively affected by growing economic inequality and a food industry that is failing them.” The global report provides the most comprehensive assessment yet of
21st century child and nutrition. It describes a triple burden of malnutrition: Undernutrition, the number of children under the age of five who are overweight and ‘hidden hunger’ caused by a lack of essential nutrients. Around the world: • 149 million children are stunted, or too short for their age • 50 million children are wasted, or too thin for their height • 340 million children – or 1 in 2 – suffer from deficiencies in essential vitamins and nutrients such as vitamin A and iron • 40 million children are overweight or obese. The report warns that poor eating and feeding practices start from the earliest days of a child’s life. “It is time we closed the gap between business practice and the impact of business activity on children’s health and wellbeing,” Vivien says. “There are amazing grass-roots, school and community initiatives working to provide and promote healthy eating for children, but often that good work is hampered by lack of access to affordable healthy food and the aggressive marketing and
access to food that damages children’s development.” As children grow older, their exposure to unhealthy food increases, driven largely by advertising and the abundance of ultra-processed foods. For example, the report shows that 42 percent of school-going adolescents in low- and middle-income countries consume carbonated sugary soft drinks at least once a day and 46 percent eat fast food at least once a week. Alarmingly, in New Zealand, from 2002 – 2016, the consumption of sugary drinks increased while it was decreasing in those countries, such as the UK, where a sugar-tax had been imposed. As a result, overweight and obesity levels in childhood and adolescence are increasing worldwide. From 2000 to 2016, the proportion of overweight children between five and
NZSL is for Everyone NZSL Week 2020
Each May, Deaf Aotearoa runs New Zealand Sign Language Week, celebrating one of New Zealand’s official languages. NZSL Week raises awareness of New Zealand’s Deaf community and provides a platform for Deaf people to proudly promote their language and culture. This year’s theme for NZSL Week is ‘New Zealand Sign Language is for everyone’. This theme reflects the status of NZSL as an official language belonging to New Zealand. NZSL’s capacity to express uniquely New Zealand ideas, such as place names and Māori concepts, is a source of pride for not only the Deaf community, but all New Zealanders. Every year, schools are invited to participate in NZSL Week by registering for free, 45-minute NZSL Taster Classes within classrooms. This year the biennial NZSL Awards are again being hosted in Parliament to recognise our NZSL heroes who are championing NZSL within their areas.
IS FOR EVERYONE D O N AT E N O W
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For more information, visit nzslweek.org.nz 28 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
19 years of age doubled from 1 in 10 to almost 1 in 5. From 1990 to 2016 the rate of obesity in New Zealand children has doubled. The greatest burden of malnutrition in all its forms is shouldered by children and adolescents from the poorest and most marginalized communities, the report notes. Only one in five children aged six months to two years from the poorest households eats a sufficiently diverse diet for healthy growth. A separate New Zealand specific study found that almost one in five children (19 percent) live in households with severe-to moderate food insecurity. And the rates of household food insecurity were higher among certain subgroups, including children in households on low incomes, children in the most deprived neighbourhoods, and children of Pacific and Māori ethnicity.
Working Space | NZ Blood Service
NZ Blood Service Did you know that one whole blood donation can save up to three lives? Every year blood donations help save the lives of over 120,000 New Zealanders in need in fact you may already know someone who’s needed a blood transfusion. The curriculum taught in schools plays an important part in helping students understand the importance of blood, and why donating is a powerful way of giving back to the community. Blood is used in many treatments trauma and accidents, cancer treatments, immune deficiencies and auto immune diseases, severe burns and bleeding and blood clotting. On June 14 we will be celebrating World Blood Donor Day. th,
This is an international day where everyone around the world celebrates their blood donors. The simple gift of a blood donation can mean the difference between life and death for thousands of Kiwis, which is why we call them lifesavers. During this week we would like to encourage schools to say thank you too. It could be as simple as students writing thank you notes and sending
them to our Donor Centres, writing a short story on how blood donations helped save the life of someone they know, or getting whanau and friends to give a whole blood donation. Blood can’t be manufactured, so hospitals around New Zealand rely on the generous donations made by everyday Kiwi heroes. The need for blood is constant and encouraging the next generation to carry on the torch will help make sure that there is plenty of blood for those who need it.
What we do New Zealand Blood Service has four key areas: Blood collection The NZBS is committed to maintaining a system of blood collection based on the principle of voluntary, unpaid blood donation. This is recognised as the first, and one of the most important mechanisms by which the safety of the blood supply is assured. Processing of blood donations Processing of blood donations is centralised to four sites collectively handling around 147,000 donations
per year. The sites are in Auckland, Hamilton, Wellington and Christchurch. Processing involves the separation of blood donations into blood components, principally red cells, platelets and fresh frozen plasma. Blood banking Blood Banks are the pretransfusion testing laboratories where blood products are matched to suit each individual patient. This includes determining the patient’s blood type and matching this with appropriate products. Blood Banks are always located at the hospitals and are often staffed
after hours to meet any urgent need for blood. NZBS operates six Blood Banks in six cities from Auckland to Dunedin, and another 28 District Health Board (DHB) Blood Bank laboratories also perform pretransfusion testing in line with defined quality standards. Accreditation testing of blood donations Accreditation testing is centralised in two sites, in Auckland and in Christchurch. Accreditation testing of all blood donations involves two distinct processes: blood grouping and screening for infectious markers.
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 29
Working Space | Dealing with Grief
Supporting students through grief Schools are their own unique communities within communities. When people within a school’s community are grieving, it’s important that school is a safe environment that supports those affected through their bereavement. The loss of a sibling or parent, extended family or friends, and traumatic incidents affecting the school or wider community are some of the likely causes of grief that will affect school-aged children during their childhood.
Teaching staff should be prepared to:
Within the school environment, bereavement requires a thoughtful, informed and timely response from school staff and school leadership teams to keep students on target with their educational achievement.
• Talk with them about what won’t change in their life
• Let children talk about the incident (they may ask the same questions repeatedly) • Answer questions honestly and simply
Children and young people move in and out of their grief and an important guiding principle is to stay open and receptive to each child and their experiences and behaviours. Supporting young children
Aged four to eight Young children have some understanding of grief but they may also have unrealistic thoughts. Physically, they may be tired, distracted and unable to concentrate, and experience stomach aches and headaches.
Serving Oamaru Districts for 34 years
• Increase physical activities. Supporting children
Aged eight to 12 Older children can usually fully comprehend the reality of their loss. They may try to mask their emotional reactions, feel angry and ‘act out’ in a range of ways, or take a restorative approach to school life, preferring to deal with loss-related issues elsewhere. They may experience many of the same physical reactions as younger students. • Help them to understand that the emotions they are experiencing are normal and natural • Discuss ways in which they can help those affected or share their favourite
memories of the person or people they are grieving • Expect some behavioural changes for a while • Encourage students to be together and look out for each other, and to let a teacher know if they have concerns about another student. Supporting young people
aged 13 to 18 Adolescence can be a time of emotional ups and downs and adolescents may experience intense, private grief, share the experience with their close friends, or do both. • Be clear in separating fact from rumour – clarify any misinformation and provide factual answers, and if you don’t know the answer, say so • Do not pressure them to talk about it but make it clear you are there to support them • Monitor student attendance • Provide flexibility around homework and assignments where possible • Encourage them to access additional support when needed.
Supporting staff Staff will require support in supporting their students through the grieving process. • Provide teachers with guidelines on how to share information about grief with their students • Share factual information with staff (through meetings and bulletins) and keep them informed of things as they develop • Keep in regular communication with staff to ensure they are managing • Establish referral procedures and resources for additional support. More information about managing student and staff wellbeing can be accessed through the Ministry of Education, www.education.gotv.nz.
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When you need us, we’ll be there
Plan ahead with us, ease the burden on your loved ones by pre-planning. Ensure your wishes are recorded and carried out. When your heart is full of grief… Ensuring peace of mind Funeral prearrangement simply means that by planning now, you can ensure that your funeral reflects your personal wishes. You can determine your last wishes in advance. Its our mission to take the stress and uncertainty out of the things that matter.
49 Humber Street, Oamaru Phone Slade or Paul: 03 434 8266 E: admin@wallsfuneralservices.co.nz Wallsfuneralservices.oamaru.net.nz 30 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Working Space | EOTC
Are you looking for a venue for your next school camp? Lakes Ranch offers a beautiful setting with all you need for a fun and active camp.
We are helping kids gain confidence in an environment that is both challenging and safe.
The experienced hosting team will work with you to ensure your camp runs as smoothly as possible and will be on hand during the camp to assist where ever necessary. The onsite facilities eliminate the need for travel elsewhere, with a range of activities available including kayaking, horse riding through to the simple pleasure of relaxing on our large hammock. Safety is paramount and briefings are given to all supervisors before commencing activity times. We provide our own qualified instructors for activities where specialist skills are required. Lakes Ranch aims to equip children with tools for the future and create lasting memories. Camp provides a challenging but safe environment for this to take place. We all grew up where children built a real tree hut, in a real tree. Lakes Ranch is set on 127 acres of outdoor fun and the direction we are moving in is one of adventure. We are helping kids gain confidence in an environment that is both challenging and safe.
Rotorua has to offer. From zorbing to luging, the options are endless. Maybe try a spot of fishing on one of the lakes, or check out the cultural sites around the region.
Lakes Ranch wants to embrace the past and give kids the opportunity to love the outdoors, teaching them to look for adventure instead of being bored. The aim is to give kids the skills to minimise risk and the confidence to give things a go, instead of doing nothing for fear of getting hurt. Therefore, the goal is to provide a place where opportunities are available to jump in, have a go, and meet the challenges offered by the site.
Activities There are a huge range of activities for school groups to get involved with at the camp. Sports facilities and fields are also available to kick a rugby ball on, or have a game of competitive volleyball. Tennis and badminton are also great games for kids to get involved with and sports gear is available at the camp. And don’t forget the camp is a hop, skip and jump to the local attractions
School holiday programmes Lakes Ranch offers extensive holiday programmes. For those who love to get out into the great outdoors on horse back. From trekking to trotting, the camp offers amazing opportunities to harness your skills on horse back. And you don’t even have to know how to ride a horse. The talented team at the camp can teach you. Lakes Ranch 79 Lake Rotokawau Road RD4 Tikitere Rotorua (07) 350 3010 www.lakesranch.org.nz
Whether you want to be busy and active, or quiet and relaxed, we can help you make great memories here at CYC! Give the kids some fun after lockdown. Let them be kids again and also rebuild that team spirit amongst the children and the staff.
www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 31
Working Space | EOTC
History comes alive in Arrowtown
Raft the Mohaka Mohaka Rafting is ready to help you get into New Zealand’s wild spaces on one of our rafting trips. Use our contact page if you have questions about your booking, or if you know what you want, you can always book directly, online, with the green button below! Mohaka Rafting is pleased to work with schools to help Kiwi kids get out into the wilderness and come away with memories for a lifetime. We know that the New Zealand wilderness is a great environment to teach students basic skills like river crossings, hazard avoidance/management, basic survival and camp cooking. Spending some time in the bush to gain knowledge and understanding will help them cope with accidents and natural disasters that they may encounter in everyday life or while traveling. Our school programming costs are less than our typical rates because we know how important it is to imbue a sense of outdoor life in our youth.
We are flexible with our programmes and often have schools with multiple groups of students who are interested in tramping, kayaking and rafting. Contact us to see what options can run at once and where. If you’re interested in going for more than just one day, Mohaka Rafting provides multi-days trips as well. We enable our guests to experience the untouched New Zealand backcountry with the best guides, equipment and food. Whatever your style of adventure we have something for you. For more information visit: www.mohakarafting.com.
RESILIENCE, LEADERSHIP, LIFE SKILLS, SAFETY School camps and expeditions Junior school Grade 2 half day trips High school Grade 3 day trips Phone: 068391808 Email: norm@mohakarafting.co.nz www.mohakarafting.co.nz 32 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
In historic Arrowtown the whole town is a living museum. The Lakes District Museum runs an interactive LEOTC education programme called HandsONHistory, designed to support the New Zealand Curriculum. HandsONHistory uses the entire town to provide an authentic experience for students from Year 1 right through to NCEA level 3. By using the original features of the beautifully preserved goldmining town, students are able to learn by doing, using inquiry strategies and engaging all five of their senses. Programmes are tailor made to suit your individual school’s inquiry topics and unique learning needs. Specific links are made to curriculum subjects and learning intentions.
Programmes come with follow-up resources to consolidate learning. Our NCEA history and geography programmes provide the most current facts and figures, as well as thousands of historic archives to guide students to excellence. History will never be the same again In historic Arrowtown the past is all around us. That’s why the Lakes District Museum has established its interactive education programme designed to enrich and enhance the New Zealand Curriculum. Arrowtown is an amazing resource which allows students (and adults) to experience hands-on and interactive learning in an authentic environment. Arrowtown is a historically preserved goldmining town which allows endless opportunities for active learning, helping to bring the past to life.
The maximum cost is $5 for a full day of educational activities, with further special discounts for shorter visits, and locals or low decile schools.
All programme options are activity based, designed to suit all stages and styles of learning and all link clearly to the Social Studies Curriculum strands. All options are well supported by pre and post visit material.
As we are a Ministry of Education supported LEOTC provider, we pride ourselves in our use of the current New Zealand Curriculum’s principles, key competencies and curriculum areas.
For any questions or a free copy of our 2019 programme, phone or email our friendly Education Officer, Kelly, on (03) 442 0317, or info@handsonhistory.co.nz.
Working Space | EOTC
Working Space | Sports Turf Management
Getting the right help for your school trip There are many factors that must be considered when selecting an appropriate school excursion. Some of the more exciting and memorable trips will expose students to things they have never seen, give them the opportunity to do things they might not otherwise, or give them access to places they would normally never have a chance to go. Making sure your helpers are fully aware of their roles and responsibilities, ensuring they are comfortable with them and have the appropriate skills to carry out the task is vital in ensuring a school excursion is safe and enjoyable. Depending on the activity, it may be necessary to hold one or two meetings with parent helpers to assess their capabilities so that appropriate-level tasks can be assigned to them. It is vital they are made aware their role is to support the leader and ensure the health and safety of everyone in the group.
This means they must follow the instructions of the activity leader and the person in charge and help with control and discipline. But perhaps more important is to confirm with them that they can also enhance the learning experience. To help students get the most from the visit, teachers can also inform caregivers of how they can enhance the learning experience. These include: • Talking to the teacher before the visit • Getting involved with students at the site • Encouraging students to take responsibility for their own learning – work with them in small groups • Talking with the students about their learning • Making sure you know the expected site rules and help students to follow them • Be enthusiastic and participate fully.
Fields of dreams In recent years sand carpet sports fields have moved from stadiums, to council fields and now appear in increasing numbers at schools at all levels, from primary to high school. This is partly driven by rising player and parent expectations of highquality surfaces, and by the increased use on the limited areas available within urban areas for sports fields. The increased popularity in utilising sand carpet sports fields in schools raises some important issues: Is the school planning and budgeting for appropriate maintenance of the field? Does the facilities manager at the school know the consequences of under-investment in maintenance? Do the grounds staff understand the maintenance inputs required and have the skills to effectively manage a sand carpet sports field? In many instances organisations install sand carpet fields and then little attention is paid to the ongoing maintenance.
Offers 27 acres of gorgeous New Zealand bush and parkland, thriving with native bird life, just 45 minutes from downtown Auckland. It overlooks the stunning waters and islands of Mahurangi and accesses a secluded rocky shore and large sandy beach. It’s the perfect spot to host a group whether large or small since we have two independent facilities. Phone: 09 424 7633 • Email: office@psyv.org.nz • Web: www.psyv.org.nz
DISCOVER
the JOURNEY
What other assets do organisations invest in to this level and then leave without a clear management plan until replacement is required? It is important to realise sand carpet sports fields are dynamic living systems that undergo significant changes from the day the construction is completed, throughout the asset lifespan to eventual renewal. Factors affecting sand carpet performance and lifespan include: • Site Materials and construction • Amount of use • Pest activity • Rainfall/irrigation • Renovation • Turfgrass species • Maintenance.
The sand carpet rapidly declines in performance and is no longer considered an asset to he organisation.
It is important that employees responsible for maintenance are fully conversant with the requirements of a sand carpet sports field for the species of grass utilised.
This is astounding when you consider the investment in an installation can range from $150,000 to $300,000.
Incorrect practices can greatly accelerate the decline in performance of your investment.
School & Youth Group Camps Discover CYC Waihola as your awesome camp destination. Our camp-site has kids in mind - with amazing outdoor activities to fill your program.
D
isc fo oun r t ts ARCHERYTAG™ PAINTBALL ZIPLINE AND MORE e GEOCACHING a ca rm va m 2 ila & 15061, b P OpsBox Waihola 9243 • Phone: 03 417 7120 • Email: bookings@cycwaihola.org.nz • www.cycwaihola.org.nz 3 le www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 33
Working Space | Glass and Glazing
Music | Theatre
Stages and seating designed Glass installed in schools for high performance
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/ audience seating risers • Portable grandstands • Ramps and bridges • Steps • Lecterns • Ballet barres • Trolleys • Drapes and frames • Group photographic stands • Wenger products USA. Stronglite Staging® supplies 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: Engineering design certification, documented test results, qualified trades people, monitoring of product in the workplace, established safe working loads, and our products conform to or exceed industry regulations and guidelines. You can be sure that our premium quality products meet exacting safety standards. 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. Stage sections can form stage platforms, catwalks or can be tiered for audience seating or seated choir/orchestra use, stage extensions and pit infils. Portability: We design for easy handling, transporting and storage. Choir risers fold up and wheel away. Grandstands quickly disassemble for easy transport and storage. Wheels and trolleys are also available for increased manoeuvrability. Achieve your best with the Stronglite Staging® range of top quality products. Stronglite Staging® Limited Sales 0800 78 78 99 Hire 0800 12 12 33 www.stronglite.co.nz
34 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
Glass can be a hazard at schools if it breaks. As a board of trustees, you need to manage this hazard, including knowing what kind of glass to install and what standards you need to comply with.
Other glass In all other cases, all glass should be installed to the following Standard: New Zealand Standard 4223.3:2016
Meeting your health and safety responsibilities Keeping people safe from the hazards of broken glass is part of your overall health and safety responsibilities. We recommend you review your school’s health and safety systems. This will help you meet the requirements of the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
Double glazing You may wish to upgrade your windows to double glazing. If you’re using aluminium, make sure you use frames that are thermally broken or insulated. Aluminium is a good conductor of heat so if it’s cold outside, the frames will be cold inside and suffer from condensation.
Grade A safety glass You must use Grade A safety glass in these situations: 1. Where there’s a risk of people falling against it. 2. In all doors and panels around doors. 3. In buildings where there’s a higher risk, such as: • Gyms and swimming pools • Buildings that are within 6 metres of playgrounds, courts or playing fields • Halls, viewing galleries or grandstands. 4. When installing or replacing glass in a building where the glass starts less than 1.6 metres from the lowest point, such as the ground, the floor, outside decking or any raised seating. Where a window begins less than 1.6 metres from the ground, and goes higher than 1.6 metres, take the safety glazing to the top of the window or to the next transom (the horizontal cross piece of the window). Where the window begins at ground level and goes up to two metres or higher, use safety glazing unless the glass is protected by mesh, guards or some other similar protection.
Note that some glazing may be fire rated. In these instances, ensure the integrity of the fire protection remains compliant with regulations.
Anti-graffiti film A common issue for schools is the scratching or etching of glass by vandals. One solution is to install an anti-graffiti film. This is an optically clear protective film that is applied to exterior glazing to prevent glass damage. Maintaining your glazing You should check the glass in your school regularly. If there are changes to your school, such as new courts being built, this could introduce new hazards and ordinary glass may have to be replaced with safety glass. Paying for glass Pay for glass in new buildings or alterations out of your project budget, for example, an upgrade project paid for with 5 Year Agreement (5YA) funding. To pay for replacing broken glass or to install new safety glass, use your school’s Property Maintenance Grant (PMG) funding. Content sourced from the Ministry of Education. For more information, visit: www.education.govt.nz.
Working Space | Sun Smart
Creating shade Shade is one of the key components of being sun smart and decreasing the risk of getting skin cancer.
is reflected from the atmosphere (the open sky). In an open field, approximately 50 percent of UVR would come from each source. High protective shade must use an excellent UVR barrier shading material and be placed to shade the users as the sun-path moves across the sky. The view of the open sky should also be restricted. This can be done by keeping the edges low. Adjacent landscape, buildings, fences, trees and planting can be used to further reduce this ‘sky view’.
In the ‘Slip, slop, slap, wrap’ message, it is suggested you ‘slip’ into shade as much as possible to protect from high summer ultraviolet radiation (UVR) levels. This is especially important when the ultraviolet index (UVI) is ‘very high’ at eight or above. This tends to be during Terms 4 and 1 at the very time school students are lunching or enjoying outdoor activities such as sport and outdoor classroom activities. Maximum protection from solar UVR can be achieved through a combination of personal and environmental strategies. The most effective personal protection strategy is to minimise sun exposure between 11am to 4pm (daylight saving time) during summer. When people are outdoors it is important that they protect themselves from the sun by wearing protective clothing, sunhats, sunscreen and sunglasses, as well as using available shade.
Why shade is needed? Research confirms that clothing, hats and sunscreen are not 100 percent effective because of inadequacies in the shading of hats and clothing, and in applying sunscreen. Shade can compensate and can also make more comfortable environments in creating shelter, reducing glare
Design shade for its expected use It is important to consider the duration of expected use and also whether users are likely to be wearing hats and sunscreen. As sun smart students will be wearing hats and sunscreen for lunch-time play, shade over play equipment is providing extra protection and therefore a lower protection factor may be acceptable.
and/or providing relief from the heat of the sun. How much shade is needed and works The Cancer Society of NZ recommends a minimum of 2.5sqm per student. While outdoors, we receive direct UVR from sunshine and diffuse UVR which
Conversely, hats and sunscreen are unlikely to be applied before an hour long art class on a classroom veranda. In this case, the veranda should be carefully designed to give more protection e.g. shield the diffuse UVR from the open sky.
All Weather Protection
Have fun outside whether it’s hot or raining With clear drop down sides you can create a sheltered outdoor room that has many uses. Fresco canopies can be used to link buildings and create a totally flexible space that can be used year round. Our strong PVC roof blocks 99% of UV rays, making it a Sunsmart choice.
• Extend your usable space • Shade and shelter for students all year round • Keep classrooms cooler in summer and increase productivity! • Modern curved shape enhances any environment • Also great for pools, walkways, entrances and school shops We have many delighted customers in the educational sector, and are happy to provide references on request.
Outdoor Living Solutions
For an obligation free quote
0800 FRESCO 0800 373 726
frescoshades.co.nz www.principalstoday.co.nz Term 2, 2020 | 35
IF YOU’RE A TEACHER OR PRINCIPAL, YOU CAN INQUIRE, INVESTIGATE OR STUDY, WITH SUPPORT PROVIDED FOR YOU AND YOUR SCHOOL OR KURA. APPLICATIONS FOR STUDY AWARDS, SABBATICALS AND STUDY SUPPORT GRANTS ARE NOW AVAILABLE FOR 2021 – FIND OUT MORE AT:
TEACHNZ.GOVT.NZ
36 | Term 2, 2020 www.principalstoday.co.nz
