School News NZ - February/March 2009

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The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

Export education New Zealand’s international students Essential Reading for Principals s Department Heads s Property Managers s Professionals s s Professionals s s s s s s

NEWS EDUCATION ADMINISTRATION HEALTH & SAFETY SPORTS & RECREATION EXTERNAL LEARNING

s s s s s s

TEACHING RESOURCES THE CLASSROOM FOOD & BEVERAGE PROPERTY PROFILES EVENTS & APPOINTMENTS

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contents

sn inside

ISSN 1178-9964

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Welcome to another great year in education. With a new government, there will no doubt be changes in the future. This month’s issue looks at the current state of play in international student education, both from a broad perspective and at a school having great success with their students from overseas.

subscriptions@schoolnews.co.nz www.schoolnews.co.nz PUBLISHER Vanessa Puddy publisher@schoolnews.co.nz ADVERTISING Don Parlane

We look at curriculum innovation, by way of an aviation e Learning course being run from a small

Vicky Hunwick Anna McInroe Phone (03) 365 5575 advertising@schoolnews.co.nz

area school at the bottom of the South Island. We also take a look at art, chemical safety and the balance between disclosure and right to privacy for teachers and their employers.

School News aims to bring the issues that matter to school decision makers and is the essential guide for anyone in education today.

Issue 04 | February/March 2009

EDITORIAL Jacqui Taylor editorial@schoolnews.co.nz PRODUCTION Natasha Woods studio@schoolnews.co.nz CONTRIBUTORS Leon Benade, Stuart Boag, Ian de Stigter, Pete Holden, Liz Kelly, Kristen Leaity, Sue McBride,

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Paulette Newton, Nigel Sanderson, Glenda Stone, Dave Turnbull, Rachel Vavasour

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School News is distributed to all primary, intermediate and secondary schools nationwide and selected tertiary education providers by Multimedia Publishing, publishers of leading industry and consumer titles.

Views and opinions expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of the publisher or Multimedia Publishing

news 4. News in brief 5. Ministry news

Limited. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information in School News, however the information contained in School News is intended to act as a guide only.

The publisher, authors and editors expressly disclaim all liability for the results of action taken or not taken on the basis of information contained herein. We recommend professional advice is sought before making important business decisions. © 2009. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

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education 6. International students 7. Lincoln High School’s international community

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18. New books on the block february/march 09 school news

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news in brief

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Mike Pero Mortgages scholarship winners Three outstanding Year 13 high school students are the recipients of Mike Pero Mortgages’ Foundation Tertiary Education Scholarships for 2009. “We are delighted to announce the three winners who will receive scholarships, one of $5000 and two of $2500, which we are sure will give them a ďŹ nancial head start to their university education,â€? said Shaun Riley, chief executive oďŹƒcer of Mike Pero Mortgages.

Alicia Gleeson, who is in her ďŹ nal year of study at Opotiki College in the Bay of Plenty, was named the overall winner and awarded the $5000 tertiary scholarship.

Kiri Diack from Aurora College in Invercargill and Beaumyn Wihongi from Northland College in Kaikohe each received a $2500 scholarship. “The three recipients, Alicia, Kiri and Beaumyn, are very talented students and we believe they will do very well at university. They are all well-rounded individuals who are committed to giving something back to the community,� said Riley.

The Scholarship Programme is a nationwide initiative open to all New Zealand students aged between 17 and 25, embarking on their ďŹ rst year of tertiary study.

New Zealand Post Book Awards judges left to right : Rosemary Tisdall, Jenni Keestra and Bill Nagelkerke

will each read and assess over 130 books for children and young adults published in New Zealand in 2008. From picture books by iconic authors and illustrators, to exciting junior and young adult ďŹ ction and a huge variety of non-ďŹ ction titles, the judges will read them all.

The 2009 New Zealand Post Book Awards ďŹ nalists will be announced on March 3, 2009, and winners announced at an awards ceremony in Auckland on May 20, 2009. Children and teenagers will also have the opportunity to vote for their favourite book, selecting from the ďŹ nalist titles, for the popular Children’s Choice Award.

Voting begins online at www. nzpostbookawards.co.nz, and via voting cards available in bookshops and libraries nationwide, when the ďŹ nalists are announced on March 3, 2009.

Paper recommends reform to boost quality teachers

Alicia Gleeson, the overall winner of the Mike Pero Mortgages Foundation Scholarship, receives her scholarship at her school prize giving.

New Zealand Post Book Awards Writer and former children’s librarian Bill Nagelkerke, children’s literature consultant Rosemary Tisdall, and children’s editor and career bookseller Jenni Keestra, are the three people who have been chosen to judge the New Zealand Post Book Awards in 2009.

In search of the very best, they

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school news february/march 09

SigniďŹ cant reforms to teacher training and pay and school management are necessary to encourage quality teachers to all New Zealand schools, says a new paper from the Education Forum.

The paper, written by Byron Bentley, the Education Forum chairman and principal of Macleans College, proposes: t 5FSUJBSZ FEVDBUJPO iTUVEFOUTIJQTw to recruit, reward and retain new teachers t .PSF nFYJCMF USBJOJOH QBUIT Increased pay and incentives, especially for hard-to-sta schools t 4DIPPM TFMG NBOBHFNFOU t .PSF nFYJCMF FOSPMNFOU

schemes and the abolition of zoning t "O PWFSIBVM PG UIF &EVDBUJPO Review OďŹƒce “Without talented, enthusiastic and qualiďŹ ed teachers in our classrooms, New Zealand cannot hope to continue having a ďŹ rstclass, ďŹ rst-world, compulsory school system,â€? Bentley said. “We know that quality teachers are the key to getting good outcomes for our students. We need a system that allows quality people to more readily move into teaching and to stay and develop a career there. “This proposal provides a framework that will allow good teachers to shine and good applicants to more readily enter the teaching profession. “It also gives school boards the means to retain good sta and to manage school aairs to provide an environment for the stas’ ongoing professional development.â€?

While the National Party’s announcement of a $19 million funding allocation for a voluntary bonding scheme for teachers in hard-to-sta areas and subjects was a start, Bentley said much more was needed.

Investing in child safety The World Health Organisation (WHO), UNICEF, Safe Kids Worldwide and now Safekids New Zealand, have come together with a united voice. They are calling for the new government to recognise unintentional childhood injuries as a major public health issue, and to make a cost-eective investment in child safety.

Unintentional injuries are also referred to as accidents (road traďŹƒc injuries, drowning, burns, falls and poisoning).

According to The World Report, released late last year at the 2nd Asia PaciďŹ c Injury Prevention Conference, 950,000 children and young people die annually worldwide, with unintentional injuries accounting for almost 90 per cent of these cases.

Safekids New Zealand data also shows that over 9800 children in New Zealand are hospitalised annually with an unintentional injury. “This is equivalent to an average-size classroom of children injured severely enough to be hospitalised every day,� says Ann Weaver, director of Safekids New Zealand. “The common view in New Zealand and around the world that unintentional injuries are mere accidents is unacceptable,� she says.

The World Report also presents evidence that signiďŹ cant reductions in health-care costs can be achieved by implementing cost-eective primary prevention programmes. “The World Report shows that we’ve come a long way in understanding the science of injury prevention. It takes a multi-faceted approach involving grassroots networks, public education programmes, engineering and environment modiďŹ cations, enactment and enforcement of laws and regulations, and strong research to drive cost-eective primary prevention programmes,â€?

Weaver said.

news ministry news

Introducing the new Education Minister

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NNE TOLLEY, THE MP for East Coast, was first elected to Parliament on the National Party list in 1999, and was appointed spokesperson on Women’s Affairs and Early Childhood. In 2005 she was elected Junior Whip and given the Child, Youth and Family portfolio.

Tolley was re-elected as MP for East Coast in 2008 and was appointed Minister of Education, Minister for Tertiary Education, and Minister responsible for ERO. She is a former Hawkes Bay Regional Councillor, a Napier City Councillor and was the Deputy Mayor of Napier City. Before entering Parliament Tolley served on the Napier Girls’ High Board of Trustees, and was a Trustee of the Hawkes Bay Community Law Centre.

Changes to 2009 Secondary Schools Arts Co-ordinators Project The Secondary School Arts Co-ordinators project provides

required for schools to access the funding. From this year there will be no application process. The funding will be delivered directly to all eligible state and integrated schools with secondary students through operational funding.

In 2009 and 2010, all eligible schools will receive a base amount of $1000, and a per student rate of $4.46.

Schools will use their own decisionmaking processes and choose their own priorities for the funding.

Foreign fee-paying students Anne Tolley

administrative support for arts teachers, and enables schools to co-ordinate and provide gallery visits, itinerant performances, theatre shows, arts workshops, competitions, and other events.

The Ministry of Education is reducing the amount of administration and compliance

As at July 1, 2008, the number of foreign fee-paying students had decreased by 3.8 per cent from the previous year from 10,204 to 9815 students. Foreign fee-paying students represent 1.3 per cent of the country’s total school population.

The decrease in foreign fee-paying students occurred in the primary sector (Years 1-8) with a decrease of 19.5 per cent

(561 students) enrolled in 2008 compared to 2007. The secondary sector (Years 9-15) had slightly more foreign fee-paying students in July 2008, with an increase of 2.4 per cent (172 students).

The region with the largest share of foreign fee-paying students continues to be Auckland, with 49.3 per cent (4835 students).

The region with the secondlargest share continues to be Canterbury with 18.6 per cent (1824 students). The number in Canterbury decreased by 4.6 per cent, (88 students) between July 2007 and July 2008.

The majority of foreign feepaying students originate from the Asia region (85.7 per cent). The number of students enrolling from China showed an increase of 5.2 per cent between July 2007 and 2008.

- Statistics from: www.educationcounts.govt.nz

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february/march 09 school news

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international students

education

Export education and New Zealand schools – what’s happening?

Stuart Boag communications director, Education NZ

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VER THE LAST decade, export education has become an important educational, social and economic activity in many schools throughout New Zealand.

International students have multiplied in our classrooms and many families host international students in a home-stay environment. That’s the good news.

So what’s the downside? The short answer is that there isn’t one, although schools do need to know that running a good, sustainable programme for international students is not easy, it is not cheap, and it does require a major commitment in both staffing and resourcing.

International education as we currently understand it – that is, enrolling fee-paying students, was enabled as part of Tomorrow’s Schools way back in 1989. However, it really picked up a head of steam about 10 years ago, as increased numbers of students came from China, Japan and Korea. In the way of markets, what goes up sometimes comes down, and a few years ago we saw a huge decline in the number of Chinese students coming to New Zealand.

This downturn prompted many to speculate that international students were a “one-day wonder”.

So what has happened over the last few years?

The short answer is – a lot. Far from being a declining trend, the number of students has rebounded, with schools in particular leading the way in attracting students from new markets. The secret to success has been ongoing investment and ensuring that the schools’ visibility remains good in the market, and that good agents are supported.

Education is a very large purchase for parents of international students, and they want to know that the school they select is in it for the long haul. In summary, an international student is a premium customer paying a premium price, and wants to be treated accordingly.

Some schools in New Zealand have over 200 international students – and that’s big business in anyone’s book. However, most have fewer numbers, with an average of

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school news february/march 09

36 students per secondary school (or 26 full-time equivalents (FTEs) – not all students come for a full year) in 2007. Students come from a wide range of countries, with good growth coming from markets such as Germany, Brazil and Italy. Korea and Japan continue to be core markets, along with other Asian countries such as Thailand. Even China is on the upward trend again.

What is also interesting is that students are well distributed throughout New Zealand. Of course, the big schools in Auckland and Christchurch have larger numbers, but international students can be found far and wide, from Southland to Northland. Many students (particularly European, although many others as well), are keen to seek locations in the “heartland” and experience what they see as a more “authentic” New Zealand experience, whilst many parents also see the virtues of smaller communities as hosts for their children. Others, of course, prefer the familiarity, convenience and amenities of the city. All like the fact that New Zealand is geographically small, so that lots of experiences are packed into a manageable size.

One characteristic that

successful schools understand is that many nationalities like to be unique at their school. They don’t want to share the experience with too many others from their home country – at least, not while they are there. Ensuring that there is a good diversity of international students works well, and of course it works well for the Kiwi students too.

Successful schools also understand that the experience outside the classroom is just as important as the education, and so they ensure that they have sufficient support and choose their host families and extra-curricular activities with care. The most successful marketing tool is a happy and satisfied student.

It is not yet clear what impact the current global economic crisis will have on international students. On one hand, the value of the New Zealand dollar has dropped markedly, and this makes us better value. On the other hand, international confidence has taken a knock, and this may see parents less inclined to spend on international education.

What we do know is that most parents see education as an investment and will prioritise it rather than treat it as just a

“consumer good”. We also know that the long-term trend is towards greater numbers of international students, driven by a desire to access high-quality education, (which may not be so easily attainable in the home country), and broaden the education experience. The experience of the last downturn demonstrated conclusively that those schools that stayed the course reaped the benefits when conditions improved.

Schools do not need to be alone in the international marketplace – there is support available. Education New Zealand has a range of marketing, PD and research resources available and there are many clusters and other group marketing activities available.

Schools that are prepared to seriously support their international student programmes will find that the rewards are there – both in the classroom and in the bank.

STUART BOAG is communications director at Education New Zealand (ENZ). ENZ is the peak industry body for international education. He has a lead responsibility for the generic promotion of New Zealand as an education destination.

education

Glenda Stone director and dean of international students, Lincoln High School

international students

School enriched by international students

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INCOLN HIGH SCHOOL, a semi-rural school of 1470 students, situated 20 kilometres from Christchurch City, has been involved in international education since 1993. In 2008 the school hosted 62 fee-paying international students (46 FTEs) from 12 different countries, along with a further 55 students who visited on shortterm group-study programmes.

The inclusion of international students into Lincoln High School is beneficial to the school and community culturally, financially and educationally.

The vast majority of our students arrive with limited English, and classroom learning and life in a new country is a hurdle that can take some time to overcome.

For many it is the first time they have been away from home and the lack of parental support is overwhelming. Students at Lincoln High School live in local home stays and generally this is a positive experience, although our way of life is vastly different from that of many of our international students and cultural shock is a reality. In order to minimise the effects of cultural shock on students, we have established strong support network systems. The success of a school’s international programme is undoubtedly determined by the quality of the pastoral care given to the students. The welfare of our students is paramount and our international team of four provide 24-hour, seven-day-a- week support for them. We work closely with agents, guardians, parents, host families and teachers to ensure the needs of our students are met. Ongoing support – culturally, socially, psychologically and educationally – is essential. Students are provided with our contact details on arrival at school.

An extensive orientation programme is provided for all students on arrival, familiarising them with aspects of life in New Zealand, school facilities and expectations. Planning the academic programme for all students needs to consider their future plans and requirements from overseas tertiary institutions should they be returning to their

Lincoln High School’s cultural festival

“

Through the inclusion of international students our domestic students have developed awareness for other cultures.

– Glenda Stone

home countries to undertake their university education. On the first day of orientation our international students are hosted by our senior house leaders and a barbeque lunch provides an opportunity for interaction. International students are allocated buddies when they first attend classes.

Language support is provided through our very strong ESOL department, which also supports classroom teachers by being available to assist with the development of language in curriculum areas. We offer ESOL classes at three levels and international students who are identified as needing further assistance are allocated time at our learning centre where they obtain one-on-one support or smallgroup learning in English skills.

Written material on “Strategies to assist with international students in the classroom” is provided to

subject teachers. First-language maintenance assists with secondlanguage acquisition. We encourage the maintenance of their first language by providing literature in the student’s first language. We also provide first-language assistance in the form of a native speaker should this be necessary and we are fortunate to have bi-language teachers for some cultures.

It has been well-researched that international students generally find New Zealand “boring” and the isolation they initially feel can impact greatly on how well they settle into their new environment.

Our international students are fortunate to have easy access to the city; however, this is not always the case with students studying in the more remote areas. Successful schools invest adequate funding into the welfare of the students allowing schools to organise weekend and holiday

excursions. Going that extra mile to make the students feel special, such as acknowledging birthdays, providing ethnic food, hosting international luncheons with language classes, showing an interest in their culture, all impact on how the students settle at school.

We actively encourage integration with our domestic students and it would be realistic to say this is the greatest challenge we face and we are currently implementing new programmes to foster this. However, through the inclusion of international students, our domestic students have developed awareness for other cultures. Opportunities for our local students to study abroad have been created through relationships developed with foreign schools.

Several students in the past have received a fully funded scholarship 8

february/march 09 school news

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international students

education

7 to study for one year at a sister school in Japan. Students studying languages travel overseas and are hosted by the schools that send students annually to study at Lincoln High School.

Schools today have become very reliant on international students, financially. With two parents working, the historical school fairs and cake stalls as a way of raising funds have become a thing of the past and schools have had to become entrepreneurial.

Recruiting international students has allowed schools to have more independence in how they allocate their budgets. Money from international education is beneficial to our domestic students as it allows the school to employ extra staff, keeping the number of students per class at an acceptable level. The purchase of resources such as extra computers and the development of building projects has also been assisted by the funds raised from overseas students.

In smaller schools, the inclusion

International students BBQ

of international students bolsters numbers in subjects that would otherwise be withdrawn because of dwindling interest, providing the few domestic students with the opportunity to continue studying subjects of their choice.

There is no doubt that the

impact on schools from the inclusion of foreign fee-paying students is financially positive, but the impact on communities cannot be ignored. In 1995, when I first became involved in international education, there was reluctance from some schools and their wider

communities to accept students of other ethnicities. However, albeit slowly, the international programme within schools is now generally accepted and encouraged as it has become evident that the inclusion of these students is not only advantageous to the domestic students, but also to many families within the community. A school who hosts 50 international students and several short-term groups annually will invest into the community around $500,000 in home-stay fees, not to mention money also spent in the local and wider communities.

International education is always a work in progress. The needs of students are forever changing, but we have a moral obligation to support our students. It is important UP CF nFYJCMF BOE UP LFFQ BO PQFO mind, traits which we try to instil in our international students.

- Glenda Stone Director and Dean of International Students Lincoln High School

Supplier Profile | Taymac Engineering

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The versatility of the Taymac Heatpak boiler is allowing costeffective conversion from traditional coal fuels to wood pellets and wood chip. Benefits include substitution of a renewable, carbon-neutral fuel and reduced ash production while maintaining security of supply through multi-fuel capability - wood pellets, wood chip and coal.

In most cases, an upgrade of an existing boiler is all that is required, and government grants can be available. Where replacement of an older unit is necessary, a new Taymac Heatpak boiler can be supplied fully equipped, to run on coal, wood pellets or wood chip.

With the Taymac Heatpaks’ efficient 3-pass design, variable speeds for boiler control and automatic ignition, it achieves efficiencies of up to 85 percent.

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school news february/march 09

Taymac Heatpak boiler

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admin & management

E

DUCATION IN NEW ZEALAND is free.

Yes, that’s right. Or at least it was when I was a lad. Sadly, that was a long time ago – well, sad for me at least. As a parent with two schoolage children, and another one soon to join them, I know the reality no longer reflects what for many years was something that we knew was a fundamental part of growing up in New Zealand – an excellent and free education.

Today’s reality is that the free bit is just that – bits of the excellent education are indeed free – or rather, covered by the tax we pay.

For some of the other bits – be they optional or operational – we, as a community, look for a number of ways to top up the tank – the school our boys attend is like many others – with sausage sizzles, Yellow Pages distribution and cake stalls.

To add another wrinkle, school donations are also under fire,

for a number of reasons. And as we enter a time of economic uncertainty, there is no doubt the pressure on voluntary payments will continue to grow.

So, what does this mean for schools in New Zealand? Traditional forms of fundraising are still returning money to schools, but at an ever-reducing rate – and the

fundraising

School fundraising – time for a change in thinking

Nigel Sanderson Director, Fundraise Online

same parents get involved to do the same thing year after year.

In the private sector, that is the signal for change – and now that change has come to schools who have found a new way – the internet.

New methods, new channels and best of all, new sources of funding that have a connection, an interest and a willingness to be part of the answer to the school fundraising problem are starting to emerge and showing alternatives to the old standard fundraising ways.

Recently, Gulf Harbour School in Whangaparoa combined its students’ walkathon with establishing a presence on the internet. There are companies who provide low-cost, low-risk and lowadministration donation capability to not-for-profit organisations and this is what the school tapped into.

Individual pages were set up for 10

february/march 09 school news

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9 children aged from ďŹ ve to 13, who then spread the word to family, friends and relations throughout New Zealand and around the world.

And the outcome? Nearly $9000 in donations, a number of which were from overseas, and a market that until now would have been largely untapped by, and unavailable to schools.

By combining a school-based event with a learning initiative – understanding environmental concerns – and the opportunity

to fundraise for the school based upon pupils’ eorts, the school has demonstrated that new channels exist and can deliver signiďŹ cant results in a very short space of time with minimal eort.

Not only did the pupils concerned gain insight into the power of the internet, but they also got ďŹ rst-hand experience of being part of something that beneďŹ ts not just themselves, but also their wider community.

Other schools are now seeing the beneďŹ ts of the ability to open

a new web-based channel and to reach out to their wider connected community of support – and via this channel that community is truly global. Education may not be free in New Zealand any more, but the ability to innovate and learn at the same time still is.

NIGEL SANDERSON is a management consultant focusing on the delivery of strategic information systems projects for a range of public and private sector clients, and is a director of FundraiseOnline.

Artists’ generosity raises vital funds for school

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RT WITH LOVE, held at Richmond Road School in Ponsonby Auckland, is unlike any other art exhibition or auction. First held in 2005, it was followed by The 2nd Aair, The 3rd Fling and another highly successful event in November of 2008 – The 4th Romance. It is called Art With Love because artists donate their work knowing that all the proceeds go to the school.

The 2007 auction was featured on the TV1 programme Auction House recently, which was a great boost for the school and the proďŹ le of their auction.

There are many artists who have contributed works to at least three of the four auctions and the school’s principal Stephanie Anich says the school is “forever indebted to them for their generosity�. “We are certainly not short of talent in our community to tap into, and Ben and James from Art + Object auction house were the

Richmond School’s 2008 Auction

auctioneers for the night that raised $30,000 for the school.�

The school community, teachers and parents, put in a lot of time into this event for the school, and Anich says that without this, it would not be the success it is. “The proceeds of the auction are used to employ teacher aides. We currently employ six teacher aides who support teachers by working

with groups or individual children in our language programmes, or who provide remedial support for children in literacy and numeracy. �

The school is also looking at ways in which they can further develop the art programmes for our children.

Plans are already underway for the 2009 event.

Great New Zealand Duck Races Where your school can find funding information.

Consider a Rubber Duck Race as an exciting event for your next fundraiser!

s /NLINE SEARCHABLE DATABASE s &UNDING FROM GOVERNMENT AND OTHER SOURCES s 3EARCH FOR SPECIFIC FUNDING REQUIREMENTS s /NLINE CALENDAR TO HELP PLAN FUNDING &OR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT .ICK !RCHER NICK FIS ORG NZ Contact Great Little Events for an introductory brochure Email: racing@xnet.co.nz or Phone 0275 992618

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school news february/march 09

admin & management

I

N THE OCTOBER 2008 issue of School News, I pondered on whether the addition to the existing rules for making reports to the New Zealand Teachers’ Council is really so significant as to prompt such terms used in the media as “censure”, “intrusion” and “cry foul”. Specifically, the fear was created by these reports that the digital profiles some teachers choose to maintain, for example on Bebo and Facebook, could incriminate them.

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The matter of teacher behaviour has persisted in the media since that time, the most recent notable examples being that of the teacher moonlighting as a prostitute and the migrant English teacher who is alleged to have been guilty of dubious practices in her home country, such as selling cigarettes to students.

Teacher indiscretion is clearly a headache not only for principals but also for Boards of Trustees as employers. However, these two cases are exceptional, and perhaps not as morally insidious as teachers who may choose to post digital images of nefarious after-hours social activities online. A teacher maintaining a digital, online profile that is not indecent or likely to give offence is not the problem; it is the indiscreet, foolish teacher who is the problem.

Teacher indiscretions do come to light, somehow. Of some interest, for example, is how the teacher moonlighting as a prostitute was found out. These indiscretions can, and sometimes do, lead to complaints against teachers. The intent of the Teachers’ Council complaints procedure requires complaints to be directed to the

t

principal and/or Board of Trustees.

That being so, perhaps boards should be forearmed (and not have to be the ambulance at the base of the cliff ). One way they could do this is by screening the internet presence of each applicant who applies for a position before taking up a position at the school.

This strategy raises other issues, though: t 5IF )VNBO 3JHIUT "DU TQFDJmFT unlawful and lawful grounds for discrimination against job applicants. t "DDPSEJOH UP UIF )VNBO 3JHIUT Commission, job interview questions must be job-specific.

Information thus gained can be used in determining if that

t

t

t

Leon Benade

staff recruitment

Online life – should schools go looking?

director, Mockingbird Educational Consultants

The Privacy Act requires that information sought about an applicant be authorised by the applicant, unless the material is publicly available

person gets the job, so long as the grounds are not unlawful. %JTDPWFSJOH JOGPSNBUJPO about an applicant in a public digital domain that reveals non-teaching conduct may seem irrelevant to a teaching job description, except that for teachers, “fitness to teach” underpins that job description.

5IFSFGPSF JG BO BQQMJDBOU T digital profile offended a board definition of “upholding the public and professional reputation of teachers”, then that may constitute good grounds for not employing that teacher. )PXFWFS o JG B CPBSE DBOOPU CF certain that the profile was posted in its current form by the applicant then the board is acting unfairly, if not illegally, by refusing to offer a position to an applicant with a dubious digital profile.

5IF 1SJWBDZ "DU SFRVJSFT UIBU information sought about an applicant be authorised by the applicant, unless the material is publicly available (such as on the internet).

"DDPSEJOH UP UIF 1SJWBDZ Commission, accessing a teacher’s online profile without knowledge or consent also does not unduly contravene

Privacy Act Principle Four, of unreasonable intrusion into the private life of the teacher. t .PSF JNQPSUBOU JT UIF QVSQPTF or relevance of the search, in this case establishing a person’s “fitness to teach”.

Judging the character of teachers, either before employment, or in the case of suspected misconduct, solely by their digital presence, seems a long bow to draw. However, there is evidence that scouring the digital presence of potential employees is catching on in the business world (for example, see “Bad blogs get you ‘dooced’” in The New Zealand Herald, Wednesday April 23, 2008). School Boards of Trustees and principals may therefore be well advised to consider such screening of potential applicants before they consider these people becoming real employees who come with more than was bargained for.

LEON BENADE works as an independent education consultant, after a decade working as a senior manager in the Auckland secondary PTE education sector. He focuses on management support, strategic planning, PD&L facilitation and the 2007 New Zealand curriculum.

february/march 09 school news

11

catlins area school

profiles

A student working on a project

Technology, eLearning and pedagogy for the new curriculum

I

T IS RECOGNISED that eLearning is a rapidly developing field within the education sector, and one which schools have been coming to grips with in recent years, both philosophically and in practice. The idea that eLearning should take on a more important role within schools was alluded to at the Secondary Futures Project, where it featured in a number of scenarios and themes. We now see “eLearning pedagogy” explicitly referred to in the new Curriculum document for the first time, cementing the importance of this type of learning for the future.

In 2008, The Catlins Area School, through a pioneering collaboration with ATTTO (the Aviation, Tourism and Travel Training Organisation), BOE UIF % WJTVBMJTBUJPO JOEVTUSZ catalyst and consultancy Nextspace, embraced this new challenge through the launch of an exciting

12

school news february/march 09

initiative – as New Zealand’s first provider of Aviation Studies for NCEA students through eLearning.

Sparked from meetings between deputy principal Allan Jon, head of technology Jon Bird, and ATTTO aviation industry USBJOJOH BEWJTPS %BWF &WBOT UIF initiative was designed to address the severe national shortage of young people considering aviation as a career pathway. To further strengthen the project, Air Fiordland is working in partnership with The Catlins Area School to help maintain industry perspective and currency for teaching staff. Having gained students throughout Otago and the rest of New Zealand, the programme has attracted considerable attention from industry.

The project included a wide range of administrative hurdles for The Catlins Area

School’s management team, including the development of accreditation documentation for the programmes, the development of financial models to make the project viable, and the development of relevant marketing materials to raise the profile of the project and make other schools aware of the opportunities available.

“Our focus has been on making sure that students can access high-quality learning experiences that introduce them to real career options in skilled technical industries. This has involved listening to industry and responding to their needs, as well as breaking down the barriers faced by many learners in terms of rural isolation, access to subject matter experts, and creating courses that bring the theory to life and make it engaging,” says Jon. Principal Gavin Kidd explains,

“Our vision is to not only cater for international and domestic students on our school campus, but to also make our courses accessible from anywhere in the world – virtual learning is the future for so many areas of study and training.”

The initiative includes both a 12-month Aviation Studies subject, and a range of themed courses, each one term in length. Topics covered by the courses range from the theory of flight and the history of aviation to an introduction to New Zealand civil aviation structures and law. The learning programmes are delivered through a unique blend of eLearning that uses a range of teaching tools such as video conferences, free-call 0800 audio conferences, podcasts and interactive Power Point-style presentations.

Teaching and learning within the courses is further enhanced

proďŹ les

I

’M IN MY 12th and ďŹ nal year as principal of Cashmere High School. I’m leaving the school in mid-2009 simply because I want a change. I do plan to continue working and hopefully this will be in some area of education.

When I reect back on the last 12 years or so, it is with some considerable degree of personal satisfaction. Schools are complex organisations. They are obviously places of learning, but there is also the expectation on schools that they work towards achieving the government’s education priorities and that they operate along business lines as eďŹƒcient and responsible, self- managing public entities.

Some order and structure is given to this complexity through the vision and values statements of schools. For some years now, Cashmere High School has promoted its vision through the words “leading learning�. This vision is supported by the school’s four key values – opportunities, vibrancy, excellence and citizenship. It is our strongly held belief that the words “leading learning� take on two meanings. Firstly, we believe we are a leading school. We’re not interested in simply achieving mediocrity. We aim to be at the forefront as a leading or a top school. This is what we aspire to be and much of what goes on in

“

the school is shaped by this vision.

Additionally, we believe our role as teachers is to lead our learners, the students, in their learning. Our aim is to establish strong and positive partnerships with our students and to lead and guide them through their learning.

This vision is supported by our values. Our aim is to provide our students with lots of vibrant or exciting opportunities, both in and beyond the classroom, enabling them to strive for and to achieve their levels of personal excellence.

All of this we believe, must occur in an ordered and orderly environment, and this is most likely to be achieved when our students behave as good citizens. Put simply, for us, citizenship means “doing the right thing�.

Our community clearly has conďŹ dence in the numerous ways in which we try to turn our vision and values into real things that are happening at the school. Our

student roll has grown by some hundreds of students over the last decade or so, with our current roll hovering around the 1700 mark.

This has put huge pressure on our resources and especially on our accommodation resources, which have not kept pace with the growth in student numbers. The challenge for the school in the next few years will be to manage the roll in a way which still takes account of parental and student demand for enrolment at the school, but also is matched to the available classroom space.

This doesn’t mean that property development hasn’t occurred in recent years. However, it simply hasn’t kept pace with roll growth.

Currently, an exciting property development underway is the planning for a new, full-sized gymnasium and attached facilities, and possibly also for a large, allweather turf on one of the school’s playing ďŹ elds. This turf is very much at the initial planning stages and, if

UISPVHI UIF VTF PG QPXFSGVM % visualisation technology that is brought to the partnership by Nextspace.

The Nextspace software tools allow students to manipulate complex, detailed computer BTTJTUFE EFTJHO $"% % NPEFMT in a lightweight ďŹ le format – much MJLF BO JOUFSBDUJWF 1%' 5IF EFUBJMFE % NPEFMT DBO CF SPUBUFE QVMMFE apart, or viewed in a variety of ways – allowing learners to experience the processes involved in practical, industry-based tasks, such as removing a wheel from landing gear.

Using technology in this way means no time away from the classroom on actual aircraft is required for the learning to take place.

Jon has 25 years’ experience as an aircraft maintenance engineer and believes that the project is particularly exciting in light of the focus on eLearning in the new Curriculum. “The use of eLearning technology, particularly when combined with advanced software, allows technological practice and technological knowledge to come alive in a way that is impossible with traditional distance learning techniques. The use of eLearning pedagogy can also be seen as a method for teaching both ‘about’ and ‘through’ the nature of technology,� he says.

The courses are structured so that they both qualify for

STAR funding, and meet the requirements of TEC for the learning and formal achievement requirements to support Gateway placements – enabling Gateway funding to be used to fund them as well. “We welcome young people who are interested in becoming involved in the aviation industry,� says Russell Baker from Air Fiordland. “But at the end of the day they have to know what it is all about – so through the Gateway system they will get to work with people like Jon Bird and see what it is about.�

To raise the awareness of these learning opportunities, Allan, Jon, and ATTTO general manager of workforce development

The school exudes an infectious, positive energy and it is this energy that means the school is wellplaced to face the challenges and changes of the next decade

Dave Turnbull Principal, Cashmere High School

cashmere high school

Vibrancy, opportunity, excellence and leadership

it eventuates, will be in partnership with a group external to the school.

Whilst buildings and sports ďŹ elds are important, schools are ďŹ rst and foremost about people.

There is a substantial amount of New Zealand research that points very clearly to teachers and to the relationships that teachers develop with their students, as the most important thing in determining TVDDFTT GPS TUVEFOUT BU TDIPPM .Z children, two daughters, are now grown up. However, if they were younger, I would be delighted for them to be attending Cashmere High School. I would be conďŹ dent they were being provided with an education enabling them to achieve personal excellence in both academic and non-academic activities. The school and its teachers would provide them with opportunities to perform well in national examinations, to become involved in various music and performance groups and to be members of teams on the sports ďŹ eld.

I am very proud to have been part of the community of Cashmere High School for the last 12 years.

The school exudes an infectious, positive energy and it is this energy that means the school is wellplaced to face the challenges and changes of the next decade.

- Dave Turnbull Principal, Cashmere High School

Bob Feasey, presented a paper UJUMFE /FX %FMJWFSZ .FUIPET for Aviation Training at the 2008 Aviation Industry Association (AIA) Conference in Tauranga, which met with a very positive reception from the industry.

The unique programme has had great success to date, and appears to be meeting the needs of both potential employers and the new Curriculum very well.

The Catlins Area School is looking forward to further developing this project in the future.

- This article was a collaborative eort by The Catlins Area School, Nextspace, ATTO and others.

february/march 09 school news

13

rudolf steiner school

profiles

Extensions to add space and enhance environment

F

OUNDED IN 1975 with a kindergarten and two school pupils in small, church-hall rooms, the Christchurch Rudolph Steiner School now has over 400 pupils and teaches children from nursery age through to Year 13.

Nestled in the leafy suburb of Opawa, the school is presently undertaking an extension of its kindergarten areas to allow not only an expansion of the roll, but also an improvement in facilities.

The extension involves adding 3.4 metres to each wall of the existing building, the roof altered to give it a “three hats” look, and the internal structure revamped to make three good-sized rooms offering more space for the students as well as adding new toilets and washing facilities and other spaces to the building.

“The original building was built in the 70s, and these additions will certainly enhance the existing

Our main focus is s #OMMERCIAL #ONSTRUCTION s !PARTMENTS s 3TORAGE 5NITS s 3CHOOLS s /FFICE "UILDINGS We are proud to be the main contractor for the Rudolf Steiner Kindergarten

Rudolph Steiner School

TQBDFT w TBZT ,BUF .D1IFSTPO draftsperson at the architectural firm responsible for the design of the new extensions, Kennedy Architects.

“Work began late last year, and is due to be completed in June.

“It is quite an expensive build, but this is due in part to the fit-out requiring six new toilets, a disabled shower and toilet, and there being a reasonable amount of steel construction, which can add to the cost.

“It will look lovely when completed and fit well with the other school buildings.”

Working on a school site always creates difficulties when you have to work around school timetables and also factor in the safety of the

pupils and the staff who work at the school.

The construction is being done as much as possible outside school hours, and the nursery and kindergarten classes have been moved to a nearby house during construction, which, although not ideal, makes the work easier to carry out and also makes it less disruptive and safer for the children.

The school became a fully state-funded integrated school in 1989 and balances a Steiner curriculum with all the achievement objectives of the New Zealand Curriculum Framework.

The new design and alterations have also taken on board the traditions and ethos of the school

and how it educates its students, so that the form and function of the building marries well with the philosophy of the school.

Rudolph Steiner Schools have a “head, heart, hand” maxim, which epitomises a balanced learning approach, together with “truth, beauty and goodness”, which are the inner personal qualities that the school staff aspire to live by and then instil in the students.

The school’s ethos of quality is reflected in the architecturally designed buildings and when completed, the extension and renovation will be a proud addition to the school’s site.

PHILIP KENNEDY ASSOCIATES

ARCHITECTS

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school news february/march 09

Pleased to provide architectural services to Rudolf Steiner

Pleased to provide project

Penthouse, st elmo courts 47 hereford st, christchurch tel. (03) 366 0806 fax. (03) 366 0802 philip@kennedyarchitects.co.nz p.o. box 4638

St Elmo Courts, 47 Hereford Street, Christchurch, New Zealand PO Box 2619 Ph: (03) 366 1219 Fax: (03) 379 5011 Email john@sincjohn.co.nz

management services to Rudolf Steiner

Fyfe Sails Ltd 09 528 1683 Email: sails@shadesails.co.nz www.shadesails.co.nz 227 Taniwha St, Glen Innes, Auckland

external learning exploring canterbury

Close-up on Canterbury

C

were important features of many of the world’s ports, being necessary to correct ships’ chronometers and ensure accurate navigation.

A ďŹ ne example of Victorian technology, the Timeball Station is today one of only ďŹ ve in the world known to be still in working order.

For more information about the rock art and the Timeball Station, go to www.historic.org.nz/education

HRISTCHURCH AND THE wider Canterbury region are unique in what they can oer for learning outside the classroom.

Where else can you be in a large city, but also close to beaches, braided rivers, extinct volcanoes, hills, plains, wetlands and snowcapped mountains?

There are also all the cultural attractions of the city, from art and museums to plays, music and public sculpture. You can also visit factories and places of work to see how things are manufactured and organisations are run.

If you are looking for places to take your class this year, check out these destinations:

Godley Heads, Banks Peninsula

Taylor’s Mistake Students can be up close and personal with animals and plants of the rocky shore. They can explore tidal zones, food chains and webs, animal and plant adaptations and consider how to search the rocks without impacting on the environment.

Age/level: Years 3-8 Availability: available all year around during very low tides

Travis Wetlands Take students on a trip to Travis Wetland, Christchurch’s largest freshwater wetland and an important habitat for native wetland plants and birds.

There is a huge variety of both underwater species and birdlife to see.

Age/level: Years 3-8 Availability: available year round.

Godley Heads

Our City Uncovered So, who does make the decisions for Christchurch city?

How can students as citizens be involved? This exciting new programme introduces students to the ins and outs of city planning.

Bring your class into the city for the day to discover how the city is planned for, organised and funded.

Age/level: Years 5-8 Availability: available year round Note: These three programmes are run by the Christchurch City Council.

Frenchman’s Gully Maori Rock Art Site South Canterbury. O State Highway 1 south of Pareora.

The smooth walls of limestone outcrops in South Canterbury and North Otago provided an ideal DBOWBT GPS FBSMZ .BPSJ "MUIPVHI they are over 200 years old, many of the rock drawings in the gully have survived the elements and can be clearly seen. Visible at this site are birdmen and ďŹ sh drawings.

Timeball Station (1876) 2 Reserve Terrace, Lyttelton.

Like a Scottish castle dominating the scenic port of Lyttelton, the Timeball Station is one of the few of its kind left in the world.

From 1876 to 1934 a ball dropped from its mast on its stone tower, signalling the time to ships in Lyttelton Harbour. Visual time signals

Godley Heads oers stunning views and a chance to explore military history. There are ďŹ ve large gun emplacements, seven military buildings and other features including observations posts, underground magazines and a complete WW2 anti-aircraft gun.

Two sets of underground magazines are open for the public to explore. The middle gun emplacement’s magazine (E2) has lighting provided, although children with a torch might like to explore the blasting tunnel. It’s a great adventure and you can’t get lost. To view the second magazine (E1) you will need a torch.

Lake Ellesmere (Te Waihora) Lake Ellesmere is of outstanding national and international importance for wildlife. Over 150 species of birds have been recorded here, including 133 indigenous species.

There are number of wildlife reserves around the lake, some of which are also refuges, oering greater protection.

Te Waihora is also an area 16

The Boyle River Outdoor Education Centre is one of the South Island's leading providers of outdoor education to secondary schools and community groups. We provide tailor made courses to suit our clients needs so that they can experience personal development, teamwork, leadership training, outdoor activities, outdoor pursuits training, adventures and retreats all in the wonderful setting of the Lewis Pass. We also offer Alpine accommodation and multi-day rafting trips.

Ph & Fax 03 315 7082 www.boyle.org.nz

february/march 09 school news

15

exploring canterbury

external learning

Using casts, Roger Fyfe, senior curator of anthropology, explains the differences between the skulls of a Cro-Magnon hominin and a gorilla to a Year 12 student from St Bede’s College.

Museums are alive

I

Canada Geese are plentiful at Lake Ellesmere

15 of cultural, natural, historic, recreational and commercial importance to many people.

Kaitorete Spit, which is the barrier between the sea and the lake, is an impressive landform, about 28 km long. It was formed about 6000 years ago by gravels transported by the Rakaia River

and pushed into place by the PaciďŹ c Ocean.

Kaitorete is also home to other threatened plants and animals, some of which are unique to this location, such as woolly head Crapspedia Kaitorete, and a ightless moth! It’s a fantastic place to spot katipo spiders and lizards, too.

N 1938, A small group of students from a Christchurch school visited $BOUFSCVSZ .VTFVN UP MFBSO BCPVU moa. One child marvelled at their size and to this day is a regular visitor to the museum, bringing his great-grandchildren.

“

Museums are amazing places with amazing staff and collections. They are there as a community resource for you and your school.

So, how does your museum make its displays and collections come alive for students? How can museums compete with digital information? Is it even important for students to learn through “real�

FYQFSJFODFT .VTFVN FEVDBUPST across the country think so and oer programmes that spark imagination and a desire to know and learn more through eclectic collections, rich stories and dynamic sta.

New Zealand museums are bursting at the seams with iconic (and not so iconic) treasures. $BOUFSCVSZ .VTFVN IBT million collection items, ranging from geological and zoological specimens to social history and ethnological collection items.

These objects, coupled with knowledgeable, expert and passionate sta, make for a learning experience that is inspiring for students and cannot be replicated in the classroom. .PTU TDIPPMT WJTJU NVTFVNT XJUI a single-subject purpose, but on some occasions teachers incorporate a multi-subject approach.

Aorangi School recently FYQFSJFODFE $BOUFSCVSZ .VTFVN T tarantulas, which complemented

16

school news february/march 09

their group and study skills term four DMBTTSPPN UIFNF %VSJOH UIF TBNF visit the students experienced the Paua House, which linked closely to their Kiwiana programme from term POF %FTQJUF UIF UJNF MBQTF CFUXFFO the classroom learning and the

authentic museum experience, the visit brought to life the theme and reinforced their understanding of what it is to be a Kiwi. .VTFVNT DBO IFMQ TDIPPMT tackle diďŹƒcult areas of the curriculum. They are able to provide relevant and authentic programmes that complement and enhance classroom learning. Reading about how someone manufactures a tool demonstrating the skills used in the Upper Palaeolithic period can be replaced by a museum programme that is interactive using real collection items and community experts. It becomes an experience that makes human cultural evolution easy to understand and real to students. .VTFVNT BSF BNB[JOH QMBDFT with amazing sta and collections.

They are there as a community resource for you and your school.

I challenge you to contact your local museum and chew the fat.

Talk about what you want and together you will come up with the best-possible programme for your students.

- Rachel Vavasour, education and public programmes manager, Canterbury Museum

teaching resources art

Art for art’s sake

W

ESTLAKE GIRLS HIGH School is one of a number of large state schools on Auckland’s North Shore, with a roll of 2170.

The Art Department is very large, with more than half the school’s roll going through the department. It has a staff of 10 and two of the art teachers are ex-pupils.

The excellent reputation of this department is not something new.

The department has been built up over a very long period of time with a strong commitment to art education. Art staff members are encouraged to diversify – to teach in a field that they might not have been trained in and to take on responsibilities. As a consequence, management units have been allocated to the teacher responsible for photography, design, art history, Years 9 and 10, and for overseeing NCEA Level One. A positive, energetic, working environment is encouraged and teachers with management units have a small time allowance to assist with their responsibilities.

We have an open-door teaching system, where anyone can go and observe and discuss with another teacher what is happening in their classroom.

So, what do we see as the best professional development?

Visiting another department is valuable, particularly if a specialist area or field is going to be picked up by a new teacher. Rolling the professional development over so that staff can visit exhibitions in New Zealand and overseas

Let’s Get Art

By Brad Irwin Illustrated by John Ward Knox Published by Random house New Zealand RRP$34.99

Middle: By Elicia Milne, Year 13 Left: By Yan Zhang, Year 13 Right: By Sophia Brown, Year12

also works well; for example, the Sydney Biennale has, over the years, proved to be an excellent source of professional development for our teachers.

There is a vertical structure of planning and building from Year 9 to Year 13 and there is a horizontal structure that encompasses the units of work that are going to take place at the level.

The course outlines for each level are reviewed at the end of each year.

The department policy is that nothing stays in for more than three years. This takes a great deal of staff time for meetings, rewriting, planning and collecting of resources. But it keeps students interested and, even more importantly, it keeps staff interested and enthusiastic about what they are teaching.

From Year 9 to 11 (Level One NCEA), all units of work include drawing, painting, printmaking, sculpture, and design. These art “fields” are included in each art Take a group of New Zealand contemporary art works; combine them with the talents of illustrator John Ward-Knox and the knowledge and passion of art educator Brad Irwin and mix.

Let’s Get Art is a picture book designed to introduce young readers to the diversity of contemporary art and invites them to think about their responses to it.

The big question: “What is contemporary art?” is woven through the story and it offers a fun and provocative way for both children and adults alike to enjoy and appreciate some of the country’s established and up and coming artists.

course from Year 9 to 13. At Year 9, the Art Department offers a half-year option course in Year 9 art design, and a range of art extension courses that are held after school for three to four weeks, introducing students to art areas that would not come into their Year 9 courses, for example, photography. From Year 9, a student can opt to take Year 10 art design or Year 10 option, visual arts, and in some cases, both.

In 2008, we had seven Year 10 option classes and two Year 10 art design classes. A small group of Year 10 art design students are invited to take Year 12 art design - Level One visual arts. At Year 12, we offer photography as a one-year course and art design as a one- year course.

We have a third course that is totally internal. At Year 13, students are allowed to choose only two visual arts practical courses, from painting, photography, printmaking, sculpture and design. Art history is introduced at Year 12 and 13.

As a department we are fortunate to be working in new

facilities. We have a very large workroom that also houses our ever-growing library. Year 13 students have their own working space for painting, printmaking and sculpture. Other specialist areas are shared with Year 12, such as design and photography. We have a props room that houses many antiquities and an area for NCEA files.

Students’ work is displayed in art rooms, corridors, administration areas and the library. We are fortunate to have a large groundfloor atrium area that is often used for displaying folios and travelling road shows. We try to promote the subject regularly. In 2007, a 2008 art calendar was put together and in 2008 the art staff put together a pack of art gift cards.

Over the years, a number of high-profile New Zealanders have come through the department, Kate Sylvester, Dagmar Dyck and Judy Millar are just a few of them.

- Sue McBride, head of department for art at Westlake Girls High School

BOOK DRAW! School News has two copies of Let’s Get Art to give away.

To enter your school in the draw to win a copy, email win@schoolnews.co.nz with Art Book in the subject line.

Or write to Art Book Draw, Multimedia Publishing, PO Box 130075, Armagh Street, Christchurch 8141.

To be eligible for the draw, please include your school’s name, address and telephone number, and the name of your librarian or other contact person. Entries close Friday, March 20 and winners will be announced in Issue 5.

february/march 09 school news

17

book reviews

teaching resources

New books on the block The Water Fight

Do Polar Bears Feel Lonely?

The Amazing World of James Hector

separately and every second Friday they head to their dad’s place to spend the weekend. Their dad is a bit of a hoarder and his house his filled with all manner of stuff.

Their weekends with dad are “magnificently muddy, worryingly wet and mind-blowingly messy” – but they always have fun, and know that they are very much loved.

Congratulations to the winners of the AWA Book of New Zealand Science

By Feana Tu’akoi Published by Mallinson Rendel RRP $15.00 Age: 5-8 It’s a hot summer’s day and Vili and his friends decide that there’s no better time to have a water fight.

But things soon get out of control and Villi suddenly finds he has to step up and take responsibility for his actions and before he knows it, the whole neighbourhood is rallying round.

A great New Zealand-based early chapter book that will especially appeal to boys.

Edited by Mick O’Hare Published by Profile, distributed by Allen and Unwin RRP $24.99 Age: 10+ New Scientist is the best-selling and fastest-growing science magazine in the world. Its writers and readers have been asking and answering many intriguing questions over its 50 years’ existence. Do spiders get thirsty?

How long would it take to fill the Grand Canyon with milk?

This book celebrates the trivial, idiosyncratic, baffling and strange in the world about us.

Kaimanawa Princess Cookie

Edited by Simon Nathan and Mary Varnam Published by Awa Press RRP $25.00 Age: 13+ James Hector was one of New Zealand’s first celebrities. He arrived in the country in 1862, fresh from a daring three-year expedition in Canada. The geologist, doctor and explorer worked for the Otago provincial government to survey the south Island for gold and other minerals and found a route through the Southern Alps. And in less than eight years, he also founded all New Zealand’s major scientific institutions, and was in charge of them all.

In 2007, a symposium was held to commemorate the centenary of his death; this book collects up all the talks from this event into one fascinating book.

This offers a great resource for both science and history classes.

Carncott School Titahi Bay School If your school has not entered our book draw yet, email: editorial@schoolnews.co.nz with the name of the school, full postal address, year range and phone number along with the name of a contact person.

If you win, we’ll send you a selection of books for your library.

GREAT TRIP STORIES Where have you taken your students and how did the trip broaden their minds and enrich their learning?

Every Second Friday

By Diane Haworth RRP $19.99 Age: 9 -12 Becky first sees her beloved pony in the sales yard in amongst a herd of wild Kaimanawa horses that have been put up for sale.

Becky slowly builds a strong bond with her “Princess”, and together they take their place in the struggle to save the wild horses that have lived for more than a century on the Central Plateau of the North Island.

18

school news february/march 09

By Jacqueline Wilson Published by Random House RRP $36.99 Age: 8-11 Beauty Cookson is no beauty.

She’s a plain, timid girl surrounded by super-confident, snooty girls at school. But worse than that is the unpredictable criticism from her father.

This wonderful new book from Britain’s master of fiction for children, deals with troubled families and bullying in a sensitive and thoughtful manner.

If you have had a great experience out there beyond the school gate, why not drop us a line and tell us about it and we’ll publish a selection in upcoming issues.

Where did you go, why did you choose it, what did the children gain from the trip and what aspects of it worked well as far as the curriculum was concerned?

By Kiri Lightfoot and Ben Galbraith Published by Hachette Children’s Books RRP $34.99 Age: 4-8 Margi and Totty’s parents live

Send your article, of around 300 words, to: editorial@schoolnews.co.nz

the classroom new entrants

The best beginnings

Paulette Newton New Entrants teacher, Fendalton Open Air School

T

RANSITIONING TO SCHOOL can be a very daunting time for young learners. For children to have a positive attitude towards school, we need to provide the very best start which continues to build self-esteem and independence gained at preschool. This specialist area is often the “face” of the school for families; therefore, selecting the best person for this level is crucial.

Teachers need to have a sound, child-centred philosophy that merges an understanding of both Te Whariki and The New Zealand Curriculum. Strong teaching and learning practices in the early years is essential, along with a sound literacy and numeracy programme.

Te Whariki views children in a holistic approach where learning is an experiential process that arises from a child’s interaction with both their physical and social environment. Understanding preschool routines, their organisation and expectations of children will help to bridge the gap between the institutions.

a sense of belonging. Photos of before-school routines taken by either the children or teacher and displayed in the class entrance will foster greater independence and can be utilised by children as a checklist before school.

Programme

Pre-entry A challenging aspect of New Entrant teaching is the diversity between individuals and the education received from preschool and home. A regular system of communication between early childhood centres and school will ensure pupil information is transferred prior to visits and start dates. Action/ intervention plans for children requiring assistance transitioning, whether for behaviour, academic or physical disabilities, can be put in place and referrals made to outside agencies before start dates to optimise student success. Interact and observe children in their preschool environment to build a bigger “picture” of their social, academic, physical and emotional needs whilst developing relationships between teacher and child. This knowledge will not only provide security for the child, but can also be incorporated into teacher planning to prevent unrealistic expectations of children being made upon starting school.

Physical environment Provide a calm, nurturing and happy classroom environment

Top: Students working as a group. Middle: New entrants happily engaged. Above: Eye-catching artwork and posters

so children feel secure and safe in approaching you if there is a need. Ensure displays are at a low level, attractive and reflect children’s learning, as this will bring ownership to the class.

Label trays and equipment clearly with both words and pictures so children know where items belong. Provide learning zones with the use of netting and furniture to assist children with differentiating subjects. Most New

Entrant classrooms should include some, if not all, of the following components to assist with bridging the gap between preschool and school: construction zones with wood blocks and Lego, making table and woodwork tables, water trays, interest /discovery tables, play areas with dress-ups and home corners. Providing children with clear places for belongings, such as naming hooks or tote trays, will contribute towards them having

Te Whariki emphasises children working as part of a community, and having “mat time” is one component of this. Include songs to bring children together as a team and to transition between subjects.

Use PMP CDs to incorporate movement, language and braingym activities. Start the day with music to take the focus off any unsettled children whilst providing an opportunity for the teacher to deal with the child freely.

Developmental times should be incorporated into learning programmes for children to participate in free/guided “play”.

Relate these developmental times to Gardner’s Multiple Intelligences to direct and extend children’s thinking. Literacy and numeracy should be the foundation of a New Entrant programme, with specific phonics, whole language, reading and writing and maths sessions.

Provide tactile activities for children to develop this knowledge both inside and outside (if possible).

Include choice stations such as: play dough, chalk, magazines, paint and sand trays for children to practise writing letters, words and numbers whilst developing fine motor skills.

Reinforce daily teaching focuses by providing specific literacy and numeracy games.

Act out big books using dressups and puppets to extend oral language and processing skills.

Choice theory at an early level requires teacher modelling and monitoring, but once established, will encourage children to take ownership of their learning. Ensure activities are purposeful, interesting and centred upon learning to actively engage all.

PAULETTE NEWTON teaches a New Entrants/Year 1 class at Fendalton Open Air School and co-ordinates the Transition to School Programme. She also taught at Roydvale, Harewood and Beckenham schools in Christchurch.

february/march 09 school news

19

the classroom Supplier Profile | Visique Ltd

Healthy vision equals successful learning EYESIGHT PROBLEMS IN children often remain under the radar throughout their schooling, with far-reaching consequences for their learning.

Two recent studies, reported in the New Zealand Herald, have found that many eyesight problems are not being picked up, despite a screening programme that’s supposed to check all children at ages three or four in preschools, and at ages five and 11 in schools.

A survey of 4800 Year 10 students in the Waikato District Health Board area between July 2006 and June 2007 found that 6.3 per cent had vision problems that had not been picked up. A further 14 per cent, mostly with glasses, had been referred to optometrists or other professionals, making a total of 20 per cent who had vision problems by 14 or 15 years old.

The second study, published in September 2008 by a charity-funded project called See Here, found that referral rates from preschool screening to optometrists and public hospitals varied between health boards by between 1.5 per cent in the lowest district to 19.4 per cent in the highest. Differences were almost certainly the result of different screening practices across the country, rather than true differences in prevalence, the survey reported.

Visique Optometrists is one organisation that is trying to raise awareness of children’s eye health, and the importance of both early detection and prevention of problems.

Ian Finch, an optometrist based at Visique in Whakatane, says it is recommended that children under 16 have their eyesight checked on an annual basis. A government subsidy, Enable, is available to qualifying parents to reduce the cost of such examinations.

Among Visique’s educational initiatives around eyesight is a partnership with cricketer Daniel Vettori, undoubtedly one of New Zealand’s most high-profile athletes who wear glasses.

Fortunately for Dan, his eyesight problems were picked up prior to going to school by his observant parents.

“They noticed I was sitting about two centimetres away from the television, and they figured something was wrong.”

20

school news february/march 09

Ian Finch, an optometrist based at Visique in Whakatane, says it is recommended that children under 16 have their eyesight checked on an annual basis

glasses. His management routines simply involve regular trips to the optometrist. “These days, glasses are a fashion statement.

It’s certainly quite natural to wear them.”

Visique practices throughout New Zealand work with local schools, providing resources to help classroom teachers spot eyesight problems in their students.

Visique has also put the focus on the long-term damaging effects of UV radiation on eyesight through its “free sunnies for five year-old new entrants” campaign.

“The risks include cataracts and macular degeneration, which are leading causes of blindness later in life,” Ian says.

“Children’s eyes can be more susceptible to damage, as generally their pupils are larger and the eye’s lenses are clearer, which allows more UV light through.”

Dan was diagnosed with astigmatism at the age of three, and the 29 year-old has worn glasses ever since. “I always knew I was going to have to wear them and I actually enjoyed it. It meant I could see the world. Occasionally, someone would make a negative remark, but generally it was a positive experience.”

Clearly, good eyesight is essential to effective learning.

Wearing glasses, children with

eyesight problems have the vital visual aid they need to absorb the learning behind words and pictures.

It can be a different story in the sports arena, where glasses may be an impediment. For Dan, however, it has never been a problem.

“My mum always worried about them being broken by a cricket ball, but that never happened,” Dan says.

Dan’s message to kids is that it’s “nothing special” to wear

In Australia, increasing numbers of schools are making it compulsory to wear sunglasses in the playground. This is in line with SunSmart programmes, which have extended the “slip, slop, slap” message to also “wrap” on sunglasses.

“We believe wearing of sunglasses, in conjunction with a hat, will reduce radiation exposure to the eye to virtually zero,” Ian says.

However, he stresses the importance of standards.

Sunglasses should have dark lens and wrap around the eye to block 99-100 per cent of both UVA and UVB.

WHILE STOCKS LAST. SUNGLASSES AVAILABLE TO FIVE YEAR OLD NEW ENTRANTS ONLY. SUNGLASSES MAY VARY BETWEEN VISIQUE PRACTICES.

RDTN/4396/SN

Having worn glasses since he was a child, NZ cricketer Daniel Vettori knows the importance of eye protection. That’s why he’s supporting the Visique Free Sunglasses for five year olds campaign this year. Look out for Visique’s free sunglasses voucher, coming home from school with your brand new school boy or girl soon. Simply bring the voucher in to your local Visique and swap it for some sunnies. Howzat!

If the voucher goes astray on its way from school to home, call us on 0800 VISIQUE and we’ll send one out to you.

catering

food & beverage

Nutrition the key to school success

Kristin Leaity Dietitian, Compass Group NZ Ltd

A

S A DIETITIAN for a large food service company, I have the opportunity to inuence the food being provided in a number of boarding schools throughout New Zealand. Although it would be easy to give the students what they want to eat and keep them happy, a menu ďŹ lled with burgers, nachos and ďŹ sh and chips certainly wouldn’t do them any favours in the classroom, on the sports ďŹ eld or in the future. By teaching students to appreciate and enjoy nutritious foods during their time at boarding school, we can help them develop lifelong healthy eating habits.

Nutrition is top of mind in a boarding facility; students and their parents trust that the food provided will meet their complete nutritional needs. So, while the food habits, preferences and cultural inuences of the students are important considerations in menu planning, nutrition is always top of mind. In many cases, the food provided in a boarding facility is the sole source of nourishment for the students. Therefore, meals must be nutritionally sound, providing the right balance of macro- and micro-nutrients to support growth, development and overall health.

All school menus are audited by dietitians at Eurest, the company I work for. We believe it is important that nutrition and menu-planning standards incorporate relevant recommendations from the Ministry of Health Food and Nutrition Guidelines for Children and Adolescents and the National Heart Foundation Catering Guidelines for Adolescents. The standards should also incorporate guidelines relating to vegetarian and other special diets, meal- preparation techniques, and menu planning.

By maintaining a thorough audit process, it gives assurance that menus are nutritionally sound.

When it comes to nutrition in schools, it isn’t just about oering healthy choices. Menus need to be planned with the unique nutritional needs of students in mind. For example, children and adolescents have higher requirements for calcium than most adults. They are going through a rapid phase of growth and development and

22

school news february/march 09

the future strength of their bones is dependant on their calcium intake as youngsters. The Ministry of Health recommends that children consume at least three servings of dairy products each day. Unless they drink three large glasses of milk every day, it can be very diďŹƒcult for students to meet this guideline.

This can be done by: t 0ĂľFSJOH ZPHIVSU BU CSFBLGBTU

t 1SPWJEJOH OVUSJUJPVT EBJSZ containing snacks, e.g. mouse traps, cheese and crackers, yoghurt t &OTVSJOH UIF NBKPSJUZ PG EFTTFSUT provided are milk-based or contain some form of dairy, such as custard, mousse, instant pudding, ice-cream, yoghurt or vanilla sauce t 0ĂľFSJOH QMBJO PS nBWPVSFE NJML

as a beverage choice t 1SPWJEJOH TPNF NJML CBTFE soups in winter t 6OEFSTUBOEJOH UIFTF BOE other unique nutritional needs of students is the ďŹ rst step in planning nutritionally sound menus.

Tempting young taste buds The type of food available to schools varies and is dependant

food & beverage catering

on the characteristics and ethnicity of the students. In most cases, students appreciate a variety of cuisines – such as traditional Sunday roasts and fishand-chip Fridays, to Indian curries, Asian stir-fries, Mexican dishes and Italian pastas.

Seasonal-cycle menus are developed and implemented throughout the year. This ensures menus are varied with minimal repetition and that they are appropriate for the season.

Cyclical menus also help improve ordering processes and stock control, reducing stock costs to the minimum.

Theme days are often held on a monthly basis and these are a highlight for kitchen sta and students alike. The menu of the evening has a special culinary theme and sta and students add to the occasion by dressing up. For example, kitchen sta at Woodford

House in Havelock North hosted an array of theme nights in 2008, including mid-Christmas dinner, Rugby World Cup, Philippine, French, Scottish and St Patrick’s Day, just to name a few.

Getting the students involved Most boarding schools appoint a select number of students to form a Meal Committee. This is often made up of one or two representatives from each year, who have been chosen to speak on behalf of fellow students.

It’s good to encourage the establishment of Meal Committees and host regular discussion forums.

This is an excellent way to gauge performance and to get feedback from the customer – the students.

During such forums, the Meal Committee has the opportunity to make suggestions for improvement, submit special requests, and give praise for good service.

How contracted food service works In most sites a full catering service, i.e. breakfast, lunch, dinner, desserts, snacks and beverages is provided. Some companies provide main meals only (no snacks), or occassionally just dinner.

What a contractor does or does not provide is dictated by what the school’s individual needs are.

Food is usually prepared, cooked and served on site, although sometimes food is prepared o site, either in culinary centres or larger commercial contract kitchens. This is often presented as an option to potential clients who are interested in reducing overheads on site.

However, experience has shown that most boarding schools prefer to have the food cooked and served on site, for that “home-cooked� dining experience.

In terms of service, this also

varies from site to site and is dependant on the school’s individual speciďŹ cations.

Mostly, catering sta serve the protein portion of the meal and students have unlimited access to the salad bar, vegetables and carbohydrates. If there are leftovers, students usually have the option to go back for seconds.

It is important that students living away from home have exceptional-quality food and equally good service, and nutrition should be a high priority when delivering this service.

KRISTIN LEAITY, NZRD is national dietitian for the Compass Group NZ Ltd. She was Young Dietician of the Year in 2007 and received the Nutritionist Development Award in 2008. She works throughout business, education, industry and defence sectors.

Supplier ProďŹ le | International Water Vending Limited

Water for today’s world SAFE WATER HAS become a big issue around the world and regular reports of contamination have caused many people to buy bottled water. New Zealand is no exception to this trend, and school water supplies can sometimes be unreliable given old pipes, dirty fountains and an uncertain water supply.

We often ďŹ nd that in 90 per cent of schools, the staff room has some sort of water ďŹ lter or dispenser to provide clean water to the staff, but what about the kids?

For a limited time, we are offering our Arctica Cool Deluxe machines to schools with rolls of more than 400 students free of charge.* We also offer cost effective renting options for smaller schools.

We will agree on a proďŹ t share arrangement with the school from the machine, and bottles sold.

The machines are connected to a municipal water supply which is then puriďŹ ed by a choice or combination of pre-ďŹ ltration, high *some conditions do apply.

pressure reverse osmosis and ultra-violet light sterilisation.

The self serve vending machines can ďŹ ll from 200ml to 20 litres. The customer can have a choice of chilled water, or a shot of avour or syrup if desired.

Water puriďŹ cation vending has taken a big step from being a niche market to becoming a full-edged and expanding part of the water industry, with people wanting and demanding quality in the water they drink.

Arctica Pure Water puriďŹ cation machines offer some fantastic beneďŹ ts to schools and create a win/ win situation for everybody involved.

Environmentalists will also ďŹ nd the idea appealing because of the re-use of plastic bottles and containers.

Call now so we can talk to you about the above deal, various fundraising opportunities and machine options.

Want a fun healthy drink option for your students?

Are they sick of bad tasting water from boring old fountains?

Does your school need extra funds?

Contact us today to discuss the “arctica pure waterâ€? puriďŹ cation and vending machines

12 good reasons to choose an “arctica pure waterâ€? machine t 'PS UIJT MJNJUFE UJNF XF BSF PĂľFSJOH BMM UIJT GSFF t $MFBO GSFTI TBGF QVSJmFE XBUFS PO UBQ t 6OMJNJUFE TVQQMZ BU OP FYUSB DIBSHF t :PV IBWF UIF BCJMJUZ UP GVOE SBJTF GSPN ZPVS NBDIJOF JO NBOZ EJĂľFSFOU XBZT BTL VT IPX

t /P SF TUPDLJOH USBOTQPSU PS MBCPVS DPTUT t 5IF IFBMUIZ PQUJPO GPS TUVEFOUT t 5IF GVO XBZ UP ESJOL XBUFS LJET MPWF VTJOH UIFN t 3FmMMJOH PG CPUUMFT NFBOT BO FOWJSPONFOUBMMZ GSJFOEMZ QSPEVDU t /P IPSSJCMF UBTUFT GSPN PME QJQFT t $IJMMFE BOE nBWPVSFE XBUFS PQUJPOT BWBJMBCMF t .BOVGBDUVSFE JO /&8 ;&"-"/% t 3BJTF GVSUIFS GVOET CZ TFMMJOH SFVTBCMF CPUUMFT

FREE LIMITED OFFER FOR SCHOOL OVER 400 PUPILS!!!

CALL TODAY ďšť HEALTHY FUNDRAISER ďšť HEALTHY CHILDREN Phone: 021 225 6448 Email: intl.watervending@xtra.co.nz

www.watervendingmachines.co.nz february/march 09 school news

23

chemical safety

health & safety

Managing school chemicals safely

Ian de Stigter Science technician, Mt Albert Grammar School

S

ECONDARY SCHOOLS USE several hundred chemicals in science, technology, art, swimmingpool treatment and property management. The majority of these chemicals belong to one or more hazard class, as defined by the Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996.

Under the 2001 HSNO Regulations, schools and other teaching and research organisations are exempt from some of the hazard management requirements that the HSNO Act places on commercial and industrial users of hazardous chemicals. A code of practice (COP) for school laboratories was approved in January 2007, in recognition that schools were otherwise “unlikely to have the resources to independently comply with the provisions of the Act and Regulations”.

Many schools have made the effort to comply, and so now have

greatly improved procedures for managing chemical hazards. Others, however, have yet to take the most basic steps that the code outlines.

While there are flaws in the COP, if it is fully implemented it enables a school to be very sure of meeting its legal requirements for chemical safety. Schools cannot, however, choose to use just parts of the COP that they feel most comfortable with, and then expect this to be recognised as an adequate effort to manage hazards.

The first step that the COP requires is to have the school Board of Trustees appoint in writing a laboratory manager, together with stated terms and conditions and specified areas of control. This might not seem a very difficult step to take, but in a June 2008 survey

by Sheryl Fitzsimons, only half the schools in the survey had a boardappointed laboratory manager, a quarter had no laboratory manager,

and the others had one appointed by the principal.

Schools have their reasons for being slow to appoint laboratory managers and upgrade chemical hazard management systems and facilities. These greater expectations of schools have been imposed by the Ministry of Education without being costed and funded.

Prospective laboratory managers have asked for management units or for noncontact time (with varying success), to develop, implement and oversee safety procedures. Limited money available for building upgrades also means that a third of schools still lack adequate chemical storage and fume extraction.

Much of the skill and time needed to effectively manage chemical hazards will need to come from science technicians, paid out of the school operations grant. This grant has not been increased to

Green cleaning: an overview

provide for more technician time to control chemical hazards, and few technicians have received extra hours in recognition of an increased workload with hazard-control responsibilities.

It may not be clear to some why the COP insists on a boardappointed laboratory manager to take charge of chemical hazard control. I have already noted that much of the necessary work is carried out by skilled science technicians, so it might be thought that providing a few more technician hours would enable them to take care of the matter without troubling the board. This would, however, leave significant gaps in the systems necessary to ensure chemical safety, and the likelihood of chemical incidents would remain.

The science technician may well take care of chemical labelling, separate chemicals into

Liz Kelly Managing Director, Kelly Hygiene NZ

R

EALISTICALLY, A “GREEN cleaner” is made up of two elements – the law and the feelgood component.

What is the law? What is the feelgood component?

The law is governed by ERMA (Environmental Risk Management Authority – an autonomous Crown entity quasi-judicial decision making body).

ERMA drives the HSNO (Hazardous Substances and New Organisms (HSNO) Act 1996).

This came into force in July 2008.

For cleaning products this covers storage, transport, labelling and safety data sheets. For the vast majority of end users with smaller quantity breaks and few dangerous goods, they are typically affected by three things: base labels, applicator labels, and material safety data sheets. It would be wise when choosing a preferred supplier to insist on these

24

school news february/march 09

three as a minimum standard to comply with the Health and Safety in Employment Act 1992.

The feel-good component is driven largely by Govt3.

Govt3 agencies and industry work together to reduce the environmental impacts of government operations within New Zealand, such as waste generation, energy consumption, transport,

building and procurement. The priorities for Govt3 are to: t 1SPWJEF SFTPVSDFT JOGPSNBUJPO and training to Govt3 agencies t %FWFMPQ BOE EFMJWFS programmes that influence behaviour change t 8PSL XJUI UIF .JOJTUSZ PG Economic Development to deliver best practice guidance to the state sector on sustainable procurement policy and practice Govt3 (for cleaning) is still working through the standard for products to meet. Environmental Choice has been looked at, but the cost of meeting that standard is prohibitive, evidenced by few looking to adopt or renew the standard and very few seeing any benefit over the last five years.

With a change in government policy, indications are that the focus will not only be on formulation, (which is still critical), but the bigger

environmental picture covering issues such as compliance, (ERMA/ HSNO), and important aspects of a green cleaning programme, which address a system of recycling or re-use, training and education and support systems, such as wall charts.

A committed supplier will recommend a comprehensive risk assessment (audit), of your existing product programme, and identify the key focus issues to create an environment of “improved green”.

The range of products available in the Govt3 range is continuing to grow, and with choice comes competitive pricing.

The most important thing to know is that green cleaning is a path, not a destination. Anyone can become more green by doing some often very simple things......such as being compliant.

- Liz Kelly, managing director of Kelly Hygiene NZ

health & safety

hazard classes, offer assistance to teachers with risk assessment for practical classes, acquire safety equipment, and assist in securing hazardous substances.

They are unlikely, however, to have the authority to organise safety induction for new sta, prepare a manual of procedures, which all sta in laboratories must comply with, train sta in those procedures, monitor and audit compliance with procedures, receive and analyse incident reports, institute disciplinary action if needed, and assure the board that its responsibilities for chemical hazard management have been met.

Many schools (and bodies representing schools or their principals), have expressed views about the manner in which the

government has placed increasing unfunded demands upon them.

However, it is diďŹƒcult to see how a school that does not have a board-appointed laboratory manager (with the recognition of accountability of and to the board that appointment implies), can convincingly claim to have a commitment to meeting the COP requirements. This means that about half of New Zealand’s secondary schools could be severely embarrassed if they had a serious chemical accident.

+ELLY (YGIENE .:

� n a e l c n io it t e p m o c e h “Wipes t s

chemical safety

“

While there are aws in the COP, if it is fully implemented it enables a school to be very sure of meeting its legal requirements for chemical safety

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IAN DE STIGTER is the science technician at Mt Albert Grammar School and an executive member of Science Technicians’ Association of New Zealand.

Supplier ProďŹ le | Calibre Solutions Ltd

Safety solutions for school laboratories AUCKLAND BASED COMPANY Calibre Solutions Limited, provides a large range of medical, laboratory and safety equipment throughout New Zealand. These products include; recirculating fume cupboards, endoscope disinfection and sterilisation equipment, glassware and instrument washers, and chemical safety storage cabinets.

The Captair Filter Hood has been sold worldwide for over 30 years and has been number one in its ďŹ eld, with over 50,000 in service world wide. Captair Filter Hoods are standard with the following features: s 1UIET D"! '20 turbine fan s #% ELECTRICAL RATING

s 6ELOCITY INDICATOR s 0OLYMER COATED RIGID METAL frame s #HEMICAL LISTING MANUAL s &ILTER TIMER

Optional accessories can also be added: s ,IGHTING MODULE s -OLECULAR l LTER ALARM s -OBILE TROLLEY s 4EMPERED GLASS WORK TOP s 0OLYMER COATED SPILL TRAY Contacts: To contact Calibre Solutions Ltd. Freephone NZ: 0800-422-542 www.calibre.co.nz

Ductless filtering fume hoods midcapÂŽ filtairÂŽ and toxicapÂŽ models; For the handling of liquid chemicals, totally eliminated by filtration. A range of 26 models, all in compliance with BS7258 and NFX15-211.

Mobile, energy saving and environmental friendly! powdercap™ models; For the handling and weighing of powders, a range of 4 models!

145 Hepburn Rd, Glendene, Auckland Ph: 0800 422 542 Email: solutions@calibre.co.nz

february/march 09 school news

25

outdoor adventure

sports & recreation

A journey from membership to leadership

A

DVENTURE LEADERSHIP AT Menzies College is more than an outdoor pursuits programme – it is a journey from membership to leadership that is grounded by the philosophy of experiential learning. Our groups of Year 12 and 13 students tell us that this is a lifechanging experience. Valuing the facilitative relationships developed through their experiences and shared reflections, the foundation is created for them to experience themselves in new ways that they never believed possible.

Showing caring empathy and opening up to share deep and emotional thoughts in debriefs creates highly valued connections, the foundations for relationships between group members and for the group as a whole. A 1st XV rugby player acknowledging fear makes it OK for others to be scared.

Fully investing in involvement in all facets of group life is seen as vital, a key mechanism for relationship development being the interactions in activities, be they pursuits, games or debriefs. “Fun” in its energy-filled and pleasurably free forms, is a preferred mode of interaction and is a valued outcome in its own right.

The culture is the key The foundation for the journey from membership to leadership is found in the initial contracting.

In an interactive process, students explore their potential participation by reflecting and sharing thoughts around: t UIJOHT UIBU XJMM HFU JO UIF XBZ PG me challenging myself t UIJOHT UIBU TVQQPSU NF UP challenge myself The emotional vulnerability safely experienced in this process sets a platform for establishing a relationship- building culture.

Notions such as “being laughed at”, “fear”, “not trusting others”, “lack of self-confidence” and “family commitments”, are identified as potential inhibitors to fully engaging. Supports are commonly twofold: personal actions and attributes such as “coming out of my comfort zone”, “courage”, “speaking up” and “having fun” or valued actions of others including “accepting people”,

Membership to leadership

Top: Kayaking. Above: High ropes course

“encouragement” and “laughter”.

All people are valued for who they are, as are all levels and modes of participation, members being encouraged to share what the experience is like for them with the group and being proud of self and others. Hence, the majority of the learning occurs through each other, particularly through modelling ways of being and exploring how that affects others. As facilitators we intentionally model a learning culture that challenges fears and utilises actions of support where personal

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growth is valued over other learning.

Our Adventure Leaders (students), value facilitators (teachers), and indeed their peers, who “know how to balance fun and serious things”, “listen when you speak your mind”, “treat you like equals”, “are into all of the games and activities”, “are safe” and “are more like friends than teachers”. As the facilitators we monitor the culture through “participant observation”, carefully feeding and nurturing the culture through our interactions with the class members.

Experiencing being a member of the group in relation to the activities is an essential prerequisite to leadership. Trusting others to respect your boundaries in games, to belay you when climbing, to laugh with you when you show your playfully crazy side or to be your river buddy kayaking develops a “knowing” based on the shared experience. An Adventure Leader recently described the trust between two people after belaying at a ropes course as “the warm feeling in your stomach when you smile at each other at the end”, the pleasure in knowing a peer has responsibly cared for your safety and the warmth they experience from being trusted by you.

The members develop as Adventure Leaders in three roles, which are often integrated: coleaders, facilitators and instructors.

ECO-SCHOOL CRUISES & 4 DAY SCHOOL CAMPS Constantly cruising the Sounds, stay in a Wharenui, sleep in teepees and a stone croft. See Dolphins, seals, guided bush walks on Island bird sanctuaries. Swimming, picnics and having FUN. Kaupapa – Knowing and understanding our history Kaitiakitanga – Culture & egological value. Education through oral histories, quiz everynight !

www.ecoschoolcruises.co.nz

26

school news february/march 09

sports & recreation outdoor adventure

facilitating games in whanau

willingly to ensure the current

groups, designing and running

students at Menzies College have

adventure-based-programmes

awesome experiences in the

for Year 7 and 8 students, and

outdoors, just as they did.

leading on Year 9 and 10 camps.

Ex-students return as leaders on

- Pete Holden, Mark Mandeno and edited by Jonny Brown

camps, giving their time and skills

Experience Rotoiti Lodge!

Building fires on the beach

Co-leadership is about taking responsibility for organisational tasks, such as equipment, food, formal written communication, budgeting, transport, groups being on time and checking personal clothing. Facilitation involves interactive skills that stimulate personal growth in relation to the group, the activity and the environment. Instruction relates to knowing and teaching technical skills, providing safe learning

experiences, particularly for outdoor pursuits, such as kayaking, climbing, mountain biking, bush craft and snow craft.

A sense of community Adventure Leaders develop a sense of community responsibility through a passion for others to have the opportunity of life-changing experiences such as their own. They are given leadership opportunities in Adventure Leadership classes,

In the heart of the beautiful Nelson Lakes National Park, Rotoiti Lodge is surrounded with pristine native bush and superb views over Lake Rotoiti and the mountains.

Lodge Road, St Arnaud Ph 03 521 1820 www.rotoitilodge.co.nz

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27

security

property

Arrows may not be the answer S

CHOOLS HAVE ALWAYS been seen as public spaces. Not only do the community’s children spend their days there, but sports teams use the grounds on Saturday afternoons, churches hire out the school hall on a Sunday morning and local youths can often be spotted kicking a ball around on a late summer evening.

But, increasingly, school boards and principals are finding that issues, such as vandalism, graffiti and unwelcome visitors both during school and after school hours, are making them re-think the amount of access they give the “outside world”.

In 2006, the latest figures available, the Ministry of Education paid almost $6.9 million in grants and $1.7 million in top-up grants to repair vandalism.

Add to that the $300,000 paid by schools to meet their 20 per cent share of the costs and the total is

almost $9 million.

South Auckland schools were paid the most in grants ($1.8 million), but Wellington schools received the most in top-up grants, ($156,000).

This was after receiving $1.2 million in annual grants.

While not wanting to create a prison-like atmosphere for both students and staff, schools have a duty of care to everyone at their school.

Fencing off a school is an obvious solution, but it is one that needs careful consideration, not only in the areas that will be fenced, how high that fence needs to be and where entranceways are best placed, but also what they are constructed from and their design.

One type of fence that has caused concern amongst some safety experts and indeed members of the fire service who has been called out to several impalement

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incidents, are those with arrow heads. Lance Blyde of the Papatoetoe Fire Station says he has attended many incidents where he has to rescue people from a variety of situations, but he and others in the service are concerned about the number of people who have to be rescued after being impaled by the arrowheads.

According to New Zealand Fire Service statistics for attendance to incidents where people get impaled on school fences in Auckland, 19 people needed rescuing from December of 2001 to December of 2007. Of these, 14 were confirmed to be arrowhead fences.

A recent question posted on the Ministry of Education’s Property Management Group newsletter, asked, “Can schools install arrowtopped fences?”

The ministry gave the following answer: “The Ministry of Education strongly advises schools against installing arrow-topped fences.

Where these fences already exist we would expect boards to take steps to remove the hazard they present such as sanding the sharp edges or bending the arrow heads over to remove the risks they present.

Boards must comply with Building Code requirements, and also ensure no hazard is created under the Health and Safety In Employment Act 1993 and the Ministry’s Health and Safety Code of Practice for Schools.

A board also owes a general duty of care under general law to its students, which may lead to an action in negligence against the

board or action under the Crimes Act 1961 if the board fails to take reasonable precautions or care to avoid danger. The board could be held criminally liable for the consequences of omitting without lawful excuse to discharge its duty of care.”

Rex Buckley, principal of Kingsford Primary School, says they put a new fence in a few years ago after repeated problems with vandalism and graffiti.

“It’s all stopped now, parents have welcomed it and so have we. We don’t have people wandering on the school grounds like they did before.

It gives a sense of security, but if anyone did want to breach it they could. The downside is that the notion of trust is gone. The days when our school grounds could be used by the community are gone.”

There are, of course, many schools that use arrow-topped fences with no problems at all, and manufacturers say that they see them as a visual deterrent, and some will not put them on fences less than 1800mm high.

Fences must have an antiscale gap which must be no less than 900mm and is usually over 1000mm, which should make it very difficult for any child to climb.

It is also legal for any fence over 1800mm to use barbed wire, razor wire or electrification.

The real question may be whether the problem is with the person who chooses to scale such a fence, and should it be, “climber beware”?

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school news february/march 09

property

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29

events & appointments

New CEO for Learning Media Jerry Rickman, chair of state-owned enterprise Learning Media Limited, announced the appointment of David Glover as the company’s new chief executive in late 2008.

“The board is delighted to have appointed an individual who has both a strong commitment to education and a long track record in the world of business and securing organisational success,” said Rickman.

Glover left his Auckland-based role of managing director of David Forman Ltd to take up the CEO position in Wellington. Previously, he held senior positions with McCann Erickson here and overseas.

He has an MA (Hons) degree from Cambridge University, United Kingdom, and is on the board of the New Zealand Council for Educational Research. Other recent roles have included director and president of the Sales and Marketing Institute of New Zealand, and membership of the Auckland board of the Human Resources Institute.

Glover took up his new position on January 12.

Epsom Girls Grammar School appoints permanent principal Following a thorough and lengthy process, the Epsom Girls Grammar School board announced that Madeline Gunn, who had been acting principal at Epsom Girls Grammar School throughout 2008, had been appointed to the position of permanent principal.

“In making this appointment the board believes that Mrs Gunn possesses the professional and personal qualities that are key to ensuring the school remains

sn events diary...

Madeline Gunn, newly appointed principal of Epsom Girls Grammar School

aligned with its core values and beliefs,” said Campbell Scott, chair of the Board of Trustees.

“Additionally, she exemplifies the strong educational vision and expert leadership skills required to keep Epsom Girls Grammar at the forefront of modern student learning and teaching,” he added.

“The board worked with a world-class group of candidates, and Mrs Gunn was the stand-out choice for our panel of board members and senior staff,” said Scott.

Gunn was previously leadership and futures thinking facilitator at Team Solutions, University of Auckland, director of the School Leadership Centre at the Faculty of Education, University of Auckland, and formerly academic principal at Diocesan School for Girls. She has a Masters of Educational Management (with First Class Honours) from the University of Auckland, a Diploma in School Management from Unitec, a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Auckland and a Diploma of Teaching from the Auckland Secondary Teachers College.

Supporting Small Languages Together

March 12-14 Honolulu, Hawaii http://nflrc.hawaii.edu/ICLD09

ANZAAE conference 2009 (Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Art Educators)

April 20-24 Dunedin www.anzaae2009.org.nz

New Zealand Principals Federation Conference

July 1-3 Palmerston North www.nzpfconference09.co.nz

Empowering Future: International Education as a Catalyst for Change

July 2-5 Auckland www.educationreview.co.nz

Music Education Conference

July 6-10 Christchurch www.music09.org.nz

New Zealand Catholic Education Conference

July 29-31 Wellington www.conference.co.nz

New Zealand Association of Special Schools Principals and Australian Special Education Principals Association Triennial Joint Conference

September 15-18 Wellington admin@kimiora.school.nz

Making Inclusive Education Happen Conference 2009

September 28-30 Wellington www.imaginebetter.co.nz

New Zealand Health Education Association Conference 2009

September 28-30 Tauranga Carol.power@tepuke.school.nz

Do you have an event or a new appointment that you wish to publicise?

Send full details of event, date and venue , or new appointment notice and photo to: editorial@schoolnews.co.nz

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