School News NZ - Term 3 - 2010 by Multimedia AU/NZ

The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

St Therese School’s IT savvy students

Essential Reading for Principals • Department Heads • Property Managers • Professionals

• NEWS • EDUCATION

• ADMINISTRATION • HEALTH & SAFETY

• SPORTS & RECREATION • EXTERNAL LEARNING

• TEACHING RESOURCES • FOOD & BEVERAGE

• PROPERTY • PROFILES

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SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES $42 for 12 Months $72 for 24 Months Phone (03) 365 5575 subscriptions@schoolnews.co.nz www.schoolnews.co.nz ADVERTISING Auckland: (09) 309 7944 Christchurch: (03) 365 5575 advertising@schoolnews.co.nz PUBLISHER Darren Willis publisher@schoolnews.co.nz EDITOR Rebecca Wood editorial@schoolnews.co.nz PRODUCTION

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Technology is ever changing, especially in the education sector. Many of us who were at school in the 80s and 90s wouldn’t recognise the modern classroom with the proliferation of electronic whiteboards and laptops on every desk. But how can we make the most of modern technology in the classroom? As many schools around the country are finding out, ultra-fast fibre broadband could be the answer. Faster download and upload speeds mean students can interact and work on projects with schools in other countries and staff can participate in international conferences without having to leave the country. Find out more about what’s happening around the country on page 16. Even our cover stars, St Therese School in the Auckland suburb of Three Kings, are embracing all that technology has to offer.

Richard McGill studio@schoolnews.co.nz CONTRIBUTORS

Students at the school can upload artwork, stories, poems and other work to class blogs, while older students each have their own blog accessed from the school’s new website. As well as recording and uploading songs they have written and performed themselves, the students also gather, write and produce a weekly news bulletin for the homepage of the school’s new site. Read their story on page 17. Also this issue, we look at how the sport of curling has taken off amongst Auckland secondary schools, examine what schools should look for when planning to landscape the grounds and discover some new programmes to help tackle the perennial problem of bullying.

The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

St Therese School’s IT savvy students

Essential Reading for Principals • Department Heads • Property Managers • Professionals

• NEWS • EDUCATION

• ADMINISTRATION • HEALTH & SAFETY

• SPORTS & RECREATION • EXTERNAL LEARNING

• TEACHING RESOURCES • FOOD & BEVERAGE

• PROPERTY • PROFILES

Issue 11 | Term 3 | 2010

Ka kite ano, Rebecca

Sue Barker, Nigel Broadbridge, Harko Brown, Mike Cooper, Erik Ellis, Alisa J Fitisemanu, Rachel Goodchild, Peter Goodwin, Kelli Hedges, Prue Kelly, Charlie Loughnan, Chris Mak, Rosemary Murphy, Tony Parker.

School News is distributed quarterly 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 Limited. Every effort has been made to

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ensure the accuracy of information in Schoolnews, however the information contained in Schoolnews 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 © 2010. No part of this publication may be reproduced

4. News in brief 6. Ministry news 8. Principal speaks 9. Events

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are win-wins 11. Are we bullying the bullies? 12. Teachers need to talk to adults too 13. That sweet, sweet sound 14. An invisible disability

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News in Brief

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90 Day Bill could impact teacher recruitment The extension of the government’s 90 Day fire at will Bill could have a devastating effect on teacher supply and staffing, according to the education sector union NZEI Te Riu Roa. The government is widening the 90 Day Bill to include workplaces with over 20 employees, which will affect thousands of schools. It is also changing holiday provisions and limiting access by union staff to workplaces. NZEI believes the Bill is inherently unfair and unjust to workers and there are unseen consequences for the education sector. NZEI national secretary Paul Goulter says it will discourage teachers, principals and support staff from moving between schools or between early childhood centres. “Teachers and principals have historically moved to gain promotion but under the 90 Day Bill they are going to be very

FIN840_183Wx131H.indd 1

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

reluctant to uproot themselves and their families, when there is no certainty of employment for the first 90 days. That will affect career development for teachers and make it even harder for isolated or hard-to-staff schools to attract and retain staff.” As well as undermining job security and recruitment and retention in the education sector, there are also clear risks to teaching and learning. “What it could mean is that children will have a different teacher standing in front of their class every term, or face constant changes in school leadership,” says Mr Goulter. NZEI says the government needs to come out from behind its ideology and consider the wider implications of the 90 Day Bill on the New Zealand workforce.

Applications for tertiary scholarship open Three tertiary education scholarships, two worth $5000 and one worth $2500, are being

offered by the Mike Pero Mortgages Foundation, for students planning their first year of tertiary study in 2011. “We are very pleased to announce applications for the scholarships programme, now in its fifth year, are open and will run until Thursday 26 August,” says Shaun Riley, chief executive officer at Mike Pero Mortgages. The scholarships are open to prospective first-time tertiary students aged between 17 and 25. Any recognised programme of fulltime tertiary study in New Zealand will be considered.

Enginuity Day encourages females to study engineering Senior high school girls descended on the Faculty of Engineering at The University of Auckland in July for a day of activities designed to boost the numbers of female engineers. More than 250 school girls from 43 secondary schools from all over the North Island took part in “Enginuity Day” which included workshops and activities ranging

from interacting with robots and experimenting with biomaterials to learning how to podcast from a mobile phone and producing a radio show for listeners to download from the web. Women in Engineering equity adviser, Robyn MacLeod, says the Engineering Faculty hopes to increase its number of female students to 50 per cent. Currently, 22 per cent of engineering undergraduates and 25 per cent of engineering postgraduates are women. “So many girls don’t realise the creative opportunities that engineering leads to, and the chances it creates to make a real difference to people’s lives. Female engineers make fantastic project managers as they often have great communication and teamwork skills,” MacLeod says. “We hope that as more girls become aware of the possibilities an engineering career will hold, the numbers of women students will increase.”

4/5/10 9:59:06 AM

News in Brief

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Pool water quality standards revised

Revised pool water quality standards have been released.

Standards New Zealand has published the revised Standard for pool water quality – NZS 5826:2010. NZS 5826 provides guidance for pool owners and managers on checking water quality measurements and maintaining water quality to safeguard the health of pool users. “NZS 5826 is an important public health Standard and the 2010 edition has been substantially updated to include a new approach based on risk management principles and to reflect current knowledge, technology, and processes,” says Ian Couling, committee chair. “Although new to this Standard, risk assessment is not intended to be an onerous task, but an opportunity to improve the effective management of pool water quality for all pool operators and pool users. The information provided in NZS 5826 will be essential in meeting these requirements.”

NZS 5826 covers methods of water treatment and safe handling of swimming pool chemicals for fresh water and seawater swimming and spa pools, and geothermal pools, during use. It also requires all public pools to have risk management plans in place to ensure that swimming pools are operated as safely as possible.

Education can’t be funded on employment outcomes Steven Joyce’s recent suggestion that tertiary funding should be linked to employment outcomes rather than academic outcomes is a dangerous path to propose, believes Tertiary Education Union national president Dr Tom Ryan. Joyce, the Minister of Tertiary Education, told an audience at Victoria University of Wellington recently that he would like to see tertiary education funding linked to employment outcomes. He suggested this would send a strong signal to students about which qualifications and which institutions offer the best career prospects.

“The risk of this approach is that institutions that can get students to take cheap quick qualifications with good short-term employment prospects are likely to be much better rewarded,” says Ryan. “Meanwhile, those which maintain higher academic standards but are teaching students about issues and subjects that may not have immediate application to students’ employment prospects could suffer,” he says. “Providing job skills is important, but it is just one aspect of a broader tertiary education. It would be a shame to see institutions being encouraged by government to water down their commitment to teaching and research programmes that explore social and cultural and other dimensions that can not show immediate economic or employment outcomes.” “The short-term whims of employers cannot be the key driver for the quality and direction of education that our young people receive,” said Ryan.

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

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Ministry News

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No teacher shortage in NZ

A recent survey suggests there is no shortage of teachers in New Zealand

Reports of a ‘teacher shortage’ in New Zealand’s schools are inaccurate and alarmist, Secretary for Education Karen Sewell says. “Teacher supply is an important issue. Debate on the topic must be responsible and informed by up-todate data,” she says. “The most reliable source of information about teacher supply is the Ministry of Education’s survey of teacher vacancies, which is taken at the start of each year. “In 2010, 95 per cent of primary schools and 94 per cent of secondary schools took part in the survey, which showed that 99.6 per cent teaching positions were filled. That’s up from 99.1 per cent in 2005 and 99.2 per cent in 2009,” she says. The 2010 survey also shows that vacancies in primary schools have dropped for the first time since 2007, while vacancies in secondary schools continue to decline. Since 2005, the number of teachers in state and state integrated schools has increased from 49,241 to 51,974.

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

Motivation for NCEA students Students will have strong performances in individual courses recognised from next year across all NCEA levels says Education Minister Anne Tolley. “This will provide extra motivation for students as well as clearer information for parents, employers and tertiary institutions,” says Tolley. “Students will now be able to gain Excellence or Merit endorsements in individual courses at NCEA Levels 1-3, in addition to Certificate Endorsement. “Their strengths in individual courses will be formally recognised, which in turn will lead to much more clarity for potential employers and tertiary institutions. “Course Endorsement was to have been introduced progressively across NCEA Levels 1-3, but will now be implemented at all levels from 2011.” Students will receive an Excellence endorsement for a course if they gain 14 credits at Excellence level, while students gaining 14 credits at Merit (or

Merit and Excellence) will gain a Merit endorsement. To ensure students are capable of performing well in both modes of assessment, in most courses at least three of the 14 credits must be from internally assessed standards, and three from externally assessed standards. Further information is available on the NZQA website: www.nzqa.govt.nz/ publications/circulars/secqual/2010/ s2010-014.html.

Education Amendment Bill to become law A wide-ranging education bill which passed its third and final reading in May will improve student safety and allow schools to manage more efficiently, says Education Minister Anne Tolley. The Education Amendment Act will reduce schools’ compliance costs and improve the quality and effectiveness of existing education legislation. “This Act introduces important

changes to help ensure that New Zealand has a reliable and efficient education system,” says Tolley. “Together with other education reforms, it will allow schools to get on with teaching and learning instead of being distracted by bureaucracy, while giving parents greater peace of mind.” The Act sets out new Police vetting rules, including new procedures and qualifying criteria for non-teaching staff and contractors in schools and early childhood education services. This change will mean a quicker, one-stop procedure which no longer involves the Teachers Council. The Act will also allow information to be matched between the New Zealand Teachers Council’s register of teachers and the Ministry of Education’s payroll database so unregistered teachers can be identified. “This will provide a more reliable and efficient method of monitoring teacher registration and tracking the employment of teachers to ensure that teachers meet current teaching and safety standards.”

Ministry News

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Investment in infrastructure An extra $1.4 billion has been allocated in Budget 2010 to improve school infrastructure to help support the government’s priority of lifting student achievement. “An extra $1.4 billion is being invested in education over four years, and this will ensure teaching and learning environments are focused on the needs of students,” Education Minister Anne Tolley says. Budget 2010 provides $349.3 million in new operating and capital funding over four years for school property. This includes funding for building new schools and improving existing school buildings, and comes on top of government funding of more than $500 million as part of Budget 2009. “The government’s investment in new schools will allow us to purchase two new school sites, open three new schools in 2013 and undertake major redevelopment of one special school,” Tolley says. “We also recognise that some schools are facing problems due to

leaky buildings and Budget 2010 includes $82 million for remedial work. “A further $40 million is being invested to reduce surplus school property. This issue is a concern for some communities and our investment will mean the removal of unsightly buildings from vacant school sites. It will also reduce anti-social behaviour and vandalism in these areas and, in the long-term, will save government money through reduced maintenance and security costs,” she says.

History is vital to identity Associate Education Minister, Dr Pita Sharples, says knowledge of history is vital to identity, and all New Zealanders should learn the history of our country in schools. Dr Sharples agrees that a lack of knowledge of New Zealand history and Maori perspectives is having damaging social effects. That view was stated recently by academics Peter Adds and Richard Manning, who said schools were ‘sidestepping’ Maori history courses.

“There is no requirement to teach New Zealand history in schools, and research shows that most schools are ‘opting out’ of teaching the courses that are available,” says Dr Sharples. “The result is that our students leave school ill-equipped to understand and participate in some of the key issues of their time, that will affect them most directly,” he says. “For example, the government negotiates Treaty settlements based on the facts of history. If everyone knew what had happened, I know there would be support for the settlements, and easier reconciliation between the parties.” “And Maori students in particular need subjects that are interesting, relevant to them and taught well, to help engage them in education and keep them interested in school, and aiming for the top levels of achievement.”

School property public-private partnership The government is taking the next step towards a public-private partnership

(PPP) for building and maintaining some new school property, Infrastructure Minister Bill English and Education Minister Anne Tolley announced in July. “This Government has made it clear we are open to greater use of private sector expertise where it makes sense,” says English. “Initial investigations show that building some new school property through a PPP could result in a modest saving over traditional methods as well as offer some educational benefits. “PPPs also expose the public sector to new methods of asset management and procurement – helping them raise their game. That is vital if we are to ensure our children and communities get the modern classrooms and facilities they need within available resources,” he says. Officials will now prepare a stage two business case, which will include a decision on specific schools. A tender process could start early next year, subject to Cabinet approval of the detailed business case.

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

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Principal Speaks

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Screening and sorting – still with us

or most young Kiwis, ICT is an integral part of life: texting, messaging, online gaming, chat rooms, blogging, podcasting and YouTube are essential tools of communication and information seeking. Students, as well as adults, can access information – anywhere, anytime. These skills have now moved into the classroom. Transferable generic skills such as problem solving, communication skills, analysing information and the ability to use and adapt to new technology are essential today. Learn-that knowledge soaked up by sponge-like students is no longer sufficient. Robert K Branson, one of my pedagogical gurus, asserts that schools’ book-based technology has reached the upper limit of effectiveness and, no matter how much more money is poured into schools, nothing will really improve. Since about 2004, Branson argues, there have been enough computers and internet access to permit schools to shift into this ‘second paradigm’. In fact it is imperative that they do. This second paradigm, the Secondary Futures findings, and current New Zealand Curriculum are all stimulating change in secondary schools. Most people agree one size does not fit all, that delivering the curriculum should become studentcentred learning, that teachers should develop relationships with kids, and that we need to produce confident, actively engaged, lifelong learners if education is to transform New Zealand into a knowledgebased economy. Most staff in our school believe student-centred learning, where students reflect on and actively contribute to their own learning, is the way to go. However, the teacher is still deciding what is taught, how, and why. The ‘why’ is because the student will need it for NCEA. When NCEA started in 2003 it seemed that student-centred learning might be possible. The hierarchy of subjects was reduced and courses broadened. All students could experience success, thanks to unit standards,

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

internal assessment and carefully crafted courses with appropriate learning opportunities. For a short time teachers were trusted enough to run courses with only internal assessment. Everyone would be recognised for their achievement. The old screening and sorting function of schools was going. However, screening and sorting is reasserting itself. Under the guise of motivating students, we now have certificate endorsements, course endorsements will be introduced next year, then new unit standards with excellence and merit levels will be brought in. Universities are ranking their applicants and giving priority to those with merit and excellence, inventing their own grade point averages. Currently, the standards are being aligned. Unit standards with similar achievement standards are being culled. Unit standards tested skills but needed less reading and writing, so were more accessible for students

with different skills and abilities, so it is sad to see them go. Numeracy and literacy skills are being lowered to levels 3 and 4 of the curriculum and must be achieved within an appropriate context, a cross-curriculum approach. How wonderful, but why not such an approach for all senior students? A new International Tertiary Admission Ranking (ITAR) system will mean that students who achieve NCEA Level 3 can link to overseas qualifications and ease entry to these universities. I think the current pathways already work well. Soon all people will be concerned about is this ITAR score, like the B bursary of earlier years. Those not achieving it will be labelled failures. But whose interests are we serving? I suspect it is the interests of universities and the government. Universities want to control their intake, restrict numbers of domestic students to the number actually funded by the government and

weed out the students unlikely to enhance their reputation. Universities dominate education, but attract fewer than 25 per cent of school leavers. Government wants to get a grip on student loans. All this seems at odds with the governments desire to produce life-long learners and a knowledge economy. Despite a world-beating new curriculum with enormous possibilities, I don’t think it is likely we will see student-centred learning in many secondary schools. We may see inclusive schools like ours who try to develop the approach in Years 9 and 10, or a few new schools which can start with a new philosophy and approach, but most will continue to create kids who can and those that can’t. I want a school which produces creative, confident, connected, involved, lifelong learners. Why return to old-fashioned teaching for the test? – By Prue Kelly, principal, Wellington High School.

Events

news

The Education Expo 2010 – passed with honours

ore than 100 exhibitors demonstrated their wares at the Education Expo 2010, held at the ASB Showgounds in Greenlane in June. From music, toys and attractions to books, teaching aides for gifted students, and programmes for students with learning difficulties, the show had something for everyone – from parents to teachers and principals. There were a number of handson activities, including play areas and entertainment, as well as plenty of opportunity for attendees to try products before purchasing them. One attendee, Mrs Hing, a teacher from Bayfield Primary School, says she was excited by what she saw at the Education Expo 2010 and purchased items on behalf of her school and for her children’s classroom as well. “I’ll be back next year to see the

Events Calendar August 2010 International Education Conference 5 – 6 August, Christchurch www.educationnz.org.nz

September 2010 Te Akatea Maori Principals Association Conference 8 – 10 September, Auckland www.teakatea.co.nz/index.htm National KnowledgeNET Conference 17 – 18 September, Auckland www.knconference.co.nz/

latest educational products and services. It’s an educational persons dream to see all this stuff in one place at one time!” she says. Brian Peters, from expo organiser Senior Events Ltd, says the show was a resounding success and will be expanded into a bigger and better expo next year. “We were very pleased with the quality of visitors to the show and positive feedback from exhibitors and visitors alike,” he says. The company learnt a lot from the second year of the show, says Peters, and were happy with the extensive purchasing of products, particularly those through show only specials, and with the orders that were taking place between attendees and exhibitors. Look out for the Education Expo 2011, to be held from 17 - 19 June at the ASB Showgrounds, Auckland.

New Zealand Resource Teachers Learning and Behaviour Association Conference 22 – 25 September, New Plymouth www.auaha.co.nz/rtlb2010/home-2.html New Zealand Association for Philosophy Teachers Conference 23 – 24 September, Christchurch http://nzapt.net/?page_id=172 PPTA Conference 28 – 30 September, Wellington www.ppta.org.nz/index.php/events-/ conferences

October 2010 CLESOL Conference 1 – 4 October, Dunedin

www.tesolanz.org.nz/Site/CLESOL/ CLESOL_2010.aspx ULearn Conference 6 – 9 October, Christchurch www.core-ed.org/ulearn/ Dyspraxia Conference Self esteem: the key to learning 8 – 9 October, Christchurch www.dyspraxia.org.nz Education Leaders Forum 20 – 21 October, Rotorua www.smartnet.co.nz Teacher Education Forum of Aotearoa New Zealand (TEFANZ) Conference 26 – 28 October, Auckland www.eenz.com/tefanz10/

Congratulations to the winners of our book giveaways in the Term 2 issue of School News. Yvonne Cook of Timaru Boy’s High School has won three copies of Max Your Marks: Tips from top students on how to conquer Year 13 by Rowena Austin & Annie Hastwell, with Dorothy Vinicombe for the school library. David Henderson of Eskdale School in Hastings is the lucky winner of About Time for Teaching by Robyn Pearce and What Expert Teachers Do by John Loughran.

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Cultural Exchanges

education

Why cultural exchanges are win-wins

he OE is something of a New Zealand institution and nowadays many high school students are getting ahead of the trend and heading overseas on a cultural exchange. Cultural exchanges range from a basic introduction to a country that lasts just a few weeks, through to full year long trips, where students live, study and travel within their host country. Not only for those studying languages – although this can help – exchanges provide students with the opportunity to learn in a way that is not always possible in the classroom. Ian Lambert, co-ordinator of outbound exchange programmes at the New Zealand Institute of International Understanding says when immersed in a foreign family and school environment, students have to use their language skills and cultural understanding all of the time. “They live the language and culture rather than studying it. This makes the link between learning and doing far more direct than in a classroom, and learning accelerates hugely as a result. “Students get instant feedback about their competence and progress which encourages them to improve rapidly in understanding and speaking.” He adds most students return at least reasonably fluent in a new language and as more rounded individuals. “They may lack the formal learning that goes with a language degree, but they are sometimes in advance of graduates in their ability to communicate verbally,” he says. “Students usually come home significantly more independent, mature and focused on realistic goals and how to achieve them. This can’t be achieved by sitting in a classroom no matter how good the teacher or learning environment is.” Richard Ellis, managing director of World Youth Services, agrees and says it is the family experience overseas that enriches a student’s understanding of the culture they are in. “An exchange student isn’t just learning about another culture,

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

“

“Students usually come home significantly more independent, mature and focused on realistic goals and how to achieve them.” – Ian Lambert co-ordinator outbound exchange programmes, New Zealand Institute of International Understanding

but is also absorbing the culture through the family experience in the destination country,” he says. “A good definition of culture could be ‘the way things are done around here’. It is interesting that returning exchangees also claim they have learned so much about themselves, their families, and our Kiwi culture. By stepping outside and looking back they get a clearer picture of ‘how things are done around here.’ Also, by full immersion in another tongue, Kiwis claim to have a much greater appreciation

and understanding of the English language.” But it’s not only the students heading overseas that benefit, schools that offer to host exchange students from around the world also report benefiting from the exchange of cultures. “Schools are vastly enriched by the presence of students from another culture who are highly motivated to make friends, to learn and to share,” says Lambert. “Because exchange students are selected for their social skills

as well as their academic ability, they are more likely than feepaying students to fit well into a school’s environment and to be enjoyable for schools and families to host.” Ellis says exchange students are ambassadors for their countries. “Kiwi schools that allow exchangees to become involved in leadership in their school, in any way, benefit from another way of ‘doing things’,” he says. “Multi-cultural and multi-lingual enrichment should follow from a school having exchange students on the roll.” Along with the benefits of actually going overseas on an exchange, students also benefit from the preparation prior to going. Not all families can afford to send students on exchanges so fundraising and grant applications are often an integral part of the preparation. “Students vary greatly in the way they pay for their exchanges,” says Lambert. “We prefer students to have some financial input even if it is payback in kind to their parents. Occasionally students insist on paying for everything themselves, although many are supported by community organisations and sometimes the extended family helps with fundraising activities.” Ellis reveals there are no costs to a school regarding an outbound student, except for the fact that there will be one less student on the roll. “The benefit to a NZ school accepting an exchange student is related to the roll issue, and is like accepting a Kiwi student regarding funding. The school’s Operational Grant funding and teacher entitlement is impacted,” he explains. “The cost to a student and their family for an exchange depends on the length of exchange and destination – and the exchange programme organisation they choose as their conduit to the exchange,” says Ellis. “We have students currently in Japan who worked for their entire exchange cost with part-time and holiday jobs. Cost should never be the deciding factor in chasing the dream.” – By Peter Goodwin

Bullying

education

Are we bullying the bullies?

inding out New Zealand leads the world in something can give us a bit of a thrill. Our small country set apart once more, no doubt caused by our DIY attitude and strength of character. However, it feels a little uncomfortable to learn we can also top the world in areas we’d rather not be known for, including bullying. A recent international survey found that New Zealand’s reported incidence of bullying is the second highest out of 40 countries surveyed. This may be due, in part, to recent moves to remove the stigma of reporting incidences. However it will also resonate with many teachers who have observed an increase in harmful, and sometimes violent, interactions between students, often beginning in early childhood and carrying right through to secondary school. Older research indicates that over half of all children are on the receiving end of some sort of bullying during their school years, with around 10 per cent of these reporting they are bullied on a regular basis. Technology has played a large part in making bullying easier to do, and can be a more dangerous method as it increases the amount of potential contact between the person being bullied and the bully. Martin Cocker from Netsafe says “It’s able to follow you around 24 hours a day so you can’t get into a safe and calm place. And text and online bullying targets students by socially isolating them – which is damaging for teens. It’s designed to make you feel you don’t have friends.” Netsafe offer a free service to all schools to help manage strategies for the safe use of technology in the classroom. “We’re not a general bullying line – but can advise on technical complexities, how to remove things from different websites and help schools understand the legal side,” explains Cocker. Embracing the technology, but reducing the negative behaviour is a fine balance for many schools. “It’s important to recognise the technology is not the issue, it’s the behaviour,” he says.

Using technology to bully is unfortunately not the only area of growth – assaults with weapons at school are also continuing to grow. The physical safety of students and teachers is of paramount importance and physical violence can quickly escalate the issue into a police matter. A mix of preventative and curative programmes may be the best solution to managing the behaviours that lead to bullying. Mike Williams, who has developed a programme called the Undercover Team Approach as part of his role as guidance counsellor at Edgewater College, say many of the year 10 students he works with will admit they have been bullied all their life. Stopping this pattern begins with raising the awareness of alternative behaviour to bullying, with such programmes as the Cool School Peer Mediation approach, provided by the Peace Foundation. This is a prevention programme, designed to stop small issues becoming larger ones. “It’s a whole school approach. It only becomes effective if we have management, staff, and students on board and it becomes embedded in the school culture,” explains Caroline Ongleo, the programme director at the Peace Foundation. One of the advantages of this programme is it can be used at all levels, with it’s introduction at the primary school level allowing teachers and students to potentially break a cycle of bullying behaviour before it becomes a habit. “Schools report that once they incorporate these anti bullying strategies, there is then reduced incidents of bullying,” says Ongleo. If the problem becomes larger than one that works with straightforward mediation, then trying a more direct and intensive approach may be the solution. Williams’ Undercover Team Approach works by collecting the bullies together with several teenagers that have been identified by their teachers as displaying positive leadership, and the person who has been bullied. The group are told they have been selected for their ability to troubleshoot and are presented with a problem – a

“

“For many it [bullying] is a pattern of behaviour they know they are in, but feel trapped and don’t know how to break.” – Mike Williams, guidance counsellor, Edgewater College

read out statement of the bullying behaviour and the impact it’s had on the teenager bullied. The team together work to find an acceptable outcome to resolve and end the situation, without the bullies having the finger pointed at them at any stage in the process. “Students can change their behaviour without losing face,” says Williams. “For many it’s a pattern of behaviour they know they are in, but feel trapped and don’t know how to break. This gives them the opportunity to reshape their

framework of how they perceive themselves and move on.” The process takes around two weeks and has a very high rate of success. “Punishment just repeats the cycle. What we want is for bullies, and the people they are bullying, to rewrite the internal script they have inside them and break the pattern once and for all. A bully rarely understands just how destructive their behaviour is. We need to give them a reason to change, to ignite in them a desire to be kind to each other.” – By Rachel Goodchild

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Positive Relationships

education

Teachers need to talk to adults too

ne of the biggest gaps I see in the training of teachers is how to relate better to adults. As teachers we spend our days learning how to best relate to children in a positive way, how to treat them with respect and engage with them in a safe and relevant way that helps them develop positive relationships and learn. When it comes to dealing with adult relationships, whether it’s dealing with other staff members or feeling confident with parents, we tend to avoid the topic, assuming that all adults already know how to sort that out. I remember as a young student in my first placement being so stressed about calling colleagues by their first name. Having come straight from school (where it was a sign of respect to call them Miss, Mrs or Mr) to an environment where it was all first names and an expectation that we were equals, often caused me more anxiety than anything else in my teaching practice. When you add to that having to deal with any type of correction in how I was doing things, and then parents expecting me to know things I had sometimes never heard of, and wanting answers straight away, I was rather stressed out! Becoming a more confident communicator with adults helps you become a better teacher. We often talk about the self management skills children need to be ready to learn. But what are the self management skills teachers and support staff need when interacting with other adults? There are plenty of them, but here are just three that, if missing, can cause plenty of disruption in your school and prevent your team form working well together.

Ask for clarification or help with a new task We often get frustrated when we see someone not working to the same level of others. Sometimes we can feel they are lazy, or not totally involved in the job. It maybe that they are unsure and do not know what to do, and lack the skills to say this. Sometimes this comes down to a lack of

school news

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

“

“It can feel scary to communicate directly with another person but if we don’t, we never sort the issue out.”

confidence, as asking for help may make them feel as if you may see them as not able to do the job. Asking for help when you need it stops the problem becoming bigger than it is. Just ask!

A lot of damage can be done as you involve people who were previously completely unconnected to the issue, if it’s not dealt with quickly.

Take issues up with the issuer

Keeping home problems separate from work problems

Many problems in a school happen when someone feels they have been talked to inappropriately or treated unfairly compared to their peers, or when a parent has talked to you in an argumentative manner. Whether it was fair or not, or whether the person who has hurt their feelings did so in a professional manner isn’t as big a problem as what can happen if it’s not cleared up directly. It can feel scary to communicate directly with another person but if we don’t we never sort the issue out. Many people will leave their place of work and find another job before trying to communicate, and then what happens is the cycle tends to be repeated as the matter is never resolved.

To a certain extent most of us have been guilty of bringing feelings, issues and hurts from our home life into our workplace, allowing them to impact our interactions. While we can often separate it professionally from our interactions with children, we do not generalise this out to relating to other adults. Colleagues can often come under the firing line, or we over react when pulled up for not working to our usual standard, which can snowball into a greater issue. Making a conscious effort to let go of everything that has happened before you walk in the doors at work can prevent the rest of the day snowballing into one day of complete disaster. It’s a good idea to do the reverse

at home too. Our families deserve the best of us, rather than a daily off load of issues. It’s not our job to solve all the problems we come up against, but we can help the members of our staff be equipped with skills to manage their behaviour no matter what the circumstances. A highly functioning team that relates well together is one that will provide a better environment for the children in their classrooms. - By Rachel Goodchild Rachel Goodchild, is a professional development facilitator who runs a range of courses including one on building better relationships with colleagues and caregivers. She is the author of 27 books, including a number for User Friendly Resources and is the relationship’s commentator on TVNZ’s Breakfast on Thursdays. www.rachel-goodchild.com

Sound Therapy

education

That sweet, sweet sound

f all the learning difficulties attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are two of the most challenging for teachers to manage in the classroom. Children with symptoms of ADHD are often disruptive in the classroom with their excessive need to move (hyperactivity), to act without thinking (impulsivity), and their tendency to quickly lose attention for the task at hand (inattention). They can also be poor listeners and quickly forget what they have just heard. A significant number of children with Aspergers’ syndrome, or high functioning autism, are also to be found in our schools. While many symptoms overlap with ADHD these children are primarily characterised by difficulties maintaining reciprocal social interactions, poor social skills, repetitive behaviours, and overriding special interests. They will call out, interrupt others and have difficulty taking turns. They miss social cues and do not perceive the intonations in speech. They are often poor listeners and have difficulty responding appropriately to communication from others. The causes of these disorders are complex and still being discovered. However, there is an emerging body of research that finds a common thread in the disturbance or deficit in sensory processing in both groups, and auditory processing in particular. Testing of hundreds of children over the past 10 years at the Developmental Learning Centre, using the SCAN C test for auditory processing disorders in children, has revealed that these children frequently do not understand or mishear what is being said to them, especially when there is background noise. It is difficult for anyone to pay attention for long when what is being heard does not make sense. After a short while fatigue sets in and it is easier to tune out and do your own thing. Many of these children also have auditory hypersensitivity, are very easily distracted by noise and prone to sensory overwhelm and meltdowns.

“

“The affects of integrated listening therapy on children with literacy difficulties showed significant gains in all behavioural areas as well as literacy.”

Much can be done in the school setting to improve the auditory and sensory processing of these children. Auditory retraining or sound therapy was initially developed by Dr Alfred Tomatis, a French ear, nose and throat specialist who developed a system of filtered music to treat nonverbal, autistic children. He expanded this to include children with other learning difficulties such as dyslexia, finding in all a common thread of an auditory processing deficit. Recent work in this field over the past 20 years by Dr Ron Minson, MD, neurologist and psychiatrist, Denver, Colorado, has shown that sound therapy is greatly enhanced when performed together with a multi sensory movement programme. This approach is most suitable for children with ADHD as they get to move around while they are listening. A recent Developmental Learning Centre study at Greenpark School in Tauranga on the affects of integrated listening therapy on children with literacy difficulties showed significant gains in all behavioural areas as well as literacy. Feedback was sought from teachers in four different areas of behaviour:

tactfulness, acts impulsively, difficulty with transitions). • Organisational/ Attention/ Cognitive (easily distracted, poor short term memory, disorganised, difficulty beginning and ending tasks). The results of the study showed approximately twice the improvement in the group receiving sound therapy in all areas assessed than in the control group. A sound therapy programme can be set up and run with ease by a teacher aide

for four to six children at a time, under the supervision of a trained SENCO or remedial teacher. More advanced programmes with bone conduction therapy are also available for children on the autistic spectrum. For more information see the video clip on Integrated Listening Therapy for schools at www.developlearning. co.nz - By Rosemary Murphy B Ed, Dip Tch, Grad Dip LD, director, Developmental Learning Centre

• Sensory motor (including hyperactivity, awkwardness, fine motor skills etc). • Auditory/Language (difficulty understanding and following instructions, confusing similar sounds and words, monotone voice, needs frequent repetition, difficulty interpreting tone of voice, becomes fearful or hyper when in noisy situations). • Social/Emotional (avoids eye contact, easily overwhelmed and frustrated, difficulty making and keeping friends, lack of

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Autism Spectrum Disorder

education

An invisible disability

utism and Asperger syndrome remain relatively unknown disabilities among the general population despite having a higher incidence than cerebral palsy and Down’s syndrome. In fact, it is estimated that 1 in 100 people have an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the incidence appears to be on the rise worldwide. An estimated 40,000 New Zealanders are affected by ASD, many of whom could be students in mainstream education, although the exact number of these is uncertain. So what is autism spectrum disorder and what strategies can teachers put in place to teach those affected? Alison Molloy, the chief executive officer of Autism New Zealand, says autism is a lifelong developmental disorder that affects a person’s behaviour, communication, socialising skills and sensory issues. “It occurs in all racial, ethnic, and social groups, and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. It is called a spectrum disorder because it varies from person to person.” Due to the invisible nature of ASDs it is hard to tell just by looking at someone whether or not they have autism so creating awareness and understanding towards this disability is difficult, she says. Managing an autistic child in the classroom does require a high level of patience and understanding. These children face many challenges and may struggle to learn in a typical classroom environment, which may seem

chaotic and disorganised to them. Many things that are considered normal to other children act as triggers for anxiety and unusual behavioural responses in children with ASD. For example, flickering lights, unusual noises (or a lot of noise), changes to routines can unsettle an autistic child. Molloy says learning will be easier if external stimuli can be reduced and they are able to concentrate on their work. This may be facilitated by one-on-one assistance from a teacher’s aide or classroom assistant. “Someone with ASD is likely to take things very literally so the teacher may have to tailor their presentation to accommodate this.” Other challenges autistic students have in the classroom centre around their different learning styles and the understanding of others, both staff and fellow pupils. To ensure the autistic child’s (or any child with a learning disability) needs are being meet, it is essential to develop an Individual Education Programme (IEP) for that child. Working with professional support as well as parents can also assist in meeting the student’s needs. “A good teacher can make a huge difference to any child, whether they have ASD or not,” says Molloy. “Knowing what causes changes to behaviours in an individual and working to avoid these is critical, as is an understanding of the general characteristics of the autism spectrum.”

Profile your School or Project in

We are always on the lookout for interesting stories about successful schools and exciting projects for our readers. If you would like your school put forward for consideration give our team a call!

Phone 03 365 5575 or email profiles@schoolnews.co.nz School News: The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

Recognising behavioural issues before they happen is also an important aspect to teaching students with autism. “Have strategies in place to take the child out of the situation is often the best way to handle these challenges,” says Molloy. Also important is listening to parents of autistic children as they tend to know best how to manage their child. “Parents often provide the best information as to how to manage a particular child’s response as all children are different,” she says. “There is a saying that ‘if you meet a child with autism you have met a child with autism’, which means the characteristics in each child (and adult) manifest themselves in different ways and it is not safe to assume that meeting one is sufficient to understand autism as a whole,” Molloy explains. - By Alisa J Fitisemanu

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

Resources For those who want to find out more about Autism spectrum disorder, contact Autism New Zealand on 0800 AUTISM (288476) or via the web at www. autismnz.org.nz. The Ministry of Education publishes a booklet entitled Autism Spectrum Disorder Resources for Teachers. The booklet is designed specifically for teachers but can also be of use to other people supporting students with ASD. It offers insight to the dayto-day challenges that these students face, characteristics of the disorder, and strategies for support. It is available free of charge through the Ministry of Education website: www.minedu. govt.nz

Records Management

admin & management

Paper pushers

ome 30 years ago, when the desktop PC started to become available in offices around the world, corporate philosophers declared the end of paper was nigh and we would soon see completely paperless offices. The reality, however, is somewhat different. Paper files and records continue to proliferate and research suggests the amount of paper in the world has increased an average of seven per cent since the introduction of the PC. In addition legislation, such as the Public Records Act 2005 and the Privacy Act 1993, require schools to keep an increasing amount of documentation, not all of which is able to be scanned and stored electronically. So, how can a school manage the amount of paper records it has and ensure it complies with record storage and handling regulations? School administrators firstly

need to be aware of what constitutes a record. In short, a record is any documentation that refers to the business processes of the school. This can include minutes of meeting, financial accounts, schools reports, employment contracts and business agreements. If any of these records are in paper form, it is essential that these are filed and stored in a way that provides easy access for authorised staff, but that also fulfils the requirements of the Privacy Act 1993. This legislation requires that records are stored securely and cannot be accessed, used or modified without permission. Document storage needs to be well thought out and planned. For example, the same naming conventions should be used on both electronic and paper documents to eliminate confusion when searching for documents. The area in which the school

chooses to store its paper documents should be clean and dry and appropriate storage facilities, such as wax lined or acid free boxes for items that need to be stored indefinitely, should be purchased. It is also important to understand just how long certain records need to be kept. The School Records Retention and Disposal Schedule produced by the Ministry of Education and Archives New Zealand, gives clear instructions on how long to keep school records, why this is necessary and what should happen to them when they are no longer needed. See www.minedu.govt.nz/ NZEducation/EducationPolicies/ Schools/SchoolOperations/ PlanningAndReporting/ SchoolRecordsSchedule.aspx for further information on filing and storing paper records.

Records Management Specialists • Filing Systems • Storage Cabinets • Consultancy • Lateral Files to Save Space • Keep Records Organised • Colour Coding to Improve Efficiency

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Fibre Broadband

admin & management

Making a connection

ore than 100 schools across New Zealand are now connected to ultra-fast fibre broadband networks in what is being touted as a major boost for the spread of e-learning. In fact, it is more than half the number Education Minister Anne Tolley would like in a separate highspeed internet trial by the end of next year. The government wants 97 per cent of New Zealand schools and 99.7 per cent of New Zealand students to have access to broadband speeds of 100Mbps or greater within the next six years. The New Zealand Regional Fibre Group (NZRFG), whose members have been responsible for the milestone, see this as a challenge it believes it can help meet. The group, a collective of regional lines and fibre companies from around the country, now wants to fast-track connections to dozens more schools over the next 12 months. A number of other NZRFG members have put fibre connections into and past schools, in areas like Whangarei, Christchurch, Pukekohe, Hamilton and Nelson. Fibre connected schools can take part in high definition and real time video-conferencing which allows students to take subjects not offered at their own schools, putting a new twist on e-learning. Fibre connections also drive efficiencies, boost productivity and can lower operating costs. Network Tasman CEO and NZRFG member Wayne Mackey says the first Nelson school was connected to fibre in 2005, thanks to a forward thinking initiative by the company. “We have 28 schools now connected to the fibre loop and we hope to have up to 30 more connected within 18 months. We initially sponsored seven core schools and from there more have joined

forces to lay their own fibre, so they actually own the network,” he says. Network Tasman has one of the highest strike rates in the country for school fibre connections and Mackey says the more that schools utilise the benefits of fibre networks, the greater the educational benefits will be. Fellow NZRFG founding member, Vector, has more than 60 schools, libraries and community buildings on Auckland’s North Shore connected to its Auckland fibre network – Kristin School, Rangitoto College and Wairau Valley Special School among them. The company has a further 227 schools in its sights over the next three years and has highlighted Kristin is a great example of a school making maximum use of the network through internet, security, phone and video conferencing capabilities. Kristin School director of ICT services and chairperson of the North Shore Education Access Loop (NEAL), Jason MacDonald, says the network provides global connectivity and has allowed Kristin students to work on projects with schools from abroad. The network speed allows instant uploading and downloading of large files. “Students can post comments on blogs and we are also able to upload video files quickly and easily. From a staff development perspective it means teachers can take part in conferences without leaving the school because of high definition, remote video conferencing. That is a big cost and time saver for schools,” he says. Students are also able to complete distance learning by being part of a virtual projects at other schools. MacDonald says fibre connectivity is also opening up the use of interactive whiteboards and multi-

Via satellite An eight-week trial of satellite delivered high-speed broadband for two remote rural South Island schools has been deemed a success. The trial, established to test the effectiveness of satellite as a means of providing a high-speed broadband link, was conducted at Winchester Rural School in Canterbury and Haast Rural School on the West Coast. Sponsored by satellite broadband provider, Farmside, the trial demonstrated that

school news

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

Fibre broadband allows instant uploading or downloading of large files at Kristen School.

Kristen School students are able to participate in virtual projects.

touch screens. “Fibre is the technology foundation that brings alive the potential of learning devices like interactive whiteboards because you can share the whiteboards with other schools on the NEAL network. But it is really up to the school leaders within schools to decide how they can best utilise the technology,” says MacDonald. Meanwhile, a collective of Hamilton firms is progressing fibre deployment to a number of educational facilities. Velocity Networks has partnered with Hamilton Fibre Network in a project led by Hamilton City Council and Wintec, and with support from Environment Waikato and the University of Waikato, to provide fibre across the city. The move has prompted the formation of the Hedon Trust (Hamilton Education Open Network), under which a group of local educators plan to ensure the fibre loop

satellite delivered high-speed broadband provides a realistic option for highly remote rural schools to be connected to the internet. Andrena Norris, principal of Winchester Rural School is convinced that rural kids are disadvantaged and delayed in the types of educational experiences they can access and she feels the gap between urban and rural equality in education grows day by day. “Having a high-speed broadband connection has made a huge difference to what our pupils are able to do, see and learn. Rural kids are disadvantaged and delayed in the types of

becomes a collaborative learning asset. Hedon member and Southwell School headmaster, Royce Helm, says the Trust will encourage the sharing of resources and teachers across the network. “As fibre spreads through Hamilton and reaches all 55 schools, it will mean new opportunities for collaborative learning leading to improved educational outcomes and cost savings achieved through shared use of network servers between schools,” he says. Velocity business development manager Shane Hobson says he is looking forward to connecting more schools to the Hamilton fibre network. “We have a mix of public, private and integrated schools on the network who are currently enjoying faster internet access and are beginning to explore new ways of using this to enhance their schools. It is good to see.”

educational experiences that urban schools and communities have easily accessed,” she says. “Having the Farmside high-speed broadband access has literally transformed classroom programmes and greatly enhanced children’s motivation and learning.” Both schools will go back to their pre-trial connections until the results of the Government’s Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) tender process, expected to be finalised later this year, can provide more clarity on how they will access high-speed broadband.

St Therese

profiles

Web stars

tudents at St Therese Primary School, in the Auckland suburb of Three Kings, are the stars of the school’s new website. Launched in April this year, the new website puts the work and achievement of the school’s 147 students at centre stage. Each class has its own blog, school sports days and events are constantly uploaded, and the school’s Year 8 technology class writes, composes, performs, records and uploads its own song to the site each term. Laura Geaney, teacher of a combined class of Year 5 and 6 students at St Therese, says the main focus of the website’s development was the children. “We wanted it to be all about the children, to showcase what they are doing in class. There is a little bit of information about the school, but the vast majority of the information on the site has been produced by the students.” Each of the school’s classrooms has a blog on the site, where students upload individual work, art projects and other group activities. The older students also have individual blogs where they can upload recent work, including book reviews, poems and stories; and there is hot competition each week to find the school’s ‘Blog of the week’. “The introduction of the blogs has opened up the world to the students,” says Geaney. “One of the students’ blogs recently received a comment from someone in Canada. The students were simply amazed their work had reached so far across the world.” The blogs and the website have the additional benefit of motivating students to complete class and homework to the highest possible standards. “Only the best work the students produce is allowed to go up on the site,” she says. “The students are very proud of it and it’s a great way for them to show friends and family overseas what they’re doing at school.” The site is also used as a tool to communicate with parents. “We’re finding more and more parents are using the website to see how their children are doing and to see what they are doing,” she says. “Contact with our parents is vital and the website is a great way for the

school to communicate to parents – we find it is much better than sending out paper newsletters.” A further benefit of the new website is that is gives teachers an opportunity to see how a student’s writing, sentence structure and grammar is coming along. “Some students might not be pen and paper learners, but they can write well on the internet,” explains Geaney. However, she says the learning the students get from the website is not just writing. “It is also oral, how to follow instructions, and learning about how to use the equipment.” And it’s not a static site, the school’s homepage and class blogs are constantly changing and being updated. “We’re constantly building additional features onto the site,” says Geaney. “For example we are in the process of developing a Twitter-like service on the home page – called School Talk – where the students can upload little bites of information about what’s happening in the school.” The home page also features a broadcast news bulletin featuring the school’s intermediate age students. Predominantly written, filmed, produced and controlled by the Year 8 students over the first two terms, these students then become teachers to Year 7 students who will be in charge of producing the bulletin in the following year. “The students themselves take a vast amount of responsibility for the site,” says Geaney. “We have groups of students responsible for different areas such as writing articles, putting the news together, presenting the news and recording it.” A core component of the intermediate students’ curriculum is focused on technology. The students choosing to take the music rotation within that unit are able to write, compose, record and upload their own song. “One of our support staff members is in a band and has put a lot of effort into teaching the students how to use the recording equipment and he turns one of the offices into a recording studio once a term,” says Geaney. However, it’s not just the students who have had to learn to use the technology to upload information to the website and write their own blogs. “It has been an interesting journey for the teachers too.”

The St Therese school website showcases students work.

The site isn’t static as new features are continuously being added.

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Department of Conservation

external learning

What’s up DOC?

he Department of Conservation (DOC) looks after one third of the land mass of New Zealand on behalf of the people of New Zealand. While many areas are remote, wild and physically challenging a lot of the DOC estate is close to urban areas and provides opportunity for both guided and independent outside-the-classroom experiences for students and teachers. From the Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve in Northland to the Kepler Track in Southland; and from Tiritiri Matangi Island in the Hauraki Gulf to Oriental Bay’s seascape mural in Wellington, the teaching of the New Zealand curriculum can be enhanced by field trips that cater for year 1 to 13 students. External learning experiences on the DOC estate fall into two categories – assisted or independent. For either category the DOC website is the key to determining resources, curriculum links, activities and contacts. There are literally hundreds of opportunities out there, so for the purposes of this article a taste of assisted and independent field trips sites at the mid-secondary and mid-primary level have been have been selected.

Tiritiri Matangi, Hauraki Gulf Marine Park Tiritiri Matangi Island boasts one of the most successful communitybased conservation projects in the world. In just 10 years, thousands of volunteers have planted close to 300,000 trees, restoring pasture

to native forest and creating a home for some of New Zealand’s most endangered birds – including takahē, little spotted kiwi, kōkako, hihi (stitchbird) and tieke (saddleback). Visits are suitable for year 4 to year 13 students and must be booked well in advance due to the island’s popularity. Travel by ferry to the island can be from downtown Auckland or Gulf Harbour. A comprehensive teaching resource is available and volunteer guides make a day trip a great learning experience.

Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve, Northland In 1981, the ocean surrounding the Poor Knights Islands was established as New Zealand’s second marine reserve. The marine reserve extends for 800 metres offshore around the Poor Knights Islands. Beneath the waves at the Poor Knights an ocean of diving has been compressed into a relatively small area. The caves, arches, tunnels and sheer cliffs provide a great variety of habitats to explore. Visitors to the marine reserve are welcome, and boating, snorkelling, scuba diving and canoeing are encouraged. This would be a great senior secondary biology field trip with astounding marine biodiversity being visible in these crystal clear waters. There is no DOC-managed accommodation at Poor Knights Islands Marine Reserve. However, Tutukaka Harbour offers the closest place to stay and is the base for commercial diving companies.

Seascape Mural, Wellington

Seashell audits are a non-invasive way to assess species diversity.

school news

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

The seascape mural is located in Wellington’s Oriental Bay, near Te Papa and Waitangi Park. The community has worked together to create a mural which features around 40 marine species found in Wellington’s marine environment. It provides an exciting “outdoor classroom” that is easily accessible to Wellington schools. In a field trip to Oriental Bay the seascape mural can provide a focus

Nothing beats the smell of the temperate rainforest.

“

“In just 10 years, thousands of volunteers have planted close to 300,000 trees, restoring pasture to native forest and creating a home for some of New Zealand’s most endangered birds.”

for primary students to learn more about the marine environment, develop key competencies (thinking, making meaning, relating to others, self-management, participating and contributing) and address the key environmental concepts of interdependence, sustainability, biodiversity and personal and social responsibility for action.

Native Plant Nursery, Canterbury Motukarara Conservation Nursery is located within the Waihora Domain at Motukarara, 30 km from the centre of Christchurch. The nursery grows Canterbury native plants exclusively. Plants are propagated from seed collected from native remnants throughout the Canterbury region.

The teaching resource supports teachers and students who visit the nursery to learn about Canterbury’s plant communities and their interactions with native animals. A visit would suit both secondary and primary groups. This resource can be used in other locations to explore native plant communities and habitats. These are just a few of the many opportunities for field trips on the DOC estate. To find out check out the DOC website, www.doc.govt.nz, not only will you find out about on-site learning but also access a number of online resources. So go out, get involved, and enjoy! – By Sue Barker, conservation awareness officer, Department of Conservation

teaching resources

Copying without copyright hassles

opyright can be a minefield for teachers – particularly when it comes to audiovisual material. You see the perfect programme on television, want to use it in class – but are you meant to get permission before you record it and how do you go about doing this? Generally speaking, recording programmes for teaching purposes does require copyright clearances. Fortunately there is a simple way for schools to achieve this. Schools can take out a Screenrights Television and Radio licence, pay an annual fee and then copy whatever they like from television and radio whenever they like – for use in the classroom or to keep in the library as an ongoing resource. Schools can also download AV material that has been legally made available online, including podcasts, vodcasts or programmes from the Internet. There are no limits on the amount of a programmes you can copy nor on the number of

copies schools can make. There are also no constraints on the type of programme you can copy nor on the channel from which you can make the copy. Screenrights is a non-profit organisation representing the copyright owners in film and television programmes. The licence is provided for in the New Zealand Copyright Act in order to ensure that teachers have access to this wealth of material, and that copyright owners are paid for this use of their work. Screenrights conducts copying surveys in licensed schools to determine whose programmes have been copied and how often. This enables Screenrights to distribute the money it collects to the people whose programmes are being copied. Teachers can find out more about the Screenrights licence at www.screenrights.org/nz. Schools can also obtain a licence through the NZSTA.

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Book Reviews

teaching resources

New books on the block popular curriculum subjects. The IB Guide includes a series of model assignments and, more importantly, a clear explanation as to why they are good assignments, and how to do the same.

just discovered your family tree goes back a thousand years to a pact made by three brothers to carry three caskets to three secret locations and to protect them for centuries to come?

Ebony Hill By Anna Mackenzie Published by Random House RRP$19.99, Age Young Adult Ness’s new home, the city of Vidya, is in ruins; the air is unsafe, and the buildings scarred by fire. Sent to work on the home farms, Ness becomes caught up in surprise attacks and ongoing land battles. Working tirelessly in the medic room at Ebony Hill, she helps mend the wounded and worse, and suffers much hardship. Questioning the treatment of prisoners and witnessing the realities of war challenges Ness’s commitment to this brave new society. Will she find a place for herself here?

Gerald, Sam and Ruby fly to India in Gerald’s private jet for a holiday at the home of Alicia Gupta, looking forward to getting away from the exhausting business of stolen gems, bejewelled caskets, thieves and bumbling police officers. But their holiday soon turns to a desperate quest to outwit a deadly cult, and to beat Mason Green to the Emerald Casket in a fast-paced race against time and tide. With all the suspense, humour and twists and turns of The Billionaire’s Curse, The Emerald Casket will delight readers waiting for the sequel and send new readers clamouring for the first book of The Billionaire Trilogy.

Grandma Meets the Queen By Helen McKinley Published by HarperCollins RRP$19.99 Grandma has been busy over the past few years. She’s starred in three bestselling picture books already — her adventures during her week off were followed by a stint with the All Blacks and then her old friend Father Christmas needed her help, which saw her standing in for him, delivering toys to the world’s children.

By Amy Brown Published by HarperCollins RRP$18.99 Jade and the Stray is an exciting new novel from a young New Zealand author who is passionate about horses, in the fashion of the classic English pony books.

Quin Majik and the Tidy Street Catastrophe By Fleur Beale Published by Penguin RRP$14.99, Age 5-8 The Tidy Street parents are on the warpath. “Leave this street,” they say to Quin Majik. “Immediately.”

By Richard Newsome Published by Penguin RRP$25.00, Age Young Adult What do you do when you’re a billionaire, you’re thirteen and you’ve

school news

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

Pony Tales: Jade and the Stray

So it’s about time she had another holiday, and this time she’s taken her cat, Scratch, with her to London. Naturally she meets the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh, and in no time at all she’s helping out at the Palace.

The sequel to Shipwreck Stranger, Ebony Hill is a gripping and suspenseful novel, packed with a standout cast of characters. It explores not only the harshness of war but the resilience of the human spirit

The Emerald Casket

The book also includes a section for parents. Choosing whether or not to do the IB is one of the hardest decisions that a parent will have to make in their child’s education. He provides his reflections on this choice and what parents should consider when deciding whether it is the right path for their child.

Of course Quin isn’t going anywhere. Instead he and Fred Smart hatch a scheme with stilts, codes and cunning to liberate the Tidy Street kids from The Rules and let them have some fun. Another hilarious tale about the inventive Quin Majik, maverick of Tidy Street.

The IB Guide By Simon Johnson RRP$30 Just a year out of school, former Kristen student Simon Johnson has written a guide to the International Baccalaureate (IB). Johnson scored 44 points in the International Baccalaureate (IB) in November 2009 (New Zealand’s joint-highest scoring IB student), and has now been offered a place at Cambridge University to study history The guide explains exactly how to do each assignment in six of the most

Jade has recently lost her mother and grandmother in a car accident. Her father is in prison, so Jade has to leave her home in Auckland and stay with her grandfather in Flaxton, a fictional rural town on the East Coast of the North Island. On her first night in Flaxton, Jade steals a stray pony from the pound. Jade has no practical experience with horses, and no paddock in which to keep a horse. However, as luck would have it, a generous local offers to graze the stray and teaches Jade to ride. The dedication and hard work necessary to keeping a pony and learning to ride distract Jade from the family tragedy and help her settle into a new community.

The Art Room

teaching resources

Keeping our art supplies green

here is a lot of confusion as to just which art supplies are environmentally-friendly and just what we can do to make sure we play our part in using the greener options out there. The power is with you to make a few decisions. So, first things first, we should ask these two questions: are we using up all our paints before trying to dispose of them and are we recycling the plastic, card and paper waste correctly? In the housing paint industry there is real concern over paint wastage, as when most people are painting a room at home they buy more paint than they will use. For example, when you think of a city like Auckland and all the people painting in one weekend, there is a lot of paint wastage that often just gets dumped. But this is different in the classroom because we can use the same colour again tomorrow, so we need to use up all our colours. Some brands that have the Enviro Choice mark have had all the raw materials checked to ensure they are environmentally-friendly. These products can be washed out with water and we can be assured that there is no harm to the environment. But what can we do to keep green when are we purchasing art supplies? First is to consider your carbon footprint. There are a lot of very high quality local products that are often as good as, if not better, than the imports. Why purchase products from China, Europe or even Australia? Secondly, consider whether the bottle, jars, lids, or packaging can be recycled. Check out bottles and jars by looking for a recycling mark

before ordering more of the same. For fun you could get your class to do this as a project. There are some brands out there that have government environmental seals like Enviro Mark or Enviro Choice. Both these marks should appear on the label or packaging. These seals indicate that these products and companies have been through a rigorous process, often at great expense to themselves, to ensure that these products are indeed environmentally-friendly. The Enviro Choice mark goes one step further and checks all the raw materials in each product, not just the company. Here are some ideas of what not to do if you want your art classroom to stay green: • Don’t waste any of your art supplies. Even the smallest crayons can be used for wax crayon dye projects. • Use up all your paints and supplies. Small jars can also be reused as containers or painting trays. • Think twice before you order art supplies. Does it carry an environmentally-friendly seal on the packaging? • Try not to purchase anything that is not made in New Zealand. Each of us can make a difference by reading the labels and expressing concern to your art supplies company. To be greener is just about slowing down and thinking a little smarter. – By Tony Parker, general manager, Fine Art Supplies.

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Te Reo Resources

teaching resources

Nga taonga takaro

t is not just in the classroom that students can learn Te Reo Maori. The resurgence of traditional Maori games on the sports field provides an additional opportunity for students to study the language. As Cashman astutely comments, “Sport in Maori society was inseparable from ritual and daily life”. In pre-European Maori societies game playing was regarded as a punawhaka-tupu-tangata or a ‘spring which makes people increase’. This term was applied because specialised sports; • Improved health, skill acquisition and fitness. • Promoted whanaungatanga (social relationships). • Advanced an entire branch of games, called tamaahine, which were devoted entirely to matchmaking. • focused on creating dynamic thinking and acting individuals through the process of harataunga, whereby ambidexterity and left/ right brain cognition was fostered. For example, games like ti-uru used a unique implement called a rakau-toure, which is a hand long section cut from a ti-kouka (cabbage tree) branch which, when dried, shrinks to form a hole through the centre. Such games were devised to promote strengthening of the fingers, ambidexterity, fitness, power, lightning quick reactions and skilful catching with the head, neck, arms and legs. Spectators also sang and played music.

Another highly developed and vigorous sports development was whakahekeheke (surfing). Dr Ben Finney, an American anthropologist known for his expertise in the history and culture of surfing, reminds us that the sport was popular in preEuropean times but disappeared as a physical activity after colonisation. There were several forms of Maori surfing, including flat boards (kopapa) with which to stand upright, small manoeuvrable waka, kelp bags (poha) and body surfing. The sport promoted fitness, skill, self confidence and waterborne ingenuity. Many ancient physical activities are being revived into mainstream education and so are many of the old philosophies which had fallen by the wayside. For example, in kapa haka some of the carefully contrived modern norms are being replaced by those of yester-year. Timoti Karetu counters the assumption that women not be permitted to perform a full blooded haka because his historical recollections inform us that: Horouta te waka – he haka te wahine! Te Arawa te waka – he haka te wahine! Mataatua te waka – he haka te wahine! Because of such dialogue many haka troupes are once again promoting women as haka exponents. A phenomenal traditional Maori ball game which is being revived all around NZ is called ki-o-rahi. This is a modern term which literally means ‘vigorous ball playing’.

World Famous in Kaitaia! and surrounding districts, Paulette Lewis, is shown above making a ki-o-rahi instructional video with Jason Fa’afoi and the ‘Small Blacks’ TV crew. It can be viewed on You Tube. Photograph by Hailey Tobin

school news

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

Kawakawa teacher Verbina Kopa holds onto the giant Tuwhara-Kiarahi kite which was historically used to sanctify and support ball playing. The kite was painted by leading Maori artist Theresa Reihana from Taipa. Photograph by Jan Ravlich

Again, because Maori tribes were not homogenous there are broad historical figurations associated with the game. Ki-o-Rahi is also known as ‘the game of Rahi’ – Rahi-tutaka-hina being the progenitor of the sport. Dr Hirini Melbourne said that birds (manu) would be called down with flute playing to consecrate the ancient fields of play, so that all involved with the ball games could receive their blessing. Hence the proverb, “E ko nei i te wao nui tapu o Ra-hi” (proclaiming the sanctuary of Ra-hi). Ra-hi also means ‘to haul up the sun’ – a prosaic description of ball throwing. ‘Rahi’ also describes the range of distinctive movements enacted in ball playing. That is the majesty of oral histories, they are treasured, kept close, nurtured and are released if and when the time feels right to the knowledge holder. Just as forests, the realm of Tane Mahuta, are blessed daily with the raucous cacophony of birds, so was their ‘attendance’ vital to the sustenance of ancient game playing competitions. The birds could also be seen as family guests, connected by whakapapa (genealogy) – with Tane being the father to birds and mankind. The extension to this ritual was the continual flying of kites (manu) during sports meetings – variously called whakataetae, ko-tahitanga (ball games initiation rights), and hakari – all vigorously pursued during the two to three week mid-winter Matariki celebrations of Te Tau Hou (The Maori New Year). Kites were also seen as connectors to atua (gods). The revival of ki-o-rahi has also seen the distinctive round kites called Tu-whara-ki-a-rahi once again grace our skies. Tu means to stand, whara is a term that denotes a kite which communes with atua (gods) and kia-rahi means ‘the ball of the ancestor

Rahi’ – flying such a kite above a papakainga (village) would proclaim, ‘We here support the mana of ball games’. I am hopeful that this glossary of Maori words will be useful as a resource to enhance the facilitation of Maori movement concepts within the subject area of physical education and across the curriculum. He ao te rangi ka uhia, he kai te whare wananga ka toroa. (The food of knowledge leads to extended sessions in the house of learning). This article also touches on how Maori perceive the world, the dynamics they acknowledge within it and the values and beliefs, nga tikanga me nga ahuatanga a o tatou tipuna, which emanate from such physicality. The ancient games were, and still are ecological, part of the unique Maori dimension which is Nga Taonga Takaro (traditional Maori games). I have found that traditional games can enhance education long term if there is support from management, traditional games facilitators are supported and there is a practical vision for sustainability. The games are always popular and easily applicable across the curriculum. An initial intervention might start with the playing of a particular Maori game and, over time, a layering can be created whereby students learn more about the games they are playing, how to make the equipment and, if the interest is passionate enough, they can also learn the Maori terms of play and the companion songs and dances. In such a way Te Reo Maori can be utilised to help students critically understand the deeper meanings behind the words of play and to investigate their historical associations. – By Harko Brown, PE teacher, Kerikeri High School.

Healthy Options

food & beverage

Growing healthy minds

“

“At this age, it’s more important than ever to get a daily dose of fruit and vegetables.” – Bronwen Anderson, spokesperson, 5+ A Day

he 5+ A Day message, widely embraced by early childhood and primary school children, is now being taken to pre-teens, in an effort to target older children. The healthy eating message has been extremely successful in New Zealand with 93 per cent of primary school children not only understanding what the 5+ A Day message means but around 90 per cent of them also reporting they have fruit in their lunchboxes. Now, for the first time, the 5+ A Day team are targeting intermediate schools around the country in an effort to get pre-teens eating five or more servings of fruit and vegetables every day. The new 5+ A Day Fruit and Vegetable Food Technology Resource will be sent out to all year 7 and 8 food technology teachers nationwide. The resource provides the students with opportunities to cook practical and popular 5+ A Day recipes including tasty stuffed baked potatoes and roast vegetable

salads. The resource encourages recipe development, cooking skills and theoretical knowledge. Bronwen Anderson, former CEO of the Nutrition Foundation and spokesperson for 5+ A Day, says it is really important for older children to get their daily dose of vitamins and minerals as their bodies are growing at a faster rate than ever before. “As New Zealand children move on to intermediate school there will be one thing that they won’t leave behind – and that is the 5+ A Day message,” she says. She says some pre-teenagers will start to skip meals such as breakfast with the risk that they’ll top up at morning break with high fat, high sugar snacks instead of fruit and vegetables. “Fruit and vegetables are full of vitamins and minerals that help grow healthy bodies, improve concentration and memory, enhance eyesight and build strong teeth. At this age, it’s more important than ever to get a daily

dose of fruit and vegetables. “Once children hit their teenage years and high school, the way we deliver the message needs to change, so we do that through music and those things that maintain the interest of young teens,” she says. Deputy Director General of the European Commission, Lars Hoelgaard says improving the eating habits of children and adolescents is an important strategy for improving public health. “Interventions targeting healthy nutrition need to occur in early childhood or during adolescence in order to prevent or reverse health effects of overweight and poor nutrition…schools are a critical part of the social environment that shapes young people’s behaviour.” In classrooms around the country, children now learn about the history, value and trends in fruit and vegetables in New Zealand. The classroom resources include fun activities to encourage positive

attitudes towards healthy food choices. In addition, a further 100,000 school children from more than 470, decile 1 and 2 schools receive fresh produce daily as part of the nationwide Fruit in Schools Programme. Funded by the Ministry of Health, the programme delivers one piece of fruit or vegetable every day, or nearly 20 million pieces of fruit and vegetables every year, to children at low decile schools. The programme has had a profoundly positive effect on children’s health and well being. Anecdotal evidence shows a massive improvement in dental health, school sores and sick days being taken by children under the Fruit in Schools programme. And as an added benefit, 87 per cent of teachers reported children’s concentration in class had improved.

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Non-slip flooring

health & safety

Eliminating slips, trips and falls

t happens on playgrounds. It happens on stairs and in corridors. It happens on wet days and dry days, inside and out, even just walking around the corner of a building. Students slip, trip, fall or collide and, while many will walk or run away with just a bruise or a scratch, last year 32,700 people in schools suffered injuries from falls serious enough to warrant an ACC claim. Accidents happen, and no amount of cotton wool will prevent them all. However, schools can take a number of simple steps to prevent falls and to reduce the severity of the injuries that result from them. In some cases, it’s as simple as flicking a switch. “Make sure stairs are well lit, and if they’re not, then flick on the light switch,” says ACC communications manager Fiona Robinson. “Steps leading up to classrooms should be clear of hazards like wet leaves

school news

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

or clutter that children could slip or trip on. You can also paint step edges for greater visibility, and encourage students to take their time on all steps or stairs.” Other simple but effective considerations for indoor spaces include encouraging walking for inside and running for outside, wiping up spills straight away, and keeping classroom floors clear of obstacles such as loose rugs, equipment and toys. “Electrical cords can also trip you up, so place and plug in electric heaters, computers and so on near to the socket,” Robinson says. Another important consideration, especially when building a new space or renovating, is the choice of flooring materials. Hamish Morrison of Floorspace Ltd says it’s important that schools look for performance and optimise the balance of quality and budget.

Non-slip flooring

health & safety

“The school is usually spending a lot anyway, so it’s often worth spending that little bit more to have peace of mind,” he says. In wet areas such as toilets, locker rooms and art areas within classrooms, Morrison says, the practical choice is vinyl, which basically comes down to two categories – dry-slip or wet-slip rated, safety vinyl. But that doesn’t mean vinyl is the universal solution for school floors. “Don’t forget carpet is also generally highly non-slip, and gives better sound absorption,” he says. In terms of selecting carpet for a high-traffic, hard-wearing environment like a school, carpets that won’t wear or fade with consistent heavy use, combined with an easy to clean nature are recommended. That sort of durability is important, as everyone knows that a worn floor can be a very slippery floor. But what if it’s not time for your school to replace a surface, and you are just looking for a

way to improve the safety of a slippery surface in a problem area? Elesia Ogg of Andy Andersons Industrial Services says grip treatments, such as the company’s Grip Guard, are excellent for retrofitting. “We can help people with a floor they may have chosen expecting it to be safe, and found it to be slippery,” she says. The treatment works on the existing pores in tile, concrete or stone to dramatically improve traction in the wet without changing the appearance of the floor or making the surface rough. Maintaining the smoothness of the surface means that if a fall does occur, it will not cause grazes in the way that a treatment that creates a rough surface could. Also, unlike a mat, it cannot come loose and create a tripping hazard. These treatments can be used indoors or out, on textured surfaces or 26  smooth.

Onehunga High School now has a safe surface that is easy to maintain.

Supplier Profile | Andy Andersons Industrial Service

Revolutionary anti slip If your school displays a ‘caution wet floor’ sign, read on- there is now a safer option to consider. Most conventional anti-slip treatments work by making the surface rough in some way, Grip Guard® non-slip is revolutionary in that the floor is just as smooth after treatment. It looks just the same and is just as easy to keep clean. Grip Guard® treatment is invisible yet it gives great traction in the wet. In some instances slip resistance can even be doubled. Owner of Andy Andersons Industrial Services, New Zealand’s first Licensed Grip Guard® applicators, John Black explains “Before we quote we usually do an on-site demo. One of the thrills of the job is seeing the ‘wow’ look on our customers faces. The test patch looks the same, but splash some water on it and the grip is entirely different. Customers get even more excited when we explain that its not a coating so it can’t wear off.” “The

One of the thrills of the job is seeing the ‘wow’ look on our customers faces treatment is hassle free too,” says John “No fumes, no cure time and its is safe to use straight away.” Grip Guard® non-slip treats all stone-based floors, indoors and outside, pedestrian and vehicle areas. On concrete areas such as paths and stairs, on tiled areas such as foyers and changing rooms, or around the pool Grip Guard® can make your wet floors safer. For more information call: 0800 SAFE FLOORS (0800 723 335) or email safefloors@ andyandersons.co.nz

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Fire Safety

health & safety

Burning issues

ire protection of schools is a serious matter. School buildings are generally accessible to members of the public and can be magnets for troubled youth after hours resulting in arson. Fires in schools are a great cost to the community and a great emotional cost to the staff and pupils. We often read in the media about school buildings which are set alight deliberately and pointlessly on a disturbingly regular basis. Fire protection systems can prevent these losses but they can cost large amounts of money, which give no immediate payback in terms of the delivery of education to young people. Schools often have little money to spare on fire protection systems but, if protection of schools is to be

achieved, suitable fire protection will need to be installed.

Fire alarms Fire alarms are installed to meet the Building Code, and deal with the evacuation of people from the buildings. In most school buildings these are manually operated, and of little use after hours. Many schools install smoke detectors in classrooms, attached to the security alarm system. While alarms are a positive step in dealing with a fire which might be expected to occur from natural causes within the classroom, the effect of response to a malicious fire is nominal for two main reasons: • Smoke detection within the classroom will typically be delayed from operating until the fire outside has gained enough strength either to have broken

through a window, or to have burst through a wall or door. This will occur only a minute or two before involvement of the entire building. • The response to the alarm is often a security monitoring watchroom, making a 111 call after they have verified the response (calling the site or keyholders etc). Even in the event of an immediate call, most security companies talk about responding in 30-60 seconds to the alarm, and the 111 call will take another 60 seconds at least until the fire appliances are dispatched. These minutes count, and at this point they might as well bring marshmallows. Fire alarms that are directly connected to the NZ Fire Service

watchroom will reduce time from alarm to appliance dispatch to a few seconds, but the Fire Service will always be three – six minutes away in most urban areas. Malicious fires develop rapidly, either because of accelerant or combustible material deliberately placed in a manner to ensure maximum damage and, as mentioned, alarms are there to ensure the occupants are warned of the fire. However, they do nothing to protect the building or its contents. Because of this, the only effective option is the installation of a fire sprinkler system.

Sprinkler systems Typically, if a fire occurs in a school with a sprinkler, one or two sprinkler heads will discharge water over the seat of the fire.

 25 It was recently applied to an outdoor tiled area at Onehunga High School. Previously, the tiles, which had been sold to the school as suitable for outdoor use, had been very slippery in wet weather and needed to be covered with mats. Leaves from the surrounding trees frequently clogged the mats, creating another slippery surface and a difficult clean up job. By treating the tiles with Grip Guard instead, Ogg says, the school now has a safer surface that is easy to maintain. “In the outdoors, you can spray with Wet and Forget or waterblast and it won’t damage the treatment,” she says. “It’s a permanent treatment and the only maintenance required is cleaning.” While flooring and hard outdoor surfaces can make a considerable difference in terms of student safety, the most common cause of fall injuries reported to ACC last year was loss of balance. The most common time was between 12pm and 2pm. To help protect students losing their balance between these times, schools need to tackle the playground.

school news

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

“Falls are the leading cause of injury in playgrounds, and the play surface is therefore one of the most important safety features,” says Robinson of ACC. She says schools must regularly check the play surface, making sure it extends out well beyond each piece of equipment and is free of litter, leaves and other hazards that children could trip or slip on. “Also, make sure play equipment is well maintained and check for missing rails, steps, rungs or seats, and make sure children wear suitable shoes during play,” she advises. By Kelli Hedges

Fire Safety

health & safety

“

“Despite what Hollywood shows, they [sprinklers] do not all go off and drench the contents of a building should a fire occur.”

Not only will this minimise the amount of fire damage to the building and its contents, but it will reduce the amount of consequential water damage compared to that if the Fire Service is required to attack a fire with their large fire hoses. Despite what Hollywood shows, they do not all go off and drench the contents of a building should a fire occur. Sprinkler systems are also connected to NZ Fire Service watchrooms and, should they operate, the Fire Brigade will arrive to ensure that the fire has been extinguished, shut down the water flow and commence mop up operations. Schools are required to be protected with commercial sprinkler systems complying with NZ Standard 4541. While domestic sprinkler systems (designed to protect private houses) are cheaper to install, these are not designed to cater for the greater fire load that would be typically found

in a larger building, and do not have the same level of reliability built into a commercial system. As such, they can be overwhelmed by the size of fire that is likely to occur in the school environment. Only a system compliant with NZS 4541 should be considered. Consideration should be given to exceeding the minimum requirement of the Standard to enhance the system against arson attacks. This would include sealing off any underfloor spaces and protecting under canopies and entrance-ways where protection would not necessarily be required. A study of sprinkler systems over a 10 year period in Australia and New Zealand, has shown that 99.46 per cent of fires have been successfully controlled by commercial sprinkler systems. Additionally, sprinkler heads are very reliable, with US studies showing that the probability of false discharge due to a manufacturing fault is in the

order of one in 16 million. They are only activated by heat from a fire and do not suffer false alarms or discharges should they be exposed to cold smoke. Should existing schools be retro-fitted with fire sprinklers and new school projects have sprinklers installed as standard, the minimisation of fire losses would save the taxpayer millions of dollars, prevent the devastating loss of equipment, and the emotionally taxing effect on teachers

Fire safety and design requirements With reports from the Ministry of Education putting the cost of arson attacks on schools at more than $30 million over the last 10 years, fire safety is becoming an increasingly important issue in New Zealand schools. This, combined with the number of high profile arson attacks on schools over recent months have increased calls for schools to be retrofitted with sprinkler systems. However, with costs to do this likely to exceed $500 million, schools have been advised to hire security

and our young people. Sprinklers are also able to prevent the loss of evidence of the crime, which will also provide greater likelihood of a culprit being processed in the Justice System. Further information on fire protection can be found on www.fireprotection.org.nz – Written on behalf of the Fire Protection Association NZ by Charlie Loughnan from Fire Fighting Pacific and Chris Mak from Aon Sprinkler Certification. firms rather than install sprinklers. Together with the New Zealand Fire Service, the Ministry of Education has developed the Fire Safety and Design Requirements for Schools. This document provides advice and guidance on how to comply with fire safety requirements, including the requirements for sprinkler systems in all new schools, how to comply with fire safety legislation and develop an evacuation procedure. See www.minedu.govt. nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/ Schools/SchoolOperations/ PropertyManagement/ StateSchools/SupportingDocs/ Section6DesignRequirements/ FireSafetyAndDesignRequirements. aspx for further information.

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Jump Rope for Heart

sports & recreation

Counting the beat for 25 years

he Heart Foundation’s iconic Jump Rope for Heart programme is this year celebrating its 25th year of encouraging physical activity and fundraising in schools. Mangawhau Primary School in Mt Eden is just one of the hundreds of schools taking part in the programme’s 25th anniversary year. Sports co-ordinator, Martin Rodwell will lead the programme for his students and says he has his own fond memories of participating in Jump Rope for Heart when he was at school. “I remember doing Jump Rope for Heart every year when I was a kid at Leabank Primary. Now I’m the sports coordinator at Mangawhau Primary and I think it’s fantastic that Jump Rope for Heart is still around for the next generation of Kiwi kids – including my son Jaylen who is in Year 3 at Mangawhau,” says Rodwell. “It is a fun, economical and easy

way to get children enthusiastic about fitness. It noticeably improves their hand-eye coordination, and I’ve noticed that these skills transfer to other sports and activities such as rugby and tennis. “I know many others in my generation have similar fond memories of Jump Rope for Heart – it’s just such a classic programme. As well as the fitness benefits, the programme raises money for your school and the very worthwhile Heart Foundation charity,” he says. Jump Rope for Heart is provided to schools free of charge and children are encouraged to participate in a personal skipping challenge, which includes a sponsor-driven fundraising component called the Skip-a-thon challenge. To help celebrate the 25 year milestone, the Heart Foundation is offering schools a 25 per cent rebate of the total funds raised.

The Roplay Ball includes:

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school news

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

Martin Rodwell and his son Jaylen, of Mangawhau Primary School, look forward to taking part in Jump Rope for Heart.

Jump Rope for Heart manager Ali Northridge says many schools have already chosen to use their rebate to grow existing heart healthy initiatives within their school. “More and more schools are choosing to make healthy lifestyle education a priority and the rebate can go a long way towards ensuring a school’s own physical activity resources are maintained for their pupils,” she says. Since the programme began in 1985, more than 2.2 million Kiwi kids have learnt how to skip, keep active, and most importantly, love their hearts through skipping. Northridge says that this year the Jump Rope team predicts that in Jump Rope for Heart’s 25th anniversary year, more than 90,000 Kiwi kids will be counting the beat in the name of heart health. “The programme is proving more popular than ever but it has still been wonderful to uncover this amazing sense of history behind Jump Rope for Heart,” says Northridge. “We’ve worked out that since it began, New Zealand children have skipped for 110,976,318 minutes that’s the equivalent of 212 years worth of skipping. And in terms of distance, together they’ve travelled 1,997,574 kms, or nearly 50 times around the world,” she says.

Jump Rope for Heart has seen more than 2.2 million Kiwi kids learn to skip.

The popular curriculum linked Jump Rope for Heart programme is available to all primary and intermediate schools throughout New Zealand.

To register you school in the 25th anniversary year, please contact Ali Northridge on jrfh@nhf.org.nz (09) 571 9191 - EXT 741 or online at www. heartfoundation.org.nz.

Curling

sports & recreation

Action on the ice

ead down to the Paradice Ice Skating rink in the Auckland suburb of Avondale on a Thursday night and you’ll see teams of students pushing ‘rocks’ over a ‘hogline’ to have them land as close to the ‘button’ as possible. For those not familiar with the lingo, curling is staking its claim as a popular winter sport amongst Auckland’s secondary school students. Although a long running sport in the far south, the sport only entered the Auckland secondary school sports scene in 2002. The New Zealand Curling Association decided to select a junior team to the World Junior B championships in Denmark and it was felt the competition should be open to all. Thanks to the determination of Birkenhead College PE teacher, Liz Matthews, who encouraged some of her students to take up the sport and introduced it as an option for others through a push at the CocaCola Sports Expo, Auckland held its first secondary school curling competition that year. A year later, the first official Auckland Secondary School’s Curling

“

“Curling is a very strategic game – sometimes it’s called chess on ice.” – Liz Matthews, PE Teacher, Birkenhead College

championships were held with just eight teams competing. However, the opportunity to have a go at a less well known sport, combined with it’s growing popularity has seen the curling competition grow to include a full 18 teams this year. Matthews attributes the sport’s growing popularity to the fact it is a non-contact sport and it doesn’t require a lot of strength. “It’s all about balance and timing,” says Matthews. “Curling is a very strategic game – sometimes it’s called chess on ice – you have to be able to read the ice and watch what the other team are doing, see where they release the stone, and calculate where to place your stone to get the best advantage. “It is also a sport in which you can have some immediate success,

although it does take time to learn all the strategies,” she says. As a relatively new secondary school sport, the sport is not without its problems. It still doesn’t have full sanctioning as an official secondary school sport from College Sport as, with just a single two hour time slot on the ice each week, only eight teams of four students can play at a time. This leaves it well short of the minimum requirements of 300 regular competitors, or 25 per cent of College Sport member schools. A further hindrance to the sport, according to Matthews, is the lack of dedicated curling ice in the city. “Ice skating leaves a lot of tracks and grooves in the ice, which means the ice ideally needs to be levelled, pebbled and nipped before the students play,” says Matthews. “With

just 15 minutes between the end of the ice skating practice and the start of the curling competition, we don’t have the time to fully prepare the ice.” The lack of dedicated curling ice and lack of opportunity to practice not-withstanding, Auckland secondary school curling teams are competitive at a national level – to the extent that a team from the South Island is yet to win the girls New Zealand Secondary School Curling championship. Competition is relatively even in the boys’ competition, with each island winning four titles apiece. “There are great opportunities for students competing in the Auckland competition to be selected for national teams,” says Matthews. The sport is expected to go from strength to strength in Auckland over the coming years as school sports co-ordinators become aware of the sports’ growing popularity, especially amongst those students who haven’t excelled at traditional school sports. And, as Matthews says, “the fact the sport is a bit different from the norm is also contributing to its popularity”.

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Project Management

property

Choosing a project manager

chool principals have extremely busy roles these days with the management of the school, along with staff, students and, sometimes, the community. Gone are the days where the Ministry of Education (MoE) actually administered the bulk of the school’s affairs at a local level. Now schools and their elected Board of Trustees are charged with completing all the administration, employment and payroll of teachers, financial payments, end of year accounts and strategic planning – just to name a few. Another impact of the 1989 Tomorrows Schools reform saw the responsibility for school maintenance and capital development work funded by the Ministry transferred to each individual school. The requirements of managing a multi-million dollar school property can be daunting and even overwhelming at times. Some principals can struggle

school news

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

to come up to speed with even the current MoE, local and central government requirements – such as building warrant of fitness, compliance schedules, consents, and changes to building and health standards – which they should be aware of. The MoE still oversees the property portfolio for the crown and provides plenty of support for the individual schools. The Property Management Handbook, for example is a substantial reference for schools as well as the Ministry’s website, seminars and regular newsletters announcing important changes. However, one of the best resources for schools is the regional Network Provision team. The team assigns a network facilitator to every school in the country and they can provide general, specific and individual advice. Often, when the situation requires more in depth advice, the network facilitator will recommend

that the school engage a project manager. In fact, the MoE is actively encouraging schools to build an ongoing relationship with a Ministry-registered professional project manager or consultancy. Schools are encouraged to utilise the benefits of a consultant with considerable experience in the education sector. The role of the school project manager is primarily to offer professional industry advice so the school and the Board of Trustees can satisfy their occupancy requirements to the MoE. A project manager holding professional insurances is required by the MoE to manage any capital work requiring a building consent. However, many schools are now seeing additional benefits in this relationship by engaging project managers to deliver their 5 Year Agreement programme on schedule and within budget. The project manager essentially

becomes part of the school’s property team. The regular attendance of a property expert around the school site also helps identify possible expensive issues sooner and can help upskill the schools caretaking staff in many areas. Schools often have similar property issues and an experienced project manager in this sector will already have special knowledge that can save the school considerable money, time and stress. Consider engaging a project manager who dedicates time to regularly attending MoE seminars and keeping in touch with the MoE Property team. It is also worth choosing a project manager who fully understands the contents of the Project Management Handbook and takes time to understand your individual circumstances. A number of consultants offer assistance in preparing 10 Year Property Plans.

Project Management

property

However, according to the MoE team that processes them, the quality varies greatly. Schools should, therefore, contact their MoE network facilitator for advice on their short listed candidates before engaging anyone. Once engaged, ensure the consultant does a thorough condition assessment of the property and seeks in depth information from classroom users, caretaking staff, specialist contractors and the principal, who will all have something to contribute to a good property plan. A good school project manager will always be available – even by phone – to offer advice on all property issues, not just new building or refurbishment work. Many project managers have extensive building and property maintenance backgrounds that

“

“A good school project manager will always be available – even by phone – to offer advice on all property issues.”

schools often don’t fully utilise, preferring to manage things themselves. This can sometimes be a false economy with such limited maintenance funding available. A school using a knowledgeable independent consultant to properly investigate issues, make

recommendations, and then procure contractors, repairs or maintenance contracts, can be assured they will receive advice on the most cost effective options for the situation. The MoE recommends that schools engage an independent

consultant. This is a consultant that has no ties to any particular contractor, design consultant or architect who all deliver a product – either construction or a design. This independence will ensure there is no conflict of interest and makes sure the school, BOT and the MoE are protected and receive the best recommendation available. Lastly it is important to remember that a good project manager should provide a professional service. Project managers don’t build a good reputation from their building skills or the building design but, more importantly, from how they deliver the requirements and wishes of the client – the school! – By Mike Cooper, project manager, Carew Project Facilitators.

Supplier Profile | Carew Project Facilitators

MOE Registered Project Managers Carew Project Facilitators are a registered and professional project management consultancy that has considerable experience in the education sector. We differentiate from other project management companies by providing “full service project management” and we pride ourselves on being your project delivery partner. Being experts in delivering projects in “live” school environments, we work closely with the school’s leadership team, Board of Trustees, Ministry of Education network facilitators and coordinate all the Authority consents. Our Signature Project Management Services include: • Conducting property condition surveys for repairs & maintenance or the school’s 10 Year Property Plan. • Preparing and submitting the school’s new 10 Year Property Plans for Ministry of Education approval. • Conducting the 3 yearly Property Plan & Cyclical Maintenance Reviews.

• Altering 5 Year Agreements for changes to capital works funding priorities. • Planning for Roll Growth, SPG and other discretionary funding streams. • Seeking quotes, engaging and overseeing trade contractors to complete maintenance works. • Conducting ROI & Tender processes, contract writing, engaging and overseeing Main contractors to complete capital works projects. • School property care services encompassing overseeing interior and exterior painting including graffiti control, property maintenance, lawn mowing, grounds and tree care, rubbish removal, and building integrity monitoring. Tel: 09 638 9052 or 03 332 7434 www.carew.co.nz email: education@carew.co.nz

Need skilled help with your school project? Ministry registered Project Managers 3 Design/planning 3 Cost negotiation 3 Authority consents 3 Implementation 3 10 Year Property Plans 3 Ministry documentation 3 PM Handbook advice Turning strategy into action for schools Auckland 09 638 9052 • Christchurch 03 332 7434 education@carew.co.nz

www.carew.co.nz

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

23/6/10 10:11:56 AM

school news

Security Fencing

property

Fencing for security or safety?

hen considering installing new fencing at your school, there are many factors to consider including, but not limited to, the intended function, design, durability, site layout and topography, as well as cost. Schools should consider what they are trying to achieve, specifically whether the proposed fence is intended as a security measure or if it is required for safety. Traditionally, school fencing has been low chain link, or fold top welded wire panels. However, in recent years there has been a trend towards the tubular style of safety fencing (up to 1600mm high), complete with powdercoated finish. Done properly this can add to the ambience of the site. An increase in vandalism over recent years has also led to schools upgrading their security, and spike top panels are most common in this situation.

The initial outlay of this type of fencing can often be recouped in lower maintenance costs from reduced graffiti and vandalism. Fencing may be constructed from chain link, welded wire panels (such as the hurricane motorway fence panel), tubular panels (for example the bulldog spike security panel), wrought iron, timber, longrun steel, or any other material deemed appropriate for the application. The design will also have a big impact on the practicality and cost of the installation, and needs to be considered carefully. Safety fences are traditionally been one metre high, whereas security fences are typically 1.8m and above, and may include barbed wire, and/or razor wire in extreme cases. Panel-type safety fences may have a spike top, but often have a rail top at low heights and it is

Supplier profile | Taymac Engineering

Taymac boilers offer efﬁciency and versatility HUndrEdS of ScHoolS count on Taymac Heatpak boilers to provide a comfortable environment for our country’s children. 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.

school news

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

Taymac Heatpak boiler

The boiler shuts down overnight and at weekends, automatically relighting in the morning. Whether upgrading an existing boiler or installing a new Taymac Heatpak, schools benefit from the proven longevity of the Taymac Heatpak boiler’s multi-fuel capability for energy security, local supply of spare parts and expertise. 19 Taurus place, Bromley, christchurch p | 03 389 7149 f | 03 389 7078

Security Fencing

property

important to remember that spikes at 1.2m above ground can be hazardous. Typically, a chain link style of fence has a low installation cost when compared to the panel types, and has proved to be extremely durable over time. Chain link is also much easier to install over undulating ground when compared to rigid panels. However, when approaching any fencing project there are legal and regulatory issues to consider, and you should seek the advice of

the local council to establish what can and can’t be done. Also approach the Ministry of Education to establish what (if any) funding may be available for the project. This is particularly important where the fence is being installed for the safety of special needs children. The installed fence must comply with the requirements of the Fencing Act, and may require building consent, particularly if a swimming pool is involved. In this case the fence must also comply

with the Fencing of Swimming Pools Act. It would be well worth engaging a specialist consultant who is experienced in managing this type of work. If you choose to handle the process yourself, choose several reputable contractors experienced in the type of proposed fencing to submit tenders for the work, and ensure they are properly briefed. Most contractors will happily provide advice on your project should you require it. When evaluating the tenders,

ensure they are ‘apples for apples’ – from a contractors viewpoint there is nothing more frustrating than missing out on a job and then finding out that what has been installed is nothing like what you were asked to quote on. With an increasing emphasis in today’s society on safety for people, and security for property, fencing is sure to continue to be an important issue for schools. – By Nigel Broadbridge, Fencing Contractors Association

Supplier profile | fencing Systems nZ

Fence to deal with vandalism at reduced cost fEncIng SySTEmS nZ has recently released its new dEfEndEr security fencing product. The product has been designed in n.Z. and is manufactured in the Waikato from high quality galvanised tubular steel.

to remove the single damaged part and replace it. Because a single component can be replaced rather than an entire panel, cost is significantly minimised. The fence design also ensures students can’t remove parts.

one of dEfEndEr’s key benefits lies in its modular design which means that it is much easier and more cost effective to replace vandalised or damaged parts of a fence. for instance, if one fence upright is bent it is possible for a maintenance contractor or school caretaker (with the right tools)

Another major advantage is the ready availability of identical fence parts. A few matching fence components can be stored in a very small space at the school or made and delivered at short notice. The ability to maintain the fence this way will keep the school looking great at all times

and provides for the option of adding additional identical fencing to existing installations as budgets allow. of note is the fences ability to adjust to match the variable ground contour of each site, coping with slopes of up to 20 degrees. fences are available in a range of heights from 1.0m up to 3.6m and in various styles including Spear Top, rod Top and flat Top. The fence comes in either a galvanised finish or powder coated ( over the galvanising ) to the colour of your choice.

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

school news

Landscaping

property

Landscape planning for schools

An open space under the trees for free play at Sumner Primary School.

ost school landscapes develop over time as school rolls change and the school develops. There is often a bit of an ad hoc approach to school outdoor spaces as the gardens must adapt to changes in the school with structures changing, including the building of new school buildings, and developments, such as new play grounds and outdoor sport areas, added into a pre-existing formula. Schools are characterised by change, and planning dynamics for outdoor spaces are often left out of the formula. Without considered planning these outdoor spaces can develop into a mishmash of school play and sport areas, pedestrian traffic corridors and amenity gardens. Development budgets are often constrained and ongoing maintenance costs are always an issue. Professional landscape planning is essential to develop a garden that adds value and integrity to the school grounds. In domestic situations landscaping is recommended to be 10 – 15 per cent of the overall development budget for a new or existing home. With existing schools landscaping

school news

Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

“

“Well designed and laid out school grounds and gardens can transform the school environment from the mundane to the special.”

is often an after thought of the building process, however it should be integrated into the initial planning process with appropriate finances allocated to achieve desired goals. Professional landscape planning is money well spent. You wouldn’t dream of building a new school building without plans on paper so think of the school outdoor spaces in the same way. Gardens link a school with the outside world and set the school into the surrounding environment. As often quoted “first impressions last”. The first view most people will get of your school will be from the street with the school set into context within the garden and its surrounds. Many of us see the buildings

and gardens as separate entities and treat them as such. However, if we think of the inside and out as a single living environment then we will choose garden materials and furnishings that are compatible both with the school and its setting. To ensure your school garden is well structured, and areas flow from one space to another, talk to a landscape designer or landscape architect to coordinate long term plans for the school buildings and gardens as an integral project. Allocation of resources early on in any development or redevelopment design process allows for the most efficient use of time and money. There is nothing worse than finding that the large tree you wanted as a focal point of the school garden cannot be planted due to a lack of access

after building. When remodelling a school garden take into account the outdoor spaces and what goals are to be achieved. Features such as school entry and gathering areas; access ways for students; staff and parents; seating and lunch areas; play equipment and sports fields; specialised sports areas; shaded spaces; junior and senior areas; sand pits; swimming pools; and, more recently, fruit and vegetable gardens, are all design features that need to be well planned and executed to make the school run efficiently and safely. Well designed and laid out school grounds and gardens can transform the school environment from the mundane to the special. Be aware of the costs associated and capitalise on worthwhile and long lasting improvements.

Planning Tips 1. Incorporate school layout and garden design plans early on in any redevelopment process.

Landscaping

property

2. Keep the school garden design simple and fit for the purpose. 3. Professional advice is money well spent. 4. Indoor outdoor flow adds the most value for both students and staff. 5. Future proof the garden with sustainable concepts. 6. Budget and allocate funds wisely. 7. Be aware of school requirements including students and staff, council regulations and pertinent bylaws. 8. Use competent landscape planners for a professional result. 9. Trends change; aim for design integrity and lasting styles. 10. Match the garden style with the school architecture and add a local flavour. 11. Develop and implement long term plans and be willing to change these over time. Sumner Primary School’s entrance features low maintenance native plants

Sustainable concepts add environmental value, teach students worthwhile living concepts and, in the long run, these sustainable concepts are usually very financially efficient. Poor design is always poor, but objects, materials and systems that are well conceived will always relate well to one another in an entirely sympathetic way. The role of landscape designers is to produce a cohesive overall design to link indoor and outdoor spaces with the broader environment to fashion a quality product that will withstand the test of time. Timely and appropriate landscape design is especially important for schools with difficult access so site works can be programmed into the building phase to conserve both physical materials and financial resources. Good garden design is essentially simple and fit for its purpose. “Less is more” is a commonly repeated maxim that is frequently harder to achieve than say. How many of us wish for a simpler, less stressful life and then complicate things by having a mortgage, car payments, children and a raft of recreational pursuits? Such is modern life.

When “less is more” materials and details become more important as everything that is used must stand alone but be compatible with its accompanying pieces. Every material must be carefully chosen and appropriately used as it will be seen and the impact pronounced. The same can be said for gardens – simplicity is the key. Current trends in school landscaping are the continued and pronounced use of New Zealand endemic plants; increasing numbers of schools with vegetable and fruit gardens; new playground styles and equipment; and the ongoing issues of school and student security, safety and health. Appropriate and on going planning and incorporating appropriate design features can help to create a school environment that will flow, mature graciously over time, and add the maximum value to our most prized asset, our children; as schools are home for our children when they are not at the home they share with their parents. – By Dr Erik Ellis, Erik Ellis Landscaping and PR manager for Landscape Industries Association of New Zealand (LIANZ).

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Issue 11 - Term 3 - 2010

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