School News NZ - Term 3 - 2011 by Multimedia AU/NZ

The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

Creative kids

Doodling a wish for NZ

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

• NEWS • EDUCATION

• ADMINISTRATION • HEALTH & SAFETY

• SPORTS & RECREATION • FOOD & BEVERAGE

• PROPERTY • PROFILES

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contents

ISSN 1178-9964

SUBSCRIPTION ENQUIRIES $42 for 12 Months $72 for 24 Months Phone (03) 365 5575 subscriptions@schoolnews.co.nz www.schoolnews.co.nz ADVERTISING (03) 365 5575 advertising@schoolnews.co.nz PUBLISHER Darren Willis publisher@schoolnews.co.nz EDITOR Christine de Felice editor@schoolnews.co.nz PRODUCTION Kim Armstrong-Fray Richard McGill studio@schoolnews.co.nz

sn inside For many Christchurch teachers, students and staff the 2011 school year to date has been like none they have experienced before. February 22 made sure of that. So in this issue of School News we look at the effects of the February earthquake from various people’s perspectives, and as we find out, there have been many positive outcomes, despite the difficulties. In our News section we report on some noteworthy student successes in a diverse range of areas from short story writing to international biology competition, and we find out how students can put their creativity into Google doodles for the chance to win technology equipment for their school. Our Education section looks at how the Microsoft School Agreement will enable schools to connect and collaborate digitally, allowing them to reduce ICT costs and channel more financial resources into learning.

We profile Mt Hobson Middle School, where small class sizes are seen as the key to a successful education. Principal Alwyn Poole talks to us about how he brought his vision to reality in Auckland and is now extending it into the Hutt Valley, Wellington.

The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

The joy of growing vegetables is being introduced into schools around the country by the McCain Veggie Truck. Frimley School in Hastings shows us how it’s done. Once hearing is damaged, there’s usually no going back, and that’s an important message our students need to hear in a world where they are bombarded by loud music and many other high-decibel noises. We look at a programme being introduced to schools, which teaches children in the eight to 12-year-old age group how to protect their hearing.

Creative kids

Doodling a wish for NZ

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

• NEWS • EDUCATION

• ADMINISTRATION • HEALTH & SAFETY

• SPORTS & RECREATION • FOOD & BEVERAGE

• PROPERTY • PROFILES

Issue 14 | Term 3 - 2011

Christine de Felice, Editor

CONTRIBUTORS Evan Blackman, Nic Russell, Amanda Dehn, Bronwyn Welsh, Christine de Felice

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 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 © 2011. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

School News is proudly published by

news 4. News in brief 8. Principal speaks 8. Student’s perspective 10. Ministry news

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18. Protecting their precious hearing

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profiles 15. Mt Hobson Middle School

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Term 3 - 2011

school news

News in Brief

news

The 2009 Doodle 4 Google winner, Amelia Abbott of Hampden Street School, Nelson

Time to start doodling Google is inviting students across the country to sharpen their pencils once again for the Doodle 4 Google competition. Students in Years 1 to 10 are being asked to use their imagination and artistic talent to show their vision of “My Wish for New Zealand”. Google’s first doodle was born in 1998 when Google founders Larry and Sergey played with the corporate logo to indicate they were going to the Burning Man Festival in Nevada, USA. Since then doodles on the Google homepage have made searching on Google more fun and enjoyable for its users worldwide. Doodles are used to celebrate holidays, anniversaries, and the lives of famous artists and scientists. All New Zealand schools were sent an information pack in July and encouraged to register online at www.google.co.nz/doodle4google. Registrations close August 26 and submission of doodles closes on September 23. Each school can submit up to eight entries. After finalists have been selected, the public will be asked to vote online in October for their favourite doodle in each age group: Years 1-3, Years 4-6, Years 7-8 and Years 9-10. These age group winners will then be judged by Dennis Hwang, Google’s original doodler, to pick an overall national winner. The winners will receive technology prizes for themselves and their schools. “We are looking for the best New Zealand student’s doodle which captures “My Wish New Zealand” to showcase for a day on the Google New Zealand homepage, ” says country marketing manager Lucinda Barlow.

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Issue 312- 2011 Term - Term 4 - 2011

“Last year was the first year we ran the competition in New Zealand and we have been impressed with the amazing work we have seen and are so excited about what the students will create in 2011.”

Collecting cartons earns big rewards After months of carton collecting and counting, five lucky primary schools from different parts of the country have taken out the top prizes in the Awesome Colgate Carton Race. Akitio School in Dannevirke, Te One School in the Chatham Islands, Lynton Downs School in Kaikoura, Waimate Main School in Waimate and Belmont School in Auckland each received $10,000 towards the sports equipment of their choice. Winners were selected based on the number of cartons collected per student. With over 300 schools taking

Belmont School on mufti day

part, the competition was fierce for the five winning schools, all of which went the extra mile to bring in cartons and build spectacular carton creations in the final weeks of the race. Auckland’s Belmont School collected an impressive 9077 cartons – the most cartons of any school in the competition – and celebrated the final day with an all-school red and white mufti day. Ali Logan, head of sports at Belmont Primary, was elated with the number of cartons the school collected and says their carton numbers jumped from 6700 to 9077 in the last few days of the competition. “Our kids, staff, parents and the wider community have really been resourceful. One of our dads spent nine hours – with kids in toothpaste suits – standing outside Albany New World asking shoppers for their Colgate cartons,” Logan says.

“For the last two weekends of the race, we even rostered families to collect cartons from our local Devonport New World. Both times the supermarket sold out of Colgate toothpaste.” Logan believes the carton race was a great way to bring everyone in the school together for an important cause. “There was a general buzz that resulted from collective teamwork and coming together as a school to earn much needed funds. It was like Mt Everest for us because we had such a high roll compared to other schools.” Dannevirke’s Akitio School took first place in the race having managed to pull in a few hundred cartons from just seven students on the roll: a remarkable effort for a small community school with just a handful of families and the wider community contributing. Te One School in the Chatham Islands took out second place and collected an outstanding 2472 cartons, a superb effort for a school with 57 students. Taking third place, Kaikoura’s Lynton Downs School (with only 12 students) collected over 500 cartons by reaching out to their wider community for help. The creative prizes went to Havelock North Intermediate, Pokuru School, Fairhaven School, Redwood School (Tawa), and Merrilands School. Colgate-Palmolive presented each winning school with a $10,000 voucher to be put towards their choice of sports equipment. The object of the race was for schools to collect as many empty Colgate toothpaste cartons as possible between March 28 and June 30. The initiative was part of an awareness campaign to promote the importance of healthy lifestyles while encouraging children to get brushing.

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Our comprehensive range and low prices help our clients get the value they need. JB Hi-Fi is New Zealand’s biggest home entertainment specialist and now has 13 superstores New Zealand wide. This means that JB Hi-Fi is in a unique position to streamline the purchasing of all related electrical items required by the education industry. It enables customers to have one account for all their purchases. Our team wants your business. We will spend time with you to determine the right solution to your needs. We understand that each deal is different in nature and that it may require special attention and an eye for detail. Quick turnaround times are often required so this is why we streamlined our processes so that it is easy to deal with us.

We will arrange delivery and installation on all products if it is required. ‘After sales service’ is as important as the sale itself. We will follow up on any queries and ensure that the deal is completed to the highest standard possible. The best products, the cheapest prices, and fast efficient service, it all adds up to a great deal. Give us the opportunity to impress you! Contact information: Leo Fels Commercial Account Manager Ph: 09 815 4639 Mob: 021 421 659 Email: commercial@jbhifi.co.nz www.jbhifi.co.nz

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Term 3 - 2011

school news

News in Brief

news

Room 5 Willowbank Primary School – one of this year’s winners in the Young Authors Challenge

Children to become published authors More than 150 Auckland and Northland students aged between five and 12 years old are set to become published authors as winners in the Barfoot & Thompson Young Authors Challenge. Eight short stories by classes from schools around the region have been selected to feature in a compilation book, which will be published by Barfoot & Thompson and sold to raise money for the Starship Foundation. The overall winning story, The Pukeko who wanted to be a super hero, by Room 8 of St Heliers School, will be accompanied by seven other tales: • Ararimu School, Ben Langheim of Room 1 – A Brothers’ Battle • Birkdale Intermediate, Room 11 – Déjà vu • Howick Intermediate, students from Room 20 – A Paper’s Life Story • Hurupaki School, Pod 7 – Heroes of Antarctica – A Husky Tale • Somerville Intermediate, Room 22 – The Wolf That Got Punked • Victoria Ave Primary, Zoe Fong of Room 6 – The Boy Who Danced • Willowbank Primary, Room 5 – Never Judge a Book by its Cover The programme is fully funded by Barfoot & Thompson and managing director Peter Thompson says he is excited to see more young authors get the opportunity to experience the joy of publishing their creative works. “We were extremely impressed by the hundreds of entries we received from over 50 schools this year. We look forward to seeing the winners take pride of place in the new book to showcase the talent and skill of

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Term 34 - 2011

the region’s young authors.” For entrants and winners alike, the Young Authors Challenge offers a special learning opportunity for primary and intermediate students. Thompson says he hopes the competition helps to deliver real outcomes in the classroom, as well as foster a lifelong love of reading and writing. “We designed the competition with the school curriculum in mind, so teachers can use this exciting activity to harness students’ creative thinking and hone their literary skills.” In addition to becoming published authors, each winning class will get to participate in a writing development workshop with wellknown authors John Parker and Paula Green. The students will also see their masterpieces come to life through pictures by rugby player Keven Mealamu, who will illustrate the book. The six-year-old authors of the overall winning story The Pukeko who wanted to be a super hero will see their tale about an aspiring native bird and his forest friends grace the cover of the book and feature as the opening story alongside the seven other successful entries. “All of the winning stories show an expert execution of plot and writing technique, display creative thought and emotion, and many include a good dose of humour that’s sure to entertain readers. “St Heliers School in particular developed some insightful morals at the end of their story, which made it especially memorable for us and a worthy story to open our book,” says Thompson. Room 8’s teacher, Gill Johnson, says the inspiration for the story came from their children’s recent research

on New Zealand animals, with the class voting the pukeko as their lead character. “The children did a lot of brainstorming to develop their story and approach. The writing style was influenced by UK children’s’ author Jill Tomlinson, who often writes about animals and uses repetition to enforce her theme.” The finished book will be published in late October, with all proceeds being donated to the Starship Foundation, The past three story books have helped Barfoot & Thompson raise a combined $80,000 for Starship. Through the Barfoot & Thompson Magic of Reading programme, copies of the book are also provided to Starship Children’s Hospital and Whangarei Hospital’s Children’s Ward and given to young patients that stay overnight to read and take home.

First scholarship recipient has sights set on UN Katherine Yip of Dannemora, a former student of Baradene College of the Sacred Heart in Auckland, is the first recipient of the newly created Erica Pabst Scholarship. The 20-year-old is currently studying for a law and arts degree at Auckland University. Katherine has been a passionate volunteer for Trade Aid for the past six years, and has her sights set on a career helping people in third world countries through the application of international law and human rights. She says the scholarship of $3750 will help her pursue a career in fair trade, and she would eventually like

Katherine Yip with her parents, Joe and Salome Yip

to work for the United Nations. “It’s a real honour to receive this scholarship, and to also be the first recipient. It’s a very significant stepping stone towards helping me make a difference in my own way, for people who really need it,” says Katherine. Chair of the Baradene board of proprietors, Gavin Rennie, says Katherine is an outstanding student and has a great career path ahead of her, following an interest in human rights. “As our first recipient, we are thrilled to provide Katherine with a helping hand to pursue what is clearly a lifelong passion – what will be very humbling to see is the difference this will make to other lives as well as her own in years to come.” The Erica Pabst Scholarship has been made possible through a grant from the LP Trust by an Alumna of Erskine College, Baradene’s sister school in Wellington. Sister Pabst (1902-1997) was the first pupil of the Convent of the Sacred Heart, Auckland, now known as Baradene College. Her years in education and teaching, including her time as principal of Erskine College, earned her a welldeserved reputation for wisdom, humility, acuity, directness, and a ready wit. Before entering the Society of the Sacred Heart, Sister Pabst completed her Llb through Auckland University College. The annual scholarship fund is open to Alumnae of Baradene College studying towards a law degree at Auckland University at stage-two level.

News in Brief

news

The successful team, left to right, Benjamin Bai, Richard Chou, Vicky Tai and Jack Zhou

New Zealand team brings home gold

returned home from Taiwan, bringing

attends St Cuthberts College, Epsom,

with them a hat-trick of medals won

Richard Chou and Benjamin Bai

The New Zealand secondary school team of Benjamin Bai, Richard Chou, Vicky Tai and Jack Zhou recently

at the prestigious 22nd International

attend Macleans College, Bucklands

Biology Olympiad. The students all

Beach and Jack Zhou attends

attend schools in Auckland. Vicky Tai

Auckland International College.

The competition pits the top four young biologists from 59 countries against each other in an intense round of practical assessments and theory examinations. Jack Zhou won a gold medal, New Zealand’s first, and is now ranked 21st in the world. This is New Zealand’s highest-ever world ranking at the Biology Olympiad. Benjamin Bai won a silver medal and Richard Chou a bronze medal. The students have worked hard over the last year and the medals are seen as an outstanding achievement and a fitting reward for their efforts. Team leader Dr Angela Sharples says, “We should all be proud of the achievement of this New Zealand team. They have proved themselves to be amongst the world’s best.” The students were supported to attend the Biology Olympiad by the Talented Student Travel Award which is funded by the Ministry of Science & Innovation and administered by the Royal Society of New Zealand.

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Term 34 - 2011

school news

Student’s Perspective / Principal Speaks

news

Post-EQ site sharing with Shirley Boys’ High School: a host’s perspective

ost-February 22, Christchurch schools have adapted our vocabularies to reflect our new way of working. Words such as “site sharing” (which you have to be careful of because a moment’s inattention can result in “shitesharing”), “host/guest schools“, “early/ late shifts”, “study hubs”, “student after-school care” and “new normal” feature in our everyday conversations and are an important part of our everyday life. There are five site-sharing schools in Christchurch: Papanui and Shirley Boys’ High School, Burnside and Avonside Girls’, Cashmere and Linwood College, St Bede’s and Marian, and St Thomas’ and Cathedral College. The first mentioned in each pair is the host school. From our perspective at Papanui, we believe logistical aspects of co-location (yet another addition to our vocabulary) have gone well. We gave Shirley our school hall and six adjoining rooms as their administrative/staff hub. For us, this meant re-locating assemblies, drama classes, the uniform shop, seating and other equipment, while our three Adult ESOL classes had to move off-site to the local primary school. School parking for Shirley has been accommodated in a site adjacent to the school. Therefore, two potentially problematic issues, parking and administration space, have not been a problem for our schools.

All host schools take the early shifts. Our staff begin school with a 7.45am briefing; students begin with Period 1 at 8am. We have a six-period day, one short break of 25 minutes at 11.05am and we finish lessons at 12.55pm. Our students leave from the north as the Shirley people enter the school from the south. Shirley lessons start at 1.15pm and finish at 5.45pm. These days, our students arrive in the dark and theirs leave in the dark. With the new times, Papanui students are losing almost 30 minutes of tuition time a day. However, it isn’t all bad news since we are finding that both teachers and students are making the most of every lesson and generally students are taking more responsibility for their own learning out of class time. We have realised that more time in class does not necessarily equate to better time in class. There is less nonsense happening at break time, litter and referrals out of class have improved. Staff also enjoy the early finish for marking and preparation. The negatives are the ones you would expect: not enough time at lunchtime to hold house and co-curricular activities, short practical lessons, assembly and form time slots are too short, little time in the lesson to ‘pass the time of day’, which is so important for those staff-student and staff-staff relationships. And one-on-one

Bronwyn Welsh Acting Principal Papanui High School

Administration offices for Shirley Boys’ High School have been set up in the school hall at Papanui High School.

Papanui High School students leaving at the end of their shift

time for clarification or extension is difficult to manage with the second shift following so closely on the first shift’s tail. There are special problems when the guest school is a similar

size to the host school, since there are no spare classrooms for senior seminars and workshops – or indeed for meetings. Sports practices are also difficult as the gyms and fields are second-shift teaching spaces.

Site sharing proves to be a good experience

n February 22 this year Christchurch was subjected to a massive quake that shook the lives of all those involved. I’m sure at first a five-week holiday sounded amazing to all the students around Christchurch, but soon enough we all started to realise the implications this would have for our education, especially those of us at Linwood College. When the emails and text messages began circulating that our school would not be re-opening for a term, even more panic struck. As Year 13 students with NCEA level three assessments soon to begin,

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Term 3 - 2011

“

As wonderful as it will be to return to our ‘home school’, Cashmere has been a really good experience, and I think the Linwood college staff and the co-operation of the students has made the transition almost seamless.

my friends and I were especially nervous. It wasn’t long before rumours started fluttering around that we would be opening up on the Cashmere High School site, and sure enough two weeks later we were on buses getting ready to start trying

to catch up with our education at Cashmere High School. Some of the main concerns I had were that classes were being cut by 15 minutes a period, which meant we would be missing several hours of classes for every month we were at Cashmere. On top of this, the

idea of already being over a month behind the rest of the country was stressing me out and I knew we would have to get used to being in an all-new school and taking on allnew roles. When we arrived, things were surprisingly similar to Linwood. 10

Principal Speaks

news

Some childcare issues and unsettling changes in family schedules have emerged for a small minority of staff. As Papanui High School has just emerged from a seven-year collaborative PD project with other Christchurch schools (not SBHS), one of my first thoughts when I was asked if we would site share was that the two schools would have the ideal chance to collaborate. There is some mixing between departments, but this has largely depended on pre-existing relationships between personnel. The fact that Shirley have their own work spaces set up in the hall has meant less pressure on departmental spaces but also less opportunity for idea swapping and relationship building between the schools. Instead, a completely unintended and positive consequence is emerging and that is the way our staff and students are reacting to their new day. The staff enjoy many

Shirley Boys’ High School students arriving for classes

aspects of it and anecdotally we hear parents and students like it too. If it is seen that student outcomes will be better served and there is widespread agreement amongst our community, our school day may be quite different from the way it has always been, once SBHS returns to its own site. How we come out of this resultswise will be interesting. Christchurch principals have asked NZQA to compare our results as a city compared to the rest of New Zealand and historically to see if there was any difference in 2010 after the

disruption of the September quake. The fact that Christchurch had three premier scholars in the 2010 NZQA Awards perhaps indicates that at least the brightest weren’t affected. This year the break was less strategically damaging, but longer, and no one yet knows the effects of the ongoing shorter day. NZQA has again come up with some strategies to help quake-affected students. How we come out of this financially is yet to be seen. The Ministry of Education promised a “no pain, no gain” deal in our early meetings when the adrenaline,

good will and survivor guilt was at its height. While some aspects of the deal striking between co-locating schools will be straightforward, how will anyone be able to gauge the wear and tear on machinery and other plant? Now in week 12 of the site-sharing relationship the Ministry has at last agreed to help negotiate each deal between schools. So “no pain, no gain” is yet another addition to our postearthquake vocabulary. Let’s hope it too reflects our new way of doing things in Christchurch.

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Term 34 - 2011

school news

Ministry News

news

School to provide for students with special needs

he new $8.4 million Mahinawa Specialist School and Resource Centre, based at Mana College in Porirua, has been officially opened by the Minister of Education, Anne Tolley. “This new school and resource centre shows the government’s commitment to providing education for students with special needs,” says Mrs Tolley. “Mahinawa Specialist School ensures that some of our most vulnerable students have a learning environment that effectively supports their additional learning and support needs. “This is in contrast to the poor conditions they had to endure on the previous Kapi Mana school site. “And with the main school situated on the Mana College site, it means students can become integrated in the life of the college – something which they weren’t able to do at their previous school. “In addition to the investment in new buildings at Mahinawa, we are continuing to fund improvements at mainstream schools so that they are accessible to students with special needs.” Twenty-seven students attend the Mahinawa base school at Mana College, with another 30 students attending satellite units at Raumati Beach, Titahi Bay Intermediate, Ngati Toa School and Porirua School.

New tax education online resource for schools Education Minister Anne Tolley and Revenue Minister Peter Dunne recently launched a new tax education online curriculum tool for school students. The Citizenship and Tax Education tool is designed for Year

8 In fact, all of the classrooms were very similar to our Linwood classrooms and the teachers were all the same; we even still had the same timetables. “It’s just like being at our own school but at a different location,” Poppy Wallace-Bell, Year 11 said. One of the first things the Year 13s of Linwood College had to do was help

school news

Term 3 - 2011

Education Minister Anne Tolley says the reorganisation of schools in Kawerau will bring a much brighter future for education in the town, and raise achievement levels for students. She says the government’s recently announced decisions, including some changes as a result of community feedback during consultation, will provide certainty for students, schools and communities. “The viability of some schools could have been at risk in the long

term due to falling rolls and the resulting reduction in funding, and I am confident that the decisions made will allow a much more effective education for students.” • Kawerau North, Kawerau Central and Putauaki Primary Schools will merge on the Putauaki School site, to become a Year 1-8 primary school, with the possibility of becoming a Year 1-6 school in the future. As part of this process, at least $1.4 million in funding will be made available to support the transition of students and raise student achievement. • A Māori immersion kura will be established on the site of Kawerau North School, catering for Year 1-8 students. The kura is expected to begin the new school year with 60 enrolled students. • Kawerau South School will remain as a Year 1-6 primary school. The changes will be made in time for the new school year in 2012, and the Ministry will work closely with schools to ensure a smooth transition for students to their new schools. “After receiving valuable feedback I have decided that more consultation needs to be held on the future of Kawerau Intermediate School and Kawerau College,” says Mrs Tolley. “This consultation will focus on the possible establishment of a new school, with a Year 7-10 campus and a Year 11-13 campus on one site. “Details of the consultation on senior schooling in the town will be announced soon, with any resulting changes taking place in 2013.”

have been feeling about the future exams. As well as the school work staying the same, we are still able to continue some out-of-school activities like sports and house events. I think this is really important because, as all the teachers kept saying when we arrived, school isn’t just about classes, it’s about making friends through social activities, playing sports and having fun. Linwood has still managed to

preserve this outlook despite the big shake. We are returning to the Linwood site in Term 3, but all in all I think I will partially miss Cashmere. As wonderful as it will be to return to our ‘home school’, Cashmere has been a really good experience, and I think the Linwood college staff and the co-operation of the students has made the transition almost seamless. By Amanda Dehn

Education Minister Anne Tolley

7-10 social studies classes. “This will be a welcome addition to the resources currently available to schools,” says Mrs Tolley. “It’s a useful and practical programme and it’s aligned to the new curriculum, so students and teachers will benefit.” Minister Dunne says the resource essentially starts discussions around citizens paying tax, why we do it and why there is an obligation to do so. “Very positive feedback from trials shows that when young people used the tool they demonstrated a real understanding and appreciation of why we pay tax to have a fair, whole and functioning society.” The programme was developed by Inland Revenue with advice from the Ministries of Education and

the junior school settle in to routines and learn their way around – a little hard considering we didn’t know ourselves. So far, the teachers have done an amazing job with catching us up on all of our classes and they have gone to the extra effort of setting up out-of-school tutorials at rooms like the temporary Linwood library. This has been so helpful and has relieved some of the stress myself and other NCEA students

Youth Development, and includes animations, quizzes, and games. The resource can be downloaded at www.taxcitizenship.tki.org.nz

Future schooling in Kawerau

ICT

education

Enabling schools through ICT

Evan Blackman Education Manager Microsoft NZ

ith the evolution of IT and increased digital capability, it is important to consider how learning is progressing – an industrial-age curriculum will not fully equip students for an information-age society. We suggest that to prepare students for the working world, a change is needed in how we approach education in New Zealand. Building a knowledge-based economy cannot be a single responsibility attributed to one body, though – it requires partnership between government, schools, educators, academics and the IT industry. The recent licensing change to the Microsoft School Agreement may seem small but it signals a significant shift in the way the education sector is approached – a joint effort to support students to learn anytime, anywhere. The Microsoft School Agreement will allow schools to collaborate and connect digitally either via a public or private cloud service, pool resources, reduce costs and ultimately increase student success. Under the revised agreement, schools can access their server software hosted by third parties such as the Ministry of Education or other schools in the region. Most importantly, schools will be able to place their servers off-site and as a result, will not need to maintain their own server hardware. We expect to see a growth in private cloud usage as schools band together to maximise the cost savings associated with sharing IT infrastructure. These savings will come from reduced capital expenditure on hardware and lower IT management overheads. The sector should also expect a lift in service performance as schools consolidate their servers. This change to software licensing was made in response to requests from schools for more flexible server hosting arrangements, particularly in light of the February 22 earthquake in Christchurch, where many schools were left with damaged or unavailable technology and hardware. This agreement has been supported by the Ministry of Education, which says the change was made within the scope of the Ministry’s existing agreement with Microsoft, which provides operating systems and Office productivity

“

The Microsoft School Agreement will allow schools to collaborate and connect digitally either via a public or private cloud service, pool resources, reduce costs and ultimately increase student success.

software for state and state-integrated schools. “This will allow schools to more easily work together to establish shared infrastructure, enabling them to reduce IT costs and focus more resources on learning.” Schools in the Canterbury and Otago regions are already looking to pool their resources into shared infrastructure in order to capitalise on the revised agreement. By combining IT infrastructure, the schools will be able to funnel costs into other areas of student learning, while still receiving the same or an improved level of IT outcomes. Shared infrastructure represents a huge opportunity to increase productivity in the education sector – something that is a key focus for us. It also allows schools to manage and maintain IT solutions with more ease than doing so individually, and provides greater options when looking at data storage. We are focused on providing schools with the greatest level of choice and flexibility in how they utilise technology. We believe schools should be able to select the most productive elements of a solution,

whether this is from on-site services, a private cloud, or global cloud services. In our view, the decision of how to consume IT should be based on the sector’s policies – such as security, duty of care for students, or cost vs. performance – rather than be limited by a technology ultimatum of cloudonly services. In addition, the revised amendment to the Microsoft School Agreement will complement the government’s Ultra-Fast Broadband (UFB) rollout to schools, which is taking place over the next five years. The agreement, combined with UFB, will ensure schools around New Zealand can more easily adopt private cloud services, linking in with others in the region. We are already seeing a hefty uptake of cloud services within the business sector, and believe schools are looking to quickly match this growth. Access to cloud computing, private or public, will be a huge focal point for the sector as organisations look to get the best return from their investment in technology. The introduction of high-speed internet will also lift the overall productivity of the education sector

where online connectivity is a well-known challenge. As a result, students and educators will have faster and better access to software and technology solutions, providing real-life cost savings for schools and slashing budgets. Schools will also be able to improve their disaster response capabilities if they have server systems and data hosted within private or public clouds. By utilising cloud computing to protect information and create virtual learning environments, and having instant access to these environments thanks to UFB, schools can reduce the risks of relying on physical documentation and classroom-only learning, as well as ensuring constant productivity. At the end of the day, providing schools with the ability to collaborate and connect digitally, pool resources and reduce costs is in the interest of all Kiwis, as it provides a solid base for student success and the future of our country. We see ourselves as a long-term partner of the education sector in this evolution towards a true information age.

Term 3 - 2011

school news

Photocopiers

admin & management

Selecting the right photocopier

aking copies of school documents, or photocopying, might seem a simple process of laying the sheet of paper on to the flat surface and pressing a button or two, but the machinery designed to carry out that process has become increasingly complex and sophisticated over the last decade or so. Likewise, the copying requirements of schools have become much more diverse with today’s teachers and students undertaking an increasing range of tasks and projects within the school environment. For schools looking at upgrading their photocopying equipment there are a number of factors to consider when selecting a brand. One is the ability to keep an eye on costs by measuring print volumes. This will enable you to keep track of where and when the highest volume of copying is being generated, and also allow copy paper and toner orders to be made in advance to avoid running out.

Two of the leading suppliers of photocopying equipment in New Zealand were asked what they offer in terms of monitoring ability. Toshiba’s Jim Nolan explains: “Toshiba provides a free onboard administration program called Top Access, allowing the administrator total desktop control over the machine and its usage. Users are given a PIN number and limitations can be attached to this for black and colour printing or copying. “For more advanced accountability and network control, particularly for colleges and the larger primary schools, the software PaperCut can be utilised allowing for the use of MiFare and HID Student ID cards, and for the staff, security cards or FOB keys.” Jeremy Lane of Konica Minolta notes that in-built monitoring facilities are standard on their photocopying machines, but they have also been successfully using third-party solutions for the last 20 years. “External third-party software is

connected to our Bizhub MFP and this is particularly effective for outcharging situations, so is very relevant for schools,” Lane says. While today’s leading photocopier brands are designed to run efficiently, inevitably problems such as paper jams and toner issues will arise, and that’s where a school’s relationship with a service technician is key. It’s important for the technician to be familiar with a school’s particular

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school news

Term 3 - 2011

• • •

Large Format Printers Integrated Software Solutions Paper Supplies

needs, so dealing with the same person each time is preferable. “Wherever possible our customer can expect to see the same technician,” says Nolan. “However, this is closely monitored to ensure our customers receive a prompt response to their service request. Toshiba also employs specialist education account managers to look after all inquiries from the education market. “Training is also a very important

Photocopiers

admin & management

aspect for us, and again the specialist account managers undertake to ensure this is completed to the schools’ requirements.” Konica Minolta employs a territory management system, Lane says, with the service technicians in the various regions around the country developing an ongoing relationship with the contact at the school. “It’s about maintaining a level of consistency. That means it’s easy for us to make the servicing of equipment pleasing for the school. We are service orientated and we have invested a lot in that with the Sentinel Services model, which is unique to Konica Minolta. When a problem occurs on a machine, an electronic signal is sent directly to the technician’s PDA so he can respond immediately. This closed loop system means no manual intervention is required.” For most schools, renting or leasing technological equipment is the most common arrangement, and Nolan says with Toshiba equipment

this is usually over a three or four-year period. “Five years is also available,” he says, “but is often found to be too long given the speed that technology advances.” Lane says Konica Minolta offers a range of flexible contract and leasing arrangements through its sister company, Leasing Solutions Ltd. “We offer special education contracts to help make schools’ purchasing decisions as easy as possible.” Like their service technicians, Konica Minolta’s account managers also operate on the company’s territory management system, says Lane. “These dedicated education sales specialists work in regions around the country and build long-standing relationships with their client schools, helping them, move through the different phases of technology as it becomes more complex and advanced.”

Konica Minolta also contributes to New Zealand’s education system through its involvement in school sponsorship and the company has built up long-term relationships with a number of schools around the country, Lane says. Today’s multi-functional equipment offers far more than just photocopying, giving schools the opportunity to carry out a range of tasks. As Nolan explains: “The Toshiba

e-Bridge X series colour machines are capable of printing banners up to 1200mm long, and poster print. In addition, Toshiba offer various supporting software programs, including specialised newsletter packages allowing the newsletter to be run off in classroom sets, Re-Rite OCR software for converting those hard copies or PDF files into instantly editable documents and much more. “Again our specialist account managers will give full training in order for our customers to gain maximum benefit from today’s technology. Toshiba is totally committed to after-sales and service, maintaining operational profitability, and ‘working alongside education for a better tomorrow’.”

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Term 3 - 2011

school news

Site Sharing

admin & management

Sharing office space reflects city spirit

Visitors can easily find who they are looking for, thanks to clear signage.

he spirit of camaraderie, which often becomes apparent when people are faced with difficult situations, has certainly come to the fore in the site-sharing situation that has been part of school life for many in Christchurch following the February 22 earthquake – and nowhere is that sense of comradeship more evident than among the staff and students of Burnside High School and Avonside Girls’ College. A co-education school, and the largest school in the city with 2700 students, Burnside High has been sharing its campus with Avonside Girls’ High, where many of the buildings were so badly damaged in the earthquake that the whole school is currently off-limits. Prior to the earthquake the Avonside roll was in excess of 1200, but it is currently just under 1100. As with any school, a key aspect of the day-to-day operations is administration, which requires space and facilities for the staff, and these have been made readily available for Avonside staff at Burnside. Principal of Avonside Girls’ High, Sue Hume, explains: ”A meeting room just behind the reception area has been made available for us to use as our school office, with the reception desk itself

school news

Term 3 - 2011

being divided into two sides, one for us and one for Burnside, so visitors can find us easily. This has only been made possible because of the willingness of the Burnside admin staff to share their space. It’s all been running very smoothly and I believe it reflects the spirit of our city, and the good will of everyone concerned.” Perhaps even more remarkable has been the willingness of the Burnside staff to move out of their well-appointed counselling suite to make it available for Avonside’s senior leadership team to use. “The counselling people have moved in to pre-fab buildings on the

school site and given our leadership team the use of their suite,” says Hume. Some of the leadership team’s resources were retrieved from their Avonside building. “We managed to make two quick 10-minute forays into the school to get some of our files and records,” says Hume, “but we’ve also had to purchase some furniture and equipment in order to do our work.” Getting the phone and computer system set up and running on the Burnside site was also a challenge, and Hume says solving the technological challenges was a key to getting the site-sharing arrangement functioning effectively.

Avonside Girls’ High staff and students are due to return to their own site at the start of the 2012 school year, but not back into all of their old buildings, as two key blocks are set for demolition. “We will be moving into temporary, re-locatable buildings for two years, while a permanent solution for the school is worked out,” says Hume. “Relocatables as well as temporary new buildings will be specially designed and constructed for the school, but even going into the temporary buildings, it will be good to return to a normal school day, rather than having to deal with the contracted school days and extra travelling time that our girls and staff have been facing since the earthquake.” Avonside Girls’ High opened in 1928, and as one of the city’s most well-respected schools, has provided an education for many thousands of Christchurch girls over the years, and while the new buildings to be constructed may not have the architectural style that has characterised the school, they are expected to provide the kind of facilities that better reflect the requirements of 21st-century secondary education. By Christine de Felice

Mt Hobson Middle School

profiles

Quality education provided with small class sizes

Students learn a wide range of skills through preparing their projects.

onvinced that small class sizes was the key to providing a top-quality, 21st-century education, especially for 11 to 14 year-olds in the important pre and early secondary years, Alwyn Poole established Mt Hobson Middle School in a specially modified 1900s’ Auckland villa in 2003. Eight years on, his convictions are still proving valid, with numerous success stories continually being reported by satisfied parents. “Our school has a maximum of 48 students, with a ratio of 12 students to one teacher per class, which I consider is absolutely ideal,” says Poole. “Having small classes means the teachers get to know the students incredibly well, especially in terms of their strengths, weaknesses and interests.” Poole adds that this allows for regular, high-quality feedback to students and their families on a very regular basis. Another key advantage of small classes is that students can be taught according to their individual abilities. “All our students have individual aspects to their programmes, which enables our teachers to cater for everyone, including those with very high ability as well as students who bring a range of abilities to their learning environment. “Our students come from right across the Auckland region and like any school, we have a crosssection of students – those who

struggle, and those with ability and enthusiasm who want to achieve at the highest level. With the curriculum model we use and small classes we know we can provide so much more for all our students.” The school day is divided into morning and afternoon programmes. The morning programme is academic, with the New Zealand curriculum being covered, and students attending three full classes in their core subjects – maths, English, science, social studies and technology. Students also have another independent hour in the morning, with teacher assistance available if required, during which they work on cross-curricula (integrated) projects. The aim of this is to enable the students to broaden their range of knowledge and develop a skill set that includes thinking, planning, researching, writing up, referencing, organising and presenting. “The tasks they are set in this time take all learning styles into account, and they are required to complete eight five-week projects a year,” says Poole. “Examples of the topics they cover are animals, architecture, flight and space, New Zealand places and people, Shakespeare at the Globe, business in action, and many more. So, as can be seen, they are exposed to an enormous variety of information from which they prepare their projects.” The afternoon programme

covers music, art, sport, community learning and community service. Music and art are taught by specialists in their fields, Poole says. “For sport, we do it in five-week

modules using high-quality local facilities such as Olympic-size swimming pools, and specialist coaches. 16

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Term 3 - 2011

school news

Mt Hobson Middle School

profiles

The Mt Hobson Middle School in Remuera, Auckland

15 Community learning involves field trips to some of the feature places in Auckland, such as the Auckland Museum, and we also regularly invite guest speakers and specialist tutors to come to the school to present to the students.” Community service is regarded as a major aspect of the programme with the Year 9 and Year 10 classes contributing weekly to local groups and the Year 7 and Year 8 classes undertaking a beach clean-up in association with the Sir Peter Blake Trust.

“We also run whole school community service programmes, and for the past two years the school has raised over $10,000 for the World Vision 40 Hour Famine. We believe that is absolutely outstanding for a school of our size,” says Poole. The values in the school are openly based on Christian principles, Poole says, and while the students come from all types of background, the expectations placed on them are high in terms of effort in all their endeavours, behaviour, relationships with each

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other and respect towards everyone they interact with in the school community. He says the staff work hard to build relationships with the parents and notes that a key feature of the school model is this partnership. When the time comes for the students to move on to secondary school, which may be a zoned high school or a private school, they take with them documented improvements in their ability levels and skills. “We find that our students go on to do well over the range of qualification options,” says Poole. “Adjusting at Year 11 seems easier for most than changing at Year 9 as they have more maturity, a wider range of knowledge and skills and have missed the early years at high school, which are often less than helpful for many students.” Poole and his teachers at Mt Hobson Middle School have long

been frustrated knowing that many more New Zealand school students could benefit from their education model, but with limited space on their Remuera Road site, they are unable to increase their numbers. However, students in the Wellington region will have access to the model from 2012. “Our long-term aim is for the Villa Education Trust to oversee the development of a number of schools throughout the country based on the same model, and we are thrilled that a new school based on our model is opening in the Hutt Valley at the beginning of next year. “We are taking enrolments now and we welcome enquiries from parents who want to provide their children with a quality education that will set them up for their secondary education and a successful future on whatever path they choose,” says Poole.

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school news

Term 3 - 2011

McCain Veggie Truck

food & beverage

Growing vegetables and having fun

Frimley School students get gardening.

he McCAIN School Veggie Patches Programme, which delivers interactive gardening lessons to primary schools, proved highly successful in 2010 and primary schools across New Zealand are being encouraged to register for this year’s programme. The Red Veggie Truck is now on the road and visiting schools, and primary schools still have time to register on the website, mccainveggiepatches.com before the truck, the grower and his wealth of veggie knowledge arrives in their area. Last year’s inaugural programme saw 700 Kiwi primary schools registered and 60 schools visited by the McCAIN Red Veggie Truck and grower. It is hoped even more schools will register this year. McCAIN Foods Australia New Zealand head of innovation, Nicki Anderson, says she was overwhelmed by the response the McCAIN Red Veggie Truck and Grower received in 2010. “The McCAIN Red Veggie Truck Tour and Grower took our plan of involving Kiwi kids in the process of growing and harvesting vegetables to a much deeper grass-roots level than we expected, with so many schools wanting to be involved,” says Anderson.

“We are thrilled to be equipping even more students with invaluable gardening knowledge and a handson experience that will continue to grow with them well into the future.” All schools that register for the McCAIN School Veggie Patches Programme are eligible to gain points towards gardening tools, seeds and equipment whenever somebody purchases selected McCAIN products and provides the barcode to their registered local school. Communities can show their support and earn points for their local primary school by collecting barcodes from selected McCAIN products and dropping them into their local registered primary school or send in a stamped envelope with the name, town and postcode of the chosen primary school to: McCAIN School Veggie Patches PO Box 210035 Laurence Stevens Drive Manukau NZ 2154

Gardening report from Frimley School Last year the Middle School at Frimley School in Hastings decided to get into gardening. Our school comprises five classes of Year 3 and

4 students. It was a real challenge to find a suitable spot for our garden in the school, but what a location we found – catching the sun and right outside the dental clinic. Our caretakers built our raised beds for us and each class had a bed each. We have had lots of fun learning about what plants need to grow and really enjoyed doing experiments in the classroom to find out about optimum light conditions, and seeing how plants transport water around themselves by colouring the water. While we waited for the gardens to be ready, we had indoor gardening growing plants in a glove and in egg shells. We even measured our plants’ growth! We were very pleased to have the McCains Veggie truck and The Gardener come and talk to us before we started our planting. When our garden beds were ready, we were ready, too, as we had researched what was best to plant at that time. One class learnt how big and domineering the broccoli was in our small garden as it grew so quickly in the warm spring conditions, but it didn’t matter as we ate broccoli raw with hummus, cooked it, and made it into salads. Our Mums were amazed that we just couldn’t get enough of it, and the dental nurse

was also most impressed with the way we couldn’t get enough of the green vegetable. Other classes planted carrots, capsicums, parsley, bok chuoy and lettuces. We used the vegetables in a variety of ways and even sold some at our PTA’s Gala in November. One of the favourite activities was the class competition of growing a ‘spud in a bucket’. We wouldn’t have won any prizes for size but we certainly grew plenty! Another popular activity was the radish competition. At the end-of-year break-up our item was all about gardening with a song/rap we got off the web about the needs of a plant. We certainly learnt a lot about gardening and how with regular watering, weeding, and companion planting how easy and well things grow in the Hawkes Bay. We wondered what to do over the summer while we were on holiday and so we planted some sunflowers and some mustard to help rejuvenate our gardens. The sunflowers were huge by the time we got back in February, but unfortunately the birds ate the seeds so we were not able to collect them and save for planting later or even eating.

Term 3 - 2011

school news

Listen Up

health & safety

Protect their precious hearing

ith the ever-increasing use of headphones for music and other technology, and generally increasing noise levels, it’s really important young people learn to protect their hearing so that it will last them into adult life. Once you have lost your hearing, the damage is nearly always irreversible and the time lag between exposure and diagnosis may often be years. Therefore, the earlier children understand how loud is too loud, the better their hearing will be long term. The good news is that noise damage is easily preventable. The Pindrop Foundation, a registered New Zealand charity, is addressing this issue with the support of ACC and Cochlear Asia Pacific Ltd through its ‘Listen Up!’ programme. “With Noise Induced Hearing Loss reaching epidemic proportions, the Pindrop Foundation knew it needed to do something to address the issue,” says Lee Schoushkoff, CEO of the Pindrop Foundation. The programme, which is targeted at eight to 12 year-olds, forms the foundation for behaviour change and safe hearing practices. It is fun, interactive and educational. It teaches kids how their ears work, the science behind hearing and the physics of noise. ACC programme manager Dr John Wallaart says it’s a fun programme filled with activities to get children engaged. “It’s not just a dry lesson. The kids get to use sound meters to work out how loud is too loud, and use ping pong balls, pipe cleaners and tuning forks.” The Listen Up! Programme has been developed from the American programme, ‘Dangerous Decibels’, which is in 26 countries worldwide and rapidly expanding. Dangerous Decibels is the brain child of Professor William Martin (a professor of Otolaryngology/ Head & Neck Surgery at the Oregon Health and Science University) and his team. In February, the Pindrop Foundation and ACC partnered to bring the Dangerous Decibels team to New Zealand and they are returning in November this year

school news

Term 3 - 2011

Professor William Martin

to run a free Listen Up! Educator Workshop Series to offer schools the opportunity to learn about the programme and become programme educators. “We would love to see school personnel, including teachers, parent-helps, teacher aides and student teachers take up this amazing opportunity to become Listen Up! educators and ensure sustainability of the programme for schools and children,” Schoushkoff says.

After the workshop, attendees will take away with them everything they need to successfully teach children how to look after their precious hearing. In addition, schools have the opportunity to raise money through the initiative, via the Pindrop Silent-aThon. By participating in the Pindrop Silent-a-Thon, schools can raise vital funds to grow the programme, with 20 per cent of the money raised going back to the school. The aim of the Pindrop

Foundation, ACC and Cochlear Asia Pacific Ltd is to educate 45,000 children through the programme by mid-2012. The programme has already been used by 18 schools in the Auckland region to date.

Noise-induced hearing loss in the workplace NIHL (noise-induced hearing loss) is a major issue in this country with costs to ACC close to $70 million per annum.

“

Listen Up

health & safety

With the ever-increasing use of headphones for music and other technology, and generally increasing noise levels, it’s really important young people learn to protect their hearing so that it will last them into adult life.

So the earlier younger children can learn about the risks and change their behaviour, the better chance they will have of protecting their hearing. Hearing loss has a dramatic impact on the people affected. Some signs of noise-induced hearing loss are obvious, such as the need to turn up the volume on the TV or radio, not being able to hear others when there is background noise or asking people to speak up.

It’s the lesser-known physiological effects, such as depression, as people become socially isolated from their family and friends that may become a further issue.

For more information contact: Pindrop Foundation CEO, Lee Schoushkoff, mobile 021 757 423 or email lee@pindrop.org.nz

Tips for children to prevent hearing damage

ACC programme managers, Dr John Wallaart, phone (04) 816 5409 or email john.wallaart@acc.co.nz or Ann Rose at (04) 816 5401 or e-mail

• Walk away (move further away from the source of the noise) • Turn down the volume • Wear hearing protection By Nic Russell

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rt a m S Sun chools s

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ann.rose@acc.co.nz For more information on the Listen Up! Educator Workshop Series email Kitty Lister on: kitty@pindrop.org.nz or visit: www.listenup.co.nz

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Term 3 - 2011

school news

Swim for Life

sports & recreation

A passport to water safety

Roger Scott, central region manager for WSNZ, teaching school groups some basic survival skills in the specially erected portable pool at the Hutchwilco Boat Show in Auckland

ew Zealand schools have traditionally been recognised as the primary venue for our children learning to swim, and research commissioned by Water Safety New Zealand (WSNZ) has found that 89 per cent of all schools continue to provide some form of aquatic education for their students. This is a remarkable statistic given the difficult circumstances most schools must overcome to deliver a learn-to-swim programme. This is emphasised by another finding of the research in that 88 per cent of all schools recognise they need help to ensure they can provide the quality of tuition their students need. The issues are vast, but primarily have a common theme of insufficient funding, with associated problems around access to facilities, teacher training, transport, and a lack of supporting policy. WSNZ has constantly promoted soundly based and well-planned aquatic education delivered through schools as the most effective, efficient, and sustainable way to provide opportunities for all children to learn to swim and survive. Subsequently, under the Sealord Swim For Life banner, WSNZ has embarked on the biggest learnto-swim initiative in New Zealand for 50 years. Sealord Swim For Life is an overarching, national project

school news

Term 3 - 2011

established to address a dramatic decline in the swimming ability of our youth. This national project has been established to: • Provide all children with access to the water • Facilitate the delivery of quality swim-and- survive programmes in primary schools • Provide the foundations for the development of a culture that produces generations of New Zealand families that are water safe The goal of the Sealord Swim For Life initiative is to equip New Zealand children with the essential skills to swim 200 metres. The primary focus of the project is to manage the regional delivery of swim-and-survive education in schools through working with Regional Sports Trusts and Territorial Authorities. WSNZ is now active in 13 of 17 regions across the country facilitating the delivery of quality learn-to-swim-and-survive education to thousands of primary school students.

Does your school want help? For more information on regional specific Sealord Swim For Life initiatives please contact info@ swimforlife.org.nz

The Sealord Swim For Life Passport One of the key tools developed to support the initiative is a ‘passport’. This exciting new resource has been produced to encourage students as they learn to swim and survive and is available free to all school students engaged in a learn-to-swim programme. The passport is presented by Kautiki – the swimming Tiki. Tiki are unique to Aotearoa / New Zealand and have their origins in our ancient histories. They originate from the most sacred of waters, wai matua, the protective embryonic waters of the mother. There are many facets to protecting our off-spring and one of the most important is to ensure they learn to swim and survive. Kautiki is the taonga of the Sealord Swim for Life initiative and is a visual reminder of how precious our children are and the importance of swimming as a survival skill. Each page inside the passport takes students one step closer to being a strong swimmer. The passport is linked to the Sealord Swim For Life Achievement Framework, which lists nine skills or steps for students to achieve, beginning with fundamentals like floating and submersion, and finishing with a 200m swim.

There is also a series of survival skills for students to learn and numerous water safety tips on how they can stay safe in and around the water. As students become proficient in each skill, teachers (or parents) can ‘sign off’ each page and give students a sticker to recognise their progress. All students who achieve the 200m swim will be provided with a personalised certificate of achievement from WSNZ.

Note for teachers The passport does not require the adoption of any specific learn-to-swim programme. It has been designed to fit with any quality programme and does not require that schools change, in any way, the programme they deliver to students. Teachers and principals can register their school now to receive free Passports for all students by visiting www.swimforlife.org.nz

Playgrounds

property

Physical activity vital for children

eeping our youngsters fit and active is a vitally important aspect of life in New Zealand. According to New Zealand Physical Activity Guidelines developed by SPARC and the Ministries of Health and Education, children and young people between the ages of five and 18 years should do 60 minutes or more of moderate to vigorous physical activity throughout each day, and be active in as many ways as possible, for example through play, cultural activities, dance, sport, recreation, jobs, and going from place to place. They should spend fewer than two hours a day (out of school hours) in front of the television, computer and game console. Children who are active will have stronger muscles and bones, be less likely to become overweight, have a reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes, possibly have lower blood pressure and lower blood

cholesterol levels, and have a better outlook on life – the result, happier, healthier children that are also more likely to be eager to learn. In fact, research has shown a clear link between physical fitness in children and young people and higher IQ scores. Fit, healthy children will also feel less stressed, have greater selfesteem and sleep better at night. Well-designed school playgrounds can play an important role in promoting children’s fitness and health, giving them opportunities to explore and extend their physical abilities and build their confidence. Playground designs are now far more advanced than they used to be, and these days, manufacturers look at all aspects of what a playground is built to achieve – the major factor being fitness – and incorporate that into their designs. 22

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school news

Playgrounds

property

“

Well-designed school playgrounds can play an important role in promoting children’s fitness and health, giving them opportunities to explore and extend their physical abilities and build their confidence.

and overhead equipment.

The three elements of a child’s fitness are endurance, strength and flexibility. Endurance: Children love to make games a competition, racing each other around the playground, playing tag or competing on activities, all of which enhance their endurance. Strength: Playground equipment that enables children to undertake strength-building activities would usually include motion, challenge

Flexibility: Activities that test children’s flexibility and challenge them to cross, climb, balance, weave or swing are both beneficial and fun to do. When having playground equipment designed and installed, schools should make sure they select equipment that’s appropriate for the age and needs of their pupils, and they can do this by discussing their requirements with a reputable manufacturer.

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school news

Term 3 - 2011

property 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.

• 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.

• Conducting property condition surveys for repairs & maintenance or the school’s 10 Year Property Plan.

• 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.

• Preparing and submitting the school’s new 10 Year Property Plans for Ministry of Education approval.

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Our Signature Project Management Services include:

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

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Term 3 - 2011

school news