School News NZ - Term 3 - 2012

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INSIDE: CLASSROOM ACOUSTICS | DEALING WITH THE MEDIA | EXPLORING AUCKLAND Issue 18 | Term 3 - 2012 | $12 Inc GST

The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

Hereworth School Good planning leads to success Essential Reading for Principals s Department Heads s Property Managers s Professionals

s NEWS s ADMINISTRATION

s HEALTH & SAFETY s EDUCATION

s SPORTS & RECREATION s PROFILES

s TEACHING RESOURCES s PROPERTY


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AFTER SCHOOL CARE THAT GOES MUCH FURTHER George Bautista said it was his wife Hazel who originally wanted to run an after-school care service. But today it is George and his sKids team of 30 people, who run services in 10 schools across Mangere, Otara and Papatoetoe. Every day they care for around 300 children on behalf of working parents and caregivers. During holidays they keep the kids well occupied for the full working day. George worked in various retail management positions for 17 years until he was made redundant. So he followed Hazel’s idea of running an after school service and discovered Safe Kids in Daily Supervision in 2009. The service was looking for someone to run the afterschool programme at Mangere Bridge Primary in South Auckland.

now assist other operators in South Auckland schools with decile levels ranging from 1 to 6.

Wayne MacGillivray, principal of Mayfield School in

“Every day we make an impact in the lives of our children,” George says.

a provision beyond a child minder service.

“We have taught some to make spaghetti when they otherwise thought it came from a can. We have made fresh cakes. We have taken them on confidence courses and other daily trips which have been first– time experiences for them.

with their learning once school has finished. It is able

“The sKids programme was developed in detail but it also gave us opportunities to try new things, ” George says.

“The feedback we get from teachers is that the children’s essays improve because their minds are active with these experiences. There are numerous studies that show extra-curricular activities make a positive impact on a child.

Their success at Mangere Bridge encouraged them to manage a second local school at sKids’ request. They

“We see them change and blossom as a result,” George says.

George Bautista with a group of his charges on afield trip - making essays more interesting.

Otara, a decile one school, says after-school care can be

“A programme likes sKids is able to support children to reduce the pressure on our working families by ensuring that children are doing their homework when they are in care. “George and his team have quickly become part of who we are as a school. He supports us in many ways and we always include him and his team in our schoolwide activities. “One of George’s team was able to support our Samoan group in preparation for a community event in our school. Skids kids are active and engaged learners.”

Wayne MacGillivray, Principal of Otara’s Mayfield school. After-school care can go beyond child minding.

sKids is now in 92 low and high decile New Zealand schools. Our programme managers come from many different backgrounds: teachers, accountants, graphic designers, IT, marketing managers, operations managers, home makers, HR specialists, pilots, legal secretaries, business owners. Their common passion is helping children to reach their potential intellectually, physically and emotionally.

To find out more about sKids, contact Chris Bartels. Email chris@skids.co.nz or phone 0800 754 372

TM


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 Stewart Shimmin (03) 974 1036 advertising@schoolnews.co.nz PUBLISHER Darren Willis publisher@schoolnews.co.nz EDITORIAL Kim Armstrong-Fray

sn inside Brighter outlook for the deaf Until quite recently, the outlook for deaf or hearing-impaired children in our schools has been nothing short of tragic. Unable to learn efficiently by traditional teaching methods, they usually quickly fell behind their peers and were often destined for a life of menial work or unemployment.

rapidly and our study of Hereworth School in Havelock North (page 36) is a case in point. Here is a school with a century of proud tradition that has adapted to the modern era through its successful partnership with a top architectural firm.

Fortunately, the situation has changed very much for the better. As seen in our feature on page 16, a combination of earlier detection, new pedagogies and modern technology is giving hearingimpaired children virtually as good a chance of success in life now as their hearing counterparts.

Also in this issue, we cover recent news, the thorny problem of raising funds, after-school care, promoting mediation, handling the media in a crisis, independent education, technological creativity, new books, external learning, Enviroschools in the far north, health and safety advice, preparing a successful cricket pitch and good acoustics for learning. Enjoy!

What constitutes good design in a school now has also changed

Happy reading. The School news team.

INSIDE: CLASSROOM ACOUSTICS | DEALING WITH THE MEDIA | EXPLORING AUCKLAND Issue 18 | Term 3 - 2012 | $12 Inc GST

The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

Hereworth School Preserving history Essential Reading for Principals Department Heads Property Managers Professionals

NEWS ADMINISTRATION

HEALTH & SAFETY EDUCATION

SPORTS & RECREATION PROFILES

TEACHING RESOURCES PROPERTY

Issue 18 | Term 3 - 2012

editorial@schoolnews.co.nz PRODUCTION Richard McGill studio@schoolnews.co.nz CONTRIBUTORS Bruce Curtain, Pete Burdon, Jonathan Neil, James Whitlock, Murray Lord, Autex, Rosie Clarke, Brent Leslie and Rebeca Wood.

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 © 2012. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher. School News is proudly published by

24 news 05. Ministry News 06. News In Brief

administration 10. Fundraising 14. Media

education 16. Special Education 19. Modern Learning Environments

Head Office: PO Box 5104, Papanui Christchurch, 8543, New Zealand

24. Telecom Amazing Ideas 25. Book Reviews

Email: mail@multimediapublishing.co.nz www.multimediapublishing.co.nz Member of the Magazine Publishers Association of New Zealand

school news

22. Independent Schools

teaching resources

Phone: (03) 365 5575 Fax: (03) 365 1655

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external learning 26. Exploring Auckland 29. Enviroschoolshealth & safety

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health & safety 30. Allergies 32. Allergic Rhinitis 34. Allergies

sports & recreation 35. Cricket Pitch

property 36. Case Study – Hereworth School 42. Acoustics – PA Systems 44. Acoustics 46. Acoustics – Case Study

schoolnews WELCOMES EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND IMAGES ON RELEVANT TOPICS FOR FEATURES, NEW PRODUCT PROFILES AND NEWS ITEMS. Please email to editorial@schoolnews.co.nz. Images should be in high resolution (300dpi) JPEG or TIFF format. Editorial queries should be directed to the editorial department on (03) 365 5575.


news Ministry News

Website for national standards

Education Minister Hekia Parata

National standards data, Education Review OďŹƒce reports, school annual reports and NCEA data will be made available publicly on the Education Ministry’s website. Announcing the decision, Education Minister Hekia Parata said National Standards data would be published from September.

“

Having robust, quality data that helps us all to understand and support a student’s learning is one of the ways we are working to achieve this, and this is a key feature of high performance education systems internationally

education. The plan includes:

The data, which will be put on the ministry’s Education Counts website, will enable parents to see how their child’s school is performing and allow the Government to see how well the system is doing.

t $MFBS BOOVBM PVUDPNFT GPS learners, parents, teachers, boards of trustees and education sector agencies

Ms Parata has acknowledged that the data needs more accuracy. “It can only get better and better, both in quality and its use over time, and we want to work with schools to do this. Having robust, quality data that helps us all to understand and support a student’s learning is one of the ways we are working to achieve this, and this is a key feature of high performance education systems internationally,� Ms Parata said.

t 3FWJTFE UJNFMJOFT UIBU CFUUFS reect the planning, reporting, and delivery cycles for the school calendar year

The controversial national standards policy for collecting data on achievement was introduced by the Government in its ďŹ rst term. Better public information was part of the Government’s ďŹ ve-year plan for

t $POTJTUFOU SFQPSUJOH GPSNBU CZ whole school and by year level

t "DIJFWFNFOU NJMFTUPOFT BOE targets that work towards the Government’s Better Public Service target of 85 per cent of 18-year-olds achieving NCEA Level 2 or equivalent in 2017 t "MJHOFE QSPGFTTJPOBM MFBSOJOH BOE development, and other support tools and services to assist schools The concept of using a website with information for parents has come from the Australian Curriculum

Assessment Authority’s My Schools website. On it parents can view how many students are enrolled at a school, attendance rates, student-teacher ratios, total income of the school, and achievement rates in reading, writing and maths.

Network for Learning seminars The Ministry of Education Ultrafast Broadband in Schools (UFBiS) programme has been running Learning Without Limits seminars to help teachers understand the potential of the Network for Learning. Starting from 23 July, the seminars are being held in 24 locations around New Zealand over eight weeks. Presented by Marg McLeod and Howard Baldwin from the Ministry’s UFBiS Change Management team, the seminars are providing information on: t QSPHSFTT XJUI UIF HPWFSONFOU T

ďŹ bre roll out–the timeframes and process for delivering ultra-fast broadband to schools t UIF PQQPSUVOJUJFT VMUSB GBTU broadband will create and the beneďŹ ts that the Network for Learning will bring t MBUFTU EFWFMPQNFOUT PO JOJUJBUJWFT such as: t UIF 4DIPPM /FUXPSL 6QHSBEF Project (SNUP) t UIF mOEJOHT GSPN UIF /BUJPOBM Education Network trial t UIF 5&-" -BQUPQ 4DIFNF t 4DIPPM 4PGUXBSF "HSFFNFOUT t UIF 5FDIOJDBM *OGSBTUSVDUVSF Survey t 1SPGFTTJPOBM -FBSOJOH BOE Development. The seminars are free and are an opportunity for teachers to ask questions and discuss key topics at break-out sessions.

Term 3 - 2012

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News In Brief

news

New powers likely to fight cyber-bullies irrespective of whether their victim made any suicide attempt. Executive director of NetSafe, Martin Crocker, says that at present, the law around harmful communication predates the Internet. “There are a number of cases where the bullying and the harassment gets quite bad and yet it’s not clear that the law can help people in any way. This would go a long way towards fixing that.”

Decile ratings dropped from ERO reports Decile ratings will no longer be included on Education Review Office school reports. Chief review officer for the Education Review Office, Dr Graham Stoop, said the decision was made because of public confusion about the purpose of the rating. “The decile rating system is a mechanism used by the Ministry of Education to make funding available to schools. Too often it is seen as a rating of the quality of the education which a school provides and this is simply not correct. By removing the decile rating from ERO’s reports we hope to help remove this element of confusion and correct this misconception,” he said.

A proposed new tribunal to fight cyber-bullying would have the power to name and shame offenders and silence them in other ways, under Law Commission proposals. A new criminal offence for publishing offensive comments on Facebook and Twitter and sending hurtful text messages would also be introduced. The measures are in a ministerial briefing issued for Justice Minister Judith Collins as part of a Government crackdown on internet offenders. The commission has also recommended that schools be legally required to implement policies on cyber-bullying, including guidelines on dealing with incidents and educational programmes for students. It received about 60 submissions.

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Project leader, Professor John Burrows, says the Communications Tribunal would operate like a “miniharassment court” specialising in digital communication. It could issue statutory orders including cease and desist notices or orders requiring retractions, apologies or rights of reply. It could also reveal the identity of offenders in its decisions published online, or via the media. Professor Burrows said the tribunal would be headed by a district court judge, supported by an IT adviser. Complaints would first be referred to an approved agency - such as Netsafe - and could be settled by mediation. In serious cases, accused offenders could be charged under the Summary Offences Act for publishing material which is “grossly

offensive or of indecent, obscene or menacing character or knowingly false.” The law would apply to anyone over the age of 14 and carry a penalty of up to three months’ imprisonment or a fine of $2000. “There are laws under the Crimes Act, like threatening to kill someone, which can be applied to anything,” Professor Burrows said. “But it doesn’t deal specifically with the internet, and as technology grows, we want to patch up any existing gaps.” The offence already exists in Britain. The commission is also looking at amendments to existing offences under the Crimes Act. The charge of inciting a person to commit suicide now applies only if the victim has committed or attempts suicide, but under the proposed new law, a person could be charged

Dr Stoop said the ERO reports are designed to give parents an assessment of the quality of education provided by schools, and the decile rating “has no part to play in our reports.” ERO reports published from the beginning of Term 4 onwards will not have decile ratings included. New Zealand Education Institute president Ian Leckie said he was surprised at the ERO decision. “Parents must be provided with clear information about the social and economic contexts in which schools operate so they can make a fair assessment of the effectiveness of schools,” he said. “Decile ratings are clearly crude tools, but if ERO is to remove these ratings, it should still give parents information about the socioeconomic context in which a school operates. Poverty, ill-health and poor housing have significant impacts on whether children are ready and able to learn,” Leckie said. 08


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News In Brief

news

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Unregistered teachers in charter schools Unregistered teachers will be used in charter schools as part of a Government plan to improve the results of the worst performing children. The policy has been rebranded as “partnership schools” or kura hourua, by Education Minister Hekia Parata and Act MP John Banks. Banks said that such schools would be able to use “people who can make a valuable contribution to teaching who won’t necessarily be registered teachers”. We want the best people in front of the classrooms for these young people we’re reaching out to.” The schools would be able to negotiate a percentage of unregistered teachers, he said. Ms Parata said the schools would target those pupils who leave school without any qualifications, at the moment one in five. They said the charter schools would be allowed to reshape the national curriculum but would have to meet education targets set by the Government. Very few partnership schools are expected to open in 2014. So far, community and church groups, profit-making companies from the USA, and an organisation that advocates transcendental meditation are among two dozen groups that have expressed an interest in running a charter school.

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The teachers’ union, the New Zealand Educational Institute, has long opposed the idea of charter schools. National president Ian Leckie said it was a blatant attack on professional teaching and called on the Government to explain why parents should not be worried with the policy. “It seems prepared to use taxpayer money to fund businessowned schools with no proven record run by unqualified principals and teachers.John Key argues that charter schools will provide parents with choice - but what parent would choose to have their child taught by an unqualified teacher?”

east Auckland’s low-decile schools that it is drawing world attention and seeking partners to expand throughout New Zealand next year. Children as young as five in nine schools in the Tamaki-Glen Innes area are publishing their work on the internet and drawing international comment, which is having a powerful effect on their learning.

World attention on e-learning project

Two-thirds of the students are from Pasifika families where English is often not the main language at home. About a quarter are Maori. They start school two years behind the national average but at Pt England School, which introduced the technology, they now catch up with the average in reading and maths by Year 5.

A world-first e-learning project is proving so successful in several

“People from Google say no one in the world is using our tools like

you are,” said the chairman of the Manaiakalani trust that manages the project, Pat Snedden. Schools from all over the country have expressed an interest in replicating the project, he said. But its leader, Dorothy Burt and her husband, Pt England principal Russell Burt, emphasise that the starting point is not technology but a completely different pedagogy. Instead of learning passively by listening to a teacher speaking to the whole class, children in the Tamaki schools are active participants in a process called “learn, create, share.”

ULearn registrations close ULearn 2012 registrations have now closed with more than 1450 delegates registered. This year there will be 37 concurrent workshops in each of the six breakouts across four venues. “Add to this over 200 trade representatives from 60 companies and we are in for a wonderful conference,” says CORE Education Events coordinator, Sherry Chrisp. A range of New Media and Web 2.0 tools will play a prominent role. Online tools such as Twitter, blogs, wikis, and Flickr will be an integral part of the conference experience. ULearn 2012 will be held at Auckland’s Sky City 9-12 October. A keynote speaker will be Professor emeritus, speaker, writer, teacher and cyber researcher, Jason Ohler.


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Fundraising

admin & management

Proven steps to successful fundraising

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NFORTUNATELY, SCHOOL FUNDRAISING seems to be a necessity these days and there are as many ways of raising funds as there are schools that raise them. And according to a woman who gives professional guidance in the subject, regardless of what form your fundraising takes, there are various steps and protocols to cover. Diane O’Sullivan (B.Ed, Dip Soc. Sci., Dip T’ing), advises that if you are holding any function at the school, you will first need to consult with the Board of Trustees – firstly as a courtesy and secondly as the Board is responsible for the state of the buildings and grounds. “Most importantly, make sure your plans, costs and personnel who are to carry out the activity are clearly minuted. This is essential whether you are a PTA, parent group, friends of the school, a gala committee or even a subcommittee of the Board. By doing so, all functions are covered, there is no argument about what was decided, who was to do it and all the committee (the treasurer in particular) is protected. Try also to have a time frame in mind and work out which jobs need to be done in which order and by what time. In modern jargon – have some progress points,” she said. Mrs O’Sullivan says the activities that need to be looked at are

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Remember too, that the word is FUNdraising, so make sure that there is some fun in it and that it is a way to gel the school community with everyone working toward the same goal

those which spread their influence beyond the school, so that money is being gained from people other than the parents. “One particularly interesting form of this is the online fundraising developed by Funda (www.funda. co.nz ) in which a facebook page is started by students (or parents if the students are under 13) on which

the fundraiser is described and requests for donations from friends and family – even overseas ones – can be solicited. Strong, important safety features are put into place. “On the same lines, activities which involve the children are usually very successful. In this category, the spell-a-thon, maths-athon, tables-a-thon, anything-you-

like-a-thon and general knowledge quizzes come immediately to mind. Using the online payment method that Funda has devised is a very good one to make sure that all the money promised arrives at the school. “It is always good to have something specific in mind that you are trying to raise funds for, and when the ‘counting is done’ the profit made must be communicated to the parents – newsletter, local paper, email, text or whatever your school does best. Following this, the item purchased or service provided, also must be extensively promoted to parents – otherwise their support will soon dim. They want to see what their money is going towards,” Mrs O’Sullivan said. “Remember too, that the word is FUNdraising, so make sure that there is some fun in it and that it is a way to gel the school community with everyone working toward the same goal. Before you start on a fundraising venture, consult as widely as possible on what parents want and might be willing to help with. “Finally, remember that your committee is in charge of what you will raise and how you will go about it. Decisions as to that must come from you – too much effort will see you ‘burnt out’ and the school will suffer by not having anyone to fundraise.”


admin & management

Often the challenge is to think of something a little dierent. One example is Coupons4kids, an annual discount voucher directory packed with oers from family and childrenfriendly businesses. “We work with leading national and local brands and focus on promoting good kids’ businesses to the communities,â€? said owner/ director, Shana Zen. “Through our booklets, the community and the businesses support and beneďŹ t each other. All oers have been carefully selected and there is something for every family with kids.â€? She says each booklet is packed with hundreds of dollars of saving on children’s products, services and entertainment. Parents pay $20 for the booklets which cover their costs with just a few uses. “The booklet are popular with parents because they are practical

to use and aordable. They present no risk, cost or obligation to the schools as they are delivered free of charge on sale-or-return basis,â€? said Zen. “We give schools enough booklets for every family and the necessary support literature. The booklets are sent home with the children and purchasing parents pay the school directly. We pick up any unsold booklets and the cheque for books sold, minus the money raised. Schools sell the booklets for $20 and keep $6 or more towards their funds,â€? she said. Examples of brands in the 2013 booklets include: Video Ezy, Chipmunks, Jumping Beans, Clip n Climb, Music Works, Pharmacy Direct, Mini Golf and Monterey Cinema.

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www.fundraiseplus.co.nz Term 3 - 2012

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admin & management Supplier Profile | Sony New Zealand

Interactive features for innovative learning

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image position without having to physically move the projector or sacrifice image quality. In addition, these projectors ship with an original wall mounting from Sony which allows adjustment of projector pitch, roll, and yaw. 4HE 60, 3 3ERIES PROJECTORS are economically designed for optimum energy efficiency, thanks TO THEIR AUTO POWER SAVING FUNCTION picture muting function with lamp CONTROL TECHNOLOGY LONG LASTING lamp, and low power consumption. Packing the most advanced projector technologies into a stylish DESIGN THE 60, 3 3ERIES projectors are an excellent choice, DELIVERING A HIGH BRIGHTNESS OF LUMENS 60, 37 # 60, 37 AND 60, 38 OR LUMENS 60, 37 # 60, 37 AND HIGH QUALITY IMAGES WITH 8'! AND WXGA resolution, respectively. For more information please contact: Erin Kirk, Sales and Business Development Manager, Sony New Zealand Limited, email erin.kirk@ap.sony.com or go to our website pro.sony.co.nz



Media

admin & management

Taming the media in a school crisis

T

ALKING TO THE MEDIA in the middle of a school crisis is the last thing school leaders feel like doing. But it’s one of the most important things they must do. When we talk about a school crisis, we’re not only talking about the death of a student under school supervision or sexual allegations against a staff member. A crisis arousing media interest could include anything from claims a school is weak on bullying to a complaint about school uniform policy. There is one common denominator among these examples and hundreds more. If you don’t deal with them properly in the media, your school can lose its reputation. So what should you do when you get that first phone call from a reporter? Do you say “no comment”, refuse to take the call in the first place, start talking to the reporter without preparing or something else.

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school news

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You must front The first thing you need to realise is that you must front up unless there is some very good reason not to. If it’s about your school, the media will logically come to you first. You should see this as an opportunity and not look at it with the view that the media are out to get you. They have come to you, so now you have the opportunity to control the story. Remember, the story will run anyway, so you might as well be in it and get your point of view across. If you don’t talk, reporters will find someone else. Two things can happen here. Those people may get their facts wrong and they may not be sympathetic towards you or your school. Also, in the subsequent news story, the reporter will say you refused to comment. This makes you look guilty and unwilling to defend your school.

So you must front. But how should you handle that phone call from the reporter I mentioned earlier. Firstly, find out exactly what the reporter wants to talk about and secondly, buy some time. Say you are in a meeting, but you can call back soon. This will give you time to settle yourself down and prepare for the interview.

Preparation Preparing for a media interview is different from preparing for any other conversation. You need to start off by composing what we call a media message. This is the best way to get your points across in a way the media will use and the audience will understand. This must include your three most important points and last no longer than 30 seconds. This may seem strange, but it’s the best way to get ready for your interview. To get your media message right, you need to write down everything

Pete Burdon Founder and Head Trainer, Media Training NZ

you would like to get across in the interview. You then need to narrow it down to the three most important. This may seem difficult, but it’s vital. This is because a news story only ever has two or three points in it. You need to make sure the ones you want get through. If you told the reporter 57 points, he or she will go away and whittle them down to three. This way, you become the editor.

What should your three points be? If it’s a crisis situation, often your three points can follow a standard pattern we teach. The first point can be showing some regret for the situation. For example, if a student had been killed the point could be something like: “Our hearts go out to the friends and family of James.” The second point can show what you are doing to help the situation, or as we call it, your response.

The story will run anyway, so you might as well be in it and get your point of view across. If you don’t talk, reporters will find someone else


admin & management Media

In this case it could be: “We are doing all we can to support James’s family through this difficult time.” The third can often be restitution, or what you will do to minimise anything like this happening again. This could be something like: “We will be launching our own investigation to see if there is anything we can do better to minimise the chances of this ever happening again.” Along with these messages, you want to organise different ways of saying them. The best way to do this is by using words that the media love to use in their sound bites. These are the pieces you see on TV, and hear on Radio news stories where people are quoted directly. In the print media, these are called quotes. If you can dress up your key points by using things such as analogies, clichés, examples and emotion, these points are likely to make the final cut in the subsequent news stories. For example, while you

would say the third key message above as is at some point, you could also say it another way that would be more attractive to media. The key point was: “We will be launching our own investigation to see if there is anything we can do better to minimise the chances of this ever happening again.” Using a cliché, it could also be said: “We will leave no stone unturned until we’ve done everything we can to stop this happening again.” The next thing you need to do is predict difficult questions and come up with answers to those.

The interview The entire aim of your interview is to get your three points out as often as you can. You will say the points in different ways to stop sounding like a broken record. This is also where sound bites are important. You’re probably wondering how

you keep coming back to the same points again and again, particularly if they don’t relate to a question. I’m certainly not telling you to avoid the question. Do answer the question, but do it briefly if it doesn’t relate to a key point. Once you’ve answered it briefly, you do what we call bridge back to a key point. Bridging is how you transfer from answering the question to your key point. For example, if a reporter asked you: “What do you say to parents who have been concerned for some time that this could happen,” you could reply with, “Now’s not the time for pointing the finger, but what I can tell you is that we will be launching our own investigation to see if there is anything we can do better to minimise the changes of this ever happening again.”

Don’t speculate In crisis situations like this, reporters are likely to ask you to speculate.

Don’t fall into that trap. If you are asked to speculate, just bridge back to a key point. For example, in the example we’ve been using, a reporter may ask: “What do you think killed this student.” Your response must be something like: I wouldn’t want to speculate on that, but what I can say is that our hearts go out to the family and friends of James.” By following this advice, you’ll survive your media interviews in a crisis and maintain the reputation of your school. However, I must emphasise that mastering the media is about practice. It’s like riding a bike. You can read as many books and articles as you like, but until you get on the bike, you’ll never learn. The answer is a media training course where this information is covered in more detail and you face the camera. It’s best to make mistakes and learn in a training environment than on One News or Campbell Live.

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Term 3 - 2012

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15


Special Education

education

Technology focus brings improved outlook for the deaf

Hearing students show enthusiasm in learning sign language.

J

UST A DECADE or two ago, deafness or serious hearing impairment usually meant a fairly bleak future for those affected. Often, it entailed a large degree of isolation from the wider community and a working lifetime of menial work at best. But times have changed and very much for the better. New and improved technology, combined with better pedagogies now mean that achievement levels for deaf children can be as high as their hearing peers. On one side, improved hearing aids, cochlear implants and classroom sound systems mean that many more children are able to access sound sufficiently well to learn in an orthodox way. Those who struggle to access sound can however take advantage of computers of various types, mobile phones, improved projectors and other electronic devices, which combined with new teaching methods, are bringing vastly improved results in scholastic achievement and career prospects.

16

of deaf children. No longer are they destined for an education in isolation from other students – in fact they are now increasingly attending the same schools. These days, the emphasis is on treating them little, if any, differently from others and they are expected to achieve to the same level. This is having a spin-off in unexpected ways.

Junior College and a cohort of 17 of our year 7-10 students attend school there every day. Kelston also employs the staff members who work with those students. The daily curriculum delivery is a partnership between Mission Heights staff and its students, and Kelston staff and its students.”

A major breakthrough has come in the way Auckland’s Kelston Deaf Education Centre (KDEC) operates. Instead of being a standalone entity, it has now become a network operation. While more than 100 students are enrolled in the school, those students are actually present daily on the campus of 10 partner schools across the greater Auckland area.

It is a partnership the staff at Mission Heights have taken on with enthusiasm, ensuring there are few boundaries between KDEC students and the rest. Said the principal, Joan Middemiss: “We try to move the Kelston children around the school as much as we can. Most are mainstreamed for many of their classes while some might have some classes, such as signing or English, separately.

Partnership breakthrough

In addition, KDEC employs 58 itinerant teachers from Turangi to Kaitaia who visit and work with 350 individual deaf students in more than 250 mainstream schools. KDEC chief executive David Foster says an excellent example of how the partnership works is a school at Flat Bush, south Auckland, which opened in 2009.

A key to this success is a significant shift in focus in the schooling

“We have a partnership agreement at Mission Heights

school news

Term 3 - 2012

Few boundaries

“To all intents and purposes the KDEC children operate just like our Mission Heights students – they’re accepted as part of the whanau, they have the same uniform and they’ll go off to school camp just like all the others. They look happy and have high self esteem. They all share the same technology. We’re very digital here and it seems to be working incredibly well.”

Kelston Deaf Education Centre has now had partnership agreements for more than 20 years with some schools. Said David Foster: “One of our ongoing conversations with the Ministry of Education is how to raise achievement for our students. A key factor is subjecting them to really high expectations of performance. It’s also really important for our deaf students to appreciate that they’re part of a wider community.”

Wider horizons He said one of the drawbacks of having the children at a deafonly school is that their peer group is small, meaning restricted achievement expectations. Partnership agreements have given KDEC the opportunity to raise the bar. “Our kids now have an environment where their potential is not limited by the constraints of the cohort they are in. By working closely with the Ministry, we’ve been able to enter into those partnership agreements with brand new schools, like Mission Heights, so that our children have access to the most up-to-date learning environment possible. From our point of view, that’s win-win.” 18


education Supplier ProďŹ le | The Peace Foundation

Promoting mediation in schools LEADR NZ CEO, Gabrielle O’Brien reports on The Peace Foundation’s work in New Zealand to instil conict resolution skills in the very young. Many will be familiar with the sentiments expressed in “All I need to know I learned in Kindergartenâ€? which provides a philosophy for life based on those early lessons around sharing, cooperation, respect, safety and hygiene that we learned as very young children. Working from the premise that it is never too early to also instil skills to manage and resolve conicts and disputes, The Peace Foundation Aotearoa runs programmes in schools which promote the use of mediation principles and practice. The Foundation offers peer mediation and peaceful conict resolution programmes in both primary and secondary schools around New Zealand. The whole school programme includes: s GUIDELINES FOR SCHOOLS IN establishing a peer mediation programme;

Cool Schools Peer Mediation and Peaceful Conict Resolution training empowers students to reduce the impact of bullying. s TRAINING FOR TEACHERS AND coordinators; s AGE APPROPRIATE TRAINING FOR THE students who take on the role of peer mediator. Recently, several LEADR NZ members have had the opportunity to act as volunteer coaches in secondary SCHOOLS IN !UCKLAND 6IBEKE Brethouwer, who is also a LEADR NZ intern, participated in training at her local high school on Waiheke Island. “Seeing the students engage with such ease and open minds with the mediation process was an experience that gave me another level of understanding of how the mediation

process and the skills needed for mediation can be used and taught in everyday situations. Students learn an enormous amount about different approaches to conict and about their conict tendencies and those insights are invaluable for anyone working in mediation. Having the opportunity to coach them really helped me in reecting on my own communication habits as a mediator and I gained a lot of insight from being in that role.� Karen Meikle worked as a coach to support the training led by The Peace Foundation’s National Trainer, Christina Barruel, with a group of 18 students from St Mary’s College in Auckland. The training included work

on communication techniques and mediation skills which would enable this group to conduct peer to peer mediations for fellow students. Karen was particularly impressed by how eager the students involved were to learn the skills and techniques taught. “As a coach, it was fulďŹ lling to help the students practice their recently learnt mediation skills in role plays and enlightening to hear them talk about how the training could empower them to reduce the impact of bullying.â€? LEADR NZ is now in discussions with The Peace Foundation about developing an ongoing partnership which will provide professional development opportunities for LEADR members and allow the Peace Foundation to draw on LEADR’s expertise to support and build on their training. For more information, please contact The Peace Foundation at peace@peacefoundation.org.nz or (09) 373 2379.

Term 3 - 2012

school news

17


Special Education

education

A focus on new technology is bringing good results at Mission Heights.

16 Joan Middlemiss agrees: “It’s a two-way win really because we’ve found that our children have become totally accepting of the children with hearing disabilities. We have sign language courses and a lot of our children are learning to sign. One hearing girl’s whole friendship group is with KDEC students. She’s learned to sign to the point that they can have conversations together.” Many Mission Heights teachers also volunteered to learn signing. Recent technology, such as interactive whiteboards, is used widely at the school, meaning teachers do not have to turn their backs on the class. “The deaf students love having it like a giant sized computer at their finger tips and they take to it like ducks to water,” said a KDEC teacher at the Mission Heights, Fiona Campbell “They prefer to do things live. If they don’t understand something, they go straight to Google.” Personal ID cards give all students access to their own settings on the numerous school computers, helping make KDEC students feel a part of the mainstream.

Technology focus

Email is considered useful and cell phones are encouraged, as if other communication falters, a text or image will usually work. Said David Foster: “If you see deaf and hearing children seeking to make a friendship, one of the first things they’ll pull out is a cell phone.” Multimedia learning on the school’s Moodle system benefits all the students while Sound-stream in every classroom has proved helpful to both students and teachers. Tables and even windows are often used as whiteboards. The furniture was especially chosen to suit the required learning methods. Foster: “Since experiencing the benefits of technology at Mission Heights, we’ve retro-fitted it to our other partner schools. We’ve installed it at Kelston Boys High School, Kelston Girls and Kelston Primary, and assisted in the design of (nearby) Ormiston Senior College while it was being built.”

“We have a technology focus here for all our students,” said a Mission Heights teacher, Melanie Kindley. “We’ve have a lot of practice e-learning programmes that assist all students but have been really good for the KDEC ones in particular. We’re trialling other learning programmes as well.”

Academic success

She said short-throw projectors have been another bonus. “They’re bright and don’t cast shadows over what we’re trying to teach.” The school purchased the first ones at the end of 2008.

David Foster says the combination of new technology and customised teaching methods is paying off in a big way.

Foster: “Before that, data projectors had to be set up for each

18

usage and the lighting dimmed. That’s anathema to KDEC students because it limits their ability to lip read, sign or see facial expressions. With short-throws, you can leave the lights on and still have all the benefits of projecting images the kids can interact with.”

school news

Term 3 - 2012

Assessment of children’s hearing abilities from soon after birth is also boosting the chances of hearingimpaired people being able to have their learning needs established far sooner, meaning less likelihood of falling behind.

“We can show that deaf students enrolled at Kelston have got pretty much the same chances of achieving academic success as

Table projectors are a blessing for hearing-impaired students.

their hearing peers. We’ve tracked our NCEA results where appropriate in our partner schools, and our children are achieving at the same rate as the others. That’s down to the absolute energy of our teachers and their willingness to use new technology to improve the pedagogy.

“We have many examples of deaf children coming through the system in the last 20 years and achieving degrees of various kinds. They’ve then gone on to the career that they chose for themselves, rather than the vocation that society once imposed on them.” By Brent Leslie

New projectors aid learning New technology has revolutionised learning methods in recent years. One recent example is with new ultra short throw projectors which are simpler to operate than earlier types and no longer require plunging a room into near darkness – a huge advantage for the hearing impaired in particular. A prime example is Epson’s latest interactive projectors which were introduced to New Zealand earlier this year. They are the Epson EB-475Wi and EB-485Wi ultra short throw, which the company describes as affordable with the lowest cost Epson replacement lamp ever. Epson’s business manager – Visual Imaging, Bruce Bealby, says the projectors offer simultaneous dual pen interactivity, access to all the resources on a laptop, network and the internet, and instant capture of added content and notations, without an interactive whiteboard. “Installation is easy with no driver software to install on networked computers and no need to calibrate. These projectors auto calibrate, delivering highly accurate and reliable performance,” he said. “They have very fast response to

pen movements and the most accurate pen detection. As you move the pen, notations are displayed virtually immediately, while writing on the image and clicking through programs is easy and intuitive for students of all ages.” Both the EB-475Wi and EB-485Wi can be wall mounted (vertical projection) for larger group interaction or table mounted (horizontal projection), creating an intimate workspace for collaborative projects and research. “The Easy Interactive Tools 2 software and Epson’s Instant Annotation mean there’s no need to wait for a PC to come online to hand write notes and diagrams or annotate an image from a document camera or CD/DVD player. Simply turn on the projector and get to work,” Bealby said. Epson describes the EB-475Wi (2600 lumen) and EB485Wi (3100 lumen) as brighter than previous models, more compact and with a shorter minimum throw distance. Also recently released are the ultra short throw EB-470, EB-475W, EB-480 and EB-485W. These have the same high performance specifications but are not interactive.


education Modern Learning Environments

Breaking out of the box – An introduction to the principles of Modern Learning Environments

I

factors are considered in school development – education, the learning environments and of course the budget. No matter what size your future projects may be, this holistic approach is crucial. And remember always keep this longterm vision in mind.

n the field of educational facilities I believe we are on the cusp of a major change in both thinking and delivery. From small refurbishments right through to the major rebuilding projects in Christchurch and around the country, there is now a very real opportunity to transform the delivery of teaching and learning; to break out of the educational box that is the traditional classroom and deliver a truly Modern Learning Environment (MLE) fit for the 21st Century.

The Learning Community The modern learning environment can gain significant benefits from being designed for the community it serves. While funding is a one-sizefits-all model, the project team can actually deliver a project that reflects and supports the wider school community. And when a school is designed as a learning community it is a powerful way to engage with students, staff and parents.

So what is this brave new world? Well actually the concepts of the MLE have been around for some time. It is just that now there is a wide spread focus for improving the delivery of education, and a realisation that school buildings should perform beyond just basic shelter and when designed as holistic learning environments can really make a difference. The benefits of this physical transformation can have a profound impact in facilitating both student motivation and curriculum delivery. When school buildings are designed with MLE principles at their core they can inspire great teaching and learning.

So what are the key principles of MLE? Well, in one word it is building in flexibility. This is important at all scales. From the whole school campus to the smallest detail this principle is critical to the delivery of this new school paradigm. Creating flexible spaces that accommodate a wide range of current and future teaching and learning styles is the key. While we cannot anticipate all of the future needs for educational facilities we can know with certainty that they will change. Teaching spaces that can be adapted and support the educational agility of teachers and students will be an environment that can deliver outstanding educational outcomes. We should not get stuck with replicating ‘business as usual’ solutions when we could have spaces that support innovation and creative learning. But it is also clear that flexibility

Bruce Curtain Principal Architect, and global OPUS Sustainability Manager, OPUS Architecture

Classroom / Learning Studio

Heretaunga College - learing spaces abound

Your school real estate can be dominated by the corridor with some schools having 30 per cent of their footprint just for getting from A to B. Why not reclaim your circulation spaces to teaching and learning.

is not enough. MLE implementation demands that you take a holistic view. So here are my top tips for delivering a MLE for your school

Masterplan Starting with the end in mind. The 10YPP process is a great place to start with not only a financial model for capital expenditure over the next 10 years but also an evaluation of the

educational pedagogy for your learning community and a holistic spatial school masterplan to support that learning. For a modest outlay a spatial masterplan of your school campus can look at how MLE can be implemented across the site over time, and how even small projects can unlock great teaching and learning opportunities. The best outcomes come when all of these

As above one of the key principles of the MLE is flexibility and this is in fact a license to fundamentally reconsider the role and relationship of the traditional classroom – so why not break out of the box! While a classroom may still have a place in your school, it can offer so much more when combined with other spaces such as small seminar or breakout rooms, group learning areas or even external learning decks can offer the opportunity for a wide variety of learning styles. Adjacencies and visibility are so important in making this work well.

Circulation as Learning Space Your school real estate can be dominated by the corridor with some schools having 30 per cent of their footprint just for getting from A to B. Why not reclaim your circulation spaces to teaching and learning. The key is being able to have visibility from the new learning studios as through careful design these corridors can be transformed into spaces that support a wide variety of learning opportunities.

Group Learning Areas Group learning spaces can take over from the corridor for circulation but also create wonderful opportunities for teaching and learning at different scales – from small groups or combined classes. 20

Term 3 - 2012

school news

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Modern Learning Environments

education

19 They can also be a powerful physical manifestation of the learning community described above, and surrounded by visible learning studios and small seminar / breakout rooms they support the flexible, agile leaning of the future.

Outdoor Learning Environment Often the external spaces for the school are an afterthought and yet they represent a fantastic

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school news

Term 3 - 2012

opportunity to create great learning spaces. The key is visibility. The power of passive surveillance through being able to remotely supervise a space through good visibility can transform behaviours and learning outcomes. Careful thought by designers can unlock the potential of the neglected areas in your school grounds, bringing them back into the overall learning environment. And one last point. No matter

how large or small your building projects you can always look for the opportunities to support transformational change in the learning environment. School buildings should support and inspire the wonderful learning opportunities that can happen in and around them. As I have said before, one of my proudest moments as an architect was to get feedback from one of the students; “I might do better – it’s a

better school now”. It is that sense of hope that should be legacy of this renewed focus on delivering a Modern Learning Environment. So next time you are planning a building project remember to break out of the box!

Bruce Curtain is a Principal Architect specializing in public buildings and global Opus Sustainability Manager.



Independent Schools

profiles

Independent Schooling: The Future of Education?

E

DUCATION BECOMES A hot topic whenever the global economy slips and today’s climate is no different. With job prospects on a decline and the number of applicants on a steady increase, young people need all the advantages and qualifications they can get. This means a solid education that can provide workplace or further education opportunities, and ultimately a foot in the door. The question in all this, is where New Zealanders can find this type of ‘solid education’ , what schools are the right schools? More and more it seems we hear the answer to that question is ‘independent’. Each one represented by the national body known as Independent Schools of New Zealand, or ISNZ, there is a total of 43 independent schools in the country, sometimes referred to as private schools. In order to be accepted into the ISNZ, schools must apply for membership, then to retain membership they must pay a per capita levy that funds ISNZ office operations. The application process largely involves meeting the designated criteria. ISNZ insists that to be eligible for consideration, schools must meet the following requirements: “be registered as a private school; be committed to independent schooling; have a current positive ERO report; offer a course of work in the senior school that is leading to a recognised assessment qualification that is approved by an accredited qualification organisation, eg NZQA, CIE, IB; demonstrate sound compliance and financial systems and practices, with a current positive audit report, or in the absence of such a report, such other form of independent confirmation acceptable to ISNZ in its absolute discretion; and, agree to adhere to The Association of the Heads of Independent Schools (AHIS) Code of Conduct and Practice, and the NZ Teachers Council Code of Ethics.” This criteria manages not to seem overly strict, but it does allude to an overall sense of hierarchy when it comes to schooling; there are schools that won’t meet this

22

school news

Term 3 - 2012

One of New Zealand’s most recognised Independent schools, the distinctive Christ’s College, Christchurch

Just because 43 schools have flown through the application process and become members, does this mean those 43 schools are the country’s best?

criteria. Just because 43 schools have flown through the application process and become members, does this mean those 43 schools are the country’s best? There are unquestionably some terrific state schools, so what are the benefits of being part of the ISNZ? The main role of ‘Independent Schools of New Zealand’ is promotional. It advocates independent schooling, represents the independent school view on education committees, in their own words “promoting choice in education” to Members of Parliament, provides services to schools, organises professional development programmes, connects with internationally recognised educational groups, “and generally provides a forum for joint action by ISNZ Member Schools”. So independent schools benefit from being part of the national body by being part of an

international network of schools and international groups. This means that even though independent schools define themselves by having the freedom to create a curriculum ‘independent’ from the standard New Zealand curriculum, they are held to a standard set internationally; and despite being governed by their own independent board of governors, they still must comply with governmental standards in order to be registered. This sets their standards exceptionally high. The many different types of independent schools consist of pre-schools, primary (traditionally preparatory) schools, composite schools, secondary schools, day and boarding schools, and single sex and co-educational schools. The difference between these schools and public, or state, schools is the fact that these schools are owned by either individuals, private

companies, charitable trusts or religious bodies. At first glance, this might seem dangerous, the idea that anybody can set up a school but as discussed, the standards that must be met are so high and definite, that the benefits surely outweigh the negatives. First of all, independent schools get a lot more funding; 75 per cent of which comes from parents; meaning that they can afford better technologies, better qualified teachers, better facilities, more teachers. This allows students more opportunities to learn, with smaller class sizes, more subject variety, experiences such as international trips, vocational work experience, etc. Independent schools also get sponsors to boost their funding, ISNZ itself is sponsored by groups such as University of Cambridge International Examinations, ANZ and Fuji Xerox. These sponsors not only provide services and possible


profiles Independent Schools

More often than not, independent schools are able to offer internationally recognised qualifications; A-levels, SAT Scores, International baccalaureate, and others, providing students with the opportunity to attend tertiary education overseas or even secure employment overseas

funding but also add to the network students are then made a part of; work experience, internships, scholarships, all these things and more could be offered by sponsors and become opportunities that don’t arise so often in the state school system. More money also means they can facilitate a high level of education in drama, music, film and television, IT, sport and other such subjects that require resources such as computers, equipment, theatres, lighting, etc. Plus the schools can afford to integrate a strong pastoral, or student centric

aspect; employing staff specifically to ensure that emotional and social care is taken of the students. More often than not, independent schools are able to offer internationally recognised qualifications; A-levels, SAT Scores, International baccalaureate, and others, providing students with the opportunity to attend tertiary education overseas or even secure employment overseas. This is ultimately what makes independent schooling so soughtafter; particularly in today’s global climate. Even though just a small

minority of the New Zealand student population attends an independent school, waiting lists are endless and there are few, if any, places available at any one time. Despite their apparent advantages then, unless the number of independent schools rises dramatically, it is difficult to say for certain that they are the future of education. But what is safe to say, is that for the young people who are able to attend an independent school, if taken advantage of their education could brighten their future. By Rosie Clarke

schoolnews WELCOMES EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND IMAGES ON RELEVANT TOPICS FOR FEATURES, NEW PRODUCT PROFILES AND NEWS ITEMS. Please email to editorial@ schoolnews.co.nz. Images should be in high resolution (300dpi) JPEG or TIFF format. Editorial queries should be directed to the editorial department on (03) 365 5575.

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Telecom Amazing Ideas

teaching resources

Telecom encourages technological creativity in schools

C

reativity is the word on everybody’s lips lately when it comes to technology and Telecom in particular is doing plenty to energise the discussion. Recently launching a spectacular new search to encourage creativity in schools, the Telecom ‘Amazing Ideas Search’ has come following the sweeping rollout of ultra-fast broadband. Undoubtedly, the prevalence of such high quality internet will change the lives of New Zealanders, but the potential it brings is almost unimaginable. This is where the new search comes in: Telecom is asking schools to present their ‘Amazing Ideas’ about what is possible with ultra fast broadband (UFB) in exchange for cash prizes and a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. The government is spending a colossal $1.5 billion on constructing a seamless UFB infrastructure over the next ten years. Business, school and health services will be the first to benefit, with a Rural Broadband Initiative (RBI) simultaneously improving coverage in remote parts of the country. This is an incredibly exciting new step for New Zealand and Telecom is offering Kiwi schools the chance to capitalise on the potential benefits.

24

school news

Term 3 - 2012

Undoubtedly, the prevalence of such high quality internet will change the lives of New Zealanders, but the potential it brings is almost unimaginable.

According to Telecom’s Chief Marketing Officer, Jason Paris, “The rollout of UFB and the RBI is exciting for New Zealanders as we move towards a new generation of connectivity. Understanding what will be possible in the future is part of the journey, so we’re asking the next generation of leaders for their thoughts, ideas and dreams”. Running from July 16, the first day of third term to September 28, the last, the competition is open to all schools nationwide and teachers are strongly encouraged to feature the competition in their classrooms. There are ten cash prizes, $2000 a piece, which will be presented to the ten winning schools as chosen by a panel of judges. Five winning ideas will come from primary/intermediate students and five will come from secondary students. All the prize money could go towards a range of technological advancement in the schools, in terms of products

and services. Three Samsung Galaxy Tablets will also be presented to three individual students, drawn from the total number of entries, all of which will come to be shortlisted by Telecom and winners then chosen by the judging panel. Winners can expect to be notified before October 19, 2012, giving everybody plenty of time to get excited! Whether ideas come about by individual students, groups, or whole classrooms, any idea is welcome as long as a teacher submits the entry and it has the upcoming UFB technology at its core. The scope for astonishing ideas is as vast as the internet itself, they can be about learning, the way hospitals or other public services operate, the way business is approached, online entertainment, environmental benefits, anything at all! The best part is that nobody needs to worry about inventing the next big social network - it’s all about having fun

with technology and thinking outside the box. Enter as many ideas as you like! Go wild, dream big and think about what you and your community would most like to gain from super efficient internet. This is a development that will effect everyone, enrich the lives of New Zealanders everywhere and with these generous prizes, this competition is the first of many golden opportunities resulting from UFB and RBI. The all famous All Blacks have even launched into the spirit of the occasion, offering their idea of an online, 3D game of rugby that connects players anywhere in the country! Simply get online to enter the ‘Amazing Ideas Search’: post a video on YouTube or Vimeo that runs for no longer than five minutes and send the video link Telecom via their website, write to Telecom, describing your idea in less than 3000 characters, or send Telecom a poster depicting your idea before 4pm, Friday the 28th September. It couldn’t be easier and it couldn’t be more exciting, so make sure your school doesn’t miss out and get brainstorming! By Rosie Clarke


teaching resources Book Reviews

New books on the block How to Seize a Dragon’s Jewel How to Train Your Dragon # 10 Cressida Cowell Hachette, RRP$19.99

Jock Logan and the Sea Devil Brent Leslie brentleslie1@gmail.com, RRP $18.50 A NZ Society of Authors choice for the Frankfurt Book Fair, the most feared German of World War One crosses paths with a 12 year old New Zealand boy, Jock Logan, in a seaborne adventure that will change Jock’s life.

A brand-new hilarious Hiccup adventure in the ‘How to Train Your Dragon’ series. The story continues in the tenth volume of Hiccup’s memoirs. When we last left Hiccup things were getting very dark indeed. The Dragon Rebellion has begun. Snotlout is the new Chief of the Hooligan Tribe. Stoick has been banished and given the Slavemark. And Alvin the Treacherous has EIGHT of the King’s Lost Things, and has been proclaimed the new King of the Wilderwest. But what can Hiccup do, now all alone and in exile, hunted by both humans and dragons? Can he find th Dragon Jewel, mankind’s last and only hope? And if he does, what will he do with it?

Such was Count Felix von Luckner’s fearsome reputation, he paralysed Allied shipping in the Atlantic and earned for himself the grim alias, the Sea Devil. After capture in Fiji, he was interned on an island off Auckland, but with fellow Germans soon made his escape in a passing log scow. Jock is on that boat and finds himself caught up in events that are centred on the battlefields of France. What happens when a boy who knows little of the world, is held prisoner by a man reputed to be a ruthless killer? The outcome is surprising. “... a high standard of both writing and production...a cleverly woven blend of fact and fiction as a young boy’s tale of adventure; fun and easy to read” – Ashton Wylie Awards judges (2012).

Summer and Jasmine, who are the very best of friends. One day they find a magic box which whisks them away to a fantastical world! Can the friends help Trixi the pixie save King Merry’s 1000th birthday party from Queen Malice’s spiky thunderbolt Secret Kingdom is a brand new series full of the things girls love most: special friendships, secrets and magical adventures. Newly confident readers will be swept away by the magical stories of three children whose courage and

Derric, a Ugandan orphan adopted by the town’s Deputy Sheriff. Derric has a secret that no one on Whidbey Island knows. Derric and Becca form an unseverable bond and Becca is convinced that she’s the only person who can truly help him. Elizabeth George is the author of highly acclaimed novels of psychological suspense.

resourcefulness save a fantastical land from disaster.

Ratburger David Walliams Harper Collins, RRP $24.99

The Edge of Nowhere Elizabeth George Hachette, RRP $24.99

Secret Kingdom Series 1-6 Rosie Banks Hachette NZ, RRP $12.99 Enter a magical world of friendship and fun! The first book in the Secret Kingdom series introduces Ellie,

schoolnews

The first novel in Elizabeth Georges young adult series. This novel combines Elizabeth’s flair for mystey and suspense with the paranormal. Becca King and her mother are on the run from her stepfather who has used Becca’s talent for hearing ‘whispers’ to make a large and illegal sum of money. On Whidbey Island, Becca finds refuge in the home of her mothers childhood friend while her mother continues on in search of safety. But on her first day in town Becca meetssixteen-year-old

The newest book from the fastestgrowing children’s author in the UK is touching, hilarious, and cements David Walliams’ position as the Roald Dahl for this generation Ratburger introduces us to uber-villain, Burt, who will undoubtedly go down in children’s books history as the character all children love to hate. The new story tells the tale of little lonely Zoe and her ice- cream loving Dad. Zoe must rescue her newly adopted rat, Armitage, from the clutches of Burt but will she be successful? This exciting adventure is packed full of zest, jeopardy and classic Walliams wit, and line illustrations by world renowned illustrator, Tony Ross.

WELCOMES EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTIONS AND IMAGES ON RELEVANT TOPICS FOR FEATURES, NEW PRODUCT PROFILES AND NEWS ITEMS. Please email to editorial@schoolnews.co.nz.

Images should be in high resolution (300dpi) JPEG or TIFF format. Editorial queries should be directed to the editorial department on (03) 365 5575.

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Exploring Auckland

external learning

City of sails

T

ALK TO MANY ADULTS about their time at school and it is often the trips to places that made learning come alive that stick in the mind. Characters in costume explaining the history of a city, interactive exhibits that you could touch and play with, observing animals in their natural environments all add richness and depth to the learning experience. Today, students have access to a vast selection of attractions that offer memorable learning experiences. And New Zealand’s largest city, Auckland, has its fair share of those attractions. Commonly referred to as the City of Sails, Auckland and Aucklanders have long had an association with the water. Voyager, the Maritime Museum, located right on the waterfront, brings alive these stories of the sea. From examining the ancient skills and technology of Polynesian voyagers and understanding how to use basic navigation equipment, to learning the basic principles of floating and

Students enjoying a trip on the Dockline Tram

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sinking and discovering the journeys early settlers took to get to New Zealand, the museum’s 16 education programmes work in tandem with the current curriculum. One of Voyager’s most popular programmes is Immigration Stories, where students can stay overnight in the museum’s rocking cabin and enjoy an immigrants meal of stew and bread. Students are also encouraged to sleep top and tail in the cabins to get a true sense of what it was like for early settlers. The museum’s educators, both former teachers themselves, can also develop one off programmes for schools, says Karen Walters, Voyager’s life long learning manager. “A recent example is a school we had through that was studying the Olympics so we dug out all the items Barbara Kendall has loaned the museum and tailored a learning programme just for that school.” Voyager’s education programmes

provide interactive, hands on learning opportunities for students, teachers and parents. “We don’t do worksheets,” says Walters. “We want our programmes to be memorable and worksheets can detract from that.” The location of Voyager, right in the heart of Auckland’s Viaduct, means many other attractions are available within walking distance, including the new Auckland Dockline Trams route. The Auckland Dockline Tram runs on a 15 minute loop of Halsey, Gaunt, Daldy and Jellicoe Streets taking in a number of sights along the way – from the newly refurbished North Wharf and Silo Park, to the site of the original tram shed and the largest marina in the Southern hemisphere at Westhaven. A number of education programmes exploring the growth of a city, planning and design, sustainability, and transport development have been designed for students of all ages.

“By examining the tram routes, students can see how the city of Auckland developed,” says James Duncan, operations manager of the Auckland Dockline Tram. “They can see, for example, how Dominion Rd stopped at the junction of Mount Albert Rd and there was just farmland beyond that.” Seeing video footage from the 1950s of trams operating up Queen Street, combined with the opportunity to travel a short distance by tram themselves provides an important experience for students, says Duncan. “It can be hard to explain things when they are on paper so being able to experience it firsthand really brings it home for many students.” For those who prefer to experience life on the water, Fullers and 360 Discovery Tours can transport students to the myriad islands that dot the Hauraki Gulf. Rangitoto, Motuihe and Tiritiri Matangi are all serviced regularly by the ferry services.


external learning Exploring Auckland

Tiritiri Matangi is another natural jewel in Auckland’s crown. The island is serviced Wednesday to Friday by 360 Discovery ferries and offers a number of opportunities to study New Zealand’s native wildlife it its natural habitat. Birds such as the little spotted kiwi, takahe, stitchbird and North Island

To help the trip across pass quickly, 360 Discovery are in the process of producing some educational videos about Tiritiri Matangi to watch on board and will soon have activity sheets available to help students pass the time. Lucy Farrington, marketing manager 360 Discovery says whilst Tiritiri Matangi is about observing the wildlife and birds on the island, another destination, Motuihe Island offers opportunities for students to volunteer to restore the natural beauty of the island. “Motuihe Island lets students get hands on with tree planting or weed busting, plus there are also historical walks to the old naval base and prisoner of war camp,” she says. Back on dry land, however, native wildlife can also be observed at Auckland Zoo, which is just a 12 28 minute drive from the viaduct.

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The Department of Conservation has worked hard to make Rangitoto completely pest free and are looking at releasing kiwi and other native species on the island, says Delyth MorganCoghlan, the marketing and business development manager for Fullers group. “It is amazing that we have this natural resource so close to the biggest city in New Zealand.”

robin call Tiritiri Matangi home, as do tuatara, weta and the common gecko.

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Term 3 - 2012

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Rangitoto Island, for example, has a lot to offer – from examining the bach community that flourished on the Island, to learning about its formation as a volcano 600 years ago and discovering its current use as home to many rare native species of plant and animal.

school news

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Exploring Auckland

external learning

For those who prefer to experience life on the water, students can visit myriad of islands that dot the Hauraki Gulf.

27 Teachers can lead students around the zoo to observe animals in habitats as close to their natural settings as possible. In addition, zoo staff can provide classroom-based discovery sessions looking at areas such as endangered species, natural habitats, caring for zoo animals, animal behaviour, evolution, ecology and enclosure design. New Zealand’s own wildlife can be seen in Te Wao Nui. Te Wao Nui was opened in 2011 and encompasses six distinct habitats – the coast, the

A day out at Voyager

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islands, the wetlands, the forest, the high country and the night. Students can see species including the kiwi, tuatara, kea, morepork, weta, tui and kaka, whilst exploring these habitats. With each of these attractions just a stones throw from central city transport connections and accommodation providers, visiting and local schools alike can gain a hands on, memorable insight into the history, culture and natural environment that make up New Zealand’s largest city. By Rebecca Wood

Eco-friendly place to stay The Auckland City Hotel – Hobson Street now offers an eco-friendly package for school groups visiting Auckland. School groups that choose to stay at the hotel can add on a trip to the Kaipatiki Project Environment Centre on the North Shore. The trip includes a visit to the centre’s plant nursery, a walk through regenerated native forest and an opportunity to assist in the planting of native trees. Victor Fung, marketing manager for Auckland City Hotel – Hobson Street, says the hotel offered the trip as it wanted to contribute to the Kaipatiki Project’s restoration scheme and offset the hotels’ own impact on the environment. “Our own staff have also participated in the restoration project. We donated 100 trees and our staff volunteered their time to plant them.” It was initially offered to individual guests, however the

eco-friendly package has been found to be more suitable for groups, including schools and international student groups. The hotel also follows eco-friendly and sustainable protocols throughout, such as recycling as much waste as possible, using eco-bulbs and encouraging guests to reuse towels. School groups that choose to stay in the Auckland City Hotel – Hobson Street’s 135 individual hotel rooms may have the use of the hotel’s 100 seat restaurant between mealtimes and will also be able to take advantage of special room rates.


external learning Enviroschools

Enviroschools road trips bring knowledge in the north

All aboard for a day of exploration in Whangarei.

T

he environmental attitude is going strong in Northland schools. A growing number are now on the pathway towards creating sustainable communities, all working at their own pace to achieve a range of sustainability actions, with some choosing to strive for awards along the way. The Northland Regional Council played a key role in bringing Enviroschools north in 2003 and there are now more than 60 local schools in the popular programme, many of which incorporate sustainable business ideas into their curriculum. In June, dozens of teachers and students went on road trips to take a first-hand look at some of the region’s sustainable businesses as part of an Enviroschools Northland bus tour. The council’s Enviroschools Regional Coordinator, Susan Karels, says sustainable businesses are successful economically and have minimal negative impacts on the environment, community and society. As part of the tours, 77 participants from nine schools in the Whangarei district visited a number of school-based and commercially sustainable businesses, she said. Participants visited Whangarei

Northland Regional Council member Bronwyn Hunt says the tours are designed to help the Year 4-8 students and their teachers learn how action projects can grow into sustainable businesses, see what works well and hear how challenges can become opportunities. Councillor Hunt says many environmental projects have been turned into money-making ventures by enterprising Northland schools and students, with Oturu School a “star performer” in that regard. Kaitaia boys discovering the properties of aloe vera, an important rongoa ingredient at Oturu School.

Heads School, which trades eggs, runs its own second hand shop, sells hand-designed tea towels and is just moving into the possum fur trade. They also visited St. Francis Xavier Catholic School to view its handmade business card production line and also checked out Mangakahia area school’s ‘Trash to Treasure’ products, made from waste and CBEC EcoSolutions sustainable wares. On the commercial front, tour participants visited Reclaim (formerly Paper Reclaim), an established local business which recycles waste plastic, aluminium cans, paper, cardboard and glass.

Also in June, about 50 participants from six northern schools visited a number of similar initiatives in the Kaitaia area, including the CBEC Resource Recovery Centre, CBEC’s Healthy Homes Tai Tokerau and a number of school-based businesses at Oturu School. Oturu School’s businesses include one that produces olive oil, pickled olives and soap and another that makes balms from various products grown and/or produced at the school including honey from its beehives, aloe vera and kawakawa. A third business sells several varieties of school-produced honey.

“Sharing knowledge is an essential part of the Enviroschools process and as part of that, Enviroschools events provide opportunities for all participants to learn from each other. These bus tours are about the environment and the economy growing together. As well as the long term benefits we’re looking at today, many schools also report immediate financial benefits from their involvement in Enviroschools, such as lower water, electricity and waste disposal bills,” she said. The North’s Enviroschools programme is funded by and operated through the Northland Regional Council, with support from the Enviroschools.

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Allergies

health & safety

Have you got an Action Plan?

I

ncreasing allergy awareness, knowledge and responsiveness training throughout our community is vital.

practice. Allergy New Zealand is a national charity and CEO Penny Jorgensen says “the support of sponsors including the Medic Alert Foundation to get these guidelines developed and distributed to all schools was invaluable”

The executive summary of an economic impact report, conducted by Access Economics for the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) stated; “Allergies have emerged as a major public health problem in developed countries during the twentieth century; Australia and New Zealand have among the highest prevalence of allergic disorders in the developed world.” ASCIA is the peak professional body of Australian and New Zealand Allergy and Immunology specialists. Sensitivity to allergy triggers or allergens appears to be on the increase and reactions in some cases can be life threatening, if not recognised or responded to in a timely and appropriate manner. Allergens can be commonly occurring substances such as pollen, grasses and house dust mites. Those that can cause anaphylaxis, in someone who is allergic to them, include foods such as milk, egg and nuts, medications such as penicillin, and items made of latex, such as gloves and balloons. The management of adverse reactions and allergies is crucial. For example, reference to management of a latex allergy is recorded in the Access Economics economic impact report; “The provision of a MedicAlert bracelet is essential, in case a patient requires urgent medical care and is unable to warn health care workers of their sensitivity”. Allergy New Zealand have published ‘Allergy and Anaphylaxis Guidelines for Early Childhood Services and Schools’ which provide important educational material including: How to recognise an allergic reaction, emergency treatment, use of epipen and anapen, school and early childhood centre responsibilities and more. The guidelines were written to provide informed and easy to understand information for practical

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The MedicAlert Foundation is also a national charity and in New Zealand currently supports over 88,000 New Zealanders with some form of allergic reaction ranging from adverse reactions, intolerances or anaphylaxis which is the most serious.

It is essential that all early childcare centers and schools are prepared to provide care for children at risk of severe allergic reactions – Dr Jan Sinclair, Paediatric Immunologist

use in the management of allergic conditions.

assist with ensuring all appropriate precautions are in place”.

Paediatric ImmunologistStarship Hospital, Dr Jan Sinclair stated “It is essential that all early childcare centres and schools are prepared to provide care for children at risk of severe allergic reactions. This necessitates having systems in place to ensure all staff know the children at risk, and that staff can recognize the signs and symptoms of an allergic reaction and know what to do. These guidelines provide a vital resource for childcare centres and schools to

The Allergy New Zealand guidelines include the ASCIA Anaphylaxis and Allergy Action Plans. It is recommended every child at risk of severe reactions have an action plan written and signed by their doctor, and a copy kept at their school. ASCIA’s Guidelines for prevention of food anaphylactic reactions are also included. These provide advice for minimizing the risk of food induced anaphylaxis. ASCIA promotes education and the highest standard of ethical medical

Wearing a MedicAlert® service supported emblem, provides instant identification of the person’s clinically validated medical risks, not only allergies, which are engraved on an internationally recognised Emblem and typically worn as a bracelet or necklace. MedicAlert®’s Service includes a 24/7 Hotline phone number, which connects directly to an Ambulance Communications Centre in New Zealand, like dialing 111. Schools should have correct procedures for utilization of authentic MedicAlert® emblems, included in their health and safety programme and ensure any first aid training courses conducted in the school includes training about MedicAlert®. Changes to food labelling regulations has now markedly improved the ability to identify potential allergens. Consumer events such as the Gluten Free Food & Allergy Show held each year in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch are a good way for people to find out ideas and solutions for allergies and intolerances and to sample or buy a wide range of products and services. The next show is in Wellington at the TSB Arena, 25-26 August 2012. Find out more at http://www.glutenallergy.co.nz/. For more information about Allergy New Zealand and how to source the guidelines go to: www.allergy.org.nz. By Murray Lord, CEO, MedicAlert® Foundation New Zealand Inc.


50 years of charitable service to Kiwis at risk Through your action, this brief service update could help prevent a person (possibly even yourself) from experiencing avoidable harm, an ongoing loss of quality of life and a lifetime of social and financial hardship. MedicAlert® provides a trusted and internationally recognised service to people in more than 70 countries. If a person is found unconscious, experiencing anxiety, memory loss, cannot communicate, be identified, or is involved in an accident or major disaster, a MedicAlert® Emblem will work with or without power, its ok to get wet and delivers vital emergency medical information anywhere at anytime. In addition MedicAlert®’s 24/7 support service can identify the person, their emergency contacts, an Advance Directive and much more. MedicAlert is recommended by both the World Health and World Allergy Organisations.

In a 2012 survey by MedicAlert® - New Zealand Registered Medical Practitioners were asked if in their opinion: “When a patient is unconscious, cannot communicate, suffers anxiety, a mental health illness or loss of memory, MedicAlert® can help speed up identification, diagnosis and delivery of appropriate treatment to the patient, thereby reducing the patient’s exposure to further harm.”

99% agreed fully or in part, 82% of whom strongly agreed. How to correctly utilise a MedicAlert Service supported Emblem? MedicAlert has a new Q&A Training Card and new sample emblem sets available. They are available now to order online. MedicAlert strongly recommends that information in the Q&A card is taught at all First Aid courses for students and in the workplace. Use the Q&A Training Card as a class resource and if finances permit, give the card to students so the information can be passed on to their family and friends. Wider distribution of the MedicAlert® Training Q&A Card will help equip our community to respond appropriately when someone (possibly you) needs help.

Who is ‘At Risk’ MedicAlert can be vital for people when they are stressed, experience anxiety, drowsiness, unconsciousness, seizures, heart conditions, respiratory problems or allergic reactions, have an autism spectrum disorder, dementia (including early onset), a mental illness or other health disability. Allergic anaphylactic reactions can be life threatening. Protect yourself from Harm - Wear a MedicAlert Service supported Emblem at all times.

For More Information scan the appropriate QR code with your smart phone or go to: www.MedicAlert.co.nz

August is International MedicAlert® Awareness Month Please support Kiwis in need of MedicAlert®’s nationwide and international service MedicAlert is accepting Enrolments 24/7

Donate now to the MedicAlert® Annual Appeal Go online:

www.medicalert.co.nz or Post your Donation to:

MedicAlert Foundation PO Box 40028 Upper Hutt 5140


Allergic Rhinitis

health & safety

More than an attack of the sneezes

R

unny noses, itchy eyes and sneezing are all symptoms that signal the start of a common cold but, for 20 per cent of the population, including many school students, it will be the onset of allergic rhinitis.

(hay fever) and perennial allergic rhinitis, which occurs year-round. Hay fever is caused by outdoor allergens. Perennial allergic rhinitis is caused by indoor allergens such as dust mites, pet dander, and mould,” he says.

Allergic rhinitis is an inappropriate immune system response to an allergen – most commonly dust mites, pet dander, pollen and mould. In some sufferers, an allergy to a type of food can also trigger allergic rhinitis.

Hay fever is commonly triggered by wind-borne pollen from trees, grass and weeds. Early spring symptoms point to tree pollen, while nasal allergy in late spring and summer indicates that grass and weed pollens are the culprits. And overlapping the grass season is the weed pollen season, which usually starts in late spring and extends through to the end of summer.

Sid Nannegari, area sales manager for Neilmed Pharmaceuticals, manufacturer of nasal irrigation systems, says allergic rhinitis is the inflammation of the nasal passages and is a reaction that happens when the immune system overreacts to substances that have been inhaled, such as pollen. “There are two types of allergic rhinitis – seasonal allergic rhinitis

In New Zealand the seasons are not very distinct and vary throughout the country because of the different climates. The season starts about one month earlier at the top of the North Island than the bottom of the South Island.

Perennial allergic rhinitis is usually caused by house dust mites, pets, or mould. Sufferers are often allergic to more than one allergen, such as dust mite and pollen, so may suffer from symptoms for months on end or all year round and additional irritants such as strong perfumes and tobacco smoke can aggravate the condition. As well as sneezing, a runny nose and itchy eyes, symptoms of allergic rhinitis can include a sore throat, dry cough, headaches, fatigue and dark circles under the eyes. Recent studies have revealed that one in five people are affected by allergic rhinitis, and of that about a third develop problems before the age of 10. Around 50 per cent of sufferers experience symptoms for more than four months of the year and 20 per cent have symptoms for at least nine months of the year.

Because of this, allergic rhinitis can have a huge impact on quality of life. Persistent symptoms can lead to poor quality sleep, which in turn can result in lethargy, poor concentration and behavioural changes. It can also have an impact on learning in young children. “It can make it difficult for them to concentrate,” says Andrew Bary, pharmacist for online chemist Allergy Pharmacy. “With a systemic allergy they are also going to get tired and run down.” Students suffering from allergic rhinitis are also more likely to miss days of school. Recent research from the United States suggests almost two million school days are lost every year due to allergic rhinitis. “Allergic rhinitis results in increased school absenteeism and distraction during class hours,” says Nannegari.

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health & safety Allergic Rhinitis

Recent studies have revealed that one in five people are affected by allergic rhinitis, and of that about a third develop problems before the age of 10

“These children are often embarrassed in school and have decreased social interaction which significantly hampers the process of learning and school performance. All these aspects upset the family too,” he says. “To compound the problems, medications have bothersome side effects which cause the children to resist therapy.”

symptoms of allergic rhinitis when considering the schools’ overall environment. Reducing humidity in classrooms, for example, can help to reduce the spread of mould which can trigger allergies in some. Removing fixtures that collect dust, like carpet and drapes, can also help, as can having a robust cleaning regime.

Treatments for allergic rhinitis range from decongestants and nasal sprays to more natural remedies

Bray recommends that schools look at the plants and grass species within the school grounds to gage which ones could cause allergies. “Silver birch, for example, is a particularly allergenic species,” he says. Privet, wattle, pine and plane trees can also trigger allergies in some sufferers.

“Antihistamines are probably the most common approach to treating allergic rhinitis symptoms,” says Bary. “However it is possible to use nonpharmacological treatments if you can pinpoint the specific triggers.” Nannegari agrees: “Sinus rinsing, for example, is a safe way to remove allergens and pollens, and is quite effective without any side effects.” Schools can also help students and staff suffering from the

“Timing the mowing of grass so that it is outside of school hours can also help,” he says. Neilmed’s Nannegari also suggests minimising exposure to allergens by avoiding lawn mowing

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and running air conditioners,” he says. To find out more about allergic rhinitis and download a free pollen calendar, go to www.allergy.org.nz. By Rebecca Wood

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• Nasal N Symptoms from Allergies & Hay Fever •N Nasal Symptoms from Cold & Flu •S Sinus Pressure & Nasal Stuffiness • Allergies A from Occupational and House Dust, Fumes, Animal Dander, Grass, D Pollen, Smoke, etc. P •P Post Nasal Drip

• Thick T Nasal Mucous Symptoms from Cystic Fibrosis and Immotile Ciliary C S Syndrome

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Allergies

health & safety

A shot of adrenaline

W

hen Noah Smith starts school in November his teachers will need to know what to do if he has an allergic reaction. Four year old Noah is highly allergic to tree nuts, including cashew, macadamia and pistachio nuts, and carries a shot of adrenaline as a precaution against anaphylactic shock. Kate Smith, Noah’s mother, says his allergies first became apparent when he visited a friend’s house and broke out in hives. “We didn’t realise what it was initially then a few months later we were eating cashew nuts and the hives came on instantly and he started coughing. We took him to A& E and found that his airways had started to swell,” she says. To prevent this happening in the future, and to deal with any immediate reactions Noah has when out and about, Smith has put together a special kit for Noah to

take to kindergarten and, eventually, to school. The kit contains the antihistamine Phenergan, a trainer EpiPen and the Epi-Pen that contains the shot of adrenalin. The kit also has Noah’s anaphylaxis plan taped to the top so his teachers know exactly which steps to take in an emergency. When Noah first started kindergarten, Smith says she talked through the steps with his teachers. “I ran through how to use the Epi-Pen, the symptoms he was likely to have, and how best to manage them,” she says. “When he starts school later this year I will also talk to his teachers and the school support staff.” Severe allergies to common foodstuffs, such as eggs, nuts, dairy, fish and wheat, appear to be more common than ever before and it is believed that between five and eight per cent of all children under five will have some sort of food allergy. Many will grow out of it before they start

school but there is a small number who will suffer from severe allergic reactions for the rest of their lives. However, it is not just food that can cause a severe reaction. Contact with insect stings and bites, latex and other medications can also have extreme consequences for those with allergies. For children like Noah, carrying adrenaline and avoiding certain foods and other allergens is just a part of life, but for many teachers and school office staff it can be difficult to know what to do and how to react if a student goes into anaphylactic shock.

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school news

Term 3 - 2012

Best practice guidelines developed by the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy (ASCIA) for those having an anaphylactic reaction follow five steps - the student should be lain flat, the Epi-Pen or Ana-Pen administered, call for an ambulance (and state it is for anaphylactic shock and adrenaline is needed as some ambulances don’t carry adrenaline), then call the student’s parents and finally administer another dose of adrenalin after five minutes if there has been no response. Each of these steps should be detailed on an allergy or anaphylaxis plan, signed by the student’s doctor, and supplied to the school by the student’s parents. This should then be displayed in a commonly used area of the school so it can be referred to quickly in case of an emergency. Schools should also plan the management of the student’s allergies when on school camps and

trips outside the classroom. Despite the potentially serious consequences of food and other allergies, experts believe schools should not implement blanket bans on certain foods, nor should they separate students with food allergies from other students at meal times. Instead it is recommended that general policies such as no sharing of food and washing your hands after eating are implemented. Smith agrees with these recommendations. “It is ok to have nuts at school, they are a nutritious and healthy snack for many children,” she says. “For children with allergies, like Noah, it teaches them to ask what is in prepared food and they just need to be aware that they can’t eat other children’s food.” It also teaches children without allergies about consideration for others and responsibility, she says. “My nephew has more serious allergies than Noah and one of his friends told his mother he didn’t want peanut butter sandwiches one day because he wanted to sit with my nephew at lunchtime. These children are five years old and are already showing compassion and taking responsibility for their friends.” More information on allergies and how schools can develop plans and policies to deal with them can be gained from Allergy New Zealand, a national charity that has developed a set of guidelines for schools that is approved by the Ministry of Education. See www.allergy.org.nz for further details. By Rebecca Wood


sports & recreation Cricket Pitch

Time to prepare those cricket pitches

I

T PROBABLY DOES not seem like it yet, judging by the weather, but it is definitely time to begin preparing school cricket pitches for summer. Given a number of the national team’s recent results, it is to be hoped there has not been too much loss of enthusiasm among our budding future representatives, but if that hasn’t put them off, a hard, leather cricket ball rearing from a good length and flying past their noses, almost certainly will. Few sports are as demanding in terms of preparation as cricket where long hours have to be spent preparing the pitch after a winter, when many games of rugby or football are likely to have been played over it, and a true surface needs to somehow miraculously emerge from the cratered results. While many schools have synthetic practice pitches these days, only a turf wicket can give the real cricket characteristics of cut, spin and bounce. And given the volatility of the New Zealand summer, obtaining good results can be difficult to achieve. Fortunately, New Zealand Cricket has provided all the necessary information in an online form by Karl Johnson, former turf manager for New Zealand Cricket, with assistance from Ces Renwick and Stuart Cameron-Lee.

3.

Extensive guidelines However, while the guidelines are set out clearly, preparing cricket pitches is not something to take on lightly. Schools lucky enough to have an enthusiast on-staff on or on-tap to take full responsibility should be very grateful. For example, under Johnson’s guidelines on Spring Renovation comes: 1. Ensure winter or early spring rolling has achieved adequate base compaction and the pitch feels firm to walk on. To check compaction take a 100mm core and inspect to make sure a good firm base – 50–100mm area is present. If this is not present, roll with a fairly heavy roller when the top is dry. Check core again 2. If exposed to winter sport, the cutting height should be gradually reduced to 12-

4.

5.

6.

15mm. This will assist sunlight penetration and surface drying and reduce the tuftiness of grass plants Immediately prior to spring renovation, the grass height should be reduced to 10mm A groover with 1.5mm wide verticutting blades placed 12mm apart should be set up so that the blades are just touching and breaking the soil surface. Verticutting should proceed in more than one direction and be sufficient to create a clean soil surface for the binding of topdressing soil. While reducing turf density through the removal of dead fibrous material at the soil surface, verticutting should not remove the existing grass cover Prior to topdressing a rotary mower can be used to suck up all loose plant material and organic matter leaving a clean surface upon which to add soil Topdressing soil (aggregates less than 4mm diameter) may then be added at a rate of 1kg/sq.m

and worked into the existing soil along with superphosphate (30g/m sq.). Care must be taken to ensure a ‘cake layer’ of old and new soil does not result. This often develops through insufficient grooving 7. Establish surface levels adding soil as required. It is important to work this soil well into the existing soil and grass cover. Verticutting should knock off high spots. Try not to rely on topdressing after grass establishment to rectify smoothness and level problems. Great care should be taken at this stage to ensure that an even surface with no undulations is achieved 8. Seed with turf type ryegrass eg. Allstar (20/1m sq.) and groove and rake in well. The seed should be applied before the soil is put on 9. Recheck surface levels 10. To assist existing grass apply urea at 2kg/75 sq. m 11. Cover with shade cloth to slow surface drying and accelerate

seed germination. Prevention of rapid surface soil drying is particularly important for germination of coated seed (frequent light irrigation may also be required) 12. Shade cloth should be removed soon after seed germination and left in place no longer than 7 days or turf may be weakened.

Help at hand Unfortunately, there is a great deal more on what should be done at other times of the year and several pages devoted to the intricacies of effective pitch rolling alone. More fortunately, the booklet also provides a number of emergency advisers who schools can call on if necessary. And New Zealand Cricket does recognise that it may all get too much, and provides similar support for those installing all-weather surfaces. However – let’s face it – there is nothing quite like the satisfaction of producing a superb example of the real thing.

Term 3 - 2012

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Case Study – Hereworth School

property

Good planning leads to success at Hereworth

Ross Scyrmgeour is delighted with the refurbished Wiremu.

H

ereworth School for primaryaged boys in Havelock North, Hawke’s Bay, has an impressive history stretching back more than 100 years. Administered by the local Anglican Diocese, it is one of very few independent boys’ schools for that age group now remaining. Once largely a boarding school, its roll of 215 is now made up primarily of day boys, but around 40 boarders still attend. Hereworth has a number of outwardly imposing heritage buildings, but by the year 2000 or so, the school board was becoming concerned the facilities were outdated, tired, and no longer presenting an attractive face to the community and prospective parents, or adequately serving the needs of the boys and their teachers. The school roll was around 156 and either static or falling.

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It was time to do something about it, and so began a long and productive relationship between Hereworth School and a prominent national firm of architects well experienced in school design. “The board members knew they had to expand and that some buildings were redundant,” said Richard Daniels, the design architect and the manager of the Napier-based team from Opus Architecture. “They realised they should have an overall plan to cover refurbishing the best of the old buildings and constructing some new ones, so it would all fit together in a co-ordinated whole. “We really first became involved in the year 2000 when we were invited to have a discussion with members of the school board. They were considering much more than just what to do about buildings – they were thinking about Hereworth’s

place in the world. They had already decided Hereworth would remain an independent private school, but they wanted to make sure it was still providing a good education for its pupils and to establish where the school should be at in 10 to 20 years time.” It was decided to establish some priorities, Daniels said. “We carried out a strategic plan of the buildings and grounds to find out what old buildings were worth keeping, how we could adapt them to modern uses, and where the gaps were in what the school was offering. Improving technology was an obvious need to meet modern learning and curriculum requirements. “The classrooms were of several oddball sizes and shapes, restricting what the teachers could do with their classes, while the boarders’ dormitories were fairly spartan and

needed to be made more homely. “The school wanted to make reading and literacy as attractive as possible, so it was important to have an excellent library that was a ‘cool’ place to be. Those were some of the priorities that came out first,” Daniels said.

Project Wiremu Initially, some minor refurbishment of classrooms and the boarders’ dormitory was undertaken and it was about this time that the present principal, Ross Scrymgeour, arrived to take up his new role. “The most pressing need was to upgrade our main block (Wiremu) which is 100 years old next year, and then to develop a technology and music block,” he said. The old block needed strengthening and only about 30 per cent of it was even being used.” 38


property Supplier ProďŹ le | Opus Architecture

Modern learning environments which keep the history and memories intact OPUS ARCHITECTURE and Hereworth School have enjoyed a creative and successful working RELATIONSHIP SINCE &IRST WE listened carefully to understand the schools vision, growth plans and culture. Then we worked together to develop a comprehensive strategic plan for how the school buildings could best support that vision. We have now worked with the Board and Head Master of Hereworth for twelve years. It has been very rewarding helping the school move forward conďŹ dently as we implement the plan step by step to create modern learning environments that make the most of heritage buildings and the school grounds. One of the challenges facing schools which operate in beautiful heritage facilities is how to upgrade the learning environments within, while keeping the history and memories intact. Opus structural engineers have carefully threaded new structure within older buildings to make them strong and safe. Opus

Modern facilities such as the state of the art new Technology, #OMPUTERS AND -USIC "UILDING AT (EREWORTH CAN CO EXIST NEXT to beautiful historic spaces. building services designers have upgraded lighting, data networks, heating, etc. to perform to modern expectations and to help students to concentrate on their lessons! Our architects have restored key HISTORIC FEATURES WHILE TOTALLY RE planning building interiors to support new functions and to upgrade sustainability and energy efďŹ ciency. We can call upon our specialist heritage consultants and planners to assist with any complex resource consents, outline plan submissions and heritage negotiations. Modern facilities such as the state of the art new Technology, Computers and Music Building at Hereworth, CAN CO EXIST NEXT TO BEAUTIFUL HISTORIC

spaces. They don’t need to literally copy the old architecture, but should be sympathetic in scale and spirit and totally contemporary in style. We innovated for Hereworth by linking between ďŹ rst oor levels of three buildings with stunning modern bridges with extensive glass enclosures. As well as convenient linkages, these provide a good view of the school grounds and settings for informal study and chess. Planning and managing such projects is critical. Opus project managers have the expertise to CONTROL COSTS AND MAXIMISE VALUE FOR MONEY 7E ENSURE CONSTRUCTION methodology and time frames minimise disruption to learning.

That fact that our fully integrated MULTI DISCIPLINARY TEAMS ENSURE “joined up thinkingâ€? is a given. Hereworth and the ERO agree –the end result is a fantastic school environment, all achieved on tight budgets but driven by the highest aspirations. Close cooperation between the school and consultants has produced results which beneďŹ t those who will shape our future – the students, ensuring as a result a school that “the school community is justiďŹ ably proud ofâ€? (ERO Report *UNE – By Richard Daniels Opus Architecture Opus International Consultants Ltd

Term 3 - 2012

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Case Study – Hereworth School

property

Attractive, spacious library is a ‘cool’ place to be.

36 Richard Daniels describes Wiremu as Hereworth’s flagship heritage building, “a classical looking old wooden homestead, but back then “a bit of a rabbit warren inside. The cost of upgrading it was going to be considerable and board members had to think hard about whether it might be better to replace it with something new. Eventually they decided there was so much history associated with it that it should be retained.” So, in 2002, renovations began. Said Daniels: “Our structural engineers wove a lot of new structure through the old building to make it considerably stronger, and we restored key features, such as the stairways and entrance. We gutted other parts and created new configurations for classrooms – more sensible shapes and better integration with resources and information technology. Then we upgraded the building services, such as lighting and data to support the new technology, and put in insulation to reduce energy use. While it looked like an old building, it performed like a modern one.” New art, library and technology

areas were put into Wiremu as well. Said Scrymgeour: “There was quite a dramatic change in the four or five year period. Now, we’re able to use a good 80 - 90 per cent of the building – which is fantastic.” At around the same time, the aging boarders’ dormitories were upgraded, the headmaster said. “We fitted a special material to the walls so the boys could put up their photos and pictures, and gave them better beds and more space. We replaced the soft furnishings and built a really bright, colourful common room – a home away from home.” Daniels: “A major component was the bathroom and shower area. The boys are encouraged to be very physically active, so the showers had to work for a large number at the same time.” Then came something a little different – the creation of a Founders’ Room in Wiremu. It is a place where a lot of the visual memories of the school are kept and displayed – such as sporting trophies, honours boards and archival photographs, in a style and lighting similar to a small art gallery.

New technology and music block provides a wide range of opportunities.

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Technology and music Now it was time to action the plan for a new music and technology block that had been envisaged at those early planning meetings, and Opus Architecture was asked to design and oversee the construction. While quite contemporary in its styling, it was intended to be compatible in scale and form to the existing heritage buildings. Construction began in 2005. “We took over a corner of the playground and used the new building to help level and shape the playgrounds into more of an enclosed space, suitable for ball games, as part and parcel of the project,” Daniels said. “It was fundamentally a new building in an underutilised corner of the grounds. Now it has very good food technology, soft and hard materials rooms on the ground floor, while above that is the music room, and two suites for computer and media studies.” Scrymgeour: “Essentially there are six good, flexible learning spaces which at present are being mainly used for: music, speech and drama, and ICT computer/ media study-

type work. The technology has four aspects: soft materials, hard materials, food tech, and media studies. “While academics is the number one priority in any learning institution, with boys, other components are important as well. The new developments meant we were able to have academics in the traditional type class situations, then the boys would have a period where they’d go and do something hands-on. It might be woodwork or something to do with material, then they’d come back and do some more academic work – then go outside and do something physical. The day could be broken up to keep the boys focused.” He said technology and music was part of a wider vision. “We’d made a commitment to being a school especially designed to turn boys on to their learning. The facilities had to be appropriate to that kinesthetic, visual, hands-on style. “The new block has given us a lot more flexibility and we can now offer all the boys considerably more on-site. We used to have to bus them away for their technology 40 programme.”



Case Study – Hereworth School

property

The modern airbridges link the old and new whilst providing gathering places for student to enjoy.

38 The new building helped Hereworth to make its next move – starting a junior school for years one to four. Opus Architecture converted what had been the old science labs into a three-classroom primary school block.

Airbridge connections A somewhat unusual recent achievement from Opus was to deliver ease and safety of movement between buildings in close proximity to one another, connected by simple, modern airbridges with steel frames and glass walls. These connect the first floors of the heritage buildings

Simple airbridges form bright links between old and new.

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to the dormitory and the new technology and music facility. “It gives the school quite a different, dynamic character because you have these lovely, old weatherboard buildings with quite hi-tech bridges connecting them to the adjacent buildings,” Daniels said. “All the glass makes the bridges nice and sunny, and the boys use them for activities such as reading and playing chess and just to enjoy being up in the air, as well as circulating around the school.”

More changes ahead The redevelopment of Hereworth is yet to be completed. Changes to the school hall and perhaps a new gymnasium are next on the

list to complete the strategic plan conceived 12 years ago, with work likely to begin next year. In the meantime, Ross Scrymgeour says the school is well satisfied with what has been achieved so far. One example is Wiremu. “Because we can now have specialist teachers in different rooms, our performing arts have gone through the roof in achievement. The boys now want to do much more in playing instruments singing, drama and so on. “We’re very pleased with the facilities we have now. It’s a real selling point for the school.” Richard Daniels is also happy

with the part Opus has played. “We’re really pleased, mainly because the school’s really pleased. They’ve got a fantastic environment now, for the boys and their teachers.” “For some features, such as the music rooms and IT suites, we were able to draw on the expertise of other architects within Opus Architecture, who are acknowledged as national leaders in their fields – a team of in-house mentors who contributed ideas,” he said. Opus Architecture has a staff of 90 people, including nine in Hawke’s Bay. By Brent Leslie


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Term 3 - 2012

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Acoustics – PA Systems

property

Hello… hello… Can you hear me?

I

S THIS THING ON? Click! SQUEEEEEEEL! WHISTLE! HOWL!

If you simply need to connect a couple of microphones and a lectern then a simple Mixer/Amplifier and good quality wall mount speakers will do, and is easy on the budget too.

PA System is a very broad term covering multiple purposes and requirements – we briefly cover portable and fixed installation for assembly and classroom.

If music and productions will be a focus then you need a larger amplifier, music quality speakers to match, and a mixing desk. This is where it gets too specific for this article – find someone local you know, a sound company that has been around for at least five years so you have some assurance of service and backup.

Portable PA Systems Battery operated sound systems can weigh up to 22kg and may even have wheels. Simple to operate, loud and clear for music and speech, CD players, wireless microphones and connections for extra speakers. Very low maintenance -they’ll last for years if you take care of them. These are very flexible, the closest you come to multi-purpose for assembly, sports and even drama. Technology changes mean more powerful portable systems that weigh less, use less power than even two years ago and are lighter, louder and operate for longer on built in batteries.

Get something appropriate for your school at the right level of complexity or no one will use it

The latest LAN networks can be used for distributed sound. Network IP audio amplifiers, microphones and speakers can be installed anywhere on a LAN network, thus saving time and new cable installation. The biggest advantages of this are the great distance of audio transmission, simultaneous program transmissions across the network and using existing network wiring. You get CD quality digital sound all around the school network and hardly have to run any cabling.

A 120 Watt system will easily cover 300-500 people in a group. Portable PA’s must be recharged after use or the battery will be permanently damaged if it is left flat for even three days. If you have a Portable PA system that isn’t lasting as long as when it was new the batteries may need replacing –might only cost you $60 to $150 to get it back to “as new” performance.

General advice

Classroom Soundfield Systems The strain and fatigue on teachers’ voices and vocal cords trying to speak over ambient babble and chair shuffling is a major stress factor for teachers, who have said that a voice amplifying system made the most positive difference of any classroom audio-visual equipment to both them and the children; more so than other classroom aids such as computers and projectors.

Important considerations in a classroom sound system Simple installation, simple operation and low maintenance. Recharging the microphones should be straightforward. Modern systems have chargers you simply drop the microphone onto overnight.

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For an auditorium or theatre consider a line array speaker system. You get what you pay for and if you find a line array system for less than $20,000 it is likely a toy. Google “line array speakers” to learn more; the sound is fantastic, but they need to be set up properly.

Be clear about what you really want your sound equipment for, and get advice from a local company you trust. They can tell you what you need as long as you know what you want to do.

One useful feature is being able to use two microphones simultaneously – so the teachers’ microphone can be used alongside a handheld passaround microphone for the kids. Additional audio input connections for an ipod, projector, laptop etc are available.

School hall / musical production Technology in speakers and amplifiers has changed dramatically over the

last few years with self-powered speakers, efficient Class-D amplifiers that produce thousands of watts, new digital audio mixers making existing sound systems look a little antiquated, but don’t be sucked into buying fancy equipment if you don’t need it. What hasn’t changed is the most important question – What is it actually going to be used for? Get something appropriate for your school at the right level of complexity or no one will use it.

Don’t buy this equipment from the Trade Me hawkers or “online only” shops as you need a brick and mortar company to back you up and help when something isn’t working. You can always hire in extra microphones, larger mixing consoles and specialist equipment for events so get an appropriate workhorse that you can use every day that can deliver most of your requirements, have it installed properly and expand as budget allows. By Jonathan Neil, Edwards Sound Systems


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Acoustics

property

The acoustics of open-plan learning spaces

T

welve years ago I began researching the acoustics of primary school classrooms. This work has mainly centred on identifying the acoustical needs of children, and the design parameters that should be put in place to meet these needs. I have not been alone in this. Many researchers world-wide have been beavering away observing schools, conducting experiments, interviewing teachers, measuring noise levels etc. What it basically boils down to, after some gross generalisation, is this: build a classroom well away from noisy roads, install a decent acoustic ceiling and a quiet ventilation system (if applicable)… and you will have a pretty good learning environment. The Ministry of Education’s ‘Designing Quality Learning Spaces: Acoustics’ guide is a useful document in this regard. I you haven’t yet, I suggest you read it. The game has started to change though, and open plan classrooms are coming back into fashion, having been tried and failed in the 1970’s. An open-plan learning space is essentially a classroom block with multiple learning spaces that have no walls between them. Their purpose is to provide a dynamic and effervescent learning environment that promotes interactive learning between the kids. On paper, they are an acoustic nightmare. There are two main reasons for this: t 4PVOE USBOTNJUT CFUXFFO

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James Whitlock Acoustician, Marshall Day Acoustics

learning spaces so pupils may find it difficult to hear their teacher or become distracted by what’s going on next door t -BSHF TQBDFT HFOFSBMMZ IBWF higher reverberation. Excessive reverberation degrades speech intelligibility, meaning the pupils cannot hear what the teacher is saying If you had asked me even three years ago, I would have said that open-plan learning spaces are quite simply a bad idea… but then I visited one that worked better than I thought they could. Hellerup School in Copenhagen, Denmark is an architecturally designed (by Arkitema Architects) open-plan learning facility for both primary and secondary children, built in 2002. At the core of its philosophy is the belief that it brings the classroom of the future into the world of today. Children plan their own lessons, use smartphones and WiFi abundantly and are free to occupy any and every space in the school at any time, including outside. I visited Hellerup as part of an Acoustic conference last year, and it certainly created a stir among the delegates. Some embraced the concept and agreed that it was indeed the next step in educational evolution, while others dismissed it as another failed experiment. Having started my visit as a skeptic, I came away finding myself positioned somewhere in the middle – which leads me to the point of this article – I think open-plan learning spaces can work

acoustically provided they are not treated like normal classrooms. The most remarkable thing about Hellerup School was the commitment of the staff to the open learning approach. They believed in it, and were determined to make it work because they believed in it. This meant changing the way they taught, their expectations of the

students and crucially, their use of the school environment. Expecting an open-plan learning environment to support traditional teaching methods is doomed to failure, but if the teaching methods change… I think Hellerup could indeed have been a failed experiment, but for one crucial thing - there was an acoustician on board from the beginning of the project, and he


property Acoustics

Interior Acoustics Innovation for Education

has had continued involvement since its opening to refine and modify the school as more was discovered about the acoustical pitfalls of open-plan learning. He gave the guided tour of Hellerup himself and was quite clear that there had been teething problems. The acoustic design had undergone several redevelopments - particularly adding acoustic absorption to control reverberation and providing specific spaces for didactic communication i.e. catering for both new and traditional teaching styles.

classroom acoustics, I’ve come to understand that an open-plan learning environment can be made to be acoustically acceptable – note I said acceptable, not ideal… but it’s better than what I would’ve said a few years ago!

But...

Establishing a diligent design process that (and here’s the important bit…) includes collaboration between the school, architect, educationalist and acoustician, with agreement on how the various spaces around the school are to be used, is essential in delivering open-plan learning spaces that work.

In summary, despite my background in designing optimum

We don’t often blow our own trumpet,

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school news

45


Acoustics – Case Study

property

Kauri Park School

W

ITH A TIGHT budget and a client brief to deliver an extension to the existing hall and create a high-quality, multi-purpose facility for the school, Hornby Architects has delivered.

A dual combination delivers the perfect solution Acoustic ceiling panels combined with acoustic wall coverings were an easy choice for architect Peter Hornby when considering solutions for reducing and managing the noise inside the new hall. Halls are typically very noisy environments but with the combination of acoustic wall coverings on the walls absorbing mainly high-frequency noise, and ceiling panels as a feature on the ceiling absorbing more of the low and mid-frequency noise, a well-balanced acoustic solution has been achieved and the teachers and pupils of Kauri Park School are

very pleased with the result.

Noise control is only the beginning Acoustic wall coverings not only help to manage noise, but they also acts as a notice-board surface so kids artwork and decorations can be displayed easily and without damage to the plasterboard wall surface making it ideal for this environment. The ceiling panels have been direct-ďŹ xed to the ceiling and ďŹ nished with a aluminium edgetrim. The result provides simple, clean lines to an elegant feature ceiling. With a selection of more than 30 colours to choose from, Peter Hornby was able to specify colours to create a warm, modern and comfortable multi-purpose environment. “Not only have the Acoustic Wall Coverings and Ceiling Tiles made a dierence to the

sound quality in the hall, they are also very aesthetically pleasingâ€? says Peter. The ceiling tiles and panels are made from safe and friendly 100 per cent polyester ďŹ bre. Both products contain a minimum of 50 per cent already recycled polyester made from used and recycled PET

plastics like drink bottles, making them an environmentally preferable solution. The ceiling panels and wall coverings are also free from the chemical binders and laminates of traditional acoustic products, contributing to safer indoor air quality for the teachers and children.

Supplier ProďŹ le | 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, MOE Property Advisers and coordinate all the Authority consents. Our Signature Project Management Services include: s Conducting property condition surveys for repairs & maintenance or the school’s 10 Year Property Plan. s Preparing and submitting the school’s new 10 Year Property Plans for Ministry of Education approval. s Conducting the 3 yearly Property Plan & Cyclical Maintenance Reviews.

46

school news

Term 3 - 2012

s Altering 5 Year Agreements for changes to capital works funding priorities. s Planning for Roll Growth, SPG and other discretionary funding streams. s Seeking quotes, engaging and overseeing trade contractors to complete maintenance works. s Conducting ROI & Tender processes, contract writing, engaging and overseeing Main contractors to complete capital works projects. s School property care services encompassing overseeing interior and exterior painting including grafďŹ ti 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 %FTJHO QMBOOJOH $PTU OFHPUJBUJPO M "VUIPSJUZ DPOTFOUT *NQMFNFOUBUJPO :FBS 1SPQFSUZ 1MBOT .JOJTUSZ EPDVNFOUBUJPO 1. )BOECPPL BEWJDF Turning strategy into action for schools "VDLMBOE t $ISJTUDIVSDI FEVDBUJPO!DBSFX DP O[

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