School News NZ - Term 2 - 2013 by Multimedia AU/NZ

INSIDE: Data Storage | Garden to Table | Classroom Presentation Equipment Issue 21 | Term 2 - 2013 | $12 Inc GST

The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

Modern Learning Environments Preparing for the future

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

• INDUSTRY NEWS • ADMINISTRATION

• HEALTH & SAFETY • EDUCATION

• SPORTS & RECREATION • external learning

• TEACHING RESOURCES • PROPERTY

5+ A DAY PRIMARY SCHOOL COMPETITION 2013

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contents

ISSN 1178-9964

sn inside

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 editorial@schoolnews.co.nz PRODUCTION

Welcome to Term 2 and as the long cold winter stretches before us we talk to the team behind the Garden to Table initiative currently being developed in Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter. This programme has already been successfully adopted among some schools and promises an exciting new approach to growing, preparing and sharing fresh food. Russell Burt of Pt. England School shares his personal story and his vision for a new approach to pedagogy and re-tooling of the way we educate our students.

In this issue we highlight the importance of developing a master plan for the infrastructure of your school and how funds allocated for seismic strengthening and weather tightness may be better diverted into the creation of new, safe, modern learning environments for future students. We also look at data storage and multifunction photocopiers in a bid to reduce the masses of paper work associated with running a school and much, much more. Happy reading. The School News team.

INSIDE: DATA STORAGE | GARDEN TO TABLE | CLASSROOM PRESENTATION EQUIPMENT Issue 21 | Term 2 - 2013 | $12 Inc GST

The Essential Management Guide for Education Industry Professionals

Modern Learning Environments Preparing for the future

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

• INDUSTRY NEWS • ADMINISTRATION

• HEALTH & SAFETY • EDUCATION

• SPORTS & RECREATION • EXTERNAL LEARNING

• TEACHING RESOURCES • PROPERTY

Issue 21 | Term 2 - 2013

Richard McGill studio@schoolnews.co.nz CONTRIBUTORS Russell Burt, Cushla Thurston, Charles Adler, Brent Leslie, Darren Hales-Owen, Pete Burdon, David Boyd & Rebecca 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.

12 news

We recommend professional advice is sought before making important business decisions

05 News in Brief

07 Principal Speaks 08 Modern Learning Environments

School News is proudly published by

PO Box 5104, Papanui Christchurch, 8543, New Zealand

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04 school news

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Term 2 - 2013

teaching resources 22. Classroom Presentation Equipment 26. Acoustics, PA and AV Equipment 30. Book Reviews

sports & recreation 31. Playgrounds

food & beverage 32. 5+ A Day

health & safety 34. Allergies 35. Guide to Life

property 36. Field Maintenance

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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 in Brief

news

Nic’s Cookbook wins international award

ritten by ten-year-old Nicholas Brockelbank, Nic’s Cookbook, won the Best Fundraising, Charity and Community Cookbook category of the strongly contested Gourmand World Cookbook Awards for the Pacific region.

Nic’s Cookbook has been a regular feature in the top-10 NZ children’s bestseller list.

Waikato schools celebrate $10k towards technology Ngaruawahia, Taupiri, Fairfield and Melville primary schools are celebrating each receiving $10,000 from Telecom towards technology for their students.

Nic’s Cookbook was the New Zealand winner in two categories announced December 2012: the Best Fundraising, Charity and Community Cookbook and the Best Children and Family Cookbook. Previous New Zealand recipients of awards have included Annabel Langbein, Brett McGregor and Jo Seagar. Nic lives with muscular dystrophy and is the 2012–2013 ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). He and Scholastic NZ are donating half of the royalties from sales of this book to the MDA. Nic started cooking at eight

years old when one of his teachers suggested it might help with his schoolwork. He has since shown significant improvements in reading, spelling and maths. Nic’s Cookbook was born from Nic creating his own ‘cookbooks’, which were photocopied booklets of his favourite recipes that he sold to family and friends to raise money for charities. In 2011, he went on to win the

TVNZ Good Morning Kids’ Cook Off with his Chicken and Broccoli Pasta recipe, which features in the cookbook. Since the publication of his book in October 2012, Nic has held a sell-out book launch, made guest appearances on TVNZ Saturday Breakfast, What Now and Attitude TV, and done Whitcoulls in-store cooking demonstrations, assisted by celebrity chefs Simon Gault and Brett McGregor.

Telecom’s Waikato-based employees recently chose five worthy schools to be the recipients of $10,000 towards improved technology for their classrooms, after an internal national competition. These four schools, as well as Kea Street School in Rotorua, which provides education for students aged five to 21 years, with intellectual and physical disabilities, were those chosen.

 06

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school news

News in Brief

news

 05

Director Paddy Baxter said he was “thrilled” that the company had been recognised for its contemporary design work on a project that had had its challenges, due to a small, sloping site.

Anne Johnson, Principal of Fairfield Primary said, “I was really surprised at the donation and thought it was great. We’ll be using it to assist the IT manager with his current (very long) shopping list! With a growing roll, and the need for more space, we’re considering moving to more in-class computers, or iPads, rather than an IT suite, so this will help a lot.” Dianne Pollard-Williams, Principal of Melville School said, “When I found out, I was so excited by the news, I interrupted a planning day to let my staff know! We’ll be using the money towards COW’s – for Telecom that means Cell sites On Wheels, but for us its computers. We already have two sets of 15 and will now be able to add another 10.” Sheralyn Cook, Principal of Taupiri Primary says: “I’m so excited that my small school has been chosen and that we’ll be able to upgrade our IT. “We will be using the $10,000 on an interactive whiteboard to enhance student engagement and support students with their learning; we will also be using the funds to reconfigure the 16 donated desktops and laptops we have, which will allow more students to access IT at once. “ We’ll also be joining Knowledge Net which will allow students to work with increased independency and will enable them and their whanau to access their learning from home. The funds will also allow us to access on-line learning programmes which support student progress in reading, spelling and maths,” she says. “Our children are really excited about Telecom gifting us this money and would like to give a huge Taupiri ‘thank you’ to Telecom Waikato people region in selecting us as one of their schools,” says Sheralyn.

Lawsuit over leaky schools

“Like any school project the design was a collaborative effort with effectively three clients – the establishment board of trustees, the teachers’ management team, and ultimately the pupils,” he said. Innovative outdoor learning and play areas designed by Baxter Design Group for Remarkables Primary School

how much of the claim relates to its subsidiaries, it said in a statement. The Education Ministry has commenced action in the New Zealand High Court, it said. “The New Zealand Ministry of Education is claiming weather tightness defects in relation to several thousand New Zealand school buildings and is seeking repair costs and unspecified and unquantified damages in relation to the alleged defects,” James Hardie said in a statement. “At this stage James Hardie is not able to assess what proportion of the claim relates to the companies or comment about the validity and/or any potential financial impact of the claim,” it said. “The extent of James Hardie NZ Holding’s liability is currently uncertain, however, management have recognised provisions for their best estimate of future liabilities of these claims,” the report said.

Two doctors fly north for winter

the Far North. They will begin their tour in Kaikohe and travel as far north as Mangonui. The New Zealand Book Council is very proud to be leading this tour in one of the least accessible regions of New Zealand. Glenn and Richard will visit seven schools, and many other schools will be invited to these events. Dr Glenn Colquhoun is a poet, GP and children’s book writer. Dr Richard Nunns is recognised as the foremost expert in ngā taonga p oro, all the more remarkable as he is a Pakehā who has made this study his life work. He is both historian and performer, having won multiple awards and honours for his work with these tradional Maori musical instruments. The community is invited to selected school visits, and three public events will be held at the Te Ahu Centre in Kaitaia at 5.30pm on Wednesday 29 May, the Turner Centre in Kerikeri at 6pm on Thursday 30 May, and at the Whangarei Public Library at 11am on Saturday 1 June.

Two of New Zealand’s most exciting creative doctors will be giving the Far North a creative injection from 27 May.

National landscape architecture award for new school

Dr Glenn Colquhoun, poet and GP, and Dr Richard Nunns QSM, expert in ngā taonga p oro – traditional Maori musical instruments, are taking their art to schools and libraries throughout

Baxter Design Group has won an Institute of Landscape Architecture (NZILA) Award of Excellence, for its work on the Remarkables Primary School site in Queenstown.

New Zealand’s Ministry of Education has launched a representative action against two James Hardie Industries subsidiaries and other parties, claiming several thousand schools buildings are leaky and is seeking repair costs and damages. The Australian company is working with its legal advisers to work out a response, and is not yet able to assess

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Award-winning landscape design at Queenstown’s Remarkables Primary School

“It’s a tight site for a school with more than 460 children so we worked with the architects on a masterplan that maintained open playing space but still had smaller spaces within it for group play and outside learning. “The designs allowed for future expansion of the school and it’s establishing well.” Remarkables Primary School principal Debbie Dickson said the school couldn’t have hoped for a better design and implementation. NZILA judges said the school design stood out because it ‘paid homage’ to the landscape while adding significantly to the environment of learning.

New schools for Hamilton Education Minister Hekia Parata’s has confirmed that a new primary and new secondary school will be opened in Hamilton’s northeast from 2015. A new high school expected to be built by 2016 will be the first new school to be built in the city in over 30 years. Public consultation for the primary school will take place throughout March and April with a final decision expected in June, and the same process for the secondary school will happen later this year. These will be modern new schools with flexible learning areas, access to ultrafast broadband, and energy efficient buildings,” Ms Parata said.

Principal Speaks

education

ReTooling School [a Manaiakalani story]

began to realise that school had something seriously wrong with it on my 5th birthday. With my new leather over-the- shoulder school bag, I got on the bus with my older brother and was escorted to “primer one”. I was filled with excitement and expected that I would go home with my own reading book that I would know how to read. Nothing like this happened. Miss #####, a gnarly bat who’s crusty exterior may have effectively hidden a heart of gold, was “unintentionally disinviting”. I’ve chosen to believe it was unintentional. Worse, she did not introduce me to key learning, -the reason I had arisen that morning full of joy and expectation. Perhaps it was because my mum wasn’t there that I really didn’t like it, and of course when you’re 5, you don’t stop to consider that you might be the problem. As time went by, the persistent uneasy feeling that either school was busted or I had something wrong with me, just wouldn’t go away. During early years at school, this was a completely quiet and internalised dissonance. It became externalised noisy and silly during intermediate years and increasingly disengaged and annoying during secondary school. On the part of most of my teachers there was no question of the “Jury being out” as to whether the problem was school or me. It was institutionally obvious. School became a place I couldn’t wait to leave. I could do school. I just didn’t like it. On leaving school at the end of year 12, Teachers’ College was a respectable option for a young school leaver from a family like mine and I was genuinely interested in whether learning could be made exciting and engaging for all learners. I would love to report that our instruction at Teachers’ College was exemplary, inspiring, delivered by our finest educators and started me well on the road to inspiring and engaging New Zealand school kids. I can report that I was encouraged and inspired by a very small number of outstanding educators and that some of them saw enough in me to help me remain in the programme and graduate. Sadly, as an institution, the place that was intended to motivate, inspire

make it engaging, empowering and success making? At the same time how do we guarantee equity and access so that what our government calls “priority learners”, have the same opportunities for 3rd millenium citizenship as everybody else?

ReTooling School requires: 1. A Change Pedagogy Imperative:

Russell Burt, Principal, Pt England School, Auckland

“

How do we ReTool school to make it engaging, empowering and success making? How do we guarantee equity and access so that what our government calls “priority learners”, have the same opportunities for 3rd millenium citizenship as everybody else? and guide New Zealand’s leading learners, appeared to me to be infected with the same malaise that affected schools. I think God must have a sense of humour because here I am, still at school at the tender age of 54 and I’ve been here since I was 5! -Amazing eh? -I didn’t like it and I never left! I was privileged to grow up and work with Maori and Pasifika people and have been blessed over and over by the warmth of the welcome, the forgiveness and the absolute inclusion I have experienced. I’ve also been blessed to experience how skilled, intelligent and capable are these people who I live and work amongst. This experience was enhanced by working in Papua New Guinea and traveling the Asia-Pacific rim. Understanding some of the history of Aotearoa-New Zealand and seeing that past live in a more village-

like setting, gives one an appreciation of the extraordinary capacity of people the world views as under educated. The historic voyage of Hokule’a from Hawai’i to the Bay of Islands in 1985, that led to return voyages of Te Aurere and Wahine Moana re-proved the extraordinary capability of the Pacific Navigators in modern times. How come the descendants of Kupe and Tepaki are mostly failing at school? Have they all got dumber? How can they be, when all the evidence says the opposite? What’s busted? School or the people? And if we say we believe as a nation, in operationalising the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi; -how can this be alright? A long pre-amble to explain an adult life given to making school different for people who need it to be. So, how do we ReTool school to

The antecedents of this pedagogy, which in Manaiakalani we have called Learn, Create, Share, are in our recent history of Schooling Improvement, eLearning development and the development of Cultural Responsiveness with a prime example being Te Kotahitanga. When the essential aspects of these areas of learning are amalgamated and new media are used for the reception and delivery modes, the learner experience is completely different. It is more than possible to develop new learner agency, efficacy and leadership in learning. This journey to genuine citizenship will have three major hallmarks: • ubiquity - anywhere, anytime, any pace, any people learning • agency - the power to act informed/empowered/enabled learners • connectedness - edgeless education, connected minds1 The pedagogical paradigm change we are experiencing is as significant as the change from slate to exercise books: With slate being used as the medium for a one to many, simultaneous delivery system in large classroom the instructional mode could only ever be synchronous. When text and exercise books began to be used, the modern education system experienced the first asynchronous, group based instructional mode. The 3rd millenium new paradigm allows for variation in respect of place, pace, space, time and people and is the next big change-up of the delivery mode since the advent of the exercise book. Quality teaching is still quality teaching with its critical inputs , feedback and time checks, but we are now able to innovate pedagogically in ways that were not previously available. We are also able to involve whanau in this endeavour.  08

Term 2 - 2013

school news

Modern Learning Environment

education

Preparing for the future

e are responsible for educating our children for a future that we cannot predict with environmental, health, social and economic issues on a global and local scale. Our students need to be prepared to adapt to the changing world and schools have a key role to play in this process. The roles of our teachers have expanded from delivering a set curriculum to facilitating student learning through project work and guided enquiry. Such methods create a habit of a lifelong search for knowledge and provide our children with creative thinking and problem solving skills. School spaces have to keep up with these developments. Formal expectations of Ministry of Education are comprehensive with 21st Century Learning objectives, Modern Learning Environments and future proofing buildings required, all of which

are great concepts, but how to apply them to most existing school facilities which need more urgent work such as weather-tightness and seismic strengthening? There is a lot to think about. When making decisions about school assets, it is important to look forward and have a holistic view.

Take it step by step You need to start with an overall site Master Plan and a 10 year Property Plan which are essential for both the long term spatial planning of facilities and financial planning of capital expenditure. Note that the Ministry of Education (MoE) requires that Health and Safety (including weather-tightness and seismic strengthening) and essential infrastructure projects be carried out within a school before Modern Learning Environment projects can be implemented. Identifying which Health and

Cushla Thurston Architect, Opus Architecture

“

The Master Plan should be developed alongside the pedagogical aspirations and curriculum vision of the school

Safety and essential infrastructure projects will contribute towards the long-term plan and will also show options which may create extra funds such as removing a building that requires costly weathertightness or seismic strengthening work or other ways of rationalisation of space. Such options will in turn divert funding toward Modern Learning Environment projects that

will have a more positive impact on learning outcomes. The Master Plan should be developed alongside the pedagogical aspirations and curriculum vision of the school. Buildings can be expected to stand for 50 years with little or no change, but the pedagogical thinking continues to evolve all the time. 10

 07 The chart to the left is an attempt to depict this change opportunity and the attendant tensions. This pedagogical change imperative must drive all the other necessary ReTooling developments otherwise we will just be introducing toys and tools. 2. Operationalising of Te Tiriti o Waitangi The principles we need to embed in all our practice and development are Partnership, Participation and Protection. -Essentially this means families, parents and children as genuine, safe, participatory partners.

This pedagogical change imperative must drive all the other necessary ReTooling developments otherwise we will just be introducing toys and tools.

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• our whanau/aiga are all paying $3.50/week over 3 years to own their child’s netbook device. • our whanau/aiga have coconstructed the Kawa of Care; -protocols for the safety, care and management of our children, their devices and their well being as they carry them to and from school. • our whanau/aiga and stakeholders are not simply being asked for “buy in” or being consulted, they are

Modern Learning Environment

education

Innovatively combined existing buildings and new elements to transform the entire campus

being invited to contribute to the development & design of the IP we are all using. • we are determined that there will be full participation, -no-one left out and that whanau will be able to oversee and participate in their children’s learning journeys. • we are committed to the principle that our learners must have a genuine voice and an authentic audience. If the operationalising of these principles along with the pedagogical change imperative is not determined at the outset, the retooling process will result in a solution set that does not empower and enable the agency of the learner and whanau and may in fact result in the next generation of constraint and failure. 3. A new partnership around Schooling In the work of ReTooling we have discovered that a new partnership is necessary around the delivery of education as not only are we unable to discover all the needed resource via vote education, but there are aspects of the work that at present, state

education is not empowered to deliver. • This partnership requires formal involvement of Academic Educators. Our pedagogical innovation needs to be informed and critiqued by people with credibility and authority. • As mentioned above, our whanau need to be much more than recipients or consultees. They need to be part owners of the process, -as do our learners. • We need help from the commercial sector, in order to develop a solution set that empowers people outside the normal commercial parameters. The commercial groups need to be partners and volunteers and not just purely commercial. • We need philanthropic partners who are prepared to move away from a traditional grantor grantee relationship and work in a catalysing partnership for change. • We need volunteers to challenge all of the other sector partners and to develop IP that traditional enterprise, both education and commercial, won’t think of or consider.

• We need a Charitable Trust to anchor all this activity and ensure neutral holding and equitable distribution of resource. • All these partnerships must conform to the principles of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and exist to deliver the ideas enunciated in the pedagogical change imperative. 4. Technical Provision • At an age determined by the community, each child must have their own appropriate net connected, learning focused device. • Each development must have a cloud solution that ensures “visible learning” with appropriate feedback -feedforward, identity and access management, permissioning and portability. • School infrastructure must be robust enough, that using these media is as reliable as opening a book. • For any time, any place, any pace learning to be a reality, home access must be provided at an affordable cost with appropriate safety and security measures.

5. R & D Transparent research and development must be on-going and made honestly available to all partners, especially families. ReTooling school will only happen where people acknowledge that its necessary because school as we have known it, is no longer OK. It will happen where there is desire and a sense of moral imperative. We need to: “Be willing to be transformed: How dare we think we can transform school or the lives of kids if we will not be transformed ourselves”.2 The Manaiakalani story is one of people saying “yes”. We have immense gratitude to the many supporters who have enabled this new partnership for education success. We are an Open Source Project and are committed to giving away the IP we develop to empower people in one of New Zealand’s most fragile communities. The Manaiakalani Programme is located in Tamaki, Auckland. For further information about the Manaiakalani Programme or the process of ReTooling School, please visit the Manaiakalani website www.manaiakalani.org 1

Derek Wenmoth 2013

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school news

Modern Learning Environment

education

 08 It is therefore essential that the design of the building will support educational and technological change without expensive remodelling. A variety of interconnected learning spaces that could be used in many different modes both now and in the future is a good and affordable option. A shift in attitude towards rationalisation of property in favour of collaboration and sharing of facilities can also enable a better standard and allow the maintenance budget to go further.

How to future proof existing buildings? When remodelling existing buildings it is important to assess the condition of both the site and building, and the ability of the existing structure to be adapted to suit modern learning objectives. There are a number of typical school buildings that can be transformed by opening up and creating connections between spaces or by reclaiming valuable corridor space for teaching and learning. The redevelopment at Heretaunga

school news

Term 2 - 2013

“

We now have something that shows on the outside how good we know we are on the inside

College demonstrates how these principles have been achieved through refurbishment within the constraints of existing facilities.

Case Study - Heretaunga College Redevelopment, Upper Hutt The redevelopment of Heretaunga College innovatively combined existing buildings and the new elements to transform the entire campus. The facility was opened in Feb 2013 by the Right Honourable John Key. In her speech Head Girl Haylee Groeneveld said “We now have something that shows on the outside how good we know we are on the inside.” The objectives of the project were to embrace Ministry of Education objectives for Modern Learning and support the College

– Head Girl, Haylee Groeneveld vision for curriculum delivery. The redevelopment was delivered within a modest budget and to programme. The entire school is connected by a central internal street or ‘spine’ and provides social spaces including a student run café and catering kitchen along its length. This connectivity is also present in teaching and learning spaces which are clustered around new flexible shared-learning areas for each wing. The central space is formed to maximise natural ventilation and sunlight by use of roof lantern windows at high level. Sliding glass doors and internal glazing between refurbished and new spaces have improved passive surveillance, visibility and natural light. The administration area has been reconfigured to establish a central

hub for student services including careers, guidance, health and pastoral care. Outdoor spaces have also been reconfigured. Two major landscape areas have been created. The Café Plaza welcomes students and provides a social exterior space adjacent to the Spine Café and Student Entrance. Learning spaces flow out onto exterior decks around the perimeter of the new landscaped Quad space which is at heart of the school and is an important school community area used as a venue for outdoor learning, performance and places for students during break times. This project shows that there are many ways in which spaces could be updated and future proofed. So next time you have the opportunity to plan a building project for your school keep the end in mind and look for potential within. It may only take a few adjustments to bring your longterm vision a little closer. Cushla Thurston is a Registered Architect at Opus Architecture in Wellington who specialises in Education projects.

Media

admin & management

Does your school have a media policy?

Pete Burdon Founder and Head Trainer, Media Training NZ

hat would happen if a TV reporter arrived at your school and starting asking sensitive questions of staff with the camera rolling? Would they know what to do? This is one reason why you need a media policy. This does not have to be a huge document that sits in a bookcase gathering dust. But it does need to clearly outline what all staff should do in all potential media scenarios. For example, if there is a serious allegation against a staff member, what is the policy? This can lead to all sorts of media scrutiny. Reporters may approach teachers, the caretaker, and anyone else who may give them an interesting comment. It only takes one off-the-cuff comment to turn a relatively minor issue into a full blown crisis. It must be made clear to everyone at school how they must deal with any scenarios like this. The staff members most at risk of this are receptionists because they are on the front line. Let’s take another scenario. A media crew arrive in the reception area and request an interview with the Principal about the school’s recent cases of bullying. The receptionist makes some remark like, “We don’t have a problem with bullying,” then makes a phone call through to the Principal whispering something like, “There’s a TV crew here who want to talk to you about our problem with bullying.” She then tells the reporter that the Principal is in a meeting so can’t see them. They leave happily. Then the TV news story that night leads with, “School refuses to comment on bullying accusations.” The reporter then says “While the Principal was unwilling to comment, when we put the accusation to another spokesperson, her response was”: Then they play the clip of the receptionist saying “We don’t have a problem with bullying,” giving the story an even more negative slant. To make matters worse, they then play the footage of the secretive phone call. While this is an extreme

“

With any media policy, there must always be someone specifically designated to act as a media liaison person, and someone to fulfil the role of media spokesperson

example, it happens. But with a media policy in place, it would never get this far. That’s because the receptionist would know exactly what to do and say. The Principal would also know how to deal with the intrusion. With any media policy, there must always be someone specifically designated to act as a media liaison person, and someone to fulfil the role of media spokesperson. The spokesperson is usually the Principal, or in some instances, the Board Chair. Ideally both would have the skills to deal with this as a back-up is always advisable. While most school leaders see the media as a threat, fostering a good relationship with journalists can lead to favourable coverage in target media. This does wonders for a school’s reputation in the good times by offering journalists interesting story ideas. It also helps limit the damage in bad times as journalists go easier on people they have formed a relationship with. The media liaison officer plays an important role in maximising positive media coverage of the school. In some cases this can be the same person as the spokesperson, but it could be anyone from a DP to an AP to a PA. This would be clearly outlined in the policy. The roles of media liaison officer and spokesperson are vital. But as we’ve seen, it’s important that every staff member knows what to do and say around media. In other words, it must be a team effort reflected in the media policy. For example, if a staff member is approached about a sensitive issue, the policy should

outline that the only reply should be “you’ll have to speak to X about that.” While there will be similarities with media policies between schools, each one will still be unique. One area where they will differ will be with their exceptions to the spokesperson rule. For example, sports coaches may be free to talk to local sports media about games, or a teacher may be able to talk as a spokesperson for

an outside interest, as long as it is clearly laid out to the reporter that she is not talking on behalf of the school. Often a media training course is a good idea for spokespeople, as media interviews are like no other conversation and can trip up even the best communicators. A course for media liaison officers is also beneficial for those unaware of how the media works and what journalists want. 2013

2 SCHOOL

serious about education

Six Schools Are $2000 Richer With BIC is proud to announce the winning schools from its Back to School promotion

Marakakaho School Discovery School Forrest View High School Grovetown School Lower Moutere School Darfield High School Thank you to all the schools who entered and for including BIC in your stationery lists.

Let’s Invent The Futue Together

Term 2 - 2013

school news

Data Storage

admin & management

The solution for your school

ith so many data storage and digital document management options available, how do you make the right choice for your school. Here we investigate some of the systems available, their strengths and their weaknesses.

Hard disk drives The Hard disk drive (Hdd) stores all your data; word documents, photos, audio and video information and history in your computer. A healthy Hdd ensures that data can be accessed quickly for display and transfer without corruption to your files. There are two main manufacturers, Western Digital and Seagate. Each year the capacity to store data increases, with 1 tb (terabyte) Hdds quite common now for external, laptop, and desktop computers. The storage capacity of a 1tb Hdd is quite amazing, 1 tb=1000 million kilo bytes or 1000 gb (equal to 250,000 songs) and for most people is more than adequate.

school news

Term 2 - 2013

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

Darren Hales-Owen Digital Recovery

Digital document management keeps important digital files and documents at your fingertips and provides the utmost in information security

The bad news is that all Hdds will fail at sometime, Newer Hdds can be more prone to failure than the older more stable drives. Hdds that over heated, are used with incorrect cables, computers suffering from blackouts/brownouts or incorrectly shutdown, malware, and viruses can create â&#x20AC;&#x153;bad sectorsâ&#x20AC;? on the hdd drive platter, which are segments of useless unreadable data that your computer tries to read. Over time these bad sectors can accumulate (data cancer) which eventually slows down your Hdd and one day gives up , unfortunately with all your precious data on board. Other issues to be aware of with

any data storage devices are power spikes, being dropped or bumped, Hdd firmware issues, corrosion due to salt water, even the sulphides in Rotorua can cause damage, not to mention accidental and malicious deleted files, formatted Hdds and factory resets. There are however cost effective solutions to recover data from corrupt, failed Hdds available.

Other Storage Options Mirrored Drives (Raid 1) These operate as 2 drives working in tandem, where should one drive fail then data is accessed from the other good working hdd, chances are statistically low for both drives to fail simultaneously.

This is an excellent method of data storage, should one Hdd fail due to bad sectors, mechanical and/or electrical failure. However should the operator delete or shred files then the data is lost on both Hdds.

Solid State Drives (SSD) These have no moving parts and work like a large USB flash drive. This technology appears to be the silver bullet, but there are issues to consider. Some brands are poorly made and are vulnerable to screen freeze with a shelf life of approximately 3 years. Data can be lost due to power spikes/ failure, and like charging/discharging a battery will eventually slow down and fail as

Data Storage

admin & management

there is a limited amount of writes and rewrites to the SSD. It is almost impossible to recover data from a failed SDD drive.

Cloud Storage Cloud storage is also being touted as a safe alternative, and on the surface it is a great idea to use this method as a back-up for some of your files.

Digital Data Management Larger schools should consider Digital document management. Digital document management refers to a computer-based system that stores, tracks, and indexes your electronic and paper documents. Usually by logging in via a password your PC can access data from a central network server which processes requests and delivers data to your or other (client) computers , your individual password will determine what data you can access over a local network and internet for security purposes. Paper documents are scanned and stored electronically. Digital document management keeps important digital files and documents,e.g. faxes, e-mails, photos even audio at your fingertips, eliminates walls of filing cabinets, minimises the need for paper, printer toners and inks and provides the utmost in information security. Digital document management systems come in two categories: client-server systems and vendorrun applications.

Client-Server Systems Client-server systems are housed in your school and stores data on

your server in house or at another location. The advantages are: • You have total control of your data at all times. • Software is easy to use • Customizable and flexible (as your needs change, you can tweak the system ) • Regular backups to off-site computers are easy to schedule and inexpensive. The disadvantages are: • Upfront costs of software and additional servers • Need IT staff/IT consultants to maintain and manage the system.

Vendor-Run Applications Vendor-run applications, known as application service providers (ASP), reside on the service providers servers (cloud environment). Access to your data is through a web browser or a through client software. The advantages are: • • • • •

Uninterruptible power supplies Reliable backups Upgraded features IT professional maintenance Multiple layers of security and firewalls • Relatively low set up/ initial cost The disadvantages are: • Require active Internet connection which in NZ is still considered slow • Web traffic may affect your document retrieval speed. • Your ISP may have an outage • Monthly usage payment

depends on storage plans/data usage and can be subject to further costs • Can still be hacked into, having files changed or deleted even with the best security available • Depending on the provider you may lose 100% ownership or property rights on your data. Take all of these factors into consideration before committing

yourself to a system. Often the time cost is more significant than the cost of the program so evaluate your needs carefully. Darren Hales-Owen is the sales manager at Digital Recovery where they specialise in the recovery of Digital Files from corrupt and failed Hard drives.

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Term 2 - 2013

school news

Multifunction Photocopiers

admin & management

Multifunction photocopiers an essential tool for schools – Scientific breakthroughs in even the earliest models

n the earlier years of the desktop computer age, there were confident predictions that the average office would soon be paperless. Those predictions have proved to be far from the mark with many offices and schools handling more paper than ever. Those early predictions almost certainly did not take account of the rapid transformation of the photocopier. Earlier versions were extremely limited in what they could do and tended to jam frequently. Printing had to be done separately. However, even these far simpler machines were still really a modern scientific miracle. In 2013, few will remember just the sort of situations photocopiers have freed us from since the first appeared in any numbers in the 1970s Imagine having to resort to making carbon copies of important documents, as many people did before copiers came along? Or worse, imagine how tedious it would be if everything had to be recopied by hand! We should be incredibly grateful for modern technology. At its heart, a copier works because of one basic physical principle: opposite charges attract. Static electricity is the copier’s secret. Inside a copier there is a special drum. The drum acts a lot like a balloon – it can be charged with a form of static electricity. Inside the copier there is also a very fine black powder known as toner. The drum, charged with static electricity, can attract the toner particles. There are three things about the drum and the toner that let a copier perform its magic: • The drum can be selectively charged, so that only parts of it attract toner. In a copier, you make an “image” -- in static electricity -- on the surface of the drum. Where the original sheet of paper is black, you create static electricity on the drum. Where it is white you do not. What you want is for the white areas of the original sheet of paper to

school news

Term 2 - 2013

“

As well as being cheaper to run overall, MFDs also utilise reporting technology that means schools can track costs and monitor departmental or individual usage

NOT attract toner. The way this selectivity is accomplished in a copier is with light -- this is why it’s called a photocopier! • Somehow the toner has to get onto the drum and then onto a sheet of paper. The drum selectively attracts toner. Then the sheet of paper gets charged with static electricity and it pulls the toner off the drum. • The toner is heat sensitive, so the loose toner particles are attached (fused) to the paper with heat as soon as they come off the drum. The drum, or belt, is made out of photoconductive material. This is only a small part of the technology involved. The complexity of the lighting and lenses involved would be baffling to all but advanced experts in their fields. However, this very short introduction might be enough to demonstrate that even earliest versions involved highly sophisticated science in freeing us from the drudgery of the

carbon paper age. Who would want to return to those times?

The age of the Multi-FunctionDevice However, photocopiers have come a long way since those early models that many would remember. From being a simple tool for making copies of worksheets and other school documents, today’s photocopiers have been merged with printers and now allow users to not only copy, but also print, scan and fax documents. Known as multifunction photocopiers (MFDs) the latest models, such as Toshiba’s e-STUDIO 2550/3540/6550 models can also access the internet, be a portal for using software applications, and wirelessly interact with smart phones, laptops and tablets. There are many benefits to using a multifunction photocopier in place of a range of standalone devices. In particular the cost savings can be quite significant.

The technology involved in MFDs has evolved to the point where the cost per page is much lower than that of stand-alone desktop printers, says Jim Nolan, regional manager for Toshiba in New Zealand. “And of course, MFDs offer functions of greater quality – whether that be print (via colour control tools); distribution (via scanning to email/network/internet/ USB or hard drive); or document output finishing (via punching, stapling, folding and booklet making).” As well as being cheaper to run overall, MFDs also utilise reporting technology that means schools can track costs and monitor departmental or individual usage. “With Toshiba technology you can set limits for certain staff or students, and you can set rules that recommend another print device be used. These print rules are chosen by the school, based on things like cost-effectiveness, peak-usage trends, or security,” said Mr Nolan. “A recent trend emerging is card access for MFDs, which can be extended to other ‘purchases’ around the school – parents can view all transactions and add value online if the school is on-charging. “With our proactive service support model we will often know about a potential issue and deal with it before a school is aware of it – since our back-end service system receives information directly from our MFDs. Our goal is to keep our schools operating happily at all times with our MFDs and software. And we are now introducing an even more advanced system whereby our Help Desk can (with the school’s permission) log-in to the management hub and help with any MFD issues,” he said.

Toshiba Talks MORE THAN JUST THE WORLDâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S BEST MULTIFUNCTION DEVICE Recently the Fortune Global 500 list placed Toshiba at number 97 of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest corporations. Toshiba is also the 7th largest electronics manufacturer in the world today. For this reason Toshiba can claim to be one of the best in high technology products spanning information and communication systems. Most notably, these include Multifunction Devices, Notebook PCs, Document Management Software, Telecommunications systems, Consumer electronics, Medical diagnostics imaging systems, and Power generation systems. New convergent technologies now enable Multifunctional devices to provide a single source for your office automation needs. Savings and results are the norm with satisfaction guaranteed. The emergence of ever-present broadband internet is a challenge that compels you to digitise your paper assets and provide safe data storage and retrieval. For this reason, Toshiba e-STUDIO Multi-Function Devices are the choice for many thousands of businesses in New Zealand and Australia. Ask about our solutions specially designed for site evaluation, document management, storage, tracking, and cost recovery. Simple to network, copy, print, scan, fax and email - Toshiba e-STUDIO makes office technology easy.

For further information: Visit www.eid.toshiba.co.nz or call (9) 570 8530

World Ranking TOSHIBA

US$(Billion)

$77.261

Canon

224

Sharp

354

Ricoh

461

Xerox

488

$44.631 $31.104 $24.108 $22.626

Source : 2012 Fortune Global 500 (issued July, 2012)

2012

Fundraising

admin & management

4 keys to successful fundraising

s money is becoming harder to find for our worthy causes we all have to become better at attracting money. Here are four keys to consider. How well are you doing these in your organisation?

Have a clear objective. When you’re approaching your community or donors to support your cause or asking parents to donate, tell them that the funds will go to a specific project. Make it visible, a building or playground, sell them the benefits of construction and tell them who will benefit. The more who benefit the greater amount of donations you’ll receive and the faster you’ll reach your target. Share your vision for your school not just with today’s objective in mind but with what your long term plans are so your supporters can share the vision. It will excite and inspire them to give more.

school news

Term 2 - 2013

Use multiple methods to raise funds Just as with volunteering where people have less time to give, so too with fundraising. People are being asked by so many causes to contribute. You need to make sure that you cover as many methods of giving as possible. Some will want to give cash, some may want to buy chocolates, some will want to give online, others may want to contra. You may also have to apply for grants to secure part of your fundraising goal.

Skill your people More hands make light work. To help spread the load amongst your team of volunteers, give them training to improve their effectiveness. For example, enrol your team in grant writing courses. Once learned this skill can be used to apply for grants from hundreds of places. Ask your new volunteers to shadow the experienced

group of volunteers so they learn how to run a school carnival, or how to research suppliers for events etc. The successful growth of an organisation is in the skill level of its personnel, educate them and you’ll reduce your workload and succeed more often.

Recognise and appreciate Upon the completion of any event, but most importantly fundraising events, thank and appreciate all those who have contributed. Not everyone wants to see their name up in lights but the simple recognition and thank you will secure their ongoing support. Write personal letters to major supporters, meet face to face with business leaders who have contributed, ring your fellow parents and put thank you notices in as many public areas, newspapers or get the local TV station to run a story and slip your thank you’s in there. Warming the heart of those who have given will

make your next fundraising event even more successful. Think big, share your vision, make it easy to support, up-skill your people and recognise all those who believe in you and your project. Next time we’ll talk about philanthropy and how you can attract long term support from wealthy individuals and overseas benefactors. By Charles Alder, CEO, The Give Back Campaign

Food for thought

he inaugural Food and You Careers Experience Day took place at the Kumeu Showgrounds, Auckland in May. The event, designed for school students, proved a huge success as the fun-filled educational event gave students the opportunity to gain an insight to the food value chain. It also explored the vast array of career opportunities available in the primary sector. Food and You is a new initiative within the Primary Industry Capability Alliance (PICA) implemented by New Zealand Young Farmers. “It was a golden opportunity to pull together a range of agricultural organisations and display the breadth of career opportunities available the industry” says New Zealand Young Farmers CEO Richard Fitzgerald. Mr Fitzgerald went onto say; “we are delighted with the response from urban

“

This event, and others like it, will educate students that agriculture is not just about farming. They will learn that there is a whole industry built around it, and anyone can get hands-on and get involved in agriculture’ – Ben Allomes

secondary schools as we were able to engage with this market and showcase agriculture”. The Food and You event was run alongside the ANZ Young Farmer Contest and there were nearly 500 school students, comprising of 19 secondary schools and three

primary schools, from around Auckland and surrounding areas. All students were treated to a complementary lunch in the form of a gourmet burger sponsored by Siler Fern Farms. Ben Allomes past President of New Zealand Young Farmers from

2006 – 2009 and current DairyNZ Board Member officially opened the event. “This event, and others like it, will educate students that agriculture is not just about farming. They will learn that there is a whole industry built around it, and anyone can get hands-on and get involved in agriculture”, commented Mr Allomes. Industry friends designed interactive trade sites centred around the four themes of the day: Feeding the World, Food and Technology, The Market Place and Protecting our Future. Career Champions Angus Brown from The Food Bowl, share milker Cole Groves (also NZYF Board Member) and Rebecca Mitchell from Fonterra engaged students when they spoke about where they have come from and how they got to where they are today.

Food and You Careers Experience Day

external learning

Become a Bizzy Bodz School! We provide quality Holiday Programmes and Before and After School Care Programmes DOES YOUR CURRENT OUT OF SCHOOL CARE PROVIDER: ✓ Have CYF, OSCAR and WINZ approval? ✓ Have passionate, industry-trained & police checked staff? ✓ Have structured and supervised homework time? ✓ Offer nutritious and interesting afternoon tea every day?

✓ Have themed activity weeks? ✓ Have an awesome Art and Craft programme? ✓ Have child-led games and activities? ✓ Offer awesome and exciting holiday programmes?

Bizzy Bodz does all of the above and more!!! If you are interested in finding out more about the wonderful Bizzy Bodz programmes, please contact:

Jo Adamson 021 678 076 | jo@bizzybodz.co.nz All enquiries and new locations welcomed!

Term 2 - 2013

school news

Wynyard Quarter Garden to Table

external learning

Innovative garden project arouses trans-Tasman interest

collaborative scheme for Auckland’s waterfront could be an international trendsetter. A three-way partnership between a charitable trust, a prominent landscape architecture and architectural company and Waterfront Auckland will transform part of Auckland’s Wynyard Quarter this year. Work on the site is already well underway. The Garden to Table Trust is working with Waterfront Auckland to create an extensive edible garden and kitchen classroom facility to educate children from up to five local schools. The 1500 sq metre area will help further the trust’s vision of teaching all New Zealand primary school children how to grow, harvest, prepare and share fresh, seasonal food. Also directly involved is Opus Architecture and Landscape Architecture, a major New Zealand company that has established a reputation for its skill in designing inventive buildings for schools throughout the country. Garden to Table is affiliated to an Australian initiative – the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Program. The fundamental philosophy of both is to give children memorable food experiences to form the basis of positive lifelong eating habits. The Australian programme is government supported and has proved extremely successful. It began in inner-city Melbourne in 2001 and now involves about 20,000 children

The programme in action at East Tamaki School

school news

Term 2 - 2013

Finalising their design on the computer are (from left) Robert Cunningham, Greig Buckley and Susannah Kitching.

from more than 200 schools. The New Zealand Garden to Table programme began in 2008 when food writer and cook Catherine Bell gathered a group of like-minded people together. Three pilot schools joined the project in 2009 and now 15 are signed up – eight in Auckland and the others in Queenstown, Christchurch and Thames – across the decile spectrum. Another 60 schools are on the waiting list. The children participating spend

time in a productive veggie garden and home-style kitchen each week, learning new skills and discovering how much fun it is to grow and cook their own seasonal vegetables and fruits. Garden to Table trustee, Greig Buckley, says it is recognised around the world that “there’s a real challenge in getting school children to understand food and make it an important part of their lives. That’s reflected in their eating habits and

in health issues, such as obesity and diabetes, which are increasingly prevalent here. “Our programme is really focused on experience-based learning. Research shows it works better with younger children, so our target is seven-10 year olds. It’s very hands-on – it’s all about celebrating food – food they’ve grown themselves, harvested, prepared, and then shared around a table,” said Greig.  20

Supplier Profile | Opus International Consultants

How to create a little magic? AT THE MOMENT, the Garden to Table site on Daldy Street in the Wynyard Quarter looks nothing like the green oasis it will become. In the middle of what is now an unsealed carpark, a ‘working’ garden will be developed to assist 4 local primary schools with their teaching about healthy living, showing the students that things don’t actually grow in their own shrink-wrap packaging. For the children, we are creating an environment full of surprise and delight. Ramps will run through the site creating a magical journey through the gardens to the main building. Along this route the students will be able to see trees growing and bearing fruit from a real bird’s eye view, and they will be able to pick food from vertical walls of foodbearing vines. This project is the ﬁrst special purpose facility for Garden to Table. Garden to Table is an example of how school properties need to remain responsive to changing teaching methods and community

For any building project, the site holds the keys to success. It might be obvious opportunities such as a generous North exposure or sweeping views. It might be perceived constraints such as a busy road or steep contours.

demographics. As cities and lifestyles change, quarter acre sections with their generous gardens are disappearing. To compensate for this change, schools are working with Garden to Table. Finding the right space for a green corner involves looking at the entire school – its

2013 School News GARDEN TO TABLE autumn 2013.indd 14

buildings, sports ﬁelds, circulation routes and underutilised areas to ﬁnd the best spot for the garden – a place to teach children important life skills. For schools without spare land, an external section might be an option. For any building project, the site

holds the keys to success. It might be obvious opportunities such as a generous North exposure or sweeping views. It might be perceived constraints such as a busy road or steep contours. It is the job of the design consultant to gain a thorough understanding of the site, to explore the opportunities, and to turn what seem to be constraints into design positives. Opus is an active partner in school masterplanning and design. When a school is considering changes to its facilities, the best place to start is with a masterplan. Even if only a single new building is required, it is important to look at how the various facilities are used, how students and staff can move safely through the school grounds, and how new buildings can be neatly ﬁtted into the existing campus. Talk to us about your school. We can provide solutions at all levels, from overall masterplanning to building design. Create a little magic for your students.

Wynyard Quarter Garden to Table

external learning

4/4/2013 4:02:02 PM

Term 2 - 2013

school news

Wynyard Quarter Garden to Table

external learning

The gardens and buildings must all be removable as the land is leased

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very exciting,” Robert said. “But it also must have the right design elements for adults when they’re attending a function. “The site is really a garden with one central building, along with some pods where the kids can store their tools. The building was designed to help demonstrate different ways of growing food in small spaces, including vertical spaces and balconies – maximising the available growing area.”

“It’s a very broadly based programme that ties together several curriculum disciplines in a very motivating way. The kids just love it.”

Why Australian interest? So why would the Wynyard Quarter development be attracting interest from across the Tasman? A major reason, said Opus International business development manager Robert Cunningham, is one of available land. “The individual school concept takes a lot of space. Not all schools have enough. With this project, we have an area that several schools can use.” Scarcity of resources is also a problem, says Greig Buckley. “We rely on assistance from fund raising, grants – plus corporate and other partners, and it’s hard to justify expensive kitchen/classroom facilities for every school, especially when they’re in the same area. This collaborative approach means we’ll be delivering the programme much more cost effectively. Up to 600 children a week will be using this facility. It hasn’t been done in Australia like this and their programme is very interested.”

Opus Architecture involvement Opus’s involvement in the project came when senior landscape architect/work group manager, Susannah Kitching, read an article about the Australian programme in Dish magazine by then editor, Catherine Bell, who was interested in introducing the concept here. “I contacted Catherine and went out to see the programme in action

school news

Term 2 - 2013

Public facility as well

Up to 600 children a week will be using this facility

at East Tamaki School, which was just amazing.” Susannah described the gardens as “beautiful” and was impressed with the standard of what the children were cooking and the work done by volunteers from outside the area. She felt Opus should be involved. “For the first couple of schools we helped, we gifted the design services up to a certain value. At Wynyard Quarter, we’ve charged a reduced fee. We’ve looked at different ways of working with the clients – helping them first before ourselves,” she said. A key element of the Wynyard Garden project is a 300 sq metre, twostorey building that gave design leader Robert Cunningham and his team a number of challenges. One was that both gardens and buildings must all be removable, as the lease on the site is only for nine years. Should relocation be necessary, it seems likely it would be to another part of Wynyard Quarter. The 120 raised garden beds would be relatively simple to move and avoids

the need to use any existing soil on the former industrial site. The building will include multiple home-style kitchens, all with basic domestic equipment and benches at normal height so that children will find it easy to transfer their new skills to home. “One of our young architects pointed out that kids love magic, so the building will have ramps and steps and really be three dimensional – almost as if it’s floating – something

The programme in action at East Tamaki School

The facility is also intended to be a resource for inner-city residents and the public in a controlled way, such as corporate functions. Said Greig Buckley: “We’ll also be using it for afterschool or holiday programmes and adult education. People from inner city apartments will be able to learn how to grow vegetables on their balconies and then prepare that food in cooking classes.” The whole site is designed to be run on green principles with the latest sustainable building materials and technologies enhancing the learning experience. Stage one will open in June with completion set for early 2014.

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Classroom Presentation Equipment

teaching resources

Good advice essential when choosing IWBs – Whiteboard results proven but considerable care needed in purchasing and placement

eaching methods these days are now a far cry from those of earlier generations when the teacher was a fixture at the front of the classroom and the thought of scratching another line in chalk on a dusty blackboard could bring shudders of apprehension. While some viewed the advent of electronic whiteboards with some scepticism and apprehension, there seems little doubt that they are achieving hoped for results in increased pupil achievement. For instance, after a decade of research, Dr. Catherine D. Bruce of Trent University, Ontario – in her published results said: ‘While IWBs require a steep learning curve for the teacher, including additional time to develop lessons and learning situations, IWB use can strongly enhance student engagement and learning.’ However, like virtually any piece of complex electronic equipment, a certain amount of expense is involved and considerable care needs to be taken in both purchasing the most suitable equipment and making sure it is situated in a position where it will be at its most effective. That can be quite an involved, but so entrenched are these presentation tools in modern education that in September 2010, European Schoolnet published a guide to their purchase, installation and use. Distilled from the findings of several European and British schools, it is called Making the Most of Your Interactive Whiteboard and gives considerable detail. There is no doubt that IWBs are here to stay.

Take care before purchasing Schools planning to purchase should first seek advice from at least one of several possible reputable companies. Sharp Corporation specifically designed its Interactive LED White Boards to offer the most interesting and interactive learning experience for pupils in any classroom, says product marketing manager at Sharp Corporation of New Zealand

school news

Term 2 - 2013

“

Considerable care needs to be taken in both purchasing the most suitable equipment and making sure it is situated in a position where it will be at its most effective

Ltd, Grace Liang. “As an interactive panel with screen sizes from 60 inches to 80 inches it engages the classroom, and empowers students to demonstrate their ideas, whether it be from the front of the classroom, via Apple TV (mirroring from iPad), or through the newly released Touch Panel Link software (proprietary to Sharp Corporation). “It also ensures that it’s easy to write quickly and easily – using the supplied pen or your finger. Students are used to interacting with touch screens, and IWBs are a great tool for teachers to encourage pupils to work on the board,

manipulating content to contribute to lessons,” she said, “and using either infrared or optical touch technology means there’s no need to continually calibrate the screens. “Sharp’s LCD panel incorporates UV2A (Ultraviolet-induced Multidomain Vertical Alignment) technology. This ensures the efficient use of light from the screen’s backlight and generates exceptionally bright whites, amazingly vivid colours and the deepest blacks. It delivers Full HD resolution. This means that everything from fine text to intricate graphics is stunningly crisp

and clear. The full HD display is complemented by an anti-reflective coating. This ensures the screens can be comfortably viewed in brightly lit areas and from a wide angle.” Ms Liang said Sharp’s interactive displays are “extremely robust and are highly efficient. The use of LED backlight technology cuts heat emissions, so reducing power consumption in comparison to other systems. And as the displays require very low maintenance, operating costs are kept to a minimum.  24

Simple to use interactive projector in one hand… the students in the palm of the other.

Interactive teaching is now as easy as turning on the projector and starting your class! With Epson’s latest range of interactive projectors, PC-free interactivity is now a reality. Plus, they’re so simple to use, even if you’re new to interactive teaching. Epson’s renowned smooth and accurate interactive pen is now improved – two pens enable users to work simultaneously, opening a world of teaching possibilities. What’s more, with no need for driver software and one touch auto calibration, installation is a snap. The Epson EB-475Wi and EB-485Wi are so simple to use, you’ll have your students in the palm of your hand. Call 0800 377 664 or visit www.epson.co.nz/interactive

Classroom Presentation Equipment

teaching resources

 22 “The product includes unlimited licences for the Sharp proprietary software – call Sharp whiteboard software (.sws), and documents can be saved in this format, as well as pdf, jpeg or bmp. This software includes two types of touch functionality – Whiteboard use and Overlay mode, which are Windows based, and highly intuitive. “The toolbar is easy and simple to understand, offering all the features the education sector has come to enjoy. Lessons can be pre-arranged and edited for years to come, and allowing the user to recall a lesson at the touch of a button. Background references and templates can be stored as jpeg files within the software – all-in-all enabling the user with tools to speed up the education process, and saving valuable lesson time,” Ms Liang said. “These panels save time and

school costs. The LED panel is significantly brighter in display than the standard projector, and with a 50,000 hour LED backlight life before the backlight may begin to dim, this high quality product offers a very long life span. The panel includes a three year manufacturers’ warranty. On top of this, Sharp Corporation also offers end user support in a range of packages designed to meet your school’s needs.” VideoPro, which specialises in AV sales and integration; has installed Epson interactive projectors in numerous New Zealand schools. “The functionality, features and ease of use – requiring little or no professional development – plus attractive installation, are making Epson a winner with primary and secondary schools alike,” says Jason Tether, Education Sales at VideoPro. “Teachers are able to create engaging and interactive lessons, pull content from several sources

Whiteboards

Projectors

Pinboards

school news

Term 2 - 2013

Copyboards

Interactive Projectors & Boards

Auckland 09 271 2020 | Wellington 04 569 4400 | Christchurch 03 365 0011

www.boydvisuals.co.nz

(HDMI, USB, PC free slideshows, network and optional wireless connectivity), annotate freely and encourage student participation through active learning. “Thanks to the ultra-short throw distance, students have a clear view of both the workspace and teacher

without the distraction of cast shadows. And teachers are free from having constant light shining in their eyes,” Mr Tether said. “The flexibility of Epson’s interactive projectors allows schools several options when considering mounting and placement of units.

Visual Accessories

Projection Screens

Classroom Presentation Equipment

teaching resources

An interactive workspace can be projected onto any hard, flat surface; whether that be a wall, existing whiteboard or table. Schools with smaller budgets that wish to split this valuable resource across a several environments, can consider a mobile mounting system. “A major plus is that schools can make use of existing pen-based whiteboards; reducing the cost to upgrade and better utilisation of

space without having dedicated boards.” Mr Tether says many schools are choosing to invest in interactive technology alongside audio and classroom control. “VideoPro recognises that each teaching environment is different and we specialise in providing schools with individual solutions based on their needs and budget; offering expert advice, system design, installation and after-sales support.”

“

Many schools are choosing to invest in interactive technology alongside audio and classroom control

Interactive & Fun Learning for the “Digital Generation” Today’s classroom with tomorrow’s technology, Sharp guarantees a class of active learning and interaction with its cutting edge - touch screen technology. Sharp’s large sized interactive LED LCD Panels are designed to make learning fun and interactive for today’s digital savvy generation. • • • •

www.sharp.net.nz

Available in 60”, 70” & 80” sizes Simple and easy to use Dual touch interface Full HD display with anti-reflective coating

For more information, please contact Rob Fisher. Phone: 09 920 4159 or Email: rfisher@sharp.net.nz

Term 2 - 2013

school news

Acoustics, PA and AV Equipment

teaching resources

Good acoustics and sound equipment essential

odern sound equipment can bring a huge improvement in learning. It is important to understand that a combination of good acoustics and modern sound equipment can make a huge difference to learning in a school environment. So important is it that the Ministry of Education’s website devotes several pages of information to the subject. Even for students with normal hearing, specialized equipment is making a huge difference. Teachers are free from standing at the front of the classroom. Wireless pendant neck mics ensure they will be heard clearly from anywhere in the classroom. For the myriads of teachers who suffer throat problems from the amount of high-volume speaking they must do, good sound equipment is a boon that may help to prevent serious voice difficulties in the future – difficulties that sometimes leave teachers unable to work. For many hearing impaired students, modern sound equipment has been life-changing. It is not only in the classroom that good quality sound equipment is beneficial. Modern sound equipment is more powerful, more reliable – and when compared in dollars per watt and features with that available 10 years ago (let alone 25 or 30 years ago) industry pundits say it is extremely good value. The educational value, satisfaction and enjoyment for all involved in producing a world class production using sound and lighting equipment that works properly, cannot be overstated either. Modern speakers are capable of producing dynamic, high quality sound for a range of situations, from productions and performances to large school assemblies. Instead of distracting an audience with rattles and strange noises, users can have peace of mind that their sound system is not going to stop at a critical moment and everyone can easily understand and hear what is being said. School assemblies, drama theatres and music rooms are

school news

Term 2 - 2013

“

Instead of distracting an audience with rattles and strange noises, users can have peace of mind that their sound system is not going to stop at a critical moment and everyone can easily understand and hear what is being said

areas where good sound is a must, while outside the specific learning environment there are many sporting and other school activities which require specialist sound equipment. Before schools make any financial decisions along these lines, it would be highly advisable to seek expert opinion. Fortunately there are companies that can help with everything from good advice

to providing the best equipment available. Among those companies is Edwards Sound Systems, one of New Zealand’s largest sound, lighting & AV suppliers. Edwards is a professional sound, lighting and audio visual company, based in Auckland and in business since 1965. Managing director Jonathan Hardie Neil says the main products

The Stage Pro portable PA gives you the flexibility of a battery operated wireless PA system with high output, high quality sound

and solutions the company offers are: • A range of portable, battery operated sound systems with wireless microphones and music inputs, “great for use anywhere around the school, all in different sizes to cater from one class of students right through to the entire school for a sports day or outdoor event. We import all this equipment directly from the manufacturer so we can offer the best possible pricing.” • Entire school paging systems – “complete school fit-out with speakers in every class and outside areas to be able to page students, teachers or read the daily notices.” • Installations for halls, gyms or theatres – “we can work with you to design, build and install a custom sound, lighting and audio visual system to meet your requirements.” Mr Hardie Neil says the company is also able to offer a number of services to schools. “We can design and install sound, lighting & AV systems for halls, gyms, classrooms, theatres and other areas.” He said an example of a high quality new system is the Stage Pro 1500 –“ideal for indoor, sports and assembly halls. The Stage Pro 1500 has powerful amplifiers for live music and vocals as well as any public address application indoors or outdoors – voice and music. It’s portable enough to take anywhere and operates – with or without mains power, on stages, sports fields and courts, halls and gymnasiums. It only weighs 13kg and packs a real punch.  28

PORTABLE SOUND SYSTEMS

Indoor and Outdoor Use - Battery and Mains Operation Lightweight, Powerful, Easy To Use

PORTABLE PA SYSTEM CHALLENGER 1000-D The best sounding and most popular system in New Zealand! The Challenger 1000D is perfect for indoor or outdoor use, and portable enough to take anywhere â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for outdoor sports fields, Jump Jam etc and indoor assembly and halls without suitable sound systems installed. These systems cover hundreds of people and you get the flexibility of battery and/or mains operation with high quality sound. Prices are very competitive, for example for a C-1000D (Main speaker complete with CD player USB input, and wireless mic, speaker and microphone stand) costs $2175+gst, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll include freight to your door. Connecting an iPod or mp3 player is easy and you can extend audience coverage by connecting an extra speaker or using our wireless repeater system which gives you extension speakers up to 250 feet or 80 metres away from the main speaker unit! There are plenty of other options available so call us now to find out more. Easy to set up and transport, and very easy to use.

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Powerful and light weight! The Focus505 range is suited to smaller groups indoors or outdoors of up to about 100 This complete all-in-one PA system operates via both mains or built-in rechargeable batteries. We can fit a second wireless microphone receiver, and the CD version has a built-in CD/MP3 player with a USB stick port for MP3 playback. They are very competitively priced, fully featured professional quality portable sound systems and really sound great â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the price for a Focus 505UCD with CD player, one wireless mic, a speaker stand and microphone stand is $1199+gst, plus weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll freight it to you free. It is easy to connect an iPod or mp3 music player if needed and we have many other configuration options so please call us now to find out more. Easy to set up and transport, and very easy to use.

Call David or Robert now 0800 433 927 (ext 2) or email us for more information sales@edwardsnz.co.nz

&EXBSET 4PVOE 4ZTUFNT -UE t 8BMMT 3PBE 1FOSPTF "VDLMBOE 1I PS FEXBSET t XXX FEXBSETO[ DP O[

Acoustics, PA and AV Equipment

teaching resources

“

For the myriads of teachers who suffer throat problems from the amount of highvolume speaking they must do, good sound equipment is a boon that may help to prevent serious voice difficulties in the future.

 26 “It has a mixer with professional features – two microphone inputs, two instrument inputs, two line inputs. A reverb limiter and digital USB input are built in and there’s a suite of optional add-on modules such as wireless microphone receivers, digital recorders and players, a Bluetooth receiver and wireless repeater. The Stage Pro portable PA gives you the flexibility of a battery operated wireless PA system with high output, high quality sound that can cover hundreds of people at a very competitive price.” If schools need specialist equipment on a short term basis: “Our hire department is on hand for all of those oneoff events where extra equipment might be needed,” he said.

school news

Term 2 - 2013

And on those rare occasions when something goes wrong, we can repair it. “If any of your existing systems are playing up – for example wireless microphones cutting on and off, speakers sounding funny, or lights flickering – we can do a full check-up of that sound and lighting system. We can tell you which items need replacing and what can be fixed. Often, our technical sales people can fix small issues on-site, on the spot, and we won’t even charge you a call-out fee. “We have an in-house repairs department for servicing and repairing anything we sell you – either on-site if possible or we’ll take it back to our workshop. With our extensive hire department, this also means we have backup equipment on hand so you won’t go a day without your system,” Mr Hardie Neil said.

Book Reviews

teaching resources

New books on the block The Three Bears ... Sort Of

A Winter’s Day in 1939

Yvonne Morrison & Donovan Bixley, Scholastic

Melinda Szymanik Scholastic

Don’t bears prefer salmon to porridge? Why are they living in a cottage anyway? And how come they can talk? Fall out of your chair laughing as a cheeky child questions the classic story of The Three Bears.

The Man Whose Mother Was a Pirate Margaret Mahy Hachette, RRP $14.99

Forced to leave Poland, put to work in labour camps, frozen and starved, Adam and his family doubt that they will survive World War Two. For the Polish refugees, the USSR becomes a prison from which there is seemingly no escape. Thorough research and real-life family history combine in this powerful story.

The Song of the Ship Rat Ben Brown & Helen Taylor Scholastic

The Pendragon Series Stephen Lawhead New Holland

Loki’s Wolves: The Blackwell Pages K.L. Armstrong & M.A. Marr Hachette

Stephen Lawhead is the author of some 14 outstanding fantasy and science fiction novels, including The Dragon King Trilogy Book 1:Taliesin A magnificent tale which begins with the tragedy of Atlantis and the arrival in Britain of King Avallach. In this world, Celtic chieftains struggle for survival in the twilight of Rome’s power, and one heroic figure towers over all, the Prince Taliesin, in whom is the sum of human greatness. This is a tale of a love that spawns the miracle of Merlin and Arthur and a destiny that is more than a kingdom. Other books in the series include Merlin, Arthur, Pendragon and Grail. Delve deep in to the world of Norse mythology with a new adventure series. In Viking times, Norse myths predicted the end of the world, an event called Ragnarok that only the gods can stop. Matt and his classmates Fen and Laurie, like most people in the modern-day town of Blackwell, South Dakota, are direct descendants of the Norse gods Thor or Loki. When the rune readers reveal that Ragnarok is coming and kids—led by Matt—will stand in for the gods in the final battle Matt can hardly believe it. Their lives will never be the same as they race to put together an unstoppable team to prevent the end of the world.

Sinking David Hill, Scholastic

A brand-new Early Reader edition of this hilarious pirate story from the hugely popular, and award-winning Margaret Mahy. Sam has an ordinary life – but his mother used to be a pirate! One day at breakfast, they decide to go to sea and an amazing adventure begins. Early Readers are stepping stones from picture books to reading books.

school news

Term 2 - 2013

Unroll the maps to Far Away! We’ll sail before the sun … Join our weary ship rat as he reminisces of days gone by, his travels around the world and the sights he’s seen. Written in lyrical, evocative language, this gorgeous new title from an acclaimed author/illustrator partnership will delight readers young and old.

When a crazy old man leaps out of the bushes at Conrad on his way to swimming training, he gets the fright of his life. And when he discovers the man’s granddaughter is that weird horse-riding girl from school, he decides to steer clear of them. But fate has other ideas – and he is drawn into a grim secret. A gripping read by one of New Zealand’s most prominent writers of children’s fiction.

Playgrounds

sports & recreation

Fun, safety and fitness

nticing children outside to play can be difficult in this day and age. Game consoles, computers, mobile phones and the television have more of a pull on children’s attention than ever before. As a result school playgrounds need to provide fun, excitement and a challenge for children to encourage them to play outside. Gone are the days when a set of swings, a slide, seesaws, a climbing frame or two and a field to run around in was all that was needed to keep children fit, active and healthy. Modern playground designs have had to evolve to combine fun with fitness and provide a challenging play space that can be used by children of different ages. Children use playgrounds in many different ways and develop numerous social skills including turn taking, patience, perseverance and goal setting. Imaginations run wild as playgrounds become knight’s or princess’ castles, shops or Jedi training schools. Playgrounds also provide opportunities to play with classmates and further develop student’s language skills. Circuit play systems that combine climbing walls and frames with flying foxes, apparatus to hang or swing from, balance walks and fireman’s poles, for example, are becoming increasingly popular with New Zealand schools. These playgrounds provide the challenge children need, as well as offering apparatus that works on upper and lower body strength and agility. Space nets, rock walls, ladders and

“

The different apparatus available in the school playground can encourage children to be active whilst having fun, and can go some way to providing the prescribed amount of exercise children need on a daily basis.

monkey bars offer the challenges and fun many children seek through their play, whilst forts and high platforms provide spaces for children to use their imaginations. The fitness aspect of school playgrounds is one that has become extremely important over the last few years. The most recent statistics from the Ministry of Health show that one in 12 children in New Zealand, aged between two and 14, is obese and one in five is overweight. The different apparatus available in the school playground can encourage children to be active whilst having fun, and can go some way to providing the prescribed amount of exercise children need on a daily basis. When considering the right equipment to install in a school playground, it can be worthwhile considering the physical skills that children can develop through the use of different apparatus and include at least one item that will help them develop in each area such as balance, upper or lower body strength, coordination and agility. But it’s not just fun and fitness that a playground needs to provide. It also needs to be safe, secure and up to

standard. The New Zealand Standard for Playground Equipment and Surfacing (NZS 5828:2004) maintains that the owner or operator of a playground is responsible for ensuring it doesn’t contain any hazard that could injure those using it. As a result, inspections and maintenance should be carried out on a regular basis to ensure students using the playground are safe. The standard states that the owner or manager of the playground should conduct a daily or weekly (routine) and a more in depth monthly (operational) inspection of the playground. An annual inspection, that looks at the effects of vandalism, wear and tear and structural issues, should also be carried out by an independent specialist, preferably one who has at least RoSPA level three certification. Inspection checklists are available in a handbook produced by Standards New Zealand to assist schools in ensuring their playground comply with the standard. SNZ HB 5828.1:2006 General Playground Equipment and Surfacing Handbook provides clear guidance on safety requirements, maintenance and operational procedures within the standard.

The surface underneath the playground is also an important consideration. Whether using rubber matting, foam, or even bark, it must also comply with NZS 5828:2004. The standard measures the impact absorption of the surface to determine the maximum height from which a child could fall without the risk of serious head injury. Surfaces also need to be tested for slip resistance, fire resistance and durability before products can be advertised as complying with the standard and being suitable for use in school playgrounds. Additionally surfacing must not have sharp edges, trip hazards or use materials that could be toxic. There is a lot for schools to consider when looking to upgrade, expand or renovate a playground – compliance with safety standards being one of the most important. It is also important to remember that modern playgrounds should offer fitness opportunities that are exciting and challenging for all ages. But most of all a playground should be fun. By Rebecca Wood

Term 2 - 2013

school news

5+ A Day

food & beverage

5+ A Day launches new primary school teaching resource

+ A Day has launched a new teaching resource for primary schools focusing on sustainability, environmental awareness and the importance of eating 5+ A Day. The resource, ‘Growing and Learning with 5+ A Day’, is designed to help educators bring to life the concepts of sustainability and teach students how to develop habits and behaviours for a more sustainable and healthy future. It does this with clearly structured lessons on how to compost and why it’s beneficial, creating manageable herb and salad gardens and investigating the importance of eating fresh fruit and vegetables every day to sustain a healthy lifestyle. Each lesson has student resource sheets that can be photocopied and there are various home learning tasks to reinforce the healthy eating concepts at home. The ideas and key learning points align with the Food and Nutrition for Healthy Confident Kids Guidelines and the important learning areas of Health and Physical Education and

school news

Term 2 - 2013

The 5+ A Day programme has become well respected since launching in 1994 and is one of the most recognized food/health brands in New Zealand today. The core activity of the 5+ A Day programme is developing educational resources for educators in early childhood centres, primary and intermediate schools. The resources are curriculum linked for ease of use to promote healthy eating and fruit and vegetables.

Science within the New Zealand Curriculum. There are also specific references to the Key Competencies and Interdependent Concepts. The new resource was developed after 5+ A Day asked educators what they wanted the material to focus on. “Teachers wanted strong links to the curriculum, online resources as well as more practical and userfriendly material. The feedback we received from teachers is they wanted to be able to open the resource booklet and run with it,” says 5+ A Day General Manager Paula Dudley. “We believe we have achieved

this through sustainability focused ideas providing many opportunities for students to become connected and actively involved with learning about 5+ A Day.” One school that will be using the resource is Meadowbank School in Auckland. 5+ A Day’s mascot, Fredge, visited the school recently to launch the ‘Growing and Learning with 5+ A Day’ resource with associate principal Rochelle Manning saying it will support what teachers are doing in class. 5+ A Day has developed teaching resources since 2001 with around 1,000 primary schools throughout

New Zealand ordering them annually. The ‘Growing and Learning with 5+ A Day’ resource is available for free by registering on the 5+ A Day website. Each school that registers will automatically be eligible to enter this year’s 5+ A Day Competition. Competition details will be sent out in Term 2. To register, go to www.5aday.co.nz

5+ A DAY PRIMARY SCHOOL COMPETITION 2013

HOW TO WIN: o o o o

The 5+ A Day Charitable Trust PO Box 66047, Beach Haven, Auckland 0749 Ph: 09 480 5057 | Web: www.5aday.co.nz

Allergies

health & safety

Epidemic impacts more than one-third of New Zealanders

t least one-third of New Zealander’s health is impacted by allergies and one in ten babies born in New Zealand today will develop a significant allergy related health issue. Formal research shows that allergy rates, including food allergy¹, continue to increase. New Zealand has some of the highest allergy rates in the world. Despite this data, there is a significant lack of funding for allergy services, yet the economic burden – productivity and medical costs – is growing. Allergy New Zealand’s CEO, Penny Jorgensen, says: “There is an allergy epidemic and the health system doesn’t appear to understand or take into account the increasing complexity and severity of allergies. Too many families and individuals are left isolated to struggle with the consequences on their own, and at risk.”

Allergies are driven by the immune system and late last month Professor Le Gros , Director of the Malaghan Institute of Medical Research, and his team announced a major research breakthrough which identified a unique type of immune cell that appears linked to allergic skin diseases. “This is a huge step forward for us as allergy researchers. We now have a specific target for the development of new therapies that stop the onset of allergic disease,” says Professor Le Gros. Allergy New Zealand is the only national resource for allergy support, information and education for people with allergies, their caregivers, schools and health professionals, but they receive no government funding. Penny Jorgensen says: “The lack of specialist allergy services throughout the District Health Boards is making the situation even

more challenging, particularly outside of Auckland. In fact there are virtually no services in the South Island at all.” Schools and businesses around the country will be fundraising during Allergy Awareness Week by hosting events such as fingernail painting morning teas featuring allergenfree recipes. Allergy New Zealand’s info pack and other free resources including recipes are available on the website. Allergy Awareness Week 2013 is sponsored by HRV, Nilfisk and Freedom Foods – all specialists in providing allergen free options for allergy sufferers.

AMAZING BLOOD! FREE downloadable resources for teachers of years 9-13

ALIGNED WITH THE NEW ZEALAND CURRICULUM CONTAINING ENGAGING LEARNING EXPERIENCES ACROSS CURRICULUM AREAS SUPPORTING EXPLICIT TEACHING AND SOCIAL INQUIRY

EXTENSIVE DIGITAL RESOURCES

Interactive digital texts to complement the learning experiences in the teaching units. The units are supported with engaging digital resources designed to be used either with an interactive whiteboard or data projector. The interactive digital text features include embedded vocabulary and information pop-ups and videos to foster engagement and support understanding. The digital resources come with downloadable teaching notes with suggested learning experiences for different curriculum levels.

COMPREHENSIVE RESOURCE LINKS SECTION

A large range of resources to support using blood donation as a context for learning. Web-based links include the following: video clips, teaching resources, slide shows, images, lesson plans, graphic organisers, posters, charts, diagrams, information sheets, articles and brochures. This section of the website is supported by a powerful search feature based on learning area, year level and medium.

TEACHING UNITS

INTERACTIVE DIGITAL TEXTS (WITH TEACHING NOTES)

Down l o ad t he F R E E r eso u r c e s h e r e

www.nzblood.co.nz/education For more in f or m a ti o n p le a se e ma i l: e d u c a t i o n@ nz b l o o d . c o . nz

school news

Term 2 - 2013

The World Allergy Organisation states ‘the rise in allergic disease is dramatic and especially problematic in children, who are bearing the greatest burden’ and that food allergy is a rising public health issue globally.

Includes

fantastic

literacy activities that make the technical

information accessible for a variety of learners. Anna Simonsen Social Sciences Teacher Wellington Girls’ College

The Level 5 unit is easy to follow, varied and interesting Very thorough indeed! Paul Keown Educational Consultant Waikato University

The teaching units are brilliant. I love the range of activities!

RESOURCE LINKS

Zena Kavas Science Teacher Taita College

Guide to Life

health & safety

Guide to Life for teens

ll year nine students across New Zealand will have received the Blue Light ‘Kidsmart Guide to Life’ a comprehensive booklet providing young people with information on a wide range of topics which may affect them such as alcohol, bullying, drugs, stress, eating disorders, family, legal issues, grief & loss, harassment and many others. The guide provides a practical summary along with websites and phones numbers where young people can turn for further help. The guide is a joint partnership between Youthtown and Blue Light, the youth charity which works in partnership with the New Zealand Police. Books were distributed to schools via Blue Light branches and uniformed Police Officers for the start of term two. “Our young people are under increasing pressure and have many choices and decisions to

make. Getting access to reliable information and people to help is easy if you know where to look and who to ask. The Blue Light ‘Kidsmart Guide to Life’ provides all the information they might need in one place” said Brendon Crompton, Blue Light Acting CEO. “In addition to running our Youthtown programs and activities throughout New Zealand we

are also committed to helping other worthwhile youth focused initiatives” said Michael White, President, Youthtown Inc. Board. “The Blue Light Kidsmart ‘Guide to Life’ is a great example of this as it seeks to provide practical, helpful information on lots of life topics to secondary school students”. Blue Light has a strong vision of Empowering Youth.

All Blue Light programs and activities are designed to; reduce the incidence of young people being an offender or victim of crime and to encourage better relations between young people, their parents, the police and the communities we live in. For further information visit www.bluelight. co.nz.

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+ a full range of traditional courses for all First Aid requirements

Term 2 - 2013

school news

Field Maintenance

property

Factors to consider when it comes to mowers

eeping school grounds looking well groomed is time consuming work. Choosing the best equipment for the job is essential as it can make a big difference in both economic outlay and time. These days, the standard expected of grassed areas at schools has never been higher. Sports followers are well used to seeing impressive striped fields on their widescreen TVs and most people will partly judge a school on its appearance. Creating and maintaining grassed areas of that calibre is not easy, particularly when costs must be kept under control. No matter how much knowledge goes into looking after sports fields, good equipment is essential. That could be anything from small to medium sized tractors for larger areas, a mower that is towed behind it, ride-on mowers where the operator sits aboard, or hand-pushed mowers for smaller,

school news

Term 2 - 2013

more intricate areas. Add to these variants the cost of the equipment, number of accessories available, the weight of the machinery, reliability, servicing follow-up, tightness of turn circle, the type of finish desired – plus storage and security, and what might seem like a simple decision can in fact be quite complicated.

Fieldmaster Fieldmaster, based just south of Auckland in Pukekohe, has earned a reputation over several decades for supplying quality machinery with sound customer support to back it up. With a recent change in ownership, those at Fieldmaster are enthusiastic about the future. “We’ve inherited some great product lines and are leaders in the specialised area of municipal mowing equipment. With some outstanding new innovations coming to market, the Fieldmaster range is better than ever,” said Rachel Stock, marketing

manager for Fieldmaster. In the 1950s, Fieldmaster was mainly associated with grass cutting equipment, pioneering some of the country’s almost indestructible machinery, much of it still operating today. But in more recent years it has offered an extensive range of

mowers, ATV accessories and other equipment with a full line up of attachments. Some products can do multiple jobs, saving money by doing two or three different tasks with only a simple change of blades or settings.  38

Field Maintenance

property

New Zealandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s widest range of quality gear for your ride-on or compact tractor

Equip your tractor or ride-on to tackle all your groundscare needs efficiently & effectively.

View all the options online @ www.fieldmaster.co.nz or contact us today mentioning this advert on 0800 500 275

Term 2 - 2013

school news

Field Maintenance

property

 36 “Almost all of Fieldmaster’s products are designed and made in New Zealand for tough New Zealand conditions,” said Ms Stock. “The equipment is designed and manufactured using the highest quality materials and with well thought out, practical up to date computer modelled 3D design, creating modern,

structurally tested and well designed machinery that will stand the test of time. Our full range of equipment is designed to provide ongoing reliability wherever it is needed – including sports field and grounds maintenance.” Ms Stock says the company demands the highest quality in all its operational areas and has a very strict quality control programme that ensures all components meet stringent

quality levels. “For instance, if a component is sourced from off-shore, it must still meet the same quality standards of all Fieldmaster’s products.” With Fieldmaster currently providing municipal mowers to the likes of Auckland Grammar School, Auckland Rugby League and Fielding Aerodrome, there is already a successful presence of the company’s mowers in the municipal environment, she said. “When making a decision on the best outcome for a customer’s business and turf, the team at Fieldmaster has years of experience and product development in light mowing equipment through to full scale winged mowers and rollers.” The Fieldmaster commitment to its products and customers does not end with a sale. “Both Fieldmaster and our nationwide dealership network have a finely tuned after sales, spare parts backup programme that ensures minimal downtime and maximum productivity,” Ms Stock said. Fieldmaster stocks a full range of spares for all its machinery. Local agents carry the most popular spare parts – otherwise 99 per cent of all spare parts requirements can be supplied by an overnight courier service around New Zealand.

Allpower Industries Allpower Industries began in 1977 in Victoria and now sources a wide range of equipment from manufacturers around the world. General manager New Zealand, Warren Trethewey says the company has several brands of mowers that are relevant to schools. “One is our Stiga premium European ride-on mowers. Stiga is world famous for its ride-on mowers but Stiga has also revolutionized front mowers, garden tractors, lawn mowers,

school news

Term 2 - 2013

chainsaws, trimmers and other gardening machines. “Innovation is one of Stiga’s characteristics. The brand combines innovative technology and excellent power with minimal impact on the individual and the environment. As Nordic quality demands for garden machinery are high, this Swedish leader provides excellence in performance and design. In all its ride-on mower development work and product ideas, Stiga keeps an eye on ergonomic and environmental problems as well as safety,” he said. “Another Allpower brand is Country Clipper, a premium American zero-turn mower. “All Country Clipper ride-on mowers feature the revolutionary, patented stand-up deck for quick, easy under deck access,” Mr Trethewey said. “The rugged, welded steel deck is reinforced with a triangular front bullnose as well as at other strategic points to make it virtually indestructible. Country Clipper Zero Turn ride-on mowers are built in America’s heartland to have the performance, features and quality needed to tackle any residential, estate or professional job. Featuring high quality Hydro-Gear and Parker transaxles, pumps and wheel motors, these mowers ensure you get a tough, dependable zero-turn performance. Powering both residential and commercial mowers are industryleading Kohler and Kawasaki engines,” he said. A third brand is the Sanli walkbehind mower, manufactured in China. “In the past year alone, Sanli has shipped more than half a million mowers to countries which demand the finest. “Choose between the Laser Cut, Lawn Beetle, Power Cut or Power Mulch. These nifty mowers have a resilient baked enamel paint finish, and just the right sized grass catcher. Easy adjustment and ball-bearing wheels work with comfort-grip handles and deflector skirts to make a memorable mower. All Sanli mowers have modern Over-Head Valve 4 stroke engines and are excellent value. They are covered by a comprehensive two year warranty.”